

Next time maybe she should invite him to dinner. Yes, he could already envision it. She would rather invite him to the most expensive restaurant in town than cook something herself. These are the ways of a successful woman! 

“I'm sorry!” She said, because it was so impolite of her, although she was not at all sorry. “The cream is, I mean was, really great.” 

“Let's go to the living room. Everything must have cooled down by now.” 

Michael walked out slowly first with a tray full of bowls and platters. 

“Would you like some help?” She asked. 

“No thanks. I don't want it all to end on the floor.” 

“I'm not clumsy! On the floor? Why?” She didn't finish speaking. 

She was speechless with amazement. She had heard many amazing stories from Alex about Michael’s extravagant, futuristic greenhouse, which only lacks growing cucumbers and tomatoes and a jacuzzi, but the stories were indeed a reality. Delighted, she couldn't speak. 

The lounge, essentially a huge conservatory, was rectangular in shape, at least fifteen meters long and half its width. Including the roof, it was made up of glass. 

In the center, among palm trees, exotic shrubs, and giant ferns on a light brown wooden floor was a cream-colored rug on which stood two beige sofas and four armchairs of the same color around a low wooden table. 

On it stood a white frosted glass vase full of anemones, which immediately caught her attention because, as cut flowers, they didn’t fit into an interior full of various species of living plants. She supposed they were only here for her sake. 

“Do you like anemone coronaria?” She asked, but he didn't know what she was talking about. "I asked if you like anemones, but I see you don't. You treat them only as a prop.” 

"You like them!" He said, excitedly. He drove around the town for a few hours to buy them, and now he gets to hear that it's just a prop to him!? Incredulous. 

“Flowers are flowers. They matched the décor.” He added, defiantly. 

"You are a perfectionist in every detail." She said, looking at the table on the left-hand side of the greenhouse, just outside the entrance where they were going to eat their dinner. Instead of sitting down, however, she moved towards the plants in the garden. 

“Fantastic plants!” She said, standing by one of the enormous palm trees in the very corner of the conservatory. 

"Yes…" He nodded defiantly. If she had taken care of this weed, she wouldn’t have been delighted. 

“I haven’t seen anything so beautiful in a private house.” 

She wanted to add that Alex was right in saying that the only thing missing was the jacuzzi. 

“How did you come to love plants?” 

“The cultivation of exotic plants is in my genes. Some of these plants were planted by my grandmother years ago!” He said, pointing to the small plants. "These bonsai trees were planted by her and my eldest brother before I was born." 

“Lovely magnolias!” She couldn't hide her delight at the giant white and cream-colored buds on several trees. “Can I go to the garden for a moment?” 

“You can’t!” He stood in her way and continued with a smile. "I understand your love for magnolia, but everything is cooling down." 

“Did you know magnolias are one of the oldest flowering plants on the Earth?” She tried to engage him in a conversation, so that she could go outside and look at them closely for a moment. 

“Really?” He didn’t leave her a step. He supposed that if he let her leave, she wouldn't be back soon. Besides, Alex might be lurking somewhere in the garden. 

“They appeared before the Ice Age, in the Tertiary. They formed enormous forests. Could you imagine a forest of blooming magnolias? Must look amazing!” She dreamed. “Later it was the Ice Age that destroyed them. They only survived in the Far East and North America.” 

"That's probably why they're so resistant to frost." He added, watching her closely. 

She enjoyed the story of plants as much as his grandmother enjoyed her plants and the stories behind them. 

“In order to survive as a species, they had to adapt, such are the laws of nature. I think that under this tallest magnolia and next to a tiny Japanese magnolia tree, you should put a bench or a comfortable deckchair. A great place to read in late spring, when they start to bloom, and in summer.” 

“Really?” He gritted his teeth. He was about to say something, but decided that there was no point in giving her a glimpse into his life. “I will think about it.” 

He had no desire to talk about plants any longer, all the more about benches. Years ago, in a wind-sheltered corner of the garden, right where she was pointing at, there was a wooden bench, or even two, and a table under a folding umbrella. 

As a small child, he would sit there with his grandmother, who would tell him stories for hours. When he grew older, he and his mother also sat in the shade of magnolia and read books together. 

After many years, his wife fell in love with this place. In the late afternoon, they would sit there together, drink her favorite green jasmine tea, and chat for hours. 

While there was a real crowd of guests at their dinners, afternoon tea in the shade of magnolia was only their ritual. 

When his wife left, he threw out the benches, the table, and cut down the largest tree, as he later found out, the Japanese magnolia. He wanted to cut them all down to forget about her, but his brother wouldn't forgive him. 

Since then, he stopped drinking green tea with jasmine, and the smell alone made him sick. 

“What's the matter with your siblings?” Alice's velvety voice snapped him out of his memories. 

She wanted to find out what the other two Musketeers, from the photo she admired in the library, were doing. 

“Family is a touchy subject. I don't like talking about it.” 

"I know, that's why I'm asking." 

She was starting to be a pain in the ass. 

“So what about your two brothers?” 

“The eldest is an architect, as is his wife. They have been living in Paris for years.” He reluctantly explained, knowing that she would not finish pestering him until she found out what she wanted. 

“And the younger one? I heard he's a scientist?” 

“My younger brother is a microbiologist; he and his family live in the antipodes.” 

“Do they have kids?” 

“The older one has an eighteen-year-old daughter, the younger one has two sons, thirteen-year-old twins and a tiny daughter.” 

“Do you see them often?” 

“Is that an interview or investigation? It's over! I will not answer any more questions.”

"A story about the editorial world of a men's magazine... 'Anemones' is a love story with elements of betrayal or a story of betrayal with elements of love. All this in the scenery of the high society we long for; additionally packed with culinary and automotive trips. 
Anemones slightly feminizes reality and it is a thing that should attract many readers - men and women equally. 
It's about men! But written in the author's optics, so all readers will find their fascinations fulfilled.”

Honestly, this was the first time Ren Xiaosu encountered someone in the wilderness who was willing to give others a ride.
After all, anyone would know the wilderness was not entirely safe. As the saying went, one must be vigilant to not be harmed. If it were Ren Xiaosu, he would never offer others a lift.
Of course, not many people would hitch a ride from him either.
The middle-aged man said with a smile, "It's along the way since we're also heading to Stronghold 74. However, we need to make a stop at a remote place midway, so if you don't mind that, we can offer you a lift to Stronghold 74."
Ren Xiaosu was stunned. He broke out into a smile and said, "Sure, thanks."
The young man in the front passenger seat also said enthusiastically, "Get in quickly then."
Ren Xiaosu got into the backseat. He then heard some music playing from a cassette in the vehicle and wondered why the singer's voice sounded so familiar.
Ren Xiaosu only managed to react a few seconds later. Wasn't this Li Ran's voice? Although he had never listened to her songs before, her voice was very recognizable.
In that instant, Ren Xiaosu did not know what to say. He had clearly escaped so he could avoid that woman. But now that he was outside, he still had to listen to Li Ran's songs. She really was just like a lingering spirit.
During the journey, Ren Xiaosu realized the middle-aged man and the young man were not father and son. From the way the young man kept addressing him as his teacher, it seemed they were actually a master and disciple.
The two of them did not ask about his identity, nor did they ask why he was heading to Stronghold 74. It seemed like they were simply giving him a lift.
However, the middle-aged man had specifically mentioned they would have to make a stop at a remote place to handle some affairs. This made Ren Xiaosu very wary. What could be in a remote place? Very few people lived in the wilderness, so if they really turned into some remote place, could they be planning to lead Ren Xiaosu into a trap?
However, Ren Xiaosu did not say anything. Instead, he asked calmly, "May I know why the two of you are heading to Stronghold 74?"
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Actually, we'll only be passing by Stronghold 74. After dropping you off near the stronghold, we'll be heading into the mountain range west of Stronghold 74 to pick some herbs. Now that very few people are living in those mountains, there will be plenty of treasures naturally growing there."
Ren Xiaosu asked, "Do you mean the legendary Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?"
The storyteller told stories such as The Investiture of the Gods,[1] and in those stories, the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were herbs that were extremely helpful for cultivators.
When the middle-aged man heard Ren Xiaosu ask this, he said with a smile, "No, no, I was just referring to mountain products, common herbs that can help strengthen my disciple's body."
Ren Xiaosu nodded. From the sound of it, they were martial artists?
There was an old saying that went, "The poor study, while the rich learn martial arts." That was because studying could change the fate of the poor, while those who were not rich had no way to practice martial arts since they could not afford the herbs and tonics to strengthen their bodies.
But were they really going to pick herbs in those forested mountains? Ren Xiaosu did not believe it.
In the afternoon, the off-road vehicle suddenly deviated from the main road and drove towards a more desolate wilderness. Ren Xiaosu sat quietly in the backseat and did not show any expression.
He thought to himself, 'They might be making a move soon.' Be it robbery or revenge, these two had probably been plotting this for a long time.
After the vehicle came to a stop, the middle-aged man placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Ren Xiaosu frowned. They actually had partners?
Following, there was a rustle in the woods nearby. Five honest-looking refugees emerged from it, and they said to the middle-aged man in surprise, "Old Li, you haven't come here in a long time."
"Enough talk, the medicine's in the trunk. Hurry up and unload the items from the vehicle." The middle-aged man named Old Li said with a smile, "We brought antibiotics this time. That's something you guys lack most in the wilderness."
Behind them, Ren Xiaosu, who was ready to kill at a moment's notice, was shocked. He thought the two people had taken him here as a convenient place for them to make a move on him. As it turned out, they were only delivering medicine to refugees?
Ren Xiaosu knew exactly what refugees looked like. He tried looking closer at the woods but could not see what was in that darkness.
When Old Li opened the trunk, Ren Xiaosu saw two cartons simply sealed with adhesive tape.
One of the refugees handed a basket of eggs to Old Li. "We don't have anything good here, only these eggs. Please accept them."
Each of the eggs was the size of a fist, and it was clear they were from chickens that had evolved in the wilderness. They were completely different from the domestic eggs found in the stronghold. In the past two years, eating exotic meat had become very popular in the strongholds. Whoever could treat others to a meal of exotic meat would be very popular and well-respected by their friends.
In the past, Ren Xiaosu was able to sell sparrows for a living because the stronghold residents were fond of such exotic fare.
But no matter how expensive wild chicken eggs were, they could not be more expensive than antibiotics. Medicine could save lives!
Old Li did not decline their gift. He took the eggs from the refugee and handed it to his disciple. "I still have to go to Stronghold 74, so I won't be eating with you today. What else do you need? I can bring it for you when I get back from Stronghold 74."
A refugee hesitated for a moment before saying, "It'll be winter soon. Some children in the mountains won't be able to endure the cold. Can you buy a few coats for them? But if it's really inconvenient, then never mind…"
Old Li asked decisively, "How many do you need?"
"12."
"OK, I'll make a trip to the town at Stronghold 74 then. There'll be coats for sale there," Old Li said with a smile.
That refugee rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "I'm so sorry to keep troubling you."
"It's nothing," Old Li said and smiled.
"I wonder, how much do the coats cost in town now?" the refugee asked. "We still have some savings here."
Old Li pointed at the eggs in his disciple's arms and said with a smile, "These wild chicken eggs are already worth a lot, so that'll be enough."
After the trade was concluded, Old Li and his disciple got back into the vehicle and started the engine. Ren Xiaosu could not help but feel that these two did not seem like drug peddlers either.
"You can at most trade one coat for that basket of wild chicken eggs. I'm quite familiar with the prices in town. You two are purely performing good deeds, arentcha?" Ren Xiaosu asked.
Old Li said with a smile as he drove, "We have a rule that after we become a Ri—an adult, we must go to the towns to experience how the refugees live. Back then, I was so arrogant I almost couldn't survive in town. It was this group of refugees that fed me and allowed me to live. Later, they escaped when they couldn't stand the consortium's exploitation of them and the stress of living in town."
Ren Xiaosu nodded. So it turned out there were also honest people in town, and some would silently endure where they could. This caused those arrogant people who mistreated them to become even more arrogant. In the end, the honest people could only escape town when they could no longer stand the suffering.
Besides, even if they continued working for the consortiums, they would still have nothing to their names other than a shack when they grew old. Even if they farmed for the consortiums, they would still only be drawing a salary.
Therefore, some people would rather choose to live a hard life in the wilderness. At least the crops they cultivated would belong to them.
[1] The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the "gods and demons" (shenmo) genre written during the Ming Dynasty. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investiture_of_the_Gods


This is a brand new story.
Survive the darkness, see the light
There is no right or wrong, it just depends on which side you are standing on.
To be a god, or to be a man.
To be good, or to be evil.
Just what is...the highest order of weapon that humanity has?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a great catastrophe struck, the world was set back many years and humanity started living in anarchy.
With time, society started building up again and people were now living in walled strongholds and fringe towns across the land.
Humans have also become distrustful and ruthless in an unforgiving society where the strong survive and the weak are eliminated.
Growing up in such an era, Ren Xiaosu had to fend for himself.
After an incident, he gained supernatural powers...

Edited by RED
Although the Shooting Sun Research Institute was called a research institute, it was in fact a private research facility. It specialized in developing exotic beast materials for use with bows and arrows.
Over nearly thirty years, the Shooting Sun Research Institute had developed a few series of neo-material bows and arrows. The best of them were already capable of killing three-star silver-quality exotic beasts.
Although they were ineffective against mid-tier exotic beasts and above, they were still favored and popular among many beastmasters.
After all, to a low-tier beastmaster, the effectiveness of a reliable and strong bow was higher than most subdued beasts when it came to hunting exotic beasts.
That was especially true for a Tier One or Tier Two beastmaster without a good subdued beast. If they wanted to have any gains in the beast world, a good bow definitely had a better price-to-value ratio than beast cards that could easily reach tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Of course, not everyone would choose to use bows and arrows, because there was a problem associated with it… whether the person in question had the talent for archery!
If you couldn't hit a target even after shooting a few arrows, your target would have pounced on you and shredded you. What use was there then, even if you had the best bow in hand?
Moreover, even if your bow and arrows were made with the latest materials, it still required a certain strength to draw the bowstring fully. Perhaps there would be no problem in doing so once or twice for an ordinary person, but if they wished to maintain stability and accuracy, they had to go through a long period of training to achieve that.
Therefore, although there were many advantages with using a bow, there were obviously as many disadvantages. Whether it was better or worse than a subdued beast would depend on the person themselves and their preferences.
Zhang Che, for example, understood that he had no talent for archery. If he wanted to hunt exotic beasts, it was much simpler and more convenient to use subdued beasts.
He was making this trip here to Ci Zhou City to buy a strong bow only because he discovered the Gluttony Monkey's unusual talent for archery!
------
The Shooting Sun Research Institute ran their own weapon shop. It was very famous within Ci Zhou City. Zhang Che only needed to make a casual inquiry about it, and he found the place shortly thereafter.
It was a huge building, over ten stories tall. The top of the building was adorned with a gigantic bow statue. Anyone who saw it would know what place it was.
The three lowest stories of the building sold all kinds of weapons, while the three stories above that specialized in the sale of bow and arrows. The stories above that weren't open to public; they were the place where the Shooting Sun Research Institute manufactured their bows and arrows. The security was heavy, and nobody could sneak in there.
Zhang Che was naturally uninterested in the weapons being sold in the first three stories and directly took the lift to the fourth story.
After exiting the elevator, the first things Zhang Che saw were the different kinds of bows hanging on the walls. There were classical longbows, the threatening recurve bows, and various exquisite compound bows among them.
The lobby was filled with people, many of them beastmasters who came here looking to buy a bow.
Zhang Che didn't go look at the compound bows and traditional longbows. The former had too low of a firing rate, and wasn't practical, while the latter had too long of a body. It was impractical for the frisky monkey to use given his short stature.
Thus, the recurve bows naturally became the best choice.
"Hello sir, welcome to the Shooting Sun Research Institute! Are you looking for recurve bows? We have eight major categories of recurve bows here, with a total of over forty models to choose from…" An attendant came up wearing a faint smile and started filling in Zhang Che on the unique characteristics of the recurve bow models here.
However, before she could finish her introduction, Zhang Che raised his hand to stop her, asking her directly, "Of the recurve bows here, which model is the strongest here?"
The female attendant swept her gaze over Zhang Che's skinny figure. Although she really wanted to tell him that it was impossible for him to draw the strongest recurve bow here, she maintained her smile and nodded, saying, "Please come with me to the sixth story, sir," and led the way to the elevator.
-Indeed, the best stuff is kept at the higher levels. I should have gone directly to the sixth story if I had known earlier,- Zhang Che cursed inwardly. He could only follow the female attendant into the lift.
---
After arriving at the sixth story, Zhang Che discovered that the area here was much smaller than its lower counterparts, with fewer bow and arrow types on display on the wall and counters. However, they gave off an extraordinary feeling.
The female attendant brought Zhang Che directly to the left of the sixth story lobby. She pointed to a pure purple-black recurve bow hanging on the wall and said, "Please take a look at this, sir. This bow is named the Falling Star Model Three. The handle was made with an uncommon wood found in the beast world, known as the Seven-Star Iron Pear Wood. Its toughness is comparable to metal alloy, but lighter. The limbs, on the other hand, were crafted with the horn of a four-star bronze-quality exotic beast known as the Golden Halberd Beetle, which possesses high elasticity.
"As the bow was basically made with non-metallic materials, the Falling Star Model Three weighs only three point two kilograms. It is highly portable and easy to use. The strength required to fully draw its bowstring is two hundred and ten kilograms, and its effective range can reach five hundred meters when used with the M-type armor-piercing arrows. Within two hundred meters, it is able to penetrate the scales of a three-star bronze-quality defensive-type beast," the female attendant rambled on in detail. However, Zhang Che couldn't help but frowned slightly, asking, "Two hundred and ten kilograms draw weight? That's too light; is there anything heavier?"
"Ah? Even heavier ones?" The female attendant was stunned by Zhang Che and blurted out in surprise. She continued, "Please pardon my directness, sir, but the Falling Star Model Three is already not something ordinary people can draw easily. You must know this too, that to effectively use a bow, it's not only that you have to ensure you're able to draw it fully. You still have to consider whether your arms can stay still, or you'll lose your aim."
He was definitely unable to draw the bow. Let alone a two hundred and ten kilogram draw weight bow, even if that number was divided by four, Zhang Che would struggle to draw it!
-But the freaking problem is that I'm not that one who is going to be using the bow.
-Compared to the herculean strength of that frisky monkey, two hundred and ten kilograms might not even break a sweat for him.-
"Don't mind whether I can use it or not. Just tell me please, are there any heavier recurve bows here?"
-What a weirdo. Are you going to buy a strong bow to hang on your walls to ward off evil?,- the female attendant quipped inwardly. Understanding the principle that customers were always right, she nodded slightly and answered, "We do. Our lead designer once produced a Falling Star Model X recurve bow, crafted using thousand-year Seven-Star Iron Pear Wood and the horn of a five-star silver-quality Golden Halberd Beetle. Its draw weight was five hundred kilograms. However, as there was no one who was able to fully draw this bow, we no longer have it on display. Are you sure you want to have a look at it?"
-Five hundred kilograms draw weight!- Zhang Che's eyes immediately lit up at the sound of it.
"Oh? Please bring it out for me to take a look at, then!"
"Alright, sir, please wait a moment in the lounge," the attendant nodded, pointing Zhang Che in that direction, before walking over to the elevator for the inner area. The Falling Star Model X recurve bow was not held in the commercial area, but in storage at a higher story.
So what if there was an incredibly powerful bow, if there was no one who could wield it?
It still had to stay in the storage, passing its days silently...


The world experienced a cataclysmic change, and countless spatial gateways appeared out of thin air.
Exotic beasts of all shapes and sizes swarmed out of those aforementioned spatial gateways, forcing the humans to face the crucial moment for their survival.
In order to search for a chance at survival, brave warriors from the army and scientific researchers risked their lives and entered the world beyond the spatial gateways. To their surprise, they discovered that there was a chance of obtaining beast cards by killing these exotic beasts in their world.
Those with extraordinary spiritual strength are able to utilize the beast cards, perhaps transforming the cards into the beasts’ combat bodies while they were still alive, or transforming them into weapons or defensive gears, or...
A new occupation came into existence following the changes, known as beastmasters.
A transcender with two souls fused into one found himself in this magnificent new world full of waves, rising step by step as he ascends into the seat of a godly beastmaster.

They were not allowed to use secret treasures and charms in the next task, so they should focus on improving their strength. Meng Qi had to adjust his original plans, hence his hesitation. He pondered.
"After successfully crossing the first step of the Celestial Ladder, the key is to sense the operation of the world from time to time and intertwine with Dharma and Logos often. Counting on hermetic training alone won't be very helpful, but my knowledge and experience of these are quite complicated. I shall spend six months on the organization of bladesmanship, sword art, fist movement, and palm stroke, truly achieving mastery of the movements that I've learned."
Although Eight Nine Mysteries was adaptive to changes and was pretty good at imitation, this didn't preclude Meng Qi from operating many other movements. There was a huge difference between simply using a movement and having mastery of it. The former was rigid—at most someone would know when to use which movement. What was more, during a fight, the cohesiveness of the changes between movements wasn't fluent, and it would be easy to find its flaws. If it were not for the Eight Nine Mysteries' ability to sense danger and fight with resistance, Meng Qi would have suffered much pain by now.
On the other hand, the latter was the extraction of the essence from his part of the preliminary knowledge of the Six Strokes of the Overlord and Divine Nine-Annihilation, and then combined with his own bladesmanship, not being restricted to a particular movement. This would allow those movements to cooperate with each other, learn others' strengths and make links smooth, enabling Meng Qi to operate them at his fingertips!
It was like an analogy of sword art by telling stories—every movement was like a coping method. After suddenly learning so many Dharmakaya movements and skills of the Exterior, he was solely operating those coping methods. Operating once or twice would be fine, but if he fought an enemy too many times, it would expose the rules of the coping method. It could easily lead to failure unless his strength was far superior to his enemy's.
Ever since he was promoted to the Exterior, the enemies he had fought were either killed or had faced him just a few times such that it wouldn't expose the problem. However, coming up was a Death Task. As he was aware of this flaw, he should remedy it as soon as possible.
The real master wasn't the one who was unwilling to use coping methods but the one who understood how to abandon representation images and grasp the essences of coping methods, which should be combined according to the circumstances. The fascinating stories came out, therefore, when one abandoned vulgarity, repetition and monotony.
In the past, Meng Qi's palm stroke and sword art were in the master's realm, but once he got a promotion to the Exterior, he encountered too many adventures and attained many skills and movements with mighty power that couldn't be combined with each other. They had to be preserved separately. In this aspect, bladesmanship, fist movement and palm stroke of Heavenly Golden Scripture were way more serious than his sword art problems.
Meng Qi knew this very well and had always been trying to solve it. His primary result was his movement, "The Big Bang Technique" combined with "Let All Begone" and "the Singular Existence of Mine." The movement "Falling Sun" — the "Universal Demise" combined with "World of Dao" and "the Chaos Vortex" — was the one that really belonged to him. He thoroughly remembered every change in his heart and the specific level in different situations, which was extremely important.
However, these were just two movements that he had formulated. There were still many bladesmanship, sword arts, and palm strokes that he hadn't combined, and the two sole movements were also divided into "coping methods" that he had merely developed on his own. There was still a long way to go before he had a thorough understanding of the essence of the new coping method and their linking stories without repetition.
When his movement reached the realm of coming in handy fluently and flawlessly, he could extract his own "Taoism" from it, which would act as the soul of the whole story.
Therefore, after pondering about it, Meng Qi planned to "waste" half a year to do this thing. After all, it would be used as an exchange for the Six Taoist. What a pity if he wasted this chance!
Jiang Zhiwei's eyes shone brightly. "Indeed! I should exchange for half a year as well!"
After she realized the World of Dao, movements such as Unmoved Tai Shang all had new paths and changes. It was true of Anatta Sword when she learned the Twenty-three Swords Skill, Six Kills on Twenty-three Swords Skill, and Cutting Tao And Seeking True-self as described by Meng Qi. The present stage was to extract the essences of other sword arts and combine and achieve mastery given the frame of World of Dao, trying to thoroughly remove the sword art of the Exterior realm.
Meng Qi smiled as his idea gained support. He continued speaking. "Aside from this, I plan to exchange for the Three knives corresponding to the Three Swords so that they would have their own correspondence when I organize the bladesmanship and sword art instead of forcing to combine the sword and knife. What's more, I plan to improve the quality of Heaven Inflicted Pain and make it a Top Grade weapon."
The three knives referred to Three Sabers, Three Swords, and Three Souls. The outline that Evil God Xuan Tian extracted from his own bladesmanship was ten out of countless knives could break the world, and just one attack could separate the air, achieving the effect from complex to simple and that was the essence of bladesmanship which had the significance of reference for Meng Qi.
After he finished speaking, Meng Qi had already thought it through. He chose to spend 8,800 Karma points for the Three Knives and 1,200 Karma points for six months. He also selected some materials and made the Dominator of Samsara in Six Realms promote Heaven Inflicted Pain, which was close to Mid Grade, to Top Grade, costing him a total of 1,200 Karma points.
"Heaven Inflicted Pain, Precious Weapon of the Top Grade, with a blade made out of Sky Thunder Gold and a handle carved out of Thunder Wood, and other precious materials... It is exceptionally heavy, weighing more than 700kg... It has definite control over various kinds of lighting and is extremely powerful. The weapon is worth 6,700 Karma points."
As for Flowing Fire, which had absorbed the blood of Wild Ox Monster, it was infinitely close to Exquisite at present. Meng Qi firmly believed that even without the aid of the Six Taoist, Flowing Fire could naturally get promotion after several challenges of fight and stimulation!
When he finished all these things, Meng Qi still had 1,190 Karma points left. He smiled at his friends and said, "Who needs to borrow some Karma points and exchange for training? Remember to pay back before the Death Task."
He didn't worry about problems such as his own protection devices or materials for the Immortality Elixir of East Pole. The inspiration of "World of Dao" the second time around was to collect Karma points. Meng Qi did not believe that if they had a choice the members of The Immortals could suppress their desire and only sense once!
They would be "scourged" if they didn't take advantage of such a precious opportunity!
In addition, Meng Qi found that he had other things that he could exchange for Karma points. He had forgotten about things like the skills of Shang River Fairy that he had kept in his mind, or the wages from Six Fan School that could buy exotic minerals and produce and elixirs.
Zhao Heng's eyes shone when he heard what Meng Qi had said, but then he said with a wry smile, "With enough materials, it didn't take too long for me to get a promotion to the Third-fold Heaven, but to successfully pass the first Celestial Ladder, one could barely count on hermetic training."
This was the first barrier for the Exterior. The key point was the perception of the rule existing in the world that needed challenges.
The reason why Ruan Yushu didn't choose to exchange for time previously was that she had given the exotic minerals and produce needed for training to the Six Taoist before this task in order to collect Karma points. Under the circumstances without enough materials, hermetic training lasting for five or six years wouldn't help her break through to the second-fold Heaven. Therefore, her first choice had focused on materials. Now that she knew that Meng Qi had some Karma points left, she slightly lowered her head and tried to keep calm as she said, "I need your Karma points."
With enough time and exotic minerals and produce, reaching the Third Heaven realm before the next task would not merely be a dream for her.
"I will give it to you later after the trade. We all need to stay here for hermetic training anyway." Meng Qi considered the affairs of the Immortals and decided to lend Ruan Yushu the points after having the conversation later.
If she promised to join the Immortals, she could gain not just skills but also selective exotic minerals and produce at a real bargain in the Immortal-tracking Alley. She could earn extra Karma points by completing member tasks. She could simply wait until she gets there to exchange training time and enter the Third Heaven realm!
Following Meng Qi's example, Jiang Zhiwei decided things she needed to exchange. She wandered in front of the thick light pillar and exchanged for six months in order to practice the sword arts that she had achieved during this period of time, including but not limited to World of Dao and Yuding's Immortal-stabbing Sword.
Then, she spent 2,200 Karma points to exchange for "Blade-curing Wine" in order to preserve the Sword of the Sun-Penetrating Rainbow when she encountered challenges after she finished hermetic training. She expected her own promotion through her sword.
After she exchanged for these two things, she said with a smile, " If nobody wants to borrow Karma points, I want to use them to exchange for a protection device. After all, other things won't work anyway."
Ruan Yushu had already borrowed Meng Qi's Karma points, and Qi Zhengyan shook his head, indicating that he had enough Karma points. Therefore Jiang Zhiwei selected for a while and exchanged for "Seamless Robes of Heaven", a Top Grade Precious Weapon worth 8,800 Karma points. When fully stimulated, it was equivalent to Meng Qi's current defense power and was both water- and fire-resistant.
"Senior Brother Qi, have you decided yet?" Meng Qi turned around and looked at Qi Zhengyan.
Qi Zhengyan said expressionlessly, "Promote the level of Golden Dragon Stripe Sword to Top Grade, exchange for a Dark Chaos Crystal to assist training, and exchange for a year."
"Book of the Chaos" needed a different specific amount of power in every stage, but exotic minerals and produce were necessary which was divided into a different stage. For example, Qi Zhengyan exchanged for Core of a Fallen Star when he cultivated Purple Star River, thus he already had preparation, using materials with chaotic power that won't consume too much.
Meng Qi saw Qi Zhengyan had his own opinion in this matter, so he didn't give any other suggestion. Instead, he said with a smile, "Strive for Third Heaven at the next task."
Qi Zhengyan slightly nodded his head and exchanged 2,400 Karma points for one year and 2,000 Karma points for the second Dark Chaos Crystal. Then he exchanged 4,600 Karma points for material Dragon Skeleton as well as its cultivation, in order to improve the level of his Golden Dragon Stripe Sword.
"The Golden Dragon Stripe Sword, being a Top Grade precious weapon, is a cold dragon sword. Its blade is particularly solemn and sharp, listed as Exquisite, which is difficult to break. Its edge is sharp enough to cut metals and stones. If one were to be hit by the sword, one's blood and heart would freeze. If used well, it could blow clouds and mists as well as change the climate and freeze rivers with its Sword Qi. It is worth 6,400 Karma points."
Once the exchanges were completed, three people, as well as Meng Qi, needed to have hermetic training. Zhao Heng left Samsara Square after bidding them farewell.
Meng Qi cleared his throat when he saw Zhao Heng leave. He began talking about The Immortals and explained all the incentives to them in the same detailed way he had used to persuade Jiang Zhiwei.
Ruan Yushu listened quietly, and she didn't hesitate to say, "No problem, I'm in."
With the Death Task looming, she found no reason to reject it. It was a way to improve herself without harming her family. Moreover, it was a recommendation from her trusted friends.
Meng Qi breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at Qi Zhengyan with a smile. "Senior Brother Qi, what about you?"
Qi Zhengyan blurted out. "I don't like being bound, so I'm going to pass."
He then turned around and walked into his room to begin his hermetic training, not giving Meng Qi a chance to persuade him.
"Senior Brother Qi seems a bit odd." Meng Qi frowned. "In order to improve his strength, he would rather exchange his sect skills to the Six Taoist. With the Death Task imminent, why would he refuse so firmly when there are so many benefits that come with joining the Immortals?"
"I hadn't even mentioned 'World of Dao' yet!"
Ruan Yushu suddenly said, "Qi Zhengyan was a bit surprised when you collected the core with the tiny emerald tree. It was the kind of surprise that things were beyond his expectation."
She was a very observant person.
"It also seemed like he wanted to touch the core in the tree." Jiang Zhiwei recalled the scene.
Meng Qi was still frowning. "Is there any possibility that Senior Brother Qi is hiding something?"
"Zhiwei, you need to bring Yushu to The Immortals when we leave Samsara. I will talk to Senior Brother Qi." Meng Qi continued.
"Okay." Jiang Zhiwei didn't say much.
Meng Qi set aside his thoughts and gave Ruan Yushu a detailed explanation about the Immortals.
After their discussion, Ruan Yushu chose the movement "Fairy of the Moon" as it contained some knowledge of melody. It would not be suspicious if she changed to Sonorous Skills at a crucial point. In addition, the movement could help her develop outstanding Lightness Skills and achieve her purpose—it was suitable for saving her life.
Once Ruan Yushu was finished with the Supreme-wisdom Tree, Meng Qi began his hermetic training and temporarily dropped his worries.


I care not of my past and neither of my future.
Conquering all heroes and foes while looking with disdain at the horrors of the Samsara, I yearn only for a life of thrilling wonders!
History will repeat itself after many ages as the menace of the Great Calamity rises once more.
Which will rise with triumph in the face of adversity; the Golden Form of the Great Buddha or the invincible Heavenly Taoist Form?
Which will seize all glory amidst all struggles; The Buddha's Palms or the  Seven Strokes of Heaven's Interception?
From the sanctum of the Shaolin Temple, Meng Qi's adventures and struggles through the Samsara begin as we follow his climb to claim the title of "the Unrivaled and the Invincible One"!


Each chapter will be updated on Friday and Saturday

Destiny2 Exodus Exploration Gameplay - MYSTORY Nr12
Exotic Exodus Quest World Exploration Video

Hello World, Hello Viewers!
Destiny2 exodus update made me exploring the world.
The new exotic quest update changed some locations.
https://bit.ly/MYSTORY-PLAYLIST
https://bit.ly/MYSTORY-LABEL
#destiny2, #exodus, #pyramids
#seasonofthearrivals, #epic, #video, #dlc
#gameplay, #mmofps

_______________ Pyramids Are Approaching _______________
Exploring Some Exodus And Destiny

Hey the webnovel doesn't allow a summary above 4000 character so I can't probably give you here but I have written it through the first chapter- "A little teaser" of Exotic Love. 

Guys do check the teaser it's a sneak peak of the life of our ML and FL and their exotic journey... 

Author's Note:
the cover is created by me using canva.com

The world changed overnight. Everyone woke up with a "class" at "level 1", monsters flooded the earth, and new exotic materials are found where they are strongest.  (r/writingprompts)

Mauled to death at an exotic cat zoo, Xerxes must now get acclimated to living as a magical beast in another world. He starts off with many gifts, and just as many problems.

Recalling the past few years of sailing, we have grown from ignorant and fearless novice sailors to ocean crossing cruisers by enduring the trip past the infamous Cape Horn, which is in wild Chilean Patagonia. We were not only facing the unfamiliar oceans, but also exotic countries and foreign languages.
At the time we started our journey, we left the land behind, as well as everything related to our past lives. We quit our jobs, and sold our house and cars. The only thing that we took with us was the concern of our family and friends.
Our home was a port called Durban, a busy city located on the east coast of South Africa. At the beginning of December 2017, we cut off our mooring lines and sailed down the Wild Coast, around Cape Agulhas into the Atlantic Ocean, and then further up to Namibia. Afterwards, we crossed the South Atlantic Ocean to Brazil, sailed down to Uruguay, Argentina, even to the Falkland Islands, one of the most remote islands in the world, which is located at 51 degrees south latitude. After experiencing some wildlife there during Christmas and New Year, we returned to the South American mainland and arrived in Ushuaia, the end of the world, in Argentina. After resting and restocking, we crossed the Beagle Channel to Puerto Williams in Chile, and then we went through the furious 50s and eventually came to the Pacific Ocean.
In the last two years, like all adventure stories, danger came to us several times, a life-threatening car accident in the Namib desert; a giant freighter passing us at full speed just one step away; then engine failures and autopilot failures in the darkest night. In Brazil, we got besieged by thunderstorms; in those exotic bays, our boat ran aground twice. In Chile, a southern storm tore our foresails; and last, but not the least of danger, at latitude right before the roaring forties in the Pacific Ocean, seawater entered our engine, we had to be towed to the safety of Valdivia. There were countless heart-racing moments and they were all terrifying.
However, reviewing the dangers of the past, we still yearn for the ocean, which is full of charm and magic. She is gentle and refined, like a beautiful fair lady; and she is brutal, like a terrible witch. When she is happy, she generously provides us with all kinds of food; and when she is mean, she lets big fishes bite off all our bait. She is peaceful in force, which makes us calm; yet she is also powerful and emphatic in peace, which leaves us in awe of her.
She is forgiving and bears all our filth; she also bears grudges and any small mistakes we make, she let us suffer the consequences.
She is fair, she is accommodating, she is free and easy, and she is infinitely beautiful. She is also a good friend, who will never give up on you. When you face difficulties, she will always comfort and give you hope. Therefore, how is she not fascinating!
This is probably the attachment of all seafarers to the ocean, just like the attachment of the ocean to the seafarers.

The story of Ithaca cruising family! A family of four started their journey around the world on a sailboat. 

They planned everything, but not everything would go with their plan. The ocean can not be conquered, nature can not be conquered. Humans are only part of nature. Life-threatening moments and joys, dolphins and penguins, storms and rainbows, broken engines and sails...

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Destiny2 Exodus Exploration Gameplay - MYSTORY Nr12

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