Sigh~~~~ ******* Looking at his junior brother's grim face, Yang Kai grinned. "Don't be nervous. I'm just earning a few Contribution Points. Relax, I'll go easy on you—promise I won't even make it hurt."
Ten breaths later, the junior brother lay sprawled on the ground, and Yang Kai strode away.
Xia Ningshang, perched in the treetops, had witnessed everything. Her eyes narrowed into crescents, and a faint smile graced her lips. Seeing a junior brother who'd suffered one hundred and forty-seven consecutive defeats slowly rise and grow stronger gave her an inexplicable sense of accomplishment. Although Yang Kai's progress had nothing to do with her, over the past two years, Xia Ningshang had grown accustomed to secretly observing him. It felt like a silent watchfulness; Yang Kai's growth brought her unaccountable joy.
By the Kunlong Gorge, Yang Kai continued his cultivation. Five days had passed since he'd planted the Three Yang Fruit seeds. The sapling here had already reached a zhang in height, changing dramatically almost daily. Now, the Three Yang Fruit tree swayed in the breeze, three vibrant red flowers in full bloom. In just a few more days, fruit would likely form.
Once that happened, Yang Kai could feast to his heart's content.
These past few days of training had also yielded tangible results. A drop of Yang Liquid had condensed within his dantian, and his True Yang Technique was improving steadily.
Having someone else take over the sweeping chores had freed up a lot of time for cultivation.
Lately, Yang Kai had also been keeping tabs on the Wind and Rain Tower. After all, he'd killed Cheng Shaofeng and Nu Tao, and trouble could easily follow. What reassured him was that the Tower showed no unusual activity—it seemed Hu Meier hadn't betrayed him.
That woman was actually trustworthy!
The eighth day of the new month had finally arrived, meaning it was time to settle Contribution Points.
On the eighth day of last month, he had just acquired the Proud Bone Golden Body, reaching only the third stage of Body Tempering. In just one month, he was now at the eighth stage. Such a cultivation speed was unmatched under the heavens. Even those so-called geniuses, even with the aid of spirit pills and medicines, couldn't possibly match this pace.
Entering the Contribution Hall, Manager Meng, seated behind the counter, suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking at Yang Kai with surprise. He realized that after not seeing him for many days, Yang Kai's strength had increased immensely.
The surprise was momentary. Manager Meng quickly recovered his composure. He wasn't an uninformed man; on the contrary, his insight far surpassed anyone in the Lingxiao Pavilion. While Yang Kai's growth was substantial, it wouldn't truly shock him. He had seen plenty of youths who shone brilliantly in their youth only to achieve nothing of note in the end.
"Manager Meng," Yang Kai greeted.
"Here to exchange items?" The old manager looked him up and down.
"Yes. I should have fifty-nine Contribution Points this month, right?"
Sweeping earned ten points. Defeating one opponent each day earned two. Yang Kai had been away from the sect for three days this month, totaling twenty-seven fights. However, last time he'd been caught drinking with Su Mu within the sect by Dark Hall disciples, costing him five points. That left fifty-nine.
"Correct. What do you want?"
"Twenty-nine stalks of Desolate Wood Grass and thirty Three-Leaf Residual Soul Flowers." The Incense Burner hadn't been used in a long time due to a lack of materials. It didn't aid in cultivating Yuan Qi, but its benefits for tempering the physical body were enormous.
Manager Meng gave him a meaningful look, disappeared into the back room, and emerged with Yang Kai's requested items packed up.
Just as Yang Kai reached to take them, Manager Meng pulled them back with a chuckle. "Young Yang Kai, can you tell me exactly what you ate last time on Black Wind Mountain?" He was still curious about Yang Kai's lucky encounter.
Yang Kai spun a convincing lie: "I don't really know either. Just a bright red fruit. I ate it when I was hungry."
"A bright red fruit... a bright red fruit..." Manager Meng sank into deep thought but couldn't match it to any known spirit fruit.
After a long pause, he shook his head. "Forget it then. But aren't you planning to save up Contribution Points to buy my Marrow Cleansing Pill?"