Chen Xuan habitually counted and stored the abilities. Previously, he had exchanged his Special Eating for Gildre's Riding Skill and Black Magic, bringing the total number of stored abilities to an impressive eight! Including the four he was actively using, he possessed a total of twelve abilities.
Although overall, the grade of reserved abilities was not very high, and their applicability was somewhat concerning, it was still far better than when he had only four tradable abilities at the start.
Additionally, after this transaction, his performance points accumulated to 12. He naturally wrote another application for promotion, though there was no telling how long it would take to get a response.
With October approaching in two days, he already started anticipating his salary.
Of course, Chen Xuan didn't forget to individually inspect the two newly acquired abilities.
There's no need to say much about Riding Skill. Once equipped, he suddenly had the courage to mount any wild horse, though unfortunately, it seemed to only be effective for horses, without any derivative functions for riding wolves, dragons, or great eagles.
Once it's removed, the related experience disappears entirely, leaving only the impression in his memory that "I was a riding master just a second ago," which was also a side effect of switching abilities.
Black Magic was rather sinister.
Its sole function was sacrificial, using the heart of the sacrificed to extend one's lifespan. No wonder Gildre pursued such an abstract act of capturing children for living sacrifices after Joan's death, perhaps intending to give Joan another breath of life.
But the problem was that it came with a slew of penalties, such as the gained lifespan being weakened by a hundredfold, and curses from the sacrificed souls and so on, which were purely disadvantageous. For instance, sacrificing a mouse, with an average lifespan of 3 years, would yield just over a hundred days of life, and simultaneously, a curse of mouse transformation would occur, turning one into a near half-human, half-mouse monster.
This wasn't something Chen Xuan made up; it was part of the experience inherent in the Black Magic ability that informed him. Evidently, Gildre knew this, which was why he had to choose peers, particularly children with inadequate self-governing abilities.
Now that he lost this ability, he likely wouldn't have the chance to research Black Magic again.
Considering its potential harm, Chen Xuan didn't plan to trade it with others.
However, what caught his slight attention was the store's trading app's evaluation of Black Magic.
——"Forbidden +1."
That was the only comment.
It didn't even criticize it as gray-grade trash?
The other White Abilities had not been spared sharp commentary.
"Sir."
A familiar voice rang out.
Chen Xuan quickly closed the inventory interface and then turned around as if nothing had happened, "You're here, huh? Have a seat, I'll pour you a cup of coffee."
He was taken aback for a moment.
Because Liu Shuyue was not wearing her usual loose and comfortable casual clothes, but rather a leather jacket on top, cloth pants and long boots below, all covered in dust, as if she had just finished a strenuous trek through the wilderness.
And she had the ability to keep herself clean using Technique at any time.
"What happened to you... Play in the mud?"
Liu Shuyue laughed and shook her head, "Sir, how long has it been since we last met?"
"Don't call me sir, it's kind of weird to hear. You can call me by my name or just call me shopkeeper."
"Then... Chen Xuan it is."
"Mm." Chen Xuan handed her a cup of milk-flavored coffee with satisfaction, "We just saw each other yesterday afternoon, and it's afternoon now too, so at most, it's been a day."
"For me, it has been twelve days." She replied as she took the cup.
"That long? Do you still have enough instant noodles? Wait... the disaster relief funds should have reached Zhangwei City by now."
Chen Xuan couldn't help but feel it was strange, as she had been coming daily to discuss the food distribution with him before.
"No. In fact, they never intended to provide disaster relief; all the fleeing people from Qing State were abandoned."
Liu Shuyue said slowly, as if it was just an ordinary matter.
But Chen Xuan was shocked!
"What did you say? No relief was given?"
He had expected embezzlement or inferior quality, but to not provide relief at all seemed outrageous, especially since this wasn't the governmental collapse of a dynasty.
"Let's not talk about that now. I've come to ask you to accompany me to see something today."
"This thing... is it related to the disaster victims?"
Liu Shuyue nodded, "Yes."
"Alright... let me close up shop first." After hanging up the closed sign, Chen Xuan followed Liu Shuyue through the back door of the VIP room on the second floor, into her world.
Upon crossing the threshold, he couldn't help but utter a soft wow.
Before him was a majestic and magnificent natural landscape.
Hundreds of stone pillars, like stalagmites, stood on the horizon, each luxuriant and green. Though they appeared as stalagmites, in reality, each base was several tens of kilometers wide, essentially small mountains with a unique shape. They contained everything a mountain should have; just from a distant view, he could see hollows, waterfalls, dense forests, and flying birds within.
Below the mountains were interconnected shallow lakes, exceptionally clear, reflecting the sky and clouds. There were many traces of animals along the shore, clearly indicating this as their paradise for drinking and foraging.
Chen Xuan couldn't help but think of a nature reserve.
And the two of them were standing on the top of a small hill, no more than ten kilometers from the "reserve" before them.
"Where are we now?"
Looking around, he found neither Zhangwei City nor even a small town, but he did spot a refugee camp at the foot of the hill, containing at least over twenty thousand people.
The only somewhat decent house in the area, within a hundred kilometers, was the thatched cottage behind them.
Evidently, Liu Shuyue had already led those disaster victims to evacuate from Zhangwei.
"The southernmost part of Qing State, bordering the Wanshan Wilderness."
"I see." Chen Xuan immediately understood. No wonder she hadn't come to find him these past days, "Staying in Zhangwei offered no hope, so they forged their own path to survival, which was a very wise choice."
"Really?" Liu Shuyue smiled slightly, though her eyes showed signs of exhaustion.
"I think it's great here, with water and mountains, abundant natural resources." Chen Xuan appraised, "Organizing teams for hunting in the early days, moving on to fishing and farming later, food shouldn't be a problem. The caves in the mountains can serve as natural housing; clearing them out should provide sufficient shelter for the refugees."
At most, they lacked tools for opening up the land.
But were tools an issue for him? Whether axes, hatchets, nets, or seeds, he could easily acquire them. Having seen Liu Shuyue do so much for the disaster victims, he naturally had to lend a helping hand.
"To tell the truth, the environment here is truly remarkable... It could sustain tens of thousands of settlers. Why doesn't the government of Qing State develop this area?"
"There's a Great Demon living here."
"I see... Say what?" Chen Xuan was momentarily stunned.
"Its name is Vortex, a Cyan Dragon," Liu Shuyue explained calmly, "Vortex is a hundred zhang long, adept in water and flight, with a Vajra Iron Bone, resistant to wounds by sword. It also relishes the taste of raw meat, humans included, and has likely consumed thousands by now. As long as this demon remains, the Wanshan Wilderness is an absolute forbidden zone."
She exhaled lightly, "Of course... the sect's records on the wilderness are vague, and no one knows if other Great Demons reside deep within the mountains, but at least near the Southern Territory of Qing State, Vortex is the most powerful demon. Moreover, there are nearly a hundred species of fierce demon beasts here, making it one of the areas where demon infestations are most frequent."
"In that case... Is it safe to bring the refugees here?"
Chen Xuan was puzzled.
"Ordinary people can't survive here. Not to mention a Great Demon that can summon the power of heaven and earth, even an inconspicuous Night Charm can kill over a dozen people in the blink of an eye." Liu Shuyue replied openly, without holding back, "To help these refugees survive, they can't remain ordinary people."
"For people to cross the threshold of Qi Sensing in cultivation, they need either talent or external help. Most of the time, sects only select those with talent because those relying solely on external help have limited potential and find it difficult to reach great heights. However, it is undeniable that even the lowest-level cultivator is far stronger than an ordinary person without Qi Sensing."
"According to sect scrolls, Dragon's Blood is an excellent option among external aids. Even those with no talent can transform thoroughly after drinking fresh dragon blood, defying fate. Moreover, every part of a dragon is valuable; its scales can be used for armor, its bones can be turned into weapons. Using this dragon's carcass as a foundation, they have a chance to survive in this desolate wilderness."
She looked at Chen Xuan, her gaze regaining its former brightness.
"Therefore, I must slay the demon."