"Weapons have been selected; now, we need to choose the armor..."
Armor is different from weapons. Even among A-grade armor, the cost is more than ten times that of weapons.
When Wang Xu saw that A-grade armor required hundreds of thousands of points, he immediately shook his head.
Wang Xu knew that the high price of armor was due to its durability.
Powerful armor can withstand any weapon of equal grade, reducing the incoming attack's strength by fifty percent, and some even by ninety percent. Having such armor on the battlefield can vastly increase one's chances of survival.
The crafting of armor is incredibly difficult, and suitable materials are extremely rare, which is why the production cost of an A-grade armor piece is steep, leading to an even more outrageous selling price.
It's similar to the D-grade battle suits awarded by the academy during trials; while they belong to the lowest tier of armor, they still are quite pricey—costing at least hundreds of thousands of Earth coins, or several hundred points if converted.
"Black Scaled Armor, B-grade, costs 12,000 points."
Wang Xu gritted his teeth and decided to buy this piece of armor.
The Black Scaled Armor can effectively resist impacts, with B-grade or lower weapons being unable to breach its defense. Even A-grade weapons can only reduce their impact force by fifty percent, making it a high-value choice.
With only 12,000 points remaining, Wang Xu considered what else to buy.
With weapons and armor secured, he didn't need training resources, and special materials were of little use to him.
So what was left...? Ancient Martial Skills!
Entering the Ancient Martial Skills catalog, he immediately clicked on the premium category.
Wow! Wang Xu was stunned; the prices for Ancient Martial Skills were over a hundred times those of weapons and armor!
"'Heavenly Star Shattering Blade,' premium Ancient Martial Skill, 36 million points; requires five-star access to purchase."
36 million points!
Wang Xu sighed; he'd seen the rules for exchanging points. Selling a third-tier bug beast carcass to the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall only garners 30 points—meaning he'd have to kill at least 1.2 million third-tier bug beasts to acquire this 'Heavenly Star Shattering Blade!'
Moreover, just having the points wasn't enough; he needed five-star access too. Wang Xu only had a one-star access level, and to upgrade to two-star, he needed to accumulate 200,000 points. Three-star required 3.2 million, four-star 56 million, and five-star exceeded 100 million!
Wang Xu could barely imagine what kind of person would possess five-star access.
Focusing on movement skills, Wang Xu realized he desperately needed a technique for self-preservation.
Whether hunting bug beasts or confronting enemies, difficulties were bound to arise. Like when he encountered a fourth-tier centipede, having an evasion skill back then would have made things far less frantic.
"'Phantom Steps,' intermediate skill, worth 4,000 points."
"'Mist Cloak Steps,' advanced skill, worth 150,000 points."
"'Shadowless Body Technique,' advanced skill, worth 570,000 points."
"'Ghostly Body Leap,'…"
Wang Xu noticed that the pricing among the same tier of Ancient Martial Skills varied greatly; even among advanced skills, one cost 150,000 points while another commanded 570,000, indicating that the classification of Ancient Martial Skills was rather simplistic and didn't fully reflect their value.
Most premium skills were valued over a million points, so Wang Xu set his sights on intermediate skills.
The highest for intermediate skills was worth hundreds of thousands, while the lowest could even be less than certain lower-tier Ancient Martial Skills. After much deliberation, he finally chose a balanced skill worth 10,000 points.
"'Mystic Dance Steps,' an intermediate skill, allows for silent movement—a step covers thousands of miles."
This is the one!
In the blink of an eye, Wang Xu's points fell from 33,000 to just 3,000. After casually purchasing some recovery potions, he exited the virtual network.
"How is it? Aren't the items at the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall impressive?" Shuangren chuckled.
Wang Xu pouted and replied, "They are impressive, but the prices are ridiculous."
"Haha! That's not true. Do you know that most of the items there aren't even possessed by the military or the Free Alliance? As long as you accumulate enough points, you won't have trouble exchanging for things!" Shuangren laughed heartily.
Indeed, the items at the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall were not found in the outside world. Even with money, one might not be able to buy them. As long as one works hard to accumulate points, the day will inevitably come when they'll get their hands on coveted items!
After bidding farewell to Shuangren and the others, Wang Xu cheerfully headed home.
The next day, he assisted his parents in moving, beginning their relocation to the Protection Zone.
"Wow, I never imagined so much would change in just a few days. Life is truly unpredictable," Li Lian remarked, patting Wang Xu's shoulder with a hint of emotion.
Just a few days earlier, Wang Xu was an insignificant student, but now, having risen to the fourth tier, he instantly earned the elite title and relocated to the Protection Zone, elevating his status by several tiers.
"Don't be disheartened; you're so smart. I believe you'll get into a good university and become a high official right after you graduate!" Wang Xu playfully punched Li Lian's chest.
They had been friends since childhood, their bond strong as iron, yet one had embarked on the path of gene cultivation while the other had to pursue a career in science and politics.
"Alright, you need to get going now. Take care!" Li Lian said, his eyes glistening with tears.
Separations are always poignant. Wang Xu waved goodbye, watching as Li Lian's silhouette elongated in the sunset.
Wang Xu realized that while he had embarked on the path of cultivation, the road ahead wouldn't be easy; death could come at any moment. This farewell might very well be the last.
...…
"How's it going? Any news from Xu Zhao?"
Inside the chairman's office, Xu Tianqing said coldly.
"We have news. He heard that the young master is dead and is furious, but he's currently trapped in a location, and it may take some time for him to get out," a subordinate reported.
Bang!
"Damn it! As long as Wang Xu is alive, I won't find peace. I must kill him!" Xu Tianqing slammed his fist on the table, furiously declaring.
"Chairman, you mustn't act rashly. According to our investigation, Wang Xu has passed the elite assessment and successfully obtained the elite title. He's also reported to the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall. If we act against him now, we can't bear the wrath of the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall," the subordinate hurriedly advised, fearing Xu Tianqing might take reckless actions.
"I understand the gravity of the situation. This matter has to be dealt with by Xu Zhao. Once he comes back, it will be Wang Xu's death sentence!" Xu Tianqing's eyes gleamed with hatred.
Xu Zhao was Xu Tianqing's younger brother. Unlike him, Xu Zhao possessed exceptional cultivation talent and was already a sixth-tier gene warrior, having also joined the military, receiving great support from them.
The Xu family thrived in the safe zone mainly due to Xu Zhao's backing, allowing them to prosper.
A sixth-tier gene warrior with military connections poses no problem in dealing with someone like Wang Xu.
...…
"This place is enormous."
After moving into their new home in the Protection Zone, there was no need for Wang Xu's family to buy furniture; everything had been prepared for them. Upon seeing the luxurious, modern decor, his mother, Lin Hui, couldn't help but exclaim.
His parents had lived as commoners their whole lives. They had only seen such opulence on television; when would they ever get to experience it firsthand?
Now that their son had proven himself and become an elite among humanity, they had instantly stepped into a new world as part of the Protection Zone.
Wang Zhenguo could no longer keep a stern face, joy evident all over his countenance.
"Mom, Dad, from now on, this is our home. Just remember to be careful whenever you go out of the Protection Zone."
Although Xu Tianqing wouldn't dare act against Wang Xu, Wang Xu also couldn't do anything against him. If Xu Tianqing targeted his parents, he would have to bide his time until he gained enough strength to take revenge. But by then, his parents might no longer be around—what would be the point?
Wang Zhenguo was also well aware of the seriousness of the matter. Just because the Xu family hadn't acted yet doesn't mean it would remain peaceful, especially now that Xu was on the rise; he mustn't make things difficult for him.
Their new home was comfortable and peaceful but still felt relatively lonely. Wang Zhenguo couldn't sit still and took Lin Hui out to socialize.
Wang Xu was glad as well, heading to the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall and casually finding a training room to begin his practice.
...…
In the blink of an eye, six months passed.
In the spacious training room, a shirtless man sat cross-legged on the ground, beads of sweat pouring down his tanned skin like rain.
Suddenly, the man opened his eyes, his aura surging dramatically, making him appear like a sword drawn from its sheath, radiating sharpness!
"It's been half a year; the 'Mystic Dance Steps' are beginning to bear fruit, I've mastered the first five moves of the 'Nine Thunder Blade,' and even the 'Basic Physical Body' is at the fourth level…" The man stood up, and compared to six months ago, his entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic transformation. "It's time to prepare for the graduation trial."
This man was Wang Xu, who now seemed like a completely new person. He had grown to be 1.8 meters tall and transformed from a previously weak appearance to a robust physique.
Over the past six months, Xu Tianqing hadn't made any attempts against Wang Xu again, as if the grudge had simply evaporated without a trace.
Wang Xu was no longer fearful of Xu Tianqing's actions. He spent nearly all his time in the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall's training rooms, either practicing or seeking advice from powerful gene warriors. Should the Xu family dare to act, it would provoke the full wrath of the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall. Xu Tianqing, no matter how foolish, wouldn't jeopardize his entire family for just one person.
Over these six months, not only had Wang Xu made significant progress, but he also learned that Zhang Xinglin and Tang Yan had also successfully advanced to the fourth tier and obtained elite titles.
"Bloodbone, I've heard your graduation trial is about to start; it's time for you to leave for a bit," Shuangren approached, smiling.
At the Extreme Dao Ancient Hall, everyone had a title; for instance, the large man before him was called Shuangren. There was also the tipsy old man known as 'Drunken Immortal' and a delicate-looking man lounging on sofas enjoying fruits, titled 'Shadow String.'
Wang Xu had taken on the title of 'Bloodbone' himself.
He wielded a massive Bloodbone Blade and couldn't think of anything better, so he simply adopted this name instead.
"Yeah, I was looking forward to exploring the world outside the safe zone with you all, but I guess I'll have to wait until I return," Wang Xu smiled.
Shuangren and the others were gathering to form a team for hunting bug beasts outside the safe zone, trading their carcasses for points.
Wang Xu had never seen the world beyond the safe zone and was eager to witness it firsthand. However, Shuangren had always denied him, knowing his strength was still too weak; being only fourth-tier, even a casual encounter with a fifth-tier bug beast could be fatal. Out of caution, Shuangren had to refuse.
But with this task being comparatively easier, seeing Wang Xu's persistent requests, Shuangren had finally agreed. Yet, before their mission began, Wang Xu had to attend his graduation trial.
"Go with confidence. I see your efforts and talent; I believe your future achievements will not pale in comparison to ours," Shuangren said.
"I will."
Wang Xu smiled, sharing a heartfelt embrace with Shuangren before they waved goodbye.