Who said this card is outrageous?

Even so, he had to specifically pick and choose in the lower-level areas to find a few decent third-level extraordinary creatures, which barely allowed him to recoup the costs of this trip.

No wonder there are so many fissures around Nanzhao City, yet the supply of extraordinary materials in the market is still somewhat tight.

When Zhang Che first arrived in Nanzhao, he was puzzled. He thought that since the place was near the Rift Cluster, the supply of materials should be plentiful. However, after visiting several shops, he found that the prices of many extraordinary materials were only slightly cheaper than in Qi'an City.

The reason is that although there are many cracks, each person can only take out a limited amount. The total amount is only one big pie. If there are many people sharing it, the amount that each person gets will naturally be thin.

And there's something even more infuriating.

According to the regulations of Nanzhao City, the amount of extraordinary resources that each level of extraordinary individual can obtain from non-resource-type rifts each year is limited.

For example, Zhang Che, a fifth-tier superhuman, has an annual quota of three superhuman creatures of the same level, fifty fourth-tier superhuman creatures, plus an equal number of non-biological superhuman resources.

Now Zhang Che understood why those extraordinary individuals, despite knowing that the Gray Nether Rift was relatively rich in resources, were unwilling to go in.

With the total quota fixed here, no one will waste their precious spot on something they don't need unless absolutely necessary.

The materials in the Gray Rift are mostly of dark attributes, which are not very useful for superhumans who mainly cultivate other attributes. Rather than going in and bringing back a bunch of useless things, it is better to save the quota for where it is more needed.

On a side note.

It was only at this point that Zhang Che learned that the three fifth-tier extraordinary creatures and some fourth-tier extraordinary creatures he had killed in the Gray Nether Rift had actually been registered under Ma Qiyun's name, occupying all of his quota for the year.

At the time, Zhang Che was puzzled as to why Ma Qiyun hadn't mentioned his hunting spoils at all after he came out, and seemed completely indifferent.

It turns out that those things weren't attributed to Zhang Che at all; they were all attributed to Ma Qiyun.

So his own quota is still full. Even after deducting the materials from the fifth-tier extraordinary creature he brought out this time, he still has two fifth-tier quotas to use for armor demon refining.

The reason given for the registration was that the two were in a team at the time, and Zhang Che's registered profession was card maker, which would allow him to maximize the value of the hunting materials. Although many people would try to exploit loopholes in the quota, one should at least come up with a plausible reason so as not to embarrass the Federation that set the rules.

Otherwise, if they act without even making up a reason, the federal government will not turn a blind eye and will impose all the necessary sanctions. They have done this before, making an example of someone to deter others.

Ma Qiyun never brought up these matters on his own initiative. Even when he was arranging a future for his son, Ma Qiyun only played the emotional card of friendship and said that he would provide sufficient benefits as compensation in the future.

Of course, it's not impossible to think of it from a conspiracy theory perspective. As long as Zhang Che doesn't leave Nanzhao City for a while and continues to explore the rift, he will eventually find out about this himself.

Ma Qiyun was perhaps waiting for the right moment to let this matter naturally come to light, so that Zhang Che would feel indebted.

But in the adult world, actions speak louder than intentions. Regardless of whether Ma Qiyun is genuine or has ulterior motives, Zhang Che will accept this kindness and repay it to the best of his ability.

After all, many things don't need to be understood too clearly; it's enough to just keep them in mind.

Chapter 345 Muddy Waters

Of course, there are exceptions to these so-called quota restrictions.

Take mid-level superhumans as an example. If they go to those two level-seven rifts to obtain resources, the amount is unlimited.

If someone were truly capable of wreaking havoc inside, even if they wiped out all the fifth and sixth-tier extraordinary creatures, the management would only applaud and would absolutely not step in to stop them.

Similarly, there are no limits on the number of fissures located far from cities, because most of them do not have the value to be controlled, so no one cares about their sustainable development.

It's good to use it up as soon as possible, and it also avoids the possibility of the extraordinary creatures living inside running into Earth and causing trouble. It's killing two birds with one stone.

But actually, compared to the rules regarding quota limits, what bothered Zhang Che the most was finding teammates.

During his journey, he also encountered several fifth-tier transcendents in the rift, and had some interactions with them.

However, after spending a short time with them, he discovered that none of them were suitable to be teammates with their backs to each other.

Meanwhile, given the limited quota, Zhang Che had to temporarily suspend his recent hunting trip into the rifts. He would resume the journey once he had finished using up both sets of armor and needed new demon-refining materials.

During this period of inactivity, he could only return to his old profession, filling his time by taking on more card-making jobs, while also hoping to meet suitable teammates in the process.

Of course, the plan to "win over" Luo Shulian will not be abandoned. In fact, Zhang Che has raised its priority several levels, from something that was originally dispensable to a goal of trying to make her a teammate.

But how could someone in such a high position and with such power be so easily dealt with?

Although the two seem to have a pretty good relationship now, Zhang Che knows very well that it's just a polite formality.

Luo Shulian is the powerful vice president of the Adventurers' Guild, and she deals with countless people every day. She treats Zhang Che well, partly because he has indeed completed the card-making commission excellently, and partly because card makers are always highly regarded wherever they go.

But when it comes to a real relationship, the two of them aren't even proper friends, let alone trustworthy teammates.

Alas, the task is arduous and the road ahead is long.

However, in order to obtain the materials for crafting the [Wind Eagle Armor] from those fissures as soon as possible, Zhang Che had to grit his teeth and persevere no matter how difficult it was.

My specialty is card making, so for now, I can only try to impress them in that area.

At the very least, she had to come up with something that would be of interest to her, so that she could hire Luo Shulian for help.

The only chips that card makers can offer are good cards that others can't make.

However, it is naturally extremely difficult to win over the powerful vice president of an adventurer's guild in a sub-provincial city.

Putting everything else aside, given the size of the Nanzhao City Adventurers' Guild, what good cards wouldn't they have in their warehouse? Ordinary Tier 5 cards probably wouldn't even catch their eye.

All Zhang Che can do now is pin his hopes on his fusion ability to see if he can create a special card that is both impressive in quality and effect, making Luo Shulian feel that it is "worth cooperating with".

……

Over the next few days, Zhang Che devoted himself entirely to the card-making work, and the orders for several Tier 5 cards that he had previously received from Luo Shulian were completely resolved within a few days.

This speed really startled Luo Shulian, and then her gaze towards Zhang Che began to change—don't misunderstand, although strictly speaking she was also lusting after Zhang Che's body, she only hoped that he could join the Adventurers' Guild in Nanzhao City.

She immediately extended an olive branch, saying that as long as Zhang Che was willing to sign a long-term contract, she could negotiate a 30% higher salary than he was currently taking on commissions, and there would be a dedicated card-making room and material supply channels.

Unfortunately, Zhang Che decisively refused. If he wanted to join the Adventurers' Guild, he would have agreed back in Qi'an City.

Zhang Che was still quite satisfied with the result. Although he rejected the guild's attempts to win him over, he had at least successfully caught Luo Shulian's attention.

His efforts in rushing to meet deadlines over the past few days have not been in vain; the other party now has a very clear understanding of his card-making abilities.

Once the adults have reached this point in their exploration, the rest of the journey will be much smoother.

However, one should never be too hasty in anything.

Without sufficient leverage, Zhang Che should not continue his relentless pursuit; instead, he should appropriately prolong the opponent's attack.

If he were to act too eagerly, it would only make Luo Shulian feel that he had something to ask for and was easy to manipulate.

Perhaps we should let it cool down for a while, allowing her to process the impact of this batch of finished products on her own, while also giving Zhang Che time to take care of other things, such as his newly accepted student.

Thanks to his privileged family background and his already high starting point, Ma Lingfeng not only completed the task left by Zhang Che very quickly, but even exceeded his expectations.

In just one week, he not only successfully created a Tier 1 green quality [Skeleton Archer] through self-study, but also used it as a basis to deduce a new card of the same tier and quality, [Skeleton Thrower].

Clearly, the young man was determined to gain Zhang Che's approval.

But this also shows that he has a great talent for card making, which has made Zhang Che consider taking him on as an apprentice.

……

A few days later, just as Luo Shulian was about to find two new tasks to hand over to Zhang Che, she heard that he had already taken his newly recruited students to collect materials in the Void Rift.

"Lord Zhang Che also said it would be a good opportunity to test the strength of the cards his students made..." the receptionist said tremblingly.

Luo Shulian stood by the front desk in the guild hall, her expression slightly somber.

"You've taken on a student?" Her tone was relatively calm, but she tapped her fingers lightly on the table twice. "Who is it?"

The receptionist, noticing the vice president's slightly off expression, quickly replied, "He's Lord Ma Qiyun's son, named Ma Lingfeng."

When Luo Shulian heard this name, her expression changed almost imperceptibly.

She was silent for two or three seconds, then nodded, said she understood, and turned to walk back down the stairs.

She paused as she reached the corner of the stairs, turning her head to glance in the direction of the rift in the hollow shell.

Then she looked away and continued walking, her lips moving slightly, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible to herself: "How did you get involved in this mess..."

She knew all too well about Ma Qiyun's situation, but she also knew that the matter was no longer just about him as a divine guard, but rather a struggle between several private forces composed of adventurers in the city.

Chapter 346 The Void Rift

So far, the only news circulating about Ma Qiyun is that he has finally found a suitable new set of equipment, which is said to be a set of black armor.

But that's all. As for how powerful that armor will be in Ma Qiyun's hands, that remains to be seen.

The main reason is that he has been keeping a low profile lately, and when he does appear at the guild, he comes and goes in a hurry and never interacts with people much, so no one can tell what's going on with him.

However, given that Ma Qiyun has been keeping a low profile recently, many people speculate that the armor is probably not as good as his former Tianyuan Giant Shield.

After all, back when the Heavenly Yuan Giant Shield was in existence, Ma Qiyun's name was well-known throughout Nanzhao City—with the giant shield in hand, even fifth-tier and most sixth-tier superhumans would find it difficult to break through his defense head-on.

But now that he's changed into armor, even though it's his signature piece of equipment, he hasn't even used it in public once, which inevitably makes people doubt the quality of that armor.

As for why he chose a suit of armor instead of the shield he was most familiar with, many people speculate that it was probably so that he could hunt in the Rift alone.

After all, shields are best suited for defense. Even if they have some offensive capabilities, they are not the right thing to do. When it comes to situations where a quick battle or pursuit of a target is required, shields will show their cumbersome nature and limitations.

Armor, on the other hand, offers excellent defense while being far more agile than a shield. And since it's also within Ma Qiyun's comfort zone, choosing it as his new signature piece of equipment isn't too surprising.

Immediately, rumors began to circulate among the mid-level superhumans in Nanzhao City that Ma Qiyun might become a lone-wolf mercenary.

In other words, when there's something to do, you do work for others; when there's nothing to do, you do it yourself, hunting for materials in the rifts to exchange for money. The main focus is on flexibility, freedom, and not being bound by any faction.

If this speculation is true, then the best choice for the opponent is to make a set of armor their new signature equipment.

The many disturbances from the outside world naturally did not escape Ma Qiyun's ears, nor was there any need to hide them. In fact, it was possible that others deliberately told him these things in order to probe his situation.

However, no matter how outrageous those nonsensical remarks were, Ma Qiyun did not respond at all, but simply hid in the shadows to practice his control over the Black Rhino Armor.

Under Zhang Che's tutelage, and with a mind that had been thoroughly tempered by numerous trials and tribulations, Ma Qiyun's "intention" unexpectedly began to align with the Black Rhino Armor's mental cultivation principle of "annihilation by a raging waterfall, calm as still water."

The phrase "calm as still water" perfectly describes Ma Qiyun's current mindset: prioritizing stability above all else and refraining from any rash actions.

As for "destroying in the raging waterfall," it naturally refers to the fact that he has never given up the idea of ​​taking revenge on those who wronged him in the past. His current forbearance is just the calm before the storm.

It was precisely because of Ma Qiyun's outstanding performance that Zhang Che became increasingly eager to see what kind of powerful combat force this good teammate could unleash in the future.

Before that, Zhang Che still had to lead his prospective apprentice on a spontaneous adventure.

Thirty kilometers southeast of Nanzhao City, in the lobby of a fairly large base, Ma Lingfeng, led by Zhang Che and another person, was curiously looking around at the surroundings.

Today he was dressed in a light combat suit, with several tool bags attached to his waist, looking somewhat like a novice adventurer.

This was his first time properly entering a rift, and his excitement had lasted since he left the house.

Zhang Che stood beside him, his expression unchanged.

Beside him was a man who looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. He was lean, with a dark complexion, and bright eyes that showed the alertness and efficiency of someone who had been traveling for many years.