Chapter 53: Master of Breaking the Game

Just like last time, after leaving the instance, Wu Chang was transported to a white room.

The television wall in front of the room played various scenes of his performance within the instance.

"Player number 4444444, successfully completed the instance 'Peaceful Years,' settlement beginning based on player performance in the instance."

"Player has completed Main Quest I: Go to Huaigu Village and attend the Year-End Festival."

"Player has completed Main Quest II: Protect Huaigu Village and complete the Year-End Ritual."

"Player discovered the secret of the Heishan Bandits and saw through the disguises of Huaigu Village and Chen Family Village."

"Player discovered the true form of the evil spirit, helped the evil spirit resolve its obsession, and completed its revenge."

"Player completed the hidden side quest: Find the source of the demonic aura in Huaigu Village."

"Player discovered the existence of the Demon-Transformation Evil Art and liberated the grievances of the players who had been turned into thrall ghosts in the Ghost-Wailing Forest."

"Player discovered and thwarted the conspiracy of Chiyuan."

"Instance completion rate: 100%!"

"Title 'Perfectionist' activated, instance completion rate +5%, final instance completion rate: 100%!"

"Instance rating: Perfect!"

"Experience and Decayed Silver Coin settlement bonus: 300%!"

"Player gained experience: 3600."

"Player gained Decayed Silver Coins: 6000."

"Player completed hidden side quest, gained reward: Soul-Cleansing Command Flag."

The instance settlement process was similar to the one at the Moonlight Sanitarium.

It is worth mentioning that his base instance completion rate was 100%, and after the 'Perfectionist' title activated, the completion rate remained 100%.

This indicated that 100% was merely the cap for the settlement, not his own limit.

Given his exploration of the plot, he had likely long since exceeded the standard for a perfect rating in 'Peaceful Years.'

After a brief pause, the settlement continued.

"Player instance rating reached S-rank; you may designate one item from the current instance world as a special drop reward. The selected item must be a prop for which you have already obtained usage rights. Please make your selection."

Wu Chang only glanced at the item list before making his choice.

"The C-rank prop 'Four-Directional Year-Fire Lamp' selected by the player will have its skills changed after leaving the instance plane. Do you wish to maintain this selection?"

"Confirm."

"Player obtained prop: Four-Directional Year-Fire Lamp."

"Year-Fire skill has changed."

"Prop skill: Year-Fire."

"Skill description: When the wick is lit, it can ignite the Year-Fire that guards the human realm. While the Year-Fire is burning, it can slow the user's life force depletion."

Although he had been prepared for the disappearance of the Four-Directional Year-Fire Lamp's death-immunity ability, seeing it happen was still quite regrettable.

However, on second thought, if the Four-Directional Year-Fire Lamp could still possess the ability to grant immunity to death after leaving the instance plane's special rules, its rank would be at least A (growable).

"Player instance rating reached Perfect-rank; you may select one rare prop from the current instance plane as a reward."

This time was different from the Moonlight Sanitarium; perhaps because the instance rank was one level lower, it didn't drop a class-transfer item. What appeared before him were three cultivation manuals.

"Thunder Method Fragment."

"Living-Artifact Refining Fragment."

"Demon-Transformation Fragment."

After a brief thought, he chose the "Thunder Method Fragment."

Although Living-Artifact refining was powerful, refining living people into artifacts was not his style.

While he did not shy away from killing, he had no interest in crafting artifacts from living people; such behavior was too sinister and would sooner or later invite divine retribution.

As for the Demon-Transformation Fragment, any player in the public area who had exchanged for an Orc bloodline would certainly choose this.

But possessing the 'Reflected Human Face,' he was destined to ascend directly to immortality in the future, making demon-transformation a lesser path.

Choosing the Thunder Method Fragment not only filled the gap in his lack of offensive means, but Thunder Methods also held a significant share in cultivation-themed planes, allowing him to smoothly transition into more powerful Thunder Methods in the future.

"Prop name: Thunder Method Fragment."

"Prop effect: Once the player's attributes reach Energy: 10, Inspiration: 20, and Will: 25, you can activate the prop and learn the Thunder Method Fragment."

Compared to the class-transfer requirements of the Secret Magic Knight Order, the threshold for the Thunder Method Fragment was much lower.

"Cultivation Method: Thunder Method Fragment."

"Cultivation Method Rank: F. The Thunder Method Fragment can have its rank increased by paying Decayed Silver Coins or absorbing Thunder-attribute spiritual items. This method can be upgraded up to B-rank."

"Upgrading the cultivation method to E-rank requires 1000 Decayed Silver Coins."

After the instance settlement, he had just leveled up twice. He added the 10 free attribute points to Energy, and after clicking to learn, he saw that the Thunder Method Fragment included four skills.

"Movement Technique: Lightning Shadow."

"Magic Control: Radiance Curse."

"Thunder Method: Palm Thunder."

"Thunder Method: Thousand Thunder Summoning (Inactive), activates after the cultivation method reaches C-rank."

The Decayed Silver Coins consumed for upgrading the cultivation method were not insignificant, but the benefit was that as the method improved, the four subordinate skills would improve simultaneously, which was within an acceptable range.

After the Perfect rating rewards, it was time for the highlight of this settlement.

"Player achieved a perfect clearance in an out-of-control instance (instance pollution value > 85) that is greater than or equal to the character's level, obtaining a random title chest."

"Player will only draw titles for which the prerequisites are met."

Looking at the title chest roulette in front of him, Wu Chang felt a sense of regret. If he could use props in the settlement space, he would take out the Goddess of Luck's Dice right now—wouldn't he get whatever he wanted? He closed his eyes and slammed his hand onto the draw button.

The wheel spun rapidly and slowly stopped after ten rotations.

A chest dropped in front of Wu Chang, and blinding light erupted from it.

Wow! A golden legend again!

He looked up and discovered that another colorful title had appeared above his head.

"Title: Master of Breaking the Game"

"Title acquisition requirement: Achieve a perfect breakthrough in all real instances encountered by the player."

"Title description: To cope with polluted instances, the Master of Breaking the Game has strengthened their adaptability and can draw energy from pollution to strengthen themselves."

"Title effect: When wearing this title, attributes other than Inspiration and Will in real instances will increase as the instance pollution level rises, with an increase magnitude of (Instance Pollution Value / 2)%."

"Note: Colorful titles can be stacked with other titles."

At the same time Wu Chang was settling the 'Peaceful Years' instance, a light gate appeared outside Huaigu Village.

A young man dressed as a scholar walked out. The scholar was high-spirited and elegant in posture; one could tell at a glance he was a young master from a wealthy family.

He shook his fan, took measured steps, and slowly walked into the valley.

After walking a few steps, he felt something was wrong. How could the villagers of Huaigu Village have become so cold after only a year apart, not even coming out to welcome their great benefactor?

He frowned as he arrived in the valley, looking at the corpses everywhere and the devastated Huaigu Village, and was instantly dumbfounded.

No, what is going on?

My Huaigu Village, the layout I worked so hard to set up for the Lord, who destroyed it?! Those god-forsaken Heishan Bandits, I told them so many times not to hold the Year-End Festival early—a bunch of idiots who don't understand human speech! He couldn't care about his image, lifted the hem of his long robe, and ran quickly toward Hollow Mountain.

A moment later, the roar of a groundhog echoed inside Hollow Mountain.

"Ah!"

"Where is my giant erosion core!"

The scholar walked out of Hollow Mountain with a livid face, gritting his teeth as he scanned the area. Confirming that the guy who committed all this had already left, he unwillingly accepted his fate and pinched a magic seal to summon something.

After pinching the magic seal three times in a row to no avail, the scholar completely broke down.

"You dog thief! Give me back my lantern!"

They had carefully selected an instance located in an overlapping area between several major factions and spent a fortune to cover up the instance's pollution value so that the major factions wouldn't discover it.

After working hard for a long time, they finally waited for the seeds to sprout and bear fruit.

Seeing that the fruit was about to ripen, only to have someone snatch it first—who the hell could endure this?!

Snatching the fruit was one thing, but they even pulled up his tree and stole his farming tools.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He took a golden toad tea pet out of his pocket, placed it in his palm, and tapped the toad's forehead with his index finger; the tea pet came to life.

The golden toad inhaled sharply, as if it wanted to suck the air in Huaigu Village dry; the inhalation lasted for half a minute before stopping.

It closed its mouth, its two bulging eyes spinning around non-stop. Once the eyes stopped spinning, it closed them and fell into a deep sleep, turning back into a tea pet.

The scholar put away the tea pet with a ferocious expression; he had already recorded the aura of the player who cleared the instance.

That dog thief, he had better not let him catch him in an instance, otherwise, he would definitely make the other party pay the price!

Their Serene Sect always repaid grievances, no matter who the other party was! Just wait!

(End of chapter)