Chapter 698 - 279: Dubhe

"Oh?"

Chen Qing was a little surprised. He had calculated it before: 9,100 from killing members of the Demon Sect, and a base reward of around 14,600 for tasks like clearing the Black Profound Island stronghold and killing traitors. The total should have been 23,700.

Sensing Chen Qing’s confusion, the disciple quickly bowed and explained, "Brother Chen, 23,700 of those points are from the missions. The other 5,000 are a special bonus approved by the Sect Leader—an extra reward for your courage in taking responsibility, your composure in the face of danger, and for bringing glory to our Sect during this incident."

’A special reward approved by the Sect Leader?’

A thought crossed Chen Qing’s mind, but his expression remained impassive. He nodded. "I see. Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother."

After seeing the Steward Disciple off, Chen Qing clutched the Jade Token.

Including what he already had, his Contribution Points now exceeded a staggering forty thousand!

This was a true fortune, enough to acquire most of the materials on Master Li’s demanding list.

’Perfect. I’ll head to Wanxiang Hall and exchange these for the items I need.’ Chen Qing made up his mind and prepared to leave.

He had just stepped out of his courtyard and hadn’t gone far when he ran into Qu He, who was hurrying along.

Qu He’s brows were tightly knitted, and he seemed to have a lot on his mind.

"Brother Qu!" Chen Qing clasped his fist in salute.

"Junior Brother Chen! Perfect, I was just looking for you." Seeing Chen Qing, Qu He quickened his pace.

"Looking for me? Is there something important, Brother?" Chen Qing was a little surprised.

Qu He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "I just received confirmed news. The Sect... has opened the ’Dubhe Pavilion’!"

"Dubhe Pavilion?"

Chen Qing was taken aback. He had never heard that name before. "What is it?"

Qu He’s expression was grave as he explained, "It’s the Sect’s highest decision-making body and the core of its power. It’s only convened for matters concerning the Sect’s very survival or in preparation for an all-out war. Once you enter the Dubhe Pavilion, you’ve joined the Sect’s true inner circle. You can participate in making decisions, learn the highest secrets, and enjoy preferential access to resources unimaginable to ordinary disciples and even Elders!"

He paused, a trace of longing in his eyes, and elaborated, "Even at the lowest ’Human Position,’ your monthly Sect stipend increases by an extra thousand Contribution Points, and you get one additional Cultivation session in the Five Elements Grotto Heaven! And that’s just the basics. More importantly, rare resources, secret treasures, Elixirs, and even legacy Secret Techniques and Divine Techniques from the Sect’s Secret Vault—items that are normally never available—will be open for exchange to members of the Dubhe Pavilion!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Chen Qing’s heart pounded.

’An extra thousand Contribution Points and another session in the Grotto Heaven every month... the accumulation over the long term would be astonishing.’

And that mysterious Sect’s Secret Vault piqued his curiosity even more.

"What kind of rare resources are there?"

Qu He said slowly, "I’ve heard there’s ’True Essence Spirit Liquid’ that can help True Essence Realm Cultivators purify their True Essence, and ’Five Elements Spirit Crystals’ that contain a trace of Five Elements Origin Qi, which are miraculously effective for those practicing a Five Elements Technique! Besides those, there are also long-lost Ancient Rare Books, Divine Power Fragments... all sorts of things!"

Chen Qing’s eyes gleamed as he listened. Every single one of those resources was a treasure that could be of immense help to his Cultivation.

He knew that what Qu He had mentioned was just a fraction of what was available; there were bound to be many other great things inside.

"What are the requirements to enter this Dubhe Pavilion?" Chen Qing asked the crucial question.

Qu He glanced at Chen Qing, his tone somewhat complicated. "According to convention, all current True Disciples are on the list. Brother Nan Zhuoran holds the ’Earth Balance Position,’ and the rest of the True Disciples, myself included, are all in the ’Human Position.’"

He paused, his voice dropping even lower. "Only you, Junior Brother Chen, are not on the list. I heard a rumor... that it was Vein Master Li Yu-jun of the Nine Heavens Lineage. She argued that since your Cultivation has not yet reached the True Essence Realm, you lack the requisite strength. Forcing you onto the list would make it difficult to win over the others and would also violate the Sect’s iron-clad laws."

’Of all the current True Disciples, I’m the only one who didn’t get into the Dubhe Pavilion?’

Chen Qing’s brow furrowed instantly. "Vein Master Li Yu-jun..."

Rationally, he understood. The True Essence Realm was an important threshold the Sect used to measure the strength of its upper echelons. For Li Yu-jun to use this as a reason, from the standpoint of the Sect’s rules, was indeed irreproachable.

But emotionally, he was also a True Disciple, yet he alone had been excluded from this inner circle of power and privilege.

With such benefits on the line, he naturally wanted in.

Besides, based on everything he had learned, entering the Dubhe Pavilion wasn’t just about preferential access to resources. It was also about gaining contact with the Sect’s core, participating, and learning more information.

The advantages were self-evident.

Seeing his expression, Qu He shook his head inwardly. He knew this was a difficult situation but still suggested, "Junior Brother Chen, about this... perhaps you could go see Peak Master Luo. He holds the Dubhe Position and is one of the core decision-makers. If he were to speak on your behalf..."

Hearing this, Chen Qing’s frown deepened.

’Use my connection to Master Luo Zhixian?’

He immediately dismissed the idea.

Luo Zhixian had taken him on as a Named Disciple, taught him his Spear Technique, and even intervened to protect him from outside enemies. This was already an immense debt of gratitude.

But when it came to the internal distribution of power and resources, given Luo Zhixian’s personality, he probably wouldn’t speak up to secure a special privilege for him.

Besides, Chen Qing couldn’t bring himself to ask.

"Thank you for telling me this, Brother Qu." Chen Qing suppressed his emotions and gave Qu He a solemn fist clasp.

Qu He didn’t press the matter. He clapped Chen Qing on the shoulder. "Right. This concerns your future Cultivation resources, so give it some thought. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask."

With that, he took his leave.

Chen Qing stood rooted to the spot, watching Qu He’s back disappear as his thoughts churned.

The benefits of the Dubhe Pavilion were indeed tempting. But since Li Yu-jun had excluded him on the grounds of insufficient strength, the only legitimate way in was to break through to the True Essence Realm as soon as possible and prove himself with solid Cultivation!

Chen Qing shook his head, then made his way to Wanxiang Hall.