Moments before stepping into the Island

"Chin up, Xian; that place is no different from what I survived this past year," Karsha said as he stood before a portal swirling with blue and white colors. He was about to enter Snake Island, but before doing so, he needed to calm the young man he had taken a liking to.

"Just do me a favor; don't go out so these idiots won't have a chance to do anything to you." As the saying goes, a dying man knows no fear. Karsha, who was about to enter the portal, knew he was literally walking into the lion's den, so he didn't care who he insulted; after all, his chances of survival were slim.

Hugh Varon, standing a few meters away, clenched his fists in frustration. Not only did the boy have a smug and relaxed look, but he also had the guts to insult an entire great family and get away with it. He had hoped to see a scared boy, but he was disappointed.

Karsha, who had spent the last two days preparing, was confident he would be able to survive the next 14 days until his system activated with a new upgrade.

During the past two days, he had done many things, from learning new skills to practicing for a few hours. He wanted to become familiar with the skills since his first 14 days depended on them. He found out that once the skills were added to the Red Eye Tiger skill, they received a buff of a Tier 10 skill.

However, although the skills were now elevated to Tier 10, he could not unleash their full might with his current strength. He would only be able to unleash their true power if he managed to upgrade them to higher tiers and he also becomes stronger.

But even with this setback, Karsha was satisfied. He was now confident he could handle Tier 6 monsters without too much struggle. He noticed that as he added more skills to the Red Eye Tiger skill, his speed also increased slightly.

He also concocted more pills, and with Master Artemis's help, he managed to stockpile large quantities of Mana Recovery Pills, Stamina Pills, Health Pills, Agility Pills, and various antidotes.

He was really grateful to the old man. Since they were just transacting, Karsha took the list of snake venoms the old man wanted and promised he would do his best to get them for him.

The old man even took him to a restricted section of the alchemy guild where Karsha was allowed to pick one treasure. It wasn't a difficult choice for him since he knew exactly what to choose.

< Aura Concealer >

-- Conceals anything that produces any form of scent.

That was the description of the Rare-ranked item he was allowed to select. He knew crafting pills on the island would attract attention, so he intended to conceal the aroma for as long as he could. This was also why he learned to reduce the time it took him to concoct a single pill.

After finishing up at the alchemy guild, they went back to the sect. Surprisingly, the old man and his apprentice came along. Back at the sect, the Elders and the Sect Master also gave him the treasures they possessed.

Unfortunately for Karsha, in Quinox, transferring an Avatar comes with a cost to ordinary cultivators, especially if the person transferring it has already contracted with the Avatar. So he wasn't able to get any Avatar, but he did receive life-saving treasures from Elder Chen and Elder Ben.

[ Elder Chens Treasure ]

< Lotus Blossom >

Rank: Legendary

Category: Life-Saving Treasure

-- Sit in a lotus posture and activate the treasure. Petals of the Lotus flower will blossom and create a protective dome around the user. This dome Can withstand attacks from Tier 8 monsters and below for 6 days.

Cooldown: 30 days

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[ Elder Ben's Treasure ]

< Life Switch >

Rank: Legendary

Category: Life-Saving treasure

-- Find a safe place and put the artifact down. Wherever you are, when in danger, just will it, and you will be teleported back to where the artifact is.

Note: The artifact won't work if the location you are in has been sealed.

Cooldown: 20 days

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The two treasures were legendary items, meaning Karsha would be walking onto the island with two legendary life-saving artifacts. As if that wasn't enough, Sect Master Xu also gave him a legendary item, but it wasn't a life-saving artifact.

< Attack Nullifier >

Rank: Legendary

Category: Defense

-- Activate once every 5 days for 5 seconds to defend against any form of attack.

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A simple artifact but one that could save him in dangerous moments. Elder Lin also gave him some antidotes and potions, each with its own effects. In all, Karsha was able to acquire some great items from the Elders.

Before he left, he asked to see Elder June's mother, whom he intended to cure once he returned. The poison from the Blue Venom Serpentara, a Tier 9 monster, was extremely lethal.

Upon inspection, Karsha realized the venom was slowly making its way to her heart. Before leaving, he wrote down the ingredients for a pill and gave them to Master Artemis. The pill would slow down the venom for a while. With his plan to slay all 10 overlords, he was confident he could cure her completely once he returned.

Strangely, a few hours before he left, Elder June, now back to her elderly self, gave him a space ring filled with a large number of fried beast meats, adding to Karsha's supply of fried chicken. Karsha nearly fell back on his butt when he saw the enormous amount of meat inside the space ring.

His reaction managed to force a small smile out of June, who was trying her best not to tear up. She had been observing Karsha for the past week, and he never ceased to surprise her.

She also gave him a necklace, which Karsha immediately hung around his neck. There was no description when he tried to inspect it, so he assumed it was just an ordinary necklace.

"Laugh all you want, brat. Your punishment is waiting for you just behind that portal," one of the elders from the Varon family said, also clenching his fist in anger.

"Nah, I don't think so. I happen to have a perfect layout of the place, so I'll do just fine," Karsha replied with a wry smile. This further fueled the fire of anger burning in the hearts of the Varon family representatives.

Even Vance, standing behind his father, continued to grit his teeth in anger. Like everyone else, he wanted to see a scared boy. However, Karsha didn't give them that satisfaction.

"Go on, kid. We'll be waiting right here when you get back," Master Artemis said with a sly smile. He applauded Karsha's confidence in his heart. Not everyone would appear that calm in the face of danger. However, Karsha didn't just surprise him with his intelligence and finesse in the field of alchemy; he also showcased his warrior side and even continued to mock an entire Great Family.

If only they knew that Karsha used to be a mortal without any special powers, yet he stood and faced thousands of enemies on the front line with nothing but guns and bombs. And he continued to do so almost every day of his life before coming to their world.

To Karsha, the term "danger" holds little weight. He has long made peace with all forms of peril. The only thing he fears is failing his family and those he cares about.

While others perceive the snakes on the island as hazardous, Karsha sees them as obstacles hindering his path to his destination. Just as he confronts obstacles, he is prepared to face the island too.

"Hey brat, if you don't die on that island, I will kill you myself," Vance, unable to tolerate Karsha's antics any longer, roared at the top of his voice.

"Keep quiet. The adults are talking," Karsha, seizing the opportunity to further provoke Vance, replied with a wry smile. Vance, unable to contain his anger, charged at him, but he was too slow. Karsha had already unsheathed his swords and jumped into the portal freely.

"So long, motherfuckers." That was the last thing Vance heard before the portal closed. It would open again in 60 days' time. While the Varon Family elders retreated back to the city, the Elders, Sect Master Xu, Master Artemis, his apprentice Xian, and Elder June remained behind.

They had already made preparations, so they would be there for the next 60 days. "That kid never ceases to surprise me," Master Artemis said as he settled back in an armchair. "I can't wait to see the surprise he will bring back this time."

"You sound like he will survive and come back without a single scratch," Elder Chen asked.

"Haven't you noticed? The kid isn't scared of the island; on the contrary, it seems like he wants to go there for something. It's as if something is pulling him there," Master Artemis answered, causing others who had the same assumption to arch their eyebrows.

"So it wasn't just me. It seems you all noticed the same thing," he added. "Whatever it is that wants him to go to the island, I'm sure that when he returns, he'll become a force to reckon with."

"Maybe I should give my niece to him so that we can form some familial bond," Master Artemis said, but immediately after uttering those words, a murderous gaze landed on him, making the old man instantly retract that thought.

Sect Master Xu and the Elders who saw June's actions couldn't help but smile. It seems their angel has fallen for someone."

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[ Back to the heavens ]

The old man gazed down for a quick second before smiling, "Good luck, kid. You are about to embark on your first adventure. Show me what you've got."