{Yeah, Squad Leader Yuan, this field mission is such a good deal! Each of us gets 50 years of Chronos per day, plus free incense pills. I sold two for 300 years—nice and easy, right?}
As Yuan Xuelin and the others chatted, Lee Zhinan suddenly felt a gust of chilly wind sweep past.
The tiny insects in the air were sent flying by this sudden blast of air, crashing into the branches draped with vines. Far away, the few watching this scene through the bugs immediately felt a dizzying swirl of the world.
{Quiet, there’s something going on.}
Lee Zhinan, standing by the bushes, gave a sudden start. He turned back with doubt to see the leaves rustling despite no wind, then quickly fastened his belt.
Wiping the cold sweat that had appeared on his forehead, Lee Zhinan glanced at the branch in his hand, which was glowing faintly red, and only relaxed when he saw no other unusual signs around him.
–Sigh, just scaring myself.–
Yet he inexplicably felt that the atmosphere around him had grown somewhat more eerie and chilly.
As this figure drew near, a phantom silhouette of a person began to materialize in the dark air above the mountaintop.
It gazed down like a deity, its eyes radiating a disdainful indifference that swept over everything.
In his eyes at this moment, Lee Zhinan’s entire body was enveloped by a resilient energy layer, like blooming flowers spreading out in ripple-like patterns.
This was not only due to the replacement of Wang Chaoguang’s organs within Lee Zhinan’s body, but also because of the energy contained in the moist, glossy piece of wood he held in his arms, which enhanced his abilities.
Wherever he passed, even the frenzied beasts softened their gaze upon seeing him, refraining from attacking.
{This piece of wood is truly a treasure.}
In his mind, the voice of the bandages echoed, causing a slight tremor in Lee Zhinan’s body and mind.
The same words resonated within the invisible train beside Lee Zhinan, and Robin Lo, seeing what he was holding, almost drooled at the corner of his mouth. –This is a treasure! So this is an A-class Crosspace—there are so many good things!–
……
Inside the tunnel at the mountain’s base, the vines trembled and spread apart, revealing a hidden passage.
{You have arrived.}
Lee Zhinan, bearing Wang Chaoguang’s face, raised the stem block in his hand, continuously emitting energy ripples that resonated with the plant blocking the entire passage ahead.
–It has already gathered fifty thousand Chronos within itself.–
The massive tree-like main vine shuddered, revealing a human face, which spoke:
{Excellent. With this, I can already leave this place and venture beyond the mountains.}
Whoosh, the vines surged along the surrounding walls as two smaller tendrils extended downward to wrap around it.
{Human, you have done me a great favor. Rest assured, I will bestow upon you the secret technique for human cultivation, as promised.}
Inside the train, Robin Lo gleefully whispered excitedly to Yang Zicang, –So this is the origin of the secret technique. I wonder what kind of secret technique will emerge here!–
–Keep your voice down. We can’t let it obtain that piece of wood. With fifty thousand years of Chronos, its strength will surely skyrocket.–
–At least wait until it hands over the secret technique first, right?–
At that moment, a voice from the bandages echoed in Lee Zhinan’s mind:
{Ask it what the secret technique is. Is it related to spirit or psychic abilities?}
Lee Zhinan wasted no time and immediately looked up at the large face on the tree trunk, asking:
–Excuse me, is the secret technique related to spirit or psychic abilities?–
A slow, deep voice rumbled forth:
{Of course not. My secret technique allows you to consume the five elements or Stellar Energy… Ah, most people in this world don’t possess Stellar Energy yet, do they? Perhaps consuming life force would work as well—it can rapidly accelerate plant growth.}
A small orb of light materialized in the air.
{Stellar Energy…}
The spirit within the light orb murmured as it jotted down notes on a crumpled piece of paper with a pen.
–It’s actually a plant-ripening technique.– Yang Zicang’s heart stirred.
Whether it was Yuan Xuelin’s group keeping watch here, or those in the Hubville intelligence room suddenly glimpsing this scene through the little reporter’s perspective, everyone sighed inwardly. The plant-ripening technique was a rare and valuable skill in the Shibin Wastes.
If one learned it, trees on stable plots of land could grow quickly, providing timber and firewood.
In the winters to come, the Shibin Wastes, with abundant firewood, would see far fewer deaths from cold—not to mention the gain in food procurement.
Yet for lone wanderers like the Bandage Doctor or Wuying, its value was still not enough to make them abandon items related to psionics or willpower abilities.
Hearing the inner voice continue to command, Lee Zhinan suppressed his craving for the secret technique and said,
–May I ask, what lies further atop this mountain? Is the large-scale mental-related object beyond this passage?–
{You may only choose one. Had you obtained my secret technique, my mission would be complete. The items above would have been claimed by me.}
Items!
Everyone watching felt a jolt of excitement—there really was an item!
Lee Zhinan suddenly looked down beside him, sensing that something seemed to have stirred in the air just now. The invisible figure, almost pressed against this man, quickly kept still. The earlier wave of excitement had made him swing his arm in a broad clenched-fist motion, nearly giving himself away.
In the train, Robin Lo, melding into the air, whispered excitedly to Yang Zicang, –We agreed—this treasure is mine.–
Yang Zicang turned his face away. –We’ll see.–
–Damn it, don’t you dare back out!–
Outside, Lee Zhinan had already made his choice.
{Are you really giving up such a secret skill? Even in our world, it’s rare to come by. Having it in hand takes mere months to cultivate trees that look decades old. In less than a century, you’d become the lord of the forest.}
Of course, he was tempted.
Lee Zhinan let out a wry smile. –No need. I want whatever’s up there.–
{Fair enough. Since I’m about to gain my freedom, go and retrieve it if you wish—just give me the tree core.}
The vine-wrapped block of wood slowly sprouted countless fine, golden jade-like branches, pulsing with a numinous air, as it transformed into a radiant sword of solid golden twigs—snatched up by a descending curl of vines!
Yang Zicang, who was about to make a move, suddenly fell silent again.
–What now?– Robin Lo glanced at him.
–Wait a little longer.–
Yang Zicang said this and suddenly felt his palms slick with sweat.
……
Outside the car, the strange vine—speaking in human tongue—held up the sword and said:
{I’ll cleave open the illusion barrier for you now. With the Incense Master escorting you, you can ascend with ease. Inside the second layer, there’re remnants of a puppeted weapon legion left by humans of bygone ages—you need to watch out for them. What’s more, atop the highest layer, a spirit has already laid claim to that treasure; it’s no longer masterless.}
It chuckled and continued:
{Anyway, if you croak, the treasure still ends up back in my hands. Move aside.}
The strange golden sword flickered with a dim, crimson phantom that made onlookers’ scalps crawl—imbued with a thrust of time accumulated over who knows how many millenia of Chronos.
The long sword came slicing down!
{Break!}
Suddenly the surrounding tunnel writhed and twisted, like an ink-wash painting soaking and deforming under seeping moisture.
In that instant, throughout a stretch of tens of kilometers, all the –treasure hunters– still combing the mountain under cover of night felt the oppressive weight on their spirits lighten in unison.
That diffusing surge of power seemed to coalesce swiftly—bracing itself against something.
Even in the marketplace, people felt the keen, slashing aura surging and swelling from the mountain.
–What’s happening?–
They involuntarily looked up toward the third towering mountain from left to right, stretching from north to south. The entire peak suddenly twisted and warped, as if the light were being stirred by an invisible force.
–What a formidable and overpowering presence.–
–Has someone entered that mountain to claim a treasure?!–
The crowd exclaimed in awe. Under the gloom-dim light, the mountain seemed on the verge of dissolving into dust and ash, ready to vanish at any moment! Piercing through it, a golden, sharp aura stabbed straight into the heavens, as if it would burst out of the mountain and cleave everything in its path.
Deep within the tunnel, at the very instant that blade came slashing down, the phantom figure that had once stood towering atop the mountain suddenly appeared there.
The figure radiated a frenzied, raging aura. With a mere flash of its eyes, it sent Li Zhinan bursting into insane, uncontrollable howls.
Li Zhinan saw an apparition of the bandaged surgeon standing before him, a scalpel blazing with flames aimed directly at his trachea. That knife, searing like charcoal fire, kept stabbing deep into him.
In reality, his own hand rose and clamped down on his own throat.
–Ah!–
Li Zhinan suddenly felt his entire body ignited by the scorching scalpel in front of him. The unbearable agony of real burning engulfed his psyche and seared deep into his nerves.
His hands wrapped tightly around his own neck, squeezing with all his might.
But in less than two seconds, the flower vines all around burst into a wild, full bloom. The scalding pain rapidly faded away, as if it had been no more than the sting of a slap.
Vines writhed wildly.
The golden long sword shot towards the phantom.
{I have lifted the suppression, you lowly soul, a treasure thief, still dare to show yourself.}
Boom! Boom!
Like a sword that could cleave heaven and earth, it blasted a gaping hole directly into the mountain’s interior.
Golden phantom flames sprouted along the walls of the hole, growing into withered branches of plants tinged with red, furiously extending like roaring waves curling forward.
The phantom flickered and retreated several times before stabilizing. The gale force carried by this sword severed one of its arms; although it regrew quickly, it became considerably thinner.
{Stop. There’s no need for us to fight. He can come up.}
–Surrendering just like that?– Watching all this, Yang Zicang and Robin Lo were somewhat horrified, feeling that if that sword had struck them, they would surely have turned to ash.
{You brainless fool, beaten here can’t go wit’out leavin’. Hmph, my sword proved mightier still.}
After taunting it, the vines slithered and retracted, revealing the large hole.
{Go on in. Be careful of what’s above. With your strength… Hmph, I advise you to return early if your lifespan is short. Hand that treasure over to me, and the secret art shall still be yours.}
Lee Zhinan gasped as he entered the tunnel.
He had no choice—behind him, that madman wanted only the treasure.
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