The next morning, Xiao Jie logged into the game bright and early.
It was time to continue his journey. Now that the trouble with the World Association was resolved, he could finally level up with ease.
The first thing Xiao Jie had to do was to say goodbye to Yuan Bai, for he was finally heading back to Luoyang Town.
"Brother Yuan, a thousand miles can’t bind a friendship, but all trips must end with parting. I must take my leave now; do take care in the future.
Among the returnees are the good and the bad, many of whom are sly, not everyone is as sincere of heart as me. After I leave, you really need to be careful for your safety."
"Hahaha, rest assured, my brother, I’m as cunning as a monkey, so there is no way I’ll be fooled by them, and I won’t suffer a loss."
Yuan Bai’s pun had Xiao Jie laughing out loud.
He used the [Bow] emote towards Yuan Bai, then gracefully departed.
Xiao Jie wasn’t worried about Yuan Bai’s safety. Such NPCs, "Worldly Expert," don’t belong in the monster category, and killing them yields no loot, so they are generally quite safe.
Players usually treat these NPCs as quest givers, seeking their favor to gain benefits.
Especially since players found out that Xiao Jie knew Yuan Bai, those looking to curry favor with Yuan Bai had been coming in an endless stream.
But these people were doomed to be disappointed, Xiao Jie thought. It’s unlikely that Yuan Bai would teach his Supreme Sword Technique to a second person, given that he had to reach full favorability and earn the bond of sworn friends, on top of completing the quest to inquire with the Immortal.
Ordinary players could probably learn at most one and a half moves even if they maxed out their favorability.
And favorability isn’t easy to gain anymore. When he first met Yuan Bai, the "monkey" was a naïve soul, and simple sweets or clothes could increase favorability. Nowadays, having experienced the bustle of human cities and enjoyed various perks, the difficulty of gaining favorability has increased significantly. Just thinking about how much resources it would take to grind out 100 favorability...
But that’s not for him to worry about.
As for his own path, Xiao Jie already had a plan for his next steps in the game.
First was to level up to 19 around Luoyang Town.
He also needed to save up for a decent set of equipment, at least a mix of blue and green items. He still had a few ordinary pieces on him.
In addition, his Inner Power Saber Technique needed further accumulation. He must learn at least one Intermediate Internal Skill and raise his Inner Power Value above eight hundred to maintain lengthy fights.
The Saber Skill wasn’t urgent, but having multiple secret techniques would certainly be beneficial. Illusion Shattering Bubble Shadow was powerful but too costly – not ideal unless for one-on-one fights to quickly take down an opponent, whereas Wind Roll Cloud was more practical.
If he could comprehend a few more secret techniques and use them according to different situations, he would undoubtedly be more adept in combat.
It was also time to obtain more Combat Skills.
Once everything was prepared, it would be time to unlock the legacy of the Ancient Qi Refiner.
According to the two Immortals, the legacy of the Ancient Qi Refiner was hidden in an Ancient Ruin. Since it’s been so long, it was uncertain whether there would be danger inside. Considering the risks of the game, he must be fully prepared before taking action.
If he could obtain the legacy of the Ancient Qi Refiner, becoming an Immortal would be within easy reach... he he he.
Xiao Jie was delighted at the thought.
Before setting out, he went to the auction house to collect the money from the Monkey Wine and Secret Dog Food sales.
The two hundred-plus taels of silver he had saved up for the Life and Death Duels had been nearly spent, leaving less than ten taels. Fortunately, with these two recipes, he could have a steady income.
Yesterday, he sold four bottles of Monkey Wine and seven servings of Secret Dog Food, totaling five taels of silver.
In addition, he put up all the Scarlet Resin he got for 200 wen each, which brought in another three taels of silver.
All together, he now had a total of eighteen taels of silver, which was more than enough for his needs.
As he was pondering his finances, a private message suddenly appeared in the chat interface.
Longteng Sihai: Brother Feng, this is Vice Leader Si Hai. The boss asked me to add you to the guild. Where are you? I’m waiting for you in the square.
Hidden Moon Following Wind: Coming right away.
A few minutes later, Xiao Jie found Longteng Sihai in the square.
Upon glancing at Longteng Sihai’s attributes, he was a bit astonished.
Longteng Sihai (Divine General): Level 38, Life Value 1280.
Seeing Longteng Sihai’s lengthy health bar, the shining treasure armor, and the dazzling halberd in his hands, Xiao Jie thought to himself that this guy was quite strong; just the health bar alone was impressive.
Ever since learning Illusion Shattering Bubble Shadow, whenever he met someone new, he would habitually calculate whether he had a chance to take them down instantly.
Looking at Longteng Sihai, he realized—no chance. His defensive capabilities were surely an order of magnitude higher than Xiong Ba’s. That set of Golden Armor must have over eighty Body Defense, and dealing three or four hundred damage in five seconds would be lucky.
If he couldn’t take his opponent down in a flash, the only option would be to run.
But since the opponent was a Divine General, belonging to a Magic profession, he most likely wouldn’t be able to escape even if he wanted to.
Humans are very pragmatic creatures. When faced with others who completely overshadow their power, especially those with overwhelming superiority, they tend to tread carefully.
Xiao Jie was no exception: "Oh, I didn’t expect the Vice Leader to personally wait for me here. My apologies for the oversight."
Xiao Jie’s courteous remark left Longteng Sihai somewhat surprised, thinking that this brother was quite adept at handling matters and not as arrogant as the boss had described.