A bottle of talent remolding liquid cost him fifty contribution points. This caused Jun Changxiao to feel an ache in his heart. But after thinking about how this could increase his talent, he consoled himself. "I didn't make a loss. I didn't make a loss."
He then took out the small bottle of talent remolding liquid from the interior of his interspatial ring.
Pak!
Upon opening the bottle stopper, strands of red aura drifted out.
Jun Changxiao sniffed a little and found it a little pungent. He could not help but feel worried. "There's no poison in this, right?
"Ah, I don't give a damn.
"Let's just drink it!"
Sect Leader Jun decisively inclined his head and poured the red liquid in the bottle into his mouth. The red liquid then flowed into his body.
It tasted a little bitter but also had a slight alcoholic fragrance of malt.
"Come on!"
Jun Changxiao sat cross-legged and had a solemn look on his face.
What was he doing?
He was making preparations for the agony that would erupt at any moment as the liquid entered his body.
From Jun Changxiao's point of view, such an item that could change one's talent was equivalent to cleansing one's marrow and replacing one's bones. One had to bear a certain amount of risk.
"Hu, hu!"
As expected, the liquid circulated through his body as surges of majestic aura instantly erupted forth!
Jun Changxiao clenched his fists tightly. His gaze was filled with determination. "No matter how unbearable the pain is, this seat will be able to depend on my powerful determination to resist…"
Ding!
"Host used the 'talent remolding liquid'. Host's spirit root quality is currently being modified!"
"The upgrade to host's spirit root quality has been completed!"
"…"
Jun Changxiao's lips trembled violently.
He had made the preparations to suffer pain, yet the modification ended so quickly. Was this not too simple and casual?
At the next second, Jun Changxiao discovered strands of floating spirit qi of heavens and earth being 'extremely friendly' to him!
The higher one's talent was, the closer the connection one would feel with the spirit qi of heavens and earth.
For people like Li Qingyang who had a high-grade talent, as long as he circulated his cultivation art, the strands of spirit qi of heavens and earth would all surge toward him, competing with each other to see which strand would be absorbed by him the quickest.
Jun Changxiao was not able to do this.
Earlier, when he circulated his cultivation art in an attempt to cultivate, the spirit qi simply ignored him.
But now?
Their attitude clearly changed!
Jun Changxiao was subconsciously overjoyed. "As expected of an item that's worth fifty contribution points. It's really worth it!"
Ding!
"Congratulations to host. Your spirit root quality was upgraded from low-grade to the mortal-grade!"
Jun Changxiao shook his head. "Indeed, before this, the talent of this body was considered the most inferior grades of all—a low-grade talent. No wonder the spirit qi would ignore me."
He spread his arms wide and drew in a deep breath. His entire being felt extremely energized and refreshed a moment later!
Ding!
"Host successfully broke through to the sixth stage of the Meridian Opening Realm!"
Ding!
"Host successfully broke through to the seventh stage of the Meridian Opening Realm!"
Upon hearing the beautiful sounds in his ears, Jun Changxiao had a dumbstruck look on his face. "I opened up two meridians just by drawing in a single breath?"
The system explained, "Because your talent has been upgraded, it triggered an upgrade to your cultivation base."
"So, it's like this."
Jun Changxiao more or less understood.
His talent was upgraded from the low-grade to the mortal grade. Opening two meridians in one go could be considered a benefit of it. If his talent was upgraded to the mid-grade from mortal-grade, his cultivation base most probably would still have continued to rise.
What should he do after his talent was upgraded?
Naturally, he had to cultivate!
Taking the opportunity that both his disciples were busy renovating the sect, Sect Leader Jun stopped heading out and decided to remain in closed-door seclusion.
"This Tranquil Heart Art should be a cultivation art at the mortal-grade. I can cultivate it."
The Tranquil Heart Art was the cultivation art the elder from the Azure Mountain Sect had sought pointers on. Jun Changxiao had depended on the discernment charm back then. Not only did he memorize it, but he also comprehended it to the fourth level in passing.
He sat down cross-legged and circulated this cultivation art.
"Hu, hu…"
In an instant, the spirit qi of the heavens and earth in the room was drawn over as it surged into his body.
After the spirit qi entered his body, they flowed through his body via his meridians and energy pathways and gathered within his dantian. Under the refinement of the Tranquil Heart Art, the spirit qi formed a nail-size energy ball.
In the memories Jun Changxiao obtained, this was called spirit energy.
When the spirit energy in the dantian reached a certain degree of strength, it could be used to clear blockages in meridians, allowing one to achieve a breakthrough in their cultivation.
"Continue!"
Jun Changxiao tossed aside all distractions and continued to circulate his cultivation art.
However, after spending a night of effort, he only managed to slightly upgrade the energy ball in his dantian.
He could not help but feel disappointed. "At this rate, I will probably need a few more months to reach the standard of clearing blockages in my meridians."
A few months was by virtue of the Tranquil Heart Art.
If he was using the lowest-grade cultivation art and in addition to his previously low-grade spirit root, it would not be bad if he could accumulate sufficient spirit energy in one year to clear blockages in his meridians.
"Too slow!" Jun Changxiao asked, "System, do you have any method that can allow me to open up more meridians quicker?"
"Yes," the system replied.
Jun Changxiao was extremely pleased. "What's the method?"
"Open up the sect contribution points panel."
"Eh?" Jun Changxiao started. After that, he opened up the system interface and clicked open the contribution points segment. A new small-scaled panel appeared.
On it, there were some words written. "Contribution points can be exchanged for cultivation points!"
"Damn!" Jun Changxiao exclaimed in joy, "So contribution points have so many uses? It can also be used to exchange for cultivation points!
The system warned, "This exchange function might be convenient and fast, but it will instantly exhaust all of your contribution points. Please consider it seriously before making your decision."
"Is that so?" Jun Changxiao propped his chin up as he contemplated.
If he used up all his contribution points in exchange for an increase in one level, that would be too disadvantageous!
After pondering, Jun Changxiao said, "I have no choice! Right now, my cultivation base is too low. The most important thing now is for me to increase my cultivation realm as soon as possible!"
In addition…
During this period, he had done some research and discovered that other than a few charms and weapons, the other low-grade items not only had a high price, he would also need to fulfill some fixed conditions before he could use them.
For example, although the Nine Layers Collapsing Fist only needed ten contribution points, in the detailed explanation segment, it stated that one must be at the tenth stage of the Meridian Opening Realm before it could be cultivated.
"Hu!" Jun Changxiao exhaled. "If my contribution points are used up, I can always earn them again. If I can't increase my cultivation base, how can I survive on the Fallen Star Continent?"
Swish!
As he spoke, he decisively clicked on the [Exchange] button on the panel mentally.
Ding
"Sect contribution points: 0/100."
"…"
His original forty-seven points instantly became zero, causing Jun Changxiao to feel incomparable pain in his heart. After all, these points were earned through his hard work in Qingyang City!
Ding!
"Host successfully broke through to the eighth stage of the Meridian Opening Realm!"
Ding!
"Host successfully broke through to the ninth stage of the Meridian Opening Realm!"
Ding!
"Host successfully broke through to the tenth stage of the Meridian Opening Realm!"
A series of notifications rang out. Jun Changxiao could clearly feel surges of powerful spirit energy gathering in his body. Like a hot knife cutting through butter, the momentum of the spirit energy completely cleared the blockages of three meridians in one go.
"Damn!" he exclaimed in surprise. "I actually opened up three meridians in one breath!"
Forty-seven contribution points to open three meridians was something that was acceptable to Jun Changxiao.
"Right now, host, your cultivation is still low. This is why you can have multiple breakthroughs by using contribution points. When your cultivation is higher, this method will no longer be cost-effective."
Jun Changxiao ignored it. He clenched his fists at the ten aureoles that appeared on his wrists. He then grinned. "The feeling of becoming strong is so awesome!"
Bang!
With a single punch, his room collapsed.
The great Sect Leader Jun was covered by the falling debris.
The next day, Li Qingyang stood before the collapsed ruin and said in a heavy tone, "Sect leader, we will need at least two hundred taels of silver to reconstruct the places you destroyed."
Jun Changxiao, who was covered in dust, immediately rolled his eyes upon hearing this.