Chapter 87

Xu Dong came to the Hand of the Withered, and as he entered, he happened to meet the young salesgirl from last time.

"Sir, it's you?" The salesgirl had sharp eyes and immediately spotted Xu Dong in the crowd. She walked up warmly and said with genuine flattery, "Sir, you're really amazing. Now the city is starting to spread your fame."

Really? Xu Dong hadn't expected things to get so out of hand, and he had underestimated the gossipy nature of the Blood Helmet City residents. He countered, "What do you know?"

The salesgirl said with a look of admiration, "They all say that when Dong was a one-star Awakened, no one could match him among the one-stars. When Dong was a two-star Awakened, no one could match him among the two-stars. They all say you are the strongest at your level!"

Strongest at his level?

When he heard such praise, Xu Dong was slightly dazed. Although he didn't outwardly admit such flattery, deep down, it was indeed true.

Strongest at his level?

A hint of coldness flashed in Xu Dong's heart. Someone was trying to flatter him to death! The person behind this was quite hidden and deep.

The salesgirl blushed and rubbed her hands, "Sir, this way. The boss upstairs said that as long as you come to our Hand of the Withered to shop, you can go directly to the second floor."

Then, the salesgirl led Xu Dong to the second floor.

The first floor of the Hand of the Withered mainly sold one-star and two-star external equipment, and it was bustling with people. However, the second floor sold high-quality one-star and two-star external equipment, as well as three-star and four-star external equipment and one-star to four-star internal equipment. The key was that it was quiet and the service was excellent.

Soon, a beautiful girl in a well-fitting outfit appeared before Xu Dong.

This girl had an oval face that made people feel very comfortable, with snow-white and smooth skin, large and bright eyes, and a cute and delicate nose. The most important thing was that she had a pair of legs that all women dreamed of!

The girl was kind and spoke softly, "If I'm not mistaken, the one you're wearing should be Yang Buqu's Bull's Anger Armor, right? Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

Xu Dong smiled slightly, "You have a good eye, young lady."

The girl smiled gently, not showing her teeth, with a refined air.

"It is made from the toughest part of the Bull's foot, which is only palm-sized. Although it belongs to the three-star level of external equipment, its defensive capabilities basically meet the needs of Awakened combat. Additionally, the Bull's Anger Armor has a right-angle protection ability that can save your life in critical moments, making it a high-quality piece."

Xu Dong became interested and asked, "Then, according to you, how should I choose my equipment?"

Regarding equipment, Xu Dong only knew that it was divided into external and internal equipment. Due to his inability to activate the blood armor, he wasn't very clear about the specifics. Hence, he asked.

The girl didn't hold back and explained to Xu Dong.

The fundamental difference between external and internal equipment lies in the fact that the former is based on life circuits, while the latter is based on divine fruit.

The ultimate purpose of external equipment is to engrave life circuits onto the blood armor; the ultimate purpose of internal equipment is to integrate into the blood armor, becoming a part of it.

In essence, both external and internal equipment exist to strengthen the blood armor.

Therefore, choosing equipment is actually about selecting the future derivative attributes of the blood armor. It's not about being the strongest or the highest level, but about finding the most suitable!

At this point, the girl took out a palm-sized device from her pocket, which looked like a small bronze mirror. "This is a device for testing strength, capable of checking the Awakened level. Do you mind?"

Xu Dong shook his head, "Go ahead."

Soon, the girl gathered the first-hand information and, after a moment's thought, suggested, "Since you are on the path of dealing damage, the best match would be equipment that provides speed and burst power."

"Among the external equipment that can provide both, the best we can offer at the Hand of the Withered is the Blue-Eyed Wind Wolf Leg Armor. Although the Blue-Eyed Wind Wolf is only a two-star Awakened beast, capturing or killing it is extremely difficult. Moreover, not all of the Blue-Eyed Wind Wolf's fur can be used as material; only the toughest part, about the size of a palm, from the surface of the lumbar vertebrae is selected."

The girl smiled, "This external equipment can activate two abilities: Wind Wolf Boots, which enhance burst movement speed; and Cyclone Kick, a burst attack method. Therefore, this external equipment ranks among the best in the three-star category."

Xu Dong's eyes lit up, "Indeed, it's a high-quality piece. What's the price?"

The girl had already anticipated this question, "Two thousand gold coins, no negotiation."

Xu Dong remembered that on the first floor of the Hand of the Withered, there was a set of external equipment made from the fur of a Red-Eyed Wind Wolf, priced at only a hundred gold coins. Of course, the two pieces of equipment were not comparable, but human thinking can easily fall into a rut. Just like Xu Dong at this moment, both being wolf fur, why was one priced at a hundred gold coins at most, while the other was two thousand gold coins? Isn't this robbery?!

On the surface, Xu Dong clapped his hands and smiled, "This price is indeed very fair, good value for money!"

At this point, he changed the subject, "What about internal equipment?"

The girl's eyes lit up, and she smiled like a flower, "Choosing internal equipment is almost without any set rules. Whether it is suitable or not is not determined by you or me, but by your blood armor."

Xu Dong frowned, thinking of a possibility, "Is it... resonance? Does the blood armor automatically choose suitable weapons?"

The girl snapped her fingers and smiled charmingly, "Exactly, resonance. The choice of internal equipment is often made by the user, piece by piece, feeling whether there is resonance and whether it can resonate. However, it's worth noting that many people spend their entire lives without finding internal equipment that can resonate. Therefore, my advice is to temporarily gather external equipment and wait for the blood armor to have enough time to engrave the life circuits."

This was a very novel concept. Xu Dong's eyes lit up, wanting to know more.

The girl, sensing Xu Dong's enthusiasm, worked even harder, "Currently, the best time to engrave life circuits is during the Awakened stage. Theoretically, you can gain a total of four comprehensive upgrades. Each promotion is a thorough integration of the blood armor, which has an excellent effect on the permanent engraving of life circuits."

Xu Dong was taken aback, "Doesn't that mean, once the life circuits are engraved, there is only one chance to choose external equipment?"

The girl chuckled, "How could that be? Life circuits are like a simple and basic drawing. After engraving, you can add various elements as needed. In principle, you can choose an infinite number of external equipment to engrave life circuits. However, it's worth noting that the more elements you add to the drawing, the fewer choices you have, and the greater the cost of giving up. Mastering each drawing is a must for every strong person."

The girl was a bit thirsty from talking, so she poured herself a glass of water, cleared her throat, and, confident in the transaction, clapped her hands. Soon, other staff members brought the Blue-Eyed Wind Wolf Leg Armor to Xu Dong.

The style of this external equipment suited Xu Dong very well. It was simple in appearance, with a bit of a rugged feel. He felt an unusual sense of familiarity, perhaps because his own blood armor was an ancient and rugged armor.

However...

Xu Dong smiled and pushed away the external equipment in front of him, took out a money bag from his pocket, and placed it on the table, "I have a hundred gold coins on me. Can you prepare a set of external equipment for me? I don't need the equipment to have abilities, just something that is tough and light. Thank you..."

The girl almost spat blood, her face showing barely concealed shock and anger. So you were just playing with me all along? She even wanted to grab the money bag and throw it in the other person's face. A hundred gold coins is a lot, right? Do you think I'll use gold coins to kill you?

In the end, Xu Dong got what he wanted and left with a set of ordinary but shiny equipment.

The girl was very angry and wanted to turn and leave.

Xu Dong called her back, "Do you buy the fur and tusks of one-star Hooked Tooth Wild Boars? What's the price?"

This time, the girl, who had learned her lesson, became very cold, "If they are in perfect condition with no flaws, the tusks are ten gold coins each, and the fur is twenty gold coins per piece."

Xu Dong gave an address.

The girl was confused, "I didn't understand, speak in plain language!"

A mischievous smile appeared on Xu Dong's face, and he said calmly, "I've placed sixteen tusks and eight pieces of fur at the address I just gave. You said the Hand of the Withered buys rare beast materials, so I think we can make this deal."

Hearing this, the girl, half-believing and half-doubting, sent someone to the address Xu Dong provided. They indeed retrieved sixteen tusks and eight pieces of fur. Even the old master who checked the materials praised the method of skinning, calling it the most flawless Hooked Tooth Wild Boar material he had ever seen.

In the end, Xu Dong earned 320 gold coins.

Thinking of something, the girl regained her enthusiasm, "If you hunt other rare beasts in the future, we can buy them at a price 5% higher. What do you think?"

Xu Dong's heart stirred, and he suddenly asked, "Does the Hand of the Withered sell Blood Enhancing Pills and Blood Strengthening Pills? If so, I want to buy some."

Soon, Xu Dong left. The girl turned and went to the third floor. The third floor was the headquarters of the Hand of the Withered, and non-invited guests were not allowed.

Ma Er stood by the window, his eyes fixed on Xu Dong, who was gradually walking away. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned slightly, and a bright smile appeared on his solemn face, "Qingfeng, what do you think of this young man named Dong?"

It turned out that the girl who had received Xu Dong was none other than Ma Er's most beloved granddaughter, Ma Qingfeng!

Ma Qingfeng sneered, "This person is quite a scoundrel. Unless all the men in Blood Helmet City are dead, it's impossible."

Ma Er's eyes twinkled with amusement, "Don't be so absolute. I think this young man has a strong character and great potential, making him a rare good candidate. Even you, who are so shrewd... didn't you agree to his request and traded him a Blood Strengthening Pill and two Blood Enhancing Pills?"

Ma Qingfeng's cheeks quickly flushed, "Grandpa, what are you talking about? Business is business, that's what you taught me."

Ma Er didn't continue on this topic and changed the subject, "Qingfeng, I feel that Blood Helmet City is not peaceful these days. Stay at home and practice more, don't run around. Strength is the foundation of everything."

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