Inside the great hall.

Jun Changxiao sat in the thousand-year nanmu wood chair, silent for a long time.

Lu Qianqian’s words just now made him realize that his own cultivation wasn’t up to par, and the sect only had the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture as its cultivation method—they had nothing else. How could he make the Ironbone Clanging Sect grow strong? How could he dominate the continent?

“Sigh.”

Jun Changxiao let out a sigh and opened the Basic Mall.

Flipping through it, he saw a type of pill called “Qi Gathering Pill,” and habitually clicked to open the detailed description.

“Item: Qi Gathering Pill.”

“Effect: After consumption by a martial artist, can quickly increase spiritual energy condensation by 5 times. Note: Only for Sect Leader use.”

“Duration: 24 hours.”

“Price: 10 Contribution Points.”

Jun Changxiao said: “Increasing spiritual energy condensation by 5 times—this is a great thing for cultivation!”

With his common-grade aptitude, relying on the divine-grade cultivation method, it took him two days to absorb enough spiritual energy for meridian opening. If it increased by five times, the time would be greatly shortened.

“Buy it!”

Jun Changxiao purchased it without hesitation.

“Ding!”

“Host has spent 10 Contribution Points to obtain Qi Gathering Pill ×1. It has been delivered to your spatial ring.”

“Ding!”

“Sect Contribution Points: 40/100.”

Before the notification sound finished, Jun Changxiao had already taken out the pill bottle labeled “Qi Gathering Pill,” then poured out a pill the size of a red date.

Opening his mouth, he swallowed it. The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth, merging into his body and immediately invigorating him. He clearly felt as if every pore had been infinitely expanded.

Jun Changxiao sat cross-legged in the chair and began circulating the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture. However, the cultivation method had only just completed one cycle when the spiritual power present in the hall came swarming over, competing and scrambling to be absorbed.

Yesterday you ignored me; today I’ll make you unable to reach me.

Prideful as he was, the great Sect Leader Jun began madly absorbing spiritual power. In just over four hours, he had condensed enough spiritual energy to use for meridian opening within his body.

Previously it took two days to achieve this, but now it was done in less than five hours. The Qi Gathering Pill’s effect was truly formidable.

“Breakthrough.”

Jun Changxiao said.

Result: third attempt failed.

“Again!”

After condensing for another several hours, he continued meridian opening. The fourth attempt also failed… It wasn’t until the fifth attempt that he successfully opened the eleventh meridian.

With no heart to savor the stronger power brought by opening a meridian, Jun Changxiao collapsed in the chair, wiping the sweat from his forehead: “With a 50% success rate, needing five attempts to succeed—how unlucky can my face be?”

…

He’d said he wouldn’t use the system and would rely on his own effort to open meridians, but Jun Changxiao still didn’t do it. In the end, with the assistance of the Qi Gathering Pill, he broke through to the eleventh stage of Open Meridian.

He really had persisted once, but… since heaven gave him a system, and inside there were goods to help him rapidly increase his cultivation, not using them would definitely be a problem with his brain.

After a round of self-consolation, Jun Changxiao immediately felt refreshed and clear-headed.

Actually, what urgently compelled him to use items from the mall was Lu Qianqian’s words just now. After all, he wasn’t a rogue cultivator—he was a sect leader. He didn’t have that much time to cultivate and had to quickly become stronger to lead the entire sect.

As for effort?

This excellent virtue should exist, but it also depended on the situation.

Jun Changxiao opened the Basic Mall again. Sure enough, “Qi Gathering Pill” had turned gray, displaying text indicating it was limited to one purchase per month.

He shook his head: “If it could be purchased infinitely, cultivating every day with 5 times the spiritual energy absorption rate—even a pig could break through to Martial Emperor, right?”

Martial Emperor: What the hell, is this insulting people?

“Speaking of which…”

Jun Changxiao rested his chin in his hand: “The effect notes say ‘only for Sect Leader use’—does that mean there are pills suitable for disciples?”

Continuing to browse through the goods inside, he quickly found a rather interesting thing called the Basic Disciple Spiritual Energy Array.

He clicked to open the detailed description.

“Item: Basic Disciple Spiritual Energy Array.”

“Effect: Stake it in the ground to condense a ten-square-meter spiritual energy array. The spiritual power attribute inside is double that of the outside world.”

“Duration: Ready to use upon activation.”

“Price: 10 Contribution Points.”

“Note: Only for sect disciples to use. After activating the array, it will consume 1 Contribution Point and last for 24 hours.”

Seeing the note content, Jun Changxiao said: “One point can only be used for one day—isn’t this too much of a contribution point burner?”

One point for one day wasn’t much, but he only had 40 contribution points. After buying it, even using all of them to activate the array could only sustain it for at most thirty days.

“Only for disciple use—exchanging for it doesn’t make sense either.” Jun Changxiao didn’t plan to exchange for the Basic Disciple Spiritual Energy Array.

The system prompted: “When disciples become strong, the sect becomes strong. Recommendation index for host to purchase: five stars.”

Jun Changxiao rolled his eyes: “You’re not recommending I purchase it—you’re recommending I spend contribution points, right?”

The system said: “The system’s mission is to assist the host.”

“Fine.”

Jun Changxiao hesitated slightly: “I’ll trust you this once.”

“Ding!”

“Host has spent 10 Contribution Points to obtain Basic Disciple Spiritual Energy Array ×1. It has been delivered to your spatial ring.”

“Ding!”

“Sect Contribution Points: 30/100.”

Inside the spatial ring, a bag containing many small flags appeared out of nowhere, with an array setup instruction manual included.

Jun Changxiao said speechlessly: “This damn thing—how come there’s no warranty card?”

“Sect Leader!”

Just as he was about to take out the spiritual energy array to study it, a disciple came running in hurriedly, gasping: “Some… someone came to cause trouble!”

“What?”

Jun Changxiao slapped the armrest and stood up angrily: “Who the hell ate a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall to dare come to my Ironbone Clanging Sect to cause trouble!”

…

“Beat him! Beat him hard!”

In front of the Ironbone Clanging Sect gate painted with vermilion lacquer, a young master in brocade clothing said angrily.

Several subordinates at the fourth or fifth stage of Open Meridian were punching and kicking a youth who had fallen to the ground. The youth’s clothes were tattered and his hair disheveled and messy, like a beggar.

“Damn it! A stinking beggar dares to steal our Cui Family’s pills—his guts are really fat!”

One servant cursed while beating.

The young master in brocade said coldly: “His cultivation isn’t much, but he ran pretty fast. If he hadn’t run into this barren mountain himself with nowhere to go, it really wouldn’t have been easy to catch him.”

“Keep beating!”

“Beat him to death for this young master!”

The subordinates received the order and all kicked wildly together.

That force was extremely strong. In a short while, they had kicked the youth until he was covered in wounds, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Stop!”

Just then, a resounding voice rang out.

The servants who were punching and kicking stopped and all turned to look. They saw Jun Changxiao leading a group of disciples walking out from the main gate.

“Oh?”

The young master in brocade looked at the plaque on the gate and laughed: “So this nameless barren mountain is the Ironbone Clanging Sect’s territory.”

His smile and tone carried thick disdain.

Jun Changxiao glanced at him, then glanced at the youth being beaten by the crowd, and said indifferently: “This is my Ironbone Clanging Sect’s territory. If you want to fight, get out and fight.”

So it wasn’t someone coming to the sect to cause trouble—it was someone fighting at the gate, and a group beating up one person at that.

The young master in brocade said in astonishment: “You’re telling me to get lost?”

Looking toward his servants, he grinned: “This tiny Ironbone Sect dares to tell this young master to get lost? Are they crazy? Are they stupi—”

“Bang!”

A foot kicked over, directly kicking his face. His flesh immediately caved in, his entire body was lifted from the ground, and he flew out magnificently with his mouth crooked and eyes askew.

“Splash!”

The young master in brocade flew over ten meters and fell in front of the stone steps leading down the mountain. A little closer and he would have rolled down the mountain.

“Damn it.”

Jun Changxiao retracted his foot: “So much nonsense.”