Ling Jiu came from a single-parent family, raised by his father. With little to no memories of his mother, Ling Jiu only knew that his mother had left him when he was small.
Everyone else but him had a mother. Ling Jiu had frequently asked his father why, but the usual response he got was his father's anger. Every time when he mentioned his mother, his father would become a different person, hysterical.
As time went by, Ling Jiu dared not ask anymore. But he knew that his mother's name was Yang Su, and she had gone to Chang'an Base City.
"Chang'an Base City, the Yang family!"
"Yang Su, the president of Yang Group!"
Ling Jiu mumbled to himself. "Judging by Dad's reaction, most likely this president of Yang Group is my mother of convenience!
"The thing is, why did this mother of convenience leave Dad back then?
"Divorce? Cheating? Abandoning her husband and son? Or was it because of the family's adjuration? By the looks of Dad's reaction, the possibility of abandoning her husband and son is the highest!
"I can't believe that this mother of convenience is such a person! No wonder Dad was working so hard to make money, probably wanting to prove something.
"Forget it. I will practice cultivation. So long as I am powerful enough, the questions will be solved automatically!"
The Feast of Taotie came to life, and the Gene Arcana within a hundred yards radius converged and rushed into Ling Jiu's body. The Gene Arcana inside him was getting more vigorous.
Crack!
A sound like the ripping of silk rose within Ling Jiu as the Gene Arcana inside him was unimpeded. It suddenly flew smoother.
Boom!
At the same time, a powerful air emanated from Ling Jiu's body, sweeping around the entire room, making the air sticky and the tables and chairs creak continuously.
"Fooh!"
Lin Jiu could not hold back his excitement. "This intermediate-level Gene Arcana secret technique is awesome. I have actually become a Level 3 Arcanist in a short time!"
Yes.
Ling Jiu had achieved a breakthrough into the Level 3 realm, becoming a Level 3 Arcanist.
When his arcana awakened in two months, he became a qualified Level 1 Arcanist.
When his arcana awakened in six months, he became a qualified Level 2 Arcanist.
Two months.
Four months.
It was a long time.
But after attaining the intermediate-level Gene Arcana secret technique The Feast of Taotie, it just took him slightly over ten days to achieve Level 3. His accretion of strength for the past half-year had helped, but the Feast of Taotie played the most significant role.
"Level 1 and Level 2 Arcanists are lower-level Arcanists!
"Level 3 and Level 4 Arcanists are intermediate-level Arcanists!"
"Level 3 Arcanists: Gene Arcana is pretty solid with a high level of control and shockingly high damage ability of 30 meters!"
"I am finally no longer a rookie!"
...
The next early morning, Ling Jiu came to the office to see Luo Jia, the manager.
"You are back!"
Luo Jia did not look surprised at all at seeing Ling Jiu. She had heard news about and been surprised by what Ling Jiu had hunted in the wild yesterday.
"Yeah, I am back!" Ling Jiu nodded in acknowledgment. "Could you help me take a look at something, Miss Luo?" He got down to business at once.
"What is that?"
Luo Jia raised an eyebrow.
As Ling Jiu took out the Icehollow Weed, a terrifying chill mixed with a hint of refreshing scent spread in the air.
"This is…"
Luo Jia's pupils contracted. "The Icehollow Weed!" she blurted out.
"You have sharp eyes, Miss Luo!"
Ling Jiu let out a smile.
"I can't believe that it is really the Icehollow Weed!"
Luo Jia took the thing and studied it carefully.
After a long while, she reluctantly handed the Icehollow Weed back to Ling Jiu. "I can't believe that you have got this thing!"
"I have got lucky to stumble upon it!"
"If I were to sell this Icehollow Weed to the company, how much would the company offer, Miss Luo?" Ling Jiu asked frankly with a smile.
He had thought of giving the Icehollow Weed to his younger sister but changed his mind yesterday.
His younger sister was in her first year in high school. Since she still had two years to go before year three, she was not in a hurry to awaken her arcana. Ling Jiu was thinking of selling the Icehollow Weed, in exchange for something he needed to enhance his strength.
An increase in strength meant making more money. With more money, he could buy other awakened arcana stuff on the Pangu Mall.
"The Icehollow Weed's market price is 5 billion dollars, which is the price that the company will pay for. But this thing is a rare treasure of heaven and earth. If you auction it off, you could make over a billion dollars!"
Luo Jia suddenly changed her tone. "But if you sell it to the company, you will not only make the money but also get certain contribution points, which aren't measurable in money terms!"
"Contribution points?"
Ling Jiu got hooked.
"The company's mall has many things such as advanced Gene Arcana secret techniques that money can't buy. You know that, right?"
"I know!"
Ling Jiu nodded. "Money can't buy the advanced Gene Arcana secret technique and many other treasures of heaven and earth. Only those who have made special contributions to the company would get that!"
"Special contribution—those are the contribution points I've been talking about!"
Luo Jia continued, "In fact, not only the advanced Gene Arcana secret technique and treasures of heaven and earth but also many other special items that only contribution points can buy!"
"I see!"
The penny dropped on Ling Jiu.
"These special items will earn you contribution points!"
Luo Jia continued. "Just like this Icehallow Weed of yours. If you sell it to the company, you will get fifty contribution points on top of the 5 billion dollars!"
"A ratio of 1 to 100 million?"
Ling Jiu was quietly shocked; this ratio was way too low. But considering that the contribution points were extra from the company, it was barely acceptable.
"What can 50 contribution points buy, Miss Luo?" Ling Jiu asked.
"See for yourself!"
Luo Jia took out her mobile phone and tapped on it, then put it in front of Ling Jiu. The screen showed a search window with a search filter stating 'items of less than 50 contribution points,' and various strange items listed below it.
Generally, there were two types of items: a treasure of heaven and earth, and a potion.
Coldstar vine: an intermediate-level treasure of heaven and earth. It helps increase absorption of the Gene Arcana by two times the speed. Price: 20 contribution points.
Dragon blood potion: intermediate-level potion. It strengthens stamina. A bottle of Dragon Blood Potion increases bodily strength by several folds but subject to individual conditions. Price: 50 contribution points.
Scorchburst Tinder: an intermediate-level treasure of heaven and earth. It is a naturally nurtured special flame, the temperature of which could reach 4,000 degrees and melt most of Earth's materials. Price: 50 contribution points.
Ordinary arcana potion: intermediate-level potion. It awakens the arcana of ordinary people. Not to be used by arcanists. Price: 20 contribution points.
Thunder fruit…
After reading for a while, Ling Jiu had got ants in his pants. These things were good stuff. He wanted them all if possible.
"See? You will get the best deal by selling things like the Icehollow Weed to the company because what you will get is worth more than 5 billion dollars!"
"Deal! I will sell it!"