Chapter 700: The Moon’s First Pick
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‘Constellation because how everything is stored like a star in a void?’
=Basically, yes,= Logos answered. =Putting that tidbit of information aside, I’m surprised your cousin managed to figure out the trick to accessing the items in this vault so quickly. I figured there would at least be another thirty minutes or so of flailing about.=
‘Yeah, she’s always been a bit of wunderkind…at least that’s what my memories say…’
=Perhaps…but it also appears that your cousin might need help picking.=
‘Huh?’
‘Oh. Neat.’
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“Whoa! Incoming stars!”
“Run for cover!”
“Fucking where?!”
“Chill out guys,” Zhen Yue called out. “I think it’s just…the aether treasures reacting to my call.”
As Zhen Yue kept her hand out and aether circulating, over a dozen or so stars had flown over to where she was standing and stopped only a couple of feet away in front of her. These particular stars were predominantly Omni, Luxarii and Caligos attributed treasures, or some mix of the three, as made evident by their colors.
Once the stars had gotten close enough, the Zhen Clan scions could make out more definitive shapes to the various aether treasures that seemed to react to Zhen Yue’s aether, as well as feel the power radiating off of them. From what the scions could sense, a majority of the treasures that had made their prescene known were at most Silver grade or at the very limit of what could qualify as Silver grade.
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*Bing-Bong*
We interrupt your chapter to briefly elaborate on what aether treasures are exactly and the terminology associated with them.
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Aether treasures are items that have innate aether to them. In other words, they’re able to produce, store and use aether without needing an aether cultivator to infuse them with aether in the first place.
While there are no formal rankings in regards to aether treasures, many cultivators use an unofficial grading system of Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond, each tier denoting the treasure’s overall aether capabilities.
That being said, an aether treasure’s tier is never static, it can increase or decrease depending on certain external factors.
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On a side note, it’s been rumored that if an aether treasure is powerful enough, or had some hidden potential to it, it can develop a soul. Granted, that’s only a rumor only the truly powerful would know if true…
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We now return to your regularly scheduled chapter.
Thank you.
*Bing-Bong*
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“Damn, that’s a lot of aether treasures…”
“A golden axe, a chakram, what appears to be a giant paint brush, a pagoda, some kind of curved sword…”
“I think that one’s called a khopesh.”
“Why do you know what that is?”
“Well-”
“Oi, quiet,” Zhen Hai interjected. “This is an important moment for Zhen Yue. We only get one shot each, so hush!”
“My bad.”
“Got it.”
As Zhen Feng, Zhen Guo and Zhen Xing proceeded to shut up, Zhen Hai gave his cousin a thumbs up. While she didn’t approve of the method, she did appreciate the silence.
“Alright…let’s see what we got here…”
Off to the side, Zhen Liu watched as his older cousin proceeded to meticulously pick through each of the aether treasures, surprisingly not just picking the most powerful ones, using some personal criteria to focus on some treasures while dismissing others.
“Not my style of weapon…I don’t think I can fully bring out the power of this one…not my style but maybe…”
Eventually, Zhen Yue managed to filter out over a dozen or so aether treasures into four choices that seemed to be the best of the best. Or at the very least, they were all aether treasures Zhen Yue could see herself being able to use great effect due to all of them having an innate moon aether affinity.
These four particular treasures appeared to be a silver mirror in the shape of an octagon, a delicate looking rapier made of glass or crystal, a miniature elephant statue made of some kind of white stone and a…large belt with a beltbuckle shaped like various animal heads.
One of these things were not like the others, and the scions couldn’t help but to notice. That being said, only one was brave enough to ask.
“Hey, Zhen Yue…what’s up with the belt?,” Zhen Tai asked. “You trying to change your sense of style?”
While Zhen Yue didn’t look at her cousin directly, as her focus was on the treasures before, she did at least answer him as to why she picked these four treasures.
“I’m aware the belt looks a bit… incongruous with the rest of the treasures I gathered, but…I don’t know. It just felt…right. I just wish I knew what these thing did or what they were called…”
Evidently, none of these aether treasures had a name proudly emblazoned upon their forms nor any way of showing off what they could without being wielded in the first place.That being said, Zhen Liu was at least able to do that much thanks to Logos and Pathos.
Of course, he couldn’t exactly say that he could do that to his cousins, what he said instead was, “Maybe I can help with that. My master taught me a trick on how to identify what materials worked best with what formulas for my puppets. Maybe I can use that to determine which treasures work best for you?”
Zhen Yue and the others looked at Zhen Liu, with a mix of surprise or expectedness.
If there is anything that they could cement about their puppeteering cousin, is that the man had a lot of weird tricks up their sleeves. A technique to let him identify aether treasures somehow seemed the least weird.
“Alright, I’ll trust you,” Zhen Yue agreed before floating away to give Zhen Liu room to do…whatever it was he had planned.
Technically there was no need for this action, due to everyone floating in a void, but it just felt right.
Zhen Liu didn’t touch any of the treasures floating in front of him, under the presumption that they might fly away the moment he touched them. Instead, he did as Logos and Pathos instructed him and just…looked.
What followed was a surprising flood of information.
‘Huh…thank you, translation feature…’
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Name: Eight Phase Moonlight Storing Mirror.
Grade: Silver
Ability: Aether Storage. Moonlight Storage. [Lunar God’s Judgement].
Compatibly: 80%
Description: A mirror made from the sands of the found in the Starlight Desert, this mirror allows the user to channel the power of the moon to enhance certain aether arts.
By leaving the mirror out at night, the mirror is able to a absorb and store the light of the moon, but only of a particular phase at a time.
A surprising amount of aether arts become enhanced under the light of specific moon phase, so this mirror can be used to circumvent that environmental factor.
If all eight phases are filled though, the wielder of the mirror is able to use a powerful World-Class art that is built into the mirror.
This peculiar requirement however, could be overcome if the wielder in question has moon aether though.
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Name: Ice Crystal Rapier
Grade: Silver
Ability: Ice-attributed attacks. [Ice Moon Flower Dance].
Compatibility: 78%
Description: Originating from the Ice God Valley, the Ice Crystal Rapier is surprisingly hardy despite its delicate appearance.
A single strike can cause one’s skin to freeze, a second causes frostbite and a third means complete freeze.
To bring out the full power of this treasure, one must be familiar with Ice Weaving ballet or at least be nimble enough to dance while using this blade.
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Name: Sacred Moonstone Mastodon.
Grade: Silver
Abilities: Elephant Aura. Puppet Summoning. [Celestial Elephant Tackle]
Compatibility:90%
Description: While technically an aether puppet, this particular statue can also be used to generate an elephant-shaped aura that the wielder can use like a secondary skin and enhance their [Regalia] and [Astra].
When used in conjunction with moon aether, the effects are strengthened by at least twenty to thirty percent.
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Damn, all of these treasure would fit Zhen Yue to a T,’ Zhen Liu thought to himself as he looked at the first three treasures. ‘Well, there’s still one more. I wonder if…what the fuck…’
Evidently, Zhen Liu didn’t even read the effect nor grade before noticing just a big bold number on the last treasure his cousin picked.
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Name: Belt of the Mother Bear.
Compatibility: 150%
