Chapter 217: Redeeming Cloud Points
The interior of the Exchange Hall swallowed sound the moment they stepped through—though not entirely.
High above, vaulted ceilings of pale grey stone arched into darkness, supported by pillars of spirit jade that pulsed faintly with cool, steady light. Beneath that quiet grandeur, dozens of conversations overlapped—disciples arguing over points, elders calling out names, the sharp clatter of blue tokens against wooden counters.
Rows of counters stretched into the distance, each manned by Outer Court Elders whose faces had been shaped by years of boredom and scrutiny. Beyond them, shelves packed with weapons, manuals, pills, and talismans lined the walls under the pale glow of spirit lamps.
The air carried the faint smell of aged paper, spirit ink, and cold metal—like a library that traded in blades and pills instead of books. Less a hall and more a marketplace built into the mountain itself—orderly chaos, with power as currency.
"Over there."
Su Lei pointed to a middle-aged woman with stern features who had just finished with a group of five disciples. The moment those five stepped away, another group moved in—then spotted Su Tianhao and quietly reversed direction.
Su Tianhao gave them a single glance. Then followed Su Lei and Wang Bing to the counter.
Up close, the Elder looked to be in her mid-forties—which Su Tianhao immediately filed as inaccurate. Sharp features. Black hair in a tight, elegant bun. Deep purple robes with gold embroidery. And the insignia on her chest—blue. Outer Court Elder.
"Greetings, Elder. We're here to redeem our Cloud Points."
"Aren't you all," she said flatly, already moving through the paperwork on her counter. "Name."
Su Lei stepped forward first. "Su Lei, 4th ranked new recruit."
The Elder looked up. "I asked for your name. Not your rank."
Su Lei flinched. "Sorry, ma'am."
"Ma'am?" She stretched the word. "Are you calling me old?"
"No, I—"
"Elder, I'm sure he means no offense," Wang Bing cut in smoothly.
The Elder turned to her. "And you are?"
Su Tianhao raised an eyebrow. 'What is wrong with this woman?'
Wang Bing's expression held the particular stillness of someone choosing composure over irritation. "Wang Bing. Young Miss of the Wang Mansion." A brief pause. "Lord Duan's new disciple."
The Elder's expression changed entirely.
"You're the Peak Lord's disciple?"
The words came out louder than intended. She straightened, and her eyes sharpened with newfound focus—the boredom gone, the scrutiny entirely different now. "I am Elder Lin Yue. My apologies for the attitude. I'm having a bad day."
'So you take it out on others,' Su Tianhao thought, keeping his face neutral.
Su Lei exhaled quietly.
"It's fine," Wang Bing said. "We won't take much of your time. We just need our points."
"Of course." Elder Lin Yue turned to Su Tianhao. "Your name?"
"Su Tianhao."
She repeated it under her breath, testing it—then her expression snapped into something sharper.
"You're the first-place recruit. The one with broken talent?"
Heads turned across the Exchange Hall. Su Tianhao smiled wryly. "That's me."
Elder Lin Yue's eyes lit up with sudden energy. "Token on the counter."
Su Tianhao's spatial ring flashed. The blue token landed between them.
She moved through a separate file with practiced efficiency, then looked up. "As the first-place new recruit, you'll receive ten thousand Cloud Points to start."
"Ten thousand?!" Wang Bing's composure slipped for just a moment.
Su Tianhao tilted his head. "Is that a large amount?"
Su Lei leaned in, equally curious.
Wang Bing drew a breath and steadied herself. "Ten thousand Cloud Points is the equivalent of ten thousand spirit stones—except they can only be spent within the sect. Nearly everything a disciple needs is available here, which means the sect is effectively handing out ten thousand spirit stones on entry."
Su Tianhao went still.
'Ten thousand spirit stones.'
The number settled in slowly. He could still remember the quiet satisfaction of receiving five thousand from the Su family for those pill recipes—and that had felt like a significant sum at the time. The sect was handing out twice that amount simply for placing first.
Su Lei stared at nothing in particular. "Just how wealthy is this sect?"
Su Tianhao recovered first. He turned back to Elder Lin Yue, expression measured. "I want to make sure I understand this correctly. Is the sect making special exceptions because of my result? Because I was told that in this sect, rewards are earned—not given."
"You're right," Elder Lin Yue said, with a slight smile. "But you're also misreading the situation. This has nothing to do with your talent."
Her tone shifted—professional, clear. "Every year, first place receives ten thousand points. Second receives nine thousand, third eight thousand, fourth seven thousand, and so on. Ninth and tenth both receive two thousand. Everyone else who passes receives one thousand each."
She folded her hands. "Cloud Points are the most important resource for new disciples. The sect provides nothing on entry except the uniform and sect manual—both issued after this meeting. What you do with your points after that is entirely your decision. Techniques, cultivation pills, weapons, cultivation hall access—it's all available, and it's all on you."
"Understood," Su Tianhao said.
Su Lei rubbed his chin with the expression of a man who had just received a fundamental truth about the nature of the universe.
Wang Bing's expression hadn't changed—she had done her research before arriving. The cloud point system held no surprises for her.
Elder Lin Yue picked up Su Tianhao's token, examined it carefully—checking the structure, the embedded runes, the integrity of the material—then produced a flat, palm-sized slab of spirit jade from beneath the counter. Silver runes shifted slowly across its surface.
Su Tianhao's eyes sharpened with interest. Su Lei stared openly.
"This is a Cloud Ledger Array Plate," Elder Lin Yue said, noting their expressions. "It stores and transfers Cloud Points in precise quantities. All formal point transactions go through one of these."
"So she's an inscription master," Su Tianhao noted inwardly.
"I never knew formations could be this practical," Su Lei murmured.
Wang Bing allowed herself a small smile.
Elder Lin Yue retrieved an array brush, drew a series of compact symbols across the slab's surface, and the silver light ignited in a single steady pulse.
She placed Su Tianhao's token on the plate. The light shifted from silver to green.
"Done." She returned the token. "Draw blood and press it to the surface. Once the blood imprint is set, you'll have a permanent sense of your balance."
"Like a spatial ring?" Su Tianhao asked.
"Similar. Not the same." She set the token down between them. "A spatial ring gives you access to stored objects and a visual inventory of them. The token only holds points and notifies you of the current total. The mechanism is related but the function is different."
Su Tianhao bit his thumb without hesitation and let the blood fall.
Sizzle.
The token absorbed it instantly. A faint warmth spread up through his fingers—and then, without effort, a number surfaced in his mind like light through clear water.
10,000 CP.
He held the sensation for a moment, quietly satisfied. Elder Lin Yue's voice arrived before he could dwell on it.
"Now that the blood imprint is set, the token is fully yours. Guard it. It cannot be replaced unless destroyed, which is why the examination of the token comes before the imprint—not after."
"Understood."
The process repeated for Su Lei—token examined, points transferred, blood imprint set. As the fourth-place recruit, seven thousand Cloud Points. He grinned the moment the number surfaced in his mind and didn't stop.
Wang Bing followed. Eight thousand. Her expression remained composed, though the number was clearly satisfying.
They turned to leave.
"Wait."
Su Tianhao's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned back.
Elder Lin Yue's tone had shifted—less official now, more measured. "You're carrying two low-grade spatial rings." Her gaze moved between Su Tianhao's silver ring and his gold one. "Two low-grade rings is inefficient. The sect allows ring exchanges—ten low-grade for one mid-grade, ten mid-grade for one high-grade. Or Cloud Points at market rate."
"I have two," Su Tianhao said. "That's not enough for a mid-grade. How many points to cover the difference?"
"How much does a low-grade ring cost outside?"
He calculated quickly. "Around a hundred spirit stones."
"Then eight hundred points for the eight you're missing. A thousand total for a mid-grade."
"Too expensive."
She studied him for a moment. "I have a mid-grade ring I don't use. Seven hundred points and it's yours."
"Five hundred."
Her lips twitched. "Six hundred. Final."
"Five hundred."
A beat passed. Her exhale was short and sharp.
"Fine."
The transaction was clean. Token to token—bronze for Outer Court Elders, blue for disciples—and the number in his mind adjusted.
10,000 CP → 9,500 CP.
Elder Lin Yue handed over a gold-coloured spatial ring etched with fine crimson patterns and gave him room to transfer his belongings privately. He moved his inventory from both old rings to the new one, then returned the empties.
One hundred cubic metres of internal space—a stark leap from the fifteen he had been working with. It would hold considerably more, for considerably longer.
"Nice doing business," Elder Lin Yue said, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Su Tianhao gave a curt nod—and with a smile he had no intention of showing, walked out of the Exchange Hall with Su Lei and Wang Bing.