Xu Tao rubbed his eyes, thinking he was just seeing things, and read the notification again.
[Opening Medium Loot Box... You received a rare nothing!]
"The heck?!" he growled in both disappointment and shock. "Is this for real?!"
It was his first Medium Loot Box—and he got absolutely nothing from it! He even checked his status, just in case... but nothing had changed. It was literally a box of nothing!
Heavily disappointed, he moved on to open the remaining crates. But just as he touched the next one, a new notification popped up.
[Opening Small Loot Box... Pity Rates applied from failed Medium Loot Box... Congratulations, you get 1x Simple Sword (R)!]
The box vanished, and in its place appeared a simple sword—just as its name claimed. Xu Tao caught it effortlessly, but the moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, his eyes widened in shock.
"This sword... The design, the strength, the materials, its balance... Perfect!"
Swords usually had imbalances—whether from the materials used or flaws in the forging process. But this one? Not a single issue. It was perfectly balanced, almost like a divine being had crafted it with their own hands.
To him, this wasn’t just an "R"-rank weapon. It felt more like it should’ve been at SSR.
He gave it a test swing—and the feeling was seamless. The blade moved with him, as though it had been part of his body all along. It wasn’t just wielded; it belonged in his hand.
Xu Tao hadn’t used weapons since he reached the Earth Immortal stage until the time he tried for the Divine Heaven Immortal Realm. At that level, no normal weapon could withstand his strength. But if he’d had this sword back then... he might’ve unified the entire cultivation world under one banner—literally.
Pepe’s chirp snapped him out of his fantasy.
Xu Tao quickly lowered the sword, sheathed it, and hung it by the side of his loincloth. Unfortunately, that made his appearance... even more imbalanced.
"I hope some clothes appear next..."
One by one, he opened the rest of the chests. But unlike before, none of the loot particularly excited him. They were mostly just essentials—water, food, and money.
Well, one equipment drop did catch his attention.
"Golden Underpants...?" he muttered, holding the item like it was cursed.
Even though he was basically wearing nothing but a strip of cloth, he still had standards. He wasn’t desperate enough to wear something that flashy.
After clearing the loot, he and Pepe resumed their journey, heading toward the distant mountains.
Along the way, more Sand Beetle Larvae attempted ambushes—but Xu Tao flipped the script every time. With a proper weapon and his cultivation already at the Middle Stages, he carved through them like grass.
If there was one thing he could still ask for, it would be more levels. The larvae gave barely any experience now. Despite hours of walking and fighting under the blazing sun, he was still stuck at level 11.
It was boring, repetitive, menial work: walk forward, kill monsters, loot boxes, repeat. Occasionally, he’d get a "jackpot" and acquire better gear. By now, he finally looked human again.
He wore a black robe with faint gold trim along the edges, a loose shirt that left part of his chest exposed, proper boxer shorts, and sandals.
Each time he equipped something new, he’d inspect it and wonder what the strange numbers meant—things like "DEF +5" or "VIT +10." He wasn’t wearing them for those bonuses, though. He wore them because he needed them. It was either this or fight half-naked.
He’d even collected three identical outfits by now—enough for a change of clothes or to tear up and use as rags.
But then... the sun vanished behind the dunes.
And like a cruel joke, the heat of 55°C dropped instantly to -13°C. His breath turned white with frost as he continued trudging through the sands.
Right. Sleep was for the weak.
Xu Tao had no intention of sleeping—not in a place where monsters could attack at any moment.
He would travel through the night. Even if he had to do it alone.
But the cold wasn’t just harsh—it was brutal.
The temperature dropped even lower, biting at his skin. He endured it only thanks to his internal Qi circulation techniques, which barely kept him warm enough to function.
But that was just him.
Pepe, his little green pumpkin companion, was shivering violently. The cold had grounded him—he couldn’t even fly anymore. Xu Tao had to carry him in his arms like a puppy, wrapped up tight in a spare robe, tucked against his chest.
It was a little inconvenient, but... in this lonely, freezing desert, having a companion made the journey feel a little less empty.
Eventually, he was forced to stop.
After fighting hundreds of larvae, Xu Tao had learned how to detect the vibrations they made when moving under the sand. Right now, that sensation had returned—stronger than ever.
Hundreds... no, thousands of them lay just ahead.
"This is crazy..." he whispered.
His breath crystallized into ice, dropping to the ground like snowflakes. It was that cold.
And you expect him to fight in that condition...?
He could still sweep the desert with his sword and Qi-enhanced fists.
But that wasn’t the problem.
He was worried because—
"Their parents are here."
Up ahead, guarding the mass of larvae, were giant beetles flying through the air—each one as large as a public bus. One glance was enough—Xu Tao knew they weren’t ordinary.
System-wise, they stood in a whole different league. Compared to the now white-named larvae—ranging from levels 5 to 13—the adults were monstrous. They were presently Red Named.
[Sand Beetle – Lv. 60]
Their levels varied wildly, from the 40s to nearly 90s. But without fail, all of them had red names.
Although Xu Tao didn’t fully understand the System’s level mechanics yet, he didn’t need to.
He could tell at a glance. They outmatched him.
They were four to eight times stronger—and there were dozens to hundreds of them.
Fighting would be suicide.
All he could do was take a massive detour around the nest and find another way forward.
Carefully, he backtracked his steps and began to circle the perimeter of the horde.
A sudden, sharp screech tore through the silence.
Xu Tao froze, his senses on high alert.
He turned toward the source—
And saw one of the adult beetles, resting on the sand... just three meters away.
Its jet black, shiny compound eyes, and Xu Tao’s golden gazers met briefly.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦