Level Up in Martial World

"I want all of these," she repeated.

"What will you give me in return?" Lu Zhen\'s eyes shone as a small smirk appeared in his face as he asked this.

Elv bit her lip with the corner of her teeth, her expression hesitant. In their contract, there was a clause that stated that two individuals bound by a blood contract couldn\'t steal from each other.

Since Lu Zhen had killed the red-haired mage, naturally, all the loot belonged to him. So, Elv needed Lu Zhen\'s permission to access these items. It wasn\'t worth it for Elv to break the contract just for that.

"I will give you all the potions you need to become a second-stage martial artist right now, and in return, you will give me the equipment," Elv proposed with an expressionless face. She had initially hoped to gain some leverage by providing resources to Lu Zhen and making him pay since nothing in this world was truly free.

Although the contract stated that she needed to support Lu Zhen until he became a first-stage martial artist, it didn\'t imply that this support was free.

Lu Zhen wore a satisfied expression upon hearing this. He already had a sense of what the old hag was up to, and upon reading the contract, he discovered the loopholes within it.

"Here, take it," Elv handed him a sack filled with vials. They appeared as if out of thin air in her hands as she handed it over to him.

"Is this it?" Lu Zhen curiously opened the bag, revealing a blood-red liquid inside the vials. His eyes turned golden as he inspected one of the vials with curiosity.

[Qi Condensing Elixir]

[Grade: Intact Item]

[Remark: A new elixir formula specifically tailored for martial artists to aid in condensing qi, making it more pure.]

Lu Zhen\'s eyes lit up as he read the status.

"Have you inspected it? Are you satisfied now?" Elv asked, her tone cold as she fixed her gaze on Lu Zhen with her white eyes.

"Yeah, you can take all of these away. Pleasure doing business with you," Lu Zhen replied, returning the vials to the sack.

As he glanced around the room with his golden-coloured eyes, Lu Zhen contemplated whether there were any other valuables besides the vials. Yet, despite his keen observations, Lu Zhen couldn\'t identify anything of value. Everything else had already been emptied out, either by himself or Elv, except for the books that lined the shelves.

"I will take all the books..."

"No, I will be taking those books," Lu Zhen asserted, cutting off Elv before she could continue.

Lu Zhen still didn\'t know much about mages and their weaknesses. Although he had become a mage himself, he could barely be considered a mage and could at most reach the first circle which was equivalent to martial trainee due to the method he used to establish his mana heart. Moreover, that method was considered impractical since mana had long been mutated into qi, rendering it useless.

So there was no possibility of Lu Zhen becoming a mage. However, knowledge is power, and books were an excellent way to gather more knowledge. Although it might not be useful for Lu Zhen, gaining all this knowledge could help him significantly in the future. The scariest thing was the unknown.

Elv frowned when she heard Lu Zhen. In fact, for mages, knowledge was a vital part of their strength since mages fought with their brains instead of brawn. The books here were definitely helpful for her. They might not help her solve her precarious situation where her lifespan was decreasing significantly, but they would still help her in other aspects.

After all, if these books were so useful, her "comrade" from the previous mage era would not have ended up in such a condition. Even a mere second-circle power level mage (third-stage martial artist) could easily defeat him. Although Lu Zhen might be unusual, in front of the realm gap, he was nothing more than a mere bug, easily crushed by a random fourth-circle mage (first-stage martial artist).

"How about we divide it by half then?" Elv said, her genuine frown revealing her displeasure.

"No can do," Lu Zhen replied firmly, unwilling to compromise since Elv hadn\'t brought something equivalent to the table.

Elv gritted her teeth inwardly upon hearing this but maintained a cold expression. She had already provided him with items prepared for third-stage martial artists, and she had no interest in crafting elixirs designed for second-stage martial artists. Such a process was not only time-consuming but also demanded a considerable amount of mana. She had no intention of expending her resources aimlessly.

Lu Zhen wore an amused expression as he stared right back at her without even a flinch, meeting Elv\'s icy stare.

He seems to have "adapted" to the nervous feeling he felt when Elv was around so he stared right back at her.

The passage of time seemed to stretch as the two of them engaged in this intense standoff, their eyes locked in a silent duel.

"Where am I?" Xiao Yu questioned as he stirred, waking up from the cold floor, clutching his head.His vision was hazy, and he could barely make out the silhouette of a large, imposing figure and that of a child nearby.

Interrupting their intense standoff, a voice suddenly broke the silence, and curiously, both Lu Zhen and Elv burst into laughter simultaneously.

"So, do we have a deal now, Miss Sorceress of Death?" Lu Zhen inquired with a charming smile.

"Alright, I will give you the books, but in one year, you must return them to me."

"And what do I get in return?"

"A bloodline cultivation technique," Elv stated plainly.

Lu Zhen\'s eyes lit up upon hearing this offer. He couldn\'t help but think, "So you mages did play a role in creating bloodline martial artists." Although he was curious to learn more, he resisted the urge to ask further questions.