Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Tier Two Yin Thunder Bead

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged deep within a sheltered cave. A single sliver of light slanted in from the narrow entrance, just enough to trace the rugged outlines of the rock walls. His fingertips brushed across the several multi-colored Storage Bags laid out before him, his eyes filled with exhaustion and a profound sense of relief.

The life-and-death battle against Qian Yuan had been harrowing, taking a massive toll on his mind and spirit. Every moment, his nerves had been stretched to their breaking point as he guarded against any fatal trump card his opponent might reveal, terrified that a single careless mistake would be his undoing. But now, it was finally time to count his spoils.

He started by picking up the Storage Bag that had belonged to the Tribulation Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer. Focusing his Divine Sense into a fine point, he carefully probed it. With a mere thought, a soft CLATTER sounded as the bag’s contents emptied onto the cold rock in front of him.

Spirit Stones clinked as they scattered, about eighty in all. A few bottles of Pills rolled out with them, their labels long worn and faded. Lu Zhao casually uncorked one and took a sniff; they were just the most common sort of Pills, of limited value.

Beyond that, a Tier One Lower-Grade Flying Sword Spiritual Artifact with a dim Spirit Light lay on the stone, its quality mediocre and of little use.

The rest was an even more chaotic pile of items: a few changes of clothes stained with dark blood, several chunks of low-quality ore containing scant Spiritual Power, a couple of Jade Scrolls recording common Low-Tier Magic, a few ordinary Tier One Middle-Grade Talismans, and some pieces of tough, air-dried Demon Beast jerky.

"Tsk." Lu Zhao clicked his tongue. He quickly swept his Divine Sense over the pile, making a swift appraisal. ’Eighty-three Spirit Stones, call the Pills another ten. The Flying Sword... thirty at most. The other odds and ends are worth no more than fifteen Spirit Stones. All told... around one hundred and forty Spirit Stones.’ He shook his head slightly. ’It’s not surprising. An average Tribulation Cultivator at Mid-stage Qi Cultivation would have about this much. After all, most of what they scrape together gets spent on raising their Cultivation and buying what few pathetic life-saving items they can afford.’

In the dim light, he moved on to the Storage Bag from the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer cultivator, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

The contents that spilled out this time were clearly much more substantial. There was a pile of Spirit Stones that, after a careful count by Lu Zhao, numbered around one hundred and fifty.

The Magical Artifacts were also a cut above: a short, Earth Attribute blade that radiated a yellow glow, and a small, ochre shield engraved with an ancient Turtle Shell pattern. Spirit Light flowed from both, marking them as decent quality Tier One Middle-Grade Magical Artifacts. There were also two lesser Tier One Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts—a Flying Fork wreathed in patterns of flame and a Wood Attribute long whip that looked like intertwined vines.

The quality of the Pills was also noticeably better. When Lu Zhao opened one of the bottles, a tranquil and soothing medicinal aroma wafted out. It was a Tier One High-Grade Vessel-Protecting Pill! This Pill was useful to him as well. A flicker of delight appeared in his heart as he carefully placed this bottle into his own Storage Bag.

There were also gains in the Spiritual Material department: a few yellow stones that radiated Earth Element Spiritual Power, and a length of Spirit Wood that pulsed with an aura of life. Though small in quantity, they were quite valuable. The number and quality of his miscellaneous items were also a step up from the previous man’s.

After taking stock of the second Tribulation Cultivator’s Storage Bag, Lu Zhao grew thoughtful. ’Two Middle-Grade Spiritual Artifacts, let’s say two hundred Spirit Stones; two Lower Grade ones, sixty Spirit Stones; one hundred fifty Spirit Stones in cash; Pills worth thirty; Spiritual Materials... worth fifty; and miscellaneous items for ten...’ He calculated swiftly in his mind, a satisfied glint appearing in his eyes. ’The haul from this person is about five hundred Spirit Stones in total.’ A distinct feeling washed over him. ’It’s true what they say: a man won’t get rich without a windfall, just as a horse won’t get fat without grazing at night. The valuables from these two men alone would have taken me more than a year to accumulate through the hard work of refining Puppets.’

Buoyed by the faint excitement from this unexpected windfall, Lu Zhao turned his gaze to the third Storage Bag. This one belonged to the Tribulation Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer. However, the brief, joyful atmosphere in the cave was quickly replaced by a tinge of disappointment.

Aside from the Tier One High-Grade flying sword with its contained Spirit Light, which Lu Zhao had already set aside, the items that spilled from the bag were quite pathetic. There was a sparse scattering of just over seventy Spirit Stones; the Pills were even more pitiful, consisting of only two bottles of ordinary Tier One High-Grade Pills. Spiritual Materials were almost nonexistent, with only a few chunks of ore containing impure Spiritual Power and some special Bone Material from an unknown Demon Beast, none of which was very valuable. As for the miscellaneous items, they were too crude to even be worth mentioning.

’A mighty Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer Cultivator, and his worldly possessions are this meager?’ Lu Zhao frowned, his knuckles tapping unconsciously against the cold rock. A moment of reflection brought understanding. ’Ah, right. His Cultivation was high, but that High-Grade Flying Sword must have eaten up most of his savings. For a desperate Tribulation Cultivator, resources are acquired quickly, but they disappear even faster. They’re either exchanged for Pills to advance one’s Cultivation or depleted in endless battles. It’s actually hard to save any Spirit Stones. That Flying Sword was his true ace in the hole.’

He let out a light sigh and roused his spirits. ’No matter. The real prize is still to come. Besides, the three of them together have already netted me over a thousand Spirit Stones. I should be content. The real main event—is Qian Yuan!’

Lu Zhao’s gaze grew heavy with anticipation, locking like a hawk onto the final three Storage Bags taken from Qian Yuan’s corpse. He focused on the one in the middle, from whose opening a faint, dark red, bloody light seemed to flicker, emitting a ferocious and oppressive aura that was instinctively unsettling.

He steadied his nerves, set the other two bags aside, and focused his full attention on the one with the most unsettling aura. The moment his fingertips touched it, a bone-chilling cold shot through him. Cautiously, he probed it with his Divine Sense. The space inside was small, containing only a single, floating object.

It was a round bead the size of a pigeon’s egg. Its entire surface was a deep, dark red, the color of dried blood. It didn’t reflect the light, but rather seemed to absorb what little of it there was.

The bead’s surface wasn’t smooth. It was covered in fine, twisted, natural lines that looked like coagulated scabs or else Runes etched by a Ghost Claw.

Most terrifying of all, deep within the bead’s core, several minuscule but tangible arcs of blood-red lightning silently writhed. The entire bead radiated an indescribable aura—yin-cold, violent, and so oppressive that it made Lu Zhao’s very Spiritual Soul feel like it was suffocating.

HISS... Lu Zhao sucked in a cold breath. His first thought was, ’A Tier Two Yin Thunder Bead?!’ But he rejected it a moment later. ’No! Absolutely not! During the great war between the Zhou Family and the Zhao Family, I saw a Tier Two Yin Thunder Bead detonate from a distance. The lightning was berserk, tearing through the heavens with tremendous force! This thing’s aura is far too sinister and strange!’

He held his breath, his brow furrowed in concentration as he desperately searched his memories, combing through every ancient text and secret record he had ever read. ’For the Blood Evil Qi to be this rich, yet for it to contain Yin Thunder... This is definitely not a common Yin Thunder Bead refined by some Sect! In all my experience... I’ve never seen anything so wicked...’ He forcefully suppressed the turmoil in his mind, his eyes fixed on the Thunder Bead. ’The only thing I can be certain of is that this is, without a doubt, a single-use Tier Two offensive Supreme Treasure of utterly terrifying power!’

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