Chapter 1031: The Replica Return Token
Chapter 1031: The Replica Return Token
September 25, 2027
Bingzhou, Mystic Gate Training Ground
Upon seeing the Nine Dragon Belt, or more precisely, upon learning of the Bonding Requirement for the Nine Dragon Belt, Lu HaiKong couldn't help but associate it with his recent Fortune incident.
Sometimes, the power of association can be overwhelming. Initially, Lu HaiKong thought that the Fortune issue was rather ordinary, especially since he had previously experienced a period where his Fortune nearly overwhelmed him. Thus, he didn't think much of it when it happened again.
However, when Lu HaiKong began to connect this with his Class and recalled the circumstances of his last advancement to Marquis, and then considered his recent rapid expansion of power and influence, he couldn't help but feel that the System might be keeping a close eye on him, perhaps even feeling the need to curb his growth.
Lu HaiKong's suspicion wasn't entirely unfounded.
The System had always shown a certain favoritism towards exceptional individuals, generously bestowing various rewards without hesitation.
Whenever an external force that exceeded a certain threshold appeared and significantly impacted these exceptional individuals, the System would directly intervene to suppress it.
Take Zhang Jiao as an example, or the individual who recklessly displayed their power outside Bei Feng City.
In the case of the latter, the System not only suppressed them but also compensated Lu HaiKong with numerous valuable items.
This pattern of intervention, coupled with various system rewards, gave the impression that the System favored exceptional individuals, considering them its favored children.
However, it's not just favoritism that the System exhibits towards these individuals; there are also restrictions.
The Yellow Turban and Marquis's Rebellion against Dong Zhuo storylines can be seen as instances of the System imposing limitations on exceptional individuals. If not for the System forcibly teleporting Princess San away, the Marquis's Rebellion storyline would likely have taken a drastically different turn.
In addition to narrative constraints, the System also imposes certain limits on the expansion of exceptional individuals' power.
Among all the exceptional individuals, perhaps only Lu HaiKong has experienced this firsthand. During his transition to Marquis, Lu HaiKong distinctly felt that the System didn't want him to construct the Foreign Realm City.
Even the final wave of monsters attacking the Foreign Realm City seemed to exceed the System's tolerance, yet the System still allowed it to proceed generously.
This attack could be interpreted as either a test for Zhang Jiao or an indication that the System genuinely didn't want Lu HaiKong to establish the Foreign Realm City, or perhaps it was an attempt to prevent Lu HaiKong's power from expanding too rapidly.
Given this context, Lu HaiKong could also view the recent Fortune incident as a form of restriction imposed by the System.
Admittedly, this interpretation is a stretch, as the System has increased the difficulty of Lu HaiKong's tasks but also provided him with unimaginable benefits upon completion.
Regardless of how far-fetched this theory might be, it's merely Lu HaiKong's speculation. He believes it to be valid, requiring no further justification.
If this were indeed the case, a question arises: why would the System want to restrict his growth? To maintain balance? Or is it for the sake of the narrative?
If it's about balance, what kind of balance is at stake? Is it a balance among exceptional individuals or between different powers? These explanations seem somewhat off.
Could it be for the sake of the narrative, then? But wasn't it said that there would be no more storylines after the Marquis's Rebellion? Moreover, Lu HaiKong couldn't fathom what new storylines the System could introduce. Could it be that the System intends to give Cao Cao and the others an advantage, setting the stage for a three-way standoff between Cao, Sun, and Liu?
This scenario seems plausible, which would imply that Lu HaiKong is now standing against the narrative. Is he expected to confront the System head-on?
Lu HaiKong felt that this was unlikely, but even if it were true, he wasn't overly concerned.
Lu HaiKong was well aware of his own capabilities. If he so desired and wasn't constrained by Fortune, with his current strength, he could easily dominate the Northern Central Continent, regardless of whether he could control territories or not.
Even if the System were to favor Cao Cao, the Northern Overlord would still be Lu HaiKong.
With him in the picture, the System's plan for a three-way standoff would be impossible. The only way to change this would be for the System to eliminate Lu HaiKong.
However, this, too, seemed highly improbable. Up until now, Lu HaiKong had experienced the System's restrictions on exceptional individuals, but it never dealt a fatal blow, and there was always compensation.
In this case, it seems highly unlikely for the system to directly intervene and kill him. At most, it could create various difficulties for Lu HaiKong, similar to the challenges he faced during the construction of the Domain City.
Lu HaiKong was not afraid of these so-called difficulties. After all, the system would provide corresponding compensation for any challenges it imposed, and with his current foundation, he was confident in facing any trial.
However, these were merely Lu HaiKong's speculations, and he might need to gradually verify them in the future. For now, his priority should be to quickly obtain the Marquis Artifact.
The Nine Dragon Belt would have been a suitable choice, but unfortunately, Lu HaiKong's current class was only a Marquis, and he couldn't meet the bonding requirements.
Since he couldn't even bond with it, there was no point in considering turning it into a Marquis Artifact.
The two items from Dong Zhuo were out of the question, and the ones from Yuan Hong were even less suitable.
Lu HaiKong was quite satisfied with the two items sent by Dong Zhuo, even though neither could be made into a Marquis Artifact. Their value was still astonishing.
In comparison, the items sent by Yuan Hong were more cunning.
Yuan Hong, like Lu HaiKong, was a Foreign Lord, and he understood the benefits of artifacts. A top-tier artifact could even change one's fate.
Therefore, as long as Yuan Hong wasn't foolish, he wouldn't send a truly top-tier artifact to Lu HaiKong.
However, since he had been defeated by Lu HaiKong, he couldn't possibly offer a shoddy item either. After much deliberation, he finally sent Lu HaiKong the following artifact:
Replica Return Token (Mythical)
Artifact Category: Consumable/Dungeon Artifact
One six, one nine, one book, one bar, one look, no mistakes!
Artifact Description: After use, the user can enter a previously visited dungeon space.
Remaining Uses: 1/1
Yuan Hong had initially offered it casually, expecting Lu HaiKong to refuse. He was surprised when Lu HaiKong readily agreed, making him wonder if he had done something foolish.
This artifact might be very useful to others, but for Lu HaiKong, its effectiveness was rather ordinary. After all, Lu HaiKong already had two Domain Dungeons in his territory, and he didn't need this to revisit dungeons he had already cleared.
The reason Lu HaiKong agreed to trade with Yuan Hong was that he had visited a dungeon space that the system had now prohibited him from entering—the Enigmatic Dungeon guarded by the Mysterious Elder.
That dungeon was originally gambling-oriented, but with Lu HaiKong's Celestial Insight, it became a ready-made treasure trove.
He would enter it every month to collect two or three items, and the system, unable to bear it any longer, forcibly upgraded the dungeon, locking Lu HaiKong out.
When Lu HaiKong saw this token, he immediately thought of that dungeon space. And as he thought about it, he realized that his Celestial Insight had improved. Perhaps this time, he could achieve even greater gains.
With this in mind, Lu HaiKong readily agreed.
"Indeed, placing hope in treasure chests is unreliable. In the end, my hope lies in that Mysterious Cabin."
As he spoke, Lu HaiKong asked the people nearby to pack up the items, and then he took out the token he had received from Yuan Hong. It was clear that he intended to revisit the Mysterious Cabin and collect more treasures.
However, after taking out the token, Lu HaiKong hesitated before using it.
"It's been so long since I last visited. I can't go empty-handed!"
He called for Chen Ping and asked him to prepare delicious food, fine wine, and some books to pass the time.
At Lu HaiKong's command, within ten minutes, a whole cart of supplies was delivered.
Carrying these items, Lu HaiKong activated the Replica Return Token.
As Lu HaiKong used the token, a dense array of options appeared before him.
Phantom Secret Realm, Tranquil Secret Realm, Endless Labyrinth, Vengeful Dragon Valley, First Emperor's Tomb, and more...
Without hesitation, Lu HaiKong chose the Mysterious Cabin.
A flash of light later, Lu HaiKong and the cart of supplies vanished.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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