Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 599 Contribution Points! The 4th Prince Who Interfered!

Thinking of this, Chen Fan changed the subject: "Elder Han, Elder Ouyang, I have a question for you. What conditions are required for a Gold Medal Elder to use the interdimensional teleportation array in the Hall of Offerings to travel to Great Qin Star?"

Han Cen and Ouyang Ye exchanged a glance, their expressions becoming somewhat subtle at the same time.

After a brief silence, Ouyang Ye slowly spoke: "Elder Chen, why are you asking this? Great Qin Star is far beyond the endless starry sky; even a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage would need several years to travel there. You just received the Gold-Rank Elder Token, why are you in such a hurry to go to such a far place?"

"I have some personal matters to attend to," Chen Fan said calmly, offering no further explanation.

Han Cen sighed and stroked his long beard, saying, "Elder Chen, to be honest, the interdimensional teleportation array in the Hall of Offerings can indeed be opened to Gold Medal Elders, but there is a prerequisite: you must accumulate enough contribution points."

"Contribution points?" Chen Fan frowned slightly.

"That's right." Han Cen nodded. "The teleportation array in the Hall of Offerings is different from ordinary teleportation arrays. Each activation consumes millions of spirit stones and requires a cultivator at the Refinement of Void level to operate it personally. Such resources cannot be given away for free, not even to a Gold-level Offering Master. To use the teleportation array, you must exchange it with contribution points. And contribution points are obtained by completing tasks issued by the Hall of Offerings."

Moreover, most of these tasks are related to the Boundless Sea and the Great Desert Grasslands. The demonic cultivators of the Boundless Sea constantly harass the borders of the Zhao Kingdom, while the Gu cultivators of the Great Desert Grasslands also frequently raid the borders. Every year, the Offering Hall issues numerous tasks related to eliminating demonic cultivator strongholds, gathering intelligence on Gu cultivators, and hunting down designated demonic cultivators or Gu cultivator leaders. Each task is marked with different contribution points based on its difficulty and danger level; once a certain number are accumulated, one can apply to use a teleportation array.

Chen Fan fell silent.

The boundless sea is home to Song Tianren, and the vast desert grasslands are home to those old monsters who control Gu worms. Neither of these places is a safe haven for him, and the contribution point system makes him vaguely sense that he is being deliberately made difficult.

You should know that he was awarded the Gold Medal Offering Token for being first in both alchemy and formation, which should have granted him many privileges. However, he was completely blocked when it came to teleportation arrays, and was forced to go to the most dangerous places to do missions.

Chen Fan wasn't sure if the Fourth Prince Zhao Yu was behind this.

But regardless of whether it exists or not, this rule is clearly designed for outsiders like him who have no foundation.

Those who were deeply entrenched in the Zhao state might have found other ways to circumvent the contribution point system.

For example, having a powerful backer, having extensive connections, or being able to waive all conditions with a single word from the king.

Chen Fan, however, is clearly not within this scope.

"I understand." Chen Fan showed no dissatisfaction, but simply cupped his hands in thanks to the two elders. "Thank you for informing me, elders."

Seeing his calm expression, Han Cen felt a little guilty and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Don't be discouraged, Elder Chen. With your alchemy and array formation skills, accumulating contribution points won't be difficult. There are also many tasks in the Hall of Offerings specifically for alchemists and array formation masters, such as refining pills for the border troops and repairing border defense arrays. These tasks are less dangerous and offer a decent amount of contribution points. If you're interested, I can save a few good ones for you."

Chen Fan nodded, bowed to the two of them, and turned to walk out of the palace.

It was already afternoon when they returned to Dayu's camp.

As soon as Chen Fan stepped into the courtyard, he heard Qin Zhan's booming voice coming from the main hall, his tone full of undisguised anger.

"You're a bunch of snobs! A bunch of snobbish scoundrels! I, the dignified Eighth Prince of the Great Yu, with a cultivation level of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, am reduced to a beggar in their eyes? They won't even give me a second glance!"

Chen Fan pushed open the door and entered, only to see Qin Zhan pacing back and forth in the hall. His black iron armor still had several fresh scratches, indicating that he had run into some trouble outside.

The two accompanying civil officials huddled in a corner, not daring to breathe. On the stone table were several official documents that had been torn in half, the ink still wet.

"Your Highness," Chen Fan bowed respectfully.

When Qin Zhan saw him return, he paused, his anger slightly subsided, but his tone still carried an barely suppressed rage:

"Chen Fan, it's good you're back. Guess what I ran into when I went to the Ministry of Rites to handle the handover documents today? The official there didn't even offer me a seat or pour me tea when he saw it was me. He just said that the documents for Yu the Great needed to be countersigned by the Ministry of Revenue, and no one was on duty there today. Come back another day. Another day? I went to the Ministry of Revenue and found that the person on duty was sitting there drinking tea! I went back to the Ministry of Rites, and the official there changed his mind again, saying that the Ministry of War needed to approve it. I ran around all morning, my legs are about to give out, and I still haven't even gotten a full stamp on the documents!"

He plopped back into his chair, took a large gulp of the cold tea on the table, and then slammed the teacup down heavily on the stone table: "Later, an old clerk who had worked in the Ministry of Rites for many years privately told me that it was the Fourth Prince who had put in a good word. He said that whatever the people from Dayu came to do, they would drag it out, one day at a time, until I lost my temper and they could go back to Dayu themselves. That Zhao Yu, I only spoke a word of justice for you at the post station, and he holds a grudge to this extent. He even dares to make things difficult for me, a prince in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. What a magnanimous heart he has!"

Qin Zhan grew angrier with each word, slamming his fist on the stone table, making the teacups clang. "I've lived for over a thousand years, what haven't I seen? This is the first time I've been so easily manipulated by a mere Core Formation junior! And this is in Zhao, not in Da Yu. If I retaliate, I'll be causing trouble for Da Yu; if I don't, I'll be utterly pathetic. This frustration is even worse than watching Han Shan get killed by Song Tianren in the arena!"

Chen Fan listened quietly to Qin Zhan finish speaking, then walked to the stone table and poured him another cup of tea.

Once Qin Zhan's breathing had calmed down a bit, he slowly spoke: "Your Highness, please calm down. Today, when I was bestowed my title in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the King was cold towards me. Afterwards, Elder Han and Elder Ouyang informed me that it was the Fourth Prince who went to the palace last night to lodge a complaint. This man is narrow-minded and vindictive. Your Highness only incurred his wrath because you stood up for me. I will remember this favor."

Qin Zhan waved his hand: "What's all this talk of sentiment? I stood up for you because you're one of my people, Da Yu, not because I expect you to remember any favors. As for you, now that you've got the Golden Offering Token, what are your next plans?"

Chen Fan paused for a moment, then briefly explained the matter of the teleportation array and contribution points.

After listening, Qin Zhan's angry face calmed down, but a hint of inexplicable weariness appeared between his brows.

"It's the same old routine again." He leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. "I fought with the Eight Great Families for hundreds of years during the reign of Emperor Yu, and now I've run into someone like Zhao Yu in the State of Zhao. The cultivation world is really no different from the mortal world. No matter how high your cultivation level is, you can't escape the ways of the world."

He looked up at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with genuine emotion. "Chen Fan, your life has truly been difficult. From the sealed land to where you are now, every step has been one of endurance and perseverance. Sometimes, when I look at you, I think your eunuch-like temperament is stronger than mine, a prince in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. At least you can swallow your anger. I've swallowed it for hundreds of years, and I still get angry now."

Chen Fan picked up the teapot and filled Qin Zhan's cup, his tone as calm as ever: "Your Highness is too kind. We're just used to it."