This thirty seconds, of course, did not refer to the invincible technique of a thirty-second man, but rather to allow Ren Yuanhao to regulate his internal energy.
"Kid, since it's a hidden shop, it has its own rules. The first point, you've already seen it, the shop will not have any goods displayed. The second point is that no matter what treasure you grab later, you'll have to pay the corresponding points. The third point is, if there are no treasures or items destined for you, you've come for nothing, with no consolation prize."
As soon as the old man finished speaking, the entire space returned to a void of darkness. Although Ren Yuanhao had many questions in his heart, since that uncle had only given him thirty seconds, he had to calm his mind and seize the opportunity during the remaining time.
He wasn't going to suffer the loss of returning empty-handed now, nor did he plan to in the future.
The thirty seconds quickly and quietly passed. Ren Yuanhao's mind was clear. Before long, a series of piercing whistling sounds echoed in his ears. The whistling suddenly turned into the pattering sound of rain, which gradually intensified. Before long, it turned into a torrential downpour. However, these were all auditory hallucinations produced in Ren Yuanhao's ears. In reality, not a single drop of rain fell, and no wind ruffled his hair.
It was at this moment that something like the sound of bats gliding past suddenly flew over his head. As the sound gradually accelerated, the bodies of those things seemed to rub against the air, creating dazzling flames!
The flames, initially scattered in sparse clusters of three to five, slowly grew more numerous, and the surroundings became brighter and brighter. Ren Yuanhao looked closely and saw a group of wooden boxes with wings, and the flames were emanating from these wooden boxes.
Ren Yuanhao knew that the things seen in such an environment were inherently illusory and unrealistic, so he didn't think much of it. He reached out to grab the closest burning wooden box. However, as his hand approached, the wooden box seemed to have a spirit. It dodged and weaved as if it were a person, gracefully evading his grasp. Ren Yuanhao marveled at this, and his heart grew more anxious.
"Could it be that I'm destined to lose out today?"
Failing to grasp it on the first attempt, Ren Yuanhao sat up from the ground, gathered his internal energy, and leaped up, rushing towards the densely packed fiery wooden boxes.
However, those wooden boxes were either incredibly fast, slippery, or erupted with flames three to four meters high, exhibiting extreme dominance, completely preventing him from getting close. At this moment, the uncle's voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, came from above.
"Countdown, 15 seconds, kid, hurry up."
"Damn it, heavens above, don't play with me like this! If I return empty-handed, the system lady will surely laugh me to death, and there are still three girls waiting for me to rescue them. Although I'm not good at saving the day, that doesn't mean I don't like it!"
"Countdown, 10 seconds!"
The uncle's voice lost its mockery, replaced by a hint of regret. After all, to be able to gain his recognition was already extremely rare. In decades, even centuries, how many people could even catch a glimpse of him?
It was at this moment that Ren Yuanhao was inspired. He immediately activated his internal energy and, with the "Flying Dragon Snatching Cloud Hand" technique, twisted his body in an incredibly uncanny manner and lunged towards a fiery wooden box flipping up and down in the Qian position!
"Time's up!"
As soon as the voice fell, Ren Yuanhao securely held the wooden box in his hand. Oh, no, the wooden box he had grabbed had returned to its normal appearance. It now lay quietly in his palm, as if waiting for its owner to open it.
Of course, he could only take it away smoothly if his points were sufficient for redemption.
"Alright, kid, you're quite something, truly managing to seize it at the last second." The man finally turned his head.
His eyebrows were the same color as his hair, like two silver long swords. His nose was high-bridged, and his eyes were like brilliant stars. However, there was a centipede scar below his eyelids, extending all the way to his ear. Two deep nasolabial folds etched his face with an even more stern and severe appearance, his wrinkles seeming much deeper than his age.
However, Ren Yuanhao could never have imagined that such a man with a stern and severe appearance would have a rebellious, almost tsundere personality deep down.
"Kid, turn the bottom of the box over and take a look. If nothing unexpected happens, it should indicate the required points."
Ren Yuanhao followed his instructions and turned the box upside down. He saw textures on the bottom resembling a turtle's shell. He examined it carefully for a moment, then scratched his head.
"Senior, there isn't a single word on here."
Upon hearing that there wasn't a single word, the man's expression suddenly changed. Before he could utter "What," his expression returned to its previous demeanor.
"This, this has no words," the man said halfway through, his expression changing again, making Ren Yuanhao's heart jump with unease.
"Oh my, does 'no words' mean 'priceless treasure'? My hands can't possibly be blessed! Don't mess with me!"
"Since there are no words, it means it's free of charge. Alright, you brat, you can get lost now. We'll never meet again."
Without waiting for Ren Yuanhao to erupt in wild excitement, the man directly drew a black vortex in front of him. Dark energy surged, and Ren Yuanhao felt as if he had been pushed. Dizzy and disoriented, he was instantly pulled by the vortex back into the illusory space within his skull.
Before him was still the roulette wheel, more than a person tall, making contact with the ground without any pain. Perhaps his excitement had completely numbed his sense of pain.
"How was this trip? Quite special, wasn't it?"
"Of course, I feel like I've hit the jackpot, little sister. Look!"
Fearing that the little sister in the void couldn't see clearly, Ren Yuanhao raised the small wooden box in his hand high, a triumphant look on his face.
"You've indeed hit the jackpot. Not to mention anything else, just this wooden box alone, consuming tens of thousands of points would be worthwhile."
"Oh? Does this wooden box have any special properties?"
Upon hearing that even this wooden box seemed to have a significant origin, Ren Yuanhao became even more curious about the contents within the box.
"This wooden box is said to be made from the hair of the Han Ba, transformed into a tree, from the Cangwu Abyss of the Shan Hai Jing era. For cultivators, it is an extraordinary item."
Ren Yuanhao held this item in his hands and felt waves of warmth emanating from them. Even his internal energy became more mellow, and his dantian felt incredibly smooth!
"It truly is a wondrous item! But what does it have to do with cultivators?"
The system lady's voice paused slightly. Just as she was about to explain, she probably felt it would be a waste of breath and casually replied:
"You'll understand in the future. For now, let's open it and see what you've gained from this journey."