Chen Tian inquired with the system, and his guess that it was the system's doing turned out to be correct. As it happened, the time limit for his sealed power had expired. While Chen Tian was battling Xie Kuangmie, the system had been gradually transforming the divine aura of the five elements on Chen Tian's body into its own. Xie Kuangmie was very strong; even with forty percent of his power unleashed, Chen Tian could only fight him to a stalemate. The system’s action would prevent pursuit from Xie Kuangmie and also from others. The Grandmaster System acted in Chen Tian’s best interest.
It was a pity, though, that Chen Tian had not had enough time to fully adapt to his unleashed power and had not had many battles. This made Chen Tian quite dejected. Xie Kuangmie's attitude indicated he would not pursue Chen Tian, and the situation had been resolved. Chen Tian nodded. Chen Tian detested the Evil Spirit race. If he had to fight them, Xie Kuangmie would be placed on his kill list. Xie Kuangmie had come due to a bounty. Chen Tian saw no need for a fight to the death. In Xie Kuangmie's eyes, Chen Tian was merely an object that had come into contact with the five elements and was stained with their aura—a misunderstanding. Once the misunderstanding was cleared, Xie Kuangmie felt there was no reason to continue relentlessly pursuing Chen Tian.
Xie Kuangmie’s figure vanished into the void. He intended to search for the true inheritor of the five elements. Before leaving, he reminded Chen Tian, "Don't worry, I will not harm the living beings of this world. I will not assist the Evil Spirit race here either. They are to be expelled. According to our clan rules, I cannot interfere in the affairs of outsiders."
"I hope you speak the truth."
Chen Tian sensed that Xie Kuangmie was not lying. As the world returned to peace, Chen Tian stood in the sky and returned to Guiming Mountain. Outside the cave of the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon on Guiming Mountain, the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon had reverted to his human form. Before him lay two corpses. Tianhe and Mie Ling Snake could not fathom why, despite obtaining greater power, they had still lost. This defeat meant death. Indeed, both Tianhe and Mie Ling Snake were lifeless, killed by the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon.
The Nine-Headed Demon Dragon's strength was far beyond what was apparent. He had not unleashed his full power when fighting the three of them before. This time, facing two opponents, he had used forty percent of his strength, likely the amount needed to deal with Chen Tian. The Nine-Headed Demon Dragon looked up at the sky and said with loneliness, "It seems only you in this world can make me go all out! How boring. Without an opponent, I might as well collect treasures."
"Heh heh, Nine-Headed, your strength seems to be greater than I imagined!"
"You are not bad either. What about that guy? Have you dealt with him?"
"No, it was just a misunderstanding. But Nine-Headed, I still want to ask why you came to this world?"
Chen Tian questioned the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon. The Nine-Headed Demon Dragon looked at Chen Tian's eyes and sighed, "I came to the Linglong Realm of the Holy God Realm, which is the third-to-last world. You may not have heard of the Holy God Realm."
"The Holy God Realm is divided into nine layers, each layer being an independent world. In each layer of the Holy God Realm, there are several overlords. Each overlord can bring their race into the Holy God Realm to form a new faction. I belong to the Demon Dragon race of the third-to-last world. However, the Demon Dragon race has been annihilated. I am a fugitive, the only mutated demon dragon who survived and is not recognized by the Demon Dragon race."
"My purpose in this world is simply to survive and to bring glory to the Demon Dragon race. As long as I am alive, the Demon Dragon race will not perish."
"Aren't dragons pure divine beasts? Since you are of the Demon Dragon race, are you under the jurisdiction of the Dragon race? Did the Dragon race not help you?"
Chen Tian's question was met with a sigh from the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon, "The true Dragon race are overlords at the highest level of the Holy God Realm. They only recognize bloodline purity. The Demon Dragon race, to put it bluntly, is a race formed by the fusion of demonic energy and dragon lineage. The Demon Dragon race represents ill omen, with weak bloodline purity. The Dragon race, in the top-tier worlds, are possessors of the most elite bloodlines; some even have bloodlines that can revert to the Ancestral Dragon."
"However, the Ancestral Dragon has not appeared for thirty-six epochs. I don't know if the Dragon race can produce another Ancestral Dragon. Back then, under the radiance of the Ancestral Dragon, the myriad realms of the Holy God Realm were the pride of the Dragon race."
Chen Tian fell into thought. He had the Ancestral Dragon bloodline. Could he become a true Ancestral Dragon? When Chen Tian's bloodline was integrated by the system, all his bloodlines disappeared, leaving only the Cosmic Bloodline.
Chen Tian seemed not to have seen any information about the Cosmic Bloodline.
Cosmic Bloodline: The strongest bloodline in the universe. The host's unique bloodline, capable of transforming into any cosmic bloodline with one hundred percent purity.
"Hiss!"
Chen Tian took a deep breath. How powerful! To transform into any bloodline with one hundred percent purity, wouldn't that mean Chen Tian, upon transforming into the Ancestral Dragon bloodline, would inherit the Ancestral Dragon's legacy and knowledge? The bloodlines calculated by the Cosmic Bloodline were the same as true bloodlines, possessing bloodline inheritance.
However, the Cosmic Bloodline was currently sealed, which disappointed Chen Tian slightly. Chen Tian said to the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon, "See you next time, Nine-Headed. If you see an aura similar to this token, come find me, and I won't treat you unfairly."
"Alright!"
The Nine-Headed Demon Dragon was overjoyed to hear that Chen Tian would exchange items for his weapon. Collecting treasures had become the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon's pastime. Chen Tian and Chen Ling stepped into the spatial vortex, and the void tunnel closed. Chen Tian's voice echoed, "Nine-Headed, you are forbidden from harming the beings of this world. I am the administrator of this world. If I discover you, I will only be able to expel you."
"I see. No wonder your strength is so monstrous. I understand. I will be careful, I will only injure, not kill."
The Nine-Headed Demon Dragon instantly understood the reason for Chen Tian's formidable power: his status as the world's administrator, second only to the Heavenly Dao. Without considerable strength, one could not occupy such a position. Moreover, the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon sensed that the Heavenly Dao of this world was in hibernation, seemingly brewing something. If no one managed the world during this period, it would likely fall into disarray.
Chen Tian had deliberately said this to issue a warning to the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon. This was the Divine Spirit Realm, and Chen Tian did not want external beings to harm its inhabitants. The Divine Spirit Realm had not yet recovered and still had players. Chen Tian and Chen Ling returned to the City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord, looking at the key in Chen Tian's hand, said with satisfaction, "Thank you, adventurers, for finding the second key. Now, for the third trial, do you accept?"
"Yes!"
"Adventurers, the key item for the third trial is no longer in the City Lord's Mansion. You need to go to the Forging City to find the master blacksmith, Ming Ke. The third key must be obtained from him. The City Lord's Mansion is only responsible for keeping two keys."
The City Lord spoke politely. Chen Tian opened his interface. Forging City?
Forging City was not far from Yuan City. Chen Tian put away his interface. Forging City, a city collectively inhabited by blacksmiths. In the Era of Time, professions naturally included blacksmiths, merchants, gourmands, and so on. It felt like professions that existed in real life. Chen Tian and Chen Ling casually opened a teleportation gate and stepped through. Chen Tian could not use inter-city teleportation gates yet; he was still flagged as a wanted criminal. Chen Tian did not wish to expose himself. He had his own means of transportation and saw no need to attract trouble.
Forging City, its gate made of steel, seemed to have been forged by countless blacksmiths. The entire city's strength was unimaginable. The city walls, gates, and even the internal structures were cast from steel, and rare materials at that. In Forging City, Chen Tian and Chen Ling walked along the road. Chen Tian could easily find blacksmiths. Ming Ke's location was directly marked by the system. Having the system was convenient; Chen Tian didn't need to search or ask around.
Forging City was a peaceful city where fighting and conflict were forbidden. Rare materials were traded to craft and repair weapons. Blacksmiths improved their levels solely through forging. The more weapons they forged, the higher their level. The materials and difficulty required increased with each level. The progression for blacksmiths was faster than for normal players in the early stages but slower in the later stages.
Chen Tian arrived at a blacksmith's shop, the location marked by the system. A young man in simple clothes walked out with a friendly smile. "Welcome, honored guests. What kind of weapons do you need crafted, or perhaps repaired?"
"No, we are from the City Lord's side. We've come for the third key."
Ming Ke was surprised. "So it's for the key. May I ask, honored sir, have you accepted the key quest?"
"Yes."
"Greetings, honored adventurer. The third key requires four rare forging materials: Starfall Tear, Core of the Gale, Floating Dust Sword, and Moonlit Star Sand. The third key needs to be forged by me personally. No one has found these four materials yet. Honored adventurer, you can refuse this quest."
"No, I accept. That's what makes it challenging."
Starfall Tear, Core of the Gale, Floating Dust Sword, Moonlit Star Sand—these four materials. Chen Tian had indeed not heard of them. They should not be items from the Divine Spirit Realm but materials created by the game. Chen Tian needed information, so he inquired, "Do you have any information regarding these four materials?"
"I apologize, honored adventurer, but I do not know. You will have to find them yourself. However, legend has it that the Floating Dust Sword has a spirit and can recognize its master automatically. If you are lucky, the Floating Dust Sword might come to you on its own."
Chen Tian pondered. It seemed he would have to purchase information. Chen Tian's gaze fell on the Myriad Breath Pavilion. He would spend some money to buy information. His figure vanished, and he reappeared at the Myriad Breath Pavilion. The receptionist on the first floor was the same as before. Chen Tian asked, "Do you have any information about Starfall Tear, Core of the Gale, Floating Dust Sword, and Moonlit Star Sand? Which floor do I need to go to?"
"Let me check for you. Please wait a moment."
"Esteemed guest, we only have information regarding the Core of the Gale and the Floating Dust Sword. There is no record for the other two items; it is likely that no one has seen them, and our personnel have not encountered them. We apologize for this."
"Do you require the information? It will be thirty-six Chrono Coins in total."
"Alright!"
Chen Tian promptly paid the money and obtained the information. The location of the Core of the Gale was in the Gale-Swept Valley, and the location of the Floating Dust Sword was in the Dark Space. Upon seeing the location of the Floating Dust Sword, Chen Tian decided to retrieve it last, as the sword could not escape.
The appearance of the Floating Dust Sword was naturally included in the information. Looking at its familiar form, Chen Tian knew that no one could claim it as their master because this weapon was...
There was no description of the Core of the Gale's appearance, only its location. The locations of the other two materials were still unknown.
"Thank you."
Chen Tian expressed his gratitude. The Myriad Breath Pavilion was quite capable. He left the Myriad Breath Pavilion, and his figure vanished, as if no one had noticed him, as if Chen Tian had never appeared. Back in Forging City, Chen Ling was sitting at a table, drinking tea and waiting quietly at Ming Ke's place. Chen Tian's figure suddenly appeared beside Chen Ling. Chen Ling happily asked, "Brother, any news?"
"Yes, Chen Ling, this time we need to split up. You go find information about Moonlit Star Sand. Moonlit Star Sand is likely related to nighttime moonlight. You are very sensitive to such things. I will search for the other three."
Chen Tian and Chen Ling decided to act separately. They left Forging City. Chen Tian's first target was the Gale-Swept Valley. For Chen Tian, the Core of the Gale was the easiest item to obtain.
The Gale-Swept Valley was a canyon enclosed by mountain walls on both sides. The gap between the canyons was very small, allowing only one person to pass through. It was enveloped by fierce winds. Anyone who entered would be swept away by the gales, causing continuous damage. No matter how strong a player was, they could not resist. Wind was formless and invisible, making it difficult to capture, let alone avoid its coverage. A gentle breeze could caress all things, but a gale could sweep away and destroy everything.