Gray brick and tile, piled up to form a not high, but very large courtyard.
This was the Hall of Merit.
Outside the Hall of Merit, Xu Mu and others stood here, waiting for Senior Brother Li Yuan of Xianyou Peak.
"Senior Brother Li Yuan, we are here!"
A moment later, with a shout from Mu Yunshu, a young man stepping on a sword from the clouds below suddenly broke through the clouds, hands behind his back, his calm eyes carrying a hint of sharpness.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Li Yuan." Ning Yuanchen and Zhe Hao cupped their fists and said as they saw the arrival.
"Greetings, Senior Brother." Xu Mu, half a beat slower, also cupped his fists.
"Hmm, are all the people here?" Li Yuan looked at Xu Mu and asked Ning Yuanchen calmly.
Ning Yuanchen stood up straight and said with a smile,
"Yes, this is the last person in our team, named Xu Mu. He was just recruited into Tianshi Mountain today and is a newcomer to Xianyou Peak."
"A newcomer to Xianyou Peak?" Li Yuan's eyes showed some surprise as he looked at Xu Mu.
"To be directly recruited into Xianyou Peak, your talent must be quite good."
"However, this mission is a bit dangerous. Being talented is useless. Are you sure you want to participate?"
Li Yuan looked at Xu Mu and asked.
Xu Mu, pretending to know nothing, scratched his head and said hesitantly,
"This... Senior Brother Ning told me that as a newcomer, I would have advantages by taking on such a mission. He didn't mention any danger."
Li Yuan glanced at Ning Yuanchen lightly.
The latter's expression froze, and then he quickly walked up to Xu Mu, forcing a stiff smile and explaining, "Junior Brother Xu Mu, you might not know this."
"Our mission this time is to go to the Thunder Pool to collect ore containing primal lightning energy. The sky is full of lightning there, so if you're not careful, there's a risk of being struck to death."
Xu Mu's face turned pale upon hearing this.
"Then I won't go."
Ning Yuanchen quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no, Junior Brother, you misunderstand."
"You are an inner disciple of Xianyou Peak, of noble status, so you immediately have three thousand Merit Points."
"You can spend two thousand five hundred Merit Points to redeem a one-time magical artifact called the 'Twilight Thunder Disc'. After using it, it can greatly weaken the heavenly lightning within a hundred meters, so you don't have to worry about your life."
Xu Mu asked upon hearing this,
"Two thousand five hundred Merit Points can redeem such a magical artifact. Then, Senior Brother, after we complete this mission, how much Merit can we gain?"
Ning Yuanchen was immediately taken aback. He glanced at Zhe Hao beside him awkwardly and coughed softly, saying,
"This... it still depends on your performance in the Thunder Pool."
"Under normal circumstances, a peak Stage Two awakened person can exchange the collected thunder stones for... about a thousand Merit Points."
"Of course, with the Twilight Thunder Disc, the collection efficiency will greatly increase. If you're lucky, it might even double!"
"Heh heh..." Xu Mu sneered inwardly. He finally understood the trick here.
A magical artifact would cost him two thousand five hundred Merit Points, but the points this mission offered, under normal circumstances, could never exceed two thousand five hundred.
This was a losing proposition.
But for Ning Yuanchen and the others, it was a profitable deal because the Twilight Thunder Disc was a area-of-effect artifact. If Xu Mu paid for it alone, their entire team would benefit.
"Since this Twilight Thunder Disc is so good, let's all redeem one together!"
Xu Mu feigned ignorance and said excitedly.
Ning Yuanchen glanced at Li Yuan beside him. Li Yuan was staring at him coldly, clearly displeased with his inefficiency and attempt to deceive a newcomer.
Ning Yuanchen's expression was not good. He looked at Xu Mu and said,
"Junior Brother, Senior Brother has been straightforward with you."
"I hope that as a newcomer, you can redeem this artifact yourself. In return, we can lead you to familiarize yourself with the Thunder Pool, collection details, and so on. We can also look after you more in your future cultivation, which will be beneficial and harmless to you."
Xu Mu looked at Ning Yuanchen and said as if he had suddenly realized, "Ah, so that's what Senior Brother meant."
"However, I apologize. I do not intend to redeem the Twilight Thunder Disc. I plan to save these Merit Points."
Ning Yuanchen's expression turned grim upon hearing this.
Zhe Hao, who was behind him, stepped forward and said displeasedly, "Xu Mu, how can you do this? Senior Brother is doing this for your own good."
"As a newly initiated disciple, you have already offended Elder Liu Ru. If you don't try to win people over, how difficult will your life in Tianshi Mountain be in the future? Can you imagine!"
"Hmm... I can't imagine." Xu Mu said with a smile, "My imagination has never been very rich since I was young."
"You will be infinitely targeted!" Ning Yuanchen said coldly, his expression towards Xu Mu becoming somewhat ferocious, completely losing his previous friendly demeanor. "This is the most basic social etiquette, and I believe Junior Brother should understand it."
"If you don't understand, now is the time to learn."
Xu Mu: "Oh."
"I'm not trading."
"You!" Ning Yuanchen and Zhe Hao were simultaneously speechless, their faces turning red as they stared at Xu Mu, wanting to say something but finding no words.
It was clear that Xu Mu was not afraid of them.
And at this point, they couldn't kick Xu Mu out on the spot because there was a time limit for claiming missions. In such a short time, they couldn't find another qualified team member.
Of course, if Xu Mu didn't redeem the artifact, he wouldn't be qualified either, as in Ning Yuanchen's mind, Xu Mu was just a Stage One newcomer with passable talent.
"Forget it, let's leave it at that. Don't trouble him anymore," Li Yuan said calmly. He walked into the Hall of Merit with his sword on his back, accepted the mission for the team, and then came out with five jade pendants tied with red strings.
Li Yuan:
"These are the tokens for entering and exiting the Thunder Pool. Don't lose them."
Ning Yuanchen and the others accepted them in silence. Xu Mu also slowly took the jade pendant without saying much.
He wasn't someone who cared about a few thousand Merit Points. If Ning Yuanchen had been honest from the start and negotiated properly, he might have even redeemed the Twilight Thunder Disc and let them use it, considering it an act of charity.
But Ning Yuanchen had lied to him and even threatened him, which he could not accept.
"Kid, you will regret this."
"I don't think so."
Xu Mu and Ning Yuanchen stood their ground. Mu Yunshu couldn't help but wave her hand and strode towards the bottom of a distant cliff valley, saying,
"What time is it, and you're still infighting."
"Senior Brother is already far away. Let's hurry and follow him into the Thunder Pool!"