Chapter 430: Unlocking the Mystic Code Crafting Formula
Prince Lanling · Zhou Ning
Personality: Silent, kind, lawful.
Talents: Demonic Allure (Red), Swordsmanship Genius (Purple), Musical Genius (Purple).
Skills: Prince Lanling Battle March (Master), Basic Swordsmanship (Grandmaster), Mask of Grace (Grandmaster), Horsemanship (Grandmaster).
[Note: Prince Lanling will always arrive with a white horse. Mystic Code Crafting Formula Unlocked: Lanling Mask. You have unlocked the Mystic Code function within character templates. When you purchase certain rare templates, you can unlock their corresponding Mystic Code formulas. This feature cannot be retroactively applied.]
Suggested Price: 425 Traversal Coins
Zhou Ning: "...?"
On second thought, it actually made sense—and fit his understanding of how the Template Training Mode worked.
Though Prince Lanling rode a horse, his class was technically Saber—a swordsman—making him highly compatible with Zhou Ning's previously cultivated Ancient Chinese Swordsman template. That pretty much confirmed his theory: just like Stand users attracting each other in JoJo, compatible templates naturally drew one another in.
This template wasn't bad at all—a top-tier pretty boy, even. A red-grade talent spoke for itself. Still, by his calculations, he'd lost about 125 Traversal Coins on this pull. Being handsome didn't pay the bills! Unless the map was more relaxed or story-driven, this template was unlikely to clear any high-difficulty scenarios.
At least he'd gained a consolation prize—the Lanling Mask formula. That alone somewhat made up for the loss.
Mystic Code: Lanling Mask
Attributes: All Stats +5, Charm Checks +3.
Effect: Grants immunity to Fear. When activated, dispels all negative effects on self and allies with top-tier priority. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Originally, Zhou Ning hadn't quite understood what "Mystic Codes" were supposed to be. But now, it seemed they were essentially template-bound equipment. The Lanling Mask in particular was like a side-effect-free Unknown Relic—extremely powerful. Once he reached Nathaniel and gathered the necessary materials, he'd definitely have to craft it.
Moreover, the fact that purchasing templates could unlock these Mystic Code recipes reignited his collector's obsession. He suddenly felt a strong urge to collect as many rare templates as possible.
Everyone really does have a hidden collector buried inside them.
Exhaling deeply, Zhou Ning reopened Template Training Mode and began cultivating another character.
Without hesitation—and with the confidence of a man who was now rich—he chose the Excellent attribute tier.
[Random Template Generation in Progress...]
[Initial Template Quality: Purple]
[Matching...]
[Match Successful.]
[You are the most intelligent man in your world—an eccentric billionaire and carefree playboy. After growing tired of magazine covers, endless parties, and bottomless wealth, you've been granted a chance to traverse worlds. What kind of storm will you stir? Let's find out.]
A new card slid into the slot, depicting himself in a black suit, neatly trimmed mustache, and an easy, confident smile. He lounged casually on a leather sofa, holding a glass of red wine.
Zhou Ning: "...?"
What was this? Why did it look so much like Tony Stark?
Had he just hit the jackpot?
[Selecting Random Traverse World...]
[Randomizing...]
[Complete. You have been assigned to the world of One Piece!]
Zhou Ning's eyes widened. According to his template resonance theory, this could only mean trouble. The worst-case scenario—his ultra-modern genius template would be wildly out of sync with a world of pirates and haki.
Best case, he'd end up as Vegapunk. Worst case, his talents would be completely wasted.
Still, given how rare this template was, Zhou Ning decided to spend 50 Traversal Coins to ensure a balanced start. Hopefully, it would go smoothly—and yield decent rewards.
After finishing the training sequence, his gaming itch kicked in again. Without a second thought, he launched the Traversal Simulator and began a new run.
There were two available maps.
The first was City of Sin II—a brand-new, self-created world priced at a record 220 Traversal Coins.
The second was Storm of the Ninja Village, likely based on Naruto, priced at 180 Traversal Coins. Both were double-reward "Plus" maps.
To be honest, both options sounded great. City of Sin II probably merged JoJo-style Stands with DC-tier superpowers, advanced tech, and parallel-world superheroes—but its difficulty would be sky-high. Storm of the Ninja Village, on the other hand, offered an entirely different chakra-and-ninjutsu power system—flashier but more structured.
After some thought, Zhou Ning chose City of Sin II. He'd always preferred the challenge.
As he liked to say: if it's not hard, it's not fun.
He could always meet Storm of the Ninja Village again later—if fate allowed.
Then came the most exciting part. Having just accumulated 250,000 Vecktas Points, the newly rich Zhou Ning eagerly opened his second reward option.
A burst of radiant light exploded before him, and three cards appeared—two orange, one purple. Not bad odds at all.
The first card depicted himself with short white hair slicked back, wearing a black undershirt beneath a white jacket, a mask covering part of his face, and both hands stained crimson.
Personality: Resolute, calm, kind.
Talents: Dietary Aberration (Gray, Negative), One-Eyed Ghoul Form (Orange), Natural Predator (Purple), Muscular Build (Purple).
Skills: Ghoul Physiology (Master), Hunger Instinct (Advanced), Rinkaku—Rize (Expert), Ghoul Slayer (Grandmaster), Berserk (Advanced).
Title: One-Eyed King · Zhou Ning
Traverse Price: 390 Traversal Coins
Clearly, this was Tokyo Ghoul's protagonist—Kaneki Ken. A solidly powerful template. Zhou Ning, no longer short on cash, bought it on the spot.
The template had no fixed alignment—mostly neutral—and came with a "cannibalistic tendency" debuff. Pricey, yes, but reasonable. His only disappointment was that it didn't unlock any Mystic Code formula.
The second card looked rather ordinary at first, but now seemed far more promising—likely one of his future staples, especially since it could finally fix his chronic problem of being a "magic illiterate."
The card showed Zhou Ning in silver-white mage robes, juggling orbs of ice, lightning, and fire in his hands.
Talents: Legendary Mage (Orange), Elemental Sensitivity (Purple).
Personality: Curious, ambitious, deeply inquisitive.
Skills: Ice Magic (Grandmaster), Lightning Magic (Grandmaster), Fire Magic (Master), Elemental Harmony (Grandmaster), Meditation (Master).
Title: The Supplicant · Zhou Ning
Price: 1,200 Traversal Coins
One thousand two hundred Vecktas? Peanuts. He bought it instantly.
And just as expected, a new Mystic Code formula unlocked.
Mystic Code: Tome of Supplication
Attributes: Spirit +11; All Skill Cooldowns reduced by 8%.
Effect: Records a vast number of Ice, Lightning, and Fire spells. Each cast imposes a 2-minute personal cooldown, and requires sufficient Spirit to wield.
As expected—another excellent item! Once again, Zhou Ning felt the sweet satisfaction of the collector's high.
The third card was orange as well—another familiar face, though from a different faction this time.
It depicted Zhou Ning in a red-and-blue suit, a flowing red cape trailing behind him, and a shield-shaped S emblem emblazoned on his chest. He stood atop the Daily Planet building, gazing into the horizon.
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