Chapter Seventeen: I'll Swap with You

In "Cangyuan Chronicles," if a player wished to acquire a Sumeru Ring, besides painstakingly collecting various rare materials and finding someone to craft it, Xu Yuan knew of another place where one could obtain a Sumeru Ring.

The method was quite simple.

In the early stages of the quest, players would pass through a map called Tianyuan Mountain.

Players only need to enter the deepest part of this map, where they would encounter a white-haired old man with three red question marks above his head in a bamboo forest.

He would offer players a quest, but to obtain the Sumeru Ring, players shouldn't speak to the old man. Instead, upon meeting, they should immediately whip out their weapons and attack him.

Fortune favors the bold.

As long as they killed the old man, there was a one hundred percent chance of obtaining a Sumeru Ring, and it would come with an additional heaven-and-earth marvel of a ring.

"......"

Flashes of past memories crossed Xu Yuan's mind, and with a slight smile, he shook his head, turning his gaze to the black-clad woman opposite him.

Although her master owned a Sumeru Ring, it was obvious that Ran Qingmo had not had much contact with one either. She stared at the ring and fiddled with it for a long time before she managed to extract a few items from it.

Three bottles of elixirs, two ancient-looking books, and a red brocade robe.

Besides these, there were about a dozen empty jade bottles and jade boxes.

After taking these items out, Ran Qingmo lifted her eyes to Xu Yuan and blinked:

"That's all."

"I know," Xu Yuan replied, nodding slightly and scanning the books and bottles laid out on the ground.

Compared to the game, this storage ring had a few more empty jade bottles and boxes, but the rest of the items were exactly the same.

One cultivation technique, one secret technique, one blood jade glass robe, and three bottles of elixirs with varying effects.

Nine Revival Pill, a sacred healing medicine.

Blood Spirit Fusion Pill, used for soul-comforting and body integration.

Calamity Falling Pill, an essential item for practicing the cultivation technique Blood Element Heart Calamity.

In the outside world, any one of these items was a first-class treasure.

Xu Yuan's gaze finally rested on the three bottles of elixirs.

Reality isn't a game; the names weren't labeled on items.

Xu Yuan now knew what the Third Grade elixirs were, but he couldn't distinguish them.

But no matter, he had a "grandpa" by his side to guide him.

Thinking this, Xu Yuan looked towards the woman beside him:

"Ms. Ran, I'm missing some memories about these elixirs. Would you mind helping me identify them?"

"....."

Ran Qingmo glanced at Xu Yuan with a slightly strange and dubious look.

She found Xu Yuan's selective amnesia odd, but couldn't pinpoint why.

After pondering for a moment without reaching any conclusion, Ran Qingmo nodded in agreement:

"Hmm... this bottle contains Nine Revival Pills, this one has Blood Spirit Fusion Pills, and this one... this one..."

As she reached the last bottle of elixir, Ran Qingmo's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She stared unwaveringly at the small bottle for a while, but ultimately she couldn't give an explanation:

"This bottle... I don't know."

"It's okay if you don't know," Xu Yuan said softly.

It was normal for Ran Qingmo not to know about the Calamity Falling Pill.

The Calamity Falling Pill was specifically tailored for those cultivating the Blood Element Heart Calamity Technique, which had lain dormant in this cave dwelling since its creation.

One could say that aside from Xu Yuan, who had once been a player, there was no second person in this world who knew of this technique's existence.

Approaching and picking up two of the bottles, Xu Yuan glanced at the remaining one, paused, and softly said to Ran Qingmo:

"Hmm... You keep the Nine Revival Pill for healing."

"...."

Ran Qingmo immediately looked up, her serene eyes flickering.

She knew the value of the Nine Revival Pill.

Lightly pursing her red lips, Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan and suddenly asked:

"Could I have a jade box?"

"Jade box?"

Xu Yuan glanced at the jade bottles and boxes, and casually said with a smile, "Just take it."

"Oh."

Ran Qingmo nodded, picked up a jade box, and opened it right in front of Xu Yuan, reaching into her bosom and rummaging around.

"...."

Recomposing his words, Xu Yuan softly asked:

"What... are you doing?"

Ran Qingmo didn't speak, silently pulling out the Snakeheart Lotus from her bosom and placing it in the jade box.

Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised to see this.

He remembered that before jumping off the cliff, he had kept the item in his own possession.

Most likely, during his unconsciousness, the Big Ice Lump had quietly taken back her spoils of battle.

Somewhat amused,

Ran Qingmo closed the box, straightened her collar, stood up, and handed the jade box to Xu Yuan, gently saying:

"I.. I'll trade this with you."

"....."

Looking into her earnest eyes, Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then smiled lightly without refusing: "Fine, I'll accept it. Put it in the Sumeru Ring for me."

"Oh." Ran Qingmo nodded, and with a single thought, the jade box disappeared from her hand.

As their conversation ended, the two of them ran out of things to say.

Ran Qingmo didn't feel awkward. After glancing at Xu Yuan, she took the Nine Revival Pill, which she had exchanged for herself, and went to sit in a corner of the cave dwelling to heal her wounds.

And Xu Yuan leisurely picked up the blood jade glass robe and two ancient books and sat on the jade bed inside the cave dwelling.

This was his cave dwelling. He slept on the bed while Ran Qingmo slept on the ground. It seemed quite fair.