After discussing the matter for a while, Lu Yu'er sneered as she watched Yu Boyuan leave in high spirits.
She knew that now that she had awakened a D-tier talent, she would definitely no longer be favored within her family. It was clearly rather unrealistic to expect her family to help her deal with a future SSS-tier Sacrificer who might grow into a major threat. Therefore, Lu Yu'er had no choice but to seek other alternatives.
"Damn you, Fang Xiu! You stole my SSS-tier talent. Just you wait!" Lu Yu'er said viciously.
From beginning to end, she remained convinced that all of this was Fang Xiu's fault for taking what should have been hers.
***
"Achoo!"
Fang Xiu, who was cultivating inside the Gate World, suddenly sneezed.
"Damn it, why is it so cold?"
Fang Xiu suddenly felt a wave of chill sweep through his entire body. When he opened his eyes, the surrounding grass was drooping limply.
"Is the temperature variance in this Gate World really this extreme?"
There was no danger around him, but the temperature had plummeted sharply. Fang Xiu felt quite helpless; the climate had been pleasant just while he was cultivating. How long had it even been, for the temperature to drop to this degree?
"You'll freeze to death cultivating in this kind of weather."
Fang Xiu hurried to his feet and returned to the real world. After grabbing some winter clothes, he re-entered the Gate World.
"Much more comfortable, though this seems to affect my cultivation a bit. What on earth is going on with this Gate World?"
At this moment, Fang Xiu grew even more curious about the Gate World. It wasn't as if harsh climates in Gate Worlds were unheard of. He had already witnessed Gate Worlds with all sorts of weather: gale-force winds, thunderstorms, and even glaciers and seas of fire. But he had never heard of a sudden, drastic temperature drop like this one—feeling like it went from a pleasant autumn second to a bitter winter the next.
"Anyway, there's no way to cultivate in this weather. I might as well see if there's anything here that can be sacrificed!"
Curiosity got the better of Fang Xiu. Since he possessed the system and was himself an SSS-tier Sacrificer, theoretically, as long as he had enough spiritual power, he could sacrifice anything. He could even sacrifice the beasts and the Gate World itself if he wanted to, provided he had sufficient spiritual energy to sustain it. Perhaps after reaching level one hundred, his spiritual power would be enough. As for whether he would actually do such a thing, Fang Xiu still wanted to live a long life.
Along the way, all Fang Xiu saw were grass, rocks, and trees... None of these things seemed sacrificial.
"Wait, trees?"
Fang Xiu suddenly remembered that certain trees made exceptional materials for artifact crafting. The crafting referred to here involved forging swords, spears, staves, as well as protective gear like clothing, helmets, and boots. Long ago, powerful individuals who awakened lifestyle classes discovered that using materials from Gate Worlds—or even parts harvested from beasts—could forge weapons that increased attack power and even enhanced magical damage. The defensive gear was also far superior in defense to conventionally crafted armor. This led certain Awakened ones to venture into Gate Worlds specifically to hunt for these special materials.
"Let's test it. System, scan the tree right in front of me!" Fang Xiu commanded the system directly.
[Mystic Ice Phantom Wood. If sacrificed to the God of Malice and Terror, he will surely be enraged and unleash the most terrifying punishment!]
Fang Xiu: "..."
If you can't sacrifice it, you can't sacrifice it. Did you really have to embellish it with all that drama?
"Mystic Ice Phantom Wood... that name sounds a bit familiar!"
After mentally complaining about the system, Fang Xiu suddenly remembered: "Isn't this the primary material for crafting ice-type staves?"
Using Mystic Ice Phantom Wood to craft an ice staff carried a certain probability of awakening the skill Ice Phantom Realm. Once unleashed, this skill could inflict hallucinations on enemies, with the duration varying depending on the relative strength of both parties. It was said that an ice mage above level seventy had once used a staff born with the Ice Phantom Realm skill to plunge an entire city of ordinary people into illusions for a whole year. This alone demonstrated the terrifying nature of the Ice Phantom Realm and highlighted the immense value of Mystic Ice Phantom Wood.
"They say a single log of Mystic Ice Phantom Wood currently sells for a million, and I own an entire forest of them?"
Fang Xiu honestly hadn't expected that something whose sacrifice would trigger the most terrifying divine punishment was actually the coveted Mystic Ice Phantom Wood of the outside world.
"Sigh, suddenly getting super-rich instantly ruins my humble little goal of getting stronger!" Fang Xiu sighed.
Although he was already a second-generation wealthy heir, he still hoped to earn his fortune through his own strength. Yet on the very first day after his awakening, the moment he returned home, he had instantly struck it rich. Nobody else could truly understand this feeling.
"Damn it, this feels amazing!"
Fang Xiu looked at the entire forest of Mystic Ice Phantom Wood before him. This was pure wealth!
However, Fang Xiu had no intention of cutting them down immediately to sell for cash. After all, what he needed right now wasn't money. The fortune left behind by his parents before their passing was already more than enough for him to squander for a lifetime.
"Let's look around and see if there's anything else!" Fang Xiu walked further ahead.
There were no beasts in this vicinity, which allowed Fang Xiu to relax quite a bit. Even so, he maintained his guard.
"This sacrifice will get your arms ripped off..."
"This sacrifice will get your head twisted off..."
"This one's milder; the sacrifice will only cost you your appendix. Want to try? Wait, misread that—the sacrifice will cost you everything *except* your appendix."
"..."
Along the way, Fang Xiu used the system to appraise quite a few things. Without exception, they were all... great items. Yet this so-called "goodness" was only relative to the world Fang Xiu came from. Not a single item was actually eligible for sacrifice. The lightest penalty was losing one's fingers; the heaviest left nothing of a person except their appendix.
"It seems that while there are plenty of fine materials here, there is nothing suitable for sacrifice."
Fang Xiu shook his head helplessly, then leaned against the rock where he had been cultivating. He muttered offhandedly: "System, scan this rock!"
[Sumeru Heavy Crystal Ox Dung. Sacrificed to the Flower God, who just happens to be digging in her little garden... there is a little seed, blooming a little... and she needs it, the Flower God will happily bestow a reward.]
"What the hell, this is cow dung?!"
Fang Xiu never expected that this rock—so hard, so massive, and something he had leaned against and sat on for so long—was actually a lump of cow dung?
"Wait, this thing can actually be sacrificed?"
Fang Xiu simply couldn't believe it. So many precious flowers, plants, and trees couldn't be sacrificed, yet this inconspicuous pile of cow dung could be sacrificed and even yield rewards.
"Whatever, let's sacrifice it first and ask questions later!"
Since the system said it could be sacrificed, then it definitely could. To avoid complications, Fang Xiu didn't hesitate. He pulled out his staff and chanted: "Respected Flower God, I now sacrifice this lump of Sumeru Heavy Crystal Ox Dung to you, so it may find good use... while you dig in your little garden!"
As Fang Xiu finished chanting and opened his eyes once more, he saw that pile of cow dung glowing brilliantly!