Late Gold Rush
The dimly lit chamber of the Reincarnation Hall buzzed with an undercurrent of tension. Li Mo stood, his eyes twitching in disbelief as he stared at the diminutive figure before him. The girl, barely reaching his chest, sported a mischievous grin that belied the gravity of their situation.
"You sold all your luggage?" Li Mo's voice cracked, his composure slipping. This loli seemed utterly unreliable. First, she had run away from home, then packed things she couldn't possibly carry, and now she had casually exchanged everything without a second thought. Her reckless abandon was both impressive and terrifying.
The little girl, unfazed by his skepticism, bounced on her toes and leaned in close. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she whispered conspiratorially, "That's right! Wanna know a secret? I got 800 points for it all. Come on, help me choose some cool stuff!"
"Eight hundred?!" Li Mo's jaw dropped. The number hit him like a sledgehammer. He thought of Mogu, who had spent four grueling years in the Reincarnation Hall, committing unspeakable acts, only to amass a mere twenty thousand points – all of which Li Mo had unwittingly squandered. And here was this little girl, casually raking in a fortune from a single bag of luggage.
Li Mo's mind raced. Who exactly was this child? What could she possibly have owned to warrant such a windfall? His own armor and short sword hadn't even been worth a single point to the Hall.
Realizing the girl's potential for self-destruction, Li Mo made a snap decision. "Hold on," he said, his voice softening. "Let me help you out. We can't waste these points on just anything."
With a thought, Li Mo summoned the exchange list, an ethereal scroll materializing before his eyes. As he scanned the offerings, his eyebrows climbed higher and higher.
The Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court, Buddha's Palm (lacking Buddhist soldiers), Sea Tiger Blast, Purple Manor Secret Records, Golden Crow of the Great Sun (with bonus Golden Crow tail feather)... These top-tier techniques were far beyond Li Mo's comprehension, let alone his budget. He scrolled past them without a second glance.
Further down the list: Xuan Tian's Precious Mirror (first seven forms, lacking Celestial Crystal), Heaven Demon God-Slaying Technique, Three Fires Returning to the Origin, Demonic Sky Art, Blood God Scripture (副册), Hesha's Esoteric Text, Six Calamities Forbidden Form... Still too expensive, still too arcane. Li Mo kept scrolling.
Indestructible Golden Body, Myriad Swords Returning to Origin... pass. War God's Illustrated Record, Heart-Planting Demonic Method, Purple Blood Great Technique, Big Dipper Assassination Fist... all beyond his reach.
Finally, the prices began to drop as he reached more mundane martial arts. Li Mo's analytical mind kicked into gear, noticing patterns in the pricing. Techniques that didn't reach the Innate realm hovered around a few hundred points. Those offering breakthroughs to Innate or Foundation Building jumped into the thousands. The higher-priced items remained an incomprehensible mystery.
As Li Mo delved deeper into the list, he noticed another trend. Some high-level techniques could be partially exchanged, with prerequisites like Foundation Building or mastery of the Seven Limitations. Others offered a complete path from novice to master.
Amidst the familiar names were countless unknown arts with bizarre descriptions and exorbitant prices: Three-Form Sacred Light Tathagata Great Hand Seal, Elemental Indestructible Body (Water Element), Lich's Starbreaker Technique (Four Life Stars), Spirit Absorption Demon-Planting Scripture, Flame Lord's Undying Demon Flame, Berserker's Chaotic Primordial Four Stance Technique, Nine Transformations of the Oak, Flame Demon's Martial Treatise, Tai Yi Earth Spirit Immortal-Slaying Secret Record v1.2...
These techniques, like the "Three Essentials of External Alchemy" Li Mo possessed, were hybrid creations. They combined the wisdom of two civilizations, adapting to the rules of the Sitaheim Great World.
Li Mo's mind whirled with possibilities. Simply exchanging ordinary techniques might render them useless in Sitaheim. To truly harness their power, one would need to modify them to fit the magical planar laws – a task requiring genius-level intellect and intimate knowledge of both cultivation systems.
No wonder these "modded" versions commanded higher prices. Each technique represented a fusion of two disparate power systems, encompassing vast amounts of foundational knowledge.
In that moment, Li Mo grasped the true importance of his "Three Calamities Scripture." Its value lay not in its direct applicability, but in the collision of two civilizations' wisdom it represented. If he could unravel its mysteries, he might one day transmute "ordinary techniques" into their "modded" counterparts.
As Li Mo stood lost in contemplation, the silver-armored youth stepped forward, shattering the uneasy quiet that had settled over the chamber. "Everyone," he called out, his voice ringing with authority, "my name is Andy. I have something important to share with you all!"
The chamber of the Reincarnation Hall fell silent as Andy's voice echoed off the stone walls. All eyes turned to the silver-armored youth, his presence commanding attention like a beacon in the gloom.
In one corner, the goblin reluctantly tore his gaze from Duen's now-empty backpack. His large, bulbous eyes darted nervously between Andy and the others, a mixture of fear and curiosity etched on his green-skinned face. He had been trapped in this mystifying place for over an hour, unable to find an exit, and the gnawing dread of starvation clawed at his insides.
The dark elf, in contrast, maintained an enigmatic smile as she surveyed the room. Her obsidian skin seemed to absorb the dim light, and her silver hair shimmered like starlight. Despite her race's reputation for cunning and treachery, her expression remained unreadable.
Seated nearby, the half-orc grunted, lifting his massive head to regard Andy. His battle-axe and wrist ornaments had vanished, likely exchanged for points. The loss of his weapons did little to diminish his imposing presence.
Andy cleared his throat, his eyes sweeping across the diverse gathering. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his tone measured and diplomatic, "I believe some of you may have already guessed the nature of this place. For those who haven't, allow me to shed some light on our current predicament."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "For the past decade, the material plane has witnessed the emergence of an unprecedented number of supremely powerful individuals. These beings wield mysterious powers, capable of slaughtering demons and challenging true gods. The origin of their otherworldly abilities has remained a closely guarded secret... until now."
Andy's gaze lingered on Li Mo, the goblin, and Duen as he spoke, recognizing their bewildered expressions. The dark elf and the half-orc, however, showed glimmers of recognition, having likely heard similar theories before.
"I believe," Andy continued, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, forcing everyone to lean in, "that the source of these powers lies within the very walls that surround us – this Reincarnation Hall."
A collective murmur rippled through the chamber. Li Mo's eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place.
Andy went on to explain that in the main world of Sitaheim, the use of otherworldly powers was not forbidden, but discussion of the Reincarnation Hall itself was strictly taboo. This had led to a curious phenomenon: the widespread adoption of basic techniques and even alchemical versions of firearms from other realms.
"You might have noticed," Andy said with a wry smile, "mages using scripts from other worlds – cuneiform, Latin, Sanskrit – as fashionable 'secret languages' for their spell scrolls. It's become quite the trend."
The dark elf nodded, a knowing glint in her eye. She had seen such practices firsthand in the arcane academies of her homeland.
"These new methods operate on principles entirely foreign to our traditional magical civilization," Andy explained. "Their rapid proliferation hasn't gone unnoticed by the more... perceptive members of our society."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping even lower. "Over the past fifteen years, the existence of the Reincarnation Hall has become an open secret among the upper echelons of power. The only frustration for these mighty individuals is the Hall's stringent selection process. Only those with specific qualities are chosen to enter this place."
As Andy's words faded, a heavy silence descended upon the chamber. The implications of his revelation weighed on each person differently.
Victor, the lowborn human, recalled tales of 'new heroes' he'd heard in taverns and marketplaces. He had dismissed them as exaggerated legends, never imagining he'd find himself at the heart of such myths.
Li Mo, however, felt a complex mix of emotions churning within him. He'd stumbled into this magical world's version of an infinite flow, only to discover he was fifteen years late to the party. His trademark bad luck had struck again, leaving him to catch only the tail end of this extraordinary phenomenon.
As the reality of their situation settled in, each person in the chamber began to reassess their circumstances, wondering how they might leverage this knowledge to their advantage in the challenges that surely lay ahead.
Andy surveyed the room, gauging the impact of his words. "Now," he said, his tone shifting from conspiratorial to determined, "the question becomes: how will we use this information to survive and thrive in the trials that await us?"