Chapter 269: Meeting the Goddess in the Lake Again, Claiming Rewards! (6400)

Marita agreed to Cao Xing's request.

And Cao Xing's renewed words of thanks and praise kept Marita smiling constantly.

The two of them shared intimacy for another few minutes.

Then Marita reluctantly crawled off Cao Xing.

And she straightened her clothes again.

Cao Xing also re-equipped his gear.

"Then, Lady Marita, I am heading back. I look forward to seeing you again, and I hope you can smoothly resolve the curse on your body."

The noble lady behind him gently nodded her head.

Under Marita's soft gaze, Cao Xing left the place.

…

…

On the way, a faint smile also hung on the corners of Cao Xing's mouth.

He hadn't expected this trip to Annuo River Village to yield so many harvests.

Not only did he acquire a large amount of seeds, but Marita also gave him an extremely precious necklace.

At the same time, he also gained the favor of this immensely capable noble lady.

Marita was not only a member of the royal family, but also an Archmage level existence.

Speaking of strength, she was even more formidable than the Undead Duke Paladin.

If he traveled to the Orchid Kingdom in the future, Marita could give him a great deal of help.

Of course, Cao Xing did not have that kind of encounter with her simply because of her status and strength.

Rather, he was purely moved by the elegant temperament carried by this noble lady.

Furthermore, upon hearing that her husband had passed away over a decade ago,

Cao Xing knew that Marita had been lonely for a long time.

He shook his head, cast these thoughts aside, and glanced at the attributes of the necklace.

[Moon Crown Pearl Necklace]

[Grade: Unknown]

[Wearing Requirement: Level 40]

[Additional Attributes: None]

[Attached Special Effect: Moon Crown Remnant Power (Containing a trace of divine power from the Moon Crown Pearl, all spell damage increased by 20%, cooldown reduction reduced by 10%)]

(Note: In that war thousands of years ago, the Khan of the Blood Legion: Odor Broken Claw, wielding the legendary weapon — Hasuxin, conquered all the way across the Western Continent and was invincible.

The flames of war spread to the Orchid Kingdom, and the strongest mage of the contemporary kingdom wielded the Moon God Staff — Anisi to battle him.

In that war, Hasuxin's blade shattered the Moon Crown Pearl at the top of Anisi, which then transformed into a total of 12 fragments of various sizes.

Due to the passage of time, these fragments have already been scattered to every corner of the continent. When you hold other fragments and approach, you will sense it.)

(Moon Crown Pearl fragment collection progress: 1 / 12…)

…

"What the heck, this terrifying? Just a single fragment increases spell damage by 20%!"

"If it were a complete pearl, how strong would it be?"

Cao Xing felt endlessly shocked.

And he increasingly felt the preciousness of this necklace.

Not to mention a [Golden Salmon], ten of them might not even be able to buy this necklace.

Furthermore, besides this necklace, she also promised to help Cao Xing find the person possessing royal bloodlines.

From this, it could be seen how much importance Marita attached to Cao Xing.

Cao Xing thought to himself: "This woman treats me quite well; if there is a chance in the future, I must give back to her."

Thinking as he went, he walked to the entrance of the village.

After the fishing competition ended, the pedestrian flow in Annuo River Village also decreased a lot.

Coupled with the fact that it was already past three in the afternoon, many people from other villages also had to hurry back.

Cao Xing saw that at the village entrance, only Assam, Braum, along with Liu Muxue and Renice and others, were respectfully waiting there.

And behind them were over a hundred goblin laborers with various expressions.

Upon seeing Cao Xing, Braum and the others excitedly greeted him.

"Oh! Lord, you have returned!"

Cao Xing slightly nodded and came to the side of the crowd.

At this moment, that group of goblin laborers knelt down in unison.

Seeing this scene, Cao Xing slightly frowned and then asked: "Who told you to kneel?"

Among the goblin laborers, a slightly taller goblin stepped forward and said: "Reporting to Lord, when we were previously at the Giant Chamber of Commerce, those lords taught us this way."

"Seeing a master must be like treating a deity."

Cao Xing did not say much more, but waved his hand and said: "In the future when you see me, you don't need to kneel, just salute is fine, understand?"

The goblin laborers below showed troubled expressions.

"Lord… Lord… this…"

Cao Xing frowned and asked: "What is wrong with you, you won't even listen to my words?"

Sensing the unfriendliness in Cao Xing's tone, the goblin laborers below acted as if they had encountered something terrifying, trembling all over in fear, and some had even entered a cringing state.

Among them, the stronger goblin laborer hurriedly said: "Re… Respected Lord… We dare not disobey your command…"

"It's just that with other lords, kneeling is mandatory."

"If those lords let us stand up, it means the goblin is going to get beaten."

"Compared to standing, we prefer kneeling; that way, at least we won't get beaten…"

"Yes, yes…"

The goblins nearby also chimed in one after another.

A look of realization also appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

Being slaves was just like this; the Giant Chamber of Commerce, as an organization specializing in slave trade, naturally was not a kind-hearted lot.

They had many methods to make this group of slaves obediently listen.

And this group of goblin laborers had been trained for a long time, surely suffered quite a bit, and had long been domesticated.

The displeasure in Cao Xing's heart disappeared, and instead he smiled and shook his head saying: "Don't worry, as long as you work earnestly, I will not punish you."

Braum beside him walked over and laughed heartily: "Little goblins, rest assured, in our territory, no one gets beaten for this."

Finished speaking, he used his basin-sized palm to pat that goblin laborer on the back a few times, patting him until he coughed continuously.

And after hearing that, those goblins also understood that the lord before them was serious.

He did not want to discipline the goblins.

Immediately, all the goblin laborers respectfully said: "Thank you, benevolent Lord, may the Cave God bless you…"

They all stood up from the ground.

Cao Xing slightly nodded.

At this time, that Ascalon Warriors captain, Yaskin, also respectfully walked over and handed a backpack to Cao Xing.

"Lord, this is the crowns you gave me last time. Purchasing these slaves and opening up relations cost nearly 30,000 crowns, and there are still 170,000 crowns inside."

"There is also a detailed purchase list inside, please take a look."

Cao Xing did not accept it immediately, but fell into thought.

After a moment, he directly said: "Yaskin, I have another task to hand over to you."

Yaskin respectfully said: "Lord, please give your orders!"

Cao Xing said: "You continue holding this money, go to other villages to develop and investigate."

"If you encounter special situations like today again, remember to contact me."

"If there are no special situations, it doesn't matter; you just continue purchasing some population back."

Yaskin's handling of affairs was considered reliable, and his conduct in the world was relatively slick, not the stubborn kind of person.

Therefore, letting him do these things was still very suitable.

Upon hearing this, Yaskin respectfully said: "Obey! Lord!"

"Then I will temporarily not return to the territory for now, continue staying in Annuo River Village tonight, and then go look at other villages tomorrow."

Cao Xing shook his head, "It doesn't necessarily have to be villages; you can also go to some larger places."

"About three hundred kilometers away from here, there is a city called Merlind City. You can take this money first and go to develop in Merlind City."

"Open up relations there first, later I might also lead people to head to Merlind City, by then your layout here will be very important."

As the saying goes, having connections makes things easier.

Merlind City was the largest city in the Gale Snowfield. To continue developing later, Cao Xing would most likely go take a look at that city.

Therefore, sending Yaskin over in advance now could also be considered a preliminary layout.

This soldier captain also understood the importance of this task, and solemnly nodded saying: "I understand, Lord, I will go handle it right away!"

Finishing speaking, he picked up the backpack in his hand and quickly left the place.

Then, Cao Xing looked again at the dozen or so villagers, as well as the painter Edward.

This man who claimed he was targeted by a demon was looking at Cao Xing with a face full of gratitude.

It was this lord who did not mind his strange symptoms and even invited him to join his territory.

"So now, welcome to join us, let's build a prosperous territory together!"

Finishing speaking, Cao Xing sent recruitment invitations to all goblins present, including those newcomers.

The next moment, a system prompt appeared.

[Recruitment Successful: Goblin laborers Grosh / Molosh / Amush… have joined your territory, territory population +137…]

…

Cao Xing's population instantly surged by a large chunk!

A trace of a smile also appeared on his face.

Very good!

This time, harvesting so many goblin laborers, as well as villagers, completely sufficed for staff needs in the short term!

Besides this, he also brought back a painter with advanced painting mastery.

Not bad, not bad…

At the same time.

The moment these goblin laborers joined Cao Xing's faction, they all felt a surge of vitality descend into their bodies.

Even though they were only Tier 1 creatures, the sensation was extremely obvious.

These goblins exclaimed: "Oh Cave God, my body seems to have become healthier!"

"That's right, Amush, some hidden ailments I contracted before because of work have actually started to recover!"

"My chest doesn't hurt anymore! Oh god, what happened? This is too magical!"

Cao Xing was stunned for a moment, but quickly understood as well.

The reason these goblin laborers could feel their vitality increase was naturally because of the blessing of the Pale Tree.

This holy tree could now increase all territory members' Health Points by 44%.

The moment they joined, they could feel this blessing, which was extremely overpowered!

However, what Cao Xing didn't expect was that the suddenly increased vitality could actually help them recover the hidden ailments within their bodies.

Braum beside him blew on his mustache, "Little goblins, don't make a fuss, this is just one of the magical powers in our territory. Later when you make contributions, you can experience even more magical powers!"

"You can even possess the speed of the wind, the strength of the bear, and the armor of the turtle!"

What Braum spoke of were Hilda's [Queens Will], Liu Muxue's [Blessing of Courage] and [Holy Shield].

Hearing this, the goblin laborers and those villagers present all showed looks of shock in their eyes!

Because the blessing effect of the Pale Tree had already exceeded their cognition.

Yet this big guy said that this was only the most ordinary kind.

"Oh! This strong giant, is what you said true?"

"Can we really possess these powerful forces later?"

Braum smiled and said: "Of course."

"Now, please pledge allegiance to our lord!"

Hearing this, those goblin laborers just wanted to kneel down.

But they remembered Cao Xing's command just now, so they successively bent down and bowed.

"Great Lord, we are willing to offer our loyalty to you!"

[Because you displayed powerful strength, goblin laborer Grosh's loyalty has increased, current loyalty: 67]

[Because you displayed powerful strength, goblin laborer Laurensh's loyalty has increased, current loyalty: 65]

[Because you…]

After more than a hundred prompts, the loyalty of these goblins and villagers increased significantly.

All of them now had a loyalty above 60.

Including Edward the painter, whose loyalty also reached 65 points, which was quite good.

Cao Xing wore a smile on his face and nodded slightly.

Everything was ready.

However, instead of immediately leading the people back to the territory, he ordered: "Now start dividing into teams. Part of the people will return to the territory first, and part of the people will come with me to another place."

Liu Muxue had a puzzled look in her beautiful eyes and said softly: "A-Xing, are we going somewhere else?"

"That's right."

Cao Xing smiled and said: "This time, it wasn't easy for us to complete all the knight trial quests."

"Taking advantage of the fact that it's not dark yet, we can rush to Snowfall Lake first, and then claim the reward of that complete legendary weapon."

Liu Muxue seemed to have thought of this as well, and a look of realization appeared in her eyes.

At the same time, a trace of excitement also appeared on her pretty face!

She was also very looking forward to this complete legendary weapon.

Then, Cao Xing continued: "Andrew, Braum, Rune, you take our staff and Edward, and return to the territory now."

"Sarah, Renice, Assam, you guys follow me to Snowfall Lake now."

"Move out!"

On the field, everyone solemnly said one after another: "As you command, my Lord!"

After saying that, they quickly split into two teams.

All the goblin coolies and newcomers followed behind big guys like Braum and Andrew.

Braum stroked his beard and said: "Little guys, remember to keep up with me."

"It's still a long way from the territory, you must hold on."

The goblin coolies responded one after another: "This strong giant, we will hold on."

"Our goblin race is best at escaping, no, best at running…"

Braum smiled, and then led a crowd of more than a hundred people, moving mightily into the snowfield outside.

When they had all left.

Cao Xing and Liu Muxue sat back on Dabai's back.

"Dabai, take us to Snowfall Lake!"

"Moo—"

Dabai swung its trunk, then stepped out with its four hooves, sprinting wildly in the direction of Snowfall Lake.

Ever since the Mammoth broke through to Tier 4, coupled with the speed boost of the Black Fog Totem, its top speed could already reach over 180 kilometers per hour!

Considering its huge size, being able to reach this speed was truly monstrous!

The surrounding scenery receded rapidly.

Meanwhile, Assam beside him was riding a Frost Wolf, and his movements were not slow at all.

Although the Frost Wolf Winter currently only had Tier 3 Elite-level strength, it was inherently a creature good at running.

Coupled with the elite skill: [Snowfield Rush], it similarly possessed a lightning-fast movement speed.

As for Renice and Sarah, the two agility-type classes, needless to say, when it came to instantaneous burst speed, they could easily surpass the Mammoth.

"Thud! Thud-thud!"

The momentum of Dabai's running was as astonishing as ever.

Deep pits were stepped out of the snow on the ground by it, and monsters along the way didn't dare to approach at all.

Just when they were halfway to Snowfall Lake.

A sizzling current sound suddenly rang in Cao Xing's ears.

Moments later, a crisp voice came from the communication device on his ear.

"My Lord!"

Hearing this voice, Cao Xing roughly knew who it was.

"Elisa?"

"It's me, my Lord."

Without waiting for Cao Xing to speak, a resentful tone came from the other side: "My Lord, why don't you care about Elisa at all!"

"I've been outside alone for almost two days, so cold and scared, and you don't even look for Elisa to chat, wuwuwu…"

Her tone sounded like a pitiful abandoned girl.

Cao Xing, however, felt speechless.

Back when Elisa hadn't joined Cao Xing's territory and was only at level 5 or 6, she already dared to run around everywhere outside.

Not going home for days and nights was a common occurrence.

Now she was already a Level 30 boss-tier creature, yet she still claimed she was scared to death.

However, he still coaxed the little girl in front of him; after all, he still had to rely on her to find Cloud Yaks!

"Elisa has worked hard. After you come back, not only will I give you plenty of milk, but you can also choose any candy in the warehouse as you please."

"Wuwa! Really? My Lord!"

"Of course."

Hearing this, the sound of Elisa giggling foolishly came through the call on the other side.

Cao Xing asked at this time: "How have things been outside recently? You didn't run into anything, right?"

"Hehehe… Nothing's wrong…"

"It's just… it's just that I missed my Lord a little…"

Elisa said the last sentence very softly.

Cao Xing was also stunned for a moment after hearing this.

Then, he asked: "Then do you want to come back first, and go out to look for cows again in a couple of days?"

Elisa hurriedly said: "No, Elisa can't come back yet."

"I've already discovered the traces of Cloud Yaks in a mountain range!"

"With a little more time, I'll be able to track down the location of that herd of yaks!"

Hearing this, a look of pleasant surprise suddenly appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

Good grief, so this little girl had already found the traces of Cloud Yaks, no wonder she suddenly contacted him.

But her actions this time were really fast, finding them in just two days.

"Elisa, well done!"

Cao Xing's praise came from the bottom of his heart.

The little girl on the other side smiled sheepishly, "Hehehe… Of course, Elisa is very amazing!"

"My Lord, I won't talk to you anymore, I'm going to continue tracking this herd of yaks!"

Cao Xing replied: "Alright, you must be careful. Contact me immediately if you encounter danger, you know?"

"Got it, got it!"

"My Lord, just wait for Elisa's good news!"

The little girl hung up the call after saying that.

And Cao Xing, sitting on the Mammoth's back, also wore a trace of a smile on his face.

Elisa already had the traces of Cloud Yaks over there.

Compared to last time, Cao Xing's strength had undergone a qualitative change, and he would definitely be able to catch more yaks.

In this way, the milk production in the territory would increase significantly, and more sets of Cloud Yak clothing could also be made.

To Cao Xing, this was all money!

Hundreds of thousands of crowns could help him rapidly enhance his strength.

And all of this relied on the Cloud Yaks discovered by Elisa.

Speaking of which, Cao Xing knew there were secrets on this little girl.

But since she didn't want to say, Cao Xing wouldn't pry into it too much.

As long as this little girl harbored no malice toward the territory and sincerely contributed to it, that was enough.

Thinking along the way, they had already arrived at Snowfall Lake.

Ahead, a wide lake appeared, covered with a thick layer of ice.

This was their third time coming to Snowfall Lake.

After the blizzard, the lake surface was empty, and even regular visitors like wild wolves and running birds could not be seen.

Even Qinong Dutra, whom they had encountered the first two times they came, had disappeared without a trace.

Cao Xing said with emotion: "I wonder how this old man is doing now, and whether he has brought his wife to the Eternal Frost Main City."

"I hope everything goes smoothly for him."

Cao Xing shook his head, casting away the thoughts in his mind.

Now, he was going to claim his legendary weapon!

Soon, everyone came to the center of the lake.

However, the thick ice layer in front of him still left Cao Xing somewhat bewildered.

"Although the knight trials are completed, how should I awaken the spirit of the lady of the lake and have her give me the lady of the lake sword?"

"Could it be that you want me to fish for a King Salmon again?"

He didn't have any extra boss-tier Snow Demon tongues in his hand!

Seeming to perceive the problem Cao Xing was facing at the moment, Assam raised the broken sword in his hand and said respectfully: "My Lord, let me give it a try?"

"Let me see if releasing the aura on my body can awaken that goddess in the lake."

"Alright, go ahead, Knight Assam."

Assam nodded respectfully.

Then, holding Magdale, he held it upright in front of his chest and walked solemnly toward the center of the lake.

With every step he took, an extremely majestic and powerful aura emanated from this knight!

After advancing 99 steps.

Cao Xing suddenly felt a slight tremor coming from the ice surface under his feet.

Rumbling…

"Huh? It really woke up!"

A look of pleasant surprise appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

Following closely, the entire surface of Snowfall Lake began to vibrate violently!

"Boom! Crack!"

In front of them, the thick ice layer directly developed spiderweb-like cracks.

Just like the earth splitting open, the ice layer automatically fractured.

A large hole with a diameter of over one hundred meters soon appeared in the center of the lake!

"Swish-swish…"

The chilly lake water began to churn!

Just like last time, the entire Snowfall Lake was erupting with intense divine light!

Especially the central area right in front of them.

The divine light almost turned into substance, gushing out from the lake water.

"Good grief, the commotion this goddess makes every time she comes out is truly astonishing!"

As the words fell.

A woman with scattered green hair, completely naked, with a few pieces of aquatic grass covering her private parts, slowly rose from the lake.

This was the Goddess of the Lake—Yulia.

Her misty pupils swept over the people on the ice, and then her gaze fell on Assam.

Her dark purple lips parted slightly.

"Human lord, you have come…"

A voice like flowing water rang out.

Cao Xing nodded and said: "That's right, according to our agreement, we have completed all the knight trials."

The goddess in front of her lightly nodded her head.

"I have sensed it, you have indeed completed the other two trials."

"Then… according to the previous agreement, I will gift the lady of the lake sword – Arondight to you…"

Hearing this, a look of anticipation appeared in the eyes of everyone present!

Finally! They were about to obtain their first complete legendary weapon!

As the goddess of the lake stretched out her smooth arms, droplets of water dripped from her fingertips, and then she slowly raised them upward.

The calm lake surface of the entire Snowfall Lake began a crazy surging of waves!

"Swish… swish-swish…"

Gigantic waves surged to the heavens, crashing against the thick ice layer and making fierce impact noises!

The lake surface vibrated continuously!

As if some divine object suppressing this huge lake was about to manifest in the world!

At the same time.

Where the goddess of the lake was located, the divine light was like a pillar!

Thanks to book friend Fengluo Fengfei Fengqixing Wuhui for 4 monthly tickets, thanks to book friend 161018102743313 for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to Zhenqi Oh for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to FFCYAO for 4 monthly tickets, thanks to Laoxie FF for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to book friend 20200921124319857 for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to Wuhu Cirno for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to Lost Journey for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to 100 for 4 monthly tickets, thanks to Bki for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to Langya for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to Destiny Sky ZG for 2 monthly tickets, thanks to book friend 202103017400240822 for 3 monthly tickets, thanks to Secret Liuhuo for 1 monthly ticket!!!

Thanks to the book friends for their recommendation tickets and subscriptions!!!