Bai Di City, countless national server players looked up.
At this very moment, another bell rang, making everyone gasp.
"Ding!"
System announcement: Due to the excessively high value of the items for auction, the Bai Di City Auction has been officially upgraded to a "Server-Wide Top-Tier Auction." Teleportation channels to the "Sumerian Region," "Nile Region," and "Aryan Region" will be opened. Players from these three regions can reach Bai Di City through special channels to participate in this grand auction!
...
"Damn it!"
A young knight was greatly excited. "What does this mean, are we going to have cross-server battles?"
"Who knows."
A middle-aged Sword Cultivator, selling goods from a stall in tattered clothes, sneered. "Just watching others get rich... This Chengfeng Spear was definitely dropped by Lin Zhao when he soloed Long Chen yesterday. Maybe the Bronze Divine Tree and the Huantian Armor were also sold by him. With just these few treasures, Lin Zhao's net worth is at least over a billion, right? Tsk tsk... A winner in life!"
"I heard..."
The young knight frowned. "It wasn't Lin Zhao who soloed the Boss, but he cooperated with the Undying Starry Sky Goddess. However, Undying Starry Sky acted as a tool, causing no damage, so it ended up being a solo kill by Bai Yi. After these items are sold, they'll likely be split with Undying Starry Sky."
"So what?"
The middle-aged Sword Cultivator stroked his stubble and chuckled. "That's still a winner in life. With a full set of top-tier equipment and magic treasures, he cleared a Celestial Boss overnight, and while clearing the Boss, he was also hugging Shen Xingchen's thigh. Isn't that a winner in life?"
Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him—
"What, envious?"
Instantly, the middle-aged Sword Cultivator quickly turned around, feeling as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. Unbeknownst to him, the stunning Mage, Undying Starry Sky, clad in exquisite mage robes and holding a demigod staff, stood behind him, her pretty face shrouded in frost.
"I... I didn't mean that..." the middle-aged Sword Cultivator stammered.
"Then what did you mean?"
Shen Xingchen took a step forward, her slender, snow-white legs exposed through the slit of her robe. She sneered, "If you're envious, why don't you try hugging it too? Do you have the guts?"
"I..." the middle-aged Sword Cultivator stammered, looking ashamed.
"If you don't have the guts, then shut up."
Shen Xingchen's gaze was icy. "At your age, gossiping behind a girl's back, isn't that unethical!"
Saying that, she strode away, leaving the young knight and the middle-aged Sword Cultivator exchanging bewildered glances.
...
Snow Region Heavenly Pool, Mountain Peak Villa.
Lin Zhao flew on his sword, first surveying the entire area. In his absence, the construction of Bai City had not been delayed at all. The northern city walls and towers had risen from the ground one by one. Soon, a Bai City would stand proudly in the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. At that time, it would not be so easy for the demon race to breach the Snow Region Heavenly Pool even with a massive army.
He gazed with ambition for a long time before heading to the Mountain Peak Villa.
"Young Master, you're back~~~"
A figure radiating golden light greeted him. Liu Liying, in a red dress and holding a folding fan, affectionately linked arms with Lin Zhao. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with a tender glow, and she pursed her red lips, saying, "You haven't been back for so many days, Liying misses you..."
Lin Zhao felt both exasperated and amused. Having been at the Mountain Peak Villa for so long, Liu Liying hadn't changed at all, still trying to disrupt his Dao heart. So, Lin Zhao played along, gently patting Liu Liying's hand and saying, "Liying, I miss you too..."
"Ah?!"
Liu Liying froze on the spot, her pretty face flushed. It was over; her attempt to trick had backfired, and her own Dao heart was shattered into a mess.
Lin Zhao walked ahead, while Liu Liying, holding a white horse, followed behind with a rosy face.
"Young Master."
Dong Cang smiled. "You're back?"
"Yes, returned from expedition."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly. He was quite satisfied with the outcome of his expedition to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tree map, having obtained various treasures and a lot of Jin Zizhu. His strength in both the game and reality had greatly increased. He looked at Dong Cang and asked with a smile, "Dong Cang, have you been slacking in your cultivation recently?"
"No."
Dong Cang pursed her red lips and smiled. "I recently entered the Nascent Soul stage. Perhaps soon I'll be able to follow in your footsteps and become a Star River cultivator."
"Good, good, good, that's great."
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile, then rushed into the study. He drew some talismans, expending his stamina, and then sat cross-legged on the bed in the study to refine the incomplete scroll of the Blazing Prison and the Sky-Splitting Axe. These were resources for his future strength, and he had to attend to them.
Just as he was about to refine the skill scroll, a communication request suddenly popped up in the game, from his cousin Murong Feiyue.
"Swish!"
Murong Feiyue appeared, dressed in a female general's uniform, looking heroic and valiant. She looked at Lin Zhao and also noticed his in-game attire. She smiled, "You're in the game?"
"Yes, I'm refining treasures. Sister, are you free this afternoon?"
"Just finished my work."
Murong Feiyue sat down in the command center at the front line, took a cup of coffee from Ning Yu, glanced at the large screen, and then looked back at Lin Zhao. "I heard that your Feiyue Transport purchased a Chi You-class light cruise fighter from Rongcheng Aerospace Industry?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded. "If it's for protecting the shipping routes, the Cloud Shadow-class weapon loadout is no longer sufficient. I'm worried that Feiyue Transport's routes might be unsafe, and the compensation for cargo issues would be too high for us to bear. Therefore, I purchased that Chi You-class. Sister, is there a problem, or should I not have bought it?"
"No problem."
Murong Feiyue smiled faintly. "My little Zhao has really grown up. The money earned in the game can actually buy a Chi You-class warship like this. That's excellent... Our entire East Sea War Zone doesn't have many Chi You-class ships. The performance of this type of fighter is extremely powerful; it can even be used as a half starship. However, to pilot a Chi You-class into the sky, you need to obtain an airworthiness certificate from the government and military. But don't worry, I've already made arrangements. I'll help you get the airworthiness certificate for Feiyue Transport, and the responsible person can be me. It's very comforting to see you thinking about strengthening Feiyue Transport's defenses."
"Sister."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Is the war in the East Sea not going well? Or... is it not peaceful in the Huaxia District?"
"It's never truly peaceful."
Murong Feiyue said, "The local governments in the reconstructed cities are all acting independently, and the command of various military regions is also extremely uncoordinated. The ruling power of the Huaxia District's central government is gradually weakening, and there's a lot of infighting within the military. The sea beasts in the depths of the Pacific have long been stirring. So, it's a good thing to prepare early. You just focus on expanding Feiyue Transport, and I'll handle the matters above."
"Okay."
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile.
"Oh, right~~~"
Murong Feiyue smiled. "I'll go back and spend the New Year with you. It's time for me to take a break."
"Okay, good!"
...
After closing the communicator, Lin Zhao began to refine with focus.
Within half an hour, he refined the incomplete scroll of the Blazing Prison skill book, transforming it into a wispy sword intent left in his spiritual ruins. He didn't rush to refine it, and then he began refining the Sky-Splitting Axe. However, this Sky-Splitting Axe was a top-grade Celestial treasure, and the medium refinement process was unusually long. It wasn't until past eight in the evening that it was finally refined.
Upon successful medium refinement, the Sky-Splitting Axe transformed into a dazzling golden battle axe that lay horizontally in his spiritual ruins world.
Lin Zhao walked out of the room and came to the lotus pond. With a thought.
"Swish!" A golden battle axe shot out from his spiritual ruins, transforming into a golden light and fiercely striking above the lotus pond. The battle axe spanned dozens of feet, immensely large. With an empty slash, the pond water completely parted. The Qi of the entire lotus pond was almost severed by this axe, causing the middle-aged fat man sitting by the pond cultivating his artistic conception to open his eyes.
"Not bad."
Lu Qi smiled. "This offensive killing intent is worthy of a supreme treasure!"
"Good eyesight."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded. "Indeed, it's a supreme treasure. Master Lu, how is Brother Xu Er's cultivation on Sword Mountain progressing? Are there any signs of breaking through to the Upper Five Realms?"
"Not yet."
Lu Qi shook his head. "My junior brother's Dao heart is rather fragmented. Perhaps if you have Xian Jian Xu Zhi send her food a few more times, she might recover her cultivation and perhaps even break through to the thirteenth realm."
Xu Zhi drifted over, her brows furrowed slightly. "My lord, please don't listen to him. Cultivators on the mountain seek the Dao and ascend to heaven through their own efforts. Sages have always advocated 'seek not from without.' If he needs me to reluctantly cater to him to break through, then it would be better for him, Xu Shuo, not to break through at all, as it would be disgraceful."
Lin Zhao nodded in agreement. "Xu Zhi, don't worry, I won't force you to do anything."
"Mm!"
Xu Zhi smiled with dimples.
Lu Qi put his hand to his forehead. "Alas, the great Dao is hard to tread. Who grieves for the downcast?"
...
Lin Zhao ignored him.
He sat by the lake and took out a few gems from his inventory. They were dropped by Long Chen and were called "Growth Divine Stones." These were stones for the equipment evolution system that the system had always designated but never released. One Growth Divine Stone could allow an equipment to grow once. Long Chen dropped a total of 5 Growth Divine Stones, so Lin Zhao upgraded his growable equipment, the Human Emperor Ring and the Ascension Divine Ring, into Saint Artifacts. This made him the only player in the entire server to possess two Saint Artifact rings, further enhancing his attributes and combat power. He even felt a sense of arrogance, almost becoming contemptuous of others.
"Beep!"
A message from Nangong Muyun: "Boss, that Chengfeng Spear..."
"Want it?"
Lin Zhao said, "The Chengfeng Spear was dropped by Starry Sky and me cooperating. If you want it... I'll convince her to take it down, and we'll have an internal transaction price."
"No, no, no..."
Nangong Muyun smiled. "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to confirm that you put it up for consignment, right? If so, I'm going to go all out tomorrow and try my best to get the Chengfeng Spear!"
"Yes, I put it up for consignment."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Muyun, tomorrow's auction will definitely be a bloody battle. Are you sure?"
"Sure."
Nangong Muyun laughed. "It's best if I buy it. If I can't, I can also help you drive up the price, right?"
"Hahaha, that's true!"