A force enveloped Dongbo Xueying as space began to twist. He made no resistance, for with his ultimate penetration ability, he could easily tear through and escape.
The space transformed.
Moments ago he was beside a grassy field, but now he stood within a sealed hall.
The hall was completely enclosed, illuminated by crystal lamps. Inside were displayed numerous powerful semi-divine artifacts, formidable mage tools, unique treasures, and potent magical arrays.
“Master Dongbo,” a Saint-level Transcendent inside the hall greeted him.
“Master Ning,” Dongbo Xueying recognized the gray-clad man with a divine sword on his back—Ning Nan, currently ranked 25th on the Saint Ranking.
They exchanged brief greetings before turning to search for their respective treasures.
As Dongbo Xueying strolled through the hall, he contemplated his needs. In the upcoming battle against demons, a protective robe was essential. If his weapon failed to block an attack, the robe might save his life. Next, he needed a spear.
“This one is good.”
After examining all the semi-divine robes, he finally chose—
**Water-Fire Ripples Robe**: crafted over ten years by a semi-divine mage who mastered the true essence of water and fire. Using the profound principle of “waves” within water and fire, the mage constructed a spell model to forge the robe. Once activated, invisible waves formed a protective barrier around the wearer, blocking all attacks. Only a peak Saint-level Transcendent could barely pierce it, and even then, the attack would be greatly weakened by the waves.
**Middle Grade Semi-Divine Artifact! Worth 32,000 Contribution Points!**
“This is the one.” Dongbo Xueying picked it up and tried it on. The robe’s material was extraordinary—no semi-divine could destroy it. However, attacks with immense impact could still affect him through the robe. Moreover, enemies often targeted vulnerable areas like the face and throat, which the robe did not protect.
This was where the invisible protective waves came into play.
“Water-Fire True Essence Waves?” Dongbo Xueying activated the robe, sensing its power.
Water rippled gently.
Fire surged in waves.
The semi-divine mage who forged this robe had cultivated the Water-Fire True Essence to an extremely high level, nearly refining it into a divine heart. His specialty lay in wave manipulation, which enabled him to create this semi-divine artifact. Crafting such an item was no easy feat, not something any semi-divine mage could accomplish.
“Truly impressive. The water and fire energies intertwine—mutually reinforcing and opposing—creating layered, unpredictable waves.” As Dongbo Xueying activated the robe, he felt a dense wave barrier form over his body. Though he had studied water and fire extensively, he could easily activate the robe but was far from fully understanding its mysteries.
“Regardless of the attack, it will be weakened by these waves, reducing its power—nearly enough to neutralize a peak Saint-level strike.” Dongbo Xueying nodded inwardly.
Although superior protective robes existed, defense was inherently expensive, and 32,000 Contribution Points was already a high cost.
With this robe, he could stand firm against attacks.
Those below peak Saint-level would not even scratch him. Even peak Saint-level Transcendents would struggle to pierce the wave barrier, their attacks nearly spent by the time they did. As for those ranked in the top ten of the Saint Ranking, their threat would be halved.
…
“This spear will do.” Dongbo Xueying soon selected a spear.
Fighting demons required a powerful weapon.
**Starstone Flamecloud Spear**: the spearhead was forged from divine realm starstone, while the shaft was made of Flamecloud Iron. The materials were extraordinary, left behind by a traveler from another world. Weighing thirteen thousand jin, the spear had no other special features—only unmatched sharpness.
**Middle Grade Semi-Divine Artifact! Worth 30,000 Contribution Points!**
“What a waste,” Dongbo Xueying muttered inwardly. “Flamecloud Iron and divine realm starstone—such extravagant materials. If a skilled mage had forged it, he could have added more spell models—like creating illusions, increasing the spear’s speed, or infusing it with deadly poison… Yet, there’s not a single spell model on this spear.”
Indeed.
This spear bore no magical runes—its only strength lay in its material. The divine realm starstone alone was more valuable than the materials used in some Supreme semi-divine artifacts.
Unfortunately, this semi-divine artifact was already completed—there was no way to destroy it and retrieve the divine realm starstone.
The divine realm starstone, forged into the spearhead, was peerlessly sharp.
Its only advantage was sharpness… and because of that, it was classified as a middle-grade semi-divine artifact. Its price was also exorbitant. Usually, offensive weapons were much cheaper—this price was comparable to that of a defensive robe.
“I chose it precisely for this sharpness,” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “Combined with my ultimate penetration ability and an extremely sharp spear—how many could withstand a single thrust?”
…
All exchanges completed.
**Water-Fire Ripples Robe**, **Starstone Flamecloud Spear**, and three powerful magical arrays totaled **79,000 Contribution Points**.
This exceeded his original plan by nearly 10,000 Contribution Points.
Acquiring treasures could never be perfectly precise. But it didn’t matter—he would hunt demons, and killing them would earn rewards to compensate. Moreover, the **Starstone Flamecloud Spear** was a necessity—it would significantly enhance his combat power!
…
The Transcendents and Named-Level warriors of Yuan Shui Monastery went to exchange for treasures they needed. By noon, everyone gathered to depart.
“Board the ship.”
A large aerial vessel descended at the entrance of Yuan Shui Monastery. With flowing white hair, Chi Qiubai stood aboard the warship, responsible for returning the Transcendents and Named-Level warriors. Having mastered the True Essence of Spatial Severance and becoming a semi-divine, he was highly skilled in travel.
“This is our travel itinerary,” Chi Qiubai announced. “I will personally return each Transcendent. As for the Named-Level warriors—you must study the itinerary carefully and decide where to disembark.”
The massive itinerary was posted beside the entrance of the warship’s cabin.
Five provinces, numerous locations.
Everyone quickly decided where they would disembark.
“Senior Brother Xueying,” Yu Jingqiu exclaimed in surprise. “You spent 17,000 Contribution Points on magical arrays? That’s a lot! The arrays you installed would likely take even a semi-divine some time to break through. Those below semi-divine wouldn’t stand a chance. It wasn’t necessary—spending five or six thousand Contribution Points on arrays would have sufficed. Magical arrays are different from mage tools.”
Indeed, they were different.
Mage tools were miniaturized and portable.
Magical arrays were fixed in place, not requiring mobility and could cover large areas. Thus, their difficulty was greatly reduced. A magical array worth 17,000 Contribution Points could rival mage tools worth hundreds of thousands of Contribution Points.
Provincial and county cities often had powerful magical arrays.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a little more or less. By the way, Jingqiu, the demon-hunting plan has been arranged—will you go in the first half or the second half of the year?” Dongbo Xueying asked. All Transcendents were required to hunt demons, but not continuously throughout the year. According to the plan, each Transcendent spent half a year on demon hunting.
The Xinfu Palace coordinated the assignments.
Half the Transcendents hunted in the first half of the year, the other half in the second half—allowing for rotation.
The six months off could be used for cultivation and enlightenment.
“I’m in the first half,” Yu Jingqiu smiled. “I’ll be heading out tomorrow. How about you?”
“I’m also in the first half,” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “Looks like I’ll need your help setting up the arrays today.”
“These are pre-constructed arrays. Installation is simple—half an hour will be enough,” Yu Jingqiu nodded with a smile.
The two chatted by the window of the cabin, their voices sealed off, undisturbed by others.
After about half an hour of leaving Yuan Shui Monastery,
“Next stop: Yishui City, Qinghe County, Anyang Province,” Chi Qiubai’s voice echoed through the cabin. “Those preparing to disembark, come out now.”
As Chi Qiubai spoke, his gaze shifted toward Dongbo Xueying.
Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu rose and stepped onto the deck.
“Xueying, be careful in the future,” Chi Qiubai transmitted mentally. “Don’t be too reckless. Mastering your True Essence as soon as possible is the most important thing.”
“Understood, Brother Changfeng. You should also be cautious—demons are not to be underestimated,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
They exchanged only a few words.
The warship tore through space, emerging into a vast void. Looking down, the highest mountain among the ranges below was Xueshi Mountain, atop which stood the Xueshi Castle.
“Xueshi Castle.” Dongbo Xueying smiled slightly. This was the place he grew up in—it held deep emotional ties.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage