Published: February 10, 2025
Inside the chest, there were three items: a metal plate, a key, and a scroll.
Ye Zhongming picked up the scroll first; it was indeed the Class Promotion Scroll he had hoped for.
Both the proficiency levels for "ten thousand layers seal blade slash" and "sky cutting" had reached their maximum, so he needed to consider promotion for himself.
However, what intrigued him more were the other two items. The metal plate was not flat; it had slightly raised edges, resembling a photo frame. After a moment's thought, Ye Zhongming took out the puzzle piece he had obtained from the space and placed it on the plate, speculating that this might be a template. Once he gathered six pieces of the puzzle, there would surely be some magical occurrence when they were combined on this plate.
Lastly, there was the key.
Ye Zhongming always had a special feeling about such items, as they usually had something to do with space. Now that a key appeared in this so-called lord's treasure chest, he naturally thought it would be related to the brightwater realm.
He picked up the key and began reading the information on it.
"Puppet's Token. Owning this token grants you the gifts of the puppet ruins."
"Puppet's gift: Puppet Soldier (can be cultivated)."
Seeing these two simple yet content-rich sentences, Ye Zhongming raised an eyebrow. He knew that this might be even better than the Class Promotion Scroll.
The so-called Puppet Soldier should be those statues inside the puppets. Ye Zhongming had previously been unaware of their purpose, but now it seemed they were meant to be soldiers. And this key was the means to control these soldiers.
They could be cultivated? Ye Zhongming felt this was somewhat similar to beast pool equipment, wasn't it?
Of course, beast pool equipment was a place capable of continuously cultivating mutated life forms, but the Puppet's Token clearly did not allow for that. The number of these puppets was fixed, and if they were damaged while in use, they would indeed be destroyed. Once all the puppets were gone, the key would lose its function.
In terms of value, it still couldn't compare to beast pool equipment.
Gao Yi and Zhao Xiangxue finished cleaning up the battlefield and handed all the obtained puppet statues over to Ye Zhongming. He did not take the rewards for himself, as they were of no use to him and could be distributed among the two.
"Only four pieces?" Ye Zhongming asked about the puzzle pieces, as there should be six in total. Gao Yi and Zhao Xiangxue had found four, and with Ye Zhongming's one, they were still missing one!
"It’s in the hands of those people!" Zhao Xiangxue said resentfully.
The three of them had just overlooked this issue.
Ye Zhongming shook his head, "Let's go, we need to leave. This place will close soon."
Since the three had broken through the Puppet Wonderland and reached a completion rate of 100%, their twelve-hour time limit was about to expire. They had no choice but to return the way they came and head back to the hall.
It was less lively than before, but since it was exactly the twelve-hour interval, the channels for other adventure sites opened up again, and many survivors emerged. Whether they had given up, sought help, or chosen to re-enter, these people started exchanging... no, trading information as soon as they came out.
For instance, they shared where they had just been, what adventures they encountered, what items they obtained, which factions had entered, and how many people... all this information was treated as valuable commodities to be sold.
Gao Yi and Zhao Xiangxue were both shocked by these people's impressive business acumen, having never seen such a scene before.
Some even approached them to inquire about where they had been, offering magic crystals in exchange for information.
But that person was destined to be disappointed.
Ye Zhongming, on the other hand, wandered around with great interest, occasionally spending some magic crystals to obtain the information he wanted.
This was the apocalypse that Ye Zhongming was familiar with—everyone striving to create benefits for themselves. In a place where fighting wasn’t possible, the means would be varied and peaceful, showcasing the intelligence of evolvers beyond just physical strength.