Chapter 30: Ability Exchange, Harmonizing with the Dust (Everything Goes According to Plan)

Chapter 30: Ability Exchange, Harmony with the Dust (Best Wishes)

With a flick of his wrist, the "Ice Silkworm and Crimson Toad Pill," just retrieved from the treasure chest, appeared in the palm of Zhang Fang’s right hand. It was a pill the size of a marble, swirling with red and blue light. As he held it, a strange, alternating sensation of cold and heat radiated into his palm. Simultaneously, an exotic fragrance flooded his nostrils, instantly whetting his appetite.

It was truly worthy of being a treasure obtained after a 100% critical success bonus; its appearance alone proved it was no ordinary item.

Without hesitation, Zhang Fang tossed it into his mouth. The pill dissolved upon contact, followed by two forces—one cold and one hot—intertwining as they flowed down his esophagus into his stomach. Then, these alternating currents spread through his meridians to his limbs and bones, making his body feel alternately scorched and frozen, again and again.

"Ah!..."

This stimulating cycle of cold and heat made every pore in Zhang Fang’s body feel incredibly comfortable, drawing an involuntary groan from him.

After oscillating between ice and fire dozens of times, the sensation finally began to fade. Once everything calmed down, his heightened perception, amplified by his "Longevity Sacred Qi," made him feel as though his body had changed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on how.

He figured this must be the unique transformation brought about by the "Ice Silkworm and Crimson Toad Pill."

As he pondered, the Samsara Tower’s notification appeared, resolving his doubts:

[You have consumed the "Ice Silkworm and Crimson Toad Pill," gaining the attributes: Poison Resistance +1000, Cold Resistance +500, Fire Resistance +500!]

Now, Zhang Fang was not only immune to any poison within the Jin Yong wuxia world, but he also possessed far greater resistance than others against attacks with cold or heat properties, such as the Flame Blade or the Illusory Yin Finger. Even if he entered higher-level instances in the future and faced stronger poison, fire, or ice-based damage, while he might not be completely immune, the impact on him would be significantly reduced compared to others.

Breathing a sigh of satisfaction, Zhang Fang turned his gaze back to the ink-wash-style subtitles before him.

[Clearance rewards have been distributed. You may now proceed to the instance exchange phase. Please exchange for the abilities or items you require based on your actual needs.]

Strictly speaking, some of the abilities and equipment Zhang Fang possessed in the world of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: The Ju Xian Manor" belonged to him, while others were innate to the character You Tanzhi.

To claim items that did not originally belong to him, he had to pay the corresponding points.

The Samsara Tower’s arrangement was designed to ensure fairness among participants. Otherwise, anyone lucky enough to choose Zhang Wuji during the initial Q&A session could simply clear the instance with minimal points and emerge with five major supreme martial arts.

There was no such easy fortune in this world!

Zhang Fang’s gaze drifted downward, where a list of available abilities and items for exchange appeared.

"Longevity Sacred Qi: Yang" Lv2: 1000 Points!
"Thirty-Six Tiangang Shield Techniques" Lv1: 2000 Points!

"Thirty-Six Tiangang Shield Techniques" Lv9: 2500 Points!
Steel Round Shield: 300 Points!
...
Qiao Feng’s Letter of Gratitude: 1 Point!
...

The exchange price for "Longevity Sacred Qi: Yang" was only 1000 points, which seemed ridiculously cheap. In reality, these 1000 points were not the price of the "Longevity Sacred Qi: Yang" itself, but the cost of the "Embryonic Breathing Technique" that You Tanzhi started with.

Since the fragments of the "Longevity Scripture" and the points required to upgrade it from Lv1 to Lv2 were earned by Zhang Fang himself, those costs had already been automatically deducted by the Samsara Tower during the exchange process. However, because he had integrated the "Embryonic Breathing Technique" into his cultivation of the "Longevity Sacred Qi: Yang," he had to pay the fee for the "Embryonic Breathing Technique" to make it his own permanent ability.

The situation with the "Thirty-Six Tiangang Shield Techniques" was similar: 2000 points was the value of the skill itself, and 500 points was the cost to upgrade it from Lv1 to Lv2. The subsequent upgrades were achieved through Zhang Fang's own efforts, requiring no extra payment to the Tower.

As for "Dragon Subduing Palm: Repentance" and the "Cold Moon Blade," they were Zhang Fang's own possessions from the start, unrelated to You Tanzhi, and thus did not appear in the exchange list.

Overall, the prices set by the Samsara Tower were reasonable.

Initially, Zhang Fang only intended to retain "Longevity Sacred Qi: Yang" and "Dragon Subduing Palm." He had planned to abandon the "Thirty-Six Tiangang Shield Techniques," which had a low power ceiling. However, by sheer coincidence, he had managed to raise it to Lv9 in a short time. The sunk cost was too high to simply discard it. Moreover, as he currently lacked a conventional combat martial art, losing this high-level shield technique would be a significant blow.

In the end, Zhang Fang spent a total of 3501 points to exchange for both skills along with "Qiao Feng’s Letter of Gratitude," restoring his combat strength to the peak state he enjoyed before returning!

[Instance exchange complete. Do you wish to enter the Samsara Space immediately?]

Seeing this final prompt, Zhang Fang hesitated briefly. He abandoned the tempting idea of immediately using his remaining 60,000+ points to upgrade his "Longevity Sacred Qi."

In the Samsara Tower, points were both energy for upgrading skills and the sole currency.

Since these points wouldn't disappear, he decided it was better to check the trading area first to see if there were any suitable items, then decide how to allocate his points later.

With that decided, Zhang Fang hesitated no longer and chose to return to the Samsara Space.

...

[Congratulations to the Samsarite "Thousand Trees" for successfully clearing the hell-difficulty instance world "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: The Ju Xian Manor" during the novice trial, and achieving an excellent clearance rating: SS!]

As soon as Zhang Fang appeared in the Samsara Space, he heard the announcement from the Samsara Tower, which left him, a newcomer, utterly bewildered.

*I just cleared an instance, and you’re broadcasting it to everyone? Can't a guy keep a low profile and make a fortune in silence?*

While he felt rather depressed, discussions erupted all around him.

"Holy crap! It's been so long since we last saw an SS rating! This big shot 'Thousand Trees' is incredible!"

"It’s not just an SS rating. Remember, this is an SS rating for a hell-difficulty instance! Even if it’s not the first time ever, it’s definitely a massive haul. Conservatively, he should have earned 10,000 points, right?"

"Ten thousand points? I'm so envious!"

"Sigh, why can't good things like that happen to me?"

...

Hearing the people around him endlessly gossiping about his performance, Zhang Fang felt that remaining silent would make him stand out too much.

So, he followed their lead and sighed softly, "An SS-grade clearance rating—what a truly remarkable achievement!"

As he spoke, he began walking toward the area portal at the end of the plaza.

When everyone around you is tirelessly praising a person or an event, if you don't want to seem too unconventional, it is best to join in the praise.

This is what one calls...

Harmony with the Dust!

Wishing everyone a happy New Year, may all your wishes come true, may you have good health, and may everything go smoothly for you!