After returning home, Chen Mobai had another meal with his mother, Tang Pancui, and then returned to his room amidst her chatter.

 

Silver light flickered.

 

He was back in the Tianhe realm.

 

***

 

Carefully emerging from the hole he had dug, he was relieved to see that the wooden house was still there.

 

Confirming that the beasts hadn't made it to the island, Chen Mobai changed his clothes and rejoined the team.

 

"How was it? Did you feel uneasy resting at home?"

 

Qi Rui saw him return and walked over with a big laugh, patting him on the shoulder.

 

"Not at all."

 

"How is that possible? Last time I took Brother Wang's ashes home and rested for a day, all I could see when I closed my eyes was myself fighting with the beasts here. I couldn't rest at all."

 

Hearing this, Chen Mobai shook his head. He had been resting at his home on Di Yuan Star, not worried about being attacked by beasts.

 

"What's the situation?"

 

"Better than ever."

 

The one who said this was Wang Yuanwu. Chen Mobai was taken aback when he saw him. One of his hands was bandaged and hung around his neck.

 

"Those beasts attacked last night. Although we notified Uncle Ning in time, I still lost a hand. But it's been reattached with a regeneration charm."

 

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai immediately looked around and found that three people were missing from the team.

 

After asking, he found out that one had died and two were seriously injured and had left the team.

 

This showed that last night's battle must have been extremely fierce.

 

If only I had been there.

 

Chen Mobai felt a slight guilt.

 

"Don't worry, we're about to enter the final stage. There won't be any more casualties."

 

At this time, Qi Rui seemed to understand Chen Mobai's feelings and patted him on the shoulder.

 

On a rock not far away, Shi Pengyi also raised his hand to greet him.

 

Feeling slightly relieved, Chen Mobai was a bit puzzled by Qi Rui's words.

 

"Is it ending? Did Shenmu Sect send reinforcements?"

 

"Ancestor Fu personally came to Dream Swamp and moved to Fengyu Fort. He ordered the Foundation Establishment masters of our Shenmu Sect stationed there to withdraw. Two of them were transferred to Qingguang Island. At least we have stabilized here."

 

Hearing this, Chen Mobai was overjoyed.

 

Unconsciously, he had also considered himself a part of Qingguang Island.

 

"Next, we just wait for Ancestor Fu and Taoist master Nujiang to free their hands and sweep the outskirts of Dream Swamp."

 

Although Shenmu Sect and Jingguang Cliff split from Wuxing Sect, the peace agreement they signed stipulated that when there were changes in the beasts of Dream Swamp, both sides had to respond and help suppress the seal left by the ancestor of Hunyuan.

 

It was for this reason that Shenmu Sect would send a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators to Fengyu Fort every ten years.

 

Of course, all the gains from their hunting of beasts belonged to them.

 

Qingguang Island and other markets were initially opened to handle the gains from these Foundation Establishment cultivators hunting beasts deep in Dream Swamp. As it developed, the two ancestors of the sect realized how profitable it was and paid more attention to it.

 

This time, six island markets of Shenmu Sect in Dream Swamp were besieged by beasts. Two of them couldn't hold on and had fallen.

 

Qingguang Island, being on the outermost edge and closer to the mainland, had fewer beasts coming over. Plus, Zheng Deming handled it properly, so it suffered the least losses.

 

"I'll keep watch tonight."

 

Chen Mobai volunteered, and Wang Yuanwu didn't refuse. It was indeed Qi Rui's team's turn.

 

It seemed they were addicted to sneak attacks.

 

At night, a group of Black Plague Birds really did take advantage of the darkness to attack from the clouds.

 

However, with the prepared Chen Mobai and his team, they cooperated tacitly and held the line. Plus, Wang Yuanwu didn't hesitate to let Brother Liu draw spiritual energy from the earth veins and activate the Heavenly Wood Divine Light again. They finally waited for the arrival of two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

 

One was Ning Leshan from Jingguang Cliff, and the other was Peng Bei from Shenmu Sect who came from Fengyu Fort.

 

The former was a sword cultivator, and the latter was even more ruthless, having hunted beasts for many years.

 

Not a single Black Plague Bird managed to escape. They all fell on this cliff.

 

Even the two Foundation Establishment cultivators felt it wasn't enough. They went out of the island and had a fierce fight with the two second-order Bird Kings.

 

However, outside was the Bird Kings' home field. They commanded their flock and formed a simple battle formation. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't break in and were instead trapped.

 

In the end, until dawn broke, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators who had consumed too much spiritual energy ordered the west coast to launch four Heavenly Wood Divine Lights, scattering the battle formation controlled by the two second-order Bird Kings, and safely retreated.

 

"Why haven't these beasts retreated yet?"

 

After the two Foundation Establishment cultivators returned and greeted them, they flew back to the center of the island. Wang Yuanwu was a bit puzzled, standing on the shore and looking at the Black Plague Bird flock on the barren reef that was only a quarter of its original size.

 

"Maybe they have orders."

 

The order of the beasts was very primitive, with the lower ranks obeying the higher ones.

 

"Maybe, we should still be careful and not make mistakes at the last moment, letting these beasts rush onto the island."Wang Yuanwu, dragging his arm that had just been reattached and was now bleeding again due to the intense battle, sat down under the spiritual tree to practice Qi Refining.

 

"Isn't your cultivation level, Manager Wang, also that of a true disciple of the Shenmu Sect?"

 

Chen Mobai and Qi Rui moved aside to drink and chat. Upon hearing this, the latter nodded and then shook his head.

 

"Elder Brother Wang was indeed a true disciple twenty years ago, but he failed in his Foundation Establishment and stepped down from his position as a true disciple. He is still in debt for the contribution points of that Foundation Establishment Pill."

 

"Huh?"

 

At this, Chen Mobai widened his eyes in disbelief.

 

"What's so surprising about this? Do you think every true disciple can accumulate ten thousand contribution points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill? If it's not given by the elders or ancestors, they have to borrow from their fellow disciples."

 

Qi Rui had no reservations in talking to Chen Mobai. After a couple of drinks, he revealed the matter of the Shenmu Sect's exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

 

"The sect actually supports this. After all, the longer the Foundation Establishment Pill is stored, the more its medicinal power will be lost."

 

"Even the most talented disciple can't possibly accumulate ten thousand contribution points in just ten years. So, to avoid wasting the Foundation Establishment Pill, the sect allows elders to give contribution points, or peers to lend to each other."

 

"Generally speaking, as long as you are a decent person and a true disciple, we are willing to lend. After all, if the disciple who borrows successfully establishes his foundation, it would be a great favor. If one day we also need to borrow contribution points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, wouldn't he empty his pockets to help in return?"

 

"And the contribution points that a Foundation Establishment cultivator can earn from sect tasks are at least ten times higher than ours who are in the Qi Refining stage. If you're lucky and lend contribution points to two or three true disciples who successfully establish their foundation, you can basically borrow enough contribution points from them to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill."