In the thick black fog, the road ahead was obscured. A young man, holding a Miao knife as long as his arm, moved freely through the woods, occasionally slashing down branches that blocked his way.
This is Lu Ze today.
In just three months, he had gained the ability to freely rampage through the ranks of the lower-level fallen ones.
"System, I think it's time to challenge a first-tier Fallen One. I'm already at the beginner level and have no burden at all." The internal energy in his body has changed from being as thin as a wisp of silk and intermittent at the beginning to now being as thin as a wisp of silk, but now it is a complete whole, no longer intermittent, and there is no longer any stagnation in its circulation within his body.
In short, he was no longer afraid of those who had just begun to fall into depravity.
"Okay. However, before that, you'll probably need to deal with some external situations." If Yuan Zhuan knew that the system was so human-like in its dialogue, she would be amazed, after all, her system was indeed very mechanical in its early stages.
"What?" Lu Ze was stunned and jumped down from the towering tree branch.
"Lu Ze?" A deep male voice came from under the tree in front.
"Who are you?" Lu Ze asked, holding the Thunderstorm Talisman, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared at the newcomer.
When Xu Zhou saw the boy descending from the sky with a white blade in his hand, the fierceness of the approaching figure made him abandon his contempt.
A tender face came into view, and Xu Zhou raised his thick eyebrows slightly. He hadn't expected that it was really a little kid, about the same age as his daughter.
"You are Lu Ze?" Xu Zhou spoke again. The four tall men beside him looked over at the same time. Their tall and strong bodies were full of killing intent, clearly indicating that they were powerful figures who had been wandering in the territory of high-level fallen people for many years.
From the five people's demeanor and the fact that the leader called out his name, Lu Ze's first thought was that they were Xu Cai's relatives. Then, seeing the menacing 'Hunter' character on the black iron tags hanging from their waists, he understood completely.
Xu Cai's act of buying candy has been discovered.
Since he was actually Xu Cai's relative, he couldn't be a bad person, otherwise Xu Cai wouldn't have been so innocent. "I am Lu Ze. Are you Xu Cai's relative?"
Xu Zhou remained expressionless. "Where did you get the audacity to make a deal with the people of Hunter's City?! Aren't you afraid of being devoured alive?!" As he spoke, he raised his right hand, palm up, and a cluster of flames radiating murderous intent rose from his fan-like hand.
A fire-elemental powerhouse!!
Lu Ze's pupils reflected the miniature flames, but showed neither fear nor shock. He continued calmly, "I have the goods. I'll find buyers. One buys, one sells. Do I need courage?"
"What an arrogant brat!!" The bearded man behind Xu Zhou sneered and was about to step forward when Xu Zhou stopped him. "Lu Ze, do you know the consequences of provoking Hunter's City? It's not just about being expelled."
"In this apocalyptic world, only the fittest survive. Although I am weak, I can support myself and have no intention of harming anyone. So why would I provoke anyone? I only met Xu Cai by chance and learned that Hunter's City was short of resources, which led to the subsequent transactions. If the purpose of you uncles and elders coming here is to prevent the children of Hunter's City from contacting outsiders, then I will simply not go there again. The Black Mist Forest is so vast, and I haven't explored other areas yet. Perhaps I can meet other lone travelers who need resources? Surely you don't consider this entire Black Mist Forest to be part of Hunter's City's urban area, do you?"
"Hey kid, you've got a sharp tongue!" The man who had spoken earlier had lost his previous aggressive stance and the feigned annoyance on his face had disappeared. "Do you still have any candy? Let us see, and what about those spicy strips too?"
Xu Zhou didn't speak, but he also toned down his imposing manner and let the people around him step forward.
That's right. They came here for two reasons: first, to see the child, to gauge his personality and purpose for coming; and second, to check out the goods. They've already tested the candy Xiao Cai brought back, and it doesn't contain any toxins. Instead, it contains many beneficial elements that are common in their children, which is why they came.
After hearing this, everyone thought Lu Ze would be happy and immediately take out the goods to make the deal. However, to their surprise, the young man didn't move an inch. He even had a cold expression and looked defensive, gripping the white blade in his hand tightly. Clearly, he thought they were robbing them.
Xu Zhou: ...
The burly man who spoke: ...
"We'll trade crystal cores. Isn't it 25 candies for one Tier 1 crystal core? We brought a lot of crystal cores. How many do you have? We'll trade them for that many." Tier 1 crystal cores aren't very useful to them. They're only for low-level ability users to absorb, and the effects are mediocre, with many impurities. After advancing to a higher level, they need to find a way to remove these impurities, otherwise it will affect their subsequent advancement. Therefore, unless they're from an extremely poor family, no one would absorb Tier 1 crystal cores. The only use of Tier 1 crystal cores for strong individuals is to exchange them at the New Realm Exchange Point for some ordinary supplies, and even then, their purchasing power is extremely low.
In Hunter's City, a ten-to-one exchange rate is the norm for a single piece of candy. But for Lu Ze, the phrase "good quality at a low price" doesn't even begin to describe the transaction; it's practically a windfall, a huge windfall.
"That was the previous price. Now it's one for five," Lu Ze said loudly, not feeling there was anything wrong with raising the price.
Xu Zhou: ...
The others all looked at Lu Ze with hostility.
"Aren't you afraid we'll rob you?" The bearded man next to Xu Zhou's eyes flashed with a fierce light.
"You can try and see if my bomb is more powerful, or your superpowers are more powerful." The young boy also bared his fangs, raising the black sphere in his hand, which contained the thunderstorm talisman he had exchanged with Yuan Zhuan.
The outer shell was the packaging he used to prove the identity of the Thunderstorm Talisman, so that it wouldn't lack any deterrent effect.
"You!" Xu Zhou's gaze swept over the black sphere in the boy's hand. Although he couldn't be sure if it was a bomb, the boy's audacity in saying so meant it was almost certainly one. Of course, they hadn't originally intended to snatch it.
"Change it. Go get the goods," Xu Zhou said coldly.
"You've never seen a space folding device before, have you? I got one from the New Territories, and I carry it with me everywhere." As he spoke, the boy proudly raised his hand, and a bag of colorful candies appeared out of thin air in his hand. They were all in a net bag, and there were at least several thousand candies in total.
The burly men stared at it, their pupils trembling violently!
The legendary New World artifact, the Space Folder, is a super-grade artifact that only high-level spatial ability users can create. It costs more than 1,500 fifth-tier crystal cores to exchange for one. The space it contains is only a dozen cubic meters. The entire sales point only has that one artifact, yet the manager of the exchange point is still incredibly arrogant, as if the magical item is his own.
Who exactly is this young man? How does he possess such a wondrous object as a space folding device?
Lu Ze clearly sensed that the other party's attitude had changed, and his heart tightened.
The idea of revealing the so-called 'space folder' came to him suddenly. It was a do-or-die situation. If he succeeded, he could exchange crystal cores with them without having to pretend to take his own supplies, which was inconvenient and easy to expose. If he failed, and they really wanted to steal it, he would use Thunderstorm Talismans to blast them senseless. His sister said she had plenty of Thunderstorm Talismans, and that they could easily wipe out a large number of Fallen Ones with a single talisman. He didn't believe that these powerful individuals couldn't be killed by the talismans.
It has to be said that the saying "poor children learn to be independent early" is a product of life's circumstances.
At a young age, Lu Ze's environment naturally fostered a deep understanding of the world.
"Okay, how about spicy strips? Or do you have anything else? If the stuff is good, we can talk about crystal cores." Xu Zhou and the other men took off their animal skin bags, which were full of first-tier crystal cores.
With the other party showing an attitude and sincerity, Lu Ze's expression softened. He took out spicy strips, other snacks, one pound of each, along with a small amount of vegetables and apples.
Everyone was stunned: ...
My mouth is watering...
Xu Zhou slapped the bearded man next to him on the back. The latter quickly slurped and wiped his mouth. His dark skin turned red, which was hidden under the beard and could not be seen.
"There are even vegetables and apples." Xu Zhou's voice was deep and muffled. Heaven knows, he had never eaten an apple peel in his entire life. In their Hunter City, no one had awakened the wood or space elements. Otherwise, they wouldn't be lacking elements in their bodies. Every time, they had to go to the wild to find some unpolluted wild vegetables, but the amount was small, not even enough to fill a tooth gap. Many children had vision problems, and as adults, they couldn't go out at night because of night blindness. Some children couldn't even grow up normally because of the lack of elements. This was also the reason why it was so difficult for Hunter City to have offspring.
These vegetables looked so fresh and delicious, and the aroma of fresh greens and apples made his mouth water. If he hadn't had such good self-control, he would have definitely lost his composure just now.
If these can be purchased in large quantities, will their children no longer have so many premature deaths?
Xu Zhou thought this way, and so did the others; some even had tears in their eyes, looking at Lu Ze as if they were seeing their savior.
Lu Ze broke out in a cold sweat. What happened? He was just a moment ago aloof and fierce, but suddenly he's become a pitiful, crying person?
When Lu Ze followed their gaze to the vegetables and fruits, he understood.
In this depraved land, seeds of vegetables and fruits do not exist because the New Territories do not allow them. The sales outlets only sell expensive finished products, which they simply cannot afford. The seeds left over from the finished fruit products will not germinate.
It seems that Hunter's City is the same.
“Apart from the crystal core, you can also trade with me for ores, like this one.” Lu Ze took out a thumb-sized gem that had been identified by the system and handed it to them for identification.
This exchange was a win-win situation; both parties got what they wanted.
In addition to more than three thousand first-tier crystal cores, there were also more than ten cut gems, all of which the hunters had pried off their own weapons.
"Then, in three days, prepare the goods, and we will wait for you outside the Black Mist Forest."
"good."
This time, they directly ordered a batch of goods from Lu Ze: snacks, and all kinds of edible vegetables and fruits, as much as he could get. They originally planned to trade in Hunter's City, but Lu Ze refused.
Even now, with something to rely on, he dares not go in alone. If someone has malicious intentions, he will be unable to defend himself and will be no match for them.
Therefore, it's better to be outside, where it's open and easier to guard against.
With the crystal cores, Lu Ze upgraded the system two levels. However, the upgraded system required two first-tier crystal cores per day to maintain.
Upgraded to Tier 2, one hundred Tier 1 crystal cores opened the system shop, where product names appeared. At Tier 1, there were only three types available for exchange, all of which improved physical strength and attack power: a body strengthening technique, a lightness technique, and a sword technique.
Lu Ze: We agreed it was for food.
The system remained silent, embarrassed; it didn't know why there was no food.
Lu Ze: How about we upgrade another level?
One thousand first-order crystal cores were deducted again.
success.
This time, another exchange option was opened, and it turned out to be pills: Body Tempering Pill, Meridian Clearing Pill, and Qi Strengthening Pill.
Lu Ze: Pfft...
This time it's food, but it's all pills!! And pills can't fill your stomach!
He will still go hungry!
As for further upgrades, they require a whopping one thousand second-tier crystal cores! That's ruthless!
While waiting for Yuan Zhuan to come online, Lu Ze recounted everything that had happened that day. "Sister, I'll exchange all these gems for you. I have no use for them."
"System, why can he get my supplies while I can only exchange them for gold coins? This is not fair!" This was the umpteenth time Yuan Zhuan had raised this question.
Why should I?
Although they are interdependent, isn't this too unfair to her? What does she get for her gold coins? Household necessities, what good are they? She doesn't want to get rich from those machines, they're like chicken bones.
"Gather ten Ghost Tears or 100,000 Gold Coins to upgrade to level three. At that time, you can exchange resources with Lu Ze. Only resources within their system are allowed, not resources from the real world."
"You insidious system, why didn't you say so sooner?" Yuan Zhuan grinned! Although there are limitations, something is better than nothing.
Such a great benefit, and they didn't even tell her!! I'm so angry! However, it seems that Zhang Xiaoxiao doesn't have a system shop, so only Lu Ze can redeem it.
"It's not that you don't want me, it's just that you won't like it even if I say it too much."
Yuan Zhuan: Where does the air of a resentful woman come from?
If you can exchange resources with the other side, the system seems to have really powerful functions.
She only has three Ghost Tears and a little over 70,000 gold coins, which isn't enough.
In the industrial park, Yuanshi Supermarket had cleared out its 30 tons of cabbage and thousands of kilograms of snacks, which were then transferred to the park's warehouse. The purchasing department had to urgently mobilize new goods to fill the gap.
Yuan Zhuan flew directly back to Beiyu and had his driver take him back to the park.
After the warehouse was completely emptied and the system was moved to another dimension, Yuan Zhuan looked at the system balance, which had increased by more than a thousand gold coins, and his face turned ashen.
So many gemstones are becoming less and less valuable.
However, Lu Ze didn't have any gold to exchange for.
Thinking of the gold in the system's inventory, Yuan Zhuan shook his head. Exchanging it for the system would be too much of a loss; it would be worth a fortune in the postmodern era.
----Second dimension.
Lu Ze had no intention of hiding his superior supply capacity, and he emptied almost all the supplies out of his backpack.
So when Xu Zhou arrived with his people pulling carts, all he saw were mountains of cabbages and snacks.
hiss……
The dozens of tribesmen who came this time were seeing such a 'spectacular' scene for the first time. They couldn't help but gasp and drool all over the ground.
"My goodness, am I dreaming? Could that be the cabbage in the picture in the book?" One of the clansmen was almost rubbing his eyes out.
"My God, that looks like it's all food, slurp... cabbage, cabbage..."
Some people, who are very emotional, have already started wiping away tears.
Vegetables! These are vegetables! The legendary Chinese cabbage! They've lived all these years and this is the first time they've ever seen one! Waaah...
Xu Zhou looked at Lu Ze, who stood calmly, with a strange expression, feeling extremely shocked.
The New Territories have an endless supply of vegetables, but they never intend to supply the poor of the Fallen Lands in large quantities. Even the people of Hunter City are considered the same kind of poor people in the eyes of the New Territories, poor people with supernatural abilities.
So even though they would exchange some vegetables on a regular basis, the amount was not much. Each family could only exchange for one cabbage a day, and it also depended on the mood of the salesperson at the exchange point.
These mountains of vegetables really seem like a dream, so unreal.
Lu Ze, whom I haven't seen for three days, seems to have gained something. His powerful ability to exchange resources is something that even the exchange points don't have.
Who exactly is he? How close are his ties to the New Territories? Or is he actually from the New Territories?
Or is he himself a plant-based ability user?
No, no, he didn't sense any wood-type ability aura; the latter should be ruled out.
He had been exchanging crystal cores and ores with them, but the crystal cores were all first and second tier. He hadn't even mentioned exchanging for anything higher tier, which was rather strange.
Those from the New Territories only absorb fourth- and fifth-order crystal cores. How could they possibly be interested in first- and second-order crystal cores? Therefore, he is not from the New Territories.
No matter how hard Xu Zhou tried, he couldn't figure out what Lu Ze's background was.
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