The first ten-pull gave him a golden flash, and Jiang Liu's spirits soared. Then he remembered it was the pity reward left over from last time.
Whatever. A golden flash was a good omen!
It was gold, sure—but way too damn flashy.
One more, and he'd gotten a top-grade Gold Spirit Root.
Great. Inventory Detection had been expected. Nothing to get worked up about. Just keep going.
He could use his 700 Spirit Stones, bought at 0.1% price, as if they were 70,000. Each pull cost 13 Spirit Stones, so he could pull over five thousand times—fifty hard pities!
Just a few days into the new server, who could have more money than him? Who could spend more recklessly?
Buy Spirit Stones? Even if you had the cash, you couldn't get that many!
"Keep going!"
Jiang Liu didn't care. He hammered the ten-pull button. Even when purple light appeared, he couldn't be bothered to look. Only a golden flash could make him stop for a second.
A hundred-pull pity?
Whatever. He had money to burn!
Supreme Earth Spiritual Root? Great, great, a lucky start!
Keep going.
Another hundred-pull pity?
He laughed. A few more pulls wouldn't hurt.
Oh? Supreme Water Spiritual Root. Whatever, he'd toss it in a moment.
Keep going.
Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred.
Heh.
Supreme Water Spiritual Root?
Damn it! Show me a triple if you've got the guts.
Keep going.
Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine—and a golden flash.
Did I need that one pull? Don't suck up to me. If it wasn't a hundred-pull pity, I wouldn't even look at you!
Huh?
Another Supreme Water Spiritual Root?
Not bad, not bad. Four Supreme Water Spiritual Roots now. If I could fit them all in my dantian, I could spray eight tons of water a day.
Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred.
That's right, that's more like it. Don't you dare suck up to me!
A golden flash at the hundred-pull pity—the fifth Supreme Water Spiritual Root!
Waaah, I'm sorry! I was too cocky. Please don't do this to me. It's not easy for a poor kid to scrape together some Spirit Stones.
Ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three—and a golden flash.
Flames filled the sky. Supreme Fire Spiritual Root!
Apologizing really works!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Four out of five, please, bro!
Eighty-five, eighty-six, eighty-seven—and a golden flash.
Top-grade Gold Spirit Root!
Great, the pity streak was starting at eighty pulls now. My luck was turning around.
Water Spiritual Root, Fire Spirit Root, Gold Spirit Root, Water Spiritual Root.
The hellish warehouse-check cycle had begun. Four out of five, over and over. Jiang Liu was numb from pulling.
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations, player Jiang Liu, on reaching VIP Level 2! This game couldn't run without your generous support. Keep up the good work! ]
[ Congratulations on reaching VIP Level 2! You've unlocked the convenient One-Tap Equip feature, the VIP Training Room, and the Flowing Light Effect slot. ]
"VIP Level 2?"
Jiang Liu froze at the system notification. A trace of watery light appeared in his dull, vacant eyes.
One-Tap Equip? VIP Training Room? Flowing Light Effect?
What kind of garbage was that? All he wanted was to smash through the Permanent Pool. Was that too much to ask?
I've pulled enough to reach VIP Level 2. Can't you cut me some slack?
Jiang Liu didn't even need to look to know what VIP Level 2 had unlocked. None of it could catch his interest. His mind was filled with nothing but Spirit Roots.
Keep going!
[ Ding! Your inventory is full! ]
The inventory was full?
Couldn't it automatically put things in the Universe Bag?
Jiang Liu was focused on pulling cards. He just kept pulling, and Supreme Spirit Roots just kept appearing: an endless cycle of four out of five.
His Spirit Stones flowed away like water. Nearly half of the Spirit Stones the Principal had rewarded him were gone. He'd spent tens of thousands, and finally understood one thing.
Life didn't always go smoothly.
After becoming the Parkour King, topping the level rankings, and taking first place in the Arena, he'd been riding high. Then the Permanent Pool wrecked him.
Nothing was deadlier than the developers' punishment!
Thousands of pulls, and he still couldn't smash through the Permanent Pool. The game streamer hadn't lied!
"Wood Spiritual Root, Wood Spiritual Root, Wood Spiritual Root, Wood Spiritual Root."
Jiang Liu repeated the words mechanically, as if possessed. His vacant eyes remained fixed on the summon screen.
Water Spiritual Root? Get lost.
Gold Spirit Root? Get lost.
Earth Spiritual Root? Get lost.
Fire Spirit Root? Get lost.
Wood Spiritual Root? Get lost. Dad!
"Holy crap, it came!"
When a glimmering green light appeared in his view, Jiang Liu's lifeless eyes lit up. His heart, which had sunk into the abyss, lurched into his throat. His brain buzzed, going completely blank.
It finally came! It finally came!
"You damn Supreme Wood Spiritual Root! You made me pull thousands of times! You deserve to die!"
Jiang Liu stared at the Supreme Wood Spiritual Root reflected in his eyes. His excitement was instantly smothered by a surge of anger, and he couldn't help cursing, as if he were finally venting all the frustration he'd built up.
Garbage Wood Spiritual Root!
Garbage Permanent Pool!
Now I've smashed through you. If I ever touch you again, I'm a dog!
What Supreme Spirit Roots? What magical artifacts and techniques? All garbage!
"Finally. I was about to burst."
Jiang Liu let out a long breath. He'd sweated through the pulls. After glaring viciously at the Permanent Pool, he turned away from it for good.
If he wasn't pulling on a limited-time banner, he didn't even want to open the summon screen. It was too infuriating.
He didn't care about spending Spirit Stones—he'd bought them at 0.1% price—but the warehouse-check mechanic was unbearable.
"Now I have all five elements, so I won't be limited by skills from different elements anymore. At least all that frustration wasn't for nothing."
Muttering to himself, Jiang Liu excitedly opened his inventory.
The first thing he saw was an inventory packed with magical artifacts and techniques. Even the Universe Bag was half full.
As for Spirit Roots, he had eleven Supreme Water Spiritual Roots, seven top-grade Gold Spirit Roots, five Supreme Earth Spiritual Roots, three Supreme Fire Spiritual Roots, and one Supreme Wood Spiritual Root.
Heh. Looking at those numbers, anyone who claimed the drop rates for Supreme Spirit Roots of each element were the same deserved to have their head smashed in.
All Supreme Spirit Roots had identical attributes, so he couldn't be bothered to check them. He directly used the three Supreme Spirit Roots of earth, fire, and wood.
After using the three Supreme Spirit Roots, Jiang Liu was about to open his Character Panel and check his aptitude when a system notification suddenly rang out, leaving him frozen.
[ Congratulations, player Jiang Liu! You've collected Supreme Spirit Roots of all five elements and successfully activated the Five Elements Dharma Body. ]
Five Elements Dharma Body?
An immortal body?
Having all five elements gave him an immortal body too?
Had the scummy developers finally grown a conscience?
Jiang Liu froze for two seconds, then shivered with joy. This was a blessing from the heavens! He hurriedly opened his Character Panel.
[Character Name]: Jiang Liu
[Server]: Celestial Dynasty Zone 4
[VIP Level]: VIP 2
[Title]: Parkour King
[Realm]: Qi Refining Layer 9 (20,000/1,000,000)
[Aptitude]: Supreme Spirit Roots of the five elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth
[Physique]: Five Elements Dharma Body
[Clan]: None
[Synchronization]: Qi Refining Layer 8
A [Physique] section had been added to his original Character Panel. Jiang Liu clicked on Five Elements Dharma Body and his face immediately darkened.
It was a surprise, but in a very different sense.
[Five Elements Dharma Body]
[Description]: A special physique formed on the foundation of Supreme Spirit Roots of all five elements. It activates the hidden traits of the five Supreme Spirit Roots.
[Dharma Body Effects]: Increased affinity for spiritual energy of all five elements. Activates the five hidden traits—Gold Sharp Body, Wood Nourishing Body, Water Moist Body, Fire Explosive Body, and Earth Protective Body. Greatly increases attack power, defense, recovery, and lifespan.
[Advancement Requirements]: Supreme Gold Spirit Root (0/10), Supreme Wood Spiritual Root (0/10), Supreme Water Spiritual Root (0/10), Supreme Fire Spiritual Root (0/10), Supreme Earth Spiritual Root (0/10). Collect ten Supreme Spirit Roots of each element to advance to the Five Elements Profound Body.
Jiang Liu: "?????"
Jiang Liu: "!!!!!"
"AAAAAAAH, damn you, damn you, damn you!"
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