Unreliable Sword Immortal.

Chapter 180 Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise

Meng Jingjing, Jia Fei, and Ou Di expressed their regret that Lu Chaoding failed to obtain the [Great Flame Phoenix].

They knew a little about the [Great Flame Phoenix]'s abilities, but not much. They believed that as long as they could obtain this sword, they could rise to the top in the sect and be valued by high-ranking NPCs such as the Supreme Elder and the Sect Leader. At that time, good skills and equipment would be readily available.

During their journey, they introduced Lu Chaoding to a lot of information about the Tianfeng Sword Sect. It seemed that in this kind of sect, identity was extremely important, not only determining one's status and power, but also being linked to tangible benefits.

The so-called benefits are fashion items, gold coins, pills, cultivation materials, skill books, meals, and so on. These things are mostly distributed on a daily basis.

For example, in the Tianfeng Sword Sect, all players can receive a cultivation gift pack every day. Novice disciples can only receive a small gift pack, which contains no more than one hundred gold coins and usually one or two low-level pills.

Elite disciples can receive a big gift pack containing at least 300 gold coins, bottles of pills, and a small chance of obtaining cultivation insights.

True disciples receive a deluxe gift pack containing at least a thousand gold coins, high-grade pills, cultivation insights, and even a true disciple skill book.

This is just the most basic benefit. In reality, the treatment of players of different statuses in the sect varies greatly, and even the food standards are different. Entry disciples can only enjoy simple meals, while true disciples can enjoy fish and meat.

After listening to their introduction, Lu Chaoding felt that his own reliable sword sect was a makeshift operation. It wasn't that there was no management at all, but there was really not much management. He felt that this was not good, so he sent a message to the vice sect leader, Hua Dashao, via flying sword, asking him to learn how to manage the sect.

However, when the flying sword reached Hua Dashao's hands at the Cliff of Contemplation in the Seven Realms Mountain of Hongchen, the message on the letter changed to: "No need to manage the sect."

The Quanzhen Sword Master couldn't understand, scratching his head and muttering, "What does Brother Ding mean? Not having to manage the sect means I can focus on designing costumes? Tsk tsk, the prison uniform design is almost finished, let's send it to him for review."

Two minutes later, Lu Chaoding received an approval notification for the "Modification Plan for Prison Uniforms at Siguo Cliff". Upon opening the modification plan, Lu Chaoding thought Hua Dashao was a weirdo. He even designed the prison uniforms in an incredibly detailed way, and there were two versions, one for men and one for women.

"Isn't this guy having too much free time?"

Lu Chao shook his head and couldn't help but sigh.

When Meng Jingjing saw him sighing, she thought he was upset because he hadn't gotten the Great Flame Nether Phoenix, so she comforted him, "It's alright, it's alright if you didn't get it. Don't take it too seriously. Anyway, you're not from any of the four sects. Even if you got the Great Flame Nether Phoenix, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll rise to the top in one step."

Jia Fei chimed in, "Yes, it's too late to regret now. We have to let it go."

Oudi said, "Let's work hard. Once his strength improves, he will definitely have more opportunities in the future. We can't reach the sky in one step, so let's take it one step at a time."

The three of them actually comforted Lu Chaoding instead, which touched Lu Chaoding a little.

"These three are quite ordinary, but also very earnest. If it weren't for my occasionally unreliable system, I'd probably be just like them. However, compared to them, I'm already in a league of my own now, with status and position. If I encounter a player I like, I might as well mentor them."

Lu Chaoding pondered silently for a moment, then suddenly said, "Now that you know my identity, it's fate that we've met. I've prepared some gifts for you. Come on, think of me as an NPC, imagine you have a mouse pointer, and click on me to open the reliable shop and buy some chilled watermelon juice, a get-out-of-jail-free card, and the Dragon-Slaying Sword."

"What?"

"Are there any gifts?"

"A reliable online store?"

Meng Jingjing and the other two were a little confused, but they tried as instructed and were surprised to see the interface of the reliable online store.

Lu Chaoding had no interest in making money through the reliable online store, so he set the prices of the products there extremely low. Meng Jingjing and the other two didn't hold back and quickly bought a lot of chilled watermelon juice, as well as a get-out-of-jail-free card and a Dragon-Slaying Sword for each of them.

The three of them were extremely fond of the Kanglong Sword and the Immunity Token, praising them as they drank chilled watermelon juice.

Lu Chaoding then took out three more Fire Cloud Steeds and said, "Running around with light footwork is too slow, so I'm giving each of you one of these steeds. Don't be shy."

"What? A mount?"

"Are you really giving this to us? This...this shouldn't be happening!"

"As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit. Lu Chao, you're giving away such a valuable Diqi (a type of precious gem) to someone. You wouldn't happen to have some ulterior motive towards us, would you?"

"Yes, we won't accept something so precious!"

Meng Jingjing and the other two stood there, stunned, unable to accept it.

Lu Chao retorted, "You three are honest people, but I am the head of a reliable sword sect, the sage of the sect. How can I take back what I have decided to give away? If you don't accept it, you are disrespecting me! So please accept it. I am simply being generous and charitable, and I have the means to do so."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jingjing bit her lip and said, "In that case, let's accept it!"

Having said that, he didn't hesitate any longer and immediately took a Fire Cloud Steed as his mount.

Seeing this, Jia Fei and Ou Di each took in a Fire Cloud Steed.

Lu Chao nodded in satisfaction, then equipped himself with a Fire Cloud Steed and rode on the steed with Meng Jingjing and the others.

Soon, the four of them arrived at the small lake on the east side of Jianxiu Mountain.

The lake water was crystal clear, and a green dragon was coiled within it.

This [Azure Dragon] is one of the key bosses in the Four Symbols Formation. It is level 60, has 600 million HP, is 40 meters long, and its entire body is covered with scales like green jade. It has a pair of front claws but no hind claws. It has two bulges on its head and has not yet grown horns. It is coiled in the lake as if it is dozing.

Standing by the lake, Meng Jingjing pointed at the Azure Dragon coiled in the small lake and said to Lu Chaoding, "Quite a few players know about this Azure Dragon. In fact, players from the four factions have spontaneously organized several dragon-slaying operations, but all have ultimately failed. An NPC once said that killing this Azure Dragon would yield the Four Symbols Primordial Sword. Lu Chaoding, are you really planning to provoke this monster?"

Lu Chao nodded and said, "You all step back and let me fire a shot at it."

After speaking, Lu Chao released the [Black Saber-toothed Tiger], causing it to manifest as a tank. He then replaced it with six [Flying Insect Swords]. With a thought, the sky was filled with flying sword shadows, which quickly transformed into mechanical missiles.

Super Scoundrel then appeared on his own. He stood by the lake, arms crossed, staring at the Azure Dragon, and sneered, "A mere Azure Dragon, laughable, laughable!"

The next moment, Lu Chao launched a normal attack, and a barrage of mechanical missiles were fired at [Azure Dragon].

The scene at this moment was more than just a hail of arrows!

More than two million mechanical missiles were fired at the Azure Dragon, and the bombardment was completed in less than two seconds.

Meng Jingjing and the others were stunned.

"What...what kind of method is this?"

"Tanks? Missiles?"

"So many missiles! This is outrageous! Is this a skill or a weapon? Could they have used some kind of one-time super item?"

They were amazed for a while, and only when Lu Chao stepped forward to open the treasure chest did they realize that the Azure Dragon had actually been killed.

Their understanding was once again refreshed.

"The Azure Dragon with 600 million HP was instantly killed?"

"None of them entered the combat space."

"Lu Chao, are you really that strong?"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the three, Lu Chao opened the treasure chest dropped by the Azure Dragon, and three items immediately floated out from it.

The first item is a sword, namely the [Four Symbols Primordial Embryo Sword - Azure Dragon]. This is a special quest item that is bound upon pickup and is specifically designed to activate the Four Symbols Formation. It will disappear after use.

The second item is a fist-sized ball of light, which is the [Azure Dragon Essence].

Lu Chao was secretly delighted when he saw this thing.

The Azure Dragon Essence is an upgrade material for the Moon Shadow Azure Dragon. This item is quite rare; Lu Chaoding had never seen it in the trading market.

As for the third item, it was a blue lottery ticket.

[Azure Dragon Lottery Ticket: Special item, bound upon pickup. Use to draw a prize; guaranteed to yield an Earthly Prayer, with a 50% chance of drawing an Azure Dragon.]

"Great stuff! When used with the Heavenly Destiny Mirror, the effect is maximized! It's a pity that it's bound once picked up, so it can't be farmed through the quest hall."

Lu Chao nodded, put away the three items, and then immediately used the [Azure Dragon Lottery Ticket].

With the Heavenly Mandate Mirror, Lu Chaoding can use lottery tickets anytime, anywhere.

As the lottery ticket vanished in a flash of light, a beam of azure light landed in front of Lu Chao, transforming into a cyan sphere of light.

"Is this a lottery?"

"Can I enter the lottery right here?"

"A cyan light? I've never seen that before. What star level is it?"

Meng Jingjing and the other two naturally started discussing it again.

At this moment, Lu Chaoding used a [Heavenly Mandate Treasure Mirror], and a selection window immediately popped up in front of him, showing 100 Earthly Deities to choose from.

"Four-star Azure Dragon, Four-star Crimson Dragon, Four-star White Dragon, Three-star Lesser Azure Dragon, Four-star Deep Sea Dragon, Four-star Cloud Mist White Dragon, Four-star Sickle-horned Dragon..."

Lu Chaoding felt a little dizzy, but suddenly his eyes lit up and he found a five-star Earth Deity in the selection window, named [Azure Dragon].

"Five-Star Azure Dragon!" Lu Chao was overjoyed and drew out the Azure Dragon.

After examining the selection window further, and finding no better land deity than [Azure Dragon], Lu Chaoding chose [Azure Dragon].

The next moment, the selection window disappeared, and the ball of light in front of Lu Chao turned into a golden ball of light. After the words "Azure Dragon" appeared on it, the ball of light broke open, and a blue dragon as thick as an adult's forearm appeared. It was the Azure Dragon.

After the Azure Dragon appeared, it grew rapidly. After three breaths, its body was thicker than a water vat and its head was as big as a small car. It circled Lu Chao's head in mid-air and then suddenly disappeared after two breaths.

Because Lu Chaoding did not equip it to the Earthly Deity's Domain, the five-star Azure Dragon automatically entered Lu Chaoding's storage space after briefly appearing.

"Holy crap, what is this?" Meng Jingjing was stunned again. Even though she was a female player, she couldn't help but exclaim "Holy crap!"

"This is the Azure Dragon? Could it be an Earthly Deity? I won it in a lottery? I've used up all the shocks I've had in the whole year today." Jia Fei plopped down on the ground.

"That's outrageous!" Odie muttered.

Lu Chaoding was currently quickly checking the attribute information of the five-star Earth Deity [Azure Dragon].

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Earthly Deity: Azure Dragon

Star rating: Five stars

Occupation: General

Level: LV1

Attribute bonuses: Attack range increased by (Earth God Level × 40) meters, all resistances increased by (Earth God Level × 5%), physical evasion increased by (Earth God Level × 5%), and automatic health regeneration per second increased by (Earth God Level × 100).

Ability 1: After equipping the Azure Dragon Earth God, you will gain the protection of the Azure Dragon Shadow. The Azure Dragon Shadow will take all damage first, and its health is (Earth God Level × 10000). After the Azure Dragon Shadow is shattered, it can be reassembled after 1 hour.

Ability 2: The Five-Star Earthly Deity Azure Dragon can serve as a mount.

Note 1: The protection effect of Azure Dragon's Shadow can also be effective outside of combat zones.

Note 2: Materials such as [Dragon Essence], [Heavenly Dragon Blood], and [Dragon Soul] can be used to upgrade the level of the Earthly Azure Dragon. The five-star Azure Dragon can be upgraded to a maximum of level 12, and will be bound after upgrading.

====

"This Azure Dragon is actually a defensive type!"

Lu Chaoding was quite satisfied with the attributes of the Azure Dragon Earth Deity, and immediately replaced the Fire Cloud Steed with it. With another thought, the Azure Dragon appeared in the form of a mount, and Lu Chaoding rode on its head, circling the small lake several times.

"Not bad, the speed is acceptable!"

Lu Chaoding returned to the lakeside, stepped on the Azure Dragon's forehead, and said to Meng Jingjing and the others, "Continue, go and take down the other three great monsters!"

So, an hour later, Lu Chaoding killed the Fire Sparrow on the south side of Sword Cultivation Mountain, the White Tiger on the west side, and the Black Tortoise on the north side.

All three level 60 monsters were killed by Lu Chao's normal attacks. The items they dropped were similar to those of the Azure Dragon, namely the Four Symbols Primordial Sword, a special Earthly Deity lottery ticket, and the Fire Sparrow Essence, White Tiger Essence, and Black Tortoise Essence.

Lu Chao used the three Earthly Gods lottery tickets and three Heavenly Fate Treasure Mirrors, and actually managed to collect the five-star Azure Dragon, five-star Vermilion Bird, five-star White Tiger, and five-star Black Tortoise.

The abilities of the next three Earthly Deities are similar to those of the Azure Dragon Earthly Deity, all possessing mount characteristics. The difference lies in that the Azure Dragon Earthly Deity increases range, while the Vermilion Bird increases speed and allows for a rebirth once per battle; the White Tiger increases additional damage and damage amplification; and the Black Tortoise increases resilience, defense, and super-strong health regeneration.

"Judging solely from the attributes, it seems that [Vermilion Bird] is the most suitable for me. Upgrading it to level 12 will add 180 speed points, making it stronger than the Black Saber-toothed Tiger! Of course, the strongest Earthly Deity right now is still the six-star Black Saber-toothed Tiger!"

Lu Chaoding silently summarized the situation, then, standing atop the Vermilion Bird, said to Meng Jingjing and the others, "Now that we have the four Yuan Tai Swords, shouldn't we head to the mountaintop to activate the Four Symbols Formation?"

A moment later, Lu Chaoding and his group arrived at the mountaintop.

The mountaintop was now a mess. Although the battle was over and the number of players had decreased significantly, it was still noisy and chaotic.

The root of the trouble was Prince Hua.

This guy got the [Great Flame Phoenix] as he wished, but the sword spirit was sucking its fingers blankly at the moment. It seemed to have some intelligence, but it was definitely not high.

(End of this chapter)