First, there was the golden war axe. This axe made Lin Zhao feel that the studio might strike it rich. He reached out and gripped the axe, immediately feeling its weight. Even with his Strength points, he felt a bit of strain, which showed how harsh the usage conditions for this axe were—
[Iron Blood War Axe] (Golden Grade)
Attack: 165-300
Strength: +38
Agility: +35
Effect: Lifesteal +4%
Effect: Armor Pierce, ignores 5% of target's defense
Effect: Deals 35% splash damage to targets within 5 yards of the target
Bonus: Increases user's attack power by 5%
Requires Strength: 250
Requires Level: 33
...
What a fine Iron Blood War Axe, with an attack ceiling almost three times that of the Tusks!
"Holy crap..."
Ding Chi took a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and asked, "300 attack ceiling?"
"Mhm."
Lin Zhao nodded, equally shocked. "The attack is indeed high... and it's a weapon with three effects, lifesteal, armor pierce, and splash damage. The cost-effectiveness of this axe is exceptionally high."
"It's a pity it's a Berserker's weapon. If it were a sword, that would be great," Zhang Jun said.
"Not necessarily."
Ding Chi frowned. "There's no distinct line for heavy armor wearers' weapons. War axes, single-handed swords, spears, and lances can all be used interchangeably. What's missing is just the 25% specialization damage bonus. This Iron Blood War Axe is definitely within reach for Ah Zhao's Strength. Want to switch? With that 300 attack power added, your attack power would be close to a thousand, right?"
"Not a thousand."
Lin Zhao felt a flicker of indecision, but as he raised his hand to touch the hilt of the Dragon Slaying Sword on his back, this wavering and ripple in his heart immediately subsided. He, Lin Zhao, was destined to become a Sword Immortal. Since he had decided to use a sword, he would use it to the very end. What kind of person would he be if he switched now for an axe's attack power? Such a Lin Zhao would disappoint Sister Bai...
So, he shook his head and said decisively, "No switch. If you two want to use this axe, keep it."
"Not keeping it!"
Ding Chi shook his head, equally resolute. "Da Jun and I are still 3 levels away from reaching level 33. These 3 levels will take at least 1-2 days. In these two days, the value of a Golden Grade item will at least halve. Instead of letting this axe sit here while we waste time, it's better to sell it directly. It can provide a substantial amount of funds for the studio. Besides, Sister Ju Zi and Little Ju Zi have moved in now, and expenses for food, clothing, housing, and transportation will inevitably increase. Our studio needs money now, so let's just sell this Iron Blood War Axe."
"Mhm!"
Zhang Jun nodded slightly. "Indeed, it's like stock trading. If you know it's going to fall, why not sell now? The principle is the same. Let's sell it, Lin Zhao?"
"Alright."
Lin Zhao smiled faintly. "I'll head back to town later to sell it!"
"Great!"
...
Next, let's look at the next piece of loot, a robe. Lin Zhao waved his hand, and the robe's attributes floated up. It was a Silver Grade item, which didn't stir as much excitement—
[Twilight Spirit Robe] (Silver Grade)
Type: Cloth Armor
Defense: 28
Spirit: +22
Stamina: +20
Effect: Damage Reduction +1%
Bonus: Increases user's defense by 3%
Requires Level: 33
...
Sell it for money.
Lin Zhao unhesitatingly handed it to Ding Chi. "Sell it!"
"Got it!"
Ding Chi happily accepted the item, took the equipment, and listed it on the auction house. Ding Chi was thrilled with this. Previously, as a lawyer, his monthly income was at most 8,000-12,000 universal coins. Now, in the game, he could earn so much in half a day. This "Tian Xia" truly lived up to its reputation; it was a place where anything was truly possible!
Lin Zhao began to look at the third piece of equipment, a necklace with a golden sheen. He waved his hand, and the necklace's attributes floated out. Instantly, everyone was on the verge of suffocation—
[Blazing Flame Necklace] (Golden Grade)
Strength: +37
Stamina: +35
Effect: Lifesteal +4%
Effect: Critical Strike +2%
Effect: Sword Mastery, deals an additional 10% attack damage when using sword-type weapons
Effect: Blazing Flame Strike, has a 30% chance to trigger a strike dealing 200% attack damage
Special Skill: [Blade of Silence], a strike activated by circulating the true meaning of silence, rendering the target unable to use any skills for 3 seconds. Skill cooldown: ten minutes.
Bonus: Increases user's attack power by 5%
Requires Level: 33
...
"Holy hell..."
Ding Chi frowned, his head buzzing. This surprise came too quickly. A level 33 Golden Grade necklace with four effects and one special skill, what kind of concept was that?
"What kind of monstrous equipment is this?"
Zhang Jun murmured.
Lin Zhao held the Blazing Flame Necklace, utterly delighted. Its attributes were indeed too powerful!
Ding Chi said, "Lifesteal, critical strike, damage boost, pursuit, four major effects, plus a silence special skill. The value of this necklace goes without saying; it's absolutely divine-tier at this stage... and this equipment will remain divine-tier for 1-2 months. That Blade of Silence is a bit too outrageous; its suppressive power against spellcasters is simply unimaginable."
"More than just spellcasters."
Zhang Jun added, "Even in heavy armor versus heavy armor, or heavy armor against light armor, if professions like Sword Master, Berserker, Assassin, Sharpshooter, or Gunner can't use their skills, how can they fight? Within three seconds, it's almost a complete slaughter. With Lin Zhao's attack output and operation, killing someone in three seconds is definitely not difficult."
"Mhm..."
Ding Chi smiled. "Alright, Ah Zhao, how much more do you need to reach level 33?"
"A tiny bit."
Lin Zhao glanced. "Around 10%."
"Good."
Ding Chi chuckled. "How about this, Da Jun and I will head back to town to learn Sword Qi Bodyguard and list the Iron Blood War Axe. You can continue killing monsters here. Ordinary monsters around level 40 are perfect for your leveling. By the time Mo Yin finds the coordinates of the next Boss, you should have reached level 33. Then, there's nothing else to say. Once you equip the necklace, no one will matter!"
"Brilliant..."
Lin Zhao laughed heartily and carefully tucked the Blazing Flame Necklace into his inventory. "Alright, you two head back to town. Come back quickly. I'll start leveling here."
"Mhm!"
...
Ding Chi and Zhang Jun crushed their town scrolls and left. Lin Zhao then looked at the monsters ahead, Stone Valley Boars, level 40 monsters, very suitable for his current leveling. He drew his sword and charged forward, engaging a Stone Valley Boar. His monster-killing operations were now smoother, his evasion and attack rhythms reaching a superior level, showing a bit of masterly style.
As he was fighting, when a Stone Valley Boar attacked with its tusks, Lin Zhao instinctively raised his sword blade in front of his chest. Instantly, with a clang, a notification bell rang in his ear.
"Beep!"
Combat Notification: Congratulations on a successful defense, reducing 91% of the damage taken in this instance!
As a result, the Stone Valley Boar's normal attack, which usually dealt over 100 health damage to Lin Zhao, only dealt 11 points this time!
"Defense?"
Lin Zhao was slightly taken aback. This was his first successful defense in "Tian Xia." He continued to try and defend when the monsters attacked. Indeed, once he adopted the posture of crossing his sword and raising his arm, it was recognized by the system as entering a defensive stance, with a high probability of successful defense. However, there was a defense bar during defense, and once it was depleted, he would inevitably be broken through.
Fight again!
After a few more attempts, Lin Zhao parried attacks with his sword blade, blocked with his left wrist, or kicked and blocked with his leg. Each time, he could defend successfully. And once he engaged in this kind of operation, his bloodline seemed to awaken. Every movement was so skillful, as if he had practiced for a long time.
In fact, it was simple. Lin Zhao was once an eighth-level martial artist, a young master tempered by Chu Huaixi and Chen Wanli. He was adept at defense and blocking in real combat. After all, he had experienced over a year in the game before other players. Other beta testers had a month, but Lin Zhao's time was stretched. After over a year of experience, it was not surprising that he could now integrate and perform actions he had never considered before.
At this moment, Lin Zhao felt a surge of excitement. The game's operations had so much depth, not just blindly relying on equipment attributes to kill monsters. If offense and defense were switched and dodges were timely, it was often possible to defeat stronger opponents. For instance, when fighting a Boss, a skilled player could achieve legendary kills.
It all depended on human effort, on whether you were willing to explore.
Especially for a groundbreaking metaverse game like "Tian Xia," there were too many secrets waiting for players to uncover. Just in terms of operations, Lin Zhao had a lot of room for improvement. Fortunately, everyone was playing this 100% realistic game for the first time, and the starting point was the same. Therefore, as long as Lin Zhao could always be one step ahead, exploring some of the game's mysteries in advance, it was highly possible for him to become a grandmaster in the future!
After all, the universe is undecided, and everyone is a dark horse!
...
Around 4 PM.
Accompanied by a shower of golden light from the sky, Lin Zhao had already leveled up to 33. Impatiently, with a click, he equipped the Blazing Flame Necklace. Instantly, a surge of immense power flowed into his body, and his attributes and combat power began to increase significantly—
[Bai Yi] (Apprentice Sword Master)
Level: 33
Attack: 348-664 (+10%)
Defense: 353 (+5%)
Health: 5500
Critical Strike: 4%
Lifesteal: 8%
Damage Reduction: 3%
Intelligence: 99
Charm: 0
Reputation Points: 300
Combat Power: 225
...
The current Lin Zhao was both tanky and fierce, and important secondary attributes like critical strike, lifesteal, and damage reduction were also strong. A 4% critical strike rate and 8% lifesteal were dominant attributes that made most players look up to him.
In the team chat, Ding Chi said with a smile, "Mo Yin, why haven't you found the next Boss yet? Is the money that hard to earn?"
"What do you think?"
Mo Yin smiled bitterly. "I barely leveled up this afternoon, but what can I do? There are too many player factions in Yunshang County. Those guys are now moving out in groups of hundreds, sweeping through various maps. Many Golden Grade Bosses are killed as soon as they spawn. I even heard that the Shengshi Mudan people are starting to prepare for Dark Gold Grade Bosses. This darn game is not for solo players. Without joining a guild, it's impossible to play."
"Is that true?"
Zhang Jun asked, "With Shengshi Mudan's strength, they dare to go for Dark Gold Grade? Dark Gold Grade Bosses at this stage start at least at level 50, right?"
"Yes, they start at level 50."
Mo Yin replied, "But they have so many people! A large group of level 30 players can swarm and kill a Dark Gold Grade Boss. Even if they drop a Dark Gold item, it's still a profit. Plus, there are first-kill rewards."
"Indeed."
Ding Chi frowned. "It's really hard to play with few people, but to have many people, you need to pay salaries. Nowadays, everyone is short on cash."
"Definitely, definitely... Oh dear..."
As Mo Yin was speaking, he suddenly exclaimed.
"What's wrong, Mo Yin!?" Lin Zhao asked urgently.
"I've been PKed!"
Mo Yin's breathing was rapid. "It's people from Shengshi Mudan. I've been targeted!"
"Send the coordinates!"
"Okay!"