Chapter Twenty-Five: Postwar Settlements

There was no shortage of all kinds of things, some good and some bad. Spirit Points were the currency used by psychics for trading—much like money—the more, the better.

Blood Crystal Stone was a rare mineral unique to this world, with a drop rate so low it was almost outrageous. So far, even after opening hundreds of treasure chests, Ye Mingqiu had only managed to obtain four.

[Blood Crystal Stone]
Type: Mineral
Description: A vivid red ore resembling fresh blood, faintly emanating a vigorous life force.

Its exact purpose was unknown, but it clearly wasn’t an ordinary mineral or junk. Earlier, while opening chests, Ye Mingqiu had found a necklace made from Blood Crystal Stone—the Blood Crystal Necklace.

The necklace wasn’t made purely of Blood Crystal Stone; its content was relatively low. Instead, it had been transformed through some technique into a usable form, granting the necklace the powerful ability to increase life by 100 points.

Ye Mingqiu suspected that the Blood Crystal Stone itself might be even more valuable than the necklace. If one could fully harness its power, the returns would be far greater.

However...

This world was home to deities!

Most likely, Blood Crystal Stone was an artifact meant for gods; mortals could not wield its power.

Gods?

Ye Mingqiu exhaled a breath of frustration. Gods capable of subjugating humans must possess immense strength. Even with the limitations imposed by the Spirit Realm trials, gods were not foes he could hope to confront. At the very least, they were sovereign-level beings, towering above kings.

The hierarchy among Spirit Realm inhabitants, from weakest to strongest, was: Commoner, Elite, Leader, King, Sovereign.

A ruler of a nation was a king, and after the Great Zhou, the royal authority was divinely sanctioned, making the emperor the Son of Heaven. Therefore, deities must stand above kings, and Ye Mingqiu believed that gods were likely sovereign-level entities—utterly impossible to oppose.

This world ran deep... far deeper than he had imagined.

[Mount Riding Specialty]
Category: Skill Book
Effect: Upon use, immediately grants Level 1 Mount Riding Specialty. If the user already possesses a mount riding specialty of Level 1 or higher, it instead increases mount riding experience.

A specialty skill book?

There was no need to hesitate—Ye Mingqiu used it immediately. Specialties didn’t occupy skill slots, and having more specialties meant more abilities. Who would object to having more skills?

[Use Successful]
[You have obtained Mount Riding Specialty (Level 1)]

In an instant, a flood of mount-riding experience and memories surged into his mind. Ye Mingqiu felt dizzy and disoriented as his brain struggled to process the new information. Skills could never be learned mid-battle, as that would leave a huge weakness. Only through comprehension could one grow stronger during combat.

Ye Mingqiu’s mental attribute was high, but due to various factors, it had long been repressed and suppressed. When he realized he had grown stronger, that he now possessed power and no longer needed to numb himself or forsake certain desires, the shackles on his spirit naturally fell away.

The freedom from these chains made his mental strength blossom instantly. This blooming spirit energy, combined with the instinctual killing intent in battle, naturally unleashed a surging wave of murderous energy, ultimately forming a skill—Killing Intent Wave.

This was the origin of Killing Intent Wave.

[Bronze Chalice]
Rank: First Tier
Quality: Bronze Grade
Category: Item
Special Effect: Drinking
Drinking: Consuming the fine wine in the cup increases mental attributes by 3 points for one hour. After the wine in the bronze chalice is depleted, it takes 24 hours to refill.

A very useful item, its effects were evident in actual combat. Unfortunately, in hell-level dungeons, its utility was limited. Ye Mingqiu often had to fight for hours on end, so drinking beforehand was necessary since the effect would wear off mid-battle. Drinking while fighting could expose vulnerabilities.

However, in real-world competitions, it should work well, since one could prepare in advance and drink ahead to boost attributes.

Of course, if the competition strictly forbade pre-match enhancements, then drinking during the match might be an option. Referees couldn’t exactly prohibit players from using equipment. Although special, the bronze chalice was indeed equipment and valid for use in battle.

Still, very few used such equipment—not because it was ineffective, but because its drop rate was abysmally low. Almost no one owned such gear, not even the top mages.

“Sigh, if only I could change my weapon,” Ye Mingqiu sighed helplessly as he looked at the bronze spear in his hand.

Unfortunately, no suitable long weapon had dropped from any treasure chest. Ye Mingqiu could accept spears, lances, or halberds, but there wasn’t a single one—only swords, knives, axes, hammers, and clubs had appeared. Even staves had dropped, but no proper polearm.

What terrible luck.

There was nothing to be done. Such was the situation. It was normal to get a permanent draw in the gacha system. Had he heard the tale of “The Thirty-One Volumes of the Sky, Each Named Cotton”? Ye Mingqiu was basically in a similar predicament. Treasure chests had no pity system, and targeted draws required special items he didn’t possess. It was simply out of his hands.

“Phew~”

Ye Mingqiu exhaled deeply. The night was still long, and it was not impossible that enemies might launch a surprise attack under cover of darkness.

He turned to look toward the city gate. The road was littered with severed limbs and shattered weapons embedded in flesh. The fragments of war chariots crushed horses’ legs. Black steeds lay twitching on the ground, emitting faint, pitiful sounds.

A dozen or so scattered soldiers stood atop the city walls, gazing at their general and waving in anticipation of his triumphant return. This was a miracle in the annals of war—one man against ten thousand. Yet his aura was so overwhelming that the soldiers dared not approach and disturb him.

“We held the line. We are victorious,” Ye Mingqiu declared.

After a brief silence, cheers began to rise across the battlefield, though faint and mixed with sobs. Too many comrades had fallen, and the fight had drained the survivors’ strength and spirit so much that many lacked the energy even to cheer.

Without the war aura’s blessing and Ye Mingqiu’s presence at the forefront, absorbing the bulk of the pressure, they wouldn’t have survived this long.

Such was war.

There was no right or wrong—only life and death. Kill or be killed.

Ye Mingqiu led his troops back inside the city. The battered gates had lost all defensive capability, reduced to piles of rubble. Someone had to keep watch through the night; otherwise, they might not even notice if the enemy broke in.

A short while later—

“Is this all the men left?” Ye Mingqiu asked.

“Just these. Many escaped while you defended the city, and many died. We have barely over a hundred brothers remaining,” answered a centurion with a missing arm.

“I see,” Ye Mingqiu nodded. He then retrieved some rations from his storage space and began distributing them.

“Brothers, thank you for your hard work. Eat well. There may be tough battles ahead tomorrow. Tonight, organize watch shifts—four per group. If you spot an enemy attack, shout loudly to alert everyone. I’ll sally forth to fight the enemy. Do not be afraid...”