I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

Feigning a report of his destination was a poor strategy, unless he was in a hurry to reach a certain place. Ye Yong had no urgency regarding the secret realm of Luming Island; he planned to report truthfully but not just to Shi Zhenxiang alone.

There were two deputy sect masters; the other was of righteous lineage, a loose cultivator without ties to any great family, thus feeling a strong sense of belonging to the Tianluo Sect. Ye Yong, being a pride of the sect, would surely garner his attention.

—

“Y-you are Junior Brother Ye Yong!?” The female cultivators in charge of registration at the Contribution Hall all displayed expressions of surprise upon seeing him.

This was only Ye Yong’s second visit to the Contribution Hall since joining the sect.

“Greetings, Senior Sisters. I wish to exchange for a high-level communication talisman for personal use within the sect.”

The Contribution Hall had many exchange windows—elixirs, puppets, tools, spiritual herbs—distributed by different counters. Before receiving anything, one needed to register and deduct contribution points.

The female cultivators gestured for Ye Yong to come to their side, and he smiled, choosing the nearest one.

He first checked his current contribution points and was taken aback to learn he had as much as 30,000.

Contribution points were earned through tasks, such as completing a foundation-building mission at the tenth level, which would yield a few extra points on top of the reward. Though a few points may seem insignificant, they could be exchanged for considerable resources.

To put it into perspective, a bottle containing ten medium-grade Spirit Gathering Pills only costs five contribution points.

No wonder Ye Yong received no rewards from the elders; it turned out they were all allocated to contribution points for him to claim himself.

Some inner disciples of the Golden Core had only a few thousand, while Ye Yong was merely a “regular” disciple of the Sound and Painting Hall…

The female cultivator at the registration desk hadn’t expected such a sum; she was completely taken aback, her voice rising a few notches, so that those around could hear just how many contribution points Ye Yong possessed.

“Thirty thousand… Good heavens, even if I don’t exchange anything, how many years would it take to save up that much?”

“As long as you can act as bait to lure the Demon Sect into a trap, capture the undercover agents, and rescue our fellow disciples from the Beast Secret Realm, it’s possible.”

“I’m sorry, I spoke too loudly.” Seeing the surrounding chatter, the female cultivator looked apologetic.

“It’s fine.”

“Junior brother only needs two high-level communication talismans?”

“That’s right.” Ye Yong lacked for nothing in resources now; in fact, he was eager to part with some, so he had no intention of exchanging for more.

“One costs 100 contribution points, so after deducting the two you need, junior brother still has…”

Before long, the female cultivator handed Ye Yong a slip. As long as he took it to the appropriate window, he could receive what he needed.

What use are the sect’s high-level communication talismans? They allow disciples to send a message to a master-level figure or above.

The content of the message is unrestricted; it could be a suggestion, a plea for help, or a request to take on a master. Whether the recipient would pay any heed, however, is another matter entirely, so to ordinary disciples, these talismans are seen as a pure waste.

Ye Yong wrote down the name of the vice sect master and what he wished to convey, infusing it with spiritual energy.

With a whoosh, the two communication talismans flew off in different directions, vanishing from sight.

Before long, two beams of light returned to Ye Yong’s hands, one marked “Approved” and the other “Permitted,” before they burned to ashes.

——

Two days swiftly passed, and Ye Yong arrived at a town near Luming Island before the Secret Realm opened. The emergence of the Secret Realm had driven up accommodation prices in the area, but thankfully, cultivators didn’t need to sleep like mortals. Ye Yong booked a private room in a teahouse, sipping tea as he waited.

Originally, he had hoped to find Qin Shidream or Liang Xiaorou to join him, but unfortunately, Qin Shidream was in seclusion, and Liang Xiaorou had just broken through to the Golden Core.

After obtaining the celestial technique, Liang Xiaorou’s cultivation speed had further accelerated, and this was still the result of her deliberate suppression.

112 Scheming with the Script

Wu Xue and Hua Ningyan worried that their weakness would drag Ye Yong down, so they chose to stay at home.

In any case, the opportunity to explore the normal secret realm with the female lead was temporarily lost.

As the secret realm became increasingly clear, the number of cultivators drawn to it reached at least ten thousand.

Of course, this number was not particularly large; cultivators below the crystallization stage from nearby sects and rogue cultivators far exceeded this count. Yet, not everyone had the need to enter the secret realm; the dangers within remained shrouded in mystery. Most of the cultivators who came were desperately poor, eager to strike it rich, or anxious to seek a breakthrough.

When the tide receded, a path emerged from Deer Cry Island to the mainland. At high tide, it became an isolated island surrounded by the sea. Deer often wandered onto the island to forage, and when the tide rose, they could not return, calling out in distress, hence the name.

The entrance to the secret realm was situated on a prominent hillside, and at that moment, Deer Cry Island was nearly packed with cultivators, all ready to rush in the moment the realm opened.

Ye Yong, using a field aura artifact, stood far off on the mainland, planning to wait until the crowd thinned before making his move. He was not alone in this thought; many disciples from various sects shared the same sentiment.

Suddenly sensing something, Ye Yong glanced to the side. Good heavens, it was the protagonist Long Tian and his little companion Qiu Li Gao making their grand entrance.

Long Tian and Qiu Li Gao were dressed simply and inconspicuously, wearing masks that covered the lower half of their faces, revealing only their noses and eyes.

Such attire did not seem out of place; many rogue cultivators around them dressed similarly. After all, if they were to acquire something valuable and their faces were remembered, those without backing could easily face the fate of being robbed. In fact, being robbed was a relatively mild outcome; one could easily encounter ruthless thugs who would kill for their spoils.

Long Tian and Qiu Li Gao, dressed this way, stood among the crowd, utterly unremarkable, hardly worth a second glance. So how did Ye Yong immediately recognize and confirm their identities?

The reason was simple. As mentioned before, even if Long Tian wrapped himself like a mummy, he could not hide the aura of mockery surrounding him. Ye Yong, as the antagonist, felt his instincts stir the moment the protagonist drew near, making it impossible for him to mistake them.

As for how he discerned that the other person was Qiu Li Gao, it was even easier. At this early stage, Long Tian had no other companions besides Qiu Li Gao.