The system was closed by Lu Yunxiao as he stood up.
Stretching lazily, he moved his feet towards the exit of the secret room.
Inside the shop, Hai Bodong was waiting, his tea already finished, a slightly absent-minded look in his eyes, filled with concern.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Hai Bodong turned, his eyes looking in that direction involuntarily.
"You made a breakthrough?" Sensing Lu Yunxiao's significantly enhanced aura, Hai Bodong squinted, softly inquiring.
"Yeah, the breakthrough went smoothly, and I directly advanced to a four-star Dou Zhe," Lu Yunxiao said with a smile.
"Accumulation brings success." Hai Bodong sighed, gazing at the sharpness emanating from Lu Yunxiao, a glint in his eyes.
"From the looks of it, you should possess metal-attributed Dou Qi. People with this kind of Dou Qi are rare, so it's hard to find metal-attributed techniques. But you're lucky; I happen to have a set of Intermediate Xuan Rank metal-attributed technique called 'Yuan Geng Sword Art.' I obtained it by chance a long time ago, and I'll give it to you at a low price, kid," Hai Bodong said, a scroll emitting a faint golden light appearing in his hand.
"The 'Yuan Geng Sword Art' comes with a set of sword techniques, also Intermediate Xuan Rank. Together, their value surpasses even that of higher-ranked techniques. Take it, brat," Hai Bodong handed the golden scroll to Lu Yunxiao.
Holding the soft-textured scroll, Lu Yunxiao's eyes shimmered, feeling a hint of gratitude. Although he might not use the Qi Gathering powder and the 'Yuan Geng Sword Art,' he genuinely felt Hai Bodong's care.
Moreover, the accompanying technique was worth several tens of thousands of gold coins, a sum not insignificant to Hai Bodong. Once, after months of hard work hunting nearly two hundred Tier 1 magical beasts, he only managed to sell their cores for a little over sixty thousand gold coins. Earning money wasn't easy.
Despite having the 'Elemental Scriptures,' Lu Yunxiao didn't refuse. After all, this was Hai Bodong's heartfelt gesture that he couldn't disregard. However, he etched Hai Bodong's kindness deep into his heart.
Seeing Lu Yunxiao's slightly moved expression, Hai Bodong cleared his throat. "Put away the technique now. It's getting dark, time to prepare dinner. I'm starving; your breakthrough took the whole afternoon."
Hearing this, Lu Yunxiao glanced outside; indeed, the sky was gradually darkening. His breakthrough as a Dou Zhe, unsealing his physique, and practicing the technique had taken quite some time.
"Alright, you wait here; I'll prepare dinner," Lu Yunxiao said softly, stowing the scroll into his storage ring.
"Go ahead!" Hai Bodong waved, displaying impatience.
Lu Yunxiao smiled faintly, shook his head slightly, turned, and began preparing dinner.
---
The next day, early morning!
The fiery sun hung high in the sky, casting brilliant rays upon the earth.
Lu Yunxiao, clad in white, held the Rainbow Sword, heading towards the direction of the Tagore Great Desert.
The morning desert carried a slight chill; a breeze offered a refreshing sensation.
This was a rare pleasant time in the desert. Past mid-morning, temperatures would soar, reaching extreme levels.
This explained Lu Yunxiao's white attire—not just his preference for simplicity but also to reflect sunlight, minimizing heat.
His grey boots creaked over the desert sand. Lu Yunxiao remained calm, following his past tracks, venturing deeper into the desert.
This time, it was his self-imposed trial; he aimed to spend a month or two in the desert.
Previously, the longest he stayed in the desert was a week. Now, with increased strength, his trials needed to match.
His storage ring stored enough fresh water and food. With these, he embarked on this trial with confidence.
As Lu Yunxiao advanced deeper into the desert, the sun shifted, and the air temperature rose.
"Hiss!" A faint sound reached Lu Yunxiao's ears as he walked. His steps abruptly halted.
His eyes slightly widened, and a gleam of vigilance appeared in Lu Yunxiao's eyes. He stomped his right foot, sand scattered, and his Rainbow Sword swiftly unsheathed, emitting a cold light. A sharp sword aura flashed.
"Splurt!" The sword energy pierced through. A black-armored, scorpion-tailed Tier 1 Desert Scorpion, a meter away to Lu Yunxiao's right, split into two halves, its body dropping with a light thud.
Green blood oozed, seeping into the sand.
This creature, a Desert Scorpion, possessed strong venom. If an unfortunate Dou Zhe was hit and not treated promptly, it could prove fatal.
But for Lu Yunxiao, this level of threat was easily handled. His wealth of experience, coupled with exceptional spiritual power and newfound sensory abilities, allowed him to detect the Desert Scorpion's movements easily.
"It seems there's no core." Lu Yunxiao glanced briefly and retracted his gaze.
A core was the crystallized essence of a magical beast's power. Higher-tier magical beasts usually had cores, but it wasn't a certainty among lower tiers. Sometimes, acquiring a core was just a matter of luck.
Clearly, luck wasn't on Lu Yunxiao's side this time.
Shaking his head lightly, Lu Yunxiao sheathed the Rainbow Sword. This famous sword left no trace of blood after slaying the Desert Scorpion, a feat his original steel sword couldn't match.
"Advancing to Dou Zhe indeed increased my strength significantly. Killing a Tier 1 early-stage Desert Scorpion with one strike is just a small test; it can't gauge my true power. I need to continue forward," Lu Yunxiao thought, sword still in hand, resuming his journey.
The desert teemed with magical beasts, most adept at hiding. Hence, Lu Yunxiao proceeded cautiously.
The system was closed by Lu Yunxiao as he stood up.
Stretching lazily, he moved his feet towards the exit of the secret room.
Inside the shop, Hai Bodong was waiting, his tea already finished, a slightly absent-minded look in his eyes, filled with concern.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Hai Bodong turned, his eyes looking in that direction involuntarily.
"You made a breakthrough?" Sensing Lu Yunxiao's significantly enhanced aura, Hai Bodong squinted, softly inquiring.
"Yeah, the breakthrough went smoothly, and I directly advanced to a four-star Dou Zhe," Lu Yunxiao said with a smile.
"Accumulation brings success." Hai Bodong sighed, gazing at the sharpness emanating from Lu Yunxiao, a glint in his eyes.
"From the looks of it, you should possess metal-attributed Dou Qi. People with this kind of Dou Qi are rare, so it's hard to find metal-attributed techniques. But you're lucky; I happen to have a set of Intermediate Xuan Rank metal-attributed technique called 'Yuan Geng Sword Art.' I obtained it by chance a long time ago, and I'll give it to you at a low price, kid," Hai Bodong said, a scroll emitting a faint golden light appearing in his hand.
"The 'Yuan Geng Sword Art' comes with a set of sword techniques, also Intermediate Xuan Rank. Together, their value surpasses even that of higher-ranked techniques. Take it, brat," Hai Bodong handed the golden scroll to Lu Yunxiao.
Holding the soft-textured scroll, Lu Yunxiao's eyes shimmered, feeling a hint of gratitude. Although he might not use the Qi Gathering powder and the 'Yuan Geng Sword Art,' he genuinely felt Hai Bodong's care.
Moreover, the accompanying technique was worth several tens of thousands of gold coins, a sum not insignificant to Hai Bodong. Once, after months of hard work hunting nearly two hundred Tier 1 magical beasts, he only managed to sell their cores for a little over sixty thousand gold coins. Earning money wasn't easy.
Despite having the 'Elemental Scriptures,' Lu Yunxiao didn't refuse. After all, this was Hai Bodong's heartfelt gesture that he couldn't disregard. However, he etched Hai Bodong's kindness deep into his heart.
Seeing Lu Yunxiao's slightly moved expression, Hai Bodong cleared his throat. "Put away the technique now. It's getting dark, time to prepare dinner. I'm starving; your breakthrough took the whole afternoon."
Hearing this, Lu Yunxiao glanced outside; indeed, the sky was gradually darkening. His breakthrough as a Dou Zhe, unsealing his physique, and practicing the technique had taken quite some time.
"Alright, you wait here; I'll prepare dinner," Lu Yunxiao said softly, stowing the scroll into his storage ring.
"Go ahead!" Hai Bodong waved, displaying impatience.
Lu Yunxiao smiled faintly, shook his head slightly, turned, and began preparing dinner.
---
The next day, early morning!
The fiery sun hung high in the sky, casting brilliant rays upon the earth.
Lu Yunxiao, clad in white, held the Rainbow Sword, heading towards the direction of the Tagore Great Desert.
The morning desert carried a slight chill; a breeze offered a refreshing sensation.
This was a rare pleasant time in the desert. Past mid-morning, temperatures would soar, reaching extreme levels.
This explained Lu Yunxiao's white attire—not just his preference for simplicity but also to reflect sunlight, minimizing heat.
His grey boots creaked over the desert sand. Lu Yunxiao remained calm, following his past tracks, venturing deeper into the desert.
This time, it was his self-imposed trial; he aimed to spend a month or two in the desert.
Previously, the longest he stayed in the desert was a week. Now, with increased strength, his trials needed to match.
His storage ring stored enough fresh water and food. With these, he embarked on this trial with confidence.
As Lu Yunxiao advanced deeper into the desert, the sun shifted, and the air temperature rose.
"Hiss!" A faint sound reached Lu Yunxiao's ears as he walked. His steps abruptly halted.
His eyes slightly widened, and a gleam of vigilance appeared in Lu Yunxiao's eyes. He stomped his right foot, sand scattered, and his Rainbow Sword swiftly unsheathed, emitting a cold light. A sharp sword aura flashed.
"Splurt!" The sword energy pierced through. A black-armored, scorpion-tailed Tier 1 Desert Scorpion, a meter away to Lu Yunxiao's right, split into two halves, its body dropping with a light thud.
Green blood oozed, seeping into the sand.
This creature, a Desert Scorpion, possessed strong venom. If an unfortunate Dou Zhe was hit and not treated promptly, it could prove fatal.
But for Lu Yunxiao, this level of threat was easily handled. His wealth of experience, coupled with exceptional spiritual power and newfound sensory abilities, allowed him to detect the Desert Scorpion's movements easily.
"It seems there's no core." Lu Yunxiao glanced briefly and retracted his gaze.
A core was the crystallized essence of a magical beast's power. Higher-tier magical beasts usually had cores, but it wasn't a certainty among lower tiers. Sometimes, acquiring a core was just a matter of luck.
Clearly, luck wasn't on Lu Yunxiao's side this time.
Shaking his head lightly, Lu Yunxiao sheathed the Rainbow Sword. This famous sword left no trace of blood after slaying the Desert Scorpion, a feat his original steel sword couldn't match.
"Advancing to Dou Zhe indeed increased my strength significantly. Killing a Tier 1 early-stage Desert Scorpion with one strike is just a small test; it can't gauge my true power. I need to continue forward," Lu Yunxiao thought, sword still in hand, resuming his journey.
The desert teemed with magical beasts, most adept at hiding. Hence, Lu Yunxiao proceeded cautiously.
