"Saying this, I really admire your patience, host. After experiencing the matters of the Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, there's an intense desire for strength within your heart, yet you can still restrain your inner desires, enduring and cultivating yourself day after day for five years. This level of mental strength and willpower is indeed beyond ordinary people."
Just as Lu Yunxiao's words fell, the voice of the system echoed in his mind.
Lu Yunxiao smiled faintly, stopping by a small stall, and selecting fresh ingredients. He spoke in his mind, "It's precisely because I desire strength that I made this choice. I don't seek minor breakthroughs in the present; I aim for true strength."
"Every step is to solidify the foundation, to build a perfect base. Sooner or later, I will stand at the pinnacle of this continent."
Lu Yunxiao spoke softly, but his tone was firm, filled with strong self-confidence, as if what he said was an absolute fact.
"The host's confidence is commendable. Well done," the system said with a smiling voice, listening to Lu Yunxiao's words.
"A part of my confidence also comes from you. I have decent innate talent, and with your assistance, why shouldn't I become powerful?" Lu Yunxiao collected the chosen ingredients, paid, and as he walked, continued in his mind.
He possessed a robust physique, high intelligence, and was an extremely rare Fateless One. Given the chance, he could become powerful on the continent. But it would certainly be challenging, and the system could offer him significant assistance, reducing many detours on his path to success. Besides, without the system, he might not even have had the opportunity to come to this world.
He wasn't blindly arrogant; he saw reality clearly. The mutual achievement between him and the system meant neither could do without the other. The system will really on him to break free from its limitations and achieve an independent life, while he relies on the system's help to accelerate his growth. In the end, it was actually a win-win situation.
"Hehe, hearing the host say that the system is delighted. Among the previous hosts of this system, you are the most conscientious," the system chuckled, extremely pleased.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yunxiao couldn't help but shrug, smiling gently as he continued walking ahead.
About a quarter of an hour later, Lu Yunxiao slowed his pace in front of a particular shop.
"Geographical Maps" - that was the name of this shop, widely acknowledged in the entire Rock Desert City as the best cartography store.
Unlike other shops in the scorching Rock Desert City, this place had a relatively tranquil atmosphere, bearing a subtle coolness.
Pausing for a moment, Lu Yunxiao then strode directly into the store.
Inside, several shelves displayed numerous maps, each intricately detailed. Every route depicted on these maps was meticulously drawn, showcasing their exceptional quality.
On the other side of the store, behind the counter, an old man in a blue shirt with pristine white hair focused intently, meticulously refining the map in his hand stroke by stroke.
"Back already? Then hurry up and cook; I'm almost starving to death," the old man remarked without lifting his head upon hearing footsteps outside the door.
"You lazy old man." Hearing this, Lu Yunxiao curled his lips, unsympathetically quipping, carrying the ingredients in his hands as he walked towards the inner room.
Ever since he was eight years old and had cooked once, this old man had never lifted a finger in the kitchen, leaving the cooking entirely to Lu Yunxiao. His reason was that Lu Yunxiao's cooking was better, and he had peacefully continued doing so till now.
"What are we having today?" the old man inquired again.
"Bought a few kilograms of second-rank Magic Beast Iron Armored Rhinoceros meat. I'll roast it and pair it with some White Orchids for lunch," Lu Yunxiao casually replied, waving the ingredients in his hand.
"Iron Armored Rhinoceros meat? Not bad, I like that." The old man commented, and with a flick of his pen, he asked, "Aren't you planning to break through to the Dou Zhe realm? You've been honing for five years; while foundations are crucial, sometimes, enough is enough."
"If you had followed a regular cultivation path, with your talent, by now, you'd be at least a Dou Shi, maybe even a Da Dou Shi," he continued with a hint of disdain in his voice.
"I understand. However, what about Dou Zhe? Old man, my goal isn't as shallow as you think. Dou Zhe or Dou Shi aren't my pursuit. It's more about Dou Zun or Dou Shengs." Lu Yunxiao shrugged, speaking plainly.
"You're just being too full of yourself. Show me once you break through to a Dou Zhe first," the old man sneered dismissively.
"Whatever you say. But reaching Dou Zun or Dou Sheng is only a matter of time. This afternoon, I'll break through Dou Zhe for you," Lu Yunxiao said calmly.
"Oh?" Surprised by this statement, the old man put down his pen, and stood up, looking at Lu Yunxiao in disbelief, "You've figured it out?"
"Just as you said, my cultivation is almost complete, and I can break through now." Lu Yunxiao said softly.
"This is a clear decision. Here, take this four-star Qi Gathering Powder," the old man flipped his palm, revealing a small jade box.
"Qi Gathering Powder?" Lu Yunxiao stepped forward, taking the box. Upon opening it, a tempting scent wafted out, revealing a glossy, round pill inside.
Although not unfamiliar with pills, this Qi Gathering Powder was indeed the first time he had seen one.
"Snap!" Lu Yunxiao closed the jade box and casually stowed it into his spatial ring.
"Even though I don't need this for my breakthrough, since you're kind enough, I'll accept it. I just bought a spatial ring, and my assets aren't abundant. This Qi Gathering Powder might fetch a good price," Lu Yunxiao grinned.
"Get lost!" Hearing Lu Yunxiao's words, the old man flew into a rage, kicking at him without restraint.
Lu Yunxiao laughed heartily, swiftly turning around, lifting the curtain, and darting into the inner room to prepare lunch.
"You sneaky brat," the old man chuckled and cursed, picking up the pen placed nearby, and returned to work on the map.
In the Tagore Great Desert, a map-engraving old man possessing remarkable strength, who could afford Qi Gathering Powder - his identity was quite obvious.
Yes, he was none other than the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, once among the ten renowned powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire, with an exaggerated record of freezing an entire city. He was a Dou Huang back in the day.
However, several decades ago, he got sealed by the Snake Curse of the Queen Medusa in the Tagore Great Desert, suppressing his strength to the Dou Ling Stage.
Only by breaking the seal could he regain his original strength.
When he encountered Lu Yunxiao, he was gathering and refining the herbs needed to concoct the Breaking Adversity Pill - a sixth-grade pill used to dispel the Snake Curse seal.
"Saying this, I really admire your patience, host. After experiencing the matters of the Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, there's an intense desire for strength within your heart, yet you can still restrain your inner desires, enduring and cultivating yourself day after day for five years. This level of mental strength and willpower is indeed beyond ordinary people."
Just as Lu Yunxiao's words fell, the voice of the system echoed in his mind.
Lu Yunxiao smiled faintly, stopping by a small stall, and selecting fresh ingredients. He spoke in his mind, "It's precisely because I desire strength that I made this choice. I don't seek minor breakthroughs in the present; I aim for true strength."
"Every step is to solidify the foundation, to build a perfect base. Sooner or later, I will stand at the pinnacle of this continent."
Lu Yunxiao spoke softly, but his tone was firm, filled with strong self-confidence, as if what he said was an absolute fact.
"The host's confidence is commendable. Well done," the system said with a smiling voice, listening to Lu Yunxiao's words.
"A part of my confidence also comes from you. I have decent innate talent, and with your assistance, why shouldn't I become powerful?" Lu Yunxiao collected the chosen ingredients, paid, and as he walked, continued in his mind.
He possessed a robust physique, high intelligence, and was an extremely rare Fateless One. Given the chance, he could become powerful on the continent. But it would certainly be challenging, and the system could offer him significant assistance, reducing many detours on his path to success. Besides, without the system, he might not even have had the opportunity to come to this world.
He wasn't blindly arrogant; he saw reality clearly. The mutual achievement between him and the system meant neither could do without the other. The system will really on him to break free from its limitations and achieve an independent life, while he relies on the system's help to accelerate his growth. In the end, it was actually a win-win situation.
"Hehe, hearing the host say that the system is delighted. Among the previous hosts of this system, you are the most conscientious," the system chuckled, extremely pleased.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yunxiao couldn't help but shrug, smiling gently as he continued walking ahead.
About a quarter of an hour later, Lu Yunxiao slowed his pace in front of a particular shop.
"Geographical Maps" - that was the name of this shop, widely acknowledged in the entire Rock Desert City as the best cartography store.
Unlike other shops in the scorching Rock Desert City, this place had a relatively tranquil atmosphere, bearing a subtle coolness.
Pausing for a moment, Lu Yunxiao then strode directly into the store.
Inside, several shelves displayed numerous maps, each intricately detailed. Every route depicted on these maps was meticulously drawn, showcasing their exceptional quality.
On the other side of the store, behind the counter, an old man in a blue shirt with pristine white hair focused intently, meticulously refining the map in his hand stroke by stroke.
"Back already? Then hurry up and cook; I'm almost starving to death," the old man remarked without lifting his head upon hearing footsteps outside the door.
"You lazy old man." Hearing this, Lu Yunxiao curled his lips, unsympathetically quipping, carrying the ingredients in his hands as he walked towards the inner room.
Ever since he was eight years old and had cooked once, this old man had never lifted a finger in the kitchen, leaving the cooking entirely to Lu Yunxiao. His reason was that Lu Yunxiao's cooking was better, and he had peacefully continued doing so till now.
"What are we having today?" the old man inquired again.
"Bought a few kilograms of second-rank Magic Beast Iron Armored Rhinoceros meat. I'll roast it and pair it with some White Orchids for lunch," Lu Yunxiao casually replied, waving the ingredients in his hand.
"Iron Armored Rhinoceros meat? Not bad, I like that." The old man commented, and with a flick of his pen, he asked, "Aren't you planning to break through to the Dou Zhe realm? You've been honing for five years; while foundations are crucial, sometimes, enough is enough."
"If you had followed a regular cultivation path, with your talent, by now, you'd be at least a Dou Shi, maybe even a Da Dou Shi," he continued with a hint of disdain in his voice.
"I understand. However, what about Dou Zhe? Old man, my goal isn't as shallow as you think. Dou Zhe or Dou Shi aren't my pursuit. It's more about Dou Zun or Dou Shengs." Lu Yunxiao shrugged, speaking plainly.
"You're just being too full of yourself. Show me once you break through to a Dou Zhe first," the old man sneered dismissively.
"Whatever you say. But reaching Dou Zun or Dou Sheng is only a matter of time. This afternoon, I'll break through Dou Zhe for you," Lu Yunxiao said calmly.
"Oh?" Surprised by this statement, the old man put down his pen, and stood up, looking at Lu Yunxiao in disbelief, "You've figured it out?"
"Just as you said, my cultivation is almost complete, and I can break through now." Lu Yunxiao said softly.
"This is a clear decision. Here, take this four-star Qi Gathering Powder," the old man flipped his palm, revealing a small jade box.
"Qi Gathering Powder?" Lu Yunxiao stepped forward, taking the box. Upon opening it, a tempting scent wafted out, revealing a glossy, round pill inside.
Although not unfamiliar with pills, this Qi Gathering Powder was indeed the first time he had seen one.
"Snap!" Lu Yunxiao closed the jade box and casually stowed it into his spatial ring.
"Even though I don't need this for my breakthrough, since you're kind enough, I'll accept it. I just bought a spatial ring, and my assets aren't abundant. This Qi Gathering Powder might fetch a good price," Lu Yunxiao grinned.
"Get lost!" Hearing Lu Yunxiao's words, the old man flew into a rage, kicking at him without restraint.
Lu Yunxiao laughed heartily, swiftly turning around, lifting the curtain, and darting into the inner room to prepare lunch.
"You sneaky brat," the old man chuckled and cursed, picking up the pen placed nearby, and returned to work on the map.
In the Tagore Great Desert, a map-engraving old man possessing remarkable strength, who could afford Qi Gathering Powder - his identity was quite obvious.
Yes, he was none other than the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, once among the ten renowned powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire, with an exaggerated record of freezing an entire city. He was a Dou Huang back in the day.
However, several decades ago, he got sealed by the Snake Curse of the Queen Medusa in the Tagore Great Desert, suppressing his strength to the Dou Ling Stage.
Only by breaking the seal could he regain his original strength.
When he encountered Lu Yunxiao, he was gathering and refining the herbs needed to concoct the Breaking Adversity Pill - a sixth-grade pill used to dispel the Snake Curse seal.
