10 sky fall

A few hours later...

Three figures traversed the long and narrow underground passage.

"Friend Hong Dao, how much farther until our destination?" Liu Ping inquired.

"We're almost there. Once we arrive we must stay close to each other to resolve any situation if it arises" advised Hong Tao.

"How will the income be divided?" Zhao Chanyi asked.

"The three of us will split it equally. Any objections?" Hong Tao proposed.

"No," replied Liu Ping.

"Neither do I," added Zhao Chanyi.

At that moment, the tunnel reached its conclusion, branching into five paths ahead.

The trio came to a halt.

Liuping took a deep breath, retrieved a gourd, uncorked it, and took several swigs.

This gourd of spirit wine had been exchanged with Hong Tao.

Joining forces with two Qi-refining cultivators held a clear advantage— they would leverage their collective insights into this concealed realm.

Hong Tao cast a glance at Liu Ping and inquired, "How's the wine?"

"If you brew more wine in the future, make sure to reserve a gourd for me," Liu Ping replied with a thumbs-up.

"Of course, it's fine," Hong Tao chuckled, his tone growing warmer.

"How should we proceed?" Zhao Chanyi inquired.

"The second road on the left ascends to the surface, leading to a barren desert. It's been scarcely traversed since ancient times, so it should be relatively safe," Hong Tao explained.

Zhao Chanyi remarked, "I'm familiar with that area, but I haven't heard of any Sky Falling recently."

Hong Tao laughed, replying, "The desert is ever-changing."

"Ah, I see," Zhao Chanyi said suddenly, comprehension dawning upon her.

After spending some time together, Liu Ping had grown familiar with the duo, and he naturally discerned the topic surrounding the celestial phenomenon.

"Sky fall" refers to objects descending from the sky.

The reason behind such occurrences remained an enigma, baffling all who pondered why objects plummeted from the heavens.

However, the sky would sporadically release peculiar objects, sometimes near a particular mountain range, other times in rivers, and occasionally in remote areas.

Some of these oddities proved to be invaluable treasures, while others remained mysteries, and some were utterly worthless.

—Yet, they shared a common trait.

Upon picking them up, they often triggered an unprecedented danger, potentially resulting in catastrophic explosions.

Many powerful cultivators had fallen victim to such hazards.

Hence the powerhouses made a decision.

They assigned the task of retrieving these items to the lower-ranking cultivators.

The trio continued their journey for another hour.

Eventually, the path ahead began to incline, and the exit became visible in the distance.

Hong Tao signaled to the others with a gesture.

The three of them halted at the cave entrance, pausing to catch their breath.

Zhao Chanyi swiftly retrieved a jade ruler from her pocket and positioned herself at the rear of the group.

Hong Tao took out a black iron rod and positioned himself in front, shielding the others behind him.

Both of them turned their gaze towards Liuping, awaiting his action.

Liu Ping addressed the two of them, saying, "The weapon I had is damaged. If the two fellow Daoists have other weapons, I can purchase one with spirit stones."

Hong Tao smiled wryly and shook his head, "I don't have spare weapons."

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Chanyi inquired, "I'm curious about friend Liu's specialty."

Liu Ping glanced at Hong Tao and then at Zhao Chanyi.

"I'm proficient in martial artists and Elements" he replied

"Leave the front to me," Hong Tao remarked, bowing respectfully. "I will be in your care, so please utilize your elemental powers."

Zhao Chanyi's expression softened as he unfurled a paper fan. "So, Friend Liu, like myself, is an Elementalist—my spiritual affinity lies in the wood element of the five elements."

"I resonate with the element of water," Liu Ping added.

With Liu Ping's assistance, Zhao Chanyi could unleash a synergistic combination of spells that surpassed their individual capabilities—a promising prospect indeed.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Chanyi spoke up, "The water element... I possess a Water Elemental fan here, but I'm unsure if Friend Liu can utilize it."

She retrieved a fan and extended it towards Liu Ping.

Almost instantaneously, lines of small text materialized in the void:

[Water Cloud Spirit Fan.]

[A treasure.]

[This fan is crafted from aquatic spirit plants nourished by the Millennium Spirit Spring, attuned to the water element. When casting water magic spells, the potency of the spell increases by 10%.]

Liu Ping's eyes brightened, and he exclaimed, "Excellent! I've dabbled in fan techniques in my early years, so Fairy Zhao, let's settle on a price."

"Just three spirit stones will do," Zhao Chanyi replied.

Liu Ping fell silent.

In the past, a spiritual fan of this caliber would have fetched hundreds of spirit stones.

Now, it could be acquired for a mere three spirit stones.

As Liu Ping pondered, he questioned whether the value of the spirit stone had increased or if the spiritual fan was simply deemed worthless.

While lost in thought, he retrieved three spirit stones and handed them over.

Accepting the spirit stones, Zhao Chanyi smiled, remarking, "Brother Liu is truly generous."

Hong Tao chimed in jestingly, "If we were in the past, Someone as generous as Brother Liu would undoubtedly be considered a prominent disciple of a renowned sect."

While conversing, Zhao Chanyi passed the spiritual fan to Liu Ping. Perhaps prompted by Hong Tao's words, she glanced at Liu Ping once more.

Zhao Chanyi, feeling a bit ashamed, pondered why she hadn't noticed Liu Ping's tall and straight stature, his clear eyebrows, and his refined demeanor when they first met. She even thought he was—

Regaining her composure, Zhao Chanyi spoke up, "Friend Liu, please accept this spirit hound talisman as a bonus."

She then handed over another talisman to Liu Ping.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Liu Ping reluctantly accepted it.

 Spirit Hound Talisman, by infusing it with a little spiritual power, it can be transformed into a hound constructed by spiritual power, which can detect danger.

It is a relatively elementary scout Talisman. 　　

Liu Ping put away the Talisman, and inserted the fan around his waist, thinking. 　

First of all, Spirit stones are indeed more valuable.

Secondly, not only were these two individuals open to others, but even in the refuge they sought before, the cultivators didn't harbor much intrigue among themselves.

Indeed, practitioners seem to exhibit a higher level of trust in one another.

It's akin to...

As the group continued their journey, the sense of warmth within their company persisted.

Even though they were neither part of a sect nor acquainted with each other for long, finding warmth and camaraderie within such a group felt somewhat surreal.

"Now that everyone is prepared, let's continue," Hong Tao declared.

Liu Ping and Zhao Chanyi nodded in agreement.

The trio exited the cave, greeted by an uninhabited desert stretching before them.

The sky loomed dark and silent overhead, while the wind whispered softly, carrying a sense of solemnity.

The faint light, seemingly originating from nowhere, cast an eerie glow over the undulating desert. With each gust of wind, the landscape was shrouded in a hazy veil of dust.

Hong Tao and Zhao Chanyi couldn't help but release a sigh of relief.

"It's been three months since I last set foot on the surface," Zhao Chanyi remarked, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Is that so? I've been feeling quite bored lately, so I decided to find out its location and hurried to gather materials," Hong Tao replied.

Liu Ping remained silent, lost in thought.

'Is life now confined solely to living underground?'

Recollections flooded his mind—upon awakening, he remembered gazing upon the night sky.

That memory suggested he was indeed on the surface.

The cultivator in that graveyard had given him a talisman. Upon leaving the tomb, Liu Ping found himself abruptly transported underground.

So, what exactly is that burial site?

'I still don't understand the situation.'

He sighed and followed Hong Tao, making their way towards the desert.

The trio progressed cautiously, maintaining vigilance.

After a while, Zhao Chanyi suddenly spoke up, "There is something on my side."

Hong Tao and Liu Ping halted immediately.

Zhao Chanyi gestured towards a spot several hundred meters to her left, explaining, "It's buried under the sand, about half a foot deep."

"Standby. If anything happens, we'll engage immediately," Hong Tao instructed.

"Understood," Liu Ping and Zhao Chanyi responded in unison.

Hong Tao dashed forward, activating a technique in his hand. With a swift motion, he pushed aside the sand, revealing a dark, glossy object hidden beneath.

Through the collective use of their spiritual senses, the three individuals discerned the mysterious entity buried beneath the sand layer.

Hong Tao appeared to be relieved.

"Though it may not be of great value, it's a promising beginning," he remarked aloud.

He extended a long stick and gently prodded the object.

Instantly, the object flew toward Liu Ping and Zhao Chanyi.

Zhao Chanyi caught it, examining it closely. "Is this inside the collection book you bought?" she inquired.

Hong Tao nodded. "Yes, I have a collection book of different types of items in pictorial form. This one is quite common," he explained.

"How much is this worth?" Zhao Chanyi inquired.

"About a piece of spiritual stone," Hong Tao replied.

"Not bad," Zhao Chanyi remarked, displaying satisfaction as she tossed the object to Liu Ping.

As Liu Ping inspected the object, a series of small characters swiftly materialized in the void

[Discovered a technological item"

[Portable submachine gun.]

[Fifty bullets left.]

Startled, Liu Ping silently questioned himself, 'Do you recognize this?

Another line of small characters appeared

[This type of item isn't from your world, it originates from another civilization]

the small text responded.

Objects falling from the sky originating from another civilization...

Liu Ping pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know everything we'll be picking up next?"

Another line of small print appeared in response:

[Not necessarily. This presents a prime opportunity for us to gather intelligence, allowing us to understand how this world works.]

"Well, I'm curious to find out too," Liu Ping said.

From a distance, Hong Tao's voice called out, "There's something else! It's buried deep down!"

Liu Ping and Zhao Chanyi exchanged glances and hurried over together.

They leaned in and, working together, dug a sandpit tens of meters deep.

Before them loomed a massive steel humanoid device.

"It's one of these... things. It's a shame it's broken. it won't fetch much money" Hong Tao said regretfully.

"Is this in your picture book?" Liu Ping inquired.

"Yes, it's in there. This thing resembles a human, but it's utterly incomprehensible. Spiritual power can't even make it move, so it's essentially worthless," Hong Tao explained.

"And it's too large. If you store it in a storage bag, there won't be room for anything else."

"Let's move on," Hong Tao declared.

With that, they jumped into the pit, one by one, ready to continue their exploration.

Liu Ping fixed his gaze upon the steel humanoid device.

Suddenly, lines of small characters rapidly materialized in the void:

[Comparing with the database, the item has been successfully identified.]

[You have discovered the Mecha Suit: The Destroyer.]

[Stuation Awareness increased.]

[Commence involvement, a thorough inspection of the current Mecha Armory.]

[Armory is of Primitive Type, capable of loading 136 rounds of miniature tactical nuclear weapons.]

[Armory condition: Vacant, lacks ammunition.]

[situation awareness downgraded.]