"How could Daoist say that? Back in Huangzhou, if it werenât for Daoist blocking those two Demon Venerables for me, I would have almost certainly fallen at their hands, let alone later breaking through by luck."
Long Dao, with her exquisitely beautiful appearance and luxurious dragon horns on her forehead, shook her head upon hearing this, and a translucent icy blue jade pendant engraved with coiled dragon patterns appeared in her hand, given to Wang Zhifan.
"This is..."
Wang Zhifan looked at the warm-to-the-touch jade pendant in his hand, and just as he was about to ask the dragon maiden what it was, he noticed a corresponding item description appearing before his eyes:
[Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant (Epic Layer)]
[This is a unique Dragon Spirit Jade Pendant of the Mieyue Race. It is said that every Mieyue Clan member traveling outside carries a Dragon Spirit Jade Pendant closely, and the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant is among the very advanced types.]
[Nurturing: The Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant can subtly condition your body, keeping you in optimal shape. This effect becomes particularly evident when you are injured.]
[Spirit Charm: The Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant contains a hint of the Cyan Dragon True Spiritâs charm, providing your cultivation a bonus effect. The closer you are to the novice level in a cultivation, the stronger this effect becomes.]
[Child of Heaven: You are heavenâs favored one. This grace usually does not manifest, but once you come across a critical turning point, it might play a role in turning the tide.]
"Oh my... Epic Layer item? Isnât this the Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saberâs personal jade pendant?"
Wang Zhifan was momentarily shocked internally, having no choice but to suspect there was a reason why this cold-toned jade pendant carried warmth.
When Wang Zhifan lifted his gaze to look at the dragon maiden, the other party smiled and explained:
"Daoist Fanyun, this jade pendant is a treasure I acquired from my clan at a very young age, and it possesses many mystical functions.
In the illusion realm, I was meant to perish alongside that Demon Venerable, but in the life-and-death moment, it assisted me in entering a state of enlightenment, allowing me to finally break through successfully...
This time, Iâll use it as a token of gratitude for Daoistâs help, as well as a congratulatory gift for Daoistâs establishment of the Martial Venerable Hall. I hope Daoist wonât disdain it."
"..."
After hearing the dragon maidenâs words, Wang Zhifan was rendered speechless, quickly shoved the jade pendant back into her hand, and swiftly said:
"Long Dao, your gift is far too precious. In comparison, my help to you is negligible! So, I cannot accept it!
Honestly, your presence at my Martial Venerable Hall makes me very happy! Gifts are not important; we really donât need to be so formal!"
His expression was utterly sincere, without a hint of greed because he truly felt that his assistance to this dragon maiden was not that significant. It was merely a small favor, and accepting such a costly gift would indeed cause him guilt.
Moreover, he did not particularly need this Epic Layer item. Nowadays, various bonus effects stacked upon him have already formed a mountain; accepting this jade pendant wouldnât suddenly skyrocket him.
Certainly, having it is better than not, but the appeal is not irreplaceable; he can completely choose to pass it up.
However, Wang Zhifan was taken aback when the Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber saw how he valued the jade pendant in his hand; a faint, amused smile instantly appeared on her impeccable face, and she immediately explained again with a smile:
"Daoist is joking; though the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant is considered precious, there is not just one in our clan. Daoist can absolutely accept it with peace of mind, just as a gift from my clan to forge a good bond with the Martial Venerable Hall."
Having said that, the young lady opened her other delicate hand, presenting another identical Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant in front of Wang Zhifan.
"This... are Epic Layer items mass-produced?"
Wang Zhifan nearly froze at the sight, not because he had never seen Epic layersâthere are a few higher than Epic layersâbut identical, mass-produced Epic Layer items was a first in a campaign scenario, genuinely opening his eyes.
"Ahem..."
With matters clarified by the dragon maiden, there was no more hesitation left for Wang Zhifan. He promptly coughed lightly twice to alleviate his embarrassment and said to the Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber:
"I see... In that case, it is better to accept graciously than to decline!"
As they say, one is a fool not to accept a benefit when offered, and with no personal principles restricting him, Wang Zhifan immediately accepted the dragon maidenâs gift and chose the pendant she initially gave him.
Then he took the opportunity to inquire from the dragon maiden on how to properly wear the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant, to which she informed him there was no fixed way to wear it.
One can hang it with a thin string around the neck as a pendant, attach it to the waist as an accessory, or keep it close within the pocket. The key is to have the jade pendant on the body, according to personal preference.
"Nice, very nice! This jade pendant suits me very well! Iâm going to treasure it!"
Adhering to the principle of not flaunting his wealth, Wang Zhifan immediately placed the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant into the pocket of his clothing, lest some other player notices it at some point, inciting potential trouble when seeing the text description triggered by the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant.
Seeing Wang Zhifan value the gift she sent so dearly, the tall and exceptionally graceful Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber reflected a faint joy in her eyes.
She thought she has completed an important task and should proceed to the next critical mission, opening to bid farewell to Wang Zhifan.
She mentioned having other urgent matters upon leaving this time and would come to him after handling them for some cultivation practice or perhaps a friendly match.
Although she didnât disclose what she was about to do, Wang Zhifan sensed something.
Because upon the last time he saw the Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber emerging from the illusion realm, he discovered she lacked an originally essential itemâher weapon!
"Long Dao, are you going to search for someone to craft a suitable weapon?"
By this time, Wang Zhifan had already stored the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant and swept his gaze over the dragon maidenâs waist. When he first saw her, she had an eye-catching pair of blood-red twin sabers, which were now conspicuously absent, leaving her completely unarmed.
Realizing Wang Zhifan had discerned her intentions, the Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber nodded and replied:
"Daoist indeed has keen insight; my previous weapon was completely destroyed in the battle against the Demon Venerable. Returning to the clan did not reveal any particularly suitable ones, so I intend to look at the situation across various major cities."
"Hmm... do you have any specifications for the weapon you need? Still requiring sabers? Perhaps I can help you; you see, I also use sabers and have some stock and connections in this area."
Wang Zhifan immediately suggested, intending to reciprocate the young and beautiful dragon maiden with something in return.
"Yes, I need sabers, ideally twin sabers, the most crucial requirement being they can withstand my current power; otherwise, any battle might break the sabers, in which case Iâd be better off fighting unarmed."
She displayed slight helplessness at this point, deducing she tested some weapons upon returning from her breakthrough in the illusion realm, but with the ultra-innate realm in True Spirit Dao, the clanâs crafted sabers donât meet her basic needs. Otherwise, she wouldnât consider seeking weapons outside.
"Twin sabers... wait here, Iâll be right back."
Wang Zhifan listened and couldnât help but furrow his brows slightly. He definitely had no high-quality twin sabers presently; looking in his space inventory would essentially waste time, but he does not possess only whatâs in his inventory. The Black Tower inside the Martial Venerable Hall he remembers clearly contains various types of mass-produced weapons.
Thus, he immediately left the side hall, pretending to check somewhere akin to a secret weapons vault but actually entering the underground of the Martial Venerable Hall to retrieve the list of weapon drops in the Black Tower.
"There are several rare-level weapons that are twin sabers... but these surely wonât suffice... Why is there no twin saber in the excellent-level list again? Ridiculous! Should I take two identical excellent sabers and form a pair?"
Facing difficulty, Wang Zhifan immediately devised a plan to cheat: given the Black Towerâs items are mass-produced, he could afford the extravagance completely.