Destiny in Cinders

The Hexlotus Platform was indeed a fine item. An Jing glanced at the maker's mark.

"Xuandu Group?" The moment his eyes fell on the name, An Jing understood at once. "So it's a product of the Xuandu Group, a legacy passed down by one of the four great primordial deities. It seems that being a megacorp has its perks."

He noted, however, that the sword soul had fallen into a pensive silence. "What's wrong, Yvelbane?"

"It's nothing..." Yvelbane murmured, its voice tinged with confusion. "Shouyang Mountain, Luofu Mountain, Xuandu Mountain... they feel so familiar. I know they're ancient legacies, yet the exact details elude me..."

"I feel the same..." An Jing's brow furrowed. Though the names seemed to ring a distant bell from his past life, he didn't waste time dwelling on the thought. "After all, they're ancient legacies that predate the world calamity. You must have known them before."

Yvelbane responded, seemingly deep in thought. "Even in Void Embrace, the legacy of a primordial deity would rank among the top sects. One such legacy could bring glory to an entire sect.

"Despite enduring a world calamity, this world still retains four great legacies. It may not rival Void Embrace, but it's still a force to be reckoned with among all the vast realms. It's a proper universe in its own right. Recovering my shards in this world... will be no easy task."

Nevertheless, Yvelbane didn't seem to care. Its primary concern was ensuring An Jing survived the fiendish ordeal. After placing his order for the Hexlotus Platform, An Jing also picked up four of Crimson Burning Land's self-destruct drones.

According to the staff member, the drones could tear a bloody crater into all manner of abominations. Using it against humans, however, was total overkill, akin to killing a mosquito with a cannon. Anyone caught within a five-meter radius would be obliterated or, at the very least, left in critical condition.

An Jing poked around for answers and was told that they were extremely effective against regenerative fiends. All fiends and monsters would struggle to heal once scorched by the golden fire.

However, the staff member warned that these drones must never be activated within city limits. Doing so would trigger an instantaneous autolock, and armed guards from the Skywatch Bureau would swarm the area like bloodhounds. He had been warned, and the consequences would be severe.

The total came to 520 merits. An Jing swiped his crimson, talisman-script-covered merit bills across the waterscreen. The transaction was finalized as the screen engulfed the vouchers, pulling them into its depths.

Though he initially felt that he had gotten a bargain, he suddenly fell silent. Did I just get suckered?

He frowned, muttering to himself. This item is supposedly on sale, but I've no clue what it cost to begin with. Is it possible it was originally 320, and they just hiked it to 480 so they could "discount" it back to its starting price?

He mulled over it but got nowhere. Since he wasn't from this world and currently inhabited the identity of a badlander, An Jing figured he might just have to take some losses.

Sighing, he shook his head. It seems cultivators aren't immune to the sales trap. Forget it, let's keep going!

With his enthusiasm unabated, An Jing continued his shopping spree, now left with 610 merits and five-and-a-half liang of jadeslice steel. Setting aside the jadeslice steel for emergencies, his remaining 610 merits were still enough to expand his arsenal further.

However, with the OverSight, the Iceburst Beta, and Gunner's artifact spear, An Jing only really needed a short-range weapon like a shotgun. Since he would be venturing into the wilderness in the future, he also required essentials such as flints, insecticide, antidotes, and refined salt and sugar, as well as a selection of medicines and talismans. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

An Jing resumed his search, and it wasn't long before he spotted exactly what he was looking for: a mysticsky lightning talisman. Upon entering the black market, An Jing had expressed his need for an artifact with ice, fire, or lightning properties, a request that seemed to trouble the staff member. At the time, An Jing was perplexed. He couldn't help but wonder how a place like Skysource, with its advanced technology, could possibly lack such artifacts.

Surveying the warehouse now, he realized he had vastly underestimated the sophistication of this world. A single sword case could fire flying swords of all five-phase aspects, while conventional firearms utilized talismans to imbue bullets with elemental power.

This versatility allowed the same equipment to adapt to diverse conditions. It also meant that merchants weren't limited to profiting from the sale of the artifact alone. They could continue to cash in on the constant demand for bullet talismans. The more valuable and advanced the properties of an element, the less likely they would be used in the crafting of permanent or long-lasting artifacts for the common folk.

The mysticsky lightning talisman was a prime example. Priced at 490 merits, this peak Qi Refinement talisman cost as much as a Hexlotus Platform and four self-destruct drones combined. While the latter offered a combination of sustained surveillance and emergency utility, the former was merely a talisman.

"Averts calamity and purges evil. Worn upon the person, it repels fiend qi and fortifies the heart. When unleashed, it fires off a mysticsky water bolt."

It was exactly what he was looking for. An Jing snapped it up without a second thought. Since ancient times, lightning had been the ultimate tool for purging fiends. The power of lightning was far more potent than ice and fire, especially against incorporeal or amorphous creatures.

Talismans were unlike weapons and could immediately be handed over after the sale. Within moments, a staff member presented An Jing with the lightning talisman encased in a translucent jade box.

Yvelbane said, "This mysticsky lightning talisman is the real deal. It was inscribed by a master of a great lineage who's devoted to the art. In my time, it would have cost at least ten spirit stones. A single spirit stone is worth thousands of merits in Skysource. By that standard, this talisman is an absolute steal."

"Yes." With a faint nod, An Jing tucked the talisman into his clothes, keeping it close. Having nearly emptied his pockets for it, a twinge of regret gnawed at him. "If only I had a void artifact, I wouldn't have to carry such a priceless talisman right on my person."

A void artifact was essentially a spatial storage tool that utilized voidjade to carve out a pocket dimension within the nether realm for storage. An Jing inquired about the price of the void artifacts and learned that the voidjade needed to make them was a strategic resource, especially the artifacts that were made with them.

Procuring one on the black market wasn't out of the question, but even a low-grade void artifact would cost several thousand merits, which was practically An Jing's entire fortune. Even then, supply was nonexistent, so he had to wait for one to become available.

Regrettably, it was out of stock at the moment. With no other choice, An Jing resigned himself to purchasing a suitable backpack instead. Skysource was an endless wilderness teeming with pioneers who shared similar needs. Though An Jing quickly found a standard set, the shop was situated in the free trade zone on the second floor and required in-person collection.

Before making his way there, An Jing stopped by the safe zone on the second floor. The black market's shields blocked all spirit qi fluctuations and electronic signals, which made it impossible to operate drones or any spirit gear that required spirit qi and chips.

Thus, An Jing collected the drones he purchased from the belly of a wood spirit puppet. The Hexlotus Platform wasn't very large and appeared much like any lotus seat. While inactive, the self-destruct drones looked like large grenades. At half the size of a human head, they fit perfectly into his tactical backpack.

An Jing was now fully geared up.