novelraw Chapter 123: How About We Spar for a Bit?
Chapter 123: How About We Spar for a Bit?
Whoosh—
Countless images dissipated into the void.
The notification sound of the "Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth" rang in Su Yuan's ears.
"Congratulations on clearing the thirtieth layer of the labyrinth."
Su Yuan gathered his thoughts, still immersed in the lingering shock of commanding an interstellar war just moments ago.
"The reward for clearing the thirtieth layer is a Spatial Teleportation Gem."
The system prompt echoed once more.
'A Spatial Teleportation Gem...'
Su Yuan remained completely calm. He had naturally learned about the reward for the thirtieth layer ahead of time through the gray mirror.
The Spatial Teleportation Gem was a life-saving artifact. Once activated, it could instantly transport the user across a vast distance to escape dangerous situations.Several months ago, when the Multieye Clan's Interstellar Colonial Ship descended, Captain Ao Qu had managed to flee to the North Pole in an instant despite being bombarded by the numerous High-Tech Weapons Su Yuan had set up in advance.
He had relied entirely on a Spatial Teleportation Gem to survive.
Within the Universe, such life-saving items had always held astronomical value.
Captain Ao Qu's Spatial Teleportation Gem had been acquired at a tremendous cost by his father, Toran Xileng, who then bestowed it upon him as an ultimate trump card.
It could be said that possessing such a gem guaranteed survival, unless one encountered a Mid-Realm Starry Sky Lifeform whose consciousness could envelop an entire inhabited planet in a single thought.
Otherwise, by instantly opening up a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers, Captain Ao Qu could have at least bought enough time to react.
That time could then be used to deploy other hidden trump cards and methods.
Unfortunately for him, Captain Ao Qu had encountered Su Yuan, who knew the exact coordinates of the gem's destination and had thrust his spear in advance.
'The Canglan Cosmic Human Empire truly considered every aspect when grooming its strategists,'
Su Yuan sighed in admiration inwardly.
A strategist was weak in their early stages. If they encountered dangers beyond their calculations, they could easily be trapped or killed.
With this Spatial Teleportation Gem in hand, they gained a much larger margin for error. As long as they remained somewhat cautious, they would not perish easily.
'However... this Spatial Teleportation Gem is not of much use to me.'
Su Yuan shook his head slightly.
Whether it was a strategist, an ordinary cultivator, or an evolver.
It was easy for them to encounter unforeseen dangers. No matter how flawless a strategist's calculations were, they could not possibly know everything that was going to happen in advance. There would always be a time when a calculation fell short.
That would be the most perilous moment for any strategist.
However.
Such a thing would simply never happen to Su Yuan.
With the help of the gray mirror, he could foresee any danger he might face.
He could then avoid or resolve it ahead of time.
Unless Su Yuan deliberately chose to confront those threats, he would never run into any true danger.
Since he would never be caught off guard by danger, this Spatial Teleportation Gem was naturally useless to him.
'I should just store it away for now.'
Su Yuan mused to himself.
Even though the Spatial Teleportation Gem was practically useless to him.
Having it was better than nothing.
Even if he did not use it, he could always sell it for Azure Surge Coins, which could then be used to purchase the resources he actually needed.
It all amounted to the same thing in the end.
'The reward for the thirtieth layer might be useless to me, but the reward for the fortieth layer...'
A faint look of anticipation surfaced in Su Yuan's heart.
Earlier, right when Su Yuan had begun challenging the twenty-first layer of the labyrinth.
A massive crowd had already gathered in the community hub of the "Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth".
"Ming has started challenging the labyrinth again."
"Based on the escalating difficulty of the 'Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth', the trial for the thirtieth layer shouldn't be limited to a single planet anymore. I wonder how long it will take Ming to clear it."
"Yeah, I was stuck on the thirtieth layer for ages back then."
The spectators murmured among themselves. Many of the strategists in the crowd had already cleared the fiftieth, sixtieth, or even higher layers.
Yet, they had all been drawn here by Ming's exaggerated clearing speed, curious to see exactly which layer would finally be able to stall him for a while.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
The name 'Ming' appeared with astonishing speed on the twenty-second stone stele, then the twenty-third...
Until it finally reached the thirtieth stele.
"Holy crap, he's still going this fast?"
"Even the thirtieth layer couldn't hold Ming back for long?"
"This Ming definitely has a massive background!"
The onlookers broke into fervent discussions once more. By now, Ming's strength was Beyond All Doubt. His true strategic capabilities far exceeded the level of the thirtieth layer.
Everyone was incredibly curious about Ming's true origins and just how high his limits as a strategist actually reached.
"Such an incredible strategist... I need to send a friend request right now."
"Exactly, add him first. Who knows, we might be able to hire Ming to devise a plan for us in the future."
Amidst the discussions, many people casually sent friend requests to Su Yuan.
After all, befriending a strategist was standard practice. Even if Ming ignored their requests, they had absolutely nothing to lose.
But if he accepted, it would be a massive gain. Having a connection with a top-tier strategist could prove absolutely vital at crucial moments.
'Another thousand friend requests...'
Su Yuan glanced at the number of pending friend requests on the "Ten Thousand Layer Labyrinth" interface.
He then used the gray mirror to selectively accept a few of them.
Anyone whose request he accepted was guaranteed to seek him out for help in the future and bring him tangible benefits.
Within the Broken Void World.
Su Yuan's consciousness descended, his gaze falling upon Qin Mo, who stood not far away.
As the first Imperial Citizen Player Su Yuan had encountered, Qin Mo now held a position in the Money Gang second only to the Gang Leader.
Naturally, Qin Mo had not disappointed Su Yuan's expectations, managing the Money Gang in perfect, orderly fashion.
"Gang Leader, the Lu Family of Gongyang City has agreed to the trade. This is the 'True Nine Yang Art'."
Qin Mo respectfully presented a wooden box holding the Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual, the "True Nine Yang Art".
The day prior, acting on Su Yuan's orders, he had delivered a dagger infused with the power of yin and yang to Lu Heng, an expert in the Top Three Ranks from the Lu Family.
Lu Heng had stared at the dagger for half an hour before finally sighing and agreeing to trade the Lu Family's cherished Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual for the price of three hundred kilograms of Gold.
Upon obtaining the "True Nine Yang Art" from Lu Heng, Qin Mo had immediately rushed back to the Money Gang without stopping to rest.
"Gang Leader."
Qin Mo carefully handed the "True Nine Yang Art" to Su Yuan, his heart swelling with intense gratitude.
This was a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual worth five hundred kilograms of Gold, equivalent to one hundred million Azure Surge Coins.
Yet Su Yuan had trusted him completely, giving him full authority to handle the transaction for this manual without sending a single person to supervise him.
How could Qin Mo not be moved by such profound trust?
If he had harbored even the slightest greedy thought, he could have easily pocketed the Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual, deleted his account, and re-entered the game.
At that point, even if Su Yuan was a Peak Starry Sky Lifeform with the power to obliterate an inhabited planet, he would have been completely helpless to stop him.
What Qin Mo did not know was that Su Yuan had used the gray mirror to foresee that he would bring the "True Nine Yang Art" back safely. That was the only reason he had been entrusted with the task.
Other strategists deduced the outcome based on the process.
Su Yuan, on the other hand, implemented the process based on a known outcome.
"The 'True Nine Yang Art'?"
Su Yuan accepted the wooden box. Upon opening it, he saw the original manuscript of the Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual resting inside.
"This Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual..." A peculiar light gleamed in Su Yuan's eyes.
According to the gray mirror's evaluation, this manual would provide him with greater assistance than all the other Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals he had studied so far.
"You did very well."
Su Yuan closed the wooden box and looked at Qin Mo. "How goes your comprehension of the 'Nine Methods of the Heavenly Saber' that I assigned you to study?"
The "Nine Methods of the Heavenly Saber" was a unique Mid-Tier Martial Arts Manual, and also one of the techniques best suited for Qin Mo.
Studying this manual would greatly aid Qin Mo in breaking through his Level 9 bottleneck and advancing into a Level 10 Starry Sky Lifeform.
Qin Mo was his subordinate, after all, and had been serving him diligently during this period. Su Yuan naturally would not mistreat him and occasionally offered his guidance.
"I am still studying it, but I feel like I'll break through that threshold very soon,"
Qin Mo replied, his expression turning slightly excited.
"Good."
Su Yuan nodded.
The moment he looked at Qin Mo, the gray mirror instantly provided accurate information regarding exactly when the man would advance to become a Level 10 Starry Sky Lifeform, among other details.
After returning to his training room.
Su Yuan opened the wooden box and began comprehending the "True Nine Yang Art".
In a trance-like state, Su Yuan's consciousness descended into the body of a burly, bare-chested man.
"The Yang of this world is boundless and inexhaustible, but in my eyes, it can be divided into nine distinct types..."
As the bare-chested man spoke, he drew in an endless torrent of Ultimate Yang power, continuously manifesting it before him.
By comprehending the Martial Arts Manuals of the Broken Void World, one could directly possess the founder's perspective, gaining their most fundamental insights into the manual and its corresponding Cosmic Power.
It was essentially equivalent to an enlightenment transfer.
This was exactly why Su Yuan did not simply use the gray mirror to memorize the text, but instead sought out the original manuscripts for personal study.
Without the direct immersion and enlightenment provided by the original physical copy, merely knowing the words of the Martial Arts Manual was practically useless.
Two hours later.
Su Yuan abruptly opened his eyes.
Whoosh!
He raised his right hand, gathering a massive amount of Ultimate Yang power into his palm. It immediately ignited the air, birthing a flickering flame.
"I see."
Su Yuan stared thoughtfully at the flame burning in his palm without any wind to stoke it.
After a moment of contemplation.
Su Yuan queried the gray mirror deep within his sea of consciousness.
'Show me my latest physical data!'
The gray mirror rippled hazily, and lines of text surfaced upon it.
[Life Level: Level 8 (2%)]
[Cultivation Method: Six Dimensions Cultivation Method]
[Sacred Method: Mind Brand]
[Spear Technique: "Thirty-six Forms of Ultimate Yang" (Perfected)]
[Spear Technique: "Thirty-six Forms of Ultimate Yin" (Perfected)]
[Ultimate Yang Power: 92%]
[Ultimate Yin Power: 86%]
[Combat Bonus: 3320%]
'My comprehension of the Ultimate Yang power jumped straight from 85% to 92%...'
'And thanks to the mutual generation of yin and yang, my Ultimate Yin power also increased by 1%...'
Su Yuan mused in awe, 'And there is the combat bonus as well...'
Before comprehending the "True Nine Yang Art", Su Yuan's combat multiplier was only around twenty-eight or twenty-nine times his base strength.
Now, it had directly breached the thirty-three times mark—a phenomenal leap in power.
'A Second-Rank Master has a combat multiplier of thirty. With my current thirty-three times multiplier, I already qualify as a Second-Rank Master...'
Su Yuan was in a highly pleasant mood.
Within the Top Three Ranks of the Broken Void World, Third-Rank Masters were the most common.
As for Second-Rank Masters? Their numbers plummeted significantly, let alone First-Rank Masters.
Meanwhile.
Outside the gates of Green Xiang City.
Stood a white-haired old man.
'I've finally reached Green Xiang City. I wonder if I can persuade this Gang Leader Wu to join us,'
This white-haired elder was an Imperial Citizen Player, and also a Third-Rank peak master.
He had come here for the sole purpose of recruiting Su Yuan into the Player circles of the Dayong Dynasty's Capital City.
The Dayong Dynasty's Capital City was a hub for the most elite powerhouses across the Nine Provinces. It was an undisputed domain of Native Resident experts. As for Imperial Citizen Players? They could only band together for warmth and survival in the Capital City.
Because of this harsh reality, whenever a new Imperial Citizen Player reached the Top Three Ranks, 'Canglan Pavilion'—the leading faction formed by Players in the Capital City—would immediately send an envoy to recruit them.
The white-haired elder had a very clear destination. The moment he entered Green Xiang City, he headed straight for the Money Gang.
By slightly revealing the aura of a Third-Rank peak master, he was quickly escorted right to Su Yuan.
"I am Fu Qingcheng. Greetings, Gang Leader Wu," the white-haired elder, named Fu Qingcheng, said as he looked at Su Yuan.
"Bring wine," Su Yuan ordered with a wave of his hand. A maidservant immediately stepped forward to serve fine wine.
"I have long heard of your great name, Gang Leader Wu. You've only just entered the Third Rank, yet you managed to permanently silence so many Fourth-Rank experts. That is no easy feat."
Fu Qingcheng took a sip of the fine wine and spoke with a smile.
"It was merely a stroke of luck," Su Yuan replied, shaking his head slightly.
"That was no mere luck," Fu Qingcheng countered earnestly. "I've seen the videos of your battles. For someone who just stepped into the Third Rank, your combat prowess is already comparable to the mid-stage of the Third Rank. With such terrifying talent, how could it be luck?"
The Imperial Citizen Players whom Su Yuan had slaughtered back in the Black Jade Sect Ruins had long since uploaded recordings of the massacre to the community hub.
"My purpose for coming to Green Xiang City in person is to formally represent the Capital City's 'Canglan Pavilion' and invite you to join our ranks," Fu Qingcheng said, cutting straight to the chase.
"Join the 'Canglan Pavilion'?" Su Yuan's expression remained tranquil.
Canglan Pavilion was a major faction established by the Players of the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire.
"What can you offer me?"
Su Yuan asked with a look of amusement.
He did not mind joining Canglan Pavilion. After all, he would have to make his way to the Capital City eventually.
The key issue was just how many benefits the pavilion was willing to offer to secure his membership.
As his cultivation progressed, Su Yuan's demand for Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals grew exponentially. And the one place across the entire Nine Provinces with the most manuals of that caliber was the Capital City.
"One Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual perfectly suited to your cultivation path," Fu Qingcheng offered immediately.
A single Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual was worth a hundred million Azure Surge Coins. In the real world, that amount of wealth would be enough to hire a Level 15 or 16 Starry Sky Lifeform for a significant period.
"Three Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals, and I get to choose which three," Su Yuan demanded without hesitation.
"Three... Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals?" Fu Qingcheng's mouth twitched violently.
This exorbitant price tag far exceeded the budget he had been given before coming here.
'Gang Leader Wu truly has an insatiable appetite,' Fu Qingcheng thought to himself, frantically trying to figure out a way to make Su Yuan lower his demands.
"How about this? You and I spar for a bit. If I manage to defeat you, the offer stands at one Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual. But if I fail, I will agree to your demand of three manuals."
After mulling it over, Fu Qingcheng finally presented his counteroffer.
He was a Third-Rank peak master. Even if Su Yuan possessed the combat prowess of a mid-stage Third Rank, Fu Qingcheng remained wholly confident in his ability to defeat him. He intended to teach this arrogant junior exactly what level of strength warranted what level of compensation.