Chapter 3: Identification Marks and Their Functions

"Is there any way to break this?" Bing Cheng frowned.

"According to the rules of Wuming Peak, private fights are allowed for the sake of competing for Identification Marks, but not for other reasons. If your identity token does not contain any Identification Marks, and they still try to take action against you, you can report them to the Elder of the Lower Academy."

"Many thanks for clearing this up, Senior Brother Han Li!" Bing Cheng roughly understood the rules of Wuming Peak. It seemed that in the future, she would need to use any Identification Marks immediately after obtaining them.

"May I ask, Senior Brother, where can I exchange for resources to Cultivate?" Bing Cheng had no intention of clashing head-on with these Cultivators. Moreover, she was truly no match for the five Nascent Soul Cultivators currently opposing her.

"Between the Lower Academy and the Upper Academy, roughly at the mountainside of Wuming Peak," Han Li replied.

Bing Cheng looked up at Wuming Peak. The entire mountain was ten thousand zhang high. She was currently at the foot of the mountain, five thousand zhang away from the mountainside. Each of her teleports could cover at most five hundred zhang.

However, if she simultaneously used the Seven Steps of Treading Clouds, she should be able to reach seven hundred zhang, with the final step exceeding one thousand zhang.

She should be able to reach the place to exchange for Cultivation resources before this group of Nascent Soul Cultivators could catch up to her.

Senior Brother Wusun Hapi saw Bing Cheng ignoring him, and his anger flared up immediately.

"I say, Junior Sister, you have considered for so long, you should have made up your mind by now. I hope you do not choose to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Hmph!"

"That's right, Senior Brother Wusun choosing you as his Dao Companion is an honor for you. Junior Sister, you had better just submit."

"Identification Marks are equivalent to Cultivation resources. Junior Sister, you surely do not want to be kicked out of the Taixuan Sect for failing to reach a Breakthrough to Soul Transformation before the two sixty-year cycles are up!"

"…"

Bing Cheng did not care at all about what these five Cultivators were saying. She had already secretly circulated her spiritual power, lightly tapped her toes in mid-air, and instantly executed the Seven Steps of Treading Clouds, vanishing from her spot.

Senior Brother Wusun Hapi and the other four Cultivators were stunned, then immediately looked at Han Li by the residence nearby and said viciously, "Fine, you brat, you're ruining our good fortune, aren't you? From now on, don't even think about saving a single Identification Mark! Hmph!"

Having said that, the five Nascent Soul Cultivators teleported in pursuit of Bing Cheng.

Han Li waved his hand. "If I don't save them, then I don't save them. When I obtain Identification Marks, I will exchange them directly for Cultivation resources. What can you do to me?"

In fact, most Wuming Peak Disciples preferred to save Identification Marks. After all, carrying so many Cultivation resources around was useless. Furthermore, once their Cultivation reached the Soul Transformation stage, they could enter the Upper Academy and exchange them for Upper Academy Identification Marks at a certain ratio.

Looking towards the mountainside of Wuming Peak, Han Li also teleported away.

…

When Bing Cheng took her sixth step, she was already less than two thousand zhang away from the mountainside. It seemed the situation was much as she had imagined.

"Hehehe… You think you can escape from my grasp just by being at the Early Stage of Nascent Soul? Wishful thinking!" Senior Brother Wusun Hapi and the four Cultivators teleported to catch up.

Bing Cheng did not want to deal with these five people at all and directly took the seventh step.

When she reappeared, she had arrived in front of a magnificent five-story pavilion.

On the plaque above its entrance were two large, gold-embossed characters.

Alchemy Pavilion.

When Bing Cheng stepped into this Alchemy Pavilion, Senior Brother Wusun Hapi and his group of five finally teleported and caught up.

"Yo, the five Senior Brothers are quite fast." Bing Cheng stood on the threshold of the Alchemy Pavilion, turning back to look at them with a grin.

Senior Brother Wusun Hapi gnashed his teeth. Even though he was one of the strongest Disciples in the Lower Academy, he dared not take action to seize Identification Marks inside this Alchemy Pavilion.

The eyes of the surrounding Disciples were all cast in this direction.

"That female Cultivator looks very unfamiliar; she must be a newly admitted Junior Sister…"

"That's impossible, right? A newly admitted Junior Sister actually escaped from Senior Brother Wusun Hapi? I'm afraid such a thing hasn't happened in many years."

"In my opinion, this Senior Brother Wusun Hapi just has an empty reputation; he is completely incomparable to Senior Sister Hua and the others…"

"…"

Listening to the discussions of the surrounding Disciples, Senior Brother Wusun Hapi's expression was extremely ugly. He didn't know how long it would take for his prestige to recover.

"Damn it, what was that guy's name again?"

"Senior Brother Wusun, that Cultivator is named Han Li." A lackey answered instantly.

"Good, good, good. Han Li, is it? From now on, you all must guard in front of his residence every day. Whenever he goes out to accept missions or anything similar, follow him and stir up trouble. If he obtains any Identification Marks, seize them immediately!" Senior Brother Wusun Hapi shifted all the blame onto Han Li.

Indeed, if not for Han Li's reminder, Bing Cheng would not have known the rules of Wuming Peak or where to use Identification Marks to exchange for Cultivation resources.

They had always relied on this information gap to seize the Identification Marks of newly admitted Disciples. Generally, no Cultivator dared to speak up to warn them; who would want to be targeted by these notorious guys? Everyone preferred to stay out of trouble.

Han Li had only just arrived and breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Bing Cheng, who had already stepped over the threshold of the Alchemy Pavilion.

Immediately, he felt a chill run down his body. He turned his head and saw Senior Brother Wusun Hapi and the other four staring at him intensely.

However, he did not care. In any case, he was a pauper and was not afraid of this group of robbers. At worst, he would just go down the mountain when the two sixty-year cycles were up; what was the big deal?

"Thank you for the reminder just now, Senior Brother." Seeing Han Li arrive, Bing Cheng expressed her gratitude via telepathic transmission.

"No need to thank me, Junior Sister. I have long disliked this bunch of guys. This time, I can consider it an act of a hero saving a beauty; it is quite wonderful," Han Li replied.

Although Han Li said it like that, Bing Cheng did not feel disgusted. Instead, she felt that Han Li was a very interesting person, and as neighbors, she would help him whenever she could in the future.

Senior Brother Wusun Hapi saw the two smiling at each other, and the anger in his heart flared up even more, causing him to gnash his teeth.

Bing Cheng walked into the Alchemy Pavilion.

Although it was only the first-floor lobby, what was displayed inside were all Nascent Soul-level Medicinal Pills and Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines.

It seemed the minimum requirement to enter the Taixuan Sect was to reach the Nascent Soul stage of Cultivation.

Furthermore, the grade of the Medicinal Pills inside should not be low. Although the Medicinal Pills were all stored in jade bottles, they still exuded a rich medicinal fragrance; at the very least, they had to be top-grade Medicinal Pills to reach such a level.

In the innermost part of the first-floor lobby was a counter, where a lazy old man was sitting. His eyes were half-closed as if he were taking a nap, and he possessed the Cultivation of the Mid-stage Spirit Transformation.

Bing Cheng had no choice but to disturb the old man's rest. "Senior, this Disciple has come to exchange for Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines."

She had previously only kept enough Medicinal Pills for herself and Bing Ranxue to Cultivate to the Peak Nascent Soul Stage. Now that He Ruoxi had also come along, she prepared to refine some Medicinal Pills for her.

"Oh?" The lazy old man slowly opened his eyes. "Little one, I didn't notice that. You are actually an Alchemist, and your bone age is only twenty-one. Not bad, not bad. You are much better than most of the guys in that Lower Academy."

"Thank you for the compliment, Senior." Bing Cheng cupped her hands in salute and then handed her identity token to the old man. "Senior, this Junior wishes to exchange all the Identification Marks within for Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines for refining Medicinal Pills for the Nascent Soul stage."

"You little one actually didn't get robbed." Taking Bing Cheng's identity token, the old man sensed it.

"I escaped by luck," Bing Cheng said calmly.

"You little one is truly not bad. These are the Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines that can be exchanged for ten Identification Marks." The old man handed a Storage Ring to Bing Cheng.

Bing Cheng sensed it carefully. This was a medium-sized Storage Ring, and it was piled full of Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines.

She took out the Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines and stored them into her own Storage Ring.

"Little one, what are you doing?" The old man asked.