Chapter 955: Receiving the Shadow Cloak
Chapter 955: Receiving the Shadow Cloak
Chen Chuan glanced at the box, which was about two feet in length and width, quite large. He asked, "Is this the trophy awarded by your organization?"
Stormark held it for a moment, feeling its considerable weight and almost dropping it due to its heaviness, causing him a slight embarrassment. At Chen Chuan's gesture, he quickly placed it on the table in front of them.
Adjusting his round-framed glasses, Stormark continued, "Accordingly to our tradition, we place a relic inside the trophy, and its grade won't be too high."
"Oh, these are donated by some ancient families. We don't participate in the inspection process. After receiving them, we directly put them into the trophies, so we are unaware of the function of each relic beforehand, leaving a surprise for the recipient. Of course, if you don't want it, you can return it to us, and we'll handle it."
The reason for his words was that relics weren't always useful, and sometimes they might even bring trouble, although such minor inconveniences were insignificant to a fighter. Still, it was always an unpleasant experience.
But there was no other way; this was the rule of their magazine, personally set by the boss. He believed that only such an award ceremony had a soul and was truly interesting.
Chen Chuan smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for the award. I accept it, and if there are any issues, I'll handle them myself. There's no need to trouble you further."
Stormark happily replied, "That's great!" He quickly added, "I mean, congratulations on your award!"
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Thank you."
Stormark and his partner exchanged glances, both relieved. If they weren't at Chen Chuan's place, they would have jumped up and high-fived each other.
After Chen Chuan accepted the award, their task was finally completed. Who knows how much hardship they had endured during their trip to Jinbei Province.
This was their first time traveling abroad, and they had initially planned to do some sightseeing in Daxun, but they didn't expect to arrive right when the investigation team was stationed in Central City, Jinbei Province. This led to heightened security everywhere, and foreigners like them faced numerous restrictions on their movements, requiring various permits for every step, making it nearly impossible to get around. They had to wait until the public conference ended before they could move freely.
Their travel funds from the magazine were almost wasted, and they would have to pay out of their pockets if they stayed any longer.
They suddenly remembered one more thing—they needed Chen Chuan to sign a waiver, stating that regardless of what relic he received, he would not hold the magazine responsible. Additionally, he authorized the magazine to publicly announce that he was the recipient of this award.
Chen Chuan had no objections and signed the waiver and authorization letter. Then, he invited them for afternoon tea and asked about Wings Magazine. He learned that the magazine was founded by a retired hundred-year-old fighter.
A hundred years old was considered a high age for ordinary people, but for fighters, as long as they didn't undergo devolution, their condition was almost indistinguishable from their younger days. However, to reach a hundred years without devolution and have once fought at the world's forefront was truly remarkable, and it was likely that he had made exceptional contributions to retire.
Stormark said that if Chen Chuan had the time, the magazine would welcome his visit. Every fighter who received an award and accepted it became an honorary member of the magazine, and they would erect a bust of them in the magazine's honor hall.
The magazine had been established for seven years, and there had been two refusals, so currently, they had four busts.
It seemed that they awarded one relic every year, but there were quite a few Grade 5 relics in various convergence zones around the world, often in the form of pure consumables that might not be useful to fighters. They could only be considered small trinkets, not particularly valuable. However, there was a chance of a Grade 4 relic, which was slightly better.
The uncertainty of the relic's grade and function indirectly heightened the anticipation of the awardees.
Chen Chuan expressed that if he had the time, he would visit the magazine to pay his respects to this senior. After a pleasant chat lasting over two hours, the two men stood up to bid farewell, mentioning that they would stay in the area for three more days, and Chen Chuan could contact them if needed.
After seeing the two men off, Chen Chuan took the box to the storage room and retrieved the trophy, which was sealed in a package.
Upon unwrapping it, he found a jade trophy with a "Dragon Tiger Resting" design on both sides as handles, crafted from the relatively precious Imperial Jade of the Eastern Continent.
According to the two men, the trophy was designed according to the style of each country, and its value was comparable.
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Although Imperial Jade wasn't the top-grade jade in the Eastern Continent, using such a large piece for carving made it quite valuable, not to mention the cloud patterns engraved on the trophy, exuding a full Eastern charm. It was clear that the other party had put in a lot of effort.
At this moment, he looked at the bottom of the trophy and saw the relic inside. He turned the trophy upside down, and as the item rolled around inside, he felt a weight in his hand. When he brought it to his eyes, he discovered a pitch-black stone sphere the size of an egg.
Its surface was smooth, but it felt solid in his hand, making him want to roll it around in his palm a few times. Aside from this, there didn't seem to be any other peculiarities.
(End of Chapter 955)
Most people might not understand the purpose of this, but for a fighter, it was not a difficult task, especially when it came to lower-level relics, which were even easier to identify.
As he mentally reached out to it, the stone sphere trembled slightly.
He raised an eyebrow. This thing... was interesting.
After some thought, he left with the stone sphere and went outside to the back of the villa, walking along a glass-structured corridor that led to a large platform overlooking the lake. There was a boat docked here for leisurely boating on the lake, and with August already here, the scenery was quite pleasant.
Upon reaching the platform, he called out, and with a chirp, Zhaoming, who was preening its feathers above the villa, swooped down and flew towards the lake at his command.
Chen Chuan tossed the stone sphere into the water, and instead of sinking to the bottom, it dissolved into a pool of ink-like liquid upon contact with the lake water, then quickly swam around like a living creature.
In a short while, it caught up with Zhaoming's reflection on the water's surface, infiltrated it, and merged seamlessly, mirroring Zhaoming's movements. It could even change its size based on Zhaoming's height.
Chen Chuan called out again, and Zhaoming flew back to his side, while the entity also came ashore at the same moment, taking on the same posture as Zhaoming.
Zhaoming tilted its head curiously, and the entity mimicked its movements, appearing like its shadow.
Of course, if this entity was only capable of this, it wouldn't be that fascinating. At most, it would be a fun novelty.
Chen Chuan signaled Zhaoming to stand still, then reached out and touched the shadow, pushing it towards Zhaoming. In an instant, the shadow enveloped Zhaoming, quickly merging into its body.
Zhaoming circled a few times in place, seemingly sensing something, and a shadow appeared beneath its feathers.
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. The relic Wings Magazine had sent him was either a fourth-level or fifth-level, and he couldn't be sure which. But this one was definitely a fourth-level relic.
When this entity covered something, it formed a protective membrane with high defensive capabilities, suitable for safeguarding a creature or person, but only if the target had mutated tissue for it to attach to. It had no effect on ordinary people.
He had no need for this himself, but it was perfect for Zhaoming, who lacked substantial protection beyond a simple defensive suit. This would greatly increase its chances of survival.
In any case, this reward was worth it.
"Chen Chuan let Zhaoming, who had obtained the new relic, play around while he returned to his room. He sat down and took out the jade card that 'Old Feng' had given him, then attached it to the World Token.
After a while, detailed information about the Secret Treasury appeared on the World Token's screen.
This location was in Daye Plain, Longyou Province, and it would take no more than four to five days to travel there by airship.
The existence of this Secret Treasury was not a secret; since ancient times, people had attempted to enter, but because the original ritual was still in place, successful entries were extremely rare.
The jade card informed him that there were fixed times to enter—specifically, March 17th and September 20th of certain years—and a specific entry point. The next opportunity to enter would be within the next five years; if missed, one would have to wait another five years.
Chen Chuan quickly decided to go next month, and he could also take the time to prepare by visiting the Convergence Zone hunting grounds.
He thought for a moment, then stood up and called his teacher, Cheng Zitong, to inform him that most matters in Central City were now on track. He asked when Cheng Zitong would arrive. Cheng Zitong replied that he would likely come before November and planned to spend the Lunar New Year in Central City.
With that, there would be no delay.
After a brief chat, Chen Chuan hung up the call, then tapped the World Token to access a historical platform to research the location.
In Daye Plain stood a 1,300-year-old ancient palace built by Emperor Ying of the ancient dynasty.
Emperor Ying's father, Emperor Gao, had reunified the Eastern Continent after nearly two centuries of division and warfare, and upon Emperor Ying's succession, he chose this ancestral land to build the palace.
According to historical records, Emperor Ying, out of brotherly love, had his two deceased brothers molded into golden statues and buried with imperial rites, along with a secret treasury, granting their descendants a legacy.
One of these secret treasuries was discovered over a hundred years ago near Luoying Mountain in Longyou Province. The last emperor, upon learning of this, ordered its excavation for the nation's use.
Another secret treasury, according to legend, was located beneath Daye Plain and belonged to Emperor Ying's younger brother, the renowned warrior General Yuwen Yuanqi in the history of the Eastern Continent.
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(End)
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