Abundant Martial Arts Virtue

"Get lost!"

"Wait a minute, why are you so angry? Yes, I shouldn't have woken you up, but since I'm here, I have something to discuss with you."

"Spit it out already!"

"You look so dignified and attractive, you don't seem like an evil demon at all," Wu Xiaode joked.

"Nonsense! I'm not like those damned things!"

The giant monster made entirely of stone roared, straightening its body to appear more majestic.

Tsk.

Seems like there's hope?

But seriously, what exactly is this?

Why can it survive on the front lines while mysterious life forms and evil demons haven't taken it down?

In fact, I don't even know what the front lines are.

— What kind of world lies beyond the eight hundred ninety million kilometers of the bronze wall?

Wu Xiaode smiled and said:

"Actually, I am a traveling merchant, traversing different times and spaces, specifically here to meet your trading needs."

The stone monster snorted and muttered, "Trade? I don't have anything I want."

"Is there anything you want? I've traveled through many worlds and collected various treasures. Just tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you," Wu Xiaode said.

The stone monster glared at him with glowing eyes and roared:

"I don't trust you! Time is already dead; how can you travel through time—it's all lies to deceive me!"

There's hope.

This stone's been on the front lines, it must know a lot of intelligence.

From the beginning, I haven't felt any malice from it.

It doesn't seem to have that intimidating evil nature.

So...

The first step is to gain its trust.

"You don't know?" Wu Xiaode said, feigning surprise, "We merchants who walk the various realms can travel through time; it's our bread and butter."

"Show me you can travel," the stone monster said.

"To what time?"

"When I'm asleep."

"Watch carefully—"

Wu Xiaode took a step back and disappeared from the monster's sight.

In the next instant.

He reappeared and said:

"Buddy, look at the paper stuck on your butt, I put it there while you were asleep."

The stone monster reached out, touched, and indeed pulled a piece of paper off its butt.

On the paper, a small line of writing said:

"Small business, honest dealings — Boss Ming."

The stone monster fell silent.

It was already awake, and the other party absolutely couldn't have escaped its watchful eyes.

Even if he could really travel to when the monster was asleep, sticking a note on its buttocks without waking it up—

was not an easy feat.

Could it be true?

The stone monster thought for a few minutes and cautiously said:

"Eight thousand years ago, a source material flow crystal was born in the northern valley seven hundred kilometers from here.""It only existed for a few minutes before transforming into other substances."

"At the time, I was avoiding an evil demon and missed the birth of that source material flow crystal, and have always regretted it."

"I want that source material flow crystal."

Wu Xiaode nodded, "Well then, what do you have that can be traded with me?"

"What do you want?" the stone monster asked.

A moment of silence.

Yeah.

What do I want?

Even if I want some information, I need a direction.

Can't just ask for all it knows in its life…

"Can you tell me everything you know from your entire life?"

Wu Xiaode asked.

"Get lost, I don't want that source material flow crystal anymore!" the stone monster said angrily.

When it got angry, the stones on its head cracked, and magma flowed out.

"Hahaha, just kidding, don't get upset."

Wu Xiaode laughed and calmed it down, quickly thinking about what to ask.

"I'm very interested in the bronze wall. If you can tell me about it, our trade will be established."

"The bronze wall… Hmm, those Eternals are foolish enough to think that bronze can ward off evil demons," the stone monster scoffed.

Wu Xiaode's heart jolted.

Right on the money!

This guy's got it!

"So, can you tell me?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Evil demons are averse to two things: bronze and utter ignorance."

"So the Eternals naively built a bronze wall to block the evil demons, then planned to rush out and destroy them when possible."

"They had such lovely thoughts, but—"

The stone monster paused and continued, "Back when they fought the evil demons, I knew they were doomed."

"Why?" Wu Xiaode asked with interest.

"They should've hidden in the Holy Realm, maintaining the eternal neutrality there; maybe then the evil demons wouldn't have found them," the stone monster speculated.

"Tell me about the bronze wall," Wu Xiaode said.

"That's simple—"

The stone monster made a casual swipe.

In the void appeared a miniature three-dimensional scene.

Upon closer inspection, it was clearly a miniature structural diagram of the bronze wall.

"The bronze wall is eight hundred ninety million kilometers thick, crisscrossed with pathways, but without the proper permissions, one cannot pass."

"The war 'sequence' created by the Eternal Sacred Realm controls the bronze wall."

"Only by earning the corresponding merits can one get the sequence's decision-maker to grant access through the bronze wall."

Wu Xiaode silently memorized the entire structure of the bronze wall.

"Please wait, I'll complete our first transaction immediately."

He then stepped back and disappeared before the stone monster.

A few breaths later.

When he reappeared, he held something golden, similar to a crystal.

"Source material flow crystal! Quick! Give it to me!"

The stone monster got excited.

Wu Xiaode tossed the crystal at it.

The stone monster swallowed it in one gulp, and its eyes emitted a brilliant glow, laughing:

"Excellent, you're quite the time-space merchant!"

"Since that's the case, I'll tell you more—about the bronze wall, what else do you wish to know?"

Without thinking, Wu Xiaode asked, "Is there any way to bypass it and reach the other side?"

The stone monster said:

"Evil demons have that method! You need to find a C-class evil object called the 'Traverser,' it specializes in this task—but you, being mysterious, might get killed by it upon sight!"

"How do you know so much?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Heh, I'm the oldest element giant beast; I coexist with this high-level nightmare world and can self-destruct anytime, then be reborn elsewhere, so the evil demons got tired of killing me after billions of tries," the stone monster boasted.

Wu Xiaode thought of something, looking around.

The surrounding scenery constantly changed.

One moment it was flowing water, another mountains, another a desolate plain, and then a wind-eroded wasteland.

The entire world kept changing.

Truly mysterious what this high-level nightmare world is like.

— But at least I've got some intelligence.

"Element giant beast brother, can we be friends? I'll come to trade with you again," Wu Xiaode said.

"Of course, you can use this to contact me."

The stone monster spat out a thumb-sized jade stone, landing before Wu Xiaode.

A small line of bronze script appeared:

"You've obtained the contact stone of the element giant beast · Earth King."

Wu Xiaode threaded the jade stone and tied it on his wrist.

"I'm going to sleep for a while, let's contact later," Earth King said.

"Do you know where to find the 'Traverser'?" Wu Xiaode asked finally.

"Of course not, unless you're an evil demon, you can't find them," Earth King said.

Finishing, it lay down, closed its eyes, and quickly drifted into slumber.

Wu Xiaode watched its sleeping form and couldn't help but sigh:

"It's great, this is truly being laid back, I'm not as good."

With those words.

He suddenly disappeared from where he stood.

At the same time.

Deep in the bronze wall.

In a certain resting room.

Wu Xiaode abruptly came to his senses.

He raised his wrist to see a softly glowing jade stone wrapped around it.

— The items acquired by the clone returned with the clone.

"Alright, let's go to the 'Resting Place,' maybe I can find clues about the 'Traverser'."

He stood up and walked out.

...