I gazed into the distance, my eyes piercing through the clouds and landing on a place shrouded in mist and illusion. In that valley, there seemed to be the faint clashing sounds of blades, spears, swords, and halberds, as if a great battle was raging there, one that had not ceased even after many years.

　　"That is..." I said in surprise.

　　"An ancient battlefield."

　　David Dean said calmly, "The most mysterious place among the Outer Five Pavilions, guarded by a powerful sword cultivator. It is filled with slaughter and peril, but also brimming with opportunities for cultivation. In the future, if you can grow into a powerful practitioner of the laws of death, you may venture deep into the ancient battlefield to uncover its secrets."

　　"Oh..."

　　"Alright."

　　David Dean's figure slowly faded away with the wind, saying, "I have already shown you around the outer mountains. Now, cultivate on your own. If you run into trouble, come find me at Wind and Cloud Terrace."

　　"Yes, thank you, Master."

　　I nodded.

　　After David Dean drifted away with the wind, I immediately dashed toward the Treasure Pavilion halfway up the mountain. This time, I had earned so much contribution from my trip to the novice village, I needed to arm myself first. Otherwise, I looked far too embarrassing—nothing but a skeleton frame, with almost nothing else. With this level of strength, I might not be able to take first place in the next Wind and Cloud Terrace competition.

　　...

　　Treasure Pavilion.

　　The place was bustling with people. When I appeared in the Treasure Pavilion as a "little skeleton," I instantly drew everyone's attention.

　　"Wow, what is that? How does a death cultivator of that level even qualify to come to the Treasure Pavilion?"

　　"Tsk tsk, it even has a Wind and Cloud Terrace waist token. Why would Uncle-Master David Dean choose someone like that as a disciple?"

　　"Hasn't even reached the Body Refining stage, haha..."

　　I took a deep breath and straightened my chest—I couldn't let them look down on me. For a moment, an awkward "crack-crack" sound came from my chest, nearly sending my ribs flying. I forced myself to walk into the Treasure Pavilion, looking at this group of NPCs as if they were idiots. One day, I would beat them all! Then I walked up to the counter.

　　A servant with rotting eye sockets greeted me respectfully, "May I ask, what would you like to see?"

　　"I'll look for myself."

　　"Very well!"

　　Immediately, the Treasure Pavilion's sales list appeared before my eyes. I went straight to the assassin class section, and saw equipment, materials, and a few skill books. Let's take care of the skill books first!

　　[Stealth]: Requires 20 contribution points to redeem

　　[Strike]: Requires 20 contribution points to redeem

　　[Backstab]: Requires 20 contribution points to redeem

　　...

　　The three basic skills—all purchased!

　　In the next second, I lost 60 contribution points, and three green skill books appeared in my inventory. I learned them one after another, and three skill icons appeared in my skill list. At last, I finally had some skills to rely on!

　　Time to redeem some equipment.

　　Although I could only wear low-level gear for now, it would still boost my stats. And once I stepped onto Wind and Cloud Terrace, my stats would be multiplied by ten, so even a seemingly ordinary piece of equipment could make a decisive difference!

　　First, solve the weapon problem.

　　"Swish!"

　　When I selected assassin weapons, a list of daggers available in the Treasure Pavilion appeared before me—

　　[Blade of the Wilds] (White equipment): Attack 2–5, requires level 5, 15 contribution points to redeem

　　[Water Ripple Dagger] (Fine quality): Attack 8–15, Agility +8, requires level 7, 200 contribution points to redeem

　　[Lost Mind Dagger] (Rare): Attack 25–60, Agility +20, Stamina +18, requires level 25, 5000 contribution points to redeem

　　[Silver Moon Blade] (Epic): Attack 145–220, Agility +80, Stamina +78, Strength +75, requires level 50, 40000 contribution points to redeem

　　...

　　A total of four daggers: one white, one green fine quality, the Lost Mind Dagger is blue, and the most terrifying is the Silver Moon Blade—a purple dagger with explosive stats. If other players at this stage saw this weapon, they'd go crazy! Of course, I could only look at it. Forty thousand contribution points would require killing twenty thousand job-changing players—utterly impossible.

　　So, second best: Blade of the Wilds and Water Ripple Dagger—these two it is!

　　Gritting my teeth, I spent 215 contribution points, and in a flash, both daggers were in hand. Although I still looked like a little skeleton, I was starting to look the part, especially with the Water Ripple Dagger, which glowed with a dark green light—clearly top-tier newbie gear!

　　Next, let's check out the armor.

　　In the leather armor section, there were only three items, and none of them fit. The lowest requirement was a rare leather armor for level 17, which I couldn't wear at my current level.

　　"Is this all you have?" I asked.

　　The Treasure Pavilion servant gave an awkward smile. "Yes, lately there have been too few death cultivators going outside the city to hunt for treasures, so this is all we have. But don't worry, once the younger generation of powerhouses grows up, our Treasure Pavilion will have an endless supply of treasures."

　　"Well, I guess that's all for now."

　　I nodded and left the Treasure Pavilion.