Preparations for the Coming Battle

Jiang Xueyao sat in the corner with her lips pursed, sulking.

I haven't felt this frustrated in a long time.

Just now, only if I'd gone all out could we possibly have saved everyone.

How did he dare fight that desperately when he was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer?

And another thing.

What did you use my Qiong Jia Sword for?

It's filthy now, you know that?

And another thing.

Why are you always the one rushing in first?

She suddenly sensed an apologetic gaze. Looking up, she found him watching her.

Hmph!

Jiang Xueyao bit her lip and turned away. She didn't want to look at him again.

Xu Yuan couldn't help it.

An opening vanishes in an instant. I had to seize that moment and strike.

Girl, you were too slow.

Xu Yuan looked around.

The ordinary people were gazing at him with reverence.

Don't look at me like that. I haven't even reached Foundation Establishment. I'm still a long way from debuting as a superstar.

Zhao Afei had brought out his pill furnace and was refining pills.

Yang Xiaobing sat cross-legged, speeding up her absorption of the Spirit-Restoring Pill's medicinal power.

Jiang Xueyao—she showed him only her back.

Forget it. Leave her alone.

Something about the situation was strange.

Wasn't a Giant Ape at the middle stage of Qi Refining a little beyond the syllabus for a monthly exam?

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Static... static..."

"This is Xinzhou Road Subway Station. A Giant Ape demon beast at the middle stage of Qi Refining attacked us. We killed it."

"What's happening outside? We're running low on ammunition and requesting support."

"Over."

He put down the walkie-talkie and waited quietly.

His report served three purposes: to ask whether the exam was meant to be this difficult or whether something had gone wrong with the questions;

to request more ammunition;

and to ask how the situation was developing, in case he could get some useful intelligence.

Officer Liu is an examiner, after all.

There was no one better to ask about those three things.

While he waited, Xu Yuan checked his gains.

He had killed the Giant Ape.

It had dropped eleven gold coins.

His total had now reached forty-four!

Should I roll for some equipment?

Of course!

This battle had driven home the value of equipment.

Cultivators prized wealth, companions, methods, and a place to practice.

Without money, you had no equipment. In a clash with someone else, even your sword could be cut in two!

Whether Officer Liu sent more ammunition or any other support,

I need to get myself something useful!

"Shop."

He spoke the word silently.

Phantasmal light and shadow appeared before his eyes, gradually sharpening into the Qi Refiners' Combat Prep Room.

The shelves still held what remained from the previous refresh.

I bought the Xu Feng Sword.

Only a pendant that increased movement speed by one remained.

"Pay one gold coin to refresh the shelves."

Xu Yuan gave the command silently.

On the shelves,

the pendant vanished.

Three new items took its place.

A pair of "common" leather boots;

an "excellent" spear;

and a "damaged" drum.

Xu Yuan barely glanced at them before paying another gold coin to refresh the shelves again.

Things were different now.

Now that he had money, he needed to move quickly and arm himself with high-grade equipment.

Ideally, before the nightmare-level match arrived, his equipment would raise his strength another notch.

The gold coin payment went through—

and the shelves refreshed again.

"Damaged," "damaged," "common."

All three items were junk.

I need to upgrade the Combat Prep Room soon. Then maybe it'll start stocking high-grade goods.

He paid another gold coin.

Refresh!

"Excellent," "common," "damaged."

The "excellent" item was a shield as tall as a person.

How am I supposed to take that out?

This match was a monthly exam. Who knew how many "spectators" were watching outside?

His family was poor; he hadn't brought a storage treasure.

If he pulled a huge shield out of thin air, wouldn't they haul him away for dissection?

He could only give it up.

Xu Yuan sighed inwardly and fed in another gold coin.

The shelves refreshed once more!

"Fine," "excellent," "damaged."

A "fine" piece of equipment had appeared!

It had taken four gold coins just to roll an item of this grade!

Xu Yuan caught his breath and looked closely.

"Serpentine Binding Gloves."

"Gloves, fine grade."

"Effect: While worn, spiritual energy recovers slightly faster, and using Talismans costs 15% less spiritual energy."

"Price: 10 gold coins."

Well...

They're good gloves.

After a moment's thought, Xu Yuan paid ten gold coins.

Thirty gold coins left.

"Purchase successful."

"The item has been placed inside your clothes."

The bonus isn't huge, but it'll help.

Yang Xiaobing cultivated both Talismans and spiritual plants. She could attack and defend, and played a vital role in the team.

Without her, the place might already have collapsed.

Let her use them.

Strengthening the team as a whole would help them in the monthly exam!

As for me—

I'll keep earning gold coins.

Hopefully the next good item I roll will be one I can use!

Xu Yuan walked over to Yang Xiaobing, crouched, and asked:

"How are you feeling?"

"I still need to rest for a while. Sorry I've become a burden to you all," Yang Xiaobing said.

"Don't say that. If you hadn't propped up the ceiling with that thick, sturdy mushroom, we'd probably be finished already," Xu Yuan said sincerely.

Yang Xiaobing lowered her head, a little embarrassed. "Do you really think so?"

"I only ever tell the truth," Xu Yuan said solemnly.

He took the Serpentine Binding Gloves from inside his clothes and pressed them into Yang Xiaobing's hands.

"What's this?" Yang Xiaobing asked curiously.

"A birthday present. Remember to treat me to a big meal when the time comes. I won't buy you anything else," Xu Yuan said.

"Are you an idiot? My birthday was last month."

"I bought it to celebrate your birthday next year and decided to give it to you early—why are you so ungrateful? If you don't want it, give it back!" Xu Yuan reached for the gloves.

"Who said I don't want them?" Yang Xiaobing hurriedly hid the gloves behind her back and slipped them on.

The smile on her face suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Nothing." Yang Xiaobing lowered her head, her voice no louder than a mosquito's hum.

Xu Yuan was baffled and about to speak when Zhao Afei called out to him. He quickly stood and ran over to ask what was wrong.

Only then

did Yang Xiaobing bring her hands out from behind her back. She rested them on her legs and studied them closely.

The gloves were creamy white and light as gauze. They had upper and lower layers, each sewn with many runes and dotted with chips of spirit stone to form a miniature spirit-gathering array.

They were not only useful, but beautiful.

The moment she put them on, she felt the spiritual energy inside her grow livelier and circulate a little faster.

Gloves that helped restore spiritual energy were practically treasures.

He actually prepared something like this...

Yang Xiaobing lowered her eyes and kept gazing at her hands, quietly feeling her spiritual energy recover.

By then, Xu Yuan had reached the pill furnace. He asked:

"What is it?"

"My strength is too weak. Will they look down on me?" Zhao Afei asked in a low voice.

"They won't," Xu Yuan reassured him.

"Really?" Zhao Afei looked at him.

"With their strength, they probably can't even be bothered to look at you," Xu Yuan said sincerely.

"I even brought my family's ancestral pill furnace because I heard this monthly exam was important... But I still can't show any real strength." Zhao Afei sighed.

Xu Yuan looked toward the pill furnace.

It stood over four meters tall, nearly five. Its body was pale yellow, and flowing spiritual patterns etched the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the Four Sacred Beasts—across its surface.

Eight legs supported it half a meter above the ground, corresponding to the eight trigrams of Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui. Each leg had a different color and was made of a different material, likely refined from a different innate spiritual material.

A row of nine small holes in the furnace connected its interior to the outside.

The Twenty-Eightfold Fire-Refining Array appeared from time to time in the air around the furnace, then faded away.

"This has been passed down in your family?"

Xu Yuan asked.

Standing still and listening, he could hear the sound of wind and fire coming from the furnace.

"Yeah. It's a treasure my ancestors obtained. If this exam weren't so important, my father would never have given it to me," Zhao Afei said.

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes at the furnace.

Lines of faintly glowing text appeared:

"Four-Symbol Eight-Trigram Furnace."

"??-grade pill furnace."

"Divine power: Spirit Suppression."

"Description: Neither the power of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—nor attacks from any kind of weapon can damage the furnace itself."

"Divine power: Self-Protection."

"Description: Attacks have a chance of being reflected to protect the furnace from damage."

"Divine Might: ???"

"???????"

Holy shit, this was the real deal!

No wonder Zhao Afei's family had prospered.

Wait—

Damn.

I think I've stumbled onto one hell of a tactic!

An idea flashed through Xu Yuan's mind, and he blurted out,

"Afei."

"What?"

"I have a secret combination technique. It takes two people using it at the same time to unleash its power."

"You're going to teach me?" Zhao Afei asked uneasily.

A secret technique. A combination technique—

Such things were usually passed down within a family or taught by a master at university. No one taught them to outsiders lightly.

And now Xu Yuan was offering to pass one on?

"Will you learn it? Once you do, the two of us together will take off on the spot—and then we'll be the heart of the team!" Xu Yuan said earnestly.

"I will!" Zhao Afei said at once.

Xu Yuan leaned close to Zhao Afei's ear and whispered to him.

As Zhao Afei listened, his eyes widened, and disbelief spread across his face.