Chapter 9, Redemption

Scholar Xu Wen stood, while the remaining miscellaneous figures stared blankly, and the entire scene was enveloped in silence

Is this a dream I had, or is there truly a divine manifestation? Yet I do not know which deity it is, the Great Emperor of the East or His Majesty Haotian

The reason for bringing this thing out is actually a test by Wu Ming for these members of the cycle

At that moment, the scholar sketched four runes on the ground and conveyed the content of this fragment in its entirety to the two individuals. Both of them were desperately memorizing this information. With no more than one minute left before they would be out of time, the half-elf said: "I will inscribe the runes for the two of you. In terms of the functions of the techniques, the four runes serve the purposes of energy absorption, energy concentration, energy control, and energy explosion. Among them, the rune for energy absorption should be inscribed on the human body at the heart, while the rune for energy concentration is to be inscribed on..."

As the scholar was about to close his eyes and await death, he suddenly heard the sound of wailing. Upon closer inspection, he saw a dozen or so people being dragged behind the knights, ranging in age from old to young, with the youngest being only four or five years old. Their bodies were already in tatters, and it was unclear how long they had been dragged. Among them, only two or three men appeared to be alive, but judging by their broken condition, it was likely they would not survive either

I am Han Chinese

The strong man frowned as he walked directly to the scholar's side, straightening his bent waist while saying: "You are of Chinese descent. The events during the period of the Five Barbarians' chaos in China were indeed tragic, but there will ultimately be a day of revival in the future. Stand tall and do not bow down like this any longer"

The half-elf hesitated for a moment. As far as he knew, although humans were part of the Radiant faction, their reputation was not particularly good, especially the human nobility, who were notoriously cunning. It was said that some of the nobles had betrayed the faction in an attempt to align themselves with the Dark faction. He could be said to not trust humans at all. However, there were already two votes in favor of the scholar's exchange. Unless he did not want this item, he had no choice but to agree.

The strong man nodded upon hearing this. Although he did not believe in magic or anything of the sort, it was now the time to persuade the scholar. He continued, "I see you are covered in blood; it seems you were in a perilous situation before entering here. The Upper Clear Battle Fist and Ice Heart Technique are of no use to you in your current predicament, so why not give the Upper Clear Extermination of Immortals Technique a try? The reward of 1,500 points is exactly the total of the reward points for the three of us combined. Once exchanged, we can all share it among ourselves, and you will immediately have the opportunity to escape from danger, won't you?"

The strong man took over the conversation and said: "I have 500 reward points, I wonder if both of you have the same?"

Suddenly, at that moment, the sound of hooves echoed, and the scholar immediately stood up in panic. He saw not far away more than ten knights approaching, knights whom Xu Wen would never forget even in death, for they were the ones who had attacked his party

Although the Shangqing Zhuxian Gong is merely a fragment, it is indeed a genuine cultivation method. However, this method is somewhat unique, which is why it exists as a fragment; it can be learned and applied immediately.

In an instant, a wave of energy surged through, vaporizing the rider on horseback who was grinning menacingly, along with at least seven or eight other riders behind him.

After the three individuals completed their introductions, they each looked at the available martial arts techniques for exchange. Among them, the Supreme Clarity Battle Fist was the least expensive, priced at 300 reward points. The Ice Heart Technique was priced at 500 reward points; it is a set of techniques that can cultivate internal energy. Above that, there was an incomplete version of the Supreme Clarity Extermination of Immortals Technique, priced at 1,500 reward points.

Han people

Cultivation is not merely an esoteric concept as depicted in novels; rather, it is a discipline akin to science, governed by the Heavenly Court of the Primordial Era. The entire field of cultivation is divided into numerous subjects, and it is not solely reliant on the activation of true essence. The most orthodox cultivation techniques can even be stimulated by external energies, such as electricity, and even human power, not to mention magical energy. In other words, these techniques are perfectly compatible with them. Furthermore, it is not just the true essence that can be used for activation; the most orthodox cultivation methods can indeed utilize external energies for their application, such as electricity, human power, and magical energy, which further emphasizes their compatibility.

This scholar has always been somewhat foolish, yet his words struck a chord. The two remained silent, and after a while, the scholar clasped his fists and said: "I am unworthy, having studied poetry and literature for twenty years. How about allowing me to exchange it? I can certainly provide you with the details, and moreover, I am incapable of harming a chicken. There is still a stick of incense's worth of time before we can escape this space. If you discover any ulterior motives on my part, you may seize me at any time. Furthermore, seeing that both of you are somewhat on guard with each other, it seems my proposal is indeed the best one."

So be it, if I must die, then I shall die

You are of Chinese descent, you are Han, do not refer to yourself as a Jin person anymore. Furthermore, if you are to be killed, you may kill them; do not close your eyes and await death

The scholar was left in a daze by the words spoken to him. He looked at the strong man, then at the half-elf, who also said: "Aside from the heavens and the deities, we need not be so humble before anyone else. He is right... We have something we would like to discuss with you."

The strong man himself is a seasoned soldier, having fought countless battles against robotic armies. The technological level of the world he inhabits is also high, although it has declined significantly, it is still generally superior to that of Earth in the 21st century. Energy weapons and the like are readily available. Moreover, the Shangqing Zhuxian Gong clearly states that by forming four runes with energy and combining them, one can unleash tremendous power. Although it does not specify how immense that power is, it at least represents a glimmer of hope, does it not?

In fact, there were only a little over ten knights, yet their group consisted of nearly one hundred people, among whom more than fifty were family armed forces. However, apart from a very few individuals, they all dared not resist. These knights appeared to be of the nation, and even if they were not of the nation, they were either Xiongnu or various barbarians, far from being comparable to the Jin people. As a result, a mere dozen of them managed to kill them all, with only he escaping with his life. At this moment, there was no way to hide any longer. They all dared not resist. These knights appeared to be of the nation, and even if they were not of the nation, they were either Xiongnu or various barbarians, far from being comparable to the Jin people. As a result, a mere dozen of them managed to kill them all, with only he escaping with his life. At this moment, there was no way to hide any longer.

The scholar murmured: "The Chinese, the Han people... Is it the Han people who proclaimed that those who dare to offend the Han shall be punished, no matter how far away they are?"

The scholar was leisurely observing various exchanges, feeling quite skeptical about these things. He had an abundance of books on various techniques at home, but they were all about celestial beings and extraordinary tales. He had heard that the dignitaries and nobles of the southern court believed in such matters, but the people of Jin in the north simply did not have the leisure or the fate to believe in these things. To be honest, it would be better to exchange for a steel knife; at least it would hurt less when committing suicide.

The knights also saw the scholar, and they all began to shout and laugh in a strange manner. Someone took out a lasso and was about to use it to catch the scholar. As the scholar observed everything before him, a surge of indignation suddenly welled up within him

After careful consideration, the half-elf nodded and said, "Then let it be so; only by taking the gamble can we know the outcome"

At that moment, all three agreed to this decision and united to convey the message to the main deity. In just a few seconds, the scholar stood there in a daze, and after a while, he finally said: "Impressive... Come, let me tell you both."

At this moment, seeing the two men looking over, the scholar felt somewhat awkward and bowed, saying: "Do the two gentlemen have anything to say to me?"

The half-elf nodded, and the scholar followed suit. The burly man then said: "I took a look at the three items available for exchange. I don't know how powerful the Supreme Clear Battle Fist is, but I have learned quite a few combat techniques myself, so I assume it can't be too inferior. This item holds no value for the robotic army, and I definitely won't exchange for it. As for the claim about the Ice Heart Technique being able to cultivate inner strength, let's not even discuss whether this is false or not. However, cultivating something is not a matter of a day or two. To put it bluntly, I don't even dare to believe that this main god space is real, or perhaps it is just a figment of my imagination. Therefore, we must use immediate and effective methods to verify... Supreme Clear Extermination Technique."... Supreme Clear Extermination Technique."

The scholar, in a daze, nodded his head. Before he could come to his senses to express his gratitude, he suddenly found himself standing beside his wife's remains.

The half-elf wielded magic and quickly inscribed runes on the two individuals. He simultaneously said: "My magical power is still quite weak, and I can only use it at most twice. Moreover, I do not know what the side effects might be. You both need to be extremely cautious. Time is limited, so you should return to your own world to test it. If this is real, we will likely need to discuss it in ten days."

The scholar was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said: "So who will exchange it for us?"

Both individuals looked at the scholar in astonishment, and even Wu Ming regarded the scholar with newfound respect. For a moment, the burly man and the half-elf remained silent. After at least a minute, the burly man finally spoke: "I think this is feasible. What about you, mage?"

The scholar still appeared somewhat naive, but after the strong man and the half-elf had observed the Supreme Clear Extermination of Immortals technique, especially after witnessing its effects, their expressions changed significantly.

The nomads were now in sight, and the scholar suddenly shouted loudly, roaring as he faced forward with his palm outstretched, while the incantations of the Supreme Clarity's Extermination of Immortals technique swirled in his mind

The scholar murmured for a moment, and then he suddenly looked at the back of his hand, where the rune representing explosion among the four runes was engraved, faintly visible, resembling a shimmering glass-like radiance, and for a moment, he was completely entranced

The strong man and the scholar both nodded. Suddenly, the strong man grabbed the scholar and said: "You are a Chinese, you are a Han, do not call yourself a Jin person anymore. Moreover, if someone seeks to kill you, you may kill them; do not close your eyes and wait for death. A person only has hope while alive; if you are dead, there is nothing left. Remember this, scholar, I do not wish to see you gone in ten days.

Moreover, since the Industrial Revolution, with the advent of guns and cannons, those bandits have suddenly transformed into hospitable, melodious, and graceful individuals. I also hope that all the so-called 'nationals' in the world you inhabit become hospitable, melodious, and graceful beings.

The half-elf also said: "I have studied magical runes, so as long as I can exchange them, I can immediately know whether they are real. This is the first point. The second point is the statement above; this combination of four runes can unleash tremendous power. It can rely on external objects or on oneself. Relying on external objects requires leaving this place to verify, but relying on oneself is simpler. I have magical power and can verify it immediately. The two of you seem to lack magical power, but the human body generates thermal energy, and there are sugars and other forms of energy in the blood. If what was said above is true, I can inscribe the four runes on both of you using my magical power, and you can verify on the spot whether this technique is real or false."

The half-elf is a wizard's apprentice and has also studied runic magic. However, runic magic is typically used for enchantment, and the concept of directly unleashing immense power through runes is something he has never heard of before

After the two individuals exchanged glances, they simultaneously turned their attention to the scholar.