Continuing their walk around the bazaar, Seth made an important observation. Apparently, cursed objects were much more abundant than he had expected on the Cloud Continent. Maybe those guys HAD another cursed sword already prepared for a new challenge.
< Winding Dragon Brooch,
Rare
Durability: 1300/1500
1. + 10 Years worth of Inner Energy/+800 mana
2. Passive Skill: Tutelage of the Blade Emperor (Locked)
An old brooch holding a fragment of divine consciousness of the Blade Emperor from 5 centuries ago.
Those who are worthy may unlock his tutelage and begin their journey to immortality. >
There were actually quite a few of such items strewn across the bazaar, Old paintings, rings, jade slips or talismans. It was a shame that these fragments of divine consciousness did not count as souls, so the knowledge of their uniqueness had little use to Seth. Only a few of the items he found had souls he could extract.
He still bought them. Although players couldn't become cultivators, there was no reason that would stay true in the future. Since the system invaded the Voracious Cloud Continent, classes and skills that corresponded to the cultivation system were bound to appear at some point.
Buying these things was for the future of Minas Mar. Maybe their newcomers, or the children saved from the sects, would be able to take advantage of these opportunities as the system assimilated this new way of ascension.
One could become a legend or a god with the help of the system. Seth couldn't think of a reason the path of immortality wouldn't be added. If it didn't... he would definitely find another use for these items, like giving them to Master Mountain, or founding a branch here that took in cultivators.
"Oh! Oh! Look, I want to try that!" Fin suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a big stall up ahead. It had an small stage with a long table and a big kitchen in the back. There had been a bitingly spicy smell in the air for a while, and now the blacksmith realised this was the source.
Behind the stage, the big banner read: " Conquer the Demon Noodles and win a Nine-Sun Core Pill! 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones participation fee!" It was a challenge and a public demonstration of power. On the stage, along the table, st several cultivators, struggling to eat a less-than-appetising-looking bowl of noodles.
The noodles themselves were black and shiny like obsidian, swimming in an oily, crimson broth, like leeches in blood. The bowls exuded a yellowish fog, like volcanic sulphur. The people eating them didn't look okay either.
Their faces range from dark red to purple as they tried to force the noodles down. Seth and Mina winced, looking at Fin at the same time.
"You can try it, I don't have an iron stomach like you guys," Mina immediately opted out. Fin turned her expectant gaze at Seth. The blacksmith liked to eat, but usually only good food. he wasn't a masochist...
"Come on! Look, we even get a medicinal pill for cheap," the fairy glutton argued, seeing her husband hesitate. His eye twitched. Collecting medicine was one of their objectives, and 10 low-grade spirit stones were pretty cheap for a pill.
He threw an appraising glance at the noodle bowls on stage.
Rare
Noodles created using a secret recipe.
250 Fire Damage per Second for 60 seconds.
Status Effect: Internal Corrosion.
+ 5% Fire Resistance>
To his surprise, the dish actually raises resistance permanently. That was a rare effect. Still, it didn't look tasty, and it wouldn't do anything for Seth. As kin of fire he didn't he was already immune. Even if he could "But is the Nine-Sun Core Pill even good? I never heard of it," Seth argued back.
"You never heard of the Nine-Sun Core Pill?! It's a legendary pill created by the ancient Blue Phoenix Sect. Its powers are miraculous! The recipe is a well-hidden secret of the Vermilion Bird Academy, their descendant. Every year, they only sell 5 of these pills to the public," a bystander who overheard him explained without taking a single breath in between.
Seth was instantly suspicious. This guy had to be a shill. That monologue sounded way too practised. If the pill was that special, why would they offer it on a bazaar in this backwater town? This was 100% a scam.
"I see, thank you for the info..." the bard answered, just to get out of that dialogue.
"See, it's an amazing pill; we should definitely collect it. If we both succeed, maybe we get two!" Fin used the chance. She didn't care whether the man was a shill or a plant, or whether it all was a scam, as long as it was an excuse to bring Seth along on the stage.
She didn't even do it out of malice; she genuinely wanted to experience new flavours and share that with him. Knowing this, the bard ultimately gave in and followed his wife to the stall. Since they first saw the stall, two-three cultivator at the table had keeled over, fallen from their chairs, and had been removed from the stage.
"We have two new challengers!" the stall owner announced to the watching crowd. These guys not only sold terrible food to gullible idiots, but also collected donations from an audience watching said idiots destroy themselves. They were a step ahead of the sword guys.
"You should give yourself a fire resistance buff and keep "Alright1 I will keep it in mind," she said, excited as they stepped on the stage and sat at the table. Quickly, two bowls of demon noodles appeared before them. The sharp smell of the noodles up close hurt in his nose and itched in his throat.
While Seth's five senses felt offended by the dish, Fin was already rubbing her hands, looking forward to the new experience. With a sigh, the blacksmith surrendered to his fate and picked up the sticks, cultivators traditionally used to eat feet.
Resigned, he picked up the noodles, the oily, crimson broth sticking to them. Preparing for the worst, he stuck the black noodles in his mouth. The heat immediately travelled through his whole body.
The thick, doughy noodles were hot like coals, but they tasted just spicy. Surprised, Seth began munching on the chewy noodles that tasted a lot better than they looked or smelled. It was a moderately spicy, unknown flavour, but it wasn't bad. Mixed with their texture, they actually tasted quite good.
The oily broth mixed in gave it another note, raising appetite. Now, the blacksmith was slurping down the noodles, eating them like a normal meal. The expected debuff of internal corrosion also didn't come, either. Soon, the noodles were gone, and he went as far as to drink the crimson, oily broth, too.
Only after devouring the unexpectedly tasty noodles did he remember that his wife was sitting beside him. Looking at Fin, Seth grimaced. The glutton who was so excited about trying something new had collapsed on the table.
Her face was frozen in an expression of depression and disgust, looking hatefully at the bowl. Seth was a little confused. Technically, the fairy should have had a problem with the damage or the debuff. Could it be? Did she dislike the taste itself? Then...
"If you aren't going to finish that, can I have it?" he asked his wife candidly.
"How can you eat this disgusting slop so fervently? Take it..." she asked, her grumpy gaze now directed at him.
"Don't know. It tastes quite good to me. It grows on you, I would say," the blacksmith assumed and shrugged his shoulders. He grabbed her bowl and emptied it in his mouth. A comfortable heat was coursing through his body after filling his stomach with almost two bowls.
The stall owner looks at him in shock. He was even more shocked when he emptied the second bowl. The crowd below was also flabbergasted, having witnessed someone finishing the notorious demon noodles like a normal meal.