Although the Flying Dragon Sect currently did not have Emperors of Gods, they had many Lords of Gods. For this reason, they managed to maintain their power; not even top lord-rank forces could compare to them. Moreover, their cultivation resources and environment were far better than any top lord-rank force.
Unless the cultivation resources were given by the Flying Dragon Sect for some reason, the disciples had to rely on themselves to obtain resources. To do this, they would need contribution points.
For example, the Lord Breakthrough Divine Pills, which were the rewards for the Latent Dragon Grand Contest, could be exchanged for in the Internal Affairs Pavilion albeit for a high number of contribution points. It should be noted that the pills were not available in the External Affairs Pavilion.