Getting Rich This Time! . . .
The egg, enigmatic and inexplicable, remained nothing more than an egg, incapable of responding to Cha-Eun Xiao's queries. Yet, despite the impossibility of receiving an answer, he couldn't help but voice his bewilderment.
"You're just an egg," he mused aloud, his tone filled with perplexity. "How can you possess such incredible hardness? What secrets lie within you?"
He stared at the egg, clearly baffled by its extraordinary properties. Its surface bore strange patterns that glimmered as if to taunt him, and he couldn't help but feel as though he were conversing with an inanimate object.
"Here I am, talking to an egg," he chuckled wryly. "Asking questions of it... Have I truly gone mad, or has some misfortune befallen me?"
The egg remained silent, and after a moment, Cha-Eun Xiao decided to return it to the Spaces, along with the Cosmic Hades.
With that matter settled, he turned his attention to the pile of mashed meat that had once been Gu Jin-Long. His intentions, however, were far from sinister. He had no intention of creating human meat buns or grinding the remains into dust. To him, this heap of flesh was nothing more than a discarded remnant, devoid of significance.
After a brief search, he unearthed a vintage-style ring from within the grisly pile. He retrieved it and placed it within the Spaces. He then utilized the East-rising Purple Qi to incinerate any remaining fragments of Gu Jin-Long's soul. With the man now deceased, the restriction spell on the ring posed no challenge to Cha-Eun Xiao.
With a sense of anticipation, he declared, "It's time to inspect my spoils of war, now that this scoundrel is no longer a threat."
He couldn't contain his excitement, as he believed that Gu Jin-Long had undoubtedly accumulated a substantial treasure trove.
"This marks my first substantial windfall," he muttered. "For quite some time, it might be the only resource I acquire from the Qing-Yun Realm."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Obtaining such treasures won't be easy moving forward... unless I find a way back to the Qing-Yun Realm."
With this sentiment in mind, Cha-Eun Xiao retrieved a vintage-style space ring from the Spaces—a former possession of Gu Jin-Long, now reclaimed by its new owner.
"The ring itself is crafted from the Heart of Stars," he noted with admiration, acknowledging the quality of the space ring. "Gu Jin-Long must have hailed from a significant sect."
Etched onto the ring was an image of a sword, its design encompassing the entirety of the band, accompanied by the phrase, 'I am the dragon of all ages.'
Surveying the engraving, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but offer a wry smile as he remarked, "You may have been a dragon of all ages, but you became a mere specter in my presence."
With a casual swipe of his hand, the restriction spell on the ring vanished, allowing him to access its contents. However, what he found within left him nearly stupefied.
"Oh, my word!" he exclaimed in astonishment, struggling to comprehend the sheer wealth that had belonged to Gu Jin-Long. The vast array of materials piled up like a miniature mountain, a treasure trove that left Cha-Eun Xiao on the brink of disbelief.
"I can scarcely fathom just how much time I'll save with these resources," he thought, his heart racing with exhilaration.
Notably, all the items were neatly arranged and meticulously organized—an indication of Gu Jin-Long's meticulous nature.
Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but chuckle, realizing, "This man must have carried his entire collection with him. It's only fitting, given his cautious disposition. He'd never rest easy unless his treasures were within arm's reach. Little did he know that they would fall into my hands."
Cha-Eun Xiao's eyes gleamed with unbridled greed as he embarked on a thorough inspection of the spoils before him. The collection sprawled before him was nothing short of staggering.
An extensive array of low-quality spiritual jades, exceeding ten thousand pieces, each sporting an ivory hue, laid out before him. Tens of thousands of medium-quality spiritual jades in pristine white accompanied them. Adding to the astounding wealth were thousands of high-quality spiritual jades, all radiating a delicate golden sheen.
Yet, the most astonishing discovery lay in the presence of two massive purple spiritual jades, each the size of a grown man's palm. Even in Cha-Eun Xiao's previous life, such spiritual jades had eluded his awareness.
"Could these be the legendary supreme spiritual jades, those that exist only in myth?" he pondered aloud, his voice tinged with awe. As he held them, a dense surge of pure spiritual power enveloped him, nearly robbing him of breath.
"The spiritual qi within these is remarkably dense," he marveled. "There's no doubt about it—these are supreme spiritual jades."
Having satisfied his initial curiosity, Cha-Eun Xiao turned his attention to the remaining treasures within the ring.
To his left, he discovered an assortment of medical materials meticulously arranged and of exceptionally high quality. To his delight, they were organized according to specific prescriptions, with each bundle containing materials meant for the same formula.
"Gu Jin-Long deserves credit for such meticulous organization," he remarked with a grin.
His exploration of the space ring continued, revealing an assortment of peculiar metals, rare dan beads, and even martial arts books. The prospect of wealth sent a broad smile across his face.
"I'm going to become incredibly wealthy this time!"
What's more, within Gu Jin-Long's space ring were numerous other space rings, possibly plundered from unfortunate victims. Although their contents might not match the opulence of Gu Jin-Long's ring, the mere presence of these additional rings hinted at valuable treasures.
Cha-Eun Xiao was ecstatic; a vast fortune awaited him.
Yet, amid his excitement, a pang of regret struck him. He slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"Oh, what a fool I was..."
He cast a rueful glance at the numerous rings he had collected, realizing that he had squandered such opportunities in his previous life. He had never bothered to gather these rings, despite his countless kills. Instead, he had simply departed after each confrontation.
"How could I have been so foolish?" he chided himself, annoyed by the oversight.
Then, the truth dawned on him. Throughout most of his previous life, he had been relentlessly pursued—hunted for nearly eighty percent of his existence. Even when he managed to eliminate an adversary, he scarcely had the luxury to linger and claim their possessions. Fleeing for his life had been his top priority.
In retrospect, he acknowledged that he had not been in a position to leisurely seize the spoils of his foes. His sense of regret waned, replaced by a certain irony. He even found himself lamenting that he hadn't appreciated the value of the Purple Lotus Decree Master's ring back when he had claimed it. Such was the nature of human desire—ever insatiable.
As Cha-Eun Xiao basked in the glory of his newfound wealth, he reflected on his earlier expectations.
"When I left home today, I had hopes of becoming genuinely wealthy," he chuckled with delight.
However, as he prepared to depart, a sudden realization dampened his spirits. The entire mountain was now cloaked in ice, a layer more than ten meters thick that barred his exit.
Cha-Eun Xiao's ascent from the ice-covered cave was a display of his mastery over the East-rising Purple Qi. With its pure Yang Energy coursing through him, the ice quickly succumbed to the warmth emanating from him. As he descended to the icy ground below, he marveled at the spectacle before him.
His eyes widened in admiration as he gazed upon the frozen landscape. The mountain of ice that stretched out before him gleamed like a colossal diamond under the radiant sunlight. It was a breathtaking sight, as if an enormous gem had been unearthed from the earth and now glistened with vibrant, prismatic hues.
The play of light on the ice created a stunning array of rainbows that seemed to hang in the sky, casting an enchanting and surreal atmosphere over the entire scene. A gentle breeze swept through the area, causing Cha-Eun Xiao's robes to flutter. He inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp, invigorating air that surrounded him. It felt as though he had entered another world altogether, a world of pure wonder and beauty.
In the wake of his victorious battle against the seemingly invincible Gu Jin-Long, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and amazement at his own abilities. He muttered to himself, "This is truly magnificent."
He had achieved the seemingly impossible – defeating Gu Jin-Long, a formidable opponent who had held the upper hand in their battle. It was a feat that defied belief, a miraculous victory that would go down in history.
No matter the tactics, no matter the methods employed, the fact remained that Cha-Eun Xiao had vanquished a foe who, by all accounts, should have been considered a deity among men. The realization of this extraordinary accomplishment washed over him as he stood atop the icy mountain, surveying the breathtaking panorama before him.
Unbeknownst to him, back in Chen-Xing City, the entire populace was in a state of feverish excitement. A historic event had unfolded before their very eyes – an event that had no precedent in the annals of their city's history.
Approximately 150 kilometers from the capital, a colossal ice mountain had materialized seemingly out of thin air. This phenomenon had occurred during the scorching summer months, when even the slightest exertion left people drenched in sweat. Yet within a mere six hours, a vast expanse of ice had emerged, stretching for a thousand miles.
Streams of multicolored light radiated from the ice mountain, illuminating the entire city in a dazzling display of hues. The once oppressive summer heat had been replaced by an unexpected chill that permeated the air.
News of this unprecedented event had already reached the ears of every citizen in Chen-Xing City. It was a spectacle too extraordinary to conceal or ignore. The abrupt change in temperature had baffled the residents, leaving them puzzled and intrigued.
As the mercury continued to plummet, what had initially been a welcome respite from the summer heat soon transformed into an uncomfortably bone-chilling cold. Such a dramatic change in weather was simply incomprehensible.
Speculation ran rampant among the populace. Some wondered if the gods themselves were behind this mysterious phenomenon, perhaps seeking to redress some grievance by bringing an unexpected snowfall to the city. Others questioned the sudden shift in climate, unable to fathom the cause.
Meanwhile, as word spread, it became apparent that the ice mountain was responsible for the dramatic shift in temperature. Chen-Xing City had unwittingly become the epicenter of a phenomenon that had captivated the entire region.
As Cha-Eun Xiao completed his triumph over Gu Jin-Long and surveyed the wondrous ice-covered landscape, he remained oblivious to the multitude of people and factions making their way toward the site of this extraordinary event. Unbeknownst to him, his actions had set in motion a series of events that would forever alter the destiny of Chen-Xing City.