Chapter 165: Chapter 165

What would Si Wuxie’s inheritance be like?

Would everything be stored in the deepest part, with only the last survivor gaining all the rewards; or would it be placed in stages, rewarding challengers a bit at a time as they advanced? If it were the latter, where would they be placed?

The answer was as expected: treasure chests.

As containers, Secret Realm treasure chests always held distinct advantages, such as indestructibility—even a Foundation Messenger couldn’t break them, they said; or time-freezing effects that kept food unspoiled indefinitely.

The chest was opened together, and then Medicine Master Wen and Beiyou dumped everything out, ensuring that all items were untouched and original.

「Six items in total,」 Beiyou said. 「These Spirit Jade amount to about thirty thousand. We’ll count them as one share. Any objections?」

Everyone nodded, agreeing with this calculation. No one cared about the thirty thousand Spirit Jade—all eyes were on the other five items.

「According to our previous agreement, we get to choose second and fifth,」 said Medicine Master Wen. 「You all can go first.」

As she spoke, she had already gripped the Soul-Severing Spear. Bunny Heroine, though lazy in demeanor, had never sheathed her Seven-Step Buddha Recitation.

After a short silence, the Blood Minister suddenly said, 「Boreuo, what are you waiting for? Or are you handing the pick to me this time?」

His words slightly eased the tension.

Boreuo gave a wry smile. 「This poor monk is exhausted and in pain. Seeing so many treasures, it’s hard not to hesitate.」

「What’s there to hesitate for? Just take the most valuable one!」

「Why are you in such a rush? It’s not even your turn next.」

Soaked in blood, Boreuo chanted a Buddhist verse. 「Then I shall take this piece of Heavenly Gang.」

He reached out and picked up the branch on the ground—half withered, half lush, glowing green and white—and placed it into his Storage Ring. Though everyone had expected it, their hearts still ached, as if a piece of flesh had been sliced off.

Medicine Master Wen immediately stepped forward and took a smooth stone orb. The Blood Minister glared in fury. 「You really dare take it!」

「Why wouldn’t I?」 Medicine Master Wen sneered, storing the orb.

What Boreuo and Medicine Master Wen had taken were the most valuable spoils in the chest—very likely Si Wuxie’s own inheritance: Heavenly Gang • Reviving Branch and Earthly Fiend • Immobilizing Stone!

They were prized because the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends were Foundation-grade Spirit Items capable of greatly enhancing the success rate and power of a Foundation transformation!

The Fourth Transition of Foundation, being the most critical class change for most players in The Messenger, was widely discussed on forums, especially among min-maxers. Yan Qing knew it well.

Before a Foundation Transition, a player could absorb one Heavenly Gang item and one Earthly Fiend item. While Foundation could proceed without them, the strength of one’s Dao Foundation would be left to the system’s RNG. But with the right Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend combo, one could lock in a T0/T1-tier protagonist-grade Dao Foundation!

And these items weren’t just for before Foundation—they were even more sought after post-Foundation. Compared to Spirit Jade, Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends were the most stable hard currency among Foundation Messengers, frequently used in high-end trades.

[Grade: Heavenly Gang]

[Absorption: Absorbing the Reviving Branch grants +50 Vital Energy and Blood and the Reviving Physique: all damage leaves at least 1 HP. Cooldown: 24 hours. Invalid after Foundation. (Each person can only absorb one Heavenly Gang and one Earthly Fiend item.)]

[Infuse: Infuse the Reviving Branch into a Defensive Token to enhance its defensive Authority. (Each Authority can only be enhanced once by one Heavenly Gang and one Earthly Fiend item.)]

[Reforge: Reforge the Reviving Branch with a Defensive Token to gain more desirable defensive Authority. (The more Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend items used, the better the outcome.)]

[Click to view combinations]

[Grade: Earthly Fiend]

[Absorption: Absorbing the Immobilizing Stone grants +50 Spirit and grants Immobilization Technique: your attacks have a chance to immobilize the enemy. The longer the interval between attacks and the lower the enemy’s level, the higher the chance and duration. Invalid after Foundation.]

[Infuse: Infuse the Immobilizing Stone into a Weapon Token to add or enhance immobilization effects.]

[Reforge: Reforge the Immobilizing Stone with a Weapon Token to gain better Binding Authority.]

[Click to view combinations]

100 attribute points!

When Yan Qing saw these two items, he genuinely wanted to throw caution to the wind and snatch them. If he could absorb this pair, he’d gain a straight 100-point stat boost. Once he hit Third Job Change, who could kill him? Who dared? Plus, he’d have both Reviving Physique and Immobilization Technique!

But he held back. If the first stage already had such rich rewards, there might be even better things later. A Foundation Pill, perhaps!

As for Infuse and Reforge, they were things only Foundation Messengers could use. For instance, a Legendary Token with three Authority traits—if each was enhanced, that’s three Heavenly Gang-Earthly Fiend pairs. And a full Messenger loadout had at least six Tokens. Full enhancement required eighteen pairs minimum.

Reforge was even scarier. As mentioned, Legendary Traits came in T0/T1/T2 tiers. Only through Reforge could one potentially obtain the perfect 1T0/2T1 setup. But Reforging consumed Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends like a bottomless pit.

After the pair was taken, the remaining items were still good, but no one was very excited. Beiyou and the Blood Minister each took a Rare Third-Stage Token, and Bunny Heroine took a manual. The leftover thirty thousand Spirit Jade was given to her too.

[Secret Technique Research Book]

[Requirement: Must know at least one Secret Technique]

[Effect: Instantly grants 10,000 EXP to your Secret Technique. Chance to enhance its effects.]

This was exactly what Yan Qing needed. He had two Secret Techniques, and leveling them up through practice alone would take forever. Without EXP books, he might never hit Third Job Change.

Loot division done, everyone exchanged looks. Their faces showed both disappointment and greed for what lay ahead.

「Let’s head back. Boreuo is injured, and we’re all tired,」 said the Blood Minister. 「We’ll explore the Courtyard later.」

“Later” might never come.

Medicine Master Wen understood that they wanted to ditch her and Bunny Heroine. After all, the Front Hall needed the Thunderstorm Messenger, but the Courtyard might not. If they could explore it on their own, why split the loot?

But understanding was useless. At most, they could protect themselves. Standing equal to the Guardians was a dream. Getting an Earthly Fiend already surpassed expectations—they had to take what they could get.

After leaving the Forest of Corpses and parting ways with the Three Guardians, Medicine Master Wen finally relaxed. She turned to Bunny Heroine and took out the Immobilizing Orb from her Storage Ring. 「Sister—」

「Unless you’re offering that Earthly Fiend as a dowry to marry me to my brother, I won’t accept it,」 Bunny Heroine said. 「Also, I need that Secret Technique Research Book.」

「You can have both spoils,」 said Medicine Master Wen. 「You did the most work; I never had the right to share.」

「You keep it. That Earthly Fiend doesn’t suit me. But if we find more Heavenly Gang or Earthly Fiend items, I get first pick.」

「Your brother doesn’t suit it either? He sounds like a slow-paced person.」

「You’re not allowed to care about my brother!」

「Why not? Jealous? Weren’t you just talking dowries?」

「But thinking it over, it’d be such a waste for Big Sister to marry him...」

Watching the two girls walk back together on the screen, Yan Qing felt little attachment. Once calm, he realized the Immobilizing Orb wasn’t his top choice. If he were to Foundation, he’d want the best Heavenly Gang-Earthly Fiend combo.

And Medicine Master Wen, with that Earthly Fiend, might be able to hold her own against the Three Guardians.

He wasn’t particularly attached to her. But without her, this Shu Mountain journey would’ve been far duller... fine, fine. He just wanted her to grow stronger, so even if Bunny Heroine left, she could still protect herself and her attendants.

Yan Qing didn’t understand her stubbornness but respected her conviction.

They had fought side by side many times. To him, she was a teammate, and helping her needed no further reason—just as covering allies in battle required no second thought.

「Then I’ll accept it,」 said Medicine Master Wen. She wasn’t shy. She knew what the Immobilizing Orb meant to her. 「If the Three Guardians no longer invite us, or there are no more Heavenly Gang or Earthly Fiend items, I swear I’ll find another pair for you.」

With a wry smile, she added, 「I wanted to repay your kindness, but now I just owe you more and more.」

「Heh heh, that’s the Bunny Heroine’s plan! Someday you’ll owe me so much you’ll have to sell yourself to me!」

「I can sell myself to you right now,」 Medicine Master Wen grinned, hugging her. 「Let’s bathe and sleep together tonight.」

「No way! I have to stand watch. And you stink of sweat!」 Bunny Heroine pinched her nose. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel~fire~net

「It won’t stink after a bath! Don’t run! Wu Qiu, Shi Dong, come help bathe our heroine!」

As the usual hazy white mist filled the screen, accompanied by splashy water sounds and playful giggles, one could vaguely make out titillating outlines—or maybe it was just imagination.

「Miss, please stop hugging her like that. The heroine can’t breathe.」

「Sorry, sorry, got carried away.」

「Don’t be jealous, sister. Big isn’t great—shoulders hurt, always need to bind for movement, which gets sweaty and stuffy...」

As their conversation drifted into mysterious topics, Yan Qing switched to Ye Si’s account and opened the Public Storage, checking the two items just deposited.

The real reason he gave up the Earthly Fiend Immobilizing Stone to Medicine Master Wen, aside from the reasons mentioned, was that he had already gotten his share of rewards.

『Earthly Fiend • Head-Continuing Skull』!

『Rare Third-Stage Token • Bodhisattva Jade Pendant』!