Calamity Messenger

Chapter 180 - 142: Seven-Star Sword, Changle City (2)

After all, those who can participate in the Second-Turn Three-Ring Crusade are at least messengers, and are no longer resources that the military town can casually squander.

In Yan Qing’s harvest from strategizing the Second-Turn Secret Realm, in addition to normal resources like Spiritual Jade and Blood Replenishing Pills, the most valuable were the ’Advanced Sword Mastery Secret Manual’ and the ’Seven-Star Sword.’

"Seven-Star Sword"

"Grade: Second-Turn Rare"

"Durability: 120/120"

"Equipment Requirement: 10 points of Qi Blood, 5 points of Soul"

"Equipment Requirement: Advanced Swordsmanship MAX"

"Base Attack Power: 20~35 points"

"Effect: Seven Stars - The attack of the Seven-Star Sword leaves a sword mark, when seven marks are accumulated, they immediately explode, each mark causes 25 points of slashing wounds, marks last for seven seconds."

"Effect: Shimmering - When Shimmering is activated, the Seven-Star Sword marks no longer explode or fade, but remain on the enemy. Normal attacks no longer deal base damage, but leave two marks. For every 2 seconds Shimmering is active, mark damage increases by 5 points; Shimmering can last a maximum of 10 seconds, maintaining Shimmering consumes 20 points of Spiritual Power per second, with a cooldown of 5 seconds."

"Evaluation: Your Omen Star is shining."

It is actually a Rare Longsword!

Moreover, compared to the Seven-Step Buddhist Chant, the Seven-Star Sword undoubtedly has higher theoretical damage, but the downside is that it consumes too much Spiritual Power. Even for Second-Turn Messengers like Mouse Monk Jiang Shi, the maximum Spiritual Power is only about fifty points. Even if they become a Third-Turn Messenger, it’s just over a hundred, making it impossible to fully utilize the Shimmering ability.

Of course, this is assuming no investment of Spiritual Jade. If Yan Qing is willing to invest Spiritual Jade to sustain the Shimmering effect, the instantaneous burst of the Seven-Star Sword could even rival the full-force strike of the Soul-Breaking Spear.

More importantly, Yan Qing finally has a stable channel to acquire Advanced Secret Manuals and Rare Tokens. Once he lists these on the trading board, he’s bound to reap a wave of Spiritual Jade.

If a First-Turn Token and basic manual can only attract ordinary people, then Second-Turn Rares and Advanced Manuals would interest even Messenger Families — Shang Xinlei previously used only an ordinary Second-Turn Flying Circle Token!

Even if ’Stone Sinking Creek’ can only be tackled once a day, its gains surpass Jiang Shi and Ye Si attacking ’Zhen San Mountain’ five times!

In fact, the prices of saber manuals and the Flame Pattern Long Saber have dropped to a quarter of their peak, not because there’s no demand, but because the wealthy needing First-Turn resources have been satisfied, leaving only the impoverished.

Advanced Swordsmanship and Rare Tokens will not escape this fate; they will initially sell at high prices, but those who can afford such prices are few. Soon, prices will drop to appallingly low levels.

But no matter how low the price later, it will still be remarkably high in the game.

The reason is that people in this world spend decades or even generations of wealth to buy manuals and tokens. These foundational sets in the game might be the only chance for ordinary messengers to change their class in their lifetime.

Moreover, even if they want to buy, it’s not guaranteed they can. Aristocrats will only release surplus resources they don’t need, and for a highly versatile skill like Advanced Swordsmanship, even Military Town Messengers might not qualify to purchase it.

Since he possesses Advanced Swordsmanship, tomorrow he can put up exchange orders for Advanced Saber Techniques or Advanced Dual Sabers on the trading board. Thinking of this, Yan Qing relaxed completely; finally, his Second-Turn path was clear.

Even Ye Si on the alternate account had achieved the Second Turn a few days ago, yet his main account had not. It must be that the alternate account wasn’t working hard enough. If the alternate account reached the Third Turn and explored the Third-Turn Secret Realm, how could he lack Second-Turn resources?

Thinking about the Third-Turn Secret Realm, Yan Qing switched to the Rabbit Heroine account and realized they were nearing Shu Dao Mountain.

Saying they were arriving might not be accurate because they had entered the Shu Dao Mountain area since yesterday, which led to encounters with Ye Kai and his apprentice. They had been traversing mountains and ridges all day, and finally saw a town located at the foot of the mountain.

Yes, a town situated at the heart of the Demon Path Evil Land.

When they approached the gate, Yan Qing felt a murderous aura through the screen. Dozens of corpses hung on the city walls, each one with twisted flesh, surrounded by flies and maggots, obviously tortured in life. Their blood ran down the walls, staining the plaque reading ’Changle City’ in dark red.

Beside the city gate stood a large stone tablet, inscribed with blood-stained large characters:

"Those who do not follow the rules, die!"

Six people guarded the gate, two with red names. People occasionally entered and exited, and nearby a notice stated the entry fee was five pieces of Spiritual Jade — in Chang’an, that amount could sustain a year’s worth of meals at the first noodle shop opposite An Guo Temple.

Pharmacist’s Wish, wearing a hood and mask, handed over twenty-three pieces of Spiritual Jade while entering, and the middle-aged man collecting it said lazily, "Four people, twenty pieces."

"Those three pieces are for inquiring about specific rules," Pharmacist’s Wish pointed at the stone tablet nearby.

"Rules are rules," the middle-aged man replied, taking the Spiritual Jade. "Things like stealing, murder, causing trouble — the mess of it. Whatever rules you follow outside, here you must follow the same. No trouble is allowed in Changle City. If trouble arises, someone has definitely broken the rules."

"Cause trouble in Changle City, and even if you flee to the ends of the earth from Shu Dao Mountain, you will be hunted. Understand?"

His implication was simple: don’t cause them trouble, and there won’t be any; cause trouble, and someone will certainly face trouble.