If you were to create a tier list for the popular Elemental Essences of today, the Wood Element Essence would undoubtedly be at the top of the current meta, both in strength and practicality.
With its ability to heal common injuries, what more could you possibly ask for?
Even if it’s not used to form a Rune, people would try to keep a Wood Element Essence on hand for its healing abilities.
As for the next tier of Essences, opinions varied depending on individual needs.
But one thing was certain: the defensive Earth Element Essence was particularly favored for its protective qualities.
Conversely, the reputation of the Dark Element Essence that appeared tonight had taken a hit. Its invisibility trait was somewhat lackluster, as it only worked while standing still. Furthermore, while its attacks carried a negative curse effect, they were ultimately less effective at killing than a proper Rune.
However, considering the overall strength of Dark Element Runes, many people were still eager to acquire them.
"Nice."
The burly member of the small group couldn’t wait to absorb the essence as soon as he got his hands on it, immediately activating its power.
His hand trembled, and a fine, earthy-brown shimmer suddenly appeared on his skin, quickly extending up his arm until it formed a glowing coating over his entire left hand.
"Try cutting me."
At his invitation, someone drew a blade and scraped it against his skin, leaving only a shallow scratch.
A slightly harder chop left a groove on the surface, but it wasn’t nearly enough to break the skin.
"The defense is definitely off the charts."
The burly man threw a few tentative jabs and felt only a slight sluggishness. Though it slowed his attack speed, he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t an acceptable trade-off for the defensive boost.
"I can help you make some calls."
Just then, Pang Peng had an idea. The optimist, a true social butterfly, picked up a walkie-talkie and extended its antenna.
Archery competitors from different universities tend to know each other; the community is only so big. This was especially true for the famous universities in the Capital City, which held joint social events once or twice a year.
Pang Peng, a young man with thick brows and large eyes, was often one of the organizers.
"This is Pang Peng from the Jingcheng University archery team. Respond if you copy. Over."
The small groups had arranged things beforehand, agreeing on a dedicated frequency so they could communicate directly without broadcasting to everyone.
Before long, members from a university of science and engineering and a university of science and technology archery team expressed interest, following the directions to the large canopy tent.
"Brother Zi Qian! Ruoruo, you great beauty! Looks like you all had a great haul tonight."
They came up to exchange greetings and started chatting amongst themselves.
Su Chen observed the dynamics of the large group. It wasn’t as if they were all close; some individuals from the different cliques were merely nodding acquaintances and not very familiar with each other.
The eight-person group from the Jingcheng University archery club, on the other hand—five men and three women—had reached the point of sharing their Elemental Essence resources. They appeared to have strictly defined roles, and their bond was so tight that it would be nearly impossible for an outsider to join them.
After some simple pleasantries, they immediately got down to business.
Since they had already discussed the trade, Su Chen simply took the four remaining bottles from his canvas backpack and lined them up on the folding table.
"Seven of these things in total? Bro, did you raid a whole nest or something?" The burly man who had just completed his trade hadn’t left; now, he was just staring, dumbfounded.
The three from the university of science and engineering had wanted to take them all, but since they couldn’t fully meet Su Chen’s demands, they settled on trading one Wind Element Essence and two Dark Element Essences.
This small group must have known the exact effects of the Three Earth Runes and been very satisfied with it; otherwise, they wouldn’t have had such a big appetite.
Those around understood the situation and didn’t ask any further questions.
The group from the university of science and technology got what amounted to a consolation prize, trading one Dark Element Essence for the last "earth bead." As they put it, they wanted to try their luck and "scratch off" an Earth Element Rune effect.
"It’s not an objective truth, but so far, the consensus is that the first Element used to form a Rune determines its elemental attribute." This theory was accepted by everyone present, as it had proven correct so far.
Once the trading was finished, Su Chen, without any hesitation, absorbed all the Essences he had just acquired.
Upgrade Requirements: Shadow Summoning Rune 3/4, Spiritual Dust Sand 0/1
Besides the Summoning Rune, the upgrade information for his Shadow Leap Rune also updated.
Upgrade Requirements: Dark (2/2) + Wind (2/2) + Light (0/2)
’Nice.’
Su Chen thought to himself. The short trading session had significantly boosted the upgrade progress for three of his Elemental Runes.
He even felt the urge to pull an all-nighter to grind for it. After all, he already had the Spiritual Dust Sand prepared; all he needed were three more Dark Element Essences to reach the next level.
The thought was fleeting...
’That’s enough for tonight. I have more important things to do tomorrow morning.’
Su Chen disliked deviating from his plans. His personality had shades of an INTJ; as his friend often said, his style was one of calm efficiency and extreme goal-orientation.
"Thanks, man. I’m heading back."
He gave Pang Peng a slight nod of acknowledgment.
He stood up from his camping chair and smoothly swung the worn but sturdy canvas backpack over his strong right shoulder.
The seated figures instinctively looked up. Perhaps it was the angle, but looking up at his tall, straight figure, they felt an inexplicable, imposing pressure.
"Take care, Su Chen."
Pang Peng, Yan Ziqian, and the others all said their goodbyes.
They had briefly exchanged names while chatting earlier.
As his figure left the large canopy tent and faded beyond the firelight’s reach, the other two archery teams grew curious about the lone wolf.
"What’s that guy’s story? He’s not an Archer, so how did he get his hands on so many Earth Element Essences? And he absorbed that many in one sitting."
This indirectly confirmed the impressive depth of the Runes he possessed.
For someone who wasn’t a competitive archer—and a lone wolf, no less—this was simply incredible.
To this, no one offered an explanation. They weren’t nearly close enough to be sharing such personal information.
Pang Peng just smiled. "Just a friend I met who was passing through. It’s not like I can run a background check on him for you."
Su Chen returned to the RV park. The convoy from the touring club had already left, making the area feel much quieter and more deserted.
He was about to pull open the RV door when he suddenly stopped.
Beneath the RV’s front-left wheel, a shadow moved slightly.
A tabby cat was curled up in the small space between the tire and the ground. Its small figure looked just like the kitten he had fed while fishing.
A soft, high-pitched meow confirmed it for Su Chen—it was the same one.
The campground kept a lot of cats, originally to deal with mice. But after a wave of influencers came to post about the place, the cats themselves became an unexpected viral hit and a major promotional feature.
"You must be hungry."
He turned and opened the RV’s side storage compartment. Inside, the fish bucket still held several grass carp he had caught that afternoon.
As if smelling the delicious food, the little tabby cat cautiously approached.
After a fish was tossed to the ground, it lunged, sinking its teeth into the fish’s head.
In the next instant, as if wreathed in Wind Gauze, its body gave off a faint green glow, and it vanished in a flash of Wind Escape.

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