"Weapons have been chosen, now for the armor."
Armor is different from weapons, even a D-level armor costs ten times as much as a weapon.
When Wang Xu saw that A-level armor required hundreds of thousands of Points, he immediately shook his head.
Wang Xu knew that armor is expensive because of its durability.
Strong armor can withstand any weapon of the same level, reducing incoming power by fifty percent, and some stronger ones by ninety percent, greatly increasing survival chances on the battlefield.
The crafting process for armor is extremely difficult, and materials suitable for armor are extremely rare. Therefore, the cost of making an A-level armor is substantial, and the selling price is even more exaggerated.
Just like the D-level battle armor the academy awarded to students during trials, it's the lowest-level armor but quite costly, at least a few hundred thousand Earth Coins, and in points, it would be several hundred Points.
"Black Scale Armor, B-level armor, requires 12,000 points."
Clenching his teeth, Wang Xu decided to purchase this armor.
The Black Scale Armor can effectively resist impacts; B-level or below weapons cannot breach its defense, and even A-level weapons can have their impact reduced by 50%, making it very cost-effective.
With only 12,000 points left on hand, Wang Xu pondered what else he should purchase.
With weapons and armor ready, he didn't need cultivation resources, and special materials weren't of much use to him.
That left only… Ancient Martial Arts!
Entering the list of Ancient Martial Arts, Wang Xu directly opened the top-grade type.
Oh my! Wang Xu was stunned; the prices of Ancient Martial Arts were hundreds of times more expensive than weapons and armor!
"Nine-Star Heaven-Sundering Sword, top-grade Ancient Martial Arts, 36 million points, five-star clearance required for purchase."
36 million Points!
Wang Xu sighed. He had seen the point exchange rules; selling a Tier Three Insect Beast's carcass to the Extreme Ancient Hall only yielded 30 Points, so he needed to kill at least 1.2 million Tier Three Insect Beasts to exchange for the Nine-Star Heaven-Sundering Sword!
And points alone weren't enough; a five-star clearance was also required for purchase. Wang Xu only had a one-star clearance, and needed to accumulate 200,000 Points to upgrade to two-star, 3.2 million for three-star, 56 million for four-star, and over one billion for five-star!
Wang Xu found it hard to imagine what kind of person would have a five-star clearance.
Choosing the body technique type of Ancient Martial Arts, Wang Xu felt he needed a life-saving escape skill now.
Whether hunting Insect Beasts or facing enemies, there would always be difficulties, like when Wang Xu encountered the Tier Four Thousand-Legged Soft Worm; a body technique Ancient Martial Arts back then would have made it less embarrassing.
"Illusory Divine Step, Middle Class Martial Arts, value: 4,000 Points."
"Smoke Veil Step, High Class Martial Arts, value: 150,000 Points."
"Shadowless Body Technique, High Class Martial Arts, value: 570,000 Points."
"Ghost Body Jump, ..."
Wang Xu found the prices of the same level of Ancient Martial Arts differed greatly; the same High Class Martial Arts was 150,000 Points, while another was 570,000, clearly showing the classification was too rough and didn't fully reflect the value of Ancient Martial Arts.
Most top-grade Ancient Martial Arts were over a million points. Wang Xu set his sights on Middle Class Martial Arts.
The highest valued Middle Class Martial Arts were hundreds of thousands, while the lowest were even less than some Low Class Ancient Martial Arts. After going through them, Wang Xu finally picked a moderate one, valued at 10,000 Points.
"Milo Body Technique, middle-class Ancient Martial Arts, step without a trace, a thousand miles in a step."
It's you!
In the blink of an eye, Wang Xu had only 3,000 Points left from his original 33,000. He bought some restorative drugs with ease and exited the virtual network.
"How is it? The things in our Extreme Ancient Hall are quite good, right?" Shuangren smiled.
Wang Xu pursed his lips and said, "Things are good, but the prices are outrageous."
"Haha! That's not quite fair. You know, most of the items above aren't even available to the military and Freedom Alliance. As long as you accumulate Points, aren't you afraid you can't get anything?" Shuangren laughed heartily.
Indeed, the items from Extreme Ancient Hall aren't available to the majority outside. Even with money, they might not be purchasable. As long as you work hard to accumulate Points, one day, they'll get back into your hands!
After bidding farewell with a smile, Wang Xu happily went home.
The next day, Wang Xu helped his parents with the move to the Protected Area.
"Sigh, who would've thought such a huge change would happen in just a few days. Life is really unpredictable."
Li Lian patted Wang Xu's shoulder, lamenting.
A few days ago, Wang Xu was just a small student. Now, having ascended to Tier Four, he immediately acquired the elite title, moved to the Protected Area, and his status elevated by several levels.
"Don't be discouraged. You're so smart, I believe you can get into a good university and become a high-ranking official directly!" Wang Xu punched Li Lian's chest.
They had been friends since childhood, their friendship as solid as iron. One stepped onto the path of genetic cultivation, while the other could only choose the road of scientific politics.
"Alright, you should be going too, take care!" Li Lian said, tears glistening in his eyes.
Partings are always sorrowful. Wang Xu waved goodbye, watching Li Lian's silhouette stretch long under the setting sun.
Wang Xu knew that although he had embarked on the path of cultivation, this road was not smooth, and he could lose his life at any moment. This farewell might be the last.
...
"How is it? Is there any news from Xu Zhou?"
In the chairman's office, Xu Tianqing spoke with a cold face.
"There's news. He heard the young master has died, and he's furious, but he's temporarily trapped somewhere and having a hard time getting out. It might take some time before he can come out," the servant answered.
Bang!
"Damn it! As long as Wang Xu is alive, I can't sleep peacefully. I must kill him!" Xu Tianqing slammed his fist on the desk, enraged.
"Chairman, you mustn't rush this. Our investigation shows that Wang Xu has passed the elite assessment, successfully earning the elite title, and has reported to the Extreme Ancient Hall. If we act against him now, we can't bear the wrath from the Extreme Ancient Hall," the servant hurriedly advised, fearing Xu Tianqing would make another move.
"I understand the importance of timing. This matter can only be handled by Xu Zhou when he returns. Once Xu Zhou comes back, it will be Wang Xu's doomsday!" Xu Tianqing's eyes were full of hatred.
Xu Zhou, Xu Tianqing's younger brother, differs in having excellent cultivation talent, already a Tier Six Genetic Warrior, and has joined the military, receiving significant support from them.
It is precisely because of Xu Zhou's backing that the Xu Family prospers in the Safe Zone.
A Tier Six Genetic Warrior with military backing to deal with a mere Wang Xu is not a problem at all.
...
"This is too big."
After moving to the new residence in the Protected Area, having no need to furnish it as a set of modern luxurious decorations was already prepared for Wang Xu, his mother Lin Hui couldn't help but exclaim.
His parents came from a family of ordinary people; such luxurious settings were only seen on TV, how could they have the chance to personally experience it?
Now their son has succeeded, becoming a human elite, immediately achieving great success and becoming a member of the Protected Area.
Wang Zhenguo also changed from a stern look, unable to hide the joy on his face.
"Mom and Dad, this is our home from now on, but if you go out and leave the Protected Area, you must be careful."
Even though Xu Tianqing dared not act against Wang Xu, Wang Xu couldn't do anything about Xu Tianqing either. If Xu Tianqing were to harm his parents, he could only endure until he had enough strength for revenge, but by then his parents would be gone, what's the point?
Wang Zhenguo also understood the significance; the Xu Family not taking action now doesn't mean there will always be peace and quiet, especially since Xu'Er is now in a rising phase and shouldn't be troubled.
The new home, though comfortable and tranquil, was relatively quiet too. Unable to stay idle, Wang Zhenguo took his mother Lin Hui out to visit.
Wang Xu was also happy to see this and went to the Extreme Ancient Hall, randomly found a cultivation room, and began cultivating.
...
In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
In the vast cultivation room, a man with his upper body bare sat cross-legged on the ground, sweat cascading down his tanned skin like rain.
Suddenly, the man opened his eyes, his whole body's aura surged, and he seemed like a sharp sword unsheathed, radiating a piercing edge!
"Half a year gone, the 'Milo Body Technique' is beginning to show results, the first five forms of the 'Nine-Column Thunder Saber' are thoroughly mastered, and even the 'Basic Flesh Body' is cultivated to the Fourth Layer..." The man stood up, compared to six months ago, his entire temperament had dramatically transformed, "It's time to prepare for the graduation trial."
This man was none other than Wang Xu, and now he seemed almost reborn, having grown to a height of 1.8 meters and transformed from his previously thin frame into a stronger build.
In these six months, Xu Tianqing had not made any move against Wang Xu, as if the enmity had disappeared into thin air.
Wang Xu also didn't fear Xu Tianqing doing anything to him. He spent almost every day in the cultivation rooms of the Extreme Ancient Hall or consulting several powerful Genetic Warriors. If the Xu Family dared take action, it would be a direct challenge to the Extreme Ancient Hall, and Xu Tianqing wouldn't be foolish enough to jeopardize his entire family for just one Wang Xu.
During these six months, not only had Wang Xu made significant progress, but he also heard that Zhang Xinglin and Tang Yan had both successfully advanced to Tier Four and obtained elite titles.
"Blood Bone, I heard your graduation trial is about to start. It's time to leave for a while," Shuangren walked over and said with a smile.
In the Extreme Ancient Hall, everyone had a title. For example, the burly man before him had the title of Shuangren, the red-nosed old man was known as "Drunken Immortal," and the effeminate man who always lounged on the sofa enjoying fruit was called "Shadow String."
Wang Xu also gave himself a title, "Blood Bone."
Holding the Blood Bone Giant Saber in hand, Wang Xu couldn't think of a better name, so he used this one instead.
"Yeah, I initially wanted to go with you to see the world outside the Safe Zone; it seems I'll have to wait until I return," Wang Xu smiled.
Shuangren and the others gathered here were selecting partners to venture outside the Safe Zone to hunt Insect Beasts and exchange their corpses for points.
Having never seen the world beyond the Safe Zone, Wang Xu naturally wanted to witness it firsthand, but Shuangren never agreed, thinking Wang Xu's strength was too weak. At merely Tier Four, encountering even a single Tier Five Insect Beast could spell death. For safety, Shuangren could only refuse.
However, this time the mission was relatively easy, and seeing Wang Xu's persistent requests, Shuangren agreed, but unexpectedly the mission hadn't begun when Wang Xu had to attend the graduation trial.
"Go without worries, your efforts and talent are all in my eyes. I can see it all clearly; your future achievements will not be beneath ours," Shuangren said.
"I will."
Wang Xu smiled, gave Shuangren a sincere hug, and then the two waved goodbye.