The next day.
After breaking through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, Qi Chuan felt quite pleased. He temporarily paused his cultivation, stepped out of his own small house, and went outside to the Spirit Field on the peak, busily tending to some spirit grass.
Nowadays, compared to a year ago, these spirit grasses in the Spirit Field have shown decent growth.
Presumably, even if they are all sold to the Qi Family, the spirit stones gained would increase by one or two tenths.
Half an hour later.
[You diligently tended the spirit plants for half an hour, triggered a fourfold critical strike, garnered fourfold harvest, and gained slight improvement in your experience and skills in tending to spirit plants.]
When Qi Chuan finished tending to the spirit grass and straightened up in the Spirit Field, he saw a line of text appear before his eyes.
Looking at this line of text, Qi Chuan slightly nodded, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face.
Now, he had more insights into how to tend to spirit grass.
However, he still hadn't reached the level of a qualified Spirit Plant Cultivator.
After all, his primary focus had always been on his cultivation realm and magic levels, and tending to these spirit grasses was merely a casual endeavor.
Nevertheless, even with such a casual approach, his experience and skills in tending to spirit grass steadily improved. Ultimately becoming a qualified Spirit Plant Cultivator is just a matter of time.
Finishing the tending to the spirit grass, Qi Chuan stood with his hands down and looked at the distant scenery. Lately, on this solitary peak, he's been the only one around, as Second Uncle has gone out on a task again.
"Oh right, Second Uncle mentioned some time ago that I should perhaps start taking on some family tasks as well."
Qi Chuan suddenly recalled the reminder from Second Uncle a few days ago.
Every Qi Family cultivator has tribute each year. For instance, he himself receives two Lower Grade Spirit Stones annually. This amount remains the same from Qi Refining First Layer to Qi Refining Third Layer, while those in the Qi Refining Middle Stage receive more.
However, in exchange for the family's protection and the offering of spirit stones, one must contribute. Therefore, every Qi Family cultivator must undertake family tasks.
Generally, one is required to take on at least two tasks per year.
Even if one doesn't actively take them, the family will forcefully assign tasks. If one actively takes them, there're choices.
However, after entering the main branch for over a month, the Secret Realm incident erupted, and the family withdrew its forces, restricting family members from leaving.
Even internal family tasks weren't enough to go around for everyone.
Therefore, since entering the main branch, Qi Chuan hadn't taken any tasks yet.
But now, with the Secret Realm incident outside being resolved, the family has lifted the restrictions on going out, returning to normal. So, taking on family tasks is necessary, otherwise, it will soon be forcefully assigned.
Moreover, in recent times, in order to break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, his elixirs and spirit stones have been nearly used up, leaving only two Lower Grade Spirit Stones.
Two Lower Grade Spirit Stones are not even enough to purchase a Qi Condensing Pill.
Taking on tasks could also grant contribution points from the family, where one contribution point is almost equivalent to the purchasing power of one Lower Grade Spirit Stone in the family Exchange Pavilion. Furthermore, some resources can only be exchanged with contribution points.
With contribution points, he could also replenish some elixirs.
"To take on tasks, it should be at the Task Tower on the Main Peak, right?"
Thinking of this, Qi Chuan didn't hesitate much, leaving his independent peak and heading towards the Main Peak, arriving shortly after.
Main Peak, Task Tower, first floor.
The Task Tower has three floors; the first floor is for tasks taken by those in the Qi Refining Early Stage, while the second and third floors are for tasks taken by those in the Qi Refining Middle and late stages.
Qi Chuan entered the first floor of the Task Tower, seeing that in the spacious floor there were several family cultivators in the Qi Refining Early Stage, looking toward the Jade Wall ahead.
On the Jade Wall, lines of task information were displayed.
There were external tasks as well as internal family tasks.
However, internal family tasks generally offer fewer contribution points, many only provide one or two points, and take a long time, hindering personal cultivation.
As for external tasks, they might involve some danger.
Qi Chuan observed for a while but didn't see any tasks he desired.
"Hmm?"
But at this moment, a new task appeared at the top of the Jade Wall, catching Qi Chuan's attention immediately.
"Transport a batch of supplies to the Murong Family? Didn't Second Uncle do this task before?"
Previously, when he had just entered the main branch and saw Second Uncle, he remembered that Second Uncle had mentioned taking on such a task.
When Second Uncle took it, he was at the Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation level.
Now, he himself is also at the Qi Refining Third Layer, and all five basic Five Elements Magic have reached the Minor Success level, even slightly advancing beyond that...
Qi Chuan considered that compared to Second Uncle's strength, he might even be a bit stronger.
Since Second Uncle had no issues taking it, he figured he could also give it a try.
"Besides, it mentions that this time the task will have a Qi Refining Sixth Layer Middle Stage Cultivator overseeing, and it only requires a strength level of Qi Refining Second Layer to take on, so it shouldn't be a problem..."
After quickly contemplating, Qi Chuan flipped his palm, producing a Clan Token. Activating his mana, a beam of light shot from the Clan Token, hitting the task on the Jade Wall.
Within the Jade Wall, some array inscriptions accepted the information from Qi Chuan's Clan Token, thereby registering the task, and someone would contact him after.
Beside Qi Chuan, several family cultivators also fancied this task and pulled out their Clan Tokens to take on the task.
However, with limited slots, apart from Qi Chuan, only two other people successfully claimed it.
Those who failed to claim it seemed to have hesitated a bit too much and missed the task, showing a slight look of regret, only to move on to the remaining tasks.
"Heh, luckily I got the news in advance; otherwise, I would have missed such a good task." One of the youths who successfully claimed it thought smugly.
While feeling smug, his glance inadvertently turned towards Qi Chuan, thinking to himself, "This person acted so fast, even without prior information, was only a tiny bit slower than me."
Qi Chuan didn't pay much attention to the other family cultivators around him. After claiming the task, he left the Task Tower on his own.
Returning to his own peak, after only a few days of cultivation, he received a notification that the task was set to commence in three days.
Hence, three days later, a caravan transporting supplies set out from Red Maple Valley, heading in the direction of the Murong Family's Spiritual Land.
In the caravan, Qi Chuan held the reins atop a tall blood-red horse, gently bobbing with the horse's movement.
With a lifted gaze, he could see not only ahead but also behind him were many similar large blood-red horses, either carrying people or pulling carts loaded with goods. Some of the carts were large, their cargo tightly covered with water-resistant fabrics, looking rectangular—resembling mobile huts, bearing an uncanny resemblance to trucks from his past life.
Qi Chuan had heard that these large blood-red horses possessed a touch of genuine Demon Beast bloodline, being hybrids between a horse-type Demon Beast and ordinary horses, having a constitution, endurance, and strength quite distinct from regular horses.
This Demon Beast hybrid is also extraordinarily fierce in nature.
However, Qi Chuan, having never learned equestrian skills, being a Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator, the deep mana within him exerted an invisible pressure, making the blood-red horse under him exceedingly docile, not daring to act up, fearing it would anger Qi Chuan above.
Because of this, Qi Chuan found the journey extraordinarily smooth, barely feeling any jolts.