A Reward: The Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword!

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than three months had passed.

During this time, Xiao Tian had checked in at various locations throughout Wutan City every day, earning quite a few rewards.

Unfortunately, aside from the Earth-tier Low-grade Dou Technique—Mountain Collapse Earth Split Slash—that he had obtained from the black iron fragment earlier, he hadn't received another high-tier Dou Technique. It seemed that only by checking in in more prosperous regions could he earn more generous rewards.

Fortunately, though, his check-ins over the past three months had rewarded him with many third- and fourth-grade pills, such as thirty-six Three-pattern Green Spirit Pills and one hundred and twenty Resurrection Pills. He had also received some Profound-tier Dou Techniques and even a few Profound-tier cultivation methods.

That day, the sun hung low in the sky. Dusk had fallen.

On a towering mountain peak in Qingshan Town, Xiao Tian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

The mountains and forests were quiet and still, the trees lush and dense. Occasionally, the roar of a beast rang through the air.

"System, check in at the back mountain of Qingshan Town!"

Xiao Tian's calm voice sounded in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, host! Check-in successful. Reward: Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique—Spiritual Rhinoceros Finger]

[Automatically comprehended]

The Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique, Spiritual Rhinoceros Finger, could transform Dou Qi into a gleaming finger attack, gathering it into a sword-like finger to strike an enemy. Its power was terrifying. Once mastered, a single finger could split mountains and rivers and shatter peaks—an extraordinarily powerful technique.

Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes slightly. This Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique was quite good. For someone like him, who possessed a vast amount of Dou Qi, it was practically tailor-made.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, host! You have checked in one hundred times in total. Additional reward: Top-grade Weapon—Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword]

Just as Xiao Tian was delighting in what he had gained, another voice suddenly rang out in his mind.

The unexpected development made Xiao Tian freeze. He clearly hadn't expected the system to have cumulative check-in rewards as well.

As the voice faded, an ancient-looking greatsword appeared, floating before Xiao Tian. The unusual weapon was pitch-black from end to end, its blade covered in engraved patterns. A desolate, ancient aura spread from it, carrying the heavy feeling of countless years.

"So this is the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword?"

Xiao Tian murmured to himself as he examined the greatsword before him. It radiated an ancient, weathered aura, as though it had existed for ages.

Not only that, but faintly visible across its ancient, weathered blade were countless sword marks. Those marks were profound and mysterious, as if they contained some indescribable meaning. Seven strange stars were also carved into the blade.

[This sword is a growth-type weapon. It can gradually grow stronger through the passage of time. Once all seven stars on the blade light up, its quality will advance to an entirely new level, and it will possess power capable of shaking heaven and earth.]

The system's indifferent voice sounded again.

Hearing the system's matter-of-fact explanation, Xiao Tian's face lit up with delight. He hadn't expected the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword to be a growth-type weapon. If the system was telling the truth, its value would be immeasurable.

At once, Xiao Tian eagerly grabbed the hilt, ready to try the sword out. But the moment his hand touched the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The greatsword weighed nearly one hundred thousand pounds!

One hundred thousand pounds—what did that even mean?

An ordinary person couldn't hope to wield it in battle. They would struggle just to move it even a fraction.

But to Xiao Tian, that weight was nothing.

Without another word, Dou Qi surged from Xiao Tian's body and poured into the greatsword. In an instant, the once-dull, pitch-black blade burst into brilliant light.

A boundless, overwhelming aura spread from within the dark greatsword.

In just a moment, Xiao Tian felt as though he had become one with the weapon. With a thought, the greatsword seemed to become an extension of his body, responding to his every movement with effortless ease.

Xiao Tian's mind stirred, and he immediately tried swinging the sword toward the Monster Beast Mountain Range. In an instant, a massive sword beam shot out, covering several thousand zhang in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

Carrying terrifying force that swept everything away before it, the enormous sword beam pierced straight through the mist on the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range, carving out a ravine hundreds of zhang wide.

Whoosh—!

Almost as soon as Xiao Tian's sword beam tore through the ravine, sharp, piercing cries suddenly rang through the forest. Fierce, low-tier magical beasts fled in panic in every direction, making for a magnificent sight.

At the very moment the enormous sword beam entered the Monster Beast Mountain Range, seven or eight fierce-looking men wearing uniforms emblazoned with wolf-head insignias stood in a clearing some distance away. Their faces were filled with shock.

"Commander Mu She, something seems to have happened on the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Could a high-tier magical beast have appeared?" The Second Commander, Gan Mu, stared at the enormous ravine among the trees, his face grave as he asked in a low voice.

At this, a grim, vicious look crossed Mu She's face. Some damn high-tier magical beast? He didn't care about that at all. What he cared about was who had wiped out the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's squad!

And their employer, Gale Nu, had been murdered by the assailant too. The news had left Mu She furious and stunned. He couldn't imagine which bastard had been bold enough to provoke the Wolf Head Mercenary Group!

Three months ago, the Gale Family had approached the Wolf Head Mercenary Group to escort a shipment of medicinal herbs. As one of the three great mercenary groups in Qingshan Town, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group could hardly have asked for a better opportunity to build ties with the Gale Family and earn a hefty commission.

So Mu She had sent out most of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's members to escort the herbs alongside Gale Nu, the Gale Family's Second Elder.

But he hadn't expected that every one of those members—and even Gale Nu—would be ambushed and killed. Their belongings had all been looted, too. The Wolf Head Mercenary Group had suffered a devastating loss!

"Heh, heh, heh! Commander, we've got news!"

Just then, a man suddenly emerged from the dense forest and hurried over to Mu She, calling out excitedly.

"Ugart, what's going on? Spit it out!" Mu She asked with a frown.

The dark-skinned man took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing, then said with a silly grin:

"Commander, I caught a pretty woman. All the belongings taken from our dead brothers, along with old Gale Nu's herbs, were sold off on the black market through her. As for who gave them to her, she won't say a word!"

"A pretty woman?" Mu She narrowed his eyes at that. After pondering for a long while, he barked, "Bring her here!"

Before long, two mercenaries came forward, escorting a delicate, alluring woman toward Mu She.

When the woman raised her head, Mu She's face stiffened, and the corners of his mouth twitched...

"Ugart, you've really screwed up!"

The moment Mu She recognized the woman, his face turned green. He glared at Ugart through gritted teeth, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

The alluring, breathtaking woman before them was none other than Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Mittel Auction House.