“Starting from when Bro was still very young, Bro began roaming the Lost Continent, and from then on, Bro’s whole life was spent on the journey of walking every corner of it. Gradually, the martial world began to have legends of Bro. Back then Bro was handsome and dashing, elegant as a jade tree in the wind, gallant and debonair — like a prince come down from the heavens — and was called the foremost handsome man of the Lost Continent. Add to that peerless martial skill, and wherever Bro went he’d be held in seven parts awe, ten parts envy, and a hundred parts jealousy. Even the emperor of the City of the Lost personally came out to try and win me over, and the eldest princess of the City of the Lost could hardly wait to throw herself into my arms — but Bro turned them all down, because that wasn’t what Bro wanted. What Bro yearned for was a freedom that belonged to himself.”
Looking at Yuan Que’s body like a stick of dry kindling and that old face not even the equal of tree bark, Ye Tianxie’s stomach couldn’t help churning and heaving. He began to waver over whether he should keep standing here listening to the man go on.
Yuan Que shot a glance at Ye Tianxie’s expression, and a heavy resignation showed on his old face. “The dashing charm Bro had back in the day is something a kid like you wouldn’t understand. Forget it, best not to bring it up. Back then, because of a promise, Bro stayed here, and can never leave this place. But the world-shaking treasures Bro obtained through a thousand hardships and ten thousand perils while roaming the continent, Bro has always kept on him… Yet as the days went by one after another, Bro too is half in the grave now. Bro doesn’t want these world-shaking treasures — won at the risk of his life back then — to fade into silence just like Bro, and Bro isn’t willing to just hand them off to any old person either. So Bro has been waiting for someone to appear who could obtain the Hero’s Badge by their own ability… And now, you’ve appeared. Bro can finally bring out these world-shaking treasures.”
World-shaking treasures… Thinking of the old man’s earlier self-glorification, the kind not even a fool would believe, Ye Tianxie’s interest in these so-called “world-shaking treasures” amounted to only the faintest sliver…
A box, ancient in style yet neat and distinctive, was taken out by Yuan Que and set before Ye Tianxie, then unhurriedly opened. His face full of reluctance and heartache, he said, “Kid, take a good look. Let Bro know what you want to buy. It’s because you have the Hero’s Badge that Bro is willing to bring out these treasures — more precious to him than his own life — and sell them to you, and all at a full nine-point-nine-six discount.”
Ye Tianxie glanced at the so-called “world-shaking treasures” in the box — but the moment he made out the attributes of the very first item, his whole body shuddered, and he couldn’t help rubbing his eyes with his hand…
An illusion! An illusion… it had to be an illusion!
How could such a heaven-defying thing possibly exist!
But his eyes, his sense of touch, told him this truly wasn’t an illusion… Ye Tianxie’s earlier expression had vanished without a trace. His gaze lingered over the things inside one by one, the look on his face growing more and more extravagant. His gaping mouth stayed open, unable to close for the longest time.
Scattered messily in the box were some brightly colored things — bottles, beads, even a green, grass-root-like thing… but any one of them was worthy of the words “heaven-defying.”
Heavenly Sky Fruit — Grows upon the Heavenly Sky Tree in the Inferno of Lava in the south of the Lost Continent; one fruit is born every hundred years. Within the fruit is held a scorching power like lava, able to burn away a living being’s potential and raise its strength. Yuan Que plucked ten of them in all from the Heavenly Sky Tree. Each, once consumed, permanently increases the Strength attribute by 10 points; effects can stack. Price per fruit: 200,000 gold.
Fairy’s Tear — The first tear shed by a fairy after its birth, holding the purest, most flawless magic power in all of nature. Yuan Que obtained ten drops in all. Each, once consumed, permanently increases the Spirit attribute by 10 points; effects can stack. Price per drop: 300,000 gold.
Water of Life — From the Spring of Life on the Heavenly Sacred Mountain. Back then Yuan Que braved death — at the risk of being slain by the guardian beast — to obtain five drops of the Spring of Life’s water; one drop he consumed himself, and the remaining four he has treasured as his own life. Each drop, once consumed, increases HP by 1,000; repeated use does not stack. Price per drop: 1,000,000 gold.
Wind-Chasing Grass — The smallest and lightest plant in all of the Lost Continent’s nature, no bigger than a needle’s tip. Once grown, it drifts away on the wind, yet loses its vitality in the wind, making it exceedingly hard to catch. Every tiny stalk of Wind-Chasing Grass holds within it a pure, nimble power. Yuan Que managed by every means to obtain ten stalks, sealed and preserved in the Water of Life. Each, once consumed, permanently increases Agility by 10 points, Movement Speed by 5, and Jump Power by 0.1. Effects can stack. Price per stalk: 500,000 gold.
Leaf of Luck — A marvelous leaf with three colors. It doesn’t grow on any particular plant, but may appear in any place, on any plant. Legend says that whoever can see such a leaf will receive good fortune. Yuan Que came into possession of ten Leaves of Luck in all. Each, once eaten, permanently increases Luck by 1 point. Effects can stack. Price: 100,000 gold.
Flower of Grace — A strange flower with seven-colored petals. Legend says that so long as one eats this flower’s petals, one’s every movement and gesture will give off an attractiveness that draws people near. Yuan Que has ten blooms in all. Each, once eaten, permanently increases Charm by 1 point. Effects can stack. Price: 100,000 gold.
Ye Tianxie suddenly felt his mouth go dry… These things before him, each smaller than the last yet each possessing attributes more powerful than the last, shocked him nearly out of control. These… were all items that permanently increased some attribute — and most of them added not one point or two, but ten points at a go! The Water of Life increased HP by 1,000 at a single stroke! More terrifying still, apart from the Water of Life, all the other effects could stack. Eat one Heavenly Sky Fruit and gain 10 Strength; eat ten and gain 100 Strength outright!
Such heaven-defying things had appeared in a novice village!
And the prices behind these heaven-defying items rather set Ye Tianxie’s teeth grinding. For the first time, he began to resent why currency exchange hadn’t been opened right along with the game’s launch. That way, he’d have bought every last one of these things without hesitation. The price of any single one of these items was a sky-high figure in ordinary eyes — indeed, a normal person would never be willing to sink such absurd money into a game item. But for those powerhouses with vast wealth, power, and ambition, faced with heaven-defying items like these, even if the prices were ten times higher, they’d still scramble for them until heads were bloodied.
Ye Tianxie calmed his heartbeat and looked toward the corner of the case, where two relatively old items were still set.
Rust-Covered Key — A key Yuan Que discovered in the Spring of Life; while obtaining the Water of Life, he took this key along as well. It seems to be connected to some door there. Price: 10,000 gold.
A key… Something stirred in Ye Tianxie’s heart, and he looked toward the final item… It was an old short blade, its hilt only a finger’s length, its edge likewise no more than a finger’s length. The shape of the blade was an irregular, twisting curve, and the tip was a somewhat strange triangle. Its form was like a snake in mid-crawl… and a deadly venomous snake at that. The twisting blade-body was the snake’s body, and the triangular tip was this venomous snake’s triangular head.
(End of Chapter 51)