"Let's use the teleportation scrolls to return to the city; we can et up with the others who died earlier."
Crown suggested. Everyone nodded in agreent, except for Thankhun. He felt that returning to the city now might lead to significant trouble. Instead, Thankhun opted to buy all the crystals from his friends, since they would go back in town anyway. As for food, he could hunt beasts and cook in the Longshan Mountains before traveling the place for a while until it was ti to log out.
"Oh, here. Take this orb we found on the Pirate King's throne. There's sothing moving inside it. As for the rest of the treasure in the spare bags, if everyone's taken what they want, I'll return the leftovers later," Duncan said, handing Thankhun an orb about the size of takraw ball.
"No need to return it. You all should split it among yourselves. Compared to the total money I got from the treasure room, the rest of the items barely make up 10% of the value. I've already gotten more than enough. You all deserve a share for all the effort too, right?"
Thankhun accepted the orb, bid farewell, and walked away. His friends watched his retreating figure with smiles of appreciation for his generosity.
"So, did any of you level up? I only gained one level,"
Crown asked after Thankhun left. Most nodded in agreent. They had only gained one or two levels due to their already high base levels, requiring more experience to level up.
"By the way, what level is Thankhun? We've never asked him, but he must be pretty high since he's so skilled,"
Jane said, curious.
"That's easy to check, Jane. Just look at the friend list. We haven't disbanded the party yet," Hero replied, raising his wrist to check the friend nu on his watch. His mouth dropped open as he rubbed his eyes and stared at Thankhun's level in shock. Normally, only party mbers could see each other's levels, the nas on the friend list did not give such details.
"What's wrong, Hero? Why are you so shocked Is Thankhun's level super high?"
Jane asked. Hero shook his head, still in disbelief, and turned his watch screen toward the group. Everyone's jaws dropped in unison, matching Hero's expression as they saw the number displayed.
"Thirty-eight!"
"What the hell!"
Crown, Duncan, and Jane exclaid in unison.
"Level 38. How did he survive? Even the Four Tao, who were in their early 50s, didn't make it out alive!"
"Haha. Well, I wouldn't know the answer even if you ask. He's gone now,"
Hero laughed nervously. With Thankhun absent, the group decided to use their scrolls to return to the city and reunite with the Four Tao to divide the treasure Thankhun had left for them.
.....
anwhile, Devi-chan and Hisa-chan handed their weapons, Ryuusei and Crossbone, to Chang Long. She needed to perform a ritual offering for them, an action necessary to permanently bond the weapons to them. The group turned their attention to Alice-chan, who had yet to choose her weapon. As for Heaven, his trusty weapon was still intact, and Chang Long rarely used her Spirit Realm skill on him. So, the chance of his weapon breaking was minimal. Chang Long decided not to ask him about his interest in selecting a weapon from the Tomb of Blades.
"Alice-chan, hurry up and pick a weapon already. Do you think this skill lasts all day? Honestly, I'm getting tired here," Chang Long said to Alice-chan, who was still sitting on a rock with a smile, completely uninterested in finding a weapon for herself.
"I told you, I want a nail file,"
Alice-chan replied sweetly.
"A nail file? What kind of weapon is that?"
Devi-chan asked in bewildernt. It was the first ti he had ever heard of such a weapon.
"It's not a weapon, silly. It's for keeping my killing weapons sharp and ready,"
Alice-chan responded proudly. Devi-chan and Hisa-chan exchanged confused looks, while Chang Long could only shake her head in exasperation.
"Listen, Alice-chan, if you find a weapon here that accepts you, I'll buy you a new nail file every month. But if you don't find one, or don't even try, you'll get just one nail file for the rest of your life."
At first, Alice-chan smiled, thinking that Chang Long would eventually give in to her demands. But as the rest of the statent registered, her smile disappeared, replaced by a sulky scowl. Chang Long's firm tone left Alice-chan no choice but to obey. She reluctantly stood up and began searching for any weapon that might stick to her hand like Devi-chan and Hisa-chan had had. However, every weapon she touched disintegrated into shimring silver particles.
"Ugh! I'm so sick of this. None of these weapons accept ,"
Alice-chan shouted in frustration. When she glanced back at Chang Long, she saw her silently mouthing, "Just one nail file forever." Grumbling, Alice-chan grudgingly continued her search.
"Aren't you going to look for a weapon, Siegfried?"
Chang Long asked as Siegfried approached. Heaven, however, kept a safe distance from her.
"I don't think there's anything here for . I've already made a lifelong contract with Caduceus,"
Siegfried replied with a soft laugh. Chang Long nodded, understanding his situation as it mirrored her own. Though she owned many other weapons, she could not use them.
"Oh. Hisa-chan, look! That one's glowing brighter than the others. Does that an it's accepting !"
Alice-chan exclaid excitedly, pointing to a silver fan about three or four ters away. It glowed more brightly than any other weapon nearby.
"I think so. Go ahead and try picking it up,"
Hisa-chan looked before encouraging her. Excitent overtaking her previous reluctance, Alice-chan eagerly followed the suggestion, montarily forgetting her earlier insistence on only wanting a nail file.
She reached out and gently touched the silver fan, which dissolved into sparkling particles, swirling like stars before coalescing into her hand. The fan transford into a striking blood-orange steel fan, intricately engraved with rose vines and sharp thorns. Its thin design resembled a traditional Chinese fan, with razor-sharp edges along its curves. A golden tassel hung from its handle, adorned with a red gemstone shaped like a rose.
Alice-chan marveled at the beautiful and deadly weapon now resting in her hand.
"Player Chang Long has acquired a high-tier weapon: Bloodsteel Fan."
"Wow, it's beautiful. Chang Long, is this really my weapon?"
Alice-chan squealed, staring at the Bloodsteel Fan in fascination. Its aesthetic perfectly suited her bloodlust enthusiast taste.
"Yep, it's yours. Hey, Heaven, are you really not going to choose a weapon?"
Chang Long asked Heaven, who was wandering around at a distance.
"Hmph, I've already got a good one. Why bother looking for more?"
Heaven replied without even glancing back.
After Alice-chan brought the Bloodsteel Fan to Chang Long, she imdiately canceled the Spirit Realm skill. The spirits under Chang Long's control were already accustod to the abrupt shifts caused by this skill, so they were not startled—unlike Heaven. Devi-chan floated ahead to guide Chang Long to the exit, with Siegfried and Heaven following behind, the latter muttering complaints under his breath.
Once they exited the Tomb of Blades, Chang Long imdiately perford a ritual to offer the three weapons in front of the spirit tablets of Hisa-chan, Devi-chan, and Alice-chan. After the ritual, the weapons did not appear to have changed in any significant way. They still sat solidly where they were, showing none of the translucent qualities typical of the spirits who owned them.
"Try picking it up, Devi-chan,"
Chang Long urged, her curiosity piqued. With a hesitant nod, Devi-chan stepped forward and reached out for the Crossbone Sword in front of his spirit tablet. Under the watchful and eager eyes, he reached out slowly before grabbing the sword quickly, unwilling to test the limits of his nonexistent heart's endurance. The sword stayed firmly in his hand, confirming the success of the offering ritual. Hisa-chan and Alice-chan, eagerly picked up their own weapons as well.
"Player Chang Long has lost one high-tier weapon: Crossbone Sword."
"Player Chang Long has lost one high-tier weapon: Ryuusei Blade."
"Player Chang Long has lost one high-tier weapon: Bloodsteel Fan.
"Chang Long felt satisfied and in high spirits. She had equipped her spirits with powerful new weapons, enhancing their abilities for future use of the Spirit Realm skill. The group cautiously traversed the narrow cliffside path, avoiding the swarms of parasitic bean beasts below. After a while, they reached a steep slope leading down into an open forest with a vast expanse of light green grass stretching as far as the eye could see. Initially, Chang Long thought the grass would only reach ankle or knee height. But upon approaching, she realized it was so tall it towered over Siegfried, who was taller than her.
They moved carefully, aware that visibility was severely limited by the tall grass. Fortunately, the spirits accompanying them provided so assistance, giving them an early warning of any impending attacks by the region's creatures.
"Forest Bear Beast, Level 45, preparing to attack. Grassland Predator Beast, Level 38, preparing to attack."
Chang Long readied herself for battle, scanning the surroundings. It was challenging to spot the beasts amidst the grass, but the shaking blades of grass betrayed their movent, giving her an idea of where the attacks would co from.
Chang Long swung her sword in a circle, cutting down the grass surrounding her and clearing her vision. She spotted the Forest Bear Beast, standing upright on two legs, its massive paw swinging down toward her. She ducked just in ti, countering with a powerful stab to its stomach. The bear howled in pain, stumbled back, and dropped to all fours, glaring at Chang Long with fury. As she steadied herself to prepare for another attack, a Grassland Predator Beast leapt at her from behind, knocking her face-first to the ground. Her Sovereign Sword was flung far out of reach. Struggling against the claws and grip of the Grassland Predator, she twisted her body, trying to break free.
Boommm
"Yelppp!"
The Grassland Predator Beast pinning her was struck by one of its own kind, hurled into it by Siegfried. Both beasts tumbled away together. Chang Long scrambled to her feet in confusion and glanced toward Siegfried, only to see him surrounded by a swarm of Grassland Predator Beasts, about twelve in total. Distracted, Chang Long lost track of her own opponent. The Forest Bear Beast charged at her again. She dodged, but its claws raked down her right arm, leaving a long gash. As the bear turned for another attack, Chang Long dashed toward her fallen sword, only to find her path blocked by the two Grassland Predators that had been thrown aside earlier.
"Sovereign Sword!"
At her call, the sword lying on the ground flew into her hand. She grabbed it and thrust it into the paw of the charging Forest Bear Beast just before it could strike. The blade pierced through its paw, eliciting a pained roar. Chang Long yanked the blade free and dodged an attack from the two Grassland Predators lunging at her from behind. Their missed attack caused them to crash into the Forest Bear Beast, sending all three sprawling.
Seizing the opportunity, Chang Long moved in to finish them off before they could recover. She plunged her sword deep into the neck of one Grassland Predator, then turned to slash at the side of the second one. The Forest Bear Beast, using the second predator as a shield, swiped its injured paw at Chang Long. She responded with a powerful right punch straight into its wounded paw, causing it to howl in agony. Then, she drove her sword into the bear's throat with all her might, stabbing it repeatedly until it collapsed, motionless before turning into white light that floated into the sky.
Chang Long dealt with the two remaining Grassland Predator Beasts with ease, as both were gravely injured. After collecting the loot dropped by the Grassland Predators and the Forest Bear Beast, she turned to check on Siegfried's battle. Remarkably, he did not seem to need her help with twelve surrounding attackers. Before long, Siegfried had defeated all twelve level 38 Grassland Predator Beasts, erging from the fray without so much as a scratch.
He turned to smile at Chang Long, who was watching him in astonishnt. She could not help but reflect on her shortcomings: she was outclassed in level and outmatched in combat skill. Was there anything she could surpass this man at? Shaking her head in resignation, Chang Long could not help but feel like the weakest of the seven heirs of the Pirate Kings.
The pair continued their journey through the towering grasslands, constantly challenged by wild beasts along the way. Despite her desire to train and hone her own skills, Chang Long found herself frequently protected by Siegfried. His constant interference left her feeling stifled. The journey felt more like a leisurely stroll for gathering experience points. They continued their way without much chat.
After so ti, they reached the edge of the grasslands, where a small clearing lay before them. In the rock face ahead, a narrow fissure resembling a cave split the stone. Near the fissure, words were etched into the rock:
"The Secret Training Ground of Wu Ming."
"Who could that be?"
Chang Long studied engraving with curiosity. She turned her gaze toward the fissure, which was pitch-black. Tentatively, she reached her hand into the opening. Suddenly, a powerful force pulled her inside. The fissure slamd shut behind her, sealing into a solid surface. Without prior knowledge of the cave-like fissure's existence, no one would even notice the small engraving on the stone.
-----
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