I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 114: Effortless Slaughter

"Clear Spirit Water?"

Su Yuan looked at the reward for clearing the twentieth layer of the labyrinth.

Clear Spirit Water was one of the wonders of the Universe. Once consumed, it could massively, albeit temporarily, boost the user's Comprehension.

According to the detailed description provided by the gray mirror when Su Yuan inquired about it, if he were to drink the Clear Spirit Water, its effects would be roughly equivalent to the gains of two minor states of Sudden Enlightenment.

It was important to note that for any cultivator or evolver, a state of Sudden Enlightenment was something incredibly rare and sought-after.

Even though Su Yuan could grasp every single opportunity for Sudden Enlightenment with the help of the gray mirror, the number of minor enlightenments he had experienced so far could still be counted on one hand.

"It will be delivered in a day?"

A smile graced Su Yuan's face. He was quite satisfied.

'The reward for clearing the thirtieth layer...'

Su Yuan's heart stirred, but he quickly shook his head.The reward for the thirtieth layer of the labyrinth was equally alluring to him.

Unfortunately, due to the restrictive mechanics of the Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth, he would have to wait two months before he could attempt the twenty-first layer.

'No rush. I can take it slow.'

Su Yuan reined in his thoughts. Two months in Blue Star time? For a Starry Sky Lifeform, or even a Planetary Lifeform, that was but the blink of an eye.

Inside the community world of the Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth.

The numerous individuals keeping a close eye on Ming all turned their gazes toward the twentieth stone stele.

"My god, clearing ten layers of the labyrinth back-to-back in just a few hours? What exactly is this Ming's background?"

"Could he be the Disciple of some top-tier strategist? Was he undergoing a profound trial before, and only now found the time to challenge the Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth?"

"I can't miss out on this. I've already sent Ming a friend request. A strategist of this caliber is someone we absolutely must befriend."

The crowd murmured in discussion. When Su Yuan had cleared the eleventh and twelfth layers in record time, some still attributed it to mere luck.

They assumed he had simply stumbled upon an easy trial within the maze.

But for ten consecutive layers to go down exactly like that?

That could no longer be explained away by luck.

Only true, calculated mastery could achieve such a feat.

'Hmm? This many friend requests?'

The moment Su Yuan left the Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth world, he noticed hundreds of new friend requests flooding his inbox.

'Is it because of my clearing speed in the labyrinth?'

Su Yuan was not surprised in the slightest. In fact, he had fully anticipated this outcome the moment he decided to speedrun the Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth.

His decision to blitz through the maze was also based on the guidance provided by the gray mirror.

Speedrunning the labyrinth would inevitably draw the attention of many individuals and factions, which was actually a good thing for Su Yuan.

At the very least, it got his name out there. People would know who he was, and in the future, when they needed a strategist to formulate a plan, he would be the first person they thought of.

The Multi-Layer Labyrinth game world was created specifically for strategists by the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire. Not only did it offer abundant rewards, but it also provided a vital networking platform for these tacticians.

And for a strategist, a network of connections was synonymous with wealth.

Every strategy and plan they devised could earn them vast fortunes.

'I will accept these specific friend requests.'

Looking at the hundreds of requests, Su Yuan knew through the gray mirror that the vast majority of them would be of absolutely no use to him.

The few he did accept were people who would genuinely seek him out for cooperation in the future.

'This is what it means to be a strategist.'

Su Yuan mused inwardly.

They were virtually useless in the early stages, but once they achieved a modicum of success, the returns they generated were beyond imagination.

Top-tier strategists could reduce thousands of galaxies to ash with a mere wave of their hand. The amount of resources they could leverage had absolutely no limit.

Within the Void Shattering world.

In Liangzhou City, Su Yuan arrived at the Blacksmith Shop once again.

"Customer, your long gun is ready."

The burly blacksmith solemnly presented a long gun, holding it out to Su Yuan with both hands.

As a renowned master blacksmith in Liangzhou City, he had forged countless weapons, but this long gun was truly his masterpiece. Both the forging method and the choice of materials were top-notch.

"Mhm."

Su Yuan gave a slight nod and took the long gun.

'One thousand one hundred and fifty kilograms, forged from extraterrestrial meteoric iron, completely silver...'

Su Yuan stroked the shaft of the long gun.

Because the Void Shattering world capped physical limitations at the Level 1 Life Form stage, a weapon could not be overly heavy.

The ceiling for physical attributes was firmly set.

While the weight could not be limitlessly increased, the quality of the weapon could certainly be distinguished.

This silver long gun, forged from meteoric iron, possessed a hardness that easily classed it as a superior weapon.

With Su Yuan's strength, a single thrust would effortlessly impale an expert of the Top Three Ranks if they failed to dodge.

Click-clack.

Su Yuan's hands glided over the weapon, and the silver long gun detached into three separate sections. This was a special design feature intended for ease of transport.

Whenever he wished, these three pieces could be instantaneously reassembled into a complete long gun.

"Thank you."

Su Yuan put away the three sections of the long gun and turned to leave.

After leaving Liangzhou City, Su Yuan headed straight back to Green Xiang City.

During his journey back, he took the opportunity to consult the gray mirror.

'Is there a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual nearby that I can obtain?'

'Condition: This Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual must be helpful to me and align with either the Extreme Yang Attribute or the Extreme Yin Attribute.'

Over the past two months, Su Yuan had traded the dozens of Mid-Tier Martial Arts Manuals within the Money Gang for more than ten Mid-Tier Martial Arts Manuals corresponding to the Extreme Yin Attribute and Extreme Yang Attribute.

His comprehension of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang forces had progressed by leaps and bounds, driven primarily by his study of these very manuals.

However, as his comprehension of these forces continued to soar, Su Yuan gradually realized that the Mid-Tier Martial Arts Manuals were offering him diminishing returns.

Going forward, if he wanted to maintain his previous rate of improvement, he would need a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual, specifically one that suited the Extreme Yin or Extreme Yang Attributes.

Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals were exceedingly rare. There were only a handful in all of Green Xiang City, and none of them were of any use to Su Yuan.

The surface of the gray mirror rippled with a hazy mist.

[Method 1: Return to Liangzhou City and head to the City Lord's Manor. From the exchange list provided by the Dayong Dynasty, purchase a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual for the price of five hundred kilograms of Gold...]

'Five hundred kilograms of Gold?' Su Yuan's mouth twitched.

Five hundred kilograms of Gold was equivalent to fifty thousand kilograms of silver, which could be exchanged for one hundred million Azure Surge Coins...

It was not that Su Yuan lacked the funds, but it was completely unnecessary. The price was simply too steep.

The gray mirror continued to ripple before providing a second option.

[Method 2: Half a day from now, a ruin will appear four hundred and fifty kilometers away from this location. The ruin is classified as Purple-tier, and it contains a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual...]

'A Purple-tier ruin?'

Su Yuan's interest was piqued.

Ruins were a core gameplay mechanic in the Void Shattering world, essentially functioning as dungeon raids.

Within these ruins lay numerous treasures and Martial Arts Manuals. Not long ago, the recruitment staffer from the Star River Group branch whom Su Yuan had killed had died exploring the Heavenly Martial Ruin, allowing Su Yuan to wait for a windfall and finish him off.

However, the Heavenly Martial Ruin was a Gold-tier ruin, meaning it was guaranteed to contain a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual. Naturally, it had attracted a massive horde of Starry Sky Lifeforms who slaughtered one another for the prize.

Purple-tier ruins, on the other hand, typically did not house Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals.

But through the gray mirror, Su Yuan knew there was an extremely small probability that a Purple-tier ruin could spawn one.

'A Purple-tier ruin... That is the one.'

Su Yuan made his decision.

First of all, a Purple-tier ruin would not attract experts of the Top Three Ranks.

To those elite experts, Mid-Tier Martial Arts Manuals were practically useless. Only a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual could pique their interest.

And those superior manuals generally only appeared in Gold-tier ruins.

At the foot of a heavily forested hill.

A gaunt man stared at the massive stone door in front of him, his eyes ablaze with ecstatic joy.

"Is this... a ruin left behind by the Black Jade Sect that was annihilated six hundred years ago?" the gaunt man muttered, trembling with excitement.

The Black Jade Sect was a formidable faction from six centuries ago. Because they refused to submit to the rule of the Dayong Dynasty, they were ultimately wiped out by an imperial army, leaving only scattered remnants whose whereabouts were lost to time.

Now, based on the intricate patterns carved into the stone door, the gaunt man concluded that the former site of the Black Jade Sect lay just behind it.

"This is a massive stroke of serendipity, truly a grand fortune!"

The gaunt man's heart pounded with exhilaration. A ruin left by an entire sect? Even though the sect itself had been wiped from existence long ago, any treasure pulled from its remains would be a tremendous windfall!

"Let me see!"

He immediately began to inspect the door with careful precision. Being quite erudite and having studied the sects and factions of centuries past, it took him no time at all to locate the mechanism for the stone door.

The moment he triggered the switch, the massive stone door began to vibrate, slowly groaning open.

"Oh no!"

Seeing the resulting commotion, the gaunt man's expression twisted into panic. The opening process was incredibly violent, rumbling like an earth dragon tossing and turning, causing the ground for dozens of kilometers around to shudder faintly.

"This ruin was built right on top of a ley line. Opening it was bound to trigger a reaction from the earth's veins... This... this..."

Now, all the gaunt man could do was pray that no powerful experts happened to be passing by.

Whoosh! The very next second.

An effeminate-looking man abruptly materialized. Holding a jade folding fan, he casually flicked his wrist, and the gaunt man's head went flying into the air.

The effeminate man gazed at the stone door, a broad smile spreading across his face. "A Purple-tier ruin. My luck is fantastic today. I cannot believe I stumbled upon an opening Purple-tier ruin."

While the Starry Sky Lifeforms of the Top Three Ranks would turn up their noses at a Purple-tier ruin, it was incredibly precious to an expert in the middle three ranks.

The Gold, silver, and Martial Arts Manuals hidden within were more than enough for a middle-rank expert to make an absolute killing.

For an Imperial Citizen Player, it signified a massive real-world payout.

'The stone door is opening far too slowly. It will take at least another two hours,'

The effeminate man thought to himself as he watched the door. As an Imperial Citizen Player, he naturally wanted the door to open as quickly as possible.

Rustle.

Suddenly, the effeminate man snapped his gaze to a spot not far away.

He spotted a figure stepping out from the shadows—it was Su Yuan.

Su Yuan cast a single glance at the effeminate man and instantly determined that the other party was also an Imperial Citizen Player.

'It hasn't opened yet...'

Su Yuan watched the stone door, noting the relentless tremors it was sending out in all directions as it opened, and let out an inward sigh.

A ruin opening would cause a massive disturbance, naturally attracting nearby Players or Native Resident experts to the location... This was simply one of the game's mechanics.

The developers of Void Shattering would never allow a citizen Player to walk away with an entire ruin's worth of wealth without paying some kind of price.

The developers preferred to watch Imperial Citizen Players slaughter each other over a ruin. That way, Players would die and have to spend another hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins just to re-enter the game.

It was another method for the game to generate revenue.

One Player cost a hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins. Ten Players brought in a million. By extension, a hundred Players meant ten million Azure Surge Coins, and a thousand Players raked in an easy one hundred million.

And whenever a Gold-tier ruin spawned, it attracted far more than just a few hundred or a thousand Imperial Citizen Players.

When those Players died, wouldn't they want revenge?

And if they died again while seeking revenge, wouldn't the cycle just continue?

Many Gold-tier ruins even spawned built-in guardians whose sole purpose was to hunt down and slaughter Imperial Citizen Players.

Furthermore, after an Imperial Citizen Player died and respawned, didn't they have to buy their weapons and items all over again? For the game's developers, that was yet another stream of income.

Of course, the average Imperial Citizen Player was completely oblivious to these hidden mechanics and merely chalked it up to the game's inherent difficulty.

But thanks to the gray mirror, Su Yuan knew the exact truth behind it all.

'Hmm?'

'A Peak Fourth-Rank Expert, Luo Xue.'

Su Yuan shifted his gaze toward the shadows of a large tree in the distance.

A red-haired man was standing there, his eyes also locked onto the colossal stone door.

"Brother Tiancheng, I didn't expect to see you here," the red-haired man said to the effeminate man, flashing a faint smile.

The effeminate man's name was Yin Tiancheng. He was quite a renowned expert in Liangzhou, and a Peak Fourth-Rank Expert.

The red-haired man, Luo Xue, was also a Peak Fourth-Rank Expert, and the two of them were not exactly on good terms.

Both of them were Imperial Citizen Players, and they had engaged in brutal skirmishes with each other on several occasions in the past.

The tremors triggered by the opening stone door continued to ripple outward in every direction.

"This tremor? Is a ruin spawning?"

A man dressed like an ascetic monk suddenly halted his steps and turned his eyes toward the source of the vibrations. "Very well, I suppose I will go take a look and see what can be reaped..."

"To think my travels would bring such a pleasant surprise."

Elsewhere, a woman in green robes with a sword on her back looked toward the source of the shockwaves. She leapt into the air and instantly vanished from her spot.

As time slowly ticked by, more and more experts gravitated toward the stone door. Whether they were Native Resident experts or Imperial Citizen Players, they all converged on the location.

After all, earning money in the Void Shattering world was notoriously difficult, and a new ruin meant a massive influx of wealth.

Su Yuan simply stood a short distance away from the stone door and waited.

"Swish!" A figure landed right next to Su Yuan. It was none other than Saber Devil Qin Mo.

Two months prior, when Su Yuan successfully took control of the Money Gang, Saber Devil Qin Mo—who had served under the former Gang Leader—chose to leave Green Xiang City and resume his nomadic travels.

For the past few weeks, Saber Devil Qin Mo had been traveling through Liangzhou. Naturally, the unearthing of a Purple-tier ruin had caught his attention as well.

Upon arriving at the scene, Saber Devil Qin Mo quickly spotted Su Yuan and naturally came over to stand by his side.

After all, the two were acquaintances and were on fairly decent terms.

"What's on your mind?" Su Yuan asked, turning to Saber Devil Qin Mo.

Through the gray mirror, Su Yuan knew that Saber Devil Qin Mo was a decent person. Although his strength wasn't particularly overwhelming, Su Yuan didn't mind chatting with him.

"Do you have any experience exploring ruins?" Saber Devil Qin Mo asked in a hushed tone.

"None," Su Yuan replied. Having only been in the Void Shattering world for two months, he had yet to explore a single one.

"Then we should team up for this." Saber Devil Qin Mo cast a wary glance at their surroundings. "These people all possess Fourth-Rank strength. Only by joining forces will we have any chance of securing some loot once the ruin fully opens."

"Don't worry, I have plenty of experience with ruin exploration,"

Saber Devil Qin Mo added confidently.

"With the two of us working together, I guarantee we'll effortlessly slaughter everyone inside!"