Chapter 26: All In
Having surveyed his Bronze-level loot, Yang Xu sighed, "Honestly, this haul isn't very useful." However, eyeing his slowly accumulating 8,000+ reputation points, a gambler's glint sparked in his eyes. "Time for all-in!" he declared. "Lord's Exclusive Card Pool, 80 consecutive draws, activate!"
With a thought, his reputation points plummeted to three digits. Eighty dark yellow beams of light erupted, forming illusory squares in the air, neatly arranged by rank. Three, however, remained unordered, floating randomly.
"Huh? The exclusive pool can still yield unexpected characters?" Intrigued, Yang Xu gently waved his hand, drawing the three unordered squares closer. They revealed three familiar faces: a large man with pigtails and a porcupine, a muscular redhead with three distinctive beards, and a disheveled middle-aged man in a suit.
Character: Tru
- Rank: Bronze
- Source: Jackie Chan Adventures
- Skills: Superhuman physique, entry-level air magic. (He once lifted 20 tons of gold; skilled in both physical and magical combat.)
Character: Black Tiger Ah Fu
- Rank: Bronze
- Source: Jackie Chan Adventures
- Skills: Charm, Martial Arts Mastery. (His feats include flying a crow in an airplane, destroying a parking lot with a tornado, and—allegedly—kicking an elephant.)
Character: Rasu
- Rank: Black Iron
- Source: Jackie Chan Adventures
- Skill: Safe Escape. (He can escape any danger unscathed.) (Note: Upon witnessing Jackie Chan's feats of defying physics, Dr. Rasu declared physics to be dead.)
Yang Xu stared at their profiles, speechless. Their antics were legendary, but their practical value was questionable.
He stowed the characters away and examined the remaining items. A thought struck him: "Does this exclusive pool have a guaranteed minimum? Do I need ten draws for a Bronze item?" Dismissing this, he reviewed his gains:
Bronze: Mountain Magic, Golden Rooster King's Treasure, Talismans (Ox, Tiger, Horse, Sheep, Rooster), Cup of Life
Iron: Pufferfish, Bull Warrior's Mask, Dragon Fang (multiple)
Yang Xu muttered, "Not good! Eighty draws, and I only got less than half the talismans. To get all twelve, I'd need at least one hundred draws, assuming no duplicates." He also noted the Dragon Fangs, representing the Holy Lord's power.
He summoned the talismans and Dragon Fangs. "Eight Dragon Fangs and five Talismans should restore at least half my power."
He selected five talismans—octagonal, palm-sized, each bearing an animal symbol: Ox, Tiger, Horse, Sheep, Rooster.
- Ox: Maximizes the user's power.
- Tiger: Balances yin and yang, resolves conflicting energies.
- Horse: Protects the user from harm and negative influence.
- Sheep: Enables out-of-body experiences.
- Rooster: Grants telekinetic control over gravity.
Yang Xu hesitated. "I'm not a stone statue anymore, so I can't embed these." Before he could decide whether to eat them, the talismans pulsed with light, flying into his body.
His true form reappeared, a low hum resonating through the room. The Dragon Fangs followed suit, embedding themselves in his body. Energy surged, the room echoing with cracking sounds. The power stabilized, significantly enhancing his strength, durability, and height (now three meters tall).
Elated, Yang Xu decided, "This cramped place won't do. I need a bigger house! Maybe a shop, even an antique shop! The Holy Lord and antiques… a perfect match!"
As he daydreamed, weakness returned. "Not again…" His demonic form reverted, leaving him exhausted but able to maintain his human form for ten minutes this time, without falling unconscious. He examined his remaining Bronze-level items:
- Mountain Magic: Untested.
- Golden Rooster King's Treasure: Promises financial freedom.
- Cup of Life: Grants youth and longevity (with unknown side effects).
He categorized his loot, content despite the setbacks, and drifted off to sleep.