The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 264 Blood Sun (11)

"Try this."

She tossed the longbow to Shen Zhaoming, her face radiating an undisguised pride.

"This sacred artifact is almost weightless. It doesn't need a physical arrow to be drawn; as long as a spirit stone is installed, it will automatically absorb the surrounding wind and thunder elements and condense them into an arrow. With the assistance of the Myriad Manifestations Pivot, you can rely on data analysis to achieve automatic aiming and trajectory correction."

Shen Zhaoming took the longbow, hooked the bowstring with two fingers, and easily drew it back.

Equipped with the Wind and Thunder Bow, Shen Zhaoming seemed to have instantly activated a cheat code. He stood still, barely needing to move, and with just his will, wind and thunder elements automatically condensed into arrows.

The monster's green core was precisely targeted, and it perished one after another under the invisible arrows.

The previous fierce battle instantly became tedious; the current situation could no longer be called a battle, but rather an efficient cleanup operation.

Shen Zhaoming was very happy. Finally, he no longer had to just stand at a safe distance and watch the battle from the sidelines, but could actually help out.

Seeing that Shen Zhaoming had a custom-made weapon, Su Ninglong didn't show favoritism and took out a pair of boots she had previously crafted, handing them to Lao Gu. These boots allowed him to float and fly short distances, significantly improving his agility and making him even more formidable.

Old Gu naturally had no intention of comparing. He knew that his friendship with Su Ninglong was far less profound than that with Shen Zhaoming, and that obtaining an extra sacred artifact was already an unexpected joy.

After several more hours of continuous fighting, Shen Zhaoming finally succeeded in reaching level ten.

At this moment, both Lao Gu and Shen Zhaoming were too exhausted to move.

Old Gu, in particular, recalled how he had spent over a month painstakingly leveling up to level 10 amidst hordes of monsters. Now, thanks to the resources provided by Su Ninglong and a sheer determination, Shen Zhaoming had accomplished the same feat in just a few days.

Old Gu felt happy, yet somewhat numb, and didn't want to lift a single finger.

The double drain on his mind and body made him feel as if his soul had been emptied out. At this moment, he just wanted to turn into a puddle of mud and stick to this land forever.

Shen Zhaoming was the same, like a exhausted salted fish, wanting nothing more than to lie down. Forget the Wind and Thunder Bow, even if he were given a divine artifact right now, he wouldn't be able to lift his hand to receive it. Only one thought kept swirling in his mind: Let whoever wants to level up this stupid level go ahead, he needs to sleep for three days and three nights first.

Sleeping was out of the question; they still needed to find a purifier. The word "magic" was added before the name, so it was unclear whether superpowers had magical effects.

Following Lao Gu's directions, the three arrived at a cave that was half-hidden by vines and moss.

That eccentric magician and purifier lives deep within this cave.

Outside the cave entrance was a cleared area with a smooth stone table in the center, serving as a workbench. A wooden sign, crookedly stuck into the table, read: "Purifying spiritual pollution, honest and trustworthy. Service location: outside the cave. Private residence, no entry without permission."

Old Gu quickly pulled the two aside to wait: "We absolutely must not step into the cave; it's full of traps. The purifier comes out every now and then, and the number of purifications required, along with the number of people, determines the price of the purification crystals. Remember, don't try to build a relationship with him; if you do, the price will double."

"Oh?" Su Ninglong's lips curled up, and she smiled like a fox that had stolen a chicken.

Old Gu felt a tightness on the back of his neck, his hair standing on end, as if he were the chicken being targeted, and the funeral dirge "May You Rest in Peace" was automatically playing in his head. Did Su Ninglong not only want to build a relationship, but also intend to get him to "purify" her for free? Or, even worse, did she intend to kidnap him?

"Calm down," Shen Zhaoming saw that Lao Gu's thoughts were drifting further and further away, and his expression was becoming more and more serious, as if he was imagining some incredible drama. "If the other party is really our fellow disciple, we will not be stingy with those purification crystals."

“I don’t know when they will come out. You all sit and rest first, I’ll wait here.” Su Ninglong said, placing a few cushions on the ground, then sitting cross-legged and quietly entering a meditative state.

Unlike Su Ninglong, Shen Zhaoming hardly needed any sleep. The continuous monster-hunting and hurried travel had already pushed his stamina to its limit; he could barely keep his eyelids open.

On that refined and handsome face, only the words "I have no will to live" remained. He felt like a rag that had been repeatedly wrung out and completely drained of moisture.

He found a relatively clean spot, laid out a mat, changed into clean clothes, quickly wiped his face, and then crawled into his sleeping bag, falling into a deep sleep almost instantly.

After hesitating for a long time, Lao Gu couldn't help but lean closer to Shen Zhaoming and whispered, "If you're like this, crawling into a sleeping bag, won't it be difficult to escape if something happens?"

Half-asleep, Shen Zhaoming mumbled, "If we really encounter someone she can't beat, there's no point in running away. If she can beat her, we don't need to run away. As for when we really have to run away..." His voice trailed off, thick with sleepiness, "I'll be in a sleeping bag, which will actually make it easier for her to pick me up and take me away."

Old Gu: "..." He actually found it quite reasonable.

The more he spent time with them, the more he felt that the Star Alliance elites had an incredibly stable mentality, as if they could calmly cope even if the sky were to fall.

It seemed there was nothing to worry about, so he wrapped himself in the blanket, slid down against the rock wall, and soon fell asleep.

Perhaps because he was too tired, a faint, steady snore could be heard.

After an unknown amount of time, when the magician stepped out of the cave, he heard a steady snore coming from outside.

He jerked his foot back, instinctively rubbed his eyes, and glanced again at the worktable by the cave entrance. Yes, this was his territory. How could someone sleep so soundly in a place like this?

He looked closely at the source of the sound and recognized the person's features. Wasn't this Mr. Gu, who was known as one of the top players?
At this moment, he was wearing earrings and a strangely styled coat, and his whole demeanor had changed. If the Purifier hadn't seen him a few times before, he probably would have thought that he was just a newbie who had just entered "Blood Sun".

"Hello, Purifier!" Su Ninglong smiled and greeted him.

The magician was still wearing that undefinable outfit today: a dark, robe-like coat covered with all sorts of small items, from back scratchers to long-handled spoons, a dazzling array.

He held a stainless steel thermos in his hands and wore a pair of wooden clogs that made a "clattering" sound when he walked. The overall look seemed incongruous, yet it inexplicably matched his unique temperament.

"Su Ninglong!" Upon recognizing the newcomer, the magician's eyes flashed with a complex look of "enemies meeting on a narrow road."

It's not entirely his fault; it's just that in the Star Alliance, from centenarian hunters to four-year-old freshmen, almost everyone praised this girl highly, to the point that he was practically tired of hearing it.

Su Ninglong was practically the "other people's child" who always seemed to be overshadowing him. Teacher Ren Bing had praised Lei Qingya quite a bit in front of him, but of course, he gave even more praise to Su Ninglong.

Over the years, the two of them have become professional destroyers of the polluted area. They are both incredibly capable, possessing both good looks and strength, and are also exceptionally intelligent.

As a support character, he seemed to have no other option but to stand silently under the lemon tree and enjoy the lemons.

He couldn't very well go up to Su Ninglong and Lei Qingya and ask them to keep a low profile and give others some room to survive, could he?

He crossed his arms and deliberately drew out his words: "Who do we have here? It's Hunter Su. What, does Hunter Su also need his mind cleansed? Well, I've clearly stated here that there are no discounts for acquaintances. Surely someone as important as you won't be offended by this, right?"

The sourness in those words was so strong it felt like you could smell it through a sleeping bag.

Shen Zhaoming, who was sound asleep, was woken up by these sarcastic remarks.

He had no choice but to slowly wriggle out of the sleeping bag, his movements still sluggish from just waking up, but his eyes had quickly regained their clarity.

He simply packed away his sleeping bag and stood silently to the side, watching with a sense of curiosity about how Su Ninglong would respond.

Su Ninglong moved closer to the magician and started to ingratiate herself, counting on her fingers: "Look, we're classmates, both Star Alliance hunters, and we've met several times at school..."

Who would care about such a bland and indifferent friendship?
Shen Zhaoming couldn't help but facepalm, guessing what she was planning to do.

The magician watched her performance with lifeless, expressionless eyes. When she was hoarse from talking, he slowly said, "Building relationships costs double the price. It's clearly written on the sign. You've wasted so much of my time, so you should double the price again."

He stared at Su Ninglong with great interest, anticipating her anger and embarrassment.
But Su Ninglong didn't do as he wished. A bright smile bloomed on her face, clearly saying, "I don't mind at all." She pointed to the still-sleeping Lao Gu, her tone exceptionally wealthy: "Purify him twice, whatever it costs." Then she readily paid.

The magician calmly weighed the four times more purification crystals in his hand, but inwardly he was trembling with shock.

He clearly felt that the high moral ground of his professional ethics, which he had upheld for many years, was rapidly shaking in the face of this glittering crystal.

The original intention behind setting double the price was to deter those trying to get close to the seller with a high cost. After all, no one would be willing to accept a price that is doubled again after already doubling.

However, he overlooked Su Ninglong's situation. She didn't need to rely on purification crystals to maintain her condition. She cleared monsters on a large scale, and these things were the least of her worries.

The words of refusal stuck in his throat; the magician felt choked by this sudden "wealth" and unable to speak.

It should be noted that the purification process alone consumes a great deal of spiritual energy, and he can only provide services to a maximum of ten people a day.

If your throat is not in good condition, you may only be able to complete it once or twice.

His hands trembled slightly, but he still silently and tightly hugged the extra purification crystal into his arms.

The previous sour taste had completely disappeared.

In this world, probably no one can truly refuse the kindness of a wealthy woman. If there is anyone, it can only be that the wealthy woman refuses him.

The arrogance and sourness on the magician's face vanished instantly, replaced by a gentle warmth, as if touched by a spring breeze. Even the tone of her voice was as clear and pleasant as if it had been soaked in honey, as if she had become a completely different person.

"Is it enough to just purify it for him? I can provide you with another purification service for free."

Old Gu, standing to the side, stared in disbelief, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

He watched helplessly as the magician's integrity shattered along with the jingling purification crystals. He wanted to say something, but found that his language system was no longer able to form suitable sentences to express his feelings at that moment.

Wealth is indeed a corrupting force!

After this experience, if anyone in their group has excessive mental pollution, this purifier will likely be happy to offer priority assistance.

"We agreed on two purification sessions, so there's no need for any extras." Su Ninglong smiled warmly, but then took out four purification crystals. "We'd like to book one purification service. Could you give us priority when we come back next time?"

The magician paused, constantly reminding himself not to appear too compliant and to always retain some self-respect.

But his hand seemed to have a mind of its own, quickly taking the crystal. "No problem, I'll open a VVVIP exclusive channel for you right away! Next time, just ring this bell, and I guarantee I'll be there immediately. By the way, my surname is Yin, and my name is..."

“Yin Leng,” Su Ninglong spoke first, “Actually, I’ve wanted to get to know you for a long time. Both Teacher Doug and Teacher Yun Fei have praised you highly, but I just haven’t found the right opportunity. Today, we finally got to know each other formally.”

In fact, she didn't know him at first. She only knew his name because Feng Ying had mentioned him in the plan she drafted before the competition. Originally, both he and Sally were on the logistics list. Since someone as capable as Lena had a partner, Sally naturally shouldn't act alone.

As fate would have it, he lost contact after accepting the mission and just happened to miss the competition.

When Yin Leng heard Su Ninglong's words, he felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his face burned.

The slight jealousy and sense of superiority he felt earlier had now turned into burning shame. He wished he could go back a few minutes and strangle that sarcastic version of himself who had actually been jealous of someone who genuinely wanted to befriend him.

Old Gu watched all this in silence, unable to distinguish which of Su Ninglong's words were true and which were just polite formalities. But as the actual beneficiary, he knew he shouldn't have any objections.

By the time they left, Lao Gu's SAN value had recovered to an impressive 99 points. Apart from the early days of the game, he had never maintained such a high level of mental stability.

It seems that the usual air purification services really do pay for what they offer; four times the price, indeed, resulted in four times the attentive service.

As if he could read Su Ninglong's mind, Shen Zhaoming said very considerately to the magician Yin Leng, "Mr. Yin, do you need to level up? Our team is very efficient at leveling up; we can go from level one to level ten in three days."