Illusions and dreams.

Ever since Bubai had delved into a certain world of ninjas in his previous life, the idea of using illusions in combat had always been one of his dreams.

Letting opponents dance under his illusions, how could that not sound awesome and overbearing?

The added ability to weave in pleasant dreams was a particularly enticing bonus.

Furthermore, Bubai was aware that in many wizarding novels, the psychic power of dreams was connected to a high-dimensional world.

While he couldn't be certain if such a dimension existed in this cultivation world, he knew that the future development of this route definitely won’t be simple.

However, this was all in the future...

This method might not prove exceedingly useful in his current circumstances.

Can dreams help him escape? Well… in his dreams.

Could these illusions and dreams rival the charm of WeiWei? Probably not.

Would this method be effective in establishing firm control over his other women? Maybe it is possible further down the line, but for now... probably not.

Well, at least this method was noted to be particularly useful for training mental fortitude and in combat against other men…

The next option on his list was the body refinement method.

Universally recognized for its strength in various worlds, the path of a beefy tank often boasted the highest survivability!

This resilience proved particularly advantageous in the late game, where squishy high-level cultivators could easily find themselves cross-rank one-shotted by the protagonist.

Only the beefy tanks had the honor of being a final boss for the protagonist!

So, being a tank didn’t sound too bad, especially knowing a guillotine was still hanging over his neck.

Walking this path also came with the added bonus of brute force, enough to deal with many situations.

It’s just that this method’s body refinement is fueled through essence… the question is: whose essence? His cultivation partner? His own? It can’t be the essence of other men, right?

Uh… he might really need to stretch some of his bottom-lines if he wants to cultivate this.

Finally, add another demerit: a stronger body will not make dealing with WeiWei easier. In fact, she may be even more excited…

The last option he considered was the sinister enslavement method, a trope common in the cultural studies of his previous life.

This method will certainly address many of the challenges in his current situation, truly turning all his women into his own, enabling him to transform spies into his own agents and strategically place informants beside other cultivators.

By opting for this method, he could also gain insight into its workings, allowing him to establish preventive measures and guard against future enemies using similar methods. Manager Qiao's cautionary words still echoed in his mind.

Regrettably, he was skeptical about its efficacy against WeiWei.

It seemed she possessed a higher-class version of a similar method. He had already experienced her attempts to manipulate and enslave him multiple times.

If not for his golden finger, he might have long bowed down under her pomegranate skirt.

Moreover, the notion of “slaves of pleasure” didn't sit well with him.

Let’s not talk about other women, but if WeiWei really becomes a slave of pleasure… doesn’t that mean he can’t escape her day and night?!

In conclusion, none of the three methods seemed ideal, but they were the best options he had found given his current situation.

Other non-fragmentary methods either lacked alignment with the wood attribute, had abnormal restrictions, were vulnerable to manipulation by others, were designed exclusively for female cultivation, or involved peculiar fetishes such as cultivating with beasts or self-torture.

While he was willing to make sacrifices for his cultivation, some of these fetishes were simply too extreme… leading him to rule them out as viable choices.

He wasn’t that desperate… yet.

Well, considering his current level was only at level four, the beginning of the mid-stage of Qi-refinement, he had a long journey ahead before reaching the peak of Qi-refinement. This was especially true with the vast “dantian” in the form of his mysterious space.

So, the Foundation Establishment method was not urgently required.

“Still, it’s best to use up my chance first. If it doesn’t fit, I can resort to finding other methods, even if it meant sacrificing my dignity…”

This was to ensure that he wouldn't miss out on this opportunity, whether it be due to him leaving the sect or future hindrances caused by others.

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Even so, this final decision still needs careful consideration, especially since there is still a major factor he had to take into account: Contribution points.

Broadening his knowledge base can’t be done without contribution points.

While there were rooms for freely accessing general information, most of these books only served to whet the readers’ appetites, mentioning the names and wonderful effects of certain treasures, but not the required in-depth details to procure them.

The more detailed resources on treasures, herbs, beasts, pills, and other topics, such as secondary occupations, naturally required contribution points.

Most importantly of all, contribution points were essential for acquiring techniques that complemented his chosen cultivation method.

In the best-case scenario, the method he selected should be affordable by completing the available tasks.

Without such compatibility, if he was unlucky, he risked being stuck.

Theoretically, the resources required to establish a foundation would be astronomical, and it is not feasible to just rely on his small hoard of spirit rice and four women to breakthrough…

Naturally, he wasn’t just going to sit still and cry about his poor circumstances.

What does a poor, hard-stuck protagonist in a novel do? Starting a sub-profession to earn their way up. This seemed like a reasonable approach.

But even if he wished to embark on this path, he needed the necessary resources and contribution points…

“I seems I’ll have to go check out the available tasks…” Bubai hastened past the other rooms that were out of his reach.

Tasks was a must. The question now is which tasks.

West District. Registration Pavilion.

Entering the still rather empty pavilion, Bubai's eyes quickly caught sight of Manager Qiao, the portly figure behind the desk wearing a glum expression.

However, as soon as he registered Bubai's presence, the pudgy man brightened and greeted him with a friendly wave. "Oh, if it isn't Brother Mo. What brings you to my hall today?"

Bubai respectfully saluted, "Manager Qiao, I've come to take a look at the available tasks."

"So soon?" Manager Qiao raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Bubai from head to toe before shaking his head. "Brother Mo, perhaps it's wise to put in a bit more effort before taking on a task. Failing some tasks can have consequences."

“I understand, but the situation calls for it.” Bubai replied with a wry smile. “After all, my situation is a bit special. Manager Qiao should understand.”

Manager Qiao’s pale face displayed a touch of sympathy as he waved his hand encouragingly. "Ah, Brother Mo, don't be too disheartened. You still have a chance, better than some of us."

"Hey, hey, there’s a chance, but things aren't looking too good. I wasn’t even allocated any resources, so I can only come here to assess the options and decide where to focus my efforts," Bubai sighed, shaking his head.

"Understandable," Manager Qiao nodded before turning and calling out, "Xiao Panzi!"

The familiar pale-faced Xiao Panzi emerged from the back hall shortly after. "Oi, Manager Qiao."

"Take Brother Mo to view the tasks in the rear hall," Manager Qiao commanded, nodding towards Bubai.

Xiao Panzi nodded, gesturing toward Bubai, “Please, young master Mo.”

As they were about to embark on their way, Manager Qiao suddenly reminded, "Oh, right! Xiao Panzi, there's no need to take him to the external task section."

Both Bubai and Xiao Panzi turned back, curiosity etched on their faces.

Manager Qiao shook his head and explained in an exasperated tone, offering an apologetic smile to Bubai, "Brother Mo, it’s not that I want to make things difficult for you. But this is orders from above. Brother Mo isn’t allowed to take on any tasks that required leaving the sect grounds."

Gosh darn it. What a blunder! He didn’t even entertain the thought of escaping, and those jerks above had to remind him and even made sure to completely block off this escape route.

Despite cursing inwardly, Bubai still managed to maintain a composed expression outwardly, releasing a sigh of acceptance. “I understand. Don’t worry, I will not blame Manager Qiao. We are all helpless.”

Both Manager Qiao and Xiao Panzi exchanged sympathetic glances with Bubai. Without saying a word, Xiao Panzi led the way forward.

Upon entering the rear hall, Bubai's eyes were drawn to the intricate network of pneumatic tubes snaking through the ceiling.

In the expansive hall below, numerous task boards lined both sides, each pinned with various task sheets being browsed by some cultivators with rugged appearances.

Towards the back of the hall, another entrance seemed to be the primary point of entry for most cultivators coming to seek a task.

“This is the Task Hall. After you select a task, you can bring it to Manager Qiao to register it. This will prevent others from taking the same task as you.”

Guiding Bubai past the array of boards, Xiao Panzi explained, "Of course, there are some tasks that don't have a limitation on the number of participants or have a more... competitive atmosphere. But, young Master Mo, you don't have to worry about those. Most of them are external tasks."

“Here.” Xiao Panzi then stopped in front of a task board positioned at the center of the hall. “The task boards on this side are the tasks in the sect. Each board has different sets of tasks.”

“That board by the entrance houses the most popular farming tasks,” Bubai followed Xiao Panzi's finger to a board with only a couple of sheets of paper tacked to it. “Most of the time, the good farming tasks are all taken due to the good pay in both resources and contribution. The ones left over, young master Mo, it’s best if you avoid them.”

Bubai nodded, and Xiao Panzi proceeded to sweep his finger over the few task boards near the end. “The secondary occupation tasks, each board for a different type. Formations, pill-refinement, artifact crafting… most of these tasks are of an assistive nature and require some basics in the respective field. It’s rather tough work, but it’s also a learning opportunity. Sometimes the pay is good, other times… it really depends on the task giver.”

Bubai swept his gaze over the task boards; this was precisely what had piqued his main interest. His purpose was to assess the competition, demand, and supply reflected in the posted tasks.

By combining this information with the market value of the displayed products he had observed while leisurely strolling by the stalls and stores, he could make an informed decision on which secondary occupation to pursue.

The ideal situation is to choose an occupation with high demand but low supply and competition. Of course, this was just the ideal, and sometimes he will have to make do with best choice available depending on the situation.

“And here.” Xiao Panzi pointed towards the task board in front of them and waved with his finger towards the rest of the boards in the other half of this side of the hall. “Are the miscellaneous tasks of the sect.”

“These can range from being dual cultivation partners to running errands to searching for lost items within the sect. If you are lucky, you can even grab the post as a temporary store assistant or serve as the experimental assistant of some elder...”

“Unfortunately, most of these tasks do not count towards the yearly task completion requirement. Still, I suggest young master Mo to start from here because many of these tasks usually require no cultivation or occupation requirements to take on.”

Bubai nodded, expressing his gratitude with a polite salute to Xiao Panzi. “Thank you for your care.”

Xiao Panzi nodded, a smile playing on his face, as his eyes scanned the tasks.

He then pointed towards one of them. “Little one has heard about young master Mo’s situation, and little one will make a suggestion. This task has one of the lowest pay, but it doesn’t require meeting much people. A good one to start with, gathering contribution while avoiding the hassle of dealing with others…”

Bubai took heed and directed his gaze to the task that Xiao Panzi had indicated.

“Copying scriptures and books in the Book Pavilion. Commissioner: Granny Shu. Contribution: 1 point per completed copy.”