Chapter 307: Four-star Reward
“Are you talking about those martial skills in the martial arts hall that you redeem with points?” Xing Kuang looked surprised.
Because of the extremely realistic virtual engine of High Martial Arts Descend, he had always thought the martial skills in the martial arts hall were just fancy moves, or the same fighting techniques taught in reality, and that learning them was just a waste of points.
The members of their corps had long since mastered a large number of real-world combat techniques, were more used to fighting planetary monsters, and had no need to learn them at all.
“Yeah, redeeming Crushing Stone Fist and Leopard Shadow Steps is very cheap. You just need to mine for one day to redeem them all. If you join the garrison, the garrison even provides them for free.” Han Xiong nodded, speaking with some longing. “Unfortunately our team’s strength and talent are not good enough. No garrison is willing to take us. Right now we can only rent weapons, hunt monsters and do tasks outside, slowly accumulating contribution to redeem Lightning Palm.”
“With your talent, you still can’t get into those garrisons?” Xing Kuang looked at Han Xiong and the others in astonishment.
From the recent battle, he was personally almost certain Han Xiong and the others had high talent, at least extremely fast reaction speed in combat. They could even accurately predict the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros’ attacks and respond well. Talents like that were one in ten thousand in a corps. It was hard to imagine that those in-game garrisons would refuse to accept them.
If it were his corps, they would welcome them with the highest courtesy.
“Now if you want to join those garrisons, each one has different requirements, but all demand Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique reach at least 40 percent entry-level, otherwise they do not accept you at all. We’ve been playing High Martial Arts Descend for a while, but Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique not only costs money, it is also very hard to improve. Up to now we have only reached just over 30 percent entry-level, still quite a bit short.”
Han Xiong looked at the seemingly clueless Xing Kuang and suggested, “Big brother, you look like a newcomer. If newcomers want to grow quickly, the fastest way is to do mining work. In about one day, you can redeem the basic martial skills and Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique. After cultivating for a few days, your level and martial skills will be about there. Then rent some grade B alloy weapons to hunt monsters. Only then is there a chance to kill those low-level monsters. But low-level monsters are not as easy to find as in the early stage of the game. Now many are intermediate level or above. If you are not careful, you lose everything and can only go mine to pay off the debt.”
When Han Xiong said this, some bitterness appeared on his face.
Their six-person team was a group of college students who loved fighting. They had finally been selected to enter the game, but had not earned a single cent. Instead, they had spent an unknown amount on upgrading their strength.
Sometimes when hunting in the wilderness, with bad luck they kept running into intermediate-level and above group monsters and got wiped out several times. They even lost several rented grade B weapons. If not for taking down this Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros today, they would have had to sell themselves to mine. This game was really not easy to play.
“So in the end the first step is still to go to the town to mine?” Xing Kuang could not help a headache.
After learning how powerful the martial arts hall’s skills were, he wanted nothing more than to study them 24 hours a day, but without points he could not redeem them. And if he went mining, that would waste a large amount of time.
Of course, he could apply to the young master for funds and purchase points from within the game. That was fine for him alone, but they had so many people in the corps. The funds needed would be terrifying. Even if the young master agreed, the consortium’s senior officials would not.
“You don’t necessarily have to mine in town.” Han Xiong shook his head, speaking with envy. “Some lucky people can run into metal ore veins while exploring the wilderness. Very lucky ones can even find abandoned energy veins. Although the energy ore in those veins is almost exhausted and hard to mine, if you can dig some out and redeem it for weapons, you will earn far more than mining energy ore for the martial arts hall.”
“I’ve heard of several people who quietly made a fortune this way. Now they already have their own private residences in Chiyue Town and go to the First Floor of the Cultivation Tower to cultivate from time to time. Their lives are basically like that of immortals.”
As Han Xiong spoke, the other five companions who were about to carry the Crocodile Fang Rhinoceros also showed envy.
In High Martial Arts Descend, if you want a good life, you either have outstanding talent or heaven-defying luck. Otherwise, you can only work hard every day to earn points and contribution, leaving little time for cultivation.
“There are ore veins to mine in the wilderness too?” Xing Kuang’s eyes lit up.
When their starry sky mecha corps went to that planet, besides fighting monsters, they also had a lot of terrain survey missions. So there were quite a few terrain survey experts in their corps.
If High Martial Arts Descend’s simulation was as realistic as reality, then their corps could completely mine in the wilderness to make big money.
“Little brother, how about you all join our team?” Xing Kuang looked at Han Xiong and said very seriously, “Our team only entered this game today, but we have many people, not much weaker than those garrisons. If you join our team, I can pay you a salary. Besides a base of fifty thousand a month, you get a cut from each operation. How about that?”
“Fifty thousand a month? And a cut? Can we? Our level is only advanced apprentice.” Han Xiong was shocked.
Now that High Martial Arts Descend’s population had exploded, all kinds of activities were more frequent, and there were more ways to earn points, so the overall price of points had dropped a bit, but was still about three points per credit. This price was similar to many popular games.
Studios for those popular games hired veteran players for only twenty to thirty thousand plus a cut. Xing Kuang now offering fifty thousand plus a cut was very generous. It was good enough to recruit players whose levels had already reached martial artist.
“Of course you can.” Xing Kuang nodded. “I hope you can protect some people in the wilderness. I believe with your strength it should be enough.”
When the other five heard this, they were delighted. They had not expected such a good opportunity and hurriedly urged Han Xiong to agree. Fifty thousand a month was enough for their daily expenses in High Martial Arts Descend without having to sell points. They could use points to purchase various cultivation resources and speed up their improvement.
“Alright! Unless our team is completely wiped out, those people will never come to harm.” Han Xiong patted his chest in guarantee.
Xing Kuang then followed Han Xiong and the others back to Chiyue Town, signed an electronic contract with them offline, and immediately had the resurrected survey experts in the team survey the terrain around Chiyue Town. In addition, Xing Kuang spent several million purchasing ten million points from other players, allowing everyone in the team to obtain basic martial skills and a copy of Stellar Explosion Meditation Technique, then learn like crazy in the martial arts hall. They were determined to raise their strength before discovering ore veins.
The appearance of large numbers of players in the martial arts hall and their frenzied cultivation also put a lot of pressure on many disciples who had finally joined the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall Guard Corps.
“So this is the daily cultivation of the martial arts hall’s grey-robed disciples?”
Xiong Yuedie looked at the players cultivating in the hall. As they trained, they started coughing blood, yet even then they refused to use healing potions, forcibly continuing cultivation, letting their injuries worsen until they died. The scene was jaw-dropping and shocking.
Anyone who stepped on the path of a martial artist had grown up training hard. Not cultivating eighteen hours a day did not count as being a martial artist. But she had never seen martial artists cultivate themselves to death. This level of madness for cultivation made people like her feel ashamed.
“More or less,” Qin Mu, their guide, nodded and sighed. “Previously the martial arts hall’s grey-robed disciples were not so desperate, but today many new grey-robed disciples were added, so these people are pushing themselves. You just joined the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall Guard Corps. There is no need to imitate them. You only need to surpass the disciples of the other guard corps.”
“Surpass the disciples of the other guard corps?” Xiong Yuedie was slightly surprised. “Are there many Bone Forging Realm martial artists in the martial arts hall’s guard corps now?”
She had now stepped into intermediate level of the Bone Forging Realm and already had the qualifications to apply to the Domain City. But under Wu Zhuoqun’s persuasion, she chose to join the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. After all, after the battle of Chiyue Town, Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had become recognized as one of the top three in the Wushan Region. It could cultivate Blood Condensation Realm masters and was a human race faction. As a member of the human race, she naturally wanted to develop in the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
Obsidian Martial Arts Hall had only recently become famous. It was hard to imagine strong competition within its guard corps.
“There are not many Bone Forging Realm martial artists,” Qin Mu shook his head and said with emotion, “but there are a few genius martial artists. They have already learned Supernatural Level martial skills, and their strength is not weaker than beginner level of the Bone Forging Realm.”
“Joining the guard corps lets you directly learn Supernatural Level martial skills?” Xiong Yuedie’s eyes showed a trace of excitement.
Supernatural Level martial skills.
The entire human race in the City of Light Chasing did not have such skills. Even the powerful races might not possess them. Only the City Lord’s side was clearly known to have Supernatural Level martial skills, and the City Lord never taught them to other races. After all, once a Bone Forging Realm martial artist learned Supernatural Level martial skills, they would be at Vice City Lord level, and naturally no one wanted outsiders to be Vice City Lords and take more resources from the city.
As for applying to the Domain City, you could learn them there, but only after doing many things for the Domain City.
“Not just Supernatural Level martial skills,” Qin Mu said proudly. “As a disciple of the martial arts hall guard corps, you can also directly learn Sequence Extraordinary Level martial skills, which, according to the Hall Master, are high-class Super-Class martial skills. There are also Extreme Super-Class martial skills, which are even stronger than high-class Super-Class martial skills. Learning these skills requires spending Martial Arts Hall Contribution to seek instruction from those grey-robed disciples.”
“As for the Limitless Level martial skills coveted by all the major powers, the top five in each monthly competition of the martial arts hall guard corps can receive personal teaching from the Hall Master. Even ordinary core disciples do not get that treatment.”
“Top five in the competition?” Xiong Yuedie’s fighting spirit ignited.
She had never expected Obsidian Martial Arts Hall to be so generous, willing to teach even the legendary Limitless Level martial skills so easily. If she could learn them, she might surpass even those super geniuses cultivated by the Domain City.
Soon, led by Qin Mu, Xiong Yuedie arrived at the Beginner Meditation Room on the Third Floor. The moment she stepped in, her mind felt clear, and she could not help but be amazed.
Inside the meditation room, Lin Qi was teaching simplified versions of mental secret techniques and energy secret techniques to the newly joined guard corps disciples, along with three super-level Bone Forging Realm cultivation methods. They could choose one to learn. These were compulsory secret techniques and cultivation methods for all selected guard corps disciples.
Moreover, because the teaching used metal plates, the content was inexpressible in words and could only be comprehended. Even those who learned it could not pass it on. As for the super-tier cultivation methods, they only went up to the Bone Forging Realm. Even if fully learned and leaked, practitioners could only reach the Bone Forging Realm. Furthermore, super-tier cultivation methods were extremely difficult to learn and required the martial arts hall’s functional buildings for support. Otherwise, even super geniuses would find them hard to master.
By the time Xiong Yuedie finished learning two secret techniques and one cultivation method, she was shocked by their content. She had never thought such heaven-defying secret techniques existed in this world, allowing someone to break past potential limits in a short time and assault bottlenecks more effectively. The cultivation method could even break the limits of physical fitness. Within the same realm, it was practically invincible.
Xiong Yuedie even felt that as long as she learned these two secret techniques, with enough resources, she could soon break through to advanced level of the Bone Forging Realm.
“Finally, all matters concerning the martial arts hall guard corps are settled. Once we find a new stronghold, these disciples should be useful,” Lin Qi said, stretching as he looked at the people leaving the meditation room. He then turned his gaze to the system, which had only recently leveled up. “Next is to fuse the cultivation methods.”
System: Forty-two cultivation methods detected. Begin fusion and optimization of existing cultivation methods now? （Tip: the higher the player administrator permissions, the better the fusion and optimization effect for the cultivation methods.）
“Fuse!” Lin Qi did not hesitate at all.
Level four administrator permissions were not something he could obtain in the short term. Over the past two days, with cultivation on the Third Floor of the Cultivation Tower and the aid of large quantities of Type Three Energy Potions, he had broken through from intermediate level limit of the Bone Forging Realm to advanced level of the Bone Forging Realm.
Although there was still a considerable gap between advanced level of the Bone Forging Realm and the body’s limit, and the time required to temper all bones increased the further he progressed, letting players learn the new cultivation method sooner would raise his own proficiency. When he broke through realms later, his foundation would be all the stronger.
System: Fusing, please wait.
System: Cultivation method fusion progress 1%.
……
……
……
System: Cultivation method fusion progress 2%.
……
“Is fusion this slow this time?”
Seeing the progress bar for fusion and optimization move up by only 1 percent after more than ten minutes, Lin Qi gave up watching it and turned his gaze to the martial arts hall’s advanced roulette wheel.
“This time I saved up to one million disciples. Even if it’s one draw per three thousand people, I should get something decent,” Lin Qi muttered, converting over six hundred thousand disciples’ worth of accumulation into draws.
First ten consecutive draws.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Large Sausage.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
……
Second ten consecutive draws.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Large Sausage.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
……
After a full hundred draws, Lin Qi was stunned. Three hundred thousand disciples spent for a pile of bananas and sausages. It was even stingier than the normal roulette.
“Last ten draws! If nothing drops, I’m done!”
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Large Sausage.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Large Sausage.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
……
“Last ten draws! If nothing drops this time, I’m done!”
……
“Last, last ten draws! Whatever!”
Staring at the huge roulette wheel in his mind, Lin Qi felt cheated by the system. In one hundred and sixty draws, only one three-star reward appeared, and it was a stick. Even the dual attributes did not change, just its appearance was a tiny bit better than the club. It was useless to him.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Big Banana.
……
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a four-star reward: one seed.
System: Congratulations, host has obtained a two-star reward: one Large Sausage.
……
“Purple quality?”
Looking at the purple area pointed to by the advanced roulette, Lin Qi took a deep breath. The 9 percent drop rate had not made him lose too much. He immediately opened it to see what it was.
Seed of Life: can naturally grow through irrigation with Life Essence. The richer the Life Essence used for irrigation, the faster it grows. It can eventually grow into a Tree of Life. The Tree of Life can absorb Life Essence to bear the Fruit of Life. Eating the Fruit of Life can regrow severed limbs and quickly heal all injuries. The richer the absorbed Life Essence, the better the effect of the Fruit of Life.
“Tree of Life?” Lin Qi looked at the pale green seed the size of a fist in his hand, unable to hide his surprise. A four-star reward could actually produce such a divine item.
Although this high martial arts world could manufacture healing potions, they were not omnipotent and could not regrow severed limbs. For many martial artists, that was the most desired effect. Yet even Type Four healing potions could not regrow limbs.
As long as martial artists fought, whether against people or monsters, injuries were inevitable. In the major cities, disabled martial artists were everywhere. With prosthetic bodies, they could still maintain some combat power but had little room for further improvement. Even Blood Condensation Realm martial artists were no exception, since they too could not regrow severed limbs.
To martial artists, the Tree of Life was nothing less than a divine item. Selling the Fruit of Life would fetch a sky-high price. Trading them to disabled Blood Condensation Realm experts for Energy Blood Essence would be no problem at all.
“Growing it requires Life Essence. I wonder if monster blood will work.” With that thought, Lin Qi took the seed to the depths beneath Crimson Moon Mountain, planning to test it with monster blood.
Meanwhile, in a bar of the Red Moon Merchant Guild in the City of Light Chasing.
“I heard you were looking for me?”
“What does your Obsidian Martial Arts Hall want?”
An elderly Blood Pattern Clan man with graying hair and blood-red lines across his skin sat on the sofa, quietly watching Wu Zhuoqun. Behind him stood four Blood Pattern Clan men whose strength had reached the advanced level limit of the Bone Forging Realm. Their qi and blood were terrifyingly strong, far beyond ordinary Bone Forging Realm advanced level limit martial artists.
“I am Wu Zhuoqun. I heard that your merchant guild previously purchased a metal plate from the White Feather Gang Leader Isaac.” Wu Zhuoqun looked at the old man and said calmly, “Our martial arts hall wants to buy it.”
“You want to buy that metal plate with the secret technique?” The Blood Pattern Clan elder narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling. “Of course you can. But you should know our Red Moon Merchant Guild’s rules. Something so precious will not be cheap.”
“Of course. To buy, we must pay ten times the price. Isaac sold it for five thousand. We are willing to offer fifty thousand energy crystals.” Wu Zhuoqun relaxed slightly. As long as Red Moon Merchant Guild was willing to sell, it was fine. Obsidian Martial Arts Hall now had some foundation.
“No, no, no. That is the rule for ordinary items. This one is special and should be quite valuable to your Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. Otherwise you would not come specially to buy it.” The Blood Pattern Clan elder stroked his beard and smiled lightly. “One hundred guard robots and one complete Limitless Level martial skill. I believe this is not difficult for Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. After all, there is only this one metal plate, and it cannot be copied.”
“Isn’t that price too high? That is far more than a thousand times.” Wu Zhuoqun’s face darkened.
Such a price was beyond merely opening like a lion’s mouth; it was like a giant whale swallowing the sky. Especially a Limitless Level martial skill, which was the very foundation of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“Then I won’t see you out.” The Blood Pattern Clan elder was completely unconcerned and smiled. “But next time you want to buy, it will not be so cheap. And in a few days, I plan to send the metal plate to headquarters. You had best decide within these two days.”
