Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

Blood Rose was equally unaware: "I have never seen it before."

Chapter 116 I Need More Resources

The four emblems were arranged in order, and Zuo Chang looked at them one by one, and the information quickly emerged.

"Swift Foot Emblem": Bronze grade. Increases the adventurer's stamina, making long journeys less tiring.

"Stamina Emblem": Silver Rank. Increases all of the adventurer's attributes, making them faster and stronger.

Silver coats of arms are very popular and their prices have remained high for many years.

The main reason is not high demand, but low production. This Vitality Emblem that adds to all attributes is a versatile item and can easily sell for 340,000.

Bronze coats of arms also had a market.

Although bronze emblems are not very useful, it's still worth adding a little bit; there's no harm in melting them.

Break through the cultivation level restriction first, then get the better ones, and it's not too late to exchange them.

Zuo Chang continued to look, and the third emblem that dropped in the trial was actually an emblem that he had fused with before!

"Tyrannosaurus Crest": Gold Rank. Sacrifice one hundred subjects to summon a giant dragon, whose cultivation level is equal to yours. This ability can only be used once a month.

This is roughly what the emblem looks like.

The dragon summoned through blood sacrifice is extremely powerful. Its cultivation level is the same as Zuo Chang's, but it is not human, but a dragon, with extremely high stats.

In terms of actual combat strength, he can fight at least three people of the same cultivation level!

Zuo Chang looked at the emblem in front of him, unsure whether to choose it or not.

In the game, the blood sacrifice ritual of the Tyrannosaurus Rex emblem is conducted in secret.

It is clear that even from the perspective of the "game system's" simple view of good and evil, this tactic is morally reprehensible and cannot be openly displayed.

Now I'm here in person...

Blood Rose stood beside him, equally familiar with the Tyrannosaurus Rex emblem.

She said, "General, I really miss those days. I was the one who organized and presided over the 'Dragon Summoning Ceremony' in the past."

"……Yes."

Zuo Chang nodded, without saying anything more.

Blood Rose has an extremely high success rate in doing this kind of thing, and Zuo Chang basically only hires her.

Blood Rose continued, “Although you have not given any additional instructions, I usually choose criminals as sacrifices. Corrupt people, those who harm civilians, thieves and fraudsters—every month I recruit or create criminals, tricking them into the sacrifice under the guise of forced labor, so that they can receive their due punishment.”

Yes, yes?

Zuo Chang looked at Blood Rose, unsure whether she had actually done it or was just saying it on purpose.

That is indeed a possible approach.

Sacrificing criminals is tantamount to recycling them, which can both increase the stability of the community and enhance our high-end combat capabilities, making it a win-win situation!

Zuo Chang shifted his gaze to the last emblem, which shimmered with a crystal-like luster and possessed an inexplicable sense of holiness:

"Celestial Emblem": Rank ? ?. An emblem whose effects cannot be detected. This seems to be a very special emblem that grows with the adventurer's progress.

Celestial Crest!

Each emblem has a unique pattern. The emblem of the gods is a perfect circle with a four-pointed star shining through the edge of the circle.

This pattern looks familiar.

Zuo Chang immediately thought of the battle with the goddess. Every time the goddess used a powerful skill, her magic would emanate from behind her in this way—

A four-pointed star that breaks through the circle!

Is it...

Is this the emblem used by the gods?

After a moment's thought, Zuo Chang reached out and grasped the crystal emblem.

The next instant, a blinding flash of light!

The emblem forcefully integrated into his body, and information flashed forth accordingly:

[You have fused with the Celestial Mark, breaking the limitations on your cultivation. Now, you can advance towards the Sixth Realm.]

[Due to the influence of the emblem, you possess the talent 'Divine Favor'.]

Zuo Chang closed his eyes and looked at the panel:

Name: Zuo Chang.

Cultivation level: Sixth Realm (0%).

Emblem: Celestial Emblem (This is a special emblem that grows with your cultivation level; it will reveal more functions as your cultivation improves).

Six Realms?

Without the emblem, adventurers cannot level up. Zuo Changcai just obtained the emblem; he hasn't absorbed any crystals or meditated, so how could he be at the sixth realm?

He looked at his newly acquired talent:

"Divine Favor (Cannot be Upgraded)": Your cultivation level is always increased by one. This bonus has the highest priority and even surpasses the cultivation level limit of the community.

The level is always increased by one, and...

Not bound by the rules of the gods?

Zuo Chang thought to himself, "In 96511, others are at most at the seventh realm, but I am at the eighth realm?"

The difference between the first level of cultivation is enormous.

Excluding other factors and only considering the level of cultivation, each time one's cultivation level increases, all attributes increase by an average of about three times.

The damage of almost all skills is linked to attribute values.

Therefore, the boost from leveling up is far more than just "triple your combat power." With a good skill, a tenfold or even twentyfold increase is not out of the question.

In the following games, Zuo Chang's opponents will all be city lords, all of whom will undoubtedly be at the seventh realm and possess excellent skills. The divine favor that boosted his rank was a timely and crucial help!

However, it's still not enough.

The alliance made with Qiu Fu and the postman was, to put it bluntly, a treaty of surrender.

Are you expecting them to be on a roll and fight to the death with Qian Wuyi like they're on steroids?

A fool's dream.

If we put ourselves in their shoes, if Zuo Chang were Qiu Fu or the postman, he would simply sit back and wait for Qian Wuyi and Zuo Chang to beat people senseless.

The significance of that alliance was simply to ensure that Zuo Chang would not be attacked by the two of them in the first four days.

Zuo Chang had to shoulder the pressure of having no financial gain.

Having narrowly escaped defeat, they still have to contend with Qiu Fu and the postman.

In addition to the emblem, Zuo Chang needs to utilize some of the mechanisms inherent in the "Black Goat" to turn misfortune into good fortune; the current preparations are not yet sufficient.

After the rewards were selected, Zuo Chang and Blood Rose were kicked out of the trial and reappeared in the preparation room.

There were only the two of them inside the room.

Zuo Chang bent down, picked up a gold nugget the size of a brick from beside his feet, and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

Blood Rose examined it for a moment: "This seems to be a 'Golden Brick'."

It's not just "seems".

It is the molten gold brick.

After completing the "Trial Trial" once, in addition to choosing one emblem to take away, you can also get a one-kilogram "Golden Brick".

Gold Brick is a magical material produced in the dungeon "Gold Rush Land," and is a basic mineral used to craft weapons and equipment.

Despite its name as a "magical material," it has little actual value.

With the rapid advancements in smelting technology, the quality of metals refined by all communities now far surpasses that of molten gold bricks, and so...

The value of the Gold Brick has plummeted; now it's only used to add a little bit to equipment to give it a rich, golden sheen.

The "Gold Rush Land" instance is also deserted, with virtually no adventurers venturing there.

But in the game "Black Goat", the Gold Brick is very useful!

Zuo Chang walked to the old furnace and threw in the gold brick.

While waiting for the metal to melt, he picked up a carving knife from the workbench and, referring to a portrait on the workbench, began to carve on the stone slab.

The "divine craftsmanship" is at work.

Carving patterns into weapons is itself a part of the casting process.

Zuo Chang possesses superb sculpting skills, so she is naturally not a supermodel.

It took no more than fifteen minutes to complete the task.

Blood Rose, who had been standing nearby, noticed that the portrait Zuo Chang had carved on the stone slab was exactly the same as the portrait on the workbench. She couldn't help but ask, "General, what are you doing?"

Zuo Chang didn't even look up: "Make money."

"Qian, Qian Fan?"

"It's a mold for printing gold coins."

The gold bricks thrown into the fire had already melted. Zuo Chang held the porcelain tube and poured the golden molten metal into the newly made coin mold.

He continued, “The stage for the Black Goat game is Oldwood Castle. Oldwood Castle has a historical prototype, and the currency circulating there is called ‘Old Gold Coins.’ In addition to the seven contestants, there are also indigenous people in the game. What I am minting now is Old Gold Coins—in the game, I can use money to bribe the indigenous people to provide me with assistance.”

Blood Rose's eyes lit up immediately!

She exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

"of course it's true."

Zuo Chang experienced the Black Goat game, a game of grace, in the game.

This is his advantage.

One kilogram of gold bricks was eventually used to make twenty old gold coins.