Chapter 1715
Chapter 1715 - 1711: Lu Ping’an’s Play Style
1,171 words
•
6 min read
As he spoke, Lu Ping’an casually tossed a long-handled, curved spear to Zhu Xinran.
In the next instant, the woman’s face was filled with astonishment... Lu Ping’an nodded in confirmation—this girl was not only of the Rule System but also capable of analyzing "rules," a God’s Keystone above the seventh-tier.
"This is?! How can such a weapon exist? Aren’t Taboo items born from hatred and miracles?"
"For others, yes, the birth of a Taboo item is an irrepayable coincidence. But for us, not necessarily... Later, you can try dual specialization in craftsman and high-tier scholar, and attempt to fuse your Talent Abilities with your Professional Abilities."
Under the analysis of the rules, this weapon had an exceptionally eerie name.
[Multi-Headed Dragon Must Die! (Lower Gold Taboo Item)]
[Function 1: The Multi-Headed Dragon’s Final Lament (Lower Gold): When facing a Multi-Headed Dragon and attacked by this weapon, all the opponent’s senses will perceive the death wail of the Multi-Headed Dragon, causing a significant reduction in Spirit, Physical, and Pollution Resistance. This trait scales with the number of heads the dragon possesses, up to nine at most.]
[Function 2: The Multi-Headed Dragon’s Fragile Body (Lower Gold): When this weapon strikes the body of a Multi-Headed Dragon, it inflicts the "Fragility" curse, drastically reducing its regeneration and defensive capabilities. If the target is a Three-Headed Dragon, "Fragility (Lower Gold)" is upgraded to "Withering (Mid-Level Gold)." If the target is a Six-Headed Dragon, an additional "Cursed Fate (Lower Gold)" is applied. If the target is a Nine-Headed Dragon, an "Instant Death Curse (Mid-Level Gold)" is further applied.]
[Function 3: Multi-Headed Dragon Must Die...]
This Lower Gold weapon, in total, carried as many as six abilities specifically targeting Multi-Headed Dragons. Some of these abilities were even eighth-tier, yet the weapon was still categorized as a seventh-tier Taboo item.
The reason was quite simple—it had an extremely noticeable weakness.
[Curse Cost: Anything but the Multi-Headed Dragon Mustn’t Die (Mid-Level Gold Self-Curse): If this weapon attacks a creature other than a Multi-Headed Dragon, the weapon immediately shatters.]
This was a weapon specialized to a ludicrous degree, with a seemingly severe but in reality negligible flaw... Just as Zhu Xinran had said, this was a weapon naturally impossible to exist.
"In some sense, I might be the most suitable professor for you; our essences are quite similar...."
Lu Ping’an’s abilities in "enchantment," "trade bartering," and "investment" were all highly suited for restructuring Extraordinary Powers as units of trade. The girl’s aptitude for "exchange," as it appeared, also had potential in this area.
"... Talent Abilities can’t function effectively on their own. Only when combined with related production-based abilities can they achieve a synergy greater than the sum of their parts. You have a lot to catch up on."
The war had already begun. Even though that high-tier Nine-Headed Dragon had inexplicably dropped dead, under the command of the overlord, this settlement had not collapsed.
The Beast Taming Legion and War Army of humans clashed fiercely with the Fishman Legion. As the commander of his army, Lu Ping’an, however, conversed cheerfully with his new disciple, seemingly turning this life-and-death struggle into a teaching session.
As he spoke, Lu Ping’an threw over an additional gift package.
Items such as "Fishman Must Die," "Naga Skinner," "Sea Beast Deconstructer," "Ray Bomber," "Giant Slayer," and "Nemesis of Metal Creatures"... In terms of racial-specific targeted weapons, these items didn’t just make tier-leaping victories possible; with attribute suppression, they could outright instant kill opponents of lower tiers.
While these weapons weren’t as absurd as "Multi-Headed Dragon Must Die," one reason was that curses targeting dragon species and giant beasts were inherently numerous and powerful. Lu Ping’an’s materials for crafting curses were abundant and strong, so the final products naturally turned out exceptional.
The other reason was that Lu Ping’an had once obtained far too many "Sky Cloud Cluster Swords," from which he extracted top-tier "Nine-Headed Dragon Specializations." These refinements, added to the weapons, arguably made them more suited for slaying hydra-type creatures than the original Sky Cloud Cluster Sword.
On Zhu Xinran’s "panel," dozens of targeted weapons labeled as "must die" were displayed. Clearly, these were creations, not naturally formed Taboo items.
Zhu Xinran was utterly dumbfounded. Is this what top combat power looks like? It’s completely different from her understanding. In high-level battles, wasn’t one supposed to enter the fray personally and fight tooth and nail with the opponent?
Normally, wasn’t it about clashing head-on while relying on undying-nature, both sides incapable of killing the other, and retreating exhausted after slaughtering mortals en masse in the chaos? How could it start with instant kills? And the one dying is a Nine-Headed Dragon, renowned for its difficulty to kill!
"Understood?"
"Got it, money can win everything."
𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
The woman looked dazed, as if witnessing for the first time how a moneyed fighter could crush their opponent to death.
"Idiot, could you even buy these things? Could you align their curses precisely for maximum effect while minimizing side effects? The key is to prepare everything in advance of the battle—high-tier engagements often depend on how much preparation you’ve made against your opponent."
Clearly, with three years of painstaking resource accumulation, Lu Ping’an had prepared extensively.
When frontline wolf-soldiers carried shining silver claws clearly labeled with "Marine Creature Specialization" and the "Fishman Must Die" curse, Zhu Xinran was utterly stupefied.
"What is war? This is war."
"Since war is a comprehensive contest of population, power, logistics, resources, and national strength, we ought to prepare everything from the outset. Your ability is immensely versatile—you can obtain abilities that specifically counter your opponent. Don’t limit your exchanges to person-to-person; try person-to-item, and perhaps even person-to-fishman..."
"Forced exchange? Wouldn’t that just be robbery?"
"Heh, acquisitions during a financial crisis are faster than robbery. Are they not still trades? By the way, my ability is ’trade,’ while yours is ’exchange’..."
Fate’s favor had brought the perfect apprentice to the perfect master.
Lu Ping’an could see clearly that, although this disciple appeared to surpass the seventh-tier in aptitude, her actual combat power was even weaker than many sixth-tier fighters... Her Talent Abilities were undeveloped, and her foundational Professional Path was incomplete.
Not only were her number and level of Professions lacking, but her Professional Abilities were also insufficient—her tier seemed forcibly propped up.
While this sufficed for mere survival, if she sought higher combat effectiveness and advancement potential, intensive remedial education was essential.
Of course, Lu Ping’an at this moment wasn’t purely acting out of goodwill either.
"Her ’exchange’ ability should be capable of complementing the ’Country of Reason.’ If I am to reach greater heights, I’ll need such a ’Rule Holder’ to assist, or perhaps even... a Demigod."
Who could have predicted that during three years of apparent inaction, Lu Ping’an had, in fact, made the most progress.
— End of Chapter 1715 —