Before Lin Zhiyue could even catch her breath, the light screen popped up again:
【The time-limited gacha pool "Mist-shrouded Verdure: Ascension" is now open! During the event, the drop rate for this set is increased by 50%. Completing the full set will unlock the set skill "Mist-shrouded Steps: Extreme" and award a bonus special effect accessory, the "Landscape Screen"! Event Countdown: 72:00:00】
“You motherf—” Lin Zhiyue almost spat out a curse. “I literally just pulled three pieces, and now you tell me there’s a rate up? Where was this earlier?”
The system replied in a deeply aggrieved tone, “The gacha pools rotate, Host! I promise to notify you in advance next time!”
Lin Zhiyue squeezed her eyes shut. She currently had four High-grade Gacha Tickets and one time-limited single-pull ticket in her hand. Combined with the six regular tickets she had left over, if she dumped them all in, maybe she could actually complete this damn eight-piece set?
Whatever, she would take the gamble.
Squatting in the alley, she faced the light screen and began to pull.
First High-grade Ticket: Flowing Fire and Scarlet Stars: Hairpin (Red). Effect: "Capable of withstanding a full-strength strike from a Soul Transformation Stage cultivator."
Second High-grade Ticket: Mist-shrouded Verdure: Collar (Green). Effect: "Allows the user to alter their voice timbre up to three times."
Third High-grade Ticket: Flowing Fire and Scarlet Stars: Silk Sash (Red). Effect: "Increases spiritual energy recovery speed by 10%."
Fourth High-grade Ticket: Mist-shrouded Verdure: Bracelet (Green). Effect: "Spatial storage (30 cubic meters)."
Lin Zhiyue looked at her inventory. With the pair of earrings finally matching, plus the collar, a bracelet, and the belt, she now had five pieces of the Mist-shrouded Verdure set. Only the headpiece, dress, and shoes were left.
She used the time-limited single-pull ticket.
A white light flashed.
【Congratulations on obtaining: "Mist-shrouded Verdure" Gilded Kingfisher-Feather Headpiece】
【Quality: Purple】
【Effect: Slightly increases spiritual sense sensitivity】
Six pieces.
Lin Zhiyue dumped all six of her remaining regular tickets into the pool. She got three duplicate minor items from the Flowing Fire and Scarlet Stars set, one gray-quality "Plain Cloth Shoes (Effect: Silent footsteps)," one green-quality "Green Bamboo Hairband (Effect: Increases hair flexibility)," and on the very last pull—
【Congratulations on obtaining: "Mist-shrouded Verdure: Blue Jade Shoes"】
【Effect: Slightly increases movement speed】
Seven pieces. Only the most crucial piece, the dress, was missing.
The countdown for the gacha banner was still ticking away, but she was completely out of tickets.
Lin Zhiyue stared at the "7/8" progress bar on the light screen, nearly grinding her teeth to dust. The set skill "Mist-shrouded Steps" was within arm's reach, with only the dress left to go.
“System,” her voice was terrifyingly calm, “when does the next quest refresh?”
The system answered tremulously, “To... tomorrow after sunrise...”
“Fine.” Lin Zhiyue stood up and brushed the dust off her skirt. “You better have a quest ready for me before sunrise tomorrow.”
By the time she walked out of the alley, the sky had already darkened. The night market of Qingxia Town had just opened, brightly lit and filled with the delicious aromas wafting from various spiritual food stalls. She touched her earring, pulled out a piece of dry flatbread she had bought back in the village, and nibbled on it as she walked along the street.
Suddenly, a cheerful female voice came from behind her: “Miss with the green earring up ahead, please wait a moment!”
Lin Zhiyue stopped chewing her flatbread and slowly turned around.
The young martial sister from the Piaoyin Sect stood three paces away, looking at her with a beaming smile while gently waving a Peach Blossom Fan in her hand.
“Don’t be nervous,” the young martial sister said, winking. “I just wanted to ask if you’re willing to sell that heirloom earring of yours?”
Lin Zhiyue swallowed her last bite of flatbread and expressionlessly wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
“Not for sale.”
The young martial sister's smile didn't fade. “What if I trade something for it? Look at this fan of mine. It's a mid-grade spiritual tool. The Peach Blossom Miasma it fans out can knock out any cultivator below the Nascent Soul Stage for the time it takes an incense stick to burn...”
“Not interested in a trade.”
“Then...”
“Fellow Daoist,” Lin Zhiyue interrupted her, her tone indifferent. “Like I said, it’s an heirloom.”
She turned and walked away at a measured pace, keeping her back perfectly straight. The young martial sister didn't chase after her, but Lin Zhiyue could feel her gaze burning into her back the entire time.
It wasn't until she turned down three more streets and completely shook off that gaze that she leaned against a wall, her legs so weak she almost collapsed to her knees.
“System,” she gasped, “if you don't refresh a quest before sunrise tomorrow, I'm uninstalling you.”
The system fell silent for three seconds.
【Emergency Quest Issued: Leave Qingxia Town before noon in seven days. You must not be followed by any cultivators along the way. Quest Reward: High-grade Gacha Ticket ×2.】
“That’s more like it.”
Lin Zhiyue touched her right ear—it was empty; only her left ear held the gilded green earring. Staring at the icon of the locked dress on the system screen, she suddenly let out a soft laugh.
An eight-piece set, huh? Mist-shrouded Steps, was it?
Just you wait.
Wrapping her dusty, coarse cloth coat tightly around herself, she walked through the dimly lit night market and headed out of town. Seven fashion items of various qualities lay stored inside her earring. The most valuable piece, that green earring, swayed gently with her steps, reflecting a hazy, rain-like green glow under the moonlight.
Behind her, the bustle of Qingxia Town gradually faded into the distance.
Ahead, the night was vast, and the mountain path wound endlessly.
Lin Zhiyue held her last regular gacha ticket in her hand, looked at it under the moonlight, and casually slipped it back into her earring.
She would worry about it tomorrow.
After all, she had only just arrived in this cultivation world.
Lin Zhiyue squatted in the alley for the entire night.
Just as the horizon began to pale, the system popped up the quest panel right on time. Without even raising her head, her fingers flew across the light screen, accepting three quests in one breath: "Collect thirty drops of morning dew," "Till half an acre of spiritual fields," and "Groom Granny Li's cat at the east end of town." By the time she finished the last task, the sun had just climbed over the rooftops, and the three regular gacha tickets rewarded by the quests were in her hands.
She rubbed her hands together and opened the gacha pool.
First ticket—Flowing Fire and Scarlet Stars: Girdle, a duplicate.
Second ticket—Gray-quality "Cotton Handkerchief." Effect: "Absorbs sweat."
Third ticket.
White light gathered and dispersed, and a green dress embroidered with silver threads drifted down from the screen, landing steadily in her arms.
【Congratulations on obtaining: "Mist-shrouded Verdure" Dress】
【Quality: Purple】
【Effect: Resists 60% of spiritual energy damage】
【Set Association: Mist-shrouded Verdure (8/8)】
【Set Skill: Mist-shrouded Steps (Unlocked)】
【Set Completion Reward: mid-grade spirit stones ×10,000, distributed to the system inventory】
Lin Zhiyue stared at the dress for a full five seconds, then clutched it tightly and turned to run toward the nearest clothing shop.
She picked out and rented a dilapidated little courtyard that no one paid attention to. The deposit wasn't expensive, the location was remote, and the courtyard walls were half-collapsed, but it had the advantage of being quiet. After closing the courtyard gate, she retrieved the other seven pieces of the Mist-shrouded Verdure set from her earring one by one, lining them up neatly on the stone table in the yard.
With all eight pieces placed together, their green light shimmered in harmony, looking like a pool of moonlight submerged at the bottom of water.
Lin Zhiyue took a deep breath and began to put them on.
As the collar fastened around her neck, a cool stream of spiritual energy surged up her spine, warming her limbs and bones as if they had been ironed with warm water.
The moment the belt was tightened, an intangible shield seemed to form around her waist and abdomen.
With the bracelet on and the earrings swaying gently in the sunlight, she finally placed the gilded kingfisher-feather headpiece squarely upon her hair.
The moment the entire set was on her body, she felt as if she were lifted by some invisible force, her feet rising an inch off the ground before gently settling back down. A green light flashed around her and vanished, retreating into the dark patterns of her clothes.
The system popped up a line of large text: 【Set Skill "Mist-shrouded Steps" activated! The host can trigger it at any time. The effect lasts for thirty breaths, with a cooldown of the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. During activation, movement speed is tripled!】
Lin Zhiyue gave it a try in the courtyard. With a mere thought, her entire body suddenly became light as a feather. Taking a single step forward, she nearly crashed into the courtyard wall—it was too fast, even faster than riding an electric scooter in her past life. She hastily held back her strength and managed to circle the yard twice, leaving a trail of afterimages behind. Finally, she steadied herself by holding onto the stone table, her chest rising and falling slightly, but she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips.
Only then did she remember to look at her own appearance.
The only thing in the yard was a water jar filled with rainwater, its surface reflecting a blurry face. She leaned closer and brushed aside the floating leaves on the water—
And froze.
Rate on N.U.
