The ground before them stretched out for hundreds of square meters, covered with a thick layer of shattered weapons and armor. From the craftsmanship and materials, it was clear that these were rare, high-quality items—many of which were infused with magical energy. How much could all of this be worth? Magical weapons, unlike ordinary ones, required not only skilled blacksmiths but also the involvement of high-level mages to craft. High-level mages were prestigious and rarely worked alongside blacksmiths, and since creating these items was time-consuming, resource-intensive, and had a low success rate, they were produced in very limited quantities. As a result, magical weapons and armor were incredibly expensive. Even the most basic magic sword could easily cost over ten thousand gold coins. Looking at the scene in front of him, Zhang Sanfeng estimated that at least several hundred magical weapons had been destroyed, and no fewer than a hundred suits of armor had been ruined. Such waste!

“Everyone, search carefully. There may be some intact pieces, or ones that aren’t too damaged and can be repaired. Also, gather any fragments with magic cores or magic crystals embedded in them!” Zhang Sanfeng ordered.

He joined the search himself, using his acute sensitivity to magical fluctuations to guide him. He first stumbled upon a small shield—only about a foot and a half in diameter. The shield was remarkably intact, with intricate engravings on the surface, and several scratches that proved it had seen many battles. The one-inch-thick shield wasn’t too heavy, likely because the center had been hollowed out to hold a magic array and magic crystals. It seemed capable of withstanding at least level five magic attacks. Unfortunately, Zhang Sanfeng wasn’t yet familiar enough with its market value to judge its worth. He continued searching, and after a few more steps, his eyes landed on a ring. It was worn on a white finger bone and appeared ordinary—black, without any engravings or gemstones. Yet, Zhang Sanfeng had a sudden sense of recognition. That’s right, it was a spatial ring! His mother wore one just like it. What luck! Although his Golden Lotus could store items like a mountain, it was always a hassle to retrieve things from it, and it couldn’t be seen by others. A spatial ring, on the other hand, would be much more convenient.

Around him, there were occasional exclamations of discovery. It seemed that his companions were finding quite a bit as well.

“Return to the others and inform Mother of the situation here!” Zhang Sanfeng ordered. “Everyone else, don’t search aimlessly. These fragments must have been here for many years, as none of them show signs of rust. The materials are clearly of high quality. If we melt them down, they could be reforged into top-tier weapons.”

One of the leading elves assigned someone to return to the others, then nodded in agreement. “Yes, Master is right. I’m sure our dwarf friends would be happy to receive these fragments.”

“Alright, everyone, gather everything up and sort it by category on the flat ground below. When Mother arrives, we’ll take it all with us!” Zhang Sanfeng directed.

“Yes, Master! We’ll follow your instructions!” the elves responded.

Before long, his mother arrived, accompanied by over fifty elves. She first pinched her nose in distaste at the wreckage but, after hearing Zhang Sanfeng’s suggestions, nodded in approval. “That’s right, Son! You’ve done well. Not a single fragment should be left behind. Sort them out, and I’ll take my son to see how the others are doing.” She quickly grabbed his hand and began to hurry away, unable to stand the foul smell any longer.

On the way, his mother noticed the shield in his hand.

“Son, let me see what you’ve found!” she said excitedly.

“Here,” Zhang Sanfeng handed it over.

“Good heavens, is this really the Fire Lion Shield?” she gasped after examining it closely.

“Is it famous?” Zhang Sanfeng asked.

“It is indeed!” she said, still in awe. “This was the most prized creation of Skarlo, the dwarf master blacksmith, five hundred years ago. The shield is made of black iron, with a magic array etched in mithril and powered by the magic core of an eighth-level Fire Lion. It can defend against all spells below level seven, and against fire-based attacks, it’s even effective against up to level nine spells! It’s a nightmare for mages. Moreover, when a warrior channels his fighting spirit into the shield, a ten-meter-long fire serpent bursts forth from its surface, hot enough to melt gold and iron, making it a weapon in its own right. It disappeared two hundred years ago, and the last time it was auctioned, it was worth two million gold coins!” His mother excitedly explained the shield’s origins.

“Then, what do you think this is worth?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, handing her the ring.

“Oh my goodness! The surprises you’ve given me today are more than I’ve ever experienced!” His mother gasped, her voice trembling. “This is definitely a spatial ring! But it needs to be attuned to its owner before it can be opened. See the markings inside? Those are the activation spells. Based on its design, it seems to be a medium-sized one, capable of holding about ten cubic meters. It’s nowhere near as good as mine, but it’s still quite impressive!” She paused, then urged him, “Quickly, perform the attunement. Let’s see what’s inside!”

“Right!” Zhang Sanfeng immediately followed her instructions, dripping his blood onto the ring and reciting the activation spell. The process felt almost identical to using the Golden Lotus. The ring opened to reveal a circular space about an inch in diameter, and inside, there was indeed a space of roughly ten cubic meters. Several items lay within, including alchemical tools and finished products. Two items caught his attention: a sword and a book. He quickly pulled them out. The sword was about a meter long, a typical single-handed sword used by warriors. It glowed with a faint green light, unmistakably a wind magic sword. He handed it to his mother and then turned his attention to the book. As he opened it, he realized it was a notebook of alchemical formulas. On the second page, he found the owner's name: Grinspan Dail.

“Mother, who is Grinspan Dail?” he asked, intrigued.

“Two hundred years ago, Grinspan Dail was the greatest alchemy master of the human race. He specialized in creating magic swords and magical items related to summoning. Could this be one of his relics?”

“It’s possible. At the very least, this notebook belongs to him, and it’s filled with alchemy-related content.”

“That’s what I thought. This sword must be his work, too. His name is engraved on the hilt.”

“Is there something special about this sword?”

“Of course! As the last masterpiece of a master, this sword is flawless both as a memento and a functional weapon. Do you know? It can actually release three different types of magic—it's practically a miracle. What we usually call a magic sword is just a blade with enchanted magical elements to enhance its attack power, but I’ve never heard of a sword that can cast magic, let alone three different spells!” His mother said, clearly astonished.

“How do you know it can cast magic?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, intrigued.

“As a Magic Master, I can easily recognize the hidden magic array within the sword’s blade,” she replied. “Here, let me show you.”

With that, she gripped the hilt and swung the sword. A gust of wind shot out from the tip, the blade’s power surprising even Zhang Sanfeng.

“That’s the first magic: Wind Blade. The second is Wind Shield.” She swung the sword again, and a faint blue glow appeared around her, forming a translucent shield.

“And the third is an acceleration spell, but I won’t demonstrate it now. The magical energy in the gemstones on the hilt is nearly depleted and needs to be recharged. When used, you can activate the energy stored in the three gems with fighting spirit or magic to release the corresponding spells. It’s a brilliant design! This sword is definitely worth a fortune when auctioned!”

“Don’t sell it yet, Mother,” Zhang Sanfeng interjected. “I want to study it first. Maybe I can replicate it using the notes and the real object!”

“Oh, right! How could I forget about your genius? I’ll make sure to sell your creations at a great price when the time comes!”

Zhang Sanfeng sweated nervously at the thought.

After three days of busy work, they had finally collected everything. The elves’ method of handling magical beasts was clearly professional. Among the spoils, they found twelve serpent fangs, six magic cores—light, dark, water, fire, wind, and the rarest of them all, poison—twelve serpent eyes, a poison sac, blood, skin, bones, and tendons. Additionally, there were eight intact weapons: five swords, two daggers, and a spear, along with the Fire Lion Shield. The armor had been completely destroyed, but some pieces were still salvageable, and those were set aside for repair. They had gathered so much that even his mother’s spatial ring wasn’t big enough to hold everything, and so the rest was loaded onto the unicorn.

In her excitement, his mother agreed to give each of the elves a piece of bone and tendon, allowing them to craft their own bows. The elven guards were extremely grateful for her generosity. According to elven custom, items without owners belonged to the discoverers, and since the elves had merely assisted in collecting the materials, they were thrilled with the outcome.

But over the following days, Zhang Sanfeng noticed his mother muttering to herself late into the night:

“A single bow’s materials are worth ten thousand gold coins. With three hundred people, that’s three hundred bows, and that’s three million gold coins! Oh, my goodness, I just gave away three million gold coins! Oh, why did I do that?”

Zhang Sanfeng could only sigh in exasperation as cold sweat ran down his back.