Chapter 89: Unfinished Battle (1)

Chapter 89: Unfinished Battle (1) Turning back time a little. As soon as Xu Tao dived into the virtual world and accessed the VR Pod’s main menu, he quickly navigated to the end of the list and tapped the blank icon for the Lost System’s "game." Of course, while it seemed like he was rushing, Xu Tao had actually completed all the necessary preparations beforehand. Through playing the Heavenly Martial Path game, he figured out how the system, games in general, and the login/logout process worked. From that, he understood that as soon as he returned to Alkryon, he would reappear right where he left—the snake pit——and that was practically a death sentence. With his current strength, returning to that snake pit was plain suicide. However, he couldn’t just magically power up, either. Thus, he was left with only one option: External items! For whatever reason—likely the Lost System’s feature—the SSR Storage Ring he had back in the "game" came with him into the real world. This became a key hint for Xu Tao on how to tackle the threat of the snakes. All he needed were items that his "weak" self could use to turn the tide of battle—and then place them inside his SSR Storage Ring! Of course, at first, he tried to put everything that seemed useful or convenient inside. But to his surprise, a warning message popped up immediately after: [Warning! At the current stage, you can only bring 1 real-world item to Alkryon. Are you sure with your selection?] Back then, he could only grumble. "...What a stingy system." Thus, he had no choice but to select the best item—something he could actually use in his current condition and that would provide long-term value. One item that could help him and everyone else live more comfortably in that desert-like environment. Soon, Xu Tao’s vision began to warp. The transition into Alkryon had started. "...!" If it were like the first time, he would’ve lost consciousness then and there before waking up in that world. But this time, surrendering to unconsciousness could mean death. "Formation, activate!" Right at the crucial moment, Xu Tao activated a formation he had set up. It wasn’t a physical one but rather a formation arranged inside his mental space—a technique to help him remain conscious and maintain his bearings throughout the transition. "UGH!" But staying awake wasn’t necessarily a good thing. His vision twisted, tumbled, and spiraled. His hearing flickered in and out—silent one moment, thunderously loud the next. His nose picked up all kinds of scents. Some were so sweet he wanted to inhale them forever, while others were so foul he felt like vomiting up his organs. His skin was assaulted by every sensation imaginable. One second, it was colder than the icy pits of hell; the next, it was hotter than the sun’s surface. At times, he even felt phantom bugs crawling over his skin, only to glance down and realize it was all an illusion. The entire transition, if experienced by a normal person, would’ve no doubt shattered their mind. But Xu Tao braved through it all, not missing a single detail. "...!" Soon, the familiar sensation of gravity returned. He could tell the transition was almost over and quickly sharpened his senses. But switching from his near-omnipotent self back to his weaker persona felt jarring. All his senses became a million times duller—like being shoved into a barrel full of concrete and dropped into the deepest part of the ocean. Still, there was no time to lament. He had mentally prepared himself for this. The next moment, as if falling through a crack in space, Xu Tao re-entered the dark cavern. Prepared beforehand, he immediately activated a Sense Technique, allowing him to see clearly even through pitch-black darkness. A single second was compressed, making him experience everything in slow motion. He saw the mass of snakes squirming below, their bodies glowing red in his vision—their names also marked red, showing their levels were still the same as when he left: in the 300s. In the next instant, windows began popping up. But Xu Tao didn’t panic. Having learned from his previous game, he accessed the settings and disabled various options, clearing his view in an instant. Only a quarter of a second had passed. The snakes hadn’t noticed him yet. Taking advantage of the delay, he scanned his surroundings. It was the same basin as before, with sand covering the top, shielding them from the blazing desert sun. The walls looked too thick to destroy in one go, ruling out his Earth Escape technique. And finally— —a naked little girl falling along beside him, unconscious. "...!" Xu Tao almost gasped aloud, internally cursing in panic. The little girl was a familiar face. Even though her sinister Qi had disappeared, that green hair was too distinctive to forget. ’Why is Henrietta’s head maid in here?!’ he thought, alarmed. Half a second passed. The snakes, those previously staring upward, now noticed the intruder’s presence. Xu Tao was running out of time! Any more delay would be fatal! "Tsk!" Though still confused about the maid’s presence, Xu Tao acted as planned. From his Storage Ring, he pulled out a single item—the one and only object he was allowed to bring from the real world. He held it in his right hand while pulling the unconscious girl into his left arm. "Dial one—Earth Wall! Activate!" Flipping the first rib of the item, a faint blue glow burst from the engraved formation as it activated. From the wall, an earthen platform grew, surging across the cavern to catch Xu Tao’s falling figure. "Dial two!" Without delay, he flipped the second rib. "Rain of the Phoenix Flames! Activate!" The next moment, droplets of blue fire began forming around him—then shot down into the pit like a meteor shower. As before, Xu Tao used the snakes’ heat-based vision against them, blinding and confusing them with intense bursts of fire! All of the flames hit their intended targets—yet... "...As expected, that’s not enough, huh?" His attack barely damaged the enemies. "Well, it’s still within expectations," he grinned. "And I’m just getting started!" With a flick of his wrist, he spread the item in his right hand wide—revealing its true form. A metallic fan of eighteen pale blue, razor-tipped ribs Draped over it was a thin yellow silk, woven from a Celestial Nymph’s robe and engraved with intricate formation scripts. A spirit weapon that radiated more elegance than menace: The Celestial Fan of 108 Formations!