Qiu?
"What is that?" someone asked, puzzled.
Xu Ming said, "Qiu might be unfamiliar to all of you, but it has another name, Qiu Dragon."
"Dragon?" Everyone was immediately shocked.
The Qiu Dragon was actually related to the mythological dragons.
"The Qiu Dragon is not a dragon, but a large serpent with horns. This creature did not originally exist, it is a Transcendent Creature that invaded our world from the Otherworld after the Sky Tipping incident. That Qiu was found in a dangerous zone of a city and was hunted down by a group of Cultivators. Its body was sold to a pharmaceutical company. The Cultivation Cabin is created by dissecting various Transcendent Creatures' bodies and studying them to manufacture these products," Xu Ming explained.
"There are quite a few similar cases. If you are very confident in your own strength, you can try to enter the dangerous zones. If you can capture or hunt a Transcendent Creature, you can earn a considerable income."
Zhang Gao waved his hand repeatedly, "Forget it, our bodies going to the dangerous zones are just going there to be food. Facing those Transcendent Creatures, we are not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. I would rather honestly work as a guide to earn money. Li Yi, you agree, right?"
However, Li Yi said, "Working is just a temporary solution. Have you seen any worker get rich? If I had the ability, I would definitely go to the dangerous zone to capture a Transcendent Creature. If successful, the money earned would be enough for you to spend a lifetime. If there weren't significant benefits, do you think that Qiu Dragon would have become a part of the Cultivation Cabin?"
"Those Cultivators who are at the forefront are not fools. They must see profitable opportunities to be willing to risk hunting the Qiu Dragon."
Xu Ming nodded and said, "Exactly, even powerful Cultivators are willing to risk their lives for huge benefits."
"All right, let's eat first. The cafeteria has a variety of foods, and if you don't want to waste a lot of time eating, we also provide nutrient fluid, but it can only be consumed in the cafeteria; you cannot take it away."
Everyone saw that the cafeteria on this floor was already prepared with various exquisite foods, including ample steaks, fresh raw fish, big pots of meat soup, and piles of fruits and vegetables.
These could supplement Cultivators with plenty of nutrition.
"Since there's food, I will definitely eat," Zhang Gao said. "Nutrient fluid is only suitable when cultivating. Since I'm not cultivating now, it's better to eat."
"Why is that? Isn't nutrient fluid more convenient?" Li Yi asked.
Zhang Gao immediately explained, "That is because our bodies as Cultivators are transforming and evolving. Consuming a large amount of food can activate our ability to digest and absorb. If we drink nutrient fluid for a long time, our gastrointestinal function will gradually weaken and eventually won't keep up with the speed of our body's evolution, leaving hidden dangers. Moreover, we spend most of our time cultivating and thus have fewer opportunities to exercise our digestive absorption capabilities. So, it's better to eat when we can."
"I see," Li Yi suddenly realized and learned a new cultivation knowledge.
"Thanks for your explanation. In that case, I'll choose to eat too."
Zhang Gao immediately smiled and continued, "Li Yi, when you eat, it's best to choose meat like steak, chicken, or duck, and if possible, eat it with the bones. This will better exercise our stomachs."
"Exactly, some fierce beasts in nature can digest even large bones. We Cultivators are constantly evolving, and our bodily functions will eventually surpass any beast in nature. Thus, our ability to digest bones will eventually be mastered too. Necessary training is essential. Okay, enough talk. Let's start eating," another Cultivator chimed in approvingly.
Soon, a few of them began grabbing food frantically and then found a spot to sit down and eat.
Li Yi didn't hold back, casually picking various delicacies. He was going to enjoy a feast this time, as many of the dishes here were things he usually couldn't afford to eat. Now that he had the chance, he was determined to eat his fill.
"Li Yi, the previous incident was a misunderstanding. I formally apologize to you here, hoping you won't take it to heart. If you need help in the future, I will definitely help,"
At that moment, a Cultivator carrying a dinner tray came over and earnestly apologized.
His name was Lv Jue, and he didn't want to make an enemy out of a potential Cultivator over such a trivial matter. He wasn't the instigator either, so he took this mealtime as an opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding.
If this misunderstanding wasn't resolved in time and conflicts erupted later, it really could turn into enmity.
After all, the Cultivator circle in Tianchang City wasn't big, and they would see each other often.
Li Yi was taken aback, then he put down his chopsticks and looked calmly at him, "I'm not that petty. Since you have taken the initiative to apologize and wish to clear up this misunderstanding, I am happy to accept. We all are out here to make money, not enemies; moreover, I hold no deep grudges against you."
"Thank you,"
Lv Jue took a deep breath and relaxed, "I was also coerced then, and I didn't expect Wu Zhen to act like that."
"Let bygones be bygones. Let's eat," Li Yi nodded.
The strong are entitled to kind treatment; the weaker you are, the more you will be bullied. He had understood this principle long ago.
"Li Yi, I also owe you an apology. I should have stepped forward in that situation, instead of hiding in my room and ignoring everything," Zhang Gao said with some regret at this time.
Li Yi said, "This isn't your fault, and you don't need to apologize to me, I don't blame you."
He certainly wouldn't resent Zhang Gao for not stepping in to help, after all, it was their first meeting and everyone was strangers; it was normal for Zhang Gao to choose to protect his own interests. There aren't that many righteous heroes in this world.
"That's good, so some misunderstandings should be cleared up as soon as possible. When you're out and about, it's better to have more friends than enemies, but let's drop it. Let's eat, let's eat." Zhang Gao laughed and then began to focus on eating.
Li Yi kept silent and continued to eat and drink heartily.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaoxiao, who was watching this scene from not too far away, hesitated.
"Should I also apologize to Li Yi and clear up this misunderstanding?" she pondered doubtfully.
"Would an apology even make a difference?"
At that moment, Wu Zhen, with a bruised face, came over with a sneer: "You looked down on others from the start."
Zhao Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and said, "I did look down on others initially, but I never thought of bullying anyone. Besides, what's wrong with being a bit opportunistic? I was just misjudging the situation."
"The process doesn't matter, you're part of this ordeal, and you've made an enemy out of Li Yi. Rather than apologizing, it might be better to think of a way to get him unemployed. His cultivation isn't going well because he's short on money. If he saves up a lot this time and starts cultivating with the environment here, that could be really dangerous."
Wu Zhen said, trying to coax Zhao Xiaoxiao to his side.
"You want to take on Li Yi, do it yourself; I won't get dragged down by you again," Zhao Xiaoxiao replied somewhat angrily.
At this time, the manager Xu Ming returned with two assistants, each carrying a suitcase.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal, but considering I have other business to attend to, I need to settle your first day's wages here," he said.
"Wages being paid? That's great."
Suddenly, everyone stopped eating and gradually gathered around.
Xu Ming took a payroll and started reading: "Zhang Gao, six hours of work, no interruptions in your guiding duties, the total wages are fifty-four thousand."
An assistant then opened a suitcase, quickly counted out a stack of money, and soon fifty-four thousand was handed to Zhang Gao.
However, fifty-four thousand, even though it looked substantial, was just a small stack, as the largest denomination was now a thousand yuan, not a hundred yuan as before.
But Zhang Gao was still very excited after receiving it because it was the largest daily wage he had received as a guide.
"Zhao Xiaoxiao, six hours of work, no interruption in guiding duties, the wages are fifty-four thousand," Xu Ming said as he continued to have the wages distributed by an assistant.
Zhao Xiaoxiao counted the money after receiving it, then nodded and tucked it away.
Afterward, Lv Jue and another cultivator also received their wages; they also received fifty-four thousand.
"Wu Zhen, six hours of work time, but you woke up once during the session, so according to the contract, your wage is halved, totaling twenty-seven thousand," Manager Xu Ming said. "I hope you take your work more seriously next time."
"I'll adjust my condition for tomorrow," Wu Zhen said, his expression somewhat displeased. He took his wage but did not leave immediately; instead, he looked at Li Yi.
He wanted to know how much Li Yi had earned for six hours of guiding work.
After all, among the seven, only he had signed the second contract, and that contract had no base salary; earnings depended entirely on how much cosmic energy you guided.
Li Yi was also curious at this moment how much he had truly made.
Xu Ming looked at the payroll and seemed a bit surprised, then said, "Li Yi, with six hours of work, you guided a total of two thousand two hundred units of cosmic energy. So your wage is two hundred twenty thousand."
Two hundred twenty thousand?
Hearing this, everyone else suddenly looked at Li Yi in amazement.