Chapter 177: Houtu Boots

Zhang Yuanqing, a Transcendent-tier Walker himself, perked up immediately. What did it mean that the Transcendent-tier prizes were unexpected?

He opened the post.

The content was remarkably concise, nothing more than a list of rewards for places one through ten.

【First place: Houtu Boots, C-rank merit.】

【Second place: Illusion Cloak, D-rank merit.】

【Third place: Adorable Hair Clip, D-rank merit.】

【Fourth place: 700,000 yuan cash, E-rank merit.】

From the fourth place onward, the prizes were all cash, the amount decreasing with each rank. The merit awarded, however, stayed the same E-rank merit throughout.

C-rank merit was the highest a regular Spirit Realm Walker could earn, and more importantly, it was the prerequisite for becoming a steward. In other words, whoever claimed first place in the Transcendent tier would essentially become a steward-in-waiting. All they'd need to do was clear a slaughter dungeon, advance to the Saint tier, and they could immediately assume the mantle of a steward wielding real authority.

"But if that were all, it wouldn't warrant the word 'unexpected,' Zhang Yuanqing reasoned, his mind racing. The real prize is the Houtu Boots.

He scrolled down through the comments, and sure enough, he found someone explaining the boots in detail.

⤷ Cephalosporin With Booze: These are the Houtu Boots. This item is seriously impressive. Its power reaches the Saint tier, which alone is enormously tempting for any Transcendent-tier Walker. But the truly powerful thing about the Houtu Boots isn't the item's stats. It has a special trait.

⤷ Call Me Queen: What trait? Is it amazing? How amazing are we talking?

Of course this woman is here, Zhang Yuanqing groaned inwardly as he spotted the familiar username.

She seemed to have nothing better to do all day than surf the internet, riding the waves in every corner of the forum. Back during the Yin Yang Town dungeon, she had shown captain-level abilities across the board, which was proof of genuine talent. If she channeled the energy she spent trawling the internet into actual cultivation, she could surely get much further.

Then again, Queen really did have an incredible figure. She was voluptuous and full, like a peach ripened past perfection.

Zhang Yuanqing caught himself and hurried back to the comments.

Cephalosporin's post had triggered a flood of responses from official Walkers. There were curious souls like Queen everywhere.

⤷ Betel Nut Plus Cigarettes: Oh? I'm seeing a couple's username out in the wild. Wait, no, a "bro" username. Anyway buddy, quit with the suspense and tell us what the deal is with these Houtu Boots.

⤷ South Edinburgh: What's the story on the Houtu Boots? Also, couple names are pretty common. I've got one too. @North Gotham

After what felt like an eternity of clamoring, Cephalosporin finally replied.

⤷ Cephalosporin With Booze: Alright, no more teasing. Here's the deal. The Houtu Boots are part of a set. Now, some of you might not be familiar with what an item set is. Currently the Alliance categorizes items into three types based on their properties: cost-type, rule-type, and a third category.

⤷ Cephalosporin With Booze: There's no official explanation about sets,but the concept is actually simple. Anyone who's played games knows that certain items, for whatever reason, can fuse with other items. These items then amplify each other, producing an effect where one plus one is greater than two. That's a set.

⤷ Cephalosporin With Booze: The Houtu Boots are an item of Saint-tier quality. Once the full set is assembled, the combined quality of the set might even rival the Sovereign tier. That's how precious the Houtu Boots are. The Alliance really went all out this time.

⤷ Call Me Queen: So that's how it works! This is the first time I've heard of the set concept. Wow, I want it so badly.

⤷ Passionate Jenny: Suddenly feeling fired up, but I'm only Level 2. This item and I were not meant to be. (crying emoji)

⤷ Long Road Ahead: A fully assembled Saint-quality might genuinely be able to compete with Sovereign tier items. That's insane. But Cephalosporin, how do you know all this?

⤷ Cephalosporin With Booze: This item used to belong to my superior. He apparently got it from an Earth Wraith exclusive dungeon. It was with him for years. At first, he tried everything to complete the set, asking around and running all over the place, but he never found the remaining pieces. Years passed, his level climbed, and eventually he traded the item along with some merit to the Alliance for higher-tier equipment.

⤷ Long Road Ahead: Well, that's discouraging. Sounds like completing a set is incredibly difficult.

⤷ Call Me Queen: The harder it is, the more terrifying the stats must be once it's complete. I've decided. I'm going for first place in this year's Transcendent tier.

You're going for what? With your level of strength, what are you competing with? Your 36D chest? Zhang Yuanqing thought silently to himself. The Houtu Boots. Part of a set...

His mind jumped instinctively to his own Yin Yang Spell Robe. If I remember correctly, there are three other pieces in the set that contain the spell robe: boots, belt, and crown. The robe has water and fire properties, so the other three should correspond to the metal, wood, and earth classes. Could the Houtu Boots be one of the pieces in the Yin Yang Spell Robe's set?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

If sets were common, then the odds of the Houtu Boots being specifically part of the Yin Yang Spell Robe's set would be slim, and Zhang Yuanqing wouldn't have jumped to that conclusion. But in reality, it seemed set items were extraordinarily rare. Even many of the highly-trained official Walkers had never heard of the concept.

He needed to ask someone. Zhang Yuanqing immediately opened his messaging app and fired off a text to Fu Qingyang.

Zhang Yuanqing: Centurion, could I take a look at the item description and stats for the Houtu Boots?

He trusted that Fu Qingyang could get his hands on the information. A dozen seconds later, the centurion replied.

Fu Qingyang: For Spirit Realm Walkers, items are a critical component of combat strength, so the Houtu Boots' stats are strictly classified. Even I don't have access to them. But if you just want a general idea of what it is, I can have someone pull up the Houtu Boots' basic information. But there will be nothing involving functions or costs.

That was enough. All he needed was to confirm whether they were part of the same set as the Yin Yang Spell Robe.

Zhang Yuyanqing: Thank you, Centurion.

Fu Qingyang worked with remarkable efficiency. Within a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing received his response.

【Name: Houtu Boots】

【Type: Footwear】

【Description: These boots were woven from the silkworms of the Sacred Mountain, light as feathers and impervious to blades. They were then buried within the Sacred Mountain for thirty-three years, absorbing dragon vein earth qi and refining the essence of all eight directions before their completion. Thus they were named the Houtu Boots.】

【Note 1: They are one piece of the Celestial Ritual Set. The remaining three pieces are: crown, robe, and belt. Legend holds that assembling all four pieces will unlock the secret of eternal life.】

There was no information on functions or costs, just the bare essentials. For anyone else, this information would have been meaningless, little more than a vague impression of what the boots were. But for Zhang Yuanqing, it was everything.

So they really are one of the four pieces of the Celestial Ritual Set.

He rolled over on his bed in sheer excitement. He never could have imagined that less than a month after obtaining the Yin Yang Spell Robe, he'd already stumble across another piece of the set.

For an ordinary Transcendent tier Walker, acquiring a full set is just a dream. But for me, this changes everything. I already have the Yin Yang Spell Robe. If I can get the Houtu Boots, that's half the set. And who knows, maybe combining these two pieces will already trigger some kind of set bonus.

He felt a fire light up inside his chest. As his level continued to climb, the items in his arsenal were becoming less and less effective. His main offensive equipment—the Thug's Gauntlets, the Burst Pistol, and the Bloodthirsty Blade—were all gradually falling behind. Even the Red Dancing Shoes, a rule-type item, felt weak against Saint-tier opponents. That gap would only widen after he advanced to the Saint tier himself.

It left him in an awkward predicament. He had plenty of items, but none that matched his level. The Celestial Ritual Set, however, was different. It already had Saint-tier power on its own, and completing the set might push it further, allowing it to rival Sovereign tier equipment. It was something that could grow with him, something he could use all the way to the Sovereign tier.

The difference between a Spirit Realm Walker with proper equipment and one without was staggering.

Ding!

Fu Qingyang sent him another message while his imagination ran wild.

Fi Qingyang: You're interested in this item?

Yuanshi Tianzun: Yes. I want it.

Fu Qingyang: It won't be easy. The Taiyi Sect is joining this year's Tournament. Work hard.

Oh right, Taiyi Sect was joining too. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly remembered the other pinned post: The Taiyi Sect had announced their participation in this year's Tournament.

He reopened the official forum and opened up the post.

【Just yesterday, Taiyi Sect's official forum released an announcement that they would be co-hosting the Tournament with the Five Elements Alliance this year. As everyone knows, the Nocturnal Specter is a pinnacle class whose average combat strength exceeds the other seven Lawful classes. One wonders whether the Five Elements Alliance's top contenders are feeling the pressure.】

【Of course, in recent years, the Alliance has produced exceptional talent. The Transcendent tier boasts the newly-risen prodigy Yuanshi Tianzun. At the Saint tier, there is Fu Qingyang, reputed to be unrivaled, along with other veteran powerhouses. This year's Tournament is sure to be spectacular.】

Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of private satisfaction at being called a "newly-risen prodigy" in the official post. Then he scrolled down to the comments, and his good mood evaporated.

⤷ Call Me Queen: Wait, Taiyi Sect is joining too? What's even the point anymore? The Houtu Boots and I were just not fated. Crying...

This Queen really was everywhere.

⤷ Long Road Ahead: His Excellency Tianzun won't cut it. Fu Qingyang, on the other hand, is worth looking forward to.

What do you mean I won't cut it? Zhang Yuanqing scoffed internally. This guy. Previously, during the Li Xianzong incident, he'd talked him down too. It had to be jealousy.

⤷ Call Me Queen: Yuanshi Tianzun still has a shot at the top three. You're just jealous, aren't you?

⤷ Long Road Ahead: It's not jealousy, Queen. I'm not a Tianzun hater. I'm just being objective. First, Yuanshi Tianzun is a newcomer. Yes, he leveled up fast, but that doesn't change the fact that he's new. Mental fortitude, combat experience, and hand-to-hand technique are all qualities that take time to build, and they're his weakest areas.

⤷ Long Road Ahead: Second, he's only just reached Level 3. If I recall correctly, he hit Level 3 during the Yin Yang Town dungeon. You mentioned that yourself, Queen. That means his experience bar is probably less than ten percent full. Meanwhile, the Taiyi Sect has no shortage of veteran Level 3 Walkers, some with experience bars above ninety percent full, and those veterans aren't lacking in powerful items either. Against seasoned fighters like that, His Excellency Tianzun has no real advantage.

⤷ Long Road Ahead: Finally, those veteran Taiyi Sect Level 3s all have spirit servants and Yin corpses. I don't know Yuanshi Tianzun's exact situation, but if he has spirit servants and Yin corpses, he can close the gap somewhat. If he doesn't, well...

⤷ Long Road Ahead: Yuanshi Tianzun's main issue is that his reputation is too loud. He's already become the poster child for the Transcendent-tier Walkers of the Five Elements Alliance's, which gives a lot of people the illusion that he's invincible. Li Xianzong targeted him specifically because of that fame.

⤷ Princess Consort: This guy above is something else. Claiming he's not jealous while putting Yuanshi Tianzun down with every other word. Fine, what you're saying has some merit, but Yuanshi Tianzun is no pushover, even for Level 3 veterans. His chances of winning the championship are slim, but I think a shot at top five or even top three is definitely possible.

⤷ Cephalosporin With Booze: I just hope the Houtu Boots don't get snatched up by someone from the Taiyi Sect. If I remember right, we've got quite a few strong Level 3 fighters in the Five Elements Alliance, they're just keeping a low profile. Does anyone want to put together a list?

⤷ Wang Tai: Already on it. The Scholars from each branch have set up a small group chat and we're compiling data on every Level 3 Walker in both the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect. We've developed a smart algorithm based on items, combat skills, past performance, and other factors. By tomorrow afternoon at the latest, we'll have a data-driven ranking ready.

So that's what you've been pulling all nighters at the office for, Zhang Yuanqing realized. After reading that comment, he decided not to scroll any further through the comments.

The user called Long Road Ahead had actually been quite objective. Zhang Yuanqing knew his own situation well enough. He was early on in his journey through Level 3, and his hand-to-hand combat skills were still at the beginner level. His raw strength was respectable, sure, but strip away his items, and it was nowhere near enough to dominate the Transcendent tier.

Take Li Xianzong, for example. Even at his current level, Zhang Yuanqing could only say he'd be able to hold his own without the Yin Yang Spell Robe. There was no guarantee of victory. The odds were fifty-fifty at best, and maybe even sixty-forty against him.

Grinding for experience is out of the question. My solo dungeon still hasn't been triggered, and it probably won't show up until late May, by which point the Tournament will already be over. The only thing that can shore up my combat strength right now is a Yin corpse. I hope Xiao Yuan keeps her word and hurries up with hunting down that Enchanting Demon.

While he was lost in thought, his eye caught another post.

【#Past Tournament Formats: Predicting This Year's Mode#】

Wait. The Tournament had different modes?

With his curiosity piqued, Zhang Yuanqing was about to tap into the post when his bedroom door was flung open with a bang.

He'd already heard the footsteps approaching, so the intrusion didn't startle him. He looked over with practiced calm. But when he saw the broom in Grandma's hand, his expression stiffened immediately. He set down his phone and instinctively straightened his back.

"G-Grandma?"

She leveled the broom handle against her grandson's neck like a blade and spoke with cold, merciless authority.

"I hear someone's being kept as a sugar baby," she accused him.

She paused for devastating effect, then said, "Of all the things you could learn from your uncle, you had to learn how to live off a woman?"

Zhang Yuanqing's first thought was that his cousin had sold him out. But on reflection, Chen Yuanjun was mature and steady. He would never stoop to betraying his younger cousin like that. Therefore, Zhang Yuanqing decided to test the waters carefully.

"Where... Where did you hear that?" he inquired.

Grandma let out a cold laugh. "Give it a few more hours and the whole neighborhood will know. Didn't you come home in some rich woman's sports car yesterday?"

So that's what it was.

"That doesn't mean I'm being kept!" Zhang Yuanqing protested.

Grandma fixed him with a sidelong glare. "You think the gossipmongers care about that? And honestly, with your personality, becoming a kept man wouldn't exactly shock anyone. I wouldn't even be surprised if you ended up as a live-in son-in-law."

She pressed the broom down harder against his throat and barked, "Talk! Are you or aren't you being kept?"

Grandma was a traditional woman to her core. She would never, under any circumstances, accept her grandson becoming some woman's boy toy. So Zhang Yuanqing trotted out the same explanation he'd used on his cousin, recounting it word for word.

Grandma listened, and the severity in her face softened slightly. She lifted the broom handle away from his neck.

"Is that the truth?" she demanded.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded frantically. "Yes! Absolutely!"

"That's more like it," his grandmother said, but then her tone shifted on a dime. "Invite her over for dinner. Then I'll believe you."

Zhang Yuanqing's jaw dropped. "What?"

Grandma smirked. "You expect me to just take your word for it? If I believed everything people told me, I'd never have wasted the decades I spent married to your grandfather."

Zhang Yuanqing had no idea how to respond to that.

"Then it's settled," his grandmother declared, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "You pick the day. Any time this week works."

With that, she marched out of the room, broom in hand, heading straight for the front door. She had neighbors to set straight. Her grandson was not being kept by some sugar mama. He just had a wealthy girlfriend. There was a difference.

Old Chen had been a police officer his entire life, and the family name still carried weight in the neighborhood. The Chen family's reputation would not be ruined by this little troublemaker. Even if—

Well. Even if the family's other disgrace and his reputation for living off women had already spread far and wide.