"Your inventory is full. Please clear space immediately, or further loot drops will not be collected automatically."
Yun Shen quickly began tossing out items from his pack.
But no matter how fast he discarded them, the speed at which loot poured in was even faster. His inventory filled the moment he made room.
That meant vast amounts of treasure were being abandoned on the ground, requiring manual collection.
On the Battlefield of Myriad Races, any kill carried a chance to drop loot, which would automatically be absorbed into a lord's inventory.
The only condition: the pack couldn't be full.
Once the limit was reached, excess loot spilled out onto the battlefield.
Yun Shen had expected Jiang Lan's farming efficiency to be high, but this… this was outrageous.
"I have to expand my inventory capacity as soon as possible. At least source crystals and soul crystals only take up a single slot each. Otherwise, the loss would be unbearable."
That thought eased his mind. Source Crystals were currency, while Soul Crystals functioned like experience points in a game—fuel for leveling.
Unfortunately, heroes and troops could never surpass the level of the territory itself. Otherwise, Yun Shen would have dumped every last crystal into Jiang Lan already.
Only once the notification prompts began to thin did Yun Shen finally have a chance to check his "savings."
**Source Crystals: 8150**
**Soul Crystals: 1225**
He gave a dry laugh. "This isn't financial freedom—it's pocket change at best."
A lord's territory demanded a constant flood of both currencies. This tiny sum wasn't even enough to patch a hole in a tooth.
Switching back to the chat channel, Yun Shen found the place in an uproar.
> "What the hell! What was that sound just now? Did anyone else hear it?"
>
> "I heard it too. Sounded like… an explosion?"
>
> "Could high-level beasts be fighting nearby? The commotion was insane."
>
> "No problems here, just a little shaking of the ground."
>
> Xu Xiaojiang: *"It's close! Look!"* [Photo]
The image showed a mushroom cloud rising into the sky—eerily reminiscent of nuclear blasts in old wartime photos. For a moment, the village chat fell silent. Then it erupted.
> "A mushroom cloud? That's a nuke! Holy crap!"
>
> "No way… you're saying a monster like that exists near a newbie lord's territory?"
>
> "Thank God it's not near me. Must be far, far away."
>
> "Xiaojiang, be careful. From that photo, it doesn't look far from your place."
A single small-scale nuclear blast was enough to send these sixteen-year-olds into panic.
It felt like sitting in an exam hall, staring at test papers filled with questions far beyond the syllabus. Unfair. Overwhelming.
Every new lord was required to survive on the battlefield for one full month. If they returned to the main world prematurely, their Territory Core would shatter, and they'd permanently lose their lordship.
In other words: there was no second chance. Fail here, and you lived the rest of your life as an ordinary man.
Yun Shen remained silent, not bothering to correct their assumptions. There was no advantage in revealing that the explosion hadn't been caused by wild monsters at all.
But this chaos… could be turned to profit.
> Yun Shen: "Classmates, I discovered a rare wilderness chest on the edge of my territory. Inside was this item." [Bloodstained Handaxe (Rare)]
He shared the item's stats, hoping to draw out a wealthy buyer. Someone willing to pay well—ideally, a pampered young master with more crystals than sense.
Newbie gear like this would lose value quickly. Better to sell now while it could fetch a fortune.
> "Oh Emperor, bless me with your luck!"
>
> "A wilderness chest at the border? For real?"
>
> "Damn, those stats! That's a top-tier blue weapon!"
>
> "Wait… a blue item with a purple trait? That's insane!"
>
> "Name your price! If it's reasonable, I'll buy!"
>
> "Sell it to me! 100 Source Crystals!"
>
> "Are you kidding me? Trying to bribe a beggar with scraps?"
>
> Xu Xiaojiang: "Brother, let's trade. I'll owe you one. 500 Source Crystals—deal?"
Five hundred crystals… for a single blue item?
It might sound unimpressive to outsiders, but in the context of the New Lord Trial, this was nearly priceless.
Any item carried into the trial from the main world faced strict restrictions. Only epic-grade gear or higher could be taken across. The trial's difficulty adjusted accordingly, preventing people from gaming the system.
Even second-generation elites with family resources avoided bringing high-tier gear. Unless their Domain Core quality was exceptional, bringing epic sets would only doom them under sky-high difficulty scaling.
Instead, most invested in Hero Tokens or protective charms.
Which meant—an early-stage blue item with a purple trait was almost unheard of.
Yun Shen's lip curled. *"Owe me a favor"? What are you, exactly?*
He had no intention of entertaining Xu Xiaojiang further, yet a sudden friend request popped up.
The moment he accepted, Xiaojiang's messages hit like machine-gun fire.
> Xu Xiaojiang: "Brother! Brother!"
>
> Xu Xiaojiang: "I'm heading out to grind monsters, but I don't have enough gear."
>
> Xu Xiaojiang: "Source Crystals are scarce for new lords. How about 500? Let's be friends, okay?"
>
> Xu Xiaojiang: "Quick, list the item in the trade tab and designate me. Once I'm established, I'll repay you handsomely!"
Reading the stream of pleas, Yun Shen nearly laughed out loud. *This guy's supposed to be in high school? He sounds like an elementary kid begging for candy.*
Five hundred crystals? That really was nothing more than alms for beggars.
He ignored the pest and turned back to the village channel.
> Yun Shen: "This blue item isn't what I need. I'm not accepting crystals—only barter. Scarce resources, preferably schematics or unique items."
> "Barter? Come on, we've only been lords for a few minutes! Nobody has spare resources yet."
>
> "Brother, I'll go 1000 crystals! Just say yes!"
>
> "Sorry. No deal."
Most agreed barter wasn't realistic this early. Everyone had only what they'd brought from the main world.
> Xu Xiaojiang: "Brother, are you ignoring my PMs? I *really* want that blue gear. Hurry and sell already!"
Yun Shen closed the messages with a flick. *Self-centered idiot. Thinks the whole world owes him favors.*
Just as he was about to shut the chat down entirely, a private message flashed across his vision.
> Zhao Shuiyun: "Brother, I happen to have an Epic Skill Book—[Slender Gold Script]. Haven't used it yet. Do you have any materials for trade?"
Yun Shen's eyes narrowed. *Slender Gold Script?*
> Yun Shen: "Wait. Classmate… your surname is Zhao? Are you descended from the Zhao clan—the founders of the Dao Song Divine Domain?"
If memory served, Zhao Kuangyin, the domain's creator, had a descendant named Zhao Ji. That man created a legendary skill known as [Slender Gold Script].
> Zhao Shuiyun: "Yes. I've inherited the bloodline of Ancestor Zhao Ji… though our family has long since declined. I would prefer you not speak of it."