Led by Xia Qiming, Chen Xu and his group arrived at a meeting room within the base.
Two people in combat uniforms were already seated inside, one of whom Chen Xu recognized: Jiang Xing, the Director of the Hanyuan Base whom he had met once before.
Xia Qiming signaled for everyone to sit down.
Chen Xu chose a seat near the door, as he hadn't finished his breakfast yet.
Before long, two more directors arrived.
One of them was also familiar to Chen Xu—Yue Yu from the Mohai Base.
As Yue Yu walked in, he patted Chen Xu on the shoulder and smiled. "Being young is good, you've got quite the appetite."
Chen Xu could only manage an awkward smile as he wolfed down the last bit of his meat bun.
Once Yue Yu and the others were seated, Xia Qiming began the meeting. "The main purpose of gathering you all today is to finalize the process for your first Advancement Ascension. Dragon Seeds are not chicks to be coddled in the rear. While Daxia prioritizes the allocation of resources to you, we also need you to take the initiative to increase your levels and conquer dungeons."
"The individuals beside me are the director representatives from the four major Dragon Seed bases. Due to special circumstances, I will be acting as the representative for the Zhongyuan District."
After speaking, he looked at Chen Xu. "Chen Xu, you are the top-ranked Dragon Seed of this year. You start. Which ascension item do you plan to choose?"
Everyone turned their heads in unison to look at Chen Xu, who was sitting by the door.
"The 【Pioneering Order】, I think." After some thought, Chen Xu decided to go with the legendary-tier ascension item.
"Are you sure? You really want to choose a legendary-tier one?" Yue Yu asked.
"Yes. With the rewards I got from the Green Calamity dungeon and some things I exchanged with Principal Wen Chu, my strength has improved. I feel like I can attempt the legendary-tier."
The other students present were shocked when they heard Yue Yu mention that the 【Pioneering Order】 was a legendary-tier ascension item.
When they heard Chen Xu's nonchalant reply, they couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
"Good! You have spirit. That is what a true son of Daxia should be like." Jiang Xing did not hold back his praise.
He took a parchment scroll from his storage bracelet and signaled for Chen Xu to come and take it.
Chen Xu stood up, walked over to Director Jiang Xing, and received the scroll with both hands.
The interface prompt confirmed that this scroll was indeed the Pioneering Order.
Furthermore, Chen Xu discovered that the text on it was actually written in Akhan script.
"Is this dungeon the Akhan Dynasty?"
"Oh? You even know about Akhan? Right, I heard from Old Xia that your mental strength is extraordinary. As long as you follow the path of the mind, learning about Akhan is inevitable."
Next, Jiang Xing took several pieces of equipment out of his storage bracelet.
【Necromancer's Staff (Heavenly Crafts made)】
【Item Grade: Transcendent】
【Equipment Type: Staff】
【Equipment Requirement: Necromancer】
【Equipment Properties: A staff crafted from a hand bone imbued with undead energy, forged and inscribed with runes by a master artisan. +1 to Necromancer summoning skills, curse skills, and bone skills.】
【Necromancer's Robe (Heavenly Crafts made)】
【Item Grade: Transcendent】
【Equipment Type: Armor】
【Equipment Requirement: Necromancer】
【Equipment Properties: A robe crafted by stitching together the hides of various undead creatures and inscribing them with runes. Enhances the power of Necromancer bone skills. Automatically casts level 10 Bone Armor upon taking damage.】
【Necromancer's Boots (Heavenly Crafts made)】
【Item Grade: Transcendent】
【Equipment Type: Boots】
【Equipment Requirement: Necromancer】
【Equipment Properties: Simple boot-making techniques fused with a large number of toenails from undead creatures. Slightly increases movement speed. Can siphon the life essence of nearby dead creatures to restore a small amount of vitality.】
【Necromancer's Crown (Heavenly Crafts made)】
【Item Grade: Transcendent】
【Equipment Type: Helmet】
【Equipment Requirement: Necromancer】
【Equipment Properties: Carved from the skull of a high-level undead creature and inscribed with multiple runes—a rare masterpiece. Doubles the range and duration of Necromancer curse skills and provides immunity to low-level dispel spells.】
【Set Properties (4/4):】
【1. +1 to all Necromancer skills.】
【2. Necrotic Flesh: Slightly reduces physical and magic damage received.】
【3. Curses will spread to other uncursed units.】
"The original Necromancer set is epic-tier, requiring a professional who has completed five Advancement Ascensions to wear it, or you would have to obtain it yourself through dungeon completion rewards to bypass the level limit. This is the Heavenly Crafts imitation version. Its attributes are much weaker, but the advantage is that it has no level requirement."
Jiang Xing then took out two more pieces of equipment.
【Necromancer's Soulbox (Heavenly Crafts made)】
【Item Grade: Transcendent】
【Equipment Type: Off-hand Focus】
【Equipment Requirement: Necromancer】
【Equipment Properties: Using ingenious forging techniques, the souls of multiple creatures specialized in mental strength are contained within a single soulbox, which is then inscribed with multiple runes. +1 to all Necromancer skills.】
【Level Requirement: Level 10】
【Necromancer's Belt (Heavenly Crafts made)】
【Item Grade: Transcendent】
【Equipment Type: Belt】
【Equipment Requirement: Necromancer】
【Equipment Properties: A belt made of multiple Jade Soulstones linked together. Pure high-quality materials, simple and effective. Greatly increases mental strength recovery speed. Solidifies a high-level Spirit Shield.】
【Level Requirement: Level 10】
【Set Properties (6/6):】
【1. +2 to all Necromancer skills.】
【2. Necrotic Flesh: Greatly reduces physical and magic damage received.】
【3. Curses will spread to other uncursed units. Whenever a cursed unit dies, it strengthens the curse effects on other nearby cursed units.】
【4. Skeleton mages can also cast curses.】
"These two pieces of equipment require level 10, which means you can only wear them after completing your first Advancement Ascension. Once you finish your advancement mission, you can immediately boost your strength. I'm also giving you the skill books for the skills a Necromancer can master at level 10: 【Summon Skeleton Mage】, 【Summon Skeleton Priest】, 【Summon Skeleton Archer】, 【Bone Prison】, and 【Corpse Explosion】."
Several skill books were brought out and placed on the table.
"These are the only free items. If you need anything else, you'll have to exchange your Dragon Seed points for them. Daxia isn't wealthy right now, and the implementation of the Dragon Seed Program still faces some resistance. This is already the best result we could fight for."
"I'm very satisfied. Thank you, Director Jiang." Chen Xu directly stored the items into his Necrotic Space. There was no reason to refuse free things. Besides, Chen Xu had just secretly checked the prices using Fuxi. The six-piece Necromancer set alone cost 100 Dragon Seed points.
Among the skill books, the most valuable one was 【Corpse Explosion】. This god-tier area-of-effect skill was known as the battlefield reaper and was always in high demand, costing a full 50 points.
After putting everything away, Chen Xu returned to his seat.
"Zhao Wuji, what about you?" Xia Qiming continued calling on people.
Zhao Wuji clenched his fists. "Teacher Xia, I choose the Five Spirits Martial Arts Hall Invitation Letter."
"Are you sure? Although the dungeons involved with the Five Spirits Martial Arts Hall are not life-threatening, the martial arts of the Five Spirits Martial Arts Hall are not that easy to learn."
"Teacher Xia, I'm sure. Compared to the Five Spirits Martial Arts Hall, the gap between other martial arts is too large. Since I am a Dragon Seed, I should challenge the best." Zhao Wuji looked at Xia Qiming with a determined gaze as he gave his answer.
"And you, Lin Chen?"
"Teacher Xia, I'm the same as Zhao Wuji. I also choose the Five Spirits Martial Arts Hall Invitation Letter." Lin Chen also looked at Xia Qiming with resolve.
"Very well. The path of martial arts is one of striving. We respect your choice. After the meeting, we will have Xiang Longwu write two invitation letters and give you some advice. The rest will be up to you."
"Thank you, Teacher Xia." Lin Chen and Zhao Wuji thanked him simultaneously.
"Shen Mengqi, how about you?"
Shen Mengqi was the only Cultivator in Daxia this year and was highly valued by the official authorities. Legends of immortals and martial artists also existed in the Daxia of this world, so there was an emotional preference for professionals in these two systems. At the same time, the combat power of martial artists was indeed outstanding, which led to a similar fondness for cultivators.
As for why it was a reflected fondness, it was because there was currently no spiritual energy required for cultivation in the Blue Star world. If a Cultivator wanted to improve, they either had to conquer dungeons or enter that special dungeon, the Immortal Island. Martial artists, on the other hand, could temper their bodies and comprehend intent in any world.
"Teacher Xia, I choose that 【Broken Bowl】."
"Actually, the 【Peach Blossom Token】 is also good. Peach Blossom Island is currently one of the sects on the Immortal Island that we have a good relationship with, and its disciples are mostly female. Although this 【Broken Bowl】 has been categorized as legendary-tier by the World Will, our understanding of the Immortal Island is too limited. Do you want to reconsider?"
"No, Teacher Xia. Although the 【Peach Blossom Token】 is a safe bet, from what I know, other professionals of the same age as Senior Qiu and Senior Wu are quite powerful. So, I want to try another path."
From Shen Mengqi's tone, one could tell she was a very competitive girl.
"Fine. The choice is in your hands, and we will give you our full support. However, regarding the 【Broken Bowl】, we don't know how to prepare items for you. How about we provide a list of items Daxia currently has regarding the Immortal Island, and you can choose for yourself based on your intuition after the meeting? Doesn't the Immortal Island often emphasize the word 'fate'?"
"Thank you, Teacher Xia."
...
One by one, the others selected their ascension items. One of them had the same target world as Chen Xu.
Zhou Zitong, whose profession was a Psychic, chose an epic-tier ascension item called the 【Blooming Branch】, a recommended token for the Blooming Stream within the Akhan Dynasty.
"Alright, since everyone has chosen their targets, we won't take up any more of your time. Finally, I wish you all a smooth Advancement Ascension."
...
After the meeting adjourned, according to the requirements, Daxia would arrange for specialists familiar with the corresponding dungeons to brief the Dragon Seeds on matters within the dungeons.
The contact person for the Akhan Dynasty dungeon was an old acquaintance of Chen Xu's, Zhang Jingping.
"Do you have a long-distance displacement skill?" Chen Xu looked at Zhou Zitong.
"I have Shift and Swap. It allows me to move in a specific direction within my line of sight."
"Then drop your resistance, and I'll take you there." As he spoke, Chen Xu extended a branch of mental strength and wrapped it around Zhou Zitong's soul.
Feeling Chen Xu's massive mental strength, Zhou Zitong felt that resisting was useless anyway. Even though he was the one specialized in mental strength as a Psychic, he was being crushed by a Necromancer. He could only say weakly, "Alright."
In the next instant, the two of them arrived at the bottom of the mental strength research institute building.
Just as Chen Xu was about to swipe his Soul-Inducing Token, Zhou Zitong beside him started retching.
"Urgh!"
"Are you okay?" Looking at Zhou Zitong, who was bent over with his hands on his knees, retching, Chen Xu was a bit unsure. Was there some precaution for transporting people that he didn't know about?
"No... urgh! I'm fine."
After taking a bottle of potion from his storage necklace and taking a sip, Zhou Zitong finally recovered.
"Let's go." Zhou Zitong also walked toward the scanning area. "Also, remember not to transport people directly over such a long distance in the future. Not many people can handle it."
Chen Xu shrugged. There was nothing he could do about it. In the past, only the skeleton soldiers and the two skeleton heroes, Bone Guard One and Bone Guard Two, had received this treatment. This was his first time carrying a person, and Chen Xu hadn't known the reaction would be so intense.
Outside Room 308 on the third floor.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Teacher Zhang, I'm back again!"
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