c2: The Treasure Exchange System
"The Barter System?"
Xiao Se was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized that this was similar to the kind of opportunity often described in transmigration stories, much like the protagonist systems he had seen in novels from his previous life.
Could it be that he, Xiao Se, was also someone favored by fate within this vast Dou Qi Continent?
[Ding, system loading complete. Bind?]
"Bind." Without hesitation, Xiao Se directly chose to bind, knowing that in a world where strength reigned supreme, any additional advantage was priceless.
[Ding, Barter System binding in progress...]
[Ding, Barter System binding complete.]
Hearing the system notification in his mind, Xiao Se, already familiar with such concepts, immediately asked in his thoughts, "System, what exactly are your functions?"
[Ding, this system is called the Barter System. As the name suggests, it allows equivalent exchanges. The system serves as an intermediary, enabling the host to trade items for treasures originating from the myriad worlds.]
[Ding, as this is the host's first binding, you are rewarded with five exchange opportunities. Do you wish to use them?]
"Exchange? In a world like this where even resources like Qi Gathering Powder are scarce within the clan, this ability is far too valuable. I'll wait until I'm somewhere safe."
Scanning the surrounding crowd and confirming that no one was paying attention to him, Xiao Se stood up and calmly made his way toward the back mountain of the Xiao family, his movements unremarkable.
The back mountain of the Xiao family.
Beneath a massive waterfall within the Xiao family's territory, there existed a hidden cave concealed behind cascading water, its entrance nearly impossible to detect without careful observation.
This was a location Xiao Se had accidentally discovered during his training, and it had clearly once belonged to another cultivator who had long since left.
The cave extended inward into a stone chamber, where a square stone platform stood at the center. Above it was a narrow opening that allowed sunlight to filter through, illuminating the otherwise dim interior.
Unfortunately, the cave had already been explored before Xiao Se arrived, leaving behind only a few low-grade medicinal pills that had long since lost their effectiveness, rendering them useless even to Dou Zhi Qi practitioners.
"System, let's use this branch for an exchange." Xiao Se glanced around the empty chamber, then removed the branch from his mouth and spoke inwardly with anticipation.
[Ding, item exchange in progress... Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon, the storage soul tool once used by Tang San.]
Feeling the branch in his hand vanish and be replaced by a delicate belt wrapped around his waist, Xiao Se's eyes widened in shock. "Holy crap..."
...Douluo Continent, Notting City.
Tang San and Xiao Wu had just exited the Spirit Hall after receiving their Soul Master subsidies and found a restaurant to improve their meals for the month.
"Little San, we finally don't have to eat those simple meals from the academy cafeteria anymore!" Xiao Wu excitedly ordered a large table of dishes, her mood extremely cheerful.
Tang San smiled faintly and said, "Xiao Wu, eat slowly. No one is going to take your food."
"I don't care, I'm going to enjoy myself today. Little San, after this, you have to come with me to buy new clothes," Xiao Wu said playfully, her eyes shining with excitement.
Tang San shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile forming on his lips as he began to eat.
Suddenly, Tang San's expression changed drastically. He clearly felt something unusual brush against his waist where his storage tool was kept.
Looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The people in the restaurant were ordinary civilians without soul power, making the situation even more unsettling.
"Little San, what's wrong?"
Xiao Wu asked, confused by his sudden reaction.
"Nothing. Xiao Wu, are you full? If you are, we should leave immediately."
Relying on his experience with the Tang Sect's hidden weapon techniques and perception, anyone capable of approaching him unnoticed was definitely not simple. Staying here any longer would be dangerous.
"Mmm, I'm full." Xiao Wu lifted her delicate chin slightly and smiled.
Tang San glanced at the table, the corner of his mouth twitching. He hadn't even started eating, yet the entire table of food had already been completely wiped clean.
"Alright then, I'll go pay the bill first." As he spoke, Tang San stood up and reached for his storage soul tool at his waist.
Wait... this feeling isn't right.
Looking down, his pupils shrank violently as he exclaimed, "Holy crap, I've been robbed! My 'Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon' has turned into a twig!"
Just then, the restaurant owner approached, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes as he sized them up, and asked with a faintly mocking smile, "Are you two planning to settle the bill?"
"Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon? Isn't that the storage tool given to Tang San by his teacher? Interesting."
Muttering to himself, Xiao Se began to carefully examine the contents within the newly obtained storage belt, his curiosity fully piqued.
There were over five hundred gold soul coins in total. Xiao Se compared them with the gold coins circulating within the Jia Ma Empire, and aside from the different engravings, their size, weight, and purity were nearly identical, making him considerably wealthier than before.
The Xuan Tian Treasure Record?
Perhaps Tang San believed that no one in the Douluo Continent could decipher the characters of another world, so he carried it without much concern, having already memorized its contents.
Unfortunately, Xiao Se found most of it impractical in the Dou Qi cultivation system; only the "Ghost Shadow Mystery" movement technique, the "Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon" technique, and the "Hundred Solutions to Hidden Weapons" had some limited utility at the early Dou Zhe stage.
After all, the cultivation system of the Dou Qi Continent focused on Dou Qi and Dou Techniques, far surpassing ordinary physical techniques in combat effectiveness.
Aside from that, Xiao Se also discovered two Zhuge Crossbows along with several hidden weapons, all seemingly crafted by Tang San himself, which could temporarily serve him against opponents at the Dou Zhe and even early Dou Shi levels.
After checking all twenty-four compartments of the storage belt, Xiao Se confirmed that there was nothing else particularly valuable. Without a storage ring, something typically possessed only by stronger cultivators like Dou Ling or above this item would suffice for now.
"System, open my personal panel," Xiao Se called out inwardly, his tone calm yet expectant.
[Ding, host's personal panel automatically opened...]
As the system notification echoed in his mind, a semi-transparent interface appeared before him, displaying clear and concise information.
[Host: Xiao Se
Gender: Male
Age: 11
Cultivation: Ninth Stage Dou Zhi Qi
Cultivation Technique: None
Dou Technique: "Stone-Shattering Palm" Yellow Rank Intermediate
Exchange Count: 4
]
"Hmm, what's this?" In the lower right corner of the interface, Xiao Se noticed an additional option resembling a help or manual function, similar to interfaces he had seen in his previous life.
With a thought, he selected it, and another screen immediately appeared before him.
[System Description: This system is a functional system and possesses no independent consciousness. Instructions for usage are as follows...]
After reading through the detailed description, Xiao Se gradually grasped the nature of the system.
This was a semi-complete system known as the Barter System.
Its core function: exchange. Acting as an intermediary, it allowed the host to trade items for objects originating from different worlds across countless realms.
From the extensive explanations and notes, Xiao Se summarized the key points in his mind:
1. There exists a probability of exchange failure; once a transaction fails, the item used for exchange will not be returned.
2. Exchanging items of similar type may increase the success probability.
3. Upon initial binding, five exchange opportunities are granted. Thereafter, one opportunity is refreshed every calendar month, and unused opportunities cannot be accumulated.
4. Each time the host breaks through a major cultivation rank, the system will automatically receive an upgrade patch.
5. Additional functions must be explored independently by the host.
...
"Four exchange opportunities remaining... I need to use them wisely. And once midnight passes, a new month begins." Xiao Se gently stroked his smooth chin, his eyes flickering with thought as he muttered to himself.
.....