Mystery Descends: My Exchanges Are Not Equal Chapter 3: After revision - 3, Bargain Hunting! Another Surprise!

A dark ripple suddenly expanded within his pupils...

When Wang Teng’s eyes opened, the initial sight greeting him was the dense foliage of treetops.

A gentle breeze stirred, carrying with it a potent scent of blood.

Danger seemed to linger in this place!

He pushed himself up from the grass, his back resting against the sturdy trunk of a tree.

After a quick scan confirmed their solitude, Wang Teng let out a slow breath.

"Phew~ I wonder how far the world's storyline has advanced. First, let me check on everyone else's status."

Wang Teng spoke his thoughts aloud, and with a mere intention, the chat channel materialized before him.

While the Yan City chat channel remained dormant, the recently established 'Celestial Dragon Eight Books' channel buzzed with activity.

"Where is everyone? We agreed to form a team, why am I the only one here?"

"At least you’re safe by yourself. I woke up in the Beggar Gang's territory only to be captured by the West Xia First-class Hall. Can anyone possibly come to my rescue?"

"My condolences to the brother above. I've just completed a dungeon and am currently at Shaolin. I'll come to your aid after devising a strategy against the Sweeping Monk."

"I'm so envious! I'm stuck in an abandoned village surrounded by endless sand, I don't even know which way to go!"

"It appears everyone has been dispersed to various locations. We should focus on securing our positions first before planning our next move."

Wang Teng silently withdrew from the chat interface.

The Beggar Gang and the West Xia First-class Hall were embroiled in conflict, and the Shaolin Temple was at peace; this timing corresponded precisely to when Qiao Feng was falsely accused and removed from his leadership of the Beggar Gang.

In other words, the turmoil within the Central Plains Martial Arts world had just commenced!

Once Wang Teng ascertained that no immediate threats were nearby, he cautiously peered outwards to survey his surroundings.

Not far off, a corpse was impaled on a tree trunk; it was Su Qiang!

Su Qiang's body was riddled with stab wounds, his abdomen brutally slashed open, spilling his internal organs onto the ground in a gruesome display.

Wang Teng clenched his teeth, approaching the cadaver, and discovered three to four more corpses in tattered clothing beneath the tree, all devoid of life.

The pervasive smell of blood felt like a venomous serpent coiling into Wang Teng’s nostrils.

He couldn't help but double over and retch, this being his very first encounter with death.

He had to remain composed!

Suppressing his rising fear, Wang Teng began to examine the area.

Upon a comprehensive analysis, it became clear that within this forest, the West Xia First-class Hall had ambushed disciples of the Beggar Gang, and Su Qiang had coincidentally teleported in, leading to this tragic outcome...

Wang Teng observed Su Qiang's torn trousers and offered a silent, respectful bow.

"As a fellow resident of Yan City, I cannot bear to leave you exposed. I shall bury you."

Mustering his resolve against the overwhelming stench of blood, he placed a hand on Su Qiang's body.

This is far too heavy!

Wang Teng, whose five-dimensional attributes were already less than impressive, found the task of lifting a corpse impaled on a tree exceedingly difficult.

Buzz~

A white light emanated from his palm.

[Endless Extraction successful! Acquired C-level Talent—Powerful Mountain Pulling!]

What!?

Powerful Mountain Pulling!

Haha!

Wang Teng’s face lit up with elation.

Unexpectedly, a simple act of compassion had triggered the SSS-level Talent, Endless Extraction.

He had, in fact, extracted Su Qiang’s talent!

He swiftly checked his talent interface.

[Lifebound Talent: Unequal Exchange.]

[Affiliated Talents: Endless Extraction, Powerful Mountain Pulling.]

Indeed, he now possessed three talents.

His strength was rated at 8 points; activating the Powerful Mountain Pulling talent would double this to 16 points.

This significantly boosted his might!

"So this is the effect of Endless Extraction!"

With this newfound understanding, Wang Teng eagerly turned his attention to the remaining four corpses.

[Extraction successful! Acquired 2 points Physique!]

[Extraction successful! Acquired 3 points Power!]

[Extraction successful! Acquired 2 points Agility!]

[Extraction successful! Acquired 3 points Power!]

Marvellous!

He could extract directly from the five-dimensional attributes!

This meant Endless Extraction could directly enhance his overall combat capability!

His power attribute consequently rose to 14 points.

Coupled with the Powerful Mountain Pulling talent, his power doubled to an impressive 28 points.

With a mere thought, he felt a surge of tremendous strength coursing through him.

[Powerful Mountain Pulling talent, activation successful, duration: 30 minutes, cooldown: 1 hour.]

Wang Teng felt his muscles pulsating with vitality, and a single punch against a nearby tree sent its leaves rustling!

"Not bad. Although it's not an upgrade, an increase in the five dimensions is crucial for survival."

He savored the exhilarating changes in his physique, remarking softly to himself.

While others grappled with the perils of life and death, he had already set foot on the path of self-improvement!

"Thanks to all of you, I shall also see you buried."

With this thought, Wang Teng retrieved the longsword embedded in Su Qiang's corpse.

To his surprise, his palm once again emitted a faint white glow...

[Endless Extraction success! Impurity extracted, the Xia People’s Sword upgraded from white ordinary to green fine!]

Excellent! Truly excellent!

It turns out Endless Extraction could also extract impurities, thereby obtaining higher-tier items.

What a fantastic feeling it was to be rewarded like this!

[World Announcement: Player with the surname Wang was the first to activate the equipment system, earning 5 points Power!]

[Equipment is categorized by quality: white ordinary, green fine, blue rare, purple epic, red myth, orange legend, gold immortal, dark gold treasured, Emperor’s Weapon.]

This announcement caused a massive stir in the chat channel.

"Whoa! Someone already has equipped swords, that’s seriously impressive!"

"Yeah, I’m still stuck in the Western Xia people’s prison, boohoo!"

"Player with the surname Wang is truly amazing; senior, please take me as your disciple!"

Witnessing this, Wang Teng subtly exited the chat channel.

While he was delighted, this was not the opportune moment for him to reveal himself.

He needed to continue his mission!

His objective was to keep searching for more corpses!

Endless Extraction would undoubtedly shine brilliantly in this blood-soaked Jianghu!

...

"Bang!"

Having shed his Beggar Gang attire, Wang Teng hefted a stone weighing over a dozen pounds and placed it beneath a tree.

He then gazed out at the vast, endless forest, a sense of heroic resolve filling him.

The Western Xia soldiers had pursued him to this very spot; following their trail, he was certain to discover more fallen enemies.

With this thought, he scanned the ground, identifying the path marked by the most footprints...

Fortune truly favors the bold; how can one attain great opportunities without embracing risk?

Thus, Wang Teng carefully navigated through the dense forest, maintaining vigilance with every step.

This was the authentic Jianghu, a place where life could be extinguished in an instant.

Life is a singular gift, and he had to cherish it dearly.

Moreover, the route he was following was precisely the marching path of the West Xia First-class Hall.

A quarter of an hour later, he arrived at a low-lying area.

Even before he drew closer, the sounds of a fierce argument reached his ears.

"With my schemes, the Beggar Gang was shattered, and you seized the chance to slaughter them. Now, you should assist me in restoring my nation. Do you Western Xia people possess no shred of honor?"

"Hahaha, this land belongs to Western Xia! What right do you possess to dictate terms?"

"If that is your stance, then do not blame me for showing no mercy!"

"Hmph! Even if you are a peak expert, you cannot withstand our Western Xia’s Divine Arm Bow. Fire!"

Immediately afterward, a barrage of explosive sounds erupted, continuing for approximately half an hour before finally falling silent.

Wang Teng crouched low, utilizing the dense shrubs for concealment, and cautiously advanced towards the depression.

As he reached the vicinity, he observed the area in utter disarray. Footprints and discarded swords littered the ground, and broken trees bore testament to the sheer intensity of the preceding battle.

At the heart of the depression lay seven or eight figures, all clad in Western Xia military attire.

Upon seeing this, Wang Teng felt a surge of excitement.

If these had been Han casualties, he might have harbored some hesitation, but as they belonged to the Western Xia alien race, he felt no such moral reservations.

After confirming that none had survived, he moved stealthily towards the corpses and placed a hand on one of the Western Xia soldiers...

A flash of white light emanated!

An invigorating sensation coursed through Wang Teng’s entire body.

[Extraction success! Acquired 10 points Power!]

Ten points of Power!

This must surely be a significant figure from Western Xia to yield such a substantial amount of power!

His Power attribute had now reached 29 points! Surpassing the normal threshold for most individuals, his combat strength had experienced a dramatic surge!

And there were still more advantages to be gained.

With this conviction, Wang Teng once again placed his hand upon the other corpses...

Unbeknownst to him, just as he was manipulating a corpse, a hand suddenly shot out from the pile, gripping his shoulder firmly:

"A mere scavenger, daring to profit from the fallen!"