"What a shame..."
Wu Yu searched the corpse's belongings, his brow furrowing slightly.
The only equipment left on Captain Liu of the Inspection Bureau was already damaged beyond use.
Everything else, such as his Psionic Battery and Spatial Wristwatch, had vanished.
"They really picked him clean!"
Wu Yu shook his head.
To be honest, he bore Captain Liu no ill will.
Judging by his earlier behavior, the man cared quite a bit about saving face and was not nearly as selfless as he appeared.
But in the real world, someone like that was already a very decent person. At least he would uphold order in some circumstances.
Against a hypocrite, there was still a chance of survival.
But once you fell into the hands of a genuine villain, even death might be a luxury!
Death snuffed out everything like a lamp. Wu Yu did not dwell on it, turning his attention to the Silver Chest and the direction Bai Xiaotian had fled.
He took out the Bronze Token, opened the [Map], and checked it.
"That direction... should lead out of the cave, barring any surprises!"
"Will Bai Xiaotian come back after he's recovered?"
Wu Yu pondered briefly, then set up more defenses near the passage.
Small pebbles were poor vessels for Talisman Seals, but they were everywhere and unlikely to attract attention.
He laid one trap after another, each blending perfectly into the surroundings and becoming difficult to spot.
"That should do it."
A little later, Wu Yu drew a deep breath and returned to the Silver Chest.
He did not intend to pursue Bai Xiaotian.
For one thing, the other man's talent was frightening. Who knew what trump cards he might have?
For another, he was extremely cunning. He could very well have laid traps outside, waiting for Wu Yu to walk right into them.
"Whether I fight the Mountain Lord or not, I can't use the nearby Evacuation Point once I get out."
"I'll have to go somewhere else."
Wu Yu glanced at the [Map], estimating the distance and time.
Based on his earlier pace, reaching the next closest Evacuation Point would take about an hour.
"Not bad."
He breathed a sigh of relief, sat directly on the Silver Chest, and watched his surroundings warily.
[Silver Chest] Opening countdown: 14 minutes, 59 seconds.
Seconds ticked by. The cavern was utterly silent, its atmosphere somewhat eerie.
Only faint breathing could be heard in the air.
Suddenly!
Click!
A crisp sound came from the Silver Chest. Wu Yu's eyes lit up, and he stood to take a look.
This was the third Treasure Chest he had opened. With practiced ease, he grabbed the lid and lifted it!
The Treasure Chest opened, revealing several Cards inside.
[Bloodstained Rope] Type: Quest item. Quality: None. Description: Soaked in the blood of a transcendent creature. A transcendent aura of intimidation lingers upon it.
[Omen Blood Blade] Type: Weapon. Quality: Purple. Description: A blood blade cursed by the Mountain Lord. It has fallen from the ranks of transcendent weapons, but its material remains extraordinary.
[Fish-Scale Armor] Type: Armor. Quality: Purple. Integrity: 71% Description: Damaged transcendent armor, torn apart by the Mountain Lord. Only this piece remains usable.
There were only three items in the Silver Chest.
A weapon, a piece of armor, and a quest item.
Wu Yu examined the Status Panel carefully, lost in thought.
"These three things seem to have belonged to the Transcendent Martial Artists killed by the Mountain Lord!"
The information he had gathered earlier had mentioned battles between Transcendent Martial Artists and the Mountain Lord.
But according to the Chief's records, the Chief had planned it all. He simply had not expected the martial artists in town to be so useless, or the Village Chief to be such a coward!
Even when the Chief died, the Mountain Lord had merely hidden away with severe injuries, while the Village Chief had never so much as left the valley.
"Whatever. I'll use them first!"
Wu Yu could not be bothered to think any further and crushed all three Cards.
The first Card shattered, dissolving into motes of light.
A three-meter-long rope appeared in the Treasure Chest!
The second Card dissolved into light, revealing a short blade half a meter long.
The third Card dissolved into light, revealing a damaged suit of armor.
Wu Yu tossed the rope into his Inventory, took off his outer clothes, and grabbed the armor to pull it on.
Fortunately, the Fish-Scale Armor was already damaged. Even without knowing how to wear it properly, he managed to force his way into it. Then he put his outer clothes back on, concealing the Fish-Scale Armor.
"So heavy! This thing must weigh at least twenty-five kilograms!"
Wu Yu's expression changed. Only after exerting his body, brimming with blood and vitality, could he move freely again.
"Good thing I strengthened my body three times!"
"With the [Heaven's Return Curio] as well, the only thing this affects is my agility."
"But compared to the protection it offers, losing a little agility is no big deal."
Wu Yu felt the gaps in the armor and nodded in satisfaction.
This transcendent armor had already lost its transcendent power, but its physical protection alone was excellent!
The Diamond Badge had only twenty-five percent of its spirit energy left. Just in case, he would take every extra layer of protection he could get!
He hopped around on the spot. Once he had gradually grown accustomed to the armor, Wu Yu picked up the [Omen Blood Blade].
"A purple-quality short blade!"
Wu Yu's eyes brightened slightly. He took out the [Fine Dagger] to compare them and found there was simply no comparison.
The [Fine Dagger] was made of iron, and several battles had already left small nicks in it.
The [Omen Blood Blade], by contrast, was reddish throughout, forged from an unknown transcendent material. A faint bloody glow emanated from it.
"A perfect replacement!"
Wu Yu smiled faintly and tossed the dagger into his Inventory.
It already bore a [Bi Fang Sigil], so he could use it as a throwing weapon later.
After playing with the blade for a while, Wu Yu had a sudden flash of inspiration.
"Right! The Fine Dagger could only hold one sigil because its material wasn't good enough!"
"This is a transcendent material. How many can it hold?"
His eyes flickered as he looked at the [Omen Blood Blade].
Back when he had experimented on that bandit, Wu Yu had discovered that multiple [Bi Fang Sigils] could be stacked and triggered together.
The results simply varied depending on the vessel!
On a human body, for example, [Bi Fang Sigils] could be inscribed in different places, then detonated together.
A small pebble, however, could only hold one. Inscribing a second would erase the first.
The same held true for the Fine Dagger, Low-Quality Chopper, and Bandit Shortbow...
An idea stirred in Wu Yu's mind, and he looked at the blade.
With a thought, golden runes traced themselves across it, forming the image of a divine bird.
He waited a little, then willed it again. Golden runes traced themselves across the blade, and a second [Bi Fang Sigil] was fully inscribed!
"It worked! It really was the material!"
"Following that logic, talismans must be useful! Materials containing Spirit Power should work even better!"
Delighted, Wu Yu continued inscribing.
In the end,
Five [Bi Fang Sigils] were inscribed on the [Omen Blood Blade]!
Golden and red light mingled along the blade, as though it had been given special effects. It stood out sharply in the dark cavern.
"Nice! Very nice!"
Wu Yu swung it a few times, thoroughly satisfied.
Then he took out a steaming bowl of fine beef noodles and began eating heartily right where he stood.
Before you continue