Chapter 12: System Mall

Liu Bian strode into the Grand Hall, and what met his eyes was a middle‑aged beautiful woman, dignified and majestic, wearing a splendid long robe.

"Son, I pay my respects, Mother!" Liu Bian, upon seeing He Lian, felt a wave of affection, perhaps the kinship of blood thicker than water.

"Bian'er, my poor Bian'er, quickly let Mother see—are you alright? You scared Mother to death. The palace maids said Dong Zhuo intends to harm you today, sob… If the soldier hadn't just spoken, Mother would have thought Dong Zhuo that scoundrel would have killed you… sob…" He Lian, seeing Liu Bian, rushed forward, embraced him, examined him carefully, then wept with tears in her eyes.

"Mother, it's all over. I'm fine, really. Rest assured, Bian'er is safe. I've already slain Dong Zhuo and other traitors; soon I will eradicate Dong Zhuo's remnants, retake the Han Empire, and no one will dare bully us again." Liu Bian embraced He Lian, gently patting her back, and said with a warm smile.

"Wuwuwu… Had I known it would turn out like this, Mother would never have made you this emperor. Mother wants nothing else but your safety…" Looking at the son in her arms, He Lian felt joy in her heart, yet she could not hold back the tears on her face.

Liu Bian had no words to reply; he simply remained in He Lian's embrace, quietly listening to her pour out her longing.

After He Lian's mood settled, she again pulled Liu Bian aside to ask about the court assembly. Liu Bian patiently gave He Lian a general account of what transpired at the assembly, glossing over the dangers and mentioning that his martial skill came from a dream taught by an old immortal. He Lian believed him without doubt, exclaiming "May Heaven bless us, ancestors reveal their spirit!"

When Liu Bian emerged from the Empress Dowager's presence, night was almost falling. After sharing dinner with He Lian in Changqiu Palace, she finally sent him back.

After returning from Changqiu Palace, Liu Bian plunged straight into his own Sleeping Palace; he had not yet claimed the reward for System Quest One.

"System, retrieve the reward for me," Liu Bian said excitedly to the system from the Dragon Bed.

"Ding, congratulations, Host. System Reward retrieved successfully and stored in System Space. Congratulations, Host, on preliminarily mastering the Han Empire. Additional reward: ten thousand National Fortune Value. Please check, Host!!!"

Such an operation! Liu Bian couldn't wait to open System Space and start inspecting.

Item: National Seal

Grade: Hongmeng Grade

National Seal: a Qi Fortune Supreme Treasure for establishing a Yun Dynasty, capable of suppressing Hongmeng‑grade Imperial National Fortune, the optimal Qi Fortune Supreme Treasure for founding the supreme Yun Dynasty. Within the Host's sphere of influence, the Host may use it against enemies to suppress opponents one realm higher than the Host.

National Fortune Value: 1.1W (determined by the development of the Host's forces; the greater and stronger the combined strength of subordinate forces, the higher the National Fortune Value. It can also be earned by completing System Quests, Hidden Quests, etc.). It can be used to boost the Host and subordinates' power; National Fortune Value is the exclusive currency of the System Mall.

"I cannot use the National Seal yet," Liu Bian mused. "Otherwise, with the National Seal, even the Innate Realm Seven Heavens could be suppressed, and the unification of the Han Empire would accelerate. Only by establishing a Yun Dynasty can the system's role be fully realized, and the empire's strength will grow rapidly."

"System, open the System Mall." Liu Bian, having just obtained the system, had never opened the System Mall before. With the ten‑plus‑thousand National Fortune Value from the system reward, he decided to browse the mall for items that could strengthen his troops. He does not intend to use the National Fortune Value to boost his own power; his Postnatal Seventh Layer strength is already sufficient, and unification of the world is imminent. The primary task is to enhance the army; currently he only has one Lü Bu under his command, far insufficient for unifying the world, and it would be absurd to send an emperor to the front lines.

"Ding, assuming the Host opened the System Mall…"

System Mall:

Supreme Emperor Art, Hongmeng Grade. Price:

Emperor Sword, Hongmeng Grade, Price:

Emperor Armor, Hongmeng Grade, Price:

Hongmeng Swallow Heaven Classic, Hongmeng Grade, Price:

Hongmeng Refining Body Art, Hongmeng Grade, Price:

…

Chaos Dao Classic, Chaos Grade, Price:

Chaos Sword Canon, Chaos Grade, Price:

Chaos Pearl, Chaos Supreme Treasure, Price:

Heaven‑Opening Divine Axe, Chaos Supreme Treasure, Price:

Nine‑Turn Starry Art, Chaos Grade, Price:

…

"Good stuff, all good stuff! I didn't expect the system's initial binding to grant such excellent rewards; they're all top‑tier Hongmeng Supreme Treasures. System, please filter out what I can afford right now with my ten‑plus‑thousand National Fortune Value and show me those items. Are you being polite?" Liu Bian, seeing the mall's dazzling and varied treasures, thought that in the System Mall, anything you can't imagine, you can't buy; he drooled with envy, wishing he could buy everything, but upon seeing the exorbitant prices, his enthusiasm instantly faded, and he sighed regretfully.

"Acknowledged Host request, searching for items below ten thousand National Fortune Value for the Host…"

Vast Righteous Qi Art, Yellow Grade Upper‑quality (scales with Yun Dynasty level), Price: 5000;

Heaven and Earth Creation Martial Canon, Yellow Grade Upper‑quality (scales with Yun Dynasty level), Price: 5000;

Space Gate: Mystic Grade, Price: 5000 (after use, you may randomly select one of three low‑martial worlds to bind the Space Gate).

Flame Blade: Earth Grade Lower‑quality, Price:;

Ever‑Spring Technique: Earth Grade Lower‑quality, Price:;

…

A dazzling array of items appeared before Liu Bian; after browsing carefully, he found there were indeed many good things, but his National Fortune Value was insufficient.

"The Space Gate and weapon pills aren't needed yet, but the arts can be considered for purchase; we must quickly boost the officials' strength, otherwise the gap between them and me will only widen." In an instant, Liu Bian decided which items to buy.

"System, purchase 'Vast Righteous Qi Art' and 'Heaven and Earth Creation Martial Canon' for me."

"Ding, successfully purchased 'Vast Righteous Qi Art' and 'Heaven and Earth Creation Martial Canon' for the Host and stored them in System Space." Hearing the system's voice, Liu Bian immediately opened System Space and inspected it.

Vast Righteous Qi Art: Yellow Grade Upper‑quality (scales with Yun Dynasty level), gathers Heaven‑and‑Earth talent, cultivates the vast righteous Qi in the chest; scholars can lift their pens to pacify the world, mount a horse to steady the cosmos! It is the bane of all evil paths, demons, and monsters; both verbal and written attacks are ineffective against it. This is a supreme technique that directly reaches the pinnacle of Confucian‑Daoist synthesis. Currently Yellow Grade Upper‑quality, it can be cultivated to the Innate Realm; further upgrades require the Host to establish a Yun Dynasty and bind the technique to the Yun Dynasty's Qi, after which it scales with the Yun Dynasty level.

"System, may I cultivate this Vast Righteous Qi Art?" Liu Bian, intrigued by this Confucian‑Daoist technique, asked the system.

"Ding, the Supreme Emperor Art you are cultivating is a supreme‑level technique; once refined to the deepest depths, it can command all Heavens and myriad Dao, so there is no need to cultivate it further." Hearing the system's reply, Liu Bian was overjoyed; the Supreme Emperor Art, truly awesome.

Heaven and Earth Creation Martial Canon: Yellow Grade Upper‑quality (scales with Yun Dynasty level), transports one's own Qi and blood, explores the body's mysteries, can rapidly absorb Heaven‑and‑Earth Spiritual Energy for cultivation and body tempering; the cultivated True Qi yields unparalleled offense, internal power that self‑heals, healing effects, etc.; currently Yellow Grade Upper‑quality, it can be cultivated to the Innate Realm, and further upgrades require the Host to establish a Yun Dynasty and bind the technique to the Yun Dynasty's Qi, after which it scales with the Yun Dynasty level.