Chapter 180: Substitute Paper Puppet, The Tomb’s True Nature

“With Myriad Mother Brocade Pouch, I’d hardly ever worry about storage space for any super-dungeon raids again. Five hundred slots! How much loot could that hold? Absolutely enough to pick up equipment till your arms ache just thinking about it.”

Remembering Lei Laohu’s dumbfounded expression as he just sat there motionless when I left, Ye Rong wanted to laugh.

These professional merchants only cared about profit. Even if you were a gaming veteran, under certain forced circumstances, you’d still end up getting fleeced by them.

In a couple of previous games, Ye Rong had twice paid several times the normal price to buy the equipment he desperately needed. Being able to get a bit of payback today naturally filled him with joy.

Though Lei Laohu didn’t actually take a loss. Information about the Appraiser Life Profession was probably something even Jiuyu Pavilion wasn’t as clear on as Ye Rong. The details Ye Rong revealed could actually be utilized, given enough luck and initiative, to train two Appraisers much quicker.

Ye Rong was now heading towards the Sect Leader’s Platform on Qixia Peak, intending to exchange for two Body Substitute Talismans.

More and more top players had started keeping one Body Substitute Talisman handy, to avoid irreparable losses in case of unexpected events.

Exchanging items using Sect Contribution had to be done through Short Elder Zhu Mei. No matter how much Ye Rong disliked facing that stubborn old man, he had no alternative. He braced himself inwardly, preparing for the expected hassle.

Short Elder Zhu Mei’s residence was near the very top of Qixia Peak. Ordinarily, without permission, regular Qingcheng Disciples couldn’t even enter; they needed to apply through the attendant disciples.

Ye Rong’s status was different. Those low-level attendant disciples, even if they were Elite Tier NPCs level 70 or 80, didn’t dare stop him, letting him pass smoothly.

“The Sect Leader is away. Qingcheng Disciples may exchange items freely using the Wheel mechanism. Sect Contribution will be deducted automatically.”

A plaque bearing those words hung before the Sect Leader’s Platform. Right ahead was a forum-like wheel divided into countless tiny slots, each holding numerous items.

“Hah! The old codger’s not here! Saves me the aggravation!” The Wheel was akin to a player’s automated item exchange system. It was very simple to operate; he could figure it out with a little fiddling.

Inputting his needs, rows of suitable items appeared displayed before him. A simple tap to select.

Ye Rong chose the Body Substitute Talisman category. With a ‘swish’, countless useless items vanished. The Wheel now showed just two options:

Substitute Paper Puppet: Qingcheng Disciples below level 50 placing this item in their Universe Pouch avoid one instance of Death Penalty. No level loss, no equipment drop. If Lifespan remains, it will still decrease; cannot be negated. Invalid for levels above 50 or non-Qingcheng Disciples. Vanishes after a single death. Exchange cost: 200 Sect Contribution Points.

Protective Wooden Puppet: Qingcheng Disciples below level 100 placing this item in their Universe Pouch permanently reduce damage from Five Elements Spells by 1%, and avoid one instance of Death Penalty. No level loss, no equipment drop. If Lifespan remains, it will still decrease; cannot be negated. Invalid for levels above 100 or non-Qingcheng Disciples. Vanishes after a single death. Exchange cost: 1500 Sect Contribution Points.

So expensive! The Protective Wooden Puppet cost seven times the Substitute Paper Puppet! Meaning once past level 50, affording these death-avoiding talismans became incredibly difficult, nearly impossible for most players.

Ye Rong had recently focused on daily quests rewarding Sect Contribution. But he’d barely scraped together over 1300 Sect Contribution Points, largely thanks to a few earlier quests offering hefty rewards.

He tapped, confirming the exchange for one Substitute Paper Puppet. Getting more felt like cursing himself to die repeatedly – no need for that.

After the exchange, Ye Rong lingered, continuing to browse the Wheel.

He noticed access to more exotic items due to his status. Strange things appeared, like talismans similar to the Long-Legged Lady’s Yellow Turban Guardian talismans, called Giant Azure Cloud Talismans. Costing 50 Sect Contribution Points each, his current clearance let him buy up to a hundred.

“Five Peaks Dao Scrolls? Could this be the foundational Five Peaks spells all Qingcheng Formal Disciples learn?” Due to smoothly becoming a Formal Disciple, Ye Rong had missed these basics. Now, they were utterly useless; he naturally wouldn’t waste time practicing them.

“Diligence Jade Talisman, 200 Sect Contribution Points per piece, doubles Experience Points gained for one day after use; Merit God Incense, 200 Sect Contribution Points per stick, doubles Merit Points gained for one day after burning; Demon Slaying Talisman, burning this before killing ten people prevents any loss of Karma Points, 500 Sect Contribution Points per sheet… Huh? This is interesting! Basically a ‘legal kill license’?”

Intrigued, he realized the Wheel held many useful trinkets. Careful searching would yield new discoveries. Were it not for his tight Sect Contribution budget, he’d have exchanged several items for his future plans.

“Once I have a million Sect Contribution Points, I’ll clear you out! Wait, such thinking is small-time. Once I’m Qingcheng Sect Leader, this whole Wheel will be mine! I’ll make every player pay mountains of gold for exchanges! Hmph!”

Reluctantly leaving the Sect Leader’s Platform, he gave the Wheel one last fierce tug before departing. True to form, it didn’t budge an inch.

…

“Senior Brother! Big trouble! The Yellow Emperor’s Tomb has been opened!”

At Five Peaks Residence, Chen Taizhen, eyes still closed, continued refining his Sword Embryo. How long till completion was unclear.

“No need for shock. The real Yellow Emperor’s Tomb emergence is far off yet. What they’ve opened is merely the superficial space derived from the Five Elements Heaven. The actual inner tomb couldn’t possibly emerge so easily. When the Tomb truly opens, powerful figures from every Sect will attend. Those Demonic Cultivators surely won’t miss the chance either; they’ll come to snatch the Primordial Wonders within the tomb.”

“What? You mean the so called first, second, third, fourth, and fifth layers… are all just superficial derived spaces? Not the actual tomb?”

Ye Rong’s eyes widened in shock, then dawning comprehension. He’d thought the commotion around this opening, stirring the land, drawing countless Factions, felt disproportionate for Far Shore’s top-tier super-dungeon. Something always seemed missing.

So the current second layer holding players back, and the subsequent layers all supposedly hard, were merely the tomb’s surface. Independent spaces derived from the Five Elements Heaven, insignificant before the true Yellow Emperor’s Tomb.

When the real tomb opened, even top Demonic Cultivators would come contesting Primordial Wonders. It sounded like a massive confrontation between Righteous and Demon Paths, potentially hundreds of times more chaotic than present.

Regarding Primordial Wonders, Ye Rong understood better now the classification of top-tier treasures:

Roughly three tiers, ascending: Ancient Treasures, Primordial Wonders, and Heavenly Mansion Wonders.

Treasures like the Nine Glazed Golden Lamp bestowed upon him by his master Demon-Subduing True Lord Jiang Shu belonged to Ancient Treasures, already possessing impressive power to guard a domain.

The absolute top treasures within the Yellow Emperor’s Tomb were Primordial Wonders – mighty artifacts personally forged by famed primal figures, like Yu’s Cauldron or the Seven Phoenix Seal.

The highest were naturally Heavenly Mansion Wonders, originating from the hands of Golden Immortals in the Immortal Realm. Each possessed terrifying power capable of reshaping heaven and earth. But ordinary cultivators couldn’t use or activate them, like the Yuan River Golden Ship left by Golden Immortal Guangchengzi, or Tushita Fire, said to be a spark of blue-violet flame from Lord Laozi’s furnace.

“You are correct, Junior Brother. Focus diligently on your cultivation; stay clear of that mess. When the Yellow Emperor’s Tomb truly opens, Disciple and Master will certainly take you. You may observe whether suitable opportunities arise, perhaps even acquire a few treasures.”

Senior Brother Chen Taizhen spoke earnestly and with deep concern. Ye Rong naturally just nodded and murmured agreement.

But abandoning the rewards within the five layers of the Five Elements Heaven derived spaces remained deeply unsatisfying.

“Who knows how long till the real tomb emerges? Probably months more of gameplay. I must seize this current opportunity. Though since Senior Brother Chen Taizhen promised to bring me then, safety will at least be somewhat assured. Hanging out with top-tier NPC big shots – what’s there to fear, huh?”

Thinking thus, the Chief chuckled softly to himself, then remembered something else.

“Oh, Senior Brother, does our Qingcheng have any elder skilled in crafting ships? I’ve seen disciples of many other Sects traveling on ships, making chasing Demon Cultivators much easier. As you well know, Senior Brother, many Demon Cultivators possess swift escape techniques, like the Blood Flight technique. Even beating them doesn’t guarantee capture and final destruction.”

Qingcheng, after all, was an orthodox Daoist sect with deep roots. Ye Rong refused to believe there was no way to obtain a ship through the Sect.

“Such external things are not the true path. You must not become obsessed with them, Junior Brother. Concentrate solely on your cultivation…”

Senior Brother Chen Taizhen predictably shared Master Jiang Shu’s temperament, launching into a lengthy lecture every opportunity. Thankfully, he eventually circled back to the topic – the information regarding ships that Ye Rong actually sought.

“Regarding ships, Qingcheng disciples skilled in such crafts are indeed few. However, the Sect possesses quite a few ships left behind by previous generations of ancestors. When Junior Brother here has rendered sufficient service to the Sect, I will naturally petition the Elders Council to allocate one as a reward.”

Ships! Excellent!

Ye Rong was deeply satisfied. He didn’t expect one immediately, just confirmation it was possible through the Sect. With that affirmative answer, he now had a direction to work towards.