The Supreme Martial King Shocking All Realms Chapter 3270 - 3265: No Merit Grade_1

With her lips parting just a bit, Ji Yueshuang took her time to clarify things for the baffled Yang Chen, "Of course not. The Ancient Divine Realm lies far from the Taiyuan Star System, right in the heart of our Human Universe. It stands as the hotspot for the fiercest battles against countless Alien Tribes. Missions in the Earth Spirit Hall aren't always tougher than those in the Divine Night Sect, yet the perils there are surely much higher."

Understanding dawned on Yang Chen bit by bit, "In that case, to earn more merits, I have to head to the Earth Spirit Hall."

"Exactly. The merits you gain inside the Divine Night Sect are really insignificant. A ton of hard work there doesn't match up to a single trip to the Earth Spirit Hall. That's why my master couldn't rise to become a Protector Emperor Lord. True merits come from the Earth Spirit Hall, but what awaits us there? The Netherworld, Spirit God Race, Ruthless Beast Race, and endless Alien Tribes. It's scary just to imagine. At my current cultivation stage, even if I wished to go, my master would flat-out refuse." Ji Yueshuang pouted while she talked.

A soft laugh escaped Yang Chen, since he differed from Ji Yueshuang and had no say in certain choices.

Merits...

Merits shaped so much, a fact he'd grasped back in the Lingnan Two Realms.

This merit setup wouldn't vary much; slaying more foes naturally earned greater honor.

"I wonder if, after reaching Protector Emperor Lord, I can retrieve Zhang Xuelian while keeping myself safe..." The thought crossed Yang Chen's mind unbidden.

No matter what, he needed to gather merits now.

"I'll pick some easier missions for now to build up merits. Miss Ji, you can head back—I'll manage alone. No need to bother you further," Yang Chen stated.

"Why so formal? I'm coming along," Ji Yueshuang clapped her hands, choosing to join Yang Chen.

Warmth filled Yang Chen's heart. Ever since meeting Ji Yueshuang, she'd aided him greatly.

Soon, they stood before Lu Zhen and Ye Li.

Grins spread across Lu Zhen and Ye Li's faces as Yang Chen and Ji Yueshuang drew near, "Junior Brother Yang Chen, Junior Sister Shuang, what missions are you eyeing this time?"

Ji Yueshuang chuckled, "Yang Chen's now part of the sect, so hand him an Earth Spirit Badge for tracking future merits."

"Easy enough." Being tight with Ji Yueshuang, Lu Zhen and Ye Li promptly pulled out a token.

As the token passed over, Lu Zhen chuckled, "Brother Yang Chen, just add a drop of your Essence Blood, and it's all yours. Afterward, you can check your merits and merit grade through soul connection."

Yang Chen gave a nod, accepted the token, and let his Essence Blood seep in.

The moment his soul linked up, the details showed as anticipated.

"Jiyu Essence, zero."

"Merit Grade, none."

Confusion hit Yang Chen, "What's this Jiyu Essence used for?"

Lu Zhen grinned, "Jiyu Essence is a rare essence from the cosmos, basically the go-to currency across the universe. It's scarce. You usually get it as rewards from sect missions or Earth Spirit Hall ones. To boost your merit grade, Jiyu Essence is key. The badge has extra space too, so Brother Yang Chen, store any Jiyu Essence you get right inside it later."

"Jiyu Essence has tons of applications—Brother Yang Chen will discover them in time."

"How much Jiyu Essence to reach the first merit level?" Yang Chen inquired.

"You need one thousand Jiyu Essences," Ye Li chimed in from nearby.

It clicked for Yang Chen, and he couldn't stop his mouth from twitching. He'd figured he'd start at first merit level at least, but without Jiyu Essence, he didn't even qualify as level one.

"Brother Yang Chen, we've got a bunch of new missions lately. Which catches your eye?" Lu Zhen questioned. "A-Class, I assume." Yang Chen replied, hands clasped behind him.

A shiver ran through Lu Zhen, struck by how Yang Chen dove right into an A-Class without hesitation. Truth be told, only Yang Chen dared such a move; others would shy away from it entirely.

"Truth is, no A-Class available at the moment, but for B-Class, we've got loads," Lu Zhen answered with a helpless grin.

With no A-Class options, disappointment flickered in Yang Chen, though he stayed calm: "Fine, a B-Class will do then."

Laughter bubbled from Lu Zhen and Ye Li, amused by Yang Chen's casual downgrade to B-Class. It took real skill to pull that off like him.

"Every mission's listed here. Brother Yang Chen, take a look," Lu Zhen instructed, lightly tapping to summon several glowing orbs before Yang Chen.

Yang Chen's soul swept over the orbs, swiftly reviewing the mission details.

"Alright, understood. I'll go with this one," Yang Chen selected at random. A B-Class mission posed no real challenge for him.

"Sure thing," Lu Zhen handled the formalities for Yang Chen.

Task in hand, Yang Chen departed with Ji Yueshuang, readying for what came next.

Rather than rush the mission, Yang Chen quizzed Ji Yueshuang on merit-related matters during their return journey.

A-Class missions offered the biggest Jiyu Essence payouts without question, but they were rare as hen's teeth, hardly ever showing up—and even then, few could pull them off.

Besides A-Class, B-Class missions existed, though their Jiyu Essence rewards paled next to A-Class ones, and they lagged even further behind Earth Spirit Hall missions.

Yang Chen aimed to stockpile Jiyu Essence initially before venturing to the Earth Spirit Hall. Confidence surged in him now, but plenty of loose ends demanded tying up. Battlefields shifted wildly, a lesson he'd learned firsthand escaping the Lingnan Two Realms. Rash moves were a no-go.

Thus, he peppered Ji Yueshuang with queries on Jiyu Essence.

Gathering Jiyu Essence went beyond missions alone; trades with other powerhouses could snag it too.

Across the whole Taiyuan Star System stood a central hub known as the Longxiao Market, run by the Dragon Roar Palace—a group outside the Three Great Factions.

Beyond the Three Great Factions, humans formed endless powers in the Ten Thousand Realms, and Dragon Roar Palace ranked among the stronger ones. Yet their strength lay in trade, not cultivation. Whispers said their Chamber of Commerce spanned every corner of the Ten Thousand Realms.

Because of that, the Three Great Factions showed Dragon Roar Palace respect. In the Taiyuan Star System, Dragon Roar Palace ruled the commerce scene, and for fairness, the Three Great Factions stayed hands-off, opting instead for smooth partnerships.

The Longxiao Market served as the Taiyuan Star System's grandest bazaar, brimming with endless treasures for sale. Folks from distant Outer Domain Star Systems flocked there, and even Heaven-appointed Realm powerhouses mingled in the crowds.

Unsurprisingly, Yang Chen turned his gaze toward the Longxiao Market.

His travels had netted him a hoard of treasures, from one King Divine Tool after another to multiple Emperor Divine Tools.

Yang Chen meant to hold back some King Divine Tools and Emperor Divine Tools for the Slaughter God Spear and Heaven Scourge Ancient Qin to absorb, selling the leftovers at the Longxiao Market for Jiyu Essence and Taiyuan Pills.

Taiyuan Pills ranked as the prized currency all human forces craved.

Jiyu Essence ruled as the starry sky's vast currency.

Though Taiyuan Pills held less value than Jiyu Essence, their demand outstripped it by far.

After all, few truly braved the Earth Spirit Hall and Alien Tribes. And those who did often vanished forever—a grim everyday reality.