《Absolute Death Game》


 Chapter 1 The Fall of the Empire

    According to reports, Kunlun Avenue experienced a wild beast attack last night. Experts suspect that it might have been a Northeast tiger that escaped from the zoo. The zoo''s management has denied these claims. The police are currently investigating the matter and ask the public to pay close attention. If anyone has any leads, please contact the police immediately."Xu Li was leaning against the bar watching the news when the door to the teahouse suddenly opened. A young man in a suit and leather shoes walked in. He appeared to be under thirty but had a rather mature air about him. Carrying a briefcase, which seemed to contain a laptop or something similar, he entered. Seeing a new customer come in, Xu Li hurriedly went over to greet him.


    "May I ask how many are with you, sir?" she inquired.


    "Just me. I''ve booked a private room on the second floor," he replied.


    "Oh, that must be Mr. Xiao Buli. Please follow me," she said


    Once on the second floor, she had the waiter bring up a pot of tea and then he closed the door of the private room, opened the briefcase, and indeed, there was a computer inside. After booting it up, he logged into a game. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the familiar scenes on the screen, Xiao Buli sighed.


    The game he was playing was called "Jiuzhou Domination." He had devoted six months of energy to this game. But don''t get him wrong, he wasn''t some gaming addict; he was a professional gamer¡ªa Strategy Planner with the Qingyang Studio.


    Unlike typical professional gamers, Qingyang Studio profited by exploiting the game''s glitches and mastering its rules. Usually, they would research a game as soon as it was released to assess its quality and potential profit points to decide whether it was worth investing in. If so, they''d proceed with further research and planning.


    Through precise calculation and exploring the game''s content, they quickly grasped the economic mechanisms and equipment obtainment methods within the game to turn a profit.


    Using this method, he and his team had earned substantial profits from several popular games.


    But this time, they encountered trouble. They had set their sights on "Jiuzhou Domination," a game that touted national warfare, right from its beta testing. In this game, the map was divided into nine sections, known as Jiuzhou. All the dungeons and instances suitable for leveling and looting were scattered among these nine sections.


    Each section had a main city that provided players with quests and supplies for restocking. These main cities could be conquered by players, and each city had surrounding villages, strongholds, and passes, creating a complete virtual world.


    To promote the game, the operators launched an unprecedented slogan: the first guild to capture all nine main cities would be named the "King of Jiuzhou," winning a prize of one million RMB.


    Upon hearing this news, Xiao Buli immediately led his team to join the game and established the renowned guild, the Qingyang Empire.


    After six months of bribery, scheming, warfare, and slaughter led by Qingyang Guild, the Qingyang Empire had conquered eight of the server''s main cities. The various great guilds on his server had been either fragmented or crushed by him, losing their qualification to compete for the title of King of Jiuzhou.


    Only the Iron Blood Alliance maintained some strength, clinging to the last city not yet conquered by him. However, the fall of the Iron Blood Alliance was just a matter of time¡ªunless something unexpected occurred.


    Just as he was preparing to advance west and finish things off once and for all, the game suddenly updated. The new version introduced many changes which weren''t significant, but what truly upset Xiao Buli was a change in the monetization of the game, shifting from a time-based charge to a free-to-play model with item fees.


    Upon hearing this news, the leader of Iron Blood Alliance, Long Aotian, was overjoyed. He immediately purchased a Dragon Soul Set worth a million RMB and a Demon Sword costing five hundred thousand RMB from the in-game store and personally joined the battle to defend the city that evening.


    It turned out that in front of a true cash player, all strategies and tactics were as ineffective as clouds, and solidarity was worthless. Long Aotian singlehandedly guarded the main gate of Liangzhou City, and Xiao Buli, leading his elite forces, attacked more than a dozen times, all in vain. That night, the battle that seemed to be a sure win ultimately ended in defeat.


    Yet, this defeat was just the beginning. It was unclear where Long Aotian got so much money from, but he equipped several of the alliance''s top players with RMB-purchased gear and recruited many solo players to the guild. The next day, they launched a counter-attack. The grand blueprint of the Qingyang Empire crumbled like rotten wood.


    In less than half a month, the eight main cities that Xiao Buli controlled fell one after another. Despite their numerical superiority, the Qingyang Empire lost every battle, while the Iron Blood Alliance''s momentum seemed unstoppable¡ªit looked like they would soon unify Jiuzhou. As their last city, Youzhou City, remained in their hands, Xiao Buli had no choice but to employ his final tactic.


    As the penultimate main city was about to fall, he pooled all the gold coins left in the guild to create over thirty guilds and applied for siege rights with each. This move cost him over one and a half million gold coins, roughly fifty thousand RMB.


    When the Iron Blood Alliance arrived at the gates, they were awkwardly informed that they would have to wait at least a month before they could siege, meaning even if they razed Youzhou City to the ground, they wouldn''t be able to claim ownership.


    This certainly couldn''t salvage the Qingyang Empire from its fate of dissolution, but it could buy some time. Battles were raging on other servers as well, with some showing signs of unification. Left with no choice, Long Aotian opted for negotiation. He offered Xiao Buli three hundred thousand RMB to hand over Youzhou City.


    While this was certainly less than the one million RMB prize announced by the gaming company, it was much better than leaving empty-handed.


    Xiao Buli had no other options but to accept the offer, and today was the day for the arrangement to be fulfilled.


    Half an hour later, the door of the private room once again opened. Startled by a soft cough, Xiao Buli snapped out of his reverie.


    Looking up, three people entered, among them a charming, smiling handsome man¡ªit must be Long Aotian from the Iron Blood Alliance. The other two were burly bodyguards dressed in black suits and sunglasses, one of them carrying a briefcase.


    Why does this feel like a mafia negotiation? Xiao Buli couldn''t help but mock himself amidst the rush.


    "Did you bring the money?"


    Long Aotian waved his hand, and the briefcase was immediately opened. Glancing at the neatly stacked cash inside, Xiao Buli let out a dejected sigh. Half a year of management, and this is still a less than ideal outcome.


    He nodded, reopened his laptop, and the white walls of Youzhou City remained unchanged, though they were no longer his.


    Upon seeing him log in, many guild members who were resting or idle in the city immediately messaged him.


    "Boss, you''ve finally come. When are we going to counter-attack?"


    "Boss, you haven''t been online for days, are you brewing some grand plan?"


    "Boss, shouldn''t we also pool together some money to buy a few Dragon Soul Sets? With the right gear, we''ll definitely take it back!"


    Reading those messages, Xiao Buli forced a bitter smile. Without responding, he walked directly into the City Lord''s Hall. When he went to select the option to surrender the city, Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, "I only have one request, please don''t expel my brothers."


    Long Aotian nodded nonchalantly, "Of course, I too have immense respect for these battle-worn warriors. Their commitment to stand by each other till the end shows they are truly trustworthy. Under my rule, they will surely become part of us and gain better prospects and development opportunities."


    Xiao Buli nodded. As members of the occupying guild, they could enjoy many in-game benefits. At least he had secured a settlement for his people, and he felt he had done right by them, to the best of his ability.


    He opened the guild management page and chose to apply for a merger with the Iron Blood Alliance. Long Aotian immediately accepted it, and amidst a sequence of system announcement chimes, the Iron Blood Alliance became the first guild to unify the entire server.


    System Notice: Congratulations to the Iron Blood Alliance for being the first guild to unify Jiuzhou in Jiuzhou Domination, Guild Leader Long Aotian awarded the title of King of Jiuzhou, and will receive a grand prize of one million yuan from the game''s operators.


    System Notice: A new version of the game is coming soon, with more and better content waiting for players to explore. Stay tuned!


    Reading the system announcement, the guild channel instantly erupted in an uproar, a mix of voices rising. Xiao Buli had no interest in those words; he simply logged out of the game, closed his laptop, and sighed deeply. Turning to glance at Long Aotian, he saw the latter was also closing his laptop, preparing to leave.


    Offhand, Xiao Buli asked, "What does the title of King of Jiuzhou mean to you?"


    Long Aotian shrugged, "Nothing."


    As he turned to leave the room, he suddenly paused and looked back, revealing a victor''s smile, "Everything."

 Chapter 2 Rainbow Bar

    In the evening, Xiao Buli arrived at Rainbow Bar, bringing with him the case full of money.The decision-making layer of the Qingyang Empire wasn''t just him, but included all the members of the studio. To obtain the title of King of Jiuzhou and to snatch the million-dollar prize, it was only through the united efforts of the entire studio that the guild''s operating funds were assembled.


    After all, for a guild that aspired to be the top server-wide, even in a time-charging game, even with various in-game planning and operations, outside investments were inevitable. The studio had invested hundreds of thousands of RMB in it.


    This time, due to the matter of city offering, there were continuous disagreements within the studio. After all, the million-dollar prize suddenly shrank to three hundred thousand, and nobody would be pleased about that. However, everyone was clear about the major trends within the game.


    From the moment the game shifted from a fee-charging model to a free one, everyone understood that they no longer had control over the game''s development.


    "Alright, everyone, no need to look so glum, we did make a tidy profit this time after all,"


    As Xiao Buli spoke, he placed the case of money on the table. "All three hundred thousand are here; after deducting our initial investment, we still have about one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty thousand left. At least our efforts over the past six months haven''t been in vain. Let''s split the money."


    "What do you mean ''haven''t been in vain''? Which game haven''t we easily conquered before? With our strength, was there ever a time we didn''t make a hefty profit? This time we spent half a year and put all the early game earnings into it, but in the end, only made a few hundred thousand. There are six of us. Once we split it, there''s hardly any money left."


    The speaker was Xie Tiankong, responsible for advertising and promotions. He wasn''t very good at playing games but excelled at making game videos. It was thanks to his several exciting game videos uploaded to video sites that Qingyang Empire recruited a large number of players.


    "What can we do about it? Free games have become mainstream now. Apart from a few old games still making a profit thanks to their veteran players, almost all new games are uniformly free. Take Jiuzhou Domination, for example.


    When it was time-charged, the monthly profit was only a few million, but now that it has switched to item-charging, I heard that in just half a month, dozens of Dragon Soul Suits have sold, one set for one million each. Just think how much money that is. Not to mention the less expensive RMB equipment.


    I''ve heard that after a while they''re going to release the Yan Huang Set, which is even better than the Dragon Soul Set, and then the Pangu Set, probably making even more money per set. Longteng Company is going to rake it in. We don''t have millions to invest, so why would the gaming company consider our opinions?"


    The one interrupting was Han Wenhuan, in charge of strategic command. He had a gift for strategy and tactics, and almost all the major battles in the game were directed by him. Even when the forces were at their most disadvantageous, he could win ultimate victory through superior tactics.


    However, in the last half month''s battles, the tides had completely turned, and no matter how much he outnumbered his opponents, he would lose every battle. No tactics could overcome the absolute strength of RMB players, leaving him, proud of his military prowess, thoroughly disgusted. His words now carried a hint of sourness, but the reasoning was irrefutable.


    Wen Huan''s right. Game companies create games to make money, especially in the current landscape of free games dominating the market. No one would turn away from money. The change in Jiuzhou Domination''s pricing model isn''t surprising. Besides, those matters have little to do with us. After all, there''s no longer any need for us to play this game," Xiao Buli said flatly.


    "Then, boss, which game will we conquer next?" asked Li Shuren, who was an insider in the online game development industry, privy to many internal details and a significant asset to the studio.


    "There won''t be a next one. There are hardly any new pay-to-play games on the market now, and there is no possibility for us to make a profit in free games," Xiao Buli shook his head as he spoke. He was right; from equipment to materials, from experience to gold coins, from fashion items to pets, the gaming company had monopolized everything.


    As long as players had the money, they could buy everything they wanted in the store. There truly wasn''t a way for the studio to profit anymore.


    "So, is the studio just going to end like this? The Qingyang Empire will just become history?" Mr. Bang asked, somewhat incredulous. His real name was Gu Shaobang, and he was also the owner of the bar. Unlike the others in the studio, Mr. Bang, a rich second-generation, mingled in the studio just for fun and didn''t care much about the income.


    The Qingyang Empire was a Great Guild that had survived through numerous classic games, once formidable in the online gaming world and quite renowned. No one would have thought to see such a day. Hearing Gu Shaobang''s words, and considering the current state of the online gaming world, everyone present felt a surge of emotion.


    Xiao Buli nodded noncommittally, "Considering the current situation, it seems so."


    Mr. Bang nodded with a touch of melancholy, sipping the vodka in his glass, but no one responded, and the private room fell into silence.


    Xiao Buli didn''t say anything more and began to divide the money. The stacks of cash were distributed, and Xiao Buli, never taking more because of his role as the guild leader, did not make an exception this time. One hundred and fifty-eight thousand was split evenly into six parts, each person receiving just under thirty thousand.


    Although dissatisfied with the reduction in income, everyone seemed revitalized when they received the money. The last one to take their share was Xiao Ge, the youngest member of the studio, not even twenty this year, a standard post-90s kid with the highest gaming talent among them.


    He had even been a professional esports player for a while, winning several small competitions, but later retired in frustration over the grueling training and low prize money. He was also the chief fighter of the Qingyang Guild. After taking his share of the money, Xiao Ge didn''t leave but looked at Xiao Buli silently.


    "What''s up?" Xiao Buli looked up at the tall young man before him, his slightly childish face showing a trace of worry.


    "You know me, guild leader. I''m not like them. Even if they stop playing games, they have skills, they can find decent jobs. Aside from gaming, there''s really nothing I''m good at, and I have no interest in other fields. So, if there''s any similar opportunity to make money, please remember to contact me, alright?"


    Xiao Buli opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. In the end, he could only nod, "Definitely."


    Only then did Xiao Ge manage a forced smile and cheer up before walking away.


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 Chapter 3 Qilin Studio

    "Demacia!" With a shout, Garen instantly sped up, raising his sword high, about to bring it down in a mighty slash¡ªbut at the critical moment, the Lady of Light, Lux, used a flash spell to escape. Light Binding¡ªthe feet of Garen were frozen in place, followed by the luminous singularity¡ªFinal Spark! S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.One attack flowed into the next, and Garen, already at half health, was inevitably pinned down in front of the base crystal.


    Xiao Buli picked up the still-lit cigarette from the ashtray and took a deep drag, but the faint smile that had appeared on his face due to defeating his opponent quickly disappeared.


    League of Legends was the online game similar to DOTA he had recently been using to pass the time. Compared to MMORPGs, this type of game didn''t have much in the way of profit potential, but it was enough to kill time.


    Looking at the victory screen, he reflected on the recent events. Xiao Buli wasn''t ready to leave the world of online gaming just yet. He kept tabs on the gaming market, trying every new game to see whether it was worth investing time and energy. Sadly, these games were either pay-to-win cash pits or low-quality knockoffs with nothing to offer.


    It wasn''t just a matter of investing his energy; even spending half an hour on them felt like a punishment. With nothing better to do, he could only play some competitive games for entertainment.


    "Come sit at my bar tonight," a voice from the body on the ground suddenly said.


    After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Buli typed out "Okay."


    Four hours later¡ª


    "Here, try the cocktail mixed by our beautiful bartender¡ªthe ''Sexy Bomb'' is sure to impress," Mr. Bang placed a dozen cocktails on Xiao Buli''s table. It was after eight in the evening, and the bar wasn''t officially open yet, just staff bustling around cleaning up.


    Xiao Buli looked at the glasses in front of him¡ªtwelve neatly arranged in a tray, their transparent liquid reflecting the bar''s lights, dazzling to the eye.


    He picked up a glass and looked at it, "VODKA?"


    Clap, clap, clap, Mr. Bang exaggeratedly applauded. "As expected of the God of Alcohol, you knew the base spirit without even tasting."


    Xiao Buli chuckled. The transparency of the drink made it hard to be anything but vodka. He drank it down, the burning sensation reaching his stomach immediately¡ªa strong liquor indeed. "Not bad!" praised Xiao Buli.


    "Haha, with your praise, our beauty can officially be promoted to senior bartender," Mr. Bang said, still grinning from ear to ear.


    Xiao Buli just smiled. Gu Shaobang had been his friend since middle school, and among the people at the studio, their relationship was particularly solid. Even after Qingyang Studio dissolved, the two maintained contact.


    After exchanging knowing smiles, Mr. Bang''s expression slowly turned serious. "Boss, I think I might have found it."


    "You mean¡ª?" Xiao Buli began to say but stopped, Mr. Bang nodded seriously. He pulled a somewhat crumpled newspaper from the back pocket of his jeans, "Look at this."


    Mr. Bang pointed to an advert circled by him in the paper. The ad was sizable, indicating that the other party had spent quite a bit of money.


    It was written in bold letters: Play games and earn a salary over ten thousand a month!, Qilin Studio urgently hiring professional gamers for power leveling, starting salary 8000 plus commission, accommodation provided, if you''re skilled enough, come join us... Waiting for you¡­ The advert included a contact number for applications.


    Compared to the size of the ad, the content seemed sparse, lacking specific details which made Xiao Buli skeptical. These days, there were no such things as pies falling from the sky; a salary of eight thousand a month with additional commission was an offer not even Qingyang Studio at its peak would dare make.


    As a realist who never fancied wishful thinking, his first instinct was to classify the advert as a scam.


    However, on second thought, if it wasn''t a scam, it clearly meant something significant: he had never heard of Qilin Studio or knew what they were all about, but the game they were investing in had to have significant profit potential to offer such high pay; yet, after considering all the current online games in the market, none seemed to fit the bill.


    Could there be a major online game release on the horizon? He wondered. If that were the case, it would be crucial to get early access. It might even allow Qingyang Studio to reopen; perhaps this was the reason for Mr. Bang''s excitement.


    Although he felt that the advertisement was unreliable, seeing Mr. Bang trying to contain his excitement, Xiao Buli couldn''t bear to refuse. "Fine, I''ll take a look, but I hope it''s not a scam."


    "You definitely won''t regret it," Mr. Bang said, bumping fists with him in excitement.


    In the bustling center of City B, Ginza Plaza was surrounded by upscale office buildings. Standing in the open area of the plaza, Xiao Buli felt that the early spring weather was not suitable for exercising. Nonetheless, there were a few citizens taking walks, and occasionally, some white-collars in suits hastily passed through.


    It''s just game power-leveling; wouldn''t renting a residential place do? Xiao Buli was puzzled. From his years of experience running studios, renting a space in such a location for a gaming studio did not seem like something a normal person would do. With a yearly rent of at least several million, what kind of game could generate enough profit to justify this?


    Following the overly sweet voice''s instructions from the phone, Xiao Buli took the elevator to the 18th floor of Ginza Block C. As the elevator doors slowly opened, he was somewhat astonished. Directly opposite in the corridor, a long queue had formed of applicants, many of whom looked quite professional. Several even carried specialized mice and keyboards or thick resumes.


    The scene was not on the same level as when he had recruited staff previously.


    However, this was not surprising. With a guaranteed minimum salary of eight thousand a month and rumored bonuses, such compensation would be considered mid-level in other companies. And, there were no special requirements, just good gaming skills. This seemed like a rather modest requirement, so the fierce competition was understandable.


    After queuing up and filling out the form, Xiao Buli sat bored in the waiting area of the corridor. The interviews were conducted in several rooms, where the applicants were not allowed to talk to each other. Some guards, dressed like they were from Hacker Empire, kept patrolling the area.


    Nearly two hours later, when Xiao Buli was on the brink of falling asleep in the corridor chair, a security guard called him to enter Room One for his interview.


    "Tell me, which games have you played?" asked an interviewer who looked like a college professor.


    Xiao Buli counted on his fingers and reported back. Considering certain factors, he did not disclose the fact that he had been the leader of Qingyang Guild. Naturally, he had played many online games, like "Legend," "Miracle," "World of Warcraft," and others. His interest in games was quite broad, but he rarely got obsessed with one, unless it was necessary for work. However, there were exceptions.


    At least one non-profit game had kept him immersed for a decade, and he still played it occasionally even now.


    "You''ve played ''Diablo II'' for ten years?" The interviewer looked at him strangely. No wonder, considering a vintage game like Diablo, which was not an online game, playing it for a decade was indeed surprising.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Correct." He found the interviewer''s amazement odd. In his view, "Diablo II" was undoubtedly one of the most classic games. Many online games nowadays couldn''t compare to it in terms of gameplay, aside from having better graphics.


    "Have you played an expert level character?" asked the interviewer, seeming somewhat eager.


    An expert level character, also known as hardcore mode, is a special way of playing a game where the player has only one life. If the character is killed by monsters, the player''s character dies permanently without any chance of resurrection. Players who choose this mode are relatively few, mostly those who enjoy the thrill of facing challenges and are experienced veterans.


    Xiao Buli nodded again, "I''ve played with one."


    "What level?"


    "Max level," he said nonchalantly.

 Chapter 4 Expert Level Character

    For ordinary game characters, reaching max level is just a matter of time, but for expert level characters it''s not that simple, since any death could cause all previous efforts to go to waste. So, under normal circumstances, to cultivate such a max-level character is nearly considered a feat to boast about to the average person."No cheating?" asked the university teacher who had been taking notes with great interest, looking up from his work.


    "I never cheat when playing games," Xiao Buli said as he shook his head, not at all uncomfortable about lying. Of course, he would cheat whenever the situation called for it, sometimes even writing his own hacks to gain an advantage in games. However, when it came to playing Diablo 2, he really hadn''t cheated.


    "Then please show me your character."


    This was naturally no problem. The player data for the Battle.net version of Diablo was stored on the server, similar to how online games felt, and Xiao Buli logged into his long-unplayed account and summoned his level 99, expert mode, Fighting Series specialized assassin.


    When the university teacher interviewer saw the character clad in Dark Gold equipment actually appear before his eyes, he showed a pleasantly surprised expression, but he didn''t make a decision right away. Instead, he had someone take Xiao Buli to the second interview hall for a hand speed test, using a well-known real-time strategy game, Starcraft 2.


    Facing the computer, Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate much. Although Xiao Ge was revered as Qingyang Studio''s number one player, to hold a position of authority, his own gaming skills were also substantial, and he quickly passed the first round of tests. Then, he was led to the third interview hall for a survival ability test in a very old game¡ªLegend.


    Testers needed to use a level 20 spellcaster, equipped with no gear, to survive for half an hour on the third floor of Aoma Temple and kill at least 100 monsters.


    To those who had never played this game, such a setup might not seem very daunting, but Xiao Buli knew the challenge well. A level 20 spellcaster only had 77 health points, the monsters in Aoma Temple hit hard, averaging around twenty-five health points of damage per hit, which meant you''d die roughly after three hits.


    The real problem was that there weren''t just melee-attacking monsters, but there were also Dark Warriors that could attack from range. The only health potions testers had were six small golden sore medicines that could restore 20 health points each.


    Additionally, the game had a mechanic where running also consumed health points, although, considering the spells had been set to unlimited, there was no need to carry mana potions.


    This test would be quite challenging for players who had never played this game or the spellcaster class, but for Xiao Buli, it was hardly a challenge. He was beyond familiar with this map from his time playing Legend. He knew a trick, which was to keep running clockwise and gradually lure the monsters together, thus avoiding being surrounded by enemies.


    While the Dark Warriors dealt ranged attacks, they had a certain alert range. By attentively avoiding entering the area range of the Dark Warriors and kiting, one could manage it.


    Unsurprisingly, he completed this test too, breaking through three consecutive challenges. Xiao Buli felt a bit more relaxed. When he entered the fourth interview room, it was getting dark outside, and he was starting to feel hungry, but unexpectedly, the testers were thoughtful enough to quickly distribute boxed meals from the company to each interviewee who hadn''t left.


    Opening the simple meal box, sushi?? Xiao Buli was amazed at the company''s generosity. A downtown office building, luxurious decorations, Hacker Empire edition bodyguards¡ªthe extravagances didn''t stop there. Now even a boxed meal was as luxurious as sushi, which probably cost more than fifty or sixty yuan even at wholesale prices. What kind of game studio was this, exactly?


    As he pondered this, Xiao Buli silently finished his dinner. After eating, he began the final test, a game that he had never seen before on the market. With Xiao Buli''s understanding of games, he quickly realized that it was very likely that this company had developed the game specifically for testing purposes.


    The graphics were cartoonish and even a bit crude; players appeared in a maze right from the start. The game wasn''t about combat but resembled a room escape, with players encountering a series of puzzles as they attempted to flee the maze. They had to solve these riddles while simultaneously dealing with monster attacks.


    Luckily, Xiao Buli was quite familiar with puzzle-solving games, having cracked them using his natural intuition and analytical abilities, even when playing Japanese or English versions in his early years, not to mention this relatively simple test game. In about fifteen minutes, he successfully exited the maze.


    YOU¡ª¡ªARE¡ª¡ªTHE¡ª¡ªWINNER S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the text appeared on the screen, sounds of fireworks came through the headphones, and the rough game graphics flashed with colorful spots as a celebration for the testee. Xiao Buli''s mouth curved into a smile; it seemed his skills were still quite up to par.


    Going back to the first interview hall, the "university teacher" extended a hand to him, "Congratulations, you have successfully passed our test. Your base salary will be set at eight thousand yuan. In addition, any virtual materials you submit during your game play can earn you additional income. Do you have any objections?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head indifferently, yet inside, he was filled with wonder. A salary of eight thousand, plus other commissions? With such generous compensation, what exactly was the nature of this job?


    "Alright, here is the contract. I hope you will read it carefully before signing," the university teacher handed him a folder. The contract was brief and offered excellent conditions, if one could overlook those odd clauses.


    Conversations with other employees outside of work-related content are prohibited during employment.


    During employment, you must reside in the company-provided employee dormitory and are prohibited from going out except on rest days.


    If characters in the game die, the contract is immediately terminated.


    ...


    A cautious Xiao Buli patiently read and reread the short list of a dozen or so provisions three times. Looking up at the man opposite him, he saw he was still looking at him with a smile, devoid of any impatience or pressure.


    After some thought, and finding nothing unacceptable given his penniless status, even though some of the stipulations were severe and even odd, he did not hesitate to sign his name.

 Chapter 5 Acquaintances

    Next, the university teacher called over a clerical staffer who had a Sassoon haircut and big eyes that made her look quite cute. Despite her girlish figure, she had a baby face. She smiled sweetly at Xiao Buli and introduced herself, "My name is Qin Shimoon, and I''m the leader of the logistics support group here.I''m responsible for all the trivial matters, so if you have any issues in daily life, you can come to me. Now, let me take you to see the dormitory." From the sweetness in her voice, Xiao Buli inferred that she was likely the one who had answered his job application call.


    Xiao Buli followed her out.


    Outside Interview Room No. 1, there were several other people who appeared to have passed the test as well. Two of them looked to be in their early twenties, one of them gentlemanly with glasses, and the other a bit of a brash fatty.


    The third person seemed very young, around seventeen or eighteen, wearing sportswear and holding a keyboard and mouse, curiously looking around¡ªa sight that reminded him of Xiao Ge.


    The fatty smiled at Xiao Buli in a friendly way as he walked in, but the other two didn''t show much reaction, just standing by themselves on the sidelines. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the fourth person, wearing a hooded black jacket, he had been sitting on a chair from start to finish, his face shrouded by the hood as if he were deep in thought, and perhaps due to the lighting, his face under the hood looked somewhat blurry.


    "So, please follow me," Qin Shimoon said as she led the group towards the elevator.


    "For the convenience of work, the workspaces and dormitories are both on the 19th floor." As they entered the elevator, Qin Shimoon continued explaining to everyone. The elevator opened to reveal a passcode door; the petite girl stepped forward and expertly entered the code.


    The door immediately emitted a sound of air compression, revealing that it was completely sealed, and Xiao Buli felt a small surge of surprise.


    Upon entering the door on the 19th floor, there was a spacious hall with a row of sofas, a few coffee tables, and some chairs that looked like a rest area. "This is the common area where you can smoke and take breaks. Next to it is the pantry. You can write down any snacks you want or cigarette brands you prefer on the suggestion board at the door, and I''ll arrange to get them for you.


    The corridor on the left has the studios, which are divided by team: the Green Dragon Group responsible for dungeon raids, the White Tiger Group responsible for outdoor BOSS raids, the Vermilion Bird Group responsible for game intelligence gathering, and the Xuanwu Group responsible for logistics and collecting game materials."


    "However, you''re all still on your trial period, so you won''t be assigned to a group yet. You have one month to familiarize yourselves with the game and improve your skills. After a month, we''ll assign you different duties based on your performance and your character''s development. The corridors on the right are the dormitories. Each person has a private room with an en suite bathroom.


    Oh right, there''s also a public restroom on the right side of the hall for guests."


    "My office is across from the pantry. If there''s anything you need, you can come to me. I will do my best to serve everyone." Her final words, earnest and strong, couldn''t help but make people feel the young girl was even more adorable. After speaking, Qin Shimoon took out several magnetic cards from her pocket.


    "These ID cards are not only the keys to your room doors but also your identity badges within the company. Please keep them safe."


    "Tomorrow you will officially start working on the computers. For today, just get familiar with the company environment. Also, remember to strictly follow the company rules.


    Don''t blame me for not warning you, but your conversations can be overheard at any time and place." After speaking, she pointed to the ceiling, where a camera that looked like something out of a spy movie was swinging from side to side, making its presence known.


    It was Xiao Buli''s first time working at a big company, and there seemed to be surprisingly many rules. However, as long as he followed them, there seemed to be nothing too difficult to adapt to. After Qin Shimoon left, the few people looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes, all feeling a bit at sea.


    The fatty, who seemed more sociable, took the initiative to speak, "Since we''re going to work together in the future, let''s introduce ourselves. My name is Han Baiqiang, and well, the company doesn''t allow us to say more, so I won''t extemporize."


    "I''m Sun Bin," said the one with glasses, a hint of a mocking smile on his face that made Xiao Buli feel somewhat uncomfortable.


    "My name is Li Baocheng, it''s my first time working, please take care of me, big brothers," the young man said politely, his face marked with a humility rare for his age.


    After a silence, the other person didn''t introduce themselves. Xiao Buli looked back curiously, but that person had already left when no one knew.


    ```


    What a strange fellow, he thought to himself, and turning around, he saw the others looking at him with puzzled expressions, so he introduced himself, "My name is Xiao Buli." After saying that, it seemed there was not much else to say, after all, the company''s regulations were in place, and the group dispersed.


    The dormitory provided by the company was quite nice. Although it was not big, it was very comfortable, clean, and tidy, and it was equipped with complete facilities. There was not only a private bathroom but also a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall and a personal computer on the bedside table. In a certain sense, the environment was even more comfortable than his home.


    What surprised Xiao Buli the most was, according to the manual, there was even a dedicated gym in the dormitory area. It really had the style of a large company.


    After taking a quick glance around, Xiao Buli nodded in satisfaction, turned around, and walked out again.


    When Xiao Buli walked back to the lobby, he saw a figure that felt familiar. The person was at the snack cabinet, selecting drinks comfortably. Hey, wasn''t that Wu Tao?


    He knew this person; he had also worked at Qingyang Studio for a while but left for some reason after not too long, and the two of them weren''t close. Unexpectedly, he ran into him here; it seemed likely that Wu Tao left Qingyang Studio to come here. At least they were acquaintances. He was about to go up and greet him when Wu Tao turned around, glanced at him, and his face immediately turned green.


    Wu Tao signaled to him with his eyes, quickly turned into the nearby bathroom, and Xiao Buli, puzzled, followed him into the bathroom after a moment''s thought. As soon as he entered, Xiao Buli was about to speak when he saw Wu Tao immediately gesture to him to keep quiet. Xiao Buli was somewhat baffled but noticing Wu Tao''s nervous demeanor, he kept silent.


    Wu Tao quickly checked the bathroom stalls to make sure there was no one else, then came over to him.


    In a hushed voice, he asked, "Chairman? What are you doing here?"


    "Heh," Xiao Buli hummed, somewhat helpless at his overreaction, and emotionlessly spat out two words, "Working."


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s nonchalant expression seemed to make Wu Tao realize something, and he couldn''t help but smile bitterly, "Listen, Chairman, this is very important. When you see the boss later, pretend you don''t know me, no matter what."


    Xiao Buli was curious, "Why?"


    "Because there is an unwritten rule here that anyone working here must not know each other. If it''s known that you and I are acquainted, neither of us can stay."


    "What? There''s such a rule!?" Xiao Buli was instantly skeptical.


    Seeing the half doubtful, half believing expression on Xiao Buli''s face, Wu Tao became anxious, "Just believe me this time, how could I possibly harm you?" He spoke quickly and, although his voice was lowered, Xiao Buli could tell Wu Tao really wanted to shout out those words fiercely. This made Xiao Buli even more curious.


    After pondering for a moment, Xiao Buli nodded slightly, as if to agree. Seeing his nod, Wu Tao hurriedly left, not even having time to say a word of greeting.


    ```

 Chapter 6 Absolute Death Domain

    Xiao Buli rolled his eyes helplessly, somewhat at a loss for words over the unexpected encounter.That evening, Xiao Buli went home to pack some things and returned overnight to his workplace. Despite the company''s numerous red flags, his curiosity about the game he was about to play had only intensified.


    The next morning, Xiao Buli got up early, as he was always a disciplined man. Although it was his first time working for someone else, it didn''t make him feel uncomfortable. After freshening up and looking at himself in the mirror, his reflection seemed a bit more profound¡ªprobably a side effect of long-term involvement in all sorts of scheming and strategies. His gaze was a tad too sharp.


    He cracked a slight smile to soften his expression, ready to start the day''s work.


    He thought to himself as he walked out.


    The company provided three meals a day, and in the dining hall, he encountered his colleagues. Much to his surprise, there seemed to be quite a few of them working together¡ªabout sixty or seventy people.


    Apart from a few uniformed staff, the rest were likely professional gamers, all of a similar age, ranging from twenty to thirty years old, wearing uniforms that clearly divided them into four groups, just as Qin Shimoon had described.


    "Hey Xiao, over here," he turned his head and saw it was the young man named Li Baocheng calling him.


    Carrying his tray, he walked over to where Sun Bin and the chubby guy were also sitting. The man in the hood whose name he didn''t know wasn''t there. He didn''t ask, as it was none of his business.


    The four of them sat eating when Han Baiqiang couldn''t hold back his curiosity, "What game are we actually going to play?"


    Sun Bin smirked coolly, "Whatever the game, it must be quite special; otherwise, they wouldn''t offer such high salaries to hire us."


    Han Baiqiang gave him a disdainful look, thinking the comment was obvious. "Anyway, how do you guys plan to play? This game is probably going to be tough!" he probed further.


    Sun Bin smirked again, "For a true expert, any game should be as straightforward as carving up an ox. What''s this about difficulty? But for those average players, of course, they should be extra cautious.


    After all, I assume none of you would like to lose this job." As he spoke, he glanced at the three of them with that peculiar mocking look in his eyes, as if he was the so-called expert, and the others were the ''average players'' he referred to.


    Whether Li Baocheng didn''t catch the hidden meaning in his words or not, he excitedly said, "Sun is right. No matter how difficult the game, it probably isn''t unsolvable. We just need to be cautious in our approach. Not to brag, but my gaming skills are certainly not average. If I could pass the tests at this company, I assume you guys are pretty impressive too.


    You could say we are the elites of gaming. If we join forces, what game could possibly pose a challenge?"


    Han Baiqiang initially felt irked by Sun Bin''s words but then nodded confidently, "Naturally."


    Without having seen the game, Xiao Buli just smiled and nodded in agreement, not joining in on the discussion. His years as a professional gamer had taught him not to judge prematurely¡ªa habit he maintained at that moment.


    Like most jobs, the work hours here were from nine to five. As it was almost nine o''clock, Qin Shimoon and a man who wore sunglasses indoors as well, walked over. The man was quite tall at one meter ninety, with a muscular build, drawing the attention of the others.


    "Are you guys settling in alright?"


    The four nodded, and Qin Shimoon, still with her sweet, charming smile, pointed to the man beside her, "This is Li Jian. You''ll be familiarizing yourselves with the game together, and he''ll also be the supervisor for the new recruits."


    The group greeted Li Jian, and Xiao Buli glanced behind the two of them, not seeing the man in the hood. He thought to himself that perhaps an introduction wasn''t needed for that person. However, with his cautious nature, he instinctively refrained from asking further questions. Maybe that person wasn''t quite like the rest of the new recruits.


    After breakfast, the four of them followed Li Jian into a room with white curtains and an examination bed, making it resemble a clinic. The group looked around curiously.


    "Before you enter the studio, we need to give each of you a simple physical examination," Li Jian explained, seeing everyone''s puzzled expressions. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So that''s how it is, Xiao Buli nodded, quite like what you''d expect from a big company.


    A medical staff member in a white coat gave each of the four a quick examination, shining a torch into their eyes, checking their tongues, asking about basic health conditions, and finally drawing a little blood from each. Compared to regular medical examinations, this process seemed somewhat informal.


    After letting them rest for a while and drink some water, Li Jian finally took them to another room. This one seemed more appropriate¡ªit was large and appeared to be specially prepared for the newcomers, with dozens of computers split into different booths.


    "This place used to be used for training new employees, but now it''s seldom used. Make yourselves comfortable."


    As the four were choosing their computers, Li Jian started to explain, "I suppose you''re all familiar with online games, surely all veteran players. So without further ado, let me introduce your job duties."


    The group perked up, sitting down to listen attentively ¨C after all, this was about their job performance, and they couldn''t afford not to take it seriously.


    Suddenly, Li Jian cleared his throat, "The game you''ll be playing is called ''Absolute Death Domain.'' It''s extremely difficult and has some similarities to ''Diablo II'' in Expert Mode. Your character absolutely cannot die; once dead, there''s no coming back to life.


    Considering game accounts are very rare and you can only create one character per account, as soon as your game character dies, your contract with the company also ends. So, please remember, do not rush into challenging high-difficulty monsters in the game. Stay low-key; otherwise, if you die, you must leave. Understood?"


    Everyone agreed, and Xiao Buli felt even more curious ¨C no death allowed? Could it be an Expert Level Character? But even for Expert Level Characters, couldn''t they just rebuild a character upon death? Or perhaps this game is still in the testing phase? That seemed to be the only explanation.


    Although he was already aware of these terms, he still found it odd to hear Li Jian emphasize them again and again.


    Nevertheless, he chose not to ask further questions, instead quietly taking note in his mind.


    "Next, in the game, all items on your character are owned by the company; you only have the right to use them. Any command given concerning your game character must be executed immediately. Understood?"


    The four nodded again.


    Li Baocheng seemed to be on the verge of saying something but then hesitated. Meanwhile, Han Baiqiang, more direct, asked, "So if the higher-ups order us to die, we have to comply?"


    Li Jian laughed, "Exactly. If the company requires your game character to die, you must obey. However, if your character''s death is due to the company''s fault, although you''ll still be dismissed, you can receive a minimum compensation of one hundred thousand yuan. But remember, we will only pay this money if we have proven that the command we gave was mistaken and caused your character''s death.


    So don''t try to engineer the death of your character."


    After hearing this, they exchanged glances, all detecting the surprise in each other''s eyes ¨C one hundred thousand yuan, that was no small sum.

 Chapter 7 The Ridiculously Difficult Challenge

    Li Jian then introduced the operating method of this game, which was fundamentally similar to the third-person perspective of World of Warcraft, an online game. However, according to Li Jian, this game was very special and quite difficult. As he spoke, everyone listened intently.When he mentioned the high difficulty, a knowing look crossed Han Baiqiang''s face, Li Baocheng wore a nervous expression, while Sun Bin just sneered coldly, seemingly unfazed by the so-called high difficulty. Xiao Buli wondered where he got such confidence from, but considering that he stood out from so many applicants, he must have some skills.


    "Very well, you can now start entering the game. Your account and password are on your magnetic cards, just follow the instructions to input them. Additionally, your game characters have already been created. Don''t ask too many questions, just play. Since the first month is a trial period, we won''t provide any assistance or assign work to you, nor do you need to report your in-game earnings to us.


    However, once you''re assigned to a team, you must follow the company''s orders, as every action you take will be under our command. Since this is your first time playing, to prevent you from dying too early, I''ll stay here to answer some questions for you. If you have any, just ask me."


    Xiao Buli listened to Li Jian''s explanation while taking a seat. He glanced at the machine''s number, 013¡ªa very lucky number indeed.


    The computer was extremely sophisticated and booted up in almost the blink of an eye, making Xiao Buli feel as if it had only been in standby mode. The stark screen was empty except for a game icon. It seemed certain settings had been made, even basic icons like My Computer, Recycle Bin, and Network Neighborhood were not displayed.


    Turning back as if to seek confirmation, Xiao Buli caught Li Jian''s knowing smile, "To prevent wasting time during work hours, all computers in the studio have this setup. But if you wish to access the internet, you can use the computers in your rooms."


    Xiao Buli nodded, finding the rule acceptable. While contemplating, he double-clicked the skull-like game icon. Accompanied by an eerie music sound, the screen flashed, and he entered the game, inputting his account and password. His character immediately appeared on the screen, below which was the character panel.


    Character Name: Xiao Buli.


    Occupation: Commoner.


    Intelligence: 13. ¡ª High comprehension, extremely strong analytical abilities, average memory.


    Strength: 9. ¡ª Carrying capacity of 45 pounds, Attack power 9, (one point of Strength corresponds to five pounds of carrying capacity and one point of attack power).


    Speed: 9 ¡ª Your running speed is average.


    Agility: 12 ¡ª You have a pair of dexterous hands.


    Stamina: 9. ¡ª Stamina Points 90 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 10. ¡ª Health Points 100. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Charm: 12. ¡ª You''re fairly good-looking.


    Spirit: 13. ¡ª You possess a spirituality that surpasses the ordinary. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luck: 7. ¡ª¡ª Your luck is a bit poor.


    The character in the game looked about eighty to ninety percent similar to him, heh, there was even a character creation system.


    He had no idea how such attributes were determined. Were they completely random? Xiao Buli stared at the numbers and attribute evaluations on the screen, lost for a moment. These simple numbers may mean nothing to others, but having played games for so many years, he knew that even a slight difference in numbers could carry different implications.


    The attributes weren''t assigned by the players but were predetermined. Could it be based on the tests and medical check-ups he had completed earlier? Suddenly, he had the feeling that this game character''s attributes seemed to be linked to his own physique, but why would that make any sense for a game?


    Xiao Buli preferred to think that the company intended them to develop into certain types of professions, which would make sense. But then why were the character''s appearance and name so similar?


    He shrugged nonchalantly. Who cares? It''s just a game. He chose to enter the game, the screen shifted, and he was already in a formal game scene. That was quick; there was no loading time? Xiao Buli mused with interest.


    The birthplace seemed to be a square in a small village standing in the wilderness. The sky was very gloomy, and the colors were quite monochromatic. The surrounding buildings looked old and ancient, stylistically akin to the oppressive dark gray often seen in dark-themed games. However, the lighting effects were outstanding, making him, a seasoned gamer, quickly feel as though he were truly there.


    Even many well-made single-player games might not achieve this kind of immersion. It was surprising indeed that such a game had never appeared on the market before, not even a whisper about it. It didn''t seem logical.


    With a series of white flashes, three more people appeared beside him, likely Han Baiqiang, Sun Bin, and Li Baocheng. Xiao Buli easily distinguished their characters as they looked very similar to their real-life counterparts. Seeing the scenery in the game, all three of them looked around curiously like him, the very image of wonder-stricken observers.


    "I''ve got it!" exclaimed the chubby guy sitting to his right, "We must be game testers, right? This has to be a new generation online game that hasn''t hit the market yet." Xiao Buli jumped at his loud voice, glanced at him, then shook his head with a smile.


    No one responded, only Sun Bin snorted coldly and turned away. The chubby guy coughed awkwardly and settled his plump body back into his booth.


    "Shall we leave the village?"


    Li Jian''s voice suddenly came from behind. Xiao Buli turned and saw he was speaking to Li Baocheng.


    "Yes... Can we not?" Li Baocheng''s voice hesitated in response to the leader''s question.


    "Of course not, I just wanted to remind everyone," Li Jian raised his voice so the others could hear him, "With your current equipment and attributes, stepping outside the village could mean certain death.


    "However..." Li Jian hesitated, "Who knows? This game has no set rules, and maybe a rare event might occur. But from what I understand, I wouldn''t recommend taking the risk."


    "What do you mean? Can''t we beat any monsters as we are now?" the chubby guy asked.


    "Pretty much," Li Jian responded loudly. He was temporarily the leader of this four-man squad, and the company certainly didn''t want any unnecessary casualties. He felt it was better to be thorough, as there had been incidents where a whole group of newbies had been wiped out on their first day.


    "Though if you''re particularly lucky, you might encounter a stray dog, and if your skills are good enough, you might defeat it." Xiao Buli noticed that within a few short sentences, Li Jian had used many conditional words. Did that represent a very slim chance, or was it his way of being sarcastic toward beginners?


    "But even if you win, it wouldn''t matter," Li Jian continued, "There''s no character leveling or Experience Points design in this game, and dogs don''t drop any equipment. If you have the dissection skill, you could get some skin and meat from its body, but dog skin... seems like it won''t sell for much." Li Jian helplessly pursed his lips; this damned game was really something.


    Who on earth had come up with it?

 Chapter 8 Intelligent NPC

    Buli was taken aback when he heard this. To think that he couldn''t even beat the weakest monsters¡ªthis game truly lived up to its reputation as a high-difficulty game. With his years of gaming experience, he had never seen anything like it. To play it safe, he decided to first stroll around the village.The village was bustling with many NPCs, giving it quite the realistic feel of an actual village. He approached an old man who seemed amiable and clicked on him, but no options appeared. Instead, a blank speech bubble popped up.


    "Team Leader Li, how do you talk to NPCs?" Li Jian happened to walk up behind him, and Buli took the opportunity to ask.


    "Oh, see that dialogue box? Just type what you want to say in the box, and the NPC will respond to you," Li Jian immediately explained patiently, "But remember, if you say the wrong thing, you might get an unexpected result, so you should never just type recklessly."


    Really? Buli thought to himself that it sounded too sci-fi. How massive a server would be needed to support such randomness?


    Skeptically, he typed "Hello" into the dialogue box and hit enter.


    The old man immediately replied, "Hello, young man. Is there something you need in our village?"


    It actually works? Buli cursed "SHIT" in his mind, thinking it was incredibly sci-fi. Perhaps it was just some simple preset responses. Hoping for the best, he thought to himself, but then he quickly dismissed the idea. Before having solid evidence, it was better not to jump to conclusions.


    He then typed another sentence, this time intending to test it further, so he wrote a rather long message, "Hello, elder, I''m new to this place and was wondering if I could temporarily stay here?"


    The old man smiled, "Of course, you can. As long as you abide by the laws and avoid causing trouble, we, in Dahuang Village, welcome guests from all directions. I am the village head of Dahuang Village, you can call me Elder Huang."


    Buli laughed, the kind of laugh that felt a bit ridiculous but also contained the surprise of facing something completely unexpected. He couldn''t deny the intelligibility of the NPC. Still, deep inside, Buli was continuously speculating about the principles behind this text recognition system, (It must recognize certain characters'' settings, which wouldn''t be difficult, no, that''s wrong.


    The sentence structures are so natural, with no sense of discord. It couldn''t be achieved with ordinary translation software).


    (However, it''s impossible that behind these NPCs there''s someone controlling them, right? The labor costs would be unbearable for a game.) He quickly counted, and just in this village alone, there were at least a hundred people, not to mention the towns there would be later in the game. Who knows how many people would be required to manage that?


    (It seems it must still be some kind of character recognition feedback system, just very advanced and powerful, powerful beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.) With his thoughts confirmed, Buli continued playing the game.


    "I don''t suppose you know where one could find work around here?" he asked. Since he couldn''t earn experience by fighting monsters, he figured he might as well do some quests to earn money and buy some equipment.


    "Ah, are you looking for work? Then you''ve asked the right person. We used to have many young people working here, but recently they all left one after another. We have lots of jobs that need filling," the elderly man coughed, seeming in poor health. "Ah, I remember, there''s a place at the eastern end of the village that could use some help, you can go and ask there."


    Buli jogged all the way to the eastern end of the village and found it was a farm, with a farmer standing in front of a pigsty looking quite distressed.


    "Hello, is there anything I can do to help you?" Even though he found it bothersome, Buli still asked politely.


    "Ah, what a coincidence, I''m in need of a swineherd. It''s dirty and tiring, but the pay is quite good¡ªI can give you fifty copper coins a day. Of course, if you don''t do well, I will deduct from your wages. Are you interested?" The farmer seemed obviously delighted at seeing Buli, speaking excitedly with his hands and feet.


    A dialog box popped up in front of me, "The farm owner invites you to change your job to ''swineherd''. Do you accept?"


    Swineherd? There''s actually such a profession? Becoming a swineherd and then swinging a pig feed spoon on the battlefield? No, this must be a lifestyle profession. It''s fine to do it temporarily just to earn some Game Coins first, but I need to understand this job conversion system thoroughly. It would be quite the joke if I couldn''t change back after the switch.


    After pondering for a moment, I turned around and asked, "Manager Li, are you familiar with the swineherd profession?"


    "Swineherd?" Li Jian approached Xiao Buli''s computer with interest, gazing at the screen thoughtfully before shaking his head. Xiao Buli noticed that, contrary to the profession''s peculiar nature, Li Jian didn''t seem to find it amusing. "I don''t know about that. My first profession was a lumberjack."


    "Lumberjack?" (First profession? So, you can switch to other professions later.) Instantly, Xiao Buli concluded the answer he was seeking in his mind.


    "Exactly. A widow in the village referred me to it. So, this game really depends on luck. Talking to different people may yield different results, and even talking to the same person might not give the same outcome each time. Of course, some say jobs are assigned based on your innate talents.


    Anyway, I started as a lumberjack." Hearing Li Jian''s explanation, everyone stopped clicking their mice and perked up their ears to listen, for any bit of experience with a new game was invaluable.


    "So, what are the benefits of changing to a lumberjack?" Li Baocheng asked.


    "Of course, changing to a lumberjack allows you to gain the ''Lumbering'' skill. When I leveled up my Lumbering skill to LV3, I gained the Axe Mastery skill, and when it reached LV5, I gained the ''Downward Slash'' skill, along with an increase of 1 point of Strength and 1 point of stamina to my Attributes.


    When my Lumbering skill reached LV10, my Heavy Chop was upgraded to LV2, Axe Mastery to LV3, and both Strength and stamina increased by two points. Additionally, I gained a skill called ''Enduring Stamina'', which reduced physical stamina consumption by twenty percent. Then, I went to change my job to Axeman. Using the money saved up from lumbering, I bought a set of equipment.


    Completing all these took about twenty days, and by then, I could take on one or two bandits by myself. Not long after, I was assigned to the White Tiger team and became a formal employee¡ªby the way, I was the fastest to change over to a combat profession among the new hires at the time."


    When it came to games, Li Jian didn''t seem as cool and unsmiling as he had been when he first started wearing sunglasses.


    Realization dawned on Li Baocheng, "I see. So, you''re saying that no matter the profession, as long as you level up the skills to a certain extent, you can gain combat skills. Does that mean we should start by developing from a lifestyle profession?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That seems to be the case."


    "Are there any limits to how many times you can change professions? Can you switch at will, or is there a cap to the number of times you can change?" Xiao Buli inquired from the side.


    "If you''ve played for a while and find you don''t like it, you can change at any time, of course, you must meet the conditions. This game has a very high degree of freedom; as long as you meet the conditions, almost anything is possible. Furthermore, different types of professions can exist simultaneously; the same type of professions will only display the highest priority one.


    For example, I am both a lumberjack and an Axeman."


    "Does that mean I can learn all the professional skills if I work hard enough?" Xiao Buli continued to probe.


    On hearing this, Li Jian thoughtfully shook his head, "In theory, yes, but a skill will decrease in proficiency or even degrade if not used for a long time. So, if you learn every skill, you might end up mastering none, because you have to keep using the skill consistently."


    Xiao Buli nodded, gaining a new understanding of the game''s mechanics. This insight annoyed him slightly, as it seemed all his previous gaming experience amounted to nothing in this game. Swineherd it is, then. Whatever. Earning eight thousand a month and then feeding pigs in the game, haha, it''s quite the dark humor.

 Chapter 9 Comprehension - Taming Skills

    Back at the game screen, the farmer had already begun urging him, so Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate to choose¡ªAccept. The farmer then explained some knowledge about feeding pigs to him.System prompt: Player Xiao Buli has changed his profession to ''swineherd'' and learned the occupational skill¡ªBreeding. You can view the details of this skill in the Skill Bar.


    Upon opening the Skill Bar, there indeed was a new skill. Xiao Buli moved his mouse over it.


    Breeding: A skill that allows for the feeding and care of animals, based on understanding their habits, so they can grow continuously under human supervision. Current skill level LV1.


    Although it wasn''t a powerful skill, it was still pretty good to learn for free.


    He chose to start working, but the screen switched to a minigame. Feeding pigs wasn''t at all difficult; a whole row of twelve pigs lay in their pens eating, with a chibi character above them throwing down food. If a pig went too long without eating, it would become angry, turning red in color.


    If it became extremely angry, a warning would appear above its head, and then it would break through the pen and run away. The player had to ensure that none of the pigs ran off, so they had to calculate the amount of pig food, the character''s Movement Speed, and the pigs'' hunger levels to succeed in the game. Overall, it was quite an amusing minigame.


    Ha, ha, ha, Xiao Buli began to focus and started taking care of the cartoon pigs. What he thought would be a simple game gradually made him tense as time progressed. Due to his unfamiliarity, he accidentally let two pigs escape. The farmer immediately ran out of the house and cursed him, threatening to fire him if there were any more slip-ups.


    Xiao Buli naturally wouldn''t take an NPC''s words to heart, but he became even more serious. Unlike the typical fun minigames designed purely for the player''s enjoyment in most online games, this game was surprisingly difficult. Sitting up straight, Xiao Buli clicked ''start'' once more. It was the same game, but Xiao Buli''s performance had improved significantly.


    His fingers danced back and forth across the keys like playing the piano. With his now better understanding of the game, not a single pig ran away this time. After the game ended, Xiao Buli looked at the screen with anticipation; he should be able to receive a rating above A-level for his efforts. The pig feeding rating was displayed.


    System prompt: Five pigs gained weight because they ate enough food, four pigs were unhappy for not getting enough to eat, and three pigs lost condition because they ate too little.


    Pig Feeding Rating: D¡ªBarely passable.


    Looking at this rating, his usually expressionless face showed some change¡ªnot anger but surprise. Was that all? How could his careful play and seriousness lead to such an ordinary score? It seemed this game truly deserved its high difficulty rating; even its accompanying minigames were so professional.


    It turned out that pig feeding was indeed a long and arduous task. However, the high difficulty level sparked his competitive spirit. Xiao Buli clenched his fist to loosen up his fingers and rubbed his slightly sore pinky before diving into the pig feeding game again.


    Generally speaking, leveling up any profession''s skills is relatively easy in the early stages of any game, and this game was no exception. Coupled with Xiao Buli''s professional gamer qualities and serious attitude, he found this seemingly simple minigame to contain some tricks.


    For example, the white pigs ate the fastest, the black pigs were the quickest to anger, and the spotted pigs wouldn''t run away when extremely angry but would instead fall into a deep sleep. If the sows were full, they too would sleep, and then the piglets would drink their milk, which maximally conserved pig food. Before he knew it, the entire morning had passed.


    Completely immersed in challenging the game, Xiao Buli hadn''t noticed time flying by, and with a flash of gold, his Breeding Skill rose to LV5.


    System prompt: After a long breeding career, you''ve gained insight into Taming Skills through the pig feeding process. Current level LV1.


    Taming Skills: With a grasp of the wild habits of beasts, you can tame them to serve you. The success rate and level of Tame are related to the target''s Wildness.


    System prompt: After long-term labor, your Movement Speed has increased slightly, and your stamina has improved a bit.


    Taming Skills! When Xiao Buli saw this skill, he was somewhat enlightened; indeed, it made sense to associate Taming Skills with pig feeding. It seemed that skill acquisition in this game was quite systematic. He decided to quickly level up pig feeding to ten; that way, he should be able to get Taming Skills to level two.


    "Ha ha, so cool, I''ve learned a combat skill," a voice suddenly sounded from behind, interrupting his thoughts.


    Xiao Buli turned around to look, and the one cheering was Sun Bin, who had changed his profession to a farmer and was helping other people to till the land.


    "No way, how did you get so fast?" Li Baocheng''s complaint came through, "By the way, how high did you level up your ''Farming'' skill?"


    "Not high, not high, just LV5," Sun Bin boasted with a pro gamer''s demeanor. After all, it seemed he was making the fastest progress among the group. However, the arrogance that once adorned his face had faded quite a bit, and a thin layer of sweat seemed to emerge on his forehead¡ªit looked like leveling up his farming to LV5 had taken quite a bit of effort.


    Upon asking, it turned out that when he leveled up Farming to LV3, he had learned a skill specialization for polearm weapons, and when he reached LV5, he acquired the ''Wild Dance'' skill. The former is a prerequisite skill for learning advanced polearm techniques, while the latter is a small-scale AOE melee skill.


    Xiao Buli secretly realized something, it seems like those who could pass the test were indeed no ordinary people. Sun Bin might seem arrogant and impolite, but his gaming skills were certainly not beneath his own.


    Seeing that all four had found jobs in the village and had no plans to leave, Li Jian too found a computer to sit down at and logged into the game. Han Baiqiang curiously looked back at his screen. On the screen, Li Jian''s character was a burly warrior wearing full-body scale armor with a helmet adorned with bull horns and holding a massive dual-bladed steel axe. He indeed looked imposing.


    "Nice gear, huh? Hey, why does your character look so ''buff''?"


    Hearing Han Baiqiang''s envious exclamation, Li Jian turned his chair around and replied, "Don''t be fooled by how buff my character looks now. At the start, he was as skinny as me. After I took up Lumbering, the character''s physique started to bulk up as Strength and Stamina increased.


    It seems this game has incorporated Rocky''s physique growth system; your character will get more and more stylish over time."


    Hearing Li Jian''s explanation, Han Baiqiang let out a long "Oh."


    Xiao Buli also caught the conversation and curiously turned his head to glance at Li Jian. Even under the guise of a suit, it was not hard to see that his physique was quite burly. He was certainly tall, but where was there a hint of ''skinny''? Could it be that Li Jian was very sensitive about his build? Shaking his head, Xiao Buli didn''t dwell on the issue and turned back to continue feeding the pigs.


    After a hasty lunch, Xiao Buli returned to his computer. This kind of life felt strangely familiar, quite similar to when he used to rush through games. Usually, by this time, he would have leveled up by at least ten or twenty levels in a game, and if it was a locally made game, leveling up thirty or fifty times was also possible, having slain hundreds or thousands of monsters.


    Now, he hadn''t even left the Newbie Village yet. Indeed, every game is a world of its own.


    The Breeding Skill slowed down further with each level, and before he knew it, Xiao Buli finally succeeded in leveling it up to LV7. As the screen flashed with golden light, a silent "YES" cheered in his mind. He rubbed his sore neck and looked around to see the others still striving.


    Glancing out the window, the sky had already darkened, and nearly five o''clock was shown on the computer clock¡ªtime really flies.


    Leaning back in his chair to relax his neck, Xiao Buli was ready to continue the battle when suddenly a soothing tune, signaling relaxation, filled the air. Li Jian stopped his actions and checked the time. "Oh no, it''s time to get off work. Everyone, quickly find a safe place to log off," he said.


    Li Baocheng, who seemed like he wasn''t ready to stop playing, teasingly asked, "Can I volunteer to work overtime for free?"


    Li Jian laughed but helplessly shook his head, "If only I could, I''d work for free every day, but sorry," he gestured a no-go with his finger towards Li Baocheng, raising his voice, "Company policy, you can only play up to eight hours a day unless¡­ there''s a special circumstance." He said with an apologetic look, pushing up his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.


    Xiao Buli and the other two turned to look at Li Jian after hearing this. If possible, they certainly wouldn''t miss the chance to work overtime, especially considering Qin Shimoon''s previous statement that their performance this month would directly affect their subsequent groupings, and different groupings likely meant different incomes.


    However, seeing Li Jian''s helpless expression, they could only agree reluctantly and dragged their feet in logging off the game.


    Li Baocheng deliberately slowed his logout speed. Watching Han Baiqiang and Sun Bin leave, he hurried to Li Jian''s side.


    "Manager Li, what''s the max level for this skill? I''m progressing quite fast, right?" Li Jian was waiting for everyone to leave to fulfill his managerial duties. Contemplating Li Baocheng''s question, he eventually answered, "Most skills max out at level 10, but who knows? The biggest joy of this game is you never know what will happen next." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli was about to exit the room when he probably caught Li Jian''s answer. So, reaching Max Level in Breeding should be quickly attainable, and by then, he should be able to switch to a stronger profession. Xiao Buli thought as much and didn''t stay to listen to their continued conversation.

 Chapter 10 Feed Mission

    Stretching out lazily, the group arrived at the dining hall, where a sumptuous dinner awaited them, featuring both Western and Chinese dishes. There were fried golden chicken legs, chicken wings, hot dogs, as well as Chinese dishes like sweet and sour spare ribs and Moo Shu Pork.As for main courses, there were burgers and rice, and even desserts like fruit salad to finish the meal, all meticulously prepared and visually appealing enough to whet anyone''s appetite. For some reason, Xiao Buli found his appetite better than it had ever been.


    Usually, after a whole day of gaming, due to the lack of physical calorie burn, his appetite was poor and he could hardly eat anything, but today, he devoured a huge plate of food and still felt it wasn''t enough. However, it seemed that he wasn''t the only one with a hearty appetite¡ªeveryone else was eating ravenously.


    When they were almost done, they inevitably started sharing their gaming experiences, exchanging what they had learned that day.


    Sun Bin knew that he had transferred to a farmer to help people till land. Han Baiqiang, on the other hand, had become a blacksmith''s apprentice, reportedly because the village blacksmith saw potential in his 13 points of stamina and 13 points of Strength. However, he hadn''t officially started learning Forging yet and was instead helping the blacksmith mine ore in the nearby caves.


    Unfortunately, mining as a skill was relatively hard to level up; it hadn''t even reached LV5 yet, so he had only mastered a two-handed weapons specialization skill, and nothing more.


    "Wow, Han, I didn''t expect that. Will you be able to forge some equipment for us in the future?" Li Baocheng said in a tone that was half flattery.


    "Of course, no problem," replied Han Baiqiang, clearly unable to resist being praised, immediately boasting, "Just wait until my skill level is higher; I''ll cover you guys'' equipment then."


    Xiao Buli just smiled and said nothing, for he knew that once the month was up and he became an official employee, he would have to follow the company''s arrangements, and he didn''t believe what Han Baiqiang said would come true.


    Li Baocheng, however, didn''t seem to have thought of this and was so excited he didn''t know what to say. On the other hand, Sun Bin, upon seeing this, couldn''t help but snort coldly, seemingly displeased at having his thunder stolen. Han Baiqiang pretended not to notice and turned to Li, "By the way, Li, what profession did you transfer to?" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ve transferred to a butcher, currently helping the village hunters by dissecting prey. I just leveled dissection to LV3 and learned Dagger Mastery, but haven''t learned any other skills yet.


    The hunter said once I level dissection to LV5, I''ll get another skill called ''Backstab.'' He also mentioned that if I help him handle all his game, he''ll teach me hunting skills," said Li Baocheng nonchalantly, his pride, however, not so well concealed.


    After some thought, Xiao Buli understood why Li Baocheng was so proud. Since the death of a character could result in the loss of a job, ranged professions were evidently much safer than melee ones. He guessed that Li Baocheng probably also had this in mind, aiming to become a hunter so that he might later become an Archer or a similar profession.


    Should he also consider transferring to a similar profession? After all, he had Taming Skills, and if he learned ranged attacks as well, he could let his pets tank the monsters while he shot Arrows from behind¡ªthat would be quite comfortable. But after some consideration, he gave up on the idea.


    With the high degree of freedom in this game, there was no telling how many powerful professions there were; it was probably best not to limit his sights to any one fixed profession just yet.


    Returning to his room, Xiao Buli, feeling bored, flicked through the channels on TV, his mind continually revisiting the scenes from the game he had played that day.


    Though he was only starting to explore the game, it was already beginning to attract him¡ªbe it the near-perfect realistic graphics, the unique NPC interaction system, or even the somewhat cumbersome way of acquiring skills; it was nothing like the online games he had played before.


    However, he was not one to be swayed by personal preference; although the game was interesting to him, he didn''t think it would be accepted by the majority of gamers out there. Perhaps some hardcore gamers who enjoyed difficult games would become devoted fans, but for most casual gamers, the slow pace of even not being able to leave Newbie Village in a day was unlikely to gain quick acceptance.


    For players accustomed to games with auto-navigation, fixed dialogues, and level-up rewards prevalent in domestically produced games, this kind of game that required thoughtful study was unlikely to be a success.


    And while the graphics were realistic, they might not necessarily appeal to the majority of Chinese players who prefer a more splendid style.


    What a headache. Just when I had found a great game, I found myself unable to get involved. It seemed that staying put at this company was the only option for now, to see if there would be an update in the future.


    Emotionally, I didn''t want the game to change and become simpler just to please the players, but logic told me that unless the game became a bit more user-friendly, it would never take off in the competitive Chinese online gaming market and might even end up being a dismal failure, ultimately dying without a trace.


    While thinking this, I stayed a while longer. After letting my food digest a bit, Xiao Buli made his way to the treadmill by the window. During their time at the studio, he and his colleagues would often exercise together because sitting in front of the computer for long periods could indeed be tiring. He picked up a dumbbell from the side and gave it a couple of lifts.


    Hmm, not bad, but his muscles were sore, as if he had already overdone his exercises. It seemed like Li Jian''s physique was probably something he had worked on after joining the company. After all, being idle since five certainly requires men to do something with their excess energy. With the sound of music coming from the computer speakers, Xiao Buli began his workout, sweating profusely.


    His body wasn''t too shabby. But today, he felt especially tired. After bathing and climbing into bed, his body began to ache all over, as if he had been feeding pigs all day. It looked like he would really need to keep up with his exercise routine. Before he could turn over, Xiao Buli fell asleep.


    When Xiao Buli woke up the next day, besides a sore arm from being pressed down, the rest of his body felt fine. After moving about a little and washing up, he left the room. After breakfast, the group arrived early at the studio''s entrance to wait for Li Jian to open the door.


    "WELL, WELL, WELL," laughed Li Jian, sporting large sunglasses, finally arriving late in what seemed like an attempt to keep everyone on their toes. Upon reaching the door, he checked his watch and waited another minute, making sure that the hand pointed to nine before casually opening the door.


    Without waiting for the door to open completely, Li Baocheng and the others squeezed in, settled into their spots, and among them, Xiao Buli who had some manners, nodded at Li Jian as a form of greeting when he entered.


    Skills like "breeding" seemed to level up even more slowly as they progressed, and even though I was getting proficient with the minigame, achieving an A-level rating each time, it wasn''t until after two in the afternoon that Xiao Buli saw the LV8 upgrade notification flash. No wonder it took Li Jian so long just to level up his "Lumbering" skill; it was probably fast for an average person.


    But at that moment, a problem arose: we were out of pig feed.


    "Oh drat, because you worked so hard, all the pig farm''s feed has been used up. So please, go out to the wilderness beyond the village and bring back some piggrass," said the owner of the pig farm.


    System prompt: The pig farm owner wants you to bring back some piggrass. Do you accept this quest? Yes/No.


    PS: There is another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 11 Harvesting

    Mowing the grass? Xiao Buli furrowed his brows. He had not anticipated such a twist. To every gamer, it was common knowledge that having one higher-level skill was far more beneficial than two lower-level ones. He was quite reluctant to have his leveling process disrupted, but there was no helping it; that''s just how the game was designed. As he moved his mouse to click ''Accept,'' Xiao Buli paused.This game was unlike any he had played before; it didn''t feature fixed quest rewards. Blindly accepting the quest might result in working for free. In that case, he should probably negotiate for a better deal. Yes, he definitely needed to get the details straightened out first. He figured he might even be able to set some terms himself.


    "Excuse me, but mowing the grass isn''t really part of feeding pigs, is it? What kind of compensation are you offering me?" Xie Tiankong didn''t ask if there would be a reward; this was a negotiation tactic, forcing the choice of ''how much'' instead of ''whether.'' Why am I trying to outsmart a computer? Am I starting to treat the in-game NPCs like real people?


    At this thought, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but find it somewhat amusing.


    The farmer seemed somewhat annoyed as he rubbed his hands and replied, "Why bring up compensation at every turn? Young people these days... really, I don''t know what to say."


    No refusal? Xiao Buli thought there was an opening. Given the high degree of freedom in the game, the use of negotiation tactics must surely have its place.


    After the farmer finished speaking and saw that Xiao Buli had no reaction, realizing he hadn''t bluffed him, he gave Xiao Buli a sidelong glance and reluctantly said, "Since you''ve worked so hard for such a long time, here''s what I''ll do: for every hundred jin of grass you mow, I''ll give you two copper coins. Don''t set any more terms now; if you ask for more, I might as well do it myself."


    That really worked. Xiao Buli decisively chose to accept. Although it was just two copper coins, it gave him a further insight into the level of freedom in the game. Being able to bargain freely with NPCs put it ahead of renowned games like "Ancient Scroll" in terms of freedom. Just who developed this game?


    He didn''t linger on the subject and instinctively prepared to set off.


    "Hold on a second. What''s the hurry? You haven''t even taken the tools you need for mowing." As he spoke, the farmer turned and went into the house to retrieve a rusty scythe which he handed over to Xiao Buli, while explaining some mowing techniques to him.


    System Prompt: You have learned the ''harvesting'' skill, current level LV1.


    System Prompt: You have obtained an item ¡ª Rusty Scythe.


    Rusty Scythe (One-handed Sword): Attack 1¡ª7 (Gray Quality).


    Weapon Special Effect: Tetanus ¡ª After injuring the target, there is a very slight chance to cause a tetanus effect, dealing 14 points of disease damage over ten seconds.


    After equipping the scythe, Xiao Buli headed straight to the grassy fields behind the village. Upon arrival, he indeed found a vast meadow, filled with tall grass over a meter high. It seemed like another task of repetitive labor. Xiao Buli took a deep breath and began his character''s harvesting efforts.


    After a tedious half-hour, when the harvesting skill reached LV2, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but curse under his breath. If feeding pigs could still be considered somewhat interesting and challenging, then mowing was nothing short of torture¡ªpure, repetitive labor. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching the skill experience bar crawl up like a snail climbing a tree, even he, with countless all-night leveling sessions under his belt, was left speechless.


    Given the way levelling up and quests work in this game, it''s no wonder it would never catch on. If it weren''t for the fact that he was playing as a job for someone else, Xiao Buli would''ve been ready to quit a long time ago. No matter how good the graphics or how amazing the NPC dialogue system is, how can a game without any fun attract players?


    Did the designers of this game have their brains filled with shit?


    At this moment, Xiao Buli actually felt an urge to kill the game designers. Who would play this crappy game, with its dazzling effects but such a shitty way of levelling up? It''s infuriating. The little appreciation he had for the game had completely vanished, plummeting like the stock market in a bearish trend.


    When the repetitive task of harvesting made his finger joints feel numb, the market had truly crashed.


    However, Xiao Buli''s mindset slowly calmed down. As a professional gamer, enduring the drudgery was essential. His face was expressionless as his fingers flew across the keyboard.


    His carry weight was 45 pounds, and the amount he harvested each trip was just shy of earning him one copper coin. On average, it took five minutes to fill up his carry weight, and harvesting consumed stamina points as well. After about half an hour, he''d need to take a break, drink some water, eat some food, and recover some physical strength before continuing.


    In one hour, he earned a mere ten copper coins, and that was it. This amount of money was laughable in other games¡ªwhere even a new player could defeat a couple of trash minor monsters and get the same drop¡ªbut in this game, it would take an hour of work to earn. The economic system of this game was ridiculously exaggerated.


    However, despite the pitiful amount, the increase in copper coins was currently the only motivation for Xiao Buli to feel he wasn''t bustling about in vain.


    By around four in the afternoon, after the thirtieth delivery of harvested pig grass, the harvesting skill finally rose to level three. Accompanied by a flash of golden light, a line of text appeared on the screen.


    System prompt: After a long time of harvesting experience, you have gained an insight into the "One-handed Sword Mastery" skill, currently at LV1.


    One-handed Sword Mastery!? The busy day finally yielded some reward, which sounded like a very practical skill. Xiao Buli quickly commanded his tired fingers to open the skill bar and glanced at the skill description.


    One-handed Sword Mastery: You have a bit of understanding of using one-handed swords, allowing you to operate such weapons better in combat. Learning skills related to these weapons comes more naturally to you. This skill is also a prerequisite for Swordsmanship skills.


    Hmm, it seems like this skill is somewhat more beneficial than Taming Skills, at least it''s useful in battle. After giving it some thought, Xiao Buli decided to level up the "harvesting" skill to Max Level regardless of the boring process. Amidst the repetitive and monotonous tasks, it took him a full three days, but he finally levelled up harvesting to LV10.


    He also mastered One-handed Sword Mastery to LV3, and at LV5, learned an active skill called "Chain Sword Strike".


    Chain Sword Strike: Strike the target repeatedly with your weapon, inflicting multiple instances of weapon damage. Each subsequent hit reduces in power due to diminishing strength. Using this skill consumes 5 Stamina Points, with a cooldown time of 10 seconds.


    Additionally, by maxing out the harvesting skill, he also gained 2 agility and 2 strength attribute points. His strength was now at 11 points, and his carry weight had increased to 55 pounds. He wasn''t quite sure how the increase in attributes was calculated.


    Looking at the numbers on the screen, Xiao Buli shook his stiff neck, feeling like he was finally returning to reality. He turned his head to look at the other three players, who were completely focused on their computer screens. Their expressions suggested that even blinking seemed like a major loss.


    The game seemed difficult, yet many aspects demanded less technical prowess and more a capacity for hard work and endurance. Xiao Buli turned his head back; it appeared these past few days involved absolutely no communication between them. Besides gaming, their daily lives seemed to slip away into obscurity, including his own. Day and night, it felt as if his life had nothing else but the game.


    Had he eaten these past few days? Had he exercised? Thinking carefully, even Xiao Buli was somewhat unclear¡ªhis life outside the game seemed like a dream. Looking at the busy NPCs and newbies in the village, Xiao Buli wondered why such a crappy game was so compelling.


    Everyone was desperately levelling up as if trying to prove something to the most important person in their lives¡ªto show their capability.


    When he finally returned to the farmer to feed the pigs again, as opposed to harvesting, Xiao Buli was somehow looking forward to the not-so-interesting task of feeding pigs. Thinking back to his initial disgust for the swineherd role, Xiao Buli laughed to himself at life''s ironies.

 Chapter 12 Basic Swordsmanship

    This time his movements were much more agile, and after spending two more days, he successfully leveled up his Breeding Skill to LV10.There wasn''t much worth noting over these two days, except for an incident where an enchanting woman emerged from the farmhouse owner''s room and sashayed back and forth in front of Xiao Buli, causing him a spell of frustration because he was unable to continue feeding the pigs with the NPC there.


    After a few rounds, seeing that Xiao Buli had no reaction, she put her hands on her hips, huffed coldly, then looked at the dumbstruck Xiao Buli, sighed helplessly, and went back in.


    This woman must be the farmer''s wife, I guess. Not sure if there might be some special hidden quest that could be triggered, but with the max level of the Breeding Skill in sight, he decided it was better not to complicate matters unnecessarily. Xiao Buli didn''t ponder any further and immediately threw himself back into the vigorous enterprise of pig-feeding.


    With a flash of golden light, he finally succeeded in leveling up his Taming Skills to LV2 and also grasped another skill¡ª''Wild Beast Knowledge''.


    Wild Beast Knowledge: (Knowledge Skill) Due to long-term contact with animals, you have gained a certain understanding of the lifestyle of wild beasts. (This skill can improve the success rate of Taming Skills), unlocks the Beast Compendium feature, and the animals you understand will appear in your Skill Bar in the form of a compendium.


    Taming Skills have a 50% higher success rate when applied to animals already listed in the Beast Compendium.


    Currently, the Beast Compendium only contains one creature¡ªpigs.


    Besides the skills, leveling the Breeding Skill to max level also improved attributes; this time there was an increase of one point each in stamina and speed.


    Upon deciding to resign from the farmer, the latter seemed quite reluctant to let him go, babbling on and on. However, noticing Xiao Buli''s apparent lack of interest in responding, the farmer understood his resolution to leave.


    So, somewhat helplessly, he took out a purse and counted out the wages for the past few days, totaling over four hundred copper coins, of which two hundred were the compensation for four days of pig-feeding, and the remaining were from three days of grass-cutting profits.


    Opening the character panel once again, he found that his character''s attributes had improved significantly. Although there was no leveling system, his strength must have considerably increased.


    Character Name: Xiao Buli.


    Occupation: Swineherd/Harvester. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Intelligence: 13. ¡ª High comprehension, extremely strong analytical ability, average memory.


    Strength: 11. ¡ª Can carry 55 pounds, base attack power 11, (one point of Strength corresponds to a carrying capacity of five pounds, and one point of attack power)


    Speed: 11 ¡ª Your running speed is average. (Speed determines Movement Speed and attack speed)


    Agility: 14 ¡ª You have a pair of very agile hands. (Agility determines hit rate and dodge chance)


    Stamina: 13. ¡ª Stamina Points 120 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 10. ¡ª Health points 100. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Charm: 12. ¡ª You''re quite good-looking.


    Spirit: 13. ¡ª You possess a spirituality that surpasses ordinary people.


    Luck: 7. ¡ª Your luck is a bit bad.


    Skills¡ª


    Life Skills: Breeding LV10, Harvesting LV10.


    Knowledge Skills: Wild Beast Knowledge LV1.


    Combat Skills: Taming Skills LV2, One-handed Sword Specialization LV3, Chain Sword Strike LV1.


    Money: 4 silver coins and 23 copper coins.


    The currency exchange rate in this game is 100 copper coins = 1 silver coin, 100 silver coins = 1 Gold Coin. The sum of his earnings over the past week amounted to just over four silver coins. Without even calculating, Xiao Buli knew this game had to be the hardest he''d ever played in terms of making money.


    So what should he do now? Should he focus on improving his Taming Skills, or should he learn the so-called Basic Sword Skills?


    "You''re playing pretty well,"


    an abrupt voice sounded from behind him, startling Xiao Buli, because he hadn''t heard any footsteps before. He instinctively turned to look and found it was the guy with the black hoodie, who had passed the test with him. Having only met this fellow once without ever speaking to him, and never having seen him again afterward, Xiao Buli had almost forgotten him.


    Unexpectedly, the man had now suddenly shown up.


    "In truth, Taming Skills aren''t very useful. They might be handy early on, but later on, they become virtually worthless because tamed wild beasts cannot be revived after death. You have to repeatedly capture new ones, so they can only be used as consumables. There are quite a lot of limitations,"


    Xiao Buli responded with an "Oh," but said nothing else. "What about Swordsmanship skills, then? Are there similar skills to learn in the village?"


    Of course, the militia captain of Dahuang Village is a master swordsman, you can learn from him."


    Following the man''s guidance, Xiao Buli made his way to the village barracks and easily found the militia captain at the guard post by the village''s main gate.


    He chose to inquire about the captain''s skills, and indeed, the militia captain affirmed that he had Swordsmanship skills to teach. What Xiao Buli couldn''t accept was that he actually demanded a tuition fee of three silver coins! Could he see the pittance Xiao Buli had in his hands? He thought to himself.


    The 4 silver coins and 23 copper coins were his earnings from a whole week''s work, and having to spend most of it on learning a skill was a bit hard to swallow.


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s lack of response after a while, the militia captain couldn''t help but sneer, "What, too expensive for you? Humph, I wouldn''t bother teaching anyone else if it wasn''t for your decent potential."


    Decent potential? Was it because of the One-handed Sword Specialty LV3 skill? It seemed that all the grass cutting and pig feeding weren''t in vain. Three silver coins really were not cheap, but based on Xiao Buli''s gaming experience, he knew skimping on learning skills was definitely not an option. After weighing the pros and cons, he resolutely decided to pay the tuition fee.


    After taking the three silver coins as tuition, the militia captain took out a one-handed longsword and began explaining and instructing Xiao Buli.


    Because it was a game, there was naturally no need to put in much effort to learn. Not long after, a set of Sword Forms was executed, and with a flash of golden light, a line of text appeared on the screen.


    System Notification: You have learned Basic Swordsmanship LV1. You can view this skill in your Skill Bar.


    Xiao Buli opened his Skill Bar to take a look.


    Basic Swordsmanship: State Skill, activating this state provides you with higher accuracy and blocking efficiency while using a one-handed sword in combat. Current Swordsmanship level LV1.


    Skill Notes: This is a basic set of Swordsmanship skills, created after long and careful refinement by many veteran warriors. It integrates various Sword Forms such as lifting, blocking, stabbing, and slashing. Although the moves are simple, they are very suitable for beginners. Proficiency 0/100.


    However, leveling up this Basic Sword Skills wasn''t as simple as harvesting or breeding. Nor could it be improved through life skills like the One-handed Sword Specialty; one must engage in actual combat to gain Skill Experience, and with each level gained, the experience required would increase.


    But it did seem to be much more useful than his previous skills. As Xiao Buli turned to say thanks, the man was already gone, and he didn''t know when he had left.


    He looked around and saw other players were immersed in their computers. The man wasn''t among them, and it seemed that no one had noticed him leave. It was really quite strange.

 Chapter 13 Rest Day

    Glancing at his current attributes and skills, Qin Shimoon thought it belied his significant progress since he first entered the game. Perhaps it was time to venture into the wilderness beyond the village to encounter some monsters. After all, it would be a bit embarrassing to have played the game for so long without having fought a single monster.Unfortunately, it was already time to finish work for the day.


    "OK, everyone, pay attention, tomorrow is a day off, you can leave the company to take care of your personal affairs, like shaving your beard or something?" Li Jian humorously said, pointing his finger at Qin Shimoon, who only then realized that he had neglected his appearance over the past few days, his beard had entirely taken over his chin, feeling all fuzzy to the touch.


    "However, everyone take note, before leaving, you must report to Miss Qin, and also, Miss Qin will give each of you a phone to keep turned on 24 hours, just in case the company needs to call you back at any time. SO, HAVE FUN."


    "A day off, huh?" For the first time, Xiao Buli felt the passage of time, as if transitioning from the world of the game back into reality, which seemed surreal. What to do on a day off? As a freelancer, he had no real concept of what a rest day entailed, and this left him feeling somewhat lost. Perhaps he should first report his safety to Mr.


    Bang, as his own "disappearance" over the past few days might have worried him. Since they had almost always communicated within the game, Xiao Buli hadn''t yet had the chance to tell Shaobang that he had started the job, and felt that he should talk to him about the game''s content, fearing he might be disappointed.


    Early the next morning, Xiao Buli was waiting outside Miss Qin''s office, ready to report his departure and collect his phone. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good morning, Xiao Buli." Qin Shimoon''s voice was as ever full of vitality and sweetness.


    "You''re here to report your departure, right? Hehe," said Qin Shimoon, smiling knowingly as she opened the door, her cuteness amplified. Xiao Buli nodded slightly in response.


    The reporting process was simple. He filled in his departure time and Qin Shimoon gave him a passcode card for the digital lock. Xiao Buli, always sensitive to numbers, noticed the code wasn''t the same as before, an indicator of their regular updates on the door''s security code, to maintain thorough security measures.


    A cutting-edge smartphone was assigned to Xiao Buli, who quirked an eyebrow at the lavishness. Since joining the company, he found that everything one needed for daily life was well-provided for. Not only was the cafeteria''s refined and delicious food free, but the lounge also offered an assortment of complimentary snacks, cigarettes, and fruits.


    Even though due to the game, there was seldom enough time to sit and enjoy them, whenever anybody ate, fresh supplies were promptly replenished. Thus, working here meant one''s monthly salary was essentially pure profit.


    It seemed that to reinforce how capable the company was, even the everyday contact phones were the latest models, costing close to five thousand yuan¡ªa fact that made Xiao Buli click his tongue in amazement.


    After leaving the company, Xiao Buli immediately called Mr. Bang, only to find out that he was not in the bar but at home. Having no other option, Xiao Buli went to his house instead.


    Mr. Bang came from a wealthy family. Although he usually lived in the city, his family home was outside the city, a beautiful manor with a view of classical Chinese gardens, located in the suburb. Whenever the weekend arrived, he had to ''obediently'' return home. Mr.


    Bang often joked that if he ever found himself in dire straits, he''d set up a table at the entrance and charge admission fees, claiming that the spectacle would attract more attention than any tomb or garden, easily bringing in dozens of visitors a day to sustain his lifestyle of indulgence. However, these remarks were usually made in jest among friends.


    At home, he reverted back to being the obedient son in front of his parents. The existence of that distant yet real manor served as a constant reminder to Xiao Buli of the gap between them.


    The guard at the gate, upon hearing Xiao Buli''s introduction, quickly called Mr. Bang for confirmation and opened the gate. An excited Shar Pei dog, drooling all over, rushed towards him, startling Xiao Buli, though he didn''t dodge. Somehow, he sensed the dog wasn''t hostile.


    In the face of the animal baring its teeth and barking furiously, Xiao Buli chose to look it in the eyes. After a few seconds of eye contact, the dog''s growling gradually subsided until it vanished. Xiao Buli smiled, realizing the dog merely lacked affection.


    He reached out to scratch the Shar Pei''s chin, and while the dog was initially wary, it quickly succumbed to the pleasure and closed its eyes. After a while, the dog rolled over, wagging its rotund body and trying to wiggle its stub of a tail, appearing like a huge silkworm cocoon.


    Xiao Buli found this amusing; he usually wasn''t fond of pets like cats and dogs, but at that moment, he felt inclined to tease it. While stroking the dog''s exposed round belly, Xiao Buli knew that exposing its belly was a dog''s way of showing affection. Together, man and dog playfully frolicked in front of the main entrance, making the guard''s jaw nearly drop.


    Could it be that this "General Barton" belonged to him?


    "Wow," Mr. Bang said, stunned by the scene upon his quick arrival after receiving the call. When had his family''s "General Barton" become so harmless? "Have you learned some Taming Skills?" asked Mr. Bang, who was immersed in gaming for years.


    "Yeah, how did you know?" Upon hearing that, Xiao Buli responded with surprise, naturally associating Taming Skills with those from his game, and giving Mr. Bang a strange look.


    Mr. Bang was stunned for a second and then burst into laughter, "When did you also grow a sense of humor?" He chuckled and gestured for Xiao Buli to come in.


    Laughed at by Mr. Bang for a while, Xiao Buli soon realized that what Mr. Bang asked was just a joke. His serious answer must have seemed like a witty comeback to others. Xiao Buli smiled helplessly, finding it funny that he was now confusing game with reality. The more he thought about it, the funnier it became, and the two of them walked in laughing together without another word.


    "Does your family live inside the park?" Xiao Buli joked as they walked on. Mr. Bang laughed sheepishly, "I''m really helpless, very helpless."


    After passing by the staggered pavilions, they reached Mr. Bang''s residence. Contrary to Xiao Buli''s expectations and different from the white walls and black tiles they had passed, Mr. Bang''s place was a very modern building that seemed somewhat out of place within the estate. "I just couldn''t stand those somber and oppressive styles.


    Modern architecture suits me better, but it took me years of battles to win this from my grandfather. The location is a bit off, but at least living here, I don''t feel like a zombie from the Ming and Qing Dynasties," Mr. Bang explained, seeing Xiao Buli''s expression.


    They sat down in the living room, and Mr. Bang eagerly asked while taking a drink from the cabinet for Xiao Buli, "So, Vice-President, is that game any good? Is there anything worth investing in?"


    Taking the whiskey on the rocks that Mr. Bang handed him, Xiao Buli nodded and then shook his head, "It''s much better than expected, but also much worse than imagined."


    Mr. Bang immediately had a puzzled look on his face, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Simply put, the game''s graphics and engine are near perfect, able to crush any other online game on the market right now. With just a little bit of hype, it could definitely attract a massive player base. The potential is huge," Xiao Buli explained.


    "But," Xiao Buli sighed, "the design of the game is problematic, has no leveling system, and obtaining in-game currency is extremely difficult, practically making it unplayable."


    Gu Shaobang was surprised, "Even you think it''s unplayable? That''s a bit of an exaggeration, isn''t it?"


    Xiao Buli explained, "Let me put it this way, I''ve been playing for a week now, eight hours a day, and have only earned 4 silver and 23 copper. Then, I spent 3 silver coins on a Basic Swordsmanship skill in Newbie Village, so tell me if I''m exaggerating."


    Upon hearing this, Gu Shaobang was speechless for a while. He had never heard of such a bizarre game before and pondered with a frown, "So, does that mean this game is a no-go?"


    "Not necessarily. I think the game is still in the testing phase, because there are very few players that I''ve come across, almost like a LAN game. I assume the content will be modified in the future," Xiao Buli speculated.

 Chapter 14 Triple Wave

    While two people were chatting in the living room on the first floor, an old man dressed in a long robe walked in. As soon as he entered, Xiao Buli immediately understood what Mr. Bang meant by "Ming-Qing Zombie.""Young Master, the master heard that you have a guest and invites him to the front hall for a chat." Seemingly oblivious to Xiao Buli''s strange expression, the butler with a stern face nodded respectfully yet assertively to Mr. Bang.


    Mr. Bang was used to seeing odd things, but the idea of meeting his grandfather made him feel somewhat troubled. He glanced at Xiao Buli, who nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. Having come to someone''s house, it was only natural to meet the host, no matter how big the "house" was.


    Following the butler''s lead, the two walked across two courtyards and through a moon gate into a garden. There they saw an energetic old man with white hair and beard, exuding an air of an hermit, dressed in Practice Clothes, waving a Pine Pattern Ancient Sword. With every move, he didn''t show a trace of old age.


    Xiao Buli watched the old man, who appeared to be performing an unknown Swordsmanship, moving slow yet fast, enveloped in the light of his sword, flawless. Absentmindedly, Xiao Buli also began to make gestures, starting small and gradually growing larger, but his movements were different from the grandfather''s. An expert onlooker would recognize that all were counters.


    Xiao Buli was crossing swords with the old man from afar.


    As the two entered the garden, the old man had already taken note. However, in sword dance, continuity is key. Despite noticing the newcomers, he did not pause but continued until he had completed the set of Swordsmanship, before going over to talk. Watching from a distance with a cold eye, he felt some displeasure.


    Over the years, Shaobang had been a good-for-nothing, first abandoning the family business to play games, then being dragged back by his father, and later opening a somewhat unsavory bar in the city. Despite advocating democracy and appearing liberal on the surface, at heart the old man was very traditional.


    He utterly disdained the brightly dyed hair and bare-chested youngsters, so naturally, his opinion of Xiao Buli, a youth visiting his house, was dismissive.


    However, as Xiao Buli''s movements grew larger, the old man began to discern the subtleties and took interest. After a moment, he stopped and looked at Xiao Buli, asking with curiosity, "Young man, do you also understand Swordsmanship?"


    Xiao Buli quickly stopped and with great deference replied, "I have never learned it, but the elder''s dance is impressive, and I seem to perceive its brilliance."


    This remark lightened the old man''s heart. Flattery never goes out of style. Thus intrigued, he pulled out a short stick from a nearby rack and, with a sudden toss, threw his Longsword toward Xiao Buli. This move was extremely dangerous, for despite not being razor-sharp, it could cause injury if it struck.


    Nevertheless, Xiao Buli almost instinctively caught the hilt and swung the sword in a graceful arc.


    "Come," the old man said as he saw Xiao Buli catch the sword, albeit with some hesitation, yet with quite skilled technique. He immediately got excited, drew a stance, and stood ready.


    At this point, Xiao Buli was in a difficult position. The person facing him was Mr. Bang''s grandfather, someone he should respect, and it seemed improper to cross swords upon their first meeting. However, the old man''s stance left him no choice. He steeled himself and entered the ring.


    He truly had no experience with Swordsmanship, only vaguely remembering how he had imitated martial arts from childhood movies using a stick. Now holding a sword, he felt somewhat at a loss. But the elder was visibly excited, hard-pressed as he was to find a sparring partner in his daily life, and he certainly wouldn''t miss this opportunity.


    "Here it comes," the elder shouted, using the stick as in place of a sword, and launched a strike toward Xiao Buli''s face. Cautiously, because he did not know Xiao Buli''s capability, and also because he genuinely hoped to exchange a few moves, his attack was a slow, leading strike.


    As the stick approached, Xiao Buli''s hesitant mind suddenly made a decision. He parried, deflecting the stick away.


    "Good!" the elder exclaimed with approval. Despite the meeting of stick and sword, they did not clash solidly as he turned the real strike into a feint, flipped like a hawk turning in flight, and pointed the stick swiftly at Xiao Buli''s waist. Xiao Buli, seeing the elder changing moves again, clumsily guided his sword down to defend.


    Thus, after a dozen or so exchanges, although Xiao Buli still had only the power to counter and no skill to initiate, his movements became faster under the elder''s guidance. With a "snap," the elder''s stick touched Xiao Buli''s wrist, causing the Longsword in his hand to fall to the ground. His wrist went numb, but he knew the elder had shown mercy.


    "Kid, are you sure you''ve never practiced before?" the elderly man''s stick still at the ready, he asked loudly.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly shook his head.


    "Good, another round," the old man seemed to be intrigued by Xiao Buli, flicked the sword hilt with his stick, and tossed the longsword over again. Xiao Buli caught it with much more finesse this time. The two of them engaged in combat once more, completely ignoring Mr. Bang to the side.


    At this moment, Mr. Bang was actually enjoying his leisure. His grandfather had also pressured him to practice swordplay since he was young. He sat down by the root-carved tea table set aside, and the housekeeper immediately came over to pour tea for the young master. Mr. Bang cracked sunflower seeds, sipped on Dragon Well tea, and observed the situation on the field.


    Even though he meant to go easy, the old man''s swordplay still had Xiao Buli scrambling. However, with the warm-up from the previous round, Xiao Buli seemed to slowly grasp some tricks of the trade. His hands became faster, and occasionally he managed to execute a few moves, no longer just defensively as before.


    The elder executed "Immortal Points the Way," and Xiao Buli saw the stick pointing straight at his brow. Somehow, a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind. He tilted his head back and, taking advantage of the spent force of the opponent''s sword, lunged forward, turning defense into attack.


    His longsword twined around the stick, coiling three times, completely neutralizing the old man''s power and deflecting the stick to the side. With the longsword in hand, he pointed straight forward at the old man''s face. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah!" Mr. Bang, who had been watching the scene leisurely from the sidelines, cried out in alarm.


    The old man at the center of the field also inhaled sharply. In the blink of an eye, his energy sunk to his dantian, he bent and stepped back, performing an "iron bridge" move, his whole body arching backwards. Despite such a fast reaction, his beard was still grazed by the sword.


    As the sword thrust forward, Xiao Buli was also stunned on the spot. But the momentum of the sword could not be stopped. Fortunately, the old man''s foundation was profound; otherwise, that strike... Xiao Buli stood still, cold sweat breaking out in the palm of his hand.


    The old man managed to touch the ground with one hand, after all he was of advanced years, and it was somewhat challenging. Mr. Bang hurriedly dropped his sunflower seeds to help.


    "Good, that ''Triple Wave'' was beautifully performed," despite some pain in his back, the old man still praised.


    Hearing this, Xiao Buli came back to his senses, quickly clasped his fist, and said, "My apologies, elder."


    The old man waved his hand at those words, and with the help of Mr. Bang, he made his way to the tea table to rest.


    "Triple Wave? Was that the ''Triple Wave'' I just did?" Xiao Buli still couldn''t believe it, standing there, looking at the sword in his hand and the beard scattered on the ground.

 Chapter 15 Practice Swordplay

    As someone who had never been exposed to swordsmanship, he found the move to be completely unfamiliar, yet it seemed to have a certain flair associated with the mortal world. After twirling his longsword into a flourish, Xiao Buli hurried over to apologize to the old master.It was actually his first time comparing skills with another swordsman, and although it almost ended in disaster, he couldn''t deny that it was quite thrilling. No wonder so many people enjoyed wielding blades against each other.


    After taking a sip of tea, the old master seemed to have recovered his strength. He still supported his somewhat crumbling waist with one hand and shook his head, "I''m too old; these arms and legs aren''t as agile as they used to be," he said, pointing at Xiao Buli who stood beside him with a guilty face, "But you, young man, are not being honest.


    Given your posture, you must have at least a few years of practice. How can you claim you''ve never learned?"


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but give a wry smile. He was just as puzzled ¨C even more so than the old man ¨C as to why he seemed so experienced. Perhaps the old man simply felt he was partially dishonest, yet still there could be a pretext for lying, but what about himself? He knew his own limitations all too well.


    He had never practiced martial arts, and due to his gaming habits, his physical condition was even worse than others.


    "Indeed," Xiao Buli thought to himself in confusion, "Why does it feel like I''ve actually practiced before?" He didn''t refute the old man''s remarks. Could it be that he was a natural-born martial arts prodigy? Recalling his movements, he felt an aura of mystery surround him. Could it be that swordsmanship, not gaming, was his true talent?


    Mr. Bang, witnessing the bizarre conversation between the elderly and the young man, stepped forward to help Xiao Buli out, "Old master, I''ve known Xiao for so many years and I can assure you he has no martial arts background. Really, not to mention swordsmanship, I used to help him in fights. Otherwise, he would have been chopped up long ago."


    The old man rubbed his waist, and his question wasn''t out of a true belief that Xiao Buli was lying. From the initial panic to the slowly emerging skill, he could see that the young man likely wasn''t lying. After all, lies need a purpose. Why tell such a lie to a stranger? And just to embarrass himself in front of his grandson? After hearing his grandson''s explanation, he was almost entirely convinced.


    "So you''re saying you''re self-taught?" The tone of the old master softened as he came to believe Xiao Buli. "The swordsmanship moves you used are simple and straightforward, without much sophistication, but extremely concise. They would be far more useful in actual combat than those flashy spells.


    To think you were able to execute them effortlessly ¨C by that account, you really might be a rare martial arts talent." By attributing genius to him, he made his own defeat seem less awkward.


    "Huh?" Xiao Buli was stunned by those words. Am I a genius? Could it actually be true? Turns out I am a martial arts genius? I''ve truly been on the wrong path before. But on second thought, his genius in swordsmanship was rather useless in the modern world.


    Unless he could dodge bullets like in Hacker Empire, it wasn''t particularly useful.


    Even though he thought this way, his expression remained unchanged. Seeing this, the old master couldn''t help but feel surprised. His grandson''s friend seemed to be quite shrewd for his age, which didn''t quite fit his youthful appearance. However, the old master''s years of experience told him that Xiao Buli didn''t value swordsmanship as much as he did.


    The old man said, "Indeed, swordsmanship as a combat skill doesn''t hold much practical value these days, but it''s excellent for strengthening the body and cultivating one''s character. Enhancing your physical capabilities is not just about having the ability to protect yourself, but also greatly boosts one''s self-confidence and courage. That''s why I insist that you should practice swordsmanship."


    The last part of his speech was addressed to Mr. Bang, who thought to himself that his grandfather was mistaken; martial arts were still useful in a fight. Nevertheless, he dared not say it out loud and instead nodded emphatically at Xiao Buli, looking very serious.


    To this, the old master seemed pleased.


    Listening, Xiao Buli nodded slightly. There was sense in the old master''s words, and besides, having multiple abilities couldn''t hurt. Practicing more in the future would surely be beneficial, so he lowered his stance somewhat.


    "Of course, if you want to advance further, I could teach you some basic beginners'' techniques," the old master offered, surprising Mr. Bang. His high-principled grandfather, combined with the renown of the Gu family, rarely found anyone worthy of his attention. Now, it seemed he wanted to grow closer to Xiao Buli. But Mr. Bang knew that before this morning, Xiao Buli''s life revolved around gaming.


    Getting him to learn swordsmanship would be a tough sell. Besides, he knew Xiao Buli well: although he always appeared indifferent, he was actually quite proud on the inside. Mr. Bang was worried that these two might start another disagreement over becoming disciples.


    Stealing a glance, Xiao Buli indeed showed no reaction to the old man''s proposal, just standing there, lost in thought. The old master didn''t rush him, simply picking up his tea cup to sip. Time seemed to freeze in that moment.


    Actually, Xiao Buli wasn''t struggling as much as it seemed on the surface at the moment, nor was he about to have a showdown with his grandfather to the death as Mr. Bang thought. Right now, his mind was pondering one thing: could his natural talent for swordsmanship really be a gift from the heavens? Why did it feel somewhat unreal?


    Although he had explained it away as genius before, hearing the old man speak so highly of him made him start to doubt it himself.


    "Xiao," Mr. Bang had somehow moved next to Xiao Buli without notice, extending a hand to gently pull him back to reality. Could you just give a response already? Speaking of the old man, he had finished his cup of tea, but if he were to put down the cup now, it would seem like too much time had passed. One would think the old man should be unable to save face and would have left in a huff by now.


    However, it was rare for the old man to find someone who could exchange a few moves with him, and he didn''t want to give up so easily, so he kept holding the empty teacup in one hand, pretending to drink the air filled with the scent of tea, stubbornly enduring it. Mr.


    Bang felt tired just looking at his grandfather''s arm, but he couldn''t point it out, because where would that leave the old man''s pride? That''s why he shifted over and nudged Xiao Buli, calling out softly to him.


    "Oh," Xiao Buli came back from his reverie, and regardless, this was a good thing, wasn''t it? He offered Mr. Bang an apologetic smile. Xiao Buli then casually clasped his fists together, "In that case, I shall formally become a disciple under the old master today, Master above¡­"


    The old man''s arm was numb from holding it up, and when he heard this, he hurried over to help, "No need to mention it, no need for ceremonies. If it''s possible, let''s just be friends despite the age difference, and spar whenever we have time."


    Mr. Bang, standing beside them, was petrified. You two are going to be buddies despite the age gap? Does that mean I''ll have to start calling you ''grandpa'' now?


    Xiao Buli quickly thanked him, saying things like he didn''t dare to aspire so high, and they both got a bit too wordy for their own good. Eventually, they cleared some space and began going through their motions in the old man''s small garden practice area.


    With the intent to teach fully, the old man didn''t hold back. He explained each move brilliantly and precisely. One was earnest in passing on the knowledge, the other quick in learning. By noon, they were exchanging blows and their swordsmanship flourished on the field. Poor Mr. Bang was on the side, sipping tea and crunching on seeds, yawning to the heavens.


    Speaking of Xiao Buli, as he exchanged moves with the old man, he was somewhat amazed. Swordsmanship was indeed not simple. Compared to his previous instinctual attacks and defenses, the old man''s understanding of swordsmanship was undoubtedly a hundred times stronger. A simple move had light and shadow, truth and feint, advancement and escape.


    The so-called ''advance to attack, retreat to defend,'' where a skillful swordsman''s every move hid the threat of death, yet was not mere brute force. His previous instincts now seemed rather rough and unsophisticated.


    Xiao Buli''s comprehension also amazed the old man. He seemed naturally cut out for swordsmanship. Xiao Buli could almost immediately learn and see through the techniques taught to him. Even the more obscure moves became proficient after some practice, and he brought out their nuances vividly.


    He was very good at integrating different elements, quickly grasping the subsequent moves within a few sword technique patterns. Occasionally, a stroke of his sword would leave the old man marveling like a divine work of art. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before long, Xiao Buli''s level of swordsmanship had greatly improved and was even faintly on par with the old man himself, although, of course, this was also because the old man''s own swordsmanship wasn''t particularly outstanding ¨C but still, it was a valuable foundation that benefited Xiao Buli a lot.


    With repeated urging from the butler and Mr. Bang, the young and the old reluctantly put down their swords and went into the house to eat. Undoubtedly, there was no respite at the dining table either, as they discussed the intricacies of sword techniques back and forth. Mr.


    Bang, it seemed, was just there for the ride, and finally, in despair, he invoked a family heirloom teaching that his grandfather often instructed their younger generation with: "No talking while eating, no talking while sleeping." The two of them burst into laughter at this and stopped their conversation.


    However, occasionally when picking up food, their chopsticks would clash and they would not stop until they had parried a few times. A wave of brotherly sentiment filled the room, blinding Mr. Bang with its intensity.


    After lunch was over and another hour of practice in the afternoon, since it was the weekend, the Gu family had a rule to return home for a family meal. One after another, the Gu family''s descendants sped back in luxury cars. They gradually entered the garden to meet the old man, and only then did the two begrudgingly put down their longswords.


    The old man went to the front hall to chat and instructed Mr. Bang to make sure to take good care of this young friend and insisted that Xiao Buli stay for dinner.


    Mr. Bang thought to himself, well, now you''ve made a friend.


    Seeing it was getting late and after the old man left, Xiao Buli said his goodbyes to Mr. Bang, wanting to leave. Dinner and the like, Xiao Buli knew it was just going to be awkward for him to attend with such a family. Mr.


    Bang knew all too well, but, even though he could guess that his grandfather would blame him for Xiao Buli''s absence at dinner, he reluctantly agreed and had the butler arrange for a driver.


    Mr. Bang still felt a bit apologetic, "Hey, I''m really sorry, big brother. My grandpa can be really stubborn and is used to being the head of the family, a bit overbearing at times. It must have been tiring to spend the day entertaining him." Mr. Bang didn''t believe anyone would genuinely enjoy learning swordsmanship, especially Xiao Buli, whom he thought was just humoring an old man for his sake.


    Xiao Buli caught the meaning behind his words but didn''t bother explaining too much, just dismissing it with a carefree laugh. Mr. Bang watched him leave the Gu family mansion, and then he returned, scratching his head as he tried to figure out how to explain to his grandfather that his new ''toy'' had run away.

 Chapter 16 Data Disarray

    After visiting Mr. Bang, Xiao Buli went home to pack up a variety of miscellaneous items. Before darkness fell, he returned to the company. In just one week, he had grown accustomed to this rhythm of life.The next day, another Monday rolled around. Usually, he had a strong dislike for this day, but now that sentiment had shifted. Standing at the entrance of the computer room, everyone seemed eager to start. It appeared that a day''s rest hadn''t dampened their enthusiasm; on the contrary, it had intensified their fighting spirit.


    As for the game, it really wasn''t all that fun anymore. There was neither the thrill of slaughtering powerful monsters nor any exciting plot twists. However, the sense of accomplishment that came with gradually improving one''s own strength was something that simply couldn''t be ignored.


    While waiting, Xiao Buli contemplated the Taming Skills and Basic Swordsmanship in his mind, deeming both crucial. If possible, it would be nice to develop them concurrently.


    "OK, let''s get started then," Li Jian arrived as if carried by the wind, looking refreshed and radiant. While speaking, he opened the door to the computer room. It seemed that despite having played for so long, he was quite eager. A group of five swiftly occupied their seats, their speed comparable to the masses that rush to grab seats the moment subway doors open.


    He quickly turned on the computer, and when he logged in, he was back where he last logged off, at the village entrance. The militia captain who had been guarding the door was gone, replaced by two militia wielding spears. Ignoring the greetings from those two NPCs, he immediately opened his character panel.


    Although the game lacked a leveling system, the enhancement of attributes and skills was still noticeable in the improved strength. It was difficult to tell from raw data alone which of the two paths, Taming Skills or Basic Swordsmanship, held an advantage.


    He decided to prepare to leave the village to test out the effects of both skills and to see the fruits of his recent efforts in strength improvement.


    As he thought, he began inspecting his attributes and skills.


    Profession: Swineherd/Swordsmanship Apprentice.


    Intelligence: 13. ¡ª Higher comprehension, strong analytical ability, average memory.


    Strength: 11. ¡ª Can bear a weight of 55 pounds, base attack power 11 (one point of strength corresponds to a carrying capacity of five pounds and one point of attack power). Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Speed: 11 ¡ª Your running speed is average. (Speed determines Movement Speed and attack speed).


    Agility: 14 ¡ª You have a pair of exceptionally nimble hands. (Agility determines hit rate and evasion probability).


    Stamina: 13. ¡ª Stamina Points 120 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 10. ¡ª Health Points 100 (1 point of physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Charm: 12. ¡ª You are quite good-looking.


    Spirit: 13. ¡ª You possess a spirituality that surpasses the ordinary.


    Luck: 7. ¡ª Your luck is a bit unfortunate.


    Skills ¡ª


    Breeding: LV10. (Life Skill) You have learned the skill of how to breed animals.


    Harvesting: LV10. (Life Skills) You have learned the skill of harvesting crops or other plants.


    Taming Skills: LV2. By grasping the habits of wild beasts, you can tame them to serve you. The success rate and degree of taming depend on the target''s level of wildness.


    One-handed Sword Specialization: LV3. You have some understanding of using one-handed swords, allowing you to wield such weapons more effectively in combat. It''s also easier for you to learn skills associated with this type of weapon, which is an important prerequisite for learning swordsmanship skills.


    Wild Beast Knowledge: LV1. (Knowledge Skills) Due to your extensive contact with animals, you have gained a certain understanding of the habits of wild beasts. (This skill can improve the success rate of your Taming Skills), and unlocks the Beast Compendium feature.


    The animals you are familiar with will appear in your Skill Bar in compendium form, and your success rate at taming animals already in the compendium is increased by one level.


    Chain Sword Strike: LV1. You strike your target consecutively with your weapon, dealing multiple hits of weapon damage, with each subsequent hit inflicting less damage due to declining strength. Each use of this skill consumes 5 Stamina Points, and the skill has a cooldown time of 10 seconds. (Requires a one-handed sword weapon).


    Basic Swordsmanship: LV3. This is a set of beginner''s swordsmanship skills, created by veteran warriors after long-term refining for practical combat. It incorporates various Sword Forms like thrusting, blocking, stabbing, and slashing, making it very suitable for beginners.


    Just as he was about to close the interface, Xiao Buli suddenly felt something was off. Wait a second, he reread it from the start. Basic Sword Skills LV3? He scrutinized it again carefully, and there was no mistake¡ªthe Basic Swordsmanship he had learned the day before yesterday had somehow reached LV3, and he had no recollection of practicing this skill at all?


    Could someone have tampered with his character? This thought immediately sprang to Xiao Buli''s mind, and it seemed like the only explanation. He turned to look at Li Jian, who was currently controlling his character, fighting a zombie. Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, then walked over and waited behind Li Jian. After watching him fell the zombie with an axe, he reached out and patted his shoulder.


    What''s up¡ª


    What! Li Jian turned around abruptly, and without his sunglasses on, Xiao Buli could clearly see his eyes glowing red.


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat. Seeing that Li Jian appeared annoyed but showed no other reaction and seemed not to feel anything off about himself, Xiao Buli quickly composed himself and asked, "The skills on my character have somehow leveled up two tiers, and I wanted to ask if someone used my account yesterday?"


    Without a second thought, Li Jian replied, "Definitely not, the company takes account security and personal privacy very seriously. No one is allowed to use someone else''s account without permission. As for the sudden skill upgrade, maybe it''s some server data error. These things happen."


    Xiao Buli nodded, accepting this more or less plausible answer. It seemed to be the only reasonable one. Although he was still puzzled, it was a good thing no matter how you looked at it, so he didn''t dwell on it any longer¡ªtime waits for no one.


    Xiao Buli was ready to leave the village immediately to test the power of these combat skills he had learned. As he thought about it, he dragged Basic Sword Skills, Chain Sword Strike, and Taming Skills into his quick access Skill Bar. After some thought, he decided to buy a sword as well, for all the swordsmanship skill in the world is useless without a weapon.


    His previously owned rusty scythe was reclaimed by the farmer when he resigned, leaving him empty-handed.


    Arriving at the village blacksmith, he saw a burly, shirtless man hammering a Longsword with repeated powerful strokes¡ªit was none other than Han Baiqiang. Upon seeing Xiao Buli walk in, the big man greeted him, "Hey, what brings you here?" In this world where NPCs wandered everywhere, it was somewhat gratifying to see a familiar face.


    "Just shopping around. I''ve learned Basic Swordsmanship and want to buy a weapon to test it out outside the village."


    "What! You''ve learned Basic Swordsmanship!?" Han Baiqiang in front of his computer was taken aback, typing quickly to ask, "I was thinking of learning it too, but the militia captain said my basics were too poor, and he wouldn''t teach me. How did you manage to learn it?"


    "To learn Basic Swordsmanship, you need the prerequisite skill of One-handed Sword Specialization. You have to learn that first," Xiao Buli shared openly while picking through the swords on the stall and recounted how he acquired One-handed Sword Specialization.


    After listening, Han Baiqiang was overjoyed. "I see, I see. Although I don''t know One-handed Sword Specialization, I do know Two-Handed Weapon Specialization. I should be able to learn other types of combat skills. I''ll go and ask about that in a bit. Thanks, buddy.


    Tell me what weapon you want, and I''ll give you a discount."

 Chapter 17 First Battle with Wild Dogs

    "You can decide the price?" Xiao Buli was surprised.The digital Han Baiqiang in the computer shook his head smugly, "Not exactly, I just help to sell on behalf of others, and the price can''t be lower than the cost. However, I do have some authority to offer discounts." It seemed he felt a secret thrill about his pivotal role at the village''s blacksmith shop.


    "But giving you a discount is quite risky for me," Han Baiqiang continued, implying that Xiao Buli owed him a favor since he was getting a deal. "If I make more money, I can improve my relationship with my master. When Sun Bin bought his spear from me, I sold it to him at the standard price, but I won''t make a profit from you." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sun Bin bought a spear? Xiao Buli was slightly shocked, it seemed that Sun Bin was not willing to be left behind and was already preparing to venture out of the village early. Otherwise, why would he buy a spear?


    He chuckled knowingly, "Then, thanks a lot." It''s just a game, yet we still have to use each other, Xiao Buli thought, but he didn''t show it outwardly. "I only have a little over a hundred copper coins now, give me a recommendation."


    Only a little over a hundred copper coins, huh? Then take this one, Han Baiqiang suggested as he listed an item on the screen.


    Iron sword: Priced at 80 copper coins.


    Weapon notes: This one-handed sword, made of raw iron, is fairly sharp but lacks flexibility. If not used carefully, it can easily break; you''d better handle it with care.


    Attack 2-8.


    "Dizzy, such a crappy weapon," Xiao Buli lamented the inflated prices while feeling a pang in his pocketbook¡ªevery single copper coin emanated a tale of woes, didn''t they? But it seemed that this was the only option available.


    Xiao Buli reluctantly nodded and accepted the weapon.


    Equipping the weapon and glancing at the three skills in the skill bar, Xiao Buli finally felt the familiar rush of a traditional online game. It gave him a sense of security, as if he was in control of the game once again. He arrived at the village entrance once more, where the two guards dutifully warned him as he was about to leave the village, "Are you planning to venture out?


    It''s very dangerous outside the village, so you''d better be careful."


    Xiao Buli thanked them and stepped out, not daring to go too far. He just wandered around near the village, cautiously moving forward bit by bit. The wilderness stretched out in every direction, with the greyish-black mud looking uninviting and even the plants being scarce.


    It was a desolate world, reminiscent of the style of dark-themed games, with a light rain starting to drizzle from the sky, a rather mournful scene.


    In the midst of this fine, drizzling rain, a wild dog suddenly appeared within sight. This must be the weakest monster Li Jian had mentioned. So, bring it on.


    As soon as the wild dog spotted Xiao Buli, it entered a state of alert, its body rising and falling as if it were barking, inching closer, its fur bristling. Clearly, this was an angry male dog, its bloodshot eyes fixed on Xiao Buli. This made Xiao Buli feel somewhat uneasy, but he stood his ground, not moving as the distance between man and dog closed.


    Suddenly, the wild dog quickened its pace and lunged ferociously at him.


    Xiao Buli steadied his mind and activated Basic Sword Skills; a BUFF status immediately appeared over his avatar''s head.


    Just as the wild dog was upon him, Xiao Buli sharply dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. As the wild dog brushed past him, he lifted his sword and struck, but no blood spurted out¡ªit seemed he had missed. This game employed a non-targeted combat system, which was different from those games where you just stand and hit monsters.


    While the wild dog was still landing and hadn''t turned around yet, Xiao Buli executed Chain Sword Strike!


    Xiao Buli immediately unleashed his only active attack skill, hitting the wild dog with three consecutive strikes. Three bright red numbers burst forth: 12, 9, 7.


    It inflicted 28 points of damage in an instant. Xiao Buli didn''t know how many health points the wild dog had, but he guessed it couldn''t be much more than his own. A few more hits like that, and he should be able to finish it off,


    The wild dog, in pain, let out a yelp and suddenly its body turned red, seeming to activate some kind of skill, biting down hard on Xiao Buli''s leg. Xiao Buli felt as if his own calf was in pain, the realistic graphics and his deep immersion made him empathize greatly with his character''s plight. 15! A bright red number burst out, what''s this, the wild dog''s attack strength isn''t weak either.


    System prompt: The beast has entered Fury state.


    The wild dog has launched its Rip and Bite skill on you, and you''ve entered a bleeding status.


    A blood drop DEBUFF appeared over his character''s portrait, losing one health point every second.


    If it weren''t for his skills bolstering him, he''d truly be no match. Xiao Buli thought this as he furiously slashed at the wild dog. Since he had activated the Basic Swordsmanship skill, his attacks were no longer wild swings, but rather sharp moves with a bit of rhythm.


    This game seemed to have a move judgement system similar to "Assassin''s Creed," where the system would automatically make the player''s character use the most effective moves to attack depending on the situation. Moreover, this game appeared to also have a hit stun system, where successfully landing hits would often prevent the wild dog from counterattacking for a short time.


    After a few rounds of combat, Xiao Buli gradually got the hang of the rhythm, delivering a series of effective combos that left the wild dog unable to retaliate. After several rounds, the wild dog couldn''t take it anymore and turned tail to run, disappearing in the blink of an eye with incredible speed.


    Xiao Buli, whose leg was still dripping blood, was stunned. Damn, since when can monsters run away?


    But thinking about the freedom this game offers, it wasn''t too hard to understand.


    He glanced at his health points, and in just this short period, he had lost one-third. Luckily, the bleeding DEBUFF had disappeared at some point. It seemed he couldn''t continue like this. Having not fared well on a test of his mettle, Xiao Buli decided to head back to the village first.


    Just as Xiao Buli turned around, he suddenly noticed at the edge of the screen, not far from him, the wild dog had come back, trailing him from a distance, seemingly unwilling to let its enemy get away so easily, yet fearful of the weapon in Xiao Buli''s hands and not daring to approach.


    Suddenly, an idea struck Xiao Buli, and he chose the option to lie down from the action menu, then calmly watched the wild dog''s reaction.


    After hesitating for a while, the wild dog slowly moved a bit closer, then after a while, a bit closer still, as if seeing that its enemy was not reacting, it approached yet a bit more, now within attack range. Xiao Buli abruptly unleashed a Chain Sword Strike towards the wild dog''s head.


    The wild dog, startled, turned and fled, but the sword struck its leg, causing the wild dog to stumble and its speed to slow down.


    Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Buli immediately sprang up from the ground. Just as he was about to swing his sword, a thought struck him. Killing a wild dog wouldn''t yield much experience, and since he''d already tried Basic Sword Skills and Chain Sword Strike, why not give Taming Skills a shot? While thinking this, he used Taming Skills on the wild dog.


    Though the wild dog was bloodied all over, it was still on guard, aware that escape was hopeless and seemingly determined to fight back with all it had. One Taming Skill went out, and for a moment the dog appeared somewhat perplexed, but it quickly returned to its defensive stance.


    System prompt: Hatred value too high, Tame failed.


    Damn, Xiao Buli was surprised. In past games, battling pets before taming them was a necessity, huh? What the hell is this hatred value? He threw another Taming Skill at it.


    System prompt: Hatred value too high, Tame failed.


    Xiao Buli suddenly felt a sense of helplessness, what the heck. But at that moment, the wild dog didn''t give him any more time to think, launching an attack. With no other choice, Xiao Buli unleashed another Chain Sword Strike, and the wild dog, after enduring the impact, finally fell to the ground.


    System prompt: You''ve gained 5 practical experience points.


    With the wild dog''s body in tow, Xiao Buli, dragging a limp leg, made his way slowly back to the village.

 Chapter 18 Taming the Wild Dog

    Walking through the village gate, Xiao Buli''s wounds slowly healed, and the changes to his body and surroundings finally made him feel somewhat safe. Leaning against the big tree at the village entrance, Xiao sat down, which was also to allow his body to recover as quickly as possible.Reflecting on the encounter just outside the village, although it was a close call without danger, it had made him break out in a cold sweat. Even when facing the lowest level monsters, he had to be fully alert. After all, a game character''s life was only once, and for Xiao Buli, who took the game as seriously as life itself, such a mistake was not permissible. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, the combat power of the monsters in this game had somehow surpassed his expectations. Despite having been cautioned by Li Jian, and having played for a week himself, the fact that he had just managed to defeat a stray dog was rather speechless. Anyway, it was time to check out the spoils of battle.


    He reached out to open his inventory, and there was the body of a stray dog. Xiao Buli clicked to view the item''s attributes.


    Stray Dog''s Corpse: This is the corpse of a stray dog, with blood stains and sword wounds all over it, weighing 24 pounds. By using the dissection skill, you can obtain some materials from it.


    Dissection? I have no idea how to do that, better just sell it to the butcher. With this thought, Xiao Buli stood up and headed with his only spoils of the past few days toward the outskirts of the village.


    The village butcher doubled as a hunter, located in an inconspicuous cottage on the outskirts of the village. Xiao Buli went straight to the outside of the hunter''s house, just in time to see Li Baocheng skinning a rabbit.


    "Hey, what are you here for?" Seeing Xiao Buli on the screen, Li Baocheng asked curiously.


    "Killed a stray dog, want to see if the butcher can buy it for some money."


    "A stray dog? You went out of the village??" Li Baocheng immediately asked, surprised, on the screen. "Let me take a look."


    Without answering, Xiao Buli clicked on trade and showed the body of the stray dog to Li Baocheng.


    Li Baocheng lifted up the body of the stray dog and examined it, seeing blood stains among the fur and clotted blood adhering to the hair, making it look filthy, but the fierceness of the battle was also evident. Li Baocheng frowned, thinking to himself that Xiao Buli was usually quiet but not slow in progress, and Sun Bin seemed to have started venturing out of the village too.


    Should he also speed up his pace? No, better wait and see. There were so many places to explore in this game; there seemed to be no need to venture out too early. After all, he could also know the information they got from venturing out of the village and let them pioneer the pathway ahead.


    In the blink of an eye, Li Baocheng had made up his mind and a hint of a smile appeared on his face.


    "Wow, Xiao, you are so amazing. You can leave the village so soon!" Li Baocheng seemed to say with admiration then, like a true professional, he added, "This thing of yours isn''t worth much money. How about I dissect it for you for free and you can get some materials. However, you have to leave the leftover scraps to me."


    Dissect for free? Xiao Buli understood that Li Baocheng was suggesting this because he wanted to practice his skills. But it was a win-win proposition, so why not? Therefore, he nodded in agreement.


    With swift motions, Li Baocheng neatly processed the carcass, quickly completing the dissection and obtaining a piece of low-quality dog meat and a piece of inferior fur.


    As he traded the items to Xiao Buli, Li Baocheng laughed awkwardly, "There''s no helping it, my skill level is too low, this is all I can manage."


    Xiao Buli still thanked him and opened up to look at the dog meat.


    Dog Meat: Ingredient (This piece of dog meat appears to be contaminated by some force, emitting a pungent smell).


    Dog Skin: Tanning Material (This piece of dog skin appears to be contaminated by some force and is covered with black spots).


    That was all.


    "By the way, what do you need the minced meat for?" Xiao Buli, who was about to leave, turned back and asked. He paid close attention to collecting all information in the game.


    "Oh. Minced meat can be used as bait for traps. A hunter just taught me some wilderness survival skills. If you encounter hostile wild beasts in the wild, you can throw some meat to them. Once they''re full, their hostility will decrease. They''ll remain hostile creatures but won''t attack anymore.


    So I usually collect some in preparation for leaving the village in the future," Li Baocheng shared openly.


    "Oh~ I see," said Xiao Buli, nodding as he turned to leave. But after taking a few steps, he had a sudden flash of inspiration. Reminded by Li Baocheng, he also realized that the key to good relations with animals in reality was feeding them. He hadn''t expected that this was also possible in the game.


    It seemed the game''s design closely resembled real life with its vast freedom, NPC characters with their own personalities, and the advice from Li Jian not to speak carelessly with NPCs. It looked like one could utilize real-life experiences to test in the game.


    If attacking creatures garnered hate points and even affected skill performance, then perhaps feeding meat could also improve the success rate of Taming Skills? Thinking of this, Xiao Buli turned back again.


    "Do you have any good meat for sale? Sell me a few pieces," said Xiao Buli upon returning. Li Baocheng, who hadn''t realized when Xiao had wandered back, reluctantly showed him some.


    After some picking, Xiao Buli spent twenty copper coins and bought two pieces of boar meat. The expense pained him and he thought about sneaking into a farm to steal a couple of pigs someday. But he dismissed the thought as just a thought. For if he were caught, he''d almost certainly be wanted, and that would force him to leave the village prematurely.


    With his current strength, that would probably be a death sentence.


    Having obtained the meat, Xiao Buli was eager to leave the village immediately, but before he could depart, he needed to fully recover his health. The game''s health recovery rate was incredibly frustrating; there were no health potions for sale, either. With no other choice, he had to have the village medic bandage him up, which cost another five copper coins.


    He wondered if, as he leveled up and began teaming up for battles, it would always be this cumbersome. Then he headed out of the village once more.


    Rogue dogs were still a common sight outside the village. Xiao Buli hadn''t gone far before he encountered another one. This dog looked better than the ones he''d seen before¡ªit was larger, a typical rural Yellow Dog, and seemed much tamer, not as fierce as the first one he''d seen. Xiao Buli stayed at a distance and threw out a piece of boar meat.


    The wild dog, seeing this, did not attack him immediately but instead ran towards the meat.


    After eating the boar meat, the wild dog''s name color changed from a blood-like bright red to a less striking brownish red. It sniffed around the ground near him, circling, but did not attack right away.


    Haha, it really worked. Seeing the wild dog''s actions, Xiao Buli grew more confident and used his Taming Skills on the wild dog.


    As his character bent down and gently caressed the wild dog''s back, the dog shone with a white light and was successfully tamed. Its demeanor also changed immediately, its tail wagging ingratiatingly.


    System notification: Your Taming Skill level is LV2, the target''s Wildness level is LV1. You have successfully tamed the target; from now on it will be your ally in combat. When it is in a good mood, it will respond to your commands. If the Loyalty is below 50, there is a chance it will flee, and if Loyalty is below 30, there is a possibility of it lashing out. Current Loyalty is 55.


    You can increase your pet''s Loyalty by feeding, petting, playing, and training it.


    Please name your pet.


    "I''ll call you Meatball," said Xiao Buli, typing the two characters for "Meatball" into the pet name column, and instantly, the wild dog''s name changed to Meatball.


    After glancing at Meatball''s Attributes, Xiao Buli finally understood why Li Jian said that a newbie couldn''t defeat a wild dog.


    Meatball: (Beast).


    Intelligence: 7.


    Strength: 8.


    Speed: 14.


    Agility: 12


    Stamina: 12. ¡ª Stamina Points 120 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 10. ¡ª Health Points 100. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Combat Skills


    Claw Strike: LV1. A routine attack skill where the user scratches the enemy with their claws, causing basic attack damage.


    Wildness: LV1. This is a proud and untamed beast, longing for a free and wild lifestyle, full of aggression and challenging to coexist with humans peacefully. Long-term taming will reduce the level of this skill.


    Rip and Bite: LV2. Inflicts a strong damage to the target, causing them to bleed and deal 10 damage over 10 seconds. Consumes 5 Physical Strength Points, skill cooldown time 5 seconds.


    Pounce: LV1. Fiercely pounces towards the target, dealing double Claw Strike damage and causing the target to lose balance. Consumes 10 Physical Strength Points, skill cooldown time 15 seconds, must be used within a 3-8 meters range.


    Sprint: LV2. Accelerates speed in a flash, increasing Movement Speed by one hundred percent, lasting 10 seconds.


    Furious Bark: LV3. With a piercing howl, it causes the target to become Impetuous, a certain chance to inflict the ''Impetuous'' effect on the enemy, reducing their dodge chance and attack accuracy. The Impetuous effect can stack up to ten layers, after which the target will launch an all-out attack on you. Using this skill does not consume Physical Strength Points and has no cooldown.


    Agility: LV1. This creature has an excellent sense of smell and hearing, any slight movement may catch its attention. Its alert range is increased by twenty percent, and its Reveal ability is enhanced by twenty percent.


    After dizzily looking over all the Attributes and skills, Xiao Buli thought dejectedly: Okay, even the lowest-level monster has so many skills; I really can''t imagine how powerful those stronger monsters are.


    To avoid the pet running away due to low Loyalty, Xiao Buli fed it another piece of boar meat and played with it, successfully raising its Loyalty to 80 points.


    That should do it. With his newly caught pet, Xiao Buli returned to the village with his head held high.


    However, to be on the safe side, as soon as Xiao Buli entered the village, he went straight to the butcher to buy a few more pieces of meat as reserve; just like in World of Warcraft, pets need to be fed frequently, but this was even more lavish. After all, currency in this game was too hard to earn.


    Fortunately, it was only a wild dog¡ªif it were a stronger pet, he doubted his money would have been enough for the pet''s expenses.


    Moreover, if the pet dies, you have to catch it again, which also requires a good sum of money. No wonder the guy with the cap said pets weren''t practical¡ªit really isn''t a lie.


    "Damn, Xie, you even got a pet now!" Seeing Xiao Buli again, his magic already surprised Li Baocheng in front of the computer.

 Chapter 19 The Path to Upgrading Taming Skills

    ```"Oh~," seeing Li Baocheng''s reaction, Xiao Buli was somewhat pleased, but he wasn''t a man to keep secrets, so he immediately answered, "I''ve used Taming Skills. Just caught it."


    "Taming Skills?" Li Baocheng repeated, his desire for the ability making him ask without thinking, "Can you tell me where you learned it?"


    "Weren''t you planning on being an archer?" Seeing Li Baocheng''s eagerness, Xiao Buli curiously asked.


    "Of course, but having a pet would be so cool. I won''t lie to you, when I used to play World of Warcraft, I played as a hunter, and in that game, hunters could have pets. And with this game''s high degree of freedom, I guess mixing and matching shouldn''t be a problem," Li Baocheng hurriedly explained, worried that Xiao Buli might hesitate and not tell him.


    Li Baocheng''s plan was to look awesome with a pet that could tank monsters while he shot arrows from behind. What could be more comfortable than that?


    Xiao Buli answered without think of hiding anything, "At that time, I asked an old man in the village, who introduced me to find work at a farm where I became a swineherd. After feeding the pigs for a certain time, I learned this skill."


    Having said this, Xiao Buli stopped paying attention and began to carefully ponder his path to leveling up. He thought that both Taming Skills and Basic Sword Skills were good abilities and didn''t conflict with each other, providing full effects in combat. So, until other skills appeared, Xiao Buli decided to develop both skills simultaneously.


    Moreover, based on what Li Jian said, if he developed each skill properly, they could each become a standalone ability. Therefore, Xiao Buli decided to ask around to see which skill information he could find first and then delve deeper into that skill.


    He walked a few steps and ran into the village leader he had met before. He went over to ask him. During this time, whenever he wandered around the village, he would greet the old man. Initially, it was just for fun to see if the NPC really had different thoughts each day, but later he realized that the NPCs in the game seemed to have memory functions.


    The old man would not only say hello but sometimes ask whether he was happy working at the farm, or he would comment that "the child is really sensible." Over time his relationship with the old man had warmed up, and the old man seemed happy to have someone to chat with.


    "Elder, could you tell me who to see if I want to learn Taming Skills and Sword Skills?" in Xiao Buli''s words, respect and politeness still shone through.


    The old man stroked his beard, chuckling as he looked at him, and thought for a while before saying, "For swordsmanship, you can ask our militia captain for guidance; he was once a soldier who had been to the battlefield and has quite good sword skills. As for Taming Skills, I''m not really sure; it seems there''s nobody who possesses that kind of skill."


    Hearing this, Xiao Buli felt deflated, having already learned the militia captain''s sword skills; essentially, he could ignore them. It seemed that there was no higher level of existence in this village. However, he thought his Taming Skills should still have room for improvement here. It would be nice if that guy were around.


    While he was thinking this, he subconsciously turned his head, only to find the man in the cap standing right behind him, staring blankly at his screen.


    "Are you looking to improve your Taming Skills?" the man in the cap asked indifferently.


    Xiao Buli nodded.


    "You can''t just directly ask about Taming Skills and the like, because NPCs in the game can''t comprehend skills like we players do. Even the farmers at the pig farm won''t have Taming Skills. They might not even know what Taming Skills are," he explained.


    "What do you mean?" Xiao Buli''s mind had a flash of insight. He was a highly intelligent person, and quickly inferred the answer, "Are you saying one could inquire about professions related to animals?"


    The man in the cap nodded slightly, "Perhaps you''ll find something, you never know."


    Though his words were vague, Xiao Buli was already fairly certain. He turned back to the dialogue box and typed, "So, are there any jobs related to animals?"


    "Jobs related to animals?" The old man would always answer any question Xiao Buli had. "Maybe you can ask Master Yang," the old man suddenly suggested after thinking for a moment.


    "Master Yang? What does he do?"


    ```


    "Oh, he''s a ranch owner with a huge flock of sheep," the old man said, gesturing expansively as if the sheep were truly boundless. "However, Master Yang generally doesn''t interact with strangers, but if you go, I can write you a letter of introduction; once he reads it, he''ll surely trust you," the old man kindly offered.


    "From a swineherd to a shepherd now?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but find it amusing, but having the experience as a swineherd, Xiao Buli was somewhat looking forward to it. If nothing went wrong, this job should be able to enhance his Taming Skills, right?


    Level two Taming Skills could already tame wild dogs, so if he leveled up two more times to reach level four, would he be able to tame wild wolves or even fierce beasts like tigers? As he pondered this, he couldn''t help but turn back to thank the man in the hood, only to find that he had disappeared without a trace.


    "What a strange fellow, where did he come from?" Xiao Buli mumbled to himself, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the game.


    After thanking the old man for the handwritten letter and asking for detailed directions to Master Yang''s farm, Xiao Buli set off with Meatball.


    The ranch came into view quickly, and as expected, it was on a field at the edge of the village. Xiao Buli had never been here before; looking at the boundless field before him, he thought that the ranch owner must be quite wealthy. Although this was a virtual world, it still seemed to adhere to the rules of reality¡ªowning such a vast prairie meant that Master Yang must be a very powerful NPC.


    Master Yang was standing beside the sheepfold drinking tea. With the village chief''s letter, everything went smoothly. After Xiao Buli explained his purpose, Master Yang hesitated for a moment and then agreed. "So you want to work for me? That''s not impossible. Having read the village chief''s letter, he says you''re a fine young man.


    But shepherding must be done on the fields outside the village; it''s been dangerous lately, it seems there are some risks," Master Yang said slowly, stroking his distinct goatee. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Danger, you mean wild dogs?" Xiao Buli inquired.


    "Yes, that''s right. These hungry beasts always lurk around; if they find the chance, they''ll definitely strike at the sheep. The worst part is, sometimes they form temporary packs, so if you''re not strong enough, you might get hurt as well. If you''re afraid, it''s better to forget about it."


    Xiao Buli looked at Meatball beside him. He had already killed a rabid wild dog and acquired a pet. At this point, he didn''t have much fear of wild dogs, and with Meatball as a companion, it should be... "No problem, leave it to me," he decided and confidently volunteered.


    Master Yang nodded appreciatively, clearly admiring the young man''s bravery. He then taught him some knowledge about grazing. System prompt: Player Xiao Buli has changed his profession to ''Herdsman'' and has learned the ''Grazing'' skill; current skill level is LV1.


    Grazing: One method of livestock breeding. It is a way of feeding under supervision where herbivorous animals eat grass on pastures and transform it into livestock products.


    In addition to this, he also acquired a weapon¡ªthe herding whip.


    Herding Whip (Special Weapon): Attack 1-1.


    Weapon Effect: When attacking animals, there is a certain chance to inflict a state of fear. The higher the wildness level of the animal, the lower the chance of causing fear.


    An incredibly lame weapon, it seems to have no other use besides herding sheep.


    PS: There''s another chapter tonight

 Chapter 20 The Shepherd

    Having accepted the task, Xiao Buli arrived at the grassland and officially took charge of the sheep herd. The cultivation method for the Grazing Skill was different from breeding and harvesting he had done before. After receiving the sheep, he checked the task description in the task bar.The responsibilities of a herdsman were: 1, ensure the sheep could eat enough grass. 2, make sure the sheep stayed within the ranch area and none were missing. 3, make sure the sheep were not killed by nearby wild beasts.


    Master Yang''s sheep numbered over fifty, and Xiao Buli didn''t need to feed them, but rather just to make sure the flock stayed together, and that there was plenty of grass nearby, which might sound simple and leisurely, yet this job was much more difficult than the previous two.


    In the beginning, Xiao Buli wasn''t troubled by wild beasts, as he had circled the grassland and found no threatening creatures, and he had assigned Meatball to patrol the perimeter, so that he would be the first to know if any monsters attacked. Meatball, well-fed and with high Loyalty, was not something Xiao Buli feared would turn against him in a fight.


    However, this flock was difficult to manage; on the surface, the seemingly docile lambs just quietly grazed, but imperceptibly, the formation would scatter, with lambs slowly expanding their grazing area, occasionally scampering off a considerable distance.


    Xiao Buli received a whip upon accepting the task, and whenever he saw stragglers, he went over to drive the sheep back to the flock with the whip.


    Managing the fifty-sheep herd was neither too big nor too small of a task, a situation that left Xiao Buli a bit overwhelmed, hustling after the ones on the east side only to find others scattering in the west, plus, to his dismay, sometimes being rammed angrily by the sheep after he whipped them.


    The first time this happened, he was caught off-guard and was directly hit, losing 8 health points and being bowled over, acquiring a dizzying DEBUFF, taking quite a while to recover. Meatball, seeing its master attacked, ran a few steps toward him but was pacified by Xiao Buli and returned to its patrol line. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, the lamb that had rammed him obediently trotted back to the flock after the clash, and seeing its trembling little tail made Xiao Buli feel another wave of frustration.


    From then on, when driving the sheep, not only did Xiao Buli have to watch whether any sheep on the other side were straying but also be cautious of nearby lambs that he was driving to see if they showed any inclination to attack. Thankfully, the sheep charged in straight lines, making them not too difficult to dodge.


    Fortunately, not all sheep exhibited aggressive behavior, it was only occasional that one or two mischievous lambs appeared. Soon, Xiao Buli realized that his main job would probably be dealing with these unruly sheep, but luckily they did not inflict high damage and never attacked him altogether, so as long as he was careful, it wasn''t hard to keep going.


    Xiao Buli''s maneuvering could not be described as anything but strong, and it didn''t take him long to adapt to the sheep''s charging. Aside from being hit a few times in the first half-hour, he afterwards wasn''t struck again.


    So when the Grazing Skill reached Level 3, a flash of golden light appeared.


    System prompt: Player Xiao Buli, after a long time spent dodging the sheep''s charges, you have grasped the ''Emergency Dodge'' skill, currently at Level LV1.


    Emergency Dodge: Move a short distance to the side with extreme speed, each use consuming 5 Physical Strength points, skill cooldown time 10 seconds.


    As Xiao Buli read through the system explanation, he thought to himself that this seemed like a pretty good life-saving skill, especially for a non-targeting game like this one.


    While pondering, Xiao Buli dragged the skill into his quick access bar and tried it out a couple of times. He discovered that the skill was similar to the side roll in some action games and a bit like the slide step in fighting games. With this skill, dodging goat attacks became much easier. Equipped with the Emergency Dodge skill, he confidently joined the joyful activity of evading goats.


    It wasn''t until the afternoon that he finally faced his first challenge from a wild beast.


    At that moment, Xiao Buli was avoiding an oncoming goat on the east side. As his abilities improved, these unruly little goats not only became more numerous, but their frequency and number of charges seemed to increase as well. He was intently watching the little goat charging towards him when Meatball''s bark drew his attention.


    He swiped the screen and saw a lean, grey stray dog charging towards a lone lamb on the west side.


    This was a suburban grey stray dog, and the early spring weather meant it was shedding its winter coat. The dog''s already dull coat now looked even dirtier. The winter fur clung to the animal, tangled up, making it appear as if the dog was wearing a torn cotton coat with the filling exposed.


    The down-on-its-luck gray dog silently sneaked over to where three lambs had strayed from the herd and were hiding in the dense grassland to graze, unnoticed,


    Xiao Buli hurried towards the west, while Meatball, in a vigilant state, remained in its original position, able to follow the previous command perfectly unless its master was attacked. Xiao Buli was anxious in his heart but could only run over. He saw that the goats weren''t dumb¡ªalerted by the rustling wind, they lowered their heads, their sharp horns ready, and charged towards the dog.


    Just as the lamb and the dog were about to clash, the dog suddenly leapt up, avoiding the direct hit with a Pounce, and scratched away dozens of health points with a few swipes. By the time Xiao Buli got closer, Meatball, who was close to the wild dog, also quickly followed up, and before Xiao Buli could attack, Meatball pounced, then started a Crazy Bite.


    The dog''s fur, mixed with blood, fell to the ground as they fought. While the stray dog and Meatball were entangled, Xiao Buli quickly approached from behind, waited for the right moment, and delivered a Chain Sword Strike, killing the pitiful dog in a matter of moments. The dog''s eyes still glared fiercely, as if holding a grudge against the enemy before it, or perhaps pining for its distant cubs.


    This look made Xiao Buli feel uncomfortable; it seemed that even realistic game effects aren''t always a good thing.


    The stray dog also brought him 5 points of Practical Experience. He didn''t know what use it had, but he figured it would come in handy later on.


    Grazing continued for two days, during which he killed more than a dozen stray dogs, accumulating 75 points of combat experience. Although these dogs didn''t drop any equipment, the dog meat and hides they produced did bring in some income, just enough to feed Meatball and for treatments at the clinic.


    Still, herding came with its own rewards, which were slightly higher than pig farming, so over the two days, his savings increased somewhat, now reaching a total of three silver coins.


    When he finally got the Grazing Skill up to LV5, Xiao Buli heard the sound he had been longing for. With a ding, his Taming Skills finally reached LV3.


    (Just as I thought, my guess was right. It seems that by taking on animal-related professions like grazing, there''s a chance to increase the level of Taming Skills. Besides breeding and grazing, what else is there that''s related to animals?) Xiao Buli continued grazing while planning his next move. He supposed hunting might be another option, since hunters specifically deal with wild beasts.


    Beyond that, he couldn''t think of anything else at the moment, as he still needed to get to know the village''s populace better.


    In any case, his Grazing Skill wasn''t Max Level yet, so Xiao Buli planned to complete that before asking the village chief for advice. Before that, he thought that as long as he continued grazing, his Taming Skills should be able to reach LV4.

 Chapter 21 Fighting Club

    ```Xiao Buli took another look at Meatball. Over the past two days, it had been through quite a few battles, killing numerous creatures like itself. However, when he checked Meatball''s attribute status, there was surprisingly no increase in any attributes or skills, nor any numerical changes, except for its Loyalty rising to 95 and gaining over a hundred points of Practical Experience.


    Other than that, it was exactly the same as when he had first captured it. Being unable to level up meant that as his own abilities improved, the pet would become less and less useful. It seemed that pets truly were only good as a support force for leveling up early in the game; later on, aside from serving as a one-time consumable, they didn''t seem to have much use.


    This was probably why the man with the hood had said Taming Skills were not very useful in the later stages of the game.


    At least in the early stages of the game, Taming Skills were quite helpful. If it wasn''t for Meatball''s assistance, it wouldn''t have been easy to kill so many wild dogs. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (Well, might as well learn it for now) He was thinking this as he was about to close the pet''s status panel when he suddenly noticed that there seemed to be some changes after all in Meatball''s stats. Meatball''s original description was, ''It is your ally in battle, responding to your commands when in a good mood.''


    Now it had changed to, ''It is your faithful follower, who will loyally execute any command that isn''t particularly distasteful to it.''


    It seemed that the higher the level of Taming Skills, the stronger the control over the pet.


    As Xiao Buli was contemplating this, his phone''s notification ringtone suddenly sounded.


    He had set this ringtone himself, just ten minutes before the lunch break, which meant that lunchtime was about to start.


    Upon hearing the ringtone, Xiao Buli stopped what he was doing and moved his character to a small hut on the ranch before logging off.


    The other few players found safe areas to log off as well. Once the lunch break bell rang, Li Jian called everyone off their computers.


    After nearly half a month, everyone had become very familiar with the company''s routine. Following Li Jian out of the studio in single file, Xiao Buli, as usual, walked at the end. But when he stepped out of the studio, he was surprised to find Qin Shimoon waiting at the door, beckoning to him when he appeared, as if she had been waiting for him specifically.


    Today, Qin Shimoon had changed into a different outfit, looking much more mature as if she was a different person altogether, with that typical business-like expression common in the workplace on her face.


    "Is there something you needed, Miss Qin?" Xiao Buli asked directly.


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "Yes, there is something I need to discuss with you. Please come to my office."


    At the invitation from a beautiful woman, Xiao Buli was somewhat puzzled, but he didn''t say anything and followed Qin Shimoon into the manager''s office.


    Qin Shimoon closed the door behind her and sat down in the chair behind her office desk, sizing him up with a scrutinizing gaze.


    This made Xiao Buli chuckle, "May I know how I may assist you?"


    Qin Shimoon''s face was unusually serious as she nodded, leaning forward slightly, "There''s something I need you to answer honestly and seriously. Mr. Xiao, have you ever had any history of mental illness?"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli''s first reaction was not anger, but a sense of ridiculousness. Why was she asking such a question all of a sudden? But then he became wary, knowing she wouldn''t ask such a thing without reason, "Why do you ask?"


    "Someone reported to me that you''ve been talking to yourself frequently while gaming, and it seems as if you''re having a conversation with someone, yet there''s no one around you..."


    Talking to himself? Impossible, Xiao Buli thought, he certainly never had such a habit. He quickly realized the misunderstanding might have stemmed from his conversation with the man in the hood.


    "There seems to be a misunderstanding. I wasn''t talking to myself; I was discussing game content with someone else."


    "Who?"


    ```


    "I don''t know," Mr. Xiao answered honestly, "But you should know, right? Isn''t he the guy who passed the interview with us?"


    "Li Baocheng? Han Baiqiang? Or Sun Bin?" Qin Shimoon listed the names one by one, with a hint of sympathy on her face.


    Mr. Xiao shook his head: "None of them. It''s another guy."


    "Another guy?" Qin Shimoon''s face revealed a strange expression, "The thing is, there were only four new people this session, including you."


    Mr. Xiao felt a sudden jolt in his heart upon hearing this. Only us four? That''s not right; there was definitely a fifth person! Wasn''t that guy with the hoodie one of them?


    "There really wasn''t a fifth person? But I''ve seen him several times, including on the first day I came here, and I even talked to him, just forgot to ask his name."


    Qin Shimoon shook her head firmly, "Absolutely not, and besides the newcomers and your team leader, other people are not allowed to enter the newcomers'' room so casually."


    Now Mr. Xiao was truly confused. He had clearly seen that man; was the guy playing a trick on him? But what would be the point of that?


    Could I really have developed a split personality? Just like the protagonist in the movie "Fighting Club" who, for some reason, split off another personality that would appear whenever I encountered difficulties?


    No, that couldn''t be right. Mr. Xiao was a very rational person and wouldn''t easily jump to such far-fetched conclusions. He instinctively felt that there must be another problem.


    Seeing his reaction, Qin Shimoon seemed to become unsure herself and then said very patiently, "Can you describe what this person looks like, then?"


    Mr. Xiao had no choice but to recall and describe as best he could: "He''s a guy in a black jacket, looks very ordinary, nothing memorable about him, oh right, he always wears a hoodie like he''s afraid of the light, and he seems really familiar with the games."


    As Mr. Xiao described the man''s appearance, he watched Qin Shimoon''s expression, which gradually turned into a very odd look.


    "Damn, here it comes again," he faintly heard Qin Shimoon mutter.


    "What?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing," Qin Shimoon waved her hand dismissively, but Mr. Xiao had already seen that she obviously knew about this guy. He felt a wave of relief¡ªit wasn''t his own problem then.


    Qin Shimoon hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering how to explain. Her face suddenly showed a very sincere smile, "Oh, I remember now, the person you are talking about must be the chairman''s nephew. He sometimes wanders into the company, and because he is a relative of the chairman, we can''t really do much about him. It seems it isn''t your problem after all.


    I''m sorry for the misunderstanding and for taking your time and causing you trouble. Let''s leave it at that, I still have work to do, you can go now."


    While she was speaking, Qin Shimoon had already picked up the phone and was no longer looking at him.


    Mr. Xiao didn''t know what to say upon receiving such an answer. After all this fuss, it turned out to be such an outcome. That such a large company could make this kind of foundational error left him speechless.


    As he walked out of the manager''s office and closed the door behind him, Mr. Xiao''s mind suddenly stirred¡ªsomething wasn''t right. The man in the hoodie was dressed in clothes that looked like ordinary street market goods, the kind that cost a hundred or two per piece. How could the chairman''s nephew be wearing something so shabby?


    And this didn''t explain why no one else had seen this person; there had to be more to this.


    He had intended to turn back and clear this up, but after a second thought decided against it. After all, he was just an employee; even if he was misunderstood, did the other party have any reason to explain anything to him?


    With these thoughts, he headed toward the dining hall.

 Chapter 22 Internal Message

    By the time I walked into the restaurant, Li Jian and Li Baocheng had already started eating. There was a full plate of food in front of each of them, and they were wolfing down their meals. Seeing me come in, they all showed a curious expression."What took you so long? What did Miss Qin call you over for?" Han Baiqiang asked, his words muffled by the food in his mouth, while the other three also looked on with curious faces.


    Despite their seemingly innocent faces, Xiao Buli sneered inwardly. It must have been one of them who snitched about his conversation with the guy in the peaked cap, yet here they were pretending to be oblivious, which seemed quite fake.


    However, he didn''t intend to call them out on it; first, because he wasn''t certain who it was, and second, because pointing it out wouldn''t be of any benefit. "It''s nothing, just some trivial matters," he said nonchalantly as he grabbed a stainless-steel plate to get some food, randomly picking food while contemplating which one of them had tattled on him.


    Li Jian was the least suspicious, as he was the team leader; if there was an issue, he could simply ask, there was no need to keep things from himself.


    Han Baiqiang''s straightforward nature seemed to suggest he wasn''t the type to snitch, but he couldn''t be completely ruled out either.


    Sun Bin was the most suspicious. With his ostentatious behavior, in Xiao Buli''s view, he was either too arrogant or too insecure. If he had orchestrated this stunt just because Xiao Buli played the game better than he did, it would fit perfectly with the typical melodramatic movie plot.


    As for Li Baocheng, he seemed very naive, but he couldn''t be cleared of playing dumb to catch the wise either.


    Who would have thought that even playing a game involved so much scheming? It really wasn''t easy to get by in a big corporation.


    Lost in thought, Xiao Buli had already filled his plate and, as he turned around, he happened to see a familiar figure walking past him.


    It was Wu Tao. The two hadn''t spoken a word in half a month, but now Xiao Buli felt he could ask him for information. After all, Wu Tao was a veteran and should know some inside news.


    Watching Wu Tao take a seat at an empty table, Xiao Buli walked over too.


    He set his plate down opposite Wu Tao and asked with a smile, "Excuse me, but is this seat taken?"


    Wu Tao looked up at him, his face immediately filled with distress. He was silent for a moment and kept giving Xiao Buli meaningful glances, obviously not wanting to be associated with him. However, Xiao Buli stood there obliviously, and after a long stare, it was Wu Tao who gave in, dejectedly saying, "No one''s using it, you can do as you please."


    "Then I won''t stand on ceremony," Xiao Buli said as he sat down. He extended his hand to Wu Tao and introduced himself, "Hi, I''m Xiao Buli."


    Wu Tao gave Xiao Buli a look, saw his sincere expression, and thought to himself how well he could pretend. Nevertheless, in order not to reveal the truth that they knew each other, he reluctantly reached out and shook hands, "Hello, I''m Wu Tao."


    "Then I''ll call you Brother Tao."


    "No need to be so formal; I can''t handle it. Just call me Taozi or Tao."


    Xiao Buli ignored the underlying complaint in his tone and continued, "Then, Taozi, can I ask you about something? Do you know about the chairman''s nephew?"


    "The chairman''s nephew? Who?" Wu Tao was taken aback, clearly having no idea who that was.


    "The guy in the black jacket, who, according to Miss Qin, often comes around for no reason."


    Wu Tao was completely baffled, "Never heard of it, what do you ask for?"


    "Nothing much, just asking," Xiao Buli finished speaking and thought for a moment that it might be better to clarify things, so he briefly recounted the incident with the man in the cap.


    After hearing this, Wu Tao was also taken aback. He glanced around and, seeing no one paying attention to them, whispered, "You didn''t run into a ghost, did you?"


    A ghost? Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli felt like laughing. How could there be ghosts under the bright daylight, and even if there were, they should appear at night, right? Moreover, he didn''t believe in the existence of such things as ghosts in this world.


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s unconcerned expression, Wu Tao lowered his voice even further, "I''m not saying this without reason. It''s not the first time something like this has happened. It is said that before, someone went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw a person playing games in the computer room.


    That person went over to tap him on the shoulder, and when the person turned around, guess what he saw?" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did he see?"


    "Nothing at all, the person just disappeared into thin air."


    "Is that person still at the company?"


    "Yes, yes, he''s from the Green Dragon Group, named Bai Yunfei, and you can ask him if you don''t believe me."


    Xiao Buli nodded but had already dismissed Wu Tao''s view. How could such creatures as ghosts exist? It seemed impossible to get any more information out of this guy.


    After a hasty lunch, Xiao Buli said goodbye to Wu Tao and went to the doorstep of the studio, only to unexpectedly find two expressionless security guards standing at the door, both looking like special police in black sunglasses, stopping Li Jian and the others from entering. Han Baiqiang appeared somewhat displeased and was loudly asking them something.


    Xiao Buli patted Li Baocheng on the shoulder, "Little Li, what happened?"


    Li Baocheng shrugged, "Who knows? They said the computers are broken, but even if they''re broken, it shouldn''t be all of them."


    As the two of them were talking, Qin Shimoon walked out from the computer room, "I''m sorry, everyone, there''s a problem in the computer room that needs to be addressed, so please take the afternoon off."


    Since the manager had spoken, Han Baiqiang couldn''t say much more. Li Jian nodded to Qin Shimoon and then turned around, "You''ve all heard her, we have the afternoon off, let''s disband."


    Although they were given time off, it''s not as if they had much freedom, not being allowed to leave the company at will, so several people started chatting in the lounge. Li Jian, who could go online in White Tiger Group''s computer room, didn''t stay, and without him, the team leader, around, the others were less reserved in their conversations.


    "How could this happen? The computers were all working fine when we logged off just now. I think there''s something fishy going on here," Han Baiqiang said, glancing at Sun Bin, probing, "Sun the Great Expert, what do you think it could be?"


    Sun Bin gave him a look and said indifferently, "Some things are better left unguessed if they''re not meant to be known." He sat there with his arms crossed, looking as if he knew some inside information.


    Xiao Buli didn''t join the conversation, but he couldn''t help thinking that it might be related to the conversation they had at noon.


    While they were chatting, Li Baocheng, who had just gone out to the bathroom, walked in with a mysterious look on his face, "Hey, guess what I saw?"


    "What?"


    "A bunch of guys in protective suits with some equipment entered our computer room. I don''t know what they''re up to, but it looked like something out of a biohazard situation."

 Chapter 23 OO that XX

    Really? Han Baiqiang was somewhat shocked after hearing that, a glint of understanding flashed in Sun Bin''s eyes, but he said nothing. Xiao Buli also found it a bit exaggerated, yet it seemed there was no reason to lie about such a thing.That hat-wearing man must indeed be someone special, or Qin Shimoon wouldn''t be so anxious. But what exactly was going on? Although Xiao Buli considered himself highly intelligent, he was confounded this time.


    On the second day, when he was finally able to access the computer, Xiao Buli entered the computer room and was met with a strong scent of air freshener, as if someone was trying to cover something up.


    The computer room seemed to have been thoroughly cleaned from the inside out, giving off a shiny appearance everywhere.


    Once he sat down and logged into the game, Xiao Buli forced his attention back to it. Today, as usual, was for Grazing. He''d grown quite skilled at it, and before noon, his Grazing Skill had already risen by 7 levels. He figured that at this rate, he may reach Max Level by tomorrow.


    Just as he was determined to work even harder, he suddenly heard a timid voice from Li Baocheng across the room, "Li, could you come over and help me check something?" His tone was different from his usual open and slightly ingratiating one¡ªit seemed he really encountered some trouble this time.


    Li Jian had always been in the room, ready to help them with their questions, but since the four had gotten on the right track, he mostly spent his time playing his own character.


    Xiao Buli didn''t pay much attention, and his movements didn''t slow down. At this moment, he had no idea that this question would bring about a significant change for everyone.


    After Li Baocheng called Li Jian over, the two whispered back and forth, and the more they did so, the more it piqued curiosity. Han Baiqiang, sitting next to Li Baocheng, was all ears, occasionally hearing Li Jian''s strange clicking sounds but unable to discern any specifics.


    After a while, Li Jian chuckled bitterly and raised his voice, "I''m afraid I can''t help you with this one. I''ve never seen anything like it, nor have I heard other teammates mention it."


    Li Jian deliberately spoke loudly; after all, it wasn''t good to hide such a situation¡ªit might need to involve the others. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but become curious. As he had just completed another round of Grazing, he shepherded the flock back to the pen and looked up.


    Having heard what Li Jian said, Li Baocheng''s face fell, realizing that it was no time to worry about losing face. Li Baocheng raised his voice, "Guys, can you come to the pig farm?


    I have something I''d like to discuss with you, and by the way, there are some equipment rewards." Though the prospect of getting equipment sounded like good news, Li Baocheng''s tone was far from excited¡ªit was as if he had been stripped of his equipment.


    This announcement not only piqued Han Baiqiang but also Xiao Buli and Sun Zibin''s curiosity. They all found it odd and wondered what Li Baocheng was up to. He had just seemed to be in a predicament, yet now he mentioned rewards. However, getting equipment was incredibly appealing to them at the moment.


    No matter how poor the equipment, it held great value for the group, who were almost bare of any gear.


    This was exactly why Li Baocheng had deliberately added that line to ensure they would come.


    Xiao Buli and Master Yang requested leave, and they headed to the village pigsty. Upon arrival, Xiao Buli was the first to get there, not seeing the others yet. "Where are you?" he called out loudly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come into the farmhouse; once you''re inside, you''ll see me,"


    Xiao Buli was quite familiar with the environment of the farm, but he never knew one could actually enter the farmhouse. He was puzzled as the farmer always locked the door tight whenever he left, guarding it as if hiding some big secret. Xiao Buli had never seen the inside before.


    He pushed the door open and went inside, only to be dumbfounded by the scene before him. The shrewd farmer, who often haggled with him, now lay on the ground covered in blood, his hefty stomach sliced open with a gaping wound, his intestines spilling out. Combined with the game''s slightly realistic graphics, it made Xiao Buli''s scalp tingle.


    On the bed not far away lay the seductive woman he had seen only once before, suspected to be the farmer''s wife. She was naked, her chest covered in blood, her body pale and lifeless, already reduced to a naked corpse¡ªit was quite the R-rated scene.


    "Damn, what the heck? How did this happen?" Overwhelmed by shock, Xiao Buli didn''t have time to type and blurted out loud.


    As he screamed, Han Baiqiang and Sun Zibin also rushed over, and both of them were stunned as well. After a moment, Han Baiqiang turned and asked weakly, "Did you kill these two NPCs?"


    Li Baocheng awkwardly grinned and nodded.


    Turning back to the screen, Han Baiqiang felt a mix of amusement and disbelief.


    "I wouldn''t have guessed, Little Li, you''re pretty hardcore. I didn''t expect you to be into this kind of thing," Sun Zibin''s voice carried a mix of sarcasm and schadenfreude, "After all, we''re playing a game, right? It''s just a game, eh?" His implication was clear: even in a game, could you not restrain your true swineherd nature?


    The veteran gamers well knew that NPCs were always sacred and inviolable in games, or at least appeared to be. Although some games allowed you to kill NPCs from enemy factions, they typically didn''t drop valuable loot, nor did they usually result in serious consequences. However, this game was different from any they had played before; everything seemed incredibly realistic.


    Compared to the "Ancient Scroll", famous for its freedom, where killing a chicken could lead to a villager''s bounty and serious consequences, no one knew what the repercussions in this game might be.


    "I really can''t be blamed for this." Li Baocheng''s voice was almost whiny, "I thought it was just a game, so what harm could it do? Besides, I thought maybe it was part of a quest."


    Li Baocheng then gave a rough account of what had happened. After seeing Xiao Buli with his pet, he resolved to learn Taming Skills. So, during his spare time apprenticing for a hunter, he went to the farm with the goal of mastering these skills. He easily became a swineherd and learned the breeding skill.


    But before long, that seductive woman began to strut about, coming and going, provoking Li Baocheng''s curiosity. He clicked on her, and she struck up a conversation with him.


    As a longtime gamer, and having heard Li Jian mention the high degree of freedom in this game, Li Baocheng assumed there might be some hidden quest. So he began to flirt with the farmer''s wife, using the same skills that usually worked on QQ, and to his surprise, the NPC responded. After a bit of chatting, she invited him inside to talk.


    Thinking he was onto something, Li Baocheng gleefully followed her in, only for the woman to start undressing once they were inside. Li Baocheng thought, since it had come this far, he might as well go through with it to see what would happen.


    "Wait a second, are you saying this game has an... adult content system?" Han Baiqiang interrupted him to ask.


    PS: There''s another chapter tonight

 Chapter 24 Lifesaving Straw

    "Ah," Li Baocheng also helplessly nodded, and the three of them suddenly had their eyes wide open, stopped for a few seconds, then burst into laughter all at once, "Hey, how did it feel when you were doing it with her?" Han Baiqiang teased while laughing.Li Jian had been standing behind Li Baocheng, and at this moment he also had a wry smile on his face.


    Li Baocheng was asking for help, so naturally, he couldn''t lose his temper, but he still felt somewhat angry and glared in Han Baiqiang''s direction after hearing his words.


    Xiao Buli smiled and glanced at Li Jian, "Team Leader Li, I didn''t take it seriously when you said this game had high freedom, but now it seems this game''s freedom is really fucking high." After saying that, the three of them laughed out loud again.


    Li Jian, having understood the situation beforehand and most concerned about the possibility of his recruits dying, didn''t laugh as exaggeratedly, but nudged Li Baocheng to continue speaking. Seeing Li Jian''s serious expression, they knew the matter was serious, so their laughter stopped after a while, and they listened to Li Baocheng''s continuation.


    "I was in the middle of it with the farmer''s wife when suddenly the farmer came in, cursed me for adultery, and picked up a kitchen knife to chop me. Luckily, I had learned Dagger Mastery and Backstab in the process of studying dissection, and I also gained ''Emergency Dodge'' while hunting.


    Plus, the farmer was pretty clumsy, not too formidable, so with my exquisite operation, I ended up killing the farmer," Li Baocheng continued, his voice filled with deep regret. "Alas," he sighed, then continued, "Who would have thought the farmer''s wife would get so scared when she saw me kill her man?


    She started screaming, and in a moment of panic, it was either do or die, so I ended up stabbing her to death too." Having said that, Li Baocheng let out a heavy breath.


    After hearing Li Baocheng''s story, everyone in their respective compartments couldn''t help but still feel like laughing, but no one made a sound. "Speaking of which, this NPC should still respawn, right?" Han Baiqiang suppressed his laughter and kindly began to analyze.


    "Impossible," Li Baocheng''s voice grew even heavier, "After I killed them, I received a system prompt saying I''d committed murder and would be discovered in twenty-four hours."


    Li Baocheng had wanted to ask Li Jian if he could take him away from the village, but after checking, Li Jian told him that the two of them were tens of thousands of miles apart, too far for immediate help, and besides, the company had rules that Team Leaders of the newbie group are only responsible for explaining some game content and aren''t allowed to directly help newbies.


    So, it was down to seeing whether the other three were willing to leave with him; otherwise, in this world, with his skills, he''d likely become cannon fodder. After explaining this, Li Baocheng looked hopefully at Li Jian.


    Li Jian immediately understood but, as someone who had been through it before, he wasn''t planning to offer much help to Li Baocheng. He simply stated, "With Li Baocheng''s current situation, your only choice is to use these 24 hours to leave the village as quickly as possible. While the world offers a high degree of freedom, transportation and communications between regions are underdeveloped.


    Once you leave the village, you should be able to avoid pursuit. The problem is, I can''t come to take him away, as my character is too far from you guys, and the company doesn''t have a policy to assist newbies like that, so he can only rely on himself.


    However, the survival rate of a single person in this world is extremely low, almost negligible, so his only hope is if you all band together and leave as a team."


    Li Jian and everyone else discussed the current situation, and seeing everyone''s expressions turn serious, after all, it was a decision that would affect their future development in the game. Everyone began weighing the pros and cons.


    "Of course," Li Jian added, "you can also choose to ignore him, considering this is your probation period. As I''ve said before, the company won''t assign you any missions, nor do you need to report your actions back to the company. You are facing a life and death situation, and if you choose not to care about a teammate, that''s understandable.


    The company will only do a summary at the end of the month, basing your duties and compensation on your performance throughout the month."


    Hearing Li Jian say this, Li Baocheng looked up at him in surprise, to which Li Jian simply shrugged helplessly. Although he sympathized with Li Baocheng''s predicament, he had to maintain a neutral stance, informing everyone of their rights was also his duty.


    But Li Baocheng knew that Li Jian''s words might have just extinguished the thoughts they had just started to form. After all, he was the old-timer here, and his words held guidance and hints for everyone. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Han Baiqiang looked somewhat relieved. It seemed he wasn''t eager to leave Newbie Village and venture out, even though a setback might be a blessing in disguise.


    However, in this game, you only have one life, so it''s better to be safe.


    Sun Bin''s eyes flashed with a sharp light, and Li Jian''s words, "The company will determine everyone''s position and treatment based on performance during the probationary period," caused a stir in his heart. Could it be that the process of interacting with teammates also affects the final evaluation? Would helping Li Baocheng through this ordeal perhaps earn him some points?


    Maybe because of his willingness to help a teammate, he could even be considered for a team leader role.


    "But how are we going to leave the village?" Sun Bin thought of this and suddenly asked aloud. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing his words, hope appeared in Li Baocheng''s eyes, while Xiao Buli felt a wave of surprise. This guy had always seemed aloof from the group, so why was he suddenly showing such Righteousness? Could it have been that he had misjudged him?


    Li Jian looked at Sun Bin with a half-smile and responded loudly, "Oh, even the closest town is very far from this village, and there are many monsters along the way. Even if all four of you left together, with your current strength as newcomers, it would be very difficult to reach it safely." Li Jian''s words plunged Li Baocheng''s heart into the abyss.


    If the difficulty had not been so high, perhaps everyone would have been possibly willing to make a dash with him, but in a life and death situation like this, it looked like he truly had no hope at all.


    As expected, upon hearing Li Jian''s words, Sun Bin''s gaze flickered uncertainly, and he began to have second thoughts.


    "However," Li Jian''s tone shifted, "every so often, a merchant convoy passes through this village. The convoy has its own guards for protection, and because they are NPCs, as long as you follow them, there is basically no danger.


    Judging by the amount of time you have been playing, it should be about three or four days until the next one arrives." Having stoked the suspense, Li Jian revealed another shortcut. Xiao Buli, who had just been frightened, also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Upon hearing this, Li Baocheng immediately became flustered. Three to five days, even if everyone was willing to accompany him, it would still be too late.


    "Is there really no other way? What kind of monsters are along the road?" Thinking of this, Li Baocheng hurriedly asked.


    "As for the monsters, they''re not really that strong; after all, it''s just a beginner area. If you go from the village to the nearest big city, on the first day, you should not be able to get out of the Black Wasteland. Therefore, you''ll only encounter low-level monsters such as wild dogs, Corpse-eating Dogs, Walking Corpses, and the like.


    Once you get past this Black Wasteland, you''ll enter the outskirts of the Misty Forest. Then, the strength of the monsters will increase - you might encounter wild wolves, wild boars, bandits, and robbers. If you''re lucky, you might even come across Demon Beasts.


    With your current strength, there shouldn''t be too much danger in the Black Wasteland, but once you enter the Misty Forest, it''s hard to say. I''m afraid it would be difficult for one person to take on a bandit alone, but if the four of you work together seamlessly, dealing with two or three bandits shouldn''t be a problem.


    However, bandits typically move in groups, and with your strength, encountering them would likely lead to annihilation," he concluded.


    Xiao Buli felt a surge of thought upon hearing this, "When exactly will that merchant convoy arrive, in three days or four? And from which direction do they come?"


    Li Jian was taken aback by the question, wondering why he asked, but still replied, "They generally come from the nearest big city, and let me calculate the time¡ªyes, it should be three days from now."


    "So you''re saying, if we start heading towards the big city tomorrow, we should be able to meet them after about a day''s journey, right?"


    After doing some quick mental calculations, Li Jian nodded slightly, "You''re correct. If nothing unexpected happens, if you leave at this time tomorrow, indeed, you should meet the convoy halfway before it gets dark."


    "Is that so?" A fresh hope sprang up in Li Baocheng, "Brothers, how about we all head to the big city together?" Although he knew the hope was slim, this was Li Baocheng''s only lifeline at the moment.

 Chapter 25 Blue Equipment

    The room fell silent for a moment, and after a while, Han Baiqiang suddenly typed, "Forget it, I''m not going on an adventure. This game doesn''t come with respawns, and I neither have equipment nor levels. I''m staying out of it."Sun Bin snorted coldly but clearly agreed with Han Baiqiang.


    Li Baocheng glanced at Xiao Buli, who just shook his head apologetically. The four of them had roughly become friends over the last half a month, and if Sun Bin and Han Baiqiang were willing, Xiao Buli was actually ready to help out. After all, they couldn''t stay in Newbie Village forever, and leaving one day earlier wasn''t a big deal, especially since he was quite confident in his own skills.


    However, if it was just the two of them, he would reconsider; his confidence didn''t stretch that far.


    Just as everyone was about to leave, Li Baocheng grew anxious, "Wait a minute, if you go with me to the big city, I''ll give you money and equipment?"


    Han Baiqiang immediately paused, money and equipment? "You didn''t mention it before, how are you going to split the equipment? And how much money do you even have?"


    "I have one Gold Coin."


    One Gold Coin! Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. After playing for so long, all of them knew how hard it was to earn money in this game. Xiao Buli didn''t earn even 5 silver coins after a week of feeding pigs and cutting grass, and Sun Bin and Han Baiqiang weren''t doing much better. One Gold Coin was a big deal¡ªtaking on entry-level jobs, it would take months to earn that much.


    "One Gold Coin! How did you get it?"


    "I found it in the house after killing those two people. If you help me out, I''ll split it with you," Li Baocheng was no longer hiding the fact, "And it''s not just money. I also found a few pieces of decent equipment. If you come with me, I''ll share them with you as well."


    He was speaking while already listing the equipment attributes on the screen.


    Butcher''s Bleeding Knife (One-handed Sword): This is a sharp and pointed steel dagger, with a blood groove on the blade, often used to bleed animals or peel their hides. Attack 3¡ª17.


    Weapon Special Effect¡ªBleeding: When an attack hits, there is a chance to cause a bleeding effect, making the target lose 2 health points per second for 10 seconds. This effect can stack up to three times, and each subsequent stack halves the effect.


    Butcher''s Bone Chopper (One-handed Axe): This chopper, made of fine steel, has a heavy blade and a sturdy edge, making it easy to chop through bones. Attack 5¡ª15.


    Weapon Special Effect¡ªBone Break: When an attack hits, there is a chance to cause a bone break effect, reducing the target''s speed by 30% for 60 seconds. This effect can stack up to three times, and each subsequent stack halves the effect.


    Fine Pigskin Jacket (Leather Armor¡ªChest Armor): This is a jacket made from tanned pigskin, offering good warmth and some degree of defense. Cold resistance +10%, Armor +6, Physique +1.


    Fine Pigskin Bracers (Leather Armor¡ªBracers): These are bracers made from tanned pigskin, studded with a few copper nails, providing minimal defense and some enhancement to wrist strength. Armor +2, Strength +1. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gold Ring (Accessory¡ªRing): This is a gold ring engraved with simple patterns. Although it has nothing special, it''s still worth some money. Charm +1.


    When he posted these items, Han Baiqiang, originally about to leave, stopped in his tracks. Apart from the ring, which was common quality, the rest were rare quality items.


    The game''s equipment grading system was somewhat similar to Diablo but slightly different, ranging from gray (poor, crude, damaged), white (normal), light blue (fine), dark blue (very fine), silver (superior), gold (exquisite), dark gold (legendary level), and green (with growth potential).


    Since entering the game, the best they had come across were white items, and most of what they got were gray items, such as Xiao Buli''s iron sword and Sun Bin''s wooden spear. Naturally, they were astonished to see several blue-quality items (even if they were just light blue).


    "Holy moly, these are some sweet gears. Did you strip them off that guy?" Han Baiqiang pointed at the two corpses and asked. Once he got affirmation, his face instantly lit up with greed, "This NPC-killing business is really lucrative. How about we team up and take out the rest of the NPCs too?"


    Yet Xiao Buli just smiled faintly. "Do as you please, but leave me out of it."


    Han Baiqiang shot him a puzzled look. "What do you mean by that?"


    Xiao Buli explained, "You only see the loot but what if we get caught? This pig farm owner was only unnoticed because no one saw. Even so, Little Li still got a bounty on his head in twenty-four hours. If we''re spotted killing, we''ll probably be captured and killed on the spot, right? Also, Little Li only managed to kill because the farm owner was weak.


    How do you know the other NPCs are just as feeble? What will we do if they call for reinforcements when we can''t take them down quickly? Remember, even if we succeed, we just get some virtual items in the game. They''re not of any real value, but if we fail, we could lose our jobs. For a matter with such a huge disparity between risk and reward, I''m not taking part."


    After hearing Xiao Buli''s words, Han Baiqiang immediately cooled off. Xiao Buli was right. Although slaying NPCs seemed highly rewarding, the risks involved were just as substantial. It''s just like with Li Baocheng¡ªif he had to go alone without help, no amount of gear or money would mean squat, and he''d likely die out in the wild.


    "As long as you help me with this task, each of you can pick one piece of equipment, and we''ll split this Gold Coin evenly amongst us. How about that?"


    "Deal, I''m in!" Han Baiqiang agreed on the spot. "As for the gear, give me that Butcher''s Bone Chopper."


    As a blacksmith''s apprentice, he knew the value of that weapon. Most weapons on sale at the blacksmith''s shop were made of iron, and the only steel Longsword (light blue quality) wasn''t for sale¡ªit seemed to be attainable only through a hidden quest. Getting a blue weapon with special effects now was pretty thrilling.


    Without any hesitation, Li Baocheng counted out twenty-five silver coins and handed them, along with the weapon, to Han Baiqiang.


    Han Baiqiang took them but didn''t rush off. He knew it was better to have more people when leaving the village. He glanced at Sun Bin, "What, you chickening out?"


    "Hmph, as if I''m scared," Sun Bin seemed unable to stand being provoked, "Count me in as well, then. I''ll take the Pigskin Jacket."


    After dividing the loot, Li Baocheng looked towards Xiao Buli. Xiao''s impression of Li Baocheng shifted slightly. This guy didn''t offer up the gear and Gold Coin earlier; he only did so when he saw people leaving, probably hoping to benefit without contributing. Later, probably realizing it wasn''t going to work, he reluctantly bled some riches, guessing he still had some things up his sleeve.


    Li Baocheng may seem naive, but he might also be a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    However, Xiao wasn''t the least bit surprised by such behavior and didn''t intend to get upset over this small discovery. He simply sighed inwardly and nodded in agreement.


    "Of course, I have no objections. Then, I''ll take that One-handed Sword," he said.


    With the weapon and twenty-five silver coins in hand, Xiao Buli was far from ecstatic. Having played so many games, his view of virtual items within games had become quite indifferent. No matter how great the current gains seemed, they would likely be inconsequential once his strength improved later.


    He equipped the ''Butcher''s Bleeding Knife'' and examined it. The sword was very short, just two feet long, with a blood groove etched into the blade, giving it a deadly appearance. With this weapon, his strength had certainly improved.


    "Let''s go prepare separately then. It''s half-past ten now. Tomorrow at ten, let''s meet at the village entrance and set off on time. Remember to bring food and water. Any questions?"


    Seeing no one speak up, Xiao Buli nodded. "Alright, that''s it."

 Chapter 26 Plan Changes

    "So let''s go our separate ways to prepare now. It''s ten-thirty now, and we''ll all meet at the village entrance at ten o''clock tomorrow morning, ready to set off. Remember to bring food and water. Any questions?"Seeing no one spoke, Xiao Buli nodded, "Then that''s settled."


    "Wait a minute, since when do you get to decide when we start?"


    Xiao Buli inwardly cursed himself for feeling shameful; he had grown accustomed to being a leader and had unconsciously started arranging everyone''s actions, forgetting that this was no longer his studio.


    Turning to see that it was Sun Bin who had spoken, he asked, "Do you have a better plan, then? I''m all ears."


    Sun Bin said, "Of course I do. In fact, there''s no need for such trouble. We can simply wait for the merchant caravan to arrive and then go. All Little Li needs to do is to go offline in the wild and hide for two days. When the caravan arrives in two days, he can log back on, right?"


    "That might not be possible," Li Baocheng said hesitantly, "Would the company agree to that?"


    All four sets of eyes suddenly focused on Li Jian, who had been listening to the conversation. He paused, then laughed, "Hehe, the company hasn''t stipulated that you must log in every day. As I mentioned earlier, the company won''t assign any tasks to you this month, so you are completely free in the game."


    Sun Bin looked smug as if to say, I told you so.


    After hearing this, Li Baocheng''s face turned from green to white. He had been too flustered earlier to consider this and wouldn''t have needed to distribute his money and equipment if he knew this was an option.


    Damn it! How could this happen! Li Baocheng cursed inwardly, realizing he hadn''t paid enough attention to the details. Otherwise, with all that equipment, his strength would have definitely far surpassed the others. Thankfully, he still had some reserves.


    Despite his regret, he showed a relieved expression, "That''s great, then there''s no need to bother everyone. I felt a bit guilty earlier."


    After speaking, he saw that the three others remained unresponsive, not mentioning the money and equipment they had just divided up, and he knew he wouldn''t be getting it back. If he insisted, he would only isolate himself, so he sighed inwardly, resigning to consider it as buying favor.


    After thinking it over, he felt unreconciled about letting the three off so easily, "Even so, I still need to leave the village a bit farther. Who knows how the villagers might react, or if they''ll wait where I log off. So please, I ask you to escort me a little further outside the village."


    They felt obligated to do this, as it was only a short distance from the village and not too dangerous, so they agreed to set out at ten o''clock the next day to escort Li Baocheng outside the village before dispersing.


    Upon leaving the pig farm owner''s house, Xiao Buli began purchasing equipment. He hadn''t bothered before due to a lack of money, but now that he had some, he couldn''t be frugal.


    He went to the village leatherworker and selected some Light Leather Armor: sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (Leather Armor¡ªChest) Armor +4.


    A pair of Light Leather Boots (Leather Armor¡ªBoots) Armor +2, Speed +1.


    They were both common white-grade items, yet still cost him twelve silver coins¡ªequipment in this game wasn''t cheap. Then Xiao Buli stopped by the village inn to buy some steamed buns and a five-liter water bladder; as physical strength consumed in the game needed to be restored with food and drink, these items were essential.


    He also bought camping equipment like torches and flint, since he planned to leave with the merchants in a couple of days, and it was necessary to purchase in advance.


    Everything was prepared, and when lunchtime arrived, the group logged off and gathered in the restaurant. Thanks to the morning''s gains, they all seemed very happy, even the wealth-parting Li Baocheng, who put on a forced smile, seemingly without regret about the morning''s events.


    Xiao Buli went to pick out food for his tray, and again saw Wu Tao. He intended to gather some intelligence for tomorrow''s action, because some things were inconvenient to ask Li Jian, and this was a good chance to consult with Wu Tao.


    Holding his tray, Xiao Buli walked over and pretended to be surprised, "Huh, it''s you again, what a coincidence."


    Wu Tao had no words for this approach anymore and could only nod his head with a chuckle, "Yeah, quite the coincidence."


    "You don''t mind if I sit down, right?"


    "Do as you please, even if I wanted to stop you, I couldn''t, right?"


    With a slight smile, Xiao Buli sat down, eating his meat-filled burger while casually asking as if by accident, "That''s Tao, right? I wanted to ask you something. How much do you know about the black wasteland outside Newbie Village?"


    "The black wasteland?" Wu Tao''s face showed a hint of hesitation, "What do you want to ask about it for?"


    "Tomorrow, a few of us plan to leave the village for some business. I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of dangerous monsters are in the black wasteland."


    "The black wasteland isn''t too dangerous. The monsters at the village gates are mainly stray dogs. Once you leave the safe area beyond the gates, there are Corpse-eating Dogs and Walking Corpses roaming about."


    "Are the Corpse-eating Dogs and Walking Corpses strong? Why would they appear in the black wasteland, a newbie area like this?"


    "The black wasteland is said to have been an ancient battlefield in the past, so many human remains are buried beneath the wasteland. Due to the influence of Evil Demonic Power, some of the corpses have risen again. They are mindless Demon Creatures whose only purpose is to devour human flesh and blood. Those are the so-called Walking Corpses.


    Although it sounds scary, they are actually very weak monsters that newbies can easily handle, incomparable to Zombies."


    "As for the Corpse-eating Dogs, after stray dogs consume a number of corpses, undead energy accumulates in their bodies, turning them into half-dead creatures, which are the Corpse-eating Dogs. However, these creatures aren''t much stronger than stray dogs.


    Their health points double, and with half-creature, half-Undead attributes, their Rip and Bite skill turns into a poisonous bite, losing the Sprint skill, but other than that, there''s not much change. They''re not difficult to handle either."


    "So that means the black wasteland isn''t really dangerous, right?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but ask with a sigh of relief.


    "It''s not that simple. Sometimes, even low-level areas like the black wasteland can spawn relatively dangerous mini-BOSSES. A couple of months ago, there was an incident where a new team was wiped out by a Corpse-driving Warlock BOSS in the black wasteland.


    It took a group of enforcers from the White Tiger Group to take down that Corpse-driving Warlock, and a ''Reincarnation of the Corpse Ghost'' Skill Book was dropped, which I couldn''t learn because it didn''t suit my class. Bai Yunfei, that kid, got it."


    So, you could actually get Skill Books in this game, which kind of resembled "Legend." He thought for a moment, then asked, "What happened to those newbies who were wiped out?"


    "What else could happen, they were kicked out, of course. Our elimination rate for newbies is very high. Once someone dies, they are kicked out immediately without any room for negotiation. So it''s better if you''re more careful and not rush out of the village too soon."


    Realizing that the newbies were indeed expelled, Xiao Buli discarded the last bit of wishful thinking from his mind. However, he didn''t plan to give up. He was just planning to leave the village to drop off someone, not to venture deep, so he shouldn''t be so unlucky as to run into a BOSS, right?


    While thinking this, Xiao Buli thanked Wu Tao and left with his tray.

 Chapter 27 Corpse-driving Warlock

    After lunch, the four of them went back to work, and Xiao Buli was busy all afternoon. With nearly a day''s time, he decided to take this opportunity to level up his Grazing Skill to Max Level. However, progressing Life Skills became increasingly difficult at later stages. By the next day at 9 a.m., he had only managed to level Grazing up to eight and had not yet grasped LV4 Taming Skills.But indeed, blue equipment proved to be extraordinary; with the Butcher''s Bleeding Knife, he could kill wild dogs in just two or three strikes, and his improving proficiency significantly increased his efficiency.


    It seemed he would have to wait until after escorting Li Baocheng out of the village to level up further.


    Checking the time, it was almost ten o''clock. Xiao Buli thought it best to set out early.


    Aftlyer equipping himself and bringing along Meatball, Xiao Buli arrived at the village entrance, only to find that Li Baocheng was already waiting there. He was clad in a full set of Leather Armor, and Xiao Buli did not know where he had acquired it. Li Baocheng had two daggers at his waist and a bow with Arrows on his back.


    Beside him stood a gray hunting dog that looked somewhat like a wild dog but was significantly larger. It was called ''Ash Messenger'' and it looked quite impressive¡ªfar more majestic than Xiao Buli''s ordinary-looking Meatball.


    "Your pet is not bad, where did you catch it?"


    "Bought it from the hunter for five silver coins," Li Baocheng said proudly. Xiao Buli thought to himself that this guy must be quite rich to spend silver coins on such an extravagant pet.


    What he didn''t know was that Li Baocheng was entirely unaware that pets could not level up, and he thought that buying a top-quality pet meant it could level up with him.


    In reality, Li Baocheng''s Taming Skills level was not sufficient to tame the wolfhound. After all, its Wildness level was two, and one would need level three Taming Skills to Tame it.


    However, having been a hunter''s apprentice for so long, his Beast Compendium included a directory of canine creatures, providing him with a level boost when Taming canines, which is how he managed to tame the unruly beast.


    But at this moment, he was too concerned to feel proud, looking around anxiously, he asked, "Why aren''t those two here yet? It''s almost time."


    "Here they come," replied Xiao Buli, and sure enough, Han Baiqiang and Sun Bin were walking out of the village. Both men were fully armed; Han Baiqiang carried a Butcher''s Bone Chopper Knife in one hand and a blacksmith''s hammer in the other, and wore stiff Leather Armor along with an iron-rimmed helmet¡ªugly, perhaps, but still commanding.


    Sun Bin was dressed in a fine Pigskin Jacket, topped with a leather helmet, and wore a ''valiant'' battle robe over it, which was essentially a cover that looked exactly like what the Militia wore. He slanted a red-tasseled spear in his hand.


    Xiao Buli was puzzled, where had Sun Bin acquired this attire?


    The four men sized each other up and gained a mutual understanding of their respective capabilities. After a brief exchange, they set off.


    Since it was almost their first time venturing out of the village, the farther they moved away from the settlement, the more tense they became despite not having seen any formidable monsters¡ªeveryone except Sun Bin, who looked completely unconcerned, as if he had been here before.


    After about five or six minutes of walking, the group arrived at a dip in the landscape formed by piles of stone, guarded by a crude wooden gate with two Militia standing behind it.


    Noticing them approaching, one of the Militia cheerfully greeted Sun Bin, "Is that you, Sun? Aren''t you here to take over the shift?"


    "Does this guard actually know Sun Bin?" The group looked at Sun Bin in surprise after hearing this. But Sun seemed unaffected by their astonishment and typed his reply. Of course not, today isn''t my shift. I''m heading to the Black Wastes with a few friends for something.


    He didn''t type this response in the NPC dialogue box but shouted it directly. Surprisingly, the Militia was able to understand, "I see, then I wish you all a safe journey. The Walking Corpses and Corpse-eating Dogs have been increasing in the Black Wastes lately. It''s best to make a quick trip."


    As they spoke, the two Militia opened the gate at the dip.


    Once through the gate, they saw seventeen or eighteen bodies on the ground, both wild dogs and humans, but all looked abnormal. The wild dog corpses were particularly ferocious, still exuding viciousness even in death, while the human corpses were withered and rotten, as if they had just been dug out of graves.


    Sun Bin walked by the sight as if accustomed to it, so Xiao Buli and the others had no choice but to follow.


    As they passed through the gate, a prompt suddenly appeared on the screen.


    System Notification: You have entered the Black Wastes.


    The desolate scenery before them grew even more obscure, the ground turned an ominous gray-black, the grass became sparse, and there seemed to be a faint mist pervading the air, reducing visibility at a distance. The occasional trees they could see also appeared corroded and decaying, as if the whole world was succumbing to corruption and decline.


    Seeing how familiar Sun Bin was with the place, Xiao Buli felt a mix of emotions. It seemed Sun Bin did indeed have the merit to be arrogant; even in terms of game exploration, he was more skilled than Xiao Buli. He recalled Han Baiqiang mentioning that Sun Bin had purchased weapons and ventured out of the village earlier than he did.


    Connecting this with the recent conversation with the Militia, Xiao Buli concluded he had found the answer.


    "I say, Old Sun, have you been out here before?" Han Baiqiang abruptly asked in a loud voice.


    "What do you think?" Sun Bin responded with a question of his own. Xiao Buli then said quietly, "If I''m not mistaken, after farming, your second job was to serve in the Village Militia, wasn''t it?"


    "Ha, you got it right. Indeed, after learning Wild Dance and mastering Basic Spear Skills with the militia captain, I joined the Village Militia. Every day, I had to guard the entrance to the Black Wastes for three hours to prevent the Walking Corpses and Corpse-eating Dogs from bringing the plague over the wall."


    "So you''ve been killing lots of monsters these days?"


    "Of course, I''ve killed over a hundred by now."


    "Why kill so many monsters? For equipment?"


    Sun Bin chuckled, "Don''t even mention it, nothing dropped, but I did earn quite a bit of battle experience. Maybe you guys don''t know, but battle experience can directly be used to upgrade skills."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this made sense, but the battle experience he had gained in the past two days was too little, so he hadn''t considered this before.


    "There seems to be someone up ahead," Han Baiqiang suddenly warned.


    Sun Bin looked up and said, "That''s not a person, just a walking corpse."


    Indeed, as the target drew closer, everyone could see its true appearance: a shriveled body, a rotting face, and clothes that had long rotten away, leaving only a few stubborn strands hanging onto it.


    "Damn, that''s disgusting," Han Baiqiang couldn''t help but curse. The game was overwhelmingly realistic; it was a wonder how it would pass inspection during the open beta. "Is this thing tough?" he asked.


    Sun Bin shook his head. "Not tough, I can take on five by myself."


    However, despite saying so, no one was willing to step forward to act as a minesweeper since they couldn''t gauge the enemy''s strength properly. In the end, they let Li Baocheng, who played a ranged role, take a shot at it. He drew his bow and aimed at the walking corpse, sending an arrow flying.


    With a thud, the arrow sank deep into the body of the walking corpse. The creature paused for a moment but immediately continued to advance, emitting low growls from its mouth. Without hesitation, Li Baocheng fired another arrow, this time hitting the walking corpse right in the head. It seems its neck had been nearly rotten through already because the head was shot off in an instant.


    The headless corpse swayed a couple of times before collapsing.


    "So, how much experience did you get?"


    "Only two points," replied Li Baocheng, disappointed. Even a wild dog would give at least five points of battle experience. Despite looking frightening, the walking corpse awarded so little experience; it was truly useless.


    The group advanced a bit further, encountering numerous walking corpses along the way, but they were all quickly dispatched. These creatures were very slow, and their health points were low, so after a few rounds, not even their ''oil skin'' got scratched. However, the corpse-eating dogs did pose a small threat.


    Compared to the walking corpses, these half-dead beasts had a much stronger attack drive and were faster. Still, dealing with one or two at a time proved not to be difficult. According to Sun Bin, these walking corpses are invincible unless completely destroyed¡ªthey would soon stand up again after absorbing the energy of the earth. The best solution was to burn them.


    After about half an hour, the black wasteland still stretched on endlessly, and the weapons around them began to intensify. Xiao Buli inwardly exclaimed at the vastness of the game''s map. Han Baiqiang, however, stopped and said, "We should be far enough now."


    Li Baocheng was not quite at ease. "Let''s go a bit further. It''d be terrible to get trapped."


    Han Baiqiang wasn''t keen to continue walking. Reluctantly he said, "Is that necessary? There are only a few militiamen in that village. With the black wasteland being so vast, how could they possibly find where you logged out? I think those NPCs probably won''t even leave the village. Right, Old Xiao?"


    Xiao Buli didn''t mind either way. Sun Bin stood by, watching indifferently, and decided to practice his moves on a couple of corpse-eating dogs since there was nothing better to do. As they were arguing, Li Baocheng''s ''Ash Messenger'' suddenly let out a threatening, low growl, followed by Meatball''s barking as well.


    At first, nobody paid much attention, but then Xiao Buli remembered Meatball''s passive skill¡ªAgility LV1, which increased the detection range by twenty percent. Could it be that Meatball had sensed some threatening enemy getting closer?


    While thinking, he looked towards the road ahead. Through the dense fog, a jingling sound was heard, crystal clear through the headset.


    ("It seems like something is coming our way. Could it be that a merchant caravan has arrived early? That seems unlikely. Regardless, it''s still best to hide and see.")


    Xiao Buli thought to himself and ran towards a nearby bush beside the road. Seeing this, although Sun Bin and the others did not know what he was doing, they followed him instinctively.


    "What''s up, Old Xiao? Why are you running?"


    "Don''t ask, just look over there!" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The group hid behind the bushes and looked at the road from a distance. In the misty air, silhouettes began to emerge. Initially, there were only a few, but as they got closer, the number increased. Along with the dense figures approaching, the sound of the bells became clearer.


    Finally, a figure in a gray magical robe appeared from the fog, wearing a straw hat and holding a short wooden magic wand in one hand and ringing a bell in the other. Following him were hundreds of walking corpses, densely packed behind him, marching like an army from the underworld.


    These walking corpses were normally the weakest of monsters. The group had killed many along the way and had long since stopped paying attention to such weaklings. However, seeing so many gathered together now, the horrifying aura they emitted made everyone''s scalp tingle.


    It was a corpse-driving warlock! Xiao Buli immediately made the judgment. Wu Tao''s words echoed in his ears. ("Just my luck to run into this¡ªif we''re discovered, it''s almost certain we''ll be wiped out.")


    "Don''t just stand there, let''s get out of here!"


    With a yell, Xiao Buli turned and ran!

 Chapter 28 The Grey Duplicate

    "Stop looking, scram!"Xiao Buli yelled and turned to run.


    "What is that thing?" Han Baiqiang didn''t immediately run but instead asked.


    "The Corpse-driving Warlock, the BOSS of the Black Wilderness!"


    "BOSS!" Hearing Xiao Buli''s words, the three of them were scared, startled. In other games, the presence of a BOSS could be a cause for excitement, as it meant the potential to drop top-tier equipment. Especially a randomly spawning BOSS in the wild, that was definitely thrilling. But the problem was this wasn''t an average game.


    If they died, they would lose their jobs, and compared to the unknown value of BOSS drops, such a risk was just too great.


    Therefore, within moments, all three made their own decisions, following Xiao Buli and running away from the direction of the Corpse-driving Warlock and his army of Walking Corpses, non-stop.


    As they ran, they looked back¡ªa wave of his hand, and seven or eight Corpse-eating Dogs charged out of the ranks of Walking Corpses, pursuing the four men. Despite the lack of Sprint skills, even a normal running pace wasn''t slower than the four people, so they gradually caught up.


    Hearing the conversation, Li Jian also logged out of the game and came to the back of the group.


    "Corpse-driving Warlock? You ran into a Corpse-driving Warlock?" Li Jian asked, somewhat excitedly.


    "Yeah, just back there," Xiao Buli answered while also making sure to keep running. Behind him, Han Baiqiang''s speed seemed to be the slowest and he was gradually being caught up to.


    "Don''t even think about fighting that thing; you can''t beat it." As Li Jian spoke, he glanced at the coordinates displayed on Xiao Buli''s screen, committing them to memory.


    "You guys be careful not to die; I have to step out for a bit."


    The others were too busy running to really pay attention, and they subconsciously agreed. Li Jian turned and left the studio, taking out a phone¡ªbut it wasn''t the company-issued one.


    "Hello, is that Old Gao? I found a wild BOSS, a Corpse-driving Warlock. Yes, the one that wiped out the newbies last time. It seems to have just respawned. Don''t tell the team leader. Get Long and Zhang Hao involved, quickly hire a carriage to the Black Wilderness, and meet at the Demon Hunter Camp.


    I''ll be there soon."


    After hanging up, his excitement had yet to dissipate. According to regulations, he was supposed to inform the team leader about such a discovery, who would decide who to send to take down the BOSS. He could have received a bonus for his information, but this time he had no intention of doing so. Compared to a bonus of a thousand or two, there were things he cared about more waiting for him.


    After the call, Li Jian went back to the studio, logged into his account, and set off for the Demon Hunter Camp.


    Let''s leave Li Jian to his own devices for the moment and talk about the four who were sprinting away. They had run far in one go, and the Corpse-driving Warlock was long out of sight. However, the Corpse-eating Dogs caught up; Han Baiqiang was carrying the most weight and was the slowest.


    He saw his Stamina Points were nearly halved and knew he couldn''t shake them off, so he abruptly turned around and unleashed an Earth Cleaving Slash behind him.


    He had gauged his strike perfectly¡ªthe timing was such that one of the Corpse-eating Dogs charged right in front of him, practically delivering its head under his hammer¡ªSplat! With a crushing effect, he smashed the dog''s head to bits¡ªinstakill! Han Baiqiang didn''t even have time to be startled with triumph when the remaining six dogs all surged forward.


    After a round of attack, his health points had instantly dropped by one third, and that was only because he had the ''Copper Body Iron Arm'' skill he had gained from blacksmithing, which mitigated some of the damage. Otherwise, an average person would probably have been finished off there and then.


    "Quick, save me!" Han Baiqiang shouted as he swung his hammer in huge circles and smashed it down, the ''Spin'' technique with its additional knockback effect forcefully repelled the attacks of the Corpse-eating Dogs.


    Just as the second wave of attacks was about to land, a feathered arrow zipped under his crotch and pierced through the eye of a Corpse-eating Dog, instantly blinding it and causing it to spin chaotically on the spot.


    Four people plus two dogs vs. six Corpse-eating Dogs was quite an easy scenario, so the moment Xiao Buli and the others saw Han Baiqiang being attacked, they all stopped and turned to join the fight. The two dogs rushed past Han Baiqiang, one on each side, blocking the second wave of attacks for him. Han Baiqiang stepped back in shock, cursing to himself about the downside of running slow.


    But thankfully, his teammates were reliable, and he looked at the three with even more gratitude in his eyes.


    The battle ended quickly, and the six Corpse-eating Dogs soon added to the combat experience of the four players. However, as usual, they dropped no equipment.


    Li Baocheng dissected one of the dogs and all he got was rotten dog meat and rotten dog skin, things that weren''t even worth selling.


    "Such a meaningless battle," Xiao Buli mumbled to himself.


    "Where are we now?" asked Li Baocheng as he looked around. "Huh, what''s that over there?" His gaze suddenly caught by something strange.


    It appeared to be a cave of sorts, with the entrance sealed by a faint gray barrier, rendering the interior indiscernible, and it looked quite odd.


    "This should be the entrance to a dungeon, right?" Sun Bin said uncertainly while tending to Han Baiqiang''s wounds. One perk of being a militiaman was that he received quite a bit of golden sore medicine, which allowed for slow recovery of health points outside of combat.


    "It does look very much like one!" Xiao Buli chimed in, genuinely feeling that their luck was exceptionally good¡ªthey''d just encountered a wilderness boss and now they had discovered a dungeon.


    "But why didn''t Li Jian ever mention that there was a dungeon in the Black Wilderness? Could it be that he didn''t know about it either?" Sun Bin asked, his tone laced with doubt.


    Han Baiqiang said, "Hey, just ask him and we''ll know, right? Hey Jian, do you know about a dungeon in the Black Wilderness?"


    A dungeon in the Black Wilderness? At the mention of this, Li Jian immediately stood up and came over. He had already mounted the carriage and didn''t need to pay much attention to it, and upon seeing the gray barrier on Han Baiqiang''s screen, he couldn''t help but click his tongue in wonder, "This is indeed an entrance to a dungeon.


    You guys really are extraordinarily lucky to come across such things one after another."


    Hearing Li Jian''s tone suggested that it was a great discovery, Han Baiqiang couldn''t help getting excited too, "Could it be that Jian also didn''t know about this dungeon?"


    Li Jian nodded, "There are plenty of dungeons in this game, but because the game map is so vast, finding one is not easy. Moreover, dungeons are one-time affairs¡ªonce you clear it, it''s gone, so they are becoming rarer and rarer." After finishing, he added, "It''s a pity that your dungeon is only a gray one, otherwise it would be worth reporting.


    Discovering a worthwhile dungeon can get you a reward of several hundred to a thousand dollars."


    "Dungeons have colors too?" Li Baocheng couldn''t help asking curiously.


    "Of course, just like equipment is differentiated by color to indicate quality, dungeons are classified in the same way. Gray dungeons are also called mini-dungeons because their maps are generally very, very small. They usually contain only one boss, the loot is quite common, and naturally, the boss''s combat power is usually very weak, which makes it quite suitable for you guys."


    "Does that mean we can take on this dungeon?" Li Baocheng asked excitedly upon hearing it was suitable for them. This was mainly because it was too abstract to measure player strength in this game; it was hard to assess. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In other games, half a month of play would at least net you a full set of blue or green gear, by which time you would''ve learned numerous skills, and regardless of the equipment quality, it would at least look impressive. How many levels you gained and which dungeons you could tackle was clear-cut, as you just needed to look at the levels of the monsters inside.


    But in this game, they were still wielding such shabby weapons after half a month, and a light blue piece of equipment was treasured like a gem with no concept of levels at all, which made dungeons seem quite daunting.


    "Of course you can take it on. A gray dungeon in such a low-level area is definitely doable. Just be a bit cautious, that''s all," Li Jian answered with confidence.

 Chapter 29 Remains of Lu Jiang - Reanimated Zombie

    Li Jian thought about it and decided it was better to clarify things since they were going to run a dungeon, so he began explaining, "Before, since you all were still in the exploration phase without much combat, I didn''t go into much detail. But now, I think I better clear things up. In this game, equipment, dungeons, monsters, and skills are all distinguished by color.""That is, there are eight different qualities: gray, white, light blue, dark blue, silver, gold, dark gold, and green."


    "This applies to dungeons as well as monsters. Gray are minion, henchman-type monsters, white are common monsters, light blue are elite monsters, dark blue are higher-level elites, silver are mini-bosses, and gold are major bosses. Monsters with gold and silver names are already quite formidable, and they usually command a large number of minions in coordinated combat.


    We in the White Tiger Group have only fought a silver mini-boss three times and a gold major boss once. The silver mini-boss was manageable, but we lost quite a few people fighting the major boss that one time."


    "Monsters with dark gold names are ultimate bosses, often serving as the overall leader of a monster faction, akin to Sauron in ''Lord of the Rings'', the Lich King in ''World of Warcraft'', and Deathwing alike. Up until now, we haven''t faced one, so we don''t know how powerful they are. As for green monsters, they are quite peculiar. These monsters have high growth potential.


    They are very weak when they first spawn, but if given the chance to grow, they can quickly become extremely formidable. So if any of you have Taming Skills, pay attention¡ªif you come across a green-named beast that can be tamed, don''t let it go. They are the only ones with a clear growth attribute and are very worth having."


    "So, from now on, when you encounter monsters, you can judge their strength just by the color."


    After his explanation, they all remembered that the Walking Corpses they faced before indeed had gray names, which were obviously very weak. The name of the Corpse-driving Warlock they encountered just now seemed to be dark blue. It was a good thing they ran away quickly; otherwise, they wouldn''t even know how they died.


    A high-level elite could command so many minions; it was hard to imagine how strong the armies of monsters led by the silver, gold, and even dark gold bosses must be.


    Li Jian went on to say, "As for dungeons, they''re also classified by color. Gray is the lowest level, like the kind you''ve encountered now, which we usually refer to as cellars, often nothing more than a passageway and a big pit, typically easy for three to five people to handle, and sometimes even soloable.


    White dungeons are called underground caves, which require five people working together to clear, usually featuring higher-level elite monsters. Light blue dungeons are called underground mansions, and dark blue dungeons are called underground vaults. The difficulty between the two isn''t significantly different, but there is a substantial difference in size.


    Such dungeons usually have several dark blue high-level elites as gatekeeping bosses, and silver mini-bosses as the final boss, which require the main forces of the Green Dragon Group to have a chance of clearing."


    "Silver dungeons are named Underground Labyrinth, and gold dungeons are called Underground City. These dungeons contain gold-named major bosses, and planning a meticulous strategy along with a considerable amount of preliminary work is required to even attempt them. Otherwise, it''s basically suicide.


    As for dark gold dungeons, they are called Underground Kingdom, because the interior is almost like a small country, with countless bosses within, possibly hundreds, but no one has ever found one, so no one knows exactly what they are like."


    Having listened to Li Jian''s introduction, everyone had a basic understanding of the difficulty of the dungeon before them. Li Baocheng, eager to give it a try, asked, "So, shall we go for it?"


    "Of course, we should. If we don''t even dare to tackle the lowest-leveled gray dungeon, then how are we supposed to get by later? No matter how careful we are, we can''t expect to never fight monsters," Han Baiqiang was right in his response.


    Xiao Buli and Sun Bin also agreed completely. The theory was simple¡ªif they didn''t face lower-difficulty dungeons now, they would probably die miserably later when confronted with unavoidable, more challenging tasks. Instead of avoiding it now and waiting to die later, it was most rational to lower the risk to an acceptable level and enhance their own strength. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since they had decided, they no longer kept their abilities secret and reported them to each other. Even for the simplest of dungeons, they needed to understand each other to better coordinate and fight.


    Han Baiqiang''s combat skills included three. Copper Body Iron Arm LV3 (Passive Skill): Reduces 3 points of impolite damage received, very useful when dealing with groups of low-level monsters.


    Earth Cleaving Slash LV2: Delivers a fierce strike with the main hand weapon against an enemy, with a certain chance to cause crushing damage, ignoring the target''s defense to deal maximum damage.


    Spinning Strike (requires a hammer-type weapon): A fan-shaped AOE attack that can produce a knockback effect.


    Sun Bin''s skills also included three abilities, Basic Spear Skills LV2, similar to Basic Swordsmanship, it''s just that the weapon of choice became the spear.


    Wild Dance LV3: A short-range AOE skill, it inflicts average damage, but can be used frequently.


    Coordinated Six Strikes LV1: Launch a series of rapid thrusts at a target, resulting in substantial DPS.


    Li Baocheng had four combat skills.


    In addition to Taming Skills, he also had Basic Archery LV1: Capable of shooting with crossbows, enhancing damage and accuracy with ranged weapons. Since the game doesn''t lock on, accuracy largely depends on the shooter, however, Li Baocheng claimed he was exceptionally skilled at shooting games before, so his accuracy was also quite high.


    Backstab LV3: Initiate a close-range attack from behind the target that can cause triple the damage of a regular attack.


    Emergency Dodge LV1: Same as Xiao Buli''s Emergency Dodge, it allows for a quick short-distance evasive maneuver.


    Having understood each other''s skill types, Xiao Buli pondered for a while. With that in mind, why not let Li Baocheng take charge of pulling the monsters, have Han Baiqiang force the BOSS into a stunned state, then the rest of us focus all out on damage output? The game''s threat mechanics are still unknown, and we lack healing abilities, so we won''t set up a tank and healer.


    Instead, everyone will act as DPS. If there are minor monsters, let the two dogs handle them, and let''s try to kill the BOSS in the shortest time possible. What does everyone think?


    Xiao Buli''s plan could be said to be the best possible made with the current accessible game information, so nobody had any issues with it.


    After eating and drinking for a while, and nearly fully restoring their physical strength and health points, the group entered the dungeon nervously yet excitedly. Inside, they found complete darkness, but Xiao Buli was well-prepared, equipping a torch from his backpack in the off-hand weapon slot.


    As the fire lit up, they could see the scene of this mini-dungeon more clearly; it really was just a cellar, with a narrow corridor over a meter wide and roughly seven to eight meters long. In just a few steps, they reached the end of the corridor, where a circular room about ten meters in diameter awaited.


    System prompt: You have entered the Forsaken Burrow.


    At the end of the Forsaken Burrow, a figure stood alone with their back to the group, barely discernible in the flickering shadows of the torchlight. True to the lowest level dungeon, there were no minor monsters, only the BOSS.


    Clicking on the monster''s icon revealed a light blue Elite Monster named ''Remains of Lu Jiang¡ªReanimated Zombie.''


    Xiao Buli guessed that the zombie must have been named Lu Jiang in life. Just as this thought crossed his mind, Li Baocheng had already shot an arrow its way.


    -2, a bright red number popped up above the zombies head, indicating a mere two health points lost. Roused by the attack, the zombie finally turned around slowly. Unlike the fully rotten walking corpses, this zombie''s skin was a blackish-green color but was preserved extremely well, even allowing one to discern the body shape and facial features from before death.


    Upon seeing the zombie''s face, Xiao Buli was taken aback. Then, a chilling sensation that pierced right to his marrow quickly enveloped him, causing his scalp to explode with fear and almost freezing him on the spot¡ªthat zombie looked exactly like the elusive man with the hood.

 Chapter 30 Han Baiqiangs Gigantic Red Hand

    Seeing the appearance of the zombie, Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned, followed by a bone-chilling cold rapidly seeping into his whole body. He felt his scalp exploding and was almost frozen in place¡ªthat zombie looked exactly like the elusive hooded man.That''s right, exactly the same. Even though one was clad in tattered leather armor, and the other was wearing a black leather jacket, one''s skin was pale with a green tinge, and their eyes emitted a deathly aura, while the other looked no different from an ordinary person, the resemblance between the two was uncanny. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What in the world was going on? Were the NPCs in this game designed based on the appearances of real-life people? Or was it just a coincidence? Xiao Buli''s mind was a mess of thoughts. No, it couldn''t be a coincidence. If it were, wouldn''t that be too much of a coincidence?


    Piecing together the fact that the hooded man was the nephew of the chairman, Xiao Buli gradually formed a seemingly reasonable explanation¡ªthis game was most likely developed by the company itself, and the production team based some of the NPC designs on real people''s appearances, such as the hooded man''s.


    But even if you turned yourself into an NPC, you''d want to make it look nicer, right? Why would you make it a zombie? Maybe the game developers really despised the hooded man? Xiao Buli knew of similar incidents in the gaming community; for instance, in Diablo by Blizzard, there was a corpse named White who was said to represent a guy in real life that the developers despised.


    It was highly likely that this Remains of Lu Jiang was a similar case, or at least, that was the only explanation he could think of.


    While he was momentarily lost in thought, a myriad of ideas had already spun through his head, but the others didn''t know what he was thinking. They had already charged forward. Xiao Buli quickly gathered his wits and focused on the battle ahead. Whatever the case, he had to deal with the present situation first.


    It has to be said that as the leader of a Great Guild, his psychological quality was very high. Even when faced with such bizarre and almost eerie situations, he was able to calm down instantly, without affecting his emotions.


    All four were veterans of such games, and almost in unison, they flanked the zombie from either side, swiftly surrounding it in a textbook cross formation.


    It seemed that because Li Baocheng had shot it with two arrows earlier, the zombie targeted Li Baocheng straight away. It extended its forelimbs and let out a low growl, moving towards Li Baocheng in slow, shuffling steps.


    Is it really this slow? Well, then I won''t hold back. Li Baocheng shot arrow after arrow at the zombie, thinking this while numbers indicating minor damage of 2 and 3 health points each popped up. Although the damage was slight, he was safe, and the reanimated zombie was almost like a stationary target, allowing Li Baocheng to shoot at will.


    He even felt that if he had enough Scissors Arrows in his bag, he could kite this minor boss all by himself.


    But just as the boss was about five meters away from him, something unexpected happened. The zombie suddenly lurched forward, leaping four to five meters in one bound, instantly reaching Li Baocheng and swiping at him.


    FUCK! Li Baocheng cursed in fright. Thanks to his quick reaction, he managed to dodge the strike with an Emergency Dodge.


    Seeing this, the other three knew they could not just stand by and hurried forward to join the assault, Chain Sword Strike, Coordinated Six Strikes, Earth Cleaving Slash¡ªa series of attacks landed on the zombie, red numbers flashing wildly. Still, it was uncertain how high the zombie''s defense was because after taking three solid hits, its health points had dropped by less than one-tenth.


    The zombie seemed to feel pain and let out a wild howl, its claws swiping back in a wide arc. The three men backed off quickly. Xiao Buli and Sun Bin almost instantly reacted, stepping back to dodge the attack, whereas Han Baiqiang was a step too slow and got hit, instantly losing one-third of his health points.


    What a powerful attack! Han Baiqiang was taken aback. He was protected by his heavy leather armor and had the Copper Body Iron Arm skill to reduce damage, yet he had lost a third of his health points in a single blow. If it had been someone else, they would probably be below half health by now.


    The zombie''s attack power was on par with the combined force of the seven Corpse-eating Dogs they encountered earlier.


    Not daring to show off, he executed a Spin, forcing the zombie to stagger back. Spotting an opportunity, Li Baocheng quickly moved up behind the zombie and, with a swift forward thrust of his dagger¡ªBackstab! The tripled basic damage was not for show, plus the blue dagger in his hand he had looted from the Pig Farm Owner dealt a hard blow, taking down a tenth of the boss''s health points in one go.


    After delivering that stab, Li Baocheng immediately retreated; he did not dare to withstand the boss''s attack directly.


    The boss had well over a thousand health points, and its defense and attack were ridiculously high. Fortunately, unlike World of Warcraft, where the game used a targeting system, and considering the zombie''s slow speed, it gave the four players room to maneuver,


    The group exchanged blows back and forth, and after several rounds, the boss had lost half of its health points. Perhaps feeling that it couldn''t go on like this, the zombie suddenly stopped and let out an extremely mournful howl. Xiao Buli checked his character''s status and saw no negative effects, so he immediately looked around and sure enough, the ground at their feet began to move.


    One by one, dry and rotten hands emerged from the ground, followed by the mutilated bodies of Walking Corpses, as seven or eight of them were being awakened from the earth.


    This is bad; the boss is summoning minions.


    What to do?


    Xiao Buli almost immediately made a judgment. He had a lot of experience with this kind of situation, having led the main group from the guild to pioneer dungeons and fight bosses many times before; often, it was his on-the-spot decisions that secured victory.


    "Sun Bin and the fatty will clear the minor monsters, I''ll hold off the BOSS with Little Li, hurry up!"


    Sun Bin and Han Baiqiang both possessed AOE skills, making them the perfect candidates for dealing with the minor monsters. Meanwhile, Xiao Buli and Li Baocheng each had the Emergency Dodge skill, which gave them a degree of self-protection while dealing with the BOSS.


    Because the situation was urgent, the proud Sun Bin didn''t have the time to argue with Xiao Buli about who was in charge; he just snorted coldly and charged towards the Walking Corpses that were emerging from the ground.


    Wild Dance! Wild Dance! Still Wild Dance! Although this AOE skill was average in damage, its advantages were a short CD, low cost, and a decent attack range. It could be used frequently. A series of three Wild Dances successfully attracted all the Walking Corpses, leading them towards Han Baiqiang.


    "It''s up to you now!" He said as they passed by each other.


    "Just watch me!" Han Baiqiang''s Spin Skill had already recovered, and he went straight in for the tightly packed group of Walking Corpses, swinging his Bone-breaking Knife wildly. With one sweep, five or six Walking Corpses lost half their health points. Several of them were also afflicted with the bone-breaking effect, slowing their already sluggish speed even further.


    The two quickly cleared them out.


    Without its minions, the Zombie BOSS was utterly out of options. Despite regaining health once through absorbing earth qi and attempting to close the distance with leap attacks several times, all attempts were dodged by the four well-prepared players.


    Its health points kept dropping, ten percent, five percent, two percent¡ª"Done!"


    Finally, accompanied by cheers from the four players, the Zombie BOSS collapsed with a thunderous fall.


    "Well done!" Xiao Buli said excitedly. Although he had played countless games and conquered numerous BOSSes before, this was undoubtedly the most thrilling. After all, dying meant losing his job, and the no-failure premise made the battle exceptionally stimulating.


    Once they had calmed down a bit, the question of who would open the corpse arose again.


    Normally, this task would have been handled by him, but this time he had to yield. He glanced at Sun Bin, who also looked back at him, but before they could speak, Han Baiqiang had already sauntered forward brazenly.


    "Hahaha, the great lucky hand, opened four items in one go." Han Baiqiang seemed oblivious to any wrongdoing, and the others didn''t bother to comment, as the four pieces of loot dropped by the BOSS had already appeared on their screens.


    Pale Ring: (Accessory¡ªRing): Luck -1, health points upper limit +40.


    "Enslave Zombies" (Skill Book): This is a tattered sheet of paper that contains methods to enslave Zombies, appearing to be a page from "Enslave Undead." To learn this skill, 12 points of spiritual power are required.


    Corpse Pill (Gray¡ªMaterial): This is a common inner core found within Zombies, frequently used in the creation of Magic Artifacts and refinement of Elixirs. It''s also a precious casting material for Necromancy Spells. Since it has only absorbed Yin Energy for a short time, the quality of this Corpse Pill is quite ordinary.


    The Diary of Lu Jiang (Quest Item): Using this item can trigger a quest.

 Chapter 31 Lu Jiangs Diary

    Seeing these four items, Xiao Buli pursed his lips and thought to himself that it really was a stroke of big "red" luck, with four people and just enough items for each.In the past, when he was the guild leader dealing with loot, he had often played dirty, to the point where it had almost become a habit. Now, seeing the items Han Baiqiang had rolled, he realized that luck was indeed a real thing.


    "So, how do we split them?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "What else but to auction them off?" Li Baocheng was the first to speak up. "Whoever offers the most money takes the item, then we split the money from the auction equally."


    Han Baiqiang''s eyes shifted as he laughed, "You rascal, you''ve looted more than one Gold Coin from those two NPCs you killed earlier, haven''t you? I bet you''ve got quite a sum in your bag. If we go to auction, the four of us together probably couldn''t outbid you, that''s not fair."


    Li Baocheng, whose secret had been exposed, couldn''t help but his face turned red, thankful that no one could see him behind the screen.


    "Then what do you propose we do?" he muttered.


    "The international rule, ROLL the dice," came the response.


    The so-called ROLLing dice means getting a random number within a certain range, similar to throwing dice, except the numbers are determined by the system.


    "ROLL the dice? Does this game have a ROLL dice system?" Sun Bin asked.


    This question really hit the nail on the head. Xiao Buli, who had been playing for so long, had never tried it. He typed the command /ROLL into the chat box and hit Enter with force.


    System prompt: You ROLLED a 5, (1¡ª100).


    A 5! A black line immediately crossed Xiao Buli''s face¡ªhis luck was too rotten.


    "There really is a ROLL dice system, so let''s do it," he said, unfazed. His inner monologue was simply, "That ROLL just now was just a trial run."


    The other three didn''t make any fuss and promptly agreed, "Then let''s ROLL. Whoever gets the highest picks first, but can only choose one item."


    "I''ll go first! I''ll go first!" As Han Baiqiang spoke, he eagerly ROLLed and got a 95.


    "Nice luck," said Li Baocheng, "Now watch mine." He followed with a ROLL and got a 74, not too shabby either.


    Sun Bin laughed arrogantly. "It''s my turn now." After his ROLL, however, a 13 came up, leaving him utterly speechless.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that although his rolls were always under 20, he couldn''t possibly do worse than Sun Bin. With a tap on the keyboard,


    System prompt: You ROLLED a 4.


    ..........


    Han Baiqiang smugly chose the Corpse Pill, as he was planning to follow the blacksmith path, and the Corpse Pill was quite valuable to him.


    Li Baocheng picked the "Enslave Zombies" Skill Book. Though it was a lousy low-tier skill, it was still a Skill Book after all.


    Sun Bin, having no other choice, picked the Pale Ring. In fact, he was quite content with this piece of equipment left for him. The 40 health points increase to his health limit was a very good attribute. You have to realize that his original health points were only 140, and with this ring, it was nearly 200, even 10 more than Han Baiqiang''s.


    More health points meant he was less likely to die, which, for a game with only one life, was definitely a great thing.


    Even though there was an attribute of -1 luck, his luck wasn''t high to begin with. The more lice there are, the less they bite, and he figured that the Luck attribute probably wasn''t all that important anyway. At worst, it meant he wouldn''t be likely to get good equipment from killing monsters¡ªbig deal, he could just avoid looting corpses in the future.


    With the last item, "The Diary of Lu Jiang," a quest item, going to Xiao Buli by default for having the lowest roll, its value should not have been the least. However, with the game''s brutal difficulty, equipment that came directly into one''s hands was always more tangible than benefits from a quest that required completion. Who knew if the quest might involve risk?


    After the items were distributed, Xiao Buli double-clicked the diary. Accompanied by a flash of golden light, a line of text appeared on the screen.


    System prompt: You used "The Diary of Lu Jiang," and accepted the quest¡ªThe Last Wish of Lu Jiang. Completing Lu Jiang''s last wish will grant you Lu Jiang''s Blessing. Until you complete this quest, you will be haunted by the Soul of Lu Jiang, and your Luck will decrease by 2.


    A semi-transparent figure suddenly materialized beside him, looking about eighty to ninety percent similar to the Zombie BOSS they had just killed. The only differences were the intact Leather Armor on the figure and a face that looked normal. This semi-transparent figure was called "Shadow of Lu Jiang," and clicking on it with the mouse revealed the label "Ghost¡ªUnattackable."


    "You must save her!" the Shadow of Lu Jiang said loudly, not only appearing as text on the screen but also audible through the headset. Moreover, the voice acting was quite professional, with urgency laced with pleading, and the pleading filled with determination, making Xiao Buli think that the voice acting for localizations of big foreign games must have really messed up not to hire him.


    He glanced at the others, but they seemed to have noticed nothing about the figure that had abruptly appeared among them.


    "You must save her!" the Shadow of Lu Jiang repeated, then ran a few steps beside Xiao Buli''s character, turned back, and again said, "You must save her!"


    It seems this will just keep looping, and it''s just the same sentence over and over. Xiao Buli got a bit annoyed by the incessant voice, so he turned off the background music in the game settings, but the voice didn''t disappear.


    "You must save her."


    Damn, there''s no end to it, he simply took off his earphones.


    "You must save her!" the voice still stubbornly penetrated his ears. The problem is, save whom? This mission is so vague, why can''t it be clear?


    Wait a second, Xiao Buli suddenly noticed something that was not quite right. Why hadn''t the diary disappeared? In the past when he played games, mission items would usually vanish once the mission was triggered, but that "Diary of Lu Jiang" was still in his inventory. He clicked on it with his mouse and discovered it was actually a readable file.


    Perhaps it contained information on the mission. Thinking this, he clicked to turn the pages and some scribbled text immediately appeared before his eyes.


    March 4th, sunny weather:


    Today is a good day, oh what a good day! I actually gained Taming Skills from feeding pigs. Could I be the protagonist of a novel? Hmm, it really is possible. Might as well write it down.


    March 5th, sunny weather:


    The pig farm owner asked me to cut grass. I was reluctant at first, but then I unexpectedly gained expertise in one-handed swords from cutting grass. So cool, I seem to be able to learn Swordsmanship now. I wonder who teaches it.


    March 6th, overcast weather: sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s raining outside, the first rain this spring. I wonder how my sister is doing. After asking around the village for a long time, I found out the militia captain teaches Basic Swordsmanship. Although it''s nothing fancy, I still learned it. My poor silver coins!


    There were dozens of such entries, and the more Xiao Buli read, the stranger he found the diary to be. It seemed like it was recorded by a player just like him. How did it become a mission item?


    March 12th, sunny weather:


    Today is Sunday, as usual, I went to see my sister. There doesn''t seem to be any sign of improvement. Looks like I have to work even harder. I hope I can pass this month''s assessment smoothly.


    Sister¡ªwith no sign of improvement? Xiao Buli keenly caught a clue and continued reading. The sister was mentioned several more times. It seemed like this Lu Jiang had a sick sister, and he became a professional gamer to treat her illness.


    March 21st, overcast weather:


    For the highest treatment and income, I''ve decided to go to the Black Wilderness tomorrow to farm the BOSS. Although it''s a bit difficult, the Black Wilderness is the easiest map and there should be no problem. To be honest, I''m quite apprehensive about going alone, but luckily my colleagues are really righteous. After hearing about my sister''s situation, they agreed to go with me.


    I just hope nothing goes wrong.


    There was nothing after that, just a blank space.


    After reading the last entry, Xiao Buli had pieced together the events. If this diary wasn''t a game Easter egg intentionally created by the programmers, then obviously, this Lu Jiang, like him, was an employee of the company. He had somehow obtained this object that could record text and entered his gaming progress into it. Then, when he and his teammates went to fight the BOSS, they were wiped out.


    Based on what happened to him becoming a zombie and the story Wu Tao had told Xiao Buli about the team wipeout, Xiao Buli felt that Lu Jiang was likely one of those new people, and the one who caused the team wipeout, because he was killed by a Corpse-driving Warlock, resulting in him turning into a zombie, with the diary becoming a mission item left on the zombie''s body.


    But if that''s really the case, then how should he complete the mission? Is he supposed to take down that Corpse-driving Warlock to avenge him? But that Corpse-driving Warlock has already been wiped out by the White Tiger Group!


    "You must save her!"


    This voice just happened to come faintly from the earphones at that moment.


    Save her? Save who? Is it to save his sister? But that''s something that happened in real life. Are they saying that by saving his sister in reality, he can complete the mission? But how could there possibly be such a connection between the game and reality?


    Xiao Buli looked at the semi-transparent figure on the screen with confusion. It seemed to sense his gaze, and the continuously pacing semi-transparent figure stopped. The figure faced the screen seriously, its eyes earnest and imploring, "You must save her¡ªplease!" he said, almost begging.


    For some reason, Xiao Buli felt that those words were truly spoken to him¡ªthe him outside of the screen.


    "FUCK!" This is insane. He jumped up from the chair abruptly, nearly knocking the stool over in his panic. Looking again, the Shadow of Lu Jiang had returned to its original form.


    The others looked at him strangely, not understanding his outburst. Xiao Buli waved his hand dismissively, "No good, I can''t hold it in anymore. You guys wait for me, I need to use the restroom. I''ll be right back."


    He ran out as soon as he finished speaking.


    Rushing into the restroom, he turned on the faucet. Xiao Buli fiercely splashed the cold water onto his face. It''s just a hallucination, just a hallucination. Otherwise, it''s just a coincidence. There''s no way there are such supernatural things in the world! He kept muttering to himself.


    When he lifted his head, however, the mirror above the washstand reflected a figure standing behind him. It was Lu Jiang¡ªthe man with the hood, who was standing behind him with his hands in his pockets. Xiao Buli whirled around sharply, and indeed it was him.


    The man with the hood¡ªLu Jiang, seemed a bit off. His body looked very strange, part of it seemed very real, while another part had a semi-transparent look, some of it looking as if it were fading away, like a 3D image with less-than-ideal effects. Only it appeared in a more horrifying manner.


    Lu Jiang opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but all that came out of his throat was a series of indistinct whimpers. Xiao Buli felt all his hairs stand on end as he edged towards the door, and as he bolted from the restroom, he thought he heard the ghostly words of that spirit¡ª"You must save her!"

 Chapter 32 Li Jians Help

    Lu Jiang opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but his throat only emitted a series of incomprehensible whimpers. Xiao Buli felt all his hairs stand on end. He crept along the wall toward the exit, and as he dashed out of the bathroom, it seemed to him he heard the ghostly voice clearly¡ª"You must save her!"Damn, talk about seeing a real live ghost! In his heart, that was the only thought Xiao Buli had at the moment. Living in a materialistic modern society, notions of ghosts and deities were long deemed absurd. Although he sometimes wondered about the existence of another world after death, and whether ghosts were real, he never imagined he would one day actually witness such legendary beings.


    At this moment, only the company of fellow human beings could provide him with some sense of safety. So without any hesitation, he headed straight for the computer room in the novice area. However, when Xiao Buli, who seemed to be running away, reached the entrance of the novice area, he stopped in his tracks.


    After a brief moment of panic, he forced himself to calm down. Through his experiences over the years, he had learned one thing: Panic would never solve any problem. If he rushed in and blurted out that there was a ghost, would they believe him? The answer, obviously, was no. Even if he showed them something from the game, it wouldn''t mean much.


    For instance, in World of Warcraft, there''s a quest where a ghost-like presence appears by your side and keeps talking; it doesn''t prove anything. Besides, they obviously couldn''t see Lu Jiang''s ghost; otherwise, they would have seen Lu Jiang themselves on previous occasions.


    At the same time, he thought of something deeper. When he first mentioned this to Qin Shimoon, her reaction was rather odd¡ªshe seemed to know something and even offered to cover it up. Could it be that she had already known about the haunting?


    Anyway, it appeared that Lu Jiang''s ghost didn''t have any malicious intent¡ªhe only wanted him to save his sister. Maybe this was indeed a way to complete the quest. But how did Lu Jiang die? He was only dismissed a few months ago¡ªhow could he have met with an accident so quickly?


    But no matter what, he had to save this sister. Xiao Buli didn''t know what fate awaited someone who defied an undead spirit, and he didn''t want to find out. At this moment, he remembered some second-rate horror films he had seen before. If a yin soul refused to leave the world of the living, it was most likely because it had unfinished business.


    Finishing that business should allow it to rest in peace, right?


    All sorts of speculations jumbled in his head, causing him to hesitate about whether to spill the beans. He turned to look back at the corridor, where the marble floor reflected the sunlight shining in from outside, bright and clear. It didn''t look haunted at all, making him wonder if what had just happened was simply a hallucination.


    If he truly spoke the truth, he''d likely be taken for a madman. He sighed and forced his trembling hand, which had been about to push the door open, to clench into a fist and shoved it into his jacket pocket.


    With a twitch of his mouth and a blink of an eye, he became the ordinary gamer once again. Pushing the door open, he entered the room without a hint of disturbance.


    The three people inside the room seemed to have grown impatient with waiting.


    "Back so soon? Weren''t you down with diarrhea?"


    While forcing a smile, Xiao Buli sat down in his chair. He needed to ask Qin Shimoon for some time off; he had to wrap up this quest quickly.


    As he was thinking, he shifted his attention back to the game.


    The semi-transparent figure had somehow disappeared, but the DEBUFF above his head was still there¡ªLuck minus 2. For someone whose Luck Value was already quite dreadful, this was really unlucky. He checked the Attributes panel.


    HIs Luck was at only five points now. Compared to the average of ten, that was really dismal. The system''s evaluation was¡ª"You''re a very unlucky guy."


    To encounter ghosts even in broad daylight, this assessment was indeed too accurate.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli noticed that the dungeon seemed a lot brighter than before even without torches, and he could see clearly. Looking toward the entrance of the dungeon, he found that the gray magical barrier had disappeared, and he could now see the outside scenery directly.


    (So that''s how it is. As long as the monsters inside the dungeon are cleared, the magical barrier of the dungeon will disappear and it will revert to a normal cave. It seems this is the origin of the one-time dungeon)


    Exiting the dungeon, which was no longer a dungeon, he saw several walking corpses circling around Li Baocheng at the entrance, and Xiao Buli initially tensed but then realized it must be the effect of Enslave Zombies.


    "Hey, a level one Enslave Zombies can control four walking corpses, imagine if it reached level ten, wouldn''t that be impressive?" Li Baocheng said with some pride.


    "Cut it out. Walking corpses have neither speed nor attack power; they''re only good as targets to draw fire. Plus, this skill needs a corpse to use, which is useless if there are no corpses." Han Baiqiang couldn''t stand his boasts and spared no effort in delivering the blow. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This statement is indeed true. The skill to enslave walking corpses allows one to control the walking corpses in battle, but the enslaved walking corpses can''t inherit the skills and attributes they had in life, so they basically fall down with one hit, really not much use.


    Moreover, not just any corpse will do; it has to be a corpse that has absorbed Yin Energy to qualify as a walking corpse, to be controlled. And once a walking corpse evolves into a zombie or some other somewhat more powerful form of undead, the skill to enslave zombies is no longer sufficient to control such powerful undead. All in all, it''s a very tricky skill.


    Li Baocheng just grinned and didn''t say much, but Xiao Buli was not interested in discussing this question with them at this moment. He urgently wanted to return to the village to log off and then find Qin Shimoon to ask for leave, to see if there was really someone like Lu Jiang''s sister.


    However, as soon as he mentioned going back to the village, the group began to have divergent opinions on how to return.


    "The caravan won''t arrive until tomorrow. What will you guys do if you run into that Corpse-driving Warlock on your way back now? In my opinion, it''s better for us to wait here for a while. Once the caravan arrives, it will be safe to follow them. With the caravan guards around, that Corpse-driving Warlock probably wouldn''t dare to make a move on us."


    Li Baocheng, however, was set on dragging everyone down with him. If the others went back to the village, he would have to log off and hide. After the caravan arrived, he couldn''t join immediately either, because the caravan would first visit the village and stay for a day before returning. The round trip would take more than two days, costing him two and a half days of leveling time.


    Without doubt, he would fall behind the others. If they all stayed together, it would be much better.


    But if he could think of this, so could the others. Sun Bin, brandishing his long spear with a touch of pride, said, "I would rather take the test. Even if we encounter that Corpse-driving Warlock again, although I dare not guarantee victory, getting away unscathed is well within the realm of possibility."


    "That''s right, that''s right, if you ask me......" Han Baiqiang was about to boast a little himself when he suddenly remembered that he seemed to be the slowest runner here. If they encountered a monster and were chased, he would likely be at the bottom again. That was a deal he couldn''t afford, so he swallowed his words before they left his mouth.


    Xiao Buli also felt that setting out recklessly was not a good idea. The recent example of Lu Jiang was not far off, and at this moment, he vaguely felt that Lu Jiang''s death was very likely related to the game, otherwise his quest wouldn''t have appeared in the game.


    Looking at the screen''s somewhat dark tones and the desolate scenery all around, he inexplicably felt a sense of danger lurking everywhere.


    "Ah, forget it, I''ll go back and help you guys out this time."


    Li Jian suddenly said reluctantly from the side.


    Upon hearing Li Jian''s words, the four of them were overjoyed. Really? Was he that kind-hearted?


    Although Li Jian had been helpful before in familiarizing the four with the game, he generally only answered common knowledge questions. Once it was beyond that scope, he often clammed up, clearly adopting a strictly businesslike attitude. His unexpected offer made Xiao Buli somewhat skeptical.


    However, Han Baiqiang excitedly said, "That''s great, Li, you really are a true bro."


    Li Jian then added, "But I can''t say that I am confident about taking on that BOSS alone. Luckily, the White Tiger Group doesn''t have much going on these two days. How about this, I''ll call a few brothers and we''ll come back to escort you guys to the village. If we encounter the BOSS, we might as well take care of it."


    Xiao Buli suddenly understood. He thought, what''s the deal here? This guy isn''t going to be so kind for no reason. It turns out he''s after the BOSS''s loot. That Corpse-driving Warlock is a terrifying existence for the four of them, but it should be a simple matter for the group of veterans to deal with.


    Still, he was somewhat grateful. After all, compared to the virtual items in the game, Li Jian was offering much greater assistance.


    Seeing the four of them look grateful, Li Jian couldn''t help but smile inwardly, though he put on a warm and hearty expression and said, "Tell me where you are now. Me and my brothers will take a carriage over. It should take less than an hour to arrive. Oh right, you guys must not let this out. According to the rules, I am not supposed to help you newcomers.


    If the higher-ups find out, it''s no big deal if we lose some pay, but you guys are probably going to get fired."


    "Of course, of course, we definitely won''t talk about it." Han Baiqiang, frightened, hurriedly agreed and anxiously said to the other three, "You all heard it, this matter is no small thing, don''t go spreading it around."


    Xiao Buli and Li Baocheng both nodded lightly, while Sun Bin simply snorted coldly but didn''t say anything.


    PS: There will be a recommendation next week, should be able to update a little more by then.

 Chapter 33 33 White Tiger Group quartet

    "Heh, the Black Wilderness, who would have thought I''d be back here? The days when I was a newbie are truly nostalgic, feels like they just happened yesterday." Gazing at the familiar somber scenery in front of him, Gao Lianyu, who was seated in the carriage, couldn''t help but become sentimental.Gao Lianyu, a Shield Bearer by profession, was the chief tank of the White Tiger Group, known simply as the MT. Clad in a set of refined Mysterious Iron Heavy Armor, he looked like a walking tin can.


    This armor had also been enchanted with ''False Life,'' a strong rune array, and combined with his physique of nearly thirty, he had accumulated more than five hundred health points, a veritable beef tank. With the super high defense of the Mysterious Iron Heavy Armor, he was practically a human version of a Transformer.


    "Stop sulking, Old Gao, we''ve got serious business to attend to," said Ma Long, who was driving the carriage. Known as Long within the White Tiger Group, there were many skilled riders, but he was the only one adept at driving vehicles. His profession was a Ranger, a powerful DPS class, especially effective against the squishy magic system professions.


    As he spoke, Ma Long hopped down from the carriage, dressed in black Ranger gear, with two curved blades slung across his back. A black panther followed closely at his side, a spitting image of the Shadow Ranger Trist from COP.


    Following him down from the carriage was Zhang Hao, wearing a black and white Magical Robe. His profession was Onmyoji, and in this game where mage professions were scarce, any profession with a mana bar was highly valued, let alone an all-weather profession like the Onmyoji that could both heal and deal damage.


    As the chief healer and chief magic DPS of the White Tiger Group, Zhang Hao''s salary was even higher than Gao Lianyu''s. He was the kind that people begged to come. However, for this operation, he was the most proactive one, since the equipment and Skill Books dropped by a Corpse-driving Warlock, a magic system BOSS, were mostly suitable for him.


    "Hey, Old Li, where are your guys?" Ma Long, scanning the desolate surroundings, couldn''t help but ask.


    Li Jian was the last to jump down from the carriage. As a berserker who''d advanced, every move he made seemed imposing. He looked around the environment and pointed towards a dirt slope, "There they are. Let me call them."


    "Hey you guys, come on out, we''re here," Li Jian shouted towards a hut where a few other people were.


    As he spoke, four newcomers in shabby gear came around from behind the dirt slope¡ªit was Xiao Buli and his group.


    Seeing the appearance of these four, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but click his tongue. There was a saying that one would not mind inferior goods until comparing them with others, and before he had worried about the unattractive armor designs in the game, but now that he saw the high-level players, he realized the game''s design was quite spot-on.


    The equipment on all four of them had its own distinctive features, the dominant ones dominated, the mysterious ones mysterious, and they gave off a very practical feel, as if such gear would indeed be powerful even in real life.


    "Hehe, they''re just like we were back then, equally fragile. I mean, if I did a Death Spin through them, they''d probably..." Ma Long typed and talked through the team channel.


    After hearing him, Li Jian sternly warned, "I''m telling you not to mess around. Our strength is not yet such that we can act carelessly. Although the four of us are powerful, who knows how strong the guys from Qilin Group have gotten..."


    Ma Long chuckled, "I was just joking."


    "Let''s get moving then. You guys stay in the carriage, it''s safer there. You can come down after we''ve cleared the BOSS," he said.


    "That BOSS seems to move around. Want me to help you folks look for it? I can Enslave Zombies, you know." Li Baocheng pointed towards a few Walking Corpses he had just subdued as he spoke.


    His action made Zhang Hao, behind the screen, laugh uproariously. Newbies¡ªso endearing.


    "Then I''ll take that offer." As he spoke, he cast ''Enslave Undead'' on those Walking Corpses, forcefully taking control from Li Baocheng. He then cast a Corpse Transformation Spell, and the four dumb, stationary Walking Corpses suddenly swelled, their rotting flesh sprouting black fur, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into four Black Fur Zombies with more than double the strength and speed. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Baocheng watched, dumbstruck. To think this could work¡ªThe Black Fur Zombie, called Black Evil, seemed to be only the most basic type of zombie, incomparable to the previous small boss, but if they combined forces, they would certainly be enough to wipe out the four of them. Still shaken by this development, the group obediently mounted the carriage.


    Li Jian nodded at Zhang Hao, who immediately reached into his backpack and pulled out an object.


    Yin Yang Eyes¡ªActivate!


    In the game, his eyes immediately turned into two colors, one black and one white. At this point, Zhang Hao''s screen had completely changed color as well, displaying only black and white like two incompatible gases spreading everywhere. These two colors represented Yin Energy and Yang Energy.


    Through the changes in these two types of energy, Zhang Hao could deduce based on his experience where powerful Undead might be lurking nearby.


    "The Yin Energy to the west is heavy. I can feel a strong presence of Yin Energy in that direction, which should be the Corpse-driving Warlock," he said.


    Li Jian nodded, "Then let''s set off."


    After deactivating the Yin Yang Eyes, the carriage set out. Without newcomers slowing them down, the four moved swiftly and soon caught up with the rear of the Walking Corpse army. Hehe, it seems we are up against something a bit more formidable than the last one.


    They halted the carriage and the four of them faced the densely packed mass of Walking Corpses. Seemingly noticing them, the Corpse-driving Warlock also commanded his army of Walking Corpses to surround them.


    Facing a force a hundred times their number, the four of them showed no sign of concern. Gao Lianyu brandished his Refined Iron Blade at Li Jian, almost as if challenging him, "Want to bet to see who can kill more?"


    Li Jian gripped his great axe and smirked, "Who''s afraid? Zhang Hao, start the fight."


    Zhang Hao sighed. He had nothing on these two violent guys. Raising his hand, he cast Enslave Undead! This spell, more advanced than the Corpse-Driving Technique, immediately freed a dozen Walking Corpses from the control of the Corpse-driving Warlock, and they began to fight the surrounding Walking Corpses, throwing what was a tightly packed formation into complete disarray.


    Nevertheless, the Corpse-driving Warlock''s control over the Walking Corpses wasn''t so easily usurped, but this hadn''t been Zhang Hao''s intention. He was merely creating an opportunity for the two to break in.


    Just then, Li Jian and Gao Lianyu charged in together.


    Gao Lianyu was like a bulldozer, his heavy armor allowing him to face the Walking Corpses without fear of injury. These low-level creatures couldn''t break through his defense. He bulldozed his way through countless Walking Corpses until he stopped in front of a giant corpse with dark green black skin.


    An Elite Guard? This little boss seems to have some quality. Gao Lianyu thought as he raised his shield, ready for a good fight. Meanwhile, Li Jian cut in from another angle.


    If Gao Lianyu was a bulldozer, then he was the meat grinder. His great axe spun like a whirlwind, slicing every Walking Corpse, good or bad, into two halves. Thus, began a slaughter contest between the two of them.


    While the Corpse-driving Warlock was struggling to maintain control over his army, now thrown into complete disarray by the two men, a shadow sneaked up behind the Warlock, enveloping the yet unaware man like the shadow of the Grim Reaper.


    PS: Starting tomorrow, there will be two updates every day. I hope everyone continues to support.

 Chapter 34 Evil Spirit Reincarnation

    If Gao Lianyu was a bulldozer, then he was a meat grinder. The giant axe in his hands spun like a whirlwind, and wherever he went, Walking Corpses, regardless of strength, were all equally cleaved in half. A competition of slaughter had begun between the two men.At the same time, just as the Corpse-driving Warlock was directing the army of Walking Corpses into disarray due to the interferences of the two men, a shadow stealthily approached from behind the Warlock, enveloping the oblivious man like the shadow of death itself.


    This person was none other than Ma Long. Relying on the slow and dull reactions of the Walking Corpses, he used the Ranger''s Disguise skill to slip through the sparse crowd of corpses and circle to the back of the Corpse-driving Warlock. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the shadows, a nimble figure suddenly made a killing move.


    Ultimate Skills: Death Waltz! Ma Long unleashed his powerful move from the get-go, spinning around the Corpse-driving Warlock so fast that afterimages were created, slashing his dual blades repeatedly at the boss within the circle. Red damage numbers kept popping up incessantly.


    However, the Corpse-driving Warlock seemed insensible to pain, and despite taking many blows, he showed no sign of stiffness. He lifted a hand and countless rotting arms burst from the ground at his feet, reaching frantically for Ma Long''s ankles, and he was dragged to a halt mid-move.


    Before even having a chance to consider how to break free from Immobilization, the Corpse-driving Warlock already sprayed a puff of green smoke in his face, and Ma Long was immediately stained a sickly grey-green color.


    System Notification: You have been afflicted with Decomposing Corpse Poison, all your Attributes have been reduced by 2 points, and you are losing 4 health points per second.


    The duration of this DEBUFF was a whole minute, and Ma Long thought to himself, if it''s not resolved soon, it''s going to cost someone their life in a minute.


    His health points were just over two hundred, and he simply couldn''t withstand such damage. Therefore, he hurriedly activated the Ranger''s life-saving move, ''Wild Heart''. The poison effect on his body was immediately cleared, and he also broke free from the control of Corpse Binding Skills. But he could use Wild Heart only once a day; if he got poisoned again, it wouldn''t be so easy to resolve.


    No sooner had Ma Long cleared the poison than he saw a washbasin-sized fireball condensing in the hands of the Corpse-driving Warlock. Unlike the normal crimson fireballs, this one was a pale green color.


    Zhang Hao caught sight of that fireball and was alarmed. He knew the power it held, "Ma Long, get back! It''s a Nether Fire Orb."


    Hearing his teammate''s shout, Ma Long didn''t hesitate to activate Wilderness Rush, which caused his speed to suddenly double, and he hightailed it out of there. He wasn''t far off when the Corpse-driving Warlock''s fireball was launched. Because it was a non-targeting game, he wasn''t hit directly.


    The green fireball exploded just behind him, blasting away several Walking Corpses who couldn''t dodge in time. Although it missed him, the splashing damage still hit him. The Nether Fire Orb didn''t have strong direct damage, but it came with a burning effect, charring away more than thirty of his health points before dissipating.


    Such a powerful killing force! Ma Long inwardly took a sharp breath.


    "Let me handle him. You just need to control those minor monsters," Zhang Hao gave an order, and his four Black Evils immediately charged forward.


    Ma Long did not try to show off. He slapped on a herbal patch to slowly heal himself and rushed towards a few isolated minor monsters.


    The four Black Evils hadn''t even reached the enemy when two strong Corpse Monsters blocked their way. These were the hulking Zombies that Li Jian had previously encountered. There were probably only four in the entire army of Walking Corpses, two of which had faced off against Li Jian and Gao Lianyu, but the remaining two had always stayed by the Corpse-driving Warlock''s side.


    Black Evil was merely a low-level type among Zombies; even with four against two, the fighters were evenly matched. However, Zhang Hao was no slouch. Mysterious Yin Wondrous Method¡ªUndead Decomposition!


    A stream of dark energy was continuously drained from one of the Corpse Monsters, which was the fundamental force that propelled undead creatures¡ªYin Energy. As the Yin Energy was completely extracted, the Corpse Monster''s body suddenly slumped and fell to the ground.


    The battle quickly became one-sided. The four Black Evils easily dispatched the remaining Corpse Monster four against one. Meanwhile, Li Jian and Gao Lianyu had each dealt with their opponents as well. They fought their way to the Corpse-driving Warlock''s side, and Ma Long reappeared behind the Warlock, his Black Panther by his side.


    Looking at the Corpse-driving Warlock surrounded and helpless, the team closed in for the kill...


    A minute later¡ª


    "Foolish mortals, you have no understanding of what you''re up against. Death is merely the beginning¡ªAh!!!"


    With a piercing scream, the beleaguered Corpse-driving Warlock finally collapsed, defeated.


    "Heh, I thought at the very least there''d be some sort of ultimate move at the end, but it ended just like that." Gao Lianyu had barely finished speaking when the situation suddenly changed.


    "Foolish mortals, death means nothing to me. Tremble before the Power of the Underworld God!"


    A ghastly figure suddenly floated up from the Corpse-driving Warlock''s body. It bore some resemblance to the Corpse-driving Warlock, but it was translucent, and its body appeared larger and more imposing, surrounded by an eerie black aura.


    The originally dark blue name had now turned silver, and its strength had actually increased by a level, with only two words for a name¡ªEvil Spirit!


    "FUCK, I knew it wasn''t going to be this easy!" Gao Lianyu cursed as he swung his sword, only to pass right through the Evil Spirit. "Damn it, this thing is a phantom."


    The Evil Spirit reached out and swiped at him, causing a harsh, metallic scraping sound. Gao Lianyu was so frightened that he hurriedly raised his shield. "Damn it, I''m losing health, this thing''s attacks are so strong."


    A few people hacked away in a frenzy, but it caused no damage. Meanwhile, Zhang Hao observed the battle and began casting a spell. His spell seemed to be a kind of ultimate skill, taking a full ten seconds to release.


    Pure Yang Wondrous Method¡ªHoly Word Technique! A pillar of pure white light, thick as a bucket, came crashing down. The intense white light shone on the Evil Spirit that had formed from the Corpse-driving Warlock, immediately causing white smoke to rise from it, like boiling water poured over ice cream. In a few seconds, it dissipated and melted away entirely.


    Xiao Buli was shocked. He''d originally thought that Zhang Hao was a profession similar to the Necromancer, but now he realized that he could also use holy spells similar to those of a priest. That was indeed pretty buggy.


    "Phew, that scared me to death. Lucky we had Old Zhang. Let''s see what we''ve got. Zhang Hao, you have the highest Luck stat, you open it," they said.


    Zhang Hao unapologetically nodded and clicked open the corpse. The loot that appeared made him frown.


    "How''s it, did we get any good stuff, any Skill Books?"


    "There is actually one." Zhang Hao spoke as he distributed the Boss loot, with a Skill Book at the top of the list.


    "Evil Spirit Reincarnation": This art was created by the Necromancers of the Grand Yin Sect. Practitioners of this art will not die immediately upon death; instead, they will transform into a powerful Evil Spirit and continue to fight. The Evil Spirit can sustain itself for twenty-four hours and will naturally dissipate after the time is up.


    To learn this spell, you need basic Necromancy and 14 points of spiritual power.


    "Damn, another Reincarnation Skill, totally speechless," Ma Long complained upon seeing the drop.


    Reincarnation Skills only take effect after the user dies, a real pain without explanation. Last time, the Green Dragon Group got a "Reincarnation of the Corpse Ghost", and this time they got an "Evil Spirit Reincarnation". It seems like this is all Corpse-driving Warlock type Bosses drop.


    But it was still better than nothing. Zhang Hao told the other three, then stashed the Skill Book in his own bag, as he was the only one who could learn it.


    The rest of the drops were a few sky-blue colored pieces of equipment of just average quality. The three of them divided them up, thus concluding this SOLO battle.


    "Right, that thing the Corpse-driving Warlock transformed into must be the so-called Evil Spirit, huh? Seems pretty powerful, immune to physical attacks. Makes one wonder if Zhang Hao will become that thing after he dies."


    Li Jian laughed and said, "You better hold your tongue, with your unlucky predictions always coming true."


    "Coincidence, it''s just a coincidence," Gao Lianyu said, though without much confidence, mainly because he had a bad track record with his jinxing.


    "Alright, the Corpse-driving Warlock has been taken care of. You guys can safely head back to the village; we won''t stick around, bye everyone!"


    After saying goodbye to the newbies, the foursome set off on their homeward journey with their horse-drawn carriage.

 Chapter 35 Assassination Mission

    Several newcomers were driven off the horse cart, watching the departing vehicle in silence for a long time.Turning around to see the ground scattered with carcasses, hundreds of Walking Corpses had been slaughtered in less than ten minutes¡ªhigh-level players'' combat prowess was indeed very strong.


    "Don''t just stare, it''s only a game after all. No matter how strong they are, what can they do? Besides, once we''ve learned some new skills and got new equipment, we''ll definitely be no weaker than them," Sun Bin said with a hint of indifference.


    Having confirmed their coordinates, the four of them parted ways. Li Baocheng planned to use his Corpse-Driving Technique in the Black Wasteland to grind some Practical Experience and level up his skills. With the spell-controlled four Walking Corpses plus his hunting dog pet, he wouldn''t be in too much danger in the Black Wasteland.


    By the time the caravan returned from Dahuang Village, he could just go with them to the big city.


    When the three returned to the village, Xiao Buli subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was not until this moment that Xiao Buli truly felt somewhat safer. The constant state of high alert had given him a real sense of adventure that previous online games had failed to provide.


    Upon entering the village, the three were questioned by the militia captain.


    "Do you know that kid called Li Baocheng?" As he spoke, several militiamen surrounded them, ready to take action if necessary.


    However, the three were not too nervous, as they had already discussed how to respond earlier. "We know him, but we''re not that close. May I ask what''s the matter?"


    The militia captain said sternly, "Good that you admit it. My men said you went to the Black Wasteland together this morning. Where is he now?"


    "He said he wanted to try his luck in Nine Dragons City and asked us to take him to the Black Wasteland. He even gave us a few silver coins as a reward. When we got there, a horse cart was waiting for him, and he left with the cart."


    "What! It really was that guy who did it." The militia captain said angrily, looking very upset: "If you see him again, you must report to me. He killed the owner of the pig farm and his wife. He''s a very dangerous person. Of course, if you can bring him to justice yourself, that would be even better.


    The village has issued a bounty for him, and the notice is posted on the village square''s bulletin board. If you''re interested, you can take a look."


    Watching the militia captain leave with his men, the three breathed somewhat easier, realizing this incident would not affect their activities in the village.


    They glanced at the bulletin board, and indeed, there was a mission they could accept.


    Chase Fugitive: The fugitive Li Baocheng is suspected of murdering the pig farm owner Zhu Wuneng and his wife. Anyone who captures him or brings back his head will receive a reward of 50 silver coins and the goodwill of all villagers in Dahuang Village. Do you accept this mission, Yes/No?


    Of course, they didn''t plan on accepting the task, but seeing an NPC issue a bounty for a player was still something new to them. Just as they found it interesting, a burly man wearing Leather Armor and carrying a bow and Arrows approached¡ªit was a hunter from the village.


    "Zhou, are you really planning to take on this task?" a militiaman standing by the bulletin board asked the hunter.


    "Yes!" The hunter named Zhou replied seriously, "That apprentice of mine committed such a grave mistake. As his master, I must take responsibility to clean up our own house. Dead or alive, I must bring him back to give the village an explanation."


    After speaking, he took down the posting with one swift motion, and the mission instantly disappeared from the bulletin board.


    Watching the hunter slowly wander off into the distance, the three of them were stupefied. NPCs could actually take on missions ¡ª this was indeed a revelation.


    "Little Li, you''re in trouble!" Han Baiqiang exclaimed loudly.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Your master has accepted a mission to hunt you down, and it looks like he''s heading towards the Black Wasteland."


    "No way," Li Baocheng said, also turning pale with shock. He still harbored a deep fear of his master, who was far superior in Taming Skills and archery. If it really came to a fight, he had little confidence in prevailing.


    "Damn, this is bad. I have to log off immediately!" Seeing Li Baocheng panic, Han Baiqiang felt a secret sense of relief. Thankfully, he had taken Xiao Buli''s advice back then; otherwise, Li Baocheng wouldn''t have been the only one being hunted. He turned to look at Xiao Buli and saw his eyebrows knitted together, seemingly troubled by something.


    Ring-ring-ring, a pleasant chime suddenly rang out, signaling that it was twelve o''clock ¡ª lunchtime. But after what happened with Lu Jiang, how could Xiao Buli be in the mood to eat?


    He said goodbye to the others and chose to go directly to Qin Shimoon to request time off.


    "You want to take leave to go out?"


    Sitting behind the office desk, Qin Shimoon''s face showed a hint of difficulty, "Generally speaking, if there''s a valid reason, I shouldn''t refuse a half-day leave. But concerning some of the company''s rules, I am powerless to help, so I hope you can understand." The meaning was clear ¡ª no leave would be granted.


    "Is that so," Xiao Buli thought. Although he hadn''t worked in a large company before, he had some understanding of their way of doing things. They usually strictly adhered to rules and regulations, and it was difficult to make exceptions. However, considering Qin Shimoon''s stance on the Lu Jiang matter, an idea suddenly occurred to him.


    "The truth is I''m requesting leave because I have no other choice. Last Sunday, my mother took me to see an old man to have my fortune told. This old man is quite renowned and supposedly very accurate. After looking at my physiognomy, he said that this year was unfavorable for me, that I am plagued by a wronged spirit.


    Therefore, I must burn some paper money for the spirit on the mountains on the thirteenth day of the third month so it will leave on its own. Otherwise, I will meet an untimely death and even bring harm to those around me. Naturally, I don''t believe in this sort of thing, but my mother is quite superstitious. To ease her mind, I had no choice but to agree to do as she said.


    But if it''s really impossible, then let''s just forget about it. Burning the paper money a few days later probably won''t be a big issue; if it really doesn''t work out, I can just deceive the old lady, I guess."


    After finishing, Xiao Buli prepared to leave, but before he had taken a few steps, Qin Shimoon called out to him. He turned back to see her expression was somewhat reluctant and tinged with a helpless smile, "Just wait a moment, let me think about this."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that there might be a chance. In most companies, such a reason for leave would likely result in a scolding from one''s superior. But Qin Shimoon was obviously uneasy, so she wouldn''t react that way now.


    If Xiao Buli alone had died, she wouldn''t have minded much. But that phrase "harm to those around me" had made her worried. After a moment of contemplation, Qin Shimoon nodded slightly, "In that case, perhaps we can make an exception this once."


    Xiao Buli, hearing this, thought to himself that Qin Shimoon indeed knew about the ghostly rumors in the studio. His face, however, showed no sign of this realization, instead displaying surprise and gratitude, "I truly appreciate it, Qin. It''s really too much trouble for you to deal with my mother''s superstitious beliefs. Maybe I shouldn''t take the leave after all; I hate to inconvenience you." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s no trouble at all, let''s just put the old lady''s mind at rest," Qin Shimoon said with certainty, handing over a door card and to Xiao Buli.


    Watching Xiao Buli leave the office, Qin Shimoon''s eyes revealed a trace of doubt. She dialed a number on the phone, "Hello, Sima? There''s a matter I need you to handle. Yes, it''s about a newcomer to the company ¡ª his name is Xiao Buli."


    PS: There will be another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 36 Approaching the Truth

    Luck had just stepped out of the building where his company was located when he made his first move to a specialized mobile phone store to buy a new phone. Although the company had provided him with an excellent smartphone, he now dared not use it carelessly. Who knows if it had been bugged?Though he had never seen ''pork,'' as the saying goes, he had seen ''pigs on the walk.'' An avid movie watcher, Luck chose to err on the side of caution.


    However, he didn''t dare dispose of the company-issued phone either.


    Standing outside the building, he intended to hail a cab. This street was typically bustling with taxis, but, unusually, he had waited over ten minutes without spotting many, and the ones he did see were already occupied. Finally, he saw an empty taxi and hurriedly flagged it down.


    The cab headed straight toward him, but when it was just seven or eight meters away, he realized the driver seemed to be on a phone call, unaware of his presence, and wasn''t slowing down. FUCK! Luck leaped back in terror, and whether it was luck or sheer reflex, his feet slipped as if on ice, gliding two meters back¡ªnarrowly dodging the taxi''s hood.


    Staring at the taxi as it drove off into the distance, Luck was still shaking from the close call. He could have been hit if his reaction had been even a split second slower. How had he managed to move out of the way so quickly anyway? Looking down at the ground, he saw nothing but ordinary paving stones. He tried to step back again and nearly sprained his back.


    It seemed to be just a burst of physical ability in a moment of crisis, he thought. Maybe it''s better not to rush, he quietly admonished himself. He patiently waited another ten minutes and finally managed to get a cab.


    While riding in the taxi, he dialed the largest hospital in the city. Luck didn''t have much information to go on; Lu Jiang''s diary had only mentioned his sister''s name, the hospital where she stayed, and that she suffered from a kidney disease. He knew nothing more, so he had to do some investigating to plan his next steps.


    After several calls and inquiries, he finally got some information. Indeed, three months ago, a girl with the surname Lu was admitted to this hospital with renal failure. However, the severity of her condition and her identity were details the hospital staff found inappropriate to disclose.


    It seemed he had no choice but to visit personally. Having made up his mind, Luck asked the taxi driver to take him directly to the city hospital.


    Upon arriving at the hospital, he quickly found out that the doctor who had treated Lu Wan''er was someone named Zhou. When he arrived at Dr. Zhou''s office door, since it was noon and patients were sparse, only a man in a black trench coat sat on the bench outside. He appeared engrossed in an English-language novel, not seeming like he was there for medical care. Luck didn''t pay him much mind.


    With an appointment already scheduled, he knocked and entered the office.


    "Hello, I''m the one who called earlier. I''d like to consult you about something," Luck said as he handed over his business card. Taking the card, Dr. Zhou read the impressive title¡ª''General Manager of Qingyang Network Technology Development Consulting Co., Ltd.'' Paired with Luck''s designer suit and mature, stable demeanor, he seemed a man of status. Dr. Zhou''s tone immediately grew more polite.


    Using such tactics was familiar ground for Luck. Unlike the stereotypical unkempt technophile or professional gamer, Luck''s frequent interactions with a variety of people while managing his studio had taught him the importance of maintaining a presentable appearance and making a good first impression.


    A few words were exchanged, and the conversation turned to Lu Wan''er. "You said earlier she''s been discharged. Does this mean her illness has been cured?"


    "How could that be?" The doctor seemed quite touched by the subject. "Her condition is not so easily remedied. One kidney is completely necrotic, and the other is nearly failing. Without a kidney transplant, there''s no hope for recovery. Probably ran out of money and went home to wait for death¡ªit''s a story I''ve seen too often."


    Luck sighed inwardly at the grim words, then calmly asked, "How much would a kidney transplant cost?"


    He was mentally braced for the answer. Over the years, he had saved more than two hundred thousand yuan. If need be, he was willing to spend it. After all, averting misfortune through financial loss was surely better than being haunted by an angry spirit.


    The doctor sighed, "All in all, it would likely cost about five to six hundred thousand yuan¡ªthe costly part is finding a compatible kidney. But looking at the situation, that family doesn''t seem wealthy. I doubt they could afford it."


    What! So much money! Luck''s heart sank. If it were a matter of ten or twenty thousand, he could''ve gritted his teeth and paid it. Even up to two hundred thousand might have made him pause, but five to six hundred thousand was far beyond his means. And to make such a large sacrifice for someone he didn''t even know?


    That felt almost unacceptable.


    I''d save your sister if I could, but without the means, I''m helpless.


    However, he figured it wasn''t time for despair just yet. That family must have some money of their own. It was better to assess the situation before giving up hope.


    "Could you give me her family''s address, Dr. Zhou?" he asked after a moment''s thought.


    "Well, our hospital always maintains patient confidentiality. I''m afraid I can''t give you that information." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luck sneered inwardly at Dr. Zhou''s bureaucratic demeanor. "Here''s the thing," he explained, "I''m close friends with her brother. Before he had his accident, he entrusted me to save his sister. That''s why I brought money this time. If you could give me their address, I could get in touch with them and get the treatment started.


    So please, make an exception just this once, for the sake of helping someone."


    Dr. Zhou seemed pleased by the prospect. "Alright, I''ll make an exception just this one time," he said, drawing open a drawer and rummaging through a pile of files. "Ah, here we are. This is the patient''s information. But you can only look at it here; you can''t take it with you."


    After memorizing the address, Luck nodded to the doctor and excused himself. The man in the black trench coat was gone when he stepped out; he didn''t appear to be a patient after all. Luck didn''t think much of it; his priority was to find Lu Jiang''s sister.


    Half an hour later, the taxi stopped outside a somewhat dilapidated housing estate. The buildings appeared old, seemingly from the ''60s or ''70s. Xiao Buli, following the address from the information he had, was checking the building numbers as he walked. Suddenly, there was a loud ''bang'' from behind that startled him, "FUCK!"


    He turned around to see that a flowerpot had somehow fallen from a balcony and shattered to pieces two meters away from him.


    "Lucky I was walking fast," Xiao Buli silently congratulated himself, thinking, "What''s with today, first nearly hit by a car, and now almost hit by a flowerpot? My luck really sucks."


    After searching for quite a while, he finally found Lu Jiang''s home in a very narrow stairwell and knocked on the rusty, stained security door. It took a while before someone responded, "Who is it?" A gruff, muffled voice came from behind the door.


    "I''m a friend of Lu Jiang. I''m looking for his family," he said.


    The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, looking very down-and-out.


    "Who are you?"


    "I was Lu Jiang''s high school classmate. I heard he got into trouble, so I came to visit."


    "Come in," the man said after sizing up Xiao Buli from top to bottom, not finding him to look like a bad person.


    Stepping into the house, Xiao Buli was shocked to find the room empty, devoid of any furniture. It made the living room of over ten square meters seem even more spacious and bleak.


    There were only a few old stools and a tattered sofa. A wooden crate was being used as a makeshift dining table, topped with a glass bottle and two cups.


    "Have a seat," the man said as he somewhat embarrassedly moved the bottle and cups to the windowsill.


    "I''m Lu Jiang''s father. So, tell me, what is it you want with him?"


    "Nothing much, just that it''s been many years and I wanted to see him."


    "He''s dead," Lu Jiang''s father said painfully, grasping the bottle.


    "Dead!" Xiao Buli pretended to be shocked,


    "Yes, dead."


    How did Lu Jiang die? Xiao Buli suddenly asked.


    The man''s face revealed a mix of grief and unwillingness, and he said with a bitter smile, "I don''t know."


    "You don''t know?" Xiao Buli repeated, genuinely surprised this time.


    The man then recounted the events.


    "That day he came home looking very upset, saying he had been fired from his job, but he received 8,000 yuan in severance pay. After giving me the money, he said he was tired and went to sleep. The next morning when I went to wake him for breakfast, I found him already dead, in a very strange state."


    Lu Jiang''s father wore a reminiscent expression and his voice turned to a murmur, "The look on his face was one of fear, as if he saw something terrifying before he died. Although it had only been one night, his complexion was so ashen it seemed like he had been dead for a long time. I was immediately stunned and hastily called the police.


    Later, the forensic doctor said he died of poisoning, a strange fungal toxin usually found in the bodies of long-dead animals."


    A sense of alarm struck Xiao Buli, and almost subconsciously he probed, "Corpse poison?"


    Lu Jiang''s father paused, "Perhaps so."

 Chapter 37 Xiao Bulis Guess

    Xiao Buli felt a sudden lurch in his heart as he tentatively asked, "Corpse poison?"Lu Jiang''s father paused for a moment, "Probably."


    When Xiao Buli uttered that question, it wasn''t after careful deliberation; it was a subconscious reaction. However, after posing the question, a realization dawned on him¡ªwhy had he thought of that?


    After a brief contemplation, he understood the source of his idea. In the game, Lu Jiang had been killed by the Corpse-driving Warlock. That morning, he had already witnessed the Corpse-driving Warlock''s combat methods, which amounted to nothing more than the Nether Fire Orb, corpse poison, and close combat attacks by Zombie minions.


    The Zombie Lu Jiang had turned into appeared very much intact, so obviously, it wasn''t possible that he was burned to death by a Fireball nor likely that he was strangled by a Zombie. Clearly, he must have died from the Corpse Poison, which probably also explained why he turned into a Zombie. But that was in the game, could it be¡ª


    A sense of incredulity surged through Xiao Buli''s heart. Could it be that the way one dies in the game is replicated in real life?


    But how could that be possible? That couldn''t be explained by science at all.


    Yet he quickly self-mocked, encountering ghosts didn''t seem very scientific either. By comparison, this explanation didn''t seem so far-fetched.


    Xiao Buli''s mind was in turmoil; he listed the information he currently held, point by point.


    1. Lu Jiang died on the same day he was expelled.


    2. The cause of Lu Jiang''s death was a strange toxin.


    3. This toxin was very likely corpse poison.


    4. In the game, Lu Jiang was killed by a Corpse-driving Warlock, who also released corpse poison.


    5. The Zombie that Lu Jiang turned into in the game was very much intact, so Lu Jiang couldn''t have been killed by a spell like the Nether Fire Orb or physical attacks¡ªcorpse poison was the only explanation.


    But if being killed by corpse poison turned one into a Zombie, why was there no such transformation in reality?


    "Where is Lu Jiang''s body?"


    "Of course, it was cremated," Lu Jiang''s father said matter-of-factly, seemingly puzzled by Xiao Buli''s question.


    So that was it, cremation naturally prevented any change into a Zombie, and with that, everything made sense.


    However, reaching this point, Xiao Buli felt even more confused. Why would someone killed in the game die in real life? And what did all this imply? Could it mean that the game and reality were interconnected?


    At this thought, he suddenly remembered another matter. Earlier on the road, he had encountered danger successively, first nearly being hit by a car, then almost struck by a flowerpot¡ªcould this also be his own "luck?"


    By deduction, he recalled many strange events that had recently occurred. The peculiar movement technique he used to dodge the car, wasn''t it quite similar to the Emergency Dodge in the game?


    The moves of the Chain Sword Strike, weren''t they exactly like the Triple Wave technique he had used that day?


    He had never learned Swordsmanship before, but during the sparring with Gu Shaobang''s grandfather, he had been able to perform as though practiced, and the moves his character automatically used while fighting monsters in the game felt familiar¡ªnow it dawned on him, weren''t they strikingly similar to the Swordsmanship he had learned from the old man?


    There was also the mysterious elevation in his Basic Swordsmanship level, his inexplicable affinity with pets¡ªall the minor events he had overlooked were now vividly coming together in his mind. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The disbelief in his heart grew stronger, yet his doubts about the matter became increasingly undeniable.


    And he thought about the implications behind it. If these low-level skills learned in the game could be used in reality, then what if he learned powerful Martial arts or Immortal Techniques and Taoist magic?


    The thought of being able to utilize all sorts of supernatural powers from the game in reality had Xiao Buli trembling with excitement, but after the thrill had passed, he gradually calmed down. If things were truly as he imagined, then the company must also be aware of this, and that meant the company''s background was anything but simple.


    However, up to this point, these were still his guesses. Whether they were true still needed further confirmation, but before that, he had to understand the situation at hand.


    Xiao Buli refocused his attention on Lu Jiang''s father, who didn''t seem to have noticed his distraction, mumbling to himself in a rambling manner, "Lu Jiang lost his mother early on, and I barely managed to raise the two kids. I never expected that now, one after another, they would all leave me. Ah, it''s all my fault for not working hard enough and not knowing how to save.


    I don''t even own our house; it''s rented. If I had enough savings, I might have been able to save Wan''er..."


    While talking, Lu Jiang''s father picked up his glass again, looking as if the wine could drown his thousands of sorrows.


    "How is Wan''er doing now?" Xiao Buli asked with great nervousness. Before, he didn''t think much of it¡ªif Lu Jiang''s ghost entangled him in the game and he couldn''t play, he would simply quit. But after his recent speculation, he didn''t think so any longer. Even if he stopped playing the game, the curse would still haunt him constantly. Therefore, the curse had to be lifted at all costs.


    He didn''t want to die without understanding why.


    "Wan''er is alright for now, but if she doesn''t have surgery soon, I''m afraid she won''t last much longer,"


    "How much is still needed for the surgery? You can''t possibly have no savings at all, right?"


    "That''s not the case," Lu Jiang''s father seemed somewhat more alert when it came to his daughter, "These days I''ve sold everything I could at home and finally scraped together over two hundred thousand, but we are still short by three hundred thousand. It''s a pity I don''t have many relatives; otherwise, that might have been enough."


    "It''s good she''s not dead!" Xiao Buli silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He was truly afraid that Lu Wan''er had already passed away¡ªthen he would have been truly desperate. Three hundred thousand was a lot, but he had two hundred thousand, and borrowing one hundred thousand from Mr. Bang would be enough.


    Still, he felt it was better to be sure before making a move.


    "May I see her?"


    Lu Jiang''s father hesitated for a moment but then nodded his head, "Go ahead, you might not have another chance to see her. She might be asleep right now, so keep your voice down."


    While speaking, he pushed open the door to a bedroom inside.


    The two of them, Xiao Buli, entered quietly. The bedroom seemed like a different world compared to the outside. It was a typical teenage girl''s room with pink wallpaper on the walls, a basket of fresh fruit on the desk, fresh flowers in a water bottle and plush toys in the corner, and a comfortable small bed by the window.


    Under the thick quilt, the pale little face of a girl was revealed, frowning even in her sleep, looking pitiable.


    A laptop was placed on the bedside cabinet, and it looked like it might be the only valuable piece of electronics left in the house. From what Xiao Buli could see, despite selling everything he could, Lu Jiang''s father was still trying to maintain the comfort of this bedroom. He couldn''t help but feel a bit moved and admired this seemingly destitute father.


    Thinking back on his past, this slight touch of emotion became the last push he needed to make his decision.


    After leaving Lu Wan''er''s room, Xiao Buli tried to appear nonchalant as he said, "I will pay the three hundred thousand. Contact the hospital as soon as possible and try to arrange the surgery for Wan''er earlier." Xiao Buli said this without hesitation.


    "What!" The eyes of Lu Jiang''s father instantly showed an excited expression as he suddenly grabbed Xiao Buli''s hand with a frighteningly strong grip, "You''re not joking, right?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, gravely saying, "At a time like this, how could I be joking? Lu Jiang and I are the best of buddies, ironclad. I''m committed to helping with this."


    Lu Jiang''s father almost knelt down, looking overwhelmed with excitement and continuously thanked him, while Xiao Buli thought to himself, Please don''t thank me. If only your son could stop haunting me, that would be better than anything.


    Xiao Buli withdrew two hundred thousand from the bank, which was pretty much his largest asset aside from his apartment. In addition, he borrowed one hundred thousand from Gu Shaobang. Gu didn''t ask what it was for, but after getting the money, Xiao Buli felt a bit embarrassed. He had always strived to keep financial matters clear among friends.


    If not for the urgency of the situation, he would not have chosen to borrow money from a friend.


    Maybe later he could tell him everything. After considering it briefly, Xiao Buli decided it would be best to keep it to himself for now. Aside from the fact that such an unbelievable story might be difficult for Gu Shaobang to believe, Xiao Buli himself was somewhat unable to believe his own speculation.


    After delivering the money to Lu Jiang''s father, he didn''t just let the matter go. Instead, he asked Lu Jiang''s father to sign an agreement, which stipulated that this three hundred thousand could only be used for Lu Wan''er''s medical expenses and nothing else. It wasn''t that he distrusted Lu Jiang''s father, but the matter was too important to leave any room for carelessness.


    He didn''t head straight back to the company afterward but decided to go home first. There was something he had to check.

 Chapter 38 Disease-Expelling Skills

    Another morning, another day in the game began. As Li Baocheng walked along the road to the newbie zone, he pondered how he would evade his hunter master today. He was very wary of the hunter master he had not spent many days with. Not only was the master far stronger in combat, but his tracking ability was also first-rate.Yesterday afternoon, Li Baocheng spent hours moving in the direction opposite the village, leaving behind many false trails, hoping to confuse the other party.


    However, Li Baocheng woke up this morning feeling that what he had done was somewhat absurd. After all, the other party was an NPC. He figured the system would probably pinpoint his location and then head straight for him. His own arrangements probably wouldn''t work.


    Maybe he was too invested, or maybe the game''s details were made too realistically that he subconsciously used real-life strategies against his in-game opponent.


    But from some of the game''s detailed settings, it might not be entirely useless. Maybe NPCs would fall for this ploy?


    As he contemplated the contradiction, suddenly he noticed Xiao Buli standing at the door wearing a wool hat and a down jacket, looking somewhat wilted.


    Li Baocheng was startled. Xiao Buli was always very particular about his image, usually donning a suit and leather shoes. Why was he so casual today?


    "Old Xiao, what''s wrong with you!?"


    Xiao Buli turned around, glanced at Li Baocheng with a faint smile on his sickly face, "Nothing much. Just a bit of a cold, that''s all."


    So that was it, Li Baocheng thought. He exchanged a few apparently concerned words with Xiao, and as the doors to the newbie zone opened, he walked in.


    Xiao Buli followed Li Baocheng inside and sat down at his computer, his face regaining its seriousness. He obviously hadn''t just caught a cold. As soon as he got home yesterday, he started experimenting with the skills he had learned in the game, trying to confirm the connection between reality and the game. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Oddly enough, no matter how he experimented, Taming Skills, Emergency Dodge, and Chain Sword Strike wouldn''t work, as if the abilities he had displayed inadvertently before were just some false memories.


    The only technique he could perform convincingly was Basic Swordsmanship, but he couldn''t be sure whether this was due to the game or something he learned from Gu Shaobang''s grandfather.


    In the end, out of options, he switched to reverse thinking. If the changes from the game couldn''t be smoothly brought into reality, then changes from reality to the game should work. Hence, after taking a cold shower and being exposed to the cold wind for a while, Xiao Buli indeed succeeded in catching a cold.


    Looking at his computer screen, Xiao Buli took a deep breath. Whether his speculation could become reality would depend on this attempt.


    As he opened his computer and entered the game, with the appearance of his game character, he immediately opened the status bar. Next to the haunting DEBUFF, another DEBUFF over his character''s head made him blink in surprise, followed by a mix of shock and elation that flooded his body.


    Weakness: Due to the affliction of the disease, you are in a weakened state, under which your five basic attributes are reduced by 25%.


    The so-called basic attributes were Strength, stamina, physique, speed, and agility.


    He didn''t know why intelligence, spiritual power, charm, and luck were not included in the basic attributes, but none of that mattered now. Xiao Buli now had confirmed something ¨C the game indeed reflected changes in himself from reality, and conversely, his enhancements and weakenings in the game should also manifest in reality.


    Despite having speculated this, discovering that it actually happened still left him speechless with astonishment. How could this be possible? What was the operating principle? Do all changes manifest?


    His mind in chaos, he hesitated for a while but then decided to proceed with the next test. He went to the village''s medical hall to see Doctor Ji and chose to seek treatment.


    Doctor Ji: "Ah, your illness seems quite severe. How could you be so careless? But with me here, it''s not much. Take this medicine home, boil three bowls of water down to one, and stew it once a day. You should recover in three days."


    System prompt: Physician Ji recommends you purchase Qingre Powder. Do you accept?


    Qingre Powder*3: A combination pack of herbal medicine for treating the common cold. Requires Cooking LV1 to use. Price/30 copper coins.


    Xiao Buli hesitated, then chose to refuse. Three days was too long for experimentation.


    "I was wondering if Physician Ji has a faster treatment method. I plan to leave the village soon and don''t have so much time to treat the illness," Xiao Buli typed and asked.


    After pondering, Doctor Ji replied, "A faster method isn''t out of the question, but it requires me to expend a great deal of energy. If you need it, you''ll have to pay a higher fee."


    System prompt: Physician Ji offers you the Qigong Disease-Curing Technique at a cost of 3 silver coins. Do you accept, yes/no?


    The fee had suddenly increased tenfold. Three silver coins were equivalent to 300 copper coins, the same price as learning Basic Sword Skills. But to obtain the information he wanted, it was worth it.


    Xiao Buli chose to accept the treatment. Physician Ji immediately began to gather his energy. As a soft green glow emerged around him, Physician Ji''s expression grew intense; it seemed somewhat like a casting animation. Xiao Buli clicked on Physician Ji, and the casting time showed as 10 seconds, quite a lengthy process indeed.


    The green light gradually concentrated in Physician Ji''s hands and, with a firm push, the green light enveloped Xiao Buli. As the light faded, the DEBUFF above Xiao Buli''s character vanished and his attributes returned to normal.


    It was truly miraculous. Xiao Buli thought as he shook his head; his head still ached. Why hadn''t it worked? Might it take some time to become effective? Lu Jiang seemed to have died the evening after he was killed in the game. Xiao Buli estimated that the effect should take somewhere between 3 to 10 hours to manifest.


    "Physician Ji, you have such amazing skills. I''m very interested in medical treatment. I wonder if I could have the honor of learning this technique?"


    Physician Ji shook his head and said, "To learn the Disease-Expelling Skills, one first needs to master Primary Qigong, which I also acquired only after expending a great deal of effort and enduring many hardships. It won''t be easy for you to learn it."


    Xiao Buli was slightly disappointed, but he didn''t get discouraged. He understood that such things were bound to have restrictions.


    "May I know what are the prerequisite conditions for Primary Qigong?" he asked.


    Doctor Ji replied, "One needs a physique and willpower that surpasses that of normal people."


    Physique probably refers to physical strength, and willpower must mean spiritual power.


    Xiao Buli''s spiritual power was at 13 points. He wasn''t sure if that was enough, "Then, where can one learn Primary Qigong?" he continued to inquire.


    Doctor Ji replied, "You can learn it at the martial arts schools in Nine Dragons City, but you need to pay a hefty tuition fee."


    So that was the case. Xiao Buli understood somewhat. Previously, when he had asked the militia captain where he could learn more advanced Swordsmanship, the captain had said the same thing¡ªit seemed that one really only had the opportunity to learn truly high-level skills in the big cities. This village merely provided some clues related to skills.


    In the morning, Xiao Buli continued to learn Grazing. By noon, he had finally raised his Grazing Skill to LV10 and successfully comprehended level 4 Taming Skills. His Wild Beast Knowledge also advanced to a new level, reaching LV2, and he improved by 1 point in both physique and Movement Speed attributes. Looking at his Attributes, they seemed quite impressive.


    After the first phase ended¡ª


    Character Name: Xiao Buli.


    Occupation: Herdsman/Swordsmanship Apprentice.


    Intelligence: 13.¡ªYou have relatively high comprehension, extremely strong analytical ability, and average memory.


    Strength: 11.¡ªOptimal carrying capacity 55 pounds, maximum carrying capacity 110 pounds, base attack power 11. (One point of Strength corresponds to a carrying capacity of five pounds and one point of attack power.)


    Speed: 13¡ªThanks to long-term training, your running speed is quite fast. (Speed determines Movement Speed and attack speed.)


    Agility: 14¡ªYou have a pair of very dexterous hands. (Agility determines hit rate and evasion probability.)


    Stamina: 13.¡ªStamina Points 130 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 12.¡ªHealth Points 120. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Charm: 12.¡ªYou''re quite good-looking.


    Spirit: 13.¡ªYou possess spirituality that surpasses ordinary people.


    Luck: 7 (£­2).¡ªYour luck is terrible.


    Skills¡ª


    Life Skills: Breeding LV10, Grazing LV10, Harvesting LV10.


    Knowledge Skills: Wild Beast Knowledge LV2.


    Combat Skills: One-handed Sword Specialization LV3 (Passive), Chain Sword Strike LV2, Basic Swordsmanship LV3, Emergency Dodge LV1.


    The bell for the lunch break suddenly rang.


    Xiao Buli stood up from his chair, surprisingly without feeling dizzy. Could his illness have already healed? He shook his head and felt no discomfort. After walking around, he didn''t experience any unusual sensations.


    It seemed his cold had indeed been cured, which was something that couldn''t be explained by human immunity alone, especially considering he hadn''t taken any medicine from start to finish.


    It looked like this game could indeed directly remodel one''s own body. The thought struck him with both shock and joy. Although he still didn''t understand the underlying principle, he knew he had discovered an earth-shattering secret.


    Now was the time to proceed with the next step of his plan!


    PS: There will be another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 39 A Good Person

    "So, he went to the home of a newbie who died before?" Qin Shimoon asked, gazing out of the window, her face devoid of expression."Exactly, and he even gave the family some money for their little girl''s medical treatment. It may not be much to you or me, but for that kid, it must have been a considerable sum. I must say, Amanda, this youngster seems to have quite a bit of compassion." The man in the black trench coat sitting behind her sprawled casually in the chair opposite the desk, appearing very familiar with her.


    "Whether he has compassion is not our concern. I only care if he''s discovered the secrets of the game," Qin Shimoon said coldly, her voice devoid of any emotion.


    The man in black shrugged, "Who knows? He must understand something by now, but what does it matter to us? As long as it doesn''t interfere with our plans, it''s fine. There are other employees who know the secrets, after all. Of course, if you think it''s necessary, I can take him out anytime."


    "Let''s not, we might spook the others. You weren''t seen coming in, were you?"


    "Of course not, so you can leave now." After Qin Shimoon finished speaking, she didn''t hear a response. Turning around, she saw the man in black had already disappeared, "Hmph, still loves to play the ghost, I see." Qin Shimoon snorted coldly, with a trace of scorn.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Buli, who was blissfully unaware that he had narrowly escaped becoming someone''s target, was munching on a hamburger provided by the restaurant while mulling over his situation.


    All this time, although he was interested in the game, Xiao Buli had not used his full strength. He didn''t want to stand out too much, nor did he want to exert himself excessively. So, he simply held the mentality of ''doing well enough,'' without long-term planning or maxing out his analysis of the game. But now, everything had changed drastically.


    Before, he thought that even if his game character died, the worst that could happen was losing a job with decent benefits. It would be regrettable but acceptable. Now, however, he had come to understand that if he died in the game, he might very well die in reality, too. At this moment, Xiao Buli had decided to release all his energy.


    He quickly summarized the information he had about the game and planned his next moves.


    It was undoubtable that the Newbie Village had limited content left to explore. There were still many basic skills and professions to learn, but he figured there would be opportunities to learn those in the bigger cities later on. There was no need to rush.


    Besides, he only had one day left, and there wouldn''t be enough time for a class change, so he decided it would be more worthwhile to gather as much information as possible before heading to Nine Dragons City.


    Then, another thought struck him. If he could use the game''s abilities (albeit inconsistently), then others must be able to as well. He looked up and observed the other players around him. He hadn''t noticed before, but now it was clear that most didn''t seem like professional gamers. They were exceptionally fit, far beyond ordinary people, and looked very vibrant.


    It was one thing for a few to be like this, but a whole group? It likely had to do with attribute enhancements from the game.


    It wasn''t just others¡ªhis own physical fitness had also significantly improved, something he had only just realized. However, as for skills, he guessed that most people probably didn''t know how to use them yet, or it would have definitely spread by now.


    These were real-life strong individuals who were just unaware of their own strength. He felt a sense of superiority, as if he were the only sober person in a world of drunks. However, when his gaze fell on Li Jian, he noticed that Li Jian was looking in his direction. He couldn''t see the other''s eyes because of the sunglasses, but Xiao Buli suddenly remembered the red eyes hidden behind them.


    He had always found it peculiar, but now he realized that Li Jian must know something, likely even more than he did.


    Li Jian''s silence was probably due to not wanting to attract the attention of the company''s upper echelons, the classic ''play dumb to catch the wise,'' and that''s why he''d risk getting fired to do his own thing. So what about the other three people with Li Jian? The answer seemed quite obvious.


    Xiao Buli thought quickly. It seemed best not to feel too superior. Although the changes brought by the game were subtle, there had to be many other observant people who had noticed. Since none of them had shown it, it was clear they all had the same idea of quietly making a fortune. He decided it was best to keep a low profile and not reveal his true thoughts.


    With that in mind, he lowered his head and silently continued eating.


    In the afternoon, the merchant caravan arrived just as Li Jian had said it would.


    The caravan brought a large number of urgently needed supplies to the village and also purchased all of the furs and mountain goods the villagers had accumulated. Watching the NPCs bustling about, Xiao Buli''s screen suddenly flashed with a golden light.


    System Notification: You have completed the ''Lu Jiang''s Final Wish'' quest. Lu Jiang''s resentful spirit has been put to rest, and your curse has been lifted.


    System Notification: You have obtained 100 Merit Points. For completing a final wish quest, you have obtained the title ''A Good Person''.


    System Notification: You have received Lu Jiang''s Blessing.


    Upon checking his avatar, indeed there was a new buff, Lu Jiang''s Blessing,


    Lu Jiang''s Blessing: Under this status, your Luck Value is increased by 10 points for a duration of 7 days.


    10 points of Luck! Xiao Buli was instantly delighted. After the unlucky events of yesterday, he knew just how important luck was. However, a duration of only seven days was still too short. It seemed he must make haste to do some important things while the buff was active.


    He then looked at his attribute column, where a new Merit Points attribute had been added, showing a current total of 100 points. He read the description of the attribute,


    Merit Points are a measure of one''s contribution to the workings of the Heavenly Dao, achieved by slaying evil force monster leaders and completing tasks aligned with good factions. Merit Points can negate the Slaughter Points incurred by killing, and they can also be exchanged for corresponding skills and equipment in various temples, making them a very precious Hidden Currency.


    It seemed to be quite important, Xiao Buli thought, although 100 points might not be a lot. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing.


    He then looked at his title column, which now contained only one title.


    (Title) A Good Person: While using this title, you automatically receive a 10-point favorability bonus when interacting with good-aligned characters (including Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good). You automatically receive a 10-point favorability penalty when interacting with evil-aligned characters (including Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Evil).


    The favorability of the person you interact with will affect the outcome of your conversations and your chances of persuasion success. Players may activate only one title at a time.


    This title was indeed useful, at least for now, as it seemed he had come into contact with more characters from the good factions than from the evil. Add to that the rewards of Luck Value, Merit Points, and the like, it appeared the three hundred thousand had not been spent in vain.


    The title ''A Good Person'' could come in handy right now, coupled with his now impressive 17 points of Luck, he should be able to find out quite a bit of useful information.


    PS: I inadvertently discovered a great book yesterday, and once I started reading, I lost track of time, which is why I didn''t update last night. I''m making it up today with this and another update later.


    S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 40 Encampment

    Having made up his mind, Xiao Buli immediately sprang into action. He focused on inquiring about skills and job advancements. Many of the NPCs in the village all had some unique skills, but they were basically of the non-teachable type, much like Physician Ji''s Qigong Disease-Curing Technique. However, as long as he asked the right questions, he could easily dig out the origins of these skills.There were generally two ways to acquire these skills: one was learning from a high-level NPC, and the other was inadvertently obtaining a Skill Book and learning from it.


    It seemed that Skill Books were quite prevalent in this game, even NPCs had access to them. Moreover, like players, NPCs could also learn a new skill instantly upon using a Skill Book, which could be considered a bug-like existence.


    As for job advancements, Xiao Buli also had a rough grasp of the situation. Mage Professions were especially rare in this game, even to the point of being extremely hard to find. Most of the basic professions were Strength or Agility-based, such as Axemen, Swordsmen, Archers, and Gunners.


    These professions, after meeting certain conditions, could advance to more advanced jobs like Berserkers, Sword Saints, Divine Archers, and Mounted Gunners. Plus, some professions had several possible advancements.


    Different basic professions, when combined with other basic ones, could produce new jobs. For instance, a Swordsman combined with a Beast Tamer could give rise to the Ranger profession, and an Archer combined with a Mounted Gunner could produce a Military General. It could be said that there was a countless number of professions, and no one knew exactly how many there were.


    Xiao Buli''s goal was still a Mage Profession. After all, the skills of Swordsmen and Archers, even if learned, seemed of little use in reality. He couldn''t very well open a martial arts school, and even if he did, it would be for teaching boxing and kicking. Swordsmanship and archery were really not that useful, other than for a few hobbyists'' entertainment.


    But if he could learn a Spell, that would be incredible. Even the simplest Spell, if brought back to reality, would fall into the category of superpowers.


    If he couldn''t find a Mage Profession, he could reluctantly settle for jobs like assassin, Qigong Master, or Martial Monk. These professions often had some supernatural abilities. For example, a Qigong Master could emit Qigong Waves and use Internal Energy for healing and defense. Assassins could utilize shadows to Stealth and disappear, and Martial Monks could seal acupoints.


    Such abilities would be pretty great in reality, and learning just one could be of lifelong use.


    By the second day, the caravan had finally finished its harvesting and was ready to set off back to Nine Dragons City. Xiao Buli and the other two naturally couldn''t miss this opportunity. They approached the owner of the caravan, asking to travel together, and after paying a fee of five silver coins each, the caravan leader agreed to let them ride together in a carriage.


    What came next was quite simple: they just needed to leave their characters on the carriage and follow along. According to the caravan owner, it would take no more than two days to reach Nine Dragons City.


    Although after getting on the carriage their characters would move with the convoy, the three of them still did not dare to be careless, as death carried serious consequences. Therefore, each of them stayed in front of their computer screens, watching closely, with Xiao Buli being the most focused, for reasons that went without saying.


    Since it was laden with goods, the carriage wasn''t much faster than walking, and definitely not comparable to the one that Li Jian and others had, which had raced quickly. It took more than an hour of travel before they gradually reached the spot where they had parted ways with Li Baocheng.


    Informed in advance, Li Baocheng was already waiting on the side of the road and ran up to the caravan as soon as he saw it.


    Fortunately, since the quest had already been picked up, the caravan was unaware of Li Bioacheng''s situation. Therefore, after collecting ten silver coins, they allowed him to join. Li Baocheng finally breathed a sigh of relief; he couldn''t dare to log on these past days for fear of his master''s pursuit.


    The caravan wasn''t particularly large or small, with a total of seven carriages. The people involved, including the drivers, merchants, accountants, and helpers, numbered over a dozen. However, these were weak NPCs in combat. The real protection for the caravan came from twelve fully armed guards, four gunners, four shield and sabre wielders, and four archers.


    Besides them, there was a Guard Captain riding a tall horse, clad in chainmail, and holding a large spear. This Guard Captain''s profession seemed to be an Advanced Military General, radiating a faint blue glow. As soon as Xiao Buli got near the Guard Captain, a ''common hatred and anger'' BUFF appeared on his icon, which added +5 Armor and expanded the realm range by +10 meters.


    It looked like an aura Skill given by the Guard Captain.


    On the road, they encountered numerous Walking Corpses and Corpse-eating Dogs, but these monsters posed no threat under the caravan guard''s attacks. They continued to walk into the evening. As the greenery became more abundant and the roads more rugged, they gradually reached the edge of the black wasteland.


    "The map in this game is really huge," Xiao Buli thought. He opened the map to look, and the areas they had traveled through were marked. They had been walking in the black wasteland for over three hours but still hadn''t left its boundaries.


    Examining the scale of the black wasteland in relation to the main continent, he found the wasteland to be terrifyingly small, occupying just a tiny bright circle on the lower left corner of the map¡ªprobably less than one percent of the entire landmass. Yet, this was already almost as big as the entirety of World of Warcraft''s map. It was hard to imagine just how vast the entire game map was.


    As time approached five o''clock, the caravan showed no signs of stopping, making the four of them somewhat anxious.


    "Li, what would happen to our characters if we went offline now? Would they continue to move with the caravan?"


    "Of course not. Here''s what we''ll do: I''ll mention it to the higher-ups, and you can work overtime tonight."


    "Overtime? Is that okay?" Sun Bin asked hesitantly, because Li Jian had always seemed like the kind of person who strictly followed the rules, which made Sun Bin a bit surprised.


    Li Jian said, "Didn''t I tell you earlier? We can''t do overtime except under special circumstances. But now we are in a special situation. You might not know this, but even for us advanced players, going on a long journey is quite troublesome. This game basically lacks instant travel methods like Teleportation Portals or griffin planes.


    Players mostly rely on riding horses or driving carriages to traverse the map bit by bit. Horses and carriages are convenient but only work on flat roads and plains. Once we enter dense woods or mountainous and swampy terrains, we have to walk. Sometimes we have to search for a safe campsite until midnight, so it''s completely reasonable for you to work the night shift in situations like these."


    Understanding this, the group felt reassured and continued following the caravan. They marched on until past seven o''clock. As the game world darkened, the caravan reached the edge of the Misty Forest. The dense mountain woods unfolded layer upon layer, and from the depths of the night, occasional heart-wrenching howls of wild beasts echoed.


    "If we continue forward, we''ll enter the Misty Forest. It''s not peaceful in there, so we shouldn''t move tonight. We''ll depart early tomorrow morning." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Following the caravan leader''s command, the convoy came to a halt and formed a horseshoe-shaped semicircle behind a hillock, with the caravan guards springing into action. Some went to find firewood while others arranged the campsite.


    Xiao Buli found that he could use his harvesting ability on the dry weeds in the wilderness, so he gathered a large bundle of dried grass and brought it back to the camp.


    "Alright, I''ll have someone keep watch tonight, so you can all get a good night''s sleep," the caravan master announced.

 Chapter 41 41 Charge

    The weather in this game, just like in World of Warcraft, was synced with reality. By a little past seven, it was already pitch black. A few people, after hearing the caravan owner''s words, thought that was it for the day and went to find a tent to crawl into¡ªlogging off in different locations could affect your status when you log back in.If you log off in a room, you''d get a "full of spirit" buff when you log back on, which increased the proficiency gained while learning skills, and apparently had some other uses. If you logged off in the wilderness, you wouldn''t get this, so all four chose to enter a tent before logging off.


    Xiao Buli was about to log out when he suddenly remembered a question.


    So, he left the tent and asked the caravan captain, "Excuse me, what time will we be starting out tomorrow?"


    "We shall depart at the first quarter of the Mao hour tomorrow. You fellows best not be late."


    "The Mao hour, what time is that?" Han Baiqiang chimed in at that moment.


    "What time? What does that mean?" The caravan owner seemed to have no concept of the hours. Xiao Buli had long known about the game''s quirks, so he didn''t find this strange.


    After logging out of the game, Han Baiqiang couldn''t help but stretch and yawn, "What time do we need to log in tomorrow, Xiao Buli?" "The Mao hour is between five and seven o''clock, and a quarter is equivalent to fifteen minutes. That means the caravan will leave at five fifteen. So, we have to get up by five at the latest, otherwise there''s a risk of falling behind."


    "Five o''clock?! That''s brutal," Han Baiqiang groaned in dismay. "The design of this game is such a pain. I haven''t had to wake up this early since high school."


    "It''s just getting up a bit earlier, no problem for me," Sun Bin said before giving Han Baiqiang a sly look. "Of course, you can log in a bit later, but we won''t wait for you."


    "Come on, I didn''t say I couldn''t do it. Just complaining a bit, man. By the way, is the restaurant still open? I''m craving fried chicken legs."


    Chatting and joking, the group left the newcomers'' studio and just happened to see Li Jian as they walked out.


    "Oh, Li, you''re still waiting for us?"


    "Yeah. How did your schedule go, everything smooth?"


    "Pretty smooth, it''s just that we have to get up early tomorrow. The caravan sets off at five, would it be alright for you to help us open the door then?"


    "Of course, that''s no problem. Oh, you three go ahead, I''ve got something to discuss with Xiao Buli."


    Li Baocheng and the others nodded and went on their way, while Xiao Buli watched them leave, feeling a bit puzzled. He wondered, what did Li Jian want with him?


    "I heard you took a day off yesterday to burn paper for the restless spirits on the mountain. That can''t be true, can it?" Li Jian asked half-jokingly.


    However, Xiao Buli did not think the other was just joking. He nodded calmly, "It''s true. My mother is quite superstitious, and she believed a fortune teller who said I was haunted by a restless ghost this year. She insisted I burn paper money on the mountain for the wandering ghosts and wild spirits on March 13th. Of course, I don''t believe in it, but to set her mind at ease, I did it anyway.


    Strangely enough, Manager Qin actually gave me the day off. Manager Qin really is a good person. But why do you ask?"


    "Heh heh, is that so?" Li Jian chuckled, then asked, "So, have you received any unusual quests in the game lately?"


    Xiao Buli was instantly startled. Why would he ask that? Could he know about Lu Jiang''s matter? But how could he, it shouldn''t be known by others. Only he could see the Soul of Lu Jiang; even Han Baiqiang and the others couldn''t.


    Could Li Jian see it as well? No, that''s not right! Suddenly he remembered something: among the three White Tiger Group members with Li Jian that day, one seemed to be an Onmyoji. Could he also see the Soul of Lu Jiang? It seemed very likely.


    With this thought, he knew he probably couldn''t keep hiding it, at least he shouldn''t blatantly lie. Nodding, he said, "I did indeed receive a strange quest. The one who gave me the quest was actually a ghost. He asked me to deliver a sum of money to his family, and after I completed the quest, I was given the title ''A Good Person,'' along with 100 Merit Points and a Luck buff."


    What he said was more or less the truth, only he didn''t mention that the quest was completed in the real world.


    Li Jian listened, nodded, and said, "Well, your luck is really not bad. Merit Points are valuable assets, definitely useful when you level up. I won''t disturb you during dinner then, goodbye." After speaking, he turned and left.


    Watching Li Jian''s retreating figure, Xiao Buli hesitated. Should he come clean to him? After thinking it over, he decided against it. Since everyone had silently chosen to make a fortune quietly, it was better not to burst their bubble. However, he wasn''t sure if Li Jian harbored any suspicions about him.


    The next morning, Xiao Buli was awakened by a ringing sound. To make sure he would wake up on time, he had purposefully set an alarm in his brain. Opening his eyes, he saw the dark room and rubbed his face in annoyance. Accustomed to a 9-to-5 lifestyle, waking up early was undoubtedly a painful matter.


    But there was no helping it; he knew the consequences of dying in the game. And since the game didn''t have anything like town portal scrolls, if he didn''t keep up with the caravan on time, being left in the wilderness could be very dangerous. So, despite being extremely reluctant, he forced himself to get up.


    Dressed neatly and washing his face with cold water, he felt somewhat refreshed.


    By the time he got to the computer room, Li Jian had already arrived early, bringing with him several cups of steaming coffee.


    "Have some; it''ll help you wake up." Compared to usual, Li Jian seemed much more polite today. Han Baiqiang and the others also arrived one after another, looking lackluster as they hurriedly booted up their computers to log in. Upon logging in, they saw the caravan crew packing up the campsite, ready to set off.


    The in-game sky was just dawning, appearing dim and overcast, while the torchlight flickered, illuminating only the vicinity and adding an air of tension.


    None of the four had any preparation to do and directly boarded the carriage.


    The convoy set off, traveling along a rugged mountain road, heading deep into the Misty Forest.


    Although this road was a must-pass to Nine Dragons City, it was far from smooth. Just like the previous day, their characters didn''t need any input once aboard the carriage, but because they had to keep an eye on their own characters, everyone had to stay in front of their computers.


    With nothing better to do, Sun Bin chatted up the Guard Captain, and in doing so, surprisingly found out he could learn a skill. Perhaps due to the relevance of their professions, after accepting five silver coins, the Guard Captain taught him a charging skill. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Charge LV1: Launch a powerful charge forward, sprinting ten meters at high speed. The charge will stop upon hitting a target, dealing double the weapon damage to it (can only be used when equipped with a polearm).

 Chapter 42 Youre Already Dead

    By 7 a.m. it seemed as though the end of the journey was still an eternity away, with no sign of it concluding anytime soon. Luckily, Li Jian was exceptionally polite today and had called to have breakfast delivered from the restaurant by that time. The four men ate toast and drank milk while staring at the screen, all feeling somewhat bored."I might as well be feeding pigs or herding sheep," Xiao Buli thought to himself. Isn''t this place supposed to be dangerous? Why can''t I see a single monster? There''s not even the sound of wild beasts or birds chirping.


    "All of a sudden, the carriage came to a halt."


    "What''s the matter? Why has the convoy stopped?" Li Baocheng asked, stuffing bread into his mouth.


    Sun Bin said, "I don''t know, maybe the convoy leader will have an answer."


    "There''s no need for that, I guess we''ll be moving again soon," Han Baiqiang said as he shoved another piece of bread into his mouth.


    The three men didn''t budge, but Xiao Buli felt something wasn''t quite right, as he saw the convoy''s guards taking a defensive stance. He hurriedly jumped down from the carriage and ran to the front of the convoy, arriving just in time to catch up with the merchant and the guard captain, Captain Wang.


    "Captain Wang, is there a problem? Why has the convoy stopped?"


    "It''s too quiet!" the captain said sternly, "Plus, this terrain is very suitable for an ambush...."


    Xiao Buli glanced around and saw it was just as the captain said. The convoy was now stopped in a gorge with slopes on both sides, covered in dense forests. But wasn''t it said that traveling with the convoy was safe? Could it be that an unexpected plot twist was about to happen?


    "Everyone, be careful. It looks like something is about to happen!"


    He turned and shouted back at the others, and when he faced the screen once more, he saw the caravan master pierced through the head by an arrow.


    -148, a large, crimson number burst forth. The caravan master was instantly killed on the spot without any suspense.


    "Damn, it''s an ambush by the Black Mountain bandits!"


    Captain Wang shouted orders while directing the convoy''s guards to rapidly regroup around him. Suddenly, hordes of bandits emerged from the forests on both sides of the gorge.


    They all bore names with "Black Mountain" in them¡ªBlack Mountain Lackeys (spearmen bandits), Black Mountain Looters (sword and shield bandits), Black Mountain Raiders (javelin and shield bandits)¡ªnumbering around thirty to fifty, and they did not seem to represent their full strength.


    As soon as Xiao Buli sees that the situation was unfavorable, he turned to run. He didn''t believe such a small group of guards could withstand such an onslaught. It''s better to flee while they are still drawing the enemy''s fire.


    He had only run a few steps when an arrow whistled over his head, narrowly missing him and thudding into the shaft of the carriage. Xiao Buli broke out in a cold sweat, a stark reminder that death was indeed omnipresent. He quickly jumped over the shaft to the other side of the carriage, using it for cover, and ran to the rear of the team in one breath. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The caravan''s workers and the coachmen were already in disarray, while Han Baiqiang and the others hadn''t run yet and were still looking around uncertainly.


    "What do we do, what do we do? Should we go up and help?" Han Baiqiang asked in panic, having no idea where he had thrown his bread and his hands hovered over the keyboard uncertainly.


    "Help with what, just run!" Xiao Buli did not hesitate as he rushed past the three men and straight into the opposite forest. The fear of death muddled his mind. He had always known the cost of dying in the game, but he never thought that one day he''d be so close to his own demise.


    This feeling of not being in control of his fate made him lose his composure for the rarest of moments, and he just kept running, not even daring to look back¡­


    Then suddenly, Han Baiqiang let out a tragic scream.


    "What''s wrong?" Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat, although he hadn''t known them for long, he truly did not wish for anyone to die.


    "I got hit by an arrow, but thankfully I''m not dead! That arrow just now took out half of my health points, luckily, it only hit me in the butt and didn''t cause a critical hit, otherwise, I would have been killed instantly."


    As Han Baiqiang spoke, he frantically moved his character to hide behind the wagon, along with him were Li Baocheng and Sun Bin, the three of them had hesitated for a moment and none could escape, now they were trapped behind the wagon as arrows flew past their heads one by one


    It seemed there was only one person shooting the arrows, but the power was astonishing, a hit to a vital spot was practically an instant kill, so none of the three dared to poke their heads out.


    Dammit, I wish I could shoot arrows with that kind of power, Li Baocheng thought to himself while straining his camera angle to glance up the hill, and he instantly felt a chill, the archer was far away from them, way beyond his attack range, he couldn''t even see the name, only a vague silver color--that meant the archer was a minor boss-level enemy.


    In this game, archery is done in a parabolic fashion, with his current strength and the quality of his bow he couldn''t shoot that far, so it looks like a counter-attack is out of the question, but staying here was also a dead-end. As soon as the caravan''s guards were all killed, when the bandits surrounded them, they too would meet their end here.


    Suddenly, Sun Bin had a stroke of inspiration, "I''ve got it, let''s log off quickly!"


    Xiao Buli then realized, right, we can log off, logging off means we won''t die!


    He hurriedly clicked to exit the game and saw that he had returned to the character selection screen and couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was finally safe, he thought.


    But behind him, Han Baiqiang suddenly cried out in panic. "Hey, why can''t I log off?"


    Xiao Buli quickly stood up and looked at Han Baiqiang''s screen--


    System Notification: Since you are currently in a combat state, you cannot log off. You can choose to forcibly exit the game, but your character will remain in the game until you leave combat or log in again, and you can complete the official logout process after leaving combat.


    So you couldn''t log off in the middle of a fight, luckily I ran fast, Xiao Buli thought to himself, feeling fortunate.


    Now they really felt desperate, the three of them watched as the caravan''s guards fell one by one until only Captain Wang was left, desperately holding on.


    "There''s only one shooter, let''s charge together, as long as we''re not hit in a vital spot we shouldn''t be killed instantly, and there are three of us. If we run together, unless we''re incredibly unlucky, we should be able to get away," Sun Bin suggested.


    All the while, he checked his equipment and health points, thanks to his exquisite Pigskin Jacket and the Pale Ring, two items that boosted health, his health points were close to two hundred which was more than Han Baiqiang, he definitely had the best chance to escape.


    Li Baocheng and Han Baiqiang, upon hearing this, also steeled themselves. Han Baiqiang said, "Okay, I''ll count to three and then we run together, one! Two! Three!"


    The three of them charged out almost simultaneously, at the same time, the archer hidden in the woods aimed at them. Li Baocheng, the fastest, bravely ran at the front of the group, Sun Bin, seeing this, quickly activated his newly learned ''Charge'' skill and suddenly overtook Li Baocheng. But before he could feel relieved, an arrow with a chilling gleam pierced through his character''s heart.


    The screen flashed a number -234 dramatically, and Sun Bin''s mind buzzed. He watched as his character screamed, clutching his chest, and collapsed on the ground as if his soul had been ripped out, stunned in place.


    The screen gradually dimmed, and a few blood-like bright red characters appeared at the center of the screen¡ªYou''re dead!

 Chapter 43 Eight Thousand Yuan (Revised Edition)

    Sun Bin''s mind buzzed, and he watched as his character screamed, clutching his chest and collapsing to the ground, as if soulless, he stood there dumbfounded.The screen gradually darkened, and several letters as red as fresh blood appeared in the center¡ªYou are dead!


    He lifted his head to look at Li Jian, who was looking at him as if he were looking at a dead person, a gaze that made him very uncomfortable. It''s just a game, isn''t it? He opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say.


    Yes, it''s just a game, but it was also a well-paying job. He hadn''t forgotten the contract that emphasized repeatedly that death in-game would result in termination. Now he even felt like dying, with a frighteningly dark expression.


    Li Baocheng, while madly sprinting forward with his character, secretly celebrated his luck. By now, he had also realized that the arrow had been aimed at him, but when Sun Bin rushed past him, he got startled and subconsciously slowed down. That moment saved his life, but at the cost of Sun Bin''s death.


    He glanced at Sun Bin, who was still sitting there dumbfounded, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Run, Little Li, we are not out of combat yet!" Han Baiqiang''s voice jolted Li Baocheng, who quickly started running again.


    Sun Bin''s mind was still blank; Han Baiqiang''s words seemed unusually faint, as if coming from far away, until a strong arm rested on his shoulder, and he instinctively turned around.


    It was Li Jian, looking at him with a pitiful expression, "You know the rule; it''s time to leave."


    Sun Bin opened his mouth. He wanted to plead but couldn''t swallow his pride. It''s just a game, give me another chance. I''m just having bad luck; my gaming skills are impressive, he was screaming inside, but he couldn''t make up his mind to beg, and Li Jian did not give him the chance to decide.


    Sun Bin felt himself being hoisted up, as the usually amiable guy proved unexpectedly strong. He was practically dragged out of the newbie room, leaving behind a heavy silence.


    Sun Bin had no idea how he left the company. He only remembered being summoned by the beautiful Manager Qin to the office, where he was paid his wages of 8,000 yuan for the month, and then escorted out of the building by two security guards in black suits.


    Standing on the street, he felt a bitter taste in his heart. Ah, to lose such a good job just like that, what a mess.


    Thankfully, there was still the 8,000 yuan. He patted his chest pocket, the weight of the cash bringing him some comfort. It wasn''t for nothing after all. Miss Qin was quite kindhearted, paying 8,000 yuan for just half a month; that''s quite a profit, he consoled himself, deciding it was best to head back to where he was staying. Thinking this, he reached out to hail a taxi.


    Sun Bin did not have a place in this city he could call home. Three months ago, he came to the big city full of dreams, imagining he''d make a life for himself through hard work. But reality was cruel, and he never landed any decent job. At last, finding a job with good pay that matched his skills, he ruined it all.


    It seemed his uncle was right when he left his hometown; maybe he was only fit to be an internet caf¨¦ manager in a small city. Well, he might as well go home in a few days.


    With these thoughts, he hailed a taxi and gave the driver his old address. Half an hour later, he returned to his rented accommodation.


    The place was rented together with another guy from out of town. Opening the door, the house was empty, probably because the roommate was out working and hadn''t come back. Having been away for half a month, the place looked shabby, but he knew nothing had changed in the room; it was himself who had changed.


    Accustomed to the well-decorated office of the big company, returning to his humble abode naturally felt different.


    "Forget it, a golden house or a silver house is no match for my own doghouse," he muttered to himself while grabbing a can of beer from the fridge and sitting down in front of the couch, turning on the TV and starting to watch as he sipped his beer.


    He didn''t pay much attention to the television, absentmindedly flipping through channels while lost in thought, wondering why he was so unlucky, what he would do after returning to his hometown. As he sat like that, not knowing how much time had passed, the light in the room suddenly dimmed inexplicably.


    Is it cloudy? Or has it gotten dark so quickly? He turned curiously to look out the window. It was pitch-black outside, with the sun leaving a vague shadow on the glass, as though something had cut him off from the sunlight.


    What the hell is that? He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn''t seeing things. A burst of static came from the TV behind him, and when he turned back, he saw the screen was full of snow, with a loud static noise that was strangely unsettling.


    He hurriedly turned off the TV, but the darkness intensified without this sole source of light, as if something was absorbing the light around him. The peculiar atmosphere in the dark made him uneasy; instinctively, he walked towards the window, intending to open it and find out what was going on.


    But just as he was about to touch the glass, a mysterious force emerged from the darkness and slammed him backward without warning, causing him to fall to the floor.


    His chest felt as if it had been pierced, the pain almost stopping him from breathing.


    Damn it, could it be a heart attack? He reached instinctively for his chest, but instead felt a sticky liquid. Confused, he lifted his hand; through his increasingly blurry vision, he saw his hand covered in fresh, red blood.


    How could this be? The last thought flashed through Sun Bin''s mind, and then¡ªhe died.


    The darkness suddenly vanished, the bright midday sun shining in through the window, casting light on Sun Bin''s shocked and lifeless face. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Four hours later:


    The police car screeched to a halt in front of the community gate with a sharp brake, and the door opened. A petite female police officer stepped down from the vehicle.


    Situ Yu scrutinized the ordinary-looking community with a frown.


    At twenty-four years old, she had been on the force for only a few years. However, with a bachelor''s degree and some connections left from her family, she quickly reached the rank of third-grade police inspector within two years.


    However, having been a third-level police inspector for two years, although the older generation''s connections were useful, getting promoted without handling any significant cases was not an easy task. Yet, the public security environment in City B had always been good, with even robberies being a rarity, let alone any major cases for her to tackle.


    But things had changed in recent times, one murder case followed another; within a mere six months, over a dozen people had died.


    When the first murder case occurred, Situ Yu did not participate in the investigation since her resume and qualifications barely made the cut, and there were many who wanted the opportunity to solve cases and gain merit¡ªshe, a youngster with just a few years under her belt, had no chance. However, as the murder cases kept increasing, she also got involved.


    Unfortunately, after several months, there was not a single lead.


    "Sir," an officer greeted her hastily with a salute as he saw her approaching swiftly.


    "What''s the situation?" Situ Yu asked in a businesslike manner.


    "The victim is a twenty-four-year-old male, named Sun Bin, a migrant worker."


    "Cause of death?"


    "The chest was pierced by a sharp weapon, and the initial assessment suggests it could be something like a dagger. However, no murder weapon was found at the scene."


    Situ Yu waited for the officer to say more, but when he didn''t, she interrupted with raised brows, "Is that all?"


    The officer smiled mysteriously, "The deceased had this left on him."


    As he spoke, the officer took an evidence bag out of a kraft paper bag from his chest; inside it was a thick stack of renminbi.


    "8000 yuan?"


    Situ Yu almost subconsciously asked.


    "Correct, eight thousand!" The officer''s face bore excitement, while Situ Yu sighed internally, here we go again.


    The recent murders in City B appeared unrelated at first, but as the police consolidated and summarized the cases, a pattern emerged: each victim had been carrying a significant amount of cash just before death¡ªeight or nine thousand, sometimes ten, with the highest being twelve thousand.


    The most frequently occurring sum was eight thousand yuan, as with an instance a little over a month ago when four victims were simultaneously found each carrying eight thousand yuan.


    What in the world was going on? What secret was hidden behind this? Situ Yu quietly pondered.


    "Where''s the person who reported the crime?" she asked.


    "The scene has been secured, and that person is right there by the police car," the officer replied.


    As the two spoke, they had arrived downstairs where a young man, the one who had reported the crime, was sitting at the rear door of the police car, still with a look of shock on his face. A policeman stood next to him, taking notes temporarily.


    Situ Yu took the paper and pen directly from the officer''s hand, gave him a look hinting at him to leave, and once the officer had gone, she raised an eyebrow at the young man, "Did you report the crime?" she asked upfront.


    Looking up and seeing a dashing and beautiful policewoman, the young man inhaled deeply, trying to hide his frightened expression. No matter how timid, a man always tries to play the hero in front of a beautiful woman.


    "Yes, I''m the one who reported it."


    "So, what exactly happened?"


    The young man took a deep breath and recounted, "It was like this, I came home from work in the afternoon, pushed the door open, and saw him lying there on the ground, blood everywhere, so I immediately called the police."


    "What was your relationship with the deceased?"


    "Roommates. We rented a place together. However, he hasn''t been living here for the past half a month, said the company he recently started working at provided accommodation."


    "What''s the name of that company?"


    The youth shook his head, "I don''t know, he never told me. When I asked, he said the company had rules not to disclose anything about it."


    Damn, not this again! Situ Yu was so frustrated she almost threw her pen. It was always the same outcome. It seemed that this company was the focus; it must have issues. Although they did not know the name of this company, perhaps they could find some clue among the deceased''s belongings.


    She tossed the notepad to a nearby officer, "You, and you, you, come with me upstairs. Move all of the deceased''s belongings to the station. I want to check them one by one."

 Chapter 44 The Real Adventure

    "This is useless, this is useless too, damn it, is there really not a single useful thing?"As Situ Yu spoke, she tossed a pile of inspected rubbish to the side. She had been searching for over two hours now, the evidence room''s flickering lights were straining her eyes, she couldn''t simply let it go¡ªwait, what''s this?


    Situ Yu''s attention was suddenly drawn to an old magazine discarded on the ground, revealing a gap with something seemingly stuffed inside it. She flipped through the magazine and pulled out an old, folded newspaper from the middle.


    It was a job classifieds advertisement, filled with various job-seeking, hiring, sale, rental, and lease requests. She quickly scanned them, noticing that some ads were circled with a ballpoint pen; there were about seven or eight in total, all from companies looking to hire. She checked the date¡ªit was from half a month ago.


    I''ve found it! A surge of elation shot through Situ Yu as she grasped the newspaper and headed for the Director''s office.


    Knock knock knock, a series of knocks lifted Director Zhou from his computer.


    "Come in," Director Zhou said in a somewhat hoarse voice. The door opened, and an excited Situ Yu walked in. Seeing that it was her, Director Zhou''s expression softened.


    Situ Yu and he were somewhat related; after all, Situ Yu''s grandfather was his former superior. Director Zhou had a fondness for this ambitious young woman, finding her eagerness rare among today''s youth. When it was her knocking, he jokingly asked, "Is it you, Xiao Yu? Weren''t you investigating that case? Could it be that you have found a clue?"


    "That''s right, Director. I think I''ve found some clues."


    As she spoke, she spread the newspaper in front of Director Zhou. "Look at this, it''s a newspaper left by the deceased, dated half a month ago. Clearly, he was job-hunting at the time, and had marked several positions he planned to apply for.


    If my guess is correct, the company he entered during this half month is among these circled ones, and this company might well be the workplace of the victims who died in the several previous cases. I believe if we find this company, it will be key to solving these cases."


    Situ Yu said excitedly, not noticing the sudden complexity on Director Zhou''s face, "If possible, please issue me an investigation order. I guarantee I''ll get to the bottom of this."


    Director Zhou frowned, his face showing some difficulty, not quite looking as pleased as one might expect. Situ Yu initially didn''t notice, but after a long wait and seeing no praise from him, she felt odd, and glancing at Director Zhou''s facial expression, she grew even more puzzled.


    "What''s the matter, Director? Is there a problem?"


    "I cannot give you this investigation order," Director Zhou said gravely.


    Situ Yu became anxious immediately, "But Director¡ª" sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There''s no ''but''!" Director Zhou''s expression was unusually serious, "The police department is a place that adheres to judicial procedures. We cannot rashly handle cases based on our speculations. What would we become then? The victim died indoors from a stabbing, but there is no sign of forced entry on the doors and windows, no trace of a violent struggle at the scene.


    Thus, it''s quite obvious he might have committed suicide, perhaps due to job dissatisfaction or other reasons. Any experienced officer can see that. You cannot link unrelated cases based on tenuous guesses, making assumptions about a case is a cardinal sin for a police officer; remember that."


    Seeing that the young woman was not satisfied, Director Zhou could only comfort her with these words: "I know young people like you are energetic, want to accomplish great things, want to rid society of evil, all good intentions, but sometimes solving cases isn''t just about enthusiasm. I am telling you this for your own good.


    I will keep this newspaper for now, you seem rather unstable at the moment, so you will not be in charge of this case for the time being. I will transfer you to the Public Security division for a while. It''s getting late, you better go home, don''t make your parents worry."


    Angry and helpless from Director Zhou''s speech, Situ Yu stormed out, slamming the door behind her.


    Director Zhou sighed as he watched Situ Yu''s retreating figure. He took a lighter from his pocket, placed the newspaper on top of it, seemingly intent on burning it, but he hesitated.


    A strong urge welled up in him to unfold the newspaper, to take a closer look at those circled companies. Just as this impulse grew stronger, a deep voice suddenly emerged from the corner,


    "What are you hesitating for?"


    Director Zhou''s hand jerked; he looked up in alarm. In the chair across from him, a man wearing a black trench coat had appeared in the office at some point, smiling at him.


    "Good evening, Director Zhou, it''s been a long time since we last met."


    "What are you doing here?" Director Zhou asked coldly; his stern voice could not hide the tremor within.


    "What do you think?" replied the man in the trench coat as he rose from the chair and casually sat on his desk, leaning forward toward him and snatching the newspaper from his hands to take a look.


    "Heh, didn''t expect you had a few competent people under you," he remarked.


    "I warn you not to think of laying a hand on her."


    The man in the black trench coat glanced at him with disdain, "I''m not that bored. I don''t kill people just for the sake of it¡ªunless there''s a real threat. Especially not such a cute little girl."


    Director Zhou''s expression softened slightly as if he had aged ten years. You guys are bound to run into trouble sooner or later. Even if I don''t look into it, someone else eventually will. Even though he said this, he still offered the lighter proactively.


    "Seems like you know your place," the man in the black trench coat said, but he didn''t reach for the lighter. Instead, he clenched the newspaper tightly in his hand, and a burst of sparks erupted. When he reopened his hand, the newspaper had turned to ash.


    Seeing this trick that seemed like magic, Director Zhou was hardly surprised; obviously, it wasn''t the first time he had seen it, "Just who are you people?" he said as he slowly put the lighter back in his pocket, then quietly opened a drawer, but before he could reach inside¡ª


    "It doesn''t matter who we are. What you need to know is that we are people you cannot afford to mess with. Oh, and if I were you, I wouldn''t keep a gun in the drawer next time. It''s too easy for others to get to it," he said while tossing a gun in front of him.


    Ignoring Director Zhou''s ugly expression, the man in the black trench coat did what he came to do, smiled, waved at him, and then disappeared into the air like he had melted away.


    Director Zhou slumped back into his chair, his eyes filled with anger and helplessness.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªDivider¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next day, Xiao Buli exceptionally got up very late.


    For the newcomers like them, the company hadn''t set any strict working hours. However, to make a good impression on the company executives and to achieve more growth in the game, the four of them always logged in on time.


    But today, Xiao Buli just wasn''t in the mood. He stood in front of the washbasin, looking at his reflection in the mirror, and for the first time, he began to hesitate.


    "Should I continue?" he asked his reflection.


    The death of Sun Bin had shown him the brutality of the game. Although he had a premonition, it was only when death actually occurred before his eyes that he realized being cautious sometimes wasn''t enough.


    Sun Bin''s ability in the game wasn''t much worse than his; in some aspects, it was even stronger. But he had died without a chance to fight back, soundlessly.


    Was there anything different about himself?


    Perhaps this was a mistake from the beginning, and now it was time to end this mistake. He thought about this, almost immediately wanting to run to Qin Shimoon to resign, to stay far away from this strange game.


    But reason told him that would be wrong. Not to mention the three hundred thousand he had invested in trying to save Lu Jiang, which left him without savings and in debt, he didn''t even know if he could get past the company. From all the signs he had seen from this Qilin studio, he didn''t believe they would let him go that easily without taking any action.


    Continuing in the game might lead to death, but it might also lead to a powerful strength.


    If he were to resign now, he could also possibly die and certainly wouldn''t gain any strength.


    So if death was a possibility either way, why not take a chance? At least this way, he could control his own fate, couldn''t he?


    His reason gradually took over. A calm analysis had always been his strength.


    And don''t I still have a high Luck Value of 17? With such high luck, there''s no reason I should die easily. As long as I take advantage of the Blessing BUFF from Lu Jiang and find a safe area while it lasts, there should be no problem, right?


    I''ll treat this game as a real adventure, measure everything by real-life rules, and use my strategic planning skills to solve dilemmas, "You can do this, Xiao Buli!" he exclaimed, not only to encourage himself but to state his full confidence.


    As he uttered these words, his decision was made.


    After washing his face, the man in the mirror looked a bit downcast. He tweaked his eyebrows to make himself look more optimistic. Well then, let the real adventure begin!

 Chapter 45 Lone Journey

    Xiao Buli and the other two, fearing that the Black Mountain Bandits would be waiting at their log-off location, did not dare to log back in yesterday afternoon, hoping that the silver-named mini-boss and the bandits had already moved on.As he pondered this, he walked out of the newcomer area''s computer room, and immediately, upon entering, heard Han Baiqiang and Li Baocheng''s shouts.


    "Don''t run, they have a speed buff in mountain terrain, we can''t outrun them! Let your pet hold off the leader, and we''ll take down the smaller ones first," came Han Baiqiang''s voice.


    "Damn, that''s some high damage, I''m running out of health, hurry up and take the aggro!" Li Baocheng yelled.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, thinking that these two guys were bold to have engaged the bandits.


    He hurried over to look at their screens, where the two of them were facing three Black Mountain bandits, one Black Mountain Looter, and two Black Mountain Lackeys.


    The Black Mountain Looters were White-Named Monsters, while the Black Mountain Lackeys were grey-named, also known as minions. Although grey-named, monsters part of a system usually had decent combat power, which is why Li Baocheng and Han Baiqiang were not taking any chances.


    Right then, the Black Mountain Looter was tightly entangled by Li Baocheng''s pet ''Ash Messenger,'' while the two of them dealt with the two Black Mountain Lackeys, managing to fight effectively thanks to their decent skills.


    One Black Mountain Lackey was being kited by Li Baocheng, his bow and arrows continuously hailing down on it. But his speed was ultimately slower than the pursuer, and since he was retreating, he was quickly caught up with.


    Just as the Lackey charged at him with a red-tasseled spear, Li Baocheng moved forward rather than back, dodging the charge at the last moment with an Emergency Dodge, then swiftly got behind his opponent, finishing off the weakened foe with a Backstab.


    "Well done!" Xiao Buli quietly cheered in his heart, as this player who played possum finally revealed his true strength.


    Spin! With a powerful hit, Han Baiqiang made another bandit Lackey stagger back. Li Baocheng, having dealt with his own foe, immediately rejoined the fray. With the last Black Mountain Lackey going down, victory seemed assured.


    One minute later, the remaining Black Mountain Looter was also taken down.


    It was finally over, and the two exhausted victors began bandaging their wounds to restore health and Physical Strength while looting their spoils.


    "Hahaha, they dropped money! These bandits are really loaded," exclaimed Li Baocheng excitedly, as he stripped the defeated monsters of their equipment.


    "Where are you guys?" Seeing the fight was over, Xiao Buli sat down at his computer and asked.


    "We''ve moved away from where we logged off. We planned to wait for you to leave together, but Old Han suggested we log in to check things out. As soon as we did, we ran into bandits and had to run all the way here. After shaking off most of the monsters, we were left with just three minor bandits; we''ve just taken care of them.


    This godforsaken place doesn''t even have a map; finding you would have been a hassle, so we headed north," they replied.


    Xiao Buli sighed internally, thinking these two were really not considerate, not even waiting for him. It seemed he could only rely on himself.


    However, they weren''t logged off in the same place to begin with, and even if they had logged on together, they might not have been able to meet up. He wasn''t worried about being on his own. With this game''s severe death penalties, they might not stick together when danger arose anyway; better to go it alone.


    After logging into the game and observing his surroundings, it seemed Xiao Buli''s luck was a bit better than his two companions''. There were no monsters nearby, just Meatball loyally following by his side.


    The man and his dog made their way through the woods toward the mountains, judging that the bandits were likely to target the main road through the Misty Forest since caravans typically moved by horse-drawn vehicles and could only take this road. By contrast, the mountains might be overlooked, and they might bypass them altogether.


    He opened the world map while walking, and 99% of the vast map remained unexplored. However, significant locations like Dahuang Village, the Black Wasteland, the Misty Forest, his current location, and Nine Dragons City were marked.


    He drew a line from his current position to Nine Dragons City, crossing unexplored territory, while the main road required a detour. Perhaps he could try to cut straight across.


    Upon consulting the map again, and recalling what he had learned from the caravan owner, the main road through the Misty Forest was usually relatively safe, harboring the occasional wild animal but seldom bandits due to certain reasons.


    The current appearance of the Black Mountain Bandits was likely an exception, so if he could bypass this mountain and avoid the bandits'' ambush, the main road should be safe.


    With that decision made, he set out for the mountain.


    After walking some distance, he encountered an impassible cliff and had to continue around. To avoid danger, he let Meatball take the lead. Although Meatball wasn''t much in a fight, it had an Agility skill that increased its alert range by 20%, allowing it to spot monsters in advance.


    In his view, passing through an unexplored area carried significant risk, yet he believed his Luck Value of seventeen would see him through. Indeed, for over half an hour, they encountered only passive creatures like deer, rabbits, and pheasants.


    The only threat was a lame lone wolf, which one man and one dog were not intimidated by; sensing low chances of victory in a fight, the wolf detoured around them.


    But although he hadn''t encountered any powerful monsters, the path became increasingly convoluted. The dense and layered woods around him dazzled the eyes. The sunlight, fragmented by the branches and leaves into countless broken columns of light, created an astonishingly realistic play of light and shadow. But this realism made him increasingly uncomfortable.


    Fog had begun to rise, though not thick, but thick enough to further obscure his vision. He rubbed between his eyes, trying his best not to let the environment affect his mood, and as he circled around a patch of thorny bushes, Meatball suddenly stopped, whining and reluctant to move forward.


    There''s danger! He quickly realized and scanned the surroundings, but saw nothing. Then suddenly, the figure of a tiger appeared in his line of sight.


    Xiao Buli tensed up immediately. He clicked on the tiger''s name with his mouse. It was just a minor monster with a white name. But it was still a freaking tiger. If he were playing any other game, he wouldn''t bat an eye at a tiger. In many games, tigers are just common minor monsters that even newbies could easily kill.


    But because this game was so realistic, the strength of the tiger had to be measured by real-world standards.


    If he were in reality, given an iron sword and a dog to face off against a tiger, what would the result be? He didn''t need to think to know the answer.


    Xiao Buli froze for a moment, but after a few seconds, he realized the tiger hadn''t moved and didn''t seem to have noticed him yet.


    Thank the heavens; his Luck Value was not in vain. Now all he had to do was back away slowly.


    With that thought in mind, he retreated backwards. Somehow, the tiger stood up and looked in his direction.


    Damn it, he''s been spotted! He immediately realized, and thought that even a wild dog had a level 1 Agility, so the tiger must have a similar skill and probably at a higher level.


    Without hesitation, Xiao Buli turned and ran, glancing back from an over-the-shoulder view as he did. The tiger had indeed spotted him and was pursuing with light, swift strides. At that rate, he guessed it would catch him in less than ten seconds. Suddenly, a six or seven-meter-high cliff appeared in front of him.


    Xiao Buli didn''t think twice and jumped off, losing half his health points and emerging at the bottom with a limping DEBUFF above his head.


    Limping: Due to an injury to your leg, your Movement Speed is reduced by thirty percent.


    This is just my luck, throwing this at me now. But he couldn''t afford to stop and continued to run ahead. The tiger reached the cliff''s edge but didn''t dare to jump. Just as Xiao Buli started to feel a glimmer of relief, he saw the tiger taking a side path around the cliff, clearly not giving up on the chase.


    He still had to run. As he pressed on, the tiger didn''t reappear, but he couldn''t afford to stop. Running and running, soon he couldn''t even see the path anymore and could only squeeze forward through the gaps between the trees. Unexpectedly, an open, overgrown field appeared before him, and a gate made of two stone statues emerged in his view.


    The statues, resembling some unknown beast, were ferocious and terrifying, covered in moss as if they had been there for many years. On either side of the statues were dense barriers of thorns, tall and thick with no gaps, their thorns like the walls that separated the forest from the world behind the gate.


    Through the entrance between the statues, a clear space and several paths leading in different directions were visible, like the entrance to a maze.


    What kind of place is this? A hidden map? A mysterious dungeon? But that''s not right; the entrance to a dungeon should have a light screen.


    He was thinking and hesitating whether or not to go in.


    Before he could come to a conclusion¡ª


    Aowu! A roar suddenly sounded from behind. Out of nowhere, the tiger pounced from the woods and landed a few meters behind him. Now, there was no choice but to enter.


    Almost instinctively, he dashed forward, but he was still a few meters from the entrance, and he knew the tiger would catch up to him before he could get there. Ctrl+1! That was the default pet attack key. At that point, Xiao Buli couldn''t worry about the consequences and immediately commanded Meatball to attack, then ran without looking back.


    Meatball whimpered, seemingly unwilling, and charged at the tiger.


    Pounce! Leaping into the air.


    At the same moment, the tiger also launched into the air, pouncing toward the incoming attack. Meatball was helplessly flipped over, followed by a ferocious Rip and Bite¡ªan advanced skill of ripping and biting. Meatball let out an indistinct whimper and was dead.


    Xiao Buli had no time to feel sad and continued to run frantically into the area behind the stone statues. A few strides later, the tiger had not followed; he turned to look. At the edge of the gate, the tiger paced back and forth, unwilling to advance, chewing on Meatball''s body while watching his direction warily.


    Could there be some problem? He looked at his high Luck Value of seventeen again, the attribute evaluation¡ªnothing short of a protagonist''s halo.


    That calmed him down a bit. Looking around, he noticed the thorny bushes were growing densely but not chaotically; they seemed to be following some pattern. Could it be that these bushes were planted intentionally?


    He was puzzled and didn''t know whether to continue forward or not. Looking back, the tiger still hadn''t left, lying near the entrance, devouring Meatball''s remains while keeping a vigilant eye on him.


    With a bitter smile in his heart, Xiao Buli asked himself, what other choice did he have?


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 Chapter 46 Labyrinth

    Having made up his mind, Xiao Buli walked towards the deeper parts of the maze. Initially, there was only one path, winding and turning with no straight sections in sight. Fortunately, there were no forks, so Xiao Buli didn''t have to pay much attention, and he simply kept walking. It didn''t take long before he arrived at a small square measuring about ten meters on each side.The square was very regular, completely square in shape, with three exits facing different directions around its perimeter. In the center of the square stood a large stele with a strange poem neatly inscribed in standard script.


    A horizontal and a vertical line connect the north and south, the west does not shine while the east does.


    Choose left at even splits, right at odd, when hearts align understanding is not far sought.


    Worn iron shoes will find no place to go, though paths run everywhere, none lead home.


    Vast changes lie within illusion; do not contend; doubting gods and ghosts leads only to a lifeless end.


    What does this mean? Xiao Buli was momentarily confused after reading the text on the stele. It was clear that the doggerel was some kind of hint for navigating the maze, seemingly to indicate the method to escape.


    But isn''t this guidance too damn lowbrow? Isn''t the point of a maze to prevent outsiders from entering? Why design such hints? Is the designer of this maze sick?


    Although he didn''t understand why there would be such a cheesy setup, he had seen plenty of such designs in many games, so he wasn''t surprised. Nevertheless, Xiao Buli decided to ponder the meaning.


    "A horizontal and a vertical line connect the north and south," seems to suggest that the maze has two passages, one at the north and one at the south. If the one I came through is at the south, then the exit should be in the north.


    "The west does not shine while the east does," must mean that the path to the west is impassable, and the path to the east is the way out.


    "Choose left at even splits, right at odd," probably means when facing two forks, choose the left one and when there are three, choose the right. "When hearts align understanding is not far sought," does this mean as long as the meaning of the poem is grasped, one could walk out of the maze?


    "But what does, ''Worn iron shoes will find no place to go, though paths run everywhere, none lead home,'' mean?" Xiao Buli thought hard but couldn''t come up with an explanation.


    And as for "Vast changes lie within illusion; do not contend; doubting gods and ghosts leads only to a lifeless end," this made even less sense to him. The last two sentences just didn''t seem to mean anything at all, or it seemed like they might mean something, but when they were combined with the earlier lines, they made no sense.


    However, at least he felt sure about the first four lines, though they seemed too simple. After hesitating for a while, he decided to walk and see. It would be great if the maze was indeed this simple, and with some uncertainty in his heart, he set foot on the path to the east.


    There were many forks along the way, and he generally followed the instructions from before, "Choose left at even, right at odd." But after not too long, he came to a junction with four different paths.


    This wasn''t covered in the instructions! He felt speechless inside, recalling the earlier poem, there really was no mention of this. Wait a minute, four is the square of two, so that should count as an even number, right? Then I should choose the left side.


    With this thought, he headed down the path farthest to the left.


    Ten minutes later, the path suddenly opened up, and Xiao Buli was stunned by what he saw¡ªhe had returned to the same small square with the stele, facing the same three paths, with the stone monument right before his eyes.


    This is utterly bizarre, he thought. Although I''ve been turning left and right, I''ve clearly been heading north all along, so how did I end up back here? And I was following the instructions on the stele, wasn''t I? Did I misunderstand something?


    He read the poem from top to bottom once more, but still, he couldn''t think of any other possibility.


    Maybe the poem is just a lie meant to confuse me? Perhaps I could try walking in the opposite direction as a test.


    With this thought, he chose the path to the west, still following "right at odd, left at even." Yet, fifteen minutes later to his astonishment, he found himself back at the small square with the stone monument once more.


    Xiao Buli felt bewildered; it was the first time he found himself stumped by a game. No matter how difficult the games he played before, he always managed to find a solution. He had played quite a few puzzle games, where all you needed to do was find some items, arrange them in a certain order, and easily solve the puzzles. But he had never encountered something as bizarre as this before.


    What''s happening here? He opened the map to check his coordinates, but they were just question marks: ???/???.


    Perhaps he could draw the map. He asked someone for a piece of paper, and then he chose the middle path, walking while sketching a rough outline of the route. However, he quickly realized it was futile because, after twenty minutes, he found himself back at the small plaza, even though the drawn route on the map was clearly advancing forward with constant turns.


    He didn''t set off again, instead he began to think hard, pondering over and over until another possibility occurred to him. Could it be visual deception? These maze corridors looked perfectly straight, but perhaps they were slightly off, and the corners that appeared to be right-angled were also deviated.


    This kind of discrepancy wouldn''t matter after a turn or two, but after many turns, it would become significant, and one''s sense of direction could be distorted. Was he actually heading south when he thought he was going north?


    If that was the case, then there was truly no solution, as there was no way to measure the angles of the passageways in this maze.


    He looked around at the several corridors, even starting to doubt which was south and which was north.


    ''Searching in vain for what''s hard to find, paths leading everywhere but I am trapped.'' This saying really came true.


    ''Elusive changes need no contention, doubting ghosts and gods leads to death without life.'' What did that even mean? How could one not suspect ghosts and gods in such bizarre events?


    Xiao Buli''s mind kept spinning, but no matter how much he thought, he couldn''t find a reasonable explanation. He opened his Attributes panel again.


    Those seventeen points of Luck Value, which were once his greatest source of confidence, now seemed rather ridiculous¡ªhe felt annoyed by that comment of "The protagonist''s halo is nothing special after all." Which protagonist has ever been as unlucky as me?


    But Xiao Buli wasn''t someone who gave up easily. He calmed himself down and tried again. This time, he did not follow the instructions on the stele; instead, he took the right path at every intersection, be it at a trio or duo of choices. According to his logic, this route might lead him into a dead end, but definitely not back to the starting point.


    Yet, once again, after only more than ten minutes, he found himself back at the small plaza where the stele stood.


    It really was like seeing a ghost! The thought suddenly rose in Xiao Buli''s mind. Other than supernatural forces, he could not think of any other explanation. If it were before, he might not have thought so, but after the incident with Lu Jiang, he did not dare to make rash judgments about such matters.


    After two more attempts with the same result, he realized more and more that this maze didn''t seem like an ordinary maze; it was not something that could be explained with visual deception.


    By noon, there was still no outcome. Every time, he would end up back where he started, but as he took different routes, he gradually discovered that the maze seemed to be constantly changing. Walking the same path, the first intersection initially had three ways, but the second time he retraced this route, the first intersection had turned into two ways.


    Eventually, he even thought of retreating, taking the southern path to leave the maze, only to be surprised to find that he still ended up at the starting point¡ªthe small plaza with the stele.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this must be a system BUG! Should he try finding a GM? However, Xiao Buli wasn''t even sure if this game had GMs, let alone their specific contact method, considering the game didn''t even have private messaging.


    Forget it, let''s go eat first, and then see.


    Xiao Buli knew he was already confused and thinking more about it would not yield any results. It was better to step away for a while. Fortunately, there were no monsters in the maze, so logging off was not an issue.


    Today''s lunch included his favorite sweet and sour ribs and beef noodles. However, as he ate his beloved meals, he found them tasteless.


    "Hey, what''s up? Ran into a tough problem?" Xiao Buli looked up and saw it was Wu Tao.


    "Tao, right? I have a question for you, do you know how to contact a GM?"


    "GM?" Wu Tao seemed to find the question amusingly odd, "I don''t even know if this game has GMs."


    Hearing this response, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed.


    "What''s the matter? You''re looking for a GM to help with a problem? That''s not like you. Didn''t you used to solve any issue you encountered in games yourself?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that was true, but in face of this game, his past experience seemed utterly useless, leaving him feeling at a loss.


    After a glance at Wu Tao, Xiao Buli thought that, having played games for so long, maybe Wu Tao knew something. With this in mind, he shared his encounter with the maze.


    After listening, Wu Tao was visibly shocked, "You''re so lucky. Even though I don''t know what the deal is with this maze, judging by the nature of this game, whatever is hidden inside must be extraordinary for it to be so difficult."


    PS: Apologies for the late update, two more chapters tomorrow.


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 Chapter 47 Exhaustive Search Method

    Wu Tao''s words didn''t give him any particular surprise, he knew without thinking that a labyrinth with such high difficulty wouldn''t be set up here without reason.Moreover, according to his consistent gaming experience, since there were no monsters in the labyrinth, there wouldn''t be a BOSS waiting for him to fight at the end of it either.


    Undoubtedly, what was hidden behind this labyrinth should be some good stuff, maybe a treasure chest that once opened, could grant super awesome equipment, or perhaps an apple tree laden with magical Golden Apples, eating one granting eternal life, eating two allowing one to ascend to immortality.


    But it could also be something like a cursed Demon Sword, acquiring this sword would grant great Strength, yet one might be tempted and corrupted by the sword, lose their mind, Xiao Buli speculated all kinds of possibilities, and according to the nature of this game, it really wasn''t impossible.


    However, no matter what was hidden behind the labyrinth, the prerequisite was that one had to get through the labyrinth to see it.


    Seeing Xiao Buli deep in thought, Wu Tao couldn''t help but find it funny, "Boss, it seems like your gaming level has regressed, you don''t look like your old self now."


    Xiao Buli glanced at Wu Tao, asking somewhat curiously, "What do you mean?"


    "Back when you led us in games, you always had the demeanor of a sage from another world, as if you had everything under control, and when we asked you for advice on a tough problem in the game, you could always come up with all sorts of bizarre methods to solve it. Although sometimes the solutions you gave were really far-fetched, they always worked.


    But now, you give off the feeling that you''re just like the old me when I encountered a problem, no more than an ordinary person."


    Upon hearing Wu Tao''s words, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but want to laugh, thinking to himself that he didn''t even know when he had been regarded as an Immortal.


    But gradually, he couldn''t laugh anymore, he figured out why Wu Tao felt that way.


    In the past, when playing games, he always viewed the game as an outsider because, as a realist, he knew that everything in the game was fake. Naturally lacking immersion, he wouldn''t get sentimental over touching storylines, nor would he be frightened by horrifying scenes, and he wouldn''t be daunted by seemingly insoluble problems because he knew it was just a game.


    As long as the game''s creators didn''t have some sort of brain glitch, there would definitely be a way to solve it. He was just a spectator, able to judge with absolute calmness how to proceed in the game, where to start in order to solve the problem at hand.


    However, this game made him immerse himself into the game world for the first time. For someone who wanted to experience the game world, it might be a good thing, but for someone trying to survive in the game, it was not.


    As the saying goes, concern leads to chaos. The more he cared about the life and death of his game character, the less he could analyze problems calmly. Thankfully, Wu Tao had pointed it out, or he might never have realized it.


    "Thanks for the reminder, I owe you one," he said very seriously to Wu Tao. Wu Tao, seeing his reaction, felt somewhat embarrassed, "Don''t say that." After thinking for a moment, he asked, "But speaking of which, what do you plan to do?"


    Xiao Buli smiled slightly, "Ask Baidu."


    After finishing, he nodded to Wu Tao, and just as he stood up, suddenly a piercing pain shot through his leg, damn it! A chill went through his heart, it couldn''t be that the lame leg DEBUFF had taken effect, could it?


    His bone felt as though it had broken, so painful.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Wu Tao asked with concern. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nothing much, just thinking about some tough problems in the game," he replied.


    "Oh, I see. Be careful when you''re exploring the maze, okay? Take it slow, and don''t worry about being a little late. Just don''t die, because if you die, there goes your job. The cost of death is just too great."


    Xiao Buli merely smiled faintly at Wu Tao''s well-meaning advice. He knew all too well about the cost of dying in the game.


    Standing up once again, Xiao Buli tried to act as if nothing was wrong as he made his way back to the dormitory. Sitting down, he couldn''t help but let out a long sigh¡ª it was so painful. He rolled up his trousers to look, and saw no marks, but a gentle pinch brought a piercing pain.


    (It seems that it''s not just death that leaves a mark on the body, pain does too, and like death, it shows up a few hours later.) This realization gave him a sense of urgency. It was clear that he needed to get out of this maze as soon as possible.


    As he thought about this, he turned on his personal computer. The saying goes, "When stumped on internal affairs, ask Baidu; when confused about external matters, ask Sogou." Xiao Buli used to enjoy researching online, and this time he decided to see if the internet could help solve his dilemma.


    He searched for ways to navigate a maze and did find a seemingly feasible method¡ªexhaustive search.


    To Xiao Buli, this exhaustive search seemed like a super dumb method, but it was absolutely effective.


    This so-called exhaustive search involved sticking to one wall of the maze and following it wherever it led¡ªwhether you encountered a fork in the path or a dead end, you just had to keep following that one wall. This method was definitely effective against planar mazes, regardless of how ingeniously or deceptively they were designed, because it would surely lead you out.


    Of course, it would be a different story for a three-dimensional maze, but fortunately, this particular maze had yet to present any situations involving stairs.


    Another potential failure would be if the entrance and exit of the maze were both located in the center rather than on the edges, which would likely result in a tortuous loop using the exhaustive search. However, at least for now, he had confirmed that the entrance was definitely not in the center of the maze, so that wasn''t a concern.


    The worst case would be if, after a long time, he ended up back at the entrance, but that was still better than being trapped and dying in the maze.


    This method could be quite annoying to use, as it might require traversing all the branching paths before finding the way out. It would be manageable in a small maze, but in a large one, it was hard to predict how long it would take¡ªhours were likely, and a day or two was possible.


    But this was the only effective solution he could think of at the moment.


    Enduring the pain in his leg, Xiao Buli returned to the gaming room. Li Jian and the others hadn''t come back yet, and the studio was quiet with just him there. He booted up the computer and logged into the game, staring thoughtfully at the figure standing in front of the stone stele.


    He checked his inventory and saw that he had enough food to support him for another two days. Walking in this game also required Physical Strength, and even though it was used up slowly, if he ran out of food and Physical Strength before getting out, he would starve to death. Before that happened, however, Xiao Buli would log off in advance; he had no intention of starving to death in real life.


    Two days wasn''t certain to be enough for him to find his way out of the maze with the exhaustive method, but now it was the only option he had left to try. Sticking to one wall, he set off once again. Navigating a maze with exhaustive search was truly frustrating; often, you could see a long dead end with one glance, yet you had to walk into it and back out again, multiplying the time spent.


    Nevertheless, if it meant getting out of this damned maze, it was all worth it. But after more than an hour of walking, he found himself back at his starting point.

 Chapter 48 The Bystander Sees Most of the Game

    Xiao Buli didn''t feel panic or anxiety, he had entered that state from the past, able to calmly analyze the problem.Could the exit really be at the center of the labyrinth? It seems like the exhaustive method is useless now, am I really going to be finished this time!


    Xiao Buli tried not to let the fear of death affect his thinking and began to try to solve the labyrinth as an outsider. He took out the paper he had used to draw the map and listed the possible reasons for the current situation, one by one.


    The problems with the labyrinth might include the following.


    1, The labyrinth is alive or has a mechanism design, manually changing the routes, making oneself unable to find the way out.


    2, The labyrinth is normal, but there are ghosts or something like that interfering, causing him to fall into a cycle repeatedly.


    3, The labyrinth is normal and there are no ghosts, but some kind of special technology that exists in reality is being used to prevent him from getting out.


    What would the former me have done?


    He remembered the experience of going through the Stone Tomb Formation when he played the game "Legend".


    The Stone Tomb Formation is a labyrinth made up of many similar rooms, each with four doors, and each time one leaves and returns, the room one comes back to is never the same. One must master the changing patterns of the rooms when shuttling through to successfully reach the next level of the Stone Tomb.


    Initially, on his first attempt, almost everyone didn''t know the correct path and could only wander aimlessly. Sometimes one could wander for a day and still not find the way out, ending up having to use a town portal scroll to return to town. He was also trapped in the Stone Tomb Formation, but he did not easily give up.


    To determine the correct path, he came up with a method of throwing Gold Coins. In each room, he would throw a variable number of Gold Coins and then determine whether he had been there before based on how many piles of Gold Coins were in the room. This is actually a method of elimination.


    The current predicament could possibly be solved with this method of elimination as well. As long as he threw a certain number of copper coins at the entrance of each fork in the road he had passed, he would know if he had been down that road the next time he passed that fork.


    Once all the paths he had taken were eliminated, the remaining path would certainly be the correct one¡ªthis is the so-called elimination method.


    It''s just not clear whether one can throw things on the ground in this game.


    He opened his inventory, clicked on money, and dragged it outside to find that he could indeed discard it.


    Let''s throw a copper coin for a start.


    He entered the Arabic numeral 1, chose to discard, and sure enough, a copper coin appeared on the ground; it was very small but still clearly visible.


    Good job, he thought to himself, no problem then.


    Then he started on his way. At the first fork, he chose the path on the right and threw a copper coin at the entrance of the path he had passed. This way, every time he reached a fork, he would look around to make sure he wasn''t going back the way he came.


    After more than ten minutes, he found himself back at the square.


    He never thought he would succeed on the first try anyway. The essence of the elimination method was to continually eliminate the routes that one had taken and proven wrong. Just as he was about to choose a different path and continue on his way, he suddenly realized something was amiss¡ªthe copper coin he had previously thrown on the ground had disappeared.


    This discovery made him stop in his tracks.


    What was going on? Xiao Buli fell into thought once again.


    (Could it be that things thrown on the ground in this game are refreshed by the system? There was such a design in the former "Legend".) If that was the case, then it would really be a terrible pitfall.


    He stared at the place where the copper coin had vanished for a full five minutes. If even the method of throwing things didn''t work, then he really would be...


    Suddenly his pupils contracted sharply, noticing something slightly different. Behind that stone stele, a pale human hand was faintly visible, its fingers slightly curled as if beckoning him over.


    What was this situation? He rubbed his eyes; no mistake, it was a hand.


    Could there be someone else in this labyrinth? Or is it simply a monster guarding the labyrinth? He shivered involuntarily, almost instinctively placing his fingers on the hotkeys for several combat skills, activating Basic Swordsmanship, and slowly walked around behind the stone stele.


    When he saw the scene behind the stone stele, he couldn''t help but inhale sharply. Lying there was a rotten corpse with nothing left but bones, and that hand belonged to this corpse.


    Could it be that he picked up the copper coin? Was this a zombie or some other kind of monster? Xiao Buli waited tensely for the attack, but after a while, he found that the corpse did not move at all.


    He clicked on the corpse with his mouse, and the name that showed up was ''Body of the Nameless Adventurer.'' It seemed to indeed be a dead person. Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief, scrutinizing the appearance of the corpse. It was dressed in shabby leather armor, clutching a rusty iron sword to its chest, and its boots were so tattered that several holes had formed.


    He clicked on it with his mouse, and it showed that it could be searched.


    After choosing to search, a loot window popped up immediately, showing that there were four items that could be taken from the body.


    Rusty Iron Sword: A sword covered in rust, its original appearance unrecognizable. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rotten Purse: Opening it yields a certain amount of coins.


    Damaged Light Leather Armor: It has lost its intended defense capability and is nothing but valueless trash.


    Damaged Light Leather Boots: So worn and full of holes, they are nothing but worthless trash.


    What was this all about? How did an additional corpse suddenly appear? Staring at the body, Xiao Buli suddenly felt a chill as he realized that this corpse looked a lot like himself.


    It was not a resemblance in features, as the rotting corpse was beyond recognition, but whether it was the weapon or the equipment, it all looked exactly like what he was currently carrying¡ªiron sword, light leather armor, light leather boots¡ªwasn''t this all his current gear?


    His mind was a whirl of confusion for a moment. Could this corpse be predicting his own demise? Or had he actually already died in the game, and his actions now, just like Lu Jiang''s, were nothing more than repeats of his behavior while alive?


    This thought broke him out in a cold sweat. To assure himself this wasn''t real, he pursed his lips¡ª


    A taste of sweet and sour pork ribs.


    This taste calmed him down quite a bit. It seemed he wasn''t a ghost yet. So, what could the reason be? Pondering, he opened his equipment window and when he looked at his weapon, he froze. He wasn''t equipped with the iron sword but with the Butcher''s Bleeding Knife. He remembered now, after getting this weapon, he had sold the iron sword.


    This corpse could very well be another player who died here or perhaps just the body of an NPC, and it was unexplained why it would suddenly appear in the maze.


    It seemed that because he had searched it, the body that had originally been leaning against the stele suddenly bent over, revealing a dark mark on the backside. Seeing that mark, he felt as if he had grasped something.


    The body had definitely not been recently moved; otherwise, it wouldn''t have left such a mark. So, if the body hadn''t been moved, it surely couldn''t be that the square was moving... or could it simply be¡ªhis mind flashed with insight, and he suddenly understood everything.


    Xiao Buli suddenly felt like bursting out laughing, having completely figured out the secret of the maze, and he couldn''t help but feel a wave of emotion. He was clever, but his cleverness had led him astray. He had been fooled by such a simple illusion; indeed, the saying held true¡ªthe observer sees clearly, the participant is confused.


    Clearly, this maze must have many identical stone steles and little squares containing them, and the layout of these little squares with the steles was also identical, each with four roads leading to the east, west, south, and north.


    These squares were actually nodes connecting the entire maze. No matter if players believed the poem''s guidance or not, no matter which road they chose, they would always end up at another little square¡ªthe intruders would think they had returned to the starting point, but in reality, it was not the case at all. They moved from one node to another.


    If they believed the guidance on the stele, they might have been getting closer to the exit.


    However, at this time, the intruders wouldn''t know this and would feel that they had chosen the wrong path earlier. They would try a different way, but this would lead them into the maze''s trap. Once intruders switched paths, they deviated from the initial correct route. No matter how they walked, they would end up in an identical square, even if it was only a short distance from the entrance.


    Since the intruders no longer believed the stele''s guidance, they would never find the right path and would end up trapped in an endless loop until they died in the maze.


    The real method to get out of the maze was clearly written on the stele: ''In the Mystic Hollow Palace''s manifold changes, one need not to fret. Doubting gods and ghosts, the dead find no rebirth. Wearing out iron shoes in fruitless searching; though pathways run in all directions, none leads to exit.'' No matter what happens, you must continue according to the records on the stele.


    The more you overthink, the more lost you become, until you trap yourself and meet your end, with neither death nor life.


    Now, as long as one follows the stele''s guidance¡ªturn left at even and right at odd¡ªone should manage to navigate through the maze, right?


    Having understood this, he gave a slight bow to the corpse. Whether you are an NPC in the game or a player who once strayed into this maze and ended up dying here, thank you for your help¡ªeven though that wasn''t your intention.


    Having thanked the unfortunate soul, Xiao Buli prepared to set off once again. He glanced at the three paths in front of him; turn right at odd, and the right path also happens to be towards the east. So that was the way to go.


    This time, he followed the stele''s instructions, turning right at odd and left at even. After walking for more than ten minutes, he arrived at another little square with a stele. However, the square no longer contained the corpse. He sneered to himself, sure enough. But to confirm that the poem hadn''t deceived him, he threw the damaged light leather armor on the ground as a marker.


    Moving on, ten minutes later, he reached another square, which was barren with nothing inside. This time, he dropped the damaged light leather boots.


    The third time, he left the rusty iron sword behind. Then, after another ten-plus minutes of walking, the path he traveled seemed completely different from the ones he had taken before. At last, the view opened up suddenly, and sunlight once again appeared before his eyes.


    Finally, he had made it out!


    A feeling of being resurrected from a hopeless situation surged within him. As he walked through that door, he almost burst into tears¡ªit was just too damned hard.


    Before him was a bamboo forest that seemed like the Immortal Realm, a far cry from the harsh environment of the Misty Forest. A stone path through the bamboo led deep into the valley, where there stood a complex of ancient Chinese-style buildings. Not far away, on an archway, there were three soulful characters¡ªMystic Hollow Palace.

 Chapter 49 Mystic Hollow Palace

    Before him was a bamboo forest that looked like a scene out of an Immortal Realm, incomparable to the desolate wilderness of the Misty Forest. A flagstone path ran through the bamboo, heading straight into the depths of the valley, leading unexpectedly to a group of buildings in the style of ancient Chinese architecture.On a nearby archway were inscribed three characters brimming with spiritual energy¡ªMystic Hollow Palace.


    At this moment, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but reflect on his luck. If it wasn''t for the corpse he had stumbled upon, or if he hadn''t thrown that copper coin, he would probably still be wandering in the labyrinth. Could this be the power of those seventeen points of Luck Value?


    But how could that be possible? The corpse had clearly been lying in the labyrinth for quite some time. Could it be that if he only had seven points of luck, the corpse would have suddenly vanished? Or perhaps the idea of Luck Value was merely psychological, with no real effect at all.


    He really couldn''t figure it out at the moment. The clues he had were too few, and the matter itself had already exceeded his understanding.


    Just as Xiao Buli was pondering over this question, the sound of the system prompt brought him back to his senses, refocusing his attention on the game.


    System Prompt: Player Xiao Buli, you have discovered the hidden area¡ªMystic Hollow Palace and achieved the title¡ªExplorer, increasing your Prestige Points by 10. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Explorer (Achievement): Discover an unknown hidden area that is not known to the world.


    The game also has achievements? Xiao Buli found it somewhat amusing, but he was unsure what use Prestige Points had.


    Next, he prepared to explore Mystic Hollow Palace. Looking at the Taoist-style architecture in front of him, he felt a tingling sensation of excitement. Mystic Hollow Palace, both by its location and by its name, seemed to have a significant connection to Taoism. How marvelous it would be if he could find Immortal Taoists living inside?


    Furthermore, imagine if he could become a cultivator¡ªthat would be amazing.


    The thought of using spells in real life even made the usually composed Xiao Buli somewhat excited.


    However, the more excited he became, the more cautious he was. He opened the title panel and activated the title "A Good Person." There was no standard known for ancient scholars seeking disciples, but generally, good people should have an easier time than bad, right? Having such a title should definitely score him some points.


    With the title activated, Xiao Buli limped along the small path through the bamboo forest towards the valley. The closer he got, the more he marveled at the tranquil elegance and ancient oriental charm of the architecture. It wasn''t long before he arrived at the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace, where two imposing stone lions stood outside the entrance.


    Initially thinking they were merely decorative, Xiao Buli was startled to find they had health bars upon targeting with his mouse.


    Armored Xuan Lion (Rune Puppet): Unactivated, they were both high-ranking elites with dark blue names.


    Even the gatekeepers were formidable. Mystic Hollow Palace indeed was no ordinary place, and seeing this, Xiao Buli slowed his pace.


    As he hesitated, a Taoist Boy named Qingfeng Mingyue emerged from the palace gate, "My Palace Master summons you inside."


    With no other choice, Xiao Buli no longer hesitated and stepped toward the gate. As he entered, he saw an elderly Taoist with silver hair like snow, clad in a Wuji Dao Robe, sitting on a futon in the center of the great hall. Upon checking his name, it showed as Xuanxu Zi (Palace Master of Mystic Hollow Palace).


    Strangely, this NPC was only a White Name.


    Xuanxu Zi gestured with his whisk to the futon on the ground, signaling Xiao Buli to sit down. Once Xiao Buli was seated, he asked, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"


    "I am merely an adventurer who was traveling with a caravan to Nine Dragons City. I did not expect to be intercepted by Black Mountain Bandits on the way. In the process of fleeing, I lost touch with my companions, and later, to escape a hungry tiger, I fell down a cliff. I was then forced into a labyrinth, and after wandering for a considerable time, I finally emerged and arrived here.


    I had no intention of causing disturbance, I seek your forgiveness."


    Xiao Buli tried his best to narrate the sequence of events using the linguistic style commonly used by NPCs, without hiding any details. Since the other party could guess his arrival, perhaps he could predict the future using spells; concealing the truth might not bode well. Besides, there was nothing to hide, to begin with.


    "Hehe, it''s rare for someone to navigate through the Ninety-Nine Linked Rings Formation outside. Ordinary people mostly cannot make it through. Could it be that you have some exceptional ability?"


    Xiao Buli dared not hide anything. Who knew whether the NPCs in this game shared system resources? It was better to tell the truth.


    "It''s not that I have any particular skills. By chance, I noticed a corpse at a node, which gave me an epiphany. Otherwise, with such a sophisticated formation, I really don''t know if I could have made it out."


    The Palace Master Xuanxu Zi smiled slightly, apparently quite pleased with the subtle compliment.


    "Do not belittle yourself. Regardless of the reasons, the fact that you have emerged from the Ninety-Nine Linked Rings Formation is laudable. Moreover, to be forthright without boasting about your achievement is commendable in a young person like you."


    Hearing the words of Xuanxu Zi, Xiao Buli quickly replied in agreement, "When I fell down the cliff, I broke my leg. I wish to recuperate here for some time, and I would be grateful if the revered immortal would accommodate me."


    Xuanxu Zi gently stroked his silver beard, "Hmm, your countenance does seem to be that of a benevolent person. Very well, you may stay in this valley for three days. However, once you recover after three days, you must leave."


    Xiao Buli was initially taken aback by the swift agreement. Had he really gone through the entire labyrinth ordeal only to be allowed to stay for three days and then be asked to leave? Surely this couldn''t be the case.


    But he did not become discouraged. Such matters were certainly not that simple; otherwise, among the veteran members, not one in ten would have a blue-named profession. It seemed further exploration was required, and three days should be enough.


    At that moment, Xuanxu Zi spoke again, "As to your leg injury, take this elixir first."


    A pop-up window appeared on the screen. Xuanxu Zi wants to trade with you, do you accept, yes/no?


    Upon clicking yes, an additional elixir appeared in the trade bar.


    After the exchange, Xiao Buli clicked on it with his mouse.


    Bone Healing Elixir: A miraculous healing elixir that, once taken, can eliminate all negative statuses related to sprains and bruises.


    What a great item, Xiao Buli thought to himself, and without another word, he consumed it. The DEBUFF of his lame leg above his head instantly vanished. The remedy was truly instant, proving Xuanxu Zi to be indeed a hermit of exceptional skill.


    "The Immortal''s elixir works wonders, it truly fills me with utmost admiration. I must confess, since childhood, I have aspired to become a doctor, to heal the world. I earnestly request the Immortal to accept me as an apprentice," Xiao Buli said as he opened the emotes action bar and knelt down straight in front of Xuanxu Zi.


    His intention to take on a master was not to learn medicine¡ªthough it wouldn''t be bad as a Life Skill¡ªbut with modern medicine being so advanced, it wouldn''t be that useful in reality. Compared to that, he was more interested in learning Spell-like supernatural abilities.


    However, asking directly to learn spells seemed too abrupt and was unlikely to succeed. It could even cause Xuanxu Zi''s antipathy. Thus, Xiao Buli took this indirect approach to win his favor. Once accepted into Xuanxu Zi''s tutelage, he might be able to learn any spells early on.


    Yet Xuanxu Zi remained unmoved, "Although your aspiration is commendable, I do not accept disciples lightly. You''d better heal yourself and leave early. Qingfeng Mingyue, see our guest out."


    After saying all this, Xuanxu Zi closed his eyes to meditate and spoke no more.


    A system notification once again appeared on Xiao Buli''s screen.


    System notification: Based on your performance in the conversation, Xuanxu Zi''s favorability toward you has increased by 25 points, and your Prestige in Mystic Hollow Palace has increased by 50 points.


    Prestige!? Xiao Buli''s heart leaped with joy; he was very familiar with this concept.


    The Taoist Boy''s name was Qingfeng Mingyue, Xiao Buli thought, usually shouldn''t there be two people? But more pressing matters were at hand. Following Qingfeng Mingyue to the guest room, and after Qingfeng Mingyue left, Xiao Buli hurriedly opened his own Prestige tab.


    As he was checking, he realized four Prestige systems had already been activated in his Prestige tab.


    Dahuang Village: Amiable Prestige¡ª535/1000. After spending time with you, the villagers of Dahuang Village have become quite familiar with you, and their attitude towards you has become friendly.


    Grand Yin Sect: Indifferent 0/300. Although you haven''t actively clashed or conducted any hostile actions against the Grand Yin Sect, as a mysterious and inscrutable organization, they maintain a high level of wariness towards all outsiders.


    Black Mountain Bandits: Indifferent 0/300. Although you haven''t actively clashed or conducted any hostile actions against the Black Mountain Bandits, as a bandit group known for their looting and pillaging, they maintain a high level of wariness towards all outsiders.


    Mystic Hollow Palace: Neutral 50/300. You have not had much interaction with Mystic Hollow Palace yet, hence their attitude towards you will be entirely determined by your future actions.


    Clearly, Prestige was crucial. There was no chance of becoming an apprentice while neutral, but if he could raise his Prestige to friendly, he assumed it would likely lead to a successful apprenticeship. The recent conversation with Xuanxu Zi had netted him 50 Prestige points, but this was probably a one-time thing for a first meeting, and the title ''A Good Person'' surely also lent a big help.


    Considering 25 points of favorability corresponded to 50 Prestige points, that meant 1 point of favorability equaled two Prestige points.


    Since Xuanxu Zi''s favorability could increase Prestige, favorability from others in Mystic Hollow Palace should, too. However, he only had three days to make use of this, so he had to act quickly.


    Although Xuanxu Zi had told him not to wander around, just staying in the guest room wouldn''t raise his Prestige. After some thought, Xiao Buli decided to venture out.


    He left the guest room and, not daring to bother Xuanxu Zi, followed a small path deep into the valley.


    After winding his way through, he arrived at the front of an ancient temple. This temple, compared to the surrounding buildings, looked out of place, old and worn. There was also a huge talisman drawn on the door, apparently sealing something inside.


    Just as Xiao Buli was about to get a closer look, he suddenly heard a cold shout, "Who dares to trespass into Mystic Hollow Palace."


    PS: There will be recommendations next week, at which time I should be able to maintain two updates per day.

 Chapter 50 Green Name NPC

    Xiao Buli just wanted to get a closer look when he suddenly heard a cold shout, "Who dares to trespass into Mystic Hollow Palace."A figure descended from the sky along with the voice.


    Holy crap, a Sword Immortal! Xiao Buli got a shock when he saw the person''s appearance¡ªthe man was dressed in white robes as pure as snow, handsome yet exceedingly cold and detached, standing on a flying sword that hovered mid-air, with another sword radiating a cyan light floating nearby, ready to strike at any moment, and two scabbards strapped to his back.


    He didn''t dare to be negligent, fearful that he might get chopped without rhyme or reason, so he quickly typed, "My name is Xiao Buli. I accidentally encountered danger and took refuge in Mystic Hollow Palace, and I am grateful to Xuanxu Zi for allowing me to stay here for a few days."


    The man''s face softened slightly after hearing this, but he still said quite impolitely, "If that''s the case, then let it be, but this is not a place for you. Leave quickly. I won''t say much since it''s your first offense, but mind your life if you dare to intrude again." After speaking, he withdrew his flying sword, waiting for Xiao Buli to leave.


    System notification: Because you trespassed into a forbidden area, Gu Yuexuan, the eldest senior brother, has lowered his favorability towards you by 30 points, and your Prestige in Mystic Hollow Palace has decreased by 30 points, currently at 20/300.


    Xiao Buli thought, no way, just like that I lost 30 points? If I lose again, won''t my Prestige turn cold? Then I might not necessarily die, but I''d probably get kicked out, making this trip to Mystic Hollow Palace useless.


    He checked the ''Sword Immortal''s'' name, Gu Yuexuan (Disciple of Mystic Hollow Palace), and turned out he was an NPC with a green name.


    He had never seen such colored names before; they must represent the so-called characters with growth potential. What a pity it wasn''t a beast, or else he could''ve captured it as a pet.


    He slowly backed out of the secluded courtyard, thinking that he shouldn''t rush to gain Prestige Points and should first ask Qingfeng Mingyue where he could and couldn''t go.


    As he thought this, he prepared to head back to his guest room, but since it was his first time out, he wasn''t very familiar with the paths, and he somehow found himself in a place that looked like a pasture.


    A young man dressed in leather armor with sword sleeves appeared before him. This person appeared to be in his twenties, and unlike the cold demeanor of Gu Yuexuan, this robust and handsome young man had a sunny and unrestrained look about him, with a sheathed longsword on his back, carrying a wooden bucket and feeding a flock of Immortal Cranes.


    These cranes seemed no different from ordinary Immortal Cranes at first glance, but they were enveloped in a faint white light, suggesting something extraordinary about them.


    Upon checking the name, it was another NPC with a green name, Jingci (Disciple of Mystic Hollow Palace). It seemed this person must also have a significant status, but weren''t green names supposed to be rare?


    The man turned around and saw Xiao Buli, asking with surprise, "Hey, who are you?"


    With one meeting already past, Xiao Buli was calm and composed. He opened the etiquette actions panel, chose to bow, and then typed, "My name is Xiao Buli. I took shelter in the valley due to an accident and was taken in by Xuanxu Zi. I was on my way back to the guest room, but I happened upon these Immortal Cranes that you were feeding, please forgive my intrusion."


    After typing, Xiao Buli''s heart was extremely uneasy; if his Prestige Points decreased again, he would be finished.


    What seemed like an eternity was only a few seconds, but Jingji suddenly burst into laughter, "Haha, the kid knows his stuff. These are the Immortal Realm Spirit Beasts ¡ª Auspicious Cloud Immortal Cranes that master brought back from the Immortal Realm. They are quite troublesome to feed."


    Xiao Buli''s mind quickly hatched a simple plan and he replied, "How troublesome can it be? They seem quite manageable to me."


    Jingci seemed unhappy with Xiao Buli''s attitude and said, "Hmph, of course, it''s easy to say, but you don''t understand the art of breeding, how could you see the difficulty in it."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he had fallen right into his trap, "Frankly, I do have some understanding of Breeding Skills. If you don''t believe me, why not let me have a try?"


    Seeming unable to resist a challenge, Jingci pondered for a moment, "There''s no harm in trying, but if you''re just fooling around, don''t blame me for being impolite."


    System notification: You have triggered the quest ¡ª Jingci''s Test. You have obtained feeding privileges for the Mystic Hollow Palace Beast Pen. Do you wish to start feeding? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli hesitated with his cursor over the accept button but didn''t click immediately. Clearly, if he failed, his Prestige would surely drop more than before, and his trip to Yuxu Palace would be over. On the flip side, if he completed the task well, he would probably earn Jingci''s favor and, thereby, gather more Prestige. Success or failure depended on this one attempt.


    With that thought, he took a deep breath, rubbed his knuckles, his gaze electric, and lightly tapped the confirm option. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The game began.


    Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he entered the scene; feeding the Immortal Cranes seemed quite similar to that little pig-feeding minigame. It was the same, with a little figure dropping food down for a group of Immortal Cranes eating below. Apart from using Immortal Cranes instead of fat pigs, there didn''t seem to be any difference.


    But after only a few moves, he realized something was wrong; these Immortal Cranes weren''t waiting for the food to fall like the pigs he had fed before. Instead, they kept moving around. Xiao Buli had to calculate the hunger level of each Immortal Crane while also estimating the speed of their movement to adjust his timing. Suddenly, the difficulty of the operation had increased significantly.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t afford to relax at all. His fingers moved swiftly, his gaze shifting continuously from one Immortal Crane to another, and calculations ran non-stop in his mind. The intense concentration caused his stomach to cramp, but at that moment, he could care less about that.


    For the first time, he fully immersed himself in the task, no longer leisurely as he was when feeding pigs; this time, he was staking everything on it.


    The twenty minutes of feeding time felt as long as a century. As one Immortal Crane after another became full and flew out of the Beast Pen, Xiao Buli''s spiritual power also neared its limit. Finally, the last Immortal Crane was satisfied, he exhaled and collapsed, almost falling, onto the chair.


    Thankfully, he had the foundation of a level 10 Breeding Skill. Each level of the Breeding Skill increased the overall feeding time by ten percent. His level 10 Breeding Skill had doubled his feeding time; otherwise, he definitely wouldn''t have been able to pass this time. He looked at the feeding evaluation.


    System Notification: Seven Immortal Cranes have increased their spiritual energy storage by eating enough Spirit Bait. Two Immortal Cranes remained unchanged due to consuming insufficient Spirit Bait. Three Immortal Cranes have their spiritual energy congested due to overeating and require guidance.


    Breeding Evaluation: C¡ª¡ªPassable.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that there was a problem with eating too much. Indeed, Immortal Cranes are difficult to serve. If he had known earlier, he would not have fed them so vigorously.


    With some trepidation in his heart, he wondered if his results were good or bad, but Jingci looked at him with a surprised expression, "What did you do before, lad? Your breeding is not bad at all."


    System Notification: Due to your outstanding performance, Jingji''s fondness for you has increased by 20 points, and your Prestige at the Mystic Hollow Palace has increased by 20 points. You are now Neutral, 40/300.


    Thank heavens, at least it increased a bit. Xiao Buli finally relaxed within.


    "Hehe, not bad, not bad. It''s mainly because it was my first time feeding and I wasn''t familiar with the temperament of the Immortal Cranes. If I feed them often, I should be able to improve," he said with an apparently casual demeanor.


    Upon hearing this, Jingci seemed somewhat embarrassed and said, "Why don''t you help me feed them a few more times? Honestly, feeding these silly birds is both tiring and boring. If it weren''t for the Contribution Value for my sect, I would have quit long ago."


    Xiao thought he was just waiting for this opportunity. It seemed the first batch of Prestige points would come from this Jingci. He immediately responded, "It would be my honor."


    With a week''s experience of pig feeding as a foundation and the boost from a level 10 Breeding Skill (doubling the feeding time), Xiao Buli''s subsequent feedings went smoothly. He easily handled the second feeding, earning a high evaluation of B-minus. However, this time he only increased Jingci''s fondness and Mystic Hollow Palace''s Prestige Points by 10 points each.


    It appeared that the Prestige rewards from repeated breeding tasks were diminishing.


    After continuing until past four o''clock, Xiao Buli completed two more feedings, increasing Jingci''s fondness by another 20 points and reaching Neutral 70/300 in the Prestige of the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Xiao took a short break, ready to go for another round to push his Prestige to 100, but Jingci seemed somewhat distracted.


    After Xiao finished one more round of feeding, Jingci smiled and said, "Let''s call it a day, shall we? If these silly birds eat any more, they might burst. Xiao, do you have time tomorrow? If you can, I hope you''ll continue to feed them for me for a while."


    Just as Xiao was about to agree, there was a sudden boom, shaking the entire screen. Xiao wondered what was happening as he looked around. Not far away, a building with carved beams and painted rafters was billowing smoke.


    "Damn it, that girl has blown up the Alchemy Furnace again! No good, she''s coming this way, let''s get out of here quick." Saying this, the figure flickered and vanished into thin air as if invisible.


    Although Xiao was confused, he could tell something wasn''t right and also prepared to take off, but it was too late. A ball of fire suddenly exploded next to the Beast Pen, not with great force. When the flames cleared, a girl in fiery red clothes appeared before Xiao, the patterned fire apparently the result of some kind of teleportation Spell she had used.


    The girl was quite pretty, her jet-black hair simply tied with a golden ring and devoid of any decoration. She held a short rod akin to a Wizard''s magic wand in one hand, while her other hand cradled a large-bellied gourd, looking around furtively.


    "Second senior brother, why are you running? Come on, come and try the Myriad Turn Silver Elixir I''ve just concocted!" After calling out for a while with no response, the girl felt somewhat embarrassed. Turning to Xiao, she flashed a malicious look and spoke with a sweet voice, "Hey, handsome, you''re lucky today. Come try my freshly concocted Myriad Turn Golden Elixir!"


    Xiao clicked on the girl''s name with his mouse, Ji Xiangyun (Disciple of the Mystic Hollow Palace)¡ªit was yet another NPC with a green name.


    PS: Starting from the 26th, there will be a category image rotation recommendation, with two updates every day.

 Chapter 51

    (Are green-named NPCs really that worthless, or is it because Mystic Hollow Palace is set by the system to be so powerful that it can gather so many NPCs with high potential as disciples?) Xiao Buli understood in a flash.From Jingci''s reaction earlier on, it seems that this Ji Xiangyun must be quite a troublesome person, right? Best not to take the elixir.


    Typing he said, "I am neither injured nor ill, I''d better not take this medicine."


    Ji Xiangyun, upon hearing this, was unwilling to give up, "My Myriad Turn Spiritual Pill can cure diseases and heal injuries if you''re sick or hurt, detoxify you if poisoned, and even if you''re healthy it can strengthen your physique. Who knows, it might even permanently improve your attributes."


    Xiao Buli got a bit confused, "Wait a second, what exactly is the name of this medicine? Is it a silver pill, a golden pill, or a spirit pill?"


    Ji Xiangyun giggled, "Well, I haven''t quite decided yet. I''m waiting to see the effects after you''ve taken it to decide on a name."


    So, she wants to use me as a guinea pig, Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    (The risks are too big, and the benefits are unclear. Better to refuse.)


    Thank you for your kind offer, Miss, but before he could finish typing, and send the message, Ji Xiangyun suddenly said, "You should think carefully, you know. If you refuse, it might decrease your favorability."


    Xiao Buli froze for a moment, why did it feel so incongruous to hear such a thing from an NPC?


    He hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, "What do you mean by favorability?"


    "What favorability? I didn''t say anything," Ji Xiangyun denied bluntly, "Hey, are you going to eat it or not? I must tell you, there are benefits to eating my elixirs."


    System Notification: Triggered the quest ''Ji Xiangyun''s Medical Experiment''.


    Quest details: Try eating the elixir refined by Ji Xiangyun. Completing this quest can earn Ji Xiangyun''s favorability.


    Xiao Buli looked at the quest trigger notification and the saved conversation between the two for a long moment, then suddenly laughed. If it weren''t for the fact that the other party''s words were colored like an NPC''s, he would have almost thought she was another player. But then again, this wasn''t a game that followed normal logic, was it?


    "May I ask who has been testing the medicine before me?"


    "Of course, it was Second Senior Brother," Ji Xiangyun replied.


    (I see, so it shouldn''t be that dangerous; otherwise, Jingci wouldn''t still be alive to this date.)


    "Then, may I ask if Master Xuanxu Zi is also proficient in alchemy?"


    "Of course, I learned my alchemy from him. But his alchemy skills are much more formidable than mine," Ji Xiangyun said.


    Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief, (That way, if I do get poisoned, Master Xuanxu Zi will be nearby. He surely can''t just stand by and do nothing, and who knows, maybe he will take me as his disciple out of guilt for his disciple''s mistake? Hmm, it''s not very likely, but I cannot completely rule it out.)


    "Hey, are you going to eat it or not?" Ji Xiangyun urged again.


    After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Buli decided to accept the quest.


    Accepted Quest: Ji Xiangyun''s Medical Experiment.


    Quest details: Try eating the elixir refined by Ji Xiangyun. Completing this quest can earn Ji Xiangyun''s favor.


    Ji Xiangyun became immediately overjoyed, "That''s more like it. Here, my precious Immortal Pill is right here."


    Xiao Buli glanced at the quest item he had received.


    Mysterious Blue Pill: A pill made by an unknown method, emitting a strange smell, with unknown effects.


    (I do have a protagonist''s aura with seventeen luck points, maybe I could really gain some attributes.)


    With that thought, he double-clicked on the pill and swallowed it.


    As he swallowed the pill, his character suddenly fell to the ground and started trembling.


    System Notification: After swallowing the pill and feeling a strange sensation flowing through your body, you feel weakened. Your strength has permanently decreased by one point.


    What does this mean? Doesn''t seem too good, he glanced at his character''s portrait and noticed a new icon indicating weakness DEBUFF, its effect was a 10% reduction in all attributes for 24 hours. He then opened the attribute panel for a look and jumped, his strength value had indeed decreased by one point, and it seemed to be permanent.


    Xiao Buli sighed. It wasn''t going to be that easy, but at least he wasn''t dead, so he could accept this outcome.


    Ji Xiangyun looked terrified, "Hey, are you alright?"


    "Still not dead," Xiao Buli responded tersely as he typed, his character appearing to be in agony, which made him worry if this pain would manifest on his own body.


    At his answer, Ji Xiangyun smiled, "Don''t be like that. I wouldn''t let your sacrifice be in vain."


    No sooner had she spoken than a system notification appeared on the screen.


    System Notification: Thanks to your fearless spirit of self-sacrifice, Ji Xiangyun''s favorability towards you has increased by 30 points, and your prestige at Mystic Hollow Palace has increased by 30 points.


    It turned out to be a way to earn prestige points after all. Not a total loss, Xiao Buli comforted himself, checking the prestige points which were now at 100/300. At this rate, reaching a friendly reputation level within three days should be achievable.


    "Alright, it''s getting late, I need to rest. See you tomorrow."


    Watching Ji Xiangyun vanish in a blast, Xiao Buli also shut down the computer to log off, and as he lifted his leg, he noticed that he couldn''t feel any pain from the injury on his leg anymore.


    When Xiao Buli woke up the next morning, his whole body felt as if it had been run over by a car; he was sore all over, and he could barely muster the strength to walk. This must be the side effect of that pill.


    As he walked into the dining hall, Li Baocheng and Han Baiqiang were happily discussing something. They quickly stopped their conversation when they saw Xiao Buli enter.


    "Hey, Xiao, you don''t look so hot. Are you sick?"


    "It''s nothing, just a bit of a cold."


    Han Baiqiang took over the conversation, "Old Xiao, guess what, we found Nine Dragons City last night, and we''ve settled down there. Next, we plan to save money to change classes. Where are you now, and when can you come over?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head listlessly, "I''m afraid I''ll need some more time, I''m trapped in a valley with a tiger outside and I can''t get out for now."


    "That''s too bad," Li Baocheng said, though his face betrayed no disappointment. Han Baiqiang patted his shoulder but didn''t say anything else.


    A while later, Li Jian arrived and seeing Xiao Buli in this state, he advised him to rest a bit. Xiao Buli dared not agree; his time was extremely limited. If he failed, all his efforts would have been in vain.


    After a quick breakfast, he went to the computer room and logged into the game. Before him was the sunny Mystic Hollow Valley. The beautiful, picturesque scenery made Xiao Buli a bit curious. Since entering the game, whether it was Dahuang Village, the black wastelands, or Misty Forest, the game had mostly presented a desolate and bleak atmosphere, with a very obvious dark theme.


    However, this valley seemed like a completely different world, which made him even more curious about what kind of existence Mystic Hollow Palace really was.


    After his moment of reflection, he headed to the Beast Pen, where Jingci was already waiting.


    "Ah, Buli, you''ve come! My little apprentice sister didn''t give you a hard time yesterday, did she?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "It wasn''t too bad, she just gave me a pill to take."


    "You don''t look so good. Maybe I should do it myself today."


    Xiao Buli said, "No worries, I can handle it." He thought to himself that if Jingci really felt bad, it would be good if he could earn some favor points.


    Jingci saw this but said nothing else, "Well then, let''s start."


    Fifteen minutes later, the first feeding was done, but this time he only gained 5 favor points and 5 Prestige Points. It seemed like it was going to get slower, but Xiao Buli was already prepared and wasn''t disappointed. He kept working.


    He had only fed the beasts twice and just increased his Prestige to 110/300 when suddenly, a blast of flame exploded beside them. When the smoke cleared, Miss Ji Xiangyun made her dramatic appearance once again.


    Jingci''s instinct was to run, but Ji Xiangyun said, "Don''t worry, Second Senior Brother, I''m not here for you."


    Then she turned to Xiao Buli, "How about it, are you still interested in continuing?"


    Trigger quest: Ji Xiangyun''s Second Medical Experiment. Accept / Decline?


    Quest details: Take the pill concocted by Ji Xiangyun. Completing this quest will increase Ji Xiangyun''s favor toward you.


    Xiao Buli thought, do I even have a choice? It seemed like this girl had him pegged, but indeed he didn''t have an option; in order to raise his Prestige as quickly as possible he couldn''t let any opportunity pass him by.


    He clicked accept. This time the pill was a small, black tablet.


    Mysterious Black Pill: A pill made by an unknown method, emitting a strange smell, with unknown effects.


    Aside from the color, there was no difference, so he went ahead and double-clicked his mouse without another word.


    Once again, his character collapsed to the ground, a Weakness DEBUFF stacking on him once more, though fortunately the previous one was about to end.


    System Notification: As a strange sensation emerged in you, you feel even weaker, permanently decreasing your stamina by 1 point.


    Checking his Attributes, his stamina indeed decreased by 1 point.


    System Notification: Due to your fearless spirit of self-sacrifice, Ji Xiangyun''s favor towards you increased by 20 points, and your Prestige in Mystic Hollow Palace increased by 20 points.


    This was a fast way to boost Prestige, but the hit to his Attributes was painful. Fortunately, in this game, Attributes could be increased through the practice of Professional Skills, otherwise, it would truly be a ridiculously demanding quest.


    (The cost of gaining Prestige was steep, but it was still acceptable compared to the rewards.) Xiao Buli thought calmly and asked Jingci, "Can we continue?"


    What he didn''t notice was the amused look that crept onto Ji Xiangyun''s face as he resumed feeding.


    By late afternoon, Xiao Buli had earned 100 points of favor by helping Jingci feed Immortal Cranes, thus gaining 100 Prestige Points for Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Glancing at his Prestige, which was now 200/300, Xiao Buli was about to continue earnestly with the feeding when Jingci stopped him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Brother Buli, you really have helped me a lot and I would feel terrible imposing on you further, especially since you don''t seem to mind. The Immortal Cranes have grown big enough, and I think they can now fend for themselves in the valley, so there''s no need to trouble you anymore, Brother Xiao.


    I can''t possibly repay you for the great favor you''ve done for me, but here''s some of the knowledge I''ve recorded about the wild beasts of the Immortal Realm. If you wouldn''t mind, please accept it."


    System Notification: You have completed the quest ''Jingci''s Free Labor''.


    Quest reward: "Wild Beast Knowledge: Immortal Realm Edition".


    Xiao Buli sighed with some relief but also with disappointment; he had feared that the continuous Prestige boost couldn''t last forever, and it seemed that was now true.


    However, it hadn''t been for nothing, and the unexpected quest reward was a pleasant surprise.


    He inspected the Skill Book he received.


    "Wild Beast Knowledge: Immortal Beasts Edition": This is an informative book on wild beast knowledge. Using this item, you will learn how to tame the wild beasts of the Immortal Realm. The prerequisite skill ''Wild Beast Knowledge'' is required.


    What a great item! Although he didn''t know what made Immortal Beasts so special, they must be far superior to ordinary beasts, probably akin to special pets or spirit beasts in World of Warcraft?

 Chapter 52 Advanced Swordsmanship

    Strictly speaking, Xiao Buli wasn''t the most outstanding member n the Qingyang Studio when it came to gaming skills. In terms of operation, he couldn''t match Xiao Ge, in commanding he was no match for Han Wenhuan, and his understanding of game production was not as good as Li Shuren''s. However, he had an advantage that the others lacked: a superior analytical ability.Recently, due to excessive concern for his character in the game, Xiao Buli had been somewhat lost in the confusion of being too involved. But as he gradually returned to his original perspective of detached observation, his grasp of certain details he might have overlooked in the past became increasingly clear.


    He opened the Skill Bar and looked at "Wild Beast Knowledge" only to find that a new branch skill had appeared underneath, specifically about Immortal Beasts.


    Immortal Beasts: These are a general term for the beasts living in the Immortal Realm. Unlike the wild beasts of the Mortal Realm, Immortal Beasts that have been absorbing the Spiritual Energy of the Immortal Realm for a long time have evolved a variety of magical Spell Abilities, mainly healing and enhancement abilities, making them excellent allies for supporting roles in combat.


    Although "Wild Beast Knowledge: Immortal Beasts Section" was just a Skill Book, the implications it contained were very rich in his eyes. Firstly, since there was a chapter on the Immortal Realm, there must certainly be an actual place called the Immortal Realm.


    And since there was a chapter for the Immortal Realm, there should be other chapters as well, such as ones for the Demon Realm, Divine Realm, and others, and likewise, these realms must also exist.


    If Immortal Beasts absorb Immortal Qi and possess healing and enhancement Spell Abilities, then surely the wild beasts of other realms must also have their own distinctive Spell Abilities. Depending on the enemy, bringing different wild beasts to assist in battle would be the core concept behind Taming Skills, right?


    As he thought about this, he asked Jingci for confirmation. Perhaps because of the high 100 points of affection, Jingci answered all his questions without hesitation.


    "Of course, there are many other worlds; I''m not sure how many there are in total. However, I do know what the other branches of Wild Beast Knowledge are.


    If I remember correctly, the sections are ''Wild Beast Knowledge: Immortal Realm Chapter,'' ''Wild Beast Knowledge: Demon Realm Chapter,'' ''Wild Beast Knowledge: Netherworld Chapter,'' ''Wild Beast Knowledge: Divine Realm Chapter,'' ''Wild Beast Knowledge: Devil Realm Chapter,'' and ''Wild Beast Knowledge: Exotic Beasts Section.''


    "So that makes a total of five different realms? Then what are the Exotic Beasts introduced in the Exotic Beasts Section?"


    "Exotic Beasts are special wild beasts that exist in the Mortal Realm and are different from ordinary beasts, generally mutated from normal creatures and extremely rare in number."


    (This must be the currently most accessible special pet.) Xiao Buli thought and continued to ask, "Have you been to the Immortal Realm?"


    "No, although my master has. It''s said that only those who become Immortals can go there."


    "Are these Immortal Cranes actual Immortal Beasts?"


    Jingci nodded, "Yes, these are Immortal Beasts."


    Just as Xiao Buli intended to further inquire, a cough suddenly sounded from behind him, "Ahem."


    Xiao Buli turned around, and who else could it be but Ji Xiangyun. He thought to himself, here we go again. Ji Xiangyun had come to find him three times in a row before. Each time it triggered a quest: ''Ji Xiangyun''s Third Medical Experiment,'' ''Ji Xiangyun''s Fourth Medical Experiment,'' and ''Ji Xiangyun''s Fifth Medical Experiment.''


    As a result, two of the experiments had consecutively reduced his speed and physique by one point each and even worsened his Weakness status to the fourth layer. The third time he took an Elixir, he had a stroke of luck, and it boosted his Strength by five points, but the effect lasted for only an hour before fading, leaving Xiao Buli disappointed.


    Although the experiments were not very successful, Ji Xiangyun was thrilled with the results of the third trial, and his affection for Xiao Buli also reached as high as 80 points.


    This time, who knows what Elixir he wanted him to try.


    "Alright, I won''t say much else. After I went back last time, I carefully re-optimized the formula, this time it will definitely succeed. Come on, eat this."


    System prompt: You have triggered the quest ''Ji Xiangyun''s Nth Experiment.''


    Quest content: Test the Elixir refined by Ji Xiangyun. Completing this quest will earn goodwill from Ji Xiangyun.


    Accept the quest, receive a suspicious red pill.


    Xiao Buli directly swallowed it, and his character''s body suddenly turned red, the size increased notably, looking somewhat like the effect of the Bloodthirsty Art in World of Warcraft. Looking above his character''s head, there was a new BUFF called ''Giant Strength.''


    Giant Strength: Your Strength has increased by 10 points. This effect will continue for one hour.


    "Oh yeah! It finally worked!" Ji Xiangyun cheered ungracefully. After shouting twice and realizing someone was nearby, she stopped and looked at Xiao Buli excitedly.


    System prompt: Due to your fearless dedication, Ji Xiangyun''s fondness for you increased by 20 points, and your Prestige in Mystic Hollow Palace increased by 20 points.


    Ji Xiangyun: "I really feel bad for having you help me for so long; thankfully, it''s finally accomplished. From now on, I won''t have to bother you anymore. Oh, right, these are some successful Elixirs I made in the past. I''ll give them to you as a reward." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    System prompt: You have acquired items¡ª¡ªLifeblood Pill*3, Strengthening Bone Pill*3.


    Lifeblood Pill: Use to recover 40 health points within 20 seconds (can be used during combat).


    Strengthening Bone Pill: Use to recover 40 Stamina Points within 20 seconds (can be used during combat).


    Xiao Buli was seeing Elixirs that could be used in combat for the first time; it was indeed a nice gain.


    However, it was quite clear that it would no longer be possible to continue gaining Prestige from Ji Xiangyun.


    He checked his Prestige Points, which were currently at 220/300, still 80 points shy of reaching Friendly status. But how to proceed from here?


    Although Ji Xiangyun seemed not so easy to talk to, now that the fondness was at 100, it should be possible to ask for some information. So he typed and asked, "Aside from you and Jingci, are there any other disciples in Mystic Hollow Palace?"


    Ji Xiangyun: "Of course, there''s our eldest senior brother."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli immediately thought of the white-robed Sword Immortal from before. "May I ask if the eldest senior brother has any particular hobbies?"


    "Heh, are you trying to curry favor with him? That might be difficult. Our eldest senior brother is a martial arts fanatic; he has no hobbies other than practicing Swordsmanship. Unless you can find a profound Swordsmanship he has never seen before, it''s probably impossible to gain his good graces."


    Seeing this answer, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but frown. He did know a little about Swordsmanship, but something like Basic Swordsmanship, if presented to the eldest senior brother, would surely be embarrassing.


    His first thought was to ask Li Jian for help. Although the company''s policy was not to aid newcomers lightly, Xiao Buli never believed such rules were absolute. In his view, there were three kinds of people in the world: those who make the rules, those who follow the rules, and those who break the rules.


    To him, Li Jian certainly didn''t seem like the second type of person.


    As for the rule-makers above Li Jian, they create rules for the better development of the company. If he could learn spells and become a Mage Profession, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the company. Li Jian would surely realize this and would likely still offer help.


    But after hesitating for a moment, he temporarily dismissed this idea. Unless absolutely necessary, he still hoped to maintain some necessary independence.


    Since he couldn''t get help from the game, he would have to think of a way in reality. The improvement in Basic Swordsmanship and the appearance of the cold DEBUFF made him realize that reality could also affect the game. If he learned profound Swordsmanship in reality, then there should also be a chance in the game.


    But does such profound Swordsmanship even exist in reality? After thinking for a while, he came across a Swordsmanship technique that was said to be extremely profound, even considered one of the top-level martial arts in many Wuxia novels.


    Xiao Buli, testing the waters, typed and asked: "Have you heard of Tai Chi Sword Skills?"


    "Tai Chi Sword Skills? What kind of Swordsmanship is that? It sounds quite powerful," Ji Xiangyun seemed quite curious.


    Jingci''s reply was much more realistic, "Never heard of it. But surely you don''t mean that you know this so-called Tai Chi Sword Skills?"


    The responses from both made Xiao Buli happy at heart. It seemed that this Tai Chi Sword Skills might not exist in the game, and the only question left was whether Tai Chi Sword Skills were indeed the ''profound Swordsmanship'' he was looking for?


    However, thinking alone would be of no use in finding the answer; he had to try it to know.


    PS: There is another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 53 Tai Chi Sword Skills (Pseudo)

    For the next hour or so, Xiao Buli was far from idle, having wandered through every accessible place in Mystic Hollow Palace, yet he didn''t uncover any more clues that could boost his Prestige. It seemed he had no choice but to start with Gu Yuexuan.As five o''clock approached and it was nearly time to finish work, Li Jian suddenly stood up from his seat.


    "Everyone, pause what you''re doing for a moment, I''ve got something to say. Tomorrow is Sunday, and ordinarily we''d have the day off. However, since everyone is at a critical juncture in the game, there might be those who can''t really leave it be. So, if you don''t want to leave the company, you can continue to work overtime.


    I''ll explain it to Manager Qin, of course, there won''t be any overtime pay," he said, half-jokingly. Li Baocheng laughed appreciatively as if Li Jian''s joke was very funny, while Han Baiqiang just curled his lip.


    "So, is anyone planning to stay?" Li Jian asked, his gaze sweeping over the three men.


    "Li, I''m staying," Li Baocheng said excitedly. "I''ve taken on an epic quest recently, and with a little more effort, I can change my class, so I certainly won''t waste any time." He spoke with the enthusiasm of a protagonist in some hot-blooded manga.


    Han Baiqiang nodded unhappily, "I''ll stay too, I''m also close to changing my class."


    Li Jian nodded, seemingly approving of their decision, then he turned toward Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli, however, shook his head, "I plan to go out tomorrow."


    Li Jian smiled and said no more.


    Early the next morning, Xiao Buli collected his phone and left the company.


    He went directly to the Gu family estate in the suburbs, and since he had already notified Gu Shaobang the day before, it was easy for him to meet Old Mr. Gu.


    "You want to learn Tai Chi Sword Skills?" Sitting in the living room of Old Mr. Gu''s house, he asked with great surprise.


    "Yes, I do. Could old Mr. Gu teach me?"


    Old Mr. Gu nodded, clicking his tongue in wonder. He seemed to find it hard to understand why a young man like Xiao Buli would want to learn Tai Chi Sword Skills.


    "You haven''t been reading too much wuxia fiction, thinking Tai Chi Sword Skills are really powerful, have you?"


    Xiao Buli didn''t answer his question, but instead tried probing, "Aren''t they?"


    "Of course not. Perhaps ancient Tai Chi Sword Skills were quite formidable, but nowadays the version we have is virtually unusable in a fight. At least I''ve never seen it be effective. The moves are the same, but the power seems to have been lost, probably because many techniques and intricate details weren''t passed down properly," he said.


    "By the way, which version of Tai Chi Sword Skills are you interested in learning?"


    "Different versions? There are many versions of Tai Chi Sword Skills?"


    Old Mr. Gu nodded, "Certainly, there are quite a few different versions of Tai Chi Sword Skills. Broadly speaking, they can be divided into three types. The first is what ancient people practiced, reportedly very effective in combat and supposed to be used in conjunction with a Mental Method Mantra.


    However, by the modern era, it morphed into the second type, which is claimed to be powerful but is really not practical in a fight. The techniques are the same, but likely because a lot of skills and nuances were not passed down, they lost their effectiveness."


    "The reason this happened, I suspect, is because the ancients valued this knowledge highly, often teaching some while withholding some, and a lot of things about swordsmanship just can''t be conveyed in text alone. Without face-to-face instruction, it''s hard to be clear.


    Since they didn''t have video cameras back then, the true essence was basically lost in transmission, though the general techniques were preserved. But even so, there are still many who practice this kind of swordsmanship, hoping to rediscover the legendary power of Tai Chi Sword Skills. However, whether anyone has succeeded, I can''t say, at least I don''t understand it," Old Mr. Gu said.


    "And the third kind?"


    "The third kind is what you see old men and women practicing in parks, a simplified version that''s easy to learn but serves little purpose beyond exercise and health." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having said this, Old Mr. Gu sighed, "Actually, the set I practice isn''t much use either, it''s just a bit more complex."


    After finishing his explanation, he glanced at Xiao Buli and asked with a smile, "Now that you''ve heard my introduction, do you still want to learn?"


    "Of course, I want to learn."


    "Oh, do you perhaps think you can grasp its mysteries and master the real Tai Chi Sword Skills?"


    Xiao Buli laughed, "Who can say for sure?" yet he showed no signs of wavering.


    "Alright then, if you really want to learn, I''ll teach you, but I must make it clear, I''m very strict with swordsmanship training. You better be mentally prepared," the old man was fond of teaching, and seeing Xiao Buli nod his head, he immediately sprang into action.


    He changed into practice clothes, and the two headed to the training ground where the old man casually took down two treasured swords hanging on the wall and tossed one to Xiao Buli.


    "Tai Chi Sword Skills are easy to learn but hard to master. The moves themselves aren''t difficult to learn, and it''s easy to mimic them, but the subtleties and delicate variations between the moves are hard to grasp. Additionally, beginners often make mistakes with coordination and continuity of movements. Due to limited time, today I will only teach you the general forms.


    As for mastering the intricate variations, you''ll have to work hard on your own. Come, I''ll demonstrate it from the beginning for you, watch closely, kid!"


    Having said that, the old gentleman began his performance. Although he couldn''t claim a deep understanding of swordsmanship, just watching the old man''s movements was enough to be impressive and a pleasure to the eye.


    After completing a set of sword techniques, the old man started explaining each move to Xiao Buli from the beginning. After each demonstration, he had Xiao Buli practice it. Naturally, some taps and knocks were inevitable throughout the process, but Xiao Buli, being the petitioner, dared not take offense and learned quickly with an open mind.


    Perhaps because of his background specializing in the One-handed Sword and his focus on form rather than detail, Xiao Buli mastered the general routine of the entire sword technique in just one morning. After the lesson, he practiced the entire set from start to finish. Though somewhat unpolished, he could already put it to use.


    His understanding of Tai Chi Sword Skills was naturally nowhere near mastery, and there were many discrepancies and omissions between the transitions of the techniques. However, the old man was astonished at Xiao Buli''s speed of learning swordsmanship.


    "You''ve learned quite fast, kid. Although it''s not quite there yet, your imitation is passable. So, now that you''ve learned the technique, have you discovered any mysteries?"


    Xiao Buli, noticing the old man''s teasing tone, replied with a slight smile, "Not yet, but who knows about the future?"


    Hearing this, the old gentleman laughed heartily, "If you really come to understand something, that would be great. Don''t forget to teach me then."


    "Certainly, certainly," Xiao Buli agreed promptly, as if he hadn''t picked up on the old man''s playful tone.


    Xiao Buli didn''t stay for lunch; he only had one day left. Upon returning to the company and checking in, it happened to be lunchtime, so he decided to grab something to eat first.


    Walking into the cafeteria, Xiao Buli noticed that there were surprisingly few people dining today; perhaps most had gone home for the weekend. Nevertheless, there were still some people around¡ªa group at a table across the way with quite a few beer bottles on it. It was Li Jian and his White Tiger group friends drinking with Li Baocheng.


    "Cheers! Little Li, you did a great job transitioning to your new class so quickly. Impressive, much better than when I started. I really see great potential in you. Why don''t you stick with us from now on? We could use a long-range class," said Ma Long, pouring beer and speaking at the same time.


    "That would be thanks to the few big brothers," Li Baocheng said with a beaming smile as he dutifully toasted each person in turn. Seeing Xiao Buli walk in, he seemed very pleased with himself and smirked at him, "Hey Xiao, want to join us for a drink?"


    Xiao Buli inwardly chuckled; Li Baocheng really was a funny fellow.


    He shook his head and ignored Li Baocheng''s obvious attempt at showing off. He had more important things to do.


    After grabbing some portable food from the dining table, Xiao Buli went to the data center, picked a computer in the farthest corner, shut the door to the small compartment behind him, put on headphones, and then logged into the game.


    The moment the game loaded, Xiao Buli felt a rare surge of excitement. Success hinged on this moment! Thinking this, he opened his character''s Skill Bar and saw a new skill added, his face instantly revealing a hint of surprise.


    Tai Chi Sword Skills (Imitation) LV1: This is a set of swordmanship based on Taoist philosophical concepts, seemingly profound and mysterious. However, due to missing some crucial details, its power is significantly reduced, and aside from strengthening the body, it appears to serve no special purpose.


    Sword Skill Effect: Activating this sword technique reduces your attack speed by 30% and increases physical strength consumption by 30%.

 Chapter 54 The Smithing Master and the Wanderer

    Tai Chi Sword Skills (pseudo) LV1: This swordplay is created based on Taoist philosophical principles and seems extremely profound and mysterious. However, due to the lack of certain details, its power is greatly reduced. Apart from strengthening the body, it appears to have no special use.Swordsmanship Effects: When you activate this swordplay, your attack speed decreases by 30%, and your physical strength consumption rate increases by 30%.


    The swordsmanship itself could be said to be utterly useless. Not only does it fail to enhance any combat attributes after activation, but it also reduces the attack speed by 30%, while the physical strength consumption rate speeds up by 30%. If brought into battle, it would be less effective than a simple slash.


    However, the ''seems extremely profound and mysterious'' comment gave Xiao Buli a glimmer of hope. He remembered that in many novels about crossing into martial arts worlds he had read before, the protagonists could bluff their way through with Tai Chi Fist or Tai Chi Sword Skills.


    According to the theories in those novels, even though the power of Tai Chi Fist and Tai Chi Sword Skills might be deficient, the theories behind them were very advanced. The only problem was the lack of a Mental Method Mantra or the support of matching inner strength, which made them seem so weak. But this was only for ordinary people. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once it fell into the eyes of those legendary masters in the Martial World, it naturally would be different.


    He hoped this theory was correct.


    With this on his mind, he walked towards the sword training field of Gu Yuexuan.


    The place where Gu Yuexuan, the eldest disciple, practiced swordplay was in a bamboo forest deep in a valley on a piece of open land.


    The closer Xiao Buli got to his destination, the more he could sense the unusual aspect of this eldest disciple. Along the way, he saw many bamboos that had been cut down, with cuts so neat and smooth that there were almost no rough edges, as if they had been cut by a laser.


    Such clean cuts were obviously not possible with an axe; the only explanation was that these were the results of Gu Yuexuan''s sword training.


    From a distance, he saw a figure practicing swordplay in white clothing as white as snow; sensing someone approaching, Gu Yuexuan stopped his movements and stood with his sword at the ready.


    "Is it you? What do you want?" Gu Yuexuan asked Xiao Buli with an expressionless face.


    "I''ve heard that Brother Gu''s swordsmanship is unmatched, and I wanted to ask for some guidance," Xiao Buli replied.


    Gu Yuexuan sized him up, saying skeptically, "You?" Xiao Buli explained, "I certainly do not intend to spar with Brother Gu. My swordsmanship is naturally not worth mentioning compared to yours. I''m fully aware of that. Actually, not long ago, I happened upon an old Taoist who taught me a set of swordplay.


    He claimed it was extremely powerful, but only a true master of the sword could comprehend its strength. I didn''t believe it, and after learning it, I found it to be a very peculiar set of swordplay, with no power to speak of. However, when the old Taoist used it against opponents, it was incredibly powerful.


    I couldn''t figure out the key to it, so I wanted to ask Brother Gu to help evaluate this swordplay."


    Gu Yuexuan nodded noncommittally, "Then show me."


    Without another word, Xiao Buli geared up and began to practice the moves in the air.


    Initially, Gu Yuexuan looked disdainful, but after a while, he seemed to become more serious. When Xiao Buli finished his performance, looking expectantly at Gu Yuexuan, Gu Yuexuan just snorted.


    "Hmph, it''s just so-so, but it does have some interesting points," Gu Yuexuan said, then walked away without paying further attention to Xiao Buli.


    What does that mean? Xiao Buli was puzzled as he watched Gu Yuexuan''s retreating figure. He had envisioned many possible reactions from Gu Yuexuan but didn''t expect such an outcome.


    Was it a failure just like that? It seems that luck really can''t solve everything.


    No, I must ask him for a clear answer. Xiao Buli didn''t understand where he had gone wrong. However, after searching the entire bamboo forest, he found no trace of Gu Yuexuan.


    Despite his confusion, he grabbed a hamburger and ate it thoughtfully until, after finishing two hamburgers, he began to piece together two possibilities.


    The first possibility was that Gu Yuexuan simply didn''t value the swordplay, so he left directly.


    The second possibility was that Gu Yuexuan hadn''t understood the swordplay yet and needed time to digest it.


    "I hope it''s the second option," Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    He wandered around the vicinity for another couple of laps, but came up empty-handed. He had intended to help Qingfeng Mingyue with some tasks to see if he could increase his Prestige, but Qingfeng Mingyue had made it clear to him that, since he wasn''t from Mystic Hollow Palace, he wouldn''t assign any work to him.


    Left with nothing else to do, Xiao Buli saw no other option but to log out of the game and leave the gaming room.


    As he entered the lounge, he unexpectedly saw Han Baiqiang smoking in the smoking area near the ventilation duct.


    "Hey, good afternoon," Han Baiqiang greeted him, sounding utterly bored, while he blew smoke rings.


    "Good afternoon," Xiao Buli replied. Normally, he didn''t like to smoke, but he was feeling so agitated that he was tempted to give it a try. He took a pack of some foreign brand cigarettes from the cigarette cabinet and lit one up.


    He never inhaled smoke into his lungs when smoking, but seeing Han Baiqiang comfortably puffing away made Xiao Buli curious to try it. He inhaled and immediately started coughing. It seemed he really wasn''t cut out for smoking.


    "You don''t smoke often?"


    "To be exact, I don''t smoke at all," Xiao Buli clarified.


    "What''s up, you encountering some trouble?" Han Baiqiang usually seemed carefree, but he could be quite attentive at times.


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "Just some minor troubles, nothing serious. By the way, did you succeed in changing your profession?"


    Han Baiqiang nodded.


    "What profession?"


    "I''ve become a Smithing Master, an advanced profession of a blacksmith, capable of forging weapons and armors," Han Baiqiang explained.


    Upon hearing this, a thought flashed through Xiao Buli''s mind, "A Smithing Master? That means you''re planning on taking the logistics path."


    Han Baiqiang nodded again, "Yeah, fighting all the time is fun but risky. Since this job is so important, I think it''s safer to walk the logistics path. It might be boring and perhaps earn less, but at least I don''t have to worry about losing my job."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that Han Baiqiang was indeed a practical person. Actually, if he didn''t know the secret hidden behind the game, he might agree with Han Baiqiang''s choice: to pick a specialized profession, make equipment, refine Elixirs, and so on.


    But once he truly understood that the real abilities within the game could be brought into reality, he found it difficult to accept such a professional choice.


    Besides, even if he took the logistics path, it wouldn''t necessarily be absolutely safe. Xiao Buli could easily think of several potential scenarios that could lead to death. Compared to that, combat professions could at least protect themselves when dangerous situations arose.


    "What profession did Li Baocheng choose? He seems quite popular."


    "Wanderer. It''s said to be very advantageous in field battles, capable of exerting great power in the wilderness, somewhat like a Ranger but focuses on ranged attacks," Han Baiqiang said.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself no wonder Li Baocheng was so confident he would be assigned to the White Tiger Group, such a profession could indeed only maximize its power within the White Tiger Group.


    It seemed that both of them were not foolish, either. Although it was ultimately the company that assigned groups, determining one''s direction of development in advance would certainly have an impact at the time of assignment. After all, if the company had any sense, they wouldn''t likely place a Smithing Master in the Azure Dragon Group, or a Wanderer in the Xuanwu Group.

 Chapter 55 Mystic Hollow Palace Entry-level Disciple

    Xiao Buli had also considered which group he would be assigned to. The Vermilion Bird Group was Xiao Buli''s ideal choice since, although the Green Dragon Group and the White Tiger Group might be allocated more resources and receive better treatment, the casualty rate was estimated to be quite high.Moreover, the Vermilion Bird Group, specializing in espionage, would certainly be privy to information that members of other groups did not know.


    Xiao Buli did not plan to stay with this company indefinitely. If he could obtain the game client, he would look for an opportunity to leave.


    Unfortunately, getting hold of the game client was not so easy. He had tried to copy the client before but completely failed. He hadn''t even been able to find any files on his computer that remotely resembled the client¡ªit was as if the game were an absent ghost.


    After all, Xiao Buli had experience creating game cheats, writing autofarm scripts, and even playing with computer hacking as a nearly professional hacker. However, despite his computing skills, trying to understand how this game operated was still utterly baffling.


    It seemed the only option would be to move the entire computer out, but taking such a large object from the company was not going to be easy.


    Therefore, after considering the possibility of failure, Xiao Buli secretly decided that if he could not learn any spells or the like tomorrow at the Mystic Hollow Palace, he would try to change his occupation to something like an assassin or thief. That way, his chances of being distributed into the Vermilion Bird Group would greatly increase.


    The next day, Xiao Buli, as usual, arrived at the computer room on time. After logging into the game, he prepared to continue searching for opportunities to increase his Prestige Points. Although yesterday''s efforts had proven fruitless, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he did not intend to give up.


    However, he had not gone far when a white figure descended from the sky and landed in front of him.


    "You''re here; come with me," Gu Yuexuan said nonchalantly, though his words made Xiao feel anything but casual. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao thought there might be a chance; Gu Yuexuan would not have sought him out for no reason, likely because of the Tai Chi Sword Skills. With this in mind, he followed his senior disciple brother into the bamboo forest.


    Once they reached the bamboo forest, Gu Yuexuan stopped, turned around, and spoke earnestly, "I took your swordplay technique back with me yesterday and studied it carefully. Although the moves are still rough and quite unnatural in places, the swordplay concept is extremely profound. I pondered over it for half a day and also grasped some sword principles myself. I''ve always disliked owing favors.


    Although you came to me for guidance, I indeed benefited from it."


    "I''ve revised the swordplay technique once over, enhancing its power and its special effects to a greater extent. While it can''t be considered a peerless martial art, it is certainly a decent technique. If you are willing, I can teach it to you, and then we''ll be even," Gu Yuexuan offered.


    System notification: Gu Yuexuan wants to teach you Tai Chi Sword Skills (True). Do you wish to learn?


    Xiao''s heart leaped with joy. Tai Chi Sword Skills (True) was an excellent find¡ªif it was as powerful as the legends said, it would surely be an unrivaled technique in the real world. Just as he was about to accept, he suddenly stopped.


    In a matter of mere seconds, he rapidly analyzed the potential consequences of his next decision.


    If he chose to accept, it was clear that he would obtain the Tai Chi Sword Skills (True). Yet Gu Yuexuan mentioned he did not like to owe favors; learning this technique would mean they were square, probably implying that he might not increase Xiao''s favorability with him anymore. Although it was only a possibility, such an outcome could signify the end of his journey at the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    All the Attribute Points and efforts he had spent would be in vain.


    But what if he refused? He would then owe a favor to Gu Yuexuan, who, from their previous conversation, obviously appeared to be a very proud and arrogant individual. Such people can hardly stand being in someone else''s debt. Perhaps by leveraging this owed favor to ask for his help to join the Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao could succeed.


    With this in mind, Xiao steeled his heart despite the pain of his decision. The primary goal was still to increase his Prestige to a friendly level; even if there was only a partial chance of failure, he could not afford to learn Tai Chi Sword Skills (True).


    He then slowly moved the mouse over ''No'' and firmly clicked it.


    "To be frank, I do not have much interest in the art of killing that swordplay is. I study it occasionally only for self-defense. What I truly wish to learn are the skills to heal and save lives. If Gu can teach me some healing spells, I would be immensely grateful," Xiao said.


    Gu Yuexuan fell silent at once. Xiao was genuinely worried the other might have such skills and would just casually teach him one to send him on his way. But it seemed that, just as he had guessed, Gu Yuexuan, being a combat-oriented NPC with Sword Control Technique as his main skill, likely did not possess such abilities.


    Gu Yuexuan: "I do know a few spells like that, but they require prerequisite skills to learn, which you can''t possibly have."


    Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, "But I don''t know what the prerequisite skills are?"


    Gu Yuexuan said impatiently: "It''s no use telling you, these prerequisite skills can only be learned by joining the Mystic Hollow Palace."


    "Is that so? Then could Gu help me out and speak on my behalf, so I can become a disciple of Daoist Master Xuanxu Zi? As long as Gu speaks for me, even if Daoist Master Xuanxu Zi refuses, I will have no regrets," Xiao Buli said with utmost sincerity. Gu Yuexuan seemed quite troubled by this request, but after thinking it over, he still nodded, "Alright, I''ll make an exception and help you out."


    System prompt: You have gained Gu Yuexuan''s approval, your Prestige in Mystic Hollow Palace has increased by 100 points, but Gu Yuexuan''s favorability towards you has decreased by 20 points.


    WHAT? Xiao Buli thought he had read it wrong and carefully examined it again, finding out that he really hadn''t made a mistake. The Prestige had reached a friendly 20/1000, but his favorability with Gu Yuexuan indeed had decreased by 20 points.


    It seems that rewarding kindness with ingratitude wasn''t very honorable after all. Although the Prestige Points increased, the favorability decreased. However, no matter what, things had ultimately worked out. With this, he should be able to join the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Seeing the time steadily approaching noon, with the time limit of his three-day stay at Mystic Hollow Palace almost up, Xiao Buli no longer hesitated and headed straight for the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace. Before he reached the entrance, he saw Qingfeng Mingyue approaching him.


    "Your timing is perfect, the Palace Master is looking for you. Come with me."


    Following Qingfeng Mingyue, they arrived at the main hall. Upon entering, he found not only Xuanxu Zi but also Jingci and Ji Xiangyun present, seated on either side of Xuanxu Zi.


    "Three days have passed, and it is time for you to leave. I will send Jingci to escort you out of the valley. After you leave the valley, do not come back. I have reset the Ninety-Nine Linked Rings Formation outside. If you fall into it again, you are guaranteed to have no chance of surviving," said the old Daoist as he flicked his whisk, seemingly entering a meditative state once more.


    Before Jingci could step forward, Xiao Buli quickly blurted out the reasoning he had prepared: "Daoist Master Xuanxu Zi, the world is now fraught with danger, and dark forces are gradually enveloping the earth. Humanity faces an unprecedented crisis. I genuinely wish to learn some skills to roam the world as a chivalrous defender and eradicate this evil. I beseech you to grant me this favor."


    It wasn''t clear if it was Xiao Buli''s persuasive words or his friendly Prestige that had an effect, but Xuanxu Zi opened his eyes, looked at the others, and asked, "What do you think?"


    Jingci said, "I think this Xiao brother is quite decent; let''s accept him."


    Ji Xiangyun also said, "Though he seems a bit slow and foolish, he isn''t too bad. I don''t see a big problem with it."


    "How about you, eldest senior brother?"


    "I have no objections." A voice suddenly came in from outside the door; it was Gu Yuexuan''s voice, yet he didn''t even show his face.


    After considering for a while, Xuanxu Zi, inscrutable, nodded, "Since that''s the case, you may stay. However, learning the spells of Mystic Hollow Palace won''t be easy. Starting from today, every afternoon you will learn the basic principles of Taoist Arts from me. Only if you prove your talent will you be able to further learn the Taoist magic of our Mystic Hollow Palace."


    System prompt: You have received Xuanxu Zi''s approval and joined the organization¡ªMystic Hollow Palace. You received the title¡ªMystic Hollow Palace Entry-level Disciple (Complete advancement tasks to earn the Mystic Hollow Palace Disciple title).


    PS: Not feeling too well today, will continue tomorrow

 Chapter 56 Tao Te Ching

    System Prompt: You have obtained the consent of Xuanxu Zi to join the organization¡ª¡ªMystic Hollow Palace. You have acquired the title¡ª¡ªEntry-level Disciple of Mystic Hollow Palace (Complete the advanced quest to acquire the title of Disciple of Mystic Hollow Palace).Title: Entry-level Disciple of Mystic Hollow Palace, those who possess this title can earn Contribution Value and Prestige Points by completing sect quests.


    Prestige Points can elevate your status within the sect, while Contribution Value can be used to exchange for spells, equipment, mounts, etc. You can exchange items at the Quartermaster of Mystic Hollow Palace and exchange skills at the Skill Instructor of Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Xiao Buli glanced and noticed that the names of the people of Mystic Hollow Palace had changed from the neutral yellow border to the same faction''s green border, and the title bar under everyone''s name had also changed.


    The title of Xuanxu Zi had become Sect Leader of Mystic Hollow Palace, and there was an additional line¡ª¡ª''Skill Instructor of Mystic Hollow Palace''. Qingfeng Mingyue''s title had also become Quartermaster of Mystic Hollow Palace, which he had not seen before. It seemed that such a change was only visible to members of Mystic Hollow Palace.


    System Prompt: Prestige System for members of Mystic Hollow Palace activated.


    System Prompt: Special Profession¡ª¡ªTaoist Advanced Quest activated; complete the quest to advance to the special profession¡ª¡ªTaoist


    Taoist: The basic profession within the Taoist magic system professions, which can be advanced to different types of advanced professions based on different development directions.


    After looking through a bunch of system prompts, Xiao Buli opened the prestige column and found, as expected, that there were many sub-prestiges under Mystic Hollow Palace prestige.


    Xuanxu Zi: 30/100, somewhat favorable impression.


    Qingfeng Mingyue: 0/100, impartial treatment.


    Gu Yuexuan:¨C50/0, slightly repulsive.


    Jingci: 0/300, ordinary friend.


    Ji Xiangyun: 0/300, ordinary friend.


    Xiao Buli had originally thought that a favorable impression of 100 was already the maximum. Now it seemed that it was just enough to be considered a friend, with ''Kindred Spirits'' and ''Sworn Friends'' being two higher levels of favorability. It seemed he had a long way to go to truly earn the friendship of this NPC.


    He spoke to Qingfeng Mingyue and inquired about the items that could be exchanged with Contribution Value. The lengthy list immediately dazzled Xiao Buli.


    Clear Wind Sword (light blue one-handed sword): Forged with high-quality blue steel, this treasured sword is light and sharp. Attack 7-23, Magic power +2. (Manufactured by Qingfeng Mingyue)


    Exchange requirement: 25 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige¡ªFriendly.


    Bright Moon Blade (dark blue one-handed sword): Made of high-quality patterned steel, the half-moon-shaped blade is very suitable for slashing, Attack 10-20, Armor Penetration +2. (Manufactured by Qingfeng Mingyue)


    Exchange requirement: 25 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige¡ªFriendly.


    Spirit-patterned Bamboo Armor (dark blue chest armor): Armor made of spirit-patterned bamboo, light and nimble, and provides some defense against magic damage. Armor +6, Nature Resistance +5, Physical Strength recovery speed increased by thirty percent. (Manufactured by Qingfeng Mingyue)


    Exchange requirement: 30 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige¡ªFriendly.


    Lifeblood Pill: Exchange requirements ............................


    Just these items alone, which only required friendly prestige to exchange, were much better than anything he currently had access to, not to mention those items that required Reverence and could be exchanged for silver equipment¡ªincluding silver equipment.


    What surprised him was that most of the equipment here was manufactured by Qingfeng Mingyue, who looked like a very young Taoist Boy but apparently was a master of craftsmanship.


    Above Reverence, there were categories of Reverence and Adoration for prestige, but he could not check what could be exchanged at that level. However, just the thought was exciting to Xiao Buli.


    Dark Gold equipment might even appear at that point.


    It seemed that Contribution Value was indeed something valuable.


    Scrolling down, although most items that could be exchanged for more than Reverence prestige were blocked, there were still a few items, inexplicably revealed, that caught Xiao Buli''s eye all of a sudden.


    Auspicious Cloud Immortal Crane (Flying Mount): A crane from the Immortal Realm with the special ability to perform levitation, capable of carrying loads far exceeding its own weight for rapid flight.


    Exchange requirement: 800 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige¡ªReverence.


    Good stuff, very good stuff, Xiao Buli thought. With this thing, no matter how big the world, he could go anywhere, and the life-saving effect was absolutely top-notch. Encountering danger, just take off into the sky, then who could catch up? But 800 Contribution Value points, that was dozens of times more than those blue-colored equipment, and he had no idea how long it would take to save enough.


    As for the Revere prestige, he wondered how long would it take to reach it.


    He closed the exchange interface, still longing for more. Compared to these external things like equipment, ammunition, mounts, and the like, what he valued more was learning spells.


    The exchange of Contribution Value for spells couldn''t yet be done, because according to Xuanxu Zi, he wasn''t yet capable of learning spells directly.


    This made him even more eager for the upcoming learning session.


    At one o''clock in the afternoon, he arrived on time at a side hall in the Mystic Hollow Palace called Mingwu Hall, where he sat opposite Xuanxu Zi.


    Although he had met Xuanxu Zi twice and had a conversation with him, he still felt quite unfamiliar with this old man who exuded the aura of a reclusive sage. Sitting opposite the old Taoist, he couldn''t help feeling a bit nervous.


    Xuanxu Zi said, "Before I teach you the knowledge of the Dao, I must ask you a few questions. The first question is, do you believe in the Dao?"


    A dialogue box popped up before Xiao Buli¡ª


    1. I believe.


    2. I do not believe.


    Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned. This time, unlike before when he had to provide the answer himself, the question had turned into a multiple-choice question. After hesitating for a moment, he still decided to choose 1, "I believe."


    Xuanxu Zi smiled slightly and said, "Do you really believe? Then I ask you, what is the Dao?"


    This time, it required him to type in the answer himself. After thinking for a while, Xiao Buli felt unsure how to respond and could only answer, "I don''t know."


    Xuanxu Zi shook his head, "If you don''t even know what the ''Dao'' is, how can you truly believe in it?"


    "Then what is the Dao?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help asking.


    "The meaning of Dao is manifold, but at its most fundamental, the Dao refers to the origin and universal laws of the universe. In fact, there is scientific evidence for the existence of the Dao. Do you believe that if you shake a box with a broken puzzle inside, it would automatically assemble itself?


    The complexity of the universe far exceeds that of a puzzle, and yet some people actually argue that the universe randomly assembled itself. Can you believe that?"


    Xiao Buli thought about it and felt there seemed to be some truth to it, but he wondered what this had to do with learning spells.


    Then Xuanxu Zi immediately asked the second question.


    "Do you have anything else you want to know about the Dao?"


    Another dialogue box popped up. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    1. How was the Dao generated?


    2. What is the ultimate purpose of the Dao?


    3. What benefits can learning the Dao bring us?


    Xiao Buli thought it best to be honest; it seemed pointless trying to play mind games with this old fellow. So, he chose 3.


    Seeing his choice, Xuanxu Zi laughed and said, "You really do have some spiritual insight, knowing what we should be most concerned with. Well then, let''s officially begin our lesson."


    Having said that, he gave him a book. Xiao Buli glanced at the title: "Tao Te Ching." He double-clicked it, expecting it would be like learning a Skill Book¡ªa flash of golden light followed by a system notification saying "You have learned the Tao Te Ching" and the Skill Book would disappear.


    But to his surprise, clicking it did nothing; it only displayed the item''s description.


    Tao Te Ching: A knowledge-based book that seems to have no special purpose other than to enhance one''s cultivation.


    When he opened the Skill Bar, there indeed was a skill called "Tao Te Ching," but its color was gray, indicating it was unusable.


    Tao Te Ching (Unlearned): A knowledge-based skill that seems to have no special purpose other than to enhance one''s cultivation. It requires continuous study and meditation to improve the skill level. It cannot be upgraded using combat experience. Current skill level LV0.


    Upon closer inspection, he realized that this Tao Te Ching, like Lu Jiang''s diary, was a book that could be read. He right-clicked, and the first page appeared, the opening chapter of the Tao Te Ching.


    The Dao that can be told of is not the eternal Dao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name...


    Could it really require studying bit by bit? Xiao Buli thought to himself in amazement, considering the game''s nature, it wasn''t impossible at all.

 Chapter 57 Finally Got a Blue Stripe

    Although learning this was indeed somewhat baffling to him, for someone living between the online and the real world, texts like the Tao Te Ching were quite abstruse. However, having overcome so many difficulties before, Xiao Buli absolutely would not allow himself to be stumped by such a challenge.Therefore, Xiao Buli began his journey of learning the Dao. He quickly discovered that this task admitted no shortcuts because Xuanxu Zi would quiz him from time to time. If he could not answer, the Tao Te Ching skill experience would not increase in the slightest. Correct answers could raise the experience by about 50 points each, and consecutive correct answers would grant bonus experience.


    To advance from LV0 to LV1 required 100 points of Skill Experience, LV1 to LV2 needed 200 points, LV2 to LV3 needed 300 points, and so on.


    In one hour, Xuanxu Zi questioned him a total of ten times. If all were answered correctly, reaching LV3 would not be a problem; even answering half correctly should at least allow him to reach LV2. However, Xiao Buli only answered correctly two or three times, gaining just a small increase in experience, barely enough to reach LV1.


    Xuanxu Zi seemed to sigh in disappointment, "Alas, it seems your comprehension is too lacking, ultimately not cut out for learning the Dao. Let''s stop here for today; we will continue tomorrow."


    Upon leaving Mingwu Hall, Xiao Buli did not feel disheartened. Today''s failure was merely due to his lack of preparation. But now that he knew that the so-called foundational theory of Taoist magic was the Tao Te Ching, things seemed much easier.


    He was a determined and tenacious person. Once he recognized the importance of something, he often could make great efforts and put them into action. Thus, he simply went back to his dormitory, downloaded an electronic version of the Tao Te Ching from the internet, and spent an afternoon memorizing it.


    Fortunately, the book was quite short, containing only around five thousand characters, so it wasn''t too hard to memorize.


    The next day during the lesson, his answers were much more confident. Toward the end, he almost seemed to reply with ease, and as a result, he leveled up the Tao Te Ching skill to LV3 within one hour.


    Xuanxu Zi said with satisfaction, "I didn''t expect your comprehension to be quite impressive after all. It seems I didn''t make a mistake taking you as my disciple. Now that you have memorized the Tao Te Ching, starting from tomorrow, let''s begin discussing its specific meanings."


    It seemed it wasn''t over yet. Xiao Buli thought. Luckily, the version of the Tao Te Ching he had downloaded came with a translation. He figured he could just answer according to that when the time came.


    But the next day, he realized he had been a bit presumptuous. Because of the time limits, often he didn''t have enough time to search for the answers before time was up, and so on the third day, he only got two or three questions right again.


    It looked like he had to return to his old methods! Xiao Buli thought.


    Of course, this old method wasn''t about memorizing the entire book verbatim. The original text was short enough, but the translation was well over a hundred thousand words¡ªfar from easy to commit to memory in ten days to half a month. Xiao Buli''s solution was to use the computer in his dormitory to write a small plugin over a few hours, specifically for this task.


    Even though it couldn''t be installed in the game, he could use it on his own laptop. This meant that by inputting a line from the Tao Te Ching, he could get the answer within seconds.


    By the fourth day, Xiao Buli once again demonstrated his power. With the combination of a laptop and a search plugin, answering questions flowed naturally for him. The skill experience for the Tao Te Ching soared, increasing at a rate of about 1.5 levels per day.


    Apart from studying the Dao, Xiao Buli did not stay idle. At Qingfeng Mingyue''s, there were many daily quests available, including mining, planting medicinal herbs, lumbering (bamboo), cutting grass, and breeding, quite similar to those in the village. Xiao Buli took on the tasks of cutting grass and breeding. Working diligently each day, he was able to earn about 10 Contribution Points each day.


    Meanwhile, as he was ardently studying the Tao Te Ching, Li Baocheng and Han Baiqiang were also making progress. After changing professions, Li Baocheng learned several advanced combat skills only available post-class-change, and with support from the White Tiger group, he was able to start leveling by hunting monsters near Nine Dragons City.


    As a ranged profession, following along meant he could still gain a substantial amount of experience.


    He even joined the group in clearing a common difficulty, color-white dungeon, and fought two rare Elite Monsters that spawned in the wild.


    Because of the game''s death penalties, players typically only engaged monsters and dungeons they could easily overpower, ignoring anything slightly stronger or even equal in strength. Even though the dungeon and the Elites weren''t that powerful, after a few days, he still managed to obtain a few decent pieces of equipment.


    Every time he met Xiao Buli, Li Baocheng always made a point to show off his gains, but noticing Xiao Buli''s consistent lack of reaction over time, eventually gave up. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Han Baiqiang took on several Forging tasks, supplying equipment to NPC armies of the Nine Dragons Legion in Nine Dragons City. His Skill Experience also skyrocketed, and it seemed as though the Xuanwu Group had already set their eyes on him. At least from the outside, it appeared that among the newcomers, he was the only one who seemed to be making almost no progress.


    But Xiao Buli didn''t care, his concern for the few thousand dollars difference in monthly salary had long since been trivial in his eyes, and as long as he learned spells, he was sure his treatment would definitely not be poor.


    By Saturday, Xiao Buli had earned more than 70 Contribution Points, and the "Tao Te Ching" finally reached LV10.


    As the last Q&A session ended, a flash of golden light suddenly enveloped Xiao Buli.


    System Notification: After a long period of dedicated research, your spiritual power has increased by 1 point.


    System Notification: After a long time studying and contemplating the "Tao Te Ching," you have comprehended ''Taoist Heart'' with a current skill level of LV1.


    System Notification: Since you have comprehended the ''Taoist Heart'' skill, you have advanced in your basic profession to ''Taoist'' and unlocked the Mana system.


    When the "Tao Te Ching" reached LV5, his spiritual power had already increased by one point, so Xiao Buli was not surprised by the first notification, but the next two caught his attention.


    He hurriedly checked the description of the Taoist Heart skill.


    Taoist Heart: By comprehending the ''Way,'' you have grasped the fundamental laws of the world''s operation. With this skill, you are able to learn or comprehend more supernatural abilities¡ªthis is a pre-requisite skill necessary for learning Taoist magic.


    Looking below his Energy Bar, sure enough, there was a new blue value bar. Seeing that blue bar, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but smile; at last, he had become one of those ''blue bar is king'' characters from the Mage Professions.


    At this time, the skill exchange system also opened up. Talking with Xuanxu Zi, he discovered that he could now use Contribution Points to exchange for skills.


    He hadn''t spent a single Contribution Point these days, saving up for this very moment, and quickly opened the skill exchange list next to Xuanxu Zi.


    There were hundreds of exchangeable skills in the list, and like equipment, exchanging skills required Contribution Points and Prestige, in addition to prerequisite skills¡ªnone of the three could be missing.


    Although there were many skills, there were not many that met his current standards. After summarizing a bit, Xiao Buli listed out the skills he could learn¡ªthere were about a dozen. These low-level spells required at least 20 Contribution Points, with the most expensive being 40 Points. If he were to learn all of them, it would cost nearly 450 Contribution Points.


    If he had enough time to earn Contribution Points, Xiao Buli could completely learn all these spells before leaving the Mystic Hollow Palace, and he felt that if he explained the situation to the company, there should be no problem.


    But the problem was that he didn''t want to tell the company about the goings-on within Mystic Hollow Palace; he needed to protect his secret, so he would have to learn as many spells as possible before the month was up.


    He calculated a bit; including Sunday, there were only 7 days left in the month. Subtracting the day it would take to travel to Nine Dragons City, at most he could earn another 70-80 Contribution Points. This meant he would have a total of 140-150 Contribution Points to use, enough to learn 6-7 spells, which meant he had to make some choices.


    PS: It seems I really spent too much ink on Mystic Hollow Palace, and some readers are getting impatient. But don''t worry, the protagonist is about to come down the mountain soon, and even more exciting stories lie ahead.

 Chapter 58 Spell Selection

    Actually, the key is to determine what kind of role one envisions for themselves. Initially, Xiao Buli thought that if he could learn spells like the Invisibility Technique or Earth Escape Skills, he could then join the Vermilion Bird Group. Therefore, his skill development naturally leaned toward subterfuge and life-saving.However, among the spells he was currently able to exchange, there were no such skills available. Even the most basic Shadow Escape Skills required a Taoist Heart LV2 to learn, which forced Xiao Buli to reconsider his positioning.


    According to the clues he gathered from Li Jian, Wu Tao, and others, the Mana-based Classes were the most scarce in this game, whether it was magic system DPS or support healers; both were extremely rare. In contrast, the tank roles that are usually very popular in other games were not in short supply, and physical DPS were ubiquitous.


    Among them, the healing and support classes were the most desperately needed within the Mana-based Classes. After all, most of the time, a magic system DPS can be replaced with physical DPS, but healing and support are irreplaceable.


    Thus, Xiao Buli positioned himself as a hybrid class capable of both healing and dealing damage, with even more emphasis on healing abilities. In choosing his skills, he took both aspects into account. Eventually, he selected eight spells to prioritize for learning and listed them in his notebook, although he was not sure how many he would actually be able to learn.


    Burst Talisman (Instant Cast Spell): Converges the power of flames with spiritual power onto the talisman, launches it at the target to inflict damage, range 30 meters, deals 5+9 (spiritual power¡Á0.6) = 14 points of flame damage, consumes 3 points of Mana, and uses one piece of Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requirements: 20 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Thunder Talisman (Instant Cast Spell): Converges the power of lightning with spiritual power onto the talisman, launches it at the target to inflict damage, range 30 meters, deals 5+7.5 (spiritual power¡Á0.5) = 12.5 points of lightning damage, consumes 3 points of Mana, and uses one piece of Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requirements: 20 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Ice Talisman (Instant Cast Spell): Converges the power of ice with spiritual power onto the talisman, launches it at the target to inflict damage, range 30 meters, deals 5+6 (spiritual power¡Á0.4) = 11 points of ice damage, and reduces the target''s movement speed by 10% for 3 seconds (this effect can be stacked up to three times), consumes 3 points of Mana, and uses one piece of Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requirements: 20 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Resurrection Skills (Instant Cast Spell): Uses spiritual power to heal a target, restoring their health points, range 30 meters, allowing them to heal 10+15 (spiritual power¡Á1) = 25 points of health over 5 seconds. Consumes 5 points of Mana.


    Exchange requirements: 25 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Touch of Healing (3-second Casting): Uses spiritual power to heal surface wounds of the flesh, removing or weakening an injurious effect (bleeding, tendon cut, fracture). Must be in close proximity to the target to use, consumes 10 points of Mana.


    Exchange requirements: 30 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Summon Rune Soldier (3-second Casting): Summons a Rune Soldier to fight for you, lasts for 30 minutes. Consumes 30 points of Mana, one piece of Talisman Paper, (you can control a number of Rune Soldiers equal to your Taoist Heart level).


    Exchange requirements: 40 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Spirit Armor Skills (2.5-second Casting): Uses spiritual power to enhance the target''s Armor, increasing their Armor Value by 7.5 (spiritual power¡Á0.5) points for 30 minutes. Range 30 meters, consumes 5 points of Mana.


    Exchange requirements: 25 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    Ethereal Armor (3-second Casting): Uses spiritual power to conjure intangible armor to protect a target, Ethereal Armor can last for 30 seconds or absorb 100 points of damage, and the target will not receive any external damage before the Ethereal Armor dissolves. Range 30 meters, consumes 10 points of Mana, one piece of Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requirements: 30 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, Taoist Heart LV1.


    There were a total of eight spells that he could currently learn, each of which appeared to be quite useful. However, since his Contribution Value points were limited, Xiao Buli needed to make judicious choices.


    Among them, the Burst Talisman, Thunder Talisman, and Ice Talisman seemed somewhat redundant in effects, so he planned to choose just one. After much deliberation, he finally selected the Ice Talisman. After all, his positioning was primarily support-oriented, and a spell with a slowdown effect would better demonstrate this role.


    However, even after passing on two spells, it was still a stretch. Exchanging these six spells would require a whopping 175 Contribution Value points, which did not quite match his calculations.


    It seems that if it really came down to it, he would have to give up one spell. As he pondered, Xiao Buli first exchanged for the Ice Talisman, Ethereal Armor, and Resurrection Skills.


    These three spells were the skills he needed the most at the moment: one for attacking, one for defense, and one for healing. With these three spells, his professional role was essentially taking shape.


    The golden light flashed three times consecutively, and Xiao Buli''s skill bar was updated with these three spells, which were much easier to acquire than the gradual process of reciting the Tao Te Ching.


    Both the Ice Talisman and the Ethereal Armor required Talisman Paper to cast. Fortunately, this paper didn''t have to be purchased with Contribution Value. At Qingfeng Mingyue''s two silver coins per pack, Xiao Buli spent 20 silver coins to buy 10 packs, with 50 sheets per pack, totaling 500 sheets of Talisman Paper¡ªwhich he estimated would last him for a while.


    He went to the training grounds of Mystic Hollow Palace and placed these three abilities on his most convenient shortcut keys. He lightly pressed 1 towards a training dummy, and with a snap, a piece of Talisman Paper emitting a blue halo flew out, -11, a bright red number appeared above the training dummy''s head, and at the same time, the dummy was coated in ice blue.


    After releasing five or six Ice Talismans, Xiao Buli stopped. Although the Ice Talisman was labeled as an instant cast, it took about one second per talisman on average. The damage output was actually lower than his physical damage. However, spell damage might seem low, yet it had an incomparable advantage over physical DPS: it ignored armor.


    No matter how high the target''s Armor Value was, it could deal full damage, which was very useful against those with extremely high defense.


    Next, he experimented with the Ethereal Armor spell. The casting motion of this spell was quite pleasing to the eye: he folded his hands together with eyes slightly closed. A ball of white light gradually gathered in his hands, and after three seconds, he abruptly opened his eyes and pointed at his target.


    The training dummy was immediately enveloped in a layer of white, semi-transparent, invisible armor. Xiao Buli approached and delivered several slashes, which produced clanging sounds as if striking a highly resilient, tempered glass. It took five or six sword strikes to shatter the Ethereal Armor.


    Xiao Buli nodded in satisfaction. The Ethereal Armor''s damage absorption ability was decent; it would definitely be useful in critical moments.


    He then cast a Resurrection Skill on the training dummy, but the spell was ineffective. After a moment''s contemplation, Xiao Buli understood. The Resurrection Skill only worked on living beings, and mechanical units like training dummies obviously could not enjoy its effects. It seemed he would have to test it another time. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After using those seven or eight spells, his Spiritual Power Value had depleted by nearly a quarter. Unfortunately, it couldn''t recover on its own. First, it could be slowly restored by meditation-related skills¡ªroughly one point of Spiritual Power Value per minute, fully replenished in half an hour. Second, it could be automatically restored by sleeping each day.


    Third, one would need Miracle Elixirs, which were costly. Xiao Buli had seen similar elixirs at Qingfeng Mingyue''s; a Heart Cleansing Pill that recovered 30 Spiritual Power Value in ten seconds cost 5 Contribution Value, whereas converting a Lifeblood Pill that recovered 40 health points in twenty seconds cost merely 1 Contribution Value. The difference was substantial.


    Xiao Buli thought that his next skill should be a meditation-related one. However, before that, he decided to review his current attributes.


    Intelligence: 13. ¡ª Higher comprehension, extremely strong analytical ability, average memory.


    Strength: 10. ¡ª Optimal carrying capacity 50 jin, maximum carrying capacity 100 jin, basic attack power 10, (one point of Strength corresponds to five jin of carrying capacity and one point of attack power).


    Speed: 12 ¡ª You''re quite fast. (Speed determines Movement Speed and attack speed).


    Agility: 13 ¡ª You have a pair of very dexterous hands. (Agility determines hit rate and the chance to dodge).


    Stamina: 12. ¡ª Stamina Points 120 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 11. ¡ª Health Points 110. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Charm: 12. ¡ª You are quite good-looking.


    Spirit: 15. ¡ª Mana 150, Spell Power 15. (1 point of Spiritual Strength corresponds to 10 Spiritual Power Value points, which corresponds to 1 point of Spell Power).


    Luck: 7. ¡ª Your luck is a bit unfortunate.


    Skills¡ª


    Life Skills: Breeding LV10, Grazing LV10, Harvesting LV10.


    Knowledge Skills: Wild Beast Knowledge LV2 ¡ª Wild Beast Knowledge Immortal Realm (subsidiary skill), Tao Te Ching LV10.


    Combat Skills: Taoist Heart (Passive) LV1, One-handed Sword Specialization LV3 (Passive), Taming Skills LV4, Chain Sword Strike LV2, Basic Swordsmanship LV3, Tai Chi Sword Skills (False) LV1, Emergency Dodge LV1.


    Spellcasting Skills: Ice Talisman LV1, Resurrection Skills LV1, Ethereal Armor LV1.

 Chapter 59 Selection of Professional Skills

    The spell was learned, but a new problem had emerged. How could he use these spells in reality?Xiao Buli didn''t immediately start experimenting, as past experience suggested that it would take at least a few hours for the changes in the game to reflect in reality.


    He restrained the urge to run back to his room and wildly cast spells on himself, and continued with the daily tasks of his sect. Since he had already completed the harvesting and breeding tasks, he reluctantly chose lumbering, an activity he wasn''t particularly good at.


    Although it might mean earning Contribution Value at a slower pace initially, he would still gain Attribute Points, so it wasn''t a total loss.


    Finally the evening came, and Xiao Buli hoped by then he would be able to use the spells. Back in his room, however, he began to feel perplexed again.


    The game hadn''t taught any incantations, let alone how to cast spells in reality. Moreover, it seemed that talisman paper was needed for the spell to work.


    The only spell that didn''t require talisman paper was Resurrection Skills, which required an injured target to be effective. He thought for a moment and remembered the fish tank in the kitchen where they often kept live fish, perhaps that would work for experimenting.


    At night, he took the opportunity to slip into the kitchen. Fortunately, due to it being late, there was no one around. He chose a small fish and hid it in his pocket before returning to his room.


    After securing his room door, he did not start experimenting in the bedroom, but went directly into the bathroom.


    He made a cut on the fish''s body with a fruit knife and held the fish in his hands, silently invoking the Resurrection Skill. There was no effect.


    He hadn''t expected it to be so easy to succeed, so this time he placed his right hand on the fish, somewhat reminiscent of a Wizard casting a spell on a Crystal Ball. He imagined a white light, symbolizing the Resurrection Skill, emitting from his hand, but after a long while, there was no response.


    Is it because my Spiritual Power isn''t focused enough? Or could it be that I need an incantation? He recalled that there was no incantation involved in the game.


    Forget it, focus the Spirit! He stared intently at the increasingly weak fish, with nothing else visible in his sight but the fish¡ª"Resurrection Skill!" he shouted. Yet¡ªthere was no response, and after a few final struggles, the fish flipped over, spat out white foam, and stopped moving.


    What exactly is going on here? Xiao Buli thought to himself as he flushed the dead fish down the toilet. Previously, the Basic Swordsmanship and Chain Sword Strike came naturally to him in emergencies. Could it be that the first use of a spell required him to...?


    As he thought, he picked up a fruit knife and looked at his left hand, measuring along the palm for quite some time.


    For the sake of the spell, here goes nothing! He gritted his teeth and hesitated no longer, cutting down with the knife.


    Intense pain arrived as expected, with the knife penetrating about half a centimeter into the palm, and after he made a cut more than a centimeter long, he stopped, the bright red blood flowing down the palm lines dramatically.


    Xiao Buli took a deep breath and began trying to use the spell to heal the wound. He concentrated his Spiritual Power on the wound just like before, imagining some form of energy passing through and healing it, but still there was no response. Despite staring until his eyes hurt, nothing happened.


    Xiao Buli raised his right hand, imitating a Wizard from a movie, then closed his eyes, like a fortune-teller in deep meditation. After trying for an hour, the wound on his hand showed no signs of healing.


    FUCK! Xiao Buli smashed the fruit knife against the wall in frustration, huffing and puffing for a while before he managed to calm down. However, he wasn''t someone easily discouraged. He believed there was an issue with his method¡ªthe game''s magic was beyond doubt, he must have mastered the spell already, it was just that he didn''t yet know the method.


    Perhaps he should start with Passive Skills first.


    He dressed the wound on his hand and went to bed early.


    Due to the pain in his hand, it was difficult for him to fall asleep. It wasn''t until around eleven or twelve that he managed to doze off, but even then, his sleep was restless. The pain continued to torture him, keeping him in a state of semi-consciousness. In his haze, he thought how nice it would be if the pain wasn''t so bad.


    Suddenly, a cool sensation came from his hand, as if he had applied menthol to it. The pain gradually subsided, and Xiao Buli finally fell into a deep sleep.


    When he woke up the next morning, he was surprised to discover that the palm of his hand no longer hurt. Removing the bandage, he found his left palm completely healed, not even a scar remained¡ªonly some dried blood to show that it had indeed been injured the day before.


    Xiao Buli was overjoyed at first; the spell had indeed worked. But then he fell into confusion, wondering how exactly could he use these spells?


    This question could only be answered through practice. For this reason, during the day he continued to work feverishly on acquiring Contribution Value. Despite how hard he worked, it was in vain. Tasks like lumbering and harvesting, which were laborious in nature, only awarded 5 Contribution Points each, and he could only complete two such tasks a day at most.


    In order to maximize his gains, he spoke to Li Jian and arranged to start an hour early in the morning and finish an hour late in the evening. Coupled with the hour saved from not studying the Tao Te Ching, he eventually decided to have his lunch at the workroom as well, saving another hour. That way, he effectively gained four extra hours a day, and he could now earn 15 Contribution Points per day.


    During the breaks from labor, he would run to Xuanxu Zi to study the hundreds of skills available for exchange.


    He initially planned to exchange for those seven spells, but clearly some modifications were needed. First, he needed to learn how to restore Spiritual Power Value, so he had to learn meditation. Secondly, he didn''t know how to make Talisman Paper. In the game, one could use silver coins to solve that problem, but there was nothing like that in real life. And even if there was, he wouldn''t trust it.


    After inquiring with Qingfeng Mingyue, Xiao Buli was told that not only spell-related skills were exchangeable at Xuanxu Zi''s place but also professional skills, with Talisman Paper crafting being one of the auxiliary skills within a professional field. Upon checking with Xuanxu Zi, he indeed found several professional skills available for exchange.


    There were a total of four: Alchemy, Rune Crafting, Mechanism Puppetry Technique, and Refining Treasures.


    Alchemy allowed for concocting various Elixirs, essentially equivalent to the World of Warcraft Alchemy, only that the Elixirs in this game were more precious and more effective.


    Rune Crafting was somewhat a combination of Enchanting and Inscription. It enabled crafting Talisman Paper and talismans, as well as carving Runes into equipment to add special effects to them.


    The Mechanism Puppetry Technique could initially create some interesting trinkets. Later on, it could even be used to make combat puppets that could fight alongside the owner. (The ''Armored Mystic Lions'' at the entrance of the Mystic Hollow Palace were rather powerful combat puppets.) It also included the ability to make flying mounts like the Griffin.


    Refining Treasures was even more impressive, capable of producing legendary Magical Treasures. For instance, something called the ''Jade Tiger,'' which was a jade sculpture that could be carried in a bag. In times of crisis, it could transform into a combat pet to assist in battle. Or the ''Brilliance Orb,'' which could generate a protective shield with a thousand health points, usable once per day.


    There was also the formless mask. Wearing it allowed one to take on the appearance of any person one had seen before. This might just be a toy in a typical online game, but in the highly realistic ''Absolute Death Domain,'' it was undoubtedly a heaven-defying treasure. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, regardless of which professional skill it was, exchanging to learn it wasn''t expensive. But the price for subsequent blueprints and materials was exorbitant. Especially the Refinement Treasures specialty required not only powerful spells to create corresponding treasures but also a variety of heaven and earth treasures as basic materials.


    Just hearing the names of these materials, Xiao Buli felt that even if he spent all he had, he wouldn''t be able to afford them. Moreover, a single Magical Treasure often required several, or even dozens of different materials to be crafted, which was synonymous with burning money excessively.


    Thus, after a slight hesitation, Xiao Buli chose to learn Rune Crafting, which he needed the most at the moment. Although he couldn''t afford the more advanced Runes yet, being able to craft his own Talisman Paper was still very useful.


    Meditation was a very cheap skill, costing only 20 Contribution Points, while Rune Crafting was merely 10 Contribution Points. It took Xiao Buli only two days to learn these two skills.

 Chapter 60 The Temptation of Four Advanced Professions (Revised)

    Meditation is a very affordable skill, costing only 20 Contribution Points, and Rune Crafting isn''t much more at just 10 Contribution Points. Xiao Buli earned enough Contribution Points to learn these two spells in just two days.However, while researching the skills available for exchange, Xiao Buli discovered a spell that looked somewhat familiar to him.


    Ten Thousand Swords Art (5 seconds casting¡ªguidance required): Use spiritual power to conjure 45 (Spiritual Power x3) Shadow Transformation Flying Swords to attack enemies within a fixed range, each flying sword dealing 10% of the base weapon damage, consuming 30 Spiritual Power Value.


    Exchange requirements: 120 Contribution Points, Taoist Heart LV1, Sword Control Heart Method LV3.


    Although the requirement for Taoist Heart was only LV1, the spell was marked as non-exchangeable. Xiao Buli read further and realized there was another prerequisite skill required.


    Xiao Buli then asked Xuanxu Zi, "Master, how can I learn the Sword Control Heart Method?"


    Xuanxu Zi said, "The Sword Control Heart Method is an exclusive skill of the Sword Control Master. Unless you change your profession to a Sword Control Master, you cannot learn it."


    "Sword Control Master? What kind of profession is that? Could it be an advanced profession of the Taoist?"


    Xuanxu Zi smiled and nodded. "Exactly, that''s correct."


    "But what are the conditions for advancing to a Sword Control Master, and are there other professions that can be advanced as well?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The requirements to advance to a Sword Control Master are extremely high. As for other professions¡ªwell, since you wish to know, I might as well tell you. The Taoist is a very common base profession available for conversion in many places, but the advanced professions that Taoists from different sects can become are each unique.


    There are only four advanced professions available in Mystic Hollow Palace, and the requirements for each are not what one would call easy. The four professions are Cursed Swordsman, Sword Control Master, Immortal Skill Master, and God Descending Envoy. As for the abilities and advancement requirements of these four professions, you just need to look at the painting behind me."


    Xiao Buli looked behind Xuanxu Zi and saw indeed a landscape painting on the screen. It bore four lines of verse.


    In the left hand the Pure Yang Sword, in the right the thunder''s light.


    With a gesture summon storm and rain, with a wave the sun shines bright.


    Ride the wind across all seas, sword control roams through desolate sights.


    At a flick shock heaven and earth, with a turn set yin and yang right.


    Though the poem wasn''t particularly good, its tone was extremely arrogant. Who had written it, Xiao Buli didn''t know. Xuanxu Zi casually pointed at it, and the lines of the poem separated, with golden text emerging beneath each line.


    Xiao Buli looked closely and saw written:


    The Cursed Swordsman, so-called ''In the left hand the Pure Yang Sword, in the right the thunder''s light.'' A miraculous profession that fuses swordsmanship with magic, achieving unity of sword and spell, its power far greater.


    Those who master it to its utmost depths can move freely among myriads of people, slaying enemies as easily as mowing grass, beheading generals as simple as reaching into a bag, known as the ''Limitless Sword Saint.''


    The Immortal Skill Master, so-called ''With a gesture summon storm and rain, with a wave the sun shines bright.'' A miraculous profession capable of commanding the forces of nature.


    Once mastered to the utmost depths, one can call the wind and summon rain, bring forth lightning and thunder, even revive the dead and mend bones back to flesh, almost indistinguishable from an Immortal, known as the ''Loose Immortal.''


    The Sword Control Master, so-called ''Ride the wind across all seas, sword control roams through desolate sights.'' A miraculous profession that seeks enlightenment through swordsmanship.


    Once mastered to the utmost depths, one can ride the wind with sword flight, travel thousands of miles in a day, slay an enemy from a thousand miles away, take a person''s head in the blink of an eye, known as the ''Sword Immortal.''


    The God Descending Envoy, so-called ''At a flick shock heaven and earth, with a turn set yin and yang right.'' A miraculous profession that communicates with Ancient Gods, summoning them to temporarily gain a portion of their power. Once mastered to the utmost depths, one can turn heaven and earth upside down, reverse the Qiankun, known as the ''Closest to God.''


    Xiao Buli gazed longingly, thinking to himself, my goodness, that''s incredible. If I could possess any one of these four abilities, whether in virtual reality or in the wide world, I would have so much freedom. And what could even this so-called Qilin Studio do to control me then!?


    ```


    Upon this realization, he subconsciously asked, "However, I wonder how one can advance in these four professions, and what are the requirements?"


    With a smile and not a word, Xuanxu Zi pointed casually, and instantly, rows of silver text appeared on the screen behind him.


    Cursed Swordsman: Advancement requirements, Taoist Heart LV3, spiritual power 20, any swordsmanship skill LV10, possession of the title Swordsmanship Master.


    Upon advancing, one can learn the core skill: Curse Sword Unity.


    Profession Introduction: The Cursed Swordsman is an all-rounder who studies both curse magic and swordsmanship. After prolonged cultivation, they have mastered the magical ability to integrate swordsmanship and curse magic into one. Spell skills can be enhanced up to LV5, and spell skills can be fused with swordsmanship skills to create unique skills exclusive to the Cursed Swordsman.


    Immortal Skill Master: Advancement requirements, Taoist Heart LV5, spiritual power 30.


    Upon advancing, one can learn the core skill: Taoist Magic of Nature.


    Profession Introduction: Immortal Skill Masters are those who, after long-term dedication to the Tao, have achieved a level of understanding allowing them to control and utilize the forces of nature. Spell skills can be enhanced up to LV10, increasing spell power by twenty percent and halving the required experience points for leveling up spell skills.


    Sword Control Master: Advancement requirements, Taoist Heart LV1, one-handed sword specialization LV10, any three sword technique skills LV10, possession of the title Sword Control Grandmaster.


    Upon advancing, one can learn the core skill: Sword Control Heart Method.


    Profession Introduction: Sword Control Masters are swordsmanship masters who have comprehended the Tao through their sword arts. Because of their extreme passion for swordsmanship and basic understanding of the Taoist Heart, they have mastered the magical ability to control flying swords with their spiritual power for attack and defense.


    However, this specialization leads to a weaker ability to learn ordinary spells, with spell skills only able to be heightened to LV1. They can learn and use Sword Control spells.


    God Descending Master: Advancement requirements, Taoist Heart LV10.


    Upon advancing, one can learn the core skill: Power of Descending God.


    Profession Introduction: God Descending Masters are the purest of hearts in the world, possessing the magical ability to communicate with ancient divine spirits, and can even temporarily borrow a part of their power. Most of the time, they are indistinguishable from regular Taoists, but once in a God Descending state, they possess the power to destroy heavens and earth.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but frown; while the advancement requirements for these four professions were different, none seemed easy to him, especially the last one, the God Descending Master. It might appear the simplest with only needing Taoist Heart LV10, but in reality, it was the most difficult. He didn''t even know how to level up the Taoist Heart skill yet.


    When he previously asked Xuanxu Zi, Xuanxu Zi told him that the skill Taoist Heart could only be comprehended by oneself and could not be learned through cultivation or teaching. Whether one''s skill level could be elevated was entirely down to personal fate and not to be forced.


    It was as good as not saying anything. From the advancement conditions of these professions, it was evident that improving Taoist Heart was increasingly challenging at each level, and it wasn''t a skill that could be mastered simply through effort. In comparison, sword technique skills were much easier to learn; with enough time and experience, one could eventually achieve them.


    Emotionally, Xiao Buli preferred to advance as an Immortal Skill Master. Commanding the wind and summoning rain, animating the dead¡ªthese were undoubtedly more practical than Sword Flight, which was merely equivalent to a free flight mount. However, Xiao Buli didn''t feel that he had the patience to slowly unravel the mysteries of the Taoist Heart skill.


    After all, this world was too dangerous; advancing a day sooner meant gaining greater power a day earlier, being in control of one''s destiny a day earlier. If he was given the chance to advance to Sword Control Master or Cursed Swordsman now, Xiao Buli felt it would be hard to resist such temptation.


    Thus, he immediately passed over the option of becoming a God Descending Master, and similarly, had half-passed the option of Immortal Skill Master. For the time being, his attention was still focused on the professions of Cursed Swordsman and Sword Control Master. The Cursed Swordsman gave him a vibe similar to the Demon Sword Master in fantasy games, yet different.


    As for the Sword Control Master, he had already glimpsed a bit of its prowess from Mystic Hollow Palace''s senior brother and realized it was a very powerful ranged and melee physical DPS profession.


    It seemed that after going out, the main focus should be on cultivating swordsmanship. As for which profession to transition into, that would depend on which conditions he met first.


    If there was an opportunity to advance into an Immortal Skill Master, that would naturally be best, but if the Taoist Heart level was truly insurmountable, then Sword Control Master and Cursed Swordsman were also acceptable choices.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    In the following days, Xiao Buli refrained from experimenting with spells. Considering that there were cameras everywhere in the studio except for the bathroom, he wasn''t sure where he could safely practice spells. He also didn''t have talisman paper; although he could ask Qin Shimoon to purchase some, there was a risk of arousing suspicion.


    Therefore, he decided to suppress the urge and simply wait until the end of the month to experiment at home.


    After completing several more tasks for his sect, the day to set off for Nine Dragons City finally arrived, with just one day left in his one-month period as a beginner.


    ```

 Chapter 61 Cleaning House

    After several days of completing sect tasks, just one day before the end of the one-month apprenticeship period, the day to set off for Nine Dragons City finally arrived.Early in the morning, the three of them had just started playing for a while when Li Jian walked in from outside.


    "Everyone, stop what you''re doing for a moment, I have something to say." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the three had leisurely prepared themselves to listen, Li Jian spoke loudly, "Today is the final day of the apprenticeship period, and tomorrow, senior management from the company will come to review your performance over the past month. This evaluation will determine your positions, team assignments, and salary treatment.


    So, please ensure that you move your characters to the safe zone in Nine Dragons City and log out before tonight''s session ends. If you encounter any difficulties, let me know in advance, and I will communicate with Manager Qin. I don''t want things to get ugly at that point."


    After he finished speaking, he waved his hand to indicate the end of the discussion.


    As Li Baocheng and Han Baiqiang turned back to their screens, Li Jian approached Xiao Buli.


    "Xiao Buli, will you be able to get to Nine Dragons City by tonight? Do you need me to speak to Manager Qin to send someone to pick you up?" As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Buli''s screen. Xiao Buli had been laying low these past few days, so low-key that it struck him as odd. What kind of bind was this guy in to still not have made it out to meet up with them in Nine Dragons City?


    Disappointingly for him, it seemed that Xiao Buli had logged off the game, perhaps to listen to his speech, but he didn''t pay much mind to it. After all, it was just a newbie; no matter what, how much trouble could they stir? Real life was not like those third-rate web novels filled with fortuitous encounters after a stumble.


    At most, Xiao Buli might have stumbled upon some hidden map and wished to explore it alone. The Misty Forest was probably not very challenging.


    Xiao Buli heard him but shook his head, "No problem, I''ll definitely be able to reach Nine Dragons City by tonight. Is there anything else?"


    "Nothing else," Li Jian shook his head and walked away.


    Once Li Jian had left, Xiao Buli logged back into the game and, facing the familiar vista, sighed. It was finally time to leave.


    He opened his character panel. In the last few days, he had accumulated another 60 Contribution Points, and by upgrading his Lumbering skill to LV10, he also increased his Strength and Stamina by two points each. Xiao Buli felt these five basic attributes were quite easy to enhance and planned to learn more similar professional skills when he had time to further raise these attributes.


    With these 60 Contribution Points, he once again visited Xuanxu Zi''s great hall. The first spell he wanted to exchange for this time was "Summon Rune Soldier," having a summoned beast to tank the monsters would always add a sense of security. Secondly, he also wanted to exchange for "Spirit Armor Skills"¡ªa very practical buff skill.


    However, no matter how he calculated, he didn''t have enough points. Unless he gave up on "Summon Rune Soldier," which wasn''t very useful in team battles anyway, he could exchange for two slightly cheaper spells. Yet, Xiao Buli needed the Rune Soldier to help him get out of the Misty Forest.


    If only he could have stayed a few more days. Xiao Buli thought with some regret, but there was no helping it¡ªtomorrow was the day of the apprenticeship period''s settlement, and he certainly didn''t want to be discovered by the company''s high ranks having found this place, the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    "Master, could you make it a bit cheaper?"


    Almost jokingly, Xiao Buli typed the question without any real hope.


    Xuanxu Zi: "Cheaper is definitely not possible." Xuanxu Zi''s response wasn''t surprising, but the next sentence piqued his interest.


    "However, I can give you a well-rewarded task, and even preallocate some of the task''s reward points to you."


    What luck! Xiao Buli was delighted and curious at the same time, "May I ask what task the master has for the disciple to undertake?"


    Xuanxu Zi seemed somewhat embarrassed to say, "To tell you the truth, it''s quite shameful. Although my Mystic Hollow Palace may not be prominent in the eyes of the world, it has been established for a few hundred years. Thirty years ago, a dishonorable disciple emerged from our ranks. This person committed many evils and behaved improperly.


    I have sent people out several times to purge our sect of this individual. Unfortunately, although he is not particularly skilled in anything substantial, he is extremely adept in the Art of Mysterious Phantoms, capable of changing appearances. After escaping our sect''s pursuit numerous times over three decades, we still haven''t resolved the situation.


    If you can kill this person and retrieve his head, you will be awarded 500 Contribution Points as a task reward. As the master of the Mystic Hollow Palace, I can also advance you 100 Contribution Points as operational funds."


    System Prompt: You have triggered a sect task, ''Purge the Betrayer.'' Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Could this be such good fortune? Xiao Buli thought, but he didn''t hastily accept the task even though the 100 Reward Points were very tempting.


    "May I know what the punishment would be in the case of failure?"


    "As long as you earnestly undertake the task, there will be no punishment even if you fail. Also, the 100 Contribution Points will not be reclaimed."


    Xiao Buli reasoned that there was nothing more to consider. He was currently both short of Contribution Points and methods to raise his sect''s Prestige. The previous labor-intensive sect tasks had only raised his Prestige by a little over 200, roughly equivalent to the Contribution Points earned, still far from the 1000 Prestige Points needed for respect. Continue your saga on empire


    He immediately accepted the task and received 100 Contribution Points, plus 100 Prestige Points for the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    He checked the detailed introduction of the task.


    Purge the Betrayer (Sect Task): Kill the betrayer ''Xuan Zhenzi'' of the Mystic Hollow Palace, return with his head to the master of the Mystic Hollow Palace, and you will receive Contribution Points and Prestige Points from the palace for completing this task.


    The task did not provide the exact location of Xuan Zhenzi, but Xiao Buli was unconcerned. In his opinion, it would be better not to encounter him¡ªthe name suggested that Xuan Zhenzi was of the same generation as Xuanxu Zi, having defected from the sect thirty years ago, and might be quite formidable seeing as he had survived for so long.


    He decided it was best not to act rashly; in the future, if he were to engage, he should recruit more people for the task.


    With these 100 Contribution Points, Xiao Buli now really had some leeway. He directly exchanged for the "Touch of Healing," "Spirit Armor Skills," "Thunder Talisman," and "Burst Talisman," leaving him with 25 points. After hesitating for a while, he exchanged for an Invisibility Talisman at Qingfeng Mingyue''s.


    Invisibility Talisman: A product combining the Taoist Invisibility Technique with Rune Crafting. Upon use, it makes a unit invisible for 30 minutes. Any offensive action or spell casting will cancel this state, and approaching high-alert units may also reveal the invisible unit (made by Qingfeng Mingyue).


    In reality, what Xiao Buli really wanted to exchange for was the Teleportation Talisman, which could have directly transported him back to the Mystic Hollow Palace, making it easy to return to learn more spells in the future. Unfortunately, that item required 100 Contribution Points to exchange, so Xiao Buli had to settle for the next best thing.


    With this talisman, he felt even more confident about reaching Nine Dragons City.


    PS: Another chapter coming tonight.

 Chapter 62 Broken Fang

    By nine o''clock, Xiao Buli was finally ready to leave, and both Ji Xiangyun and Jingci came to see him off.Jingci said with a smile, "Little junior brother, I don''t know how long it will be before you return, I really do hate to see you go."


    Xiao Buli said, "It shouldn''t take too long, when did my second senior brother become so sentimental? Is there something going on?"


    Jingci laughed, "Haha, you know me well. Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor. If you have the chance, could you find the other parts of Wild Beast Knowledge? If you can bring them back for me, I won''t leave you shortchanged."


    System Prompt: Mentor task ''Thirst for Knowledge'' triggered.


    Task Details: Find the parts of Wild Beast Knowledge for your second senior brother Jingci. Each part collected will increase your Prestige and Contribution Value at Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Xiao Buli readily accepted, as he was in desperate need of Prestige at the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Ji Xiangyun also stepped forward, "Hey, since he''s already asked, I won''t be shy either. I need some alchemy materials, here''s a list I''ve made. Get them for me too, don''t worry, I won''t leave you shortchanged."


    System Prompt: Mentor task ''Ji Xiangyun''s Experimental Materials'' triggered.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    Task Details: Collect alchemy materials for your third senior sister Ji Xiangyun. Each type collected will increase your Prestige and Contribution Value at Mystic Hollow Palace. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli accepted once again.


    He looked behind them; the eldest senior brother had not come. It seemed that without enough favorability, tasks would not trigger. After bidding farewell to the two, Xiao stepped on the path out of the valley.


    Using the valley''s teleportation platform to directly transport to the maze''s exit, Xiao Buli looked around at the familiar scenery, took a deep breath, and stepped forward with gusto.


    "Junior brother Xiao, please wait a moment," a voice suddenly called from above, and soon after, Gu Yuexuan descended slowly from the sky.


    Xiao Buli''s eyes lit up; it seemed there was another task for him.


    Gu Yuexuan looked around cautiously as if he was on high alert. "Did the Palace Master give you a mission?"


    "Yes, he asked me to clean up the sect''s rebel, Xuan Zhenzi. Is there a problem?" Xiao replied.


    Gu Yuexuan said, "To be frank, I do need a favor." As he spoke, he took out a bead, "After killing Xuan Zhenzi, please use this on him. When you report back to the Palace Master, bring it back to me, but this matter must be kept absolutely secret. Whether you accept or not, you must not tell the master, and if you help me with this, I am willing to teach you a set of swordsmanship as a reward."


    System Prompt: Hidden task ''The Eldest Senior Brother''s Secret Mission'' triggered. Completing this task will earn you the swordsmanship taught by the eldest senior brother. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Already in over his head, Xiao Buli accepted once more and received the task item ¡ª Soul Absorption Pearl.


    Xiao Buli examined the bead.


    Soul Absorption Pearl: A treasure bead capable of absorbing soul shards.


    What a strange task, Xiao thought. Isn''t Gu Yuexuan a Sword Control Master? What does he want with soul shards? And why does he specifically want Xuan Zhenzi''s soul shard? But no matter what, a set of swordsmanship was a valuable reward. So as long as he had the time, it wouldn''t hurt to complete this mission on the side.


    After parting ways with the eldest senior brother, the first thing that Xiao Buli did was not to hit the road immediately, but to sit down and prepare for battle, arranging his combat skills on familiar key positions and summoning the Talisman Soldier.


    The attributes of a Talisman Soldier are determined entirely by the summoner''s spiritual power, one point of spiritual power brings 10 health points, 1 Armor, and an attack power of 1-1.


    Xiao Buli''s spiritual power is 15 points, so the Talisman Soldier he summoned is a combat unit with 150 health points, 15 Armor, and an attack of 15-15. Not particularly powerful, but enough to serve as cannon fodder.


    The Talisman Soldier can last for 30 minutes. Utilizing this time, Xiao Buli decided to leave the forest as quickly as possible. Although his strength had increased, he still thought it best to avoid trouble whenever possible.


    Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Not long after he started walking, a familiar roar reached his ears, sounding much like that of a tiger.


    Damn, it''s always what you most fear that happens, Xiao Buli thought to himself. Surely it''s not lingering nearby? The threat of the tiger was still significant, but now Xiao Buli was not as frightened as he had been before. He didn''t run away immediately but listened carefully.


    The roar didn''t seem too far away, to the north, and it was mixed with some strange cries, as if the tiger was fighting with some kind of beast.


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, then decided to go take a look.


    Following the direction of the sound, he cut through the forest and saw the same tiger that had chased him before, confronting a wild boar the size of a calf with black skin.


    He looked at the name of the wild boar and was surprised to find that it was a rare named beast, Broken Fang (Elite Beast).


    It was an Elite Beast, but the disparity in strength between monsters in this game was clear. Even as an elite wild boar, it seemed unable to withstand the tiger''s onslaught, covered in wounds and bleeding profusely. In comparison, the tiger, though slightly disheveled, appeared far more leisurely.


    After assessing the situation for a moment, Xiao Buli decided to take action. With ''Broken Fang'' serving as a tough shield, it was an excellent opportunity for him to deal damage.


    Resurrection Skills! A white light fell upon Broken Fang, and its health points slowly started to recover, its wounds beginning to heal. At the same time, Xiao Buli noticed the boar''s red name turn to brownish-red.


    The tiger seemed to realize something was amiss and let out a furious roar before pouncing again. The two fierce beasts instantly tangled, claws tearing against the boar''s black skin, the boar responding with vicious tusks aimed at the tiger.


    In terms of attack and defense, the wild boar clearly had the upper hand, with the tiger only causing 5-6 drops of blood to be lost per swipe, while the boar could deal tens of damage to the tiger with a hit.


    However, the tiger''s attack speed was extremely high; for every strike from the boar, the tiger could claw three or four times, and its evasion rate was also exceedingly high, dodging most of Broken Fang''s attacks, leaving it howling in frustration but without a solution.


    However, as Resurrection Skills continuously fell upon Broken Fang, the black wild boar held on.


    Xiao Buli, who was watching from the side, spotted the problem: the tiger''s speed and agility clearly suppressed Broken Fang. Even with his continuous healing, it might not be enough to secure a victory. This situation was not good. When the beasts separated again, Xiao Buli aimed at the tiger and shot an Ice Talisman.


    With a smack, the tiger, unprepared, took a direct hit and immediately, a -11 appeared above its head. Such damage was not significant for the tiger, but the Power of Frost contained in the talisman turned it a light blue, slowing its speed instantly.


    Ao wu! Stung by the sneak attack, the tiger seemed very angry, and upon spotting Xiao Buli, it abandoned the boar and charged straight at him, as foes often see red when they face each other. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Attack! Xiao Buli ordered his Talisman Soldier to engage and shielded himself with Ethereal Armor. Another Ice Talisman flew out, and with a smack, the tiger''s speed slowed again, and the Talisman Soldier''s slash followed¡ª13. The red numbers popped up, but the tiger didn''t hesitate and continued to accelerate, Xiao Buli thought that the Talisman Soldier obviously couldn''t pull aggro effectively.


    As it rapidly approached, Xiao Buli didn''t dodge because he saw the wild boar moving behind the tiger, apparently gathering strength. Thus, he decided to take a risk.


    Pounce¡ªThe tiger leaped forward, claws outstretched menacingly. But it was blocked by the Ethereal Armor with a thud. At the same time, ''Broken Fang'' suddenly accelerated, hitting the tiger''s flank like a black cannonball.


    With a crisp crackling sound, the tiger was knocked over. When it got up, a debuff named ''Bone Crack'' appeared above its head, reducing its speed by 30 percent.


    Nice! Xiao Buli acknowledged the boar''s timing and readiness, but even then, he did not dare to relax. He commanded his Talisman Soldier to engage, and Burst Talismans steadily bombarded the tiger. Finally, with an agonizing roar, the tiger was slain.


    Too bad it dropped nothing. Xiao Buli looked at the tiger''s corpse and felt regretful, as beasts in this game didn''t drop money or equipment. If he knew how to dissect, he could have obtained materials such as tiger skin and bones, but unfortunately, he did not have the skill for dissection.


    Looking back at the wild boar, it now showed as a yellow neutral beast, probably thanks to the several Resurrection Skills from before.


    Watching the boar that was staring blankly at him, Xiao Buli suddenly had an idea, (I wonder what the Wildness level of this boar is; can I Tame it?)

 Chapter 63 Nine Dragons City

    ```The "Broken Fang" seemed to still be cautious towards Xiao Buli, fixating on him with a direct stare, as if observing what Xiao Buli was about to do.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Xiao Buli decided to give it a try. Although taming could fail and possibly trigger the beast into a Fury state, he felt confident in his ability to take down the boar after the operation he just performed. So, after creating some distance, he released his Taming Skills on the wild boar.


    A white light connected him with Broken Fang. The boar seemed impatient, shaking its massive head trying to shake off the strange feeling, but to no avail. A few seconds later, there was a flash of white light on the boar¡ªit had been successfully Tamed. Xiao Buli checked Broken Fang''s Attributes and was pleasantly surprised.


    Broken Fang (Elite Beast).


    Intelligence: 8.


    Strength: 18.


    Speed: 12.


    Agility: 8.


    Stamina: 24. ¡ª Stamina Points 240 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 30. ¡ª Health Points 300. (1 point of physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Combat Skills


    Horn Strike: LV2. A standard attack skill that uses sharp tusks to stab at the target, dealing base attack damage.


    Savage Collision: LV4. The skill can be unleashed from a distance of 8¡ª30 meters, charging ferociously at the target, inflicting 18+12 (Strength + Speed) = 30 points of blunt hit damage and knocking down or unbalancing the target (depending on the target''s size), consuming 10 Stamina Points, with a cooldown of 30 seconds.


    Wildness: LV4. This is a stubborn wild beast, longing for freedom and a wild lifestyle, filled with aggressiveness, and difficult to coexist peacefully with humans. Prolonged animal taming will lower the level of this skill.


    Thick Skin: LV3. The skin of this beast is incredibly tough, rendering it difficult for regular attacks to cause effective damage, reducing physical attack damage by 6 points each time.


    Fury: Once the wild boar''s Health Points drop below thirty percent, it will enter a Fury state, attacking enemies recklessly, unstoppable unless it is killed.


    Survival Instinct: LV2. Health recovery speed is increased by twenty percent, and the duration of poison is reduced by twenty percent.


    Sprint: LV1. It can instantly accelerate, increasing Movement Speed by one hundred percent for 5 seconds, consuming 5 Stamina Points, with a cooldown of 30 seconds.


    Agility: LV1. This creature has an excellent sense of smell and hearing, any movement might catch its attention, increasing its detection range by twenty percent, and its ability to Reveal hidden enemies by twenty percent.


    System Notification: This creature can be mounted. It can be converted into a mount at the Beast Pen. Once converted into a mount, it will no longer be usable in combat. Mounts tamed using Taming Skills will also occupy a pet slot.


    Quite a nice pet! Xiao Buli felt somewhat relieved in his heart. Although there were no spoils of war from the battle, just acquiring this wild boar was worth it. The creature would make an excellent meat shield, and surprisingly, it could also serve as a mount¡ªvery nice. For now, he would keep it with him and consider converting it into a mount later when he no longer wanted to bring it along.


    ```


    However, what perplexed him slightly was that his Taming Skills were only level four; logically, he shouldn''t be able to Tame a wild boar with a Wildness level of four. To achieve that, at least level five Taming Skills were needed. But after a moment of thought, he understood. His Beast Compendium had an entry for ''pig'', reducing the default difficulty of Taming by one level.


    He hadn''t felt it was much use before, but now he realized it was somewhat useful.


    He cast Resurrection Skills on Broken Fang twice more, and as its health points gradually recovered, its Loyalty also increased to over 80. The wounds on its body also completely healed. The boar, clad in pitch-black, indeed looked majestic. Xiao Buli decided to give it a new name.


    After looking it over for a while, he saw its pitch-black appearance and muttered to himself, "Then I''ll call you Coal Ball."


    With ''Coal Ball'' in tow, Xiao Buli made his way along the mountain road. The rest of the journey went by without further threats; a man and a pig were not something average beasts could take lightly, and Xiao Buli had no interest in hunting wild animals to level up, so whenever they encountered beasts, they tried to avoid provoking them.


    As for the Black Mountain Bandits he was worried about, they seemed to have disappeared without a trace. By noon, he had finally left the range of Mist Valley, and a line of blue text flashed on the screen.


    System Prompt: You have entered Bull Rush Plain.


    Bull Rush Plain was already within the jurisdiction of Nine Dragons City. Not far along, Xiao Buli even saw a patrol of the Golden Dragon Legion''s cavalry, marching back and forth on the road in formation.


    Your next chapter awaits on empire


    Seeing these horsemen, Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief, as generally seeing the city guards meant that he had entered a safe territory.


    By three o''clock in the afternoon, he had finally arrived at the gates of Nine Dragons City.


    Nine Dragons City was located in the heart of Bull Rush Plain, encircled by a moat. Its towering walls were majestic and magnificent, with nine gates, each topped with the carved head of a ferocious Giant Dragon, which was how Nine Dragons City got its name.


    Walking through the city, Xiao Buli found that, even in this capital, NPCs still outnumbered players, who were relatively rare. Of course, there were some players around, and occasionally he could catch a glimpse of one or two players whose presence quickly vanished.


    Judging by their equipment, they were quite impressive; he wondered where they came from and whether they, like him, were working for someone else.


    Xiao Buli didn''t rashly approach them but headed straight for the city''s Adventurer''s Pub, the place where he and Li Jian''s group had agreed to meet. As he entered, he saw a burly figure in black Scale Armor and a horned helmet, sitting in a corner chair.


    Beside him sat two men, a large, burly one in shiny new chainmail, and another in black Leather Armor with a strong bow, agile in posture, with a grey wolf lying at his feet¡ªit was Li Jian, Han Baiqiang, and Li Baocheng.


    Xiao Buli headed to the remaining empty seat at the table and sat down directly. "Hey, I''ve arrived."


    "Thank the heavens, I thought you wouldn''t make it out," said Han Baiqiang with relief. Li Baocheng gave Xiao Buli a once-over, examining his equipment. The corner of his mouth, behind the screen, revealed a smirk of triumph, (Such shabby gear; seems like he''s not doing too well. Looks like I''m the best performer among the newcomers).


    At that moment, Coal Ball wedged itself behind Xiao Buli, grunting as it lay down beside his feet, making the screen seem to shake with a thud, startling the three men. They took a closer look and realized that the mountain-like creature was actually Xiao Buli''s pet. "Man, where did you catch this thing?"


    Li Baocheng immediately had a realization, "Right, since there''s a pig in the Beast Compendium, I should be able to Tame a wild boar too. If only I knew, I wouldn''t have caught this grey wolf."


    But it was too late for regrets; there wasn''t enough time to catch a new pet in the wild now. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Jian wasn''t very surprised, after all, it was just a slightly bigger wild boar to him, nothing too special. What he was concerned about was something else.


    He said indifferently, "Now that everyone''s here, let''s all log off. Tomorrow, the company''s higher-ups are coming here to assess your probation period. Get a good night''s sleep tonight, and make a good impression on the people coming from the headquarters. Don''t worry, even if your performance hasn''t been good, you won''t be fired.


    At worst, your benefits might just be lowered." Li Jian seemed to say casually, but Li Baocheng couldn''t shake the feeling that he was implying something about Xiao Buli.


    All three logged off the game and left the computer room under Li Jian''s watchful eye.


    Watching the three leave, Li Jian''s expression became solemn as he pulled out his phone, "Hello, Zhang Hao? I think we''ve all been mistaken. That newcomer named Xiao Buli¡ªhe''s already activated blue stripes."


    PS: Another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 64 Green Dragon Group

    This was an exceptionally clean office, with a marble floor so spotless and reflective it was like a mirror, genuine leather office chairs, crystal ashtrays, and a decorative sword in a sharkskin sheath mounted on a black wooden rack¡ªthere was a mix of ice-cold and luxurious aura.Dugu Han was sitting on the leather sofa behind the office desk, listening to Qin Shimoon''s report. The usually capricious beauty appeared well-behaved and professional, her voice calm and gentle as she recounted the recent events in full detail, with a clear and well-organized delivery.


    Suddenly, Dugu Han interrupted her report and asked with a frown, "So, are you saying that one of the four newcomers is dead?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "Yes, but someone has already dealt with it. It won''t cause any trouble."


    "What about the others? Any casualties recently?"


    Qin Shimoon shook her head again, "Since there haven''t been any special operations lately, there have been no casualties for the time being."


    "It seems the company has really slacked off while I was away," Dugu Han snorted contemptuously, "letting them freeload is unacceptable. The boss''s big plan is at a critical stage; we need a large amount of equipment and Skill Books. Make them run more instances, get more top-grade gear, and don''t worry about casualties. A few deaths are no big deal. If necessary, just recruit some more newcomers."


    Upon hearing this, Qin Shimoon hesitated, "But it seems the police have started to notice, I''m not sure if we can keep it under control if this continues."


    "You don''t need to worry about that," Dugu Han said nonchalantly, "The power the boss possesses is vast, beyond what you can imagine." Qin Shimoon had no further objections after hearing this and changed the subject, "Will the general manager attend the new recruits'' review this afternoon?"


    "I won''t go. You can handle such trivial matters with Ouyang," said Dugu Han, waving his hand dismissively. Qin Shimoon nodded, turned around, and left the room.


    As the door closed behind her, a trace of cold sharpness flashed in Qin Shimoon''s calm eyes, "Hmph, what an arrogant guy."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Xiao Buli, Han Baiqiang, and Li Baocheng were originally quite nervous about the so-called corporate executives. However, they received a notice at noon that the executives had other matters to attend to and the final review would be handled by Qin Shimoon.


    This somewhat relaxed the trio, as Qin Shimoon, the logistics manager, was known to be easygoing. Having her in charge of the review suggested they might receive better treatment. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At one o''clock in the afternoon, the three were called to a testing room, where Qin Shimoon and a man who looked like a college professor had already been waiting, Xiao Buli remembered him as the person who had conducted his interview.


    "Good afternoon, guys," the man greeted the trio politely, shaking hands with each of them in turn. "My name is Ouyang Zhengde, your auditor. Just call me Ouyang. After the review, we''ll be working together, so please take a seat and relax."


    With the auditor being so courteous, the atmosphere in the room gradually became more relaxed.


    "Alright, let''s get started," said Ouyang Zhengde as he pointed to a row of computers nearby. "Please log into your characters. I will score you based on your Attributes, Professions, Skills, Gear, money amount, Prestige, etc. In the end, your scores and achievements will determine your positions and compensation. Let''s start with you," he said, pointing at Han Baiqiang.


    Han Baiqiang nodded and logged into his character.


    "Hmm, it seems your Basic Attributes have grown quite well, wow, you''ve made quite a bit of money, are you on a professional path?" The last sentence was a question.


    Han Baiqiang nodded, "I''ve transitioned into a Smithing Master, able to forge a variety of armors and weapons. I made this money crafting gear for the army."


    "I see," mused Ouyang, nodding thoughtfully as he wrote down a number on his notepad, "Let''s move on to the next one."


    Li Baocheng logged into his character with some pride¡ªhe certainly had reason to be. His bag was stuffed with equipment looted from humanoid monsters like bandits and Zombies. Although not worth much, they looked imposing nonetheless.


    His basic attributes were quite impressive, his combat skills were also numerous, and most of his equipment was decent¡ªat least for a newbie, that is. And finally, there was a grey wolf following by his side.


    Ouyang did some calculations and seemed indifferent, giving a slight curl of his lips before writing a number in his notebook.


    "So it''s you then, I seem to remember you¡ªaren''t you the one who played that Dark game?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, but without trying to ingratiate himself, he directly logged into his character, and soon his character appeared on the screen, with ''Coal Ball''¡ªthe black pig¡ªlying beside him.


    "Your profession is¡ªSwordsmanship Apprentice/Daoshi, you actually transitioned to a profession with mana, good job, buddy," said Ouyang, somewhat surprised.


    "Your equipment is really poor, but that''s not a big deal. The Xuanwu Group has plenty of materials, and we can put together a set for you anytime. Not bad on the skills, and they''re all spellcasting skills, good stuff, you''re a talent."


    The accomplishments of Xiao Buli were barely worthy of mention, his attributes had hardly increased, and his equipment was terrible, but just the fact that he changed his class to the Daoshi profession was enough to make Xiao Buli look down on his peers.


    Ouyang discussed with Qin Shimoon for a few moments, then pointed toward the door, signaling for the group leaders to come in.


    In no time, the leaders of the four divisions walked in.


    Ouyang gave the four a brief introduction to the three individuals, then announced, "Based on the results agreed upon between Manager Qin and me, Xiao Buli has outstanding trial performance, with a basic salary of twelve thousand. He will join the Green Dragon Group, Han Baiqiang..."


    "Hold on, this allocation seems somewhat inappropriate," interrupted Wang Yifan, the leader of the White Tiger Group, suddenly cutting into Ouyang''s speech. He was a pale-faced man in his thirties, but now his complexion was flushed with anger.


    "The Green Dragon Group already has three Mage Professions among eleven people. Our White Tiger Group has nearly thirty people, and we only have three Mage Professions, with only one capable of healing. By all accounts, any new Mage Professions should be allocated to us."


    "Watch your language, Leader Wang. This isn''t some kind of democratic council. What I''m stating is a decision, not asking for your opinion," Qin Shimoon suddenly said coldly. Her ordinarily gentle appearance suddenly took on an air of authority, silencing Wang Yifan with her commanding voice, leaving him nodding subserviently, not daring to raise any further objections.


    "So that settles it. The Wanderer will join your White Tiger Group, and as for the Smithing Master, naturally that''s for the Xuanwu Group."


    After finishing, Ouyang glanced apologetically at the only woman among the four group leaders, Wu Min''er of the Vermilion Bird Group, who seemed unconcerned, simply shrugging her shoulders with an indifferent air.


    "Tch, always sending the crappy stuff our way." Wang Yifan glared at Li Baocheng unhappily, making Li feel rather annoyed.


    What''s there to fuss about? If you don''t want me, I don''t want to serve you either! Though he thought this way, he naturally didn''t voice it, since after all, the other party was still a group leader. It was important to maintain a good relationship, thought Li Baocheng, a hint of jealousy in his gaze as he looked at Xiao Buli, thinking how quietly this guy had changed to a Mage Profession.


    A lapse in judgment, a lapse indeed. It seems I can''t afford to be complacent in the future.


    As for Xiao Buli, the main party involved, he remained poised throughout. He didn''t feel too strongly about which group he joined, as the differences in salary of a few thousand yuan were no longer significant to him. What he cared about more was whether he could study his spells in peace.


    The Green Dragon Group would be fine, at least in terms of resources, it was the best.


    Over the previous month, he had learned a bit about the differences between the White Tiger Group and the Green Dragon Group. In general terms, the Green Dragon Group was made of elites.


    Since dungeons had a limit on the number of people who could enter, and the monsters inside were often more formidable than those outside, with better drops, the Green Dragon Group simply couldn''t afford to have any slackers. They were very strict about selecting members, and resources were naturally more inclined toward them.


    In comparison, the White Tiger Group fared much worse. Apart from a few core members with strong abilities, the rest were a hodgepodge of mediocrity, with uneven strength and no rationality in their assembly. Essentially, anyone who wasn''t outstanding and lacked special skills was shunted to the White Tiger Group.


    Fortunately, there were no number restrictions when fighting wilderness bosses, and they played a numbers game. So, over time, that''s just the way things were.


    "Alright, everyone can disperse now. Take your new members back with you. Also, Leader Wu, stay for a moment. Please report the information you''ve collected recently on the new dungeons."

 Chapter 65 Masters of the Green Dragon Group

    Xiao Buli followed the leader of the Green Dragon Group out of the room, and the latter immediately turned around and shook his hand enthusiastically. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."Hello, I''m Zhang Yaoyang, the leader of the Green Dragon Group. From now on, we are colleagues, and we must help each other out, okay?"


    His enthusiasm startled Xiao Buli, making him wonder who the newcomer really was.


    "Come with me, come with me; our Green Dragon Group is just over here." As he spoke, Zhang Yaoyang dragged Xiao Buli into the corridor of the Green Dragon Group and pushed open the door to the computer room, where they both entered.


    Compared to the newcomer''s computer room, the Green Dragon Group''s was much more luxurious; not only the machines, but the interior layout was also much more spacious. There was a mini-bar, a smoking room, and all kinds of small amenities, even with windows¡ªa prime location in an office building.


    "How about that, not too shabby, right? Let me tell you, our Green Dragon Group is one of the most capable teams under the company''s management. We''re not on the same level as those poor, low-class guys from the White Tiger Group."


    As he spoke, Zhang Yaoyang took off his coat, casually hung it on a coat rack, and handed Xiao Buli a Coke from the bar''s fridge.


    Xiao Buli accepted the Coke and looked around. Some members were absorbed in playing games, including two female members. A guy who seemed somewhat disheveled sat on a high stool in the bar, pouring himself a drink of amber-colored alcohol, seemingly unalarmed about drinking during work hours. Noticing Xiao Buli''s gaze, the man turned around and raised his glass to him.


    Xiao Buli responded by lifting his Coke, and the casual atmosphere made him feel quite relaxed.


    "Hey everyone, take a break for a moment," Zhang Yaoyang called out, but no one responded; the clattering of keyboards continued alongside the whispers, showing no sign of quieting down.


    Zhang Yaoyang, resigned, shrugged at Xiao Buli and raised his voice again, "This is Xiao Buli, our new member¡ªa healer."


    Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gaze toward them.


    Wu Tao, brimming with excitement, peeked out from behind a computer, "Nice, boss, I told you that you were reliable. See, you''ve quickly brought us a healer." But then he paused abruptly when he saw Xiao Buli clearly.


    A girl, average-looking but with a bold temperament, approached. She wore baggy sweats and a green plastic hair clip on her ponytailed hair. She eyed Xiao Buli skeptically, "You''re a healer? What profession?"


    "Daoist."


    "Hehe, then we''re in the same line of work. I''m an Exorcist¡ªthe advanced profession of a Daoist. You can stick with me from now on."


    "Wooow, someone''s caught Hua''s eye."


    "Hua, that''s not fair. Are you treating our great leader Zhang like he''s invisible?"


    "Boss, aren''t you going to keep her in check? Hua''s getting more and more arrogant."


    Zhang Yaoyang seemed used to being ignored by his subordinates, and amidst the teasing, he sighed and said, "Don''t mind them too much; they''re used to being lax and can be a bit disrespectful. Let me introduce you around. There aren''t many of us in the Green Dragon Group, but each one is an elite of elites. First is this one, Hua Yueying, our Green Dragon Group''s top nurse."


    Seemingly dissatisfied with being called a nurse, Hua Yueying defiantly turned and gave him the middle finger. Zhang Yaoyang, however, spread his hands with an expression of ''who''s afraid of whom.''


    "Next up is our Necromancer, Bai Yunfei, the one with the pretty boy face."


    Xiao Buli took special notice because Wu Tao had mentioned him before. Bai Yunfei was indeed very pale, almost unnaturally so, the kind that usually comes from spending too much time indoors, but it seemed particularly abnormal among this group of people.


    "Five Elements Warlock Du Yibo, our Green Dragon Group''s top artillery, an expert in clearing the field." A glasses-wearing man with an indifferent look gave Xiao Buli a nod.


    "Those three are our group''s major magic users, and now that includes you too," Zhang Yaoyang said, smacking his lips with an envious expression, "Then there are our four tanks: the chubby one is Wang Gang, the burly one is Zhang Qiang, both Shield Bearers by profession, the one with the buzz cut is Wu Tao, a Qigong Master, and that handsome young guy is Zhao Yunlong, a Martial General.


    That''s all four of our Dragon Group''s tanks."


    After finishing, he pointed to a young girl with heavy black eyeshadow and nail polish, exuding a gothic vibe, "Assassin Yaoyao, her real name unknown."


    "Wanderer Li Chuang, the one with the unshaven face. Swordsman Liu Xing, the one who was drinking earlier. Alright, anything else you want to know?"


    "What''s your profession, team leader?"


    "I''m a Beast Tamer," Zhang Yaoyang answered with a smile ¡ª "Called the ''Dog King''." Suddenly, a mischievous voice came from the side, causing Zhang Yaoyang to curse and laugh.


    While they were joking around, Zhang Yaoyang''s phone suddenly rang. After a brief conversation, he hung up.


    "The higher-ups want to see me; it might be about the dungeon. Who can explain the rules here to the newbie, OK?" With that, he nodded to Xiao Buli and walked away.


    Before anyone else could speak up, Wu Tao quickly approached, "My name is Wu Tao, I''ll explain things to you."


    Xiao Buli nodded and followed Wu Tao to a pair of computers sitting side by side in the corner.


    Sitting down in front of one computer and looking into the eyes of his subordinate from the past, Xiao Buli didn''t quite know what to say for a moment. The atmosphere turned a bit awkward, so he looked around and noticed many slogans on the walls. Written in bold brush strokes, they had a postmodern elegance to them.


    The first slogan read: Please try not to use the toilet during the game ¡ª or at least quit the game before going to the bathroom.


    The second: Do not log off in the path of cavalry patrols.


    The third: Please feed your pets on time and ensure your bag is stocked with sufficient food ¡ª especially if your pet likes meat.


    The fourth: If you see a pretty female ghost, remember to run and don''t even think about flirting.


    There were at least a dozen such slogans. Xiao Buli pointed at them curiously, "What''s all that about?"


    "Hey, it''s a long-standing tradition of our Green Dragon Group," Wu Tao explained. "Every time someone in our group dies because of a mistake, we write down the lesson and hang it on the wall, like what you see there. Of course, it''s not just from our Dragon Group.


    For instance, last month, some poor guy from the White Tiger Group forgot to log off when he went to the bathroom and ended up killed by a Saber-Toothed Wolf, hence that slogan about not using the toilet during the game. You''ll get used to it. Don''t be fooled, even though we all are experts, there are plenty who''ve died due to accidents."

 Chapter 66 Sudden Incident—Counterfeit Copy

    ```"You''ll know after a while, despite our group being full of experts, there have been quite a few unexpected deaths."


    After saying that, Wu Tao added, "Of course, I''m talking about in the game."


    Xiao Buli sighed, thinking to himself that this guy probably still didn''t know the real truth behind the game. He looked around at the various slogans that felt like tombstones, signifying the game''s brutality.


    However, deep down, Xiao Buli still harbored a slim hope that the reality might not be as terrifying as he feared, but he couldn''t help asking, "Is the casualty rate for our Green Dragon Group high?"


    "Of course, after all, dungeons aren''t like the wilderness; if you can''t beat them, it''s hard to run away, and you encounter all sorts of strange circumstances inside. Bosses keep transforming, and the ones to really watch out for are those with multiple phases. One slip-up could easily lead to death. So even when we''re playing low-level dungeons, we can''t say it''s a guaranteed win.


    But although there''s some risk, we also earn a lot, right? How much did they offer you for a month''s salary?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "Twelve thousand."


    "Look at that, a full half more than the newbies in the White Tiger Group. I''m making fifteen thousand a month now, but the mages in our group are all earning eighteen thousand. You''ll probably get there sooner or later. Plus, there''s extra allowance for every dungeon run, and if you turn in something good, there''s additional rewards too.


    With a bit of luck, earning twenty or thirty thousand a month isn''t out of the question."


    Wu Tao said this with pride, but Xiao Buli only felt sadness for him, thinking that this was a gamble with one''s life. Twenty or thirty thousand, is that a lot?


    "Wasn''t your original dream to open a restaurant? How did you end up back in this line of work?"


    "Hey, it''s all because of money troubles. Not gonna lie, back then I got myself a girlfriend," Wu Tao said as he pulled out a photo. The young girl in the photo was petite and seemed full of charm. Xiao Buli found it strange, thinking how could Wu Tao, who didn''t look like much, have such a pretty girlfriend? Is it real?


    "How about that, she''s pretty, isn''t she? Unfortunately, her parents disagree. They say I don''t have a house or a car, let alone a career. How could they possibly marry their daughter to me? So I thought about opening a restaurant, but starting one requires money. That''s why I came here when I heard about this job.


    Once I save enough to open a restaurant, I''ll resign and go back home to get married." Wu Tao spoke with his face full of longing, as if a happy life was just within his grasp.


    Xiao Buli''s heart stirred and he joked, "Then you better hurry up. Your girlfriend is so beautiful, don''t be late and let someone else snatch her away."


    Xiao Buli meant it sincerely; although the two were merely acquaintances, he didn''t want anything bad to happen to Wu Tao. It would be best if he could resign and go home sooner.


    "Absolutely, I''ve got it all planned out..." Wu Tao''s words trailed off as he stopped talking mid-sentence, chuckled twice, and didn''t continue.


    Xiao Buli felt that there was more to what he said and was about to inquire further when the door to the Green Dragon Group''s machine room was opened once again. Zhang Yaoyang hurried in and announced, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Fellows, good news, we''re starting work."


    "Does that mean a new dungeon has been discovered?" The swordsman named Liu Xing lifted his drink and asked.


    "Yeah, and it''s related to our newbie here."


    Xiao Buli was startled, thinking, why is it connected to me again?


    Zhang Yaoyang pointed at Xiao Buli, "Remember when you were robbed by the Black Mountain Bandits on your way to Nine Dragons City?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, and Zhang Yaoyang continued, "The distribution of monsters in this game is generally very regular; they don''t just wander about. Black Mountain is nowhere near the Misty Forest, so it wouldn''t make sense for the bandits to appear in the Mist Valley. After Li Jian reported it, the higher-ups deduced there had to be an event, and the Vermilion Bird Group was dispatched to follow up.


    And believe it or not, they discovered a small fortress in a deserted mountain near the Mist Valley, and inside that fortress was a dungeon¡ªour target for today." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We''re hitting it today? What''s the quality of the dungeon?" someone interjected from the side.


    "Deep blue, it should be an open-air dungeon." Upon hearing Zhang Yaoyang''s words, the room fell silent. Xiao Buli observed everyone''s expressions and noticed an absence of excitement or joy; apparently, no one liked tackling such difficult dungeons.


    "Come on, don''t look so glum. The task has been assigned from above, and we''ve got to do it whether we like it or not. Let''s just prepare as best we can and aim for a clean run with no casualties," Zhang Yaoyang tried to comfort them, sensing the mood in the room.


    "Easy for you to say. For a dungeon of this level, we''d normally need half a month of research plus preparations for supplies. There''s no such thing as just jumping in. Have you forgotten the last time in the Demon Spirit Cave?" Hua Yueying, the chief healer, spoke out, instantly winning the support of many people.


    Various voices arose, and Zhang Yaoyang became increasingly irritated, slamming his hand down on the table, "It''s just a fortress dungeon. How many times have we done those? It shouldn''t be too hard, there won''t be any problems."


    "The fortress dungeons we''ve cleared before weren''t deep blue level."


    "Right, right, maybe you could speak to the higher-ups? Ask for a few days to prepare before we take it on."


    "You think I don''t want to? I nearly wore my mouth out arguing with Manager Qin, but he said this order came from the top executives and that it has to be done. So stop dragging your feet, everyone."


    ```


    Zhang Yaoyang, seeing everyone still lazing around, couldn''t help but get angry and said, "Fine, fine, fine, you''re all bosses, I can''t control you. If you really don''t want to fight, I won''t force you. Just go ask the manager to transfer groups. That''s all I have to say. If you don''t want to get fired, then start running this instance."


    Seeing his determination, most people began to prepare to run the instance in silence. After all, despite their complaints, no one wanted to lose their job. The only exception was Liu Xing, who still wore a cold smile on his face, as though deep in thought. After a while, he downed his drink in one gulp, took a deep breath as if he had made a big decision, and sat down in front of the computer.


    Wu Tao looked puzzled, seemingly speechless over Liu Xing''s attitude, but Xiao Buli felt as if he could sense that Liu Xing probably knew something about the inside story.


    As he thought this, he also logged into his account and looked at his character''s shabby equipment. "Group Leader, do I need to run the instance too?" he asked.


    "Of course, you''re a healer, how could you not participate?" came the reply.


    Wu Tao whispered a few words into Zhang Yaoyang''s ear, resulting in an enlightening moment for him. "Wait here. I''ll get the Xuanwu Group to put together a set of equipment for you," he said.


    After making a phone call, a capable-looking guy soon pushed the door open and walked in.


    "Who needs the equipment?" he asked.


    Xiao Buli raised his hand, and the man sat down next to him. With plenty of computers in the room, he logged into the game with ease and started running towards Xiao Buli''s location, asking, "What''s your profession, and what kind of equipment do you need?"


    Seeing the benefits of working, Xiao Buli wasn''t shy to ask for what he needed. "I need a sword, a set of leather armor, a set of jewelry, and it would be even better if you have magical treasures, elixirs, and spirit talismans.


    The priority for attributes should be health points, movement speed, armor, spell power, and mana." He had made sure to prioritize survival, placing health points at the top of the list.


    "You wear leather armor?" the man asked with a puzzled look at Xiao Buli, but shook his head before he could respond, thinking to himself that the game''s equipment system was so mixed up he couldn''t be bothered with mage professions wearing leather armor.


    "I don''t have any magical treasures; our studio can''t afford to make those yet, and the few we have were distributed a long time ago. I do have elixirs and talismans, but those are allocated with a quota, distributed by the group leader. I don''t have the authority to allocate those. Anything else is doable," he explained.


    In no time, a set of equipment was delivered to Xiao Buli, traded over, a uniform blue quality. Xiao Buli checked each item carefully.


    Ironwood Rune Sword: Attack 5-20, Spell Power +2, (crafted by Luo Yang).


    Gleaming Sapphire Necklace: Spirit +1, (crafted by Duan Feihong).


    Emerald Spirit Stone Ring: Max Mana +20, (crafted by Duan Feihong).


    Emerald Spirit Stone Ring: Max Mana +20, (crafted by Duan Feihong).


    Sturdy Cowhide Chestplate: Armor +10, Physique +3, (crafted by Xiong Tianfu).


    Sturdy Cowhide Leggings: Armor +6, Physique +2 (crafted by Xiong Tianfu).


    Sturdy Cowhide Bracers: Armor +2, Physique +1 (crafted by Xiong Tianfu).


    Light Cowhide Boots: Armor +3, Speed +2 (crafted by Xiong Tianfu).


    Magnificent Evil-Repelling Crown: Armor +3, Charm +2, (crafted by Jiang Shuiliu).


    After gearing up, Xiao Buli''s attributes significantly improved, especially his health points, which increased by a full 60, nearly reaching the 200 mark, giving him some much-needed confidence.


    He also gained a preliminary understanding of the Xuanwu Group''s manufacturing capabilities, which seemed to cover everything from weapons to jewelry, and from leather armor to cloth armor¡ªthey truly had it all.


    PS: Please recommend and add to your favorites.

 Chapter 67 Soul Out Of Body

    ```Upon arriving at the East City Gate of Nine Dragons City, they saw twelve knights lined up in a row, already waiting there, one of whom Xiao Buli did not recognize, but was the guide sent by the Vermilion Bird Group.


    "Eh, you don''t have a horse? Dizzy, it was my oversight, I forgot you haven''t learned riding skills yet." Zhang Yaoyang was somewhat annoyed as he smacked his head, "That Zhao Yunlong, you''ve learned expert-level riding skills and can carry someone, right? You''ll be the one to carry him then. We need to get you a horse later, Wu Tao, remember to push his reputation with the Golden Dragon Legion."


    Once Xiao Buli got on Zhao Yunlong''s horse, the team set off. Since he was being carried, there was no need to watch the screen, so Xiao Buli started to ask Wu Tao about the game''s content.


    "What''s with the Golden Dragon Legion?"


    "The Golden Dragon Legion is the army controlled by the rulers of Nine Dragons City. Reputation with them is a must. When your reputation reaches reverence, you can learn advanced riding skills and buy warhorses with a speed of 280. Otherwise, you can only ride a travel horse with a speed of 150."


    "Also, you can buy quite a few blue chainmail and leather armor pieces, various types of weapons, and forging blueprints. But you probably won''t need those later on. Aside from that, there are also several powerful battle techniques available like the Tyrant Spear Skills, but you need to reach reverence before you can learn them."


    Xiao Buli nodded, understanding the importance of mounts in the game. It seemed that reputation with the Golden Dragon Legion was indeed essential to build up. "Oh, any other reputations I need to work on?"


    "If you are a Necromancer, Onmyoji, or Corpse-driving Warlock, then you must also work on the Grand Yin Sect''s reputation. If you''re a Daoist or an advanced profession of Daoist, then you should build reputation with the Sanqing Sect. I don''t know much about the rest."


    Xiao Buli chatted for a while and then noticed that under Wu Tao''s energy bar, instead of a blue mana bar, there was a white bar, which he found somewhat strange, "You''re a Qigong Master, is that white thing internal energy? How is this calculated?"


    "Indeed, it''s internal energy. It''s quite complex. I practice three different sets of Inner Strength, each with different additional effects. Depending on the situation, I can switch between them, and it seems I''ll be able to learn even more Inner Strength techniques later on."


    Xiao Buli nodded, thinking whether he could also practice Inner Strength in real life. It was something he felt would be worth testing when the opportunity arose.


    Naturally, riding was much faster than running. In less than an hour, the group reached the foot of the desolate mountain. When they hadn''t even reached the top, they already saw bodies scattered everywhere.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, "Has someone been here already?"


    "It was the White Tiger Group''s people. They came ahead to clear the field for us." The man named Zhao Wei dismounted while speaking, and everyone else followed suit. The higher they went up the mountain, the more bodies there were. When they reached halfway up the mountain, they saw the White Tiger Group''s members, about thirty strong.


    A dozen melee fighters formed a line, pushing forward in a sweeping move, with a dozen long-range members behind them. A Divine Archer specifically responsible for marking targets¡ªif any bandit got marked, a barrage of long-range attacks would immediately focus on them, nearly all of them resulting in instant kills.


    While the White Tiger Group wasn''t as elite as the Azure Dragon Group, with each member being a standout, their coordination and performance were still quite decent. Plus, they outnumbered their enemies, which made dealing with these wild monsters rather easy.


    Just as they were about to clear them all, suddenly a high-level elite¡ªthe Bandit Stronghold Guardian, Qiu Ba¡ªappeared, wielding two huge sabers and charged down. This field boss launched ferocious attacks, causing the formation to become a bit disordered.


    "Hey, Azure Dragon Group, come over and help!" Someone on the other side noticed their situation and called out.


    Xiao Buli saw that no one else was moving and asked, "Aren''t we supposed to help?"


    "They do their job, we do ours. Everyone get in line, I''m going to distribute potions now." Zhang Yaoyang said nonchalantly. Xiao Buli didn''t say anything else, knowing that in such large corporations, rules were strict, and rushing to help would not only lead to no rewards but might also lead to mistakes.


    As he thought this, he observed the people around him, noticing that aside from the health bar and the energy bar, everyone''s third bars were all different: some had blue mana bars, others white inner strength bars, red rage bars, and black shadow energy bars. Under that Swordsman Liu Xing''s inner strength bar, there were even a few red bead-like things hanging.


    "What are those for?"


    "Those are Hearts of Mysteries. You get them when you learn Ultimate Skills. There are also Hearts of Rage, usually kept for key moments to use for Ultimate Skills."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself about the Ultimate Skills, noting that Swordsman Liu Xing had two Hearts of Mysteries, meaning he could use Ultimate Skills twice.


    While talking, the elixirs were distributed to Xiao Buli''s group. Although he already had potions, he did not hesitate to click trade, and Zhang Yaoyang traded him two Lifeblood Pills and two Heart Cleansing Pills, one to restore health, the other to restore mana.


    ```


    After the trade, Zhang Yaoyang specifically cautioned, "Don''t use this thing continuously, it has resistance, and it would be a waste if it''s used improperly."


    Xiao Buli and Wu Tao asked in detail before they understood. It turned out that in this game, players are able to take medicine in succession, but after swallowing the first pill, a ''Medicine Resistance'' DEBUFF would appear above the player''s head, reducing the effectiveness of similar potions by fifty percent within two minutes.


    This state could be stacked, meaning if the first Lifeblood Pill could restore 100 health, the second would only restore 50 health, the third 25, and by the fourth it couldn''t restore health at all.


    Therefore, unless it''s a moment of crisis, it''s better not to consume medicine continuously.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he had gained more knowledge. After distributing the medicine, a cheer suddenly erupted from the side; the high-level elite had been taken down.


    "Alright, it''s up to you guys now," Wang Yifan called out to them.


    Zhang Yaoyang ignored the leader of the White Tiger Group and asked the person from the Vermilion Bird Group who was leading the way, "That would be Zhao Wei, right? Tell us about the situation inside the instance."


    "It''s a 10-man instance. The first boss is a Hunter Boss, and I don''t know what comes after that," he said.


    "What?" Zhang Yaoyang was instantly dissatisfied, "What has the Vermilion Bird Group been doing? You didn''t even get clear information about the instance."


    "I couldn''t help it, that Hunter Boss had a lot of dogs that could Reveal stealth, I couldn''t get into the instance at all," he answered.


    But Xiao Buli''s mind stirred at the mention of the Hunter Boss. He remembered the Divine Archer who hunted them in the Mist Wilderness, who had almost taken his life and killed Sun Bin. Could it be the same one? But could outdoor bosses and instance bosses switch between each other just like that?


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "It doesn''t matter, let''s just enter the instance and see." The entrance to the instance was at the gate of a mountain stronghold, a deep blue barrier that seemed as unfathomable as the sea.


    Zhang Yaoyang looked at the entrance to the instance and pondered for a while, then said, "Since it''s an open-air instance, Yaoyao should stay out. Wang Gang, Zhang Qiang, which one of you is going in?"


    Both were Shield Bearers, apparently not needing to go in together. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Qiang said, "I''ll go in," so the lineup was decided.


    The group formed a team and filed into the instance, which revealed the scenery of a mountain stronghold''s interior. They didn''t charge in right away, instead forming a circle to wait for Zhang Yaoyang to arrange tactics.


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "Old Bai, we''re counting on you this time."


    Old Bai, that is, Bai Yunfei, nodded, sat down with crossed legs, and said, "Protect my body, don''t disturb me."


    After speaking, he began Casting. As a white light gradually condensed on him, a half-transparent shadow walked down from his body. The semi-transparent shadow, which looked exactly like Bai Yunfei, displayed the name ''Soul of Bai Yunfei''. Meanwhile, Bai Yunfei''s status in the team turned grey, a color that only appeared when one was offline or dead.


    Clicking on Bai Yunfei''s body showed ''Corpse''.


    Xiao Buli was startled, "Eh, is this¡ª"


    "Soul Out Of Body, in this state, he''s a ghost, and normal monsters won''t be able to see him, it''s safe for him to scout inside the instance," Wu Tao explained.


    Xiao Buli''s shock had not yet subsided. If Bai Yunfei could use this ability in the real world too¡ªsuddenly, he remembered the story Wu Tao had told him about Bai Yunfei seeing ghosts, and he realized what was going on...


    Thinking of this, he glanced towards Bai Yunfei''s position. Bai Yunfei''s pale complexion reflected the white light of the screen, looking extremely focused. Maybe it was a psychological factor, but this typically very silent and introverted guy gave off an eerily ghostly vibe at that moment.

 Chapter 68 Hunter and Prey

    When his attention returned to the screen, the translucent figure had already disappeared inside the stronghold. It took over half an hour before the figure returned.As the Primordial Spirit and the physical body united as one, Bai Yunfei''s character stood up once again.


    "I''ve finished the reconnaissance," Bai Yunfei said in a voice that was not loud but very clear. "There are three silver-ranked bosses in total. The first boss is that Hunter Boss, called the Pursuer, Zhou Kaihuang, accompanied by five elite hounds. Besides that, there are no other minor monsters nearby."


    Zhou Kaihuang! Xiao Buli was taken aback upon hearing this. It wasn''t for any other reason than the fact that Zhou Kaihuang was the very same hunter from their village. How did he end up as a boss in the copy? And why did he end up hunting us in the first place? Could it be related to Li Baocheng?


    But that seemed excessive.


    "The second boss is a mounted military commander boss named Guardian Wang Borang, with no followers."


    Another familiar face; Wang Borang used to be the guard captain of the caravan. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel that something strange was afoot upon realizing that he had also defected to the bandits.


    "The third boss wields dual blades, called Traitor Luo Zhan, with two elite monsters capable of Stealth as his followers."


    Wanderer Li Chuang suddenly spoke up, "I know this Luo Zhan; isn''t he the Assassin Trainer from Nine Dragons City? I found it odd when I noticed the Assassin Trainer was replaced a few days ago. I wondered where this fellow had gone. Turns out he ended up in the copy."


    Everyone else also expressed their amazement. It seemed that NPCs becoming bosses in a copy was indeed a novel occurrence. Bai Yunfei continued, "Besides that, I found a rare elite in the dungeon named Interrogator Duan Yimao. He shouldn''t pose much difficulty. There are also a few NPCs imprisoned in the dungeon which might trigger quests." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Have you figured out what the backstory of this copy is?" Zhang Yaoyang asked. In general, copies in games didn''t just spring up out of nowhere; they often had some story background, unlike many domestic online games.


    Since there must be a reason behind the appearance of a copy, it seemed a bit far-fetched for the Black Mountain Bandits to set up a stronghold on this desolate mountain for no reason at all, especially since there were no trade routes or loot to speak of.


    Bai Yunfei hesitated, "It seems like they are building something. At the end of the copy, I saw many captured slaves, all yellow-named neutral units, constructing an altar-like structure. That might be the reason why they came here."


    "Heh, just as I thought; no matter what this altar is about, there might be a follow-up story. Alright, guys, let''s get ready to start, but let''s set up our tactics first."


    "The first boss is a ranged boss with followers, so we''ll use our usual method. Wu Tao and Zhang Qiang will start by pulling the minor monsters away, then Zhao Yunlong can keep charging the boss. That should do it."


    "Everyone prioritizes clearing the minor monsters, then kills the boss. Any questions?"


    "Hold on, I need to assign the healing," Hua Yueying spoke and then said to Xiao Buli, "Report your skills, and I''ll arrange the healing assignments for later."


    Xiao Buli listed all his support skills. After thinking it over, Hua Yueying remarked, "Looks like your sect is quite different from mine. I don''t even have some of these skills. Ethereal Armor is an excellent support skill. Let''s do it this way; I will handle the main healing duties, you take care of anyone continuously losing health, and make good use of Ethereal Armor as a clutch rescue skill.


    When you see someone in danger, give them a boost to prevent unnecessary casualties. Also, remember to manage your mana."


    Xiao Buli nodded. This was all within his expectations, and there were no problems.


    Seeing no one else had anything to say, Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "Then let''s begin."


    The bandits inside the copy were clearly much stronger than those outside, all of them elite monsters, and even their names had changed.


    Black Mountain Lackeys (Demonized Human), Black Mountain Looters (Demonized Human), Black Mountain Raiders (Demonized Human).


    "Eh, why are they demonized monsters? I thought those were only in the Dark Forest!" Wu Tao, sitting next to Xiao Buli, couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "Demonized monsters? What''s that?"


    Upon Xiao Buli''s question, Wu Tao explained, "The Dark Forest used to be called the Thousand Pines Forest. According to the official NPCs, a few months ago, an evil Strength suddenly emerged within the forest, starting to corrupt nearby creatures and residents. Whether it was humans, wild beasts, or even plants, none could escape fate of being devoured by this Strength.


    Any unit that was controlled had a suffix like (Demonized XX), and their abilities became considerably stronger than ordinary humans or wild beasts. Last month, the higher-ups suspected that a copy or a big outdoor boss might have emerged, so they sent the White Tiger Group to scout and clear the area. But they couldn''t find the way, and many died; in the end, they had to return defeated."


    Xiao Buli was still unfamiliar with the Dark Forest, but he now had a rough idea of what demonized monsters were. Could it be that Zhou Kaihuang was also demonized?


    While thinking this through, he followed the group and cleared the minor monsters. Fearful of accidentally drawing aggro, his pet Coal Ball was set to passive mode, closely following beside him.


    Although the minor monsters were significantly stronger, they weren''t a challenge, and the group made swift work of them, eventually arriving at the first boss who sat on top of a doghouse, watching the five hounds below tearing apart a human corpse.

 Chapter 68 Hunter and Prey_2

    Xiao Buli thought to himself that at least the monsters in this game dungeon played by the rules; they weren''t as perverse as the monsters in the wild, defying all logic. If the bosses were to block the entrance of the dungeon, that would be terrible.The Pursuer, Zhou Kaihuang (Demonized Human Race), it''s really him! Xiao Buli looked at the former Hunter Trainer with mixed emotions. He couldn''t believe this guy had become a boss here. But upgrading from a light blue elite straight to a silver-class mini-boss¡ªthis kind of power boost was quite perverse indeed.


    In front of Zhou Kaihuang were five demonized hounds, all elite monsters, one of them an enormous mastiff that was a high-level elite.


    Seeming to have noticed the group''s arrival, Zhou Kaihuang started laughing without waiting for the fight to start, "Great, more prey has come to my doorstep. Now, my dogs won''t have to worry about going hungry." He then leaped down from the rooftop as he spoke.


    Hua Yueying raised her hand and cast Mind Revelation, and the number on the health bar suddenly appeared above Zhou Kaihuang''s head¡ªa full 4000 health points.


    Finally, Zhang Yaoyang showed the qualities of a true team leader, "Alright guys, get ready to start. Tanks, take the front; healers, get ready; DPS, go all out, Let''s GO!"


    The battle erupted in an instant, with the five hounds pouncing at Zhou Kaihuang''s command. Zhang Qiang lifted his shield, Wu Tao channeled his Internal Energy, and the two stood firm like nails at the forefront of the team.


    Unlike the lock-on mode games they had played before, the definition of a tank in this game was very vague. Because the monsters were highly intelligent, they often chose to directly attack the cloth-wearing classes at the back of the team. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was hard to protect teammates by generating threat, so tanks had to employ a human wall tactic, relying on their collision-sized bodies to block enemy attacks.


    With a loud crash, the two men and the five dogs collided. The two deflected attacks to the left and right but alas, two dogs slipped through. However, they weren''t the only ones who could tank; Zhang Yaoyang whistled, and his two black and two yellow hounds attacked simultaneously. Although his dogs were outsized by the opposition, their numbers were an advantage.


    Under two-on-one conditions, they barely held up. Zhang Yaoyang also took out a bow and shot sporadically. The main fighting power of a Beast Tamer was in their pets; the Beast Tamer himself wasn''t very strong in combat, but it was better than nothing.


    The rest of the team went all out with their attacks. Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlong rode his warhorse, trying to outflank Zhou Kaihuang. The strength of a warrior lay in the ability to fight on horseback (though only outdoors), which considerably improved mobility. Zhao Yunlong circled around the battlefield and charged at Zhou Kaihuang with a spear thrust.


    Suddenly, a rope trap sprang from under his feet, tripping Zhao Yunlong off his horse.


    "Be careful, everyone, this BOSS lays traps," Zhao Yunlong shouted as he jumped up and continued fighting on foot, moving towards Zhou Kaihuang while being healed by Hua Yueying. But a silver-class BOSS didn''t have weak attacks. Running and shooting arrows was like kiting; after several rounds, Zhao Yunlong''s health was nearly depleted, and it couldn''t be healed fast enough.


    Zhao Yunlong knew he couldn''t run¡ªthe arrows would reach him no matter how fast he was. Gritting his teeth, he called out, "Heal me, quick!" Just as his health was about to bottom out, a white light shield suddenly enveloped him, blocking the next two arrows. It was Xiao Buli''s Ethereal Armor saving his life.


    Taking advantage of this brief respite, Hua Yueying''s Sweet Dew Curse finally lifted his health bar.


    During the time Zhao Yunlong bought, the five hounds were finally taken down. Zhang Yaoyang said, "Okay, focus all firepower on the BOSS, tanks move to the front."


    A swarm of melee classes rushed forward, surrounding Zhou Kaihuang. The BOSS, having lost the advantage of distance, was completely passive and couldn''t fight back. As the BOSS''s health dropped by one third, suddenly, Zhou Kaihuang leaped high and landed on the kennel.


    With that, the melee fighters couldn''t continue their attacks and had to pull out their bows and throwing knives to shoot intermittently, while the ranged classes didn''t stop firing, continuing their full-on assault.


    "Phase 2 coming up, be careful!" Zhang Yaoyang yelled.


    Pursuer Zhou Kaihuang, "It looks like you''ve really got something. Now I''m going to get serious!" As he said this, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, seemingly gathering strength for a shot.


    A red line extended from his bow, locking onto Du Yibo, and a target-like mark appeared above Du Yibo''s head. As the most powerful damage dealer among them, the Five Elements Warlock was the first to be targeted by Zhou Kaihuang.


    Just as Du Yibo was comfortably casting Giant Fireballs, a message suddenly popped up on his screen.


    System Notice: You have been marked by the Hunter''s Eye.


    Zhang Yaoyang was the first to react, "Not good, someone take the hit!"


    The advantage of a non-targeting game was that ranged attacks like fireballs and arrows could be intercepted.


    "I got it!" Wu Tao''s figure flashed suddenly between Du Yibo and the BOSS, invoking Qi-Protecting Aura, his internal energy in motion. A layer of white protective True Qi enveloped his entire body. In the next moment, a cold light pierced through him, and blood sprayed. Despite using his life-saving skills to absorb some of the damage, Wu Tao''s health points still dropped by nearly half.


    "Damn, that''s some high damage. Someone else take over tanking next."


    "Not good, I''m targeted too!" Hua Yueying also shouted. This time, Zhang Qiang stepped up, taking the hit for her.


    "Everyone, watch out for his targeting skill. If you''re targeted, run behind the wall or get behind a tank."


    A prompt suddenly appeared on Xiao Buli''s screen:


    System Notification: You have been targeted by the hunter''s eye.


    He looked around quickly and realized that it was too late to hide behind a wall or find a meat shield. He hurriedly commanded Coal Ball to move forward.


    With a splatter, the plump Coal Ball was struck, losing a significant amount of health points, and entered a state of fury. It let out a howl and charged toward Zhou Kaihuang, then slammed into the dog house, getting stunned, and relentlessly circled beneath it.


    Damn, so that works too?


    Xiao Buli was completely speechless, quickly casting Resurrection Skills on Coal Ball twice. Once its health points recovered to over thirty percent, Coal Ball finally came back to its senses and sheepishly trotted back.


    They continued dealing damage for a while. In the meantime, the BOSS targeted several more victims, always picking on the cloth-armored classes with lower health points, but the members of the Green Dragon Group used various methods to block the attacks. As the BOSS''s health dropped to less than a third, it underwent another change.


    Pursuer Zhou Kaihuang: "Hawk, your master needs your help!"


    A sharp cry suddenly rang out in the sky, and a gigantic hawk swooped down from above.


    Entering Phase 3, the BOSS reverted to its normal firing mode.


    "Zhang Qiang, you pull the hawk. Everyone else keep up the damage."


    Finally, with a scream, Zhou Kaihuang, whose health was drained, stumbled and fell off the dog house.


    Lying on the ground, he stretched out a hand in defiance¡ª


    Pursuer Zhou Kaihuang: "I always knew that one day the hunter would become the hunted¡ªahhh!!!"


    The members of the Green Dragon Group: "Yeah!"


    Xiao Buli was also slightly excited. It was his first time actually taking down a BOSS in this game, and the feeling was thrilling. Although he was a newbie and acted cautiously, he managed not to make any mistakes.


    He also witnessed the strength of the Green Dragon Group for the first time. Even though it was their first time facing this BOSS and they had no information on its skills, they relied on their quick reflexes and teamwork to achieve a one-shot victory without any casualties. Having such a team for dungeon runs did give some reassurance.


    "Quick, check the body to see what dropped," the crowd clamored. Zhang Yaoyang, without any hesitation, dutifully approached Zhou Kaihuang''s corpse. "Hey, there''s an item that can trigger a mission."


    PS: Here''s a 4,000-word gift.

 Chapter 69

    The first item, a quest item. Zhang Yaoyang listed the attributes of the first dropped item as he spoke.A Tattered Wanted Poster: This is a wanted poster. Judging by the creases from frequent folding, the owner of this document seems to have cared a lot about it.


    Use: Triggers a quest.


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "Whoever wants it, bid your points, starting low at 20."


    Xiao Buli was slightly startled, not expecting the Green Dragon Group to still be using the DKP system. The so-called DKP, also known as Slaying Dragon Points or guild points, is generally a virtual currency used for distributing equipment when raiding dungeons and fighting bosses in games.


    Xiao Buli used to employ it often when he first started managing a guild, but ever since he began running a studio with the goal of making money, everything became linked to money, and the use of DKP had significantly decreased. He didn''t expect to see it in use again today.


    As a newcomer, he naturally had no points, and even if he did, he wouldn''t plan on wasting them on this item because he had a good idea of where it came from.


    "Nice item!" Wu Tao exclaimed excitedly, rubbing his hands together.


    Xiao Buli glanced at him without showing his feelings, "Do you know what quest this will trigger?"


    "No idea, but these kinds of items generally trigger quests with great rewards. It definitely won''t be wrong," Wu Tao replied. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed the others thought the same, all eager and rubbing their hands together in anticipation.


    Xiao Buli, looking at the wanted poster, however, had a premonition that disappointment was inevitable this time.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t bid," Xiao Buli whispered to Wu Tao. Wu Tao looked at him hesitantly, saw his half-smiling face, and chose to believe him. The others, however, didn''t have such concerns; they bid up the price by increments of five and ten. Soon the price climbed, and in the end, the Wanderer Li Chuang won it for a high bid of 80 points.


    He clicked the quest item happily.


    Quest Triggered: ''The Final Hunt.'' Complete the final hunt and kill the wanted criminal Li Baocheng. Bring his head to the village chief of Dahuang Village, and you will obtain all the inheritance of Zhou Kaihuang.


    "Damn, that''s awesome! What''s the deal with this Li Baocheng? I need to hurry up and finish this quest. All the inheritance... that must be a lot of stuff."


    He was just asking casually, not expecting anyone to know, but Zhang Yaoyang hesitated before responding, "That Li Baocheng seems to be a newcomer in the White Tiger Group. I''ve seen him before."


    What! Li Chuang was totally dumbfounded now. If it was another player¡ªespecially one from a studio¡ªthere was no way he''d be allowed to kill him. Without even trying, he knew for sure the quest was unplayable.


    Seeing his expression, everyone couldn''t help but laugh.


    "Stop laughing, we have items to distribute," Zhang Yaoyang said and then posted the second item.


    Ferocious Beast Slaughterer (Silver Longbow): Attack 13-39, deals an additional 30% damage to beast units.


    "Wow, a silver-grade equipment! I want it, I want it!" Li Chuang got excited upon seeing the attributes of the equipment.


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "No one''s competing with you, but as per the old rules, silver-grade equipment starts at 100 DKP. You''re going into negative points."


    Li Chuang nodded with some pain, as the DKP he had saved up was mostly spent on this operation. However, obtaining a silver weapon was still thrilling, but it was unfortunate about the 80 points spent on the quest item¡ªit looked like he''d be working for free for a while.


    Xiao Buli then had a question, "Aren''t silver-grade items supposed to be handed over?"


    Wu Tao shook his head, "Only items of gold quality and above need to be handed over. They don''t care about silver ones."


    The third item was a ring.


    Cursed Pale Ring (Deep Blue Ring): Maximum health points +80, Luck -2.


    Equipment Description: A legendary magic ring cursed and glinting with an ominous light. Those who have worn it have all paid a very tragic price.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, wasn''t this the very ring that Sun Bin had before? However, the attributes seemed a bit different, yet the introduction of the equipment was indeed quite fitting.


    He recalled for a moment, it seemed that everyone who had owned this ring met with no good end, whether it was Lu Jiang, Sun Bin, or Zhou Kaihuang, they all ended up dead.


    Better to touch this thing as little as possible.


    After seeing the description of the equipment, Zhang Yaoyang hesitated for a moment, but he still said, "I won''t start with a minimum bid for this one, does anyone want it?"


    "I''ll offer five points," Shield Bearer Zhang Qiang was the first to speak up.


    "10 points," Wu Tao was the second to speak, as Xiao Buli thought to himself, damn, why does this guy keep heading into trouble?


    After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Qiang shouted again, "I''ll offer 20 points."


    Seeing that Wu Tao was about to raise the bid, Xiao Buli hurriedly grabbed him, and Wu Tao looked at him with some frustration, "What now, boss?"


    "Didn''t you see that this thing reduces luck?"


    "What''s the big deal? I''m not planning on looting corpses, and it has an 80 health point cap, this is a premium piece of equipment for a tank."


    Xiao Buli sighed and said, "Just trust me on this, don''t forget the matter with that posted announcement."


    Wu Tao thought about it and said, "Alright, I''ll trust you once more."


    The ring went to Zhang Qiang.


    Zhang Yaoyang continued announcing the drops, and the fourth one turned out to be a Skill Book.


    : A book recording how to tame strange and wild beasts.


    Zhang Yaoyang smacked his lips and said, "Logically, this should be between me and Li Chuang to bid on, but I''ve already learned it, and Li Chuang has negative points, so it''s up to you guys to bid, anyone interested?"


    For a long while, no one responded. Taming Skills were of little use in the later stages unless one dedicated themselves to it, and hopes weren''t high for exotic beasts, which were hard to come by. Most importantly, everyone was waiting for the drops from the next two Bosses, naturally not willing to waste their points here, which resulted in an unexpectedly cold auction.


    "I should be able to bid too, right?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Of course."


    "Then I''ll offer 20 points."


    Li Chuang had previously bid 180 points to win two items, while Zhang Qiang won the ring for 20 points, making a total of 200 points divided among ten people. If distributed evenly, Xiao Buli would just have gotten twenty points, which is why he used them to place his bid.


    "No one else increasing the bid? Alright, then it goes to you."


    Looking at "Wild Beast Knowledge: Exotic Beasts Section" in his bag, Xiao Buli slightly smiled, his luck wasn''t bad.


    Alright, the equipment has been distributed, let''s continue to the next Boss.


    The group followed the main path through the stronghold and soon arrived in front of a small plaza at a three-way intersection, where Boss number two was located.


    Trampler Wang Borang¡ªwas the Guard Captain of that former trade caravan. However, now both man and warhorse were shrouded in black armor, boasting an imposing and domineering appearance.


    He held in his hand a spear about two meters long, black in shaft, with the spearhead glowing a fierce red as if it had just been pulled from a blacksmith''s furnace, with the horse''s eyes and hoofs emitting the same colored flames, giving off the impression of a knight straight from the depths of hell.


    As usual, Hua Yueying threw over a Mind Revelation, and this time the Boss had even more health points than before, a full 5000 health points.

 Chapter 70 The Reins of the Devils Realm Warhorse

    This was a general BOSS; it looked like it should have a charging skill. In an open area, it''s very difficult for the tank to protect the people behind them. Zhang Yaoyang briefly referred to past BOSS fights and quickly came up with a tactic."Everyone gather in the corner, tanks on the outside, ranged inside." Xiao Buli had some impression of this corner hugging tactic¡ª it was more commonly used in "Legend", and this tactic was only possible when the concept of collision volume existed. It had virtually vanished since the popularity of 3D games, but unexpectedly, it seemed to see the light of day again.


    Soon, the party regrouped in a corner with tanks, melee players, and pets forming a human wall outside, and all the fragile professions stuffed inside. This was the best formation to counter a charging BOSS.


    "Li Chuang, pull the mob!"


    Li Chuang nodded, raised the silver longbow he had just received, drew the bow, and let loose an arrow. It struck Wang Borang squarely in the chest, displaying a beautiful red ''-34''.


    Trampler Wang Borang: "Invaders, you must be exterminated! Under my iron hooves, none shall live!"


    After speaking, he spurred his horse forward, lance in hand, charging at them. With the formidable power of horse and rider united, there was a loud crash as Zhang Qiang, who was at the very front, was sent flying, but Wu Tao immediately took his place.


    The tactic proved to be extremely effective. Since everyone was crowded together, the BOSS had no chance to charge back and forth and could only engage in close combat. As he was on horseback and couldn''t exert force effectively, his attacks weren''t very strong. In short order, he had lost half his health.


    Suddenly, the warhorse beneath him neighed and collapsed, turning into a wisp of black smoke and disappearing.


    We''re entering phase 2, everyone be careful.


    Trampler Wang Borang: "Damn you, you''ll pay for this!" Without his warhorse, Wang Borang went into an unstoppable stampede, his lance whirling wildly. Its extra-long reach casted heavy spear shadows over everyone, and almost half of the party was affected.


    "Spread out, move quickly!" Seeing the impending disaster, Zhang Yaoyang urgently issued the command. In fact, without his prompting, everyone else had already seen the danger, and almost as if by agreement, they all scattered in different directions, leaving only a few melee fighters and hounds and boars to stall the BOSS.


    The ranged professions formed a circle and began stationary shooting, throwing all kinds of slowing spells. Wang Borang, deprived of his horse, could barely move and was quickly kited to death. With a thump, he fell to the ground.


    Trampler Wang Borang: "Is this the end of my conquest¡ªah!!!"


    Green Dragon Group: "Yeah!" S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha, we''ve taken down two BOSSes so quickly; it seems this dungeon isn''t much of a challenge," Wu Tao said excitedly.


    It seemed to be as Wu Tao said, the dungeon run was going smoothly. But success or failure often hung by a thread, and if they had chosen the wrong tactic earlier, allowing the BOSS to display his true power, it would only take minutes to result in deaths, so Zhang Yaoyang didn''t let his guard down because of their victories.


    "Don''t be too optimistic, everyone. There are still BOSSes ahead. Let''s quickly distribute the loot," Zhang Yaoyang said as he announced the first piece of equipment.


    The first piece.


    Refined Iron Chainmail (deep blue chestplate): Armor +24, reduces damage from piercing attacks by 30%. Strength +3, Stamina +4.


    Description: Crafted from top-notch refined iron, this armor provides excellent defense. The added armor pieces offer better protection against piercing damage.


    "Low bid of 30 points, anyone interested?"


    This time, the bidding war was between Zhang Qiang and Zhao Yunlong, who escalated to 50 points. Zhao Yunlong hesitated for a moment, "Has the boss''s spear dropped?"


    Seeing Zhang Yaoyang''s shake of the head, Zhao Yunlong bit the bullet and put down a full 100 points. Zhang Qiang couldn''t compete since he had already obtained the ring and reluctantly gave up.


    The second item was a skill book.


    "Spirit Snake Spear Skills": Legend has it that this spear technique was created by the famed Spear King Zhou Tong, inspired by the movements of a venomous snake hunting for prey, known for its agility and ferocity.


    "Damn it, why didn''t you say so earlier?" Zhao Yunlong was dumbfounded; he really wanted that item too.


    "You didn''t ask me, but don''t worry, no one is going to compete with you for it. However, as usual, the lowest bid for a skill book is 100 DKP," Zhang Yaoyang explained.


    And thus, another heavy debtor was born.


    The third item, however, was a mount.


    Devil''s Realm Warhorse''s Reins: Use to summon a Fierce Flame Warhorse from the Devil''s Realm for riding or combat, increasing movement speed by 310%, with a 24-hour cooldown for summoning.


    "Damn, it''s a summonable mount!" Zhao Yunlong was shocked, "Mine, mine, it''s definitely mine."


    "Hey, why should it be yours? Anyone can ride this thing," everyone erupted in uproar.


    The excitement wasn''t unreasonable because both the traveling horse bought from the mount merchant with a speed of 150 and the warhorse bought from the Golden Dragon Legion''s quartermaster with a speed of 280, just like pets tamed with Taming Skills, could be killed. Once killed, a new mount would need to be purchased, and it wasn''t convenient to ride them around.


    But the Fierce Flame Warhorse summoned by this ''Devil''s Realm Warhorse''s Reins'' was different. Not only was its speed a whopping 310, but it could also be summoned daily, essentially an immortal mount, not to mention its impressive looks.


    Almost everyone began to prepare to bid, but Zhang Yaoyang didn''t start with a low price; instead, he directly placed it into his own bag.


    This stunned everyone.


    "Damn, leader, that''s not cool, how can you ninja-loot?


    "Yeah, yeah! Even if you''re the loot dictator, this isn''t the way to do it."


    Facing everyone''s strong reaction, Zhang Yaoyang wore a mocking expression and didn''t react until everyone fell silent. He then said, "Are you done? If you are, then shut up. Do you really think we could use this thing? It must be handed over, we still have three out of five quota items for this month''s offerings that haven''t been sorted."


    His words poured cold water over everyone. Right, we are working for someone else, after all. Ordinary equipment and Skill Books were one thing, but such a premium item was surely meant for those higher up. Once everyone realized this, they fell silent, each sighing heavily.


    "Don''t lose heart; turning in such great loot will surely bring us a hefty reward, at least a couple thousand bucks each in bonuses. Where else could we get such a deal in other games? Getting a Point Card as a bonus would be considered good."


    Xiao Buli didn''t pay much attention; no matter how good the item was, it wasn''t like a skill that he could bring into reality. It wasn''t some amazing piece of equipment, so its allure wasn''t that great for him. However, this incident did serve as a wakeup call. After all, working for someone else wasn''t a long-term plan.


    If one day they accidentally got an incredibly powerful Skill Book from a boss but had to hand it over, it''d be extremely frustrating.


    "Alright, let''s continue with the next boss," Zhang Yaoyang said after the loot was distributed.


    Bai Yunfei suddenly spoke up, "Wait a moment, leader. Shouldn''t we take care of that rare elite first?"


    "Where is it?"


    Bai Yunfei pointed towards a side passage leading to the entrance of a dungeon.


    The party filed in, only to find two jailers and a rare elite¡ªThe Interrogator, Duan Yimao inside.


    Duan Yimao was only a normal elite, incomparable to the previous two bosses and was taken down quickly, dropping only one piece of equipment.


    Cruel Hook (light blue One-handed Sword): Attack 7¨C23. When attacking, there is a chance to cause the target to bleed, dealing 14 points of bleeding damage over 7 seconds and generating additional threat.


    Clearly an item suitable for a tank, it was claimed by Zhang Qiang for 30 DKP.


    Besides that, a key dropped as well.


    Dungeon Key: Can be used to unlock a cell door (consumable).


    Looking around, they found four cell doors that could be opened, but since the key was a consumable, it seemed they could only choose one to unlock.


    The first cell held an old Taoist leaning on a banner inscribed with ''Iron Ruler Diviner.''


    The second cell imprisoned a strong man named Niu Dazhuang.


    The third held a fat fellow, looking like a wealthy landowner from the countryside.


    The fourth cell contained a tortured corpse beyond recognition.


    "Which one should we save?" Zhang Yaoyang asked hesitantly.

 Chapter 71 The Traitor Luo Zhans Killing Move

    "Who should we save?" Zhang Yaoyang asked hesitantly.The crowd was abuzz with discussion, but for a time, they could not reach a consensus; after all, there were no clues about the situation at hand.


    Xiao Buli asked curiously, "Why don''t we just ask them? Wouldn''t we know then?" The ''them'' he referred to were naturally the NPCs.


    Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly fell silent.


    Xiao Buli felt several people''s gazes on him and couldn''t help but ask, "What, did I say something wrong?"


    "Haha, you didn''t say anything wrong; on the contrary, you''re absolutely right!" Liu Xing laughed and then directly shouted to the NPCs, "Hey, what''s in it for us if we save you?"


    Wealthy Landowner: "Save me, please. As long as you get me out, I''ll give you money, I have a lot of money at home."


    Niu Dazhuang: "If you rescue me, I''ll help you fight those thieves."


    Old Taoist: "This old man truly has nothing to repay you with, but if you could save this old man, I could predict your fortune for free."


    Corpse: ".........."


    After a brief discussion, the group came to a basic consensus. It was clear that saving the Wealthy Landowner would provide a monetary reward, though it probably wouldn''t be much. Besides, with the support of the Xuanwu Group''s funds, they didn''t really need the money.


    Saving Niu Dazhuang would likely provide an NPC to assist in battle, but given his appearance, he didn''t seem too powerful, comparable to an uncontrollable tank that might even cause trouble by luring monsters randomly.


    The Old Taoist''s fortune-telling was probably some sort of BUFF, but as for the corpse, it was unclear¡ªperhaps there would be a quest item, or possibly nothing at all.


    "Let''s save the Old Taoist. The upcoming BOSS fight might be tough, and having a BUFF would be better. The others don''t seem to provide much help for our upcoming battle," Wu Tao suddenly said.


    Seeing no objections, Zhang Yaoyang nodded. "Then let''s save the Old Taoist." Zhang Yaoyang said as he used the key to open the cell door imprisoning the Old Taoist.


    With a creak, the iron gate of the cell slowly opened, and the Old Taoist walked out with a chuckle, "I see that you all have ruddy complexions and radiant auras. Your upcoming adventures are sure to be blessed with good fortune, easily within reach. However, as the saying goes, where there''s fortune there may lie misfortune, and where there''s misfortune there may rest fortune.


    This stroke of luck might just be the prelude to misfortune next time; you all must be careful."


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He would not dismiss the words of NPCs in this game lightly. Since the Old Taoist had spoken thus, there might well be some reason for it.


    Yet the Old Taoist spoke again, "Since we have met by fate, this old man shall exert his modest effort." Saying this, he waved the banner in his hand, and suddenly, a white light filled the screen, and everyone received an additional BUFF over their heads.


    Luck Shines High: Your luck is increased by 1 point for 24 hours.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that compared to the blessing Lu Jiang gave them initially, this was far inferior, but it was still better than nothing.


    Ignoring the crying and screaming of the strong man and the Wealthy Landowner, the group left the dungeon and returned on the same path. Xiao Buli suddenly felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Turning around, he saw Wu Tao, "What''s up?" he asked.


    Wu Tao spoke mysteriously, "After we finish the dungeon, don''t leave. Yaoyao knows how to pick locks, and nobody knows about it; I only know because I''m on good terms with her. After the others leave, let her unlock all these cells; who knows, there might be something good in it for us."


    Xiao Buli looked at Wu Tao''s cunning expression and thought to himself that this guy was quite sly. Why hadn''t he noticed this when they were in the same guild? However, he naturally wouldn''t divulge such matters.


    They didn''t walk far along the main path before they encountered the altar Bai Yunfei had mentioned before; it was three or four Zhang high, built with huge rocks and massive wood. Hundreds of captured slaves were transporting stone and timber back and forth, constructing the altar.


    All these slaves were neutral units with yellow names, indicating they would not initiate attacks on adventurers. However, many Black Mountain Foremen wielding whips around them were undoubtedly red-named monsters.


    "Li Chuang, lure the foremen out and kill them, but be careful not to aggro those slaves."


    Long-range pulling of monsters in this game was a technical job since it''s a non-lock targeting game, and carelessness could easily lead to misfires. Fortunately, Li Chuang had excellent shooting game techniques, and with a few precise shots, he lured the red-named Black Mountain Foremen out one by one, dealing with them effortlessly.


    With the foremen dead, the captured slaves broke free from the chains on their bodies and scattered without a trace. The group did not pay much attention and continued their way inward, soon sighting the mountain stronghold''s Hall of Righteousness. A few minor monsters guarded the entrance, and they fought their way inside.


    Seated on the chair at the center of the Hall of Righteousness was the BOSS¡ªan assassin dressed in black leather armor with twin blades at his back¡ªa formidable sight¡ªTraitor Luo Zhan.


    Traitor Luo Zhan: "Oh, do we have guests? How rude of me. Well, let me entertain you all properly."


    With a loud bang, the door behind everyone firmly shut. The battle burst forth¡ªthree tanks took the lead, two healers frantically healed, and the rest went all out with their damage.


    This Luo Zhan was much weaker than everyone had anticipated; he only had 3000 health points. However, he was incredibly fast, dashing around and hard to hit. Yet, after a barrage of slowing spells were cast on him, he slowed down, since being a small-volume boss, he was susceptible to control abilities.


    His health points quickly dropped by a third and seamlessly entered P2 phase without a hitch.


    The traitor Luo Zhan: "Damn it, it seems I''ve underestimated you all."


    With a gesture, two Black Mountain Stalkers, who had been hiding behind him, leaped out. These two assassin monsters had semi-translucent shadowy bodies, each with over a thousand health points, elite monsters.


    Zhang Yaoyang shouted urgently, "Zhao Yunlong, pull the one on the left; Wu Tao, take the one on the right; Zhang Qiang, tank the boss. Focus fire on the minor monsters, hit them fast and hard!"


    The P2 phase seemed to pose no real challenge either. The minor monsters had a lot of health but didn''t pack a powerful attack. They were swiftly dealt with, and the group turned their focus back to the boss. Everyone''s guard was down, thinking the dungeon wasn''t that hard.


    When the boss''s health dropped below 1000, he suddenly leaped into the air.


    Traitor Luo Zhan: "You can actually hit me; that is surprising. But, can you do the same in darkness?" While speaking, he shot out four darts in quick succession, extinguishing the torches that illuminated the room from the corners. Darkness engulfed the space, followed by a series of muffled sounds of blades piercing flesh.


    What''s going on? Xiao Buli realized his screen had gone black and was shocked, instinctively casting Ethereal Armor on himself, but clearly, he wasn''t the only one affected.


    "Damn, why is my screen black!"


    "It''s the game''s light effects! Light your torches." shouted the players in front of their computers, but the torches were stored in their bags, and in the chaos, they weren''t easy to find.


    A loud boom thundered as a flame sprang up from the middle of the room, the Five Elements Warlock Du Yibo was the first to react, summoning a firewall to provide temporary illumination and saved everyone from being picked off in the darkness.


    "Good job, Yibo, keep the light up. Zhang Qiang, go get the boss!" shouted Yaoyang, but upon calling a second time, there was no response. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking closely, they discovered that Zhang Qiang, who was holding off the boss, had already fallen in a pool of blood.


    "Damn, what''s there to tank, I''m already dead!" said Zhang Qiang with a morose expression. Shield Bearers, as tanks, excel in using shields to block frontal attacks. In terms of armor and skills, they don''t have much over other classes. In the darkness, he couldn''t effectively block, and no one knew how many hits he took, nor was there anyone to heal him.


    His high health points of over four hundred were drained in an instant.


    "Second tank, take over! Stop standing there!" Yaoyang shouted, his heart sinking a bit. He hadn''t expected such caution only to lead to death at the last moment. Buli was sweating coldly, relieved that it wasn''t him the boss had attacked in the darkness.


    Seeing the boss in a Fury state heading for Du Yibo, Zhao Yunlong stepped forward, "Ha! Do you dare to fight me!"


    Of course, he wasn''t typing idly; that was the warrior''s aggro-pulling ability ''Solo Charge'' which could only be used on a single target but had excellent effects. The boss, hearing this, actually turned and charged at him.


    After a round of focus fire, there were no more surprises this time. With the light of the fire, the boss couldn''t play any tricks, and with a final scream, the boss fell.


    Traitor Luo Zhan: "The light¡ªI see the light, really... so dazzling... ah!!!"


    The Green Dragon Group: "......"


    There was no cheer; everyone silently looked towards Zhang Qiang, both in the game and in reality.


    "Hey, don''t look so gloomy; you''ve made a sacrifice for the group. You''ll definitely get a severance pay of 100,000 yuan."


    Zhang Qiang''s mood lifted a bit after Yaoyang''s comforting words. Xiao Buli scanned everyone and saw that although a few seemed to relax a bit, most had a complicated, unspeakable look on their faces. Liu Xing, in particular, had an incredibly dark expression.


    He stood up from his seat as if wanting to say something, his fists clenched tight, but in the end, he remained silent, turned away, and poured himself a drink from the liquor cabinet.


    Xiao Buli glanced again at Bai Yunfei, who was constantly staring at Zhang Qiang''s back as if there was something on it. In his gaze was not anger or sorrow but seemingly a hint of¡ªfear?


    PS: Please add to favorites and recommend.

 Chapter 72 Dark Magic Power

    Zhang Qiang was escorted out of the Green Dragon Group''s computer room. According to the company''s policy, a player employee''s character, once dead, must leave the studio immediately and take their pay.Since the dungeon wasn''t over yet, everyone could only hurriedly bid farewell to this colleague they had spent several months with, say goodbye, and then turn their attention back to the screen¡ªafter all, they were just colleagues who worked together and could hardly be said to be familiar with each other.


    The only one feeling somewhat sentimental was Wang Gang. He and Zhang Qiang had passed the tests together as newbies, struggled together in Newbie Village, fought monsters together, adventured together, and had even chosen the same profession. It was a pity that from today onward, they would have to part ways.


    "Let''s start dividing the equipment," Zhang Yaoyang said. Everyone responded, but without the previous excitement, feeling more subdued at the sight of Zhang Qiang''s melancholic departure. However, Zhang Yaoyang still insisted on fulfilling his responsibilities as a team leader.


    The first drop was a deep blue one-handed sword.


    Heart Piercer (One-handed Sword): Attack 11-24, when attacking, may¡ªenter Insight state for one second, ignoring the target''s Armor with sure critical hit on the next attack.


    Equipment Introduction: This narrow, sharp weapon seems to have been forged specifically for assassination. Its thin blade is exceedingly keen yet seems fragile; only a highly skilled Swordsman can unleash its full potential.


    The attack power was very high, and the weapon''s special effect seemed unique. It required a very high reaction speed to wield it well, as the effect only lasted for one second. It wouldn''t be very useful for basic attacks, but if used to execute a powerful move at that instant, its effect could be astonishing.


    "Starting bid 50 points, anyone interested?"


    Xiao Buli glanced at his Ironwood Rune Sword and decided to pass.


    It was clear the only person suitable for this weapon here was Swordsman Liu Xing, but Liu Xing remained silent.


    "Liu Xing!" Zhang Yaoyang called out, "Are you interested?"


    "What''s it to you," Liu Xing said with a touch of resignation, not even putting down his glass.


    Zhang Yaoyang smirked coldly, "With this sword, you''ll be even more formidable, able to defeat more bosses, and obtain more Skill Books. Perhaps one day, you''ll be able to roam this world alone, with no one to stop you. Then, you can go wherever you want."


    Xiao Buli was startled by these words. Was there a hidden message in what Zhang Yaoyang was saying? He wanted to catch a glimpse of Zhang Yaoyang''s expression, but Zhang had already turned away.


    "If you don''t speak, that means you agree. 100 points, the sword is yours."


    Liu Xing pondered Zhang Yaoyang''s words and suddenly laughed, "100 points is too much, make it 50 points." He then bowed respectfully to Zhang Yaoyang and added, "Thank you."


    This seemed like just a small episode, but Liu Xing''s mood had substantially improved.


    Zhang Yaoyang seemed to have just done something very ordinary, his expression calm as he began to distribute the second drop, which was once again deep blue Leather Armor.


    Black Jiao Leather Vest (Leather Armor¡ªChestplate): Armor +20, Physique +4, Stamina +2, Elemental Defense +10.


    Equipment Introduction: Armor made from the hide of the legendary Exotic Beast ''Jiao,'' offering excellent defense, and providing some resistance to Five Elements damage.


    ```


    Starting at a low price of 50, anyone interested?


    The demand for top-notch protective gear suddenly spiked, perhaps spurred by Zhang Qiang''s death, and everyone rushed to outbid each other. Yet, in the end, it was none other than the top bidder, Zhang Yaoyang himself, who snagged the item for 120 points.


    The third piece of equipment turned out to be a silver grade item, but it had an unusual design¡ªit was a black eye mask.


    Betrayer''s Dark Vision (Cloth Armor£­Helmet): Equipping this item allows you to see clearly in the dark.


    Item description: When you look through this black eye mask, you will find the whole world shrouded in an ominous darkness.


    This was a peculiar piece of equipment. Despite being silver grade, it had no attributes and didn''t even provide a bit of Armor. Its only effect was to allow clear vision in the dark, which made it seem like a rather useless item¡ªif this were a typical online game.


    However, Xiao Buli had a different opinion now.


    Zhang Yaoyang hesitated and then said, "Normally, it should go to Yaoyao, but since she didn''t participate in the kill, I can''t just decide on my own. Even though she''s a girl, everyone should still bid for it. Of course, it''s fine to sell it to her later. The starting price for the silver equipment is 100, anyone interested?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No one peeped a word. The eye mask, which seemed to have a rather negligible special effect, felt more like a toy, and spending 100 DKP on such a toy seemed rather ridiculous.


    "Damn, this is silver grade equipment, stop being shy everyone," Zhang Yaoyang was still energetically marketing his treasure, but unfortunately, no one was fooled.


    "Can''t you give it some face? Maybe for 80 points?"


    "If no one really wants it, then just give it to me," Xiao Buli suddenly spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him in surprise.


    Wu Tao was tugging at his sleeve, "Boss, what are you doing? What''s the use of this thing?"


    "I think it might be somewhat useful," he said.


    There are reasons behind his words. Xiao Buli''s strongest ability was analysis. From his perspective, a few more points of Armor or a couple dozen more health points were of little use to his upcoming plans. What he needed now were items that offered special effects.


    The key lay in the item''s description, ''The entire field of view shrouded in an ominous shadow.'' It seemed that ever since entering the game, Xiao Buli had continuously heard the term ''Dark Magic Power.'' It appeared that all the terrifying creatures and sources of evil stemmed from this, but no one could clearly describe what this Dark Magic Power was.


    Yet, seeing the description of this item, Xiao Buli felt it couldn''t be a coincidence.


    "Are you really going to take this item? Can I ask why?" Seeing that Xiao Buli was interested, Zhang Yaoyang was somewhat hesitant and asked with confusion.


    "Because it looks cool," Xiao Buli replied with a laugh, which caused everyone to be taken aback.


    "Come on!" A wave of speechlessness echoed around, and Zhang Yaoyang was rather at a loss for words. He looked at the faint smile at the corner of Xiao Buli''s mouth and felt that he couldn''t quite see through this newcomer anymore.


    Shaking his head, he still gave the equipment to Xiao Buli.


    Removing the extravagant ''Magnificent Evil-Repelling Crown'' from his head, he equipped the eye mask in the helmet slot. The game screen immediately turned black and white. After observing his surroundings, it gave him the impression of watching a black-and-white TV. It took some getting used to, but it wasn''t too bad. Suddenly, he noticed something unusual on the opposite wall, which had seemed empty.


    After careful observation, he gradually realized it wasn''t just his imagination. A dark, shadowy entity that resembled a human figure was slowly emerging from the wall.


    ```

 Chapter 73 Soul Reaper

    Xiao Buli was taken aback and subconsciously removed his eyepatch from the helmet''s position, restoring the vision to normal, but the wall was now completely bare, showing no sign of anomaly.Upon putting it back on, the figure once again appeared; observing closely, it seemed to maintain a sitting posture, which was very odd.


    "Captain, there seems to be something behind the wall."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Yaoyang inquired in detail, and Xiao Buli explained the situation in a few words, immediately putting everyone on edge.


    Du Yibo said, "Captain, should I blast the wall open?" As the game allowed for destructible environments, he was quite fond of playing the role of a demolition team.


    Zhang Yaoyang pondered for a moment but then shook his head, "Wang Gang, is the light screen at the entrance to the instance still there?"


    "It''s been there all along," Wang Gang and Yaoyao answered together.


    Just as he thought, Zhang Yaoyang mused, once an instance in the game was cleared, the light screen at the entrance would naturally disappear, signaling the end of the instance. The fact that the light screen hadn''t vanished meant the instance wasn''t over, and something like a hidden boss might very well be behind that wall.


    "Everyone, eat and drink for recovery quickly, Wang Gang, with our few people, you go into the instance," he said.


    The team sat down to eat if they needed to eat, meditated if they needed to meditate, and Xiao Buli also began to meditate. Although he hadn''t been the main healer, he had spent quite a bit of mana on casting Ethereal Armor and Resurrection Skills for others, and even with the supplements from elixirs, he hadn''t been able to keep his mana full. He truly needed to recover now.


    It wasn''t long before Wang Gang rushed in.


    After more than ten minutes, everyone''s health points, physical strength, mana, internal energy, and all kinds of other messy stuff were fully restored, and Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "Let''s get our buffs up and prepare for battle. Considering the fight might be triggered immediately after the wall breaks, let''s get our formation ready first."


    They had already buffed up when they first entered the instance, but due to the long duration of the fight, many buffs had expired. At the captain''s command, a series of colorful glows flashed among the team.


    Du Yibo bestowed Rock Skin on the close-combat fighters, Bai Yunfei bestowed Evil-Repelling Skills on everyone, Hua Yueying bestowed Spirit Armor Skills, and as for Xiao Buli ¡ª his level of Spirit Armor Skills was too low, so he didn''t waste much mana.


    Besides that, a whole array of Amulets with various effects from Xuanwu Group were bestowed as well. Though only one boss remained and it seemed wasteful, they couldn''t care less about that now for the sake of safety. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once everything was ready, the formation still arranged as 3-5-2, Xiao Buli and Hua Yueying were positioned at the very back of the team.


    Seeing that everyone was ready, Zhang Yaoyang gave the nod, "Blast the wall."


    Upon hearing the order, Du Yibo began casting, and a fireball in his hand grew larger and more blinding. The Five Elements Warlock''s Fireball Technique could be charged, and the longer the charging time, the greater the power, with a certain level of charge even adding explosive splash damage. He hadn''t dared to use it before for fear of injuring teammates, but now he had no such concerns.


    Du Yibo charged his fireball for a full 10 seconds, the fireball getting as large as a washbasin before he released it.


    Ten-stage Charged ¡ª Fireball Technique!


    With a deafening explosion, the violent shockwave blasted half of the wall into dust, revealing a hidden chamber behind it. It was a vast hall with a stone path leading straight to the end, where dry, headless corpses littered both sides of the aisle¡ªstacked haphazardly as if left by enslaved workers. The gruesomely realistic special effects nearly matched those from certain horror games.


    Enshrouded in a black cloak, a figure sat on a throne made of skulls at the far end of the hall. The boss''s name was¡ªSoul Reaper Yan Qi (Abyssal Demon Clan).


    Upon seeing the boss''s name, Xiao Buli was momentarily taken aback. Just an elite with a deep blue name? This didn''t make sense. The previous three bosses were silver-named, so why was this hidden boss so weak? But then, he understood when he saw the suffix. The Demon Clan and the human race shouldn''t be considered part of the same system, just as a white-named tiger could defeat an Elite Wild Boar.


    Although this member of the Demon Clan was only an elite, perhaps he was much more formidable than the prior three human minor bosses.


    The group tread carefully through the horrific corridor to the throne where the boss resided. Hua Yueying cast Mind Revelation on the Soul Reaper, revealing a health pool of 8000 points. Everyone''s heart shuddered at the sight, and as if sensing something, the boss suddenly lifted his head.


    Soul Reaper Yan Qi: "Foolish mortals, you dare to meddle with the grand designs of the Demon Clan. This shall not be tolerated¡ªall must¡ªdie!"


    After uttering some rather unoriginal lines, the boss stood up from his throne. His figure wasn''t imposing, but as he stepped down from his throne, the ground beneath him erupted into flames. His aura was so intense that even the seasoned Green Dragon Group felt a shiver down their spines.


    "Leader, maybe we should pull back," someone suggested, but it was too late. The boss waved his hand, and dark mists billowed around them, flames raging, engulfing the entire hall and even cutting off their retreat¡ªa situation they had never encountered before.


    "Everyone, fight your damned hardest. I don''t want us to wipe here," barked Zhang Yaoyang, his voice cracking with tension. No one dared to object; they all understood that this time, they might truly be facing a foe like no other. One misstep could spell total annihilation.


    Xiao Buli''s palms were sweating, and he silently cursed his luck to be involved in a battle of such difficulty on his first day with the Green Dragon Group.


    "Zhao Yunlong, Wang Gang, pull the minor monsters! Wu Tao, get ready to take on the BOSS!"


    Armor is meaningless before a magic system BOSS; instead, Qigong Masters, with their certain spell resistances, prove to be more useful. Wu Tao, without a second thought, stepped forward and launched a basketball-sized, semi-transparent Qigong Wave at the target.


    Bang¡ª33.


    The boss, hit by the Qigong Wave, immediately retaliated. With a lift of his hand, a black fireball hurtled toward them.


    Qi-Protecting Aura! Ethereal Armor!


    In an instant, two layers of protective shield enveloped Wu Tao. With a booming sound, flames dissipated, both shields vanished, but Wu Tao''s health points scarcely decreased.


    Relieved, Zhang Yaoyang took a slight breath.


    "Keep me healed. I''m going in!" Wu Tao roared as he leaped forward, charging at the boss. Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlong and Wang Gang flanked him from both sides.

 Chapter 74 Is there no end to this?

    The attacks of Soul Reaper Yan Qi did not seem particularly terrifying. The black fireballs were launched every five seconds on average. With the protection of the Qi-Protecting Aura and Ethereal Armor, plus the constant healing from Hua Yueying in the background, Wu Tao was able to withstand them.However, as they watched the BOSS''s health gradually decrease, everyone was not relieved but instead became more tense than ever.


    It''s almost common knowledge in online games that bosses become more challenging towards the end, and it seemed that this game was no exception.


    Sure enough, when the BOSS''s health had dropped by a quarter, the BOSS began to make a move.


    Soul Reaper Yan Qi: "Do you think you can defeat me simply by outnumbering me? Then let me show you what real numbers look like! Rise, my slaves, and contribute your final value."


    From within the surrounding black flames, figures without heads rose up and began to converge on the group in the middle, so numerous they seemed almost countless.


    Xiao Buli clicked on one with his mouse. The monster was named ''Headless Walking Corpse'' with just over a hundred health points, but there were way too many of them.


    "Everyone, group up! Clear the minor monsters quickly! Zhao Yunlong and Wang Gang, come back and clear these things, fast!"


    Zhang Yaoyang was directing everyone to regroup while once again releasing four hounds.


    Armed with high Armor, Zhao Yunlong was the first to brandish his spear and plunge into the crowd of corpses.


    "Ultimate Skill¡ªTyrant Fishing Rod Style!" His spear swung continuously like a rod through the crowd, each swing taking down more than a dozen Walking Corpses. After five or six such strikes, he had taken down at least twenty Headless Walking Corpses, but having only one Heart of Mysteries, he could muster no more after this burst.


    Wang Gang activated his Savage Collision skill, bulldozing back and forth through the crowd like a bulldozer. Although it didn''t deal much damage, it effectively impeded the advance of the oncoming horde. Du Yibo threw a Giant Fireball, which exploded upon impact and flipped five or six Headless Walking Corpses into the air, but it was still not enough to stop the advance of the horde.


    The sheer number of minor monsters was overwhelming, wave after wave, seemingly endless. As they continued to gather and almost surround the formation, the players had no choice but to tighten their ranks even further.


    "Use your ultimate if you have it, or it will be too late!" Zhang Yaoyang screamed desperately. Just as his words ended, Xiao Buli noticed a figure stepping out of the crowd.


    It was Liu Xing, who bent down to his sword, performing a gesture like he was about to use a charged skill.


    But aren''t Swordsmen known for their lack of AOE skills? Xiao Buli thought to himself. In the next instant, his question was answered. Liu Xing''s figure began to spin like a top, a whirlwind of Sword Qi swirling around him as he plunged into the horde.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds!


    This move seemed to be an enhanced version of Blade Storm, whirling for a full ten seconds before stopping. When he did stop, a circle of dismembered corpses lay around him, having carved a path through the engulfing horde.


    Wow, what a domineering ultimate. Is this the power of an Ultimate Skill? It seems that Physical Professions might not be so inferior to Mage Professions after all. I wonder if I''ll ever have the chance to learn one? As Xiao Buli pondered this, he momentarily lost focus.


    "Stop daydreaming and shield the tank!" Upon hearing the shout, Xiao Buli snapped back to reality and quickly began casting Ethereal Armor on Wu Tao again.


    Once the minor monsters were cleared, everyone was finally able to resume their offense, deliberately slowing down this time to give everyone a chance to recover.


    Just as the BOSS''s health reached half, it started its monologue again.


    Soul Reaper Yan Qi: "Don''t think it''s over yet. Their bodies may have decayed, but their souls will still answer my call. Appear, my slaves!"


    The throne constructed from human skulls suddenly exploded, and from each skull emerged a translucent wraith. Hundreds of wraiths circled in the air, issuing piercing screams that in a computer case-opened studio felt like a haunt of specters.


    After circling for a few rounds, these wraiths descended and began attacking the people in the middle.


    The damage from the wraiths was minimal, and they were very easy to dodge, with a meager ten or so health points each. At first, everyone was somewhat relieved, hoping it wouldn''t take much to deal with them, but quickly realized things were not that simple.


    "Damn it, why can''t I kill these things?"


    Li Chuang complained as he shot an arrow at a wraith, only to see it pass right through without causing any damage.


    The others had similar issues, only the Five Elements Warlock''s fire spell caused some damage to these wraiths, but even that was limited. Everyone struggled to dodge, looking rather pathetic. Only Bai Yunfei was not attacked; the wraiths seemed to not notice him at all, passing back and forth without ever laying a finger on him.


    "Old Bai, you''re a Necromancer, right? Hurry up and deal with them."


    "It''s no use; my forte is harnessing the Power of Taiyin, which against these spirits is like pouring oil on fire. They can only be hurt by Sun Power."


    "Hua, hurry up and help me!"


    Hua Yueying responded irritably, "Didn''t you see I''m healing?" While saying this, she still cast a beam of white light towards the densest cluster of wraiths, which melted away just like ice cream meets boiling water under the light''s touch.


    After shining on the wraiths and killing a few, Hua Yueying noticed her mana starting to run low. "Damn, I don''t have any area damage skills. But I might have a trick to try; Xiao Buli, cover for me for a bit."


    Without waiting to see if Xiao Buli could keep Wu Tao alive, she immediately started channeling her ultimate move.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly spammed Resurrection Skills and Ethereal Armor on Wu Tao, his heart racing as he watched Wu Tao''s health constantly drop.


    "Quick, heal me or I''m gonna die!" Wu Tao shouted while gulping down a giant potion. It felt like an eternity, but in less than ten seconds, Hua Yueying''s ultimate was finally unleashed.


    "In my name, I beckon thy life, Yellow Turban Strongman, appear forthwith at my command!"


    As Hua Yueying''s character let out a delicate shout, a beam of golden light descended from the sky and a muscular, half-transparent figure began to emerge within it, clad in a yellow turban and wielding a Decorated Giant Axe, imperiously appearing beside Hua Yueying, half-floating in the air.


    Upon sighting the Yellow Turban Strongman, the wraiths seemed to fear him, scattering away hastily.


    Zhang Yaoyang couldn''t help but be speechless, "Damn, why didn''t you summon this thing earlier?"


    "Once a day, works only on Undead." Hua Yueying''s explanation was brief but clear. While explaining, she swallowed a Seven-Star Resurrection Elixir and continued to restore Wu Tao''s health, thankfully keeping him from dying.


    Right after entering the fray, the Yellow Turban Strongman started harvesting the surrounding wraiths. With a swing of his great axe, the blade sliced through the air, dispersing the wraiths, soul and spirit alike. Not only did his attacks deal double damage to spiritual bodies, but they also inflicted soul searing effects.


    Even if they weren''t slain outright, just a graze could burn away the pitiful health of these wraiths in mere seconds. After a few sweeps, he cleared out all the aggrieved spirits.


    "Thank heavens you''re here," Zhang Yaoyang sighed in relief and reorganized the formation, continuing to barrage the BOSS fervently.


    As the BOSS''s health dropped to a quarter, predictably, it began to speak again. Each speech indicated an imminent powerful attack from the BOSS, instantly tightening everyone''s nerves.


    Soul Reaper Yan Qi: "To have held out this long before me, you have caught my eye, lowly human Wu Tao. Accept this honor."


    Wu Tao, who had been tanking the BOSS, suddenly found himself floating and saw a flash of red light from the Soul Reaper''s hand, casting an unknown spell on him. The next moment, the BOSS''s name shifted from the red border that signified an enemy to a green border indicating an ally, and a new DEBUFF ''Soul Reaper'' appeared in the top right corner of the screen, lasting for 30 seconds.


    Drawing on his similar gaming experience, he almost instantly realized, "Everyone be careful, I''ve been controlled!"


    "Dispel it, quick!" Zhang Yaoyang shouted, his heart suddenly leaping.


    Proving her professional gamer skills, Hua Yueying almost instantly reacted as Wu Tao''s name changed color, casting Dispelling simultaneously.


    Demons and devils begone!¡ªA flash of white light and Wu Tao''s name remained the same vivid red of an enemy unit. He also used ''Heart As Still Water'' to become immune to Zhao Yunlong''s ''Solo Charge'' taunt effect and rushed towards the two healers on this side.


    "It can''t be dispelled."


    "Then wipe him out!" The words blurted out by Zhang Yaoyang gave Wu Tao quite a shock.


    Most hesitated, but Li Chuang, without a word, let fly an arrow.


    "Don''t do it!" Wu Tao cried out as a red -35 appeared above his character. Zhang Yaoyang came to his senses, "Damn, I forgot we aren''t playing Warcraft. Stop attacking, Li Chuang, can we not be so literal?"


    Fortunately, the rest weren''t cruel enough to focus fire on Wu Tao. He took only one arrow and didn''t drop dead, as Hua Yueying timely cast a Demon-binding Curse! Six pillars of light shot up from the ground, creating an invisible cage that trapped Wu Tao and didn''t let him out.


    The spell''s duration was very short but enough for him to break free from the ''Soul Reaper'' status as Wang Gang quickly took over tanking the BOSS again.


    "Good, he''s controlled. The rest of you, beat the BOSS with everything you''ve got!"


    After a fierce beating, the BOSS''s health was finally depleted, freeing Wu Tao from the control of the Soul Reaper Skills.


    Was it finally over? Everyone thought so, but things turned out not as optimistic as everyone hoped. Although the BOSS collapsed, the black flames around didn''t disappear; a sinister and low voice echoed in the great hall.


    Soul Reaper Yan Qi: "The human shell is truly fragile and useless, it seems it''s time to show the true power of the Demon Clan!"


    The lifeless corpse of the BOSS suddenly stood up once more. Its body cracked bit by bit as if something was burrowing out from within. As the human skin fell away like shed snakeskin, a hideous and horrendous giant over three meters tall appeared before everyone. Its entire body was wrapped in a shell-like black Armor.


    The creature stretched out its hand, and a massive sword emitting black Demonic Flame materialized from thin air, held tight in its grasp.


    "Come on, did this guy believe in the Spring God or what? Is this never going to end?" Zhang Yaoyang lamented. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 75 The Brink of Annihilation

    "Damn, I knew it wouldn''t be that easy. Get aggro quickly, healers, boost me up!"The battle unfolded once more, with the transformed Soul Reaper Yan Qi abandoning his previous mage-like boss characteristics to become a purely physical attacker. A single Downward Slash tore through Wu Tao''s Protective Qi and took away half of his health bar in the process.


    Scared out of his wits, Wu Tao scrambled to retreat. Zhao Yunlong took over the aggro with a ''Solo Charge,'' but after two hits, he couldn''t hold on and sold the group out with a misguided charge in the opposite direction.


    Fortunately, Wang Gang immediately took over. Thanks to his shield, he managed to hold on a bit longer by blocking most of the damage.


    Just as everyone thought they could have a post-transformation BOSS battle, there was a loud snap. Wang Gang''s shield shattered instantly.


    No good! Without his shield, Wang Gang turned and fled. Xiao Buli cast Ethereal Armor over him.


    (Am I safe now?) Wang Gang wondered, but in the next moment, a swift Cleaving Strike sliced his character in two, blood spraying everywhere, his screen turning red¡ªYou Are Dead! A few striking words plunged Wang Gang straight into the abyss.


    "FUCK!" Wang Gang, in a rage, smashed his keyboard to bits!


    "Damn, what a bunch of useless crap, all so fragile! Heal me up, get ready to take the BOSS!" Zhang Yaoyang commanded as he simultaneously ordered his four hounds to charge. The four hounds swarmed in, only to be one-shotted by the BOSS. Thankfully, despite the BOSS''s extremely high attack, it lacked AOE skills; otherwise, the dogs wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that they were out of options and sent Coal Ball into the fray. The massive boar charged at the BOSS, yet because of the enemy''s large size, it failed to knock him back, merely causing a stagger. Wanderer Li Chuang also released his pet¡ªa Leopard. Suddenly, the battlefield turned into a combined zoo and abattoir.


    These combat pets were no sturdier than the three tanks, mostly getting one-shotted before they could even be healed.


    As the pets fell grievously wounded in mere moments, scuffling and turning into morsels like dumpling filling, the two tanks hadn''t even fully recovered their health. Zhang Yaoyang was desperate and in agony, wondering who could take on the aggro.


    His gaze swept across the players in the room, but it seemed nobody was up for the task.


    (No choice but to zerg it with lives! But such a move is honestly disgraceful, who should I send to their doom?) He pondered before his eyes settled on Du Yibo, who seemed able to take a few hits, ''Tough luck, kid,'' he thought.


    "Yibo, don''t you know how to transform into a stone golem? You go and tank it for a bit."


    "Damn it, why should I go? I''m a cloth-wearer, and stone golems don''t benefit from heals; you''re just sending me to die!"


    "If not you, then who¡ªwatch out, the BOSS is coming!" Zhang Yaoyang''s voice broke in panic, realizing that they were in for a wipe.


    Just then, Liu Xing stepped forward.


    Hua Yueying saw the urgency, "Get back, what are you doing jumping in with leather armor?"


    But Liu Xing ignored him, calmly controlling the keyboard as he spoke, "This BOSS isn''t something you can take on just by having high defense." As he reached the BOSS, he leaped into the air just as the last hound was cut down.


    Movement Technique¡ªCloud Ascension Leap! Mid-air, a ''Qi-Raising Consecutive Slash'' left several clear wounds on the BOSS''s back, and then he landed lightly behind him. The BOSS turned around, conveniently exposing his back to the others.


    "I''ve pulled the BOSS so his back is to you, finish him off quickly."


    His declaration was firm and confident, and at this point, the others had no choice but to trust in him. As their last hound fell in battle, the Soul Reaper Yan Qi launched an attack on Liu Xing.


    The BOSS swung his sword, but Liu Xing''s figure flickered aside, effortlessly avoiding it and retaliating with a blast of Sword Qi that dealt significant damage. Though he had no aggro-pulling abilities, the sheer threat he posed with his damage was enough to keep the BOSS''s attention.


    Several exchanges later, it was clear that Liu Xing was holding up. After all, this game wasn''t about stationary target-lock combat. The BOSS might inflict terrifying damage, but he didn''t strike rapidly, allowing Liu Xing to leverage his excellent control skills and several movement abilities to perfectly dodge the BOSS''s assaults.


    It was as if he were dancing on a knife''s edge, where a 0.1-second mistake could leave him with no place to die, yet it was precisely with that 0.1-second margin that he miraculously avoided every blow. Although a single strike from the BOSS could have been fatal, he made it so the BOSS couldn''t land a single hit.


    "Hurry, I can''t hold on much longer!"


    While Liu Xing hadn''t taken a single hit, the black Demonic Flame splashing from the BOSS''s attacks steadily drained his health, even preventing recovery. Healing spells that would normally restore 100 points of health only managed to bring back 30 when applied to him. As a result, Liu Xing''s health kept dropping, stubbornly refusing to rise.


    Everyone else felt helpless and could only grit their teeth and lash out at the BOSS. Just as Liu Xing was down to a sliver of health and the BOSS still had 5% remaining,


    Liu Xing''s vision blurred. Was he going to die? This thought crossed his mind with sorrow as his fingers nearly left the keyboard. Then, suddenly, he noticed the BOSS''s movements slowing down as if in slow motion on his screen.


    Glancing at the top right corner of the screen, he saw a new buff named ''Insight,'' lasting only one second.


    Insight: Under this state, your next attack ignores the target''s armor and is guaranteed to be a critical hit.


    Liu Xing clenched his teeth and took the risk. With a quick sidestep, he dodged the BOSS''s fierce strike and raised his hand to unleash his last ultimate skill.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªMoon Shadow Trace!


    At that moment, everyone''s screen seemed to dim as a ghastly crescent-shaped sword light flashed across the BOSS, freezing it in place, and a red number -375 exploded above the BOSS''s head.


    A stream of black blood violently spurted from the BOSS''s chest as it staggered backward, letting out a wretched scream.


    Soul Reaper Yan Qi: "This¡ªthis is impossible, I have been... defeated by a bunch of... mere mortals! Ah!!!!"


    The Green Dragon Group cheered, "Yeah!"


    This time the cheer came from the heart¡ªthey had finally won. This BOSS was stronger than any they had faced before.


    ''Thank heavens, it''s finally over!'' Zhang Yaoyang thought to himself, feeling completely drained. He collapsed into his chair, hands slick with sweat.


    Liu Xing remained in a staring posture at the screen, (Finally¡ªfinally survived again.) Looking at the others who were jubilant, he suddenly felt an urge to cry.


    Xiao Buli also breathed a sigh of relief. From start to finish, he was in a state of intense tension, as if he were truly facing such a terrifying BOSS and could lose his life at any moment in the dark underground hall. This was stimulation like no previous BOSS fight had ever given him.


    (People with weak hearts really couldn''t handle such a BOSS fight.)


    Fortunately, they had persevered. He couldn''t even imagine what he would do if they had all been wiped out. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.


    (No good, I have to find a way to protect myself quickly. I can''t keep going on like this. I was lucky not to die this time, but I can''t guarantee I''ll always smoothly clear the instance, nor can I guarantee every instance can be cleared. What if one day I''m ordered to raid an extremely difficult instance? Would I have to defy that order in a moment of crisis?)


    In his heart, Xiao Buli had made up his mind. As soon as he got the chance, he would definitely break away and go solo.


    "Hehe, we finally brought it down. Let''s see what the BOSS dropped," said Zhang Yaoyang, forcing himself to adopt a confident and joyful demeanor. While speaking, he clicked on the BOSS''s body and his expression immediately turned complex at the sight.


    "What''s wrong, boss? Didn''t get any good loot?"


    "On the contrary, the loot is too good," Zhang Yaoyang said with a wry smile.


    While speaking, he proceeded to reveal the BOSS''s drops, this time without even calling a starting price.


    The first item was a skill book.


    Soul Reaving Touch (3-second casting): Seizes and controls the target''s spirit, causing it to obey your commands for a period of time. This spell effect is undispellable and lasts for 15 seconds, consuming 30 mana. It must be used at close range to the target.


    Learning requirements: 30 spiritual power points, prerequisite skill¡ªNecromancy LV3.


    Skill Description: This dark magic was created by the Necromancers of the Grand Yin Sect. It is said to be so sinister that even the Grand Yin Sect, known for their disregard for taboos, strictly forbade its practice, leading to its loss hundreds of years ago.


    The second item was a two-handed sword.


    Soul Reaper''s Blade (Golden Two-Handed Sword): Attack 37-43, Armor Penetration +5, deals an additional 20 points of fire splash damage, and on hit, there''s a chance: To reduce the target''s healing received by seventy percent for ten seconds.


    Equipment Description: Forged in the Abyssal Flame, this demon sword possesses unparalleled destructive power. It is even rumored that the black Demonic Flame burning on the sword can scorch the soul.


    The third item, however, was a quest item.


    Abyssal Gate Blueprint: This is a strange blueprint that appears to be some sort of teleportation device.


    Use: Initiating this item will trigger a quest. (Warning: This quest is a world storyline quest and must be completed once accepted, or severe penalties will be incurred.) S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 76 The Entourage System

    Seeing these three drops, everyone immediately understood why Zhang Yaoyang had let out a wry smile.These three items didn''t seem like they would be shared with them; they were bound to be handed over.


    "Haha, not bad luck, huh? This means we can get a bit more bonus this month." Wu Tao didn''t think there was anything bad about it, on the contrary, he was excited. As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chuang and Zhao Yunlong also laughed along.


    "Right, right, and with the reins of the Devil''s Realm Warhorse and the Skill Book from the Demon Spirit Cave, and that transformation tool, we''ve got six items in total this month, definitely an overachievement, the bonus must be substantial!"


    The three of them chatted for a bit but noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat off, as everyone didn''t seem too happy.


    Liu Xing''s face was gloomy, Hua Yueying was indifferent, Du Yibo smirked coldly, and while Bai Yunfei forced a smile, a trace of disappointment was still discernible in his eyes¡ªthe Soul Reaving Touch was an incredibly powerful skill for him.


    Xiao Buli observed everyone''s different reactions and gradually gained some insights into the internal dynamics of the Green Dragon Group. It seemed that quite a few people were aware of the game''s true nature or, at least, realized there was something off about it.


    When he looked at Zhang Yaoyang, he found that Zhang was also looking back at him, and they shared a glance as if trying to discern something in each other''s eyes.


    Zhang Yaoyang''s gaze held a hint of inquiry. Xiao Buli hesitated, then gave a slight nod. Seeing this, Zhang Yaoyang immediately smiled. With a tacit understanding, both turned their heads away as if that brief exchange had never happened.


    Everything was left unspoken.


    "Yaoyao, has the light curtain at the dungeon entrance disappeared?" While feeling sorry for the remains of the hound lying on the ground, Zhang Yaoyang asked.


    "It has disappeared," Yaoyao replied softly, "So can I go in now?"


    "Go ahead, the dungeon is over, you can all move freely now. But don''t wander off alone, there might be some Minor Monsters lingering. Everyone is in bad shape, so it''s better not to draw unnecessary attention."


    After Zhang Yaoyang finished speaking, he stood up and patted Wang Gang, who had a gloomy expression, on the shoulder, "Stop looking so downcast; with these three treasures, your bonus is definitely coming, and you might even get a bigger severance. Come on, let''s go report to Manager Qin."


    After the two left, the room became instantly chaotic. Wu Tao and Zhao Yunlong eagerly discussed how much the bonus would be this month, and Li Chuang wanted to join the conversation but was punched by Wu Tao.


    "Damn, why are you hitting me?" Li Chuang complained, but he didn''t dare to fight back, knowing he was in the wrong.


    "Who asked you to try to kill me just now!" Wu Tao wasn''t really that angry, but still, he couldn''t let Li Chuang off easily.


    "What''s it got to do with me? It was the captain''s order, and I just reacted subconsciously."


    Wu Tao snorted, "Enough talk. Come on, Yaoyao, I''ll take you to a nice place."


    "I''ve already arrived," Yaoyao''s voice came from the opposite side. Xiao Buli and Wu Tao turned around just in time to see Yaoyao''s figure disappearing into the dungeon entrance.


    "Don''t run so fast, wait for me!" Watching Wu Tao hurry after the dungeon outside, Xiao Buli didn''t follow. He was truly tired by then. Watching Wu Tao''s tireless excitement, he felt somewhat contemplative¡ªnot knowing might indeed be bliss. To Wu Tao, the life-and-death aspect of the game probably wasn''t that terrifying, while for him now, enjoying the fun of the game had become a luxury.


    "How is it, can you still adapt?" A voice sounded beside him. Looking up, Xiao Buli saw Liu Xing standing there with an indifferent expression.


    With a bitter smile, he nodded, then shook his head, "Does every operation in the Azure Dragon Group end in such a life-and-death scenario?"


    Upon hearing this, Liu Xing couldn''t help but smile understandingly, "Not really. A dungeon of this difficulty is not something we can run once or twice a month. And before each run, extensive research, preparation, and simulations are needed before officially starting the raid. Otherwise, the Azure Dragon Group wouldn''t have enough lives to lose."


    He deliberately emphasized the word "die" as if it was an intentional mockery, suggesting something.


    Xiao Buli was intrigued and wanted to probe further, but suddenly, Wu Tao''s cheer rang out beside him, "Oh yeah, finally got it opened."


    Turning around, Yaoyao had just unlocked the first prison door.


    The lock-picking in this game was somewhat similar to that in "Elder Scrolls V," but it was more intuitive and a bit more complex. Yaoyao seemed to be quite skilled at it, quickly opening the door to the wealthy merchant''s cell in no time at all.


    Wealthy Landowner: "Oh my, thank you for saving my life, heroine. Here is a silver note that I risked my life to hide. It is not much, but please accept it with my compliments."


    System prompt: You have received a ''Stinky Silver Note''.


    Stinky Silver Note: A silver note emitting a foul odor, exchangeable for 500 silver coins at any main city''s bank.


    "Wow, that''s a lot of money."


    Five hundred silver coins are equivalent to five Gold Coins, a sizeable sum even for the experts of the Green Dragon Group.


    Yaoyao was quite righteous, she gave two Gold Coins to Wu Tao and kept the remaining three for herself without any reservations.


    "That''s not fair, Yaoyao. I was the one who brought you in here after all. We should split it evenly," Wu Tao complained.


    "Pfft, haven''t I seen you guys raiding? Spare me the nonsense. If you''re not happy about it, go learn lock-picking yourself," Yaoyao retorted as she moved on to the second prison door, spending a few minutes before successfully unlocking the cell holding Niu Dazhuang.


    Niu Dazhuang: "Thank you for saving me, heroine. I''ll help you kill those thieves."


    Having said that, he ran to the corner and dug out a shabby piece of Leather Armor and a wood-chopping axe, which he equipped, and transformed into an Elite Level Axeman. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "All those thieves have already been killed by me. Do you have any money or equipment to give me? Consider it a repayment for saving you," Yaoyao asked bluntly without any reservation.


    Scratching his buttocks, Niu Dazhuang replied, "I don''t have that, but since you managed to beat all those thieves and saved my life, how about I follow you from now on? My demands aren''t high; just make sure I have enough to eat, and 50 silver coins a month will do."


    A row of red text flashed on Yaoyao''s screen.


    System prompt: Your personal Prestige with Niu Dazhuang has reached Worship level. The companion system is now available. Would you like to accept Niu Dazhuang''s loyalty?


    Note: Each player can only have one companion at a time.


    "Ha, I didn''t know you could have companions in this game," Yaoyao said with some surprise. However, after a glance at Niu Dazhuang''s appearance, she shook her head, "Never mind, this big guy isn''t much use to me."


    She had her reasons for saying this; the assassin class specialized in stealth and sneaking. Having such a large and clumsy companion would defeat the purpose of hiding, so despite some regrets, she chose to decline.


    "No way, don''t just dismiss me like that! After all, he is an Elite companion," Wu Tao protested while speaking to Niu Dazhuang, "Killing those thieves had my contribution too. Why not stick with me instead?"


    Niu Dazhuang retorted: "Hmph, you didn''t bother to save me earlier, so I''m not going to hang with you. Since the heroine doesn''t want my company, I''ll take my leave. If you change your mind, come find me in Niu Family Village." With that, he turned and walked away.


    "There are companions in this game?" Xiao Buli was curious, but after reviewing the previous system prompt and analyzing it, he understood that the mercenary system wasn''t so straightforward. Achieving Worship level Prestige with an NPC was necessary to earn their loyalty, like with Niu Dazhuang. That instant Prestige boost to Worship was probably a rare occurrence.


    Under normal circumstances, one would need to complete various tasks to increase personal Prestige, just as the seniors in Mystic Hollow Palace had done, expending great effort to reach merely Friendly level. Reaching Worship would be no easy feat.


    Gaining Worship level with ordinary NPCs with white names might be easier, but even then, after all the trouble of raising Prestige to gain a companion, if they died, it would all be for nothing.


    Realizing this, Xiao Buli''s interest in the companion system faded significantly.

 Chapter 77 The Origin of Fear

    Perhaps it was because Wu Tao spoke too loudly, but several people began to notice the commotion over here."Yaoyao, you little trickster, why didn''t you mention your lock-picking skills earlier?" It was Li Chuang who spoke.


    With a charming smile, Yaoyao turned around. However, her tone was far from polite, "It''s free activity time, not a dungeon raid; there are no strict rules. If you''re not satisfied, why don''t you learn it yourself?"


    As she said this, she opened the cell door that held the corpse. By this time, several people had gathered behind her screen, curious about what this corpse might yield and whether it would trigger a quest.


    Yaoyao, too, was curious. She tapped on the corpse, and a loot box instantly popped up.


    26 copper coins and a tattered hemp shirt.


    Tattered Hemp Shirt (Gray - Junk): This tattered shirt, stained with blood, seems to silently speak of its previous owner''s tragic fate.


    "Man, that''s harsh!" Wu Tao commented from the side. Of course, he wasn''t talking about the severity of the NPC''s suffering; the interests of veteran gamers no longer lay with the plights of NPCs. What he meant by ''harsh'' was how pitiful the loot was.


    "I thought it would at least trigger a quest or something," Wu Tao said, disappointed.


    "Yeah, I thought so too," Bai Yunfei added unexpectedly from the side.


    "Hey, the boss is back!" someone exclaimed. Turning around, they indeed saw Zhang Yaoyang enter with a complex expression, which quickly drew everyone''s attention.


    "I have one piece of good news and one so-so piece of news. Which one do you guys want to hear?"


    "Boss, stop with the suspense, just spill it," someone urged.


    "The good news is that the higher-ups are very pleased with our recent haul. Each person will receive an extra bonus of ten thousand for equipment this month, which can be collected along with the salary tomorrow¡ªof course, except for Yaoyao. You didn''t participate in the BOSS fight, so you''ll receive a bonus for the dungeon but no equipment bonus," Zhang Yaoyang said.


    Yaoyao shrugged her shoulders, indicating she didn''t mind.


    Zhang Yaoyang continued, "Additionally, Wang Gang and Zhang Qiang each received a severance pay of one hundred thousand on top of this month''s bonus and salary."


    This indeed sounded like good news. Wang Gang and Zhang Qiang had fought alongside everyone and could very well be a reflection of others'' futures here. The fact that they received money was good news for them as well.


    "As for the second piece of news, due to the loss of two tanks, the higher-ups have decided to transfer two people from the White Tiger Group to join us. We will decide who to pick, and we have three days to discuss it. If anyone has a suitable candidate in mind, feel free to suggest. All options are open for consideration," he said.


    Wu Tao disdainfully commented, "From that bunch of losers in the White Tiger Group, I really can''t see anyone who would qualify."


    "Don''t say that, Li Jian and Gao Lianyu aren''t too bad, and how about bringing over Zhang Hao?" someone suggested.


    "Come on, we already have two healers. If we bring in Zhang Hao, Wang Yifan would surely come after us in fury," someone else remarked.


    The group argued for a while but couldn''t reach a conclusion. Fortunately, there was plenty of time to discuss.


    During dinner, the cafeteria was bustling. The folks from the White Tiger Group all glanced over this way, whispering among themselves. It seemed they had also caught wind of something. The leader of the White Tiger Group, Wang Yifan, was visibly displeased with the situation but could do little about it.


    Xiao Buli was quietly eating when a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears, "Hey, I heard you guys made a decent score this afternoon."


    Looking up, Xiao Buli saw Li Baocheng looking at him with a mixture of envy and ingratiation.


    "What, you want to join the Azure Dragon Group?" He directly exposed the other''s intentions; it was clear to him that unsolicited generosity was either villainy or thievery.


    Li Baocheng, however, laughed and shook his head, "Heh, I''m well aware of my own limits. I don''t have the strength yet, but in the future, the Green Dragon Group will surely need more people, my strength will also grow stronger, and your position within the Green Dragon Group will definitely rise with the tide.


    If there''s a vacancy in the future, could you give your brother a hand, after all, we''re from the same batch, aren''t we? By then, we can look out for each other."


    Xiao Buli smiled wryly to himself. To him, joining the Green Dragon Group was like embarking on a journey fraught with hardship and danger, yet some people were desperate to get in. Of course, he had no objections, although he wouldn''t actively recruit people to the group, he wouldn''t stop anyone who wanted to join either.


    "Of course, if you really want to come."


    "That''s great, I owe you one," said Li Baocheng excitedly upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words. Xiao Buli smiled, saying nothing further. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Quick, the tank can''t hold on any longer, who is going to take over!"


    A loud shout caused Xiao Buli to look up. Raising his eyes, he was surprised to find himself standing in the middle of a great hall. Not far away, the three-meter-tall Demon Clan BOSS was laughing wickedly as it chopped Coal Ball in half with its sword.


    The huge severed pig''s head rolled to the feet of Xiao Buli. Coal Ball''s pig face was more ferocious than ever, "Why didn''t you save me?" it asked in a strange voice.


    Xiao Buli was stunned. What was going on?


    "Why did you send me to die?" The pig''s head kept babbling, the brain matter and blood a mess on the floor, red and white mingling together like a dish made of mixed cream and ketchup.


    "Quick, the tank is down, Xiao Buli, you take the monster."


    "What? I''m a healer, for heaven''s sake!" Xiao Buli opened his mouth in protest, only to find that a huge shadow had already enveloped him. Fear instantly gripped his heart, and turning around, he saw the towering figure of the Soul Reaper Yan Qi, with his sword ablaze with flames raised high¡ªDie!


    As the Soul Reaper''s Blade struck from the air, Xiao Buli''s mind went blank.


    ¡ªNo! He suddenly sat up, surrounded by darkness. As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness of the room, he could make out his surroundings; he was lying in his dormitory bed, and everything that had just happened was nothing more than a nightmare.


    Xiao Buli sat on the bed, breathing heavily, noticing that his pajamas were soaked with cold sweat.


    He lay down again but found he couldn''t fall back to sleep. Going into the bathroom, he turned on the faucet, allowing the cold water to jolt him awake. Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw a face weary and tinged with pallor. Maybe a drink would help.


    (Why am I so restless? Why do I feel this after-fear, haven''t I already prepared myself for the dangers I might encounter?) Walking to the rest lounge bar, he pondered over this question. The energy-saving lights illuminated the corridor, and arriving at the bar, he opened the liquor cabinet, which was full of a dazzling array of beverages.


    Xiao Buli didn''t turn on the overhead chandelier; instead, he just looked at a lamp on the bar counter, then took a glass from underneath and poured himself a rum.


    Under the dim blue light, the rum in the glass shimmered with an odd sheen. Savoring a mouthful of the sweet yet spicy liquid, the answer gradually surfaced in his mind. He had known it all along.


    Zhang Yaoyang was a very good leader, and his teammates were all very capable, but because of that, Xiao Buli''s own strength seemed insignificant. In fact, he shouldn''t have joined the Green Dragon Group at all. If it weren''t for the fact that he played a scarce healing and support role, he would never have qualified.


    In today''s boss fights, although he had done his best, and the Ethereal Armor and healing spells had been useful, in the end, he was just there to make up the numbers. Every time the team encountered a problem, they relied on other members to unleash powerful moves to solve it, while he could hardly help, only watching and waiting for someone to save them. What if they all died?


    Without any luck, he would also perish, without the slightest chance.


    This sense of powerlessness, of his fate being in the hands of others and not under his control, was the greatest source of his fear.


    He must become stronger, whether in the game or in reality, he must take control of his fate! He set the tone for his next plan, a plan that he probably had to achieve through the game.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli glanced over at the Dragon Group''s gaming room. When he did, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of strangeness; there was a faint light shining from behind the door that wasn''t completely closed.


    PS: Here are a few group numbers for this book.


    Absolute Death Game bar: Group number 285461405.


    Absolute Death Game: Group number 43917967.


    Interested readers can join by indicating your status as a reader when applying to join the group.

 Chapter 78 Bai Yunfeis Hidden Quest

    Unlike the fixed log-on times in the newbie group, once you become an official employee, work hours are much more flexible, and logging on and off the game is very casual, especially for the elite Green Dragon Group.However, generally, no one likes to log on at night because the game runs in sync with real-world time, meaning night in reality is also night in the game. During the game''s nighttime, monsters are the most active, and the game''s pursuit of realistic lighting means visibility is extremely low in the pitch-dark surroundings.


    Even with the moonlight, it''s hardly comparable to daytime, and it''s very easy to get surrounded by monsters, making nighttime monster hunting and leveling a suicidal endeavor for those not strong enough.


    Who could be logging on at this late hour? Xiao Buli wondered as he walked over, cradling his glass of wine.


    As he drew nearer to the door, he faintly heard the low murmurs of a human voice, as if someone was talking to themselves while on their phone.


    "Shh, someone''s coming," a voice said, followed by silence.


    Xiao Buli was slightly surprised. The voice was too faint for him to clearly identify who it was, but it felt somewhat unfamiliar. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He pushed open the door and walked in. Not far from the doorway, at a side-facing desk, Bai Yunfei sat neatly in front of a computer, intently operating the keyboard.


    "Good evening, Xiao Buli. I didn''t think you''d notice this place," Bai Yunfei remarked without turning around, fingers rattling on the keyboard.


    "How did you know it was me?" Xiao Buli asked curiously.


    The tapping on the keyboard stopped suddenly, and Bai Yunfei slowly turned around, offering Xiao Buli a slight smile, "It''s the reflection on the screen¡ªcouldn''t sleep either?"


    Xiao Buli nodded and sat down at a table nearby.


    Bai Yunfei appeared surprisingly spirited, in contrast to the somewhat listless demeanor he exhibited during the day.


    "If you don''t mind, I have something to do," he said as he turned his head back and resumed his actions.


    "What are you doing?" Xiao Buli asked out of curiosity, walking behind Bai Yunfei as he spoke.


    "Just a quest," Bai Yunfei replied.


    On the screen, Bai Yunfei was standing in front of a burning corpse.


    Xiao Buli felt that the corpse looked familiar. "Is that¡ªthe corpse from the jail?"


    "Yes, its ghost gave me a quest to bury its body and to find his wife as well. Since I couldn''t sleep, I decided to go out and complete the quest," Bai Yunfei explained.


    "Where''s the ghost?"


    "Right beside my character," Bai Yunfei said.


    Indeed, in the shadow of the flames in a corner not far from Bai Yunfei, a translucent figure stood, seemingly there yet not, almost as if it were afraid to approach the firelight.


    "How come we didn''t see the ghost before?"


    "Of course you couldn''t see it. I can see it because¡ªI''m a Necromancer, don''t you remember?" Bai Yunfei said matter-of-factly. The fire gradually extinguished, leaving a pile of white powder on the ground. He used the Gather Skill on the powder and obtained a quest item: ''Exile''s Ashes''.


    "His name is Duan Yuheng, a fellow townsman of Duan Yimao. He had a feud with Duan Yimao as a child, so once Duan Yimao came into power, he was captured and tortured to death. On his deathbed, he yearned to return to his wife''s side and asked me to bury him and his wife together after meeting me," Bai Yunfei explained.


    As he said this, Bai Yunfei paused, turning his head back, yet his gaze fell on a spot just to Xiao Buli''s right. "Quite an interesting story, isn''t it?" he said, winking.


    Xiao Buli instinctively glanced to his right, but there was nothing there.


    "Are you talking to me?" he asked, puzzled, but Bai Yunfei didn''t answer his question and continued to control his character on the path.


    Bai Yunfei''s screen seemed somewhat different from Xiao Buli''s. The pitch-black night was tinged with a white mist, allowing him to clearly see the road in the distance. Walking on the desolate mountain road, fleeting shadows resembling people drifted by from time to time, but Bai Yunfei seemed not to notice, his focus solely on hurrying along the road.


    "What are those shadows?"


    "Ghosts, or lost fragments of memory. Of course, ordinary people can''t see ghosts unless they want to be seen ¡ª but I think you knew that already, didn''t you?"


    This guy is speaking in riddles. Xiao Buli thought to himself. "What do you mean by what you just said?"


    "What did I say just now?" Bai Yunfei seemed to be playing dumb. Without waiting for Xiao Buli to press further, he cheerfully said, "Ah, I think I''ve found the place."


    Before them lay a mass burial mound, a desolate graveyard that looked extraordinarily eerie under the night sky, with several walking corpses wandering aimlessly and a pack of corpse-eating dogs surrounding them with covetous eyes, their eyes glowing like ghostly fires in the night.


    Begone, undead! Bai Yunfei cast a group scare spell on them, and the corpse-eating dogs scattered as if they had seen a ghost. Bai Yunfei stopped in front of a grave.


    "This should be the place," he muttered to himself. He equipped a crane-beak hoe in the weapon slot and began to dig, quickly unearthing a rotten coffin. Bai Yunfei placed an urn inside and reburied it.


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    A semi-transparent figure emerged from the grave, taking the form of a young village girl, and the faint shadow that had been following Bai Yunfei became clear as well. The two embraced each other and turned into a beam of white light, slowly floating toward the sky and gradually vanishing.


    System prompt: Quest "Till Death Do Us Part" completed, rewarded with 20 Merit Points.


    Bai Yunfei stretched lazily. "Heh, that was lucky; it turned out to be a Merit Point quest. It wasn''t a waste of my effort after all."


    Xiao Buli suddenly remembered his own 100 Merit Points. "What are Merit Points used for?"


    "Do you have Merit Points?"


    Xiao Buli nodded. "A hundred points."


    "That''s pretty good luck, but it''s still not enough. If you want the Merit Points to really count, I suggest you farm some more. You should accumulate at least 500 points. They''ll come in handy later on."


    "Handy for what?"


    Bai Yunfei fell silent again. Xiao Buli pressed him a few times, but seeing that he wouldn''t speak, he couldn''t help but sigh. What a chatty fellow. After drinking more than a cup, sleepiness gradually crept up on him.


    "Never mind, I''m off to sleep."


    Only after Xiao Buli had gone out did Bai Yunfei turn around and glance at the vacant seat to his right. "An interesting fellow. Perhaps he''ll show some unexpected performance. What do you think?"


    Xiao Buli always felt that Bai Yunfei seemed to know something, but he also knew when to back off. These old birds from the Green Dragon Group had been working in the company for so long, they must have noticed something, right? He would probe slowly in the future.


    As he thought, he fell asleep.


    The next morning he woke up, it was already past nine o''clock. Since it was Sunday, he wasn''t in a hurry to go to work. He realized it was payday. Though he had been feeling precarious lately, as long as he wasn''t dead, he still needed to earn a living. So, he perked up and went to Qin Shimoon''s office to collect his salary.


    "Good morning, Xiao Buli. Are you here for your salary?" Qin Shimoon''s face still looked charming. Xiao Buli nodded and sat down casually across from Qin Shimoon, without the restraint he felt previously. After yesterday''s experience, he felt it was no longer necessary.


    "Here is your salary from last month. Since you took part in the Azure Dragon Group dungeon raid yesterday, you also get an additional five thousand yuan. Speaking of which, I''m not sure if you''re extremely lucky or unlucky to have encountered such a thing on your first day."


    When Xiao Buli heard this, he couldn''t help but give a bitter smile. If this were good luck, he wasn''t blessed enough to enjoy it; he would rather have tried to get into the White Tiger Group.


    He felt a little comforted looking at the numbers in his passbook.


    "Do you plan on going out today?"


    Xiao Buli nodded. "Yes, it''s not every day I earn some money and have time off. Of course, I have to enjoy myself."


    "Then I wish you a fun time," Qin Shimoon said with a smile.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, ''Yeah, right,'' smiled, and walked out.

 Chapter 79 Gu Shaobangs Choice

    ```Watching Xiao Buli''s retreating figure, Qin Shimoon was not particularly reassured, so she took out her phone and dialed a number to instruct a few words, then she got busy with other matters. Half an hour later, the phone in front of her rang again.


    "Hello, how''s the surveillance going?"


    "The target has gone to a bar in the city."


    So that was it. Qin Shimoon let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Xiao Buli had gone to a bar; it looked like he hadn''t lied. It seemed he had no intention of slipping from her grasp for the time being. She could probably let her guard down now. While thinking this, she told the person on the other end of the line they could switch the target, and then she hung up the call.


    Of course, Xiao Buli''s visit to the bar wasn''t for the purpose of ''splashing out'' and relaxing; he was there to retrieve something.


    As soon as he stepped into the Rainbow Bar, the beautiful bartender recognized him.


    Welcome, Mr. Xiao, are you here to see the boss?


    Xiao Buli nodded, and the bartender signaled a waiter in a plain uniform to lead him to a private room inside. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn''t long before Gu Shaobang pushed the door open and entered. "Boss, you finally showed up. I thought you got so addicted to online games you got dragged off for electroshock therapy," he said.


    Gu Shaobang''s tone was slightly reproachful, but more playful than anything. Xiao Buli smiled, "Here I am. How''s business lately?"


    "How else could it be, just muddling along as usual. You know me, I just opened this bar out of boredom." Gu Shaobang sat down opposite him and said as several drinks were brought to their table. When the two were alone in the private room, Gu Shaobang asked with some mystery, "Old Xiao, how is that game going? Is there any hope for it?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "There''s no hope for that game, and it''s not likely to ever go public."


    "What? Why is that?" Gu Shaobang said, sounding rather disappointed.


    Seeing the disappointment on Gu Shaobang''s face, Xiao Buli hesitated whether to share the secret of the game. If there was anyone in the world he could trust, Gu Shaobang would definitely be one of them.


    On the other hand, he was afraid of bringing trouble and danger to Gu Shaobang. Being alone didn''t matter much to him, but Gu Shaobang had a large family and business to worry about, and Xiao Buli didn''t want to bring any unexpected danger to him.


    Yet, on the other hand, he felt that not telling him about the opportunity to obtain superpowers wasn''t very friendly. After some hesitation, he decided to test the waters first.


    "By the way, Mr. Bang, do you remember the novel ''Infinite Horror'' we read back then?"


    "Of course, I remember. Why do you ask?"


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    Xiao Buli didn''t answer Gu Shaobang''s question, but carefully chose his words before saying, "If you had the chance to enter the Main God World from that novel, would you choose to go?" Xiao Buli had considered his question carefully; the situation he now faced was too bizarre and couldn''t be compared to anything in real life.


    The only thing that seemed remotely similar was the plot of ''Infinite Horror''.


    Gu Shaobang, however, shook his head, "Definitely not. It''s so dangerous. You could die at any moment. Even if you had superpowers, what''s the use if you can''t return to reality? Sooner or later, you''d still end up dead, unless¡ª"


    "Unless what?"


    Gu Shaobang spoke confidently, "Unless the difficulty of the horror movie scenarios in the Main God World could be chosen freely, and you could exit any time you wanted. No matter how cautious you are or how strong, if you keep taking risks, eventually you will capsize. You could say that unless you have protagonist-like luck, it''s almost certain doom.


    But if it''s just risking life and limb once or twice to obtain superpowers, I have the guts for that kind of gamble. I could pick a few of the easiest horror movies, earn some Reward Points, and exchange them for some cheap, practical abilities, then exit and never go back. I''d live out the rest of my life happily and comfortably."


    ```


    Xiao Buli nodded thoughtfully after hearing this, (A very wise perspective, but it looks like I still can''t tell him about the game for now).


    Gu Shaobang, seeing Xiao Buli deep in thought, couldn''t help but feel curious, "Why would you suddenly ask about this?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "It''s nothing, oh right, have the things I ordered arrived?"


    Gu Shaobang nodded and had someone bring out a box.


    Xiao Buli opened the box to check its contents and found quite a few items inside.


    A thick stack of Kui Paper, a special type of paper made from the bark of the locust tree, typically used only for special religious rituals and very rare in this era. Xiao Buli had gone to great lengths to find and order it online. In addition, there were several pieces of top-quality cinnabar, a few wolf hair ink brushes, and a jade inkstone.


    These items had cost Xiao Buli over two thousand yuan, but after checking them, he was quite satisfied with their quality.


    "Boss, what are you ordering all these things for? Are you planning to practice calligraphy?" Gu Shaobang asked in surprise.


    "Something like that," said Xiao Buli, checking the items again, "What''s missing?"


    "Oh, the sword? I thought it looked nice, so I took it out for a bit of fun." Gu Shaobang said sheepishly as he took out a long package from a cabinet. Upon opening it, there was a single-handed Han-style Longsword inside.


    Xiao Buli casually drew the sword from its sheath, revealing a Han-style Longsword forged from patterned steel. It had an ancient design with clear cloud patterns etched along the blade. Examining the edge, he found it exceedingly sharp, a rare sharpened treasure sword. Nodding in approval, Xiao Buli was very satisfied with the quality of the sword he had ordered.


    While he didn''t know much about swords and didn''t even know if the patterned steel was genuine or not, its appearance was more than sufficient to him, as he only intended to use it temporarily.


    After saying goodbye to Gu Shaobang, Xiao Buli took his items and returned home.


    Setting the sword aside, he laid out the contents of the box neatly on his desk, preparing to start making Talisman Paper.


    In the past few days, he had given much thought to casting spells in real life. The spells he had learned in the game must exist; otherwise, his wounds from the other night wouldn''t have mysteriously healed. The question was how to cast them.


    Clearly, it was not so simple, but after some analysis, he thought that maybe he could start with some simple and intuitive skills like Basic Swordsmanship and Chain Sword Strike, which could be directly imitated in real life. Perhaps it was because of this that they were so easy to use, and making Talisman Paper was just one of these skills. After all, wasn''t it just writing and drawing?


    That was what he thought at the time.


    The materials in the box had all been ordered according to the descriptions in the skill instructions.


    Using a paper cutter, he cut the Kui Paper into individual sheets, five inches long and three inches wide. He took out the cinnabar, ground it with water on the inkstone, picked up the wolf hair brush, and brought up the image of the talisman on his phone. Xiao Buli began to draw meticulously.


    At first, he was a bit rusty, and the first talisman turned out rather crooked, but by the third sheet, he was drawing smoothly.


    (Is it as I suspected? Are skills that can be imitated more easily used?)


    He pondered this as he continued to draw the talismans, one after the other. Eventually, his brush moved lightning fast, able to complete a talisman in a few seconds. The brush moved effortlessly in his hand without any sign of unfamiliarity, and the patterns of the talismans seemed imprinted in his mind, no longer requiring him to check against the images on his phone.


    After drawing over thirty, Xiao Buli reluctantly stopped.


    Next was figuring out how to cast the spell. He picked up one of the talismans that was drawn particularly well, feeling a touch of excitement at the thought.

 Chapter 80 Spell Experiment

    He held up two fingers, clamping a talisman paper between them, "Thunder Talisman!" he shouted as he flung the talisman forcefully towards the wall ahead.The talisman paper spun around in the air a couple of times before slowly falling to the ground.


    It seemed to have no effect.


    He picked up the talisman paper, hesitated for a moment, and stuck it to his forehead: "Ethereal Armor!" ¡ª no effect whatsoever.


    But he never expected it to be that easy anyway; he wasn''t discouraged. Taking the talisman paper back into his hands, he stared at it intently.


    "Summon Rune Soldier!" No effect.


    "Burst Talisman!" No effect.


    "Spirit Armor Skills!" Still no effect.


    After all that fuss, not only did he fail to cast any spells, there wasn''t even a flicker of light.


    (Why is this happening?) Xiao Buli thought somewhat helplessly to himself, yet he didn''t give up. Having been a veteran in the gaming world for many years, he wasn''t someone to be easily beaten by a little setback. Sometimes, to level up, he could spend over a dozen hours repeatedly grinding and completing quests.


    Now that he was trying to learn real magic, his motivation was even stronger, his command over what he could do, even greater.


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    But Xiao Buli knew that this sort of thing wasn''t something that could be accomplished just by sheer brute force. After experimenting over and over again for more than an hour, he finally stopped, trying to calm his emotions and ponder where he could have gone wrong.


    (Do I need to refer to the casting motions from the game?) He recalled the process of casting spells in the game; it seemed that the motions for each spell weren''t that different. It probably wasn''t a matter of the motions then.


    As he pondered, he toyed with a talisman paper. Suddenly, he felt some heat in his hand. Looking down, he was startled to see that the runes on the talisman were glowing red-hot.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, almost instinctively jerking his hand, and the talisman flew out.


    Bang! The talisman unexpectedly hit a decorative painting on the wall, shattering the wooden frame into pieces, the paper bursting into flames and sending sparks flying everywhere.


    The explosion was like a firecracker going off in the room, buzzing in Xiao Buli''s ears. Hurriedly, he grabbed a cup of water from the table to extinguish the fire. Rubbing his buzzing ears, he looked at the mess around the room but couldn''t help feeling a surge of ecstasy. It worked! Did it actually work!?


    But after the excitement, he fell into confusion. But what did I do just now? To say I did nothing wasn''t entirely correct; he had indeed been recalling the spellcasting motions from the game, and it seemed that what had flashed through his mind was indeed the Burst Talisman spell.


    Xiao Buli suddenly came to his senses, right, I did nothing.


    That night, he hadn''t tried to focus his spirit deliberately, nor had he been thinking of casting, he just vaguely wanted the wound on his hand to heal while half-asleep, and then it did. It seemed that the more he tried to focus and force the spellcasting, the less likely he was to succeed.


    He had been misled by the films he''d watched and the games he''d played.


    Realizing this, he had an inkling of what he should do.


    (In simple terms, I shouldn''t consciously treat the spell as something miraculous; I should consider it a natural ability I already possess and apply it as naturally as I would speak or write. That should do the trick, right?)


    He took a fruit knife and made a small cut on his hand.


    Then he clenched his fist and turned on the TV.


    He tried not to focus on the pain in his hand, instead watching the incomprehensible program on TV, gradually relaxing his tense nerves. His attention was distracted, the pain still lingering.


    "Resurrection Skills," he thought, still mostly attentive to the television, a cool sensation suddenly covering the pain in his hand. He quickly raised his injured hand, and under the enveloping glow of white light, the wound began to rapidly close and heal.


    This was the feeling! S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He grew even more delighted; it seemed he had found the knack.


    He picked up a piece of Talisman Paper and aimed it at a thermos. "Burst!" He didn''t chant any spell but simply imagined shattering the bottle. The talisman didn''t move; perhaps he was trying too hard.


    (But no matter what, it''s hard to use a spell I''ve never used before as if it were a natural ability. I surely can''t watch TV every time before casting, right? Perhaps it would be easier if I entered a YY, ''daydreaming'', state.)


    For Xiao Buli, a realist, daydreaming was rare, but not unheard of. Sometimes, when he watched a classic novel or movie, he would let himself daydream a little.


    He turned on his computer and found "The Sorcerer''s Apprentice" to watch. Watching Nicholas Cage and his apprentice cast spells, Xiao Buli gradually got the hang of it.


    Ion Sphere! He imagined a Lightning Sphere shooting out from his hand. The next moment, the talisman in his hand flickered with pale blue lightning and shot out violently, exploding with a bang on its target and creating a burst of blue sparks¡ªit was a Thunder Talisman.


    So cool! Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    (It seems as long as I daydream about abilities similar to my own spells, I can easily cast them.)


    He continued to test this method of casting spells. Generally, he couldn''t succeed every time; it seemed a slight overconcentration or doubt about his ability to cast spells could lead to failure. But as the number of experiments increased, so did his success rate, and he gradually got the hang of the mental state a spellcaster should have.


    Later on, he became more casual, quoting various lines from novels and movies he had seen, with scenes from those films constantly flashing in his mind. Paradoxically, this approach significantly improved his spellcasting success rate.


    "In the name of Xiao Buli, come forth, Rune Warrior!" He casually tossed a talisman into the air, chanting a spell he made up on the spot. The pattern on the talisman flashed golden light, circled twice in the air, and then dropped to the ground like a brick, exploding into a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, there stood a Talisman Soldier clad in yellow runic paper armor before Xiao Buli.


    He touched it; it felt quite solid, reminiscent of a model assembled from plywood.


    With a thought from Xiao Buli, the Talisman Soldier moved, feeling a bit like suddenly having a third hand¡ªan extension of his body without any delay. It was awkward at first, but he quickly got used to it.


    The sense of superiority and exhilaration that came from wielding supernatural forces was electrifying and captivating. Soon, Xiao Buli had used up all thirty-plus pieces of his Talisman Paper.


    Is this the power of spells? Indeed, it''s a fascinating feeling. He thought and suddenly, everything went dark before his eyes, he felt a piercing pain shoot through his brain, and he collapsed to the ground.


    His head throbbed with pain, and overwhelming fatigue accompanied it. What was going on? Had he overdrawn his mana?


    He struggled to get up but felt the world spinning out of control. He panted heavily, his mind racing for solutions.


    (That''s right, use meditation; the game''s meditation can recover mana, so it should work in reality too, right?) He sat down cross-legged, just like in the game, and closed his eyes.


    Relax, relax, breathe deeply¡ªyes, just like this.


    He tried not to let the pain distract him, letting the fatigue take over his body''s control. As his relaxation deepened, Xiao Buli entered a mystical state, half asleep yet half awake, aware of his surroundings but incapable of movement. If he had to describe it, it was a feeling between sleep and awareness, only deeper and clearer.


    Time seemed to lose its meaning. He felt like he had meditated for a long time, yet as though it were only moments. When Xiao Buli finally felt no more headache and opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find that it was almost dark outside.


    Wow, a four-hour meditation session, much longer than in games, but the effect was very noticeable¡ªall the painful and tired sensations had disappeared.


    But the excitement surged back up. At last, he could use spells. Even though they were far from perfect and required extra effort, it was still worth it.


    However, as his excitement waned, he became more rational again. Xiao Buli was a pragmatist. As magical as such power was, it didn''t match the practical use of a handgun in combat. At least a handgun had a longer range and greater power.


    A Burst Talisman had at most the force of a large firecracker, able to injure or maim at best; a Thunder Talisman might shock someone into unconsciousness, but it wouldn''t be easy to kill. And the power of an Ice Talisman was even weaker.


    And none of the talismans could match the speed of a bullet; a quick enough reaction might even dodge them.


    This little trick was nothing compared to the power hidden behind the company; relying on such abilities to break free from the company''s control was nothing but a pipe dream.


    To truly have the strength to protect oneself, one must learn more powerful spells, and those spells and skills would only be available after advancing to a higher profession¡ªI need to carefully consider which Advanced Profession to choose and come up with an effective plan.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself.

 Chapter 83 Bad News

    ```He took out a notebook and began to list his action plan for the coming period. Though working for others in the company meant being under control, the benefits were clear. As a member of the Green Dragon Group, he could undoubtedly leverage many resources to enhance his strength. By comparison, Explore more stories with empire


    Having run a studio before, Xiao Buli understood deeply that, compared to external possessions like equipment and Gold Coins, a expert player''s understanding and experience of some aspects of the game could be even more crucial.


    This experience could allow him to take shortcuts and achieve results with half the effort.


    As long as he could receive help from other members of the Green Dragon Group, his strength was bound to improve rapidly, far beyond what he could achieve by slowly figuring things out on his own.


    For Swordsmanship, Xiao Buli planned to ask Liu Xing for help. Since Liu Xing was able to advance to the profession of Swordsman, he must have valuable insights on the process and techniques of sword training.


    Regarding Taoist Heart, he could seek help from Hua Yueying. Hua Yueying, with her ability to change her profession to Exorcist, surely had more than just a level one Taoist Heart. Even though the requirements to advance as an Exorcist might not compare with those of a hidden profession like Immortal Skills Practitioner, a level two or three requirement for Taoist Heart was probably expected.


    If he could learn from her experience, improving his Taoist Heart level should pose no problem.


    As for Taming Skills, he could ask Zhang Yaoyang for assistance. However, Xiao Buli didn''t regard this skill too highly. After all, in the real world, there weren''t many Demon Beasts or Immortal Beasts for him to tame¡ªmaybe just the tigers and wild boars in a zoo, which he couldn''t even take out.


    Even in the game, the combat ability of pets was relatively limited, a fact that became more apparent during team battles. Their greatest usefulness seemed to be as expendable decoys to take hits during crises. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, Taming Skills were given the lowest priority on his list of skills to learn.


    Additionally, he intended to improve his Basic Attributes as much as possible. Not only did he need to increase his spiritual power, which influenced Spell Power and Mana, but he was also determined to augment other attributes such as physique, stamina, strength, speed, and agility. He lagged far behind other members of the Green Dragon Group in these areas.


    Though Basic Attributes might not seem very significant at first glance, they had a direct impact in the real world, and greatly influenced the power of physical skills like Swordsmanship, so they were worth improving whenever possible.


    The last item was about accumulating Merit Points. Although he was uncertain about the meaning behind Bai Yunfei''s words that night, Xiao Buli decided to trust them. Besides, Merit Points didn''t sound like anything bad by their name alone. If he could increase his Merit Points, there probably wouldn''t be any harm.


    After outlining a comprehensive list that covered pages, his detailed "Strength Enhancement Strategy Plan" made Xiao Buli feel more relaxed. He went out that evening to have a big meal and went to bed early. The next day, he arrived at the company first thing in the morning.


    After some hesitation, he decided not to carry the sword with him. Although having it at the company might have given him a sense of security, he knew that the cons outweighed the pros. If it were discovered, arousing suspicion would be bad news. Although the company didn''t feel like a place with stringent security, he couldn''t be sure if there were metal detectors in the elevators.


    First, he went to report to Qin Shimoon, and then Xiao Buli headed straight for the Green Dragon Group''s computer room.


    When he entered the computer room of the Green Dragon Group, most of the members were already there. However, rather than playing the game, everyone looked serious. Xiao Buli didn''t dare ask rashly, as he wasn''t very familiar with everyone yet. Seeing Wu Tao and Yaoyao whispering in a corner, Xiao Buli walked over to them.


    "What happened?" he asked in a low voice.


    Upon seeing Xiao Buli, Wu Tao made a bitter face, "Old Xiao, there''s big trouble. Do you remember the item from the mission the day before yesterday? The Abyssal Gate Blueprint."


    Xiao Buli nodded. Of course, he remembered. "What about it? Is the mission complete?"


    "I wish it were complete. The problem is that we''ve hit a snag halfway through the mission."


    ```


    Wu Tao explained to Xiao Buli what had happened. It turned out that after Zhang Yaoyang had submitted the mission blueprint, the task was assigned to Wu Min''er, the leader of the Vermilion Bird Group, for completion. Wu Min''er handed the Abyssal Gate Blueprint over to the Lord of Nine Dragons City, originally thinking they could simply claim the reward and complete the task.


    However, they ended up triggering an entire chain of quests.


    Upon realizing something was amiss, Wu Min''er immediately gathered all members of the Vermilion Bird Group to tackle this series of quests. They began by investigating the covert operations of spies from the Demon Clan throughout the city. After a thorough investigation, they finally located the Demon Clan spy.


    But after reporting their findings, the Lord of Nine Dragons City gave them a new task: to monitor the movements of the Demon Clan spy.


    So, they ventured outside the city to watch the Demon Clan spy''s rendezvous activities with the messengers. When the demon messenger appeared, the Vermilion Bird Group rushed in and killed the individual, finding a map of the Dark Forest and a letter of superstition on the body.


    Once they had returned the mission items, they triggered yet another quest. It appeared that the Demon Clan was attempting to invade the mortal world, utilizing time-space rifts to open the Abyssal Gate, thereby bringing the demon army into this world. The instance they had conquered two days earlier was actually an Abyssal Gate being constructed by the Demon Clan.


    The reason the Dark Forest was experiencing various disturbances was because there was a completed Abyssal Gate within it.


    After the Lord of Nine Dragons City understood the true nature of the issue, he prepared to dispatch a large army to exterminate the Demon Clan in the Dark Forest. This led to the issuance of a host of quests, instructing Wu Min''er and the others to scout ahead, which led to a long series of reconnaissance, assassination, and collection tasks.


    After spending an entire afternoon, Wu Min''er and his group finally managed to clear a path. However, when the army from Nine Dragons City moved into the Dark Forest, they suffered a severe setback, with heavy casualties, rendering them unable to advance any further.


    Left with no other choice, the Lord of Nine Dragons City halted the advance and began to massively farm quests, offering money and equipment to call upon adventurers to fight to the death against the invaders from the Demon Clan for the safety of the human world.


    Wu Tao finished recounting the events of the past two days before adding, "Now, the area outside the Dark Forest has become the frontline where the Demon Clan army and the Golden Dragon Legion are clashing. Plenty of people are out there doing their daily quests."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, surprised at how much could happen in just a day. Moreover, the actions of the players could indeed influence the game world''s setting¡ªwhat an interesting design. No wonder the description for that mission item mentioned it was a world storyline quest.


    If he hadn''t known the ins and outs of this game, he would have praised its design.


    "By the way, how did you come to know about all this?"


    "Of course it was leaked by members of the Vermilion Bird Group. To complete these tasks, they died several times yesterday. By dinner time, there were hardly any of them left. When we asked the survivors, they told us everything."


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, thinking to himself that it didn''t sound good at all to have so many deaths. "So, what does this have to do with us?"


    "How can it not be related? You must have played World of Warcraft before, right? Usually, at the start of a new version, they release some daily quests and the like, such as killing minor monsters, probing for intelligence, etc. But once most of the fodder on the periphery is cleared, it typically means the main event is about to unfold, and soon it''ll be our turn, right?"


    Xiao Buli suddenly understood¡ªthe "main event" referred to was the instance. Generally, the endgame of each expansion in a video game typically involves defeating the final boss and clearing the ultimate instance. Although this wasn''t a major expansion, the principle was the same.


    The early tasks could be handled by the Vermilion Bird Group or the White Tiger Group, but for the later instances, the Azure Dragon Group would undoubtedly be needed.


    Considering the difficulty of the instance they had tackled before, the challenge of this new instance was self-evident¡ªan incomplete Abyssal Gate had already killed two of their team members. This time it was the complete form. They might not be able to get through without five, six, or possibly even more deaths; a total wipeout was even a possibility.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli felt his mouth go dry and couldn''t help but feel the urge to turn tail and run.

 Chapter 84 A Period of One Month

    Although he felt the urge to bolt right then and there, Xiao Buli''s mental fortitude was solid as ever, and he forcibly suppressed it.(The situation hasn''t gotten that bad yet, there should still be a chance to salvage it. Besides, it''s not like I''m the only one in the Green Dragon Group. When disaster strikes, the tallest ones fall first, so it''s better to watch and wait for now.)


    With that thought, Xiao Buli finally calmed down and gave Wu Tao a slight smile, "Sounds pretty serious indeed." As he spoke, he sat down and calmly turned on the computer, ready to log in.


    "You''re still laughing!" Wu Tao complained with a woeful look, "This time our Green Dragon Group is probably doomed."


    His voice was slightly too loud, immediately drawing several pairs of eyes their way. Yaoyao glared at Wu Tao and made a ''zip your lips'' gesture with her hand before turning and leaving.


    The door to the computer room suddenly opened, and Zhang Yaoyang walked in, attracting the attention of everyone in the room.


    Seeing everyone''s expressions, Zhang Yaoyang couldn''t help but laugh, "Heh, I suppose you''ve all heard some rumors by now. No worries if you haven''t, I''m here to clarify things."


    After he finished speaking, the room fell into silence, everyone pricked up their ears to hear what he was about to say.


    "That''s right, according to instructions from the higher-ups, we are going to start a new round of dungeon raids soon. Although the exact location of the dungeon hasn''t been determined, and the name of the dungeon is still unclear, it''s tentatively placed within the Dark Forest, likely a high-difficulty team dungeon primarily featuring monsters from the Abyssal Demon Clan."


    His words immediately triggered groans of despair.


    "Are you kidding me, leader, with just the few of us? Attacking an unknown difficulty dungeon in the Dark Forest? This is sending us to our deaths!"


    "Yeah, who knows what level of difficulty that dungeon is for. If it''s for fifteen people or even more, our few can''t even make up a full team."


    The room burst into a flurry of discussion, but Xiao Buli didn''t say a word. Judging by Zhang Yaoyang''s relatively relaxed tone, it seemed maybe things weren''t so dire after all.


    "What''s all the fuss about! Do you think I''m unaware of that?" Zhang Yaoyang said with a cold face as the room descended into chaos, "If we don''t have enough people, we''ll naturally recruit more. Do you think those higher up are fools?


    If they haven''t considered this, then according to Manager Qin''s intentions, this time we should be pulling a large number of personnel from the White Tiger Group to join us in the dungeon. And it''s not like we''re heading straight into the dungeon now. A dungeon like this definitely requires thorough preparation, so what''s the rush?"


    After finishing, he added, "And even if you were sent to your death, could you refuse? It''s written in the contract that all actions in the game must fully comply with the company''s commands, even if it means death, you must still go."


    His admonishment immediately quieted the room.


    Liu Xing suddenly raised his hand, and Zhang Yaoyang nodded, giving him the go-ahead to speak.


    "How much time do we have to prepare for this operation?"


    Zhang Yaoyang replied, "Considering the time-sensitive nature of this dungeon and the deadline for dynamic tasks, we have one month to improve our levels and strength. In the next month, your sole task is to enhance your own strength, increase attributes, upgrade skills, and accumulate equipment. Use whatever tricks you have, as the company will provide comprehensive support.


    What''s more, the previous limit of five pieces of equipment per month has been lifted, and a large amount of funds, equipment, and elixirs will be issued for our leveling needs. I believe after one month our strength will have greatly improved, and we will naturally possess the ability to tackle the dungeon."


    Upon hearing Zhang Yaoyang''s words, everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief. There was still one month''s time, so there was no need to rush.


    Xiao Buli even let out a sigh of fortune, thankful that he hadn''t acted impulsively. With one month of time, he wondered to what extent he could improve his strength.


    "By the way, there''s one more thing. In the past, everyone was fighting their own battles to increase their strength with no systematic division, which is a wasteful behavior, directly leading to our guild having an extremely unbalanced job mix and a desperate shortage of healers.


    In order to enable everyone to improve their strength more scientifically and also to facilitate more technical consultations among each other, avoiding the waste of information resources, starting tomorrow everyone needs to submit a character card. Subsequently, every three days, an update must be made to avoid any deviations in the growth process."


    This news made Xiao Buli wary. (This probably isn''t as simple as it seems, could it be that the company has grown suspicious and wants to monitor our strength progression in this way?)


    Fortunately, this shouldn''t be targeted at himself, as he had only recently moved beyond the ranks of a newbie, after all.


    Once Zhang Yaoyang finished his explanation, there was a buzz of discussion among everyone, but it quickly settled down. Time was pressing, and soon enough, everyone was showing off their abilities, earning experience from killing monsters, upgrading their professional skills, looking for dungeons in the wilderness, and others rushing to gain prestige through tasks.


    After wandering around the city for a while, Xiao Buli found himself still quite unfamiliar with it and truly clueless about what he should do next. Seeing everyone else deep in their tasks and feeling embarrassed to disturb them, he thought it best to follow Wu Tao''s earlier advice and start by earning prestige with the Golden Dragon Legion to learn riding skills.


    The Golden Dragon Legion was stationed on the high ground in the center of Nine Dragons City. Upon reaching the quartermaster of the Golden Dragon Legion, he was met with surprising politeness.


    Golden Dragon Legion Quartermaster: "Oh, it''s an adventurer from the Qilin Hall guild. Your guild has made a significant contribution to the peace and tranquility of Nine Dragons City. As a member of Qilin Hall, I''ll help you out. Tell me, what brings you here?"


    Little had he expected that joining the guild would have such perks, which pleasantly surprised Xiao Buli. He checked the guild''s prestige and found that Qilin Hall''s prestige with the Golden Dragon Legion had reached Reverence. It seemed there were quite a few interactions between them. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With that settled, Xiao Buli thought to himself and typed, "I''m looking for a job¡ªdo you have any recommendations?"


    Golden Dragon Legion Quartermaster: "Ah, that''s fortunate. Due to the Legion''s standoff with the Demon Clan in the Dark Forest, we''re indeed in need of logistical support. Here is the current list of job vacancies; pick any you like."


    A lengthy list of job opportunities appeared before Xiao Buli ¨C lumbering, transportation, carpentry, blacksmithing, and so on. This must be a benefit of having Reverence-level guild prestige; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been so easy to pick.


    After scanning the options, Xiao Buli quickly chose a job¡ªcoachman.


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    This job would likely improve his Taming Skills, secondly increase his Basic Attributes, thirdly he might have a chance to learn Riding Skills, fourthly earn some money, and finally, it would enhance his personal prestige with the Golden Dragon Legion. It was truly a fivefold benefit.


    Golden Dragon Legion Quartermaster: "You want to become a coachman? We could just use someone like that. Well then, let''s start working."


    PS: There has been a slight change to the chapters; two chapters have been added in between.

 Chapter 81 Black Saturday (Part 1)

    Wu Min''er wasn''t in the best of moods when she entered the elevator. Yesterday, to complete the reconnaissance mission temporarily assigned by the higher-ups, Vermilion Bird Group had lost another member. Fortunately, it was just a new member who had joined for a little over a month, and it didn''t substantially impact the group''s strength.She remembered the helpless expression on the young boy''s face when he left. Perhaps he was just a college graduate, starting out so young to work, and, by sheer coincidence, he had ended up at this company¡ªsuch an unlucky fellow.


    The corner of her mouth revealed a hint of a smile that was half-mocking, half-sigh. She whispered to herself in a volume only she could hear, "At least tomorrow you can make the news headlines."


    Chewing on a piece of chocolate she had taken out, she mused to herself while chewing. The sugarless dark chocolate was fragrant with a touch of bitterness, reminiscent of the feeling she had when she first uncovered that secret.


    Wu Min''er had been leading the Vermilion Bird Group for four months now.


    At twenty-six, she possessed a meticulous mind and precocious character uncharacteristic of her age. Fond of swimming and archery, her independence often made her seem somewhat out of place among her peers.


    Wu Min''er wasn''t the kind of breathtaking beauty one couldn''t forget with just one glance. On the contrary, while reasonably pretty, she didn''t care much for dressing up, so she generally seemed rather plain. A perpetually unchanged ponytail was her hairstyle of choice, and she never used makeup.


    However, her regular exercise had endowed her with an excellent figure, which one could glimpse even through her professional attire. After college, she traveled alone until she spent the last of her parents'' savings, then decided it was time to find a job, and ended up here, of all places.


    "You really are an unlucky guy," she muttered to herself, audible only in her own ears.


    Ding-dong.


    The elevator suddenly stopped. Looking at the panel, she realized she had arrived at the top floor.


    As the elevator doors slowly opened, a spacious and bright top-floor lobby came into view. As the most expensive level of the entire building, the spatial use here was wasteful. She had not been here many times, and even as a leader, she was only slightly better off than a regular employee. In fact, aside from her group, she had no special privileges.


    Walking into the corridor ahead, set up like a leisure center, she followed the polished marble floor and soon came to a glass door entrance. Before she could step onto the red woolen carpet, one of the two security guards stopped her politely yet firmly, "Please remove your shoes, thank you."


    Wu Min''er took off her mid-heel leather boots and walked in under the guidance of the security officer.


    In front of the top-floor balcony overlooking a quarter of City B, Dugu Han was playing mini-golf against the rising sun. Upon seeing Wu Min''er enter, he exaggeratedly spread his hands and said, "Ha, look who we have here, isn''t this my favorite Leader Wu!"


    After saying that, he looked towards Qin Shimoon, who was operating a computer, and with a half-joking tone, added, "I''ve always said that if we had more employees like Leader Wu in our company, who are both capable and a pleasure to look at, we could definitely improve morale and performance effectively. I wonder if I should promote you. It seems I''m short a personal secretary. Interested?"


    Wu Min''er frowned at Dugu Han''s joking face. She didn''t like him; he was too ostentatious, arrogant, and off-putting¡ªlacking intelligence but eager to give orders, without any of the demeanor that someone of his position should have. Instead, he possessed a mix of nouveau riche and spoiled young master''s qualities, perfect for easily intimidating those who are faint of heart.


    Despite being the head of the company, she always found it difficult to show him the respect he was due. At his blatantly crude remarks, she managed a strained smile and turned to Qin Shimoon, "Did Manager Qin call me up here for a reason?"


    "Of course," Qin Shimoon said indifferently, gesturing for her to sit in front of a computer nearby. "There''s a mission that needs Vermilion Bird Group''s attention."


    Wu Min''er glanced at the computer before her, understood his intent, and logged in with her username and password. Before long, her character was online¡ª


    A sexy female assassin clad in black Leather Armor, with a curvaceous figure, looked strikingly similar to her own appearance, but adorned with a black mask and hood. Armed with a bow and dagger at her waist, the game version of her carried a sense of mystery and lethal beauty that she lacked in reality.


    "Meet up with my people at the tavern."


    Quickly, Wu Min''er arrived at the tavern, only to meet a stranger she had never seen before. After their meeting, the stranger traded a blueprint to her. Glancing at the mission item in her hand, Wu Min''er was suddenly taken aback. She had played the game for so long and completed many missions, but this was her first encounter with a so-called world storyline mission.


    Moreover, the penalty for mission failure made her eyes twitch.


    "What is this?"


    "Take on this task," Qin Shimoon said indifferently, not answering her question.


    Wu Min''er''s hand trembled on the keyboard as she stubbornly looked up, "If I remember correctly, this type of item''s task isn''t within the scope of the Vermilion Bird Group''s business, is it?"


    At that moment, Dugu Han happened to make a terrible shot. Angrily tossing his club to a nearby caddy, he turned around and said, "You''re right. Actually, it was intended for the Qilin Group to handle, but the Qilin Group has been very busy lately, with too many things to deal with. Plus, didn''t you see the note about a punishment for failing the task?


    I can''t risk any slip-ups with the Qilin Group, given all the effort I''ve put into it. So, it''s better if your Vermilion Bird Group takes it on. Of course, if you''re not satisfied, you can find anyone else in your group to accept it. After all, I just need to know what the task''s final outcome is and what kind of rewards can be gained."


    After finishing, he looked at Wu Min''er with an expression that suggested he thought this was perfectly reasonable.


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    (So he''s actually using me to scout out the situation?) Wu Min''er bit her lower lip. Despite not wanting to accept the task, it wasn''t in her nature to push unknown dangers onto her comrades. "I''ll do it, there''s no need for someone else to take this on," she said, while double-clicking the blueprint.


    System prompt: Quest triggered ¡ª The Rise of the Demon Clan. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Quest Introduction: After examining the "Abyssal Gate Blueprint," you realize it is a construction blueprint for a device of the Demon Clan, filled with the Demon Clan''s writing. If you bring it to the Lord of Nine Dragons City, you may receive an unexpected reward. Accept? Yes/No.


    The task seemed quite simple at first glance, but Wu Min''er didn''t think so.


    Having chosen to accept the task, Wu Min''er headed to the City Lord''s Mansion with the blueprint in hand.


    The Lord of Nine Dragons City was an NPC with a dark gold name, ''Warlord Zhang Xiaotian.'' Wu Min''er had met this NPC several times before and even spoken with him; she had found him to be a very astute and capable individual. Zhang Xiaotian was a very powerful human, and even within the game, this power made Wu Min''er maintain the proper respect for him.


    Upon completing the task and showing the blueprint, the NPC showed great surprise.


    Warlord Zhang Xiaotian, "This¡ªthis is the writing of the Demon Clan!? Adventurer Wu Min''er, where did you get this blueprint?"


    Wu Min''er typed in response, "I got it from a demon. We lost many comrades just to kill it."


    Warlord Zhang Xiaotian, "You''ve done very well, I will remember the sacrifices Qilin Hall has made for Nine Dragons City. However, the situation is urgent, and now I need to continue serving Nine Dragons City. Take this document to the curator of Nine Dragons City Royal Library. He is proficient in any known language in this world.


    Have him decipher the writing on this blueprint and then bring it back to me."


    System prompt: Your Prestige in Nine Dragons City has increased by 500 points, and Zhang Xiaotian''s favorability towards you has increased by 50 points.


    System prompt: Quest triggered ¡ª The second step of The Rise of the Demon Clan series: The Lord''s Command. Accept? Yes/No.


    "How about it, the task is pretty simple, right?" A carefree voice sounded from behind her, followed by a large hand that untraceably landed on her shoulder. Even through her shirt, she could distinctly feel the hand''s warmth and dampness, which filled her with a deep sense of revulsion.


    "Clearly, it''s a series of tasks, not something that can be completed in a short time. There''s likely to be more fighting ahead. I think I need to gather my teammates to complete this mission together," Wu Min''er said, while simultaneously exiting the game and standing up from her seat, subtly shaking off the hand resting on her shoulder.


    Dugu Han waved his hand impatiently, "Whatever you want, just make sure to give me the results as soon as possible."


    Watching Wu Min''er''s departing figure, Dugu Han rubbed his hands with a sense of unfulfilled desire. With his status and position, getting women was usually easy, but those who came too readily often lacked appeal. It was the challenge of conquering women who kept their distance that gave him a sense of achievement.


    He glanced at Qin Shimoon next to him, thinking she would also be a fine catch if not for the boss''s specific instructions not to touch her.

 Chapter 82 Black Saturday (Part 2)

    Wu Min''er strode into the server room of the Vermilion Bird Group with a gloomy face. Compared to the server rooms of other groups, this one seemed much smaller, but thanks to the meticulousness typical of women, the room was arranged very comfortably without appearing crowded.Since there were no windows and the main lights weren''t on, the room was somewhat dark, but it seemed that no one cared about this detail. The twelve members of the Vermilion Bird Group each focused on their computer screens, operating their characters with great concentration.


    In one corner of the room stood a desk, piled high with intelligence materials collected by the members from within the game. Every day, Wu Min''er spent an hour or two to summarize and organize this intelligence, and then submitted it.


    Often, Wu Min''er felt that she didn''t quite seem like a professional gamer, but more like a female spy.


    "The big sister is back, eh? Why the gloomy face? Who has upset you? Tell your little brother here, and I''ll take care of them for you!"


    Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice. She looked back and saw that it was Jie, the youngest member of the group. He was a bit naive, knowing almost nothing beyond playing games, but he was very considerate and liked calling her the big sister. Due to his natural clumsiness, he often did things that made Wu Min''er both laugh and cry.


    These quirks, however, made Wu Min''er feel a bit of affection for him. Occasionally, she thought he might have a crush on her, but considering he was seven years younger than her, she felt it was unlikely.


    "Everyone, gather in the city. There''s a series of quests that I need you all to help with."


    Wu Min''er had absolute authority in the Vermilion Bird Group. In no time at all, all the members had assembled in the city.


    "I''m going to work on the quests now. If there''s anything needed, I''ll let you all know. Understand?"


    After speaking, Wu Min''er ran towards the Nine Dragons City Royal Library.


    Arriving at the library, she unexpectedly found that the entrance was filled with guards, and the usually accessible library was shrouded by a white luminous barrier. The library had turned into a dungeon? How strange.


    Mr. Know-It-All, the librarian, said, "Adventurer, are you here to solve the haunting of the library? I''ve been waiting for a long time."


    Wu Min''er thought it better to leave it for another day, not wanting to stir up more trouble, and directly completed the quest.


    Mr. Know-It-All: "To decode the Demon Clan''s documents, alright, hand them over to me."


    After a rustling sound of translation, a golden exclamation mark appeared above Mr. Know-It-All''s head.


    Mr. Know-It-All: "My God, this is truly astonishing. Heaven above, if my eyes aren''t failing me due to age, this document contains the blueprint for a lost Demon Clan device. Hurry and bring this back to the Lord; it''s urgent."


    Curiosity piqued, Wu Min''er opened the blueprint to take a look.


    Blueprint of the Six Realms Gate: This blueprint details how to use spatial fissures to create the Six Realms Gate, which can rapidly transport large numbers of units to different worlds. It''s a military device widely used in the ancient wars by the combatant factions.


    Manufacturing materials: Common stones x999, Obsidian x99, World Spirit Stones x9, Moon Spirit Stone x1, Sun Spirit Stone x1, Giant Energy Core x1.


    This was actually a usable blueprint. Wu Min''er was taken aback. If there were enough materials, could she really build a Space-Time Gate and open a Teleportation Portal to other worlds?


    She hesitated for a moment; she definitely had to proceed with the quest and return the blueprint to the Lord, but it wouldn''t hurt to copy down the list of materials. As she thought this, she casually took out a piece of paper and copied everything from it. Then she felt that the blueprint was not too complicated, so she decided to replicate it as well.


    Although unsure of its use, she elected to save it anyway.


    Having done all this, she returned once again to the City Lord''s Mansion to turn in the quest.


    System notification: Completed the quest ''The Lord''s Command''. Your Prestige in Nine Dragons City has increased by 500 points. Warlord Zhang Xiaotian''s favorability towards you has increased by 50 points; Warlord Zhang Xiaotian''s favorability towards you has reached Friendly.


    She hadn''t expected such a high Prestige reward, and especially the favorability reward took Wu Min''er by surprise. She recalled that boss-level NPCs were usually very hard to please with quest accomplishments, but this time it seemed like a stroke of luck.


    Warlord Zhang Xiaotian: "This matter is no small thing. I can''t let my people handle it, as it''s too easy to spook our quarry. I fear I need you to do something else for me. Constructing this Abyssal Gate requires several extremely rare materials, which can only be purchased in the black market of Nine Dragons City.


    I need you to investigate who has been buying these materials lately and bring me the list of names."


    System Alert: Triggered the mission ''City Lord''s Commission''. Investigate the black market trading of rare materials. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Wu Min''er chose to accept, issuing the mission to perform a comprehensive investigation, and her subordinates immediately sprang into action.


    As the intelligence organization of the Qilin Hall, the Vermilion Bird Group had extremely formidable intelligence-gathering capabilities in the underworld of Nine Dragons City. Soon, they had the results: recently, only one person had purchased the materials¡ªa very mysterious individual, seemingly a member of a large trade association.


    This mission is truly troublesome, thought Wu Min''er upon getting these results. Next up was the spy mission. But that wouldn''t stump her¡ªthe members of the Vermilion Bird Group were almost all thieves, assassins, and burglars, and scouting was their forte.


    However, when they stealthily infiltrated the trade association, they discovered, to their surprise, that all its members had been silenced, and the mysterious individual had vanished.


    Returned to the City Lord''s Mansion to submit the mission once more.


    System Alert: Completed the mission ''City Lord''s Commission''. Your Prestige in Nine Dragons City has increased by 500 points, and Warlord Zhang Xiaotian''s fondness for you has increased by 50 points.


    Warlord Zhang Xiaotian, "What! Such an outcome is unexpected¡ªit seems our adversary is indeed formidable. We can''t allow him to continue, and though I feel bad asking for your help again after so much assistance, for the sake of Nine Dragons City''s peace, I must implore you to help me one more time. Find and kill that mysterious person, we cannot let the Demon Clan''s plot succeed.


    I will have Nine Dragons City''s Shadow Guards assist you in locating him."


    System Alert: Triggered the mission ''City Lord''s Request''. Kill the mysterious individual carrying rare materials outside the city. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Wu Min''er had become numb; what else could she do but accept...


    Half an hour later, in the Giant Wood Wilderness outside Nine Dragons City, Wu Min''er gathered with all the members of the Vermilion Bird Group.


    As they were all professions like assassins, burglars, and thieves, the twelve members of the Vermilion Bird Group were practically uniform in tight Leather Armor and Nightwalker Clothes, all masked with black scarves, creating a circle that truly gave off the vibe of a secret assassin organization in action.


    "According to the Shadow Guards'' intelligence, the mysterious person will pass through here soon. Everyone give it your all; we must kill him. Now, find a place to hide," Wu Min''er said gravely as she sat in front of her computer.


    At her command, the twelve members displayed their Divine Skills, using Stealth, Shadow Escape, and Disguise. In the blink of an eye, they had all vanished. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Shadow Guards'' intelligence was indeed accurate; their target soon appeared in view, a strange person swathed in dirty black robes, driving a carriage toward them. Looking at the name, it was merely a rare elite with a light blue name.


    Seeing this, Wu Min''er breathed a sigh of relief. She had genuinely feared that a BOSS of some sort would show up, as the Vermilion Bird Group had neither tanks nor healers and was not adept at tough fights. However, if it was merely a common elite, then simply going all out to kill would suffice.


    "Everyone go full force, no holding back¡ªlet''s take him down swiftly!" Wu Min''er said coldly. This was met with a chorus of assent. Wu Min''er was the first to leap forward, revealing herself in an instant. Just then, as she remembered those fiercely slain trade association guards, a sudden unease flickered in her heart.


    Five minutes later, the battlefield was in disarray. The man in black was dead, killed by countless arrows and hidden weapons, his body almost chopped into pieces. However, among the dead were also five members of the Vermilion Bird Group.


    Despite being just a common rare elite, the target''s combat power was surprisingly formidable, and he had even transformed after losing half of his health, taking down four or five members of the Vermilion Bird Group with an attack that nearly spanned the whole screen. Even Wu Min''er herself almost perished, if Jie had not taken that Fireball for her.


    (How could this happen!) She looked at Jie''s charred and incomplete corpse on the ground, and her mind went blank.


    "How could this happen?" she muttered to herself unconsciously. Enjoy more content from empire


    "Don''t feel bad, boss lady. It''s just a game, what''s the big deal? Besides, there''s a severance payment of a hundred thousand to collect," Jie seemed not the slightest bit saddened and even felt a touch of the joy of a hero saving the beauty.


    Looking at Jie''s calm face, Wu Min''er suddenly understood¡ªJie had indeed been harboring feelings for her, or else he wouldn''t have sacrificed his character to save her. Clearly, Jie didn''t truly understand the significance behind this sacrifice.


    In front of everyone''s astonished gazes, she suddenly bent down and gave Jie a deep kiss. Raising her head and looking at Jie, who seemed pleasurably stunned, she managed a difficult smile, "You''re right, it''s just a game, after all. Goodbye, Jie." She took one last look at the boy who had made her feel a flicker of kinship and watched as he left the room with a few others.


    The room was filled with a heavy silence; without nearly half of its people, it suddenly felt empty and forlorn.


    "Team leader, shall we continue with that mission?" one of the members asked, looking at Wu Min''er''s unusually grim face.


    "We continue," Wu Min''er said with a gritted determination.

 Chapter 85 Lunchtime

    System Notice: Player Xiao Buli has changed profession to ''Coachman'', learning the professional skill -- animal taming. You can view the details of this skill in your skill bar.When he opened the skill bar, sure enough, there was a new skill. Xiao Buli moved his cursor over it.


    Animal Taming: A skill that involves understanding the habits of animals and taking care of them with feeding and training to ensure they can grow and be trained in a human-controlled environment. Current skill level LV1.


    It seemed this skill was a bit different from breeding¡ªit looked somewhat more advanced. As Xiao Buli pondered this, he went to the military camp''s stables to start his work for the day and soon discovered that the job of a coachman was indeed much more complicated than that of a herdsman or swineherd. It was still a mini-game, but now he had to play two at once.


    For the first mini-game, it involved clearing horse manure. Every so often, the horses in the stable would drop some manure, which would accumulate over time. If too much piled up, the horses would get angry, so it had to be cleared before reaching that point.


    The second mini-game was about feeding the horses. The feed in the manger would decrease as the horses ate, and if it ran out, the horses would also get angry. So, it was necessary to refill it before it was exhausted.


    Neither of these mini-games was particularly difficult, but the problem was that he had to do both simultaneously. Luckily, Xiao Buli had sharp reflexes, and after such a long time gaming, he had adapted to this sort of gameplay. By the end of the morning, Xiao Buli had leveled up his horse rearing to level three without any slipups.


    Come lunchtime, Xiao Buli finally had a chance to begin executing his own plan. The first thing he wanted to do was to find Hua Yueying and ask about upgrading his Taoist Heart.


    "You want to know how to upgrade your Taoist Heart? That could be a bit troublesome," Hua Yueying said casually while munching on a hamburger.


    "What do you mean? Doesn''t the advancement to Exorcist require a certain level of Taoist Heart?" Xiao Buli asked.


    Hua Yueying nodded, "That''s definitely true. To advance to Exorcist, you need a Taoist Heart LV2, a Demon Subduing Heart LV2, and 25 points of spiritual power. The problem is, I''m not quite clear on how my Taoist Heart was upgraded. It just happened suddenly while I was meditating one day."


    "Upgraded suddenly while meditating?" Xiao Buli repeated Hua Yueying''s words, finding it somewhat unbelievable.


    "Are you sure about that?" he asked, somewhat skeptically.


    "Of course. Why would I lie to you?" Hua Yueying seemed somewhat discontented with Xiao Buli''s questioning. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    "Then, did anything unusual happen during your meditation?"


    Hua Yueying''s face took on a contemplative expression, and after a moment, she shook her head. "Doesn''t seem like it. You should just try it for yourself. Spend more time meditating, and maybe you''ll suddenly level up. Though I suspect it''ll require a bit of patience."


    Seeing as there was no clear direction, Xiao Buli decided he should just focus on improving his swordsmanship.


    In Xiao Buli''s ideal scenario, the role of God Descending Master was too elusive, and the best profession was the pure magic system of Immortal Skill Master. If he had ample time for slow and meticulous study, he would definitely choose this profession as his advanced profession. But now, he was facing a life-or-death trial in just one month, and this danger was sure to be greater than the last.


    Without sufficient strength, he might not even know how he died.


    Moreover, it was unlikely that he would be allowed to remain unadvanced forever, so unless he had a stroke of incredible luck and his Taoist Heart leveled up continuously within a month to meet the standards for advancing to Immortal Skills Practitioner, he would have to settle for second best and choose between Cursed Swordsman and Sword Control Master.


    Both of these professions undoubtedly required a high level of swordsmanship, so taking advantage of the lunch break, he found Liu Xing and inquired about how to obtain the titles of Sword Master and Sword Grandmaster.


    "You want to learn swordsmanship? Don''t tell me you were inspired by the power of those two Ultimate Skills I used the other day. But you should know that even for big moves like Ultimate Skills, if your basic attributes like strength and speed aren''t high enough, you won''t be able to unleash much power, and you can only use each Mystic Skill once per day.


    So, it''s best not to have too high hopes," Liu Xing said.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli remembered, "Right, how exactly did you come to understand those two ''Ultimate Skills''?"


    Liu Xing didn''t withhold any secrets, "It''s quite simple, actually. Raise a Cultivation Technique class skill to LV10, and you would naturally comprehend a Mystic Skill. By Cultivation Technique class skills, I mean skills like Swordsmanship, Knife Skills, Spear Skills, etc. I currently know three sets of sword techniques: Gale Sword Skills, Cold Moon Sword Skills, and Green Abyss Sword Technique.


    When my Gale Sword Skills reached LV10, I comprehended the ''Mystic Skill ¨C Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds'', and when my Cold Moon Sword Skills reached LV10, I comprehended the ''Mystic Skill ¨C Moon Shadow Trace''. As for the Green Abyss Sword Technique, I ran out of combat experience, so it''s only at LV5 for now and I haven''t yet grasped the final Mystic Skill."


    So that''s how it is, Xiao Buli thought to himself, this is much simpler than upgrading the Taoist Heart. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli, hearing this, suddenly remembered another question, "Does that mean you''ve already obtained the title of Swordsmanship Master?"


    Liu Xing nodded with a smile, "Of course."


    "What are the requirements for becoming a Swordsmanship Master then?"


    "It''s quite simple. You need to defeat a Swordsmanship Master at Longquan Sword Pavilion using only Sword Skills, or battle with one for 10 minutes without being defeated."


    Xiao Buli said with a laugh, "That sounds rather easy."


    "Swordsmanship Masters are high-ranking elites. Do you think it will be easy? It took me quite an effort to achieve it."


    Xiao Buli nodded and then asked, "What about a Swordsmanship Grandmaster then? Surely it doesn''t involve fighting a silver-tiered boss NPC, does it?"


    Liu Xing nodded, "That''s right, exactly. That''s also my next goal, but I dare not think about it for the short term. Above a Swordsmanship Grandmaster is the title of sword saint. The master of Longquan Sword Pavilion is a sword saint¡ªa golden-named grand boss. I can''t even contemplate taking him on, but I still plan to level up to Swordsmanship Grandmaster.


    As long as I can last 10 minutes without defeat, and if my equipment is good enough and my qinggong high enough, I should have a chance."


    Just as Xiao Buli was about to leave, he suddenly remembered the most important question, "Where did you learn all these sword techniques then?"


    "The Green Abyss Sword Technique was dropped by a boss, and the Gale Sword Skills and Cold Moon Sword Skills were both learned at Longquan Sword Pavilion. They teach various levels of sword technique skills there, and you can learn as long as you have money and meet the attribute requirements, but the tuition is not cheap."


    Xiao Buli nodded, indicating he understood.


    Next, he was going to ask about Basic Attributes, something he planned to discuss with Wu Tao.


    Wu Tao was sitting at a table not far from Liu Xing. Xiao Buli walked over, greeted him, and then began to inquire about Basic Attributes. Although he knew that leveling Professional Skills could improve Basic Attributes, he wasn''t sure to what extent they could be enhanced.


    After hearing his question, Wu Tao said, "For Basic Attributes, it''s generally okay to boost the less important ones to 20."


    Xiao Buli asked, "Why is that?"


    "Because it gets harder the further you go. In the early stages, leveling a Life Skill to LV10 usually increases two attributes by two points each, which is a total of four Attribute Points. But once any of your attributes exceeds 20 points, you''ll only gain a one-point increase for two different attributes, doubling the time spent, which is quite inefficient.


    That''s why people usually stop leveling less critical attributes after they reach 20 and focus on the most important ones¡ªfor tank-type professions, that''d be physique; for burst-damage types, Strength; for agile types, speed or agility. As for Mage Professions like yours, it should mainly be Spirit.


    You don''t engage in close combat, so I think if you raise your physique to 20 and leave the rest, it should be fine."


    Xiao Buli nodded with a smile but did not reveal his actual intentions.


    Then let''s level all the Basic Attributes to 20.


    It takes about 20-30 hours on average to level a Professional Skill to LV10. Previously, at eight hours a day, it would take three to four days to max one out. In preparation for the fight a month from now, Xiao Buli decided to play for sixteen hours a day so that he could level all his Basic Attributes in about ten days.


    However, he certainly wasn''t planning to just work and do nothing else for those ten-plus days. During the following month, he decided to spend five hours each night on leveling Professional Skills, which was a good time considering that it was too dangerous to go out hunting monsters and collecting gear.


    If he got tired, he''d rely on meditation to recover his Physical Strength and try to comprehend the second level of Taoist Heart. During the day, he planned to learn Swordsmanship and fight in dungeons.


    Once he had everything planned out and had eaten lunch, Xiao Buli headed over to Longquan Sword Pavilion during his afternoon gaming session.

 Chapter 86 The Nameless Sword Guest

    After all the plans were set and lunch had been eaten, Xiao Buli headed to the Longquan Sword Pavilion in the afternoon.Located on a hillside outside Nine Dragons City, the Longquan Sword Pavilion was surrounded by some thatched cottages nestled amongst bamboo forests, creating a rather elegant scene.


    Opposite the Longquan Sword Pavilion was the Si Hai Martial Arts Hall, where one could learn fighting and Qigong skills suitable for Martial Monks, Fighters, and Qigong Masters. According to Wu Tao''s introduction, it was the place for them to learn skills.


    Xiao Buli walked directly into the Sword Pavilion, where many were practicing martial arts and swordplay, furiously hacking at training dummies. This method could also improve skill proficiency, though not as quickly as leveling up skills through battle experience from monster slaying.


    Most of these were NPCs, but surprisingly, there was also a player among them, who did not seem to be a member of the Qilin Hall guild.


    He Suoju (Wanderer of the Four Seas).


    This "Wanderer of the Four Seas" must be a title, one that, based on the literal meaning of the title, was probably earned through exploration. It seemed that He Suoju had been to many places.


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment but then decided to strike up a conversation with the other party.


    "Hello," he approached and typed.


    The person did not react.


    "Are you a professional player too?" Xiao Buli asked again, activating his "Member of Qilin Hall Guild" title at the same time.


    Finally, He Suoju stopped his activity, "I came to Nine Dragons City to learn skills, and along the way, I didn''t kill a single monster or take on a single quest. You guys from Qilin Hall better not break the rules."


    The other''s tone was somewhat tense. Xiao Buli analyzed a bit and immediately gleaned several clues from his words. It was quite clear that Nine Dragons City fell under Qilin Hall''s sphere of influence and was recognized as such by many.


    From what He Suoju had said, it was apparent that members of different guilds could go to each other''s territories to learn skills or trade goods, but they couldn''t take quests or slay monsters. That must be one of the ways power was divided.


    "I mean no harm, just asking casually, can you tell me which guild you''re from?"


    "Oh, no harm done, then it''s fine. As for my guild, it''s not convenient to tell you. If there''s nothing else, I am going to continue practicing my swordplay," He Suoju spoke guardedly. Xiao Buli said no more; after all, he had already gotten the information he wanted.


    It was evident that there weren''t just the Qilin Hall guild in this game; it appeared each guild had their own territory. He wondered what other places were like but did not pursue further, afraid of provoking He Suoju and also wary of revealing too much about himself.


    While mulling over these thoughts, he approached the Skills Trainer and inquired about the Swordsmanship he could learn. The trainer pointed to the wall where various sword techniques with their attribute requirements and training costs were displayed.


    Seeing the list, Xiao Buli was momentarily speechless; it was practically daylight robbery. Even the cheapest Basic Swordsmanship cost thirty silver coins, ten times more expensive than what he paid in Dahuang Village. Indeed, the prices in big cities were something else.


    As for other slightly more advanced sword techniques, they were naturally more expensive, with the pricier ones requiring one or two Gold Coins to learn. At the very top of the list, there was a skill with a price that was simply astonishing. Explore stories at empire


    Proud Heaven Sword Skills: A highly profound sword technique created by the Proud Heaven Sword Deity, said to possess such immense power as to slay gods and demons. However, due to its steep learning requirements and talent prerequisites, hardly anyone was able to learn and comprehend this skill.


    Learning requirements: One-handed Sword Mastery LV10, Agility 30, Speed 30, Strength 30.


    Learning cost: 500 Gold Coins.


    So awesome! Xiao Buli thought to himself about the high demands and expensive price of the skill, wondering who could possibly learn it. It was practically a display item.


    Besides this technique, the others seemed relatively cheaper but were still quite costly, any one of which could empty Xiao Buli''s pockets.


    Seems like I need to ask the team leader for some money, he pondered while checking Zhang Yaoyang''s location, which was empty at the moment. He had no idea where Zhang had gone.


    Well, better to improve my Basic Attributes first. Those more powerful sword techniques had attribute requirements, and even with the money, there were hardly any he could learn.


    With these thoughts, Xiao Buli left the Longquan Sword Pavilion.


    As he walked down the hill, Xiao Buli was somewhat preoccupied. The continuous setbacks to his plan made him realize that he still had a long way to go; whether it was improving his Swordsmanship or Taoist Heart, both were difficult. It seemed that indeed, you get what you pay for, and good things are never cheap.


    While he was pondering, he suddenly halted; the surroundings seemed unfamiliar, as he had unknowingly entered a fork in the bamboo forest. He was not particularly worried, considering the vicinity of Nine Dragons City was quite safe. Following the path, he soon came to a clearing with bamboo slashed down uniformly in one direction.


    Across the bamboo forest, on a piece of blue stone, there sat an NPC with a Dark Gold name called "Nameless Swordsman."


    Xiao Buli''s eyelid twitched, amazed to suddenly encounter an NPC with a Dark Gold name. He had never seen such a name color before. Observing carefully, the NPC had a stylish appearance, dressed in plain-colored, wide-sleeved robes, with a bamboo hat on his head and a cloth-wrapped Longsword held tightly in his arms.


    Sitting motionless there, with half of his face covered, he radiated an aura of a hermit detached from the world.


    Guided by the intuition of a gaming expert, Xiao Buli decisively felt that this NPC must be someone with a significant background and might even trigger some hidden quest.


    He approached the NPC and clicked on him, then typed out a question, "I perceive an extraordinary aura about you, wouldn''t you by chance also be a master swordsman?"


    The Nameless Swordsman: "..............."


    After thinking for a moment, Xiao Buli typed again: "I''m wholeheartedly devoted to learning swordsmanship, would you please take me as your disciple?"


    The Nameless Swordsman: "..............."


    Still no reaction? Xiao Buli thought to himself that it''s better to provoke than to plead, so he had to use his killer move.


    "Could it be that you are the Longquan Sword Saint? If so, I am truly fortunate to have met you."


    This time, the Nameless Swordsman finally spoke up.


    The Nameless Swordsman: "Hmph, a mere youngster daring to call himself a Sword Saint, in my eyes, you''re but a beginner showing off in front of an expert."


    Xiao Buli said, "Since you say so, your swordsmanship must be much more superior than that of the Longquan Sword Saint. I''m wholeheartedly devoted to learning swordsmanship, please take me as your disciple."


    He hadn''t held much hope, but to his surprise, the other party reacted. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Nameless Swordsman: "If you truly want to learn, then first answer me this question, what do you think is the highest realm of swordsmanship?"


    A dialogue box popped up in front of Xiao Buli.


    1, To have a sword in hand and a sword in heart.


    2, To have a sword in hand but not in heart.


    3, To have no sword in hand but one in heart.


    4, To have neither sword in hand nor in heart.


    This doesn''t need asking, Xiao Buli thought, it must be 4.


    Just as he was about to click on it, he felt that something was amiss. It seemed too simple, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed 4 was the right choice, so he bit the bullet and clicked on it.


    Xiao Buli: "The highest realm of swordsmanship is naturally to have neither sword in hand nor in heart. Senior, do you think my answer is correct?"


    To his surprise, the Nameless Swordsman immediately sneered in response: "Without a sharp blade in hand, and without the resolve to win in heart, how can one defeat an enemy? Such a simple question and yet you answer incorrectly, it seems you lack the aptitude for learning swordsmanship. Leave, I will not teach you."


    System Prompt: The Nameless Swordsman''s favorability towards you has dropped by 30 points, and your prestige with the Nameless Swordsman has decreased to cold.


    The ''Nameless Swordsman''s name frame also changed from the neutral yellow to the cold brown-red.


    Xiao Buli was dismayed, cursing his luck. He had been misled by those martial arts novelists.


    Still a little bit hopeful, he asked, "Then what should be the highest realm of swordsmanship?"


    The Nameless Swordsman: "Naturally, it is to have a sword in hand, and a sword in heart. The sword in hand is the weapon to vanquish foes, the sword in heart is the spirit of bravery. With both swords as one, one is invincible in the world. This is the highest realm of swordsmanship; I have said all there is to be said, now be on your way."


    System Prompt: The Nameless Swordsman''s favorability towards you has dropped by 30 points, the Nameless Swordsman has become impatient.


    Xiao Buli glanced at the Nameless Swordsman''s dark gold colored name, not daring to linger any longer. If the favorability dropped further, it might turn hostile, and if the swordsman drew his blade, he''d be wrongly killed.


    PS: There will be another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 87 The Highest Realm of Swordsmanship (Revised Edition)

    Xiao Buli was about to head back to Nine Dragons City when he suddenly felt there was no need to rush off. Although it seemed like he was out of the picture, that didn''t mean others were without chance. Besides, he was quite curious to know what the answer actually was.With that thought, he glanced at Liu Xing, probably the strongest swordsman in terms of swordsmanship in the Green Dragon Group.


    "Hey Liu Xing, there''s a quest you might be interested in doing."


    Liu Xing turned around, "What quest?"


    Xiao Buli briefly recounted the events, "What, the Nameless Sword Guest! An NPC with a dark gold name!" Liu Xing''s hair practically stood on end as he listened, trembling with excitement.


    "What''s wrong, do you know this person?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, he is the legendary Sword God, a title higher than the sword saint. There are hardly any Sword Gods in the entire continent. It is said that the master of the Longquan Sword Saint was a Sword God, but he has been dead for who knows how many years. To think that we would actually meet one here, you are extremely lucky," Read latest chapters at empire


    Xiao Buli chuckled, "I think you''re the luckier one, to have a teammate like me."


    "Right, right, right, my luck isn''t bad either. I must hurry, tell me your location!"


    Xiao Buli gave his coordinates, and Liu Xing hurried over, taking more than ten minutes to reach the edge of the bamboo forest.


    "He''s in there." Xiao Buli said to Liu Xing but chose not to follow him in.


    "The Nameless Sword Guest didn''t seem to have a good impression of me, so I won''t go in. You go ahead by yourself."


    Liu Xing nodded, then suddenly remembered something, "By the way, which option did you choose before?"


    "The fourth one, ''Swordless in hand, swordless in heart.''" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s wrong?" Liu Xing asked in surprise, "That should be the correct one, shouldn''t it?" He said this because he had intended to choose that option himself.


    "Who says it isn''t? Yet, the Nameless Sword Guest said that having a sword in hand and a sword in heart is the highest realm of swordsmanship," Xiao Buli casually answered, but he always felt that something was off with the Nameless Sword Guest''s answer.


    Liu Xing didn''t give it much thought, thinking the Nameless Sword Guest''s level was a bit low. However, maybe that was the correct answer, after all, he is a real Sword God, not to be compared with those martial arts novel writers.


    Thinking it over, he nodded, "Thanks for the tip, I owe you one," and with that, he walked inside, (now that he knew the correct answer, it should be easy, he thought to himself.


    As he thought this, Liu Xing walked deeper into the bamboo forest. With each step, his heart rate increased, and Xiao Buli stood behind him watching his screen.


    Soon, Liu Xing came to the inner part of the bamboo forest. The Nameless Sword Guest was still there, unmoved from his spot.


    Seeing the color of that NPC''s name, Liu Xing''s blood boiled. A true dark gold NPC, probably the legendary Sword God at long last? Could today be the day when my fortunes turn? He trembled as he typed to the ''Nameless Sword Guest'': "Senior, I am wholeheartedly devoted to learning swordsmanship, please take me as your disciple."


    The Nameless Sword Guest lifted his eyes slightly, as if he had a rather favorable impression of Liu Xing.


    "Hmm, you seem to have the aptitude for learning swordsmanship. You have good material."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that the treatment was obviously different, it seemed to have something to do with a character''s skill path.


    Nameless Sword Guest: "However, becoming my disciple won''t be so easy. You need to answer a question first. What is the highest realm of swordsmanship?"


    A dialogue box popped up in front of Liu Xing.


    1, Sword in hand, sword in heart.


    2, Sword in hand, swordless in heart.


    3, Swordless in hand, sword in heart.


    4, Swordless in hand, swordless in heart.


    Although he knew the answer, Liu Xing still hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and choosing the first option.


    "The highest realm of swordsmanship is to have a sword in hand and in heart, senior, is that correct?"


    Nameless Sword Guest after listening: "Nonsense, utterly ridiculous! To think that you can''t even understand such a simple principle. You have a swift sword in your hand and the will to learn swordsmanship in your heart; do you really think you''ve reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship? If this is the so-called highest realm of swordsmanship, then this realm is far too low."


    System notification: Nameless Sword Guest''s fondness for you has decreased by 30 points, your prestige with Nameless Sword Guest has decreased to ''Indifferent.''


    Seeing the NPC''s name change from yellow to brownish red, Liu Xing asked unwillingly, "Then, senior, may I ask what the highest realm of swordsmanship is?"


    "Heh, it seems you still don''t accept it, so I''ll tell you. The highest realm of swordsmanship is to be swordless in hand and to have the sword in the heart; one may appear unarmed, but can kill enemies a hundred paces away with Sword Qi. That is the true zenith of swordsmanship. I have nothing more to say, now leave at once."


    System notification: Nameless Sword Guest''s fondness for you has decreased by 30 points, Nameless Swordsman has become impatient.


    What? Liu Xing was stunned, turning to look back at Xiao Buli with a look filled with silent reproach. Was that guy just playing him?


    Unable to change the outcome, Liu Xing had no choice but to leave.


    "Are you sure you didn''t remember it wrong?" Liu Xing couldn''t help but ask. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Xiao Buli, if Xiao didn''t want to give him the opportunity, he wouldn''t have mentioned it at all, so there was no need to make things so complex. But still, such an outcome was hard to accept.

 Chapter 87 The Highest Realm of Swordsmanship (Revised Edition) _2

    "I definitely didn''t remember it wrong, see for yourself in my chat logs." Since he hadn''t talked to anyone else in that period, the chat records were still there. Liu Xing looked through them and confirmed that Xiao Buli had indeed remembered correctly. Explore more at empireHey, now this is getting spooky. Could it be that this NPC has no intention of teaching anyone swordsmanship at all and just enjoys messing with people?


    "Should we report this information?" Xiao Buli tentatively asked, while observing Liu Xing''s reaction.


    "No, we can''t report it." Liu Xing almost immediately replied, then seemed to think that might have been too hasty, "What if the higher-ups want us to treat this NPC like a boss and we have to fight it? What then? Would we fight or not?"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli thought that it was indeed a possibility. The distinction between monsters and NPCs in this game was very unclear, and a Dark Gold NPC pretty much equated to a solo Dark Gold boss. This kind of temptation could indeed bring big trouble. However, the fact that Liu Xing would say such a thing also indicated that he wasn''t particularly loyal to the company.


    "So what do you think we should do? Shall we just pull out?" Xiao Buli wasn''t harboring much hope for this unexpected encounter, considering he already had a plan ready to go, and he just needed to follow the original instructions from his superiors.


    Liu Xing shook his head, "Let me think about it." He scratched his head in thought for a long while but couldn''t come up with any solution, "It seems we have to give up. But it''s best to keep this between us and not tell the other members of our group."


    Xiao Buli nodded in agreement, having no objection to the suggestion.


    After Liu Xing said his goodbyes and left, Xiao Buli didn''t leave. He was still racking his brains for the real answer. Faced with two completely opposite choices, the Nameless Sword Guest had given two completely contradictory answers. Such a result was beyond his expectations. It looked like the answers given by the Nameless Sword Guest previously really had issues.


    Or perhaps all the given answers were wrong? But what could the true answer be?


    A light bulb went off in his head; could it be that one must come up with their own answer? If he encountered such a master in the real world, asking such a question, how would he respond?


    Xiao Buli''s mind raced. If such a master asked him this question in real life, he would most likely show humility and ask for guidance, since such questions certainly weren''t ones that a beginner like himself could answer¡ªIn that moment, he suddenly felt that he might have figured out the correct answer.


    However, the problem became how to verify his idea. He looked around; it was best not to involve the people from his group, none of whom practiced swordsmanship. Even telling them would only add to his troubles, and it could attract unwanted attention from above. While he was pondering, a figure in a green shirt descended from a nearby slope.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback upon seeing him¡ªit was He Suoju, whom he had met earlier in the Sword Pavilion.


    (Perhaps I could test my idea on this guy.) Xiao Buli thought as he called out to He Suoju, "Hold on, can you help me with a task?"


    He Suoju seemed a bit wary, "I don''t have time, you should find someone else to help."


    "If you succeed, you could learn some powerful swordsmanship!" Xiao Buli coaxed him. He Suoju stopped in his tracks, seemingly tempted, "How powerful?" Yet, he remained cautious.


    Seeing his reaction, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh, "Don''t be so nervous, boy. Your shabby gear doesn''t even arouse my desire to rob you. I wouldn''t want to get wanted over a newbie like you."


    He Suoju, encouraged by Xiao Buli''s words, moved a bit closer, "Tell me, what''s the task? But let me make it clear upfront, you''re the one asking for my help, I''m not trying to break any rules, so you can''t use this against me."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he wasn''t that bored, and he roughly explained the situation.


    "So you just have to do as I say, and you might successfully become an apprentice. Remember, don''t choose the answers given by the Nameless Sword Guest. Not everyone gets an opportunity like this, I''m only offering it because I find you somewhat agreeable, so don''t waste it."


    "Why are you being so generous? Aren''t you jealous that I might get such a sought-after opportunity?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this was hardly a rare opportunity; if He Suoju knew about the Mystic Hollow Palace, he''d be green with envy.


    After some thought, he replied, "I guess you could say I''m quite persistent. I really want to know if my guess is right. Moreover, compared to the benefits one can obtain in the game, I care more about the experience gained from observing the process of the quest. That way, if I encounter a similar situation next time, I can handle it with ease."


    He Suoju was silent for a moment, seemingly finding Xiao Buli''s words somewhat credible, or maybe the chance to apprentice under the Dark Gold NPC was just too enticing. In the end, he agreed, "Fine, but I can''t guarantee success."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he''d better pray for success because if he failed, he might very well end up dead.


    The two headed into the bamboo forest. Xiao Buli stopped at a distance and said, "Go ahead, do as I told you." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As He Suoju walked in alone, Xiao Buli stood not far away, paying attention to their conversation.


    He Suoju was surprised when he saw the Nameless Sword Guest and glanced back at Xiao Buli, thinking that the other man hadn''t lied to him; he''d been overly suspicious. But he couldn''t waste such a great opportunity.

 Chapter 87 The Highest Realm of Swordsmanship (Revised Edition)_3

    "Senior, I have wandered the four seas with no place to call home, all to master the ultimate swordmanship. I greatly admire your grace and plead for you to accept me as your disciple,"Nameless Sword Guest: "Hmm, it seems you have the making of a Swordsman. However, becoming my disciple is not that easy. You must first answer my question. Tell me, what is the highest realm of swordsmanship?"


    1. With a sword in hand, also hold a sword in heart.


    2. With a sword in hand, hold no sword in heart.


    3. Without a sword in hand, hold a sword in heart.


    4. Without a sword in hand, also hold no sword in heart.


    This should be the fourth choice, right? That''s what He Suoju thought to himself. According to his own logic, he should choose the fourth option. But then he remembered what Xiao Buli had told him, and he hesitated again. The answer Xiao had shared indeed seemed to have some truth to it. Should he really listen to him?


    He wavered for a long time but ultimately failed to make a choice.


    Turning to glance at Xiao Buli, who was looking on from a distance, He Suoju finally bit the bullet, "I''ll trust you this time!"


    He closed the choice prompt and opened the dialogue box to type out: "Senior, are you jeering at me? The question of what constitutes the highest realm of swordsmanship is so profound and inscrutable, how could a novice like me possibly know the answer? If I did know what the highest realm of swordsmanship was, why would I need to find you to learn swordsmanship?"


    After typing out these words, He Suoju''s heart raced to his throat, and his fingers trembled, fearful that the other party might become furious and chop him down with a single blow.


    Little did he know that the Nameless Sword Guest would burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Hahaha, unexpectedly, oh unexpected. After a long search, I thought all people sought only fame, and none were worthy to learn my swordsmanship legacy. Yet here I find someone as honest and diligent as you.


    You''re right¡ªif you could answer the question, there wouldn''t be a need for you to learn swordsmanship from me. Only those who try to get by with superficial knowledge attempt to speculate the answer. Very well, I''ll accept you as my disciple today. Come, follow me."


    After saying that, the Nameless Sword Guest rose from the great blue stone and slowly walked outside, taking a few steps before turning back to see He Suoju still standing there, dumbfounded. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Foolish boy, aren''t you coming?"


    He Suoju finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly followed. Passing by Xiao Buli, he expressed his gratitude, "Thank you so much, Brother Xiao. I don''t have the words to express my thanks, but should the opportunity arise, I will surely repay your kindness." After saying that, he quickly followed the Nameless Sword Guest.


    Indeed, just as he had suspected, Xiao Buli watched their departing figures with a sigh of relief. Although he didn''t learn the swordsmanship, he felt no disappointment. Instead, there was a faint sense of joy. This encounter served as another warning and brought him some experience.


    (It seems I''ve been too lax in my attitude towards this game. If I really want to acquire great power, I must immerse myself completely in the game as if it were the real world.) With these thoughts in mind, he headed down the mountain. Read exclusive adventures at empire


    PS: Regarding the update schedule, I apologize for the recent irregularity. This is mainly due to the lack of saved drafts, as I write and post chapters on the go, which inevitably leads to inconsistencies.


    However, I will try to accumulate more drafts in the future to ensure updates occur at fixed times each day, tentatively set to around noon for one chapter, and another chapter between 6 and 9 p.m.


    PS2: Additionally, concerning the protagonist''s strength and adventures, he will soon gain a significant boost, which will naturally increase his power, and it will not be through a clich¨¦d Golden Finger method, (which I utterly abhor). The protagonist''s strength will be enhanced under reasonable circumstances, so please be patient.


    By the end of the first volume, the protagonist''s abilities will be fully developed.

 Chapter 88 Huge Amount of Money

    He checked the time, not yet two o''clock, and Xiao Buli thought to himself that he might as well go back to honestly tending to the horses.The entire afternoon was spent in a cycle of animal taming¡ªmeditation¡ªanimal taming¡ªmeditation. Meditation could restore both Mana and Physical Strength, which was perfect for trying to level up his Taoist Heart to LV2 during the intervals when his stamina was drained from animal taming.


    Unfortunately, despite several meditation sessions lasting up to thirty minutes, not a hint of a breakthrough appeared.


    Could it be that Hua Yueying was fooling him? Sometimes, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but wonder.


    But he wasn''t someone who gave up easily, nor did he change plans without good reason. If the afternoon attempts were unsuccessful, he would experiment again at night. Once he had set his mind on a plan, he would implement it wholeheartedly.


    After dinner, he returned to the computer room to start gaming again, joined by most members of the Azure Dragon Group. After all, with the crunch for time, it made sense to work overtime.


    However, as darkness fell, creatures like lonely ghosts and specters became more prevalent outdoors, prompting most of the players to return to the city and log off.


    By after ten o''clock, only Xiao Buli, Bai Yunfei, and Liu Xing were still persisting. Bai Yunfei was on a Prestige task for the Grand Yin Sect, while Liu Xing was furiously practicing Swordsmanship at Longquan Sword Pavilion.


    Xiao Buli hadn''t stayed up late in a long time. Watching his Taming Skills level up one by one, he decided to go all out.


    Cups of coffee kept coming in, and he and Liu Xing drank one after another. The bitter taste and the effects of caffeine kept them both excited, while Bai Yunfei didn''t touch a drop, the strange fellow seemingly more spirited as the night wore on.


    By the wee hours after two o''clock, although Xiao Buli''s meditation hadn''t leveled up yet, his ''Taming'' skill had advanced to LV10 first.


    Discover exclusive content at empire


    System prompt: After a long career in animal taming, your Taming Skills have improved, currently at level LV6, and new content has been added to your Beast Compendium.


    System prompt: Through long-term labor, your speed has increased by one point, stamina has increased by one point.


    System prompt: Through a long life of taming horses, you have gained insight into Elementary Riding during the process of taming horses.


    Elementary Riding: Basic riding skills. You can ride tamed mounts with a riding difficulty not exceeding 2. This skill cannot be upgraded through experience points but can be improved through a Skills Trainer.


    At last, it''s over! Xiao Buli couldn''t help but heave a long sigh of relief upon seeing the prompts, as playing these repetitive mini-games had been numbing. However, the results he saw now seemed worthwhile.


    With level 6 in Taming Skills, according to Zhang Yaoyang, he could even tame fierce beasts like tigers. And now with Elementary Riding, he could use mounts to travel around, saving a lot of time. However, a travel horse cost 50 silver coins, which Xiao Buli felt was better to avoid for the time being.


    After saying goodbye to Bai Yunfei, who was still going strong, Xiao Buli dragged his tired body off to bed.


    He slept surprisingly soundly that night, and when he woke up, it was already daylight.


    After washing up and going for breakfast, Liu Xing was there with huge panda eyes, seemingly impacted by the previous day''s events.


    Halfway through breakfast, Zhang Yaoyang suddenly walked in.


    "Hey, you''re all here. Here are some Character Cards. Fill them out after breakfast. The management will assign positions and level-up funds based on your profession, skills, and attributes."


    Xiao Buli took a card and looked at it. There was quite a bit to fill out¡ªskills, attributes, profession¡ªbut what drew his attention was the method of filling out paper forms.


    (It seems the company can''t directly retrieve each person''s data through the computer and needs this old-fashioned way to monitor.) Thinking this, Xiao Buli was somewhat pleasantly surprised. It seemed that the company''s control wasn''t all-encompassing, and this thought brightened his mood.


    When filling out the attributes, Xiao Buli, wanting to test his hypothesis, intentionally left out one Strength point. Such an omission wasn''t a big deal, and even if discovered, Xiao Buli could explain it as a variation due to his Taming Skills. But if there was no reaction at all, it could prove something.


    Everyone filled out their forms and submitted them. Zhang Yaoyang took the forms and left, and after breakfast, everyone headed to the computer room to start another day''s work.


    After logging in, Xiao Buli didn''t know what to do next. He couldn''t afford to learn swordsmanship, and he was unable to upgrade his Taoist Heart. Was he supposed to improve his basic attributes now? However, that was something he planned to do at night.


    While he was pondering, Zhang Yaoyang walked in, holding a list in his hand.


    "Alright, the results are in," Zhang Yaoyang said as he tapped on the table, signaling everyone to pay attention to him.


    "The higher-ups have sent down our arrangements. This list specifies everyone''s role and the direction for ability enhancement for the next month. Depending on the role, each person will receive a set of upgrade materials. I''m going to start reading now, so listen carefully. I''m currently at the tavern in Nine Dragons City, those who are called come here to collect."


    Since everyone was already in the city, they hurried to the tavern. Seeing that everyone had arrived, Zhang Yaoyang started to read the list.


    "Liu Xing: Physical DPS.


    Upgrade materials: Five Body Refining Pills, 15 Gold Coins." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Zhao Yunlong: Tank/Aura Provider.


    Upgrade materials: Five Bone Refining Pills, 25 Gold Coins."


    "Hua Yueying: Healer/BUFF Provider.


    Upgrade materials: Five Soul Refining Pills, 30 Gold Coins."


    As the contents of the list were read one by one, Xiao Buli gained a good understanding of this distribution method. Clearly, healers received the most support, followed by tanks, then magic DPS, and the least supported were the physical DPS.


    "Xiao Buli, your role is support healer. You will receive upgrade materials: Five Soul Refining Pills, 30 Gold Coins, so for the next month, you should primarily focus on this area. Go to the auction house and buy a few skill books in this field to learn, because we will be relying on you in the future."


    Xiao Buli deeply empathized with Zhang Yaoyang''s words, feeling that without a healer, it would be impossible to take on an advanced dungeon. Yet this time, Xiao Buli could only disappoint him, as with these thirty Gold Coins the first thing he planned to do was to choose one or two powerful swordsmanship styles to learn.


    If Zhang Yaoyang knew this, he would probably be spitting blood in frustration.


    After distributing the upgrade materials, Zhang Yaoyang took out another document.


    "Here''s some information on how to improve basic attributes, collected by Vermilion Bird Group after long-term experimentation. If anyone needs to raise their basic attributes, just follow these guidelines. If there''s anything else you''d like to inquire about, you can apply to me, and I''ll discuss it with the higher-ups." As he spoke, Zhang Yaoyang posted the document directly on the wall.


    Xiao Buli glanced at it, and indeed, it detailed all the life skills that could improve basic attributes. Just like what he had encountered before, each life skill could lead to learning different skills during the improvement process; for instance, Woodworking LV10 could lead to acquiring Mechanical Techniques, Medical LV10 could lead to learning Alchemy, and so on.


    It seemed that his understanding of the game was still not profound enough.


    After posting the document, Zhang Yaoyang added, "Lastly, concerning the improvement of equipment, Black Tortoise Group can only offer limited quality gear. Therefore, to ensure we have a sufficient equipment base for pioneering the dungeons in the Dark Forest, over the next month we will distribute an introduction to dungeon coordinates every week.


    Considering that these dungeons are for five-person teams, we will split into two groups to tackle them separately."


    "Me, Hua Yueying, Li Chuang, Zhao Yunlong, and Du Yibo will be one group. Xiao Buli, Wu Tao, Yaoyao, Bai Yunfei, and Liu Xing will be the second group. Does anyone have objections?"


    No one objected, as the teams were quite scientifically balanced, each with a tank, healer, and DPS.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "Then it''s settled. Who will be the team leader for your group?"


    After some mutual deference, Liu Xing was chosen for the role.


    "Now, let''s assign the dungeons. This week, Vermilion Bird Group has provided the coordinates and basic intelligence for six white dungeons. Let''s review them together.

 Chapter 89 Soul Slayer

    Dungeon Number One: Nine Dragons City Sewers.Dungeon Description: In recent times, the slums of Nine Dragons City have been plagued by numerous disappearances, with witnesses claiming that a giant monster has been bursting out of the sewers, abducting those unlucky victims. To prevent further spread of panic, the officials of Nine Dragons City have issued a bounty, recruiting adventurers to eliminate this terrifying monster. Continue your saga on empire


    Dungeon Number Two: The Haunted Library.


    Dungeon Description: Also in recent times, ghostly occurrences have risen in the Nine Dragons City Royal Library, shrouded by a mysterious mist that has driven the librarians mad, attacking anyone who tries to delve into the library to investigate the situation. To restore the once peaceful and harmonious realm of wisdom, the head librarian Mr.


    Know-It-All is recruiting adventurers to resolve this difficult issue.


    Dungeon Number Three: The Rebel Camp.


    Dungeon Description: A splinter group from the Black Dragon Legion has established a temporary camp within Thousand Bush Ridge, pillaging passing merchant caravans and committing many other atrocities. To eliminate the rebellion, the commander of the Golden Dragon Legion is recruiting adventurers to clear out this renegade force.


    Completing this dungeon''s related mission through an alliance with the Golden Dragon Legion can lead to extra rewards and prestige.


    Dungeon Number Four: Corpse King Ancient Tomb.


    Dungeon Description: In the mines to the east of Bull Rush Plain, a group of miners accidentally unearthed an ancient tomb. A terrible force erupted from within, killing most of the miners and turning them into zombies. According to some clues, it''s believed that a group of corpse-driving warlocks from the Taiyin Sect are lurking inside the tomb, conducting some sort of wicked experiment.


    This dungeon''s related mission can be obtained through the Grand Yin Sect, granting additional rewards and prestige.


    Dungeon Number Five: Nine Dragons City Prison.


    Dungeon Description: Recently, a riot broke out in Nine Dragons City Prison. The rioters killed the jailers and the guards, taking over the prison. The Golden Dragon Legion has secured the entrance to the prison but is temporarily unable to clear out the inmates due to unfamiliarity with the terrain. Therefore, the commander of the Golden Dragon Legion is enlisting adventurers for this task.


    Completing this dungeon''s related mission with aid from the Golden Dragon Legion offers extra rewards and prestige.


    Dungeon Number Six: Evil Jiao Cave.


    Dungeon Description: A month ago, incidents of beast attacks emerged within the rivers of the southern Bull Rush Plain. Local hunters discovered a deep chasm cave by a river, and it''s believed that an Evil Jiao resides within, posing a constant threat to the safety of the nearby villagers.


    To reclaim their peaceful lives, the villagers are calling upon adventurers to investigate the truth behind this incident.


    The six dungeons were each distinct with seemingly no comparisons to be drawn, or so it appeared to Xiao Buli, for whom it seemed to make little difference which dungeon to tackle.


    "Alright, let''s decide by the old method of flipping a coin," Zhang Yaoyang said as he took out a coin and tossed it into the air, slapping it onto his hand¡ª"Heads or tails?" he asked Liu Xing.


    "Tails," Liu Xing answered.


    "I knew you liked it that way," Zhang Yaoyang teased as he revealed the result, which was actually a head. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha, looks like it''s my pick first," Zhang Yaoyang said. "Then I''ll choose something closer, the Nine Dragons City Sewers."


    "Then I''ll take ''The Haunted Library,''" Liu Xing said.


    "I''ll take the Evil Jiao Cave next," Zhang Yaoyang said.


    Bai Yunfei whispered a few words to Liu Xing, to which he nodded and said, "Corpse King Ancient Tomb."


    "Then my third choice will be the Rebel Camp."


    Liu Xing had no choice but to pick Nine Dragons City Prison in the end.


    Gathering the intelligence materials for the three dungeons, the group huddled together to discuss for a while before deciding to start their dungeon run at three in the afternoon, aiming to clear one dungeon a day, which would allow them to complete all the dungeon raids in three days.


    After dispersing, the first thing Xiao Buli did was to head to the Nine Dragons City Auction House to purchase skill books.


    The Auction House in Nine Dragons City was located near the City Lord''s Mansion. The auction rules were similar to the auction system in the World of Warcraft, but they only involved auctions within the vicinity of Nine Dragons City, and most of the items up for sale were from NPCs, with only a minority being player-sourced.


    NPCs could also learn skills and equip gear, something Xiao Buli had experienced long ago, so he wasn''t too surprised by this setup. Although it was only one city, the game''s world was vast, and there were a great number of NPCs, so the Auction House was still very well-stocked.


    Scanning through the skill books, a long list of options immediately flashed before his eyes. After a quick inspection, Xiao Buli noticed something strange: those skill books that seemed powerful often cost just a few Gold Coins, while those that appeared to be useless were, ironically, more expensive.


    However, upon closer observation, Xiao Buli discovered the reason; the cheap skill books often had mediocre power but exceptionally high learning requirements, whereas those pricey yet seemingly unimpressive ones had virtually no restrictions at all.


    There were a few skill books of Taoist Arts, but mostly they were for levels two or three in Taoist Heart, and those that could be learned with Taoist Heart LV1 were either quite useless or in conflict with the spells he currently knew.


    After searching for a long time, Xiao Buli had not found any spells to his liking and ultimately only discovered a "Mind Revelation," which displays the target''s health points. He had seen Hua Yueying use this skill several times, and it seemed quite beneficial in his memory so he bought it right away.


    The skill book cost him two Gold Coins and then he spent another three Gold Coins on a "Fire Blade Skills" book, which adds fire damage to a unit''s weapon and serves as a decent group damage buff.


    He then specifically searched for Wild Beast Knowledge and to his surprise, he found some. There was only "Wild Beast Knowledge: Exotic Beasts Section" for 99 Silver Coins and "Wild Beast Knowledge: Demon Beast Chapter" for two Gold Coins.


    Xiao Buli took them both, planning to give the extra copy of the Exotic Beasts Section to Jingci for a quest.


    The rest of the skill books were not worth spending money on. Although he had 30 Gold Coins, which was quite a lot, he did not intend to waste all of them here.


    With the remaining money, he headed to Longquan Sword Pavilion, and after taking some advice from Liu Xing, he decided to learn Gale Sword Skills. The hallmark of this swordsmanship was speed, where LV1 increases attack speed by ten percent, with each subsequent level providing an additional ten percent increase. At LV10, it doubles the attack speed.


    Coupled with some speed-enhancing gear, Gale Sword Skills could indeed become Whirlwind Sword Skills.


    Xiao Buli had saved all his battle experience without using it for a while, added to the experience from recently running a dungeon, he had a total of 1200 points. He used them all at once on Gale Sword Skills, immediately upgrading it to LV5, but advancing further wouldn''t be so easy.


    It looked like he would need to run some dungeons in the afternoon to earn more experience.


    As Xiao Buli was thinking, he started practicing against a training dummy.


    True to its name, Gale Sword Skills at LV5 increased his attack speed by fifty percent, proving to be a formidable effect. There was a reason why Xiao Buli chose this sword technique. His recently acquired "Fire Blade Skills" could imbue his weapon with fire damage, causing extra fire damage with each hit. As this damage was fixed, the faster the attack, the higher the fire damage inflicted.


    Gale Sword Skills combined with "Fire Blade Skills" meant an exceptionally swift damage output.


    After leaving the Sword Pavilion and planning to return to the city, Xiao Buli heard someone calling him from afar. Turning around, he saw a knight hurtling towards him at a breakneck pace.


    The NPC''s name was quite distinctive, "Sky Courier - Wind Envoy," apparently someone who specializes in delivering items.


    Sky Courier - Wind Envoy said, "You must be Xiao Buli. Someone has sent you a package and a letter. I have faithfully completed the task, please accept them."


    A dialog box popped up in front of him, asking whether to accept the package and letter, Yes/No.


    A package and letter? Xiao Buli felt puzzled, wondering who would send him something.


    Choosing yes, his bag immediately contained a long package and a letter.


    Double-clicking the package revealed a light blue one-handed sword inside.


    Soul Slayer''s Blade (One-handed Sword): Attack 11-11, Spirit +3.


    Special effect: Soul Slaying ¡ª allows your attacks to deal full damage to ghost-type enemies.


    Weapon introduction: This weapon was forged with a small amount of Beidou Xuanjin, emitting a faint white light. Although not particularly sharp, it seemed to contain a strange power.


    A decent weapon indeed, while the attack power was low, 3 points of Spirit was very good for Mage Professions, not to mention the Soul Slaying special effect.


    Reading the letter, he saw it was from He Suoju.


    He Suoju¡ª


    (¡ªXiao, I really can''t thank you enough for what you did yesterday. That old man turned out to be the legendary Sword God, Bi Huaxuan, who agreed to teach me the art of Heart Sword. I''ll be following him from now on, haha, that''s really awesome.


    Of course, learning the Heart Sword isn''t that simple. There are many prestige quests and contribution value tasks for the sect. However, this sword technique is definitely worth my time and effort. I must say, I owe you a lot, to think that I even suspected you of trying to harm me at the beginning. It seems not all people from big guilds are bad.


    I don''t have much to repay you with. This sword dropped from a rare elite I killed by chance in the wild. It''s a weapon suitable for mages and not of much use to me, so since you look like you''re from the magic system, I thought I might as well give it to you.¡ª)


    Reading the contents of the letter, Xiao Buli couldn''t help feeling touched. It was rare to find someone who remembered and reciprocated kindness these days. Although it was unfortunate yesterday, if the result helped someone like that, it wasn''t a waste at all.


    Checking the attributes of the Soul Slayer''s Blade again, he noted that while it wasn''t a divine weapon, it was a decent transitional weapon nonetheless.

 Chapter 90 Corpse King Ancient Tomb

    Strictly speaking, Xiao Buli didn''t take yesterday''s incident to heart. Perhaps for Liu Xing, yesterday''s opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck, missing out on which would have meant regret for a lifetime. However, for Xiao Buli, it was not so enticing.After all, learning Swordsmanship from the Sword God definitely wouldn''t be as quick as learning Basic Swordsmanship from the militia captain with a flash of gold, and one would certainly need to go through the process of accepting a master, completing sect tasks, comprehending Swordsmanship, and so on.


    It would probably take at least a week to finish, which wouldn''t be a problem under normal circumstances, but it was a bit troublesome for him given the time constraints he faced.


    Not to mention, he already had Mystic Hollow Palace as his sect. Joining another might be subject to restrictions, and in terms of sect ranking, Mystic Hollow Palace was obviously higher than the sect represented by the Nameless Sword Guest. Navigating a maze was much more difficult than solving his riddles.


    In other words, even if the Sword God had chosen him and allowed him to follow, Xiao Buli might not have actually gone.


    So, Xiao Buli wasn''t really disappointed about missing out on yesterday''s chance. At most, he felt a bit sorry for Liu Xing. It''s understandable ¡ª for someone who''s experienced serendipity before, a near-miss serendipity is much less attractive.


    However, receiving a gift now could be considered making up for the loss to an extent.


    Equipped with the Soul Slayer''s Blade, Xiao Buli returned to Nine Dragons City. With several hours left until the afternoon''s raid, he planned to grind some Attribute Points first. This time, he chose to boost his Spirit Attribute, as that is the most important attribute for Mage Professions.


    According to the list, Spirit Attributes needed to be increased through Professional Skills like tea ceremony and chess, which are known for having no output and requiring a tuition fee. Moreover, they could only improve one attribute at a time ¡ª truly a luxury for the rich. Previously unable to afford to learn these Life Skills due to lack of money, Xiao Buli could now do so since he had the means.


    Upon arriving at a teahouse, he chose to learn the Way of Tea and started training after paying a gold coin for the tuition. But before he began his training, Xiao Buli consumed a Soul Refining Pill.


    Soul Refining Pill: Increases the efficiency of Spirit power points gained through Life Skills for the next 24 hours.


    Normally, raising the tea ceremony skill to LV10 would increase Spirit by two points, but after taking the Soul Refining Pill, it could increase by three or even possibly four points.


    Sure enough, by noon when Xiao Buli had increased his tea ceremony skill to LV3, a system notification suddenly chimed in.


    System Notification: After a prolonged dedication to the art of tea ceremony, your Spirit has increased by one point.


    Xiao Buli figured that if he continued to pull an all-nighter, he should be able to get his tea ceremony skill to LV10 before the effects of the pill wore off, ensuring an increase of three Spirit points at the least.


    After lunch at noon and continuing to upgrade his tea ceremony in the afternoon, by 3 PM, his tea ceremony skill had reached LV5. It was also the agreed time to group up for the instance.


    The five members of the second group gathered at the tavern, discussing which instance to tackle first.


    "We should start with the Corpse King Ancient Tomb. The other two instances are within the city, right under our noses, so no one would dare to steal them. We can go any time. But the Corpse King Ancient Tomb is far from imperial reach. If an outside guild discovers and steals it, we''d have nowhere to plead our case."


    Xiao Buli wondered, "You can steal instances too? Isn''t it said that the Rushing Bull Plains area is Qilin Hall''s territory?"


    Wu Tao explained from the side, "That''s indeed the case, but these things still happen occasionally, given that there are not enough surveillance measures."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it made sense, "Then let''s head to the Corpse King Ancient Tomb, but first I need to buy a horse."


    Xiao Buli then spent 50 silver coins on a Traveling Horse.


    Traveling Horse: Riding difficulty 1, speed increase of 150%.


    The speed wasn''t very fast, but since most of the others in the group also rode Traveling Horses, he wouldn''t have to worry about being left behind.


    A party of five rode their horses towards the mine where the Corpse King Ancient Tomb was located. After half an hour, they entered the region of Falling Iron Mountain, the largest ore production area near Nine Dragons City. Another ten minutes passed, and the group stopped in front of a half-collapsed mine.


    "This is it," said Liu Xing, consulting the map. "The entrance to the Corpse King Ancient Tomb is inside this mine." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The horses couldn''t go into the cave, so the party dismounted and walked inside. The mine was pitch-black, and even a torch could only illuminate a small area nearby.


    Xiao Buli suddenly remembered he had equipment that allowed him to see in the dark, so he put on his ''Betrayer''s Dark Vision.'' Although the screen turned black and white, he could see the dark surroundings as clear as day, which was much better than complete darkness.


    Shortly after entering the mine, they encountered zombies roaming around. These were just minor monsters with white names, with low attack power and sluggish speed, making them easy to defeat. The only difficulty came from the zombies'' passive skill called ''Undead Fortitude,'' which provided resistance against physical damage, causing physical DPS-focused teams to struggle.


    Although Yaoyao and Liu Xing both had high attack power, their typical strikes only dealt around ten points of damage, requiring half a minute to kill even a minor monster.


    "This won''t do. It takes so long to kill a minor monster; what will we do when we encounter a boss?"


    No worries, I have a method," Xiao Buli said, casting Fire Blade Skills on Liu Xing.


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    Fire Blade Skills (Instant Cast Spell): Enchants a unit''s weapon with Flame Power, causing it to deal an additional 10 points of fire damage with each hit against an enemy, lasting for 30 seconds, consuming 10 Mana points, with a range of 15 meters.


    Liu Xing''s weapon instantly glowed red hot as if it were a branding iron, looking quite impressive.


    With a casual swing of his sword, Liu Xing saw a -23 damage number flash up, nearly doubling the damage since fire damage was unaffected by the zombies'' resistance.


    "Hey, that''s a nice skill you''ve got there," said Liu Xing as he activated his Gale Sword Skills and unleashed a barrage on a zombie. Xiao Buli cast another Fire Blade Skills on Yaoyao, whose attack was weaker, but her attack speed was faster, the daggers flew up and down as she fought. In less than ten seconds, their coordinated assault floored the zombie.


    However, the downside of the spell quickly became apparent. After killing two zombies and when the third zombie''s health was halfway depleted, the Fire Blade Skills on Liu Xing''s weapon faded.


    And just as they felled the third zombie, Yaoyao''s Fire Blade Skills effect also disappeared.


    The 30-second duration was ultimately quite short for a battle that demanded constant reapplication to maintain maximum effectiveness. Fortunately for Xiao Buli, his current Mana was nearly 300, which meant he could keep casting for a while.


    They soon arrived at the entrance to the Corpse King Ancient Tomb, which was a gap in a dug-out tomb wall. As they faced the white light barrier sealing the entrance, the group paused.


    Suddenly, Liu Xing said, "We''re about to enter the dungeon. Who''s going to lead this time? I must say, I know nothing about commanding."


    "Let Wu Tao do it," suggested Yaoyao. "Haven''t you been with a Great Guild before? You should know how to command, right?"


    Wu Tao nodded proudly upon hearing this, ready to agree, but when he glanced at Xiao Buli, he choked back his response. The Great Guild he had boasted about was actually the Qingyang Guild where he used to work in a studio, occasionally tasked with leading newbies to explore low-level team dungeons.


    He did indeed have some experience in commanding, but it was nothing compared to Xiao Buli, who routinely led Pioneer Corps. He was very much aware of his own limitations, thinking it best not to show off, so he casually asked, "Old Xiao, have you ever commanded before?"


    Xiao Buli caught Wu Tao''s glance and instantly understood his intention. He wasn''t planning on hiding his abilities, and he nonchalantly said, "I''ve commanded a few pioneer attempts before, nothing much really."


    "Then you do it."


    Xiao Buli nodded. As a former leader of a Great Guild, his strengths were analysis and command. Previously, his analysis had been limited due to a lack of understanding of the game, and apart from a slight foray during the Forgotten Ones'' Cave adventure, his commanding skills had been largely unused. Now, taking up the role of commander, he felt a certain eagerness to test his abilities.


    PS: Please favorite and recommend. There will be another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 91 Eliminate Heresy

    Once they entered the instance, a tomb passage stretched ahead, shrouded in darkness with no end in sight. A chilling wind echoed in their ears as if they were truly in the passage, giving them an especially eerie feeling."Bai, could you share the quest?" Xiao Buli suddenly asked nonchalantly.


    "Quest? What quest?"


    "Don''t tell me you had Liu Xing choose the Corpse King Ancient Tomb instance without reason. If I''m not wrong, you must have already accepted a Prestige quest from the Grand Yin Sect."


    Bai Yunfei was stunned for a while, then he laughed, "Alright, I didn''t expect you to guess it."


    No sooner had he spoken than a dialogue box popped up on everyone''s screen.


    System Prompt: Your teammate Bai Yunfei wants to share the quest ''Purge the Heretics.'' Do you accept?


    Xiao Buli thought, sure enough, he had been suspicious this morning. Bai Yunfei wouldn''t have Liu Xing pick such an instance for no reason. There had to be a purpose behind it.


    Combining his Necromancer profession with the previous information about the Corpse King Ancient Tomb, the answer seemed self-evident. His query now had indeed confirmed his suspicion.


    After choosing to accept the quest share, Xiao Buli looked at the quest''s introduction.


    Accept Quest: ''Purge the Heretics''.


    Quest Introduction: The Taiyin Sect is a mysterious religious group made up of heretics who have defected from the Grand Yin Sect. Unlike the Grand Yin Sect''s focus on the study of souls, the Taiyin Sect Followers advocate using the control of zombies for combat to seize mortal interests. In order to eradicate these rebels, the Grand Yin Sect is willing to offer generous rewards.


    Kill the Corpse-driving Warlock entrenched in the Corpse King Ancient Tomb, and hand over its Soul Shards to the Dharma Protector of the Grand Yin Sect in exchange for a reward.


    The other three also accepted the quest share. Wu Tao asked with some curiosity, from the sound of it the Grand Yin Sect and the Taiyin Sect both seemed to come from the same system, so why the hostility?


    Xiao Buli said, "That''s simple, as the saying goes, ''two of a trade seldom agree.'' The more they come from the same source, the more they have to suppress each other. Many historical religious wars have been caused by different interpretations of the same faith, to prove that they are the orthodox while the other is the evil heresy. What is there that can''t be done for that reason?


    Such events have occurred far too often in history."


    "Alright, I''ll meditate to restore some mana, Bai, you go scout ahead." As he spoke, Xiao Buli entered a state of meditation, keen to use the skill whenever possible to level up his Taoist Heart quickly.


    Bai Yunfei nodded, activated his Soul Out Of Body skill, and his translucent Primordial Spirit floated out from his body, drifting towards the depths of the tomb. Soon Bai Yunfei''s Primordial Spirit floated back, and Xiao Buli''s mana had also been almost fully restored.


    After the Primordial Spirit returned to its place, Bai Yunfei began to talk about the situation inside the instance.


    "So far, there are only two BOSSes. The first BOSS is a dual-bodied zombie BOSS, named Black Fiend and White Fiend, both are normal elites in light blue. The second BOSS is a Corpse-driving Warlock called Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong, a high-level elite in dark blue.


    "Oh right, there''s a branching path leading to a collateral burial chamber ahead, with a tomb raider named Wang Kaiguan, the Touch Gold Captain, who is a rare elite. He might drop some good stuff."


    Xiao Buli nodded, applied the Spirit Armor Skills on everyone. His spiritual power was as high as 21 points now, so the armor provided by Spirit Armor Skills was a substantial ten points. Then he glanced at Bai Yunfei, "Any useful BUFFs, Bai?" Seeing his headshake, Xiao Buli continued, "Then let''s set out."


    They proceeded along the tomb passage without encountering a single Minion Monster, and soon arrived at the location of the first BOSS. It was right in the main entrance of the tomb chamber. Two zombies, one black and one white, stood guarding the entrance of the tomb chamber, their bodies covered in corpse hair, their fingers tipped with sharp claws.


    They looked far more ferocious than the ordinary zombies outside¡ªsomewhat like the guardians of the underworld, Black Fiend and White Fiend, by name.


    Xiao Buli had a lot of experience with dual-bodied BOSSes. Back in the days of playing World of Warcraft, he had encountered many, whether it was the Eredar Twins in the Sunwell or the Twin Emperors in Ahn''Qiraj. This type of BOSS usually had one thing in common: the abilities of the two BOSSes were vastly different and often opposite.


    For example, if one was immune to physical attacks, the other would definitely be immune to magic attacks. Or, if one had a high physical attack, the other would have a high magic attack. In short, they had antagonistic abilities.


    Xiao Buli didn''t rush to make a judgment but instead cast Mind Revelation on White Fiend, prompting its health points of 1035 to appear above its head.


    Casting it again on Black Fiend revealed its health points to be 1250.


    Clearly, they did not share health points, which made things easier as they could deal with one at a time.


    Combining his previous experience, Xiao Buli concluded that the one with fewer health points usually had a higher attack or some special ability, posing a greater threat. Without hesitation, he chose to kill White Fiend first.


    "Alright, since we''re all veteran players, I''ll skip the needless talk. Wu Tao, as the tank, pull Black Fiend away. Try to keep it as far from us as possible, Liu Xing, you handle attracting White Fiend''s attacks. Given the zombies'' slow speed, you should be able to dodge his hits. Plus, with my Ethereal Armor, it should be safe.


    Yaoyao, focus on DPS in the back, aiming to take down White Fiend quickly. Bai Yunfei, you handle the backup. Don''t tell me you lack the ability to control undead. As for me, I''ll focus on healing and shielding. Any objections?"


    The others exchanged glances, none of them voicing any concerns; they seemed to find Xiao Buli''s tactics unproblematic.


    "Good, if no one objects then let''s start the fight. Wu Tao, you''re up first." Stay connected via empire


    Wu Tao, without hesitation, sent out a Qigong Wave that hit Black Fiend, resulting in a damage figure of 14. This BOSS had quite a high resistance to attacks.


    Black Fiend: "Master''s experiment cannot be disturbed."


    White Fiend: "My master''s... must not...be disturbed."


    At the same time, Liu Xing''s Sword Qi Slash landed on White Fiend, and the battle immediately unfolded.


    As Xiao Buli had surmised, Black Fiend exhibited an extremely high physical defense, but its attack methods were quite simple and clumsy, which made it easy for Wu Tao to draw its attention away.


    White Fiend''s attacks, on the other hand, were more fierce and rapid, but its defense was not as strong, with a random sword strike shedding fifteen or twenty drops of health. Xiao Buli used a Burst Talisman on White Fiend and found it only blew off 7 drops of health; evidently, it had a skill that reduced magic damage.


    Therefore, he simply stopped using attack spells altogether and focused on healing and shielding the two players.


    Soon White Fiend was felled, and the group turned to besiege Black Fiend. Despite its high physical defense, it stood no chance once buffed with Fire Blade Skills, and the battle was resolved in less than three minutes. After all, it was just a light blue normal elite monster, only slightly stronger than Lu Jiang''s Remains had been.


    "Heh, this dungeon is pretty easy, huh?"


    Xiao Buli also breathed a sigh of relief, realizing his command abilities had not waned.


    Upon searching the corpse, this dual-bodied BOSS yielded two pieces of equipment, both light blue.


    Ghoul Skin Boots (Leather Armor¡ªBoots): Armor +8, reduces physical damage taken by 1 point.


    Equipment Introduction: This is one part of the Ghoul Skin Armor Set; collecting more pieces will grant set attributes.


    Pale Claws (Off-hand Weapon¡ªClaws): Attack 12¨C14, attack speed +2. Attacks have a chance to¡ªreduce the target''s armor by 10 points, stackable up to three times.


    Since the dungeon was split into groups, there was no need to count DKP; loot was distributed based on need.


    Xiao Buli gave the boots to Wu Tao and the fist weapon to Yaoyao, and no one objected.


    Not far along a side path, the group arrived at the ear chamber where burial objects were stored and encountered a rare elite, Wang Kaiguan (Touch Gold Captain).


    A chubby, fat man, bare-chested and holding a spade-like weapon, stood inside the ear chamber, fiercely smashing at a treasure chest. As soon as he saw the group enter, he promptly came forward to confront them.


    Wang Kaiguan (Touch Gold Captain): "Eh, more grave robbers? Do you know the rules of first come, first served? I found this place first; go dig for treasures elsewhere. I''m going to count to ten¡ªif you don''t leave, I won''t be polite!" He then stood there, intimidatingly watching them.


    At the same time, a countdown indicator suddenly flashed on everyone''s screen, decreasing from 10, 9, 8, 7, rapidly changing.


    Wu Tao said: "Get lost, my foot!" and released a Qigong Wave. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fight instantly began.


    This one was even easier; despite his bluster, his strength was genuinely lacking. They killed him outright without any surprises or dangers. However, when Xiao Buli checked the corpse, he found the loot to be a bit odd this time.


    Wang Kaiguan''s Grave-Digging Shovel (Two-Handed Weapon): Attack 12¨C24.


    Equipment Introduction: This is a tool commonly used by tomb robbers and can also be used for mining.


    It was just a white piece of equipment, looking like an oversized entrenching tool.


    The second item, however, was a rare necklace.


    Tomb Raider''s Talisman (Necklace): Luck +1.


    Equipment Skill: Dragon Seeking Skills¡ªwhile wearing this item, one can sense ancient tombs and hidden treasure chests within 30 meters.


    Equipment Introduction: An amulet made from the claw of a pangolin, a professional symbol of the Touch Gold Captain, said to bring good fortune to its wearer.


    The Grave-Digging Shovel was ignored by everyone, but the amulet caught everyone''s attention.


    Xiao Buli said, "What do you think, shall we roll for it?"


    PS: Asking for recommendations and favorites. Currently, this book ranks 18th in the recommendations list. If we can enter the top 12, there will be a burst of releases. Please vote more!

 Chapter 92 The Six Huge Jars

    "How about everyone just ROLL for it?" Xiao Buli suggested casually, glancing at Wu Tao after speaking.Wu Tao didn''t catch on at first, but then a lightbulb went off, and he remembered something.


    Back when they were mixing in the studio, to drive guild development, the upper echelons often led teams through instances. Not only could guild members join, but some solo players also had the chance to participate.


    But when coveted loot dropped and conflicts arose with other team members, or when good equipment was already owned and seemed a waste to give to others, deciding on the distribution method became an issue. Making a forceful decision would undoubtedly cause bad blood, so back then, Qingyang Studio came up with a special code.


    Generally, if the team leader wanted to auction the loot for Gold Coins, they''d often say, "How about everyone just ROLL for it?"


    At this point, other core members mixed in the team would chime in, "ROLL what? Who could ROLL higher than you? Let''s auction it for Gold Coins instead."


    People have an inherent subconscious contempt for authority and mistrust of leaders, so usually, there would be a clamor, "Yeah, why ROLL? Let''s auction it for Gold Coins." The outcome often ended up being an auction for equipment distribution.


    Conversely, if the team leader wanted to ROLL, they''d often say, "How about we auction it for Gold Coins?"


    Then, the core members in the team would join in, "Auction what? Do you think you''re great because you have money? Let''s ROLL for it, it''s fairer."


    The uninformed masses also tended to support the challenger of authority, and in the end, ROLLing was often the chosen method for distributing loot.


    By using this tactic, Xiao Buli always maximized his benefits, whether it was getting the equipment he wanted or the Gold Coins he desired, without making the team members feel treated unfairly.


    The moment he said this, he immediately gave Wu Tao a meaningful look, Wu Tao thought, here we go again with this trick? But it didn''t seem quite ethical to play mind games with the team. After pondering a bit, he decided, what the heck.


    "ROLL for what? I think we should auction it for Gold Coins, save us the imbalance of someone ROLLing away with it, and with an auction, everyone gets a share, right?"


    Hearing this, Yaoyao immediately supported it, Liu Xing shrugged indifferently while Bai Yunfei thought for a moment and then agreed with a nod.


    Xiao Buli amicably said, "Then let''s set the starting bid at 50 silver coins, how about that?"


    "Sure, I bid 60 silver coins," Bai Yunfei offered.


    "I bid 70 silver coins."


    "I bid one Gold Coin."


    "I bid three Gold Coins," Xiao Buli shouted out a startling bid.


    What!? Everyone was stunned, thinking that guy must really be loaded.


    "What''s the matter?" Xiao Buli looked at everyone with a determined expression.


    "You have money, you''re impressive." Seeing Xiao Buli''s arrogance, everyone chose to give up because the three Gold Coins to be divided among five people (including Xiao Buli), meant that in reality he only needed to pay two Gold Coins and forty silver coins.


    Xiao Buli traded sixty silver coins to each person, then pocketed the Tomb Raider''s Talisman. Of all attributes, Xiao Buli had an extraordinarily deep impression of Luck Value.


    After equipping the new item, the mini-map indeed showed a treasure chest mark¡ªit was the one previously guarded by Wang Kaiguan.


    "Yaoyao, you open it."


    Yaoyao nodded, went up to the chest, and started picking the lock. The chest wasn''t difficult to open, and soon with a click, it swung open to reveal a book inside.


    War God Atlas: This is a book on ancient military philosophy, detailing many military principles of marching and waging war.


    This item was indeed strange, neither a Skill Book nor a scholarly book, completely unlearnable, but could still be browsed through.


    Xiao Buli took a look and found it was all in classical language, utterly confusing to read.


    "Does anyone want this?" Xiao Buli asked. This time, he skipped the auction, and nobody chimed in.


    Xiao Buli said, "If no one wants it, I''ll just take it."


    No one wanted the item, so like Wang Kaiguan''s Grave-Digging Shovel, it ended up in Xiao Buli''s bag.


    The group returned to the side path of the tomb and continued advancing, quickly reaching the last boss''s room.


    The large tomb chamber, resembling a winery, was lined with six large vats. A strange man in a tattered, grey-black magical robe was incessantly pouring various suspiciously colored liquids into the vats. It felt like something out of a mad scientist''s lab. The vats were filled with green liquid, seemingly soaking something within. Experience more on empire


    Sensing someone''s arrival, the strange man turned his head.


    Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong said, "Let me tell you some good news. I''ve just invented a miraculous potion that can turn ordinary zombies into fearsome mutant undead behemoths. Aren''t you excited? Hahaha, don''t worry, you''ll soon witness the magic of this potion."


    After saying his piece, he dashed out. Bang! A giant stone sealed both entrances to the tomb chamber. At the same time, a countdown with numbers 60, 59 appeared on the top right corner of the screen.


    What is happening? Everyone was stunned, but Xiao Buli immediately began analyzing the boss battle.


    (Clearly, this is a timed boss battle, and these 60 seconds were probably our prep time. If we don''t use it wisely, we might face the worst-case scenario after 60 seconds.)


    He hovered the mouse over the vats, each displaying a durability value, clearly indicating they could be broken. His mind raced, and within three to five seconds, Xiao Buli already had a tentative plan.


    "Everyone, go to the vat closest to us and burst it open! Remember, don''t touch the other vats."


    Hearing Xiao Buli''s urgent tone, although still unclear about the situation, everyone gathered around and desperately started smashing the vat. In barely a couple of seconds, they burst it open, and Xiao Buli also immediately summoned his Talisman Soldier.


    A large amount of liquid splashed out of the vat, along with a greenish zombie.


    This zombie was a common elite with a light-blue name, ''Poison Corpse ¡ª Mutant Zombie.''


    Almost instinctively, everyone lashed out vehemently at the Poison Corpse. Its attack was average, but it carried a potent toxin. Upon being hit, it immediately released a green poisonous mist, causing everyone nearby to lose health points. Xiao Buli had to cast Resurrection Skills on several people. Luckily, it was just a common elite, and in less than ten seconds, it was slain.


    However, Xiao Buli felt no relief, his mood even more somber. "Attack the second vat, fast! Fast!" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two seconds later, bang¡ªthe second vat also burst, releasing another zombie.


    But this time, the zombie was drenched in a bloody crimson color. Checking the name, ''Blood Corpse ¡ª Mutant Zombie.''


    "Everyone, give it your all, don''t hold back!" Xiao Buli shouted as he too started throwing Burst Talismans. The zombie was not very strong in attack, but it had a formidable regenerative ability, and it took more than ten seconds to kill it.


    By now, everyone had grasped the situation. It was evident that all six vats contained these creatures. Once the 60 seconds ended, they would all burst out together. The more they could eliminate before time ran out, the less pressure they would face later.


    The third vat exploded to reveal a zombie entirely black.


    ''Iron Corpse ¡ª Mutant Zombie,'' this zombie was characterized by extremely high defense, sometimes not losing any health points from a hit. Xiao Buli hurriedly applied Fire Blade Skills, which finally killed it.


    There was no need for Xiao Buli to call out for the attack on the fourth vat, everyone instinctively lunged at it.


    What came out this time was a ''Failed Experiment'' with virtually no fighting power; it was almost instantly slain.


    However, the 60 seconds eventually ran out. Bang! The last two vats exploded at the same time, and two zombies, one dark green and the other dark grey, distinctly different in color, appeared before everyone.


    ''Explosive Poison Corpse ¡ª Mutant Zombie,'' ''Yin Corpse ¡ª Mutant Zombie.''


    "Wu Tao, tank the Explosive Poison Corpse. Liu Xing, take on the Yin Corpse. Kill the one Liu Xing is dealing with first. Wu Tao, go easy on the hitting; the Explosive Poison Corpse should self-destruct before its death," Xiao Buli commanded.


    These two zombies were arguably easier to handle than the black and white disasters. The Yin Corpse was quickly eliminated, and the Explosive Poison Corpse had lost a third of its health points when Xiao Buli instructed the Talisman Soldier to tank, and he asked everyone to move away from the creature to launch long-range attacks.


    When only a third of its health remained, the Explosive Poison Corpse swelled up as anticipated, bursting with a boom, turning the Talisman Soldier into a cloud of ash, leaving a pile of obscure green flesh on the ground.


    The battle ended. Looking at the mess on the ground, Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief, glad that nothing had gone awry.

 Chapter 93 The Golden Big BOSS? (Revised Edition)

    ```Xiao Buli wasn''t the only one who heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Well done, Brother Buli, you commanded quite admirably," Liu Xing said excitedly, patting Xiao Buli''s shoulder. If it had been him in charge just now, he might not have figured out the purpose of that large vat immediately and would probably have chosen to study it first.


    If they had not killed a certain number of zombies within 60 seconds, and three, four, or even five zombies burst out all at once when the time was up, the situation would have been quite dire.


    Although a total wipeout was unlikely, given that everyone still had a few trump cards to play, it was still possible for someone to die in the chaos.


    This battle was actually mainly about grasping the timing. The difficulty of this BOSS battle wasn''t about finding the secret; upon careful consideration, the function of the large vat could be figured out. But the challenge lay in understanding in an instant how to deal with it. Thinking of this, everyone''s view of Xiao Buli started to change.


    They had previously thought he was just a lucky guy who happened to switch to a mage profession, but now they realized he genuinely had substance.


    After searching the corpses, they found that these zombies had not dropped any equipment, just three mutated Corpse Pills, which were indicated to be some sort of material.


    In the end, the three mutated Corpse Pills were given to Bai Yunfei, who hadn''t gotten anything from start to finish. With this, he finally had some harvest.


    Next, they could finally fight the ultimate BOSS. Your next chapter is on empire


    After meditating for a while to fully restore mana, the group followed the newly opened tomb passage inward and soon came upon a room filled with corpses. The Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong was standing next to the pile of corpses, boiling something in a large cauldron.


    Xiao Buli cast Mind Revelation on the BOSS - it only had 2000 health points, which was already quite a lot for a mage BOSS.


    Noticing the arrival of the group, the Corpse Refiner appeared quite surprised.


    Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong, "What! You''ve defeated my experiments? It seems my experiments still need to be improved. Well, it looks like I''ll have to take matters into my own hands."


    As he spoke, a ghostly flame began to condense in his hands.


    "It''s a Nether Fire Orb; everyone spread out," Xiao Buli called out as all five members scattered. Following the launch of the green fireball from the BOSS''s hand, the BOSS battle kicked off once more.


    The fight went smoother than the group had anticipated. At first, Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong didn''t have any powerful skills. The Nether Fire Orb was very strong and even had a splash effect, but it was slow to cast and could be interrupted. Wu Tao, shouting loudly, rushed forward with a Shock Strike followed by a Fluctuating Punch, leaving the BOSS barely able to release a few fireballs.


    The few that were cast were dodged by the prepared group.


    Soon, the BOSS''s health points were halved, and everyone''s nerves began to tighten, anticipating that the final BOSSes typically had more than one phase.


    As expected¡ª


    Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong, "It seems that your numbers still offer some advantage, but no matter, I''ve suddenly remembered something. In my laboratory, I have many failed experiments from before. It seems like it''s time to put this waste to good use!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong seemed to be lifted by an invisible force. His tattered black robe moved without wind, and as streams of eerie green energy flowed out of his body and into the ground beneath him, a green array appeared at his feet. Subsequently, the corpses in the pile began to move.


    About fifty or sixty ''failed experiments'' stood up and slowly advanced towards the group, groaning ''heh, heh'' while reaching out their arms, encroaching like the walking dead. These ''failed experiments'' were gray-named monsters, also known as minion monsters, even less than minor monsters.


    Although they were slow and had low attack power, their numbers were significant, constantly crowding the five fighters'' space.


    "Liu Xing, clear them with AOE," Xiao Buli ordered.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Xing swept them away with a Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds, immediately quieting the situation.


    The group continued to assault the BOSS,


    and soon the BOSS''s health points were nearly depleted.


    Backstab! Yaoyao''s Pale Claws once again pierced deeply into the Corpse Refiner''s back. As a bright red 75 popped up, Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong finally fell to the ground, yet he clung to the last sliver of health, refusing to die.


    Could there still be some trick up his sleeve? Everyone thought so, and true enough, he began to recite his lines again.


    Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong, "Damn... you are indeed tenacious. It seems I must let my perfect creation make its appearance ahead of schedule. Although it may seem a bit hasty, there shouldn''t be any problems. Come out, my beloved child!"


    Bang!


    The cauldron that had been boiling suddenly burst open, and from it emerged a monstrous creature with a fiendish aura¡ª''the Unfinished Zombie Giant,'' a gold-named large BOSS-level creature.


    ```


    This zombie was more than three meters tall, its body knotted with muscle and its skin dark as steel. Its left hand was normal, but the right one was disproportionately large. Giant bone claws burst through the flesh, revealing chilling white bone blades, and a pair of eyes glowed red as it looked towards the people with a deathly stare.


    "Holy shit, are you kidding me? A golden-named BOSS? No way, brother!" Wu Tao screamed in horror, lacking even the courage to face the monster.


    Howling, the zombie monster lunged at the group, its body emitting a green mist that was clearly toxic.


    Xiao Buli didn''t rush to command but first used "Mind Revelation" on the monster. When they saw its health points¡ª19785¡ªeveryone was dumbstruck.


    Seeing the health points, the group was shocked. What was this? Had the monster wandered into the wrong instance? Otherwise, there must be a bug.


    Although the health points made them feel powerless, everyone still launched an attack on the gigantic monster. However, seeing single-digit red numbers like -3, -5 pop up, while the monster even regenerated health, was nothing short of despair.


    Liu Xing, relying on his agile maneuvering, continuously dodged the BOSS''s attacks, lashing out with a flurry of sword strikes. Sadly, he didn''t manage to reduce much health before the poison gas made his own health plummet.


    After retreating a few steps and clenching his teeth to down a large potion, Liu Xing thought it looked like it was time for his ultimate move!


    ''Ultimate Skills¡ªMoon Shadow Trace!''


    A flash of white light passed by, -132, the highest amount of damage dealt yet. But compared to the monster''s tens of thousands of health points, it seemed completely insignificant, as if it hadn''t made any serious dent.


    "Damn, how do we fight this thing?" The group was frantically hopping mad, Liu Xing was sweating bullets, Bai Yunfei was pale although he didn''t voice it, and the gravity in his eyes couldn''t be concealed. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Could they really be capsized in this gutter of a dungeon? What was the commander thinking?


    Everyone looked towards Xiao Buli, only to find that he wasn''t playing or healing, but instead sat there pensively, a contemplative expression on his face.


    A game like this couldn''t possibly have any bugs, Xiao Buli was very clear about this.


    (So what''s the deal then? No, this monster shouldn''t be as hard to fight as it seems. Otherwise, this dungeon should be at least deep blue difficulty, if not silver. If it truly was a golden BOSS, then the five of them could just wait for death, unless¡ª)


    He took another look at the monster''s name¡ª''Incomplete Zombie Giant.'' The key must lie in these three words ''incomplete.''


    Glancing at the battlefield, it seemed the more they attacked, the larger and more furious the monster became. It had grown to over four meters tall by now. Although the BOSS''s attacks were ferocious, they seemed clumsy, and surprisingly, no one had died yet. He suddenly understood.


    "Everyone stop attacking and quickly get away from the BOSS! Throw all your slowing abilities at it!"


    As he spoke, Xiao Buli slapped down an Ice Talisman.


    Hearing his command, the already overwrought group scattered.


    Xiao Buli summoned a Talisman Soldier to take the front while continuously sending out Ice Talismans. Bai Yunfei was casting "Deter Undead" furiously, to slow down the BOSS. Even though the BOSS was resilient, it wasn''t fast. Hindered by various spells, it could only follow from behind, eating dust.


    After a little over a minute, the BOSS''s speed slowed down considerably, and its skin gradually changed from dark to gray-blue to pale. Its size also diminished. Seeing this turn of events, everyone started to get excited, and their looks towards Xiao Buli changed once again.


    This guy was really quite the analyst! More than one person thought so at that moment, but only Wu Tao had an air of expectation¡ªthat''s how his guild master, who could stay calm and take down the BOSS even as Mount Tai crumbles, should be. He thought to himself.


    Finally, with a long, low groan, the gigantic monster collapsed onto the ground lifelessly like a heap of dead meat, the red glow fading from its eyes, truly becoming a pile of dead material.


    The Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong shrieked hysterically, "No! No! No! How could this happen! How could this happen!? My experiment has failed!


    I''m¡ªruined!"


    After speaking these words, he suddenly trembled like he was seized by a seizure, and a white smoke burst wildly from his mouth, gradually coalescing into a human form in the air.


    Geng Lisong''s Wandering Spirit: "Do you... think it''s... over? No! Death... is merely...


    the beginning!"


    As soon as the words were spoken, the semi-transparent human form dissipated, and his body turned to a pile of ash.

 Chapter 94 Spirit Reincarnation

    "Phew, we finally finished it, and it really wasn''t easy at all," Liu Xing sighed deeply, and Yaoyao also had a relaxed expression on her face. Suddenly, she looked at Xiao Buli with curiosity, "How did you come up with that boss''s tactic?""Intuition," Xiao Buli blandly uttered two words. Strictly speaking, he wasn''t lying. Indeed, it was his intuition that made him feel the key was still in the ''incomplete'' part.


    Yaoyao, upon hearing this, rolled her eyes, "Tch, if you won''t say, then forget it."


    "Let''s loot the body. Such a tough boss should drop some good stuff," Wu Tao said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.


    This time, everyone decisively gave the right to loot the body to Xiao Buli, who didn''t stand on ceremony. He lightly touched it and found that the drop was surprisingly rich this time.


    Foul Spirit Robe (Chest Armor¡ªCloth): Armor +10, Physique -1, Yin Attribute Spell Power +8.


    Equipment Introduction: This is a dirty and worn robe, covered with greasy traces of an unknown liquid.


    Clearly, it was Bai Yunfei''s equipment, so Xiao Buli directly handed it over to Bai Yunfei.


    The second item turned out to be a quest item.


    Corpse Refiner''s Experiment Notes: This is a notebook that has recorded the horrifying experiments of corpse refiners. It details various special techniques for refining and modifying zombies¡ªusing this item will trigger a quest.


    "A quest item! That''s great stuff." Everyone got excited upon seeing it.


    "Let me have this one," Bai Yunfei suddenly said.


    Wu Tao expressed his dissatisfaction, "Why? This quest should be acceptable to anyone."


    However, Bai Yunfei nodded, "True, but if I''m not mistaken, this is probably a profession quest item for advancing to become a Corpse-driving Warlock. Advancing to Corpse-driving Warlock requires Necromancy as a prerequisite skill, which you don''t have, so it''s of no use to you."


    That sounded pretty credible.


    Yaoyao, however, was unwilling to concede, "That seems plausible, but it''s only your side of the story, right?"


    "So what do you propose?"


    "Simple, let''s split the money. One Gold Coin each, and the item is yours," Yaoyao suggested. The others had no objections; after all, getting money for nothing was never a bad thing.


    Bai Yunfei, with some resignation, nodded, "Alright, let''s split the money."


    After giving everyone a Gold Coin, Bai Yunfei put the quest item in his pocket. Although it pained him a little, the look of surprised joy on his face suggested he didn''t mind it that much.


    The third item, however, was a skill book.


    "Spirit Reincarnation": This is a sinister art created by the Necromancers of the Grand Yin Sect. Those who practice this art will not die immediately after death but will transform into a Wandering Spirit with no combat capabilities, surviving for seven days. After this time, they will naturally dissipate. Learning this art requires 20 points in spiritual power.


    This one was a bit strange. It seemed like something for the Necromancer, but it didn''t have any prerequisites except needing 20 points in spiritual power to learn.


    Bai Yunfei glanced at Xiao Buli, "Interested in learning it?"


    Xiao Buli countered, "Don''t you need it?"


    "I''ve already learned ''Reincarnation of the Corpse Ghost''; I can''t learn other Reincarnation Skills."


    Xiao Buli was actually quite tempted. He had always harbored a strong fear of dying because of this game. While Spirit Reincarnation couldn''t save him from death, the idea of a seven-day grace period seemed quite a relief. If he could experience what being a ghost felt like after death, that wouldn''t be too bad.


    But wait, if he didn''t learn this art, would he not become a ghost after dying? Or was there a difference between a ghost and a Wandering Spirit?


    He glanced at Bai Yunfei, who looked back at him with an amused, almost mocking smile as if he found Xiao Buli''s indecisiveness quite entertaining.


    "Hehe, I''ll hold off on learning it for now, but I do want to take this Skill Book for myself. Let''s stick to the usual and auction it for Gold Coins¡ªstarting at one Gold Coin. Anyone interested?"


    He glanced at the others, but no one responded. After all, this thing required 20 points of Spirit, and unless you were a Mage Profession, you really couldn''t learn it. Besides, the skill didn''t seem very useful; you survive for seven days after dying, what''s the difference between that and just dying outright? Could you possibly get seven more days'' wages?


    Seeing that no one spoke up, Xiao Buli smiled and put the Skill Book into his bag. As for whether to learn it or not, he felt he should think it over first.


    Besides these three items, there was another drop from the BOSS¡ª


    Ancient Tomb Key: A rusty old key.


    Item Note: This key unlocks a hidden compartment in the Tomb Corpse King''s tomb.


    Wu Tao asked curiously, "There''s a hidden compartment in the Corpse King Ancient Tomb? Could there be another BOSS?"


    "Just open it and we''ll find out," Yaoyao said as she picked up the key and opened a stone door on the laboratory wall. An ancient burial chamber appeared before everyone''s eyes.


    Discover hidden content at empire


    Wu Tao exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, how did you find that door?"


    Yaoyao smiled proudly, "Don''t forget what I do."


    After the tough fight with Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong, everyone was a bit on edge. They didn''t barge into the newly opened tomb right away.


    After a good while, with nothing charging out, they cautiously entered. Inside, it seemed like they had found the true main burial chamber. Inside a huge coffin, a body dressed in a military general''s attire lay, its Armor already covered in rust, with a large saber resting beside the corpse.


    A gust of cold wind blew through, and the corpse''s eyes suddenly opened.


    Tomb Corpse King: "Grave robbers, you will certainly pay for your disrespect!"


    With an angry roar filled with murderous intent, the corpse suddenly stood up, and its name appeared above its head, revealing it to be a deep blue BOSS¡ª''Tomb Corpse King¡ªUndying General''.


    The group jumped in shock, quickly positioning themselves and engaging the enemy. The battle started in a frantic rush, but after clashing, they breathed a sigh of relief. This BOSS was nothing more than a standard melee BOSS. Though its attacks were fierce, its moves were simple¡ªjust two or three patterns repeated with no real threat. It didn''t Transform or Summon Minions.


    In just three to five minutes, they had knocked it to the ground.


    This time, two pieces of equipment and a Skill Book dropped.


    Rusted Mountain Pattern Armor (Deep Blue Chest Armor): Armor +20, reduces damage from slashing attacks by 20%. Strength +2, Stamina +3.


    Description: A composite Armor made from Armor Plates and leather lining that provides good defense against regular attacks. Due to its high cost, it has become rare, and is a type of ancient armor.


    Worn Blood Cloak: (Light Blue - Cloak) Armor +8, health points limit +50. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Equipment Description: This once-bright red cloak has faded over the years, but it still shows the glory of its past.


    The Skill Book was a general''s skill book.


    Wild Goose Formation: Upon activating this formation, it grants a 10% Movement Speed bonus to surrounding friendly units. It can only be learned by Generals.


    Such formations are essentially auras, merely renamed. These skills can only be learned by Generals. Though they could neither equip nor learn the Skill Book and the Mountain Pattern Armor, they could still be sold for some Gold Coins. As for the Blood Cloak, the group rolled for it again, and in the end, Wu Tao took it with a roll of 93 points.


    As for the Skill Book and Armor, they were handed over to Xiao Buli to be sold for Gold Coins later, and the profits would be divided amongst the group.


    After distributing the items, they left the dungeon, stepped out of the mine, and into the brilliant sunlight. Xiao Buli took a long breath, turned back to look at the dark cave, and recalling the battle they just had, he thought to himself that this game was indeed heart-wrenchingly exciting, every dive into a dungeon felt like a major battle.


    "So where do we go now?" he asked casually.


    "Of course, we go to the Grand Yin Sect to claim our reward," Bai Yunfei said, mounting his horse.

 Chapter 95 Ghosts and Wandering Spirits

    The Grand Yin Sect''s headquarters was located directly opposite the Nine Dragons City God Temple, in an inconspicuous building hidden within a narrow alley. From the outside, it seemed very unremarkable, but once inside, one would find that it was actually quite spacious.Contrary to Xiao Buli''s expectations, the decor here was extremely simple and austere, with monstrous sculptures surrounding a massive altar as its sole adornment. These features lent the place an added air of mystery.


    Members of the Grand Yin Sect were all dressed in plain colored magical robes of black, white, and gray, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere. Since everyone''s Prestige here was essentially indifferent, the sight of NPCs with their brownish-red names gave the illusion of walking into a den of monsters.


    Fortunately, unless they were hostile, they would not attack, and the group followed Bai Yunfei all the way into the great hall where they approached an NPC named Qiu Changyan, an elder of the Grand Yin Sect.


    Bai Yunfei reported back after completing the mission, and Qiu Changyan nodded his head.


    "So you already killed the Corpse Refiner Geng Lisong? Well done, you did very well, you''ve earned the friendship of the Grand Yin Sect with your actions, from now on, our doors will be open to you."


    A line of red text flashed across Xiao Buli''s screen.


    System prompt: Completed the mission ''Cleanse the Defiant.'' Your Prestige with the Grand Yin Sect has increased by 300 points, you have reached Neutral standing with the Grand Yin Sect, and you are now eligible to accept missions here.


    Looking around, all those NPCs who were originally a shade away from being monsters with their brownish-red names now all had a yellow border.


    This made things much safer.


    If one continued to increase their Prestige with the Grand Yin Sect, it wouldn''t take long to turn into the friendly green-bordered NPCs.


    However, Xiao Buli didn''t plan to increase his Prestige here. Even if he did, he would choose to work on the Sanqing Sect''s Prestige first. But this didn''t hinder him from inquiring about ghosts with the NPCs.


    After all, when it comes to understanding the spirits, the Wandering Spirits, or the techniques of Spirit Reincarnation, no one is better than the Necromancers of the Grand Yin Sect who created these spells and deal with spirits daily.


    The elder of the Grand Yin Sect, Qiu Changyan, was his chosen target for inquiry.


    "Greetings elder, may I seek knowledge about souls from you?"


    "Of course, we are very welcoming towards those with a desire to understand the essence of souls. What would you like to ask?"


    Having learned his lesson through the Nameless Swordsman''s experience, Xiao Buli was somewhat more enlightened about how to interact with NPCs, knowing that they were not merely data but required a different approach. Therefore, he went straight to the point, "I want to know whether a person becomes a ghost after death?"


    Qiu Changyan answered, "That depends on the situation. If conditions are met, then one can become a ghost."


    "Oh, what conditions are needed?"


    Qiu Changyan then explained, "Normally, when a person dies, their soul dissipates and returns to nature as part of the Yin and Yang energies. However, if someone harbors obsessions, part of their soul, due to the overbearing nature of these fixations, cannot disperse and remains in the world as what is known as a ghost.


    The nature of the ghost is determined by the obsessions they held in life. If a person held desires related to killing or vengeance, they would likely become one of the evil spirits and malevolent ghosts who actively attack humans. If a person was driven by gratitude or the desire to save others, they would most likely become what we call a benevolent ghost.


    However, whether they are good or evil, in the end, they are still ghosts. Their souls aren''t complete, having only parts of their cognition and memory from life, and they often become increasingly fixated. They''re not meant to exist in this world for long, so if possible, they should be laid to rest."


    Xiao Buli nodded in understanding. It seemed that Lu Jiang remained in this world because he too harbored obsessions, and once those obsessions were fulfilled, his soul would also dissipate.


    ```


    "So what exactly is a Wandering Spirit?" Xiao Buli asked again.


    "Unlike ordinary ghosts, Wandering Spirits are the Spiritual Bodies formed by those with strong spiritual power or those who possessed Mana upon death. Unlike common ghosts, Wandering Spirits retain their full self-awareness, but that''s all there is to it. They cannot harm others, nor can they help, and they cannot communicate with humans on any level.


    Moreover, they can only exist for a certain period of time before they dissipate once the hour comes." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli thought to himself that it made sense, and that it would indeed be necessary to learn the Spirit Reincarnation skill.


    After all, the reason Lu Jiang became a ghost was his attachment to his sister. Xiao Buli, on the other hand, was alone and without attachments. If he died, he would probably disperse into nothingness. It would be better to be able to turn into a Wandering Spirit and persist for a while.


    With this thought, he opened his inventory and double-clicked on the Skill Book inside. As a flash of white light passed, a grey skill appeared in his Skill Bar.


    Spirit Reincarnation: Inactive.


    The group left the Grand Yin Sect and dispersed, having agreed to tackle another dungeon tomorrow. Xiao Buli reviewed the experience points gained from this dungeon run and found that he hadn''t earned as much as he had expected¡ªjust over 1000 points. The main reason was the division of dungeon experience among five people; his share wasn''t as substantial.


    He looked at the Experience Points required for leveling up the Gale Sword Skills. Upgrading from level 5 to 6 needed 500 points, and from 6 to 7 would only need more. With his current experience, he could at most only level up to 7. To raise Gale Sword Skills to LV10 was indeed an arduous journey.


    As for his spell-based skills, he had gained a little proficiency from frequent use, but there was still a distance to reach LV2. After all, Mana was limited, and it''s not like other games where you could easily grind skill proficiency.


    Should he continue to upgrade Gale Sword Skills, or concentrate on improving the levels of his spell-based skills first? Xiao Buli found himself hesitating. It seemed that farming experience was something he needed to focus more on.


    However, grinding experience wasn''t just about these moments. He checked the time and realized it was past five, dinner time. Xiao Buli logged out of the game and joined everyone in the dining hall.


    As always, tonight''s dinner was sumptuous, with fruit salad, egg-meat rolls, crispy lamb chops, tomato sauce salmon, and silver fungus seaweed soup, accompanied by rice and freshly baked bread as the main course.


    Xiao Buli, as usual, loaded a large plate with food, eating while still pondering how he could earn more experience.


    "Hey, may I sit here?" A somewhat raspy voice suddenly sounded in front of him. Xiao Buli looked up and saw a newcomer, an elegant-looking girl, who seemed faintly familiar. Find your next read on empire


    "You are,"¡ªhe glanced at the badge on her chest, a Phoenix reborn in flames¡ª"are you Leader Wu from the Vermilion Bird Group?"


    ''Hehe, just call me Sister Wu or Amin," Wu Min''er appeared very amiable, gesturing at the seat in front of him as if asking for permission. Xiao Buli hurriedly replied, "Of course, please sit."


    "I heard you got a ''War God Atlas''. Can you sell it to me?" Wu Min''er got straight to the point, which puzzled Xiao Buli, "What do you want that book for? So, you know what it''s used for?"


    "Of course, don''t forget I''m the number one spy master here," Wu Min''er said with slight self-deprecation. "Actually, its use is quite simple¡ªit''s for gifting to NPCs."


    "Gifting to NPCs?" Xiao Buli''s mind raced, and he instantly thought of a reason, "Could it be for boosting personal Prestige with NPCs?"


    A hint of approval flickered in Wu Min''er''s eyes, "You guessed it, that''s exactly the case. This strategy book is of no use to us players, but NPCs need such things. I recently reached Reverence with an NPC because of a quest, and I''m a few hundred points away from achieving ''Reverence.'' However, I can''t get any more quests from him, so I''ll need to give some gifts.


    What do you think, will you sell it? I still have some Gold Coins."


    After thinking for a while, Xiao Buli said, "No need for Gold Coins. I have no use for the book anyway, so I''ll give it to you if you need it. Of course, if you feel bad about it, some information in exchange would be more than welcome."


    ```

 Chapter 96 Soul Awakening Soup

    Xiao Buli thought for a moment and said, "You can keep the Gold Coins; I''d be more than grateful if you could provide me with some information instead."Information? A hint of wariness flashed in Wu Min''er''s eyes, and a smile that was not quite a smile appeared on her face, "Then what kind of information would you like to know?" Enjoy new stories from empire


    "I want to know how I can quickly gain battle experience," Xiao Buli said seriously, "As you probably know, I''m of the Mage Professions with quite a few skills. Relying solely on skill usage to gain proficiency is just too slow, so I would like to inquire about this issue."


    He had previously asked this question to Zhang Yaoyang, who gave him a very straightforward answer, ''Kill more monsters, run more dungeons, and the experience will come naturally.''


    But Xiao Buli didn''t have the time to grind monsters slowly; his combat capability was still too weak. It wasn''t evident when he was in a team playing a support role, but it became especially fatal when he tried to hunt monsters alone.


    Moreover, he knew that there should always be shortcuts in any game, and this game should be no exception. In fact, he felt that the shortcuts in this game would be even more apparent and effective since this game, in essence, didn''t have to consider balance issues.


    And if anyone knew about these shortcuts, then Wu Min''er, the head of the intelligence team, was definitely the most likely candidate.


    "Hehe, you guessed right, there is indeed a way to quickly gain experience, but you must meet certain conditions. Simply put, it must be a specific profession targeting specific monsters," she explained.


    Xiao Buli asked, "Oh, could you give me an example?"


    Wu Min''er toyed with the food on her plate with her fork while she thought for a moment, "For example, take the Hunter Class Occupations such as Rangers, Wanderers, or Beast Tamers.


    The best places for these professions to hunt monsters for experience are the mountains and forests, because they all have powerful skills against beast-type monsters, and the ability to track beasts, so they can maximize experience gain. Compared to the usual grinding methods of other professions, this is much more efficient."


    Xiao Buli nodded, but Wu Min''er continued, "However, compared to that, the Hunter Class Occupations'' targeting of beast-type monsters is still not as effective. According to the information I have, Exorcists actually gain experience the fastest."


    What? Xiao Buli was surprised; he had always thought that Exorcists were similar to Priests in ''World of Warcraft'', meant to be a profession strong in support but weak in solo hunting¡ªcertainly, the slowest for leveling up alone. Unexpectedly, they turned out to be the fastest.


    He analyzed it from the opposite direction. Since Hunters targeted beast-type monsters, Exorcists would naturally be targeting Undead Type Monsters.


    "Could it be that Undead Type Monsters give a lot of experience? But I''ve killed quite a few Zombies and the like, and they didn''t give me much experience."


    "Hehe, you''re quite quick to catch on," she said with a chuckle, "Your guess is almost spot on, but it''s not that Undead Monsters give more experience. Instead, it''s that Ghost Type Monsters give considerably more experience. For instance, if a white-named bandit provides 30 experience points, then a white-named ghost will give at least 50 points.


    Moreover, compared to ordinary monsters, ghosts have specialties like Invisibility and immunity to physical attacks, but every advantage has its downside; ghosts have very low health points because they do not have the concept of physique and Armor, typically only having a symbolic few dozen health points and no Armor whatsoever."


    "Exorcists'' Yang Attribute Spells deal double damage to the Undead, even the weakest spell can instant-kill an average ghost, and for powerful Ghost Elites, or even slightly weaker BOSSES, a few powerful moves could wipe them out, so this occupation actually levels up the fastest when farming experience, followed by Onmyoji.


    If you could advance to become an Exorcist or Onmyoji, this method would definitely be the most efficient,"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "I don''t plan on advancing to become an Exorcist." Although Exorcists are powerful against the Undead, Xiao Buli knew that his greatest hypothetical enemy was actually the company''s upper management, and dealing with them was not something that could be managed with ghost-capturing talisman tricks.


    "Then I''ve got nothing for you. The Taoist occupation may belong to the magic system, but it is a basic occupation after all, without any particularly outstanding or targeted capabilities. Otherwise, you could advance into a Thunder Summoner.


    I happen to know how to undertake the quest for this occupation, which has stacking damage for Thunder System spells and can learn very powerful large-scale destructive spells, with absolutely top-notch efficiency in clearing troops. It''s just not clear whether the higher-ups would agree to this,"


    Xiao Buli suddenly thought of his sword¡ªthe Soul Slayer''s Blade. Isn''t that a weapon that can harm ghostly spirits? Although it''s not able to kill ghosts as instantly as Exorcists do, it can deal full damage to Spiritual Bodies, so it would probably only take a couple of extra slashes to kill a ghost, which should be more than sufficient.


    However, while he now had the ability to harm ghosts, how to detect them became the problem. The equipment "Betrayer''s Dark Vision," although it allowed him to see clearly in the dark and detect the presence of the Demon Clan, was incapable of detecting the Undead.


    "Do you know how to see the Undead?"


    Wu Min''er nodded. This wasn''t exactly a secret, and there was no harm in telling him: "There are currently three known occupations with the ability to detect ghosts: The Onmyoji''s Yin Yang Eyes, the Necromancer''s Spiritual Eye, and the Exorcist''s Heavenly Eye Skills.


    In addition, there''s a general skill that allows one to see ghosts called the ''Spiritual Eye'', which can be learned with just 20 points of spiritual power. However, it can only be learned from a Skill Book and the drop rate for this book is extremely volatile; basically, it''s priceless."


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s somewhat disappointed face, Wu Min''er continued: "But aside from the skill, I do know of a repeatable quest that grants a BUFF that allows you to see ghosts once completed. I can tell you about it if you''re interested,"


    "But I must warn you, once a ghost realizes it''s being seen by someone, it''ll easily enter a hostile state. If you don''t have effective abilities to counter ghosts, it''s better not to learn it."


    Xiao Buli smiled, "I have my ways with that. Let''s trade the information on this quest for the ''War God Atlas'', shall we?"


    Wu Min''er shrugged her shoulders, indicating indifference, and proceeded to explain the details of the quest.


    "The quest is not very complicated. There is a small hut near the Mass Burial Mound, just outside Nine Dragons City, where a blind old lady lives. Most of the time, she''s simmering a pot of soup. If you talk to her, you can accept a shopping quest, and bringing back the items she requests will reward you with a bowl of her soup.


    This soup is called ''Soul Awakening Soup'' and grants a BUFF called ''Ghost Eye'' which lasts for 24 hours."


    Xiao Buli nodded, committing Wu Min''er''s words to memory.


    After dinner, Xiao Buli returned to the computer room. After logging in, he met Wu Min''er at the agreed place, traded her the ''War God Atlas'', and then got ready for his grand monster-farming endeavor. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    PS: I would like to recommend a friend''s work, ''Artifact Recycling Center''. For those interested, you can check it out; it''s quite a good read.

 Chapter 97 Soul Hooker

    ```However, Xiao Buli''s original plan could not be implemented after all, because after checking his status, he noticed that the BUFF from the Soul Refining Pill would disappear in just over ten hours. Xiao Buli thought it over and decided to first level his Tea Ceremony skill to LV10, considering the Soul Refining Pill was obviously a very precious item, and it would be best not to waste it.


    While drinking tea in the game, Xiao Buli also brewed two pots of fine tea in reality. One was to wake himself up, and the other because he felt it might also increase the speed of leveling up Tea Ceremony. At three in the morning, amidst extreme fatigue, Xiao Buli finally leveled his Tea Ceremony to LV10, increasing his spiritual power by another two points.


    Now, even without equipment, he had as much as 18 points of spiritual power.


    Reaching Tea Ceremony LV10 also led him to comprehend a new skill.


    System Prompt: Through prolonged dedicated study and understanding of Tea Ceremony, as well as cultivation of behavior and temperament, you have comprehended the profound state of ''Heart As Still Water''.


    Heart As Still Water: Removes all taunt, confusion, rage, and charm effects, and you will not be affected by these effects for the following minute. Skill cooldown time¡ªfive minutes.


    A very nice skill¡ª although it had no attack power, the ability to remove status effects was very useful.


    Xiao Buli dragged the skill into his skill bar and then stretched out lazily.


    "Ah, so sleepy," he thought to himself; the several pots of tea he''d consumed in the game seemed to have had no effect.


    Yawning, Xiao Buli returned to his room and fell onto the bed, where he promptly fell asleep.


    The next day, he didn''t wake up until past nine o''clock, which was still considered early given his high spiritual power and hence reduced need for sleep; otherwise, he might have slept till noon. Explore new worlds at empire


    After grabbing some food from the restaurant, he went to the computer room. While greeting everyone, he inquired about when they would run the dungeon again.


    But Bai Yunfei said, "I have to complete a very long task today. Let''s wait until tomorrow to run the dungeon. After all, one day won''t make much of a difference, does everyone agree?"


    No one had any objections; there were still several days left, and they could run the dungeon any time.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli also breathed a sigh of relief, as he wasn''t in the best state for running dungeons at the moment.


    While eating breakfast, he continued to learn professional skills. This time he chose farming, a professional skill that could enhance his physique and stamina. Out of all the attributes, besides spiritual power, he thought physique was the most important.


    By the time it was past five in the evening, his farming skill had reached LV5, increasing his physique and stamina by one point each. However, he had no plans to continue leveling it up, for as the sky gradually darkened, ghosts would soon respawn.


    Riding a travel horse with a speed of 150, Xiao Buli made his way to the wilderness outside Nine Dragons City. Following the coordinates given by Wu Min''er, he easily found the Mass Burial Mound. From afar, he saw a lonely thatched hut standing amidst the gradually setting sun, which appeared rather desolate.


    Xiao Buli dismounted from his horse at a distance and walked along a narrow path to the hut. The chimney of the hut was emitting a thin trail of blue smoke. He pushed open the door and walked in. The inside of the hut was very dim, and a pottery pot was hanging over the fire pit.


    An old woman with skin as wrinkled as tree bark was stirring a full pot of suspiciously green liquid with a wooden spoon, reminiscent of an old witch from western myths, yet her name was Mrs. Kong.


    "Oh, who''s come in?" the old woman asked shakily.


    "Madam, I am just a passerby, wishing to rest here for a while. May I?"


    Xiao Buli followed the process Wu Min''er told him exactly, and indeed, Mrs. Kong called out, "Young man, don''t be in such a hurry to leave. This lonely old woman has nobody to care for her, and I lack clothing and food. Since you happen to pass by, could you trouble yourself to buy some things for me from the nearby village?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "Of course, it would be my pleasure."


    Mrs. Kong said, "Then please buy ten steamed buns for me, two roast chickens, and ten pounds of distilled liquor."


    System Prompt: You have triggered the task¡ªErrand Boy. Do you accept?


    ```


    ```


    Quest Content: Go to Ghost Burial Village and purchase food for Mrs. Kong.


    Xiao Buli naturally chose to accept and took the 10 copper coins provided for the purchase. Ghost Burial Village was located not far from Mass Burial Mound, a tiny village with a general store. Tapping on the store owner''s profile, Xiao Buli checked the prices of the goods and immediately cursed inwardly at the rip-off.


    One steamed bun equaled one silver coin, a roasted chicken for 10 silver coins, a pound of spirits for 3 silver coins. This whole set would cost a whopping 60 silver coins. The merchants of Ghost Burial Village were extorting him, or was this a collusion from the start?


    But there was no choice, he needed that BUFF, so he gritted his teeth, paid up, and made his way back to the small thatched cottage at Mass Burial Mound to turn in the quest.


    "Old lady, I''ve bought the things you asked for."


    "That fast? Let me see, oh yes, these are exactly what I urgently need, looks like I won''t go hungry tonight."


    Having said that, she blinked her white, pupil-less eyes as if she remembered something. "I don''t have much to repay you with, but here''s a bowl of soup. Drink it while it''s hot."


    System prompt: You have obtained Soul Awakening Soup ¡Á1, shelf life 60 seconds.


    Once the sixty seconds passed, the medicinal effect of the Soul Awakening Soup would vanish, so it seemed he couldn''t take it back as a consumable item.


    As Xiao Buli pondered, he double-clicked on the Soul Awakening Soup, and his character guzzled down the soup in one breath.


    As expected, a BUFF called Ghost Eye appeared above his head.


    This should do it, right?


    He thought as he bid farewell to Mrs. Kong and stepped out of the cottage, only to be stunned. The previously empty Mass Burial Mound was now filled with white, semi-transparent spiritual bodies, some not quite intact, their grey names revealed as ''Incomplete Ghosts''. Probably souls that weren''t whole. Others were named ''Wandering Lonely Spirits'' and ''Wandering Wild Ghosts'' in white. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These spirits didn''t exist before, or maybe he just couldn''t see any, but now they had all appeared at once, truly giving one a chill down the spine.


    Walking a bit closer, a nearby ''Wandering Lonely Spirit'' seemed to sense him, its yellow name border immediately turned red, and it floated towards him.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t nervous. Chain Sword Strike! The blade in his hand, Soul Slayer''s Blade, swept out in a flurry, thrice in quick succession. The ghost split into three parts like butter pudding slashed by a scalding hot knife, screamed, and dispersed into nothingness.


    System prompt: You have earned 78 Combat Points in experience.


    Awesome! Xiao Buli was pleasantly surprised. Killing a zombie only got him 60 experience points, and it took a good while for five people to bring one down, not to mention splitting the experience points in a team would leave each with only about 15 or 16 points. A ghost that could be instantly slain was worth nearly 80 points, which was extremely exhilarating.


    As he made his way around the outskirts, Xiao Buli was truly dominating. The ghosts'' attacks were pitifully weak, their only power being to ignore Armor and drain a small amount of Mana and Physical Strength, but it was no big deal.


    In less than half an hour, Xiao Buli had racked up more than 8000 experience points, nearly cleansing Mass Burial Mound of all its Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits. The only pity was that besides the generous experience, the ghosts dropped nothing else.


    System prompt: You have successfully cleansed a haunted graveyard and achieved the title¡ªSoul Hooker, earning 20 Merit Points.


    Huh, there were Merit Points to be had as well, Xiao Buli was a bit pleasantly surprised. It seemed when luck came, you couldn''t stop it if you tried. Glancing at the Soul Slayer''s Blade in his hand, which emitted a faint white glow in the night, who would''ve thought that such a seemingly transitional weapon could have such a heaven-defying effect? How true it was that good deeds bring good rewards.


    PS: This book will be launched tomorrow, that is, on Friday. I hope after the launch, everyone can continue to support Da Sniper with more subscriptions, and I will definitely work my hardest to bring everyone a wonderful story.


    PS: Due to the ongoing and escalating disagreements about Chapter 87, Da Sniper has revised the chapter. For those interested, do check it out.


    ```

 Chapter 98 Midnight Terror

    8000 experience points, plus the over 1000 experience points previously amassed from running dungeons, Xiao Buli now had a total of 9000 experience points. Finally, he could level up his skills. Xiao Buli spent 3500 experience points to upgrade his Gale Sword Skills to LV10 in one fell swoop. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.System notification: After a long time of dedicated research and practice with Gale Sword Skills, you have perfected the set to a masterful level. You have comprehended the Ultimate Skill ¡ª Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds and have unlocked the Heart of Mysteries system.


    Looking at the Heart of Mysteries icon that had appeared under his character, Xiao Buli felt a surge of elation. Having a powerful move really was different. He just wasn''t sure how formidable the skill would be when he unleashed it from his own hands.


    Checking out the remaining 5500 experience points, Xiao Buli hesitated over which skill to boost next.


    Ethereal Armor was doubtlessly the most useful, though Resurrection Skills could heal, the amount was minimal, and it was necessary to max it out as well. That way, as support, he would virtually have no pressure during healing.


    He upgraded both Resurrection Skills and Ethereal Armor to LV5 in one go, spending the 5500 experience points in a flash, after all, magic system skills did require more experience.


    But it was completely worthwhile. Looking at the upgraded effects of these two skills, they were totally transformed.


    The Protective Shield provided by Ethereal Armor had its durability increased from 100 points to 300 points, almost as much as his own health points. If he were to don this protection in critical moments, even the strongest attacks could be withstood.


    Moreover, the healing effect of the Resurrection Skills had grown from just over thirty health points to over seventy. Now, his health could be fully restored after only three uses, making it even more effective than elixirs.


    It was rather unfortunate that his magic skill class could only be upgraded to LV5. Otherwise, they would certainly become even more powerful.


    Three skills had drained all of his experience points. Looking at it this way, the experience points he had were still not enough, and he would have to continue grinding.


    With this thought, Xiao Buli began to ponder over potential grinding locations. The wilderness at night, although home to occasional Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits, offered too few to be worth the effort, necessitating a location where many had died. Opening the map, Xiao Buli searched for other Mass Burial Mounds.


    Thanks to the shared guild map, the entirety of Bull Rush Plain was revealed, and Xiao Buli quickly found three Mass Burial Mounds. Despite being protected by Nine Dragons City, Bull Rush Plain was hardly a peaceful place, littered with the dead.


    Riding a travel horse with a speed of 150, Xiao Buli began to go from one Mass Burial Mound and graveyard to another, relentlessly harvesting these Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits. To ordinary people, these ethereal monsters that were invisible and intangible were unsolvable mysteries.


    Although the ghosts individually had low attack power, attracting too many due to carelessness could easily lead to death. Not to mention the pitch-black night that made it impossible to see the surroundings, severely impeding one''s abilities. This was why people preferred to stay within the city walls at night.


    However, to Xiao Buli, these ghosts were merely clumps of experience waiting to be harvested. The pitch-black night posed no threat in the face of "Betrayer''s Dark Vision," so he went from place to place, cleansing the Mass Burial Mounds one by one. By the early morning, he had cleared three additional Mass Burial Mounds, earning over 26,000 experience points, plus an additional 60 Merit Points.


    He now had 180 Merit Points in total. In fact, his efficiency was even higher than that of an Exorcist, who needs to meditate to restore Mana after Casting spells to kill. Xiao Buli didn''t need to; he just had to keep slashing.


    Aside from skills like Taming Skills and Riding Skills, which couldn''t be leveled up with battle experience, he had managed to max out all his other skills. Even Basic Swordsmanship, which he had always considered somewhat mediocre, Xiao Buli upgraded in one go to LV10. However, this swordsmanship did not reveal any Ultimate Skills when it reached max level, but he discovered other benefits.


    System notification: After lengthy practice with Basic Swordsmanship, you have completely assimilated it. Basic Swordsmanship has transformed into a Passive Skill, and its use no longer requires any additional Physical Strength consumption.


    Now this was good news. Considering that only one set of Swordsmanship could be activated at a time, now that it had become a passive skill, the additional effects of this swordsmanship were essentially layered directly on top.


    Looking at all his skills at LV5 and LV10, and his remaining experience points being less than 1000, Xiao Buli wondered whether he should take a break. After a moment''s hesitation, he decided to continue grinding experience. Although his skills were now maxed out, if he learned new skills in the future, he would inevitably find his battle experience insufficient.


    It''s better to grind earlier than later, as one can never have too much of this stuff.


    However, the Mass Burial Mounds no longer had any ghosts to harvest, so he searched the map and found only one last place left to grind¡ª


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    The Rushing Bull Plains Ancient Battlefield: A great battle once took place here, where the Golden Dragon Legion ultimately defeated the Black Dragon Legion, seizing control of Nine Dragons City. To this day, countless bones still lay buried here.


    If Mass Burial Mound were considered fast-food hamburgers, then this ancient battlefield definitely qualified as a grand feast. When Xiao Buli arrived, he was overwhelmed by the sight of Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits as far as the eye could see.


    So many ghosts! Xiao Buli did a rough count and estimated there must be at least a thousand. Even if each gave only 50 experience points, a thousand would still amount to 50,000 experience points, more than all four Mass Burial Mounds combined.


    He looked closer and noticed among the ghosts an Elite Ghost Boss with a silver name, alongside a dozen or so Elite Ghosts with light or dark blue names, each clad in armor, likely the ghosts of generals and high-ranking officers who had died in battle.


    The ghost boss with the silver name was particularly striking, looking just like a general from his living days with the name ''Soul of Meng Zhao¡ªSpirit Devouring Evil Ghost''. Compared to the other fuzzy, translucent ghosts, this one seemed much clearer, and a mass of black energy radiated from his whole body, clearly not someone to mess with.


    Xiao Buli, no matter how confident he was, didn''t dare to approach. He thought it was better to harvest some minor monsters from a distance instead.


    Luckily, the ancient battlefield was extremely vast, and the silver boss only occupied a small area. Xiao Buli took a wide detour to avoid the Soul of Meng Zhao and started harvesting the wandering ghosts and wild spirits that aimlessly floated around.


    In addition to wandering ghosts, there were also monsters like walking corpses and corpse-eating dogs on this ancient battlefield, but naturally, Xiao Buli didn''t take them seriously.


    His summoned Rune Soldier, having leveled up to LV5, and with his enhanced spiritual power, had improved in attack, defense, and health points comprehensively¡ªeven without skills, it could easily deal with these minor monsters, and he didn''t need to lift a finger.


    These monsters also provided a bit of experience. Although far less than what ghosts could offer, it still counted as a little extra supplement.


    He had been grinding for an hour when suddenly a somewhat vague voice sounded from behind, "Hehe, this kid is still not done."


    "Not yet done, he''s probably going to pull an all-nighter again," another voice replied.


    These two voices were very low, a bit as though they drifted in from afar, indistinct and unfamiliar, but the night was so quiet that Xiao Buli still heard them.


    With a puzzled look, Xiao Buli glanced behind him. He didn''t know when, but the Green Dragon Group members had all logged off to sleep, leaving him alone in the spacious internet cafe. Most of the energy-saving lights were turned off, leaving only the one above his head on, casting a dim light around him.


    He looked at the door to the internet cafe, which was ajar, and guessed it must have been people outside talking.


    He didn''t pay much attention to it and turned back to his screen.


    He continued to grind, Chain Sword Strike! Another ghost was torn to shreds. Xiao Buli, watching the screen glowing with a blue light, suddenly froze. Using the screen''s reflection, he saw a figure standing behind him, appearing unfamiliar, but the emblem of an Azure Dragon rising from water on his chest clearly told him that this person was a member of the Green Dragon Group.


    Xiao Buli was stunned. The room was supposed to be empty except for him, so where did this person come from? Just as he was about to turn around, he noticed another semi-transparent figure materializing behind him, quickly taking the shape of someone in sportswear, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the previous figure.


    Confronted with this scenario, he immediately thought of a possibility¡ªcould it be a ghost?!!!


    "Eh, what''s wrong with him?" the first ghost spoke, and this time Xiao Buli saw that the speaker was him.


    "He''s probably tired and thirsty," the second ghost said casually.


    "No, it seems he''s seen something," a third ghost floated down from above, revealing a girl in a down jacket. She leaned over just behind Xiao Buli, only a few centimeters away from him. Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt as if he was drenched in cold water, chilled from head to toe. Whether it was psychological or something else, he suppressed his fear and pondered over what to do.


    The female ghost leaned over Xiao Buli''s computer, staring at the screen for a moment.


    "Nothing''s there," she said, turning her head just in time to make eye contact with Xiao Buli.


    "Ah-oh! The kid seems to have seen us!"


    Instantly, all three ghosts scattered, whirling around the room like deflated balloons, then ducking away into some unseen corner. Xiao Buli''s hands and feet turned ice-cold, uncertain of what to do next.


    (Don''t be scared, don''t be scared¡ªyou''re not new to seeing ghosts.) He reassured himself and glanced at the screen again, the buff from Ghost Eye now painfully evident.


    The reason he could see ghosts was probably because of that, damn it, he should have realized it sooner.


    Just as he was about to exit the game and leave, the door suddenly opened and Bai Yunfei walked in, humming a tune, holding two steaming cups of coffee and a bag of popcorn.


    "Good evening, Old Xiao. Calling it a day so early, are we?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 99 Bai Yunfeis Invitation

    "Good evening, Old Xiao, logging off so early?"As Bai Yunfei spoke, he walked straight to the computer next to Xiao Buli, turning on the computer while casually handing over a cup of coffee.


    The moment he saw Bai Yunfei, he suddenly felt a sense of safety¡ªa really strange feeling, like when someone is home alone watching a horror movie and getting scared when suddenly a familiar friend comes over for a visit.


    Xiao Buli took the coffee, its warm touch somewhat steadying his nerves. He took a sip, and the bitter yet rich taste invigorated his spirit.


    But wait a minute, he suddenly remembered something¡ªshouldn''t Bai Yunfei be able to see ghosts too? Don''t necromancers have the Spiritual Eye? Could it be that he had known about the ghost in the studio all this time? Considering this, it seemed very likely he knew the game''s secrets, and the idea grew stronger with every conversation he recalled having with Bai Yunfei.


    The only issue now was how to confirm it.


    He glanced around the room; half of the female ghost''s face was peering out from behind the wall. If Bai Yunfei could see ghosts, there was no reason he wouldn''t notice these three.


    He continued to sip his coffee while watching Bai Yunfei turn on the computer and log into the game.


    "Still up for gaming this late?" Xiao Buli probed.


    "Yeah, I''m almost done with my class change quest. I''m planning to finish it in one go tonight." Bai Yunfei hadn''t noticed anything unusual about Xiao Buli, and continued talking as he turned to glance at the standing Xiao Buli, "Why have you stopped playing so early?"


    Xiao Buli sat back down again. Although the presence of the ghost made him feel as if the entire room was haunted, not getting to the bottom of this now would only lead to bigger headaches later¡ªlike discovering a rat in the house, if you don''t find a way to kill it, who knows when it might pop out again and give you a scare.


    "So you really received the Corpse-driving Warlock''s advanced quest?"


    "Yeah," Bai Yunfei said excitedly, "You know, I''ve been really lucky. Corpse-driving Warlocks can control zombies in combat, it''s one of the powerful Mage Professions, and it''ll make soloing dungeons much easier for me."


    "By the way, Old Bai, I heard that you''ve seen ghosts before? Is that true?" Xiao Buli said very casually, but he was observing Bai Yunfei''s reaction, who sure enough, hesitated for a moment.


    "Ha, who told you that? You believe in that kind of thing?" Bai Yunfei looked up doubtfully at Xiao Buli, just in time to see a ghost standing behind Xiao Buli, waving frantically at him, which startled him.


    Seeing the change in Bai Yunfei''s expression, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but smile, "So what''s the deal with the person behind me then?" He obviously couldn''t have eyes on the back of his head, but he could guess from Bai Yunfei''s expressions.


    Bai Yunfei''s movements stiffened for a moment, and he seemed somewhat panicked, yet still he flatly denied: "What are you joking about? I don''t see anything."


    Xiao Buli''s certainty of his guess grew with Bai Yunfei''s reaction.


    He stared at Bai Yunfei for a brief few seconds and then laughed, "I see, it looks like I''ve been gaming too much lately and even starting to hallucinate."


    While speaking, he scratched his head and stood up, "But I''m a bit superstitious, as you might know. To ease my mind, it seems I can only talk to Manager Qin about moving to another team. Of course, if she asks why, I''ll have to tell her the truth." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he spoke, he pretended to leave, all the while gauging the other''s reaction. Bai Yunfei fell silent for a while, then said without expression, "I really don''t know what you''re talking about."


    Still unwilling to admit it? Xiao Buli thought to himself and sighed inwardly as he stepped out of the server room.


    Back in his bedroom, Xiao Buli felt restless. Although tonight''s incident had been unexpected, he realized he might have been too risky, but it was a situation with no alternative.


    For him alone to think of breaking free or even opposing the company''s strength was completely unrealistic. He was well aware of this; even if he managed to advance in his profession, Xiao Buli wasn''t confident that he could confront the company. Therefore, it became very urgent for him to find allies within the company.


    Although Liu Xing seemed like an appropriate choice, his personality changes were too drastic, and Xiao Buli thought him unreliable.


    Wu Tao appeared completely unaware of these matters, and besides, he was almost ready to resign, so Xiao Buli didn''t plan to confide in him.


    As for Zhang Yaoyang, he seemed too profound and was the leader of the Green Dragon Group. Xiao Buli feared he was one of the company''s men and didn''t even dare to test him. He had thought Bai Yunfei was the right person for an ally, but unexpectedly, Bai Yunfei didn''t respond to his gestures at all.


    So, what should he do next? Continue probing further or pretend nothing happened? Xiao Buli lay in bed, unable to sleep, mulling over why Bai Yunfei wouldn''t admit what he clearly knew.


    "Old Xiao."


    A vague voice suddenly rang in his ear, as if it was incredibly distant, yet also extremely close.


    "Who''s there!?" He sat up abruptly from the bed and fished out a cigarette box from under his pillow. This box contained the talisman papers he had made, and it was currently his only means of defense. After scanning the surroundings, he found no one there.


    "Shush, don''t make a sound. Don''t be alarmed, it''s me¡ªOld Bai!" This time the voice became much clearer, and Xiao Buli finally recognized it¡ªit was indeed Bai Yunfei''s voice. He stayed silent, waiting for the other party to further explain.


    "This room has a bug; I''ll speak, you listen, OK? Now, lie down slowly, just like you''ve had a nightmare."


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment but decided to follow the instructions. Pretending to wipe sweat off his brow, he murmured to himself, "Phew, that scared the life out of me, what a terrifying dream."


    While speaking, he lay back down, his eyes squinting but not completely closed, using the corner of his eye to scan the dark room.


    Suddenly, something caught his peripheral vision on the ceiling. He opened his eyes a bit more to have a closer look and was stunned¡ªBai Yunfei was floating in mid-air above his head, his body semi-transparent, descending slowly like in sleep paralysis.


    Soul Out Of Body? A thought flashed through Xiao Buli''s mind, calming him down a bit, though this way of appearing was too horrifying!


    At that moment, Bai Yunfei''s shadow made a silence gesture. "Don''t move, there are surveillance cameras."


    After he finished speaking, he looked relieved to see Xiao Buli cooperating, "The Green Dragon Group''s server room has surveillance cameras and bugs. There were some things inconvenient to mention earlier, but I''m currently in a Soul Out Of Body state, so the voice won''t be picked up by the bugs, which is why it''s safe."


    "You''ve apparently found out some things from what you said earlier, though I don''t know how you realized it, but I think you''re not the type to leave your fate to luck. If you want to know the truth, then come with me. Remember not to be too obvious and don''t look at me. Just act like you can''t sleep and are going out for a snack."


    After finishing, Bai Yunfei''s semi-transparent image gently floated down from the air and went straight through the door.


    Xiao Buli''s heart was thumping wildly. There was finally a glimmer of hope. He didn''t know what Bai Yunfei would show him, but despite his eagerness to know, he still tried to act like he couldn''t sleep, tossing and turning in bed for a while before getting up from the bed with a sigh.


    Rubbing his eyes and in his pajamas, Xiao Buli tried to look natural as he opened the door; Bai Yunfei''s Primordial Spirit stood opposite him.


    "This way!" Bai Yunfei pointed in the direction of the lounge and floated off the ground towards it.


    Walking along the hallway, Xiao Buli''s heart raced, surveillance camera heads were swinging back and forth not too far away, but Bai Yunfei didn''t seem to fear being seen at all; he even made a face at the cameras, acting recklessly, probably a benefit of being in Spiritual Body form.


    He followed Bai Yunfei''s Primordial Spirit all the way to the front of the lounge''s liquor cabinet and stopped.


    Bai Yunfei pointed at the liquor cabinet, "Have a drink first, then go to the restroom in ten minutes. You''ll then understand the truth."


    After Bai Yunfei spoke, he went straight through the public restroom door.


    Xiao Buli sat down, picked up a bottle of kvass, and with two ice cubes started drinking slowly. He didn''t intend to drink alcohol, as it would dull his senses, and what he needed now was absolute calm.


    What could be waiting for him behind the restroom door? Was Bai Yunfei trustworthy? He didn''t know any of this and had no way of anticipating it in advance or avoiding it.


    His hand holding the glass trembled. Xiao Buli struggled to suppress the unease inside. An end must come tonight, he thought. There was always a sense of helplessness and uncertainty in this company. Whether he was stepping into a trap or meeting a group of like-minded individuals, now was the time to end all speculations.


    He finished the last drop in his glass, pocketed the cigarette box while keeping a few talisman papers in hand just in case, and glanced at his watch¡ªit had been ten minutes. Pretending to need the restroom, he pushed open the door and walked in.


    No sooner had he entered than he felt a cold sensation on his neck as something like a blade pressed against his throat.


    "Don''t move, handsome, or I can''t guarantee my hand won''t slip," a very familiar voice warned¡ªa voice that was unmistakably Yaoyao''s. His head was forced upward as he turned around; the restroom door closed behind him. In the next moment, Xiao Buli''s hand flashed with the talisman paper in a burst of white light¡ªEthereal Armor! An instant protective barrier separated him from the blade.


    Taking advantage of the moment of surprise, Xiao Buli reached out to grab Yaoyao''s wrist that held the knife, but she slipped under his arm like a fish and darted to one side.


    "It''s all yours," he heard Yaoyao whisper.


    Just as Xiao Buli turned around to summon a Rune Soldier with the talisman paper, before he could even chant the spell,


    "Plum Blossom Point Pressing Skills!" Suddenly, something pricked him from behind, and his body immediately went numb and froze, unable to move. (Could this be the legendary Acupoint Sealing?) he thought, astonished. What surprised him even more was the voice¡ªit sounded a bit like Wu Tao''s. (To be continued.


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 Chapter 100 Welcome to Join

    "Sorry, boss," that voice came from behind once again¡ªit really was Wu Tao!He felt the talisman paper in his hand and pocket being searched and removed, followed by a tingling sensation like an electric shock, and this time he could finally move.


    It seemed the other party didn''t have any ill intentions. As he pondered this, he scanned his surroundings and finally saw the scene in the restroom: there were four people in the restroom, or strictly speaking, three and a half. Yaoyao was playing with a butterfly knife, looking at him with a guarded expression.


    Zhang Yaoyang sat opposite him, perched grandly on the wash basin, with Wu Tao standing beside him, his face a blend of embarrassment and pride, holding his talisman paper. Lastly, there was Bai Yunfei, whose body still maintained that semi-transparent quality, floating mid-air and watching the drama unfold.


    Everyone had different expressions, but they all shared one thing in common: they were all wearing pajamas, seemingly having just climbed out of bed as well.


    "Wu Tao!? You were in the know too?" Xiao Buli asked with surprise. He''d always thought Wu Tao had no idea about these matters, "But how did you¡ª?"


    "Hehe, who else can act so well like us actors," Wu Tao said with a laugh, showing a bit of sheepishness, but mostly smugness.


    Zhang Yaoyang looked both resigned and solemn as he said, "Tell us then, what do you actually know?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, mentally prepared to be interrogated. He asked, "Do you guys know who Lu Jiang is?"


    Both Yaoyao and Wu Tao looked perplexed, while Zhang Yaoyang hesitated, "Seems like a newcomer, I don''t have much of an impression."


    Having an impression was good enough for Xiao Buli. He recounted the story of Lu Jiang, including how he spent three hundred thousand to save Lu Jiang''s sister, but omitted the part about Lu Jiang''s curse and blessing.


    "So from that point on, I started to doubt this company and the game. Once you harbor suspicions, many details that wouldn''t normally attract attention become very noticeable. That''s how I noticed the anomaly with Old Bai, which led me here."


    "He''s not lying," Bai Yunfei said. "I''ve seen the soul of that Lu Jiang."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded noncommittally, "And how did you manage to see ghosts? To my knowledge, you don''t have such a skill."


    "I used Soul Awakening Soup. Wu Min''er informed me of a quest that would grant me a BUFF called Ghost Eye, allowing me to see ghosts."


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, Zhang Yaoyang sighed. Xiao Buli heard him mutter under his breath, "That troublesome woman," and his heart stirred. Could it be Wu Min''er was also in the know? Indeed, as the head of the intelligence team, she must have more information than most; it was impossible for her not to notice the anomalies in the game.


    "So Wu Min''er is also in the know?"


    It seemed Zhang Yaoyang had no intention of hiding this fact: "The current situation is that many people probably know something, but I can''t just bring anyone in. We never know who might be a spy planted by the company, and not everyone is cut out for underground work. Once exposed, it''s not something easy to resolve."


    Clearly, ''these people'' included Xiao Buli, who retorted, "What about you then? How can I trust that you aren''t a spy planted by the company?"


    Zhang Yaoyang smiled, gesturing for Xiao Buli to look behind him. Before Xiao Buli could react, the girl in the down jacket he had seen before floated past him, "Hey, brother, good evening," the girl''s ghost said. Her voice was as ethereal as ever but seemed to carry a bit more emotion.


    "Good evening, Yue," Zhang Yaoyang greeted her.


    Brother? Xiao Buli was taken aback. He saw the girl standing next to Zhang Yaoyang, and the two gazed at each other. Zhang Yaoyang usually appeared very sunny, but at that moment, he looked extremely melancholic, his eyes seemingly hiding some pain.


    "She is¡ªyour sister?"


    "That''s right," Zhang Yaoyang''s expression calmed down, "This is my sister, Zhang Xinyue. She was one of the earliest professional gamers to join this company. She died in an outdoor boss battle last winter.


    Although the company has a policy against sharing anything about the game with outsiders, unfortunately, Yue has never been one to play by the rules..." His voice trailed off with a hint of bitterness, "You can probably guess what happened after that. To uncover the truth, I infiltrated this company, using my extraordinary talent to become the leader of the Azure Dragon Group, up until now.


    So, can you trust me now?"


    Xiao Buli nodded silently. With such a connection, he had no reason to question Zhang Yaoyang any further.


    "So what are you aiming to achieve by doing this? Now that you know the truth, what do you plan to do?"


    "Of course we''ll have them pay in blood, but before that, I''m afraid we have to figure out a way to break away from this company. We also must take enough computers with us to continue enhancing our strength. If we stay here under their surveillance, we''ll never be able to gain the power to surpass them, and sooner or later we''ll become cannon fodder. I think you''re clear on this, aren''t you?"


    Xiao Buli nodded gravely, understanding all too well. In just a few days, he had already witnessed many cases of death, and the company was clearly not going to watch them grow strong enough to break free from control.


    Zhang Yaoyang continued, "Although a number of people have already learned about this, everyone is reluctant to expose it openly. After all, it can easily bring disaster upon oneself. I''ve only managed to contact a few of you for now, but I suppose there must be similar movements in other groups too. When the time is right, we just need to reach out to the leaders from other groups."


    Xiao Buli frowned and said, "With our current strength, aren''t we a match for those company security guards?"


    Zhang Yaoyang shook his head. "Those security guards are not to be feared; what worries me is the Qilin Group."


    Qilin Group? Xiao Buli immediately reacted, "So you mean there''s a Qilin Group besides Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise? Is the equipment we hand over all going to Qilin Group?"


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "It seems you don''t fully understand the company or the game yet. Alright, let me explain some things to you here."


    "First, you were right in your guess. If you die in the game, you also die in reality. Second, there is a Qilin Group above our four groups. Members of the Qilin Group are on the top floor, working on the computers; the exact number of members is unknown, but I estimate it to be between four to seven, based on the quantity of items we''ve turned in.


    According to my estimation, it would take at least two or even three of us to defeat one member of the Qilin Group, four if they are from the White Tiger Group who are just there to make up numbers. Of course, this does not include a few core members of the White Tiger Group and Vermilion Bird Group, whose strength is on par with ours."


    Xiao Buli nodded, then remembered another concern, "With so many people noticing something wrong with the game, haven''t the company executives caught on?"


    "The company leadership must have noticed to some extent, but as long as we don''t make any drastic moves, they probably won''t do anything. After all, we are still of use to them."


    "So how much longer do you plan to endure? After all, the higher-ups always end up sending us to our deaths."


    "Yes, we are indeed suffering casualties, but those are ''the masses who are unaware of the truth.'' They think that dying in the game means just losing a job and getting a hefty severance pay, so they never think of defying the company''s orders. To protect our core members, I have no choice but to sacrifice them.


    If they do defy my orders, it means they know the truth, and then perhaps they can be brought in."


    This statement made Xiao Buli feel a chill. Before this, he was probably just one of those ''unaware masses'' in Zhang Yaoyang''s eyes, a disposable pawn¡ªbut sacrificing me won''t be so easy, Xiao Buli thought.


    However, the slight change in his gaze was keenly noticed by Zhang Yaoyang.


    "Don''t worry, now that you know the truth and have passed the test, from now on you''re one of us. If danger really arises, I will take care of you."


    Xiao Buli smiled, but did not take it to heart, "I think it''s better to rely on myself." He said ambiguously.


    Zhang Yaoyang shrugged, "Suit yourself. I just want you to understand that the reason why I''m organizing everyone is to let us all work together and overcome difficulties. If the company ever does turn against us, at least we''ll have the strength to resist."


    "Alright, I''ve said all I need to. So, are you willing to join us in resisting the company when the time is right? It''s okay if you don''t want to join, but I hope you can keep it to yourself."


    Xiao Buli asked in surprise. "You trust me that much?"


    Zhang Yaoyang sighed helplessly, "What else can I do, kill you? The company would definitely notice if I did that. Besides, I think you''re smart enough to know that reporting us won''t end well for you."


    "Of course," Xiao Buli nodded, "I''m willing to join you." He had thought there would be some soul contract or initiation ritual, but the other party simply reached out a hand to shake his, "Welcome to the team."


    Wu Tao also came up to shake his hand, "Haha, even the club president has joined us; this definitely increases our chances of success!"


    Xiao Buli shook hands with Wu Tao but asked curiously, "Can you really perform the Plum Blossom Point Pressing Skills?"


    "Well, heh heh, I can''t just reveal that," Wu Tao said with a secretive smile, and Xiao Buli did not press further. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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 Chapter 101 Flower Shifting Great Technique

    Xiao Buli shook hands with Wu Tao, but asked somewhat unusually, "Can you really perform the Plum Blossom Point Pressing Skills?""Well, that, hehe, I can''t just reveal that willy-nilly," Wu Tao said with a mysteriously sly grin. Xiao Buli didn''t press further, but despite Wu Tao''s silence, he didn''t believe he wouldn''t be able to find out for himself.


    "What about Liu Xing, then? I feel like he may already know the secret?"


    Zhang Yaoyang shook his head, "Liu Xing is too emotional; it''s better if he doesn''t know about our business for now. If in the future we need to act, we''ll inform him when the time comes."


    "So when do you plan to act?"


    Zhang Yaoyang thought for a moment, "There''s no specific time yet, but there are two criteria we can use to decide: one is when we have enough strength to contend with the company; the other is when time no longer allows us to delay. The emergence of either situation will signal our move to action. Any more questions?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head; he had asked everything he wanted to.


    Zhang Yaoyang continued, "Then, if you want to communicate anything with us in the future, come to this restroom. The entire company is riddled with surveillance cameras and listening devices, but Old Bai tampered with the ones here, so it''s the only safe place."


    Xiao Buli nodded, not knowing how they had managed it, but it put his mind at ease.


    Zhang Yaoyang gave further instructions about confidentiality and then said, "You should go out now, any longer and it will raise suspicion."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "What about you guys? How will you go back?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Yaoyang smiled, "We have our ways."


    Xiao Buli didn''t say anything more. Although the others weren''t from any Mage Professions, they were veterans and certainly had some special abilities. He didn''t need to worry about them.


    Back in his room, Xiao Buli lay down on his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep. The thought that there were many others like him around brought additional hope to his heart, at least he wasn''t fighting alone anymore, he thought.


    The next morning, he got up late again and went to the computer room. When he crossed paths with the same people from yesterday, they all nodded to each other without saying a word.


    After logging into the game and powering up his computer, Xiao Buli checked his Experience Points, which were already over thirty thousand, meaning he didn''t need to grind for a while. And since his Gale Sword Skills had already reached LV10, his next step should be to earn the title of Sword Master. But before that, there was something else he needed to confirm.


    The incident last night with Wu Tao poking him had lingered in his mind. From his experience with gaming, he knew it was crucial to learn from setbacks, to understand what happened to avoid future mistakes. He was aware that in the game, it wasn''t just about knowing one''s own skills when engaging in PvP, but also having an understanding of other professions.


    As the saying goes, knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. Therefore, upon logging in, he went straight to the Si Hai Martial Arts Hall to check the available skills.


    The core skill for the Qigong Master, Fighter, and Martial Monk professions is ''Internal Energy,'' just like how ''Taoist Heart'' is for the Taoist profession. The level of Internal Energy also determines the height of the skills Qigong Masters can learn.


    Similar to the Taoist Heart, Internal Energy cannot be upgraded through combat experience. Instead, it''s enhanced through the practice of Internal Cultivation Methods. The most basic practice is to reach LV10 in basic cultivation, which increases the internal power value cap by 100 points.


    Elevating any Internal Cultivation Methods to LV10 improves Internal Energy by one level and increases the internal power value by another 100 points, meaning a Level 10 Internal Energy Qigong Master could possess 1000 points of Internal Energy.


    Of course, due to different focal points, both Fighters and Martial Monks have a lower cap on Internal Energy levels.


    After a brief search through the list, he found what he was looking for.


    Vein-Sealing Finger (Finger Skills): With profound Internal Energy, it cuts off the target''s meridians, paralyzing them for 60 seconds. Any form of attack may break this state, consuming 20 points of Internal Energy. Requirements: Internal Energy LV3, Basic Finger Skills LV5.


    Armor-Piercing Force (Special Skills): Activation lets you enter a state where your Internal Cultivation Methods bypass the target''s Armor and Protection, directly affecting their body, though using this skill will double the consumption of Internal Energy. Requirements: Internal Energy LV4.


    This was probably the skill Wu Tao used yesterday. As for why he cried out "Plum Blossom Point Pressing Skills," Xiao Buli guessed that Wu Tao might need to employ a form of self-hypnosis as he did, to use the skills in the game. Of course, there''s another explanation ¨C it was purely for show.


    Having clarified the things he wanted to understand, Xiao Buli was about to leave when an NPC named Yan Beifei approached him suddenly.


    Yan Beifei: "Brother, could it be that you''ve come to learn the Internal Cultivation Methods?"


    Xiao Buli said, "Of course not, I was just looking casually. Inner Cultivation Methods are really profound, and I''m afraid I don''t have that much time to cultivate."


    The reason Xiao Buli said this was, naturally, because core skills couldn''t be leveled up with battle experience, and Internal Energy was no exception. To learn and improve it, one must cultivate Internal Cultivation Techniques for a long period. Although it may not be as troublesome as cultivating the Taoist Heart, it was estimated to be not easy either.


    He simply did not have the time to fuss over it.


    Yan Beifei said, "There actually is a shortcut. Frankly speaking, ten years ago I learned a set of Internal Cultivation Methods called the Flower Shifting Great Technique. After maxing out this cultivation method, it won''t directly increase my Internal Energy but I can transmit it to someone else.


    The person who receives the transmission can improve their Internal Energy, and compared to normal Internal Cultivation Methods, the Internal Energy increase by the Flower Shifting Great Technique is twice as much. If you are willing to offer ten Gold Coins, I''m willing to pass on to you the ten levels of the Flower Shifting Great Technique that I''ve already cultivated."


    But is there really such a good thing? Xiao Buli thought carefully and realized it wasn''t so wonderful. Even if one were to directly learn the basic Inner Strength, it would only cost some extra time. If it weren''t for the pressing urgency of time, it really wouldn''t be worth it to waste ten Gold Coins just to save that bit of time.


    However, Xiao Buli felt that it might be worth learning now for emergency use.


    Still, he hesitated. The promise of Inner Strength with an upper limit increased by 100 points was so miraculous¡ªhow come he had never heard of it before?


    "Your set of Inner Cultivation Methods doesn''t have any side effects, does it?"


    Yan Beifei replied, "Because of the unique nature of the Flower Shifting Great Technique, once you have received this method, you will not be able to learn any other Internal Cultivation Methods. Of course, you can forget this technique and then learn other Internal Cultivation Methods."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that no wonder this thing was a complete chicken rib for those who had time to slowly cultivate their Inner Cultivation Methods; however, it was somewhat valuable for him. He didn''t have much time to cultivate Inner Cultivation Methods, and learning it was not bad after all.


    If it didn''t work out, he could just delete this skill in the future if he wanted to learn other Internal Cultivation Methods.


    For the upcoming trial in a month¡ªthrow caution to the wind!


    Xiao Buli countered, "If it''s five Gold Coins, I''ll do it."


    Yan Beifei replied, "Deal. So when shall we start the transmission?"


    System prompt: Yan Beifei wants to transmit the Flower Shifting Great Technique to you. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Biting the bullet, Xiao Buli chose "Yes," paid five Gold Coins, and Yan Beifei brought him to an enclosed space in the back of the Martial Arts Hall. Yan Beifei told Xiao Buli to sit cross-legged, then he sat down behind Xiao Buli, and with a pat of his palms on Xiao Buli''s back and the sound of a strange whoosh, Xiao Buli found a new white Energy Bar appearing below his Mana Bar.


    Clicking with the mouse, it showed an internal power value of 200 points.


    System prompt: You have received the transmission of the Flower Shifting Great Technique, unlocking a temporary Internal Energy System. At present, your Internal Energy level is LV1; you can now learn and use skills that require Internal Energy.


    Upon opening the Skill Bar, indeed there were two new skills.


    Flower Shifting Great Technique MAX (Alien True Qi): Grants you the ability to use Internal Energy.


    Internal Energy LV1 (Cannot be upgraded): After long-term research on the inhalation within meridians, you''ve mastered a brand-new form of energy called Internal Energy. Due to a special issue with your Internal Energy, it cannot be upgraded through any means at the moment.


    Xiao Buli once again arrived outside the Martial Arts Hall. Although he only had LV1 Internal Energy, it was enough for him to learn and use some skills that required Internal Energy. Although he couldn''t learn those powerful skills, he could still learn some of the more basic skills.


    Xiao Buli directly ignored those primarily offensive skills, which were completely chicken ribs to him. He set his sights directly on the Qinggong skills. This was what he needed.


    Leaping from Dry Land: Leap high into the air, reaching an extremely high point, consuming 10 points of internal power value, learning requires Internal Energy LV1 (The effects of this skill will improve with the level of Internal Energy).


    Cloud Ascension Leap: Leap high into the air, reaching an extremely high place, and when the momentum ends, you can still step upward, requires Leaping from Dry Land, Internal Energy LV1. (The effects of this skill will improve with the level of Internal Energy).


    Flying on Grass: Increases your speed by thirty percent and reduces your weight by thirty percent, lasting for 30 seconds, consuming 30 Internal Energy, learning requires Internal Energy LV1. (The effects of this skill will improve with the level of Internal Energy).


    Internal Energy Infusion: Infuse your weapon with Internal Energy, increasing its power and providing extra attack strength. Every level of your Internal Energy can give you an additional 10 points of attack power and in this state, your Internal Energy will continue to be consumed. (The effects of this skill will improve with the level of Internal Energy).


    Xiao Buli was speechless upon seeing this situation; the trouble with Internal Strength skills was the absence of skill levels, and their strength was entirely dependent on Internal Energy. With only one level of Internal Energy, it was plain that the power wouldn''t amount to much. But having already spent the money, he decided to learn all the skills available for Internal Energy LV1 in one go.


    Thinking this, he spent another five Gold Coins to learn these four skills that could be learned with just one level of Internal Energy.


    Looking at the Gold Coins in his bag, having spent most of them in just a few days, Xiao Buli genuinely felt the sting. What he needed to do next was to go and obtain the title of Swordsmanship Master. Thinking this, Xiao Buli walked out of Si Hai Martial Arts Hall. (To be continued.


    If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 102 Challenging the Title of Swordsman

    Upon arriving at the Longquan Sword Pavilion, Xiao Buli was surprised to find Liu Xing was also there."You''re here to learn swordsmanship too?" Liu Xing looked at Xiao Buli who appeared in the Sword Pavilion and asked with some surprise, "Aren''t you a Mage Profession? Why learn swordsmanship?"


    Xiao Buli explained, "Yeah, but this game doesn''t have restrictions on basic professions, so I also took up being a Swordsman."


    "I see, no wonder you initially asked about learning swordsmanship," Liu Xing said with sudden realization, "But this isn''t good for you, one of the biggest taboos in gaming is being indecisive. It''s always better to focus on mastering one profession. Only by maximizing the potential of one profession can you become truly powerful. I think you should stick to one and focus on that.


    Besides, even if you want to have a side profession, you should choose one with abilities that can stack with each other."


    Although Liu Xing meant well, Xiao Buli just laughed it off, "I believe there are no strongest professions, only the strongest players. 1+1 is not as simple as equal to 2, you know. Besides, who says the abilities of Swordsmen and Taoists can''t stack? Take my Fire Blade Skills, for instance. You should remember them."


    Seeing he couldn''t persuade him, Liu Xing didn''t say anything more. After all, they were not novice players, and it was understandable to have different interpretations of the game.


    "If you want to learn swordsmanship, I suggest you first learn a set of Inner Strength. With the enhancement of internal energy, the full power of your swordsmanship can be displayed. Just having sword techniques for close combat isn''t enough; it''s best to combine them with some martial arts moves," Liu Xing recommended.


    At that, Liu Xing clicked on Xiao Buli''s avatar, "Eh, you''ve already learned Inner Strength? That''s not right, you''re not a Qigong Master, so you should only be able to learn level-one inner strength. How come your internal power value is two hundred points? Don''t tell me you''ve learned the Flower Shifting Great Technique?"


    Xiao Buli responded curiously, "Yes, you know about it too?"


    Liu Xing replied, "Heh, of course I do. That Yan Beifei is always wandering around the various martial halls, peddling his Flower Shifting Great Technique. If you''re lucky, you might run into him. But at a price of ten Gold Coins, it''s something most people can''t afford."


    "It was five Gold Coins, NPCs can be bargained with."


    Liu Xing, surprised, said, "You can bargain?!," and seeming to find it amusing, he added, "Heh, this is new to me. Maybe I''ll give it a try later, but even at five Gold Coins, it''s still too expensive. After learning that, you can''t learn any other Inner Strength techniques. It''s too much of a compromise."


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    Xiao Buli replied, "Isn''t it all right if you just forget the skill?"


    "Forget skills? You think this is World of Warcraft? There''s no such function to forget skills in this game," Liu Xing retorted.


    What! On hearing Liu Xing''s words, Xiao Buli was instantly dumbfounded. He opened his Skill Bar to check, and sure enough, there wasn''t the kind of function seen in typical games for deleting skills.


    (But Yan Beifei clearly said that skills could be forgotten, and he did so with an air of certainty. Could it be that he was intentionally deceiving me this way? But how would he know about the forget skills function in real games?)


    With this thought, Xiao Buli also remembered Ji Xiangyun''s initial conversation with him, where she had vaguely revealed her awareness of the ''favorability'' concept.


    Combining this with his recent conversation with Yan Beifei, Xiao Buli began to hypothesize two possibilities.


    The first possibility was that the game designers had intentionally designed NPC dialogs this way, a sort of humorous parody, which was not uncommon in other games he had played.


    The second possibility was that the NPCs in the game really did have self-aware intelligence, and they were also aware of things in the real world.


    This theory seemed somewhat supernatural, but wasn''t the game itself rather supernatural? It wasn''t entirely out of the question.


    As he pondered, Xiao Buli observed the NPCs around him practicing martial arts and swordplay. Perhaps it was just a psychological effect, but he felt like these NPCs were glancing over, seemingly eavesdropping on the conversation between him and Liu Xing. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This game is getting creepier and creepier," he murmured to himself, finding that the inability to learn other Inner Strength techniques seemed less important by comparison.


    Whatever, since he did not plan to focus much on Inner Strength anyway. If he couldn''t learn it, then so be it ¨C less stress for him.


    As the saying goes, ''A broad heart ensures no big troubles,'' Xiao Buli didn''t dwell on it and decided to continue with his original intention of coming here ¨C to acquire the title of swordsmanship master. Since Liu Xing was here, he took the opportunity to ask for advice.


    "You want to get the swordsmanship master title? That won''t be easy. You have to earn the title of Swordsman, then advance to a high-level Swordsman, and only then can you obtain the title of swordsmanship master. See that NPC over there named Mu Zhiqi? Just talk to him, and choose to challenge for the Swordsman title," he advised.


    Upon hearing Liu Xing''s words, Xiao Buli glanced in that direction and indeed saw an NPC with the golden name ''Mu Zhiqi (Sword Saint)'', obviously the owner of the Longquan Sword Pavilion.


    When he clicked on Mu Zhiqi, a series of dialog boxes immediately popped up, with options like becoming an apprentice, seeking sword techniques, and challenging for the title of Swordsman.


    The same thing again? Xiao Buli was slightly taken aback. The NPCs he had encountered seemed to fall into two categories: those with a high degree of freedom that required typing to converse, and those that could interact with preset response options through clicks, somewhat like traditional online game NPCs, just like his teacher Xuanxu Zi, and now this Longquan Sword Saint.


    Could there be some sort of pattern to it?

 Chapter 102 Challenging the Title of Swordsman_2

    Xiao Buli was pondering this as he chose to challenge the Swordsman title.Mu Zhiqi (Sword Saint), "Do you wish to challenge the Swordsman title? Let me see, you don''t have a Swordsman occupation title yet, so you must start from the lowest level Swordsman. Defeat or draw with my disciple to gain the title. With each victory, you will earn another chance to challenge a higher-level Swordsman title until you fail.


    Remember, during the duel, you can only use martial arts-related abilities, no underhanded or sneaky tactics. Besides, challenging for a Swordsman title also requires a fee based on the title level you''re challenging. So, do you want to start the challenge now?"


    System prompt: Do you want to start the Swordsman title challenge? Yes/No.


    Naturally, Xiao Buli chose yes and followed Mu Zhiqi into the rear hall of the martial arts school''s sparring ground, which resembled a swordsmanship arena. The ground was covered with grass mats, and a circle of NPC swordsmen of various colors sat around a circular space, with Mu Zhiqi standing on the opposite side of the arena.


    As soon as he entered the arena, Xiao Buli found that all of his Magic Skills were unusable, and other special abilities like Taming Skills became ineffective too. Find more to read at empire


    However, abilities like Emergency Dodge, Flying on Grass, Cloud Ascension Leap, and Internal Energy Infusion were not restricted, making it seem that these were also considered part of martial arts swordsmanship and were permitted for use.


    Luckily, I learned the Flower Shifting Great Technique, Xiao Buli thought to himself. Otherwise, with only two or three usable skills, no matter how good I am, I wouldn''t be able to show off any flair.


    After paying ten silver coins for the challenge fee, he received a wooden sword and Practice Clothes.


    Wooden Sword: A wooden one-handed sword used for practice, which doesn''t have any real killing power, attack 1-1.


    Practice Clothes: Common cloth attire used during practice, offering no substantial defensive strength, armor +1.


    Seems I can only use these two items. It looks like my plan to overpower with equipment won''t be possible, Xiao Buli thought as he equipped them, and then the challenge officially began.


    The first to fight was just an ordinary white-named Swordsman, without even a name, simply called ''Longquan Swordsman.'' Like him, he only had a set of Practice Clothes and a wooden sword. Quite fair indeed.


    The two bowed to each other and saluted with their fists before the bout began.


    The use of swordsmanship abilities is the same; once swordsmanship is activated and the left mouse button is pressed consecutively, the player''s character will randomly execute different moves from the sword art to attack the enemy or deflect and parry based on the system''s judgment.


    This felt somewhat like the gameplay of "Assassin''s Creed", but more complex, with higher demands on mastering the timing for both attack and defense during combat.


    Xiao Buli was fairly familiar with the Gale Sword Skills, knowing that this set of sword skills was all about attack, with no defensive moves. So he launched an aggressive assault right away. His opponent seemed to be using a balanced sword art, though lower-grade.


    Initially managing both offense and defense, after two rounds of exchanges, the Longquan Swordsman''s health was dropping much faster than Xiao Buli''s.


    Seeming impatient, the Longquan Swordsman suddenly began to attack ferociously, which didn''t startle but rather delighted Xiao Buli.


    He used Emergency Dodge to avoid the brunt of the attack and exploited the lull in his adversary''s swordplay to launch a Chain Sword Strike that locked his opponent in a rigid state, followed by an unrestrained combination of consecutive attacks that left his foe powerless to retaliate.


    At the end of the combination, another Chain Sword Strike rained down three swift blows, quickly reducing the Longquan Swordsman''s health to about a quarter. His icon immediately turned to a green border and he ceased his attacks.


    "Your swordsmanship is superior, I''ve lost!" the Longquan Swordsman said as he saluted with his fist and limped out of the arena.


    System prompt: Defeated the Longquan Swordsman, earned the Swordsman title. Do you wish to continue and challenge a higher-level Swordsman title for a fee of 20 silver coins?


    Of course, the challenge continued. Xiao Buli sat down to meditate, recovering his physical strength, internal energy, and health points. This time, the opponent was an elite with a light blue name, but still without a name, simply called ''Advanced Longquan Swordsman.''


    Xiao Buli didn''t dare to underestimate this Advanced Longquan Swordsman; after all, he was an elite NPC. As soon as they clashed, he found his opponent''s strength formidable. He couldn''t gain an advantage in swordplay exchange and even got struck a few times, losing one-fifth of his health.


    Xiao Buli quickly changed tactics, activating Flying on Grass, which immediately boosted his speed by thirty percent.


    With the advantage in speed, he constantly moved around the elite, striking twice with rapid speed now and then, before quickly retreating without engaging in prolonged combat.


    This Advanced Longquan Swordsman was not as rash as the previous NPC. He stood with his sword, rigidly defending, and even though he lost some health, he showed no signs of impatience, slowly pressing towards Xiao Buli, seemingly trying to corner him.


    Seems a bit tricky.


    While Xiao Buli was pondering, he realized that the situation was too urgent to be rushed. The opponent''s health and striking power were both very strong. He could only wear them down. Just as he was about to be cornered, he suddenly launched an assault. The opponent blocked a few blows and was about to counterattack, but Xiao Buli once again retreated.


    However, due to the limited space, he couldn''t move back much. The high-level Longquan Swordsman seemed to see an opportunity, suddenly turned around, and the wooden sword in his hand swept across in a wide arc.


    Floating Cloud Style!


    This move was similar to Chain Sword Strike, an active attack skill. Next, Xiao Buli made a sudden Emergency Dodge and ended up behind his opponent.


    He quickly swung the mouse to turn the screen¡ªChain Sword Strike! Swish, swish, swish, three consecutive strikes, and the high-level Longquan Swordsman''s health instantly dropped to two-thirds. The high-level Longquan Swordsman, realizing what happened, panicked.


    He immediately initiated an aggressive attack.


    Heh, is that your composure? Xiao Buli already had a strategy to win, still fighting while retreating, gradually wearing down the health. With victory in sight, the high-level Longquan Swordsman lunged with a straight thrust¡ªRiding the Wind Style.


    Xiao Buli repeated the old trick, continued the Emergency Dodge, and as they passed by each other, the high-level Longquan Swordsman suddenly halted, adopting the Crane Stance, standing on one leg with arms swinging, and forcefully executed a 180-degree sharp turn on the spot. In the next moment, the glint of the sword in his hand flickered.


    Ultimate Skills¡ªRiding the Wind and Chasing Shadows! His body followed the motion of the sword, dragging out several afterimages heading straight for Xiao Buli.


    The Emergency Dodge cooldown hadn''t reset, and he was in an immobile rigid state. At the critical moment, Xiao Buli executed a Cloud Ascension Leap into the air, barely avoiding that powerful strike.


    However, the high-level Longquan Swordsman didn''t dawdle. Seeing his Ultimate Skills missed, he didn''t turn back to continue the fight but instead cupped one fist in the other and said, "Your swordsmanship is superior, I have lost."


    "I appreciate it." Xiao Buli typed hurriedly as he wasn''t sure if the opponent could hear him amidst the chaos.


    Next was the challenge against the swordsmanship master, and this time it was a named NPC.


    Ye Feng¡ªSwordsmanship Master.


    Just by looking at his appearance, he was completely different from the previous two, and being a named character, he was also a high-level elite with a dark blue name. Xiao Buli immediately felt quite pressured upon seeing him.


    Actually, if he could use all his skills, Xiao Buli was quite confident, about seventy to eighty percent sure of defeating the opponent. After all, his advantage now was the comprehensive nature of his skills¡ªhe could attack and defend, fight at a distance or up close, and even summon. But if he could only use swordsmanship-related skills, it would be difficult. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The opponent was, after all, a high-level elite, the equivalent of a mini-BOSS in a dungeon. Even without a BOSS template, it was not to be underestimated.


    Although not very sure, Xiao Buli still felt it was necessary to give it a try.


    Ye Feng stood with his sword poised, apparently very stylish, "You want to challenge me to earn the title of Swordsmanship Master? Hmph, you indeed have guts. But I won''t draw my sword easily."


    Could there be another quest, Xiao Buli wondered?


    Ye Feng: "To challenge and earn the title of Swordsmanship Master, you must pay a fee of 30 silver coins."


    Damn, and here I thought it was something serious. Xiao Buli thought to himself that these NPCs really were dead set on money, demanding payment for everything.


    After paying the 30 silver coins, Ye Feng then leaped onto the stage. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 107 103 Chapter Its Good to Be Alive

    The two stood opposite each other. Looking at Ye Feng, with his deep blue name, Xiao Buli relaxed his spirit and entered the micro-control state.His eyes fixed on the screen, his fingers rapidly pressing on the keyboard, Gale Sword Skills activated, Flying on Grass activated, Internal Energy Infusion activated¡ª


    As 30 points of internal energy vanished from the Inner Strength Bar, a faint azure sword light immediately appeared on his wooden sword. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ye Feng said with a chuckle, "Heh, Flower Shifting Great Technique, huh? I can also use Inner Strength, let''s see how my Pure Yang Vital Energy fares."


    After finishing his words, he flicked his wooden sword, and a reddish-golden sword light flared up on it, making Xiao Buli''s faint sword light seem insignificant in comparison. The reddish-golden glow was almost tangible, immediately overpowering Xiao Buli''s presence.


    Go for it! Xiao Buli gritted his teeth and cautiously went to meet him.


    The moment they first crossed swords, Xiao Buli muttered an inward curse, realizing that Ye Feng''s swordsmanship and mastery, whether in attack, defense, or speed, was not on the same level as the previous few he had faced. The swiftness and ferocity of his moves were more than Xiao Buli could handle, as he received two strikes after a brief probe, losing one-fifth of his health points.


    He hurriedly retreated, circling to the side, hoping to repeat the old trick of wearing down the opponent with speed, but who would have known that Ye Feng¡ª with a flash of white light under his feet, Tread Snow Without a Trace! ¡ª possessed an even more formidable Qinggong than Flying on Grass.


    It not only increased movement speed by 50 percent but also added attack evasion effects, allowing him to close the distance with Xiao Buli in an instant.


    Since there was no escape, the only option was to attack. Chain Sword Strike commenced, and Xiao Buli''s wooden sword rapidly performed successive feints. However, Ye Feng simply lifted his hand and parried. Three attacks were blocked, and then, with a backhand strike¡ªParry and Counter!


    A smack hit Xiao Buli right in the chest, chopping off more than twenty health points.


    It''s no good, completely overpowered! Xiao Buli glanced at his health points. Due to the lack of equipment, his full health was only 170, and now he had less than a hundred left. It seemed he had no choice but to use his trump card and take a gamble!


    He lunged forward, attacking repeatedly. Taking the hit from one strike, he suddenly used an Emergency Dodge to appear behind Ye Feng. With a fierce flick of the mouse to turn the screen, he unleashed his ultimate move at that instant.


    Ultimate Skills¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! Xiao Buli spun like a top, his wooden sword creating layers of Sword Shadows likened to a whirlwind. Ye Feng shouted, "Bring it on!" Almost simultaneously, his figure vanished and his wooden sword became like a Straight Lightning Slash, piercing directly through the Sword Shadows with lightning speed. Ultimate Skills: Straight Lightning Slash!


    With the speed of thunder, his strike forcefully shattered Xiao Buli''s sword momentum, and with the remaining force, he skewered Xiao Buli completely with the wooden sword.


    Amongst the splattering blood, Xiao Buli watched a bright red number, 103, burst above his character''s head, his health points that were at two-thirds plummeted to zero in an instant.


    It''s over! In that moment, Xiao Buli''s mind buzzed, and he nearly lost his senses. Was he really going to die like this? His mind went blank as he stared at his character collapsing on the ground, blood pooling beneath. Discover more content at empire


    A bitter taste spread from his mouth where he had accidentally bitten his tongue. For a brief moment, he felt as if his heart had stopped beating.


    But after a moment of disorientation, he suddenly noticed that his game screen hadn''t turned to grayscale. Xiao Buli carefully checked his character''s health points¡ª1/170, he was left with a single drop of blood, but above his head, there was now a DEBUFF¡ªOn the Verge of Death.


    On the Verge of Death: You are in a near-death state; all attributes are reduced by 75 percent, and you are unable to perform any actions. This state can be lifted once the health points are restored to 10 percent.


    Thanks heaven and earth, Xiao Buli breathed a long sigh of relief. The feeling of narrowly escaping death almost brought him to tears.


    System prompt: Player Xiao Buli comprehended the Heart of Life and Death, Taoist Heart level increased to LV2.


    This prompt didn''t make Xiao Buli overjoyed. After the thrilling moment he had just experienced, he felt that nothing could excite him for some time. Compared to life itself, things like strength or Taoist Heart now seemed trivial.


    Mu Zhiqi walked onto the stage and placed his hands on Xiao Buli''s back. As white smoke rose from his head, Xiao Buli''s health points slowly refilled at a visible rate. After a while, Mu Zhiqi helped Xiao Buli stand up.


    "Thank you, senior, for healing me," Xiao Buli hastily typed, his sincerity unprecedented, even though the other was just an NPC.


    "No need for thanks. The person who injured you is from my Sword Pavilion, so it''s only right that I save you."


    Xiao Buli then gave a bow to Ye Feng, "Thank you, Brother Ye, for showing mercy."


    Ye Feng chuckled, "No need for thanks. I surely don''t want to be wanted for murder and be hunted down everywhere. So, how about it, want to challenge again?"


    That''s unnecessary. Xiao Buli thought to himself. With his current strength, challenging Ye Feng seemed a bit unrealistic. It appeared that earning the title of Sword Master was no easy feat indeed.


    But then he wondered, how exactly did Liu Xing manage to defeat Ye Feng? Could his swordsmanship have reached such a level?


    Leaving the Sword Pavilion, Xiao Buli put all his equipment back on and saw his health point limit increase significantly, which gave him a certain sense of security.


    Only at this moment did the joy of upgrading his Taoist Heart gradually emerge in his heart. Although he didn''t achieve the title of Sword Master, raising the level of Taoist Heart was a considerable gain. Most importantly, he realized how this skill upgrade worked¡ªthe proverbial saying that where there''s a one, there''s a two.


    Many things seemed mysterious, but once you cracked them, they were actually quite simple.


    Clearly, upgrading the Taoist Heart required undergoing some of the special mental experiences that most people rarely encounter even once in their lifetime. Once those experiences were completed, one''s mental state would be enhanced, naturally resulting in a level-up for the Taoist Heart as well.


    This was the conclusion Xiao Buli deduced. However, he still harbored some doubts. In that instant when his character was on the verge of death, he truly felt as if he was stepping through the gates of the underworld, and when he realized he wasn''t dead, he indeed felt as if he had miraculously escaped from a desperate situation; and then it seemed as if the whole world was different.


    So, if he knew about this method in advance and got someone to hack his character to near death, without experiencing the brink of peril and a miraculous escape, could he still comprehend the Heart of Life and Death?


    He sat in front of the computer, lost in thought for a full half-hour until someone tapped him from behind, bringing him gradually back to his senses.


    The answer seemed to be that this question could only be proven with future experiments.


    Turning around, he saw Wu Tao.


    "What''s the matter, Xiao? Aren''t you going to eat? There''s sweet and sour ribs for lunch," Wu Tao asked.


    Xiao Buli checked the time and realized it was already lunchtime. Most members of the Green Dragon Group had started logging off and leaving the game, walking towards the dining hall chatting and laughing¡ªa harmonious scene that starkly contrasted against the dangerous moment he had experienced, sparking an intense realization within him¡ªlife is truly precious.


    "Of course, I''m going to have lunch. I''ve been looking forward to this meal for a long time," Xiao Buli suddenly became enthusiastic, patted Wu Tao on the shoulder, and joyfully headed to the dining hall. This left Wu Tao somewhat puzzled. (Since when did sweet and sour ribs become so appealing?)(To be continued.


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 Chapter 104 The Last Days of the Strong Party

    In the restaurant, Xiao Buli was wolfing down his food with voracious enthusiasm. For the first time in his life, he found the food in his mouth to be so delicious. The impact of the "Heart of Life and Death" on his Taoist Heart wasn''t evident yet, but the influence on his enjoyment of life was strikingly clear.("My Taoist Heart is now at LV2. With that, I should be able to learn more powerful spells.") Xiao Buli thought to himself while savoring the delicious lunch. Back when he was at Mystic Hollow Palace, he had seen several useful spells at Taoist Heart LV2, among them was the Invisibility Technique he most wanted to learn¡ªof course, it wasn''t the original version.


    Lesser Invisibility Spell: Renders you invisible for the next 60 seconds. Any attack or spell-casting action will cancel this effect. Consumes 10 Mana points. To learn, one requires Taoist Heart LV2, friendly prestige with Mystic Hollow Palace, and 120 contribution points.


    Xiao Buli recalled the learning requirements for the Lesser Invisibility Spell and realized that he still couldn''t learn it.


    Although he had reached friendly prestige with Mystic Hollow Palace, he was nowhere near the required 120 contribution points. He remembered spells at Taoist Heart LV2 required at least 100 contribution points to learn, and currently, he didn''t have any contribution points at all.


    ("If I could complete the ''Suppressing the Rebels'' mission, that should be enough. It seems necessary to schedule this task sooner, and perhaps I could ask Wu Min''er for help. With the recon capabilities of the Vermilion Bird Group, finding an NPC should be easy.")


    With that thought, Xiao Buli glanced over to where the Vermilion Bird Group usually dined, only to find not a single person there.


    "Eh, where''s everyone from the Vermilion Bird Group?" he asked Wu Tao, who was sitting next to him.


    While struggling to swallow the chicken leg in his mouth, Wu Tao shook his head, "Who knows, probably still on their computers. I heard they''re still dealing with a mission involving the Dark Forest, trying to find the entrance to a dungeon. Oh right, speaking of dungeons, are we going for a dungeon raid this afternoon? I have learned a few powerful skills recently, it would be good to try them out."


    Xiao Buli nodded his head, but in his heart, he wondered what that dungeon in the Dark Forest would be like?


    Meanwhile:


    "Everyone, be careful, the dungeon entrance should be within the Demon Clan camp ahead. Don''t alert the enemy, move cautiously and spread out to search."


    Wu Min''er, wearing headphones, commanded her subordinates with an air of utmost caution, carefully moving through the shadows within the Demon Clan''s camp. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the heart of the Dark Forest. After days of perilous reconnaissance, she and her team members had finally discovered a camp of the Demon Clan, suspected of being the location of a dungeon entrance.


    However, the presence of Demon Clan soldiers made it difficult to get close and see what was really there.


    "Leader, there is a gap at nine o''clock, estimated to last 30 seconds."


    Wu Min''er immediately looked in the direction indicated by her member. Indeed, due to a change of guard, there appeared to be a small gap in the outer security network of the Demon Clan camp, though it didn''t seem to last long.


    "Everyone, get close to me! Let''s rush over together!" Wu Min''er had barely finished speaking when several semi-transparent figures had already drawn nearer.


    Light Forbiddance Veil! An invisible barrier descended, wrapping Wu Min''er''s position in an invisible darkness. The subtle camouflaged group in the pitch-dark forest was inconspicuous, and with the cover of this darkness, a group of five moved towards the gap.


    They rushed through, avoiding the Demon Clan''s sentries, but not long after encountered a problem¡ªan armed Demon Clan guard was leading two Saber-Toothed Wolves in their direction.


    Saber-Toothed Wolves, hostile creatures affected by demonization, were as docile as toys in the hands of the Demon Clan. These creatures had a strong ability to detect invisibility, posing a particular threat to the operations of the Vermilion Bird Group. It seemed this infiltration wasn''t going to be easy.


    "Du Wang, it''s all on you now," Wu Min''er said.


    Du Wang, a thief with secondary skills in alchemy, nodded at Wu Min''er''s words and silently threw out a few meatballs.


    Hypnotic Bait: Throw a bait ball infused with a sleep-inducing drug. The creature that eats it will fall into a slumber, and any damage may interrupt this effect (effective only on beasts).


    The two Saber-Toothed Wolves, though more ferocious due to demonization, had diminished intelligence and without hesitation, gulped down the meatballs falling from the sky. In moments, they were snoring deeply in sleep.


    The Demon Clan patrol was still trying to figure out what was happening when a ghost-like shadow had already been attached to his back.


    Nerve Strike! The Demon Clan patrol was paralyzed instantaneously.


    Weakness Insight¡ªEnhanced Backstab. With the Weakness Insight ignoring armor, an Enhanced Backstab with six times damage directly struck, producing a bright red number: -875.


    Instant kill, the Demon Clan patrol soldier didn''t even have time to call out before he was dead. Explore more at empire


    The ghost gradually revealed her true form, Wu Min''er looked at the obsidian-dark, shining dagger in her hand and smiled with satisfaction. This ''Dark Dragon Fang Dagger'' was a quest reward from Zhang Xiaotian, the lord of Nine Dragons City, after completing the Demon Clan uprising questline¡ªa golden-quality top-tier weapon with truly terrifying attack power.


    These past few days, she''d experienced the thrill of instakilling quite a lot, but what Wu Min''er cared about most was another attribute that seemed rather useless¡ªSoul Binding: Once bound, it cannot be traded, thus avoiding the fate of being turned over to others.


    Actually, the originally rewarded equipment was another weapon that was not soul-bound. However, by reaching a respectful personal prestige with Zhang Xiaotian, Wu Min''er slightly influenced the lord''s actions¡ªof course, this was something she would never reveal.


    "Alright, you guys stay here and look for an opportunity to escape. I can take it from here alone."


    After Wu Min''er finished speaking, she re-entered stealth mode, invisibly heading deeper into the Demon Clan camp.


    Several Demon Clan guards blocked her path, but no matter. In this map, where there was never any daylight, shadows were plentiful. Spotting the shadow cast by a nearby broken wall, Wu Min''er lightly pressed the R key skill¡ªShadow Jump!


    The next moment, her figure appeared on the other side of the guards, easily bypassing the rest and, after circling around a bit more, a huge fissure tearing through the earth appeared before her. Walking down the ramp at one end of the fissure, she didn''t get far before a silver-lit instance barrier appeared before her eyes.


    (A silver-quality instance, now things are getting interesting.) Wu Min''er thought with a twinkle in her eye.


    The level of a boss inside an instance is usually one grade higher than the instance itself, which means that the bosses inside are at least of golden quality. Under normal circumstances, although challenging, it''s not impossible to defeat them, but the problem is that this instance belongs to the Demon Clan.


    A high-level Demon Clan elite nearly forced the Green Dragon Group to wipe; if it were replaced by a golden-level boss...


    Wu Min''er couldn''t help but feel a pang of pity for the strong parties of the Green Dragon Group, who always relied on equipment to crush lower-level instances, "What a bunch of poor fellows," she said with a faint sneer at the corner of her mouth.


    "Let me see what kind of challenge you guys will face next," she muttered, licking her lips and carefully, anxiously, stepping through the silver barrier.


    The color immediately brightened, and the gloomy scenery of the Dark Forest changed in the blink of an eye into a scene of fire spreading across the plain, with burnt marks from the flames everywhere and figures radiating flames walking to and fro in front.


    Fire Spirits? No, more like Demonized Fire Spirits, to be precise. While encounters were rare, Wu Min''er had indeed dealt with elemental creatures before. Regular Fire Spirits were purely fiery red, but the cores of these Fire Spirits were tinged with an ominous black, and their names had become ''Corrupted Fire Spirits.''


    It seems that the power of the Demon Clan could demonize not only humans but even elemental creatures, who were said to be immune to any mind-control abilities.


    Continuing along the fissure''s rocky wall, she didn''t go much farther before a huge, oppressive figure appeared before Wu Min''er¡ªthe Abyssal Flame Demon Lord (Guardian of the Abyssal Gate), a gigantic being as tall as a three-story building, with a golden name and surrounded by a ring of dozens of elite Fire Spirit minions¡ªAnd this was only the first boss.


    Seeing such a scene, Wu Min''er couldn''t help but offer a silent prayer for the people of the Green Dragon Group.


    Picking up the camera beside the monitor, she pointed it at the screen and clicked the shutter.


    (Alright, there''s no need to explore further, time to make a getaway.)


    Thinking to herself, she took out an Earth Spirit Talisman from her bag. Before leaving, she did not forget to check the number of players the instance could accommodate¡ªA 20-person team? That meant the White Tiger Group was also in for some bad luck.


    With a whoosh of white light, Wu Min''er''s figure disappeared within the fissure.


    "Whew, finally done. Thankfully no one died. Let''s go have lunch," Wu Min''er said as she turned around, only to find that several people from her team were staring at her screen with looks of shock on their faces.


    "Team leader, was that BOSS just now the instance BOSS that the Green Dragon Group is about to challenge? Are you sure?"


    Wu Min''er rarely revealed her inner emotional changes in front of her team members, so she simply nodded and said lightly, "Yes, but whether the Green Dragon Group continues with this instance or not is not for us to decide. We just need to report the information."


    After speaking, as if she remembered something else, "Also, don''t let this information leak out. Otherwise, if the higher-ups find out, I won''t be covering for you."


    The warning lacked force, and while it seemed like a caution, it had no real effect; her team members responded with laughter and didn''t take it seriously.


    The group of five arrived at the cafeteria, each piled food onto their plates and found seats to sit down. Wu Min''er looked up at the Green Dragon Group and caught sight of Zhang Yaoyang enjoying his ribs, mouth stuffed with food, and couldn''t help but feel a hint of mischief.


    She took out her phone and softly sent the photo she had taken. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 105 Yaoyangs Opportunity

    Zhang Yaoyang was enjoying his meal when his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He took it out and saw an image. The picture was a bit blurry with a dark background featuring a tower-shaped object in a shade of orange (What''s this? Flame Ice Cream?).While he mumbled to himself, he swallowed the food in his mouth forcefully. Wait a second! He suddenly noticed the game interface faintly visible at the edge of the photo, and then his eyes caught the words ''Abyssal Gate Entrance'' in the top right corner. He immediately snapped back to reality.


    It''s a dungeon, could that thing be¡ªhe shifted his gaze to the top of that ''Flame Ice Cream,'' where a row of red letters was barely discernible¡ªAbyssal Flame Demon Lord.


    Woo! Cough! Cough! Cough! Zhang Yaoyang suddenly coughed violently, almost running out of breath. Beside him, Hua Yueying pounded on his back, "Are you okay, team leader?


    Don''t be so downhearted, okay? It''s just ribs, why make such a fuss."


    Zhang Yaoyang responded to Hua Yueying''s teasing with a smile and looked over at the Vermilion Bird Group''s side, catching Wu Min''er giving him a mischievous smile, which immediately confirmed his suspicion. With that, the mood for eating vanished.


    (This is an opportunity), he turned to look at his team members who were still naive, thinking to himself, (I just hope the company''s higher-ups aren''t as clever as I imagine), while continuing to sit down and quietly resume his meal without showing his concern.


    Perhaps due to the frequent personnel changes within the Vermilion Bird Group, incorporating too many members from other teams, or perhaps because of Wu Min''er''s deliberate indulgence that resulted in a lack of the concept of secrecy, by the time lunch was over, the rough news about the silver dungeon in the Dark Forest had spread across the Green Dragon and White Tiger Groups.


    After returning to the computer room at noon, everyone started to discuss the seriousness of the situation.


    "A silver dungeon, a gold-colored BOSS, and it''s from the Demon Clan at that, its strength is definitely not on the same level as an ordinary gold-colored BOSS, I bet it''s almost equivalent to a common dark gold BOSS, and it''s just the gatekeeper.


    Who knows how many there are behind it, we''re doomed, our team is going to be wiped!" Wu Tao was the one saying this, looking completely at a loss as if genuinely terrified by the news. If it weren''t for last night''s experience, Xiao Buli might have tried to comfort him, but now he could only admire Wu Tao''s acting skills.


    Yaoyao, however, calmly said, "But it might just be this one BOSS, right? We''ve encountered single BOSS dungeons before."


    Liu Xing sneered upon hearing this, "That might be, but even with just this one BOSS, do you think we can beat it?"


    "Isn''t it said to be a 20-player difficulty dungeon? Maybe we can overwhelm it with numbers?"


    "Overwhelm it with numbers!?" Liu Xing''s face suddenly revealed a cold smile, "How many people do you think are needed to take down a BOSS that big? Don''t forget that we''re not playing World of Warcraft, our game has collision volume as a factor. With a BOSS that large, it''ll squash people just by moving, without even attacking."


    Indeed, this was true. In most online games, a BOSS''s size often isn''t an absolute measure of its strength, because without collision volume, the size of the BOSS doesn''t really have much practical significance. Many seemingly massive monsters often fall easily, but this isn''t the case with the game they are playing now.


    A few tanks responsible for holding aggro imagined facing a giant BOSS three stories tall, shivering at the thought¡ªthis was simply impossible to fight.


    Hua Yueying frowned and said, "I think the higher-ups wouldn''t really send us to tackle this dungeon, right?" After saying this and seeing everyone''s eyes on her, she continued, "We didn''t know the difficulty of this dungeon before, so it''s understandable, but now that we do, it''s unreasonable to send us to our deaths.


    After all, if we get wiped, the company would have to spend who knows how long and how much money training another team like us, don''t you think?"


    Everyone sighed in relief upon hearing this, with many thinking, (Right, a dungeon of this difficulty is clearly impossible to overcome, we are the elites, how could we be sent to such a deathtrap as mere cannon fodder, maybe they will cancel the mission to conquer this dungeon as soon as they receive intel on it).


    People have a tendency toward wishful thinking, especially when Hua Yueying''s analysis seemed to be flawless, so they agreed with this idea, even Xiao Buli started to doubt. Unless their heads were run over by a car, or they were intent on getting the Green Dragon Group wiped, there''s absolutely no reason for the company''s higher-ups to assign them such a dungeon.


    Zhang Yaoyang glanced around at everyone and felt a little disappointed seeing such expressions, (It seems everyone still has illusions about the company, but that''s alright, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. When they truly witness the ruthlessness of the company, how will they keep up this hope?).


    He also showed a relieved expression and said, "Sister Hua is right, the company shouldn''t force us to play such a dungeon, it''s too inhumane, however monstrous, to do something like that, so no matter what, we can only wait for the result now, hoping they''ll be reasonable."


    It seems that was the only thing to do, having discussed without reaching any conclusions, they had to disperse and continue playing the game.


    Xiao Buli had originally planned to join everyone for a dungeon run in the afternoon, but after this event, everyone lost the mood, so he continued to work on Life Skills tasks. Read new chapters at empire


    Xiao Buli kept thinking about when he could return to Mystic Hollow Palace to learn skills, but skill learning required Contribution Value, which he currently didn''t have, and could only be obtained by completing Sect tasks.


    Fortunately, although there''s still no clue about the task of eliminating the treacherous Xuan Zhenzi, collecting books for Jingci and gathering alchemy materials for Ji Xiangyun are still doable tasks. The contribution value might be a little less, but it''s better than nothing.


    At the auction house, the "Wild Goose Formation" had already been sold; the rusty Mountain Pattern Armor, however, attracted no interest. Just as he was about to continue listing it, Yaoyao called out to him.


    "Hey Xiao, is that armor still available? If it hasn''t been sold, just give it to me," she said.


    "What do you need it for?" Xiao Buli asked curiously.


    "I''ve got a new follower, so I need to equip him with a few items." Xiao Buli glanced at Yaoyao''s screen and saw a burly, strong man following behind her¡ªit was none other than Niu Dazhuang. How had this girl suddenly come to her senses?


    As if reading Xiao Buli''s mind, Yaoyao said, "I figured having a tank is better than not having one. If we''re in danger, at least I have a fodder to use as a shield. Eventually, I decided to take on this minion. So, how about it, can you give me that armor?"


    Xiao Buli nodded; it was just an unneeded piece of armor after all, so he might as well give it away.


    He traded the Mountain Pattern Armor to Yaoyao and continued browsing the auction house. The alchemy equipment Ji Xiangyun needed was expensive, but still purchasable. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Buli spent five Gold Coins to get the full set of materials. He thought to himself how insufficient money was, as he was now left with only ten Gold Coins.


    "Hey, Old Xiao, is that grave-digging shovel still available?" Bai Yunfei''s voice came through once again. Xiao Buli was startled and asked, "What do you need that for?"


    "Digging up bodies," replied Bai Yunfei. "I''ve successfully switched careers to become a Corpse-driving Warlock. Now I need to dig up a few corpses to refine and make Zombies. That shovel of yours would come in handy for that."


    Curious, Xiao Buli said, "So, you mean you can use Zombies to fight monsters from now on? How powerful are your Zombies, anyway?"


    Bai Yunfei replied, "Never mind how powerful they are for now; at least they''re qualified to be meat shields. Think about it, if we''re in trouble, having a Zombie as a last resort means a higher chance of survival, right?"


    Xiao Buli nodded and traded the grave-digging shovel to Bai Yunfei.


    (It seems everyone is becoming aware of the crisis. Should I also consider catching another pet? Immortal and Exotic Beasts aren''t easy to catch, but Demon Beasts are easy to encounter. They''re everywhere in the Dark Forest. However, without the "Wild Beast Knowledge: Demon Realm Chapter," I can''t capture them.)


    While considering this issue, someone suddenly shouted, "Hey, guys, Manager Qin is here."


    Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and looked towards the door, only to see Qin Shimoon walking in with a stern face, seemingly irritated by something. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees as people sensed her mood.


    The executive, who was usually calm and composed, was quite frightening when angry. Could there be some bad news? Everyone couldn''t help but wonder.


    Seeing the expectant looks from the crowd, Qin Shimoon managed to squeeze out a smile.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting, members of the Green Dragon Group. I suppose you''re all expecting me to cancel the dungeon mission in the Dark Forest, but I''m afraid I''ll have to disappoint you. The upper management insistently decided that the dungeon opening mission remains unchanged and is still scheduled for the end of this month."


    Zhang Yaoyang scoffed inwardly. (Seems like there''s no escaping fate now. Is this destiny? Little sister, those who hurt you will soon pay the price!) His heart was filled with a fever for revenge, although his face showed a look of reluctance. "But there are only ten of us, how are we supposed to tackle a twenty-player dungeon?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "That''s why the core combat members of the White Tiger Group will join you, forming a twenty-person Pioneer Corps. I believe with sincere cooperation and unity, we can clear the dungeon.


    Moreover, considering the high difficulty of this mission, everyone participating in the dungeon, whether they can continue to serve the company or not, whether the team manages to clear it or not, will receive a bonus of 200,000. An additional 100,000 will be given as a severance if a character dies in the game..." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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 Chapter 106 The Secret Gathering of the Green Dragon Group

    The so-called "whether you can continue to serve the company" is just a more euphemistic way of saying dying in the game. But even with the nearly two-hundred thousand severance pay, plus one hundred thousand in termination fees, that''s only three hundred thousand¡ªa trifling sum for a human life, don''t you think?As Xiao Buli thought this, he observed everyone''s reaction. Qin Shimoon continued to appeal to emotion and reason, but hardly anyone was seriously listening anymore. Perhaps everyone had felt that there was something not quite right with the game. Usually, they could still put on a show, but now faced with certain death, they had little mood left to pretend.


    Only Wu Tao still appeared pleasantly surprised, as if genuinely enticed by the near two-hundred thousand, making one admire his acting skills.


    Finally, after Qin Shimoon had said all that needed to be said, she glanced at the crowd''s response (Sure enough, I expected as much. These guys aren''t completely oblivious fools, I wonder how they will respond? Hehe, but it''s no longer any of my concern). She thought to herself, shook her head slightly with a sigh, and then turned and left, leaving behind a deafening silence.


    After a long silence in the computer room, Du Yibo suddenly spoke up, "I don''t know what you all are thinking, but I definitely won''t go to my death. At worst, they can transfer me to the White Tiger Group or just fire me, but I''m sure as hell not going to play that dungeon."


    "Don''t speak in anger, Yibo. Things haven''t reached that point yet. The upper management might still change their minds," Hua Yueying tried to persuade him, but even she sounded unconvinced.


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "Let''s not grumble about it. Let''s just wait and see. Maybe within this month our strength will improve enough, and with the sheer number of people, we might actually beat the dungeon."


    Liu Xing suddenly looked up, staring into Zhang Yaoyang''s eyes, "Heh, so you''re still harboring illusions?" His face was unusually calm, yet his tone was resolutely firm, "Placing our hopes in the higher-ups'' sudden awakening, or hitting the jackpot in the game, do you really prefer to believe in such ethereal things rather than in yourselves? At times like this, we should really..."


    A hand suddenly landed on Liu Xing''s shoulder, startling him. He turned to see Xiao Buli giving him a nod, and then a shake of the head, his eyes seeming to hint at something.


    Liu Xing was taken aback, his expression a mix of surprise, disbelief, and suspicion. Ultimately, however, he just snorted and said nothing more.


    That afternoon, nobody felt like playing the game, including Liu Xing, who spent the afternoon watching bandits on a nearby mountain. When the evening log-off time came, Wu Tao slipped him a note. Liu Xing quietly unfolded it and saw "Meet in the restroom at 12 o''clock."


    (Damn, what is this nonsense?) Liu Xing thought.


    It wasn''t just him who received a note; Xiao Buli got one too, although unlike Liu Xing, he was well aware of the reasons behind it.


    After practicing his Professional Skills all afternoon and working an extra shift into the night, Xiao came to the restroom at exactly 12 o''clock, pretending to be logging off to relieve himself. As he entered the restroom, he heard a subdued argument.


    Stepping in, he was surprised to find the entire bathroom crowded with people, not only from the Azure Dragon Group, who were already in the know¡ªWu Tao, Zhang Yaoyang, Bai Yunfei, Yaoyao¡ªbut tonight there were three more: Zhao Yunlong, Liu Xing, and Du Yibo.


    "This is impossible! What you''re saying can''t be true!" Zhao Yunlong looked like he couldn''t accept what he was hearing, seemingly confronted with something extremely absurd. Upon seeing Xiao Buli enter, he grasped at him like a lifeline, "Xiao, you''ve come at just the right time.


    The team leader said that if you die in the game, you die in real life too, and to resist the company, you guys even created some kind of rebellion organization. Isn''t that hilarious?"


    (It seems Zhang Yaoyang has spilled everything to the three of them). Xiao Buli thought inwardly as he nodded slightly at Zhao Yunlong.


    After Zhao Yunlong finished asking, Xiao Buli didn''t laugh but instead nodded solemnly, which only increased Zhao Yunlong''s astonishment.


    "It can''t be real," he murmured in a daze, backing away until a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Du Yibo, whose face was as grim as it was unsurprised.


    Speaking in a somber tone, Du Yibo said, "What the team leader said is probably true. Although I don''t know if you really die in reality if you die in the game, the abilities gained in the game can indeed be used in real life. By extension, the idea of dying in the game resulting in death in real life isn''t that far-fetched."


    Zhao Yunlong chuckled with a hint of skepticism, "Using game abilities in real life? Who are you trying to fool?"


    "Want proof? That''s easy. Let me perform a little spell for you." As he spoke, Du Yibo extended a hand, gave a slight flick, and without warning, a flame burst into existence in his palm, burning steadily like a torch, yet his hand showed no signs of burning.


    "How is it, does it not have quite the flair of Kusanagi Kyo from ''The King of Fighters''?" he said with a trace of pride and a hint of bitterness on his face, "I was excited for quite a while the first time I did this." After he finished speaking, he gently clenched his fist, and the flame disappeared from his hand.


    Yet this display elicited looks of admiration from those in the know, such as Xiao Buli, but Zhao Yunlong''s face was filled with nothing but terror, "What about Liu Xing then?" he asked.


    Liu Xing nodded slightly, then suddenly leaped up, reaching the energy-saving bulb on the ceiling in one bound. Hanging onto the bulb as if weightless, he persisted for a moment before slowly descending.


    Seeing such a performance, Zhao Yunlong could no longer deny the truth and inevitably sat down on the cold bathroom floor with a thump.


    "Look on the bright side, at least you are a superpower user now, although the skills of a martial general seem a bit underwhelming," Liu Xing said, squatting down and patting Zhao Yunlong on the shoulder, who gave him a smile uglier than crying.


    "What about Hua Yueying and Li Chuang? Why didn''t you bring the two of them?" Du Yibo suddenly asked.


    "I suspect we have an inside traitor sent by the higher-ups in our group," Zhang Yaoyang said, "After a long period of analysis, it''s very likely one of those two, so for secrecy, I had to temporarily keep them in the dark."


    Enjoy new stories from empire


    "Then why tell us all this?"


    "Of course, it''s to have everyone join the rebellion. The situation is clear now, the higher-ups want us to go to our deaths. They think they can buy our lives for three hundred thousand. No matter what you think, I, Zhang Yaoyang, will never accept such an outcome!"


    He spoke fervently and vigorously, immediately igniting the fury in the trio.


    Liu Xing spoke with a grave voice, "You''re right, these bastards simply disregard human life. We cannot sit back and wait for death, but when do we take action?"


    "The time has already been set, on the day we officially start the raid on the instance. However, with our current strength, rebellion won''t be easy, so we need to contact the White Tiger Group. As for the Vermilion Bird Group, besides Wu Min''er whom we can trust, the rest are unknown, and considering the Vermilion Bird Group''s weak power, it''s not necessary to take the risk to make contact.


    In the meantime, there are only two things we need to do: one is to improve our strength in the game, the other is to improve our strength in reality. Not only do we have to learn to use and master the skills from the game in real life, but we also have to think of ways to smuggle some weapons in; otherwise, we will have no power to fight back." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why don''t we run instead?" Zhao Yunlong asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why don''t we all break away from the company during the Sunday break and then never go back?"


    "Don''t forget our game accounts are still in the hands of the company. What if they log into the game characters and kill us all?" guessed Du Yibo.


    Zhang Yaoyang, however, shook his head, "I''m not worried about that. I''ve already experimented with Old Bai and others. It''s simply impossible for different people to log into someone else''s account. No matter how many times you type in the account password, the screen will show a login error. Only the owner of the account can successfully log in. It''s probably because of the nature of the game.


    Although I don''t know the principle behind it, I''m sure the company can''t do it either."


    Du Yibo wondered, "Then what''s there to worry about?"


    Zhang Yaoyang scoffed, "Do you think it''s normal that so many people have died without causing any uproar at all?" As soon as he said this, many people''s faces changed color.


    Liu Xing asked, "What do you mean?"


    Zhang Yaoyang took a deep breath, "No matter who is behind this company, they possess unimaginable influence. Considering the miraculous nature of this game, those of us who know the truth will absolutely not be allowed to survive. If we run away separately, the only outcome is to be hunted down one by one.


    So, our only choice is to rise in rebellion, destroy the entire company''s archives, and then we can ensure we are not tracked."


    "Besides, we can also take some computers with us, so we can continue to improve our own strength through the game. Don''t tell me you''re willing to give up entering this game forever. At least, I don''t want to give up such power."


    Zhang Yaoyang''s argument seemed completely flawless and also captured everyone''s heart. After thinking for a while, the three of them nodded in agreement, "You''re right, it''s indeed the logical thing to do." (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote, recommend tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 107 He is the President

    zhang yaoyang''s reasoning seemed impeccable and had fully grasped everyone''s psychology. after contemplating for a while, the three of them nodded in agreement and said, "you''re right, that''s exactly the point."indeed, it wasn''t just the three of them; the others also nodded in agreement. compared to the three, xiao buli and the rest had considered even more and planned for a longer time, so they naturally had a deeper understanding of these principles.


    seeing such a scene, zhang yaoyang nodded in satisfaction, surveyed the people in the room, and said with some excitement, "we come from all corners of the country, from everywhere across the land. before this, we were strangers with no relations among us, but now we''ve gathered here because of a game. this might be a twist of fate, a mere coincidence, or perhaps just a joke played by god.


    however, since we are all facing the same crises, the same choices, we should unite and weather the storm together. if we overcome this challenge, we will transform from caterpillars into butterflies, from carp into dragons, and acquire wondrous powers beyond the imagination of ordinary people.


    we will become higher beings in this world, no longer bound by mundane laws, attaining absolute freedom, achieving unprecedented success¡ªfor such a goal, i am willing to gamble with my life. what about you?"


    as he spoke, he extended one hand in front of everyone. bai yunfei swiftly put his hand on top, followed by wu tao''s, yaoyao''s, xiao buli''s, liu xing''s, zhao yunlong''s, and du yibo''s hands, all piled together. each person could feel the others'' strength and courage.


    "let''s strive for this goal together!" zhang yaoyang said excitedly, and the others nodded in turn, but wu tao, without much sense of occasion, quipped, "that slogan sounds like something from the revolutionaries." this made everyone laugh.


    although the consensus had been reached and their determination made, specifics of how to proceed and the tactics to be used still required detailed planning.


    zhang yaoyang had some ideas, but they were not very mature, and he did not wish to appear overly autocratic, so he asked, "what do you all think we should do to devise this plan?"


    no one made a sound. if it was about fighting monsters or player-killing in the game, they were all experts, but when it came to scheming and plotting, they indeed lacked experience.


    seeing this, zhang yaoyang couldn''t help but sigh softly and shared his plan.


    "actually, my plan is quite simple: build up strength, find the right moment, then ''smash the cup'' as the signal for a united uprising."


    "by ''building up strength,'' i mean what i said earlier about practicing the use of our in-game abilities in the real world. we can find opportunities to do this on sundays and smuggle in some cold weapons like swords into the company in the meantime. i will also secretly contact members of the white tiger group to make plans.


    "finding the right moment means choosing a time when everyone is gathered together to reveal all the secrets of the game. the company cannot simply watch these people who know their secrets leave. this will leave everyone with no way out, forcing them to join our cause.


    "the expression, ''smash the cup'' as the signal, refers to starting a riot during a meal. the security and staff will all be concentrated in the canteen at that time, allowing us to catch them all in one fell swoop. afterwards, we focus our efforts against the qilin group, and with the advantage of numbers, we should be able to secure a victory. what do you think of my plan?"


    the group hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then variously agreed. however, xiao buli shook his head upon hearing zhang yaoyang''s plan. despite its reliable appearance, it was way too simplistic, and any unforeseen event could ruin everything. he had intended to keep a low profile, but he felt that he couldn''t stand by any longer; a faulty plan could doom them all.


    "your plan is somewhat reasonable," he said, "but there are a few points that i believe could be added."


    zhao yunlong looked at him skeptically, "you''re just a newcomer, don''t get ahead of yourself." stay updated through empire


    yet, wu tao suddenly interjected, "he''s not just any newcomer¡ªhe''s the leader of the qingyang empire guild."


    the qingyang empire guild! upon hearing this, everyone was immediately taken aback. ordinary people might not know much about the qingyang empire, but those involved in the online gaming world had heard of it at least.


    a major guild that had fought across several popular games, unique in that it was composed entirely of non-rmb (real money trading) players, with only a few core members, it was an approach wholly unlike the ''afk grinding'' tactics of typical gaming studios.


    now that they learned xiao buli was actually the leader of the qingyang empire, those who had heard of the guild were surprised, and even those who hadn''t quickly inquired and gained a rough understanding.


    seeing that no one else was voicing any doubts and all eyes were on him, xiao buli began to speak confidently, "first of all, regarding contacting the white tiger group, since the higher-ups want me to form a team to fight the boss, the team leader can definitely use practicing coordination as a pretext to merge the white tiger group with us.


    then we can directly communicate with the white tiger group without any subterfuge, reducing the possibility of arousing suspicion from the higher-ups."


    "second, since we''re dealing with a boss that utilizes fire element attacks, we might as well apply for a budget to buy and collect fire resistance equipment. on one hand, we can get an extra subsidy in gold coins to enhance our strength, and on the other, it can serve to lull the upper management into a false sense of security."


    "third, we must gain autonomy over the direction of our upgrades. if those above us have complete knowledge of everyone''s abilities, achieving victory will be excessively difficult. i think the team leader can directly present this condition to them, with the reason being that to properly conquer new dungeons, we must develop the right mix of professions.


    considering qin shimoon''s past attitude, they are likely to agree in order to placate us."


    "fourth, even ordinary security guards must be approached with caution. they seem to be well-trained experts and are likely equipped with firearms. we''re not yet at a point where we can ignore bullets, so it''s best not to take them lightly. on the day of the action, it would be wise to sabotage their weapons beforehand. i think yaoyao can handle this task."


    "fifth, many areas of the company require keys or access cards, especially the topmost floors. we have to consider this and prepare duplicates of the main keys and access cards if anyone here is skilled in thievery."


    "sixth, it''s clear that this company isn''t the only player in the game. we need to reach out to other guilds or solo players to collect intelligence about the game and our company. this will help us identify anyone else we might have to deal with outside the company, because even if we take down the company, we won''t be able to relax without this information."


    "seventh, we need to figure out exactly how many people are in qilin group and what they specialize in before we take any action. this will help us formulate a plan to target them. this task can be taken on by wu min''er. given the relationship between her and the team leader, she will most likely be willing to help."


    "eighth, we must prepare an evacuation plan. once we start our campaign, it will definitely draw the attention of law enforcement. after dealing with the company''s upper echelon, we must retreat swiftly. the method and route of retreat must be planned out in advance."


    "ninth, have any of you ever killed someone? if not, it''s best to train your nerve in advance and at least be mentally prepared. if when the time comes you hesitate, we''ll be the ones to die."


    "tenth, and most importantly, considering that our plan might be exposed before we act, we need an emergency backup plan. this plan should be aimed at self-preservation in the worst-case scenario. i suggest recording a video or some kind of document revealing the secrets of the company and the game and hiding it in multiple locations.


    if things become impossible, we can use this to blackmail the company into letting us go. while the chances of success are slim, there''s at least a possibility." sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    xiao buli reeled off ten suggestions in one breath, causing everyone to break out in a cold sweat, realizing there were so many aspects they hadn''t taken into account.


    zhang yaoyang looked particularly embarrassed and chuckled wryly, "honestly, i think you might be better suited to be the team leader."


    xiao buli shook his head, "i''m just relatively good at analysis. you undervalue yourself, team leader. in terms of prestige, familiarity with everyone''s abilities, and determination for this operation, you are unmatched. it''s best for you to remain as the team leader, as it reassures everyone. i am content to act as a strategist."


    xiao buli wasn''t foolish; after all, he had only joined the green dragon group a few days ago, so it wasn''t his place to be the team leader. considering he was an outsider among a group that had been together for several months, their unity in common goals and interests wasn''t apparent yet. however, he felt that if it came down to sacrificing someone, he would inevitably be the one chosen.


    thus, from the beginning, xiao buli had no intention of sticking with the green dragon group. as long as he could leave the company with the game client, he would depart from the green dragon group and establish his own studio, where his trusted core members from past ventures would undoubtedly provide him with more security.


    seeing xiao buli decline and the others showing their belief that no one else was better suited, zhang yaoyang simply laughed and let the matter rest.


    with the advice provided by xiao buli and his previous plans, a detailed plan quickly came together. everyone committed their respective responsibilities in the plan to memory before dispersing.


    the next morning, zhang yaoyang went to qin shimoon''s office and proposed the idea of forming a dungeon raid team by combining green dragon and white tiger ahead of time. he also requested autonomy in leveling up, no longer following the company''s previous assignment of positions, and additionally asked for a special fund to collect fire resistance equipment. (to be continued.


    if you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 108 The Core Strength of Qilin Group

    qin shimoon hesitated a bit on the first two requests but eventually agreed; however, the third request made her hesitate. s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."fire-resistant equipment? is it really so necessary? i''ve already allocated you a substantial amount of funds previously."


    "manager qin, this boss is an unprecedented formidable enemy that we have never encountered before, and conventional tactics will definitely not work against it. the only possibility is to utilize its fire element attacks, and counter it using fire-resistant measures. this may be our only chance to conquer this dungeon," zhang yaoyang explained earnestly, his sincerity evident.


    qin shimoon was slightly taken aback, seemingly surprised that zhang yaoyang had adjusted his mindset so quickly. countering with fire-resistant measures did sound like a good strategy, and since qin shimoon was not very knowledgeable about online games, perhaps it could really work?


    considering this, she nodded her head, "well then, i can specially approve a fund of 200 gold coins for you. as for the rest, we will have to wait until the xuanwu group has replenished its gold coin reserves."


    zhang yaoyang nodded, "then i am relieved. in addition, there are two more matters. since we''re going to use the white tiger group''s members to form a team with us, shouldn''t we also assign a leader for the white tiger group? manager qin, do you have any suitable candidates in mind?"


    qin shimoon hesitated, wang yifan was definitely not an option, as he still had to manage the daily operations of the white tiger group, "who do you think would be suitable?"


    "i think li jian is a good choice. he has some clout in the white tiger group and should be able to command those guys," zhang yaoyang said nervously, watching qin shimoon, fearing she might disagree. after various probes, he had confirmed that li jian, like him, not only knew the secrets of the game but also harbored some rebellious thoughts.


    qin shimoon nodded, "then let it be li jian. this dungeon is very important, and you can recruit anyone from the white tiger group as you wish. don''t disappoint me. what''s the second matter?"


    "intelligence. i need all the intelligence on that dungeon, so i hope wu min''er from the vermilion bird group can cooperate fully with me during this time."


    qin shimoon nodded, "no problem. i will issue the order to her. do you have any other requests?"


    zhang yaoyang shook his head, "that''s all for now."


    when zhang yaoyang stepped out of the manager''s office, he let out a sigh of relief. it seemed that the plan was progressing smoothly, and now it was time for the next step.


    at noon, as xiao buli was pondering how to enhance his strength while eating lunch, zhang yaoyang suddenly sat down across from him, "come with me this afternoon to meet with the white tiger group''s people."


    xiao buli asked curiously, "why are you taking me with you?"


    zhang yaoyang replied, "of course, it''s because we need to leverage your analytical skills to persuade them. if there isn''t a sufficient chance of success, the white tiger group''s members are unlikely to agree to join. after all, this dungeon battle is going to be led by our green dragon group."


    xiao buli nodded, offering no objection.


    in the afternoon, zhang yaoyang specifically requested a conference room from qin shimoon as a venue to discuss the formation of the dungeon raid team.


    as key figures in forming the raid team for the dungeon, wu min''er and li jian were both invited, and besides them, zhang yaoyang only brought bai yunfei and xiao buli.


    xiao buli was the last to arrive. in order to persuade the white tiger group, he had prepared some items beforehand.


    "look who''s here, isn''t this our master xiao?" as xiao buli entered the office, li jian spoke with a mix of sarcasm and jest, as the scenes from their first days in the newbie area seemed like just yesterday, yet today''s were so different.


    zhang yaoyang nodded at xiao buli, who then went straight to sit between him and bai yunfei. wu min''er and li jian sat in the other two corners of the conference room, sharply delineating the groups.


    "well, now that we''re all here, let''s get started," zhang yaoyang said as he spread out a plan and handed out copies to everyone.


    "this is the plan for our upcoming dungeon raid. considering it''s a 20-person team dungeon, the white tiger group also needs to send members. after discussing with manager qin, we''ve decided that li jian would be the most suitable person to lead the white tiger group. moreover, key members including gao lianyu, zhang hao, ma long, and others, will all join. what do you think? aren''t you excited?"


    hearing zhang yaoyang''s words, li jian indeed felt excited, not with joy, but with anger.


    "what do you mean? are you trying to drag others down with you as you die?" li jian asked with a dark expression, which was not unexpected.


    zhang yaoyang laughed, "why would you say that? it''s actually a good thing. you should know that once it''s completed, there''s a 200,000 bonus to be earned, which is much better than working your butt off for a month to make ten or eighteen thousand."


    li jian almost jumped up at this, his fists clenching audibly, "don''t play dumb with me. i''m asking you again, why have you turned to me now when we''ve had no grudges in the past and no conflicts recently?"


    zhang yaoyang, hearing his question, also became serious, "even if i didn''t find you, how long do you think you could stay carefree if we were to fail this time? since that''s the case, why don''t we all rebel together? with everyone present, we should have a fighting chance."


    the room fell deathly silent at his words. although everyone''s previous conversations were implied, stating it so bluntly was still somewhat risky. wu min''er looked around vigilantly, while li jian watched zhang yaoyang with a wary expression, puzzled as to why the other was so bold.


    "rest assured, the surveillance cameras and listening devices in this room have all been disabled by me," said zhang yaoyang, his confidence brimming.


    li jian furrowed his brows, "how did you manage that?"


    read exclusive chapters at empire


    "well, you''ll understand once you look at this." after speaking, he stretched out a hand, and a mouse suddenly appeared in his grasp, obediently lying there, not showing any signs of fear.


    upon seeing this, wu min''er frowned, but li jian laughed, "a mouse? so that''s it, you used taming skills, right? heh, i should have thought of it earlier, you''ve already been able to use abilities from the game."


    "that''s true for me, and isn''t it the same for you? if i''m not mistaken, you and your people have been able to do the same for quite some time now," he replied.


    li jian nodded, took off his sunglasses, and his eyes were faintly red, "i am a berserker, and ever since i advanced, my eyes turned like this. whenever i wish, i can enter a berserk state."


    after saying this, he put his sunglasses back on, "so are you really planning to rebel?" li jian still found it hard to believe.


    "what else could it mean? of course it''s to rebel. we always harbored some illusions in the past, but now it seems clear that the higher-ups simply don''t take us seriously at all, just using our lives in exchange for equipment. if we don''t rebel now, then when?"


    li jian asked, "how many in green dragon group are willing to rebel with you? it can''t just be those two, can it?"


    zhang yaoyang shook his head, "of course not, most people in green dragon group are willing to stand with me. however, for the sake of confidentiality, i did not bring them here."


    li jian nodded, "in that case, there might be a chance. how do you plan to deal with qilin group?" that was the question he was most concerned about.


    zhang yaoyang turned and gave a glance, "xiao, please enlighten us."


    xiao buli nodded, he had already started preparing after the afternoon talk, so he was not flustered.


    "the key to our uprising involves how to confront qilin group. as the saying goes, know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. to defeat qilin group, we must figure out exactly how many people there are and what abilities they have," he said.


    he pointed at bai yunfei, "old bai tried to scout using soul out of body, but there is a powerful barrier protecting the top floor, making it impossible to enter. therefore, within qilin group, there must be someone good at dealing with spiritual beings from the mage professions. as for determining the abilities of other qilin group members, we''ll have to resort to a less elegant method."


    as he spoke, xiao buli took out several pieces of paper. these papers were penciled into a grid-like pattern; it was easy to discern that these resembled equipment slots for characters.


    "i''m going to use a deductive method. list all the equipment and items you have turned in over the past five months. same for the white tiger group," he spoke as he distributed the papers to li jian and zhang yaoyang.


    they both complied, and xiao buli scrutinized the list on the paper, then looked up at the two men, "are these the equipment and items taken at random by those above, or did they selectively choose? did they assign tasks to you? was there any instance where they returned equipment that was not useful? if yes, please mark those instances."


    zhang yaoyang and li jian both nodded and once again followed his instructions.


    with the updated list in hand, xiao buli nodded; with this data, it was not difficult to make some calculations.


    in the first few months, the equipment turned in was primarily silver in color, even occasionally dark blue. but in the last two months, silver equipment no longer met the demands of those above. apart from gold coin-level equipment, only skill books and certain special items could act as indicators to complete the demand.


    starting from five months ago, xiao buli categorized the turned-in equipment and skill books, filling them into the character cards he had prepared. as items were distributed progressively, the character cards became increasingly complete, and the tendencies in skills also grew more apparent.


    this method was a first for everyone, and they couldn''t help but show surprised expressions.


    finally, when all the equipment had been allocated, considering the turnover of equipment updates and that qilin group might have other sources to obtain equipment, he concluded that qilin group should consist of five members. even though their names and professions weren''t known, one could deduce some insights from the combination of their equipment and skills.


    he laid out the filled character cards one by one for everyone to see, identifying the five individuals as follows.


    one was a close-combat profession wielding a two-handed sword and wearing armor, with strength of at least 40 points.


    one could see and suppress ghosts, possessing at least lv4 necromancy from the mage professions.


    one wore leather armor and wielded a one-handed sword + dagger, likely an assassin profession with the ability to use ninjutsu skills.


    one specialized in thunder system spells from the mage professions, with extremely high magic damage.


    the last one seemed peculiar as the combination of equipment made no logical sense, nor was there any pattern to their skill acquisition, leading xiao buli to conclude they might be a hybrid-class character or possibly two individuals with incomplete equipment sets. the latter was less likely, as the number of equipment didn''t correlate.


    "if my calculations are correct, these five are the formidable opponents we''ll face," xiao buli concluded in the end. (to be continued. if you like this work, welcome to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 109 Xiao Bulis Top Secret Plan

    fear in humans often stems from the unknown. without any understanding of the qilin group''s member strength composition, any person of sound mind would invariably feel daunted by such a legendary and lofty existence. however, once even a small part of it was exposed to the light, despite being just a fraction, li jian felt that they were not as formidable as they seemed."if it''s really as you say, and the qilin group only consists of five people, and their abilities are roughly what''s written on this paper, then it seems we do have a fighting chance," he said.


    zhang yaoyang replied, "it''s not just a fighting chance, i think it''s almost a sure win. our green dragon group can contribute at least eight fighters. how about your white tiger group? you must have quite a few too, right? this way, we have at least a three-to-one advantage. let''s just say we fight them three-on-one.


    do you still think we don''t stand a chance with our current strength?"


    li jian furrowed his brows. emotionally, he didn''t want to underestimate himself, but on the other hand, he still had his reservations. if everyone''s strength was like his, a three-on-one would undoubtedly be indisputable. however, the members of the white tiger group were not uniformly strong, and that really made the outcome uncertain.


    "actually, i don''t think you need to worry too much," xiao buli suddenly said, seeing li jian''s hesitation. "although i haven''t been playing this game for long, i can tell that the higher the level in the later stages of the game, the more difficult it gets to level up, especially the basic attributes. once you hit a bottleneck, it''s hard to improve further.


    the members of the qilin group''s basic properties are, at most, only a little higher than ours. what''s strong about them is their skills and equipment, but don''t forget, you can''t take game equipment out of the game. so there goes one advantage, and many of their skills we have already anticipated, allowing us to prepare accordingly.


    with an advantage of premeditation over lack of planning, don''t we have another advantage lose on their part? with all this, can''t we win? if you''re still afraid to confront them under these circumstances, you might as well go and turn us in now to see if they''ll spare your life."


    that was a rather pointed statement. li jian fell silent upon hearing it, and after a moment, he slightly nodded, "what you said is right, now indeed is the best opportunity. count me in then."


    "great, with deputy head li joining us, we''re almost certain to win. you''re more familiar with the members of the white tiger group than i am. so, how about you choose the ten members who will join our team this time? try to pick those who are trustworthy, but to keep it confidential, i think it''s best not to let everyone know. just a few key people will suffice," yaoyang said.


    li jian nodded, agreeing to this.


    then xiao buli elaborated a little more on the details of the plan, which li jian memorized, before the meeting was adjourned.


    before leaving, xiao buli did not forget about his own concerns, "leader wu, may i ask for a small favor?"


    wu min''er stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at xiao buli, nodding, "tell me, i''ll help if i can."


    "it''s nothing too difficult, just help me find an npc. this npc''s name is xuan zhenzi."


    wu min''er frowned, "sounds like a taoist? that might be a bit difficult. do you have a rough idea of where this npc might be?"


    xiao buli shook his head, and wu min''er said, "in that case, it''ll be difficult, but i will do my best. don''t get your hopes up too much, though." with that, she left.


    watching wu min''er and li jian leave, zhang yaoyang appeared to breathe a sigh of relief. he glanced at xiao buli with some admiration and said, "we owe you big time for this one. if it wasn''t for your help, li jian might not have agreed to join."


    xiao buli shook his head, "it has nothing to do with me. haven''t you guys realized yet? li jian already had thoughts of defecting; he was just waiting for the right moment. in this situation, even if you didn''t contact him, he would have reached out to us."


    bai yunfei, however, spoke up with some concern, "i think we shouldn''t be too happy just yet. the biggest issue now is how to deal with the qilin group. what you all said before sounded impressive, but everyone should be clear that this won''t be easy, right?"


    zhang yaoyang also frowned upon hearing this. although he had spoken lightly before, everyone knew that the qilin group was not so easy to handle. once strength reached a certain level, it was impossible to resist despite knowing the opponent''s specific abilities.


    the learning requirements for the skill books submitted earlier were often unattainable for the members of the green dragon group, yet the qilin group seemed unfazed.


    zhang yaoyang looked at xiao buli, and seeing that he was unfazed by bai yunfei''s words, he had a sudden thought, "xiao buli didn''t show any sign of concern after hearing bai yunfei''s words. could it be that he already has a plan?"


    with that thought in mind, he ventured to say, "speaking of which, it seems like everyone here has a task assigned. yaoyao is responsible for stealing access cards and keys, old bai for reconnaissance, zhao yunlong for smuggling weapons into the company, and it seems like you''re the only one without a task."


    hearing this, xiao buli couldn''t help but chuckle, "oh, then what task does the leader have for me?"


    "how about you design the plan for combat against the qilin group?" zhang yaoyang said half-jokingly, not really expecting an affirmative response, since the qilin group, despite only showing the tip of the iceberg, did not seem to be easily dealt with. to his surprise, xiao buli nodded, "no problem, i will take on this task.


    however, to better understand the enemy we''re facing, i''ll need the full support of everyone''s reports, as well as their cooperation."


    "no problem," zhang yaoyang agreed without hesitation, "all the information wu min''er gave me, and all the information gathered by members, i will share with you, and i will also ensure that everyone cooperates with you to the best of their ability. but are you sure you can come up with a plan?"


    xiao buli chuckled, "of course. do you need me to make a military pledge?"


    zhang yaoyang laughed as well, "no need for any military pledge. i still trust you." this statement came from the heart; xiao buli''s abilities, which he had showcased over the recent period, had already amazed him, and xiao buli''s brimming confidence was indeed persuasive.


    when they stepped out of the conference room, bai yunfei asked xiao buli in a puzzled tone, "why did you agree so readily? you aren''t just bamboozling the leader, are you?"


    xiao buli shook his head after hearing that, "i would not joke about such a matter. as a matter of fact, i already have a preliminary idea. no matter how strong the qilin group''s members are, as long as they have not transcended the realm of mortals, they will surely die in the face of my plan."


    xiao buli did have the capital to be confident. as a former leader of a guild, his expertise lay in unconventional approaches. qingyang studio had faced so many seemingly unbeatable great guilds in the past, even powerful organizations made up of rmb players, and he always managed to score victories through his out-of-the-box thinking.


    this time was no different; although the qilin group was formidable, he saw a significant weakness in them. as long as he exploited this weakness, victory would not be difficult.


    however, he wouldn''t reveal his plan so soon. at least before the final battle began, he could use the name of this plan to garner as many benefits for himself as possible.


    for the next twenty-plus days, he had to crazily boost his own strength. since everyone had started capturing pets for cannon fodder, it seemed he couldn''t fall behind. the first thing to do was to capture a powerful pet.


    stay tuned for updates on empire s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the trio entered the computer room, and zhang yaoyang announced a piece of news.


    "attention everyone, during the next twenty-plus days, everyone must fully cooperate with comrade xiao buli''s dungeon raid strategy plan. if old xiao needs anything, everyone should try their best to accommodate him, ok!"


    upon hearing zhang yaoyang say this, everyone looked puzzled, but they still nodded in agreement, especially those in the know. they were aware of the intricacies but were still somewhat surprised that xiao buli was entrusted with devising the combat plan. upon reflection, considering his history as the leader of a great guild, it wasn''t too strange.


    seeing no objections from the group, xiao buli nodded in satisfaction, "then the first thing, who knows where to find rare pets? demon beasts, immortal beasts, exotic beasts¡ªall are acceptable."


    zhang yaoyang was the one to answer that question, "why do you ask about the spawning locations of rare pets?" he asked curiously.


    "of course, it''s for the dungeon raid strategy. my plan requires cannon fodder for certain suicide missions. considering everyone''s hard-earned accounts, it''s best if battle pets take on the task. it''s crucial for the plan. do you know something?"


    zhang yaoyang looked at xiao buli''s serious face and nodded with some difficulty, "alright then, i do have a map of rare pet spawn locations. if it''s really for the dungeon raid, i''ll lend it to you, but don''t show it to anyone else."


    he somewhat begrudgingly took out a folded-up piece of paper from his storage locker, which clearly showed the effort a beast tamer had put into gathering this information.


    xiao buli took it with a silent chuckle, opened it, and was immediately pleasantly surprised. who would''ve thought there were so many known rare pet spawn locations!?


    spawn coordinate 1¡ªsouthern blackwater riverbank of the roaring bull plains: spawning beasts¡ªvarious colored evil jiaos, beast type: exotic beast, wildness rank: 8-9, spawn time about one month.


    spawn coordinate 2¡ªforest of demon spirits: spawning beasts¡ªtwo-tailed spirit fox, beast type: demon beast, wildness rank: 3-5, spawn time unknown.


    spawn coordinate 3¡ªblack wind ridge: spawning beasts¡ªwhite tiger (quest monster), beast type: exotic beast, wildness rank: 5, spawn time seven days.


    spawn coordinate 4¡ªskullsplitter wilderness: spawning beasts¡ªsoul-eating bird, beast type: nether beast, wildness rank: unknown, spawn time unknown.


    spawn coordinate 5¡ªdark forest: spawning beasts¡ªsaber-toothed wolf, beast type: demon beast, wildness rank: 5, spawn time anytime.


    spawn coordinate 6¡ªdark forest: spawning beasts¡ªshadow leopard, beast type: demon beast, wildness rank: 6, spawn time anytime.


    spawn coordinate 7¡ªdark forest......(to be continued. if you like this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to vote, cast your monthly ticket, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 110 Ominous Beast

    xiao buli frowned. starting from the fifth coordinate, all the subsequent ones were demon beasts native to the dark forest. however, without the demon realm chapter of wild beast knowledge, he really had no way to capture them. explore more at empirehe vaguely remembered that ma long from the white tiger team used to have a shadow leopard, which he probably got from obtaining the "wild beast knowledge: demon realm chapter" in the dark forest. but he simply didn''t have the time to slowly farm for the skill book. in that case, he might as well choose the white tiger, which would be quite useful to him as a powerful melee combat pet.


    "how about this white tiger, is it strong?" he probed.


    zhang yaoyang shook his head, "it''s not that it''s strong, it''s essentially just an enhanced version of a regular tiger. its attributes are slightly higher, nothing else really, just looks prettier. i''d actually suggest you capture a shadow leopard instead, they have shadow escape and shadow jump skills, making them very sharp at ambushes and assassinations. it''s just a bit hard to capture.


    saber-toothed wolves are also good; they''re all over the dark forest."


    xiao buli shook his head, "still, i''ll go for the white tiger. i do like to have good-looking pets with me."


    zhang yaoyang felt a stab of pain upon hearing this. as a beast tamer with a love for pets, he actually really wanted to capture that white tiger. it had been quite difficult to figure out the task process, and he hadn''t had the chance to capture it yet; it looked like he would have to wait for the next respawn.


    "alright, then i''ll tell you the process for this task. just follow it, and you should be fine." as he spoke, zhang yaoyang selected a paper from a large stack of documents and handed it to xiao buli.


    after a trip to the auction house to buy all the items needed for the task, half an hour later, xiao buli arrived at the foot of black wind ridge.


    the white tiger wasn''t something one could encounter just by chance, as it was exceedingly well-hidden. only by using a special mating call horn could one attract it, but this horn required completing a prerequisite task to obtain, and was not easily acquired.


    following the introduction in the task strategy, xiao buli went to a trading post located beneath black wind ridge and found a fur merchant¡ªge qiugang, the master leatherworker. s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    xiao buli: "master, hello, i''m about to go hunting in the mountains. i heard you need furs, perhaps we could cooperate?"


    ge qiugang, the master leatherworker: "speaking of which, i do need some furs. then, please collect ten deer hides for me."


    system prompt: task triggered¡ªcollect furs. accept? yes/no.


    xiao buli chose to accept the task and headed up the mountain. normally, this task would take one to two hours to complete, as deer are extremely fast runners and very timid. killing them wouldn''t be easy without an effective method of attack, but xiao buli was well-prepared.


    after wandering the mountain for a few minutes, he took out ten deer hides purchased from the auction house and returned to ge qiugang.


    ge qiugang was surprised as he received the hides, "i didn''t expect you to finish so quickly. this is truly astonishing. your hunting skills must be good. in that case, perhaps we can engage in a deeper cooperation. i now need ten boar hides, can you get them for me?"


    system prompt: task triggered¡ªmore furs. accept? yes/no.


    xiao buli naturally chose yes.


    after another quick trip up the mountain, ten minutes later, he returned to the trading post and handed over ten boar hides to ge qiugang, who was again surprised.


    ge qiugang, the master leatherworker: "tsk, tsk, tsk. who would have thought you''re so capable, to have gotten the boar hides i needed so quickly."


    xiao buli hurriedly typed: "of course, i am an experienced hunter, capable of hunting down even the strongest of beasts." these words were a requirement from the task strategy.


    ge qiugang, the master leatherworker: "i have one last task that i would like to ask of you. if you can complete it for me, i''m willing to give you one of my leatherworking blueprints. what do you say? however, this task is very challenging, and it may even endanger your life. i would understand if you''re unwilling to accept it."


    xiao buli said, "oh? what task might that be?"


    ge qiugang, the master leatherworker: "there is a white tiger living in a cave at the peak of black wind ridge. its fur is extremely rare, and i very much desire it. could you help me obtain it?"


    system prompt: task triggered¡ªa unique hide. accept? yes/no.


    xiao buli naturally chose to accept.


    "hahaha, leave this task to me, just you watch." while he said this, he didn''t leave immediately but made a show of turning as if he was about to walk away.


    as expected, ge qiugang quickly called out, "wait a minute, don''t be in a hurry to leave. that white tiger is cunning by nature, like a ghost, hard for most to find. but if you blow this female tiger''s horn, you can summon it down. please, take this and i entrust this task to you this time."


    system prompt: you have obtained ''female tiger''s horn''.


    having the task strategy and information made things so much smoother; this task was a breeze. one could imagine that without this strategy and the refresh coordinates, capturing a pet like this would nearly be an impossible task, unless one were incredibly lucky to stumble upon it by chance.


    as he walked toward the mountainside, xiao buli thought about his plans. black wind ridge was bordered by steep cliffs on three sides, and the only approachable side was a gentle forested area. he followed a small path through the woods uphill and, for safety''s sake, did not forget to summon his talisman soldier.

 Chapter 110 Ominous Beast_2

    if it had been him from before, adventuring in such a place would still pose some dangers, but now it had become quite easy for him. he hadn''t encountered any particularly formidable beasts along the way, mostly deer and wild boars.there was another rustling sound ahead, but xiao buli wasn''t too nervous, guessing that it was probably a wild boar or something. however, out from the bushes leaped a small creature resembling a tiger but not quite one, a bit larger than a puppy but smaller than an adult leopard, its grey, nondescript fur making it easy to overlook.


    what is this thing? xiao buli hadn''t had the chance to get a clear look when the creature had already darted away, leaving only a vague impression of a grey-named beast.


    he didn''t pay much attention to it, reasoning that a grey-named beast definitely wouldn''t be much of a threat. he had encountered them a few times before¡ªeither a wolf with a limp or an old leopard¡ªall of them defective in some way.


    continuing up the mountain path, a large rock face finally came into view.


    he could faintly make out a cave in the rock face, which was sleek and at least seven or eight meters tall, making it practically impossible to climb. no wonder the quest item was necessary.


    as he thought about it, he opened his bag to check inside where he found five pieces of ''fresh wild boar meat'', all bought from the auction house for the quest.


    he placed the horn on his skill bar and blew it, but instead of a musical sound, a roar blasted out. in no time, a black and white striped white tiger appeared on the edge of the rocks, looking majestic and imposing, far more beautiful than the tiger he had met in the misty forest last time. now it looked down upon xiao buli like a king, its name¡ªwhite tiger (mutated beast). s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    nice design! xiao buli thought, as he instinctively donned the ethereal armor. accompanied by a tiger''s roar, the white tiger suddenly pounced down.


    with a thud, the white tiger slammed into xiao buli''s protective shield, seeming stunned by the impact, and staggered back several steps.


    xiao buli seized this moment to throw a piece of wild boar meat at it, while quickly ducking behind the talisman soldier, entering a passive state that wouldn''t fight back as instructed by the strategy guide, which stated not to attack the tiger, or the quest would fail.


    the white tiger shook its head, sniffed the wild boar meat, but didn''t eat it. instead, it let out a loud roar and pounced once again.


    xiao buli was startled¡ªsomething was wrong. the strategy guide clearly said it would turn into a brown-red named beast after eating the boar meat. what was happening?


    the talisman soldier was small and clearly couldn''t block the white tiger''s attack. the tiger swiftly bypassed its interception and lunged towards xiao buli¡ªleaping through the air.


    with another thud, the pounce again struck solidly, and a swirling icon of dizziness appeared once more over the white tiger''s head.


    in haste, xiao buli threw another piece of wild boar meat, but the tiger wouldn''t even glance at it. as soon as it recovered, it charged again. this time, xiao buli''s ethereal armor had just expired, and in one claw strike, the white tiger slashed away more than 30 health points.


    "dammit, can this be right?" he hurriedly healed himself, dodging the next two secondary claw strikes with an emergency evade. but the white tiger kept on him relentlessly, taking advantage of its higher speed to persistent assault him. its attack power was quite considerable, and xiao buli''s ethereal armor simply couldn''t last long with its cooldown time, leading to several close calls.


    watching his health points drop by nearly half, xiao buli decided he couldn''t take it anymore. whether he caught the pet or not didn''t matter, he just couldn''t let the white tiger bite him to death.


    he quickly ordered the talisman soldier to attack while activating gale sword skills, ethereal armor, and fire blade skills, healing himself and attacking the white tiger with the talisman soldier in a flurry, finally managing to slay the creature after a fierce battle.


    looking at the corpse of the white tiger on the ground, xiao buli was speechless (why all this trouble when you could have simply been my pet?).


    he frowned and said to zhang yaoyang, "team leader, the strategy guide you gave is wrong. why did this white tiger keep biting me?"


    zhang yaoyang said, "that''s impossible. are you sure you didn''t attack it, or that your summoned creature didn''t attack it?"


    xiao buli replied, "how could i make such a basic mistake? right from the start, i set the talisman soldier not to attack, and i put on the ethereal armor..." as he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. when the tiger had hit him, there had been a dizzy effect above its head. could this be considered an attack? stay connected via empire


    upon mentioning this, zhang yaoyang slapped his thigh, "that''s probably the reason, then. if it doesn''t work out, just wait until next week."


    xiao buli thought about his misfortune and was about to leave when he reconsidered that the white tiger''s corpse shouldn''t go to waste. the master leatherworker had given him a task, and even if he couldn''t capture a pet this time, completing that task meant the trip wasn''t entirely in vain.


    while contemplating this, he approached the white tiger and used his dissection skill to carve up the body.


    this dissection skill was a professional skill he had learned to increase his attribute points, having only started practicing it yesterday and reaching level six so far. after the dissection, he obtained damaged white tiger skin ¡Á1, tiger meat ¡Á3, tiger bones ¡Á3, tiger''s whip ¡Á1, tiger tail ¡Á1, quite a fruitful loot indeed.


    these materials could be sold for some silver coins, making the trip not a total waste.

 Chapter 110 Ominous Beast_3

    feeling his interest wane, he walked down the mountain path. halfway there, a grey shadow flashed by, and he saw that strange little beast again. this time, however, instead of running off as before, it lingered in the distance.he moved his cursor toward the little beast, and xiao buli was finally able to see its name clearly.


    biao (mutated wild beast), huh, it''s an exotic beast too, but why is its name in grey? aren''t grey names indicative of inferior goods? could it be an inferior mutated wild beast?


    xiao buli thought to himself that regardless, he should capture it first. with that in mind, he threw a piece of wild boar meat over.


    the biao sniffed the boar meat but did not eat it. it looked up at xiao buli with a red hostile unit icon above its head, showing no intention of surrendering. instead, it let out a mournful howl, sounding a bit like a wolf''s cry mixed with a lion''s roar, but far more piercing.


    after throwing another piece of boar meat, which it completely ignored, the biao continued to loiter, neither leaving nor attacking.


    dammit, this one''s picky, xiao buli thought to himself, and suddenly felt that the howl might have some meaning. he opened his bag and aside from boar meat, all he had was the tiger meat he had just dissected. but are tigers and biao relatives? would it eat that? xiao buli hesitated before thinking, "but it seems there are no other options."


    while thinking, xiao buli threw a piece of tiger meat. as soon as the biao saw it, it pounced on the meat, gulping it down in a few swift bites. after finishing, it stretched lazily, and its icon changed from red to brownish-red, the hostility gone.


    ¡ªbut what shocked xiao buli even more was the change in the color of the biao''s name, which suddenly turned from grey to white.


    ("huh, it evolves too? i thought that was something only green beasts had." xiao buli was puzzled, but regardless of the reason, this pet looked extraordinary, and capturing it would surely do no harm. with this in mind, he used taming skills on the biao, and with a flash of golden light, the grey big cat was tamed.


    he checked its attributes and xiao buli was stunned.


    biao (mutated wild beast)


    intelligence: 6.


    find your next read at empire


    strength: 10.


    speed: 19.


    agility: 19


    stamina: 23. ¡ª stamina points 230 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 stamina points).


    physique: 22. ¡ª health points 220. (1 point of physique corresponds to 10 health points).


    combat skills


    claw strike: lv3. standard attack skill, scratches the enemy with claws, dealing base attack +6 physical damage.


    wildness: lv5. this is a proud and unruly wild beast that yearns for freedom and a wild life, full of aggressiveness, difficult to get along with humans peacefully, and long-term taming will decrease the level of this skill. s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    rip and bite: lv5. inflicts significant damage on a target and causes it to bleed, dealing 25 damage over 10 seconds. consumes 5 stamina points, skill cooldown time 5 seconds.


    pounce: lv3. launches a pounce at the target, dealing double claw strike damage and causing them to lose balance. consumes 10 stamina points, skill cooldown time 10 seconds, must be used within a 3-8m range.


    sprint: lv5. instantly increases speed by 100 percent for 25 seconds. consumes 20 stamina points, skill cooldown 90 seconds.


    feign death: when the biao receives a potentially fatal blow, it forcibly reduces the damage by 90 percent and enters a state of feigned death, in which it''s treated as if it were already dead (limited to once per day).


    wild heart: ignores dizziness, bleeding, broken bones, or any other negative effect on itself for 10 seconds (limited to once per day).


    tiger-devouring (non-upgradable skill): biao is the natural enemy of tigers, able to gain more powerful abilities by devouring the flesh and blood of tigers, increasing damage dealt to tiger species by 50 percent. every tiger will attack it without hesitation upon sighting the biao.


    but looking at its basic attributes, this biao really isn''t that strong, with only a poor 6 points in intelligence, it''s even simpler than the meatball he initially had. although it has high speed and agility, it still doesn''t compare to feline pets. however, the "tiger-devouring" skill at the bottom was quite a surprise for him; this pet obviously had the potential to grow!


    no matter how poor the basic attributes, as long as it could level up, it would become incredibly powerful one day, much stronger than the likes of the white tiger.


    the only thing he couldn''t figure out was why its name wasn''t green.


    xiao buli started analyzing again, recalling the pale ring, which also seemed to be an item that could be upgraded continuously, and wasn''t green either. could there be a connection between them?


    as he pondered, he walked down the mountain with his newly caught pet, and of course, he did not forget to name this new pet. since you''re all furry, let''s call you maoqiu (fluffball).


    unlike meatball or coal ball, ''maoqiu'' had no awareness of being a pet; it followed from a distance, seemingly still on guard. if not for the suffix (xiao buli''s pet) after its name, xiao buli might think he hadn''t tamed it at all.


    he checked the loyalty, and it was ??? what was this now?


    he was genuinely puzzled, thinking that this game simply couldn''t be described with common sense.


    upon arriving at the trade station, he approached ge qiugang (master leatherworker) to turn in the quest. upon receiving the white tiger skin, ge qiugang was delighted, "hahaha, that''s wonderful, you actually did it, i really didn''t expect it, it''s just a bit damaged, such a pity for a good piece of skin. here, this is your reward."


    system notification: you''ve received the item ''sturdy wild boar leather boots'' (blueprint).


    he glanced at it, but it was just a blueprint for light blue equipment with average attributes, ("i''ll hang it up in the auction house later.")


    xiao buli was thinking and about to leave when maoqiu leaned in, curious. when ge qiugang caught sight of maoqiu, he was taken aback, "why are you bringing such a pet? this is an ominous beast, it will bring misfortune to its owner, heed my advice, just kill it."


    ps: the power went out at my place today, sorry for not updating this morning, here are 5000 words for you. (to be continued. if you enjoy this work, please feel welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 111 The Exalted One who Attained the Way

    "why have you brought such a pet? this is an ominous beast that will hinder its master. take my advice and kill it."xiao buli was rendered speechless by ge qiugang''s words. just kill it, he thought, as if it were that simple; this pet could evolve! he glanced at maoqiu, who seemed very quiet, peering around nervously, seemingly oblivious to their conversation. maoqiu''s appearance may not have been striking, but it didn''t look particularly off-putting either. how could it be associated with an ''ominous beast''?


    however, he understood that the other party''s words were not without reason; there had to be some cause for them. coupling this with the pale ring, which also possessed the ability to grow, he felt it was better to ask for clarification.


    "may i ask what you mean by ''ominous beast''?"


    ge qiugang (master leatherworker) did not answer directly but instead asked, "have you ever heard of naturally-spawned spirit beasts?"


    your next chapter is on empire


    (i''ve heard of naturally-spawned stone monkeys), xiao buli thought, typing, "i have not heard of them." s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ge qiugang (master leatherworker): "the so-called naturally-spawned spirit beasts are not actually born from nature but are ordinary wild beasts that have been influenced by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth during gestation. compared to common wild beasts, naturally-spawned spirit beasts have stronger learning and growth abilities.


    with enough time, even the weakest of them can become incredibly powerful."


    that''s just the legendary green-named pet, xiao buli thought to himself. however, it seemed according to the master that this fierce looking creature was not a so-called naturally-spawned spirit beast.


    "so what is the relationship between my pet and a naturally-spawned spirit beast?"


    ge qiugang (master leatherworker): "just as there is spiritual energy between heaven and earth, there is also malevolent energy. your pet was influenced by the malevolent energy of heaven and earth during gestation. such a malevolent beast, while possessing the powerful growth ability like the spirit beast, inevitably needs to go through slaughter and death to grow. it indeed is an ominous beast.


    keeping it with you for a long time will surely attract misfortune. this misfortune may not be its intention, but it will inevitably arise because of it."


    so that''s how it is, xiao buli reasoned, but he did not want to give up his treasured pet so easily. he then asked, "i really do not wish to discard this beast. may i know if the master is aware of any methods to break the curse?"


    ge qiugang (master leatherworker): "well, since you helped me out a great deal, i will tell you. there are only two ways to dispel the ominous beast''s curse of hindrance. one is if your destiny is strong enough to subdue it. in that case, not only will it not hinder you, but it will also give you great help in times of crisis.


    the second way is to find a taoist magic practitioner who can dissipate the malevolent energy from it. once dissipated, it will revert to its original form, still possessing its strong growth ability, but it will no longer hinder its master."


    as for whether his own destiny was strong enough, xiao buli didn''t have much confidence. it seemed that only someone like liu bei from the past, with such a destiny, could control a mount believed to hinder its master. zhang wu rode it and met with untimely death, while liu bei rode it and turned danger into safety.


    but no matter how conceited, xiao buli didn''t think he could compare to liu bei, who was known as an indestructible cockroach.


    (but a taoist magic practitioner? i wonder if my makeshift master counts.) with that thought in mind, xiao buli had already made up his mind; the first thing to do upon returning was to take maoqiu back to mystic hollow palace. on one hand, to dissipate the malevolent energy from maoqiu, and on the other, to learn a few new spells as well.


    however, the mystic hollow palace was far away, and the round trip would not be short. holding to his habitual practice, xiao buli still chose to type and ask, "do you know any such taoist magic practitioners, master?"


    master leatherworker ge qiugang: "it''s not easy to just stumble upon such a person. i''ve traveled far and wide over the years and seen many who are skilled in taoist magic, but most of them are just chasing fame, fishing for compliments. a true master, however, is someone i''ve never encountered before. that''s all i have to say on the matter; you''ll have to figure out the rest on your own."


    xiao buli didn''t hold much hope in the first place, so he typed a word of thanks and left the trading house.


    as the saying goes, whether you herd one sheep or two, you still have to tend to them. since he needed to find a master to help him dispel the malevolent energy, xiao buyi considered taking the pale ring with him as well. while continuing his journey to nine dragons city, he turned to zhang yaoyang and said, "group leader, do you still have the equipment left behind by zhang qiang?"


    zhang yaoyang nodded, "yes, i have all the equipment left by the members of our group who died. why do you ask?"


    xiao buli replied, "among his belongings, i remember there was a ''cursed pale ring.'' i''m not sure if it''s still there, could you give it to me?"


    zhang yaoyang thought for a moment and said, "indeed, there is such an item. it''s a pretty useless thing. but you''re from the magic system, why would you want such a thing? moreover, that ring is quite eerie. although we''re still not clear about what the luck attribute does exactly, it still feels very important. i think it''s best if you don''t wear it."


    xiao buli inwardly noted that zhang yaoyang seemed quite concerned for him, "don''t worry, i won''t be wearing it. i have a special use for it."


    a special use? a glint of sharpness flashed in zhang yaoyang''s eyes, "could it have something to do with the dungeon strategy plan?" the so-called dungeon strategy plan naturally referred to how to deal with the qilin group. zhang yaoyang reflexively filled in the blanks, assuming that must be the reason, and immediately asked.


    "exactly, it''s related to the dungeon strategy plan." xiao buli took the opportunity to slide down the slope with his answer, thinking to himself how universally applicable this response was.


    without any further questions, zhang yaoyang said, "alright, i''ll give it to you when you get back to the city."


    half an hour later, when xiao buli returned to nine dragons city, zhang yaoyang traded the ring to him. upon receiving it, xiao buli was both startled and delighted to see that the previously deep blue-quality ring had now turned silver.


    cursed pale ring (silver ring): health points upper limit +100, luck -2.5.


    equipment description: a legendary magic ring that is said to be cursed, emitting an ominous light. those who have worn it have all paid a terribly tragic price.


    xiao buli analyzed the growth of the ring. the first time he saw it, it gave a health points upper limit of +40, luck -1. after changing owners twice (sun bin, zhou kaihuang), the second time he saw it, it was health points upper limit +80, luck -2. now, after another change of hands, it had become health points upper limit +100, luck -2.5.


    it seemed that whenever an owner died, the ring would gain +20 health points upper limit and -0.5 luck, which was truly a wondrously malevolent item.


    however, as long as one didn''t wear it, it shouldn''t matter, right? after all, the properties of an item only become apparent once it''s equipped. while pondering this, xiao buli tucked the ring away in a corner of his inventory and then opened his storage. he equipped all the items he had collected for ji xiangyun and jingci during this time.


    with everything in order, xiao buli set off for the mystic hollow palace. (to be continued. if you enjoy this work, feel free to give your recommendation and monthly votes on qidian.com. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 112 Return to Mystic Hollow Palace

    after lunch at noon, xiao buli set off on his journey to the mystic hollow palace.the return trip this time was much faster than the long journey from the mist valley to nine dragons city that xiao buli had initially taken.


    although the traveling horse''s speed was only 2.5 times the running speed of an ordinary human, and didn''t seem much faster, the difference in stamina was incomparable. xiao buli had ''walked'' his way originally, running only when encountering enemies, whereas the traveling horse was running almost the entire way.


    thus, in less than an hour, he arrived within the bounds of the misty forest, which was, as always, shrouded in a faint mist and filled with a mysterious aura. it was a favorite spot for novice adventurers with unripe strength, where monster difficulty was not too high, yet there were still potential surprises to be found--of course, only if luck was on their side.


    unlucky seasoned adventurers could also stumble; all this information was collected by xiao buli recently.


    riding the 150-speed traveling horse, xiao buli struggled through the forest, with maoqiu following behind. after being fed another piece of tiger meat, maoqiu seemed to grow a bit more affectionate towards him, and although he still couldn''t see the loyalty level, at least it was willing to approach him.


    although it was a revisit to a familiar place, strictly speaking, xiao buli could only generally grasp the direction, as the dynamic game map made memorizing routes outdoors a challenging task.


    just as xiao buli was advancing and wondering whether he had taken the wrong path, a tiger''s roar suddenly came from the hillside above him.


    this sudden tiger''s roar drew xiao buli''s attention. he hadn''t had time to rein in his horse when maoqiu suddenly darted out from behind and sped towards the source of the sound.


    switching the pet to follow mode had no effect, and maoqiu was soon out of sight.


    "damn it!" xiao buli cursed under his breath and had no choice but to spur his horse to follow. he hadn''t gone far when suddenly, an opening appeared ahead, and in a clearing within the forest, maoqiu was facing off against a tiger.


    this tiger looked quite ordinary, but its size was still more than twice that of maoqiu. it seemed to harbor a mix of fear and hatred, growling low at maoqiu, unwilling to leave but also reluctant to charge.


    the two beasts stood off like this, both seemingly on the verge of combat, until xiao buli charged into the battlefield on his horse. the next moment, both wild animals lunged at each other.


    maoqiu''s leaping posture was fierce, and it jumped extremely high. being on higher ground gave it an aesthetic resembling an eagle swooping down on its prey. unfortunately, reality is cruel, and the size difference allowed the tiger to flip it over, biting its foreleg and only breaking free with a desperate struggle.


    when the animals separated, maoqiu had lost a fifth of its health points, and it was limping, evidently injured with a ''fractured bone'' debuff, decreasing its movement speed by thirty percent.


    in contrast, the tiger hadn''t lost a single drop of blood.


    this creature really is useless. xiao buli thought, but maoqiu was already launching another attack.


    system alert: your pet maoqiu has used the wild heart skill.


    ignoring the fractured bone effect, maoqiu''s speed was clearly faster than the tiger''s. darting and dodging, it managed to land several successful claw strikes on the tiger, each strike only scratching a shallow line of blood. this was even with the benefit of the ''tiger-devouring'' skill''s fifty percent damage bonus.


    on the other hand, each swipe from the tiger would take away at least thirty-four health points, creating a dangerous situation for maoqiu, which only had 200 health points. luckily, maoqiu''s evasion abilities were exceptional, and it was just barely managing to hang on.


    xiao buli did not want to risk it and hurriedly healed it, while also summoning a talisman soldier. he activated the ethereal armor and charged in alongside the soldier. now with a three-pronged attack, the tiger was quickly defeated.


    maoqiu showed no gratitude for his timely intervention, and it started gnawing on the tiger''s carcass on its own, leaving xiao buli out in the cold. he watched in frustration and typed: "come on, can''t you stay out of trouble for once?"


    unexpectedly, maoqiu seemed to sense something and suddenly turned its head around, letting out a threatening growl. the hostility in its eyes gave xiao buli a start¡ªthis creature truly deserved to be known as an ominous beast, born from malice.


    he didn''t dare to approach and disturb it. it wasn''t that he was afraid of maoqiu, but he didn''t want to risk having to kill his hard-earned pet should a conflict arise.


    maoqiu, with its inexplicable appetite, had eaten more than half of the tiger''s carcass in no time, and with a long belch, a flash of golden light signified a change: the white name turned into a light blue one.


    system alert: your pet maoqiu has evolved, all basic attributes have been increased by 1 point, and the rip and bite skill has evolved into crazy bite.


    xiao buli quickly checked the skill details.


    crazy bite: lv5. inflicts significant damage to the target and causes bleeding, dealing 50 points of damage over 10 seconds. there is a chance to cause the fractured bone effect, reducing the target''s movement speed by thirty percent. consumes 10 stamina points, skill cooldown time 10 seconds.


    (not only did the damage double, but it also gained a negative effect. although the stamina consumption and cooldown time also doubled, it still greatly increased its strength. not bad, not bad, but it seems that the tiger just now used this move. could it be that maoqiu can learn the skills of the tiger it ate? if that''s the case, that''s quite overpowered), xiao buli thought to himself.


    however, the more extraordinary abilities maoqiu displayed, the more xiao buli worried that it might rebel. it seemed necessary to dispel the malice from it as soon as possible.


    at that thought, he called out, mounted his horse, and continued to gallop toward the mystic hollow palace.


    as the mountain road became increasingly difficult to traverse, xiao buli had to abandon his mount and proceed on foot. maoqiu seemed to revel in the forest, darting around like a wraith. sometimes it would run off into the distance, and xiao buli would have to stop and repeatedly press f3¡ªthis was the skill to summon a pet closer to its owner. s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in the past, pets always returned with one press, but now there was a delay akin to a slow internet connection. often it would take forever for maoqiu to approach in a lazy lope, only to disappear again shortly after.


    this journey was turning xiao buli''s stomach, but finally, as night approached, the thorny wall appeared ahead. after following it for more than ten minutes, the twin beast-shaped stone statues with their strange designs finally came into view.


    thank heavens, he had finally arrived. he looked back and saw maoqiu silently trailing behind him, its eyes gleaming with a dark light in the dim forest. as xiao buli approached the pair of statues, the little creature seemed to hesitate and fearfully hold back.


    xiao buli switched his pet''s mode to follow and pressed f3 a few more times before maoqiu reluctantly shuffled over.


    i''ll have to break you of this bad habit sooner or later, xiao buli thought to himself.


    as a disciple of the mystic hollow palace, he naturally didn''t need to navigate any labyrinth. he went straight up to the stone statues, equipped the title of a mystic hollow palace disciple, and walked through the gate toward the maze. following the path beyond the gate, he suddenly stepped into a clearing.


    the scene before him, with elegant bamboo groves and blooming mountain flowers, was the exit of the labyrinth. there were no forks in the road; it was all very straightforward, as if there were no maze at all. however, xiao buli knew that for someone without the title, a perilously difficult challenge awaited them.


    heh, such nostalgia. observing his surroundings, xiao buli couldn''t help talking to himself.


    as night fell and the setting sun cast long shadows between the bamboo groves and the buildings, the scenery was breathtaking. but xiao buli had no time to admire it; he quickly walked deeper into the valley, soon arriving at the grand entrance of the mystic hollow palace''s main hall.


    standing at the entrance, he hesitated for a moment. instead of immediately entering, he pondered how to broach the subject with his master. the task of chasing down xuan zhenzi was far from being attempted. he wondered if asking his master for help with the malevolent energy would upset him since he didn''t dare treat the npcs in this game like those in ordinary games anymore.


    (should he bluntly tell him that he didn''t prioritize the mission to deal with xuan zhenzi or claim he did his best but had bad luck and couldn''t find him?)


    as he vacillated, suddenly a line of text appeared in the dialogue box.


    xuanxu zi quietly says to you, "what are you pondering out there? come in quickly."


    xiao buli was momentarily stunned. does this game also have a private messaging feature?


    he clicked on xuanxu zi''s name and found he could indeed directly converse. so he typed out a line of text.


    you quietly say to xuanxu zi, "master, how can i see you talk?" enjoy new adventures from empire


    xuanxu zi quietly says to you, "what''s so strange about that? i''m using the thousand-mile sound transmission skills. but how can you ''see'' words? if you''re at the door, why haven''t you come in yet? stop acting so foolishly outside."


    seeing that the tone didn''t indicate anger, xiao buli felt relieved and walked inside while mulling over the words.


    in the center of the main hall, xuanxu zi sat cross-legged on a fine bamboo mat, his long hair flowing, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.


    seeing xiao buli walk in, xuanxu zi said indifferently, "buli, you''ve been gone for quite a while. why have you returned today? could it be that you have completed the task i entrusted to you?"


    xiao buli thought for a moment and typed, "disciple feels ashamed, having failed the trust you placed in me, i could not eliminate the traitor."


    xuanxu zi said, "there''s no need to be upset. that xuan zhenzi is extremely cunning and elusive. he''s not so easy to eliminate. tell me, what matter brings you to your master?"


    xiao buli thought to himself, as long as he isn''t pressing the issue.


    he typed, "disciple has inadvertently tamed an ominous beast formed from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth. i hope master can help your disciple neutralize its malevolent aura."


    after speaking, he eagerly awaited xuanxu zi''s reaction.


    ps: some book friends have kindly created several groups; the group numbers are posted in the book''s introduction for those interested. (to be continued. if you enjoy this work, you''re welcome to vote and support it on qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation.) (to be continued.


    if you enjoy this work, you''re welcome to vote and support it on qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 113 Pretending to Have Powerful Support

    xiao buli thought to himself that it was good there would be no further pursuit.he typed: "disciple has unexpectedly tamed an ominous beast formed by the malevolent energy of heaven and earth, and hopes that master can purify its malevolence."


    after finishing, he looked eagerly for xuanxu zi''s reaction.


    xuanxu zi nodded, "so it is. dissolving malevolence is not hard for me, but as the saying goes, there''s no such thing as a free lunch. if you want me to dissolve its malevolence, all you need to do is make a significant contribution to the sect, and naturally, i will not stand idly by."


    what he meant was clear: purifying the malevolence was possible, but it would cost contribution value.


    xiao buli asked, "may i ask how many contribution points are needed?"


    xuanxu zi waved his hand, and immediately a price list appeared before them, similar to the one used when learning skills, but with entirely different contents. it included options like traveling with the immortal realm, requesting miracle elixirs, and qiankun movement. these high-tier services all required a lot of prestige and a hefty amount of contribution value.


    even the cheapest option, traveling with the immortal realm, required 1,000 contribution points and could only be requested with an esteemed reputation within mystic hollow palace. it was not known what benefits one might gain from visiting the immortal realm.


    at the very bottom, xiao buli found the option to purify malevolence. purifying it for maoqiu cost 150 contribution points, and for a ring, it cost 50 contribution points. the total for pets and equipment combined was thus 200 contribution points.


    xiao buli checked his account and saw that his current contribution value at mystic hollow palace was in the single digits. luckily, he had two missions that he could still turn in.


    xiao buli said, "master, please wait for a moment, your disciple will return shortly."


    xuanxu zi nodded and began to meditate with closed eyes.


    xiao buli left the main hall of mystic hollow palace and went straight to the alchemy room.


    in the alchemy room, ji xiangyun was busy fanning the flames of the pill furnace. she was surprised to see xiao buli walk in. "eh, junior brother, when did you come back?"


    "i''ve just returned. senior sister, i''ve brought back the items you needed, and they weren''t cheap."


    as xiao buli spoke, he presented the mission items and turned in the task.


    system prompt: completed the sect mission ''ji xiangyun''s experimental materials,'' with a 60 percent completion rate. your prestige at mystic hollow palace has increased by 300 points, ji xiangyun''s favorability towards you has increased by 300 points, and you have gained 300 sect contribution points.


    not bad at all, xiao buli thought to himself. the money was well spent, although it was a pity it wasn''t 100 percent complete, or he could have gotten even more.


    ji xiangyun suddenly said, "junior brother, with so many contribution points earned, how about it, are you interested in selling some miracle elixirs here with your senior sister? i can give you an 80 percent discount."


    xiao buli thought to himself that it wasn''t necessary, as he hadn''t even finished the elixirs from the xuanwu group.


    "senior sister, i''m a bit tight on funds, maybe next time."


    after saying goodbye to ji xiangyun, xiao buli went to the beast pen. jingci was amusing a group of strange-looking wild beasts that seemed to be a mix between foxes and rabbits.


    jingci: "eh, junior brother, when did you get back? i..." jingci stopped mid-sentence, staring dumbfounded at maoqiu behind xiao buli, "am i seeing things? isn''t this the legendary heaven-spawned malevolent beast? junior brother, you''re really brave, daring to keep such a pet."


    jingci, true to being a pet enthusiast, recognized maoqiu''s true nature at a glance.


    xiao buli said, "i''m actually looking to find master to purify it, oh right, here are the items you wanted."


    while speaking, xiao buli handed over the two skill books he had collected with great difficulty, "wild beast knowledge: exotic beasts section" and "wild beast knowledge: demon beast chapter." he had originally wanted to study the latter, but decided that the task was more important, as he didn''t have much time to catch demon beasts, so he had simply refrained from learning it for the mission''s sake.


    jingci: "haha, thanks, junior brother. though it''s still a few books short, it''s not bad at all."


    system prompt: completed the mission ''thirst for knowledge,'' with a 40 percent completion rate. your prestige in mystic hollow palace has increased by 200 points, jingci''s favorability towards you has increased by 200 points, and you have gained 200 sect contribution points.


    with the contribution points secured, xiao buli bid jingci farewell, and alone, he returned to the main hall of mystic hollow palace. he found xuanxu zi and chose to purify the malevolence.


    he then called maoqiu over, and the usually unruly beast was surprisingly docile in front of xuanxu zi, even showing a hint of fear. xuanxu zi stretched out his hand towards it, and maoqiu approached him hesitantly and cautiously.


    xuanxu zi pinched a spell with one hand and waved three times over maoqiu''s head with the other, then suddenly turned his palm into a sword finger and pointed at maoqiu''s forehead, shouting, "now!"


    as a stream of blue energy shot straight from maoqiu''s forehead, the beast''s eyes emitted blue light and froze in place. as the blue light grew stronger, streams of invisible black energy began to burst out from maoqiu''s body, darting erratically around the room like poison being squeezed from a wound, gradually dissipating in the pure white light used for illumination in the hall.


    when the black energy finally vanished, maoqiu''s coat seemed to undergo some change. previously covered with a layer of gray-black fur, it now turned to a bright golden color. the entire beast looked more like an oversized golden cat, considerably more beautiful, and its eyes turned to a pretty emerald green. its name also changed from the original light blue to green.


    xuanxu zi, after completing the process, said, "alright, this beast shouldn''t bring disaster upon you anymore. you can rest assured now."


    xiao buli was overjoyed and, despite the cost in contribution points, still thanked xuanxu zi, "thank you very much, master." read exclusive content at empire


    sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 113 Waving the Tigers Skin as a Banner_2

    he chose to purify his equipment again, and then handed over the cursed pale ring. this time, it was much easier, as xuanxu zi merely rubbed the ring in his hands a few times. as a burst of white light twinkled in his hands, the ring was completely purified.flawless white jade ring (silver¡ªring): health points upper limit +100, luck +2.5.


    equipment description: this white jade ring seems to be filled with surging vitality.


    what a great item! a single ring could increase the maximum health points by a full 100 and even add 2.5 to luck¡ªit''s definitely a great item! but why is it silver-ranked?


    xiao buli asked curiously, "isn''t this ring supposed to be a growth-type piece of equipment?"


    xuanxu zi said, "that''s true, but your ring is of moderate grade among growth-type equipment. its attributes have now reached their limit, so after dissolving its malice, the equipment''s grade is henceforth fixed, and it won''t grow any further."


    that made sense, but even so, it was still a huge gain. after all, the previous silver-grade equipment with a -2.5 luck had made it quite useless. s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    xiao buli thought about it while putting the ring on his finger. seeing his health points exceeding 300, he was thoroughly satisfied. his luck value had also broken through 10 points for the first time after the lu jiang incident, reaching 10.5. he was just a bit luckier than the average person now¡ªat least he wouldn''t be as unlucky as before.


    continue reading on empire


    however, even though he had dealt with the ring and maoqiu, he still had 300 contribution value points left unspent. since he had come back, he might as well learn a few spells, but unfortunately, the cheapest of the second-level spells in the skill exchange list cost 100 points each.


    he wasn''t in urgent need of offensive spells at the moment. rather, he preferred learning life-saving spells, such as the much-anticipated lesser invisibility spell, among others that were good for survival.


    lesser invisibility spell (1.5 seconds casting): renders the caster into a non-absolute state of invisibility, making it difficult for nearby enemies to detect your presence. any attack, spell casting, or getting attacked will break this effect, lasting 30 seconds.


    learning requirements: taoist heart lv2, prestige with mystic hollow palace friendly, spiritual power 20 points. contribution value 120 points.


    mirror image skills (2 seconds casting): creates a mirror image with autonomous motion to draw enemy fire. the mirror image has the same health points and armor value as the caster, but it cannot attack and takes double damage. it lasts for 30 seconds and consumes 20 mana.


    learning requirements: taoist heart lv2, prestige with mystic hollow palace friendly, spiritual power 22 points. contribution value 140 points.


    earth escape skills (2 seconds casting): transforms into earth and burrows into the ground, disappearing from the enemy''s sight. while burrowed, the caster cannot move until the effect is cancelled, consuming 15 mana and an additional 1 mana per minute while in a burrowed state.


    learning requirements: taoist heart lv2, prestige with mystic hollow palace friendly, spiritual power 26 points. contribution value 160 points.


    earth walking skills (passive skill): when in burrow form, allows you to move slowly, consuming 2 mana per minute during movement.


    learning requirements: taoist heart lv2, prestige with mystic hollow palace friendly, spiritual power 30 points. contribution value 140.


    all were excellent survival skills, but since he didn''t have many contribution value points left, he had to choose selectively.


    after hesitating for a long time, he eventually chose the lesser invisibility spell. in terms of life-saving effects, earth escape skills were more practical, but they were no good on cement surfaces. they might work in the game, but they weren''t as useful in reality, particularly for the upcoming test at the end of the month. so, he gave it up.


    compared to that, the lesser invisibility spell was an absolutely useful spell for both life-saving and stealth, especially in real life.


    after paying 120 contribution value points, xiao buli''s skill bar now included this skill.


    xiao buli was also interested in the ''thousand-mile sound transmission'' spell that xuanxu zi had used, which was a basic feature in other games but an outright bug in this one. he browsed through it again and indeed found what he was looking for in the third-level spell section.


    thousand-mile sound transmission (instant cast spell): establishes a mental connection with a distant target, allowing you to communicate with them across a thousand miles. it consumes 10 mana, with an additional 1 mana consumed per communication.


    learning requirements: taoist heart lv4, prestige with mystic hollow palace revered, spiritual power 30 points, contribution value 300 points.


    it was great, but unfortunately, it was something he couldn''t learn in the short term. however, there seemed to be a nerfed version that he could learn right away.


    secret sound transmission (instant cast spell): establishes a mental connection with a nearby target, allowing you to communicate silently. the casting range is 30 meters, consuming 10 mana.


    learning requirements: taoist heart lv2, prestige with mystic hollow palace friendly, spiritual power 20 points, contribution value 100 points.


    this spell was quite practical. after a moment of hesitation, xiao buli decided to learn it. it might come in handy when giving instructions to those around him during a crisis.


    having learned these two spells, he had only 80 contribution value points left, not enough to learn any spell above the second level. as he gazed at all the powerful spells he couldn''t learn, xiao buli felt genuine pain and couldn''t help but think to himself, "this won''t do, i must find a way to earn more contribution value points quickly.


    earning them through labor is too slow, and i don''t have the time. it seems i''ll have to rely on doing tasks."

 Chapter 113 Waving the Tigers Skin as the Banner_3

    after saying farewell to his master, xiao buli once again came to the alchemy room and said to ji xiangyun, "senior sister, i am about to leave. is there anything you need me to do?"ji xiangyun replied, "indeed, i happen to need some alchemy recipes. since you''ve brought it up, please get me some."


    system prompt: quest ''ji xiangyun''s alchemy blitz'' triggered. do you accept? yes/no.


    the price of recipes is always steep, particularly the ones ji xiangyun wants, which are bound to be no ordinary items. xiao buli thought to himself that this was likely to bleed him dry again. he just didn''t know where to gather more gold coins.


    as he thought this, he glanced over at zhang yaoyang.


    "team leader, i need a few high-grade alchemy recipes. can you help me get them?"


    zhang yaoyang asked in surprise, "you don''t even engage in life skills, why do you need alchemy recipes?"


    xiao buli chuckled, "this, that, it''s of course for the dungeon strategy plan."


    zhang yaoyang was utterly speechless and said irritably, "how can you relate everything back to dungeon strategy? don''t tell me you''re playing with me!"


    xiao buli immediately voiced his grievance, "you can''t talk like that. it''s not as if i wanted to take on this responsibility. if you really don''t trust me, then find someone else. i don''t mind at all." with that, he made a gesture as if he was about to drop the issue altogether.


    zhang yaoyang gritted his teeth and nodded, "fine, i''ll get them for you. but don''t blame me for not being polite if you can''t come up with a strategy plan when the time comes."


    xiao buli smiled confidently, "don''t worry. the strategy plan is already laid out, with everything prepared apart from one final element. just cooperate with me, and i''m sure i''ll be able to present it."


    having said that, he turned back to the dialog box on the screen and selected to accept the quest, then turned around and walked towards the beast pen.


    familiar with the routine, he sniffed around jingci to see if there was any task that needed assistance and indeed triggered a new quest.


    jingci said, "oh, you remind me, i almost forgot. i recently went to the immortal realm with my master and captured a frost claw silver wolf. this creature is quite picky and only eats live food. if you can, help me get some small animals with strong reproductive abilities."


    system prompt: quest ''bai xue''s nutritious lunch'' triggered. do you accept? yes/no.


    bai xue? did jingci really give such a feminine name to his wolf cub? unexpectedly, this rough guy has a thoughtful side.


    xiao buli thought to himself while accepting the quest, but this time he didn''t ask zhang yaoyang for help. such tasks that didn''t cost much were better handled alone, so as not to irritate him.


    after accepting the two tasks, xiao buli estimated that he had almost enough contribution value for learning new spells the next time he returned. however, if his taoist heart advanced again, that was another story. the contribution value needed for third-level spells would be at least 200 points. these two quests were hardly sufficient.


    ```


    should i go and ask the eldest senior brother for advice again? xiao buli hesitated for a moment, but decided it was best not to pass up the opportunity. although he didn''t get along well with that guy, they were, after all, brothers from the same sect. he assumed it wouldn''t result in a fight to the death even if they didn''t end up helping each other with the mission.


    following the stone path toward the deep valley, just as he neared the sealed building he''d seen before, enveloped by talisman spells, a white light flickered in the sky, and gu yuexuan arrived, riding the moonlight with sword control.


    gu yuexuan seemed even more ethereal than he had been a few days prior, still clad in snow-white robes and as dashing as ever, but now with a hint of anxiety on his face.


    gu yuexuan: "little junior brother, you''ve finally returned. how did it go? did you complete the mission master entrusted you with, to clear out the rebels?"


    he seemed to be asking about the ''rebel-clearing'' mission on the surface, but xiao buli knew well what he truly cared about was whether he managed to capture any soul fragments of xuan zhenzi with the soul absorption pearl.


    xiao buli said helplessly, "that xuan zhenzi is very cunning. i''ve searched everywhere and still haven''t found any trace of him."


    system notification: gu yuexuan looks somewhat disappointed.


    it seemed that gu yuexuan was quite anxious about this mission, somewhat like zhang yaoyang. xiao buli glanced at zhang yaoyang, who was standing beside him, and an idea suddenly struck him. if blustering works on real people, would it have an effect on npcs in the game?


    with that thought, he then said, "actually, i''ve already found some clues. however, the person who knows them just won''t talk. he insisted on comparing our swordsmanship skills, and only if i could defeat him would he agree to share the information. but as you know, my understanding of swordsmanship isn''t that great. i was defeated in all three challenges.


    later, he said if i could fight him to a draw in under ten minutes, he would also tell me the clue. unfortunately, even after practicing a set of sword techniques for a long time, i''ve made no significant progress. i''m just too stupid."


    gu yuexuan looked up sharply: "which sword technique have you been practicing?" sea??h th§× ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    xiao buli replied, "the sword technique i practiced is very powerful, it''s called the gale sword skills."


    gu yuexuan: "gale sword skills? it sounds quite formidable. come on then, attack me with all your might and let me see the extent of this sword technique," he said, slowly descending from his flying sword. the sword didn''t return to its sheath but hovered in mid-air, spinning a whirlwind of blade flowers aimed at xiao buli.


    gu yuexuan beckoned with a crooked finger, indicating xiao buli could begin his attack.


    xiao buli didn''t hold back, activating the gale sword skills and slashing furiously towards gu yuexuan.


    with a symphony of clashing metal, xiao buli went on a five-minute frenzy, slashing at gu yuexuan as if he were a straw man, while the screen incessantly flashed red text indicating ''blocked'', ''parried'', ''blocked'', ''parried''. the flying sword, like a patriot missile, deftly intercepted all his attacks.


    as soon as it was clear xiao buli could no longer produce any new moves, the flying sword swiftly swept across with a forceful blow, sending xiao buli flying backward. read latest chapters at empire


    gu yuexuan looked disdainful: "so much for the ''gale sword skills'', merely a name without substance."


    he sighed: "to help you complete the mission, it seems i have no choice but to teach you a set of sword techniques first."


    ps: my sister came back from out of town, and because i was accompanying her during the day, i wasn''t able to update, for which i am truly sorry. here are 5,000 words presented.


    there may be similar situations in the days before may 1st, but i will still update at least 5,000 words every day. after may day, things should get back to normal. please understand. (to be continued. if you like this work, please feel free to recommend and vote on qidian.com. your support is my greatest motivation.)


    ```

 Chapter 114 Myriad Forms Unlimited

    gu yuexuan said with disdain, "what ''gale sword skills''? truly overrated. to help you complete your task, it looks like i have no choice but to teach you a set of sword skills first."xiao buli was elated but didn''t forget his manners, typing, "i feel so embarrassed."


    gu yuexuan laughed and said, "what''s there to be embarrassed about? i never said i would teach you sword skills for free."


    xiao buli: "......"


    gu yuexuan turned a blind eye to the string of ellipses xiao buli had typed and asked, "how many contribution points do you still have on hand now?"


    xiao buli thought to himself that gu yuexuan was really stingy, not willing to teach a set of sword skills even to help with his task, but still honestly replied, "80 points."


    gu yuexuan nodded, "a bit scarce¡ªbut better than nothing."


    after saying that, he extended his hand, and a list of skills that could be learned popped up on xiao buli''s screen.


    it was quite similar to the list given by xuanxu zi, except that the master''s list was entirely magic skills, while this list was all about sword skills and had far fewer options.


    ("is this a trick any npc knows?") xiao buli wondered while he clicked through the list. sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a glance at the list made xiao buli''s eyes heat up with excitement¡ªsword flight, sword shadow transfiguration, and various other awe-inspiring skills filled his sight, but a closer look showed that most of the skills were greyed out¡ªunlearnable, so he looked at the requirements.


    the minimum requirement was a prestige that reached the respect level with gu yuexuan, plus extremely high attribute demands. considering gu yuexuan''s bad temper, achieving such high prestige would take forever.


    however, as xiao buli scrolled to the bottom of the list, he found three sword skills that he could learn.


    swift wind sword skills: significantly increases attack speed while also enhancing the accuracy and rhythm of your attacks, allowing for higher attack efficiency.


    learning requires: movement speed 17 points, agility 15 points. contribution value 80 points.


    army-breaking sword skills: this set of sword skills originated from the battlefield and is focused on killing. the intensity of the killing intent drives the force of the sword; the stronger the killing intent, the more powerful the sword skills become. each point of your slaughter points can bring you an additional damage bonus.


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    learning requires: movement speed 15 points, strength 16 points. contribution value 80 points.


    tai chi sword skills (true): gathering the energy of both yin and yang, this extraordinary sword technique enables you to control the sword effortlessly, regardless of its weight or distance, using softness to overcome hardness and weakness to defeat strength.


    in the state of this sword technique, your attack speed is reduced by thirty percent, and your opponent''s attacks are subject to a deflection effect. every successful deflection allows you to counterattack.


    since the origins of this sword technique stem from the taoist concept of tai chi, those with the taoist heart skill can gain extra layers of sword technique power based on the level of their taoist heart.


    learning requires: agility 15 points, spiritual power 15 points. contribution value 80 points.


    ("all the learning costs are 80 contribution points? can''t be such a coincidence, can it? could it be that the items on this skill list can all be priced independently by the npc?")


    xiao buli thought, while contemplating the pros and cons of the three sets of swordsmanship.


    although these three sets of swordsmanship were considered lower-level by the skills list outlined by gu yuexuan, they were still very powerful for xiao buli, but deciding which set to learn proved to be a challenge.


    swift wind sword skills was clearly an advanced version of gale sword skills, but their effects overlapped too much and weren''t very valuable.


    army-breaking sword skills seemed to require slaughter points to unleash its power, something xiao buli currently didn''t have. he guessed that it was mostly obtained by killing other players, which wouldn''t be of much use to him in the short term.


    as for tai chi sword skills, they seemed more to his liking. even though they didn''t do much damage in dungeons, the effect of deflecting enemy attacks caught his eye.


    if he learned this set of swordsmanship, even if he couldn''t defeat that swordsmanship master, he might at least be able to hold out for ten minutes, and it would benefit from the added layers of the taoist heart skill, undoubtedly the most suitable for someone with a hybrid profession like his.


    with this in mind, xiao buli chose the tai chi sword skills (true) at the bottom of the list.


    system prompt: you have learned tai chi sword skills (true).


    xiao buli had plenty of practical experience, so he used it directly to level the swordsmanship to lv10 and immediately comprehended a mystic skill.


    system prompt: after a long period of research and practice, you have comprehended the mystic art ¡ª omnipotent from tai chi sword skills (true).


    mystic art ¡ª omnipotent: by using this mystic art, you enter a mysterious state of insight into everything. in this state, you cannot move, enemy physical attacks launched at you will inevitably be deflected, and you''ll increase the upper limit of the attack strength you can deflect.


    you''ll also launch a counterattack against the attacking target, with the power of the counterattack equal to the power of the attack you receive (counterattack can only be triggered if it does not exceed the deflection limit). this state can last (spiritual power 21¡Á0.3) 6.3 seconds.


    upon seeing the introduction to this mystic skill, xiao buli was thrilled. this was almost like a six-second invincibility skill. although he couldn''t move and it was only effective against physical attacks, the counterattack effect made those disadvantages seem less significant, especially the ''the power of the counterattack is equal to the power of the attack received'' effect.


    in other words, the stronger the enemy''s attack, the faster they would die. a truly divine skill indeed.


    xiao buli thought to himself, (now that i have two souls of mystic arts, i should be able to pass the swordsmanship master''s test.)


    thinking this, xiao buli said to gu yuexuan, "thank you, senior brother. this time i''m definitely going to get you what you need."


    gu yuexuan nodded slightly without showing much expression, "i hope so."


    after he finished speaking, he stepped on his flying sword, and vanished without a trace.


    being able to fly is awesome.


    xiao buli watched gu yuexuan''s shadow disappear above the bamboo forest, thinking enviously.


    being able to fly has always been one of humanity''s greatest dreams, and xiao buli was certainly no exception. among the spells that could be learned from xuanxu zi, there were indeed skills that enabled flight, one being levitation skills and the other wind-riding decision.


    the former could only float to a height of ten meters or so, and the moving speed while floating was ridiculously slow, requiring taoist heart lv3 and 25 points of spiritual power to learn.


    the latter allowed for wind-riding flight, but required taoist heart lv5, and 40 points of spiritual power, which was not something xiao buli could hope for in the short term.


    he''d better hurry back and complete the sect mission as soon as possible, to earn contribution value to learn new spells.


    xiao buli thought to himself. but since it was already dark, he didn''t plan to continue recklessly. since tomorrow was sunday, he logged off, went for dinner, and while strengthening his power in the game was important, getting familiar with and mastering skills in the real world was even more crucial.


    xiao buli had already decided that after dinner he would head home and spend the entire day tomorrow trying to master the newly learned spells and skills. (to be continued. if you like this work, you are welcome to go to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 115 At Home

    ```dinner was conducted amid an eerie atmosphere of hushed whispers, with xiao buli sitting in a corner seat, facing wu tao at the same table.


    next to wu tao was liu xing, beside liu xing the author bai yunfei, and next to bai yunfei sat xiao buli.


    everyone was eating their food in no particular hurry while discussing what they had planned for the next day. s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "so it seems you are all planning to take the day off?" xiao buli swallowed a piece of fruit from his salad and asked.


    "of course, time waits for no one. honestly, i''m not yet familiar with those inner strength practices." wu tao glanced warily at the surveillance camera in the hall, "previously i''ve only mastered the basics of inner strength, but if possible, i''m most interested in trying out the pure yang heart method. if it could be brought into reality, i imagine its power would be quite impressive."


    liu xing nodded, "i also need to practice my swordsmanship properly."


    after saying this, he glanced at xiao buli and saw his furrowed brows, which looked somewhat strange, "what''s wrong? isn''t it you who suggested that we should get familiar with those skills in real life as much as possible?"


    xiao buli nodded, "i did say that, but i never thought everyone would choose the same sunday to take a leave. it''s a bit too obvious, and i''m afraid it might raise suspicions."


    hearing this, everyone else was startled, only then remembering that they rarely took days off. usually, most people would stay in the company over the weekend. taking a leave together indeed seemed abrupt.


    bai yunfei suggested, "should we hurry and talk about it, to schedule our leaves separately?"


    but xiao buli shook his head, "let''s not do that. gatherings themselves are risky. besides," he added, "the other teams'' members are less likely to do the same. our group, just a few people, shouldn''t attract too much attention."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    dingling, dingling, dingling!!! a harsh alarm clock sound abruptly awakened xiao buli from his sleep. he looked around in alarm, surprised to find himself at home. after a few seconds of recollection, he remembered that he had returned from the company the night before.


    he took a long breath and let out a sigh of relief, turned off the alarm, and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.


    several consecutive days of staying up late had left him in a state of tension and exhaustion. this weariness hadn''t shown at the office, but when he got home last night, he deeply felt that he was truly tired.


    after a hot bath and lying in bed, he slept extraordinarily soundly, sleeping until dawn for the first time this month. even though it was his day off, he had a full schedule, so he set his alarm out of habit.


    after lying in bed for a while, xiao buli finally got up. he felt much more relaxed at home, not even wearing pajamas, but walking into the bathroom shirtless in just his underwear.


    he washed his face with cold water and, looking at the person in the mirror, xiao buli was astonished, (is that really me?) he wondered doubtfully, with a flicker of surprise in his heart.


    in the mirror, his muscles were firm and rugged. although he had always valued regular exercise, it was only to keep from becoming weak, and he would still look rather pale and hardly muscular, incomparable to his current appearance.


    now his body looked as though it had been through long-term training, full of life and dynamism.


    ```


    ```


    this is probably one of the benefits gained from the game, i suppose it''s due to the enhancement of attributes.


    according to his analysis, the attributes of an ordinary person converted to game terms would be around 10 points, and over these days, he managed to significantly improve all his basic attributes with professional skills. now, they are generally above fifteen points, some even approaching twenty.


    if compared to the real world, they wouldn''t be much different from those athletes or special forces who undergo rigorous training. it''s hard to imagine just how strong the bodies of those with strength and stamina over thirty, even over forty, would be.


    as he thought about this, he smiled at himself in the mirror. although he did not care much about his appearance, having a good body was still something worth being happy about.


    after freshening up, xiao buli started to prepare his breakfast¡ªfried eggs with bread and milk, simple yet nutritious, all bought last night from the supermarket downstairs. it was less tasty compared to the breakfast provided by the company but more casual.


    while eating breakfast, xiao buli pondered the day''s tasks.


    first, of course, was making some talisman paper to carry with him. next, he needed to familiarize himself with and use spells and skills. he had not dared to experiment with any new ones this week and was starting to forget the sensation of casting spells.


    besides reviewing the spells he already knew, the gale sword skills, lesser invisibility spell, and tai chi sword skills he learned this week needed to be practiced and mastered. there were also those two mystic skills, but looking at the layout of his living room, xiao buli thought definitely not to use the ''wind rolls the scattered clouds'' here.


    by the time he finished his meal, he had planned out his activities for the day.


    opening the bookcase, xiao buli started making talisman paper first. this time, being familiar with the process, it took him less than an hour to make over fifty sheets of talisman paper. after drying them, he stuffed them into a cigarette case and tucked it into his jacket pocket, leaving out a few for trial use of the lesser invisibility spell and to review other spells.


    xiao buli drew the curtains and locked the doors and windows to start his experiments.


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    initially, he failed a few times, but as he gradually recaptured the feeling from last week, his success rate quickly improved. with several spells reviewed successfully, he began trying to cast the newly learned lesser invisibility spell.


    summoning up some emotion, xiao buli pinched a piece of talisman paper between two fingers and mentally chanted, "invisibility technique."


    with a ''bang,'' the talisman paper turned into a mist that enveloped him. as the mist slowly dissipated, xiao buli saw everything around him as if it were enclosed in frosted glass, blurring his surroundings.


    he looked at the mirror set up for testing and saw a semi-transparent figure inside it, faintly visible and looking back at him. drawing on his experience from the game, xiao buli knew only he could see that figure; to anyone else, the room would appear empty.


    having completed his spell experiments, xiao buli then prepared to practice his swordsmanship. however, after sizing up space with his han-style precious sword, he found the room too cramped and unsuitable for practicing.


    so where should he go to practice swordsmanship?


    he thought for a moment and then remembered old mr. gu. (his sword training field is not bad, and didn''t i say i''d teach him swordsmanship? instead of choosing a date, why not just do it today?)


    he made a phone call to gu shaobang, and the voice that answered was very excited, "hey, president, you''re out and about again, huh? you even have time to call."


    ps: we''re about 100 votes away from entering the new book monthly ticket rankings; considering the two-for-one ticket deal at month''s end, that means we''re only 50 votes shy of making the list. if you have any extra monthly tickets, please toss them to ''the sniper''.


    if we can make it onto the new book monthly ticket rankings this month, i promise a three-day burst of chapters next month. (to be continued. if you like this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)


    ```

 Chapter 116 Sorry, Im a Professional Gamer

    after giving gu shaobang a call, the voice on the other end was brimming with excitement, "hey, president, out for some fresh air again, huh? to think you actually have time to give me a call."xiao buli couldn''t help but let out a wry smile, "what do you mean ''fresh air''? why do you have to put it so unpleasantly?"


    with a snicker over the phone, gu shaobang said, "if you can only get out once a week, if that''s not ''fresh air'' then what is it? speak up, what do you need me for?"


    xiao buli thought to himself that gu shaobang certainly knew him well, "of course, it''s a good thing. is your family''s old mr. gu at home?"


    gu shaobang couldn''t help but feel a bit puzzled, "what do you want with him? old mr. gu is indeed at home, but it looks like he has guests today. it might not be convenient if you want to see him."


    xiao buli replied, "no worries, i just wanted to borrow the place to practice a bit of swordsmanship."


    gu shaobang said, "aha, i thought it was something serious. that''s no big deal; the area is huge, anyway. just let me know, there''s no need to ask grandpa."


    xiao buli said, "that''s great, i''ll head over right now."


    an hour later¡ªgu estate:


    "haha, big brother, you finally made it. we haven''t seen much of each other these days, i was starting to miss you," gu shaobang said half-jokingly.


    xiao buli replied, "can''t we cut out the mushy talk?" after saying this, he laughed and gave gu shaobang a light punch on the shoulder, causing gu shaobang to wince in pain and complain, "president, what have you been eating lately? how come your punch is so strong?"


    experience more content on empire s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    xiao buli was startled inside, having forgotten that his strength was no longer what it used to be, yet he maintained an unchanged expression and retorted, "maybe you''re just too weak, kiddo. if you go on like this, it won''t do. you need to exercise more when you have time." he managed to bluff his way through with a chuckle.


    the two walked into the gu residence and followed a pebble-paved path to the sword training field, which was usually under the care of the gu family''s housekeeper.


    "butler liu, my friend and i are going to use the sword training field for a bit. you can tell grandpa about it later," gu shaobang said.


    the housekeeper, stoic as ever, nodded, handed the keys to gu shaobang, and turned away without a word.


    as gu shaobang led xiao buli inside, he said, "don''t mind him; that''s just the way he is. big brother, since when did you start liking sword practice again? with all the time you spend gaming, do you even have the interest for this?"


    xiao buli just smiled. he really didn''t know how to explain this.


    however, gu shaobang wasn''t the type to dig too deep, so he just grinned and said no more.


    the sword training field was a spacious courtyard with a flat sandy stone ground, surrounded by weapon racks that gave off an ancient vibe.


    xiao buli hadn''t brought his online-purchased replica han sword; after browsing the weapons on the racks, which all seemed quite extraordinary despite being practice weapons, he moved past the wooden swords and blades and went straight to the last row of weapon racks, which held genuine sharpened swords.


    picking one at random, it was so shiny that one could almost see their reflection in it. although he wasn''t much of an expert in swords, he could tell that even though it was just another sword among the weaponry, it was much better than his replicated han sword.


    turning back to gu shaobang, xiao buli inquired cautiously, "there''s no outsider coming here, right?"


    "of course not," gu shaobang replied. "other than me and grandpa, nobody comes here on regular days." he then quipped jokingly, "if you''re worried about outsiders stealing your peerless swordsmanship, i''ll just lock the courtyard door."


    he was speaking offhandedly, but to his surprise, xiao buli nodded seriously, "that would be for the best."


    with that, xiao buli casually swung a few sword flowers through the air and began to dance with the blade. at first, his movements were random, but he soon found his rhythm. the swordplay suddenly intensified, thrusted into the air three times with almost a sound of tearing the wind.


    (this is the feeling!) xiao buli rejoiced inwardly, following the lingering momentum to continue executing the moves. the gale sword skills'' forty-nine techniques were as clear in his mind as if they were imprinted there.


    initially pausing to think occasionally, he soon flowed into an uninterrupted sequence, his figure enshrouded in a faint haze of sword shadows, leaving gu shaobang with his eyes wide in astonishment.


    he was jolted back to reality only when someone sharply patted his shoulder from behind, "brother nine, what are you doing?"


    a crisp, pleasant voice came from behind, and when gu shaobang turned around, he was startled to see the person behind him. with neat eyebrows and pearly teeth, she wore a white lace top and a pleated skirt that barely reached her knees, paired with half-high black leather boots. her hair was dyed silver into a cool short style; it was his cousin gu yanran.


    although her name suggested a demure lady, her personality was definitely of a little devil sort, and she was one of the few among the gu relatives favored by old mr. gu. gu shaobang would typically avoid her, and seeing her now, he couldn''t help feeling a bit depressed, wondering how he had managed to draw her out.


    "nothing much, just taking a walk," he replied.


    "just a walk? oh! is that your friend? such a handsome swordplay," she said as she squeezed past gu shaobang, her eyes widening as she watched the man practicing with the sword.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    old mr. gu''s real name was gu baichuan, but very few dared to call him that to his face anymore.


    when butler liu walked into the hall, old mr. gu was in the midst of a game of go with a middle-aged man, the endgame already approaching. the old man''s several large dragons were being ruthlessly surrounded and killed by black stones, threatening a complete collapse, yet he was still staring intently, refusing to concede defeat.

 Chapter 116 Sorry, Im a Professional Gamer_2

    with a snap, he made another move¡ªthis move was laced with a hidden threat. although it could not be described as fierce, if it succeeded, it would cause some trouble, seemingly aiming to turn the tide. however, the middle-aged man laughed, "old mr. gu''s unyielding spirit has always been an example for us to follow."the middle-aged man chuckled and spoke, but he didn''t show any mercy with his move, deftly countering the old man''s killer move. when he turned back, he captured old mr. gu''s large dragon, and the outcome of the game seemed clear.


    old mr. gu glared at the man, unamused, "don''t act smug after gaining an advantage. if this lousy chessboard doesn''t end with some persistent assault, then we might as well stop playing."


    as he spoke, he scrutinized the chessboard, still looking for an opportunity to turn defeat into victory.


    after a long while, the middle-aged man asked with a smile, "so, do you want to continue?"


    "humph," old mr. gu was about to concede when the butler walked in just in time, whispering a few words into old mr. gu''s ear.


    "oh, that kid''s here again? at the sword training field, wait for me to take a look." after saying that, he provocatively asked the middle-aged man across from him, "interested in meeting a junior with me? this young man is no ordinary fellow, quite interesting indeed."


    the middle-aged man smiled slightly, "if old mr. gu is tired and doesn''t wish to continue, there''s no harm in saying so, no need to use a junior as an excuse."


    old mr. gu''s face reddened slightly, but he quickly returned to normal, "don''t put it that way. this junior is extraordinary, a rare sword practice genius. if he were in the han and tang dynasties, he would surely be a great swordsman master in times of chaos. if he were in the ming and qing dynasties, he would have accomplished great things.


    it''s a pity that he was born in modern times, but you''ll know once you see him."


    despite saying this, he didn''t have much confidence himself. xiao buli showed great perception, but whether he was truly a genius, that was yet to be determined.


    however, the middle-aged man did not expose him and simply cupped his fist in a gesture of respect, "one should obey a respected elder''s command."


    the two left the chess room and walked directly to the sword training field in the back courtyard. as soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw a whirl of white light performing a wild dance. gu shaobang and gu yanran were watching from the side.


    both were shocked by the scene; at first glance, the swordsmanship seemed without pattern, merely slashing wildly, which made one worry that the swordsman might accidentally harm himself. however, after watching a bit longer, one would discern a hidden rhythm to the swordsmanship. sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    although the movements were nearly manic, they were executed with precision and power, and the transitions were smooth, forming a cohesive sequence. despite the wild flurry, there was no hint of the swordsman hurting himself.


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    the middle-aged man was certainly shaken after a few glances, and old mr. gu was no less astonished, thinking to himself how impressive it was that the boy had improved so much in a few days, wondering where he learned such an intense sword technique.


    old mr. gu had some understanding of swordsmanship and knew that although swordplay valued lightness and elegance, to achieve a certain speed was not something ordinary people could grasp, let alone perform as fluidly as what was before his eyes.


    the essence of the gale sword skills was speed. xiao buli, caught up in the moment, felt he couldn''t stop the momentum of his sword. he hadn''t noticed the arrival of the onlookers, so he wasn''t particularly nervous. after all, swordsmanship was not beyond the capacity of normal humans, so he had no intention of hiding his techniques from gu shaobang.


    "how about it, i wasn''t wrong, was i?" old mr. gu said proudly. as he spoke, old mr. gu suddenly felt a childlike impulse. there were soybeans by the bird pond for feeding the birds, and he grabbed one and threw it at xiao buli. yet before it could reach him, it was sliced away by the wind from xiao buli''s sword.


    old mr. gu threw a few more with the same result. deciding to test the limits, he grabbed a handful and hurled them at xiao buli.


    as he threw them, he shouted, "take my hidden weapons!"


    xiao buli, fully immersed in his practice, instantly sensed objects flying rapidly towards him from behind and instinctively bent down and pressed his sword.


    the onlookers, young and old, felt as if the light in the sword training field dimmed for a moment. the next instant, brilliant sword light blossomed like a lotus flower.


    ultimate skills¡ªwind rolls the scattered clouds! the white light flashed like lightning. in that moment, xiao buli spun countless times, layers of sword shadows almost overlapping into one shining circle. as his final stroke swept out, he came to a stop, his sword tip diagonally pointed to the sky, crouched in the finishing pose of his powerful move.


    around him on the ground lay hundreds of soybeans sliced cleanly in half¡ªwithout exception.


    everyone was dumbstruck, including old mr. gu, the instigator of the test.


    "well¡ªi''m just saying," he muttered to himself, but the middle-aged man''s expression couldn''t hide his excitement.


    "great swordsmanship, great swordsmanship!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands vigorously.


    xiao buli suddenly snapped out of his trance; he had just been immersed in the feeling of executing ultimate skills. when he turned around, he inwardly cursed, realizing several people had unexpectedly gathered around him.


    "hahaha, my boy, you really are a surprise," old mr. gu stepped forward and clapped xiao buli on the shoulder, which made gu yanran''s eyes nearly pop out of her head. she thought to herself, since when did the usually stern old man become so affable.


    the middle-aged man approached xiao buli, admiration evident in his eyes.


    "not bad, young man, who taught you your swordsmanship?"


    xiao buli sheepishly smiled but didn''t answer; he knew any explanation would only make things worse. he glanced at gu shaobang with a bit of blame, but the latter could only shrug helplessly.


    the middle-aged man seemed very interested in his sword skills.


    stroking his chin, he said, "i''m a person who loves studying fighting techniques. i used to think that the ancient sword skills of china were just for cultivating one''s mind and body without any practical value in combat. but now, it seems that''s not the case. i wonder if you''d be interested in becoming my swordsmanship coach."


    xiao buli gave him a peculiar look, then glanced at old mr. gu before the man finally realized, "how rude of me, i''ve forgotten to introduce myself. my name is gu jianguo. perhaps you''ve heard of me."


    upon hearing this, xiao buli was immediately shocked. jianguo was indeed a common name; one could probably find a bunch in any city. however, the name gu jianguo was anything but common. it just so happened that xiao buli knew of such a person¡ªthe most successful businessman in city b, famous nationwide.


    his company, excellence space-time technology co., ltd., had ranked 57th in last year''s national corporate leaderboard, a remarkable achievement for a private enterprise.


    what was most surprising was that his rise to wealth wasn''t based on real estate or selling resources but on genuine technological innovation. excellence space-time specializes in products like smartphones and supercomputers, all of which are self-developed, firmly distinguishing itself from those companies that eke out a living by assembling machines for others or by bootlegging software.


    it could indeed be considered city b''s leading enterprise.


    but could it really be that person? he glanced at gu jianguo''s sagacious face, finding it hard to believe.


    seeing his reaction, old mr. gu seemed somewhat proud, "among the second generation of the gu family''s nephews, jianguo is the most accomplished one. if you become his coach, i assure you, my boy, you won''t be treated unfairly."


    the suggestion was clear in his words.


    if it weren''t for the current predicament, this would have been an excellent opportunity. but now, he could only let it go.


    xiao buli shook his head, "i''m sorry, i''m quite busy with work at the moment and really can''t spare the time."


    gu jianguo looked somewhat disappointed, but was still not giving up, "may i ask where you work? what do you do?"


    xiao buli smiled, "i''m afraid it''s not convenient for me to reveal the company i work for, but as for my job..." he glanced at the expectant gu jianguo and quite matter-of-factly stated, "i''m a professional gamer."


    ps: i''ve been getting a root canal these past couple of days, and the pain''s been quite severe, so i''ve been writing a bit slower. please forgive me.


    we''re only about 10 votes away from reaching the top ten, everyone please give a little more push. tomorrow is the last day, and if we make it into the top ten, i''ll release a three-day burst of chapters next month, with a double release tomorrow. (to be continued. if you like this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 117 Gu Shaobangs Doubt

    xiao buli smiled, "it''s inconvenient for me to reveal the company i work for, as for my job." he glanced at gu jianguo who was full of expectation and said quite naturally, "i am a game power-leveling agent."¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    hearing this, gu jianguo almost choked, "you''re a game power-leveling agent?" thinking he had heard wrong, gu jianguo couldn''t help but ask. seeing xiao buli nod his head seriously, gu jianguo was lost for words.


    (the young people these days, have they gone silly with games? with such great conditions, why still play games?) gu jianguo couldn''t help but think.


    seeing the look on gu jianguo''s face, xiao buli couldn''t help but smile bitterly to himself, for it wasn''t hard for him to imagine what the other party was thinking.


    "however, if gu would like to learn, i don''t mind teaching you, but only on sundays."


    xiao buli spoke very sincerely, he didn''t intend to prize his skills like a cherished possession, nor did he deliberately protect the secret that he possessed swordsmanship skills.


    if he weren''t in deep crisis and about to partake in a life-or-death riot soon, he naturally wouldn''t have done this. with his cautious character, the fewer people who knew about it the better, but since he might lose his life in a month, xiao buli no longer had many reservations.


    (at least this way, i can leave something behind.) he thought to himself. experience tales at empire


    "my gale sword skills are all offense with no defense, suitable for life-and-death combat but not for cultivating one''s body and nourishing one''s nature. i''m afraid it''s not suitable for you to learn. however, i do have a set of tai chi sword skills which old mr. gu taught me. i''ve recently figured out some of the tricks, maybe i can teach them to you."


    "you''ve understood the true meaning of tai chi sword skills?" old mr. gu was shocked upon hearing this. if he hadn''t seen xiao buli''s performance earlier, he would have surely taken it as a complete joke. but at this moment, he believed it and couldn''t help but tremble with excitement.


    but after getting excited for a while, he shook his head, "i''m old already, i''m afraid i don''t have the vitality to learn. my nephew loves martial arts, if you don''t mind, perhaps you could teach him instead."


    xiao buli didn''t object, whom to teach was all the same to him.


    gu jianguo, however, shook his head. he wasn''t interested in tai chi sword skills, "i would still like to learn your gale sword skills. i know it''s presumptuous to say this, but if possible, i''d still like to learn that set of swordsmanship. of course, i''m aware this request is somewhat impolite, perhaps i can compensate you in some other way."


    xiao buli was speechless, thinking that gu jianguo didn''t appreciate tai chi sword skills and probably thought he didn''t want to teach the real skills.


    "alright then, if you really want to learn gale sword skills, i''ll teach you, no need for compensation."


    hearing xiao buli''s words, gu jianguo became excited at once, "that''s great, i''ll go change into a set of clothes, please wait just a moment."


    having said that, he turned and left in a hurry.


    watching gu jianguo''s departing figure, old mr. gu shook his head somewhat helplessly, turned back to look at xiao buli, and asked with interest, "come on then, where did you learn such formidable sword skills?"


    in response to old mr. gu''s question, xiao buli could only helplessly shake his head, "that, i really can''t explain clearly."


    old mr. gu didn''t press the issue, "if you won''t say, that''s fine. i know you young people value ''personal space'' nowadays; this old man won''t ask too much. but what about that tai chi sword skills? surely you haven''t truly grasped its essence, have you?"


    seeing xiao buli nod his head calmly yet earnestly, old mr. gu couldn''t help but feel sorry for gu jianguo, who had missed such an opportunity, truly akin to having pearls before swine.


    while they were talking, gu jianguo came back to the sword training field, now dressed in loose workout clothes, his physique balanced and muscular, evidently someone who exercised regularly, though it seemed somewhat incongruous with his status.


    gu jianguo picked up a wooden sword and bowed respectfully to xiao buli, who nodded in return and began the instruction.


    the gale sword skills are relatively simple; their greatest feature is speed that leads to momentum, momentum that drives the sword, and the sword that moves the practitioner. once practiced to a certain extent, one''s body moves involuntarily, following the swordsmanship, even without any motion to withdraw the strikes.


    however, if practiced to perfection, one can control it effortlessly and just as the heart desires.


    gu jianguo was also a rare talent, or he wouldn''t have established a vast business empire before reaching forty. he was also gifted in martial arts.


    as xiao buli explained and demonstrated the techniques, the knowledge became deeply ingrained in his mind after only a bit of practice, and he spoke of it with natural ease, as if he really were a swordsmanship master who had been immersed in the art for over a decade. gu jianguo listened very attentively and learned with singular focus.


    one taught while the other learned, giving shaobang a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from watching them.


    it seemed like he had seen this before, but then it was old mr. gu who was teaching, and xiao buli who was the learner.


    it didn''t take long, with the increase in the speed of his sword swings, for gu jianguo to seem to find some tricks of his own. as he had a foundation in swordsmanship, he naturally learned very quickly. xiao buli couldn''t help but be amazed. the reason his own sword skills had come along so quickly was entirely due to the game as a sort of cheat, but gu jianguo truly had genuine talent.


    he wanted to experiment with the tai chi sword skills as well, so while gu jianguo practiced on his own, he tried to mimic the moves of tai chi sword skills. this attempt caught old mr. gu''s eye immediately, as it looked eighty to ninety percent similar to what he had once taught, but with a subtly different style in each move.


    after practicing for a while, xiao felt he was getting the hang of it. he turned around to see gu jianguo already able to execute the entire set of sword techniques from beginning to end, and then said to gu jianguo, "if you want to learn the essence of swordsmanship in the shortest time, combat practice is naturally the best way.


    attack me now with the sword techniques you''ve just learned, and remember not to hold back. the essence of the gale sword skills is to charge forward without any hesitation."


    while speaking, he also switched to a wooden sword and stood ready.


    gu jianguo was not polite in the least, "after practicing the technique once, i feel like i''ve gotten a sense of it, and i''m eager to try it out. here i come!" he exclaimed as he swung his sword towards xiao.


    the sword chopped down with astonishing strength, but xiao buli simply waved his hand, deflecting gu jianguo''s blow aside. however, the gale sword skills'' speed lies in the unceasing flurry of moves¡ªwhere one swing misses, the next follows close behind.


    yet, xiao buli still fluidly parried, positioning his sword''s blade to form an angle with gu jianguo''s sword tip, deflecting it to the side once again.


    gu jianguo thought to himself that this set of sword techniques was really peculiar. his hands, however, did not stop as he continued the relentless assaults of the gale sword skills, attacking faster and more fiercely. as he became more accustomed to the motion, xiao buli''s tai chi sword skills also grew increasingly refined.


    after dozens of strikes, each one was diverted by xiao, deepening his mastery of the tai chi sword skills.


    slowly, gu jianguo started to lose control over his sword movements, and the wooden sword in his hands whistled incessantly as he chopped through the air, almost frantically. seeing this, xiao buli frowned and, as their swords clashed again, suddenly twirled around gu jianguo''s blade three times and flung it forcefully. with a snap, the wooden sword flew away and pierced into the crevice of a wall.


    "phew!" gu jianguo spun around dizzily and sat down with a thump, asking in surprise, "what happened just now? i couldn''t stop myself at all."


    xiao buli chuckled, "the gale sword skills were originally called the mad wind sword skills. when practiced to a certain degree, one might be driven by the sword''s momentum and become unable to stop. typically, it would take someone months to encounter this problem, but looking at you, uncle gu, you''re really talented.


    if you practice diligently every day, i estimate it won''t be long before you reach a state where you can control it freely. however, you must be cautious not to be too engrossed. it''s fine with a wooden sword, but if you had a real one and there were people nearby, it could inevitably cause unintended harm." as he spoke, xiao buli reached out and pulled gu jianguo to his feet.


    gu jianguo nodded in acknowledgment. towards the end of their sparring, he had become somewhat involuntary in his movements, unable to stop even if he wanted to; even some crazy thoughts had flashed through his mind, and reflecting on it, he felt a pang of fear.


    he nodded and laughed, "ha ha, where do i have the american time to practice martial arts all day? i can only practice occasionally. the company''s business is too busy as it is."


    as he spoke, he took out a business card, "thank you, xiao, for letting me experience the true ancient sword skills. you''re welcome to find me if you need anything in the future."


    xiao buli accepted the business card and looked at it. the black graphite card was engraved with gold lettering in regular script font¡ªchairman of excellent space-time gu jianguo.


    xiao buli smiled, "so, big brother gu, you''re really the boss of excellent space-time. your company is one of the top 100, isn''t it?"


    gu jianguo laughed as well, "top 100? that''s just an empty title. compared to the real giants hidden within the country, we''re just little shrimps¡ªa mere figurehead lifted by others. if you''re interested, i''ll send you our company''s latest product sometime. also, if you need anything, just come to the company, and if your computer breaks down, i can still fix it up for you."


    the last statement was clearly a joke, and xiao buli cooperated with a laugh, thinking to himself that he hoped there would be another chance like this.


    seeing that it was getting late, xiao buli decided it was time to leave. he had mastered both sets of sword techniques, and for today, his goal had been perfectly achieved.


    when shaobang escorted xiao buli out, he was somewhat curious, "boss, where exactly did you learn your swordsmanship? don''t tell me you''ve been playing games all this time. without ten years of practice, you couldn''t have pulled off those moves just now. even if you''re a martial arts genius, you surely haven''t just figured it out while playing games? come clean, are you hiding something from me?"


    xiao buli inwardly chuckled bitterly, thinking that he really had figured it out while playing games. seeing shaobang''s unexpectedly serious expression, he didn''t know what to say. should he tell him the truth?


    xiao buli was indeed undecided. the key issue was, if he told him the truth, what kind of result would it lead to...


    ps: dear readers, you are really impressive; my new book has already made it into the top ten monthly tickets. if nothing unexpected happens, there will be a three-day burst next month. sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    another chapter will come tonight. (to be continued. if you like this work, you are welcome to go to qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 118 Big Shot

    looking into gu shaobang''s expectant eyes, xiao buli really couldn''t decide. the key issue was that if he revealed the truth to him, what kind of result would emerge¡ªalthough it was not certain, xiao buli felt that more likely than not, the outcome wouldn''t be one he wished to see.he pondered for a moment and ultimately decided to keep the secret to himself for the time being. after all, this person, the only one he could call his closest friend, should not get involved in this crisis. everything would have to wait until the end of this month.


    having realized this, he gave gu shaobang a faint smile and said, "it''s nothing serious, just a little trouble. if things go well, the issue should be resolved in three weeks, and then i can tell you the truth. but until then, i think it''s better to keep it secret." after finishing, he patted gu shaobang on the shoulder and turned to leave.


    watching xiao buli''s retreating figure, gu shaobang''s expression became much more solemn. he knew xiao buli very well, and the expression xiao buli had shown just now was one he had never seen before. the situation must be very complex indeed, gu shaobang thought, and he couldn''t help but wonder, (could it be related to that game?)


    when he returned to the main residence''s living room, gu shaobang saw gu jianguo chatting and drinking tea with old mr. gu.


    strictly speaking, gu jianguo was not a direct descendant of the gu family. he was the son of gu shaobang''s grandfather''s brother, making gu shaobang his cousin once removed. in a traditional family that placed great importance on lineage, this relationship meant that he could not meddle in the gu family''s property.


    however, his actions made gu shaobang and his branch of the family appear rather inferior. gu jianguo had almost started from scratch and established the excellent space-time group, its massive industry almost surpassing the original assets of the gu family.


    what was lacking was merely some connections and heritage, but given excellent space-time''s outstanding profitability, this was just a matter of time.


    because of this, the gu family had complex feelings toward gu jianguo¡ªa mixture of admiration, jealousy, distaste, and resignation. most people chose to ignore him, at least maintaining their superiority outwardly.


    but these people did not include gu shaobang. he was much closer to his cousin once removed. from the time gu jianguo was starting out with video game consoles, gu shaobang had spent no small amount of time playing with gu jianguo, and the two could be said to have a relationship bordering on brothers as well as uncle and nephew. s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "hey, little shaobang, what game is your friend playing that''s so compelling he refuses to leave it?" gu jianguo asked affectionately as soon as he saw gu shaobang come in.


    gu shaobang shook his head somewhat gloomily, "to be honest, i really don''t know. it was me who suggested it to him in the beginning." your journey continues with empire


    "you suggested it to him? how did you come across such a thing?" old mr. gu''s expression looked quite stern, and gu shaobang immediately internally cursed his luck. as with most traditional old people, old mr. gu didn''t look kindly on computer games. although he tolerates them, he would always keep sayings like ''idleness leads to failure'' on the tip of his tongue.


    "i saw it in a business newspaper," gu shaobang explained quickly, excusing himself to his room. it didn''t take long before he found the newspaper and showed it, "this one right here."


    gu jianguo read the advertisement on the paper aloud while looking, "qilin studio? address¡ª"


    "that''s not right, this address is..." gu jianguo stopped suddenly mid-sentence, and gu shaobang gave him a curious glance, noticing that gu jianguo''s expression was unusually serious, "what''s the matter, third uncle?"


    "it seems that the company your friend has joined is not an ordinary one," gu jianguo said gravely, putting the newspaper down.


    "do you know about this qilin studio?" gu shaobang asked.


    gu jianguo shook his head, "i know nothing about qilin studio, but i am rather familiar with the details of this building. there''s even a story involving it," he said, seeing the eager curiosity on gu shaobang''s face, he began to recount the tale.


    "when i was just starting out and my business was growing, i was full of ambition, feeling almost omnipotent in city b and saw myself as a major figure. i thought i could do anything, and it was then that i was choosing an office building for the group. i took a fancy to that building, yet when i sent people to negotiate, a week passed without reaching any conclusion.


    the owner simply ignored my attempts and didn''t even give me a chance to make an offer. i have to admit, i was young and brash back then and became angry, having dishonest thoughts. i used higher-level connections in an attempt to coerce by power, forcing the building''s owner into submission."


    gu shaobang listened with surprise; his third uncle was usually a modest and shrewd person and they were very close. it was unexpected for him to know that he could play dirty, "and then?" he asked curiously.


    "and then i was the one to be coerced by power," gu jianguo said, his expression showing a trace of lingering fear, suggesting that the incident had truly startled him.


    "thankfully, when i was young and impulsive, although i liked shortcuts, i always knew to leave some wiggle room. otherwise, you wouldn''t be seeing me now," gu jianguo said while patting gu shaobang''s shoulder.


    "that serious!?" gu shaobang was taken aback. the gu family was a prominent name in city b. although they did not flaunt their power, they had critical connections when needed, which gave gu shaobang the illusion that the gu family could at least be called a godfather-level clan in city b. yet there was a force in city b that even the gu family could not provoke.


    this was truly beyond his understanding.


    seeing his expression, gu jianguo did not forget to teach him a lesson, "don''t you assume that just because you can leverage some familial influence, you can be fearless. there''s always someone with a stronger background in this world. the question is only when and under what circumstances you will encounter them.


    take your third uncle''s advice; if your friend is really working in that building, maybe it''s actually a good thing that he isn''t telling you the truth. if you really provoke someone you shouldn''t, even the gu family can''t protect you."


    gu shaobang nodded slightly. although gu jianguo''s words were surprising, he was beginning to grasp their seriousness.


    despite acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, he was still curious, "who''s behind that company after all?"


    gu jianguo sighed, "that''s the problem. even to this day, i don''t know who we crossed back then. but one thing i do know for sure is that the person controlling that company must be a very important figure." (to be continued. if you like this work, welcome to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 119 Art of the Sword Heart

    silver dragon tower was a complex made up of three connected skyscrapers. the tops of these buildings converged more than a hundred meters in the air, forming a circular apex. this was the core of silver dragon tower and the location of the upper echelons of the qilin group.qin shimoon stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of an office at the top, her hands clasped behind her back as she gazed at the brightly lit ginza plaza below, lost in thought. her reflection in the glass showed a contemplative face that, though beautiful, carried a certain military sternness.


    discover hidden stories at empire


    a shadowy figure floated silently down from an air vent, materializing into a human shape on the floor. as the smoky surface dispersed, the figure became strikingly clear. the man in black looked at qin shimoon, who was staring out the window, and a slight smile crept over his lips. he moved slowly towards her, reaching out his hand to pat her shoulder, intending to give her a surprise.


    but just as his hand was about to touch her, qin shimoon let out a cold snort, "you still enjoy playing these boring tricks, don''t you?"


    the man in black''s hand froze in mid-air, and he let out an awkward chuckle, "i didn''t expect you to notice me."


    qin shimoon turned around, a teasing expression on her face, "next time you try to play ghost, i suggest you come up with some new tricks; otherwise, your habits will be the death of you one day."


    the man in black only shrugged and walked straight to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a drink, and took a seat on the sofa. he casually placed his legs on the coffee table in front of him.


    qin shimoon sat down opposite him, "tell me, what did you find out today?"


    "a lot, to be honest, i think they''re plotting something."


    as he spoke, he picked up the remote control and pressed a button on the tv: "i think we should catch that news piece, look, this is it."


    a beautiful anchorwoman was delivering a news report in a sweet voice.


    "our station reports that last night, eternal hall''s body preservation center in city b was robbed. three stored bodies were stolen, and the case is currently under further investigation."


    qin shimoon glanced at him curiously, "is that so strange? death and disappearances are so common, what''s the big deal about a few stolen bodies?"


    "what''s strange is the person who stole the bodies," the man in black said with a sly grin. "was it that fellow called bai yunfei?"


    qin shimoon was taken aback on hearing that, "him? what does he want with stolen bodies?"


    "you''re asking me? who should i ask?" the man in black replied. "besides him, there were a few others who acted as well, but two were too vigilant and nearly caught me, it seems."


    "did they nearly catch you, or did they actually find you?" qin shimoon asked seriously. the man in black let out an awkward laugh again, "i''m afraid they have already discovered me, but they probably don''t know who i am."


    qin shimoon shook her head, "if they are really plotting something, they might guess who you are even without knowing your exact identity."


    she walked slowly to the window, looking out at the scenery as if considering something, then suddenly turned and said, "if there''s nothing else, you may leave."


    however, the man in black didn''t move immediately. instead, he looked at qin shimoon with interest, "aren''t you going to do something? or do you, like me, look forward to what''s about to happen?"


    qin shimoon did not answer his question and sat down in a chair by the window, looking out at the blurry stars, "perhaps a bit of both, but that''s not for you to know."


    after the man in black left, qin shimoon took out her phone, hesitated for a moment, then dialed a number, "hello, is this general huo? i think our opportunity has come."


    it was another monday morning, and all members of the green dragon group arrived at the computer room as usual. like those regular office workers, they booted their computers, logged into the game, and chatted with acquaintances about their gains during the holiday.


    however, this time their conversations seemed to contain hints and codes of some sort¡ªexchanging glances that implied each one held a secret, yet also seemed informed of each other''s secrets. to be precise, two were not included, hua yueying frowned as she heard wu tao and yaoyao behind her discussing mastering some gaming techniques, but something didn''t seem right.


    weren''t they discussing very basic things? and didn''t they take a day off yesterday? why were they still talking about the game?


    as she pondered, she glanced at the others again. for some reason, she felt everyone seemed to be hiding something from her.


    feeling rather gloomy, hua yueying left the computer room to get something to drink, only to find li chuang standing in front of the liquor cabinet, quietly speaking with wang yifan of the white tiger group.


    when did these two guys start hanging out together? as she approached, the two had just finished their conversation, and wang yifan gave her a smile that wasn''t quite a smile before turning and walking away.


    "what were you guys talking about? i didn''t even know you and that wang yifan were friends," li chuang said with an awkward shake of his head, "we''re not friends, strictly speaking we''re just¡ª''colleagues''." as he spoke, he hurried off.


    what a pair of oddballs, hua yueying thought to herself, as she took a bottle of iced tea out of the fridge and started drinking.


    carrying her drink back to the computer room, as soon as she pushed the door open, she discovered the room was eerily quiet, with everyone crowding around one computer as if watching something. hua yueying leaned in and saw that it was liu xing''s computer. her heart tightened¡ªcould someone have died again?


    she quickly looked at the screen, but it wasn''t what she had imagined; instead, a duel was underway...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    xiao buli glanced at his skill bar; he dragged out several magic skills that he wouldn''t need and replaced them with swordsmanship skills that could be used in combat. ye feng was a balanced swordsman, and even though he had already learned two lv10 sword skills and two mystic skills, he still wasn''t entirely confident he could win. he needed to optimize his operation to the utmost extent.


    with everything ready, xiao buli finally stepped into the longquan sword pavilion.


    what surprised him was that mu zhiqi, the longquan sword saint, was not in the sword hall. instead, another swordsmanship grandmaster was there, teaching skills, and he chose to challenge for the title of swordsman after chatting with him.


    "what? you want to challenge for the swordsman title? okay, you can go to the back hall; the pavilion master is presiding over a challenge there."


    xiao buli thanked him and then entered the back hall, where he was startled to find a duel in progress. the challenger he recognized¡ªit was none other than liu xing. clicking on his avatar, beneath the internal energy bar, there were four soul of mystic arts¡ªtwo of which had already been used.


    the kid has grown fast, xiao buli thought.


    the opponent he faced was not ye feng¡ªliu xing had long held the title of swordsmanship master, and now he was challenging for the swordsmanship grandmaster title, so naturally, his opponent was also a swordsmanship grandmaster, an npc with a silver name¡ªchu yunyu (swordsmanship grandmaster).


    "damn, liu xing, your combat power is wicked strong. you can even solo silver npcs now?" xiao buli exclaimed in amazement, stirring up the entire computer room as everyone gathered behind liu xing to watch the duel.


    when hua yueying walked in, she arrived just in time to see such a scene unfold and joined the crowd to enjoy the show.


    liu xing wasn''t affected by the spectators; his focus was entirely on the battlefield, and xiao buli, neglecting his own challenge, started to watch appreciatively as well.


    this chu yunyu had a combat power that was obviously more than a notch above ye feng. if ye feng''s swordsmanship was effortless, chu yunyu could be said to be ethereally elegant. his nimble and lively swordplay rendered even lethal moves quite beautiful.


    on the other hand, liu xing was already straining on defense. chu yunyu had only lost a fifth of his health points while liu xing''s had nearly dropped by half.


    liu xing was strong, something xiao buli hadn''t fully realized before, but seeing him now, it was clear. he was fast, but the qinggong he used was not flying on grass; it was a higher-grade ''tread snow without a trace,'' a movement skill not taught at the si hai martial arts hall, likely learned from a skill book.


    his speed had almost doubled, and he was nimbly moving around chu yunyu, launching fierce assaults.


    his sword skills were interconnected flawlessly, clearly well-practiced. the wooden sword in his hand emitted a half-foot-long crimson sword light, dazzling like a lightsaber and far stronger than ye feng''s had been before.


    however, chu yunyu still held the advantage, his defense was flawless. despite liu xing''s impeccable maneuvers, he could not gain any upper hand.


    once again he teleported away, and liu xing raised his hand, unleashing a crescent sword qi slash¡ªa sword qi slash.


    chu yunyu easily dodged, countering with his own sword qi slash aimed right at the path of liu xing''s charge¡ªit was incredible that, in such high-speed combat, he still had time to calculate the lead needed, whether it was the npc''s true prowess or an advantage inherent to the computer program. s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this time, liu xing had no room to dodge and had to roll on the spot to avoid most of the attack. a second wave of sword qi followed, with no chance for him to roll away again.


    liu xing somehow used a skill and vanished like a phantom, reappearing five meters away from chu yunyu. sword qi slowly gathered around him, swirling in a vortex pattern, and eventually concentrated onto his sword. chu yunyu also seemed to tense up, taking a defensive posture.


    once the sword qi fully converged, following liu xing''s sword direction, a solid crimson sword qi with a dazzling trail whooshed out as he swung his sword.


    mystic skill¡ªrainbow piercing the sun! (to be continued. if you like this work, feel free to go to qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 120 Unparalleled Ultimate Skills

    the sword qi finally coalesced completely, and as liu xing pointed with his longsword, a seemingly substantial crimson sword qi burst forth with his sword swing, trailing a dazzling tail.mystic skill: rainbow piercing the sun!


    this was the first time xiao buli had seen liu xing use this move; he guessed it was probably a newly learned mystic skill, and it certainly looked very domineering. chu yunyu raised his sword to block, took a solid hit, and was blasted five or six meters away by the enormous impact. his entire being seemed to have been engulfed by the crimson sword qi.


    but just as he was about to be knocked out of the circle, a golden light suddenly burst forth from him, instantly scattering the nearly spent piercing sun sword qi. with the disappearance of the crimson sword qi, chu yunyu reappeared before everyone''s eyes. his wooden sword was completely shattered, but golden sword qi still burst from his hands, forming the shape of a sword.


    "my god, it''s the art of the sword heart!" shouted an npc bystander in mock surprise, and xiao buli''s heart stirred. (the sword heart? isn''t that the secret technique the sword god mentioned he would teach he suoju? could it be that chu yunyu has some connection with the sword god?)


    "i lost," liu xing typed resignedly upon seeing his ultimate move neutralized without continuing his attack.


    chu yunyu nodded in acknowledgment, giving a courteous bow, "thank you for letting me win." his graciousness was quite evident.


    since the challenge was lost, liu xing didn''t stay long and left the swordplay field. as he stepped out of the circle, he happened upon xiao buli.


    "eh, are you here to challenge as well? a high-ranking swordsman?"


    "swordsmanship master," xiao buli corrects.


    "heh, for real? that fierce? you''re really planning to pursue the swordman profession?" liu xing asked, while checking xiao buli''s profile, noticing he somehow had two souls of mystic arts attached. this took him by surprise as well.


    it wouldn''t be out of the ordinary for a close-combat oriented profession to have two souls of mystic arts, but for xiao buli''s mage profession, it was rather baffling.


    "are you really set on the jack-of-all-trades path? you do realize that this method of training tends to weaken as you go further, right?"


    xiao buli gave a wry smile. he obviously understood this point. in the beginning, achieving 1+1 greater than 2 was possible, but as the levels increase and the layers of strength evolve, the disadvantages of a hybrid profession would gradually become apparent. at any given time, only one skill could be used; it was impossible to cast spells while simultaneously swinging a sword.


    this led to the issue of being versatile yet mastering none¡ªthis wasn''t evident when following a large group, but once going solo, the drawback became glaring.


    however, he had no choice, as the pathway of his profession''s advancement remained unclear. on one hand, he hoped to advance to a mage profession, but on the other hand, the required taoist heart lv5 for the immortal skill master seemed an eternity away, appearing unlikely within the month, leaving his goals seemingly confined to the sword control master and the cursed swordsman.


    now, even sword control master seemed out of reach, despite reaching tai chi sword skills lv10 not being an issue. however, chu yunyu''s combat strength was formidable, achieving the title of swordsmanship grandmaster seemed exceedingly difficult. even liu xing had not succeeded thus far, not to mention himself.


    it looked like the most likely promotion he could achieve would be as a cursed swordsman. however, he wondered about the power of curse sword unity and how it would manifest.


    but for now, these concerns were secondary; whether sword control master or cursed swordsman, he first needed to obtain the title of swordsmanship master. with this in mind, xiao buli spoke briefly with liu xing and then stepped forward in the arena to submit his application for advancing his swordsman status.


    after paying the silver coin, the challenge began. as he already possessed the title of high-ranking swordsman, xiao buli could directly challenge for the title of swordsmanship master.


    his opponent was still ye feng, who had been among the spectators earlier. he stood across from xiao buli, sword in hand, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, "you''re back so soon? did you learn some new moves?"


    xiao buli taunted, "won''t you know once we start the match?"


    ye feng: "heh, trying to provoke me? seems you''ve learned to strategize. but all of it is in vain before absolute strength." with that, he abruptly raised his wooden sword.


    this competition had few onlookers; aside from liu xing, only wu tao and bai yunfei paid much attention.


    xiao buli activated his gale sword skills. he had no intention of revealing all his cards right from the start and decided to probe with the gale sword skills first while also trying to bide some time.


    he activated flying on grass, and xiao buli moved about while testing his opponent''s reactions. ye feng, however, was methodically closing in on xiao buli, unleashing fierce attacks now and then, giving no chance for xiao buli to capitalize on.


    after three failed attempts at probing, and nearly getting hit, xiao buli inwardly admitted it was still no good.


    xiao buli thought to himself, deciding not to attack anymore but instead kept moving around. after two or three minutes of this, ye feng suddenly stopped.


    ye feng: "thinking of stalling until the end of an incense stick? hehe, looks like i need to make a move." with that, a gust of wind arose from beneath his feet, as if he also used some light body skill, and his speed suddenly increased. he then charged straight at xiao buli.


    here it comes, xiao buli''s pupils shrank rapidly, and he hurriedly activated his tai chi sword skills, spinning in place. the next moment, ye feng charged fiercely.


    a sword slashed at him, devoid of any flourish, just sheer speed.


    the wooden sword in xiao buli''s hand seemed to swing extremely slowly, but it managed to meet the attack first, blocking ye feng''s wooden sword. as the swords clashed, he smoothly twisted his wrist, diverting ye feng''s sword to the side and revealing an opening.


    an "e" icon suddenly flashed on xiao buli''s screen¡ªthere was even a qte system. although it was his first encounter with it, he reacted quickly and pressed the e key. on the screen, his character counterattacked with a backhand slash on ye feng, immediately reducing 5 drops of health.


    eh! ye feng was momentarily stunned, retreated a few steps, and charged again. xiao buli still invoked his tai chi sword skills, deflecting the attack to the side. this time, a "t" appeared, and xiao buli pressed it quickly, striking with his sword. this time, he managed to hit ye feng''s arm, and a number six appeared, indicating further damage.


    ye feng retreated again, but xiao buli did not pursue. the greatest downfall of tai chi sword skills was its slowness¡ªnot only was the attack speed slow, but it also wasn''t easy to move while executing the swordplay, as one had to retract their moves to interrupt the skill''s release, making it highly inflexible. it was, therefore, a sword style with more than enough defense but insufficient offense.


    such swordplay wouldn''t be of much use in a dungeon crawl, but in a duel, it was just right for stalling time.


    ye feng made a few more probes, but each time his attacks got deflected and opened himself up for more hits. although the loss of health was minimal, going on like this would be disadvantageous.


    he became somewhat panicked and resorted to a straight sword qi slash.


    sword qi couldn''t be deflected, so xiao buli quickly performed an emergency dodge to avoid it! as the second wave of sword qi approached, he executed a leaping from dry land, evading again.


    when the third wave of sword qi came, his two light body skills were on cooldown. he had no choice but to channel his internal energy and raise his sword to meet the attack.


    with a loud bang, he blocked the sword qi. although he succeeded in blocking it, the residual force still caused him to lose 9 drops of health. if he encountered a few more such attacks, there was an actual risk of getting kited to death. however, upon glancing at ye feng''s below-the-name inner strength bar, xiao buli immediately smiled.


    the three waves of sword qi had consumed a third of ye feng''s internal power value; it appeared that using sword qi slash also had a considerable energy cost.


    seeing that the sword qi had no effect, ye feng refrained from using it again. he circled xiao buli twice, deliberately revealing flaws to incite an attack, but xiao buli''s mental fortitude was excellent; he remained unmoved. after all, if he could just stall for ten minutes¡ªin-game time equivalent to the burning of an incense stick¡ªhe would successfully complete the challenge. discover exclusive tales at empire


    there was no need to take risks. while keeping an eye on ye feng, he glanced at the incense burner beside him; the incense stick had already burnt halfway down. it seemed that ye feng could sense xiao buli''s gaze beyond the screen and turned to look at the incense burner himself, his face immediately betraying his impatience.


    apparently angered, ye feng coldly said, "are you forcing me to use my trump card? then as you wish. but i warn you, i might not be able to control myself this time."


    while speaking, ye feng suddenly adopted a stance xiao buli was very familiar with, the same one that had defeated him last time.


    (ultimate skills: straight lightning slash!) the name of the move instantly flashed through his mind. (this time, the opponent is likely not going to hold back, but it doesn''t matter. a saint won''t be beaten by the same move twice.) even in the midst of urgency, he didn''t forget to humor himself. as ye feng began his move, xiao buli also unleashed the powerful skill he''d been preparing.


    ''mystic skill: infinite manifestation!''


    his character suddenly stood in place with a stance of holding the sword with both hands, the tip angled diagonally. the screen surrounding his character went pitch black in an instant, with faint stars dotting the background, as if standing proud amidst the cosmos.


    suddenly a streak of lightning flashed in the darkness¡ªthat was ye feng''s wooden sword, transforming into a straight lightning slash, heading straight for his forehead. the lightning seemed unstoppable, piercing through xiao buli''s body without leaving a mark. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    however, ye feng was left in a stiff state due to the miss, in that moment, he couldn''t protect himself and desperately turned around, trying to regain his balance before the fatal blow.


    xiao buli suddenly noticed a new skill had appeared in his skill bar, and the soul of mystic arts that had been used reappeared, albeit with a fainter color, as if it might vanish at any moment.


    the name of the skill was in gold: ''mystic skill: straight lightning slash.''


    without a moment''s hesitation, he clicked on it. the next moment, his wooden sword turned into a straight lightning slash, aiming straight for ye feng''s forehead.


    whether it was an illusion or not, facing the oncoming sword light, ye feng''s face seemed to flash with a trace of fear, a trace of despair...


    ps: there will be a three-chapter release tomorrow. (to be continued. if you enjoy this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 121 Advanced Secret Techniques

    on the screen, facing the wooden sword coming straight at him, a flash of fear and despair crossed ye feng''s face, an expression so vivid that xiao buli didn''t know if it was his imagination, but as if possessed by a spirit, he suddenly twitched the mouse, and the wooden sword stabbed past ye feng''s cheek, leaving a trail of blood.the two passed by each other, standing back to back, ye feng did not take the opportunity to counterattack but remained frozen in place. after a while, he suddenly dropped his sword to the ground¡ª "you win," he said.


    xiao buli also felt a bit of fear at this point. had that sword hit ye feng''s head, the critical strike effect produced by hitting a vital spot would have likely killed him instantly. but would the people of longquan sword pavilion really stand by and watch him kill their fellow disciple without any reaction? at the very least, becoming cold in terms of prestige was inevitable, right?


    maybe they would swarm him and chop him to death with their swords (although the likelihood of that was minuscule).


    it was a good thing he had that little shake. xiao buli thought to himself.


    system prompt: defeated ye feng, earned the title of swordsmanship master, you can now learn advanced ultimate techniques of swordsmanship.


    system prompt: achieved ''show mercy'', your personal prestige has increased by 100 points.


    system prompt: ye feng''s favor towards you has increased by 1000 points, your personal prestige with ye feng has reached respect, your prestige in longquan sword pavilion has increased by 1000 points, your prestige in longquan sword pavilion has reached friendly.


    finally achieving the title of swordsmanship master, xiao buli struggled to calm his overly excited heart. with this, all he needed was to improve his taoist heart by one more level to advance to cursed swordsman, or he could continue to challenge for the title of swordsmanship grandmaster for a chance to advance to sword control master.


    as for which career to switch to, it depends on which one he would achieve first: taoist heart lv3 or the title of swordsmanship grandmaster.


    at this time, ye feng approached him with a complex look, cupped his hands and said, "thank you, xiao, for showing mercy and sparing my life." with that, he turned and left.


    chu yunyu followed close behind, sizing up xiao buli with a scrutinizing gaze, "are you a disciple of gu yuexuan?"


    "junior brother," xiao buli corrected.


    "hmph, indeed, tell your senior brother for me, one day i will beat him. i will prove with my own actions that the art of the sword heart is absolutely stronger than sword control skill," he declared arrogantly before walking away.


    what a baffling fellow, xiao buli mused, but according to what he said, the sword heart clearly isn''t as formidable as sword control, otherwise, it would have been gu yuexuan saying this, not him.


    then liu xing also came over, "man, where did you learn that swordsmanship? it''s so badass? it''s like the legendary ''fight fire with fire'' tactic."


    xiao buli shook his head, "don''t say that, it''s not as overpowered as you think, it can only deflect close-range physical attacks, and there''s a limit to the deflection."


    "i thought so," said liu xing. "but that''s still pretty overpowered, where did you learn it?"


    at that moment, an idea struck xiao buli. while the title of swordsmanship grandmaster seemed out of reach for him, it might not be so for liu xing. with some more hard training, he might achieve it, and with the tao te ching, he could gain lv1 taoist heart, then wouldn''t he be able to change his class to sword control master?


    thinking thus, xiao buli hesitated, unsure whether to share this information. after some thought, he decided to keep it a secret for now. it''s said, "know the face, not the heart." liu xing and he were not yet well-acquainted, not to mention friends. it would be best to disclose this after he himself had changed classes; presently, it was too early.


    with that in mind, he responded tersely: "sect swordsmanship, not something the average person can learn."


    liu xing couldn''t help feeling a bit disappointed after hearing this, "sigh, never mind then. hey, are we going to run a dungeon instance this afternoon?" discover exclusive content at empire


    xiao buli naturally didn''t object. running a dungeon instance could not only increase practical experience but also yield equipment. his current gear was too shabby; except for a silver ring with decent attributes, the rest like the tomb raider''s talisman used for luck, night-vision eyepatches, and the soul slayer used for grinding experience had rather weak properties.


    the rest of his gear came from street stalls; he indeed needed to acquire some quality equipment to strengthen himself.


    "sure, you go ahead and call the others. i''m going to learn some skills and will be right there."


    liu xing said okay and left, while xiao buli headed to the front hall of longquan sword pavilion, ready to see what special techniques he could learn from the master of swordsmanship.


    upon finding mu zhiqi and choosing to dialogue, the option to seek ultimate skills indeed appeared; previously, this option had been grayed out and unselectable, but now it was activated, obviously due to having attained the title of master of swordsmanship.


    as he chose to learn ultimate skills, mu zhiqi nodded, "with your current understanding of swordsmanship, you are indeed qualified to learn my ultimate skills. which one do you want to learn?"


    after he finished speaking, a skill list popped up in front of xiao buli, enumerating more than a dozen ultimate skill techniques.


    looking at these ultimate skills, xiao buli''s eyes lit up with envy; these weren''t like the semi-passive swordsmanship techniques but rather concrete active skills, somewhat similar to chain sword strike. however, basic skills were much more powerful than his chain sword strike, although the price was exorbitant as well¡ªthe cheapest cost four or five gold coins.


    he glanced at his inventory, having only seven or eight gold coins left, it seemed he could only afford to learn one for now, and would have to consider the rest in the future.


    most of the ultimate skill techniques were primarily offensive, including several aoe skills. though not as powerful as mystic skills, their advantage lay in using internal energy or physical strength, even rage, allowing for frequent usage.


    after some hesitation, xiao buli chose the sword qi slash¡ªan ultimate skill he had seen many people use, and presumably, there was a reason for its popularity.


    sword qi slash: summon sword qi with internal energy to attack the enemy from a distance. the power and flight distance of the sword qi are determined by internal energy strength and weapon damage. depending on the various attributes of internal energy and the weapon, extra special effects might be added.


    xiao buli tried out sword qi slash on a training dummy, chopping off a full 45 health points, far more potent than his burst talisman. the only drawback was its significant consumption¡ªeach sword qi slash cost him 20 internal power points, a full tenth of his current energy.


    additionally, probably because his inner strength originated from the flower shifting great technique, the color of the sword qi he unleashed was green, and it came with a natural damage effect.


    after he learned and mastered the sword qi slash skill, xiao buli returned to nine dragons city, where everyone was already gathered in the tavern.


    there was a noticeable improvement in everyone''s strength: behind yaoyao was niu dazhuang in full armor wielding two axes, and behind bai yunfei followed a blood corpse drenched in red. wu tao, although without a companion creature, had skin that had turned iron-like grey-black.


    "what happened to you?" xiao buli asked curiously.


    "this is the iron cloth shirt, a passive defense skill. how about that, pretty cool right? does it give you a terminator vibe?" wu tao boasted proudly.


    ps: the first chapter for today, two more chapters to follow. (to be continued. if you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian (qidian.com). your support is my greatest motivation.)


    s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 122 Fresh Meat

    "this is called iron cloth shirt, a passive defensive skill. pretty cool, huh? doesn''t it give off a bit of a terminator vibe?" wu tao said proudly.xiao buli, however, frowned. "when did you learn this skill? can you turn it off?"


    "turn it off? why would i do that? besides, it''s a passive skill, how can it be turned off?" wu tao asked, perplexed. "as for when i learned it, i''ve had it since yesterday afternoon. is there a problem?"


    can''t turn it off? learned it yesterday afternoon? xiao buli looked at wu tao skeptically. he appeared no different from an ordinary person, his skin was fair with a healthy blush, which made him look slightly pale due to staying indoors for long periods. checking their surroundings to ensure they were alone, he typed in the game, "then why hasn''t your skin color changed?"


    skin color? wu tao was startled for a moment before realizing the issue. (right, why hasn''t my skin color changed?) he hadn''t considered this before and completely overlooked it. the question scared him when xiao buli brought it up, but he was somewhat relieved to see that his skin color seemed unchanged.


    damn it, i almost gave myself away! he thought to himself. however, he really couldn''t explain why his color hadn''t changed because he had never paid attention to it.


    yaoyao, however, chimed in from the side: "maybe it''s because passive skills aren''t that noticeable? or should i stab you with a knife to test it?"


    "forget it, if you want to stab something, stab yourself," wu tao replied irritably. "anyway, it''s good that it doesn''t change. let''s not dwell on this anymore and start the dungeon raid. let''s talk about which dungeon we''re going to hit today. old xiao, you decide."


    hearing wu tao say this, everyone decided not to pursue the matter. xiao buli pondered for a while, "let''s start with the prison dungeon. it should be a bit easier."


    since the dungeon was set in a prison, they could easily master the terrain, and because the enemies were humanoids, the combat wouldn''t be too complex.


    "but before that, wait for me for a moment. i need to pick up my pet. you guys go ahead to the entrance of the dungeon and wait for me."


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    maoqiu had been left in the beast pen in nine dragons city, and now that they were about to raid a dungeon, of course, it was time to bring it along. the group quickly arrived at the entrance of the prison dungeon. after all, the dungeon was in the city, so the walk was much faster. when xiao buli arrived with maoqiu, everyone shouted in surprise.


    "holy cow, a green-named pet, where did you catch it?" wu tao''s exclamation definitely caught zhang yaoyang and li chuang''s attention, "green-named pet? where is it? where is it?"


    the two squeezed through eagerly to look at xiao buli''s screen and were stunned. li chuang said, "damn, isn''t this your lucky day? you actually managed to catch this thing."


    zhang yaoyang, however, frowned. "that''s not right. i feel like i''ve seen this before. it was supposed to have a grey name, right? we encountered it when we were hunting the white tiger, i think it was called a ''piao'' or something. but it was a drab grey color, not like yours.


    where did you catch this one?"


    xiao buli broke out in a cold sweat internally, thinking that it was indeed the same creature. but it was also good that zhang yaoyang hadn''t managed to catch it; otherwise, it wouldn''t be his turn.


    "it''s the ''piao,'' which was grey when i first caught it. it evolved after i fed it tiger meat," xiao buli said half-truthfully, without disclosing the need to dissipate the violent energy. he didn''t want to reveal anything related to mystic hollow palace. of course, if zhang yaoyang really had caught another ''piao,'' he would tell the truth, since they were all on the same side now.


    he wouldn''t just stand by and watch zhang yaoyang get hindered.


    "i see. it seems i haven''t dug deep enough into hidden quests. i''ll have to check it out again. i want to catch one too." after saying this, zhang yaoyang and li chuang hurried back to prepare to catch a pet.


    after shaking off zhang yaoyang and li chuang, xiao buli could finally focus on the dungeon raid. the dungeon was only a white-tiered one, so they weren''t taking it too seriously. the entrance to the dungeon was the main gate of the prison, guarded by several soldiers from nine dragons city. a high-ranking officer, appearing proud and helpless, was standing at the entrance.


    he promptly stood up excitedly when he saw the group approach.


    luo dagang (a nine dragons city centurion): "are you here to take on the commission? that''s wonderful! these prisoners have blocked the entrance to the prison, and we don''t know what they''re up to inside. my men have tried several times to storm in, but without success. would you be willing to contribute your strength to nine dragons city?"


    system notification: triggered the quest ''quell the riot.'' subdue or kill the rioting prisoners inside nine dragons city prison. accept/decline?


    everyone chose to accept, and just as they were about to proceed, wu tao suddenly said, "wait a second. my prestige is quite high with the golden dragon legion. let''s see if they can send some people to go down with us."


    while saying this, he addressed the officer: "although the five of us are seasoned adventurers, we aren''t very familiar with the prison layout. how about you send some men to accompany us?"


    the officer, luo dagang, looked troubled but nonetheless nodded, "alright. i''ll send two of my men down with you. but i warn you, the prisoners who have escaped are dangerous. although they are trapped, it doesn''t mean they can be subdued easily. they''ll certainly fight desperately. be careful, and good luck."


    after the officer spoke, two npc soldiers walked up, following xiao buli as he was the team leader, showing up as temporary followers. xiao buli clicked on them with his mouse. they were just white-named npc soldiers, probably not very strong in combat, but definitely better than nothing.


    "don''t worry, with our strength, handling a bunch of prisoners won''t be an issue," xiao buli said as he led the team inside. the moment they entered, everyone was startled by the scene before them.


    at the entrance, there were surprisingly about a dozen humanoid monsters, clearly divided into three groups, all blocking the entrance. among them, there were even three elite monsters with light blue names.


    on the left, a bandit leader (rioting prisoner) was in charge, accompanied by four others named ''bandits (rioting prisoners)''.


    in the middle, a rebel officer (rioting prisoner) led the group with four ''rebel soldiers (rioting prisoners)'' under his command.


    on the right, a formidable river and lake bandit (rioting prisoner) was leading, with four ''hoodlums (rioting prisoners)'' following him.


    they were ambushed as soon as they walked in, and with three elites inside, could this be a boss battle? why wasn''t there any notification?


    everyone was taken aback, "are you sure this is a white-instance dungeon?" liu xing asked in surprise, while also preparing for battle.


    wu tao was also scared stiff, "this doesn''t make sense, how could it be like this?"


    although xiao buli was surprised, he reacted even more quickly, "nobody move forward, let the ranged attackers pull the monsters, and everyone be ready to leave the dungeon at any time!"


    in fact, before they could take action, the rioting prisoners saw them come in and charged towards them. however, after engaging in combat, everyone realized that these guys were all show and no substance.


    despite their intimidating colors and including three elites, their strength was only slightly better than ordinary white-named bandits, and as for their white-named minions, they were even weaker than grey-named minor monsters. their attacks were incredibly weak, barely causing any damage with a punch, and were no threat at all. they were all swiftly defeated.


    after clearing these door-blocking monsters, everyone looked at each other in astonishment.


    "what''s going on?" everyone wondered in surprise. the combat power of the monsters in this dungeon seemed way too inferior.


    xiao buli inspected one of the corpses and found nothing, not even a copper coin. looking at those corpses that didn''t drop anything, a thought suddenly struck him, "i get it now, these people must have been stripped of their equipment after being captured. with only half of their combat effectiveness left at best, of course they would be weaker.


    after all, a significant part of the strength of humanoid monsters relies on equipment."


    hearing this, everyone else also realized, "does that mean these prisoners won''t drop any equipment when they die?" bai yunfei spoke up, and after hearing this, everyone started searching the bodies and indeed, they mostly found nothing.


    "damn, this is too ridiculous," wu tao said, feeling dejected.


    "don''t be like that. i just exploded an item here," yaoyao said as she showed a grey-quality item she had just picked up.


    dirty prison uniform (cloth armor - breastplate): armor +1.


    item description: this is a filthy prison uniform which seems to have no special use other than barely covering one''s body.


    the loot drop was terrible. everyone was disheartened, but fortunately, they still gained experience which was just as much as normal monsters. a bandit leader was worth over 200 experience points, and split among five people, each got more than 40 points. even the white name minions had fifty to sixty experience points. this wave of monsters alone was worth more than 1200 experience points.


    continuing deeper into the dungeon, they earned thousands of experience points after just a short distance.


    "this is too exhilarating, even though there are no equipment drops, the experience points alone make it worth it," wu tao exclaimed excitedly.


    meanwhile, xiao buli was somewhat speechless. this amount of experience wasn''t even as fast as what he''d get from grinding ghosts at midnight, but he said nothing. after all, you could never have too much experience.


    after killing over a hundred rioting prisoners, both white and blue named, they finally got to a more central area¡ªthe jailor''s hall. from a distance, an npc soldier suddenly said, "be careful, everyone. ahead is the entrance to the prison dungeon. it used to be where the jailors managed the prison and is an excellent spot for an ambush." s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lying on the floor inside the room were several jailor corpses, stripped bare of their equipment, with two of them gnawed down to bones.


    sitting on a table was a morbidly obese giant, his body covered in layers of fat, holding the thigh of a jailor. upon seeing the group enter, his eyes lit up.


    cannibal huang jie (rioting prisoner leader): "ooh, fresh meat has arrived!" he said while dropping down from the table with a thud, trembling on each step as he approached the group. (to be continued. if you like this work, welcome to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 123 The situation is a bit out of control

    "cannibal huang jie, the rioting prisoner leader," groaned, "ahh, fresh meat has arrived again!" as he spoke, he thumped down from the table and shakily made his way toward the group.this cannibal huang jie was a high-ranking elite with a deep blue name. however, compared to those previously encountered that seemed lethargic, this guy appeared much fiercer¡ªprobably a boss-level monster.


    upon casting mind revelation, xiao buli discovered the boss had more than 3000 health points¡ªan exceptionally high amount for the leader of a white-difficulty five-person dungeon.


    given past experiences, this might have been somewhat challenging, but now everyone had improved in strength, and the boss didn''t seem daunting anymore.


    wanting to test everyone''s abilities, xiao buli stated, "seems like we''ve got a slow boss here. i won''t heal, so just be careful not to get hit. let''s all attack and finish this quickly!"


    no sooner had the words left his mouth than everyone eagerly commenced their assault. wu tao chose to go toe-to-toe, activating his qi-protecting aura along with the defense boost from his iron cloth shirt. the boss''s hits did little to hurt him. moreover, he could even heal himself with qi healing skills, his health bar barely decreasing after several exchanges.


    wu tao''s attacks were still punches and kicks, which now packed a considerable punch imbued with internal energy, raining thudding blows onto the boss''s fatty flesh.


    bai yunfei, standing at a distance, hurled one ghost fire skill after another toward the boss. each attack caused twenty to thirty points of yin fire double attribute damage. not only that, the green flames seemed to possess a penetrating power that drilled into bones, followed by continuous damage; though minor, its stacking effect amounted to significant harm.


    liu xing ferociously slashed at the side of the boss. despite the boss''s high health, its defense was practically non-existent. under his onslaught, blood sprayed wildly, the health dropping by tens and hundreds.


    yaoyao ran to the boss''s back, relying on her speed advantage to continuously deliver backstabs. her enhanced backstab inflicted damage worth four times a regular attack. coupled with a silver-grade dagger, her damage wasn''t as terrifying as wu min''er''s, but it was still considerable, each backstab resulting in two or three hundred points of damage.


    seeing this, xiao buli nodded to himself, noting everyone''s steady improvement. he too didn''t want to be left behind and buffed himself with fire blade skills. turning on internal energy infusion and gale sword skills, he slashed furiously at the boss bloated with fat.


    although his base damage was low, the double effect of internal energy and the spell on his weapon ensured his damage was far from weak.


    in less than a minute, cannibal huang jie crumpled under the group''s relentless beating.


    the boss fight was so effortless that the group didn''t even feel like cheering afterward.0


    "this boss might look fierce, but it''s honestly nothing special. didn''t even transform," wu tao said, giving the boss''s corpse a couple of kicks.


    xiao buli responded, "a white-difficulty dungeon''s first boss¡ªhow tough can it be? let''s loot and move on to the next." he then opened the corpse. true to expectations, the drop rate in this dungeon was dismal. even though it was a boss, it dropped only two items, one of which was just a key used for unlocking doors.


    strictly speaking, there was only one true piece of loot¡ªa light blue quality necklace.


    jailor bone tooth necklace: luck -1, strength +4.


    equipment description: a necklace strung with human teeth, it has been tempered with dark magic and seems to contain a strange power.


    xiao buli immediately dismissed it upon seeing it reduced luck, casually asking, "who wants this thing?"


    the boost of four points in strength was still powerful, and the slight decrease in luck didn''t seem detrimental, but wu tao was the only one with a need for strength.


    "give it to me," wu tao said. "my luck is high enough, losing a point won''t matter."


    this time, xiao buli did not object; after all, the attributes were plainly listed, and it couldn''t possibly be that they''d run into another growth item so soon.


    after distributing the loot, the party arrived at the entrance to the dungeon. with the key inserted, the iron gate of the dungeon slowly opened.


    suddenly, a chill wind gusted out from the dungeon, causing several torches mounted on the surrounding walls to flicker and dim, creating a haunting atmosphere.


    "damn, something feels off here. it''s like we''re in a horror movie. hey, does anyone else hear that creepy background music?" wu tao asked, startled.


    bai yunfei''s expression turned serious, "that''s not background music. it''s coming from inside the dungeon."


    everyone perked up their ears to listen, and indeed, the music faintly emanated from within, reminiscent of a funeral dirge, chilling to the core.


    "it''s too, too terrifying, i quit!" an npc named zheng zha suddenly got scared, threw away his weapon, and turned to run, but another npc named liu zhonglin suddenly blocked his way.


    zheng zha: "what, what are you doing, liu zhonglin?"


    the npc named liu zhonglin said with a devout face, "we once swore an oath to protect this city with our lives, for the glory of the legion, pick up your weapon, soldier."


    zheng zha: "are you kidding me? two months ago i was just a farmer, and i had to come to the city to make a living because my village was destroyed by monsters. i''m not about to lose my life for empty glory. step aside, i''m quitting the legion!"


    but liu zhonglin did not step aside and said with measured emphasis, "do you still remember the oath of the golden dragon legion? you either return with glory or as a corpse to wash away the shame. since you''ve abandoned glory, you''ll get your wish." as he finished speaking, he thrust his sword into zheng zha''s chest, and with a squelch, the full health points were instantly emptied.


    zheng zha: "no... why... i don''t want to die... ah!!!" he struggled for a while but eventually breathed his last.


    liu zhonglin wiped the blood from his sword, glanced at the few people beside him who were shocked, and calmly said, "now let''s complete the remaining tasks."


    this sudden incident truly shocked everyone present. they didn''t expect npcs to have such personality. previously, these two npc soldiers hadn''t shown much fighting power and were basically just shouting from outside the ring. it was at this moment that xiao buli realized that the npcs in the game were far more than mere bystanders.


    he didn''t rush down but asked liu zhonglin, "what do you know about the dungeon in the prison?"


    find your next read on empire


    liu zhonglin replied indifferently, "not much, but i do know that the prisoners confined in the dungeon are all the most dangerous criminals, not a single one must be allowed to escape."


    xiao buli thought to himself he didn''t need to be told that, but although the atmosphere was creepy and scary, xiao buli wasn''t too frightened. the difficulty of a boss in a dungeon was related to the color of the dungeon, and no matter how intimidating, it shouldn''t be that a white dungeon has a dark tier boss.


    moreover, he had seen plenty of ghosts and goblins in the game; he wouldn''t be scared off by a bit of music. s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "stop overthinking, everyone head down. old bai, have your ''baby'' scout ahead."


    the ''baby'' referred to as the blood corpse looked nothing like a baby. receiving orders from bai yunfei, it staggered into the dungeon, followed by the rest of the group. as they went deeper, the sound of music became increasingly clearer.


    firstly, they discovered many cells on both sides of the corridor, but all the doors to these cells were open, and they were empty.


    only in one cell was a half-dead man confined, named gao bainame (a blackhearted trader). seeing people walk by, he immediately rushed to the door. "save me, get me out, the guards¡ªthey''ve gone mad!"


    gao bainame looked thin and shriveled, with a head of messy grey-white hair, but his eyes were alarmingly bright, giving him the appearance of a lunatic rather than a prisoner. and hadn''t all the prison guards been dealt with?


    the group thought to themselves and, without giving it too much thought, continued to venture deeper.


    as they went further in, they found a large bonfire burning in the middle of an open area deep inside the dungeon. the bonfire was surrounded by bizarre runes drawn in blood, and dozens of bodies clothed in prison uniforms were arranged in a circle around the flames, resembling a grand ritual of some evil cult.


    a few individuals dressed in jailor''s attire were praying and bowing towards the bonfire. one character, who was wearing a robe soaked in blood and gesturing wildly, chanted the prayer with a melodic intonation. this npc had only a light blue name, but the name was somewhat surprising.


    evil cult priest (prison warden), and those praying individuals were called evil cult follower (prison guard)


    "what is going on here?" the sight left the group bewildered, it seemed like there was a role reversal going on, wasn''t it a prisoner riot? could there be something else at play here?


    evil cult priest (prison warden): "you are too late, the ritual is complete! behold, the great ancient god!"


    the flames suddenly erupted like a volcano and from within slowly ascended a translucent shadow figure that somewhat resembled the abyssal flame demon lord seen only in pictures. yet the aura and the majestic appearance were a hundred times more imposing.


    the massive phantom looked as imposing as a small mountain; just its head filled the entirety of the dungeon''s second floor, and it was even a dark gold-named creature¡ªzhurong (ancient god).


    "damn, is this for real? a white dungeon encounter with a dark gold boss? that''s outrageous!" the group of five stared at the boss''s name and form and were utterly dumbfounded.


    ps: there''s another chapter coming soon. (to be continued. if you like this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 124 Fire Spirits Self-Destruction

    "no way, a dark gold boss in a white-color copy? how ridiculous is that?" the group of five looked at the boss''s name and appearance and were all completely dumbfounded.this bizarre situation and outrageous encounter left everyone frozen in place, unsure of what to do next.


    however, xiao buli was not among those who were startled, and although he too was a bit scared due to his deep involvement, after a brief moment of confusion, he immediately began to analyze the situation coolly.


    (a dark gold boss in a white-color copy? and it''s clearly a god-level boss. under normal circumstances, this is impossible. the most likely reason is that this is a prelude copy, similar to akahata temple in world of warcraft, where the shadow of the evil god haka had appeared. the shadow''s power is completely different from the actual evil god''s strength.


    but even that doesn''t quite add up, right? even if it''s an avatar or projection of the ancient god, surely we five can''t handle it now? it doesn''t match the color grade of the copy at all. or maybe this phantom is just an illusion? with no offensive power? just to convey a message? s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    yes, that''s very possible.)


    although not entirely certain, xiao buli decides it''s best to hold still and not take any rash actions regardless.


    "everyone, stay calm. don''t do anything reckless. there should be more to the story," he shouted into the microphone.


    after hearing xiao buli''s words, everyone calmed down somewhat and watched quietly to see what would happen. true enough, the phantom of the ancient god did not attack them. it didn''t even glance at them. instead, it turned its attention to the sacrificial cultist.


    a heavy and muffled voice, as if coming from deep beneath the earth, echoed throughout the entire dungeon.


    zhurong (ancient god): "foolish mortals, do you think such a pitiful offering can summon my power? pay the price for your ignorance!"


    the phantom casually pointed, and a red lightning bolt instantly struck the sacrificial cultist.


    he let out a blood-curdling scream, and in an instant, his entire body went up in flames, turning into a humanoid figure of fire.


    painful torment fire spirit (elemental mutant): a deep blue-named creature.


    seeing its own work, the huge phantom seemed quite pleased. suddenly, with a boom, the fire seemed to burn through all its energy and, along with the bodies surrounding it, turned into a pile of ash in an instant, and the phantom disappeared.


    all that remained was the elemental mutant, still burning and emitting light and heat, while screaming its lungs out.


    painful torment fire spirit (elemental mutant): "ah¡ªdo you see¡ªah,¡ªthis is the power of the ancient gods!¡ªah, it''s so hot, hahaha!"


    the sound was both a scream and a laugh, piercing to the ear and making one''s spine chill.


    but not having to face a dark gold, god-level boss made the noise seem less terrifying.


    fortunately, it turned out that this creature was the boss. everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    seeing that the situation was back within his control, xiao buli spoke, "wu tao, pull the aggro. everyone, be careful. this type of elemental monster should have some special abilities since it''s our first time facing it."


    the five had already spread out and surrounded it, but liu zhonglin did not join the fight; holding his knife, he merely watched coldly from the side.


    this encounter indeed confirmed xiao buli''s prediction: the fire elemental received only half of the physical damage a normal creature would take, and it was completely immune to fire damage¡ªnot only was it unhurt, but it also absorbed fire for healing. however, it received double damage from ice element spells.


    xiao buli''s ice talisman could take off more than fifty health points in one hit, making him the top damage dealer, while bai yunfei''s ghost fire skills not only couldn''t reduce the boss''s health but also healed it. left with no choice, he ceased casting and let the blood corpse engage in melee combat, while he watched the excitement from the side.


    the others also switched to melee attacks. although it was slow, it was better than nothing.


    the boss''s damage was mainly based on the fire element, and its flame armor continually inflicted damage on the surrounding players. thankfully, the damage wasn''t very high, and they could withstand it.


    giant fireballs flew towards the party one after another, not only dealing massive damage but also including a splash effect that made everyone dodge frantically. occasionally, it would unleash a wave of fire shockwave, but thanks to the priest''s casting time, everyone managed to avoid being hit by a nimble positioning.


    after a good five minutes of fighting, the boss''s health points gradually depleted.


    painful torment fire spirit (elemental mutant): "my blood, my spirit, burn them all, let everything burn!"


    the boss''s body suddenly turned from reddish to bright white and began to swell. xiao buli immediately had a bad feeling, (are we going to hang? no, that thing is going to self-destruct!)


    "run," he managed to shout just those two words before a loud explosion engulfed the blood corpses, talisman soldiers, and niu dazhuang¡ªeveryone else had already sensed the danger and fled in advance.


    the explosion was incredibly powerful, dealing nearly 300 points of fire damage to units at the core and varying amounts of splash damage to those further away, outright killing several members of the evil cult.


    "damn, that was intense. my blood corpse got one-shot! thank goodness i ran fast," said bai yunfei with lingering fear.


    "oh no, my minions seem to have died too," cried yaoyao, but just as the words left her mouth, a charred figure squeezed out from the ashes¡ªit was none other than niu dazhuang, who, despite the ordeal, had survived, thanks to his thick skin.


    xiao buli did a headcount and, finding that no one had died except for the talisman soldiers and the blood corpses, he sighed with relief. his maoqiu had stayed by his side the whole time, never even being summoned into play.


    he swept the mouse over the ground and found that the pile of ashes was the boss''s corpse, which could be looted. clicking it revealed three dropped items.


    the first one:


    sacrificial book of the ancient gods: (using this item can trigger a quest).


    item description: made of unknown material and filled with hieroglyphs from the ancient era, it exudes a mysterious aura.


    the second one:


    fire elemental crystal core: an energy crystal core unique to elemental creatures, usable in forging equipment, jewelry crafting, refining treasures, and more.


    the third one:


    ring of fire source (deep blue - ring): fire element spell power +10.


    equipment description: a ring set with a crimson gemstone, it seems to contain the power of flame within it.


    xiao buli gave the items a once-over and said, "i''ll take the ring, if no one minds," xiao buli finished saying and glanced at the others. no one objected, as it was clearly gear for mage professions.


    (actually, the five elements warlock du yibo would be more suitable for it, but who cares.) xiao buli thought to himself as he allocated the ring to himself.


    "let''s sell the fire elemental crystal core and divide the money. as for this sacrificial book of the ancient gods, how should we distribute it?" read new adventures at empire


    ps: i had planned to burst out with updates yesterday, but my brain just wasn''t cooperating. however, don''t worry, i will definitely have a three-day burst of updates this month, mike keeps his word; it''s just uncertain which day it will start on. (to be continued. if you like this work, please support me by casting your recommendation votes and monthly votes at qidian (qidian.com).


    your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 125 A Difficult Choice

    "let''s sell the fire elemental crystal core for a bit of money, but how should we divide this sacrificial book of the ancient gods?"items capable of triggering quests have always been hot commodities. generally, at the very least, you could snag some decent top-notch equipment from completing such tasks.


    if you''re lucky, you might even get a skill book, and if your luck is even better, there''s a chance it could trigger an advancement quest for some hidden profession, just like that ''corpse refiner''s experimental notes'' did before.


    however, this ''sacrificial book of the ancient gods'' is clearly a lot more impressive than the ''corpse refiner''s experimental notes''. one is named after a corpse refiner, while the other is named after the ancient god¡ªthe difference is more than glaring. of course, if the quest item does indeed trigger a follow-up task for a hidden profession, the difficulty is bound to be extremely high.


    after all, as common sense suggests, the greater the opportunity, the greater the danger, and there might even be life-threatening risks involved.


    everyone examined the item for quite a while and was a bit hesitant. each person wanted to speak up but was reluctant to pay too high a price.


    "how about we roll for it?" suggested xiao buli nonchalantly. he really didn''t rate the item that highly, thinking at best it was simply a quest item for professions like god descending master. but he guessed it was likely inferior to the god descending master. after all, god descending masters can communicate directly with the ancient gods without any need for sacrifices.


    judging from the performance of those cultists earlier, this item is clearly a defective piece.


    upon hearing xiao buli''s suggestion, wu tao quickly caught on and responded in his typical contrary manner, "rolling is too random, i think we should bid gold coins," wu tao timely proposed.


    once he suggested that, everyone else agreed, feeling it was better to exchange the hot-potato for some gold coins, which would be more beneficial.


    seeing that nobody objected, xiao buli said, "then let''s bid with gold coins. we''ll start low, at one gold coin. does anyone want it?"


    yaoyao, "i''ll bid one gold coin and fifty silver coins."


    bai yunfei, "two gold coins from me."


    xiao buli thought to himself that the bids were embarrassingly low. "three gold coins," he said, intending to drive the price up a bit. of course, if no one else wanted it, getting it for three gold coins wouldn''t be a loss, since its value was likely quite substantial.


    "five gold coins!" wu tao suddenly shouted. after he made his offer, no one else spoke. three gold coins was already a considerable amount, especially for an item whose value was uncertain, not to mention five.


    xiao buli looked at wu tao with surprise. "what do you want this thing for? planning to become a cultist?" while he spoke, he handed the ritual book over to wu tao. sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    wu tao just chuckled, "this isn''t for me. i plan to sell it."


    "sell? to whom?"


    wu tao said proudly, "to du yibo, of course. he''s a five elements warlock, and he plays with fire. this item will definitely be useful to him."


    xiao buli realized what was going on and thought to himself, no wonder this guy was so keen¡ªit turns out he was planning to make a quick buck.


    but it was fine, getting gold coins was good enough. with five gold coins to be divided, one for each person, everyone was ready to leave. as they headed toward the dungeon''s exit, liu zhonglin approached them, clasping his fists in thanks, "i''m grateful to you, righteous warriors, for punishing evil and upholding justice. i have another favor to ask.


    can you assist my golden dragon legion by not divulging what happened here? if you agree to this, i will definitely report to my superiors and ensure you are generously rewarded. as for cleaning up this mess, i will handle it."


    at his words, everyone came to their senses and realized that today''s incident was not a simple prison riot. instead, cultists had infiltrated the prison and used the prisoners'' corpses as sacrifices in a vain attempt to awaken the power of the ancient god, resulting in this whole fiasco.


    the prisoners were not the culprits but victims instead. this twist made the situation quite intriguing. they figured the reward couldn''t be small.


    gao bainame suddenly cried out from the adjacent cell. "please save me, i''m willing to offer all of my wealth just to live, don''t leave me behind, no matter what."


    his voice was extremely earnest, and he had to be; if xiao buli and the others left, this guy was 120% going to be silenced.


    after a brief discussion, liu xing couldn''t help but ask, "what do you plan to do with him?" stay updated through empire


    liu zhonglin spoke with an imposing tone, "this man has committed numerous evils and is more than deserving of death. to prevent him from spreading chaos with his words, i naturally plan to execute him right here." xiao buli thought to himself that this fellow was indeed ruthless.


    gao bainame continued to plead for mercy, "i may have sold some fake products, but that''s not a crime deserving of death. i implore you, righteous warriors, save me. it''s actually those who claim to be just who have caused such a mess and are trying to hide the truth. they are the ones truly deserving of death.


    please don''t be afraid of power and help me escape, so i can reveal the truth to the people in the city."


    liu zhonglin said sternly, "if the people in the city learn of this, it will only cause more chaos and trigger a larger disturbance, which is bad for everyone. in these troubled times, such actions are unwise. it''s best not to create unnecessary trouble."


    gao bainame argued forcefully, "the truth is the truth, and the citizens should be informed. how could this be wrong? if a city can''t even tolerate the truth, then what''s the point of its existence?"


    system prompt: you have triggered the quest ''truth and justice,'' please choose the side you wish to help. warning, your choice will affect the development of the quest.


    a selection window suddenly appeared in front of the five people.


    1. help liu zhonglin.


    2. help gao bainame.


    the group exchanged glances of surprise, thinking it was unexpected to encounter such a situation. being experienced players, they naturally did not rush to make a choice, but instead started discussing it.


    xiao buli said, "let''s not choose hastily, everyone share your thoughts on who we should help?"


    liu xing said, "of course we should help that gao bainame. even though he''s a dishonest merchant, his crime doesn''t warrant death. and he''s right, such matters should not be concealed; the citizens deserve to know."


    wu tao''s eyes flickered twice, "don''t speak too soon; what good is saving that dishonest merchant? it''s just a few gold coins in return, and it might even provoke the hostility of the golden dragon legion. i think it''s better to help liu zhonglin."


    yaoyao shook her head, "i don''t mind either way."


    xiao buli finally turned to bai yunfei and asked, "old bai, what do you think we should choose?"


    bai yunfei hesitated, then after giving xiao buli a glance, he smiled, "i''m indifferent about it, but i think you''ve already made the choice that will maximize our benefits, haven''t you?"


    ps: there will be another chapter after this. (to be continued. if you enjoy this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 126 Recruited a Follower

    bai yunfei hesitated before speaking, then glanced at xiao buli and suddenly chuckled, "i don''t really care about it, but i feel like you already have a choice that will maximize the benefits, don''t you?"xiao buli listened and was immediately surprised. he had not expected bai yunfei to be so adept at reading people''s hearts.


    "alright, you''re right," he admitted.


    wu tao and liu xing both asked curiously, "which option do you plan to choose? there are only two choices, right?"


    xiao buli smiled faintly. if there was anything he had learned from this game, it was that sometimes you don''t need to choose the standard answers given by the system.


    "everyone, close your choice window now," he instructed.


    close the choice window? the others exchanged puzzled looks, thinking that this was also possible, and eventually, they all closed it.


    xiao buli also closed his choice window and typed to liu zhonglin, "i agree to conceal the truth of this matter for you, but i have a condition: we must be the ones to deal with this person."


    liu zhonglin immediately found himself in a difficult position, "what do you mean by that?"


    "it''s simple. the truth of the matter may need to be concealed, but what proof do you have that similar incidents won''t happen again in the future? hand this person over to us, and if you let the people down again, i will proclaim this affair to the world."


    liu zhonglin said, "why are you doing this? aren''t you afraid of offending our golden dragon legion?"


    xiao buli replied, "of course i''m not afraid, because i will report this matter to our leader, and how to proceed afterward will naturally be decided by the leader."


    he had deftly redirected the trouble towards qilin hall. then he asked gao bainame, "do you agree to this?"


    gao bainame naturally agreed without hesitation, "at your command, my lord."


    system prompt: your personal prestige with gao bainame (black-hearted merchant) has increased by 1000 points, and your personal prestige with gao bainame (black-hearted merchant) has reached the level of reverence.


    is that even possible? everyone was surprised and looked at xiao buli with some astonishment, but xiao buli explained on the screen to the others, "if gao bainame is in our hands, the golden dragon legion will only give us more benefits to keep us quiet.


    on the other hand, if we don''t have the evidence, the golden dragon legion will likely give some token rewards to send us on our way and that would be the end of it."


    liu xing asked with some doubt, "can it really be that complicated? it''s just a game after all."


    xiao buli responded seriously, "a game? are you still treating everything you see and hear as just a game? honestly, i''m surprised you''ve survived this long with that attitude."


    liu xing was taken aback, as if he had thought of something, but xiao buli didn''t say anything more and turned to yaoyao, "yaoyao, open the cell door."


    yaoyao stepped forward and opened the cell door to release gao bainame. gao bainame was careful and somehow found a set of jailer''s clothes to change into, then the group left the dungeon.


    seeing the sunlight seeping in through the prison gate, everyone felt as if they had escaped to freedom.


    once outside the prison, the officer in charge decided to turn in the quest,


    luo dagang (nine dragons city commandant): "that''s great, i thought you might not make it out. now, at last, the matter is concluded. eh, where is zheng zha?"


    liu zhonglin said, "zheng zha died valiantly in battle, trying to stop prisoners from escaping."


    luo dagang (nine dragons city commandant): "i see, he was a true hero. i must take good care of his widow and son. now then, righteous warriors, please accept these rewards."


    system prompt: you have completed the quest ''suppressing the riot'' and received a reward of 10 silver coins.


    then liu zhonglin whispered into luo dagang''s ear for a while, and luo dagang''s expression changed dramatically.


    "i see," he muttered to himself: "this matter is even more serious than i thought. righteous warriors, please accept this additional reward in recognition of your understanding of the larger picture."


    system notification: completed the quest "truth and justice" and received a reward of 100 silver coins.


    system notification: as you participated in the resolution of a historical event, your personal prestige increased by 50 points, your prestige in nine dragons city increased by 500 points, your prestige in the golden dragon legion increased by 500 points, and your deeds have been recorded in the history books of the nine dragons city library.


    you may view your deeds at the nine dragons city archives or library.


    yaoyao said, "the game even has this feature? that''s quite interesting."


    "i finally understand how much fiction has been mixed into history," bai yunfei said suddenly, not without emotion.


    the group, together with gao bainame, left the prison. as soon as they were far enough, gao bainame suddenly kowtowed to xiao buli, saying, "thank you for saving my life. i have nothing to offer in return, but i will not dare to disobey any orders. i only ask that you help me to the end and give me a way to live."


    system notification: your personal prestige with gao bainame has reached the level of reverence, activating the follower system. would you like to accept gao bainame''s loyalty?


    note: each player can only carry one follower at a time.


    xiao buli was somewhat surprised. he had thought about acquiring a follower to carry with him at some point, but his plan was to find a super-strong npc for combat to max out the prestige when he had the time. however, he had not expected that the first one to reach worship would be such a guy.


    looking at the name color, he was just an npc with a white name; his combat power was probably none at all¡ªquite different from what was expected.


    after some thought, he chose to accept. if it turned out to be useless later on, he could just dismiss him.


    after accepting the follower, a new follower slot appeared on xiao buli''s interface, right next to the pet slot. when he clicked to open it, he found gao bainame''s attributes listed inside.


    npc name: gao bainame (unscrupulous merchant)


    occupation: merchant.


    intelligence: 13. ¡ª your comprehension is quite high, your logical ability is extremely strong, your memory is average.


    strength: 8. ¡ª can carry 40 pounds, base attack power 8.


    speed: 8 ¡ª your running speed is average.


    agility: 12 ¡ª you have a pair of dexterous hands.


    stamina: 9. ¡ª stamina points 90 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 stamina points).


    physique: 9. ¡ª health points 90. (1 point of physique corresponds to 10 health points).


    charm: 9. ¡ª you look quite ordinary.


    spirit: 10. ¡ª you''re lost in the crowd. s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    enjoy more content from empire


    luck: 9. ¡ª your luck is very ordinary.


    life skills: appraisal skills lv5, mental calculation skills lv6, renovation technique lv10, aging skill lv10, eloquence lv10.


    knowledge skills: "record of memory" lv10, "general outline of commodities" lv10.


    combat skills: none.


    looking at gao bainame''s attributes, xiao buli thought to himself that it was no wonder he was an unscrupulous merchant. he was extremely skilled at refurbishing and aging things, but only mediocre in his main skills, appraisal, and calculation. however, for him, the use of such an npc was indeed not small.


    ps: i will strive for a burst of productivity tomorrow. (to be continued. if you like this work, please feel free to come to qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 127 Ancient God Mark

    xiao buli looked at gao bainame''s attributes and thought to himself, "no wonder he''s such a ruthless businessman, proficient in both renovation and aging techniques, but only mediocre in his main skills like appraisal and calculation. however, for him, such an npc could be quite useful." s~ea??h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.the level of freedom in this game is so open that relying solely on fighting monsters and completing quests to earn game coins is clearly too limiting. if one has the time, they can definitely use business skills to make money, which would undoubtedly be much faster than his current method of earning.


    this is evident from the fact that the xuanwu group could provide the company with a large amount of gold coins. previously, he couldn''t devote himself entirely to this aspect like the xuanwu group did, but with gao bainame''s help, it would be different.


    he could completely turn gao bainame into his money-making machine, continuously providing financial support, which wouldn''t be any less effective than having an extra hand in battle.


    with this in mind, xiao buli started to look at the detailed descriptions of gao bainame''s few skills.


    explore stories at empire


    renovation technique: spends certain materials to renovate a piece of equipment, giving it a ''brand new'' prefix.


    aging skill: spends certain materials to age a piece of equipment, giving it an ''ancient'' prefix.


    appraisal skills: identifies the true quality and approximate value of an item, only effective on items no higher than the skill''s appraisal level.


    mental calculation skills: the ability to quickly calculate profit margins, a professional skill used in commercial planning.


    appraisal skills can reveal the true value of looted items, which is a very useful skill. aside from equipment, if one wishes to auction, appraisal can be used to eliminate those low-value loots.


    mental calculation skills, on the other hand, can be used for buying and reselling at the auction house, and as for the aging and renovation, they''re incredibly powerful. item prefixes are extremely useful attributes that can often add additional effects to equipment.


    xiao buli was familiar with the game''s equipment prefixes. most low-level blue equipment could be judged by its prefix to indicate its attributes, like the ''sturdy'' leather chest armour he was wearing. with the ''sturdy'' prefix, the additional attribute was physique, and other attributes followed in a similar way.


    ''light'' adds speed.


    ''exquisite'' adds agility.


    ''heavy'' adds strength.


    ''solid'' adds stamina.


    ''gorgeous'' adds charm, and so on.


    being able to add prefixes to equipment also means adding extra attributes, which undoubtedly increases the value of the equipment. although it requires materials, as long as done properly, these two skills can indeed be called divine skills for making money.


    thinking this, xiao buli felt that today''s greatest gain was not in gold coins or equipment but in this seemingly useless yet very useful npc hireling.


    however, skills are worthless if not used. since gao bainame was already his hireling, xiao buli didn''t hold back. after everyone else had left, xiao buli took gao bainame to the tavern, "gao bainame, help me appraise this sword, how much is it worth?"


    while speaking, he traded the ''soul slayer''s blade'' to gao bainame.


    gao bainame took it and fondled the blade of the soul slayer''s sword in an indecent manner, and a white light immediately flashed on his hands.


    gao bainame pondered for a moment and said, "made from cold iron, with mysterious gold bones, this sword can slay spirit body ghosts, and it possesses spirituality. however, its sharpness is average. if it ends up in the hands of an ordinary warrior, it''s value would be average, and if it falls into the hands of a connoisseur, it would be an unequivocal divine weapon.


    i preliminarily judge its value at 13 gold 27 silver."


    xiao buli took the treasured sword back, thinking that this skill was indeed very useful. he then handed over a ring, "then how about this ring?"


    gao bainame took it, felt it for a while, and once again, a white light flashed in his hands.


    gao bainame spoke as soon as he took it, "with a spirit stone core and refined gold band, this ring contains the power of an ancient fire source and is an excellent piece of equipment for fire element spellcasters, also able to strengthen the power of fire element inner strength and special abilities. i judge its preliminary value at 4 gold 21 silver."


    xiao buli traded the flawless white jade ring as well.


    "and this piece?" gao bainame took it and spent a longer time appraising it this time.


    "white jade flawless, rich in spiritual energy, this ring absorbs the essence of life force and is undoubtedly a top-tier item. i preliminarily judge its value at 17 gold 34 silver."


    wow, this appraisal skill is really powerful, xiao buli thought to himself.


    he was enjoying himself when wu tao ran in from outside, plopping down next to xiao buli with a woeful expression, "i''m in trouble now. the items are stuck in my hands. boss, you''ve got to help me."


    xiao buli asked with a smile, "so du yibo doesn''t want to buy it?"


    "he''s only offering two gold coins, not a penny more, which is too little. i can''t even recover the cost; he really lacks discernment. why don''t you buy it? you''re also a mage profession, so it should be useful to you," wu tao finished, glancing at xiao buli.


    xiao buli shook his head; he truly wasn''t interested in such unorthodox items, but it wouldn''t hurt to have gao bainame estimate the value of the item.

 Chapter 127 Ancient God Mark_2

    "old gao, could you help me with the appraisal?"gao bainame nodded, seeming a bit apprehensive as he took the "sacrificial book of the ancient gods." a flash of white light flickered over his hand, and all of a sudden, he cried out in dismay¡ªit appeared the appraisal had not been successful. the light flickered again, but the result was the same.


    he couldn''t help but grimace and said, "master, my appraisal skills level is not high enough to appraise this item."


    xiao buli was surprised. it seemed that the item''s grade was much higher, which meant it should be quite valuable.


    "well then, i''ll buy it for 3 gold coins."


    three gold coins? wu tao spoke up with some dissatisfaction, "can you add a bit more? at least let me break even."


    explore stories at empire


    xiao buli shook his head, "i don''t have that much spare cash. besides, this thing is of no use to me. i only offered to help you out of pity. otherwise, let''s just forget it."


    "no, no, no, i''ll sell it to you. okay?" wu tao, though a bit reluctant, had no choice but to agree.


    having acquired the "sacrificial book of the ancient gods," xiao buli hesitated about whether to open it.


    "old gao, do you think this thing is good or bad?"


    gao bainame said with a wry smile, "haven''t i already told you, master, my appraisal skills level isn''t enough. but i always think that reading more can never be a bad thing."


    xiao buli hoped for the best and double-clicked on the book.


    system message: the ancient pages turn to a pile of ashes in your hands.


    the quest item just disappeared like that.


    xiao buli frowned. this was somewhat unexpected. after checking his attributes, he saw no changes. he gave everything another look and discovered a debuff¡ªancient god mark¡ªfloating above his head.


    he checked the description of this negative status, which read ¡ª "the ancient gods are watching you." beyond that, there was no further explanation. this negative status didn''t show a duration time, which made it even more strange.


    (what does this mean? seems like i''ve lost out. three gold coins for a negative status, what the hell is this all about?) xiao buli thought, somewhat dejectedly.


    at lunchtime, as he stepped out of the computer room, xiao buli was still pondering what that buff could mean. he hadn''t gone far when someone suddenly called out to him from behind, "hey, old xiao, wait up."


    xiao buli turned around and saw it was li chuang. not exactly close with this guy, who was suspected to be the mole, xiao buli was puzzled when he called him, "is something the matter?"


    li chuang said, "manager qin is asking for you in her office."


    "oh, i''ll go right now." xiao buli nodded and headed to qin shimoon''s office.


    after knocking, qin shimoon''s voice came from inside, "come in."


    as he walked in, xiao buli surreptitiously glanced at qin shimoon. she looked as beautiful as ever, impeccably dressed in a professional, tight-fitting ol suit. she was concentrating on several documents in front of her but promptly closed them as she saw xiao buli enter.


    "did you need something, manager qin?" xiao buli asked.


    "of course," qin shimoon smiled naturally, "i heard that you recently acquired a new follower." s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    xiao buli''s heart tightened. how did she know? but he immediately smiled to himself. of course, she would know¡ªif she didn''t, that would be the real surprise.


    xiao buli had long suspected that the company was using more than one means to monitor their behavior, but he didn''t know whether it was done through person-based reporting or some kind of monitoring device.


    xiao buli didn''t deny it and nodded slightly, "there is such a thing."


    qin shimoon said, "the xuanwu group is in need of these kinds of npcs for business strategies, so please transfer gao bainame''s usage rights to the leader of the xuanwu group by three o''clock this afternoon. of course, as a reward for your contribution, you will receive an extra bonus this month."


    xiao buli was stunned for a moment; he hadn''t expected the other party to be so forthright in demanding the transfer. however, after some thought, he realized he had no leeway to object. from the beginning, the contract had clearly stated that all in-game properties belonged to the company.


    if xiao buli hadn''t known the truth about the game, he would have complied without a word, but at this moment, he couldn''t help feeling unsettled, as if he had been outmaneuvered.


    "i understand. i will take care of it this afternoon," xiao buli said calmly, as though he was agreeing to something completely trivial. as he walked out of the office, though, he clenched his fists, feeling an even greater urgency for the day of rebellion to come.


    (at least the ownership of gao bainame is still mine; as long as i break away from the company, i can still use it for myself.) xiao buli comforted himself with this thought and turned toward the cafeteria.


    the lunch was as lavish as ever. no matter how many detestable or infuriating aspects the company had, the food in the cafeteria was definitely not one of them. xiao buli filled a huge plate with food and began to eat heartily, as if he was trying to make up for the loss of his follower, and was halfway through his meal when qin shimoon suddenly walked in with that person named ouyang.


    she picked up a glass and tapped it with a stainless steel spoon. "everyone, please pause for a moment; i have an announcement to make."


    when everyone had stopped eating and looked toward her, qin shimoon said, "since the white tiger group has submitted their personnel list, the dark forest dungeon pioneer corps is hereby officially established. from tomorrow on, all individuals on this list must begin unified combat coordination training.


    this matter will be overseen by zhang yaoyang, the leader of the azure dragon group, who will also serve as the leader of the pioneer corps. li jian from the white tiger group will act as the deputy leader.


    moreover, for the next two weeks, the group leaders and deputy leaders will lead team members to carry out daily tasks near the dark forest to familiarize themselves with the demon clan monsters'' combat patterns and to prepare for the dungeon development safely. we aim to push the front line to the dungeon''s entrance before the end of the month.


    now, i will start reading this list, and anyone who hears their name should gather in the newcomer''s area tomorrow."


    after qin shimoon finished speaking, ouyang took out a list and began to read it. a total of ten people were called from the white tiger group, while the azure dragon group, unsurprisingly, was wholly selected.


    although they had been mentally prepared, those whose names were read couldn''t help showing a variety of expressions.


    finally, the list reading concluded, and qin shimoon nodded, "alright, the reading of the list is complete; please continue to enjoy your lunch."


    once qin shimoon finished, she left with ouyang, but the impact of her announcement lingered for a long time.


    "damn it, what kind of dungeon pioneer corps is this? it''s more like a ''go die, go die'' group," someone complained.


    "don''t be discouraged; if we work together, we still have a chance to clear it," a passionate youth voiced.


    "lucky i''m not on the list, i''m finally safe," someone else expressed relief.


    "it doesn''t matter, even if we die it''s okay; after all, there''s still three hundred thousand to collect. it''s just right for starting some small business," said a resigned, uninformed person.


    the mix of voices turned the cafeteria into a noisy market for a while.


    watching the variety of reactions, wang yifan frowned and left the cafeteria, pulling out a phone from his pocket.


    "hello, is this the boss? i think the company is in trouble. there''s something i need to report to you..."


    xiao buli observed the myriad human states in the cafeteria coldly and glanced back at zhang yaoyang, who had a fervent look in his eyes. this guy was really eager.


    "hey, are you still upset about your follower?"


    xiao buli looked up to see wu min''er.


    "the follower issue? how do you know about that?" he asked in surprise.


    wu min''er smiled proudly, "don''t forget what i do." then she added, "but don''t be upset, i have good news for you. i found xuan zhenzi." (to be continued. if you like this work, please come to qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 128 Return to Mystic Hollow Palace

    "See that Taoist temple over there? The Taoist named Xuan Zhenzi lives inside," said Wu Min''er, dressed in assassin attire, pointing at the small Taoist temple built against the mountain on the opposite side.Standing next to Wu Min''er was the character controlled by Xiao Buli. Although the two were actually in different computer rooms, they were conversing through microphones.


    Xiao Buli nodded and asked nervously, "What color is Xuan Zhenzi''s name?"


    Wu Min''er said, "He''s just a light blue normal elite."


    Xiao Buli was surprised to hear this. He wouldn''t have been shocked if Xuan Zhenzi''s name had been in silver, gold, or even dark gold, since someone who could compel Xuanxu Zi to issue a killing order and was a traitor of the Mystic Hollow Palace would definitely not be an ordinary person.


    On the other hand, if Xuan Zhenzi were a white-named NPC, Xiao Buli wouldn''t have been too surprised, but rather nervous, as it would mean Xuan Zhenzi and Xuanxu Zi were of equal strength and one shouldn''t underestimate him because of the color of his name.


    But what exactly was a light blue normal elite? This left him truly puzzled. Could a traitor of the Mystic Hollow Palace, a thorn in Xuanxu Zi''s side, really be of such a level?


    (Should I go in alone?) Standing outside the temple''s walls, Xiao Buli hesitated. After much thought, he decided it was better to be safe, (Maybe I should call for more people to come. Although it might expose my Mystic Hollow Palace background, life safety is ultimately the most important thing.)


    Just as he was about to retreat, a line of text suddenly appeared on his screen.


    Xuanxu Zi whispered to you: "Are you there, disciple?"


    Xiao Buli was startled, wondering why his master was summoning him at this time. Had something been discovered? But obviously, he couldn''t pretend not to understand and hurriedly replied, "Disciple is here. Is there something Master needs from me?"


    Xuanxu Zi whispered to you: "I sense from the mark I left on you that the traitor is nearby. Quickly kill him; don''t let him escape."


    Xiao Buli said with some difficulty: "I don''t know how strong Xuan Zhenzi is. I''m afraid I might not be a match for him alone. Maybe I should find some people to help so as not to compromise Master''s important affairs."


    Xuanxu Zi whispered to you: "No need for such trouble. Xuan Zhenzi has no real ability; apart from being good at playing dumb, he''s useless. Just strike directly, remember not to waste words with him, so you don''t fall for his delaying tactics. Attack with full force upon meeting, and after the deed is done, bring his head back to me."


    Xiao Buli felt even stranger inside; Xuanxu Zi seemed rather odd in his eagerness to kill Xuan Zhenzi. But he didn''t dare to disobey. He nodded at Wu Min''er and said, "Wait here for me, I''ll be right back."


    After finishing his words, he performed the Cloud Ascension Leap over the wall and into the temple compound. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Taoist temple was very dilapidated, with only one small building that looked long-neglected. Weeds grew from the cracks in the wall, and many roof tiles were broken. The plaque on the temple was crookedly inscribed with three large characters: "Xuantian Palace," a name that was indeed domineering.


    A few free-range chickens strolled in the yard, pecking at scattered grains on the ground. A large yellow dog lay under the shade of a tree, comfortably snoring away¡ªa peaceful scene indeed.


    Xiao Buli sighed at the scene, but didn''t dare to let his guard down. He felt as if he was a hitman; although he was in the wilds, he had the sense that he was afraid of being seen.


    Experience tales at empire


    Xiao Buli, with sword in hand, summoned the Talisman Soldier and Maoqiu, activated the Internal Energy Infusion, and applied the Fire Blade Skills and Ethereal Armor spells to himself. Taking advantage of the spells'' active period, he burst through the front door of the temple and saw an old Taoist eating lunch.


    The old Taoist, in his fifties or sixties with white-flecked hair, was indeed a blue-named NPC named Xuan Zhenzi (Sect Leader of the Xuantian Palace).


    Startled by Xiao Buli''s entrance, he asked, "Who are you, and why do you trespass in the forbidden grounds of the Xuantian Palace?"


    Xiao Buli did not respond but immediately launched a Sword Qi Slash, which cleaved through the wooden table in front of the old Taoist. The force didn''t stop there and hit the old man, catching him entirely unprepared and slicing off one-fifth of his health points, causing him to scream and stand up.


    Xuan Zhenzi (Sect Leader of the Xuantian Palace) shouted, "Stop your brazenness, evildoer, and witness the might of my Mysterious Gate Taoist Magic!"


    As he chanted an incantation, it was unclear which spell he was about to cast, but the casting bar was five seconds long. Xiao Buli didn''t dare to let him complete the spell; with a command, Maoqiu fiercely pounced on the old Taoist, causing him to stumble and interrupt his spellcasting. Then, with a vicious Rip and Bite, Maoqiu made the old man''s health points stream away rapidly.


    Xiao Buli was not idle either. Activating the Gale Sword Skills, he brandished the Soul Slayer''s Blade, attacking in a frenzy. Xuan Zhenzi seemed unprepared, or perhaps too weak, offering no resistance.


    He barely managed to successfully cast one spell, which summoned another Talisman Soldier, but Xiao Buli quickly cut it down with a few slashes and then continued to attack until the old Taoist was left On the Verge of Death.

 Chapter 128 Return to Mystic Hollow Palace_2

    ```Xuan Zhenzi (Sect Leader of Xuantian Palace): "You, why would you do this, I..."


    Xiao Buli was waiting for him to finish speaking when a private chat from Xuanxu Zi suddenly popped up on the screen.


    Xuanxu Zi whispers to you, "Quick, kill him!" followed by an angry emoji.


    Feeling a shock in his heart, Xiao Buli thrust his sword out and pierced Xuan Zhenzi straight through, eliciting a scream as he died.


    Looking at the body on the ground, Xiao Buli still found it hard to believe. He cautiously looked around and moved away from the body, fearing a sudden Second Stage Transformation. But after a while, there was no reaction from the body, which now seemed genuinely dead ¡ª the mission was indeed completed by him.


    Xuanxu Zi whispers to you, "Disciple, how did it go? Why can''t I sense that traitor anymore?"


    Hurriedly, Xiao Buli replied, "Master, rest assured, Xuan Zhenzi has been killed by me."


    Xuanxu Zi whispers to you, "Good, very good, excellent even. You did very well. Remember to bring Xuan Zhenzi''s head back when you return, and I will reward you generously. I won''t say more for now. I''ll contact you if something else comes up." With that, no more private messages came through.


    Although the mission was complete, Xiao Buli didn''t feel much joy. The ease of the mission was suspect, leaving him with an eerie, unclear sense of a hidden agenda behind it.


    But he couldn''t think too much about it now. Xuan Zhenzi was dead, and it was too late for regrets. He hadn''t forgotten the task given by his eldest apprentice brother and took out the Soul Absorption Pearl, double-clicking it above Xuan Zhenzi''s body. A soul''s light was drawn into the pearl, leaving an incomplete shadow within it.


    (Another mission completed, I can''t earn too little Contribution Value when I return,) Xiao Buli thought to himself. He clicked on the body and noticed it dropped several pieces of equipment, all of poor quality and merely white-tier gear.


    Cloth Armor - Breastplate (Cloth Armor - Chest): Armor +3.


    Item Description: A Taoist robe made from coarse hemp, the kind worn by the lowest-ranking Taoist for daily use.


    Peach Wood Sword: Attacks 2-5, Yang Attribute Spell Power +1.


    Item Description: A wooden sword made from peach wood, said to have restraining effects on the undead.


    "Tao Te Ching": A book of knowledge, seemingly useful only for moral cultivation.


    Looking at the "Tao Te Ching," Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned. His RPG gaming experience made him feel there was more to this mission than met the eye.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about?" a voice suddenly emerged from behind. When Xiao Buli turned around, he saw it was Wu Min''er, who had somehow entered the Taoist temple without him noticing.


    After glancing at the body on the ground, she said, "Is this the NPC you had to kill? Doesn''t seem that impressive."


    "Yeah, not very impressive," Xiao Buli replied nonchalantly, deciding not to dwell on it. There''d be time to uncover more secrets by delving deeper into the game later. But how was he meant to take the head?


    He asked Wu Min''er, who responded with surprise, "You don''t know? You should use Anatomize, like when you did the task of skinning a tiger. It''s the same principle."


    Suddenly realizing, Xiao Buli understood the concept. Though he had learned Anatomize a while ago, this was his first time using it on a person, albeit a game character. It felt awkward wielding the knife, but determined to complete the mission, he steeled his heart and performed Anatomize on Xuan Zhenzi.


    System Notification: You have obtained Xuan Zhenzi''s Head x1, Incomplete Corpse x1.


    After discarding the Incomplete Corpse, he examined Xuan Zhenzi''s Head.


    Item Description: A blood-drenched head with a grim expression, as if telling the tale of this man''s tragic fate (Mission Item).


    Keeping a head in one''s inventory requires quite a bit of courage, but thankfully it''s just a game, Xiao Buli consoled himself inwardly. Explore hidden tales at empire


    "Thanks for your help this time," he said as he closed his inventory and spoke to Wu Min''er.


    Wu Min''er smiled, "It''s nothing. You helped me once. Consider this my way of returning the favor."


    Helped her once? Xiao Buli had to think for a moment before remembering that he had given her the "War God Atlas." "Have you maxed out the prestige with that NPC?" he asked.


    Wu Min''er replied, "Not so fast. That person is pretty important, not someone you can please with just a book. I still don''t know how much longer it''ll take. Anyway, I''ve got to go, I have other things to do." She then leaped over the surrounding wall and disappeared from sight.


    Assassin types are just cool, Xiao Buli mused, admiring the spot where Wu Min''er vanished. Unlike the qinggong that required Physical Strength expenditure, the Light Body Skill of professions like assassins only consumed Physical Strength and could be used frequently without cooldowns. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But there was no need for envy; each profession had its merits, and once he advanced, he would surely be no weaker than an assassin.


    Xiao Buli left Xuantian Palace and Sprinted towards Nine Dragons City. He didn''t plan to return to Mystic Hollow Palace right away, as he still had quests from Jingci and Ji Xiangyun to complete. It would be better to turn them all in together.


    Zhang Yaoyang had already gathered many of the Alchemy Recipes Ji Xiangyun needed, roughly enough to fulfill about sixty to seventy percent of the quest. That should suffice.


    As for the "breeding animals" Jingci needed, that proved to be more troublesome. Still, as the saying goes, money makes the world go round. After making inquiries at various NPCs in Nine Dragons City and spending a hefty sum of Gold Coins, he bought a cage of "in heat long-eared rabbits" from a farmer outside the city.


    This item, classified as a pet in the game, had an interesting effect: if kept in the inventory, it would produce a pair of baby rabbits every hour, perfect fodder for Jingci''s wolf pups.


    ```

 Chapter 128 Return to Mystic Hollow Palace_3

    Completing this task cost him a total of more than three Gold Coins, and together with the money previously spent on the "Sacrificial Book of the Ancient Gods," he was now completely out of money, left with only a few dozen silver coins to scrape by on.With all the task items in tow, Xiao Buli mounted his horse and galloped towards the direction of the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    He would need to venture into the Dark Forest for his daily tasks tomorrow, and dealing with the Demon Clan was no easy feat. The last time he fought in the bandit hideout instance, it was just some demonized humans, and they were already quite formidable.


    This time he definitely couldn''t afford to overlook the challenge, as he had gathered quite a bit of information on the Demon Clan in anticipation of the instance they would assault a month later. The Demon Clan was an extremely powerful monster system in his memory, and the White Tiger group had previously suffered significant losses just scouting the Dark Forest instance.


    Now that it was his turn to take the stage, he naturally had to be extremely cautious.


    Therefore, Xiao Buli planned to exchange for several powerful skills to have on hand.


    Having been there twice before, he found his way back to the Mystic Hollow Palace quite easily this time, making the journey on horseback in a little over an hour. To his surprise, Gu Yuexuan was already waiting there at the entrance.


    Upon seeing Xiao Buli, Gu Yuexuan immediately descended from his flying sword, "Junior Brother, you''ve finally returned. If I''m not mistaken, you must have completed the task this time, right?"


    Xiao Buli typed, "Indeed, here are the pearls Brother needed." He selected to hand over the task, and Gu Yuexuan hurriedly took the Soul Absorption Pearl. Although he didn''t say anything, his expression was visibly filled with excitement.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel curious, "What does Brother need Xuan Zhenzi''s Soul Fragment for?"


    Having received the pearl, Gu Yuexuan seemed a bit cheerful. He didn''t get angry when Xiao Buli asked the question, and explained, "That''s something you don''t need to worry about. Remember, you must not tell Master about this."


    System notification: You have completed the task "Elder Brother''s Secret Operation," Gu Yuexuan''s favorability towards you has increased by 200 points, and your personal Prestige with Gu Yuexuan has reached "Equality."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it was not easy at all, gaining Prestige with this Elder Brother was indeed tough, wondering what kind of rewards he might get. Then, Gu Yuexuan was gone in a leap.


    Was it all for nothing? Xiao Buli thought to himself as he returned to the Mystic Hollow Palace to hand over the tasks. The tasks from Jingci and Ji Xiangyun were both turned in smoothly. Although he didn''t achieve a hundred percent completion for either, he still managed to earn over 800 Contribution Value.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t increase his Prestige in the Mystic Hollow Palace, seeming like only the first completion of similar tasks would raise Sect Prestige. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Afterward, Xiao Buli proceeded to the main hall of the Mystic Hollow Palace to hand in his task to Xuanxu Zi, but encountered some trouble during this task turnover.


    Xuanxu Zi looked at the severed head and his face immediately turned sour, "This head is fake."


    Xiao Buli expressed his surprise, "How is that possible? This is definitely the head I cut from Xuan Zhenzi himself."


    Xuanxu Zi sighed, "It seems that Xuan Zhenzi has managed to escape pursuit once again. Why is it always like this? Ah, but it''s not your fault. This Xuan Zhenzi is cunning and elusive, not so easily killed."


    Xiao Buli wasn''t too surprised to hear Xuanxu Zi say this; instead, he felt that ''things are never that simple.'' But in that case, did he still complete the task?


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    Just as this doubt crossed his mind, a system notification appeared on the screen.


    System notification: You have completed the task "Purging Betrayal." Due to your exceptional performance in the task, Xuanxu Zi''s favorability towards you has increased by 250 points, your Prestige in the Mystic Hollow Palace has increased by 500 points, and your Prestige in the Mystic Hollow Palace has reached Reverence. You have gained 400 Contribution Value.


    Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, the reward was still given, and his Sect Prestige had also reached Reverence, which would allow him to learn some more powerful spells.


    But if he wanted to continue to rise in Sect Prestige, it would be even harder from now on. From Friendly to Reverence is 1000 points, but from Reverence to Reverential is a full 5000 points, and from Reverential to Worshipful will only be higher¡ªit could take tens of thousands of points to reach the top, and who knows how long it will be before that''s achieved.


    Xiao Buli stopped pondering further and started thinking about the skills he could now exchange for. He had over 1,100 Contribution Value points, and he could use them to exchange for several good skills.


    He went to Xuanxu Zi to choose skills to exchange. Many second-tier skills previously locked until the Sect''s Prestige requirement of Reverence were now unlocked. Xiao Buli checked and found there were over ten available.


    After sorting them out and removing those that were redundant or not very practical, there were still seven skills worth learning.


    1. Li Fire Talisman (Instant Cast Spell): Harness spiritual power to condense the Power of Li Fire onto a talisman, launching it at the target to deal damage, with a range of 30 meters. It inflicts 10+21 (spiritual power¡Á1) = 31 points of fire damage, with a chance to ignite the target, causing half the incendiary damage over the next five seconds. It consumes 7 mana, one Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requires: 150 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Reverence, Taoist Heart LV2.


    2. Mysterious Ice Talisman (Instant Cast Spell): Harness spiritual power to condense the Power of Mysterious Ice onto a talisman, launching it at the target to deal damage, with a range of 30 meters. It inflicts 10+21 (spiritual power¡Á1) = 31 points of ice damage, and it reduces the target''s speed by 20% for 5 seconds. This effect can stack up to three times to trigger a freeze effect.


    It consumes 8 mana, one Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requires: 160 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Reverence, Taoist Heart LV2.


    3. Palm Thunder (2.5 seconds Casting): Harness spiritual power to unleash a lightning strike from the palm, attacking the target within a range of five meters. It inflicts 20+42 (spiritual power¡Á2) points of lightning damage, with the possibility of knockback or knock-up effects depending on the target''s size, consuming 15 mana.


    Exchange requires: 180 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Reverence, Taoist Heart LV2.


    4. Sunfire Talisman (Instant Cast Spell): Harness spiritual power to condense the Power of Sunfire onto a talisman, launching it at the target to deal damage, with a range of 30 meters. It inflicts 10+21 (spiritual power¡Á1) = 31 points of Yang Attribute damage (damage is halved against biological enemies and doubled against Undead), consuming 6 mana, one Talisman Paper.


    Exchange requires: 160 Contribution Value points, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Reverence, Taoist Heart LV2.


    5. Mirror Image Skills (2 seconds Casting): Create an autonomously moving mirror image to attract enemy fire. The mirror image has the same health points and Armor Value as the caster but cannot attack and takes double the damage. It lasts for 30 seconds, consuming 20 mana.


    Learning requires: Taoist Heart LV2, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, spiritual power 22 points, 140 Contribution Value points.


    6. Earth Escape Skills (2 seconds Casting): Transforms into earth and sinks into the ground, disappearing from the enemy''s sight. You cannot move while in Earth Escape form until the effect is canceled, consuming 15 mana, and an additional 1 mana every minute while under the effect.


    Learning requires: Taoist Heart LV2, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, spiritual power 26 points, 160 Contribution Value points.


    7. Earth Walking Skills (Passive Skill): Allows you to move slowly while in Burrow Form, consuming an additional 2 mana per minute during movement.


    Learning requires: Taoist Heart LV2, Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige Friendly, spiritual power 30 points, 140 Contribution Value points.


    PS: There''s some repetitive content in the skills, so I wrote a few hundred more words. Don''t say I''m padding my word count, okay?


    Today, I''ve written over nine thousand words, marking the first time I''ve had such a burst of productivity. The next burst will happen within the next five days.


    I recommend a well-written book called "Artifact Recycling Center", the author is a beautiful woman, and lastly, I hope everyone will vote and subscribe more. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 129 Silver Weapons

    Xiao Buli browsed through these seven spells several times, finding each one to seem highly practical. Some could enhance his magic damage capabilities, while others could provide him with better life-saving abilities, making each one appear worth learning¡ªif, of course, he had enough Contribution Value. However, after some consideration, Xiao Buli decided to selectively give up one or two skills.The reason was simple. The combined Contribution Value needed for the seven spells was a total of 1090 points. If he spent all his current Contribution Value, he could just manage to learn them all, but Xiao Buli still hoped to reserve some Contribution Value.


    After all, the quality of spells available for exchange improved with every level, and upon checking, Xiao Buli found that the spells requiring Taoist Heart LV3 completely overshadowed those of Taoist Heart LV2 in power and effect. Thus, if his Taoist Heart were to suddenly upgrade, the value of these spells he was currently learning would greatly diminish.


    After thinking it over, Xiao Buli decided that he must at least retain 300 points to learn any one of the level three spells. This meant he needed to give up two of the current seven skills.


    After deliberating for a moment, he quickly made his decision. The first to be abandoned was the Sunfire Talisman; even though this spell dealt double damage to the Undead, it wasn''t very useful for Xiao Buli since he already had the Soul Slayer''s Blade, which effortlessly handled ghosts. As for ordinary Undead, like Zombies, regular spells sufficed.


    The second to be given up was the Li Fire Talisman, which, despite doing more damage than the Mysterious Ice Talisman, lacked its freezing effect, making the Mysterious Ice Talisman more valuable in comparison.


    As for the other spells, he had no intention of giving them up, since the more life-saving skills one had, the better.


    After paying 780 Contribution Value, Xiao Buli learned Palm Thunder, Mysterious Ice Talisman, Mirror Image Skills, Earth Escape Skills, and Earth Walking Skills all at once. Looking at the skills he now possessed, which were already numerous, each seemed to have its purpose, not daring to say that they wouldn''t be needed in future battles.


    This made arranging his Skill Bar somewhat troublesome, but fortunately, Xiao Buli had experience with games that had a multitude of skills. Plus, skills like Burst Talisman and Ice Talisman had become somewhat obsolete, so after much tinkering, he finally sorted out the arrangement of his skills.


    However, the available shortcuts he could use were almost all taken, with many skills relegated to an action bar on the side where he would have to use the mouse to click and cast them. If he were to learn more spells next time, he honestly didn''t know what he would do.


    With everything taken care of, before leaving the Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli decided to take on a few more sect tasks. After all, Contribution Value was something one could never have enough of.


    So, he turned to Xuanxu Zi and asked, "Master, is there anything else that requires your disciple''s service?"


    Xuanxu Zi said, "Of course, there is. Although we failed this time, I still hope that you will continue to pursue the traitor Xuan Zhenzi. If you get the chance, you must eliminate him. Are you willing to continue this task?"


    System prompt: Sect mission ''Persistent Pursuit'' triggered. Accept? Yes/No. Xiao Buli thought to himself that he must accept, for missing out on such a difficult task would be foolish. He hurriedly selected to accept the mission.


    After accepting the mission, Xiao Buli typed, "Disciple will certainly do his utmost to relieve the Master of his worries."


    Xuanxu Zi stroked his beard and nodded, "Very well, having such a capable disciple as you is reassuring. You may set out now."


    Xiao Buli stepped out of the main hall of the Mystic Hollow Palace. He naturally wanted to take on more tasks before leaving, and the next stops were Jingci''s and Ji Xiangyun''s places. Unfortunately, after making a round to both of them, they had no more tasks to offer him.


    (Now only the eldest senior brother is left. Should I ask him?) Xiao Buli thought for a moment and decided to go forward. His relationship with the eldest senior brother had improved, and he should be able to take on tasks proactively now.


    Among the NPCs of the Mystic Hollow Palace, Gu Yuexuan had a sense of being elusive, often appearing in the bamboo forest or the forbidden area. Xiao Buli went to the bamboo forest, only to find that Gu Yuexuan was not there. With no other option, Xiao Buli headed to the outer part of the sect''s forbidden area.


    He rarely came to this place for two reasons: it was remote, and the building sealed with talismans seemed very mysterious, which seemed to be of great importance to Gu Yuexuan.


    Walking towards the forbidden area made him somewhat uneasy. Just as he approached the gate, Xiao Buli unexpectedly found Gu Yuexuan stepping out from behind it and resealing it with a talisman. Gu Yuexuan, turning around and seeing Xiao Buli, was momentarily taken aback.


    Gu Yuexuan asked, "Why are you here? Have you forgotten that this is a sect forbidden area?" Gu Yuexuan asked sternly.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that if it were truly a forbidden area, then why could Gu Yuexuan come and go as he pleased? Besides, Xuanxu Zi had never mentioned it.


    But he wasn''t foolish enough to question directly, so he diverged with, "Master has assigned me another mission to hunt down the traitor, and I''m about to leave the valley. Thus, I came to ask if the eldest senior brother has any orders for me?"


    Gu Yuexuan''s expression softened somewhat, "In the future, come to the bamboo forest to find me. This time it''s fine, but don''t let Master know, or he''ll surely be angry if he learns you trespassed in the forbidden area."


    He continued, "I happen to have something for you to do. Here is a Soul Absorption Pearl. If you encounter Xuan Zhenzi again and manage to kill him, please collect his Soul Fragment for me."


    System prompt: Quest ''Eldest Senior Brother''s Secret Commission'' triggered. Accept? Yes/No.


    But Xiao Buli didn''t immediately accept, instead typing, "Eldest senior brother, have you forgotten something? You said last time that if I completed a mission for you, you would teach me a set of Swordsmanship. What about that promise?"


    Gu Yuexuan frowned, "Haven''t I already given you the Tai Chi Sword Skills?"


    Xiao Buli continued to tap out his words relentlessly, "What you said... that time, I spent Contribution Value to learn it. How can that be considered as part of the quest reward? Eldest Senior Brother, you can''t go back on your word."


    Hearing this, Gu Yuexuan was left speechless for a moment. Although he was highly skilled in swordsmanship, he seemed not to excel in debate, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.


    After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "So what do you want?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he had succeeded and typed, "Teach me another skill."


    But Gu Yuexuan shook his head, "I can''t teach you any more skills, my permissions are already limited. However, I can give you a sword that I used before. Although they are just mortal weapons, for you guys, they should be considered pretty good weapons, right?"


    "''Permissions are limited?'' What do you mean by permissions, Eldest Senior Brother?"


    "What permissions? Did I say that?" Gu Yuexuan seemed utterly confused, then showed an irritated expression, "Do you want it or not?"


    "Of course, I want it," Xiao Buli responded hastily, thinking to himself that he''d be a fool not to want it. Things like permissions could be discussed later. Although he had the Soul Slayer''s Blade now, its attack power was really too low; it was only a bit useful when fighting ghosts.


    It wasn''t very effective for fighting monsters or people on a regular basis, so getting a more powerful weapon was definitely good. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Yuexuan casually waved his hand, and four swords materialized out of thin air, hovering in the air. Each one emitted a glow of Spiritual Energy, with different colors, and the four swords stood side by side, looking quite dazzling.


    The attributes of all four swords could be seen directly, and they were all of silver quality.


    Streaming Light: Attack Power 15-30. Weapon Special Effect: When hitting an enemy, there is a chance to increase attack speed by ten percent, with a maximum of three stacks.


    Equipment Introduction: A strange blade forged from Luminous Pearl Stone of the Immortal Realm, exceptionally sharp, and emitting a faint stream of light.


    Azure Glow: Attack Power 16-28. Weapon Special Effect: Increases Magic Damage power by ten percent.


    Equipment Introduction: A treasured sword made from Ginseng Glow Wood with a natural spirit, effectively boosting the power of spell casting.


    Blood Drink: Attack Power 13-27. Weapon Special Effect: When hitting an enemy, there is a chance to absorb damage inflicted, converting it into the wielder''s health points.


    Equipment Introduction: This sword is forged from Mysterious Iron, with a blood groove down the middle, and a blood-drinking inscription on the blade.


    Proud Moon: Attack Power 6-40. Weapon Special Effect: Use¡ªSummon the power of lunar light to enhance the wielder. It can only be used on the night of a full moon.


    Equipment Introduction: Proud Moon is like a hook, and its reflection is like a boat. Parting brings sorrow and resentment, endless unless dead.


    Each of these four swords was so captivating, not only boasting strong attack power but also having excellent weapon special effects. Azure Glow''s increase in spell power was based on a percentage, which would have a more pronounced effect in the later stages. The power of lunar light from Proud Moon might be unknown, but it was sure to be extraordinary.


    Streaming Light''s attraction for swordsmen goes without saying.


    However, Xiao Buli knew he had to prioritize practicality and life-saving. After much hesitation, he finally set his eyes on the sword Blood Drink.


    The name of this sword gave him a sense of familiarity. When he used to play the game Legend, he wielded a similar weapon. Although this Blood Drink was not that Blood Drink, its special effect was just as powerful, if not more so. A weapon that could absorb blood was much more beneficial than one that merely increased damage output.


    "Then I''ll choose this Blood Seal," he said.


    Gu Yuexuan nodded, and with a simple gesture, the sword Blood Drink slowly drifted towards Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli took the sword and admired it closely. The dark, straight blade with a blood-red groove looked very powerful. After storing the weapon, Xiao Buli typed to Gu Yuexuan, "Then, Eldest Senior Brother, we shall part ways here."


    Having said that, Xiao Buli headed out of Mystic Hollow Palace. He had reaped a fruitful harvest this time, having significantly improved both his weapon and skills. He looked forward to putting them to good use in his upcoming journey to the Dark Forest. While thinking about it, Xiao Buli walked in the direction of Nine Dragons City. (To be continued.


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 Chapter 130 The Black Forest

    Early next morning, on the main streets of Nine Dragons City, Xiao Buli was riding his travel horse slowly towards the East City Gate. He hadn''t gone far when he saw a familiar figure ahead¡ªit was Wu Tao, also riding a travel horse."Morning, Old Xiao," Wu Tao typed out a greeting. Although they shared the same room, most of the time they still preferred to communicate in the game.


    "Morning, Wu Tao," Xiao Buli responded, and the two of them rode side by side. They hadn''t gone far before Zhang Yaoyang emerged from an inn and smoothly took over the lead of the group.


    One by one, the members of the Green Dragon Group emerged from their respective log-off points and gathered together on the street, joining the team. They all had the same destination in mind¡ªthe East City Gate of Nine Dragons City.


    Seeing that the group had almost fully assembled, Zhang Yaoyang called out in the headset, "Has everyone got their supplies and equipment ready? If you''re prepared, type 1."


    Everyone typed out a ''1'' in the game, and seeing this, Zhang Yaoyang nodded in approval, turned back to look at his well-equipped teammates, and said with a hint of excitement, "Then let''s set out. Keep your spirits up when we come across the White Tiger Group guys. Don''t let them look down on our Green Dragon Group''s prestige."


    "Cut it out, boss. What''s with this talk of prestige? We''re just a bunch of workers here, and our group already has the highest income. Even if our prestige were higher, would that increase our salary or what?" Wu Tao''s remark significantly dampened Zhang Yaoyang''s grand ambitions. "Damn, if you keep quiet, no one would think you''re mute," Zhang Yaoyang retorted.


    In the middle of their light-hearted banter, they were soon within sight of the city gate.


    By the time the group arrived outside the city, the White Tiger Group was already waiting there, with ten knights lined up neatly, all dressed in Qilin Hall guild robes, looking formidable in their gear. Although the members of the White Tiger Group were generally weaker, they had carefully chosen ten from a group of more than twenty.


    These individuals were no slouches, especially the core members beside Li Jian; they matched up well against the Green Dragon Group''s people.


    The Green Dragon Group positioned themselves opposite the White Tiger Group, looking much more disorganized because they weren''t used to wearing guild robes, which gave them the appearance of a ragtag bunch. This made Zhang Yaoyang quite annoyed as both sides faced off, sizing up their future teammates as well as their competition.


    Xiao Buli didn''t see Li Baocheng among the opposing team''s lineup and thought that not everyone could progress as rapidly as he had.


    "Good morning, Leader Zhang, so these are the experts from the Green Dragon Group that will be fighting alongside us in the future? I''m looking forward to learning from all of you," Li Jian said with a big smile.


    "Experts, I dare not claim to be, and as for learning from us, there''s no such thing. We''re just working together to make a living, helping each other through tough times, so let''s not stand on ceremony," Zhang Yaoyang was just as capable of keeping the conversation light. Both men exchanged niceties, leaving their subordinates speechless.


    Hua couldn''t stand it and spoke up, "Come on, you two, quit the whole ''heroes admiring each other'' act. All this male bonding... let''s get to the real business at hand."


    Amid a barrage of teasing, Zhang Yaoyang and Li Jian didn''t know how to respond for a while, until Li Jian managed to speak first, "Naturally." Li Jian then broke away from the line and, turning to the White Tiger Group, said, "You''ve all heard Leader Zhang''s flowery speech. Let''s pull together in times of trouble; don''t be a weak link."


    "Got it, Li!"


    "No worries, Li."


    "We won''t let you down, Li," echoed the members of the White Tiger Group, deliberately leaving out Zhang Yaoyang to make a statement. Zhang Yaoyang, however, remained cool,


    "Since we''ve reached a consensus, let''s set out."


    And so, the two teams of knights set off, galloping along the main road towards the east, racing side by side.


    Even though it was just a game, the sight of a twenty-person troop charging down the road against the morning sun had quite the heroic flair, and Bai Yunfei played an interlude from "The Golden Trio" just in time to add to the exhilarating feel.


    But half an hour later, that majestic feeling had gradually worn off, replaced by sheer boredom.


    There was no helping it, the map in this game was so large that even riding a horse couldn''t get one quickly to the destination. Moreover, without the miraculous ''auto-walk'' function, one had to operate manually throughout the journey. After half an hour, boredom was truly kicking in.


    Fortunately, everyone was a professional, so this task of running through the map wasn''t too difficult.


    Along the way, one could occasionally see patrols on horseback, supply convoys delivering provisions to the frontline of the Dark Forest, and occasionally convoys returning to Nine Dragons City, mostly filled with wounded soldiers. This indicated that the operations of the Golden Dragon Legion in the Dark Forest were not going smoothly.


    Finally, the cavalry stopped in an open space outside a military post. This was one of the Golden Dragon Legion''s outposts, where a garrison troop of one hundred men and a squad of patrolling cavalry were stationed.


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "Rest for ten minutes. Those who need to go to the bathroom should hurry, and those who have exhausted their Stamina Points should replenish their physical strength. We''re about to enter the area of the Dark Forest soon. It''s not like the place we were before; it''s a much more dangerous area of the Barbarian Wilderness. Make sure everyone is fully prepared."


    Hearing this, the team didn''t dare to slack off; it wasn''t a joking matter. They busied themselves eating, drinking, or using the restroom as needed. Even the White Tiger group did the same. It didn''t take long before the team was reorganized, everyone''s Stamina Points were restored, and they mounted their horses. Zhang Yaoyang didn''t immediately announce the departure, instead, he began to speak.


    "Now let me mention some points to pay attention to. First, let''s talk about our destination. We''re headed to Thousand Pines Town on the edge of the Dark Forest. This little town is currently the only human settlement in the Dark Forest. Most of the other villages have fallen."


    "Right next to Thousand Pines Town is the forward position of the Golden Dragon Legion, where we can take on many daily quests. Since our Guild''s Prestige in Nine Dragons City has reached a respected level, we can hire some NPC guides there to lead us.


    Furthermore, we can take on some daily quests in Thousand Pines Town, and we can resupply and repair equipment both at the military outpost and in the town."


    "Next are the monsters. There are mainly two types in the Dark Forest. The first type consists of the invading Demon Clan, with very formidable combat capabilities. On average, their power is a level higher than the monsters we encounter outside, and even a regular Minor Monster should be treated like an elite. A common-faced elite should be treated as a rare elite, and a rare elite as a miniboss.


    If you encounter a miniboss, don''t even think about it; unless there is a large group nearby, otherwise, it''s time to run without discussions. All units of the Demon Clan belong to one system, so they often appear in groups. A lone unit is likely to be a Scout, so everyone should take note of this."


    "The second type of monster consists of local creatures that have undergone Demonization, including both beasts and humans. Their combat capabilities are higher than normal, but comparable to monsters with a similar color name tag. Also, all Demonized units are hostile and will attack on sight¡ªthere are basically no neutral monsters."


    "The difficulty level, density, and organization of the monsters in the Dark Forest are all far greater than those outside. Moreover, all the monsters have the ability to call for their comrades, so it''s essential to form teams for expeditions in this place. I suggest a minimum of five people per team to more easily handle small enemy groups."


    "However, the most important thing to be aware of isn''t the monsters. The third point, which I want to emphasize, is because the Dark Forest is somewhat of a semi-public exploration area, we may encounter adventure teams from other guilds. Everyone should be vigilant if we run into people from other guilds. On one hand, be on your guard to avoid being caught off guard.


    Although there are some unwritten rules among players to avoid attacking each other, that doesn''t mean everyone will abide by them."


    "Secondly, do not initiate conversation with members from other guilds. On one hand, it prevents misunderstandings and, on the other hand, the company has regulations on this. If breached, at best it''s a warning; at worst, a deduction from the bonus. In severe cases, it could even lead to character deletion or dismissal from the company. Understood? Press 1 if you understand."


    Everyone pressed 1, including those from the White Tiger group.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded with satisfaction: "Very well, then let''s set off! Those with 280-speed battle horses, go ahead and scout for us¡ªremember not to stray too far."


    The team hit the road once again, but this time the journey was much harder. First, the terrain became rugged, requiring careful maneuvering to avoid damaging the horses. Then, the vegetation around the path became denser, with animals seen mingling amongst it, and occasionally some red-named wild beasts would appear. However, due to the size of the group, these creatures did not approach too close.


    Typically, only generals would possess 280-speed battle horses. Zhao Yunlong and a general from the White Tiger group named Zhao Yixin took on the role of scouts, riding their swift horses ahead to continually survey the path and avoid becoming lost.


    After about half an hour of travel, there was suddenly a commotion ahead. Zhao Yunlong, who was at the forefront, returned on his horse, saying, "It''s an ambush, a group of the Demon Clan is attacking a convoy! The Demon Clan has a slight advantage."


    "Let''s go, we''ll help," Zhang Yaoyang called out, and the Green Dragon Group immediately started moving with him. After a couple of steps, he realized that the White Tiger group hadn''t moved.


    "Team Leader Li, what''s going on with your men?" Li Jian then shouted, "Move out, lads, here''s our chance to earn Prestige!"


    "Let''s GO!" the White Tiger group finally sprung into action, shouting as they moved. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Damn, they were not really in this together. Leading really isn''t easy nowadays. Zhang Yaoyang thought helplessly but also felt it was only natural. However, he had confidence that he would eventually win over this bunch. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 131 Establishing Authority

    The convoy lined up, rushing through the dense forest like the wind. On the rugged forest trail, a supply convoy from the Golden Dragon Legion was under attack by seven or eight Demon Clan Hound Masters and several dozen Saber-Toothed Wolves.This was Xiao Buli''s first time seeing a large group of the Demon Clan. These demons all had black, volcanic-rock-like skin, with blood-red, magma-like fissures showing through. Their build was somewhat similar to humans but with frightful, ferocious features and extremely tall stature. Some were bare-chested, while others wore dark, shell-like armor, each wielding heavy, dark weapons.


    The ferocious Saber-Toothed Wolves, driven by their masters, launched a life-forsaking attack on the NPC soldiers protecting the convoy. Although there were also quite a few NPC soldiers, amounting to forty to fifty people, they suffered heavy casualties under the attack of the Saber-Toothed Wolves and were on the verge of collapsing.


    Without a doubt, if the Pioneer Corps did not intervene, these NPCs would ultimately become food for the Saber-Toothed Wolves.


    Zhang Yaoyang quickly assessed the situation and immediately arranged a strategy.


    "White Tiger Team, flank from the left. Azure Dragon Group, flank from the right. Don''t let them get away!" In fact, without his shouting, the members of the White Tiger Team and the Azure Dragon Group had no intention of merging, and they each formed combat squads and started to encircle the Demon Clan.


    This immediately revealed the different approaches to combat between the two groups. The White Tiger Team seemed to have no formation to speak of, charging en masse like a pack of wolves. There was no distinction between tanks and damage dealers, as all melee classes could both take and deal damage. Ranged classes also mostly had pets to assist in combat.


    Although their formation was chaotic, there was an implicit coordination among the members. If anyone was in a disadvantageous situation or lost a lot of health, they would immediately turn and retreat without needing a leader''s directive, and naturally, someone would fill the gap they left, reminiscent of team play in DOTA.


    The fighting style of the Azure Dragon Group, however, was much more formal. Ten people formed a tight formation, using several strong tanks to resist the oncoming attacks head-on, while the backline dealt all-out damage. The healers were only focused on support, with everyone clear on their roles, advancing and retreating in a stable, secure manner.


    As usual, Xiao Buli was assigned to a support class. Although his combat ability was not weak, there was no helping it, as healers and support classes were in short supply, and he could only make do with what he had.


    Fortunately, his skills were upgraded. Although still not on par with Hua Yueying, they were quite powerful.


    Before long, the Saber-Toothed Wolves were almost completely wiped out. Seeing the situation turn dire, the Demon Clan beastmasters let out a howl and, leading the few remaining wolves, turned to flee.


    "Warriors, pursue them!" Zhang Yaoyang shouted. Zhao Yunlong and a warrior from the White Tiger Team immediately mounted up, charging forward, each performing a charge that sent the fleeing Demon Clan tumbling. The warriors, capable of mounted combat, completely outran the two-legged monsters in mobility.


    The Demon Clan Hound Masters were tightly entangled and utterly unable to escape the battlefield. Once the few sacrificial Saber-Toothed Wolves were killed, everyone immediately pressed forward.


    The crowd surged forward with a flurry of slashes and quickly annihilated the remaining members of the Demon Clan.


    System prompts immediately flashed on Xiao Buli''s screen.


    System prompt: Completed the random event ''Rescue Convoy''. Your Prestige in the Golden Dragon Legion has increased by 500 points. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (This must be something everyone gets, thought Xiao Buli to himself.)


    At this time, Li Chuang, looking at a corpse, disdainfully said, "Humph, is that all? Just an ordinary elite level."


    "Don''t underestimate these demons. The ones we fought are just white-named Demon Clan minions. If we come across elite members of the Demon Clan or boss-level leaders, it won''t be so easy," Zhang Yaoyang said as he approached the convoy.


    The relieved convoy captain came forward with immense gratitude.


    "We truly owe you for your assistance. Otherwise, we would have been done for. However, there are still dangers ahead. I wonder if you righteous warriors could escort us for a part of the journey?"


    System prompt: A random mission ''Escort Convoy'' has been triggered. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Zhang Yaoyang saw the mission prompt and was not surprised. Such missions were all too familiar to him; generally, encountering these random events would trigger follow-up tasks. He turned to look at the others.


    The Azure Dragon Group''s members hadn''t moved yet, waiting for his command, while members of the White Tiger Team seemed to have already accepted the mission, with several of them running straight into the NPC convoy, most likely having already accepted the mission.


    A cold smile crossed his lips as he opened the microphone and spoke aloud, "Everyone listen up, there''s a problem with this mission. Do not accept the mission."


    Upon hearing his words, the members of the White Tiger Team immediately began protesting noisily.


    "What, not accept the mission? But I''ve already accepted it."


    "What could be wrong with this mission? Stop talking nonsense."


    "Yeah, yeah, just accept the mission quickly."


    A slight smile played on Xiao Buli''s lips, thinking to himself that Zhang Yaoyang was taking the opportunity to establish his authority.


    Having been a guild leader before, he naturally knew the risks of a divided command. For a team leader or guild leader to lead effectively, establishing authority was the first step. Otherwise, no matter how skillful the command or how thorough the understanding of the game, if subordinates don''t listen, it''s all in vain.


    Therefore, before pioneering a new dungeon, Xiao Buli would often take the opportunity to kick out a few individuals who he felt were eyesores or did not follow commands, to establish his authority. It seemed Zhang Yaoyang was intending to do the same.

 Chapter 131 Establishing Authority_2

    Indeed, Zhang Yaoyang began to completely ignore the clamoring from the White Tiger group, but after a while, he suddenly snapped, "All of you shut your mouths! Do you want to be expelled?"His words instantly subdued everyone from the White Tiger group.


    After a moment of silence, an assassin from the White Tiger group sneered, "Expel us? Do you have that authority?"


    "Yeah, that''s right," "Exactly."


    Two members of the White Tiger group who had already accepted quests were chiming in agreement; however, Xiao Buli noticed that Li Jian and the few people by his side, like Zhang Hao and Gao Lianyu, remained completely silent.


    Zhang Yaoyang huffed, "Did none of you read the contract when you signed up? During the game, you are to follow orders without question. If you don''t comply, at a minimum, you''ll face fines or salary deductions, and at worst, account deletion and removal from the team. Did you think I was joking? You have no sense of discipline. Did I allow you to accept quests?


    Do you realize how great an opportunity you''ve wasted?"


    Someone argued back discontentedly, "What great opportunity? Not accepting quests is the real waste, how could we waste such a good chance to earn Prestige? Don''t try to use your position as leader to press us down."


    "Fools will always be fools, so let me explain it to you, so you stop feeling aggrieved. Let me ask you, how much Prestige can you earn from one quest? At most, eight hundred, but if we follow the convoy from a distance and help each time it gets attacked, each assistance counts as completing a random event.


    When we''re close to the military camp, we can then accept the escort quest and get the full Prestige reward. Now, because of a few of you, we can only get one Prestige reward. Do you see the difference?" S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Moreover, if the convoy is completely wiped out by the Demon Clan, and then we take it back, all the resources in the convoy will be ours. This way, we have to fear no repercussions from the Golden Dragon Legion since we took these items from monsters. Do you have any idea how much these resources are worth?"


    "If the supply convoy is hijacked, the Golden Dragon Legion will lack supplies and will certainly issue a quest to collect resources. Then, we can turn in these items as part of the quest to the Golden Dragon Legion. Do you know how much we could be rewarded?"


    "Always fixated on the immediate gains, if I were as foolish as you, do you really think the company would have appointed me as the leader?"


    This rebuke left the two argueurs speechless; everyone was thinking, (So there''s so much to consider within one quest.)


    They looked at the few people, now with a touch of contempt, thinking how truly useless you are, in such a hurry to accept quests. Look, you''ve wasted the opportunity.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but inwardly admire Zhang Yaoyang''s bluffing skills; although what Zhang said made sense, it all depended on everything unfolding as he described. What if there was no second attack? Missing out on that quest would actually be a loss.


    What if there was a second attack but some of the NPC soldiers fled? If the Golden Dragon Legion found out that Qilin Hall did nothing to help, that would surely mean a loss of Prestige. Many things are difficult to judge as right or wrong before seeing the results. However, at least now no one dared to question Zhang Yaoyang''s authority.


    Even if there were doubts, they were afraid to speak up and risk being berated. That was where Zhang Yaoyang''s brilliance lay.


    Those few could only nod insignificantly, not knowing what to say, making the atmosphere a little stiff. Li Jian couldn''t stand it anymore and said, "Head Zhang, these brothers of mine are all used to acting loose. Please be generous and don''t take them too seriously. I will make sure to get them to pay more attention in the future."


    Zhang Yaoyang didn''t want to push too hard, so he gave them a way out, "Alright then, this time, for the sake of Deputy Head Li, I''ll let it slide. Next time, if anyone dares to disobey orders and take on quests at will, I won''t be so agreeable. Keep in mind that this time we are facing an unprecedentedly difficult instance, with the potential for a total party kill at any moment.


    If everyone can follow orders and cooperate well, we stand a three in ten chance, otherwise, death is certain. If someone''s disobedience leads to the death of the whole team, expulsion won''t cut it. Did everyone understand that? Press 1 if you understood."


    Screens immediately filled with rows of the number 1.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded satisfactorily, "Good, now everyone go accept your quests."


    All members accepted the quests together, no one daring to speak out of turn again.


    After accepting the quests, the convoy hit the road once more. As Zhang Yaoyang had predicted, they encountered two more Demon Clan ambushes along the way. However, with the protection of twenty players from the Pioneer Corps and the NPC soldiers, they ultimately defeated the incoming enemies and even obtained a few pieces of ordinary equipment.


    Finally, around noon, the convoy reached the military camp outside of Thousand Pines Town without incident.


    "Thank heavens, we''ve finally arrived. The activity of the Demon Clan has really been getting out of hand lately. If it weren''t for the help of you Righteous Warriors, I dare not imagine what might have happened. Thank you for your assistance, I will definitely report your deeds to my superior, and he will reward you."


    System notification: You have completed the quest ''Escort the Convoy''; your Prestige with the Golden Dragon Legion has increased by 500 points. Your Prestige with the Golden Dragon Legion has reached ''Respected'' status. You may now claim your quest rewards from the Quartermaster.

 Chapter 131 Establishing Authority_3

    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he had finally reached a respectful status, which meant he could learn advanced Riding Skills. With a military horse that had a speed of 280, traversing the map would be much easier.As the convoy slowly entered the military camp, Zhang Yaoyang turned his horse around and said to everyone, "Good, let''s split up here. We''ll have a joint drill this afternoon. Before that, everyone can go their separate ways, set a place to log off, and maybe do some quests to get familiar with the surroundings.


    Just don''t take on any long-term quests, and don''t stray too far from the military camp and Thousand Pines Town. We don''t want to end up dead before even starting the dungeon raid. Dismissed."


    And so, the team temporarily disbanded.


    Since the military camp was nearby, the surrounding area was generally safe. However, the first thing Xiao Buli needed to do was find a safe place to log off.


    Logging off on a bed could grant a buff, so if possible, players would always try to find an inn or similar establishment to log off. Thousand Pines Town had a very small inn, and Xiao Buli easily found its entrance and walked straight in. When he approached the innkeeper to ask for a room, however, he encountered trouble.


    The Innkeeper said apologetically, "I''m sorry, but our inn is fully booked. A lot of people have fled here from various places, and there''s simply no room left¡ªeven the stables are fully occupied. There''s really nothing I can do."


    Xiao Buli felt somewhat frustrated. An inn being fully booked in a game? He had not anticipated this.


    But he wasn''t about to give up. "I can pay extra. Please, just give me a room."


    The Innkeeper replied, "It''s not a matter of money. Things on the town are tight right now, and we''ve even started rationing. Even with money, you can''t just buy things. However, you could try asking the locals. Maybe someone would be willing to take you in."


    Xiao Buli thought that was his only option.


    After leaving the inn, he started wandering around the streets. Thousand Pines Town was not very large, with only a hundred or so households. But it seemed quite crowded now, likely with villagers who had fled from all over. The streets were filled with people in a rush, begging for food, or preparing to leave town via horse-drawn carts, all signs of turbulent times. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hadn''t gone far when he saw a stout woman, anxiously pacing in front of a door with a basket in hand.


    A gamer''s intuition told him this NPC probably had a quest to offer, and maybe he could also inquire about renting a room.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli approached her and said, "Hello, Auntie. I am an adventurer here to vanquish the evil Demon Clan of the Dark Forest. Since the inn has no rooms left, I was wondering if I could stay at your place for a while? Of course, I am willing to pay."


    Xiao Buli politely asked, inadvertently channeling the tone of a hero from games where the brave fight demons.


    The stout woman exclaimed, "What, an adventurer? That''s wonderful! I actually need some help. My daughter is missing, and if you can help me find her, I''ll let you stay in a room for a while."


    Xiao Buli was delighted and quickly asked, "Your daughter? What''s her name, what does she look like, and where did she go missing?"


    Just as the stout woman was about to reply, her face lit up with joy. "Oh, she''s already back now; that''s such a relief!"


    Xiao Buli was startled, and turning around, he saw a female warrior clad in full plate armor carrying a large sword on her back, escorting a little girl named ''Niuniu'' who held a basket full of mushrooms.


    The female warrior had the distinctive colored nameplate of a player, and her name was¡ªCao Shuai (member of the Iron Blood Brotherhood). Despite her masculine name, Cao Shuai was quite beautiful, and her impressive full-body armor added a heroic touch. She appeared to be quite strong, probably no less than Zhao Yunlong.


    (Is she a player from another guild?) Xiao Buli wondered inwardly. (Iron Blood Brotherhood? I wonder how they stack up against Qilin Hall.)


    "Oh, thank you so much for finding Niuniu. She''s the only family I have. I wouldn''t know what to do if anything happened to her," the stout woman said gratefully, pulling the mushroom-picking girl into her embrace.


    "No need to thank me; it''s what we Righteous Ones should do," she then told the little girl, "There are monsters all around here. Niuniu, you must be careful and not run off again, okay?"


    The little girl replied earnestly, "Thank you, Sister. Niuniu will remember."


    Cao Shuai finished speaking, glanced at Xiao Buli with a hint of surprise, and said, "Qilin Hall? Didn''t expect so many of you to show up. Have you not given up on that dungeon yet?"


    Xiao Buli hesitated, unsure of whether to respond, but Cao Shuai didn''t wait for an answer and walked away.


    Xiao Buli sighed. He still hadn''t found a place to stay, and turning back, he noticed the stout woman was about to take the little girl home. He hurriedly said, "Auntie, wait! Could I possibly stay? I can pay."


    The stout woman seemed a bit troubled, "I don''t really need money. There is indeed an empty room in my house, but it''s reserved for my relatives. However, I don''t mind letting you stay for a while if you''re willing to do an hour of chores for me every day. But if my relatives come, you''ll have to leave."


    System prompt: You have triggered the quest ''Temporary Tenant.'' Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli thought he had no choice but to accept for now.


    "Then please follow me," said the stout woman, leading him into a residence.


    PS; My house had a power outage today, and I apologize for not being able to update on time. I had to update later at night, with five thousand words as a seal. I will aim for a burst of productivity tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 132 The Rock Golem Colossus

    Xiao Buli, of course, didn''t take this task just to find a place to log off, but mainly out of a gamer''s instinct. He felt that such a high-complexity quest might yield an unexpected reward.He had never really encountered such a thing in games before, but in the basic gaming novels he read, he often saw it: a task that seemed very ordinary and routine, yet after a tedious completion, it wound up offering a top-notch reward. This kind of plot twist is common in gaming novels.


    The real world is naturally different from the online games he had played before, but the online games he had played before are also different from the game he is playing now. So he felt it was necessary to give it a try.


    The fat auntie''s house indeed had a lot of work to do. Although each task did not require much, the variety was very miscellaneous. From cleaning the house to chopping wood, to cooking porridge and meals, each was a different mini-game, keeping Xiao Buli busily amused.


    Fortunately, Xiao Buli had played many mini-games before, so he wasn''t rusty. He easily handled every task, and even scored an excellent evaluation in several mini-games related to professional skills he had practiced before.


    An hour rushed by; he had piled up a heap of wood, and the house was also cleaned spotless. All the tasks assigned to him were completed successfully, and the fat auntie seemed pleasantly surprised when she walked in and saw the spotless room.


    "That''s great, young man, you''ve done a really good job. Here, these buns just came out of the steamer, eat them while they''re hot to fill your stomach," she said.


    System prompt: Completed the quest ''Temporary Tenant'' and obtained the reward ''Piping Hot Meat Buns ¡Á4''.


    Xiao Buli was speechless for a moment, after all that work to get such a reward? It seemed too shabby, might there be something special about the buns? Like giving an attributes BUFF after eating them.


    Thinking this, he opened his inventory to check out his rewards.


    Piping Hot Meat Buns: Consumption¡ªRecovers 30 stamina points within ten seconds.


    Item note: Fresh-out-the-steamer meat buns, emitting heat and aroma, they seem very appetizing.


    It seemed they were just very ordinary food after all, but after doing so much work his stamina was just about depleted, so he ate the buns one after another.


    While eating the buns, Xiao Buli intentionally asked, "Was that lady just now a relative of yours?"


    The fat auntie said, "Not at all, I''d be over the moon if my relatives were that capable. She''s an adventurer from Iron Blood Brotherhood, recently doing a quest nearby."


    Xiao Buli feigned surprise, "Iron Blood Brotherhood? Sounds like a formidable organization. Do you know anything about their affairs?"


    The fat auntie replied, "Of course, they''ve been lodging in town recently. They''re all very powerful adventurers."


    Xiao Buli then asked, "How powerful?"


    "Really powerful! There''s one of them who can summon lightning, and just like that, they can fry someone to a crisp. And there''s a big guy, so tall, with a waist as thick as a barrel, wielding a hammer that could bring down a house in one blow," said the fat auntie, vividly describing with exaggerated gestures.


    However, the content made Xiao Buli laugh and cry at the same time; such exaggerated descriptions couldn''t provide any useful information to the mayor. Still, he could glean some basic information from her descriptions.


    Members of the Iron Blood Brotherhood number around five to seven people. Among them, there''s a spellcaster who can unleash lightning, a warrior who fights with a hammer, and a hunter with godlike archery skills, plus that warrior woman called Cao Shuai. The rest were yet unspecified.


    As lunchtime approached, even though he had eaten the fat auntie''s buns in the game, they weren''t real food, so Xiao Buli logged off in his room and went to the cafeteria to eat.


    Midway through his meal, Li Baocheng suddenly came over with his plate and sat opposite him.


    "Hey, how''s it going? I heard you guys have a joint exercise this afternoon, any thoughts?" Li Baocheng asked, seemingly full of envy. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli glanced at Li Baocheng and shook his head, "What can I think? Just do my best."


    Li Baocheng sighed, "Ah, it''s a pity I can''t join your team, otherwise I could really show off."


    Xiao Buli inwardly chuckled and casually asked, "What have you been up to lately?"


    "What else? Teaming up with a few from the group to scour the map for rare elites, hoping for good luck to drop a blue piece of equipment. It''s so boring, not exciting like your expeditions into the Dark Forest..."


    Listening to Li Baocheng''s relentless remarks, Xiao Buli silently sighed, thinking that he really didn''t know how fortunate he was.


    Li Baocheng saw Xiao Buli''s indifferent look and also silently sighed to himself, thinking he really didn''t appreciate his good fortune.


    When he logged on again in the afternoon, everyone had gathered outside the town.


    Xiao Buli, who had an unsatisfactory lunch, blended into the group with a lack of enthusiasm. He had made up his mind to prioritize his survival above all else today. He had never been to the Dark Forest before, but from the information collected from all sources, it was not a friendly place, a far cry from the areas where he had previously adventured and fought monsters.


    It was a truly high-risk area, a fact apparent from his experiences earlier in the day. Had it not been for their numbers, it would have been hard to say if they could eliminate the enemy without casualties.

 Chapter 132 Rock Puppet Colossus_2

    Being overly competitive and showing off is definitely not advisable; as a rare Mage Profession and also a support healing profession, I should be given a good position.Zhang Yaoyang stood on a crate, flanked by four colorful pet Battle Wolves, looking down at the assembled team members, feeling a small surge of excitement in his heart.


    After clearing his throat, Zhang Yaoyang began to detail his plan into the microphone.


    "This afternoon, we''re going to conduct a preliminary exploration, practice coordinated combat according to my plan, increase our cooperation on one hand, and on the other hand, create enough safe space for the dungeon strategy. Finally, and most importantly, we''ll see what the Demon Clan''s combat power is like, to evaluate the difficulty of the future dungeon strategies.


    Alright, now I''ll arrange the groups. The Pioneer Corps will be divided into four groups: Tank, Scout, Firepower, and Support.


    Members of the Tank group include Wu Tao, Gao Lianyu, Li Jian...


    Members of the Scout group include Li Chuang, Ma Long, Yaoyao, Zhao Yunlong...


    Members of the Firepower group include Du Yibo, Bai Yunfei, myself...


    Members of the Support group include Hua Yueying, Zhang Hao, Xiao Buli...


    Soon, twenty people were evenly divided into four groups. The Tank group''s job is to attract firepower and establish defenses to block monsters. The Scout group''s job is to scout for enemy intelligence, detect monsters in time, and avoid being encircled. The Firepower group is responsible for following behind the Tank group and focusing fire to eliminate stronger enemies.


    As for the Support group, they are the most crucial; their main role is to heal, buff, and play a special role in special circumstances, serving as the core of the whole team, always protected.


    Xiao Buli was unsurprisingly assigned to the Support group. Although his Swordsmanship was also strong, it would be a waste to let such a valuable healing profession engage in close combat given the current overabundance of melee professions.


    After the groups were assigned, Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief. This should be safe for him; even if someone were to die, he reckoned he would be the last to go.


    Zhang Yaoyang then said, "Before we depart, everyone, come get the quest with me."


    The group followed him to the military camp outside the town, the forward base of the Golden Dragon Legion, where hundreds of NPC soldiers were stationed. The walls stood high, lined with archers, and the security was strict.


    However, this was mainly against the Demon Clan from the Dark Forest; humans, especially guilds like Qilin Hall that had already acquired a respected Prestige with the Golden Dragon Legion, were much more welcome.


    Upon reaching the front of the camp''s main tent, an NPC with a golden name was giving orders, clearly the commander of the camp. Flanking him were a row of elite guards, looking very impressive.


    General Huwei (An Shixiong): "Who are you, and what''s your business in my camp?" Find your next read at empire


    Zhang Yaoyang took the initiative to converse, "General, we are adventurers from Qilin Hall, invited by the Lord of the city to assist in the battle. Is there anything we can help you with?"


    General Huwei (An Shixiong): "Ha, so you''re the Righteous Warriors who discovered the Demon Clan''s conspiracy and saved the supply convoy this morning. Your timing couldn''t be better. I urgently need someone to help me carry out a mission in the forest.


    Three days ago, I sent a troop to establish a forward post deep in the Dark Forest, but I''ve heard nothing from them for three days, losing all contact. I need you to see what has become of them."


    System prompt: Triggered quest, ''Firepower Reconnaissance'', accept? Yes/No.


    Having learned from the morning''s example, this time nobody dared to accept the quest rashly. Zhang Yaoyang considered for a moment, thinking this quest seemed acceptable, and nodded, "Everyone get the quest," and then they all accepted the quest.


    After receiving the morning''s quest reward, which was only a few dozen silver coins each, they then set off as a team.


    Even though it was just the wilderness, not a dungeon, this game didn''t allow for the slightest negligence.


    The twenty people formed a combat formation, advancing through the gaps between the trees towards the depths of the forest in a loose formation, not exceeding five meters apart.


    Xiao Buli''s position was towards the middle at the back of the team, the safest area of the whole team. With him were Hua Yueying, Zhang Hao, and also a Qigong Master from the White Tiger group. Although this guy wasn''t from the Mage Professions, he could use Internal Energy for healing and had learned Life Skills in medicine, thus barely counted as part of the Support group.


    It was eerily quiet along the way, probably because the Golden Dragon Legion''s soldiers had swept through it back and forth. After walking for about fifteen minutes without encountering even a Minor Monster, it seemed a bit boring. Hua Yueying casually asked, "By the way, Li, aren''t you guys hiding something from me? Why do I feel like you''re all acting strange?"


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat, thinking he had been found out, but she probably just had suspicions. While thinking, he replied, "How could that be? If anyone''s hiding something, it should be you from me, since I''m the newest member in the group."


    Hua Yueying nodded, (That does seem logical, but why do I still feel something''s off?) S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing she was no longer speaking, Xiao Buli hurriedly changed the subject, "By the way, how exactly do you improve Taoist Heart through meditation? Why haven''t I seen any improvement despite meditating so many times? You''re not pulling my leg, are you?"

 Chapter 132 Rock Golem Colossus_3

    Hua Yueying shook her head, saying earnestly, "I absolutely didn''t lie to you, but to be honest, I don''t quite remember how I advanced my Taoist Heart to LV2. Anyway, it was just meditation, meditate and then suddenly my Taoist Heart was upgraded. Maybe if you meditate for a while longer, you might succeed."Seeing her sincere words, Xiao Buli had to temporarily believe her. (Might as well find time to meditate all night, he thought to himself.


    "I''m telling you, Old Xiao, I''d bet my bottom dollar that the Golden Dragon Legion''s vanguard has been wiped out. Do you believe it?" Wu Tao suddenly spoke up, sitting next to Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "That I do believe."


    Such missions were generally corpse retrieval. The so-called loss of contact was often a euphemism for annihilation. With some luck, one or two survivors might escape, and when players arrived to take on the mission, these survivors would suddenly appear to explain the situation. But if luck was not on their side, there would simply be some corpses left behind as answers for the players.


    Xiao Buli had seen this happen all too often.


    After about half an hour''s journey and still no sign of monsters, not a single member of the Demon Clan or demonized beasts was in sight. This eerie situation led to whispered discussions among the team.


    Xiao Buli frowned, feeling that something was amiss, "Wu Tao, have you been here before? Why aren''t there any monsters?"


    Wu Tao looked unconcerned as he replied, "Is it not good that there are no monsters? Saves us the trouble."


    Xiao Buli glanced at him, unsure whether he really didn''t care about the situation or was just playing dumb. Ever since their restroom meeting, he had felt that Wu Tao was more cunning than he let on.


    "Boss, there''s a situation!" While the two were talking, Li Chuang, who was scouting ahead, suddenly shouted over the microphone, followed by Ma Long''s shout, causing the team to instantly become chaotic.


    "Time to fight some monsters finally!" someone yelled, "My axe has been craving for this!" The person added dramatically.


    The remark elicited laughter, but Xiao Buli didn''t join in, his heart tensing up, fingers on the keyboard, ready to strike or flee at a moment''s notice.


    "Stop, everyone stop, assume defensive formation on the spot!" Zhang Yaoyang yelled, and the team immediately halted.


    Ma Long and Li Chuang came scrambling back from the forest ahead, shouting as they ran, "It''s terrifying, boss, you guys need to come see this."


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat, wondering what had happened, but Zhang Yaoyang had already given the order to move forward.


    As they approached the scene, Xiao Buli heard sharp intakes of breath over the headset. Crossing over the hill, some stumps appeared on the ground, remnants of trees presumably chopped down by the Golden Dragon Legion soldiers to set up camp. When they passed through the forest and arrived at the camp, Xiao Buli immediately understood why everyone had such an intense reaction.


    Dozens of wooden stakes were neatly lined up on both sides of the clearing, each impaling a corpse. These bodies, stripped of their clothes and hands bound behind their backs, were affixed to the stakes that penetrated from the anus and emerged through their mouths, their faces turned heavenward, eyes bulging in an agonizing expression of death without closure.


    Beside them lay piles of severed limbs and flesh, and the ground bore traces of the battle¡ªbroken weapons, armor, tattered flags, and the stains of dried blood. The scene was so gruesomely realistic that it surpassed anything typically seen in horror movies.


    Your journey continues on empire


    Clearly, these soldiers were from the Golden Dragon Legion. Despite anticipating this, the horrific sight still sent a chill down everyone''s spine, especially those who knew the true nature of the game.


    (If I die like this in the game, will I die the same way in reality?) Xiao Buli couldn''t help but think as he observed the corpses. This fear was extremely immersive, completely different from any horror movie or game he had previously experienced.


    He wasn''t the only one with such thoughts. Seemingly unconsciously, the players began to huddle closer together, as if seeking safety in numbers, especially the tank classes who should have been defending the perimeter, even they began to back away. Zhang Yaoyang yelled a few times to no avail.


    "There''s something in the forest!" Suddenly, someone shouted. Startled, everyone looked toward the forest ahead, nerves taut. Indeed, with the sound of clashing trees, a group appeared to be rapidly approaching.


    "All hands ready for battle, if you don''t want to die, get your spirits up!" Zhang Yaoyang barked forcefully, and everyone tensed up instantly.


    "Ranged firepower, get ready! Battle pets, get ready! Those who can summon, get moving." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli quickly summoned his Talisman Soldier, and he was apparently not the only one capable of Summoning Skills. Du Yibo''s robe fluttered without a breeze, rustling as if an invisible force was swirling around him.


    Suddenly, he thrust his Magic Wand into the ground with force, creating countless cracks in the earth. Rocks and clods of dirt seemed to lose their gravity and were lifted by an unseen force, coalescing in midair to form a massive Elemental Creature about four meters tall¡ªa Rock Golem Giant, summoned: far more powerful than Xiao Buli''s Talisman Soldier by more than one level.


    The appearance of the Rock Golem Giant had an immediate calming effect on the team, giving them a sense of backbone, as they took shelter behind the massive figure, watching the opposite forest intently. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 133 Flock of Beasts Galloping

    The swaying of the forest grew closer and closer, and everyone''s tension rose accordingly. Suddenly, with a loud crack, a burly figure smashed through several small trees and violently charged out from the woods. Almost instinctively, several arrows and a fireball from the firepower group flew straight towards it.However, Zhang Yaoyang was taken aback when he saw the true appearance of the figure¡ªit was a bald warrior clad in iron armor wielding a large hammer. "Cease fire, stop shooting!"


    He yelled out urgently, but it was too late. A volley of ranged attacks hit the bald warrior solidly, but due to his high defenses and health points, it only reduced his health by less than a tenth. The man did not immediately charge to attack but instead took up a defensive stance. Following his lead, several others rushed out from behind him, including six people.


    Among them was a spellcaster holding a magic wand crackling with dazzling thunder, wearing a pointy hat.


    A hunter with a bow and arrows on his back, accompanied by a drooling bulldog, and that warrior woman... Cao Shuai...


    The group looked somewhat ragged, but they didn''t seem intent on assigning blame. They glanced over but didn''t stop, hurriedly passing by the Pioneer Corps'' formation and running off.


    (Thank heavens, at least it didn''t lead to a diplomatic conflict. But why are they running?) Zhang Yaoyang wondered curiously. He wasn''t the only one puzzled; Xiao Buli was also scratching his head. (Could it be that they saw our numbers and feared being ambushed? But where did they come from just now?)


    As Xiao Buli pondered, he glanced in the direction from which they had come, and his pupils tightened instantly. Not only had the disturbance in the forest not subsided, but it had also become more intense. And it wasn''t just one area¡ªthe entire expanse of forest was shaking non-stop, with faint sounds of trees snapping as if some colossal ancient beast was charging towards them. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then the ground itself began to tremble.


    Holy shit, how many monsters are there? Zhang Yaoyang was horrified. What should we do? What should we do? Even with his extensive experience leading teams, he was now in a panic.


    Xiao Buli quickly assessed the situation and immediately decided that they should not linger. Whatever was coming, this clearing was not a suitable place for defense.


    "Everyone, leave the clearing and head south!" Xiao Buli shouted, but no one moved. It was then he remembered he wasn''t the leader. (Damn it, I really hate this feeling of being powerless. It''s too late now!)


    With a resounding crash, trees were snapped apart as a massive beast burst from the woods¡ªa gigantic black bear at least three meters tall and four to five meters long, charging forward like a demonic god.


    The Demon Mountain (Demonized Giant Bear), with its golden name indicating it was a high-level boss creature, roared intimidatingly as it faced the group. Its fierce presence was so overwhelming that everyone involuntarily stepped back, each person''s morale dropping by fifty percent due to a debuff.


    Morale was an attribute Xiao Buli had never encountered before. What exactly did it account for? He wondered but instantly understood as he glanced at his companions. They were trembling, some beginning to retreat and others looking around as though seeking an escape.


    "Don''t panic, tanks go in and draw its aggro!" Zhang Yaoyang gritted his teeth and ordered. No one moved; at this moment, whoever moved would die.


    "Tanks, go take on the beast!" He shouted again, but still, no one budged. The giant bear was charging straight for them, and Gao Lianyu was the first in line. Just moments ago, in a show of bravery, he hadn''t taken cover behind the rock golem, and now he regretted it. Facing the oncoming sweep of the Demon Mountain, Gao Lianyu instinctively raised his shield.


    Boom! He was sent flying by the impact, his condition unknown.


    With a sudden wave of his magic wand, Du Yibo summoned a giant stone figure that knew no fear, charging at the Demon Mountain and delivering a fierce straight punch that made the bear shake its head. But the bear did not stop its assault and rammed into the rock golem.


    The rock golem stumbled backwards, its body made of stone and dirt cracking and on the verge of collapse. Hold on! Everyone shouted in their minds, watching as the rock golem pressed down on the Demon Mountain''s shoulders, struggling in a fierce grapple, managing to withstand the charge.


    However, it was clear to everyone that it was only a matter of time before the golem would be destroyed. Suddenly, the Demon Mountain broke free, looked back with an unwilling roar, and ran off, bypassing the people.


    It hardly lost any health; why did it run off? Could it be that behind it there''s¡ª


    The group looked towards the woods, and in the next instant, numerous beasts charged out, all kinds of creatures apparently panicked and sprinting. Then they realized, the Iron Blood Brotherhood wasn''t just scared of the Demonized Giant Bear; it was the entire horde of beasts.


    "Run for it!"


    "I don''t know who shouted," the entire formation suddenly collapsed, no one cared about luring the beasts anymore. People scattered, running like hell. Those with climbing skills found a thicker old tree and swiftly scrambled up, those who knew Qinggong leapt onto rock piles, the faster ones dove into the forest, desperately trying to avoid the paths of the beast swarm.


    Everyone unleashed their life-saving skills, it was like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their divine skills.


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment among his several life-saving skills, then pressed without hesitation on the Earth Escape Skill, and his entire body immediately sank, buried beneath the ground.


    The perspective of the Earth Escape Skill was quite peculiar, the screen in front of him turned into a coffee-colored, liquid-like substance. Xiao Buli moved his mouse, discovering he could move underground, the movement was a bit like swimming in water, but the speed was extremely slow, probably only about half the speed of swimming.


    The vibrations from above ground continued to be transmitted down, causing his screen to tremble incessantly. The sounds of screams and shouts kept coming through his headphones; it was unclear if anyone else was in this situation.


    Xiao Buli didn''t dare show his head; he felt very much like he had narrowly escaped death. The Earth Escape Skill was indeed a miraculous ability; no matter how dangerous it was on the surface, staying underground meant he would not be injured.


    However, the crisis was not over; he thought about where these wild beasts had come from and why they were running so madly, while he looked around, trying to find an exit in this underground world.


    The subterranean world was not entirely made up of that coffee-colored liquid; there were white chunky objects and clusters of green things, which he guessed were stones and tree roots, respectively. The reason for such appearances was probably that he himself was not in a physical form at the moment.


    Unable to recognize directions underground, without the display of coordinates or a mini-map, he was pondering how to find a way out when suddenly his pupils shrank. About twenty or thirty meters away from him, a vague figure was slowly approaching his direction.


    At first, the figure was very blurred, the black figure in the coffee-colored underground was not conspicuous. Xiao Buli once thought he was seeing things, or it was a person-shaped stone, but as the figure gradually got closer, he realized it was not his illusion. Discover more stories at empire


    ("What is that? Could it be that there are living creatures in the soil of this game?") Xiao Buli thought with some alarm, ("Could it be that those wild animals on the surface are fleeing from this thing? It seems quite likely.")


    He suddenly remembered the legend of Tai Sui. There are many explanations about Tai Sui, one of which is that people who are buried alive at a place where Yin Energy converges would transform into a kind of malevolent ghost that lurks in the soil to harm people.


    Once someone disrupts the soil above them, it will bring misfortune, which is the origin of the saying about moving the earth on Tai Sui''s head.


    Could that thing be the legendary Tai Sui? What level of monster could that be? Could it be from the Undead class? He had no idea if he could fight it. While thinking, he glanced at his skill bar and found that most of his skills were unusable in such a state.


    ("Damn it, better run first," he thought.)


    He didn''t dare to linger; he hastily began to move slowly back in the direction he had come from. The figure seemed not to move fast, only a bit faster than him, but it was moving towards him determinedly without pause. Xiao Buli grew increasingly anxious; moving through the soil felt like swimming in syrup, utterly slow.


    He kept turning back to check, hoping that the black figure would change its mind and leave halfway, but every glance back was a disappointment¡ªthe figure was still following him.


    In his panic, he suddenly couldn''t move. Looking forward, he realized that he had unknowingly entered an area of impassable white rock. This truly was a dead end.


    Xiao Buli turned around in panic, and the figure seemed to be getting closer.


    Looking up, it was also white; he couldn''t even escape upwards. He might as well brace himself! A wave of despair crossed his mind. He checked his skill bar and found that he had one usable skill left, the newly learned Palm Thunder, probably because lightning could travel through soil.


    ("Maybe that isn''t Tai Sui but the Earth God, who not only won''t harm me but might even give me a task to do,") he comforted himself while preparing to make a last stand.


    Seeing him stop, the figure seemed to hesitate. It didn''t burrow in after him but stopped right there.


    Xiao Buli wondered what was happening. Could it be waiting for him to come out on his own, or did the figure not dare to come in? He looked around at the white stones, could it be that the thing was afraid of rock?


    If that''s the case, you should just leave, Xiao Buli thought. We have no quarrels; why keep chasing after me?


    After a tense standoff, finally, the figure started to move again, slowly approaching.


    ("FUCK, it''s still coming! Looks like I have to fight!") Xiao Buli thought, as he placed his finger on the skill key for Palm Thunder. "Come on, let''s see how powerful Mysterious Gate Taoist Magic is!" His eyes fixed on the figure, and finally, as it drew close, Xiao Buli''s gaze tightened, now or never¡ª(To be continued.


    If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly votes at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)


    ""

 Chapter 134 Zhang, youre too righteous

    As the figure grew closer, its features gradually became clearer, revealing the shape of a human dressed in robes. When the figure was only two or three meters away from Xiao Buli, his features were very clear indeed. Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt like the man looked familiar. Wait, that''s Du Yibo."Damn, why is it you?" Xiao Buli blurted out in surprise, feeling greatly relieved. He had been worried for nothing¡ªit was just a teammate of his own. Could there be anything more absurd?


    "What the heck are you following me for? I''m not into men," Xiao Buli couldn''t resist mocking. Du Yibo looked equally exasperated. "Damn, it was you? Why didn''t you say so earlier? I''ve been chasing you for ages."


    Xiao Buli asked curiously, "Why were you chasing me?"


    Du Yibo replied, "I thought you were an Earth Spirit, maybe taking on a mission or something, or perhaps a special monster that could drop loot when defeated. Turns out, I got my hopes up for nothing."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, what''s going on in this guy''s head? He came chasing after an unknown being without a trace of fear, thinking there was something to gain from it. But wait, could it be that he has the ability to fight underground? And from the sound of it, he has had quite the experience down there before.


    "Earth Spirits? So there are monsters and NPCs underground as well?"


    Du Yibo replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Of course, and if you''re lucky, you might even find treasure chests and gems buried underground. It''s just that the chances are quite slim."


    Xiao Buli realized that his Earth Escape Skills, which he only regarded as a life-saving technique, held so much more potential for exploration beneath the surface.


    "Where did you learn your Earth Escape Skill?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "It''s called Earth Escape Skill, and don''t forget, I''m a Five Elements Warlock. Is it so strange that I know Earth Escape? But you, how can you use Earth Escape?"


    "Mine is called ''Earth Escape Skills,'' a unique secret of my sect."


    Du Yibo inquired, "Which sect do you belong to, teaching such a spell?"


    Rather than answering, Xiao Buli countered, "If you tell me your sect, I''ll tell you mine."


    "Let''s forget about it then. I''m not particularly interested," Xiao Buli previously had no strong impression of Du Yibo. However, now that their abilities were similar and they were sharing the same predicament, they even felt a sense of common hatred and camaraderie. They chatted for a while and got to know a little about each other.


    Although they did not reveal their respective sects, they exchanged knowledge about their own specialties.


    A Five Elements Warlock can use spells from all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. However, under normal circumstances, one cannot master all five elements because of the principle that the Five Elements can restrict each other, leading to the weakening or inoperability of spells from one element.


    Hence, most Five Elements Warlocks choose to specialize in one element and support it with another.


    Du Yibo professed to specialize in the Fire Element and to support it with the Earth Element. The Fire Element boasts great offensive power, while the Earth Element is good for defense, forming a well-rounded combination.


    However, Xiao Buli immediately spotted a flaw in Du Yibo''s statement. According to what Du Yibo had said, the supporting element usually enhanced the power of the main element. Within the Five Elements Generating Cycle, it is ''Fire Generates Earth,'' not ''Earth Generates Fire.'' So, this guy''s primary element must be Earth, and the secondary one would be Fire, right?


    The reason he always boasted his fire-based spells must be to conceal his true power. However, due to today''s special circumstances, he inadvertently revealed abilities like summoning the Rock Golem Giant and Earth Escape Skills, thereby giving away a hint of his true strength. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having figured all this out, Xiao Buli chose not to expose the other man.


    Du Yibo casually asked, "There shouldn''t be any issues up there now, right?"


    "Let me check," Xiao Buli said, "Hey Wu Tao, how''s it over there, everything okay above?"


    Wu Tao said, "I''m fine. I mustered all my strength, and finally managed to break out, but it seems like someone from the White Tiger Group is dead."


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, "What happened?"


    "I saw one of the White Tiger Group''s warriors get knocked off his horse by a group of wild boars and was trampled over, crushed alive. He couldn''t have survived that," Wu Tao said matter-of-factly, with a tone that was a mixture of schadenfreude and gloom.


    Xiao Buli sighed, another unlucky guy.


    "And those beasts?"


    "How would I know, I don''t even know where I am right now," Wu Tao replied irritably.


    At that moment, Zhang Yaoyang''s voice suddenly came through Xiao Buli''s earpiece, "Hello hello, can you hear me speaking? Everyone who can hear me, report your position now, and if there are any casualties."


    Zhang Yaoyang''s voice rang out in the earpiece, and soon everyone reported their situations. Things were better than expected; although the Green Dragon Group had completely scattered, fortunately, no one had perished. It was a stroke of luck amid misfortune. Everyone also began reporting their coordinates, but Xiao Buli and Du Yibo didn''t say a word, as the underground provided no coordinate data.


    "Du Yibo and Xiao Buli, what''s going on with the two of you? Why aren''t you speaking?"


    "We''re on the run, just retreat first, don''t wait for us."


    Once everyone knew they were relatively safe, a wave of cheers erupted.


    "We''ve lost one on our side," Li Jian''s grim voice suddenly sounded in the team channel, and the cheering stopped abruptly. Although they were from different groups, they were all part of the same team. It was unexpected to lose someone on the first day of the team activity, especially without even experiencing a proper battle.


    Knowing that their own end might come in a similar way one day, everyone couldn''t help feeling dejected.


    Zhang Yaoyang sighed and said in the channel, "I''m very sorry."


    "Sorry''s no use, the person is dead," Li Jian''s voice was fraught with suppressed anger.


    "Hey hey hey, don''t talk like that. I only died in the game, not in real life," the deceased guy joked, then ingratiatingly said, "Leader Zhang, can you get me some severance pay? Say I sacrificed my life heroically while covering for the team''s retreat, can you?"


    "Yeah, yeah, Leader Zhang, give us a hand," two clueless voices chimed in, the channel then went eerily silent. After a long while, Zhang Yaoyang in a very sincere tone said, "I will do my best. If possible, I''ll see if I can get you the two hundred thousand pioneering reward in addition."


    "Oh yeah! You''re the best, Zhang, thanks so much," the fallen guy said, filled with excitement and exhilaration, not at all sounding like someone at death''s door.


    (Yet another person oblivious to the truth, but it''s better this way, at least he can leave happily.) That''s what Xiao Buli thought to himself. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian [qidian.com] to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 135 Fire Spirit Form - Transform!

    Xiao Buli checked his mana; nearly half was consumed. Considering that they might encounter enemies after they emerged, he said to Du Yibo, "I need to go up now. What about you?""Do you even have to ask? Of course, we''re going together."


    The two of them slowly made their way out of the stony area and moved upwards. As Xiao Buli broke through to the surface, his screen suddenly brightened, a line of light appeared at the top, growing larger and more luminous. The world around him became clearer and more whole until he finally emerged from the ground.


    Strictly speaking, it wasn''t bright outside; the Dark Forest was perpetually in a dim state, different from the Misty Forest as if a barrier was blocking out the sunlight.


    As soon as he surfaced, he looked around. The area was completely unfamiliar, with decaying trees and lifeless plants everywhere. Some gray and black ferns were spreading like a skin disease across the land, widespread and invasive.


    He glanced beneath him and saw that only half of his body was above ground; the other half was still buried. Where his body met the ground, there was an odd, black color that resembled some kind of clay. This confirmed his suspicion that he must have been in a special form while underground.


    After pressing the spacebar a few times, Xiao Buli fully emerged from the ground. A sound like squeezing toothpaste followed closely behind him, and as he turned around, he saw Du Yibo, who looked like a clay figurine. However, the soil color soon faded, and he returned to his normal appearance.


    "Where are we?" Du Yibo asked with some unease as he surveyed the surroundings.


    "Who knows, but according to the coordinates, it seems we''re quite a distance from the town," said Xiao Buli with some concern, "Anyway, heading south should be the right direction."


    This seemed to be the only option; they had been traveling underground for nearly half an hour with no sense of direction. Now they had no idea where they were except to head south.


    So, the two of them walked through the gaps between the trees towards the south.


    The forest was eerily quiet, as if the stampede of beasts from earlier was nothing but an illusion, or perhaps all the wild animals had fled with the commotion, leaving the forest empty.


    What could make even demonized beasts feel fear? Xiao Buli couldn''t help but wonder.


    As they walked, Xiao Buli suddenly felt something was off, as if something was secretly watching him. Sometimes he trusted his instincts, which he was quite familiar with. Back when he played World of Warcraft, if a rogue was tailing him, he would occasionally notice¡ªnot through the Reveal skill, but more like an intuition, perhaps due to a high spiritual power.


    And now, that sensation was vivid in his mind. Despite the surrounding silence, the feeling wouldn''t go away.


    "Something''s not right; something''s nearby!" Xiao Buli frowned, stopping to type the message.


    "I feel it too, but I''m not sure what it is. I can''t see anything," said Du Yibo.


    (That might be something invisible,) Xiao Buli thought, regretting not having brought Maoqiu with him. But there was no helping it; in such a large-scale operation, Maoqiu wouldn''t be of much help, and if it got killed, that would be an issue.


    He suddenly remembered the Betrayer''s Dark Vision. Although the eye mask didn''t have a Reveal feature, it did allow one to see members of the Demon Clan. If there were invisible members of the Demon Clan nearby, that should be effective.


    Thinking this, he put on the eye mask.


    The screen color immediately turned monochrome, and not far in front of him, a four-legged beast charged fiercely towards him. The dark energy of the Demon Clan inside it was clearly visible as it leapt forward, its sharp claws inches away.


    The creature, seemingly a leopard or some similar beast, prompted a name to immediately spring to Xiao Buli''s mind¡ªShadow Leopard.


    Disaster! There was no time to dodge, and even less to cast a spell. In the heat of the moment, he could only raise his sword to block¡ªblock failed.


    The Shadow Leopard knocked him to the ground, and Xiao Buli could almost instantly tell it was going to use a Rip and Bite technique. Defenseless on the ground, such an attack would maximize the damage, much like how Maoqiu usually attacked its targets.


    With a boom, a fireball sent the Shadow Leopard flying away.


    Xiao Buli quickly got to his feet, relieved that he had only lost a little over thirty health points. He hastily wrapped himself in Ethereal Armor and then summoned a Talisman Soldier. As the Talisman Soldier positioned itself between him and the Shadow Leopard, Xiao Buli could finally breathe a sigh of relief. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He turned around to give thanks but saw three Shadow Leopards encircling Du Yibo from behind, closing in from three directions.


    "Careful, there are more Shadow Leopards! Behind you!" Xiao Buli shouted to Du Yibo while activating his Tai Chi Sword Skills, preparing to deal with the one in front of him first.


    "Where? Where?" Du Yibo yelled anxiously, as he cast Earth Cell Skills on himself. This was a control-type skill, meant to imprison a target within an earth cell with hundreds of durability points. But in his hands, it became a life-saving skill. A circle of earth walls instantly surrounded him, followed quickly by the sound of tearing and scratching.


    The earthen walls visibly deteriorated, rapidly being chewed through, and in the blink of an eye, they crumbled.

 Chapter 135 Fire Spirit Form - Transform!_2

    Du Yibo suddenly cried out, "Something is attacking me, shit, I''m losing health points!""At nine o''clock, two meters away." Xiao Buli shouted in the midst of the chaos, while starting to chant a spell, he used Palm Thunder.


    As a Shadow Leopard was about to pounce right in front of him, before it could leap, Xiao Buli had already blasted a Palm Thunder, a blue lightning bolt shot out from his hands, hitting the leaping shadow squarely, almost as if it had been zapped by high voltage, the black cat let out a miserable scream and was directly blasted away.


    (Nice, this move feels good to use.) Xiao Buli thought, and Du Yibo also showed his mettle. Hearing Xiao Buli''s direction, he didn''t retreat but advanced, Flame Dragon Wave! The charred silhouette of a wild beast emerged within the flames.


    "Damn it, so you were here, let''s see if I won''t roast you!" Du Yibo roared while sending one fireball after another, although the Shadow Leopard had been exposed, it was still exceptionally agile, constantly dodging and weaving with infuriatingly teasing movements, not getting hit even once.


    "Back to back!" Xiao Buli commanded loudly. His Palm Thunder was still on cooldown, but two more Shadow Leopards emerged from the nearby woods. The Talisman Soldier tried its best to fend them off but, lacking any intelligence, it couldn''t hold them back.


    "Shit, we''ve fallen into a nest of cats." Du Yibo and Xiao Buli stood back to back, continuously hurling fireballs. Now that the Shadow Leopards were visible either because they were attacking or being attacked, they didn''t rush the attack but kept circling around, seemingly aiming to further deplete the two men''s mana.


    "Summon the big Stone Man quick!" Xiao Buli shouted. His Talisman Soldier was about to be clawed to death, while Du Yibo made a pained face, "That thing can only be summoned once a day."


    "Come on, are you kidding me, is there no other ultimate move?" Xiao Buli shouted. He had activated his Fire Blade Skills, Internal Energy Infusion, and Tai Chi Sword Skills and was finally able to hold his own, though his mana was running low, especially since Earth Escape had already consumed a lot.


    "Seems like there''s one more ultimate move," Du Yibo shouted, but it only lasts two minutes, and it''s another move that can only be used once a day.


    Xiao Buli hesitated, then said, "Don''t use it yet, these beasts seem to be under someone''s command."


    "How do you know?"


    "Didn''t you see the suffix in their names?"


    Du Yibo quickly looked, indeed, the suffix in the Shadow Leopards'' names was not (Demonized Beasts) but (Fei Jie''s Minions). He had been too panicked before, only realizing it when Xiao Buli mentioned it.


    "Who is Fei Jie?"


    "Stop talking, I''m searching!" Xiao Buli said, scanning the surrounding woods with his eyes. All of a sudden, a mass of darkness caught his attention. He had thought it was just a shadow, but now he noticed it was different from typical shadows, seemingly moving slowly.


    "There''s a Demon Clan member, probably Fei Jie, hiding behind that withered tree to the east. Alright, now use your ultimate move to blast him out!"


    Du Yibo hesitated, "What if I get it wrong?"


    "It won''t be wrong, and even if it is, I still have my ultimate move." Xiao Buli said without hesitation.


    "Alright, trust me this time, move away from my original spot, my move will cause collateral damage!" Xiao Buli quickly dodged to the side.


    With gritted teeth, Du Yibo didn''t know what technique he used, but suddenly his entire body burst into flames, booming as if doused with gasoline, his whole body covered in crimson fire.


    This was actually one of the advanced techniques of the Five Elements Warlock, Elemental Spirit Form: Fire Spirit, commonly referred to as Fire Spirit Form.


    Fire Spirit Form: By harnessing the Flame Power, Five Elements Warlocks can temporarily obtain the form of an Elemental Creature.


    The Fire Spirit Form is one of these, and in this state, the Five Elements Warlock can only use fire element spells and greatly enhances the power of fire element spells, becomes immune to fire spells, can absorb fire damage to convert to their own health points, physical damage received is halved, and ice element damage taken is doubled.


    Depending on the skill level, unique abilities of the Fire Spirit can be obtained (this skill cannot be upgraded via experience points).


    Du Yibo''s Fire Spirit Form was only at LV3, but it was already quite formidable. Not only was the power of fire spells increased by thirty percent, but he also gained two unique abilities of the Fire Spirit, Scorching Breath and Magma Touch. Magma Touch was passable, a close-range control ability that was ineffective against the extremely swift Shadow Leopards.


    But Scorching Breath was an AOE range attack that sent out a scorching stream of fire with every breath, causing fire damage to enemies within a fan-shaped area, and with no mana consumption, its skill CD was only a scant three seconds.


    The moment he completed his transformation, he began to randomly spray fire around, effectively turning into a human flamethrower, burning the Shadow Leopards who howled in pain as their health points plummeted. Moreover, because Scorching Breath caused sustained burning damage, the Shadow Leopards could no longer use their Stealth, and they scattered in all directions.


    Xiao Buli watched with his tongue clicking in astonishment; the Five Elements Warlock was truly powerful. Such an ability was indeed worthy of the noble Mage Professions. Those Brick-Moving Warriors and Loser Thieves couldn''t possibly have such awesome ultimate moves.


    While the Shadow Leopards were driven away, Du Yibo rushed towards the direction Xiao Buli had pointed out and forced the guy behind the tree out with a blast of Scorching Breath.


    Fei Jie (Shadow Hunter), an advanced elite with a deep blue name. But considering the strength of the Demon Clan was a notch above that of humans, this guy was probably equivalent to an NPC with a silver name, something like Chu Yunfei of Longquan Sword Pavilion.


    Fei Jie (Shadow Hunter) struck a pose with flair and said with a cold laugh, "To think I''d be seen through is truly surprising. I didn''t expect such a strong presence among the weak humans. But today, you will inevitably become the souls under my blade."


    "Well, two versus one, we still have a chance," said Xiao Buli. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Du Yibo gave a bitter smile and said, "I think you mean two versus seven."


    Xiao Buli looked back and saw the Shadow Leopards had returned, counting six in total. Although each of them had its health points somewhat reduced by the fire, they still had the strength to fight.


    "You take on the boss, try to maximize your damage output while the ultimate move is still active. I''ll handle the minor monsters, remember to call me before your ultimate ends!"


    After saying this, Xiao Buli activated Flying on Grass and charged towards the opposing Shadow Leopards, while Du Yibo also attacked the boss.


    This time, the leopards gave up playing hide-and-seek, seeming to think that this human was easier to deal with than the one who had hurled the giant fireball. A group of leopards, looking somewhat disheveled with their fur charred black, swarmed from six directions all at once and leaped into the air as they approached Xiao Buli, seemingly intent on tearing him apart.


    Xiao Buli didn''t intend to hold back either, Ultimate Skill¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds, a powerful move that swept all six Shadow Leopards into it, instantly killing those with lower health and severely injuring the other three.


    The life-draining effect of the Blood-Drinking Longsword was triggered countless times in that instant, filling Xiao Buli''s health points to the brim. Facing three injured kittens with full health, he resolved the fight in a matter of moments. Meanwhile, Du Yibo also shouted loudly, "Come help, my ultimate move''s duration is about to end!"

 Chapter 136 Life and Death Friendship

    The shout came through the headset, but it was so loud that everyone in the room heard it. However, nobody had time to pay attention to the situation of the two because they each faced their own difficult challenges. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Upon hearing the shout, Xiao Buli hurriedly looked over to Du Yibo. In just a brief moment, Du Yibo had already tangled with the Shadow Hunter to a point of mutual destruction.


    He had burned a significant amount of the Shadow Hunter''s health points since he was in his Elemental Body, which allowed him unlimited use of AOE ultimate abilities, perfectly countering the agility-focused melee profession of the Shadow Hunter. Despite being a high-level elite of the Demon Clan, the Shadow Hunter was left disheveled with its health points rapidly depleting.


    However, Du Yibo wasn''t faring much better himself. After all, his opponent was a high-level elite of the Demon Clan, a boss-level creature with exceptionally high attack power. Even with the Fire Spirit Form halving the damage, it was still substantial. After exchanging blows for a while, he saw his own health points nearing depletion, and the duration of his Fire Spirit Form was almost up.


    No wonder Du Yibo was anxious.


    As he shouted, he began to retreat towards Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli hadn''t forgotten he was a healer. He quickly cast a Resurrection Skill on Du Yibo and enveloped him in Ethereal Armor. In just two to three seconds, however, Du Yibo could no longer hold on, and the flames on his body went out as quickly as gas from an extinguished burner.


    The Shadow Hunter, charred and bedraggled by the flames, sneered upon seeing this and rushed forward with a blur, landing a fierce blow on Du Yibo. Fortunately, the Protective Shield was there to prevent any loss of health points, but the strike reduced half of the shield''s durability.


    If it had hit him directly, it probably would have instantly killed him, even with his recently recovered health points, startling Du Yibo into exclaiming how close it was.


    "You pull back and recover for a bit; I''ll handle it!" Xiao Buli stepped forward without shirking his duty. Even though he wasn''t a melee fighter by trade, he was at least wearing a full set of leather armor, making him much more resilient than Du Yibo, the glass-cannon mage.


    "I''ll leave it to you then," Du Yibo didn''t hesitate and blinked to a spot behind Xiao Buli, using his Ground Shrinking Skills.


    Facing the oncoming Shadow Hunter, Xiao Buli didn''t dare to be careless. He immediately activated his Tai Chi Sword Skills, his primary defense against the boss. At the same time, he sent a Mysterious Ice Talisman flying towards his opponent.


    The Shadow Hunter''s speed was quite remarkable; even without using Qinggong, it was still faster than Xiao Buli, who had activated Flying on Grass. Slowing down the hunter''s speed would be advantageous. However, despite the Shadow Hunter''s low health points, its ability to evade was exceptional.


    Dodging two consecutive Mysterious Ice Talismans from Xiao Buli, it closed the distance in the blink of an eye and unleashed a series of attacks on him.


    Facing the fierce and sharp offensive, Xiao Buli had no choice but to withstand the attacks using his Tai Chi Sword Skills. Initially, the Shadow Hunter didn''t take Xiao Buli seriously, seemingly determined to end the fight in a few moves. But it quickly realized that this seemingly ordinary guy wasn''t much easier to deal with than the previous fireball.


    Although he didn''t have the boldness to confront it head-on like the fiery adversary, his strikes kept being deflected. Out of more than a dozen blows, eight or nine were diverted, with only three or four actually hitting Xiao Buli. Each successful deflection by Xiao Buli allowed him to counterattack, and these unavoidable counterattacks, although not high in damage, accumulated over time.


    Moreover, the most annoying part was that Xiao Buli''s counterattacks occasionally triggered the life-stealing effect. Blood Drink, after all, being a silver weapon, could recover twenty to thirty health points with each activation. It was a small but significant boon for Xiao Buli, resulting in both combatants'' health points dropping at nearly the same pace.


    This couldn''t continue, and the Shadow Hunter seemed to realize something was amiss, suddenly leaping back to create distance.


    Xiao Buli sighed with relief. Although his health points were not dropping fast, his Stamina Points were nearly drained. Being only a half-baked melee fighter, with just over two hundred Stamina Points, endurance wasn''t his forte. If the battle dragged on for another minute or two, he might not have enough physical strength to execute his Tai Chi Sword Skills.


    He quickly swallowed a pill to restore physical strength while casting a Resurrection Skill and Ethereal Armor on himself. These smooth, fluid motions were as natural as the flow of clouds and water, thanks to his well-maintained micro-control skills. Just after he fitted himself with the Ethereal Armor, the Shadow Hunter''s second wave of attacks was already upon him.


    The figure of the Shadow Hunter suddenly blurred, and in a flash, it split into four. Four identical Shadow Hunters appeared side by side in front of Xiao Buli, indistinguishable from one another, with the same cold gaze and pair of health-point-imbued daggers.


    (It has doppelgangers? I can do that too!) As Xiao Buli thought this, he cast his own Mirror Image Skills. However, the effect was nowhere near as impressive, producing only one image without any offensive capabilities. But not wanting to be outdone, he couldn''t let the Shadow Hunter dominate the momentum.


    Continue your journey with empire


    The next moment, all four Shadow Hunters launched an attack on him. These true and false Shadow Hunters seemed capable of inflicting damage and using combat skills, far outstripping his simple mirror image, which was almost immediately destroyed, delaying the assault for less than five seconds¡ªafter all, the image was too fragile.

 Chapter 136 Life and Death Friendship_2

    Xiao Buli continued to use his Tai Chi Sword Skills to withstand the attacks, but he quickly realized that something was wrong. Although the description of the Tai Chi Sword Skills claimed there was no cooldown, there appeared to be an internal trigger chance setting, which could only be triggered about once per second.Previously, when facing a single Shadow Hunter, he could effortlessly deflect most of the attacks, but now, suddenly faced with four enemies attacking from different directions, the deflection effect of his Tai Chi Sword Skills was no longer sufficient.


    Out of ten swords, six or seven could not be deflected, causing his health points to plummet rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, only half of his health points remained. Luckily, the fake Shadow Hunters seemed to have low attack power, or else he would have been killed instantly by now.


    This was bad! Xiao Buli internally cried out in despair while desperately holding on, and shouted to Du Yibo, "Are you ready yet? Why haven''t you made a move? I can''t hold on much longer!" After Xiao Buli shouted, Du Yibo quickly responded, "I''m ready, but the problem is it''s impossible to distinguish the real from the fake Shadow Hunters among these four; I can''t just kill them one by one."


    This indeed was a problem. Even though illusions generally had a lower health pool without a BOSS template in the wild, eliminating them one by one would take an unknown amount of time, and undoubtedly, they would be the ones to die of attrition. The most important thing right now was to find the true body, which might be a significant issue for ordinary people, but not a big deal for Xiao Buli.


    "First, cast an earth wall around me; I''ll find the real one," Xiao Buli said. An Earth Cell skill was instantly cast upon him, surrounding him with a ring of earth walls, giving him temporary safety.


    The durability of this earth wall was much higher than that of the Ethereal Armor, but it was estimated to last only three to five seconds. Therefore, Xiao Buli did not dare to waste time and quickly used his Mind Revelation spell on one of the Shadow Assassins. The spell was unavoidable, and a health bar immediately appeared above the target''s head.


    Health points 983/1200.


    (This one is fake,) Xiao Buli thought to himself. Although the health points of elite monsters in the wild were generally low without a BOSS template, a little over a thousand was clearly unlikely.


    He immediately directed the Mind Revelation at a second Shadow Assassin, health points 875/1200, still incorrect!


    At the same time, the durability of the Earth Cell skill was used up, and the crumbling earth walls collapsed with a loud noise as several dark curved daggers came slashing towards him.


    With a clang, they were blocked by Xiao Buli''s Ethereal Armor.


    He didn''t even blink, and although death could come at any moment, he became even calmer. He released Mind Revelation on the third Shadow Assassin, and just as the Ethereal Armor disappeared, a health bar also appeared above the target''s head.


    Health points 1359/2400.


    This is the one! Xiao Buli managed an agile evasion breaking out of the circle, but the four adversaries followed like shadows, continuing to hack at him. Since there was no Tai Chi Sword Skills active, his health points plummeted rapidly, and he was nearly at his last breath in the blink of an eye.


    (Is this the end? Am I going to die?) Xiao Buli felt a sense of despair, and the next moment, the ground suddenly turned viscous, transforming from solid earth to swamp-like mud. The area wasn''t large but was enough to trap the true body within. It was Du Yibo, seeing that the situation was wrong, who had cast the Mire Skills ahead of time. Xiao Buli was overjoyed in his heart.


    With a Leaping from Dry Land, this time he finally gained some distance, quickly wrapping himself in the Ethereal Armor while frantically popping potions and regenerating health, still shaking from the close call.


    The effect of the Mire Skills was to reduce the movement speed of enemies within its range by seventy percent, which was quite effective. However, the area covered by the mire was really too small. Seeing that the real Shadow Hunter was about to break free, Xiao Buli urgently sent a Mysterious Ice Talisman flying over.


    The Shadow Hunter, slowed to a crawl by the Mire Skills, had no chance to dodge and was hit squarely, its speed reduced once again, now moving as slow as a tortoise.


    Although the other three illusionary duplicates managed to break free, Xiao Buli ignored them, casting a shield on himself and bracing against the attacks while he hurled another Mysterious Ice Talisman at the BOSS''s true body, resolutely keeping the enemy''s speed down.


    "Well done, keep it up, watch me finish it with one big move!" Du Yibo said while preparing his Giant Fireball spell. The special feature of this skill was that the longer the power was charged up, the greater the fireball''s power would be. He had previously not dared to use it due to the target''s fast speed, but now the opportunity had arrived.


    Xiao Buli threw two more Mysterious Ice Talismans, and the Shadow Hunter continued to take the hits without any defense. Seeing the third layer of ice effects stack, when the fifth Mysterious Ice Talisman hit the Shadow Hunter, a freezing effect was suddenly triggered, and his entire body was enveloped in a layer of solid ice, completely frozen inside.


    Xiao Buli''s eyes lit up, "Now''s the time!" he shouted, and as if by telepathy, Du Yibo also launched a basin-sized fireball radiating intense white heat at that very moment.


    With a booming explosion, the collision of ice and fire seemed to have triggered some special effect, directly shattering the Shadow Hunter, along with the thick ice that was entrapping him, into countless pieces. This was truly a bombardment to dust.


    "Holy shit, that was fierce. That must have been eight or nine hundred damage at least! I saw he still had almost half his health points just now!" Du Yibo exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock. Although the Giant Fireball spell was very powerful, a damage output of three to four hundred was already considered quite remarkable. How come it was so much more potent this time?


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit puzzled.


    "It''s probably over a thousand, mostly due to thermal expansion. Glass under extremely low temperatures will shatter when it comes into contact with hot water. This guy''s situation is probably the same," Xiao Buli guessed as he looked at the results of their collaboration.


    Du Yibo asked incredulously, "Can such effects even happen in a game?"


    "It wouldn''t in a regular game, but this one is hard to say," Xiao Buli replied, though he was already quite certain in his heart that it was most likely the reason.


    "Hehe, then we two are just too cool. Pleasure to cooperate; this is so damn satisfying!" said an excited Du Yibo.


    However, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but wryly smile, "I''d rather encounter such things a few times less."


    The two of them had nearly saved each other''s life once during this battle and had been saved by the other as well. Moreover, together, they managed to kill a powerful BOSS that previously required a whole team to defeat. They had indeed reached a level of life-or-death camaraderie. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If there were a real-life favorability rating, their favorability towards each other would have surely risen by at least 1000 points, if not more.


    "Quick, let''s see what dropped," Du Yibo urged, and with a nod from Xiao Buli, they began to tally up their spoils of war.


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    As an elite monster, the Shadow Leopard didn''t drop any loot per se, but its body was the loot itself. Xiao Buli asked Du Yibo who didn''t know dissection, and, getting no objections, nonchalantly dissected all six Shadow Leopards.


    He obtained a bunch of Shadow Fur, singed fur, chunks of Shadow Leopard meat, and a Shadow Crystal Core.


    Shadow Crystal Core: A Biological Crystal Core that stores Shadow Force, typically produced only within the bodies of beasts that possess Shadow Force. It is an extremely rare Energy Crystal Core, useful for equipment inlay, jewelry creation, Magical Treasure Refinement, etc., and is a very precious specialized material.


    Nice stuff! The price of this thing is incredibly steep. The Flame Crystal Core dropped by the Fire Spirit in the prison dungeon earlier sold for 5 Gold Coins, and each person got one Gold Coin out of it. But this time, he''d be keeping it all to himself. As for the meat and fur, they were useful too. The fur could be used for crafting, and the Shadow Leopard''s meat could be food for Meatball.


    Though a feline, who knew if Meatball might gain some Strength from it.


    Although the gains were not insignificant, they were still only the appetizer. The real feast lay with the Shadow Hunter, Fei Jie. Even though blown to pieces, the miracle of the game lay in that the vestiges of a body reduced to shreds were still clickable and lootable.


    After exchanging pleasantries, they decided to let Du Yibo, who had higher luck, do the looting.


    Immediately, Du Yibo let out a yelp, "Oh my, Old Xiao, we''ve hit the jackpot this time!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes, monthly votes, and your support will be my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 137 Astonishing Discovery

    That Du Yibo was so amazed was a clear sign that this time the Boss'' drop exceeded expectations. However, even with mental preparation, when Du Yibo listed out the drops, Xiao Buli was still taken aback.This time, a total of four items had dropped, and the first one was a skill book.


    "Wild Beast Knowledge: Demon Realm Chapter": This is a knowledge-based book recording information on wild beasts. Using this item, you will learn how to tame beasts of the Devil Realm, requiring the prerequisite skill ''Wild Beast Knowledge''.


    (What a great item! With this, I can capture a Shadow Leopard. To be honest, just from its appearance, the Shadow Leopard is quite handsome. Even if I don''t use it myself, giving it to Jingci to exchange for goodwill isn''t a bad idea at all.) Xiao Buli thought to himself, already setting his sights on it.


    The second item was a deep blue scimitar.


    Magic Steel Scimitar (One-handed Sword): Attack power 16-32.


    Its attack power was higher than his silver-quality weapon Blood Drink, but it didn''t come with any special effects, making it seem a bit lackluster. However, it should still be worth some money.


    The third item was a pair of deep blue boots.


    Shadow Sprint Boots: Armor +6, Movement Speed +3, Equipment effect: Your footsteps will no longer make a sound, reducing the chance of being detected while invisible.


    Equipment that increases movement speed is practical, and the effect that reduces the chance of being detected while invisible is very useful. Strictly speaking, this should be considered top-tier gear for professions like assassins or thieves. Although Xiao Buli''s career path was special, requiring speed and invisibility skills, it was something he could equip as well.


    However, as nice as the above three items were, to say they were exciting would be an exaggeration. What truly made both of them covetous was the fourth piece of equipment.


    The fourth piece of equipment was a light blue item, but its special design and attributes made both of them widen their eyes.


    Obsidian Panther Spirit Statue (Magical Treasure): Use to summon a Shadow Panther Spirit to fight for you, lasting 30 minutes, with a cooldown of 24 hours.


    Item Description: This is a lifelike statue of a black panther, seemingly imbued with some kind of magical spell, radiating a faint mysterious aura.


    Both had experienced the combat capabilities of the Shadow Leopard - not too strong but not weak either, and it had Stealth Skills. If used effectively, it could be quite a significant force. Most importantly, it didn''t count towards the Taming Skills level, nor did it take up a slot in the equipment or consume mana. It was entirely an extra combat power, which greatly enhanced its value.


    Moreover, its category was a Magical Treasure, a type of item that neither Xiao Buli nor Du Yibo had ever seen before. It could even be said that if the Green Dragon Group still needed to offer tributes this month, this item alone could be presented as a tribute.


    Du Yibo almost immediately took a fancy to it, "I just want this statue, and you can have the rest. How about that - three items for one, I''m giving you a great deal."


    Xiao Buli laughed and said, "Forget it, I can''t afford such a ''bargain.'' You keep those three items; I just want this statue."


    "You can''t say that. I just saved your life. Can''t you make this small concession?" Seeing that Xiao Buli was hard to fool, Du Yibo outright played the sympathy card.


    "Seems to me I saved you first. There are no brothers in the face of gear; don''t pull that on me, or we might as well just ROLL for it."


    "ROLL it is then, who''s afraid? I have 12 Luck," Du Yibo said arrogantly.


    Xiao Buli also declared, "I have 15 Luck, who''s afraid?"


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    "15 Luck? Who are you kidding!" Du Yibo definitively didn''t believe it.


    Xiao Buli immediately shared the attributes of the Tomb Raider''s Talisman and the Flawless White Jade Ring, two pieces of Luck-increasing gear. Once they were revealed, Du Yibo was stunned; the two pieces of equipment added 3.5 Luck Value. If Xiao Buli''s Luck was just slightly higher than the average person''s, then reaching a full 15 Luck wasn''t far-fetched.


    Even if his Luck was only the average 10 points, the additional 3.5 Luck meant he would still beat him, making it likely he wouldn''t win in a ROLL. He suddenly hesitated.


    However, Xiao Buli decided to stop while he was ahead. His base Luck Value was a mere 7 points, and he never rolled over 20 before. Now it had improved somewhat but was still just average. He then offered, "How about this, I have a Fire Source Ring here. You take that and the other three items, and the statue goes to me."


    But Du Yibo gritted his teeth, "No, I''m determined to have this statue. I''ll add something on my side instead."


    Having said that, he had produced an item.


    Xiao Buli was about to refuse, but he was suddenly at a loss for words when he saw what it was. Du Yibo was brandishing a Skill Book.


    Summon Ethereal Weapon (2-second casting): Summon a spiritual power-condensed Ethereal Weapon to aid you. The attack power of the Ethereal Weapon is determined by the caster''s spiritual power; the higher the spiritual power, the stronger the weapon''s might. The caster can set the type of weapon they wish to summon in the skill bar.


    At any one time, the caster can only summon and keep one Ethereal Weapon. Using this spell consumes 20 Mana points.


    Learning requires: Spiritual power 20, Taoist Heart LV2.


    This skill wasn''t very useful in the game, at least not for the short term, as an Ethereal Weapon could never be as effective as a real one, but it was particularly useful in reality. For someone who couldn''t carry a weapon around, having such a skill undoubtedly solved that problem.


    "I''ll exchange it!" Xiao Buli agreed without any hesitation.


    However, Du Yibo said, "Wait a minute, my Skill Book isn''t that cheap. For three pieces of equipment plus the Skill Book, you''ll have to give me that ring you mentioned earlier."


    Xiao Buli hesitated briefly before agreeing. The Ring of Fire Source now only enhanced two of his spells - the Burst Talisman and the Fire Blade Skills. However, these skills weren''t of much significance to him in reality; he had even removed the Burst Talisman from his quick access skill bar.


    One could say that the ring had become somewhat redundant for him, but it was a perfect match for Du Yibo, still a fine piece of gear indeed. Why wouldn''t he be happy with such an exchange?


    With the four items in his possession, Xiao Buli immediately learned "Wild Beast Knowledge: Demon Realm Chapter" and equipped the Shadow Sprint Boots. Right after, he learned the Summon Ethereal Weapon skill.


    Upon opening the skill bar, there were over a dozen types of weapons he could choose from for the Ethereal Weapon transformation. However, he could only select one to transform, and once chosen, it''d become Soul Binding, with no possibility of adjustment. Of course, Xiao Buli naturally chose the One-handed Sword as his Soul Binding weapon. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After making his selection, he used the skill. A flash of white light in his hand, and a translucent sword that seemed made of light and crystal appeared in his grasp, effulgent with Streaming Light, exceedingly beautiful.


    He opened the equipment bar, and there was now a One-handed Sword named Ethereal Blade listed.


    The Ethereal Blade''s duration lasted 30 minutes, and it could be dismissed at any time, which was quite convenient. Checking the attributes of the Ethereal Sword, the attack power was 13-26.


    With his current spiritual power plus his equipment, Xiao Buli had 26 points of spiritual power, which indicated that the minimum attack power of the weapon was half of his spiritual power, while the maximum was equivalent to his spiritual power. That was quite sufficient.


    After dismissing the Ethereal Sword, Xiao Buli felt somewhat relieved. Now he wouldn''t have to worry about being without a weapon in reality. He''d have to take the opportunity to familiarize himself with this spell.


    Du Yibo, having received the Obsidian Panther Leader Statue and the Ring of Fire Source, was also quite pleased, and the two had enjoyed a rather satisfactory division of the spoils.


    The two meditated for a while to recover their Mana, then continued southward.


    This time they were even more cautious. Since there were Demon Clan Hunters, there was no telling if other Demons were nearby. To be safe, Du Yibo simply summoned the Shadow Panther Spirit to scout ahead while they followed at a slower pace.


    After about ten minutes or so, the Shadow Panther Spirit suddenly sent out a warning signal. The two of them immediately became alert and cautiously advanced another dozen meters or so. As the trees gradually thinned, they saw a massive encampment hidden within the dense forest.


    The camp was located in a large clearing in the forest, seemingly scorched entirely by flames, covered with burnt ash everywhere. Huge logs formed a camp that blocked their view, preventing a clear sight of the inside. But from afar, they could see a three-story-tall giant shadow, engulfed in blazing flames, patrolling the camp.


    It was the Abyssal Flame Demon Lord! The moment Xiao Buli saw the figure, a name popped into his mind. On closer inspection, it was indeed that entity, its golden name glaringly conspicuous. (But shouldn''t that guy be in the dungeon? How did he get out?)


    While considering the situation, they drew a bit closer. Fortunately, there were no sentries or guards nearby. However, as they approached, the scene inside the camp gradually came into view, leaving them dumbfounded.


    Hundreds, even thousands, of Demons chaotically filled the camp, and a structure resembling a Teleportation Portal emitted an unceasing glow of black and crimson. Each flicker of the portal teleported dozens of Demons out. On average, every fifteen minutes or so, the portal would flicker. Could it be that the Demon Clan was transporting more troops?


    The numbers suggested that in a few days, they might have over a thousand troops. What battle could they still fight? The Demon Clan''s forces alone could easily annihilate a raid party attempting to clear the dungeon, not to mention fighting the dungeon''s bosses.


    "What do we do now?" Du Yibo asked, full of trepidation.


    "What else can we do but go back and report? I think if one force goes up, there''s no need to bother with our dungeon anymore," Xiao Buli answered, but then frowned. If the dungeon was cancelled, he wondered if they could still continue the rebellion.


    PS: Apologies for the fewer updates these past days. Big Sniper feels very sorry. From tomorrow, updates will resume to two a day, and I will try to burst with more content. Stay tuned.


    PS2: I recommend another book, "The Counter-Attack of the Proud Sky" by author: Pao Jiang. It''s quite interesting. Interested readers can go check it out. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 138 Zhang Yaoyangs Opportunity

    ```The Demon Clan presence within this camp was clearly not their entire military force, at most it was just a frontline camp, because according to the intelligence from the Vermilion Bird Group, the entrance to the Teleportation Portal of the Devil Realm was situated deep within the Dark Forest, inside a heavily guarded Demon Clan camp resembling a small fortress.


    Compared to that, this camp was quite rudimentary, but since there were already so many members of the Demon Clan here, one could only imagine what the scene must be like in the military encampment deep within the Dark Forest¡ªprobably enough to almost rival the force needed to take down Nine Dragons City.


    The two didn''t dare linger and planned to retreat immediately.


    To return, they naturally couldn''t just walk back; the entrance to the Demon Clan''s main camp was ahead, and there were undoubtedly sentries like the prior Shadow Hunters all around, making walking back tantamount to a suicide mission. Fortunately, both of their mana had fully recovered over the course of time, allowing them to use Earth Escape to make their way back.


    "Hold on, let me take a few photos first," said Xiao Buli as he took out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the screen, then the two prepared to retreat. Xiao Buli calculated the direction back to camp and then burrowed into the ground, the pair slowly moving towards Thousand Pines Town.


    Tunneling underground wasn''t a smooth process either; various obstructions often forced them to change direction, and to avoid getting lost, every ten minutes or so they had to surface to check their bearings. This was risky, and once when they emerged, they came up right behind a Demon Clan patrol soldier.


    Thankfully, Xiao Buli reacted quickly and immediately dove back underground before being detected.


    After approximately an hour of this start-and-stop progress, the two finally left the danger zone and arrived back on the surface, hurrying towards Thousand Pines Town.


    "Thank heavens, we''re finally safe," they sighed in relief upon seeing the military camp outside Thousand Pines Town.


    Half begging, half threatening, Du Yibo said, "Old Xiao, do me a favor, keep your mouth shut when we get back, alright? Don''t spread anything about me." By "his business," Du Yibo meant both his abilities and the matter of the statue¡ªshould someone on their side learn about it, what would happen if he were forced to hand it over?


    "Don''t worry, I don''t have the time for tattling," Xiao Buli assured him.


    As they talked, the two arrived at the entrance of the camp and discovered the others had already returned.


    "Finally, you two are here. Now that everyone''s back, let''s go turn in the mission," came the call.


    Although they had been chased for most of the day and had lost one of their number, the mission was ultimately completed as they found An Shixiong (General Huwei) and handed in the task.


    An Shixiong (General Huwei): "What, my advance team has been wiped out? These demons are accursed. This won''t do; we must conduct a thorough investigation. The enemy must have a camp nearby, otherwise they couldn''t have annihilated my men so effortlessly. Would you Righteous Warriors be willing to undertake this mission?"


    System prompt: You have triggered the mission ''Thorough Investigation''; do you accept? Yes/No.


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "Let''s all accept the mission."


    After accepting the mission, however, he didn''t rush everyone to start it. "Enjoy some free time for now, don''t rush into the mission; I need to take care of Zhao Yixin''s situation first."


    As he spoke, Zhang Yaoyang logged out of the game and left the gaming room.


    Xiao Buli silently followed him out.


    "Just a moment, leader, I have some information that I need to report to you about the Demon Clan. I think I''ve found the camp that took out the Golden Dragon Legion''s advance team," Xiao Buli said.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Zhang Yaoyang responded, "Why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    "I was afraid it would affect the smooth progress of the ''Pioneer Corps''."


    By ''Pioneer Corps,'' he was referring to the operational codename for the morning''s actions. With a newfound understanding, Zhang Yaoyang gestured Xiao Buli over, and the two stepped into the restroom where Xiao Buli immediately took out his phone and showed Zhang Yaoyang the photos he had taken. Zhang Yaoyang frowned upon seeing them.


    "We can''t let the higher-ups know about this," he said. "If they do, they might cancel our dungeon raid plans, and then we''d be unable to proceed with our mission."


    Xiao Buli understood as well; in fact, he too did not wish for the higher-ups to find out, but could they possibly keep it from them?


    "If I''m not mistaken, they might already know," he said.


    Seeing Zhang Yaoyang''s puzzled look, Xiao Buli recounted Manager Qin''s previous attempt to acquire his subordinate.


    "I''ve long suspected that the higher-ups have more than one way of surveilling us. There could be built-in surveillance devices in our computers, and our gameplay might be getting recorded. Otherwise, how would they know about my subordinate?"


    ```


    Zhang Yaoyang shook his head, "That''s highly unlikely. If that were the case, many things wouldn''t make sense, and our situation would have likely been exposed by now. But you''re right, we are indeed being watched. Although I can''t be certain whether it''s due to a spy or some other means, it''s probably very difficult to keep this under wraps."


    Xiao Buli sighed upon seeing him deep in thought, "Anyway, I''ve given you the thing. Whether you report it or not is not my problem anymore. If you choose to hide it, as long as the higher-ups don''t ask, I won''t say anything. But if they do ask, I can only point the finger at you."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, appreciating that Xiao Buli had done all he could, "I''ll consider it carefully."


    "Then I''ll take my leave first." Having said that, Xiao Buli departed, leaving Zhang Yaoyang immersed in his thoughts. After a while, he finally gritted his teeth, checked the photos that Xiao Buli had sent him on his phone, and deleted all the clear ones, keeping only three blurry images. Then, he turned and walked out of the restroom.


    He knocked on the door and entered Qin Shimoon''s office, getting straight to the point, "Manager Qin, I need to report something to you."


    After saying that, he relayed Xiao Buli''s discovery, but he deliberately downplayed the number of Demon Clan members and the size of their camp, and then handed over those three photos to Qin Shimoon.


    Qin Shimoon frowned. A Demon Clan camp? That sounded dangerous. But why were the photos so blurry? Even for an amateur, such poor photography was hard to excuse, and there was an unmistakable vagueness in Zhang Yaoyang''s words.


    She looked up at Zhang Yaoyang and caught a glimpse of expectation and tension in his eyes. Suddenly, she understood something and laughed.


    Feigning nonchalance, she said, "I understand. I''ll report this to the higher-ups. It doesn''t seem like a big deal, so it probably won''t affect the upcoming Pioneer Corps operation."


    Zhang Yaoyang was inwardly delighted but tried not to show it. He also mentioned Zhao Yixin''s issue, and this time, Qin Shimoon was not as critical and readily agreed to provide an additional two hundred thousand copies of the Pioneer Corps subsidy for Zhao Yixin.


    After Zhang Yaoyang left, Qin Shimoon hesitated over those three photos, deleted the two that seemed more threatening, and printed out the remaining one.


    Looking at the blurry image of the Demon Clan in the photo, Qin Shimoon''s face revealed a cold smile as she walked toward the elevator with the photo in hand.


    As a senior executive of the company, Qin Shimoon had free access to all areas, including the top floor. When she entered Dugu Han''s office, she frowned immediately. There sat Dugu Han on his leather office chair, cuddling with his voluptuous secretary, hands roaming inside the woman''s blouse; they were almost at the point of undressing each other.


    She cleared her throat with a "Hmm!" Dugu Han wasn''t very alarmed when he saw her, instead saying with a playful laugh, "Don''t worry, Manager Qin, you''re next." As he spoke, he boldly kneaded a few times, eliciting a series of soft moans from the woman in his arms, "You''re bad, I won''t come to you again."


    The secretary, still possessing some sense of decency, struggled out of Dugu Han''s lascivious grasp and straightened her disheveled clothes, blushing as she walked past Qin Shimoon.


    Dugu Han, his interest waning, adjusted his tie, showing annoyance at being interrupted, "What''s the matter?" he asked, impatiently.


    Qin Shimoon bristled inwardly, this guy was becoming more disrespectful by the day. However, considering her purpose for coming, she handed over the photo.


    The image was blurry, only faintly displaying a camp and a few figures of the Demon Clan.


    "What''s this?" asked Dugu Han, confused.


    "It was discovered by the Pioneer Corps during their daily quest today. They even lost a person for this. It seems to be a Demon Clan camp with a large number of Demon Clan members, including a boss with a golden name tag."


    "Abyssal Flame Demon Lord?"


    Seeing Qin Shimoon nod, Dugu Han immediately became excited, "That''s fantastic! It''s tough to deal with it inside the copy, but now that it''s out, there''s nothing to fear. Summon the entire White Tiger Group, and draw a few more from the Vermilion Bird Group or Black Tortoise Group to form a full forty-man team. We can overwhelm it with numbers!"


    But Qin Shimoon said with uncertainty, "However, there are other Demon Clan members in the camp besides the boss. I''m afraid it won''t be that easy."


    "Eh, they''re just Minor Monsters, how troublesome can they be? You don''t understand the game, so don''t overthink it. What''s the exact number?" he asked.


    Qin Shimoon still spoke uncertainly, "It seems there should be quite a few."


    How many is ''quite a few''? Perhaps no one could answer that with precision. A few dozen might qualify as quite a few, and so could several hundred. But what if it were several thousand? Coupled with phrases like ''it seems'' or ''possibly,'' Dugu Han suddenly got the wrong impression, thinking Qin Shimoon was just trying to make excuses for those people.


    "No need to discuss further. It can''t be that many. Just have them clear the Minor Monsters before engaging the boss, and that settles it." After he said this, he abruptly drained a glass of red wine, sending off Qin Shimoon with a dismissive gesture. With a dark expression on her face, Qin Shimoon walked out the door, but as she turned away, a hint of mockery crept into the corner of her mouth. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (Zhang Yaoyang, oh Zhang Yaoyang, I''ve given you this push, now it''s up to you to seize the opportunity.) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 139 Fanning the Flames

    When Zhang Yaoyang returned to the Green Dragon Group''s computer room, he was surprised to discover that people from the White Tiger Group were also there. To be precise, it wasn''t all the White Tiger Group members, but only those ten¡ªno, actually nine¡ªwho had also joined the Pioneer Corps.There was a buzz of discussion all around, and Zhang Yaoyang, somewhat puzzled, glanced around and saw Xiao Buli looking helpless and Du Yibo looking innocent.


    "What''s going on?" he asked.


    Xiao Buli gestured towards Du Yibo with his mouth, and the answer was immediately clear¡ªit was obvious that Du Yibo had let something slip and let everyone in on the situation.


    But it didn''t matter to Zhang Yaoyang; he wasn''t surprised and even felt somewhat relieved.


    "Eh, the leader is back!" someone shouted, and suddenly everyone gathered around.


    "I say, Leader Zhang, do you know about the Demon Clan''s camp? You''ve spoken to the higher-ups, right?"


    "Leader Zhang, you must make it clear¡ªwe can''t afford to be sent to our deaths again with so few of us."


    "Leader Zhang, it''s fine by me to play in the instances, but it''s too grievous to be sent to our deaths for nothing!"


    Amid the various clamoring voices from below, Zhang Yaoyang, with a spring breeze on his face, signaled for silence. Once everyone had stopped their questions, he said, "Don''t worry, everyone. I''ve already discussed the situation with the higher-ups, including the scale of the Demon Clan''s camp and the difficulties we''re facing.


    I reckon they will make a rational decision and won''t send us on instance pioneering anymore. If all goes well, we may be ordered to retreat in the next couple of days."


    Upon hearing his words, there was an immediate outburst of cheers.


    Li Jian, however, looked somewhat skeptical and asked meaningfully, "Are you sure?" He thought to himself that if things were indeed so, Zhang Yaoyang would have no reason to be so composed¡ªthere must be a problem. That''s why Li Jian felt compelled to ask.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded and said loudly, "It should be fine unless the higher-ups have gone mad and really want us to go on a suicide mission, but I don''t think they would be that cruel."


    "Yeah, yeah, they wouldn''t be that cruel," everyone echoed, and the atmosphere immediately lightened, with some even suggesting a good celebration at dinner.


    Zhang Yaoyang smirked inwardly at everyone''s reactions but maintained a cheerful fa?ade and said, "Everyone, keep calm. In the end, we need to wait for the order from above. Until then, let''s all continue to fulfill our duties and show good performance without any slip-ups."


    Everyone nodded in agreement, saying, "Zhang, don''t worry, the brothers get it."


    Though they said this, everyone still appeared jubilant. The heavy weight that had been on their minds for days seemed to be lifted¡ªa reason to be happy indeed. As for whether they would face similar situations in the future, that would be left for later. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That evening, everyone arrived early at the dining hall, stacked with all sorts of drinks, including plenty of champagne, and the celebration began. Although the higher-ups hadn''t given the word yet, it seemed as if the decision to cease the Pioneer Corps''s missions had been made.


    Players outside the Pioneer Corps started asking around, and those in the corps didn''t hide it and spoke openly, leading everyone to understand the situation and extend their congratulations. After all, the twenty members of the corps were practically the core of Qilin Hall, and it was certainly necessary to curry favor.


    But when Qin Shimoon walked into the dining hall, she was met with such a scene.


    Everyone was preparing to celebrate because they wouldn''t have to go down for any instances any longer, as it was clear the current situation was unwinnable. No matter how irrational the higher-ups might be, they presumably wouldn''t be so irrational as to send them to their deaths.


    However, when Qin Shimoon came in, everyone noticed that Manager Qin, who was typically gentle in demeanor, looked somewhat downcast.


    Seeing her, a sense of unease immediately rose in everyone''s hearts, while Zhang Yaoyang felt a surge of joy inside.


    "What is it, Qin? Any news from above?" someone asked with a tone that almost demanded an answer.


    "I''m sorry," Qin Shimoon seemed to manage a strained smile, "I think everybody has been waiting for my news. But I''m really sorry, the higher-ups have decided to continue with the pioneering plan unchanged. However, instead of pioneering instances, it has changed to pioneering field bosses. We will form a full forty-member team to carry out this pioneering battle."


    (What! How could this be?) Many people had this thought erupt in their minds, including those who weren''t originally part of the Pioneer Corps, who were also dumbfounded. This was no joking matter, and from what they had heard from the team, the Demon Clan''s camp was swarming with creatures like the sea.


    The most shocked of all had to be Du Yibo, who had fully witnessed the dense, massive army of the Demon Clan. In typical domestic games, just pulling out a few RMB warriors could solve the problem with a flick of the wrist, but in a game like this, a thousand demons were a force capable of wiping out villages and towns. How could a group of forty people possibly hope to deal with that?


    "Manager Qin, you''re not joking, are you?" He asked incredulously, still holding a glass of champagne for the celebration, half-filled and yet to be finished.


    Qin Shimoon shook her head, "I''m sorry, I''m not joking. Although I submitted the photos and reported the ins and outs of the situation, the chairman is very adamant about keeping the plan to pioneer the land unchanged."


    After finishing, she glanced at Zhang Yaoyang, "This pioneering mission will still be led by Leader Zhang. Although it''s a harsh ordeal, I hope you can seize this opportunity well. Don''t disappoint me."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded in feigned understanding, watching Qin Shimoon leave.


    As soon as Qin Shimoon left, the room erupted into chaos.


    "Damn, this is practically sending us to our deaths!" Zhao Yunlong was quick-tempered and immediately started cursing.


    "Exactly, how are we supposed to live through this?" Ma Long from the White Tiger squad added.


    "Screw this, if we''re going to die, we might as well just quit this job. I say we just get wiped out, take the severance pay, and scram.


    With those 300,000, we can do anything." The one speaking was an archer from the White Tiger squad, who, after speaking, realized the atmosphere in the room wasn''t quite right, as many people looked at him with a pitying gaze, "What, did I say something wrong?" he asked confusedly.


    Gao Lianyu smacked the archer''s head, "Damn, are you really that stupid? Can''t you see that there''s something wrong with this game?"


    "What''s wrong, what''s the problem?" The archer was genuinely perplexed, and so were many others. Zhang Yaoyang looked around and noticed that about two-thirds of the people in the dining room had similar expressions, and they didn''t seem to be pretending. It seemed the ignorance of the majority was ever so prevalent.


    Li Jian snorted coldly, "Leader Zhang, why don''t you say something? Even if you want to send us to our deaths, at least let us understand why."


    His words were a mix of provocation, goading, and a subtle hint at something else. Upon hearing this, everyone turned their doubtful gazes towards Zhang Yaoyang. However, Zhang Yaoyang didn''t intend to truly reveal what was going on, and said with a bitter smile, "Let''s stay calm. There might be a way out of this.


    Maybe if we''re lucky and actually take down that camp, it''s possible, although we might lose most of our forces. But some people might survive."


    "How many people have to die for that? I''m not going, and if anyone wants to go, they can go ahead. Just fire me if it comes to that!" Wu Tao said with a rogue-like expression, inciting a wave of agreement. The ignorant ones were puzzled, thinking it was just a game. Even if their character died, they would only be fired, and there was severance pay to be had.


    Why would everyone rather be fired than fight in the game? Could dying in the game lead to something bad happening?


    "Let''s not say things we''ll regret. Though this game does seem a bit odd, it shouldn''t be dangerous. Don''t let your imaginations run wild; the higher-ups wouldn''t set us up."


    As he said this, the clueless became even more suspicious, thinking (the game seems a bit off? That seems true, but ''not dangerous''¡ªwhat does that mean? Could there be danger? The higher-ups wouldn''t set us up? Why does that statement feel so unconvincing?).


    The saying goes, ''If leaders are reliable, pigs can climb trees,''¡ªhumans are naturally skeptical of so-called official statements, regardless of the country, and the people of the Celestial Dynasty are even more so. Zhang Yaoyang''s statement increased the suspicions of everyone present.


    Seeing this, Zhang Yaoyang smirked inwardly, thinking to himself that things were going as planned. Just a little more stirring of the pot, and the rebellion would be underway. With that thought, he fell silent again, allowing room for others to speculate and doubt.


    He glanced at Li Jian, who nodded slightly. Then he looked at Xiao Buli, who discreetly gave him a thumbs up.


    (This guy is truly an actor! Executing the perfect performance, finding the exact right moment without a single flaw to detect, everyone would think he''s one of the higher-ups trying to fool us, who would suspect he''s the mastermind?) Xiao Buli thought to himself. Although he didn''t know the details of the plan, he instinctively felt that Zhang Yaoyang had something to do with it.


    Looking at his fellow Azure Dragon Group comrades, those in the know had various expressions, some excited, some complicated, some resigned, and some ready to risk it all. He guessed that they would start to band together within a couple of days. Once the clueless learned the truth, the rebellion would likely begin.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli was both excited and anxious¡ªexcited that they would finally have an opportunity to overturn this place, but anxious about his lack of strength, not even having advanced yet. In the upcoming rebellion, he wasn''t sure if he could ensure his own safety.


    (No, I must find a way to level up my Taoist Heart quickly! Tonight, I might as well meditate all night. This last attempt to level up Taoist Heart¡ªif it still doesn''t work, I must try other methods.)


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 140 The Mysterious Persons Mysterious Conversation

    Xiao Buli had already considered how to upgrade his Taoist Heart for quite some time. From the moment he had comprehended the Heart of Life and Death, he understood that evidently, the advancement of the Taoist Heart level required undergoing different life experiences and gaining various life revelations.Since he could obtain the Heart of Life and Death between life and death, then other diverse life experiences should probably have similar effects.


    For this reason, he even specifically started a thread online. Naturally, he didn''t expose anything about this game but instead chose a rather obscure way to do so, claiming he wanted to write a cultivation novel and skillfully projecting his current situation into it, he collected opinions from netizens.


    As a result, he naturally gathered quite a bit of information, with some suggestions looking rather reliable.


    First was the death of a loved one, which might improve the level of the Taoist Heart.


    Second was personally killing someone, which could also possibly enhance the Taoist Heart.


    Or perhaps personally saving a life, or experiences like going through life''s natural course of birth, aging, sickness and death, love and hatred, such events might also elevate the level of the Taoist Heart.


    However, no matter which option, none seemed to be something he could attempt at the moment. He had no family or loved ones at present, and even friends were mostly just acquaintances. As for enemies, it seemed he didn''t have anyone that could be called an enemy yet.


    Killing was out of the question; the real world is not a game, and he was definitely not the kind of person who would casually take a life for the sake of gaining strength.


    Helplessly, Xiao Buli could only pin his hopes on tonight''s meditation attempt.


    He always felt that Hua Yueying had no reason to deceive him, so he decided to simply stay up all night tonight, engaging in meditation throughout. He refused to believe that wouldn''t result in a level up.


    After having dinner, when everyone had free time, Xiao Buli prepared a large stash of coffee and snacks, and then he logged into the game back in the computer room.


    As soon as he logged in, his character appeared outside the military camp. Although meditation could be carried out anytime, anywhere, it was generally best done in a safe, quiet area for optimal results.


    Therefore, he chose to return to Thousand Pines Town, arriving at the plump aunt''s house, who was currently having dinner with Niuniu.


    Plump Aunt: "Young man, you''re back. Join us for dinner."


    Xiao Buli politely declined, "Thank you but I won''t, I''ve already eaten."


    After saying that, he went back to his room. The room, it turned out, was one he had cleaned during the day. He hadn''t noticed at the time, but now he realized it was indeed very clean. Xiao Buli controlled his character to find a clean spot on the floor and then clicked meditation. Accompanied by the steady sound of breathing, his character sat down with legs crossed and began to meditate.


    Taking out a bag of freshly popped popcorn, Xiao Buli munched on it while observing his character.


    Meditation was a very boring affair, at least it had been in his few past experiences. Watching his character sit cross-legged on the screen, unable to leave or make any move, he couldn''t find anything more boring than this.


    (This is a safe area, how about hanging up here and going back to the dorm to watch a movie?) Such a thought popped into Xiao Buli''s mind, but he immediately rejected it.


    No, absolutely not! He admonished himself. His character signified his life, and even within a safe area it might not be absolutely secure. It was better not to take any chances.


    As he pondered, he continued to meditate, munch on snacks, and drink coffee to stay awake. When the boredom became overwhelming, he had someone fetch him a novel, which he started reading in front of the computer.


    One hour passed without any changes on the screen; his character remained stable. Two hours passed, still no changes. Xiao Buli yawned, glanced at his watch, and saw it was already past ten. Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and a portly lady walked in.


    Seeing Xiao Buli, she shook her head with a sigh, then turned and walked out without closing the door behind her.


    (Eh, what''s going on here?) Xiao Buli wondered to himself with curiosity.


    After a little while, the portly lady returned, this time with a blanket in her hand. She walked up to Xiao Buli''s character, gently draped the blanket over him, then tiptoed away in silence, carefully closing the door.


    Watching the retreating figure of the portly lady, Xiao Buli suddenly felt a warm sensation. For someone like him, who had been living alone from an early age, this kind of familial care was a first, despite having many friends who were even more obsessed with gaming than he was and never exhibited such behavior.


    Who would have thought that he would find such care within a game? Wasn''t that a bit ironic? He sighed inwardly and stared blankly at the screen, lost in thought.


    As the night wore on, the people in the computer room gradually left, until only he and Bai Yunfei remained. Bai Yunfei still looked very energetic.


    Stretching and checking the time, Bai Yunfei exclaimed, "Phew! Oh, it''s this late already? Looks like I need to go to sleep too." While speaking, he got up, glanced at Xiao Buli, and asked, "Aren''t you going to sleep?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "You go ahead, I still need to play a bit longer."


    "Alright, but don''t overdo it, young man, take care of your health." Bai Yunfei said with a note of aged wisdom and then left.


    Xiao Buli sighed. In the now empty computer room, this kind of situation seemed all too familiar. Looking at the time, it was already past two, indeed it was very late.


    He poured himself another cup of coffee, his seventh cup of the night. The coffee was exceptionally aromatic; while the company might not be the most humane in other respects, the food and drink it provided were certainly top-notch. This coffee, freshly ground, was nothing like the instant coffee he had been used to.


    However good the coffee might be, drowsiness was still creeping in irresistibly. As the screen showed no changes after several hours, Xiao Buli''s eyelids began to droop.


    (Damn it, just a little longer!)


    (I can''t go on, I''m too sleepy, just need to close my eyes for a brief moment.) He told himself as his eyelids closed then jerked open again, (Can''t fall asleep!) he admonished himself, but his eyelids grew heavier and eventually closed once more, this time not reopening.


    He didn''t know how long it had been when Xiao Buli suddenly woke with a start. Something was off¡ªthe room was unbearably hot, making it hard to breathe. Could the air conditioning be broken?


    He suddenly remembered that his character hadn''t logged out of the game and quickly looked at the screen. Fortunately, he hadn''t died, but something was off with the screen.


    On the screen, his character lay in pitch-black darkness, continuously falling downward, and he heard a voice.


    ????:"Why won''t you believe in me......"


    ????: "Why don''t you believe me..."


    ????: "Why don''t you believe me..."


    The message kept repeating, and as the screen scrolled, it seemed to have appeared dozens of times.


    Xiao Buli was baffled, what was going on? He moved the mouse, and an option appeared on the screen,


    1. I believe you!


    2. What can you give me?


    After some thought, he chose the first option.


    ????: "No! You don''t believe me! Otherwise, why didn''t you call for me when you were confused? You don''t trust me at all!"


    The option appeared again, the same one as before.


    Xiao Buli thought about it and selected the second one, "What can you give me?"


    "I can tell you where to go next!" ????: replied.


    The options appeared again:


    1. Then, please guide me. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    2. Where will I end up if I follow you?


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, the mouse wavering between the options, before he chose the second one.


    ????: "The end? You are talking about the end, correct? Do you hope to have an endpoint?"


    Yet another set of options appeared.


    1. Yes.


    2. No.


    What kind of question is this?


    Xiao Buli suddenly grew tired of this riddle-like interaction, downed the cold cup of coffee that was on the table in one gulp to perk himself up, and quickly analyzed the situation before him. His gaze scanned across the interface, then suddenly stopped at the upper right-hand corner¡ªthe Ancient God Mark.


    The icon originally displayed a closed eye from the DEBUFF, but now it had changed to an open eye, which he clicked with the mouse.


    Ancient God Mark: An Ancient God is speaking with you.


    Damn, it was this guy after all!


    Xiao Buli closed the option box directly and clicked the ???? name, typing: "Are you the Ancient God?"


    ????: "Ha, finally caught on, have you?"


    Xiao Buli: "Answer my question."


    ????: "Yes, and no."


    Xiao Buli: "What do you mean?"


    ????: "That, I cannot tell you, but you can ask me other questions. Not to be overly modest, but I am all-knowing, you see."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it might be some sort of query-based NPC in the game, or maybe a GM? With that thought, he got a bit excited¡ªif it really was a GM, then they would definitely know the true nature of the game and many of its secrets.


    Thinking it over, he typed: "How do I level up Taoist Heart?"


    ????: "How could I tell you something that would affect the fairness of the game?"


    Xiao Buli: "Damn, then why did you let me ask?"


    ????: "I let you ask, but I didn''t say I would definitely answer, try another question."


    Xiao Buli scoffed: "Then tell me, do you know who created this game?"


    ????: "Many people have asked me that question, but the ones who found out the answer all died. Do you still want to know the answer?"


    Yet again, a choice appeared on the screen.


    1. Yes, I want to know the answer.


    2. No, I don''t want to know the answer.


    As Xiao Buli stared at the question posed by the mysterious figure on the screen, he hesitated, not sure which option to choose. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 141 Curse Sword Unity

    He read over the two options several times and looked again at what that person had said before. Xiao Buli suddenly spotted a verbal error in his words, "Those who knew the answer all ended up dead." Xiao Buli thought to himself that every person has their day of death, so does that mean if you don''t know the answer, you won''t die? This sentence was clearly meant to confuse and deceive.With this in mind, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but smile slightly and chose option 1, "Yes, I want to know the answer."


    ????: "Ha, you actually want to know the answer, aren''t you afraid of me?"


    "I''m not afraid of you," Xiao Buli typed.


    ????: ".........."


    ????: "You should be afraid of me."


    As soon as that line was said, a burst of flames suddenly sprang up on Xiao Buli''s screen, so red and hot it seemed tangible. His character on the screen screamed, immediately engulfed by the raging inferno.


    "What the hell is going on!?" Xiao Buli exclaimed instinctively, but the flames were still not extinguished. Suddenly, they spouted forth from the screen, enveloping him completely. Yet, these flames were not hot; instead, they felt chillingly cold. He was so frightened that he leaned back, not knowing what he hit, and suddenly woke up from his sleep......


    Xiao Buli opened his eyes, terrified. There were no flames or burning sensations before him, only the quiet and coolness of the room as the air conditioner hummed, making him feel a chill. Xiao Buli suddenly realized he was leaning backwards, with only two legs of the chair on the ground, and before he could regain his balance, he fell to the floor with a thud.


    Scrambling up from the ground, when he turned to look at the screen, he saw his character still sitting cross-legged on a round stool in that room, maintaining a meditation posture. He flipped through the chat history, but there was no dialogue; it seemed that everything had just been a dream.


    Then he looked at the top right corner of the screen, and the Ancient God Mark had disappeared at some point.


    What''s going on here? Xiao Buli wondered in astonishment. For a few seconds, he even doubted whether he was still dreaming until a dull pain in his buttocks made him dare to confirm he was indeed in reality. Clearly, what had happened was just a dream.


    He picked up his chair, sat down again, and let out a long sigh of relief.


    Xiao Buli canceled the meditation, but then a system prompt suddenly popped up on the screen.


    System prompt: Player Xiao Buli has comprehended the Arcane Heart, and your Taoist Heart has been upgraded to LV3.


    Success! Xiao Buli was both surprised and delighted by the system prompt on the screen. What in the world was going on, was it because of that mysterious person? Or was it for some other reasons? Was that dream just a dream, or was it actually an exchange on a spiritual level with the deities in the game?


    He stared blankly for a good while, then his gaze fell back onto the newly comprehended Taoist Heart.


    Arcane Heart¡ªIt seemed to subtly hint at something, but no matter what, this was definitely something to rejoice about. With Taoist Heart at LV3, he could learn even more powerful spells. Although Taoist Heart could reach up to LV10, in reality, the highest level of magic that Xuanxu Zi would exchange was only LV5, which shows that level 3 spells were already quite formidable.


    Of course, the most important thing was that he could now finally advance. Although the advancement wasn''t the Cursed Swordsman profession he had hoped for most, there wasn''t time to be choosy under the pressing circumstances.


    As Xiao Buli pondered, he lifted his spirits and glanced at the clock on the wall which had just passed three o''clock. There was still some time before dawn. He hesitated whether to log off and go back to sleep or to strike while the iron was hot and head straight for the Mystic Hollow Palace for advancement. Then a message from Xuanxu Zi appeared on the screen using Thousand-mile Sound Transmission.


    Xuanxu Zi whispers to you, "Disciple, a moment ago, your master had an intuition and seemed to sense that your Taoist Heart has been enhanced. Well done."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this was just like dreaming of a pillow when feeling sleepy and hurriedly messaged back, "Thank you for the praise, Master. I''m just about to go back for profession advancement."


    Xuanxu Zi whispers to you, "There''s no need for that, I can help you advance remotely. Do you want to advance now?"


    System prompt: You have gained the opportunity to advance to the ''Cursed Swordsman'' profession. Do you wish to begin the advancement, Yes/No. (Each profession can be advanced only once, please choose carefully.)


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, this works too? But of course, it was even better. He clicked Yes.


    His entire body was suddenly enveloped in a golden light. With a loud shout, two streams of energy burst forth from within him, one blue and one white. The two pillars of light twined around each other, gradually merging into one before returning to his body.


    System prompt: After extensive study of Swordsmanship and Taoist magic, your mastery of both skills has reached an impressive height, and you have gradually learnt how to fuse these two distinct abilities into one cohesive force. Advancement to Cursed Swordsman is successful. You have gained the professional core skill¡ª''Curse Sword Unity.'' You can view this skill in your skill bar.


    Xiao Buli opened the skill bar and indeed found a new skill named ''Curse Sword Unity (Core Skill),'' but this skill was dark gold in color, obviously different from ordinary skills. He clicked on the skill icon, and a pop-up displayed something resembling an Alchemy Furnace.


    However, the core of this Alchemy Furnace was a Tai Chi Diagram, where the eyes of the Yin Yang Fish were two empty skill slots, and skills could be dragged into them.


    There was also a heap of descriptions next to the ''Alchemy Furnace.''


    ```


    Skill Furnace: Drag a spell skill into the left side of the Furnace Core and a regular skill into the right side of the Furnace Core, then click the smelting icon to fuse them.


    Depending on the compatibility of the skills being smelted, there is a certain chance that they will fuse into an exclusive skill unique to a Cursed Swordsman.


    PS: The skills used for fusion will no longer be usable whether the fusion is successful or not, and they cannot be relearned through any means.


    The introduction to the skill looked simple, yet it was ambiguous. It was the first time he had encountered such a mechanism, with no experience to refer to. Hesitating for a moment, Xiao Buli placed the Mysterious Ice Talisman in the left side of the Furnace Core and the Gale Sword Skills on the right.


    A line of text appeared above the Skill Furnace.


    Fusion Success Rate: 37%.


    That low? Xiao Buli thought to himself that he couldn''t proceed with the fusion at such a rate. According to the skills'' description, once fused, both skills would essentially be lost, and a 37% chance was too risky.


    After pondering for a while, he dragged the Sword Qi Slash to replace the Gale Sword Skills, and this time the fusion success rate shot up to 93%, making the possibility of failure almost nil.


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, then clicked to fuse. Find your next read on empire


    The Tai Chi Diagram in the Skill Furnace immediately began to spin, faster and faster, and the icons of the two skills gradually converged towards the center. After about ten seconds, the icons of the two skills fully overlapped, and as a golden light emerged, they fused into one.


    System Notification: Skill fusion successful. You have obtained the exclusive skill¡ªMysterious Ice Slash.


    Mysterious Ice Slash: Infuse the Power of Mysterious Ice into a weapon and manifest it as Sword Qi to attack enemies at a distance, dealing significant damage and having a chance to freeze the target to some degree, consumes 20 points of internal power value and 10 points of Mana.


    Note: The power of this skill is related to the level of internal energy, spiritual power, and weapon strength.


    Looking back at the Mysterious Ice Talisman and Sword Qi Slash skills, both had turned gray, and next to them were the words ''Not usable, cannot be forgotten, cannot be learned.''


    So that''s how it is, Xiao Buli suddenly realized. The so-called Curse Sword Unity is the fusion of a physical skill and a spell skill, and the new skill obtained will have attributes from both.


    This is indeed a peculiar setting, but it seems to have a significant operational space. Although it''s unclear how powerful the Mysterious Ice Slash truly is, it''s certain that it should be stronger than either the Sword Qi Slash or the Mysterious Ice Talisman alone.


    He looked at his Skill Bar, filled with a mix of useful and not-so-useful skills. Some he seldom used, while others were very essential. Now it seemed they all could come into play.


    He dragged one skill after another into the Skill Furnace but held off on immediate fusion to observe the changes in fusion success rates with different combinations. It didn''t take long for him to gain some insights. Clearly, the more similar the types of skills being fused, the higher the success rate of the fusion. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For example, the Mysterious Ice Talisman and Sword Qi Slash are both long-range single-target attack skills, naturally resulting in high success rates. Similarly, the Fire Blade Skills and Internal Energy Infusion, both used to enhance weapons for extra damage, had a fusion success rate as high as 97%.


    Xiao Buli did not immediately fuse these two skills. Instead, he took out a pen and paper, excitedly jotting down the combination before trying out others. Whenever he encountered a combination with a fusion success rate higher than 80%, he recorded it. In no time, the paper was filled with skill combinations.


    The several combinations were as follows.


    Fire Blade Skills + Internal Energy Infusion: Fusion success rate of 97%


    Mirror Image Skills + Emergency Dodge: Fusion success rate of 84%


    Flying on Grass + Invisibility Technique: Fusion success rate of 86%


    The rest were too low, the highest being just over 60, which was too big a risk. As for whether there were more suitable fusion combinations, he had not discovered any due to the short amount of time.


    He decided to fuse these three combinations first. As Xiao Buli was thinking, he dragged these six skills into the shortcut bar, preparing them for fusion. Most of these skills were his regularly used ones, so the thought of using them for fusion was naturally nerve-wracking. After all, once used for fusion, they could no longer be used regardless of success or failure.


    A successful fusion would be beneficial, but a failure would be really vexing.


    However, he now had no choice but to move forward. The ability of a Cursed Swordsman lies in skill fusion. If he didn''t fuse, then advancing to this profession would have been in vain. With a determined heart, he began a new round of skill fusion.


    The first combination he fused was Mirror Image Skills + Emergency Dodge. He dragged them into the Furnace Core and clicked on fuse. Watching the Tai Chi Diagram start to spin faster and faster, Xiao Buli''s heart tensed up as the icons of the two skills gradually overlapped. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Qidian.com.


    Your support is the greatest motivation.)


    ```

 Chapter 142 Monsters Besieging the City

    Golden light flickered, dazzling and blinding, and Xiao Buli''s heart leaped with joy at the sight, for this must be the sign that the fusion was about to succeed. As expected, the next moment the screen displayed a system prompt.System prompt: Skill fusion successful, you have obtained an exclusive skill¡ªShadow Clone.


    Shadow Clone: Rapidly move a short distance in one direction, and at the same time, a mirror image will move in the opposite direction to attract the enemy''s attention. Consumes 10 Stamina Points, 10 Mana Points.


    Note: The duration and number of mirror images are related to your skill level and spiritual power points.


    Very good, this skill is perfect for saving one''s life. The rapid movement combined with the mirror image drawing fire is far more efficient than using any single skill alone.


    The second combination is Flying on Grass + Lesser Invisibility Spell.


    Another flash of golden light, and the system prompts: Fusion successful, you have obtained a new skill, Fleeting Light and Shadow.


    Fleeting Light and Shadow: Renders you invisible and increases your Movement Speed by thirty percent during invisibility, until you cancel this state.


    Consumes 10 Internal Energy Points, 10 Mana Points, and will continue to consume Mana Points and Internal Energy Points in this state.


    Another skill where 1+1 is greater than 2. The biggest drawback of the Lesser Invisibility Spell is the reduced Movement Speed after becoming invisible, but now not only does it not reduce but increases by thirty percent. As an invisibility skill, it''s incredibly powerful, and the duration has also become much more flexible¡ªyou use it for as long as you want.


    The third combination to undergo fusion is Fire Blade Skills + Internal Energy Infusion.


    System prompt: Fusion successful, you have obtained a new skill, Sunfire Sword Qi.


    Sunfire Sword Qi: Infuses your weapon with a blazing energy, adding significant fire/Internal Energy damage until you cancel this state.


    Consumes 20 Internal Energy Points, 20 Mana Points, and will continue to consume Mana Points and Internal Energy Points in this state.


    Note: The value of the additional damage is determined by your spiritual power and Internal Energy level.


    The advantage is that the power is a combination of two, possibly even higher, the downside is that it can no longer be bestowed on others, only self-used, but still not bad. The only issue being the heavy consumption, Xiao Buli re-examined his newly acquired skills, each one looking very useful, and the more he looked the more he liked them.


    This Curse Sword Unity was even more practical than he had imagined, obtaining different exclusive skills through different combinations, it can be said to have infinite potential to explore.


    However, after a while, he noticed a problem: all these skills required the consumption of various types of energy, and in large amounts at that. It seemed his current internal power value might not be enough.


    If only he knew better than to learn the Flower Shifting Great Technique, but then again, if he hadn''t learned this Internal Cultivation Method, he might not have been able to change his class, so that was inevitable.


    As he was thinking, he clicked on the icon of the Flower Shifting Great Technique, only to discover to his surprise that this skill could also be dragged.


    This can also be used for fusion? He was startled, yet he dragged the icon of that skill into the Furnace Core.


    What kind of skill should be fused with an Internal Cultivation Method? He dragged over an Ice Talisman to test it, and the fusion success rate was only 15%, then he dragged an Earth Escape Skill, and the success rate was 13%.


    (Seems I need to think this through) Xiao Buli dragged skill after skill into the Furnace, but none reached above 50%,


    each one worse than the last, mechanically switching out the spellcasting skills in the left side of the Furnace Core. Suddenly, one skill showed a fusion success rate of an astonishing 99%.


    He hurriedly stopped and looked into the Furnace Core only to be surprised to find that it was a skill he had almost forgotten¡ªthe Tao Te Ching.


    Tao Te Ching: A knowledge-based skill, aside from increasing one''s cultivation, it seems to have no special use. It requires constant study and understanding to improve the skill level and cannot be upgraded using combat experience.


    This made him somewhat puzzled; the Tao Te Ching is a knowledge-based skill, how could it be used for fusion? And what kind of effect would be obtained after fusion? Moreover, the fusion success rate was as high as 99%.


    He hesitated for a moment, dragged the Flower Shifting Great Technique out, and switched it with several other skills to see if they also had such a high fusion rate, only to find that they were miserably low, generally not exceeding 30%, even the Tai Chi Sword Skills were the same, pitifully low at 1%.


    (What''s going on here? Tai Chi Sword Skills should theoretically have a high fusion rate with the Tao Te Ching since they were created based on Taoist philosophy. Could it be due to a repelling effect of like properties, or perhaps the Tai Chi Sword Skills already contain a part of what the Tao Te Ching offers?)


    This conjecture seemed to hold some water. As he mulled it over, he dragged the Flower Shifting Great Technique back into his Skill Bar. This skill was quite important to him, given that several of his newly obtained skills required internal power points, but the 99% success rate made him feel that this fusion might yield an unexpected harvest.


    The Tao Te Ching seemed useless on the surface, but as a prerequisite skill for his realization of the Taoist Heart, it absolutely could not be underestimated.


    While thinking, Xiao Buli clicked to initiate the fusion.


    The fusion took an unusually long time this round, and he didn''t know if it was psychological, but it felt as if a century had passed. The two skills gradually merged, and what emerged this time wasn''t golden light but rather a green glow filled with the vibrancy of life. As the icons of the two skills slowly melded, the light grew more and more intense until it finally burst forth like new life.


    System Notification: Skill fusion successful. Exclusive Skill Acquired - "Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture". You can check this skill in the skill bar.


    Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture? It sounded pretty powerful. Xiao Buli couldn''t wait to check out the skill, and its icon was also green.


    Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture: A Lower Grade Cultivation Technique birthed from the integration of Taoist philosophy into a wood-based internal cultivation method, characterized by incessant growth and continuity, transformative fusion, and affinity with nature.


    Passive Effects: Enhances health point recovery speed, energy point regeneration, healing effects of healing spells, duration of buff states, and reduces the duration of debuff states.


    Active Effects: Utilize this technique to refine various types of energy in the body into True Origin Points, which can be used as any form of energy.


    Lower Grade Cultivation Technique!!! Xiao Buli fell into a stupor. Despite the words "Lower Grade" prefixed, the phrase "Cultivation Technique" was profoundly imprinted in his mind, shocking him beyond imagination.


    As a semi-otaku who had been exposed to the online world for years, Xiao Buli had undoubtedly heard the term "cultivation" countless times. Have I now become a cultivator?


    He looked at the skill level, which surprisingly showed no information; this skill apparently didn''t have a level design, meaning it couldn''t be upgraded with combat experience, nor were there any hints on how to upgrade it. Improving this skill probably wouldn''t be much easier than mastering the Taoist Heart. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But nevertheless, it gave him something to look forward to.


    Xiao Buli clicked once, and his character immediately sat down with crossed legs. As currents of energy circulated within, the upper limits of his internal energy points, mana, and stamina points all started to decrease, while a new green energy bar appeared below the three energy bars. When he hovered the mouse over it, it displayed True Origin Points.


    As the three types of energy above decreased, the True Origin Points continued to rise. After a little over five minutes, the internal energy points, mana, and stamina points all dropped to zero and finally vanished altogether, while the True Origin Points soared to over 800. It seemed to have completely absorbed the effects of mana, stamina, and internal energy.


    Then he looked at his other skills. Their consumption had all changed to True Origin Points. For instance, Fleeting Light and Shadow used 20 True Origin Points. Enjoy more content from empire


    Like Mysterious Ice Slash, consuming 30 True Origin Points, or Sunfire Sword Qi, taking up 40 True Origin Points. Although it didn''t seem to increase, it significantly enhanced the efficiency of using skills. The greatest benefit was avoiding the awkward situation of having mana but no internal energy, and hence being unable to use skills.


    Having gained this, Xiao Buli''s spirits soared even higher. Shaking off his lethargy, he was about to continue the momentum and find more skill combinations to fuse when the door to his room was abruptly kicked open, and a Demon Clan soldier rushed in.


    Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned. What was going on? Almost reflexively, he cast a Mysterious Ice Slash. His character swiftly gathered strength and swung his sword, releasing a crescent-shaped arc of chilly white Sword Qi that struck the Demon Clan soldier who had no time to dodge, instantly freezing him in a block of solid ice.


    This powerful? Xiao Buli was pleasantly surprised to find that he could trigger the freezing effect instantly, far more practical than the Mysterious Ice Talisman.


    He raised his hand and cast a Burst Talisman. With a loud bang, the huge ice block burst apart into several chunks.


    Ha-ha, this is exhilarating! Left hand ice, right hand fire; the expansion of cold and heat - nothing can withstand a second against me! Xiao Buli was thrilled for a moment, but then a glimmer of doubt surfaced in his mind. How did the Demon Clan find their way into his room? Could it mean¡ª?


    A flash of unease crossed his eyes. Damn it, the old lady is still outside!


    He hurried out, and Xiao Buli''s mind buzzed. On the living room floor, the old lady had fallen in a pool of blood, reduced to an indistinct mass of flesh and blood. In theory, that was just an NPC, merely a string of data, but...but!


    A frenzy of rage kindled in his heart, and with the sound of the door banging open, another five or six Demon Clan members charged in. The screen reflected the blazing look in Xiao Buli''s eyes, intense as if flames were burning.


    He activated Sunfire Sword Qi, and scorching red light instantly engulfed his longsword, reminiscent of a Sith Warrior''s red lightsaber.


    Ultimate Skills - Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! Xiao Buli pivoted, and a fiery whirlwind enveloped all five Demon Clan members, instantly grinding them into a pile of charred lumps emitting a stench of burnt flesh.


    He charged out of the house like a madman, and outside, the entire Thousand Pines Town was plunged into chaos and carnage, with countless Demon Clan ravaging and plundering¡ª(Monster Siege!) The idea flashed through Xiao Buli''s mind. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 143 Slaying Our Way to Dawn

    The exhaustion from staying up all night, the excitement of career advancement, the raging fury over the death of the plump lady, the surprise of the monster siege, all these emotions converged in his mind at that moment, leaving him momentarily in a state of shock, until a Demon Clan member came swinging a serrated scimitar at him, and Xiao Buli instinctively snapped back to reality.A few sword strokes took care of the enemy before him, and it was unclear how much extra damage the Sunfire Sword Qi added to the weapon, but it was frighteningly high. Each slash could inflict nearly a hundred points of damage. Most of these Demon Clan members were just demonized humans and weren''t particularly formidable¡ªkilling them was really as easy as chopping vegetables.


    He cut down over a dozen monsters in one breath and then looked around bewilderedly. Everywhere was a mingling of darkness and flames, and Xiao Buli felt somewhat dazzled. He put on the Betrayer''s Dark Vision, and immediately the world became clear before him. Black, pulsating shadows were toppling over white ones.


    Those white shadows must be humans, and the black ones, of course, were from the Demon Clan.


    After a brief discernment, he headed toward the area where the dark aura was thickest.


    By this time, the town''s defensive wall had been utterly breached. Thousand Pines Town originally had some militiamen and a small number of soldiers from the Golden Dragon Legion to help defend, but their defensive capabilities were not very strong. The area was large, and now it had been completely overrun.


    Demon Clan members were killing and setting fires everywhere, people were crying and roaring, some were fighting to their last breath, others were fleeing in all directions.


    Xiao Buli was reveling in the slaughter when he suddenly ran into a group of NPC soldiers, "Run, run! The Demon Clan has invaded!" an officer shouted in terror.


    "Run for what? Killing so many monsters is great for gaining experience!" He didn''t care if those soldiers understood or not; he just kept heading toward the place teeming with monsters. Seeing him, some of the soldiers seemed to hesitate. A few courageous ones wanted to join him, but even more wanted to flee.


    A group of seven or eight members of the Demon Clan suddenly blocked Xiao Buli''s path. Unlike those demonized humans, these were bona fide members of the Demon Clan.


    Xiao Buli was unceremonious, slashing away with several Mysterious Ice Slashes. He froze a few, ripped a few apart, then swung his red sword, heated by the Sunfire Sword Qi, into the fray. The red sword, imbued with Sunfire Sword Qi, sliced through the Demon Clan members frozen into ice, as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter.


    In an instant, limbs flew, and blood spattered everywhere, prompting the surrounding Demon Clan to abandon their pursuit of the fleeing soldiers and converge on him en masse.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli found himself surrounded by a horde of Demon Clan members, with various weapons forged from Demon Iron chopping at him from all directions.


    Chaotic Shadow Split! His figure flickered, transforming into several shadows that darted about, leading those who were trying to beat him to wildly swing their weapons, but each strike met with air¡ªnone were real. His true body had already entered the state of Fleeting Light and Shadow, invisible, and had circled to the rear of the mob, taking them with a Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds......


    A moment later, Xiao Buli stood on the main street surrounded by the corpses of the Demon Clan. Both Hearts of Mysteries had been used up, but that was okay, he still had plenty of True Origin Points left.


    The soldiers looked on in amazement as Xiao Buli had killed a group of Demon Clan by himself. They immediately showed looks of admiration and, shouting, clustered around him.


    Looking at the eyes of these soldiers, Xiao Buli felt as if a fire was burning in his heart. "Follow me and break out!" Xiao Buli shouted. The NPC soldiers immediately responded en masse, raising their weapons and shouting with all their might, as they followed Xiao Buli to fight their way out of the town.


    Perhaps thinking that the humans had no decent defenses left, the members of the Demon Clan attacking the town were mostly in disorganized groups of three to five, running rampant everywhere. With Xiao Buli leading the charge, they quickly carved a bloody path forward and more and more scattered soldiers and townspeople joined their ranks.


    These people had a certain degree of combat capability, and Xiao Buli just focused on clearing the way forward. When he turned around at the town gate, he was surprised to find that he was followed by hundreds of people.


    At the town gate, he unexpectedly discovered several players besieging a Demon Clan BOSS, and it was the members of the Iron Blood Brotherhood.


    The Demon Clan BOSS looked like a military general, clad in Demon Iron armor and wielding a spear eight feet long. Although the weapon was quite long, the BOSS''s three-meter-tall stature meant he could wield it effortlessly. The members of the Iron Blood Brotherhood seemed strong but were only barely managing a stalemate with the BOSS and were slowly being overpowered.


    Leading the charge against the BOSS were a female warrior named Cao Shuai, and the burly strong man who had a misunderstanding with Xiao Buli earlier that day. A mage, running out from the circle to restore Mana, saw Xiao Buli and urgently shouted, "Quick, help us out!


    No one can escape unless we kill this BOSS." The one shouting was a fellow named Yang Mushi, dressed in a robe and holding a Magic Wand, clearly a member of the magic system class.


    Xiao Buli glanced towards the direction of the barracks, where fire soared into the sky; the entire barracks were surrounded by dense masses of the Demon Clan. The Abyssal Flame Demon Lord was wreaking havoc inside, half of his body visible above the palisade wall, which had become a sea of flames.


    It seemed that the barracks drew the majority of the monsters, which was why Thousand Pines Town was holding on until now. If those demons broke through, there would be no chance of survival here.


    He then eyed the BOSS before him. This BOSS''s defense was clearly monstrous; the Iron Blood Brotherhood had been fighting for who knows how long and only managed to reduce his health points by one third. There were still many members of the Demon Clan around, some War Pets summoned by the Iron Blood Brotherhood were stalling them. After a quick assessment, Xiao Buli decided to help out.


    Although he could escape on his own without an issue, if this BOSS wasn''t dealt with, many townspeople would undoubtedly be killed or injured.


    For some reason, those previously insignificant NPCs now seemed to bear a presence in his eyes that made it difficult for him to abandon them so easily. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli moved behind the BOSS without a word and unleashed a Mysterious Ice Slash!


    A crescent of Deep Cold Sword Qi shot towards the enemy. The Demon Clan BOSS, distracted by the two warriors in front, didn''t notice the attack from the rear, and the Sword Qi easily cut through his armor, injecting the Power of Mysterious Ice into his body, instantly freezing a portion of his back with ice.


    Burst Talisman! With a loud bang, the ice on the BOSS''s back burst open, stripping away hundreds of health points and eliciting a painful howl from the BOSS. Enjoy new adventures from empire


    With eyes filled with rage, the BOSS turned around, "Vermin¡ªdie!" Xiao Buli, however, activated Fleeting Light and Shadow, disappearing from the opponent''s sight. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 144 Falling into Darkness

    Li Jian still didn''t understand how things had developed to this point.As the spirit leader of the White Tiger team, he held an authority that was on par with Wang Yifan. Gaining such prestige was not without cost. As the team leader, Wang Yifan had a natural advantage in vying for a voice in the group, which forced Li Jian to put in even more effort and pay a greater price to earn the team''s following.


    While others were sound asleep in their dormitories, he was tirelessly practicing his professional skills and killing Minor Monsters for experience night and day.


    When others were still cautiously completing daily tasks, he was already hunting down rare elite monsters alone in the wilderness.


    By the time others had started to form teams to hunt rare elites in the wilderness, he had already assembled his core team to start tackling some of the lower-level dungeons.


    Compared to ordinary team members, his Basic Attributes were exceptionally high, with almost all of them around 30 points, and his Strength and Physique were an astonishing 35 points¡ªwithout even counting his equipment. His equipment was also the best in the group, with both of his axes being silver-rated weapons.


    For the stepchild that was the White Tiger team, this was no easy feat, all thanks to his relentless daily practice in boss battles.


    Today, he was doing tasks as usual until midnight. Despite being far from towns, there were still opportunities to practice his Professional Skills in the military camp. Just when it was time to sleep, he unexpectedly received a forging task in the camp. The task required him to forge thirty Steel Swords, with the reward being a blueprint for a deep blue weapon.


    For him, with a Forging level of 10, this was not a challenge at all, and he was about to obtain the precious blueprint.


    But due to an unexpected delay in the delivery of iron ore, he was still online at nearly three in the morning. Being a perfectionist, he insisted on not sleeping until the task was completed. And just at that moment, the Demon Clan suddenly appeared.


    Truth be told, Li Jian had anticipated that the Demon Clan might launch an attack. Since the news from Xiao Buli had spread within the group, he had been pondering the intentions of the Demon Clan. Gathering such a massive force undoubtedly indicated major action, and the camp would be first in line to be attacked¡ªit was almost inevitable.


    Find your next read on empire


    However, he hadn''t expected the attack to come so swiftly, coinciding exactly with his own involvement.


    "Why have things developed to this extent?" Looking at the dark mass of Demon Clan soldiers swarming in like ants, Li Jian lamented internally.


    The battle had been going on for quite some time. At first, he was able to fight easily with the cover of the NPCs, but as the NPC soldiers around him fell one by one, he began to have to face the onslaught of the Demon Clan directly. There was no room left to conserve his strength, and without realizing it, he had been fighting with all his might.


    "Damn it! How did it come to this?" Li Jian swung the two battle axes in his hands, desperately hacking at the groups of Demon Clan soldiers that surged forward. Berserk had been activated, the will to survive had been triggered, the damage taken was reduced to a minimum, but his Rage was actually increasing. The Rage fueled various fierce attacks, striking down the monsters in front of him.


    A commotion in the front caught his attention. It was General Huwei (An Shixiong) leading a group of soldiers who were desperately trying to break through. It seemed he had activated some kind of Aura Skill, and the soldiers around him were shining with golden light, making them much more resistant than regular soldiers.


    However, the number of Demon Clan soldiers assaulting him was even greater, and their combat strength was stronger; they were about to be overwhelmed.


    "Every man for himself!" General Huwei suddenly yelled and was then cut down by countless Demon Clan soldiers, his fate unknown. The soldiers who lost the aura''s protection instantly reverted to their ordinary state and were slaughtered in the blink of an eye.


    Li Jian quickly rushed in the opposite direction. The colossal Abyssal Flame Demon Lord was a hundred meters or so behind him, its towering flames illuminating the entire night sky. He didn''t have the courage to fight it, even though his character had gone Berserk; behind the screen, however, he remained as calm as ever.


    ("They actually want to tackle such a powerful BOSS? The higher-ups must have their heads kicked by a donkey.") But complaining was useless now. The only thing Li Jian wanted to do was to break through the encirclement.


    But there were simply too many members of the Demon Clan. These monsters seemed to spring out of nowhere, as if they could never be completely eradicated. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whirlwind Slash! Li Jian finally used this move, which was very powerful but equally costly in terms of Rage. Like a meat grinder, he pushed forward more than ten meters, depleting his previously full Rage.


    No choice, he had to use his Ultimate Skill. Just as a Swordsman has the Heart of Mysteries, a berserker has the Heart of Rage; although the names differ, their functions were similar¡ªto unleash Ultimate Skills.


    As a seasoned berserker, Li Jian had three Hearts of Rage and rarely used them, but now was undeniably the best time.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªRage of Chiyou! His body suddenly swelled, growing larger by a size, reminiscent of a Terminator. All his Attributes increased across the board, and Rage surged like free-flowing tap water, rapidly increasing.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªEndless Whirlwind! He spun once again, but unlike Whirlwind Slash, Endless Whirlwind was even more powerful, lasted longer, and sent flesh and armor flying. Li Jian was facing such a crisis for the first time, and it was also the first time he had used this combo of Ultimate Skills.


    Charging and grinding his way through the relentless waves of Demon Clan soldiers, they fell in heaps, and he left a trail of corpses in his wake.

 Chapter 144 Falling Into Darkness_2

    With a clang, the spinning axe blade was forcibly blocked. Opposite him stood a Demon General, shrouded in Demon Iron armor, blocking his path."Step aside and let me battle him!" the Demon General bellowed. Instantly, the Demon Clan soldiers cleared an open space, surrounding the area to watch.


    Li Jian knew that even if he killed this Demon General, he wouldn''t be able to escape, but he refused to die quietly.


    "Die!" Li Jian roared from in front of the screen, while his in-game character leaped up fiercely, bringing the axe down in a ferocious strike¡ªLeap Slash!


    However, the Demon General merely parried with force, neutralizing Li Jian''s onslaught.


    Li Jian stepped back¡ªEarth Cleaving Slash!


    The invisible edge of the axe blade ripped open a gash in the ground, yet the Demon Clan BOSS remained unyielding.


    Savage Charge! Li Jian had no way back; he hurtled into the BOSS, and taking advantage of the enemy''s stagger, he thrust both battle axes into the demon''s limb joints.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªSlaughter Feast! A series of slashes like a butcher carving meat left the Demon General almost powerless to retaliate. In one breath, his two arms and one leg were severed; although his health points were still nearly half remaining, he had lost any capacity to fight.


    Looking down at the Demon General, now dismembered and gasping on the ground, Li Jian could only wryly smile. This was the best he could perform beyond his usual level, but what did it matter? He still couldn''t break free.


    "He killed the Demon General! He killed the Demon General!" The Demon Clan soldiers seemed unable to accept the outcome, and they swarmed forward, slashing wildly.


    It''s over, am I going to die? As Li Jian watched his character get cut down by the Demon Clan soldiers, leaving just a sliver of health points, he felt a wave of despair.


    His fingernails were already digging into his flesh without him realizing it when, suddenly, the demons stopped. They dragged his on-the-verge-of-death character to an open space in the military camp. The battle here had ended, and he was surrounded by numerous Demon Clan members, forming a tribunal-like arrangement. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    To his surprise, there were three other NPCs also captured along with him: An Shixiong (General Huwei), who, despite being drenched in blood, was still alive.


    The other two caught were Chen Boxiong (Deputy General) and Liu Zhonglin (Central Army Colonel), both high-ranking NPCs. It seemed he was held in high regard, Li Jian thought sadly, facing the computer screen yet unable to do anything. He disliked watching game narratives, feeling they were a complete waste of time, but this time, he had no choice but to watch.


    The demons suddenly made way, and a figure resembling a Priest of the Demon Clan approached the three captives¡ªSoul Reaver (Demon Clan Priest).


    The Soul Reaver first questioned An Shixiong: "Powerful human, you have shown me a different side to this frail race. Tell me, mortal, do you fear death?"


    An Shixiong (General Huwei): "Pah, bastard, if you dare, then kill me. I will never yield."


    "Hahaha, as you wish!" With a wave of the Demon Clan Priest''s hand, several Beast Tamers by his side lashed their whips, unleashing a pack of Saber-Toothed Wolves that swarmed over An Shixiong, reducing him to a pile of bones in the blink of an eye.


    He then moved on to Chen Boxiong, saying, "Strong human, although you are slightly less impressive than your general, your performance was fair. I offer you a chance now. Tell me, mortal, do you fear death?"


    Chen Boxiong (Deputy General): "I do indeed fear death, but I am not afraid of you!"


    "Wrong answer!" The Demon Clan Priest waved his hand again, and another pack of Saber-Toothed Wolves rushed forward, in an instant reducing Chen Boxiong to a pile of bones as well.


    The Demon Clan Priest then approached Liu Zhonglin.


    Soul Reaver (Demon Clan Priest): "Human, you don''t seem particularly strong, but being able to survive until now is an ability in itself. Tell me, mortal, do you fear death?"


    Liu Zhonglin (Central Army Colonel) looked extremely calm, even in such a situation he showed no signs of panic, his face bore a hint of reluctance, an expression that made Li Jian feel a sense of empathy.


    Liu Zhonglin: "I do not fear death, but I am afraid of dying insignificantly and without meaning."


    The Soul Reaver seemed surprised to hear such an answer and leaned down to ask, "Then tell me, what price are you willing to pay to avoid death?"


    Liu Zhonglin looked up, his eyes ablaze with zeal: "Any price."


    "Just as I thought. Then I will give you an opportunity. Join the Demon Clan and become one of us. You will obtain power beyond your imagination, and of course, you will no longer have to worry about the threat of death. Do you accept?"


    Liu Zhonglin nodded without hesitation, "I accept."


    "A wise choice. Now, receive the power bestowed upon you by the Abyssal Lord." The Soul Reaver suddenly placed his hand on Liu Zhonglin''s head, a stream of black energy continuously infused into his body, and as the power flowed in, Liu Zhonglin''s body was gradually enveloped by a black glow.


    When the black light dissipated, he was clad in a layer of pitch-black armor, his eyes turned a mystical purple, and his name had changed to Traitor Liu Zhonglin (Demonized Human Race).


    (So this is the process of Demonization? It seems that it can only happen on a voluntary basis.) Li Jian watched the process and a glimmer of hope rose in his heart.


    While he was contemplating, the Demon Clan Priest had already approached him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A chosen one, truly an unexpected find." The Soul Reaver seemed a bit surprised and his expression suddenly turned fierce: "You have seen what happened before, now tell me your answer. Will you join our Demon Clan and gain immense strength, or die a pathetic human death?"


    A prompt suddenly appeared on the screen.


    System prompt: Race transformation system triggered, do you accept the transformation, Yes/No. (Once you undergo race transformation, your attributes and mind may be influenced in peculiar ways).


    Li Jian was startled and thrilled, not expecting such a stroke of luck, (Not only can I escape death, but I can also change my race. Considering the Demon Clan''s clearly superior combat capabilities compared to humans, transforming might enhance my strength, although it might also mean losing my own mind. Similar plots are not uncommon in movies I''ve seen).


    (Although there seem to be risks in becoming a member of the Demon Clan, it''s certainly better than dying, and perhaps it''s just an in-game change that doesn''t affect reality.) But at this point, did he have any other choice?


    Li Jian glanced at the two piles of bones beside him and chose to accept without hesitation.


    "A wise choice. Now, accept the power bestowed upon you by the Abyssal Lord." The Soul Reaver suddenly pressed his hand on the head of his character, as a dark power continuously poured into his body. As the power infused, Li Jian suddenly felt dizzy as it gradually invaded his brain.


    He tried hard to resist, a trace of panic flashing through his mind, (Aren''t the changes in the game supposed to take effect after a few hours?) But it was too late, his consciousness became blurry, warped, and when he awoke again, he felt that the colors of the entire world had changed.


    He looked into the computer screen, where his in-game character stared back at him with a pair of purple eyes that superimposed over his reflection on the screen.


    System prompt: Race transformation complete. Racial trait acquired¡ªAbyssal Will, Demon Clan form.


    The Soul Reaver appeared to have exhausted his energy in the transformation process, collapsing to the ground listlessly, yet seemingly satisfied with the outcome of the transformation.


    Soul Reaver: "Good, you are now one of us. Now, I will assign you a task¡ªa task of utmost importance..."


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 Chapter 145 Escape from Death

    With a bang, Xiao Buli was finally hit once.He had been dueling with that boss for a good while, his Mysterious Ice Slash had left the boss''s surface in ruins, and by using Fleeting Light and Shadow and Chaotic Shadow Split in alternation, he hadn''t been hit even once. However, having stayed up all night, his spiritual power had dulled just enough for a moment that he got caught by a Cross Slash that sent him flying.


    Fortunately, the protection of the Ethereal Armor meant that he was merely sent flying and did not lose any health points.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! Xiao Buli once again unleashed a pure white Sword Qi, moving positions while glancing at his True Yuan Points, and realized that after such a long time he had only used about half, and it was still continuously regenerating, around one point per second. This Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture was indeed incredibly useful.


    Xiao Buli''s heart immediately settled, and he kept his distance, releasing waves of Mysterious Ice Slash. This technique, which combined the effects of Ice attributes and Inner Strength, took away hundreds of health points with each hit and its freezing effect was frequently triggered.


    The Iron Blood Brotherhood guys were also busy fighting. Their combat strength was quite impressive as well, especially that muscular warrior, whose Strength was unknown, seeing he could withstand the boss''s head-on attacks without falling behind. It was thanks to his stalling that the others could focus on attacking without worry.


    Under everyone''s onslaught, the boss resolutely transformed.


    Muscles tore apart, armor burst open, and the three-meter-tall majestic and intimidating Demon General turned into a five-meter-tall, muscle-exposed, fierce monster.


    "Old Yang, it''s your turn!" The muscular warrior shouted, and the Iron Blood Brotherhood guys suddenly began to retreat in unison. Although Xiao Buli didn''t know what they were up to, he quickly followed suit and retreated.


    He looked at the Spellcaster named Yang Mushi, who seemed to have been channeling a large spell all this time. As the gemstone on his Magic Wand emitted a blue light, a cloud crackling with thunder and lightning gradually gathered in the air, right above the boss''s head.


    A thunderbolt struck out of nowhere, followed by a second, then a third. Bolts of lightning fell like rain, the dazzling light was blinding, and the thunderclaps buzzed in Xiao Buli''s ears. A dozen lightning bolts struck in one breath, all falling on the transforming Demon General, turning the monster completely charred black, killing it on the spot before it could struggle.


    What a powerful spell! Xiao Buli was startled. Although the boss had only a third of its health points left during its transformation, which should still have been in the thousands, it was killed in an instant. The power of this move was monstrously overwhelming.


    Boom, the charred monster collapsed with a crash, and the soldiers and townspeople who had been trapped in town suddenly burst into cheers.


    Just as Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief, a person nearby suddenly ran over shouting.


    "Run, the Demon Clan army is coming!" Xiao Buli looked up in shock. It was none other than Li Jian, followed by a train of monsters, running for his life. Upon seeing the Iron Blood Brotherhood crew, he immediately ran in their direction.


    "Eh, Xiao, you''re online too? Help out, quick!" The crowd rushed to fight, and fortunately, while there were many from the Demon Clan, they were only minor monsters and were quickly annihilated. Xiao Buli hadn''t even had time for pleasantries before Li Jian typed quickly, "We shouldn''t stay here long; let''s evacuate quickly!"


    At that moment, an old man with white hair stepped forward from the NPC crowd.


    "Esteemed Righteous Warriors, I am the mayor of Thousand Pines Town, and I have an unkind request. I hope you can help escort these refugees out of this dangerous place! If you can safely escape, I will surely repay you."


    Enjoy new tales from empire


    System prompt: Triggered storyline quest¡ªEscort the Refugees. Accept? Yes/No.


    Upon seeing this, Li Jian quickly typed, "Don''t accept it, there''s no way to do this quest now!"


    In normal circumstances, Xiao Buli would likely agree, but this time he couldn''t just stand by, so he almost immediately chose to accept the quest.


    "Damn it, what the hell are you doing?" Li Jian asked angrily.


    Xiao Buli ignored him and turned to shout at the NPCs, "The Demon Clan attacking the barracks will be here soon, let''s quickly pull back to Nine Dragons City."


    Upon hearing this, the NPCs nodded heads, carrying the young and leading the old, and started fleeing towards Nine Dragons City. Zhu Changfeng of the Iron Blood Brotherhood saw this and laughed, "That''s the spirit! We cannot look weak now, let''s take this quest. What do you guys think?"


    The female warrior named Cao Shuai answered, "I have no objections." The others, having no other choice, also accepted the quest.


    Li Jian, feeling both angry and anxious, said, "You guys can go to your deaths; I won''t follow!" and with that, he turned and ran, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Xiao Buli, however, wasn''t angry, as this was a personal decision after all.


    "Since we are going to do this quest together, why not temporarily join our team?" Zhu Changfeng suggested.


    System prompt: Player Zhu Changfeng invites you to join their team. Accept? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli hesitated briefly before choosing to accept. Although the company had strict rules about not fraternizing with other guilds'' members, at this point he couldn''t worry about that anymore.


    And so, they embarked on their way.


    The NPCs were of all kinds, including soldiers, townspeople of various professions, and women and children with no combat ability. Hence, their pace was slow. Xiao Buli watched anxiously but still insisted on staying at the back of the group, in case the Demon Clan''s pursuers caught up.


    The Iron Blood Brotherhood guys saw this but did not want to seem weak and joined him at the rear of the group, which somewhat surprised Xiao Buli. These guys were quite righteous after all.


    Apart from them, some NPC soldiers volunteered to stay behind, about twenty or thirty of them, but the combat strength of these NPC soldiers wasn''t much better than that of ordinary bandits, so one couldn''t rely too heavily on them. Xiao Buli had them stay on either side of the column, maintaining order among the refugees.


    They''d walked for less than five minutes when the Demon Clan''s soldiers caught up with them. Fortunately, it was only a small detachment. Everyone worked together and quickly dealt with these pursuers, but everyone knew that more would inevitably come sooner or later.


    Indeed, in less than ten minutes another wave of pursuers caught up. This time it was five Demon Clan Beast Tamers with a group of fifteen Saber-Toothed Wolves. Their combat strength was clearly much stronger than the first wave''s.


    The difficulty of the battle increased this time, especially since everyone''s powerful abilities had mostly been used up. It was somewhat difficult to deal with these monsters using only ordinary skills, but after a fight, they ultimately emerged victorious.


    However, the refugee column was still far from a safe area, which caused Xiao Buli to feel anxious. Nevertheless, he still wasn''t planning to give up unless it came to the last moment; he really didn''t want to give up the lives of these NPCs.


    But Zhu Changfeng said to him, "Based on my judgment, the next wave of pursuers should catch up to us in about fifteen minutes. I estimate it will be the last wave, and there might be a BOSS leading them. Xiao Brother, you know that if the Demon Clan catches up to us again, we might not be able to hold them off. I''m giving you a heads up that if we really can''t hold them back, we''ll have to retreat."


    Xiao Buli nodded. He naturally understood this; even he couldn''t justify risking his life for the NPCs.


    "I understand that," he said.


    After walking a short while, a man suddenly ran over from the front of the column¡ªit was Li Jian.


    Xiao Buli was surprised. "Li Brother, didn''t you leave?"


    "Hmph, running away and abandoning comrades isn''t my style. This time, I''m willing to risk my life in you gentlemen''s company. But let me be clear, if later on we can''t win the fight, I''ll still run."


    Although he said that, Xiao Buli was quite glad.


    Strangely enough, they walked for a full fifteen minutes, and the Demon Clan didn''t catch up. It seemed that the previous Beast Tamers were the last wave of monsters. The refugees reached the Golden Dragon Legion''s station without seeing any sign of the Demon Clan.


    Then the town mayor came over.


    "You should be safe here. Thank you all, Righteous Warriors, for your assistance. Here''s a little token of gratitude. I hope you won''t disdain it."


    System notice: Quest ''Escort Refugees'' completed. Your Prestige in Thousand Pines Town has increased by 500 points, your Prestige in the Golden Dragon Legion has increased by 500 points, you have earned 50 Merit Points and quest rewards of 70 silver coins.


    It turned out to be a merit quest, which surprised Xiao Buli a bit. But the fact that they had completed it so easily was almost unbelievable to him.


    "Why didn''t a third wave of monsters catch up?" Xiao Buli asked, puzzled.


    Zhu Changfeng didn''t seem to care much. "Heh, maybe I miscalculated."


    In his heart, Xiao Buli felt it wasn''t so simple. He had made the same prediction as Zhu Changfeng before but just hadn''t voiced it.


    Regardless, it was a good thing¡ªthe refugees were safe, at least.


    Zhu Changfeng added, "Oh, that''s right, Xiao Brother, I forgot to thank you. If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have had such an easy time dealing with that BOSS."


    Xiao Buli responded lightly, "It''s nothing; I was just protecting myself," His so-called self-protection actually involved keeping those NPC soldiers and townsfolk safe.


    The burly warrior laughed, "Don''t be so modest. With your abilities, if you wanted to leave, who could''ve stopped you? You''re being too humble." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clearly, he didn''t count the NPCs and thought Xiao Buli stayed specifically to help them.


    "Here are a few pieces of equipment that the BOSS dropped. You can pick one," he said, listing several pieces of equipment.


    Xiao Buli thought these guys were quite tactful. He looked over the equipment; the Attributes were pretty decent, but there was nothing he particularly needed.


    After thinking for a moment, he said, "Don''t worry about the equipment. Could you provide me some information instead?"


    "No problem, ask whatever you want." Xiao Buli glanced at Li Jian beside him.


    "This game, how did you get it?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 146 Time Bomb

    Hearing Xiao Buli''s question, Zhu Changfeng was momentarily stunned. He didn''t immediately answer Xiao Buli''s doubt; instead, he started talking about something else on his own."Heh, I didn''t expect you to ask such a question. But frankly speaking, it''s not surprising to me that you would ask. In fact, you''re not the first person to ask me this. Not long ago, someone asked me the same question. Coincidentally, he was also working for a Great Guild, just like you. That guy was called...


    what''s his name..."


    "His name was Wang Wei." Suddenly, Cao Shuai chimed in.


    "Oh right, now I remember; that person was indeed called Wang Wei, the ace cleaver of the Awesome Empire, Swordsman Wang Wei. Heh, that guy was really humorous. It''s such a pity."


    (Awesome Empire? What kind of person would give their guild such a name?), Xiao Buli thought to himself with some internal ridicule, clearly seeing that Zhu Changfeng was prompting him to ask more. So, Xiao Buli went ahead and asked, "Why is it a pity?"


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    "Because he died later in a boss raid, ordered by the guild to cover their retreat forcefully, and then he was done for. When I think about it, it''s really such a pity; the guy had quite decent gaming skills."


    Xiao Buli was taken aback by Zhu Changfeng''s words.


    "Why are you telling me this?"


    "Nothing much," Zhu Changfeng said. "I''m just curious, with your abilities, why bother slaving away for those people? What''s it for? It couldn''t be for that measly monthly salary of a few million, could it? Is money that important?"


    A few million? Xiao Buli thought to himself that if it were a few million, it wouldn''t be so bad, but he didn''t pay much attention to the figure. In the face of the truth, the difference between tens of thousands and millions seemed irrelevant.


    "Why not join our Iron Blood Brotherhood? Don''t look down on the Iron Blood Brotherhood despite our small numbers; our guild is made up of solo players. We are fair and just, united and cooperative, sharing weal and woe without exploiting one another, free from all kinds of messy stuff. How about it, interested? If you''re willing to join us, I wouldn''t mind telling you the origin of this game."


    Xiao Buli sighed. If he had a choice, this indeed sounded like a good idea, at least much better than his current circumstances. But it was clear that he didn''t have a choice, at least not at the moment.


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to decline," he replied.


    Zhu Changfeng didn''t insist further and simply said, "Then I''m afraid I won''t be able to tell you where this game really came from. But if you''re interested in joining us in the future, you''re always welcome."


    "Anything else you want to ask? As long as it doesn''t involve real-life issues, I can still tell you."


    Xiao Buli glanced at Yang Mushi, "The move he used just now was pretty powerful. What skill is that? Of course, if it''s not convenient, never mind."


    "Telling you isn''t a problem. That skill is called ''Summoning Storm of Thunderclouds,'' an exclusive ability of the Thunder Summoner, which can only attack targets within a fixed area and requires an extremely long time to cast. It''s specifically for boss fights.


    Since the Thunder Summoner is a Mage Profession that can easily advance, and their output is very powerful, any slightly larger guild would groom one. Don''t you have a Thunder Summoner in your guild?"


    Thunder Summoner, a thought flashed through Xiao Buli''s mind. He seemed to have heard about this Profession before. After thinking back briefly, he remembered that Wu Min''er had told him that she had clues about the Thunder Summoner''s advancement quest.


    Moreover, according to the equipment submitted, there was someone in the Qilin Group who was good at Thunder System spells; it seemed very likely to be a Thunder Summoner. It looked like he had gathered a bit more intelligence on the Qilin Group.


    Xiao Buli asked a few more questions about the Thunder Summoner, and Zhu Changfeng answered them all, seeing as the abilities of the Thunder Summoner Profession were already an open secret among all the Great Guilds and nothing worth hiding.


    After inquiring about the Thunder Summoner, Xiao Buli asked Cao Shuai about another member of the Qilin Group, a warrior wielding a Two-Handed Sword. It seemed that he might find some clues from Cao Shuai.


    There was even less to hide about this. Compared to Mage Professions like the Thunder Summoner, the Two-Handed Sword Swordsman was essentially a low-tier Profession, far from any secret.


    Having obtained the information he wanted, Xiao Buli then asked, "Where do you plan to go next?"


    "Of course, the further away we get from this damn place, the better. We''ve been mingling around here for over a month, and we''ve come to understand the behavior of the Demon Clan. These demons definitely won''t let it go¡ªsoon, they will launch an attack on the nearby towns. Have you ever played ''Space-time Rift''?"


    Xiao Buli said, "I have."


    When he first quit ''Jiuzhou Domination,'' he had tried many new games; he had swarmed through that one as well, but then he realized it wasn''t suitable for their studio to get involved, so he gave it up.


    Then Zhu Changfeng said, "This Six Realms Gate system is actually a bit like the Rift Invasion system in Space-time Rift, only more difficult, more dangerous, with stronger invading monsters, and a longer invasion period.


    In fact, we have already encountered two similar events before¡ªone was an invasion from the Demon Race of Kunlun Demon Realm, and the other was from the Ghost Race of Nine Nether Underworld.


    Generally, if the problem isn''t nipped in the bud at the beginning of the invasion, once these Alien Races gain a foothold, they will flood in like a tide until they become a powerful force capable of influencing the operation of the game. According to my estimation, the strength of Nine Dragons City is definitely not enough to stop the Demon Clan.


    If I were you, I would make arrangements early, otherwise, you''ll be in trouble sooner or later. And don''t think that you can just go invisible; there are countless monsters in the Demon Clan with the Reveal ability, like those Saber-Toothed Wolves controlled by the Demon Clan''s Beast Tamers that can detect invisibility."


    Zhu Changfeng seemed unwilling to give up on persuading Xiao Buli to leave and spoke earnestly.


    Although Xiao Buli knew that the other party had ulterior motives, he still responded politely, "Thank you for the reminder; I''ll be careful."


    However, he felt a sense of urgency in his heart. It seemed the uprising had to start soon. Otherwise, once the war between the Demon Clan and Nine Dragons City broke out, who knew what kind of ridiculous tasks the dimwitted leaders above would assign? Whether to act or not!


    Moreover, now that he had advanced to become a Cursed Swordsman, he stood out like green amid a swath of red. Hiding was no longer an option. If he became a target for special attention, it would be even more inconvenient to accomplish anything in the future. He might even be marked as a threat and erased directly.


    Although this sounded far-fetched, it wasn''t entirely impossible¡ªhaven''t novels and movies with conspiracy theories depicted similar scenarios?


    Seeing that Xiao Buli wasn''t taking the hint, Zhu Changfeng seemed to understand something and did not insist further. He said goodbye, "Well then, see you, buddy. It was great to know you. I hope we''ll meet again. If you want to find us, just head to Cloud Raksha City. That''s Iron Blood Brotherhood''s turf; if you don''t know the way, simply head northeast.


    You''ll reach it after Winterfell."


    After speaking, the members of the Iron Blood Brotherhood turned and left.


    Xiao Buli sighed, "Things are really getting more and more complicated. Can it get any more complicated?" he muttered to himself, putting on the ''Betrayer''s Dark Vision'' and looking toward Thousand Pines Town. There were no signs of black aura approaching, meaning there were no demons nearby; it seemed to be safe¡ªfor now.


    "Hey, shouldn''t we report what happened here to our superiors? The offline location of the raid team is still near Thousand Pines Town."


    Li Jian came over and casually asked. Xiao Buli nodded, but as he turned around, he suddenly froze. In the black and white screen, Li Jian''s body was enveloped in a thick dark aura¡ªa distinctive mark of the Demon Clan. How could he have that on him?


    Could it be that he was stained with demon blood? But that''s impossible! He wasn''t the only one who got splashed with blood during the battle¡ªno one else had undergone such a change. Was Li Jian a human disguised as a demon or had the demons transformed him into a demonized human?


    Xiao Buli''s mind was in chaos, regardless of the reason, it seemed too bizarre. Li Jian had become a ticking time bomb in his eyes.


    (Wait a second, why am I worrying about this? Even if he is a ticking bomb, he is Qilin Hall''s problem, isn''t he? I want to overthrow the company, so isn''t it a good thing for someone to throw everything into chaos?)


    "Hey, are you going to say something?" Li Jian said impatiently.


    Xiao Buli finally snapped back to reality, his mind a mess which he couldn''t untangle, but for now, he decided it was better not to bring it up. Startling the snake never ends well, which countless films and TV shows had already taught him: "Oh, yes, I also think we need to report this as soon as possible.


    Let''s meet at the door and go report together." While speaking, Xiao Buli found a secluded corner in the garrison to log out. He was afraid that if the demons attacked again, at least in that corner, there would be no monsters, and if he faced danger upon logging in, he''d have enough time to escape using Fleeting Light and Shadow.


    Then he left the gaming room, still uncertain about Li Jian''s transformation, and went to the lounge. Almost at the same time, Li Jian also came over from the White Tiger team''s room, wearing his trademark sunglasses. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He seemed no different from usual, exuding confidence and a mature and steady demeanor as always. Xiao Buli tried not to let his suspicions show, greeting Li Jian naturally.


    "What a chaotic night, isn''t it?" he said.


    Li Jian nodded, "Yeah, who would''ve thought? It''s just one night, and yet the world has already turned upside down." Li Jian seemed quite emotional. Just then, the lounge didn''t seem so dark anymore. Both men looked toward the window; from their height, they could clearly see the early morning sunlight slowly rising from the horizon at the edge of the city, extraordinarily brilliant. (To be continued.


    If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for the recommendation ticket, monthly ticket; your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 147 The Truth Behind the Game

    "What? Such a thing could happen? Why didn''t you report it to me earlier! Do you two not realize how critical this is? What do you mean by only caring about saving your own skins? If you had time to save NPCs, couldn''t you have made a call or directly asked others to log in!"In Qin Shimoon''s office, there were bursts of fierce roaring that contrasted with the temperament of the beauty manager who usually appeared gentle, quiet, and soft-spoken. Now, she displayed an unprecedented intensity.


    Outside the door in the resting room, numerous employees of Qilin Studio were either standing or sitting, mostly with anxious expressions, serious faces, or wearing expressions that delighted in the misfortune of others.


    It was extremely rare, but almost no one was playing on their computers during the daytime. Everyone was waiting, which made the atmosphere in the resting room considerably tense and grave.


    Finally, in the office, Qin Shimoon seemed too tired to scold any further, or perhaps the lack of reaction from the two people in front of her no longer interested her in continuing the berating. She rubbed her eyebrows wearily.


    "Speak then, what should we do next? As eye-witnesses and participants of this unexpected event, and as two seasoned game players, I think you''re qualified to give me some advice."


    Li Jian and Xiao Buli stood opposite her, exchanging glances. In the end, Li Jian spoke first as he was the deputy head of the action group, holding a position of some authority.


    "My personal suggestion is for the members of the strategy group to refrain from logging in for the time being. The Demon Clan is nearby, and unless we can confirm they have left or have a safe route for retreat, it''s better to keep a low profile for now to protect the accounts and the safety of their characters.


    I estimate that after some time, the Demon Clan will likely march towards Nine Dragons City. By that time, there probably won''t be any Demon Clan left around Thousand Pines Town, as it''s not a military stronghold with much need for a garrison."


    Qin Shimoon nodded noncommittally and then turned towards Xiao Buli. "You''re Xiao Buli, right? What do you think?"


    Xiao Buli naturally didn''t have any constructive suggestions, so Cao Guicao followed the conversation, "I think Li Jian''s suggestion is quite reasonable. Not going online for the time being is indeed the best course." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qin Shimoon nodded. "Then, how long do you think it will take for the Demon Clan to leave that area?"


    The two exchanged glances again, and this time Xiao Buli spoke first, "I think one or two weeks should be enough."


    "Oh? Why do you think so?"


    Xiao Buli explained, "This is based on the speed at which the Demon Clan''s forces are increasing and the timing of their attack on Nine Dragons City. According to my calculations, with the current rate, they will have gathered enough strength to threaten Nine Dragons City in just another week.


    Of course, if they are more cautious and want to be absolutely sure they can take Nine Dragons City, then it would take two weeks. By then, the Demon Clan''s army will undoubtedly conquer Nine Dragons City without any suspense, as long as the intelligence of the Demon Clan leader isn''t too poor.


    They shouldn''t stay beyond this period; after all, delay could lead to unexpected developments, and they should understand this principle."


    Qin Shimoon nodded noncommittally again, apparently uninterested in these gaming matters. "Alright, you two are the experts in this area, so I''ll trust your analysis. However, let''s wait until I report this upward before making any decisions. You can go back and wait for orders now. Stay updated via empire


    Remember not to act recklessly or on your own initiative, and be very careful in your actions ¨C we can''t afford to lose any more personnel now."


    Both nodded in agreement. When Xiao Buli and Li Jian left the office, Qin Shimoon, watching them go, frowned. The monster attack on the city had disrupted her plans. If this incident inadvertently de-escalated the situation, causing the company to become deadlocked internally, it would be impossible to carry out her plans in the short term.


    (Perhaps I need to put in a bit more effort. If used well, this might even serve as a boost,) she thought, already formulating the arguments to present in conversation with Dugu Han.


    When Xiao Buli and Li Jian exited the office and made their way to the resting room, they were immediately surrounded by everyone.


    "Hey, what happened? What did Manager Qin say?" Ma Long asked eagerly.


    "What else could she say? She told us to come back and wait for news."


    "I think this time, the dungeon raid is completely down the drain," someone said gleefully. Many shared his sentiment, reasoning that it was better not to take risks if avoidable.


    Zhang Yaoyang, with a smile on his face, felt frustrated inside. He had been working with Bai Yunfei and others to subtly hint to the uninformed masses about the dubious aspects of the game. Without this incident, a rebellion would almost certainly have been raised in just two or three days. If he exposed the truth about the game, most members already suspicious would likely abandon ship.


    But now, this blasted event had occurred.


    The rest hall was crowded, filled with a chaotic buzz of conversation. Everyone whispered to each other, confused and uncertain about what lay ahead.


    Xiao Buli and Li Jian sat on a sofa in the corner of the resting room, seemingly indifferent to the situation, as after all, their characters had escaped, and they faced no immediate danger. With the absence of others, those above wouldn''t send just the two of them on a raid, leaving them relaxed and uninvolved.

 Chapter 147 The Truth of the Game_2

    By noon, not only had the number of people in the break room not decreased, but it had actually increased, Not only were people from the White Tiger Group and the Azure Dragon Group still lingering here waiting for news, but members from the Vermilion Bird Group and the Black Tortoise Group had also arrived, since this matter concerned the entire studio.Finally, just as lunchtime was nearly over, Qin Shimoon emerged from the elevator.


    "Everyone quiet down, we have instructions from above, the raid on this dungeon is officially canceled."


    A cheer immediately erupted from below, Although everyone had expected this, hearing Qin Shimoon say it out loud felt different.


    A hint of a cruel smile, almost imperceptible, played at the corners of Qin Shimoon''s mouth, so slight that almost no one noticed it.


    She pressed her hand down, and the crowd became quiet. She then announced, ""However, our studio''s main force cannot remain trapped there, After all, time is money. If it takes the Demon Clan several weeks to leave and free our people, we can''t afford such a long delay. Not to mention, we can''t allow Nine Dragons City, which we''ve been operating for so long, to be conquered by the Demon Clan.


    Therefore, the decision from above is for the remaining members of the White Tiger Group to join forces with the Vermilion Bird Group to form a rescue team, in alliance with Nine Dragons City''s Golden Dragon Legion. Through a detailed attack on the Demon Clan''s camp to lure out the enemy, then our main force will log in at their camp, inside and out, in one fell swoop to crush the Demon Clan."


    Enjoy new stories from empire


    The cheers quickly hushed as everyone exchanged glances, feeling a sense of disbelief.


    The strategy sounded promising enough at first, but upon further consideration, it became clear that the operation would be extremely challenging. The Demon Clan''s camp was not only home to hundreds, if not thousands, of Demon Clan members, but also a powerful, gold-level Demon Clan boss sat in stronghold, a match for the human Dark Gold NPC heroes. And that was just the strength they had seen.


    What if there was an even more powerful boss lurking behind the scenes? Such a possibility could not be ruled out.


    How could such a fortified Demon Clan camp be so easily taken down? Was this not sending men to their deaths?


    Seeing the complicated expressions on everyone''s faces, Qin Shimoon said coldly, "This is the direction from above, all you need to do is follow it."


    She finished speaking and glanced at Zhang Yaoyang, "Leader Zhang, later you, Leader Wu, Leader Wang, and Deputy Head Li need to come up with an operation plan. Submit it to my office by tonight. If it passes review, the operation can start tomorrow or the day after at the latest."


    After Qin Shimoon left, the break room instantly buzzed with excitement. If previously people weren''t too concerned about dying in the game, after yesterday''s provocations and mysterious hints and revelations by the members of the White Tiger Group and the Azure Dragon Group, things were now completely different. The virtual game''s dangers had become real dangers.


    Now, hearing that they were being sent to their deaths, they immediately protested. Although they didn''t dare to outright argue with Qin Shimoon, several group leaders like Zhang Yaoyang and Wang Yifan became scapegoats. Everyone questioned them fiercely about what exactly was wrong with the game. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Yaoyang tried his best to defend himself, but he couldn''t help but sneer to himself, thinking (It seems like Lady Luck is still on my side!)


    At the top floor of the building, in the Chairman''s office:


    Dugu Han felt somewhat restless and shifted in his seat, causing the beautiful secretary who was massaging him to stop, The girl puffed her lips in annoyance. But she wasn''t the kind of brainless beauty who failed to read the room; sensing that Dugu Han''s mood wasn''t right, she carefully withdrew.


    Indeed, Dugu Han had reasons to be restless; In an effort to perform well in front of the boss, he had been pushing the company to its limits and strengthening the capabilities of his core team¡ªthe Qilin Group.


    However, the Qilin Studio was just a branch under the vast empire ruled by his impressive boss, its resources and attention somewhat limited. Up until recently, they had neither obtained a genuine Divine Artifact nor had they claimed sovereignty over a city. Even though their Prestige in Nine Dragons City had been raised to the level of Reverence, they were still far from controlling the city.


    It was precisely for this reason that Dugu Han had been so eager to prepare for the dungeon raid when he heard about a twenty-man team dungeon.


    But when it rains, it pours. It seemed like fate was particularly against him; numerous incidents occurred one after another. The dungeon preparation period of a month hadn''t been reached, and the raid was already in jeopardy.


    "What the hell is this!" Dugu Han muttered to himself, "I refuse to believe it; besides my boss, who else have I, Dugu Han, ever bowed down to? We must not let this slide, If it really comes down to it, I''ll take the field myself. With my gear, all those Demon Clan thugs will drop dead!"


    He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, talking to himself and brooding. He became so agitated that he started to frighten even himself, feeling as if his ferocity had ratcheted up another notch.


    Suddenly, the phone rang and Dugu Han jumped in fright.


    "Hello, what''s happening now? What, there''s unrest among the ranks below? Goddamn, are they revolting!" Dugu Han roared upon hearing the report, "Get security together for me, I need to give them a good talking-to, Do they still want their jobs or not!"

 Chapter 147 The Truth Behind the Game_3

    As he was speaking, the secretary suddenly walked in from outside, "Chairman, there''s someone looking for you."Explore more adventures at empire


    "Just say I''m not here, do I still need to teach you that!" Dugu Han bellowed while tugging at his tie.


    The secretary was startled by his voice, but still whispered, "That person¡ªthat person is Liu Zijian."


    "What!" Dugu Han, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, sprang up instantly.


    "When did this happen, quick, let him in!"


    "No need," a deep voice with a bit of nasal tone came in from behind the door, "I''ve already come in."


    As the office door was pushed open, a bald man dressed in a suit walked in.


    He looked to be in his forties, not tall, but exceptionally sturdy; his face wore a serious smile that didn''t make people feel cordial, but was enough to demand serious attention. He resembled an old European-era politician, or perhaps a high-ranking commissar in the Soviet Red Army¡ªcomposed, strong, severe, and with a piercing gaze that subconsciously made people want to avoid.


    Liu Zijian cast a somewhat disdainful look at Dugu Han, casually pulled over a chair to sit, and gave a signal to the secretary. Despite having no clear idea who this person was, the secretary retreated without hesitation.


    Liu Zijian''s gaze pinned Dugu Han to his chair, "I''ve seen many fools, and many who are full of themselves, but you are the first to combine the two so perfectly."


    The mocking words turned Dugu Han''s face from green to white, yet he dared not make a sound, and said sheepishly, "Liu, why have you come?"


    Liu Zijian spoke astonishingly, "If I hadn''t come, you wouldn''t even know how you died."


    But the door was opened once again, and it was not the secretary who entered, but Qin Shimoon.


    As Qin Shimoon walked past Liu Zijian, Liu Zijian stood up with gentlemanly grace, nodding to her in greeting. Qin Shimoon returned the gesture, her face seemingly relieved, but she sighed inwardly, "Why did this guy have to show up now, just as things were about to wrap up."


    Dugu Han still looked puzzled, not understanding why the boss would assign such a person to manage Qilin Hall. Aside from loyalty, this guy seemed to have no redeeming qualities.


    "Do you know that your subordinates are conspiring to rebel against you?"


    "What? That''s outrageous, they''ve got some nerve!" Dugu Han was both startled and furious. Though aware of some instability below, the notion of a revolt still took him by surprise. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Zijian said indifferently, "This matter has nothing to do with courage. When pushed to the brink, anyone would refuse to sit idly by."


    Dugu Han''s eyes widened, "Pushed to the brink? I haven''t pressured them. I just asked them to produce a deputy, that''s what they''re supposed to do..."


    Dugu Han tried to justify himself, feeling his arguments were valid, but under Liu Zijian''s sharp gaze, his voice grew fainter. He looked at Qin Shimoon, pleading for help. Qin Shimoon wore an expression of helplessness and interjected, "Perhaps you might be interested in meeting with them."


    Liu Zijian nodded, "That''s my intention." He got up and cast a glance at Dugu Han, "This time I will help you, but next time, I hope this kind of situation doesn''t occur again."


    After speaking, he headed straight out, with Qin Shimoon quickly following, leaving Dugu Han behind, still confused about what had just happened.


    In the break room, the argument was escalating towards intensity and losing control.


    "Fuck, if this doesn''t work out, I''m done! Might as well resign and be done with it. I''ve made enough money anyway."


    "Yeah, exactly, I say we resign together, they can''t punish all of us. As long as we stick together, I''d like to see what they can do."


    Everyone was shouting in disorder.


    Zhang Yaoyang was secretly pleased, but his expression was earnest as he tried to persuade them, "You can''t talk like that. Would the higher-ups even agree if you resigned? The contracts all state we must comply with the company''s arrangements."


    Wu Tao chose his moment to burst out, shouting like a gangster, "To hell with the contract! They won''t even explain clearly what this game is about, but they still want us to risk our lives for them. Do they think our lives are worthless? Zhang, you must know what this game is about, you tell everyone."


    The others also chimed in, "Yeah, what''s the deal with this game?"


    Zhang Yaoyang put on a wry smile, "Alright, since everyone wants to know so badly, I''ll tell you. But this is just my own speculation and guess, it might not be true."


    He spoke modestly, but inside he was thrilled, (Dugu Han, Dugu Han, you''re even dumber than I thought. Now, you can''t escape death.)


    Just as he was about to deliver his carefully prepared speech, a deep, slightly nasal voice suddenly came from behind, "The truth about this game, perhaps I can clear that up for everyone."


    The voice was unfamiliar, no one had heard it before. Zhang Yaoyang was taken aback, and turning around, he saw a bald, burly man in a suit standing solemnly at the entrance from the elevator to the break room, with Qin Shimoon standing behind him. The way they stood gave the impression that this man was somebody important.


    Zhang Yaoyang frowned, feeling a sudden sense of unease, "Who are you?" he asked apprehensively.


    "My name is Liu Zijian," the bald man said while walking past the group, his cold gaze swiftly sweeping over everyone, "From now on, I''m in charge of this company."


    PS: My sister has come home, so the update is a bit late. A two-in-one chapter, five thousand words are presented, hope it''s not considered too little. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 148 The Overbearing Nature of Xiao Buli

    In the rest lounge of Qilin Studio, the employees of Qilin Studio gathered together, silent as crows and sparrows; everyone was listening intently to Liu Zijian''s introduction to the game.Find more chapters on empire


    "This game is actually a special game secretly developed by the nation. It''s not just a game; in fact, it possesses a magical ''Strength.'' The electronic waves emitted by relays can influence the human brain to promote cellular enhancement in the human body, increasing physical strength and unlocking human potential."


    "As for the principle behind it, please forgive me, I can''t disclose that to everyone. Scientific theories are not my strong suit; I''m not a scientist, but a manager. However, one thing you all can remember is that you can gain immense benefits from it, even achieve evolution."


    "I know all of you have your doubts about what I''m saying, thinking that this can''t be true. It''s just a game, how could it possibly have such miraculous capabilities? But think about it, since you''ve started playing this game, haven''t all of you become stronger? Is that normal for a gamer?"


    At his words, those who hadn''t noticed before suddenly realized, and those who had already sensed something had an epiphany¡ªso that''s how it is; no wonder their physiques were getting better. So that was it.


    "Yes, indeed, before I played this game, my health was terrible, riddled with endless minor illnesses and without any serious ones. After playing for three months, I''m not sick at all now."


    "Me too, I used to have a severe gastric problem before coming here, but after playing for two months, it''s completely healed."


    The crowd burst into a buzz of discussion, some impatient people even stripped off their shirts, revealing a body of firm and toned muscles, exclaiming, "Oh my goodness, I didn''t realize my body was this buff!"


    Liu Zijian watched everyone''s reactions with satisfaction. "Now you all believe it, don''t you."


    "Hold on, if this is an experiment, couldn''t there be some side effects," someone in the crowd suddenly asked. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Zijian seemed not to recognize the person before him. "You are?"


    "I am the leader of the White Tiger Group, Wang Yifan!" The man said arrogantly; Liu Zijian nodded, "You are right, there indeed might be side effects. Although we haven''t discovered any specific cases so far, it is certainly possible. I don''t want to deceive you all, but remember, in life, one must make sacrifices to gain something. There''s no such thing as pie falling from the sky.


    However, the risks are the same for everyone, as many of our management also play this game, so you don''t need to feel like you are just lab rats."


    "You say you represent the nation, but how do I know what you''re saying is true?" someone else asked.


    "You are?"


    "My name is Li Chuang, from the Azure Dragon Group."


    Liu Zijian nodded again, "Mr. Li asks a very good question," he said, indicating toward Qin Shimoon. "This lady, Ms. Qin Shimoon, is the representative sent by the military." After finishing speaking, he nodded to Qin Shimoon, who sighed as though somewhat reluctant before pulling out an ID card from her pocket.


    "He''s right, I am a Colonel and the leader of the special operations group, Qin Shimoon."


    The steel seal and stamp on the ID were clearly visible, and everyone craned their necks to get a glimpse. Qin Shimoon casually lifted her ID for everyone to see clearly.


    The truth is, most people had no idea what military ID looked like; they were just watching for the excitement. However, hearing that a military person was involved, on one hand, many people felt more at ease, thinking it seemed safer now; on the other hand, they vaguely felt excited, as anything involving the military always had a mysterious allure.


    Each of them wondered if they might be getting into some kind of trouble.


    "Previously, some of you might have realized, in order to prevent everyone from wild speculations, I can only reveal the truth. Considering the secrecy and seriousness of this matter, you all now have the option to quit. However, let me be clear, to ensure confidentiality, you must sign an agreement, and you will be quarantined for some time before you can leave.


    If anyone would like to opt out of this experiment, you may raise your concerns now."


    Not a word was spoken. Some were unwilling to leave because they heard there was a chance for evolution¡ªafter all, becoming a superhuman was something every young person in this era aspired to. Now the opportunity was right in front of them and it seemed to bear no significant danger, so of course, they wouldn''t give up.


    As for the others, they were afraid to give up¡ªwho knows if they would be thrown into solitary confinement forever or simply silenced.


    Yet, it took everyone by surprise when one or two mavericks spoke up.


    "I want to quit," someone suddenly said, a regular member of the White Tiger Group.


    Liu Zijian maintained his composure: "You may, after signing this agreement, and destroying your character in the game, you can leave."


    "Can''t you just delete it for me?" the man asked.


    Liu Zijian explained: "The game files are all on the server''s terminal; they must be deleted manually. Log into your account, and I''ll have someone eliminate your character in the game, preventing anyone from logging into your account and affecting you in the real world. After that, you can leave."


    The man nodded, "Such a hassle, okay, I''ll log on now. When can we start?"

 Chapter 148 The Overbearing Nature of Xiao Buli_2

    "We can start anytime, this way, please," said a staff member, leading the person away.(Is this guy an idiot?) Xiao Buli lamented in his heart.


    Liu Zijian scanned the crowd, "Anyone else want to drop out?"


    No one spoke, and he nodded in satisfaction, "GOOD, now that you have truly recognized the uniqueness and importance of this game and have agreed to continue with the experiment, as military partners, you will receive an extra subsidy. Each of you will get a basic salary of one hundred thousand yuan per month.


    Besides that, if you perform well enough, you''ll get the chance to join the core organization."


    "Is the core organization the Qilin Group?"


    Of course not, the Qilin Group is just the core of Qilin Hall. Above Qilin Hall, there is an even higher-level team with hundreds of elite members, all well-trained and strong. If you perform well enough, you may join them and have the opportunity to go even further. I apologize, but I cannot reveal details about what is involved. However, it''s definitely worth your choice."


    "It wouldn''t be the Dragon Group, would it?" asked someone who seemed to have read too many novels.


    "Dragon Group?" Liu Zijian paused, then smiled slightly, "Close enough."


    Although he didn''t confirm, it spurred even more speculation.


    "Considering recent events, the dungeon raiding team will be on standby for now. They''ll log in to withdraw after the Demon Clan has left. Other members, head back to Nine Dragons City immediately. If Nine Dragons City can''t hold, we''ll retreat to other cities managed by our guild. Now, let''s move out, GO! GO!


    GO!"


    Watching everyone get taken in by Liu Zijian''s words, Zhang Yaoyang became anxious as they started to disperse, (How could things turn out this way! No, I can''t let it end like this. If I don''t make a move now, I might never get another chance.)


    He took a deep breath and was about to step forward and say something when suddenly, a barely audible whisper that was clear enough to hear came to his ear: "Don''t act rashly, I have a way to help you. Meet me at the usual place after dinner."


    The voice sounded somewhat familiar. He looked around the room, and his gaze rested on Xiao Buli, who was looking back at him with a smirk, subtly nodding his head.


    By the time Zhang Yaoyang hesitated for a moment, most people had already left. He sighed, knowing that the opportunity had passed, and now all he could do was wait until tonight.


    As he left the rest area and walked to the dorms, Zhang Yaoyang felt as if he was walking on cotton, powerless. He pushed the door and entered his room, where everything looked so normal, hardly different from yesterday. The only change was his mood. Just yesterday, he was full of hope and spirit, but now, he just wanted to cry his eyes out.


    He buried his face in his hands, his head hanging low, when suddenly a hand touched his shoulder, carrying a chill that the living do not possess. Zhang Yaoyang looked up and saw his sister, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time. Her Spiritual Body seemed more indistinct, a sign that her soul was dissipating.


    Zhang Yaoyang knew she would gradually fade away before long, and the only thing that had been keeping him going would disappear. The touch of understanding and comfort in his sister''s gaze did not calm him but only deepened his heartache.


    Zhang Yaoyang suddenly made a decision. If there was no outcome from the meeting with Xiao Buli tonight, he would act alone. Even if he couldn''t topple the company, he would at least take down the person responsible for his sister''s death.


    The afternoon passed quickly. After having dinner and as people left in twos and threes, not having to log in left many members of the team with nothing to do, taking it easy. However, when Zhang Yaoyang entered the washroom, he found it empty, which made him uneasy. This feeling was new; the washroom had always served as a sanctuary, a place that brought him peace. But this time, it felt different.


    "Good evening, Leader Comrade," a voice appeared out of thin air as a figure materialized against the wall.


    "So, you were here," Zhang Yaoyang breathed a sigh of relief, "I thought you weren''t coming." His tone was indifferent.


    "It seems we really do think alike. I was actually worried you wouldn''t show up," Xiao Buli said while walking over to the sink, turning on the faucet, and letting the water flow.


    "If Leader Wu was already here, why hide?" he said without looking back, as a figure gradually became visible in the air; Wu Min''er had a look of surprise, "You knew I was here? How could you?"


    Xiao Buli smiled and nodded, "Of course, it''s because of the perfume scent on Leader Wu."


    Find exclusive stories on empire


    Wu Min''er seemed puzzled, "I didn''t spray any perfume..." She suddenly understood the jest in Xiao Buli''s words and glared at him annoyedly.


    Zhang Yaoyang coughed, "When will the others arrive?"


    "There are no others," Xiao Buli shook his head, "Today, I only invited the two of you."


    Zhang Yaoyang frowned, unsettled by Xiao Buli''s words. He had always been the one to invite others here, and the feeling of being invited instead didn''t sit well with him.


    sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 148 The Overbearing Nature of Xiao Buli_3

    "Three people, isn''t that too few?""On the contrary," Xiao Buli revealed a confident smile, "Three is just right."


    "I feel like you, Leader Zhang, have always fallen into a misconception that more people make things easier. But in my opinion, the more people there are, the more chaotic their hearts become. When hearts are in chaos, it''s easy to be taken advantage of. Once taken advantage of, it''s impossible to accomplish anything great."


    "But just the few of us can''t possibly stand up against the entire company."


    "Of course, we few can''t do it alone, but there are others."


    "But you just said¡ª"


    "What I said is that there can''t be too many decision-makers. However, the more participants the better," said Xiao Buli, with an undertone in his voice. Zhang Yaoyang pondered over Xiao Buli''s words, yet he seemed at a loss for words.


    Xiao Buli continued to explain: "We three don''t need to have the strength to stand up against the company. As long as we can push the situation forward, when things progress to that step, they naturally won''t have a choice but to join us."


    Wu Min''er asked with some surprise, "Do you trust me that much?"


    "It''s not about trusting you. I have no choice but to trust you. As the head of the intelligence team, you are an indispensable part of my plan. Even if it''s a bit risky, it''s necessary. Plus, I''ve always felt that you''re not the type of woman who likes to be manipulated."


    A flash of surprise crossed Wu Min''er''s eyes, clearly taken aback by Xiao Buli''s response.


    Zhang Yaoyang asked, "Then what exactly is your plan?"


    Xiao Buli said, "My plan is to incite chaos and then find victory in the midst of it. The key lies with Li Jian, or rather¡ªDemonized Human Race Li Jian."


    "Demonized Human Race Li Jian? What happened to him?" Zhang Yaoyang and Wu Min''er both asked in surprise.


    Xiao Buli recounted what he had seen the previous night and then concluded, "Clearly, he has been demonized in the game. I think you both know what that means."


    Zhang Yaoyang frowned and said, "Does that mean he''s a ticking time bomb?"


    "Exactly, he is a ticking time bomb that can detonate chaos at any time. And chaos is precisely what we need; it''s our path to freedom. Li Jian is the key. I absolutely don''t believe that the Demon Clan demonized him for no reason. Li Jian will definitely make a move, and when he does, that will be our chance." Xiao Buli''s words sent both listeners into deep thought.


    "So, Leader Wu¡ª"


    "Call me Sister Wu." Wu Min''er suddenly spoke up, taking Zhang Yaoyang by surprise. Xiao Buli nodded, "Then, Sister Wu, your task is simple: keep an eye on Li Jian, see exactly what he will do, and report any unusual activity to me."


    Wu Min''er nodded without feeling the slightest bit inappropriate about taking orders from Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli then turned to Zhang Yaoyang, "Leader Zhang, your job is simple too: keep the brothers ready to move at a moment''s notice and don''t waste our previous preparations. This way, as soon as the opportunity arises, we can strike at any time." Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "This won''t be a problem, but are you sure Li Jian will do something?"


    Xiao Buli shrugged, "Of course, nothing is one hundred percent certain, but sometimes we must take some risks, mustn''t we?"


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded again, "But there''s one last issue. How are we going to deal with the Qilin Group?"


    "That''s my job."


    Zhang Yaoyang and Wu Min''er exchanged a look, but they shook their heads, "Unless you can disclose a bit, I absolutely cannot believe you have a way to defeat the Qilin Group."


    Xiao Buli smiled helplessly, "Alright, then I''ll disclose a bit. In ''The Art of War'' by Sun Tzu, the chapter on ''Offensive Strategy'' points out ''The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.'' My method of dealing with the Qilin Group is simple, and I don''t even need to actually defeat them."


    "Remember when I used to play Jiuzhou Domination, there was a particularly challenging campaign. I fought a decisive battle with a Great Guild that had twice the number of players and resources as mine, competing for a very important city. We were at a disadvantage in both player numbers and NPC forces. Do you know how I won?"


    Both shook their heads, clearly annoyed by Xiao Buli''s cliffhanger.


    "I had someone stealthily cut the internet lines at the internet caf¨¦ where their guild was based. They spent fifteen minutes looking for another internet caf¨¦, and it was during those fifteen minutes that our guild turned the situation around and completely defeated them."


    Upon hearing this, both had an epiphany and their gaze toward Xiao Buli immediately changed; they thought to themselves that he was indeed full of cunning tricks. Although the details were not revealed, the general principle was clear, and it certainly seemed like a good way to beat the Qilin Group.


    Seeing that both agreed to his plan, Xiao Buli asked, "Leader Zhang, who in the Azure Dragon do you completely trust?"


    "Bai Yunfei, Wu Tao, and¡ª" Zhang Yaoyang hesitated, then added, "Liu Xing."


    "Then just tell those two. Don''t let a word slip to others," Xiao Buli said, and then asked Wu Min''er, "Are there trustworthy people in the Vermilion Bird Group?"


    Wu Min''er nodded, "Just one, Lu Xinying. I can''t trust the rest."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Then just hint a little to her. Don''t let anyone else in on this; the fewer people know about this matter, the better."


    "Let''s get moving then. To ensure the smooth progress of our operation, we must put all potential into play and mobilize all our funds. In the next few days, we must all work hard to enhance our own strengths and be ready to fight at any moment! And once the battle starts, there''s no going back. Do you understand?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Xiao Buli said this, he rarely showed the demeanor he had as the leader of the Great Guild, which took Zhang Yaoyang and Wu Min''er aback. The two exchanged a glance, a resolute expression on their faces, and said in unison, "Understood!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to qidian.com to cast your votes for recommendation and monthly tickets.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 149 Li Jians Secret Operation

    "You two are the witnesses to the recent Demon Clan invasion?"With a scrutinizing gaze, Liu Zijian looked at Xiao Buli and Li Jian standing before him, "Very well. Surviving such a catastrophe proves your excellence, and working late into the night shows your dedication. Keep it up, and soon you''ll have the chance to become core members. So, keep up the good work."


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    He said, patting their shoulders firmly and steadily. Xiao Buli felt a slight aching in the spot where he was patted. He glanced at Li Jian beside him, who appeared to feel nothing. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I will definitely keep working hard," Xiao Buli said earnestly. Li Jian just nodded, his agreement seeming somewhat perfunctory.


    Liu Zijian said, "Hmm, I have high hopes for you two. Considering we can''t continue with the dungeon raids recently and Nine Dragons City is in crisis, we need to withdraw our guild members from this place to preserve the studio''s strength.


    Bearing in mind that the Green Dragon Group and the White Tiger Group have suffered severe losses recently, and to ensure future operational support for our studio, I''ve specially recruited a batch of newcomers. Their number will be quite significant. Since you two are the remaining experienced talents, you will be responsible for training and taking care of them this time.


    We will adopt a new method of selecting recruits. You will act together with them, teaching them the necessary game knowledge to ensure they can improve to the greatest extent in the shortest time, thus avoiding unnecessary personnel losses."


    The two readily agreed. Xiao Buli thought to himself that it was good; training newcomers would mean he didn''t have to stay in the Green Dragon Group''s computer room and would have an easier time carrying out his own plan. However, listening to Liu Zijian, it seemed that training this batch of newcomers would require more attention and wouldn''t be so easy to bluff through.


    After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Buli asked, "When does the training start?"


    "Tomorrow," Liu Zijian replied indifferently.


    Upon leaving Liu Zijian''s office, the two parted ways. Xiao Buli turned and headed to his room, while Li Jian, taking advantage of the lack of observers, sneaked into the emergency staircase and headed straight down to the basement storeroom.


    It was a basement storeroom in the building, used to store old items: discarded computer parts, obsolete desks, and outdated documents, which took up most of the space. A corridor connected it to the elevator. Due to long periods without maintenance, hardly any of the light bulbs were working.


    Li Jian walked into the darkened corridor, and as he reached the storeroom, he suddenly glanced behind him, feeling as if something was amiss. The dark shadows of the stairway held nothing¡ªempty. He sneered at himself, shaking his head as if he found his own suspicion laughable, and then he turned and walked in.


    Li Jian remained in the storeroom for quite a long time, not emerging until over half an hour later. He looked to have gathered some dust on himself with a trace of sweat on his forehead, but otherwise, he appeared unchanged. After he had disappeared in the direction of the elevator, the air suddenly vibrated, and an alluring silhouette materialized out of nowhere.


    "So, this is where you run off to when there''s nothing wrong." Wu Min''er thought to herself, glancing at the warehouse with a hint of curiosity and sneaking in.


    The storeroom seemed unremarkable except for its vast size, filled with junk. But Wu Min''er, with her background in intelligence, noticed a pile of clutter in a corner that seemed deliberately placed there, over two meters high and obscuring what lay behind it.


    A huge office desk was wedged against the wall at the end of the clutter, with a marble top that would likely require three or four people to move. However, judging by the marks on the floor, it seemed the desk had just been shifted.


    Wu Min''er''s lips curved into a smile. Clearly, something behind that wall of clutter was what Li Jian wanted to conceal.


    To cross the scene without disturbing it seemed nearly impossible, but for Wu Min''er, it wasn''t a challenge. With a graceful leap, she clung to the canopy like a gecko, slowly making her way through the wall of cluttered objects and deftly landing on the ground.


    Wu Min''er was stunned; the space behind the pile of junk appeared to be a construction site of sorts, with many brick-like objects cleverly assembled together, forming what seemed to be the base of a particular structure. She circled it once, her eyes suddenly casting a serious glance¡ªshe felt as though she had seen this thing somewhere before.


    After a moment of recollection, a spark of realization flashed through her mind¡ª"My God!" Wu Min''er couldn''t help but exclaim. It was clearly the base of a Six Realms Gate. She had seen this object before on a blueprint when she was doing a series of quests. Why would Li Jian build this? Could it be that Li Jian wanted to open a portal for the Demon Clan? But those were elements from a game.


    Could the blueprints from the game actually be applied to reality? And could the Demon Clan materialize from the game into the real world through this gate?


    The thought was indeed sensational.


    But where on earth had Li Jian acquired these materials? In reality, there was no such thing as Sun Spirit Stones, Moon Spirit Stones, or World Spirit Stones.


    She reached out to touch the obsidian that served as the base; it was smooth and of substantial quality, genuinely Obsidian. Each piece was thirty centimeters in length and width, and all totaled, there were easily over a hundred blocks, possibly amounting to half a ton.


    Where did this guy get such a huge pile of stones transported from? And where did he find stones like these?


    This question remained perplexing, yet Wu Min''er thought that the most important thing at the moment was to report her discovery to Xiao Buli.


    Thinking this, Wu Min''er made her way back along the original route.


    At night, the three of them gathered once again in the bathroom. Though meeting frequently could draw attention, it was a critical time, and they had to take risks, being as cautious as they could.


    In the bathroom, Wu Min''er recounted what she discovered while tailing Li Jian during the day.


    Xiao Buli listened but did not seem much surprised. After some thought, he said, "I see, after being demonized, Li Jian has completely become one of the Demon Clan, even intending to construct a Six Realms Gate."


    "I don''t think such a thing is likely to succeed," Zhang Yaoyang said, somewhat unconvinced.


    "Why? You know that abilities from the game have started appearing in us," Xiao Buli pointed out.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "That''s true, but it could be explained with brain waves or supernatural abilities. But how could creatures from the game possibly come into reality, unless..."


    "Unless it''s not just a game, but an existence similar to an Otherworld," Xiao Buli added to the conversation.


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 150 Xuanxu Zis Guidance

    ``` Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire"Unless that''s not just a game, but actually an existence akin to an Otherworld," Xiao Buli added.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "Exactly, that''s what I mean."


    "Hey guys, I think now''s not the time to discuss this problem, let''s talk about how we can take advantage of this opportunity," Wu Min''er interrupted their discussion.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "No matter what, this is our best chance. Once Li Jian finishes building the Six Realms Gate and the Demon Clan invades en masse into the company, it will definitely cause a massive chaos. At that time, the Qilin Group is bound to take action, and that will be the best timing for us to make our move."


    Having said that, Xiao Buli turned to Wu Min''er and asked, "How much longer until the Six Realms Gate is complete?"


    Wu Min''er thought for a moment, "Probably at most three to five days. But are you sure there won''t be any problems? What if the invasion of the Demon Clan leads to the world''s destruction?" she said with some haste and concern.


    "Hah, I''m not worried about that," Xiao Buli laughed, "Given the strength of those demons in the game, do you think they stand a chance in front of modern weapons?


    Even that so-called Abyssal Flame Demon Lord would be blasted to crumbs by missiles, not to mention that in such a conspicuous location as this building, the moment there is an invasion by the Demon Clan it would almost immediately attract external attention. I reckon they''d be wiped out in a day or two, we needn''t worry about it."


    What he said was true. Although the Demon Clan was powerful, that was merely in terms of their physical bodies, but even the strongest body seemed meaningless in front of modern thermal weapons.


    The three of them discussed for a while longer, finalized the specific details of their plan when they were to act, and then dispersed.


    Xiao Buli returned to the server room, a huge room that was chillingly quiet and completely empty. Everyone was in their own rooms watching movies or doing other entertainments, and barely anyone was on the machines.


    This was a relief to Xiao Buli, thinking at least he didn''t have to worry about exposing Mystic Hollow Palace to other people.


    He logged into the game, but his character had already returned to Nine Dragons City.


    He had returned to Nine Dragons City the previous evening, but because he wasn''t in the mood, he had not continued to do quests or train his Professional Skills.


    The battle was imminent, and Xiao Buli did not have the leisure to indulge in such things. Walking on the streets of Nine Dragons City, he noticed the atmosphere seemed tense, and occasionally groups of soldiers patrolled back and forth. On the city walls, catapults and balistae were being installed as part of the defenses. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed the Golden Dragon Legion was preparing for a siege battle, which was likely to be a bloody and brutal affair.


    Xiao Buli went to the Beast Pen and brought out Maoqiu. Not having seen him for a few days, Maoqiu''s Loyalty had dropped by more than ten points. Xiao Buli opened his bag to check, and those pieces of Shadow Leopard meat were still lying there, untouched.


    He wasn''t sure if they were still part of Maoqiu''s diet, but he couldn''t worry about that now and just gave it to Maoqiu. Maoqiu sniffed at the meat hungrily and wasted no time feasting on it. With a few pieces of meat gone, its Loyalty was restored by more than ten points, and suddenly, a flash of golden light signaled another evolution for Maoqiu.


    System Prompt: Your pet ''Maoqiu'' has evolved and acquired a new skill ''Shadow Stealth''.


    Shadow Stealth: Lurk in darkness or shadows to prevent enemies from detecting your presence. Any attack or damage will remove this effect.


    This skill wasn''t absolute invisibility, but was usable only in the darkness or where shadows lay. Nonetheless, it was quite good; for a pet, not having to worry too much about it getting inexplicably killed when taken out was a relief.


    Xiao Buli checked his bag and warehouse, discarding all unusable items at the store. Together with his prior savings, he now had more than ten Gold Coins, most of which were spent at the Longquan Sword Pavilion.


    As this might be his last learning opportunity, he didn''t hold back and learned three new, advanced skills: ''Cross Slash'', ''Riding the Wind Style'', and ''Piercing Heart Sword''.


    All three skills were active offensive skills. Their power wasn''t extraordinary, but they were suitable for fusion.


    After learning the skills and making some preparations, he immediately headed towards Mystic Hollow Palace.


    He would be assigned to train newcomers the next day, so it was necessary to move his character to Newbie Village to stand by. On his way, he could also visit Mystic Hollow Palace once more. Part of the reason was to learn new spells, and the other part was to consult with Xuanxu Zi regarding some issues.


    Checking his Prestige, he had achieved a Respectable rank with the Golden Dragon Legion after the past two days of quests. While the equipment sold by the Golden Dragon Legion''s Quartermaster was of little significance to him, it was vital to learn advanced Riding Skills.


    Having learned advanced Riding Skills, and spending his last five Gold Coins on a warhorse with 280% Movement Speed, Xiao Buli set off.


    With the warhorse, travel was indeed incredibly fast, and in just over an hour, he arrived back at Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Heading straight to the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace, Xuanxu Zi seemed to have anticipated his return. Upon seeing him enter, he smiled and gestured towards a cushion in front of him. On the short table between the cushion and Xuanxu Zi, a cup filled with tea had already been placed.


    Xiao Buli sat down on the cushion and clicked the teacup on the table. As his character drained the cup of tea, a system prompt suddenly appeared.


    ```

 Chapter 150 Xuanxu Zis Guidance_2

    System prompt: After drinking the Immortal Tea, your Physical Strength has fully recovered."It''s so powerful!?" Xiao Buli was slightly shocked. He had exhausted a lot of his Physical Strength on his journey, and he didn''t expect it to be fully restored so quickly.


    Sitting opposite Xuanxu Zi, Xiao Buli said, "Master, your disciple has doubts, and I''m unsure whether I should ask."


    Xuanxu Zi: "If I said you shouldn''t ask, would you refrain from asking?"


    Xiao Buli replied: "Um, probably not."


    Xuanxu Zi: "Well, that settles it. Feel free to ask any question you have."


    Xiao Buli said, "The Demon Clan is invading on a large scale. Does Master know about this?"


    Xuanxu Zi: "Of course, I am aware of this."


    Xiao Buli asked curiously, "Then why doesn''t Master take action to stop it?"


    Xuanxu Zi: "Why should I take action to stop it?"


    Xiao Buli thought for a moment and answered, "To punish evil and promote good."


    Xuanxu Zi: "Haha, then let me ask you, what is good, and what is evil? You think the Demon Clan is evil, but the Demon Clan thinks your human race is evil. It''s impossible to clearly define the truth in this matter. Do you not know that the Demon Clan once were the original inhabitants of this world?"


    "What!?" Xiao Buli was taken aback. "What exactly is going on?"


    Xuanxu Zi seemed to wear a reminiscent expression, "That''s a story from tens of thousands of years ago. Once upon a time, many powerful races lived in this world¡ªthe Divine Race, the Demon Clan, the Immortal Race, the Demon Race, the Nether Race¡ªall existed on this grand land, and humans were just an unremarkable part of these numerous races.


    Compared to other races, humans had no advantages or specialties and could only depend on the other races for survival. Yet, ten thousand years ago, a disaster struck our world. To avoid being destroyed by this catastrophe, the strong races each sought refuge, finding havens for their own kind.


    To completely isolate their sanctuaries from the disaster, they used primeval Divine Artifacts to create strong, indestructible barriers. Thus, beyond our world, five separate sub-worlds appeared, namely the Nine Heavens Divine Realm, the Nine Nether Underworld, the Kunlun Demon Realm, the Penglai Immortal Realm, and the Abyssal Demon Realm."


    "When the disaster struck, the vast majority of races left behind in this world were wiped out, but curiously, humans survived."


    This made Xiao Buli increasingly curious: "What exactly was that disaster? How did humans manage to survive?"


    Xuanxu Zi shook his head, "To this day, no one knows. The truth has long been lost in history and myth. However, the survival of humans was no accident. After all, whenever a great catastrophe comes, the fierce behemoths are always the first to be extinguished, whereas the seemingly insignificant creatures like insects and rodents tend to survive.


    Perhaps that''s the reason why humans lived on while the other strong races perished."


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    Xuanxu Zi continued: "But after several thousand years, the races living in the sub-worlds grew dissatisfied with their confined worlds. When they discovered the disaster had passed, they prepared to return to this world. Unfortunately, they were bound by their own created barriers and could not easily travel between the two worlds.


    They could only send some moderately powerful elites back to establish power and carve out territories. Since the Alien Races from all worlds had a common goal, they implicitly developed an understanding:


    They could compete with each other, but direct attacks were forbidden. As such, I, the Pioneer sent by the Penglai Immortal Realm, naturally cannot act recklessly."


    Xiao Buli was surprised; he had not expected this underlying reason.


    Xiao Buli said, "But Master hasn''t developed a large following or carved out territories, has he?"


    Xuanxu Zi chuckled: "Perhaps it''s because I''m too lazy."


    This response was half-serious, half-joking. Xiao Buli didn''t quite believe it, but he didn''t press the issue further and instead asked another question.


    "Master, if a human is demonized, is there any way to remove the effects of the demonization?"


    Xuanxu Zi shook his head, "Demonization is a special transformation process that requires the consent of the individual, and for that reason, once the transformation is accepted, the person who has been demonized will change completely. Unless he is killed, there is no possibility of reverting back."


    "Of course, there are no absolutes in the world. If you have enough Merit Points, you can reconstruct a new body for them. After killing them, you can place their soul into the new body, which can restore them to humanity."


    Merit Points can reconstruct a body! Xiao Buli was both shocked and delighted, (but he didn''t know if this body reconstruction occurred in reality or in the game, though it was probably in the game. However, even if it was in the game, having a reconstructed body was like having an extra life.)


    "How many Merit Points are needed to reconstruct a body?" he asked eagerly.


    Xuanxu Zi replied, "Well, about 3,000 Merit Points should be enough to reconstruct a body."


    (What, 3,000 points! Can that be right?) Xiao Buli thought, how can he gather so many Merit Points? Moreover, because Bai Yunfei had asked him to save up 500 Merit Points earlier, he had just assumed he could use 500 Merit Points to reconstruct a body, hadn''t he?


    Regardless of whether it was 3,000 or 500, he didn''t have them now. All told, he only had 260 points at most. Some were from completing Lu Jiang''s quests, some were obtained by purifying burial sites at Mass Burial Mounds, and 50 points were from the refugee escort mission he did the day before yesterday.


    He sighed with slight disappointment. After thinking, he tentatively asked, "Besides these five sub-worlds, are there other worlds?"


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s question, Xuanxu Zi remained silent. After a long while, he finally said, "Legend has it that beyond our world, there is another realm called Heaven Beyond Heaven. However, what it''s like there, no one knows."


    (Heaven Beyond Heaven realm? Could it be referring to the real world?) Xiao Buli couldn''t help but speculate in his heart. Seeing that Xuanxu Zi seemed reluctant to discuss this issue, he did not dare to ask any further questions.


    "Master, I haven''t learned any new spells since I changed my class, so I would like to learn one now, if I may."


    "Of course you may," Xuanxu Zi said, "choose one for yourself." With that, he summoned the skill list.


    Xiao Buli had only 300 Contribution Value points to use, which he had saved from his last exchange. Looking at the level 3 spells, the cheapest ones cost over two hundred points, so his 300 Contribution Value points were only enough to exchange for one level 3 spell.


    Usually, he would prioritize life-saving skills, but considering that he already had quite a few life-saving techniques, he decided in the end to go for a powerful offensive spell.


    After a brief browse through the level 3 spell list, one spell caught his eye.


    Heavenly Thunder Curse (5 seconds Casting Time): Summons a bolt of heavenly thunder to strike down on a fixed target, dealing 40+75 (spiritual power ¡Á 3) points of lightning damage to enemies directly hit, also adding a paralyzing effect, and causing splash damage to nearby units, consuming 50 True Yuan points, learning requirements: revered Prestige with Mystic Hollow Palace, spiritual power 24, Taoist Heart LV3, Contribution Value 280 points.


    At level one, it dealt over a hundred points of damage, and its power would be even more considerable if combined with a few Magic Artifacts. The downside was that it targeted a specific point, and if the target moved away during casting, it might be hard to hit. However, after a brief hesitation, Xiao Buli decided to learn this technique. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the Casting Time was a bit long, it could be cast relatively easily once merged.


    As he thought about it, he bid farewell to Xuanxu Zi and left the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace, returning to his room within the Mystic Hollow Palace. The room was the same as when he had left it; locking the door, he brought out the skill list, ready for a new round of skill merging.


    But before starting the merger, he felt there was someone worth consulting.


    PS: I went to the doctor for my stomach ailment today, and the preliminary diagnosis is superficial gastritis. I still have to undergo a gastroscopy tomorrow, wish me luck. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 151 The Frustrating Curse Sword Unity

    Xiao Buli wanted to seek advice from Jingci, out of the three disciples in Mystic Hollow Palace, he easily deduced their professions from their respective performances.The eldest disciple, Gu Yuexuan, was undoubtedly a Sword Control Master, and his "Sword Immortal" appearance was the best proof of that.


    The third sister, Ji Xiangyun, was ninety percent likely to be an Immortal Skill Master.


    As for Jingci, he gave Xiao Buli the impression of being in-between the two, and since he knew both spells and sword skills, he was most likely a Cursed Swordsman. If he could ask for some experience about Cursed Swordsmen, it would certainly be better than groping around in the dark by himself.


    Thinking this, he left his room and headed to Mystic Hollow Palace''s Beast Pen.


    Jingci, as usual, was with the animals he took care of. He was tossing long-eared fat rabbits towards his pet, a massive wolf with a silver-white coat, having two pairs of crystal-like claws that emitted a chilling aura, and eyes that glowed with azure light. It indeed looked mighty.


    "So this is a Frost Claw Silver Wolf, it''s truly majestic!" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but exclaim. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh, junior brother, you''re back? That''s rare. I''m really glad to see you." Jingci, upon seeing Xiao Buli, seemed genuinely happy. Among the three disciples of Mystic Hollow Palace, he had the best relationship with Xiao Buli.


    After speaking, he glanced at Maoqiu behind Xiao Buli, "Your Maoqiu isn''t bad either. It''s a growth-type pet. Although it''s lacking now, its future achievements are immeasurable." His eager gaze made Maoqiu shrink back.


    The two chatted for a while, and the topic soon turned to the profession of Cursed Swordsman. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "What, you''ve advanced to a Cursed Swordsman too?" Jingci exclaimed upon hearing that Xiao Buli had also become a Cursed Swordsman, "Kid, you really don''t know how to choose, do you? Why''d you pick such a profession?"


    Xiao Buli was a bit puzzled, "What''s wrong? Is there something inappropriate with the Cursed Swordsman profession? Second Senior Brother should be a Cursed Swordsman too, right?"


    With heartfelt concern, Jingci said, "That''s exactly why I''m saying this. The core skill of the Cursed Swordsman, ''Curse Sword Unity,'' is full of pitfalls. Whether the fusion of skills is successful is completely up to luck, and even if the fusion is successful, whether the combined skills are practical is also up to luck.


    Let me tell you, when I first advanced, I indiscriminately practiced a bunch of spells and martial arts. Over forty skills, that''s no joke. In the end, I could only combine twelve usable skills, and most of them had extremely annoying effects. It was truly agonizing."


    Xiao Buli felt strange in his heart. When he fused his skills, each combination was accurate, and every skill was extremely useful.


    "Really?" he said, and proceeded to describe the skills he had combined to Jingci.


    Jingci nodded, "That''s quite normal. My first few skill combinations were also spot-on, and I managed a 57% success rate. But later on, it went downhill. Even with a success rate over ninety percent, there was still a chance of failure. Later on, Master mentioned that a Cursed Swordsman tends to be very lucky when they first advance, with an incredible momentum in skill fusion.


    However, once this period is over, they''re not so lucky anymore. It''s a bit like gambling; beginners usually have good luck, but as the saying goes, ''nine out of ten gamblers lose.'' As time goes on, you''ll understand."


    Xiao Buli still found it hard to believe and tentatively asked, "Then do you have any successful experiences you can share with me?"


    But Jingci shook his head, "There''s no experience to share because even if it''s the same two skills, different people will have different success rates and final skills from the fusion. I can only offer you a piece of advice: wash your hands before you fuse skills."


    Xiao Buli thought this was a bit far-fetched, but although Jingci''s words were a cold splash of reality, he couldn''t stop fusing skills. After all, one shouldn''t throw the baby out with the bathwater.


    After saying farewell to Jingci, Xiao Buli returned to his room alone and began experimenting with skill combinations.


    Soon he found three skill combinations with fairly high success rates.


    Riding the Wind Style + Ice Talisman, fusion success rate 87%.


    Cross Slash + Burst Talisman, fusion success rate 91%.


    Piercing Heart Sword + Thunder Talisman, fusion success rate 79%.


    All were combinations of attack-type skills, and the skills used for fusion were not of significant meaning to him. Even if they were wasted, it wouldn''t matter much, so they were perfect for a trial.


    He dragged Riding the Wind Style and Ice Talisman to the Skill Furnace and casually clicked on skill fusion, then watched expectantly for changes in the Skill Furnace. The anticipation was much shorter than imagined, lasting only a few seconds before a flash of white light.


    System prompt: Skill fusion failed.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, thinking that he was really unlucky. An 87% success rate had failed; Jingci''s words were uncannily accurate.


    (It must be a low-probability event, definitely a low-probability event!) Xiao Buli consoled himself internally, glanced at the two skills, both turned grey, with "cannot be used, cannot forget, cannot delete" suffixes behind them. They were thoroughly wasted.


    Feeling a bit regretful, he dragged out these two useless skills and selected another new combination - Cross Slash + Thunder Talisman.


    He clicked on the fusion, and two seconds later, a flash of white light.


    System prompt: Skill fusion failed.


    (Come on, it can''t be this unlucky, right?) Xiao Buli couldn''t help questioning if perhaps he really hadn''t washed his hands today, seeing such a result.

 Chapter 151 The Annoying Curse Sword Unity_2

    He glanced at his equipment bar and then at his Attributes bar, (Luck 10.5, no difference, huh, why is it like this!? I just don''t buy it!)As he pondered, he dragged the last two skills in and pressed down stubbornly.


    This time, after five or six seconds had passed, there was finally a flash of golden light.


    System prompt: Skill fusion successful. You''ve obtained the new skill ''Straight Lightning Sword.'' You can view this skill in the Skill Bar.


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    (Straight Lightning Sword? Sounds a bit like a watered-down version of ''Ultimate Skills: Straight Lightning Slash.'') As Xiao Buli thought this, he examined the Skill Notes for the new skill. Indeed, it was very similar to the description of Straight Lightning Slash.


    Straight Lightning Sword: Lunge at the target with a sword strike as fast as lightning, inflicting base weapon damage. If it hits a vital spot based on the stabbed part, inflict additional layered damage. After piercing the target, conductive electric shock can be activated to deal secondary damage, consuming 20 True Origin Points.


    If conducting an electric shock, an additional 10 True Origin Points are consumed.


    Xiao Buli studied the description of the skill for a long time and finally came to a rather speechless conclusion: this skill was completely useless.


    It required piercing the target to activate the conductive electric shock; otherwise, it was no different from ''Piercing Heart Sword.'' But the problem is, if you could pierce the opponent''s heart, they would probably already be dead, so what''s the point in shocking them? It might have some use in the game, but in reality, it seemed rather pointless...


    (This skill is so useless, no wonder Jingci said that ''Curse Sword Unity'' was a rip-off.)


    As he considered this, he looked at the only third-level spell he owned, Heavenly Thunder Curse, (Should I use it for fusion?) Xiao Buli hesitated; after all, it was his only third-level spell.


    But not fusing wasn''t an option. This third-level spell was for stationary targets, with a five-second casting time. It was practically impossible to hit someone with it in real-life combat. Keeping it didn''t make much sense. Better to fuse it.


    All in! With gritted teeth, Xiao Buli dragged the skill into the Skill Furnace and then pulled the physical skills he knew toward the other side of the Furnace Core, one by one.


    Upon experimenting with the third skill, the fusion degree had already reached 98%. Xiao Buli was immediately overjoyed, but when he looked at the skill, he was stunned.


    The skill turned out to be ''Cloud Ascension Leap,'' which left him somewhat puzzled. Cloud Ascension Leap was a light body skill, so how could it have such a high fusion rate with this type of offensive spell?


    He hesitated for a moment but decided to go ahead with the fusion. After all, a 98% success rate was the highest he had seen so far. There was no reason it wouldn''t succeed. Thinking this, he clicked to fuse.


    As the Tai Chi Diagram rotated, the two skill icons gradually merged into one, but they did not immediately fuse. Sometimes the Cloud Ascension Leap icon became clearer, sometimes the Heavenly Thunder Curse icon became particularly bright. It seemed like both skills were trying to engulf the other, to overwhelm the other.


    Finally, with a dazzling flash of blue light, the two skills arduously fused into one. The skill icon was now blue, depicting a lightning bolt piercing through dark clouds.


    System prompt: Skill fusion successful. You''ve obtained the exclusive skill¡ªCloud Thunder Leap. You can view this skill in the Skill Bar.


    Cloud Thunder Leap: Transform into a thundercloud and soar into the sky. In this state, your Movement Speed increases by 1000% for 30 seconds. Once the duration ends, you transform into a lightning bolt that crashes to the ground, dealing lightning + blunt hit damage to the impact area, causing splash damage around the impact site.


    The damage at the impact site is related to your Spirit and physique, while the splash damage and its range around the impact site are related to your Spirit. Consumes 100 True Origin Points (can only be used outdoors).


    Skill Notes: Using this skill can cause serious damage to the durability of your equipment. Please use with caution.


    Xiao Buli gaped at the skill. What was this, a humanoid map cannon? Using this to bomb enemies seemed a bit unreliable, not to mention, what''s up with the damaging equipment durability?


    But whether it was usable or not would be known only after a try. 100 True Origin Points, well, that wasn''t too much.


    While he pondered about it, he stepped out of Mystic Hollow Palace, found an empty area where no one was around, and stowed all his good equipment back into his bag. Then he gently touched the icon of the skill. His character dramatically pointed towards the sky and shouted¡ªCloud! Thunder! Leap! Heavenward!


    In the next moment, blue lightning began to emanate from his body. Soon, he realized that it wasn''t just emanating; he was transforming into it. In the blink of an eye, his entire being turned into a blue lightning humanoid, and with the next flash of blue light, he shot up into the sky as a bolt of lightning.


    His viewpoint suddenly shifted from the ground to high above, his character now out of sight, replaced by a spherical lightning bolt. With a slight nudge on the movement key, he zipped away into the distance¡ª1000% movement speed was not a trifling matter.


    He glanced at the top-right corner; of the 30 seconds'' duration, 26 seconds were left.


    In a hurry, he looked for a point to land, but was startled to find that the ground below was enshrouded in a hazy fog¡ªMisty Forest lived up to its name. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He swiftly flew forward and finally saw a clearing in a less foggy part of the forest. The terrain was visible, but a new problem arose: there were no landing markers or crosshairs in sight. (Do I have to estimate it myself, or just wing it?) Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    He fumbled with the controls in a panic without figuring out the situation, but by that time, the duration of Cloud Thunder Leap had already ended. The next moment, Xiao Buli fell to the ground as a bolt of lightning, plummeting rapidly.


    Boom! A thunderous blast echoed in the Misty Forest, smashing the crown of a century-old tree to smithereens and scaring away a few wolves that were wandering nearby. Just as he landed, Xiao Buli suddenly noticed that his health points had drastically depleted.


    He quickly started to heal himself while activating Fleeting Light and Shadow, entering a cautious state and scanning his surroundings. There were no enemies. What''s going on?


    He hurriedly checked the combat log.


    System Record: You used Cloud Thunder Leap.


    System Record: The duration of Cloud Thunder Leap has ended.


    System Record: Your Cloud Thunder Leap dealt 135 points of damage to you.


    Xiao Buli instantly broke into a cold sweat as he realized his oversight.


    The skill notes for Cloud Thunder Leap were¡ªinflicts lightning and blunt damage on the landing area. Wasn''t he right in the landing zone when he hit the ground? This skill, when used on the enemy, is like hitting a moth with a flak cannon, sheer luck; but when used on himself, it''s strikingly accurate.


    Having understood the key point, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but look up to the sky and sigh, "I harm myself before harming the enemy; heaven, do you hate me that much?"


    Moreover, the side effects seemed not limited to this alone. Checking his equipment, he found that a few pieces he hadn''t taken off were all damaged and charred, hanging from his body like a beggar''s attire. He would have to fix them when he got back.


    However, every cloud has a silver lining, and Xiao Buli excelled at finding a bright spot in the direst situation, drawing lessons from adversity.


    On his way back to Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli thought of another brilliant use for the skill¡ªit could be used to escape. It was almost like a medium-range teleportation skill. At ten times his normal speed, 30 seconds could take him three to five kilometers away. It could be quite effective for fleeing, though the side effects were considerable.


    An average person might only have about 100 health points and would likely be done for on the spot, but he had improved his physique significantly over time, reaching 20 points, with health points over 200. Coupled with his equipment, he had surpassed the 400 benchmark, making him half a tank by any measure. He could withstand such damage.


    It took him half an hour to get back to Mystic Hollow Palace, where he repaired his equipment. Not staying long since there was nothing left to learn, he set out once again. By evening, he finally spotted the familiar sights of Dahuang Village again.


    PS: I had a gastroscopy today; oh my gosh, it was torture. Lying there with a tube being inserted into my stomach, I thought I would die. In the end, they diagnosed me with duodenal ulcers and superficial gastritis. It will take a long time to recover. Everyone, take care of your health and don''t end up like me.


    PS2: Tomorrow, back to two updates. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your votes for recommended and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 152 Newcomer

    Situ Yu sat among a group of male and female otakus, feeling slightly helpless as she tugged at the baggy tracksuit that hung off her frame. In order to convincingly portray a female gamer deeply enthralled by online games, she had to sacrifice her image.She not only changed to a hairstyle she would normally never consider, but she also traded her usual attire for an old set of casual clothes, completely shedding the image of the smart and resplendent policewoman she used to be.


    Entering the company proved to be much easier than expected. With her exceptional reflexes and some residual gaming experience from her university days, she barely passed the company''s assessment and became a new employee. For some time to come, she would be conducting her secret investigation here, seeking the truth behind those mysterious cases. She was all in this time.


    "Number thirteen, you''ve passed the assessment. Please come with me," called a man who looked like a college professor.


    Upon hearing her number called, Situ Yu immediately perked up, (Finally, it''s my turn?) a thought flashed through her mind. She tried to look very nervous as she stood up from her seat, though in truth she didn''t need to pretend that much because she was indeed quite nervous.


    Glancing back at those still waiting for their results, she followed the man with a touch of relief.


    "Hello, my name is Ouyang, welcome to our company." The man extended his hand warmly as they walked, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, but Situ Yu still shook hands with him before being led into a room. Inside were already eight or nine other people who, like her, seemed to be the selected newcomers.


    "Please wait here for a moment. Someone from our company will come to train you shortly. However, before that, we need to conduct a medical examination. Don''t be nervous; it''s just a simple blood test and such routine matters," he said before leaving.


    Situ Yu took a seat in an empty spot, surrounded by a bunch of excited otaku boys, all of whom looked to be under twenty, younger than her, and it appeared she was the only female newcomer, which annoyed her. The biggest taboo of going undercover is to stand out, and without intending to, she had already made this mistake.


    Xiao Buli and Li Jian stood side by side at the door, observing the newcomers in the room who resembled their past selves, awkward and visibly uneasy, feigning calm yet looking around.


    "What a bunch of noobs," Li Jian suddenly said. Xiao Buli nodded. These newcomers seemed a bit too young compared to the generally over twenty-five, even in their thirties, veterans in their studio. This batch was mostly just over twenty, some even looking like they might not be twenty yet. He wondered if there was a special reason for this.


    The advantage of youth is more energy and quicker reflexes. Although he was reluctant to admit it, Xiao Buli knew all too well that once someone passes twenty-five, their gaming abilities decline, and even he was not exempt from this.


    The downside of being young is a lack of steadiness and experience. In other games, this might not matter much, but in a game where you only have one life, such shortcomings can sometimes be fatal, which is perhaps why the company specifically arranged for him and Li Jian to look after these newcomers.


    As he pondered this, several individuals dressed as nurses and doctors came in, drew a little blood from each new person, asked a few simple questions about their health, and concluded the medical check-ups hastily. Watching the medics leave through a different door, Xiao Buli executed his unique secret technique, Secret Sound Transmission.


    "Wu, it''s your turn," he said. A barely discernible voice responded in his ear, "Don''t worry." The faint scent that had been lingering around him quietly dissipated.


    Xiao Buli felt a sense of anticipation. He had always been curious about how characters in the game were created, and his thoughts always returned to the medical examination he underwent when he first joined the company. Therefore, this time he specifically requested to observe the newcomers, in reality, providing cover for Wu Min''er.


    "Okay, you two, come on in," Qin Shimoon''s voice sounded from behind them, and they entered the room.


    As the two walked in, the newcomers eyed them with the curiosity of children. Xiao Buli looked rather normal; his physique was lean and strong, inconspicuous under his clothing. In contrast, Li Jian''s Hacker Empire attire was a bit more outlandish, not to mention his burly build and the intimidating aura that he unintentionally exuded.


    The people below started whispering among themselves.


    "Are these two really gamers? They don''t look like it."


    "Probably security from the company."


    "Yeah, I agree, definitely security."


    Hearing the discussions below, Xiao Buli felt somewhat speechless. He looked at Li Jian for guidance, but Li Jian said, "You do the introductions. I''m somewhat tired of this kind of thing."


    After that, he walked to one side, sat down on a chair, and crossed his arms.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he knew Li Jian had been demonized, Xiao Buli might have actually found his change surprising. But now, he just nodded and cleared his throat to say, "Welcome to Qilin Studio. I''m going to be your team leader and mentor for the next month.


    I''ll guide you through the introductory phase of the game you''ll be playing, which is called ''Absolute Death Domain.'' It''s extremely difficult and has some similarities to the expert mode of ''Diablo II.'' Your character absolutely cannot die because if they do, there is no way to revive them. Plus, game accounts are very rare, and you can only create one character per account.


    So, if your game character dies, your contract with the company ends as well. Please remember, in the game do not lightly attempt to challenge difficult monsters. Try to keep a low profile, or else if you die, you''ll have to leave. Any questions?"


    A teenager who looked about sixteen or seventeen suddenly raised a hand, and Xiao Buli pointed at him, signaling that he could speak.


    The teenager asked curiously, "What''s Diablo?"


    Xiao Buli: "....."


    Not even knowing what Diablo is, what are these newbies here for! But after thinking about it, it seemed reasonable that they wouldn''t know, considering Diablo was a game from a decade ago. Am I already that old?


    Feeling somewhat depressed, he explained the significance of the Diablo game and gave a brief overview of what expert mode was. The teenager nodded as if he understood but didn''t, finally saying, "I still don''t get it, but it sounds impressive." Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli was completely out of patience.


    "Alright, let me continue. As your mentor, I''ll try my best to keep you alive for this month, though that''s basically impossible. Every time there is a training for newbies, some drop out midway, either due to overconfidence or a failed challenge.


    And of course, there''s always simple bad luck, because this game is not like those newbie online games where even walking is automated, or those grind-fests where you can keep reviving and restarting. This game is a true world of cruelty¡ªa single mistake, and you can say goodbye to this world. Now, follow me, and I''ll show you the real face of this game."


    Situ Yu followed the crowd of newbies toward the training room for new players. She hadn''t really paid much attention to the introduction by those two people. Though the game sounded quite peculiar, playing it wasn''t her reason for being here. All she needed to remember was to be careful; after all, she hadn''t planned to keep playing this game indefinitely.


    Just long enough to find the truth would suffice.


    With these thoughts in mind, the training room for the newbies was already in sight.


    Walking into the room, there were two rows of computers that looked highly advanced.


    Xiao Buli said, "Everyone find a seat and sit down."


    The newbies hastily found their seats and eagerly turned on the computers in front of them.


    Guiding them wasn''t very difficult, as most had some gaming experience. Xiao Buli just needed to give them tips when they encountered any issues, which often helped them to quickly grasp the essentials. He warned them about three basic principles: not to attack NPCs in the village, not even to speak rudely to them, and not to leave the village at will. Then he found a computer and sat down. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching the new players find jobs in the village, learn skills, and occasionally let out a gasp at some design feature was like seeing a younger version of himself.


    However, this moment was destined to be fleeting. These newbies probably didn''t have much time left to experience this game. He glanced at Li Jian next to him; Jian hadn''t turned on his computer but was watching the other newbies with a faint sneer on his lips, his thoughts inscrutable.


    Xiao Buli then glanced again at the newbies, his gaze sweeping over them before settling on the only female in the group, who seemed quite pretty.


    Situ Yu was feeling rather annoyed as she controlled her character to clean an NPC''s house. Due to her distraction, the mini-game received terrible reviews several times in a row.


    "You''re useless, girl! Can''t even do a simple task properly, off with you, you''re fired!" The auntie who had hired her was very angry as she chased her out, and Situ Yu couldn''t help but laugh. She checked her inventory, and it seemed she had nothing to show for her efforts, like she had worked in vain.


    But being able to learn a ''cleaning'' skill for free wasn''t too bad. Thinking this, she clicked open her Skill Bar and then paused. Beneath the cleaning skill, there was another skill.


    Grasping Enemy Fist LV3: State Skill. While this state is active, you gain a higher accuracy rate and blocking efficiency during unarmed combat.


    Skill Description: This is a practical boxing technique created after long-term refinement by many senior fighters. Although the moves are simple, they are very suitable for beginner fighters. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 153 Situ Yus Old Acquaintance

    Situ Yu suddenly found herself with a mysterious new skill and felt very strange.(When did I learn this skill? Does every new player come with an initial skill? And why do the name and description of this skill seem so similar to the Grasping Enemy Fist I practice normally?) She glanced curiously at the person next to her, a plump individual engrossed in controlling their character, laboriously tilling a field with an invested look. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey handsome, can I ask you something?"


    Upon turning and seeing a rather pleasing-looking girl, the chubby guy immediately smiled brightly, "Sure, what do you want to ask?"


    Situ Yu asked, "Do you have an initial skill?"


    "Initial skill? I don''t think so, why do you ask?" the chubby one asked somewhat curiously.


    "Nothing much, just curious," Situ Yu didn''t elaborate any further. She felt there must be some reason for it, but then laughed at herself for being silly. It was just a game, not the reason she came here, so why fuss over it? With that thought, she didn''t take it to heart anymore.


    Xiao Buli was at that moment studying new skill combinations, and he had actually come up with a few.


    Chain Sword Strike + Touch of Healing, fusion success rate 87%.


    Taming Skills + Summon Rune Soldier, fusion success rate 84%.


    Leaping from Dry Land + Earth Escape Skills, fusion success rate 76%.


    He had never thought of these skill combinations before because, in his view, they were entirely different types of skills and fusions would be impossible, so he hadn''t experimented with them. However, due to the bizarre nature of Cloud Thunder Leap, he deliberately tested them and found the fusion rates to be unexpectedly high.


    But what kind of skills would they fuse into? Taming Skills and Summon Rune Soldier were somewhat similar, but Chain Sword Strike and Touch of Healing were like mixing oil with water. Could it be that if he struck the enemy with his sword, the injuries they sustained would heal? That seemed too preposterous.


    The combination of Leaping from Dry Land + Earth Escape was even more absurd, one going up and the other going down, how could they possibly be fused? Maybe after fusion, it would turn into an ability to leap straight through the ceiling. That seemed a bit possible.


    However, curious as he was, he didn''t dare to fuse them carelessly at the moment. After all, they were very important skills to him, and if the fusion went wrong, it would be a disaster.


    Perhaps he should stack up his Luck Value a bit more before attempting, or obtain a +Luck BUFF, which would most likely affect the success rate of skill fusion.


    Thinking of this, Xiao Buli became curious about the Luck attribute. The effect of this attribute was so magical that it could already affect the rules of reality. What kind of principle had given this game such a powerful ability? Surely it couldn''t be explained by gaming or another world.


    A bell ringing interrupted his thoughts. Xiao Buli looked at the time and realized it was lunchtime.


    He hurriedly exited the game and shouted to the new players, "Alright, everyone can put down their work now, it''s lunchtime. Continue after eating. Next, I''ll show you the company''s cafeteria, and I believe you will enjoy the food here."


    Situ Yu hadn''t initially taken Xiao Buli''s words to heart, as the meals provided in the bureau were exceptionally awful, and it was fairly common to end up with boxed lunches or instant noodles. However, upon arriving at the cafeteria, she realized that Xiao Buli hadn''t exaggerated.


    The food offered looked fresh, nutritious, delicious, and hygienic, almost on par with the best-decorated luxury buffet restaurants.


    The cafeteria wasn''t crowded, and many tables were unoccupied, making it feel somewhat empty. After a brief inquiry, she learned that it was because members of the Green Dragon Group and White Tiger Group couldn''t log on at the moment, which had made meal times more flexible.


    As she was eating lunch and thinking about her next move, a group of uniformed people walked in, laughing and joking. Each one had the emblem of the Azure Dragon on their chest, which she recognized as the insignia of the Green Dragon Group, and she couldn''t help but pay attention.


    Suddenly, one of the figures caught her eye¡ªa girl with a strong Gothic look, sitting at the Green Dragon group''s table. To her surprise, it was someone she knew, a pickpocket she had arrested twice before when she was in the anti-theft squad. The girl''s name seemed to be Yaoyao. Her memory of the girl was of someone very gloomy, and it was a blast from the past to see her here.


    A smile formed on the corner of her mouth. Perhaps she could get some information out of her.


    She knew the traits of such people well: they feared discussions of their past the most, especially since pickpocketing wasn''t an honorable occupation. If someone found out, it would surely be embarrassing for them. So, She wasn''t worried that Yaoyao would dare to reveal her identity, and such tarnished individuals tended to be somewhat scared of the police.


    When the gothic girl had lazily chosen her lunch and was sitting in a corner eating slowly, Situ Yu quietly walked over.


    "Hello there." She winked at Yaoyao, who immediately felt a bit nervous on recognizing her, but quickly regained her composure.


    "What are you doing here?" Yaoyao asked defensively, the unpleasant memories of the past surfacing again, which irritated her.


    "Relax, I''m not here to catch you, you''re not that attractive." Situ Yu said, lowering her voice, "I want to know something about the company, seeing as we''re old friends, could you help me out?"


    "The company?" Yaoyao laughed upon hearing her words, a seductive smile playing on her lips, "I get it, our great police officer is here to fight crime, right? Unfortunately, I''m afraid you''ll be leaving empty-handed. As far as I know, you''re not someone who can mess with this company''s background. I suggest you go back to catching petty thieves.


    After all, those who are reduced to theft don''t have any profound background, and catching them would be the perfect way for you to make a merit, wouldn''t it?"


    Yaoyao''s tone was clearly sarcastic, implying that she only picks on the weak and is afraid of those with real backing, only daring to go after insignificant characters. This made Situ Yu very uncomfortable, especially since there was likely truth in those words¡ªafter all, the chief had warned her more than once to stay away from certain cases.


    "I don''t care about its background, you think I wouldn''t know if this company had one? But here I am. I only believe in justice." Situ Yu stated righteously, feeling an inexplicable sense of martyrdom swell within her.


    Hearing this, Yaoyao shook her head, both amused and annoyed, seemingly admiring Situ Yu''s conviction, yet there seemed to be something else mixed in, "Alright then, if you really want to know, I''ll tell you. But I''m afraid you might not believe it."


    This response caught Situ Yu by surprise.


    "Aren''t you afraid of the company''s background?"


    "Afraid? How could I not be? But it''s pretty much an open secret, and sooner or later you would find out anyway, so it doesn''t matter if I tell you now." As Yaoyao spoke, she once again lowered her voice, revealing a little of the game''s secret.


    After hearing what she said, Situ Yu felt like she had heard a poor joke, "You mean to say that whatever you experience in this game reflects back into reality? Are you joking?"


    Yaoyao seemed to have anticipated this reaction, "If you don''t believe it, why don''t you try committing suicide in the game, then you''ll know if I''m telling the truth or not."


    "Commit suicide in the game? What does that have to do with what you''re saying? It''s not like dying in the game means you''ll also die in reality¡­"


    Situ Yu suddenly stopped, shocked by her own thoughts.


    Could it be that those employees died in the game and thus died in real life too? Impossible, such things can''t happen! That''s what her mind screamed, yet the causes of death for those victims kept surfacing before her. If what Yaoyao said was true, it would explain everything, but how could it possibly be true?


    She glanced at Yaoyao who was observing her with an amused look, and suddenly felt like she was being made a fool of.


    "Let''s drop it then. But just to be clear, if you dare disclose my identity, I''ll expose yours too."


    Yaoyao nodded, "Looks like we both have things we''d rather keep secret, eh? Alright, I agree."


    Situ Yu suddenly felt a sense of defeat. Yaoyao was much more confident than she expected, seemingly unafraid of the effect her past might have, nor intimidated by Situ Yu''s police identity. It was as if something had invisibly changed Yaoyao, endowing her with a strange charm, and Situ Yu even had the feeling that Yaoyao was completely transformed.


    After lunch, Situ Yu continued her undercover work. This time she was determined to show her capabilities, although the game means little to her, performing too poorly might get her fired, which would be bad.


    So, as soon as she was on the computer, she planned to improve her strength in the game. Though her gaming skills were no match for those of professional players, she had her advantages. Over lunch, by casually using her charm, she got quite a bit of information about the game from other new players.


    From that information, she discovered that this game was indeed weird, completely different from anything currently on the market, seemingly difficult.


    However, the information provided by the newcomers was too little. After giving it some thought, she decided to work on the two new player mentors to see if she could gain more advantages.


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    The two mentors were quite different in character, the strong man in sunglasses looked indifferent and seemed difficult to approach. Compared to him, the other seemed much more approachable. So, when that person logged into their character, Situ Yu quietly walked over.


    "Hey, can I ask you a few questions?" (To be continued. If you like this work, your recommendations and monthly votes at Qidian are much appreciated. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 154 Sudden Realization

    Xiao Buli instinctively turned his head upon hearing that voice, only to find that it was the only female member of the newbie group, who was looking at him with an inquiring expression."Is there something you need?" he asked.


    "It''s mainly about the class change, I wanted to ask you about it. I was wondering if that''s okay?"


    Xiao Buli nodded. He had no problem with giving advice on this subject since it was part of his job. Even though he might switch sides soon, he figured he ought to still be professional.


    "So, what type of class do you want to change to? I can give you some suggestions."


    Situ Yu thought for a moment. She didn''t plan on investing too much effort into this game, so naturally, she would choose whatever was convenient. Now that she already had the skill Grasping Enemy Fist, she might as well change her class to a Fighter or something similar.


    "Can I change to a class that specializes in barehanded combat?"


    "Of course, that type of class is not bad either; they can take and deliver hits." Xiao Buli said while flipping through the mentor''s manual, which he had received just yesterday. The handbook described the features and specialized pathways for several popular classes, though it was limited to Dahuang Village.


    Xiao Buli casually flipped through it and found the barehanded combat classes, from which he started to introduce the relevant information.


    "Currently, there are three classes in this category: Martial Monk, Fighter, and Qigong Master." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Qigong Masters primarily use Qigong with fist and foot techniques as secondary, capable of projecting Internal Energy to attack enemies, with ''Inner Strength'' being the core skill."


    "Fighters prioritize fist and foot techniques with Inner Strength as secondary, mainly dealing physical damage to enemies, while Internal Energy serves as an enhancement to increase the power of their punches and kicks, with ''Martial Soul'' being the core skill."


    "As for Martial Monks, they are a blend of both, cultivating both external and internal abilities. They can transform Inner Strength into positive energy to attack or purify Undead creatures. Overall, they are a versatile class, with ''Buddha Nature'' as the core skill. So, which one would you like to change to?"


    Situ Yu pondered for a while, "I want to become a Fighter."


    Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Let me check," Xiao Buli flipped through the manual again, "to change to a Fighter, you need 15 points in Strength, 15 points in Agility, 15 points in Speed, and Barehanded Combat Specialization LV5. You can undergo the class change at any martial arts hall in various cities. The nearest one from here would be the Si Hai Martial Arts Hall in Nine Dragons City."


    "You can improve your Basic Attributes through various Professional Skills. Barehanded Combat Specialization can also be learned and enhanced through Professional Skills. Available in Dahuang Village, the life classes where you can learn Barehanded Combat Specialization include Chef, Porter, and Gatherer."


    "The types of fist techniques that can be learned in Newbie Village are¡ª


    Luohan Fist: Learn from the laborer, Luo Dagang.


    Chain Kick: Learn from the scoundrel, Wang San Scabies.


    Zhe Gu Shou: Learn from Doctor Ji of the medical hall."


    Situ Yu said, "Zhe Gu Shou sounds pretty impressive. What are the requirements for learning it?"


    Xiao Buli looked it up again, "First, you need to have a bone fracture. Then, you seek treatment from Doctor Ji, who will set your bone. After that, you can ask him to teach you the skill ''Zhe Gu Shou.'' But if you want him to agree, it''s best if your Affinity with him is at least at the level of Respect, and your Prestige in Dahuang Village has to be at least Friendly."


    (This sounds quite complicated. Even knowing what to do, it would take some time to get it all sorted out.) Situ Yu couldn''t help but feel a bit helpless, realizing that it would indeed take some effort.


    She was planning to go back to work hard at the game, but then she noticed that Xiao Buli''s screen looked different from hers. In the center of his screen was something that resembled a furnace.


    Out of curiosity, Situ Yu asked, "Hey, what are you pondering over there? Why is there something like a kettle on your screen?"


    "It''s nothing," Xiao Buli hurriedly closed the interface of the Skill Furnace and said evasively.


    However, Situ Yu instinctively sensed something. Based on her experience in solving cases, she could clearly feel that he seemed to be concealing something.


    Seeing that Situ Yu had no intention of leaving, Xiao Buli deliberately changed the subject, "Have you heard about the newbie gambler theory?"


    Situ Yu shook her head, having no recollection of it at all.


    Xiao Buli then explained, "There is a theory that gamblers always have great luck when they''re beginners. But once they become acquainted with the rules and pass that newbie stage, they can''t seem to get that kind of luck anymore."


    Situ Yu shook her head after listening, "I don''t think so. I know what you''re talking about, but this so-called ''newbie luck'' actually has other reasons behind it."


    Xiao Buli asked curiously, "Oh, why do you say that?"


    Situ Yu then explained, "Generally, when people gamble, they tend to follow some kind of rational calculation unconsciously, which seems plausible on the surface, and in a sense, it''s not wrong. However, to a true expert, such formulas are easy to grasp, and once the formula is cracked, victory comes easily.


    Those who thought their calculations were foolproof would feel like they have bad luck after repeated defeats."


    "Newbies, due to their unfamiliarity with the rules, often lack a specific formula when selecting their hands, making it harder for others to see through their choices. As a result, they might stumble upon wins against veterans during their early stage. Of course, these are just isolated cases and occasional victories.


    Yet, as soon as they become familiar with the rules and devise their own calculations, they fall into the cycle again, ultimately losing repeatedly as veterans decode their formulas."


    Xiao Buli was surprised after hearing this, not expecting the other party to have such insight. Could it be that he had also fallen into such a misconception, misled by seemingly rational formulas?


    That''s right! Xiao Buli thought. The so-called rational calculation formulas were clearly the fusion success rates provided by the system. Perhaps those success rates were not the real rational rules. Previously, when he had attempted to fuse four skills, the two with medium success rates failed, while the ones with the highest and lowest rates succeeded. How could that be explained?


    It seemed like the success rates were not that important, and maybe there were other rules he hadn''t discovered yet.


    He took out those skills and studied them over and over again until he suddenly noticed something different.


    Since he had a lot of experience, he had elevated many skills to LV5, including Burst Talisman and Ice Talisman. However, Thunder Talisman had not been upgraded due to its infrequent use, and Cloud Ascension Leap couldn''t be leveled up as an extended skill, so these two remained at LV1. The fusions of the two LV5 skills had failed, while those of the two LV1 skills succeeded.


    Could it be that the lower the skill level, the higher the chance of a successful fusion?


    But that explanation didn''t seem right either, because the skills he had used for fusions previously were all high level.


    He thought back to those skills that had successfully fused and realized they had something in common: they were all max level.


    Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Xiao Buli''s mind, and he exclaimed, "I''ve got it!"


    Clearly, the chance of a successful fusion didn''t depend on how high the skill level was but on the closeness of the two skills'' levels used for fusion. If the gap was too large, the fusion would likely fail. If that was the case, it made sense.


    Jingci, when she just advanced, would surely use her frequently employed skills for fusion, naturally leading to a high success rate. But as she continued, the skills she used for fusion became more and more random and patternless, leading to a lower success rate.


    Having realized this, he couldn''t help but feel excited. Perhaps this could solve the uncertainty problem with skill fusion.


    With this thought, his gaze towards Situ Yu warmed considerably. Although the girl was just a newbie, she had helped him solve a major puzzle, an unexpected gain indeed.


    Having resolved this issue that had troubled him for a while, his mood improved significantly. He said to Situ Yu, "If you have any questions, just ask. I''ll do my best to help you."


    Situ Yu was delighted upon hearing this, while the other newbies around them muttered jealously to themselves, ''Look at how generous he is towards the girl. The world is really so unfair.''


    Xiao Buli didn''t care about what the newcomers thought of him; he wasn''t concerned with their opinions. Although he didn''t have much money left, he was still considered wealthy compared to the newbies. Moreover, his prestige in Dahuang Village provided him with respect and convenience in getting things done.


    With Xiao Buli''s help, Situ Yu''s leveling journey became much smoother. She easily accumulated enough prestige, and by around four in the afternoon, she had learned the Zhe Gu Shou skill, and also managed to elevate her Barehanded Combat Specialization to LV2 thanks to the Gatherer profession.


    Zhe Gu Shou: A trigger-type skill. After initiating a grappling effect with a bare-handed attack, this skill can be used to cause a bone-breaking effect on the target, inflicting various negative impacts depending on the broken bone''s location. It consumes 5 Stamina Points upon use.


    Barehanded Combat Specialization: With a basic understanding of unarmed combat, you can fight more effectively with your bare hands. Learning such martial arts skills becomes more instinctive. This skill is also a prerequisite for other fighting skills like boxing and leg techniques.


    Zhe Gu Shou was undoubtedly a very practical skill, nicely complementing Grasping Enemy Fist, and Barehanded Combat Specialization was extremely important as well.


    Xiao Buli even gifted her a set of Leather Armor equipment that a newbie could wear. Although it wasn''t anything spectacular, it was quite impressive among newbies, making Situ Yu extremely happy.


    Before they knew it, evening arrived. Xiao Buli checked the time and then told everyone to log off and have dinner.


    Xiao Buli finished his dinner quickly and didn''t return to his room but went directly to the restroom. In a short while, Wu Min''er and Zhang Yaoyang also arrived there in succession.


    "Hey, how does it feel to play the nanny?" Wu Min''er said half-jokingly.


    "It''s okay, they''re all noobs. Let''s not talk about that now. How did your scouting go?" Xiao Buli asked with concern.


    Wu Min''er''s face suddenly lit up with excitement, "I''ve found the destination. They''re sending the blood drawn from the newbies to a heavily guarded room on the top floor. It feels like some kind of laboratory. I couldn''t infiltrate due to the tight security, but I could try again tonight."


    PS: There might be two updates tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 155 Rage of Chiyou

    "Hey, Senior Xiao, why didn''t your colleague come in today?" Situ Yu looked at Xiao Buli, her curiosity piqued. After waiting for a while without getting an answer, Situ Yu suddenly noticed Xiao Buli gazing intently at the entrance of the area for new recruits."What''s going on?" Situ Yu asked in confusion.


    "Nothing much, just waiting for some things," Xiao Buli replied nonchalantly, but his eyes betrayed an anticipation for something.


    Situ Yu was about to ask more when suddenly, faint cries for help came from outside.


    "Help, someone''s been murdered!" Li Baocheng yelled as he sprinted for his life, feeling like he''d never run so fast before. Just now, taking advantage of the moment when others momentarily held back Li Jian''s advance, he had seized the chance to rush out of the White Tiger Group''s computer room, and, dizzy with panic, he headed toward the manager''s office.


    On pushing the door, he found it locked, and banging on it a few times provoked no response.


    Damn it, just when I need him, he''s not here. Right, to the Green Dragon Group! He ran towards the Green Dragon Group, kicked open a door¡ªno one, kicked open another door¡ªstill no one.


    "Damn, where has everyone in the company gone?" Li Baocheng wanted to cry, but couldn''t. When he once again returned to the break room, screams from the White Tiger Group''s computer room could be faintly heard. He panicked, his mind reeling, only thinking about finding someone to help. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (That''s right, the new recruits!) Li Baocheng finally remembered and turned to run towards the new recruits'' area. He kicked open the door of the new recruits'' area, and Xiao Buli looked up, stirred by Li Baocheng''s entrance.


    "Why are you here? What''s all that shouting outside?"


    "Hurry up, that Li Jian, he''s, he''s gone mad!" Li Baocheng shouted breathlessly. Xiao Buli suddenly felt a surge of excitement¡ªclearly, the Demon Clan''s invasion had begun.


    "I''m on it!" He turned to glance at the new recruits and ordered sternly, "Everyone, get in the elevator now! If you don''t want to die, leave the building immediately!" Without waiting to see if they complied, he grabbed Li Baocheng by the collar and dragged him out.


    The new recruits looked at each other in shock for a moment, then, in panic, they stood and ran towards the exit. Situ Yu felt a mix of excitement and confusion. She hesitated but followed them. Intuitively sensing that something significant had happened, which might be related to the cases she was investigating, she decided to be safe and drew a pistol she had secretly brought with her.


    "No, don''t, Old Li, I am¡ªah!" A dying scream caused Situ Yu''s heart to tremble, and she immediately stopped in her tracks. The cry was so piercing that it instilled a flicker of unease in her heart.


    The new recruits were all blocked at the entrance to the break room. Situ Yu gripped the gun tightly, the cold barrel providing a sense of security. She calmed herself, gritted her teeth, and began to move forward again.


    At the intersection in front of the break room, Li Jian stood bloodied, holding a giant axe, as he pulled the blade from the bifurcated body of someone who appeared to have escaped from the White Tiger Group''s computer room, but still met a fatal end. The path from the break room to the White Tiger Group was covered in blood traces.


    Li Jian turned to look at Xiao Buli and the new recruits behind him, an evil smile playing on his lips. His sunglasses had been discarded, revealing a pair of unusual purple eyes emitting a strange glow.


    The new recruits had never seen such a scene and were petrified.


    Xiao Buli hadn''t expected to encounter this but sighed as he looked back at the new recruits. This was no time to retreat.


    Reaching into the air, he gripped a transparent crystal-like sword that materialized in his hand.


    This move shocked the new recruits behind him, especially Situ Yu, whose mind reeled with the implications. Could it be that Yaoyao was telling the truth? But how could that be possible? Her mind was in chaos until Xiao Buli grabbed her wrist, snapping her back to reality.


    "Take them downstairs; I''ll hold him off," Xiao Buli said. On instinct, Situ Yu nodded and led the new recruits towards the elevator. Xiao Buli stood sideways, cautiously placing himself between Li Jian and the new recruits. Li Jian, however, showed no intent to pursue the escapees, but instead began to laugh.


    "It''s futile. They might escape today but not tomorrow. The Demon Clan will eventually rule this world! Just give up struggling. Join the Demon Clan, and you will gain unparalleled power."


    Xiao Buli scoffed disdainfully, "With those weaklings? Hah, I don''t think so, and besides, is the Demon Clan something you can just join on a whim?"


    Li Jian nodded, "Naturally. The Demon Clan is not of only one kind; any species, any creature willing to submit to the will of the Abyssal Lord, will become a member of the Demon Clan, including you and me."


    Xiao Buli was stunned. He had heard for the first time that the Demon Clan was not one race, but then again, thinking about it, the demons he had encountered indeed did not all look the same. Yet, who was this Abyssal Lord? Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Sorry, but I''m not interested in being brainwashed. What''s the difference between that and being dead?"


    Li Jian sighed, "What a shame; I was actually thinking of having you as my partner. Since you foolishly wish to resist such power, then embrace your fate with death."


    Xiao Buli was amused by Li Jian''s tone, "Old Li, can''t you speak normally after demonizing? What''s with the NPC accent?"


    Li Jian responded with a laugh instead of anger, swung his Demonic Flame Giant Axe fiercely, and in the next moment, both of them charged at each other.


    As their axe and sword met, the sound of clashing blades rang through the air. After a few exchanges, Xiao Buli inwardly cursed his misfortune. His strength was no longer in the same league as Li Jian''s. Li Jian had always been stronger than him, and after demonizing, the gap widened even more. Within a short span of rounds, Xiao Buli found himself on the defensive.


    In haste, he switched from Gale Sword Skills to Tai Chi Sword Skills, managing to fend off the attacks for a while. However, his longsword became increasingly heavy as Li Jian''s strikes, filled with endless strength, made redirecting them harder and harder. Eventually, with a loud bang, the Ethereal Sword was knocked flying out of his grip.


    Xiao Buli quickly executed Shadow Clone, retreating swiftly backwards while a mirrored image of him, connected to his movements, didn''t retreat but advanced, charging at Li Jian.


    Seizing the moment Li Jian was distracted by the illusion, Xiao Buli made a swift escape and summoned a new Ethereal Sword.


    "Heh, looks like I''ve underestimated you, you do have some tricks up your sleeve," said Li Jian with a cold laugh when he realized he had struck only an image.


    "What I have is more than just a couple of tricks."


    Xiao Buli raised his longsword high and swung it down with force ¡ª Mysterious Ice Slash!


    A crescent-shaped white Sword Qi slashed out fiercely, but Li Jian casually waved it away, shattering the Sword Qi in mid-air. The black Demonic Flame on his giant axe grew even more intense; it was clearly no ordinary weapon.


    Xiao Buli attacked again with another Sword Qi Slash, and Li Jian broke it once more, taking another step forward.


    Palm Thunder! A ball of lightning gathered in Xiao Buli''s hand. "Take this, Sith Lightning!" he shouted, blasting it towards Li Jian.


    But Li Jian kept to his routine, raising his giant axe and completely absorbing the power of the lightning.


    "Still need to hypnotize yourself to activate your skills? Seems you''re not as smart as I thought," said Li Jian, stepping forward again. "But no matter. Join the Demon Clan, and you can use these supernatural powers anytime, anywhere. I''ll give you one last chance."


    Xiao Buli answered him with action¡ª


    Ultimate Skill¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! He leaned over his sword, suddenly adopting the stance of drawing his blade, and in the next second, a magnificent sword light bloomed like a resplendent white lotus.


    Li Jian sighed, and the blade of his axe started spinning as well.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªEndless Whirlwind!


    A black and a white whirlwind collided instantaneously, the white one coming to an abrupt halt. Xiao Buli got sent flying by that force, the Ethereal Sword slipping from his hand again.


    (A head-on collision is definitely not the way to do it. Time to escape.) Xiao Buli thought as he felt a sense of oppression in his chest and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. As he watched Li Jian, dragging his axe, slowly approaching, and just as Xiao Buli struggled to get up, intending to execute Fleeting Light and Shadow to escape, a fierce cry suddenly came from behind.


    "Don''t move! Stay right there!" Xiao Buli turned to look and saw Situ Yu, who had returned at some unknown time, holding a small handgun with its barrel aimed straight at Li Jian.


    Li Jian gave a disdainful smile but did not stop, continuing to walk towards them.


    "Stay where you are!" Situ Yu shouted again, her hand trembling involuntarily with the gun. Until now, she had never fired at a real person.


    (Just shoot, you idiot!) Situ Yu thought to herself intensely, and with a bang, she finally pulled the trigger.


    At such a close range, the bullet easily hit Li Jian''s arm. Li Jian looked at his bleeding wound and showed a cruel smile, "So this is what it feels like to be shot? I appreciate the lesson. But now, it''s my turn." He raised his giant axe, looking completely unharmed, preparing to bring it down with a slash.


    It was over. Situ Yu felt a deep sense of despair when suddenly, a figure appeared behind Li Jian out of nowhere¡ªit was Yaoyao! With a slicing sound, Yaoyao executed a fierce Backstab, stabbing directly into Li Jian''s back.


    The attack made Li Jian scream. He turned and swung his axe in a Cross Slash, but Yaoyao performed several backflips in succession, agilely avoiding the strike and landing ten meters away. The dagger in her hand dripped with blood, yet her face bore no trace of fear, her expression cool and confident as she faced off with Li Jian.


    Witnessing this made Situ Yu feel ashamed; compared to the pickpocket she had once caught, she, a police officer, had seemed too vulnerable just moments before. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote, recommend tickets, monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 155 Demon Clan Invasion

    ```Hearing Wu Min''er''s suggestion, Xiao Buli considered for a moment before saying, "I think it''s best not to act rashly for the time being, to avoid startling the snake out of the grass, which wouldn''t be good. Once Li Jian initiates his move, it will certainly attract the company''s attention, and then it will be more effective for you to make your move."


    Wu Min''er sighed, "Alright, but honestly, what exactly is hidden in that lab that has you so nervous?"


    Xiao Buli said, "If my guess is correct, it''s very likely equipment related to the creation of characters."


    Zhang Yaoyang''s eyes flashed with a sharp light, "You mean¡ª"


    "That''s right, my meaning is they might be using our blood to create our characters in the game; that device is probably key to understanding the truth behind this game."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "If that''s the case, we really do have to be careful."


    Wu Min''er said, "Well, well, I''ll take action when the time comes, and after the success, we''ll meet at the agreed place."


    "And what about me? What''s my task?" Zhang Yaoyang suddenly asked.


    "Your task is simple, launch a surprise attack on the Qilin Group. After I have lured the Qilin Group into the planned state, you lead everyone in launching a surprise attack. Remember, our targets are the game client and the three individuals, Dugu Han, Qin Shimoon, and Liu Zijian. Anyone else is a secondary target."


    "Surprise attack on the Qilin Group, but how exactly are we going to do it? You should make it clear now." Xiao Buli nodded and relayed the plan he had already devised. Upon hearing it, Zhang Yaoyang''s eyes lit up, "So that''s your plan! Honestly, I''m baffled how you even thought of it."


    Xiao Buli shrugged, "I can only say each has their own strengths."


    "Then let''s enter the waiting stage. As soon as Li Jian starts his move, we follow suit. Now everything depends on that guy." The three of them dispersed like this.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Li Jian carefully placed the Energy Core at the base of the Teleportation Portal and sealed it with a block of obsidian, feeling a surge of excitement as he looked upon the masterpiece he had spent six days creating.


    This thrill was heartfelt, as if he truly wished for the Demon Clan to come to this world.


    "Is this the right thing to do?" he would occasionally question himself, and the answer was always the same¡ª"You''re doing the right thing," a voice inside him would always say.


    Perhaps deep down, Li Jian still retained some semblance of humanity, but at least for now, he was no different from the Demon Clan.


    As the Energy Core was activated! The World Spirit Stones around the arch-shaped Teleportation Portal began to emit a white light. They shone and merged into one, eventually forming a vortex-like entrance. After a moment, a fully-armed member of the Demon Clan poked his head out tentatively, saw Li Jian, and quickly ducked back in.


    Moments later, a group of Demon Clan members surged out from the portal, led by the Soul Reaver who had demonized him in the first place.


    "I''ve succeeded! I did it!" the Soul Reaver said excitedly.


    "It''s our success." Li Jian corrected him.


    "That''s right, it''s our success," the Soul Reaver agreed, looking around with curious eyes, "So this is the Heaven Beyond Heaven world, it doesn''t look all that special, kind of messy."


    Li Jian explained patiently, "This is just a junk-filled warehouse, the real world is up above."


    "No wonder it feels so claustrophobic; I hate being underground." The Soul Reaver said, his face suddenly showing a tense expression, "Everyone be prepared, she''s coming out."


    The dozens of Demon Clan soldiers who had come with him swiftly lined up on either side of the portal''s entrance. From the white light of the Teleportation Portal, a graceful female figure slowly emerged.


    This was clearly a female member of the Demon Clan. Compared to the other fully-armed and hideous-looking Demon Clan, she looked particularly special. She wore no armor, her skin smooth as silk, exposed to the air, with only some delicate scales barely covering the vital parts of her body. She seemed like a mix between a mermaid and Medusa, infused with fantasy and a demonic charm.


    Aside from her peculiar appearance, even by human aesthetic standards, she was a stunningly beautiful woman.


    "Welcome to Heaven Beyond Heaven, my lady," the Soul Reaver saluted the female Demon Clan member with great respect.


    Li Jian, a bit surprised, asked in a lowered voice, "Who is she?"


    ```


    "The Illusory Demon Clan is skilled in illusion and beguiling the hearts of people, but their numbers have become exceedingly rare," the Soul Reaver said, without offering a deeper explanation.


    "Then let''s begin the invasion. Where is our army? Don''t tell me these are all the soldiers we have?" Li Jian looked around at the Demon Clan soldiers with some confusion. Although there were quite a few, it seemed there weren''t even a hundred of them. Occupying a building with so few seemed difficult, let alone conquering the world.


    "Patience, my friend. This teleportation portal was hastily constructed and is just a temporary one. It simply cannot support the passage of a large army. We must first seize this building and gather more resources before we can further transport troops. Now tell me, do you have any suggestions?"


    Although the plan sounded impractical, due to the inherent obedience of the demonized creatures to the Demon Clan, Li Jian suppressed his doubts and nodded. "Human defenses are very strong, so before you launch your attack, I will carry out an internal sabotage to weaken their fighting capabilities as much as possible. During this time, try to transport as many soldiers over as you can.


    When I send you the message, start the operation immediately."


    As he spoke, Li Jian handed him a cell phone and briefly explained how to use it.


    The Soul Reaver was quick to understand the workings of the cell phone and expressed surprise at human ingenuity. "Indeed, worthy of the people from Heaven Beyond Heaven."


    As he watched Li Jian exit the warehouse door, his expression turned grave as he looked towards the Illusory Demon Clan woman.


    "I''m counting on you for everything," he said to the Illusory Demon Clan woman with great solemnity.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll do my best," she said in a voice full of lazy seduction, but the Soul Reaver was already accustomed to that tone. He ordered the Demon Clan soldiers to clear the area around the teleportation portal of debris, while he himself walked back toward the portal.


    Inside the White Tiger Group''s server room, it was still bustling with activity. Although most of the elite were trapped in Thousand Pines Town, there were still over a dozen members who could move freely. These men were all Wang Yifan''s subordinates.


    So, with nothing else to do, Wang Yifan organized everybody to start playing dungeons, which were originally designed for the Azure Dragon Group to improve their strength. Now they were benefiting from it instead.


    "Haha, awesome! This sword is perfect for me!" Wang Yifan excitedly added a deep blue weapon he had just looted from a BOSS to his inventory. Even though he was the leader of the White Tiger Group, he only had slightly better equipment than the average member of the Azure Dragon Group due to the constant need to hand over gear.


    Now that he had the opportunity, he certainly wasn''t going to let it pass and pocketed everything he could use.


    "Boss, I can use that sword too. Shouldn''t we roll for it?" a member beside him couldn''t help but complain, which immediately ignited Wang Yifan''s fury.


    "Damn it, it''s just a damn sword. The next one will be your turn. What''s with all your whining?"


    With that rebuke, the man immediately fell silent. After all, Wang Yifan was the group leader, and it was not wise to cause too much friction. Might couldn''t defy right, after all.


    Just as Wang Yifan was gearing up to tackle the next BOSS, there was a sudden crash¡ªthe door to the White Tiger Group''s server room burst open. Wang Yifan glanced towards the door and saw Li Jian, which annoyed him somewhat, "Easy, easy! You''re going to break the door. Weren''t you babysitting the newbies? What are you doing back here?" Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I''m here to kill someone," Li Jian said calmly, a sinister smile creeping across his lips, surprising the rest of the White Tiger Group. Li Jian was usually not like this; he seemed to be the kind of person who was always generous and straightforward. This didn''t seem like a joke he would make.


    "Kill someone?" Wang Yifan paused, looking somewhat amused and annoyed at Li Jian, then his gaze lingered on Li Jian''s empty hands for a moment, "With what?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without any warning, Li Jian reached out into the void and snatched out of thin air. A double-bladed axe with a bright edge and emitting black Demonic Flame suddenly appeared in the air and was firmly grasped by him. With a loud bang, the blade sank deep into the marble floor, instantly silencing everyone.


    Pointing at the gleaming axe blade, Li Jian stated matter-of-factly, "With this."


    A hush fell over the room, interrupted only by the occasional sound of creatures from the computer speakers. Wang Yifan, looking at Li Jian''s increasingly cold face, slowly realized that the man was not joking.


    FUCK! He cursed inwardly and suddenly hurled the chair he was sitting on towards Li Jian.


    In the next instant, a piercing white light flashed by. Before Wang Yifan could react, the gleaming axe had already executed a cross slash, cutting him and the chair into quarters.


    Wang Yifan''s severed head flew out, the look of terror on his face frozen in time as it fell to the ground with several rolls, leaving a bloody trail behind.


    "What a waste, someone like him became a group leader. This company indeed has no reason to exist," Li Jian said indifferently, paying no heed to the headless corpse on the ground. His gaze had already moved to the others, and the look in his eyes was chilling.


    "Let''s fight him to the end!" someone shouted hysterically. Suddenly, everyone snapped out of shock, grabbing anything they could find to hurl at Li Jian. He did not dodge the incoming objects, and a bloodthirsty smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    PS: Another chapter is coming soon. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 156 The Overbearing Li Jian

    "Hey, Senior Xiao, why didn''t your colleague come today?" Situ Yu asked, looking at Xiao Buli with curiosity. After waiting a while without getting an answer, Situ Yu suddenly realized that Xiao Buli was looking gravely toward the entrance of the newcomer area."What''s wrong?" Situ Yu asked, puzzled.


    "Nothing much, just waiting for something else," Xiao Buli appeared extremely calm, but his eyes seemed to be expecting something.


    Before Situ Yu could inquire further, a faint cry for help suddenly came from outside the door.


    "Help, murder!" Li Baocheng was yelling as he ran for his life, feeling as though he had never run so fast before. Just a moment ago, he took the opportunity to rush out of the White Tiger Group''s computer room while the others momentarily held back Li Jian''s pursuit. He headed toward the manager''s office in a daze, only to find the door locked; he knocked a few times, but there was no response.


    Damn it, of all times to be absent, right, go to the Green Dragon Group! He ran toward the Green Dragon Group, kicked open one room, no one there, kicked open another, still no one.


    "Damn it, where did all the company people go?" Li Baocheng felt like crying without tears. When he dashed back to the lounge, screams could faintly be heard from the White Tiger Group''s computer room, scaring him out of his wits, and now he just thought of finding someone who could help.


    (That''s right, the newcomer area!) Li Baocheng finally remembered and turned to run toward the newcomer area. He kicked open the door, and Xiao Buli, who had been looking up, felt a stir in his heart upon seeing Li Baocheng.


    "Why are you here? What are you shouting about outside?"


    "Quick, that Li Jian, he, he''s gone mad!" Li Baocheng gasped out the words. Xiao Buli felt a surge of excitement in his heart, it seemed the Demon Clan invasion had begun.


    "I''ll be right there!" He turned back and glanced at the newcomers, shouting sternly, "Everyone get into the elevator right now if you don''t want to die, and get out of the building, quickly!" Having said that, he didn''t care whether they obeyed or not, but grabbed Li Baocheng by the collar and dragged him out.


    The newcomers were left looking at each other in dismay before they stood up in a panic and ran out. Situ Yu''s heart raced with excitement and confusion. After hesitating for a moment, she followed suit, feeling instinctively that something significant had happened, probably related to the cases she was investigating. To be safe, she took out the pistol she had brought in secretly.


    "No, no, Old Li, I am¡ªah!" A dying scream made Situ Yu''s heart tremble, and she stopped in her tracks, the chilling scream invoking a sense of unease.


    The newcomers were blocked at the entrance to the break room. Situ Yu gripped the gun tightly, the cold metal giving her a sense of security. Calming her spirit, she gritted her teeth and took a step forward again.


    At the crossroads of the break room, Li Jian, bloody and holding a large axe, was standing there, pulling the blade from a body that had been split in two. It seemed the victim had escaped from the White Tiger Group''s computer room but couldn''t avoid the slaughter. The road from the break room to the White Tiger Group was covered in blood.


    Li Jian turned to look at Xiao Buli and the newcomers behind him, and smiled wickedly. His sunglasses had been discarded somewhere, revealing a pair of purple eyes that emitted a strange glow.


    The newcomers had never seen such a scene before and were petrified.


    However, Xiao Buli hadn''t expected this situation but, looking back at the newcomers, he sighed. This was not the time to retreat.


    Reaching out into the air, he grabbed and a semi-transparent, crystal-like sword appeared in his hand.


    This move astonished the newcomers behind him, especially Situ Yu, whose shock was indescribable. Could it be that everything Yaoyao said was true? But how was that possible? Her mind was in turmoil until Xiao Buli suddenly grabbed her wrist and snapped her back to reality.


    "Take them downstairs; I''ll hold him off," Xiao Buli said. Situ Yu nodded instinctively and led the newcomers toward the direction of the elevator. Xiao Buli stood sideways, guarding cautiously between Li Jian and the newcomers. Li Jian didn''t seem interested in pursuing the newcomers, instead, he started laughing.


    "It''s useless. They might escape today, but they won''t escape tomorrow. The Demon Clan will eventually rule this world! Stop struggling and join the Demon Clan; you will gain unrivaled strength."


    Xiao Buli scoffed dismissively, "With that bunch of weaklings? Heh, I don''t think so. Besides, is the Demon Clan something you can just join as you please?"


    Li Jian nodded, "Naturally. The Demon Clan has always been diverse. Any race, any creature that is willing to submit to the will of the Abyssal Lord can become part of the Demon Clan, including you and me."


    Xiao Buli was taken aback. It was the first time he had heard that the Demon Clan was not a single race. On second thought, the Demon Clan he had encountered before indeed seemed to vary in appearance. But what was this Abyssal Lord?


    "Sorry, but I''m not interested in being brainwashed; it''s no different from being dead."


    Li Jian sighed, "What a pity. I had thought to make you my partner, but since you foolishly resist such power, then embrace your destiny of death."


    Xiao Buli was amused by Li Jian''s tone, "Hey, Old Li, can''t you speak normally after demonizing? Why do you sound like an NPC?"


    Li Jian didn''t get angry but instead, with a smile, swung his Demonic Flame Giant Axe fiercely. In the next moment, both of them charged towards each other.


    When axe met sword, the sound of clashing steel filled the air, and after only two or three exchanges Xiao Buli sensed trouble. His strength was not on the same level as Li Jian''s. Li Jian had always been stronger, and after demonizing, his advantage became overwhelming. Within a few moves, Xiao Buli could no longer keep up.


    In a rush, he switched from Gale Sword Skills to Tai Chi Sword Skills barely managing to hold his own. The longsword in his hand got heavier and heavier, with Li Jian''s attacks carrying endless strength. Trying to achieve a deflection became increasingly difficult until, with a loud thud, the Ethereal Sword was knocked flying from his grasp.


    Xiao Buli hastily executed Shadow Clone, retreating quickly backward, while a mirror image that was connected to him did the opposite, charging towards Li Jian.


    Taking advantage of the moment Li Jian was fooled by the illusion, he escaped far off, summoning a new Ethereal Sword once again.


    "Heh, it seems I underestimated you after all, you do have some tricks up your sleeve," Li Jian said with a smirk after bringing his axe down on the mere mirror image.


    "What I have is more than just a couple of tricks," Xiao Buli retorted.


    With his longsword raised high, Xiao Buli swung down forcefully ¡ª Mysterious Ice Slash!


    A crescent-shaped white Sword Qi fiercely swept out, but Li Jian casually waved his hand and with a loud bang shattered the Sword Qi mid-air, the fragments absorbed by the giant axe, its black Demonic Flame growing even more intense, evidently not an ordinary weapon.


    Xiao Buli then unleashed another Sword Qi Slash, which Li Jian again shattered, stepping forward in the process.


    Palm Thunder! A ball of lightning condensed in Xiao Buli''s hand. "Take my Sith Lightning!" he bellowed, launching it at Li Jian with full force.


    Li Jian stuck to his old routine, hoisting his giant axe and completely absorbing the power of the lightning.


    "You still need to hypnotize yourself to activate skills? It seems you''re not as smart as I thought," Li Jian said, taking another step forward. "But no matter, if you join the Demon Clan, you can use these supernatural powers whenever you wish. I''ll give you one last chance."


    Xiao Buli replied with his actions ¡ª


    Ultimate Skill ¡ª Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! He crouched, hand on the sword, suddenly striking a drawing sword stance, and the next second, brilliant sword light erupted like a dazzling white lotus. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Jian sighed and his axe blade also started spinning.


    Ultimate Skill ¡ª Endless Whirlwind!


    A black and a white whirlwind collided instantly, the white one abruptly stopped, and Xiao Buli was sent flying backward by the force, his Ethereal Sword slipping from his hand once more.


    (A head-on collision really isn''t my thing, looks like it''s time to bail.) Xiao Buli thought as he felt a suffocating sensation in his chest and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Watching Li Jian slowly approaching with his axe, just as Xiao Buli struggled to stand and was about to flee using Fleeting Light and Shadow, a sharp cry suddenly came from behind.


    "Don''t move! Stand right there!" Xiao Buli turned to see Situ Yu had for some reason returned, holding a small handgun with the barrel aimed directly at Li Jian.


    Li Jian just snorted disdainfully but didn''t stop, continuing to advance towards them.


    "Stand right there!" Situ Yu shouted again, her hand holding the gun trembling uncontrollably. She had never fired at a real person until now.


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    "Shoot, you idiot!" A whisper-like voice sounded in her ear, and without a second thought, Situ Yu pulled the trigger with a loud bang.


    At such a close distance, the bullet easily hit Li Jian''s arm, and he looked at the blood flowing from the wound with a ferocious smile, "So this is what being shot by a bullet feels like? I''ve learned something new. But now it''s my turn." With a fierce motion, he raised his giant axe to bring it crashing down without a care.


    It was over, and Situ Yu felt a profound sense of despair, but suddenly, a figure appeared behind Li Jian out of nowhere¡ªit was Yaoyao! With a soft thrust, Yaoyao''s vicious backstab plunged directly into Li Jian''s back.


    Even Li Jian couldn''t help but scream out from such an attack. As he turned and swung his axe, Yaoyao nimbly avoided the strike with several flips backward, landing ten meters away. Her hand, gripping the dagger dripping with blood, showed no fear but a calm and confident expression as she confronted Li Jian.


    That look made Situ Yu feel ashamed, comparing herself to the thief she had once caught made her feel incompetently pathetic as a police officer just moments ago. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 157 The Death of Li Jian

    "So it was you, you¡ªbitch." Li Jian seemed enraged, cursing viciously as his back bled profusely; the wound was significantly worse than the gunshot wound he had suffered earlier."Got a problem with that¡ªbastard!" Yaoyao retorted without any courtesy, her words as sharp as the dagger in her hands. Her weapons were a Tiger Fang Bayonet and a Butterfly Knife; whether they were genuine or replicas was unknown, but it didn''t matter as long as they were effective.


    Suddenly, Situ Yu realized, the whisper-like murmur he had heard was Yaoyao''s voice. She must have been invisible right beside him just then; everything she said was true! His heart surged with excitement, astonished that such miraculous things could happen right before his eyes.


    Li Jian coldly swept his gaze over the three of them, "No problem at all. Since you wish to die, let''s all go to hell together!"


    With that, he let out a ferocious roar, like a wild beast in a fit of rage¡ªRage of Chiyou!


    As he roared, his body suddenly swelled, his muscles growing massive and sinewy, his suit bursting open as his hair and beard grew out like a lion''s mane, making him look as if he had undergone a major transformation into a Super Saiyan.


    The entire man increased in size, the once two-handed axe now gripped like a one-handed axe in his hand, his aura geometrically amplified, so overwhelming that Yaoyao found it hard to breathe.


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    "Oh dear, things seem to have gotten a bit out of hand," she muttered to herself, instinctively stepping back.


    "Don''t tangle with him; let''s get out of here!" Xiao Buli said, glancing at Situ Yu with a frown, "What are you still doing here? Get out of the building immediately."


    His shout only irritated Situ Yu, who had come back to help them out of goodwill, only to be treated so ungratefully.


    Before she could even respond, Li Jian burst into wild laughter: "Think you can leave? It''s not that easy." With a powerful swing of his huge axe, he aimed a Cleaving Strike at Yaoyao.


    Yaoyao leaped high into the air, her figure like a soaring eagle, nimbly dodging Li Jian''s ferocious attack. She then clung to the ceiling behind Li Jian, kicking off it with force and using the recoil to pounce straight at the center of Li Jian''s back.


    Before Li Jian could recover from his axe swing, Yaoyao had daintily landed on his shoulder, one hand pressing down on his head, the other sliding the Tiger Fang Saber toward his neck, poised to slit his throat.


    If the cut landed, Li Jian would be left either dead or severely maimed. In desperation, he stamped his foot, unleashing a surge of Demonic Flame throughout his body. A bad feeling flashed through Yaoyao''s mind, and she hastily flipped backward to evade. The next moment, fierce black flames roared up from Li Jian''s body.


    Turning around, Li Jian''s face twisted into a terrifying grimace of rage. A cut had appeared on his neck, his clothes had burned to ash in the intense flame, revealing his bulging, intimidating muscles, highlighted against the pitch-black Demonic Flame, making him resemble a demon god.


    As the black flames slowly cooled off, a layer of pitch-black armor encased Li Jian, making him appear like a Demon General straight out of a video game.


    Xiao Buli and Yaoyao exchanged glances; none of their mixed-up skills were of any use now. He donned his Ethereal Armor and activated his Sunfire Sword Qi, standing shoulder to shoulder with Yaoyao, while Situ Yu finally came to her senses, recognizing this was not a battle she could join, and retreated to a safe distance.


    "We can''t win head-on; let''s play dirty," Xiao Buli whispered, to which Yaoyao acknowledged with a hum, and both disappeared from their spot.


    "Invisibility? I hate such sleazy occupations the most, but don''t think you can escape your doom!" Li Jian laughed uproariously as he spun around, the Demonic Flame on his axe turning into clusters of Fireballs that he hurled in all directions. With over a hundred black Fireballs released, their power was sufficient to disrupt the Invisibility Effect.


    Xiao Buli dodged left and right but was hit by a black fireball; his shield held, yet his figure was revealed¡ª


    He was less than five meters away from Li Jian. He had intended to use the invisibility to land a sneak attack but was now in a tricky spot.


    "Come on!" Resigned, he bellowed and, with both hands on his sword, unleashed a Mysterious Ice Slash straight at Li Jian, who recklessly received the blow and countered with a Savage Collision that sent Xiao Buli flying.


    A loud crash sounded as the Ethereal Armor shattered. Xiao Buli didn''t have time to conjure another shield when Li Jian fiercely pushed off the ground, leaping into the air. His leap wasn''t aided by Qinggong but by sheer explosive Strength, so powerful it cracked the marble floor beneath him.


    Leap Slash! Li Jian raised his axe high, bringing it down with the force of a thunderous onslaught. Xiao Buli dared not meet it head-on, using Chaotic Shadow Split to create two identical images of himself dashing to either side. As Li Jian landed, shattering the ground, the two images of Xiao Buli attacked from both sides. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Li Jian swung his axe at the Xiao Buli to his left, who showed a look of horror and raised his sword in defense.

 Chapter 157 The Death of Li Jian_2

    Without any suspense, he was slammed back and flew out, staggering backward seven or eight steps before he stabilized himself, his tiger''s mouth almost splitting.Xiao Buli revealed a hint of shock on his face, "How did you know this is the real me?"


    Li Jian sneered, "I guessed." Then he roared and charged again.


    Xiao Buli could only parry with his sword, barely holding off the attacks with a combination of numerous skills. After a few exchanges, he inwardly lamented his plight. Li Jian''s strength completely overwhelmed him, his speed was not inferior to his, and that double-edged axe that could absorb mana left him powerless to fight back. Yaoyao had disappeared without a trace, showing no sign of appearing.


    Clenching his teeth, Xiao Buli persevered for a few more rounds, but it seemed he couldn''t hold on any longer. He decided to go for broke, thinking to himself that it was time to unleash his big move.


    A resolute expression appeared on his face, which made Li Jian pause for a moment.


    "Mystic Art ¡ª Omnipotent!" Xiao Buli roared, abruptly performing a motion with both hands on the sword, its tip slanted. However, the scenery around him didn''t change in the slightest; his powerful move did not unfold as smoothly as he had imagined.


    Damn, this can''t be happening. He inwardly cried out in alarm. He had never used this Mystic Art in reality, and it seemed it wasn''t so easy to release after all. Glancing at Li Jian, he saw that Li Jian had paused, looking at him curiously.


    "Mystic Art ¡ª Omnipotent!" He shouted again, but there was still no change around him.


    Finally, Li Jian realized what was happening, a sneer forming on his face. He was about to move forward when suddenly he felt a heavy weight at his feet. Looking down, he saw a mass of shadow, sticky like glue, firmly anchoring his feet to the ground.


    What the hell is this? He turned around, only to see a dark figure standing not far from him. Enveloped in darkness, the silhouette appeared to be a shadow, and the glue-like mass was a projection from it.


    "Shadow Dancer!" Li Jian scoffed, "You have quite a number of helpers, don''t you." He raised his arm and a Demonic Flame surged along the ground. The dark figure dodged with ease, but it helped Li Jian break free from the shadow''s grasp.


    However, there was instantly another figure behind Li Jian¡ªYaoyao, who had been hiding all this time, finally decided it was the right moment to take action.


    A backstab hit Li Jian''s back once again, but this time the dark armor blocked it. Li Jian seemed to have anticipated this, as Yaoyao appeared, he turned with a sweeping strike. Yaoyao quickly bent backwards, her body forming an arch as the blade of the axe whizzed past her nose.


    Pressing her hands on the ground, Yaoyao''s left boot tip suddenly protruded a sharp blade over an inch long, and while flipping backward, she delivered a fierce stabbing kick.


    This time Yaoyao''s target was no longer Li Jian''s heart, but rather the arm holding the giant axe. The kick struck Li Jian''s wrist precisely, and her right leg followed with a sweeping move, kicking the giant axe out of his hands. As she started to retreat, Li Jian reached out and firmly grasped her ankle.


    "Die!" he bellowed, intent on clenching down hard. Xiao Buli couldn''t let him succeed. His longsword thrust out like lightning, "Straight Lightning Sword!"


    Although the move had "lightning" in its name, it couldn''t be as fast as actual lightning. Li Jian turned abruptly and caught the blade in his hand. As Xiao Buli thrust forward, he found that he couldn''t move the sword an inch. A sudden inspiration flashed through his mind and with his left hand he caused a bunch of lightning sparks to strike toward the sword hilt¡ªconductive electric shock!


    A high-voltage current shot down the length of the sword. Li Jian felt a numbness in his hand and suddenly couldn''t grip the blade any longer. Xiao Buli''s longsword thrust through with a ''whump'', the Ethereal Sword, supercharged with Sunfire Sword Qi, pierced the dark armor without resistance. The sword penetrated the armor, deeply impaling Li Jian''s chest. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Yaoyao took the opportunity to forcefully break free, rubbing her ankle with a tremble in her heart, watching Li Jian warily.


    Li Jian, however, did not continue to attack, but burst into laughter, "Do you think you could defeat me like that? To tell you the truth, after becoming a member of the Demon Clan my health points have increased several-fold, and even a critical hit to a vital area won''t kill me."


    As he spoke, he grabbed the hilt of the Ethereal Sword and forcefully pulled it out. As a stream of blood shot far into the distance, a sudden wave of powerlessness swept over his entire body.


    Li Jian looked incredulously at the wound on his chest that was continuously gushing blood, feeling life and strength rapidly slipping away¡ªThe rules of reality were clearly different from those of a game: being stabbed in the heart, regardless of how strong his vitality was, immediately put him on the verge of death.


    Li Jian took a few staggering steps back and then suddenly fell to the ground with a thud.


    Thank goodness, Xiao Buli heaved a sigh of relief. He had truly thought that Li Jian was going to pull out the sword and continue fighting. But now it seemed that although the Demon Clan had become powerful, they were still not exempt from the laws of living creatures, and indeed, fighting in reality was nothing like in a game.


    "Thank you, Yaoyao."


    "Don''t thank me yet, that guy doesn''t seem to be dead," Yaoyao said, pointing at Li Jian on the ground. Indeed, Li Jian was struggling to prop himself against the wall, seemingly still hanging onto his last breath.


    The pitch-black armor on his body gradually dissipated, as the pain suppressed by his demonic nature flared through his nerves. Li Jian looked at everything around him and suddenly felt a wave of sadness.


    The purple in his eyes had silently faded away, and his consciousness had returned, but he now almost wished it had not.


    Struggling to raise his head, he glanced at Xiao Buli, Yaoyao, and Situ Yu slowly surrounding him, his lips curving into a self-mocking smile.


    "I didn''t expect it to end up like this," he muttered as if to himself.


    Xiao Buli looked at this man who had once been his mentor, teammate, comrade, and enemy, with a complex expression on his face.


    "Sorry, buddy, you know I had no choice," Xiao Buli said in a self-justifying tone, a trace of apology on his face. He was actually referring to using Li Jian to create chaos, which Li Jian seemed to understand and nodded, "I know, you did nothing wrong. I would have done the same in your shoes."


    He then looked at Yaoyao and said weakly, "Sorry, Yaoyao, I shouldn''t have scolded you."


    Yaoyao opened her mouth but did not know what to say. Women are always emotional, and seeing the man in front of her who was on the brink of death, she suddenly felt a wave of melancholy.


    Li Jian opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but a trickle of blood spilled from his lips, gurgling and preventing him from speaking. Li Jian appeared to be reaching out accusingly towards the sky with one hand, trying to grasp something, but it dropped helplessly midway.


    Xiao Buli caught his hand before it could fall, but Li Jian forcefully pulled him closer, that arm once full of infinite strength now so weak.


    Xiao Buli instinctively crouched down, bringing his ear close to Li Jian''s mouth.


    "Take this, you''ll need it," Li Jian mumbled unclearly into Xiao Buli''s ear. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli felt something being pushed into his hand, and when he looked down, he discovered a ring¡ªWhat did this mean? As he looked puzzled at Li Jian, he noticed that Li Jian''s pupils had already dilated, his mouth half-open¡ªhe was dead.


    (Rest in peace, buddy, I''ll avenge you, whether it''s the Demon Clan or the company, they will pay for your death.) Xiao Buli silently vowed, gently closing Li Jian''s eyes, an indescribable sorrow overwhelming him.


    After a long while, he stood up, turned back to look at Yaoyao, and with an expressionless face, he said, "Go inform the team leader and the others, everything is proceeding as planned, get ready to take action."


    PS: Explosion tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 158 Xiao Bulis Excellent Plan

    Yaoyao nodded and strode away, passing by Situ Yu, she cheekily winked at her, "Aren''t you going to arrest me, Officer? I just killed someone, or maybe you plan to thank me, after all, I just saved your life."Situ Yu was almost speechless from Yaoyao''s tease, she gritted her teeth as she looked at Yaoyao''s smiling face, with the bloody dagger still tightly clenched in her hand. She had no doubt that if she really tried to arrest Yaoyao, she would be stabbed immediately.


    In the end, she managed to force a smile, "Thanks, but if there''s a chance in the future, I''ll still catch you."


    Yaoyao gave a shrug, "As you wish, it would be strange if you didn''t want to arrest me." Saying that, her figure flashed and she disappeared.


    After Yaoyao left, the person who was like a shadow came over. The dark layer covering him had faded, revealing his ordinary human appearance¡ªa young man who seemed honest and slow-witted.


    "Are you Lu Xinying?" Xiao Buli asked, he vaguely remembered the name. Wu Min''er had mentioned him, saying that Lu Xinying was the only person she could trust under her command.


    The man nodded, "I am Lu Xinying. Wu asked me to tell you that she has started her move. It''s your turn to act fast."


    Xiao Buli nodded. This was not surprising to him; Wu Min''er was never the type of woman who liked to wait for orders or follow others'' commands.


    "Then you should leave quickly as well. Things are about to heat up here," he said.


    Lu Xinying nodded and disappeared in a flash.


    "Guys who can ''Stealth'' are really annoying," Xiao Buli muttered to himself. This sudden appearance and disappearance style made him feel uneasy, but he seemed to forget that he was barely in the same profession.


    Xiao Buli turned back to look at Situ Yu, "I think you''d better leave too. Many people are going to die here today." Situ Yu was startled by his words, looking at the bodies scattered on the ground, "Aren''t there enough dead already?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "Not nearly enough, and more importantly, the one who deserves to die the most hasn''t died yet."


    As he said this, he suddenly realized how cold-hearted he had become. Facing so many dead, he felt neither nausea nor fear, even though one of the dead was killed by his own hands. Could it be that the experience of killing in the game also reflected in reality? Or had he blurred the lines between reality and the game to the point where he no longer cared about life?


    "Aren''t you leaving?" Situ Yu asked with some concern.


    "I still have things to do," Xiao Buli said, giving Situ Yu a strange look, "Why are you so worried about me?"


    "Nothing, just don''t want to owe you a favor since you just saved my life."


    "Whatever," Xiao Buli said casually, then suddenly had a thought, "Maybe you can do me a favor and then we''ll be even..."


    Situ Yu left, filled with unease. But Xiao Buli did not leave; he looked at Li Jian''s body on the ground, deep in thought. Whose fault was Li Jian''s death? He hadn''t come to an answer when a voice already came from afar.


    "Oh my God, what exactly happened here!"


    It was Ouyang''s voice, the one who looked like a college professor. Besides Qin Shimoon, Ouyang was the one who had the most interaction with Xiao Buli. His astonished voice carried a bit of pretension.


    Xiao Buli sneered in his heart; he didn''t believe for a second that the higher-ups hadn''t been monitoring the situation through surveillance; his words could only suggest one thing¡ªthey were still trying to cover up the truth.


    "I think that''s a question I should be asking you," Xiao Buli retorted while turning around. At the entrance to the elevator, Ouyang was walking towards him, followed by four buff bodyguards. Each bodyguard was holding a pistol, looking around warily, subtly protecting Ouyang.


    Another person, who looked timid, was trailing behind Ouyang, and Xiao Buli recognized him as a regular member from White Tiger group, likely someone who had escaped upstairs during the chaos.


    "What do you mean?" Ouyang asked, taken aback by Xiao Buli''s question.


    Xiao Buli glared at him irritably, "You know exactly what I''m talking about." With that, he turned and walked away. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, where are you going? I am your superior, and I''m talking to you," Ouyang shouted. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I quit!" Xiao Buli turned back and said fiercely. A bodyguard tensely raised his gun, but Ouyang waved him off, indicating there was no need for alarm.


    But Xiao Buli was not done venting, "What the hell is going on with this company? I had my suspicions, but after what Liu Zijian said, I almost believed it. Now I realize how stupid I was. I don''t care what is happening here; I''m out. I''m not sticking around to die with you guys, especially before those monsters reach here¡ªI''m leaving!"


    As he spoke, he was both enraged and agitated. His performance was partly an act, but it also contained the dissatisfaction he''d accumulated over the past days, so it was utterly convincing.


    Ouyang looked somewhat embarrassed, but still said, "You can''t leave. It''s in the contract, you must obey the company..."


    "Fuck the contract," Xiao Buli interrupted Ouyang rudely, "Fuck the company, and fuck the game. Do whatever you want; I''ve no intention of dying with you. I''m getting out of here before those monsters show up!"

 Chapter 158 Xiao Bulis Excellent Plan_2

    The more reckless he became, the less daring Ouyang was to confront him directly. Watching Xiao Buli''s retreating figure, Ouyang''s expression fluctuated between clarity and cloudiness. Suddenly, he called out, "What if I told you the truth about this game? Don''t you want to know?"Xiao Buli immediately stopped in his tracks, a cold smile flashing across his face as he turned away from Ouyang, but when he turned around, his expression morphed into one of suspicion. "You really plan to tell me? But you''re not going to trick me again, are you?"


    Ouyang spoke very sincerely, "I swear that this time I''m telling the absolute truth, but this really isn''t the place to talk. Let''s go upstairs and discuss it there."


    After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Buli nodded, "Alright, I''ll trust you one more time."


    A hint of joy appeared on Ouyang''s face, thinking to himself that he had finally managed to retain a powerful enforcer and his trip hadn''t been in vain.


    "Then let''s go straight to the top floor. The boss is waiting for us there."


    Xiao Buli snorted coldly, "Is it Liu Zijian?"


    "Not him, the boss now is Dugu Han," Ouyang replied.


    Dugu Han was puzzled about how things had turned into this mess.


    Just over ten minutes ago, when his men told him that two members of White Tiger Group requested to see him, he didn''t find anything odd, even getting annoyed that they had interrupted his affair with the female secretary. But when he saw the two men covered in blood, his heart sank, and he was dumbfounded after questioning them.


    (Li Jian has gone mad? What on earth happened?)


    He hurriedly turned on the monitors, only to witness a scene that made his scalp tingle. Hordes of the Demon Clan poured into the stairwells, occupying the building floor by floor. These creatures, appearing out of nowhere, slew and slashed at anyone they saw. As he switched through dozens of screens, he saw either the Demon Clan chasing humans or panicked corporate staff fleeing.


    Then he witnessed the scene of Li Jian, evidently insane, and plainly under the control of the Demon Clan. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although he could use his powers from the game in the real world, he was uncertain of the true extent of his "Strength." Seeing the demonized Li Jian, he felt a bit frightened and urgently tried to call Liu Zijian, but the phone wouldn''t connect, only hissing with static.


    Fortunately, Li Jian''s rampage was swiftly halted. Xiao Buli made his appearance, and though Dugu Han didn''t remember much about him, he was shocked to find that Xiao could also use the game''s powers in real life. It seemed that it wasn''t only him; others had this ability as well. It wasn''t until Li Jian was killed by Xiao Buli that Dugu Han breathed a sigh of relief.


    Since the monitors only showed images without sound, he didn''t know exactly what had happened there but could tell that Xiao Buli was about to leave, along with the three people accompanying him. Hesitating for a moment, Dugu Han immediately had Ouyang go down to find Xiao Buli, as well as all other scattered combatants, to gather them in the hall on the top floor.


    Dugu Han thought to himself that at a time like this, the more people, the better. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    The elevator rose slowly. It was Xiao Buli''s first visit to the company''s top floor, and he hadn''t expected to encounter such a scene. As soon as the elevator doors opened, a wave of clamor immediately filled his ears. Walking into the top floor hall, Xiao Buli found it packed with people, as disorderly as a vegetable market.


    Most members of the Pioneer Corps were there, chatting in the middle of the hall without inhibition. The Xuanwu Group''s folks were also present, each looking somewhat panicked. A few from Vermilion Bird Group were whispering in a corner. And of course, there were over a dozen black-suited, armed guards.


    They secured the entrances to the stairs and elevator, with others stationed at each corner, but Zhang Yaoyang, Bai Yunfei, and Liu Xing were nowhere to be seen; nor were Qin Shimoon and Liu Zijian.


    While considering the current situation, Xiao Buli glanced back at Ouyang, who whispered, "The boss will come out and explain everything soon, just wait a little longer."


    Xiao Buli nodded and walked towards where the Pioneer Corps had gathered.


    "Hey Old Xiao, are you okay? What the hell happened? Why did they hurry us up here? I heard there are monsters all over the building now, all from the game. Can that be true? That''s too far-fetched," Liu Xing asked, both nervous and excited.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "I just killed one. What do you think¡ªreal or fake?"


    The notion of game monsters going on a killing spree in reality was unprecedented for everyone. They discussed it in hushed tones, emotions of panic and tension mingling with a hint of excitement and thrill.


    It seemed they all realized something fantastical was happening in the building, despite not understanding exactly what, and they discussed, guessed, and also fearfully anticipated what was to come.


    With the suited guards stationed at the elevator and stairway entrances, Dugu Han felt a little safer sitting in his office. He thought he needed a handy weapon and casually picked up the decorative katana from his office desk.

 Chapter 158 Xiao Bulis Excellent Plan_3

    (I must settle the situation here before things escalate further), Dugu Han thought to himself. He dared not call the police, nor did he dare ask the boss for help. Heaven knows what kind of trouble it would bring him if this matter were to leak out.The most pressing matter now was to quell this incident, take out those from the Demon Clan, and of course, most importantly, find the entrance through which they came to this world and seal it off, to prevent more monsters from coming over.


    As he thought, he glanced at the door behind him, where the Qilin Group was standing by, his final trump card and potentially his chance to turn defeat into victory. Dugu Han might not be a good leader, but he was certainly a formidable gambler.


    He understood all too well that aces should only be played at the most critical moment, and before that, it was better to make do with the lousy cards in hand.


    Lost in his thoughts, he took a deep breath, pushed open the door to his office, and stepped out.


    Seeing Dugu Han emerge, Ouyang hastily shouted, "Quiet, quiet!"


    Once everyone had stopped their discussion, Dugu Han spoke with authority, "Listen up, everybody. The matter we are dealing with is of utmost importance. If mishandled, not only are we in danger of losing our lives, but the entire world might be destroyed. You have probably seen for yourselves that the monsters from the games have made their way out.


    We must eliminate them and destroy the Teleportation Portal they are using to get here. Only by working together can we succeed in this."


    Someone in the crowd shouted, "How could that be possible? We are all just ordinary people. We don''t have the ability to fight monsters." Xiao Buli glanced over and saw it was Wu Tao, the person who was designated to counter Dugu Han in the plan agreed upon with Zhang Yaoyang. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes! Yes! You''re just sending us to our deaths!" The crowd agreed with Wu Tao''s point, responding one after another.


    Dugu Han, clearly impatient, bellowed, "I''ll just say it straight. This game isn''t as simple as that Liu guy said it was. The game can not only strengthen your physique, but the abilities you obtain in the game can also be utilized in reality. Any kind of spell, martial arts, you name it, it means you''re essentially superhumans or superheroes by now."


    With Dugu Han''s revelation, the room erupted with people questioning and others getting excited, and yet some simply sneered, those who already knew about this matter.


    Wu Tao suddenly stood out, seemingly very curious as he asked, "If benefits from the game can be brought into reality, can the negative aspects transfer over too? For instance, if someone dies in the game, do they also die in real life?"


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    As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a frightful silence, with everyone''s eyes turned to Dugu Han, carrying evident suspicion. With a dry laugh, Dugu Han admitted, "To tell the truth, yes, that is indeed the case."


    The room once again became noisy, with people''s faces turning red with agitation. Of course, there were also those who simply sneered but had no significant reaction, as they were the ones who already knew the truth.


    Sensing things might spiral out of control, Dugu Han hurriedly grabbed a pistol from a bodyguard next to him and fired a shot at the ceiling.


    With a bang, the hall was quiet once more. After all, to those living in the modern world, there was still a natural fear of firearms.


    Dugu Han shouted hoarsely, "Everyone listen up. I''m not asking you, but stating a fact. The fact is, we''re all trapped here now, and the Demon Clan is advancing level by level, and will eventually reach us. If we can''t work together, when the Demon Clan arrives, we''re all dead. Don''t think I''m exaggerating the danger. Some of the White Tiger members have already lost their lives.


    If you don''t believe me, ask this guy," he said, pulling forward a survivor from White Tiger, who was Li Baocheng.


    Li Baocheng grimaced, "That Li Jian¡ªhe went crazy. As soon as he entered the server room, he hacked Leader Wang to death, then turned and started slashing wildly at everyone while spouting madness about the Demon Clan ruling the world. It was terrifying."


    "What, Li Jian went crazy?" "The Li Jian from White Tiger?" "I knew he didn''t look like a good guy, always wearing those sunglasses."


    "You don''t need to worry, Li Jian has been valiantly killed by one of our employees and is no longer a threat. However, more of the Demon Clan are still behind that. If we can''t come together, the danger will eventually reach us," Dugu Han continued.


    The Pioneer Corps looked at Xiao Buli with a changed perspective; particularly Zhang Hao, Ma Long, and Gao Lianyu. Xiao Buli didn''t pay it any mind¡ªit was a matter that couldn''t be explained anyway, and soon it wouldn''t matter.


    Dugu Han went on to say, "As I''ve said before, you are capable of using your in-game abilities, so you''re all like mini superheroes. If we join forces to blast back the Demon Clan, helping me is also helping yourselves out of a big predicament. I promise a reward of one million each right away, and those who wish can join and become core members of our organization.


    For those who don''t want to, no hard feelings, and I promise not to trouble you. What do you say?"

 Chapter 158 Xiao Bulis Excellent Plan_4

    Wu Tao suddenly popped up again, "Things are probably not that simple. To use abilities from the game in reality, we must go through continuous training, and we currently don''t have time for that kind of training."Dugu Han thought to himself, why does this guy always have to disagree with me? He couldn''t be bothered to explain anymore and barked, "It has to work, or we''re all dead."


    Wu Tao was even more aggressive and roared back, "Damn it, it''s precisely because you didn''t tell us the truth that we''ve ended up in this mess. If anyone should die first, it should be you."


    "Exactly, you die first!" The long-oppressed employees started to make noise one after another; it was completely chaotic.


    Dugu Han was so angry his face turned purple. He searched through the crowd, seemingly trying to drag Wu Tao out, but Wu Tao hid among the people and made faces at him.


    (What do I do? What do I do?) Dugu Han''s mind was in disarray. In fact, Wu Tao''s words weren''t without reason: if this rabble were trained systematically, they might have some fighting power. But currently, many people simply didn''t know how to use their abilities from the game. The rest were probably shirking their duties.


    It wouldn''t be easy to rely on them to eliminate the Demon Clan, and to send them off to die even less so. If he didn''t have these cannon fodders, the few people from the Qilin Group might truly struggle to hold the situation.


    Just at that moment, a calm voice said, "I happen to have a method that might work."


    Dugu Han turned around and saw that it was Xiao Buli, the one who had killed Li Jian. He seemed to have caught a lifeline and promptly called Xiao Buli over, "What method?"


    "It''s simple. Form a strike team with all members having the Stealth and Invisibility abilities. We bypass the Demon Clan and head straight for the Teleportation Portal to destroy it. Without reinforcements, the Demon Clan won''t be a problem anymore. All we need to do is hold out here until the police arrive. If you agree to this plan, I can lead the team to carry out this task," explained Xiao Buli.


    "As for the location of the Teleportation Portal, we should be able to deduce its approximate location based on the Demon Clan''s invasion route. If we also check the surveillance footage from the past few days to see where Li Jian has been, we should be able to find it," he continued.


    "No, absolutely not!" Dugu Han''s heart raced; what if this group capable of Stealth just ran off? "Is there any other method?"


    This reaction didn''t surprise Xiao Buli. He sighed as if he had considered it for a moment before saying, "There''s another way to maximize everyone''s strength, but I don''t have full confidence in it, and it''s somewhat difficult to execute."


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    Dugu Han couldn''t wait and asked, "It doesn''t matter, tell me."


    Xiao Buli proceeded to explain, "As far as I know, teleportation through the Six Realms Gate happens simultaneously in two worlds¡ªthere''s an exit and an entrance. Both gates are necessary for a successful teleportation. Destroying the exit gate in reality won''t be easy, but destroying the entrance gate within the game should be simpler.


    After all, we can fully exhibit our power in the game, and we''re more adept at fighting in the game, which is much easier to accept than real-life bloodshed."


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s idea, Dugu Han felt a surge of excitement, "That''s a great idea, kid, you''re on the ball. I''ll give you a raise later." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli simply thanked him but calmly continued, "But there''s still a problem: to destroy this Teleportation Portal, we must rescue the Pioneer Corps that''s trapped. To rescue them, we need a small but powerful team to infiltrate the area around Thousand Pines Town, where they logged off, and clear out the nearby Demon Clan. Unfortunately, we don''t have the manpower for this.


    There were only two survivors, Li Jian and I. Now that he''s dead, I''m left alone and can''t handle this task alone." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it, donate monthly passes, and support me on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 159 Demon Slaying Operation

    Xiao Buli finished speaking, but Dugu Han looked at him with a suspicious glance. Dugu Han was not a simple fool, although sometimes he was arrogant and lacked strategic foresight, even occasionally making idiotic decisions, but overall he still had some cunning, even though it was always misplaced.Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, he subconsciously felt there was a problem but couldn''t pinpoint where it lay.


    Seeing his reaction, Xiao Buli, with a calm expression, continued, "That Teleportation Portal must be located somewhere within the game. If we destroy that entrance, we can close the Teleportation Portal. Moreover, by doing so, we have the added benefit of preserving our side''s Teleportation Portal intact. I believe you understand how valuable such a thing is, right?"


    After hearing this, Dugu Han''s eyes lit up immediately. With the situation having escalated so much, he was almost certainly on a path to ruin. Even if the boss were to spare him, others would kick him while he was down. The best outcome would be losing all his positions and becoming an ordinary member, which would mean he would never have the chance to vie for power again.


    But if he could secure a well-preserved Teleportation Portal, it would be sufficient to atone for his mistakes and might even help him rise further within the organization, securing a higher position.


    With this thought, he almost wanted to kiss Xiao Buli several times, as his earlier suspicions had been thrown to the winds. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Your idea is brilliant, let''s go with your plan!" Dugu Han said excitedly.


    However, Xiao Buli seemed somewhat troubled, "But the success rate of this plan isn''t very high. We have no idea where the entrance to the Teleportation Portal in the game world is, and we don''t have a strong assault team either."


    "That won''t be a problem. I have a few trustworthy subordinates who can handle this task," Dugu Han said after a moment of thought.


    "As for the location of the Teleportation Portal in the game, where are the intelligence team people? Get Leader Wu over here!" Dugu Han said as he pulled Xiao Buli into his office, "Let''s go inside and discuss this in detail."


    A security guard turned and left, and soon, Wu Min''er hurried in from outside. Upon seeing Xiao Buli, she winked at him, giving Xiao Buli a burst of reassurance. It seemed that they had succeeded already, though what they had obtained was yet to be seen.


    Wu Min''er nodded to Dugu Han, "Is there something you need from me, boss?"


    "Yes, there is. Do you remember the scouting mission I assigned you a few days ago around Thousand Pines Town? Did you discover anything unusual?"


    A look of reminiscence flashed across Wu Min''er''s face, "There is something unusual. After the Demon Clan captured Thousand Pines Town, they started building something strange on the outskirts, resembling some sort of altar. However, I haven''t figured out what it''s for yet, so I haven''t reported back to you."


    Upon hearing this, Dugu Han slapped his thigh, "That''s it! This altar-like structure must be the entrance to the Teleportation Portal. Okay, you can go now. I''ll call you if there''s anything else."


    Wu Min''er nodded and turned to leave, but suddenly, a tumultuous noise erupted from outside, followed by a chaotic burst of gunfire, human shouts, and screams, all blending into a cacophony.


    Everyone in the room was startled. Dugu Han waved his hand, leading a group of security guards to rush out. Xiao Buli and Wu Min''er followed immediately. As soon as they stepped outside, they were shocked to see more than a dozen Demon Soldiers clad in black armor killing their way in from outside.


    The security guards all surrounded them, firing their pistols in rapid succession, a symphony of gunshots raining down. Although the Demon Soldiers were covered in black armor, it seemed unable to stop the bullets; they were hit repeatedly, yet due to insufficient firepower from the pistols and the tough hides of their enemies, some took five or six shots and still continued their charge.


    The leading few Demon Soldiers were shot dead, but the rest broke through, causing misfortune for a few employees who couldn''t escape in time¡ªone was stabbed in the belly, intestines spilling out, another was beheaded, blood spraying everywhere, provoking screams of horror.


    A Demon Soldier charged at Wu Tao, its blade raised to strike down, when suddenly Wu Tao brought his hands together¡ªAdugen! A burst of white light fiercely shot out, blasting the Demon Soldier back, overturning two of its comrades in a tangled heap.


    Haoyougen! With another fierce uppercut imbued with white light, he sent a Demon Soldier''s jaw askew, then with a kick, toppled it to the ground. Two security guards took the chance to finish off the Demon Soldier with several shots.


    Following that, a few other people revealed their in-game abilities. Assisted by these individuals, the security guards finally managed to kill all the invading Demon Soldiers, but still, two more people died.


    By the time the fight was over, the hall was a complete mess strewn with blood, limbs, and severed body parts¡ªbelonging to both Demon Soldiers and humans.


    Those who had little mental preparation were terror-stricken by the scene before them, and even those who were prepared were barely any better, their faces pale as they tried to appear calm.


    Only a few individuals managed to keep their composure, and Xiao Buli was among them. He patted Dugu Han on the shoulder, nodding at the stunned players.


    Dugu Han immediately understood, his voice trembling as he said, "You''ve all seen what''s happening. If we don''t start working together, more Demon Soldiers will break in soon, and no one will survive. I know you all have suspicions about the company, but let''s wait until after we get through this crisis to talk about it. I promise I''ll tell you the truth."


    Dugu Han rarely spoke sincerely, but everyone agreed with nods after hearing him, reluctant as they were. Under the external pressure, they had no other choice.


    Seeing the agreement, Dugu Han couldn''t help feeling pleased. "Now, I''m announcing that the entire Pioneer Corps is on standby for login. I''ll send people to clear the monsters at Thousand Pines Town. Everyone else, assist the security in guarding the entrance. Make sure the Pioneer Corps has enough space to destroy the Teleportation Portal.


    This operation is code-named ''Demon Slaying Operation.'' Begin your actions now!"


    After finishing, Dugu Han returned to his office, not forgetting to call Xiao Buli with him. By now, he had started to value Xiao Buli quite a bit.


    Xiao Buli followed Dugu Han into his office, which had another door. Dugu Han took out a key card to open it, revealing an independent room inside. He instructed a few bodyguards to guard this door, then called out to Xiao Buli, and they both walked in.


    As Xiao Buli entered, his heart was filled with excitement; he was finally about to meet the legendary Qilin Group.


    PS: Apologies for the shorter content in this chapter; it''s mainly due to the power outages I''ve been having these past two days. The rural power grid is truly frustrating. I can''t type during the day, so I can only do so at night. Hopefully, I''ll have time to write more tomorrow. (To be continued. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote and support the story, your backing is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 160 The Strength of Qilin Group

    Situ Yu stood inside the elevator, her mind in turmoil. Even now, she found the events that had just transpired somewhat unbelievable, although they had occurred right before her eyes. Such strange and fantastic occurrences seemed far too mythical for someone living in modern society.Yet, as a police officer, her professional instincts kept telling her that everything that had just happened was real. She had just taken part in a massive battle that one would only expect to see in movies.


    With a ding, the elevator finally reached the first floor. She quickly gathered her Spirit, not knowing when she had gripped her pistol tightly. The moment the door opened, she saw dozens of dark gun barrels aimed at her, startling her so much she almost raised her weapon.


    Fortunately, she still had some sense of reason and quickly spread her hands to show she was no threat.


    (These people don''t seem to be police officers,) she thought to herself in a flash, and her weapon was already being taken from her hands.


    Following the two soldiers wearing black combat suits and masks, she walked out of the building. Outside, police cars and some black personnel transport vehicles had surrounded the area. These vehicles bore a strong military vibe, with a strange logo on their doors¡ªa black dragon coiling around a sword. She was surprised; she had never seen this logo before and didn''t know what it meant.


    "Thank heavens you''re all right. If anything had happened to you, how could I explain it to the old man," Director Zhou''s tone sounded more like an elder scolding a younger relative. It wasn''t until he had finished speaking that he remembered the pressing matter at hand and immediately put on a stern face, "What on earth have you done, girl?


    I told you over and over to let this matter rest, so how did you get yourself into so much trouble again!"


    Situ Yu''s mouth opened, but she didn''t know what to say. Clearly, the situation wasn''t as simple as she had previously thought. She seemed to have gotten involved in a very complicated incident and, faced with Director Zhou''s questioning, she didn''t know what to say.


    At that moment, a soldier in a black combat suit came over and said coldly to Director Zhou, "Is this your undercover agent? Since she''s come out, you all can leave now."


    His words were quite rude, and Director Zhou immediately grew annoyed, "Which unit are you from? According to the rules, this area should be under our jurisdiction!"


    He shouted loudly, also exuding an imposing aura, and the police officers who had been standing by promptly gathered around, as if to show their strength.


    However, the soldier in black remained calm. He muttered a few words into the intercom on his helmet and then turned to Director Zhou, "If you want to know who we are, come with me." He then walked towards a vehicle.


    Director Zhou watched the soldier''s retreating figure with a mixture of suspicion and trepidation, but eventually followed, and Situ Yu did as well, driven by her own curiosity about these people''s identities.


    Behind the command vehicle, several people in combat suits were giving a report to a woman in uniform, who appeared quite young and pretty. The uniform hugged her slender body, making a stark contrast with the robust soldiers surrounding her.


    "We''ve taken strategic positions around the building; all exits are blocked, and we''ve stationed snipers at the high points. Additionally, considering that there may be heavy combat units among the enemy, a batch of heavy weapons will be arriving shortly," spoke a man who seemed to be a captain, pointing at the map.


    The woman nodded without comment, "How many mobile troops can be deployed now?" Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I''ve assembled four assault teams, ready to receive orders at any time. They''re positioned here, here, and here."


    The woman nodded, "Good, have them continue to stand by, ready for my commands. As soon as the heavy weapons arrive, distribute them immediately. The enemy we face this time won''t be easy to deal with."


    Seeing the level of preparedness, Director Zhou''s momentum deflated by half, but he still forced himself to ask, "Who are you people? This is my jurisdiction, and it should be the police taking charge."


    The woman finally took notice of him and nodded to the captain beside her before turning around.


    "I''m Colonel Qin Shimoon, and I''m currently in charge here. As for our identities," she said, pulling out a black-cased ID and handing it over. The same logo of the black dragon coiling around the sword was on it. Director Zhou''s color changed when he opened the ID, and before Situ Yu could get a clear look, he was already handing it back in a fluster.


    "I will order a retreat immediately," he said with a voice close to reverence.


    "That won''t be necessary. There are matters for which I still need your police cooperation. Please set up a perimeter around the building; I don''t want innocent people harmed during this action, nor do I want it exposed. Officially, this operation will still appear under your responsibility. Understood?"


    Director Zhou nodded repeatedly, not voicing any objection, which only deepened Situ Yu''s curiosity. It wasn''t until they had left the area and returned to the police that she couldn''t help asking curiously, "Who exactly are they? Director, why did you agree so readily? That''s not like you at all."


    Director Zhou''s face suddenly turned stern, "From now on, you are not to inquire further about this matter. Little Wang, Little Li, take Officer Situ Yu back to the police station, and she is not to leave there until this situation is over¡ªunderstood!"


    Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 160 The Strength of Qilin Group_2

    Two police officers immediately ran over and flanked Situ Yu, one on each side. Although Situ Yu didn''t know what was going on, she could see that Director Zhou was serious. She stamped her foot in frustration but could only follow the officers. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Meanwhile:


    As Xiao Buli followed Dugu Han into the room, he felt quite nervous. He tried to appear calm and took a quick glance around once inside. The room turned out to be a comfortably furnished independent computer room, with about ten computers that obviously had better configurations than the ones outside. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    There were five people operating the computers, four men and one woman, not wearing a uniform. However, Xiao Buli had already guessed their identity¡ªthe Qilin Group.


    ("Five people, just as I expected," Xiao Buli thought to himself.)


    "Boss, is there a problem?" a gloomy-looking young man stood up and asked Dugu Han.


    Dugu Han nodded, "There''s a very important matter, and now I''ll have to rely on you all."


    "Just give us your orders."


    Dugu Han nodded with some emotion, "Good, very good. I didn''t cultivate you all for nothing. Let me introduce you. This is Xiao Buli from the Green Dragon Group; he''s the one who came up with the plan for this operation. This is Yan Zhong, the leader of the Qilin Group."


    Yan Zhong gave Xiao Buli a look and nodded slightly at him, but his eyes seemed somewhat disdainful.


    Xiao Buli just smiled and didn''t say anything.


    Dugu Han briefly explained the situation and Xiao Buli''s plan to everyone.


    "The only problem now is, do you have the strength to clear out the Demon Clan from Thousand Pines Town, so that the Pioneer Corps players can log back in?" Dugu Han finally asked.


    Yan Zhong nodded, "There shouldn''t be a problem. I have dealt with the Demon Clan before. It might be difficult for average players, but for us, it''s really not a big deal."


    After saying this, he turned back to the others and nodded, "Guys, let''s get to work."


    After that, he sat back down at the computer and logged into the game. Xiao Buli caught a glimpse, the man was wearing a robe and holding a magic wand, apparently one of the Mage Professions.


    When Xiao Buli wanted to look at the other screens, Dugu Han tapped his shoulder and pointed towards the bar at the other end of the room, "You wait over there for now. I''ll call you if there''s anything."


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help feeling a bit disappointed but didn''t show it, nodding and walking over to pour himself a coffee with two sugar cubes, slowly sipping it.


    The few people were all wearing headphones, so he couldn''t hear the sounds of the game, let alone know what they were doing at the moment. He could only guess from the occasional commands issued by the gloomy-faced young man that they seemed to be on their way to Thousand Pines Town.


    "Biao, go pull the mobs, try to delay a bit, Lei Zi get ready for mob clearing."


    "Alright! I''m starting to cast now," a bespectacled young man replied, his thin fingers moving rapidly on the keyboard¡ªa clear indication of a high APM player.


    The mob clearing seemed to be going smoothly. Dugu Han stood behind their screens, nodding continuously, "Nice work, well done. Someone, get the Pioneer Corps to log in."


    As Dugu Han spoke, he waved at Xiao Buli, who quickly walked over and was surprised at a glance. Scorched bodies were everywhere, easily over a hundred. Clearly, the Demon Clan left to defend Thousand Pines Town weren''t many, but it would have been enough to give Xiao Buli and his team a hard time. But this operation had been cleared by the Qilin Group in just a few minutes, which was way too fast!


    He couldn''t help but look at them in astonishment. Seemingly sensing his gaze, Yan Zhong snorted coldly at him with pride.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh, "Do you think having great power means you have nothing to fear? Such naive fellows."


    As white lights flashed, the Pioneer Corps players logged in at Thousand Pines Town, and seeing the corpses on the ground, they couldn''t help but express their admiration in surprise.


    Dugu Han casually picked up the microphone. "Alright, enough talk, this operation is truly a matter of life and death, and no one better screw up. Is the leader of the Pioneer Corps here?"


    No one answered, and Dugu Han couldn''t help feeling a bit irritated. "What about the deputy leader of the Pioneer Corps?"


    Xiao Buli casually mentioned from behind, "That Li Jian was the deputy leader, the one I took out."


    Yan Zhong seemed taken aback and looked at Xiao Buli with some surprise.


    "Damn, that''s some bad luck. Well then, one of you will have to step up and act as the leader for now."


    Wu Tao said, "I''ll do it, I was class monitor in primary school, and I''ve been a deputy team leader when playing games. I''m the best at commanding on the fly."


    However, Dugu Han could tell this guy was the one who had been disagreeing with him earlier and was immediately put off. "Not him, the one in the Taoist robe, Hua Yueying, it''s up to you."


    "Fine, I''ll reluctantly take the job," Hua Yueying said, unwillingly.


    "Everyone follow that warrior called Zhang Biao," Dugu Han instructed.


    Xiao Buli glanced at the screen. That Zhang Biao should be the Biao previously mentioned by Yan Zhong, a warrior wielding a Two-Handed Sword. Strangely, he was surrounded by a golden glow, obviously the effect of Divine Arts, and it appeared he had some training in other professions.


    The group followed Zhang Biao and charged out of the town, and as soon as they left, they saw a large number of the Demon Clan rushing over, probably drawn by the earlier battle.


    "Lei Zi, we''re counting on you!"


    The bespectacled man stepped forward, pointing his Magic Wand towards the sky, instantly causing dark clouds to churn and thunder to roar.


    (Is it the Summoning of the Thundercloud Storm? It seems a bit different.) Xiao Buli thought to himself, noting that the expanse of thunderclouds was clearly much larger than what the Thunder Summoner of the Iron Blood Brotherhood had previously conjured, and the flashes of lightning were more frequent. Zhang Biao held off the frontline for a moment until Wang Lei suddenly yelled, "Here it comes!"


    Brilliant golden light flashed on Zhang Biao''s body, enveloping him like a giant Buddha.


    "Look, that''s the Vajra Avatar of the Martial Monk! What the hell is his real profession? He knows this move too," Wu Tao exclaimed in shock from the crowd.


    In the next moment, countless bolts of lightning rained down like a downpour from within the thunderclouds, charring many of the Demon Clan that were swarming around Zhang Biao into cinders, yet Zhang Biao at the core of the Thundercloud Storm remained unscathed.


    Xiao Buli watched, astonished, thinking that this was ridiculously overpowering!


    The thunderclouds finally dispersed, and most of the demons in front of them were dead or injured.


    "I''m out of mana, you guys take care of the rest," Wang Lei said as he ran to the back to replenish his mana. Zhang Biao also retreated, while the few from Qilin Group stayed back to conserve their strength.


    Dugu Han shouted at the Pioneer Corps members who were still in shock, "What are you waiting for? Get moving!"


    The group finally snapped out of it and surged forward, launching a fierce attack on the remaining Demon Clan, quickly taking out the rest of the enemies.


    "That''s the way, keep up the pace!" Dugu Han seemed to see the hope for victory and shouted excitedly.


    After replenishing their mana, Qilin Group and the Pioneer Corps regrouped and made another push towards the Teleportation Portal. Dugu Han''s phone, however, started ringing incessantly, and he answered it with impatience. After a moment, his expression soured.


    "Liu, you''re like a brother to me, please try to buy me some more time. What? They''re about to burst in? No, no, listen, Liu, the Teleportation Portal is located somewhere downstairs, I can cut it off from this side any minute now, and then we''ll have a fully intact Teleportation Portal." He blurted out his plea in a fluster, but Liu Zijian on the other end seemed to understand.


    Seeming to have received a favorable response, Dugu Han visibly relaxed.


    After ending the call, his face showed a trace of resolve. He grabbed the microphone and commanded fiercely, "Everyone, work harder, we aim to destroy the Teleportation Portal within half an hour." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 161 End of the Road, Dagger Emerges

    ```As the Pioneer Corps and the Qilin Group headed toward the Teleportation Portal, Xiao Buli was also surveying the situation in the room, assessing the likelihood of success if he took action there.


    There were a total of four security guards in the room, all of whom appeared to be formidable figures. Positioned at the four corners of the room, their calm gazes locked onto all the blind spots. Their weapons were handguns, which, up to this point, still posed a significant threat to players like him.


    The five members of the Qilin Group were undoubtedly very powerful in combat. However, since they were focused on the game, there might be a few seconds of delay in their reaction time if he struck, but that was it.


    Once they reacted, their combined firepower was likely to be terrifyingly strong, too much for anyone to withstand their joint attack, unless they were only formidable within the game and didn''t possess their in-game abilities in reality, which was almost impossible.


    Among these five, besides Zhang Biao and Wang Lei, who had already demonstrated their strength, and Yan Zhong, whose capabilities were indiscernible as he had not made a move, the other two were a female assassin wielding a one-handed sword and a dagger, who seemed to have a part-time job in the magic system professions, and was even capable of Earth Escape.


    This female assassin was named Dian Lan, who would occasionally lick her lips while playing the game, giving off a somewhat neurotic vibe.


    The other one was a peculiar individual dressed in beast skins and wearing a wolf-head armor, using gauntlets as weapons, but with a blue mana bar beneath his health bar. He seemed to be a Mage Profession as well, leading Xiao Buli to surmise that he might be a Shaman-type profession. This person was called Lin Beifeng, who always hid at the back of the team.


    Last was Dugu Han. Xiao Buli had always felt that this guy must be one of the tough ones, akin to a Breeder from "Infinite Horror," especially since he had the economic and equipment support of an entire company backing him, which likely made him much more powerful than an average player.


    But now, he seemed somewhat like a paper tiger, not displaying any of the strength he should have, which was quite puzzling.


    No matter how he looked at it, the people in the room were beyond his ability to deal with, but Xiao Buli had his own plan that didn''t require a head-on confrontation. Thus, he wasn''t nervous at all, simply calculating the time in his mind while slowly moving his feet to find the right position, quietly waiting for the right moment to act.


    With Zhang Biao and Wang Lei¡ªholding the Divine Artifacts¡ªthe team continued to advance smoothly, not knowing how many of the Demon Clan they had killed on their way to the Teleportation Portal. Just when they were about to reach it, a disturbance suddenly erupted from outside.


    Dugu Han immediately tensed up, picked up the microphone of the communicator, and asked, "Hey, how''s it going outside? Can you hold them back?"


    A panicked voice from the security guard came through the communicator along with the sound of gunfire. "Boss, it''s no good, there are so many creatures, we can''t hold them off¡ªah!" A scream cut off the brief exchange.


    Damn it, what a bunch of useless fools! Dugu Han cursed inwardly but couldn''t ignore the situation. If the outside was breached, they wouldn''t be able to hold out here either. He pushed the door open into an inner compartment, seeming to open some sort of safe, and actually pulled out a couple of sawed-off shotguns.


    He tossed one to each of the two security guards at the entrance.


    "Daniu, Erhu, you two go out and help. You must block them!"


    ```


    "Understood, boss. The two bodyguards agreed and went out to open the door,"


    As the automatic door hissed shut, sealing everyone back inside once more,


    Daniu and Erhu did not really go by those names. They had their own names, but like many in their profession, they needed a certain level of secrecy. To make it easier for their employers to distinguish them, they had adopted these simple and somewhat foolish sounding names.


    The two were no novices to the bodyguard business. Having worked in this field for seven or eight years, they had faced all sorts of dangers, but this was the first time they encountered something as strange as this. Despite their extensive experience, they were still nervous about whether they would make it through this time,


    Fortunately, they both remembered the bodyguard''s code: do not inquire about the employer''s private affairs, just focus on the task at hand.


    Armed with shotguns, they entered the lobby only to be stunned by the sight in front of them. Swarms of Demon Clan members were pouring in, and the remaining security guards were desperately firing from behind makeshift barricades made of office desks and writing tables. The ground was littered with corpses; monsters, security guards, and players alike.


    Due to most of the Pioneer Corps members being inside playing the game, there were not many formidable figures left outside. While they did possess some superpowers, they were no match for the high-ranking experts of the Pioneer Corps.


    Seeing people being cut down one after another, the two hurriedly joined the battle. Daniu took the lead, raising his shotgun and pulled the trigger without hesitation at a Demon Clan member rushing towards him, claws bared, seeking to engage in close combat.


    Despite already having taken two bullets, the creature hadn''t fallen, but this time a direct spray knocked it to the ground, its black carapace shattered, instantly dead.


    A shotgun is no pea shooter. The two took down several Demon Clan members in quick succession, but the situation was spiraling out of control. Daniu quickly turned on the communicator.


    "It''s no use, boss, we''re too few to hold them off!"


    "Hold on a bit longer, it''ll be fine soon. I''m sending a few members from the Pioneer Corps to help you!"


    Suddenly, the door of the adjacent computer room burst open, and several members of the Pioneer Corps charged out. Their addition to the battlefield instantly turned the tide.


    They were all adept at using superpowers, with some launching fireballs that left the Demon Clan scalded and seared, others swinging fire axes and cleaving through the Demon Clan''s defenses, and still others chanting spells over the corpses on the ground, which then rose up and attacked the surrounding Demon Clan members.


    Though the reanimated corpses weren''t strong¡ªeasily dispatched with a single blow¡ªthey provided a delay, helping to turn the tide.


    In mere moments, they scored a resounding victory, and as the remnants of the Demon Clan started to flee, a few more people attacked from behind, with one brandishing the Three-foot Green Blade, slashing sword qi fiercely, cutting through the Demon Clan as easily as chopping vegetables.


    Behind him followed two bald strongmen in army coats, expressionless yet displaying terrifying strength as they effortlessly dispatched any Demon Clan member they encountered.


    Daniu and Erhu watched, eyes wide and mouths agape, thinking to themselves, "Good lord, are these even human?"


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    However, one person had yet to lift a finger, walking calmly through the throng and past the scattered corpses into the lobby. He looked around excitedly, and upon seeing him, the members of the Pioneer Corps quickly gathered around. "Boss, you''re finally here. Did everything go smoothly?" Wu Tao asked first.


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, "It went very smoothly, now everything is ready except for the East Wind."


    As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the security guards around him.


    "Thank heavens, we finally won." A guard sighed with relief and opened his communicator, "Boss, it''s temporarily safe outside."


    After speaking, the guard glanced at the superpower users, still feeling terrified, and said to his companion, "We really owe these guys big time for this one."


    "Indeed, if it weren''t for these guys helping us, we would''ve been goners this time."


    The two looked around only to discover that most of the security guards had died in the chaotic battle that just happened, leaving less than ten of them.


    At that moment, a superpower user approached them; the guard recognized this was the guy who liked to shout "Adugen" when throwing a punch,


    "Thank you so much." He expressed his sincere gratitude.


    "What are you thanking for, we''re all in this together, aren''t we? There''s no need to thank." The man said with a grin, patting his shoulder, when suddenly he felt numbness coursing through his body, and he could no longer move...


    By the time Wu Tao sealed the acupoints of the third guard, someone finally realized something was wrong.


    The third guard abruptly dodged back the moment he was about to pat his shoulder, watching him warily, "What are you doing?"


    Wu Tao thought, it seems like it''s time for a hard fight.


    "What are you waiting for, attack now!" he shouted, and Daniu and Erhu were shocked to find, almost simultaneously, the superpower users began to attack them.


    At the same time:


    "Alright, it''s temporarily safeguarded outside; how about you guys, have you found the Teleportation Portal?"


    Dugu Han asked, while walking behind the screens of several people.


    "We found it, boss, take a look over here, this should be the Teleportation Portal,"


    Yan Zhong pointed at an entrance on the screen that was emanating a blue glow, swirling like a vortex.


    There were dozens of Demon Clan members guarding the Teleportation Portal, but defeat seemed inevitable, especially since they were up against the Qilin Group.


    "Haha, that''s great, destroy it quickly, and then we''ve won."


    Xiao Buli also had been monitoring their screens attentively, and as he looked at the Teleportation Portal, a thought suddenly came to him, what would happen if a character from the game world crossed through the Teleportation Portal?


    This thought was so tangled that it lingered persistently for a while, and he quickly envisioned a few possibilities¡ªThe first was that there would be another person identical to him in this world, and that he could control this person''s actions like a robot, but he soon dismissed this possibility.


    The second possibility was that he himself would gain all the abilities, memories, and equipment from the game¡ªthough he guessed that he probably wouldn''t be able to enter the game again afterward.


    Of course, there were other possibilities, such as the character gaining self-control upon arrival and becoming an independent entity, or possibly, he would die straight away...


    In any case, without experimentation, it was impossible to confirm.


    It was a pity that his character was not nearby, otherwise, he could have let Maoqiu give it a try. He said to himself with a sigh. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    PS: Another chapter will be released tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it and give it monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 162 The Will of the Qilin

    The raid from the Pioneer Corps was unstoppable, and the security guards, who had barely held off the attack from the Demon Clan, were now completely relaxed, almost offering no resistance as they were each knocked to the ground. Two bald, burly men in military greatcoats charged at Daniu and Erhu, who fired their guns repeatedly while retreating.However, the two bald men in greatcoats seemed to have no sense of pain and, despite being riddled with bullet holes like a beehive, didn''t utter a sound. They were merely kept at bay by the impact of the gunfire. The exposed flesh beneath the tattered clothing of these strong men was pale as if they had been dead for days. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Both guards were petrified. How could dead people still walk around?


    "Boss, something bad is happening, they..."


    With a flash of Sword Qi, a figure passed directly between the two, causing Daniu''s words to abruptly cut off. Erhu also remained motionless, still in the act of firing his gun. Moments later, both their throats spurted out a jet of blood before they collapsed listlessly.


    Liu Xing looked at the blood-dripping Longsword in his hand. This treasured sword, forged from Patterned Steel, was indeed as sharp as advertised on the website.


    Turning around to glance at the two bodies on the ground, a trace of pity flickered in his eyes but vanished immediately. "It''s either you or me, sorry guys," he muttered to himself, before turning back to Zhang Yaoyang. "What should we do now, team leader?"


    Zhang Yaoyang said, "We''ve taken care of our side. Now it all depends on what''s happening inside." After speaking, he added, "Call everyone out; it''s time everyone understood what''s going on."


    Dugu Han grabbed the walkie-talkie, looking at the people in the room with uncertainty. Although Daniu had not finished speaking, it put him on alert.


    "Boss, we''ve secured the Teleportation Portal. Should we destroy it now?" Yan Zhong suddenly asked. Dugu Han glanced at Yan Zhong''s screen, which showed the five of them standing alone amidst a sea of Demon Clan corpses and some members of the Pioneer Corps. However, it seemed that their numbers were significantly reduced.


    He immediately realized that he had sent some of the Pioneer Corps offline to aid the outside security team. Even if those security guards were dead, the members of the Pioneer Corps shouldn''t have all been taken out. A chilling thought struck him ¨C what if it was the Pioneer Corps members causing trouble?


    "Daniu, Erhu, are you still there?" He called out twice, but no one responded, escalating his panic.


    "Damn, what exactly happened outside?"


    "Perhaps I can answer that question," Xiao Buli said casually, pacing back and forth, the Ethereal Sword subtly summoned into his hand.


    The two security guards instinctively raised their pistols but hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation, Xiao Buli abruptly thrust the sword into the electrical power strip on the floor.


    With a couple of crackling sounds, the power strip exploded in a burst of sparks, but strangely, the computer screens remained on. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli suddenly realized, "Right, such a big company would definitely install relay switches or other safety measures in each computer; they can''t risk people getting trapped in the game if the power went out," he thought to himself.


    "What the hell are you doing!" Dugu Han hadn''t comprehended the situation yet and instinctively shouted in alarm when he saw Xiao Buli''s actions, but Yan Zhong suddenly stood up, his voice stern, "Kill him!"


    Finally snapping to their senses, the bodyguards let off a barrage of gunfire, yet ripples appeared around Xiao Buli''s body, revealing the Ethereal Armor that blocked the shots.


    "Quick, log out of the game!" Yan Zhong shouted at the others. "It won''t work, you can''t log out during combat!" Zhang Biao yelled back.


    "Then kill him quickly," Yan Zhong ordered coldly. Hearing this, the members of the Qilin Group stood up, apparently ready to focus-fire and take out Xiao Buli in one swift move. Xiao Buli thought to himself, it''s now or never!


    Sunfire Sword Qi¡ªUltimate Skills: Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! Charging straight at the five members of the Qilin Group, a whirlwind of flames spiraled out, its formidable force forcing the Qilin members to retreat rapidly to dodge his ferocious attack. But the computers were not so lucky, and in an instant, they were slashed into a heap of sparking scrap metal.


    As they lost control of their in-game characters, the Qilin Group was enraged. "I''m going to kill you!" The burly man named Zhang Biao threw a heavy punch glowing with a cold metallic sheen; it was clear it carried some kind of special effect.


    Xiao Buli was about to use his Shadow Clone to confuse his attacker, but Zhang Biao suddenly sped up, creating an afterimage that reached him before he could create any clones and struck him with a punch. Xiao Buli hastily raised his sword to block, but with a crack, the Ethereal Sword was shattered into two pieces.


    Xiao Buli stumbled backward but before he could recover, the one named Wang Lei suddenly unleashed a dazzling lightning bolt from his hand, blasting Xiao Buli away and slamming him into a wall where he slumped to the ground.


    Wang Lei''s lightning was far more formidable than his Palm Thunder; Xiao Buli felt as if he''d been struck by high-voltage electricity, causing a nauseating pressure in his chest and pain throughout his body. He nearly spat out blood, unsure of the attack''s full force. Thankfully, the Ethereal Armor absorbed some of the damage, otherwise, he might have been instantly killed.


    Just as he was about to stand up, the female assassin named Dian Lan flipped through the air and landed right in front of him; her right leg lifted up and her high-heeled right foot pinned his sword-wielding wrist against the wall while the dagger in her hand aimed straight for his throat, poised to stab.


    "If you don''t want to live, go ahead and make your move," Xiao Buli said with difficulty, thinking to himself that this Qilin Group bunch truly was psychotic, a clear difference between pay-to-win warriors and free players. If they really fought head-on, even if he gathered all the Pioneer Corps members, they might not stand a chance against them.


    Dian Lan, holding the dagger in her hand, paused momentarily, turning around as if seeking confirmation from Yan Zhong with a glance.


    "Kill him, what are you waiting for? Just kill him!" roared Dugu Han viciously, yet Dian Lan still didn''t make a move, continuing to wait for Yan Zhong''s response.


    Yan Zhong''s face darkened as he stepped forward to Xiao Buli, "Xiao Buli, eh? Tell me, what makes you think I would spare your life?"


    Xiao Buli, sensing an opening for dialogue, calmly said, "If I die, your characters in the game won''t survive either. The Pioneer Corps is right next to you. No matter how good your gear or how high your health points are, if you can''t use them, you''re all just sitting ducks. When that happens, everyone will disband, but guess what, there''s a good chance someone will survive, and that''s your boss.


    Heh, perhaps that''s the outcome you hope for, but I highly doubt it. Isn''t that right?"


    Not a trace of expression appeared on Yan Zhong''s face, but he seemed to disagree with Xiao Buli''s words.


    Xiao Buli continued to speak on his own terms. There''s a second option, "You just leave now; there are computers still available in the newbies'' room. You can log into your characters there, and then log out. But there are many from the Demon Clan on the way, so estimating a round trip would take about half an hour.


    By that time, the police are probably going to storm in, and your boss is likely to be dead. So, my suggestion would be to get out as soon as you log off. After all, I assume you don''t want to become wanted criminals."


    "What if I want to take the boss with us?" asked Yan Zhong, as if attempting a final effort.


    "Then none of you will get away. Even if you take my life as a threat, it won''t work. Those outside all have grudges against Dugu Han and won''t hesitate to die with him if they must. That means your characters will also certainly die," Xiao Buli retorted.


    "What if we leave and then you go back on your word?"


    Xiao Buli answered, "Then you can come back and kill us, of course. After all, death in the game takes at least a few hours to take effect in reality, which gives you enough time to return and take my life. But that''s unlikely to happen, our target is Dugu Han; we don''t plan to make more powerful enemies."


    Dugu Han listened with increasing dissatisfaction, "Don''t listen to him! They won''t let you go! Quickly kill him and we''ll fight our way out together. My boss knows the Resurrection Technique; even if you die, he can bring you back to life."


    "If that''s the case, then why don''t you just let us kill you and have your boss resurrect you?" Xiao Buli sneered, extinguishing Dugu Han''s last glimmer of struggle.


    A resolute flicker crossed Dugu Han''s eyes as he suddenly drew his katana and slashed at Xiao Buli. Yet, the blade halted in mid-air as if it had encountered an invisible barrier or as if an invisible hand had grabbed his arm; Yan Zhong held out his hand, keeping Dugu Han from completing the strike no matter how hard he tried.


    "I don''t mind if you kill him, but let''s wait until we''ve left to do it," Yan Zhong said before gesturing to Dian Lan with a meaningful look. The female assassin leapt off Xiao Buli''s body, but as she did, her dagger casually left a shallow cut on his neck.


    She licked the blood off her dagger with her tongue in a threatening manner and backed away with a cold laugh.


    "Hey, you guys aren''t seriously listening to him, are you? Quickly kill him!" Dugu Han continued to shout, but no one heeded his calls. It seemed like the Qilin Group, just like the others, had developed its own system and will, rendering Dugu Han''s words less effective than Yan Zhong''s.


    "Sorry, boss, even though you''ve given us a lot, all of it is meaningless without a life to enjoy it, especially after obtaining such incredible power. Don''t you think it would be a waste for us to just give it up like this?" Yan Zhong turned back and addressed Dugu Han with a sincere tone.


    Dugu Han couldn''t believe his ears, "What? Are you ingrates planning a rebellion? Don''t forget who gave you everything you have now."


    "We won''t forget, don''t worry, boss. In the future, we''ll definitely avenge you. Once things have settled down, we''ll find a way to kill that guy," they reassured him.


    As he said this, Yan Zhong gave Xiao Buli a cold look, and Xiao Buli understood all too well from his eyes that he wasn''t just talking idly. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly passes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 163 Proud Heaven Sword Skills

    Facing a severe threat, Xiao Buli merely smiled, feeling not overly concerned in his heart.If the Qilin Group abandoned Dugu Han and left this place, it would mean that they, like him, would become traitors to the organization behind the company, becoming targets of the hunt, perhaps even higher priority targets. After all, the Qilin Group was more powerful and likely possessed some of the organization''s secrets. Time would tell who should really be more worried.


    This was why Xiao Buli was unwilling to have a life-and-death struggle with these people. With them drawing attention, it would be easier for him to extricate himself completely from this situation.


    "FUCK! FUCK! You bunch of ungrateful bastards! Why did I ever take you lot in?" Dugu Han cursed loudly as things got to this point. The five members of the Qilin Group seemed to feel some guilt and none replied. Yan Zhong said to Xiao Buli, "Now you can tell the outside, we''re going out.


    Whatever happens after has nothing to do with us. But if anything happens to our characters, we''ll come back and leave none of you alive."


    His words were commanding, but he also had the strength to back it up. Xiao Buli sighed in relief, thinking that he had finally succeeded. "Fine, you can go, but let those two guys put down their guns first. Otherwise, I''m a bit worried," he said. Yan Zhong gave a sign to Dian Lan next to him. The woman suddenly spun around and two streaks of cold light flew from her hands.


    The two bodyguards didn''t even have time to react before they were hit in the throat by throwing knives, clutching their throats as they fell gurgling to the ground.


    Xiao Buli felt a chill in his heart. These people really did kill without blinking, even their own, three times more ruthless than himself. It seemed he would have to be more cautious in the future.


    Yet his face revealed no shock, and he nodded naturally. Using the Secret Sound Transmission spell, he briefly explained the situation inside the room to Zhang Yaoyang. After receiving a reply, he nodded to Yan Zhong, "You may go."


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    As the five members of the Qilin Group walked out of the server room and into the lobby, most of the Pioneer Corps members were already there. Members of the Vermilion Bird Group and the Xuanwu Group had also been called out. The Xuanwu Group, with few able to use superhuman powers, picked up handguns from the ground, all watching warily. The rest were probably back in the public computer room.


    Yan Zhong glanced at the server room door and hesitated. What would happen if they stormed in now? After thinking it over, he chose to give up. The Pioneer Corps members might not be a match for them, but they could delay them for a while, enough time for the people in the public computer room to finish off their characters.


    Watching the five people descend the stairs, everyone sighed with relief.


    "Let''s find somewhere to hide in the game," Zhang Yaoyang said. "If we don''t scram now, the Qilin Group will probably go on a killing spree once they''re online."


    In the office, the departure of the five didn''t make Xiao Buli feel at ease; on the contrary, he became more tense. The strength in his body was gradually returning. He readied his energy, watching Dugu Han intently. Dugu Han held the katana tightly until his fingers turned white. With a fierce look, he scanned Xiao Buli, no longer constrained by Yan Zhong''s pressure and without any hesitation.


    "Die!" Dugu Han suddenly yelled, swinging his katana. Xiao Buli quickly dodged, summoning a new Ethereal Sword to block the attack. The force of Dugu Han''s strike was strong, vibrating Xiao Buli''s palms numbly, but it didn''t seem to have any additional effects like Internal Energy, so it was just a bit of numbness.


    Xiao Buli easily parried the attack and counterattacked. Dugu Han seemed a bit flustered as he dodged backward, but still a cut was made on his suit.


    This guy isn''t that skilled, Xiao Buli thought. (Could he be feigning weakness? Unlikely, at this stage he wouldn''t have the luxury to pretend). Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still cautious by nature, he tested with a few strikes. Dugu Han really didn''t know any Swordsmanship techniques, merely slashing and fending off in panic. Although his speed, strength, and reflexes were far beyond an ordinary person''s, even stronger than Xiao Buli''s, he seemed to have no skills to use, just a normal person with a katana.


    Xiao Buli was reassured, but he couldn''t just kill Dugu Han; after all, there were others waiting outside. He launched a fierce offensive, forcing Dugu Han to retreat continuously until he backed out of the office and into the lobby.


    Dugu Han stepped back and suddenly realized something was wrong. Turning around, he found dozens of cold eyes watching him, filling him with despair.


    He turned around and swept a gaze over the people in the hall, and hysterically roared, "Is it you who want to kill me? A bunch of ungrateful wretches, today I am going to kill you all! Let''s see who the real boss is!"


    "Dugu Han, your time of death is today. I will avenge my sister!" Zhang Yaoyang shouted fiercely, and a leopard walked up from behind him, still with a zoo tag hanging from its neck. Although it was a tame animal captured from the zoo, under Zhang Yaoyang''s control it glared with red eyes and snarled with white fangs, showing no sign of docility.


    The members of the Green Dragon Group followed and surrounded him, the White Tiger Group''s men circled around, the Vermilion Bird Group hesitated for a moment then also joined in surrounding him, and even the craftsmen from the Xuanwu Group, trembling with fear, followed behind everyone else, holding pistols and aiming at Dugu Han.


    Dugu Han saw this situation and suddenly laughed, so hard that tears and snot ran down his face. Xiao Buli saw this and couldn''t help thinking to himself, could this guy have gone mad?


    Dugu Han indeed had gone mad. Though he had been overbearing, he had not expected so many people would want to kill him. One could say he had brought this on himself. However, the crazier a person is, the more likely they are to do something unexpected. He suddenly stopped laughing, and a strange expression appeared on his face, "You think it''s that easy to kill me?


    Do you think I''ve been running my company for so long without any precautions? Today, let me show you the power of combining Proud Heaven Sword Skills with Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi!"


    Proud Heaven Sword Skills!? It seemed like a very powerful swordsmanship! Everyone present was stunned for a moment, but very few actually understood what it meant. Xiao Buli, however, knew the origin of Proud Heaven Sword Skills¡ªit was the most expensive swordsmanship taught at the Longquan Sword Pavilion, costing 500 Gold Coins, while the Gale Sword Skills only cost a few Gold Coins.


    This clearly indicated how powerful this set of swordsmanship was. As for what Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi was, nobody knew, but just from the name alone, one could tell it was not ordinary.


    Then Dugu Han braced himself as if he was about to unleash a powerful move. Everyone tensed up, preparing to face the imminent attack, but after waiting for a while, Dugu Han produced nothing.


    A thought suddenly flashed in Xiao Buli''s mind. Dugu Han''s actions and expression were all too familiar to him¡ªit was exactly like when he wanted to use the Myriad Forms Unlimited but couldn''t. Could it be that Dugu Han was still unable to use the abilities from the game in reality? It seemed very likely.


    "He can''t use it!" Someone suddenly shouted. It was Ma Long from the White Tiger Group who saw an opportunity. He burst forth from the crowd, closing the distance to Dugu Han in two steps, and swung two hooked sabers, which he had somehow obtained, in a crossing motion toward Dugu Han''s head.


    Dugu Han watched the sabers swing towards him and his mind went blank, thinking to himself that it was over, that he, a man against the heavens, was going to die here.


    His heart filled with indescribable grief and resentment, he almost instinctively swung his sword, and in that instant, a magnificent Sword Qi burst forth. Ma Long was the first to bear the brunt; the Sword Qi passed directly through him, causing him to freeze in place, still in the motion of bringing down his dual sabers.


    The hooked sabers were broken into four pieces, and Ma Long''s body moved slightly before splitting neatly into two halves from the position of his chest.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback at the sight. He hadn''t even been able to see clearly how that sword strike had been executed. That blast of Sword Qi completely obscured the trajectory of the move, with its speed and strength perfectly combined, giving the impression of being utterly unstoppable.


    (Proud Heaven Sword Skills are this powerful?) A thought ran through his mind,


    This instantly subdued the surrounding people. Although overwhelming him by sheer numbers would mostly likely result in his death, the ones rushing in first would probably be killed, and coupled with their hesitancy, no one rushed forward for the time being.


    But Dugu Han was euphoric. Heaven forbid; this was his first time truly using an ability from the game. No matter how much he had experimented before, he had never succeeded. Unexpectedly, at this life-and-death moment, it actually worked. Could it be heaven was not ready for him to die?


    That''s right, in typical novels and movies, the amazing protagonists always burst out with power at the most crucial moments. Considering his against-the-heavens existence, it must be the same case for him, huhuhu. Laughable how these ants don''t realize death is upon them.


    With a bang, a gunshot sounded; someone had fired a shot, breaking Dugu Han''s delusion. Startled, he searched his body instinctively but found himself unharmed. Half a foot in front of him, a bullet had stopped abruptly in mid-air.


    Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi was also taking effect! He felt a surge of ecstasy. With these two ultimate moves, what should he fear? It seemed he really was destined to alter his fate!


    With this thought, he no longer showed any signs of the previous despair, recalling the sensation of the sword strike he had made, an aura spontaneously emanated from him. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to support it by casting recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 164 Dugu Hans Fury

    There seemed to be some commotion in the crowd, and the development of the situation was not quite what everyone had expected. Among them, Zhang Yaoyang''s expression was the ugliest. He was the direct planner of this rebellion, and although it was actually Xiao Buli who later pushed it forward, it was still ostensibly led by him. Now, everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to make a decision.Seemingly sensing the fear of those on the other side, Dugu Han brandished his blade and said with high spirits, "Come on, you ants, let me teach you a lesson, you ignorant lot. You can cry, you can beg for mercy, but I will not pardon your crimes!"


    The words almost slipped out without thought, and Dugu Han even took a moment to feel proud of his eloquence. But no sooner had he finished speaking than he noticed the faces that had shown fear all suddenly shook, turning into expressions of ferocity and determination, as if they would not rest until they had killed him.


    Zhang Yaoyang almost laughed after hearing Dugu Han''s words. He thought to himself that you can''t blame anyone for being stupid¡ªdidn''t Dugu Han just force everyone to fight to the death to kill him?


    He suddenly stood up, "Everyone, attack together and kill him, ah! You all heard him, if he doesn''t die, none of us will survive!"


    Instantly, everyone was filled with common hatred and anger, and it wasn''t clear who shouted, "An Qingzi, attack!"


    In a flash, fireballs, Qigong waves, bullets, flying daggers, computer monitors, and stools¡ªall kinds of long-range attacks were focused on him.


    However mighty Dugu Han was, this onslaught took him by surprise. But the Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi that emanated from his body was indeed a defensive and offensive technique, managing to block those attacks, albeit gradually dimming in the process.


    Dugu Han knew that being passive wasn''t the answer. In his haste, he casually sent out two Sword Qi strikes, slicing the random objects falling toward him into countless fragments. These two strikes gave him a bit of momentum, and he charged toward the crowd.


    "Close combat, upfront!" Zhang Yaoyang shouted as he waved his hand, but nobody stepped forward. Those game players with close combat roles were all unwilling to engage. In the game, there were health points, and as long as you weren''t dead, you could be healed, but in reality, it wasn''t so lucky. Ma Long''s lesson was still fresh, and no one wanted to lose their life on the eve of victory.


    Zhang Yaoyang silently cursed the rabble as unreliable. With a wave of his hand, the leopard let out a howl and pounced forward, followed by the two zombies in military coats controlled by Bai Yunfei. These zombies were crafted by Bai Yunfei, who had stolen corpses from the morgue.


    Although they seemed a bit fragile due to the short time and the lack of absorbed Yin Energy, they had performed impressively in the fight against the security guards.


    When faced with the charging zombies and leopard, Dugu Han recalled a variety of sword techniques in his mind. Almost instinctively, he dispatched a few strikes, chopping the two zombies into chunks of flesh. Their bodies, which bullets struggled to penetrate, seemed as easy to slice as tofu under his Sword Qi-enhanced blade.


    The leopard, circling around trying for a sneak attack, was caught by Dugu Han who suddenly grabbed at the air¡ªthe Giant Spirit''s Grasp! As if seized by an invisible hand, the leopard was flung toward Dugu Han, who met it with a slash, cutting it in half like pork meat, so clean that blood only spurted a distance away due to the fierce Sword Qi. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hahahaha! Dugu Han laughed heartily. The more Ultimate Skills from the game emerged, the more exhilarated he became. So this was what having superpowers felt like!


    But as Dugu Han grew more arrogant, the rebels felt increasingly dismayed, content to throw their spells from a distance, with no one daring to engage in close combat.


    Dugu Han was relentless, mowing down one unlucky escapee after another like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.


    "Quick, use restriction skills!"


    "Check out my Paralysis Skills!"


    "Take this, Binding Curse!"


    "Damn, it''s not working, Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi comes with a resistance effect!" People cursed as they scattered, a myriad of spells unfolding yet utterly inefficient against Dugu Han. Zhang Yaoyang watched, his heart growing cold, thinking to himself, what on earth is this Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi, and why is it so domineering?


    They say a hero always arrives in the hour of crisis, just as everyone was at their wit''s end, suddenly, someone stood forward.


    "Step aside, let me fight him!" A person suddenly emerged from the crowd, and upon closer inspection, it was Liu Xing.


    Facing Dugu Han, Liu Xing stood with his sword, slightly less imposing, but he would not admit defeat. Casually flicking his sword to make a flourish, he beckoned to Dugu Han with a hook of his finger, "Today, allow me to experience your superior moves."


    Liu Xing''s appearance took Dugu Han aback for a moment. However, he quickly sneered, "Anyone who comes will die! He swung his sword." Sword Qi like a tangible entity, stretching three to five meters long, Liu Xing dared not be careless and instantly used his ultimate move: Mystic Skill ¡ª Rainbow Piercing The Sun!


    He raised his hand and with all his might unleashed a crimson Sword Qi at Dugu Han. The two Sword Qi met mid-air, clashing and repelling each other''s strength. They disintegrated into a shockwave that pushed both men several steps back. Liu Xing was shocked. He had used a Mystic Skill, yet the opponent''s casual strike matched his in intensity.


    The Proud Heaven Sword Skills truly lived up to its reputation as a powerful skill, worthy of the 500 Gold Coins needed to learn it. The sword moves appeared simple and unadorned, but each strike carried an immensely powerful Sword Qi that fully compensated for any lack of fanciness in the technique.


    Indeed, a heavy sword doesn''t need a sharp edge; the power of the Proud Heaven Sword Skills was hundreds of times stronger than any mere physical attack with a heavy weapon.


    As Dugu Han attacked once more, Liu Xing clenched his teeth and stepped forward.


    Mystic Skill ¡ª Moon Shadow Trace! He channeled his Internal Energy to the tenth level and used his skill again. This time, it was a close-quarters physical attack. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on Dugu Han and struck with sword trails as radiant as moonlight.


    Dugu Han countered with his own strike, and at the moment of collision, Liu Xing''s Patterned Steel sword could not withstand the force and shattered into countless fragments. He was blasted backward by the residual force and thrown among the corpses on the ground.


    Lying there, Liu Xing seethed with resentment. That sword, which he had bought from Taobao for 3000 yuan and sharpened himself, had proved so fragile. Indeed, you get what you pay for.


    Dugu Han, wielding his katana, walked step by step toward Liu Xing. Just as he was about to strike down, a rush of wind suddenly came from behind. Almost instinctively, Dugu Han turned and slashed horizontally, his speed so rapid that even he reacted only moments later. But he quickly realized his strike was worthwhile.


    With a clang, as if hitting something, an empty space behind him suddenly conjured a person wielding a crystal-like translucent longsword that clashed with his katana. Recognizing the owner of the sword, Dugu Han immediately clenched his teeth in rage. If it wasn''t Xiao Buli, who else could it be? (To be continued.


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 Chapter 165 Another Way Out

    As the saying goes, enemies often flare up at the sight of each other, and upon seeing Xiao Buli, Dugu Han''s eyes blazed with fury. His greatest trump card, the Qilin Group, had been spirited away by the infuriating person before him¡ªwith a smirk no less. How could he not be raging with anger?Xiao Buli was not one to act on a whim. He preferred to plan before he took action in combat. From the moment Dugu Han began fighting with others, he had slipped into Invisibility Stealth with the Skimming Shadow Steps. He observed Dugu Han''s fighting style until the moment Liu Xing was struck to the ground, by which time he had already formulated a calculated combat strategy in his mind.


    Although Xiao Buli did not know the name of Dugu Han''s Body Protection Skill, he could tell it could virtually ignore common Magic Attacks and seemed equally effective against ranged physical attacks. Therefore, techniques like Palm Thunder and Mysterious Ice Slash were unnecessary.


    However, it was clear this Body Protection Skill could not defend against close-range attacks¡ªLiu Xing''s ability to exchange blows with him was sufficient proof. Still, because of the seemingly invincible Proud Heaven Sword Skills, normal close combat would stand no chance against Dugu Han.


    And so, Xiao Buli watched intently until he felt the right moment had come, and then he suddenly made his move.


    At that moment, as their swords clashed, Dugu Han held an overwhelming advantage in Strength. Therefore, Xiao Buli immediately launched the strategy he had long been plotting¡ªthe conductive electric shock!


    Electricity coursed through the katana straight into Dugu Han''s right hand. Dugu Han felt a crackling numbness, nearly dropping his weapon. Fortunately, his Basic Attributes were extraordinarily high, and he managed to endure the strike, still holding the hilt without dropping it. His grip, however, weakened considerably.


    Xiao Buli hadn''t expected a one-strike victory; he leaped back and attacked again.


    Straight Lightning Sword! With a clang, Dugu Han blocked with the back of his blade, managing to stop Xiao Buli''s sword tip with brute force. Xiao Buli repeated his maneuver¡ªthe conductive electric shock.


    With a crackle, sparks flew from Dugu Han''s hand, causing the blade to tilt. The sword tip slid and stabbed into Dugu Han''s rib, shallow yet enough to draw the first drop of blood.


    Dugu Han, in shock, hastily retreated. The pain cooled his rage-infused spirit instantly. Clutching at his wound and with disbelief in his eyes, he saw Xiao Buli approaching once more and began to panic, sending out a Sword Qi Slash in desperation. Xiao Buli, refusing to clash head-on, leaped behind Dugu Han with a Leaping from Dry Land and executed another Straight Lightning Sword!


    As their swords met again, Xiao Buli''s left hand suddenly burst with brilliant lightning¡ªa Palm Thunder, but he didn''t aim it at Dugu Han; he targeted the sword''s hilt instead. The lightning traveled along the clashing blades into Dugu Han''s body, feeling like a firecracker exploding in his palm, and he could no longer hold his sword. The katana flew from his grasp.


    He stumbled backward, and Wu Tao seized the opportunity, suddenly appearing behind him with a Close Mountain Lean! A fierce shoulder charge completely unbalanced him, followed by a series of vicious strikes. Wu Tao, imitating Bruce Lee''s cries, delivered Armor-Piercing Force-enhanced blows to Dugu Han, rendering him powerless and forcing him to retreat continuously.


    Rubble Foot! A final Spinning Kick sent Dugu Han flying, and Wu Tao struck a pose reminiscent of Wong Fei-hung.


    The brutal beating had left Dugu Han utterly stunned. Struggling to stand, he hadn''t even steadied himself when a figure appeared behind him¡ªit was Wu Min''er¡ªgrasping his neck with one hand and repeatedly stabbing towards his heart with a dagger in the other. Dugu Han cried out as he was stabbed, then suddenly unleashed an invisible burst of Strength that sent Wu Min''er flying.


    She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, a cold sneer on her face.


    Dugu Han tried to cover the wound on his back but couldn''t reach it; he could only let the blood flow freely. He turned in vain, feeling his Strength slipping away.


    Gasping for air and seeing his enemies closing in once again, Dugu Han knew his end was near. Yet even in death, he wanted to take some with him. At this moment, the shadow of death stirred his ferocity.


    "Damn it, it''s impossible for you to defeat me¡ªI''ll kill you all!" he shouted viciously, reaching into thin air and, miraculously, his katana flew back into his hand.


    "Oh, I''d like to see you try to kill us all," said Xiao Buli calmly.


    In Dugu Han''s eyes flashed a look of desperation¡ªhis Ultimate Skill, Pride of the World! He raised his Longsword high, and a vortex of swirling Strength revolved frantically around him, encircling him and gradually converging onto the raised blade.


    The air filled with chilling whooshing sounds as if pulled by a black hole''s mighty attracting force, gathering and seemingly ready to detonate some mad Strength.


    "What are you waiting for?" someone yelled, and almost simultaneously, the melee fighters, who had until then been holding back, surged forward. In an instant, countless weapons hacked into Dugu Han''s body, which was chopped to pieces before his aura could fully condense, halting abruptly and vanishing without a trace.


    Dugu Han crashed to the ground, gurgled twice, and finally died.


    The hall fell silent until someone broke the quiet. Zhao Yunlong suddenly asked, "Did we succeed?"


    "We succeeded," Xiao Buli answered with certainty.


    "We succeeded!" "We succeeded!" "We''ve won!" Cheers erupted, the long-suppressed emotions finally unleashed, as everyone celebrated the victory. However, the cheering did not last long. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What should we do now?" Another query came, this time from Hua Yueying.


    "Of course, we need to leave this place quickly. The Qilin Group has already departed, and Dugu Han is dead. The company''s probably done for good. From now on, everyone is free to go wherever they like."


    "But how do we leave?"


    "Don''t worry about that. We had already planned our retreat route before this operation." Zhang Yaoyang said as he took out a three-dimensional blueprint of the building.


    "Here is the fire escape, leading to a safe exit at the back of the building. Once out, there''s a sewer that we can use to retreat. We''ve all worked together and faced life and death; although I didn''t expect so many people to be involved, I welcome anyone who wishes to leave with us."


    Immediately, the crowd responded enthusiastically, with almost everyone choosing to join. After all, there''s safety in numbers. What if, as an individual, they got caught and chopped by the Demon Clan? Especially the Xuanwu Group members¡ªwho generally lacked combat strength¡ªwere more than happy to agree when someone offered to lead them out.


    Not many from the White Tiger Group were left¡ªsome were killed by Li Jian, some by the Demon Clan, and just now, Dugu Han had slashed two more. Now only Zhang Hao, Gao Lianyu, Li Baocheng, and another five or six people remained. After hesitating for a moment, they too chose to join.


    As for the Vermilion Bird Group, there were four or five people; naturally, they all looked to Wu Min''er as their leader. These members were all capable of stealth, so they weren''t too worried about being trapped.


    Wu Min''er seemed to have considered that point already and shook her head, "We won''t go with you. Once we''re downstairs, we''ll find our own way out. Let''s go our separate ways from here."


    Zhang Yaoyang saw this but didn''t say anything, just nodded slightly.


    The group then set off, entering the fire escape and proceeding downwards. Along the way, they did not encounter the Demon Clan, who seemed to have quieted down in this short time. Thanks to everyone''s excellent physical fitness, they descended the dozens of flights of stairs in less than ten minutes.


    As they were getting closer to the exit, two figures suddenly appeared, each with a bag on their back¡ªit was Yaoyao and Lu Xinying.


    "Hey everyone, I''ve got good news and bad news for you," Yaoyao said, pointing at the bag behind her. It contained the most valuable things from the company; after leaving, no one would have to worry about money. She hadn''t forgotten her old line of work; taking advantage of the lack of supervision, she had swept the company''s safe clean.


    Lu Xinying also lifted her bag, "I''ve dismantled more than thirty hard drives; that should be enough."


    This was actually arranged by Xiao Buli. Moving the entire computer was impractical, but dismantling the hard drives was much easier.


    "Aren''t these all good news? What''s the bad news?"


    Yaoyao replied, "The bad news is, we probably won''t be able to get out."


    As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place was shocked.


    "What exactly is going on?" Zhang Yaoyang asked gravely.


    "We went out to scout earlier, and it''s all military and police outside. The entire building is surrounded, with snipers and blockade lines everywhere. Unless you can use stealth to stand a chance, the rest probably have no chance of escaping."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately erupted in discussion, growing increasingly frantic, especially those without any means of escape. In contrast, those who could use invisibility or other escape skills remained much calmer, knowing they could still fight for a way out.


    Xiao Buli was also surprised. He had expected only the police, not the military to be involved. This probably had something to do with Qin Shimoon. Whether or not that woman''s supposed military background was real remained unknown.


    He was part of the stealth-capable group with plenty of escape skills, not panicked at all.


    "Everyone calm down!" said Zhang Yaoyang with a serious expression, "It''s very clear now that it''s impossible for everyone to leave normally. If we''re caught by the police and the military, who knows what will happen. But I''m not the kind of person who leaves my fate in others'' hands. Unless it''s absolutely necessary, I will not surrender without a fight.


    Fortunately, there''s still one way out, but whether or not you dare to take it will depend on your courage and resolve." (To be continued. If you like this book, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 166 Parting Ways

    Xiao Buli was startled by Zhang Yaoyang''s words and thought to himself, there''s a way out? How is that possible? A sudden flash of insight struck him, the teleportation portal in the game hadn''t been destroyed in time, and Zhang Yaoyang''s reason was that he feared the Qilin Group would attack their people after logging in, so he had the game players log out early.At that time, Xiao Buli felt that something was off, destroying a portal wouldn''t take much time. Now, this thought crossed his mind, could it be that the so-called way out was that very teleportation portal? But if that were true, he might have been laying out his plan from the start. Then, what was Zhang Yaoyang''s purpose in doing so?


    As expected, Zhang Yaoyang then said, "Although the path to the outside has been sealed, this time we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity waiting for us, that opportunity is the teleportation portal. If the Demon Clan could use that portal to reach our world, then we should be able to use it to go to theirs, which is the game world.


    Just think, living in the world of the game, free from the dull and boring reality, is something many people dream of."


    Zhang Yaoyang''s words were very provocative, at least for some people. Many who are addicted to online games are disillusioned with reality, and now excitement showed on these people''s faces. However, most people seemed surprised and at a loss.


    The leader of the Xuanwu Group said, "Leader Zhang, your plan seems a bit fanciful. Leaving aside whether we can pass through that door and survive, even if we do succeed, living in the game world? Is it really that great? Facing killing and crises all the time, I don''t think I can adapt to such a life."


    His words also resonated with some of the people. It''s true that in the mundane reality, people seek excitement and thus many are addicted to games. But if it came to living a life of dangerous adventure where tomorrow is not guaranteed, there probably weren''t many who could make that decision, especially a life of adventure where one only had one life.


    At this time, Liu Xing suddenly stood up, "Leader, I am willing to go with you. Rather than falling into the hands of those outside and having my life in others'' hands, I''d rather take a chance with that door. Besides, if we enter the game world, we should be able to obtain all the abilities, right?"


    Soon, a few others chose to join, most from the Azure Dragon Group and White Tiger Group. However, very few from the Xuanwu Group agreed to join, with only two or three people joining Zhang Yaoyang''s team, and the leader of the Xuanwu Group didn''t stop them.


    As for the Vermilion Bird Group, not one chose to join.


    "We won''t be accompanying you," Wu Min''er suddenly said, "We have our own way out, so there''s no need to take this risk."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded helplessly. He hadn''t expected them to agree anyway since, compared to them, the members of the Vermilion Bird Group all had means to get away and naturally had a wider range of choices. His gaze then turned to Xiao Buli and Yaoyao who had not yet stated their position; both capable of stealth and from the Azure Dragon Group.


    Yaoyao glanced at Wu Tao and then said, "Since everyone is going, I might as well go too." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After speaking, she handed the bag behind her to Wu Min''er, "I won''t need this anymore, it''s better if you have it."


    Zhang Yaoyang was very pleased. Having a teammate capable of stealth for scouting was always good news. He then looked at Xiao Buli, his eyes showing complexity. As a strong ally, he hoped that Xiao Buli would join, but on the other hand, he was also worried that Xiao Buli would dilute his influence over the team.


    But Xiao Buli shook his head, "I''ve decided not to go with you."


    He had long thought out his future plans, to hide by himself first, and when things quietened down, gather his former gang and set up his own studio. Of course, he would have to be strict in choosing people, only those who were completely trustworthy could join, and he would also tell them about the true secrets of the game. That, however, would be a matter for later.


    Wu Tao looked disappointed, "Boss, why don''t you come with us? It would be awesome to venture together in the game world!"


    Xiao Buli shook his head again. Setting aside the risk and irreversibility of the situation, he was, after all, not the core member of the Azure Dragon Group. He preferred to stay in reality.


    Zhang Yaoyang, seeing his firm refusal, breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a hint of disappointment.


    "In that case, let''s part ways here. Take care of yourself in the future."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "The same to you. The game world is different from reality, where you can''t log off. I wish you all a safe escape."


    After exchanging well-wishes and farewells, Zhang Yaoyang left with his team. The leader of the Xuanwu Group also took his people to hide. They were planning to wait for the military and police to come to rescue them, as in the view of the leader of the Xuanwu Group, they had no supernatural powers and should be safe.


    Gradually, people dispersed, and in the end, only Xiao Buli and the ones capable of stealth, including Wu Min''er, remained.


    "The night is long, and dreams abound, let''s take our leave as well," Wu Min''er said, preparing to lead the group away. Xiao Buli looked at Wu Min''er and suddenly asked, "Do you still have that thing on you?"


    Wu Min''er paused, turned around with a smile, "I thought you had forgotten about that. Of course, I still have it." As she spoke, Wu Min''er took out a strange black metal disc, "This is what I found in that laboratory. They seemed to value it highly, but I''m not quite sure how to use it."


    The metal disc was about the size of a palm and its specific material was indiscernible. It looked somewhat like graphite but emitted a metallic luster. The center was thick, while the outer ring was thin, bearing a resemblance to a disc used in target shooting, yet also akin to a sci-fi version of a CD.


    Just as Xiao Buli was about to reach for it, Wu Min''er suddenly shrank back, her face revealing a mocking smile, "What makes you think I would give it to you?"


    Xiao Buli was not surprised by her reaction; their relationship was more like allies than friends.


    "Because I know how to resurrect your character after death," he said calmly.


    What! Wu Min''er was taken aback, and her few subordinates immediately showed shocked expressions, casting meaningful glances at her.


    Wu Min''er was also very surprised. In the game, the death of a character meant the death of the person in reality. To be able to resurrect in the game meant an additional life in reality. She had attempted to collect information on this aspect in the past, but to no avail. There seemed to be no resurrection function in the game.


    She had heard that some hidden Mage Professions possessed Resurrection Skills, but the costs and learning requirements were very high, and so far, she had not heard of anyone who had learned them. Hearing Xiao Buli''s words, she asked seriously, "How is it done?"


    Xiao Buli did not reply but simply looked at the stone, "How about we exchange this piece of information for your disc?"


    Wu Min''er snorted coldly, "Hmph, even if you tell me, how can I be sure you aren''t deceiving me?"


    Xiao Buli shrugged, "Of course, you can''t be certain, but neither can I be sure that this disk-like thing you have is really the key item to create a game account. Sometimes, people have to take risks to get what they want, right?"


    Although he said this, he was actually quite confident about the authenticity of the disk. After all, one could tell that this object wasn''t supposed to be in this building. Unless Wu Min''er had the ability to foresee and was prepared in advance, it was impossible to find something to deceive him on short notice.


    After some thought, Wu Min''er reluctantly nodded, "Alright, your proposal is fair. After all, keeping this thing is useless to me, so it''s a deal." Saying so, she casually tossed the disc to Xiao Buli.


    But inwardly, she sneered. Discs like that were not limited to just one. In fact, she had another larger one on her person. Losing this smaller one was no big deal.


    Xiao Buli examined the disc, unable to figure out how it should be used. He carefully hid it and, facing Wu Min''er''s inquisitive gaze, he said, "The method to resurrect a character is to use Merit Points. With 3000 Merit Points, a body can be reshaped after death."


    3000 Merit Points! Wu Min''er was momentarily at a loss for words; that was not a small sum.


    "What, think it''s too much? How many points do you have now?"


    "Not a single one."


    Xiao Buli wondered, "How could that be, haven''t you done any missions to save people?"


    Wu Min''er snorted coldly, "I only kill people, not save them."


    Xiao Buli was speechless for a moment. Not everyone was as kind-hearted as him, it seemed.


    While Xiao Buli and Wu Min''er were making their trade, Zhang Yaoyang also led his forces all the way to the basement of the building. The journey was much smoother than he had expected, encountering only a few members of the Demon Clan, whom they easily dispatched. They went through the basement corridor to the warehouse door, only to find no Demon Clan guarding it.


    Zhang Yaoyang felt puzzled. This didn''t seem like the entrance where the Demon Clan invaded this world. At the very least, he had imagined there would be several boss-level Demon Clan leaders guarding it; ordinary members of the Demon Clan should be blocking this place in droves. He had been prepared for a fierce battle.


    (Could it be that the formidable enemies are guarding inside the warehouse?) Zhang Yaoyang thought it was very likely, looking back at his companions.


    "Alright, the door ahead is our last barrier to the world of the game. Whatever is behind it, we must slay it, so whatever powerful move you have, use it once we''re inside. We only accept success, not failure. If we fail, we''ll likely all die right here. Are you ready?"


    Seeing the serious look in everyone''s eyes, Zhang Yaoyang nodded, reached for the warehouse door handle, and the atmosphere tensed to the extreme. He pushed the door open with a forceful motion and, upon seeing what lay behind it, his face instantly registered shock. (To be continued.


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 Chapter 167 Crossing the Six Realms Gate

    Behind the door, there was nothing, an empty warehouse appeared before him, the white light emitted from the Teleportation Portal illuminating the clutter-filled floor of the storeroom. Besides the old, broken miscellaneous items, not even a mouse was to be found, let alone a formidable Demon Clan BOSS.Zhang Yaoyang was stunned. He had envisioned many outcomes, perhaps it would be a squad of enhanced Demon Clan soldiers, or a domineering-looking Demon Clan BOSS, or even a fierce Demon Beast. However, he had never imagined it would be so utterly empty, so tranquil.


    Could it be that the Demon Clan had already retreated back to their world? Wasn''t that a bit too hasty for an invasion?


    He really couldn''t imagine that the forces the Qilin Group had taken down and those that infiltrated the building were all the main forces the Demon Clan could muster. If that were truly the case, let alone invading this world, it would be good enough if they weren''t invaded themselves.


    "There''s definitely something fishy about this," he thought to himself, when suddenly someone nudged him from behind. It was Wu Tao and Du Yibo squeezing through, looking curiously into the warehouse.


    "Huh, why is it empty?" Wu Tao couldn''t help but exclaim, drawing even more attention. Everyone peeked inside through the door, finding the outcome quite astonishing.


    "Indeed,"


    Zhang Yaoyang said with a wry smile, stepping forward into the warehouse.


    "Wait a minute!" Bai Yunfei suddenly shouted, reminding, "Maybe they are using Stealth."


    Zhang Yaoyang was startled by the comment. Right, what if it was a large group of stealth-using Demon Clan? Frightened, he hastily took a couple of steps back and glanced at the people behind him. However, Hua Yueying stepped forward, "Heavenly Eye Skills¡ªActivate!"


    A golden eye made of light suddenly emerged on her forehead, a beam of golden light shooting out from that golden eye and sweeping across the warehouse. The golden eye quickly vanished and Hua Yueying shook her head, indicating indeed it was empty. The crowd then streamed in one after another, feeling puzzled about the absence of Demon Clan but were soon drawn to the Teleportation Portal.


    Built from Obsidian, the arch-shaped portal emitted a strange white light, continuously rotating like a vortex, resembling a sci-fi movie''s wormhole or the Dark Portal from World of Warcraft, only much smaller, inherently enticing with its bizarre allure.


    Is this the Teleportation Portal? The entrance to the game world, but how does this thing even work? Could there be any danger?


    These thoughts jumbled in everyone''s minds, compelling each to question their own courage to step through such a door.


    Yaoyao was rummaging through the miscellaneous items on the ground, and after a while, she approached Zhang Yaoyang, "Leader, the Demon Clan were indeed here, but it seems they''ve all left."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded. The whereabouts of the Demon Clan were now a mystery, but this didn''t deter his resolve.


    "All right, let''s get moving," Zhang Yaoyang said, turning to look at the group, "The Teleportation Portal is right here, and luckily for us, it seems the Demon Clan have already left. This conveniently facilitates our mission. Has everyone made up their minds?"


    Seeing no one speak up, Zhang Yaoyang took their silence as a mix of apprehension and agreement, then said, "Now I need a volunteer to stay behind and destroy the Teleportation Portal after we''ve successfully teleported. After all, none of us wants to be chased down, right?"


    Suddenly, Du Yibo said, "I''ll do it."


    "Are you sure?" Zhang Yaoyang asked hesitantly, looking at him. "How will you manage to escape afterward?"


    "I have my ways," Du Yibo said indifferently. He had been very curious about the Teleportation Portal, but whether to go into the game world was still something he couldn''t completely grasp. He thought he''d made up his mind, but when he found the warehouse empty of Demon Clan, an ominous feeling suddenly surfaced in his heart. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    The door''s other side filled him with a vague sense of dread, so he spoke up immediately upon hearing Zhang Yaoyang.


    "Fine, then you''ll take on this task. So, who wants to be the first one to go through?" he said, glancing at the crowd, who still remained silent, each adhering to the wise tradition of not sticking their necks out first, silent as always.


    Grinding his teeth, Zhang Yaoyang decided, "Then I shall be the first to volunteer. I''ll go in!" After saying that, he walked up the stone steps to the entrance of the Teleportation Portal, paused for a moment at the entrance, and then stepped inside.


    Zhang Yaoyang''s figure instantly vanished in the vortex as if sucked away by an invisible force. Some unrest stirred in the crowd, and after a brief pause, Liu Xing stepped forward and leaped into the Teleportation Portal.


    "Screw it, the sooner dead, the sooner reborn. I''ll go ahead then, brothers," Wu Tao said, following suit. One by one, people walked into the Teleportation Portal and disappeared into the swirling entrance.


    Finally, the last person also stepped in, leaving only Bai Yunfei and Du Yibo behind. Bai Yunfei was staring at the door but froze there until Du Yibo patted his shoulder, jolting him back to reality.


    Full of curiosity, Du Yibo asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Bai Yunfei replied indifferently, "Nothing much, it''s just that suddenly I don''t feel like going in. It seems like something unpleasant is waiting for me inside."


    A shiver ran down Du Yibo''s spine; he wasn''t the only one who had this thought. "What do you think it is? The Demon Clan? Or maybe people from the Qilin Group?"


    Bai Yunfei shook his head, "No, I think it''s something much more terrifying than that." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just when Du Yibo thought Bai Yunfei was going to give up, he suddenly chuckled meaninglessly, "Heh, maybe it''s just my imagination, after all. People are always afraid of the unknown, right?" He seemed to be reassuring himself, and without waiting for Du Yibo to answer, he had already stepped forward and walked inside.


    Bai Yunfei''s figure silently vanished into the vortex and disappeared.


    Looking around at the empty warehouse, Du Yibo was suddenly struck by an illusion; that vortex-like entrance looked like a gaping mouth ready to devour humans. The more he looked at it, the more it hurt his eyes. He couldn''t explain why, but he felt a sense of relief. "Then let me destroy you," he muttered to the Teleportation Portal.


    A fireball gradually formed in his hand, and at the moment the temperature of the flames reached the critical point, he hurled the fireball. With a loud boom, the Teleportation Portal was blasted into pieces, the white vortex disappearing, leaving only rubble behind.


    After one last glance at the rubble, Du Yibo turned and walked out without a second thought.


    Director Qin checked his watch impatiently; nearly half an hour had already passed, and there was no telling what was happening inside the building. They had to act fast. As he was turning around, a squad leader from the assault team approached him.


    "Director Qin, the newcomers have been settled in, but are you sure we need to keep them under control? After all, they''ve only been exposed to that thing for a few days," he said.


    Director Qin shook his head, "It''s not about how many days they''ve been exposed to it, it''s about whether they''ve been exposed at all. Every account in this game is valuable. You''ll soon understand why."


    The squad leader nodded, half understanding, "Oh right, the heavy weaponry has been distributed, and the assault team can move out at any time."


    Director Qin nodded, "Good, let''s start the operation. Remember, all non-human creatures must be eliminated, without exception."


    "Yes, sir!" The squad leader saluted seriously and departed. Shortly after, the fully prepared assault teams charged through the pre-planned entrances into the building.


    Well-trained and well-equipped, they not only had various conventional light and heavy weapons but also stun grenades, flashbangs, tear gas, infrared night vision devices, thermal imagers, and other special equipment to deal with enemies that might have special abilities.


    Inside the command vehicle, Director Qin was coordinating the actions of the assault teams using monitors and communicators.


    As Director Qin was directing the assault teams through the monitor and communicator, a bald man stormed past the blockade and came over, "Hey, hey, withdraw your people now. We had an agreement that we would take care of things here and you would only have the right to monitor, not to interfere with our operations."


    Director Qin gave Liu Zijian a cold look, "We indeed had such an agreement, but it was under the condition that we wouldn''t attract public attention. Look at the mess you''ve made; this has completely exceeded the scope of our initial agreement and has drawn attention from all sides. I''m amazed you still have the audacity to lecture me. From now on, we will be taking over everything here."


    Liu Zijian laughed in fury, "Don''t forget, we know your secrets too, and if I expose them..."


    Director Qin couldn''t help but scoff, "Don''t make threats you can''t fulfill; it just makes you look ridiculous. Dugu Han might be foolish enough to do such a thing, but we have confidence in your sanity, so don''t try to provoke me with words."


    Liu Zijian''s expression suddenly turned chilling, "It seems you''re really determined, but you''ll soon find that the truth is much crueler than you could imagine. You have no idea what you''re dealing with."


    Having said that, he turned and left. Director Qin was unfazed by Liu Zijian''s words. She glanced behind her, where a man in a black trench coat was holding a tub of popcorn, engrossed in watching the battle between the assault team and the Demon Clan on the monitor screens. Director Qin said, "You should go too. This time, we must prevail and figure out exactly what''s going on with this game.


    We may have to turn against them this time. If we don''t figure it out, it''ll be a big loss."


    "Alright then," the man nodded and reluctantly put down his popcorn, transformed into a whiff of black smoke, and silently drifted away. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, I invite you to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 168 Escape Against All Odds

    The operation seemed to be going smoothly, and Qin Shimoon''s earpiece was periodically alive with status reports."First squad has entered the elevator. The elevator is functioning normally."


    "Second squad is advancing upward from the main staircase."


    "Seventh squad is clearing the first floor, encountering Otherworldly Creatures, engaging in combat."


    "Fifth squad has found survivors. They claim to be from the Xuanwu Group and express their willingness to cooperate. Awaiting instructions."


    Xuanwu Group? Qin Shimoon was momentarily taken aback; those guys could actually be of some use.


    "They could be very useful, take them into custody, and bring them down here," Qin Shimoon ordered.


    "Seventh squad has finished clearing the first floor."


    Qin Shimoon nodded with satisfaction. These people''s abilities were quite impressive. After all, they were professional soldiers, and when it came to combat prowess, they were much more reliable than those gamers with varying strengths.


    She nodded at a team leader behind her, "Take your men, let''s move in as well."


    As they made their way towards the building, they occasionally saw Demon Clan corpses riddled like honeycombs, indicating that these Otherworldly Creatures weren''t as formidable as the legends suggested¡ªat the end of a bullet, they could still be hurt, still die.


    "All units, be advised, high energy reaction detected up ahead!" The soldier responsible for scouting suddenly announced as a huge humanoid shape appeared on the screen of his thermal imager.


    With an icy tone, Qin Shimoon said, "That thing''s at the door, break it down." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the door was breached, a towering Demon General appeared before everyone.


    "Foolish mortals, tremble before the will of the Abyssal Lord!" The colossal Demon General, standing three meters tall and clad in dark armor that made him look partly human, partly demonic, akin to a humanoid Gundam in its imposing presence, didn''t alarm the Seventh Assault Squad so much, as they had already encountered many from the Demon Clan.


    "Prepare heavy weapons, this one looks tough."


    A soldier shouldered a rocket launcher, pulled the trigger, and a rocket with a fiery tail shot forward.


    "Foolish mortals, put away your laughable spells, you cannot harm me...." Boom!


    The high-temperature grenade instantly generated thousands of degrees of heat, turning most of the Demon General''s body into charred ash, abruptly silencing his taunts.


    Qin Shimoon looked at the fallen body with a cold smirk, "Just flesh and blood after all, keep moving."


    The sound of gunfire kept coming, and Xiao Buli glanced towards the source, gesturing for everyone to stop.


    "The gunfire seems to be heading this way," Lu Xinying said. Wu Min''er signaled, and the entire Vermilion Bird Group hid in an office on the side. After a moment''s hesitation, Xiao Buli also squeezed in.


    The group exchanged silent, calm glances. The sound of gunfire was drawing closer, now clearly audible. Suddenly, Wu Min''er said, "That''s an automatic rifle, doesn''t sound like regular police¡ªprobably military."


    Xiao Buli listened for a while then his face showed a trace of doubt, "That''s not a QBZ-95. Sounds like an AUG rifle. I suspect these guys aren''t military."


    Wu Min''er was somewhat surprised, "You can tell just by the sound?"


    Xiao Buli nodded slightly; he was quite skilled at shooting games. Identifying the opponent''s weapon by the sound of gunfire was one of the basics, and of course, he could tell.


    "Maybe it''s a special forces unit."


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "I''m afraid they''re not military at all."


    "Oh, why do you say that? Just because of their weapons?"


    Xiao Buli responded, "If this company''s background were really military, they wouldn''t need to do all this. They could just establish a secret base in the deep mountains, pick volunteers from soldiers, without the need to make such a big fuss. And people like Dugu Han¡ªdo you think someone like him could blend in with the military?"


    Wu Min''er thought it over and found it made sense. She was about to ask more when heavy footsteps suddenly drew closer, prompting everyone to fall silent until the footsteps gradually faded. Only then did they push the door open and walk out.


    Xiao Buli peeked around, "All clear on this side, let''s evacuate."


    A group of people slipped towards the exit like thieves, and a few soldiers were guarding the place. Xiao Buli was just planning to dash past them relying on the invisibility effect when a soldier suddenly raised his weapon¡ªan AUG automatic rifle indeed. "Don''t move! Hands up!"


    Xiao Buli was startled, "Damn, discovered? How is that possible?"


    He glanced at the thermal imaging device on the soldier''s face and instantly understood.


    Without a word, he turned and ran. A volley of gunfire erupted from behind him, and a troop of soldiers gave chase, shooting as they pursued.


    Approaching a fork in the path, Xiao Buli shouted, "Split up!" Wu Min''er responded with an affirmation, and immediately, they took separate routes.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that if it really came down to it, he would have to use that move. He ran towards the upper floors, intermittently looking back to see that the team of soldiers following him was led by Qin Shimoon.


    Qin Shimoon signaled with her hand not to fire and said to the person in black beside her, "You take some men and chase those few, I''ll deal with that newbie."


    The man in black nodded, and both parties set off with their respective groups.


    Xiao Buli ran while occasionally glancing back. The pursuers kept up a steady pace, tightly coordinated and relentless, giving him no chance to break through the chaos. He could do nothing but be driven towards a dead end.


    Having climbed several floors and encountering soldiers blocking the way above¡ªprobably the ones from the elevator earlier¡ªa few isolated Demon Clan soldiers appeared. Xiao Buli was delighted, thinking maybe he could use them to fight his way out. Activating Fleeting Light and Shadow, he dashed straight through the middle of the two Demon Clan soldiers.


    Turning a corner, he peered out to check the situation behind him, and a burst of gunfire rang out, turning both Demon Clan soldiers into a honeycomb.


    "Damn, that effective!?" He was shocked; the Demon Clan seemed so feeble before these soldiers.


    As the encirclement tightened, Xiao Buli, in a panic, pushed open the door to an office and rushed in. Only after entering did he realize it was an office with windows, probably belonging to someone with high status. Not only was the office spacious and brightly decorated, but there was also a balcony. He rushed to the balcony, scanning his surroundings, realizing he was truly trapped.


    All around him was open air, with only the entrance to the balcony behind him. At such a point, he felt a sense of calm settling in.


    He clad himself in Ethereal Armor and stood before the railing, gazing at the distant street scene, lost in thought.


    Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from behind, followed by the sound of rifle bolts being pulled, and a row of soldiers aimed a dozen gun muzzles at him.


    Qin Shimoon stood among them, looking at him with a slight smile.


    "Don''t run, Xiao Buli, there''s nowhere for you to go. Besides, I never intended to hurt you. Why don''t you come over so we can have a proper chat?"


    As Xiao Buli turned around, a smile appeared on his face, a smile that puzzled Qin Shimoon, (Maybe this guy has resigned himself to his fate,) she thought.


    "I have to say, you do look better in a military uniform," Xiao Buli suddenly said, his words causing Qin Shimoon to pause. "It seems you know when to cooperate. Take my advice and don''t resist. Join us. We could really use someone with your unique talents."


    "Join you?" Xiao Buli feigned confusion, gesturing towards the soldiers. "You mean with?"


    "Of course, with the military."


    "Ha, don''t take me for an idiot, okay? If you really want me to join, at least be more upfront about it." Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    A mix of admiration and surprise flashed across Qin Shimoon''s face. After a moment, she sighed, seemingly convinced Xiao Buli couldn''t escape. "Alright, I can''t reveal too much, but I can tell you we are an independent organization. Beyond that, you will naturally come to understand once you formally join us."


    Out of caution, Qin Shimoon didn''t disclose much, but although it wasn''t much, it did resolve some of the doubts in his mind.


    Indeed, a look of realization spread across Xiao Buli''s face. As he was about to ask more, Qin Shimoon urged, "Now, please disarm yourself and come down with us."


    Xiao Buli, surprised, asked, "It seems I never said I would join you, did I?"


    Qin Shimoon snorted, "Don''t play games with me. You have no way out now, unless you have the ability to fly, but as far as I know, that''s impossible. You''re just a newcomer; it''s not possible for you to have a flying power that even the veterans lack."


    "I''m afraid I''m going to disappoint you." While saying so, Xiao Buli stretched his limbs, looking eager to try something outside.


    "Don''t shoot, he''s just bluffing," Qin Shimoon said with a sneer. "I know you practice Qinggong, but don''t forget the height here. Even if you knew Qinggong, you''d still fall to your death."


    Xiao Buli ignored her completely. He crouched slightly like an athlete, closed his eyes, and tried to hypnotize himself. Moments later, he suddenly opened his eyes, and Qin Shimoon was surprised to see a strange blue light emanating from his eyes.


    That blue lightning quickly enveloped his entire body, and the next instant, he forcefully jumped into the air, transforming into a streak of lightning that soared into the sky and disappeared from sight.


    Qin Shimoon stared at the charred mark left on the balcony, standing there in shock¡ª(He could actually fly).


    A curious smile appeared on Qin Shimoon''s face. Indeed, an interesting man. She turned to look at the expressionless soldiers and made a gesture, "Retreat."


    As she walked downstairs, she muttered to herself, "I wonder how things are on the other side."(To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote and monthly ticket, Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 169 The Game is Not Over Yet

    "Wu, it seems we''ve already shaken them off, right?" Lu Xinying asked hesitantly. The members of the Vermilion Bird Group had now run to the other side of the building, a place they had never been to before."It seems so, but don''t let your guard down," Wu Min''er warned, glancing behind her. The soldiers hadn''t caught up, and it seemed like they had indeed managed to escape. "Let''s pick up the pace. We''re almost out of here."


    As she spoke, she surveyed the surrounding terrain. An exit glowing with light caught her attention. "We can get out that way," she said, leading the group towards the door.


    As they neared the door, Wu Min''er suddenly felt an ominous sensation. "Wait," she whispered, stopping in her tracks and flicking her wrist sharply. A throwing knife shot out towards their rear.


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    The knife flew past the cheek of a man in a black coat, who didn''t even flinch. Instead, he spoke in an admiring tone, "Worthy of the leader of the Vermilion Bird Group, you''ve discovered me. To be honest, out of all the company''s employees, you''re the one I admire the most."


    Wu Min''er frowned, having no recollection of this person appearing so suddenly and was even more surprised that she couldn''t sense his presence¡ªas if he were just an illusion.


    "Who are you? Do we know each other?"


    "You don''t know me, but I am very familiar with you. Perhaps you''re unaware, but I have been observing you all for a long time," the man said as he walked towards them, hands in pockets, appearing relaxed and not the least bit tense. However, Wu Min''er couldn''t afford to be relaxed.


    She made her decision in an instant¡ªto eliminate this man. "Attack together, take him down!" Wu Min''er commanded, a Tiger Fang Saber suddenly in her hand, the right gripping the saber and the left holding a Butterfly Knife inversely. She took up a combat stance.


    Her four subordinates closed in, encircling the man in black in a pentagonal formation. The man didn''t show any sign of nervousness. "Nice dagger. Did you buy it online? But you know they''re all replicas, right? If you join us, I can get you a genuine one."


    Wu Min''er was not swayed by the offer of a genuine saber. "Even a replica is enough to kill you."


    "Are you sure?" asked the man, seemingly amused.


    "Oh, I am quite sure. If you don''t believe me, let me take a stab at you and see," she replied.


    The man spread his hands invitingly, unconcerned about the five gleaming daggers aimed at him.


    Wu Min''er signaled with her eyes, and all five of them charged at the man simultaneously.


    Engaging combat mode! She locked her spirit entirely on the man in black, monitoring him with her spiritual power, making stealth and invisibility pointless. As she approached, her dagger thrust out like a bolt of lightning.


    She struck nothing but air, feeling as if she had plunged into darkness, passing straight through without resistance. Realizing something was wrong, she spun around to see the man still standing unscathed, unmoved. The others also missed their attacks.


    A flicker of fear crossed Wu Min''er''s mind; she had never faced an opponent like this before. Could he be a ghost?


    "Freeze, hands up!" Suddenly, soldiers sprang from all around, the pursuers having caught up amidst the chaos. They aimed their loaded guns at the group, some even equipped with thermal imagers¡ªno wonder they could see them in stealth mode.


    The group was stunned, with guns pointed at them, a situation far from pleasurable. No matter how swift they were, surviving such concentrated firepower would be difficult. Lu Xinying became shrouded in a shadow¡ªPossessing Shadow¡ªpositioning himself in front of Wu Min''er. A soldier reflexively pulled the trigger, bullets hitting Lu Xinying but disappearing without effect.


    Seizing the momentary safety, Wu Min''er performed a ''Shadow Jump" and vanished. The next instant, she appeared behind a soldier, pulling the pin on a smoke grenade at his waist.


    Pff, thick smoke surged out. Whatever brand the smoke grenade was, it emitted dense and rapid smoke, and soon the indoor space was white and opaque. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Split up!" she shouted, knocking down the soldier with a sweeping leg kick and rushing towards the stairs they remembered. A volley of gunfire erupted behind them, bullets whizzing wildly. Wu Min''er''s leg suddenly felt a sharp pain from a stray bullet, nearly causing her to trip and fall. She rolled and staggered towards the exit, but a dark figure suddenly appeared.


    Instinctively, she thrust her knife, but her wrist was abruptly seized. Attempting to kick, her left leg, weakened from pain, failed her, and she lost balance, unable to deliver the blow. Something struck the back of her head hard, and Wu Min''er lost consciousness.


    Outside the building, a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Seeing no one around, they fled into a narrow alley, skirting a wall before stopping, panting heavily while glancing back. No one followed.

 Chapter 169 The Game is Not Over Yet_2

    "Thank heavens, I finally escaped," Hu Santong silently rejoiced in his heart. He had been crouched down, blindly rushing through the smoke, bullets whizzing past overhead, practically scared to the point of pissing himself. To his surprise, he hadn''t been hit by a single shot and had managed to escape. Thinking about it, he really did have luck on his side.Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps behind him. Instinctively, he pulled out a dagger and looked back, only to see Yang Qinxue¡ªit was another member of the Vermilion Bird Group.


    "Ha, you managed to get out too, thank heavens, that''s really great."


    But Yang Qinxue seemed a bit panicked, "Old Ma is dead."


    "What!? How did he die?" Hu Santong asked in shock.


    "Sniped. He was running in front of me, but he forgot to use Stealth. The moment we got out of the building, he was shot in the head. His brains were blown out, a really grisly death."


    Upon hearing of a comrade''s sacrifice, Hu Santong''s expression also turned somber, "What about Shadow and Wu?"


    Yang Qinxue shook his head, "I don''t know, I didn''t see them when I ran out."


    "The righteous will have the protection of the heavens; they should be okay. Let''s not worry too much and make a quick exit from here."


    As they spoke, the two of them ran in the opposite direction of the building. After running for over ten minutes and finally feeling a bit safer, they stopped at a small restaurant.


    They ordered a few dishes haphazardly and sat down to discuss what to do next. Yang Qinxue was worried, "What are we going to do from now on? We didn''t manage to bring out the hard drives."


    Hu Santong, however, was nonchalant: "It doesn''t matter. I''m not planning on finishing that damn game anyway."


    "Then what should we do?"


    A glint appeared in Hu Santong''s eyes, "With these kinds of abilities, what can''t we do?" he said, then lowered his voice, "Think about it, we''ve got superpowers, invisibility even. Money will be no object¡ªwe can take as much as we want. Let''s pull a few jobs to gather some cash, find a chance to catch a flight abroad, and from then on we''ll live the high life.


    Why bother fighting to the death in some game?"


    Yang Qinxue''s eyes brightened upon hearing this, and they both began to fantasize about a wonderful future life.


    "I''m afraid we''ll have to postpone those carefree days," suddenly a voice spoke up from behind them. The two turned around, startled but pleased¡ªit was Lu Xinying.


    "Old Lu, you made it out too, huh? How about Wu?"


    "Wu was captured," Lu Xinying said gravely, "We''ve got to rescue her." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qin Shimoon sat in the command vehicle, frowning as if pondering something. The operation was getting close to its conclusion; the members of the Demon Clan inside the building had been almost entirely wiped out. Their numbers weren''t as high as expected, and their strength not as formidable. The only one posing any trouble was taken down with a few high-explosive rounds.


    It didn''t even feel like a real Otherworld invasion¡ªmaybe these demons were just a scouting team. Although she could explain it this way, Qin Shimoon still felt like something was off.


    "Ma''am, we found Dugu Han on the top floor, he seems severely wounded, but his life is not in danger."


    Qin Shimoon was somewhat surprised; that guy actually hadn''t died. It was unexpected¡ªcould it be that the gamers had spared him? She didn''t dwell on it as he wasn''t someone of any great concern.


    "Humph, that guy really has nine lives. Send him to the hospital," Qin Shimoon said casually.


    And we discovered a destroyed structure in the basement, likely the entry point for the Otherworldly Creatures based on the nearby traces.


    Hearing this, Qin Shimoon sighed involuntarily. She had anticipated it, but hearing that the portal was indeed destroyed still made her feel a bit helpless, "Have all the debris from that structure transported back to base, and don''t leave behind a single brick; make sure to record it while transporting."


    "Yes, ma''am." As the person reporting to her left, the man in black approached with soldiers.


    "How did it go, did you catch many?"


    "We only caught one, but she''s the most important one," said the man in black, stepping aside to reveal the unconscious Wu Min''er lying on the stretcher, her wounds already dressed.


    "It''s her, an acquaintance," Qin Shimoon noted and nodded, "Take her back to the base, and let''s pull out as well."


    Epilogue 1:


    Zhang Yaoyang looked behind at the destroyed Teleportation Portal, then at the desolate surroundings. The stark contrast from the vibrant, virtual world he knew from the game''s screen to this grim reality gave him an intense feeling of unreality. He tried not to let this overwhelm his spirit.


    The real struggle for survival would begin now in the game¡ªno more second chances after death and no logging out to escape danger. The true adventure was starting, and he had to be prepared for the possibility of death at any moment.


    (But that doesn''t matter. As long as I can bring you back to life, it''s all worth it.) He glanced at the person beside him, whose blurred figure was curiously surveying the surroundings. It was time to accumulate enough Merit Points. Bai Yunfei patted his shoulder, "We shouldn''t stay here long. Let''s move, boss. Don''t worry, your sister is going to be reborn."


    Zhang Yaoyang nodded, turned to the group behind him, and declared, "Let''s set off right away!" With a wave of his hand, the party set forth towards the unknown. Find your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 169 The Game is Not Over Yet_3

    Epilogue 2: Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Liu Zijian cautiously observed the stern figure standing before the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window was the pitch-black night, and since this scenic window was located at a very high position, looking out from this angle revealed a sky full of dazzling stars, appearing like the vastness of space itself.


    After a long while, the person with his back to him suddenly said indifferently, "So you''re saying it''s all because of that guy named Xiao Buli?"


    "Yes, boss, according to intelligence gathered from various sources, it''s very likely that this man was the one pushing for the rebellion," Liu Zijian replied.


    "Heh, don''t you think this Xiao Buli is quite similar to me?"


    Liu Zijian was taken aback, unsure of how to respond properly.


    "Forget it, if I encounter this person again¡ª" The man in front turned, revealing an exceptionally stern face, "no mercy."


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    Epilogue 3:


    Wu Min''er sat on the icy-cold seat, having sat in this secret chamber for more than a dozen hours, continuously speculating about her own future. Although she had once thought herself to be sufficiently prepared psychologically, the thought of the possible misfortune she might endure still sent shivers down her spine.


    After all, she was just a young woman in her twenties with an independent personality.


    The door to the cell suddenly opened, and a silhouette appeared under the cold light.


    Qin Shimoon looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze and sat down across from her.


    "To be honest, there''s been quite a debate upstairs about how to deal with you. You are different from the newcomers, possessing power too strong to be easily controlled. Initially, the decision was to dispose of you, but since we were once friends, I fought for a better outcome for you. You will be imprisoned here, spending your life in this underground chamber.


    Of course, if you can provide any valuable information, maybe I can make your life a bit more comfortable," he said.


    Wu Min''er couldn''t help but shiver, to spend a lifetime in this cold underground chamber was not the ending she wanted.


    "I have some information that might interest you. I know how to build a Teleportation Portal."


    Excitement flashed in Qin Shimoon''s eyes, and he nodded, signaling her to continue.


    Wu Min''er said, "During the mission to scout the Demon Clan, I saw the blueprints for a Teleportation Portal, and I still remember the general sequence of its construction. If you release me, I could try to help you build that door."


    "Releasing you is out of the question, but if you are willing to join us, I could fight for a position for you, of course, under the condition of signing a special contract¡ªwith your soul as collateral."


    "I''m willing," Wu Min''er said without hesitation; at this moment, she had no other choice.


    "Then welcome to the team, Captain Wu Min''er." Qin Shimoon smiled, extending a hand to her.


    Wu Min''er hesitantly shook the extended hand, cold yet firm.


    Epilogue 4:


    Dugu Han observed his surroundings with a unique curiosity that seemed novel to him. The arrangement of the hospital room appeared exceedingly novel in his eyes. A nurse came over to change his medication, and Dugu Han lay compliant but slightly wary as the woman replaced the glass bottle above his head with a new one.


    When the nurse turned to look at him, it seemed as if a fleeting trace of purple had flashed in his eyes.


    (It must be an illusion caused by the lighting,) the nurse thought subconsciously, not taking it too seriously, and she turned and left.


    Only after Nurse Yuan Quan had walked away did Dugu Han breathe a sigh of relief. Reclining on the hospital bed, he showed no signs of dejection or pain. Instead, he wore a faint smirk and began humming an inexplicably eerie tune.


    "The game is only just beginning."


    (End of Volume One.) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 1 A Little Black Person Falls from the Sky

    Xia Zuowei sat on a park bench, bored and lazy, watching a passionate couple not far away getting cozy with each other. As he saw them hug and cuddle, the man''s hand reaching into the woman''s neckline, accompanied by her soft moans, Xia Zuowei felt a certain part of him rise involuntarily."Not here, someone is looking," the woman whispered.


    The man seemed to be getting impatient, "Let''s go somewhere else, I know a good spot..."


    The woman nodded slightly, and the man was overjoyed. Watching the two embrace and walk away, Xia Zuowei couldn''t help feeling a bit disappointed. Those two dogs probably went to get a room, so it seems the show is over for him.


    He took out his phone to check the time; it was already 5:10 PM. Why hadn''t Shasha arrived yet? He felt in his pocket and pulled out a somewhat wrinkled condom, which a buddy had given him on the day he entered university. Half a year had passed, and it was still unused in his pocket, which was pretty embarrassing. When would he ever get rid of his virginity?


    Thinking about it made Xia Zuowei irritable. Since entering university, he had dated a few girls, but had been dumped before things could get serious. After all, he had no money, no power, was not good-looking and not tall, had no talent or special skills ¡ª he was as ordinary as it gets. It was no wonder he couldn''t compete in the field of romance.


    However, what he lacked inherently he tried to make up for with effort. Shasha was the girl he was currently pursuing; she was average-looking but had a good figure, which was quite an ambitious target for him. To win her over, he had racked his brains and spent a good amount of money on flowers and gifts. Finally, he had moved her, and they agreed to meet at the park today.


    Green Dragon Mountain Park was known as a local make-out spot near University B, and if luck was on his side, maybe he could score tonight.


    Thinking of Shasha''s voluptuous thighs and firm breasts made Xia Zuowei''s mouth go dry. Success or failure would be determined tonight. With this thought, he became a bit anxious and debated whether to call Shasha but was afraid of appearing too clingy.


    ("Wait a little longer, she might be held up by something. It''s common for such things to happen; girls always like to be late,") he tried to convince himself, pulling out a novel he carried with him to kill time. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a fantasy novel he had borrowed from a bookstore. Since attending this second-tier university, his life had been nothing but boring. Reading books and playing games became his main entertainment.


    Time flew by without him noticing, and when he checked his phone again, he was surprised to find it was already past 6:00 PM. The sky had darkened, but Shasha still hadn''t come.


    This time he couldn''t hold back anymore and dialed the number.


    He waited nervously; as soon as the call connected, he couldn''t help asking impatiently, "Hello, is this Shasha?"


    "Who''s this?" Shasha sounded impatient, her breathing seemed hurried.


    "It''s me, Zuowei. We agreed to meet at Green Dragon Mountain Park."


    "Did we?" Shasha''s voice was intermittent, making Xia Zuowei feel strange. Suddenly, a moan reached Xia Zuowei''s ears, and his heart sank. Although he had never experienced lovemaking, he had seen enough adult films to know what was happening.


    "Who are you with?" he asked coldly.


    Shasha didn''t answer his question and said impatiently, "I can''t... talk now... I''m busy, let''s chat another time," ¡ª Beep! Beep! Beep! Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    The call was disconnected, and Xia Zuowei felt his heart bleeding. He had thought there was something between them, but to his dismay ¡ª


    Was it because he had no money or power? Was it because he wasn''t handsome? Fine, he really didn''t have much to offer, but why then did she accept his flowers and gifts? Why didn''t she refuse his invitations to dinner? If she wasn''t interested, why didn''t she make it clear?


    The more Zuowei thought about it, the more depressed he became. He hated Shasha, he hated the man she was with, but most of all, he hated himself. Why couldn''t he have one good quality ¡ª if not born rich, at least a handsome face could work.


    The more he thought about it, the more suffocated he felt, and he couldn''t help but look up to the sky and shout, "God, just strike me with lightning and end it all!"


    With a thunderclap, Xia Zuowei felt as if a massive wave had hit him square on. He was flung through the air and rolled across the grass before coming to a stop. He was dumbfounded. Was it real? Had the Almighty actually shown his power?


    He turned to look, and a charred crater was just a few meters from where he had been standing. Looking up at the sky again, it was clear and sunny without a cloud in sight.


    "Damn, it really happened!" Xia Zuowei exclaimed in shock, then suddenly had another idea, stood up, and shouted to the sky again, "God, might as well kill me with a million dollars in cash!" After yelling, he immediately hugged his head and looked up, but after a while, there were no signs of cash falling from the sky.

 Chapter 1 A Hei Fell from the Sky_2

    "Damn, it seems only the bad stuff works," Xia Zuowei sighed, thinking to himself that there truly was no such thing as a free lunch. He looked toward the place struck by lightning and suddenly noticed what seemed to be a person lying there."Huh, what''s going on?"


    He hurried over with quick, large strides and, sure enough, found a young man lying at the center of the charred impact site. The man''s clothes were scorched, revealing a strong and rugged body covered with burn marks that looked dark and charred. The man lay there with his eyes closed, apparently unconscious.


    (Could he have been struck by lightning? But that doesn''t seem right, there was no one here before... Could he be an Immortal from the heavens? Or perhaps a cultivator undergoing tribulation?)


    The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Scenes from novels he had read before began to emerge in his mind, (If he really is an Immortal, he must have some Magical Treasures on him; let''s search!)


    With this thought, he carefully approached and started searching the man. The man didn''t have many belongings, and it was almost immediately clear what he had on him, which made the search quick and easy.


    A black, disc-like object, no idea what it was for, and a burned hard drive, Xia Zuowei was somewhat puzzled, wondering if even Immortals used computers. Lastly, there was a black ring with a gemstone embedded, made of some unknown material.


    Looking at these incomprehensible items, he felt frustrated for a moment. No, this didn''t seem like the wealth of Immortals or cultivators; there had to be something else. Suddenly he noticed the pocket of the upper garment seemed to bulge. He reached in and pulled out a cigarette case, immediately revealing a slip of paper-like item. He took them out for a closer look and his eyes lit up.


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    Those were talismans, and though he didn''t know their purpose, the Runes on them were clearly linked to the mysterious and occult. This guy was definitely a cultivator!


    A wave of elation surged in his heart. He looked around and saw no one, thinking to himself that he shouldn''t call the police, otherwise there''d be no benefit for him. Better to carry the man back home first.


    With that in mind, he lifted the man by the arm and hoisted him up. The man was burly and muscular, weighing quite a bit. Combined with Xia Zuowei''s lack of regular exercise, it took all his strength to drag the man onto the back seat of his scooter.


    As the day turned to night, for fear of arousing suspicion, Xia Zuowei waited a little longer until it was completely dark before riding his scooter towards his home.


    Xia Zuowei''s home was located in the outskirts of City B, in a remote factory courtyard. This place was once a state-owned radio factory which had its moments of glory in the 80s and 90s when radios were valuable like computers are today. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, with the advancement of electronics, radio sales plummeted, and the factory failed to transform in time, eventually falling into disuse and partly closing down.


    Xia Zuowei''s parents had been workers at this factory and had both died in a car accident a few years ago, leaving him with their only property, a house in the factory complex.


    Upon entering his home, Xia Zuowei finally relaxed, dragging the man into the house and setting him down on the bed. The man seemed to have no serious injuries; despite numerous burns, there didn''t appear to be anything life-threatening. He lay there with a steady, deep breath, breathing long intervals but very steadily, like someone asleep.


    Xia Zuowei didn''t dare to try and wake the man up, panting as he pondered what to do next.


    (If this guy really is an Immortal, reviving him will certainly not lack rewards; perhaps he could even teach me a few spells or something. And if he really can''t be revived, no worries, the items on him must be extraordinary, and keeping them would be useful.)


    He placed those items on the table; the only ones seemingly intact were the black disc and the ring.


    The ring reminded him of the Storage Rings often found in novels. He cautiously slipped it onto his finger and closed his eyes to sense for a while, but he felt nothing special, thinking he might have expected too much.


    He took off the ring and picked up the disc, weighing it in his hand. It was light, and he had no idea what it was used for.


    He recalled all the different ways to use Magical Treasures he had read about in novels before, but none seemed to connect with this disc, nor did he know how to use it.


    Got it! A thought suddenly struck him. In novels, to use a Magical Treasure, one had to do a Blood Recognition of Master. Perhaps this thing worked the same way. He was just afraid that the weirdo before him had already claimed it, which would mean no luck for him. But it wouldn''t hurt to try.


    As he was thinking this, he took out a fruit knife, and after hesitating for a while, he gritted his teeth and stabbed his finger with it. The pain almost made him scream. Trembling, he squeezed out a drop of blood and smeared it on the disc. However, the blood simply seeped into it and disappeared without a trace, leaving no mark behind.


    Did it work? He wondered to himself, closing his eyes to try to sense the presence of the Magical Treasure, but still, there was no result.


    "Damnit, are you messing with me? If you can''t do anything, at least don''t suck my blood! You''re just like that bitch!" He said indignantly as he threw the disc onto the ground. It rolled on the ground and suddenly flashed a red light. Xia Zuowei was stunned for a few seconds and started to get a bit scared. (What was that red light about?


    Could the disc be sentient? What if it could attack on its own?) With this thought, he yelped and hurriedly picked up the disc again, wiping off the dust and placing it properly on the table.


    "Dear Disc, dear Disc, if you are sentient, please don''t be mad at me. I wasn''t thinking right just now, I definitely didn''t mean it. You''re a big guy, be magnanimous and don''t hold a grudge against me, alright?"


    He rambled on at the disc, but it remained still, as if the flash of red light he had seen was just his imagination. Xia Zuowei mused over it for a while and suddenly found his own behaviour hilarious, which made him burst into laughter.


    While he was laughing, a strange gurgling sound suddenly entered his ears. He stopped laughing to listen carefully, only to realize that the noise was coming from his stomach. That''s when Xia Zuowei remembered he hadn''t eaten dinner yet.


    Opening the food cabinet, there was nothing but instant noodles. In order to please Shasha, he had been spending a lot of money recently, and as a result, he had been wrapping noodles around his stomach every day. Seeing the meagerness of his food cabinet once again ignited a hidden fury within him.


    But no matter how angry he was, he couldn''t skip a meal. He prepared a pack of instant noodles and waited for them to be ready, turning on his computer out of boredom. His main pastimes were playing games and reading novels online, and since he had nothing better to do, he did just that.


    As the startup music played, the screen lit up. Just as Xia Zuowei was going to find a novel to pass the time, he suddenly noticed a strange icon had appeared on the screen.


    It was a skull-like thing, black and red, appearing to be an icon for a computer game.


    "Huh, what''s this? I don''t remember installing this game. Could it be a computer virus?" He muttered to himself, right-clicking to check the file path, only to find it displayed a series of ????. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.


    Right-click delete¡ªdeletion failed.


    Shred file¡ªstill failed.


    (Damnit, as if I can''t do anything to you.) Xia Zuowei thought for a while, then double-clicked on the icon, figuring he might as well see what this was all about. It wasn''t as if he cared about getting a virus since his computer was an old clunker and had nothing important on it.


    The screen flashed, and he entered a login interface for a game, "Absolute Death Domain". The background looked grand and lifelike. It seemed like a decent game, indeed¡ª(Hmm, worth giving a try).


    (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 2 What a Crap Game

    Xiao Buli hadn''t realized how long he''d been unconscious. His consciousness fluctuated, at times foggy, at times surprisingly clear. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library EmpireIn this state of half-sleep and half-awake, he gradually began to recall what had happened before.


    Cloud Thunder Leap! Xiao Buli pointed to the sky, suddenly leaping and transforming into a bolt of lightning shooting straight into the heavens. His body instantaneously became an agitated sphere of lightning. This transformation was novel, completely beyond his imagination, and unlike controlling a game from an observer''s perspective, he was feeling this sensation in reality. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A feeling of complete loss of control washed over him; he felt as though he might disintegrate at any moment, yet also as if he could do anything he wished.


    He was like a child steering an F1 race car¡ªjust a thought, and his body whooshed a few hundred meters away. He remembered he needed to escape this place and began to frantically dash ahead. In thirty seconds, he didn''t know how far he had run.


    Logically, he should have fallen after thirty seconds, but strangely, that didn''t happen. He remained floating in the air, flashing here and there, not knowing what to do.


    Damn, do I really have to keep floating down like this? Xiao Buli thought to "look" down. Though he didn''t have eyes now, he could sense his surroundings clearly. The ground was so high up that he could only see the ant-like crowd below and buildings that resembled blocks.


    If he couldn''t fall, then he might as well keep flying. He flew some more distance forward, soon noticing greenery below¡ªit was Green Dragon Mountain Park, on the edge of City B, where the population was relatively sparse. It seemed a good place to land, but the question was, how to make the descent?


    He didn''t know how long he''d been floating; it could have been minutes or hours. His sense of time was vague in this state of lightning. Eventually, after some time, he suddenly felt his body sink, exhaustion filling him entirely. A thought of impending doom crossed his mind, and then he plummeted down like a plummeting weight.


    The sensation of falling from a high place made him feel as if in a dream, a situation he often encountered in dreams. However, he knew he wasn''t dreaming. Fear gripped him as he fell helplessly towards the ground. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he suddenly sat up, shouting in alarm.


    "I''m not dead?" he silently rejoiced. Looking around, he wondered, where was this place?


    This appeared to be a room; he was lying on the bed in this bedroom. The room was oddly dark, and even though the daylight lamp was on above, it seemed blurred as if seen through frosted glass. A faint mist-like substance was spreading all around. He got out of bed, opened the door, and walked out. At a computer sat a blurry figure, its screen flickering with glaring light, indecipherable.


    Only as he approached could he vaguely make out the person''s ordinary face, teeth gritting while playing a game. He could only see the person''s back from here. Wait a minute, this game looked somewhat familiar.


    (Absolute Death Domain!? Who is this guy? How does he have this game?) Xiao Buli''s mind was filled with countless questions. He reached out to pat the person''s shoulder, but his hand passed right through.


    (What''s going on?) Xiao Buli was shocked and quickly stepped back. Could that guy be a ghost? No, that''s not right¡ªwhen he reached out, he suddenly noticed his hand was semi-transparent, the floor visible through his palm. Could I be the ghost? Am I dead?


    He turned around abruptly; the bedroom door was shut tight, showing no signs of being open. He walked straight through it effortlessly and saw someone lying on the bed in the room. He approached and saw the person looked exactly like him, seemingly asleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.


    Xiao Buli was stunned, then a bitter smile spread across his face. "Heh, this is quite interesting," he muttered to himself.


    Xia Zuowei considered himself an old gamer, at least that''s what he believed. Although he hadn''t experienced the fervent era of "Legend," nor had he witnessed the classic moments of Demon Beasts rising, and was completely oblivious to the development of online games, he still considered himself an impressive gamer.


    He liked playing domestic free-to-play games, and of course, don''t get it wrong¡ªXia Zuowei never spent a penny on free games, he truly treated them as free.


    "Paying for games is for fools," Xia Zuowei always liked to say this to himself.


    However, playing a free game without spending money naturally involved endurance. Xia Zuowei savored the hardship, embracing the notion: If I don''t go to hell, who will? As long as he wasn''t spending money, what did it matter if he was killed a few times? It was just a game after all. Besides, if you can''t beat them, you can still curse them, right?


    Xia Zuowei enjoyed cursing people in games. Every time he encountered any pay-to-win gamers who could kill him with one hit, he would curse them in private chat until they logged off. They were killing just a virtual character, but he was scolding their real selves. Let''s see who can''t take it first¡ªthis was always Xia Zuowei''s thought.

 Chapter 2 What a Crap Game_2

    The result of such swearing was that he made countless enemies and always struggled to get by, always being camped to death by RMB players, to the point where he couldn''t even leave the safe zone and had to switch games.After changing over a hundred games, he was well-versed in the various new games on the market, but this ''Absolute Death Domain'' was still new to him. He thought about registering an account to check it out, but after searching the login interface for a long time, he failed to find any icon.


    Subconsciously, he clicked to log into the game, the screen flashed, and he really got in.


    ("Damn, can it be done this way? Is this a single-player game? Then what''s the point of a login interface?") What came next on the screen was even more surprising to him: a character appeared on his screen¡ªXia Zuowei, a newcomer dressed in plain clothes, standing in the center of the screen.


    Xia Zuowei was increasingly confused. What was going on? How come there''s already a character in this game? Don''t you need to create one yourself? And why does this character''s name match his own?


    This kind of thing was somewhat supernatural, and most people would have studied it thoroughly or even been scared stiff, but he was naturally thick-skinned, the kind of person who believes there must be a way when the car gets to the mountain, so rather than panicking, he happily chose to enter the game.


    The screen flashed, and Xia Zuowei found himself in a small mountain village, probably Newbie Village, with his character standing in the village''s small square.


    He opened his character''s Attributes to have a look.


    Character Name: Xia Zuowei.


    Occupation: Commoner.


    Intelligence: 9.¡ªAverage comprehension, analysis ability, and memory.


    Strength: 9.¡ªCan carry 45 pounds, attack power 9, (one point of Strength corresponds to carrying five pounds and one point of attack power).


    Speed: 12¡ªYour running speed is very fast.


    Agility: 12¡ªYou have a pair of nimble hands.


    Stamina: 9.¡ªStamina Points 90 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 10.¡ªHealth Points 100. (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


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    Charm: 8.¡ªYou''re only moderately attractive.


    Spirit: 7.¡ªYou''re very thick-skinned.


    Luck: 10.¡ªYour luck is quite average.


    He wasn''t sure how these Attributes came about, and as he pondered, Xia Zuowei opened the Skill Bar, which already had three skills.


    Talent Skills:


    Climbing LV3: You are very good at climbing walls and trees.


    Pickpocket LV7: You can casually take others'' items (if discovered, there''s a certain chance of being judged as theft, the chance is determined by the item''s value and your eloquence).


    Swear LV10: You excel at insulting and slandering others. Those insulted by you have a certain chance of entering a rage state, attacking you recklessly until they kill you.


    Xia Zuowei scratched his head, instinctively feeling that these skills were a bit strange, but he didn''t think too much about it.


    He rarely paid attention to these details when playing games, and besides, the games he played most were often free domestic ones, where he had encountered all kinds of weird things, so he thought it was best to quickly take a newbie quest, level up, and go out to kill monsters.


    After looking around, he didn''t see any NPCs with quests available to take, nor did he have an initial quest to choose from. Xia Zuowei couldn''t help but curl his lip, "Damn, what kind of trash game is this, without even auto-questing and auto-pathfinding." Maybe this game isn''t quest-driven? Then just go out and kill monsters.


    As he thought, he walked out of the village, saw a firewood stack by the road, and naturally used the Pickpocket skill.


    System Prompt: Successfully used Pickpocket skill, acquired item ''Firewood Stick''.


    Xia Zuowei burst out laughing: "Haha, this skill isn''t bad, took a look in the item inventory."


    Firewood Stick: A dry stick of firewood, barely usable as a weapon.


    ("So crappy? Well, it''s better than nothing.") Thinking this, Xia Zuowei kept walking towards the outside, and as he passed by the village gate, a guard at the gate shouted to him, "Be careful, the monsters outside are very strong."


    He figured it was definitely an NPC''s preset dialogue, so he didn''t take it seriously.


    Following the path outside the village, he walked for a while. The way was extremely quiet, and he quickly reached the edge of a forest. Xia Zuowei thought to himself, there must be monsters in the forest, so he wormed his way through the gaps between the trees and entered. Sure enough, he hadn''t gone far when he spotted a wild rabbit. This should be the lowest level monster, right?


    Using the worst weapon to fight the worst monster shouldn''t be a problem, Xia Zuowei thought as he charged at it.


    In Xia Zuowei''s opinion, if it wasn''t an aggressive monster, then it should obediently wait for his stick to hit its head, offering up its first contribution of experience. But strangely, before he could get close, the rabbit perked up its ears in alarm and darted into the thick forest with a speed he couldn''t match.


    Xia Zuowei didn''t care too much; he blindly followed it for a while until he lost sight of it completely.


    "Damn, what kind of game is this, where the monsters actually run away!" he cursed in frustration. When he turned around, a wild dog appeared behind him.


    "Huh, there are monsters here too." Thinking this, Xia Zuowei approached with his stick ready. The game was quite realistic; the wild dog looked fierce and menacing, baring its teeth at him. Its crazed look gave Xia Zuowei the jitters.


    (It''s just a game, what''s there to be afraid of?) he told himself, gripping his stick and rushing forward.


    After two or three rounds of trading blows, Xia Zuowei started to realize something wasn''t right. Why was he losing health so quickly? This wild dog was even tougher than him. Could it be a mini boss? No, that didn''t seem right; it was clearly just a minor monster. "Damn, what a crappy game where even a minor monster is so tough."


    Seeing his health had dropped by half, Xia Zuowei thought it was better to run. But it seemed he couldn''t outrun the monster. Spotting a large tree, he quickly activated his Climbing skill and scrambled up it. The wild dog was howling below, but after waiting for a while and seeing Xia Zuowei wasn''t coming down, it left disgruntled.


    Xia Zuowei suddenly had a bright idea¡ªif he jumped down, could he squash the dog?


    His thought process was quite leap-frogging. Without further ado, he jumped down from the tree, aiming for the right spot.


    The wild dog got startled by the sight of a big living being falling from the sky and dodged backward sharply. Xia Zuowei flailed the stick in his hands mid-air and landed a solid hit.


    One-hit kill. Seeing the wild dog''s brain matter splattered on the ground, Xia Zuowei couldn''t help but feel a thrill of excitement. He checked the system log.


    System Log: Speed increase by 327%, you inflicted 45 damage on the wild dog, you have killed the wild dog, gained 5 combat experience points.


    "There''s even a speed layering system? This game is awesome!" Xia Zuowei thought as he turned over the wild dog''s body, but his face fell when he saw that it hadn''t dropped anything.


    "Damn, what a crappy game, killing a monster and it doesn''t drop anything." This was already his fourth time swearing since he entered the game less than ten minutes ago. The last time this happened was when he was playing EVE. However, he soon discovered that he could actually put the wild dog''s body in his inventory, so naturally, he chose to pick it up.


    The fall wasn''t without a price; he lost more than a dozen health points, leaving only a third of his health. If he encountered another wild dog, he probably would get bitten to death in a few bites.


    Should he commit suicide to return to the city? Xia Zuowei hesitated for a moment but decided to run back instead, considering it a chance to familiarize himself with the map.


    Seeing the gates of the village once more, Xia Zuowei finally felt a bit safer. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, kid, back again? Did the wild dog give you a hard time?" the gatekeeping militiaman suddenly asked with a chuckle.


    Huh, NPCs can talk too? Could this be the rumored intelligent NPC? "Are you an intelligent NPC?" Xia Zuowei asked curiously.


    "Damn, you''ve been reading too many novels. Do I look as wise and majestic as an NPC? Of course, I''m a player."


    "What!" Xia Zuowei was indeed shocked. "Players can be guards too? How do you do that?"


    Instead of answering his question directly, the man asked, "You''re a solo player, aren''t you?"


    Xia Zuowei nodded, "Yes, what about it?"


    "Nothing? Didn''t the person who gave you this game tell you about it?"


    "No one gave me this game. It started on my computer by itself."


    The man became even more puzzled, "Are you sure?"


    "Absolutely sure."


    Seeing that the man had lapsed into deep thought, Xia Zuowei couldn''t help feeling a bit disdainful, thinking it was just a broken game, what''s the big fuss. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 3 Xia Zuoweis Path to Gaming

    Xia Zuowei was about to leave when the person suddenly said, "Wait a minute, look at your Stamina Points, have they decreased a lot?"Xia Zuowei looked down and saw that was indeed the case, probably more than half had already decreased.


    "Here, take this," the guard traded Xia Zuowei an "aged steamed bun," "This is what the system gives to me for being a sentry. Eat it and it will restore some of your Physical Strength; otherwise if your Stamina runs out, all your Attributes will significantly decrease." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xia Zuowei double-clicked it, and he saw his character gobble down the steamed bun bit by bit. His Stamina Points quickly filled up.


    Having eaten the guard''s steamed bun, Xia Zuowei felt a bit more fondness for this guard, and looked at his name: Qin Dahai (Black Stone Village Militia).


    Xia Zuowei then asked, "So, Qin, can''t I just make money and level up by killing monsters?"


    Perhaps it was being called ''big brother'' that earned some good will, or maybe for some other reason, Qin Dahai explained very patiently: "Your attributes are too low, do you have any decent equipment? Apart from the weak and experience-less rabbits and wild chickens, I''m afraid there isn''t much else you could beat.


    Plus, the wild beasts in the deepest parts of the forest, even if killed, only drop materials like animal hides, raw meat and the like. And you still need to have a skinning skill to get them. Unless you take down a boss, it''s hard to make money, and the experience is pitifully little. Most people don''t bother hunting them."


    "Then, at what level can I go and kill monsters that drop money and equipment? And where do these monsters spawn?"


    Qin Dahai thought for a moment and said, "Well, with my current strength, I can take down a bandit minion or a highwayman easily, they drop some low-level equipment and some copper coins and such. But those guys always travel in groups, you can hardly ever find one alone, you''d need to form a team to take them on.


    However, Black Stone Village is just too remote, there are too few players, I''ve hardly met any."


    "Oh, I see," Xia Zuowei said, somewhat disappointed, "then what''s the point of playing this crappy game."


    Qin Dahai did not answer his question and instead seemed to ask nonchalantly, "You said this game just appeared on your computer by itself, didn''t someone send you the account? How did you enter the game?"


    "Yeah, I thought it was strange too, I just clicked and got in," Xia Zuowei replied.


    Qin Dahai seemed to not quite believe it and asked a few more questions. Xia Zuowei''s answers were all over the place, and since Qin Dahai couldn''t get anything more out of him, he eventually dropped it. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    As soon as Qin Dahai stopped talking, Xia Zuowei started asking questions again, "By the way, how''s the job as a guard?"


    "It''s alright, I get equipment," he waved the spear in his hand and pointed at the Leather Armor on his body, "earn experience, get food, the work is simple too. Just need to send a signal when monsters or bandits come to the village gate. But you have to have a friendly Prestige in the village to apply. Of course, you could also try your luck with the militia captain.


    If you''re lucky or have high enough charm, you might be able to join earlier."


    Enviously, Xia Zuowei asked where he could apply for the job and then hurried over to the militia captain.


    Militia Captain: "What do you want? I''m busy here, don''t bother me if it''s nothing important." Several options then appeared.


    Xia Zuowei clicked: "I want to join the Militia, please approve, Captain."


    Militia Captain: "With that scrawny body of yours, you want to join the Militia? Besides, I don''t even know you. Go away, stand over to the side."


    After a while, seeing that Xia Zuowei hadn''t left, he said offhandedly: "The village is building a wall on the east side to defend against bandits. You can try your luck over there."


    Xia Zuowei was delighted in his heart and quickly ran to the east side of the village, where indeed he saw a large group of NPCs building a wall.


    Outside the construction site, there was an NPC gesticulating, and his name was Foreman.


    Xia Zuowei ran over and clicked on him, and several options appeared. Of course, Xia Zuowei clicked on the option saying ''I want to be a construction worker, please let me.''


    Who would have thought that the Foreman would say: "Sorry, we already have enough workers here."


    (Dang, so unlucky!) Xia Zuowei thought.


    Foreman: "But we are a little short on lumber, could you please help chop some wood and bring it back?"


    At this time, an option appeared in front of him, Lumberer, do you want to take the job? Yes/No.


    Xia Zuowei had no interest in being a lumberer, as chopping wood surely meant going to the forests outside, and what if he encountered wild dogs?


    Having no choice, Xia Zuowei could only wander around the village by himself. First, he went to the blacksmith''s, got chased out, then he went to the carpenter''s, who said: "I don''t lack manpower right now; what I lack is lumber. If you''re interested in helping me chop some wood, then go ahead." It was all pointing back to being a lumberer.


    But Xia Zuowei was not so easily resigned. He circled the village several times and in the end, jobs like farmer and woodcutter were the only ones lacking people, which Xia Zuowei didn''t like at all.


    But Xia Zuowei didn''t want to take up either of those two jobs.


    Passing by the village entrance again, Qin urged him, "If you ask me, you should just switch to being a farmer and plow the fields, you know. I switched to farmer before. You can gain Attributes, learn skills, and get food. It doesn''t sell for much, but it''s better than nothing. In my opinion, you might as well be honest and farm the land. Leveling up is quick that way."


    Xia Zuowei shook his head, deciding to take another stroll. Farming sounded boring, and he didn''t have the patience for it.


    As he walked along, an NPC named Scar-faced Li suddenly emerged. Dressed neatly, but holding a cleaver and with a scar on his face, he didn''t look like a good person. This Scar-faced Li, unlike the other NPCs in the village, was a yellow-headed NPC. Xia Zuowei grew curious and started circling around him, but after making two rounds, Li suddenly spoke up.

 Chapter 3 Xia Zuoweis Path in Gaming_2

    Scar-faced Li: "What are you looking at, keep staring and I''ll chop you to death."Looking at Scar-faced Li, Xia Zuowei thought he didn''t seem like an easy target, but considering he had nothing to lose even if he died, he wasn''t afraid.


    He had already learned how to communicate with NPCs from Qin Dahai and immediately typed: "Go ahead and chop, who''s afraid of you?"


    To his surprise, Scar-faced Li''s avatar turned red, and he came at him with a knife. Xia Zuowei swung his stick to fight back, but he was no match and was quickly knocked to the ground. Yet, he didn''t die; he just fell into an On the Verge of Death state and couldn''t move.


    Scar-faced Li stood over him triumphantly. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Scar-faced Li: "Kid, you think you can take me on with those skills? I''m in a good mood today, call me ''Grandpa'' and I''ll let you go."


    Damn it, call your own damn self Grandpa! thought Xia Zuowei, and he typed, "Your grandpa! You should be calling me ''Grandpa.''"


    Scar-faced Li seemed surprised: "Not bad, kid, you''ve got guts. Aren''t you afraid of dying?"


    It''s just a crappy game, what''s there to be scared of? If I die, I die, Xia Zuowei thought, and he typed: "To die is but to die, I''m not afraid; in eighteen years I''ll be back as strong as ever."


    He even laughed at himself after saying it, thinking what''s the point of arguing with an NPC.


    But Scar-faced Li seemed a bit confused, "You''re really not afraid of death?"


    Come on, quit your bullshit, if you''re going to kill me then do it quickly, so I can respawn and level up, Xia Zuowei typed irritably.


    Scar-faced Li: "You can respawn?"


    "No kidding."


    Scar-faced Li''s expression fluctuated between light and dark, and after a long hesitation, he put on a kindly face, which, paired with the vicious scar on his face, still made him look anything but kind.


    Scar-faced Li: "Heh, I admire men of character and guts the most, kid, I like your style. Most people would''ve been scared stiff by now, but not you. So, how about it? Are you interested in joining me?"


    System prompt: The Hidden Profession ''Hoodlum'' has been triggered, do you wish to switch professions?


    Hoodlum, a profession? Xia Zuowei snickered inwardly. He was about to decline but then reconsidered. After all, it was a Hidden Profession, which might have hidden benefits, and since he had nothing left to lose, why not just join them? Besides, it''s just a level one account; if it really didn''t work out, he could always start a new character.


    Plus, he was very confident in his own skills; even if it was the lousiest profession, he could make it awesome in his hands, Xia Zuowei thought narcissistically. So, he confirmed decisively, Yes!


    System prompt: Job change to Hoodlum successful.


    He checked the profession description¡ª


    Hoodlum: A person of idle habits who bullies the weak for fun, can advance to become a ronin, assassin, bandit, and other underground professions.


    After Scar-faced Li applied some medicine, his health points were fully restored. Then he said, "To survive in our line of work, you need lots of skills. I''ll teach you some today."


    Then Scar-faced Li went straight to a farmer NPC and said, "Hey, Old Bao, how was work today? You must have made a nice sum of money." Then he extended his hand toward him.


    Old Bao seemed both scared and disgusted but obediently placed a few copper coins in Scar-faced Li''s outstretched hand.


    Scar-faced Li walked over to Xia Zuowei: "See that? That''s how it''s done."


    System prompt: You''ve learned the professional skill ''Extortion.''


    Extortion: Using this skill, you have a chance to get money or items from the target. If you fail, the target may attack you. The success rate depends on the difference in strength between the two parties.


    Xia Zuowei thought to himself, this skill isn''t half bad.


    While farmers could level up by farming, lumberjacks by Lumbering, and blacksmiths by forging, how did a hoodlum level up?


    The answer was, of course, collecting protection fees. After a chat with Scar-faced Li, he was given a quest.


    Scar-faced Li: "Kid, now that you''re a hoodlum, you gotta have the awareness of one. Go collect today''s protection fee."


    Although Xia Zuowei found it hard to imagine how a newbie in rags with a wooden stick could demand money from all those muscular NPCs, he set off immediately after getting the task from Scar-faced Li.


    First, he found the blacksmith and activated the skill, Extortion!


    The blacksmith immediately went berserk, swung his hammer, and Xia Zuowei''s health points halved instantly. He was so scared that he turned and ran. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The blacksmith didn''t seem keen on causing more trouble and, although cursing, did not chase after him.


    Although he had failed miserably at first, Xia Zuowei was unfazed. The blacksmith was all muscles and clearly not to be messed with, something Xia Zuowei had anticipated. He decided to target someone weaker. At the eastern end of the village, he finally spotted a candidate: a middle-aged woman standing outside a chicken coop, picking up chicken feed with a basket, probably a chicken farmer.


    He used the Extortion skill, and sure enough, the chicken farmer didn''t dare to resist.


    System prompt: Extortion successful, item obtained: egg, your Prestige in Black Stone Village has decreased by 10 points.


    Success at last, Xia Zuowei thought, as he opened his inventory and indeed, there was an egg.


    Raw Egg: Restores 30 Stamina Points, cooking it before consumption yields more Physical Strength.


    With his first spoils of war, Xia Zuowei felt somewhat invigorated. Most importantly, the experience points for his Extortion Skill had increased.


    He could probably repeat the Extortion, he thought, and once again he used it on the woman.


    System prompt: Extortion successful, item obtained: egg. Your Prestige in Black Stone Village has decreased by 10.


    Haha, just as he thought, Xia Zuowei continually used Extortion. Each time he gained a little experience and one or two eggs. After a dozen or so eggs, his Extortion Skill was close to leveling up when suddenly, just as Xia Zuowei was about to use the Extortion Skill again, the system prompt dramatically changed.

 Chapter 3 Xia Zuoweis Gaming Path_3

    ```System Prompt: Extortion successful, obtained item ''old hen'' x1, villager favorability -50, your Prestige in Black Stone Village is indifferent.


    Old Hen: A hen that can lay eggs. Placed in the inventory, it produces one egg every hour.


    Wow, that''s awesome. Xia Zuowei thought this thing was really good. Why could he only extort eggs before, and now he got an old hen? Could it be that his Extortion Skill had leveled up?


    With this thought, Xia Zuowei used his Extortion Skill once again.


    System Prompt: Extortion failed.


    He saw the chicken-raising woman fall into a Fury state instantly, pulling out a chicken-killing knife from somewhere and charging at Xia Zuowei. One slash reduced his HP by over ten points.


    "Are you trying to kill me? I''m going to fight you to the death today."


    Xia Zuowei hastily controlled his character to retreat while swinging his stick to fight back. In the midst of the chaos, he glanced at the woman''s head and saw a new BUFF¡ªFury, attack speed increased by 30%.


    If he had been in full health, he might have stood a chance to fight, but now that she was in a Fury, and he was at half health, he was no match for her. Xia Zuowei didn''t dare to stay and commanded his character to flee quickly. Fortunately, his speed was quite high, the only good attribute he had.


    The woman chased after him for a while but was gradually left far behind and eventually returned to the chicken coop.


    He hadn''t expected that pushing NPCs to their limits would cause them to go berserk, but with experience, things would be easier. This time, Xia Zuowei continued to target those who seemed easy to extort, sparing no one, from the weak to women and children. He only extorted once or twice from each before making a quick getaway to avoid pushing anyone into a corner.


    Of course, there were times when he misjudged, like with an old man in front of a house who seemed one step away from the grave; after using Extortion on him, the old man almost instantly released a Giant Fireball that nearly wiped Xia Zuowei out, though he narrowly escaped death by dodging in time.


    Overall, though, it was quite smooth sailing. After more than an hour, Xia Zuowei opened his bag to find it full of a mess of items extorted from others: steamed buns, apples, old clothes, with most of them just replenishing Physical Strength or simply trash. The only somewhat useful items were a pair of cloth shoes and a worn cotton jacket.


    Cloth Shoes (White¡ªBoots): Cloth-made shoes that can provide a slight benefit. Speed +1.


    Worn Cotton Jacket (Gray¡ªChest Armor): A worn cotton jacket that provides a bit of defense and some protection from the cold. Armor +3, Freeze Resistance +1%.


    After equipping the jacket and shoes and selling all the useless stuff to a shop, he even managed to gather 132 copper coins. It''s really hard to earn money in this game. He approached Scar-faced Li again, who immediately started yelling as he saw him coming.


    Scar-faced Li: "Kid, what have you done now? You''ve gone and upset everyone in the village. They''re coming after you, and you''re still not running away?" Below, two options appeared.


    1, Oh my God! Big brother, what should I do?


    2, Why run? If they come after me, I''ll slash them all down one by one.


    Xia Zuowei originally wanted to choose the first option, but after some thought, he chose the second.


    Xia Zuowei: ""Why run? If they come after me, I''ll slash them all down one by one."


    Scar-faced Li said: ""Bullshit, you don''t even have a knife. What are you going to slash with?"


    Xia Zuowei thought, ''These options are what you gave me.''


    But then Scar-faced Li added, ""Kid, I can see you''re made of sterner stuff. Most people would''ve been scared witless by now, but I like your spirit. To tell you the truth, I''m an undercover agent sent here by the Black Mountain Brotherhood. If you''re willing to join the Brotherhood, I''m prepared to vouch for you. But there''s a journey to Black Mountain.


    It''s up to you whether you''re brave enough to go."


    System Prompt: Occupation ''ronin'' triggered, do you want to change classes?


    (Another chance to change classes? My luck''s not bad at all.) Without any hesitation, Xia Zuowei chose to accept.


    System Prompt: Class change to ronin successful.


    Ronin: Skilled in martial arts and acts based on personal whims, often leaving home to seek adventures. Most do not meet good ends.


    Xia Zuowei thought to himself that the description of this occupation didn''t bode well.


    ```


    Scar-faced Li: "Since you''ve chosen this path, you better leave here as soon as possible. I''ve been a ronin before and have some experience in this area, so let me give you some advice."


    After saying a bunch, Xia Zuowei couldn''t be bothered to pay attention, but the final system prompt caught his eye.


    System Prompt: Learned skill ''Ronin Swordsmanship'', learned skill ''Wilderness Survival'', learned skill ''Begging''.


    Learning three skills all at once was beyond his expectations. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    He took a look at the descriptions of the skills.


    Ronin Swordsmanship LV1: A set of ''swordsmanship'' skills thrown together haphazardly, seems to do nothing but intimidate others and is hardly practical.


    Wilderness Survival LV1: Your Physical Strength consumption when moving in the wilderness is reduced by 10%.


    Begging LV1: Begging from people, with a chance to receive food or a small amount of money. The lower your charm, the higher the success rate, with an increased success rate when you have DEBUFFs.


    Such trashy skills, thought Xia Zuowei, but it''s still better than nothing. Just then the system prompt popped up again, and this time it was not good news.


    System Prompt: Your Prestige with Black Stone Village has reached Hostile status, triggering a Black Stone Village Militia pursuit quest. The pursuit will begin in twelve hours.


    Scar-faced Li said, "Then you should hurry on your way. Here is a Black Mountain Token, remember not to tell anyone the route you took to leave. Black Mountain is directly to the north of the village; keep going for two days, and you''ll be there. As long as you show this token to the brothers of Black Mountain, you''ll be safe."


    System Prompt: Obtained quest item ''Black Mountain Token'', accepted quest¡ªThe Brotherhood''s Newcomer.


    Since he was leaving, Xia Zuowei took out all the copper coins from his bag, intending to buy some equipment to change into, but his Prestige was already hostile so no one would sell to him. He had to buy a few pieces of shabby leather armor from Scar-faced Li at a high price. Although they were gray and of poor quality, at least they provided some armor.


    He also switched to a rusty Dagger, then ran out of the village. When he reached the village gate, he saw Qin Dahai again. He thought to himself, having met him once, it would be impolite not to say goodbye.


    So he walked over.


    "Eh, nice equipment, brother, you seem to be doing quite well," Qin Dahai teased. Xia Zuowei chuckled, "That''s right, I''ve even taken on a hidden quest."


    "Oh, that impressive? Can you share it and let me have a look too?"


    Xia Zuowei said, "What''s stopping me?" and recounted his experiences over the past hour or so.


    Qin Dahai went silent for a moment before asking, "So you''re about to be wanted?" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah, this game is pretty interesting, huh? I even get to be wanted. Anyway, I''ve got to head to Black Mountain, so I better get going."


    "Wait a second," Qin Dahai suddenly said, "At night, there are more monsters, and they tend to be stronger. How about you wait until tomorrow morning to go? It''s probably safer that way. There''s an abandoned thatched cottage not far from the north side of the village where you can log off."


    Hearing this, Xia Zuowei thought it made sense and happily said, "Thanks a lot, I''ll log off after I leave the village, and I''ll continue tomorrow."


    After saying this, he walked towards the outside of the village. Qin Dahai watched his leaving figure for a long time, seemingly deep in thought about something.


    Xia Zuowei ran north of the village for a while and easily found the thatched cottage. Once inside, the area was marked as safe for logging off, which comforted him. The saying ''a friend in need is a friend indeed'' truly made sense. This Qin Dahai was really a good person, he mused. It would have been difficult in the pitch darkness without him.


    Seeing it was getting late and he was feeling tired, Xia Zuowei logged off the game.


    Rubbing his bleary eyes, he walked towards his bedroom. As he reached the door, a faint sigh sounded from behind. Xia Zuowei jumped, whirling around, but there was nothing there.


    It must have been an illusion, he thought, scaring himself like that. While thinking about it, he went to bed.


    PS: Why does it always become a mess in the comment section whenever I set up suspense or create a foreshadowing? Does everything really need to be explained right from the start for it to be understandable? Have a little patience, would you? (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on qidian.com.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 4 The Death of Xia Zuowei

    Xia Zuowei didn''t have auditory hallucinations; that sigh indeed came from Xiao Buli, who had watched Xia Zuowei''s experiences in the game from start to finish. Seeing that he logged off, Xiao Buli immediately made a judgment¡ªthis guy was as good as dead.Although this guy''s luck was really good, so good that it left Xiao Buli somewhat speechless.


    A normal person, if unaware, would probably have died fighting a stray dog; yet this guy relied on his innate tree-climbing skill to dodge a disaster and even accidentally killed the stray dog. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, while trading blows with Scar-faced Li, he stepped over the threshold of the netherworld, but unexpectedly, even when on the verge of death, he somehow came back to life and even acquired a hidden profession, though the profession seemed really unreliable.


    After that, he collected protection money and came close to being killed several times, yet he still managed to survive each time.


    But when Xiao Buli saw the conversation between Qin Dahai and Xia Zuowei, he immediately concluded that no amount of good luck would save him this time; he was doomed.


    The warrant out for Xia Zuowei''s arrest reminded him of the time Li Baocheng was wanted. Back then, it was because they could not take action within an organization that no players made a move against him, but this time Xia Zuowei was not going to enjoy that kind of treatment.


    The reward for killing a wanted criminal was definitely substantial, as could be seen from the rewards offered for Li Baocheng back in the day. Qin Dahai''s instruction for him to log off in the thatched hut was not without purpose; probably, as soon as this guy logged on tomorrow, he would face Qin Dahai''s ambush.


    Although Qin Dahai didn''t seem particularly strong, dealing with a newbie like him wouldn''t be stressful. Therefore, taking everything into account, Xiao Buli came to this conclusion.


    He didn''t continue to think about it. Whether Xia Zuowei lived or died did not mean much to him. The pressing matter at hand was to quickly wake up.


    Xiao Buli had already checked; his body had not sustained significant damage, his breathing was steady, which meant he was still alive. The reason for his current state was likely not because of death but due to soul separation¡ªthis reminded him of Bai Yunfei''s Soul Out Of Body.


    Only, Bai Yunfei''s was a voluntary exit, while his was involuntary, probably a side effect caused by consuming too much spiritual power while using Thunder Cloud Soaring Sky in his state of electrical embodiment, leading to issues with the compatibility between the body and the Primordial Spirit, resulting in their separation after he hit the ground.


    Back in his room, staring at himself lying on the bed, Xiao Buli silently pondered how he could wake up.


    He first tried lying down, overlapping with his body, but it had no effect; his body was like a machine that had lost its power, unable to feel any energy.


    Rising from the bed again, Xiao Buli, looking at his own body, fell into deep thought. What should he do? There was no precedent for this kind of situation.


    While he was deep in concentration, whispers suddenly reached his ears in the pitch-black night.


    "Look, that flesh body seems quite intact," a barely discernible voice said.


    "Yes, yes, it''s not easy to find such a complete flesh body," another voice concurred, sounding somewhat distant.


    "But I feel that flesh body still has life in it," a third voice chimed in.


    "Life may linger, but the spirit is gone, most likely the soul has been scattered. It''s the perfect time for us to take possession and revive our souls. If you guys don''t go, I will," the first voice added.


    "Who!?" Xiao Buli abruptly turned to look behind and saw many blurry black shadows, each revealing only their upper half through the window.


    The shadows were all pitch-black and transparent, casting long silhouettes in the moonlight, "Ghosts?" Xiao Buli was startled, but then he laughed a bit, thinking that he was a ghost himself now, so what was there to fear?


    But then he felt something was amiss. Those ''shadows'' seemed not to see him, as if they didn''t exist on the same plane. He called out to them a couple of times, but none of the ghostly spirits paid any attention to him.


    A shadow drifted in through the window, akin to a paper figure in a shadow play, floating towards his body. Xiao Buli, in a panic, threw a punch, but his fist passed right through the shadow.


    (How can this be? Am I neither living nor a ghostly spirit right now?) Xiao Buli genuinely did not understand the difference between the Primordial Spirit and a ghostly spirit, but with the situation being urgent, he had no time to think further. He watched as the shadow rose into the air, falling towards his body in parallel.


    Almost instinctively, he raised his hand and launched a Palm Thunder, only remembering after the motion that he was no longer in his body, and in soul form, he shouldn''t be able to cast spells. Yet, with a crackle, a burst of lightning flashed, incredibly dazzling in the dark night.


    The paper-like spirit body was instantly blown to pieces, spiraled in the air, then reconvened but appeared even more faint than before.


    "Damn, that guy''s a cultivator, run!" A shrill scream pierced through the air, and the ghostly shadows at the window disappeared in the blink of an eye. Xiao Buli was left standing there dumbfounded, thinking, could it be possible to cast spells while in a Soul Out Of Body state?


    But then he noticed that his physical body was in a spell-casting pose, and that Palm Thunder had, in fact, originated from his corporeal hand.

 Chapter 4 The Death of Xia Zuowei_2

    ```(So it turns out, my soul and my body are still connected!) He thought to himself, his mind vaguely grasping at something.


    When Bai Yunfei used Soul Out Of Body, he had to enter into meditation, and the same was true when his Primordial Spirit returned to its place. This was clearly not without reason. Xiao Buli guessed that when entering the meditation state, his body was likely to exhibit an open state that could accept or detach from the Spiritual Body.


    The reason he couldn''t merge with his own body right now was probably that his body was in a comatose state, not open. So if he could enter the state of meditation, his body would likely respond, and then he should be able to unite his spirit and flesh.


    Thinking this, he once again lay on top of his own body and then started to try meditating.


    Meditating in a spiritual state was not an easy task, but as time passed, Xiao Buli gradually entered the state.


    Time moved on, and as the first rays of sunlight came through the window, Xiao Buli suddenly opened his eyes.


    It hurts! That was his first thought upon waking. His body felt as if it was being torn apart, and he struggled to sit up from the bed.


    He felt pain everywhere, and although he had intentionally released the Ethereal Armor before using Cloud Thunder Leap to offset the damage from landing, he had floated in the air too long, causing the effects of the Ethereal Armor to have completely worn off by the time he hit the ground. This resulted in him taking the full brunt of the damage.


    If it had been an ordinary person, they probably would have been killed instantly, but even he was left half-crippled.


    He cast Resurrection Skills on himself twice, and the wounds on the surface of his body gradually healed, but the internal injuries were difficult to recover. Just when he was bitterly smiling to himself, a Mental Method Mantra suddenly flashed through his mind¡ªthe Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture!


    He immediately reacted, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, concentrated, and a vibrant green True Qi appeared in his spirit world. Following the Mental Method Mantra that flashed through his mind, as the green energy circulated through his body, his veins and meridians started to recover and heal as if dry wood met spring and parched earth received rain.


    A cool sensation spread throughout his body, and in an instant, he felt as though he was soaking in a pool of spring water¡­


    "Ah, I''ve finally woken up!" Stretching lazily, Xia Zuowei stood up from the bed, thinking about going to check if that ''Immortal'' had woken up yet. Pushing open the door next to his bedroom, the scene in the room left him stunned.


    The ''Immortal'' was sitting cross-legged on the bed, emitting bursts of green light, especially bright at the areas of the wounds, shining like tattoos, making the whole bedroom glow green.


    Wow, that''s epic! Xia Zuowei thought to himself that the Immortal seemed to have woken up. He suddenly remembered something, hurriedly ran back outside, and gathered the metal disc, ring, and the burned-out hard drive all together, placing them on the dresser by the ''Immortal''s'' bed.


    That should be fine now, thought Xia Zuowei, still somewhat uneasy about his action of dripping blood on someone else''s Magical Treasure the day before. What if he got caught? He hoped the Immortal wouldn''t take it too seriously.


    Xia Zuowei thought to himself, it''s no use worrying; after all, he did save the man. It shouldn''t be too serious. Better to go play some games for now.


    Eating instant noodles while logging into the game, the sunlight shone through the cracks of the thatched cottage, creating an atmosphere that was quite relaxed and bright, even more brilliant than the sunlight in reality. This game''s lighting effects were pretty impressive.


    He thought to himself as he walked out of the cottage, only to find a militiaman wearing Studded Leather Armor and holding a red-tasseled spear, standing like a pillar outside the door.


    "No way, am I that unlucky?" mumbled Xia Zuowei, just as he was about to take off running, he took a closer look and saw it was Qin Dahai, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Ha, it''s you. You gave me a fright. I thought you were a militia sent by the village to hunt me down," he typed.


    Qin Dahai laughed, "How do you know I''m not here to kill you too?"


    Xia Zuowei, surprised, said, "What, players can take on that quest too? This game is getting interesting."


    "Not only can you take on quests, but you can also report. I reported the true identity of Scar-faced Li, the Black Mountain Spy, to the militia captain, and he''s already been captured. However, you, the Black Mountain Spy, have not been caught yet, so I''ve come here especially to wait for you," Qin Dahai said.


    "I''m not a Black Mountain Spy," replied Xia Zuowei, puzzled.


    But Qin Dahai responded, "You have the Black Mountain Token on you. If I say you are, who''s going to doubt it?"


    ```


    Xia Zuowei couldn''t help but burst into laughter, "Damn, you''re quite the cunning one, aren''t you? You really got some nerve."


    Qin Dahai said, "I''ve already said so much, aren''t you afraid of me?"


    Curious, Xia Zuowei replied, "Afraid of you? Why should I be afraid of you? It''s just a new account, if it dies, it dies."


    Yet Qin Dahai spoke indifferently, "Once you die in this game, you can''t be revived."


    "What? That''s a thing!" Xia Zuowei was shocked, "That''s a bit troublesome, but no matter, it''s just a newbie account anyway. Just create a new one and that''s it."


    Qin Dahai seemed somewhat wistful, "It looks like you really know nothing about this game."


    Xia Zuowei asked subconsciously, "Is there something else to this game? The way you speak makes it seem so serious."


    "It''s nothing, I''m just saying," Qin Dahai replied, "So are you planning to fight me and then get killed, or do you just want me to chop you up and go collect the reward?"


    After giving it some thought and deciding not to struggle needlessly, Xia Zuowei typed, "Just kill me then. But I have to say this first, if you want to kill me for the reward you have to do me a favor. After my new account comes online, you need to trade these equipment pieces to my new account. I didn''t make this bit of money easily."


    While saying this, he stripped off all his equipment and threw it on the ground.


    Qin Dahai fell silent for a while, "I will make sure of it." After saying this, he hesitated, as if he found it hard to proceed.


    Xia Zuowei, growing impatient, urged, "Hurry up and do it, why so much dithering just to kill someone."


    Finally, Qin Dahai gritted his teeth, "Sorry, my friend, this is what you asked for." He then lunged forward with his spear¡ªCharge!


    With a squelching sound, blood splashed everywhere; the spearhead penetrated fully, wiping out half of his health points in one stroke. Although Xia Zuowei hadn''t taken it seriously at first, the sight of the blood-drenched screen suddenly made his heart panic, and he instinctively swung his sword in response.


    But Qin Dahai withdrew a step and then leapt up, using his spear like a club, and smashed it down¡ªDarkening Skies! Striking him right on the forehead, the blow smashed his character''s head into pieces like a burst watermelon. The headless body twirled around on the spot for a couple of turns, like a sack of grain that had lost its support, and fell down lifelessly.


    You have died! A line of bright red text flashed across the screen. Xia Zuowei, still shaken, clicked to exit the game, only for the game''s interface to shake slightly, "Grandma''s legs, this way of dying is on par with a horror game." He muttered to himself, only to find that he had been unexpectedly taken to the desktop.


    "Huh, I just wanted a quick log off, what''s going on?" When he tried clicking on the game icon again, it didn''t respond at all, and despite repeated attempts, the result was the same.


    Out of frustration, Xia Zuowei slammed his mouse down, "Damn, what kind of crappy game is this, playing it is so frustrating."


    About to delete the game with a click, he hesitated, as he couldn''t quite bring himself to do it. Although this game was completely different from any he''d played before, with its peculiar game mechanics, the graphics and the immersive experience truly amazed him.


    Especially impressive was that his old computer could actually run such high-quality graphics; if he deleted it, where would he find another like it?


    After much deliberation, he still couldn''t bring himself to delete it, deciding to check on the ''Immortal'' instead.


    He walked over to the door, about to open it, but the door opened on its own. Standing in the doorway was the man who might be the ''Immortal,'' looking indifferent. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)


    Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 5 Time-Space Order Keeper

    Xiao Buli''s body had already completely recovered to its optimal state. The power of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture not only healed all his injuries but even restored the exhaustion and fatigue of his body. The power of this cultivation technique was indeed incomparable to that of ordinary spells.Looking at Xiao Buli, Xia Zuowei hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to start speaking. After some deliberation, he still said, "Hello, my name is¡ª"


    "Xia Zuowei, right?" Xiao Buli casually said, disregarding the surprise in the other''s eyes, and walked straight to the computer, "You played that game, didn''t you?" he asked conversationally, his tone leaving no room for doubt.


    Xia Zuowei was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself why the conversation turned to games so suddenly. Could it be that immortals also play games? If so, that meant they had something in common.


    "Yes, how do you¡ª"


    Xiao Buli once again interrupted him, "Did you log in this morning?"


    Xia Zuowei nodded, "I did log in, but I don''t know what happened; after dying once, I couldn''t get back in."


    Xiao Buli sighed inwardly, (It seems I''m still a step too late.) He probably already knew the course of events, but some details were still unclear, so he told Xia Zuowei, "Tell me everything that happened to you in the game."


    Xia Zuowei was startled, not understanding how things had come to this. This immortal seemed a bit odd, but still, he detailed everything that had happened.


    After finishing, he looked at Xiao Buli somewhat nervously and out of breath.


    So that''s how it is, Xiao Buli thought to himself. So this circle disk is used like this, just drip blood into it to generate the game program on the computer. Although he didn''t understand the principle, it truly felt incredibly mystical. Clearly, the purpose of the blood test when joining the company was for the blood to be dripped into this disk.


    The question was, how many drops of blood could a disk hold? It surely couldn''t be infinite.


    Thinking this, he looked at Xia Zuowei again. This guy had stumbled into the game and even inexplicably lost his life; it really seemed like it was fated.


    "You''re saying that this Qin Dahai hesitated at first, and then you urged him to hurry up and kill you before he acted?"


    Xia Zuowei nodded earnestly, and Xiao Buli''s gaze upon Xia Zuowei suddenly filled with pity. This odd fellow was simply a prime example of ignorance leading to his own demise.


    Although this guy didn''t give him a great impression, Xiao Buli had originally planned to give him some kind of benefit before leaving since the guy did save his life once. He hadn''t expected this guy to die before he woke up. In that case, there was no need for rewards¡ªa wasted effort.


    With great sympathy, Xiao Buli patted Xia Zuowei''s shoulder and said with a heartfelt tone, "Young man, I see darkness at your brow, indicating an impending disaster of bloodshed today. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, you better hurry and take care of them to avoid any regrets."


    Xia Zuowei was immediately dumbfounded upon hearing this, "No way, immortal, I¡ª"


    "I am not an immortal, just an ordinary cultivator. You may call me Xuan Zhenzi," Xiao Buli said, unwilling to reveal his real name, and for some reason, he blurted out the name of that NPC from the game.


    "Then, Master Xuan Zhenzi, you''re not going to kill me, are you? I did save your life after all. You can''t be that heartless! If it''s because I touched your magical treasure, I was just curious at the time!" Xia Zuowei spoke with a crying tone.


    He would typically scoff at such words from an average person, but the man before him was someone he had seen fall from the sky, someone who glowed green all over. Such words from him truly sent a chill through his heart.


    "The one who wants to kill you isn''t me, but rather¡ª" Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, but then decided to let him die knowing the truth.


    Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    "This game you''re playing is not an ordinary game. It is a game that only we cultivators can play. That circular disk is the storage medium for the game. The items in this game should not be touched lightly because when you play the game, the character you control is actually your Primordial Spirit. If you die in the game, after a period of time, you will also die in reality. It''s as simple as that."


    "What!" Xia Zuowei felt as if he had been struck by lightning. There was actually such a thing? He had saved a cultivator, which gave him a glimmer of hope for life, only for a good deed to bring about such a disaster. It was all because of his own carelessness, believing in stuff from novels and messing around with the Blood Recognition of Master gambit.


    The thought of this game''s bizarre emergence and gameplay left Xia Zuowei with no choice but to believe. With a somber face, he looked at Xiao Buli, "Immortal Brother, for the sake of the help I''ve given you, please pull this brother up."


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "The creator of this game is no ordinary person, and even with my power, resistance is futile. Saving your life won''t be easy." After saying this, a thought suddenly struck him, "However, you happened to save my life during my unsuccessful transcendental tribulation, so naturally, I cannot just stand by and watch.


    When the great calamity arrives, I will help you to the best of my ability, but at most, I have a thirty percent chance."


    In truth, not to mention thirty percent, Xiao Buli had no confidence even for a one percent chance. Even the company''s staff couldn''t resist the power of this game, so what could he do? He made these comments partly to comfort Xia Zuowei and partly because he wanted to witness firsthand how this game killed people. Perhaps it could be resisted or delayed with outside help.


    If Xia Zuowei''s death was inevitable, at least if he could gain some understanding of how the game killed, his death wouldn''t be in vain.


    But Xia Zuowei, having heard this, was far from reassured, "Only thirty percent? Isn''t there any way with a higher success rate? Are there no resurrection items in this game, like the Rebirth Cross Medal or the Nine Revolutions Resurrection Pill?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that even if there were such items, they wouldn''t be in his possession, and even if by some miracle he did have them, he certainly wouldn''t waste them on a nobody like you when he himself might need them.


    Xiao Buli shook his head again, "The founder of this game is extraordinary, and I wouldn''t dare to utter his name lightly. Thirty percent is already a lot. The power of the game could descend at any moment, but the first four or five hours are still safe. If you have any last wishes, you''d better hurry. But remember that you must return before noon, or else I won''t be able to protect you.


    I need to prepare now so I can protect you later."


    A mix of emotions played across Xia Zuowei''s face, and with a sudden grit of his teeth, he pulled a passbook out from under the mattress, then took out his wallet to look inside. The condom still lay there. Biting his teeth, he pushed open the door and left, but after a few steps, he turned back and said, "Immortal Sir, I''ll be back soon, please don''t leave."


    Xiao Buli nodded, watching Xia Zuowei''s heroic departure with a shake of his head.


    Taking advantage of the moment when he was alone, it was time to take stock of his gains. Placing the disk and the ring on the computer desk, Xiao Buli examined the black ring he held in his hand. It was given to him by Li Jian just before his death, and instinctively, Xiao Buli felt it was extraordinary, otherwise Li Jian wouldn''t have made such a point of it.


    The ring was made of an unknown black metal and had a black crystal-like gem inlaid at the top. He hadn''t looked closely earlier, but now, upon closer inspection, he saw something inside the gem appearing to continuously swirl like a vortex. At the center of the vortex was pitch-black, reminiscent of a black hole, and looking into it, he felt as though he could be sucked inside.


    When he wore the ring on his finger, there wasn''t any special sensation, and despite studying it for a while, he couldn''t discern any effects, so Xiao Buli temporarily gave up trying and decided to check the game instead.


    Entering the game''s login interface, he did not enter a username or password. By now, he had probably determined that the so-called username and password were merely illusions, without real significance.


    Clicking to enter the game, Xiao Buli was directly in the game. His location was not in the village, but in a Hunter''s Cabin outside the village. This was originally the home of a hunter named Zhou Kaihuang, but with Zhou''s progression to become a BOSS, the cabin had been abandoned.


    Xiao Buli looked around the cabin and saw nothing unusual or threatening, so he opened the Skill Bar and Attributes to take a look. To his surprise, there were some changes. After such a long time, his attributes had become quite high, with Basic Attributes generally above twenty, and many skills had changed due to long-term use.


    (Regarding the current status of the protagonist, to avoid suspicion of padding the word count, it will be posted in the relevant section of the work. Those interested can go check it out themselves.)


    However, these changes were still within his expectations. He opened the equipment section and suddenly brightened up; there was a new, unfamiliar piece of gear in his equipment list¡ªan unknown black ring.


    He had two rings before, a flawless white jade ring and the Ring of Fire Source. Since he traded the latter to Du Yibo, he hadn''t acquired a new ring, but now there was a dark ring on his right hand. Checking the quality of the gear, he was shocked to see that it was Dark Gold equipment.


    Dark Gold equipment, also known as legendary level equipment, usually has a significant backstory and boasts attributes second only to Divine Artifacts. However, Divine Artifacts are so elusive that probably even the company doesn''t have one. Therefore, Dark Gold equipment is essentially the highest-tier equipment currently in the game. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Filled with both shock and joy, Xiao Buli examined the ring''s attributes closely.


    Time-Space Order Keeper (Ring): Space +1.


    Use: Open the Ring Spirit Space, where you can store one item.


    Equipment Explanation: The Power of Space-Time flows within this ring, allowing it to exist simultaneously across different planes.


    PS: There''s more tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, come to Qidian to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 6 Seeking Life in the Face of Death

    Xiao Buli glanced at the black ring on his right hand and then at the screen where he was wearing an identical one, suddenly understanding the specific use of this ring.All the secrets were in the item description: "The power of space-time circulates within this ring, allowing it to appear on different planes at the same time," which means this ring can exist simultaneously in both the game and reality. It seemed that items within the ring''s space could also be transferred in this way; the ring''s purpose was essentially that of an item converter.


    However, the description of this object was a bit vague, stating it could only hold one item. What exactly determined "one item"?


    With that thought, he double-clicked the ring''s icon and a single-slot item bar appeared on the screen, with a weapon conspicuously lying in it.


    Aixifal Soul Slaughter Giant Axe (Gold - Two-Handed Weapon): Attack 41-59.


    Soul Absorption: The giant axe can absorb strength from spells it comes into contact with, storing up to a maximum of 500 mana.


    Demonic Flame: The stored mana in the giant axe can be turned into Demonic Flame, enhancing the next attack, with each enhancement consuming 100 points of stored mana.


    Item Description: The legendary weapon of the Fury Demon warrior Aixifal, who''s Vengeful Spirit is attached to this weapon.


    It''s a formidable weapon, Xiao Buli thought to himself, no wonder Li Jian was able to overpower him before. Unfortunately, it wasn''t suitable for his use, so he''d have to keep it for now.


    He dragged the weapon into his inventory and noticed that his encumbrance immediately increased by half. Good as it was, the weight of the item was truly a hindrance, and he thought it would be wise to find an opportunity to store it.


    He opened his inventory to consider what could be useful to bring into reality. The Soul Slayer''s Blade seemed necessary, given the apparent existence of Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits in the real world, like the ghostly figures he encountered the night before. Having such a weapon by his side would undoubtedly be beneficial.


    The Traitor''s Curse Vision was also very useful, but after pondering, he still thought that life-saving was most important. He removed the Flawless White Jade Ring from the item bar and placed it into the empty slot, only for a system prompt to suddenly appear on the screen.


    System Prompt: Once this item is placed, the ''Time-Space Order Keeper'' will be unable to activate on this plane for 24 hours. Are you sure you want to place this item into the space, Yes/No?


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, realizing there were such restrictions. Could he only use the item transfer once a day? He would have to think carefully about this.


    He tried again and found that "one item" seemed to be determined by the rules of the game; in simple terms, any item in the inventory that didn''t exceed one slot could be put in all at once if the items of the same type could be stacked, like Talisman Paper.


    As he was contemplating which item to transfer first, something in his inventory caught his attention. Seeing it, he paused and thought that perhaps Xia Zuowei didn''t have to die after all. After a brief hesitation, he placed the item into the ring''s space.


    Putting the ring back into his inventory, Xiao Buli decided to return to Mystic Hollow Palace as soon as possible. This place was, after all, still the company''s domain; even though the company no longer existed, there was no telling when someone would come to take over. Returning to Mystic Hollow Palace would be safer.


    With that in mind, he left the Hunter''s Cabin, donned the Ethereal Armor, and then performed the Cloud Thunder Leap in the direction of Mystic Hollow Palace. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Indeed, his method proved effective. As he landed, the Ethereal Armor effectively absorbed the impact, preventing any loss of health.


    If he could figure out how to land properly in reality, he would be able to use Cloud Thunder Leap frequently and safely. While contemplating this, he surveyed the surroundings and realized he was already close to Mystic Hollow Palace. Xiao Buli then activated Fleeting Light and Shadow and headed toward the direction of the palace.


    Half an hour later, Xiao Buli finally saw the entrance to Mystic Hollow Palace once again. Upon entering, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling at least he should be safe in the game now.


    "I''m back."


    A dejected voice came from outside. Xiao Buli turned and saw Xia Zuowei walking in with a sorrowful expression. He logged out of the game and turned around.


    "So how was it, thrilling?" Xiao Buli asked casually, guessing what this youngster might have done before facing death.


    But Xia Zuowei shook his head, "I didn''t go looking for a woman."


    "Because you couldn''t find one, right?" Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xia Zuowei''s face turned a shade of red as he retorted, "Of course not. I just thought, even though I''m about to die, if there''s no love, sleeping with someone just for the sake of it is no more than a bestial release of desire. What''s the point? Besides, I''ve always felt I wouldn''t go down so easily."


    Xiao Buli was speechless, thinking the guy was being overly sentimental, probably because he hadn''t found a woman and was trying to put a good spin on it. But in truth, he wasn''t wrong.


    "Don''t worry, with me here, you won''t die. But staying alive won''t be easy either."


    Xia Zuowei looked at Xiao Buli with confusion. "What do you mean?"


    Xiao Buli stretched out his hand, and a pearl appeared in his palm. This pearl was a crystal-clear sapphire blue, but it was uncertain what it was used for.


    "Nine Revolutions Resurrection Pill?"


    "It''s a Soul Absorption Pearl," Xiao Buli explained. This Soul Absorption Pearl was given to him by his senior brother to help him find Xuan Zhenzi''s soul, but now he had brought it into reality as an emergency measure, unsure whether it would work.


    Xiao Buli saw that Xia Zuowei still didn''t understand and asked, "Do you know what happens after a person dies?"


    Xia Zuowei shook his head, indicating that he had no idea.


    "After death, a soul will remain for a short period, but it will quickly dissipate due to the lack of Yin Energy. If your obsession is strong enough, you can retain part of it for longer, becoming what is known as wandering ghosts and wild spirits. In such a state, however, you can''t have all of your memories and consciousness.


    For example, if you learned some kind of reincarnation spell, you could stay in a different way. Of course, if you have enough Merit Points, you could also reconstruct your body, but these things are not related to you."


    "After ordinary people die, their souls pass a shelf-life¡ªbasically 24 hours¡ªafter which they''ll dissipate. However, if I use the Soul Absorption Pearl to collect your soul before it dissipates, it can be preserved for a long time."


    "I''ve never experienced what it feels like inside the Soul Absorption Pearl, and I don''t know if there''s a chance to bring you back to life, but at least there''s a sliver of chance. That is, of course, if you''re willing. If you choose to rest, I don''t really care."


    "I''m willing! I''m willing!" Xia Zuowei said repeatedly, as if grasping at a life-saving straw. Yet, he was somewhat dubious, "But didn''t you say there was a three-layer chance that I might not die?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "If you could avoid death, that would be even better. I wouldn''t need to waste such a precious item. However, as I said before, there''s only a three-layer chance to save your life."


    "Alright, please take care of it then. What should I do next?"


    "Just wait for death, what else can you do." Xiao Buli said this and walked towards the refrigerator, "Hey, do you have anything to eat at home? I haven''t eaten in days, and I''m starving to death."


    Xia Zuowei, with a mournful face, prepared a bowl of instant noodles for Xiao Buli, thinking how unlucky he was. To think that he had saved an immortal only to end up awaiting death. However, Xiao Buli didn''t feel at all like he had harmed anyone. In his view, this kind of thing was all down to fate and had nothing to do with him.


    He ate his noodles with big bites and even praised, "You make good noodles. The texture is just right; it shows you''re a seasoned shut-in."


    "What are you talking about, I''m still in college. I eat instant noodles because I don''t have money," Xiao Buli replied, "Wow, a college student, my apologies."


    Xia Zuowei could only respond with a bitter smile.


    After finishing the noodles, Xiao Buli took out the stack of Talisman Papers and sorted through it, picking out a few dozen that were still useable. Then he sat opposite Xia Zuowei and thought about what spells he could use to protect Xia Zuowei.


    Although he had guessed early on that death in the game could lead to death in reality, he had no clue as to how or in what way people in reality would die. Now, to protect someone against this unknown assault was no easy task. Fortunately, it wasn''t himself being attacked, so there was no need to feel too much pressure ¨C he just had to do his best.


    "How exactly will that thing kill me?" Xia Zuowei suddenly asked.


    Xiao Buli shook his head. "I don''t know, but based on my conjecture, your death in reality will usually be the same as how you died in the game. If you feel anything strange or uncomfortable, tell me in advance so I can prepare."


    The same as in the game! Images of his brain splattered and chest spurting with blood instantly flashed through Xia Zuowei''s mind, sending a chill down his spine.


    He suddenly remembered something, turned, and went to the back room. In a short while, he emerged with a few items: a motorcycle helmet, a canvas raincoat, and a pot lid. His family used to have a heating stove, and this pot lid was from a large cooking pot for the stove, about one meter in diameter, made of cast iron and very sturdy.


    After removing the pot lid''s handle and fitting it inside, it became a shield. Xia Zuowei put on the raincoat and helmet and held the shield in front of his chest before nodding, "Alright, I''m ready."


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh at his appearance, "Not bad. This way, your chances of survival have probably increased by another five percent."


    Xia Zuowei responded with surprise, "Really?"


    Xiao Buli, reluctant to crush his spirits, nodded, "Really."


    Xia Zuowei then ran back to the back room again.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I remember we have a few military overcoats at home. If I put them all on, I should increase my chances of survival a bit more," Xia Zuowei replied without turning back. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 7 Death Has Come

    Explore stories on My Virtual Library EmpireAfter putting on two army coats, Xia Zuowei sat down in the living room with full confidence. He originally planned to put on more, but unfortunately, the stuff was too bulky and he couldn''t fit into any more.


    The two sat face to face for a while, and, bored, they started chatting.


    "That Immortal Brother, where did you learn your spells from?" S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli pointed to the computer. Xia Zuowei, in disbelief, asked, "You mean from the game?" Seeing Xiao Buli nod his head, he couldn''t help but exclaim, "How is that possible?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this guy was about to die anyway, so it didn''t matter much, "The uniqueness of this game is that death can carry over to reality and the abilities from the game can be used in real life too. Otherwise, why do you think we play it? I belong to the Mage Professions in the game, so I learned spells."


    Xia Zuowei had an epiphany, "I see, so the skills I learned before can also be used?"


    Xiao Buli nodded. Xia Zuowei immediately became excited. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the few skills in his mind, then suddenly put on a pitiful expression, "Big Brother, please be kind, could you give me some money?"


    Xiao Buli looked at his pitiful appearance and subconsciously reached for his pocket, then suddenly snapped out of it, "Eh, what''s with me? Why do I suddenly want to give him money? This seems like a skill from the game!"


    He looked at Xia Zuowei in surprise. That feeling just now, it was almost like he had been mentally controlled. Of course, to say he had been controlled was a bit much, but there was definitely a sense of having his emotions guided. And that was just a level 1 Begging skill. If it were level 10, that would really be something! This skill could actually be quite useful."


    Seeing that the skill really worked, Xia Zuowei was momentarily overjoyed, but then his spirits fell. What use were skills to someone about to die?


    As time passed and four hours went by, the tension between the two grew. Xiao Buli held the talisman in his hand, ready to cast a spell at any moment, while Xia Zuowei held onto a pot lid and scouted around. With each passing second, time moved on and after half an hour, the house was still very calm.


    Xiao Buli stayed vigilant while Xia Zuowei became a bit impatient, "When will this damn thing end, sigh. Looks like it''s going to be a while, I''ll go make dinner."


    Xiao Buli looked at him puzzled, "It''s only 1 o''clock now, what dinner are you talking about?"


    One o''clock!? Xia Zuowei glanced at the clock, "Then why is it dark outside? Is it going to rain?"


    Xiao Buli looked out the window, "The sun is shining brightly, not a hint of it being overcast."


    He gave Xia Zuowei a look, who was also looking back at him. In that moment of eye contact, they both realized.


    "Be careful, it''s coming!"


    Xiao Buli suddenly stood up, which also startled Xia Zuowei, who looked frantically around, murmuring "Where is it, where is it?"


    The room grew even darker, as if the windows had been covered up. Xia Zuowei hurriedly turned on the light, but the darkness was like a tangible entity, swallowing the light, leaving only a dim cluster that too faded away.


    Behind him, an enormous black shadow rose like a dark cloud. Xia Zuowei felt a chill creeping from the soles of his feet to his forehead. When he turned to look, he found the room engulfed in profound darkness. Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from above, followed by a loud bang, as if something had smashed onto the ceiling.


    He ducked in fright, but realized he hadn''t been hit. Looking up, he didn''t know when a semi-transparent shield had enshrouded him. It must be the Immortal Brother! A sigh of relief escaped his heart.


    Xiao Buli was astonished to see the Ethereal Armor suddenly deformed as if struck by an invisible stick. The surroundings were very bright and seemed uncontaminated by any anomaly, yet Xia Zuowei flailed as if blind, crashing into the television cabinet.


    "Be careful, it''s coming again!" While Xiao Buli shouted, he violently raised his hand and hurled a bolt of lightning towards the emptiness in front of Xia Zuowei, shattering a 21-inch color TV into pieces, but hitting nothing else.


    Xia Zuowei, no longer caring for the loss, heard another whoosh overhead. This time the Ethereal Armor was knocked off. Panic struck his heart, and as he turned around, he vaguely heard a man''s cry from the encroaching darkness¡ª"Take this, my spear!"


    Fumbling, he raised the lid of the pot in his hand but the expected collision never occurred. The invisible spear grazed past his ribs, searing pain tearing through him. The pot lid slipped from his grip, and he tumbled to the ground.


    He scrambled back desperately, crying out, "Immortal Brother, save me!"


    Xiao Buli watched Xia Zuowei in shock. He had only seen Xia Zuowei lift the pot lid, then suddenly fling it down and fall to the ground, without any sign of an actual target. It was as if Xia Zuowei were performing a silent comedy all by himself. If Xiao Buli hadn''t known the truth, he might have found it funny, but now, a chilling sense of dread washed over him.


    Ethereal Armor! Xiao Buli once again wrapped a protective spell around Xia Zuowei, and as the first spell flew, a second Talisman Paper landed in his hand. The spell seemed effective, and if he could maintain it perfectly, perhaps he could buy some time.


    Just as he was contemplating his next move, he was overtaken by bone-chilling cold, as if targeted by some terrifying creature. He involuntarily stepped back. There was nothing in the air before him, but he could feel it there, or rather, everywhere: in front, to the left, to the right, behind, above, and even below.


    Shadows enveloped him, unseen but palpably felt, like standing under the scorching sun in the desert with no place to hide.


    Leave this place! The thought flashed through his mind. He couldn''t stay any longer. Xiao Buli realized that attacking was futile and might even provoke whatever it was¡ªif it possessed a will of its own. Although the creature wasn''t targeting him, any further action might render escape impossible.


    A feeling of helplessness rose within him. He took several more steps back, trying to escape the area shrouded by the invisible shadows.


    Xia Zuowei continued to crawl blindly on the ground, sobbing as he clamored, "Don''t leave me, Immortal Brother, please don''t abandon me!" Xiao Buli shook his head and whispered to himself, audible only to his own ears, "I''m sorry, mate," his tone genuinely heartfelt. He retreated all the way to the door.


    The moment he closed it behind him, he felt utterly drained, took a deep breath, and slumped against the door.


    Moments later, a sudden scream echoed from inside the house, ear-piercing yet brief, quickly falling silent. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote and support it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest encouragement.)

 Chapter 8 The Rise of the Empire

    After a few minutes, Xiao Buli felt that the thing must have left. When he entered the living room again, the strange chill had already dissipated. Xia Zuowei lay on the ground, his chest soaked with blood seeping from his military coat, dyeing it bright red. His helmet was still on his head, but inside, his brain had turned into a mushy pulp.The air was filled with a stench of blood mixed with feces and urine, reminding him that this wasn''t just a game.


    "Poor fellow." He gazed at the body on the floor, silently pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. His fingers trembled slightly as he tried to light it several times before finally getting the cigarette to ignite. For the first time, Xiao Buli felt fear toward this game.


    This could perhaps be how my own end comes about, he thought to himself but promptly suppressed the thought¡ªfear never leads to anything good.


    Looking at the corpse on the floor, he fell into deep thought. It seemed that physical defense was utterly meaningless¡ªwhether it was a pot lid, a military coat, or a motorcycle helmet, none offered any protection against that unknown entity''s attacks. But why did the Ethereal Armor prove effective?


    He suspected it might be because the spell itself also originated from within the game, or perhaps simply because the Ethereal Armor was a spell¡ªmeaning, to counter such intangible forces, one must also use powers that exist in the game, and it had to be a spell; offensive skills were useless against something invisible and intangible.


    But it might not necessarily be the case, Xiao Buli reflected. Clearly, the adversary used a power of a rule-like nature. If real-world weapons and ordinary physical attacks constituted the lowest tier of such rules, then spell-based skills represented a higher tier, and that invisible entity would stand at the pinnacle of these rules.


    Unless one could surpass the entity in terms of rules, there was simply no alternative to death.


    Oh, right, the Soul Absorption Pearl! He finally remembered. Yet, when he took out the pearl, he hesitated: How was he supposed to use it?


    In the game, all one had to do was to double-click the mouse near the target''s dead body, but what about in reality?


    He placed the pearl beside the body and waited, but nothing happened.


    (Maybe I need to chant some sort of spell) He thought and then recited, "Soul, heed my call, come forth with urgency like an imperial edict!"


    Still no response. It seemed the self-invented spell didn''t always work. It couldn''t have dissipated so soon, could it?


    He placed the pearl on Xia Zuowei''s body and shouted, "Hurry up, buddy! If you don''t want to die, get into the pearl quickly. If you don''t come in now, your soul will scatter."


    This time the pearl finally reacted, flashing brightly. Xiao Buli quickly picked up the pearl, only to find a ghostly figure resembling Xia Zuowei inside.


    Finally done, Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the ghostly image in the pearl, muttering to himself, "As for whether you can be revived, that''s up to your fate."


    As he pondered this, he put the pearl back into his pocket and meticulously cleaned up any traces he had left in the room. He took all the cash, ensuring the scene didn''t look like a robbery and murder, then left the vacant house without any regrets.


    When Gu Shaobang entered his own room, he felt no different from any other day; life was becoming increasingly dull. Bars, women, affluent families, plenty of time¡ªat face value, he should be enjoying every day. But why did he feel more and more bored?


    Gu Shaobang sat up on the sofa, reflecting that he wasn''t the kind of guy obsessed with gaming.


    Since leaving the guild, he had hardly played games at all, but he had been engrossed in that feeling when a group of people worked hard together, basking in the joy of struggle¡ªa sensation that was obviously hard to experience in real life, especially with his family''s wealth, getting anything he wanted was just a matter of reaching out his hand.


    He casually switched on the television, and a large screen began broadcasting a news item.


    According to reports: A robbery and murder occurred yesterday during the daytime near Green Dragon Mountain Park in the suburbs. The assailant used a weapon with brutal methods. The victim, Mr. Xia, was a sophomore at B University. The case is currently under further investigation.


    The public is urged to pay attention to this matter, and if there are any suspicious clues, please contact the police immediately.


    (B City seems to be a little disturbed lately; just a few days ago, there was a commotion in the city center. I heard quite a few people died. What''s going on recently?) Gu Shaobang pondered. Just as he was about to turn off the TV, a voice suddenly rang out behind him.


    "Good evening, Mr. Bang, long time no see."


    Gu Shaobang jumped in fright. He valued his privacy, so few people visited his room, especially not in the middle of the night¡ªplus, he had just been watching a report on a robbery and murder, which startled him all the more. He whirled around and sprang to his feet only to find Xiao Buli seated at the liquor cabinet''s high stool, savoring a glass of brandy with relish.


    "Boss, when did you get here?" he asked in surprise, advancing towards the bar. Upon seeing a bottle on the counter, his expression changed, "Damn it, you brought out the ''84! I only had one bottle of the ''84 brandy left! Why didn''t you take the ''85 one instead?"


    Xiao Buli ignored Gu Shaobang''s rambling, lifted his glass to observe the amber liquid within, and finished it in one gulp. He then turned and poured another drink.


    Gu Shaobang was irritated yet amused by Xiao Buli''s actions, "Heh, that doesn''t seem quite the attitude of someone in debt. Don''t tell me you''ve come to repay me?"


    Xiao Buli smiled, "Let''s talk about money later. I have something more important to discuss with you." In reality, both of them knew that money was hardly the issue.


    Gu Shaobang saw that the alcohol was almost finished and decided to go for it, pouring himself a drink, he sat down next to Xiao Buli. ''How did you get in here? Those guys, really, they let you in without even telling me."


    "That''s because they don''t know I''m here¡ªno one knows I''m here, and I''m very glad about that."


    As he spoke, Xiao Buli set down his glass and walked to the door to listen for a while.


    "What''s the matter?" Gu Shaobang asked, puzzled.


    Xiao Buli shook his head and returned to the bar, "I''ve found it¡ªthe game."


    Gu Shaobang was quite pleased, "Really? That''s excellent. We can finally play to our heart''s content."


    Xiao Buli, however, shook his head, looking very serious. "No, this game is not for playing. This time, we''re dealing with the real thing."


    "The real thing? Weren''t we serious before?"


    "Previously all we did was conquer games, just games. But this time, if we are not careful, people could die. However, if we handle it well, the benefits we reap can''t be measured in money."


    Xiao Buli''s solemn expression made Gu Shaobang hesitate. "Boss, you''re not joking, are you?"


    "I never joke about games and matters of life," Xiao Buli said. "As for what the truth is, I''ll tell you tomorrow when everyone arrives. Right now, what you need to do is gather all our brothers, use your name¡ªI''m not in a position to show up right now and don''t mention me at all."


    After finishing without giving Gu Shaobang a chance to ask questions, he continued, "Do you have a safe secret place we could use?"


    Gu Shaobang thought for a moment, "There''s an old manor belonging to my family on Li Mountain, but it has been abandoned, the infrastructure is a bit rundown, and it''s quite remote. However, it''s absolutely safe." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Let''s go there, then. Gather everyone there. I''ll join you at noon tomorrow. This is very important, don''t let anyone know about it other than the few of them, especially do not mention me, got it?"


    Gu Shaobang was a bit dazed by Xiao Buli''s tense and severe attitude, "What''s really going on, boss?"


    "You''ll know tomorrow." Xiao Buli checked his watch. "I have to go now. See you tomorrow." With that, he downed the liquid in his glass, hopped off the stool, and left.


    Gu Shaobang hurriedly went to open the door, saying as he did, "Are you in such a rush? Won''t you stay a bit longer?" But when he turned around, he was shocked to find that Xiao Buli had already disappeared without a trace, the room quiet as if no one had ever been there.


    He glanced at the bar¡ªhad there not been two glasses there, he might have believed that Xiao Buli had been just a figment of his imagination.


    What the FUCK! (What the hell is going on?)


    He stood there stunned for a moment, then slapped himself hard and poured another drink to calm his nerves. ''The boss hasn''t become a ghost, has he? But even if he is a ghost, he''s still the boss.''


    He never doubted Xiao Buli''s words, and this time was no different. Even though his mind was full of questions, he still pulled out his phone and dialed a few numbers he hadn''t used in quite some time.


    "Hey, is this Old Sun? I''m throwing a swimsuit party tomorrow with a few models for entertainment. Interested in joining? What do I want from you? We''re brothers who have struggled together, who else would I invite to such an event but you? Great, it''s settled then.


    Meet at the bar at nine tomorrow..."


    He made call after call, and before long, he had contacted every core member of the Qingyang Studio. Things went smoothly because the gang he knew were either unemployed or had flexible jobs; none were the nine-to-five type. Plus, the allure of the legendary swimsuit models helped, so it was easy to arrange. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    After hanging up, Gu Shaobang felt excited. Benefits that can''t be measured in money? What could that possibly be? But one thing he was sure of was that the Qingyang Empire was on the rise once again. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 9 Showdown

    The off-road vehicle struggled up the rugged mountain road; despite carrying five people, the spacious vehicle did not feel crowded at all.It was just the back-and-forth jostling that was a bit uncomfortable.


    "I say, Mr. Bang, where exactly are you planning to hold this swimsuit party? It seems a bit unreliable to do it in the middle of nowhere," said Xie Tiankong, who had recently started doing video game commentary. Riding the modest wave of popularity gained from past videos, he was getting by fairly well.


    Shaobang laughed, "Just relax, I guarantee you''ll be satisfied."


    "Mr. Bang, what''s the deal with those models? Are they pretty?" This time the question came from Xiao Ge, the young man who seemed a bit eager and lacked the restraint of the others.


    "You''ll see how pretty they are when we get there. Look, isn''t that it?" Shaobang said, pressing down on the accelerator as he spoke.


    Just ahead in the mountain hollow, a rather large two-story villa came into view. The vehicle finally stopped bumping around after reaching a stone-paved road and parked in a clearing outside the mansion. The group got out of the vehicle and looked around, finding everything quite novel.


    Li Shuren sized up the building before him. It appeared to have some years on it, showing signs of decay, but the grandeur of its past was still evident, exuding a sense of historical vicissitude. Other than that, however, it didn''t look like a place where a swimsuit party would be held, which made him somewhat suspicious.


    "I say, Mr. Bang, surely this isn''t the pool for your swimsuit party?" Han Wenhuan joked, pointing to a large pond in front of the villa. Clearly meant for raising fish, the sizeable pond was lined with sand, filled with lush water plants that made the water appear green, and occasionally a carp would leap out, causing ripples to spread.


    "Of course not. This mansion was a refuge from war for my ancestors. No one has lived here since liberation, and I took it over for temporary stays during wilderness trips. Let''s head inside, it looks like rain," Gu Shaobang said, pointing to the sky as he spoke. Indeed, at some point, a mass of leaden clouds had drifted over, giving the sky a heavily overcast look.


    Slapping his thigh, Han Wenhuan exclaimed, "Damn, I saw the weather forecast this morning and it said there''d be heavy rain, but I didn''t catch on at the time. The swimsuit party was just a ruse you made up, wasn''t it? Tell me the truth, Mr. Bang, what''s the real reason you brought us here?"


    "You''ll all know by twelve. Let''s get inside before we get drenched," Gu Shaobang said, opening the large door of the villa and leading the way in. Seeing the wind pick up and the thunder rumble ominously as if rain could start at any moment, the group, with no other choice, followed him inside.


    Although the villa looked somewhat old, the interior was quite clean, with furniture like sofas and chairs all in place, and electricity was still functioning.


    Gu Shaobang pointed to a liquor cabinet, "There''s alcohol in the cabinet, all fine drinks. There are boxes with compressed biscuits, canned goods, and some snacks ¨C help yourselves."


    None of the group were shy, and they weren''t about to stand on ceremony with Shaobang. They each helped themselves to a glass of good liquor from the cabinet and began to relax. Han Wenhuan opened a food box and immediately laughed, "Heh, military grade? What are you stockpiling all these biscuits and canned goods for? Planning on becoming a recluse?"


    He picked up a can and noticed that something was off about the date; the products were all manufactured within the past month or two.


    Casually tossing aside the can, he turned to Gu Shaobang and asked, "Alright, what''s really going on?" Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    "I told you, you''ll know everything by twelve. If you''re interested, we could play some poker first."


    "Damn, you''re not being straight with us. I came for the swimsuit models; if there aren''t any, I''m not playing your game," Xie Tiankong said as he headed for the door. Just then, a loud crack of thunder sounded, startling Xie Tiankong enough to step back quickly. Outside, the rain began to pour down, making it impossible to leave.


    Xie Tiankong glared at Gu Shaobang, frustrated, and reluctantly sat down.


    Not far from the mansion, about a mile away, a sedan was parked on the side of the road, peering through the downpour at the distant, blurry outline of the villa.


    Little Li and Little Wang were silent as they watched the rain outside, "Damn, why would those guys run into the mountains for no reason and just happen to get caught in a downpour?"


    "Yeah, the higher-ups told us to keep an eye on these guys but didn''t clarify why. What the hell!" Little Wang chimed in agreement. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stop it, it wouldn''t be good if the higher-ups found out," said the other.


    As they were complaining, suddenly they heard a knocking sound at the car door.


    Both men went quiet at once, glancing at each other and recognizing the anxiety in the other''s eyes. Who could be knocking in such a torrential downpour?


    Little Li drew his handgun and signaled towards the door; Little Wang nodded, drew his own weapon, and stepped out.


    After a few steps in the rain, a bolt of lightning flashed directly above Little Wang, striking him without deviation. The appearance of the lightning was so sudden that Little Li hadn''t even processed what had happened before Little Wang had collapsed, convulsing.


    How could this happen! Little Li rushed out quickly, checked Little Wang''s neck for a pulse, but it seemed he had none. He stood up, looking around to find the person who had knocked earlier, but the rain obscured everything. With only the rain around him, a chill ran down Little Li''s spine, unsure if it was from the rain or fear.

 Chapter 9 Showdown_2

    This place is not suitable for a long stay, he thought suddenly, and turned around to head back to the car. When he turned, he was suddenly stunned. It seemed like the rain was falling on an invisible cover, flowing sideways, and in the air appeared something like a glass sphere.What the¡ª A sharp pain, something had pierced his chest. Little Li looked down at the blood flowing out of his chest, suddenly feeling weak. In his last moments of consciousness, all he saw was a lean figure materializing from thin air.


    Xiao Buli waved his hand to send the Ethereal Sword back to the void. He stuffed the bodies of Little Li and Little Wang into the car, then pushed it down the muddy ditch beside the road using the earthen slope of the roadbed. The sand and mud washed down by the downpour were enough to bury the car. Having done all this, his gaze turned to the villa in the rain.


    Ring¡ªring¡ªring... The old-fashioned clock in the villa kept ringing, striking twelve times. Everyone''s eyes turned to Gu Shaobang, waiting for his answer. Just then, there came a knock on the door. Gu Shaobang felt relieved, ha, finally here.


    He hurried to open the door. Xiao Buli walked in with his hands in his pockets. Despite the heavy rain, he seemed hardly wet.


    "Good afternoon, everyone. Long time no see," Xiao Buli said with a smile to the people in the living room.


    "President!" Han Wenhuan exclaimed in surprise.


    Xiao Ge, however, wore a look of shock, "Boss, were you also conned by Mr. Bang? There''s no swimsuit model at all. We''ve been fooled."


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "It was I who asked him to gather you all here."


    As he spoke, he walked over to the most prominent position under the portraits in the living room.


    "If you wanted to gather us, why didn''t you just call us directly? Why all this trouble? Is there some special reason?" Li Shuren asked, as if he had already figured it out.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Yes, there''s indeed a special reason. We''ve all been friends for a long time, so I''ll cut to the chase. The reason I called you here is because I''ve found a game worth investing in and need some help. I wanted to ask if you''d be willing to join."


    "Do you even need to ask? Of course, we''re willing," Xiao Ge said excitedly: "Boss, what game is it? Tell us about it. I''ve been craving some action for a long time, my hands are itching."


    Xiao Buli, however, gestured for patience, "Don''t rush to agree, this game is no ordinary game. Let me explain before you make your decision."


    As Xiao Buli spoke, his expression grew serious, and seeing this, everyone else couldn''t help but become tense as well. It was rare to see such a look on Xiao Buli''s face.


    Xiao Buli glanced at the people in the room, Gu Shaobang, Han Wenhuan, Xiao Ge, Xie Tiankong, Li Shuren¡ªthe core members of Qingyang Studio were almost all present. Each member had their own strengths, and they were all indispensable parts of his plan. If these five experienced comrades could join, he believed he could carve out a domain for himself in the game.


    Otherwise, he''d be just muddling along, taking it one step at a time.


    With this in mind, he began to recount some of the recent events.


    "This game I''ve been a part of recently, or perhaps Mr. Bang has mentioned to you, is about my gig at a company. At first, I thought it was just a regular studio, nothing special apart from a higher salary and better benefits. But the game the company had us play was different from any I''ve encountered before...


    Xiao Buli elaborated in detail on how he discovered the truth of the game, how he learned spells within the game, and how he rebelled with other employees to escape the company.


    After finishing his story, he looked intently at everyone. The living room fell silent. Xie Tiankong suddenly began to clap, "Boss, that was incredible. Your story would make a classic game video. Do you have the rights? Let''s partner up, I''ll give you half the profits."


    Having said this, Xie Tiankong realized that Xiao Buli was not smiling, nor was anyone else. The smile on his face froze.


    But Han Wenhuan frowned, "Are you saying skills from this game can be brought into reality? And if someone dies in the game, they die in real life too? Boss, that joke is a bit too much."


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "I''m not joking. I know it''s hard for you all to believe such a story, but I have a way to convince you."


    He pulled out a dagger and gently sliced down on his hand, blood immediately began to flow.


    "Boss, what are you doing? Let''s not scare people off, okay?"


    Li Shuren was about to snatch the dagger from Xiao Buli, when Xiao Buli just smiled. He extended a hand¡ªResurrection Skills!


    With a flash of white light, the wound on his hand healed at a visibly rapid pace, disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving only a faint scar that was almost imperceptible unless closely examined.


    All of them widened their eyes, utterly astounded.


    "You see? This is the spell I learned in the game. I can now use it freely in reality. Now you can believe what I''m saying is true, right?"


    Li Shuren slumped onto the couch with a look of stunned disbelief on his face, and the others were pretty much the same, except Xiao Ge was bursting with excitement, his eyes practically shining. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As I said before, we caused a big fuss to get out of the company. Next, I plan to leave B city to establish a base in a hidden and safe place. Then we can start exploring and developing in the game. Obviously, I can''t do this exploration alone, so that''s why I''ve gathered you all here.


    If you wish to join me, you must leave everything behind¡ªbe it your job or your family, you have to set them aside for now. Moreover, once you enter the game, you could lose your life at any moment. Of course, if we succeed, the rewards will be immense. I hope you all think it through before making your choice. If you decide to join, you must be mentally prepared. This adventure might lead to death.


    If one day you die in the game, don''t blame me for not making it clear. Now, make your own choices."


    After hearing Xiao Buli''s words, all five fell into deep thought.


    Xiao Ge was the first to react, "I''m in!" he said excitedly, glancing at the others. "This is tailor-made for me. Where else would I find such an opportunity? I definitely want to join."


    Gu Shaobang hesitated for a moment but then nodded, "It''s indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but leaving family¡ª"


    Xiao Buli cut in firmly, "It''s necessary. You should know how serious the stakes behind such a game are. Leaving family is also for their safety."


    Gu Shaobang nodded and when he looked up again, his eyes were resolute, "I''m with you, boss. Count me in."


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    "What about the rest of you?" Xiao Buli turned to look at the others.


    Han Wenhuan asked, "Can you lead troops in battle in the game?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "If your prestige is high enough, you can subdue NPCs, and presumably, you could form an army."


    "Okay, count me in too." Han Wenhuan said, his face revealing a hint of anticipation, thinking (At last, a place where I can use my natural talent as a commander.)


    Xie Tiankong spoke hesitantly, "I''m afraid I''m going to disappoint everyone. I just started dating a girl, and we''re nearly at the point of getting married, so this time I can''t join you guys."


    Xiao Ge, surprised, interjected: "No, Xie, we''ve been together for so long. How can you give up such an opportunity?"


    But Xie Tiankong shook his head, and Xiao Ge was about to persuade him further when Xiao Buli patted his shoulder, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Let''s not force it."


    With that, he turned to look at Li Shuren.


    Li Shuren''s expression was somewhat strange.


    "This game you''re talking about, I think I''ve heard of it before." (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 10 Career Choices

    Xiao Buli was taken aback when he heard Li Shuren''s comment, "You''ve heard of this game? How is that possible?"Li Shuren nodded hesitantly, "I have indeed heard of such a game, although I''m not sure if it''s the same one you''re talking about." A wistful expression crossed his face. As he reminisced, he muttered, "That was when I first started in the industry. A big company came to our company to poach talents.


    Such behavior is usually detestable, but what was odd was that our company''s boss readily handed over our finest game planner to them, and even seemed quite obsequious. At the time it struck me as strange. Later, I did a bit of digging and found out that this wasn''t an isolated case. Many companies were experiencing the same situation at that time.


    The game planners who were poached were the finest in the industry. They were taken away by this big company, and no one knew what they went to do."


    They disappeared from people''s sight for nearly a year before suddenly returning. I probed the person from our company who was poached for a long time but got nothing. He said he had signed a confidentiality agreement that absolutely forbade him from revealing anything."


    But I was just too curious, so I got him drunk one time over dinner and then pried information from him. I learned a bit, and it was different from what I had imagined. They weren''t there to work on some major game or undergo professional training. Instead, they were brought in to study a game that had never appeared on the market.


    According to him, the quality of the game far exceeded all the games that were currently available, and its graphics were so sophisticated they completely overshadowed the level of standalone games. In his words, it was entirely of movie quality. When you walked in this game, it was like being in an ancient blockbuster.


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    Moreover, the design of the various professions in the game and the quest-triggering mechanism were incredibly magical, truly unheard of."


    Yet, this game had never made an appearance in the public eye, nor had it been promoted in any way. This inevitably made it seem quite mystifying because according to him, if this game were truly released, it could easily dominate the online gaming market.


    My first reaction at the time was disbelief; in fact, everyone found it hard to believe such an online game could exist. Standalone games, maybe, could have highly realistic graphics and perhaps with a bit of exaggeration be as impressive as he described. But it was simply impossible for an online game to reach such a level, not to mention the intelligent NPCs and various magical game mechanisms.


    But the man swore he was telling the truth. When we asked him if he had played the game, he said he hadn''t; he had only helped with the reverse analysis of the game. It seemed the big company intended to clone this online game and was trying hard to understand its operational mechanics and gaming rules."


    Everyone was so engrossed that when he suddenly stopped, they promptly asked, "Then what happened?"


    Li Shuren gave a wry smile, "There was no ''then.'' The guy died in a car accident two days later."


    Xiao Buli sneered inwardly. He didn''t believe in such a coincidence. Most likely, the guy was silenced, all because he couldn''t keep his mouth shut.


    "Did he reveal which big company it was?" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Shuren shook his head, "No, even drunk he didn''t dare to reveal it. He just mentioned it was a big company from the north, but he wouldn''t say exactly what it was called."


    Xiao Buli nodded, thinking that this game was most likely "Absolute Death Domain." As for the big company, maybe it was another guild''s identity used in the real world.


    He didn''t press further but looked at Li Shuren, "So, are you willing to join this adventure of mine?"


    Li Shuren smiled and nodded, "Of course. I''ve been in the online gaming business my whole life. If there''s really such a magical game in the world, how could I, a gamer, not want to experience it?"


    Xiao Buli smiled, "Good, then it''s the five of us. We leave now."


    "Now?" Everyone was taken aback. Han Wenhuan said, "Isn''t it a bit excessive with this torrential rain? What''s the rush?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "It''s not an exaggeration at all. I chose to meet today precisely to use the heavy rain to cover our tracks as we leave this place. Otherwise, we might be followed. Perhaps you don''t know, but when I just got here, I took care of two guys who were tailing me."


    "Took care of, you mean?"


    Xiao Buli casually mimed a throat-slitting gesture, and everyone''s eyes went wide. To talk about killing so casually, was this still the same club president they knew who only played games?


    Yet Xiao Buli seemed to discern their thoughts and said in an indifferent tone, "Once you enter this game, your life could be threatened at any moment. If you encounter other players, it''s not guaranteed you will get along peacefully. If you kill someone in the game, it''s equivalent to killing a person in reality. If you play long enough, it''s almost inevitable."


    "In other words, if you''re going to play this game, you must be ready to kill at any moment; otherwise, you might end up being the ones who die. If you don''t have that resolve, it''s not too late to back out now. But once you start on this path, it''s not so easy to turn back."

 Chapter 10 Career Choices_2

    Everyone''s mind was shocked, and they all realized the seriousness of the matter. Gone was the casual attitude from before. However, after much contemplation, each one of them still showed a serious expression and nodded. Xiao Ge said, "Boss, you''re right. That''s exactly it. I''ve made up my mind.Let''s set off now."


    The others nodded in agreement, except for Xie Tiankong.


    He sat there stunned, listening to the tales of Xiao Buli and Li Shuren, until Gu Shaobang pulled him down to sit and pointed to the cupboard, "There''s enough food there to last you a while. The signal''s bad in the mountains, so your phone might not work, but don''t worry. My folks should come looking for me in a few days, then you''ll be able to get out."


    After that, Gu Shaobang had Xiao Ge and Li Shuren load a few boxes of food onto the vehicle, and then the five people left.


    Xie Tiankong watched them pack and leave the villa in the heavy rain, wanting to say something several times but ultimately unable to speak. It was only when he saw the car leave in the rain that he suddenly sprang to his feet, pulled open the door wide, and felt the wind and rain rush in. Feeling suddenly empty inside, he experienced a sense of regret.


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    "I''m such a fool. I should have gone with them. Where else would I find such an opportunity again?" he lamented to himself, pulling out a wallet from his pocket. In the middle of the wallet was a photo of three people: him, his wife, and his lovely seven-year-old daughter. In the photo, his smile was bright and excited. Looking at his daughter''s face, his eyes suddenly sparked to life.


    "I made the right choice," he muttered to himself, casually closing the villa''s door.


    One week later:


    "Alright, this should be our new base. What do you think? Not too bad, right? I sold the bar to buy this place," Gu Shaobang said, not forgetting to mention his own contribution.


    The house was indeed nice, a two-story standalone building with eight bedrooms, a large living room, a smaller living room, a dining room with a kitchen, bathrooms on both floors, and an entertainment room for online gaming. Outside was a spacious yard suitable for exercising. It could be said that for a game studio, this was an excellent base.


    The location of the house was also good, situated in a small coastal town in the north, with convenient transportation, a beautiful environment, and shopping convenience. It had the perks of a city without the crowding and noise of a metropolis, making it a decent place for a holiday as well.


    There was no need for major renovations, as they were there to play games. The computers had arrived and were set up in the entertainment room on the second floor: two rows of them. Considering the possibility of recruiting new members in the future, they''d installed twenty computers with some space left over.


    Seeing those brand-new computers, Xiao Ge was filled with excitement: "Boss, when do we start? I can''t wait!"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "Don''t rush into the game just yet. As the saying goes, plan before action. When have we ever started a game blindly? We always make a plan first. This time we have to be even more careful. Before we enter the game, let''s discuss and plan our respective professions first."


    As he spoke, Xiao Buli had the five of them sit around on the sofas in the entertainment room.


    Over the past few days, he hadn''t spared any details in introducing the game to everybody, so they all had a basic understanding. Nonetheless, he took out the game data he had compiled and gave a brief introduction.


    Excluding the hidden professions, there were several mainstream professions in the game.


    Warrior Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: berserker, warlord, Shield Bearer, Weapon Master, etc. Profession characteristics: armored in heavy gear, strong defense, especially adept at frontal confrontation, can act as tanks. Main Attributes: Strength, stamina, physique.


    Thief Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Flying Thief, assassin, Shadow Dancer, melee-type Ranger, etc. Profession characteristics: agile, able to Stealth, good at scaling walls and rooftops. Main Attributes: agility, speed.


    Hunter Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Ranged Ranger, Wanderer, Divine Archer, etc. Profession characteristics: have the longest attack range among all professions, require high precision in shooting due to non-lock gameplay, can generally carry battle pets. Main Attributes: agility, speed. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fighting Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Martial Monk, Fighter, Qigong Master, etc. Profession characteristics: combination of martial arts and Internal Energy, balanced in offense and defense, durable and hard-hitting. Main Attributes: Strength, stamina, physique, agility, speed¡ªall Basic Attributes are useful.


    Swordsmaster Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Swordsman, Swordsman, blade wielder, etc. Profession characteristics: fast and agile, with varied moves, particularly good at one-on-one combat.


    Necromancer Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Necromancer, Corpse-driving Warlock, Onmyoji, etc. Profession characteristics: can control the Undead, possesses many strange and wondrous spells. Main Attribute: Spirit.


    Magician Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Exorcist, Thunder Summoner, etc. Profession characteristics: powerful spells, offensive and supportive, encompassing most traditional online game Mage Professions based on chosen Advanced Profession. Main Attribute: Spirit.


    Elemental Series¡ªAdvanced Professions available: Five Elements Warlock.......


    Faced with so many professions, their various branches, composite professions, and the hidden professions mentioned by Xiao Buli, the group felt a bit overwhelmed by the choices.

 Chapter 10 Career Choices_3

    Li Shuren said, "Wow, I knew this game was something else, but there are just so many professions. Makes the profession system of the games I used to make look like trash.""These are just the common professions," Xiao Buli said, "Based on my observation, different regions in the game can trigger different professions, and in some remote areas, there should be many special professions available for advancement. Even among the people I know, there are many whose professions I can''t figure out.


    For example, I still haven''t quite understood the professions of the people from the Qilin Group. But what''s great about this game is that you can multi-class. Apart from carefully choosing your advanced profession, the selection of other multi-classing professions is very flexible and varied.


    Everyone can start practicing, and even if you feel it''s useless, you can change at any time, but you still need to have a general direction."


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    Han Wenhuan said, "I''m definitely going to play a military general. You know, I plan to lead troops into battle in the future. Think about how much strength we few alone can have. It''s alright for exploring, but if we have to confront those big companies, great guilds, and various forces in the game, we certainly won''t be enough. But if we can command NPCs, then it will be a whole different story.


    We can totally build an NPC army."


    Xiao Buli nodded his head. Han Wenhuan was good at real-time strategy games; he used to be the main commander in national wars fought by the Qingyang Empire and other guilds. The military general profession really suited him.


    Xiao Ge, however, said, "I definitely want to play the most complex control, the most versatile skills, the most powerful profession. I want to play Sword Control Master."


    "Are you sure?" Xiao Buli asked with some hesitation. "The prerequisite for getting this profession is to enter Mystic Hollow Palace or a similar sect, which is not so easy."


    Xiao Ge said, "Don''t I have you?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "I can give you some help, but I''m just an ordinary disciple there. There will still be real dangers, and you have to be prepared to face them."


    Xiao Ge nodded, "I''ve decided. I''ll choose Sword Control Master. I''ve always dreamed of becoming a Sword Immortal. I''m not afraid of danger, and as long as it can be resolved through game mechanics, it''s no problem for me."


    Seeing Xiao Ge so confident in his gaming skills, Xiao Buli nodded, "Then that''s settled."


    Li Shuren, however, said, "I haven''t decided what profession I want to choose yet.


    But if what you said is true, that apart from the special abilities of advanced professions, other professions can be multi-classed without restriction, then I think I''ll choose several professions to combine, using the advantages and disadvantages of different professions to offset each other''s weaknesses and achieve the most powerful profession." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli nodded. Li Shuren himself was a game developer. If he could find such a path, it wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    Finally, there was Gu Shaobang. Gu Shaobang was somewhat bewildered. In the past, in Qingyang Studio, he played more for fun than seriously, unlike the others. Because he wasn''t short of money, he played very casually and tried all professions. Now, he didn''t know what to choose, "Honestly, I really don''t know which one to pick. I might just go with the flow and see."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "That''s fine too. Let''s officially enter the game then."


    PS: There''s a family gathering tomorrow, so there will be only one update tomorrow evening, and I''ll resume two updates the day after. This chapter comes with a bonus of 300 words. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 11 The Ultimate Weapon

    Xiao Buli spoke while taking out that metal disc."What is this?" Xiao Ge asked curiously, and others also looked puzzled, their eyes searching for answers. Xiao Buli seemed to already know the function of the metal disc and now began to explain how to use it. Everyone listened and marvelled,


    most of them feeling a sense of disbelief. However, Xiao Buli spoke seriously, and given everything that had happened before, it was hard to disbelieve now.


    Xiao Ge was the first to step forward, excitedly saying, "I''ll go first."


    Xiao Buli had already prepared the needle for drawing blood and drew a bit from the back of Xiao Ge''s hand, dropping it onto the disc. Sure enough, the disc absorbed the blood like a sponge, leaving no trace behind.


    "Do you feel anything?" Gu Shaobang asked from the side.


    Xiao Ge decisively shook his head, "Don''t feel a thing."


    "Then log into the game and see for yourself."


    Turning on the computer, his screen indeed displayed a new game icon that looked like a skull.


    "Huh, this is really strange. This program definitely didn''t exist before."


    Seeing this, the others couldn''t help but express their amazement and one by one, they extended their hands. Soon, they had all dropped their blood and could see the game program on their respective computers. When it was Li Shuren''s turn, he showed a contemplative expression.


    "What''s wrong, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Buli asked. Li Shuren used to be a game planner and was also proficient in programming. He was considered the most knowledgeable about games in their organization.


    Li Shuren came back to his senses and pointed at the metal disc, "I was thinking about how this thing operates."


    "Oh, and have you figured anything out?"


    Li Shuren nodded, "If I''m not wrong, this thing obviously acts like a wireless server of sorts, and it can emit a magnetic field that directly affects the computer itself, creating a program in the hard drive. If I''m not mistaken, even if we remove this disc now, the programs won''t disappear."


    Xiao Buli was somewhat intrigued, "What you''re saying makes some sense, but if that''s the case, why didn''t the game icon appear on my private computer when I was at the company?"


    After thinking for a moment, Li Shuren said, "Was the notebook you used provided by the company?" Seeing Xiao Buli nod, Li Shuren continued, "Clearly, they installed some kind of special software or device on the notebook to prevent the creation of the game program, which would explain it."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "That would indeed explain it."


    "Wait a second, I have another question. Why can individuals log into the game, but those without an account or those who have died can''t log in anymore?"


    Well, Li Shuren said, "Humans themselves have magnetic fields, and I think it''s very likely that this program can detect human magnetic fields. Once a person dies in the game, it''s as if the magnetic field code stored in the metal disc is erased, so naturally, they can''t enter the game anymore."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that the guy was really a fantasist, coming up with such wild explanations for this bizarre situation, but he also couldn''t say that Li Shuren was wrong. At least, until now, this was the most plausible explanation he had heard.


    "Oh, stop worrying about it; it doesn''t matter what the principle is, as long as we can play, that''s good enough." Xiao Ge didn''t care much about the details. While the two talked, he had eagerly logged into the game.


    Li Shuren smiled, "Xiao Ge is right, being able to play is all that matters," and he too extended his hand.


    Watching the four log into the game, the scene flashed and they arrived at a village square, (Huh, this place looks somewhat familiar¡ªIt''s Black Stone Village!)


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, it seemed that the metal disc was bound to Newbie Village; otherwise, it was no coincidence that they all spawned in the same new village. So, what about Qin Dahai? How had he come to be born in Black Stone Village?


    It seemed this question would have to wait until he personally visited Black Stone Village and asked Qin Dahai himself.


    Watching the four start to explore the village, Xiao Buli hurriedly instructed, "Don''t leave the village just yet. Find a job and settle down first. I''ll send some equipment over to you shortly. Remember not to provoke NPCs; this game is not like the ones we played before." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Relax, relax, don''t you know us? We''ll be fine." Han Wenhuan said impatiently, his mind already fully occupied by the extremely realistic game before him.


    Xiao Buli sighed inwardly, hoping that would be the case. He didn''t want his friends to encounter any trouble in the game, but Han Wenhuan was right; they were all seasoned players and would likely be fine under normal circumstances.


    He then left the computer room and entered an adjacent room.


    This room was used for storing equipment. To become familiar with using the skills from the game in reality, he had purposely bought a batch of weapons and equipment, of course, all of them were melee weapons.


    There were swords made from patterned steel, of course, these were still knockoffs. They looked good, but compared to genuine precious swords, there was still a gap. However, if placed in ancient times, they would indeed be considered top-tier weapons.


    There were also composite bows of 36, 50, and 80 pounds, various spears, battle axes, and other polearms and sidearms. One could say that all eighteen types of traditional weapons were available. Not only could these weapons be used for training in the real world, but they could also be taken into the game to serve as starting weapons for them.


    Although they couldn''t compare to top-tier equipment later in the game, they would still be useful in the beginning.


    But the current problem was that he could only transfer one item through the ring each day. So, which one should he transfer first?


    As he pondered, he glanced at a box beside him. Inside were two HK.USP pistols, along with four magazines.


    These two guns had been found on the bodies of those two he had taken out. What would happen if he brought automatic weapons from the real world into the game? This thought popped into his head.


    Picking up a pistol, he examined it for a while. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He looked at the box, then at the pistol, then back at the box, and suddenly laughed. Why hadn''t he thought of this method before?


    While thinking, he ran to the living room and found a wooden crate used for storing items. He brought it back to the equipment room and stuffed all the weapons from the armory into it, including the pistols. He then sealed the crate and placed his right hand on it.


    He had already roughly learned how to transport items through the ring. This time, he aimed his right hand at the crate, facing the gemstone side of the ring toward the cardboard, then concentrated all his spiritual power on the black ring on his right index finger. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    As he focused his spiritual power, an invisible suction force was released from the gemstone on the ring. The crate seemed to be pulled by a black hole, lifted into the air and floating unsteadily. However, it was reluctant to go in.


    Xiao Buli frowned and stopped the suction. It seemed that there were too many items in the crate. He moved it a bit and estimated it weighed a couple hundred pounds. Was it because it exceeded the weight limit? He thought, while removing some items.


    Finally, he left only one knife, one sword, a 36-pound composite bow, one segmented spear, and the box with the pistols, sealed the crate again, and this time it was much smoother. The cardboard box was instantly absorbed into the whirlpool inside the ring.


    Success! He watched as the cardboard box disappeared, feeling a surge of joy.


    Eager to proceed, he logged into the game in the computer room, opened the Time-Space Order Keeper''s ring space, and dragged out the crate from within.


    Weapon Combination Crate: This is a crate filled with weapons.


    Use (right-click): Open the crate to obtain the items inside.


    Xiao Buli right-clicked on the crate, and it opened on command, disappearing from sight, while his inventory suddenly filled with a pile of weapons.


    He checked the attributes of the few weapons,


    Powerful Cloud-Patterned Longsword: Attack Power 10-17.


    Powerful Steel Knife: Attack Power 8-23.


    Exquisite Composite Bow: Attack Power 5-22. These were all just white-grade equipment. However, with the "powerful" prefix, they were a bit better than the average white-grade equipment, even comparing well with light blue-grade ones, except for the lack of additional attributes.


    Unknown Mechanical Component (Unidentified): Not usable.


    It requires identification to use, which is such a hassle. I wonder if Qingfeng Mingyue can help identify it.


    As Xiao Buli was pondering, Xiao Ge''s voice suddenly came from behind, "Boss, what profession should I learn for swordsmanship?"


    Xiao Buli said, "Harvesting."


    Xiao Ge nodded, "OK, then I''ll go learn harvesting."


    Turning around, Xiao Buli saw that the others had started to look for jobs and learn skills.


    Han Wenhuan had already started working as a farmer, now plowing for someone.


    Li Shuren was talking with an NPC, amazed by the real-time response system of the NPC. As for Gu Shaobang, he was leisurely playing chess with an old man with white hair and beard.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that he needed to hurry to Black Stone Village and regroup with them; with his help, they could raise their levels faster.


    On the other hand, Xiao Buli also planned to specialize in Professional Skills. Previously, with concerns at the company, he could only focus on improving his self-preservation abilities and had no time to learn professional skills. But now that he was safe, he naturally could give it a try.


    Among the many professions in Mystic Hollow Palace, what he wanted to learn the most was still Magical Treasure Crafting. Perhaps in the game, the profession of Magical Treasure Crafting might be somewhat superfluous, with low-level magical treasures being not so useful, and high-level treasures being too difficult to craft.


    However, in the real world, even the lowest-level magical treasures could be very useful.


    I must act quickly, he thought, as he hastened his pace towards Mystic Hollow Palace. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendations or monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 12 Runes Exhaust Three Generations, A Magical Treasure Ruins A Lifetime

    "You want to learn Refining Treasure?" Xuanxu Zi looked at Xiao Buli with a hint of surprise and asked.Xiao Buli replied, "Indeed, I hope Master can grant me this favor."


    Xuanxu Zi stroked his beard and chuckled, "Hehe, what''s there to grant or not to grant? If you want to learn, I''ll teach you, but you must think it over carefully. Refining Magical Treasures is no easy task. Compared to other Professional Skills, it''s easy to learn but hard to master. Crafting each Magical Treasure requires a significant investment, and it''s not guaranteed to succeed.


    If you don''t have enough resources, it''s better not to try rashly. In Penglai Immortal Realm, there''s a saying¡ªRunes impoverish three generations, treasure crafting ruins a life. I was once a renowned figure in the Immortal Realm, yet almost bankrupted myself crafting Magical Treasures to the point of having to mortgage even my cave dwelling. You better think it through."


    Xiao Buli had already steeled himself for challenges, but upon hearing Xuanxu Zi''s words, his heart still sank slightly. However, he was determined to engage in high-end activities; after all, the role of Magical Treasures in reality couldn''t be compared to that of high-level equipment.


    He typed again, "I hope Master can grant me this favor."


    Xuanxu Zi replied, "All right, I''ll teach you then."


    System prompt: You have learned the Professional Skill, Refining Magical Treasure. You can check this skill in your Skill Bar.


    Xiao Buli opened the Skill Bar and was delighted to see the skill.


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    Refining Magical Treasure LV1: By processing heaven and earth treasures and infusing them with mana, you create wondrous artifacts with magical properties. The higher your skill level, the higher the success rate of crafting Magical Treasures. Crafting a Magical Treasure of each quality level will increase this skill to the next level.


    It seems like leveling this skill might not be that difficult, as long as one crafts a Magical Treasure.


    However, upon glancing at the commonly used materials for Refining Magical Treasures, he was stupefied.


    The materials to craft different Magical Treasures are varied and generally fall into three categories. The first includes various essences, such as Metal Essence, Wood Essence, Water Essence, etc. Metal Essence can be obtained by disassembling blue-colored or higher-quality equipment.


    Wood Essence can sometimes be acquired while harvesting herbs, and other essences like Water Essence can be extracted from elemental creatures. The essences required for a single Magical Treasure typically range from a few to even dozens.


    The second type of material is premium-grade, such as Mysterious Iron, Refined Gold, Fusang Wood, Spirit Communication Stone, etc. These can be obtained through professional skills like mining, lumbering, and tailoring, but they are also valuable and difficult to procure.


    The last type is the most critical: Energy Crystal Cores. These can only be found in powerful elemental creatures or in special beasts with unique abilities, such as the Fire Elemental Crystal Core dropped by killing a mutant Fire Spirit and the Shadow Crystal Core dropped by a Shadow Leopard.


    After reviewing the materials, Xiao Buli planned to buy blueprints. Blueprints are sold separately, and each can only be used once. He checked and found that there were three kinds of level-one Magical Treasure blueprints available from Xuanxu Zi.


    Shadow Cloak (Blueprint): This miraculous cloak allows you to hide in the shadows, effective only when you remain motionless.


    Materials needed: Shadow Crystal Core¡Á1, Shadow Silk Pouch¡Á3, Shadow Essence¡Á3.


    Windstride Boots (Blueprint): Tap the heels to lift yourself slightly off the ground, increasing Movement Speed by 10 points for 5 minutes, usable once per day.


    Materials needed: Wind Crystal Core¡Á1, Qi Hua Wood¡Á2, Earth Essence¡Á2.


    Amulet of Light (Blueprint): Generates a light source to illuminate the path ahead of you. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Materials needed: Light Crystal Core¡Á1, Diamond¡Á1, Gold Ingot¡Á1.


    Xiao Buli thought that these low-level Magical Treasures really seemed quite underwhelming, with only the Boots of Swiftness being somewhat useful. The Shadow Cloak was only effective when one stood still in the shadows, which was of little significance to him, and the Amulet of Light was essentially just a flashlight.


    However, no matter how underwhelming, he still needed to craft them; otherwise, he couldn''t produce higher-grade Magical Treasures.


    Since crafting just one Magical Treasure could level up the skill, he chose the one that suited him best¡ªthe Shadow Cloak. He already had a Shadow Crystal Core, so he only needed to find the Shadow Silk Pouch and Shadow Essence. The only good news was that level-one Magical Treasure blueprints were very cheap, costing only 10 Contribution Value points.


    Xiao Buli still had a few dozen points left, so he bought a blueprint for the Shadow Cloak.


    After buying the blueprint, Xiao Buli turned to Xuanxu Zi and asked, "I plan to make a Shadow Cloak, may I know where I can obtain the Shadow Silk Pouch and Shadow Essence?"


    Xuanxu Zi was always ready to answer any question. "The Shadow Silk Pouch can be obtained by killing Shadow Spiders. These demon beasts live in the pitch darkness of the underground or caves, they move without a trace, are extremely ghostly, and have a preference for eating human brains. Be very careful if you plan to kill Shadow Spiders.


    As for the Shadow Essence, it can usually be obtained with a certain probability when disassembling equipment that has the prefix ''Ancient''."


    (Equipment with the ''Ancient'' prefix?) Xiao Buli vaguely remembered that his follower had a skill called ''Antiquing'' which could add the prefix ''Ancient'' to the front of equipment. He wondered if this forged equipment would work.


    However, since that follower had been assigned to the Xuanwu Group, he had not seen him again, nor did he know whether he was still alive. If there was a chance to visit Nine Dragons City, it might be a good idea to look for him. But before that, he should first deliver the equipment in his bag to them.


    As he thought this, Xiao Buli opened the map. After such a long time exploring, many areas on the map had already been uncovered. He had also shared a guild''s internal map once. The terrain around Nine Dragons City¡ªMystic Hollow Palace¡ªDahuang Village was basically clear.


    One day''s walk to the west from a crossroads in the Misty Forest would bring you to the Black Mountain Range, and Black Stone Village was a small village at the end of the mountain range.


    Xiao Buli estimated that it would take about a day to reach by horse. As he set off, he wondered how the others were doing with their playing.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Phew, finally done!" Han Wenhuan looked at the large piece of land he had just cleared, feeling a sense of accomplishment. What made him even happier was that he had finally grasped the Long-handled Weapon Mastery. He had understood the first level of Long-handled Weapon Mastery simply by farming the land to level three.


    If he could farm the land to Max Level, perhaps the Long-handled Weapon Mastery could reach level three as well.


    Excited at the prospect of mastering the martial image of a general wielding a long blade, Han Wenhuan remembered the many nation war games he had played. However, players were undisciplined and disorganized, and it was often difficult to apply his tactical and strategic knowledge in those games.


    Moreover, there was a big gap between games and reality; it wasn''t uncommon for RMB players to dominate with their gear. His most vivid memory was of the grand battles in Jiuzhou Domination, which had left him feeling quite frustrated. Now, he finally had a chance to show his prowess.


    With that in mind, he began to clear the next patch of land.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Ge was also feverishly harvesting a large crop, wielding a giant scythe that was taller than a person. Despite working for so long, why hadn''t he mastered the One-handed Sword specialization yet?


    Just as he was pondering this, a system prompt suddenly appeared on his screen.


    System Prompt: After a long period of harvesting labor, you have discerned ''Alien Weapon: Scythe Mastery''.


    What? Xiao Ge was taken aback. It wasn''t One-handed Sword Mastery? He looked at the giant scythe in his hands, which required two hands to wield and indeed seemed quite different from a one-handed sword. He thought about asking Xiao Buli, but decided against it seeing the latter''s focused demeanor. Well, Scythe Mastery it is, he thought.


    It wouldn''t be too bad to become a reaper if the specialization didn''t work out, although he wasn''t sure if there was a related profession.


    As he thought this, he continued his harvesting work.


    "Checkmate, General!" The old man snapped the artillery piece towards Gu Shaobang''s commander with a slap, his face showing no excitement, rather an unusual tension. After all, he had been defeated by Gu Shaobang in five or six consecutive games.


    "Wait a moment! Let me think." As Gu Shaobang typed in the game, he entered the same chess moves into a computer next to him. On another computer, his opponent was a chess program. After a short while, the program responded¡ªleft chariot checkmate, removing the enemy''s cannon.


    That was it, Gu Shaobang thought to himself. Without the computer''s help, he''d never have noticed such a move.


    He replicated the move and checkmated the old man.


    "Damn it, to think that I, the Chess Elder, have remained undefeated in the chess world for more than four decades, only to be consecutively defeated by you recently. This is unbearable...arghhh...."


    Gu Shaobang typed: "Stop your whining, old man. We agreed before that if I lost, I''d serve you as a scholar for ten years, and if you lost, you''d teach me how to throw Fireballs."


    The Chess Elder said: "That''s not just some trick. Fine, fine, a bet is a bet. Since you wish to learn it, I''ll teach you, but let me be clear, the Flame Spirit Curse comes from remnants of ancient witchcraft described in ancient texts, and the consequences of practicing it are unknown. Don''t come to regret it later on."


    Gu Shaobang typed: "How could I possibly?" He thought to himself that it was only a basic Skill learned in a Newbie Village; what could possibly go wrong?


    Li Shuren strolled around the village and arrived at the northern gate, where many artisans were building a palisade. Outside the fence, a mountain road led deep into the northern mountains, and someone looking like a militia captain was supervising the work. However, the name suggested that the person was a player¡ªQin Dahai (Militia Captain).


    Li Shuren grew curious, wondering whether players could serve as guards, too. This seemed worth a chat. While thinking this, he approached Qin Dahai. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 13 Void Summoning Art

    Xiao Buli had planned to set off immediately, but when he got to the exit of Mystic Hollow Palace, he hesitated. The reason for his hesitation was simple: the map of this game was so damn huge. He had no idea how long it would take to go to Black Stone Village and back.Even riding a horse would take a day''s time, and if he were to proceed to Nine Dragons City afterward and spend some time in Black Stone Village, it might take at least two or three days to return. Although he had plenty of time now, he couldn''t afford to waste it.


    Is there a faster way to travel? Xiao Buli wondered to himself. He did think of a method¡ªusing Cloud Thunder Leap to travel could cover several kilometers in one go, and as long as he equipped the Ethereal Armor in advance, he wouldn''t get hurt when he fell. One usage of Cloud Thunder Leap combined with the Ethereal Armor would consume 120 True Origin Points.


    To recover these 120 True Origin Points through meditation would take about five minutes, but if he used restorative elixirs, it would only take tens of seconds to replenish them.


    Although elixirs were expensive, ordinary food was very cheap. The good thing about True Origin Points was that he could recover them by eating anything. He could definitely bring more food with him and just eat something as he traveled.


    With this plan in mind, he decided to go back to the valley to prepare and leave his mount in the Beast Pen. However, when he arrived at the Beast Pen, he saw Jingci amusingly playing with his pet¡ªMaoqiu.


    "Haha, you seem to be having a lot of fun with Maoqiu," Xiao Buli said with a smile. When he had previously left for Dahuang Village, he had specially left Maoqiu here because it was inconvenient to take pets along. So much had happened since then that he had almost forgotten about it.


    When Jingci saw Xiao Buli coming over, his eyes lit up, "Ah, you''ve come at the right time. I just have a task that I need your help with."


    Xiao Buli was immediately delighted, as he was in dire need of Contribution Value. He loved tasks from the Sect, but it seemed strange to receive a task as soon as he got back. How coincidental?


    However, he still typed, "Senior brother, please speak freely. I will do my utmost to help."


    A sly smile appeared on Jingci''s face, and he cleared his throat, "I am currently in need of a capable pet, so please help me find a green pet with growth attributes."


    System prompt: Task ''Second Senior Brother''s Pet Collection'' triggered. Do you accept it?


    Second Senior Brother''s Pet Collection: Find a special pet with growth attributes for the second senior brother. The task must be completed within one month. Task reward: 500 Contribution Points.


    Xiao Buli was stunned for a moment. A pet with growth attributes? Did that mean Maoqiu? Damn, this guy must have taken a fancy to Maoqiu.


    "Don''t you already have the Frost Claw Silver Wolf?" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha, I''ve recently learned the Void Summoning Art, which allows me to summon and switch pets anytime and anywhere. The more pets, the better, of course."


    "Void Summoning Art? What''s that?"


    Jingci said, "You''ll see."


    After finishing his words, he made a casting gesture, and a white light array suddenly flashed on the ground¡ª"By my name, I summon your appearance, come forth, Frost Claw Silver Wolf!"


    The silver giant wolf instantly emerged within the array, letting out an imposing long howl.


    "How about that, impressive, right? Now I don''t need to carry pets around with me everywhere. I can summon pets to assist in battles anytime and anywhere."


    Xiao Buli, seeing this, couldn''t help but be impressed. He pondered for a moment, and suddenly a glint of insight flashed in his eyes, "This must be a Combined Skill, isn''t it?"


    Jingci was taken aback before smiling, "You''re quite clever. Indeed, it''s a Combined Skill, but as for which skills I''ve used for the fusion, that''s my secret¡ªI can''t tell you. Of course, if you help me complete the task, I might just spill it in a moment of happiness."


    Xiao Buli pondered for a moment and then said lightly, "If I''m not wrong, one of the skills must be Taming Skills, and since the other must be from the magic system, which skill would be similar to Taming Skills? I think it has to be a Summoning Skill. You''ve used Taming Skills combined with a Summoning Skill to create this, am I right?"


    Jingci was speechless, "How is your brain wired? You''re correct, it is the combination of Taming Skills and a Summoning Skill. However, which Summoning Skill I used, you don''t know."


    "Just experiment one by one, and the one with the highest success rate will be the correct one."


    Jingci nodded earnestly, "You''re right, but the problem is, do you have the Contribution Value to exchange for skills?"


    Xiao Buli was immediately left speechless.


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    "How about it, just give Maoqiu to me. Then you will have Contribution Value to exchange for skills. Plus, once you learn the Void Summoning Art, you can summon pets just like me anytime and anywhere."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it wasn''t out of the question to consider Jingci''s offer, but after pondering for a while, he said indifferently, "It just so happens that I have a secret too. I know how to increase the success rate of combining skills. How about I trade this secret for your Contribution Value?"


    Jingci was startled, hesitated for a moment but shook his head, "That probably won''t work."


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli didn''t say another word and turned to leave. Jingci instantly panicked, "Wait, can''t you listen to me till the end? It''s truly not possible, not because I don''t want to trade, but because I''ve already used up all my authority to post tasks for the month. The task I just posted was the last one I could post this month, so I definitely can''t trade.


    However, I can add a bit more to the task reward, how about 50 Gold Coins? Plus your secret."


    He glanced at Xiao Buli and added, "What do you say? Will you take the task? It''s worth 500 Contribution Points, after all. It''s just a pet; you can always catch another one later. Moreover, pets are especially prone to dying, even if it''s a green pet, if it dies on the way, it''s worth nothing."


    Xiao Buli was indeed a bit tempted; with those 500 Contribution Points, he could learn more skills. Currently, he didn''t know any third-level spells, and the only Heavenly Thunder Curse he had was used for skill fusion.


    "50 Gold Coins, 1000 Contribution Points; otherwise, forget it," Xiao Buli put forth his price.


    Jingci lamented with a bitter face, "Damn, you''re really robbing me blind!" Jingci was scratching his head and looking at Maoqiu with struggle evident in his eyes. "I only have 500 Contribution Points left. How about I add another 50 Gold Coins, making it 100 Gold Coins in total?"


    After thinking it over, Xiao Buli nodded this time. After all, compared to a pet that required prolonged training to become combat-worthy, 100 Gold Coins and 500 Contribution Points were more useful to him. Since he was afraid of being killed, Maoqiu hadn''t been much used for a long time.


    "Alright, it''s a deal!"


    Jingci modified the task reward and once again released the task to Xiao Buli, who this time chose to accept it.


    Xiao Buli clicked to accept the task and also chose to return the task.


    System prompt: Completed the Sect task ''Second Senior Brother''s Pet Collection'', obtained 500 Contribution Value, 100 Gold Coins.


    However, there was no increase in favorability. Xiao Buli sighed; it seemed that the result of bargaining was that favorability would not increase.


    Xiao Buli watched as the suffix of Maoqiu''s name changed from (Xiao Buli''s Pet) to (Jingci''s Pet) and sighed. Ah well, for the greater good, I had to sacrifice you.


    Maoqiu, oblivious to being sacrificed, happily followed Jingci, causing Xiao Buli to sigh inwardly.


    With 500 Contribution Points and 100 Gold Coins, Xiao Buli now felt wealthy. He decided to first exchange for a few skills before heading to Nine Dragons City to do some shopping, hopefully to save some effort later.


    "By the way, what exactly is that secret?" Jingci asked.


    This time, Xiao Buli didn''t keep it to himself and shared his speculation about skill fusion. As a senior in the Cursed Swordsman career, Jingci found it very reasonable after hearing it and slapped his thigh, "Ah, so that''s the case. If only I had known earlier, I would have spared my good skills."


    He then shared the fusion formula for the Void Summoning Art, which wasn''t the combination of Taming Skills + Summoning that Xiao Buli had guessed, but Taming Skills + Void Walking. This surprised Xiao Buli.


    Going to Xuanxu Zi to exchange skills, he was momentarily stunned; Void Walking was a third-level spell and required 240 Contribution Points to exchange, which meant half of his 500 Contribution Points were gone in an instant. Xiao Buli didn''t dare to spend the remaining Contribution Points recklessly and decided to save them for exchanging for Magical Treasure materials and blueprints later on.


    Apart from the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli started another round of skill fusion.


    He first invested all his remaining experience into ''Void Walking'', raising the spell straight to LV5, and then fused it with Taming Skills. As expected, he successfully created the Void Summoning Art.


    Void Summoning Art LV1 (Void Sealing Technique): Uses ''Void Sealing Technique'' to seal a wild beast within the Void Spirit Realm and summon it to fight for you when needed, limited to once per day. Your skill level is 1, and currently, you can only seal one wild beast at a time.


    Xiao Buli nodded upon seeing this skill, not bad, overall still a good skill. It seemed that as the skill level increased, multiple beasts could be sealed, and depending on the situation, different beasts could be summoned, thus fully utilizing them. However, it seemed that the sealed beasts would now only be used as expendables.


    While pondering, Xiao Buli turned his gaze to the warhorse beside him, wondering if it could be sealed as well.


    Actions speak louder than thoughts; Xiao Buli, who had long found it troublesome to lead the horse, used the Void Sealing Technique on it¡ªWith a flash of white light, the warhorse disappeared with a whinny. Xiao Buli thought to himself how convenient that was and decided it was time to leave.


    Thinking so, he performed the Cloud Thunder Leap, and with a startling thunderclap, he shot through the sky in a bolt of lightning and vanished.


    PS: I was planning to update more, but I suffered side effects from taking acid-reducing medication and felt nauseous all day, so I really wasn''t in the mood to write. For now, I''m updating one chapter first. Once my stomach settles, I''ll definitely add more. (To be continued.


    If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 14 Return to Nine Dragons City

    The sound of thunder murmured in the distance before sweeping over from above. He Suoju looked up in confusion. How could there be thunder on such a clear day?He shook his head without paying much attention. This time, he had finally mastered the Art of the Sword Heart and had the chance to come out for a stroll. It just so happened that he heard the mysterious disappearance of Qilin Hall, which had taken over Nine Dragons City, making this region temporarily ownerless land. It was a great opportunity for solo players like him to gain some experience.


    Whether it was dungeons or quests, he could take on and get going, so he needed to act fast.


    Thinking this, He Suoju headed towards Nine Dragons City.


    With a crack of thunder, Xiao Buli landed on the ground once again from the sky, maintaining a half-kneeling posture; the lightning around him slowly dissipated. As he stood up, several wild beasts nearby, startled and confused, scurried away.


    Xiao Buli checked his status and nodded with satisfaction. This was his twenty-seventh use of Cloud Thunder Leap, and he had finally become adept with this skill.


    Xiao Buli had often spent time leveling up skills back when he played Legendary, and it seemed that some habits die hard. Cloud Thunder Leap resembled the Instantaneous Movement from Legendary, and as his proficiency improved, the more smoothly he could utilize it. Although it seemed random, Xiao Buli had gradually mastered the skill''s techniques.


    By quickly pressing the spacebar upon landing, he could touch down in a half-kneeling posture to reduce the impact, and the flatter and softer the ground, the less damage taken. Plus, the duration of the flight was quite flexible; he didn''t have to wait the full thirty seconds before landing, as he could land sooner or delay the fall, though delaying used up additional True Yuan Points.


    System prompt: After prolonged use and mastery, Cloud Thunder Leap has been upgraded to LV2.


    Xiao Buli was pleased, thinking it was about time for an upgrade. It reminded him that he had quite a few skills, but they were all only at LV1, and it was necessary to improve them.


    Checking the effects of Cloud Thunder Leap LV2, not only was the flight time extended and the landing impact greater, but the damage he suffered decreased. It seemed that as the skill''s level improved, the side effects would eventually disappear.


    He checked his True Yuan Points, which were already below half. However, it was not a concern; on several occasions, he had used up more than half of his True Yuan Points and quickly recovered by consuming food. Opening his bag, he ate some food, then utilizing the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, he converted the replenished Physical Strength into True Yuan Points.


    As he watched his True Yuan Points nearly fully restored, a DEBUFF suddenly appeared above his head¡ªToo Full.


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    What the hell, even this was limited, Xiao Buli was speechless.


    However, looking at the map, it seemed he wasn''t far from Nine Dragons City, so he didn''t need to fly anymore. Summoning his war horse, Xiao Buli mounted and sped towards Nine Dragons City.


    In less than half an hour, he arrived outside the gates of Nine Dragons City. Compared to a few days ago, the city seemed to have undergone some changes. As he walked through the gates into the city, the changes became more evident: refugees and beggars everywhere, soldiers, and adventurers rushing about, a sense of pandemonium.


    After asking an NPC, he quickly got the gist of the situation. Recently, the Demon Clan had begun advancing in this direction again. The Golden Dragon Legion had suffered consecutive defeats and had abandoned their outposts on Bull Rush Plain, retreating entirely back to Nine Dragons City.


    NPCs from nearby villages had no choice but to evacuate, with some heading to villages to the south and others seeking a living within the city.


    In addition to a massive influx of NPC refugees, there were also many more players. As Xiao Buli walked, he saw several players, some with guild names and others clearly solo players, each with decent equipment.


    It seemed the collapse of Qilin Hall had created a power vacuum, and the potential for a large-scale event like a Demon Clan siege had attracted players from the surrounding areas to try their luck. Indeed, many were willing to risk their lives in pursuit of power.


    As he pondered, a squadron of heavily armored cavalry approached, marching in tidy columns. Despite their small number, their well-equipped and disciplined presence was as imposing as an army of thousands.


    "Look, it''s Lord Zhang''s personal guard cavalry; he''s going to launch an attack on the Demon Clan!"


    Xiao Buli glanced at them. Leading the riders was none other than Lord Zhang of Nine Dragons City, with another person riding beside him, chatting casually. To his surprise, it was Wu Min''er. She and Lord Zhang seemed almost like a couple, followed by two player knights Xiao Buli had never seen before.


    He had wanted to greet them, but hesitated for a moment and decided against it, feeling something was off about Wu Min''er''s presence here. He thought it best to observe her secretly for the time being.


    His target was the location of the Qilin Hall guild. Qilin Hall''s base was next to the Golden Dragon Legion''s barracks, in a large estate¡ªa testament to their wealth, as buying property in the city was not cheap.


    The walls of the estate were high, the gates tightly shut, and guards stationed at the entrance, but none of this was a problem for Xiao Buli, who could come and go as he pleased. He found a secluded part of the wall and leapt onto it with an Invisible leap.


    Stealthily making his way inside along the wall, he noted the tight security, with NPC guards holding hounds capable of detecting Invisibility and additional player guards. Reaching the backyard, he unexpectedly found the Xuanwu Group crafting equipment. This familiar scene almost gave him the illusion of still being a part of Qilin Workshop. Xiao Buli grew even more puzzled. Why were they still here?


    Had they not left the company yet?


    He didn''t dare to alert anyone by talking, he did not recognize anyone else anyway, when suddenly a shadow in a corner caught his attention¡ªit was Han Baiqiang.


    At the moment, Han Baiqiang was wielding a large hammer, desperately pounding on a suit of armor. Xiao Buli didn''t dare to show himself and used the Secret Sound Transmission Dharma Method to send a message to Han Baiqiang. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Han Baiqiang was absorbed in his work, a line of text suddenly appeared on the screen.


    Xiao Buli quietly says to you, "Hey, Old Han, what''s going on with you guys?"


    Han Baiqiang was startled. He looked around but saw no one, thinking to himself, had he seen a ghost? Did the game actually come with a secret communication feature?


    Seeing that he probably still didn''t understand, Xiao Buli quickly sent another message.


    Xiao Buli quietly says to you, "I''m using the Thousand-mile Sound Transmission to talk to you. You just need to click to reply."


    Thousand-mile Sound Transmission! Han Baiqiang was shocked and thought Xiao has gotten really powerful! He hurriedly replied, "So you mean you''ve escaped!? That''s really lucky. Unlike us, who have been captured and work every day, and now we don''t even get paid anymore, and the food isn''t as good as before."


    Xiao Buli asked in surprise, "You''ve been captured by the military?"


    Han Baiqiang said, "I''m not sure who exactly they are, but they don''t seem to be military. We were taken away by those people and then knocked out. Now we''re locked up in an underground base, and I have no idea where this place is."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it was indeed as he had suspected. He had had his doubts early on. "How are you holding up now?" he asked.


    Han Baiqiang complained, "Holding up? I''m scared to death. If I had known, I would never have joined the Xuanwu Group. I thought joining Xuanwu Group would be safer, but we still ended up in this mess. I don''t even know how my family is doing or if they are searching for me everywhere."


    Xiao Buli didn''t respond to Han Baiqiang''s complaints but instead asked, "So who exactly are they?"


    Han Baiqiang said, "I don''t know, but there are quite a few foreigners here. Their leader seems to be called General Huo, an old man with a white beard. He seems to know the truth about this game, telling us to work hard because everything is for the good of humanity and the like. Officials love to play this card, but I don''t buy it."


    Xiao Buli quietly says to you, "What about Wu Min''er? Did she not run either?"


    Han Baiqiang said, "Yeah, she was captured too, and they found a big disc on her. Now those scientists are studying it. Moreover, it seems like she has joined them now and is already a captain. Those new guys are here too, getting trained every day, probably being groomed into special forces."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it was good that he didn''t rashly contact her, or he might also be in danger. However, what exactly was this organization? Their actions suggested their plans were no small matter. It was indeed a twist of fate for him, as the leader of a gaming guild, to be caught up in such events.


    After reflecting for a moment, Xiao Buli asked again, "Do you know where Gao Bainame is?"


    "He''s inside. Those people seem to value him a lot."


    Xiao Buli said, "I need to go now. Take care of yourself, and if there''s a chance in the future, I''ll try to find a way to get you out."


    Han Baiqiang knew the other person was just saying it, but still, he couldn''t help but feel a bit relieved, "You be careful too."


    As Xiao Buli walked in, Gao Bainame was actually fast asleep. He looked at the name above his head, Gao Bainame (Xiao Buli''s Follower), and was relieved that it hadn''t vanished. As long as he had this suffix, the other person had to obey his commands, so there was no fear of betrayal. Xiao Buli appeared behind him and said, "Hey, wake up."


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 15 Do you want to understand the meaning of life?

    Gao Bainame tossed and turned in bed, and when he saw Xiao Buli, he immediately scrambled to his feet: "Ah, Master has arrived, Master, you finally came, they don''t treat me like a human at all, ordering me around all day, please save me and get me out of here."This NPC was crying and shouting loudly, and Xiao Buli said anxiously, "Keep your voice down, I''ll get you out of here right now, but first you need to help me identify these two pieces of equipment."


    Despite being a crooked merchant who lived off counterfeiting, Gao Bainame knew his Appraisal Skills, which he had upgraded to LV10 during the time he worked for the Qilin Group, making ordinary items a piece of cake for him to appraise.


    He took the two pistols and looked them over, "Let me see, huh, these are pretty good." Gao Bainame''s hands flickered with white light twice and quickly finished the appraisal. Xiao Buli took them back and couldn''t help but feel flustered.


    Five Thunder God Machine (appraised by Gao Bainame): This is a powerful and magical weapon, capable of firing deadly metal bullets to attack enemies, Attack 30-30.


    Weapon Special Effect: Fixed Damage, none of the user''s attributes can enhance this weapon''s damage.


    In other words, no matter who the user is and regardless of their Attributes, the damage caused is always the same. This feature of fixed damage is also shared by crossbows and can be said to be more valuable to the weaker individuals and less valuable to the stronger ones.


    However, the name Five Thunder God Machine must be Gao Bainame''s masterpiece, quite melodramatic indeed. Xiao Buli glanced at Gao Bainame, who was eagerly looking at him. The chances of smuggling him out under such heavy guard were nearly impossible, but luckily he had come prepared.


    The remaining 260 Reward Points plus his original 30, nearly 300 points in total, were exchanged for two Mystic Hollow Palace Teleportation Talismans, one of which was prepared for Xiao Ge''s class change, and the other could now be used to get Gao Bainame out.


    "Take this, use this Teleportation Talisman to transport yourself to a safe place. Once you''re there, just say you are my follower, and they won''t give you a hard time."


    Gao Bainame nodded, crushed the talisman, and with a flash of white light, he disappeared.


    Xiao Buli watched as Gao Bainame teleported away and left the manor.


    Utilizing Qinggong to leave the manor, Xiao Buli revealed himself, but he did not leave right away. Instead, he went straight out of the city to Si Hai Martial Arts Hall. He spent a Gold Coin to learn a skill called ''Harmonizing Breath'' which speeds up the recovery of Internal Energy during meditation. He planned to combine it with meditation to see if he could integrate a very useful recovery skill.


    Then he went straight to the Longquan Sword Pavilion. Now with more money, it was necessary to learn a few more sword techniques, although he did not rely that much on Swordsmanship itself. Yet he was very much interested in the Ultimate Skills one could comprehend after reaching Swordsmanship level 10.


    Real-life combat had already proved that when facing an expert, big moves like Ultimate Skills were indeed more threatening.


    If he could possess several more Souls of Mystic Arts, his combat abilities would naturally improve, and besides, he wasn''t worried about lacking experience points with his method of grinding experience. So once he entered the Sword Pavilion, he found a Swordsmanship master and learned three sword techniques in one go.


    Cold Moon Sword Skills: Can imbue the weapon with Cold Ice Inner Strength, slowing down enemy''s speed upon hitting. Requirements: Spiritual Power 14, Internal Energy LV1.


    Green Abyss Sword Technique: Imbues Internal Energy onto the weapon, ignoring some of the target''s Armor Value upon hitting and dealing direct damage with deep Sword Qi. Requirements: Strength 20, any Inner Strength LV5 or above.


    Xiaoyao Sword Skills: Using this Sword Technique improves your evasion and Movement Speed. Requirements: Agility 20, Speed 20.


    All three sword techniques were not top-tier, but each had its unique features, and he thought it probable to comprehend different Ultimate Skills from them.


    The three sword techniques together cost Xiao Buli twenty Gold Coins, and he saw the Proud Heaven Sword Skills still listed at the top of the price chart for five hundred Gold Coins, with another Martial Arts called Longquan Sword Technique ranking second, needing only fifty Gold.


    Looking at this sword technique, Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment. He had witnessed the power of the Proud Heaven Sword Skills. If the Longquan Sword Technique could offer half the power of the Proud Heaven Sword Skills, it would be worthwhile to learn.


    At that moment, he suddenly heard someone behind him speak, "I''d advise you not to learn that. I''ve learned it, and it''s trash compared to the Art of the Sword Heart."


    Xiao Buli turned around and recognized the person behind him¡ªit was He Suoju. "It''s you!" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but be surprised.


    He Suoju was clothed in a moon-white Sword Robe with flowing long hair and carried a sheathed Longsword, looking far more dashing than the shabbily dressed fellow he used to be. Just by looking at his gear, it was evident that he had upgraded more than just a notch.


    Seeing Xiao Buli, He Suoju smiled and said, "It''s been a while, Xiao. It feels like only yesterday that we parted, and today, by fate, we meet again."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself how this fellow''s speech had taken on a martial arts flair; he wasn''t playing so hard he went daft, was he?


    "How come you''re here?" he asked, puzzled.


    "I regretted parting last time. When I descended the mountain a few days ago after completing my training, I heard that there was trouble at the Qilin Hall and that the Demon Clan was invading in force. Therefore, I came to witness the event, incidentally to eliminate demons in the name of righteousness and join forces with heroes from all over."


    Xiao Buli felt awkward hearing this and typed: "Can you not use such bombastic wording? Just speak normally."


    He Suoju: "..........." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m used to it, but if you insist on doing so, I can certainly talk about it. What exactly happened to Qilin Hall? The rumors in the mortal world say that your group was annihilated. What''s going on?"


    Xiao Buli sighed, "It''s a long story."


    He Suoju said, "Since we have plenty of time, there''s a tavern outside the Sword Pavilion; how about the two of us go have a drink together and catch up? What do you think?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "I see no harm in that." He didn''t want to be as stressed as he had been back in the company, and now he had plenty of free time. Most importantly, he had always been curious about He Suoju''s identity as a solo player.


    Leaving the Sword Pavilion, sure enough, they found a tavern outside that looked quite deserted, which wasn''t surprising given that the Demon Clan''s army was pressing close, and there were fewer and fewer people around Nine Dragons City.


    They both took a seat at the tavern table, where He Suoju seemed to be playing a role-playing game. He asked the server for a pot of wine, and sipping his drink, he finally asked, "Speaking of which, I haven''t had a chance to thank you for last time. Thanks to you, I was able to become an apprentice to the Sword God Bi Huaxuan and learn the legendary Art of the Sword Heart."


    Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli just chuckled. At that time, he had merely been acting on an opportunity to explore the rules of the game.


    He Suoju asked again, "I''ve heard that a lot has happened at Qilin Hall. What exactly is going on?"


    Not wanting to say much, Xiao Buli briefly summarized the situation in a few words, naturally concealing and embellishing many details. However, he still laid out the gist of the story, which left He Suoju dumbfounded. "Monsters from the game can run into the real world? I knew there was something odd about this game, but I never imagined it to be this strange."


    Xiao Buli had long past his time for shock. Information was meant to be exchanged, so after telling his story, he then asked, "You said you are a solo player, so how did you get into the game?"


    "Well, of course, someone sent it to me."


    "Who?"


    He Suoju shook his head, "I don''t know. One day I was playing on my computer, and suddenly a conversation popped up on the screen. Have you read ''Infinite Horror''? It began with that dialogue from the book."


    "Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?" Xiao Buli recited casually.


    He Suoju quickly said, "Exactly, that''s the one. I thought it was some kind of prank at the time and just clicked YES. Then, suddenly, an avatar popped up on the screen, looking like a hacker. He asked me why I clicked YES, wasn''t I afraid of really entering the world of Infinite Horror.


    I just said casually that I wasn''t afraid to die in the pursuit of power or something like that, and then he told me there was a game in which you could gain power, somewhat like Infinite Horror, but it might be deadly, and he asked if I dared to play it. I said I dared, and he sent me the game client, and then I entered the game."


    "Did he take your blood?" Xiao Buli interrupted him and asked.


    "Blood? No." He Suoju was a bit puzzled, "What does the game have to do with drawing blood?"


    Xiao Buli found it hard to believe and pondered for a moment. If they didn''t draw blood, then how was the account created? His mind raced, "Then have you ever donated blood before?"


    "Of course, I''ve donated several times."


    Xiao Buli instantly understood; it was very likely that the other party used that channel to obtain He Suoju''s blood.


    "Did he say anything else?" he asked then.


    He Suoju shook his head, "No, he disappeared after sending the game. It wasn''t until seven days later that he contacted me again. By that time, I had already noticed the unusual aspects of the game."


    "And then?"


    "Then he told me the trial period of the game was over. If I wanted to keep playing, I had to agree to a condition he had."


    "What condition?" Xiao Buli asked curiously.


    He Suoju said, "He mentioned that he would summon us in the game in the future. By then, I must complete a mission for him, but he didn''t specify what the mission was. Of course, I agreed, and since then, there has been no more contact from him.


    That''s how I''ve kept going in the game, and later, I met other solo players who, like me, were given their accounts by that hacker, and they all agreed to the same requirement."


    Xiao Buli felt a serious weight in his heart. Whatever this hacker was, he must know the secrets of the game, at least things that Xiao himself didn''t know, "What''s the name of that hacker?" he finally asked.


    "He said his name was Xuan Zhenzi." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote of recommendation and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 16 Reunion with an Old Friend

    Xuan Zhenzi!? Xiao Buli was stupefied when he saw these three words on the screen; he could not for the life of him link the NPCs in the game with a hacker in real life.If Xuan Zhenzi were a player, that might have made sense, or if this were an ordinary online game, but this was no ordinary online game. How could Xuan Zhenzi be both an NPC and a hacker? Therefore, for a short while, he was completely dumbfounded.


    However, Xiao Buli was not someone incapable of flexible thinking; on the contrary, he was very good at considering issues from different angles. Thus, he quickly came up with two different answers. Perhaps this hacker had encountered Xuan Zhenzi in the game and, like him, casually used the NPC''s name as their codename.


    But there was also another possibility, that this hacker had some unknown connection with Xuan Zhenzi in the game, allowing them to share a name. Regardless of which it was, Xiao Buli felt that if he wanted to unravel the secrets of this game, he had to find the person behind Xuan Zhenzi, whether in the game or in real life.


    He Suoju saw Xiao Buli in a daze for a long time and asked curiously, "Hey, are you alright? Why are you so interested in this?"


    "It''s nothing," Xiao Buli replied. He did not continue to delve into the topic and instead asked, "What are your plans now?"


    "Of course, I''ll stay near Nine Dragons City to see if there are any worthwhile targets. To be honest, after playing the game for so long, besides farming a few rare elites in the wilderness, I''ve never really fought any BOSSes. The places where dungeons are more likely to appear have all been occupied by the great guilds. Trying to get involved is harder than reaching the heavens.


    Now that I''ve finally got a chance, I must look for an opportunity to reap some benefits."


    He Suoju spoke with a touch of bitterness, showing that solo players like him weren''t faring well.


    Speaking of dungeons, Xiao Buli remembered the information about the five-person dungeons he had obtained from the Green Dragon Group. It seemed that the ''Nine Dragons City Library'' dungeon had not been tackled yet. He wondered whether it had been discovered by now. If not, it might be worth trying to farm it.


    However, even though it was a white-level dungeon, he was not likely able to solo it with his own strength. Glancing at He Suoju, the two could be considered friends. Although they weren''t that close, tackling a dungeon together was feasible.


    He asked, "I happen to know of a dungeon, and I''m not sure if it''s been cleared yet. Interested in checking it out?"


    He Suoju''s mood immediately brightened. "Of course, I''m interested! Let''s go."


    Xiao Buli said, "Hold on, I need to check the auction house for some things. Let''s meet at Taibai Tavern in the city later."


    He Suoju nodded, then slapped the table, "Server¡ªcheck, please!"


    After parting with He Suoju, Xiao Buli walked towards the auction house.


    The surging crowd heralded the prosperity of Nine Dragons City''s auction house. Outside was packed with people, NPCs and players alike, a kind of prosperity unique to times of chaos. Xiao Buli squeezed his way into the auction house, took a cursory glance at the auction items, and cursed under his breath.


    All items related to combat, including equipment, elixirs, talismans, and skill books, had all become outrageously expensive. Both NPC and player merchants seemed to see the Demon Clan''s invasion as a major business opportunity, intent on making a fortune. They didn''t seem to consider whether their goods would even sell.


    Xiao Buli had intended to buy some general-use skill books to take back for the others to learn, but this trip seemed to be in vain. After all, spending a high price on basic low-level skill books would be a waste.


    Checking his inventory, the golden-quality giant axe still lay inside. After hesitating for a while, he decided it would definitely fetch a good price at auction now, but Xiao Buli decided it was better not to sell it just yet. He wasn''t short on money at the moment, and it might still be useful later.


    After leaving the auction house, Xiao Buli headed for Taibai Tavern. Taibai Tavern was a pub he often frequented. In addition to its pleasant atmosphere, it was a place where one could gather lots of information and hire NPC mercenaries.


    Furthermore, Taibai Tavern served a special kind of alcohol, which, after consumption, could provide a buff reducing Stamina Points consumption speed by 20% for an extended period. This was very useful for many melee players, making the tavern a natural gathering spot for players.


    When Xiao Buli walked into Taibai Tavern, he found it more prosperous than ever. The room was packed with a variety of NPCs and players, all dressed as adventurers or mercenaries. Some were whispering, others were shouting loudly, some wore armor with sharp blades, others in robes, holding magic wands¡ªit really had the air of a gathering of heroes.


    Xiao Buli scanned the crowd and easily found He Suoju, but he didn''t go straight over. Instead, he surveyed the crowd again for any targets worth noting. He didn''t spot any, but caught sight of a familiar figure.


    Jin Qiaoqiao¡ªan NPC known for selling information, the third in command of the Rat Association. As long as one was willing to pay a certain amount of money, one could buy information about the Nine Dragons City area from this underground organization member.


    Xiao Buli hadn''t interacted with them before due to having the support from the Vermilion Bird Group, but now it seemed necessary to give it a try.


    Moving closer, he clicked to trade; Xiao Buli threw five silver coins upfront.


    "What do you need?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The cute and innocent-looking Jin Qiaoqiao casually asked, "I''m looking for some people¡ªthe former members of Qilin Hall, Zhang Yaoyang, Bai Yunfei, Liu Xing, Yaoyao... just information on one person will do. Do you have any news on them?"


    "No, but I do have news on another person¡ªDu Yibo. Interested to know? Just give me ten more silver coins."


    Xiao Buli snorted coldly and threw another ten silver coins, "Where is he?"


    Jin Qiaoqiao said, "Right behind you."


    Xiao Buli was startled for a moment, and as he turned around, he saw a fellow in a grey cloth robe walking in from outside. The hood concealed his hair and the name was hidden as well, but that face was so familiar¡ªit could only be Du Yibo.


    (Damn, I''ve been played.) Xiao Buli thought to himself. By the time he turned back, Jin Qiaoqiao had already walked away, smiling at him from a distance. Xiao Buli sighed and said, "Come over here," and sent a Secret Sound Transmission message to Du Yibo. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Du Yibo looked stunned for a moment, then followed him to a table in the corner.


    "Hey, is this gentleman a friend of yours?" He Suoju saw Xiao Buli sit down with another person and couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    Before Xiao Buli had a chance to answer, Du Yibo asked warily, "Who is he?"


    "He Suoju, a solo player, I''ve had some contact with him before."


    "I didn''t know you still knew solo players," Du Yibo was still somewhat alert.


    Xiao Buli went ahead and shared the embarrassing incident that had happened between him and Liu Xing.


    Now understanding, Du Yibo couldn''t help but laugh and typed ''hehe'' twice.


    "You weren''t caught?" Xiao Buli actually already had an answer in his heart. If Du Yibo had been captured and had turned to that organization, there would be no need to hide anymore.


    "No," Du Yibo said as expected, "I escaped and have been looking for the team leader and the others."


    "Looking for the team leader and the others? Weren''t you together?"


    "No." Du Yibo recounted everything that had happened in the basement, including his last conversation with Bai Yunfei. An unwitting listener, Xiao Buli became somewhat anxious after hearing Du Yibo''s words. Bai Yunfei struck him as a very mysterious and scheming person, always giving off the impression that he knew more than others.


    If he said there was something ominous behind the door, then it was very likely they had encountered some misfortune. But if Bai Yunfei truly had such a premonition, why did he follow them inside?


    This question seemed unlikely to be answered anytime soon, so it was better to focus on the current problems.


    Xiao Buli asked, "Do you have any plans recently?"


    "Not much of a plan. In the game, I''ve been looking for them; in reality, I''ve been hiding out. Luckily, I brought a hard drive with me, so I can still log into the game. Right now, I''m hiding in a place where no one can find me, focusing on the game¡ªit''s temporarily safe."


    Xiao Buli didn''t ask where Du Yibo was hiding; had someone else asked him the same question, he wouldn''t have disclosed it either.


    "Why don''t we stick together? It''s good to have someone to watch your back."


    Du Yibo said, "I would be grateful for that." He remembered teaming up with Xiao Buli and knew that, although Xiao Buli hadn''t played as long as he had, his strength was still formidable. Xiao Buli also highly valued Du Yibo, as the Five Elements Warlock had several powerful moves that could turn the tide of battle.


    Xiao Buli said, "We''re planning to go to the next dungeon. Wanna join us?"


    Du Yibo said, "Do you even have to ask?"


    The three of them left the tavern and headed in the direction of the Nine Dragons City Library.


    The Nine Dragons City Library was located behind the City Lord''s Mansion, in a very secluded area. While it housed many books, none were of the sort to draw players'' attention; they were mostly historical records and such, with only NPCs and players interested in the game''s storyline bothering to browse them.


    Xiao Buli had always been too busy upgrading his abilities to care about the game''s historical plot.


    When they arrived at the library entrance, several librarians guarded the door as if bracing for trouble. The library''s entrance was blocked by a light screen, and Xiao Buli felt a mix of excitement and concern.


    He was thrilled that the dungeon was still available, yet alarmed that the light screen was light blue, indicating a much higher difficulty level than the five-man dungeons he had previously cleared.


    Should they enter? That was the question. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 17 Above the Ninth Heaven

    "To go in or not?" Xiao Buli hesitated to ask."Enter, why not?" He Suoju said with an excited face, looking like it was his first time seriously playing a dungeon.


    However, Du Yibo hesitated and glanced at He Suoju, "Can the three of us really take on a dungeon of this difficulty?"


    Although he mentioned three people, Xiao Buli heard Du Yibo''s implication, which was really about He Suoju''s actual strength. Xiao Buli said, "It should be about right. Plus, even if we can''t beat it, we can still run, right? At least I won''t have a problem."


    As he spoke, he glanced at the two of them. Du Yibo said, "I won''t have a problem either. Worst comes to worst, I''ll just activate my Fire Spirit Form and run out. Let''s see who can stop me."


    After thinking for a moment, He Suoju also added, "Rest assured. Having practiced swordsmanship for several months, I have already mastered my master''s true teachings. You both can be at ease. Once we enter the perilous place, you certainly won''t need to worry about me."


    Seeing that both He Suoju and Du Yibo had spoken, Xiao Buli stopped hesitating, "Then let''s go in. But let''s not hurry into the dungeon; let''s set up our YY first. It''ll make communication inside the dungeon more convenient."


    The three quickly entered Xiao Buli''s YY room and then headed to the front of the library to see if they could pick up any quests.


    "What happened here?" Xiao Buli asked in his usual manner.


    The old gatekeeper glanced at the three of them and said indifferently, "Are you adventurers? That''s great. Finally, someone can help. This library has been haunted by ghosts for a while now. A Taoist ghost hunter came not long ago but vanished without a trace after entering. It''s likely he''s met with misfortune.


    But let me tell you, the ghosts in this library are quite vicious. If you don''t have real skills, it''s better not to try recklessly."


    Although he was asking for help, his tone was far from enthusiastic; it was as if he was merely going through the motions. Xiao Buli thought to himself that this NPC was a bit odd, but He Suoju was growing impatient.


    "Cut the crap. If we die, it''s not like you have to compensate us. Just tell us if there are any benefits to getting rid of the ghosts in the library," He Suoju said.


    The old man stroked his beard, "Of course there are benefits. There''s a reward of five Gold Coins, no matter how many of you take on the quest, the amount remains the same."


    System prompt: You have triggered the quest ''Ghost Hunting Daredevils.'' Do you accept? Yes/No.


    "Damn, that''s it? That''s really stingy," He Suoju complained, seemingly disappointed with the quest reward compared to what he had imagined.


    Du Yibo said, "What do you know? The real treasures are the ones dropped by the bosses inside the dungeon. The quest rewards are just a bonus along the way."


    Xiao Buli said, "Stop arguing. Accept the quest and let''s go in."


    All three accepted the quest and entered the dungeon one after the other. The scene before them flashed as they passed through the light blue screen and into the interior of the library.


    Despite the light screen, they could still see the outside, but for some reason, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive, and everywhere was dark.


    All three of them were on high alert, donning their full sets of equipment ¨C one in an elegant sword robe, one in a rugged leather armor, and one in a magnificent long robe. Their gear was not average, but with two cloth armors and one leather armor, they didn''t have a proper tank among them.


    However, Xiao Buli wasn''t too worried. Having played the game for so long, he had realized that many times a traditional tank-healer-DPS trio wasn''t necessary in this game. As long as one was strong enough, they could force their way through; having a tank wasn''t essential.


    They proceeded along the library''s corridors towards the interior, surrounded by black mist that obscured their vision. Aside from that, neither monsters nor ghosts appeared. After walking a considerable distance without any encounters, the lack of action made them even more anxious.


    Xiao Buli suddenly realized a problem: if the quest mentioned the library was haunted by ghosts, then the dungeon would likely be full of Undead Monsters. He wasn''t afraid of the undead since he had the Soul Slayer''s Blade, but the issue was being able to see the enemy. "If only I had thought to get Ghost Eye ahead of time," Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    "Hey, can either of you see ghosts?" he asked in YY.


    As a Swordsman, of course I can''t. Can the magician?" He Suoju''s voice sounded very young, which matched his in-game appearance quite well.


    However, Du Yibo said, "I''m not a mage; I am a Five Elements Warlock, the master of elements and the guardian of the balance of nature. But I don''t deal with ghosts either." His voice was somewhat hoarse, indicating that he had been having a tough time recently.


    He Suoju complained, "Damn, if all three of us can''t see ghosts, then we''re screwed. Perhaps we should just take off and run as per the thirty-six stratagems."


    Xiao Buli said, "Not necessarily. Since this is an instance, the ghosts should show up on their own, right? We can just slash them to death when they appear. If it really doesn''t work out, we''ll run. Besides, undead-type monsters usually deal less damage, so it shouldn''t be too easy to die." While he spoke, he equipped himself with Ethereal Armor.


    Du Yibo also donned Stone Skin, but as for He Suoju, he made no preparations at all.


    As the three conversed, they had arrived in a large hall, which seemed to be a library. Bookshelves lined the walls, but the books were obscured by a black fog, making them hard to see clearly. Only a display case in the center of the hall was brightly illuminated, as if a beam of light from the heavens was shining directly upon it.


    Upon drawing closer, they saw three books inside the case, "Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record ¨C Monkey King Volume," "Penglai Secret Chronicles ¨C Change in Xuantian Palace," and "Ancient Gods'' Chronicles ¨C Zhurong Volume." The three books emitted a strange glow in the darkness, seemingly waiting for someone to open and read them.


    What did this mean?


    The three were stunned. There were no other exits around; it seemed the library was constructed like a maze. Xiao Buli instinctively felt there was a problem. Suddenly, Du Yibo exclaimed, "Look, the strange black fog seems to be coming from these three books."


    Xiao Buli looked carefully and indeed it seemed to be the case. Could it be that reading the books would trigger a boss fight? That was quite fresh. His gaze swept over the titles of the books. When he saw the second title, he paused¡ªChange in Xuantian Palace? Change in Xuantian Palace!


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    Suddenly, he recalled that the small temple where Xuan Zhenzi resided was none other than Xuantian Palace, and Xuan Zhenzi''s title was also Sect Leader of Xuantian Palace. Could it be that there was some secret involved here?


    He was about to touch that book when He Suoju, one step ahead, flipped open another book¡ª"Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record ¨C Monkey King Volume." The surrounding black fog suddenly came to life, swirling in from all directions.


    Xiao Buli instinctively executed a Mysterious Ice Slash, and Du Yibo also hurled a Giant Fireball directly, but both the white Sword Qi and the red fireball disappeared without a trace into the fog, which swiftly engulfed all three of them.


    Xiao Buli then found that his screen had suddenly gone black. In the moment he was stunned, the screen lit up again, revealing a magnificent hall surrounded with swirling clouds, incomparably majestic and beautiful. Huge stone pillars entwined with golden dragons whose heads could move, seemingly alive, were present.


    Beyond the hall, countless buildings appeared like something out of the Immortal Realm, yet with a unique grandeur. Hundreds of stout and muscular Divine Soldiers clad in golden armor guarded the temple, lining up from the entrance all the way down the hundreds of White Jade steps. He found himself standing at the foot of these steps, looking up at the temple.


    Glancing at the top right corner of the screen, the name displayed was strikingly the Nine Heavens Divine Realm.


    What was going on? A question arose. He glanced at his side and saw two other people next to him, unmistakably Du Yibo and He Suoju, but they too were wearing luxurious Dragon Scale Armor and wielding Mysterious Gold weapons¡ªa giant axe and hammer, dressed as Divine Generals.


    He was stunned for a moment, then quickly regained his senses. He hastily shifted his viewpoint to check his own appearance and was surprised to find he also looked like a Divine General, his weapon a Tri-Point Double-Edged Sword.


    "Damn, what''s going on? How did we ascend to heaven all of a sudden?" Du Yibo''s voice came through the headset, followed by He Suoju''s exclamations, "This instance is so dope, are we not dealing with ghosts but dealing with immortals instead? Did they just pull us up to the sky to become immortals?"


    However, Xiao Buli thought that it couldn''t be so simple; there must be a problem here.


    Then a voice descended from the temple.


    Announcement Divine General, Tianpeng Divine General, Three-eyed Divine General¡ªattend the court!


    Xiao Buli''s mind raced. Wait a minute; could it be that we three are the so-called Great Spirit Divine General, Curtain-Rolling Divine General, and Tianpeng Divine General? These names sound so familiar. Plus, with the book "Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record ¨C Monkey King Volume" that He Suoju had opened earlier, Xiao Buli suddenly understood what was happening.


    "Announcement Divine General, Tianpeng Divine General, Three-eyed Divine General¡ªattend the court!"


    The voice resounded again from the temple, this time with a hint of displeasure. The surrounding Divine Soldiers turned their gazes toward them. Xiao Buli thought he couldn''t afford to hesitate any longer; he needed to hurry to the temple.


    "Hurry into the temple." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli shouted over YY and quickly moved toward the temple; He Suoju and Du Yibo, though taken aback, followed suit.


    "Old Xiao, do you know what is going on?" asked Du Yibo, running up the steps.


    Xiao Buli replied with a bitter smile, "I think I might have a rough idea, but I need to confirm it to be sure. From here on out, follow my orders. Don''t screw up, or our lives are on the line."


    Soon the three approached the entrance of the temple and walked in. Inside stood Divine Officers and Generals radiating divine light, and in the center, upon a majestic throne under a golden aura, sat an indistinct figure. Glancing at the NPC''s name, it was an unprecedented platinum color¡ªLitian (Ninth Generation Divine King). (To be continued.


    If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 18 The Supreme True Lord

    (A platinum name? What does that mean?) A question flickered through Xiao Buli''s mind, and he thought that this level must be even more powerful than the dark gold one. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.However, he heard God King Litian, sitting on the throne, speaking with a voice filled with divinity, "The Ever-changing Monkey King from the Demon Realm is fiercely attacking our Southern Heavenly Gate. The gate''s defenders can hardly hold on anymore. You three are mighty warriors of the Heaven Realm; in the coming days, you will join forces to meet the Monkey King in battle. Go immediately!"


    "Your servant obeys," "This general obeys," "I''ll resolutely complete the mission!"


    Three people, three different responses. The Divine King''s gaze seemed somewhat unusual as it settled on them. Xiao Buli suddenly had a bad feeling and quickly shouted in YY, "Follow my lead." Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Your servant obeys!" The three of them repeated the line, and this time, in unison, without any mistakes. The Divine King then nodded, "You may leave."


    Before the three had a chance to ask where exactly the Southern Heavenly Gate was, Xiao Buli''s view shifted, and he suddenly found himself outside the divine palace, facing an immensely huge gate.


    Tens of thousands of celestial warriors were densely packed in the air, some riding chariots of the Heaven Realm, some on flying clouds, and others on Heavenly Steeds, all armed to the teeth as if they were about to face a great enemy. In the clouds ahead, an ape dressed in golden armor, wielding an iron giant staff, was roaring in combat.


    The sheer size of this monkey startled the three; it was beyond any of their imaginations, standing over a hundred meters tall, like a skyscraper. The surrounding divine soldiers swarmed the skies like a mass of insects, and just one sweep of the monkey''s staff caused hundreds of casualties.


    The shockwave of the staff turned the skies into chaos, but the divine soldiers were seemingly endless, courageously surging forward to meet their deaths, managing to stall the monkey''s advance.


    The Monkey King''s name was quite distinctive, Sun Liu''er (Ever-changing Sky Ape). His name wasn''t Silver Name, Gold Name, nor Dark Gold Name, but that of a beast with a black name. Upon closer inspection, however, it wasn''t truly black; it was a dark green so deep that it nearly appeared black.


    (Could it be that green names also have shades of deep and light green?) Xiao Buli recalled that Maoqiu''s name was a fresh leaf-like vibrant green. It seemed the deeper the green, the higher the growth rate.


    Xiao Buli had once played a game called "Sword and Hero" that featured green weapons with growth potential, which were categorized by various shades of green, indicating similar mechanics in the Absolute Death Game.


    But even if it was a dark green name, how much would this creature have to consume to grow this massive?


    "I know what''s going on!" Suddenly, Du Yibo next to him exclaimed excitedly, "I bet we''re inside a book right now, the ''Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record: Monkey King Volume'' that He Suoju flipped open earlier."


    He Suoju said, "You mean to say we''ve been sucked into the book and transformed into characters from it? Wouldn''t that make us invincible in the real world?"


    "Exactly," said Du Yibo. "Otherwise, how else would you explain it?"


    "But how could a book be so powerful as to create an entire world? Shouldn''t it be just a light blue dungeon?" He Suoju expressed with some disbelief.


    After pondering for a moment, Xiao Buli said, "Not necessarily. I think what we''re experiencing now seems more like an illusion. Our bodies must still be in the library''s secret room; all of this might just be hallucinations or something akin to dreaming."


    "So this must be a spiritual power attack skill, right? If we use a Control Removal Skill, we should be able to break free," suggested He Suoju.


    "Perhaps, let''s try and see," Xiao Buli glanced at his Skill Bar, intending to use ''Heart As Still Water,'' a skill capable of removing Charm and Mental Control effects to dispel the current illusion, but was taken aback to find that the Skill Bar had completely changed.


    "Damn, all my skills are gone, huh? Oh, Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi, what''s this skill? It seems very powerful," exclaimed He Suoju suddenly in YY.


    Similarly, Du Yibo announced, "My skills have changed too, they seem to be those of the character from the book. Giant Spirit''s Grasp, sounds quite formidable."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that perhaps things weren''t so simple after all; it seemed they would need to complete the book''s storyline to escape from the illusion. As for the plot, since it was the Monkey King Volume, they probably just needed to defeat the monkey, which could certainly be considered an unconventional boss battle.


    He checked the Monkey King''s health points; the health bar was so long it seemed endless. Without Mind Revelation, he couldn''t see the exact number, but it must be in the tens of thousands.


    Xiao Buli said, "You two, report your skills. This monkey doesn''t seem easy to deal with, so we had better plan carefully before acting; those celestial soldiers should be able to hold on for a little while longer."


    Quickly, Du Yibo and He Suoju reported their respective skills, and Xiao Buli included his own in the assessment.


    After some comparison, it appeared that the skills of the three were mostly similar, which meant the roles they were playing might belong to the same type of profession, hence the identical skills¡ªsuch as Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi, Heavenly Gang Transformation, Summon Divine Soldiers, Sky-holding Incarnation, etc.


    Each person had these few skills, but in addition, each had an additional two unique special skills.

 Chapter 18 The Supreme True Lord_2

    Du Yibo''s character, the Great Spirit Divine General, had special abilities called Giant Spirit''s Grasp and Earth-shattering Strike.He Suoju''s character, the Tianpeng Divine General, had special abilities called Wrath of Tianpeng and Heaven Rending Fury Slash.


    As for the character Xiao Buli himself played, the Three-eyed Divine General, the special abilities were Mystic Light of the Heavenly Eye and Summoning Tengu.


    From the skill names, weapons, and character names of the three Divine Generals, they seemed to correspond respectively to the Great Spirit God, Marshal Tianpeng Zhu Bajie, and Erlang God from the Journey to the West. However, unlike the book, the three seemed to be on the same level of Divine General.


    Unlike in the novel, the Great Spirit God was merely a minor role, while Erlang God could single-handedly take on Sun Wukong.


    It would take quite some time to read through so many abilities one by one. Xiao Buli skimmed through them ten lines at a glance and in the blink of an eye grasped the abilities of the three characters. The three Divine Generals they portrayed were also quite powerful, and he had some idea in his heart.


    "Old Xiao, are you ready? That monkey is coming over to kill us!" Du Yibo shouted. Xiao Buli looked up and saw that, indeed, in such a short time, the Monkey King had already slain his way past the Southern Heavenly Gate. The countless Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were scattered in disarray, too frightened to come forward, and now the Monkey King was heading their way.


    Xiao Buli quickly said, "Everyone use Sky-holding Incarnation!"


    While saying that, he activated the skill, and his body immediately inflated like a balloon, growing to be sixty to seventy meters tall. Although he still wasn''t as tall as the Monkey King, he wasn''t much shorter either.


    "Hey, there''s someone who can fight here, eat my rod!" The Demon Monkey swung his rod to strike, and Xiao Buli hastily raised his Tri-Point Double-Edged Sword to meet it. With a clank, it seemed his health points dropped by more than 1000. Xiao Buli jumped in shock; his total health points weren''t even 1000, were they? Glancing at the health bar, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    The Three-eyed Divine General had a health pool well over 50,000, so a damage of 1000 points wasn''t too severe.


    Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi! He quickly activated his Body Protection Skill. Not only could this skill defend against long-range physical and magic attacks, it also improved his own attack and defense power; it was definitely useful. Meanwhile, He Suoju and Du Yibo also activated their Sky-holding Incarnation, each inflating to heights of sixty to seventy meters.


    The three surrounded the Monkey King, and a colossal battle ensued, shaking heaven and earth. The surrounding Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were shaken about like ants, each one screaming but not daring to come forward.


    "Damn, this is awesome!" He Suoju roared, hammering down one blow after another. Du Yibo wasn''t to be outdone, his Heaven Rending Axe creating gusts of wind, specifically targeting the Monkey King''s head. The Monkey King, overwhelmed by their relentless beating, suddenly transformed, revealing three heads and six arms, wielding three iron rods to face the attacks of all three at once.


    Instantly shifting from defense to offense, the Monkey King held his ground against the three. One-on-one, though, they were no match at all and quickly found themselves outmatched.


    "Damn, this won''t do, we have to back off!" Xiao Buli commanded, and the three swiftly retreated. The Monkey King, however, did not pursue. "What''s the matter, can''t beat me and thinking of running away? "


    "Use the ultimate skill!" Xiao Buli shouted while casting "Summoning Tengu". A three-headed Giant Dog was summoned amidst a billow of greenish smoke. The Giant Dog was over thirty-four meters tall, with one head larger than the front of a train and teeth like the bucket of an excavator.


    "What a beast, come here and let Old Sun have a look." The Demon Monkey beckoned. The Tengu bared its teeth and growled but hesitated to approach. Xiao Buli glanced at the Tengu''s abilities; aside from a few general damaging skills, there was one that could reduce movement speed called "Persistent Assault", which seemed somewhat useful.


    Giant Spirit''s Grasp! Just then, Du Yibo suddenly extended his hand and drew over a hundred-meter-tall massive stone pillar, smashing it towards the Monkey King. He Suoju also roared, Wrath of Tianpeng! His entire body suddenly swelled, becoming even bigger and fatter than the Monkey King, and he chopped down with his enormous axe.


    "Good, come on!" The Monkey King knocked the stone pillar flying with one rod and downsized Tianpeng with another, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg. Looking down, it was the Tengu that had bitten him solidly, rendering him immobile.


    "Now!" Xiao Buli shouted, and the three simultaneously bombarded the Monkey King with various long-range skills. Xiao Buli switched to the secondary weapon of the Three-eyed Divine General, a slingshot, and started rapidly firing pellets. With the Monkey King having to fend off the melee attacks, dodge the long-range ones, and entangle with the Tengu, he was instantly overwhelmed and took a beating.


    Though the Monkey King was quite tough, having been hit so long his health hadn''t dropped by half. However, sensing something was amiss, he suddenly radiated a golden light so bright it made the screen blinding, and in an instant, his colossal figure vanished from sight.


    "Damn, that Monkey can turn invisible, search quickly!"


    Xiao Buli was prepared, quickly releasing Mystic Light of the Heavenly Eye in all directions, and after much difficulty, he located the Monkey King, who was already about to escape the Heaven Realm.


    Just at that moment, a streak of golden light suddenly descended from the sky and struck the monkey squarely, causing it to plummet from the clouds, whereupon it was promptly bound tightly by a group of heavenly soldiers who had arrived, using the Immortal Binding Rope.


    He Suoju''s quick eyes and hands snatched up the golden light, which turned out to be a metallic ring, somewhat resembling a bracelet.


    Just as the three of them heaved a sigh of relief, the scene abruptly shifted, and they found themselves back inside the enormous temple. Xiao Buli looked around, noticing an atmosphere of peace and joy, as if the war with the Demon Race had already been won.


    God King Litian was still sitting on his throne, but beside him now was an elderly man with the demeanor of a sage, toying with a metallic ring¡ªthe same ring, most likely, that had ambushed the monkey earlier.


    His name, too, was in platinum, Supreme Taoist Lord (Penglai Immortal Zun).


    Xiao Buli, who was quite familiar with the storyline of Journey to the West, thought to himself that this figure must be based on the Taoist sage Laozi, though they had simply changed a character in his name. Moreover, based on his title, he was most likely the ruler of Penglai Immortal Realm, and God King Litian that of the Nine Heavens Divine Realm.


    The platinum names likely indicated the ruler of a world.


    As he pondered, God King Litian laughed heartily, "Hahaha, worthy indeed of my great generals. You three have done very well. Tell me, what reward do you desire?"


    Xiao Buli was momentarily puzzled; why hadn''t they left the Illusory Realm yet? And what was this about a reward? Could it be that rewards within the Illusory Realm could be taken out?


    Nevertheless, it wouldn''t hurt to try. Xiao Buli said, "After the battle with the Demon Monkey, your humble servant feels his cultivation is shallow. I humbly request Your Majesty to bestow upon me some powerful spells." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    God King Litian nodded and, with a casual wave of his hand, a Skill Book appeared in Xiao Buli''s hands. Upon checking the name, "Thirty-six Heavenly Gang Transformations," Xiao Buli was elated. "My god," he thought, "to obtain something from legends!" Yet he wondered, "Could one really receive such excellent items in a light blue instance? Can this be real?"


    Seeing this, Du Yibo''s eyes spun, "Your Majesty, your humble servant felt the lack of a suitable weapon during the battle. I would like the staff of Monkey King Sun."


    Without a second word, God King Litian pointed, and a glittering golden staff appeared in his hands. Du Yibo was ecstatic.


    He Suoju, upon seeing this, was flabbergasted and muttered in YY, "Damn, no wonder these big guilds so strictly control instances; it turns out you can get such good stuff in them!"


    After a moment of contemplation, as his Weapon Skills didn''t demand a weapon¡ªgiven the nature of the Art of the Sword Heart¡ªhe set his sights on the metallic ring he saw earlier, wondering if it could be the legendary Vajra Snatch.


    Thus, he said, "After battling the Demon Monkey, your humble servant felt that neither spells nor weapons are as practical as Magical Treasures. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant your servant a Magical Treasure. That ring in the old Immortal''s hands looks rather nice."


    After he finished speaking, he was nervous, fearing the elderly sage might take offense, but the old man simply nodded, "You do have some insight. Very well, I shall give you this treasure."


    With a wave of his hand, the Vajra Snatch slowly floated into He Suoju''s hands.


    As the trio was caught up in their excitement, Xiao Buli suddenly noticed the light around them dimming. Looking closely, he saw billows of black smoke emerging around the temple, to which the other Immortals seemed oblivious, still drinking and making merry. They watched helplessly as the black smoke rolled in from all sides, leaving no place to hide.


    They were soon completely enveloped by the smoke, and when it cleared, Xiao Buli found that the three of them had returned to the secret chamber in the library. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote and contribute monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 19 True Person Wudao

    The three looked at each other in the library basement, and suddenly Du Yibo burst into wild laughter over YY, "Hahahaha, I too have an Orange-grade Weapon now!""An Orange-grade Weapon!?" Xiao Buli glanced at Du Yibo and asked indifferently, "Are you sure?"


    "Of course, I checked the color of the equipment as soon as I got the stick, it''s dark gold without a doubt!" Du Yibo''s voice was filled with uncontrollable pride and ecstasy, but Xiao Buli said, "Are you sure you can get dark gold equipment in a light blue dungeon?"


    "Well¡­ let me check again!" While speaking, Du Yibo opened his inventory again, and the laughter in YY abruptly stopped.


    "What happened?" He Suoju asked curiously.


    "Damn it, can''t be! How could this happen!" Du Yibo screamed hysterically, his voice nearly breaking, "How did it turn silver!"


    After saying that, he shared the attributes of the weapon.


    Ruyi Muscle and Bone Staff (Silver - Alien Weapon): This is an extremely peculiar weapon that can change into different weapon forms as requested by the user.


    Two-handed Staff Form: Attack power 11-16, Spell Power +6, Mana cost for casting -1.


    One-handed Staff Form: Attack 8-12, Spell Power +4.


    Long-Handled Weapon Form: Attack power 20-25, Attack range +2.


    Two-handed Blunt Weapon Form: Attack power 18-22, when hitting there is a chance to reduce the target''s speed by 30% for three seconds.


    One-handed Blunt Weapon Form: Attack power 13-20, when hitting there is a chance to stun the target for one second.


    Weapon Note: There''s a line of small characters carved on this stick, ''Ruyi Muscle and Bone Staff, weight 10.8 jin''.


    Quite a bizarre weapon but also quite mediocre, as most people usually only specialize in using one type of weapon. This so-called versatility does not have much practical use, but still, a silver weapon is quite valuable, especially when it can be equipped by different classes.


    "Congratulations," He Suoju chuckled, "Who asked you to be so eager for a stick."


    Du Yibo said, "Cut it out, don''t get too happy too soon, take a look at your ring, I bet it''s definitely not an original, might even be worse than my stick."


    At that, He Suoju''s face changed as he too got his spirits back up. He hurriedly opened his inventory, and a scream followed immediately.


    "Damn, mine is even worse than yours!"


    After saying that, he also shared the attributes of the equipment.


    Vajra Bracelet (Gray - Magical Treasure): A common treasure in the Divine Realm and Immortal Realm, it can be used to restrain enemies.


    Use: Restrain an enemy so it suffers the grappling effects for 5 seconds. Grappling strength is 20 points; enemies with strength surpassing this number can break free from the restraint earlier. Cooldown time is one hour.


    It amounts to a control skill that doesn''t consume energy, it''s just that the cooldown time is quite long, and if the enemy''s strength exceeds 20, they can break free earlier, so it may not be very useful against strength-type enemies.


    He Suoju said, "It''s just a gray quality, this is too crappy."


    Xiao Buli said, "Be content, Magical Treasures are rare items, even a gray one is worth quite a bit of money."


    Du Yibo and He Suoju both sighed with regret, wishing their items were real; unfortunately, they were just fakes.


    "Right, the reward you wanted was a Skill Book, hope it''s not a counterfeit too."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that it definitely was, as if a light blue copy could yield a skill book as powerful as ''Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations''¡ªunless he had a protagonist''s aura, there was a slight chance.


    He opened his inventory and looked, ''Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations'' had turned into ''Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations (Counterfeit)''.


    It''s just one extra word, but the value was completely different, like ''Tai Chi Sword Skills (Counterfeit)'', totally like swordsmanship for showing off. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations (Counterfeit)'': Randomly transforms your appearance into one of the thirty-six forms of Heavenly Gang Beast. This transformation only changes the appearance and does not alter your actual form or physical collision size, nor does it grant any corresponding special skills. Using this skill consumes 40 Mana points and lasts for 120 seconds.


    Learning Required: 24 points in spiritual power.


    It seems like a skill for scaring people, but it might have some uses. If nothing else, it could be used for merging. With that thought in mind, Xiao Buli immediately learned it.


    "What should we do now? Keep going?" He Suoju asked. It was his first time in a formal dungeon; he had only defeated a gray dungeon before and was unsure when this dungeon was considered cleared.


    "Of course, we keep going," Xiao Buli replied, "We can''t get out if we don''t continue." He was very curious about what exactly had happened with the upheaval at Xuantian Palace; he even had a premonition that the story in the book might explain the secrets between Xuan Zhenzi and Xuanxu Zi.


    However, Du Yibo suddenly said, "Wait a minute, haven''t you noticed? The black fog around us has thinned out a lot."


    Xiao Buli glanced around and sure enough, it was as he had guessed. The black weapons surrounding them seemed to have dissipated quite a bit, and those remaining had become much paler in color.


    Turning his gaze to the three books on the display case, the red glow from the "Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record¡ªMonkey King Volume" had entirely vanished, and it now appeared to be nothing more than a regular book. Xiao Buli picked it up and put it into his bag; it even seemed like it could still be read.


    Xiao Buli tapped on the "Penglai Secret Chronicles: Xuantian Palace Uprising" but got no response. (Huh, what''s going on here?) he wondered to himself.


    He tapped again, but there was still no reaction. Xiao Buli didn''t buy it, and as he was about to keep trying, suddenly a giant phantom burst out of the book, "What''s the big idea, can''t you see someone is reading this book?!"


    The three of them were shocked and took a step back, thinking it might be some boss monster, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a messy, wild-looking old Taoist spirit, called ''True Person Wudao - Lost Soul.''


    He Suoju asked, "Could it be you''re the ghost from the library?"


    But the Taoist old ghost yelled, "Are you blind? How could I be a ghost? I''m here to catch ghosts."


    The three of them suddenly realized; this must be the ghost-catching Taoist that the old man outside the library had mentioned.


    Curiously, Xiao Buli asked, "If you''re here to catch ghosts, how did you end up becoming one yourself?"


    "Who says I''m a ghost! I clearly am¡ª!" As he spoke, his expression suddenly changed. "Oh no, where''s my body!" True Person Wudao suddenly let out a scream and rushed toward a corner of the secret room. They quickly followed and found a person¡ªor rather, a corpse¡ªsitting cross-legged. Covered in dust, it seemed to have been there a long time, shriveled somewhat from desiccation.


    "How could this be! How did this happen!" The Taoist spirit circled the body, muttering in disbelief.


    Xiao Buli asked, "You don''t even know how you died?"


    "I''m not dead. I was fascinated by the Demon Book, so I used the ''Soul Out Of Body'' technique to enter the world within the book. I saw an eminent predecessor of our Taoist school preaching, so I listened, and then I lost track of time," the old Taoist''s face turned a mournful shade. "What''s the date today?"


    "Today''s the third day of July."


    "Oh no wonder," the Taoist lamented with a sigh, "I entered the library on the thirteenth of June. I lost track of time in the world of the book and just like that... lost my life... wuuu wuuu wuuu."


    The old Taoist''s spirit actually started crying, but clearly, ghosts have no tears: after crying for a while, his soul turned a shade of blue.


    The three of them were speechless. A ''Soul Out Of Body'' can only last a maximum of twenty-four hours; beyond that, a feigned death turns real. Bai Yunfei had mentioned it to them before. This Taoist really was something else, practically playing himself to death. But his predicament only piqued Xiao Buli''s curiosity even more.


    "What exactly does that book record? Why are you so engrossed in it?"


    The old Taoist seemed reluctant to divulge too much, speaking mysteriously, "That book records a secret history of my Taoist school; it''s not something to be shared with outsiders."


    As he spoke, he tried to squeeze back into his dried-up corpse, but the body was already devoid of life, and no matter how much he tried, there was no reaction. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli, however, couldn''t just let it go, "I don''t mean to hide it from you; I''m actually also from the Taoist school, a disciple of Mystic Hollow Palace." After saying so, he displayed his Mystic Hollow Palace disciple identity.


    "Mystic Hollow Palace? Never heard of it. I''ve only heard of Xuantian Palace." The old Taoist stroked his now semi-transparent beard and his eyes shifted around before he suddenly slapped his thigh, "Since you''re a Taoist disciple, you must know some spells, right? Do you know the Resurrection Technique?"


    "I''m afraid I don''t," said Xiao Buli.


    "How about the Returning Yang Spell?"


    "Still don''t."


    "What about Soul Summoning Skills?"


    In his heart, Xiao Buli thought, If I knew resurrection spells, I''d just charge money on the streets to save people and buy gear, who''d even bother with dungeons? He shook his head again, "Still no."


    True Person Wudao said, "This is a disaster, a real disaster."


    He glanced at the three of them, then suddenly said, "Well, it''s fine if you don''t know the Resurrection Technique. I have Merit Points on me; if one of you can escort my spirit to the Temple and help me come back to life, I''ll be sure to reward you handsomely."


    System prompt: You''ve triggered a quest, ''Reforge Flesh.'' Would you like to accept it? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli was tempted. Although he knew Merit Points could resurrect, he wasn''t quite sure how to go about it. Now, with a ready-made test subject right in front of him, how could he refuse? He quickly chose to accept.


    Although Xiao Buli didn''t know how to preserve a soul with spells, he did have a Soul Absorption Pearl that could be used. He said to the old Taoist, "I have a Magical Treasure that can temporarily hold a soul. However, it already contains one; I''m not sure if it can hold another."


    After saying this, he took out the pearl.


    "Eh, it''s a Soul Absorption Pearl? Of course, it will hold. There''s plenty of space inside for one more; just ask your friend to move over a bit. Old Taoist me is going in to squeeze a crowd," said the old Taoist as he turned into a wisp of blue smoke and zipped into the pearl.


    PS: My health has recovered, and I will resume two updates a day starting tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets or monthly tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 20 of the Classic of Mountains and Seas

    "Wait a minute, I need to ask..." Before Xiao Buli could finish speaking, the old Taoist had already disappeared.Damn, why the hell is he in such a hurry, Xiao Buli grumbled inwardly, it seemed he could only wait to question him after resurrecting him.


    While he was conversing with the old Taoist, Du Yibo and He Suoju had already turned the corpse upside down and even found a few items.


    ''Damaged Taoist Robe'' x1, Talisman Paper x17, and 26 copper coins ¨C this guy looked miserably poor, and Xiao Buli seriously doubted whether this fellow really had the Merit Points to resurrect himself.


    Apart from those items, there was also one thing that seemed of value ¨C a book, the "Classic of Mountains and Seas".


    "Classic of Mountains and Seas": An informative book recording many incidents from the Ancient Times, weird and wonderful creatures unique to that era, and legends about the Ancient Gods. Apart from broadening one''s experience, it seemed to have no special purpose.


    Learning requirement: intelligence 20 points.


    Xiao Buli''s eyelids twitched involuntarily. After the Tao Te Ching incident, he''d come to understand that informative books could sometimes be even more valuable than regular Skill Books; they might hide some special plots or quests. However, requiring 20 points of intelligence to learn was a bit too high of a demand.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, 20 points of intelligence is akin to having an IQ of 200 in the real world. How many people could achieve that? Unlike other Attributes that could be bolstered with equipment, intelligence couldn''t be boosted through Professional Skills. Although the book felt valuable, this absurd learning requirement made it almost useless.


    Nevertheless, Xiao Buli still planned to take it.


    "How about it, shall the three of us bid on it?" He finished speaking and glanced at the remaining Gold Coins in his bag, ready to bleed his wallet for it.


    Who would have thought that Du Yibo would say, "Bid on what? If you want this trash, just take it. I certainly don''t want it."


    He Suoju added, "Yeah, it requires 20 points of intelligence to learn, and it''s not even a Skill Book. If you want it, just take it. I have no objections."


    Xiao Buli hadn''t expected the two to be so generous. However, he wasn''t the type to take advantage of others easily, so he still gave them each a Gold Coin, which made Du Yibo and He Suoju feel somewhat embarrassed. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After they divided the items, He Suoju asked, "Shall we continue?"


    But Du Yibo said, "If you ask me, forget about it. The Monkey King was hard enough to deal with. We have no idea how tough the Ancient God will be. What if we can''t beat him after entering the Illusory Realm? There would be nowhere to run. Besides, even if we win, it''s just a silver-grade equipment, not worth risking our lives for."


    Xiao Buli nodded in agreement; Du Yibo was right. In a game where dying once meant game over, it was better not to fight battles with uncertain outcomes. In fact, if he had known the kind of peculiar battles he would encounter in this instance, he would have never entered in the first place.


    As the three of them were talking about leaving, they discovered the exit had disappeared. Everything around them looked the same ¨C black weapons and bookshelves ¨C it was clear they were being trapped.


    The three of them were stunned, "Damn, what do we do now? We can''t even get out."


    Xiao Buli asked Du Yibo, "You have more experience than I do, have you encountered a situation like this before?"


    Du Yibo nodded, "A few times. Once, I was in a cave instance, and when we found that the BOSS was too powerful and decided to retreat, it collapsed the cave, trapping everyone inside."


    He Suoju curiously asked, "Then what did you guys do?"


    Du Yibo replied, "Of course, we could only fight desperately. In the end, three out of five people died, but the loot from the BOSS earned me a nice bonus. I pocketed a full eighty thousand bucks, and boy, was I ecstatic at the time."


    Du Yibo''s tone carried a faint sneer, the loss of three lives behind the 80,000, he probably regretted his own ignorance back then.


    He Suoju said, "So what do we do now? There''s no BOSS for us to fight to the death with at the moment."


    Xiao Buli said, "It looks like we have no choice but to continue. As long as we pass one more test, we should be able to break the curse here¡ªDu Yibo, what are you doing?" Xiao Buli asked strangely, as Du Yibo was hopping around in a corner, seemingly searching for something.


    "It''s nothing." Du Yibo, who was looking for earthen ground, hurriedly spoke, cursing his luck inwardly. If it had been earthen ground, he could use his earth-escape technique, but it now seemed impossible. The floor of this library was made of bluestone, probably to prevent moisture from damaging the books.


    Since they couldn''t leave, they had to continue. Xiao Buli glanced at the surrounding black mist and estimated that it would probably disperse after passing through one more book''s story. He clicked on the book "Penglai Secret Chronicles: The Change of Xuantian Palace" but got no response¡ªit seemed to have already been deciphered by the Taoist monk. That left only one last book to choose from.


    As Xiao Buli thought this, he clicked on the book "Ancient Gods'' Chronicles: Zhurong Edition." The black smoke once again swept over them, and this time, the three men offered no resistance, allowing the black smoke to envelop them and obscure the screen.


    The screen went dark, then suddenly brightened with an unusually dazzling light, like the midday sun, almost within reach. In an instant, the entire screen turned a fiery red. Xiao Buli squinted to adjust to the brightness. By the time he could make out the scene, he immediately knew they were in trouble.


    All around, there was the sight of flowing magma and rising flames. Volcanoes erupted with piercing wails, and the sky was covered in dense smoke and dark clouds, mixing into shades of crimson and gray-black¡ªa scene resembling the end of the world. Rain poured from the sky, the drops mixed with volcanic ash, forming black, scalding rainwater.


    When the rain hit the ground, it immediately turned into steam and returned to the sky. Thunder roared in the distance, mingling with the shrill cries of volcanoes. Xiao Buli glanced at his status bar, surprised to find that this time he had not become any other character, but was still himself. Watching the scorching lava flow towards him, he quickly hopped onto an outcropping of volcanic rock.


    He looked around. There wasn''t a single decent piece of ground anywhere; instead, there were only flowing lectures. Some solidified volcanic rocks jutted out from the magma, forming disjointed, small points to land on.


    "Damn it, what kind of hellish place is this! Can this be for real?" He Suoju''s voice rang out in the voice chat, frantic as though playing MapleStory. In the midst of panic, he too had managed to jump up, and Xiao Buli''s pupils suddenly contracted¡ªDu Yibo''s figure was being swallowed by melting lava. Xiao Buli shouted anxiously, and the next moment, a fiery human shape burst out of the magma.


    Thank God. Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief. A fire exploded nearby, and Du Yibo, using the momentum of the fire''s blast, teleported beside them and jumped up, deactivating his Fire Spirit Form.


    "Crap, that was close. What kind of damn book is this?" Du Yibo cursed twice, suddenly a loud boom rang out and the volcanic rock under the three of them vibrated, tilting over.


    "Don''t bunch up together, one per corner! Keep balanced!" Xiao Buli shouted as he ran to one side of the volcanic rock, while He Suoju ran to another corner. The three of them took their positions in an equilateral triangle, and finally, the volcanic rock stabilized.


    The trio looked out towards where the roaring sound came from, stunned by the game''s visuals. The world was divided into two different colors; on the left was torrential rain and lightning, gloomily gray and black like an endless ocean, while on the right, volcanoes furiously erupted, smoke and fire filled the air, bright as day, hot as hell.


    These two forces constantly collided, as if two giants were battling between heaven and earth. No, it wasn''t just as if¡ªthere really were two giants fighting.


    Amid the storm, a massive vortex stirred the surrounding tempest and thunderclouds, steadily eroding the fiery side. Meanwhile, from the mouth of the volcano erupted a firestorm that revealed a titanic human form, spewing surges of scorching power into the clouds above, seemingly trying to counter the opponent''s assault.


    The two ancient forces clashed as if to tear the world apart.


    Xiao Buli suddenly understood what they were witnessing¡ªthis must be the great battle between the fire god Zhurong and the water god Gonggong from mythology. But whom should they assist, Zhurong or Gonggong?


    However, he dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it emerged; the struggle between such beings was not something they could intervene in. Simply surviving this chaotic battle would be a stroke of immense luck. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Just as Xiao Buli realized this, a massive piece of volcanic magma, with flames billowing, suddenly hurtled towards them, like a meteor streaking across the sky.


    "FUCK, run!" Xiao Buli yelled. At that point, he could no longer worry about the others. Invoking Cloud Thunder Leap, he shot into the sky and flew dozens of miles away in the opposite direction of the battle. After consuming about a third of his True Yuan Points, his surroundings transitioned from fiery red to black-red, and he fell back down to the ground.


    The moment he landed, he sharply tapped the space bar, gracefully braking mid-air, and with a click sound, he landed on a lifeless patch of ground.


    This place had likely been a magma-covered surface not long ago, but after cooling, most of the magma had turned into black volcanic rock, though faint traces of scarlet still showed through cracks on the surface.


    Turning back, the battle between Zhurong and Gonggong seemed much further away, at least not having any immediate effect on his current location. Only then did he sigh with relief. (To be continued. If you like this work, please head over to qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 21 Stone Monster

    "How are you guys doing? Everything okay?""Still not dead yet!" He Suoju shouted urgently, but Du Yibo spoke at a leisurely pace, "I''ve dug down to the underground; it''s very safe here."


    Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief; he definitely did not hope for anyone to die while raiding the dungeon with him.


    What should he do next? Wait indefinitely until this battle among the deities was over? As he pondered, he surveyed his surroundings, and a strange huge rock suddenly caught his attention.


    The boulder was as big as a house, extremely smooth, embedded in the ground, and covered with a lot of volcanic ash. However, areas that were exposed looked somewhat translucent and were strikingly different from the black volcanic rocks around. He moved closer and peered through the translucent part of the boulder, vaguely making out a pitch-dark object inside.


    Could it be some sort of treasure? Should he smash it open to find out? Xiao Buli thought to himself while unleashing a Mysterious Ice Slash.


    The snow-white Sword Qi exploded upon the boulder, shattering into specks of light, yet not leaving a single mark on the rock. Instead, it caused much of the volcanic ash on the surface to shake off.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but be astonished, thinking how hard this stone must be to withstand such blows, knowing that Mysterious Ice Slash could even cut through steel.


    Without warning, a line of text popped up on the screen.


    "Who are you?" Xiao Buli''s screen suddenly had a line of text.


    "And who are you?" Xiao Buli asked in surprise, responding to the message.


    "I don''t know who I am either. I have been here since the very beginning of heaven and earth."


    Xiao Buli looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, then gazed back at the enormous rock. From its semi-translucent top, a face vaguely resembling that of a human emerged.


    Xiao Buli was surprised, "Are you an Ancient God too?"


    "Ancient God? What is that?" S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    (Seems that it''s not one), Xiao Buli thought to himself, "If you''re not an Ancient God, then what are you? A Stone Monster? A Stone Elemental?"


    "Stone Monster? Stone Elemental? What are those?"


    Xiao Buli was full of doubts and curiosity, wondering what exactly this entity was. However, since it was a being from the same era as Gonggong and Zhurong, it mustn''t be ordinary. Nonetheless, from the way it spoke, it seemed to lack experience.


    For some reason, Xiao Buli felt as if he had heard about this entity somewhere before.


    As he was contemplating how to extract some information from this individual inside the rock, the ground suddenly shook violently. The strife between Zhurong and Gonggong escalated, even faintly affecting their location. Suddenly, with a crack, a vast fissure abruptly tore open the earth, and Xiao Buli quickly jumped aside. The boulder got wedged within the crack and sank as it further split apart.


    (Damn, what unlucky timing!), Xiao Buli thought to himself while typing, "Are you still there?"


    But there was no more response from the individual inside the rock; it seemed to have been cut off.


    Suddenly, laughter came through the voice chat.


    Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    "Hahaha, I''ve dug up so many treasures!" Du Yibo shouted excitedly in the voice chat.


    "Treasures? How did you dig them up?"


    "Right in the dirt, you can see them when you use the Earth Escape Skills, there are so many, practically countless," Du Yibo''s voice was thick with excitement and euphoria, making Xiao Buli itch with anticipation as well.


    He hesitated for a moment, but decided to dig for some treasures first and quickly used his Earth Escape Skills, submerging into the ground below, and indeed, everywhere underground, one could see various colored ores, shining in the darkness like candlelight. He approached a stone emitting golden light and clicked to pick it up.


    System Notification: You have obtained Huijin Stone.


    Huijin Stone? That must be something valuable, he thought. Looking around, there were many more stones emitting light, and he wondered why they were so densely packed. Perhaps it was because no one in this era had mined these things before.


    Besides the stones, there was magma of a deep red color. Xiao Buli carefully avoided the areas where the magma flowed, picking up as many gemstones as possible into his bag.


    System Notification: You have obtained Moon Spirit Stone.


    System Notification: You have obtained Earth Core Crystal.


    System Notification: You have obtained Magic Crystal Stone.


    Such notifications appeared a dozen times in succession, and Xiao Buli successfully packed a dozen different gemstones into his backpack. However, the more he filled it, the more it felt off to him. Given that the equipment and skills taken out had turned from Divine Artifacts to trash, these items would most likely end up the same, perhaps turning into normal stones.


    But with such good stuff right in front of him, it was practically impossible for him not to pick them up, so he kept stuffing his bag until it was full, and only then did Xiao Buli stop, "He Suoju, you''re not dead, are you?"


    "Don''t worry, I can''t die!" He Suoju''s curses came through the voice chat, "But it''s close, damn, when is this fight going to end?"


    Hearing his tone, Xiao Buli knew that things above ground must be quite chaotic. He couldn''t help but feel somewhat fortunate; it was thanks to his Earth Escape Skills and Cloud Thunder Leap that he could withstand such attacks.


    Xiao Buli waited patiently for a while longer, but then He Suoju started shouting again in the voice chat.


    "Eh, it seems like it''s ending. Those black fogs¡ª" He Suoju''s words grabbed Xiao Buli''s attention. He looked around and indeed, black fog was rising from below, surrounding and closing in on him...


    As the black fog gradually dispersed, the environment of the library finally once again came into view for the three of them, yet it was very different from before. What looked like walls were actually the wide entrances to corridors.


    The black fog had completely disappeared, and a few rays of sunlight came through the basement windows, dimly lighting the library''s basement and making the atmosphere feel much lighter.


    That''s it? Xiao Buli was somewhat puzzled. This part of his experience with the Ancient Gods'' Chronicles felt anticlimactic. Could it be due to an insufficient amount of black fog? But where did that black fog come from in the first place?


    That question might never be answered, and the three were not inclined to stay longer. Xiao Buli packed the "Ancient Gods'' Chronicles: Zhurong volume" and the "Penglai Secret Chronicles: Xuantian Palace Incident" into his bag, and the trio headed outside.


    These two books, like the Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record, were readable, and Xiao Buli felt there was a good chance of getting some information from them. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes, monthly passes; your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 22 Book Spirit

    ```"Alright, time to divvy up the loot. Which of these three books do you guys want?" Once they were out of the library and almost outside, Xiao Buli asked Du Yibo and He Suoju.


    The two pondered for a while but seemed to have no interest in these two books. It couldn''t be helped; not only were they not Skill Books, they didn''t even count as informative books. At best, they were miscellaneous books introducing background stories, truly not worth anything valuable. They were so uninterested that they didn''t even feel like splitting them up.


    Du Yibo said, "Forget it, I don''t want the book. Just let me read it after you''re done."


    He Suoju also said, "Exactly, that thing isn''t worth any money."


    Xiao Buli nodded; this was easier and saved the trouble of splitting it. He eagerly opened "Penglai Secret Chronicles: The Incident at Xuantian Palace" and to his surprise, there wasn''t a single word on the pages. He flipped through several pages and they were all the same. He checked the item description.


    "Penglai Secret Chronicles: The Incident at Xuantian Palace": This book has been eroded by some special power, and all the text has disappeared.


    Damn, how could this happen, Xiao Buli felt speechless inside. Why did he always encounter such things?


    In the blink of an eye, the three of them left the library, and when the three of them came out, those librarians immediately gathered around.


    "Fantastic, you three actually came out alive. That''s really surprising." The old man''s words left Xiao Buli speechless, "What do you mean by that? Would you be happy only if we had died?"


    "Not at all, I''m just speaking out of excitement, right. What kind of ghosts did you encounter in there? Why did everyone who went in before you disappear?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, who should I ask if you''re asking me?


    "Didn''t you say there were ghosts inside before? Why are you asking this now?"


    The old man looked a bit embarrassed: "Well, whether there are ghosts or not, I am not entirely sure. It''s just that recently strange silhouettes and exotic beasts have been appearing in the library, and there have been weird noises too. Although no one has died, I had to close the library just to be cautious.


    Later, some adventurers went down to catch the ghosts, but none returned, alive or dead, so I really don''t know what happened."


    Xiao Buli then roughly recounted what had happened down below.


    The old man was startled after listening, "My God, so it was the work of Book Demons. I can''t believe such creatures actually exist!"


    Xiao Buli was puzzled, "Book Spirit? What''s that?"


    "Book Spirit is one of The Four Wonders of the Study, which consist of Book Spirit, Painting Demon, Pen Immortal, and Ink Ghost. The Book Spirit is said to be a supernatural being formed when text gains spirituality, possessing the magical power to turn stories in books into reality.


    However, everything about The Four Wonders of the Study has always been rumor, and I never thought it would actually appear. Book Spirits would use stories in books to fool humans, and could even kill them, but clearly, your strength has defeated it."


    Xiao Buli asked, "Has the Book Spirit died?" He asked this for a reason, of course ¨C there should have been a system notification if it had been truly killed.


    "Most likely not. The power of the Book Spirit comes from books with spirituality. It takes more than a decade to convert the text in a book into its power. Once it exhausts the spiritual energy in the book, it will hide in other books to rest and gather strength, waiting to cause trouble again next time.


    Book Spirits are intangible and can transfer to any book, so unless we burn all the books, we can''t eliminate it, which of course I wouldn''t do. Anyway, I am due to retire in two years. If any mischief occurs then, it will be the next person''s problem. Still, I want to thank you. Here is your reward. Take it, don''t be shy."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, who''s being shy? It''s just three Gold Coins, and you''re acting so generous.


    But even a tiny mosquito is meat, and a Gold Coin would''ve been a substantial income under normal circumstances. The three of them accepted the reward and prepared to leave.


    Walking along the stone path of the Nine Dragons City library courtyard towards the exit, they hadn''t gotten out of the yard when suddenly a group of people walked in from the outside.


    Leading the way was a guy in a Taoist Robe named Chen Chuan. As he walked, he said to those behind him, "I''m telling you, there''s great stuff in this instance. It''s a light blue instance that I took a long time to find, right in front of us, huh? Where did the instance gate go?"


    Chen Chuan glanced at Xiao Buli and instantly became furious, "Damn, where did you three come from? Tell me, did you guys clear the instance?" As soon as he finished speaking, the bunch behind him had already surrounded the three of them.


    ```


    The opponents numbered eight, and they seemed to have brought reserves. Yet Xiao Buli wasn''t very tense, ever since he''d acquired the "Cloud Thunder Leap" divine skill, which allowed him to leave combat at will, he had never been afraid of anyone outdoors.


    "So what if it is?"


    "Damn, just as I thought, we discovered this dungeon first, and you actually stole my business. We can''t just let this slide. Don''t say I don''t adhere to the rules of the mortal world; hand over half of the treasures you got from the dungeon, and we''ll call it even. Otherwise, don''t even think about leaving today." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but find his arrogant words somewhat amusing. "You wouldn''t dare kill someone in the city, would you? Aren''t you afraid of being wanted?"


    Chen Chuan burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Hahaha, the NPCs of the Golden Dragon Legion wouldn''t dare to mess with us. We''re from the Awesome Empire, the reinforcements they paid a hefty price for. It''s not just about snatching a few pieces of your gear ¨C even if we killed you, it wouldn''t matter."


    After boasting, he flashed his guild title for all to see, followed by his cohorts doing the same. Indeed, each bore the suffix ''Awesome Empire''. This Chen Chuan was an ''Imperial Elite'' of the Awesome Empire, and among the others, two were also Imperial Elites, while the rest bore the title ''Imperial Warrior''. Buli figured that Elites must be a rank above Warriors.


    Awesome Empire? Xiao Buli thought they were quite something, recalling that Zhu Changfeng of the Iron Blood Brotherhood had told him about this absurdly named guild. Hearing the other party''s tone, the guild''s power seemed considerable, influential enough even to recruit NPCs.


    At that moment, He Suoju murmured in the voice chat, "Shit, it''s the people from the Awesome Empire; this is bad."


    Du Yibo curiously asked, "What? Do you know them?"


    He Suoju replied, "I''ve had a few run-ins with them. This guild has a huge number of members who are incredibly united and loyal. Among them are also plenty of experts. What''s most fatal is that these guys are fearless when it comes to fighting, acting domineeringly and disregarding other guilds. But because they''re so powerful, few people dare to provoke them.


    Currently, their guild occupies a large city and over a dozen towns and villages in the north, making them a force to be reckoned with."


    Du Yibo said, "That doesn''t necessarily mean they''re all that powerful. Qilin Hall occupied Nine Dragons City, and it fell all the same."


    He Suoju clarified, "You can''t say it like that. Qilin Hall was squatting, but they''ve actually taken over."


    But Xiao Buli caught something in those words, "What do you mean by taken over?"


    He Suoju explained, "They wiped out the original NPC Lord of that city. Now their guild leader is the master of that city. Aside from having hundreds of players, they also command thousands of NPC troops. I''ve heard that when they go after world bosses, they straight up dispatch their army to encircle and suppress them."


    Having heard this, Xiao Buli immediately began to re-evaluate the guild. Considering the strength of Zhang Xiaotian, the Lord of Nine Dragons City, the Lords of those cities must be very powerful NPCs ¨C most likely Dark Gold named. Being able to conquer a city and kill a Dark Gold-level boss-level NPC, this Awesome Empire was indeed awesome.


    The few people opposite seemed to think that the three of them were already intimidated, looking over with smug satisfaction.


    However, after sizing up the people opposite him, Xiao Buli still had no intention of backing down. How tough could they be? They wouldn''t find it easy to deal with him.


    As long as he wasn''t facing the legendary RMB players, as long as his opponents were still bound by the game''s rules, Xiao Buli had the confidence to fight and win. It was just a matter of how long it would take. No matter how awesome the other side was, he didn''t take them too seriously.


    "So you''re from the Awesome Empire," he scoffed. "What a pleasure to meet you. However, you might be mistaken. I was the first to discover this dungeon, and I''m affiliated with Qilin Hall."


    Xiao Buli, boasting with borrowed authority, tried to divert the trouble elsewhere.


    Chen Chuan disdainfully said, "What''s so great about Qilin Hall? They''re just pawns. Besides, haven''t they already disbanded? I don''t care whether you found the dungeon first or not. Hand over the stuff, or you''re dead." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Upon hearing that, Xiao Buli let out a cold laugh. "I did indeed get some good stuff. If you have the ability, come and take it." Chen Chuan didn''t get angry at all but instead smiled. "Hey, you guys do have some guts. Good, since you invited me to take it, brothers engage! Take them down!"


    Seeing the group charging at them, Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate. He shouted in the voice chat, "If you can''t handle it, just run. Don''t worry about me; I can get out anytime." As he spoke, he rushed forward to meet the charge.


    It was Xiao Buli''s first time engaging in PK in the game, but he wasn''t nervous. Fighting players shouldn''t be much different from fighting NPCs. Even though their numbers vastly exceeded his own, neither Xiao Buli nor his companions were easy targets. Moreover, this game wasn''t a lock-on system but more akin to an action game, where superior control could fully compensate for a lack of power.


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 23 The Thrill of Instant Kill

    Among the eight people, three were Warrior Series professions, clad in heavy armor. There were two agile close-combat fighters, two archers for long-range, and only Chen Chuan was from the Mage Professions. Xiao Buli had set his sights on him, the magic system player.Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised to see Xiao Buli charging at him. Having carved out a position for himself within the Awesome Empire, a Great Guild, Chen Chuan was no average Joe. The reason why he had been so brazenly provocative towards Xiao Buli and the other two earlier was because he had many calculations in mind.


    This dungeon was only a light blue dungeon, and no matter how strong these three were, clearing this dungeon would consume most of their strength, probably having used up most of their Ultimate Skills.


    Moreover, judging from the fact that there were only three of them, it''s likely that two of their companions had fallen since people generally filled up the party before entering a five-man dungeon, as the monsters in the dungeons were generally strong, and the more people, the better.


    That''s why he dared to make the first move, never expecting that the battle experienced by the three in the dungeon couldn''t be judged by common sense, so they didn''t expend too much energy. Xiao Buli was completely unafraid of him and even took the initiative to charge at him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Chuan was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. Rune Armor! Four massive forces of Runes swirled around him, protecting him tightly like four shields. At the same time, Xiao Buli also donned the Ethereal Armor. No matter who the enemy was, it''s never wrong to protect oneself first.


    The two almost simultaneously released their first spell. Chen Chuan was taken aback, "Eh, isn''t he a Swordsman? How can he cast spells?"


    Then, they both released their second spell.


    Palm Thunder! A bolt of lightning shot out from his palm, while Xiao Buli swung his sword fiercely, sending a white Sword Qi slashing towards him.


    With such a short distance, there was no room to dodge. Both spells hit their targets almost simultaneously. A flash of white light on Xiao Buli''s body: the damage from Palm Thunder was completely absorbed by the Ethereal Armor, at most fifty points of damage, placing no pressure on the nearly three hundred durability points of Ethereal Armor.


    The Rune Armor facing Xiao Buli shattered under the impact of the Mysterious Ice Slash. The remaining three pieces of Rune Armor were still spinning, but they could no longer fully cover Chen Chuan.


    Chen Chuan was immediately shocked, "What kind of spell is this so powerful? One Rune Shield has seventy to eighty points of durability, and it was broken in one go!"


    He hurriedly called for the others to help, retreating as he did. A Swordsman and an Axeman flanked from the left and right, while another Swordsman charged directly at him. Xiao Buli was relentless, unleashing an Ultimate Skill¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds.


    He instantly tore through the opponent''s formation. He Suoju leaped into the fray, slashing continuously with Sword Qi, easily enveloping both in his attacks. The power of the Art of the Sword Heart lay in its ability to ignore the target''s defenses.


    The two steel warriors in heavy armor who were targeted by him had their health points drastically reduced under his attack and had no choice but to retreat. It was quite a spectacle to see two armored giants being forced back by a Swordsman dressed in simple cloth.


    Du Yibo fiercely plunged his Magic Wand into the ground, causing it to tremble. Under his control, the ground broke into countless pieces and gradually formed into a huge Elemental Golem. That move stunned the opponents, necessitating another two to attempt to keep him at bay.


    Seeing this scene, Chen Chuan immediately sensed trouble. Accidentally engaging any of these three was tough, and now he was in a real fix. It wouldn''t do; he had to focus on taking one down quickly.


    While dodging backward, he shouted, "Kill him, kill him quick!" As he spoke, he fired two Fire Talismans.


    Xiao Buli easily dodged the two Fire Talismans. Although he was protected by the Ethereal Armor, he still tried to minimize the damage he took.


    Although he dodged the Fire Talisman attacks, the three around him quickly surrounded him again. From the front, a Swordsman imitated Xiao Buli''s move with a Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds, the Axeman on the right executed a Whirlwind Slash, and the Swordsman on the left shook his spear, piercing continuously with a move called ''Golden Rooster Pecking''.


    Chen Chuan, on the other hand, did not strike. Instead, he appeared to be gathering strength, seemingly preparing for a significant move. If Xiao Buli chose to use Qinggong to leap out of the circle now, he would undoubtedly be attacked, and without the ability to dodge in the air, he would have no way to avoid it.


    ("They''re really in sync,"), Xiao Buli sneered in his heart. Any other person might find it dangerous in this situation, but he was no ordinary person.


    Cloud Thunder Leap! Suddenly, a bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere, causing the three to feel a flash of blue lightning on their screens, startling them into retreating simultaneously. The Swordsman, unable to stop his momentum, charged to Xiao Buli''s original position, but saw nothing, looking around, Xiao Buli''s figure had long disappeared.


    After Xiao Buli flew into the air, he didn''t hesitate and chose to plummet downwards. Although Cloud Thunder Leap wasn''t easy to aim if not controlled well, plummeting straight down meant he would undoubtedly land back in his original position¡ªa fact Xiao Buli had tested out.


    The Swordsman''s Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds had just reached where Xiao Buli had been standing, and right after releasing the move, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, landing squarely on his head.

 Chapter 23 The Thrill of Instant Kill_2

    This really felt like a thunderbolt out of the blue.With a loud boom, the intense shockwave blasted the nearby military commanders and axemen right out of the vicinity. Since they were a few meters away, the damage wasn''t very significant, only a few dozen points of health were lost, but the swordsman wasn''t so lucky.


    Being a class with low defense and health, standing right at the epicenter, and taking a critical hit to the head meant he sustained almost the full damage. A red number -579 flashed out of nowhere, and he was blasted into pieces¡ªa one-hit kill!


    Killing in the game didn''t make Xiao Buli feel uncomfortable; in fact, he felt an indistinct pleasure from controlling the life and death of his enemies in his hands. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shit, they killed Lin!" the military commander bellowed, "Let''s fight them to the death!"


    However, Chen Chuan''s expression changed at this moment. The opponent''s strength was far beyond his expectations, and that swordsman was obviously a hidden profession, his power unfathomable. Chen Chuan knew they were completely outmatched.


    There''s no such thing as class balance in this game. Chen Chuan had encountered powerful opponents with hidden professions before, and his entire party was wiped out by one of them. He was well aware of the staggering gap in strength. If they were to engage in a hard fight, a total wipeout could be possible. "Retreat!" he shouted.


    "But!"


    "I said retreat!" Chen Chuan roared, thrusting his magic wand forcefully into the ground¡ªa Static Guard.


    Then he turned and ran. Seeing this, his teammates had no choice but to follow suit and flee. He Suoju only chased for a couple of steps, and when he got within five or six meters of the magic wand, it suddenly shot out a lightning bolt and blasted him away.


    While the damage wasn''t high, the knockback effect was quite apparent. Xiao Buli was also hit, but thanks to the Ethereal Armor''s protection, he didn''t lose any health. Still, being cautious, he promptly moved out of the magic wand''s attack range.


    Xiao Buli quickly assessed the situation and knew that the three of them couldn''t possibly eliminate the enemy completely. Therefore, it made more sense to retreat quickly.


    "They''ll definitely call for reinforcements if they go back. Let''s pull out too."


    As they spoke, the three of them each mounted their warhorses and galloped away from the city. Although the members of the Awesome Empire had some background, Nine Dragons City was not their turf after all, and the guards didn''t listen to them. By the time Chen Chuan gathered his forces for a pursuit, the three had already broken out of the city.


    They ran breathlessly for a good distance and only when they were a considerable distance from Nine Dragons City did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Du Yibo complained, "Phew, we finally got out. That hellhole is no place to stay."


    He Suoju sighed, "If we can''t stay, so be it. The monster siege is coming up soon anyway. As solo players, it''s hard for us to gain anything significant, and even if we do, it''s easy to get robbed by those from the great guilds. Maybe this is for the best, so we don''t work for nothing."


    He Suoju''s tone suggested he had quite some prejudices against those great guilds.


    Xiao Buli, however, had other ideas, "Why don''t we set up a guild too? I just don''t know how to establish one."


    He Suoju responded, "You want to establish a guild? That''s not going to be easy."


    "Oh, why is that?"


    "Well, it''s not exactly difficult, it just depends on what kind of guild you want to establish. Guild is what we call it, but NPCs don''t call it that. Of course, that''s just a name and not too important. There are roughly four types of guilds in this game."


    The first type is a trade guild. You just need to pay to register, with the registration fee being 100 Gold Coins. Many large cities have guild managers with whom you can register. The benefits of a trade guild include the ability to hire NPCs, purchase property and shops, and engage in commercial trade.


    The second type is Mercenary Corps, which can also be established simply by paying money. The registration must be done at the Mercenary Guild, requiring only 10 Gold Coins in total. These are generally small organizations, like the Knights'' Order, the Thieves'' Group, the Assassins'' Group, and so on.


    Such organizations can participate in wars between nations, fighting as mercenaries, carrying out group tasks, and Mercenary Corps can also exist as a subordinate organization of a Great Guild. Therefore, under the Great Guilds, there are usually several Mercenary Corps.


    The third type is religious sects, which enshrine a certain deity or type of creature as their faith. However, it seems that they are all NPCs; I haven''t seen any established by players.


    The fourth type of guild is a ''nation,'' which is considerably more difficult to establish. But its functions are extremely powerful. You can do almost anything: conquer cities, manage territories, recruit NPCs, form armies, make laws, collect taxes, and even compete for supremacy in the world. The Awesome Empire is one such organization.


    Xiao Buli was awe-struck. It sounded amazing and somewhat aligned with his initial thoughts, "So, how do you establish a nation?"


    "Establishing a nation is no easy matter; you need to meet two major conditions."


    In the center of this continent, there is a city ruled by the Divine Race, called Yan Huang City. On a high mountain in Yan Huang City, there stands a Dragon Pillar adorned with Dragon Heads. The first thing you need to do if you want to establish a nation is to kill a dragon and take its Dragon Head to the Guardian of the Dragon Pillar.


    You can hang the Dragon Head on the pillar for a fee of 100 Gold Coins.


    Then the Guardian of the Dragon Pillar will make you a Dragon Flag. Depending on the type of Dragon Head you hang, the attributes of the Dragon Flag will differ. Once you have the Dragon Flag, it means you have the strength and the qualifications to compete for supremacy in the world.


    Apart from providing an aura to nearby friendly units, the Dragon Flag also gives you the ability to recruit soldiers on a large scale. When you carry the Dragon Flag, NPCs will continuously join your team as followers. Once you have gathered a certain number, you can assault cities.


    As long as you capture a major city, you can officially gain the title of a nation."


    Xiao Buli asked, "Have you ever seen a dragon?"


    "No, but I have seen quite a few Dragon Flags, though most are owned by NPCs. For example, that Zhang Xiaotian, Nine Dragons City uses the Golden Dragon Flag, so presumably, he once killed a golden dragon. Only three player-established guilds possess a Dragon Flag, and the Awesome Empire is one of them."


    Xiao Buli thought establishing a nation was indeed not a simple task. Killing a dragon and conquering a city, neither was easy. However, to become powerful and expand in this game seemed to be an unavoidable task.


    He suddenly looked curiously at He Suoju, "How do you know so much?"


    He Suoju chuckled, "Well, you naturally learn more when you''ve played for a long time."


    Xiao Buli thought that He Suoju was quite talented. If he was to run a guild, this person would be essential to recruit. With this thought, he couldn''t help but consider the idea of inviting him to join his ranks. However, Xiao Buli was very self-aware. With his current strength, he was still far from able to make He Suoju follow him; at most, they could cooperate as allies for the time being.


    But as there was plenty of time ahead, he was in no hurry.


    With that thought, Xiao Buli asked, "What are your plans for the future, you two?"


    "What else could we plan? Just wander around. In this damned game, guilds are everywhere claiming territories left and right. Fortunately, the map is big enough that we can always find a place to get by."


    Du Yibo also said, "Yeah, it didn''t feel unsafe when I was with a guild, but ever since I went solo, I feel insecure everywhere."


    Xiao Buli suggested, "I happen to know a place that hasn''t been occupied by a Great Guild, though it''s a bit remote. The only nearby power is a bandit stronghold, good for treasure hunting and leveling up. Are you interested in hanging around there for a while?"


    He Suoju happily agreed, "That sounds great¡ªhm, I mean, I was thinking the same thing."


    Du Yibo thought for a moment and nodded, "Count me in."


    Xiao Buli then told them about the location of Black Stone Village, "You two go ahead, I still need to resurrect that old Taoist."


    "What''s the rush? Let''s go together, I want to see how Merit Points are used to resurrect someone." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 24 Nuwa Temple

    How to resurrect Wudao was the biggest issue, but Xiao Buli had no idea where the resurrection could take place. The crazy old Taoist had never explained clearly before diving into the Soul Absorption Pearl, beyond reach for contact, as though he had completely disappeared.Fortunately, his master should know, so Xiao Buli decided to go to Mystic Hollow Palace to find out the exact details.


    As the trio headed in the direction of Mystic Hollow Palace, they struck up a casual conversation which eventually turned to the way He Suoju spoke.


    As a down-to-earth guy, Du Yibo directly asked, "Speaking of which, why do you always talk like someone from the Martial World? Doesn''t it feel awkward?"


    Embarrassed, He Suoju chuckled, "Actually, there''s a reason for it. I started doing this because of a friend''s suggestion."


    Xiao Buli was curious, "How so?"


    He Suoju then explained, "My friend is also a gamer I met in the game, a solo player who advanced as an Arcanist, quite the tall, rich, and handsome compared to me. We teamed up for a while and got to know each other well."


    "During a casual chat, we naturally discussed how to apply abilities from the game in real life, a topic you''ve probably explored as well. I''ve tried using swordsmanship from the game in reality, often failing to perform it or finding it completely impractical in combat. He then shared a trick with me."


    "He told me he initially couldn''t utilize his gaming abilities in real life either, but then he figured out a method. He started imposing the standards of a mage on himself in reality, doing everything in the style of a mage, such as meditating instead of sleeping at night, being meticulous about eating, and even designing his own set of mage etiquette. Surprisingly, it worked.


    The more he immersed himself in the identity of a mage, the easier and more natural it became for him to cast spells. Eventually, he completely embodied a mage, performing spells in the game effortlessly."


    "He then suggested that I try the same. His approach seemed logical, so I followed suit, and it did have some effects. However, I''m not that good at immersing myself, and sometimes I still forget my identity as a Swordsman."


    Xiao Buli was astonished by the idea of projecting a game profession into reality, which seemed to be a form of self-hypnosis with more specificity, and of course, likely more challenging. But if it was successful, it surely would be more effective than temporary self-hypnosis. Should he also give it a try?


    However, the Cursed Swordsman profession didn''t seem to have a real-world counterpart, Xiao Buli pondered whether he should hold himself to the standards of a Swordsman or a cultivator. Either way, it was probably going to be quite bizarre.


    He imagined speaking to people in the real world in the manner of someone from the mortal world and couldn''t help but shiver at the thought.


    When he snapped out of those thoughts, the three had already reached the Misty Forest, not far from Mystic Hollow Palace.


    He didn''t dare reveal the location of Mystic Hollow Palace casually, so he said to the two, "Wait here for me; I need to consult my master."


    After he finished speaking, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. Du Yibo and He Suoju watched the place where the lightning vanished, both feeling a touch of envy.


    Xiao Buli descended to an deserted clearing above Mystic Hollow Palace.


    He did not immediately seek out Xuanxu Zi, but first went to check on Gao Bainame, who had been conscripted by Qingfeng Mingyue, now busily helping with further processing of some equipment.


    "Ah, you''re finally back. I''ve got something to tell you; your follower really has some skills. How about lending him to me temporarily?" Qingfeng Mingyue rarely asked for Xiao Buli''s help.


    Xiao Buli looked uncomfortable and typed, "That''s not very convenient."


    With a slight smile, Qingfeng Mingyue said, "Hehe, you think I don''t know what you''re thinking? Don''t worry, it''ll be worth your while."


    System prompt: You''ve triggered the quest ''Qingfeng Mingyue''s Free Labor.'' Accept/Decline?


    Qingfeng Mingyue''s Free Labor: Temporarily lend your follower Gao Bainame to Qingfeng Mingyue for one month of labor. Reward for completing the quest: 500 Contribution Value.


    Alright, Xiao Buli thought, with Contribution Value on the table, it was easy to agree. He clicked accept, then chose to hand over the quest, completing it immediately.


    System prompt: You have completed the quest ''Qingfeng Mingyue''s Free Labor,'' earning 500 Contribution Values, raising your Prestige in Mystic Hollow Palace by 500 points, increasing Qingfeng Mingyue''s favorability towards you by 100 points, and achieving a Friendly personal Prestige with Qingfeng Mingyue.


    Earning 500 Contribution Value and lending Gao Bainame to Qingfeng Mingyue seemed like a good deal to Xiao Buli, not to mention the increase in Prestige and Qingfeng Mingyue''s favorability. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spike in Qingfeng Mingyue''s favorability was a one-time boost. Xiao Buli wondered what benefits reaching Friendly status would bring. Could it make buying things cheaper?


    But after clicking, he found that the price hadn''t dropped at all, it was still the original price. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel speechless, as this thing seemed to be of no use at all.


    However, Qingfeng Mingyue''s attitude towards him had obviously improved a great deal. After saying goodbye to Qingfeng Mingyue, Xiao Buli made his way to the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace.


    "You want to know how to resurrect?" Xuanxu Zi looked at Xiao Buli, seemingly puzzled, and asked.


    "That''s right, Master. The disciple has learned Spirit Reincarnation, and I''ve recently earned some Merit Points, so I wanted to ask about it. In case something happens while I''m outside, it''s good to have a backup plan," he replied.


    Xuanxu Zi nodded, "Hmm, it''s good to be prepared for a rainy day. It''s indeed rare for you to think of this. Very well, I will tell you. In fact, resurrecting is quite simple. You just need to find a Nuwa Temple and talk to the temple priest there. As for the specific process, I can''t explain it clearly.


    You''ll have to experience it for yourself. However, finding the priest won''t be easy. You''ll need to learn Omniscient Eye first."


    Xiao Buli vaguely remembered the term Omniscient Eye, an Arcanist skill, which was a third-level supportive spell that allowed one to see spiritual bodies and invisible creatures for a short time. Learning this spell cost 230 Contribution Value, and it was good that Qingfeng Mingyue had previously given him 500 points; otherwise, he really wouldn''t have managed to learn it.


    After paying the 230 Contribution Value, Xiao Buli successfully learned Omniscient Eye.


    Omniscient Eye: Infuse spiritual power into your eyes, allowing you to see things normally invisible for a short duration of 30 seconds, consuming 12 True Yuan points. Learning requirements: Spirit 23, Taoist Heart LV3.


    Aside from finding the temple priest, this spell would also make it easier to kill ghosts for experience in the future. After learning the spell, Xiao Buli typed, "Thank you for your teachings, Master. Your disciple takes his leave."


    After leaving the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli used Cloud Thunder Leap and flew out of Mystic Hollow Palace. After flying some distance and seeing two green dots appear below, he immediately descended.


    With a crackle, a flash of lightning streaked by, and Xiao Buli reappeared in front of the two men.


    "Holy shit, that move was pretty cool. Where''d you learn that?" Du Yibo asked with envy.


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "Exclusive skill. No other professions can learn it."


    Du Yibo could only sigh.


    Nuwa Temples could only be found near big cities, and Nine Dragons City had one. Xiao Buli looked at the map and felt puzzled. Why had he never heard about it? He had also never passed by it. It was, after all, a place that offered the ability to revive. How could it not be famous?


    It wasn''t easy to return to Nine Dragons City. Not to mention the long distance, there were also significant dangers since the three of them were being pursued by the Awesome Empire. Xiao Buli discussed with the others and said, "Why don''t you two go to Black Stone Village instead? You haven''t taken any quests anyway, and there''s no need to make such a trip.


    As for how to revive, I will tell you about it later."


    The two nodded, "Then it''s settled." Having said that, the two set off, while Xiao Buli rushed back to Nine Dragons City on Cloud Thunder Leap. After a while, he reached the outskirts of Nine Dragons City.


    He didn''t dare to go directly there and found a secluded spot to fully restore his True Yuan, just in case he encountered enemies and needed enough True Yuan for a fight or escape. Then, he headed towards Nuwa Temple.


    Nuwa Temple was not located inside the city but behind a deserted mountain outside the city. The temple was scarcely visited. Xiao Buli found the Nuwa Temple only then did he realize why he had never seen it before ¨C it was in an incredibly remote place, hidden beneath a cliff behind a deserted mountain. If one wasn''t searching intentionally, they would probably never find it.


    The temple''s location wasn''t just remote; its appearance was also quite humble, just a solitary, dilapidated little temple that seemed to have been uninhabited for a long time. As he walked in, there was no one inside, just dust and spider webs everywhere, indicative of negligence. Only the Statue of Nuwa in the center of the hall still looked decent.


    Could it be that the temple was already abandoned? Xiao Buli thought critically to himself, but since he had come all this way, he ought to at least give it a try.


    While thinking, Xiao Buli activated Omniscient Eye, and suddenly, everything in front of him sparkled with golden light.


    As soon as Omniscient Eye was activated, the Nuwa Temple transformed completely. The small hall instantly turned into a majestic grand hall. Not only was it grand and magnificent, but it was also awe-inspiring. There were also two rows of serpent-bodied, human-headed guards holding spears on either side of the hall, all motionless as if they were statues, every one of them a high-level elite.


    Xiao Buli was startled. It was the first time he had seen such a sight.


    But the 30 seconds of Omniscient Eye were ticking away, and he hurriedly walked up to the hall. Beside the Statue of Nuwa stood another serpent-bodied, human-headed figure, clearly a female. She was enchanting yet dignified, beautiful but also imposing, clad in gossamer, holding a Five-Colored Spirit Stone, and her name was accompanied by the words ''temple priest''.


    PS: I''ve recently rented an apartment and moved today. Finally, I can be independent. Starting from tomorrow, I will burst out writing, and this time I will not drag it out. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 25 Reshaping the Flesh

    Yet the Serpent Lady had no name, her title simply read "Priestess of Nuwa Temple.""Sister, I beg of you. I am Xiao Buli. I''ve come to ask for a favor," Xiao Buli said, quietly waiting for the Serpent Lady''s response.


    "You can see me? Ah, you are a man endowed with Merit Points. You must be here seeking something."


    Xiao Buli replied, "That''s correct. I have a friend who wishes to reconstruct his flesh and tasked me to help resurrect him."


    The Serpent Lady slightly furrowed her brows, "The Merit Points on you are not profound, I fear they are insufficient for reconstructing a body."


    Xiao Buli explained, "Worry not, my friend also possesses Merit Points, and he claimed that his Merit Points are enough to reconstruct his body."


    Having said that, he took out the Soul Absorption Pearl and handed it to the Serpent Lady.


    She took the Soul Absorption Pearl and looked at it, her hand holding the Five-Colored Spirit Stone suddenly flashed with light, shining on the Soul Absorption Pearl. The Pearl emitted a blue glow, and the spirit of a scruffy daoist flew out. Soon after, Xia Zuowei''s spirit also emerged, though it appeared rather weak; both spirits floated gently before the Serpent Lady.


    Xiao Buli immediately widened his eyes, intently focused on the resurrection process, fearing he would miss the slightest detail.


    "So, it''s you!" The Serpent Lady seemed somewhat amused upon seeing the old daoist. "I did not expect you to die again so soon; didn''t you last come here just three months ago?"


    Wudao chuckled and said, "Well, who makes me committed to vanquishing demons, punishing the strong, and protecting the weak? I often find myself fighting, and with frequent battles, mishaps are bound to happen. Naturally, I die more often."


    But the Serpent Lady seemed already accustomed to his antics, asking helplessly, "Tell me, what kind of body would you like this time?"


    Gleefully, he said, "Heh heh, I''ve amassed quite a few Merit Points recently. This time, I can''t just settle for any mediocre body. I want a robust body with Copper Body Iron Bone."


    The Serpent Lady nodded, took a hammer and chipped off a small piece from the Five-Colored Spirit Stone, tossing the fragment into the air. The fragment, like a stimulated cell, swiftly multiplied into countless tissues and cells, heart vessels, and muscle flesh, forming in the blink of an eye the figure of a human male with pale, newborn-like flesh, yet the size of an adult.


    Xiao Buli watched with increasing amazement, and granted himself the Omniscient Eye while continuing to observe.


    This didn''t seem to be the end, however, as the Serpent Lady asked Wudao, "Now, tell me, what kind of Talents would you like for this body?"


    Wudao brashly said, "No need to ask; just give me the best Talents you have." His demeanor reminded Xiao Buli of a young rich man in martial arts movies who would enter a restaurant and say, ''Bring me your best dishes,'' with the same swagger.


    The Serpent Lady nodded and pointed the Five-Colored Spirit Stone at the new body, which immediately began to change. The muscles became noticeably stronger, the tendons and bones thickened, and his appearance went through some transformations, quickly becoming a hulking, muscular, bald man with a square jaw, looking much like a Terminator.


    Wudao looked on with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad at all. This strong body is perfect for this old man. How much will it cost?"


    The Serpent Lady calculated and said, "No more, no less, fifteen hundred Merit Points even."


    The old daoist was immediately startled, "That''s highway robbery! The body I requested last time with the ''Mental Psychokinesis'' Talent was only eight hundred Merit Points."


    But the Serpent Lady was unyielding, "This body has many Talents. For instance, the ''Horizontal Training of Muscles and Bones'' Talent, which accelerates the increase in your Strength by five levels and initially boosts your Strength by five points. Then there''s the ''Fundamental Strength'' Talent, reducing your stamina consumption by three levels and initially boosting your Stamina by five points.


    Not to mention the ''Immunity to All Diseases'' Talent, which enhances your resistance to illness by one hundred percent, and your physique is initially five points higher than others. There''s also the ''Innately Gifted'' Talent, which increases your initial Charm by two points and gives you twice the stamina during sexual activities compared to an average person.


    For such an exceptional body, I am only charging you eighteen hundred Merit Points and you still want more?"


    Wudao was rendered speechless, eventually mumbling, "Alright alright, I can''t argue with you. Can''t I stop talking?


    After finishing, he asked again, "Speaking of which, how many Merit Points do I have left?"


    The Serpent Lady used the Five-Colored Spirit Stone to check Wudao''s spirit, "You currently bear two thousand one hundred and fifty Merit Points. Deduct the fifteen hundred, and you''re left with six hundred fifty."


    Wudao pondered for a moment then said, "Forget it, I won''t save it. This young brother gets along well with me, so help him out too. Just use these six hundred fifty points for it."


    Xiao Buli was surprised to hear this; he didn''t know what merits Xia Zuowei possessed that could impress Wudao, but it saved him from any further dilemma.


    As for Xia Zuowei, who had been watching dumbfoundedly, his spirits soared upon hearing Wudao''s words, and he immediately knelt before Wudao, bubbling with ecstasy, "Thank you, Immortal, for your immense grace. I, Xia Zuowei, will never forget this debt for as long as I live."


    Wudao chuckled, "It''s not just about never forgetting for life, but you also said that as long as I helped you reconstruct your physical body inside the Soul Absorption Pearl, you would repay me by working like an ox or a horse in your next life. I don''t need you to work like an ox or a horse, just serve as my underling for three years."


    Xia Zuowei had no objections and hurriedly agreed.


    Seeing this, the Serpent Lady chipped off a small piece of Spirit Stone and once again sculpted a physical body.


    "Five hundred Merit Points can create a plain flesh body and you have a hundred and fifty points left. What kind of talent would you like?"


    Xia Zuowei asked, "Can I see what talents are available?"


    The Serpent Lady nodded and with a wave of her hand, a long list of available talents appeared before Xia Zuowei.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that there was even this function. Talents were ranked too, with good ones costing thousands of Merit Points, while the worst required only tens. With Xia Zuowei''s one hundred and fifty points, he could almost pick a below-average talent.


    After pondering for a while, he eventually pointed at one of the many talents, and Xiao Buli looked in that direction to see it was a talent called ''Dumb Luck''.


    Dumb Luck (Talent Skill): A Passive Skill that increases your Luck Value by 5 points when you are in mortal danger.


    It was a decent Life-Saving talent, where five points of Luck could play a significant role at a critical moment. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Serpent Lady nodded, waved her hand once more, and a yellow light flashed over the physical body, which seemed unchanged.


    "Is that it?" Xia Zuowei asked doubtfully.


    The Serpent Lady glared at him, "Of course it''s done. What else are you expecting?" After saying that, she used the Five-Colored Stone on Wudao, and a bunch of white strands of light were suddenly extracted from his soul until there was nothing left. "Okay, your Merit Points are paid. You can now enter your bodies."


    Xia Zuowei hastily dived into his new body. It had been encased in a bubble shimmering with Streaming Light of five colors, which disappeared the moment he went in. With a thud, he fell to the ground and after a while, Xia Zuowei struggle to his feet.


    "I''m alive? I''m alive! I AM ALIVE!!!" Xia Zuowei howled madly, his buttocks bare, while Wudao looked on shaking his head, then he too descended into his own body. He seemed much more adept at it; as the bubble disappeared, he landed steadily on the ground, stretched his limbs, and looked down at his impressive manhood and nodded with satisfaction. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    He muttered, "These Merit Points were not in vain."


    Xiao Buli wondered to himself that it only took five hundred points to reconstruct a body--plain attributes, sure, but it was a life nonetheless. But why had Xuanxu Zi said one needed three thousand Merit Points for resurrection?


    "Sister, what kind of body can be reconstructed with three thousand points?"


    "Three thousand points?" The Serpent Lady paused, "Three thousand can sculpt an Immortal Spirit Body. Why do you ask?"


    Xiao Buli realized that was the case, it seemed Xuanxu Zi truly was an Immortal. He then asked, "Besides mortals and Immortal Spirit Bodies, are there other types of bodies available?"


    The Serpent Lady replied, "Of course, the power of the great Nuwa isn''t something ordinary people can imagine. Any type of body can be reconstructed. However, if your Primordial Spirit doesn''t match the body, they cannot be fused. So, as a mortal, it would be best not to think too much about it."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "If one reconstructs their body, can they retain their previous Attributes, Skills, and Professions?"


    The Serpent Lady shook her head, "Attributes are definitely not retained, but skills can be, although most will revert to LV1. Moreover, without sufficient attributes, they usually can''t be used right away; you need to wait until your attributes are enough to execute them.


    Also, forgotten skills can be relearned more easily, with proficiency increasing rapidly, but cognitive skills are not included in this; they can be fully retained."


    Xiao Buli nodded, considering that resurrection using Merit Points wasn''t without benefits¡ªreducing all skills to LV1 would greatly weaken one''s strength, but at least there wasn''t the worry of dying outright. It seemed worthwhile to start accumulating more Merit Points for the future.


    However, there was still one issue: if one could resurrect in the Nuwa Temple in the game, was there an equivalent in reality? And even if there was a Nuwa Temple, could one be sure it would function the same as in the game? It seemed necessary to verify this in the future.


    He glanced at Wudao, who was chatting with Xia Zuowei¡ªboth stark naked. Suddenly, he noticed something; the name above Xia Zuowei''s head was white, completely the same color as NPCs. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 26 The Intrinsic Meaning of Prestige

    ```The color of an NPC''s name represents their strength, while the border around the name indicates their relationship with the player.


    Yellow signifies neutral, green means friendly, and red indicates hostility. While a player''s name is white, the border around it is blue, which is a unique color for players.


    However, at this moment, Xia Zuowei had a white name with a green border, meaning he was now a friendly NPC rather than a player.


    ''Xia Zuowei (Follower of True Person Wudao)'', not only had he become an NPC, but he had also become a follower of True Person Wudao. This was certainly strange. Could it be that a player becomes an NPC after being resurrected in the game? Xiao Buli couldn''t help but think.


    He stared intently at Xia Zuowei. Feeling Xiao Buli''s gaze, Xia Zuowei glanced at him somewhat embarrassed, then his expression changed, "Eh, why doesn''t your name say Xuan Zhenzi, Xiao Buli? So this is your real name."


    Xiao Buli wondered, "You can see my name?"


    "Yeah, it''s floating right above your head. This is really odd." After saying this, Xia Zuowei looked around again, "I''m dizzy. I just realized that the world in this game is completely different from the real one; it''s full of oddities."


    Xiao Buli felt a surge of curiosity, "What''s different about it?"


    "I can''t quite put my finger on it, just feels strange," Xia Zuowei said, then seemingly did something and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! I can actually issue quests! Let''s see, huh, I have to provide rewards to issue them." After fiddling for a while, Xia Zuowei suddenly spoke, "Done. Hey Xiao, can you give me some clothes to wear?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, a system prompt appeared on Xiao Buli''s screen.


    System prompt: Quest triggered, ''Xia Zuowei''s Request''. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Xia Zuowei''s Request: Provide Xia Zuowei with clothes to cover his body.


    Xiao Buli opened his inventory and threw two useless white-grade equipment to Xia Zuowei.


    System prompt: You have completed the quest ''Xia Zuowei''s Request.'' Your personal prestige with Xia Zuowei has increased by 300 points, reaching a level of Reverence.


    There was no quest reward, but the prestige gain was substantial. Xiao Buli''s interest piqued as he asked, "Did you set this favorability yourself?"


    "No, it seems the system automatically did it. When I issued the quest, the system asked me to submit a reward. I didn''t have anything, and it just tripled the favorability instead. Hehe, this is quite interesting. From now on, I might as well not offer any rewards for my quests and just give favorability."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, so that''s how it is. This must be the general rule when NPCs issue quests, but if favorability can replace actual quest rewards, why do NPCs rarely do this? At least the NPCs he encountered on a daily basis usually offered equipment or gold coins as rewards.


    At that moment, True Person Wudao said to Xia Zuowei, "Hey kid, I don''t have any clothes yet and you''re already dressed. Quickly take them off and give them to me."


    Xia Zuowei seemed to want to protest but ended up taking off his clothes and handing them over to True Person Wudao.


    "Eh, what''s going on? Why can''t I control my body?"


    Xiao Buli observed this with a start; he suddenly realized why this was happening. Now that Xia Zuowei had become Wudao''s follower, his every move was under Wudao''s control. It wasn''t just a matter of asking for two pieces of clothing; even if Wudao demanded his life, Xia Zuowei would probably have no chance to resist. Is this the price to pay when an NPC''s prestige reaches a level of worship?


    No wonder Jingci would rather offer Contribution Value or Gold Coins rather than favorability as a quest reward.


    Xiao Buli glanced at Wudao. Wanting to confirm this, he asked, "I''ve helped you resurrect, so shouldn''t you give me the quest reward now? How about a nice piece of equipment for me?"


    Wudao replied, "You''re not looking at me¡ªI don''t have anything on me, what reward can I give you?"


    Xiao Buli said, "I don''t want any other reward, just tell me what happened during the upheaval at Xuantian Palace."


    ```


    True Person Wudao gave Xiao Buli a once-over, then suddenly raised a hand and a beam of white light enveloped him. Xiao Buli didn''t have time to react and was caught squarely by it. He originally thought the other party meant him harm, and he stepped back only to discover that there was no discomfort at all, nor any loss of health.


    Surprise showed on Wudao''s face, "Huh, you are actually a disciple of the Mystic Hollow Palace, no wonder you wanted to inquire about this matter. However, this is something I cannot disclose to you. Should your master learn of it, I cannot bear that responsibility."


    Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned, thinking that Wudao even knew Xuanxu Zi, "How do you know I''m a disciple of the Mystic Hollow Palace? Could it be that the spell you just used was the ''legendary'' ''Appraisal Skills''?"


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    The reason for using ''legendary'' to describe it was because Xiao Buli remembered that almost every protagonist in online gaming novels seemed to possess this spell.


    Wudao replied, "Close enough. Anyway, it''s something that lets me see what titles you have, how high your Attributes are, and the like. How about it, do you want to learn? I could teach it to you and then we''d be even."


    Xiao Buli was just about to agree when he suddenly felt something was odd and asked, "Why don''t you just use favorability as a reward?"


    Wudao snorted coldly and said, "My favorability isn''t something I give away lightly. There have been too many precedents before, I''m not about to make the same mistake. So, do you want it or not? If you don''t, I''ll just leave."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this favorability must really be something crucial for NPCs. But then he also understood that once Prestige reached the point of Reverence, the person being ''revered'' could turn you into their follower. Even ''respect'' or ''reverence'' had various downsides. Whoever it was wouldn''t want to give away their favorability casually.


    Moreover, the higher an individual''s Prestige was, the more disadvantaged the NPC would be toward the player. From this perspective, favorability was both a vital resource and a fatal weakness for NPCs.


    However, since he didn''t plan on raising Wudao''s Prestige ¨D this fellow clearly wasn''t easy to deal with, and raising his Prestige wouldn''t be so simple ¨D Xiao Buli agreed.


    System Prompt: True Person Wudao offers to teach you the spell ''Mind''s Eye''. Do you wish to learn it?


    Naturally, Xiao Buli chose to learn and directly mastered this Level 1 spell.


    Mind''s Eye: ''Heart as Eyes'', able to discern the true nature of an individual. The higher the skill level and spiritual power, the more you will see, (if the target''s spiritual power is too high, they might perceive your action). Using this consumes 10 True Yuan Points, current skill level LV1, requires 15 points of spiritual power to learn.


    After imparting the spell, Wudao added, "Seeing that you have done me a big favor, I''ll give you a piece of advice. Don''t use this trick on your master, the consequences can be quite severe if you are discovered."


    With that, he walked towards the exit, his back to them, and gestured casually towards Xia Zuowei, "Let''s go, kid."


    There was Xia Zuowei, naked from the waist down, covering his lower body and pulling a face as he followed with no room for resistance.


    Xiao Buli mulled over Wudao''s words ¨D why would the consequences be very severe if using Mind''s Eye was discovered by his master? Could the master be hiding some unspeakable secrets?


    Could this secret be related to the changes at the Xuantian Palace? It was utterly baffling. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Xiao Buli left the Nuwa Temple, his mind was still analyzing the information he had just acquired. Wudao and Xuan Zhenzi; the thoughts were similar, but then another question struck him: since the Nuwa Temple allowed for the reconstitution of the flesh through Merit Points, could other Temples also perform certain acts with Merit Points?


    Speaking of which, Nuwa seemed to be one of the Ancient Gods. If such powerful Divine Powers were wielded by the Ancient Gods, why weren''t they more famous? Instead, the Heavenly God Race, whose individual strengths couldn''t compare to the Ancient Gods, held a significant ruling power in this world.


    Lost in thought, he wandered outside. After circling for a while without seeing a Temple, what he did see was a group of refugees, old and young, coming from the direction of Nine Dragons City towards his location.


    He normally wouldn''t have paid much attention to such a scene, as he had seen many such instances of refugees displaced by the Demon Clan invasion, each one a vision of war. However, when he was passing by the group of refugees, someone from within suddenly shouted, "Oh my, isn''t that our benefactor? Benefactor, it''s me, Zhang Zhixi!"


    Looking over, Xiao Buli saw an NPC dressed in Studded Leather Armor looking like a soldier. The name was ''Zhang Zhixi (Thousand Pines Town militia captain)'', a blue name which meant he was an Elite Level fellow. Behind Zhang Zhixi were a few more soldiers in leather armor, some with sabers and wooden shields, some with spears adorned with red tassels, and some with hunting bows.


    They looked much shabbier compared to him, even nameless, all addressed as ''Thousand Pines Town Militia'', all with White Names.


    Xiao Buli recalled that he had some impression of this NPC. Back when he helped evacuate refugees from Thousand Pines Town, many NPC soldiers had joined the escort, some were from the official Golden Dragon Legion and others were local Militia from Thousand Pines Town. At that time, they helped him fight the Demon Clan. Although their fighting ability wasn''t much, they still played a role.


    Zhang Zhixi was the leader of those militiamen, who, to his recollection, had decent combat strength. Unexpectedly, he ran into him here.


    He stopped and approached, "Where are you headed? Why not enter the city?"


    Zhang Zhixi expressed righteous indignation, "Don''t get me started. Not only has the Lord abandoned all the outlying villages, but he also issued an order recently that anyone entering the city must pay a ''City Defense Donation'' fee. We barely escaped with our lives, so how could we have any money to pay it?


    That''s why we had no choice but to leave Nine Dragons City and head south, hoping to find a safe place." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 27 Headless Knight

    Xiao Buli inwardly nodded his agreement. Although the command seemed uncompassionate, it was a necessary decision for a qualified ruler to make. After all, Nine Dragons City could only accommodate so many disaster victims, and such an order was essential to both increase military funding and limit the number of people entering the city.However, he certainly wouldn''t voice it now. Instead, he joined in cursing Zhang Xiaotian for a few sentences. He glanced at the refugees, who were the same ones who had fled from Thousand Pines Town, though their numbers seemed to have diminished to a little over a hundred. There were about a dozen militiamen among them, making up a tenth of the group.


    The missing ones were probably killed by monsters on the way. Bull Rush Plain was relatively safe, but only in comparison. There were still many minor monsters.


    The former mayor of Thousand Pines Town squeezed through the crowd to speak, "Righteous Warrior, it''s been a while. As a native of Nine Dragons City, do you know any suitable places nearby for us to settle down?"


    If it had been earlier, Xiao Buli would have immediately begun planning for them, finding a safe location for them to settle. However, since he understood the rules about NPC tasks and the giving of Prestige, Xiao Buli had a different idea now.


    Obviously, the Prestige given from the tasks posted by NPCs was greatly related to the NPCs'' circumstances and the rewards they could offer.


    The more generous the reward that an NPC could afford, the less Prestige they needed to pay. Conversely, the poorer the reward, the more Prestige would be given. If there was no reward, the Prestige could potentially be doubled.


    Also, in times of crisis, Prestige could be doubled as well. For instance, a significant reason why Xia Zuowei became a follower of True Person Wudao was likely because Wudao provided significant help during a critical moment of life and death for Xia, and since Xia had no rewards to offer Wudao, Wudao''s Prestige toward Xia reached the level of worship, prompting him to take Xia as a follower.


    Like when he subjugated Gao Bainame, or when Yaoyao tamed Niu Dazhuang; they offered significant help during life and death situations, boosting their Prestige to worship level. This shows that the greater the crisis, the more Prestige is allocated by the task reward system. With that in mind, let the crisis come even more fiercely.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli''s lips curled into a slight smile, "Mayor, what are your plans for the future? Where do you intend to settle down?"


    The old mayor, unfamiliar with the geography around Nine Dragons City, replied with a frown, "The safer the place, the better, of course. Do you have any good suggestions, Righteous Warrior?"


    Xiao Buli pondered and said, "A day''s journey south, there is Anping Village, which should be somewhat safer. But there are many beasts and villains along the way, and it won''t be easy to reach safely."


    The mayor hesitated for a long time, then suddenly clenched his teeth as if making a great decision, "Righteous Warrior, could you possibly escort us there? I will surely repay your kindness."


    System prompt: You have triggered the task ''The Great Migration''. Do you wish to accept, Yes/No.


    The Great Migration: Escort the refugees of Thousand Pines Town to Anping Village. Task reward, 30 silver coins.


    Escort missions were typically troublesome and, considering Anping Village was a day''s journey from here for a modest reward of thirty silver coins, Xiao Buli would never have considered it under normal circumstances. But now, the lesser the reward, the better it seemed to him.


    Xiao Buli nodded with a smile, "It is my duty." Having said that, he clicked to accept the task.


    And so, the refugees of Thousand Pines Town set out on their way.


    The Bull Rush Plain was ultimately a low-level region. Overall, it was relatively safe. With a large number of people and militiamen to aid in the fight, the few minor monsters they encountered didn''t dare to approach, posing little danger. However, when they passed by a river, they encountered a river monster, an elite-level beast.


    Normally, at least a few in the group would have perished, but with Xiao Buli there, it wasn''t the case. He dispatched the creature swiftly, and when a militiaman got injured, Resurrection Skills mended him quickly. The group then safely made it across the river.


    As darkness fell and with quite a distance still from Anping Village, the refugees from Thousand Pines Town had to stop to camp for the night.


    Xiao Buli turned to the mayor and said, "The night is late. I must take my leave for now. I shall return tomorrow to escort everyone."


    The mayor nodded his head, "Worthy one, feel free to leave as you please." He wasn''t afraid Xiao Buli wouldn''t come back, for then he would forego the task reward. Besides, Anping Village was only about half a day away, and he anticipated no great danger.


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    Xiao Buli walked a few steps before suddenly saying, "Oh, I almost forgot. There''s a Mass Burial Mound nearby, and at night when the Yin Energy is strongest, ghosts come out to prey on the living. You should be careful and light more torches."


    The mayor was terrified, "Righteous Warrior, please wait! Is what you just said true?"


    No wonder the mayor turned pale; ghosts in this game were an insurmountable threat to ordinary people¡ªunseen and intangible. If the local villagers had a protective spirit, they might be safe, but that was hardly the case in the wilderness. Although ghosts had weak attack power and low aggression, they couldn''t be warded off and ignored defenses.


    If ghosts from the Mass Burial Mound really came out to kill at night, by morning, some would undoubtedly have died.

 Chapter 27 Headless Knight_2

    Xiao Buli nodded and said, "I would certainly not joke about such matters."However, the old village chief said, "Righteous Warrior, please don''t leave. Can you not stay and protect us?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "We had only agreed to hastily escort everyone to Anping Village, ah. These ghost apparitions are not something I can handle."


    The old village chief wanted to say more, but hesitated as the sky had already darkened.


    Xiao Buli turned to leave, but the old village chief grabbed hold of him, "Righteous Warrior, you can''t just abandon us. I beg you."


    System prompt: Mission triggered, ''Nightfall Approaches''. Accept? Yes/No.


    Nightfall Approaches: Protect the residents of Thousand Pines Town through the night. Reward: 10 silver coins, reward decreases with each death.


    Xiao Buli chuckled and naturally chose to accept.


    Suddenly, a villager screamed in terror, as though something had grabbed him, "Oh heavens, something just grabbed me, no good, there''s a ghost!"


    Ghosts in this world are very common, which is why, come nightfall, few people are willing to stay outdoors. Now, as the villagers became aware of the ghosts around them, they started to panic and scream, even the militia were in a state of chaos.


    Facing monsters, they might be supported by their courage, but against ghosts, which lack even a shadow to be seen, this type of intangible attack only deepened their fear.


    "Don''t run around in a panic, gather together, so I can protect everyone," Xiao Buli said as he activated Omniscient Eye, and to his dismay, he saw pale, translucent ghosts everywhere. Several were attacking the villagers nearby.


    Although the ghosts were weak, they were invisible and intangible, leaving the villagers with no means to fight back¡ªthey could only dodge awkwardly, and some even squeezed into groups, hoping the ghosts would go after others instead.


    Xiao Buli rushed forward and with one slash of his sword, a ghost immediately dissipated into nothing.


    System prompt: Killed a fragmented soul, gained 45 Practical Experience points.


    It was too easy, Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    Sunfire Sword Qi¡ªAs True Origin Points were infused, the Soul Slayer''s Blade shone brilliantly. Though spells would usually only cause minor damage, this spell''s power was somewhat enhanced, and with Xiao Buli current strength, killing these ghosts was as easy as slicing vegetables. In a moment, he had eradicated several nearby ghosts and earned more than 500 Practical Experience points.


    Unfortunately, perhaps because he had cleared them once before, there were not as many ghosts as he had expected, and he quickly dispatched them all.


    Xiao Buli was somewhat disappointed because the easier the mission, the less favorability he gained. A thought struck him; since the villagers couldn''t see the ghosts anyway, he simply pretended to be engaged in battle, wildly swinging his weapon into the air, hacking at nothing for quite some time before stopping.


    "Huff, huff, huff, thankfully I have this divine sword given to me by my master. Those ghosts were ferocious, but luckily I managed to luckily win the battle," Xiao Buli said, feigning a prolonged fight and even imitated the sounds of combat. The old village chief was very grateful, "Thank you, Righteous Warrior. Unfortunately, having wandered for so long, we have little left to offer as a reward."


    Xiao Buli replied, "Meeting is fate; let''s not talk of rewards."


    While they were speaking, Xiao Buli''s gaze toward the distance turned cold. In the pitch-black night, a knight exuding an aura of death was rapidly approaching them. Both the knight and his horse glowed with a ghostly green, and the knight''s head was not on his neck but hanging beneath the horse''s neck.


    He waved an iron spear in his hand, and his armor was filled with arrows like a hedgehog, suggesting how many arrows he had taken before his death.


    As the knight charged toward them, swinging his spear as if reliving the battles of his past life, Xiao Buli glanced at the monster''s name, ''Soul of Li Quan - Headless Captain''. It was a deep blue high-level elite. It was the first time Xiao Buli had seen such a creature, reminding him of the Soul of Meng Zhao. These two seemed like they were both ghosts of the Black Dragon Legion.


    Their strength likely wasn''t weak, suggesting a tough battle lay ahead.


    Xiao Buli once again drew the Soul Slayer''s Blade, which seemed to sense the approaching strong opponent and let out a piercing ring. Overall, Xiao Buli wasn''t too concerned. Although Li Quan was a high-level elite, with his current strength, facing a high-level elite one-on-one wasn''t an extraordinary matter anymore.


    Furthermore, Li Quan was a ghost, and Xiao Buli wielded the Soul Slayer''s Blade, a weapon designed to counter such adversaries. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Li Quan drew closer, the villagers of Thousand Pines Town felt that something was amiss¡ªthe air seemed to have grown colder. A chill wind blew, and everyone retreated in unison. The old village chief''s eyes were filled with horror, "Hero, we''re counting on you now!?"


    "Rest assured, everyone," Xiao Buli said indifferently. "Watch as I take down that Ghost King."


    After fortifying himself with Omniscient Eye, he raised his sword to meet the challenge. "Mysterious Ice Slash!" Xiao Buli swung his blade, sending a Sword Qi slash toward his opponent.


    Li Quan, however, struck the Sword Qi precisely in the middle with a thrust of his spear from midair¡ªa perfect combination of precision and speed¡ªsplitting the Sword Qi Slash into two.


    Still, the residual Sword Qi continued toward him and managed to create a gash in the shoulder of his armor. White light spilled from the opening like a lantern leaking light. Li Quan roared in anger and charged forward.

 Chapter 27 Headless Knight_3

    Xiao Buli didn''t panic. To deal with such fast sprinting targets, there was only one move¡ª"Palm Thunder." With a crackling blast of lightning, Li Quan got hit squarely, and his charging momentum immediately paused.The damage inflicted wasn''t too high, after all, ordinary magic damage could only deal half the damage to the undead, but it was much more effective than an attack that would be completely immune.


    Seizing the moment Li Quan paused, Xiao Buli executed "Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds" and attacked fiercely.


    Swipe, swipe, swipe¡ªover a dozen slashes later, although ghosts were immune to physical attacks and took less damage from spells, their health points were significantly lower than those of living units. This could be seen as a shortcoming; Li Quan had only a little over five hundred health points, which were cut down by half in an instant.


    However, Li Quan didn''t engage in a grapple and instead fled on his horse, with hooves that didn''t touch the ground, floating away, silently gliding to the side in the blink of an eye. But Xiao Buli, unyielding in his principles, activated "Skimming Shadow Steps" and chased after him closely.


    Li Quan seemed to be able to see through Xiao Buli''s invisibility; his spear stabbed fiercely in rapid succession, enveloping Xiao Buli in a barrage of strikes. Xiao Buli hastily executed "Chaotic Shadow Split" to dodge and slashed again at the horse''s rear. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two of them went back and forth¡ªone on horseback, leaping and darting with a light saber, the other swirling his spear in "Wild Dance," merged with the horse, making it hard to distinguish the combatants. Sounds of clashing weapons intermittently filled the air; although the villagers couldn''t see the details of the battle, the sounds alone were enough to conjure the intensity of the fight.


    As the battle dragged on, Xiao Buli''s ability to heal and support himself became an evident advantage. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    Seeing Li Quan''s wounds multiplying and glimmering scars covering his body, as his speed gradually decreased, Xiao Buli took advantage of a tired move from Li Quan, leaped onto the horseback with a "Leaping from Dry Land" and delivered a relentless flurry of "Gale Sword Skills" attacks at close range.


    Li Quan took three sword strikes in succession, finally bursting into white light, fell from the horse, and dissipated into a puff of smoke, leaving Xiao Buli to heave a sigh of relief. But he then noticed, to his surprise, that Li Quan had left behind a pile of ash-like remains.


    He found it odd; could ghosts also drop equipment? It was his first time encountering such a phenomenon; he guessed that probably only BOSS-level ghosts were granted this privilege.


    Clicking to loot, two items popped up.


    Shattered Soul Crystal (Light Blue - Material): This is a crystal-clear crystalline substance that emits a strange glow. It is said to be a crystal condensed from souls and is a highly precious material.


    The second item was a piece of worn black cloth with faint patterns of dragon claws, though too worn to be seen clearly.


    Black Dragon King Flag Fragment (Quest Item): This piece of black fabric appears to be part of a King''s Banner. Using this item can trigger a quest.


    Upon seeing these drops, Xiao Buli was thrilled; what luck, what enormous luck! Although not equipment, they were even better than the average gear.


    The Shattered Soul Crystal could be used for Refining Treasure, and the quest that could be triggered by the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment was clearly no ordinary task. After hesitating briefly, curiosity got the better of Xiao Buli, and he clicked to initiate the quest.


    System Prompt: Quest triggered, ''Will of the Black Dragon Legion.'' Collect seven fragments of the Black Dragon King Flag to restore it in full. Accept/Decline?


    However, there was no indication of the quest reward. Such quests typically have great rewards. Xiao Buli didn''t understand why before, but now he knew¡ªit''s because there''s no person giving the quest, implying there''s no compensation with Prestige Points for the quest item, meaning the reward must be superior to that of ordinary quests.


    Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate to accept. After all, this quest didn''t seem to be time-constrained.


    This was a quest to be done gradually. As for finding the other six fragments, Xiao Buli already had some clues. The remnants of the Black Dragon Legion would likely have them, or they could also drop from other undead of the Black Dragon Legion.


    After eliminating the Headless Knight, an elite undead, there were no signs of ghosts in the vicinity.


    Just then, a system prompt popped up on Xiao Buli''s screen.


    System Prompt: Completed the quest ''Dusk Approaches.'' Reward: 10 silver coins. Your Prestige with the Wanderers of Thousand Pines Town has increased by 900 points, reaching the level of Respect.


    Last time, when Xiao Buli helped the refugees of Thousand Pines Town flee their homeland, his Prestige was already high, and this time it reached the level of Respect. Of course, it was still some distance from the Worship level he aimed for, but time was on his side, and there was no rush to advance.


    This time, Thousand Pines Town could only afford 10 silver coins as a quest reward. Next time they might not even have 10 silver coins, but the rewards in Prestige could be over a thousand for a single quest. If he kept on getting such quests, reaching the level of Worship might not be impossible. If he did reach Worship, perhaps the over one hundred refugees would pledge allegiance to him?


    Thinking of this possibility, Xiao Buli started feeling excited. Looking at the shivering group of refugees under the night sky, they might just be the beginning of his dominance in this world. He couldn''t help but dream. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 28 The Fat Man Who Played Games

    "Phew, boss, are you done yet? I''m so hungry," Gu Shaobang suddenly said from behind Xiao Buli.Xiao Buli turned around to look and realized that although they were still in front of their computers, their characters had all returned to the village, probably because it was too dangerous outside after dark. This was to be expected, after all, he had repeatedly reminded them of this.


    "You guys are planning to log off too, huh? How was the game?"


    As Xiao Buli casually asked, he logged out of the game. Li Shuren''s face lit up with excitement, "This game is so magical. Honestly, I still can''t figure out how it''s made. Do you think it could be alien technology?"


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh to himself, thinking that even improbable things like alien technology had been invented.


    But it might not be impossible after all, given how amazing the game was; it seemed difficult to achieve with Earth''s current technology, yet it wasn''t entirely out of the question.


    Xie Tiankong said, "Who cares what kind of game it is, as long as it''s fun. Anyway, I can tell that later on in the game, it will definitely involve leading troops in battle and it''s going to be awesome. Intelligent NPCs, man; you don''t even need to control them, just give orders, just thinking about it is exciting."


    Xiao Ge commented, "Never mind leading troops, in my view, the best part of the game is how great the controls are. If you''re skilled enough, you can definitely win against stronger opponents, and the sense of impact is just so satisfying. When I was killing wild dogs today, it felt like my blade was cutting flesh with every strike."


    Shocked, Xiao Buli asked, "You killed wild dogs?" No wonder he was surprised; wild dogs were formidable enemies for newbies.


    Xiao Ge said, "Yeah, and not just one. I killed several of them. I could have killed a few more if I hadn''t run out of Physical Strength."


    Xiao Ge seemed to mention it casually, but pride was evident in his eyes. No wonder, since Xiao Buli had previously stressed the wild dogs'' strength, and Xiao Ge had managed to kill them right off the bat. This surely implied he was even more skilled than the guild leader! S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, he knew he only had an advantage in terms of operating the game. If it came down to analytics, his ability to analyze the game was far from matching Xiao Buli''s.


    However, although today''s battle had its risky moments, in the end, it was an easy victory, and his skills were indeed formidable.


    Han Wenhuan disagreed, "No matter how strong one person is, there''s a limit. In the end, it''s the numbers that count. Wait till I can lead troops, then outdoor bosses or whatever will be a piece of cake."


    But Xiao Buli remembered something that had just happened, "Speaking of which, I''ve just found a bunch of refugees. If we''re lucky, we should be able to take them in."


    Upon hearing this, Han Wenhuan got excited and began to eagerly inquire about the refugees. After a discussion, everyone was more thrilled than the next.


    Just then, their stomachs began to rumble.


    Having started playing before lunch and not eating much, by this time they were all quite hungry. The intense involvement in the game had made them less aware of their hunger, but now that they had stopped, they felt an immense emptiness and were practically starving.


    Xiao Buli suggested, "Let''s go out and get something to eat first."


    Everyone nodded in agreement, "Speaking of which, is there anything tasty in the north?" asked Han Wenhuan, known among them as a food lover.


    They were all somewhat unfamiliar with the North, but Li Shuren laughed and said, "I''m from the North, so I know what''s good here. Leave this to me."


    The group left the villa, called a taxi, and headed towards the city center.


    The small coastal city wasn''t very large, but it was pretty and coupled with broad streets and bright neon lights, it also had a bit of a holiday resort feel. They asked the driver to find a decent restaurant nearby. The driver readily agreed, and soon they arrived at a noodle shop.


    Seeing the sign ''American California Beef Noodle King'', Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh. This chain seemed to be everywhere.


    Han Wenhuan wasn''t pleased, "I say, driver, is this the place you bring us to?"


    The driver replied, "This place isn''t bad, but where would you like to go then?"


    Han Wenhuan said, "Of course somewhere more upscale. We guys have just moved here; we''ve got to celebrate with a good meal." Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    The driver said, "I see I misjudged you. Let me take you to a nicer place."


    They got back in the car and this time, arrived in front of a buffet restaurant¡ªThe Sea Dragon Buffet.


    "This is the best buffet in town, ninety-eight per person and you can eat all the seafood you want."


    Han Wenhuan approved, "Now that''s more like it." After paying the fare, they entered the restaurant, indeed able to eat all the seafood they desired¡ªprawns, crabs, langoustines, scallops, and a wide variety of meat, although most guests came specifically for the seafood.


    The eating method was simple, with a cooker in the middle of the table, divided by metal grids. Whatever they wanted to eat, they just needed to blanch it there.


    Starving, everyone got a big bowl and started cooking, eating to their hearts'' content while discussing the day''s gains in the game.


    Xiao Ge was the first to speak: "So, about today, I learned harvesting but I didn''t grasp the One-handed Sword specialty. Instead, I mastered the Alien Weapon specialty, and I even got a skill called ''Harvest Slash.''"

 Chapter 28 The Fat Man Who Played Games_2

    Xiao Buli mused to himself that such things could happen, "Honestly, this is my first time hearing about it, too. Go ahead and practice for now. Since there are no strict weapon restrictions in this game, you can still learn swordplay later and learn harvesting in another place. After all, it doesn''t hurt to have more skills."


    Xiao Ge said, "That works for me. The scythe is pretty cool as a weapon, especially that move ''Harvest Slash.'' There''s a chance it will sever limbs, and I can often cut off the legs of wild dogs, which then slows them down and makes them easy to kill."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, no wonder he could take on wild dogs alone.


    Han Wenhuan also shared his experience, "Today I managed to level my farming up to LV6. In a couple of days, I guess I''ll hit LV10, and then I should be able to learn spear techniques, right?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, as he swallowed a big piece of scallop. That was when Gu Shaobang suddenly said, "By the way, Guild Master, you said that learning spells is hard, but how come I learned one on the first day?"


    "What!?" Xiao Buli was startled, "Really? You''re joking, right?"


    Gu Shaobang replied, "No, I''m serious. I won a game of chess against an old man, and afterwards he taught me a spell called ''Flame Spirit Wave.'' It''s said to be ancient witchcraft and is quite powerful."


    Xiao Buli was puzzled, "Have you unlocked the Mana system now? How can you use spells?"


    "That''s what I wanted to talk to you about. This witchcraft doesn''t consume Mana, it consumes health points instead." Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli glanced at Gu Shaobang, noticing his complexion looked a bit pale, "Was your health points full when you logged off?"


    Gu Shaobang shook his head, "I don''t have the money to go to a clinic to recover health points, but I guess it will slowly refill on its own." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli said, "Then you should try to use this spell less frequently. Wait until I can get you some equipment that boosts health points before using it again."


    Gu Shaobang naturally agreed with a nod,


    As they chatted, their enthusiasm grew, and they couldn''t wait to get back to playing the game. Their voices raised slightly, catching the attention of a chubby man at the next table.


    "Hey, which game are you guys talking about?" the chubby man suddenly leaned in, asking with great curiosity.


    Looking like he weighed over two hundred kilograms, with a face full of flesh, he didn''t seem like a violent or overbearing bully, but rather displayed an innocent curiosity, much like a wonder-filled child.


    Xiao Buli quickly covered up, "Oh, nothing much. We''re talking about a foreign game that''s still in beta. Even if I told you, you wouldn''t be able to play it." The chubby man responded with an "Oh," seemingly disappointed.


    "Foreign games are great, much better than those trashy domestic ones. I played a game called ''Jiuzhou Battle'' not long ago and invested over two hundred thousand in it. But once the national war started, I was nothing special and was killed in seconds. It pissed me off."


    The chubby man seemed quite affluent, and even though two hundred thousand might not be a small sum for him, Xiao Buli thought to himself that he had unexpectedly encountered one of those legendary RMB players, although it seemed that not all RMB players were created equal, and this one was probably just average.


    When ''Jiuzhou Battle'' was mentioned, however, everyone felt a pang of nostalgia. Xiao Buli wondered how the game was faring now since it had been a long time since he last logged in.


    Because they had all played the same game, they felt a sudden kinship and invited the chubby man to join them. With nothing better to do, they asked about the current state of ''Jiuzhou Battle,'' to which the chubby man spared no detail, giving them a quick update.


    Since the game shifted from a pay-to-play to a free-to-play model, its popularity skyrocketed, but after a few months, it began to sour.


    First, the players who couldn''t stand being constantly beaten left the game, followed by those who had bought equipment but saw its value continually drop, exiting as well. With the introduction of the Ghost Server, the game started to merge new and old servers and continuously released new equipment. What you spent a million on for a Dragon Soul Set might become worthless the next day.


    However, the game''s company was good at hyping things up. As they continuously rolled out new gear, they also discounted older equipment. What started at a million for a Dragon Soul Set now only cost a hundred thousand, enticing some players back into the game, which kept it quite lively.


    Moreover, they recently released an expansion called ''Four Barbarians'' Expedition.'' After players unified Jiuzhou, they could lead their armies to attack the barbarians in all directions. Each barbarian tribe had their own capital and boss, and each one was far beyond the current players'' level, requiring better and stronger equipment to confront.


    If you went about it systematically, you would eventually get there, but who knows how long that would take. So, players would often spend money on decent gear before venturing into new territory. Also, the company launched a new event where the first person to capture all the barbarian capitals would earn the ''Heavenly Khan'' title, along with a two-million-RMB cash prize.


    Now, the in-game city battles were incessant, drawing numerous wealthy players into the fray.


    The chubby man spoke with great enthusiasm, and Xiao Buli and his friends listened intently. At the end, the chubby man wiped his mouth, "By the way, from what you guys are saying, did you also play ''Jiuzhou Battle'' before?"


    Xiao Buli glanced at his friends and then nodded slightly, "Indeed, we did."

 Chapter 28 The Fat Man Who Played Games_3

    The chubby guy asked, "Which server are you guys on?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "We''re from the Zhongzhou server."


    "Ah, Zhongzhou server, I know it; it seems like your region was the first one to have a ''King of Jiuzhou'', wasn''t it?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "That''s right, exactly."


    The chubby guy said, "I remember it was someone called Long Aotian; quite an awesome dude, the ''King of Jiuzhou''. That title is truly one of a kind."


    Xiao Ge, however, showed a disdainful expression, "What ''King of Jiuzhou''? Bullshit."


    The chubby guy was somewhat puzzled, "What''s wrong, did I say something incorrect?"


    Han Wenhuan said, "At that time during the national server competition, we beat him so badly his own mother wouldn''t recognize him. If it hadn''t gone free-to-play, he would never have gotten the title of ''King of Jiuzhou''..."


    Xiao Buli glared at both of them, and Han Wenhuan immediately fell silent.


    Yet the chubby guy had already come back to his senses, and with a sigh, he said, "You guys must be from the Qingyang Empire, then. I''ve long admired your renown."


    Clearly, he had heard of the Qingyang Empire, "I heard that your guild had a great battle for a while, and it looked like you were about to unify Jiuzhou. What happened then?"


    Gu Shaobang looked to Xiao Buli as if seeking his permission, and Xiao Buli sighed. Since there was no point in hiding it anymore, he casually nodded, and Gu Shaobang recounted the gist of the incident.


    After listening, the chubby guy also seemed filled with righteous indignation and sighed incessantly, "Alas, there''s nothing we can do. This is how games are these days; with money you can be the boss. Not like the games we played before. Remember the old ''Legend''? That was really thrilling and didn''t have all this weird stuff. Now ''Legend'' is more like a private server, just a pile of crap.


    But who can go against the trend, right? Back in the day when I played ''Legend'', I was a person to be reckoned with, even a guild master of a big guild."


    The people with Xiao Buli had also previously mixed in ''Legend'', where the beginnings of Qingyang Studio had taken shape, so they started asking him about it. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The chubby guy wasn''t modest at all and started telling his story: "Back then, on our server, there were four major guilds. Shabak was basically monopolized by the four of us¡ªWeizun Lingxiao, Wind Clan, Awesome Empire, and then there was our Overlord Alliance."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli was shocked, "Wait a minute, did you say ''Awesome Empire''?"


    The chubby guy nodded, puzzled, "You''ve heard of this guild too?" Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli''s eyes were fixed on him, "What else do you know about this ''Awesome Empire''?" The chubby guy shook his head, "Not much. The guild leader of the Awesome Empire seems to be the chairman of the Jinniu Group, someone very wealthy.


    Many of his subordinates are employees of his company, so they are very coordinated and obey commands during sieges, unlike our guild which is just a rabble¡ªbold in a winning fight but scattered in defeat."


    Xiao Buli stopped his complaints, "What does this Jinniu Group do?"


    The chubby guy grew curious, "What, you have a grudge against the Awesome Empire? If you''re thinking of a real-life PK, I should warn you, the Jinniu Group has quite the backing, and you guys can''t afford to provoke them."


    Xiao Buli said, shaking his head, "Not at all, just asking out of curiosity."


    The chubby guy replied, "That''s good to hear. I don''t know much about the Jinniu Group, they seem to be in real estate and have other businesses as well. That''s about all I know." He spoke a bit more about the Awesome Empire, but there was nothing too important.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help thinking to himself that the Awesome Empire was truly bold to use the name of a ''Legend'' guild outright¡ªeither they were really that confident, or it was a ploy to divert trouble or fool outsiders. Perhaps this Awesome Empire had nothing to do with the guild in ''Legend'', just a means to confuse people. All were possibilities.


    Even though he now suspected the Awesome Empire''s real-world identity, Xiao Buli didn''t have any way to deal with it; with his current resources, challenging such a behemoth seemed unlikely, and there was no need to either.


    Laying low and developing steadily was the true path to success.


    The group chatted a bit more, finding more and more common ground, and the chubby guy was very genial, "I''ve made up my mind about you guys. If you ever need anything, just ask. I''m not boasting, but I''m a pretty well-known figure around these parts. We should hang out more if we have time, and play some good games together.


    My friends are either visiting escorts or going to saunas, some even pretentiously playing golf. They make fun of me for gaming, but I don''t care. Life should be about doing what you want.


    Be sure to include me if that game of yours goes into public testing." After speaking, he insisted on giving them his business card, and Xiao Buli, not wanting to seem rude, casually agreed and took a look at the card. The chubby guy turned out to be named Qian Duoduo, a rather peculiar name.


    After finishing their meal, Qian Duoduo wanted to take them out for drinks, but Xiao Buli had enough experience with the drinking capacity of Northeasterners in his guild to be wary, so he politely declined.


    The group left the restaurant and went their separate ways, and the five returned to the villa, heading to bed early that night.


    The next morning, they all got up early, grabbed a quick bite, and once again fired up their computers to log into the game. (To be continued. If you like this work, I welcome you to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 29 Prestige Worship

    Xiao Buli, when he saw those villagers again, noticed that their attitude towards him had clearly improved a bit. It was evident that as Prestige changed, the NPC''s attitudes towards players would directly reflect this.


    The group set off once again. By now, Xiao Buli was determined to ensure the safety of this refugee convoy, so he escorted them with utmost care and thoroughness. By noon, they finally arrived at Anping Village, but the villagers had already scattered, probably due to the threat of the Demon Clan.


    The refugees from Thousand Pines Town unceremoniously occupied the vacant houses and settled down temporarily. Xiao Buli went to the old town chief to return the quest and received a total of 800 Prestige Points and 20 silver coins, but he was still about 2000 points short of Reverence.


    Xiao Buli calculated the journey ahead; there were still three to five days left to reach Black Stone Village. If he used all this time to farm Prestige Points, it should be just about enough. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    While he was reflecting on this, the old town chief and Zhang Zhixi came over together.


    The old town chief said anxiously, "It seems temporarily safe in Anping Village now, but since the villagers have all fled, it''s possible that the Demon Clan might still come pursuing. I wonder if the hero has any suggestions."


    The title had changed from Righteous Warrior to hero. Although it was a subtle change, Xiao Buli was keenly aware of the shift in perception.


    Xiao Buli thought for a moment and said, "In that case, I''m afraid we can only continue heading south. If we travel south for a day, there''s Ghost Burial Village, which should be safer."


    The old town chief seemed somewhat troubled, thinking about the amount of Prestige Points it would cost to reach there, but looking at the townspeople, their expressions filled with panic and fear, he grit his teeth and pleaded once more.


    "I have an impudent request. I wonder if the hero could escort us once again?"


    Xiao Buli said, "Naturally, that''s no problem."


    "But we no longer have anything of value to offer you in return," said the old mayor.


    Xiao Buli nobly replied, "As long as I can ensure a peaceful life for everyone present, that is sufficient for me. Please don''t worry about any material reward."


    However, he thought to himself that Prestige Points were far more valuable than any material wealth.


    In the following days, Xiao Buli devoted all his energy to this escort mission.


    This quest could be considered the longest series of quests he had undertaken since entering the game. Although the direct distance from Anping Village to Black Stone Village wasn''t too long by strict measures, Xiao Buli managed to turn what could have been possible into the impossible.


    A journey of three days took a full six, as he frequently led the team towards areas infested with low-level monsters in hopes of randomly triggering a protective task or the like. Relying on his mixed profession''s ability to both tank and heal, he completed these tasks with ease.


    Since he couldn''t provide any more physical rewards, the old village chief had no choice but to use goodwill as the prize each time. Consequently, it only took two days for Xiao Buli to grind his Prestige to Reverence, and it was still rising, with Reverence just within reach.


    Along the way, Xiao Buli forged through brambles and rivers, built bridges and fought demons¡ªmeticulously, slowly but surely making progress towards Black Stone Village.


    Meanwhile, in these few days, the development of Gu Shaobang and the others in the game was getting smoother by the day. First, Han Wenhuan successfully changed his profession to Spearman, earning the position of a militiaman. Xiao Ge leveled up three lifestyle professions¡ªharvesting, lumbering, and farming¡ªto Max Level, and mastered three skills: Harvest Slash, Cleaving Strike, and Wild Dance.


    The only problem was that these three skills required three different types of weapons¡ªa giant scythe, an axe, and a pole weapon¡ªto use. To be able to utilize his full combat power, Xiao Ge had no choice but to stuff three weapons into his inventory. However, with his skill set, switching weapons swiftly wasn''t an issue, which resulted in a significant increase in his combat abilities.


    He was now capable of soloing Black Mountain Scouts near the village, but his journey towards becoming a Sword Control Master seemed ever more distant.


    Li Shuren continued to research his game profession combinations and had yet to decide what profession he wanted to pursue. Whenever they asked him, he always responded with "soon, soon," yet he always appeared to be deep in thought.


    As for Gu Shaobang, over the past few days, he began to learn medical skills from the village doctor. His bandaging skill had been trained to LV10, and he had learned LV3 in herb gathering and LV1 in medical arts. According to his theory, since witchcraft consumed health points instead of Mana, he might as well heal while casting spells, thereby achieving enduring combat capabilities.


    Unfortunately, the healing effect of his bandaging skill was still lacking, so Gu Shaobang planned to learn Qi Healing Skills later, which would then truly allow him infinite casting.


    He Suoju and Du Yibo also successfully arrived at Black Stone Village. Since Xiao Buli had mentioned Gu Shaobang and the others before, the two offered their guidance, especially when hunting monsters outdoors for Experience Points. With the protection of these two, Gu Shaobang and the four companions were much safer.


    By the fifth day, Xiao Buli finally escorted the refugee convoy to a location only half a day''s journey from Black Stone Village, already at the foot of Black Mountain.


    On this journey, he had slain not a thousand, but certainly two hundred monsters, and together with the Experience Points saved from slaying ghosts, he had accrued over ten thousand points. This allowed him to level up his Xiaoyao Sword Skills to LV10 and comprehend a new Mystic Skill, which also earned him his third Heart of Mysteries.


    Mystic Skill¡ªCarefree Illusionary Sword Dance! Xiao Buli unleashed his powerful move, and in an instant, he transformed into a shadowy figure zipping back and forth between the five bandits like lightning, only to reappear at his original spot in the blink of an eye. As he sheathed his sword, a spurt of blood erupted from the necks of the five bandits, who then collapsed to the ground. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli smiled faintly, admiring how formidable the Carefree Illusionary Sword Dance was.


    Seeing the enemy troops completely wiped out, Xiao Buli shook his head, "Hehe, this battle was truly a breeze."


    Xiao Buli glanced over at the militiamen who had been watching the battle behind him. At first, these militiamen had come forward to lend a hand, but after an accidental death of one of them during a fight with a tiger, Xiao Buli told them to just watch, only to engage if monsters came too close. Over the last couple of days, following this strategy, not another militiaman had died.


    System notification: Quest "Highway Robbery" completed. Your Prestige with the Thousand Pines Town wanderers has increased by 500 points. Your Prestige with the Thousand Pines Town wanderers has reached Reverence.


    Although he had been prepared for it, when he heard that notification, a wave of uncontrollable excitement surged within Xiao Buli. He thought to himself, ''Thank heavens, finally reached Reverence.'' He glanced back at the refugees, wondering what benefits Reverence might bring. (To be continued.


    If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 30 Campaign Missions

    In the previous games that Xiao Buli had played, there was often a Prestige System, as most of them followed the design of World of Warcraft, so the highest tier for creatures was usually worship. However, in those games, once you reached worship prestige, there weren''t many changes; you could just buy some equipment that required prestige, or things would be slightly cheaper. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    Other than that, there wasn''t much else.


    But this game would definitely not be like that, and Xiao Buli could tell just from the influence of Qilin Hall in Nine Dragons City. Keep in mind, Qilin Hall''s influence in Nine Dragons City was only at the level of respect, and if it reached worship, he guessed he could directly replace Zhang Xiaotian.


    However, according to the information he gathered during his two months in Qilin Hall, once you reached respect, it became very difficult to take on quests from official sources. It was clear from this that if you could push the prestige of a force to worship in this game, a few pieces of equipment wouldn''t be enough to satisfy things.


    With hopeful anticipation, Xiao Buli turned his gaze to the refugees who were looking up at him with adoration, as if they were looking at a savior. The old town chief squeezed out from the crowd and seemed somewhat sorrowful as he sighed, "Benefactor, please accept an old man''s bow."


    This time, the title had been upgraded from hero to benefactor. Xiao Buli was excited when he heard the old town chief continue.


    "I presumptuously hold the position of town chief of Thousand Pines Town. In these chaotic times, if it were not for your repeated rescues, we would have likely died in the wilderness. Recently, I''ve felt increasingly weary, and there''s one thing I would like to ask of you. I wish to entrust the position of the town chief of Thousand Pines Town to you.


    Only a strong person like you can continue to lead the people of Thousand Pines Town forward."


    System prompt: Your prestige in Thousand Pines Town has reached worship. A job advancement event has been triggered. Do you accept the position of town chief of Thousand Pines Town?


    Job advancement event? Xiao Buli repeated these six words in his heart, savoring their meaning. A job was obviously different from an occupation, and an event was not a quest; it seemed to be a one-time occurrence. A player''s choice would directly affect the development of the storyline. What would happen if he chose not to accept? Would he get other benefits, or would it all be for naught?


    Xiao Buli thought for a moment and then decided not to immediately accept, instead asking, "And what about you, old town chief?"


    The old town chief just gave a bitter smile, "My days are numbered. As long as you can shoulder this burden, I can then retire and live out the rest of my life in peace." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although his words contained the implication of entrusting his legacy, there was also a sense of helplessness and sorrow.


    Xiao Buli was about to demur when some voices from the crowd began to chime in, "That''s right, benefactor, please become our town chief!"


    The voices of agreement quickly multiplied. It seemed like his becoming the town chief was the will of the people. Xiao Buli was dumbfounded, thinking these folks were being a bit too pragmatic, not showing the slightest reluctance to see the old town chief go.


    But soon, he noticed that there were a few people in the crowd who seemed very disheartened, including the militia captain Zhang Zhixi. In addition to him, the other few NPCs were also significant figures in this group of refugees. They all shared one feature: their names were almost all light blue, indicating elite status.


    In contrast, the ordinary NPCs with white names showed no particular reaction, only shouting excitedly for Buli to take office.


    Xiao Buli looked at the faces that seemed to be carved from the same enthusiastic mold and suddenly felt a strange sense of dissonance, as if the townspeople before him weren''t alive but rather a horde of Zombies.


    He shook his head to clear the uncomfortable thoughts from his mind, thinking to himself that perhaps these people behaved this way because of the system''s rules, and those few whose faces showed sorrow had probably evolved to a certain degree, gaining some level of independent consciousness. That must be why they could express their true thoughts.


    But judging by their silence, even they couldn''t break free from the system''s rules and had to act accordingly. So, what level would one have to reach to no longer be restricted by the system''s rules? It seemed that question would have to be explored slowly over time.


    Despite feeling a bit sorry for the old town chief, given that the system rules were set this way, he had no choice but to accept.


    "Then I shall humbly accept the duty. I promise, as long as I breathe, I will lead everyone in Thousand Pines Town to safety," he accepted graciously.


    System prompt: You have gained the title, town chief of Thousand Pines Town. Your prestige has increased by 100 points. Official duties system, territory management system, and military system have been unlocked.


    These three systems appeared out of nowhere on the interface, and Xiao Buli clicked to take a look, immediately feeling joy once again.


    The official duties system was quite straightforward, resembling a pyramid-shaped tech tree. Currently, his position was second to last in the hierarchy, as town chief. Below him were two offices he could fill: one for the militia captain and two for deputy militia captains, and one for the deputy town chief.


    For the time being, the militia captain position was filled by Zhang Zhixi, while the deputy town chief''s position was vacant. Xiao Buli thought that the old town chief, after all his contributions to the town and his familiarity with its management, should take up the role.


    He right-clicked on the old town chief''s portrait and selected the option to appoint him to an official position.


    The old town chief, upon seeing this, didn''t refuse and quickly agreed.

 Chapter 30 Campaign Missions_2

    The next system is the territory management system. Currently, we only possess one territory¡ªThousand Pines Town, but now it''s in an occupied state. Within the territory management system, there''s an option to subdue territories, but it''s definitely not something that can be considered now.


    Besides, there are options for purchasing new territories and occupying new territories. Both are temporarily unusable as well, so this elite territory system will have to wait until later to be effective.


    The last system is the military system.


    Opening it reveals an interface akin to a real-time strategy game, with a row of troop cards below, each representing a unit. Currently, there''s only one troop card¡ªThousand Pines Town Militia, right-click to check out the unit''s attributes.


    Thousand Pines Town Militia (Understaffed)


    Military Strength Evaluation: Grey.


    Members: 16 (Full complement 100).


    Commander: Zhang Zhixi (Ordinary Elite).


    Unit Introduction: This is a militia force composed of civilians from Thousand Pines Town. They lack training, have rudimentary equipment, and can only carry out simple defensive tasks. Please don''t expect too much from them.


    In this system, there are also options for establishing units, recruiting soldiers, and setting military pay, but like the previous two systems, they are currently of no immediate use.


    Xiao Buli familiarized himself with the numerous benefits of being a mayor, and now had a general understanding of how to expand his influence in the future. However, the most important thing for now was to find a place to settle down.


    He estimated the distance to Black Stone Village, which should be about half a day''s journey away. Without further ado, he led his team directly towards Black Stone Village.


    Along the way, they still encountered Minor Monsters blocking the road, but they posed no threat in front of him. By noon, the team finally arrived at the outskirts of Black Stone Village.


    From afar, the Militia spotted the convoy and went back to the village to report. By the time the refugee team arrived at the village entrance, the village Militia had already assembled and were guarding atop the wall.


    This wall had been built previously to defend against the Black Mountain Bandits. Unexpectedly, it now prepared them for Xiao Buli''s arrival.


    The militia captain was a high elite with a deep blue name, accompanied by two vice captains, one an ordinary elite with a light blue name, and the other was a player. Who else could it be but Qin Dahai?


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help feeling somewhat speechless. Why was it that Black Stone Village, just a small village, had a high elite as its militia captain, while Thousand Pines Town, which was at least a town, only had an ordinary elite as its militia captain?


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    "Who are you?" the captain asked sternly, looking quite unfriendly.


    Now that Xiao Buli had taken up the role of town mayor, it was naturally his turn to speak, "We''re villagers from Thousand Pines Town. Our homes were destroyed by the Demon Clan, forcing us to flee here. We''d like to settle down in the vicinity and ask for your convenience."


    The militia captain said, "Our village can''t accommodate so many people, and Black Mountain is a mine with not much farmland, unable to support so many. You should go somewhere else."


    After speaking, he shouted, "All hands to battle stations!" The Black Stone Village militia immediately went on alert.


    The Militia of Black Stone Village numbered over fifty, with the advantage of the palisade wall to rely on. The disparity between the two sides was now quite apparent. But there was a variable in the mix now, and that was the players. There were fewer than ten players present, and most of them stood with Black Stone Village at the moment.


    However, as soon as a fight broke out, these players would undoubtedly turn coat, making it uncertain who would win.


    NPCs might not be aware of this, but there was one person who knew it very well, and that person was Qin Dahai.


    Qin Dahai''s mood had been quite complicated these past few days. Initially, when he noticed a few newcomers in the village, he was rather pleased since he had been cooped up in Black Stone Village for months, and it was rare for him to see a living soul, let alone get the opportunity to kill it.


    Having a few newcomers to blend in with wasn''t bad, but what slightly irked him was that these newcomers were obviously a group, and he felt a bit of an outsider, even though they could hunt monsters and do quests together. Compared to the camaraderie among the newcomers, he definitely felt like an outsider.


    However, Qin Dahai was skilled at socializing and soon integrated himself among the group. He didn''t consider himself a bad person, at least not in his own eyes.


    When necessary, he would offer some starter gear to the group, or provide guidance for in-game quests, and even directly help with some quests. After spending some time together, they could barely be called friends, but when asked where they got the game from, the newcomers kept their lips sealed, only saying he would find out when the time came.


    The arrival of He Suoju and Du Yibo the next day raised Qin Dahai''s worries. It was apparent that these two were experienced players, though he wasn''t sure if they were from a Great Guild or independent players. Moreover, they seemed to recognize the previous newcomers.


    But there was nothing he could do¡ªhe knew he was no match for them in terms of Strength, so he could only try to form connections with them. Fortunately, Du Yibo and He Suoju were unaware of his killing of Xia Zuowei and thus bore no hostility towards him. In fact, Du Yibo even sold him a light blue spear at a bargain price, which delighted Qin Dahai for a long time.


    During casual conversations, the two pros and four newcomers seemed to always mention a player, who appeared to be the core figure among their group. With this in mind, Qin Dahai paid extra attention and now, seeing Xiao Buli leading a group of NPCs to the outside of the village, he couldn''t help but understand.


    However, as soon as he understood, he was shocked. A player who could subdue so many NPCs to serve him and become the leader of a town was just too impressive. No wonder he was the leader of that group.


    Thinking this, he decided he had to build a good relationship with Xiao Buli; otherwise, he wouldn''t have a place in the village. With that thought, he approached the militia captain.


    "Captain, there''s something I''d like to discuss with you."


    The captain turned and saw Qin Dahai, who was known for his wisdom in breaking the Black Mountain plot and bravery in killing Black Mountain spies, and nodded at once. Qin Dahai''s Prestige in Black Stone Village had risen to respect over the months, so the militia captain trusted him. "Vice Captain Qin, go ahead and speak your mind," he said.


    Qin Dahai leaned in and whispered something. Xiao Buli was standing under the rampart, hesitating on whether to launch an assault on the village, and when he saw Qin Dahai, he was startled and wondered what he was up to. He couldn''t possibly make things worse, could he? Surely he wasn''t about to help, was he?


    But he always had reservations about Qin Dahai because of the incident with Xia Zuowei and didn''t fully trust him. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The militia captain nodded after hearing what Qin Dahai had to say, "Vice Captain Qin makes some sense."


    Turning to Xiao Buli below the rampart, he said, "Normally, we wouldn''t allow you into the village, but our Black Stone Village is currently being harassed by the Black Mountain Bandits. To permanently resolve this threat, we''re preparing to attack the Black Mountain Bandits'' camp.


    If you can send people to help us fight the Black Mountain Bandits, we can temporarily shelter you and provide some food. After defeating the Black Mountain Bandits, you can obtain a small piece of land nearby."


    System prompt: Campaign quest ''Overlord of Black Mountain'' triggered.


    Quest details: Assist the watchers of Black Stone Village against the Black Mountain Bandits,


    Victory condition: Capture the Black Mountain Camp, and prevent Black Stone Village from being captured.


    Failure condition: Black Stone Village is captured or exceeding the quest deadline.


    Quest deadline: Thirty days.


    Accept the quest? Yes/No.


    PS: Campaign quests can only be triggered by players who have activated the army system.


    Xiao Buli was first startled, then immediately pleased; it seemed that this game indeed had a warfare system. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 31 Expanding Military Forces

    The campaign task was evidently different from regular quests; the biggest difference lay in the need to lead troops into battle, meaning the enemy might appear in the form of an army, not the previous rhythm of small groups coming to deliver themselves to death.


    Based on Xiao Buli''s understanding of the game, from now on he must change his mindset: he couldn''t view this task from the usual perspective of an online game; he needed to approach it with the attitude of a strategy game. And the best at such games in Qingyang Studio was undoubtedly Han Wenhuan.


    Leading the refugee team into Black Stone Village, they were settled on the east side of the village. It seemed there were plenty of vacant houses, and the hundred or so people found accommodation. Xiao Buli covertly observed the size of Black Stone Village.


    There were probably four to five hundred people, whereas the refugees from Thousand Pines Town numbered only a hundred and sixty or seventy, merely a third of the former.


    To attack Black Mountain Camp, the dozen or so leading troops at hand were clearly inadequate. Therefore, the first thing after settling down was to recruit and train more soldiers.


    Fortunately, among the one hundred and sixty-seven refugees from Thousand Pines Town, the vast majority were young men and women of working age. After all, to escape from the encirclement of the Demon Clan and to have made it this far required robust health and strength.


    Among them, there were as many as eighty or ninety who could become soldiers. Instead of directly ordering their reorganization, Xiao Buli first gathered the refugees of Thousand Pines Town in the village square and then began to make a speech.


    "Everyone must understand our current situation by now. The north is threatened by the Demon Clan, and heading further south, we encounter the barbaric jungles everywhere, which are teeming with fierce wild animals and unsuitable for living. If we continue southward, it''s very likely we won''t get far before we all die in those dangerous jungles.


    If we wish to stay here, we will also face the threat of Black Mountain Bandits. These vicious brigands have killed many of the locals and certainly won''t Show Mercy to us. Moreover, the local villagers are unwilling to accept us, for they too are struggling to survive. Now, our only choice is to help them defeat the Black Mountain Bandits, to win our right to live.


    To achieve this goal, some of us must make sacrifices and fight for the future of our people. As the town mayor, I do not wish to force you to fight, but if you want a home for ourselves, you must join the battle. Now¡ªthose willing to fight for the future of Thousand Pines Town, please step forward! Let me see if our town still has brave men!"


    With this call, the refugees from Thousand Pines Town looked at each other, but Zhang Zhixi was the first to stand up: "I am willing to join the fight!" After speaking, he turned back to look at the other refugees, "What are you waiting for? The Mayor has already done so much for us on our journey. Do you intend to hide behind others for the rest of your lives as cowards?"


    His face was red with earnestness as he shouted these words, and the refugees, upon hearing this, finally stood up one after another. After all, no one wanted to lose face. Xiao Buli counted, and between the previous and current volunteers, there were more than eighty willing to join the Militia. He nodded in satisfaction¡ªmorale was, indeed, not bad.


    Xiao Buli organized most of them into the Militia, finally bringing its numbers to eighty. The few he had singled out for their unique skills were professionals like carpenters and blacksmiths; it would be a waste to use such skilled talents as mere soldiers.


    Previously, Zhang Zhixi had only been a deputy captain of the Militia. Although he had later been promoted to militia captain, his strength was not very high, nor did he know how to train the Militia. When he mentioned this issue to Xiao Buli, it was exactly what Xiao Buli had in mind¡ªto insert Han Wenhuan, appointing him as deputy captain of the Militia and putting him in charge of training.


    After assigning roles, Xiao Buli turned to Han Wenhuan with gravity and said, "Old Han, I''m entrusting you with this arduous task. Haven''t you always been clamoring about leading troops in battle? Now''s your chance. You had better not disappoint us. Remember, these men are all the forces we have."


    Excited, Han Wenhuan said, "When have I ever let you down? Just watch¡ªI''ve got this."


    Han Wenhuan did indeed have many ideas. As an enthusiast of ancient military affairs, he had envisioned training soldiers countless times and even devised a complete plan, which could finally be put to use.


    Playing strategy games, he had always felt unsatisfied because training soldiers in most games was very abstract¡ªa click of the mouse and it was done. But in this game, due to the intelligence of NPCs that could respond to players'' words, training could almost be conducted as in real life. This opportunity was something Han Wenhuan had long yearned for.


    Before starting the training, however, he first needed to understand the abilities of these townsfolk. Though they were all from the same town, their individual capabilities differed. Since these eighty militiamen would need to cooperate in combat, it was essential to sort them into different types of troops.


    He began to inquire about their former occupations and surely enough, many different answers came back.


    Because Thousand Pines Town bordered a forest, many townsfolk depended on the forest resources, and there were not as many farmers as in other villages. Thus, among the eighty conscripted villagers, twenty were formerly hunters skilled in archery.


    Though they only used hunting bows with limited power, they still represented a significant ranged combat force, especially potent against the low-Armor bandits.


    Twenty of them were lumberjacks with astonishing arm strength, most of whom possessed specialized skills in wielding axe weapons, and some even knew simple combat skills like Cleaving Strike. Considering that the bandits were mostly unarmored or wore leather armor, with low defense value, Han Wenhuan thought it made little sense to use two-handed axes with armor penetration effect.


    He considered equipping each of them with a shield to serve as axemen.


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    The remaining forty peasants were relatively ordinary, all of them farmers skilled in using pole weapons, and some even possessed the Wild Dance skill, perfect for serving as spear infantry. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the plan was set, the next step was finding weapons. Originally, this group of refugees had brought some weapons with them, but there was no standardization in terms of quality or quantity, and there certainly weren''t enough for eighty people. Therefore, Han Wenhuan planned to refit them all with new equipment.


    In addition to that, he would also need to tailor some Coated Leather Armor, among other things. Fortunately, Black Stone Village, having opposed the Black Mountain Bandits for years, had an abundance of weapons and equipment, and the blacksmiths produced a high yield. The only issue was the need to spend money to purchase these supplies.


    When Han Wenhuan discussed this matter with Xiao Buli, Xiao Buli had no choice but to take out thirty Gold Coins for him.


    Besides that, Xiao Buli also distributed some of the weapons brought from the real world among them. Although all were white-grade weapons with high attack power, they were not much inferior to the regular blue-grade weapons.


    Despite having money, Han Wenhuan had no intention of purchasing all the equipment. Since there were many lumberjacks and a few craftsmen among the refugee group, they could craft some equipment themselves.


    The mountains might lack other resources, but not trees and wild beasts. Han Wenhuan''s first command was to send the lumberjacks to chop down trees. If this were known in the real world, he''d probably be accused of deforestation, but given that they were in a game world, they didn''t need to worry about that. The wood would be used to make longbows and spears.


    The hunters, grouped in teams of five, were sent out nearby to shoot down some wild beasts to supplement their food supply and gather fur for making leather armor.


    As Xiao Buli hadn''t yet used his Time-Space Order Keeper today, he downloaded blueprints for crafting English longbows from the internet.


    While the English longbow wasn''t a finished bow and arrow and did have many disadvantages compared to the composite bow, its biggest advantage was that it was convenient to make and took less time, thus allowing for mass production.


    He gave these blueprints to the carpenters, who surprisingly could learn from them. This excited Xiao Buli for a while, as it appeared that in the future, it was totally feasible to sell real-world blueprints in the game, provided that they weren''t too complicated.


    Soon, forty long spears, each three meters in length, were crafted. These spear shafts were a bit rough, but they should still be adequate to deal with the bandits. Subsequently, twenty longbows were also made, certainly stronger than regular hunting bows,


    They also created twenty round wooden shields. However, battle axes, spearheads, arrowheads, and leather armor had to be purchased from Black Stone Village. This would save a lot of money.


    In the real world, crafting these items would not be as quick, but game rules prevailed here, making production easy as long as materials and skill proficiency were sufficient.


    Then Han Wenhuan began to train these villagers.


    The twenty hunters were naturally trained in their volley-fire capability. Their archery was acceptable, but their weapons were quite pitiful in terms of power.


    They could handle ordinary bandits, but if there were formidable boss-like figures among the bandits, a concentrated fire would be necessary to inflict sufficient damage, so they had to train in switching between volley fire and independent firing modes.


    Training the twenty Battle Axe Assault Infantry proved to be tricky because these men lacked combat will. Although they were physically strong, they were not very forthcoming, managing against beasts but struggling with living humans. However, Han Wenhuan had his ways,


    On the other hand, the forty spear infantry were relatively easier to train since spear infantry inherently relied on formation, meaning training focused mainly on drills.


    Han Wenhuan played the military training game in the game world. Luckily, although the NPCs weren''t very smart, they followed commands extremely well, making them naturally qualified soldiers. They adapted quickly to moving in order, much to Han Wenhuan''s contentment. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 32 Details of Black Mountain

    While Han Wenhuan was drilling these soldiers, Xiao Buli approached Qin Dahai. Seeing Xiao Buli walking towards him, Qin Dahai felt a bit uneasy. Despite being the local authority of the village, the power disparity between them made his home advantage less pronounced. At that moment, he could only hope that the other party wouldn''t be too ruthless and would agree to a fair cooperation.


    However, Xiao Buli''s first words still startled him.


    "Qin Dahai, right? Xia Zuowei asked me to send his regards," Xiao Buli said, then waited quietly for Qin Dahai''s reaction.


    Qin Dahai was dumbfounded. When he had killed Xia Zuowei, he felt uneasy deep down, as Xia Zuowei had been a living player who had died by his hand. It was not that he had killed him personally, but the system had claimed his life. He had never actually seen how the system executed players and didn''t have a direct intuition for it, but the guilt lingered in his heart all the same.


    ''But even if I hadn''t killed that guy, he would have eventually died at the hands of someone else, right?'' Qin Dahai could only comfort himself with that excuse. Over time, his sense of guilt gradually faded, and he began to forget about the incident with Xia Zuowei.


    That was, until Xiao Buli straightforwardly mentioned that sentence in front of him.


    "You¡ª you know Xia Zuowei?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "Of course, we had a chat not too long ago."


    "But isn''t he already¡ª" Qin Dahai said, suddenly pausing. (Could it be that death in the game doesn''t actually lead to death in real life, contrary to what was believed?)


    At this thought, he breathed a sigh of relief, but the person across from him seemed to see through the screen to his inner thoughts.


    "Death in the game leading to real-world death is certainly true, but it''s not always the end; there are ways to be resurrected. It''s just not as easy as in other games," Xiao Buli finished, then added, "Coincidentally, I happen to know the method of resurrection."


    Qin Dahai was immediately alarmed, "How can one be resurrected?"


    "Do you really think I would tell you so easily?"


    Qin Dahai was speechless at Xiao Buli''s words; indeed, he had killed the friend of the man before him not long ago, and whether he would be let off the hook was still in question. As bitterness seeped into his thoughts, a sudden idea struck him.


    Qin Dahai wasn''t a fool¡ªin fact, he was quite intelligent¡ªand Xiao Buli''s words suggested to him that Xiao wasn''t there to settle scores for Xia Zuowei''s death.


    "What would it take for you to tell me the method of resurrection? I have money¡ªwill two Gold Coins be enough?"


    These two Gold Coins were the result of several months of his savings, his entire fortune, including the bounty from Xia Zuowei. He was really going all in. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    But Xiao Buli shook his head, "I''m not short of money. Help me with a favor, and I''ll tell you how to resurrect in the game. Moreover, I won''t interfere between you and Xia Zuowei anymore. Besides, if you''re willing to join us, I can offer you a position corresponding to your strength and provide support to enhance your power."


    Qin Dahai''s heart raced, "What favor?"


    "Help me become the chief of Black Stone Village."


    Behind the screen, Qin Dahai couldn''t help but chuckle bitterly, but after hesitating for a bit, he typed, "I''m just the deputy commander of the militia in this village, I''m afraid I can''t help you succeed."


    Xiao Buli said, "Deputy commander is enough. I will design the plan, you only need to do your part. What do you say, deal or no deal?"


    Qin Dahai immediately thought there was nothing to discuss, "Deal." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli nodded in satisfaction, this local authority was quite crucial for his next plan, "Then, first tell me about the Black Mountain Bandits, and the situation near the Black Stone Mountain Range, what do you know about them?"


    Qin Dahai dared not withhold anything, spilling all the information he knew without reserve.


    The Black Mountain Bandits in this area can be considered a fairly extensive monster system, not as powerful as the Demon Clan, but the fact that they have existed for so long without being exterminated should not be underestimated.


    The stronghold of the Black Mountain Bandits is located halfway up the highest peak of the Black Stone Mountain range, named for the black iron ore it produces, which is quite suitable for crafting weapons and armor. While it isn''t some magical material like Mysterious Gold and Secret Silver, it''s still a rare strategic resource.


    When the Black Dragon Legion ruled the area, they stationed a garrison here to provide a vast supply of military provisions. However, since Zhang Xiaotian of the Golden Dragon Legion took control over Nine Dragons City, the remnants of the Black Dragon Legion became an isolated force, degenerating into robbers and bandits.


    They continued to mine deeper into the mountain for ore, while also raiding and looting the surrounding areas, becoming the largest monster power in the vicinity.


    The Black Mountain Bandits would often send BOSS-level leaders to rob the locals. Qin Dahai once encountered the strongest of them, a silver-tier BOSS¡ªMountain Patroller Cui Yuncheng, who had come to Black Stone Village to extort food and supplies.


    Xiao Buli asked, "Did Black Stone Village give in?"


    Qin Dahai replied, "Of course, they did, and not just once. At first, the village chief seemed determined to use money to avert disaster, but recently the appetite of the Black Mountain Bandits has grown too big, so the chief ordered the construction of this stockade wall, planning to use it for defense against them."


    Xiao Buli nodded, finding this information potentially useful. He asked a few more questions, but Qin Dahai couldn''t offer much more detail, as he never ventured far into the Black Stone Mountains on his own for fear of the monsters.


    Having gathered the information he wanted, Xiao Buli then decided to personally scout out the Black Mountain Camp.


    As the saying goes, know your enemy and yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. Although Xiao Buli had accepted the quest, he wasn''t quite sure how to proceed without a clear picture of the enemy.


    Since the enemy could send out a silver-class Minor BOSS, the ultimate leader of the stronghold must be a golden BOSS. The exact number of troops was unclear, warranting careful reconnaissance.


    When Qin Dahai mentioned that the Black Mountain Bandits were once remnants of the Black Dragon Legion, it prompted Xiao Buli to recall something. He had a task to collect Black Dragon King Flags, and these bandits might just have them, presenting a good opportunity to complete that quest.


    Xiao Buli used the spell Cloud Thunder Leap, executing several leaps towards the mountain. On his third landing, he came across the tracks of the Black Mountain Bandits, which appeared to be a patrol, led by a light blue-named Black Mountain Patrol Soldier with four gray-named Black Mountain Lackeys.


    The lackeys looked very weak, not even wearing Leather Armor, only wielding a wooden spear or a rusted saber. Xiao Buli had fought such creatures right after leaving Newbie Village; they were quite feeble. The Black Mountain Patrol Soldier seemed more formidable, being an Elite Unit, but likely wouldn''t drop anything notable since he wasn''t a rare elite.


    To him, such a group posed no threat; a few sword strikes killed the lackeys, leaving only the patrol soldier, whom he didn''t rush to kill. After slashing wildly and bringing the patrol soldier to the verge of death, he interrogated, "Tell me, where is your lair?"


    He wanted to test if these monsters, like NPCs, could interact through verbal exchange.


    But the bandit soldier was defiant, struggling silently to stand and continue the fight, showing no concern for Xiao Buli''s threats. Xiao Buli shook his head, realizing that although the monster had a light blue name, it lacked intelligence, and he killed it with a single stroke.


    Afterward, he encountered three more groups of Mountain Patrollers but yielded no information.


    He realized something was amiss after killing a few groups of monsters. They seemed endless, reappearing after a while, and strangely, not even a copper coin dropped, which was peculiar.


    Xiao Buli observed closely and discovered that the monsters seemed to be emerging from an outpost that resembled a straw hut, set in the middle of a mountain road. He approached the outpost and struck it with his sword, causing no damage¡ªit was an indestructible building.


    Xiao Buli cast the Mind''s Eye spell on the building, and data appeared above the outpost.


    Black Mountain Outpost: War Campaign Building (Indestructible).


    A defensive structure used by the Black Mountain Bandits to monitor the surrounding areas of their camp, part of the stronghold, and can only be destroyed during an assault on the stronghold.


    It seemed that the campaign quest had now begun, but how to enter the process of the campaign? It couldn''t be like in "Legend" where one had to apply to siege a city, though that was a possibility. He reminisced about the time he sieged Shabak in "Legend"; the city gates could not be destroyed unless it was the designated siege period. It was probably a similar case here.


    As he pondered, Xiao Buli took out a piece of paper to mark the location of the outpost before continuing towards the mountain. There were more than a dozen outposts like this, surrounding the Black Mountain Stronghold. As he went up, he saw three of them, each patrolled by a Black Mountain Patrol Soldier with four Black Mountain Lackeys. If killed, they would respawn after ten minutes or so.


    Xiao Buli didn''t bother with these monsters that dropped nothing and instead headed deeper into Black Mountain. While walking, he unexpectedly came across a bandit-looking fellow yawning and lying under a tree to cool off. Xiao Buli was immediately pleased; this was a rare elite named ''Li Wu (Black Mountain Scout)''. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on qidian.com.


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 Chapter 33 Oathbreaker

    "I won''t kill you, but there are some things I''d like to ask you. Answer honestly, and if your answers are satisfactory, I''ll spare your life. How''s that sound?" After saying this, Xiao Buli began to inquire about the Black Mountain Camp. Li Wu''s eyes rolled around but he hesitated to speak until he said, "If the hero can guarantee not to kill me, then I''ll tell you."


    Xiao Buli replied, "Don''t worry, I''m a man of my word. If I say I won''t kill you, then I won''t. Just tell me."


    Still, Li Wu was reluctant, speaking gingerly, "Then, please make an oath, hero."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself how much of a fuss this NPC was making, but it also showed intelligence beyond the system''s rules. Making an oath was no big deal for him, as an atheist, making an oath was as simple as drinking water. If an oath could make the other party tell the truth, then it didn''t matter.


    "I swear that as long as you tell me the intelligence on the Black Mountain Stronghold, I will not kill you."


    Upon hearing this, Li Wu appeared to breathe a sigh of relief, and without much intimidation, he spilled everything like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.


    It turns out the lair of the Black Mountain Bandits was only a few miles away from their current location. Just follow the mountain path upwards and there would be three checkpoints along the way, each guarded by a high-level elite commanding dozens of bandits.


    Inside the stronghold, there were three commanders. The main commander was a former general of the Black Dragon Legion named Xu Lie, and the other two deputy commanders were his lieutenants, named Mountain Patroller Cui Yuncheng and Fortress Assaulter Du Guang. In addition to them, there was also a Priest, a rather mysterious character, who always hid in a cave, doing who knows what.


    It seemed there were four BOSSES in this dungeon, Xiao Buli mused, and then he asked how many players the stronghold was designed for. Li Wu couldn''t give a clear answer.


    Xiao Buli had to change the way he asked.


    If I were to bring people to assassinate that Xu Lie, how many would I need?


    Li Wu thought for a moment and said, "If you don''t want to be detected by the patrollers outside and avoid drawing the attention of a large group of bandits, you can only have a maximum of ten people entering and exiting together."


    Xiao Buli mused, "So it''s a ten-player dungeon."


    The only experience Xiao Buli had with a ten-player dungeon was from that one time. However, the memory of it wasn''t pleasant. Even with the formidable strength of the Green Dragon Group, they still suffered heavy casualties. Although he, along with Du Yibo and He Suoju, were stronger than the members of the Green Dragon Group at that time, they were, after all, only three people.


    The others, like newcomers such as Gu Shaobang, were not much help, and even Qin Dahai, who was relatively strong, was still significantly weaker. Adding all five together, they would only make eight, still two short of a ten-player dungeon.


    "Excuse me, hero, may I go now? I promise I won''t report you to the king," Li Wu asked pitifully, but Xiao Buli thought, do you think I''m stupid? He casually swung his sword and killed Li Wu.


    System Alert: Violation of oath, your Merit Points have decreased by 50, and you''ve acquired the DEBUFF, ''Oathbreaker''.


    Oathbreaker: You have forsaken your oath. As the heavens are my witness, you shall receive the punishment you deserve, Luck -1, Charm -1, duration - seven days.


    Seeing the system alert that popped up on the screen, Xiao Buli was taken aback, thinking what the heck, there''s such a thing? Punishment for violating an oath? It was his first time hearing such a thing, as in real life, making an oath was as light as drinking cold water, which made him take some things for granted in the game.


    He had forgotten that this was a game set in a fantasy world, and he shouldn''t apply real-world perspectives to it.


    (Well, at least this loss is still within an acceptable range.) Xiao Buli thought to himself, at least now he knows another secret about the game that could be useful in the future.


    While pondering this, he checked the corpse and found 13 silver coins, along with two other items.


    Light Deer Skin Shoulder Guard (Leather Armor - Breastplate): Armor +8, Speed +2, Agility +1.


    Item Note: A shoulder guard made from soft deer skin, very lightweight.


    This was a nice piece of light blue equipment. Xiao Buli casually put it on, storing his sturdy cowhide breastplate in his bag. Now, the three points in Physique that translated to thirty Health Points did not mean much to him anymore, it was the basic attributes like Speed and Agility that were more important.


    The second item was a lantern.


    Patrol Lantern (Off-hand Item): +2 to Illumination Distance when equipped.


    Xiao Buli''s off-hand had always been empty. He had been looking for an opportunity to learn how to dual-wield weapons, but he hadn''t found one yet. Therefore, he was still only able to equip a single one-handed weapon. Upon seeing the lantern, he became curious and equipped it in his off-hand.


    Watching his character on the screen, holding a sword in one hand and a lantern in the other, he couldn''t help but find the sight somewhat amusing. But a game is a game, and since there was no harm, he decided to keep the equipment on for now.


    As he thought this, he followed the mountain path upwards and soon spotted a patrolling Minor Monster from a distance. He dared not stealthily attack any further, as the mountain bandits were becoming increasingly numerous. If he made any noise and alerted a large group of bandits, things could turn out badly.


    After activating Skimming Shadow Steps, Xiao Buli bypassed this patrol of Minor Monsters and continued onward, quickly arriving at the first checkpoint¡ªa wall of fortification built at a narrow point on the mountain road, complete with two arrow towers. Archers stood at the ready in the towers.


    Xiao Buli cast Mind''s Eye, only to confirm that it was yet another battle structure that couldn''t be destroyed.


    Given the terrain and the modest troops at his disposal, although a frontal assault could potentially succeed, it would undoubtedly lead to significant losses. After three checkpoints, he might not have any troops left by the time he reached the bandits. It seemed that the stronghold wasn''t going to be an easy target.


    Utilizing Qinggong to leap over the wall, Xiao Buli pressed on. After bypassing three checkpoints with such stealth, he finally saw a fortress built against the mountain. Its precarious position atop an outcropping of rock made it clear why the Golden Dragon Legion had yet to capture it.


    The entrance to the stronghold was extremely narrow, just three to four meters wide, making it apparent that should they actually attack, the fortress would be difficult to capture once its gates were shut, no matter how large the attacking force.


    Xiao Buli continued his infiltration, entering the stronghold, which resembled an open-air dungeon. Much like other strongholds, there were groups of Minor Monsters gathered here and there. Clearly, due to the rules of the game, they were not as organized as real-life bandits. If a well-trained group of players methodically cleared the area, they could probably eliminate all of them.


    However, if players wished to pass through the exterior walls, they would need to initiate a battle, and once a battle began, these Minor Monsters would likely no longer be so scattered and disorganized.


    With these thoughts in mind, he continued deeper into the stronghold, soon reaching the gates of the Inner Stockade, which were radiating blue light, revealing it was indeed a deep blue dungeon. Four Elite Guards stood watch at the doorway.


    Xiao Buli passed straight through the light screen and upon entering, a sudden idea struck him. If he used Cloud Thunder Leap within the dungeon, could he possibly leap out of it? For now, this was a question without an answer. He needed to focus on the more pressing matters, so he headed straight toward the heart of the stronghold.


    It wasn''t long before he encountered a silver-hued Minor Boss, a Mountain Patroller named Cui Yuncheng, who carried two curved knives, indicating he was a Ranger-type boss. Behind him was a ferocious, banded tiger clad in Armor, known as Iron Claw. Looking at its paws, they were indeed black, fitted with iron claws.


    This duo seemed to be aimlessly wandering near the entrance of the Inner Stockade. Afraid of being discovered by the tiger, Xiao Buli took a wide detour around them and continued on. He then saw a giant in heavy Armor drinking alcohol, with a large shield resembling a door and a Spiked Hammer set beside the table covered in liquor jars, indicating that he must have been drinking for a while. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This fellow was also a silver-hued boss, none other than Du Guang.


    Xiao Buli kept moving deeper into the stronghold and soon arrived at the doors of a great hall, the only building that looked somewhat impressive. A sign hung above the entrance, reading "Hall of Righteousness."


    Xiao Buli stood at the entrance of the Hall of Righteousness, cautiously peering inside. There, sitting grandly on the throne at the center of the hall was a golden-named boss in black Scale Armor, the Cloud Wing Helmet on his head, appearing very dignified¡ªclearly not an ordinary character. It was Xu Lie.


    As Xiao Buli hesitated whether to move closer, the boss suddenly shifted his gaze toward him.


    Startled, Xiao Buli thought, ''Could the boss possibly have Reveal capabilities?'' Instinctively, he thought of turning to flee, but in the next moment, a mountain bandit scout burst in from behind him.


    With one knee on the ground, the scout reported, "Your Majesty, our spy in Black Stone Village has returned with important information to report to you."


    Xu Lie snorted in response, "How many times have I said to call me General?"


    "Yes, your Majesty. Next time I will be careful, your Majesty. But do you wish to see him or not?"


    "What did you call me?"


    The scout replied, "Your Majesty, right? Is there a problem, your Majesty?" While saying this, he put on a very serious face, appearing not to remember Xu Lie''s previous instruction at all.


    Xu Lie let out an involuntary sigh, not dwelling on the matter any further, and nodded, "Let him in."


    Soon, a trembling NPC, an old man, entered from outside.


    Xu Lie said, "I hear you''ve got information to report to me."


    The old man reported, "Your Majesty, Black Stone Village has built a wall outside the village, blocking the entrance. Moreover, they''ve taken in several refugees from the north, seemingly intending to use them as a shield against you." Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    A smirk appeared on Xu Lie''s face. "Ha, truly a bunch of fools who don''t know whether they''re alive or dead. Well, let them become an excellent example." With that, he rose abruptly from the throne, "Pass down my order. Assemble the troops, I will lead an army down the mountain." (To be continued.


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 Chapter 34 Surrender to Sky Grass

    Xiao Buli was suddenly startled, then overjoyed. Initially, he had thought that he would need to take the offensive, which would almost certainly spell failure for his side. With the less-than-two-hundred people militia of Black Stone Village and Thousand Pines Town, launching an attack on such a well-defended fortress was almost impossible.


    But now that the bandits were going to strike first, it actually gave them a chance. If they could counterattack defensively, he felt somewhat sure of success. As long as they could deplete most of the bandits'' strength in a defensive battle and then attack the fortress when it was weak, victory should still be attainable.


    Of course, these were just his plans for now, and whether they could be realized still depended on their performance in the actual fight.


    The scout had gone out with the orders, and not long after, Cui Yuncheng and Du Guang came in from outside.


    "Haha, Boss, this is great. Finally, I have the chance to get out and about. I''m so bored of drinking in the stronghold all day that I''m about to go mad," Du Guang said loudly as he entered, his voice booming.


    Cui Yuncheng spoke coldly, "You still have it good. I''m bored to death pacing back and forth at the gate all day. Those adventurers don''t hurry up and come get killed, so that I can have some fun." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xu Lie laughed heartily, "You two, what am I to say about you? With our strength, do you think any average adventurer dares to come looking for death?"


    But then he sighed, "Nevertheless, this kind of life is only for now. If there really are adventurers who can break through from outside the stronghold, then they must be extraordinary opponents. Whether we can withstand them is still up for debate, and at that time, you won''t have the chance to be so bored."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli was astonished, thinking it was his first time encountering BOSS NPCs speaking about players behind their backs. He began to listen attentively.


    Then Du Guang said, "Boss, don''t be discouraged. If we can take over some territory, occupy more places, maybe we could become a force to be reckoned with. Then we could lure adventurers to grind Prestige for us, to do the quests we offer. Perhaps we could even become a lord of a city, just like Zhang Xiaotian."


    Xu Lie nodded, "Exactly. Otherwise, why do you think I''ve been bothering with Black Stone Village for nothing?"


    After finishing, his face suddenly twisted into a grimace, "Hmph, I will kill Zhang Xiaotian sooner or later!" Xu Lie said as he pounded the table fiercely.


    Yet then he paused, "Damn, I''m daydreaming, aren''t I? With my strength, how could I possibly kill Zhang Xiaotian."


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    Just as Du Guang was about to speak, Cui Yuncheng pulled him aside and gave him a meaningful look.


    Xu Lie''s expression transformed into a grimace again, "Kill or not, I must kill! The Black Dragon Legion and Zhang Xiaotian are irreconcilable!"


    Then his expression sank into dejection, "But how can I kill him when I can''t? The Black Dragon Legion was long destroyed, and now I''m but a mountain chieftain. Sigh, why do I always talk nonsense?"


    "You may be content being a mountain chieftain, but I''m not! I am Xu Lie of the Black Dragon Four Generals, the Black Mountain General! Waaahhhh!"


    "Big Brother!" Du Guang and Cui Yuncheng both grabbed Xu Lie''s shoulders at the same time, finally snapping him out of his mental turmoil. "What''s happened to me? What''s going on?" Xu Lie asked in a daze.


    "Big brother, you''re confused again," Du Guang asked, concern evident in his voice.


    Xu Lie shook his head, "Never mind, it''s alright now. Let''s not talk about this, we should go out and see if the troops have assembled."


    Without further ado, he grabbed the Great Spear from the throne and strode outside. Du Guang and Cui Yuncheng exchanged glances and hurriedly followed him out.


    Xiao Buli watched Xu Lie''s constantly shifting expressions like in a Sichuan opera, wondering if this NPC could indeed suffer from multiple personality disorder.


    While pondering this, he also followed out of the Hall of Righteousness. The Inner Stockade was too narrow to be a place to assemble troops, so he left the instance directly and arrived at the drill ground outside.


    He found a secluded corner to observe from and saw a stream of Black Mountain Bandits coming out from various buildings, converging onto the drill ground within the camp to form well-ordered ranks swiftly.


    He counted them; there were approximately three to four hundred in size. His heart couldn''t help but be shocked at the formidable strength of the Black Mountain Camp.


    Three to four hundred might not sound like much, but it was a considerable force to behold¡ªa dark tide of men, their equipment average but still far superior to that of the militia. Combined with their disciplined array, high Morale, and fierce appearances, they indeed looked ready for a formidable onslaught.


    The more Xiao Buli saw, the more worried he became. He wondered if Black Stone Village would be able to withstand the assault and whether Han Wenhuan knew enough about training troops to make a difference in these few days.


    Anxious, he hesitated for a moment but didn''t immediately go down the mountain to send the warning. He decided to continue observing¡ªafter all, he could leave at any moment using Cloud Thunder Leap.


    The Black Mountain Bandits gathered together, and the three commanding officers emerged from the dungeon. It seemed there were only these three bosses for the Black Mountain Bandits: Xu Lie (Black Mountain King), Mountain Patroller Cui Yuncheng (Black Mountain Vice Marshal), and Fortress Assaulter Du Guang (Black Mountain Vice Marshal).


    Apart from these three bosses, there were many deep blue high-ranking elites, all bandit chieftains, numbering seven or eight. As for ordinary elites denoted by a light blue, there were as many as twenty or thirty. These bandit leaders were probably stronger than the regular bandits, which gave Xiao Buli a bit of a headache upon seeing them.


    The three bosses stood on the platform. Xu Lie had a satisfied expression, "Good, my brothers have indeed not neglected their training. I declare that today we will attack Black Stone Village! We shall... ... ...


    ..."


    "Hold on, my King!" An elderly voice suddenly interrupted Xu Lie''s speech. Then, a white-haired old man wearing a black robe appeared from behind the large camp. The old man''s black robe was painted with strange symbols in fresh blood, seemingly carrying some religious significance. He looked to be the so-called mysterious Priest, with the name ''Wu Dak (Amara Priest)'', a deep blue high-ranking elite.


    His origins, however, were unclear.


    Xu Lie appeared rather displeased upon seeing the old man, "What are you doing out here? Are you looking for trouble again?"


    The old man sneered coldly, "Heh heh, you should know why I''m here. Attacking Black Stone Village can''t be this casual. Have you paid the Sky Grass tribute?"


    Sky Grass tribute? What did that mean? Xiao Buli wondered to himself.


    However, Xu Lie''s expression changed at the mention, as if this Sky Grass tribute was a significant matter, "To get you materials, I''ve spent all my money. I don''t have any left to pay the Sky Grass tribute."


    The old man replied, "If you don''t have money, don''t send troops. Otherwise, even if you take Black Stone Village, what''s the use? You''ll still have to retreat. Do you want to be punished by heaven?"


    After saying that and seeing Xu Lie remaining silent, the old man added, "Though, I do have a solution. If we send troops in the name of my true God Amara, then there''s no need for the Sky Grass tribute."


    But Xu Lie just sneered coldly, "Forget it. If your so-called true god gets involved, what''s there left for me? Just go back to mining your stones."


    The old man chuckled heinously but didn''t say anything further and turned to leave.


    Xu Lie turned to Cui Yuncheng and Du Guang, and said with a gloomy face, "Even though that old man is no good, he''s not wrong. If we don''t pay the Sky Grass tribute, even if we take down Black Stone Village, it''s meaningless. Do you guys have any money on you?"


    The few bosses turned their pockets inside out and finally scraped together 100 Gold Coins, which they all handed over to Xu Lie. Xu Lie took the Gold Coins and tapped the air a few times with them. Suddenly, the Gold Coins vanished, but he was left with a scroll-like object. Xu Lie unfolded the scroll, glanced at it, and started to read off of it.


    "Black Stone Village is an affiliated village of Black Mountain and should be governed by Black Mountain. Unexpectedly, the village chief is harboring wild ambitions, refusing to submit, and even daring to gather militia to oppose the great Black Mountain army. Unless he surrenders to me and hands over the village chief and other criminals, the village shall be razed to the ground.


    A deadline of three days is given under the witness of the heavens."


    After he finished, the scroll in his hand turned into a golden light that shot into the sky and disappeared.


    As Xiao Buli was curiously observing, a system prompt suddenly popped up on his screen.


    System Prompt: The monster siege event has been triggered. In three days, the Black Mountain Bandits will launch a major attack on Black Stone Village. As an ally of Black Stone Village, you have the duty to assist them.


    PS: This event is part of the battle campaign task and will determine the direction of the subsequent quests.


    Thank goodness! Xiao Buli immediately breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. There was a lot that could be done in three days, so it was time to start preparing earnestly.


    It seemed that the Sky Grass tribute was a method to initiate war, but he wondered if he could use it himself.


    While pondering, Xiao Buli clicked on the newly unlocked systems and, indeed, found a Sky Grass tribute function within the Leadership system.


    This function was only available to lords, who are the owners of a territory, including village chiefs, town mayors, city lords, fortress leaders, etcetera. The Sky Grass tribute required the expenditure of Gold Coins, and the amount demanded varied depending on the reasons behind the tribute.


    For instance, if the cause was to resist oppression, only ten Gold Coins would be needed, but if the reasons were less just, more Gold Coins would be necessary.


    Considering the relationship between Black Stone Village and the Black Mountain Bandits, if one wished to strike at the bandits, plenty of valid reasons could be found - likely only requiring ten Gold Coins.


    Once the Sky Grass tribute was issued, a system prompt would appear, and after a few days, the battle campaign could commence. That''s when fortifications like the arrow towers and outposts could potentially be damaged.


    These weren''t explanations given by the system but were deductions made by Xiao Buli himself. However, as far as he was concerned, they were unlikely to be wrong. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian.com to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 35 Tengu Spider

    Xiao Buli was about to leave when he suddenly noticed something off; the blue light of the dungeon had disappeared without him knowing when. He walked straight over only to find that the dungeon had vanished completely, meaning the three bosses had now become open-world bosses.


    However, even as open-world bosses, they couldn''t be challenged, especially since there were hundreds of bandits around them.


    Xiao Buli looked at the light screen of the ten-player dungeon and thought to himself, "Now that a campaign quest has started, this light screen has disappeared. If this campaign quest hadn''t triggered, it''d likely have been an assassination mission instead. Then battling this ten-player dungeon would be mandatory, but now it seems to have turned into a full-blown war."


    While he pondered, Xiao Buli walked deeper in and noticed a faint blue light emanating from the depths of the bandit stronghold. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a very secluded cave, its entrance obscured by a white light screen. He had no idea what was inside.


    A dungeon here? Xiao Buli couldn''t help but be puzzled. Dungeons within dungeons weren''t new to him, but this was the first time he had encountered one in this game. He tried to break through, only to be promptly ejected.


    System Notification: You have been pushed out by an invisible force.


    The cave appeared to be a mine of some sort, and it was unclear what was hidden inside. But no matter what, he decided it was best to head back first.


    On his way back, the Black Mountain Bandits showed no signs of dispersing and remained assembled.


    This situation, Xiao Buli estimated, would probably persist until three days later, so he quietly left.


    Upon returning to Black Stone Village, Xiao Buli''s first order of business was to discuss upcoming matters with the village chief. Contrary to what he had expected, the chief of Black Stone Village was a burly strongman clad in Refined Iron Armor, resembling more a warrior than a village chief.


    "Haha, you must be Town Chief Xiao from Thousand Pines Town. I am Village Chief Lei Ba of Black Stone Village, pleased to meet you."


    Xiao Buli exchanged a few polite words, then shared the intelligence he had gathered. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Black Mountain Bandits will be launching a major invasion in three days. May I ask if Village Chief Lei has any plans?"


    Lei Ba replied, "Town Chief Xiao, there''s no need to worry. I''ve just received a divine revelation, so I plan to issue a Hero Summoning Order soon. Adventurers nearby should receive the news of the Black Mountain Bandits'' invasion, and I expect some will come to reinforce us. Combined with our joint efforts, we will surely triumph."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "That would be best." After saying this, he didn''t leave immediately but instead quietly observed how the Hero Summoning Order was used.


    Lei Ba pulled out a handful of Gold Coins from his pocket, tapped the air a few times, and suddenly had a scroll appear in his hand, which looked different from the golden scroll that Xu Lie had held¡ªit was silver.


    He opened the scroll and read it with ardent fervor. The gist of it complained about the numerous wicked deeds of the Black Mountain Bandits, how Black Stone Village was forced to defend itself, and invited heroes to join their cause, promising substantial rewards afterwards.


    No sooner had he finished reading than the scroll in his hand turned into a beam of silver light, shot up into the sky, and vanished.


    System Notification: Black Stone Village is about to be attacked by monster forces. The village chief calls upon heroes from all corners to aid Black Stone Village in repelling the assault. Completing this mission will yield a handsome amount of Merit Points, Prestige Points, and Game Coins as rewards.


    The top three players who earn the most Merit Points in the defense activity will also receive a mysterious gift from Black Stone Village. The monster siege event will begin in three days at 8 p.m.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but marvel. He opened his interface and indeed found an option for Hero Summoning Order. This Hero Summoning Order could only be used against monster forces and required a major objective, such as recapturing Thousand Pines Town. However, he dared not use it casually; the adventurers who were summoned to help fight the monsters would require task rewards.


    With his understanding of the game, these rewards wouldn''t come from nowhere; they would likely need to be provided by him.


    However, should a dire situation arise in the future, it might be worth trying.


    Having understood these matters, Xiao Buli bid farewell to the village chief and headed back to the eastern side of the village, where the refugees from Thousand Pines Town were stationed.


    Han Wenhuan was still training the militia, and he got quite excited upon seeing Xiao Buli.


    "Ah, Guild Leader, you''re finally back! Take a look at the army I''ve trained for you!"


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    Xiao Buli checked the army system and noticed that the Militia of Thousand Pines Town had some distinct changes in their unit badge.


    Militia of Thousand Pines Town (Understrength)


    Force Assessment: White.


    Members: 80 (Full complement 100).


    Commander: Zhang Zhixi (Ordinary Elite), Deputy Commander: Han Wenhuan.


    Morale Value: 100.


    Morale Type: Basic Discipline (This unit has basic discipline. When sustaining casualties, the speed at which morale drops is reduced by 20%).


    Unit Description: A militia armed force composed of townspeople from Thousand Pines Town, with strict discipline and a certain level of offensive and defensive capability, suitable as a general auxiliary military force.


    Just from the unit description alone, everything was completely different, and the Morale Type particularly caught Xiao Buli''s interest. After reading the morale description, he found it quite intriguing.

 Chapter 35 Tengu Spider_2

    Before a military unit goes into battle, morale can generally be maintained at a relatively high level, typically around 100 points. Once it falls below 60, however, the possibility of disintegration arises. When a unit suffers casualties, for every 1% of troops lost, morale decreases by 2%. This means that a unit of a hundred men may disintegrate after losing twenty. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    But now, with the support of the "discipline" morale type, losing twenty men only reduces morale by thirty-two points, leaving an eight-point margin before disintegration. This must be one of the advantages of having different types of morale, and it seems there might be others.


    Nevertheless, this served as a reminder to him that he didn''t need to wipe out every single Black Mountain Bandit attacking the village; inflicting sufficient casualties to cause disintegration would suffice.


    What pleased him most was that the grade of the troop had changed from gray to white, at least it looked a bit more respectable now.


    "You''ve done well, Old Han."


    "You bet, I''ve even mastered ''Troop Training LV1''. But if I want them to perform well in battle, intensive training is still necessary."


    Xiao Buli said, "Then I''ll leave the training to you. We have three days, do your best."


    However, Han Wenhuan expressed his difficulty, "But if I focus on training, I won''t be able to level up and get equipment." Xiao Buli could tell what the young man was thinking just by looking at his expression.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll get you a set of equipment later, guaranteed to keep you from falling on the battlefield," Han Wenhuan then chuckled and agreed, turning back to train the soldiers with interest.


    Xiao Buli turned to the others and said, "You all should do the same; you must strengthen your abilities during these three days. Oh, Old Li, have you identified the items I sent you?"


    Whenever Xiao Buli had some free time these past few days, he''d been sending items into the game. He had sent quite a few things, mostly blueprints and books.


    Li Shuren shook his head, "I did identify them, but the problem is I can''t learn them. Take ''The Art of War by Sun Tzu'' for example."


    The Art of War by Sun Tzu: A knowledge-based book, long-term reading can seemingly improve one''s military literacy.


    Requirements to learn: intelligence 18 points. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "18 points in intelligence, which is the equivalent of 180 in reality. How many people could reach that level?"


    Hearing this, Xiao Buli was somewhat at a loss for words. "What about the blueprints?"


    The blueprints were even more outrageous, like this one for the flintlock gun.


    Thunderbolt Gun: This blueprint is for a very strange weapon, appearing to possess extremely powerful lethality.


    Requirements to learn: Forging LV10, Carpentry L5, Mechanical Techniques LV3, Alchemy LV3, intelligence 15 points.


    This requirement on intelligence is a bit lower, but those prerequisite skills are overwhelmingly difficult to obtain. Xiao Buli thought for a moment but found no solution. Similarly, in his bag, there was also ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'', requiring 20 points of intelligence to learn. With such a high requirement for intelligence, how is one supposed to meet it?


    It seems necessary to find a way to gather some intelligence-boosting equipment, wondering if such equipment even existed.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Let''s leave it at that for now. I have to go back to Mystic Hollow Palace for a bit. Xiao Ge, are you coming with me?"


    Xiao Ge shook his head, "Forget it, I haven''t even mastered the One-handed Sword specialty. I''ll pass on going there for now."


    Accepting his response, Xiao Buli set off on his own.


    He continued to use Cloud Thunder Leap to rush in the direction of Mystic Hollow Palace. Half an hour later, he arrived once again at Mystic Hollow Palace, checking the proficiency of the Cloud Thunder Leap; it was almost at LV3, but still not sufficient. This skill would prove very useful in the future, so he must seize every opportunity to practice it more.


    His reason for returning this time was to purchase some life-saving items, not for himself but for Gu Shaobang and the others. After all, warfare is perilous and unpredictable, and since you can''t log out during battle, should the situation go south, he wouldn''t want his brothers to fall there.


    He already had one Mystic Hollow Palace Teleportation Talisman in his possession. Purchasing three more would suffice.


    With three hundred twenty Contribution Value points at hand, he could exactly afford three Teleportation Talismans. After making the purchase, he was out of Contribution Value points again. Xiao Buli mused on how quickly he was going through them; he would have to consider taking on more tasks.


    After acquiring the Town-Return Talismans, Xiao Buli prepared to train his skills. Many of his abilities had room for improvement, but the most urgent to upgrade was undoubtedly the Void Summoning Art.


    This type of spell differed from offensive, defensive, and auxiliary spells in that low levels were almost useless. However, at higher levels, the potency and control over Summoned Beasts could be extraordinarily powerful.


    Since this skill was exclusive and couldn''t be improved with battle experience, it was normally quite challenging to level up. However, Xiao Buli wouldn''t be deterred.


    Xiao Buli headed straight for the Beast Pen where many animals were kept; some were there as prey for predators, like the long-eared rabbits. He decided to use these rabbits for his training.


    After summoning and dismissing his horse, he began training his skill, which entailed a simple routine: seal a rabbit, summon and kill it, seal another, and kill it, repeating this process. When he had killed the thirtieth rabbit, a system notification appeared on the screen.


    System Notification: After continuous practice, your Void Summoning Art has advanced to LV2.


    (That went a bit faster than I thought), Xiao Buli pondered internally.

 Chapter 35 Tengu Spider_3

    At Level 2, the Void Summoning Art could now seal two beasts at once, and the wildness level of the beasts that could be sealed had also risen to Level 2.


    After the effort, his True Yuan Points had nearly run out, so Xiao Buli hurriedly sat down to meditate and restore his True Yuan Points.


    He now had two energy-restoration skills, one was meditation, the other was Harmonizing Breath, and both restored True Yuan at about the same rate, so Xiao Buli simply fused the two skills together,


    System prompt: Skill fusion successful, exclusive skill ''Five Qi Chao Yuan'' acquired.


    Five Qi Chao Yuan: absorbs the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, rapidly restoring all the energy you''ve exhausted, including physical strength, internal energy, and mana.


    This skill restored True Yuan Points at about 1.5 times the rate of meditation, Xiao Buli tried it out, and in less than half an hour, he had almost fully recovered his eight hundred True Yuan Points. As soon as his True Yuan Points were restored, he immediately started a new round of cultivation.


    In this way, repeating the process, his True Yuan Points were exhausted more than a dozen times. By the following day at noon, Xiao Buli had managed to level his Void Summoning Art all the way to LV10.


    System prompt: After a long period of arduous cultivation, your Void Summoning Art has reached LV10, increasing the number of beasts you can seal to ten. You can now seal even more ferocious beasts.


    Thank heavens, it was finally successful! A sense of relief washed over Xiao Buli, and he let out a long sigh.


    In this way, he could unleash the full potential of this skill in the monster siege two days later, but as of now, he didn''t have a single Summoned Beast.


    As for where to find formidable beasts, Xiao Buli still remembered the coordinates of beast spawns that Zhang Yaoyang had provided him with.


    Spawn coordinate 1 ¨C Southern Blackwater Riverbank of the Roaring Bull Plains: respawned beasts ¨C various colored Evil Jiaos, beast type Exotic Beasts, wildness level 8-9, respawn time about a month. Spawn coordinate 2 ¨C Forest of Demon Spirits: respawned beasts ¨C Two-tailed Spirit Foxes, beast type Demon Beasts, wildness level 3-5, respawn time unknown.


    Spawn coordinate 3 ¨C Black Wind Ridge: respawned beasts ¨C White Tiger quest monsters, beast type Exotic Beasts, wildness level 5, respawn time seven days. Spawn coordinate 4 ¨C Skullsplitter Wilderness: respawned beasts ¨C Soul-eating Birds, beast type Nether Beasts, wildness level unknown, respawn time unknown.


    Spawn coordinate 5 ¨C Dark Forest: respawned beasts ¨C Saber-Toothed Wolves, beast type Demon Beasts, wildness level 5, respawn time imminent. Spawn coordinate 6 ¨C Dark Forest: respawned beasts ¨C Shadow Leopards, beast type Demon Beasts, wildness level 6, respawn time imminent.


    Initially, he had thought these beasts were quite formidable, but looking at them now, they seemed less so; aside from the Evil Jiao, which appeared quite tough, the others didn''t seem to hold much significance for him anymore.


    A beast''s wildness level would need to be at least LV8 or LV9 to be effective in large-scale fights, which was something he had learned from Zhang Yaoyang. However, for some reason, although Zhang Yaoyang had Taming Skills at LV10, he rarely led beasts that were too powerful, usually opting for a few beasts with lower wildness levels.


    Could it be due to ignorance regarding where to capture more powerful beasts? Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli felt that no one was more familiar with powerful beasts than Jingci, who had been observing him practice his skills all this time. Xiao Buli thus turned to him for advice.


    Hearing his question, Jingci laughed, "You want to seal a few formidable beasts? Haha, that''s easy. As long as you can go to different worlds like the Immortal Realm and Demon Realm, finding powerful beasts isn''t difficult. However, in this world, opportunities are scarce.


    I do know of a few places: in the Desolate Mountains to the south of Mist Valley, countless fierce and evil creatures lie hidden, some of which I haven''t even heard of or seen. If you really want to capture powerful beasts, you might as well take a look there.


    But let me warn you, the Desolate Mountains are vast and endless, filled with ferocious beasts and many mysterious indigenous forest dwellers, as well as magicians skilled in witchcraft. Their powers are entirely different from the Taoist spells we use, so you need to be very cautious if you encounter them."


    After opening the map and taking a look, Xiao Buli couldn''t help frowning. From the perspective of latitude lines, Black Stone Village and Mystic Hollow Palace were on the same latitude, and to their south lay the Barbaric Mountains. The immense mountain range sprawled almost to the very southern edge of the map, far larger than all the territories he''d previously explored combined.


    Moreover, the map''s southern region lacked any text or pictorial introduction, giving off the feeling of an unexplored area.


    Nevertheless, he decided to venture forth. Although Lei Ba had said he could gather adventurers to help defend the village, Xiao Buli was not the type of person who liked to depend on others for his fate. Moreover, with the life-saving technique Cloud Thunder Leap at his disposal, he was quite confident about his chances of returning alive.


    "Alright, I''ll be careful. Brother, you just wait for my good news." Xiao Buli said.


    Now it was Jingci''s turn to be surprised, "You''re really going? Haha, I didn''t expect you to be so brave, junior brother. In that case, I have a quest that I might need you to handle for me."


    Xiao Buli naturally wouldn''t refuse. He had been waiting for a new sect quest for quite some time.


    "I''ve heard that in the Barbarian Wilderness, there is an Exotic Beast known as the Tengu Spider. These spiders are huge, with limbs as hard as steel, dwelling in rock caves. They emerge to hunt at dusk and dawn, and no creature from jackals to tigers, snakes to ants can escape their fangs. They only lay eggs on the night of the full moon, which happens to be in the next couple of days.


    If possible, I would like you to bring back some Tengu Spider eggs for me, as many as you can. But remember, this matter must be kept secret, absolutely do not let the master find out."


    System prompt: Quest ''Tengu Spider Eggs'' triggered, do you accept? Yes/No.


    "What''s with second brother''s taste getting heavier these days? From playing with wolves and tigers, he''s now onto spiders," Xiao Buli thought. However, he wouldn''t really complain about such matters and promptly agreed to take on the task. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets.


    Your support is my biggest motivation.) S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 36 The Spiders Nest

    The Southern Barbarian Mountain Range is not strictly a name for a map, but a generic term for that vast unexplored area to the south of Mystic Hollow Palace, an area not only vast in size but filled with poisonous miasmas, treacherous swamps, venomous snakes, and fierce beasts. Few players have ventured there, and even NPCs have little information about it.


    But today, Xiao Buli was determined to explore this region.


    Using Cloud Thunder Leap, Xiao Buli teleported towards the south, appearing and disappearing repeatedly. Each time he landed, he observed his surroundings and marked a coordinate on his map. Whenever he discovered a safe place to land, he would sit and meditate to recover his True Origin Points.


    After more than a dozen leaps, the environment around him gradually changed.


    Initially, the scenery didn''t differ much from the Misty Mountains, perhaps only with denser trees and more wild beasts. But as he delved deeper, the surroundings became completely different.


    The shapes of the trees altered, with many broad-leafed plants typical of rainforests appearing. The ground also became muddy and wet, and occasionally he would find swampy pools in the low-lying areas of the mountain range.


    On his forty-seventh landing, he happened to land in a swamp.


    With a thunderous roar accompanying his descent, mud splattered everywhere, and the ground of the swamp exploded into a huge pit.


    Xiao Buli found himself sinking rapidly and hastily performed Leaping from Dry Land to jump up, making several leaps to get out of the swamp before he could breathe a sigh of relief. At that moment, a massive crocodile, the size of a young calf, emerged from the muddy swamp and crawled lazily toward him.


    The Swamp Crocodile is a species unique to the Barbarian Wilderness, large and with tough skin that regular swords and blades find difficult to harm. Its massive jaws allow it to easily swallow smaller creatures whole, making it the swamp''s apex predator. For the creatures living in this area, their first thought upon seeing it is of escape, and this crocodile was well accustomed to this reaction.


    However, the weird-looking weak creature before it did not run away, a strange phenomenon that was completely beyond its limited intellect. Yet, driven by hunger, it opened its enormous mouth and pounced toward him.


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    Five minutes later, the crocodile began to regret its impetuousness.


    Xiao Buli exhaled in relief¡ªthe big brute really did have thick skin, but fortunately, it was slow. By kiting it for a full five minutes, he finally brought it to the verge of death.


    Xiao Buli looked down at the dying behemoth and cast Mind''s Eye on it.


    Swamp Crocodile: (Beast).


    Intelligence: 5.


    Strength: 28.


    Speed: 14.


    Agility: 13.


    Stamina: 35.¡ª¡ªStamina Points 350 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 49.¡ª¡ªHealth Points 490. (1 point of physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


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    Claw Strike: LV1. A standard attack skill that scratches the enemy with claws, causing base attack damage.


    Pounce: LV1. A fierce lunge at the target, dealing double the damage of Claw Strike and causing the target to lose balance. It consumes 10 Physical Strength, has a cooldown of 15 seconds, and must be used within a 3-8 meter range.


    Wildness: LV8. This untamed beast longs for a free and wild lifestyle, full of aggression and hard to live peacefully with humans. Prolonged taming will lower the level of this skill.


    Rip and Bite: LV7. Inflicts a powerful damage on the target causing bleeding, which deals 35 damage over 10 seconds. It consumes 5 Stamina Points and has a cooldown of 5 seconds.


    Rip and Bite - Limb Sever: Triggered after a successful Rip and Bite, inflicts secondary damage to the target being ripped and has a certain chance to cause a limb-severing effect. It consumes 10 Stamina Points and has a cooldown of 60 seconds.


    Thick Skin LV5: The Swamp Crocodile possesses tough skin that absorbs ten points of physical attack damage.


    Tail Strike: LV5, Uses its tail to strike enemies behind, causing 20 points of damage and has a certain chance to make them fall over.


    Devour LV3: Devours a smaller creature, causing slow damage during the digestion process, while simultaneously restoring Stamina Points.


    Lesser Dragon Blood: As distant relatives of the Dragon Clan, crocodiles have exceptional resistance to disease and poison, allowing them to survive in harsh environments.


    Amphibious: As an amphibian, the crocodile can move in water.


    After reviewing the skills, Xiao Buli nodded with satisfaction. Though the creature was only a common monster with a white name, it was quite powerful, and capturing one was worthwhile.


    Void Summoning Art - Seal! The crocodile was enveloped and restrained by the white light released by Xiao Buli. Driven by its wild instincts, it struggled fiercely, but its weakened state made it difficult to resist the power of the light. After a standoff, it was finally consumed by the light.


    It was already the third fierce beast Xiao Buli had sealed. The first was a leopard with only a Wildness level of LV6, which was merely for practice. The second was a wild ox with Wildness LV5, whose combat ability was not as good as the leopard''s, but it could be used as a mount and came with its own LV5 charge skill, so Xiao Buli took it as well.


    This third creature he had caught finally seemed more impressive.


    He surveyed the surrounding area. The swamp lay in the depression of a circular mountain range, surrounded by lush, green mountains covered in vegetation. Only the eastern side revealed a bald patch of limestone, looking jagged and full of cracks and holes due to long-term erosion by moisture.

 Chapter 36 Spiders Den_2

    Jingci didn''t tell him the exact respawn location of the Tengu Spider, but he did say it would most likely be in a cave on the mountain; with diligent searching, he was bound to find it. Still, this area seemed necessary to scout first.


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    As he pondered, he walked towards there alongside the edge of the marsh, and gradually he reached the middle of the mountain. Hidden among the foliage, he faintly spotted a rocky cave, and Xiao Buli immediately felt joy in his heart¡ªit was going smoother than he had imagined.


    With these thoughts in mind, he activated his Qinggong and leaped toward the cave entrance.


    The mountain was perilous, not tall but with no place to safely land. Xiao Buli took each leap with great care; a single misstep and he''d fall, instantly losing over twenty health points. After a struggle, he finally reached the cave mouth, where the ground was relatively flat. It seemed smoothed by some creature''s frequent climbing. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Peering into the cave, Xiao Buli saw only pitch darkness; a few steps in, however, a faint light blossomed from him, the glow coming from a secondary item he carried.


    Though the light provided some visibility, it also made him an easy target in the dark. After a moment''s thought, he decided to remove that piece of equipment and put on Betrayer''s Dark Vision. His surroundings instantly became clear as day.


    The cavern was deep and its length unknown. Xiao Buli activated Skimming Shadow Steps and carefully moved further inside.


    The deeper he went, the more spacious the cave became, and gradually, he noticed traces of spider silk on the cave walls. Excitement surged through him¡ªclearly, there was spider activity here. Now the question was whether there were any Tengu Spiders present.


    As he continued, he reached the end of the cave¡ªa huge grotto with nothing in sight except some animal remains on the ground. Xiao Buli was puzzled. What was going on? Why wasn''t there even a single monster in sight?


    Lost in thought, a shadow suddenly whipped past him, and in the next instant, his health points decreased by a chunk. Alarmed, Xiao Buli quickly activated Ethereal Armor and looked behind him, but there was nothing there.


    By heavens, Tengu Spiders could turn invisible too? As a shadow momentarily stunned him, another shadow flashed by. His Ethereal Armor was struck by something, creating ripples¡ªa hidden monster was present!


    Xiao Buli quickly used Omniscient Eye to look around and was shocked by the sight¡ªencircling him were about fifteen or sixteen large spiders, each the size of a grindstone, strongly opposing him.


    The spiders had thin and long limbs and were exceptionally slender, with bulbous heads and abdomens. At the front of their heads were clusters of sickle-like, razor-sharp limbs¡ªSickle Feet. A pitch-black color covered their bodies¡ªthey were Shadow Spiders!


    Xiao Buli was both thrilled and alarmed. Thrilled because he needed a silk sac from the Shadow Spiders and had coincidentally encountered them. Alarmed because dealing with so many might prove challenging.


    However, his mentality was still caught in past experiences of running dungeons; he didn''t feel the dozen monsters before him posed any real threat. At most, they were merely troublesome. In a blink, another Shadow Spider lunged at him. This time he saw it clearly.


    The moment its sickle-like limb slashed towards him, he abruptly performed Chaotic Shadow Split; his true body and the illusion leaped in exactly opposite directions. Yet the Shadow Spider seemed to have locked on to his true form, pouncing at him and slicing down. Another wave splashed against the Ethereal Armor.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback; it seemed the Shadow Spiders could ignore invisibility and illusions. It appeared he had no choice but to fight head-on.


    Sunfire Sword Qi! Xiao Buli''s Blood Drinking Sword suddenly blazed with a scorching light. This action seemed to poke a hornet''s nest, with the spiders uniformly retreating before swarming in attack.


    Damn, not good! Xiao Buli hurriedly unleashed a powerful move,


    Ultimate Skill¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! A crimson sword light became a whirlwind sweeping towards the densest cluster of monsters. He thought this move would kill at least three to five spiders, or at least seriously wound most of them, but the Shadow Spiders reacted in an instant, leaping away in all directions.


    Their jumping ability was astonishing, covering five to six meters in a bound and thereby evading Xiao Buli''s attack. Only the spider that charged closest didn''t escape in time and was caught directly, losing more than half of its health.


    Xiao Buli had never encountered such a situation before. As the heavily injured spider turned to flee, and four others surrounded him, he gritted his teeth and braved a few hits, landing several strikes to kill the wounded spider. The moment it died, his Ethereal Armor was breached.


    Such high attack power! Xiao Buli was increasingly shocked and hurriedly began casting to replenish his shield. But a barrage of attacks interrupted his spell-casting. Only then did Xiao Buli realize that although the Shadow Spiders didn''t hit very hard, losing only about eighteen health points per hit, their attack speed was terrifyingly fast.


    They could strike at least four to five times in a second. Once his shield broke, there was no time to activate another Ethereal Armor.

 Chapter 36 The Spiders Nest_3

    He hastily consumed a Blood Spirit Elixir, restoring 80 health points; these elixirs had been issued to him by the company when he initially prepared to conquer the Dark Forest instance, and today, they finally came in handy.


    While evading, Xiao Buli''s mind raced. Clearly, it was pointless to attempt any skill that required casting time, and relying solely on instant-cast skills to kill all these Shadow Spiders was an impossible task. It was a time to heed the saying, ''the best plan is oft to retreat.''


    Activating Skimming Shadow Steps, Xiao Buli turned to flee, but the spiders quickly surrounded him, attacking from all directions as if his Invisibility Effect were a free giveaway. Rather than swarming him at once, they attacked like a pack of wolves testing for openings. Xiao Buli felt enemies from all angles in a chaotic mess that still seemed to follow some pattern.


    He engaged his Tai Chi Sword Skills in defense, but his health points continued to drop. His nerves tensed up. Damn it, this was going to be trouble! The sounds of Sickle Feet tearing flesh echoed incessantly in his headset, filling him with dread.


    A single lapse could lead to being butchered by the encircling Shadow Spiders, which would be bearable in-game, but a real-life death like that would be too miserable.


    Clenching his teeth, he cast Shadow Clone! Xiao Buli had used this skill for the fifth time. Although the released clones were pointless, the short-distance rapid movement still allowed him to dodge many attacks. However, it failed to increase the distance between him and the spiders, which doggedly followed him, attacking again.


    A cramp in his stomach indicated he was suffering from the side effects of excessive tension. His fingers tapped furiously on the keyboard¡ªconstantly dodging, repositioning, parrying, and healing himself¡ªpushing himself to the limit. A single mispressed key and a series of attacks later, his health points nearly bottomed out. Death loomed so close, Xiao Buli could almost smell its metallic scent.


    His heart jumped to his throat as he instinctively unleashed his Ultimate Skill¡ªCarefree Illusionary Sword Dance! A flash of white light skimmed over five or six spiders, landing near the exit of the cave, and his health points instantly recovered by a third, thanks to the unexpected triggering of the Blood Drinking Sword''s absorption effect.


    Xiao Buli inwardly exclaimed in fortune and quickly consumed another large elixir, which only restored forty health points due to tolerance issues, barely bringing his health points up to half. In a swift turn, he summoned the newly caught Wild Ox.


    Charge! The Wild Ox bellowed and furiously charged at the advancing spiders, startling them into a collective retreat. Taking advantage of the attention the immense Wild Ox commanded, Xiao Buli bolted for the outside.


    As he ran, he applied a new Ethereal Armor. The Wild Ox was quickly torn apart by the swarming Shadow Spiders, spelling bad news. While running, Xiao Buli glanced back only to see the Shadow Spiders, like phantoms, rapidly catching up, and in the blink of an eye, they were upon him again.


    Palm Thunder! A crack of lightning flung an incoming spider away, briefly slowing the pursuit, but the gap was quickly filled by the others behind it. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just over thirty meters from the exit, Xiao Buli was finally caught up to once more. Constant attacks reduced his health points steadily from behind, but Xiao Buli dared not look back. Fortunately, as he approached the mouth of the cave, the tunnel narrowed, allowing only one or two Shadow Spiders to reach him.


    Barely escaping with his life, Xiao Buli was soaked with cold sweat the moment he broke free.


    Upon exiting the cave, he was ready to make his escape with Cloud-Thundering Sky Flash, but turning around, he saw that the Shadow Spiders had not rushed out; they were all hiding in the cave''s shadows, menacing with bared fangs but not venturing forth.


    They are afraid of the light!? A thought suddenly struck Xiao Buli, and he forcefully suppressed the urge to flee immediately.


    After applying another Resurrection Skill and another Ethereal Armor, Xiao Buli curiously watched the Shadow Spiders. One spider accidentally pushed too far by its peers started emitting puffs of white smoke from the dark layer covering it, as if it would dissolve away, producing a hissing noise before forcibly squeezing back into the shadow.


    Haha, they really are afraid of light. Xiao Buli excited up, reminded of times when he played Legend and exploited enemy behaviors.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! A spider took a direct hit, resulting in a loss of one-third of its health points. Despite their surprising speed, the spiders had low health. After two more Mysterious Ice Slashes, the spider finally died, legs akimbo.


    When he killed the fourth spider, the creatures finally realized something was wrong and scattered, vanishing into the dark cave. Xiao Buli didn''t dare to pursue. He used his dissection skill on the few bodies, obtaining 3 Shadow Silk Pouches, 1 Shadow Crystal Core, 4 Spider Poison Fangs, and 6 Spider Meats.


    Shadow Silk Pouches were essential for crafting Shadow Cloaks, and Shadow Crystal Cores were precious materials, while the Spider Poison Fangs and Spider Meats were also valuable. At the very least, they could fetch a decent sum of money.


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    Though the gains were significant, a glance at the pitch-dark cave made Xiao Buli''s heart flutter, and he didn''t have the courage to enter again.


    PS: I''ve been feeling a bit stuck with my writing these last two days, but after a bizarre dream last night, I suddenly figured out how to continue the story. Another chapter will come tonight. (To be continued¡­ If you like this work, please feel free to cast your votes and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 37 Astonishing Discovery

    That really was close, standing at the entrance of the cave, Xiao Buli still felt a lingering trepidation in his heart. He suddenly realized that he had become a bit too careless lately.


    Ever since he had advanced to be a Cursed Swordsman and synthesized life-saving skills like Skimming Shadow Steps, Shadow Clone, and Cloud Thunder Leap, and especially after his Ethereal Armor had been upgraded to LV10, these life-saving skills had given him a blind confidence in his own safety.


    No matter what kind of enemy he faced, he always believed that with these powerful life-saving skills, he would be safe, but today he almost lost his life here.


    He had almost forgotten the brutality of this game.


    He needed to remind himself of this at all times; fortunately, he had escaped by luck this time. If the creature''s attack had been a bit stronger, or if his own operation had been a bit more negligent, his character might have died by now. Although one could be resurrected with Merit Points, he only had 200 points, which was still a distance away from revival.


    Just thinking of being torn to shreds by an irresistible force in reality made Xiao Buli shudder uncontrollably.


    His True Origin Points were already more than half depleted; Xiao Buli sat down cross-legged, slowly recovering his True Origin Points while falling into deep thought.


    It seemed that he would have to be more careful in the future. The Bull Rush Plain, and even the Dark Forest, likely did not count as the most dangerous areas in this game. Undoubtedly, the Bull Rush Plain was a beginner area, while the Dark Forest could at most be considered as an intermediate area. He probably had yet to experience the truly difficult and dangerous areas.


    In the eyes of someone like Xuanxu Zi, the strength of the monsters one would face in the later stages of the game would definitely not be something he could contend with at the moment. Even the Desolate Mountains might not actually be a high-risk area, at best it might just be considered the wilderness. Even a non-dungeon cave like this was so dangerous.


    What would be the difficulty level if he found a dungeon in this desolate jungle?


    Constantly thinking and warning himself, Xiao Buli''s True Yuan had gradually filled up. He stood up to scan his surroundings; the sun had unknowingly almost set, and in the jungle, dusk always came sooner. He was hesitating whether to find a relatively safe place to log off or to go straight back to the Mystic Hollow Palace when suddenly a panther charged rapidly at him from not far away.


    What a death wish! Xiao Buli thought to himself. Compared to those bizarre Shadow Spiders, this seemingly fierce beast now appeared to be a much softer target. He was preparing to give this wild beast a heavy blow when the panther instead dashed straight past him. Could there be something chasing it?


    Xiao Buli looked in the direction from where the panther had come, and a dark swarm was rushing towards him¡ªmonkeys, leopards, tigers. They seemed to have been startled and were running chaotically in his direction.


    Xiao Buli knew this was not good as soon as he saw the situation and quickly leaped onto a huge rock. The wild beasts didn''t even glance at him, rushing directly under the rock. Behind them, a pack of wolf-like creatures was moving swiftly through the marshes and jungle, getting closer and closer.


    An elephant seemed to be too close to the marsh, and being too heavy, it sank into it. As it struggled to climb out, a strange creature suddenly leapt onto its back. The elephant screamed once, and in the blink of an eye, it was overwhelmed by dozens of those odd creatures and was torn into countless pieces.


    However, these strange creatures didn''t eat the pieces immediately; instead, they carried the chunks of flesh back in the direction they came from without any hesitation.


    What were those things?


    Because of the cover of vegetation and the dimming sky, he couldn''t get a clear view of the appearance of those creatures, but he still recognized their name¡ªTengu Spiders (mutant creature)?


    He was stunned for a moment when he saw the name of these strange creatures; this was the so-called Tengu Spider? But they looked nothing like spiders.


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, and by then, the Tengu Spiders were already running far away. He quickly jumped down, activated Skimming Shadow Steps, and pursued them. Although the Tengu Spiders seemed threatening, this was after all the wilderness, where he could always use the Cloud-Thundering Sky Flash to escape, so there was no fear of dying.


    Even with Skimming Shadow Steps activated, Xiao Buli found he was still completely outpaced by those creatures. Thankfully, many Tengu Spiders were biting into large chunks of flesh, which allowed him to barely keep up. As he got closer, Xiao Buli could finally get a clear look at these creatures.


    They looked more like a hybrid between some kind of insect and a wild beast, or perhaps mutant creatures cultivated in a lab. They had six tough legs and mouths made up of four pairs of sharp fangs, two large and two small, all hooking inward, resembling the entrance to a meat grinder. The large fangs were over twenty centimeters long, and the smaller ones were five or six centimeters.


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    No wonder they could easily bite off elephant flesh. Judging by their running, they seemed to be some sort of canid creature, probably the origin of the ''Tengu'' in Tengu Spider.


    Fortunately, these creatures didn''t seem to have a strong sense of smell, as they couldn''t detect Xiao Buli at all after he turned invisible. After getting a clear view of their appearance, Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment but then decided to continue following them. After all, the 500 Contribution Value points from a Sect mission were very precious.

 Chapter 37 Astonishing Discovery_2

    ```


    Contrary to what he had thought, the dwelling place of the Tengu Spiders wasn''t on the mountain ridges but inside a cave at the end of a swamp. Watching those strange creatures burrow into the cave, Xiao Buli stopped in his tracks and began to observe his surroundings.


    The entrance of the cave was covered in a sticky layer of decomposing clay soil, coated with a layer of slimy mucus that was rather unpleasant to look at. However, this was good news for him, as if he encountered danger inside the cave and his invisibility spell failed, he could still rely on his Earth Escape Skills to make a getaway.


    Thus, after a moment of hesitation, he still crawled in.


    Although he could escape through the earth, Xiao Buli remained extremely alert, ready to make a quick exit at the first sign of trouble.


    The depth and length of the hole were unknown; he walked for quite some time without seeing the end but eventually came across a fork in the path.


    There were three passages at the fork. The first was extremely narrow, only as wide as a bucket, and with his size, he simply could not squeeze through. The second was a flat passageway over two meters high, located right in the middle of the fork, with traces of fresh blood dragged across the ground.


    It was clear that this was the Tengu Spiders'' chosen path where they brought their food, either to store for later consumption or to feed their young or leader. Xiao Buli had no interest in either possibility.


    However, the third passageway was a round tunnel over a meter high, inconspicuous and located at the edge of the cavern, which could hardly be noticed unless looked at closely. Moreover, it was sealed by a layer of green mucous membrane.


    Instinctively, Xiao Buli felt that this might lead to the Tengu Spiders'' egg-laying chamber, so he burrowed into the ground and moved forward a short distance before surfacing once again.


    The further he ventured into the tunnel, the more bizarre the surroundings became. From time to time, he could see the veins of tree roots faintly beneath the layer of mucus on the walls. The deep black color resembled the blood vessels of a creature, and walking down such a passage felt like traversing the intestines of some colossal beast.


    This sinister feeling grew stronger until, after a few minutes'' walk, the path suddenly opened up into a vast chamber. The floor of the chamber was covered with pools of green mucus; inside, there was a strange object, which was a massive tumor-like growth on a huge crystal stone jutting down from the roof of the chamber.


    The crystal stone had an odd color, emitting a faint, reddish halo, seemingly a peculiar type of gemstone. Its glazed surface suggested that it might have fallen from the sky.


    The massive tumor-like growth hung above it, numerous tentacles stretching out from the tumor to cling to the crystal, while half of the tumor itself was buried in the muddy earth at the top of the cavern, seemingly fused with the stone.


    The more he looked at it, the stranger he felt, with an urge to blow it up. However, he did not act on it. The pools of mucus confirmed his guess; this place indeed seemed to be the egg-laying chamber, and tonight was the night of the full moon. He decided to wait for a while.


    After looking around for a bit, he noticed many cocoon-like objects around the tumor. When he hovered the mouse over them, they displayed an option to open.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, could these be the eggs of the Tengu Spiders? But the size of the eggs seemed too large, and besides, it had just gotten dark, not even night yet. While thinking this over, he clicked to open one, and the moment the cocoon cracked, a torrent of mucus burst forth. Even through the screen, Xiao Buli felt disgusted as a human corpse was revealed within the mucus.


    He clicked to search and obtained 26 copper coins and a pair of damaged leather boots.


    ```


    (Heh, still able to pick stuff up!) Xiao Buli immediately became interested. He wasn''t too keen on those ragged equipments, but he felt it was very likely he could find quest items, like an unsent letter or something of the sort. Opening another cocoon, he found another corpse inside. This time he came upon a rusty iron sword and 17 copper coins.


    The third corpse yielded a large gold ring, with attributes of charm +1. This little trinket was worth some money, but Xiao Buli didn''t see even a shadow of the quest items he wanted. After opening a few more cocoons, some contained human corpses, while others held monkey corpses. It seemed that although these Tengu Spiders would eat anything, they had a preference for primates.


    There was only one cocoon left. Xiao Buli thought he wouldn''t mind another bump on his head and opened it without much hope, but this time he found something beyond his expectations.


    Refined Iron Chainmail: Armor +24, reduces piercing damage by 30%, Strength +3, Stamina +4.


    Equipment Description: Made from premium refined iron, this armor offers exceptional defense. The multiple layers of added armor pieces provide improved resistance against piercing damage.


    Xiao Buli was delighted. This piece was a deep blue equipment, far better than what he was currently wearing. His luck was incredibly good. Although chainmail was quite heavy and could slightly affect speed and agility if one didn''t have enough strength, his strength was now over twenty, so the weight didn''t bother him much. But wait, why did this equipment look so familiar?


    As he pondered, he stored the equipment in his bag and took another look at the corpse. It was clearly a male corpse, different from the others with its short hair, no longer than a finger. This was strange because, given that the game was set in a background akin to ancient China, both men and women typically had long hair. Could it be a player?


    Hesitating, he decided to take a risk to get a clearer look. He equipped the Patrol Lantern and under the faint light, he finally saw the face of the corpse. His face immediately stiffened, and any joy from finding the equipment vanished¡ªit was Zhao Yunlong!?


    Xiao Buli stood there in shock, his mind a jumble. For a brief moment, he thought he might have seen wrong, but after reexamining the corpse in the light of the lantern, he was certain it was Zhao Yunlong. The skin had turned blue-black, indicating he had been dead for a long time. The mucus not only preserved his corpse but also the expression of fear he bore at the moment of death.


    It looked like he had died a long while back, but how could that be possible? What were Zhang Yaoyang and the others doing in the Desolate Mountains, a place where not even birds would relieve themselves? Where were the others? Could it be that all these corpses were left by them?


    Startled by his own conjecture, Xiao Buli hurriedly checked and found another corpse that appeared to be a player, though he didn''t recognize the person. It could be a member of the White Tiger group or perhaps some other player. Relieved that it wasn''t someone he knew, Xiao Buli finally relaxed a little.


    Xiao Buli suddenly remembered he was carrying the Soul Absorption Pearl. He took it out and pointed it at the corpse with no reaction. Clearly, Zhao Yunlong''s soul had long since dissipated.


    "Rest in peace, buddy," Xiao Buli muttered to the corpse, a sense of sorrow for a fellow creature rising unbidden within him. He had to get to the bottom of what had happened, he thought to himself.


    After a short while, the tumor suddenly began to move, like a beating heart, making huffing and puffing noises that caught Xiao Buli''s attention. His spirits raised; he still had unfinished tasks to attend to and tried to push the heaviness in his heart to the back of his mind.


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    A huge flesh canal extruded from the end of the tumor, and a crystal-clear, football-sized white worm egg was forcefully squeezed out from it. It plopped onto the mucus-covered ground. Xiao Buli instantly understood; it seemed that the corpses wrapped in the cocoons were meant to be meals for these larvae.(To be continued. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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 Chapter 38 Drive away the tiger and swallow the wolf

    ```


    Eat while it''s hot, tackle tasks early on; when Xiao Buli saw the insect egg being squeezed out, he didn''t say a word but went straight to pick it up, pocketing the egg into his bag. The flesh cavity continued to wriggle, but Xiao Buli was not in a hurry to leave. He would pick up each egg as soon as it emerged, and in no time, he had gathered four of them.


    Just as he was about to continue, a system prompt suddenly appeared on the screen.


    System prompt: You have exceeded the regular carry weight.¡ªYour load has reached its limit.


    This game had a distinct difference between regular carry weight and maximum carry weight.


    The regular carry weight allowed for five catties per point of Strength, while the maximum carry weight was ten catties per point. Wearing the Refined Iron Chainmail, Xiao Buli had a Strength of twenty-six, with a regular weight limit of one hundred and thirty catties and a maximum weight limit of two hundred and sixty catties.


    When the load was below the regular carry weight, speed and agility would not be affected, but once it surpassed one hundred and thirty catties, every additional amount would increase the burden on his movements. The more the exceeded weight, the greater the impact it had, and exceeding the maximum limit of two hundred and sixty catties would render him immobilized.


    Each of these insect eggs weighed ten catties, and with his load already slightly high, he had now exceeded the regular carry weight. Although the impact was negligible for now, if he picked up a few more eggs, his speed would noticeably decrease. After hesitating a moment, Xiao Buli decided it was best to quit while he was ahead¡ªthe eggs he had already were enough to complete the task.


    As he was thinking about leaving, another egg was squeezed out from the flesh cavity, prompting Xiao Buli to pause momentarily; he was quite curious about what would hatch from these eggs.


    Before long, several more eggs were expelled. The earliest one had already begun to show signs of life after soaking in the pool of mucus. As the eggshell slowly dissolved, a white larva wriggled out. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although small, the size of a slipper, it was covered in sickle-like claws, scrambling around on the ground as if driven by an instinct to feed; it quickly found its way to the corpse beside it and started ripping and biting voraciously.


    Unsure of its origins, yet the larva, despite being so young, was very hungry. It consumed an entire arm in no time and quickly grew in size. More and more larvae hatched, totaling over twenty, swarming around the corpses to feast, crowding the area. One larva that couldn''t find an unoccupied corpse seemed to be getting restless.


    It circled twice in the pool of mucus, then suddenly crawled toward Xiao Buli.


    Damn, some just don''t know what''s good for them.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this was a good opportunity to capture it for a pet.


    Void Summoning Art¡ªSeal! He raised his hand and a flash of white light enveloped the target, but unexpectedly, the light had no effect on the larva which continued its advance toward Xiao Buli, unimpeded.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, having never encountered such a situation before¡ªit made no sense. Insects were supposed to fall under the range of Taming Skills, so how was this larva not categorized as an animal? Could it be a plant-based creature?


    In a hurry, Xiao Buli cast Mind''s Eye, revealing: Tengu Spider larva (Unknown creature - Untamable).


    As the larva pounced, he naturally would not allow it to attack him. With a swift sword strike, he killed the larva. However, the moment the larva''s fluids sprayed out, all the other larvae feasting stopped abruptly. It was as if they received some command¡ªthey all lunged toward Xiao Buli at once.


    Xiao Buli figured he would have to kill them all, Mysterious Ice Slash! He sent a sword Qi slicing through the pile of creatures.


    The larvae''s undeveloped bodies were extremely fragile against the crescent-shaped sword Qi, and three slashes decimated most of them. A few more slashes cleared the remaining larvae.


    What a baffling occurrence, Xiao Buli thought to himself, realizing suddenly that at some point a DEBUFF had appeared above his head.


    Tengu Spider''s Fluid: The fluid emitted by a Tengu Spider has a unique scent, causing nearby Tengu Spiders to attack you relentlessly until they kill you.


    ```


    So that''s how it is, Xiao Buli thought to himself, it seemed these Tengu Spiders were quite vengeful, or perhaps it was some kind of tracking skill. No good, I have to retreat quickly.


    Xiao Buli felt uneasy in his heart, these insects seemed to have a special communication system, those Tengu Spiders would probably come after him in no time. He didn''t dare delay and rushed out, but as soon as he stepped out the door, he saw a swarm of Tengu Spiders pouncing crazily toward him.


    Having battled with the Shadow Spider, he dared not underestimate these wild beasts. He immediately used Earth Escape to try to leave, but he hadn''t gotten far when suddenly several insect shadows appeared beneath him. Xiao Buli turned around and was startled to see that the Tengu Spiders could also perform the Earth Escape skill, and apparently, they were even faster than him.


    Xiao Buli was so frightened that he quickly jumped out. On the ground, he still had the power to fight the Tengu Spiders, but if he were caught underground, he likely wouldn''t be able to put up any resistance.


    As soon as Xiao Buli emerged, he found himself surrounded by Tengu Spiders. The surrounding Tengu Spiders reacted almost instantly, all baring their sharp teeth at him, so Xiao Buli didn''t dare to hesitate¡ª


    Ultimate Skills¡ªCarefree Illusionary Sword Dance! A flash of white light, and he forcefully cut through the center of the monster horde to its rear.


    Although the damage output of the Carefree Illusionary Sword Dance was not as great as Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds with its multiple attacks and damage, it had the effect of a sudden movement, making it most suitable for breaking out of an encirclement.


    After breaking out of the Tengu Spiders'' encirclement, he immediately used Skimming Shadow Steps, but this time the Tengu Spiders seemed to be lured by the scent and could easily determine his position, doggedly pursuing him from behind without being affected by the invisibility effect at all.


    Luckily, the Tengu Spiders were slightly slower than the Shadow Spiders in the dark. Xiao Buli dashed out of the cave with a single breath, the Tengu Spiders merely following closely behind.


    Xiao Buli had intended to use Cloud-Thundering Sky Flash to escape immediately, but upon glancing at the mountain, then looking at the DEBUFF above his head and the insect egg in his bag, a sudden idea struck him¡ªa plan that might bring him enormous benefits.


    He moved the Mystic Hollow Palace Teleportation Talisman to his hotbar; previously too careless, it had always been in his bag, and when he was besieged by the Shadow Spiders, he didn''t even have the chance to use it. But now he thought it necessary to be prepared, so he placed it on the hotbar, enabling him to teleport away at any time.


    Although the Teleportation Talisman required a few seconds to channel, Xiao Buli felt that the Ethereal Armor could delay enough for that time. After preparing these things without hesitation, he jumped toward the mountain.


    The Tengu Spiders also had astonishing jumping power, sprinting and leaping frenetically on the mountain cliffs and rock walls without falling behind. Xiao Buli felt like he was performing live, and it was like playing a racing game, where being overtaken meant losing at that instant. His index finger rested on the T key at all times¡ªthe shortcut for Cloud Thunder Leap.


    He ran up to the hillside, and from a distance, the dark entrance to the Shadow Spider''s den was in sight. He rushed in, a bit nervous about his gamble, and the Tengu Spiders, without any hesitation, also dashed in after him. Taking familiar routes, it didn''t take long for him to reach the hall.


    Under the effect of the Omniscient Eye, a group of Shadow Spiders was feasting on the carcass of a wild ox in the cave. Upon seeing Xiao Buli burst in, they immediately adopted a defensive posture. Xiao Buli deduced that these spiders also had a memory system because as soon as they saw his identity, they pounced on him almost instantly, as if there was no teasing foreplay anymore.


    Xiao Buli waited for this moment; he opened his bag and threw out the insect egg. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    The insect egg was instantly ripped apart into a paste with milky white liquid splattering everywhere. DEBUFF signs popped up over the heads of the Shadow Spiders. At that time, those Tengu Spiders from behind also followed up.


    Xiao Buli activated the Ethereal Armor and with a Mysterious Ice Slash, he cleared a path and directly rushed to an angle formed by corroded limestone in the depths of the cave.


    He hid against the wall there, ready to deal with any monster''s attacks or to use the Teleportation Talisman to escape, but no monster pursued. In the cavern''s hall, the Shadow Spiders and Tengu Spiders were already locked in a fierce battle.


    Although both were called spiders, they were clearly two different types of creatures. Fighting in their home field, the Shadow Spiders had a slight advantage in combat prowess. But the Tengu Spiders outnumbered them by double, so after a chaotic battle, they gradually gained the upper hand.


    Xiao Buli watched for a while with relief; the exchange ratio between Tengu Spiders and Shadow Spiders was about 1.5:1, meaning that by the time the Shadow Spiders were all dead, there probably wouldn''t be many Tengu Spiders left. With his strength, he should be able to deal with them.


    While he was enjoying the scene, a Tengu Spider suddenly burst out of the melee and charged at him. With a leap through the air, it aimed its mouthful of sharp teeth at him and pounced.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! A blast of Sword Qi knocked the pouncing off course, and the moment it landed, Xiao Buli lunged with his sword.


    Straight Lightning Sword, the Tengu Spider was paralyzed by the cold, and his sword thrust straight into its mouth, hitting a Critical Strike Effect -139!


    Conductive Electric Shock! With a crackle, a burst of lightning flashed inside the Tengu Spider''s mouth, -117! The Tengu Spider convulsed and was instantly killed.


    Xiao Buli dispatched this enemy and looked at the situation; the battle was nearly over. It was time to go out and finish the job. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 39 Green Crystal Stone

    The battle had already reached its climax, and most of the Shadow Spiders had been killed, only the remaining two relied on their speed advantage to keep dodging and leaping around, but this evasion only delayed their inevitable demise. There were still seven or eight Tengu Spiders left, and they were desperately cornering the two remaining Shadow Spiders.


    These odd creatures seemed to have a peculiar way of communicating; their coordination was as tacit as that of battle-hardened warriors.


    Xiao Buli knew he could wait no longer. If he waited for the last two Shadow Spiders to fall, he would be alone facing the siege of seven or eight Tengu Spiders. He had exhausted all his Mystic Skills, and defeating seven or eight Tengu Spiders wouldn''t be an easy task.


    So Xiao Buli directly summoned the Swamp Crocodile, a ferocious beast that, if faced with the Tengu Spiders'' assault alone, would probably fall within two rounds. Although tough-skinned and hard-fleshed, its sluggish movements would not last long under the Tengu Spiders'' relentless attack. However, with Xiao Buli''s support, this large creature became a formidable force in combat.


    Xiao Buli had the Swamp Crocodile block in front of him, then he unleashed a Mysterious Ice Slash towards a Tengu Spider, hitting it squarely. The Tengu Spider turned around and charged at Xiao Buli; as it passed by the Swamp Crocodile, the crocodile suddenly lunged its head forward, activating its Rip and Bite skill, and bit down on the Tengu Spider''s hind leg.


    Although the Swamp Crocodile was slow, it had an overwhelming advantage in strength. The Tengu Spider struggled a bit but failed to break free¡ªRip and Bite¡ªAmputation! With a snap, one of the Tengu Spider''s legs was brutally bitten off.


    The Shadow Spiders were now completely wiped out. The Tengu Spiders seemed to be shocked, astonished that an ordinary beast dared to attack them. Three of them immediately changed direction and pounced on the Swamp Crocodile, while the other three still rushed towards Xiao Buli.


    Ethereal Armor! Xiao Buli placed a protective shield on the Swamp Crocodile and stepped back, hiding behind its massive body. He then started to attack the Tengu Spiders with various long-range attacks. The Tengu Spiders were eager to break through to Xiao Buli, but the angle was too narrow, and the Swamp Crocodile''s large body completely blocked the entrance.


    Even if some managed to squeeze through, Xiao Buli could easily deal with them one-on-one. Under these circumstances, Xiao Buli was able to attack comfortably from behind, continuously healing and reinforcing the crocodile''s shield. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    With Xiao Buli''s assistance, the Swamp Crocodile was able to fully utilize its combat strength, tirelessly ripping and lashing with its tail, successfully blocking all the attacks from six or seven Tengu Spiders.


    As the Tengu Spiders fell one by one, Xiao Buli''s pressure lessened and when the last two remained, he charged out and, in collaboration with the Swamp Crocodile, quickly finished the battle.


    Indeed, those with summoning abilities were still best suited for solo grinding.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help recalling the times he played World of Warcraft soloing various dungeons. If he could tame a legendary tank-type pet like the mythical Turtle King, it might be possible to solo dungeons in this game too.


    The main challenges would be managing aggro and the intelligence of the bosses, as the game''s bosses were very clever; they wouldn''t just focus on attacking his summoned beasts. Only in special terrains and under specific circumstances could he employ this tactic.


    While thinking, Xiao Buli checked the cave''s situation and, to his delight, discovered that not all the Shadow Spiders were dead. One had merely been bitten into a state of near death. Because this one hadn''t been sprayed with the bodily fluids of the Tengu Spiders, it had survived. Xiao Buli dismissed the Swamp Crocodile and cast Void Summoning Art¡ªSeal, directed at that Tengu Spider.


    This time the process was relatively smooth, and, after some struggle, the Shadow Spider was unwillingly sealed by Xiao Buli, unlike the more peculiar case with the Tengu Spider.


    Xiao Buli checked the attributes of this Shadow Spider and nodded in satisfaction.


    Shadow Spider: (Mutant Creature).


    Intelligence: 7.


    Strength: 14.


    Speed: 31.


    Agility: 28.


    Stamina: 20. ¡ª Stamina Points 200 (1 point of stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 29. ¡ª Health Points 290. (1 point of physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Combat Skills:


    Claw Strike: LV1. Basic attack skill, scratch the enemy with claws, causing base attack damage.


    Claw Strike¡ªFrenzy: Activates after hitting the target with Claw Strike, launches a continuous frenzied attack on the target, with each hit dealing less damage than the previous one.


    Wildness: LV7. This is a wild and untamed beast, longing for freedom and a wild lifestyle, full of aggression, difficult to coexist peacefully with humans. Prolonged animal taming would reduce the level of this skill.


    Elastic Leap LV6: Perform a forceful leap in one direction, covering up to 18.6 meters (speed ¡Á 0.6).


    Shadow Cloak: The Shadow Spider''s entire body is enveloped in shadow energy, rendering it invisible in darkness and shadows.


    Shadow Rush: Under the cover of darkness and shadows, the Shadow Spider''s movement speed increases by thirty percent.


    Light Fear: The Shadow Spider fears the light, experiencing a thirty percent reduction in movement speed when exposed to bright light, while also continuously taking damage.


    A very powerful creature, especially after nightfall when the effect of Shadow Cloak is a constant invisibility, unlike general invisibility skills that have temporal limitations and can be revealed through attacks or other actions. Though its attack power is somewhat low, with the skill Frenzy, its damage output isn''t bad.


    It''s particularly frightening for Mage Professions; once subjected to continuous attacks, skills that require casting time often can''t be executed. This Shadow Spider is simply like a natural assassin for the cloth-armored, it''s just unfortunate that there''s only one. If it dies, catching another won''t be so easy, and if it''s outdoors during the day, it''s completely useless.


    Sunlight not only nullifies its speed boost but also reduces its speed. The increase and decrease combine to create a significant difference, not to mention the continuous loss of health points.


    He topped up the Shadow Spider''s health points and didn''t dismiss it since the sky was dark and it was a powerful combat force at the moment. Then he began to dissect the corpses on the ground.


    Although he already had enough materials to craft a Magical Treasure, materials can never be too abundant; he might need them for other Magical Treasures in the future, and who knows when they could come in handy? Besides, even if they''re not needed later, selling them for money is also beneficial.


    Soon he finished dissecting the corpses, obtaining Shadow Silk Pouch ¡Á 6, Spider Poison Fang ¡Á 8, and Shadow Crystal Core ¡Á 1. It seemed the drop rate of Shadow Crystal Cores was quite low; the one found during the day was really a stroke of luck.


    After dissecting the Shadow Spiders, Xiao Buli became interested in those Tengu Spiders as well, curious about what they could yield. He tried dissecting a Tengu Spider and obtained Alien Bug Shell ¡Á 1.


    Alien Bug Shell: An outer shell from an unseen creature, it seems it can be used to craft Armor or other protective gear.


    So, Tengu Spiders are classified as mutant creatures? I wonder what''s the difference between mutant creatures and alien creatures?


    He decided to ask Jingci for a thorough explanation when he got back, as that guy''s knowledge of creatures was unmatched by him and he should know the details.


    After dissecting five or six spiders, besides the Alien Bug Shells, he found nothing else. Completing the dissection in one go, he harvested a total of twenty-four Alien Bug Shells. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel speechless, thinking the drops were quite disappointing. Nevertheless, all these Tengu Spiders were minor monsters; it''s no surprise there was nothing more. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, isn''t there usually an elite or even a boss among such colony-dwelling creatures?


    Suddenly, he remembered that large tumor-like thing he hadn''t paid much attention to earlier. But he wondered if it could be killed, and if it might drop something valuable? With so many Tengu Spiders dead, who knew if there were other minor monsters still inside the nest? He decided to have a look.


    Following the same path back, when he returned to the Tengu Spider''s lair, that large tumor was still hanging on that protruding green crystal rock. Xiao Buli cast Mind''s Eye on the growth, and a white name showed up.


    Alien Tumor (Unknown Creature).


    The name was white, but it was definitely a creature with an elongated health bar. He should be able to kill it, he thought.


    As he was contemplating, he swung his sword, spattering a burst of green blood. The growth twitched as if in pain, but it seemed to have no ability to strike back. Xiao Buli felt a surge of confidence, realizing the thing had no real attack power.


    He hacked away furiously at the growth, landing several dozen slashes, finally depleting its health points. With a final, moist thud, it burst like a fountain, spewing a pile of yellow, gooey internal substances like a punctured ball¡ªdead.


    With a thud, it fell from the top of the cave, and the massive green crystal stone to which it was attached came down as well.


    System Notification: Destroyed the Alien Tumor, awarded 55 combat experience points.


    Only 55 experience points? This thing didn''t seem to be a BOSS, and the term ''destroyed'' rather than ''killed'' caught the attention of Xiao Buli, who had a sharp eye for in-game details.


    Clearly, this didn''t seem to be an average creature; it was more like a special building or unit.


    While pondering, he clicked to loot the corpse but was unable to pick up anything, confirming his suspicions.


    He felt a bit disappointed, yet looking at the large green crystal on the ground, another idea struck him, perhaps it was worth mining? (To be continued. If you like this work, I welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 40 Demon Star Fragment

    Xiao Buli had learned a range of Professional Skills to improve his Basic Attributes, including the Mining skill. Facing the huge green Crystal Stone, he dug eagerly, and it seemed that the massive crystal really was a type of mineral deposit, as notices of mining ores continuously popped up on his screen.


    System Prompt: You have mined a Superior Glaze.


    System Prompt: You have mined a Superior Glaze.


    System Prompt: You have mined a Superior Glaze.


    System Prompt: You have mined an Exotic Core.


    With a bang, the huge green Crystal Stone finally shattered into countless pieces, no longer mineable. Xiao Buli opened his bag to check, and the loot was not insignificant at all¡ªhe had mined a total of five pieces of Superior Glaze and one Exotic Core.


    Superior Glaze: A crystal transformed from stone through high-temperature treatment, it''s an excellent material for making jewelry and ornaments.


    Exotic Core: This Crystal Core emits strange life energy, seeming to have the ability to change the essence of living beings.


    Use: Feed it to one of your pets, and the pet will obtain a Mutated Evolution (the evolution process may involve Fury Transformation and other unknown changes, so please use with caution).


    What a treasure! Xiao Buli secretly delighted upon seeing the description of the core, understanding the concept of Mutated Evolution. Although he hadn''t used it before, he somewhat knew the strength gap between normal wild beasts and mutant wild beasts. That meant eating this stone would directly evolve an ordinary wild beast into an Exotic Beast, such as a biao or jiao.


    What then if a mutant wild beast consumed it? Could it undergo a second mutation? That should be possible, but compared to a normal mutation, it would likely involve more risks and could even result in unexpected outcomes.


    Xiao Buli speculated silently, but whether it was for a normal wild beast or a mutant wild beast, this Crystal Stone was undoubtedly a treasure of immense value. In some ways, it was even more precious than a green pet. Who knew what a wild beast could transform into after consuming it? The value of this item was definitely not measurable by ordinary equipment.


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    While thinking, he closed his bag and looked around, hoping to find another Crystal Stone to mine. Unfortunately, it seemed there was only one, and he found nothing after a long search.


    Left with no choice, Xiao Buli exited the Tengu Spider''s den. He dispersed the Shadow Spider and used Cloud Thunder Leap to head directly towards Mystic Hollow Palace.


    After using Cloud Thunder Leap and Five Qi Chao Yuan successively, Xiao Buli returned to Mystic Hollow Palace by eleven o''clock at night. He stretched himself, his bones making a series of cracking sounds, feeling stretched rather than stiff due to long periods of sitting, without the weakness that usually came after playing games for too long.


    However, it was very late, and Xiao Buli decided to log off after completing his task.


    Arriving at the Beast Pen, Jingci was still there, teasing Maoqiu and training it. Surprised to see Xiao Buli approaching, he asked, "What''s up? Didn''t you go on a quest?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "How could I not have? I''ve already completed the task." With that, he clicked on the trade window and placed the bug eggs on it.


    Upon seeing the bug eggs, Jingci''s face showed a mix of surprise and delight, "I have to say, junior brother, you''re quite fast. You''ve completed the task soon after taking it on. It seems I''ve really underestimated you."


    Xiao Buli responded, "That''s right, senior brother, feel free to give me any tasks in the future. I guarantee you''ll be satisfied."


    If there really were more tasks, he would certainly be eager to take them. Contribution Value was what he desired most.


    Jingci replied, "Forget about it, I don''t have that many Contribution Points to give you."


    After saying that, he chose to trade and took the bug eggs from Xiao Buli.


    System Prompt: You have completed the task ''Dawn Hunter''. You have obtained 500 Contribution Points, your Prestige within Mystic Hollow Palace has increased by 500 points, and Jingci''s favorability towards you has increased by 50 points.


    Just as Xiao Buli was about to leave, Jingci asked, "By the way, besides that bug egg, did you manage to get anything else?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli opened his bag to check, "There are two more bug eggs; do you want them?"


    Jingci shook his head, "One is enough. By the way, junior brother, did you see anything unusual?"


    Xiao Buli''s heart stirred, thinking to himself that Jingci might be referring to that piece of green crystal.


    "I did find a green crystal, but I don''t know how to mine, so I couldn''t do anything about it."


    A hint of surprise flashed across Jingci''s face, "Where is that thing? Can junior brother tell me the location of that stone?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "I''m afraid that''s going to be difficult. The place is very remote, with no specific landmarks. I can''t describe it clearly, but if I search carefully, I might be able to find it. Is that thing very important? If so, how about senior brother assigns me another task, and I''ll retrieve it for you?"


    Upon hearing this, Jingci''s face turned bitter. Although Xiao Buli''s offer seemed generous, as if he would not hesitate to accept the request, Jingci knew the rules. This task was probably going to be much more difficult than the bug egg task, and the cost paid would be much more significant.


    "Junior brother, please think it over again. If you can tell senior brother the location of that stone, I am willing to give you an additional 200 contribution points."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that 200 points were like trying to buy him off, which wouldn''t be so easy. He shook his head again, "I really can''t remember. What''s the story with that stone anyway, senior brother? Why do you care so much about it?"


    Jingci was reluctant to speak, but since Xiao Buli had reached the level of respect in his personal prestige, it would be inappropriate not to say anything. He had no choice but to reveal, "Alright, I''ll tell you.


    That green crystal is actually not a product of our world, but a fragment of a demon star that fell from the sky, and that demon star was the one that destroyed the Southern Barbarian Kingdom years ago."


    (Demon Star fragment? Southern Barbarian Kingdom?) Xiao Buli was very unfamiliar with these two terms, "What is the Southern Barbarian Kingdom? Does that mean there were human traces in the Barbaric Mountains before?"


    Jingci replied, "Indeed, it was rumored that hundreds of years ago, there was a human kingdom within the Barbaric Mountains called the Southern Barbarian Kingdom. This kingdom had existed for a thousand years. They were the Life-Seizing Hunters of the jungle and skilled at taming and commanding all kinds of wild beasts. They were also versed in many strange witchcraft spells.


    They lived on a vast plain surrounded by jungle and swamps. During wars, the beast tamers of this kingdom could command thousands of wild beasts to attack the enemy on the battlefield, and the hunters would shoot deadly poison arrows that sealed throats with a drop of blood, while witch doctors could summon the evil power of nature, healing or destroying.


    It was because of such strength that the kingdom once flourished, but three hundred years ago, a green meteor fell into the endless Barbarian Wilderness. Subsequently, numerous fierce beasts that had never been seen before appeared. They ruthlessly devoured every living creature they saw, including humans.


    Taming skills were useless against these exotic beasts, and ordinary wild beasts were vulnerable in the face of these mutant creatures. After years of warfare and slaughter, these mutant creatures were finally exterminated, but the Southern Barbarian Kingdom also perished in this war."


    "It''s said that the demon star possesses the power to change the nature of living beings. The appearance of these mutant creatures was due to the influence of the demon star. Although most of the fragments were destroyed, some still remain. Occasionally, mutant creatures can still be found in the Barbaric Mountains, but now, in sparse numbers.


    I''ve always wanted to study a piece but never managed to succeed."


    So that''s how it is, thought Xiao Buli, "Do you need my help then, senior brother?" he said with a smile. Jingci hesitated for a long time but finally shook his head, "Let me think about it."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that Jingci could take his time to think, as he kept the stone reserved for him and would issue the task if he wanted it.


    "Well then, junior brother, I''m going to rest now." After saying that, he left the Beast Pen to his room to log out of the game.


    Xiao Buli exited the game and looked out at the pitch-black night sky. It was very dark already, but the thrill from playing the game left him without the slightest fatigue.


    It seemed he hadn''t felt tired lately, even though his sleep had been getting shorter, averaging only four to five hours a day. However, his spirit hadn''t been affected at all but was instead growing stronger.


    Perhaps it was due to an increase in spiritual power, but it was more likely due to the benefits of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture since one of the characteristics of this cultivation technique was to enhance recovery abilities.


    Privately, he had tried several times to apply the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture and practice this cultivation technique to see what effects it would have. Sadly, the technique seemed not to exist in his memory, with no specific formula or anything, but it could still operate. Unfortunately, aside from speeding up the recovery of True Yuan points, it didn''t seem to have any other effects.


    After many experiments without results, Xiao Buli gave up, but deep down, he still felt there was great potential to be discovered in this skill, so he would experiment whenever he had the time.


    "Hey, you guys, how''s the game going?"


    Han Wenhuan replied, "How could it be, still enhancing basic properties. It''s too late at night to go out and level up by fighting monsters, so I can only practice my professional skills."


    Xiao Buli nodded, being cautious is a good thing, after all.


    It was getting late, "Better sleep early," Xiao Buli said as he walked out.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    Without turning his head, Xiao Buli answered, "Practicing skills."


    As long as time allowed, he could practice the skills from the game in real life to improve skill proficiency. Most importantly, no matter how powerful one was in the game, true strength in reality was fundamental. One must master the abilities from the game flexibly in real life, otherwise, no matter how strong one was in the game, it would be meaningless. (To be continued.


    If you like this work, welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 41 Wholesale the

    The moon shone bright and stars sparse, it was a night of full moon in the game, and coincidentally, it was the same in reality. Xiao Buli wondered if it was merely a coincidence, or if the time in the game syncs up with reality.


    Xiao Buli sat cross-legged on the rooftop of the villa, breathing in and out while feeling the so-called moonlight''s spiritual energy. His body emitted a faint green glow, giving off a plant-like impression.


    Generally speaking, midnight was when spiritual energy was most abundant¡ªif there really was such a thing as the Essence of the Sun and Moon in this world.


    But after sitting for an hour, it seemed like nothing useful had been absorbed. Occasionally there would be a faint sensation, but it often disappeared in the blink of an eye, making Xiao Buli suspect whether it was just his imagination.


    "That''s enough for today," he said to himself as he stood up and walked downstairs. By the time he got back to the living room, everyone else had logged off and gone to sleep. Xiao Buli lay in bed for a while, but sleep eluded him.


    Guess I''ll browse some forums.


    Xiao Buli used to really enjoy browsing forums because they broadened his thinking. Two heads are better than one, after all. However, ever since he started playing this game, he had not visited the forums in a long time.


    His favorite forums to visit were those for games and novels. He skimmed through a few gaming posts; they were mostly uninformative¡ªupdates about newly released games or upcoming open beta tests.


    In the past, Xiao Buli would have followed these closely, since that was his bread and butter, but now he had lost all interest¡ªno matter how good you are at games, how can that compare to real-world benefits?


    Suddenly, a post caught his eye. It was about an online game in the immortal heroes genre, yet it didn''t seem all that novel, just the same old thing most domestic games did. He glanced through it briefly. The content of the post itself wasn''t very informative, but it suddenly made him think, ''Why don''t I discuss the problems I encounter in the game on a forum?''


    With that thought, he directly found a forum for cultivation novels and posted his question.


    The question was simple and rather silly¡ª


    "If you got a cultivation technique in real life, how would you practice and improve it?"


    This question seemed pretty ridiculous, but Xiao Buli knew there was all sorts of people online; surely there''d be some who were bored or obsessed with cultivation novels and willing to offer suggestions and answers.


    Surprisingly, there were quite a few people online in the middle of the night. Sure enough, not long after, when Xiao Buli refreshed the post, he found a bunch of replies.


    Some replies were disdainful¡ª


    Madman123 said, "If only, if goodbye."


    Nine Heavens Huan Pei remarked, "Damn, not this kind of post again. When will it end?" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But some actually responded¡ª


    Gudeliya said, "Simple, practice according to it."


    Thunderbird advised, "Don''t just start cultivating, you could go mad with power. First, get some books on traditional Chinese medicine and understand the meridians and acupoints."


    Thunderbird''s dad mocked, "Haha, what kind of intelligence is that? Cultivation techniques aren''t martial arts secrets, why bother with meridians and acupoints?"


    Xiao Buli read each reply, most of which weren''t meaningful, until one caught his eye.


    Nine Revolutions True Immortal stated, "Even if you have a cultivation technique, it''s useless. There''s no spiritual energy left in the real world; no matter how much you practice, it''s impossible to succeed." Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Spiritual Energy? Xiao Buli silently repeated the term. He had read a few immortal hero novels before and roughly understood the concept. According to some of the cultivation novels, when the world was young, spiritual energy was abundant, allowing early cultivators to make significant progress easily.


    But spiritual energy was limited; as more and more cultivators emerged, naturally, the spiritual energy diminished. By modern times, spiritual energy basically didn''t exist. Could the reason he wasn''t able to improve his mastery of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture be due to this? What should he do?


    Feeling the need to have a thorough discussion with this Nine Revolutions True Immortal, he replied, "Can we chat privately?"


    After a while without response, he guessed the person probably went to sleep.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but sigh. Suddenly, he thought of Xuanxu Zi. If Xuanxu Zi could cultivate to become an immortal, didn''t that mean there should be spiritual energy in the Penglai Immortal Realm?


    Yeah, it must be that way, otherwise there''s no explaining how the immortals in the Penglai Immortal Realm improve their strength.


    It seems I need to take a trip to the Penglai Immortal Realm sometime. Xiao Buli remembered that Xuanxu Zi had an option to tour the Immortal Realm. Maybe once there, I could cultivate this cultivation technique.


    But the thought of needing 1000 Contribution Value made Xiao Buli sigh involuntarily.


    He could afford the 1000 Contribution Value, just needing to complete one more mission to have enough. However, to tour the Immortal Realm he only had one day. It''s uncertain how much he could improve in just one day, and spending 1000 Contribution Value on such an uncertainty seemed unwise.


    Of course, aside from cultivating the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, a one-day tour of the Immortal Realm certainly had other benefits, like catching a few Immortal Beasts or buying some specialty items from the Immortal Realm, which seemed like great options. But 1000 Contribution Value was still too much.


    Xiao Buli turned off the computer and went straight to bed in his room.


    The night passed without words. The following morning, as soon as Xiao Buli stepped into the dining room, he saw smoked meat, fried eggs, toasted bread, and milk on the table. He knew instantly that it must be Gu Shaobang''s turn to make breakfast. This young master could cook nothing else but it was still pretty good.


    If it were Han Wenhuan''s turn to make breakfast, they would be left with instant noodles.


    He greeted everyone and sat down to eat. While having breakfast, they started talking about the game again.


    "Boss, do you have any Skill Books that I can learn to heal others? I struggled to save up some experience yesterday and leveled up Flame Spirit Wave to LV2. The power has increased, but so has the health points it consumes. With my tiny build, a few Flame Spirit Waves are enough to drain me."


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "I don''t have any healing Skill Books. However¡ª" He paused, then remembered the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Tao Te Ching in his bag. Both were knowledge-based Skill Books, with the Classic of Mountains and Seas requiring a high intelligence of 20 points, which was ridiculously high. He might not meet the criteria, but maybe someone else could.


    "By the way, what are your Attributes? Don''t tell me the Basic Attributes, just the important ones."


    They naturally didn''t hide anything and reported their Attributes.


    Han Wenhuan: "Intelligence 14, Spirit 10, Luck 11, Charm 10."


    Gu Shaobang: Intelligence 11, Spirit 12, Luck 14, Charm 14.


    Li Shuren: Intelligence 12, Spirit 10, Luck 10, Charm 12.


    Xiao Ge: Intelligence 11, Spirit 10, Luck 9, Charm 10.


    After hearing this, Xiao Buli shook his head as nobody had reached 20 Intelligence. But this wasn''t surprising. After all the time they spent together, he never felt that any of them were super-genius material. So, nobody could learn the Classic of Mountains and Seas, but the Tao Te Ching could be an option for one of them.


    Wait a second, why not bring a real Tao Te Ching into the game to see? Suddenly, Xiao Buli thought of this. Although he had some mishaps bringing real-world things into the game before, it might work this time, as it was the exact same thing, there''s no reason they couldn''t learn it. With this thought, he hastily finished his breakfast and rushed to the bookstore.


    Half an hour later, Xiao Buli came back with great excitement, holding a stack of Tao Te Ching books. If this were to succeed, it would be awesome.


    As he contemplated this, Xiao Buli packed them into a box and absorbed it into the Time-Space Order Keeper''s independent space. Logging into the game, he opened the space in his ring, opened the box, and a stack of Tao Te Ching appeared in his bag, causing Xiao Buli to rejoice.


    Tao Te Ching: A knowledge-based book. Other than using it to improve oneself, it doesn''t seem to have any special uses. Ha-ha, success! Now I can give each of them a copy.


    However, this book is still different from ordinary Skill Books. Xiao Buli remembered when he started learning the Tao Te Ching, someone asked questions, and he had to focus and read it out for days before he learned it. But now, without someone to question them, how could they improve their skill proficiency?


    But it occurred to Xiao Buli right away. Xuanxu Zi could ask him questions to improve his proficiency because Xuanxu Zi was an NPC and was well-versed in the Tao Te Ching. Clearly, if they wanted to learn this Skill, they had to find an NPC that knew the Tao Te Ching to help them improve their skill proficiency, finally understanding Taoist Heart LV1, and acquiring the ability to learn spells.


    It''s like finding a Swordsman NPC to learn Swordsmanship or a marshal NPC to learn Formation. It looks like what he needed to do next was to find such an NPC. But where could he find one?


    As he pondered, Xiao Buli left his room and was surprised to find Jingci standing at his door.


    "Senior brother?"


    Jingci said, "Good morning, junior brother. I''ve thought about it. I really need to ask for your help again, but I''m short on Contribution Value. Can I owe it to you?"


    Xiao Buli''s eyes lit up, realizing he had found the right person. "What Contribution Value is¡ªare we not brothers? How about this? I''ll help you find that stone, and you help me with a little favor. We''ll call it even." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 42 Undead Binding Scepter

    "What, you want me to help you train a few apprentices?" Jingci asked with a puzzled face after hearing Xiao Buli''s words.


    Xiao Buli said, "Yes, is there a problem?"


    Xiao Buli was asking knowingly; he was somewhat anxious inside. Originally, he thought the other party would pour out their grievances, but Jingci shook his head, "Nothing. It''s a deal, but you must never tell Master about this, otherwise, if he investigates, it''s not just for fun."


    Xiao Buli roughly understood why Jingci was so nervous and naturally agreed immediately.


    However, it definitely wouldn''t work in the next two days. Even if they were to learn, it had to wait until after the Black Mountain Bandits were wiped out. But he could still ask about it.


    "Hey, I''ve found you a master who can impart the ''Taoist Heart.'' Who''s interested?" Xiao Buli turned and asked. His words immediately startled the four who were playing games.


    Han Wenhuan spoke up first, "Damn, Guild Leader, you''re so awesome, totally impressive! I''m interested, definitely interested!"


    Gu Shaobang and the others also echoed one after another. No one could resist the allure of learning spells.


    "Then it''s settled. Come over after defeating the Black Mountain Bandits."


    Everyone agreed, and Xiao Buli turned back to complete the transaction with Jingci. Deep down, he was a little pained to part with the Exotic Core. However, in order to help his brothers improve their strength, he let it go. Besides, such gambles were uncertain. Who knew what the pets would become after consuming it?


    Currently, he didn''t rely on pets for his livelihood, so it didn''t matter to him anymore.


    After concluding the negotiation with Jingci, he was ready to learn spells. With only 500 Contribution Points in hand, Xiao Buli intended to learn a group damage spell this time. His only active AOE attack was Mystic Skills, which were very limited in number, so learning a spell seemed like a better choice.


    Browsing through the list of third-level spells, Xiao Buli locked onto two skills with similar descriptions.


    Freezing Cloud Skill (Three Seconds Casting): Summon a freezing cloud to envelop an area, inflicting 1 point of Ice Element damage per second on units within the area, reducing their speed by 30%, lasting for 30 seconds, consuming 30 True Yuan Points.


    Spell Special Effect - Turn Water to Ice: Water Spells in this area are temporarily transformed into Ice Element spells. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Exchange requirement: 240 Contribution Points, Esteemed Prestige with Mystic Hollow Palace, Taoist Heart LV3.


    Burning Cloud Spell (Three Seconds Casting): Summon searing clouds to envelop an area, dealing 5 (Spiritual Power x 0.2) points of Fire Attribute damage per second to units within the area, lasting for 30 seconds, consuming 30 True Yuan Points.


    Spell Special Effect - Deep Burn: Wood System Spells in this area will temporarily gain additional Flame effects.


    Exchange requirement: 250 Contribution Points, Esteemed Prestige with Mystic Hollow Palace, Taoist Heart LV3.


    Both were good area-of-effect skills. One didn''t deal much damage but had a slowing effect; the other did more damage, but five points per second were still too low. Even if it went up to LV5, it would probably only do about ten or so points of damage per second.


    If a target stood in the burning clouds for 30 seconds, they could suffer three to four hundred health points of damage, but who would foolishly stay there and get burned?


    In comparison, the slowing effect of the Freezing Cloud Skill seemed more useful.


    The Turn Water to Ice special effect of the Freezing Cloud Skill also caught Xiao Buli''s eye because, among the third-level spells, there was one he had always considered quite underwhelming, which now seemed potentially useful.


    Summon Torrential Rain (Ten Seconds Casting): Summon a dark cloud over a large area, causing it to rain for 180 seconds, consuming 50 True Yuan Points. Within the range of the rain, Fire Spells'' power is reduced by 30%.


    Exchange requirement: 200 Contribution Points, Esteemed Prestige with Mystic Hollow Palace, Taoist Heart LV3.


    This spell was probably useful for some rain-seeking tasks. Other than that, it was only somewhat effective against enemies with Fire Spells, so Xiao Buli had never thought about learning it. But if it could be combined with Freezing Cloud Skill, it didn''t seem so underwhelming anymore.


    With this thought, Xiao Buli chose to learn these two skills.


    After learning the spells, Xiao Buli''s Contribution Points dwindled to less than a hundred. After finishing these tasks, he went to find Gao Bainame. Gao Bainame was working on some equipment. As soon as he saw Xiao Buli, he scurried over.


    "I say, Master, when are you going to take me away? I''ve been toiling away here every day; I''m nearly dead from exhaustion."


    Xiao Buli said, "What''s the rush? It''s chaotic out there right now. You''re just a merchant without any strength. Wouldn''t going out be a death wish? Here you''re safe and comfortable. Where else would you find such a good life?"


    With a few words, he sent Gao Bainame''s complaints right back, "Here, help me process these pieces of equipment, make them look old." Xiao Buli took out a few plain whiteboard equipment pieces, and Gao Bainame, having no choice, took them and said, "It will take about an hour. You can wait a bit."


    Xiao Buli looked at the time and wasn''t in a hurry.


    But Gao Bainame extended his hand toward him again.


    "What''s this for?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Money! Do you think crafting equipment doesn''t need materials? One piece of equipment requires a gold coin," said Spirit.


    Xiao Buli thought: "Damn, it''s even more expensive than buying light blue equipment."


    But he had no other choice, so he reluctantly paid up. Fortunately, he still had some gold coins; a few of them didn''t really matter much to him.


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    After waiting for more than an hour, the plain equipment was finally processed. They all turned into light blue equipment. The basic properties didn''t change, but most gained an extra +1 charm or +1 Spirit attribute, and a prefix of ''Ancient'' was added in front of the equipment names.


    Ancient Iron Sword, Ancient Studded Leather Armor, Ancient War Helmet, Ancient...


    Xiao Buli didn''t care what the equipment was; he just disassembled it directly. After all, it was just junk; in the end, he obtained 6 Shadow Essences.


    To craft one Shadow Cloak, he needed 1 Shadow Crystal Core, 3 Shadow Silk Pouches, and 3 Shadow Essences.


    He now had 2 Shadow Crystal Cores, 9 Shadow Silk Pouches, and 6 Shadow Essences, enough to craft two Shadow Cloaks. However, Xiao Buli did not plan to do so. First-level magical treasures were just too lousy and not very useful. Making one to increase his skill level was enough.


    While thinking, he opened the treasure crafting interface. This interface looked somewhat like a Skill Furnace but was slightly different. It resembled a Five Elements Diagram, with five slots around it to place the materials needed for refining treasures. Xiao Buli sequentially put the three materials into it. There was another slot in the center for the Magical Treasure Blueprint.


    He placed the blueprint there and after triple-checking that everything was correct, he firmly clicked on the refining fusion option.


    The process of fusing the treasure was similar to combining skills: constant rotation, continuous convergence. Xiao Buli stared wide-eyed, fixated on the increasingly bright light. Finally, a streak of golden light flashed, indicating the crafting was successful.


    System Notification: First-level Magical Treasure ''Shadow Cloak'' crafted successfully. You have obtained ''Shadow Cloak''.


    System Notification: You have successfully crafted a first-level Magical Treasure. Your Magical Treasure Crafting skill has been increased to LV2.


    He checked out the Shadow Cloak in his inventory to see what it was for.


    Shadow Cloak: This marvelous cloak allows you to stay hidden in the shadows; it only works when you remain motionless.


    "Finally succeeded," Xiao Buli mused as he looked at the black cloak in his inventory, thinking that although the treasure wasn''t great, it was still a Magical Treasure. If it were brought into the real world, it would surely be considered a miraculous item.


    Now he could craft second-level Magical Treasures. He returned to the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace and asked Xuanxu Zi for the blueprints of second-level treasures.


    But there were only two.


    Flame Ring: This medal is filled with flame energy. The wearer can launch fireballs to attack enemies. The flame energy limit is 100 points, and each fireball consumes 10 points of flame energy, which recovers by 50 points daily.


    Use: Launch a fireball to attack enemies.


    Crafting Materials: 1 Flame Crystal Core, 1 Refined Gold Ingot, 5 Li Fire Essences.


    Undead Binding Scepter: A magical scepter capable of controlling the undead. The wand houses an immortal soul, and the more powerful the soul, the higher the level of Undead and Yin Energy it can control.


    Use: Control an Undead.


    Crafting Materials: 10 Bone Powder, 1 Soul Crystal, 3 Shadow Essences.


    Xiao Buli was pleased when he saw this. The Flame Crystal Core he had before was sold, so he couldn''t craft the Flame Ring, but he had all the materials needed for the Undead Binding Scepter, except for the Bone Powder.


    The Shadow Essence was just left over, and the Soul Crystal was dropped by the Headless Knight, although it was a cracked Soul Crystal and he wasn''t sure how that would affect the outcome.


    "Master, where can I get Bone Powder?" he asked.


    Xuanxu Zi replied, "Qingfeng Mingyue should have some. You can go and check there."


    Hearing this, Xiao Buli was even happier. He immediately bought the blueprint for the Undead Binding Scepter. A first-level treasure''s blueprint cost only 10 Contribution Value points, while a second-level one required 50 points, which was five times more.


    Xiao Buli was now completely broke. After finding Qingfeng Mingyue and asking for Bone Powder, it turned out they did have it for sale¡ªone portion for 50 silver coins or 5 Contribution Value points. Xiao Buli spent five gold coins to buy ten Bone Powders and once again opened the Magical Treasure Crafting interface. He placed all three materials inside and threw in the blueprint, then clicked fusion.


    System Notification: Second-level Magical Treasure ''Undead Binding Scepter'' successfully crafted. Your Magical Treasure Crafting skill has risen to LV3.


    System Notification: You have obtained ''Inferior Undead Binding Scepter''.


    This time, the treasure turned out to be of grey quality. It was probably due to the poor quality of the Soul Crystal, but since this item was also meant for practice, it didn''t really matter.


    The Undead Binding Scepter could control ''Yin Energy LV3'' Undead. Xiao Buli guessed that this ''Yin Energy'' skill was like the ''Wildness'' skill for beasts¡ªa special ability used to measure level and strength. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 43 Zhang Haojie

    Xiao Buli had forged his second Magical Treasure and returned once again to the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace. This time, he wanted to examine the blueprints for level three Magical Treasures. However, there was only one such blueprint available, and it had a steep price of 200 Contribution Points. As for blueprints of higher-level Magical Treasures, they were not for sale at all.


    After asking Xuanxu Zi, Xuanxu Zi informed him that Magical Treasures above level four were considered intermediate Magical Treasures, and their blueprints were not so easily obtained.


    The blueprint for this level three Magical Treasure was for a defensive Magical Treasure.


    Vajra Gem: This is a gem containing divine and metal energies, capable of effectively protecting the wearer from physical attacks and undead damage.


    Usage: Activates a Vajra Shield with 500 points of durability, has a special effect against Yin Attribute skills, lasts for 30 minutes, and the Magical Treasure has a cooldown of 12 hours.


    Crafting materials: Refined Gold¡Á1, Shariputra¡Á1, Metal Essence¡Á5, Enlightened Gem¡Á1.


    The item seemed quite good, and combined with the Ethereal Armor, it would definitely be useful. However, Xiao Buli currently had no leads on either the blueprint or the materials, so it seemed that he could only give up on it for the time being. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, since he had already acquired two Magical Treasures, Xiao Buli was not too disappointed. These two Magical Treasures were not very useful in the game; at his current level, level three Undead probably referred to the likes of Zombies, which didn''t mean much for his level of combat.


    The Shadow Cloak provided a skill similar to Shadow Escape, which was also somewhat meaningless to him since he could already become invisible. So, these two Magical Treasures were not much help to him, but in the real world, they definitely counted as treasures. Therefore, Xiao Buli made up his mind to transfer these two Magical Treasures out in the following two days.


    As Xiao Buli was pondering where to find better Magical Treasure Blueprints in front of Xuanxu Zi, suddenly he heard Gu Shaobang''s exclamatory voice.


    "Boss, you need to come quickly, something''s happened in the village."


    Xiao Buli felt a jolt in his heart and quickly turned to ask, "What''s wrong? What happened?"


    Gu Shaobang replied, "A bunch of people from Awesome Empire showed up in our village. Du Yibo asked me to tell you, he said this guild has a grudge against you?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Indeed, there is such a matter. How many of them are there? What about Du Yibo and He Suoju? Didn''t they start fighting with them?"


    Gu Shaobang said, "No, they''ve gone into hiding for now, saying they''ll wait for you to come back to discuss what to do next. There are about ten of those people."


    Xiao Buli''s heart grew heavy, not expecting that the battle quest he triggered this time would accidentally attract people from Awesome Empire.


    "I''ll be right back. You guys be careful and don''t get taken advantage of," Xiao Buli hurriedly instructed. Although people from Awesome Empire probably didn''t know about his relationship with Gu Shaobang and the others, it was better to be safe than sorry, as there were no places to reason with such domineering guilds in the game.


    "Don''t worry, Boss, they don''t know we''re acquainted with you. They don''t seem hostile for now. However, it looks like they want to monopolize the village defense mission and are negotiating with the head of Black Stone Village," Gu Shaobang assured him.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli let out a sigh of relief. It was clear that the other party had not tracked him down to Black Stone Village, and likely had no idea about his influence in the village. They sought to defend the village to obtain mission rewards. If used well, he might be able to play a trick on them.


    With that in mind, Xiao Buli set off back to Black Stone Village, traveling by Cloud Thunder Leap as usual. After a little more than an hour, Xiao Buli once again saw the shape of Black Stone Village in the distance. He didn''t enter the village directly but instead activated Skimming Shadow Steps from far away and quietly sneaked in.


    Upon entering the village, he noticed that Black Stone Village was much livelier than usual, with many more players and NPC adventurers present.


    Those NPCs were not much of a concern; they were all mercenary types, probably hired thugs brought in by the village head of Black Stone Village. There were only about a dozen of them, and they all seemed to have weak combat abilities.


    The players, on the other hand, demanded his attention. There were two to three dozen of them. Most of these players were Solo Players, with no guild suffix behind their names and various random titles. The remaining ten were from Awesome Empire, and sure enough, there were exactly ten people¡ªtwo group''s worth of people.


    Among them was the Thunder Summoner Chen Chuan from before, clad in a blue Magical Robe and holding a new Magic Wand, speaking to some Solo Players.


    But it seemed he was not the leading figure in this group. Standing on the ramparts was a warrior clad in golden armor, radiating a faint golden glow¡ªtheir name was Zhang Haojie, and it was evident that this Zhang Haojie was the leader of the group.


    That glow was very familiar, as if he had seen it before. Xiao Buli clicked on the person''s heading with his mouse, and it turned out to be a persistent BUFF skill¡ªHeavenly Gang Fighting Qi.


    That skill again!? Xiao Buli had encountered this skill for the third time. The first time was when it was used by Dugu Han, and at that time, he was not fully aware of the name of the skill. It was only after he temporarily learned it from the book Journey to the West: Demon Subduing Record that he realized it was the same skill used by Dugu Han.


    He found the two very similar and concluded they were most likely the same skill. Upon reading the skill''s description, it was stated to be a racial Talent Skill of the Divine Race.


    However, Xiao Buli was still somewhat confused as to how Dugu Han learned the Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi, a racial Talent Skill of the Divine Race. Could it be that Dugu Han was of the Divine Race? That didn''t make sense.


    At that time, he was quite puzzled for a while, but now it seemed that this skill should not be too difficult to learn, as there was more than one person who knew it besides Dugu Han.


    Xiao Buli dared not startle the snake by beating the grass. Judging by the Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi emanating from the leader, the fighting power of these ten people was absolutely not to be underestimated. If they really started fighting, he feared that half of them would die before they even clashed with the Black Mountain Bandits.


    Even if he assembled all the Strength at his disposal, victory was not guaranteed. Even if they could win, he estimated it would be a Pyrrhic victory. Therefore, Xiao Buli chose to directly bypass them from a distance and headed to the campsite at Thousand Pines Town to look for Du Yibo and He Suoju, who were hiding in a house.


    However, the two were not online. Xiao Buli asked Gu Shaobang and found out that the two could only get on their computers at noon.


    So, Xiao Buli waited patiently for a while, and around noon, the two indeed logged in inside the house.


    "Hey, you''re both here," Xiao Buli began by asking.


    "Thank heavens you''re finally back. Where have you been these past few days?" Both of them asked somewhat irritably.


    "Let''s not talk about that, I was doing a Sect mission. Forget about it, let''s talk about those people outside," he replied.


    He Suoju and Du Yibo did not dwell on it, and He Suoju asked, "What do we do now? Should we make a move against them?"


    Du Yibo said, "Of course, we should. If we don''t do it now, if they backstab us while we''re fighting the Black Mountain Bandits, we''ll be in deep trouble."


    Xiao Buli, however, said, "If we make a move now, are we sure we can beat them?"


    Du Yibo asked with ill intent, "Don''t you have a bunch of followers, plus NPCs? If they all join in, we should be able to take them on, right?"


    Xiao Buli sneered inwardly and replied indifferently, "Even if we could win, it would be a bloody victory. All of my people would die. Why should I fight?"


    He Suoju asked, "Then what shall we do?"


    Xiao Buli responded, "I have my ways. We absolutely cannot take action against them now. However, judging by their behavior, they seem to intend to monopolize this village defense mission. When they start the battle with the Black Mountain Bandits, that''s when we can move in like a mantis stalking the cicada."


    "You mean?" The two exchanged glances, revealing a slight mischievous grin, "You''re really sly."


    Xiao Buli didn''t smile. Even with a surprise attack, he wasn''t a hundred percent sure of success. Besides, what would killing these people actually achieve? The Awesome Empire had significant clout. If they retaliated, he could escape, but the NPCs he had worked so hard to subdue couldn''t.


    Therefore, he believed it was better to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary, and even if they had to fight, it was best not to reveal his involvement with this village.


    "What about those Solo Players, what''s their background? Do you think we can recruit them?"


    "I think it''s possible," He Suoju said. "I understand these people all too well; they''re just like I was before. They''re the sort who want to reap benefits but fear death, with no organization and no leader. On usual days they can only take on simple missions through whatever means they can find, killing some rare elites in the wilds, with no chance of doing significant missions or dungeons.


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    They are surely here to fish in troubled waters since there are no guilds occupying this area temporarily. If a powerful player could beckon to them, they could probably be organized."


    "However, if your power isn''t strong enough, it''ll be hard to subdue them. Don''t be fooled by their unimpressive equipment. The fact that they''ve maintained their solo player status up to this point means they are not ordinary. They''ve been through all kinds of dangers and may not be so easily convinced to trust someone. To put it nicely, they have pride; to put it bluntly, they are stubborn.


    Unless you can show enough strength and sincerity, don''t think about subduing them."


    As He Suoju spoke these words, a faint look of pride crossed his face. Clearly, he took great pride in his identity as a Solo Player.


    Xiao Buli nodded; that made sense. However, he wasn''t very concerned about it, confident that his current strength should be enough to subdue these Solo Players.


    "Let me handle recruiting the Solo Players and see if we can absorb them into our guild," he said.


    "Our guild? Are you planning to establish a guild?" Du Yibo suddenly asked with surprise.


    "That''s right. Continuing like this won''t do. To do well in this game, how can we manage without an organization?"


    As the three were talking, Gu Shaobang suddenly said, "Boss, it looks like they''re about to fight."


    Xiao Buli quickly went outside and sure enough, the group of Solo Players and the people from the Awesome Empire seemed to have a conflict brewing. Both sides were standing off in the village, an air of tension thick between them. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please give your vote and monthly ticket on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 43 Solo Domination Mission

    Lin Feng stood at the back of the crowd of solo players, feeling extremely frustrated, downright furious. When he first dove into this game, he had made a significant resolution to begin this journey. Since playing this game, he''d been on tenterhooks, knowing he could die at any moment, which forced him to be extremely cautious.


    Unlike his previous gaming experiences, he dared not act with reckless abandon, avoiding any slight risk. Consequently, he had spent a whole year in Newbie Village. During that time, he''d learned all the Professional Skills he could, nearly pushing his five Basic Attributes to thirty points each, and acquired seven or eight Basic Combat Skills before he dared to venture out of the village.


    But leaving the village didn''t mean he''d made it. The world of the game was vast, yet there didn''t seem to be many territories without an owner. Everywhere he went was under the shadow of some Great Guild. Wherever he went, he was told, "This area is under the control of our XXX Guild, you''re not allowed to take quests or enter dungeons here."


    He didn''t dare to enter dungeons lightly; after all, death in this game meant the end. So, he could only fight Minor Monsters. But being barred from even taking quests was a bit too much. However, considering how vast the game''s world was, even the Great Guilds couldn''t monitor everything, so he did manage to complete some scattered quests, slowly but surely increasing his power.


    Lin Feng had chosen the profession of Hunter and advanced to the seemingly impressive Advanced Profession of Ranger. Actually, he had hoped to become a Mage Profession, but in this game, Mage Professions were Hidden Professions. Without the support of a Great Guild and a stroke of fate, it was very hard to specialize, so he settled for a profession with special abilities instead.


    The special ability of the Ranger was to communicate with plants, understand information about recent events in the vicinity, track traces left by humans and beasts, and hide effectively in the wild, giving off a special forces vibe. Sadly, this ability didn''t mean much in reality, but in the game, one could hold secondary professions.


    With his rich Basic Attributes and skills, he also took up the profession of a Rogue, adept in Qinggong.


    Despite having two professions, Lin Feng wasn''t doing too well. Fortunately, aside from the Great Guilds, there were many other solo players in the game. Over time, he''d made a few friends. Looking out for each other, they barely managed to survive in this cruel game world.


    Not long ago, they heard that the guild in Nine Dragons City had been wiped out, leaving it a no man''s land temporarily, so he followed some close friends to the city. Yet, it didn''t take long for him to realize that there was little to gain there.


    The place was overcrowded, with everyone waiting for the Demon Clan to attack the city, taking all the local quests in the meantime, even mundane tasks like carrying water for the blind old lady, just for a few copper coins.


    As the Demon Clan''s siege drew nearer, they knew that they, as solo players, were unlikely to benefit much from such large-scale events and that there was a real danger of dying if one was not careful. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    So, when they received the system alert about a monster attacking the village while farming Minor Monsters in the wild, Lin Feng and a few friends immediately rushed towards Black Stone Village, knowing that defending a village was much easier than defending a city.


    To his dismay, he still couldn''t avoid the hateful Great Guilds even in such a remote place.


    While mulling over this, Lin Feng finally snapped back to reality and turned his attention to the expression on the face of that guy called Chen Chuan.


    "Hey, can you be reasonable?" Wang Xiong, a Barbarian Warrior who was adept at using blunt weapons and one of the only tank type professions among their group of solo players, spoke up. "This isn''t within the influence of the Awesome Empire. There''s nothing against the rules in taking a quest here."


    Chen Chuan scoffed at Wang Xiong, this anomaly among the solo players, with undisguised disdain. "Humph, rules? Might makes right. We''re running this monster defense quest today, and if you know what''s good for you, you''ll clear off."


    The strength of Lin Feng and the other solo players wasn''t very strong, which was evident from their equipment. Unlike the players from the Great Guilds, who had ample opportunities to raid dungeons and had professional logistics players supplying them, their equipment was poor.


    Lin Feng was clad in just three pieces of light blue gear, two of which he had looted from rare elites, and one that was a reward for completing a quest. Because of that quest, he was hunted by a Great Guild for days and nearly killed. He only escaped thanks to the unique stealth ability of the Ranger.


    The others were similar to him or even worse off, clad in basic gear. There were not many veteran players like him who had been playing for over a year in this place. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Chuan gave off an oppressive aura. Seeing a prestigious Mage wasn''t an everyday occurrence, but what made Lin Feng more nervous was Zhang Haojie, radiating a faint glow while standing on the palisade.


    Even though Zhang Haojie stood on the palisade with his hands behind his back, silently gazing into the distance, Lin Feng dared not overlook him. With his experience in the game, he knew Zhang Haojie was no ordinary player.


    "You shouldn''t push people too far," Wang Xiong called out, agitated.


    Chen Chuan just snickered, "And what if I do push you too far? If you have the guts, come at me. I''ll give you a chance; all of you can come at once." With that said, he slammed his Magic Wand into the ground, sending a bolt of blue lightning that cracked the earth in a five-meter radius, intimidating everyone into stepping back.


    Magic Damage couldn''t be mitigated by Armor, and although some items provided magic defenses, these players barely had any blue gear, let alone magic defense equipment, rendering them defenseless against Mages.


    Seeing that everyone was considering backing down, Lin Feng could no longer hold back and stood up, saying, "Don''t be afraid, everyone. We''re in a safe zone right now; they wouldn''t dare lay a hand on us."


    Chen Chuan was taken aback, as if hit by the truth, and gave Lin Feng a glare before scoffing, "You''re right, but do you think you can stay in the safe zone forever? If you know what''s good for you, stay away. I don''t care if you kill some minor monsters; I won''t compete with you for the loot. But if you dare to compete with us for the tasks, don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    Before Lin Feng could answer, someone from his team spoke up discontentedly, "Hey, that''s not fair. There''s no limit on how many can take on the task, so why can''t we take it? If we take on the task, we could relieve some of your pressure, too."


    Chen Chuan seemed to be getting impatient, "It''s true that this task is unlimited, but the total value of the rewards is fixed. You lot are useless and would only dilute the rewards we''d get, so there''s absolutely no way we''re letting you take this task."


    Lin Feng knew Chen Chuan wasn''t lying, based on his experience with the game; such a setting was very likely. For the same task, if ten people completed it, each would get a white armor piece. If one person did it, the worst they''d get would be deep blue gear. With the current situation, if everyone took on the task together, each person would probably get light blue or deep blue gear.


    But if only one person took on the task, they could possibly get silver or even gold equipment.


    The opposition had valid reasons to monopolize the task. But reasons aside, facing this situation, Lin Feng couldn''t bring himself to accept it. Why should they get first dibs? Why should our interests serve theirs? Just because they are a bit stronger?


    Sitting in front of his computer, Lin Feng suddenly let out a wry smile, (That''s right, it''s because they are stronger! In both this world and the one behind the screen, might makes right.) Clenching his fists at the computer, he thought bitterly, (Damn it, wasn''t the whole point of getting into this game to become stronger? So why should I compromise and back down now?)


    Though feeling aggrieved, the solo players didn''t dare to talk back, aware that dying in this game carried a hefty price. In any ordinary game, they would have fought regardless, as human pride is worth contending for, even if it meant a thrilling but hopeless fight. But in a game like this, a thrilling fight was out of the question. Better to cut their losses and run.


    Some wanted to back down, others couldn''t bear to just give up, and there were those who thought their greater numbers could be leveraged. Lin Feng wasn''t sure which category he fell into. While he was hesitating, a message suddenly popped up on his screen¡ª


    Xiao Buli whispered to you: "Hello there, interested in taking on a task? Head to the south of the village; you can accept tasks there."


    Lin Feng was startled, staring blankly at the screen. It was his first time encountering such an event. He wondered, what''s going on? And who was Xiao Buli?


    But as a seasoned player, he knew there had to be a reason. Collecting himself, he replied: "Who are you?"


    Xiao Buli whispered to you: "Don''t worry about who I am, just do as I say, and call your people over. I can give a task to all of you."


    Lin Feng thought to himself that this was an unexpected boon, and he was not the type to hoard opportunities, "Okay, but they''re not my people."


    After responding, Lin Feng said to the others, "Everyone, follow me for a bit, I have something to tell you."


    He held some prestige among these people and they all had a decent relationship, so they were somewhat willing to listen to him,


    Without making a fuss, he motioned to a few people nearby and they quietly walked away. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 44 The Domination Mission

    Lin Feng stood at the back of the crowd of Solo Players, feeling extremely frustrated. When he first encountered this game, he made a firm decision to join it, and since then, he was always on tenterhooks. At any moment he could die, which forced him to be extra careful. Unlike in previous games where he could do as he pleased, here Lin Feng would not take the slightest risk.


    As a result, he had spent a year in Newbie Village, during which time he learned every Professional Skill he could, nearly raised all five Basic Attributes to thirty points, and mastered seven or eight Basic Combat Skills before daring to leave the village for adventure.


    But leaving the village didn''t mean that things got easier. The game world was vast, yet it seemed there were hardly any territories without an owner. Everywhere he went he was met with the shadow of Great Guilds telling him, "This is our guild''s turf. You''re not allowed to take missions or enter dungeons here."


    He didn''t dare to venture into dungeons recklessly, knowing that dying in this game meant losing his life for good. So, he was left to hunt Minor Monsters. Still, being barred from taking missions seemed too harsh.


    Nonetheless, the game world was truly immense, and even the Great Guilds couldn''t monitor everything, allowing him to complete some odd jobs here and there, slowly but surely enhancing his strength.


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    Lin Feng''s chosen profession was Hunter, an Advanced Profession that sounded impressive: Ranger. In reality, he had hoped to adopt a Mage Profession, but in this game, Mage Professions were all Hidden Professions, difficult to access without the backing of a Great Guild or a stroke of luck. Thus, he had to settle for a job with special abilities.


    The Ranger''s special ability was to communicate with plants to glean information about recent events nearby, to track the traces left by humans and wild beasts, and to effectively hide in the wilderness, giving it a special forces vibe. Unfortunately, these skills wouldn''t amount to much in the real world, but it was possible to have multiple professions in this game.


    With his well-rounded Basic Attributes and skills, Lin Feng also cross-classed as an assassin skilled in Qinggong.


    Even with two professions, Lin Feng''s situation wasn''t great. Fortunately, aside from the Great Guilds, there were many other Solo Players in the game. As time passed, he made a few friends to watch each other''s backs, managing to just barely survive in the ruthless game world. Not long ago, he heard that Nine Dragons City had lost its ruling guild and had temporarily become unclaimed territory.


    He and some close friends hurried here, but soon after arriving at Nine Dragons City, he realized that it was impossible to gain any advantages¡ªthere were simply too many people. Everyone was waiting for the Demon Clan to attack the city, taking on even the most menial tasks, like fetching water for a blind old woman, for only a few copper coins.


    As the Demon Clan''s siege drew nearer, events like these were often futile for Solo Players like him; they ran the risk of being killed if they weren''t careful.


    So when he received the system alert of monsters attacking a village while grinding Minor Monsters in the wilderness, he and his friends immediately headed toward Black Stone Village, knowing that defending a village was much easier than defending a city.


    But even in such a remote place, he still couldn''t escape the detestable Great Guilds.


    While thinking, Lin Feng finally snapped back to reality and focused on the expression of that guy called Chen Chuan across from him.


    "Hey, do you guys have any sense of fairness? This isn''t the Awesome Empire''s area of influence. It''s not against the rules for us to take on missions here," Wang Xiong, a Barbarian Warrior skilled with blunt weapons and one of the only tank-type players among the group of Solo Players¡ªan anomaly¡ªspoke up.


    After all, most were either thieves or assassins adept at stealth, or Hunters and Beastmasters with pets for combat, or Qigong Masters and Swordsmen with special abilities for escape and life-saving. Pure melee fighters were rare, and if they existed, they didn''t last long. That Wang Xiong had survived so far was quite remarkable.


    Chen Chuan, however, looked down on Wang Xiong, the outlier among the Solo Players, and sneered, "Humph, rules? Might makes right. Today, we''re taking charge of defending the village from the monster attack. If you know what''s good for you, you''ll scram."


    The equipment of Lin Feng and the other Solo Players wasn''t impressive, a clear indicator of their limited strength. Unlike players from Great Guilds who had ample opportunities to run dungeons and missions, or those who specialized and had their logistics supplied by other players, their gear was poor.


    Lin Feng himself only had three pieces of light-blue Armor, two of which he got from rare elites and one as a reward for a mission that resulted in him being chased by a Great Guild for days, almost to his death. Ultimately, it was the Ranger''s unique hiding ability that had allowed him to escape.


    The others were not much different, and many were even worse off than he was. After all, veteran players like him who had spent over a year in the game were few and far between here.


    Chen Chuan exuded an overwhelming presence as a noble Mage, a figure not easily encountered. What made Lin Feng even more tense was Zhang Haojie, emanating a faint halo while standing silently on the palisade, looking into the distance. Lin Feng dared not underestimate him; with his experience in the game, he knew Zhang Haojie was no ordinary player.


    "Don''t push us too far," Wang Xiong shouted, unable to contain his anger.


    But Chen Chuan just scoffed, "And what if we do? If you''ve got the guts, come at us. I''ll even give you a chance¡ªcome at me all at once." With those words, he brandished his Magic Wand, and a blue lightning bolt surged into the ground with his wand, cracking the earth in a five-meter radius around him. The display forced everyone to retreat, knowing that Magic Damage wasn''t mitigated by Armor.


    Even though some equipment provided magic defense, these players could barely boast a piece of blue gear, let alone magic defense equipment. Against Mages, they essentially had no defense.


    Lin Feng saw that everyone seemed inclined to back down, but he couldn''t hold back any longer and stood out, saying, "Don''t be afraid, everyone. We''re in a safe zone now; they wouldn''t dare to attack us here."


    Chen Chuan seemed startled, as though Lin Feng had hit the nail on the head, and glared at him with a cold laugh, "You''re right, but do you think you can stay in the safe zone forever? If you know what''s good for you, you''d better get lost. I don''t care about you killing minor monsters or taking their drops, but if you dare compete with us for the mission, don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    Before Lin Feng could reply, someone from the team spoke up in dissatisfaction, "Hey, you can''t be serious. The mission doesn''t have a limit on the number of participants, so why can''t we accept it too? Accepting the mission could help take some pressure off you guys."


    Chen Chuan seemed to be getting impatient, "Indeed, this mission doesn''t limit the number of participants, but the total value of the rewards is fixed. You lot are useless and won''t be of any help. In the end, you would just dilute the rewards, which is why we absolutely can''t let you accept this mission."


    Lin Feng knew that what Chen Chuan said wasn''t false. With his experience in the game, such a setting was very likely. For the same mission, if ten people accepted it, after completion, each person might get a white-colored piece of Armor, but if only one person did it, the worst they could get was a deep blue piece.


    In the current situation, if everyone accepted the mission together, it was estimated they might each get a light blue or deep blue piece of equipment, but if only one person accepted it, they could likely get a piece of silver or even gold equipment.


    Indeed, the other side had reason to monopolize this mission, but reason aside, faced with such a situation, Lin Feng found it impossible to be content. Why should they get to take it first? Why should our benefits serve them? Is it just because their fists are bigger?


    Sitting in front of the computer, Lin Feng suddenly let out a bitter smile, (Yes, that''s right, it''s because their fists are bigger! No matter in this world or the one behind the screen, those with bigger fists make the rules.) Sitting at the computer, Lin Feng couldn''t help but clench his fists, (Damn it, wasn''t I playing this game to become stronger?


    So why do I have to compromise and back down now?)


    Although the solo players felt indignant, they didn''t dare to talk back. After all, dying in this game came with a significant cost. If it were any ordinary game, hell-bent on pride, they would have fought no matter what, seeking the thrill of battle, victory or defeat aside. But in a game like this, seeking a thrill is out of the question; it''s better to preserve oneself and retreat quickly.


    Some people wanted to back down, some were not willing to let it go so easily, and others felt that with strength in numbers, something could be done. Lin Feng himself wasn''t sure which group he belonged to, and while he was hesitating, a message suddenly popped up on the screen¡ª


    Xiao Buli whispers to you quietly, "Hello there, interested in accepting a mission? Head to the south of the village; you can accept missions there."


    Lin Feng was taken aback for a moment, staring blankly at the words on the screen. It was the first time he had seen such a situation and wondered what was going on. Who was Xiao Buli?


    However, being an experienced player, he knew there had to be a reason for this. Calming his mind, he replied, "Who are you?"


    Xiao Buli whispers to you quietly, "Don''t worry about who I am. Just do as I say. Also, call your people over; I can give all of you a mission."


    Lin Feng figured there was an opportunity at hand, and he wasn''t one to hoard resources, "Alright, but they''re not my people."


    After replying to Xiao Buli, Lin Feng said to the others, "Let''s stick together for a moment, guys. I''ve got something to tell you."


    He held some prestige among these people, and they generally got along well, so they were somewhat inclined to listen to him,


    Without drawing attention, he called over a few people nearby and they walked away to talk. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)


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 Chapter 45 Deterrence

    Chen Chuan saw those solo players retreating and thought they were scared (in fact, some of them really were scared), he couldn''t help but reveal a smug expression, but breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, glad that he hadn''t let the boss down.


    As he thought this, he climbed onto the stockade wall and walked up to Zhang Haojie''s side, "Boss, I chased those people away, so only you will do this mission."


    "Hmm, you did well. With this, the least reward for the mission will be silver equipment, and maybe even gold equipment if we''re lucky."


    Chen Chuan, finding it hard to believe, said, "Gold equipment? For real? Can this crummy village even have such good rewards?"


    Zhang Haojie glanced at him indifferently, "What do you know? This is Newcomer Village, it''s not the same as other villages."


    "Newcomer Village?" Chen Chuan repeated the three words, clearly not yet realizing their significance.


    "Newcomer Village should be a place where newcomers spawn, right? But what''s so special about that?"


    Zhang Haojie explained, "Although the game has a high degree of freedom, the system still provides certain protection and preferences for Newcomer Villages. So, Newcomer Villages are different from ordinary villages and towns. Each Newcomer Village has hidden missions, characters, and treasures, so it''s completely possible for gold equipment to be a mission reward.


    Even if there''s no gold equipment, there would be other special items with similar value."


    Chen Chuan nodded in enlightenment and said, "So that''s how it is."


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    Zhang Haojie added, "Apart from the solo players, are there other players in this village?"


    Chen Chuan nodded, "Yes, about four or five. But they seem to be newbie players, their gear so shabby it''s laughable. There''s one named Qin Dahai though, who''s a bit interesting. He''s the deputy captain of the village militia. Boss, do I need to deal with them for you?"


    "No need," Zhang Haojie shook his head, "They are natives of this village and have definitely taken the village defense missions. Threatening them won''t accomplish much. Plus, they probably won''t earn much credit in the mission so they''re not a concern."


    After speaking, he warned, "However, you should still be cautious. If new players arrive, make sure to treat them carefully and don''t repeat the last time''s mistake, losing our men."


    Chen Chuan hurriedly nodded in agreement, but inwardly seethed with anger at the thought of the three players who had killed his comrades. Just wait until I see you again, then you''ll pay.


    "Lin Feng, where are we going?" Wang Xiong asked, puzzled after following Lin Feng for a while.


    Lin Feng didn''t know where he was going either and could only answer, "A voice told me there''s a mission to be picked up this way."


    "A voice? What do you mean?"


    "I mean someone private messaged me."


    A solo player who overheard their conversation immediately said, "Give me a break, the game doesn''t have any private whisper feature. Can we not boast, please?"


    Lin Feng didn''t respond because the mysterious person had messaged him again, telling him to go to the clearing ahead. He led the people straight in, but then noticed something different about the surroundings.


    "Huh, the NPCs here seem different from those over there," an observant solo player suddenly exclaimed.


    Indeed, the previous villagers all had the title (Black Stone Village Villager) behind their names, while the villagers here bore the titles (Thousand Pines Town Townsperson) or (Thousand Pines Town Militia), clearly indicating a difference.


    A militia of nearly a hundred strong was training, and Lin Feng saw the orderly NPC troops changing formations at the command of a player. They appeared well-trained, and the commanding player, clad in a dark set of chainmail, didn''t look like any ordinary quality.


    "Damn, that''s badass," "Who is this Han Wenhuan, that he could even command NPCs!?"


    Lin Feng scoffed, "What''s the big deal? Great Guilds generally have NPC armies under their control. You really shouldn''t make such a fuss."


    Though he said that, his mind was filled with doubts. Great Guilds did command NPC forces, but why were there any here? The numbers weren''t great, and their fighting strength didn''t seem too powerful, but it was still an army. To be commanded by a single player was quite strange. (Could it be that his Prestige has climbed high? Yes, that must be it,) Lin Feng silently muttered to himself.


    "Welcome to Black Stone Village." A figure suddenly appeared before the crowd. Lin Feng instantly perked up; this was Xiao Buli, the man who had been speaking to him in secret.


    Then a few more people emerged from the wooden houses nearby, including a mage, a rare sight among solo players.


    Lin Feng swept his gaze over the group and it suddenly landed on a swordsman off to the side, "Damn, Old He, is that really you?"


    He was obviously referring to He Suoju.


    He Suoju looked surprised, "You''re Lin Feng, the hunter with the Tibetan Mastiff? Where''s your pet?"


    "Hey, don''t even mention it. When I was on a quest a while back, I was chased by a large guild. To cover my retreat, I got chopped up," Lin Feng said, his voice tinged with sadness when he spoke about his pet that he''d raised for several months.


    Wang Xiong expressed surprise, "You guys know each other?"


    Hurriedly, Lin Feng explained, "This He Suoju is also a solo player like us. I''ve teamed up with him before to kill rare elites."


    Upon hearing this, everyone''s wariness lessened a bit. Solo players usually got along better with one another. After all, they had to survive in the crevices between large guilds and generally didn''t oppose each other. This almost amounted to an unspoken rule among solo players.


    "Your friend seems to be doing pretty well for himself. He didn''t join some big guild, did he?"


    Lin Feng also found it strange. When they teamed up before, He Suoju was on a similar level to him. How had he become so much stronger in just a few months? Could he really have joined a large guild?


    Curious, he asked about it. To that, He Suoju shared, "Heh, that''s quite a story. I didn''t join any large guild, but I did become a disciple of a Sword God. Of course, I owe a lot to my friend Xiao Buli here. It was with his help that I succeeded in becoming a disciple."


    Hearing this, Du Yibo couldn''t help but glance at Xiao Buli, thinking to himself, what is he talking about? How come I didn''t know about this?


    Listening to the conversation, many people grew eager.


    Becoming a disciple of a Sword God probably meant joining a sect. NPC sects were highly coveted and elusive organizations, not just any run-of-the-mill NPC power group. They were incredibly secretive and had stringent requirements for entry, usually through a discipleship quest. But once you joined, it was like having a powerful backer.


    While you still needed to be self-sufficient and it wasn''t as convenient as being in a large guild, it wasn''t too far off, either. Sects often offered access to skills, equipment, and sect quests, which even large guilds couldn''t monopolize. So joining a sect meant having a secure and relatively safe leveling path.


    However, these hidden sects were very rare, generally encountered through triggering special events, and the events themselves were difficult to complete. Hence, even when a solo player happened upon one, without significant backing, joining was nearly impossible. Surprisingly, He Suoju had encountered and successfully joined one.


    "Old He, that''s not very Righteous of you, knowing about a hidden sect and not taking care of your brothers," a Swordsman suddenly complained with apparent jealousy.


    He Suoju retorted, "Come on, it''s not as simple as you make it sound. Joining that sect was incredibly difficult and happened because of a fortunate coincidence. If you guys want to join, it''s not like that kind of opportunity just comes along."


    The complainer knew that He Suoju was right and sighed, "Well, I''m not ambitious for sects or anything. I''d be satisfied just to have a peaceful place to level up without fighting over monsters. It''s a pity I haven''t found one yet. I made my way here to Black Stone Village to take on a quest, only to find people from a large guild here too."


    This struck a chord, and murmurs of agreement followed, "Yeah, it is really infuriating."


    Xiao Buli suddenly spoke up. "I actually know such a place. If you cross the Black Mountain range, you''ll reach the Desolate Mountains. That area is vast, teeming with monsters, and not yet claimed by any large guild. If you''re interested, that''s a good spot for leveling and treasure hunting."


    Lin Feng objected, "Forget it. I''ve heard about that place. It''s not somewhere we could survive at our level. If we ran into some super beast, we wouldn''t even be able to escape. Unless a large guild organizes a big team to clear the area, nobody dares to go there."


    But Xiao Buli casually said, "That''s not necessarily true. I was there just a few days ago and got a lot of good stuff. I even captured two pets. It wasn''t too difficult."


    Lin Feng looked at He Suoju, then at Xiao Buli, wondering if that could possibly be true.


    That''s when Wang Xiong scoffed, "You''re full of it. Who''s going to believe that story?"


    Xiao Buli didn''t get flustered. Suddenly, he raised his hand and summoned the Swamp Crocodile. The appearance of the beast, four to five meters long, gave the group a real shock. "Damn, you managed to capture that thing? What level of Wildness is it?"


    "Wait a sec, how can you summon a pet out of thin air?"


    "Huh, why is it White Name? It''s not a boss? A Minor Monster can be this huge? Damn, this has to be a beast from the Desolate Mountains!"


    Some hurriedly asked questions, while others were stunned, thinking about what kind of person he must be to have both Invisibility and the ability to Summon pets, not to mention his formidable strength.


    It''s no wonder they were amazed. Usually, pets were weaker in combat than their owners. The sheer combat power of this crocodile was already enough to overpower most of the group. So, how strong must the owner of this giant crocodile be?


    Faced with the barrage of questions, Xiao Buli didn''t respond.


    "Now do you believe me?"


    "Believe it, definitely believe it," came the reply. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli then added, "Since you''re all friends of Old He, that makes you my friends too. Look, if you want to catch beasts like this as pets, once I''m done with this campaign quest, I could take you all there. The Desolate Mountains are full of fierce beasts like this one."


    The Hunters among the group were instantly interested. Their current companions were just ordinary beasts like wolves and leopards. If they could capture a pet as imposing and formidable as this one, it would significantly boost their strength.


    But Lin Feng caught the essential part of Xiao Buli''s statement¡ª "Hold on, what do you mean by a campaign quest?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit qidian.com to vote for it and support me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 46 Rewards for Campaign Missions

    Ever since Xiao Buli had set his mind on subduing the solo players, he had already devised a plan. As the president of Qingyang Studio, he had had countless members under him before and had some understanding of how to recruit people.


    To subdue these solo players, relying solely on force was not enough. These players who had managed to get to their current level must have some skills, and they certainly wouldn''t easily trust others. Otherwise, they would have been absorbed by the great guilds already.


    Therefore, Xiao Buli had no intention of actively recruiting them from the start. On the contrary, he hoped they would take the initiative to join them.


    In order to achieve this, it was necessary to demonstrate sufficient strength, benefits, and sincerity.


    So now, he was contemplating using both kindness and authority.


    Hearing Lin Feng''s question, Xiao Buli smiled faintly, "The battle task is, of course, a battle task. Isn''t that why you came here in the first place?"


    Wang Xiong said, "No, we came because of the monster attack on the village." Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli responded, "That''s what I mean. In fact, it''s all part of the same thing. Do you know why monsters attacked Black Stone Village?"


    Wang Xiong replied, "How would I know? Does there need to be a reason for monsters to attack a village?" His words, however, were met with silence. These solo players, who had played for so long without achieving fame, had some understanding of the nature of the game. Unlike some mindless online games where events happen without reason, in this game, every event had a cause.


    That monsters attacked villages was no exception. Wang Xiong''s ignorance, whether feigned or genuine, was baffling to others.


    Lin Feng suddenly realized something and said in surprise, "Could it be related to the battle task?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Exactly, it''s related to the battle task. I''ve only recently accepted this task, which is to help the Lord of Black Stone Village attack the Black Mountain Camp. It seems the Black Mountain Bandits have discovered our intentions and decided to strike first. So in fact, the monster attack on the village is just a part of the battle task."


    Lin Feng expressed doubt, "Wait, you say the Lord of Black Stone Village asked you to attack Black Mountain Camp? How is that possible? Just with a few of you?"


    Xiao Buli replied, "Of course not, there are also the militia."


    "Why would the Lord of Black Stone Village let you command his troops?"


    "It''s not his troops, but my own," Xiao Buli said, then called out to Han Wenhuan. Han Wenhuan immediately scurried over.


    "Boss, is there something you need?"


    "Nothing much, I just wanted to inquire about how the troop training is going."


    "The preliminary training is essentially complete, though there is still potential for further enhancement. They haven''t experienced real combat yet, so it''s uncertain how well they can perform. Currently, we''re just waiting for the monsters to attack the village."


    Han Wenhuan''s words caused a stir. It turned out that the man who could command NPCs was none other than Xiao Buli''s subordinate. What great ability Xiao Buli must possess! The way others looked at him changed yet again.


    Lin Feng, however, wasn''t easily impressed by these militia, or at least he seemed that way. He continued to ask, "But surely a hundred and eighty men aren''t enough."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Indeed, it''s not quite sufficient. But there are also Black Stone Village''s militia. Moreover, now that the Black Mountain Bandits have taken the initiative to attack, it can be seen as help from the system to avoid making the task so difficult that it can''t be completed. Otherwise, with our military strength, it would be very difficult to take down the camp.


    Now, we only need to focus on defending and counterattacking. As long as we can kill those bandit leaders in the defense battle, the assault on the camp will be much easier."


    Lin Feng then asked, "What about the task you mentioned before that we could take on? What was that about?"


    His question had caught the attention of the other solo players, who anxiously waited for Xiao Buli''s response. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, I mean my battle task," Xiao Buli said. "Actually, I didn''t intend to get you involved. The more people there are, the less the reward, which you should know. But since you''re friends with He Suoju, and he asked me to help you out, I didn''t have much choice.


    Besides, although the task now seems almost certain to succeed, since you want to take it on and are friends of He Suoju, if you''re willing, I can share this task with you. Let''s complete it together. After all, it''s a team task¡ªwhether done by one person or a group, it still needs to be done."


    In truth, Lin Feng and He Suoju had only a casual acquaintance. That He Suoju would speak for them took Lin Feng by surprise. Now, hearing Xiao Buli''s offer, he felt somewhat embarrassed about his previous suspicions.


    Xiao Buli, however, spoke with feigned seriousness, "But you all need to think it through. This campaign quest is a whole package, meaning you must defend against the Black Mountain Bandits and then capture the Black Mountain Camp to complete the job. If you go straight for the village defense quest, you can get the quest reward once the battle is over, and these two are not the same."


    The solo players glanced at each other; they did indeed want to take on the village defense quest, but they weren''t allowed to. Although the campaign quest seemed a bit long, the reward should be better, right? Taking on this quest wasn''t such a bad idea after all.


    "I''m willing to join you in the campaign quest, but who will be giving out the reward?" someone asked.


    "It should be the headman of Black Stone Village," replied Xiao Buli. At any rate, he certainly didn''t have anything to offer as a quest reward.


    Suddenly, someone said, "The reward for the campaign quest isn''t given, it''s taken." Everyone looked over, and it was a hunter player carrying a bow and arrows, named Zhao Feiyu.


    Xiao Buli asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"


    Zhao Feiyu explained, "I''ve fought in a war for an NPC lord before and learned a thing or two. The main reward for a campaign quest is territory and control over lands, not equipment or the like. Since your task involves attacking Black Mountain Camp, once successful, Black Mountain Camp should become your territory. Although, I''m not sure how you''re going to manage the territory."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli''s heart leaped with joy, "Is that true?"


    "Of course, it is."


    Xiao Buli said, "In that case, there''s a problem. I can''t divvy up the territory among you all. How about this¡ªif you help me complete this quest and seize this territory, you can then freely take up quests and run dungeons in this area to level up. Also, this stronghold could serve as a place for you to rest and recover."


    The solo players'' eyes shone brightly upon hearing this; such an arrangement was much better than receiving some random quest rewards.


    However, He Suoju said, "Old Lin, why don''t you join us? After we take over this territory, we plan to establish a guild, and if you join, you''d be considered one of the founders."


    Lin Feng was indeed tempted. It wasn''t that he was averse to joining a guild; in fact, he had been recruited by guilds before, but he didn''t want to be cannon fodder. After all, as a solo player like him, going to a great guild would definitely not make him a core member, but only a peripheral one.


    Though tempted, the always cautious Lin Feng was unwilling to make a hasty commitment, saying, "Let''s wait and see. We can talk about it after the campaign quest is done."


    When he said this, the others were also reluctant to commit too soon. Xiao Buli was not eager to urge them to join either. For these wary solo players, pushing them might have the opposite effect. To win them over, he needed to show the tangible benefits and demonstrate his ability to lead fairly and justly.


    The involvement of this group gave Xiao Buli a much stronger confidence.


    These players generally had high basic attributes because, lacking time for quests and dungeons, most could only rely on professional skills to enhance their strength; hence, they had high basic attributes, many even higher than Xiao Buli''s, limited to ordinary basic attributes¡ªspecial attributes like spiritual power were quite average for them.


    Besides, not knowing spells would render any increase moot. The biggest downfall of these players was that their skills and equipment were generally poor, with the latter so bad it was beyond salvation. They were capable enough to handle a fight against an ordinary elite monster, but high-level elites would spell tragedy for them.


    After discussing with Du Yibo and He Suoju, Xiao Buli felt it was necessary to offer something to win this group over. Finally, He Suoju suggested, "How about this: we donate some of the useless blue gear we don''t need."


    Xiao Buli nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. The few rummaged through their bags, pulling out several blue pieces of equipment. Xiao Buli contributed a ''Butcher''s Bleeding Sword'', his first blue piece of equipment, along with two blue leather armor pieces he had replaced recently. Du Yibo and He Suoju each also donated two pieces, totaling seven pieces of light blue gear.


    These items no longer served much purpose for them, but for those solo players, they were still valuable.


    The seven pieces of equipment were auctioned off to the solo players. However, the starting prices were set very low, and the solo players, in tacit agreement, refused to bid high, so it was basically a half-sale, half-giveaway.


    Xiao Buli didn''t care about the small amount of money; however, he wouldn''t give the equipment away for free either. If he did, those who got the gear would surely be overjoyed, but then those who didn''t would feel discontent. Now, although most didn''t get any equipment, at least there was hope.


    The seven pieces of equipment sold for a total of three Gold Coins, which the three of them casually divided.


    After distributing the items, Xiao Buli began to arrange tactics for everyone.


    "There are three bosses this time, one golden and two silver. My final objective for the campaign quest is to attack the stronghold. Since the Awesome Empire wants to monopolize the bosses, we can let them take on this attack. We need only deal with the minor monsters on the side. During the battle, make sure not to be at the front line¡ªjust shoot arrows from the ramparts, and that will suffice."


    These words suited the solo players just fine, as they tended to take the same approach when faced with large-scale activities.


    After settling these matters, Xiao Buli left. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 47 The Arrival of the Black Mountain Army

    After Xiao Buli left, he asked Gu Shaobang and the others about their leveling progress over the past few days.


    Although Xiao Buli was quite busy during these days, Gu Shaobang and the rest had certainly improved their strength. After much hesitation, Li Shuren chose the Mechanism Master profession, which is triggered after reaching max level in carpentry. Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire


    Its abilities involve constructing mechanisms; they are not very useful on the front line but excel at restraining enemies and creating various wartime tools.


    Normally, leveling up this profession would be difficult because it straddles between life skills and combat. Leveling up skills requires a large amount of materials, which would be unaffordable for solo players. However, with the support of Xiao Buli, the wealthy patron, this naturally wasn''t an issue.


    Over the past two days, Li Shuren spent a large number of materials to level his carpentry skills to LV10, which triggered the profession change to Mechanism Master. He also upgraded his Mechanical Techniques to LV3 and could already manufacture crossbows, light catapults, and other weapons.


    But Xiao Buli found Li Shuren''s choice a bit odd, "Why did you choose the profession of Mechanism Master?"


    Li Shuren explained, "Of course, it''s to prepare for future advanced professions. Based on my understanding, advanced professions in this game are divided into composite advanced professions and extension advanced professions.


    Extension advanced professions are the new professions that stem from mastering one profession to its extreme, like the berserker, which is an extension of the Axeman, or like the Immortal Skill Master you mentioned, which is an extension of the Taoist profession."


    "The other type, composite advanced professions, is a combination of the abilities from two different professions. For instance, the Cursed Swordsman combines the abilities of a Taoist and a Swordsman, possessing both professions'' capabilities. As long as you choose the right secondary profession, you should be able to trigger other hidden professions.


    Since we now have the opportunity to learn Taoist Heart and become Taoists, I deduce that a Taoist plus a Mechanism Master could trigger a hidden profession similar to the Cursed Swordsman. I''m just not sure what it''s called yet, but the abilities should naturally involve something like mechanized puppets."


    After listening, Xiao Buli was slightly surprised, "A Taoist plus a Mechanism Master? Can such a combination really work?" Even though he asked this, he did think Li Shuren''s speculation seemed quite reasonable.


    Li Shuren shook his head, "I''m not completely certain, but it''s always worth a try, and there''s no harm in trying. Besides, with higher proficiency in Mechanical Techniques, I could even attempt to learn from those blueprints you brought in."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, "Then have you figured out any other combinations?"


    Li Shuren nodded and said, "Based on my research and experience with game mechanics, a Taoist plus an archer could potentially result in a composite profession similar to a Rune Shooter or a Magic Archer, whose abilities naturally consist of infusing spells into arrows and shooting them at enemies."


    "A Taoist plus a thief or assassin could likely give rise to a profession akin to a ninja."


    "I have yet to come up with others, but since the Cursed Swordsman requires a specific NPC for the profession change, these composite professions should also need special NPCs and sects to switch, I suppose."


    Inwardly, Xiao Buli nodded, finding Li Shuren''s ideas quite similar to the deductions he had made previously.


    (But with that being said, doesn''t that make Han Wenhuan and Xiao Ge''s choices a bit underwhelming? Even if they grasp Taoist Heart, they won''t be able to trigger hidden professions. If they can''t advance to a higher level, relying only on LV1 Taoist Heart will only allow them to learn some low-tier, level one spells.)


    However, Xiao Buli quickly reconsidered, thinking that even if they could only learn first-level spells, it wouldn''t matter much. In general, it was still very useful, as they could employ some basic Taoist Arts to heal, enhance defense, and buff; these low-level Taoist Arts should not be underestimated in their ability to boost strength.


    Then Li Shuren added, "As for Mr. Bang''s current abilities, I still cannot determine if they can be combined with Taoist Arts due to my limited information on this game."


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, then turned back to look at the three who were concentrating on their computers. All this time, although he hadn''t insisted on specific professional abilities for them, overall, he still hoped that the five of them could complement each other.


    "Hey everyone, stop for a moment, I have something to discuss with you."


    The others stopped what they were doing. Xiao Ge asked, "What''s up, boss?"


    Xiao Buli said, "We''ve been playing this game for a few days now, and you should all have a good understanding of the game''s class system, right? So does everyone have a profession they want to choose? Share your thoughts so I can plan our next phase of the mission."


    Han Wenhuan said, "I have to be a military general, this profession suits my taste so much."


    Xiao Buli frowned slightly, "But once you advance to a military general, you won''t be able to switch to another magic system profession."


    Han Wenhuan scratched his head, "I don''t really care about spells and such, it''s fine as long as you guys know them. I want to lead troops in battle, so I''ll choose the military general. After all, a general''s Aura Skill can affect the whole army, and besides, a general''s abilities are not bad in real life either, just not as flashy, that''s all."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Alright, if that''s what you want, I won''t say anything more. So, Xiao Ge, what about you? Are you still planning to advance to Sword Control Master?"


    Xiao Ge shook his head unexpectedly, "Forget it, being a Sword Control Master is too much trouble. I don''t even know Swordsmanship yet. I''ve recently discovered a Hidden Profession¡ªWeapon Master. This profession is really to my liking. If possible, I''m planning to advance to this profession."


    The Weapon Master profession is also considered a kind of composite Advanced Profession. The advancement requirements for this profession are quite peculiar, requiring proficiency in five types of weapons to reach LV5 or higher and skills in five different types of weaponry to reach LV10. This is much more difficult than the usual Swordsman and Martial Artist requirements.


    However, the abilities of the Weapon Master are quite impressive. A Weapon Master is proficient with all kinds of weapons. When learning various weapon skills, the proficiency required is reduced by 50%, and they can use all the weapon skills, whether it''s spears, axes, swords, daggers, or even bows and hidden weapons. They can learn anything, making it a profession with extremely high adaptability.


    Additionally, this profession can quickly switch weapons to deal with different situations. Because they can learn so many types of weaponry, Weapon Masters typically have countless skills, which makes operating this profession extremely complex. Ordinary people simply can''t handle it well, but if mastered, it is incredibly powerful.


    Among the NPCs'' Fighters is a saying, "Ten Weapon Masters, nine are mediocre, and one is a freak," emphasizing the uniqueness of this profession.


    But for Xiao Ge, a player with a hand speed over 400 and prone to twitches, this was not a problem at all. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli nodded in agreement with Xiao Ge''s choice, "Then let''s go with that. What about you, Mr. Bang? How''s your study of witchcraft coming along?"


    Gu Shaobang shook his head, "Still at LV2, but my medical skills have already reached LV10. I''ve also mastered LV2 Alchemy. Now I can make some basic elixirs for replenishing blood and physical strength. However, buying materials costs money. Do you have any Gold Coins to spare for me?"


    Xiao Buli thought this guy is planning to take the logistics route? He nodded, "There''s plenty of Gold Coins, but how will you fight monsters without learning combat skills? Surely you can''t always rely on Flame Spirit Wave, can you?"


    Gu Shaobang replied, "That won''t be necessary. When I created my account, I already had LV1 Basic Swordsmanship and LV1 Liuhe Swordsmanship. These past days, I''ve been using these two sets of Swordsmanship to level up, and now my Liuhe Swordsmanship has already reached LV5."


    That Liuhe Swordsmanship was actually something Gu Shaobang had been forced to learn by his Family Head. In the game, it was just a very basic skill, slightly better than Basic Swordsmanship, but not by much.


    Although Gu Shaobang''s proficiency could not be considered as mastering the skill, it was passable, and still somewhat useful against the Minor Monsters of the Newbie Village.


    Xiao Buli asked after hearing this, "Do you plan to follow the same route as me and become a Cursed Swordsman?"


    "Well, I haven''t decided yet. Besides, plans never change as fast as situations do. We''ll just have to take it one step at a time."


    Xiao Buli sighed, feeling somewhat helpless about Gu Shaobang''s indecisive character. But his words were not without reason, so they would indeed have to take it one step at a time.


    He handed out several Mystic Hollow Palace Teleportation Talismans to the four of them, reminding them to teleport away immediately if they encountered any danger tomorrow, and then everyone dispersed.


    In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived. As the time for the monster''s attack on the village drew nearer, the atmosphere in the village grew tense. Both the militiamen from Thousand Pines Town and Black Stone Village gathered on the ramparts.


    The two groups were clearly divided, with Black Stone Village and the Awesome Empire''s people defending the eastern wall, while the militiamen from Thousand Pines Town and Solo Players took up positions on the western wall. Xiao Buli and the other two didn''t show themselves, as they didn''t want to get targeted.


    Chen Chuan looked grimly towards the western wall, "Boss, those Solo Players haven''t left. I hope this won''t be an issue."


    Zhang Haojie glanced over in that direction, also feeling somewhat uncertain. He asked Lei Ba for his opinion.


    Lei Ba said, "The refugees from Thousand Pines Town are here to fight for us, so the more of them, the better, as they''re on the same side as Thousand Pines Town."


    "Didn''t they accept a quest from you?"


    Lei Ba shook his head, "No, they didn''t."


    Zhang Haojie nodded, not saying anything further, but he still felt something was off. Solo Players were like flies; they scatter the moment danger arises and swarm when there''s profit. Why would they bother with something that had no benefit? Could there be something more to Thousand Pines Town?


    He somewhat regretted not having properly investigated the situation on Thousand Pines Town''s side.


    Finally, in the distance, a dark mass of bandits appeared on a hillside.


    Though only about four or five hundred strong, they looked quite formidable, more numerous than what you''d see in a domestic historical TV drama''s depiction of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, I invite you to vote at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 48 Prepare for Battle

    As the clock neared eight o''clock, Xiao Buli looked on with a grave expression. This defensive battle was of utmost importance, as it would determine his future progress in the game. If he were to emerge victorious, it would be like a Canglong entering the sea, laying a solid foundation for him to carve out a new realm.


    If he were to lose, all his recent efforts would be in vain, and he would have to take his team back to Mystic Hollow Palace and start all over again. Thus, the preparations this time had to be very thorough. With this in mind, he turned his gaze to Gu Shaobang, who was in charge of logistics.


    "Chips?" ¡ª¡ª "Ready."


    "Cola?" ¡ª¡ª "Ready."


    "Fruits?" ¡ª¡ª "We have apples, mangoes, lychees, and watermelons, all chilled, guaranteed to refresh."


    "Late-night snacks? ¡ª¡ª Instant noodles and fried chicken, tasty and convenient."


    After finishing, Gu Shaobang added, "Considering this battle might last several hours, we should make arrangements to heed nature''s call in advance. I''ve also prepared an empty bucket for emergencies."


    Xiao Buli nodded in satisfaction. Gu Shaobang''s preparations were indeed very detailed. Although they had taken national battles seriously in the past, it was not uncommon for players to leave the fight to go to the restroom or have a snack. However, the current game absolutely didn''t allow for any slip-ups, so Gu Shaobang''s groundwork was particularly thorough.


    "OK, get ready for battle, everyone to your stations!" Xiao Buli commanded, and the players promptly took their seats at their computers, donning their headsets.


    Xiao Buli logged into YY and saw that the fifteen solo players were all online without exception, with He Suoju and Du Yibo also present. The only one missing was Qin Dahai, stationed on the eastern wall, but there was no helping it, since he was the deputy captain of the Black Stone Village militia.


    Together with Xiao Buli himself, there were in total twenty-two players and eighty NPC warriors, making the team appear quite impressive. Xiao Buli looked down at the bustling assembly of men and horses, as if he had returned to the days when he organized guild events.


    "Let''s start forming groups, type 1 to join!"


    The screen immediately filled with 1s, and Xiao Buli began to admit them one by one, dividing them into four groups according to their classes.


    The first group, led by Lin Feng, consisted of four players specializing in archery, responsible for long-range firepower and focusing on key targets.


    The second group, led by He Suoju, consisted of four agile melee fighters, in charge of close combat and quickly eliminating Elite Monsters that made it onto the wall.


    The third group, led by Wang Xiong, consisted of four players focusing on Taming Skills, assigned to face the enemy head-on. Since there weren''t any proper tank classes, they had to make do with the pets these hunters brought, like boars and bears.


    The fourth group, led by Du Yibo, with Gu Shaobang, Li Shuren, and others, acted as a general reserve force and logistical support.


    Two people were left out of these groups: Han Wenhuan, who was responsible for commanding the NPC troops that would form the backbone of the wall''s defense, and Xiao Buli himself, who would serve as the ultimate trump card, waiting for the right moment to strike.


    With the groups settled, Xiao Buli asked Gu Shaobang to distribute the Elixirs among the players. In the past two days, Gu Shaobang had spent a full twenty Gold Coins on materials to produce a large batch of low-level Elixirs.


    These were not of much use to someone at Xiao Buli''s level ¨C a Lifeblood Pill only healed 40 points of health slowly over 20 seconds, far less effective than a Resurrection Skill. However, for solo players who usually lacked supplies, these Elixirs were somewhat beneficial.


    Xiao Buli didn''t dare to set the price too high, selling them for quite cheap, but he didn''t give them away for free either. He understood the principle that kindness not reciprocated led to enmity.


    Nevertheless, he still overestimated the purchasing power of these solo players. Even though his prices were less than half the cost price, there were still some who said they couldn''t afford it. Xiao Buli had no choice but to allow them to barter with materials instead.


    Solo Players, in an effort to make money, would usually level up some gathering skills. However, since all the good gathering spots were monopolized by the Great Guilds, the materials they were able to offer in exchange were low-level. But it was still better than nothing.


    A hunter player suddenly approached. "Elder Xiao, I''ve sold all my materials to the store, but I have this little trinket. Can it fetch me a few Elixirs?"


    As he spoke, he displayed an item in front of Xiao Buli.


    Wood Essence: An essence element born within plants, it is an advanced material used for crafting Magical Treasures and concocting Elixirs.


    Xiao Buli was delighted upon seeing it. "Where did you get this from?"


    "I stumbled upon it while gathering herbs. So, can I exchange it for something?"


    "Yes, of course," said Xiao Buli, who as a seasoned player wouldn''t lie about the item''s value.


    Such byproducts like Wood Essence were not typically sold casually by players who knew a bit about the game. Offering too little wouldn''t work, but Xiao Buli didn''t believe it was worth too much either, as this stuff was only used in crafting Magical Treasures, something most players had no use for. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    "How about I trade it for one Gold Coin, what do you say?" Xiao Buli tentatively offered what he thought was a reasonable price. The player brightened immediately at the offer, as one Gold Coin was a significant sum for him.


    "Deal!" Eager, the player clicked to accept the trade.


    With such a successful example, more people came to deal similar items with Xiao Buli. Since crafting Magical Treasures really wasn''t something ordinary players dabbled in, these kinds of items usually had no market value. Now that there was a chance to sell them, one by one, they came forward to trade with Xiao Buli.


    In a short while, Xiao Buli had exchanged for three Wood Essences, two Metal Essences, one Li Fire Essence, and a medium-quality Corpse Pill, all of which could be used to craft Magical Treasures.


    With Xiao Buli''s Gold Coins, these people naturally had the money to buy Elixirs, and Gu Shaobang''s Elixirs sold out in the blink of an eye, earning back some of the capital.


    While Gu Shaobang was selling his Elixirs, Li Shuren had also pushed out the Stone-throwing Cart that he had spent the entire day crafting. Operating the Stone-throwing Cart was a bit like the ones used in the battlefields of World of Warcraft, but with worse accuracy, slower rate of fire, yet not lacking in power.


    Most importantly, the Stones thrown by the cart dealt blunt hit damage, which ignores the type of Armor worn and can cause full damage to all units, making it most effective against those in heavy Armor.


    By eight o''clock, the Black Mountain army had finally approached the vicinity of the stockade walls.


    "Why do they only send out troops so late? Don''t they understand the principle that speed is of the essence in military operations!? What on earth were you two thinking?"


    Riding on his horse, Xu Lie could not help but complain.


    "Boss, you can''t blame me for this, the rules state that we can only attack after eight o''clock," Du Guang quickly protested while riding his horse next to Xu Lie.


    "Rules? Who made these rules?"


    "Heaven above! Don''t tell me you don''t even know this?"


    Xu Lie''s eyes bulged with anger, "What if we don''t follow the rules? What if I want to attack at seven?" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cui Yuncheng then coldly interjected, "Boss, are you out of your mind? How can we not follow the rules? It''s like you wanting to fly, but how can you possibly soar through the skies? You''re not a bird."


    His own subordinates'' words left Xu Lie speechless; indeed, humans can''t fly, and of course, rules must be followed, but why did it feel off?


    "I always feel that things aren''t supposed to be this way, like if I wanted to attack at seven, I should be able to attack at seven."


    Cui Yuncheng said, "You wanted to attack at seven, but didn''t we still only get here at eight?"


    Xu Lie shook his head, "That''s not the point, we only got here now because you all didn''t listen to me, if we had triggered it an hour earlier, we would definitely have made it by seven."


    After exchanging looks, Cui Yuncheng and Du Guang said in bewilderment, "But the rules can''t be triggered early."


    "Argh, you two are driving me crazy, how can I make you understand!" Xu Lie yelled, and suddenly a voice rang in his ear, "Humph, you''re really daydreaming, son. Rules are rules; as long as you live, you must abide by them, even if you die, your ghost still has to abide by them. Otherwise, how could they be called rules?"


    That voice echoed in his mind again, stark clear, as if it were right beside him. Anger surged within Xu Lie, "What are you rambling about? Why do you always hide and not show yourself?"


    Yet, the voice seemed to revel in his misfortune, "I''ve shown myself long ago; it''s just that you refuse to see me."


    Xu Lie was about to argue with the voice when he turned his head and suddenly realized that his two subordinates were looking at him with superstitious suspicion.


    "What are you looking at me for?" Xu Lie roared, dissatisfied.


    "Nothing, boss, we''re almost there, just hang in there a bit longer, I''ll go hurry them along right now," Du Guang said.


    Cui Yuncheng hastily added, "Me too! Wait up for me."


    The two ran off, only stopping once they were a fair distance away from Xu Lie. "It''s happening again, the boss is having his episode. What the hell is going on?" Du Guang lamented.


    Cui Yuncheng''s eyes flickered for a moment before suddenly saying, "Actually, it''s a curse."


    "A curse?"


    "Yes," Cui Yuncheng sighed, "don''t you remember? Didn''t the leader of our Black Dragon Legion have a similar problem before?"


    Confoundment flashed through Du Guang''s mind, feeling a blank in his memory regarding that matter.


    He became suspicious, thinking that he should have been with the Legion before their defeat, so why couldn''t he remember anything? The more he thought about it, the more his head ached, as if the past was shrouded in a fog.


    A voice snapped him out of his reminiscence, "We''re here! Prepare for battle!"


    Turning around, Du Guang saw it was his boss, Xu Lie, reign his horse beside him. Xu Lie now looked completely lucid, with a commanding aura that was intimidating, his gaze fixed on the opposing stockade walls, as if contemplating something.


    Shivering without cause, Du Guang hurriedly called out, "Yes, boss!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 49 The Commanding Art of Han Wenhuan

    Xu Lie slapped his horse and charged right up to the palisade walls, and couldn''t help but curl his lips with disdain, "Now they''re all ready for us, if only they had listened to me and set out earlier, this wouldn''t have happened."


    After saying that, he thought to himself, "But it doesn''t matter, with the strength of my Black Mountain army, taking down such a small, broken village will be a piece of cake!"


    With that, he gestured to the sky, and a Green Dragon Crescent Blade appeared in his hand out of thin air.


    He was brimming with confidence, yet he was unaware that on the other side of the palisade, they were already celebrating.


    "Holy crap, there are so many elites, we''re going to get so much good loot."


    The number of elite monsters was indeed frighteningly high. Including both ordinary and high-ranking elites, there were more than forty, with a ratio of about ten regular White-Named Monsters to one elite. Although there were many elite monsters, most of them were generic, lacking unique names.


    Such elite monsters could also drop top-quality equipment, but the chances were much lower, and getting something good depended entirely on luck.


    Those few rare elites, however, were immediately targeted. These monsters were guaranteed to drop rare equipment, and in the eyes of the players, they weren''t vicious bandits but walking equipment loot bags.


    Seeing the eager crowd, Xiao Buli couldn''t help shaking his head. A single elite monster might not be much to handle, but so many elites, plus a massive number of minor monsters, were not going to be easy to deal with.


    Not to mention the two Silver Name BOSSes and one Gold Name BOSS.


    Xiao Buli glanced at Han Wenhuan, "Old Han, it''s all up to you this time."


    Han Wenhuan nodded, "Don''t worry boss, when have I ever let you down?"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli shouted in the YY channel, "Han Wenhuan will now take over the command, he''ll be in charge of directing this battle. Everyone must cooperate seamlessly, do not act recklessly, and we''ll distribute the equipment evenly after the fight is over."


    Everyone in the YY channel agreed, but it was evident that some were skeptical. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was understandable. Xiao Buli could just about keep these people in line with his power, but it wasn''t as easy for Han Wenhuan to command their willing obedience, given his own strength. However, that was fine, as long as they knew their own good.


    Han Wenhuan thus took over the command and issued a series of orders. Since no danger or difficulty had yet emerged, everyone followed his commands without any open insubordination.


    The Black Mountain army formed their ranks but didn''t immediately engage in an attack. Instead, they sent out over a hundred archers to provide suppressive fire.


    The archers from Black Stone Village Militia and Thousand Pines Town Militia on the walls naturally fired back immediately. The disparity in strength became apparent during the exchange. Over a hundred Black Mountain Archers and Black Mountain God Archers shot a dense volley of arrows, while there were only about forty archers on the wall, with much poorer marksmanship.


    The combat effectiveness was completely disproportionate. Even with the protection of the breastwork, they were rapidly suppressed after several volleys.


    Thousand Pines Town Militia was killed by a Black Mountain Archer.


    Thousand Pines Town Militia was killed by a Black Mountain God Archer.


    Black Stone Village Militia was killed by a Black Mountain Ranger.


    Black Stone Village Militia was killed by a Black Mountain Archer.


    A Black Mountain Archer was killed by Thousand Pines Town Militia.


    Blue notifications continuously appeared on the screen, a special function in battle missions. However, most of the death notifications were from the side defending the walls.


    Han Wenhuan had been holding back the players, but seeing the situation, he signaled to Lin Feng, "You guys go."


    Lin Feng understood, and five of them lined up on the parapet.


    Han Wenhuan glanced at Xiao Buli again, "Boss, use Mind Revelation to mark the targets. All archers, focus fire on marked enemies."


    Xiao Buli nodded, then suddenly raised his hand, and a flash of Mind Revelation''s white light flickered above a Black Mountain God Archer''s head. The next moment, five arrows flew towards him simultaneously.


    Three of them hit, and among those, one struck a vital point, -21, -23, -47.


    That Black Mountain God Archer lost half his health all at once, and by the time the second volley was shot, he screamed in agony and fell.


    Good, just like that, Xiao Buli said as he cast another Mind Revelation on the head of another Black Mountain God Archer.


    One by one, several ordinary Elite ''Black Mountain God Archers'' were successively targeted and shot down. Although these were Elite Monsters, they were ranged and had low health points, and it generally took just two or three volleys to kill one.


    As the saying goes, damaging ten fingers is not as good as cutting one; although the militiamen on the palisade kept getting injured and losing health, there were hardly any casualties under the care of Xiao Buli''s Resurrection Skills and Gu Shaobang''s bandage wrapping. The tide of battle appeared to be turning little by little.


    "Gather, gather, fire in unison! Upon seeing this, the leading high-level Elite¡ªBlack Mountain Ranger¡ªimmediately started shouting. Those scattered Black Mountain Archers were quickly assembled to prepare to counterattack with their own volley of fire. When Han Wenhuan saw this, he smiled faintly. He had been waiting for just this moment.


    "Du, it''s your turn to take action, blast them!"


    Following Han Wenhuan''s voice, Du Yibo''s figure appeared on the palisade, shielded by two Black Stone Village Militia wielding wooden shields and donning Rock Armor, given that Mage Professions were known for low defense and health¡ªit wouldn''t be a joke if they were targeted.


    Without needing Han Wenhuan''s instructions, the moment he saw those archers gathering together, a fireball began to gather in his hand, growing and darkening in color.


    Just as the Black Mountain Archers were assembled and ready to launch their first volley, the fireball in his hand grew to the size of a face, its color deep and terrifying, like a miniature sun.


    With a fierce swing of his Magic Wand, the fireball flew towards the group of archers like a meteor. In the next moment, with a massive explosion, five or six archers at the core were blasted away while those a bit further out were knocked haphazardly as a giant fireball detonated among them.


    "Well done, archers, ready¡ªfire!"


    After three consecutive volleys, the arrows all targeted those who were blown to the ground. They had yet to get up, and without any chance to dodge, they were shot and killed one after another.


    In this short time, over twenty archers had been killed while only four or five had died on the palisade, and not a single player had perished.


    Xiao Buli nodded in satisfaction. Han Wenhuan was indeed skilled at commanding large-scale battles, keeping an excellent tempo and always predicting the enemy''s tactical movements a step ahead. This was why he had entrusted the command to Han Wenhuan. He glanced at the eastern ramparts, where the battle also raged fiercely.


    Although their archers were far outnumbered by the Black Mountain Bandits they were facing, they had a Thunder Summoner, a profession that excelled in siege warfare.


    Chen Chuan summoned a pitch-black cloud that rumbled with the sound of thunder, which enshrouded the open ground outside the eastern wall. Lightning constantly bombarded from the cloud. Although lacking precision, it was powerful and had a splashing effect, causing the opposing archers to scream and howl in agony, suffering heavy casualties.


    Xiao Buli was taken aback, not expecting that Chen Chuan would be so strong. The last battle had ended abruptly, and it was only now that he truly saw Chen Chuan''s strength. Indeed, those who managed to make a name for themselves in a great guild had some tricks up their sleeves.


    He couldn''t help but shed his contempt, thinking that once the battle was over, he might make a move in advance.


    Seeing the archers suffering heavy casualties, Xu Lie''s eyes flashed with a cold light. "If range doesn''t work, let''s go in hard. Infantry¡ªattack! Second and third, lead the teams personally! I''ll back you up," Cui Yuncheng and Du Guang exchanged glances, nodding in agreement.


    Cui Yuncheng led 150 Black Mountain Bandits to attack the eastern wall, while Du Guang took another 150 to attack the western ramparts.


    Under the leadership of two Silver Name BOSSes, several high-ranking elite leaders, and more than twenty ordinary elite bandits, 300 Black Mountain Bandits, with ladders in hand, charged towards the ramparts. The remaining fifty Black Mountain Cavalry, positioned behind Xu Lie, served as the rear guard.


    The surviving Black Mountain Archers, having been pulled down, seemed to be regrouping to form ranks again.


    Watching the swarming mass of Black Mountain Bandits rushing toward the ramparts, whether it was Chen Chuan, Lei Ba, or Xiao Buli and others, all revealed expressions of excitement and solemnity. The real show had finally begun!


    Wen Huan said, "Boss, it''s your turn, throw down the AOE!"


    Xiao Buli nodded and summoned Heavy Rain! As he began casting, a mass of clouds suddenly emerged above the ramparts, even larger than the one Chen Chuan had summoned. These clouds, however, were not as dark, nor did they unleash lightning, but rather they poured down torrential rain, blurring the vision of both sides.


    Having completed one major spell, Xiao Buli immediately followed with a second¡ªFreezing Cloud Skills.


    The target of the Freezing Cloud Skills wasn''t the ground where the Black Mountain Bandits were charging; instead, it was exactly above the clouds created by the Torrential Rain. When the freezing cloud met the rain cloud, the rain turned into hail.


    The hail, the size of chicken eggs, fell with a crackling sound; each strike removed a bit of health¡ªnot much, but the sheer number couldn''t be ignored, -1-1-1 blood-red digits nearly filled the screen. Xiao Buli had to turn off the damage display feature to gain some quiet. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    The covering range of the Freezing Cloud Skills was a bit small, so Xiao Buli cast three more in rapid succession, turning the ground facing the western wall into a field of ice and snow. The Black Mountain Bandits, pummeled by hail, lost health rapidly and their speed slowed, becoming perfect targets.


    Free shot! At Han Wenhuan''s command, arrows rained down from the ramparts. NPCs and players alike spared no arrows, showering the Black Mountain Bandits with volleys. The bandits fell row by row as a large stone missile suddenly flew from behind the ramparts, knocking down five or six at once¡ªa Stone-throwing Cart operated by Li Shuren had also joined the fray.


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to recommend tickets and monthly passes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 50 The Bandits are Defeated

    "Haha, exhilarating! Lin Feng struck once again, his arrow hitting directly into the chest of a Black Mountain Bandit charging with a ladder, who sported a deep blue hue as a high-level elite. Just another face in the crowd, he wore a suit of Refined Iron Armor, and though it wasn''t clear how high his defense was, his body bristled with arrows yet he refused to fall.


    However, this arrow turned out to be the final straw that broke the camel''s back, and with a miserable scream, the immense brigand finally toppled.


    Chen Chuan was thoroughly enjoying directive the lightning strikes, having just finished casting ''Summon Storm of Thunderclouds,'' and as the skill cooled down, he had to rest for a moment. Turning back to look at the western wall, he suddenly was dumbfounded, "Damn, what''s happening here? Is there a master stationed over there too?"


    He scanned the crowd on that side a few times, and then his gaze suddenly tightened upon spotting the figure of Xiao Buli.


    "Damn, it''s that guy!" Chen Chuan cursed to himself, but at this critical juncture, he didn''t dare to mess up Elder Xiao''s plans, and could only curse vehemently while swallowing a Heart Cleansing Pill to slowly restore his Mana.


    After suffering heavy casualties, the Black Mountain Bandits finally reached the base of the walls. With ladders upon ladders set against the wall, the bandits launched their attack.


    Given the wall''s height of just over three meters, these long ladders effectively formed ramps, allowing the Black Mountain Bandits to directly surge over the wall.


    As the bandits stormed the wall, a fierce battle erupted.


    On their side, the situation was still manageable. Lei Ba had hired ten or more NPC mercenaries, and along with the ten members from the Awesome Empire, they became the main force of the struggle. However, Zhang Haojie refrained from taking action, watching coldly as his subordinates tangled with the bandits.


    The defense on the western wall was equally tight. Teams two and three, working with NPCs, quickly took down the bandits who made it onto the wall. The situation did not seem dire, and seeing no immediate danger, Xiao Buli refrained from taking action. He stood on the watchtower next to the gate, observing the battlefield''s situation.


    The bandit''s big boss, Xu Lie, was also strangely inactive. Accompanied by fifty of his Black Mountain Cavalry, he stood silently on the open ground opposite the village, as if utterly unconcerned as the battle situation deteriorated rapidly.


    Finally, after repeated setbacks in their attacks, the two vice-leaders sprang into action. Cui Yuncheng was the first to climb up the wall, moving as swiftly as lightning, his twin blades like shooting stars. Accompanied by his high-level elite Iron Claw Fierce Tiger pet, he quickly breached the wall upon his ascent.


    A Shield Bearer was pressed to the brink of death by the relentless attacks of the Iron Claw Fierce Tiger, barely holding out thanks to the shield''s blocking ability. Two close combat classes tried to come to his aid but were stopped by the elite guards accompanying Cui Yuncheng.


    Seeing he couldn''t hold on much longer, the man desperately called for help, "Elder Xiao, I can''t hold on any longer!" Before he could finish his plea, a nimble figure suddenly appeared behind him¡ª"Don''t..." His words cut short, as Cui Yuncheng hacked several times into his unguarded back.


    Cui Yuncheng''s blades were clearly no common weapons, each strike causing sixty or seventy health points'' damage. After several continuous strikes, his health points were halved, and to make matters worse, his block was rendered ineffective under this assault.


    The Iron Claw Fierce Tiger pounced, executing a vicious ''Rip and Bite'' skill, instant killing him, and with a final scream, his life was ended.


    Seeing this, Chen Chuan shivered and yelled hastily¡ª"Elder Xiao!"


    A glint of cold light flashed in Zhang Haojie''s eyes, and at this moment, he finally made his move.


    No feints, he charged directly at Cui Yuncheng. His weapon was a Square Sky Halberd. When still eight or nine meters apart, Zhang Haojie lunged forward with a thrust, the speed of thirty-eight points making his figure blur into an afterimage. Cui Yuncheng had no time to react before he was struck in the chest by the halberd.


    Tyrant Fishing Rod Style! Though a rather ordinary move, under his formidable forty points of Strength, it sent Cui Yuncheng flying into the air, causing him to be suspended and unable to block, parry or dodge, leaving him no choice but to take the hits. Realizing the predicament, Cui Yuncheng inwardly cried out in alarm, thinking it was over and that he was about to be thrashed.


    Zhang Haojie did not disappoint. His Square Sky Halberd spun like a windmill in his hands, executing the Ultimate Skill¡ª''Unparalleled Wild Dance''!


    In an instant, Cui Yuncheng didn''t even know how many times he''d been hit, but he was literally kept afloat by the beating.


    After a final strike that sent Cui Yuncheng flying high once more, Zhang Haojie turned around abruptly, as if to walk away in feigned departure. Seeing this from mid-air, Cui Yuncheng was both shocked and relieved, wondering if his adversary was actually leaving.


    But unexpectedly, Zhang Haojie leaped into the air, the halberd turned tightly close to his body, and he struck a sharp blow like a python darting out of its hole.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªTurnaround Spear!


    With a squelch, the massive spearhead pierced straight through Cui Yuncheng''s body, inflicting damage of up to 300 percent. With only half of his health points remaining, they hit rock bottom in an instant, leaving him with just a sliver of health and consciousness.


    The two remained frozen there, and everyone, whether the Black Mountain Bandits or the militia defending the walls, was stunned.


    Don''t¡ª! Cui Yuncheng mumbled, whereupon Zhang Haojie violently withdrew his weapon, and a number -172 appeared above Cui Yuncheng''s head. Cui Yuncheng immediately let out a scream and collapsed to the ground like a pile of sludge¡ªdead.


    Damn, no way! Xiao Buli, who had been watching the battle from the shadows, couldn''t help but gasp. A Silver Name mini-BOSS should have at least two or three thousand health points, and yet it was instantly killed by a combination of moves. Although it might be related to the BOSS having a smaller pool of health points to begin with, this was still ridiculously overpowered.


    Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    If he were to duel a Silver Name BOSS alone, Xiao Buli believed he could win, but he''d definitely have to exert a considerable effort. However, Zhang Haojie finished the fight in just a few moves. This guy''s strength, Buli feared, was probably far greater than that of Li Jian in his Demonization state. He''d have to be cautious.


    He thought about this and began to hesitate about his earlier plan. No, this guy is too fierce. Unless we can kill him with one strike, it''s better not to provoke him.


    With the loss of their leader, the situation on the battlefield immediately turned on its head. Although Zhang Haojie didn''t take action after killing Cui Yuncheng, the tide of battle still shifted in favor of Black Stone Village.


    Unable to bear the rate of casualties and the loss of their chief, one of the bandits suddenly threw down his weapon and leaped off the fortress wall, running back the way he came. Xu Lie, who saw this, did not stop him and just watched as the deserter disappeared into the distance.


    With such an example before them, more bandits chose to flee, jumping from the wall one after another. Those who hadn''t yet made it to the top of the wall naturally didn''t want to advance to their deaths. The escape quickly turned into a rout as hordes of bandits retreated towards the mountain, and those who were late getting away from the walls were out of luck, swiftly cut down to the last man.


    "If we don''t pursue the victory now, when will we?" Lei Ba bellowed and, brandishing a large cleaver, charged out of the gate. The militia, not wanting to be outdone, followed him into the fray.


    Du Guang, who was responsible for attacking the western wall, had not yet reached it when he saw the situation turning dire. He hurriedly called for the bandits to advance and clashed with Lei Ba. The two were equally matched in strength and seemed unable to determine a victor in a short time.


    However, Du Guang''s subordinates were not as reliable, and as soon as they saw the situation deteriorating, they began to flee in groups. Soon, Du Guang found himself with only a few left by his side. Realizing the situation was hopeless, he also chose to flee. With thick skin and heavy armor, and over five thousand health points, he was difficult to hold back if he decided to run.


    Unfortunately for the slower bandits, a slight delay meant being overtaken and cut down.


    As more and more militia, players, and mercenaries chased after the enemy, the outcome of the battle seemed self-evident. Xu Lie, seeing the unfavorable battle conditions, started to retreat with his soldiers as well.


    Upon noticing even the enemy''s main BOSS beginning to withdraw, cheers erupted in YY voice chat.


    "We won!" "We won!"


    Some reminded, "Elder Xiao, didn''t you say we would attack the stronghold? We can''t let the big BOSS get away. If he escapes, it will be difficult to take down the stronghold. Shouldn''t we pursue them?"


    "Yes, yes, Elder Xiao, please organize us quickly."


    Xiao Buli had yet to respond when Han Wenhuan, upon hearing this, his gaze showed a hint of seriousness as he removed his headset and said to Buli, "Boss, something doesn''t seem right."


    "What''s wrong?" Xiao Buli also took off his headset and turned to ask.


    "Normally, in a war situation, if the army''s morale collapses, it naturally equates to a defeat, regardless of the number of soldiers. But if the morale has collapsed, it doesn''t mean much anymore. However, it seems like Xu Lie has no intention of salvaging the situation at all. I really can''t understand why. It''s as if he''s intentionally allowing the army to be defeated. Maybe it''s a trap.


    What do you think, should we charge in?"


    However, Buli just smiled, "You''re the commander, it''s your call to make. I trust your judgment, after all." His tone was casual, as if it were a trivial matter. Wenhuan, hearing this, couldn''t help but nod, feeling a warmth inside him. Buli had said these words to him more than once.


    Every time there was a critical moment in a national war game and he was uncertain, he would ask Buli this question, and every time Buli''s answer was the same.


    "I trust you!" These four simple words were filled with immense trust. Everyone makes mistakes, and Wenhuan was no exception. Once, when playing Jiuzhou Battle, Wenhuan had made a wrong judgment. Naively believing he could turn the tide with his command, he persuaded Buli to continue the war against Long Aotian''s guild after an initial loss. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The result was a crushing defeat by pay-to-win players, ultimately leading to their somber exit from the game. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 51 The Boss is Fierce

    (But this time, I won''t make the same mistakes again, I must be cautious, then cautious, and even more cautious!) With this thought, Han Wenhuan''s gaze suddenly became resolute and he put his headset back on.


    "Archers on the walls provide cover, infantry march out of the gates in formation, no one is allowed to rashly pursue!" Han Wenhuan shouted in the voice chat.


    He believed that this choice was correct. Blindly pursuing without a clear understanding of the situation was definitely not a good thing. Although regrouping before pursuing might lead to a lost opportunity, it was still necessary.


    But what he forgot was that the game is not reality, and the players are not soldiers who would strictly follow orders. They weren''t even like the members of his previous guild who were willing to follow commands.


    Seeing so many Elite Monsters rout and flee without resistance, being cut down one by one by players of the Awesome Empire, the people on Han Wenhuan''s side became dissatisfied when he forbade them from pursuing.


    "Damn, the enemy is already crumbling, why form up? Chase them, or else all the monsters will be snatched away."


    "Yeah, yeah, those rare Elites are in the fleeing group, let''s hurry up and move!"


    However, Han Wenhuan was unmoved. While commanding the NPC militia to move outside, he continued to roar: "No one is to pursue, everyone standby on the walls, wait for my signal after I''ve set up the formation before coming down."


    As he spoke, he led his troops out of the gate. Forty Spear Militia had lost six in the recent combat, and the militia with shields had lost three. The remaining thirty-four formed up into four columns, with the seventeen shield-bearers protecting the flanks. As he was arranging the formation, several players jumped down from the wall regardless of orders and began the chase.


    "Fuck, what the hell, why aren''t they following commands?"


    Seeing this, Han Wenhuan couldn''t keep a low profile, and immediately started to shout in the voice chat.


    "Damn, what''s there to be afraid of? Didn''t you see they''re scattering? What''s there to swagger about for a newbie?" A dissatisfied voice came through the voice chat, it wasn''t clear who it was, but after hearing Han Wenhuan''s shout, two who were less brave ran back. However, one Swordsman and one Ranger, taking advantage of their speed, continued to slash at the fleeing bandits of Black Mountain.


    Han Wenhuan felt a surge of irritation, just as he was about to yell something, someone patted his shoulder. Turning around, he saw it was Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli shook his head at Han Wenhuan, "Let them go, they won''t obey until they''ve had a taste of hardship." After saying this, a cold smile flashed in his eyes, "Moreover, isn''t this the perfect opportunity to probe whether the enemy has any tricks up their sleeve? It''s a waste not to use such good cannon fodder."


    "But..." Han Wenhuan hesitated, (But if the enemy does have an ambush, then those who chased after them might be in danger. This is not just any ordinary game!) The thought flashed through his mind, but he didn''t speak it out loud. He looked at Xiao Buli''s profile, indifferent yet with a hint of cruelty, as if he felt a sense of estrangement. He sighed, "We''ll have to leave it as is, then."


    Just as Han Wenhuan had his troops properly in formation, the pursuing force became scattered because of their charge. Just as they had gotten a distance away from the wall, Xu Lie, who was leading the cavalry in a slow retreat, suddenly stopped.


    He vigorously lifted his Crescent Blade, commanding in a military order¡ªReformation!


    This skill was a high-level commander skill that dispels the disordered state of friendly troops around, while also boosting their Morale. It wasn''t very useful for players, but it had a great effect on NPC soldiers. Xu Lie''s skill was also Max Level, naturally quite effective. With his loud roar, a golden wave of light spread out rapidly from him as the center. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Follow my command! Reform ranks, Black Mountain Cavalry Troop¡ªcharge!"


    The Black Mountain Bandits who were touched by the light wave stopped their rout and gathered around his position. Under Du Guang''s command, they reformed, while Xu Lie didn''t stay put. Right after his shout, he led the cavalry straight towards the wall, launching a counter-charge.


    The Black Stone Village Militia, who were in the lead in the pursuit, were immediately cut down by the fifty Black Mountain Cavalry upon their charge. Lei Ba, seeing this, urged them forward instead of back, "Hold the line! Hold the line!"


    But they couldn''t hold at all. He and the Militia who charged with him were cut down like vegetables, scattered all over the place,


    The two swordsmen and rangers who were pursuing the bandits were so frightened that they turned and ran, but it was too late. They were knocked to the ground by the successive cavalry charges and then trampled to death by the Black Mountain Cavalry that followed.


    A chorus of screams erupted from the voice chat, "No, don''t! Save me, please! Someone save me!"


    Only when both men were dead beyond any doubt did the pleas for mercy stop, turning into curse-filled tirades.


    "Fuck you! Why didn''t you save us?" "What the fuck are you guys doing?" The two unfortunate souls cursed vehemently. Han Wenhuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Xiao Buli beat him to it, "We told you to follow commands earlier. What was it that you said? Now that you are dead, who can you blame? Just hurry back and prepare for your afterlife."


    After saying that, he kicked the two out of the voice chat and then spoke again, "Before the battle, we all agreed to follow commands during the fight. Yet, the moment you saw an advantage, you ran off on your own, and now you got what you deserved. If anyone doesn''t want to follow commands and work together in battle, just say so in advance.


    I promise I won''t micromanage you, but if you die, don''t blame heaven and earth! We are not just playing a game anymore. If you still have that casual gaming mentality, then I am sorry, but I absolutely cannot fight alongside such people. Today, it was only themselves they doomed. Next time, it might be all of us."


    No one dared to respond to Xiao Buli''s words; they were all shocked by the brutal reality, especially those who had pursued the enemy earlier and been called back, now feeling a wave of fear.


    However, Han Wenhuan had no time to feel pleased; he was facing the charge of the Black Mountain Cavalry. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The thirty-two spear militiamen all took up a defensive stance, forming a pike formation. In this stance, damage to cavalry was increased by 50 percent, but their movement speed was reduced by 50 percent as well.


    As the cavalry approached, they saw the prepared defenses and did not immediately charge. Twenty Javelin Cavalry suddenly accelerated and hurled twenty javelins at the pike formation in an instant, creating a whooshing sound. Immediately, seven or eight spear militiamen were hit by the javelins.


    Fortunately, since the javelin throws were scattered, there were no fatalities, but the formation was shaken.


    The twanging of bowstrings suddenly rang out overhead as the archers on the wall returned fire. They focused their shots and, after a volley of arrows, three or four Javelin Cavalry were shot down from their horses. The remaining Javelin Cavalry quickly dispersed to the sides, revealing the Black Mountain Cavalry Troop charging behind them, led by none other than Xu Lie.


    "Release arrows, focus on the BOSS!" Without needing Han Wenhuan''s order, the archers on the wall reacted immediately. A flurry of arrows hailed down, but Xu Lie entered an Impervious State, resisting the dense ranged attacks and charged straight to the pike formation.


    "Clear a path!" ¡ª Charge! The iron-clad warhorse, like a tank, immediately knocked three or four spear militiamen flying, their spears snapping upon contact with the horse''s armor. Though they managed to knock off over a hundred health points, this was negligible for a gold-tier BOSS with possibly tens of thousands of health points.


    Earth Cleaving Slash! Xu Lie swung his greatsword fiercely, unleashing a crescent-shaped blade of energy that swept across the ground, cutting several militiamen in half who stood directly in its path.


    Chain Slash! His greatsword spun like a windmill; under his left and right slashes, the spear militiamen who charged at him from both sides were slaughtered.


    Shield bearers, encircle from both flanks! Spears, fall back and reform the formation! Han Wenhuan issued orders one after another, directing the militia to rapidly change formation. Unfortunately, Xu Lie did not give them the chance. The cavalry behind him charged up in rows, scattering the already shaken formation.


    "Dammit, it''s hopeless, everyone retreat! Secure the gate, archers keep firing, don''t worry about hitting our own guys!"


    Han Wenhuan had been guarding the gate. Seeing the dire situation, he turned and ran. Watching Xu Lie''s unstoppable onslaught approaching, Han Wenhuan frantically shouted, "Close the gates, close the gates!"


    With a thunderous boom, the heavy gate made of stout wood and iron plating slammed shut, trapping both the Black Mountain Bandits and the Thousand Pines Town Militia outside. The gate had a durability of 1,000 points and was fortified with city Armor. It would take some effort to breach with ordinary attacks.


    Han Wenhuan breathed a sigh of relief, only to start worrying for the militia outside who, now bereft of an escape route, were likely to be massacred.


    Suddenly, a burst of golden light shot through the wooden gaps in the door. Han Wenhuan was taken aback; the next moment, the massive, thousand-pound gate exploded into countless pieces with a bang. Blown away by the shockwave, Han Wenhuan struggled to his feet only to see a sight that he would never forget.


    Where the gate once stood was now strewn with corpses, and a solitary knight stood before the entrance, holding a pose as if he had just performed a powerful move. His greatsword pointed directly at Han Wenhuan''s head.


    (Damn, I thought there were no pay-to-win players? How is this BOSS even more overpowered than a whale!)


    Han Wenhuan felt the urge to weep, but there were no tears. No matter how skilled in command he was, none of it mattered when facing an opponent with such overwhelming strength¡ªall of it was worthless.


    Seeing the knight charging toward him, Han Wenhuan turned and fled. He had not even advanced to be a general yet, still just a basic Pike Militiaman; there was no way he dared to stay and fight. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote and sponsor. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 52 Xu Lies Shadow

    With a swish, a translucent protective shield suddenly enveloped him. Han Wenhuan, amidst his panic, looked up and saw that Xiao Buli had cast the Ethereal Armor on him. He breathed a sigh of relief but didn''t dare to let his guard down, continuing his frantic run while moving his mouse over the Teleportation Talisman.


    However, the talisman had a three-second casting time, and teleportation could be easily interrupted, so it''s best not to attempt it unless absolutely necessary.


    The boss, Xu Lie, charged on a horse and caught up with a slash from mid-air. With a click, the Ethereal Armor flickered and deformed as if it was about to shatter under the might of the blow, clearly not able to withstand a second strike. Han Wenhuan''s heart suddenly surged with fear. How high was this attack power? Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    Before the boss could land a second blow, a knight suddenly charged head-on towards him. The knight was clad in golden armor, and his mount was especially majestic. Not only was it a head taller than ordinary battle steeds, but it also emanated a faint golden halo. Its eyes shone with golden light, and it was draped in golden scale armor¡ªclearly not an ordinary mount. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the horse was still more than ten meters away, it suddenly reared up. Han Wenhuan instantly realized what was coming; it was the prelude to a general''s charge. Although his skills were not top-notch in the studio, they weren''t far off, and his instincts made him want to dodge to the side.


    However, with warriors blocking both ends of the narrow entry designed for defense, there was no room to evade.


    "My life is over!" Han Wenhuan lamented inwardly, just as Xu Lie''s blade came slashing down from above.


    Giant Spirit''s Grasp! An invisible giant hand, like a phantom, suddenly grabbed him and flung him over the low walls on both sides of the passageway. He flew more than ten meters and thumped to the ground, losing one-third of his health points, but escaping the brink of death.


    Han Wenhuan was overjoyed, still somewhat bewildered, while Xiao Buli, standing atop the tower, had a clear view. That "Giant Spirit''s Grasp" had been unleashed by Zhang Haojie.


    (It''s getting weirder and weirder,) he thought. Giant Spirit''s Grasp is also a unique skill of the Divine Race, and that steed beneath him is clearly a Heavenly Battle Steed. Xiao Buli, who had seen it before during a library dungeon run, realized that this guy definitely had ties to the Divine Race.


    Could he have earned it by slaying numerous Divine Race bosses, or was it a reward from a quest related to the Divine Race?


    "Old Han, are you alright?" asked Xiao Buli indifferently.


    "I''m alright, not dead yet," replied Han Wenhuan, panting heavily.


    "Then hurry back to the village and log off somewhere. The rest of you should also head back and log off. There''s going to be a bloody battle here, and I''m afraid I won''t be able to protect you any longer," he said.


    After speaking, Xiao Buli readied himself for the incoming battle, but Xiao Ge surprisingly rejected his suggestion.


    "Give me a break, boss. Since choosing to play this game, I was prepared for life-or-death crises. Though I don''t want to die or face danger, I won''t deliberately flee if it comes. Can I escape for a lifetime after avoiding one encounter? You just focus on your fight; we can take care of ourselves," Xiao Ge said decisively.


    Taken aback by Xiao Ge''s words, Xiao Buli looked at him, noticing that the young man under twenty seemed much more serious and mature.


    "Okay then, be extra careful," Xiao Buli said before turning his attention back to the battlefield at the village entrance.


    Han Wenhuan hesitated but couldn''t bring himself to flee. He continued to watch the battle from a distance.


    The battle surrounding them had descended into chaos. The Black Mountain Bandits regrouped and immediately attacked the breached gate. With heavy casualties among the villagers'' militia, those remaining could hardly defend the gate. The situation was critical. Fortunately, Xu Lie and Zhang Haojie were clashing at the entrance, holding the enemy soldiers at bay for now.


    However, it was evident to all that once Xu Lie breached the main defense, Black Stone Village would inevitably fall today, so everyone''s gaze was fixed on the fight at the gate.


    Yet, the battle atop the walls didn''t cease. Seeing no way through the gate, the Black Mountain Bandits made another push towards the walls. The defenders on the wall promptly engaged again. But Xiao Buli wasn''t too concerned with that combat; with many players and villagers defending, there wouldn''t be any problems in the short term.


    Instead, he watched Zhang Haojie, wondering how he dared to face off against a Lord boss like Xu Lie alone.


    The moment Han Wenhuan was flung away, Zhang Haojie had already charged at Xu Lie, disrupting his advance with one blow. The generals began fighting at the gate. Since it was a non-targeting game, the ranged attackers dared not focus their fire, worried about friendly fire.


    This made the battle feel somewhat like a duel between warriors of the Three Kingdoms, with both sides exhibiting formidable strength. Xu Lie was a golden-named boss, whose strength as a Lord-type boss often relied on leading hordes of minor monsters and enhancing their status, compared to solitary golden bosses he might be somewhat weaker.


    On the other hand, Zhang Haojie, with his Divine Gear and skills, was a top player among them who could easily solo Silver Name minor bosses and had the strength to contend with a golden boss. As the chaotic battle continued, they were locked in a stalemate.

 Chapter 52 Xu Lies Shadow_2

    ```


    However, it was evident that, overall, Xu Lie had the upper hand. After all, he was the BOSS, with the BOSS template, and his health points soared to 11,600.


    Although Zhang Haojie was decked out in Divine Gear and had a high physique, his health points were only 1,200, making him a super tank among players. But compared to the BOSS, he fell far short, with nearly a tenfold disparity.


    Both of their attacks were quite high, their defenses were strong, but the gap in health points was massive. Xu Lie quickly noticed this and, willing to take a few more hits, exchanged a few rounds of health with Zhang Haojie. After a few rounds, half of Zhang Haojie''s health was gone.


    "Haha, now let''s see you not die!" Xu Lie laughed as he spoke.


    Just then, a white light suddenly fell upon Zhang Haojie, and his health points instantly recovered a bit. Zhang Haojie was momentarily stunned. Healing professions were extremely rare in this game, and at the same time very fragile and valuable. So this time, he hadn''t brought any healers from his guild.


    In the midst of everything, he glanced at the fort wall and saw a figure that looked like a Swordsman adding health to him¡ªit could be no one other than Xiao Buli.


    Inwardly, he was surprised. He hadn''t expected that among solo players, there would be a healer who knew spells. But he was also relieved. Such a rare encounter had happened to him, and this battle just got a lot easier. If he managed to get any spare equipment later on, he wouldn''t mind sharing one or two pieces with him.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t healing him just for the sake of getting those one or two pieces of equipment. If that were the case, he may as well have sat back and watched the two exhaust each other before going out to deliver a final strike, which would have been even better.


    He healed Zhang Haojie partly because Zhang Haojie had incidentally saved Han Wenhuan''s life. Otherwise, even if Zhang Haojie died, Xiao Buli wouldn''t have lifted a finger, and might even have found it secretly amusing.


    With Xiao Buli''s healing, Zhang Haojie no longer had any reservations and went all out in the battle. In the back and forth that followed, Xu Lie''s health points were slowly ground down, and before long, a third of them had dropped. Xu Lie, however, began to panic.


    He parried a blow from Zhang Haojie and charged towards the fort wall. Seeing this, Zhang Haojie naturally couldn''t let him get away and pointed at him fiercely, "Hey, thief, do you dare to face me in combat?!"


    He then activated a warlord''s special skill¡ªSolo Charge.


    Xu Lie, upon hearing this, sneered coldly, "Go to hell for all I care!" Just as he was about to charge up the fort wall and slay Xiao Buli with a swing of his sword, a haunting voice echoed in his ear, "You''re leaving just like that? Won''t you fight him? Are you scared?"


    Xu Lie angrily retorted, "I''m not afraid at all! I''ll kill that healer first, then settle the score with him."


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    But the voice taunted him more sharply, "Seems like you are scared, after all. If not, why aren''t you killing him? His aggro is clearly higher than that of the healer on the fort wall."


    "I told you I''m not scared!"


    The voice sneered again, "Heh, some eunuchs claim they''re still potent too. Do you believe that?"


    "Shut up!"


    Zhang Haojie was somewhat puzzled to see the BOSS standing there, muttering to himself, not returning to fight, nor continuing to charge the fort wall. He wondered if there could be a bug with the Solo Charge skill.


    But he immediately dismissed that thought. (What am I thinking? A game like this having a bug? That would be a joke.)


    Zhang Haojie chuckled self-deprecatingly and charged once again.


    But the BOSS didn''t get hit squarely like before. Instead, in a critical moment, he countered with a skillful block.


    ```


    Clang! Blade and halberd collided, emitting a deafening ring. The boss''s face turned towards him, startling Zhang Haojie with its fierce and terrifying visage, twisted like an evil spirit.


    "You want to fight me? Well then, I''ll oblige!" Xu Lie roared, suddenly standing him up straight with a shove, followed by a series of Chain Slashes, striking down seven or eight times in succession with an aura that was completely different.


    Zhang Haojie turned his horse and fled, dodging the boss''s attacks while taking the opportunity to strike back. The boss, however, seemed to have no intention of dodging, recklessly slashing away ferociously. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Die, all of you die!" Xu Lie''s attack power seemed to have increased significantly. His weapon swung like a windmill, attacking him over and over like a madman. Each strike took away one to two hundred health points.


    Zhang Haojie was inwardly shocked; he had the protection of Heavenly Gang Fighting Qi, which could reduce 30% of physical damage, and his Armor Value was as high as 300 points, but even so, his health points were rapidly draining. This guy was too fierce.


    Has he gone into Fury? No, that can''t be right. He''s barely lost any health. How can he enter Fury this quickly? Zhang Haojie felt something was off. But he was used to being strong and knew that now was not the time to lose composure.


    The more ferocious the boss''s attacks, the calmer he became. Fighting and retreating, he gradually got the hang of the boss''s attack patterns. This time he didn''t block. The opponent''s Strength Value was too high; it couldn''t be blocked. He continuously widened the distance, charged, widened the distance, and charged again. Relying on his speed advantage, he engaged in guerrilla warfare with the boss.


    This battle lasted for more than five minutes, but to Zhang Haojie, it felt unprecedentedly long. This boss''s combat power was even stronger than the Divine Race bosses he had fought before. Finally, seeing his health points drop by two-thirds, Zhang Haojie''s heart gradually lifted.


    He could enter Fury after losing only one-third of his health points, what would happen after losing two-thirds? It might explode.


    Indeed, after Xu Lie realized that he could not catch up with Zhang Haojie, he suddenly leapt into the air and decapitated his steed with a single blow.


    "Useless beast! What use do I have for you!" With one slash, Xu Lie''s horse let out a pitiful whine and collapsed with a thud.


    However, having lost his mount, his speed was even slower. Zhang Haojie simply switched to bow and arrows and started shooting from horseback. The archers on the palisades also started to focus fire on that boss.


    Far from being discouraged by losing his mount, Xu Lie seemed to be injected with adrenaline, and a surge of momentum soared into the sky.


    This momentum was not just for show; a black glow of fighting Qi burst forth from his body, transforming into another silhouette that looked exactly like Xu Lie, except that it was pitch black and its face was indiscernible. Its name was¡ªXu Lie''s Shadow.


    "You should have let me take over earlier," said Xu Lie''s Shadow indifferently, examining one hand, "Too bad it''s just a temporary body."


    Xu Lie seemed puzzled too. "How did you come out?"


    "Hmph, if I didn''t come out, you would have been chopped to death."


    "Who exactly are you?"


    "Who I am is not important. What''s important is that I can save you." The Shadow of Xu Lie said, and with a whistle, a steed as black as a ghost appeared beside him. Mounting it, the shadow pointed its black long sword at Zhang Haojie and said, "Come, let''s see how you defend against the Blade Unseen."


    The next moment, Xu Lie''s Shadow turned into a blur and disappeared from the spot.


    Fast, too fast! Zhang Haojie had only enough time to assume a blocking stance before the phantom had already passed through him. Xu Jing didn''t seem to possess a real body, because there was no collision as it charged at him, but Zhang Haojie''s health points dropped by about a fifth in that instant.


    -234, a bright red number flashed above his head. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 53 What Should Not Exist, Shall Eventually Perish

    -234. As Zhang Haojie watched the bright red numbers, a trace of fear crept into his heart, a chill and heat rising from within simultaneously. Ever since he started playing this game, he had often felt this sensation.


    When he was still a newbie, every battle, every dungeon raid would bring about this feeling, but since his strength had reached a certain level, it had been a long time since he''d felt it.


    (I thought I''d never feel this way again) A thought flashed through his mind, but there was not the slightest relaxation in Zhang Haojie''s heart. Damn it, how can this thing be blocked? He quickly assessed the situation but for a moment couldn''t find a solution.


    Xiao Buli, standing on the tower, found the boss''s transformation oddly familiar. Xu Lie''s Shadow reminded him of a boss from "World of Warcraft" he had encountered before ¡ª Leotheras the Blind in the Serpentshrine Cavern. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This demon hunter, Leotheras the Blind, had absorbed too much demonic energy, which formed another will inside him, and in the P3 phase of combat, this will would turn into a demon to fight the players.


    And this Xu Lie''s Shadow, it felt much like that thing to him; it was probably some kind of Heart Demon of Xu Lie, seemingly stronger than Xu Lie''s physical body. How should he deal with it?


    All of a sudden, he noticed that Xu Lie''s Shadow had no health bar, which prompted a flash of insight. No health bar meant that it was invincible, that it could not be killed; it must be something similar to a spell effect.


    He wondered if exorcism skills would work to dispel it, but unfortunately, he didn''t possess such spells; otherwise, it would be worth a try.


    Crack! A peal of thunder, a lightning bolt fell from the sky, hitting Xu Lie''s Shadow dead on. Xu Lie''s Shadow was blown to pieces by the thunderbolt but quickly reformed into one piece. Xiao Buli looked towards the other end of the wall and saw it was Chen Chuan who had released the lightning, apparently trying to help.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but curse inwardly for the foolishness, it was clear that they should prioritize attacking the boss''s main body at this time. Killing the main body would mean that the Heart Demon or whatever would also be dead.


    Ethereal Armor, he put up a shield for Zhang Haojie, and Xiao Buli directly executed Cloud Thunder Leap into the mid-air. With his current skills, the descent of Cloud Thunder Leap undoubtedly possessed the most lethal power. If he wanted to carry out a sneak attack, this skill was perfect.


    However, Cloud Thunder Leap was akin to a map cannon, and the hit rate was quite frustrating. Although he had gradually mastered some techniques through frequent use of the skill and had a better grasp on accuracy, he couldn''t be completely sure of a one-hit kill.


    If the opponent noticed his intentions, hitting them with this ''map cannon'' would be as difficult as reaching the sky, so he had to find the right moment to strike.


    Once aloft, Xiao Buli''s perspective turned into a bird''s-eye view, somewhat like that of a bomber plane, and the ground below looked very small. However, he was accustomed to this perspective and didn''t feel nervous at all. He shifted slightly to the side, some ten meters away from the target, and aimed carefully at the red dot below.


    The crosshairs were drawn on his screen with a pen, and after dozens of experiments, it had some degree of accuracy. As the red dot and the crosshairs slowly aligned, Xiao Buli''s hand hovered over the mouse, his eyes shining with excitement.


    "Boss, it can''t be bombed to death!" Chen Chuan''s voice rang in Zhang Haojie''s ear. Zhang Haojie frowned; this was the first time he encountered such a situation. Turning back to look at that Xu Lie, a spark suddenly flashed in his eyes. Right, he should directly kill this Xu Lie. If he died, wouldn''t Xu Lie''s Shadow cease to exist?


    With this in mind, Zhang Haojie charged towards Xu Lie and slashed down, but a dark shadow suddenly blocked his path. Clang! His strike was parried. Zhang Haojie cursed silently at the weapon in the hands of Xu Lie''s Shadow, feeling it was shameless. When he attacked, the opponent was completely unharmed, yet the Shadow could parry without issue; it was like cheating.


    He had to use his ultimate, Iron Cavalry Trample! With a tug on the reins, the heavenly battle steed''s iron hooves rose high, trampling towards Xu Lie''s Shadow. However, the black steed beneath Xu Lie''s Shadow reared its head, knocking his heavenly steed aside, and then came a series of attacks. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    Same skills, same attributes; there seemed to be no difference between Xu Lie''s Shadow and Xu Lie, yet the effects of the attack were completely different, as accurate as a machine with seamless skill transitions. Within a few rounds, Zhang Haojie''s health points plummeted.


    This was the true power of a golden BOSS. His shock grew deeper; he gulped down a big healing potion, and suddenly realized no one was healing him anymore.


    Why was no one healing him? Zhang Haojie looked up and cursed silently, the healer had vanished.


    Damn it, why now? Did they think he was doomed to lose? Hmph, he''d show them how terribly wrong they were.


    Suddenly charging, Zhang Haojie pulled away from the opponent, and a small flag appeared in his hand. The tiny flag was radiating brilliant light, clearly a magical treasure.


    He shook the flag vigorously ¡ª Summon Divine Soldiers! Four soldiers clad in golden red armor were immediately summoned. Though they were the lowest level of Divine Soldiers, in the Human Realm, they were equivalent to blue-grade Elite Units. Particularly imposing in appearance, the four soldiers flanked from both sides, seeming somewhat threatening.

 Chapter 53 What Should Not Exist, Shall Eventually Perish_2

    "You think you can hurt me with this rabble? Haha, you''re underestimating me," Xu Lie laughed at Xu Lie''s shadow. "I''ll handle the small fries; you go after that guy."


    Who knew Xu Lie''s shadow wouldn''t take orders, "Summoned creatures start with two hundred percent aggro, I must kill them before I can deal with that guy." After saying this, he charged at the four Divine Weapons.


    Zhang Haojie was delighted to see this, thinking Xu Lie''s shadow was quite rule-abiding. Taking advantage of the fact that the shadow was distracted by the aggro from the four Divine Weapons, he spurred his horse and rushed toward Xu Lie, thinking he must quickly dispatch Xu Lie while he could.


    However, four Divine Weapons were no match for a boss at taking hits. Zhang Haojie had just drained three to four hundred of Xu Lie''s health points when suddenly, with two muffled thuds, two of the Divine Weapons were destroyed, turning into golden smoke and disappearing.


    "Damn, they go down that easy?" Zhang Haojie''s heart turned cold, (Crap, am I going to die here? Looks like I have no choice but to use that move.)


    Zhang Haojie watched as the other two Divine Weapons were also slain, and Xu Lie''s shadow turned his steed around, bearing down on him again. He steeled himself, knowing the move he was about to use was costly and even life-threatening. He wouldn''t dare to use it unless it was absolutely necessary, but now he had no choice. Just then, there was a crackle in the sky, and before he could react, boom!


    A bolt of lightning struck down between him and Xu Lie''s shadow. The force of the impact made him stagger back several steps before stopping. Xu Lie, being closer, was blown away by the blast.


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    The attack was unexpected, and Zhang Haojie was stunned for a moment before noticing that there was someone standing where the lightning had struck¡ªthe healer, who else?


    Xiao Buli? What was this guy''s story? As he stood there in confusion, Xiao Buli had already soared into the air again.


    In the instant when he had landed, he had calculated the distance to Xu Lie¡ªtwelve meters.


    After launching into the air, he made a small adjustment and drifted exactly twelve meters away, then fell once more.


    Boom! This time he landed squarely on Xu Lie.


    -682. A large red number floated up. Xiao Buli thought to himself that the move was indeed powerful, but he didn''t dare stop there. Xu Lie still had two to three thousand health points; this attack wouldn''t kill him.


    Cloud Thunder Leap! A bolt of lightning struck like a thunder shock from a clear sky, and Xiao Buli soared into the heavens once again. This time there was no need for lateral movement. Without a moment''s hesitation, he clicked to fall again.


    As Xu Lie was trying to get up, the second bolt of lightning struck him squarely, charring his entire body.


    -983.


    This blow was even more severe, reducing his remaining health points to less than a thousand.


    Seeing Xiao Buli take flight once again, Xu Lie finally reacted. He scrambled away, and the third bolt of lightning struck down to no avail. Xiao Buli made some adjustments but still missed. However, the explosion sent Xu Lie flying again, bringing him On the Verge of Death.


    Xiao Buli didn''t use Cloud Thunder Leap again. Firstly, because the True Origin Points it consumed were indeed too much, and secondly, because the opponent was on guard now, another strike would likely miss anyway. After landing, he directly unleashed Mysterious Ice Slash. Since Xu Lie had lost his ability to move quickly, he was perfectly frozen.


    With the deep freeze triggered, Xiao Buli watched as Xu Lie turned into a block of ice, then charged with his sword ready.


    He was about to launch a powerful spell when Xu Lie couldn''t wait any longer and cried out, "Don''t kill me, I don''t want to die."


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment when Xu Lie''s shadow suddenly charged over, slashing and dragging out a residual image.


    Xiao Buli hastily retreated with Shadow Clone; he had no intention of taking hits like Zhang Haojie. With less than four hundred health points and low Armor, he couldn''t afford to take a direct attack.


    Xu Lie''s shadow, who was now between them, didn''t attack again. Instead, he said indifferently to Xu Lie, "Don''t forget who you are, how can you beg for mercy."


    "Damn it, why wouldn''t I beg for mercy if I''m about to die? Don''t forget, if I die, you won''t survive either," Xu Lie retorted.


    Xu Lie''s shadow spoke indifferently, "Although I don''t want to die, there''s nothing I can do if it''s Heavenly Dao''s will."


    "What do you mean, ''there''s no way''? Aren''t they just after the equipment? If worse comes to worst, just hand it over to them. It''s better to live than anything else."


    However, Xu Lie''s Shadow seemed unmoved. "Hmph, can you give them the equipment? I''d like to see that."


    "Why can''t I! Today, I really will hand it over." As Xu Lie said this, he actually threw the weapon in his hand towards Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli looked and was immediately stunned, but he wouldn''t pass up a free offer, so he went to pick it up. However, despite clicking for ages with his mouse, he couldn''t pick it up at all.


    "See? The equipment of a BOSS can''t be picked up unless you''re dead. There''s a certain chance they could find it on your corpse."


    Xu Lie was dumbfounded. "Damn, what kind of rule is that? You can''t play me like this. Do I really have to die today?"


    Yet Xu Lie''s Shadow still spoke indifferently, "Rules are rules. I''ve said it before, the will of the Heavenly Dao must not be defied. Anyone who goes against the Heavenly Dao will not be tolerated by this world. You should not surrender; better to fight till death. Don''t worry, I will do my best to protect you, after all, this is also what the Heavenly Dao demands."


    Xu Lie was both anxious and angry. He said to Xiao Buli and Zhang Haojie: "Don''t listen to him. Don''t kill me; I''m willing to surrender. Whatever you want me to do, I''ll do it. I can help you kill the monsters, okay?"


    Zhang Haojie said, "Then make your subordinates surrender."


    Xu Lie nodded repeatedly. He was only left with a sliver of health, a couple more hits and he would be done for. There was no way he could survive if it really came down to a fight to the death. Survival instincts overwhelmed everything else at this point.


    "All of you, drop your weapons and surrender, fast!"


    But the Black Mountain Bandits showed no reaction whatsoever; they kept charging at the fortress walls and clashed with the militia.


    "It''s no use. Did you think everyone''s like you, not abiding by the rules? The rule is, if you die, they might disperse and even surrender, but as long as you''re alive, they will fight to the death, until you die." Xu Lie''s Shadow''s words were like a death curse. Xu Lie, with his face full of rage, "You bastard, wishing so badly for my death? I''ll kill you first!"


    Immediately, he lunged at Xu Lie''s Shadow. Xu Lie''s Shadow did not dodge or evade, and took the hit squarely. Xu Lie lunged right through and found nothing when he stood up again. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh, where''d it go?"


    "You want to kill me? Hehe, I am you, and you are me. Killing me is easy, all you have to do is end yourself."


    That voice echoed in his mind, leaving Xu Lie speechless, {What in the world is going on?}


    Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from behind. When he turned around, a sword and a spear were thrust at him simultaneously.


    He saw a vision of blood-red. Xu Lie felt himself growing lighter, his consciousness blurring, as if he were gradually fading away.


    "What exactly is it?" he asked the voice in his mind.


    "I''ve told you before, I am you, you are me."


    Xu Lie grew frantic, "If we are one and the same, why do you want to kill me? Aren''t you afraid of dying?"


    Xu Lie''s Shadow replied, "I adhere to the Heavenly Dao, and the heavens will take care of me. Even if I die, I can be resurrected. But you won''t have that chance. Whatever should not exist will ultimately not persist."


    Xu Lie wanted to ask more, but his consciousness had already lost the capacity to think and eventually faded away completely.


    PS: Recently, many readers have expressed concerns about the loss of tension in the book. Alright, I admit that there has been this issue recently. But don''t worry, things will get tense soon enough¡ªI''ll give a little spoiler¡ªthis book will turn quite dark later on. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.


    Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 54 Qin Dahais Calculations

    Once the BOSS died, the morale of the entire Black Mountain Bandits immediately collapsed. Almost instantly, those Black Mountain Bandits who had been fighting desperately began to flee. Some of them hadn''t even seen Xu Lie''s death; driven by the rules, they aimlessly ran back in the direction they came from.


    At last, those desperately defending the walls could breathe a sigh of relief.


    Chen Chuan, who was on top of the wall, had been paying attention to the situation here. Seeing that Xu Lie had fallen, he quickly asked Zhang Haojie, "Boss, shall we pursue and kill?"


    "Pursue." Zhang Haojie said only one word. Chen Chuan immediately nodded, leading the members of the Awesome Empire to chase after them. The Black Mountain Bandits, having lost their will to fight and still numerous in quantity, didn''t put up any resistance against the small number of players chasing them and just kept running away.


    Xiao Buli, through Han Wenhuan''s screen, glanced at the solo players on top of the walls. This time, these solo players didn''t join the chase but waited for Han Wenhuan''s command.


    Xiao Buli nodded inwardly, it was true what they say, "Once bitten, twice shy." He could also tell from this that he had begun to establish some authority in the hearts of these people.


    Knowing that those Black Mountain Bandits without any will to resist were like gift packages, especially those Elite Monsters, which had a high chance of dropping blue equipment, the fact that these people could hold back from immediately pursuing showed the extent of his influence.


    "Old Han, lead the people to pursue and kill," Xiao Buli said.


    Han Wenhuan agreed, and with a command, everyone then chased after them, slaughtering the Black Mountain Bandits mercilessly.


    He Suoju and Du Yibo, however, set their sights on the BOSS named Du Guang. The two of them encircled him from the left and right.


    However, while everyone was excitedly pursuing the fleeing enemy, Xiao Buli and Zhang Haojie didn''t leave. Instead, they stood facing each other in front of Xu Lie''s body. They had just been fighting side by side, but now they seemed to be at a standoff, neither of them going after the scattered Black Mountain Bandits.


    After all, the loot from a golden-named big BOSS couldn''t be compared to that of ordinary Minor Monsters.


    Although they didn''t move, they kept receiving various messages. Xiao Buli''s earpiece was intermittently filled with the excited shouts of his subordinates.


    "Hahaha, I got a blue bow, awesome!"


    "What''s that worth? I even got a piece of blue chainmail. I can''t wear it ¨C does anyone have Leather Armor I can trade with?"


    "There''s an Elite here, hurry up and help."


    From the intermittent updates over the earpiece, it was evident that these solo players had reaped quite a bounty from the battle.


    Suddenly, there was a burst of cheers, "Damn, silver equipment!" The voice was unmistakably He Suoju''s. Clearly, he and Du Yibo had managed to take down the silver-named small BOSS.


    Although it had been agreed beforehand to distribute the loot from the BOSS together, the ensuing battle had been completely unlike any previous expectations. Unlike typical dungeon runs with a BOSS, this battle was a complete melee, and it just wasn''t possible to distribute loot as usual. So, everyone took what they could ¨C whoever killed the BOSS got to loot it.


    Having just killed the silver-named small BOSS, He Suoju and Du Yibo probably had a substantial haul.


    It wasn''t clear how the two of them distributed the loot, but after about fifteen minutes, those who had chased after the bandits began to return one after another, each of them excited. However, upon seeing the body of BOSS Xu Lie, they all crowded around it again.


    Although they wouldn''t get a share of the loot from this BOSS, they were still very excited at the prospect of witnessing the emergence of top-quality equipment.


    "Boss, loot the body, what are you waiting for?" one of the Awesome Empire players urged.


    Zhang Haojie didn''t speak, but one of the solo players objected, "What are you looting? This monster was taken down by our Elder Xiao. If anyone''s going to loot, it should be our Elder Xiao."


    Chen Chuan became anxious, "This BOSS wouldn''t have been so easy to pick off if our boss hadn''t fought for so long. You guys are stealing the kill, don''t you know? So the drops from this BOSS should belong to us."


    He Suoju wouldn''t stand for that, "Come on, what stealing the kill? If it wasn''t for our Elder Xiao stepping in, your boss would''ve been dead long ago and wouldn''t even be standing here talking."


    The two groups argued heatedly, their faces turning red with emotion. Seeing this, Chen Chuan wisely didn''t bring up their previous conflict. If they were to get into the details, a fight might break out, and with them not having the numerical advantage, the outcome was uncertain. He chose to bide his time for now.


    Though he didn''t say anything in the game, he did report the incident to Zhang Haojie in the real world.


    Zhang Haojie slightly nodded after hearing this, "You did the right thing. We can''t turn hostile just yet."


    However, Zhang Haojie was also wary of Xiao Buli. He couldn''t help it; the power of those Cloud Thunder Leap spells was just too overwhelming, making it impossible for him to gauge Xiao Buli''s true strength accurately. In truth, Xiao Buli''s real strength was far less compared to others.


    Although Cloud Thunder Leap was enormously powerful, it was too consuming, requiring 100 True Yuan points per use, and its hit rate was infuriatingly unreliable, making it difficult to hit a target unless they were standing still or caught by surprise.


    However, without Xiao Buli mentioning it, Zhang Haojie naturally couldn''t understand these things clearly either. After hesitating for a moment, Chen Chuan suddenly suggested, "How about we auction with Gold Coins, whoever bids the most gets the loot."


    Xiao Buli was startled for a moment. He did have quite a few Gold Coins in his bag, although he had given fifty Gold Coins to Han Wenhuan and the others. But with the one hundred Gold Coins he received from his master and the ones he had saved up from before, he still had over fifty Gold Coins.


    However, if it came down to a bidding contest, his fifty-some Gold Coins definitely couldn''t compete with the Great Guilds. He didn''t want to end up with just some Gold Coins; after all, that boss had a chance of dropping gold-tier equipment.


    At this point, Du Yibo stepped forward and said, "Why don''t you take a break? Haven''t you seen that the main party hasn''t said anything?"


    Zhang Haojie looked at the corpses on the ground and fell into a long silence before he suddenly said, "How about we roll for it?"


    Xiao Buli didn''t respond. Auctioning with Gold Coins was somewhat frustrating, but rolling for the loot was something he wasn''t confident about either. The boss''s loot was definitely not going to be bad. Isn''t it too risky to just roll for it? Could it be that this guy has an exceptionally high Luck Value and is sure he is going to win?


    He shook his head, "I think we should first see what''s dropped and then decide how to distribute it. The items may just happen to be what each of us needs."


    Zhang Haojie nodded, "Fine, then I will do the opening. I assure you with the honor of the Awesome Empire, I won''t nab any equipment."


    Xiao Buli scoffed, "Give me a break, how much is honor worth? Besides, with your Great Guild''s wealth and power, what could we possibly do if you did decide to nab the equipment? In my opinion, it''s better if I do the opening."


    Zhang Haojie was rendered speechless by Xiao Buli''s words, but he didn''t show any anger; however, letting Xiao Buli do the opening was absolutely out of the question.


    Now it was clear that neither side trusted the other, so deciding who would open the loot had become a troublesome matter.


    "How about letting me do it?"


    A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, and everyone turned to look towards the source of the sound. It was a player dressed in militia Leather Armor ¡ª Qin Dahai.


    Qin Dahai was having a rough day. Earlier, while defending the wall, he had been shot with a few Arrows and nearly died. He managed to retreat and heal up, just as the Black Mountain Bandits started to collapse. In his rush to join the fight and snatch some loot, he hadn''t gone far when the Black Mountain Bandits came back. Lucky for him, he ran fast enough to avoid a nasty death.


    Unlike the players from the Awesome Empire who helped and looked out for each other, no one was willing to help him.


    After finally returning, he led a few NPC militiamen to hide in a corner and desperately hold on. Eventually, the Black Mountain Bandits collapsed once more. However, his cowardice got the better of him again, and he didn''t dare to give chase.


    When he finally realized the bandits were truly defeated, it was too late to pursue; all the Elite Monsters had been wiped clean, leaving only some White Name Minor Monsters.


    He huffed and puffed in pursuit and managed only to scrape up a few common white-tier items, not even a single light blue-tier. After fighting so hard, Qin Dahai was utterly frustrated for coming away with nothing.


    Having observed from the sidelines for a good while, he suddenly realized there might still be a chance to snag something. Although he definitely wouldn''t get a share of the boss''s loot, if he could help resolve the current deadlock, he''d be happy with any trinkets thrown his way.


    So, after much hesitation, he eventually couldn''t help but suggest¡ªwhy not let me do the opening? Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You?" Chen Chuan glanced at Qin Dahai''s shabby equipment and said disdainfully, "Who do you think you are? It''s not your turn to open."


    Zhang Haojie''s eyes flashed with a glint of insight, "Hold on, I think this is a good idea. What do you say?" he asked, turning to Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli hesitated, his gaze lingering on Qin Dahai for a moment. In strict terms, Qin Dahai didn''t belong to either side. He certainly didn''t have much of a relationship with him, just as he had nothing to do with Zhang Haojie.


    With that thought, he nodded, "Alright, he can do the opening." Xiao Buli said, "We''ll both leave the party and invite him."


    "Wait a minute, I know helping you open the loot isn''t a big deal, but at the very least, I did you guys a small favor. If the boss drops any junk equipment that you guys don''t want, how about giving it to me? Or you could share some of the Gold Coins from the boss''s drop with me."


    Chen Chuan got immediately irritated, "Damn, you''ve got some nerve asking for Gold Coins!"


    "Chen Chuan!" Zhang Haojie suddenly called out, of course within their voice chat channel. Hearing this, Chen Chuan immediately fell silent.


    "As for this matter, I have no problems with it. What about you, Elder Xiao?"


    Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli said, "I''m fine with it." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 55 Desiring to Capture, Therefore Release

    Seeing that both of them had no problem, Qin Dahai couldn''t help but feel a surge of ecstasy in his heart, thinking to himself that it was a done deal, this extra profit was secured.


    There were indeed advantages to not being part of an organization. At this time, it naturally became his innate talent for profiting.


    For a moment, Qin Dahai was so excited he almost cried out loud.


    The two of them left the group and added Qin Dahai, then had him check the corpse. Of course, they weren''t afraid of Qin Dahai pocketing any equipment; if he tried anything funny, dozens of swords from either side would cut him down instantly, not even leaving scraps behind. Qin Dahai wouldn''t dare do such a thing unless he was out of his mind.


    Feeling the gaze of those around him, Qin Dahai couldn''t help but swallow nervously, his palm sweaty as he clenched the mouse, "It must drop garbage, it absolutely has to drop garbage!" he chanted in his heart. As long as it was garbage, it would be his. But the loot dropped by a boss with a golden name couldn''t be that bad, no matter how trashy.


    If Xiao Buli and Zhang Haojie knew what he was thinking, they''d probably be speechlessly annoyed.


    However, Qin Dahai was also a bit worried. If it really dropped a bunch of trash, would the two of them just eliminate him on the spot? He thought it''d be best if the items were decent but not suitable for either of them.


    With a mix of hope and fear, Qin Dahai gritted his teeth and clicked hard on the boss''s corpse.


    Immediately, a row of item notifications popped up. Since the three of them were in a group, Xiao Buli and Zhang Haojie could also see what was dropped.


    The boss dropped three items.


    The first item turned out to be a quest item, which Xiao Buli recognized¡ª


    Black Dragon King Flag Fragment (Quest Item): This black fragment appears to have been a part of a king''s banner. Using this item can trigger a quest.


    The second item was a piece of gold-quality armor.


    Black Dragon Scale Treasure Armor (Armor - Chestplate): Armor +60, Strength +5, Stamina +5, Physique +5, Immune to Yin Attribute Spells.


    Attached Skills:


    Dragon Prestige LV1: Due to the aura of the Black Dragon, you radiate a faint sense of majesty.


    Resist Plague LV3: Dragon hide has a strong anti-disease effect. Wearing this scale armor, common diseases will not affect you.


    Find your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    Intimidating Beasts LV5 (once a day): Release dragon''s prestige to intimidate the surrounding beasts, causing them to flee in terror. For a short time, they will not dare to attack you. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Armor Description: This is an exquisitely crafted armor made from dragon hide and dragon scales. The armor retains the aura of the Dragon Clan, and because it''s made from materials dropped by a Black Dragon, it has very strong defense against Yin Attribute damage.


    Equipment Requirements: Strength 20, Physique 30.


    The third item was a piece of blue-quality horse armor, quite rare.


    Linked Horse Armor (Mount Armor): Armor +40, Physique +5, Speed -2, the mount takes 30% less piercing damage.


    The fourth item was a silver-quality cloak.


    Bandit King''s Cloak: Armor +10, Charm +3.


    Attached Effect: When wearing this cloak, you automatically have ''Respected'' Prestige among bandit-type creatures.


    The fifth item was a Skill Book.


    "Dragging Blade Slash": After a short acceleration, rush toward the target and deliver a sharp slash, dealing 300% weapon damage.


    Learning Requirements: Advanced Profession ''Warrior General'', Strength 30 points, Stamina 30 points, Speed 30.


    Beyond that, there were thirteen Gold Coins.


    The moment these five items'' attributes were shown, everyone''s mouths watered with envy.


    This stuff was terrifying, golden equipment! Compared to the loot they had obtained before, it was as if their previous gear was trash common on the streets.


    But there was nothing they could do about it. While everyone thought so, they all watched Xiao Buli and Zhang Haojie, thinking, let''s see how you split it.


    Zhang Haojie slightly pondered before saying, "Of these five items, the Black Dragon Scale Armor is undoubtedly the most valuable. How about this: we consider the Black Dragon Scale Armor as one part, and the remaining four items as another part. I''ll just take the Black Dragon Scale Armor, and you can have the other four. How''s that?"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli immediately wanted to object because, generally, the value of one top-tier piece of equipment was at least equivalent to three or four pieces of lower-tier equipment like this Black Dragon Scale Armor.


    But as he typed a line of text in the dialogue box, he did not immediately send it. After hesitating for a moment, he deleted it.


    (Why would Zhang Haojie say that?) Xiao Buli felt a wave of strangeness in his heart. It was unlike someone as shrewd as his counterpart to reveal his true goal right from the start, wasn''t that just giving him the opportunity to raise the price? Or perhaps Zhang Haojie''s goal wasn''t really that?


    His gaze swept over the other four items¡ªthe Dragging Blade Slash was a fairly good Skill Book, particularly useful for warriors. The Linked Horse Armor was also extremely beneficial for warriors, and while the Bandit King''s Cloak didn''t have impressive Attributes, its special effect could be significant if used well.


    As for the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment, it also held great value to those who were unaware of its significance; after all, the words "Black Dragon King Flag" were extraordinary in themselves. Since Zhang Haojie was a high-ranking member of the Awesome Empire, he must know the importance behind these words.


    Upon reaching this conclusion, Xiao Buli was almost certain of it, but he still felt it was better to be safe.


    "Alright then, but you''re getting quite the bargain this way. In that case, give me the Gold Coins dropped by the BOSS as well. I assume your big business won''t mind this small amount of money."


    Having said that, Xiao Buli let Qin Dahai divide the equipment. However, Zhang Haojie was left stunned; he had not expected Xiao Buli to yield so easily. He had thought Xiao Buli would certainly fight him for the Black Dragon Scale Armor, the gold-tier equipment, so that he could take the other four items and some Gold Coins effortlessly for himself.


    Unexpectedly, Xiao Buli simply agreed, which wasn''t part of his plan.


    Indeed, he coveted the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment. Since it was a quest item, the triggered quest could very likely be related to the Black Dragon Legion, which was of great significance to him. The other three items were also valuable.


    With this in mind, he no longer dared to play hard to get and hurriedly said, "Although the Black Dragon Scale Armor is nice, the other four items are also valuable. I can''t let you have all the money."


    Upon hearing his words, Xiao Buli''s previous thoughts were affirmed. He smiled lightly and said, "Then let''s split it, I don''t mind."


    After saying that, he urged them on. Qin Dahai glanced at Zhang Haojie, about to divide the loot, but Zhang Haojie quickly called out, "Wait, let me think a bit more."


    Xiao Buli wasn''t in a hurry. He turned to Han Wenhuan and gave a couple of instructions, and Han Wenhuan immediately typed in the game: "Hey, you were the one who said you wanted the Black Dragon Scale Armor. What more do you want?"


    Xiao Buli played peacemaker, "We are all comrades who fought together; there''s no need to be like this. How about this. If you really don''t think it''s fair, you give me the Gold Coins, and then you can choose one more item from the four. If it isn''t something I particularly want, I''m fine with you having it."


    Just as Zhang Haojie was about to choose, Chen Chuan suddenly pulled him aside urgently, "Boss, they''re setting a trap for you. If you pick now, you''ll fall right into it."


    Zhang Haojie immediately realized the situation. The other party''s willingness to give him the items was under the condition of "if I don''t particularly want it," but no matter which item he chose, they could simply say, "Oh, I happen to particularly want this one," to increase the price. In that case, he would fall straight into their hands.


    Thinking of this, he inwardly sighed in relief, gratefully looking at Chen Chuan. Scheming was not exactly his strong suit, "Then what should I say?"


    Chen Chuan sighed and said, "Boss, just stop beating around the bush with them. That Xiao Buli is very sly; you can''t outplay them. Just be straightforward, don''t beat around the bush anymore. You''re stronger than them, and we have the backing of a guild. At most, we let them have a little advantage¡ªthey surely won''t dare to rip us off too much, or risk falling out with us."


    Hearing this made sense to Zhang Haojie. After all, he was the one who had buried himself in this situation. He had no choice but to type, "I''ll just speak plainly then. I want the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment, the Linked Horse Armor, and ''Dragging Blade Slash''. You can have the remaining two items. We''ll split the Gold Coins equally.


    How does that sound?"


    Xiao Buli was startled by the sudden change in attitude, struggling to react, but the deal was not bad¡ªa gold-tier equipment was extremely important to him, and the silver-tier cloak was very useful.


    "Good, it''s a deal."


    Seeing that an agreement was reached, Qin Dahai reluctantly divided the loot, not daring to pocket a single copper coin.


    "Come on, bosses, at least give us a cut."


    Zhang Haojie casually tossed a Gold Coin, and Xiao Buli also traded the ''Sturdy Leather Cuirass'' he had exchanged to him, so Qin Dahai did not end up laboring in vain.


    Zhang Haojie lost interest in staying any longer. "Let''s go," he said and led his people away.


    Once Zhang Haojie and his party left, Xiao Buli couldn''t wait to get into the two pieces of equipment. As they say, clothes make the man; donning the Black Dragon Scale Armor, his appearance immediately took on a much more imposing air, complemented by the black cloak billowing behind him, he even possessed a bit of a bandit king''s domineering aura.


    Han Wenhuan asked, "Boss, what do we do next? All the militia are dead. It''s gonna be tough if we want to attack their stronghold."


    Xiao Buli chuckled, "What need do we have for militia? The Black Mountain Bandits are now headless after this battle, hardly anything left. We are enough. Let''s not delay. I''ll report to Sky Grass, and in three days, we attack Black Mountain."


    Having said that, he glanced at the other Solo Players. After the battle, two had died, leaving thirteen. As they had all gained some benefits, their Morale seemed quite high. It was the perfect time to capitalize on their enthusiasm, so Xiao Buli stood atop the palisades, "Who''s interested in taking Black Mountain with me!"


    This was hardly a question; the hard part was over, and now it was time to reap the benefits. Without much coaxing, the crowd agreed enthusiastically.


    PS: The outbreak begins tomorrow. Whether you believe it or not, well, I do. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 56 Overlord of Black Mountain

    Three days later:


    In front of the gates of Black Mountain Camp, Xiao Buli led all his forces to attack the last stronghold of the Black Mountain Bandits.


    On the way up the mountain, all the outpost checkpoints they encountered had already been destroyed. Unlike the first time when killing them would cause them to respawn, this time the defeated bandits did not reappear. It seemed that during the campaign quest, these quest monsters were no longer protected by the system.


    "Push harder, one more round!"


    "Hurry up, we''re about to blow it open!" Amidst the shouts, the catapult was ready once again.


    Li Shuren carefully adjusted the focus. Finding the right angle for this catapult was not easy, but his years of gaming experience had not been wasted. After three days, he had finally figured it out, and today was his time to shine. Charging head-on would still result in significant casualties due to the protection of the palisade walls and towers, and the large number of Black Mountain Archers.


    No one was willing to take that risk, so they had to rely on Li Shuren''s extreme long-range firepower for the assault.


    After a long aim, Li Shuren finally released the mouse button he had been pressing down hard¡ªa whooshing sound followed as a stone projectile the size of a washbasin was launched. It drew a heavy arc and crashed into the gate with a bang. The gate, made of huge timber, looked like it was about to shatter.


    Xiao Buli cast Mind''s Eye on the palisade wall; the gate''s 3000 durability was now down to less than 100 points. One more attack should break the gate open. Before Li Shuren could reload the catapult with another stone, a fireball suddenly shot out from the crowd, exploding the already battered gate into fragments and revealing the trembling bandits behind it.


    It was Du Yibo who couldn''t hold back and had released a fireball.


    Han Wenhuan seized the opportunity without hesitation, "Ranged professions, move forward, spread out the formation, and fire at will!"


    Players skilled in long-range attacks stepped forward, raining arrows like droplets of water. The bandits defending the camp also fought back, launching a dense rain of arrows from their higher position, but their firepower was clearly weaker than that of the players. Plus, the players could also receive healing support, so neither side suffered many casualties.


    Since the entrance of the stronghold was narrow, the number of archers caused them to gradually crowd together. Han Wenhuan smiled at the sight, which was exactly what he had hoped to see¡ªthe primary mission of those ranged profession players was to draw the enemies together.


    By this time, Li Shuren had once again loaded the catapult, and Du Yibo had also charged his second fireball to full power.


    "All AOE firepower, ready! Release!"


    The fireball violently shot out, causing a violent explosion amid the crowd, and the stone projectile followed, overturning five or six Black Mountain Archers. Just one round of attack threw their formation into complete disarray.


    But that was not all¡ªsuddenly, a sound of thunder boomed in the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck down, right into the dense formation by the camp''s entrance, instantly blowing numerous bandits away.


    Ultimate Skills¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! As soon as Xiao Buli landed, he released his second powerful ability, completely dismantling the bandits'' formation.


    "Alright, all melee, charge! The rest follow!" Han Wenhuan commanded, and everyone rushed into the stronghold like a swarm.


    With just one charge, the gate of the stronghold was taken down. The bandits, having lost their morale, scattered in all directions, devoid of any will to resist. Xiao Buli didn''t order a pursuit, for according to information he had from Lei Ba, as long as they took over the Hall of Righteousness, the campaign quest would be considered a success.


    So, after scattering the bandits at the gate, Xiao Buli led his forces straight to the Hall of Righteousness.


    Along the way, they dispatched dozens of obstructing bandits like slicing through vegetables, and soon they arrived outside the Hall of Righteousness.


    The hall''s doors were also firmly closed but had much less durability¡ªonly 1000 points. The catapult was too cumbersome to be brought inside, but that was no hindrance. Without the threat of archers, the players surged forward, and with a barrage of melee weapons, they broke down the doors of the Hall of Righteousness in less than two minutes.


    This was supposed to be the most challenging part of the campaign quest. The interior of the Hall of Righteousness was extremely narrow, making it impossible to use Xiao Buli''s Cloud Thunder Leap. If Xu Lie were still defending inside, it would have probably been impregnable.


    But now there was no boss defending the place, only four high-level elite Black Mountain Iron Guards. They were overwhelmed by the players and hacked down in moments.


    Five minutes after the Hall of Righteousness was occupied, a flash of golden light appeared on the screen.


    System Notification: Congratulations to player Xiao Buli for completing the campaign quest ''Overlord of Black Mountain''. Quest completion: 87%. Your personal prestige has increased by 100 points. You may choose one of the following three rewards for your campaign quest:


    1. Occupy Black Mountain Stronghold, obtain the title ''Overlord of Black Mountain'', and gain dominion over this stronghold. You will have the ability to manage the stronghold''s subsidiary capabilities and train its unique troops.


    2. Destroy Black Mountain Stronghold, obtain the title ''Hero of Black Mountain'', and gain an additional 100 personal prestige points. In destroying the stronghold, you will receive a substantial amount of war resources.


    3. Support Black Mountain Stronghold, obtain the title ''Heroes of Black Mountain'', and gain an additional 200 personal prestige points. Your reputation with the Black Mountain Bandits will increase to Revered, and your reputation with the Black Dragon Brotherhood will increase to Respected. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli hesitated as he looked at these three options. Up to this point, he was still unclear about the use of Prestige Points, and war resources were not of much use to him since he didn''t even have a place to settle down. Even if he plundered resources, there would be nowhere to use them, so these two options didn''t hold much significance for him.


    Reaching Revered with the Black Mountain Bandits meant that they would be preserved. This option to retain the Black Mountain Stronghold likely wouldn''t yield any benefits apart from possibly unlocking hidden quests later on, which might be related to the Black Dragon Legion. The Black Dragon Brotherhood sounded like it was a remnant force of the Black Dragon Legion.


    If the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment dropped by Xu Lie was in Xiao Buli''s hands, he would probably choose this. However, since the quest to collect the Black Dragon King Flag Fragments cannot be completed now, this option could be discarded. It was more reliable to manage his territory.


    Having thought this through, Xiao Buli decisively selected the first option.


    System Notification: You have gained dominion over Black Mountain Stronghold and obtained the title ''Overlord of Black Mountain''. Your reputation with the Black Dragon Brotherhood has decreased by 1000 points, and your reputation with the Black Dragon Brotherhood has become Hostile.


    Xiao Buli didn''t pay much attention to the Black Dragon Brotherhood, considering them nothing more than remnants.


    Upon opening the Lord interface, within the management options for his territory, a new icon had appeared: Black Mountain Stronghold, and he was finally not a wandering armed group without a base anymore.


    Black Mountain Stronghold: Territory Category - Stronghold.


    Affiliated structures:


    Stronghold walls - includes log walls, gate, and arrow towers that can be upgraded.


    Hall of Righteousness - for appointing individuals and managing stronghold affairs, can be upgraded.


    Mountain Patrol Outpost - can train Black Mountain Scouts (a special unit adept at hiding and scouting), can be upgraded.


    Stronghold Barracks - converts common civilians into Black Mountain Lackeys or trains Black Mountain Lackeys into stronger troop types, currently able to train Black Mountain Looters, Black Mountain Raiders, Black Mountain Lancers, and Black Mountain Archers, currently possesses Black Mountain Lackeys (0), can be upgraded.


    Black Stone Mine - produces black iron ore, currently has (12) prisoner miners.


    Black Mountain Prison - incarcerates prisoners, currently holding (one) prisoner.


    Black Mountain Outposts ¡Á12 - expands the stronghold''s scouting range and influence.


    War Resources: Wood ¡Á400, Stone ¡Á400, Iron Ore ¡Á400, Food ¡Á400, Gold Coins ¡Á0.


    Xiao Buli had no experience or concept of managing a territory, so he had no idea whether the Black Mountain Stronghold was good or bad. He looked at the upgrade options; upgrading wooden walls to stone walls required 100 units of wood and 300 units of stone.


    Upgrading the Hall of Righteousness to the Loyalty and Justice Hall required 50 Gold Coins, 100 units of stone, and 100 units of wood.


    Upgrading the Mountain Patrol Outpost to a Mountain Patrol Camp required 100 units of wood and 100 units of stone.


    Upgrading the Stronghold Barracks to a Stronghold Army Barracks required 100 Gold Coins, 400 units of wood, and 400 units of stone.


    However, he didn''t know what the effects of upgrading would be, so Xiao Buli didn''t dare to order them casually; besides, these upgrades were not like in games where one could simply click to upgrade, they took a certain amount of time to complete.


    The biggest problem now was the scarce number of Black Mountain Lackeys. Although the refugees from Thousand Pines Town could be converted into Black Mountain Lackeys, only less than a hundred people remained after the battle three days ago, which was really too few.


    But, naturally, Xiao Buli didn''t need to worry about this kind of thing; managing a stronghold should naturally be handed over to Han Wenhuan.


    "Old Han, do you have the confidence to manage this stronghold well?" Xiao Buli turned and asked.


    Han Wenhuan rolled his eyes, "With or without confidence, what else can be done? Who else if not me can shoulder this task?"


    Gu Shaobang snorted on the side, "Old Han, don''t play cute after getting a bargain. If you don''t want to do it, just let me. I''m actually quite keen on trying out territory cultivation."


    Han Wenhuan quickly said, "No, no, no, isn''t it enough that I have confidence? But you''ll have to give me something."


    Xiao Buli asked, "What thing?"


    Han Wenhuan replied, "Of course, your Bandit King''s Cloak. I reckon with that item, I should be able to persuade those Black Mountain Bandits to defect."


    Xiao Buli nodded, that wasn''t a big deal, so he traded the Bandit King''s Cloak to him.


    "Alright, the rest is up to you. I have other things to take care of."


    Han Wenhuan asked curiously, "What things?"


    Xiao Buli smiled and said, "Naturally, it''s about the instance." Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    PS: There''s another chapter tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 57 Prisoner

    Previously, Xiao Buli had discovered two instances when scouting the Black Mountain situation, one being the major instance, which was the Black Mountain Stronghold instance. Right after he triggered the campaign quest, it vanished directly.


    The other instance, however, was hidden inside the stronghold¡ªa cave instance. At that time, when he tried to enter, he was repelled by an invisible force, likely due to some restriction. But Xiao Buli thought to himself that now he had become the master of the stronghold, and he presumed he wouldn''t be barred from entry any longer.


    While considering this, he appointed Han Wenhuan as the Leader of Black Mountain Stronghold and let him slowly deal with the stronghold affairs. Then, Xiao Buli headed toward the cave alone. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Locating the cave wasn''t difficult as he had been there before. In no time, Xiao Buli arrived at the entrance of the cave, which was part of the Black Mountain cliff. Initially, some bandits guarded the entrance, but now none were to be seen, presumably all having fled.


    The light barrier was still present at the entrance, and looking through it, the interior was pitch black, impossible to see the bottom.


    Since he only wanted to see if he could enter the instance, Xiao Buli didn''t prepare much and barged straight in. Who would have known that after a few steps, he would collide with an invisible air wall.


    System prompt: You have been repelled by an invisible force.


    What the heck, still can''t get in!? Xiao Buli was somewhat puzzled. Could it be unrelated to being the stronghold leader? What conditions were required to enter then?


    This was the first time he had encountered an instance that required a key, wondering if a quest was necessary.


    However, while he was puzzled, a wave of excitement arose in him. The inability to enter indicated the instance was anything but simple. Moreover, from the individual he had seen previously named Wu Dak (Priest Amara), it was clear that this character was significant ¡ª at least when he conversed with Xu Lie, that old man didn''t seem the least bit inferior, most likely a major BOSS in his own right.


    Generally, monsters like priests would be followed by a deity or something as the final BOSS. So Xiao Buli felt it prudent to be careful and didn''t continue to force his entry, instead returning to the Hall of Righteousness.


    By the time he arrived back at the Hall of Righteousness, Han Wenhuan was nowhere to be found.


    "Old Han, where have you gone?" Xiao Buli turned around and asked.


    "Of course, I''ve gone to persuade those bandits to surrender." Han Wenhuan replied without looking back. He was currently rallying the dispersed Black Mountain Bandits. These humanoid monsters didn''t flee far after their escape; they loitered near the stronghold in small groups, aimlessly moving around as if they were NPCs in a domestic game.


    After handing over the Bandit King''s Cloak to Han Wenhuan, he donned the cloak and stepped out of the stronghold. Naturally, for safety''s sake, he took a troop of militia as bodyguards. The Black Mountain Bandits did not attack him on sight, and their names displayed as neutral creatures.


    Han Wenhuan approached a bandit who looked quite honest, clicked to initiate dialogue, and immediately a dialogue box with two options appeared.


    1. Brother, I''m now the Leader of Black Mountain. Join us, and I assure you, you won''t be treated unfairly.


    2. You bastard, to see the leader and not kneel! Quickly pledge your loyalty to me, otherwise, I''ll take your life.


    These two options were like the carrot and the stick, and using both might be effective, but the issue lay in that only one could be chosen.


    Han Wenhuan glanced at the bandit''s appearance and resolutely chose the second option.


    Han Wenhuan: "You bastard, to see the leader and not kneel! Quickly pledge your loyalty to me, otherwise, I''ll take your life."


    The bandit was so frightened that he immediately knelt, "Don''t kill me, I surrender, I surrender!"


    System prompt: You have subdued a bandit.


    "Haha, it''s that simple!" Han Wenhuan suddenly laughed out loud.


    He found another. This time the bandit looked very fierce, with a bulky stature and mean face. After hesitating for a moment, Han Wenhuan repeated the process.


    Han Wenhuan: "You bastard, to see the leader and not kneel! Quickly pledge your loyalty to me, otherwise, I''ll take your life."


    Black Mountain Looter: "Kneel your ass, I''ll chop you down." After saying that, he charged forward, swinging his machete.


    Han Wenhuan was startled, but a group of militia behind him swarmed forward and quickly slashed the bandit to death.


    System prompt: Killed a bandit, earning 20 combat experience points.


    Along with the experience, a ''Worn Leather Armor'' dropped.


    "Phew, it seems that past experiences are unreliable; one must judge based on the individual bandit''s appearance."


    Coming upon a third bandit, still a harsh-looking fellow, Han Wenhuan chose a different approach.


    Han Wenhuan: "Brother, I''m now the Leader of Black Mountain. Join us, and I assure you, you won''t be treated unfairly."


    The bandit nodded, "Alright, I''ll join you then. But you''ve got to keep your word."


    System prompt: You have subdued a bandit.


    Soon, Han Wenhuan had mastered the knack of it, threatening those who looked honest and bribing those who appeared fierce. After dialogues, the majority of the Black Mountain Bandits chose to surrender. However, a few still chose to resist, and others ignored him. Regardless of their choice, he dealt with them equally¡ªkilling them all.


    By evening, not a single trace of bandits was left near Black Mountain; they had either been killed or had surrendered to him.


    What depressed Han Wenhuan was that all the surrendered Black Mountain Bandits had become the lowest ranking Black Mountain Lackeys, roughly over a hundred people. Together with the remnants of the Thousand Pines Town militia, there were a total of one hundred and fifty people available to be trained as combat troops. Han Wenhuan intended to train all of them.


    The fighting strength of the Thousand Pines Town militia was very weak, only slightly stronger than the Black Mountain Lackeys, and also unable to upgrade, so he simply reorganized them all into Black Mountain Lackeys.


    Reorganizing the militia or desperately converting them into Black Mountain Lackeys did not cost anything, but to train the Black Mountain Lackeys into higher-level soldiers required equipment resources.


    The expenses required to train different types of troops varied, and there were two different methods of upgrading: one was providing equipment, the other was making direct payments with money.


    The following are the costs required for upgrading Black Mountain Lackeys:


    Training a Black Mountain Raider requires a wooden shield ¡Á1, javelins ¡Á6, a dagger ¡Á1, Leather Armor ¡Á1 (set).


    Or direct payment of 150 silver coins.


    Training a Black Mountain Looter requires a wooden shield ¡Á1, a single-edged sword ¡Á1, Leather Armor ¡Á1 (set).


    Or direct payment of 120 silver coins.


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    Training a Black Mountain Archer requires a bow ¡Á1, arrows ¡Á30, a small dagger ¡Á1, Leather Armor ¡Á1 (set).


    Or direct payment of 170 silver coins.


    Training a Black Mountain Lancer requires a long spear ¡Á1, a dagger ¡Á1, Leather Armor ¡Á1 (set), a horse ¡Á1.


    Or direct payment of 300 silver coins.


    The bandits trained by spending money or by equipping gear were different; those trained with money all came out with uniform gear, of course at the lowest grade of weapons and equipment. If a lord chose to upgrade their troops by providing equipment, then the bandits after upgrading would directly acquire the corresponding equipment.


    In other words, if one was willing, even gearing a bandit with a set of gold or silver grade equipment was possible, and the bandit thus armed would at least be of an Elite Level.


    However, for these ordinary soldiers who were used as expendable goods, naturally they wouldn''t be given too good of equipment. Not to mention Divine Artifacts, Han Wenhuan wouldn''t even part with the light blue equipment, as he still had a large number of white-grade equipment on him.


    But Xiao Buli also did not plan to use silver coins for upgrading. Although he still had some Gold Coins, there wasn''t enough to arm so many bandits, and the strength of the bandits equipped with money would obviously not be very strong. Therefore, for the time being, he clearly needed several people with Life Skills to provide a large amount of basic white equipment.


    As the saying goes, one shouldn''t let the water flow into others'' fields. Such matters should naturally be done by one''s own people. Currently, Gu Shaobang had already learned Alchemy, Li Shuren had learned Mechanical Techniques, and Xiao Buli himself had learned to make Magical Treasures. Those who hadn''t chosen a main Professional Skill yet were only Han Wenhuan and Xiao Ge.


    After discussing it together, Han Wenhuan said, "Since I am going to follow the path of a military commander, then I will learn Forging. It will allow me to craft weapons and equipment for myself and also for the soldiers."


    The only option left for Xiao Ge was to learn leatherworking. Since most of the bandits'' equipment was primarily Leather Armor, the use of leatherworking was extremely significant.


    Xiao Buli left only ten Gold Coins in his bag, giving the rest to Han Wenhuan.


    "There''s no time to delay. For the next while, go all out in collecting materials. Those Solo Players will probably stay here for some time, just collect from them."


    The situation was indeed as he said. Those Solo Players usually struggle to kill monsters and gather materials, but now they finally had access to a fully opened map. How could they miss such an opportunity?


    Han Wenhuan naturally agreed readily. "Then what about you? What are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to sell some things, then buy some things."


    What Xiao Buli wanted to sell were the fragments of the Black Dragon King Flag. There was no chance of getting the fragment in Zhang Haojie''s hands, and since that was the case, they were useless to him. It would be better to sell them for some Gold Coins.


    One could imagine Zhang Haojie would be willing to pay a high price to collect enough King''s Banner fragments to complete his quest. Xiao Buli could take the opportunity to earn a good sum, and he also knew that a certain BOSS was likely to drop fragments of the Black Dragon King Flag¡ªthe ghostly BOSS, Soul of Meng Zhao, which they had encountered in the ancient battlefield.


    As for what he wanted to buy, it was the Skill Book "Spirit Reincarnation". The last time Han Wenhuan had nearly perished, and although he didn''t say anything, he was frightened enough inside. If someone actually died, he didn''t know how he would face the others. Even if the person who died could face it calmly, how would he himself get over it?


    So, this time he decided to buy several copies of Spirit Reincarnation. Since the drop rate of the Spirit Reincarnation skill book seemed to be quite high, even the minor BOSS in the novice area dropped it. One could surely get it from the auction house.


    As long as one learned Spirit Reincarnation, they wouldn''t immediately lose their life upon death, and if they had enough Merit Points, they could even revive. Hence, he decided to make a trip to Nine Dragons City.


    Xiao Buli mentioned this to He Suoju and Du Yibo, and they were planning to stay for a while longer and not leave yet. Just as Xiao Buli was about to leave, Han Wenhuan said, "Boss, there''s a prisoner in Black Mountain Prison. Do you want to take a look?"


    "A prisoner?" Xiao Buli did remember something like that.


    Han Wenhuan said, "Yeah, it''s a rare elite. Maybe there''s a quest, or even if there''s no quest, we could kill it for the loot."


    In the game, the distinction between NPCs and monsters was often blurry. In theory, anything hostile was a monster, but in practice, what might be an NPC for some players could be a monster for others, and vice versa. Additionally, as long as conditions allowed, NPCs could also be killed for loot.


    Xiao Buli shook his head. "Forget it. It''s just a rare elite; it probably won''t have any important quests. You all can take a look, and if it''s not worthwhile, just kill it for the equipment. Oh right, what''s the name of this rare elite?"


    "Seems like his name is Li Baocheng."


    Xiao Buli uttered an acknowledgment and was about to set off when he suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute, what did you say his name was?"


    Han Wenhuan repeated, "Li Baocheng. What''s wrong?"(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 58 The Story of Li Baocheng

    Xiao Buli stood in front of the prison cell door, looking at the familiar figure inside with a chill in his heart¡ªit really was Li Baocheng, the person he knew. Although the leather armor he wore looked extremely tattered, making him appear different from before, his obliging and pleasing face was exactly the same as when they had first met.


    It couldn''t be said to be completely the same, at least the stiff smile on his face made Xiao Buli feel somewhat estranged, somewhat eerie, and his name was not just Li Baocheng but ''Li Baocheng (The Lost Adventurer)''.


    Looking at the avatar, the color was that of a yellow neutral NPC.


    A person who can still smile so happily in prison is either a fool or a character in the game, an NPC.


    But how did he turn into an NPC? And to end up being captured by the Black Mountain Bandits and locked up in prison.


    Xiao Buli pondered this question. He had already witnessed a player turning into an NPC before, which was the case with Xia Zuowei. However, in that instance, Xia Zuowei had died and was later resurrected in the game, a result that Xiao Buli could still accept.


    But Li Baocheng had entered the game alive; he hadn''t died, so how could he have turned into an NPC?


    Xiao Buli didn''t believe that Li Baocheng had died in the game and been resurrected. Not to mention whether Li Baocheng knew the methods to resurrect, even if he did, where would he get so many Merit Points from?


    Therefore, there was only one answer: evidently, Li Baocheng had become an NPC due to some kind of transformation. Opening the prison cell door, Xiao Buli walked up to Li Baocheng, "Li Baocheng, do you still recognize me?" he asked, very uncertain.


    Li Baocheng had no reaction. Xiao Buli asked again twice, but still, there was no response. Li Baocheng just stood there, motionless, with a smile on his face.


    Xiao Buli moved the mouse over to him and suddenly noticed a dialogue icon popped up. He hesitated not a moment to click on it.


    A dialogue box popped up on the screen, which sent a chill through Xiao Buli''s heart. Generally speaking, NPCs with high autonomy can communicate directly through dialogue, while those generic-faced NPCs with poor autonomy require dialogue boxes for communication. Could it be that Li Baocheng not only became an NPC but also the lowest level of NPC?


    Regardless, he had to communicate with him to understand the full situation. This was not only about Li Baocheng alone but was also related to the consequences for all those people who had entered the game world through the Teleportation Portal. It also related to the outcome he himself might face in the future.


    When he clicked on that dialogue box, Li Baocheng finally reacted, "You don''t seem to be part of those bandits; are you here to rescue me?"


    1. Yes.


    2. No.


    This time, Xiao Buli didn''t dare to close the options. NPCs with high autonomy can naturally communicate directly, but this Li Baocheng seemed dull and foolish; it was wiser to play it safe.


    Xiao Buli directly chose 1.


    "Yes, I am here to rescue you."


    Li Baocheng said, "Thank heavens, someone has finally come to save me. But could you please do me a favor? I have been here so long, I''m almost starving to death, I have no strength left. Can you find me some food?"


    System Prompt: You have triggered the quest ''Li Baocheng''s Emergency Lunch''.


    Quest Content: Gather enough food for Li Baocheng to restore his Physical Strength. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Of course, Xiao Buli accepted, and then directly traded the food from his inventory to Li Baocheng. It took the trade of more than a dozen steamed buns before the quest was completed.


    System Prompt: You have completed the quest ''Li Baocheng''s Emergency Lunch.'' Li Baocheng''s favorable impression of you has increased by 50 points.


    After gobbling down a large amount of food, Li Baocheng''s complexion seemed to improve a bit.


    Li Baocheng: "Ah, it feels great to eat my fill after so long. Thank you so much. But could I ask you for another favor? My leg was broken by the bandits, can you heal me?"


    System Prompt: You have triggered the quest, ''Li Baocheng''s Urgent Rescue''.


    Quest Content: Heal Li Baocheng''s injuries. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli glanced at the top of Li Baocheng''s head and, sure enough, there was a DEBUFF named ''Fractured Bones.'' He naturally chose to accept. This time he didn''t need to go out; he used Touch of Healing on Li Baocheng a couple of times, and soon his injuries were healed.


    System Prompt: You have completed the quest, ''Li Baocheng''s Urgent Rescue.'' Li Baocheng''s favorable impression of you has increased by 50 points.


    "Can we leave now?" Xiao Buli asked once again.


    Little did Li Baocheng anticipate that he would continue to speak, saying, "Great, my legs can finally walk again, but my weapon, the ''Peerless Divine Bow,'' was hidden away by the jailer, in a chest in the jailer''s room. Please help me retrieve my equipment, and then we can make our escape."


    System Prompt: Quest ''Li Baocheng''s ''Peerless Divine Bow'''' triggered.


    Quest Details: Retrieve Li Baocheng''s stolen equipment. Accept the quest? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli rushed to the guard''s room in a few strides, and indeed, there was a wooden chest there. Upon opening it, a quest item, ''Li Baocheng''s Peerless Divine Bow'', was found inside.


    Note: It looks just like an ordinary bow and arrows, seemingly far from ''peerless''.


    After taking the quest item, he returned to the cell and clicked to turn in the quest.


    System Prompt: Quest ''Li Baocheng''s ''Peerless Divine Bow'''' completed. Li Baocheng''s favorability towards you has increased by 50 points.


    Li Baocheng said, "Now let''s leave this cursed place. Please escort me out. There are many Black Mountain bandits on the way. Although I''m very strong and don''t really need protection, please ensure my safety."


    System Prompt: Quest ''Jailbreak'' triggered.


    Quest Details: Escort Li Baocheng out of the Black Mountain Stronghold. Accept the quest? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli felt a wave of impatience in his heart, thinking how troublesome it all was, but he knew such things couldn''t be rushed and patiently selected to accept the quest.


    After accepting the quest, Li Baocheng walked towards the outside, with Xiao Buli following close by Buli''s side, matching his steps. Naturally, there were no monsters along the way, and the few militiamen from Thousand Pines Town showed no hostility at all.


    Nevertheless, Li Baocheng remained cautious, at one point saying, "Ah, be careful, there might be enemies outside," and at another saying, "This is where they interrogated me, we must be vigilant."


    After a tiresome journey of more than ten minutes, they finally reached the outskirts of the Black Mountain Stronghold, and Li Baocheng eventually stopped.


    Li Baocheng: "Thank you so much. We''ve finally left that damned place."


    System Prompt: Quest ''Jailbreak'' completed, Li Baocheng''s favorability towards you has increased by 50 points, his favorability towards you has increased to ''Friendly''.


    The improvement to ''Friendly'' status was evident, as the color of Li Baocheng''s avatar frame changed from the yellow that signifies neutrality to the green that signifies friendliness.


    Sitting down under a large tree by the roadside, Li Baocheng said, "Eh, you haven''t left yet? Are you looking for a reward? I''m sorry, but I don''t have a penny to my name right now. However, if you are interested, I could let you hear about my experiences."


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    1. Yes, I would like to hear it.


    2. Give me a break, I don''t have that kind of spare time.


    Xiao Buli hastily chose option 1, and Li Baocheng began to narrate his story.


    Li Baocheng: "My expedition team and I passed through here not long ago, intending to head to the legendary site of the Demon Star''s fall, the ruins of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom. Little did we know, the teleportation array leading to the ruins of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom was occupied by the Black Mountain Bandits.


    To activate the array, we had to venture deep into the territory of Black Mountain and engage in combat with the bandits. Though I fought valiantly, in order to cover the retreat of my team, I was captured in the battle. The bandits, admiring my bravery, wanted me to join them, but how could I possibly associate with such a shameless bunch of thieves?


    So, I righteously refused them, and in their anger, they locked me up and tortured me severely. Thanks to your bravery Xiao Buli, I have finally regained my freedom."


    After saying this, Li Baocheng stood up.


    "Ah, I''ve rested long enough; I think I should leave now."


    Xiao Buli hastily typed and asked, "Don''t go, we haven''t clarified everything yet. Where did everyone else go?"


    Li Baocheng, however, did not say anything more and continued walking down the mountain on his own. Xiao Buli hurriedly followed after, trying several times to get a response, but Li Baocheng had no reaction, as if he truly had become an NPC controlled by the system.


    Thus, Xiao Buli followed him all the way down, for over an hour straight, several times thinking of giving up. But seeing his former teammate in such a state, how could he leave him with peace of mind? Most importantly, when Li Baocheng had first encountered him, he was a neutral unit, which means he appears as a neutral to other players as well.


    In this game, neutral units are always the most dangerous, as both monsters and players can attack them, especially players. Such a rare elite, when encountered by a group of players in the wilderness, is like a meat bun thrown to a pack of dogs.


    As Xiao Buli followed Li Baocheng, he continued to try, aiming to figure out what exactly was going on and where the others had gone. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While following, a voice suddenly came from behind, "Boss, does that NPC have any quests?" It was Han Wenhuan who had become curious.


    Xiao Buli sighed, "He''s not just any NPC; he''s a former teammate."


    "A former teammate? NPCs can be teammates? That''s quite interesting."


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "No, he''s a player. But afterward, when he entered the game, he turned into an NPC." (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 59 The Great Guess About the Truth of the Game

    Han Wenhuan was shocked, "What, something like that happened, Boss, you''re not kidding me, are you?"


    Hearing the conversation between the two, Gu Shaobang and others were also drawn over.


    "What did you mean by what you just said, Boss?" Gu Shaobang asked.


    Xiao Buli turned around and looked at the four curious faces, sighed, and said, "Do you still remember when I mentioned to you before, about Zhang Yaoyang leading a large group of players into the game world?"


    Gu Shaobang nodded, "I remember, at that time I thought you were making up stories, that kind of thing is just too far-fetched."


    Xiao Buli pointed at Li Baocheng on the screen, who was walking down the mountain path, "This guy was one of those who entered the game world with Zhang Yaoyang. He and I were together in the newbie team."


    What! This revelation left everyone shocked, even feeling a bit incredulous.


    No wonder, gaining superpowers from a game was frightening enough, but players becoming NPCs in the game, that''s like a tale from another world.


    However, seeing the serious look on Xiao Buli''s face, everyone gradually calmed down.


    "Are you serious, Boss?" Seeing Xiao Buli nod earnestly, everyone was stunned.


    Xiao Ge''s eyes were wide in astonishment, "Damn, that''s just unbelievable."


    But Han Wenhuan said, "It''s not just unbelievable, it''s simply inconceivable."


    Gu Shaobang, however, frowned, "If this Li Baocheng can become an NPC, doesn''t it mean the others might turn into NPCs too?"


    Li Shuren joined the discussion, "Him becoming an NPC must be the system''s decision, right? Does the game''s system have some kind of issue?"


    "Typically, a game''s system is just a big framework, but this game''s system is not so simple. According to what NPCs say, the system is what''s known as the Heavenly Dao; the entire operation and rules of the game world are dictated by the system. If Zhang Yaoyang, Li Baocheng, and others have become NPCs, then there''s certainly an issue with the system. That raises the question: what about us? Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Will we turn into NPCs by playing this game?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "That shouldn''t happen, our real bodies haven''t entered the game. It seems unlikely we would change. If it were really the case, those from the Great Guilds and the Solo Players would have already changed, but no such thing has been heard of." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Li Shuren, however, seized the crux of the matter, "So you''re saying that when we''re outside the game, we won''t turn into NPCs, but once we''re in the game, we will? Isn''t Xia Zuowei the same case? Then, when we''re outside the game, what exactly is the existence of our in-game characters? Are they projections or avatars?"


    All of a sudden Gu Shaobang said, "When we enter the game, we have to drop blood. Do you think the in-game character could actually be our clone?"


    Han Wenhuan disbelievingly said, "Come on, if it were a clone, then the clone should have its own thoughts. Why doesn''t our character move when we''re not controlling it?"


    "This... " Gu Shaobang was at a loss for words.


    Yet Xiao Buli suddenly said, "Players'' characters don''t move on their own, of course, that''s a system rule. If there really are clones, but the system dictates they cannot move, then naturally they won''t move. But if our real selves enter the game, it means our souls are directly attached to the clone''s body.


    If we enter the game, our soul and the clone''s soul will be loaded into the same body, and this body is under the control of the system. That is to say, when we enter the game, it can control our actions."


    "You mean... "


    Grasping Xiao Buli''s implication, everyone felt a chill.


    Li Shuren shook his head, "That hardly seems possible. If there was another cloned body, then where would that body be? It can''t be in the computer program, so there must be another massive space to accommodate this world. Could there be another dimension besides our own?"


    Xiao Buli said, "That''s not necessarily impossible. Aren''t the powers and benefits we received from the game proof of something? And this ring of mine¡ª" Xiao Buli said, flashing his finger.


    At this moment, Han Wenhuan interjected, "Yeah, besides, if the other side isn''t a world, then where did all these things come from? They can''t possibly be materializations from an electronic program, right?"


    Li Shuren still didn''t agree with the conjecture, "Materialization isn''t impossible."


    "Then what''s the principle behind materialization?"


    Li Shuren shrugged his shoulders, "How would I know? That''s something you should ask Einstein about. But can you explain the principle behind the spells we''ve learned? This game is something beyond our imagination. We shouldn''t judge it based on the knowledge we''ve learned before. That would be laughable."


    Han Wenhuan had nothing to say in response and felt quite vexed, as Xiao Buli appeared somewhat lost. The game itself was not something he could understand, and if there really was technology capable of materializing electronic programs, perhaps it wasn''t completely non-existent.


    Seeing that the two of them stopped talking, Li Shuren seemed to become more confident, "And you''re ignoring one thing. They didn''t just enter the game with their souls but also with their bodies. If there is such a thing as a clone avatar, then their souls would not be attached to the avatars but would remain within their own physical bodies."


    As Li Shuren reached this point, Xiao Buli vaguely felt like he was onto something, but couldn''t pinpoint what it was. Just then, Gu Shaobang suddenly pointed at the screen and exclaimed, "Boss, Li Baocheng has disappeared."


    Xiao Buli swiftly turned around, and indeed, he had been so preoccupied with discussing the game with them that he lost track of Li Baocheng.


    Ahead was a rugged mountain road leading to the Misty Forest. Xiao Buli hurried after him, crossed over a ridge, and when he reached the edge of a grove, sounds of fighting suddenly came from the other side. A sense of ominous foreboding surged in Xiao Buli''s heart as he rushed forward.


    By the time he circled around the grove and saw what was behind it, his heart sank.


    Li Baocheng was already dead, murdered brutally with knives at the edge of the small grove, now a broken corpse. A few players stood beside him, excitedly rolling dice to divide up his equipment. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 60 Slaughter

    "Hahaha, awesome, I ROLLED a 99, this bow is mine!"


    "Damn, just my luck, all I''m left with is this leather armor, and it''s practically falling apart!"


    Those few players were squabbling among each other, looking like they were from the same group. Interestingly, all four of them were of the Hunter Series, mainly using bows and arrows, melee weapons as secondary, and having pets at their side¡ªtypical hybrid class players.


    The ability to fight from a distance, engage up close, and have pets on hand was currently the most common profession choice. However, the sight of a group of four with such a setup was something Xiao Buli had never encountered before.


    Xiao Buli walked up to them and looked down at Li Baocheng, who was still maintaining that stiff smile, as if death had not inflicted any pain on him. Only, his face was obscured by bloodstains, making his grin look somewhat fierce. His body was riddled with arrows and wounds from vicious animal bites, creating quite a bloody and PG-rated scene.


    Xiao Buli took out the Soul Absorption Pearl and used it on Li Baocheng, to no avail, just as he feared.


    The few players looked at Xiao Buli and became defensive. One of them, clearly annoyed, said, "Hey, what are you fiddling with there? That rare elite was our kill, back off."


    Another, seemingly more timid one said, "Stop rushing, didn''t you see his gear looks pretty badass? Let''s not mess with him."


    "What''s there to be afraid of, if he kills us he''ll get a red name, he wouldn''t dare to make a move," added the third Hunter.


    The fourth Hunter chimed in, "Exactly, and besides, there are four of us and only one of him, no matter how good his gear is. If he tries anything funny, we''ll just blow him up. That armor he''s got on looks pretty sweet."


    They would''ve been better off had he not said anything, but his words sparked a flicker of greed in the others (Right, it''s four against one¡ªif we take him down, we could score his armor. That would be a way bigger loot than slaying a BOSS).


    Although many had similar thoughts, no one spoke up directly. However, one of the Hunters stepped forward and said, "Hey, ever heard of manners? We killed that monster. Stop gawking and scram." Having said that, the Hunter shot an arrow at Xiao Buli''s feet as a clear warning and provocation.


    Xiao Buli heard all of their conversation. Looking at the corpse of Li Baocheng on the ground, he didn''t know why, but he suddenly felt a surge of rage swelling in his heart.


    Logically, he and Li Baocheng were not that close, yet now he just wanted to hack those guys to pieces.


    "You want to kill me for my gear? You''re welcome to try; I''ll even give you a chance."


    With that, he unleashed a Mysterious Ice Slash. The provoking Hunter clearly did not anticipate that Xiao Buli would attack upon saying so, let alone that he would take on all four of them by himself. He was instantly struck, losing a third of his health points and was frozen solid, becoming one large ice block.


    Xiao Buli didn''t bother with pleasantries and followed up with Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds, rushing at them. The other Hunters quickly retreated, but the frozen one wasn''t so lucky, chopped into seven or eight pieces on the spot. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Damn, this guy''s insane, kill him, kill him now!" The Hunters realized Xiao Buli''s ferocity and regretted provoking him. But it was too late for regrets; they had to fight for their lives. Still, the three of them were somewhat confident¡ªit was three against one, after all. If they could manage to drop that black armor, they''d strike it rich.


    The group seemed to have a good understanding of one another and dispersed in all directions, intending to kite Xiao Buli¡ªshooting arrows while retreating and releasing a few fierce beasts. A black wolf, a leopard, and a boar all charged at Xiao Buli simultaneously.


    Xiao Buli raised his hand and summoned the Swamp Crocodile. The black wolf, leading the charge, landed right beside the crocodile and was instantly devoured by its Devouring Skill.


    However, after swallowing the black wolf, the Swamp Crocodile seemed to suffer from indigestion, lying motionless on the ground while the two remaining beasts tore and bit at it to no avail; the Swamp Crocodile was too thick-skinned and barely lost any health points.


    Taking advantage of the situation and the Swamp Crocodile drawing fire, Xiao Buli disappeared from the spot using Fleeting Light and Shadow.


    "He''s gone invisible, damn, use a flare!"


    "Call back the pets for a Reveal!"


    The Hunters were shouting in chaos when suddenly, out of nowhere, a figure appeared behind one of them¡ªit was Xiao Buli, who else could it be. Petrified, the Hunter swung his Golden Ring Blade violently, its whistling sound fierce; this close-range Hunter wasn''t useless either.


    But he was only multitasking and stood no chance against Xiao Buli, who had triggered Gale Sword Skills and enhanced it with Sunfire Sword Qi, hacking him to death in the blink of an eye.


    Several arrows shot towards Xiao Buli, their aim precise and deadly. The Ethereal Armor on Xiao Buli''s body was destroyed in a flash. Immediately after, an arrow hit him, but he only lost about 10 health points. The defense of the Dragon Scale Black Armor was not to be underestimated, especially its formidable protection against arrows. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli was relieved at the realization, and just then, the boar and leopard charged at him again.


    ''Intimidating Beasts!'' A black glow flashed on Xiao Buli, activating the skill attached to his armor, and the two ferocious beasts cowered and fled in terror, instantly repelled by the menacing glow.


    "Damn, what is happening, what skill is this!?"


    Xiao Buli didn''t even use a shield; he directly charged at a hunter. That hunter, having shot a few arrows and noticing they were ineffective, grit his teeth and stopped shooting altogether, switching to his melee weapon instead¡ªa pair of scimitars¡ªand started hacking away with crossed blades.


    Straight Lightning Sword! Xiao Buli''s longsword, apparently slower, actually struck first, directly stabbing the man''s chest. The conductive electric shock activated, and with a crack, a bolt of lightning flashed. The man was paralyzed, retreating backwards with his limbs numbed. After a messy barrage of slashes, he was killed in the blink of an eye.


    The other hunter seemed to realize that the situation was dire and had started to flee early. By the time Xiao Buli turned around, the man was already far away.


    Cloud Thunder Leap! With a crackle of thunder, Xiao Buli suddenly disappeared from his spot.


    Hearing the thunder, the hunter instinctively looked back, only to find that no one was there anymore. (Eh, where did that guy go? Did he give up the chase?)


    The hunter let out a sigh of relief, then turned around once more, just as a bolt of lightning struck down vertically in front of his eyes. When the lightning dispersed, standing on the charred ground was none other than Xiao Buli.


    As Xiao Buli slowly closed in, the hunter was flabbergasted. "Don''t, don''t kill me, please, I beg you not to kill me."


    Looking at the hunter begging for mercy, Xiao Buli felt some regret. After all, their killing of Li Baocheng had been unintentional, and they definitely had no idea that Li Baocheng''s real identity was that of a player. Him striking so ruthlessly now seemed to be misdirected anger.


    But then, recalling the hostility they had shown towards him during their conversation, Xiao Buli''s anger flared up once more. He probably realized why he was so sensitive¡ªit wasn''t so much anger for Li Baocheng as it was fear for potentially meeting a similar fate himself.


    Besides, as he had already started, Xiao Buli would not stop now. Regardless, the grudge had been formed, and in order to avoid trouble, it was better to clean up the mess.


    He didn''t say much and just swung his sword.


    Five minutes later, Xiao Buli had searched through the corpses of the four dead players, and the loot was neither abundant nor scarce. Some equipment had dropped, but none of it was particularly good or valuable. It would be a decent find for solo players, but surprisingly, the bow Li Baocheng had dropped had also appeared¡ªthe Lost Adventurer''s Bow. He was certain it was Li Baocheng''s from its name.


    This bow was a deep blue weapon, its attributes fairly decent, and had an annotation attached.


    Annotation: This is a weapon left by a deceased adventurer, and it''s clear there are many stories hidden behind this weapon.


    This bow was Li Baocheng''s last remaining trace in this game.


    Xiao Buli looked at the corpses scattered across the ground, sighed, and turned to walk up the mountain.


    After this fight, Xiao Buli''s mood had turned somewhat sour, not just because of Li Baocheng''s death, but more so because he had just killed four people¡ªfour living beings. Although he had become more resistant to killing, after all, taking others'' lives was never a comfortable matter.


    Previously, although he had killed people, it was because they had provoked him first, so he didn''t receive Slaughter Points. But this time, he had gained four points in one go. Fortunately, his name color hadn''t changed, and he didn''t know the use of these points. However, when he arrived in front of the shrine and saw Du Yibo, he realized he had been mistaken.


    "Damn, Old Xiao, why do you have a red name?" Du Yibo asked as soon as he saw Xiao Buli.


    "I have a red name?" Xiao Buli was immediately stunned.


    "Yeah, it''s so red, it''s practically purple; it''s so purple, it''s nearly black!"


    Xiao Buli took another look at his avatar, which hadn''t turned red. Could it be that only other players could see the change in color?


    He shook his head and said indifferently, "It''s nothing. Just killed a few players."


    "Damn, ''nothing''? Four Slaughter Points mean you have to stay in the wilderness for months before it goes back to normal. You can''t enter the city for a while. What did those guys do to piss you off that much?"


    Xiao Buli looked at Du Yibo, considering him a comrade who had also experienced that dramatic change with him, and decided there was no need to hide anything. He recounted the whole event to Du Yibo.


    "What, Li Baocheng turned into an NPC? Damn, I knew nothing good would come from getting involved in that game. Lucky I had a change of heart at the last second, or I might be in the game getting slashed as a BOSS right now; maybe I''d even be in a dungeon." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 61 Washing Away the Infamy

    "Go into a boss level? Surely that''s not necessary," Xiao Buli said, a mix of laughter and tears in his voice. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    "How is it not necessary? With my strength level, if I were in a game, I''d definitely be a boss with a golden name. I bet groups of players would be trying to kill me for my loot. Although I''m strong, handling so many enemies would be troublesome. But thankfully, I''m fine," Du Yibo said, feeling very fortunate. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli''s mood lightened somewhat after the ribbing, "Speaking of which, weren''t you specially kept behind by the team leader to finish things up? I remember you mentioning it. How come it''s now like you suddenly pulled a U-turn on your own?"


    Du Yibo looked a bit embarrassed and said, "Let''s not talk about that anymore. What are you planning to do next?"


    Xiao Buli didn''t press further and replied, "Of course I''ll clear things up. Without understanding what''s going on, even playing the game won''t feel right," he typed, smiling wryly.


    Du Yibo wholeheartedly agreed with his decision, "You''re right. It should be cleared up. But do you know where they are now?"


    "Of course, I know. According to the story Li Baocheng told me, that adventure team is obviously our team leader''s team. Since they''ve entered the heart of Black Stone Mountain, other than that tunnel, I can''t think of any other way to get there. So they must have entered that instance, and the so-called teleportation array should be inside the instance."


    "So all we have to do is enter and get through that instance to find out where the team leader and others went afterward. However, the instance is blocked by some force, and I have no idea how to get in or how they got in," he continued.


    After thinking for a moment, Du Yibo had a sudden inspiration, "Since it''s an intangible force, it should be a spell effect, right? Probably a potent Spirit-Dispelling Skill could break it. As for how they got in, Hua is an Exorcist, right? It must have been Hua who opened the door."


    Hearing Du Yibo''s reasoning, Xiao Buli gave it some thought and found it made sense. Their next step would be to learn a potent Spirit-Dispelling Skill.


    Unfortunately, he''d run out of Contribution Value, or else he could have gone back to see if Mystic Hollow Palace offered any similar skills. Now his only choice was to try his luck at the auction house in Nine Dragons City, but before that, he had to cleanse his red name.


    As for how to clean his red name, he asked around among the Solo Players, and eventually, an assassin player named Ye Han told him of a way.


    "Go to the City God Temple, and use Merit Points to cleanse it. I used to," Ye Han paused, "I often saw others there cleansing their Slaughter Points."


    Xiao Buli chuckled internally; he guessed that Ye Han had probably killed people before, more than once at that. Considering his advanced assassin profession, the reason was not hard to guess.


    For some reason, knowing he wasn''t the only one indiscriminately killing others made him feel much better.


    "Alright, then I''ll head to the City God Temple."


    After saying goodbye to everyone, Xiao Buli set off.


    The City God Temple was much more conspicuous than the Nuwa Temple; it was opposite the City Lord''s Mansion in every city.


    Xiao Buli arrived at Nine Dragons City and stealthily made his way into the City God Temple. The place was empty, but that no longer surprised him.


    Activating his Omniscient Eye, a black-faced judge-like figure indeed revealed itself where none had been before.


    He approached to initiate a dialogue¡ª


    ```


    "Do you wish to cleanse yourself of your Slaughter Karma?" the City God asked indifferently.


    Xiao Buli replied, "Yes, I do. May I know the price for it?"


    The City God brought out a mirror and shone it upon him, "Hmm, let me see, you carry 4 points of Slaughter Points, with each requiring 50 Merit Points to resolve. You''ll need a total of 200 Merit Points."


    What! Xiao Buli was shocked. That was just too much. He had only about 200 Merit Points on him. He had originally thought that accumulating 500 points would allow him to be revived, but now it seemed he was still far from that goal.


    However, he couldn''t just leave the Slaughter Points uncleaned, as that would prevent him from even entering the city, which would be troublesome.


    Seeing his dilemma, the City God said, "If you don''t have 200 points, I can take 150 points and cleanse you of most of your karma. Thus, although people will still sense an aura of killing intent from you, it won''t immediately lead to life-threatening trouble. What do you think?"


    Xiao Buli thought this must be what they call ''turning yellow name,'' but decided to forget it. After all, the remaining 50 Merit Points seemed useless, and besides, 200 points was still far from 500, so he might as well cleanse them.


    With that thought, he gritted his teeth and chose to accept the offer.


    A golden light descended, as if washing away his Slaughter Karma. When the white light dissipated, the bloody aura on his body had also vanished.


    "All clean now. Welcome to come again," the City God shone the mirror upon Xiao Buli once more before speaking.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, Yeah right, as if I had that many Merit Points.


    This City God was also a gold-named ghostly NPC. Xiao Buli wondered if he could earn Merit Points by defeating the NPC, but figured that such functional NPCs most likely had their own backing, so it would be wise not to provoke them rashly.


    Next stop¡ªthe Auction House:


    Xiao Buli stood before the price list at the Auction House, his gaze sweeping across the item listings. Recently, numerous battles had taken place in the vicinity of Nine Dragons City. Not long ago, the Demon Clan had launched a probing attack, killing many people.


    Naturally, lots of equipment and Skill Books were dropped as well, and the item listings in the Auction House now looked much richer for it.


    That was particularly true for Skill Books. There was an assortment of messy sword manuals, blade manuals, boxing techniques, Formations, and various spellcasting Skill Books. Unfortunately, none of them were the powerful Spirit-Dispelling Spells that Xiao Buli wanted.


    There was a Spirit-Dispelling Skill that seemed to have somewhat similar functionality, but it was clearly not very strong, requiring only 16 points of spiritual power to learn. And they were selling it for 30 Gold Coins¡ªabsolutely ludicrous. Xiao Buli wouldn''t be foolish enough to buy such a worthless book.


    Nevertheless, Xiao Buli did find two copies of the "Spirit Reincarnation" Skill Book, neither of which was expensive. One could be bought for just three Gold Coins, and another for five Gold Coins, and those were the higher prices. After all, the price of Skill Books in Nine Dragons City had been on the rise recently.


    If it had been a more ordinary time, he reckoned it might have cost just one or two Gold Coins.


    Yet, the low price made Xiao Buli hesitate. Could it be that such a good skill was really unlearned by anybody? It was important to note that it was a life-saving skill.


    He read through the introduction to Spirit Reincarnation again and suddenly paused.


    "Spirit Reincarnation": This is an unorthodox Art created by the Necromancers of the Grand Yin Sect. Those who practice this Art do not die immediately upon death. Instead, they turn into a Wandering Spirit, devoid of any combat ability, existing for seven days before naturally dissipating. Learning this spell requires a spiritual power of 20 points.


    The key lay in surviving for seven days. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)


    ```

 Chapter 62 The Feeling of RMB Players

    The key lies in the description of this Skill Book, "Survive for seven days, after which it will naturally dissipate." The word ''survive'' is used here, which seems somewhat ironic for an Undead. Is the description of the skill not accurate enough? Xiao Buli didn''t think so.


    Playing this game for so long, he had almost completely grasped the operation of the game. There were basically no bugs.


    Then it is very likely that the so-called Wandering Spirit is not just a common Undead, but a kind of creature. As such a creature, could a Wandering Spirit be resurrected? He had always subconsciously thought it was possible, but now he found it hard to confirm. After all, if Spirit Reincarnation was really that useful, there''s no way the Skill Book would be so cheap.


    One has to know, the probability of a person becoming a Ghost after death is not one hundred percent, having such a skill would be like having an extra insurance policy.


    To find out the answer to this question, undoubtedly, he needed to ask someone. With his doubts, Xiao Buli headed to the Grand Yin Sect.


    Because he had previously completed tasks for the Grand Yin Sect, and his Prestige had reached Friendly, he was not obstructed and easily found the Sect leader to inquire about this issue.


    After hearing his question, the Sect leader immediately gave the answer.


    "Wandering Spirits are a fixed Spiritual Body, or rather a creature of spiritual nature, while Ghosts are Undead, the spiritual remnants left behind after a human dies. They are completely different entities. A ghost can combine with an unconscious body to form a complete human, but Wandering Spirits do not possess this ability."


    Upon hearing the Sect leader''s words, Xiao Buli felt a chill in his heart. So his confidence all this time had been built on a castle of sand. Lucky for him, he had always been cautious not to die; otherwise, it would have been lethal.


    The good news was that he no longer had to help those few buy "Spirit Reincarnation" Skill Books. The bad news, however, was if any of them did die, Xiao Buli was not completely certain that he could resurrect them.


    With that in mind, Xiao Buli turned back, "Hey, you guys, be careful when playing the games, don''t die."


    "Boss, did you take the wrong medicine? How could we possibly not be careful about this? Do you still need to tell us?"


    They obviously didn''t appreciate his concern, but Xiao Buli sighed and said nothing more.


    Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    After looking through the Skill Book, Xiao Buli searched in the auction house listings for various equipment blueprints, with simple criteria: low learning requirements, decent Attributes, low cost, suitable for equipping NPCs en masse. Soon, he found several suitable blueprints.


    Black Lacquer War Bow: A standard war bow commonly seen in the army, often used to arm powerful archer units.


    Learning requirements: Carpenter LV5, Forging LV1.


    Cowhide Iron-Plated Armor: Armor made of cowhide with iron plates embedded in it, further enhancing its defensive power.


    Learning requirements: Leatherworking LV5, Forging LV1. Iron-Wrapped Round Shield: A round wooden shield wrapped with a layer of iron, offering better defense than standard wooden round shields.


    Learning requirements: Carpenter LV5, Forging LV3.


    There were as many as twelve or thirteen of these blueprints, all of which were very cheap because they were only blueprints for white equipment. Although among the white equipment they were decent, they were still white equipment after all.


    For players with even a small amount of capital, they were of no use, and even for those focusing on Professional Skills, these blueprints could only be used to practice skills, increasing proficiency, making it impossible to profit, so they had little real value. Xiao Buli spent five Gold Coins and got the whole set of blueprints he needed.


    After buying the blueprints, he didn''t end his shopping there. He flipped through the pages, looking for any particularly good items. When he flipped to the last few pages, he found several Magical Treasure Blueprints, obviously consigned by adventurers. These were all lower-level blueprints, at most level three Magical Treasures, but their prices were outrageously high.


    It was evident that these players valued such items highly; the cheapest blueprints were around five or six Gold Coins, which he couldn''t afford now.


    These Magical Treasure Blueprints were divided into two types: knowledge-based blueprints, which, once learned, the content of the blueprints could be saved in the skill list, and one could craft Magical Treasures as long as they had the materials.


    The other type of blueprint was consumable, usable only once. When crafting a Magical Treasure, they needed to be fused with materials in the Furnace. Once used, they were gone, more like a type of diagram.


    The former, the knowledge-based blueprints, were generally lower-level Magical Treasure blueprints, while the latter were either higher-level or particularly special-effect Magical Treasure blueprints.


    Now, the auction house was selling the former, the knowledge-based blueprints, and among them was one that caught Xiao Buli''s attention.


    Exorcism Staff: A staff filled with pure energy, capable of dispelling various types of Supernatural Forces.


    Use: Powerful Dispelling Spell, dispels all Spell effects on a target, or deals 300 damage to a Summoned unit. Usable three times per day.


    Learning requirements: 30 points of spiritual power, Magical Treasure Crafting LV3.


    Material requirements: Pure Yang Treasure Diamond¡Á1, Red Gold Ingot¡Á2, Xuan Yang Essence¡Á3.


    This item should be able to dispel the barrier at the entrance of the cave, but the price was really not low, at thirty Gold Coins. This didn''t even include the cost of materials. Altogether, it would probably cost at least fifty Gold Coins.


    Xiao Buli naturally couldn''t fork out that amount of money, but he had a Black Dragon King Flag Fragment to use instead.


    He listed the item directly in the auction house, setting the price at fifty Gold Coins. It seemed a bit high, but he was hoping someone would bite.


    "Hey, are you guys hungry?" Han Wenhuan suddenly said, "Let''s go out and grab some food."


    Xiao Buli glanced out the window, the sky had unknowingly turned dark.


    "Forget it, I''ll just eat something simple. You guys go ahead if you want to go out," replied Xiao Buli.


    Han Wenhuan nodded, logged off, and left. Seeing him leave, Gu Shaobang and the others followed suit. Xiao Buli paid them no mind, his focus still on the auction house.


    While nibbling on some bread, Xiao Buli scrolled through the auction house items. There were plenty of great items, and numerous materials useful for crafting Magical Treasures. However, he was low on cash, and there weren''t many items he could afford. As darkness fell completely, Xiao Buli didn''t stay any longer and headed towards the city outskirts.


    He intended to claim the Undead Boss he had encountered before, the Soul of Meng Zhao.


    As for whether this silver-named mini-Boss still existed, he was somewhat doubtful. After all, much time had passed, not to mention an influx of players could''ve easily slain it by now.


    However, the location was quite secluded, and ghost-type monsters tended to be quite tricky for most players. Because of this, he still held out great hope.


    When he arrived at the ancient battlefield, he wasn''t disappointed. In the pitch-black night, the Soul of Meng Zhao and the group of Elite and ordinary Undead were still there, arrayed in the same military formation as before, slowly drifting across the desolate grounds of the battlefield.


    Not a soul was around¡ªit was truly desolate. Xiao Buli counted the ghosts. Aside from the uncontrollable Wandering Spirits and wild ghosts, there were about thirty to forty Ghost Soldiers following the Soul of Meng Zhao, including six elites¡ªfour ordinary and two high-level¡ªplus those white Ghost Soldiers in the back, looking rather organized indeed.


    If it were anyone else facing these ghostly monsters, they would have had a tough time dealing with them. Firstly, ghost-type creatures were immune to physical attacks. Secondly, ghosts could turn invisible. Thirdly, there was a large number of them. Lastly, Yin Attribute attacks ignored defense.


    For Xiao Buli, however, none of these were problems. Firstly, he wielded the Soul Slayer''s Blade, rendering their physical immunity ineffective.


    Secondly, he had the Omniscient Eye spell, so invisibility didn''t work on him either.


    Thirdly, regardless of their numbers, he could employ area attacks, thus still ineffective. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lastly, while the ghosts'' Yin Attribute Spells were somewhat threatening, his Black Dragon Scale Armor negated that final threat.


    So, after assessing the situation, Xiao Buli activated various buffs and charged into the midst of the monsters.


    Soul of Meng Zhao: "I smell the living, kill him!"


    At the BOSS''s command, the ghosts swarmed towards him in unison.


    Soul-Stripping Touch!


    The low-level Ghost Soldiers stretched out their hands towards him, groping wildly, and ''immune'' notifications continually popped up overhead¡ªthese low-level spells were completely ineffective against him.


    The Elite Ghosts took action, launching shadows of ''Yin Energy Bullets'' that, like self-guided missiles, hit Xiao Buli. Again, piles of ''immune'' notifications appeared over his head.


    Immunity to Yin Attribute Spells was indeed domineering! Thinking this, Xiao Buli effortlessly slashed through with his blade. The ghosts were as vulnerable as vegetables, scattering their souls with just the blink of an eye.


    Xiao Buli felt an immense sense of satisfaction. This was what it meant to be domineering. With things going this way, not to mention one versus five, even one versus fifty thousand would pose no difficulty. He now understood the feeling of those pay-to-win players.


    What surprised him was that, despite the immunity to Yin Attribute attacks, he still lost some health in the ensuing battle. The ghosts were able to employ physical attacks, but their effectiveness was much weaker compared to living beings. Therefore, the fight was still uneventful, and he resolved it in a few minutes.


    The Elite Ghosts dropped nothing notable apart from a few Shadow Essences, but the Soul of Meng Zhao yielded two items.


    One was a piece of the Black Dragon King Flag, and the other was a Skill Book called "Nether Fire Orb".


    PS: Took a cold shower today and caught a stomach cold, feeling nauseous and terrible, so there will only be one update today. I''ll strive for three updates tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this work, your votes and monthly tickets at Qidian are greatly appreciated. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 63 Critical Information

    This Black Dragon King Flag Fragment can certainly fetch a high price, Xiao Buli calculated in his heart. The more fragments collected, the greater the hope of merging the King''s Banner, and the more Zhang Haojie would be willing to spend big money to collect more fragments. If the first fragment could be sold for fifty Gold Coins, selling the second one for a hundred Gold Coins was also possible.


    Otherwise, if only one fragment was missing and it couldn''t be merged, wouldn''t all the previous fragments have been collected in vain? Faced with such an awkward situation, anyone would be willing to pay any price to buy it for the merger.


    As for the "Nether Fire Orb," it was a decent Skill Book as well, the Undead version of the Fireball Technique. Not only was its power not weaker than the Fireball Technique, it also came with a burning effect. This spell was extremely practical for professions like the Corpse-driving Warlock and Onmyoji.


    Selling it for a few dozen Gold Coins should be no problem; it was just a pity that it required Lv3 Necromancy to learn, otherwise, he himself might have considered learning it.


    When Xiao Buli returned to the city, the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment that he had listed in the auction house had not yet sold, which he found a bit strange. The Awesome Empire had always been in Nine Dragons City, so if Zhang Haojie was really undertaking this collection task, it standed to reason that he would have someone keeping an eye on the auction house.


    But he wasn''t in a hurry. After all, there was plenty of time. Just as he was thinking, suddenly someone behind him said, "As expected, that Black Dragon King Flag Fragment was listed by you, right?"


    Xiao Buli turned around and saw it was his old foe, Chen Chuan.


    "What''s the matter, is there a problem? Do you have business with me?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Our boss has business with you," Chen Chuan said, without answering his question. He just said, "Step aside to talk. Our boss is waiting for you upstairs in the restaurant." After speaking, he walked out. Xiao Buli wasn''t afraid of the other party playing tricks and directly followed him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the restaurant next to the auction house, on the second floor, Xiao Buli met Zhang Haojie. However, there were only him and Chen Chuan present, not a single member of the Awesome Empire was there.


    "You wanted to see me for something?"


    Zhang Haojie cut straight to the chase, "Sell your Black Dragon King Flag Fragment to me."


    "Of course, that''s possible. How much are you offering?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Twenty Gold Coins."


    Xiao Buli thought that was so little and shook his head, "Fifty Gold Coins, non-negotiable."


    Chen Chuan, who was listening on the side, became angry, "Damn, you''re selling a broken quest item for fifty Gold Coins, are you robbing us?"


    Xiao Buli scoffed, "Don''t think I don''t know what the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment really is. If I''m not wrong, after the task is completed, seven Black Dragon King Flag Fragments can be merged into one Black Dragon King Flag. With the King''s Banner, one can attack and found a nation. For such a treasure, fifty Gold Coins is not at all expensive."


    Zhang Haojie said, "Indeed, fifty Gold Coins isn''t expensive, but don''t forget, it takes seven pieces to make one King''s Banner. Moreover, have you considered that the Black Dragon King Flag made from these fragments certainly won''t have as good Attributes as the genuine King''s Banner, it''s mostly likely to be an inferior product."


    "Of course I know that, which is why I''m selling it for 50 Gold Coins, not 500," Xiao Buli said confidently, leaving Zhang Haojie not knowing how to respond.


    After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "I do have 50 Gold Coins, but even with your fragment, I would only have collected six. I still need one more fragment to complete the task, so I need to save some money to collect the next fragment. Therefore, I can give you at most thirty Gold Coins. If that doesn''t work, then forget it."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that thirty Gold Coins were fine, too. It was just enough for him to buy that Magical Treasure Blueprint.


    "Alright then, thirty it is. Considering we''ve fought bosses together before, I''ll give you a favor and sell it to you," Xiao Buli said as if he had made a big decision.


    He went back to the auction house to retrieve the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment, completed the transaction, and with thirty more Gold Coins in his bag, Xiao Buli smiled. It was indeed easy money.


    After finishing the transaction, Xiao Buli returned to the auction house and listed the freshly acquired Black Dragon King Flag Fragment again, this time for a hundred Gold Coins.


    Then he went back to the restaurant and leisurely waited. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Zhang Haojie found it odd to see him back, "Xiao, are you waiting for someone?"


    "Yes, I''m waiting for a big fish to bite," Xiao Buli said.


    Zhang Haojie obviously didn''t understand. After a while, Chen Chuan clattered back up the stairs, "Boss, that fragment has appeared in the auction house again, but that fragment¡ª"


    After Chen Chuan described what he had seen in the auction house, Zhang Haojie finally understood what Xiao Buli meant by a big fish biting.


    "Look, Xiao, this isn''t really fun anymore. Since you have that piece too, let''s stick to the old price, thirty Gold Coins," he said.


    But Xiao Buli replied, "How could thirty Gold Coins be enough, it has to be at least a hundred. I''ve already given you a favor to be clear about it, let''s not be greedy."


    Speaking with righteous indignation, Xiao Buli managed to infuriate Chen Chuan, "Are you asking for trouble, kid? You dare to play us? Don''t you know how formidable the Awesome Empire is?"


    Xiao Buli just laughed out loud with the characters "haha," saying, "It''s precisely because I know how formidable the Awesome Empire is that I''ve set this price. A guild as big as the Awesome Empire can''t be unable to come up with a hundred gold coins, right? Or, could it be that this task isn''t really meant for your guild to handle?"


    Chen Chuan defensively said, "What do you mean by that?"


    Xiao Buli said, "If I''m not mistaken, you''re collecting King''s Banners in order to establish your own independence, aren''t you?"


    As soon as these words were spoken, not only was Chen Chuan stunned, but even Zhang Haojie, who was behind the screen, showed a shocked expression.


    After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Haojie typed, "That''s right, I indeed plan to go independent."


    "Boss!" Chen Chuan anxiously tried to intervene, seemingly wanting to stop Zhang Haojie from revealing their secret, but Zhang Haojie said, "It''s no use, he already knows. Now that things have been brought to light, let''s just lay it all out."


    Having heard this, Chen Chuan stopped saying anything.


    Having confirmed his suspicions, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but be amazed. He had only been probing earlier, and although he had this suspicion, he hadn''t been completely certain. To his surprise, it turned out to be true. "I just don''t get it. Why do you want to go independent? Aren''t you a high-ranking member of the Awesome Empire?"


    "Heh, your question is kind of funny. Don''t you know that it''s precisely because you guys have set an example that now many great guilds are starting to suffer from internal splits?"


    What? There are such things happening? Xiao Buli was taken aback.


    "But you''re in the higher-ups, right?"


    "In a game like this, what can a high-up do? We''re all expendable pieces. To secure a safe retreat and save our own skins, many are willing to be sacrificed."


    To secure a safe retreat and save our own skins? Xiao Buli wondered what that meant, and just as he was about to ask for clarification, Zhang Haojie said, "Tell me your price. To be honest with you, I certainly don''t have a hundred gold coins. As I mentioned before, I only have a little over seventy gold coins left. I gave you thirty just now, and I need to save some for repairs and supplies.


    At most, I can only offer another thirty gold coins; oh."


    Xiao Buli said, "It''s alright if you don''t have gold coins. I need some high-level materials, which you can use to make up for it."


    However, Zhang Haojie shook his head and said, "Our great guild has very clear divisions of labor. Those of us who are combatants are not allowed to learn professional skills. Collection skills are done by dedicated people, so we don''t have any materials on hand either. As for equipment, don''t even think about it. They''re the tools we use to make a living.


    If one goes missing, the company will investigate, and we definitely can''t give them to you. Plus, you need to understand that no one but us would buy this thing. If the deal falls through, we''re not the only ones who will lose."


    Zhang Haojie''s stance was very firm, and what he said made sense.


    Nevertheless, Xiao Buli always felt that there was still room for negotiation, considering all the effort he had put into setting up this situation. If the transaction fell through just like that, he would find it hard to believe. So he said, "That doesn''t bother me either. After all, I''m a solo player, and I''m not concerned about these things."


    But Zhang Haojie said, "How about I give you a piece of intelligence instead, one that concerns your safety?"


    "What intelligence?"


    "Don''t bother asking about that. I just want to know if you agree to trade the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment for this piece of intelligence plus thirty gold coins?"


    After long contemplation, Xiao Buli agreed, "Alright, let''s hear it. If it''s as serious as you say, we''ll make the trade. But if the information you give me isn''t satisfactory, then it''s no deal."


    Zhang Haojie nodded, "It''s a deal!"


    "The information is that the Qilin Five are looking for you, and they''re getting close to finding your location."


    What! Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli was immediately shocked, "How do you know that?"


    "Don''t forget that the northeast is our territory. The intelligence system of the Awesome Empire is stronger than you can imagine."


    Xiao Buli''s heart sank as he weighed the truth and falsehood of the other party''s words, "You said they''re close to finding me; does that mean you know my location?"


    "I don''t."


    "Then how do you know that the Qilin Five will be able to find us?"


    Zhang Haojie suddenly laughed, a very strange laugh. "You really don''t know why? Aren''t you from the same guild as Qilin Group?"


    Xiao Buli responded, "We are from the same guild, but I''m not very familiar with them. What''s going on?"


    Zhang Haojie decided not to keep him in suspense any longer, "I''ve dealt with people from the Qilin Group before. There''s a Curse Master within their ranks who possesses Divination Skills. Although he can''t pinpoint your exact location, he''s able to continually narrow down your whereabouts through constant divinations.


    Our intelligence department discovered last week that the Qilin Group had entered Liaoning province, so if I''m not mistaken, you''re also in Liaoning, right?"


    Finally running out of responses, Xiao Buli conceded, "Alright, your information is crucial. Let''s make the trade."


    Upon receiving thirty gold coins, Xiao Buli handed the Black Dragon King Flag Fragment over to the other party. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 64 The Great Magical Treasure Battle

    Xiao Buli looked at the sixty-five Gold Coins in his bag and wasn''t too excited. Although it seemed like a lot of money, it was very easy to spend. Just an Exorcism Staff along with its blueprints and materials would cost about fifty Gold Coins, and that probably wouldn''t even cover it all.


    However, he might be able to earn some Gold Coins by selling the Magical Treasures he refined. After all, as far as he knew, there were not many people who could use the skill of Refining Treasure.


    There were also Magical Treasures on consignment at the auction house, but they were scarce, just a few, and their quality wasn''t really up to par. In Xiao Buli''s view, they were on the same level as those he could make, or even inferior, yet the prices they fetched were quite high. If he made some to sell, he thought he could make some money.


    As Xiao Buli was pondering, Gu Shaobang and the others walked in from outside.


    "You guys finished dinner so soon?" Xiao Buli casually asked.


    "Yeah, by the way, boss, guess who we ran into," Li Shuren said excitedly.


    Hearing the excitement in the other party''s voice, Xiao Buli was immediately taken aback. Could it be the Qilin Group? He turned around somewhat nervously, but though the others seemed excited, they didn''t look anxious, which relieved him somewhat.


    "Who did you run into?"


    Qian Duoduo, that fatso from the other day," Xiao Ge said loudly as he plopped down onto a seat.


    "Oh, what''s there to be happy about?"


    Li Shuren explained, "That Qian Duoduo said he has a way to help us get explosives."


    Explosives! Xiao Buli was shocked, "What do you need explosives for?"


    "Of course, for making engineering items. If I can combine the explosives with my engineering items, they will be incredibly powerful. Can you help me transfer some over?" Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli thought this fellow really dared to think and act. However, it should be feasible. The power of modern weapons was incomparable to those game blades and spears, and even when it came to sheer destructive power, they were unmatched by in-game spellcasting.


    A small amount of explosives were stronger than the Fireball Technique. In fact, firearms would be ideal, but there was no way to acquire them.


    Xiao Buli had thought about getting his hands on some firearms or other such items before, but he never had the time to try. Once the current issues were settled, it would be necessary to schedule this in.


    "Okay, when can you get them? I''ll transfer them as soon as possible. I need to move out in the next couple of days." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What, boss, why are you moving out?" everyone asked in surprise.


    Xiao Buli then recounted the matter with the Qilin Group. After finishing, he added, "The Qilin Group''s divination must be targeting me, so to avoid involving you guys, it''s better if I keep my distance."


    Xiao Ge said discontentedly, "Boss, what are you talking about? Haven''t we always advanced and retreated together? We should be working together to get through tough times. If we let you face those strong adversaries alone, we''d be lacking in righteousness."


    However, Xiao Buli shook his head, "That''s easy to say, but you won''t be much help. The combat strength of the Qilin Group is not something you can intervene in at your current level. I must face this alone."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Ge sighed in disappointment.


    "But boss, won''t you be in danger facing off against five by yourself?"


    Xiao Buli smiled confidently, "With my strength, even if I can''t win, escaping won''t be a problem. Don''t think they''re all that impressive in the game. Without their equipment in the real world, I''m not afraid of them. It won''t be easy for them to capture me."


    Seeing Xiao Buli so determined, the others didn''t know what more to say; after all, they really weren''t strong enough.


    (It looks like I need to speed up improving my strength, or else I''ll be useless in times of danger) Each of them thought to themselves.


    Li Shuren said, "Then, boss, help me transfer some more items into the game. I still need a lot of stuff."


    Han Wenhuan also said, "I need you to transfer some military manuals and such for me."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Okay, let''s do it all together once everything is ready tomorrow. But are you sure about that Qian Duoduo? Don''t get cheated."


    "Don''t worry, boss, I''ve got a good eye for people. He should be reliable," replied Li Shuren confidently.


    Indeed, living up to his name, Qian Duoduo delivered the items first thing the next morning.


    A whole box of explosives, weighing more than ten pounds. Of course, this stuff wasn''t free. This box of banned goods had cost a pretty penny, just the deposit was fifty thousand yuan, and another fifty thousand was due upon delivery. Fortunately, with the second-generation rich kid Gu Shaobang around, a sum of one hundred thousand or eighty thousand didn''t seem like much.


    After delivering the goods and receiving the final payment, Qian Duoduo grinned at the group and bowed, "If you need anything in the future, just contact me. I''m not boasting, but there''s nothing in this area I can''t get my hands on."


    Seeing his confidence, Xiao Buli couldn''t resist testing him, "So, can you get firearms?"


    "That? No problem at all, but it won''t be cheap. Are you looking for a double-barreled shotgun or a five-shot repeater?"


    "Do you have sniper rifles, AK47s, and stuff like that?"


    The fat man was taken aback and chuckled bitterly, "Now, that''s a bit difficult for me. I can''t get those kinds of things."


    Xiao Buli laughed, "I thought you had connections?"


    "Hey, selling illegal firearms is also about levels. Different grades of firearms cause different levels of noise. If it were an ordinary hunting shotgun, even if it got found out, the investigation wouldn''t be too thorough. As long as I''m not implicated, it wouldn''t be a big deal. But with AK47s and sniper rifles, it''s a serious matter.


    The slightest slip-up would lead to an intense investigation, and no one would get away with it. Who dares to mess with that?"

 Chapter 64 The Great Magical Treasure Battle_2

    Xiao Buli gave a nod and said nothing more; it seemed he would have to figure out a solution on his own.


    After Han Wenhuan had gathered everything he needed to transfer, Xiao Buli packed the items collected by Li Shuren and his own items into a box and transported them into the game using a ring.


    Li Shuren had collected more than just explosives; he had also amassed quite a few blueprints that he thought were simple enough for characters in the game to learn, though whether they could actually be learned was uncertain.


    After helping to transfer all these items, Xiao Buli moved out on his own. He rented an apartment in the downtown area, a few kilometers away from the villa, and the environment was quite nice.


    The first thing Xiao Buli did after logging into the game was to get ready to make money.


    He couldn''t afford to spend the sixty-five Gold Coins in his bag frivolously; he planned to use this sum as capital to make a good profit.


    He had often made money using crafting skills in other games, so he was quite familiar with this sort of thing.


    His first step was to assess the market situation. Since obtaining equipment, especially Magical Treasures with special attributes, was extremely difficult in this game, there was no need to worry about sales. However, considering the scarcity of Mage Professions in this game, treasures with special effects were particularly precious.


    In contrast, the value of Magical Treasures relating to summoning, protection, or Magic Damage was not as high.


    Therefore, when selecting blueprints for Magical Treasures, practicality was the foremost priority.


    The first blueprint that caught his eye was a Magical Treasure with the Anti-Invisibility and Illusion-Breaking Skill¡ªthe Demon-Revealing Mirror.


    Demon-Revealing Mirror (Magical Treasure Level LV2): A legendary magical object said to reveal the true form of demons.


    Use: Emits a ray of Divine Light of the Heavenly Eye, dispelling all invisibility and illusion effects under its illumination, power equivalent to LV1 Heavenly Eye Skills, skill cooldown time: one hour.


    This treasure was particularly useful for teams that lacked the ability to Reveal, and could also break illusions, making it very practical in certain situations. The blueprint''s price was ten Gold Coins. Xiao Buli estimated that crafting a Demon-Revealing Mirror would cost about six Gold Coins. If he sold them for ten Gold Coins each, he would make a profit of four Gold Coins per mirror.


    Ten Gold Coins obviously weren''t cheap, but for groups of five or more, it should be an affordable price. This item was very practical. If a team without Mage Professions faced the possibility of a total wipeout when encountering monsters with invisibility and illusions, then ten Gold Coins were definitely not expensive, hence it should sell.


    No sooner said than done, Xiao Buli bought the blueprint for ten Gold Coins and spent thirty Gold Coins on a large amount of materials. He then crafted five Demon-Revealing Mirrors all at once, placing two in the auction house, one priced at twenty Gold Coins and the other at ten Gold Coins.


    Before long, the Demon-Revealing Mirror priced at ten Gold Coins sold, and Xiao Buli quickly restocked. Then he began to consider the next Magical Treasure.


    There were not many blueprints for Magical Treasures available in the auction house, and they were not cheap. After some consideration, Xiao Buli found that most of them were of the type that released a fireball or summoned something to help in combat, which were not useless, but of little value to him at the moment. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire


    However, one apparently useless item caught Xiao Buli''s attention.


    Water-Repelling Pearl: A magical treasure bead said to be nurtured within the body of a thousand-year-old Clam Demon.


    Passive Effect: Allows the wearer to breathe underwater. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This item''s description was very simple and its utility seemed quite niche. Up to now, Xiao Buli had not fought any underwater monsters, so at first glance, the item appeared to be nothing more than a toy. This blueprint was also priced very low, at just three Gold Coins.


    Yet, Xiao Buli saw its value. The reason the Soul of Meng Zhao had not been defeated until now was because of its highly unusual growth environment. Similarly, underwater was a very special environment. One could imagine that if there were any bosses underwater, no one would go after them. Perhaps there were many rare elites and outdoor bosses in the river channels of Bull Rush Plain by now.


    This meant that as long as he had this item, he would be able to farm underwater bosses at will¡ªassuming, of course, he could defeat them.


    After giving it some thought, Xiao Buli felt the investment was worth it; after all, it wasn''t expensive.


    He immediately bought the blueprint for three Gold Coins.


    After purchasing some materials, Xiao Buli began crafting.


    The Water-Repelling Pearl was only a LV1 Magical Treasure, so the required materials were relatively cheap; making one cost about three Gold Coins in materials. Xiao Buli crafted three pearls in one go, not daring to make too many, as he was still unsure if they would be of any use.


    Checking the auction house again, he saw that another Demon-Revealing Mirror had sold, so he continued to restock, estimating that all five mirrors would be sold within two days.


    Although the remaining blueprints weren''t of much use, there was still the potential to make money.


    For example, a Frozen Ring that could be activated once daily to coat a weapon with the Power of Frost, slowing down an enemy''s Movement Speed upon hitting them, was quite useful for melee professions. Since he had the Mysterious Ice Slash, he naturally didn''t need it, but it would probably be useful for average players.


    Xiao Buli also snapped up the blueprint for this, spending ten Gold Coins on materials, and crafted three Frozen Rings, each one priced at five Gold Coins.

 Chapter 64 The Great Magical Treasure Battle_3

    Besides these items, he also made four pairs of Windstride Boots and put them up for auction along with the Shadow Cloak in his bag that he didn''t need; although the Shadow Cloak wasn''t worth much, he still priced it at four Gold Coins, and by noon, it had been sold.


    The Windstride Boots sold the best, probably because the effect of the Magical Treasure, which increased Movement Speed, was suitable for life-saving; moreover, once activated, the boots allowed the wearer to leave the ground, proving very useful for crossing complex terrain. Unfortunately, the materials available in the auction house were limited, and Xiao Buli was only able to make four pairs.


    He sold three and kept one pair for himself.


    By noon the next day, the Magical Treasures he had made had almost all been sold, and the materials in the auction house had been bought up. After calculating the profits, he found that he had earned over a hundred Gold Coins in just a day and a half, not including the cost of several blueprints and the Exorcism Staff he had netted.


    The Exorcism Staff was also created by him, just one piece, and of course, that was something he definitely wouldn''t sell.


    As for the other items, selling them wouldn''t really yield much more; those with money had already made their purchases and those without couldn''t afford them even given more time. So, Xiao Buli packed up the remaining unsold Magical Treasures.


    Now, he had a total of seven Magical Treasures: the Undead Binding Scepter, Windstride Boots, Demon-Revealing Mirror, Exorcism Staff, and Water-Repelling Pearl x3 ¨C quite the collection of fine items.


    With money at hand, naturally, he couldn''t become a miser. Xiao Buli started another round of shopping, and his primary objective was naturally the Skill Books. The main purpose of the Skill Books was to fuse with his existing skills, as the Ethereal Armor skill had seemed quite effective before but was beginning to appear somewhat insufficient recently.


    A durability of 300 points might seem ample, but the problem was this skill did not benefit from armor; a few high-attack hits could easily break the shield, so Xiao Buli thought it necessary to fuse it.


    He easily found a suitable Skill Book, "Qi-Protecting Aura," which required Internal Energy LV1.


    Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    This Skill Book was a signature move of a Qigong Master, and having often seen Wu Tao use it, Xiao knew roughly what it did, so he bought it immediately for ten Gold Coins.


    Using the battle experience he had accumulated over time, he leveled it directly to LV5 and fused it with the LV5 Ethereal Armor, successfully obtaining a new skill¡ªSpiritual Energy Shield.


    Spiritual Energy Shield (LV1): A defense skill that merges spirit and flesh. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Passive effect: Provides you with a Protective Shield with a durability of 200 points at all times, which will absorb damages until its durability depletes. After leaving combat, the Protective Shield''s durability will slowly recover.


    Active effect: Restores 100 points of Protective Shield durability and increases your armor by 50 points for 10 seconds, consuming 30 True Yuan Points, with a cooldown of 60 seconds.


    The advantage of this skill is that it provides protection anytime and anywhere, but its protective effect seems not as strong as the Ethereal Armor. However, since this is only a LV1 skill, once it is leveled up to LV5, it will undoubtedly be stronger than Ethereal Armor.


    Besides this Skill Book, Xiao also discovered another Skill Book that he found surprising.


    "Tracking Vital Energy": Locate points of accumulated Vital Energy. When this skill is activated, the locations of Vital Energy will be displayed on your minimap.


    ¡ªThis Skill Book seemed rather obscure; even the seller might not have known its actual use, which is why it was priced at just two Gold Coins. Xiao Buli naturally did not hesitate to take it into his possession.


    After spending another one and a half days in the city, by the third day, Xiao Buli finally decided it was time to leave.


    Upon exiting the city gates, just as Xiao was about to find a secluded spot to use Cloud-Thundering Sky Flash, a Shadow suddenly emerged from behind him.


    "Long time no see, Xiao," said the person.


    Xiao Buli immediately became alert, astonished that someone had been following him unnoticed. Clearly, the person was not weak. He turned around to look, surveying the individual, who was wearing a mask, hiding their face. The person was clad in a black Vigorous Leather Armor and had swords of varying lengths on their back, seemingly enveloped in a shroud of shadows.


    Curiously, their name wasn''t displayed, a situation Xiao Buli had never encountered before.


    "Who are you?"


    "It''s me, Lu Xinying," the person replied, displaying their name for a moment before concealing it again. This was a special ability of the Shadow Dancer, allowing them to hide their identity.


    Lu Xinying... Xiao Buli recalled and indeed remembered¡ªLu Xinying from the Vermilion Bird Group, a subordinate of Wu Min''er.


    "Why are you here? Did your group leader send you to investigate me?" Considering that Wu Min''er had already joined Qin Shimoon''s organization, Xiao Buli thought this was very likely.


    Lu Xinying, however, said, "I''ve come to ask for your help to rescue Sister Wu."


    To rescue Sister Wu? Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh, "As I understand, didn''t Wu Min''er willingly join them? With her strength, she should be able to escape if she had the opportunity."


    "It''s not like that. Sister Wu was forced to cooperate with them out of necessity. Believe me, she was compelled. Although I still haven''t found out how they forced the group leader to submit, I''ve located their base," Lu Xinying explained.


    "Then go rescue her yourself, why involve me?"


    Lu Xinying shook their head, "The base has stringent defenses and is protected by some kind of Spell Formation I simply can''t penetrate. If I tried to force my way in, I''d surely die, which is why I''m asking for your help. I''ve been observing you for several days, and if I''m not mistaken, you can dispel spells and use Invisibility Technique, right?


    We would make the perfect team; together, we can certainly rescue Sister Wu."


    PS: A 5,000-word chapter for you all; I decided not to split it into two chapters this time. I''ll strive to burst out with more tomorrow.


    Also, I''d like to recommend a tremendous novel¡ª "Death''s Reincarnation Game," which has just been featured on Sanjiang. Its style is similar to this book, and the author is a reader of my work, so if you''re interested, go have a look. (To be continued. If you like this work, your votes and monthly tickets on Qidian.com are greatly appreciated. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 65 Ghost Special Forces

    Lu Xinying spoke with sincerity, which indeed was the only chance they had. Behind the screen, his gaze became expectant yet solemn.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, could it be true? This kid actually managed to probe into a military base? Quite capable indeed. Had it been the Green Dragon Group members captured instead, Xiao admitted he wouldn''t likely feel as compelled to investigate and rescue them, especially if there was no immediate threat to their lives.


    Driven by curiosity, he asked, "How did you find the base without getting caught by those soldiers?"


    "They are not really a military organization. If you want to know more, just agree to help me rescue Wu. I''ll tell you everything," Lu Xinying''s words were laced with allure.


    Xiao Buli was a bit tempted, but only just. No matter the clout of that organization, they couldn''t possibly know more about the game than he did; there seemed little need to pay attention to them. Better to stay as far away as possible,


    Yet, why was this kid so keen? Observing Lu Xinying, Xiao Buli had a sudden thought¡ªcould he have fallen for Wu Min''er?


    Xiao didn''t have much of an impression of Lu Xinying, only a vague memory that Wu Min''er had once mentioned he was the only person in the Vermilion Bird Group she truly trusted. There must be a reason for her certainty. His guess was probably not far off. However, he had no interest in such matters, and besides, he had more pressing issues to attend to.


    "The question is, why should I rescue her?"


    When Xiao Buli said this, he felt no embarrassment. After all, he and Wu Min''er were merely acquaintances. They maintained similar relationships with everyone at the company. He wasn''t inclined to take such a risk for her, especially when those from the Green Dragon Group were the ones in urgent need of rescue.


    Wu Min''er was at least not in immediate danger, and she wasn''t suddenly turned into an NPC like the others who were running out of time.


    "Isn''t she your friend?"


    "Of course, she''s a friend, but I have many friends. Am I supposed to rescue each one that gets in trouble? Moreover, I don''t owe you anything."


    Lu Xinying fell silent. After a brief moment, he asked, "So what kind of friend would you risk your life to save?"


    "Only if we''ve been through life-and-death experiences together," Xiao Buli gave his answer.


    "Life-and-death experiences, I see." Lu Xinying surprisingly didn''t persist further, relieving Xiao Buli. Had Lu become insistent on asking for his help, it would have been quite a headache for Xiao.


    Xiao Buli departed, a flash of lightning appeared out of nowhere and he vanished before Lu Xinying''s eyes. As the streak of electricity cut across the night sky, Lu Xinying, too, disappeared into the darkness. Returning to the city, he made his way through the dim alleys of Nine Dragons City to the slums.


    This was the shadowy corner of Nine Dragons City, a haven for the lower classes and constantly on the fringes of the law. Survival of the fittest was the rule here, and with the influx of countless refugees, the chaos only grew. But to some, this chaos was an ideal environment. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    Navigating through narrow streets and labyrinth-like alleys, Lu Xinying arrived at a dilapidated two-story building and knocked on the door.


    A pair of fierce eyes flickered through the door''s peephole, and moments later, the door opened. Lu Xinying stepped in. The room was lit by candlelight, but it still appeared eerie. Several unsavory characters were chatting in a corner, hardly taking note of Lu Xinying, though they seemed to recognize him.


    A petite figure descended from the second floor¡ªit was Jin Qiaoqiao from the Rat Association.


    "So, was the information accurate?" Jin asked with a smile.


    "Yes, quite accurate. I''ve met him already," Lu Xinying said as he passed over a Gold Coin. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Originally, raising his Prestige with the low-profile Rat Association to Reverence had seemed useful. Now, it paid off; he knew about every move within Nine Dragons City. Even as a VIP, acquiring information wasn''t free, but it was all worth it. At least Lu Xinying now had a good grasp of Xiao Buli''s abilities, and he was the right candidate for his plans.


    Upstairs in a room, Lu Xinying logged out of the game. Staring at the computer wallpaper featuring Wu Min''er''s sweet face, his gaze lulled into a daze.


    It had been weeks now. How was Wu doing? Was she expecting him to come to her rescue? Or perhaps she wasn''t thinking of him at all?


    Lu Xinying was well aware that in Wu Min''er''s eyes, he was probably just a friend, a partner. But that didn''t matter to him. As someone with mild autism and a recluse, he had never had a girlfriend before joining the company, barely ever talked to girls, and despite his deep desire for female affection, he could never fulfill his wish when facing women.


    He wasn''t charming, naturally introverted, with ordinary looks and a frail build¡ªnot an eye-catching person by any means.

 Chapter 65 Ghost Special Forces_2

    Wu Min''er was the person who had changed everything; even though she had only shown him a friend''s concern, a partner''s trust, it was enough for Lu Xinying¡ªenough to pay a painful price for it.


    Boom, the sound of the door opening snapped Lu Xinying back to reality. He looked towards the entrance and saw Hu Santong walking in.


    "Old Lu, the car is ready. Are we going to take action now?"


    "Of course, tonight is perfect."


    As he and Hu Santong descended the stairs, Yang Xueqin was already waiting by the car.


    This was a black imported Hummer off-road vehicle, worth over a million. Normally, the three of them couldn''t afford this sum, but since leaving the company, they had plundered four or five underground money houses, accumulating over ten million in loot; thus, an imported Hummer was nothing to them.


    The three of them got into the car, one after another, and drove towards the destination of tonight''s operation.


    The car stopped at the edge of a forest in the suburbs. The three men got out, checked their surroundings for any onlookers, changed into their black night operations gear, and packed their backpacks with nylon climbing ropes, masks, and various other equipment. To anyone unaware, it might appear as if they were shooting an action movie.


    However, this was no film. The three were extremely proficient, stealthily parking the car in the woods and gearing up. They followed the road for a distance, and a heavily guarded military camp appeared before them. Using their stealth skills, they vanished into the night and moved toward the military warehouse under the cover of darkness.


    Military warehouses are always highly secure. However, this one was an exception, as it primarily stored decommissioned equipment. There was an excessive stockpile of outdated weapons, many of which would likely never see use in a lifetime. Over time, the security for these old weapons had become lax¡ªnot that a civilian could dream of breaking in to take a few pieces.


    But Lu Xinying and his two companions were no longer ordinary people. Light as feathers, they leapt over the barbed-wire fence like the knights-errant from martial arts movies, disappearing on the other side.


    Half an hour later, a subtle sound of something hitting the ground broke the stillness of the night. While not loud, it was still audible in the quiet of the night. Footsteps followed, heavier than the silent steps taken on their infiltration, growing more distant until they reached the car in the woods. A figure flickered, and a person materialized from thin air. Lu Xinying tossed his backpack into the trunk and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Two more figures emerged behind him. Hu Santong and Yang Xueqin also threw their backpacks into the car. They watched as Lu Xinying closed the car door yet didn''t get into the vehicle, standing there as if hesitating about something.


    "What''s wrong?" Lu Xinying glanced at the two, puzzled, "Hurry up and get in."


    "Well, Old Lu, I think we might not be able to continue with you."


    "What do you mean?" Lu Xinying''s face darkened, his tone suddenly chilling by several degrees.


    Hu Santong seemed somewhat afraid and took a step back, but Yang Xueqin grabbed his shoulder and stepped forward.


    "We''ve said it before; we''re just ordinary people after all. Even though we accidentally gained some ''Strength,'' compared to the military organization, it''s really nothing. The whole rescue mission for Wu seems utterly unrealistic, and besides, Wu''s fine now, right?"


    "Wu is imprisoned, as I''ve already told you," Lu Xinying said, somewhat exasperated. He had explained so many times already; why couldn''t these two understand? Wu had helped them out countless times in the past. Why were they so ungrateful? Lu Xinying thought to himself, as a trace of coldness passed through his eyes.


    Seemingly not wanting to provoke Lu Xinying further, Hu Santong said, "All right, let''s say you are right about this, but we don''t have to risk our lives for it. Wu only has one life, but we are three lives. To risk our three lives for the sake of Wu''s one, that''s a bad deal no matter how you look at it. Of course, we''re not forcing you to give up. We''ve helped you gather these weapons this time. If you want to go rescue Wu, then go ahead, but I''m not accompanying you."


    Lu Xinying''s gaze lingered on Hu Santong''s face for a few seconds, his icy stare prompting Hu Santong to subconsciously grip the dagger at his waist, but he didn''t dare to draw it. Lu Xinying''s strength could easily crush both of them, and what made him even less confident was Lu Xinying''s ruthlessness. To him, taking lives seemed as simple as eating and drinking. Since the first robbery of a money house, Lu Xinying had killed seven or eight people in his presence, while he and Hu Santong had yet to even see blood.


    "So you two have already discussed this?" Lu Xinying asked, looking at them.


    Hu Santong hemmed and hawed, then steeled himself, "That''s right, Old Yang and I have discussed it. This time we helped you get so many weapons, we consider our debts of honor paid. From now on, we go our separate ways, and no one owes anyone anything." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Xueqin nodded in agreement, "Exactly, that''s the idea."


    Lu Xinying seemed very disappointed as he sighed, "If you truly think that way, then scram. But if you dare leak any information about my affairs, be careful for your little lives."


    Upon hearing Lu Xinying''s words, Hu Santong and Yang Xueqin felt as if they had been granted amnesty. They quickly nodded, "Of course, how could we betray you..."


    As they were swearing their oaths, a look of surprise suddenly crossed Lu Xinying''s eyes, "Damn, patrol is coming!"


    The two turned around sharply, only to find pitch darkness behind them¡ªno signs of anyone. Realizing their mistake, the thought crossed their minds at the same time. The next moment, they both felt an excruciating pain in their backs, so intense it nearly stopped their breath. Yang Xueqin could feel it was Lu Xinying''s military sabre that had pierced him. As the sabre was pulled out, his strength seemed to flow away with the blood that spurted out.


    Struggling to turn around, what they saw was Lu Xinying''s cold gaze.


    "Idiots, how well Ms. Wu treated you, and not a shred of gratitude. You deserved to die..."


    Lu Xinying felt no remorse for killing his two comrades. He opened the car door, threw the bodies in, and drove away.


    An hour later, in a completely sealed underground warehouse, the weapons from the three bags were sorted out: an 95-style assault rifle, an 05-style submachine gun, a QBS09-style shotgun, four 92-style pistols, and an M99 sniper rifle.


    Several grenades and a large quantity of ammunition.


    These weapons were all brand new, active-duty weapons. It had taken half a month of reconnaissance and planning to get these weapons, but it was all worth it. With these weapons, the chances of rescuing Ms. Wu had significantly increased.


    Although he was skilled with a dagger, Lu Xinying felt that close-quarter combat was ultimately too restrictive. Combining the stealth abilities of the Shadow Dancer with modern firearms was the way to go.


    A sniper capable of becoming invisible, much like the Ghost Special Forces in StarCraft, just the thought excited Lu Xinying.


    A pungent odor caused Lu Xinying to sneeze. He glanced at the two bodies in the plastic barrel, which were quickly disintegrating under the acid''s immersion.


    It was a pity, with those two fools gone, saving Wu Min''er by himself would be much more difficult. It seemed essential to recruit that guy. Lu Xinying thought, during this time apart from acquiring money and weapons, he also managed to find Xiao Buli''s address. Although Xiao Buli was unwilling to help, luckily, he had a backup plan.


    As Lu Xinying thought, he turned on a computer nearby, logged into QQ, searched for the number, and finding the person online, he made contact immediately. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.) Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 66 The Secret Order from Dugu Han

    The chickpea can was emitting bursts of fragrance as it warmed on the alcohol stove, seeming especially rich in the air-tight warehouse.


    "Good evening, Brother Yan Zhong." Lu Xinying typed as she grabbed the chickpea can from the alcohol stove and began to eat slowly in front of the computer screen. The avatar on the other side was a Qilin drawn in ink wash style, which led Lu Xinying to guess that this person was likely Yan Zhong, the leader of the Qilin Group.


    Wrath of Qilin: "Who are you?" Although the avatar was still black, a message came through.


    Shadow Assassin: "Who I am is not important. What''s important is that I know you''re looking for Xiao Buli. Do you need my help?"


    Wrath of Qilin: "Hmph, there''s no need for such trouble. We''ll find him very soon."


    Lu Xinying put down the can and thought for a moment before typing: "It''s Divination Skills, isn''t it? But as far as I know, Divination Skills are generally not very accurate."


    The other person wouldn''t give in, however.


    Wrath of Qilin: "So what? We have all the time in the world. We will find him sooner or later."


    Lu Xinying laughed, sensing the person on the other side was somewhat contradictory.


    Shadow Assassin: "Don''t worry, I don''t need any payment from you. Actually, I have a bit of a grudge against Xiao Buli. Telling you is just so you can help me clean up an old enemy. Forget it, I won''t explain too much. I''ll give you his address, and whether you believe me or not is up to you."


    While speaking, he sent over Xiao Buli''s address.


    Shadow Assassin: "Oh, and another thing. I should warn you, that Xiao Buli has a very interesting Teleportation Skill. If I were you, I''d make some preparations for it." Lu Xinying advised while still eating.


    That should do it. After closing QQ, Lu Xinying munched on the beans, thinking to herself that next, she needed to familiarize herself with how to use firearms. Her gaze swept over the weapons for a while before finally settling on the M99 sniper rifle, its dark body shining with a cold metallic hue. She picked it up and aimed it casually, a hint of confidence flickering across her lips.


    On the other side of the computer, Yan Zhong, who had just ended the conversation, stared at the screen in deep thought.


    "Boss, what''s up? Any news?" came the muffled voice of Zhang Biao from behind, who, as always, was battling a large plate of food.


    "I found Xiao Buli''s location. A former company employee told me," Yan Zhong said flatly, offering no further explanation.


    "Do you think it''s a trap?" Wang Lei, who was sitting nearby doing some calculations, suddenly chimed in.


    Yan Zhong nodded. "It''s possible, but most importantly, I have a bad feeling. I feel like things won''t go smoothly, and my instincts are usually quite accurate." By this time, Zhang Biao had finally finished his late-night snack and plopped down casually next to them: "What''s there to fear? Even if it''s a trap, with our skills, we''re not afraid."


    "Never underestimate your opponent, nor the dangers of this world. We still have to try this time, but we must make a detailed plan for this operation."


    After finishing, Yan Zhong thought for a while, "Dian Lan, you''re in charge of verifying the accuracy of the address. Be careful not to be discovered by Xiao Buli."


    "Wang Lei, you''re in charge of figuring out a way to limit the Teleportation Skill spell," said Buli, "and Zhang Biao, go get some weapons. That kid isn''t weak, and you two rely too heavily on gear in close combat in the game. Without the right equipment in reality, you won''t stand a chance." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What about Lin Beifeng? What should we do with him?" Dian Lan pointed at the agitated man tightly shackled in the corner. "He''s been acting up lately."


    "Release me, you foolish mortals, Chiyou''s will is summoning me!" Lin Beifeng roared with a deep growl, his hair shaking wildly like a beast.


    "Shut your mouth, you bastard," Zhang Biao kicked Lin Beifeng, causing him to convulse, then turned around with a hint of helplessness and said, "If you ask me, we might as well just let him go, who cares where he ends up. It''s better than keeping him tied up like this. Even though he''s gone mad, he''s still our teammate."


    Yan Zhong shook his head, "No, we still haven''t figured out what''s going on with Lin Beifeng''s transformation. Who knows if it could happen to us too? It''s better to keep observing him."


    "Alright, let''s start our mission. If we can capture Xiao Buli and bring him back to the boss, maybe we''ll be off the hook."


    "Good evening, guys, long time no see, did you miss me?"


    A voice suddenly intruded in the room, startling everyone. Yan Zhong looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a person appearing out of nowhere in the hall, dressed in a suit and sporting sunglasses, much like the agents from the Hacker Empire. Recognizing the man, Yan Zhong gasped, "Boss, you, you''re still alive!?"


    It was Dugu Han, and his presence was quite the surprise. Had the rebels really failed to kill him?


    "What, surprised to see me alive? Or were you all hoping I was dead?" Dugu Han''s face was graced with a sinister smile. As he walked towards them, his body passed through a high stool as if he were a phantom, then he casually took a seat.


    This style of his made Yan Zhong feel something was amiss, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint what it was. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    "No, that''s not what we mean," Yan Zhong started to defend themselves but couldn''t think of what to say.


    Dugu Han chuckled, "Relax, I''m not here to trouble you. In fact, I''m here to give you an opportunity, a chance to rectify your mistakes. I heard you''ve been diligently hunting down Xiao Buli."


    "Yes, I think if we can capture him and present him to the boss, we might be able to offset our crimes." He was referring to the man behind the Qilin Hall, the powerful and awe-inspiring leader, not Dugu Han.


    "Capture? No no no, I think you''ve got it all wrong. The boss doesn''t want to see that guy at all. In fact, the boss would much rather you take out Xiao Buli directly, without leaving anyone alive, ''Those who dare defy my will shall be annihilated in the fiery depths of the Hell Abyss.'' I heard it straight from his mouth."


    Dugu Han''s words sparked a flicker of doubt in Yan Zhong''s mind, (Why kill him? The boss could just interrogate him and decide later whether to take action, is there some problem here?)


    "What''s the matter, any questions? Or have you decided to betray the organization, not willing to follow my orders anymore? I rarely give second chances, you should know that. Don''t test my patience," Dugu Han''s voice suddenly turned icy, sending a chill down Yan Zhong''s spine, who quickly responded, "We will follow your instructions to the letter."


    "Very good," Dugu Han nodded in approval, "then go ahead and get it done swiftly. I await your good news."


    After speaking, with a bang, Dugu Han''s image turned into a puff of purple smoke and disappeared. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 67 Strategizing and Planning

    "Boss, when did he learn that move?" Zhang Biao looked at the dissipating smoke in surprise, then turned to Yan Zhong with a hint of confusion in his eyes. Yan Zhong also seemed taken aback with suspicion, finding this Dugu Han gave him a very different impression, elusive and oppressive. But before, Dugu Han had seemed to him nothing more than a foolish boss. Why had the gap widened so much in just a few days?


    (What exactly is the issue here? Regardless, it seems killing Xiao Buli has become a must-do task.) With that thought, Yan Zhong said, "Don''t bother with the details. We act tomorrow and finish this task as quickly as possible."


    Just as Qilin Group was preparing to make a deadly move against Xiao Buli, Xiao Buli himself was still battling away in the game.


    Cloud Thunder Leap! A bolt of lightning shot into the sky, with Xiao Buli swiftly navigating through the air. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead¡ªhow had he forgotten about establishing a guild? sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their current loose alliance clearly wasn''t enough to bring the solo players under better control. To do this, he had to create his own organization. He had been so busy selling magical treasures to make money that he''d neglected to establish a guild. Realizing this, Xiao Buli changed the direction of the lightning and flew toward Nine Dragons City once again.


    Upon arriving at Nine Dragons City''s guild management center, Xiao Buli paid ten Gold Coins and chose to establish a guild.


    There were many types of guilds. He chose to establish a Mercenary Corps, which, while focused on combat with a strict organizational structure, couldn''t acquire shops or hire NPCs for business operations. Nevertheless, since Xiao Buli''s current priority was not making money but feeding pigs, the Mercenary Corps was suitable. Moreover, it could better lay the foundations for creating a nation.


    The name of the Mercenary Corps was Qingyang Mercenary Group. After its establishment, a new ''Guild Management'' tab had appeared next to the territory management interface. Xiao Buli familiarized himself with the management of the Mercenary Corps before setting off once again.


    By the time he returned to Black Mountain Stronghold, it was already midnight. Apart from the NPCs, there was nobody online within the stronghold¡ªeveryone likely had logged off. Without lingering further, Xiao Buli also went offline to sleep.


    Early the next morning, after a hasty breakfast, Xiao Buli logged back into the game. To his surprise, the stronghold bustled with activity, significantly livelier than when he had left. The number of players had at least doubled¡ªa substantial increase even if they only totaled thirty or forty people. Considering that even the Great Guilds consisted of only a hundred-odd members, thirty to forty players was not a small number.


    And all of these players were combatants. Solo players strong enough to leave the Newbie Village generally had some abilities. The weak wouldn''t last.


    As soon as Xiao Buli entered the Hall of Righteousness, he saw several core members already gathered there, seemingly discussing something.


    Seeing Xiao Buli walk in, He Suoju excitedly said, "Hey, Old Xiao, you''re up! Look how many players we''ve attracted. Our strength is about to grow significantly."


    "You recruited these solo players?"


    "Yes," He Suoju replied proudly, "I spread the word about Black Mountain, and suddenly a bunch of solo players showed up. I knew many of them from before. Now our strength should be enough."


    However, Han Wenhuan appeared a bit worried, and when he found a chance to speak with Xiao Buli alone, he said, "Boss, something doesn''t feel quite right. I think it''s time we start recruiting our own player base."


    Xiao Buli immediately understood the implication. "You mean we have too many solo players?"


    Han Wenhuan replied, "Exactly. We should be happy with so many new players, and it wouldn''t be an issue if they didn''t know each other. But many are acquainted with He Suoju, and with his reputation among solo players and his current increase in power, they all look up to him with admiration. He''s now an unofficial faction leader, which is not good for power distribution."


    Xiao Buli nodded in agreement, understanding Han Wenhuan''s concerns. While He Suoju had seemed humble and friendly so far, such matters couldn''t be ignored with mere modesty and friendliness. If He Suoju became the preferred leader, he might not even harbor malicious intentions, but those around him could incite him to seize power.


    He had encountered numerous instances where illustrious Great Guilds had disintegrated due to internal discord and improper management of factions within.


    Even Qingyang Studio had nearly disbanded due to internal splits.


    Those instances involved merely virtual interests, whereas now, tangible powers of life and death were at stake. If they weren''t careful with the tiger they were dealing with, regret might come too late for any missteps.


    The biggest advantage now was that NPC power remained in his own hands. As long as he was cautious, he should be able to avert the crisis altogether.


    "You''re right, we do need to start recruiting our own players. That metallic disc should be able to create accounts for a few dozen people. Do you have any suitable candidates in mind?"


    Han Wenhuan suggested, "Qian Duoduo would be a good choice. He''s capable and bold, and most importantly, we''ve interacted with him, so we''ve got a good grasp of his character. Of course, one Qian Duoduo isn''t enough¡ªwe need to recruit at least a dozen or so. We can''t have too many, though, otherwise, they''ll be too difficult to control. After integrating the first batch of players, we can recruit more, assuming our strength is sufficient. In a game where it''s survival of the fittest, we won''t stand a chance if we can''t hold our own."


    Xiao Buli nodded, acknowledging that the biggest problem in recruiting new players was how to control them, how to ensure they kept secrets, and how to judge whether they were trustworthy or not. After all, the stakes in this game were huge, and exposure was no laughing matter.


    Li Shuren suddenly said, "I do have an idea that we might experiment with."


    "What idea?"


    Li Shuren suggested, "Perhaps we could replicate the advanced experience of the Qilin Group by not letting the players know the secrets of this game, hiring them with money to work for us. That way, it would be less expensive and much easier to control."


    When Xiao Buli heard this, his heart grew cold, "No, we absolutely can''t do that."


    "Why not?"


    Instead of answering directly, Xiao Buli counter-asked, "Do you know why I rebelled against the Qilin Group?"


    "Because they sent you to your death?"


    "Because they sent me to my death without knowing the truth," Xiao Buli emphasized. "If they had told me the secrets of this game and that dying in the game meant death in reality, I would still play it, but at least I wouldn''t have rebelled. I would know what could lead to death, what the risks were. Lack of trust means not sharing the fruits of success. If we also conceal the truth, what would those solo players think? They would feel we are just like the Great Guilds, disregarding the lives of players."


    "And if those we recruit discover the truth, what makes you think they won''t rebel? What then, kill them all? I, for one, can''t do that. It''s better to tell them the truth upfront and let them choose whether to play this game or not. Of course, we don''t need to let them see the metal disk; as long as they don''t know how the game operates, they should still be controllable."


    Xiao Buli said, "We could conduct an experiment, a trial phase, where only those who pass the trial can truly join us."


    "An experiment? What kind of experiment?"


    Xiao Buli said, "Of course it''s a reliability test. I only have a rough idea for now. Additionally, we need a base, an isolated base, so we can accommodate a large number of players without exposing our whereabouts."


    Gu Shaobang interjected, "An isolated base? A trial to test reliability? This sounds a bit too sci-fi. Where are we supposed to get this stuff?"


    Han Wenhuan said, "Indeed, it''s a bit tricky, but these are steps we must take unless we few don''t plan to expand our power and just rely on ourselves to compete."


    Xiao Buli said, "For the short term, let''s not think too much about it. You all better hurry up and improve your strength. Now that we''ve taken over the Black Mountain Stronghold, you should go and learn the Taoist Heart from Jingci. As long as you have spells, progress will come more quickly."


    Xiao Buli was very confident about the help spells could provide to players; after all, he himself had only been playing for a few months, yet he could compete against veterans who had played for a year or two. This alone showed how powerful the spells were compared to ordinary professional skills.


    Li Shuren said, "Exactly, exactly, I''ve been going crazy wanting to learn spells. I just can''t figure out those explosives. If I can learn spells and combine them with my Mechanical Techniques, that''d be awesome."


    Gu Shaobang and Xiao Ge echoed in agreement¡ªthe allure of spells for modern people was undeniably strong.


    The group decided to first learn spells and then recruit more players once all four of them had improved their strength.


    Han Wenhuan asked again, "What about those solo players? Should we establish some rules for them or something?"


    Xiao Buli said, "No, setting rules directly will only lead to resistance. We should influence them subtly. Let''s issue a few tasks and let them get used to our pace. By the way, how is the training of those Black Mountain Lackeys going?"


    Han Wenhuan replied, "The training is very successful, I''ve fully incorporated them into our ranks, but all the Gold Coins have been spent."


    Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    PS: Today, there will definitely be a burst of activity, at least three chapters. (The story continues. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets; your support is my biggest motivation.)

 Chapter 68 Activities

    "Gold Coins are not a problem; I still have some here," Xiao Buli said, trading another fifty Gold Coins to Han Wenhuan, "Take me to see those soldiers."


    Han Wenhuan readily agreed and led Xiao Buli to the Black Mountain military camp.


    One hundred and fifty Black Mountain Lackeys had already been upgraded to official troop types: fifty Black Mountain Raiders, fifty Black Mountain Looters, and fifty Black Mountain Hunters.


    Black Mountain Raiders are Javelin Soldiers who can fight both up close and at a distance. They belong to a support troop type. Since javelins are much simpler to use than bows and arrows in the complex mountain terrain and have armor-piercing effects, they can also inflict damage on heavily-armored units. Additionally, they possess certain melee capabilities.


    Black Mountain Looters are shield and sabre wielders, equipped with a shield-block skill, granting them a forty-some percent chance to block ranged attacks and a twenty-some percent chance to block melee attacks, making them a meat shield troop type.


    As for the Black Mountain Hunters, they are all archers. Unlike Black Mountain Archers, each Black Mountain Hunter is accompanied by a Black Mountain Hound.


    Black Mountain Hunters? Xiao Buli said, "I haven''t heard of this troop type before. It doesn''t seem like the Black Mountain military camp has this type, does it?"


    Han Wenhuan replied, "That''s correct. The Black Mountain Hunter is actually a trainable troop type that emerged after the Mountain Patrol Camp was upgraded. They are an advanced unit of the Black Mountain Scout. Their ranged firepower is slightly weaker than that of the Black Mountain Archer, but each Black Mountain Hunter can tame a hound. When combined, they are a very cost-effective troop type."


    The Black Mountain Hunters'' hounds have some anti-stealth capabilities, making them perfectly suited for patrol and reconnaissance in the mountains. Moreover, when Black Mountain Hunters are grouped together, they are very practical, as having hounds by their side means they are not rendered useless after being closed in on, unlike Black Mountain Archers.


    Xiao Buli nodded in satisfaction, "You''re doing well. I think these Black Mountain Hunters are very practical. We can train them in large numbers later. It doesn''t matter even if the cost is a bit higher. During war, sending a few hundred dogs to bite the enemy first, followed by a synchronized shooting to kill the enemy should have a good effect. But, why aren''t there any Black Mountain Cavalry? They are a mobile unit. Haven''t you always been advocating for a cavalry supremacy theory before?"


    Han Wenhuan smiled bitterly and shook his head, "The problem is the lack of money and horses. The training cost for Black Mountain Cavalry is too high; we simply can''t afford it right now."


    Xiao Buli nodded. That made sense; even ordinary travel horses cost one or two Gold Coins, not to mention warhorses. Equipment could be crafted by players, but warhorses couldn''t be.


    "Also, I have collected many war resources, but I do not know what your intentions are, whether to continue developing the Black Mountain Stronghold or to siege and expand the territory nearby, so I have kept all those war resources and haven''t used them," Han Wenhuan added.


    War resources refer to the resources needed for war. There are five types altogether: stone, wood, metal, Gold Coins, and food.


    Stone and wood are most commonly used for construction upgrades. These two types of war resources are by-products of gathering skills. For example, mining might sometimes produce stone, which is of no use to players; they cannot be used for crafting equipment or sold for money, but they are essential for Lords. These materials can be used to build fortifications, upgrade construction, and make stone bullets for Catapults, among other war tools.


    Similarly, the Lumbering skill might also sometimes yield huge logs that are only used in times of war.


    Xiao Buli considered for a moment and then said, "Let''s first manage the Black Mountain Stronghold properly. In the short term, we probably cannot expand, as we lack a King''s Banner and have not founded a nation. If we were to siege, we would have to pay a tribute to Sky Grass. Each tribute requires spending Gold Coins, and without a good reason, that Gold Coin would just be thrown into the sea. We simply cannot bear this kind of expense right now. Also, we still have too few troops; even if we had the money, we don''t have an army to fight the war. What''s most important now is to gather enough populace and bolster our troop strength."


    Han Wenhuan nodded, conceding that amassing troops is indeed the current priority. Although players are somewhat more powerful in battle and can play a pivotal role in wars, their number is small, and their fear of death makes control not easy. Managing them in a favorable battle is fine, but if the combat poses a high risk, who knows, they might just run away, and there would be nothing you could do. Therefore, NPC soldiers are more reliable; they are not afraid of death and there is an ample supply of them.


    As for how to gather population, Xiao Buli had some ideas. He saw many refugees leaving the city heading southwards due to unsustainable conditions while he was in Nine Dragons City. Along the way, he encountered several groups of refugees; they are potential soldiers.


    Moreover, he discovered that the Lord system includes a quest system that allows for the posting of quests within the domain''s boundaries. So, he said, "We could release quests to Solo Players to help catch the refugees. You could lead a team to establish a recruiting point on the main roads and instruct players to search for refugees in the surroundings, then gather and transport them back to the stronghold."


    Han Wenhuan''s eyes lit up. "That''s a brilliant idea. I''ll get right on it," he exclaimed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "Be careful, everyone¡ªthe tiger''s out!" A Swordsman who had taken up a job as a hunter ran frantically through the gaps between trees, activating Wilderness Rush and even deploying the light body technique ''Flying on Grass'' he had learned recently. His speed was extraordinary, darting out of the forest with the wind at his heels, shortly followed by a ferocious tiger in hot pursuit, just about to catch up. Suddenly, four figures emerged from the surrounding bushes, and a barrage of arrows rained down on the tiger.


    Thud! Thud! A series of muffled sounds followed, and the tiger let out a terrible scream, becoming a porcupine skewered with arrows.


    "Release the hounds!" A call resounded through the YY channel; four pets immediately pounced from both sides. The tiger roared fiercely and attacked, but after a brief chaotic fight, it inevitably fell amidst the encirclement.


    (This is so thrilling¡ªI finally have my own territory and can level up and fight monsters in peace.)


    Luo Xiu walked over to the tiger''s carcass, thinking this as it was his turn to reap the rewards. Using his skinning skill, he swiftly collected a pile of materials dissected from the tiger''s body.


    Like many solo players, Luo Xiu had chosen a Hunter Series occupation and also branched into a melee occupation¡ªSwordsman. He used a bow and arrows for long-range combat and a sabre for close combat. Together with his leopard pet, he was perfectly suited for wilderness battles.


    But just like most solo players, for a long time, Luo Xiu had to act according to the whims of the Great Guilds. He didn''t dare take on quests, enter dungeons, or even fight rare elites without scoping out the area first, for fear of breaking some unspoken rule. Now, all of this had finally changed.


    Not long ago, he''d heard from another solo player that a player force had recently taken over the Black Mountain Stronghold and issued orders allowing solo players to grind and level up in the vicinity. Upon hearing this news, Luo Xiu promptly called a few familiar solo players and rushed over.


    He had been ready to pay protection money if needed, but the situation turned out to be better than he''d expected. The player force occupying the Black Mountain Stronghold didn''t seem to care about them, nor did they monopolize the leveling resources. He had been living the good life for the past three days, forming a small party with four other players. Together, they killed monsters, leveled up, and gathered materials. The haul had been quite substantial over these days.


    "Hmm, we got a pretty good haul today, let''s call it quits here," Luo Xiu suggested.


    "I was planning to log off too. I''ve got work this afternoon," said a Swordsman from the team.


    Luo Xiu couldn''t help but express his surprise, "You''re still working? Why bother with a job when you''ve got this game?"


    "No kidding, if I don''t work, are you going to support me?" the Swordsman replied irritably.


    Luo Xiu shook his head, "That''s not what I meant. I''m saying, you never know when you''ll kick the bucket playing this game, why bother thinking so much? I sold my house and am fully focused on this game now. Once I become powerful, making money will be a piece of cake."


    The Swordsman fell silent.


    A Hunter who doubled as an assassin said, "Yeah, I''m gaming full-time too. I used to work, but ever since I started playing this game, I quit. Playing this game is like risking your neck in a revolution; you never know when you''ll drop dead. Why bother with all the hard work?"


    "You''re not wrong, but I''ve got a family to feed. I can''t afford to be as casual as you guys," the Swordsman replied.


    "You''ve got a family to support, and you''re still playing this game?" Luo Xiu asked in surprise. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    "Of course," the Swordsman seemed a bit annoyed, "Would you be able to resist not playing a game like this?"


    He had a point; Luo Xiu certainly couldn''t resist anymore.


    Enough talk. Let''s hurry back to the stronghold and log off.


    When the group returned to the stronghold, it was exactly noon. Many other players were also returning from leveling up outside, probably planning to resume after lunch. The gate guards, who were NPCs belonging to that player power, greeted them. Luo Xiu marveled inwardly, wondering when he would reach such heights.


    As they arrived at the clearing inside the stronghold, they noticed a crowd around the bulletin board. Most of them were players, and in their midst stood an NPC with a deep blue name¡ªZhang Zhixi (Black Mountain Deputy Commander).


    Zhang Zhixi was originally just a regular rare elite, but after the battle at Black Stone Village, he''d earned enough experience to level up to an Elite Level NPC. Now, he was only one step away from becoming a Silver Name miniboss.


    As one of the few elite NPCs under Xiao Buli, Zhang Zhixi was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Black Mountain Army, with Han Wenhuan serving as Commander, and Li Shuren appointed as the Lord of the Black Mountain Stronghold, responsible for managing and building the territory.


    "What''s going on, what happened?" Luo Xiu asked a player outside. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There''s an event. That guild has started organizing an event,"

 Chapter 69 Recruiting and Pacifying the Displaced People

    An event? Luo Xiu was no stranger to this term, but only in the context of regular online games. Having played this game for so long, he hadn''t participated in any events yet. It sure is great to be in a big guild, able to organize events.


    He squeezed in and discovered a player named Han Wenhuan next to the NPC, preaching about something.


    Han Wenhuan, "Our guild will launch a refugee pacification event at one o''clock in the afternoon. Adventurers interested in participating in this event can sign up to join. The quest trigger location is right over there at the Deputy Commander''s place. We''re limited to 30 people for this activity, first come first served. Interested parties please sign up immediately."


    Luo Xiu clicked on Zhang Zhixi next to him and had a chat, which indeed triggered a quest.


    Zhang Zhixi (Black Mountain Deputy Commander), "Are you here to join the recruitment of refugees to save your skin, you Righteous Warrior? Hehe, we really need people like you here."


    System Prompt: Quest ''Pacifying Refugees'' triggered.


    Pacifying Refugees: Follow the Black Mountain Army to the crossroads and pacify refugees from the nearby area. For each refugee pacified, you can earn an income of 10 silver coins. Do you accept? Yes/No. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, he had to accept such a good deal. Although 10 silver coins weren''t a lot, they weren''t little either. For solo players like Luo Xiu, sometimes the loot from a whole day''s battle wouldn''t even amount to this, and that was if he was lucky enough to have monsters to fight. Sometimes, it was common to go three to five days without any income. Now, just by catching a refugee, he could earn this much. It would be strange not to do it.


    He chose to accept the quest and obtained the quest item¡ªRefugee Pacification Device.


    This Refugee Pacification Device looked like a pole with a noose at the end, similar to the poles used by dog catchers, and there was an item description below.


    Refugee Pacification Device: Attach one end of the Refugee Pacification Device to a refugee, and use the rope to drag and pacify them (crafted by Li Shuren).


    Damn, this was too ridiculous, Luo Xiu thought speechlessly to himself. How on earth was this thing made? Could there be blueprints for this kind of thing in the game? But whatever, as long as there''s money to be made, it was fine.


    "Hey, Luo Xiu, did you also take on the task of pacifying refugees?" The nearby Swordsman suddenly asked.


    "Yeah, did you take it too? Are you not going to work this afternoon?"


    The Swordsman nodded his head, "I''m not going. How could I miss such a great opportunity? Let''s do it together."


    Among the solo players, there were also many small groups, mostly consisting of three to five people. The reason they didn''t grow larger was that the rare elites and quests they encountered in the wild could typically be easily dealt with by three to five people. More people meant no extra benefits, and often the loot wouldn''t be enough to go around.


    Now, Luo Xiu formed a team with several players he often cooperated with. After lunch, they waited until one o''clock in the afternoon and logged in again.


    The pacifying team was already assembled, comprising forty Black Mountain Hunters, twenty Black Mountain Raiders, and twenty Black Mountain Looters. The reason for choosing a large number of Black Mountain Hunters was because they, like the players'' hunters, possessed the tracking skill.


    Once the team was assembled, they set off towards the base of Black Mountain under the leadership of Han Wenhuan and Zhang Zhixi, with the players forming several small teams of varying numbers following behind.


    After more than an hour''s walk, they arrived at the crossroads at the foot of Black Mountain. This was a major thoroughfare and a necessary route for refugees fleeing famine. Han Wenhuan organized the Black Mountain Hunters into eight tracking teams of five, while the remaining Black Mountain Raiders and Looters were responsible for guarding the refugees, and they stationed themselves there. The players who took the quest were each assigned a tracking team, and then they dispersed in different directions.


    Luo Xiu''s team also took a tracking team and headed toward a less populated direction to explore.


    Hunters usually have the Wilderness Rush skill that increases movement speed and reduces stamina consumption in the wild. After walking for over ten minutes, they spotted a group of refugees from a distance, about a dozen people, mostly ordinary White Name NPCs. Luo Xiu had often encountered these types of NPCs and was no longer surprised by them, but now, he felt a wave of excitement.


    He used the Refugee Pacification Device to pacify them, but unexpectedly encountered resistance. A few burly men from the group, resembling militiamen, suddenly turned into hostile Red Names and began attacking. The trio was cautious and retreated quickly, deciding to release the dogs and shoot arrows from a distance, with the assistance of Black Mountain Hunters. After all, these were just minor monsters. They quickly dealt with the few resisting burly men, and the rest were pacified obediently. Leading the remaining refugees back toward the camp at the crossroads, and with the demise of the Black Mountain Bandits, there weren''t any other dangerous creatures nearby except some wild beasts, so the escort was soon successful. They had pacified eight refugees in one fell swoop¡ªnearly an income of one Gold Coin. Although it took some time, it was quite fast.


    Clutching the silver coins they had gotten as his share, Luo Xiu was excited, "Let''s make another run."


    Of course, the Swordsman in the team said excitedly.


    This time they ventured further, and another group of refugees appeared, and this time, there was even a rare elite among them.


    Ma Wanqiang (Refugee Warrior).


    "Is it a rare elite? Should we recruit it?" the Swordsman asked hesitatively.


    Luo Xiu replied, "Recruit, my ass. They didn''t say there''s an extra reward for recruiting rare elites. Just kill it and loot the gear."


    They resolved the situation decisively and with ease. Unfortunately, it was probably because of the refugees that the loot wasn''t great, only dropping a blue-quality, refined willow-leaf saber. Luo Xiu took out the few Gold Coins he had saved over the past couple of days and bid on the saber.


    Most of the remaining refugees were also recruited. By evening, they had recruited four teams of refugees, totaling over thirty people.


    The other teams also had their hauls. Nearly three hundred refugees were recruited altogether, exchanging thirty Gold Coins for the task and a small amount of Prestige reward. Only then did Han Wenhuan lead the large group of people back to the stronghold, satisfied.


    Back at the stronghold, after reporting to Xiao Buli and others, Han Wenhuan excitedly said, "Haha, the speed of recruiting these refugees is quite fast. We''ve already got three hundred people. With this pace, breaking a thousand population is no problem at all."


    Gu Shaobang had to throw cold water on him, "Don''t get too happy too early. Right now, there are a lot of refugees, so it''s easy, but once the local refugees are all recruited, there won''t be such good opportunities. Besides, we''re almost out of Gold Coins."


    Recruiting one refugee cost ten silver coins, and one hundred Gold Coins could recruit a thousand refugees. However, the expenses for equipping them and upgrading their soldier type were even greater. Even if Xiao Buli made some money by selling Magical Treasures, he couldn''t come up with that much now.


    In fact, just training these three hundred people into Black Mountain Lackeys and then promoting them to official soldiers would be enough to drain Xiao Buli''s Gold Coins. And that was just the training cost. So many soldiers required a lot of food to sustain them as well. That was when Xiao Buli realized that the realism in the game also had realistic downsides. At least in previous games he played, NPCs didn''t need to eat. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire


    However, Han Wenhuan said, "That''s not a problem. Our mines still produce some resources, which can be sold for money."


    Li Shuren replied, "That''s just a small amount of money. I say we just bring in a few gold bars, they''re definitely worth a lot."


    "Are you suggesting transferring money from reality into the game?" He had never done such a thing before. Previously, he had exchanged Game Coins for renminbi, but now it was the other way around and that felt somewhat improper. Xiao Buli thought to himself that this was indeed a solution, but they didn''t have that much money to buy gold bars, "Mr. Bang, how much capital do you have left now?"


    Gu Shaobang thought as he spoke, knowing that whenever it came to money, he couldn''t avoid being involved, but after all, who let him be a rich second generation.


    "I can''t take out that much now either. My accounts were frozen by my family because of my running away. Although there''s some money in my private account, there''s only a few hundred thousand left. If exchanged for gold bars, it won''t be many, worth maybe a hundred and eighty Gold Coins at most."


    Xiao Buli nodded. That amount of money was hardly enough for anything, and it wasn''t a sustainable solution.


    At that moment, Xiao Ge said, "I say we just find a way to get some money. If we want to grow and develop in the game, we need money in many areas. Even if we want to recruit players later, it won''t work without money. After all, they will only mix with us if we show strength. Besides, what''s the point of gaining these superpowers if not to enjoy ourselves in the real world? There''s no use learning so many superpowers if we can''t even get money."


    Gu Shaobang was curious, "Get money? How?"


    "How? By force, of course. The boss now has such powerful superpowers. With invisibility and teleportation, getting money is as easy as reaching out."


    Xiao Buli understood what he meant, "You make a point. Right now, the four of you aren''t powerful enough. Though you count as superpowered individuals in the real world, you can''t come and go undetected. Seems I need to take this on personally."


    With Xiao Buli''s current abilities, getting money wasn''t a difficult task. He had considered this issue before, but the question was where to get it.


    "Just hit a bank then," Xiao Ge suggested rather fearlessly.


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "No, a bank is too big of a target. If we hit a bank and it makes the news, it''s certain to attract attention. We need to keep a low profile and not act recklessly."


    Li Shuren said, "Then we should find an underground money house. Ask Qian Duoduo, he should know where to find such places."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Alright, then leave this to you. Get the information on nearby underground money houses from Qian Duoduo. It''s better if they are involved in illegal activities. That way if they get robbed, they won''t dare call the police."


    "What about you, boss? Do you have things to do?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "I''m going to that dungeon to see what Zhang Yaoyang and his crew are up to."(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote for recommendation, monthly pass. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 70 Heart Piercer—Blade of Wailing

    Xiao Buli had always wanted to see what was inside that dungeon and was curious to know what had happened to Zhang Yaoyang and the others, where they had finally gone. Now, equipped with the Exorcism Staff, he could finally enter that secret passage and take a look.


    Originally, he planned to bring more people along, but after some thought, he decided to go alone first. The reason for this decision was that the Priest Wu Dak of the Amara he had once encountered was just a high elite, and the dungeon was only of white rank. Although it might have a big backstory, he estimated that it wouldn''t be too difficult, and he could probably solo it without any issues. That way, if any equipment dropped, he wouldn''t have to share it.


    Besides, if he couldn''t beat it, he could always run. Xiao Buli was quite confident in his ability to escape. It wouldn''t be too late to find others to help with the dungeon afterward.


    As he thought about this, he arrived at the entrance of the dungeon. By now, it was getting dark, and the white light barrier of the dungeon was very conspicuous. A Solo Player stood at the entrance, appearing eager to enter. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli glanced at the player''s name, which was Luo Xiu.


    "Hey, are you planning to go in? There''s something wrong with that dungeon; it''s not possible to get in. Don''t waste your effort," Luo Xiu said.


    Xiao Buli ignored the player''s warning, equipped the Exorcism Staff in his left hand, and cast a Dispelling Spell at the entrance''s light barrier. Sure enough, with the white light shimmering, a purple glow emerged from the entrance as if the barrier sensed the power of the Dispelling Spell and was resisting it. The revealed purple light from the barrier dimmed under the illumination of the Dispelling Spell''s white light, and Xiao Buli cast the Dispelling Spell two more times in succession until the purple light finally vanished.


    Luo Xiu watched, dumbstruck. He had tried many times to enter but had been rebuffed each time. Now, he finally realized that it required a spell to break through, and he sighed to himself, wondering when he would be able to learn such a spell. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    (No, wait, the spell seemed to come from the staff in that guy''s hand.) While Luo Xiu was still pondering, Xiao Buli had already passed through the light barrier and entered. Luo Xiu hurriedly tried to follow but was repelled by the light barrier.


    It turned out that the dungeon could only be entered by one person or by a group at a time. Since Xiao Buli hadn''t formed a party with him, Luo Xiu couldn''t enter.


    As soon as Xiao Buli entered, he found himself in a rough, uneven tunnel resembling a thief''s tunnel. The walls and ground still bore the marks of excavation, clearly man-made. Following the tunnel down for about one to two hundred meters, the path suddenly opened up, revealing a perpendicular slab stone pathway. The rough ground abruptly changed to flat stone bricks. The stone slab pathway was notably spacious and neat, like an underground tomb''s corridor. Xiao Buli easily discerned which side led to the exit and which to the depths of the tomb, as the corridor was slanted. The upward slope clearly led to the tomb''s entrance, while the downward slope led to its depths.


    He wasn''t interested in finding the exit and headed straight down towards the tomb. The corridor was pitch-black, but once Xiao Buli donned the Betrayer''s Dark Vision, everything became clear. In this clear vision, he saw mounds resembling piles of dirt on the ground ahead. From a distance, he couldn''t see them clearly. As Xiao Buli drew nearer, and with the gradual approach, he was horrified to discover they were actually piles of corpses ¡ª each pile appearing to contain hundreds of bodies. He counted dozens of piles on his way down, which meant there were thousands of corpses?


    Even within the game screen, the sight of so many corpses sent a chill down his spine. These bodies were dressed in strange attire that seemed to belong to some ethnic minority, significantly different from the classic Eastern costumes he was used to seeing. There were men, women, and even many children, but their faces were unrecognizable due to decay.


    After walking three or four hundred meters further down, something unusual appeared. One of the corpse piles had inexplicably come apart, with dozens of bodies scattered and lying in disarray, some chopped in half, while others were burnt to cinders. Sword and axe marks marred the walls, clearly indicating a battle had taken place here.


    Xiao Buli walked around the scattered bodies twice and suddenly realized ¡ª these were the effects of the "Driving the Walking Dead" skill, weren''t they?


    The heads of these bodies were all facing in one direction, suggesting they had been awakened by a Corpse-driving Warlock and had attacked a target. At the end of the scattered bodies was a ring of corpses chopped into pieces.


    Xiao Buli surmised that these Walking Corpses had surrounded a target and then been wiped out by a powerful move. As for the move used, Xiao Buli instinctively felt it should be "Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds"; he often used this move and was clear about its effects. Besides, those cut by a berserker''s Whirlwind Slash would typically only be bisected and not chopped into segments like these corpses.


    The traces of battle reminded him of two people in the team, Liu Xing and Bai Yunfei. One could cast "Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds," and the other knew Corpse-Driving Technique. But why would they fight each other? Or was it another enemy with the same skills?


    Xiao Buli continued deeper into the tomb corridor while contemplating. The further he went, the more alarmed he became. Along the way, he saw more and more traces of battle, various kinds, which he could deduce some detail from. It was very likely that they were left by Zhang Yaoyang and his group. However, he didn''t know much about those people, so some things he couldn''t confirm.

 Chapter 70 Heart Piercer - Blade of Wailing_2

    The more traces he saw, the more curious and puzzled he became about what had happened before. He wanted to quickly reach the end of the tomb to see for himself what was there, but the tunnel seemed endless, stretching on for more than a kilometer, judging by Xiao Buli''s running speed after five or six minutes of fast pacing. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, a massive door appeared in front of Xiao Buli, guarded by two stone statues that clearly bore the style of exotic lands. The statues¡ªone male and the other female¡ªwere easily distinguishable by their physical features. The male''s physique was robust, and the female''s, graceful. Originally, they would have been beautiful statues, but eerily, the male statue sported a tiger''s head, and the female, a serpent''s. The fearsome beastly heads looked jarring atop human bodies.


    One half of the stone door was tightly shut, while the other half had been blasted into fragments, allowing Xiao Buli to walk through unimpeded.


    Inside was a hall so vast it was unimaginable, stretching over thousands of square meters, and yet not a single corpse was seen. At the far end of the hall, however, stood a tremendous statue that had been thoroughly destroyed, barely recognizable as some sort of alien creature. Beneath the statue, there was a throne on which sat a figure cloaked entirely in a cape. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    (Finally at the boss? This instance is surprisingly simple; not a single Minor Monster in sight.)


    As Xiao Buli thought this, he slowly walked toward the BOSS, wondering if it was the atmosphere, the depth underground, or merely his own foreboding that made his heart beat faster the closer he got to the BOSS.


    From a distance, he could see that the BOSS''s name was in silver. Strangely, there was no health bar under the name.


    Filled with a certain fear that the BOSS might be one of his friends, Xiao Buli finally recognized the name when he got closer.


    ''Corpse of Liu Xing¡ª¡ªSoul-binding Corpse Guard''.


    Shit! The moment he saw the name clearly, Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat, but the next moment he felt a strange sense of relief. The unknown is always the most unsettling; when terrifying speculation becomes reality and confronts you, Xiao Buli somehow found the outcome acceptable.


    Yet, knowing didn''t make it any easier to bear.


    Xiao Buli took a few more steps and reached the BOSS. Looking at the corpse wrapped in the cape, his heart was filled with only sorrow. So the guy did die, right here in the gloomy depths. He remembered the first time he met Liu Xing, at the Green Dragon Group''s server room, when Liu Xing had raised his glass in greeting.


    The Corpse of Liu Xing: "I smell the breath of the living, I feel the warmth of life, I hear the beating of the heart. Fearless and foolhardy intruder, this shall be the terminus of your life, the ultimate fate of your destiny. Are you ready to face your doom? Whether you are or not does not matter, for today you shall sleep here forever, entombed in the cold underground."


    The voice of the Corpse of Liu Xing was chilling and hoarse as the figure cloaked in black stood up from the throne, wielding a longsword that emitted wails of death.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but let out a wry smile at the BOSS''s lines. Full of humor in life and still so poetic in death, he sighed internally, feeling hopeless yet still typing: "I am Xiao Buli. Do you remember me, Liu Xing?"


    There was no response. In the next moment, the Corpse of Liu Xing was already charging at him.


    (All right, then let''s have a proper fight, as a farewell gift.) Thinking this, Xiao Buli raised his sword to meet the charge.


    He did not activate the Sunfire Sword Qi, for in this moment he wanted to rely solely on his swordsmanship to defeat this once-friend and grant him a fitting end.


    Swords crossed, and two figures passed by each other, then spun around simultaneously, each unleashing dazzling moves. Xiao Buli had trained with Liu Xing countless times, sharpening each other''s sword skills. Now, it seemed as though they were back in those old days again, even though their positions had completely changed.


    Liu Xing''s swordsmanship was as sharp as always, which the Xiao Buli of the past could not have withstood. But now, he stood his ground, dodging, parrying, and attacking, constantly switching between sword techniques. The Corpse of Liu Xing also changed its moves relentlessly, but although the attacks were fierce, something felt strangely rigid to Xiao Buli¡ªLiu Xing had always been known for unpredictable shifts in attack style, surprising Xiao Buli with moves he could never anticipate.


    Now the styles repeated as if reciting poetry known by heart¡ªstill ornate, still fluid, but lacking that thrilling essence.


    After dozens of exchanges, Xiao Buli realized the other''s moves were repeating themselves.


    Is that all there is? Xiao Buli suddenly felt disappointed; he thought he was battling Liu Xing, but just then he realized that what he faced was merely a stiff shell controlled by the system¡ªnot the Liu Xing he knew.


    Feeling abruptly disenchanted, as the opponent once again executed a sequence from the Gale Sword Skills, Xiao Buli used the Shadow Clone to distance himself, and the opponent attacked the Xiao Buli on the right, but this time he was on the left. Before Liu Xing''s move could finish, Xiao Buli rushed forward, Straight Lightning Sword!

 Chapter 70 Heart Piercer - Blade of Wailing_3

    The longsword plunged unimpeded into the corpse''s body and a crackle of lightning blasted Liu Xing''s corpse into a staggering retreat. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ultimate Skill¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! A tornado-like blade light shredded the black cloak on the meteor''s body, exposing the dry bones beneath the cape.


    Liu Xing''s corpse suddenly flew out, crashing into a heap on the ground, devoid of any sound.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Looking at the still corpse, Xiao Buli suddenly felt fear, a surge of anger bubbling up from the bottom of his heart, "Is that all you''ve got? Are you really that weak? Why are you so useless? Just because you''re dead, is that your excuse?"


    As if possessed, Xiao Buli typed out those words, but the corpse still lay there silently. Xiao Buli sighed, turned around, and prepared to leave, no longer caring about any loot.


    Just as he was about to reach the exit beneath the hall''s stone statues, without any warning, dim green ghostly fires suddenly flared up around the hall, enveloping the entire place.


    Xiao Buli was startled, and as he turned back, the corpse had already stood up; from its hollow eyes, a heap of eerie blue flames emerged.


    The corpse casually struck an Immortal Points the Way pose, its fleshless left hand crooking a finger at him invitingly¡ªLiu Xing''s favorite opening move. For some reason, Xiao Buli suddenly felt a strange sense of kinship with the ghastly corpse before him.


    "You''re really standing up again, good, I''ll entertain you a little longer," Xiao Buli turned back.


    The battle unfolded once more, and immediately, Xiao Buli sensed a change in the corpse¡ªnot rigid, but full of spontaneity. This randomness made him feel the presence of an actual being, not just a computer program.


    Xiao Buli was on full alert, the more fiercely he fought, the more surprised he became to find that the opponent''s fighting style was exactly like Liu Xing''s old self: completely unpredictable, not abiding by the rules. If it weren''t for the opponent''s ghostly appearance, he might even think that Liu Xing was still alive.


    But the more it was so, the more difficult he found it to cope. He was on the brink of defeat¡ª(Looks like I need to use a spell.)


    He was thinking this when Liu Xing suddenly employed an Assault Skill to reach his back. Xiao Buli quickly turned, no one there; turned again, still no one.


    Shadow Clone! Instead of retreating, Xiao Buli charged forward into the emptiness ahead, but before him flickered a silhouette, materializing exactly where he had been planning to retreat.


    The air seemed to freeze instantly; Xiao Buli was taken aback and enraged. He was in an Insight state¡ªhe still remembered the name of Liu Xing''s weapon¡ªHeart Piercer¡ªthat sword had a special effect: a chance to enter Insight status upon attacking, the next attack would ignore the target''s defense and guaranteed to be a critical hit¡­


    But Liu Xing''s corpse merely flicked its longsword, consecutively thrusting three times. The first destroyed the shield, shattering Xiao Buli''s Spiritual Energy Shield with 200 durability in an instant.


    The second thrust, Blood Void, wiped out more than half of his over four hundred health points, his black Dragon Scale armor''s high defense might as well have been paper-mache. By the time the third thrust was delivered, Xiao Buli had already smelled death approaching.


    Coldness spread to his limbs, and he stood frozen, but the instinct to survive made him subconsciously press the R key, Protective Shield charge! Using the active effect of Spiritual Energy Shield, Xiao Buli instantly regained 100 shield points and swiftly retreated backward....


    He put distance of several meters between them and when he turned back, he was stunned¡ªthe final thrust from Liu Xing''s corpse had not been made; it remained frozen in place, the longsword in a thrusting pose like a statue.


    "Liu Xing, is that you?" Xiao Buli tentatively typed out the question.


    The corpse stepped back, looked at its hand in front of its eyes, and suddenly unleashed a heart-wrenching howl before charging at him once more.


    Xiao Buli hardened his resolve, no longer stubbornly relying on sword skills. After that moment, he realized that if it was just a matter of swordplay, he was no match for Liu Xing, whose use of Instantaneous Movement was evidently a spell effect. So why persist? Moreover, he had no desire to taste the scent of death a second time.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! Palm Thunder! Carefree Wandering Dragon Sword Dance!


    A series of attacks flowed like drifting clouds and running water; Liu Xing''s corpse''s assault seemed to lack any pattern, being completely overwhelmed and annihilated. This time it did not stand up again, its body too broken, and as Xiao Buli approached, the blue fire in its eyes had been extinguished.


    Finally over, huh? Xiao Buli thought. What did that final wail mean? Who was it that stood up for the first time to fight him? It seemed that he would no longer get any answers.


    He clicked to loot, and from the body, only one piece of equipment dropped, a silver one-handed sword.


    Heart Piercer¡ªBlade of Wailing: Attack 27-39.


    Use: Enter Insight state, your next attack ignores the target''s defense and is a guaranteed critical hit, cooldown one hour.


    Equipment Note: When the sword is unsheathed, it emits a faint wailing sound, as if recounting the tragic fate of its former master.


    Clearly, an upgraded version of Heart Piercer, but that equipment note....


    Xiao Buli sighed, ready to move further in when the extinguished blue fire in the skull of the corpse flickered again and its fuzzy voice said, "Don''t enter... the game... is... alive." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at QiDian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 71 The Qilin Attacks

    "Don''t go into the game... it''s... alive?" Xiao Buli repeated the last words Liu Xing said before dying, a flash of gravity in his eyes. What exactly did this sentence mean? Could it be that the game itself was alive? Or, was it something within the game that was alive?


    He pondered for a long time until a sudden crack of thunder sounded outside the window, jolting him from his thoughts. Looking out, he didn''t know when, but the night sky that had been clear was now covered with dark clouds, and he could see rolling thunderbolts streaking across the sky every now and then.


    The wind picked up, whooshing in through the screen outside, and in the blink of an eye, large raindrops began to fall, pattering down and leaving streaks on the glass windows.


    Xiao Buli hugged his arms as he watched the pouring rain outside the window, his mood becoming as obscure as if it were shrouded by the dark clouds themselves.


    The ringtone of his waterproof phone sounded. He answered the call only to hear a somewhat unfamiliar voice on the other end.


    "Hello, is that you, Xiao? I''m Lu Xinying." Lu Xinying''s voice on the phone sounded a bit rushed and faintly excited. Xiao Buli found it strange, wondering when this kid got a hold of his phone number.


    He collected himself, trying to shake off the shock from the events in the game, "If it''s about saving Wu Min''er, then don''t bother. I already told you, I don''t have that kind of free time." Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Lu Xinying suddenly laughed, a laugh that baffled Xiao Buli.


    "Hehehe, of course, it''s not about Wu''s matter. I''m here to warn you, the Qilin Group has found your location." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What! Xiao Buli''s heart chilled, and he quickly looked out the window. Under the torrential downpour, he couldn''t see anything clearly, "How is that possible?" he asked, incredulously thinking how they could have found him so quickly.


    "Believe it or not, it''s up to you. I''m just letting you know for Wu''s sake, be careful, they are coming soon."


    Beep beep beep beep! The call was disconnected, and Xiao Buli turned off his phone, his mind in turmoil. Regardless of whether it was true or not, he needed to prepare. He was thankful for Lu Xinying''s warning, or else he would have really been in danger.


    As he thought about it, he couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty for having previously refused Lu Xinying''s plea for help.


    But now wasn''t the time for regrets. He first drew the curtains tightly shut, then Xiao Buli pulled a box out from under the bed.


    Ever since he heard that the Qilin Group was after him, Xiao Buli had begun systematically transferring items out of the game. In total, five pieces of equipment had been transferred.


    The Flawless White Jade Ring, the Black Dragon Scale Armor, the Windstride Boots, the Water-Repelling Pearl, and the Undead Binding Scepter.


    All of them were now taken out and equipped in one go. The Flawless White Jade Ring was warm and without any flaw, emitting a faint white halo, and he slipped it right onto his finger. The Windstride Boots were a pair of ancient-style lightweight leather boots, which he put on immediately, and he felt much lighter on his feet.


    The Water-Repelling Pearl was a crystal-clear blue bead, which he kept in his pocket for later use.


    The Undead Binding Scepter was a bone-like short staff similar to a magic wand, and the last item was a black dragon scale armor. Contrary to its dark and heavy appearance, this scale armor was incredibly light, lined with a soft yet tough leather material. Xiao Buli had tested it before; no matter how hard he tried to pierce it with a fruit knife, it wouldn''t go through. The leather was covered with shiny, coin-sized black scales, the material of which was a mystery. Xiao had shot at it twice with a handgun, and not a single scratch was left. The armor''s defensive capabilities were a hundred times stronger than bulletproof vests and stab-resistant suits. It was just unknown whether it could withstand bullets from an AK47 or a sniper rifle.


    Feeling much more confident with the black dragon scale armor on, Xiao Buli thought of dragons as creatures full of wonders in legends. Wearing an armor made of dragon hide and scales surely carried extraordinary benefits.


    Turning back to his computer, the game was still running. He hurried to exit, and since he hadn''t used the Time-Space Order Keeper today, he decided to transport a weapon into reality. Looking at the three swords in his backpack¡ªthe Soul Slayer''s Blade, the Blood Drinking Sword, and the Heart Piercer¡ªthe Blade of Lament¡ªXiao Buli hesitated briefly before selecting the third one, the newly acquired silver-quality longsword.


    Storing it in the ring space, Buli promptly exited the game, as it seemed the dungeon was already safe from danger. After shutting down the computer, he released the Blade of Lament, which was about one meter long, slender, and semi-transparent, emanating an ethereal color. Drawing the blade from its sheath, it sang a continuous, resonant note that sounded like a long sigh. What a fine sword!


    He was admiring it when¡ªding dong¡ªthe sound of a doorbell snapped Xiao back to reality, his gaze shooting toward the door as he went on high alert.


    He had no acquaintances here except for Gu Shaobang and a few others. How could anyone be looking for him? Given the warning he had recently received from Lu Xinying, the answer seemed rather obvious.


    He lifted the precious sword and cautiously approached.


    "Who''s outside?" Xiao Buli asked, pressing against the wall.


    "Hello, I have a delivery. Is this Mr. Zhang''s place?"


    A delivery? A thought flickered through Xiao''s mind. He had recently ordered some books and blueprints, all meant to be resold in the game. Could this be the delivery? He had used a fake ID to rent the place, and Mr. Zhang was the alias he had employed.


    But something wasn''t right! It dawned on him that, even for deliveries, no one would make rounds during a torrential downpour, let alone in the middle of the night. Such an excuse was far too flimsy.


    After a moment''s hesitation, Buli decided to play it cool. While holding up the precious sword aimed at the security door, he casually said, "You''ve got the wrong person. This isn''t Mr. Zhang''s place."


    "But this is the right address¡ªBuilding 2, Unit 3, Apartment 1 on the 13th floor," the person outside responded with a voice full of confusion, seemingly very young,


    "I''m not Mr. Zhang, and there''s no one by that name here. You should leave," Xiao Buli said again, shifting the longsword towards the source of the voice, targeting the center of the door, ready to thrust forward. Suddenly, the person outside said, "Oh, I see. Damn, what a drag¡ªto come all this way in the pouring rain for nothing." Footsteps sounded as if they were fading away.


    Peering through the peephole, Xiao''s pupils constricted.


    He stepped back sharply and, in the next moment, the security door blasted open, and a burly man clad in an explosion-proof suit charged in from outside.


    (Damn it, it''s really them!)


    PS: Sorry, I''ve gone back on my word again. I''m not in the best state, so just one chapter for now. I''ll strive to update more tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this story, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 72 Duel to the Death and Unexpected Support

    Xiao Buli performed a backward somersault to create some distance, then counterattacked with a Mysterious Ice Slash. The chilling crescent Sword Qi was still in midair when it was dispersed by a golden sword light. Zhang Biao wielded a double-edged greatsword in his hands, which appeared to be made from high carbon steel crafted in the real world. Despite this, due to the material''s heft and significant weight, along with some added energy, its power was considerable. A glint of gold flashed on the blade as it scattered the Mysterious Ice Sword Qi, then he advanced, rolling forward like a bulldozer.


    The sword wind howled. Zhang Biao, undeniably a mighty warrior of his generation, utilized the Whirlwind Slash technique in this strike, chopping horizontally with overpowering momentum,


    Xiao Buli casually raised his sword to block, but a Giant Strength transmitted through his hand, nearly wrenching the Blade of Lament from his grasp.


    He hastily executed a Shadow Clone to dodge. Zhang Biao didn''t rush his attack, as two more people followed behind him, charging in. One was the female assassin Dian Lan, dressed in a tight-fitting black leather suit, brandishing two daggers that gleamed with cold light in reverse grip. The other, if not Yan Zhong, who else could it be? He did not wield any weapons, but as a Mage Profession, he was extremely dangerous barehanded. Xiao Buli understood this all too well.


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    "Long time no see, Mr. Xiao Buli." A trace of murderous intent flickered in Yan Zhong''s eyes, "Dugu Han sends his regards."


    Dugu Han, Xiao Buli thought, hadn''t Dugu Han already died? Could someone have resurrected him using Merit Points? No, that can''t be right, that should only be possible within the game.


    "I am quite puzzled by that," said Xiao Buli, glancing at the window. Of the five people, only three had shown themselves; the remaining two were likely lying in ambush outside. The moment he stepped out, he would probably be ambushed. However, that didn''t matter. Once outside, he just needed to use Cloud Thunder Leap to make his escape. They wouldn''t be able to touch him.


    Yan Zhong didn''t seem to notice the change in his gaze and said indifferently, "Regrettably, in fact, Dugu Han has not died, he is still alive."


    Xiao Buli was taken aback. He noticed that Yan Zhong said Dugu Han hadn''t died, not that Dugu Han had been resurrected. On one hand, he wanted to get to the bottom of this, while on the other, he aimed to stall for time. Pretending to be shocked, he asked, "How is that possible? We chopped him into seventeen or eighteen pieces. How could he still be alive?"


    Chopped into seventeen or eighteen pieces? Upon hearing this, Yan Zhong also couldn''t help but wonder. If that were true, then there would be no way to resurrect him. Could there be some secret to this? Or was it that the organization had now obtained the ability to resurrect in real life?


    As he pondered this, Zhang Biao bellowed, "What''s the point of wasting so much talk with him? Just kill him and it''s all done."


    After roaring, a bronze glow emerged from his body, as if a Vajra descended from heaven, he charged again.


    Xiao Buli dared not underestimate his opponent and swiftly employed his Tai Chi Sword Skills to defend against the attack. The essence of Tai Chi Sword Skills was to counteract force with softness. As their swords clashed, Xiao Buli effortlessly deflected, redirecting most of the attack''s force to the side. The greatsword hacked down, cleaving the computer desk beside them in two.


    "Interesting!" Zhang Biao laughed heartily, while his greatsword slashed repeatedly. Xiao Buli could barely parry from left to right. Although his swordsmanship had improved recently, his opponent was a senior combatant specializing in close combat and possessed strength even slightly greater than Li Jian''s before.


    Forced into a corner, Xiao Buli considered his options for counterattack when suddenly a silvery laugh rang from behind. The laugh was crisp yet cold, carrying a slight chill. Xiao Buli felt a jolt at his back as he took a Backstab, but it was blocked by a Spiritual Energy Shield. Given that the dagger''s material was ordinary, the Backstab merely managed to break through the shield, but this still alarmed Xiao Buli.


    Turning around, he executed a Chain Sword Strike, swishing three consecutive slices to his sides, but hit nothing. Dian Lan seemed like a phantom or a ghost, her figure completely elusive.


    "Too slow," the cold voice sounded once again from behind. Pain struck his back as he received another Backstab; this time, there was no Spiritual Energy Shield to fend off the blade. However, the dagger did not penetrate. The blade, having been bought online, merely scratched slightly into the Dragon Scale armor''s gap and was blocked by the black Dragon Scale armor''s inner layer.


    This strike, however, shocked Xiao Buli to the core. Fortunate to have worn armor, otherwise, that blow could have cost him half his life. Real life didn''t have health points, and a hit to a vital area probably meant instant death regardless of how high one''s health points were. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Dian Lan disappeared from sight again and Zhang Biao pressed the attack, along with Yan Zhong''s looming threat, Xiao Buli didn''t dare linger in battle. He suddenly unleashed his Freezing Cloud Skills within the room, and as the chilling fog obscured the vision, he lunged toward the position of the window he remembered.


    With a crash, Xiao Buli smashed through the window and leaped out, falling from dozens of meters in the air outside the window. He began plummeting downward.


    Xiao Buli, of course, wouldn''t just fall like that. Although he knew some Qinggong, a fall of dozens of meters could still be deadly, so before he hit the ground, he had already unleashed his trump card¡ªthe Cloud-Thundering Sky Flash!

 Chapter 72 A Fight to the Death and Unexpected Support_2

    He turned into a bolt of lightning and shot up into the air.


    Just as he reached the clouds in the sky, before he could even rejoice, he was suddenly engulfed by a mighty suction force that came down on him.


    (What''s happening?) He didn''t have time to react to the situation before the next moment he found himself uncontrollably plunging towards the ground, carried by that force.


    With a loud boom, a golden bolt of lightning struck from the sky, landing squarely in the middle of the asphalt road, blasting the ground into a spiderweb of cracks and a crater. Xiao Buli knelt in the crater, feeling as if all his limbs were about to fall apart, and a sense of shock that was even more intense than before filled his heart.


    The enemy seemed to have planned in advance, breaking through his Cloud Thunder Leap life-saving technique. The force just now was clearly some kind of spell, capable of absorbing the thunderous power within the clouds and directing it towards the ground, and in his lightning form, he was also affected by this force, forced to fall from the sky. Had he continued flying upwards, he probably would have faced the same result.


    Just as he began to understand the situation, he was already surrounded by three figures from three sides. Yan Zhong''s eyes revealed a hint of mockery, "Did you really think that with your escape skill you would be invincible? Hmph, it seems you still don''t understand our power. The power of the Qilin Group is not something you cannon fodder can compare to, now¡ªjust accept your fate."


    Xiao Buli looked up at the stormy sky, but he remembered the weather forecast he had seen that morning. It was supposed to be a sunny day today, which meant that this thunderstorm did not form naturally but was summoned by the Qilin Group, right?


    The mere thought of his enemies having the power to control the weather filled him with dread, but then he realized that he could also summon clouds and rain now, so it wasn''t really a big deal.


    Wang Lei clearly also had the ability to transform into lightning. The hit just now was probably his handiwork. It seems that escaping with Cloud Thunder Leap would be unlikely now. Damn it, this is going to be tricky.


    Seizing the chance while his foes were busy scoffing and hadn''t launched an attack yet, Xiao Buli quickly used the Freezing Cloud Skills! As the mist shrouded the surrounding environment, Xiao Buli felt somewhat secure, but this sensation was short-lived; soon, the crisp and cold voice of Dian Lan filled the surroundings. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "White fog¡ªI''m used to it. Let''s play hide and seek," she said.


    The voice was erratic, sometimes far and sometimes near; Xiao Buli inwardly cursed, realizing this was bad. He had forgotten that the enemy had a top assassin; in a situation where no one could see anyone, what could be more dangerous than an assassin?


    Still, he harbored a glimmer of hope; the Freezing Cloud Skills would slow down the enemies within its range, and perhaps he still had a chance.


    But he soon discovered that he had been too optimistic; even if their speed was reduced, Dian Lan still had an absolute advantage in terms of speed. After several rounds of struggling in the mist, Xiao Buli became completely disoriented. Had it not been for the protective gear on his body, he probably would not have lasted this long. And now, as Dian Lan focused on his neck, Xiao Buli was finally forced out of the range of the Freezing Cloud Skills. Unfortunately, just as he emerged, he saw Zhang Biao charging straight at him.


    All or nothing!


    As he prepared to use his Sword Pinching Skills, ready to launch his Ultimate Skills, Zhang Biao suddenly trembled. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Bang! A gunshot rang out in the night sky, almost unnoticed under the cover of the thunderstorm, but its consequences were very clear. Zhang Biao touched his chest, and when he lifted his hand, it was covered in blood. The blood was quickly washed away by the rain, but the pain did not fade. Seeing the blood gushing continuously from his chest, his eyes showed an expression of disbelief.


    "How, how is this possible! I am¡ªundefeated!" He managed to speak before collapsing with a thud. His burly figure suddenly seemed so fragile, brought down by a single bullet¡ª


    "It seems the Golden Bell Shield can''t withstand bullets either, can it," Lu Xinying muttered to herself as she lifted her gaze from behind the scope on the rooftop of a residential building.


    Xiao Buli was overjoyed, even though he didn''t know who had helped him, this was undoubtedly the best time to make a run for it. He hurriedly ran towards the deserted street. Yan Zhong was about to make a move to stop him when suddenly he felt a throbbing in his brow, sensing something lethal threatening his life. He violently raised his hand to the sky, and a sniper bullet was forcibly suspended mid-air, as if it had entered some extremely viscous material, flying slower and slower, until it finally stopped completely just one meter away from him.


    Bang¡ªThe second shot rang out, followed by a third. Bullets flew towards him one after another, each freezing in mid-air, but the bullets were getting closer with each shot. By the fifth bullet, it was nearly hitting his face. Yan Zhong felt a sudden intense pain in his brow as he was beginning to lose his ability to withstand it, and he had no choice but to step back before violently swinging his hand forward.


    "Take it back!" He yelled as he released all his telekinetic power, sending the five bullets that were suspended in mid-air flying back on their original trajectories.


    Lu Xinying realized something was amiss as soon as she saw Yan Zhong wave his hand and quickly dived to the ground. A sound of metal being pierced rang out from above her; it was the noise of solar panels on the rooftop being collateral damage. She looked back and saw that the previously smooth metal plate now had five bullet holes in it.


    (That was close!) Lu Xinying thought to herself. She didn''t dare to show her face again, swiftly disassembled the sniper rifle, and jumped off the other side of the rooftop.


    Xiao Buli ran as fast as he could. He didn''t know exactly what had happened, but there was no doubt that someone had given him a hand, and now he had to take this opportunity to leave.


    All of a sudden, lightning flashed in the sky. Before Xiao Buli could react, a bolt struck five meters away from him, the flying debris blocked by the Spiritual Energy Shield. However, it reminded him that Wang Lei must be attacking him from the sky, probably unable to see his position and thus firing blindly.


    Xiao Buli quickly ran in a zigzag pattern, staying as far from the middle of the road as possible, while lightning continued to strike down one after the other. It was unclear whether the other party was too lucky, or his own luck was too lousy, but just as Xiao Buli was about to escape the area covered by the dark clouds, he was hit squarely by a bolt of lightning and sent flying.


    Thanks to the Spiritual Energy Shield absorbing much of the damage, and his body clad in top-quality Divine Gear, he was only paralyzed with numbness in his limbs rather than being killed outright. The explosion, however, had disrupted his Invisibility Effect, revealing him just as he became visible.


    He heard a rush of footsteps in the rain behind him. He turned to see the raindrops falling to the ground being warped as if an invisible person was quickly approaching him.


    It was Dian Lan! Xiao Buli quickly gathered his Palm Thunder. Two seconds were left in the Casting time, but before he could finish, the semi-transparent figure had already charged up to him. Xiao Buli''s pupils contracted and, in the next moment, lightning struck from the sky.


    Boom! The explosion flung him out, and the semi-transparent figure also seemed to be hit, flying out and landing in the mud, revealing its shape with a smack.


    Xiao Buli struggled to his feet, tasting the saltiness of blood at the corner of his mouth; he must have spat out blood. He wanted to move in to deliver a final blow with his sword but feared another lightning strike from above. Besides, Yan Zhong was also running towards him, so he had no choice but to use Skimming Shadow Steps again and disappeared into the streets.


    He got away! Dian Lan''s pretty face was pale as she struggled to her feet. When she saw Yan Zhong, she was suddenly taken aback, "Boss, your hair!"


    "Hair?"


    Yan Zhong looked puzzled at a glass store window by the street. A flash of lightning reflected his image, revealing that half of his hair had somehow turned white.


    "It''s nothing," he shook his head, "Let''s go back and talk. After a sigh, "And bring Zhang Biao''s body with us." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 73 Beast Intuition

    With a thud, Zhang Biao''s sturdy body was heavily thrown onto the floor, and Wang Lei, like a dead dog, plopped down, gasping for air. Although in the game, he had significantly increased his strength and stamina attributes - at least twice as powerful as an ordinary person in the real world - he was, after all, from the Mage Professions, where strength and stamina were not the main attributes. No matter how strong he was, there was a limit. So, overall, he was far behind those fierce close-combat professions. Plus, with Zhang Biao weighing a good 200 pounds, the journey had nearly killed him from exhaustion.


    Hearing the thud, Lin Beifeng, who had been curled up in a corner, suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze fell on the body on the ground, and then with a hoarse, mocking voice he said, "I smell the scent of a dead person - so it seems you''ve brought me a midnight snack?"


    He looked at the body on the ground, licking his lips, his eyes shining with a beast-like glint.


    Feeling a wave of nausea at Lin Beifeng''s expression, Wang Lei exclaimed, "That''s Zhang Biao, you beast, are you going to eat even the corpse of your own brother?" After speaking, he raised his hand, ready to strike with a Palm Thunder, but Yan Zhong abruptly grabbed his wrist, shaking his head at him.


    "Zhang Biao? Brother?" Lin Beifeng''s eyes flickered with a trace of confusion before suddenly becoming clear, "Zhang Biao is dead? How is that possible!" He looked at the body on the ground and suddenly let out a wail, "How could Zhang Biao be dead, who did it, who did it!?"


    Within the Qilin quintet, he and Zhang Biao had been exceptionally close, hence his unusually strong reaction.


    Yan Zhong walked up to him and stood there, looking down on him, "I don''t know what wickedness has possessed you, but if you''re still Lin Beifeng and you want to avenge Zhang Biao, gather your Spirit and help me find that guy."


    Wang Lei cried out, "No, boss, this guy''s clearly gone mad, how can we let him go?"


    Yan Zhong, however, shook his head, "He''s not mad. Besides, we''re a man down now, and Xiao Buli has acquired an assistant. It''s even harder to take him down now; we need all four of us to be sure. Moreover, Lin Beifeng''s abilities can help us find him."


    Wang Lei questioned, "You say Lin Beifeng isn''t mad, then what is this state of his?"


    Yan Zhong sighed, "You''ll find out soon enough."


    Seeing that he didn''t want to talk, Wang Lei felt helpless, "Boss, I think we should just give up. Dugu Han isn''t a good person either. Why not just leave the organization? Could they send people to hunt us down?"


    Yan Zhong yet again shook his head and looked at Wang Lei with a touch of scorn, "If you want to end up like Lin Beifeng, then go ahead. I won''t stop you."


    "End up like Lin Beifeng? What do you mean?" Wang Lei was puzzled for a moment but didn''t leave. Despite not fully grasping the meaning behind Yan Zhong''s words, his instinct told him that the situation was more complicated than it seemed, so he decided to watch and wait for now.


    Yan Zhong crouched down, "Lin Beifeng, I have to let you go now to catch that guy, but I warn you, don''t try anything funny. Even if you''re my teammate, I''ll take action."


    Lin Beifeng nodded and then shook his head, "I''ll try my best." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dissatisfied with that answer, but still nodding, Yan Zhong turned to Dian Lan, "Comb him out."


    Sitting in a chair, a towel wrapped around his neck, Lin Beifeng watched with trepidation as Dian Lan''s dagger danced above his head in the mirror.


    While trimming his hair and beard, Dian Lan asked with an air of nonchalance, "So, what''s really going on with you?"


    Lin Beifeng just gave a wry smile and shook his head, "I don''t know, honestly, I don''t have a clue myself." A hint of confusion appeared in his eyes, "All I remember is a voice that kept calling my name incessantly. Sometimes that voice is so clear, so familiar, as if I''ve heard it countless times before and responded to it."


    "Sometimes I feel like I''ve transformed into someone else, or something else. I have this urgent desire to heed that voice''s summon¡ª" He lifted his head to look at Dian Lan, "Am I sick?"


    Dian Lan and Lin Beifeng locked eyes, and for some reason, she knew at that moment that he wasn''t lying.


    "If you genuinely yearn to follow that voice''s summon, then go ahead, but before that, help us find the guy who killed Zhang Biao. Is your beastly intuition still there?" she asked.


    The beastly intuition was Lin Beifeng''s unique ability in the game. He was a Monster Shaman, a rare individual capable of utilizing the Demon Race''s spell abilities. However, learning such spells wasn''t without a price¡ªhis body hair seemed to have grown denser. It didn''t seem like an issue in the game, but now the symptoms were becoming noticeably pronounced.


    Listening to the conversation outside, Yan Zhong stared at his own reflection in the mirror, at the half head of white hair it showed, a wave of unease flashing through his heart.


    He knew these changes weren''t temporary and hadn''t even fully taken hold yet. Sooner or later, he would become just like his in-game self, at which point it would be irreversible¡ªhe had to return to the organization, only the boss knew how to combat these changes, he had to go back.


    After washing his face, when Yan Zhong emerged from the restroom, Lin Beifeng''s hair and beard had been neatly groomed.


    He looked much more refreshed, at least normal, like a person should.


    "Give him that thing," Yan Zhong said.


    Dian Lan reached into a cloth bag and pulled out a short-sleeved shirt. It was left behind by Xiao Buli in his room. Watching Lin Beifeng take the shirt, Yan Zhong coldly instructed, "Remember its scent in your mind because it will lead us home."


    As Yan Zhong spoke, he fished out some bone dice from his pocket, "Now let''s see which direction that guy has run off to."


    Mumbling to himself, he hurled the bone dice forcefully.


    Having finally escaped, Xiao Buli sat in the car, repeatedly flooring the accelerator. He hadn''t used Cloud Thunder Leap, as the recent battle had drained a substantial amount of his True Origin Points. To avoid getting into a tight spot, he decided not to use it again until his True Yuan had recovered.


    They probably won''t catch up now, he thought, as he had already left that small town. To avoid causing any trouble for Gu Shaobang and the others, Xiao Buli decided to get as far from there as possible and headed north.


    Through the night-vision goggles, a rider on a black Honda motorcycle was rapidly chasing from behind. Xiao Buli''s heart tightened, (Still not giving up, huh? But there''s only one of you, so why should I be afraid?)


    Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    PS: Today''s really going to be explosive, at least three chapters (to be continued. If you like this work, welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 74 Uninvited Guest

    As the motorcycle approached, he suddenly stomped on the brake, violently turned the steering wheel, and with a piercing screech of rubber tires against the road surface, he forcibly positioned the car sideways in the middle of the road, then leapt out with that Strength.


    The motorcycle was about to crash into it, and the rider, seeing the danger, also leaped up into the air, his movement agile beyond compare, flipping in mid-air to land on this side of the car.


    With a boom, the motorcycle and car collided behind him, exploding into a cacophony of noise. Before the rider touched down, Xiao Buli had already thrusted his sword toward him.


    "Don''t, it''s me!" the rider quickly yelled, raising his hands. Xiao Buli''s sword was poised at the rider''s throat as he yanked off the person''s helmet, revealing Lu Xinying''s utterly unremarkable face beneath. Xiao Buli had some recollection of this face and couldn''t help but sigh with relief.


    "Why is it you?" Xiao Buli asked, though he did not lower his sword.


    Lu Xinying smiled, "Is this how you treat your savior?" While she spoke, she took the sword''s edge between her fingers, carefully moving it aside.


    Xiao Buli sheathed his sword and asked indifferently, "Was it you who fired the shot?"


    "If not me, then who else could it be?"


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt something was amiss, "How did you know where I live, and how did you know the Qilin Group was coming after me?"


    "Can we not ask so many questions right now, please? Let''s find a place to rest first, okay?" Lu Xinying peered up and down the highway as she spoke. Despite the late hour and the rain, she couldn''t be sure that no cars would pass by, and being seen would definitely be problematic.


    Xiao Buli looked around. Indeed, this wasn''t a safe place, but since the car was stolen, it didn''t matter much if it were damaged.


    "Casually picking up the longsword, you lead the way."


    The location they were at seemed to be on the edge of a village near the highway, typical of Northern rural layouts. Along the sides of the highway, closed shuttered storefronts could be seen, most only two or three stories high, with occasional dirt roads leading into the village. The rain was nearly stopped at this point, leaving a fine drizzle that cleared the view quite a bit. They left the highway and walked along a muddy trail toward the village. A dog barked in the distance, and suddenly, Lu Xinying stopped, pointing to a rather exquisite house, "Here, follow me."


    After speaking, she vaulted over the wall and jumped in. Xiao Buli hesitated, wondering what they were doing there, but then followed suit without much delay.


    The courtyard of the house was spacious, with some plain vegetables and fruit trees. A black-back dog lay in its kennel, but sprang out at the sound of intruders.


    Lu Xinying seemed very familiar with the place; she deftly took out a blow dart and with two puffs, the dog that emerged from the kennel lay down and fell asleep. She fiddled with the lock for a moment, and with a click, the door opened. She slipped inside.


    By the time Xiao Buli followed Lu Xinying inside, the house was all clear.


    A middle-aged couple lay fast asleep, snoring like dead pigs.


    "Okay, I''ve put them under with a sleeping incense; they won''t wake up until past noon tomorrow. Let''s rest here for the night," she said.


    Xiao Buli watched as Lu Xinying unapologetically tossed the homeowners off the bed and sat on the edge, stretching and removing her drenched coat to hang it up. She found a dry one in the closet to put on.


    Despite not turning on any lights, Lu Xinying moved with certainty, obviously having clear vision in the dark.


    A hint of scorn appeared on Xiao Buli''s lips, "You seem quite adept at this."


    Lu Xinying bowed modestly, "Thank you for the compliment." Her hands didn''t stop moving, which left Xiao Buli speechless. She really was shameless.


    Xiao Buli pulled up a chair and sat down, "Tell me, why exactly are you tracking me?"


    Lu Xinying waved her hand, "NO, NO, NO, what you said is not accurate. I have no intention of tracking you. In fact, I was following those Qilin Group guys. You know I''ve always been looking for a way to save Wu. I thought these people might be related to that organization, so I kept an eye on them. I marked one of them with an ''Assassin''s Mark.'' You know about Assassin''s Marks, right? As long as they''re within a certain distance, I can sense the target''s presence. After tracking them for quite some time, I found out they were here asking about you, and that''s when I realized you were here too."


    "Then why didn''t you warn me earlier?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Because I wasn''t sure what they were up to. Later, when they discovered me, didn''t I call you? As for your phone number, they had looked it up, and I simply ''Pickpocketed'' it," she explained.


    Xiao Buli stared at Lu Xinying''s sincere expression but couldn''t shake the feeling that there was more to this than she was letting on.


    "Well, thank you for saving me, but I must go now," Xiao Buli said, making a motion to leave. Lu Xinying quickly spoke up to stop him, "Hey, wait a minute, you can''t just leave like that."


    "Then what else do you want?"


    Lu Xinying said, "Of course you need to help me rescue Sister Wu. You said before that we weren''t close enough for you to lend a hand, but now that we''ve shared life-threatening experiences, you''ve got to help me out this time, right?"


    Xiao Buli was just about to come up with an excuse to refuse, but a sudden spark of inspiration flashed in his mind. He thought of a plan, a plan to deal with the Qilin Group. Although it seemed the success rate wasn''t very high, it was certainly worth a try.


    With this in mind, he cracked a slight smile, "Alright, I agree to help you."


    This time, it was Lu Xinying who was surprised. He had not expected Xiao Buli to agree so readily. He had prepared a multitude of arguments, but now they were unnecessary. Nevertheless, it was a good thing no matter how you looked at it.


    "Then let''s rest tonight and set out tomorrow," Lu Xinying suggested.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "I''ll sleep on the sofa outside."


    Sleeping in an unfamiliar environment always felt strange. Xiao Buli lay in his clothes on the sofa, unable to sleep for a long time. He stared at the dark ceiling above and decided to think things through¡ªabout the plan he had just conceived, its details, and contingency measures. The sound of the rain pouring outside the window rose again, accompanied by occasional peals of thunder.


    Dampness clung to him, making him slightly uncomfortable, but it somehow lulled him into drowsiness, and he eventually fell asleep.


    Four hours later, Xiao Buli suddenly jolted awake and opened his eyes. It was five thirty-five in the morning, and it was already light outside; after all, summer nights are short, and even just four hours of sleep fully restored his energy and physical strength, probably thanks to the effects of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture.


    After stretching, Xiao Buli took out his phone and dialed Gu Shaobang''s number. After a few rings, yawning sounds came from the other end.


    "Hey, boss, why are you calling so early? Why didn''t you let us know after you finished the dungeon raid yesterday?"


    "Finished the dungeon raid? So, the light barrier at the entrance of the dungeon has disappeared?"


    Gu Shaobang said, "Yes, didn''t you know?"


    Xiao Buli explained briefly, shocking Gu Shaobang, "Holy shit, so much has happened in one night. Are you alright, boss?"


    "I''m fine; I won''t die that easily," Xiao Buli said. "Listen, Mr. Bang, I''ve run into some trouble and I probably won''t be able to return for a while. You all carry on by yourselves for now and be careful not to die. If you need to recruit new people or expand our power, you handle it. I''ve appointed Han Wenhuan to take care of the stronghold''s affairs. Also, work on getting stronger. Whenever you have time, go to the Mystic Hollow Palace and learn the Tao Te Ching from my junior brother; comprehend the Taoist Heart. Once I''ve dealt with things here, I''ll contact you again."


    Gu Shaobang agreed, "You be careful too, boss."


    After chatting a bit more, Xiao Buli hung up the phone.


    Returning to the master bedroom, Lu Xinying was still asleep with a trace of fatigue on his face, sleeping very deeply. This guy seemed to have no guard up at all, or was he just too good at disguising it?


    Xiao Buli shook his head. He wasn''t sure if lacking trust in others was a good or bad thing, but he had become accustomed to it over the years. First things first, he decided to make some breakfast.


    Xiao Buli entered the kitchen, where the ingredients were quite plentiful. He opened the refrigerator, took out some items, and quickly whipped up a simple breakfast.


    Fried eggs, toasted buns, and a glass of milk.


    "Hmm, smells delicious. Why did you start cooking so early?"


    A girl rubbing the sleep from her eyes came out of the next room. She was dressed in a loose-fitting nightgown with her hair cascading down, appearing not even twenty years old. She was startled to see Xiao Buli, who was equally taken aback. Lu Xinying wasn''t as clean-cut as he thought, having an unexpected housemate with him.


    "Do¡ª" Before the girl could finish crying out, Xiao Buli''s right hand shook abruptly, and a sword blade emitting a chilling aura was already pressed against the girl''s throat, forcefully silencing her scream.


    "Don''t scream, or you will die, understand?" Xiao Buli''s voice was very calm, but his serious demeanor made the girl realize he wasn''t joking. She had no idea where this strange man wielding a sword came from, but it didn''t stop her from quickly nodding her head, her body quivering beneath the nightgown.


    Xiao Buli continued, "Now, I''ll lower my sword, and you won''t scream, understand?"


    The girl nodded frantically again, her eyes tearing up, seemingly ready to cry.


    Xiao Buli lowered the weapon and spoke in a more pleasant tone, "Take a seat." As he said this, he portioned some food for the girl. "We''ll leave after breakfast." Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    "You¡ªguys?" the girl asked hesitantly.


    "Yes, us," a cold voice suddenly echoed from the kitchen. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for us with your recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 75 The Base

    The voice was very calm, yet shockingly abrupt, causing the girl to shrink her neck. Xiao Buli glanced towards the kitchen doorway. At the entrance of the kitchen, Lu Xinying looked at the girl with a trace of regret.


    (She''s pretty good-looking, not as much as Wu though, but very pure. Too bad you saw us.) Lu Xinying thought to himself.


    "I''m really sorry you saw our faces, but I have to kill you," said Lu Xinying as he pulled out a dagger and walked towards the girl. Xiao Buli, however, drew his sword like lightning, placing it between them, "There''s no need for that," he said indifferently.


    "But she saw us," Lu Xinying''s advance was stopped by the sword, yet his gaze remained fixed on the girl''s neck. The girl kept retreating backward, but the kitchen was so small, where could she hide?


    "I said there''s no need for that, put the knife down, or you''ll be the one doing the saving." Xiao Buli''s voice was flat but resolute. He knew the girl seeing them might cause a bit of trouble, but he was not the kind of person who could indiscriminately kill the innocent.


    Lu Xinying''s gaze landed on Xiao Buli''s face, and after locking eyes for a while, suddenly he broke into a very bright smile, "Heh, I''m just kidding, did you really think I''d kill someone just like that? Haha, look how scared you got."


    With a flick of his hand, the dagger miraculously disappeared from his grasp.


    "Ah, it smells so good, who would''ve thought Elder Xiao was also a good cook." Lu Xinying deliberately emphasized the words ''Elder Xiao.'' Xiao Buli gave him a glare, but it seemed as if Lu Xinying was completely oblivious to his own slip of the tongue.


    Xiao Buli was clear in his mind, this guy was forcing his hand. He did not speak, just coldly gazed at Lu Xinying, and perhaps feeling the chill in his eyes, Lu Xinying finally stopped talking.


    "Shall we go straight to the base after we finish eating?"


    Lu Xinying shook his head, "The Qilin Group is still after you, we need to shake them off first. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if they followed us to the base."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Indeed, the base is so important, it absolutely cannot be discovered by the Qilin Group."


    After finishing his words, he continued eating. Lu Xinying, however, was somewhat indignant. Was this guy doing this on purpose? Discussing the base in front of an outsider.


    But he needed Xiao Buli''s help, so it also wasn''t good to lose his temper.


    After breakfast, Xiao Buli prepared to leave, but before he went, he said to the girl, "If someone asks you, just say you haven''t seen us, understand?"


    The girl nodded hastily, but Xiao Buli added, "If someone asks about us, never say we were here, and especially do not mention anything about the base, understand?"


    The girl nodded again.


    Only then did Xiao Buli nod in satisfaction, leading Lu Xinying as they walked out.


    "You know if she gets interrogated, she won''t be able to keep a secret," Lu Xinying reminded from behind. Xiao Buli just smiled and nodded, "Of course, I know."


    The girl watched them disappear behind the wall and then collapsed weakly on the floor.


    This was the place, Yan Zhong stood in front of the two cars that were crashed together. His bone dice had led them here and indeed they had found some clues, although it seemed they were still not enough.


    Lin Beifeng had tidied up, his shaggy beard and hair had been roughly put in order, thanks to Dian Lan''s efforts. However, his spirit still seemed a bit unstable.


    "Let me sniff," Lin Beifeng got down on the ground and sniffed fiercely, passersby looked strangely at the group, but upon meeting Dian Lan''s cold gaze, they all scurried away.


    "They headed towards the town," Lin Beifeng pointed down a small path and said.


    Wang Lei looked at the moisture-laden ground after the rain with some disbelief, "You can smell that? For real?"


    "Not smell, see. Did you not see those two rows of footprints on the ground?" Lin Beifeng said as he pointed at the muddy tracks. Unlike the messy footprints, these were very shallow, very light, as if the person who left them weighed next to nothing.


    Wang Lei laughed awkwardly, "I truly didn''t notice them."


    Yan Zhong, however, said, "Cut the chatter, let''s follow them."


    Soon, the group of four stopped in front of a large residence.


    "This is the place, let''s go in and take a look."


    The gate was opened, and the four men filed in. Upon entering, they saw a girl pouring cold water on a large dog, which seemed a bit dazed, shaking off water droplets and yawning. When the dog saw the four men enter, it paused, then suddenly started barking loudly.


    While barking, it charged towards them, but just as it was about to approach, Lin Beifeng suddenly bared his teeth and barked, "Woof!" The dog was so frightened that it tucked its tail and retreated back into its kennel.


    "Who are you people!?" the girl asked, seeming extremely scared. Yan Zhong gave Dian Lan a look, signaling her to question the girl.


    "Have you seen this person?" Dian Lan said as she held out a photo from a contract. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, I haven''t seen them," the girl stammered with a flickering gaze, but Lin Beifeng suddenly sniffed and said, "Her body temperature just rose by 3 degrees, she''s lying."


    "Of course I know she''s lying," Dian Lan said as she pulled out a dagger, a cruel smile appearing at the corner of her mouth, "I think you''ll soon realize how big a mistake you''ve made."


    In fact, the girl surrendered immediately; after all, she was just an ordinary girl, not a trained spy or agent. Faced with the menacing foursome and their knives, she quickly became incoherent, spilling everything she knew.


    "So you''re saying that guy came here last night? When did he leave, and who was the other person?"


    "He left about an hour ago," the girl said, desperate to avoid harm. She then described Lu Xinying''s appearance again, although Lu Xinying really didn''t have any distinctive features, so Dian Lan couldn''t recall who she was even after such a long explanation.


    However, Yan Zhong caught on, "Don''t bother, that person must be the one who''s been feeding us information." Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    "Damn it, I knew that guy was up to no good," Wang Lei cursed.


    Dian Lan rolled her eyes at him, hating the tendency for hindsight. "So, did they mention anything else?" she asked while flashing her knife for emphasis.


    The girl thought hard and said, "I remember now, they mentioned some sort of base, a very important place, but they had to shake off the Qilin Group before they could go there. He also told me I mustn''t speak of this to anyone, I''ve told you everything¡ªplease let me go," she pleaded as she broke into tears.


    The four exchanged glances, and Lin Beifeng said, "What she says is the truth." After speaking, he looked at Yan Zhong, waiting for his decision.


    Yan Zhong pondered for a moment, a resolute look suddenly appeared in his eyes. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 76 Night Exploration

    "What will this so-called base be like?" Wang Lei couldn''t help but ask after hearing the girl''s words.


    Yan Zhong said, "If my guess is correct, this base should be the Green Dragon Group''s base."


    Wang Lei was shocked upon hearing this, but he quickly regrouped. Right, the Green Dragon Group''s people haven''t appeared till now, maybe they''re all hidden somewhere playing the game. Since Xiao Buli has encountered danger, for sure he''ll want to go back to his lair.


    "If that''s the case, then I''m afraid we have no way to deal with him, with so many people from the Green Dragon Group, and also those from the White Tiger Group and Vermilion Bird Group, how can we fight them?"


    But Dian Lan just snorted coldly, "What does it matter if they have more people? They''re just a bunch of trash."


    "I don''t see it that way." Yan Zhong said with an unusually serious expression, "Do you remember Xiao Buli''s weapon? I felt a strange sensation from that sword. If I''m not wrong, that sword is a weapon from the game."


    Wang Lei was immediately stunned. "How is that possible? How can equipment from the game be brought into reality?"


    "What''s so impossible about that? If monsters from the game can come to reality, then what''s so strange about equipment from the game coming to reality as well."


    Dian Lan also said, "I think so too. Last night, I stabbed him twice, but couldn''t penetrate at all. It''s like he was wearing some kind of armor. With the power of my Level 10 Enhanced Backstab, no anti-stab vest in reality could possibly have such good protection."


    Hearing this, Wang Lei couldn''t help feeling disheartened, "If that''s the case, we really are out of options. Without equipment, we can only utilize at most about thirty to forty percent of our strength. If each of the Green Dragon Group''s members is equipped and we are not, then what''s the point of fighting?"


    "That''s not necessarily true,", Yan Zhong suddenly revealed a cold smile, "Having the ability to transport equipment from the game to reality is definitely a heaven-defying existence. If we tell this news to the boss, what do you think he will do?"


    "You mean¡ª" Wang Lei''s eyes brightened upon hearing this. For such an ability, the boss would definitely spend a fortune. Just this information alone could probably negate the mistakes they had made previously."


    "Exactly," Yan Zhong nodded, "Those traitors of the Green Dragon Group will have to pay for their deeds." Determination shone coldly in Yan Zhong''s eyes as he turned around, and the four of them left for the outside.


    Watching the four people hurry away, the girl was completely paralyzed with fright.


    Xiao Buli did not realize that his scheme had already triggered a butterfly effect. His original intention was merely to draw the Green Dragon Group to that base to distract the enemy fire, but he hadn''t expected his plan to succeed so well, far beyond what he had anticipated. As for the consequences that it would cause, he was completely unprepared.


    Right now, he was taking a taxi with Lu Xinying toward the north.


    In the afternoon, they stopped in front of a warehouse on the outskirts of S City.


    "Aren''t we looking for the base? What are we doing here?" Seeing Lu Xinying stop outside the warehouse, Xiao Buli couldn''t help asking.


    "Of course, it''s to get weapons. You didn''t think we''d just walk in there without them, did you?" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she spoke, Lu Xinying opened the large door of the warehouse, and the two of them went inside. Seeing the shelves stocked with guns and ammunition, Xiao Buli was startled, "You really did manage to get quite an arsenal."


    "Yeah, after all, for players without gear, modern weapons are still quite powerful. That Zhang Biao in the game was so domineering, relying on his Divine Armor, he was practically a human tank. He could even withstand golden level bosses, but in the real world without his gear, he''s just one shot away from biting the dust,"


    Xiao Buli nodded, agreeing with Lu Xinying''s words. No matter how formidable Zhang Biao was, in front of a bullet, he would fall with a single shot. If you compared direct destructive power, modern firepower could instant-kill spell abilities in the game, not to mention the damage potential of cold weapons like knives, spears, bows, and crossbows.


    Especially for those close-combat occupations that rely heavily on gear, without the ability to wear armor or use anything but ordinary swords in reality, they stand no chance against firearms. Swordsmen and assassins might fare a bit better, thanks to skills like Light Body Stealth or Charge Skill, but warrior-type occupations are practically useless in reality.


    As for the usefulness of game abilities, the best would be some special abilities, like Invisibility Healing or Flight Transformation¡ªsuch magical abilities don''t exist in the real world.


    As Lu Xinying spoke, she pointed to the weapons on the racks and said, "If you''re interested, take a few. The more, the better. Anyway, I don''t plan on coming back here after we leave."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, that''s exactly what I was waiting for you to say. He didn''t hesitate to pack an assault rifle, submachine gun, shotgun, three pistols, and a large amount of ammunition all into a military duffle bag, planning to store them in his ring when no one was looking.


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    Lu Xinying was astonished, "Are you sure you want to take so much stuff?"


    Xiao Buli nodded and asked as if puzzled, "Of course. Is there a problem?"


    Lu Xinying shrugged, "No problem, let''s get moving then."


    After leaving the warehouse, Xiao Buli checked the time and noticed it was almost evening. He was a bit surprised, thinking, Are we taking a plane or a train at this hour? While pondering, he asked, "Where exactly is that base?"


    "It''s in S city."


    "S city?" Xiao Buli was surprised. He had assumed the base would be located in some remote and desolate place, hidden in the mountains or underground, like they usually are in the movies.


    Seeing through his thoughts, Lu Xinying couldn''t help but laugh, "You''ve been watching too many Hollywood movies, haven''t you? The base is in the northern suburbs of S city, very conspicuous. Once we arrive, you''ll know. I''ve already scouted the area. We''ll check it out tonight. If it looks feasible, we''ll take action; otherwise, we''ll wait a couple more days."


    Xiao Buli was speechless in his heart, realizing that experience could sometimes be misleading.


    The two got into a car¡ªa Hummer. Xiao Buli thought to himself that Lu Xinying must be quite wealthy. She then drove towards the north of the city. As they drove, Lu Xinying suddenly said, "I know why you said those words."


    Xiao Buli didn''t immediately understand, "What?"


    "The words you said to that girl, you were trying to mislead the people from the Qilin Group, right?"


    Xiao Buli chuckled, "Hehe, finally figured it out, have you?"


    Lu Xinying nodded, "Aren''t you afraid of attracting the big fish behind them?"


    PS: These past few days have been really hot, so hot that my brain is muddled, and I can hardly write. I ask for the readers'' understanding. As soon as this heatwave passes, I''ll definitely pick up the pace with updates. Trust me, no one wants to write more than I do. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), and cast your monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 77 Invasion

    "Big fish," Xiao Buli pondered for a moment, "it''s not impossible, but the bigger the fish, the more likely it is to muddy the water, which isn''t necessarily a bad thing."


    As they talked, dusk fell and darkness gradually enveloped the place.


    The suburban areas of S city were slowly shrouded in nightfall; as it became darker, the street lights along the highway lit up. Beneath the dim lights, the neon signs of the gas station flickered, summoning distant travelers.


    With a screech, a Hummer off-road vehicle came to a stop in the parking lot outside a gas station. As the car door opened, a right foot clad in black sports shoes stepped out.


    Lu Xinying got out of the car and looked up at the majestic building hidden in the darkness of the night, pointing at the distant building and said, "Look, that''s their base there. We''ll have to walk from here, get ready." While speaking, he checked his gear once more.


    Xiao Buli also got out of the car, glanced at the building which wasn''t the thin and tall skyscrapers commonly seen in the city center. Perhaps because it was built in the suburbs where the land wasn''t outrageously expensive, it covered a huge area. The building wasn''t tall¡ªonly about a dozen floors¡ªlike a giant rectangular box nestled among greenery.


    "It certainly looks grand, but it doesn''t seem to be anything special," said Xiao Buli.


    "You won''t say that when we get closer," Lu Xinying checked him over, noting the lack of equipment. "Are you ready?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Let''s get going."


    Both were dressed lightly for the operation: Lu Xinying only brought a pistol with a few magazines, a military knife, and two emergency grenades. Xiao Buli wasn''t much different, with a pistol and the sword on his back, and of course, those few Magical Treasures, mostly already equipped. The two magic wands were placed in a pouch at his waist, and he carried nothing else.


    Of course, in reality, while Lu Xinying wasn''t paying attention, Xiao Buli had already sent the backpack that held those weapons into the Time-Space Order Keeper, ready to be used at any necessary moment.


    After leaving the car, the two followed the tree-lined asphalt road towards the large industrial building and saw a sign after about two or three hundred meters that read, ''Excellence Technology Industrial Park.''


    Another hundred meters more and an automated gate of a guardhouse loomed into view. Light shone from within the guardhouse where a few uniformed security guards sat inside playing cards. Their laughter occasionally punctuated the silent night. On each side of the guardhouse were walls, making it look no different from any ordinary industrial park. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This way," called Lu Xinying, and they followed the wall towards a side of the industrial park.


    There were many flower beds and shrubs outside the wall that provided good cover. When they reached a corner, Lu Xinying suddenly stopped.


    He pointed at a mark on the wall, "This is it. Next, we''re going to infiltrate."


    Immediately after, his body was enveloped in a swirling light and shadow. In the blink of an eye, he was wrapped in darkness, nearly indistinguishable from the night around him. Unless one knew beforehand, it was impossible to detect any anomaly.


    Xiao Buli quickly employed Skimming Shadow Steps, vanishing into thin air.


    "Follow me!" Lu Xinying said, and with a leap, he vaulted over the wall like a shadowy phantom in the dark wilderness. Xiao Buli followed suit, scanning the surroundings from the top of the wall. But Lu Xinying''s figure became increasingly blurred in the night, almost merging with the darkness and becoming invisible.


    Xiao Buli swiftly activated Omniscient Eye. With his True Yuan Force circulating between his eyes, the pitch-black night seemed to take on a crystal blue sheen, clearly revealing the silhouettes of the surroundings. Lu Xinying''s outline came into clear view, and Xiao Buli hurriedly jumped down from the wall and followed.


    Lu Xinying seemed unsurprised, moving swiftly ahead, with Xiao Buli close behind. The two threaded through the trees and, in the blink of an eye, had infiltrated deep inside the industrial park. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    The park apparently wasn''t yet completed, with construction evident everywhere. Due to the night, there were no people around, though construction equipment was still present. Periodically, patrolling security guards could be seen pacing about. These guards looked unusually robust. Though they weren''t visibly armed, their sturdy builds and precise walking styles suggested military backgrounds, and they might very well carry concealed weapons at their sides.


    Around the high spots, there were numerous cameras like vigilant eyes constantly swiveling. The security for an industrial park seemed a tad severe, but it wasn''t overly suspicious.


    As they walked, Xiao Buli noticed Lu Xinying wasn''t heading towards the building''s main entrance but was instead circling to the side of the building.


    Xiao Buli followed, curious to see if the other could detect him, so he stood about five or six meters away from Lu Xinying and halted. Lu Xinying looked back at him and said, "Come on, what are you thinking about over there?"


    Xiao Buli was slightly surprised, "You can see me."


    "You can see me too," Lu Xinying said with a half-smile.


    Xiao Buli nodded, realizing that he wasn''t the only one with special abilities, "Why not take the main entrance?"


    "The main entrance has a thermal sensing device; we can''t go through there."


    As she spoke, Lu Xinying pointed at a window above her head. "Can you jump up there?" Xiao Buli estimated the height, around seven or eight meters¡ªtoo high to reach in one leap. However, there were some footholds on the wall that could possibly be used.


    But that window was made of glass bricks, tightly sealed. Breaking in would definitely attract attention, and there was no place to stand around the window, making it difficult to approach.


    Xiao Buli voiced his concerns, but Lu Xinying said, "Leave that kind of thing to me. You just need to take care of that barrier for me."


    Xiao Buli nodded. "Barriers are no problem for me." He had practiced his Qinggong extensively. He nodded again and gestured invitingly with his hand.


    Lu Xinying crouched down, preparing to run with a coiling motion. Xiao Buli initially thought she would use some kind of Qinggong to fly up, but surprisingly, she sprinted out, her feet clinging to the wall like suction cups, and ran vertically up the building. In one breath, she reached the window on the third floor and grabbed onto the window frame.


    The window was locked from the inside, supposedly impossible to open from the outside, but somehow, Lu Xinying fiddled with it and, amidst the silent night, there was a click sound as the window swung open.


    The window was the type that could pivot open. Lu Xinying pushed it forcefully from inside, opening a crack, and then slipped through the gap like a fish entering water.


    These consecutive actions, although fraught with peril, were as smooth as drifting clouds and flowing water. Xiao Buli watched in secret astonishment, thinking that Lu Xinying seemed to have a natural gift for thievery.


    He didn''t hesitate either. With a Leaping from Dry Land, he jumped over five meters high, gripped the crevices in the wall, and sprung up. Just as he was half a meter from the opening and nearly out of breath, Lu Xinying, who watched intently, suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him in forcibly.


    "You could use some improvement in your Qinggong," he heard Lu Xinying tease in the darkness.


    With an annoyed flick of his hand, Xiao Buli shook off Lu Xinying''s grip. "Thievery isn''t my profession, what''s so strange about that?" He sighed in relief internally and looked around. The room was plunged in darkness, but that didn''t hinder his view of the surroundings. It seemed to be an office, with a computer desk, an executive chair, and a photo framed on the table. Xiao Buli glanced at the photo, which showed a pretty woman.


    He stood up and moved quietly without making a sound, both excited and nervous. After all, this was his first time engaging in a spy mission like infiltrating enemy territory. Despite having the protection of Fleeting Light and Shadow, he was still tense.


    Xiao Buli glanced at Lu Xinying and asked softly, "Where do we head now?"


    "Of course, we''re going underground. The base is located beneath this building," Lu Xinying said. "But before that, I need to take care of the surveillance system."


    After speaking, she drew the curtains and started up the computer.


    "What are you doing?" The light in the room made Xiao Buli nervous.


    "I''m breaking into the network of this base, of course," answered Lu Xinying, typing rapidly. The computer was high-end, and Lu Xinying''s hacking skills were even more impressive¡ªat least a notch higher than Xiao Buli''s abilities.


    Even so, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but ask jokingly, "Are you sure you can do it?"


    "Don''t worry about it," she assured him.


    "Got it," Lu Xinying suddenly snapped her fingers, the sound distinctly alerting in the tranquil night air.


    Surveillance footage appeared on the computer screen.


    However, after flipping through it, she didn''t find any internal views of the base.


    "Why are there only hallway images?" Xiao Buli asked, puzzled.


    Lu Xinying explained, "It''s not strange. The base must have its separate surveillance system, presumably not linked to the outside. We''ll need to be cautious inside, but at least this part of the way out here should be much easier."


    Pointing at one of the switched screens, she commented, "Look here, this should be the first floor, the entrance to the base."


    In the surveillance image, there was a metallic door, resembling an elevator entrance, guarded by two uniformed personnel. Unlike the security outfits outside, these two were dressed in camouflage and cradling automatic rifles.


    The presence of these men confirmed what Lu Xinying had suggested earlier¡ªwho would arm security with military weapons like this if not for a reason?


    Xiao Buli glanced at the metal door, but a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, "How do you plan to get in?"


    PS: Sorry for not updating for two days. I won''t stop tomorrow, and updates will resume. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 78 Underground

    How to get in was indeed a problem; the metal door wasn''t going to open on its own unless someone was going through.


    Lu Xinying gazed at the screen, pondering for a while, "Of course we''ll sneak in. It''s not my first time here."


    "Easy to mingle in?"


    "Depends on luck, if luck is on our side, someone will show up soon."


    Xiao Buli nodded, having come this far, he was ready to take risks. At this point, he was also very eager to figure out the truth behind this organization, and he had a feeling that they might know the secrets behind this game.


    The two left the office and walked down the corridor, following the route they had planned based on the surveillance footage. They soon arrived at the elevator entrance, standing quietly in front of the metal door, waiting.


    The two guards stood motionless, obviously well-trained elite warriors.


    Though Xiao Buli''s Skimming Shadow Steps had reached LV5, its duration was only 150 seconds, and he had to occasionally run to a corner to recharge. He estimated that each use consumed 30 True Yuan Points, and factoring in the regeneration rate of True Yuan, he could keep it up for an hour or two without a problem.


    Things didn''t go as smoothly as expected,


    After waiting for nearly half an hour, with no one coming to use the elevator. Unable to check his True Yuan points in reality, Xiao Buli felt his spirit growing weary. He used Omniscient Eye to glance at Lu Xinying, who was standing like a statue on the other side of the corridor, unmoving. The difference in endurance between their invisibility stealth skills was obvious; his Skimming Shadow Steps was nowhere near as sustainable as the zero-cost Stealth Skill of a Shadow Dancer. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gestured to Lu Xinying and began walking back the way they had come, reaching a crossroads after a few steps. Glancing around, he suddenly saw a woman in an OL suit, holding a stack of folders, walking from the other side of the corridor. Xiao Buli quickly stepped aside, watching as the woman reached the intersection, turning towards the elevator entrance.


    Xiao Buli felt a surge of joy, thinking finally someone had arrived, "Someone''s coming!" he urgently conveyed to Lu Xinying using Secret Sound Transmission.


    As he said this, he returned to the elevator entrance, now only a little over a meter away from the guards.


    So close that he could clearly smell the faint scent of gunpowder on them, suggesting they probably engaged in live-fire exercises often.


    Lu Xinying also stealthily moved to the other side, both standing in front of the elevator doors, just waiting for them to open in that instant.


    The guards appeared to be quite familiar with the office lady, but they still greeted her while checking her pass before letting her through. The two of them hurriedly followed, squeezing into the elevator the moment the doors slid open.


    The office lady, unaware that two people had followed her into the elevator, walked straight in, holding her folders. Xiao Buli and Lu Xinying pressed close against the walls of the elevator to avoid touching her. Although she didn''t seem particularly strong, with cameras typically installed in elevators, being discovered would be inevitable if they made contact. Trapped in the elevator, they could neither go up nor down, an utterly vulnerable position to be caught.


    Fortunately, the office lady did not move around much and stood in the center of the elevator, pressing the button to go down before plugging earphones into her ears and humming while she waited.


    Xiao Buli had not paid attention to her looks before, but now, close by, he realized she was the one he had seen in the photo in the office. What a coincidence that was.


    The lady was quite beautiful, with a pair of black-framed glasses, a white blouse and black pencil skirt paired with flesh-colored stockings, exuding a certain allure of uniform temptation. A delicate fragrance lingered, whether it was her natural scent or perfume, Xiao Buli wasn''t sure. He glanced at Lu Xinying and saw that she was gripping a military knife, its blade mere centimeters away from the office lady''s snowy neck. He quickly gestured for her to relax, and after a moment''s hesitation, she put away the knife.


    The elevator descended for quite some time. Xiao Buli mentally calculated the elevator''s descending speed and time, his heart sinking. The underground base was very deep. If they were discovered down there, there would be no escape, neither Cloud Thunder Leap nor Earth Escape Skills would work in this steel-reinforced concrete chamber.


    Feeling nervous at the thought, he wondered if he had been too rash. He glanced at Lu Xinying, who seemed utterly composed.


    Ding, the elevator doors suddenly opened. The office lady took off the earphones from her MP3 player and stepped out. The moment she left, the two of them followed suit.


    As they watched the office lady''s figure disappear at the end of the corridor, they both breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Where to now?"


    "We''re going to find Wu, of course," Lu Xinying''s voice was firm. Xiao Buli had some respect for him, to risk life and limb for a woman like this; at least he knew he couldn''t do it himself.


    (Maybe I haven''t yet experienced the taste of love.) Xiao Buli thought to himself, following Lu Xinying down the other side of the corridor.


    The corridor was long, lined with numerous rooms, and each door was numbered from 1-01 to 1-19, the specifics of their use unknown.


    Xiao Buli patted Lu Xinying on the shoulder, but Lu Xinying shook his head, indicating that there was nothing to worry about. Halfway there, they saw a door ajar, and Xiao Buli glanced inside. It looked like an office where two individuals in white lab coats were reporting to a middle-aged man in military attire. However, this was not the usual military uniform they had seen before; it was a black uniform, seemingly that of a special organization.


    Xiao Buli listened for a bit and faintly heard discussions about Teleportation Portals and missing components.


    Someone tugged at his sleeve from behind. Xiao Buli turned around to see Lu Xinying signaling him to hurry and catch up.


    Following Lu Xinying, they stealthily moved for about ten minutes. During that time, they encountered several people but carefully avoided them all. Finally, they arrived at a crossroads leading in different directions.


    Both the left and right paths stretched out for a long distance and were lined with many rooms, but directly ahead stood a heavy metal door with a security system that looked like something out of a spy movie.


    Lu Xinying approached the metal door and swiped a card through the identity verifier.


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    A mechanical female voice immediately sounded, "Welcome to Excellence Technology, Mr. Olipheld. Please enter your password."


    Lu Xinying typed in a few keys, and the woman''s voice sounded again, as a fingerprint verifier popped up.


    "Password correct. Please place your hand on it."


    Lu Xinying, well-prepared, took out a fake hand from his backpack and placed it on the verifier. After a series of beeps, the metal door swung open, and they quickly went inside. It would be terrible if someone came out and saw them now, but luckily, the area seemed to have strict access control, and hardly anyone was around. However, seeing the metal door close behind them, both heaved a sigh of relief.


    Lu Xinying pointed down the road ahead, "That''s where I need your help. There''s an invisible barrier there that is completely impenetrable. I''m guessing Wu is right on the other side. All you need to do is disperse the barrier, then I''ll go in to find Wu, and you can wait here."


    Xiao Buli took a step forward and was indeed repelled by an invisible force, similar to the repulsion between like poles of two magnets, but even stronger. He reached out and pushed hard, as if pressing against an invisible wall that would budge just a few centimeters before it became immovable.


    "Are you sure this is the effect of a spell?"


    Lu Xinying replied, "Of course, I''m sure. If it were a technological device, those who passed through here would definitely have devices to decrypt it, which I would have stolen by now."


    Xiao Buli nodded, drawing out the Exorcism Staff, using it for the first time in reality.


    He swung it forcefully, mirroring Harry Potter, and as his spiritual power was triggered, a white light immediately shot out. Seemingly stimulated, it revealed a faint purple light, like a curtain of light blocking the way. Xiao Buli tensed, as it reminded him of the barrier at the entrance to a cave in a game he once played.


    The white light continued to wash over the purple curtain, which gradually disappeared.


    "It''s gone. Please proceed."


    Lu Xinying nodded gratefully, "I knew I hadn''t misjudged you," he said, and then he dashed in.


    Xiao Buli asked indifferently, "Aren''t you afraid I might take off early?"


    Lu Xinying turned around, smiling brightly, "I trust you''re not that kind of person."


    Xiao Buli internally rolled his eyes, thinking Lu Xinying was mocking him, but he wouldn''t fall for that.


    "You have one hour. Regardless of whether you show up or not, I will leave immediately," he said very seriously. Only then did Lu Xinying straighten up and nod earnestly before bending down and vanishing into the darkness ahead.


    Xiao Buli took a seat, taking the opportunity to recover his True Yuan Points.


    He had been sitting for only a few minutes when suddenly, he heard a series of beeps from behind. A sense of warning flashed through his mind, and he hastily engaged his Skimming Shadow Steps, darting to one side. The metal door flew open, and two people walked in, one the female office worker he had seen before, and the other, to Xiao Buli''s chagrin, was Qin Shimoon.


    Qin Shimoon was dressed in a black uniform that revealed her high rank within the base. The female office worker was following close behind her, holding a stack of documents in her arms.


    "This experiment must succeed, as we no longer have much time," Xiao Buli heard Qin Shimoon say.


    PS: There''s more in the afternoon (to be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 79 Curiosity Killed the Cat

    Seeing Qin Shimoon''s figure, Xiao Buli was suddenly startled. Fundamentally, he wasn''t someone who liked to delve into the nitty-gritty. While he was very curious about the secrets behind this game, he had always understood the saying that curiosity killed the cat. As long as he could benefit from the game and knew how to avoid death, he was indifferent to what the truth might actually be.


    Yet, the more he engaged with this game, the more he found himself unable to stay calm.


    Whether it was the NPC transformation of Li Baocheng and Xia Zuowei or Liu Xing''s last words before death¡ª"Don''t enter... the game... it''s alive"¡ªall deepened the doubts in his heart. This was also why he knew of the dangers but still followed Lu Xinying here. Maybe he wasn''t entirely clear himself, but subconsciously, he was impatient to uncover the secrets hidden behind this game.


    Now, seeing Qin Shimoon''s silhouette, the curiosity that had been suppressed in the past suddenly emerged again.


    (Maybe she knows something) Xiao Buli thought secretly. Judging from the operation arranged by Qin Shimoon, her understanding of the game was definitely substantial, perhaps even exceeding that of Dugu Han. As he was contemplating this, Qin Shimoon walked straight past the barrier.


    The barrier didn''t produce any obstruction, and it seemed Qin Shimoon wasn''t surprised either. Xiao Buli immediately realized that this barrier was evidently ineffective against them; it must possess some sort of special recognition mechanism.


    After a moment''s hesitation from Xiao Buli, Qin Shimoon''s figure had already disappeared into the darkness of the corridor. Clenching his teeth, Xiao Buli dashed forward to follow.


    The dimly lit corridor was faintly illuminated by the emergency lights'' pale blue light, barely enough to discern the path ahead. Xiao Buli ran swiftly, catching up with Qin Shimoon and the female white-collar worker in the blink of an eye. However, both figures flashed and vanished behind a metallic door. Xiao Buli sidestepped through just as the metal door slammed shut behind him. As he felt speechless about his own rashness, he examined his surroundings. This place clearly resembled an observatory deck, with a large floor-to-ceiling glass window divided into sections by metal railings. Armed soldiers stood guard every few meters, monitoring the situation below.


    Below the glass, there was a vast hall reminiscent of a stock exchange market or perhaps a space agency''s command center. Several hundred computers were divided into over a dozen separate zones, each packed with people wearing sports attire, deeply engrossed in the game, their screens flickering between scenes of Absolute Death Domain.


    So many players!? Xiao Buli was stunned. By comparison, even the Qilin Studio could only be considered small-time.


    Qin Shimoon was standing next to him, looking down at the gaming hall beneath the observatory deck. The female white-collar worker had disappeared, probably gone to do something.


    "Quite the spectacle, isn''t it?" Qin Shimoon suddenly said. Xiao Buli jumped, thinking she had discovered him. Instinctively, he stepped back, hand gripping the sword handle behind him, but right then, a voice sounded from behind.


    "Yes, it truly is spectacular."


    The voice was somewhat androgynous and very familiar. Xiao Buli turned around, and as expected, it was Wu Min''er.


    She too was dressed in a black uniform, her shoulder epaulets bearing the rank of captain. Her hair was still tied into a ponytail, looking no different from before. If there truly was a difference, it was that she seemed much more serious and somber.


    "Regarding that door, I need to report to you," Wu Min''er began, but Qin Shimoon raised her hand to stop her, "Come to my office."


    The two of them then walked along one side of the observatory deck. (That door? Could it be the Space-Time Gate?) Xiao Buli''s heart dropped, and he hurriedly followed.


    Moments later, the two entered an office, and Xiao Buli stealthily followed, hiding in a corner to listen to their conversation.


    "How is the installation of that door coming along?"


    "The one in the game has been installed, but the one in reality is far from complete. Although the mainframe has been installed, the core material still hasn''t found a suitable substitute," Wu Min''er reported earnestly.


    Qin Shimoon frowned, "Can''t the ion generators provided by the scientists serve as the activation energy?"


    "Apparently not. The activation energy for the Teleportation Portal seems to differ from the energy we know in daily life. I''ve attempted several times to no avail."


    Qin Shimoon sighed, "So is it ultimately unfeasible? This will complicate our next step; the General won''t be pleased."


    Wu Min''er hesitated to speak, and Qin Shimoon, sensing the change in her expression, pressed, "Do you have doubts? If so, ask away. Now that you''re one of us, there are things I can tell you."


    "What exactly do you want to achieve from the game?" Wu Min''er''s question, however, deeply disappointed Xiao Buli, as he had expected her to ask where the game came from.


    "Everything."


    (Everything? Such a vague answer, but it also reveals the grand ambition of this organization.) Xiao Buli thought to himself. Wu Min''er seemed to have grasped Qin Shimoon''s intention, nodding, "I have no further questions."


    "Then you may leave. I''ll keep pushing the scientists to find other substitutes."


    Watching Wu Min''er prepare to leave, Xiao Buli found himself in a dilemma. What should he do? Confront Wu Min''er or forcibly detain Qin Shimoon for answers.


    The safest choice right now would be to quickly leave this place, as every second spent here becomes more dangerous. But how could he leave without having cleared up the answer?


    Watching Wu Min''er leave, Xiao Buli gritted his teeth and thought, "It''s all or nothing now." He could only rely on Wu Min''er''s reliability as he chased after her, only to find Wu Min''er had disappeared.


    She left so quickly? Xiao Buli hurriedly followed, passed several guards and patrolling soldiers, and was forced to slow down. By the time he reached a corridor, Wu Min''er was nowhere to be seen. As he wandered, a whisper suddenly reached his ear, "Hey, why did you follow me in? Didn''t I ask you to wait outside?"


    Xiao Buli glanced at a shadow in the corner, "I followed Wu Min''er here."


    "Wu? You saw her? Where?" Lu Xinying''s voice sounded surprisingly excited. Xiao Buli whispered, "Keep your voice down. I was blocked by some soldiers for a moment and lost her, but I''m sure she''s in one of the rooms nearby."


    "Then let''s split up and search. We''ll regroup here in ten minutes."


    Without waiting for a reply, Lu Xinying turned and left. Xiao Buli cursed under his breath as he watched Lu Xinying disappear once again.


    He thought to himself that since he was already here, backing out was no longer possible.


    Suddenly, another patrol came by, with even a military dog in tow. Xiao Buli was startled, knowing it would be terrible if they were sniffed out.


    He quickly pushed open a nearby door and darted inside.


    Once inside, he realized he might have come to the wrong place. It was a computer room, and behind a frosted glass wall, muted voices could be heard.


    "Everyone, follow my command, flank from the left, don''t engage in close combat, shoot the bastards!"


    Xiao Buli carefully moved past the glass wall and saw a computer room with over fifty computers, but only about thirty people at the stations. These players were undoubtedly from the Absolute Death Domain, and he noticed that all their screens showed generals.


    A group of people had formed a team and were battling the Demon Clan in the wilderness. Each player led a different number of cavalry NPCs. With the players included, there were about two to three hundred of them, circling a Demon Clan troop of four to five hundred. They maintained distance while continuously switching to bows and shooting at the Demon Clan.


    Golden Dragon Legion''s cavalry!? Xiao Buli soon discovered the battle was taking place near a plain close to Nine Dragons City. He had been to that area before. He didn''t expect the Demon Clan to have attacked so close, and he wondered if Nine Dragons City could hold out.


    With this in mind, he carefully observed the battle to gauge the skill level of these players.


    They may look like average players in terms of equipment, but their coordination was impeccably in sync, and their tactical use was extremely sophisticated.


    In the game, generals could also use bows and even had a few unique archery skills. Now, this group of general players shot their arrows while moving in circles, and the numerous Demon Clan could not get to them.


    As the Demon Clan''s formation began to fall into disarray, the commander started issuing new orders.


    "First squad, form up for a wall charge. Second squad, get ready for the second wave. Third and fourth squads, keep harassing them. Don''t let them regroup."


    Surprised by the orders, Xiao Buli thought, "Squads? This is a military organization! Could these players be soldiers?"


    He scrutinized the players and, sure enough, they seemed robust. But that alone didn''t prove anything, as anyone could become physically stronger by playing the game extensively.


    However, their military-style posture was something they couldn''t hide.


    As a Cavalry Wall was formed, the heavily armored cavalry charged together, with the second Cavalry Wall preparing to form behind them.


    With a thunderous impact, the Cavalry Wall crashed into the Demon Clan''s formation. Instantly, the scene erupted into chaos with horses overthrown and the clamor of battle cries filling the air.


    One general was too aggressive and got surrounded by the Demon Clan. In an instant, dozens of weapons slashed at him and he was finished off in the blink of an eye.


    "Platoon leader, I''m down," requested the player controlling that general, his face grim as he set down the keyboard and stood up. He addressed a middle-aged man who was commanding the battle, "Requesting to withdraw from combat."


    "Permission granted to withdraw. Report to the reserve unit," said the commander with no signs of complaint. The fallen soldier saluted and silently walked outside.


    On the screen, the battle raged on. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote of recommendation or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.) Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 80 The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

    ```


    The cavalry kept forming new lines, ranks of about a dozen or twenty charging toward the Demon Clan, and under repeated assaults, the formation of the Demon Clan finally collapsed.


    Without a formation, the Demon Clan couldn''t organize an effective resistance against the relentless charges of the cavalry. The charging effects, which knocked back and sent the demons flying, allowed the Demon Clan to be "harvested" by the following cavalry troops, defeated piecemeal. Despite their numerical advantage and individuals stronger than the human cavalry, each demon often faced a simultaneous attack from over a dozen weapons. The result spoke for itself, and in short order, an army of four to five hundred demons had been slain and captured.


    On the player side, only three players had fallen, along with about forty to fifty NPC cavalry. The disparity in casualties between the two sides was tremendously vast.


    Finally, the last demon fell, and a cheer erupted in the computer room.


    "Hahaha, fantastic, we finally won. The garrison won''t be threatened again for a while," said the squad leader commanding the battle as he stood up and spoke to the rest, "I''m going to report the good news to the general. Vice squad leader, continue to lead the defense here, and compile the casualty figures. I''ll ask headquarters for reinforcements later."


    The person who appeared to be the vice squad leader acknowledged, and the squad leader left.


    (A general? Could it be that a military general is in charge of this base?) Xiao Buli was stunned by this realization. Could they be military personnel? But Lu Xinying said they weren''t military, didn''t she?


    After the squad leader had left, the cavalry dispersed to collect the loot that had dropped, then quickly reassembled and marched toward Nine Dragons City in the night. Xiao Buli watched the game''s display of their orderly ranks and fell into deep thought.


    He had never seen such a uniform professional composition before. Affected by his experiences in past games, when forming a team, the more diverse the professions, the better, to have as complete a range of abilities as possible.


    However, it was clear that these amateurs didn''t think so. Maybe they hadn''t played many online games before, or perhaps they had planned a different approach, but the whole team was composed of nothing but military commanders, without a single different job class. However, there were benefits to a single job class team. At least a team solely of military commanders, complemented by NPC cavalry, could outmaneuver the Demon Clan army easily. It was precisely by using this mobility that they were able to defeat a larger, stronger enemy with a smaller force.


    The strength of a team made up entirely of military commanders was surprisingly powerful, which was beyond Xiao Buli''s expectations. He imagined how other job classes would fare in this situation, and conjectured that a mixed team of players of various job classes, even with NPC support, would likely struggle to achieve victory.


    Xiao Buli''s thoughts went further. If he and his men encountered such an enemy army on plains, they would probably suffer heavy losses, or even be completely annihilated, except for those like him with escape capabilities. Now, with the forces at his command, there was no way to stand against a strong Demon Clan army.


    With this thought, he was deeply shocked by what he had seen (It looks like I shouldn''t be too limited by my past gaming experience after all. I need to open my mind and think boldly).


    As Xiao Buli thought this, he stepped back out. The patrolling soldiers had moved away, and Lu Xinying also emerged from the room across the way. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    The two shook their heads as they met.


    "It''s all players inside, all military commanders. Looks like they''re all soldiers," Xiao Buli shared his observations.


    Lu Xinying said, "The same in that room, but it''s all Exorcists, teaming up to farm ghosts. My goodness, it was terrifying. A golden Undead BOSS, and just a few attempts from seven or eight Exorcists lit it up with golden light, and it was dead in moments. I didn''t realize Exorcists were so powerful in numbers. These guys managing such militaristic discipline is truly abnormal." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli nodded. In past games, to maintain balance, each job class had its place and use within a team. This was mainly to prevent any job class from becoming unpopular and unplayed.


    But in this game, there was clearly no need to consider these things. Each job class could exert tremendous power under specific circumstances, and the enemies that players faced were not as uniformly similar as in other games. The abilities of different monsters often had huge disparities. In such cases, teams composed of a single job class sometimes had the advantage; for example, against the Undead. If other job classes were present, they probably wouldn''t be of much help and might even get possessed by the Undead, causing trouble for the Exorcists. However, a team of Exorcists was a different story, slaying Undead was as easy as chopping vegetables.


    "I wonder how they managed to switch to so many Exorcists."


    Lu Xinying said, "It must be Wu''s doing. Wu has access to a vast amount of job information and understands very clearly how to specialize in many professions."


    But the ability to train so many players indicated the organization''s strength was not to be underestimated. Unlike Qilin Group, they didn''t have to hide the true nature of the game or worry about casualties. The sacrificial spirit of these soldiers was apparently incomparable to regular players. Moreover, their organization was better. The players who just died would have been howling in distress had they been in a studio, but those three who died earlier were very calm, reacting not at all to their deaths. It could only be said that the people at this base were full of conviction.


    Xiao Buli turned to glance one more time at that door, when he suddenly noticed that it bore a knight-like emblem. On other doors, there were similar humanoid emblems of various forms, likely indicating the job classes of different teams.


    Xiao Buli counted. There were as many as eight rooms with such emblems. Assuming each room had about a dozen players, this organization had at least over a hundred high-end players, a force not to be taken lightly.


    ```


    Moreover, there were about two to three hundred players outside, which made Xiao Buli calculate and feel a wave of shock and doubt.


    Xiao Buli deduced that those players outside were likely still in the newbie phase, and once their strength increased to a certain level, they would be transferred here to form teams of the same profession.


    But where did they get so many accounts from? Xiao Buli thought to himself. The metal disc in his hand, by his estimation, could at most be used by around thirty players. To provide accounts for these three to four hundred players, how many discs would that take, and how powerful must this organization be?


    Xiao Buli expressed his concerns to Lu Xinying, but Lu Xinying shook her head, "Don''t worry about these things now. Let''s keep moving inside and find Sister Wu as soon as possible¡ªthat''s what''s important."


    Xiao Buli nodded; at this point, that was all they could do. Moreover, if they could find Wu Min''er, perhaps they could learn the truth about this base from her.


    While Xiao Buli and Lu Xinying were searching for Wu Min''er, a black Land Rover slowly drove into the parking lot of the gas station and stopped right in the middle of it.


    The car door opened, and four people from the Qilin Group got out one after another.


    As soon as Lin Beifeng''s feet hit the ground, he couldn''t wait to start sniffing around, his eyes shining with green light in the darkness, resembling a canid animal.


    Suddenly, his ears perked up and a threatening growl came from his throat, his gaze fixed intently on a Hummer SUV nearby.


    "Is that their car?" Wang Lei asked from the side. Lin Beifeng didn''t answer but bared his teeth, showing a set of snow-white fangs.


    "Is that their car?!" Wang Lei emphasized and asked again, and this time Lin Beifeng finally snapped back to reality, "Woof¡ªno, I mean yes, this car is full of that person''s scent."


    "Can you smell where they went?"


    "No need to smell anymore."


    Yan Zhong''s voice came from behind the two, causing Wang Lei to whirl around quickly. Behind him, Yan Zhong was seriously gazing at the pitch-black building nestled amongst the trees in the night, "They''re there, I can feel it."


    "Let''s go!" Yan Zhong waved his hand, and Lin Beifeng couldn''t wait to burst out running, Dian Lan hurried to follow, while Yan Zhong and Wang Lei walked at the rear. Wang Lei said with some concern, "Boss, Feng seems a bit off, could it be that his condition is acting up again?"


    "This isn''t the time to worry about that. As long as we can pull off this operation, he''ll be saved once we return to the organization."


    "Saved? You know how to help him?"


    Yan Zhong nodded then shook his head: "I don''t know, but the boss must know, or else he wouldn''t have been able to play the game for so long without any harm befalling him."


    "How did it get related to the game again? Are you saying¡ªthere''s something wrong with the game?" After asking, Wang Lei immediately felt that his guess made a lot of sense. In the game, Lin Beifeng was a Monster Shaman who could transform into a Wolf Demon, and the changes that appeared in him in reality seemed to closely resemble some traits of a Wolf Demon.


    Yan Zhong nodded: "If my guess is correct, while we gain abilities, we are also influenced by the powers in the game. For example, Lin Beifeng is now under the influence of Chiyou, the Ancient God revered by Monster Shamans."


    "What about me? I''m a Thunder Summoner; my profession doesn''t worship any deities. What kind of influence will I be under?"


    Yan Zhong shook his head, "I don''t know that, but the influence might not necessarily come from deities. Maybe the boss knows."


    With that said, Wang Lei also became anxious. As the two conversed, the four of them approached the outskirts of the industrial park in the blink of an eye.


    Looking at the vast scale and the majestic buildings of the industrial park, Wang Lei said curiously, "Something''s not right. How could these people manage to develop such a massive base in such a short time? That''s just not possible, right?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 81 Soul Departure Syndrome

    "It''s indeed very unlikely."


    A voice suddenly sounded behind several people, and since they were in a near-combat state, they were very cautious. When they heard the shout, they were startled and turned around on guard in unison.


    In the pitch-black night, Dugu Han''s figure seemed to blend into the darkness, slowly walking through the woods. He wore a black suit, his hands in his pockets, looking somewhat different.


    "Boss... Boss, how come you''re here?" Wang Lei asked, visibly nervous upon seeing him.


    "What, aren''t you happy to see me?" Dugu Han said as he walked up beside them, looking towards the distant massive building.


    "Such a place indeed doesn''t seem like something the traitors of the Green Dragon Group could manage. But they''re inside, aren''t they?"


    Seeing several people nodding, Dugu Han continued, "Well then, that settles it. We''ll take them down, snatch whatever allows them to transfer equipment between reality and the game, and then I can let you all return to the organization. Your past actions will also be forgiven."


    Yan Zhong frowned upon hearing this. He indeed had previously shared his speculation with Dugu Han; perhaps Xiao Buli had some method of bringing things from the game into reality, but it was only a guess, and he wasn''t sure whether it was a treasure or a skill. But now Dugu Han seemed convinced Xiao Buli must have such an ability, and one that was achieved through some sort of treasure. This made Yan Zhong quite curious.


    Was this Dugu Han too overconfident, or too presumptuous?


    "Whether such a thing exists is just our speculation. That Xiao Buli may also have mastered some kind of forging skill, creating his own equipment in reality." Yan Zhong explained.


    Dugu Han simply smiled, "Hehe, you can rest assured on that point. He definitely has an item that can transfer objects from the game into reality, and it should be a personal item, like an amulet or a ring. As for the reason, you don''t need to ask. Just do it."


    After speaking, Dugu Han gave Lin Beifeng a glance. The latter was squatting on all fours on the ground, his long tongue out, drooling.


    "His Soul Departure Syndrome seems very severe already. If you don''t find a solution soon, he''s beyond saving. And considering how long you''ve played the game, your Soul Departure Syndrome could strike at any time."


    "Soul Departure Syndrome?" Wang Lei exclaimed in agitation.


    "That''s right, Soul Departure Syndrome. It''s a condition that''s very likely to afflict someone who has played the game for a long time. Its characteristic is that you increasingly resemble your game character. This isn''t just about physical changes, but deep inside, your spirit and thought patterns will be affected. It looks a bit like schizophrenia, but it''s actually far more terrifying, because the second personality that emerges in schizophrenia still belongs to the same soul, subject to the same will. It''s just a conflict caused by a great disparity between the subconscious and the primary consciousness. However, the second personality from Soul Departure Syndrome comes directly from the influence of an intangible force, and there''s no getting rid of it. Sooner or later, this force will kill you or directly take over your body to replace you."


    The more detailed Dugu Han''s explanation was, the graver Wang Lei and Dian Lan''s faces became. This matter didn''t sound good, and worst of all, judging by Lin Beifeng''s changes, Dugu Han wasn''t lying.


    But Yan Zhong calmly asked, "So, you know how to treat this condition? What should we do?"


    "Do you really think I''m going to tell you? Once you get what I want, I will naturally help you solve this problem, and you can also return to the organization."


    Yan Zhong frowned, "Why should we believe you?"


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    This question was asked quite bluntly, but given the gravity of the situation, Yan Zhong couldn''t just gloss over it. If the other party lacked the ability to cure them, it might be better to keep the item that his allowed movement between game and reality. Perhaps they would even find a way on their own.


    However, Dugu Han replied, "Stop hoping. You have betrayed me before, and yet I have never betrayed you. So among us, my word is relatively more trustworthy. Alright, I won''t say anymore. It''s up to you to choose how to proceed. If you don''t act, it''s fine. I will naturally send others. But then, you will have no part in it."


    After saying that, Dugu Han waved his hand and his figure suddenly vanished, obviously having been just an illusion the whole time.


    Yan Zhong looked at the others, "We must go all out now!" Everyone''s face showed solemn determination as they nodded in agreement.


    Yan Zhong then turned his gaze to Wang Lei, "Wang Lei, this time you must bring out all your strength! We''re all counting on you."


    "Damn it, that dog has come back again!"


    Stealthily moving through the corridors of the base, Lu Xinying, who was leading, suddenly spoke.


    From a distance, they saw a patrol of soldiers leading a dog their way, the canine sniffing incessantly at the ground, as if it had caught a whiff of something suspicious.


    "Have we been discovered?" Lu Xinying asked with a hint of alarm and uncertainty.


    Xiao Buli squinted his eyes, calculating the situation, then shook his head, "Not yet, but it''s only a matter of time. Let''s get out of this passageway quickly."


    The two turned and ran, but they hadn''t gone far before they encountered another group of soldiers with a dog coming from the opposite direction.


    The worst part was that the passageway was barren, with no side passages to hide in.


    (This is bad. Invisibility can hide my presence, but it can''t mask my scent. Earth Escape Skills are useless against the surrounding concrete ground. Are we going to have to fight our way out?)


    Xiao Buli had a bad feeling. Starting a fight here, even if they were as tough as iron, would hardly make a difference. Killing a few patrol soldiers wouldn''t be hard, but escaping from this deeply buried base would be another matter entirely. The base was undoubtedly equipped with comprehensive defense systems, and even with Invisibility, Xiao Buli had no confidence they could leave unscathed. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He glanced around, and when his gaze fell upon the ceiling, an idea sparked within him, reminded of a scene from a movie he had seen before. How could he have forgotten such a simple solution?


    "Let''s go, into the ventilation duct," he said.


    Right above their heads, on the wall, was an entrance to a ventilation duct.


    Such an underground facility would have extremely high ventilation requirements; otherwise, the many people below ground would suffocate. The vent was on the wall, concealed by a louver. Xiao Buli motioned with his hand, Lu Xinying stepped on it and gracefully leaped up, clinging to the wall. She pushed open the louver and crawled inside. Xiao Buli followed suit with a Leaping from Dry Land jump, quickly closed the louver, and they successfully hid before being discovered.


    Crawling just ten meters through the crevice, the two patrols met each other. They seemed to sense something amiss and, after a brief exchange, one group stayed while the other headed in the opposite direction.


    (It seems they won''t leave anytime soon. They must only be suspicious; otherwise, there would already be a massive search throughout the base. Even so, the base''s security status will likely be upgraded a level, making both surveillance and the search for people more difficult.)


    The best quality of Xiao Buli was his self-control. Despite his unsatisfied curiosity, sensing potential dangers, he wisely chose to retreat swiftly.


    "We must retreat," Xiao Buli turned around, speaking to Lu Xinying with a smile.


    But Lu Xinying shook her head, "No, I won''t leave without finding Wu."


    (Damn, this guy is really devoted.) Xiao Buli shrugged, "Then you can take your time looking, but I won''t keep you company."


    Xiao Buli squeezed past Lu Xinying and continued through the duct, which thankfully was spacious enough to not get stuck.


    The ventilation duct''s walls were smooth and dry, with enough height to crawl comfortably. Xiao Buli crawled until he reached a three-way junction and, without much thought, picked a direction and went down that path, ignoring Lu Xinying''s soft calls from behind.


    Lu Xinying didn''t dare call out loudly; her voice was as faint as a mouse''s. After calling out twice and seeing no response from Xiao Buli, she didn''t dare to keep shouting and hurriedly crawled after him.


    After about ten minutes of crawling, taking every upward path they came across, a sliver of light suddenly appeared before them. Xiao Buli thought they finally reached an exit and wondered where they had ended up. Peeking through the slits of the louver, he saw a bustling construction site, with many workers and armed soldiers everywhere, wearing masks, resembling a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster.


    In the center of the site stood a structure that seemed complete, resembling a colossal circular archway. Seeing it, Xiao Buli was struck with realization; could this be the legendary Space-Time Gate?


    The site had a spacious concrete path, likely used for transporting building materials. Next to the path''s entrance, there were trucks parked, identical to those outside the industrial park. Xiao Buli''s spirits lifted, reasoning that this path must lead directly outside; otherwise, those large trucks couldn''t possibly drive down into the subterranean. If they followed this path, they might find a way out.


    As he considered silently how to sneak out and escape via the pathway, Lu Xinying''s voice came from behind, "Please, help me find Wu before we go."


    Xiao Buli turned to look, and there was Lu Xinying crawling up beside him, peering out together at the scene outside. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) and give it a monthly pass. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 82 Phantom Soldier

    Xiao Buli sighed, "Kid, you are way too lovesick. Women can be found anywhere. With your abilities now, it shouldn''t be hard to find a few beautiful women. Besides, as far as I know, Wu Min''er doesn''t even like you, at most she considers you a friend."


    A flash of anger crossed Lu Xinying''s eyes, but he still shook his head, "You don''t understand, sometimes there are people you''d willingly give your life for."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Maybe so, but as for me, Wu Min''er is not that person." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After finishing, Xiao Buli looked outside again. Those scientists seemed to have reached a consensus. One of them walked over to a control panel, picked up a microphone, and started shouting.


    "Preparing for the sixth experiment, the game data materialization device is about to activate. Everyone evacuate to thirty meters away." After saying that, he fiddled with the machine for a while, waited until everyone had moved far away, and then he slammed down a lever. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    A buzzing sound immediately filled the entire base, the overhead lights flickering on and off. Many small probes extending from the large archway suddenly burst out with blinding white light, swirling into a vortex shape. The soldiers all watched the gate with heightened alertness, guns raised.


    Xiao Buli marveled inwardly, noticing that everyone''s attention was on the gate, his heart suddenly lifted, and he carefully opened the louvered window and crawled out. Lu Xinying followed him, and the two of them walked a short distance along the wall before hiding behind a truck.


    Xiao Buli said, "Alright, I''m leaving now, what about you?"


    Lu Xinying seemed hesitant. On one hand, he knew that his chances of success if he stayed behind were slim, but on the other hand, he was reluctant to give up this opportunity. While he hesitated, suddenly there was a loud boom, and the lights in the hall dimmed for a moment before flickering back on.


    Xiao Buli and Lu Xinying were both startled and hurriedly looked towards the direction of the device. The white light had disappeared, the control panel was emitting white smoke, and it appeared to be broken.


    "So, it''s a failure again." Two women in uniforms came out from a monitoring room nearby. One of them spoke to the scientists. Although her voice was calm, her dissatisfaction was clear from her stern face. The scientists in white coats didn''t dare to breathe heavily, all hanging their heads like scolded schoolchildren.


    This woman was none other than Qin Shimoon. Xiao Buli thought to himself that this mysterious woman really had a presence; he hadn''t noticed it before. Lu Xinying, however, was elated, "Sister Wu!"


    The two women were Qin Shimoon and, who else could it be but Wu Min''er?


    (Finally found you!) As Lu Xinying thought this, he wanted to rush out, but suddenly his head was prodded by something hard. An icy chill ran through his body, and he froze on the spot.


    Xiao Buli was just about to say something when he noticed Lu Xinying''s body stiffen. Xiao Buli activated his Omniscient Eye to look ahead, and a blurry humanoid figure gradually emerged into his vision. It was a soldier in a black tight-fitting combat suit that felt very futuristic, reminiscent of the nanosuit from Crysis. The soldier had a helmet on his head, and the visor was emitting a faint red glow, seemingly some kind of thermal imaging device.


    Things had gone south! A chill ran down Xiao Buli''s spine. They had been discovered. Could he be invisible, perhaps another player?


    Almost instinctively, Xiao Buli kicked out, hitting the rifle''s barrel. As the barrel lifted, a series of silenced shots pierced the air - biu biu biu - although the sound was muffled. The bullets'' impact against the metal truck was surprisingly loud, clanging three times, and Xiao Buli inwardly cursed his luck.


    No choice but to fight!


    The man revealed himself after being kicked and Xiao Buli was exposed as well.


    He quickly drew his sword and launched a barrage of attacks like a violent storm. The Gale Sword Skills were unleashed furiously. Not having a melee weapon on hand, the soldier could only block with his silenced rifle, which Xiao Buli split in half with one stroke, along with the man himself.


    No sooner had he dealt with this enemy than soldiers from all around began to converge on them - they were surrounded, a truly hopeless situation.


    However, the greater the crisis, the calmer Xiao Buli became. In an instant, he sorted out the current situation and immediately came up with a plan¡ªa plan that wasn''t really a plan.


    "Seize Qin Shimoon!" he roared and once again activated Skimming Shadow Steps, lunging towards Qin Shimoon. A series of bullets chased after him, making it clear that there was more than one Phantom Soldier who could see through the Invisibility Effect. Two bullets hit him in succession, but fortunately, they were blocked by the Spiritual Energy Shield, though it did reveal his position to the regular soldiers. Just in time, he had already reached the front lines.


    As several soldiers were about to open fire, Xiao Buli unleashed an Ultimate Skill¡ªCarefree Wandering Dragon Sword Dance¡ªand cut down the crowd from one side to the other. The soldiers only saw a flash before them, and the next moment, they were clutching their throats, collapsing one by one.


    After executing the move, Xiao Buli was less than ten meters away from Qin Shimoon. In the blink of an eye, he rushed up to her. Qin Shimoon seemed still very calm, drawing her handgun while retreating. Wu Min''er, however, stepped forward, conjuring two daggers in her hands like magic. Before she could attack, a dark figure sprang from beside Xiao Buli and grappled with her.


    The clanging of weapons colliding echoed through the air as Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er separated after crossing swords. Wu Min''er, upon seeing Lu Xinying''s face, was stunned, "It''s you?" She glanced at Xiao Buli and seemed to realize something.


    While Lu Xinying was engaging Wu Min''er, Xiao Buli had already reached Qin Shimoon. Qin Shimoon fired several shots point-blank, which Xiao Buli didn''t bother to dodge. Trusting in his Spiritual Energy Shield, he closed the gap and pressed his sword against her neck. Qin Shimoon smiled bitterly and wisely put down her handgun, as Xiao Buli grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to shield himself from the advancing soldiers.


    Several blurry figures emerged in the air¡ªmore Phantom Soldiers dressed just like the previous ones. Xiao Buli was even more astonished. It seemed that the organization had perfectly combined in-game abilities with modern technology: Phantom Soldiers equipped with silencers, Invisibility, thermal imagers, and other capabilities were undoubtedly a formidable force. If used on the battlefield, they could probably defeat the enemy without anyone noticing.


    Luckily, he now had Qin Shimoon in his grip. The enemy would not dare act rashly for fear of hurting her.


    Things had gone more smoothly than he had expected, which surprised him. He had assumed that Qin Shimoon would surely have acquired power through the game, being in possession of such an asset and having so many people working for her. She would likely possess great strength¡ªat least not weaker than Dugu Han, he had thought. He had braced himself for a tough fight, but it turned out that the opponent was seemingly just an ordinary person, who had made no resistance at all.


    A dull ache throbbed in his chest. After all, the Spiritual Energy Shield wasn''t very durable. Qin Shimoon''s last two shots had actually hit him, but it was the Dragon Scale Armor''s protection that prevented any injury, though the pain was inevitable.


    Lu Xinying had also taken cover behind him by now. They were surrounded by soldiers pointing their guns from all around. Having so many guns aimed at him was a truly nerve-wracking feeling. Xiao Buli quickly used a spiritual energy recovery spell to restore some of the shield''s durability, but he still felt uncertain.


    At such close range, if the enemy risked shooting, they were likely to hit him. Therefore, Xiao Buli crouched down as much as he could behind Qin Shimoon, while bellowing, "Everyone back off, or I''ll kill her!"


    This shout was indeed effective. Qin Shimoon clearly held a high position within the organization, and the soldiers, threatened, stopped advancing.


    "You can''t escape," Qin Shimoon said, not the least bit frightened but rather spoke calmly, "If I were you, I would put down my weapons. As long as you sign a contract, we can still grant you a way out. The offer I made last time hasn''t expired yet. We need people with potential like you."


    Shut up! Xiao Buli yanked fiercely, causing Qin Shimoon to let out a pained moan, yet she did not stop talking.


    "It''s useless. Even though they won''t hurt me, they will definitely not let you leave. The secrets of this base cannot be leaked. So, if you''re planning to use me as a human shield to escape, you''re going to be disappointed. They will fire without hesitation, turning both you and me into sieves. Your protective abilities seem decent, but do you think you can withstand a barrage from automatic weapons?"


    Xiao Buli looked at the soldiers, their icy gazes and steady arms holding the guns, which substantiated Qin Shimoon''s words. He certainly couldn''t withstand the barrage of automatic weapons. The Spiritual Energy Shield could, at most, withstand three or five bullets, but he was facing the firepower of dozens of guns.


    Unable to relax with so many guns pointing at him, Xiao Buli said, "Let''s retreat inside. I warn you, don''t follow, or I will kill her."


    The trio slowly moved backwards. Wu Min''er hesitated for a moment, then turned to the soldiers and said, "Stay here, I''ll deal with them." After saying that, she followed the group.


    One of the captains among the soldiers was troubled: "But¡ª"


    "I''m a captain, and I''m in charge here! Obey your orders, Lieutenant." Wu Min''er said coldly, and the captain eventually nodded, "Yes, ma''am." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian, and monthly tickets are also appreciated. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 83 Soul Contract

    Although he agreed, the captain clearly did not trust Wu Min''er. As he watched Wu Min''er enter the control room, he immediately issued an order.


    "Send more Shadow Force troops and seal off this entire area. Also, notify the general!"


    Xiao Buli hastily retreated to the inner control room, which was hermetically sealed on all sides and very sturdy. It had only one watertight hatch as an exit, probably designed to protect it in case of an explosion in the outside experiments. This now worked to Xiao Buli''s advantage.


    Xiao Buli was about to close the iron door when Wu Min''er followed him inside. He hesitated for a moment but then stepped aside to let her in, closing the sealed chamber''s door behind them. He felt somewhat relieved but knew this was not the time to relax. The soldiers were waiting right outside, and stepping out of this door would still mean certain death. His only reliance at this point was Qin Shimoon, but who knew what status this Qin Shimoon actually had within the organization, or whether he could serve as a bargaining chip at all.


    He glanced at the control room. The room wasn''t large, adorned with numerous monitors on the walls, seemingly used to observe the experimental progress. On many pieces of equipment and the sealed iron door, he could see the emblem of a black dragon with a crown coiled around a sword. Xiao Buli had seen this emblem countless times in this base; it was obviously the organization''s emblem. Combined with the seeming military background of the organization, Xiao Buli wondered if this could be the legendary Dragon Group.


    Although the thought seemed bizarre, it was not beyond the realm of possibility.


    Through the monitors, he could see waves of troops securing the area, their numbers growing. There were many soldiers in special combat gear, including not only ordinary soldiers and the invisibility-capable Phantom Soldiers he had encountered before, but also soldiers wearing heavy-duty bulletproof suits, carrying reinforced explosion-proof shields, and holding over one-meter long extended electric batons¡ª probably players who had obtained close-combat abilities in the game.


    There were also a few camouflaged snipers with police dogs by their side, likely players of the hunter type.


    Watching more and more special troops appear made Xiao Buli''s scalp tingle¡ªthings were seriously getting out of hand.


    "I''m sorry, Xiao, it''s my fault you''re involved," Lu Xinying said, her gaze fixed on Wu Min''er, her face devoid of any real apology.


    "Damn, what''s the use of saying this now? Better say goodbye to your Wu now. If we go out and get riddled with bullets, there''ll be no chance left."


    Lu Xinying turned back to look at Wu Min''er, who sighed, "Why did you come?"


    "I¡ªI came to save you," Lu Xinying stammered with excitement.


    Wu Min''er shook her head. "It''s no use, I''ve signed a Soul Contract. If I leave, they can kill me anywhere. Otherwise, do you think I would have stayed here all this time?"


    Xiao Buli said irritably, "See, what did I say earlier?"


    "No, there must be a way! There has to be a way to save you and get you out," Lu Xinying insisted, rushing over to Qin Shimoon, "Tell me, what does it take for Wu to leave? There must be a way to break the contract, right?"


    A cunning glint flashed in Qin Shimoon''s eyes, as if weighing her options, she suddenly smiled charmingly, "You''re right, there is indeed a way to break the contract."


    "Really? How?"


    "Why should I tell you?"


    "You¡ª" Lu Xinying pressed his dagger against Qin Shimoon''s throat fiercely, "Don''t think I won''t kill you."


    "I believe you, why wouldn''t I? A person cornered will do anything. But if you kill me, you''ll have to join me in death. You''d never see your Wu again then. I believe you''re not that stupid."


    Lu Xinying was left speechless, "Hmph, you''re right, I don''t dare kill you, but I could scar your face."


    His dagger traced Qin Shimoon''s smooth, fair cheek, but Qin Shimoon remained unmoved. "No matter, I can just have another plastic surgery."


    "You¡ª!" Lu Xinying faltered once again, "Then I''ll gouge out your eyeballs!"


    Qin Shimoon said, "I bet that hurts a lot, you should try it. Maybe it will really make me submit. But be careful with your strength," she pointed to her own eyes, "because you only have two chances."


    Qin Shimoon''s voice was calm, as if discussing something that wasn''t going to happen to her at all. Faced with such nonchalance, Lu Xinying was left without recourse. Naturally, he wasn''t going to gouge out eyes; if he failed, all possibility of negotiation would be lost.


    He looked towards Xiao Buli for help.


    Xiao Buli, however, seemed to have been deep in thought. "Xiao, what do we do?" Lu Xinying asked pitifully.


    Xiao Buli ignored him. He did have a method, but it was a bit unreliable. Unless absolutely necessary, he wasn''t willing to resort to it¡ªbut it seemed there were no other options left. Maybe he could test the waters a little.


    "Are you constructing the Six Realms Gate?" he suddenly asked.


    Qin Shimoon seemed surprised by his question but still nodded, "That''s right."


    "But your Six Realms Gate can''t operate normally."


    Qin Shimoon nodded again, "That''s right, so it seems you heard everything." Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Yes, so is it because there''s no suitable drive core?"


    Instinctively, Qin Shimoon felt that Xiao Buli''s question had a purpose, so she answered again: "Yes, we''ve made several with modern technology, but they are all useless; it seems that we need the Energy Core from the game."


    "Did you find that thing in the game?"


    "We found several, but what''s the use of having more? Without the Six Realms Gate, we can''t bring things from the game into reality."


    Qin Shimoon sighed, "The current situation has formed a paradox: we need the Six Realms Gate to transport the Energy Core out of the game, but we need the Energy Core to build the Six Realms Gate. It''s an unsolvable dilemma." After speaking, she added as if talking to herself, "It''s strange how Li Jian initially managed to build it."


    Xiao Buli said, "I know, and I also have a way to solve your problem." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Shimoon''s eyes lit up, thinking to herself that it must be so. She had had a vague feeling when Xiao Buli first asked his question, but it was still somewhat unbelievable. However, hearing Xiao Buli''s confidence now, she was still surprised.


    Yet, seeing Xiao Buli''s serious expression, she felt that he was not lying.


    A hint of a smile flickered at the corner of her mouth, and Qin Shimoon said, "How about we make a deal? You help us transport the Energy Core out, and I''ll release the three of you, including dissolving Wu Min''er''s Soul Contract."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Good idea, but the only problem is, why should we believe your promise?"


    Just as Qin Shimoon was about to employ her persuasive skills, Wu Min''er suddenly spoke up coldly from the side, "Make her sign a Soul Contract as well."


    A flicker of panic flashed across Qin Shimoon''s eyes upon hearing this. Xiao Buli had been carefully observing her expressions and immediately noticed her psychological shift.


    "Have her sign a Soul Contract too. If she fails to fulfill the agreement, her soul will be in the hands of the contract holder, which is you. This way, she wouldn''t dare go back on her word because if you hold her Soul Contract, you can kill her at any time."


    "Good idea," Xiao Buli said, looking at Qin Shimoon, "So what do you think?"


    "I''m afraid I can''t give you a definitive answer, as I am not the real Controller of this base."


    "I can give you a definitive answer. I agree to your terms." A voice suddenly rang out in the room, and everyone turned in surprise to look. The monitor screen had switched to another image, showing an old man in a black military uniform, eyes fiercely fixed on the four people inside the room.


    Xiao Buli took a good look at the man. Although he could only see the upper body, Xiao Buli could tell that this person was extraordinary.


    With a commanding appearance and stern expression, his hair was neatly white despite being over fifty, creating an impressive aura of a veteran military man.


    "Who is he?"


    Qin Shimoon hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to reveal his identity, but the old man had already introduced himself, "My name is Huo Guangxiong, the leader of the Ancestral Dragon, but you can call me General Huo."


    Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned, "Ancestral Dragon? Isn''t it the Dragon Group?"


    "Dragon Group? What is that?" General Huo clearly didn''t understand why Xiao Buli asked that question.


    Xiao Buli shook his head awkwardly, "Nothing, just talking to myself," thinking he shouldn''t disclose everything to the other party.


    "So, you''ve heard our conversation," he said, not particularly afraid of General Huo, and got straight to the point.


    "Yes, I heard everything clearly, and I very much agree with your proposal. Colonel Qin Shimoon, sign the contract with them. For the greater cause, it''s a sacrifice well worth making. I will have the contract sent over."


    Qin Shimoon showed an incredulous expression at this, "But¡ª".


    "There are no buts. A soldier must obey orders. For our ultimate goal, necessary sacrifices are inevitable."


    Desperation appeared in Qin Shimoon''s eyes, a despair that made Xiao Buli feel a bit puzzled. Was a Soul Contract really that dreadful?


    Suddenly biting her lip, Qin Shimoon said, "All right, let''s sign the contract."


    Seeing Qin Shimoon agree, General Huo visibly relaxed and added, "Besides the contract, if you need anything else to transport the Energy Core out, just let me know."


    After some thought, Xiao Buli had a flash of inspiration and said, "There''s plenty we need. I''ll give you a list; just bring me everything on it." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to recommend it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 84 The Murmurs in My Ears

    "Are you sure these are what you need?" Lu Xinying looked doubtfully at a tent and a computer on the ground.


    "Yes, these are exactly what I need," Xiao Buli said with a serious nod.


    "Well, this is the contract."


    Qin Shimoon''s face was cold as she tossed a scroll to Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli examined it, finding the scroll quite peculiar. The text on it was blood-red, giving off a very strange feeling. He glanced at Wu Min''er for confirmation, and she nodded slightly.


    "Yes, this is the Soul Contract," Wu Min''er said. "Many people in this organization, including scientists, have signed this contract. I''ve witnessed its power myself. As long as the conditions are met, the contract will take effect, and any horrific fate written on it will truly befall the signee. The holder of the contract can also issue any order to the person who signed it, and they have no room to resist."


    This was indeed convenient, Xiao Buli thought. He read over the contents of the contract, which were quite straightforward. Xiao Buli had to extract the Energy Core from the game world and hand it over to the Ancestral Dragon. In exchange, the Ancestral Dragon had to release Xiao Buli and the other two people. Qin Shimoon''s soul was collateral. If Qin Shimoon failed to fulfil her promises, then her soul would belong to Xiao Buli, the signee of the contract, to do as he wished.


    Xiao Buli nodded. The terms of the contract were clear and explicit. After reading it carefully twice, he signed his name.


    "Let''s test it out then, smile for me."


    Qin Shimoon''s face remained cold. "The contract needs a trigger condition to become effective," Wu Min''er explained. "Right now, the other party hasn''t breached the agreement, so the contract is not yet active."


    Xiao Buli realized that was the case and was somewhat disappointed as he looked at the icy Qin Shimoon, thinking he probably wouldn''t have another chance to issue any orders to this ice queen beauty after leaving.


    "However, it seems you are still missing something, as a sign of sincerity I think you should hand over Wu Min''er''s contract to us first."


    "Agreed," General Huo said, seemingly prepared for this. When the door opened, another scroll was brought in.


    Wu Min''er snatched the scroll and examined it closely. Suddenly, a relieved expression appeared on her face. She pulled out a lighter and set the scroll on fire. As the flames consumed the scroll, the red glowing text on it dimmed and faded away.


    "Congratulations," Xiao Buli said.


    "Thank you!" Wu Min''er said gratefully, but Xiao Buli shook his head, "You should thank Lu. If it weren''t for him, I wouldn''t have come."


    Wu Min''er looked at Lu Xinying with a complex expression and nodded, "Let''s get this over with quickly."


    Transferring the Energy Core was not difficult. Xiao Buli opened the computer in the tent and logged into the game. His character was still in the underground dungeon in the mountains. Since time was of the essence, Xiao Buli simply used a Teleportation Talisman to teleport himself into the Mystic Hollow Palace, then flew to Nine Dragons City using Cloud Thunder Leap.


    "I''ve reached the city gates, now, have your people hand over the item to me," Xiao Buli shouted from inside the tent.


    Qin Shimoon nodded at the monitor screen towards General Huo. It didn''t take long before Xiao Buli saw several players exiting Nine Dragons City.


    These players were from the same guild, named the Ancestral Dragon.


    The Energy Core was quickly traded into Xiao Buli''s hands. He bid farewell and left, finding a desolate mountain to transfer the Energy Core into a ring, while simultaneously moving the firearms into his game inventory. Only then did he log out of the game.


    Taking the Energy Core out from the space within the ring, Xiao Buli felt mixed emotions. To be honest, he didn''t think he was making a wise decision. It was clear that once the mystical organization known as the Ancestral Dragon obtained the teleportation technology, the power they would gain from the game would increase exponentially. Together with their real-world power, it would likely become impossible for any government or major guild in the game world to confront them.


    If General Huo was an ambitious man, he might well use the game to dominate the world. But at that moment, Xiao Buli had no other choice. He didn''t have the conviction to sacrifice his life to stop an ambitious man from conquering the world.


    Moreover, even if it was an ambitious man, it was a Chinese ambitious man. If General Huo could indeed conquer the world or do something similar, Xiao Buli felt it might not be such a bad thing. So, although making this deal gave him some unease, it didn''t stop him from going through with it.


    Xiao Buli pushed open the tent and walked out.


    When Xiao Buli took out the Energy Core, which emitted a white glow, Qin Shimoon''s eyes widened with shock, "How did you do that?" Xiao Buli shook his head, "You don''t need to worry about that, let''s complete our deal."


    As the four of them walked out, the soldiers outside were still on guard. General Huo did not show himself but only his upper body was revealed on a computer screen. His eyes immediately lit up with frenzy at the sight of the white Energy Core in Xiao Buli''s hand.


    "So this is the Energy Core? The essential item to operate the Six Realms Gate! Heh heh, it looks pretty much the same as in the game¡ªhand it over to me now."


    Xiao Buli snorted coldly and said, "Hey, do you think I''m stupid? Let us leave, and then I''ll give it to you, otherwise I''ll blow it up with a Palm Thunder."


    General Huo''s expression was stern, "Don''t test my patience. I always keep my word, and don''t forget, Colonel Qin is still in your hands. On the other hand, if I let you go, what''s to stop you from running away?"


    Xiao Buli glanced at Qin Shimoon and felt that there was some truth to it. Most importantly, he was not confident that if things turned sour he would be able to destroy the Energy Core. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to compromise.


    "Have your soldiers stand down, leave no more than ten, and the rest must leave. Then I will hand over the item to you."


    "Ten men are too few. I know your capabilities, and ten men cannot hold you down. Let''s say I only keep twenty, and the others will leave."


    Being taken seriously at such a moment made Xiao Buli feel a mixture of frustration and flattery, but it was undeniably gratifying to be valued so highly.


    "Fine, twenty men it is, but at least half of them must be ordinary soldiers."


    "Agreed." General Huo commanded through the computer screen, and the soldiers in the hall immediately withdrew in large numbers.


    General Huo nodded to the other people around him, and after those soldiers had gone far away, Xiao Buli finally handed over the stone. A scientist, with trembling hands, took the stone and immediately put it into a box and took it away.


    "Hey, your promise? Have your men open the door." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    General Huo gave Xiao Buli a look and then gazed at Qin Shimoon behind him. His face showed a trace of regret, which made Xiao Buli feel something was amiss.


    "Hey, quickly give the order." Xiao Buli said. The soldiers, however, still stood with loaded guns, showing no intention of stepping aside.


    "I''m sorry, I''m afraid I can''t let you go." General Huo finally spoke up, but the first words he utters stunned Xiao Buli. Although he had considered this, he didn''t expect the other party to turn his face so quickly.


    "What, you''re going to go back on your word? Aren''t you afraid I''ll kill her!" Xiao Buli pointed at Qin Shimoon, whose face was a picture of misery.


    "Some sacrifices are necessary for our goals. After I achieve our aims, you will be remembered by future generations and inscribed in history." The latter sentence, however, was directed at Qin Shimoon. Qin Shimoon smiled miserably, "So you''ve decided to sacrifice me after all huh?"


    "It''s not that I want to sacrifice you, but that you have sacrificed yourself. When I asked you to sign the contract just now, you already knew I would do this, didn''t you?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded, let out a sigh, closed her eyes, and seemed resigned to her fate. General Huo waved his hand and the surrounding soldiers closed in.


    "One last chance: Surrender, and I will spare your life." This General Huo was truly ruthless! No wonder he was a notorious arch villain in conspiracy. Xiao Buli looked at the Soul Contract in his hand; with just one command, Qin Shimoon''s life would be in his hands. But what good would that do? He was still going to die, so should he surrender or not?


    There wasn''t a trace of panic on his face, yet his mind was racing. No matter how he envisioned it, he couldn''t come up with a way to escape. Was he really going to meet his end here? A wave of anxiety washed over him, and then suddenly, a murmuring voice whispered in his ear, "Don''t panic, Xiao Buli, you still have a chance."


    He was stunned, thinking that it was Lu Xinying speaking to him. He turned and looked at her, but she was standing next to Wu Min''er, eyes intently fixed on her. If it wasn''t Lu Xinying speaking, then who was it?


    Before he could ponder this further, suddenly there was a loud boom, and the entire base''s dome trembled along with it, causing the lights providing illumination in the hall to flicker violently several times. General Huo looked around in surprise, "What''s going on, what''s happened?"


    "General, our base is under attack from magnetic weapons." Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Boom! A series of thunderous roars ensued, this time it was clear as day. The thunder seemed to come from ancient beasts roaring from deep in the past. It pierced through the thick layers of earth, transmitting right above them.


    The lights flared intensely and, under the pressure of the high voltage, burst with a loud bang, plunging the hall into total darkness.


    "Now''s our chance!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your votes for recommendation or for the monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 85 I am Thunder God

    ```


    "The opportunity has come," that murmuring whisper sounded very abruptly, and this time Xiao Buli finally heard it clearly. The voice didn''t come from behind nor from beside him, but from the depths of his mind, as if he was talking to himself.


    There was no time to ponder what that was all about; he had to seize that moment of darkness! Xiao Buli suddenly charged forward, "Follow me!" He grabbed Qin Shimoon, who was blocking his path, and threw a grenade back with his other hand. A burst of gunfire rang out by his ears, followed by an explosion.


    Xiao Buli dared not pause for an instant, he had already set his sights on a Humvee, and he rushed straight for it.


    Qin Shimoon was very obedient, perhaps the Soul Contract was at work, or perhaps for some other reason, but she followed closely behind him, jumping into the off-road vehicle with him. Xiao Buli himself didn''t know why he was taking this woman with him, he probably still wanted to get some information from her.


    Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er also jumped in, pulling the door closed as soon as they were inside.


    "Drive, quick!" Lu Xinying furiously patted his shoulder from behind.


    Xiao Buli floored the accelerator and headed straight for the exit.


    "Emergency power activated!" an electronic synthesized voice echoed in the hall, and the lights in the hall came on again, "Chase them! Don''t let them leave alive!" General Huo, noticing that his targets had escaped, was fuming with rage. Immediately, many soldiers piled into several off-road vehicles and gave chase. Some soldiers leaned out and sprayed automatic gunfire, and intense gunshots suddenly sounded behind them, causing everyone in the vehicle to duck down in fear, except for Qin Shimoon, who sat there calmly, unruffled. Evidently, the Humvee was bulletproof, and while bullets clinked and clanged against it, none penetrated.


    But Xiao Buli still stepped hard on the gas, charging far ahead in one go. The underground tunnel was very spacious and unobstructed, with no barriers. While speeding, Xiao Buli turned on the headlights; out of the darkness ahead suddenly appeared a sealed metal door. "Damn it," Xiao Buli thought, "now we''re really in trouble."


    Xiao Buli violently turned the steering wheel, and with a screech of tires, the off-road vehicle skidded to a halt sideways. He jumped out of the car and drew his sword; at this point, the only option was to try to break through.


    However, looking at the thick material of that metal door, Xiao Buli felt somewhat uncertain; currently, his strongest armor-piercing ability was the Mysterious Ice Slash. Thin steel plates were usually no match for it, but this metal door...


    "Hold them off, I''ll clear the way!" Xiao Buli said sternly. The three behind him immediately took cover behind the Humvee and engaged the oncoming pursuers in a firefight using the guns from inside the vehicle.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! A fierce Sword Qi struck the metal door, instantly leaving a shallow mark, yet far from breaking through.


    Xiao Buli delivered another Mysterious Ice Slash, and two shallow marks crossed, forming an X pattern on the door, which, however, remained unbroken.


    "It seems you''ve run into some trouble," Qin Shimoon said smugly from the side, her MP5 continuously firing at the pursuers. It appeared that the Soul Contract was indeed very effective.


    Xiao Buli snorted coldly and suddenly thrust his sword forward, the Straight Lightning Sword! It hit right at the intersection of the X pattern, conducting an electric shock! With a crack, the metal door, already brittle from the extreme cold like ceramic, suddenly burst open on the other side.


    A gap was violently blown open, just over a meter wide, too narrow for the Humvee to fit through, but people should be able to squeeze through. Xiao Buli called out and dragged Qin Shimoon through it, Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er followed right after. Xiao Buli was the last one through, getting hit by two bullets in the back, but thankfully the Spiritual Energy Shield protected him from being shot.


    The four of them emerged only to freeze in shock; standing opposite them were Yan Zhong, Dian Lan, and Lin Beifeng, with a line of a dozen soldiers in black combat uniforms behind them.


    Two of the soldiers were busy attaching explosives to the metal door and froze as they saw them appear, with a dozen guns aiming at them simultaneously. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What was going on? Had they too defected to the Ancestral Dragon? No, they had come to attack the base, as indicated by the explosives on the door. Xiao Buli quickly realized this.


    Yan Zhong, however, didn''t immediately order them to be shot; he still needed to find out how Xiao Buli managed to bring equipment from the game into the real world.


    Just as he was about to utter a few dramatic lines, Xiao Buli shouted at him, "You finally came, hurry, they''re going to catch up!"


    "They?"


    ```


    The iron gate behind suddenly rose again, and dozens of soldiers had already been waiting in formation beyond it.


    These were all elite soldiers. The front row was entirely comprised of Explosion-proof Shield Bearers clad in heavy bulletproof armor and wielding heavy riot shields paired with batons, resembling a line of humanoid robots.


    Behind them were over twenty personnel of a long-range firepower unit, all of whom were Phantom Soldiers with enhanced Stealth abilities of thieves and snipers with enhanced hunters'' skills.


    Though unaware of the strength of their opponents, Yan Zhong already sensed something was amiss. As the saying goes, strike first to gain the advantage; without any hesitation, Yan Zhong swung his hand fiercely, "It''s Xiao Buli''s men, open fire!" And the captain leading the troops that had pursued them also swung his hand down violently, "It''s the associates of the intruders, open fire!"


    Gunshots instantly merged into a cacophony. Xiao Buli pulled Qin Shimoon aside in a hurry, clearing the main battlefield. The disparity became apparent after an initial exchange; the soldiers Yan Zhong brought were just ordinary, at best slightly better trained with somewhat superior marksmanship.


    But the ones on the opposite side were all enhanced warriors. The Explosion-proof Shield Bearers at the front used their shields to fend off the bullets. Despite the powerful impact of the bullets, their strength was so immense that they didn''t retreat an inch. The snipers and Phantom Soldiers behind them fired bullets like rain, with god-like marksmanship, and in the blink of an eye, more than half of their ten men had fallen.


    Yan Zhong, relying on Telekinesis, forcefully blocked the bullets flying towards him, but with every block, his spiritual power was pressured, and seeing his men about to be wiped out, his brain began to throb again. Gritting his teeth, he violently detonated the explosives on the iron gate.


    The door had already been raised into the wall overhead, and its explosion immediately caused the concrete above the pursuers'' heads to collapse, showering down chunks of concrete, catching the troops below in sudden disarray.


    Seizing this opportunity, Xiao Buli and others made a dash for it.


    Yan Zhong and Dian Lan chose to bolt, but Lin Beifeng, after being shot several times, seemed to lose his mind and let out a wild howl. His body swelled up, sprouted glossy black fur, and his limbs turned into sharp, powerful claws. His skull deformed, turning into a creature resembling a Werewolf, his eyes glowing red as he pounced towards the soldiers.


    This immediately attracted a barrage of fire, and he took more than a dozen shots in the blink of an eye. Yet, Lin Beifeng, now transformed into a Werewolf, was astonishingly resilient. Despite bleeding from all over, he did not fall. In one breath, he reached a Shield Bearer and clawed down.


    Shield Bash! With a bang, a massive riot shield smacked into his face, and the blow from the Giant Strength made Lin Beifeng stagger while the Shield Bearer was knocked flying. But several other soldiers quickly stepped forward, multiple batons hitting Lin Beifeng at once. Sparks flew from his body as he convulsed for a few seconds under the intense voltage before finally collapsing, smoking, motionless.


    Yan Zhong didn''t know what had happened behind him, but seeing that Lin Beifeng hadn''t followed, he already sensed that something was awry.


    Watching Xiao Buli and the others sprint ahead, he realized in an instant¡ªdamn, they had been outplayed again.


    Just thinking how he had been repeatedly thwarted left him seething, but now was not the time for a fight. The soldiers coming from the base were truly formidable, and they had to get out fast.


    With that thought, he fled even more desperately. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Finally, the group burst out of the tunnel. When Xiao Buli saw the night sky again, what had been a starry clear sky was now covered with dark clouds. Not far away, on an electric tower, Wang Lei was brandishing his Magic Wand, howling to the heavens. Under his control, thunderclouds swirled into a vast storm, lightning bolts continuously striking the Excellence Technology building. The base building was ablaze, and fortunately for Xiao Buli and his group, they were already far from the building, but they could still see it clearly.


    "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, heed my command, boom, boom, boom, ha ha ha!" Wang Lei, with disheveled hair, seemed unhinged. A bolt of lightning suddenly exploded beside him, and the electricity snaked like silver serpents around the iron tower. The others were startled and retreated in unison, but Wang Lei appeared utterly oblivious, still dancing with the wind.


    "Damn it, the storm is losing control," said Yan Zhong with a grave look in his eyes. "Stop it, Wang Lei, stop it! You''re losing control!"


    "How could I lose control? I am the Thunder God, aren''t I? Behold the extent of my might¡ªThunderous Might!"


    In an instant, countless lightning bolts struck down at once, turning the entire sky blindingly white. The lightnings had no specific targets and struck the surrounding area indiscriminately, igniting flames on all sides, resembling a scene from hell.


    Damn, has this guy gone mad too? Yan Zhong''s eyes suddenly turned pitch black, and he reached toward the tower, grasping at the air; Wang Lei looked as if someone had choked him, gasping for air and flailing his arms around on the top of the tower before rolling his eyes and falling down.


    Yan Zhong hastily extended his hand, slowing Wang Lei''s descent, and Dian Lan hurried to catch him. Wang Lei awoke, his eyes once again clear, "How did I come down? What happened?"


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote and support me. Your encouragement is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 86 Meeting Dugu Han Again

    Wang Lei groggily opened his eyes to find himself cradled in Dian Lan''s arms in the classic princess carry position. He was immediately stunned, "How did I get down here? What happened?"


    Dian Lan was about to answer when suddenly, from afar, a loud boom was heard.


    Boom! The intense explosion was even more deafening than thunder, causing the ground itself to tremble. The blast interrupted Wang Lei''s question as everyone turned to look in the direction of the noise. They all wore shocked expressions as a fountain-like flame mushroom cloud rose in the distance, strikingly conspicuous against the dark night. After the mushroom cloud dispersed, the flames continued to burn, painting half the night sky red.


    Xiao Buli was the first to regain his composure, "Damn, you guys actually blew up the gas station."


    Just before, the great move Wang Lei had employed had summoned down countless bolts of lightning, and evidently, one had struck the gas station, resulting in the explosion. "I blew up the gas station? How is that possible, I clearly¡ª" Wang Lei glanced at the nearby metal tower, seemingly recalling something, and his face suddenly turned ashen as he murmured, "It was that voice!"


    His voice was so low, nobody heard him.


    "Let''s not worry about that now, we need to get out of here quickly," Lu Xinying urgently suggested, nervously looking toward the exit where their pursuers could arrive at any moment.


    Both parties exchanged glances and, uncharacteristically of the recent hostility, promptly reached a consensus with one word¡ª"Run." Considering that their opponents had a significant number of vehicles, both groups tacitly avoided the road, instead sprinting madly through the woods and fields ahead.


    Being in the suburbs of City S, far from the city center, there were a lot of farmlands and wilderness. As it was summer, the dense vegetation and complex terrain made it ideal for escaping.


    The group ran for over ten minutes before they stopped, having not been pursued. Thanks to the enhancements to their physiques in the game, most of them felt fine even after the long run, but two were panting heavily¡ªone was Wang Lei and the other was indeed Qin Shimoon.


    Although Qin Shimoon had undergone some military training, after all, she was a woman with a less robust physique. Keeping up with Xiao Buli and the others for so long had exhausted her, and despite the contractual restrictions that prevented her from stopping, she had to grit her teeth and continue. Now she was panting severely.


    Yan Zhong and his companions naturally recognized Qin Shimoon, and upon noticing her, they were immediately puzzled, "Manager Qin? What are you doing here?"


    Qin Shimoon''s face was as cold as frost, showing no intention of answering his question. However, Yan Zhong was beginning to sense that something was amiss. Observing Qin Shimoon''s uniform and sullen expression and piecing together the previous encounters, he roughly understood what had happened. His gaze swept over the four people before him, eventually settling on Xiao Buli, the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became of his guess, a stern look flashing in his eyes, "You bastard, you set me up!"


    With that shout, tensions rose sharply once again.


    "What, want to fight? I''m ready whenever you are," Xiao Buli drew his sword with a flourish, the blade emitting a chilling menace under the moonlight. Yan Zhong, however, displayed no fear, "I was thinking exactly the same, let''s settle our new and old scores together!"


    "Why bother?" Lu Xinying interjected. "We have a common enemy right now; there''s no need to fight to the death, is there?"


    Yan Zhong became even more irritated upon hearing this, "You''re no good guy either, we haven''t settled the score about Zhang Biao yet. Today, you two will die together here!"


    "Boss, I don''t think this is a good idea," said Wang Lei as he tugged at Yan Zhong''s sleeve. His recent summoning of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder had expended all his mana and overdrawn his spirit. Now he could not even summon a Palm Thunder, and if a fight broke out, he wouldn''t be able to assist much, and would likely become a target for concentrated attacks.


    Moreover, he noticed Lin Beifeng was not around, clearly gone. Now it was three against four on their side, with one incapacitated¡ªit didn''t look like they had a winning chance.


    On the other side, despite their roughed-up state, combat capability remained. He hadn''t realized Qin Shimoon''s strength and assumed she must be very strong. Yan Zhong pondered for a moment, finally letting out a sigh. Things were indeed troublesome, and it was clear they wouldn''t come out ahead if they fought. Yet swallowing his pride was something he just couldn''t do. Xiao Buli observed him but made no move to attack, aware that the Ancestral Dragon''s forces might catch up at any moment. If they didn''t have to fight, it was best not to.


    "If we''re not fighting, then we shall part ways."


    Having said that and about to leave, that whispering voice suddenly resurfaced in his ear, "Are you planning to just leave like this? You should take this chance to finish them off."


    Dammit! Xiao Buli cursed inwardly, scanning the surroundings¡ª"Mind''s Eye!" Ineffective, showing nothing.


    ¡ªOmniscient Eye! Still ineffective, besides their own people there were no other shadows around.


    Yet the voice fell silent again, as if what had just occurred was merely a hallucination.


    "Did you guys hear any voices?"


    "Not at all." Both Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er shook their heads, and Qin Shimoon did the same, though her eyes flickered with a cold, schadenfreude smile. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Lei, however, exclaimed excitedly, "You heard a strange voice too?"


    Xiao Buli looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean?"


    Wang Lei said, "You''ve got Soul Departure Syndrome." He seemed surprisingly pleased, indeed he was delighted. Sometimes people can be strange¡ªwhen misfortunes happen to oneself, it feels awful, causing self-pity and distress. But if the same thing happens to someone else, it can make one feel much better. Right then, that was exactly how Wang Lei felt.


    "Soul Departure Syndrome? What''s that?" Xiao Buli asked curiously.


    Just as Wang Lei was about to explain, Yan Zhong huffed a sound, cutting off his words.


    Xiao Buli was about to press on with more questions when his gaze suddenly fell on a figure slowly walking out of the darkness ahead.


    "Someone''s coming!" Lu Xinying said with alert, and both parties immediately became guarded.


    When the figure became clearer, Xiao Buli involuntarily took a step back out of instinct.


    Dugu Han!? Xiao Buli was shocked upon seeing the person, who else could it be but Dugu Han.


    Dressed in a suit and leather shoes, he looked exactly like he did when he was ''taken out'', except the expression on his face was less arrogant and more devilish.


    Both Wu Min''er and Lu Xinying also showed surprised expressions, especially Wu Min''er. She was the one who had pierced Dugu Han''s heart with a knife, and she exclaimed in shock, "You''re actually not dead!?"


    "Disappointed, aren''t you?" Dugu Han said while walking over to Yan Zhong''s side. His presence instantly boosted the morale on Yan Zhong''s side.


    Wu Min''er blurted out anew, "But I personally... personally killed you... Ha, don''t you know this game has many magical spells, skills, and enchanted artifacts? Some of these can even resurrect the dead. I happen to have a treasure that saved me from death. As for what it is, I have no intention of telling, especially not to a traitor," Dugu Han chuckled.


    This seemed like an explanation, but no matter what, Xiao Buli still felt something was off, having personally witnessed Dugu Han being cut into seventeen or eighteen pieces. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    Nevertheless, he wasn''t too tense. If he had been afraid of Dugu Han before, now Dugu Han was no longer a threat to him.


    "What do you want? Revenge? If so, you''re going to be disappointed. I''m not the same person I was before."


    Dugu Han shook his head, "Nor am I the same Dugu Han I was." He said with a smile, a hint of malice in his grin and a dismissive tone in his voice that seemed to imply more than it said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "It means nothing. Let bygones be bygones. I have more important business now, and I need to propose a cooperation with you. Enough chit-chat, our boss wants to meet you."


    Your boss? Xiao Buli thought to himself, as if I''d take up that offer, that''s like a lamb walking into a tiger''s den. He was confident in his life-saving abilities, but not to that extent. "I''m not interested."


    Dugu Han smiled, "Our boss said you''d say that. He also said, if you did, then he''d like me to ask you a question. Don''t you want to know the origin of this game?"


    "The origin of the game? Your boss knows it?"


    "Of course!" Dugu Han said with pride, "Our boss was an old player from the internal test."


    That indeed was a tempting surprise. The game''s secrets had always proven deeply troubling to him, particularly when that voice talking about ''Soul Departure Syndrome'' sounded quite ominous.


    Xiao Buli looked at the others, "What do you all say?"


    Lu Xinying looked at Wu Min''er, "I have no objections."


    Wu Min''er said, "I also really want to know the secrets of the game, but I''m not going to gamble with my life. My fate has been out of my control for far too long."


    Xiao Buli nodded, the point was valid, "Sorry, I can''t trust you. If you''re not here for revenge, then we should be leaving now."


    Dugu Han sighed resignedly, "Alright, the boss said you''d probably say that. But he also told me to give this to you if you did." As he spoke, he pulled a card from his pocket and tossed it over.


    Xiao Buli caught the card and saw a string of numbers ''297931938'' on it. He paused and asked, "What''s this?"


    "It''s our boss''s QQ number. Remember to add him as a friend when you get back."


    Xiao Buli: "........." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 87 Incomprehensible Existence

    ```


    "Are we just letting them go?"


    As the figures of the four disappeared into the night, Yan Zhong found it hard to accept this outcome.


    "What else can we do if you haven''t subdued them as I instructed, and even managed to get all the people I sent you killed?" Dugu Han gave Yan Zhong and his two companions a piercing look, leaving Yan Zhong speechless.


    But Dugu Han did not continue mocking him and casually said, "Follow me."


    "Where to, ''boss''?" Dian Lan asked by the side. Hearing this title, Dugu Han''s lips curled into a smile as he faced away from the three, but his tone remained indifferent, "Of course, to meet your real ''boss''."


    "The real ''boss''? Boss, you''re not talking about ''that person'', are you?"


    About ''that person'', the legendary figure rumored to control several Great Guilds, the true Controller of Qilin Group¡ªa man whose details were scarce to the members of the Qilin Group. They knew little, not even his name was clear to them. Yet the snippets of gathered information hinted at an unimaginable strength. It was difficult to imagine the commanding Dugu Han, who strutted with a bold air before them, behaving as meek as a mouse before a cat in the presence of ''that person''. The mention of meeting ''that person'' unnerved the trio.


    "Don''t you want to be cured?"


    As Dugu Han spoke, he glanced at Wang Lei, who hurriedly nodded in a pitiful manner. Yan Zhong and Dian Lan, who also listened, immediately tensed up. Although the two hadn''t shown symptoms, they could tell from the conditions of Lin Beifeng and Wang Lei how terrifying Soul Departure Syndrome was. They quickly nodded as well and followed Dugu Han forward.


    An hour later, after a bout of intense dizziness and the gradual fading of a dazzling white light, the four''s vision cleared to reveal their surroundings.


    They were in an underground room with a marble floor that bore a strange Array of Runes¡ªpresumably the legendary teleportation array, judging by their recent experience.


    Even in games, teleportation arrays were extremely rare and typically only transported to fixed destinations. However, this array had moved them directly from the wilderness to this place, which was quite astonishing.


    Before Yan Zhong could recover from his shock, Dugu Han was already ushering the three men out of the underground room.


    Emerging from the underground room, they found themselves in a bustling city at night. Oddly enough, the neon signs and billboards were all in English¡ªcould they no longer be in China? Yan Zhong couldn''t help but wonder.


    Several luxury cars were parked outside in the parking lot, each accompanied by a driver. Upon seeing Dugu Han approach, one of the cars opened its door. The driver was a bald African-American man dressed in a white shirt and black suit, wearing sunglasses even in the dead of night and black leather gloves¡ªa look reminiscent of the Men in Black.


    "To headquarters."


    Dugu Han seemed to recognize the man and issued a direct command before taking the front passenger seat. The three men followed suit, getting into the car with a sense of nervous anticipation as they drove through the city''s traffic.


    This was definitely not China; Yan Zhong quickly confirmed this. He saw car models he had never encountered before, and glimpses from the car window revealed mostly Caucasian drivers. Yan Zhong guessed they might be in the United States or Canada, though he was not entirely sure about the precise location due to his lack of knowledge about global time zones. The certainty of being abroad, inexplicably so, mixed feelings of irony and bewilderment within him. Turning to glance at Wang Lei and Dian Lan, he saw Wang Lei looking utterly dejected while Dian Lan gazed out the window, lost in his own thoughts.


    Half an hour later, the car finally came to a stop.


    As they stepped out, Yan Zhong took in the towering skyscraper before him with a hint of surprise¡ªit seemed the boss''s assets were quite substantial.


    It was undoubtedly the most majestic building he had ever seen, making the previous headquarters of Qilin Studio seem like a regular residential building by comparison.


    Even in the darkness of night, the skyscraper was brightly lit, bustling with activity. Professionals and office workers of all races moved about, and Yan Zhong even noticed an Indian woman speaking over the phone in a distinctly accented English. As he continued walking, he paid attention to the computer screens around him, noting many graphs and charts, giving the impression that they were inside a financial institution.


    Following Dugu Han, people nodded respectfully to him, indicating his high status within the company.


    Arriving at the elevator, they noticed a security camera above the elevator door, scanning them with its flashing red light. With a ding, the doors opened.


    The four entered, and the elevator ascended swiftly to a high floor. Dugu Han pressed the highest, golden button, and the elevator zoomed upward.


    The higher the elevator climbed, the more nervous Yan Zhong felt. He had imagined meeting ''that person'' countless times but never under these circumstances.


    A ding broke Yan Zhong''s train of thought, and as the elevator doors gradually opened, his heart tightened. Ahead was a dimly lit corridor with a door at the end, shrouded in darkness.


    "Go on in, ''the boss'' is waiting for you," Dugu Han said, not entering himself. The three men walked in, and as the elevator doors closed behind them, their path of retreat was cut off.


    ```


    The three of them walked towards the black door, and as if sensing their arrival, the door silently opened just as they approached. Inside was a room akin to a lounge, where two bald attendants in black suits stood by the entrance, their skin a mixture of black, white, and yellow. It was unclear whether this was intentional or not. One of the attendants gestured for the three to sit and wait for a moment, while the other went inside to deliver the message. After a short while, that person came out, motioned for the three to enter.


    As the trio made their way inside, they saw an old man standing in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window, pondering the star-studded night sky outside.


    Upon seeing the white-haired old man, Yan Zhong was taken aback. He had always imagined that the leader would be like a mafia boss, or a person filled with mystery like a cult leader, or even possibly a woman. What he didn''t expect was that the person before him looked so aged.


    The old man glanced at them and said, "So, you are the deserters." His tone was not harsh, but carried an undeniable authority and naturally exerted a suppressive force.


    Wang Lei was startled, his face turning pale. Yan Zhong reflexively tried to muster his spiritual power to counter, but with just a glancing look from the old man, Yan Zhong''s heart skipped a beat. Despite maintaining a calm exterior, his mind was in turmoil. He was unable to gather any spiritual power, feeling as insignificant as a small boat facing a towering wave, overwhelmed by a profound sense of powerlessness that prevented any thought of resistance.


    Dian Lan stubbornly held her head high, showing no sign of shrinking back, yet her trembling right hand betrayed her inner panic.


    The old man turned away from them, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated as if it had never been there.


    Relieved, the three exhaled privately, only to hear the old man say, "I can understand why you did what you did. Had I been in your place, I might have made the same decision. However, understanding does not imply forgiveness. You will still be punished, albeit not too harshly. Are you willing to accept my judgement?"


    Though it was phrased as a question, his voice carried an air of unchallengeable authority.


    "Yes, Mr. Chairm...," Yan Zhong hesitated, unsure of how to address the other.


    "You may call me Guild President. Soon, you will formally join my guild," he said.


    "Yes, Guild President, I accept your judgement," Yan Zhong said sincerely.


    After this, the old man suddenly asked, "According to previous reports, there were four of you. Why is one missing?"


    "One died, I suppose it was Soul Departure Syndrome," said Yan Zhong somberly, and then he briefly recounted what had happened. The old man nodded, "It is about time. Monster Shamans are prone to such symptoms." Hearing this, Wang Lei''s face showed a glimmer of hope. "So, Guild President, you know how to cure this sickness?"


    The old man nodded, "But treatment must start only after the symptoms appear."


    Wang Lei eagerly raised his hand, "I have it, I have it."


    Turning back toward him, the old man''s gaze fixed on Wang Lei, then suddenly, without warning, his right hand plunged into Wang Lei''s chest. It was as though it went into an expanse of mortal world, with no blood spilling, yet indeed his hand was inside Wang Lei''s body. All three were taken aback, Dian Lan instinctively reached for her knife, but Yan Zhong firmly held her shoulder ¡ª joking aside, if she actually struck, they''d be doomed.


    Wang Lei''s face twisted in pain and shock, then contorted hideously as he spoke with malevolent force, "If I go, he dies too."


    The old man scoffed coldly, "You cannot kill him, just as you cannot kill me ¡ª come out now!"


    With a fierce pull, he yanked a semi-transparent figure from within Wang Lei. At first glance, the glowing shadow bore a strong resemblance to Wang Lei, but as it hovered in the air, it gradually shrank and condensed into a basketball-sized orb of energy, vaguely revealing a ferocious face. It struggled and roared, "No! No, you can''t do this, foolish human, you have no idea what kind of entity you''re dealing with." The figure screamed madly, its echoes filling the room, causing Yan Zhong and the others to reel from the reverberating cries.


    The corner of the old man''s mouth curled into a cold smile. "I''ve known what you are for some time." He then shot out a jet of pure white flame from his hand, and the face on the sphere let out a piercing shriek as it dispersed into smoke within the flames.


    Wang Lei knelt on the ground, coughing in agony, "Thank you... Thank you, Guild President," he gasped. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    But the old man shook his head, "Don''t thank me. This is just the beginning."


    PS: The following is a free word count.


    Firstly, my apologies to the readers for the recent lack of updates. Due to work commitments, I''ve been unable to maintain a steady writing schedule and have repeatedly broken promises, for which I truly apologize.


    After much contemplation, I''ve decided to leave my current job and become a professional writer. It wasn''t an easy decision to make and carries quite the pressure, for being a writer is not the most stable job, and my family doesn''t fully support it. However, writing is my passion, and it''s not easy to find a job that I love. Additionally, divided attention doesn''t produce quality writing, so I''m betting it all on this.


    I''ve handed over my work responsibilities these past few days, and from today onwards, I''m officially free. Starting from tomorrow, updates should stabilize at a minimum of two chapters per day.


    I hope readers will subscribe and support me in this decision, so I don''t regret making it today. Another update is coming tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.) S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 88 Power to Rule the World

    After trudging through the dark for over an hour and hailing a passing car, Xiao Buli could finally take a break.


    The car stopped in a small town a few dozen kilometers from S City. Like other towns near large cities, it had the bustling traces of urban life as well as the leisurely ease of the countryside. There were hotels and inns, still open for business until midnight. The four of them got out of the car, and Xiao Buli handed several hundred-yuan bills to the kind driver before they walked into the hotel in front of them.


    This was a hotel with the ostentatious style of a nouveau riche, decorated in golden splendor yet with a touch of vulgarity. Though the taste might not be the best, the standard was still quite decent.


    Even though it was late at night, there was still food available. Having been through a lot at the base, all four were famished. Xiao Buli ordered some food and, while waiting for the dishes to be prepared, he turned to Wu Min''er and Lu Xinying and asked, "What do you plan to do from now on?"


    Wu Min''er gave a bitter smile, "What else can we do but run? Do you think the Ancestral Dragon will just let this go?"


    Qin Shimoon, however, said coldly from the side, "They won''t focus their energy on you, at least not for now."


    Her words would have been better left unsaid; as soon as she spoke, Wu Min''er got so furious that she sharply drew out a dagger and pressed it against Qin Shimoon''s throat, saying fiercely, "I haven''t thanked you yet for your ''care'' during this time." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luckily, they were in a private room, so it didn''t cause a disturbance.


    With the dagger against her throat, Qin Shimoon''s expression remained unchanged. "You should thank me. Without me, your fate would have been even worse."


    "You¡ª!" Wu Min''er''s face instantly showed an extremely agitated expression. Clearly, she had not had an easy time recently. She applied a slight pressure with the dagger in her hand, and being an authentic military-issue tiger-tooth knife, it was very sharp. It cut a slender line of blood on Qin Shimoon''s white neck. Xiao Buli quickly grabbed her wrist and shook his head at her, "Don''t kill her, she is still useful to me."


    This was of course not the only reason. Although Qin Shimoon''s past interactions with him were not many, he still considered her an acquaintance and did not think of this woman as an enemy. At most, she was an opponent, and now that she had fallen into his hands, there was even less reason to kill her.


    Whether Wu Min''er stopped because Qin Shimoon truly had helped her, or because Xiao Buli''s words had an effect, she reluctantly put away the dagger.


    Xiao Buli shook his head. Women are always so emotional.


    He turned back to Qin Shimoon, "What do you mean they won''t concentrate their efforts on us?"


    Under the control of the contract, Qin Shimoon obviously couldn''t resist, and candidly answered, "They have their own plan, and to achieve this plan, personal grievances can be neglected. Even though you''ve thwarted them, it''s not enough for them to delay their plan in order to deal with you. At most, they would use their external intelligence network to monitor you, perhaps dispatch some assassins to try and finish you off, but I guess that would be enough for you to handle."


    "What exactly is this Ancestral Dragon organization?"


    Qin Shimoon shook her head, "You wouldn''t want to know."


    "Of course, I want to know."


    "Alright, if you really want to know, I can tell you. But just make sure you won''t regret it."


    "The ultimate goal of Ancestral Dragon is to rule the world," Qin Shimoon said seriously.


    On hearing this, Xiao Buli almost felt an urge to laugh. World domination sounded like something out of a third-rate sci-fi movie, where some doctor invents a powerful weapon and then tries to use it to rule the world. Why can''t stories come with a bit more creativity? Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    He looked at Qin Shimoon, whose face was unusually serious. Only then did he realize she wasn''t joking.


    "Ancestral Dragon really intends to do this? Are they out of their minds?"


    Qin Shimoon again shook her head, "Of course not. Besides, there are many organizations with such an aim, not just them."


    "There are many organizations and individuals in this world who have thought about ruling the world. Even if given the chance, I guess most national governments wouldn''t pass up such an opportunity. In ancient times, many have tried, like Genghis Khan, like Alexander, and many other emperors. Some failed, some succeeded and then failed, and over time, individual acts turned into various organizations, under different guises and slogans like Christianity, Islam, Hitler, even the CPC. They all tried to rule the world, or to ''liberate'' it, but it''s all the same, really. Their aim is to make the world accept their viewpoint or intent. Of course, world domination is the ultimate goal, but it''s not necessarily achievable. In the process, they invariably chase power and status, all part of the plan for world domination, and an extra perk. Even today, people haven''t abandoned such thoughts, it''s just that with the world advancing, it''s become more difficult."


    Xiao Buli nodded, it did indeed sound plausible.


    "So, how exactly do they plan to rule the world?"


    "Of course, by using this game. I think you''ve already witnessed the power of this game. The most powerful aspect in this game isn''t the spells of wind, fire, thunder, or lightning, nor is it the martial arts from Inner Strength and Fighting Spirit. Rather, it''s those special abilities, such as¡ªmind control."


    Xiao Buli was shocked upon hearing this; he hadn''t thought of that. But considering the destructive power of spells and martial arts in the game, they were no match for modern weapons. Even special abilities like Qinggong and Invisibility, though magical, could be countered by modern technology. Thus, in his view, ruling the world with the power from within the game seemed impossible.


    It was only after hearing Qin Shimoon''s words that he suddenly realized many skills that seemed trivial in the game would undoubtedly be defying the heavens if applied in reality, like mind control, for instance.


    He had come across company-provided game materials before and was aware such skills existed. For example, a high-level ability of Necromancers called Soul Transfer Skills had this effect. This spell required a soulless corpse to use, which naturally wasn''t a problem for a Necromancer. All they needed to do was kill a person''s soul, then perform Soul Out Of Body and take over the victim''s body to achieve mind control.


    If an organization could control the President of the United States or similarly powerful figures, one could imagine that this organization''s rule over the world wasn''t impossible.


    However, carrying out such an operation would definitely not be easy.


    "From what you''re saying, this Ancestral Dragon might actually succeed?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "That''s right, so your choices now are quite limited. Either you choose to oppose Ancestral Dragon and prevent them from achieving their goal, because once they succeed, you will have nowhere to hide in this world. No matter where you run, you won''t be able to escape their pursuit.


    Your other choice is to join them. If they succeed, you might even become a prominent figure and acquire rights others can''t imagine. But if you want to stay out of this affair, it''s almost impossible. Ancestral Dragon has suffered a serious setback and now that you know so many of their secrets, they won''t let you go."


    Xiao Buli smiled, "I''m not worried. To obtain the ability of mind control, one must complete an extremely difficult mission or kill a Dark Gold-level BOSS, which might drop it. Even with Ancestral Dragon''s might, that would be difficult to achieve, right?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "It used to be so, indeed. After all, no matter how powerful one is in reality, it''s not possible to bring that into the game. But now it''s different. Perhaps you''re unaware that Ancestral Dragon has a formidable background, one that enables them to acquire all sorts of heavy weaponry. Now, with the Six Realms Gate, they can bring these weapons into the game to fight BOSSes. Even a Dark Gold-level creature like a dragon, what chance would it have against missiles and artillery? For them to kill BOSSes and get drops is as easy as flipping one''s hand."


    Xiao Buli was startled upon hearing this, a scene of fighter jets battling dragons flashed through his mind, and it indeed didn''t seem likely. A handgun could already deal 30 points of damage, so the destructive power of a missile would be astronomical. Killing a BOSS would truly be a matter of moments. If Ancestral Dragon were to expand in the game this way, what could possibly stop them?


    Thinking this through, Xiao Buli felt a chill run down his spine, but then he thought it over and felt it might not necessarily be the case¡ªit all seemed a bit too unrealistic.


    Moreover, he always held certain doubts about the true functions of the Six Realms Gate. For players who had characters in the game, it was one thing, but what would happen to those who entered the door without a character in the game? He felt certain things weren''t as simple as Qin Shimoon had made them out to be.


    "How do you have so many game accounts?" he asked again.


    "In fact, we have far more accounts than you can imagine. This game was initially discovered by Ancestral Dragon."


    Xiao Buli wanted to ask more, but just then, the waiter brought the food. Xiao Buli and Lu Xinying didn''t hold back, feasting heartily. Compared to them, Qin Shimoon and Wu Min''er ate much less, especially Qin Shimoon, who probably had a lot on her mind and little appetite¡ªshe ate only a little before stopping. Seeing this, Xiao Buli casually said, "Eat a bit more, you must be hungry too."


    He had merely intended to make a polite remark, but to his surprise, Qin Shimoon, though with clear reluctance on her face, still picked up her chopsticks and took another bite, then placed them down again.


    Xiao Buli found it amusing; this must have been the effect of the Soul Contract. After thinking it over, he said, "Have some soup too, this soup is really good."


    Qin Shimoon mechanically picked up the spoon, took a sip, and then set it down.


    "Have a piece of this pancake too, it''s quite good."


    Qin Shimoon, giving Xiao Buli a complex look, asked, "What exactly do you want?" while still reaching for the pancake. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 320 89 chapters Opening a room

    ```


    "It''s nothing, I just didn''t want you to be hungry," Xiao Buli said indifferently. He actually wanted to see just how strong the power of the Soul Contract was, and to what extent it could control one''s will¡ªof course, there was also a hint of mischief in his actions.


    Helpless, Qin Shimoon broke off a small piece of the pancake and ate it. "Satisfied?" she glared at Xiao Buli as she spoke.


    Xiao Buli shook his head. Such a small amount was hardly enough. He glanced over the food on the table and noticed a plate of pork intestines. Earlier, when it was served, Qin Shimoon had clearly shown a disgusted expression, so he pointed at the plate of intestines.


    "Have some of this, it''s really delicious."


    "I don''t want to eat that," Qin Shimoon shook her head.


    "Have some," Xiao Buli persisted.


    "No!" Qin Shimoon turned her head away in aversion.


    It seemed the power of the contract was not absolute. If the commands weren''t clear and firm enough, the other person could resist. So what if he issued a clear command?


    "Eat it, this is an order," Xiao Buli said sternly. This time, Qin Shimoon could no longer control herself. Struggling, she turned her head back. Before, when a blade threatened her neck, Qin Shimoon had not shown a trace of concern, but now fear flickered in her eyes. Her hand, holding the chopsticks, trembled as it reached for the pork intestines while her other hand grabbed her wrist, clearly struggling intensely against some unseen, unperceivable force. But the power of the Soul Contract was irresistible. Finally, her chopsticks picked up a piece of intestine, shaking as she did so.


    "Seems like it really works," thought Xiao Buli. But then Qin Shimoon suddenly gave a wretched smile. "I should have known it would come to this."


    She sharply slapped her right hand down, and the chopsticks instantly dropped onto the table. Her left hand shook, and from her sleeve leaped a tiny handgun the size of a lighter, which appeared in her hand and was pointed at her temple, her finger on the trigger ready to pull.


    Xiao Buli startled, "Don''t!"


    Qin Shimoon held the gun against her temple for a long time without being able to pull the trigger. She gave Xiao Buli a fierce look and then suddenly aimed the gun at him.


    "Put the gun down!" Xiao Buli shouted again, and Qin Shimoon lowered the handgun but then abruptly pulled the trigger.


    With a bang, the bullet shot towards Xiao Buli''s abdomen but was blocked by the Spiritual Energy Shield, and Wu Min''er sprung into action, kicking the handgun out of Qin Shimoon''s hand and pinning her to the ground with a swift move.


    Xiao Buli was still somewhat shaken. Although the bullet hadn''t hit him, the terror of being threatened by a bullet at such close range was indeed frightening. He hadn''t expected such a violent reaction, but on reflection, perhaps he had indeed gone a bit too far¡ªsome people are certainly more sensitive about their food.


    The experience hadn''t been entirely without its lessons, however; it showed that even though the Soul Contract was effective, it was not entirely unresistable. Commands had to be detailed and explicit, or else scenarios like the one before could happen.


    As he contemplated, he gestured for Wu Min''er to release Qin Shimoon.


    Wu Min''er nodded. Since she owed Xiao Buli a favor, she wasn''t in a position to argue, and upon releasing Qin Shimoon, the latter immediately sprung up, retreated to the corner of the room, and watched Xiao warily, quickly scanning her surroundings with a look of despair in her eyes. "What have I ever done to you to make you torture me like this? Is death not even an option for me?"


    ```


    "Fine, if you don''t want to eat, then don''t eat. Why get so worked up?"


    Seeing that Qin Shimoon still wore a frosty expression, Xiao Buli knew this wasn''t over, "I was just joking, don''t take it to heart. I won''t do it again."


    Qin Shimoon snorted coldly. Although she was still huffy, there was nothing she could do. After all, her vulnerability was in his hands. She sat down with a thump and stopped talking. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    After such an incident, Xiao Buli didn''t dare to tease Qin Shimoon anymore. He still planned to get some intelligence out of her. If Qin Shimoon got desperate and sought to end her life when no one was around, that would be really bad. He couldn''t watch over her for the rest of her life. Continuing like this wasn''t a solution, so Xiao Buli thought for a moment and then said, "How about this, you just follow my orders and provide plenty of information. When I feel you are no longer useful, I will naturally let you go. How does that sound?"


    Hope suddenly sparked in Qin Shimoon''s previously despairing eyes. The greatest weakness of humans isn''t actually despair, but hope. As long as there''s a sliver of hope, they will persist. Seeing Qin Shimoon''s reaction, Xiao Buli knew his strategy had worked.


    "Let''s set the time for one year. During this year, you''ll serve me with all your heart and effort. As long as I''m satisfied, I''ll grant you your freedom after a year."


    In Xiao Buli''s view, one year was more than enough time to dig out all the secrets in Qin Shimoon''s heart. After that, where she went was of no consequence to him.


    Qin Shimoon finally nodded reluctantly, "Alright, I agree to your terms."


    Actually, Xiao Buli''s promises weren''t reliable. If he chose to go back on his word later, Qin Shimoon couldn''t do anything about it. But having a promise was better than none, and at this point, she could only place her hopes on him keeping his word.


    Having settled things with Qin Shimoon, Xiao Buli then asked Wu Min''er, "What are your plans next?"


    Wu Min''er said, "I plan to leave for a while and contact you later. The Ancestral Dragon will definitely try to hunt us down. If we split up, we''ll be less conspicuous targets." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Then let''s part ways here. We''ll get in touch in the game. I have a camp in the Black Mountain range. You can find me there," he finished, then suddenly remembered that she was still in Nine Dragons City, likely to be hunted in the game if she logged on, and asked, "Can you still go online?"


    Wu Min''er nodded, "No problem. I have a very good relationship with the lord of Nine Dragons City. With his protection, leaving the city shouldn''t be an issue. I''ll come find you then."


    After saying that, she called out to Lu Xinying, and they both headed for the door.


    Lu Xinying clasped his fists in gratitude towards Xiao Buli, "Xiao, I cannot thank you enough. You''ve done me a favor this time. Whatever you need in the future, just give me the word," he said, before hurriedly following Wu Min''er out.


    Wu Min''er left cleanly and swiftly, without any lingering. Now it was just Xiao Buli and Qin Shimoon left in the hotel''s private room. Xiao Buli said, "If you''ve eaten your fill, let''s go book a room to rest."


    Qin Shimoon nodded, and Xiao Buli, linking arms with Qin Shimoon, walked in.


    At this hour, the two resembled a couple who had snuck out for a late-night hotel rendezvous. After settling the dinner bill,


    "How many rooms would you like, sir?" Xiao Buli said, "Just one." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 90 The Old Gamer from 30 Years Ago

    The waiter glanced at Qin Shimoon, whose unique quality was perfectly highlighted by the black uniform, despite it looking somewhat strange. He had seen his fair share of beautiful women coming to view the rooms, but such top-tier beauties were rare. He thought to himself that the two must be into some kind of uniform play, feeling a pang of envy as he admired the other guy''s good fortune.


    However, his professional demeanor didn''t betray his feelings. "We have a luxury couple''s suite available for only 888 yuan per night. Would the two of you be interested?" he asked without a change in expression.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "We''ll take that one." While 888 yuan wasn''t exactly cheap, it was still acceptable. Most importantly, Xiao Buli didn''t feel comfortable leaving Qin Shimoon alone.


    He said this while paying, completely ignoring Qin Shimoon''s murderous glare.


    "Here are your room cards."


    The waiter, with a look of envy, jealousy, and resentment, eyed Xiao Buli and handed over the two room cards while speaking.


    They took the elevator up, entered the room, and Xiao Buli looked around the so-called luxury couple''s suite. It was nice, complete with a bathroom, balcony, refrigerator, and computer.


    Qin Shimoon, seemingly resigned to her fate, sat on the sofa, eyeing Xiao Buli with a guarded look.


    "Relax, I have no designs on you. Even though you''re pretty, you''re not my type," Xiao Buli said offhandedly, trying to put Qin Shimoon at ease, "If you''re tired, go to sleep. I have some things to do tonight."


    But Qin Shimoon''s guarded look remained.


    Xiao Buli shrugged. "Don''t worry, I''m a gentleman. I won''t force myself on you. But you''d better behave. If anything like before happens again, I won''t mind giving you a little punishment. You know what I mean!" His last sentence carried a hint of threat, and in such a setting, the nature of the "punishment" was self-evident.


    Qin Shimoon glared at him angrily. "Don''t you think this is a bit immoral, threatening a weak woman like this?"


    Xiao Buli snorted. "I''m pretty sure if I were in your hands, you''d have me do far worse things."


    Qin Shimoon stopped speaking, clearly unable to dispute Xiao Buli''s point.


    Without letting her off the hook, he visually appraised her. "And to call yourself a weak woman, with your capabilities? You must be joking," said Qin Shimoon, snorting coldly. "I''m going to freshen up. I hope you''ll keep your word." With that, she headed straight for the bathroom.


    Soon, the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom.


    Listening to the water, Xiao Buli felt a bit of internal turmoil. Qin Shimoon was an undeniable beauty, the kind that easily sparked fantasies, and now she was completely at his mercy, like ripe fruit at his lips. To claim he had no impure thoughts would be a lie. But he knew his priorities, and Xiao Buli wasn''t someone who lost control at the sight of a woman. Power in hand and the game''s secrets were more important to him than any woman.


    As he mused, he took out the piece of paper from his pocket, pondered the numbers written on it, and decided it was best to clear things up quickly.


    He logged into QQ and entered the series of numbers from the paper into the search bar.


    The other party''s QQ avatar was online, and the name was quite original, called ''Unnamed Elder''.


    Xiao Buli requested to add the person as a friend, entering his own name in the request.


    It wasn''t long before ''Unnamed Elder'' appeared in Xiao Buli''s QQ friend list.


    "Hello," he typed.


    Unnamed Elder did not respond.


    "Good evening," Xiao Buli tried again.


    Still, Unnamed Elder did not respond.


    "Are you there?"


    "Of course, I am," replied Unnamed Elder. "Let''s skip the pointless pleasantries. I''ve come to make a deal with you. We can exchange information. I''ll swap my game insights for your information, one question for one question. To show good faith, feel free to ask me the first question."


    Exchanging information was fine with Xiao Buli, but he didn''t immediately agree, instead asking, "Why should I trust you? After all, you were trying to have me killed before, and now you want to cooperate with me."


    Unnamed Elder: "Because I understand your actions. In fact, your experience is quite similar to mine. Thirty years ago, I did something just like what you''re doing now."


    Thirty years ago? Xiao Buli wondered if that could be true, as he thought, were there even online games back then?


    "You played this game thirty years ago?"


    "May I take that as your first question?" asked Unnamed Elder.


    "You could say that," Xiao Buli replied, thinking it was better to get the answer first.


    Wuming the elder: "That''s right, I was among the first batch of players, what you might call a beta tester."


    Internal test players, Xiao Buli thought to himself, that seemed too sci-fi. Thirty years ago, there weren''t even mice for computers, right? How could you play such a game, and moreover, online games are a phenomenon that just appeared in the last decade or so.


    "What brand of computer did you use to play this game thirty years ago? Apple or Lenovo?"


    Wuming the elder: "I guess you''re doubting whether a computer from thirty years ago could run such a game. However, you may not be aware of one thing¡ªthat the pace of technological advancement is much faster than you imagine. It''s just that the real cutting-edge technologies are prioritized for military research and are not available to the public. The computer you''re using now is actually a deprecated, neutered product. Truly advanced technology is at least a decade ahead of contemporary technology, and some specialized technologies will never be accessible to the general public."


    Xiao Buli curiously asked, "So you''re saying that the computers you used were actually ones from the nineties?"


    Wuming the elder: "To be precise, it''s the latter, a technology you''ve never seen before¡ªthe Brainwave Imaging Instrument."


    Brainwave Instrument? Xiao Buli thought, that''s even more sci-fi. "Like the ones in online gaming novels?"


    Wuming the elder: "Correct."


    "How did you accomplish that?"


    Wuming the elder: "The Brainwave Imaging Instrument wasn''t my invention; I was merely fortunate enough to use it. As for how it was created, I am not clear on that. Besides, it also required the aid of a very advanced supercomputer to run at that time. As for who owns the Brainwave Imaging Instrument and the supercomputer, that is the subject of another question. Alright, now I will ask you the first question."


    "Tell me, what is the purpose of you playing this game?"


    Xiao Buli thought there was no reason to hide and thus spoke directly.


    "Strength."


    Wuming the elder: "I see, I understand. Now it''s your turn to ask."


    Xiao Buli was stunned but didn''t expect the other party''s question to be so simple; there seemed to be little follow-up on the answer. Could it be that the other party fully understood the implications behind those two words? Was their deductive ability that strong?


    It didn''t matter much at this point, and he continued to ask, "What exactly is Ancestral Dragon? "


    He still didn''t quite believe what Qin Shimoon said about ruling the world; it sounded too far-fetched, and what Qin Shimoon knew might not be the truth.


    Wuming the elder: "Ancestral Dragon is an organization with vast Divine Skills, great ambition, and a deep history. That''s all I can tell you."


    Xiao Buli thought, what kind of answer is that? But all he could reply was, "Alright, your turn."


    Wuming the elder: "What exactly is Ancestral Dragon plotting at that base?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Six Realms Gate," Xiao Buli answered, intending to explain the purpose and construction process of the Six Realms Gate in detail, but Wuming the elder cut in, "I see. I understand."


    Xiao Buli was rather frustrated, thinking, What do you understand? However, upon reflection, considering that this nameless elder was Dugu Han''s boss and one of the first to come into contact with the game, it wasn''t unbelievable that he knew far more than himself, including the existence of the Six Realms Gate.


    Having realized this, he didn''t delve deeper but asked, "Do you know the origin of this game?"


    Wuming the elder: "I don''t know, but I can tell you that Ancestral Dragon was the first to possess this game."


    Ancestral Dragon''s possession!? Xiao Buli instinctively felt there was a problem. If Ancestral Dragon had owned this game for thirty years, they would have been invincible by now, not to mention how powerful they''d be in the game itself. Why would they have waited until now? Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "However, as far as I know, Ancestral Dragon only started to acquire a large number of game accounts recently," he challenged.


    "It''s true. Ancestral Dragon did indeed begin to acquire power from the game only recently. This is because thirty years ago, during Ancestral Dragon''s first experiment with the game, an incident occurred which resulted in them losing control over it. For the next thirty years, they tried to regain that control, succeeding only recently."


    Xiao Buli promptly asked, "Could you elaborate?"


    Wuming the elder did not answer and instead asked directly, "To what extent does Ancestral Dragon now control the power in the game?"


    Xiao Buli relayed everything he saw and heard while in the underground base.


    Wuming the elder: "I see, it seems that the situation has not reached an irreversible point yet. Continue with your questions. I must remind you that I''ve almost gathered the information I need, and this is your last question."


    Xiao Buli suddenly felt anxious, with a multitude of doubts still needing answers, but the other party did not seem like one easily persuaded. Thus, he had to carefully ponder the question he would ask.


    After a long contemplation, Xiao Buli finally formulated a question that would maximize gathering the most information, typing his inquiry, "What exactly happened between you and Ancestral Dragon regarding this game thirty years ago?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 91 Heart of the Dragon

    "What exactly happened between you and Ancestral Dragon during this game thirty years ago?"


    The old man looked at the line of text on the computer, and a trace of memory, a trace of pain, seemed to break through his usually impassive facade. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thirty years, thirty years ago..." he muttered to himself, as some memories he found hard to revisit gradually resurfaced in his mind.


    Thirty years earlier:


    Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding! A piercing ringtone startled Luo Sen awake from his sleep, his mind still in a fog. He lay on his platform bed for a while before realizing that he was no longer in the labor reform farm but lying in the narrow bed in a basement.


    The negative effects of yesterday''s experiment still troubled him, but he dared not lie in any longer. Supporting his tired brain, he climbed out of bed, aware that this was not a place that brooked any reasoning.


    Quickly jumping out of bed and getting dressed, Luo Sen tried to clear his head, looked at the bunk above, and saw that Bi Huaxuan seemed a bit off, mumbling something to himself. The guy had been a martial master, running a martial arts school and was reputed to know techniques like Five Elements Boxing and Bagua Palm, seemingly a formidable character. But in front of the Red Revolutionary Guards, even the strongest martial arts were worthless; he was sent to the farm for re-education and ended up here with Luo Sen.


    "Hey," he called out. The youngster turned his head, staring blankly at him, his expression somewhat unfamiliar.


    "Get up quickly, unless you''re looking to be punished," Luo Sen reminded, feeling a sense of obligation to look out for someone from the labor camp.


    But that was all he could do; thereafter, Luo Sen hurried out.


    Luo Sen was not the first one up. In the washroom, Liu Xuan Zhen was wiping his body with cold water. He looked utterly relaxed, giving off an unexpectedly leisurely vibe. His skinny body was unusually pale, not at all resembling someone who had spent three years at a labor camp. Previously, he was said to be a Taoist priest, the head of a Taoist temple, which made him a prime target during the campaign to destroy the old customs. However, he took it in stride, eating, sleeping, working, and performing self-criticism at the camp, not at all like the others who were sent there.


    Luo Sen disliked his demeanor.


    After quickly finishing his washing up, Luo Sen felt much more alert.


    By the time he arrived at the dining hall, breakfast was already served on the long wooden table, with several tin buckets filled with food.


    The only good thing about this place was the food; breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, spicy cabbage, salted cucumbers, all-you-can-drink rice porridge, and two big steamed buns per person. Compared to the farm where he could not get enough to eat even with coarse grain buns, it was paradise. In an era of scarcity, such a breakfast was truly lavish. Yet facing the food before him, Luo Sen found he had little appetite, especially when every time he closed his eyes, he could see that machine.


    As time moved on, the closer the experiment approached, his stomach convulsed, but he forced himself to eat some food.


    Several people sitting nearby were quietly chatting, "Have you heard? Wang Luobin from Group Two went mad yesterday and was taken away," said a big man named Lei Zhengang. This guy was a bandit who was supposed to have been executed by gun but somehow ended up here.


    Luo Sen perked up his ears upon hearing this, having spent so much time in this place, he was most concerned about what his own end might be.


    "Where was he taken?" asked Wang Wenbo who wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and looked frail. Wang Wenbo was the one that Luo Sen admired the most among these people, for he was somewhat of an intellectual. Even though in these times people said the more culture one had, the more reactionary one was, Luo Sen did not agree.


    "Who knows, probably sent back to the farm, I guess," Lei Zhengang said dismissively, slurping down his rice porridge audibly.


    The farm was where Luo Sen and others had initially been recruited from, and it was far from a good place, toiling all day long to near death. Yet, at this very moment, Luo Sen almost wished that were true. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Liu Xuan Zhen, who had been listening to the two men''s conversation with a grin, suddenly interjected, "Come on, do you really think after all he''s seen, he''d actually be sent back to the farm? What if he leaks information?"


    Lei Zhengang glared at Liu Xuan Zhen with his bell-like eyes, his voice as deep as a pot''s, "Then you tell us where he was taken." Liu Xuan Zhen, seeming to know something, scoffed, "Where was he taken? Heh, I might scare you if I told you."


    Luo Sen thought to himself (Scare us? Why would it scare us?) and as he pondered, watching the sly smile on Liu Xuan Zhen''s lips, he faintly sensed something ominous.


    Breakfast, in the end, was finished.


    The tableware didn''t need to be washed by themselves; someone would naturally come to collect it. In this respect, their current life was pretty much like that of a young master in a landlord''s family. Moreover, there was no work to do during the day, nor were there any self-criticisms to write or struggles to endure. However, Luo Sen didn''t feel any happiness, because they were facing a task far more terrifying than those.


    Just like on previous experimental days, Luo Sen and his group were brought into the laboratory.


    The lab was a huge, chilling cement room devoid of any aesthetics. In the middle of the room stood a gigantic machine, as big as four large cabinets combined. Luo Sen now knew that this device was called the ''Heart of the Dragon,'' which was said to be a supercomputer. However, he still didn''t understand what a supercomputer meant; he only knew that it was capable of sending them into a strange dream.


    Wang Wenbo had once explained to him what a computer was, describing it as an ''electrically driven brain''. Luo Sen was highly skeptical about this.


    Luo Sen didn''t have a clue about how to operate a computer, but that was alright. The overseers would handle it for them. Just thinking about the overseers made Luo Sen shiver involuntarily. Despite facing them daily, he still couldn''t get used to the chilling sensation they imparted.


    With a grating noise, a metal door on the opposite wall started rising, revealing several people in white lab coats behind a glass window. They were the scientists and the commanders of the experiment. Luo Sen was used to the presence of these white coats, but today seemed different, with a middle-aged man in military uniform standing among them. His authoritative look was like that of a god overseeing his subjects.


    A few people dressed in black entered through a side door, their expressions cold. They were the overseers. Their arrival instantly stiffened the atmosphere in the room.


    No one dared to breathe heavily. They all stood obediently in front of the computer.


    "The second experiment is officially starting. Everyone, please take your positions and get ready," a scientist said through a microphone.


    Around the supercomputer, there was a circle of chair-like objects connected to the computer, which in turn was connected to the Brainwave Instrument, resembling a metallic helmet liner strung with many metal wires and giving off a cold metallic sheen.


    Liu Xuanzhen was the first to lie down on the chair. He moved so quickly that it seemed as if he couldn''t wait to start.


    Luo Sen went to the fifth machine and lay down on the cold, metallic bed. The Brainwave Instrument was heavy and cold. Wearing it on his shaved head felt both hard and icy, highly uncomfortable, but he knew this sensation would soon disappear.


    As he lay there, he braced himself for the looming dizziness, but it didn''t come as expected. Instead, the overseer''s cold, emotionless voice rang out, "Comrade Bi Huaxuan, please put on your Brainwave Instrument."


    Was someone actually brave enough to anger the overseer? Luo Sen turned to look behind him. Bi Huaxuan stared blankly at the Brainwave Instrument in his hand, seemingly lost in thought.


    "I, I don''t feel very well. Can I please be excused from the experiment today and wait until I feel a bit better tomorrow..." "Comrade Bi Huaxuan, please put on your Brainwave Instrument." The overseer''s voice was already showing signs of impatience. Behind the glass wall, several scientists were sweating profusely, frantically gesturing to the overseers below while warily observing the middle-aged man''s expression.


    Bi Huaxuan shivered and had no choice but to don the Brainwave Instrument. He closed his eyes, and a pained expression crossed his face. Luo Sen exhaled in relief. He was genuinely afraid the man would resist, and the consequences of that were unthinkable.


    He closed his eyes and lay back down, hoping that the sensation would not last too long.


    "All personnel in position, initiate Heart of the Dragon!"


    The massive supercomputer started humming fiercely. The chairs trembled along with it, causing people''s heads to swell, but the humming quickly faded away. Luo Sen felt himself falling into an endless abyss as if there would never be an end. Although this was not his first time undergoing brainwave transference, he still harbored a deep-seated fear of the sensation.


    Clenching his teeth, he endured until finally, the feeling passed. A blinding white light flashed before his eyes, and when the light dispersed, he found himself standing on a slope in a small mountain village, facing a dark green expanse of overgrown grass.


    He touched his head, no longer wearing the Brainwave Instrument, and his hair had grown black. He patted his face, feeling numbness. Luo Sen always regarded this transformation with deep wariness, but regretfully, he had no possibility of resistance.


    "Looks like we''re back again," a voice came from behind him. Without turning around, he knew it had to be Liu Xuan Zhen.


    One by one, everyone arrived.


    "All right, today''s task is wilderness hunting. Let''s see if we can catch anything and utilize all the skills you''ve learned. This time we''ll need to work as a team..."


    Wang Wenge was issuing commands to the group. He was the only overseer and the team leader, responsible for directing the actions of the third team in this world. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 92 Tiger-headed Monster

    Just as Wang Wenge issued the command, Luo Sen was looking around at the environment they were in, which happened to be a clearing on the edge of a forest.


    He''d traveled through many places in this world, and everywhere was desolate, with no trace of human footprints. It was as if there were no humans in this world at all. Even birds and beasts were rare sights. Occasionally, the shadow of a wild animal could be spotted, but even then, they would keep their distance and avoid them, seemingly very wary of these unexpected guests.


    But aside from that, this place was quite interesting. The sun in the sky was round and large but didn''t seem to dazzle one''s eyes. At night, the moon was also unusually large, completely different from the one in reality. Occasionally, he could find some wild fruits in the forest which, though unassuming, tasted delicious. This made Luo Sen wonder if he was dreaming, although it was not his first time coming to this strange place. Luo Sen remained curious about it.


    How had it formed, and how had they entered it? Would anything that happened here affect reality? Although he didn''t fully understand the significance of a virtual world, human nature prompted him to think about such things.


    Luo Sen privately guessed that this place might be a dream, and the supercomputer they connected to could be a dream-making machine. It was said that ancient Immortal Sorcerers could enter people''s dreams. Perhaps those scientists in white lab coats possessed similar abilities.


    This speculation made him deeply respect those in the white lab coats and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to encounter such things. If it weren''t for the dizziness when entering and the prickling sensation upon leaving this world, it would have been almost perfect.


    To say "almost perfect" because the people in his group were always changing. Those who entered the Dream World with him didn''t always stay. So far, they had been replaced by several groups of people. As for where those replaced had gone, that remained a mystery to Luo Sen.


    They had been in and out of this dream many times, making new discoveries each time. The last time, they found the ruins of a village not far behind them. When they discovered the village, Wang Wenge was quite thrilled, thinking they had finally found humans in the Dream World. But after searching inside and out several times, they realized the place seemed to have been abandoned for a long time with no signs of human activity, resulting in profound disappointment.


    The village greatly resembled the small mountain village where Luo Sen used to live¡ªequally desolate and secluded, perhaps even more so. If he could, he would have liked to explore this little village thoroughly, but Wang Wenge didn''t seem keen on wasting too much time.


    "Alright, that''s today''s mission. Our goal is to catch one of the wild beasts of this world to see if there is anything special about it. Hurry up, we don''t have much time. We must complete this stage of the experiment before dark. Okay, now let me assign the tasks. Luo Sen, you''re in charge of finding and luring the wild beast."


    "Liu Xuanzhen, Bi Huaxuan, the two of you are responsible for digging traps. Wang Wenbo, Lei Zhengang, you two go find some rocks. Once the beast falls in, start throwing them. Liu Xuanzhen, Liu Xuanzhen, what are you doing!"


    Wang Wenge''s voice suddenly rose, and Luo Sen turned to look back. Liu Xuanzhen was standing in front of a huge stone tablet at the entrance to the village ruins, lost in a trance.


    The stone tablet looked very worn, half-buried in the earth, with faint inscriptions on the exposed part. Beside the tablet were some broken walls and structures, appearing to be the remnants of a temple.


    "Hey, I''m talking to you! Turn around!" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Wenge slapped Liu Xuanzhen''s shoulder hard, and the latter turned his head, chuckling and nodding, "Oh, I heard you." With a sidestep, he subtly avoided Wang Wenge''s hand. For some reason, seeing Liu Xuanzhen''s cheery expression, Wang Wenge suddenly felt a very warm and comfortable feeling.


    "Oh, good to hear that; don''t run off again," Wang Wenge said, his tone full of admonishment and devoid of any scolding, which greatly surprised Luo Sen. Since when did these two get along so well?


    Wang Wenge suddenly turned back, "Luo Sen, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and lead the way." Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    With a bitter face, Luo Sen nodded and turned towards the forest path.


    Walking along the forest path, Luo Sen couldn''t help but complain inwardly. He had hunting experience, though just with pheasants and hares. In his opinion, Wang Wenge''s method was utterly unprofessional, even digging traps; what for? The forest was lush and gave off the dangerous vibe of the Barbaric Wilderness. He hadn''t actually been to such a place, but luckily this was just a dream. No matter how severely injured in the Dream World, not a single hair would be missing in reality. People from his previous team had been injured and even died here, but upon waking up, they were unscathed, only sent for psychological therapy ''to maintain good mental health.'' They didn''t seem too traumatized, so Luo Sen wasn''t afraid to face danger and just took it as a game.


    A roar made Luo Sen jump, and he swiftly turned back, only to see a snow-white tiger with black stripes staring intently at him.


    Even though he knew it was just a dream, Luo Sen was startled. A tiger, and the legendary white one at that, a first sighting for him.


    Fortunately, he remembered the plan and immediately turned and ran.


    Luo Sen ran swiftly, with the tiger trailing behind neither too eagerly nor too lethargically, as if in no rush for its breakfast. As soon as he reached the clearing beyond the trees, the sight of the dried grass relaxed his mind.


    Finally there! He thought and rushed towards the pile of dried grass, under which lay the pit trap, covered by a layer of branches just strong enough to hold a human''s weight, but surely not a tiger''s.


    Luo Sen leaped over the pit, and a tiger''s roar sounded so close behind him it felt within arm''s reach. Despite knowing that dying here would be inconsequential, Luo Sen was so frightened that he plunged forward as the tiger fell with a roar.


    Several people suddenly rushed out from behind the mounds of earth. One person carrying a large rock started hammering down on the tiger in the pit, unable to climb out. Wang Wenge watched and laughed heartily, "This is excellent, we finally did it."


    After a few attempts to climb out, the tiger suddenly stopped, lying in the pit without further movement. Its body started to stand up, twisted bizarrely, and shockingly transformed into a Tiger-headed Monster that seemed capable of climbing like humans, scrambling out of the pit in just a moment.


    Everyone was left staring in shock.


    PS: Three chapters released today, there will be two more this afternoon (to be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 93 Palm Thunder

    The tiger-headed monster suddenly pounced on Wang Wenge, knocking him to the ground. With one bite, Wang''s head burst open like a watermelon dropped on the ground, its red and white contents spilling all over the monster''s mouth. The tiger-headed beast abruptly turned its head, and Luo Sen''s brain buzzed at the sight, nearly scaring him witless.


    "Run!" Someone shouted, and Luo Sen, almost instinctively, turned and ran. He had only taken two steps when suddenly someone behind him tugged at him. He turned to look only to see the tiger-headed monster had caught up, swiping a claw at him. Although it missed him, it caught the hem of his shirt, tearing it with a ripping sound.


    Luo Sen was terrified, his soul seemingly leaving his body as he saw the tiger-headed monster''s claw about to come down on him. His hair stood on end, thinking it was all over. But in that split second, a flash of blue light appeared, followed by a crackling sound, and the tiger-headed monster was blown away, its white fur singed black by the electricity.


    Luo Sen looked behind the tiger-headed monster and was shocked to see the dazzling thunderbolt had come from Liu Xuanzhen''s hand.


    "Run, the tiger isn''t dead yet!" Liu Xuanzhen dashed to his side, grabbed Luo Sen by the collar, and ran. Luo Sen hurried along, glancing back amidst the chaos and saw, indeed, the tiger-headed monster convulsing as it rose from the ground. Its eyes, red and filled with a savage light, signified that the bolt of lightning had not been fatal. Seeing this, Luo Sen immediately quickened his pace.


    "Head for the village!" Liu Xuanzhen, seeing that Luo Sen had come to his senses, let go and shouted as he ran.


    Lei Zhengang, Wang Wenbo, and the others weren''t stupid¡ªthey followed at once. The group of five rushed into the ruins of the village. Liu Xuanzhen, as if he knew the way, zigzagged to the door of a broken house, kicked the door open, and charged inside. Luo Sen wondered what good this dilapidated house, with incomplete walls, would do against the monster, but at that moment, he had no other options. Moreover, the recent event had somewhat bolstered his confidence in Liu Xuanzhen, so he hurriedly followed inside.


    The moment they entered the house, they realized Liu Xuanzhen was nowhere to be seen. "Hey, where is he?"


    "Over here!" Liu Xuanzhen suddenly popped his head out from underground. It turned out to be a cellar, into which they all quickly jumped. Liu then closed the cellar door.


    Everyone held their breath. Sounds of the door being smashed could be heard outside, followed by a chaotic rumble. Soon, the sounds faded into the distance, as if the tiger-headed monster had chased off after something else.


    Thank heavens, they were finally safe! Luo Sen gasped for air and looked at Liu Xuanzhen with gratitude. Surveying his surroundings, he found the cellar to be quite spacious, about three or four meters square, with several bodies lying on the ground.


    It was his first time seeing the humans of this world, though they were only corpses. The corpses looked strange. Despite their clothes being mostly tattered, their attire seemed very different from their own, resembling the clothing of ancient people he had seen in plays, with long hair as well.


    The others noticed the three corpses too. Wang Wenbo, who was of a timid nature, kept backing away in fright, but Liu Xuanzhen went straight over to them, searching the bodies. He seemed to find nothing of interest and looked disappointed.


    Standing up, Liu Xuanzhen gave the corpses a salute with one hand.


    Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    Lei Zhengang slapped Liu Xuanzhen''s shoulder with force. "Well done, Old Liu. I didn''t expect you to have such skills. If I had met you back in the day, I would have gladly made you my right-hand man."


    Liu Xuanzhen smiled, appearing to think nothing of it. Wang Wenbo pushed up his glasses, looking worried as he said, "What do we do now? The instructor is dead; we might be in trouble."


    Lei Zhengang spoke nonchalantly, "What''s there to be afraid of? It''s not like he''s really dead."


    "I''m afraid he really is dead."


    "What?" Luo Sen looked at Liu Xuanzhen with suspicion, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Don''t you find it strange? Everyone who died in this world and returned was sent away, and not a single one was sent back."


    Lei Zhengang said, "Wasn''t it said they were sent to recuperate because they were scared silly?"


    Liu Xuanzhen chuckled coldly, "Sent to recuperate? What do you think this place is, a sanatorium? And what is our status? We''re not much better off than prisoners. Even if we died, those people probably wouldn''t bat an eyelid, so how could they send us to recuperate over some trivial matter?"


    Wang Wenbo interjected from the side, "Yeah, and it''s such a big secret. What if it got out?"


    Luo Sen furrowed his brows and said, "Then what are you implying?" "If I''m not mistaken," Liu Xuanzhen continued, "all the people who were sent away were actually silenced."


    "No way?" Wang Wenbo countered, "Why silence them? Why not let us continue to be guinea pigs for their experiments?"


    Liu Xuanzhen nodded, "That''s a question I''ve been pondering as well. The only answer I can think of is if we die in this world, we no longer have any value to them, and it''s very possible we can''t enter this world again. Since we''ve lost our value and now know their secrets, we would be silenced."


    Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. If what Liu Xuanzhen said was true, then being careless on adventures in this world was a big no-no. Although dying in this world seemed meaningless, one could be silenced upon leaving, which was no different from actual death.


    "Then what do you propose we do?"


    Having heard Liu Xuanzhen''s words, Wang Wenbo''s face turned ashen, "It''s over, we''re doomed. Even if the authorities don''t hold us accountable for the instructor''s matter, living in this world longer, we''re bound to die sooner or later."


    Luo Sen''s heart sank at once; Wang Wenbo wasn''t wrong. This world was truly perilous, filled with deadly traps everywhere. In the slightly more than a month he had been here, the members of his group had changed several times. Previously, he hadn''t given much thought to these matters¡ªdead is dead, after all, and not truly dead¡ªbut now that Liu Xuanzhen had brought it up, dying in this world seemed to be quite a serious matter.


    But speaking of which, it seemed that Liu Xuanzhen had arrived much earlier than he had, "How have you survived?" Bi Huaxuan, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly asked. This guy had been acting a bit strange since entering the Dream World, but now he seemed to have regained his composure. Liu Xuanzhen cracked a slight smile, "Naturally, it''s been through my own abilities." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These so-called abilities must be the Thunder Skills he used earlier.


    "Was that move just now a spell? If you''re so good at spellcraft, how come you were captured?"


    Liu Xuanzhen shook his head, "It is indeed a spell, but in fact, I didn''t know any spells before coming here."


    Luo Sen asked in amazement, "Then how did you acquire that spell?"


    Liu Xuanzhen''s face revealed a peculiar expression, "I learned that spell in this world." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 94 Drinking With You

    "What? There are spells in this world?"


    Liu Xuanzhen nodded, "That was three months ago when I had just been sent here. Our group was assigned a task to kill a very powerful monster. That monster was incredibly tough, its body hard as iron, impervious to knives and spears. We put in a lot of effort and lost many men without success; everyone died including the instructor, and only I survived. The monster looked much like a Zombie I had read about in a book, so I used a little Dharma Method, and it actually worked.


    After killing that monster, I found a Taoist Book on its body. Fortunately, I had read quite a few Taoist Scriptures before, so I was able to understand it. To my surprise, after finishing the book, I learned the spells within it. The book''s name is ''Five Prisons Thunder Scripture.'' That Palm Thunder just now was merely a junior spell from it."


    (If a junior spell is this powerful, how strong must the advanced spells be?) Luo Sen couldn''t help but think.


    "How could a Zombie have a Taoist Book on it? Could it be that the Zombie was a high-ranking Taoist adept in its past life?" Wang Wenbo suddenly asked.


    Liu Xuanzhen shook his head, looking doubtful. That Zombie was even wearing armor, with a rusty, broken sword. It seemed more like it had been a soldier in life.


    Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder.


    "What a pity," Lei Zhengang shook his head.


    "What''s a pity?" "It''s a pity we can''t use it in reality. It would be great if we could use it in reality." Lei Zhengang said regretfully. At his words, the others also realized the implication. Although Palm Thunder was formidable, this was, after all, the Dream World, and it seemed rather useless here.


    However, Liu Xuanzhen suddenly revealed a strange smile, "Who says it can''t be used in reality?"


    Everyone was startled, "What, do you mean you can use Palm Thunder in reality?"


    "Correct," Liu Xuanzhen nodded.


    This was too incredible to believe. In Luo Sen''s mind, spells were something only Immortals in legendary stories could use, always lingering in the pages of comic books and tales of the elderly. Now, Liu Xuanzhen claimed to know spells, completely shattering Luo Sen''s world view constructed over many years.


    He glanced at Liu Xuanzhen, this guy who had not been a Taoist for many years, now seemed to exude an air of immortal Taoist charm.


    "Then why don''t you run?"


    "If he could run, he would have done it long ago. Do you really think knowing spells makes one invincible? Are those soldiers with guns just for show?" Lei Zhengang suddenly interjected. He too was an old hand in the mortal world, having been a bandit and fired guns before.


    Palm Thunder might have looked impressive, and it did startle him, but as he regained his composure, he realized that the so-called Palm Thunder wasn''t all that powerful. It didn''t even kill the Tiger-headed Monster in one hit, which meant its power was somewhat inferior to bullets. Moreover, it had a short range and required casting, against a group of armed soldiers there would be no chance at all - before a single Thunder could strike, one would be riddled with bullets like a beehive.


    "What about that Taoist Book you mentioned? Let us learn too. If we all knew spells, maybe¡ª" Lei Zhengang began to say but stopped short. However, the implication was clear to everyone. If they all knew spells, maybe they could fight their way out.


    Liu Xuanzhen shook his head, "After I finished learning, the Taoist Book disappeared. It seems each book can only teach one person." Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    At his words, the others were greatly disappointed. Lei Zhengang''s eyes darted around suspiciously, "You didn''t hide that Taoist Book, did you?" Liu Xuanzhen glared at him, raising his hand, and Lei Zhengang shuddered in fear, not daring to speak out of turn again.


    Liu Xuanzhen continued, "Although that Taoist Book is gone, I''ve learned that this world is definitely not a dream. How could a spell learned in a dream be used in reality? So let''s not treat this world as a dream anymore. Moreover, even though that particular book is gone, this world still contains other Taoist Books. If we could get hold of more and learn from them¡ªwe would become powerful! Once our strength is sufficient, we could¡ª" He made a motion of swinging his fist, and everyone understood the meaning. If all five were adept in spells, possessed superpowers, they could revolt and fight their way out. "But didn''t you just say Palm Thunder is inferior to guns?" Wang Wenbo, who was rather timid, turned pale at the thought of rebellion.


    Liu Xuanzhen nodded, "Relying solely on Palm Thunder certainly won''t cut it. However, there are more powerful spells. It''s just that it says my Taoist Heart is not strong enough yet to unlock them."


    Luo Sen was curious, "What is Taoist Heart? And who is ''it'' you mentioned?" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Xuanzhen explained, "Taoist Heart is likely one''s understanding of Taoist philosophy, I suppose. As for ''it'', I''m not sure who ''it'' is. It just emerged in my mind while reading the book. It might be an Immortal for all I know."


    Communicating in one''s mind seemed to be a feat only Immortals could achieve.


    After hearing this, everyone accepted the idea and regarded Liu Xuanzhen with increased awe. With the support of divine powers and knowledge of spells, he had become the de facto leader among the five.


    Liu Xuanzhen added, "It certainly won''t be easy for everyone to learn spells; it will take time. But during this period, we must keep this secret. If anyone leaks this, it will bring disaster to us all. Therefore, we must all take a deadly Oath Curse, promising never to go back on our word under any circumstances, or else be struck by the Five Thunders Bombardment and pierced by a thousand Arrows to death."


    Take an oath? Would such a thing even work?


    Yet, it seemed that Liu Xuanzhen read their thoughts, "Don''t worry, aside from learning Palm Thunder, I''ve also learned the Oath Curse. We''ll swear a blood oath; if anyone breaks it, they''ll be struck by divine retribution."


    If Liu Xuanzhen had said this before, for sure no one would have believed him, but now, everyone shuddered at his statement and solemnly swore, pledging they would rather die than break their vow.


    Lei Zhengang slapped his thigh, "Alright, to die as a bird would leave a path behind, but not dying grants countless years of life, I''m with you."


    The others also nodded in agreement. To survive, to keep living, to take control out of this experimental lab, several men with nothing to their names reached a consensus. Luo Sen looked at his companions. He couldn''t quantify the effort required to realize their plan, nor how many would live to see its success. Yet, glimpsing the confidence of Liu Xuanzhen, he too began to foster a flicker of hope.


    Just to have hope, he muttered to himself, having resolved to risk life and limb for their cause. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you''re welcome to vote and support on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 95 System BUG

    Drip, drip, drip, a vibrating sound pulled the old man out of his memories, and on the computer screen in front of him, an avatar of a small dolphin kept bouncing.


    "Are you still there?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but ask, as the other party had been silent for quite a while, "Are you going to answer the question or not, at least say something."


    The man known as Wuming replied, "Of course, but I''m afraid I can''t give you an answer to your question, ask another one."


    Xiao Buli was momentarily taken aback by the response, it seemed to have some deeper meaning. The other party was unwilling to disclose what had happened between him and the Ancestral Dragon. Could it be that there was some unknown grudge between them?


    However, with no willingness to share, there was nothing he could do but to fall back on his other interests. Apart from his initial question, there were two others of concern to him: one was about the Soul Departure Syndrome, and the other was about the relation between the man and the Ancestral Dragon. After all, since Qin Shimoon could work with Dugu Han, the Ancestral Dragon evidently had some sort of connection with the man. But first, this question was not of major concern to him, and second, he could ask Qin Shimoon, so Xiao Buli decisively asked his first question.


    "How can Soul Departure Syndrome be cured?"


    The man known as Wuming said, "Soul Departure Syndrome can''t be cured. If you''re willing to side with me, I can treat you, but that would only alleviate the effects and occurrences of the syndrome. The only way to be completely unaffected is to stop playing the game and to cease using the abilities obtained from the game."


    What? There''s such a thing? Xiao Buli thought to himself, doubtful, wondering if the old man was pulling his leg. It wasn''t impossible. If the other party wanted to recruit him or simply get rid of him, then using Soul Departure Syndrome as a threat was undoubtedly the best way.


    However, he couldn''t accept it. How could this be possible? He had grown accustomed to the extraordinary sensation of convenience brought on by his superpowers and the sense of security that came with great strength. If he were to stop using these abilities, wouldn''t he be easily killed in danger? What difference would that be from being dead? Better to keep using the powers.


    As for quitting the game, that was also out of the question. It''s much like rowing upstream: if you don''t advance, you fall back. He wasn''t the only one playing the game; if he stopped, what would happen if his in-game enemies kept leveling up? Thanks to some lucky encounters and dedicated study of game mechanics, he still counted as an expert in the game. However, Xiao Buli believed that if he were to stop playing, in a few months, even ordinary players would catch up to him, so quitting the game was also impossible, even if he knew it was like quenching thirst with poison¡ªhe had to continue.


    "So I have no other choice then. If I don''t stop playing the game and don''t stop using the powers gained from the game, what will be the consequences?"


    The man known as Wuming replied, "The consequences are quite severe. You will first hear a voice, one that sounds very much like yours. It will try to influence you, dominate you, using a variety of matters. You''ll of course resist, but soon you will find your resistance futile. That voice is intangible, ingrained within your soul, and neither Spells nor Divine Arts can dispel it. The voice will gradually erode your soul, change your will, and slowly take over your body. Unconsciously, you''ll become another person, lose your original consciousness, and become a puppet completely under control."


    Xiao Buli felt a chill in his heart at this; it didn''t sound very promising.


    The man known as Wuming added, "However, you can be reassured on one point. Soul Departure Syndrome is not necessarily terminal. If your mind is resilient enough, or you have a special talent, you can continue to live under the influence of the syndrome. Of course, the voice will constantly try to control you, but it won''t be able to completely dominate you."


    Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, what kind of answer is this, "Is there really no way to completely cure it? Hasn''t anyone successfully freed themselves from this affliction?"


    The man known as Wuming replied, "It''s not that there aren''t any, I once knew someone, a player from my era, who later completely freed himself from the troubles of Soul Departure Syndrome."


    Xiao Buli immediately rejoiced, "Who?"


    The man known as Wuming said, "You wouldn''t know him even if I told you, but anyway, let me tell you. That person was called Liu Xuanzhen, a Taoist by the name of Xuan Zhenzi."


    Xiao Buli was stunned upon hearing this; Xuan Zhenzi? Really? He was a player, and one that could counteract Soul Departure Syndrome at that. No wait, the Xuan Zhenzi in the game was clearly an NPC, and a rare blue elite at that. If he was truly a player, then he might have been controlled and turned into an NPC. To say he had rid himself of the affliction, wasn''t that a tall tale?


    Moreover, the NPC Xuan Zhenzi was just a rare elite with a blue name, obviously not very powerful. Even Liu Xing managed to become a silver-named BOSS. If Xuan Zhenzi had started playing the game thirty years ago, by now he should at least be a gold or even Dark Gold level BOSS, right? How could he have been taken down so easily?


    Xiao Buli said, "You''re not tricking me, are you? I''ve encountered Xuan Zhenzi."


    The man known as Wuming responded, "Oh, do tell."


    Now it was Xiao Buli''s turn to be nonplussed, "Should I take that as a question you want to exchange for an answer?"


    S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 95 System BUG_2

    A few moments later.


    Wuming''s elder sent over a laughing emoticon, "Alright, it seems you really are not one to suffer a loss. So be it, I can answer one more question for you, but first you must tell me the whole story of your encounter with Xuan Zhenzi."


    Xiao Buli then recounted his killing of Xuan Zhenzi, of course, he omitted the part about joining the Mystic Hollow Palace and simply said he encountered a rare elite in a martial arts hall and killed it for loot.


    Wuming''s elder: "I see, I understand. Ask your question."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, what do you understand, at least give an explanation.


    "But you still haven''t explained how Xuan Zhenzi turned into an NPC. If he became an NPC, then what you said doesn''t stand at all."


    Wuming''s elder: "Xuan Zhenzi is definitely not dead, and he surely has a way to resolve Soul Departure Syndrome. As for the exact method, even I do not know." Wuming''s elder''s words were vague, but he was very certain about Xuan Zhenzi not being dead nor converted; Xiao Buli, however, felt there was a need for analysis. Since Xuan Zhenzi was indeed alive, yet there was an NPC with the same name in the game, could it be he had learned some sort of spell for creating an External Incarnation? A way to create a double in the game to bear the negative effects of Soul Departure Syndrome for him?


    The more Xiao Buli thought about it, the more possible it seemed. If that was the case, it would be necessary to find him and inquire in detail about Soul Departure Syndrome. Learning such a spell would be even better. Given his connection with Xuan Zhenzi, perhaps it was indeed possible to succeed. If all else failed, he could still exchange information about the Mystic Hollow Palace with Xuan Zhenzi.


    Then he immediately thought of another matter. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xuanxu Zi had sent him to kill Xuan Zhenzi, but every Xuan Zhenzi he killed was deemed a fake. Could it be that only the player Xuan Zhenzi was the real one, and killing him would complete the Sect mission?


    However, if what Wuming''s elder said was true, then this Xuan Zhenzi''s strength must be unfathomable. Killing him would not be easy, and besides, they were all players, and it seemed that malicious PK-ing was not his style. So, if he encountered him, he should perhaps just gather information and leave it at that.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli brought his thoughts back to the previous issue. He was always worried about Ancestral Dragon''s plan. If Ancestral Dragon really gained great power in the game, as an enemy of Ancestral Dragon, he would obviously become dangerous. Therefore, he asked his last question.


    "So, my final question, what''s your opinion on Ancestral Dragon''s plan?" Wuming''s elder: "Ancestral Dragon''s plan? You mean ruling the world? Heh, I don''t have much of an opinion on that. This world has many who are full of themselves, organizations and individuals alike, always fond of impractical endeavors."


    Xiao Buli savored the elder''s words carefully; it seemed as though he looked down on this Ancestral Dragon quite a bit.


    "You think they can''t succeed? They have the Space-Time Gate, after all."


    Wuming''s elder: "Compared to what they might gain in the game, I am more concerned about what they might lose in it; they''ll probably die a horrible death."


    "How so?"


    Wuming''s elder didn''t directly answer his question, but instead asked, "You should know that humans have an immune system, right? When bacteria and viruses enter the body, the immune system automatically attacks these foreign invaders."


    Xiao Buli said, "Of course I know, and what you mean is¡ª" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wuming, the old man: "When monsters or NPCs from the game run into the real world, what''s your first reaction?"


    Xiao Buli replied without hesitation, "Of course, it''s to kill them."


    Wuming, the old man: "Why?"


    Xiao Buli was taken aback. Why kill them? Ridiculous, they are monsters that ran out of the game, you can''t let them... He suddenly realized, right, why was his first reaction to kill them? Although they were monsters from the game, they were also intelligent beings. Why didn''t he think of communicating with them instead of killing them? Was it the fear of the unknown or the instinctive human reaction to eliminate threatening entities at their inception?


    Before Xiao Buli could come up with an answer, Wuming, the old man, already responded for him: "Because humans are this world''s immune system. When something appears in our world that shouldn''t belong here, our first instinct is to utterly destroy it. This has been deeply embedded in our genes, not just for the monsters from the game, but even the skills from the game as well. If your abilities became public knowledge, guess what would happen¡ª"


    "And in the game world, the same rules apply, only in reverse. There, we become the invaders, and the players and monsters in the game are the native inhabitants, the game system''s immune system. When we enter the game, it''s as if the system has a bug, and the system will automatically correct the bug. So, when the people from Ancestral Dragon enter the game in their true forms, the only outcome is being ganged up on and beaten to death. Regardless of whether they are monsters or NPCs, they won''t hesitate to attack them at that time."


    ''But we are also in the game when we play,'' Xiao Buli typed out this sentence, ready to send it, but then immediately realized that when playing the game, the players control a clone in the game, which means it is created with the game world''s data or something else, and though it''s controlled by the player, it''s still part of the game. But if the players themselves went in, that''d be a different story.


    So after Ancestral Dragon opened the Teleportation Portal and entered the game, they would be attacked by all players and monsters? Even if they possessed modern weapons, they would likely struggle against such assaults.


    Xiao Buli then thought of another thing¡ªZhang Yaoyang and his lot had also entered the game initially. Did they experience the same thing? If so, it wouldn''t be difficult to understand why they were dying one by one in the game. It was just uncertain how many of them were left now.


    "If what you''re saying is true, then, if a team of about twenty players went into the game to explore and lasted three months, how many do you think would survive?"


    Wuming, the old man: "I''m afraid not a single one would make it."


    This statement was like a death sentence for Zhang Yaoyang and his team, but Xiao Buli still held onto a slim hope. Surely, they wouldn''t all be dead, would they? The teammates from the Green Dragon Group were all so skilled and cunning¡ªthey should have a few survivors, right?


    Wuming, the old man: "Alright, I know what I wanted to know, and I''ve also told you what you wanted to know. I think we''ll end it here for today. I won''t send anyone after you anymore. Obviously, Ancestral Dragon is enough of a problem for you. But let me offer you one last piece of advice. Are you sure you don''t want to join me? I can protect you from Ancestral Dragon''s pursuit, help you fight against the damage of Soul Departure Syndrome, and even grant you greater Strength in the game."


    It sounded tempting, but Xiao Buli still chose to decline. He was not willing to let others control his fate anymore.


    "I''m sorry, I''m afraid I cannot agree. I have my own plans. Since someone has cured Soul Departure Syndrome before, then it''s not impossible for me to succeed."


    Wuming, the old man: "Young man, let me leave you with a parting thought. Sometimes there''s but a fine line between confidence and not recognizing the situation."


    Xiao Buli laughed when he saw the words on the screen, retorting: "Old man, let me offer you a saying as well. Sometimes there''s but a fine line between wisdom and being too set in your ways."


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 96 Sharing the Same Bed and Pillow

    ```


    After turning off the computer, Xiao Buli sat in front of it, his mind still pondering over the things he needed to do next.


    First of all, he must find Xuan Zhenzi; he could turn to his subordinates to help him search. With many hands, they were sure to uncover some clues.


    Secondly, he had to monitor the dynamics of Nine Dragons City to see if it was as Wuming the elder had said¡ªthat after the Ancestral Dragon entered the game, it would be attacked. If such an event really took place, it certainly wouldn''t happen without causing a stir, and the commotion might even surpass the Demon Clan''s siege.


    Thirdly, it was natural to continue expanding his own influence. Now that he had the Time-Space Order Keeper, a piece of BUG equipment, plus Qin Shimoon''s intelligence, he could surely extend his power even further.


    Fourthly, he needed to prepare materials for the Six Realms Gate. Although the old man''s words seemed plausible, he couldn''t fully trust them. If the Ancestral Dragon didn''t get attacked in the game as he had described but instead gained tremendous power, then Xiao Buli could very well construct two Six Realms Gates himself and shuttle goods through them.


    He didn''t have much conception of the cost to create a Six Realms Gate, but he knew it wouldn''t be cheap. Better to prepare slowly.


    While he was thinking, Qin Shimoon emerged from the bathroom. Wearing a pure cotton nightgown and having just taken a hot shower, she looked less fatigued, more spirited, with her damp hair trailing down her back. Her delicate skin revealed a unique pure whiteness under the light, looking extremely enticing, but her expression was icy cold.


    "Where will you sleep tonight, on the bed or the sofa?"


    Since it was a couple''s suite, there was naturally only one double bed. However, in the living room outside the bedroom, there was a long couch, which was also sufficient for sleeping.


    "Of course I''ll sleep on the bed," said Xiao Buli.


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "Alright then, I''ll sleep on the couch."


    "No, no, no, how could I do such an ungentlemanly thing. Let''s both sleep on the bed. Don''t worry, I''m not interested in you," he said as he gestured toward the bed.


    Qin Shimoon sighed helplessly and crawled under the covers to lie down.


    Xiao Buli also lay down beside her, but didn''t change into sleepwear; he simply took off his jacket and lay down directly, casually turning off the light. They were both so exhausted that Xiao Buli fell asleep as soon as he lay down.


    Meanwhile, Qin Shimoon had trouble falling asleep. She was still somewhat nervous despite keeping a calm exterior. Deep down, she was filled with worry, aware that being controlled by someone else was not an amusing situation. If Xiao Buli decided to make a move against her now, she would have no chance to resist.


    Who knew that Xiao Buli would actually fall asleep as soon as he lay down, seemingly truly disinterested in her.


    Several minutes passed, and Xiao Buli seemed to have fallen asleep. Qin Shimoon didn''t dare to make any rash moves and continued to wait. Seeing that Xiao Buli''s breathing had become steady, Qin Shimoon felt her heart stir with ideas.


    Having undergone some training, she could easily tell if someone was faking sleep, for a person''s breathing is completely different when asleep than when awake. Without special training, a normal person simply couldn''t disguise this, and while Xiao Buli was powerful, she didn''t believe that he had undergone this kind of training.


    At that moment, she turned toward Xiao Buli, sensed his breathing slow down, even and steady - he must truly be asleep.


    This could be a chance, Qin Shimoon thought. If she killed him, it would all be over.


    As she thought about it, she glanced at his jacket hanging on the bedpost. The handgun he always carried was in the jacket pocket. If she took the gun and fired at his head¡­


    No! Qin Shimoon immediately dismissed the thought. She considered that Xiao Buli might have some kind of protective spell¡ªsomething she glimpsed during the battle at the base. Moreover, he wouldn''t be completely unguarded. If she attacked, she might wake him up.


    Should she steal the contract and just leave? But what if he was pretending to sleep? If she acted rashly, wouldn''t she be giving him an excuse to do as he pleased?


    If the roles were reversed, she certainly wouldn''t dare to sleep near an enemy. Xiao Buli was likely also awake.


    Qin Shimoon''s mind was in disarray; despite her long hesitation, she couldn''t make up her mind. While she was consumed by her thoughts, she inadvertently fell asleep.


    When a ray of sunlight sneaked in through the gap in the curtains, Qin Shimoon suddenly woke from her sleep.


    The soft bed and the snow-white sheets made her feel strange, and it took a few seconds for her to remember that she was no longer in that base.


    She checked her watch; it was already eight o''clock. How could she have been so careless to sleep for so long?


    She figured she was probably exhausted from the previous night and didn''t find it strange. Turning over, she saw that Xiao Buli was no longer next to her. She touched her nightgown¡ªthankfully, it was untouched.


    Still, she couldn''t help but wonder: Was Xiao Buli really so indifferent?


    Of course, she wasn''t like those brainless women with big chests and false modesty who would feel disappointed by such behavior. She even felt relieved. If she could maintain this kind of relationship, that wouldn''t be so bad.


    "Good morning," she said.


    ```


    Xiao Buli''s voice sounded from outside the door, and he walked in, holding a plate.


    "I went to get some breakfast. You can eat here in the room. We''ll have to leave soon. Also, I got you a set of clothes; you should change into them in a bit." Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    As Xiao Buli spoke, he placed the breakfast on the coffee table outside and threw the clothes to Qin Shimoon, smiling at her just-awoken appearance.


    Last night, he had deliberately used a Soul Contract without Qin Shimoon knowing, setting it for her to wake up at eight o''clock. To his surprise, it worked, seemingly more useful than he had imagined.


    Qin Shimoon responded while quietly changing into the clothes, which were just a very ordinary set of leisure wear.


    After putting on the clothes, Qin Shimoon felt somewhat uncomfortable. She had grown accustomed to wearing a military uniform lately, and changing into casual clothes made her feel as if she had returned to the time she had been assigned overseas.


    While eating breakfast, Xiao Buli watched Qin Shimoon with an almost teasing smile.


    "What''s the matter?" Qin Shimoon asked, puzzled.


    "I''m just a little surprised¡ªthat with such a magical game at your disposal, you haven''t played it to gain some Strength?" Indeed, he found it strange that Qin Shimoon was subdued so easily, which seemed unlike his impression of a villainous female BOSS.


    Qin Shimoon shook her head, "It was a special request from General Huo. All high-level members of the Ancestral Dragon are forbidden from entering the game."


    Thinking to himself, Xiao Buli considered that there must indeed be an issue with the game; otherwise, there would be no need for such restrictions.


    "So, you knew about the problems with the game all along?"


    "We didn''t know at first, but after some things happened, it naturally became clear to us."


    As for what had happened, Xiao Buli could guess without asking.


    "Speaking of which, is Ancestral Dragon truly an organization of the imperial court?" This was the question that Xiao Buli could never figure out. If Ancestral Dragon was part of the imperial court, they wouldn''t need to be so secretive and mystical. Conversely, if Ancestral Dragon had no ties to the court, the fact that such a large organization existed unnoticed near a major city for so long seemed far-fetched.


    Qin Shimoon explained, "Strictly speaking, we''re a branch under the auspices of the imperial court, nominally a sub-division of some department, but in reality, it''s the independent kingdom of a certain big shot."


    So that''s how it is, Xiao Buli thought. "That General Huo, is he that big shot?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded, "He rose to power in the 1980s, originally in charge of a secret military research project. Then some incidents occurred, the project was urgently halted, and General Huo was dismissed. Only in recent years, using his old connections to re-establish ties, he started up again, gathered a few loyal followers, and went independent. Officially, he''s still under the military, but in truth, he answers to no one."


    "That research project, could it be this game? Does that mean Ancestral Dragon discovered the game?"


    Qin Shimoon shook her head, "I''m not very clear on that."


    Xiao Buli could tell Qin Shimoon wasn''t lying, so he asked another question, "Then what is your job?"


    "My job is to act as a liaison for several Great Guilds. There are a total of four such Great Guilds, each with a liaison sent by Ancestral Dragon. General Huo seems to have dealings with these guild leaders, and given his semi-official status, the guilds are reluctant to offend him, so they are quite polite to us."


    "I see, so that means there are three more people like you?"


    Qin Shimoon nodded.


    "What''s your goal?" Xiao Buli asked once again.


    Appearing somewhat impatient, Qin Shimoon said, "Haven''t I already told you? General Huo sees this game as an opportunity, a chance to restore the glory of Huaxia civilization. Ancestral Dragon is none other than Qin Shi Huang, the great figure who first established the cultural sphere of Greater China, unifying the script and measurements. Our goal is the same as his; the only difference is that the Qin State united all of China, while our goal is the whole world. Of course, that''s just the slogan he publicizes; I''m not sure what the real intent is."


    That sounded quite domineering. Xiao Buli thought, amazed to discover that such people really exist and were even beside him.


    "Hurry up and eat; we need to get going."


    "Where are we going?" Qin Shimoon asked, "Back to your place?"


    "I can''t go back just yet; I need to ensure it''s safe first."


    When the two left the hotel, it was already past nine o''clock, and the sun shone brightly, the air fresh. It seemed to have rained the previous night, carrying the scent of grass and earth in the air.


    As Xiao Buli was considering hailing a taxi, that voice suddenly rang out in his ear again.


    "Watch out¡ªat nine o''clock!" Instinctively, Xiao Buli looked towards the direction indicated by the voice. Atop a building, a flash of red glint, characteristic of a sniper scope, suddenly appeared.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile phone users, please read at m.qidian.com.) S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 97 Shot

    Eagle Eye lay prone behind the towering eaves of a trade building, gripping the handle of his sniper rifle with his cheek pressed against the cold metal of the gun. He had maintained this position for two hours now, ready to continue indefinitely if necessary.


    However, it was clearly no longer necessary, as the target had walked out of the hotel.


    Slowly fitting the target''s figure into the crosshairs, Eagle Eye breathed steadily, though his heartbeat had quickened slightly. This wasn''t his first mission of this kind, but even now, as an assassin, he could still feel the excitement and thrill of controlling someone else''s life or death, no longer as disconcerted as he was during his first mission.


    This scene, typically seen only in movies, was now happening to him. He was like the male protagonist of a film: what could be more thrilling than that? In comparison, his former ordinary self, who spent all day playing video games, was simply a loser and a waste of space; he found the thought embarrassing.


    Eagle Eye wasn''t his real name, but a codename he had chosen for himself after joining the Ancestral Dragon. Each person he worked with had their own codename, generally both cool and impressive. It seemed the superiors preferred it this way, which pleased him; in their line of work, having a cool codename was indeed very important.


    "Target has appeared; ready to fire on command," said Eagle Eye, using a voice he had practiced to sound especially cold and ruthless.


    An old and authoritative voice came through the earpiece, "Permission granted; take the shot."


    As the words "take the shot" echoed in his ears, Eagle Eye decisively squeezed the trigger. The gun was silenced, so the target didn''t fall at the sound of the shot, but they definitely fell, collapsing on the steps in front of the hotel.


    Thump. A sudden noise came from behind Xiao Buli, and he whirled around to see Qin Shimoon had fallen on the hotel''s front steps, a copious amount of blood spilling from her chest.


    Damn it, the target was her! He only realized it now. Obviously, the Ancestral Dragon feared Qin Shimoon might reveal too many secrets and wanted to silence her. They probably didn''t target him first due to his defensive skills.


    Before a second shot could hit her, Xiao Buli dashed forward, shielding her.


    A crisp sound emanated from behind them, followed by ripples spreading through the air¡ªthe telltale sign of bullets hitting a Spiritual Energy Shield. The shield''s durability was almost halved instantly, indicating the sniper rifle''s bullets were far more powerful than ordinary firearms. Xiao Buli estimated that the shield''s energy could withstand two more shots at most, which was enough for a sniper rifle with single-shot fire. He picked up Qin Shimoon and rushed into the hotel, simultaneously activating his durability restoration skill.


    Biu, biu, biu, bang! Three consecutive shots hit their target, but all were blocked, and the last even put a small hole through the hotel''s glass door. However, the target had already vanished from sight. Eagle Eye hesitated, reasoning that the person he hit in the chest was likely fatally wounded and wouldn''t survive. Even so, without seeing her dead, he couldn''t help but feel uneasy. Should he report as it was?


    No! Eagle Eye thought. That would damage his reputation of a 100% mission completion rate. Besides, how could anyone survive a chest shot? He had definitely completed the mission.


    With this in mind, Eagle Eye said in the same emotionless, cold voice, "Mission accomplished; target confirmed dead. Awaiting further instructions."


    "Return to base, Lieutenant Eagle Eye. You did a very good job."


    Packing up his sniper rifle and dismantling it into parts inside a box, Eagle Eye leaped down from the sixth floor eaves and vanished from sight.


    Inside the hotel, Xiao Buli charged into his own room with the panicked cries of the staff behind him, but he could no longer afford to care.


    (Damn it, I was still too careless!) Xiao Buli internally chided himself, realizing that the actions of the Ancestral Dragon were far beyond his expectations.


    "You can''t die on me," he muttered to himself as he looked down at Qin Shimoon, who appeared pale and unconscious in his arms.


    "Why can''t I die? It would be better, dead, I wouldn''t be controlled by you anymore."


    Qin Shimoon struggled to open her eyes and said in a faint, self-mocking voice.


    "Controlled?" Xiao Buli''s mind snapped back to focus, "You must have gone through bullet wound debridement training, right? Tell me how to remove the bullet from your body so I can save you."


    "It''s no use... I''ve lost too much blood... there''s no saving me now," Qin Shimoon''s voice broke intermittently, seeming to grow weaker with every word she spoke.


    Xiao Buli managed a slight smile, "Don''t forget I''m the chief healer of the Green Dragon Group. What''s this little injury? But first, I need to remove the bullet, or else you wouldn''t want to keep a bullet inside you, would you?"


    As he spoke, Xiao Buli tore open the wound on Qin Shimoon''s chest; blood was gushing out from a rib, a gruesome sight to behold.


    Fortunately, it was just a small-caliber sniper rifle. Otherwise, if it had been blown to pieces, even with his impressive skills, he wouldn''t have been able to save her.


    Qin Shimoon wasn''t so vain as to be concerned about being seen at a time like this. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Help me... sit up."


    Xiao Buli helped her sit up at a 45-degree angle.


    Looking at the wound, Qin Shimoon sighed heavily, "The bullet... went through the space between the ribs... I guess it has already penetrated."


    After saying this, Qin Shimoon closed her eyes faintly, seemingly at her limit. Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate any longer¡ªTouch of Healing!


    Green light flickered on his hands over the wound, and the torn flesh and injury visibly healed.


    Resurrection Skills! A burst of white light appeared, continually falling upon Qin Shimoon, restoring her vitality. The level five Resurrection Skills truly were effective. After applying Resurrection Skills and Touch of Healing alternately several times, Qin Shimoon''s breathing finally stabilized. Aside from her pale complexion, she no longer seemed to be in mortal danger.


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    Xiao Buli sat on the ground with a thud. Thankful for the reprieve, she hadn''t passed away.


    Looking at his hands, covered in blood, Xiao Buli wiped them on a bedsheet. Glancing at Qin Shimoon, who was still unconscious, he realized it was not safe to stay here much longer. The police would probably arrive soon, and if they were trapped here, it would be hard to explain their situation.


    With that in mind, Xiao Buli wrapped Qin Shimoon in a large bedsheet and carried her on his back as he jumped out of the hotel window. Regardless, he thought, it was imperative to find a safe place to settle down first. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.) sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 98 Final Images

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    "For the resurgence of Huaxia civilization, for the revival of the Yan Huang Bloodline, are you willing to join Ancestral Dragon and fight for this noble ideal?"


    The voice grew louder as it neared, as if it was just inches away. Qin Shimoon looked at the dignified, almost sacred figure of the old man on the stage and a cold sneer rose in her heart. Were they still using these slogans to entice people? Sadly, she was no longer the passionate, unchanging young girl of those days.


    "I am willing!" Those strange yet familiar words slipped out of her mouth, and Qin Shimoon was shocked to find herself standing in front of the podium, alongside the young men and women who had joined Ancestral Dragon, looking up at the person on the stage.


    She glanced at her own clothes, and was alarmed to find herself dressed as she had been ten years ago. To her left and right stood countless faces, excited and fanatical. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Good, your passion makes me proud, but I must remind you here that sacrifices are inevitable to achieve this goal. However, as long as we are not afraid of sacrifice, we will certainly fulfill our mission..."


    The voice gradually became distant, and the scene before her eyes started to fade away. When the vision became clear again, Qin Shimoon was startled to find herself sitting at a table in a luxurious restaurant.


    From the mirror on the wall opposite, she could see her reflection, dressed in a red evening gown, her hair draped over her shoulders, her skin pale and smooth, breathtakingly beautiful. Yet, Qin Shimoon felt a chill in her heart as she suddenly realized where she was.


    "Hi dear, you''re here so early."


    A warm and affectionate voice came from behind her. Qin Shimoon turned around, looking in the direction of the voice. A handsome man was striding towards her, and Qin Shimoon froze. She remembered this man, the one who was once infatuated with her, her first mission target. Despite having little interest in him, the thought that he eventually died by her hand still made her feel a tinge of guilt.


    She could no longer recall his name, only vaguely remembered that he was the chairman of a large corporation, the name of which was ''Excellence Technology''...


    The man sat down in front of her, chatting with her with gentlemanly grace. The waiter brought chilled champagne, filling their glasses while giving her a wink. The amber-colored liquid looked enchanting, but she knew it had already been poisoned.


    The man, unsuspecting, picked up his glass. Qin Shimoon inwardly screamed, "Don''t, the wine has¡ª" but her voice could not emerge. She just smiled as she watched him gulp down the drink and then, moments later, slump over the table, his appearance peaceful as if he were merely sleeping. Suddenly, a clamor arose, and the scene before her eyes scattered into disarray once more.


    Scenes kept changing before her eyes, the past moments of her life flashing by.


    Qin Shimoon remembered an article she once read: at the verge of death, one''s past moments would flash before their eyes like a slideshow, a phenomenon often referred to as ''life review'' or ''deathbed vision''. Was this her own deathbed vision? Was she finally going to die?


    Then let''s remember these moments well.


    When the vision returned once more, she unexpectedly found herself standing in a place that was completely unfamiliar. She was certain she had never been there before.


    This was a vast, dark study, filled with ancient books, where the light was dim and it was hard to make out the surroundings. The light did not come from nearby, but rather from the dark in the distance, seemingly close yet probably far away.


    It felt somewhat like a trap. Qin Shimoon thought to herself, silently. Even in such a predicament, her past training ensured she wouldn''t be easily swayed by temptation. Whispering voices came from the enveloping darkness, intermittently mixed with heavy breathing, as if some horrific creature was closing in on her. This sensation sent chills down her spine, and despite knowing she was already dead, fear still drove her to run desperately towards the light.


    Her feet occasionally stumbled over piles of books, but she didn''t stop for a moment, scrambling up to continue her sprint. At last, the light was near, and finally, she could make out her surroundings.


    The light stood atop an old desk, and behind it, sat an old man clad in a black cloak. She lifted her head to see a weathered face with black-framed glasses peeking out from under his hood.


    "It seems we have a visitor," the old man gestured with his hand, "Take a seat." Qin Shimoon looked at the three-legged wooden stool in front of the desk and, hesitating, sat down.


    "Where is this place? The Netherworld?"


    The old man chuckled, "I''m not quite that leisurely, and you''re not dead."


    "But I remember..."


    "Regardless of what you remember, you are indeed not dead. Trust me, I''ve been in this place for so long I''ve almost forgotten time itself, I would not make a mistake like that."


    "Nevertheless, let''s not talk about this anymore. We don''t have much time, so let''s get to the point. A crisis is gradually approaching this world, and you must confront it,"


    "Crisis? What crisis?" Qin Shimoon asked, her heart skeptical. She was in such a dire situation herself that self-preservation was difficult, let alone dealing with some crisis.


    The old man seemed to read her thoughts. "This matter is of great importance. However, I can see that you''re not interested." The old man gently patted her shoulder, and Qin Shimoon felt a jolt as if electrically shocked, her mind went blank all at once, "What did you do to me?" she asked angrily.


    The old man simply nodded, "I see, you''re bound by a Soul Contract, and therefore you have lost the desire to live. Let me help you release this bond." He then touched her forehead, her chest, and her lower abdomen with an evanescent tap, seemingly performing some kind of ritual.


    "There, your bond has been released."


    Qin Shimoon couldn''t help but want to laugh bitterly, "A Soul Contract is impossible to..." The strange swallowing voices echoed once more around her.


    "There''s no time, take this. Everything about the crisis is in here." The old man grabbed Qin Shimoon''s hand, and she felt something being thrust into it. The scene before her eyes suddenly blurred, and the old man''s faint voice came through, "Remember what I said, the safety of this world depends on you."


    The voice faded away, along with that sole flickering candle flame. Lurking within the surrounding darkness, huge, gruesome shadows began to emerge, seeming to pounce towards her. Qin Shimoon had no time to scream when the darkness was suddenly replaced by a sea of red light, growing closer and more dazzling. When she strained her eyes to open them, she found the brilliant sunlight streaming through the windowpane onto her face.


    Sitting up, she was in an unfamiliar room. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with a recommendation ticket or a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 99 Return to the Starting Point

    Qin Shimoon looked at the ordinary arrangement in the room before her eyes, yet within her heart surged speechlessness; she had actually come back to life, truly unexpected.


    She was very familiar with the performance and power of firearms, and with the injuries she sustained before, her death had been almost certain. It was unimaginable that she had been healed like this¡ªthe power of Spell was indeed magical.


    In her heart, she was uncertain whether to feel lucky or regretful. Perhaps dying outright wouldn''t have been too bad, but now that she was alive again, she should cherish life even more, shouldn''t she?


    The images she had just witnessed still lingered in her mind, now seeming like a bizarre, distant dream, so unreal as if it had never happened, merely a figment of her desperation.


    The images had become blurry, much like dreams she had in the past, where she couldn''t recall the specifics, only a vague memory of something important in them.


    She propped herself up with difficulty, feeling an unusual warmth. Looking down, she discovered she was wearing new clothes¡ªa pink cotton nightgown. Without a doubt, this must have been Xiao Buli''s doing. The thought of her body being seen completely made Qin Shimoon sigh heavily; after more than a decade in the mortal world, few had taken advantage of her, but now, having left the organization, she had still ended up compromised.


    She opened the nightgown, and to her slight surprise and pleasure, her skin was white and delicate without any scars, making her once again marvel at the power of Spell.


    But every time she thought of the Ancestral Dragon, she clenched her teeth in rage. Being betrayed once was bad enough, but getting sold out twice was a real betrayal. She had never expected the Ancestral Dragon would actually send someone to assassinate her. She had hoped Ancestral Dragon would eliminate Xiao Buli and save her. Now it seemed that compared to her life, they valued the safety of their secrets more.


    She had long known what the Ancestral Dragon''s people were like, but experiencing it firsthand was another matter entirely.


    "Hmph, you play your first move, and I''ll play my fifteenth," Qin Shimoon muttered, thinking as she got off the bed and moved her muscles around. She still felt Weak, but it was no longer a serious issue.


    Standing up, she was about to thoroughly inspect the room when she suddenly realized she was clutching something in her hand. When she opened her palm, she was startled to find that what she held was a square folded from grid paper.


    Such paper was rarely seen nowadays, and Qin Shimoon vaguely remembered using a writing book made of similar paper as a child. However, the paper in her hand looked very old and seemed to have quite some years on it. When she unfolded the grid square, she found many words written on it with a coin, in scribbly handwriting that resembled a primary school student''s messy scrawling and was also somewhat blurred. But reading the content on the paper, Qin Shimoon trembled with excitement; the experiences she had dreamt of suddenly became clear again, she remembered it all¡ªthe old man, the whispers in the dark, and what the old man had said about lifting the Soul Contract''s binds.


    Could all this have been real? Could it have really occurred, in another world whose nature she couldn''t quite grasp? There was always a sense of unreality about it, but the paper in her hand was so very real. However, if this was true, things were becoming complicated indeed.


    Better to wait and see, Qin Shimoon thought.


    She memorized the content written on the paper and crumpled it into a ball, tossing it into the garbage can. Not quite at ease, she then took out a lighter and set it on fire. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching the ancient paper turn to ashes, Qin Shimoon finally breathed a sigh of relief; this was something he must not find out.


    After doing all this, she finally had the time to properly observe the room she was in.


    This was a typical bachelor apartment with only one bedroom, where she was lying, a computer by the bed, a very small living room, and a kitchen outside. She estimated that the whole apartment was no more than fifty square meters.


    The view from the window was ordinary street scenery, and since the apartment was on a high floor, she had a long view. She observed the streetscape outside, then shockingly realized she recognized this place; a landmark in the distance looked very familiar. Wasn''t this the city where Qilin Studio was located?


    Had she really come full circle and returned to this place? Qin Shimoon couldn''t help but feel a mixture of laughter and tears.


    Suddenly the door opened without warning, and Xiao Buli entered, carrying bags full of food and daily necessities. Seeing Qin Shimoon, Xiao Buli''s face lit up with surprise, "Hehe, you''re awake."


    "Thank you," Qin Shimoon said sincerely. Although she had been somewhat held against her will, after all, the other party had saved her life.


    "No need to thank me, I did this for myself, after all. If you had died, who would I get information from? You know, I almost lost my life for you," Xiao Buli said, not minding Qin Shimoon''s feelings, "Come, help me sort these things out; it''s been a long time since I''ve been back, and the house is empty, so I bought some extra stuff."


    Qin Shimoon agreed and organized the items neatly.


    "Tell me what you like to eat; I''m going to make lunch. Whatever you want, I''ll cook it for you," Xiao Buli said.


    Qin Shimoon picked up a pack of chicken wings, which she relished as cola chicken wings, but before she could speak, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. While pondering, she picked up a bunch of celery¡ªthe food she despised the most on an ordinary day.


    "I want to eat stir-fried celery," Qin Shimoon said very calmly, yet her heart was anything but serene.


    (I can''t believe I said it, I can actually ignore the constraints of the contract now. Could everything that old man said be true?) A mix of surprise and joy entangled in Qin Shimoon''s heart, her complexion changing incessantly.


    Xiao Buli, however, gave her a strange look, thinking it was just a bunch of celery after all, was it so solemn? "OK, leave it to me, just wait to eat," he said.


    As he spoke, he took the bunch of celery and began to prepare it,


    Qin Shimoon tried not to show her excitement, pulled over a chair, and sat down next to him, enjoying Xiao Buli''s service as she was rightfully a patient.


    Xiao Buli''s cooking movements were professional, at least he looked the part. It''s not surprising, considering he has been living alone and taking care of himself, cooking was hardly a challenge for him.


    Watching Xiao Buli expertly ignite the fire to heat water, blanch the celery and then stir-fry it with oil and slices of meat, Qin Shimoon pondered.


    "Is this your home?" she asked.


    "You could say that, at least I lived here before I met you guys. Being self-sufficient, it was quite all right," he replied.


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    It''s evident, thought Qin Shimoon, considering the danger and opportunities she had brought to him. She felt a bit helpless thinking about it; after all, it was her idea to advertise for recruitment. If not for that idea, Xiao Buli wouldn''t have joined the company, and she wouldn''t be in the situation she was now. Was this a classic case of reaping what one sows?


    "I''m sorry," she uttered in a voice that was almost a murmur.


    "Sorry? What for?" he asked.


    Qin Shimoon looked up at him and lightly voiced her thoughts.


    To her surprise, Xiao Buli laughed and said, "It''s nothing, in fact, I should thank you. How else could I have obtained such great Strength?"


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s smug expression made Qin Shimoon''s blood boil, "To gain something, one must pay a price. The more you gain, the greater the cost. You''ve obtained such great Strength; have you never considered what you will have to pay in return?"


    Xiao Buli thought there was no need for her reminder; he looked at Qin Shimoon indifferently, "Whatever the cost, it''s worth it. At least right now, you are the one imprisoned, and I am not." This left Qin Shimoon speechless.


    "Aha, finally done stir-frying, come on, try my cooking," Xiao Buli said, perhaps feeling the atmosphere a bit tense, with a bit of an exaggerated tone.


    While speaking, Xiao Buli put the dish on a plate, set it on the table, and after being saut¨¦ed in peanut oil, the celery and meat slices were emitting an appetizing fragrance and glistening with oil, looking extremely tempting.


    Next to the electric frying pan, the rice cooker was puffing out puffs of steam. Opening the lid released an immediate burst of the aroma of rice.


    There wasn''t much rice made, just enough for two large bowls. Being able to precisely calculate how much rice would yield the exact amount of cooked rice was one of the skills Xiao Buli acquired through his bachelor life.


    As Xiao Buli sat down, he glanced at Qin Shimoon, "What are you waiting for, come and eat."


    Qin Shimoon hesitated for a moment but eventually came to sit down. Sitting face to face, Qin Shimoon found the scene before her strangely foreign; it felt like many years since she''d had a meal like this.


    Due to her relationship with the Ancestral Dragon, she always ate alone or with other trainees. Once she started going on missions, things didn''t change much. Most of her time was spent at the base. Even when out on missions, it was a case of eating whatever was available. On rare occasions, she got the chance to attend lavish dinners but often under urgent mission conditions which left her with no mood to enjoy food. As for homemade meals like this, they were an entirely new experience for her.


    Lifting the spoon and chopsticks, Qin Shimoon took a slice of meat and put it in her mouth. The ordinary flavor somehow tasted unusual at this moment.


    "Eat some celery, don''t you like it the most?" he asked.


    Qin Shimoon smiled wryly, nodded, and started chewing on a piece. Indeed, the taste was as bad as ever.


    Despite its poor taste, she ate with joy. The thought of finally being free brought uncontrollable happiness to the surface. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 100 Secret Base

    Xiao Buli decided to return to the city he once lived in largely because he believed that the Ancestral Dragon would least expect him to come back.


    As it turned out, Xiao Buli was right. The most dangerous place was indeed the safest. They had spent three to four days in his humble abode without anyone coming after them. It seemed that the reach of the Ancestral Dragon organization was not as terrifying as imagined, at least not as formidable as a national apparatus.


    During this time, Xiao had not dared to log into the game, partly for fear of being discovered by the Ancestral Dragon and partly because he had not yet planned his next move.


    "Do you plan to keep hiding like this?" Qin Shimoon stood at the bedroom door, holding a cup of water. She was wearing a loose, oversized nightgown that, coupled with her girlish figure and appearance, gave her an adorable homely-girl charm.


    However, after spending these few days with Qin Shimoon, Xiao Buli had already grasped her personality, which was definitely not in line with that of a homely girl.


    These last couple of days, the living room had become Xiao Buli''s temporary hangout. Currently, he lay on the couch, flipping through TV channels aimlessly. In reality, his mind was not on the television; whenever his thoughts were in motion, it hardly mattered what he watched.


    Hearing Qin Shimoon''s voice, Xiao Buli snapped back to reality and looked at her inquisitively, realizing he hadn''t caught what she''d just said. Seeing his gaze, she continued, "This place may be safe for now, but sooner or later, the Ancestral Dragon and Qilin Group will find you. Now that you know so much, do you think they''ll let you off easily?" Considering their actions towards her, it was not hard to imagine their attitude towards Xiao Buli. It was only a matter of time, and with the strength of the Ancestral Dragon, sending a few people to cause trouble was enough to give Xiao a hard time.


    Hearing her words, Xiao Buli smiled faintly. He could see she had been restless these days, probably because her busy and tense life before had left her struggling to adapt to the idleness of the past few days. It seemed that her heart was getting restless too. He just wondered what she planned to do next. "Have any ideas? Let''s hear them." Xiao patted the single-seater sofa next to him, gesturing for her to come sit.


    Qin Shimoon obediently walked over, taking a sip from her cup. "Don''t you plan to meet up with your people? After all, there''s strength in numbers."


    Xiao Buli, noncommittally pursing his lips, said, "I did have that plan initially, but after the assassination attempt on you, I think better of it. Who knows when those people from the Ancestral Dragon will come back around. I don''t want to bring danger to my brothers. Speaking of which, what''s your stance towards the Ancestral Dragon now?"


    Faced with Xiao''s question, Qin Shimoon, usually as cold as ice, revealed a sneer¡ªthough just a sneer, it still managed to pleasantly surprise Xiao Buli. If this woman truly smiled, it would surely be a delight.


    She spoke leisurely, "You might not be aware, but even without the last shooting, I couldn''t go back either. You have no idea how ruthless the Ancestral Dragon is to those who might have betrayed the organization. Not to mention, we both have a Soul Contract binding us. Rest assured, I am on your side." When Qin said the last sentence, she put down her cup and looked intently into Mr. Zhan''s eyes as if to show her determination and sincerity. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her intense gaze made Mr. Zhan a bit uncomfortable.


    "Hahaha, so easily captured? She''s merely feigning allegiance. Can''t you see that?" The sudden voice in his mind startled Xiao Buli. If it weren''t for having heard this voice before, he likely would have jumped up in alarm. Although his face struggled for a moment, Xiao Buli managed not to show significant discomposure.


    "So, what do you think I should do next?" Xiao Buli, calming his mood, asked.


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    Qin Shimoon raised an eyebrow subtly, "If you want to continue the struggle against the Ancestral Dragon and Qilin Group, with your current Strength, it''s clearly a pipe dream." Even though she was right, the scornful tone still irked Xiao Buli. Couldn''t this woman be a bit gentler?


    "Therefore, I think you should find a safe place and continue to enhance your abilities," Qin Shimoon continued.


    Xiao Buli nodded in agreement, "But where is safe? In the mountains? Abroad? How long do you think it will take the Ancestral Dragon to find me?" This was the problem that had been troubling Xiao Buli, knowing he needed to find a safe place, but as someone who until recently was just a gamer earning money from the organization, it was clear that he lacked the expertise of a professional spy.


    "If you trust me, I do know of a place."


    "Oh? Let''s hear it," Xiao Buli said as he sat up from the couch upon hearing Qin Shimoon''s words.


    "You believe that? Have you lost your mind? She''s just luring you, leading you into a trap set by the Ancestral Dragon." Xiao Buli rolled his eyes, trying his best to ignore the disruption of the voice.


    Qin Shimoon, seeing the expression on Xiao Buli''s face, abruptly stood up from the sofa. "If you don''t believe it, forget it," she said and turned to enter the room. She couldn''t hear what the voice was saying but had clearly seen Xiao Buli roll his eyes disdainfully after hearing her words, thinking Xiao Buli didn''t believe her.


    "Come back, sit down." Xiao Buli, of course, knew she had misunderstood, but explaining would expose his weakness, so he commanded instead. Qin Shimoon reluctantly sat back down on the sofa.


    "Where is this place you''re talking about?"


    Qin Shimoon wriggled in her seat, her expression turning as cold as ice as if she was bound by a Soul Contract and had no choice but to speak, she said emotionlessly, "You know that General Huo had once organized a certain scientific research department for experiments. After the failure of the experiment, that base was abandoned. Even though it''s an abandoned base, the security level at the beginning of its construction was very high. An ordinary person would never find it, and even if they did, they couldn''t get in." Though her voice was monotone, this information excited Xiao Buli greatly¡ªthe secret base, just the sound of it revealed how secure it must be.


    "But, doesn''t General Huo know about that place?" Xiao Buli raised his doubt.


    "Do you think a person like General Huo would willingly return to a place where he had suffered a severe setback?" Qin Shimoon asked with the same tone as Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli certainly had thought of this point and a broad smile spread across his face. "So, the base is unmanned now?"


    "As far as I know, the base is in a remote location with harsh conditions, and it''s not really a military base; there''s no need for it to be manned. Moreover, the base was tailored for General Huo''s project, so after the failure, it was buried on the spot, and all traces of its existence were erased. Even the local residents might not be aware that such a place ever existed¡ªif there were people living near the base at all."


    "Er, then how are we supposed to find it?" From the sound of Qin Shimoon, the base was practically nonexistent, and even if it did exist, it would be unfindable. It was safe enough, but how was he supposed to find it?


    "In the archives of the National Archives Bureau, there are files on that scientific research project," Qin Shimoon said, once again meeting Xiao Buli''s gaze directly. He understood without her needing to go on. With the files, there would naturally be an address, and possibly even details on the final steps of dismantling the project. So all they had to do was to find that file, and they would most likely learn the exact location of the base. With his abilities, entering an abandoned base shouldn''t be difficult.


    "How could she be so kind to help you, she must have an ulterior motive; if you trust this kind of woman, you''re definitely a dead man." That voice in his head rang out again.


    "SHUT UP." Xiao Buli shouted back in his mind, irritated.


    "Hahaha, you think so too, right?" Unexpectedly, the voice seemed pleased with Xiao Buli''s engagement and started to laugh happily. Perhaps this was its true intention.


    Xiao Buli calmed himself, "But what''s in it for you to do this?" He looked straight into Qin Shimoon''s eyes, hoping to catch a hint from her response.


    "The Ancestral Dragon wants to kill me; since I have survived, naturally, I won''t let him rest easy. I lack the strength, but you have it. What do you think I stand to gain?" Qin Shimoon replied with poise, her blatant willingness to use Xiao Buli not marred by a trace of embarrassment.


    Xiao Buli heard this and laughed. If Qin Shimoon had professed altruistic motives or mentioned repaying the debt of saving her life, Xiao Buli would have been more inclined to distrust her. But her candor seemed reasonable, and any lingering doubts in Xiao Buli''s mind evaporated. "Great! Then our next target¡ªthe National Archives Bureau. Do you have a plan?"


    "Of course." Qin Shimoon nodded. "The Ancestral Dragon is, after all, somewhat of a subordinate organization of the court, so they do have some interactions. If you''re really set on this, I could find the location of the archives and the precise location of those files for you. But as to how you get your hands on them, that''s up to you."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Then let''s do it."


    After speaking, Xiao Buli lay back down on the sofa, his remote control flipping through channels incessantly. The National Archives Bureau was a highly secretive place with rigorous security, but with his current capabilities, it was not completely beyond possibility.


    Qin Shimoon nodded her head and stood up with her cup of water. As she turned around, she couldn''t suppress the upward twitch of her lips. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 101 Top Secret Files

    Xiao Buli was always a man of action. When Qin Shimoon finished planning, he immediately went downstairs to the ticket vendor and purchased two train tickets to Beijing. After an afternoon of jostling travel, they arrived in the capital by evening.


    Xiao Buli and Qin Shimoon checked into a hotel room and ordered some food to eat in the room for dinner. Qin Shimoon couldn''t help but regret mentioning her fondness for celery that day, as celery seemed to make frequent appearances on their menu ever since. To avoid raising his suspicions, she had to eat a few bites each time, and with each swallow, Qin Shimoon shuddered with discomfort.


    As Qin Shimoon nibbled on her food with the refined manner of a well-bred lady, Xiao Buli chuckled and said, "Change your clothes, big brother will take you out for a stroll."


    Whether it was because the conundrum that had been preoccupying Xiao Buli''s mind these past days finally had a solution, or because the typically cold Qin Shimoon was being unusually amiable today, Xiao Buli''s mood had lifted, feeling surprisingly elated.


    Hearing Xiao Buli''s words, Qin Shimoon glared at him. Nevertheless, she obediently changed into the set of sportswear Xiao Buli had bought her a few days ago. It was a bit too large, but it was wearable.


    The two of them left the hotel room one after the other, strolling down the road at a leisurely pace. Qin Shimoon controlled her walking speed, trailing behind Xiao Buli while silently trying to figure out where he was taking her. Naturally, coming to Beijing meant a visit to the National Archives Bureau, but she had no memory of the place. Moreover, if that was the case, why bring her along at all? He knew she had no special skills; wouldn''t her presence just be a burden? Unless the plan was to act tomorrow? But then where were they going now?


    Lost in her thoughts, Qin Shimoon almost didn''t realize that Xiao Buli had stopped walking ahead of her and had to quickly stop herself from bumping into him. She looked up to see Xiao Buli looking back at her with a half-smile.


    "What are you looking at?" Qin Shimoon felt a bit awkward due to their close proximity.


    "I think you look more human wearing this."


    "You!" Qin Shimoon was about to lose her temper. What did he mean by ''more human''? Did that mean she wasn''t human before?


    Before she could erupt, Xiao Buli laughed heartily and started walking again, leaving Qin Shimoon to follow him with a huff. Eventually, they arrived at a secluded alley where a European-style bar stood at the entrance, its neon lights glimmering. Despite the early hour and it not being the weekend, only a couple of tables were occupied. Xiao Buli held the door open for Qin Shimoon and they went in together, ordering two beers.


    Qin Shimoon couldn''t figure out Xiao Buli''s intentions and didn''t want to ask outright, so they simply sat in silence drinking their beer. Qin Shimoon casually flipped through a magazine on the table, while Xiao Buli watched passersby through the window.


    "I''m going to the washroom," Xiao Buli said. Qin Shimoon didn''t look up, clearly engrossed in the magazine''s content.


    Not long after Xiao Buli entered the washroom, its door opened quietly, followed by the bar''s entrance, which made the bells ring softly. However, the bartender looked up to find no new customers entering.


    After what felt like an age, with an exceptionally thick magazine browsed from cover to cover and her glass now empty, Qin Shimoon suddenly realized something¡ªwhere had Xiao Buli gone? It seemed he mentioned going to the restroom and hadn''t come back since. Checking her watch, it was almost ten o''clock, meaning he''d been gone for nearly an hour. As she peered at the dimly lit path outside, realization dawned on her.


    "Waiter," she called, beckoning the bartender over. "What is that place outside?" Qin Shimoon asked curiously, pointing towards a large gate opposite the bar.


    "Oh, that seems to be the State Security Bureau, or maybe the National Archives Bureau¡ªI''m not sure. There''s no sign on the gate, but there are soldiers standing guard around the clock," replied the bartender, a newcomer, who hadn''t paid much attention to the high-walled compound across the street, though he remembered his colleagues jokingly saying something about a government agency.


    "National Archives Bureau," assured a patron at a nearby table, having earlier noticed Qin Shimoon, an attractive woman sitting alone but unable to find an opportunity to approach her. Now seizing the chance, he confidently spoke up.


    At his response, Qin Shimoon gave him a friendly and thankful smile, which made the man feel pleasantly ticklish inside. So it seemed that Xiao Buli had indeed brought her here for the archives, but the fact that he hadn''t informed her, venturing into the National Archives Bureau alone, made her wonder if he thought it was as casual as borrowing books from a library. She pondered whether he had succeeded by now.


    "Miss, may I offer you a drink?" the man who had spoken up earlier said, setting two glasses of red wine down across from Qin Shimoon. His smile was full of flattery, causing Qin Shimoon to feel a wave of disgust. She was well-trained in many areas, including how to read facial expressions to discern underlying messages. She could guess what was on the man''s mind without asking, and the likely answer did not please her. However, the most critical aspect of being a special agent was to act discreetly, which still applied to the current scenario. Thus, she merely smiled politely and said, "No need, my friend will be back soon."


    The man glanced at the glass opposite Qin Shimoon and chuckled. He placed his glass of red wine on the table. "Your friend has been in the bathroom for quite a while now. Didn''t faint in there, I hope? Couldn''t handle half a beer?" It was clear he had also noticed when Xiao Buli left the table. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qin Shimoon thought to himself how nice it would be if he passed out in there.


    Just as he was about to answer, he suddenly glanced behind the man and revealed a smile that was not quite a smile.


    The man was mystified until a voice suddenly came from behind him, "Haven''t you ever heard of a thing called ''constipation''?"


    The man jumped in fright, snapping back to his senses, but by that time, Xiao Buli had already moved behind him. It was just that he was no longer as he used to be, his steps so soft they were almost inaudible, so the man didn''t realize someone was standing behind him. Hearing what the man said, Xiao Buli, feeling playful, leaned down and suddenly whispered in his ear.


    The man was startled by the sudden voice, nearly tumbling off his stool, "Oh, oh, sorry, sorry," he apologized repeatedly and took his glass back to his own seat, thinking to himself that he had just seen a ghost¡ªhow could someone appear and disappear without a sound? But he didn''t dare to approach anymore.


    Hearing Xiao Buli''s words, Qin Shimoon almost couldn''t help but laugh out loud. Whether serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the military or working undercover in high society, she had never heard such crude talk. She hadn''t expected Xiao Buli to have a humorous side too.


    Suppressing a smile, Qin Shimoon purposely put on a stern face again, "I didn''t know you had this problem."


    Xiao Buli watched the man leave before returning to his own seat, placing a stack of A4 paper on the table.


    "Why did you take it out?" Qin Shimoon exclaimed in shock upon seeing it. Taking the files out would surely alert the government. As long as Ancestral Dragon was vigilant, it wouldn''t take long for him to find out, and then where would the secrecy be in that secret base?


    "Relax, it''s just a copy," said Xiao Buli casually, taking a sip from his glass on the table and looking somewhat pleased with himself.


    He indeed had good reason to be proud. The National Archives Bureau was akin to a deeply guarded royal palace of ancient times, and yet he could come and go as he pleased¡ªit was an incredibly satisfying feeling of accomplishment.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Shimoon, with slight hesitation, picked up the documents from the table and indeed, they were copies; many places with red seals were blacked out. As Qin Shimoon flipped through the pages, she complained, "Why did it take so long?"


    "Big sister, what do you think this is, going into a library to check out books? I had to search, okay? Anyway, if everything looks right, let''s go. We can take our time to read them in the hotel," Xiao Buli suggested. Naturally, Qin Shimoon had no objections, so they settled the bill, left the bar, flagged down a taxi, and returned to the hotel.


    It turned out that Xiao Buli had indeed gone to the archives to steal information. He entered the restroom because it was the only place he was sure had no cameras. In today''s society, with surveillance cameras everywhere, one careless move could leave images in the security footage of someone vanishing into thin air. Xiao Buli was indeed afraid of being captured on video and becoming an object of online spectacle.


    With his "Fleeting Light and Shadow" and highly skilled "Qinggong," high walls and guards posed no obstacle. But upon entering the archives room, Xiao Buli was stupefied¡ªthe sheer quantity of files was overwhelming. Going through them, it seemed he could search until dawn and not finish. Fortunately, the documents were organized systematically, with an index in front of each shelf. It was only then that Mr. Zhan began his meticulous search. Eventually, he found the file he was looking for. It was thick, and the lighting within the archives was dim, prompting Mr. Zhan to find a room where he could photocopy the documents and take his time to study them later. It was also a way to learn what exactly had happened back then.


    Clutching the copies of the files, Qin Shimoon''s mind was in turmoil. She was finally about to get closer to the truth.


    Qin Shimoon was equally curious about what had happened initially. The longer she worked under General Huo, the more mysterious and inscrutable he seemed. Long ago, she had started to secretly investigate General Huo''s background. However, due to her status, her investigation was completely clandestine and she couldn''t be too bold, which meant she hadn''t gleaned much. But now she finally had the chance to see the truth.


    With hearts full of excitement, the two returned to the hotel.


    They secured the room door and laid the documents on the table. Xiao Buli began to examine them page by page. Qin Shimoon was equally curious, but given the situation, she had no choice but to wait for Xiao Buli to finish each page before she could look at it.


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    The files totaled no more than a dozen pages, passing back and forth between their hands. In no time at all, they had finished reading, and the more they read, the more shocked they became. The contents of the files exceeded all their expectations and differed completely from their initial assumptions. The origins of this game turned out to be even more complicated than Xiao Buli had initially imagined. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote and support me. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 102 Tunguska

    The contents of the file were somewhat scattered, but the two people were highly intelligent. After reading all the material, a clear thread emerged in their minds.


    The earliest clue recorded in these documents began with a very famous historical event. Had Xiao Buli not seen these documents, he would never have imagined there was a connection between the two incidents.


    On the morning of June 30, 1908, as Siberians in the Tunguska region of Russia were still deep in slumber, a violent wind arose, bringing with it an enormous noise. After the wind ceased, a moment of silence ensued, followed by a strange sound from the distance. People were awakened by this unusual sound. At 7:43 am, an explosion resounded. A burning monster with a long fiery tail streaked across the sky from south to north, disappearing beyond the horizon, leaving a massive ball of fire rising above. More than a minute later, people heard a clear rumbling sound from afar; the earth began to shake... After that, people experienced three powerful explosions. For several days following the explosion, the sky within a 9,000-mile radius over the Tunguska region was cloaked in a gloomy orange hue. The phenomenon of white nights occurred in vast areas. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Later, researchers from the Irkutsk seismographic station determined that the strange explosion equated to the energy of 10 to 15 million tons of TNT, which is 1,000 times the energy of the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima more than 30 years later.


    This bizarre explosion came to be known as the Tunguska Event. The file listed numerous photos from the time and included interview records with people who had personally experienced the explosion.


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    Over the ensuing years, different scientists and military experts offered various speculations about the Tunguska Event. The first to propose an explanation was Soviet scientist Leonid Kulik, who was the first to visit the Tunguska site. He believed that the 1908 Tunguska explosion was caused by a meteorite falling to earth. Later, American scientists simulated the effects of a meteorite''s high-speed impact in a laboratory using computers, which well explained the dust thrown up by the shockwave reaching the outer atmosphere and reflected sunlight causing the surrounding areas of Tunguska to be as bright as day. This seems to be the most plausible and rational explanation based on the analysis; unfortunately, despite extensive field investigations for a long time, no meteorite remains were found.


    However, according to the records in this file, right after the explosion, the Tsarist Russian Royal Academy of Sciences immediately organized a manpower search of the explosion area. After several months of exhaustive searches, they finally made a discovery. In the massive crater left by the explosion, people found three giant metallic spheres. As these were thought to be extraterrestrial metal objects, the spheres were promptly sent to the underground storeroom of the Royal Academy of Sciences for preservation and study. It appears from the documents that the situation described was recounted by a scientist involved in the search many years later, as aside from an interview translated into Chinese, there were no specific photographs of the spheres being found in the materials. It seemed at the time that no power in China, amidst the tumultuous situation, had the luxury to engage in scientific exploration.


    After the metallic spheres were transported to the Academy, a group of scientists from various disciplines, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, and history, was organized to study the spheres for several years. Constrained by the scientific and technological capabilities of the time and lacking a specific research direction, the project made no breakthroughs, and the government eventually terminated it. The metal spheres then remained dusty and forgotten in the Academy''s underground storeroom. In the following years, World War I and the October Revolution broke out, and with the international situation being unstable, even less attention was paid to these unidentified heavenly visitors.


    Besides, a biologist who had been part of the sphere research team, who, throughout the scientific research process, found himself largely unneeded after an initial sample collection and cultivation on the sphere''s surface yielded no organic life, remained idle. However, he always felt a peculiar sensation towards the three strange spheres. According to the documents, he once told others that he could feel a mysterious "Summoning" power calling to him from within the spheres.


    Thus, when he fled the Red Soviet Union, he expended considerable effort and resources to smuggle two of the spheres out. Due to financial reasons, in Old Shanghai, he sold one of them as a "Death Star" to a Shanghai tycoon to serve as a protective talisman for the home, using the proceeds for travel expenses. With the other sphere, he fled to the United States seeking refuge.


    At this moment, Xiao Buli and Qin Shimoon finally got a clear view of the sphere. In the black and white photocopy, Xiao Buli saw a metal sphere that didn''t look particularly eye-catching. The greyscale of the photo made it impossible to discern the exact color or even the type of metal of the sphere, nor did it exude any sense of mystery. It seemed more like one of those everyday transfer spheres commonly seen in buildings. Based on the scale of objects around it, the diameter was estimated to be about one meter, which, although not huge, was still impressive for a meteorite or a meteoric iron. The surface of the metal object was uneven with a line of irregular scratches in the middle. These scratches were deep black and very noticeable. It also seemed to lack any attention-grabbing luster. If it weren''t a meteorite, even scrap metal buyers would probably turn their noses up at it. This diminished Xiao Buli''s sense of mystery about the object, and he couldn''t help but wonder why the tycoon would spend so much money on such an iron lump to display in his home. The second photo was a close-up of the sphere; the ugly scratch, which wasn''t clear from a distance, turned out to be a row of strange patterns¡ªthough not an archaeology expert, Mr. Zhan could tell they were some sort of hieroglyphs. It was unknown if the Soviet scientists at the time were able to figure out their meaning. If they were indeed writing, then these items should not be simply written off as meteoric iron; they might have been man-made, or possibly even made by aliens. Unable to reach a definitive conclusion for the moment, Xiao Buli set the photo aside and continued to look through the remaining documents.


    For decades, the sphere had been displayed in the tycoon''s grand hall. It was uncertain what changes his family had undergone during that time, but the meteoric iron remained there, weathered by time.


    After the founding of the New China, people''s attention was once again drawn to this strange metal ball during the campaign to destroy the "Four Olds" (old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits). The strange hieroglyphs on the sphere made it seem full of burdensome old thoughts, and given its location, it was undoubtedly deemed a sinful product of the exploiting classes, which needed to be eliminated according to the directives of the time.


    The Young Red Guards, without any need for verification, promptly exerted the effort of several people to transport it away. What happened to it afterward, whether it was smelted down or smashed, was not specified¡ªonly a few brief notes in the archives indicated that the Red Guards had used their means to secretly expose the sphere, contributing to the advancement of scientific endeavors. Meanwhile, the court issued Directive No. 53, tasking the establishment of a research team called "Death Star," headed by Huo Guangxiong.


    Although there wasn''t much introduction, by this point, Xiao Buli was already clear on the origins of the game¡ªit was evidently one of the three giant metal spheres.


    However, what exactly had been discovered within the sphere and how the secret had been uncovered was not detailed in the archives, but Xiao Buli speculated that it might have something to do with the metal disc he had found.


    At this juncture, a bold idea emerged in Xiao Buli''s mind. If there had been three spheres initially, could the other two still be slumbering somewhere to this day? The two great powers, the Soviet Union and the United States, certainly wouldn''t have let such remarkable objects fade into history. If other countries were also developing its functionalities, then how many individuals with "Special Abilities" like his existed worldwide? He already felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness just facing the Ancestral Dragon, let alone if there were even more formidable entities. Good heavens, Xiao Buli didn''t want to ponder any further; focusing on the present seemed key.


    "If this game descended from outer space, then why does the content revolve around ancient Chinese scenes? Moreover, much of it is closely related to traditional Chinese culture¡ªwhether it''s the ethnicity, language, clothing, or various settings, why does it all resemble China''s ancient past so closely? And look at these glyphs on the sphere," Xiao Buli said as he pulled out the photo with the inscription and showed it to Qin Shimoon. "I may not understand their meaning, but I feel they share uncanny similarities with the ancient characters found on Chinese pottery throughout history." The sheer shock and multitude of questions naturally led Xiao Buli to discuss his confusion with Qin Shimoon, who was by his side.


    "Hmm, that''s also puzzling me. Although each ancient civilization has its hieroglyphs, each one''s script has distinct characteristics. These characters, though, seem very Chinese. If we could decipher their meaning, I think it would greatly help us in understanding the true nature of things." Qin Shimoon was visibly shaken by the revelations and, for once, engaged in a sincere conversation with Xiao Buli, who she had been cold to throughout the journey.


    Strictly speaking, Qin Shimoon did have a sense of fondness for Xiao Buli¡ªafter all, it was he who had saved her at a critical moment. But every time she recalled his attempt to control her with a Soul Contract, she couldn''t help but feel a surge of Rage brimming within her. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at Qidian¡ªyour support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 103, Number 113 on record

    ```


    Xiao Buli''s feelings towards Qin Shimoon were, however, somewhat complex. Having spent a long time with her, he realized this woman was nothing like any he had encountered before. Despite always appearing very cooperative, there was a subtle sense of danger about her, compelling him to remain vigilant at all times. Yet, he rather liked this sensation, especially since it came from a beautiful woman, which sometimes made him lose himself in thought.


    When Qin Shimoon finished speaking and received no reply from Xiao, she looked up, puzzled, and saw Xiao Buli staring into space. Noticing his gaze on her, she was reminded of the time he had helped her change her clothes and thought he might be entertaining some unsavory ideas, her eyes widening in indignation, "Haven''t you seen enough that day?"


    Xiao Buli snapped back to reality, realizing his own lapse in composure. He cleared his throat awkwardly, "I was considering whether we should uncover the past or focus on the future." He added hastily, trying to cover for his distraction. However, Xiao''s mind suddenly cleared; why had he been so obsessed with solving mysteries and uncovering the game''s origins? As long as he could master the game and enhance his abilities, the rest could be figured out in due time. With this thought, he resumed reviewing the subsequent material.


    Qin Shimoon''s thoughts, on the other hand, diverged. Lately, the old man who kept appearing in her dreams, along with the strange things he''d told her, weighed heavily on her mind. She herself was the savior, and although she never felt endowed with such capabilities, if her life was to revolve around this game, wasn''t it essential to understand its significance? At that moment, her expression turned serious as she stared at the photograph in her hand. If these items were from outer space, did it necessarily mean they were alien artifacts? The hieroglyphics recorded here suggested a clear connection with our ancestors. Two possibilities flashed through Qin''s mind: One, our ancestors themselves could have come from outer space, taking root on the habitable Earth and leaving behind their civilization, or they might have encountered an alien civilization and continued it as our own. Therefore, it made sense that our ancestors'' script was found on this object from space, as they were from the same civilization. Two, it was an ancient Earth artifact that our ancestors launched into space and which fell back to Earth after many years. While it seemed somewhat fantastical, nothing was more enigmatic than the current game. If such a game existed, then the ancient technology wasn''t too difficult to believe, and therefore she needed to hypothesize boldly.


    Putting aside Qin Shimoon''s storm of thoughts for a moment, Xiao Buli focused on the few remaining pages of slender documents in his hands, examining them carefully. The records didn''t detail the experiment''s process or its aims, simply listing the outcomes and feedback from Huo Guangxiong on the experimentation process, such as comments like ''On such-and-such a day, an experiment was conducted'', ''On such-and-such a day, an accident occurred during one of the experiments, resulting in the loss of several test personnel'', and so forth.


    Xiao Buli guessed that the lack of detailed records was likely due to the political environment at the time, which didn''t allow them to expose their experimental intentions so openly. Amidst these brief records, Xiao suddenly came across the following lines:


    May 8th


    Some test subjects (0589, 0567, 0568) exhibited abnormal reactions, currently following up.


    May 11th


    Test subject 0589 experienced a mental breakdown, has been dealt with.


    May 12th


    Test subject 0562 experienced a mental breakdown, has been dealt with.


    May 13th


    Test subject 0567 is showing unusual behavior, awaiting processing.


    May 14th


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    Subject 0568 experiences mental breakdown, awaiting disposition.


    From this information, Xiao Buli could tell that the experiment had been going on for nearly a year when a large number of abnormalities began to emerge: mental breakdowns, erratic behavior, refusal to follow orders, and the like. Although the specific circumstances behind these words were not explained, Xiao Buli had a guess. The experiment subjects must have manifested superpowers and second personalities, also known as Soul Departure Syndrome, as mentioned by the mysterious old man. As he turned to the last page, the final recorded message read:


    June 4th


    All experimental subjects lost control, initiating Defense Plan 113. All personnel voluntarily sacrificed their precious lives to ensure the smooth progress of the experiment.


    That was the last message. After reading it, Xiao Buli snorted coldly. To voluntarily sacrifice their precious lives¡ªif patients with Soul Departure Syndrome could be so high-minded and rational, then perhaps he didn''t need to worry about going into a frenzied state himself. Just a few simple words, yet how many crimes did they conceal? Buli wondered if the experiment subjects had willingly participated or had been forced, but from the entire archive, it seemed that after these experiment subjects ''voluntarily'' ended their lives following Defense Plan 113, the experiment was forcibly halted. Now, it seemed like a blessing; otherwise, who knows how many more innocent lives would have been lost.


    "Do you know what Defense Plan 113 means?" Xiao Buli asked gravely, troubled by his thoughts.


    Qin Shimoon snapped back from her reverie and, by looking at Xiao Buli''s expression, knew he must have seen something disturbing. Unlike Xiao Buli, Qin Shimoon wasn''t surprised by these findings. After all, Ancestral Dragon sacrificed countless people daily, and she had even visited their disposal room, where soldiers would manifest reality within hours after dying in battle. Thus, after exiting combat, these soldiers were taken to a special room¡ªone, to aid Ancestral Dragon''s research for that mysterious strength, and two, to fulfill their final wishes in those few hours. Of course, they also had the option to end their lives prematurely before that moment arrived. These men, who had mentally prepared themselves from the outset, often lacked the initial determination and courage to face death bravely. Shaking uncontrollably or crying uncontrollably, the handgun provided for self-resolution often became their last resort against the grim reaper. Qin Shimoon had witnessed from behind bulletproof glass, the toughest-looking soldier whom she thought could face death with a smile, panicking and firing the gun aimlessly around the room until the bullets ran out, still pulling the trigger incessantly, his face and nose smeared with snot and tears, only to eventually succumb to death. It was witnessing these life and death moments regularly that fostered her aloof nature. Seeing the last line of text, Qin Shimoon replied without a second thought, "It likely refers to the cleanup of the experiment participants. Judging by the text, they probably all manifested symptoms of Soul Departure Syndrome, which is why General Huo carried out a cleanup operation." Qin Shimoon''s voice remained cold, as if the words she spoke were no more than an ordinary, everyday occurrence for her. Moreover, she found it perplexing that someone as astute as Xiao Buli failed to grasp the meaning of that sentence.


    "Hmm," was all Xiao Buli uttered noncommittally after listening, sighing heavily. He thought of his brothers who had entered the game with him. To General Huo back then, Soul Departure Syndrome was just another cleanup operation, but for Xiao Buli, it was the greatest disaster. If his brothers developed symptoms, what would he do? Leaving aside the others, when it came to his own manifestation of the syndrome, should he really seek refuge with that mysterious old man? Of course, if things reached that point, even if it meant living under someone else''s roof, he might have to try it to save their lives. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli covered his face with a few pages, falling into deep thought, while Qin Shimoon continued to immerse herself in the documents, hoping to glean more insights from the limited clues.


    Although Huo Guangxiong deemed his research and achievements as vitally important and epoch-making, they evidently did not catch the interest of the authorities amid the revolutionary fervor sweeping across the Chinese Mainland at the time. Beyond strong initial support for the establishment of the base, later investment was minimal. Eventually, the project was abruptly shut down, likely because those who supported the initiative were purged. The archive did not elaborate on the reasons behind the abrupt halt, merely noting in a terse eight characters: Research unfavorable, forcefully terminated.


    Contemplating those words, a surge of emotions welled up inside Qin Shimoon. Alas, what could have been Huo Guangxiong''s rise to prominence was crushed under the weight of political struggles, his story a mere ripple in history''s vast ocean. She could only wonder what price he paid to reestablish an organization like Ancestral Dragon after that failure, which must have taught him a harsh lesson. Aside from the strange hieroglyphs, there was nothing left in the archive worth scrutinizing, and Qin Shimoon organized the documents, putting them away.


    "What''s our next move?" Upon hearing the question, Buli, who seemed to have been asleep, suddenly asked. The archive had not revealed the exact location of the experimental base, and he was curious about Qin Shimoon''s plan.


    "To Inner Mongolia," Shi replied without looking back.


    "Inner Mongolia?" A flicker of alarm passed through Buli''s mind as he abruptly sat up in bed, "How do you know the place is in Inner Mongolia? Did you already know the location of the base?"


    Qin Shimoon looked up, a slight smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Of course, she knew, but if she had divulged that from the start, how could she have convinced Xiao Buli to procure the archives? However, turning back, her expression once again became ice-cold. "I''ve conducted some investigations on that base before and knew its approximate location, but not the exact one. The details in this archive have confirmed my suspicions. I am sure the base is located where the desert meets the grasslands in Inner Mongolia. However, I''ll have to find the exact spot once we''re there. Is there a problem?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, your support in the form of a vote or a monthly ticket at qidian.com would be greatly appreciated. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 104 Grassland and Desert

    Xiao Buli sat in the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle, fiddling with his newly purchased mobile phone. The vehicle was rented from a car dealership in Beijing using a fake ID in the name of Qin Shimoon. He had just bought the phone and SIM card in some county; because he was not much interested in the local-sounding place names, he remembered nothing but the word "county." He had not registered the SIM with an ID, planning to dispose of it after use, which was in line with his current status as a fugitive.


    Upon turning on the phone, he listened to the startup sound and ringtone hesitantly, debating whether to call Gu Shaobang and the others. This was indeed the thought that crossed his mind when purchasing the card, but as his fingers lingered above the call button, Xiao Buli felt uncertain. On one hand, he wanted to know how his brothers were doing, but on the other, he didn''t know how to explain his situation to them.


    The words "Soul Departure Syndrome" and "fugitive" wouldn''t put his closely-knitted brothers at ease. Glancing at the desolate desert scenery emerging before him, Xiao Buli wasn''t sure if the phone signal would remain available; however, he thought it was better to inform them anyway. Even though he wasn''t ready to begin, the most important thing was to give them an understanding of Soul Departure Syndrome. If they stopped playing the game now, perhaps they could avoid the onset of the condition. Although he felt they were unlikely to give up, the decision should at least be theirs to make.


    Xiao Buli''s hand pressed down the call button decisively, as if afraid that further hesitation would cost him the courage to do so.


    As the ringback tone played, Xiao Buli organized his thoughts one last time. He couldn''t tell them he was fleeing, but he needed to inform them about Soul Departure Syndrome without making it sound too severe. He assured himself that he would find a solution; since he had led them into this game, it was his duty to lead them out alive.


    "Hello?" Gu Shaobang answered warily to the unfamiliar number¡ªit had taken several rings before he picked up, and his voice was very polite.


    "Yes, it''s me, Xiao Buli," Xiao Buli replied solemnly, his voice deeper than before after all they had been through.


    The other end paused for a few seconds. Clearly, Gu Shaobang was struggling to accept that their long-missed leader was finally in touch. "Damn, Boss, where are you now? What have you been up to? Why did it take so long for you to call? The brothers have all been worried about you, did you know that?" As he reached the last sentence, even the typically carefree Shaobang''s voice choked up.


    Though the words sounded like a reproach, they conveyed their concern for Xiao Buli. He understood their feelings all too well; images of Shaobang''s ever-smiling face came to mind, and unexpectedly, a sourness touched his eyes.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t die," Xiao Buli quickly changed the subject to avoid the sentimentality. He pressed on, "How are you guys doing? Is everything going well?"


    "Yeah," Shaobang seemed eager to shift away from the emotional moment as well. He cleared his throat with a confirming sound, then continued, "Doing great, Boss. I can use spells now, and so can Xiao Ge¡ªthey''ve changed classes to Weapon Master and are now working on improving their Taoist Heart. Xiao Ge said he wants to combine his Weapon Master abilities with his spells. Han Wenhuan got a Divine General class quest thanks to Zhang Haojie, although we''ve had to ''bleed'' a little, providing some design plans to them. Oh, and Li Shuren, he..."


    Shaobang''s voice regained its usual optimism¡ªespecially now that he had definitive news from the boss. To him, this was more thrilling than any in-game leveling or monster hunting. In front of Xiao Buli, Shaobang always acted like a child who never grew up. Now that the boss had asked, he eagerly reported the good news, as if all their achievements were intimately connected to him. On the other end of the phone, Xiao Buli listened with growing amazement; he hadn''t expected them to have made such progress in his absence.


    "Right, we''ve also found a teleportation array in a cave, which leads deep into the Southern Barbarian Mountain Range, to a large ruin. But the place is teeming with fierce monsters we''ve never seen before, as well as followers of the Amara Evil Cult. We''re not daring to target it just yet, planning to gear up before exploring further," Shaobang''s mouth flew non-stop, recounting their achievements and discoveries to Xiao Buli.


    "Alright, be careful. I may not return for a while. Prioritize your lives over everything. I''ve been to the Land of the Southern Barbarians once, and the power of the monsters there is not something you should engage with. Avoid going if possible. I might meet up with you in the game after some time, and then we can talk in more detail," Xiao Buli counseled.


    Shaobang on the other end hastily agreed to everything.


    "Is that the boss? Let me talk to him too," came a voice.


    "And me, me too!" another chimed in.


    A commotion broke out on the other end. Xiao Buli smiled and greeted each person, offering a few words to everyone according to their progress, and after ending the call, his face still bore an irrepressible warm smile. He hadn''t mentioned Soul Departure Syndrome, but it didn''t matter. Xiao Buli believed he would eventually find a solution. Until then, he preferred to spare Shaobang and the others from worry.


    Qin Shimoon was driving, and she discreetly glanced over at the happy smile on Xiao Buli''s face, a rare sight for her.


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    "Are those your friends?" Qin Shimoon couldn''t help asking. By now, she had changed into outdoor gear¡ªa fleece jacket, hiking boots, and a fully equipped backpack sat in the back seat of the off-road vehicle.


    She had handpicked this equipment herself and, with her military background, was far more experienced in these matters than Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli''s own gear was very simple, just his clothes and the non-professional attire on his body. When Qin Shimoon gave him a noncommittal smirk, Xiao Buli couldn''t help boasting, "For someone who knows qinggong, Earth Escape Skills, and Cloud Thunder Leap, a lot of equipment can be disregarded."


    Xiao Buli heard Qin Shimoon''s question and snapped back from his thoughts. He turned his head to glance at her, giving a slight nod, while taking a moment to assess Qin Shimoon''s condition.


    Although she appeared to be as strong and icy as ever on the surface, Xiao Buli could tell that she was somewhat fatigued. No wonder, after driving the off-road vehicle for four straight hours, any normal person would be tired.


    Xiao Buli glanced at his watch. There were still thirty minutes left before the time they had agreed to switch driving. But to hell with it. Whatever she had done in her past, she was still a woman, right? Who says a man can''t show a little chivalrous spirit?


    "I''ll take over the driving," Xiao Buli said. Qin Shimoon looked at her watch, showed no particular reaction, and just nodded slightly.


    The vehicle came to a stop, and the two switched seats. As soon as Xiao Buli pressed on the accelerator, the car sped off into the endless wilderness ahead.


    Exhausted, Qin Shimoon lowered the passenger seat, finally giving her sore back a chance to rest.


    "So, what do you plan to do once all this is over?" Xiao Buli asked idly while driving. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A moment passed and Xiao Buli did not receive the response he expected. Curiously tilting his head, he saw that Qin Shimoon had leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, breathing evenly, already asleep.


    Xiao Buli smiled, noting how truly exhausted she must be. It was no surprise. After all, she was just a regular person, and she couldn''t compare to his kind of ''little Superman.'' Xiao Buli reached out to adjust the sun visor and continued chasing the sun at high speed.


    Ker-chug, ker-chug, ker-chug. The car made a wheezing sound like an old asthmatic, giving Xiao Buli a sudden bad feeling. Glancing at the fuel gauge¡ªwhich showed there was still some left¡ªhe cursed inwardly. Damn rental cars are not to be trusted, he thought, realizing the fuel gauge must be inaccurate.


    That was just great. He stopped the car and stepped out, realizing this part of Inner Mongolia was more desolate than he expected. He had planned to refuel and restock at the next stop, but now the situation seemed serious. Looking out at the yellow sand gradually encroaching the grassland, Xiao Buli knew finding a supply point anytime soon would be unlikely, and how far the base still was remained a complete mystery to him.


    Upon opening the trunk, the sight of several empty fuel cans extinguished the last glimmer of hope in his heart.


    Damn it. Xiao Buli thought, now what? He slammed the trunk shut with force.


    "What''s going on?" Qin Shimoon, roused by the noise, yawned and stepped out of the car.


    "There''s good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" Seeing Qin Shimoon''s sleepy eyes, Xiao Buli asked with a smile.


    Qin Shimoon smiled back, clearly not too fond of the humor Xiao Buli occasionally try to show, "Stop beating around the bush. Your sense of humor really isn''t as good as you think it is."


    Xiao Buli was speechless for a moment; this woman really didn''t recognize favors.


    "Fine, I''ll just tell it straight then. We''re out of gas. But the good news is, you have me with you, so there won''t be any grassland wolves coming to eat you tonight."


    "Out of gas?" Qin Shimoon was taken aback. How long had she been asleep? Surveying the surroundings, Qin Shimoon noticed the terrain around them had changed. Before she fell asleep, they had still been driving on the grassland. Now it seemed they had reached the boundary where grassland meets desert. Although there were still some wild grasses growing on the sand, the proportion of yellow sand was noticeably larger, and the road seemed to be coming to an end.


    "Alright, I also have some good news," Qin Shimoon said, turning to face Xiao Buli. "We must be close to the base by now."


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 Chapter 105 The Wolf Pack

    Xiao Buli quickly brought over the map as soon as he heard, and Qin Shimoon looked at it for a while, then used a compass and a strange device to take measurements all around, circling and marking on the map. Finally, she pointed at a red dot she had drawn and said, "It should be only about a hundred kilometers away."


    Xiao Buli watched intently at the colorful map in front of him and Qin Shimoon''s magically moving fingers, but sadly he really had no expertise in this area. Other than being forced to pretend to know about scales while learning geography in school, his practical experience with maps was mostly limited to video games.


    Therefore, now watching Qin Shimoon control their journey entirely on a piece of paper, he had no choice but to put on a front and express his belief, grateful that their current disparity in strength was such that he was not afraid of the woman pulling any tricks.


    "Go ahead, step by step into the trap set by others. Pitiful, pathetic." The voice in his head, as if knowing his thoughts, popped up to nag at the right moment, and Xiao Buli chose to ignore it. He continued to contemplate the situation at hand, "Then it looks like we have to walk from here. Can you tell me our destination now? I feel like you''re blindly leading me all the way to China''s border." Deficient as his geographical knowledge might be, Xiao Buli knew that Inner Mongolia was at the very edge of China''s map.


    Qin Shimoon looked at Xiao Buli and smiled, "I thought you would never ask. Our current location is Hangjinqi, Yikezhao League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. If we keep going, we will enter the Kubuqi Desert. I could tell you the exact location of the base, but I doubt you would understand. Don''t worry, I won''t sell you out." Qin Shimoon ended with a teasing smile, making Xiao Buli feel as though he had been overthinking things.


    Well, a hundred kilometers indeed didn''t sound far. If they were driving, it would only take an hour or two. Even if they were walking without pushing themselves too hard, two or three days should be sufficient.


    "Thank goodness we brought plenty of equipment." It was as if Qin Shimoon was mocking Xiao Buli''s joke from earlier that they didn''t need any equipment, she said while defiantly slinging her backpack over her shoulder, leaving Xiao Buli embarrassed but amused.


    Xiao Buli looked at the food in the back of the vehicle and frowned slightly. What about food and water? If the two of them were to walk aimlessly for days in the desert, they could not afford to lack either, so they had to bring as much as possible. Thankfully, the desert in front of them didn''t seem to be the kind of barren wasteland without any vegetation. A glance revealed sporadic signs of plant life.


    If it came down to it, they could only hope for a miracle in the desert, hoping that after some walking, they would discover a water source. However, such instances in the desert were minimal.


    "There''s always a way when you reach the mountain, and we still have guns. If worst comes to worst, let''s see if we can come across any game." While saying this, Xiao Buli stuffed as much food and water as possible into a backpack and scanned it with his ring; the backpack filled with food disappeared in an instant.


    Qin Shimoon, having witnessed this strange scene, suddenly showed a surprised expression, "So this is where you''ve been hiding your things. But why haven''t I seen anyone at the base use a similar skill?"


    Xiao Buli smirked proudly, "You should know, even among gamers, there are noobs and pros. Top-tier equipment naturally only falls into the hands of the skilled players."


    Qin Shimoon rolled her eyes, appearing somewhat unable to tolerate Xiao Buli''s self-praising tone.


    "All right, let''s set off. We still have a long way to go."


    After shouldering the remaining food and water, Xiao Buli took a few steps, then turned back to look at the off-road vehicle with a sense of regret. For someone accustomed to poverty like him, even though it was a rented item, it still seemed like a waste.


    Qin Shimoon, however, seemed unconcerned, as if discarding unnecessary equipment was essential in a mission. Not to mention an off-road vehicle, even human lives appeared inconsequential in her eyes at times.


    The two, laden with equipment, walked through the endless sands. From a distance, it must have looked like a beautiful painting, but for those walking in it, it was nothing but an ordeal. Even though it was already autumn, in the unobstructed desert, the sun was still scorching. After walking for a while, Xiao Buli felt unbearable discomfort, as if the dust kicked up by every step was sticking to his sweaty skin, forming a thick crusty shell. This shell was not only sticky and uncomfortable, but Xiao Buli often felt that it was this very shell that made him feel increasingly stifled and hot, and this was from someone already enhanced by the game. One could only imagine that Qin Shimoon, walking ahead, must feel even more unbearable.


    However, walking had at least one advantage over driving¡ªthere was no longer the drowsy feeling, or to be exact, no condition to sleep.


    Having walked for a while, Xiao Buli felt the atmosphere between them grow somewhat oppressive, and he really hoped for something to distract him from his attention to the dust-covered shell. Thus, he brought up the question that had previously gone unanswered. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, after all this is over, what do you plan to do?" Xiao Buli quickened his pace to catch up with Qin Shimoon, who was walking ahead. Right now, Qin Shimoon''s complexion didn''t look good either. Although she was equipped with sunglasses and a scarf to shield from the sunlight and sand, it seemed to do little to reduce the heat, flushing her cheeks red with warmth.


    "After it''s over? What to do?" Qin Shimoon, upon hearing his question, murmured it to herself, a look of bewilderment crossing her face. Her goals had always aligned with those of the Ancestral Dragon; she had never considered what she should do on her own. When all these sudden changes occurred, she simply did not have the time or energy to think beyond survival. Now, she let hatred occupy her heart. But what other dreams did she have to fulfill, aside from that? Indeed, what should she do after all this ended?


    Right then Qin Shimoon suddenly realized how ironic her life seemed.


    However, thinking back to the words the old man in her dream had told her, Qin Shimoon felt a sense of calm wash over her. If what he said was true, then perhaps she didn''t need to worry about this question anymore. With that thought, Qin Shimoon spoke up, "Trust me, you''ll have an answer to this question soon enough."


    Xiao Buli felt that Qin Shimoon''s response was rather mystifying, but since it was just idle chatter, he shrugged it off indifferently. Meanwhile, that inner voice of his chose just the right moment to speak up again, "See? I told you she has ulterior motives. You''re walking straight into her trap, poor, pitiful thing."


    The relentless sun finally began to sink below the horizon after hours of scorching the earth, and the cool, crisp air of night followed suit, descending at last. Xiao Buli felt that stifling heat and stickiness on his skin gradually fade away. If the nighttime was this comfortable, he wouldn''t mind marching through the dark; however, Qin Shimoon seemed unable to go on any further and sat down heavily at the base of a wind-shielded dune.


    "Then let''s camp here for the night," he said, seeing her condition and naturally not pushing to continue. Qin Shimoon nodded deeply in response, each movement seeming to require tremendous effort from her.


    Xiao Buli took a simple tent out of her backpack and set it up, then scraped together some dry grass from nearby. Because the grassland wasn''t too far away, such dry wild grass was often visible. Mr. Zhan walked some distance away and gathered quite a pile; he also picked up some dry branches, hoping to keep the fire going longer.


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    The temperature difference between day and night on the grassland was drastic, and it was particularly cold at night. Although it was only early autumn, the temperature had already plummeted. A fire was necessary to withstand the cold, something an ordinary person wouldn''t easily endure. Of course, Xiao Buli was indifferent, for with the power of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, he wouldn''t feel cold at all. The fire crackled to life, and even without coldness, Xiao Buli still sat beside it, perhaps due to a natural human longing for light and warmth.


    The two drank a few sips of water and ate some simple food along with it. It was far from delicious, but having something in their stomachs seemed to improve Qin Shimoon''s spirits considerably.


    The sky was vast and unobstructed, studded with countless stars, looking as if a jade plate had been sprinkled with pearls, making the two mortals under the heavens feel utterly insignificant. Accustomed to the hazy night of cities, the scene in front of them came as a pleasant surprise to both. No words were exchanged as they lay on the ground beside the fire, gazing up at the night sky¡ªone side cooled by the night air, the other side warmed by the fire¡ªa true experience of fire and ice. Other than the occasional crackling of the fire, the silence was so profound that one might wonder if they''d fallen asleep.


    After a long time without such peaceful tranquility, Xiao Buli''s heart also became exceptionally calm. He suddenly realized that his previous pursuits seemed a bit too utilitarian. Actually, even without any superpowers, this kind of itinerant life wasn''t bad at all. Why hadn''t he ever enjoyed any of this before? He was like a racer constantly competing, racing against time, money, and life itself.


    Howl! A mournful howl rose in the distance, interrupting Xiao Buli''s reflection on life. Qin Shimoon jerked awake, drawing her handgun in a flash and sitting up to scan the surroundings vigilantly.


    In the night, some dark shadows slowly moved across the distant dunes.


    "I think I know why I never went on hiking trips like this before," Xiao Buli muttered to himself, watching the approaching wolf pack, "For those without strength, such travel is indeed a risky endeavor, and once danger strikes, is it still possible to maintain this relaxed and easy feeling?" The thoughts that had been echoing in Xiao Buli''s mind just a moment ago now fled as swiftly as the appearance of the wolf pack.


    "What did you say?" Qin Shimoon, who hadn''t heard him clearly, asked.


    "Nothing much. We just need to be careful now, looks like they''re wild wolves." And they were wild wolves with hungry stomachs. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to QiDian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 106 Subduing the Wolf King

    In Inner Mongolia, the grassland wolfs once caused havoc for a time. After the establishment of New China, in order to stabilize minority ethnic groups and develop the economy, the government had launched a large-scale wolf-hunting operation. However, it seemed quite difficult to truly eradicate the wolfs, which possessed a tenacious vitality. The grasslands had only become relatively safer compared to before, but compared with the massive numbers from the past, grassland wolfs were now a rare sight. Yet to their surprise, two people encountered them today.


    The wolf pack didn''t seem to be in a hurry to charge; they would stop from time to time, perk up their ears to listen to their surroundings, then take short steps forward for a bit. In the beginning, the two humans only saw a few, but gradually the full force of the pack became visible. It turned out there were dozens of wild wolfs, and their formation slowly dispersed as if they were leisurely strolling, forming a surrounding movement from all sides. This phenomenon made Qin Shimoon instantly tense up. She gripped the gun in her hand, containing only twelve bullets. Even if each bullet took down one wolf, it wouldn''t be enough, and the remaining wolfs would swarm her before she could reload, tearing her to shreds. Besides, with her shooting skills and the speed of the wolfs, coupled with the relatively weaker power of a handgun, it would be decent to take down a wolf with three or four shots. It seemed she could only rely on him now. With this thought, she turned her gaze towards the man beside her, Xiao Buli, who looked quite relaxed.


    As the pack closed in, he slowly drew his treasured sword, scanning the wolves. A particularly large black wolf caught his attention, its fur gleaming, clearly the leader of the pack. At the moment, the black wolf''s eyes were fixedly staring at his every move, weighing their respective strengths in its mind. It was Xiao Buli''s first opportunity to fight with wild beasts in reality, and he felt an undeniable excitement. He looked back at Qin Shimoon, who was still tensely holding her handgun. Xiao Buli was concerned that he wouldn''t be able to look after her once the fight began, so he glanced at the nearby fire pit and had a plan.


    Xiao Buli, while still watching the wolves, added a few sticks of wood to the fire pit to maintain it. He also separated some of the already burning sticks to create a smaller fire pit, and Qin Shimoon stood between the two fires.


    Wolves fear fire, so this could temporarily ensure that Qin Shimoon was not attacked by the pack. Additionally, Qin Shimoon had a handgun, and should anything dangerous occur, she would be able to protect herself for the time being, allowing him enough time to return and rescue her if needed.


    After doing all this, Xiao Buli stared at the encroaching wolves that were gradually tightening their circle and his heart started beating to the drum of battle.


    "Stay here, I''ll take care of them," he said, and before he finished, Xiao Buli had already charged toward the Wolf King.


    "Damn it, are you crazy?" Qin Shimoon almost cursed out loud after hearing Xiao Buli''s words. No matter how powerful you are, it''s difficult to fight against numerous foes, dozens of wolves. "There''s no way you can kill all of them."


    "Who says I can''t kill them all, who says I must battle with them," Xiao Buli said, and, acting more quickly than speaking, started the Skimming Shadow Steps. In a few strides, he reached the center of the pack, exactly where the black wolf was located. His sudden disappearance clearly surprised the wolf pack, who were patiently preparing to surround him but had yet to react.


    The Wolf King was indeed startled; it could clearly smell the approaching scent. With its hind legs tensed, it leaped forward on pure instinct.


    "Palm Thunder!" Suddenly, a brilliant bolt of lightning burst from thin air. Xiao Buli''s hands, shimmering with electricity, struck the black wolf. After a loud boom, the wolf yelped, convulsed, and fell to the ground. Xiao Buli had purposely reduced his power, otherwise, that strike could probably have killed it on the spot.


    Even so, the black wolf was badly shaken up. Seeing their leader injured, the surrounding wolves rushed forward bravely, not caring about the consequences. Xiao Buli bent down and pressed his hand to the sword ¡ª Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds. Centered on him, a storm of blades seemed to form around him. In an instant, blood and flesh flew, and more than half of the seven or eight rushing wolfs were killed or wounded. The wolfs on the outside, witnessing this scene, realized it was beyond their endurance. They tucked their tails and scattered far away, but inside they were reluctant to surrender, stopping at a distance to spy on the situation, ready to launch another attack. Xiao Buli knew the characteristics of the pack; they wouldn''t easily give up the prey they were about to catch. The wolfs had the determination to die and the tenacity not to give up until their goal was achieved. If his attack hadn''t been so overpowering, they would still be coming at him one after the other. It was definitely unreliable to think that killing a few of them would scatter the pack.


    However, Xiao Buli already had a plan in mind from the start of the attack, and for now, he ignored the scattered wolves and walked up to the black wolf.


    Qin Shimoon didn''t know his intentions, thinking that he might want to finish off the leader to utterly defeat the pack, but even so, she wasn''t sure whether that would deter the wolves.


    Xiao Buli crouched down and looked at the black wolf in front of him. The animal emitted heavy, ragged breaths, its body violently heaving with every breath. The spot hit by the Palm Thunder was singed black, emitting a burnt stench. Its black fur was smeared with blood, clearly not far from death. To Xiao Buli''s surprise, this black wolf wasn''t entirely black; on its forehead was a patch of white shaped somewhat like a four-pointed star, quite intriguing.


    "Void Sealing Technique!" Xiao Buli spoke as a light appeared in his hand, which he then pressed onto the black wolf''s forehead. With the light flashing around the wolf, the defiant Wolf King clearly sensed Xiao Buli''s intent and tried to struggle to its feet, unwilling to be subjugated even in death, but its severe injuries left it powerless to resist.


    Xiao Buli''s lips curled slightly. If this black wolf were in a game, it would probably be rated only at level three or four for wildness, especially when it was so gravely injured. Using a level ten Void Sealing Technique, there was no chance of failure.


    Finally, a gentle flash of white light erupted, and the black wolf was nowhere to be seen.


    Rising to his feet, Xiao Buli, with sword in hand, leisurely walked back to Qin Shimoon''s side and casually beckoned, "Come out, Hei!" A burst of white light flashed, and a majestic black wolf appeared before Qin Shimoon. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Qin Shimoon was startled and defensively pointed the barrel of her gun at the black wolf, but she quickly realized that the wolf must have been tamed by Xiao Buli¡ªa feat that she found herself jealously envious of, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, about these gamers'' seemingly spell-like superpowers.


    Thanks to the healing effects that came with the Void Sealing Technique, not only had the injuries on the Wolf King''s body vanished, but he also seemed even more vibrant than before. Turning to look at Xiao Buli, the human whom he once saw as an enemy and prey, he now saw a seemingly irresistible majesty, which made even the noble head of the Wolf King, who hadn''t arrived at his position by birth but had fought countless battles and had never retreated against any opponent, bow.


    "Now, have these remnants roll away a bit, so I won''t have to bother killing them all," Xiao Buli said carelessly as he returned to the fire, pushing the branches deeper into the center to prevent the fire from dying out.


    Qin Shimoon watched curiously as the Wolf King crouched on the ground, wondering if it could understand such a conversational command.


    The Wolf King, upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, humbly lowered his head as though responding, then got up and trotted a few steps outside before letting out a long, melancholic howl, which sounded almost like a final farewell to kin.


    The already frightened pack of wolves, hearing the noise, all looked up, perking their ears and hesitating for a moment before they started to slowly scatter away, eventually all disappearing into the vast night. The Wolf King, watching his brothers fade into the distance, reluctantly dragged his feet back to Xiao Buli''s side and resumed his crouching posture.


    "OK, finally dealt with. That was quite thrilling, wasn''t it? Now we can get some proper sleep," Xiao Buli said, watching the wolves depart and seeing Hei return to his side with a drooping head, then laughed as he spoke to Qin Shimoon, whose gaze remained somewhat wary of the Wolf King, her gun not as tense as before but still not lowered.


    "Hey, don''t be so tense. Haven''t you seen animals before? If you''re really that scared, just imagine it''s a husky," he teased.


    Qin Shimoon, hearing Xiao Buli''s jest, couldn''t help but snort, "You''ve gotten better at humor, huh? A husky, that''s a stretch."


    But looking closely, there was indeed a resemblance to a husky¡ªif one could ignore the wildness and dangerous aura emanating from the Wolf King.


    Qin Shimoon finally relaxed and sat down beside Xiao Buli, while Hei, at Xiao Buli''s command, lay down with evident sulkiness. If wolves had thoughts, it would probably be moping about how what was supposed to be a hunting trip had ended up with it as a captive. The phrase ''to set a trap and end up caught in it'' perfectly exemplified this situation.


    "Did you use a hunter''s Taming Skills?" Qin Shimoon asked curiously. She was somewhat familiar with the game, knowing hunters had the ability to tame wild beasts, but Xiao Buli''s methods seemed a bit different.


    Xiao Buli just smiled, not answering, and gently stroked Hei''s back. The ferocious beast simply lifted its eyelids to glance at him and lay back down, completely docile like a domestic dog. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s late; let''s get some sleep. Tonight, I think we''ve got someone to keep watch," he said.


    PS: Finally, this book has stabilized its updates. Why aren''t the subscriptions rising instead of falling? Please subscribe ah, there''s another chapter at 6 p.m. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 107 Kiss Me, Thats an Order

    The crack was immense; two trucks could drive side by side. The pair walked about a hundred meters into it with their flashlights before reaching the end¡ªa wall built of concrete and stones, fashioned in accordance with the natural shape of the crevice, blocking the path. In the center of the wall was a thick iron door, about six to seven meters wide, firmly closed. The door was painted with large red letters that, despite the ravages of time, faintly conveyed the warning: "Military No-go Zone, Unauthorized Personnel Keep Out."


    The door was locked with an iron chain as thick as an arm, which was covered in red rust from years without treatment. The lock appeared to have rusted shut as well.


    Faced with this massive and seemingly heavy iron door, Xiao Buli knew that it would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person to get inside. Not to mention figuring out how to break that arm-thick chain, but just pushing this huge object would take a lot of effort.


    Without much sentimentality, Xiao Buli thought that since fate gave him the chance to obtain superpowers, he might as well make good use of them. He asked Qin Shimoon to step back a bit, took his stance, and delivered a Mysterious Ice Slash onto the chain. With a single stroke, the now brittle chain fell apart into several segments.


    After sheathing his sword, Xiao Buli channelled his Internal Energy. The thick iron door was almost rusted shut, but after exerting force three times in succession, he heard the creaking of the door as it slowly opened a crack.


    A stale, damp smell of decay surged towards them. The two stood still for a moment to let the air circulate before they turned on their flashlights and walked in. Unlike the natural pathways outside, the corridor inside was entirely paved with asphalt, and the rock walls on both sides were reinforced with steel bars and concrete. Strong concrete pillars were placed at intervals, clearly indicating that much of the base had been man-made and fortified.


    At this moment, as the two had walked through the iron door, Hei suddenly made a whimpering sound. This wild animal, full of Wildness, seemed to have a certain fear of the underground world. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli scolded Hei, who then reluctantly followed them in.


    "Really, why do they always build these bases in godforsaken places? It''s as if they''re not mysterious enough unless they do," said Xiao Buli, joking with Qin Shimoon to ease the eerie and secretive atmosphere.


    "Generally speaking, if experiments are conducted in desolate places, they are often hazardous, like the nuclear tests carried out in the desert during the early years after our country''s founding. Another scenario is that the experiment is top-secret, built out of sight to avoid foreign spies," Qin Shimoon explained in a low voice, seemingly especially cautious in the darkness.


    Xiao Buli nodded. Military matters didn''t interest him much, and he would probably have never set foot in such a place if not for the possibility that this base''s original experimental project might have been related to the death games.


    As the two walked through the tunnel, they occasionally felt breezes, which suggested that the ventilation system was still operational¡ªa testament to the quality of the construction.


    The several-hundred-meter tunnel soon came to an end and another metal door appeared before them. Xiao Buli saw the gap in the middle of the door and knew it was a pair of sliding doors. What was odd, though, was that at the center of the door was a panel the size of a chessboard, containing twelve square metal blocks. Ten of them bore the Arabic numerals 0 to 9, and the remaining two were flat plates. At a glance, it almost looked like a combination lock.


    With Internal Energy running through his hands, Xiao Buli tried to push the door but it wouldn''t budge. A closer look revealed that the doors were meant to slide horizontally; it seemed that it might take some effort to force them open. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Step back," Xiao Buli told Qin Shimoon, readying himself to exert force.


    "Wait," Qin Shimoon interrupted while studying the combination lock after being silent for a while. She walked up to it and pried out the lowest flat plate, leaving a vacant space in the otherwise tight grid of twelve squares, allowing the two numbers adjacent to the plate to slide into the empty spot. It was much like a puzzle game Xiao Buli had played before.


    Xiao Buli stopped and watched Qin Shimoon''s actions with a touch of surprise.


    As the metal blocks slid back and forth, the sound of metal grinding on metal echoed from within. After the time it took to smoke a cigarette, Qin Shimoon stopped her manipulations, looked over her work one more time, and reinserted the metal block into the only gap remaining. Following her action, the door clattered and began to move.


    Though a bit jerky from years of disuse, the door still opened, revealing the space inside. Qin Shimoon shined her flashlight in, but what followed took both of them by surprise.


    From the moment they entered the tunnel, they had depended on their flashlight beams for light, with utter darkness everywhere else. But as the door opened, an electrical buzz echoed around them, followed by a crackling sound, and lights suddenly blazed on in the tunnel and corridor.


    This unexpected lighting immediately put Xiao Buli on alert; his hand instinctively reached for his sword as he backed against the wall, warily surveying his surroundings. Everyone knew that turning on lights would require someone to flip a switch. Since he and Qin Shimoon were both right there, it was evident that neither of them had caused it. Could it be that someone else was inside the base, or had he ultimately fallen into Qin Shimoon''s trap?


    More anxious than Xiao Buli was Hei. Having lived in the wild all its life apart from the sun, it had never seen so many unexplainable sources of light. Its body pressed low, fangs bared and emitting a series of threatening growls from deep in its throat.


    "Hahaha," Qin Shimoon chuckled as he observed the reaction between the wolf and the man before him. "Don''t worry, the lighting is synchronized with this big door. Since the password has been cracked, it must be someone from the base, and that''s why the lights turned on."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli felt a bit embarrassed but still, a flicker of caution crossed his mind. "How did you know the password?"


    Qin Shimoon turned around to glance at him with an even more amused look in his eyes. "It was written in the documents, didn''t you see it?"


    Xiao Buli, taking her words at face value, was momentarily startled as he tried to recall but couldn''t find any such memory. Could it be that he had been too focused on searching for the address and game records and had missed it?


    "Stop thinking about it, she''s clearly playing you. Can''t you tell?" that voice piped up again, sounding positively gleeful.


    If Xiao Buli had chosen to ignore the voice each time it appeared before, this time he found it impossible to disregard.


    He harbored a growing suspicion that there was something not quite simple about the matter, and Qin Shimoon''s knowledge of the base seemed overly detailed.


    Watching Qin Shimoon walk further inside, Xiao Buli grabbed her wrist in a hurry, "Wait, tell me, what exactly are you hiding from me? This is an order." Xiao Buli stared hard into Qin Shimoon''s eyes.


    Qin Shimoon smiled at him, responding calmly, "I''ve never hidden anything from you. Isn''t this the place you were looking for?"


    Something was definitely off. Even without that voice chiming in, Xiao Buli felt there was something untrustworthy about Qin Shimoon''s words. Was it her overly confident assurance or the barely-concealed amusement in her eyes?


    "Tell me what you know about this base, and don''t hide anything. This, is an order!" As he uttered the last four words, Xiao Buli pronounced each syllable with force, as if this sharp tone could somehow enhance the function of the Soul Contract.


    But Qin Shimoon just shook her head slightly, "My understanding of this base is no different from yours, and I''ve told you everything already.


    She raised her eyebrows with a hint of challenge, satisfied now?"


    Qin Shimoon''s hand slipped from Xiao Buli''s grasp as she turned to continue walking forward. "Oh, I understand now. Those stone pillars you saw earlier might be the base''s wind power generation system. Otherwise, how could it still have electricity after decades, don''t you think?"


    Xiao Buli, watching her steadily receding figure, paid no mind to her words. No, there was definitely something amiss. Qin Shimoon''s replies just now were not the straightforward answers typically bound by the Soul Contract.


    Could there be something wrong with the Soul Contract? The thought startled him; it wasn''t impossible, after all, the contract had been provided by them. Although Wu Min''er had asserted its reliability, who knew if the contract had an expiration or if its effects were weakening now? Either way, it was necessary to confirm this further.


    With this concern in mind, Xiao Buli suddenly called out to Qin Shimoon''s retreating back, "Come back and kiss me, this is an order."


    The woman in front halted abruptly, and Xiao Buli could see her back shudder. It was unclear whether it was out of anger or the effect of the command.


    Then she turned around fiercely, and her eyes seemed to flare with fire as she glared at him. Xiao Buli provocatively raised his eyebrows, and though Qin Shimoon clenched her teeth, she had no choice but to take step by step towards him, forced to play along. Having come this far, could she let a single kiss undo all her efforts? As a soldier, Qin Shimoon had made greater sacrifices to carry out missions, but as a woman, she truly did not wish to kiss a man she had no feelings for.


    Despite the turmoil within her, she kept walking forward, and Xiao Buli, seeing her conflicted approach, naturally assumed she was struggling against the Soul Contract.


    It seemed the power of the Soul Contract hadn''t faded after all. Xiao Buli felt relieved as he watched her lips draw nearer, and his heart unavoidably stirred. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to vote and support it at qidian.com. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 107 Base Entrance

    Qin Shimoon nodded, already exhausted, she unzipped her sleeping bag and climbed in. Spending the night in the wilderness, guarded by a Wolf King, was thrilling to say the least. Yet even so, she couldn''t let her guard down around the furry animal, keeping her gun within reach in case she needed it.


    Reminding herself to stay alert, she still couldn''t fight off her drooping eyelids. Qin Shimoon didn''t know when she had fallen into a deep sleep. When she opened her eyes the next morning, she was momentarily disoriented, not knowing where she was. Startled, she sat up and remembered her predicament. She glanced around and found Xiao Buli''s figure was nowhere to be seen, only Hei sat motionless on a nearby dune like a statue, loyally guarding his post.


    However, what likely ensured its diligent vigil was not loyalty but the bonds of spell power, Qin Shimoon thought to herself, reflecting on how she initially couldn''t defy Xiao Buli''s commands. She looked at the creature before her and felt a surge of sympathy. Fortunately, she had already broken free from her shackles.


    "You woke up quite early, huh?"


    Xiao Buli''s figure emerged from behind a mound, startling Qin Shimoon, "Where did you go?"


    "Nothing much, just a stroll around," Xiao Buli didn''t wish to elaborate, and Qin Shimoon naturally did not press further.


    The two hurriedly ate breakfast and set out on their journey again. With the Wolf King by their side, they weren''t attacked or harassed by wild animals. As they ventured deeper, traces of grassland gradually disappeared, giving way to a world of yellow sand and gravel. Only sparse tamarisks struggled to grow in this barren land, proclaiming the tenacity of life. They traveled by day and camped at night in the sands for three days.


    One day, under the scorching sun, Xiao Buli felt a wave of irritation. The endless, aimless walking seemed to have no end in sight. His thoughts drifted to how Qin Shimoon had been secretive about the exact location of the base, which added to his gloom, and he was on the verge of losing his temper.


    "Look there, that''s the spot!" Qin Shimoon suddenly pointed ahead. Xiao Buli''s spirits lifted as he looked up to see a vast expanse of wind-eroded rock formations appearing amid the drifting sands.


    "If I were to build a base, this would definitely be an ideal location," Qin Shimoon said, her face showing delight. The arduous trek was unbearable for Xiao Buli, let alone for a woman like her. If it weren''t for her resilient nature and a constant drive to not be outdone by Xiao Buli, she would have collapsed from fatigue long ago. Now, finally seeing a glimmer of hope, her heart was naturally filled with joy.


    Xiao Buli nodded. What Qin Shimoon said was true. Constructing a base in the desert required an appropriate geographic location to ensure success and durability. Only on relatively hard geological structures was it suitable to build large-scale constructions, and those could very well be underground structures.


    With their destination within sight, both quickened their pace unconsciously, heading towards that area. As they approached, a massive expanse of wind-eroded formations unfolded before them. After walking for about twenty minutes, they finally reached the interior and couldn''t help but marvel at the natural wonders around them.


    Mighty pillars shaped by eons of wind erosion stood like a forest of stone, their surfaces riddled with horizontal gorges that resembled giant stacks of soda crackers. Inside the desert, the wind hadn''t felt as strong, but within the stone forest, its presence was palpable. Sand grains, lifted by the wind, stung their faces. Qin Shimoon wrapped her scarf around her face even tighter and curiously observed the distorted shadows of the pillars on the ground.


    After walking a bit further into the stone forest, Xiao Buli felt a refreshing coolness, as if a giant air conditioner was blowing cool air from within the formation.


    "What''s that over there?" Xiao Buli pointed towards some distant pillars.


    Qin Shimoon looked in the direction of his pointing, noticing the pillars he indicated were quite different from the ones nearby. These stones had rectangular through-holes dug into their middle, with blades like turbine propellers fixed to a central axis in the hole, slowly rotating with the wind. Because the entire device was hidden inside the pillars, and the selected pillars were positioned peculiarly behind others, one could barely notice them from outside the stone forest.


    "Could it be some kind of power device?" Qin Shimoon also found it strange. As they were about to go and investigate, they rounded several pillars and the view suddenly opened up before them. In the middle of the stone forest, between massive rocks, there lay a canyon about eight or nine meters wide. Narrow at both ends and wide in the middle, it resembled a huge mouth split open in the earth. The howling cool breeze was blowing out from this crack. Walking closer, their sweat was quickly dried by the cold wind, and Xiao Buli shivered from the chill. It seemed if there was a base hidden here, this canyon would be the most likely entrance.


    Looking down from the edge of the canyon, it was pitch-black and the view inside was unclear, and the cold wind that blew out only added to the eerie atmosphere. Qin Shimoon and Xiao Buli exchanged glances but said nothing. Noting that the narrow paths on both sides of the canyon led gradually downwards, they chose to walk down the nearest side. Although the paths were described as narrow, they were still as wide as a normal highway. The ground, whether sculpted by man or formed naturally, was covered with varying sizes of rocks and a thick layer of yellow sand, yet it appeared very smooth overall. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the two of them progressed, the constant howling of the wind against the rocks that had filled their ears started to fade away. After walking a bit further, apart from the occasional sound of small stones rolling and the breathing of the two travelers and the wolf, no other sounds were heard.


    After about the time it took for a meal, the two had slowly descended to the bottom of the valley where the terrain had gradually become more level, and the slope gentler. A mist began to form on the rocks on both sides and became increasingly noticeable the deeper they walked in. Eventually, some rocks were even steadily dripping water. Whether this was due to an abundant underground water supply or the cold air creating condensation on the rock surfaces was unknown.


    As they turned a corner in the path, a vast open area laid out before them, about the size of two or three football fields. The canyon opening above wasn''t very large, not more than a dozen meters across at its widest point, but the space inside was surprisingly vast ¡ª no wonder it appeared so indistinct from above. Using the light filtering down from the canyon, they could just make out a row of something along the back wall in the deepest part of the space.


    "Let''s go take a look," Xiao Buli said in a low voice.


    The two quickened their pace and approached. Hei seemed uncomfortable with the damp, cold air inside the canyon, looking around nervously as it walked. Before they got close, Xiao Buli could make out that the fuzzy shapes were actually a line of dilapidated trucks. Despite their sorry state, Xiao Buli found them a good omen at that moment, prompting them both to speed up into a jog towards the trucks.


    As they got nearer, the details of these museum-worthy trucks finally became clear. It seemed those trucks had once been used for transporting materials, with their wooden fences and the mottled military-green paint scarcely concealing their age.


    It appeared that when they withdrew from the site, they didn''t have enough personnel to clear all the items, otherwise, they wouldn''t have left these precious vehicles of that era to waste away here. This indicated the project had initially received significant attention and investment. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have devoted so much financial resources to it.


    The two inspected the trucks inside and out, finding nothing of value other than some personal effects possibly left by the original drivers, such as matches and scraps of paper.


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    Thus, they continued on deeper into the canyon. As they moved further away from the entrance, the light inside dimmed to the point where they could barely see their own hands in front of them. Xiao Buli activated the Omniscient Eye for himself, while Qin Shimoon turned on the outdoor flashlight she had in her backpack which had ample battery life since it had barely been used thus far.


    The flashlight''s beam occasionally revealed scattered mechanical parts and papers on the ground, presumably left behind during the evacuation, which, due to the secluded nature of this place and its distance from the surface, had not been blown away or buried by the sand. They were still in the same state as they were decades ago.


    Moving forward, they eventually reached the end of the cavernous space, facing a dark, damp wall.


    "Eh," both had expected to find an entrance to the base at the end, and they were puzzled not to see one. Qin Shimoon shone the flashlight to either side, but within a dozen meters or so, there was no sign of an entrance.


    "You search that way, I''ll look over here," Xiao Buli gestured to Qin Shimoon, indicating for them to split up in their search. After a moment''s thought, addressing the Wolf King, he added, "Hei, go with her." It wasn''t that he suspected her of any wrongdoing but in such darkness, Xiao Buli was unsure if any dangers lurked.


    Qin Shimoon made no comment on the arrangement and silently moved to the right, proceeding extremely slowly to avoid missing any detail on the wall. If the entrance to the base was hidden, she wondered if it would require some special method to be opened.


    She had only gone a few meters when she heard a low curse from Xiao Buli, "Damn it." He then called out loudly to her, "Stop looking, it''s over here."


    Approaching Xiao Buli''s position, Qin Shimoon couldn''t help but smile inwardly. There was no grand base entrance on the wall; the original base construction had taken advantage of a natural fissure in the wall, which at first glance, looked like part of the natural formation. Had they not already found the trucks outside, who would have thought that this place concealed an entrance to a secret base? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 108 Kiss Me, Thats an Order

    The fissure was vast, wide enough for two trucks to pass side by side. The two of them walked about a hundred meters inside with their flashlights before reaching a dead end. A wall constructed of concrete and stones obstructed their path, built according to the natural shape of the crack, effectively blocking their way forward. In the center of the wall, a massive iron door about six or seven meters wide was tightly closed, painted with large red characters. Despite weathering over the years, the faded words "Military Restricted Area, No Unauthorized Access" could still be discerned.


    The door was locked with a thick iron chain as thick as an arm that, due to age and lack of maintenance, was covered in red rust. The lock itself also appeared to be rusted shut.


    Looking at the huge and seemingly very heavy iron gate, Xiao Buli knew that it would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person to get through. Not to mention breaking the thick iron chain, but the sheer effort to move such a massive object was daunting.


    Xiao Buli didn''t dwell on it. Since fate had granted him the opportunity to acquire superpowers, he might as well make good use of them. After asking Qin Shimoon to step aside, Xiao Buli assumed his stance and delivered a Mysterious Ice Slash to the chain. A single strike was enough to shatter the now brittle chain into several short segments.


    He then put away his sword and summoned his Internal Energy. The iron door was almost rusted shut, but after three attempts at applying force, he finally heard a screeching sound as the door slowly opened a crack.


    A blast of musty and damp air, long sealed away, hit their faces. The two stood still for a moment, allowing the interior and exterior air to circulate before turning on their flashlights and proceeding inside. Unlike the natural path outside, the corridor inside was paved with asphalt, and the sides of the mountain had been reinforced with steel and concrete. Sturdy concrete pillars were placed at regular intervals, showing that most parts of the base inside had been artificially excavated and thus reinforced.


    At this moment, noticing that the two had walked past the iron gate, Hei suddenly let out a soft whining sound. This wild beast, filled with wilderness, seemed to have a certain fear of the underground world.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli scolded him, and only then did Hei reluctantly follow them in.


    "Really, why do these bases always have to be built in such godforsaken places? It''s like they''re not mysterious enough otherwise," Xiao Buli joked with Qin Shimoon, trying to alleviate the eerie and mysterious vibe they felt.


    "Generally speaking, experiments conducted in desolate areas are often dangerous, such as the nuclear tests at the outset of our nation''s establishment which were set in the desert. Another reason might be the extreme secrecy of the experimental projects, built away from prying foreign spies," Qin Shimoon explained in a low voice, her cautiousness heightened by the surrounding darkness.


    Xiao Buli nodded. He didn''t have much interest in military matters, and had it not been for the possibility that the base''s original experiments might be related to the Death Game, he probably would never have set foot in such a place.


    The two walked through the tunnel, occasionally feeling a breeze, an indication that the ventilation system was still operating. It seemed that the quality of the construction from that time was quite good.


    The few hundred-meter tunnel was quickly traversed, and another metal door obstructed their way. By the gap in the middle where two doors met, Xiao Buli knew these doors were designed to slide open. However, what was strange was the presence of a chessboard-sized metal panel in the center, which had twelve square metal blocks distributed on it. Ten of these squares were inscribed with the numbers 0 to 9, and the remaining two were just flat plates. At first glance, it appeared to be a sort of combination lock.


    Xiao Buli gathered his Internal Energy and pushed the door, but it wouldn''t budge. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the door was meant to slide sideways, meaning that opening it with brute force might take considerable effort.


    "Stand back," Xiao Buli instructed Qin Shimoon, preparing to exert his Internal Energy again.


    "Hold on," Qin Shimoon, who had been studying the lock intently without speaking, suddenly interrupted, preventing Xiao Buli from using brute force. She approached the lock and pried out the lowest flat plate, opening up one of the twelve squares. This allowed the numbers next to the empty space to slide in, much like a sliding puzzle Xiao Buli had played with before.


    Xiao Buli paused, silently amazed by Qin Shimoon''s actions.


    With the continuous sliding of metal blocks, the inner workings of the door emitted creaking sounds. After about five minutes, Qin Shimoon stopped, taking another careful look before reinserting the metal block into the only gap. Following her action, the door began to move with a clattering sound.


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    Though slightly sluggish due to its age, the door still managed to open, revealing the space inside. Qin Shimoon shone her flashlight inward, but what followed took both of them by surprise.


    Since they had entered the tunnel, they had relied solely on their flashlights for light, and the interior had remained pitch-black. But with the doors opening, a buzzing of electric current could be heard before, and suddenly, accompanied by crackling sounds, the corridor lit up with blinding lights.


    This sudden burst of light immediately put Xiao Buli on alert, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword as he backed against the wall, warily surveying the surroundings. Everyone knew that to switch on lights someone had to flip the switch, yet here stood both he and Qin Shimoon, so it clearly wasn''t their doing. Could there be someone else in the base, and could it be that he had fallen into a trap set by Qin Shimoon?


    Hei was even more nervous than Xiao Buli. Having lived in the wild and never encountering so many inexplicable sources of light, Hei crouched low to the ground, baring its fangs and uttering low, warning growls from its throat.


    "Hahaha," while it seemed verbose, in reality, all these changes were completed in an instant. Qin Shimoon watched the reactions of the man and the wolf before her and suddenly burst into laughter. "Don''t worry, the lighting is synchronized with this big door. Since the password was correctly entered, it means it''s someone from the base, and that''s why the lights are on."


    Xiao Buli heard this and felt a bit embarrassed. Still, a flicker of alertness crossed his mind. "How did you know the password?"


    Qin Shimoon turned around to look at him, her eyes brimming with laughter, "It was written in the documents, didn''t you see it?"


    Xiao Buli, taking her words at face value, paused, then tried to recall but couldn''t find any similar memory. Could it be that he had been too focused on searching for the address and game records and missed it?


    "Stop thinking about it, she''s clearly playing with you, can''t you tell?" that voice taunted again, taking pleasure in his misfortune.


    If Xiao Buli had chosen to ignore that voice whenever it appeared before, this time he could no longer afford to.


    He was vaguely suspicious; things were not that simple, and Qin Shimoon seemed too knowledgeable about this base.


    Watching Qin Shimoon continue to walk inside, Xiao Buli grabbed her wrist in a flash, "Wait, tell me, what are you hiding from me? This is an order." Xiao Buli stared intently into Qin Shimoon''s eyes.


    Qin Shimoon looked back at him with a smile, calm and composed, "I''ve never hidden anything from you. Isn''t this base exactly what you were looking for?"


    Something was off, definitely off. Without needing any prompting from that voice, Xiao Buli could sense there was something unreliable about Qin Shimoon''s words. Was it her confidence that everything was under control or the barely concealed mirth in her eyes?


    "Tell me everything you know about this base, and don''t hide anything. This¡ªis an order!" By the time he reached the last four words, Xiao Buli was speaking with almost a halting emphasis, as though the forceful tone would enhance the function of the Soul Contract.


    But Qin Shimoon just shook her head slightly, "My understanding of this base is no different from yours, and I''ve told you everything."


    After speaking, she arched an eyebrow, "Satisfied?"


    Qin Shimoon''s hand slipped out of Xiao Buli''s grip as she turned and continued walking forward. "Oh, I get it, what you saw earlier, those columns might be the wind power generators for the base. Otherwise, how could it have retained power after so many years, you think so?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching the woman''s receding figure, Xiao Buli didn''t pay attention to her words. No, there was definitely a problem. Qin Shimoon''s response to him just now wasn''t the straightforward kind mandated by the Soul Contract.


    Could there be a problem with the Soul Contract itself? The thought startled him; it wasn''t impossible. After all, the contract was given to them, and although Wu Min''er had been adamant, who knew if the contract had a time limit or if its effects were now weakening? Regardless, it was essential to verify this further.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli suddenly called out loudly to Qin Shimoon''s retreating figure, "Come back and kiss me, this is an order."


    Qin Shimoon, who was walking ahead, stopped abruptly. Xiao Buli could see her back shudder¡ªwas it from anger or the command''s influence?


    The woman whirled around fiercely, her eyes nearly shooting flames, glaring at him intensely. Xiao Buli provocatively raised his eyebrows, and though Qin Shimoon clenched her teeth, she had no choice but to walk over step by step. She had to play her part completely; having come this far, she couldn''t let a kiss ruin everything, could she? As a soldier, Qin Shimoon had made greater sacrifices for her missions, but as a woman, she truly didn''t want to kiss a man she didn''t like at all.


    Despite the turmoil in her heart, she still walked towards him. Her conflicted demeanor, seen in Xiao Buli''s eyes, was naturally assumed to be her struggling against the Soul Contract.


    It seemed the Soul Contract''s effect hadn''t vanished, Xiao Buli felt relieved, and as the red lips slowly approached him, his heart couldn''t help but flutter. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote and support it at qidian.com. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 109 Supercomputer

    Qin Shimoon''s arms circled around Xiao Buli''s neck, and her lips gently touched Xiao Buli''s mouth. Perhaps because she had been underground for so long, her lips were icy cold, but such a chilly touch made Xiao Buli feel even more stimulated. To say that Xiao Buli hadn''t been moved by such a delicately beautiful woman over the past few days would be unrealistic. However, basic human morals and rationality had kept him treating her with respect. But at this moment, in the quiet underground base, as he breathed in Qin Shimoon''s musk and orchid scent and felt the soft trembling at his lips, Xiao Buli''s heart throbbed.


    Qin Shimoon pressed her lips against him briefly, then intended to pull away¡ªafter all, he only said a kiss, not a French kiss.


    But who would have known that Xiao Buli''s breath would suddenly become heavy? His strong arms forcefully embraced her waist, not allowing her to withdraw, and his lips took hers in a dominating kiss. Qin Shimoon wanted to resist but feared revealing her flaws to him. So she went along with his force. Xiao Buli''s lips were warm and soft, and in a few movements, he gently pried open her tightly closed lips, and his warm tongue followed, penetrating her mouth. Qin Shimoon''s body tensed, as Xiao Buli pulled her even tighter into his embrace, their tongues entangled, leaving Qin Shimoon almost breathless.


    While struggling desperately in Xiao Buli''s arms and whimpering with muffled cries, Xiao Buli finally let go.


    Qin Shimoon took several deep breaths and glared fiercely at Xiao Buli, "Satisfied now?" she said, then pushed him away and strode forward.


    "All right, it seems there really isn''t a problem anymore." Xiao Buli''s breathing was still heavy, but it was because the excitement in his heart was hard to settle. Savoring the sweet taste from moments ago, Xiao Buli started to feel his thoughts running wild.


    "Move it!" Qin Shimoon shouted without looking back, and Xiao Buli then beckoned Hei, who was yawning out of boredom beside him, and followed Qin Shimoon''s steps. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    The base''s layout was very simple. It was imaginable that with the development level of the time, excavating such a large underground base in the heart of the desert was a tremendous feat. Due to various constraints such as terrain, the internal structure of the base was not overly complicated, even straightforward at a glance. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the two entered through the password-protected door that Qin Shimoon had just opened, the entirety of the base was immediately laid bare before them. There weren''t many defense mechanisms, indicating that the people of the time had placed immense faith in the single barrier¡ªthe password door that Qin Shimoon had opened. As Xiao Buli passed by, he marveled at the door''s thickness: a solid half-meter-thick steel door. From the cut edges, it wasn''t a metal shell, meaning that the door''s half-meter thickness was solid throughout.


    The sliding track of the door was integrated directly into the rock walls on each side. He took a closer look at the password lock on the door and internally marveled. The large lock, the size of a chessboard, controlled over a dozen iron shafts thicker than an arm. These retractable shafts were irregularly distributed along the sides of the steel doors, corresponding to equally thick openings on the opposite side. This meant that when the door was locked, the seemingly weakest seam was actually interlaced with a dozen sturdy connectors, and the door was designed with a simple convex-concave shape. When the doors closed, they fit together seamlessly, making it an impossible task for even the mightiest of forces to break through.


    Although describing it may seem verbose, Xiao Buli walked by, and in just a few seconds, with thoughts racing, they entered the base. Under the lighting all around, the base''s full view was immediately apparent.


    It turns out that the point where they entered was the top level of the base. The other parts of the base were built downward into deeper underground. The top was an artificially excavated dome, kept in its raw rock state without any embellishment, which, it seems, would have been useless for the base. Massive metal support beams held numerous spotlights, providing more than enough illumination for the entire base when fully lit.


    Between the first level and the level immediately below was an atrium design, allowing anyone standing on the platform of the first level to clearly see what was happening below. Presumably, General Huo would stand on this level to oversee the busy figures of the experimental staff below.


    In the center of the level below sat a huge iron cabinet, occupying an area of about ten square meters. The surface of the cabinet was covered with various electronic components, but at that moment, Xiao Buli did not know their purpose. Surrounding the cabinet were about a dozen reclining chairs. At the end of each chair was an item resembling a helmet, with wires connecting to the metal cabinet. There were several straps at the wrist and ankle sections of the chair, which overall made it look similar to an electric chair used for executions.


    On the level where the two were situated, apart from the platform, there was an iron door every few steps, many of which were now open. As they walked slowly by, they could see into the rooms. The rooms had been harshly hewn from the rock walls, then simply decorated with a layer of cement applied to the walls, masking the traces of the rock.


    The first dozen rooms, each only about a dozen square meters large, looked much like prison cells with a uniform specification. In each room against the wall, there were bunk beds placed, and opposite them stood a table with two chairs. Towards the back of the room was a small partition that clearly appeared to be a restroom, whether it contained flush toilets or chamber pots was unclear, and if it was the latter, surviving in this cramped space would certainly be challenging. Both of them didn''t delve into such details, and nobody was willing to enter those oppressive and gloomy rooms.


    Further inside, a larger room came into view, its interior quite spacious, furnished with two long tables in the center and some cups and plates scattered on top of them. It was likely the dining hall originally, and the two entered. They flicked on the wall light switch, revealing signs that people had evacuated in haste: many things were toppled over and not packed away, and the kitchen door was left wide open. They navigated past the scattered items on the floor to enter the kitchen; it was not large, clearly designed for no more than three chefs to work simultaneously, any more and there''d be simply no room to maneuver. One side was lined with a counter and a sink, the other boasted several large stoves which appeared to be powered by electricity, reminiscent of current-day induction cooktops. Xiao Buli went to test the faucet, twisting it to see if it worked¡ªif they truly planned to live here, water was certainly a necessity.


    However, after a few attempts, the faucet did not budge, perhaps rusted shut, but the touch was cold and moisture seeping out suggested there was water in the pipes, and by the temperature, it could very well be a local underground source. They decided to wait until they were more settled to continue investigating the faucet.


    Behind the kitchen was an iron door, likely a storeroom, but it was locked with a padlock, Xiao Buli noted, rusted shut. They planned to deal with both the padlock and faucet later; right now, the priority was to gain a full understanding of the base. So without further delay, they continued inward. Past the kitchen, the platform had already turned halfway, leading to another series of residential rooms, clearly superior to the earlier cramped cells. The beds were still bunk beds but slightly wider and seemingly more comfortable, likely quarters for the staff back in the day.


    With about twenty of these rooms, it seemed there were more staff than test subjects at that time. Now having seen the entire ground level, they circled back to the staircase heading down. Made of iron with wooden boards laid on top, the staircase creaked unsettlingly with each step due to age.


    "Why did they place the test subjects near the entrance? Weren''t they afraid they might run?" Xiao Buli discussed casually with Qin Shimoon as they descended the stairs.


    "Run? Did you see the two rooms by the entrance? I reckon there were soldiers on guard there round the clock. Putting test subjects on the outskirts was to prevent them from injuring the defenseless staff or taking hostages should they riot or try to escape," Qin Shimoon shared his thoughts.


    Xiao Buli nodded in agreement, thinking to himself how he had failed to notice the rooms flanking the entrance when they first entered the base because those rooms were built somewhat like gun towers, with high openings, making them easy to overlook from below.


    Since the facility was carved out of rock and space was a premium at the time, the distance from the ground level to the basement wasn''t great¡ªjust over two meters¡ªso they quickly reached the lower level.


    The first thing to catch their eye was the large metal cabinet in the center. Xiao Buli approached it; although he had never encountered one before, his background in computer science and his career always revolving around computers allowed him to recognize it immediately as the supercomputer of the time.


    "Come take a look." While Xiao Buli circled the cabinet, trying to find a way to turn it on, Qin Shimoon suddenly called out from the other side.


    Xiao Buli, thinking that she might be in some danger, immediately rushed over. Qin Shimoon was in a room below the staircase, standing transfixed in front of a huge glass window as Xiao Buli arrived.


    "What''s up?" Xiao Buli asked urgently as he entered the room.


    "Look." without turning, Qin Shimoon''s eyes remained fixed on something inside the glass, clearly captivated by whatever it was.


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 Chapter 110 Shock

    Xiao Buli took step by step forward, and the scene in the room came into full view. Although the underground base had been abandoned for decades, due to the damp cold underground and the excellent sealing, there wasn''t a large accumulation of dust. Consequently, the glass window before him was surprisingly clear. The lights in the room had been turned on as soon as Qin Shimoon had entered, giving Xiao Buli an extremely broad view. Thus, the hellish scene appeared even more vivid and astonishing. Seeing all this, Xiao Buli felt as if a heavy punch had struck him in the chest. But this blow didn''t hit his body, it hit his nerves fiercely.


    The space behind the glass window wasn''t large, only about thirty to forty square meters. In this cramped room, several dozen bodies¡ªnearly reduced to skeletons due to decay¡ªwere either sitting, standing, or sprawling. They still wore their original clothes, recognizable as the uniform grey-green cloth pants and shirts, resembling sleepwear or patient gowns, but in Xiao Buli''s eyes, they looked more like prison uniforms. Some people''s clothes were torn and tattered, barely hanging onto their remains.


    All the people were in a state of dying struggle. Some were tearing at their own clothes, others seemed to be scratching their own bodies. What Xiao Buli found most horrifying was one body facing the wall, hands in front, fingers hooked into the wall, dug in deep. His body was twisted, and through the ripped rags that once were clothes, one could clearly see his spine twisted into an S-shape that would be difficult for a human to achieve. It was imaginable that he must have been suffering intense agony. Through the glass, Xiao Buli seemed to see their dying struggles and hear their piercing howls.


    "How could this be?" Xiao Buli stood there stunned for a while before he spoke softly, as if muttering to himself, his voice inevitably hoarse.


    "This might be the true face of Case 113. Judging by their state of death, it should be poison gas. They were herded into this room and then executed by poison gas," Qin Shimoon turned her head to look at Xiao Buli and said seriously.


    "Hmm," Xiao Buli responded verbally, but his heart was not as calm as he appeared. Although since he started playing this game, killing in both reality and the game didn''t give Xiao Buli any psychological burden, these people in front of him kept tugging at his nerves. From the moment he read that line on the document until now, seeing their tragic state, he couldn''t understand why but felt like there was a heavy stone lodged in his heart.


    "Let''s check the other rooms," Xiao Buli, not wishing to see anymore, turned and left.


    Qin Shimoon followed him, and the two headed towards the second room. They could tell without entering that the second room was likely the control room for a supercomputer, with a huge bulletproof glass window next to the door. It seemed the experimenters observed the subjects through this window.


    Xiao Buli grabbed the doorknob and turned, but it wouldn''t budge. He turned to look at Qin Shimoon, who shrugged at him, indicating she didn''t know the situation either. Xiao Buli thought she knew how to open the doors since she had entered the first room, but it seemed that the door to the first room was already open.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli drew his sword, and with a single slash, he destroyed the lock, and it fell to the ground with a sound. He pushed the heavy door, increasing his strength, and it slowly opened. A foul smell emanated out, causing Xiao Buli to retch.


    After waiting for a while to acclimate, Xiao Buli then stepped inside, with Qin Shimoon hurriedly following. The light outside shone through the glass window, and Xiao Buli saw several shadows lying haphazardly inside. With the lights on, just as he suspected, there were several bodies. The closest one was by the door, which explained the difficulty in pushing it open. Their lab coats indicated they were staff members or scientists participating in the experiments.


    Unlike the gas chamber, these people had large penetrating wounds on their bodies. One man''s neck was askew, the broken bones indicating his neck had likely been chopped by a blade. The others had either chaotic chops to their chest bones or had been forcefully twisted--their necks or limbs broken. Given the dried dark stains on the ground, the machines, and clothes, blood must have splattered everywhere in the room at the time. Xiao Buli, trying to suppress the urge to vomit from the stench, pushed open another door inside the lab.


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    Following him, Qin Shimoon covered her nose and occasionally used her foot to poke the bodies nearby, checking their name badges.


    "There''s another one here," Xiao Buli said, pushing open the door, only to find the air quality had not improved; the nauseating stench still lingered inside. Yet, different from the other room, there was an experiment bed set up, very similar to the ones in the main hall. However, this bed had a body on it.


    The body was also dressed in a large lab coat, unbuttoned to reveal an old-fashioned military uniform underneath. The body lay straight on the bed, with only the right hand hanging down the side, matching a revolver that had fallen to the floor. It looked like the person had lain here and committed suicide by gunshot.


    When Qin Shimoon heard Xiao Buli''s summoning, she entered. From afar, she glanced at the body on the bed, her face suddenly jolted, and she quickly walked over to the body, searching it frantically. Although Xiao Buli had recently lost his earlier fear of personal matters, he still preferred to avoid corpses if possible, especially rotting ones¡ªhe''d simply observe from a distance. Watching Qin Shimoon''s fearless approach, he was shocked to the point of his jaw nearly dropping, admiring her courage deeply.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli could clearly see Qin Shimoon''s body shudder. Thinking, "Serves you right, searching so recklessly, and now you''re scared," he suspected she saw something disgustingly creepy like corpse maggots. Curious and unobtrusively, he moved closer to see for himself.


    Upon looking, he, too, froze on the spot.


    Qin Shimoon held a work ID in her hand, obviously just retrieved from the corpse, with three black characters emblazoned in the name column: Huo Guangxiong.


    "Is he General Huo?" Xiao Buli exclaimed in surprise.


    Qin Shimoon''s hand shook slightly as she held the work ID. Although the man in her dreams had been repeating this message to her, confirming it now still shocked her immensely.


    The organization she had always worked for, the Ancestral Dragon Group, and Huo Guangxiong, whom she had always been loyal to, was now dead.


    "Oh, I see. This work card must have been picked up or stolen by him," Xiao Buli speculated, as the identity of the skeleton couldn''t be discerned, prompting the most logical assumption in his moment of shock.


    "Look at his military uniform," Qin Shimoon said, regaining her composure as she spoke to Xiao Buli.


    Military uniform? The white lab coat on the corpse had been pushed aside by Qin Shimoon''s earlier search, revealing a gray-green army uniform underneath with three red lines forming a pentagonal star on the shoulder.


    General, if there was anyone in this base who could hold such a rank, it would likely only be Huo Guangxiong. Moreover, this negated Xiao Buli''s initial guess that the man had stolen Huo Guangxiong''s identity card. If it were conceivable that he stole Huo Guangxiong''s identity card, the act of wearing Huo''s military uniform and then committing suicide in a sealed room clearly deviated from normal logic.


    Back then, everyone had seen Huo Guangxiong''s face, so even if he stole Huo''s clothes, he couldn''t possibly successfully disguise himself. Therefore, the person who had died on this bed was very likely Huo Guangxiong himself.


    That raised a question, as Qin Shimoon had conversed with an aged Huo Guangxiong through a computer screen on the base. Thinking of the person on the other side of that conversation, Xiao Buli glanced at Qin Shimoon, who was clearly having an even harder time accepting this reality.


    "Huo Guangxiong is dead?" Xiao Buli asked hesitantly.


    "It appears so now," Qin Shimoon replied, her face no longer showing the initial shock and panic as she returned to calm. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm, I wonder what exactly happened back then that led these people to die so tragically," Xiao Buli mused. "Let''s check the other rooms," he suggested, taking the lead to walk out.


    The two went through each room on the lower level. It seemed that Huo had divided the rooms into a living area on the top and a working area on the bottom, the core part of the latter being the computer in the central hall, while the rest included a processing room (essentially an execution room), an operations room, and two rooms that looked like interrogation rooms. Qin Shimoon confirmed Xiao Buli''s guess, as the Dragon Group''s base had similar inquiry rooms to understand players'' progress in the game and whether they exhibited symptoms of Soul Departure Syndrome. What puzzled Xiao Buli was that the space on the entire lower level was noticeably smaller than the floor above, with several rooms clustered together, occupying about half of the arc. The other half of the lower level had no room distribution and was just a bare rock wall. They speculated that the infrastructure within the base had been sufficient at the time, so there was no need to waste labor on further excavation, or there could be other reasons that are now unknown.


    "Alright, it looks like this base is safe and has all utilities, including water and electricity. All we have to do now is bring in enough food," Xiao Buli said lightly to Qin Shimoon after having almost fully explored the base. Since finding the base was a tentative mission, they couldn''t carry a lot of supplies. Thus, aside from essential water and food, Xiao Buli only packed a laptop. Initially, they had been prepared to bring a diesel generator over, thinking there might be no electricity, but now that was resolved. Since there was power, everything else was much easier. Xiao Buli planned to leave the base to purchase daily necessities.


    Qin Shimoon gave a rare gentle smile, "Yes, no more dodging and hiding in the future. Oh, we haven''t checked the storage behind the kitchen yet. Maybe there''s still food stored there."


    "Uh, if there is, do you think it would still be edible after several decades?" Xiao Buli questioned Qin Shimoon''s suggestion, feeling it was far-fetched.


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 111 Wanted Criminal

    "Hehe, just take a look. Trust me, military supplies can sometimes be beyond your expectations." Seeing Qin Shimoon speak so firmly and already starting to walk upstairs, Xiao Buli had no choice but to follow her up. Reaching the kitchen from before, Xiao Buli took out his precious sword and with one Mysterious Ice Slash, he effortlessly broke the large lock outside.


    With a clattering, Qin Shimoon couldn''t help pushing the door open first, "Cough, cough," and immediately started coughing violently. "What''s that smell?"


    Xiao Buli asked at this moment too, likely it was the smell of spoiled food.


    Turning on the lights, the space inside was indeed not small¡ªabout two to three times larger than the kitchen, with shelves neatly stacked with wooden crates. Judging from the situation, the two of them could eat for several years with plenty to spare, calculating this based on the gray and mushy remnants of decay on the shelves closest to the door that once were vegetables, pork, and other items. The foul smell they detected naturally came from these spoiled goods. Covering her nose, Qin Shimoon went inside and pulled out an opened crate, taking out a tin of canned beef.


    She quickly called for Xiao Buli to go outside.


    Once outside the kitchen, they finally released their noses, "You see, I told you there would definitely be items that have a long shelf life. Let''s open it and check." Qin Shimoon handed the canned beef to Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that even if it was edible, he would need to purchase more supplies later. Thinking back to the earlier smell, he felt a bout of nausea, but he took out a dagger to cut open the metal can. Gently prying it open, a scent of beef wafted out.


    "Hmm~ it smells pretty good. Seems like beef," Qin Shimoon said with some excitement beside him. She pinched off a small piece and put it in her mouth, causing Xiao Buli to click his tongue in disbelief.


    "Not bad at all, you should try it too." Qin Shimoon pinched off a piece and brought it to Xiao Buli''s mouth. Xiao Buli intended to refuse, but seeing Qin Shimoon''s scallion-like fingers, he opened his mouth anyway. The beef was indeed good, and despite the many years, its flavor hadn''t changed at all; it was very well preserved.


    "Ah, I forgot to wash my hands after flipping those corpses just now." Qin Shimoon seemed to suddenly remember as she watched Xiao Buli already swallow the beef.


    "Ah, ugh, ugh," Xiao Buli, already psychologically repulsed, started to heave. Qin Shimoon turned away, the mischievous laughter barely hidden in her eyes. That''s what you get for taking advantage of me earlier.


    Long story short, Xiao Buli and Qin Shimoon cleaned up the kitchen''s storage and aired out the bad smell. Thanks to the intact ventilation system of the underground base, the smell had already improved a lot in a short time. Xiao Buli somehow got the water tap in the kitchen to work, and the clear, refreshing water that flowed out solved their drinking water problem.


    The electric stoves were mostly unusable due to age, but since the principle behind electric stoves is very simple, Xiao Buli combined usable parts from several stoves and fixed one of them. Now the issue of heating was also solved. They cooked two tins of beef and a bag of compressed biscuits, making up a rather unappetizing mush for their dinner.


    The Wolf King, Hei, sniffed at the mush with disdain but began to lick it up due to hunger. It was obvious that this was its first experience with warm food.


    After eating, both of them were tired from a long day and hastily tidied up two rooms. Xiao Buli then instructed Hei to stand guard outside their rooms, and their first night in the base passed just like that.


    Because there was no distinction between day and night inside the base, Xiao Buli used his phone to set an alarm. He certainly didn''t want to end up with his days and nights turned upside down.


    At six in the morning, Xiao Buli was already awake before the alarm even rang. Since he began practicing the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, he clearly didn''t need much sleep. Xiao Buli didn''t wake Qin Shimoon, simply washed up in the kitchen and started making breakfast.


    "Morning~" A lazy, feminine voice sounded from behind him.


    "Yeah, go wash up; breakfast is almost ready," Xiao Buli replied, turning to look at Qin Shimoon, but then found himself unable to turn back away. Throughout their journey, Qin Shimoon was always wrapped up tightly, partly because of the desert sun and partly to guard herself against Xiao Buli.


    But today, perhaps because they had found the base and she felt more relaxed, or maybe because she hadn''t had the time to get fully dressed upon waking, Qin Shimoon was wearing only a white shirt. The shirt, which must have belonged to some staff member from years before in her room, was made of fine material¡ªpure white and oversized, suggesting that its previous owner must have been a strong and tall man. Qin Shimoon, petite in comparison, appeared even more so under the loose shirt. The top few buttons were undone, revealing her creamy neck and the hint of her soft chest¡ªuncertain if she wore anything underneath, the ambiguity was enticing. The shirt reached just above her knees, barely covering the essentials, while her fair thighs peeked out as she moved.


    Unconcerned with Xiao Buli''s stunned expression, Qin Shimoon walked straight to the stove out of curiosity and bent down to sniff what was inside the pot. Standing beside her, Xiao Buli could nearly see everything down her open collar¡ªa herd of ten thousand elephants stampeded through his heart while he strived to maintain his composure.


    Qin Shimoon frowned slightly in displeasure and looked up at Xiao Buli, "Are we eating compressed biscuits again?" she asked with a lazy voice, intentionally elongating her words, clearly teasing him. As mentioned before, the kitchen wasn''t large, barely enough space for three people to turn around, so Xiao Buli and Qin Shimoon were extremely close, and Xiao Buli tried hard not to let his gaze drift downward.


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    "Yeah," he replied somewhat stiffly.


    "Alright," Qin Shimoon seemed to sigh unintentionally, her breath lightly brushing Xiao Buli''s cheek, causing his heart to throb violently, and unintended tension to arise below.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, "Big sis, aren''t you playing with fire here? Your contract is in my hands, aren''t you worried I might just eat you up?"


    Qin Shimoon finally left the kitchen. When she appeared again, she was neatly dressed, which left Xiao Buli slightly disappointed in his heart.


    After the meal, Xiao Buli took out his laptop, connected the power, and turned it on. Due to the special nature of the Death Game, there was no need to install any client software. Although it was a new notebook, the special icon still existed on the desktop because of the operator''s reasons.


    "Whew," Xiao Buli let out a deep breath. How long had it been since he had logged into the game? His heart was actually a bit excited. He logged into the game and his character was still at the same spot he left off ¨C on a small hill not too far from Nine Dragons City.


    Xiao Buli was hesitating whether to head to Nine Dragons City first to scout the situation, return directly to Black Mountain, or visit Mystic Hollow Palace first when a loud ''clang'' erupted from outside.


    "Aah~!" A loud noise followed by a scream reached him, and Xiao Buli shuddered. Not daring to delay, he quickly exited the game and darted out of the room.


    "What happened?" Qin Shimoon stood at the door of the kitchen. The floor was a mess with rice paste and meat can traces splattered on Hei''s body and the ground. The rice pot was overturned, clearly Qin Shimoon had knocked it over after cooking lunch at the kitchen doorway.


    Qin Shimoon looked at Hei with a huff, her face a picture of helplessness.


    Hei, however, looked at Xiao Buli with an innocent expression, obliviously started eating the minced meat off the ground.


    "Come on, can''t you control your pet a bit better? It follows me around all day and I can''t shoo it away; it''s so annoying," Qin Shimoon complained as she picked up the rice pot, huffing past Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli felt slightly embarrassed because he had Hei follow Qin Shimoon around due to his suspicions of her, figuring it wouldn''t be pleasant for a lady to always have a wolf tailing her.


    Thinking it over, Xiao Buli waved his hand and re-sealed Hei, then looked up at Qin Shimoon and said, "Okay, I''ll put it away, but you are not allowed to leave the base without my permission. That''s an order, understand?"


    Qin Shimoon seemed to nod impatiently, "Got it, got it, just hurry up and put away your stinky dog."


    Xiao Buli didn''t mind her reaction; he believed this way was safe enough. After speaking, he turned and went back to his room to log into the game again, unaware of the smug smile that flitted across Qin Shimoon''s face the moment he turned away.


    Having logged back into the game, Xiao Buli had already decided on his destination ¨C Nine Dragons City. Since Huo Guangxiong turned out to be fake, the purpose of his creating the Ancestral Dragon and constructing the Teleportation Portal was highly suspect. Therefore, Xiao Buli urgently wanted to find out how the other side was faring now and whether, as the old man had previously said, it was being besieged by the system.


    Moving stealthily near Nine Dragons City, Xiao Buli was about to find a deserted spot to sneak in when he noticed something off, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    The city was lively and peaceful, with no apparent signs of trouble. Following the flow of people, he approached the city gates. Reaching the entrance, he saw several NPC guards chatting amiably in front of the gate, discussing trivial matters. Just as Xiao Buli was about to enter, he suddenly grasped it¡ªwhere had that tense atmosphere gone?


    He finally snapped out of it. Due to the pressure from the Demon Clan''s army, the city had always been under martial law, but now it seemed completely devoid of any pre-war tension. Perhaps the Demon Clan''s siege had finished?


    These NPC guards were nameless, so naturally, they weren''t as autonomous as the NPCs with names. He clicked on one of the gate NPCs and immediately a dialogue box popped up.


    1. Look for someone.


    2. Gather information.


    Seeing that these NPC guards were nameless and not as autonomous as the named NPCs, Xiao Buli clicked to gather information. Another dialogue box popped up, and he typed in, "I am a traveler from afar. Is there any news about the Demon Clan recently?"


    The guard gave Xiao Buli a glance and suddenly shouted, "It''s him, the wanted criminal! Everyone, come quick!" Immediately, his name turned to the emblematic red of an enemy, and, brandishing his spear, he lunged at Xiao Buli. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.) S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 112 Dungeon

    "Damn, what''s going on here?" Xiao Buli didn''t see it coming and got a solid poke. Fortunately, the guard was just an ordinary White Name soldier. A -7 appeared above his head, his Spiritual Energy Shield took a little durability damage, but other than that, he was fine.


    However, getting stabbed straight by a grunt was quite a jolt for Xiao Buli, who prided himself on his expert gameplay. Take this! A Chain Sword Strike! Swish, swish, swish ¡ª three consecutive slashes landed on the guard, and the soldier, with less than two hundred health points, was finished instantly.


    But immediately, Xiao Buli realized his trouble had just grown, as the guard fell, a whole row of archers popped up on the city wall ¡ª these weren''t the White Name scrubs from before, but a group of blue-colored elites ¡ª ''Nine Dragons City Archers.''


    Without a word, a volley of arrows shot down at him. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli quickly activated Skimming Shadow Steps, vanishing from the city gate and sprinting far away. Only when he was safely out of the fight did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    Even though he had encountered some trouble, he didn''t lose his desire to enter Nine Dragons City. Instead, he was even more eager to find out what exactly was happening inside the city.


    He hadn''t gone far into the city when he saw a wanted poster on the wall, with a sketch that was clearly his likeness. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli muttered to himself in disbelief and tapped on the poster.


    System prompt: You have triggered the quest ''Pursuit of the Demon Clan Spy''. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Quest details: Pursue the fleeing Demon Clan spy ''Xiao Buli''. Kill him and bring his head to the Nine Dragons City Military Office or capture him to receive a reward.


    Quest reward: 100 Gold Coins, random chance to obtain a gold-tier piece of equipment.


    "Damn, I''ve really become infamous!" Xiao Buli muttered to himself in front of the screen. Without a doubt, this wanted poster must be the work of the Ancestral Dragon ¡ª it was a campaign of outright annihilation. 100 Gold Coins and a gold-tier piece of equipment as rewards ¡ª was it really necessary to spend so much?


    Suddenly, a thought struck Xiao Buli ¡ª if he accepted the quest, wouldn''t it become unavailable to others? With that in mind, he hastily clicked to accept it, but the poster didn''t disappear.


    System prompt: You have accepted the quest ''Pursuit of the Demon Clan Spy''. This is an event quest available to all players.


    Upon seeing the system prompt, Xiao Buli was dumbfounded. What kind of situation was this where he had unwittingly become an event BOSS? With this, wouldn''t the whole city become his enemies? A hundred Gold Coins plus a gold-tier item would surely drive many players mad with desire. What did it matter to kill? Back then, Qin Dahai killed Xia Zuowei over a few coins, and now the rewards had increased tenfold; Xiao Buli really had to be more cautious.


    With that thought, he didn''t dare stay in the city any longer and swiftly left.


    After several Cloud Thunder Leaps that took him far away, he entered the wilderness area and finally relaxed again. He glanced around and saw an old temple''s half-exposed eaves barely visible through the trees. Xiao Buli headed over. The temple looked long abandoned and probably hadn''t seen visitors in years. He entered the dilapidated temple and then logged out of the game.


    After a big yawn, Xiao Buli got up and went to Qin Shimoon''s room. She was lying on the lower bunk bed, her petite body curled up into a small ball under the covers, breathing steadily like a cat. Xiao Buli nodded to himself, recalling the enticing scene he had witnessed that morning.


    It was quite tempting indeed, Xiao Buli thought. Should he make a move? Better not. He might not be a gentleman, but he wasn''t a lowlife either. Plus, in this godforsaken place with just the two of them, it was best not to strain their relationship too much.


    As he mulled it over, he closed the door and left. The moment the door shut, Qin Shimoon, lying with her back to him, suddenly opened her eyes, a cunning gleam flickering in the darkness.


    Xiao Buli then returned to his own room. It seemed he was just being overly suspicious after all. If Qin Shimoon had been with Ancestral Dragon all this time, it made sense for her to know more about anything related to him, including General Huo''s military base. Perhaps her reserved nature just made her reluctant to explain more. Thinking of the days they spent together and looking forward to returning to the game to improve his abilities, Xiao Buli drifted off to sleep...


    "Xiao Buli, you have been arrested for betraying humanity by providing intelligence to the Demon Clan; you may remain silent, but everything you say will be used as evidence in court."


    To Xiao Buli''s surprise, he found himself standing in the dock of a courtroom. He looked blankly ahead, only to discover that sitting in the judge''s position was Huo Guangxiong.


    "No, I''m not a spy for the Demon Clan; he is the spy for the Demon Clan!" Xiao Buli pointed at Huo Guangxiong and shouted. A burst of laughter erupted around him. Startled, he looked around and saw the jury, each with the face of the Demon Clan, and the guards, stenographer, and lawyers all bore the faces of the Demon Clan as well. Xiao Buli was utterly confounded. What was going on?


    "I now pronounce that the charge of betraying humanity against Xiao Buli is confirmed; you are hereby sentenced to ten thousand years of imprisonment, to be carried out immediately."


    Ten thousand years? I''m even more wronged than Illidan. Xiao Buli struggled to draw his sword, but two guards grabbed him. The scene in front of him flashed, and he found himself in a prison, the iron doors of the cells were securely locked.


    "Click, click click, click click click" The sound of the iron doors locking suddenly became real, deafeningly loud. Xiao Buli jolted awake to find himself in the familiar surroundings of the base''s resting room¡ªit had all been just a dream. He breathed a sigh of relief, but the sound of metal clanging continued to ring in his ears.


    "No, this is not a dream." Xiao Buli leapt out of bed, rushed out of the rest room, and entered the main hall. Under the lighting of the base, he could clearly see the only big door opposite was closing, as thick as one''s arm, iron axles were extending from hidden recesses with continuous clicks, slowly coming together and slotting into opposite holes. Qin Shimoon was standing outside the base, her body equipped with gear, watching the door close and Xiao Buli emerging from his room. She smiled triumphantly at Xiao Buli and blew him a mocking kiss.


    Though it was only a matter of seconds, the few dozen meters to the door never seemed so long; it felt like an entire century to reach the edge of the door, which now had only about twenty centimeters left. Xiao Buli couldn''t make it in time, and the Mysterious Ice Slash had already been launched. Then, soaring high with his treasured sword, he struck down heavily on the iron axle that had just been hit as he fell, only to feel a numbing vibration in his hand. Looking at the iron axle, he saw it had only a fine crack.


    How could this be? He raised his treasured sword and delivered another Mysterious Ice Slash, but the door slammed shut with a loud clang.


    "No," Xiao Buli shouted, hacking and slashing at the door regardless. Sparks flew, but the door didn''t budge. "Qin Shimoon! Qin Shimoon~you come back here, that''s an order!" Xiao Buli yelled, but Qin Shimoon''s laughter was heard outside the door, "An order? I''m not quite inclined to obey, I''m afraid. Let me offer you a suggestion: stay put inside this base. Of course, if you don''t like it here, you can always go somewhere else. I''m very generous that way; it doesn''t matter if you don''t comply."


    The voice was coming from an old-fashioned loudspeaker next to the door, seemingly some sort of antiquated communication device. Hearing Qin Shimoon say this, Xiao Buli calmed down and asked the loudspeaker, "Does this mean the contract is null and void? How did it become void? At least let me know where I went wrong."


    "I''m afraid I can''t tell you that, but you''ll naturally understand when you get out. Goodbye, Xiao Buli. Since you saved me once, I''ll give you a piece of advice: if you want to seek revenge, you should first improve your strength, as I can''t guarantee what kind of terrible things might be waiting for you by the time you escape."


    Xiao Buli was stunned for a moment; Qin Shimoon''s words were cryptic. He wanted to ask more, but there was no more sound from the loudspeaker. Clearly, Qin Shimoon had left.


    Reflecting on Qin Shimoon''s actions over the past few days, Xiao Buli''s understanding finally became clear. It had all been a trap, luring the enemy deeper. This morning, she had been unguarded against him, which was out of character. Then at noon, she''d mysteriously knocked over the pot, and with Hei''s disappearance, she had her best chance to take action.


    Looking at the vast base around him, Xiao Buli knew that this was the prison meant to hold him. Even with all his skills, he was unable to use them here: Earth Escape would not work, as the ground was made of solid rock; his Qigong, even at its most powerful, was not as strong as explosives; and the great door and the rock were not something his Qi could penetrate.


    Xiao Buli quickly assessed his current situation, identifying his strengths and weaknesses. The unknown factors were: why Qin Shimoon had locked him up, what her objective was, and whether she had left for good or had gone to call for reinforcements to capture him. If she had left for good, there was no immediate danger to him, but if she had gone for reinforcements, who could she bring back?


    Ancestral Dragon had tried to eradicate her; even if she were to rejoin him, disregarding past grievances, it was questionable whether Ancestral Dragon would trust her, let alone bring troops to besiege such a useless piece like himself.


    And if she went to other forces, regardless of whether Qin Shimoon had the power to do so, no organization or individual would do something pointless. What benefit would killing him serve them? Without the backing of Ancestral Dragon, what leverage did Qin Shimoon have to negotiate with? So after some calm consideration, Xiao Buli was almost certain that Qin Shimoon had locked him up to escape from his control. If that was the case, the situation wasn''t too bad for him.


    The base had water, food, electricity, and he had a computer. So this wasn''t too different from his initial intention of finding a safe place to improve his capabilities. The only difference was that he couldn''t come and go as he pleased, but if he could improve his power in the game, Xiao Buli was confident that one day, this place won''t be able to hold him. With this thought, Xiao Buli''s mind gradually calmed. He returned to the resting room, looked at the computer, took a deep breath, and thought it seemed he was going to become a serious homebody.


    (End of Volume Two) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 346 Chapter One

    Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling!


    A series of grating alarm sounds jolted Xiao Buli awake from his deep slumber. He suppressed the urge to curse and, opening his eyes, surveyed the outdated interior around him with a sigh.


    Indeed, being locked up wasn''t a dream. While thinking, Xiao Buli climbed down from the bunk bed as the alarm continued to ring. It seemed Qin Shimoon had triggered something when she left¡ªit appeared to be the previous "resident''s" alarm system. After searching for a while and not finding the switch to turn it off, Xiao Buli couldn''t be bothered to change it and decided to just use it as an alarm clock.


    The alarm rang for over ten seconds before it stopped. Xiao Buli quickly dressed and stepped out of the bedroom into the dimly lit outside. Although it was daytime, there wasn''t much brightness underground. The living room was lit, but perhaps due to the impact of wind direction and speed on the wind power generation system, the voltage wasn''t very stable¡ªthe lighting was definitely not as bright as last night. It looked quite dim.


    Xiao Buli''s day began in this gloom. After a hasty breakfast of compressed biscuits and cold water¡ªalthough there was no shortage of food in this base, the taste wasn''t good and he didn''t know how long he would be staying, so he tried to conserve as much as possible¡ªhe picked up his laptop and logged into the game. Determined to leave this damned place as soon as possible, he decided to devote his time to the game in the following period, enhancing his strength within it while trying to learn abilities that could help him escape from this base.


    In the past, he had thought about focusing on enhancing his strength, but he was always distracted by various things. As a result, his strength remained mediocre to this day. He could handle ordinary enemies, but he was totally at a loss against opponents like the Ancestral Dragon, who had professional training on top of game abilities. Although trapped this time, he saw it as a rare opportunity. Once he calmed his mind, he was resolved to fully leverage his expertise as a gaming master and elevate his strength to the level of a powerhouse.


    The first thing he had to do was return to the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Upon logging in, Xiao Buli''s hand instinctively moved to the skill hotkeys out of caution¡ªthe pursuit in Nine Dragons City yesterday still unnerved him. Fortunately, his character was still in the decrepit temple with no creatures around. After confirming it was safe, he used Cloud Thunder Leap, soaring towards the direction of Mystic Hollow Palace.


    The journey was uneventful, and half an hour later, Xiao Buli had returned to Mystic Hollow Palace. The first thing he did was to find Xuanxu Zi.


    "Ah, my disciple, long time no see! What have you been up to lately?" Xuanxu Zi, the NPC, seemed genuinely happy to see him¡ªor was he?


    "Thank you for your concern, Master. I''ve been busy investigating the affairs of the Demon Clan." Since the other party was courteous, Xiao Buli naturally couldn''t be impolite.


    "Hasn''t the Demon Clan already been repelled?" Xuanxu Zi seemed puzzled.


    Xiao Buli was surprised; he was not clear about this. No wonder he saw players and NPCs in Nine Dragons City looking completely unfazed yesterday. However, he didn''t want to dwell too much on this issue. With his current knowledge about the Demon Clan and the Ancestral Dragon God, he was powerless against them, and improving his strength was still the priority. Thinking this, he didn''t respond to Xuanxu Zi''s question but bowed deeply and said, "Master, I wish to see if there are any spells I can learn."


    "Oh," Xuanxu Zi seemed not to mind and, with a flick of his horsetail whisk that carried an air of transcendence, pointed to the void, and once again, the skill list appeared before Xiao Buli''s eyes.


    In the past, when Xiao Buli looked at this skill list, he always focused on the powerful ultimate moves. This time, however, he focused on abilities that could help him escape the underground base, and sure enough, there were abilities that fit his requirements.


    Pass-Through-Walls Skills: An advanced ability of the Earth Escape Skills. With this spell, you enter an ethereal state, allowing you to pass through not only soft soil but even brick walls and iron barriers as if they were air. Consumes 50 True Origin Points and lasts for 10 seconds.


    (If you fail to pass through an object upon the skill''s end, it could be life-threatening.)


    Learning requirements: Taoist Heart LV4, spiritual power of 34 points. Contribution Value of 400 points.


    The skill was good, but the learning requirements were a bit of a stretch. He only had a Taoist Heart at LV3; he had no clue about how to advance it to LV4. He also lacked the necessary Contribution Value, having exhausted it on exchanging those Teleportation Talismans. It seemed he still had to do the Sect''s tasks. With that in mind, Xiao Buli bowed deeply to Xuanxu Zi and said,


    "Master, is there anything I can do to serve you?"


    Xuanxu Zi stroked his beard, pondering for a moment, "Of course. That traitor Xuan Zhenzi is still on the run. If you encounter him, you must kill him for me and bring back his head." It was that Xuan Zhenzi again; Xiao Buli wondered what deep enmity or grudge this old man had with him. Whenever Xuan Zhenzi was mentioned, Xuanxu Zi''s eyebrows would furrow, and even with his white hair and beard, he exuded a chilling killing intent.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, "I haven''t forgotten about this yet."


    He hastily agreed, but he didn''t take it to heart. This Xuan Zhenzi would not be easy to find, and even if he did encounter him, Xiao Buli did not plan to kill him this time. Instead, he wanted to clear up the matter of the Soul Departure Syndrome from him.


    "Hehe, are you still thinking about getting rid of me? To be honest, it''s futile for you to try," the voice seemed to have picked up on what Xiao Buli was thinking and opportunistically rang out in his ear again. Fortunately, Xiao Buli had grown accustomed to this voice, so he wasn''t alarmed, and besides, it wasn''t too bad having someone to talk to in this completely isolated environment. Therefore, Xiao Buli changed his usual resistance, and snorted in his mind, "You think I can''t do it? But Xuan Zhenzi has done it."


    "Xuan Zhenzi? Hmph, you don''t even understand what he''s all about. How do you know he has truly succeeded?


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    And even if he has succeeded, how can you be sure he will teach you? Don''t forget that you have killed him once."


    "Even if he agrees to teach you, what makes you think you can learn it? After all, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of players in this game, but how many can actually get rid of the trouble of the Heart Demon?"


    "Hey, are you annoying or what, with all this chatter? Heart Demon? So, are you saying that you are my Heart Demon?"


    Xiao Buli started talking to himself. Previously, because Qin Shimoon was around, Xiao Buli could only talk in his head, but now he could ask directly. However, this self-talk felt pretty strange, giving him a vibe like Smeagol in "The Lord of the Rings."


    "You could think of me that way, simply put, I am your subconscious. I know everything about you, and I also know many truths that you are aware of but don''t realize. Like that Qin Shimoon, deep down, you''ve already started doubting her, haven''t you? But why won''t you listen to me? In the end, it''s because you are too foolish, too full of yourself. It''s a common human failing. Only an existence like me can see through everything. Honestly, you should hand control of this body over to me; then you wouldn''t have ended up in such a state," the voice said, becoming softer in his mind as if gently persuading a child. The voice was gentle, disarming, and if Xiao Buli didn''t know its true nature, he might have been tempted to follow its words.


    "Hand over control of my body to you? How would I do that?" Xiao Buli, seemingly enticed, asked with interest.


    The voice, originally gentle and seductive, seemed taken aback by Xiao Buli''s question, but then suddenly laughed, "Are you trying to find out how I can take over your body and then plan your counterattack? Haha, smart indeed. But don''t forget, I am you. Whatever you think, I can hear, hahahaha." Laughter echoed in his mind.


    Xiao Buli felt helpless inside. How is it possible to fight back like this? Annoyed, he didn''t want to pay any more attention to it.


    But the voice seemed to sense Xiao Buli''s thoughts, stopped laughing, and continued, "That''s right, you indeed cannot fight me. I exist within you; I am you, and you do not understand me. As for how I will take control of your body, it''s simple. As long as you continue talking to me, one day, you will belong to me."


    "Aren''t you me? How can I belong to you? What a logical mess." Although he didn''t want to talk to it anymore, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but think that as long as he thought about it, it was as if he were speaking with it, presenting quite the problem. "If I don''t continue talking to it, then it can''t control me, right?" Xiao Buli pondered internally.


    "Oh? Haha," the voice in his mind laughed again, "You can try and see."


    Although he knew it might be futile, Xiao Buli decided to give it a try. Since thinking of it meant conversing with it, it seemed he could only ignore it and focus on other things to break free. With this in mind, Xiao Buli steadied his spirit and decided to make the attempt, which certainly couldn''t hurt.


    His attention returned to the computer screen, Xiao Buli decided to consult his master. Otherwise, what would be the point of acknowledging a master beyond learning skills?


    "Master, lately I have often felt doubts in my heart. A voice in my mind tells me to do things I wouldn''t normally do. May I know what this means?" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Xuanxu Zi''s face seemed to change¡ªXiao Buli wasn''t sure if it was the lighting effect¡ªbut for a moment, Xiao Buli thought his face flickered and his expression twisted.


    Xiao Buli''s heart tightened, but on closer inspection, he found that Xuanxu Zi still looked distinguished, as if it had been just an illusion.


    Was it really just an illusion? Xiao Buli wondered internally.


    PS: There will be another chapter tonight, continue to seek subscriptions. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at QiDian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 2 Three Dharma Methods

    "What you''re talking about must be your Heart Demon. We cultivators, due to long periods of Mind Cultivation and Spirit Refinement, constantly strive to improve our Taoist Heart. This involves repeatedly putting ourselves into different mental states to mimic various mindsets under different circumstances. These different mental states, when they coalesce, often give rise to a Heart Demon within our consciousness. A Heart Demon is part of you, born from the fragments of your consciousness. It''s neither the result of a spell''s effect nor an Undead spirit taking possession, which is why neither dispersing spells nor Exorcism Skills can eliminate it. However, it''s not entirely impossible to resolve. Our predecessors, experts in their own right, have devised numerous Dharma Methods to combat the Heart Demon. Just among those I know of, there are three methods to resist the Heart Demon,"


    Xiao Buli was instantly both startled and delighted. He thought to himself, good gracious, this is some real sorcery¡ªindeed, when an accomplished immortal farts, it sounds unlike any other. He had previously thought that Soul Departure Syndrome was incurable, and here were three methods presented to him, which was simply too fantastic. He quickly lowered his gaze, bowed deeply, and did his best to assume a humble appearance.


    "Please enlighten me, Master."


    The first one is called the Consciousness Integrating Skills, which merges these fragmented pieces of consciousness with your main consciousness into one, reconstituting a whole. This way, you will no longer be troubled by the Heart Demon. The side effect is that your personality will change, because with the addition of many consciousnesses, you will no longer be like your former self.


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    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli immediately shook his head. This old man¡ªthis method would hardly be different from being under its control. It sounded just like a play on words and too risky. To change and no longer be like his former self, he''d rather endure its nagging.


    "May I know what the other two methods are?"


    Xuanxu Zi stroked his beard and flicked his horsetail whisk, nodding his head.


    The second one is called the Corpse-Slaying Reincarnation Skills. First, you accumulate enough Merit Points, and then, once you have enough for resurrection, commit suicide. Use the Merit Points to reshape your body, and then have a accomplished cultivator bring your original body back to life. If done correctly, your Heart Demon will be resurrected within your original body, while you obtain a new body. However, this method is quite difficult to execute. It not only requires someone with immense Divine Abilities capable of Resurrection Skills, but the resurrection process itself is very dangerous. One small misstep could lead to a grave mistake, with unforeseen consequences. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, this one is even less reliable than the first. He didn''t have any Merit Points to speak of, let alone someone with immense Divine Abilities. Speaking of Divine Skills, he glanced at Xuanxu Zi. "Master, do you happen to know Resurrection Skills?" When discussing matters of life and death, Xiao Buli''s form of address naturally changed, shifting from ''you'' to the more respectful ''you''.


    "Hehe, of course I know Resurrection Skills. If you really wish to use the Corpse-Slaying Reincarnation Skills to combat your Heart Demon, I will certainly support you wholeheartedly. How about giving you a 20 percent discount?" Xuanxu Zi''s expression was mischievously sly as he said with a somewhat cunning smile.


    "Twenty percent discount? What discount?"


    Xuanxu Zi said, "Eh~, using Resurrection Skills requires the expenditure of one''s Primordial Spirit. With such Divine Skills at my disposal, you surely didn''t think I would perform them for free, did you? Ordinary people who seek my Resurrection Skills are charged 3000 Sect Contribution Value. But since you''re my disciple, let''s say 2400 Contribution Value for you."


    After listening, Xiao Buli truly regretted using the respectful form of ''you''. This sly old fox was clearly not one to soften his heart over a few kind words. Too steep, too steep¡ªthis method seemed out of the question as well.


    "Then, Master, what is the third Dharma Method?" Though his mind was filled with thoughts, Xiao Buli still bowed respectfully as he continued to inquire.


    Xuanxu Zi''s demeanor changed from the slickness of negotiating a deal to one of solemnity. He fell silent for a moment, seemingly reluctant to speak. Fortunately, due to Xiao Buli''s high favorability, he could not leave it unsaid. After a moment of contemplation, he began, "The third Dharma Method is known as the Soul Division Shadow Technique. It is an extremely dangerous method. One misstep could lead to the scattering of soul and spirit. However, if executed properly, it can be the most thorough method in combating the Heart Demon.


    "This method requires you to scatter your soul, creating many Avatar Shadows through Immortal Techniques. Each avatar possesses a small part of the original self''s consciousness. Among these avatars, the Heart Demon is one. Then, you make these avatars fight and kill each other. Each time an avatar dies, fragments of your consciousness will transfer from the deceased to the victor, whose memories will thus become more numerous. Through continuous battle and consolidation, when only one avatar remains, your soul will be restored to its original state, and the Heart Demon will most likely have died at the hands of your avatars. However, there is one particularly dangerous aspect¡ªif it is your Heart Demon that survives to the end, then the memories of your soul will essentially belong to it, and you will cease to exist in this world."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli was stunned. This method seemed dubious yet felt like it touched on something crucial. He revisited his past experiences in his mind and suddenly had an epiphany. He had always been puzzled why, after he killed Xuan Zhenzi, though the name was Xuan Zhenzi, the master still claimed it wasn''t and insisted he continue the pursuit. There was also the player whom Xuan Zhenzi had pulled into the game; he too encountered Xuan Zhenzi. Could there be so many Xuan Zhenzis in the world because they were the Avatar Shadows of Xuan Zhenzi?


    However, if they were the Avatar Shadows of Xuan Zhenzi, why then would Xuanxu Zi want to kill them? Could it be that Xuanxu Zi himself was one of Xuan Zhenzi''s Avatar Shadows, yet his name clearly was not Xuan Zhenzi? What was going on here? Xiao Buli pondered, unwittingly becoming lost in thought.


    "Which method do you wish to use, my disciple?" Xuanxu Zi, unaware of what was going through Xiao Buli''s mind on the other side of the screen, asked.


    "How does one practice the Avatar Shadow Transformation?" Xiao Buli, snapping back to reality upon hearing Xuanxu Zi''s question, asked in turn.


    "I have a text on the ''Soul Division Shadow Technique''. You only need to study it. However, your contribution to our sect is still too minor, and your qualifications are insufficient; I cannot teach it to you yet."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, always needing Contribution Value, always needing qualifications¡ªthese probably referred to favorability. He had always deeply detested the Prestige System in online games, and here he was, subjected to its tyranny yet again. He wondered which scoundrel had come up with such a system.


    "Nevertheless, I do recall something. There happens to be a task here requiring someone''s attention. If you can accomplish it, I might make an exception just this once." Xuanxu Zi was indeed adept at negotiation, deftly managing to send Xiao Buli''s emotions on a roller coaster ride.


    Upon hearing there was a solution, Xiao Buli quickly said, "Please tell me, Master."


    "Recently, the Demon Clan launched a major invasion, and though they were defeated and repelled by Nine Dragons City, there were countless dead in the chaos of war. Now, the Taiyin Sect is becoming active, taking advantage of these unpassed Undead and greatly expanding their forces. They have gathered a massive army of Corpse Soldiers at Wangliang Mountain and seem poised to make a move. I want you to gather information on their activities. If they truly harbor any schemes, it would be best if you could eliminate them."


    System Notification: Triggered quest ''The Taiyin Sect''s Conspiracy,'' do you accept? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 4 Find a Helper to Beat the Boss

    System Prompt: A quest ''The Conspiracy of the Taiyin Sect'' has been triggered, do you wish to accept? Yes/No.


    Quest Annotation: This quest is a sect quest, whether you accept and complete this quest will affect your prestige points within the sect.


    Quest Content: Investigate the truth behind Wangliang Mountain. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Quest Reward: 1000 sect prestige points, 1000 contribution points.


    Xiao Buli was so pleased he almost laughed out loud when he saw it. It was really like someone brought a pillow as soon as he wanted to sleep; he quickly clicked accept. Currently, his need for contribution points was urgent indeed, and moreover, having joined the Mystic Hollow Palace for so long, it was his first time encountering a sect quest worth 1000 prestige points. Although even a fool could see that this quest wouldn''t be easy, he couldn''t be too concerned about that at the moment. Besides, Xuanxu Zi wouldn''t possibly assign him a task too arduous. Would he really want to harm his own disciple?


    Seeing Xiao Buli accept the quest, Xuanxu Zi nodded and said, "Considering the extreme peril of this quest, my disciple, I am very worried about you going alone. Therefore, pick one of your three senior fellow disciples to accompany you. This way, it''s better to have someone watching your back, and I will be more at ease."


    Xiao Buli was both alarmed and excited upon hearing this. Alarmed that the quest required completion with an NPC¡ªclearly indicating its complexity. Excited because this meant the presence of a powerful NPC assistant, making the task much easier and, if the conditions allowed, possibly taking the opportunity to accomplish other things on the side.


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    In the past, when Xiao Buli played games, he had encountered similar scenarios. Whenever he could complete a quest with an NPC, he usually wouldn''t hurry to complete the mission, instead wandering around with the NPC, looking for bosses to battle. Since they were part of the same team, as long as the NPC was powerful enough, some bosses that were normally impossible to tackle alone could be easily dealt with. And if it caused the quest to fail, no big deal¡ªhe could just accept it again.


    Although it seemed in this game that NPCs couldn''t be revived once dead, he still decided to make appropriate use of one. It would be a shame not to take advantage of such a strong teammate.


    The current issue was, which one to choose as a teammate? Having bid farewell to his master, Xiao Buli left the main hall and went through the strengths and weaknesses of his three senior fellow disciples in his mind.


    All three fellow disciples had green names for NPCs, signifying that each of them possessed great potential for growth and combat strength. However, considering that the task involved investigation, stealth and ambush aspects would be more important, so clearly the decision couldn''t be based solely on combat capabilities. Duo coordination and action skills would also be very important.


    First, there was the eldest senior brother, Gu Yuexuan. Obviously the strongest in combat among the three, he was a master of the Sword Control Technique and absolutely excellent at clearing enemies. Although there had been no chance to see him in action, the Sword King of the Longquan Sword Pavilion with the golden name had targeted him as a challenge, which said enough about his terrifying combat ability. His action skill was Sword Flight, which was definitely top-notch in terms of speed, but it didn''t quite cut it in terms of stealth. Moreover, out of the three, the eldest senior brother was the most stubborn and rigid, and difficult to communicate with. But considering it was a mission, maybe it wouldn''t be too hard to instruct him.


    Thinking of the third senior sister, Ji Xiangyun, with her unreliable personality, Xiao Buli shuddered. As an Immortal Skills Practitioner, she was clearly the most powerful in terms of spells among the three. In terms of action skills, she had Short-distance Teleportation and Invisibility Technique, which didn''t seem too shabby. Most importantly, since the mission involved dealing with Corpse-driving Warlocks, the main enemies would be of the undead variety, making Ji Xiangyun''s spells particularly useful. However, Xiao Buli wasn''t sure why he somewhat resisted working with this quirky woman, wondering if she might end up using him to accomplish her own missions instead. He felt a bit uncertain about her controllability, so it was a tentative choice.


    Then there was the second senior brother, Jingci. As a fellow Cursed Swordsman, his strength was likely a bit weaker than the eldest senior brother''s, but that was somewhat compensated by his Beast Taming Skills. His action skills included stealth skills similar to the Skimming Shadow Steps, so his stealth was also quite strong. Moreover, he interacted with Jingci the most out of the three, so his favorability was relatively high. He was also easy to talk to. Heh, clearly the best choice.


    With his thoughts racing, Xiao Buli had already made up his mind. Without any hesitation, he headed to the Beast Pen.


    At that moment, Jingci was playing with a large beast. The creature looked somewhat like a tiger, but not quite, covered in a coat of fine golden fur that was smooth and dense. However, many scales emerged along the flanks, and a sharp horn grew on its forehead, making it look extraordinary, and strangely familiar. Xiao Buli suddenly paused, "Maoqiu?" Though still doubtful, his fingers were quicker than his brain, and the name "Maoqiu" had already been typed out.


    The large beast paused, then looked up at Xiao Buli and pounced towards him. Xiao Buli was startled and about to dodge when the beast, with its agile movements, blurred in front of him, and he was swiftly bowled over. The beast licked his face with its barbed tongue, clearly delighted, wagging its body like a happy puppy. And since his character wasn''t losing any health, Xiao Buli finally breathed a sigh of relief. But it seemed that this bulky creature was indeed the Maoqiu he had once known. Surprisingly, it had grown so much, appearing to have developed quite formidably.

 Chapter 4 Find a Helper to Beat the Boss_2

    Xiao Buli couldn''t help feeling some regret in his heart. He really shouldn''t have sold it to Jingci so hastily. But then, he thought that if it had stayed by his side, it probably would still look the same as before. With this thought, he felt relieved.


    "Heh, who would have thought it still remembers you," Jingci''s figure emerged from the Beast Pen, "Come back, ''Bloody Wind''."


    Following his call, Maoqiu obediently ran back, and that''s when Xiao Buli noticed its name had changed to Bloody Wind.


    "You named it Bloody Wind?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Yes," Jingci said, "it matches well with my other pet," he pointed not far away to Xiao Buli, who turned to look. The other beast was called ''Blood Rain,'' a large eagle with a wingspan of over three meters that seemed to have undergone some sort of mutation. The edges of its massive black wings faintly revealed a sanguine hue, and its eyes shone with a blue light, clearly no ordinary creature, and it was even a gold-named pet.


    "This King of Eagles was something I caught at Heavenly Pillar Peak a while ago. To get it, some other pets died, but now it seems it was worth it. Now with ''Bloody Wind'' and ''Blood Rain,'' ordinary folks will no longer be my match. Speaking of which, I owe a lot to your Demon Star Fragment, wahahaha!"


    Watching Jingci''s smug and arrogant expression, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel surprised. The growth rate of this green-name NPC was indeed astonishing. Although he didn''t know the specific changes in Jingci, just the two pets themselves were freakishly strong. One could imagine that once he went out, he would surely be strutting around.


    "Right, junior brother, are you looking for me for something?" After Jingci finished showing off, he restrained his smile and asked Xiao Buli.


    "Oh, master gave me a task," Xiao Buli hurriedly stated his purpose. Now wasn''t the time to envy others; he needed to focus on his growth, "Master asked me to investigate the truth at Wangliang Mountain and told me to find someone to go with."


    Jingci was expected to readily agree given their relationship, but upon hearing this, he suddenly said, "You''re not thinking of asking me to go, are you?" He seemed quite reluctant.


    "Yes," Xiao Buli replied reluctantly. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "There''s nothing like a decent pet on Wangliang Mountain. I don''t want to go," Jingci said, caressing the golden fur on Bloody Wind''s head.


    "How about I go with you?" Suddenly, a voice came from the sky, seemingly far away yet also very close. The next moment, a streak of white light descended from the sky, and Xiao Buli was pushed several feet to the side before he stabilized himself. From the white light emerged a treasured sword emitting a pure white glow, quietly floating in mid-air. With a flash of light, the sword vanished, leaving behind a young man in white standing there - none other than Gu Yuexuan.


    "Ah, big senior brother, who would have thought you''ve cultivated your Sword Control Technique to the state of human-sword unity, congratulations!" Jingci immediately congratulated with a cupped fist greeting upon seeing him.


    "You''re too polite, your strength improvement isn''t bad either." Although Gu Yuexuan spoke words of compliment, his tone was indifferent, as if just being polite.


    After finishing, Gu Yuexuan glanced at Xiao Buli, "But junior brother, you have been a bit lax recently, it seems your True Yuan hasn''t grown much."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself how he could compare with these abnormal monsters, but the display of strength from these two people indeed stimulated his nerves. It looked like he needed to increase his strength quickly.


    "Spells and such are good and show quick effects, but the real measure of strength is clearly decisive power, such as the level of Taoist Heart and the improvement of core skill realms. Just like big senior brother''s human-sword unity, it''s incredibly powerful at a glance." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli internally competed, but outwardly he quickly complained, hoping these NPCs would give him some constructive advice, "But I can''t do anything about it, master won''t teach me, and I still don''t know how to improve my Taoist Heart level."


    "If you want to improve your swordsmanship, just come to me. If you want to enhance your Taoist Heart level, then you need to find third junior sister," Gu Yuexuan was stern yet honest; hearing what Xiao Buli said, he immediately gave advice.


    "Senior brother, are you calling me?" A crisp female voice rang out, and suddenly a tearing sound came through the air.


    Seemingly without a trace, Jingci and Gu Yuexuan both took two steps back. Xiao Buli, although unsure why, knew that it''s always good to be cautious and hastily retreated as well. The next moment, a huge black hole emerged in the air, the light around it twisting. Then, as if the computer screen had been torn open, a delicate figure emerged from the black hole, and just as quickly, the hole disappeared.


    This teleportation skill was rather flashy, and with Xiao Buli''s keen intuition for game skills, that teleportation technique must also have a damage effect. If one were to attack just as the opponent was teleporting, they''d likely be in for a trap.


    "Hey, so it''s the junior brother who''s returned, huh? Why didn''t you come and visit your senior sister?" Ji Xiangyun''s voice was still cheerful. Xiao Buli, however, was taken aback at that moment. It seemed that Ji Xiangyun''s strength had also increased, and the three people in front of him had undergone a qualitative change compared to when he had last seen them.


    "Senior sister, good day." Suppressing the surprise in his heart, Xiao Buli bowed and said.


    "By the way, what''s the deal with that task you mentioned earlier?" Gu Yuexuan seemed very interested in the task, so he didn''t wait for the three to exchange pleasantries and directly asked Xiao Buli again.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, well, I might as well let them decide, and so he repeated Xuanxu Zi''s instructions to all three.


    At the end, he added, "Master asked me to find a companion, so I came here."


    Ji Xiangyun pouted and said, "I thought it was something important. I''ve contributed so many elixirs to the sect, I don''t need Contribution Value anymore. I won''t go."


    "Sister, how come you haven''t been docked all your Contribution Value after blowing up the alchemical room so many times?" Jingci teased upon hearing this.


    Ji Xiangyun pursed her lips and glared at him fiercely, saying, "That''s none of your business."


    Gu Yuexuan then took over, "I''ll go. My human-sword unity technique has just been perfected. I need to find someone to practice with. Those Corpse-driving Warlocks from the Taiyin Sect may be a bit rubbish, but there are plenty of them, enough for me to test my sword moves."


    His tone was nonchalant, clearly not taking those guys seriously.


    Jingci, hearing this, responded precisely as he had hoped, "Then I won''t compete with you for it."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, just treat me as if I''m not here, but he didn''t dare to say anything out of turn. After all, the strength of each of them was abnormal, and it didn''t make any difference which one accompanied him. Xiao Buli was rubbing his hands together, eager to see what kind of waves he could make this time with such an impressive NPC by his side.


    He had already decided that if the situation went well, he might as well wipe out the Taiyin Sect. There were sure to be a lot of good drops from the boss of Wangliang Mountain, and the items would likely be of little interest to his prideful senior brother, meaning they would end up in his own hands. Even if the senior brother wanted half, there would still be plenty left for himself.


    While thinking this, he quickly said, "Then I''ll be counting on senior brother."


    "No need for thanks. We''re all doing work for the sect. Do you have a Dharma Method for flying? If not, go borrow an Auspicious Cloud Immortal Crane from Qingfeng Mingyue immediately. If you can''t fly, I won''t have the time to wait for you."


    Xiao Buli replied, "Heh, no need to worry about that. I do have the ability to fly, senior brother can rest assured."


    Gu Yuexuan nodded, "That''s good. Let''s not delay any further; we should set off at once."


    After saying that, he leaped lightly, turning into a flawless beam of sword light, and soared into the sky.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly used Cloud Thunder Leap and surged into the sky, following after him.


    PS: My cousin is getting married tomorrow, so there will only be one update tonight. Updates will resume to two per day the day after tomorrow. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 5 Wangliang Mountain

    Xiao Buli didn''t have much of an idea about the location of Wangliang Mountain, but seeing the momentum with which his eldest senior brother soared from the ground, it was obvious that Gu Yuexuan knew where to go. Therefore, Xiao Buli didn''t waste words and simply followed, flying just the same.


    From the sky, Xiao Buli could clearly see the white sword light that was Gu Yuexuan. As soon as they left Mystic Hollow Palace, they sped towards the southwest. Xiao Buli hastily adjusted his position to keep up. Fortunately, his Cloud Thunder Leap had been continuously upgraded, and now he was able to maintain flight in the sky. Otherwise, Xiao Buli would really have had to resort to borrowing something like an Immortal Crane. Of course, such a flight did continuously consume True Yuan points.


    Now, Xiao Buli''s speed with Cloud Thunder Leap was ten times that of his running speed, roughly reaching a velocity of two to three hundred kilometers per hour. However, compared to Gu Yuexuan, who had achieved human-sword unity, it was still far behind.


    In just over ten minutes, Xiao Buli gradually fell behind. He was anxious in his heart, but his speed remained constant, neither fast nor slow. This was the gap between them. As he was becoming increasingly anxious, he saw Gu Yuexuan''s sword light finally descend, coming to a stop on the summit of a barren mountain. Xiao Buli finally managed to catch up and hastily followed down. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a crack of thunder, Xiao Buli''s entrance might not have been fast, but the sound and light effects were definitely impressive. Following the lightning flash, Xiao Buli landed on the mountain peak, at the edge of the large crater he created. Gu Yuexuan, clad in white as snow, stood proudly, having obviously dodged as soon as Xiao Buli landed. This also demonstrated that Gu Yuexuan''s martial arts proficiency was more than just a little better than Xiao Buli''s. Gu Yuexuan stood at the edge of the cliff, his back to him.


    "Senior brother, why did we stop?" Xiao Buli got up from the big crater he''d created, curiously asking.


    "This flying skill of yours..." Gu Yuexuan hesitated to speak, clearly somewhat disdainful, but then considering it had little to do with himself, he left his sentence unfinished. After a moment''s contemplation, he changed the subject, "How is the task master assigned you, to assassinate Xuan Zhenzi, coming along?" Although Xiao Buli couldn''t see Gu Yuexuan''s expression, he clearly felt his eldest senior brother seemed not too pleased.


    Xiao Buli was aware that Gu Yuexuan also seemed to have plans regarding Xuan Zhenzi and he seemed to have been working on this behind their master''s back all this time. Although he wasn''t too interested in knowing what was going on between them, the fact he brought it up now obviously meant Gu Yuexuan was also anxious about the delay in the mission. Gu Yuexuan was in a rush, but Xiao Buli was not, so he feigned ignorance and said, "Well, it''s still in progress, what''s wrong?" "You," Gu Yuexuan sounded annoyed by his response, yet he could not find a reason to rebuke him, especially since he did not want to alarm others, "It''s nothing, it''s just that you should remember our original agreement. Besides, I have taught you so many swordsmanship secrets, and yet your enthusiasm for the mission seems a little lacking."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, as expected. It seemed Gu Yuexuan had accompanied him on this mission mostly to discuss matters outside of Mystic Hollow Palace''s boundaries. He figured if they had assigned him the mission, it meant they had their own difficulties and couldn''t carry it out themselves. Otherwise, with the abilities of both the master and Gu Yuexuan, who were naturally a hundred times stronger than himself, killing Xuan Zhenzi wouldn''t be difficult. Since he was afforded such favorable conditions, it was only natural for him to gain some information or other benefits from it.


    Therefore, he complained, "Eldest senior brother, I really can''t help it. I know very little about this Xuan Zhenzi. I neither know his background nor which sect he belongs to. The last encounter with him was purely by chance, and who knew it was just an impostor in the end. The mortal world is so vast; where do you expect me to start looking? I asked our master, and he wouldn''t tell me anything, which is like asking a clever cook to make a meal without rice. Maybe you know something that could provide me with some information?"


    Although he complained, he didn''t truly hope to learn any secrets about Xuan Zhenzi from Gu Yuexuan. Since both their master and Gu Yuexuan made the matter so mysterious, there must be unspeakable secrets involved. However, by first downplaying and then emphasizing, since Gu Yuexuan could not help with information, it was natural for him to seek more help in other areas.


    Indeed, Gu Yuexuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Regarding the matter of Xuan Zhenzi, my knowledge is also quite limited. If I knew his origins, wouldn''t I have gone to find him myself, which would have been faster? But, senior brother also knows your difficulties. Just try your best to inquire about him."


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    As soon as Xiao Buli was ready to hit the road, he immediately feigned Weakness and said, "Senior brother, wait a moment, I need to recover my True Origin Points." Without paying heed to their ongoing conversation, he crossed his legs and sat down, starting to cultivate.


    Gu Yuexuan wasn''t in a hurry either. He stood aside, deep in thought, quietly watching Xiao Buli as he used the Five Qi Chao Yuan to recover.


    After a good ten minutes, the True Origin Points were finally restored to their peak state. Xiao Buli got up and then said, "Ah, senior brother, I really want to serve the Sect wholeheartedly, but as you can see, my skills are mediocre. If I could enhance my ability, I believe my flying speed would be faster. The faster I walk, the more places I''ll pass. The more places I pass, the more people I''ll encounter..."


    "Alright, alright, just say what you want," Gu Yuexuan interrupted Xiao Buli''s roundabout talk impatiently, already knowing his junior brother must be seeking something.


    "Hehe, senior brother, on normal days if one wants to practice cultivation methods, how does one train? I''ve used the Dharma Method for tracking Vital Energy and searched all over the world for a long time but haven''t found any place with Vital Energy. I think if my Vital Energy were¡­" Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Buli cut to the chase without beating around the bush.


    As soon as Gu Yuexuan heard this, he knew what was being asked; it wasn''t a question that couldn''t be answered, so he replied, "The Vital Energy of this world is no longer abundant, having been largely absorbed by those cultivators from the ancient times. What little remains that can generate Vital Energy has also been occupied by the major powers, beyond the reach of common people. Even if one or two undiscovered places rich in Vital Energy do exist, without a fortuitous convergence, they are likely hard to find. Let''s not talk about this any longer, we should move quickly." It seemed he no longer held much hope for Xiao Buli fulfilling the mission, thus he was not keen to prolong the discussion, hoping to complete the mission quickly and return.


    Seeing Gu Yuexuan''s attitude, Xiao Buli understood that he would probably not be able to extract any more advantages about Cultivation Techniques from him. Without actual achievements, it would likely be futile, so he didn''t press the issue.


    "Alright then, where is this Wangliang Mountain?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Just beyond this mountain peak. Since it''s a reconnaissance mission, it would be better for us to approach in Stealth," Gu Yuexuan pointed ahead and said, implying that he had paused at this mountain peak with that thought in mind.


    PS: It turns out that today is just the setup, and the actual day is tomorrow, so only one chapter will be updated tomorrow. Regular multi-chapter updates will resume the day after tomorrow. My apologies to everyone. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it, subscribe, or purchase monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 6 Slaying the Golden Boss

    This time, the two did not linger. They employed their Light Body Skills, and Gu Yuexuan frowned at the sight of Xiao Buli''s footwork, occasionally stopping to wait for him. Nonetheless, in less than ten minutes, Wangliang Mountain was already in sight.


    In fact, Xiao Buli was not familiar with Wangliang Mountain, but the mountain before him was so peculiar that despite seeing it for the first time, he immediately perceived it as their destination for this trip.


    Strictly speaking, this wasn''t a single mountain, but rather a series of continuous hills. The vegetation was sparse, scattered like an old dog almost out of fur, and what little there was had a withered black hue. The ground was engulfed in shady, white mists¡ªthick in some areas, thin in others, hovering over the barren mountain like a lingering haze.


    Xiao Buli looked at the ominous atmosphere and thought to himself that it truly seemed like an inauspicious place.


    From a distance, Gu Yuexuan slowed down, and Xiao Buli hurriedly caught up with him.


    "It seems the influence of the Taiyin Sect here is much bigger than I anticipated. Brace yourself, we''re about to sneak in," Gu Yuexuan whispered to Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli nodded his head, about to agree, when suddenly an idea struck him. Xiao Buli knew quite a bit about gaming; there were specific rules in games, and despite this game being overly humanized, both NPCs and players were bound by the game''s rules, or what they called Heavenly Dao. Because their earlier conversation hadn''t been pleasant, Xiao Buli had almost forgotten his initial idea to use this opportunity to defeat more bosses. Now that he saw Gu Yuexuan was serious about the mission despite his dissatisfaction, Xiao Buli suddenly felt that he had been treating the game''s characters too much like real people. Since there were rules, Xiao Buli naturally wanted to take full advantage of them.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli quietly asked, "Elder brother, with Wangliang Mountain being so vast, do you know where exactly the Taiyin Sect is located?"


    What Xiao Buli thought in his heart might seem verbose when put into words, but in reality, it only took a few seconds. Gu Yuexuan was unaware of his thoughts; upon hearing the question, he snorted coldly, "No matter where they are, we''ll just head towards the place with the densest gathering of Yin Souls and Walking Corpses. We''ll fight gods if we encounter gods, and fight Buddhas if we encounter Buddhas. Once we''ve flattened Wangliang Mountain, the mission will naturally be complete."


    After speaking, he added, "When I was in the sky earlier, I saw in the depths of Wangliang Mountain, there was a town nestled amongst the hills, with an eerie ghostly aura and a dense demonic fog. It must be the headquarters of the Taiyin Sect. We shall just fight our way in."


    Xiao Buli hurriedly opened the map, and indeed, among the illuminated sections, there was a town conspicuously marked. The name displayed on the map was ''Ming Mountain Ghost Town,'' a place that did not sound friendly at all. It might even involve a dungeon or at the very least an outdoor boss.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that Gu Yuexuan was trying to trap him. Gu Yuexuan was powerful and feared nothing, but Xiao Buli wasn''t yet at a stage where he could disregard his well-being. If it was just an outdoor encounter, he wouldn''t be too worried about being ambushed, but if they entered something like a dungeon, that would be a different story. The safest approach was naturally to scout the periphery first and clear out the Minor Monsters. It was Xiao Buli''s first time doing a quest with an NPC, and he wanted to find out how much Gu Yuexuan could assist him, and also to take the opportunity to enhance his own strength. Looking at the sizeable Wangliang Mountain on the map, if he could mix in for a couple of days, he estimated he could accumulate a substantial amount of Experience Points. With a skill upgrade before the assault, he would have more confidence.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli said, "Brother, there''s no rush. Our mission this time is to scout out the conspiracy of the Taiyin Sect, and we can''t act rashly and startle the snake. I know you''re powerful elder brother, unafraid of the riffraff of the Taiyin Sect, but as the saying goes, ''Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.'' If there''s an even more powerful force behind the Taiyin Sect, acting hastily would be dangerous. Besides, the master also hopes that our focus is on reconnaissance." While mentioning the master, Xiao Buli was trying to use the master''s authority to pressure Gu Yuexuan, because you would undoubtedly listen to the master''s words.


    Who knew that while Xiao Buli was speaking earlier, despite displaying impatience, Gu Yuexuan made no actual protest. Upon hearing the mention of the master, his eyebrows twitched, albeit only momentarily. Xiao Buli sensed that he might get angry, but fortunately, he quickly composed himself. After Xiao Buli finished speaking, Gu Yuexuan''s face showed no other expression but asked, "What do you suggest, then?"


    Xiao Buli said, "If the Taiyin Sect harbors great ambitions, they surely won''t have just this one base. With Wangliang Mountain being so large, there are bound to be many more of their strongholds nearby. Besides, based on my experience, the outer defenses are usually more relaxed and easier to penetrate. We should investigate them one by one first, and once we have a clearer understanding of the extent and scale of the Taiyin Sect''s forces here, we can then decide what to do next. What do you think?"


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    Gu Yuexuan pondered for a moment, seemingly understanding something, then indifferently responded, "Since the master told me to assist you in completing the mission, I''ll listen to you. Just lead the way, and I''ll follow you." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli had thought it would take some convincing, but seeing how easily Gu Yuexuan agreed, he was overjoyed and quickly made his way to a hilltop he had spotted earlier. As he walked, he said to Gu Yuexuan, "Earlier I noticed that part of the forest is quite different from the other vegetation in the mountains. Let''s start our search from there."

 Chapter 6 Torturing the Golden Boss Part 2

    Even as they flew through the air, Xiao Buli had taken the time to scan the map of the region. With his research and experience in gaming, he was quite good at interpreting the system-generated maps with their dots and crosses. For example, he paid attention to Wangliang Mountain before his eyes, which was mostly marked in grey on the map, with only a small part of its undulating hills depicted with contour lines and such. There were also some special markers.


    Like on the easternmost hill of the mountain range, the summit there was markedly different from other areas, featuring a fairly large, dense forest. In most games, special terrains like this often contained something worth exploring, and so Xiao Buli took note of it.


    Fortunately, the hill was not very tall or steep, and under Xiao Buli''s lead, the two of them strolled up without any hindrance. They quickly reached the summit, and this time, Gu Yuexuan did not urge him to move faster, seemingly cooperative. This allowed Xiao Buli to gradually relax; his biggest concern had been the possibility of his senior brother''s non-cooperation. Now it seemed that rules indeed played an unignorable role in this game.


    From a distance, the vegetation of that forest was obviously different from the drab plants of Wangliang Mountain¡ªalthough the dark green leaves looked very odd, the lushness was quite reminiscent of ordinary mountain forests. Just as they reached the top, suddenly, a wild beast''s roar sounded from within the woods, shaking the sky and making the ground under their feet tremble. They could tell from a single listen that it was a substantial creature.


    It seemed there might be a BOSS to fight, and by the sounds of it, a rather formidable one at that. If it had been any other day, Xiao Buli would have been cautious¡ªafter all, one only has a single life¡ªbut why would he worry with Gu Yuexuan at his side?


    Xiao Buli earnestly pointed towards the forest and turned to Gu Yuexuan, saying, "Senior brother, listen, that roar doesn''t belong to any ordinary beast. I suspect there might be Taiyin Sect Followers in these woods, perhaps cultivating some monstrous and powerful creature. Let me check it out." Without waiting for Gu Yuexuan to respond, he sent a Mysterious Ice Slash zipping into the forest.


    With a pained howl, the beast in the woods cried out in agony. Its voice was not as forceful as before, but it was indeed getting closer. It seemed the creature had heard human voices and was running towards them.


    "Be careful, senior brother," Xiao Buli shouted, with no time to adjust his position. Accompanied by a fierce roar, the next moment, a behemoth as tall as a two-story building stumbled out from the woods. The monster, bear-like but not a bear, had long tusks protruding from its mouth. Now standing on two legs, frost and a sword cut were clearly visible on its chest¡ªthe signs of being hit squarely by Xiao Buli''s Mysterious Ice Slash. Upon closer inspection, it was a golden-named BOSS-level creature.


    "It''s a Soul Devouring Demon! I didn''t expect to find such Demon Beasts here. Good, I''ll take it as a chance to practice my sword," Gu Yuexuan said, unfazed by the monster and considering it merely a target.


    Internally, Xiao Buli remarked, "it''s good you''re not afraid, just make sure to behave. I''m not daring to face it head-on." He also noticed the name of the creature and quickly cast Mind Revelation coupled with Mind''s Eye, revealing a string of information about the monster.


    Soul Devouring Demon, a type of demonic being that grows in the Corpse Soul Evil Land, it has the capability to devour the souls of the Undead. Because it continuously emits Yin Energy, the nearby vegetation often becomes excessively lush and takes on a dark green color...


    Health points: 8725.


    Skill 1: Soul Devour.


    Skill 2: Frenzied Charge.


    Skill 3: Rotten Stench.


    Skill 4: Yin Energy Field.


    Skill 5: ??????


    Skill 6: ??????


    Skill 7:..........


    Gu Yuexuan didn''t bother with these trifles, and as soon as he finished speaking, his hand pinched the sword technique violently. The treasured sword in the scabbard behind him vibrated loudly within its sheath, obviously responding to something. Then, with a vertical point of his sword finger, the treasured sword shot out accordingly.


    Sword Control Heart Method¡ªMyriad Swords into Shadows! Gu Yuexuan roared, and in the blink of an eye, the treasured sword transformed into thousands of sword shadows, raining down on the huge monster. Although this move was an AOE spell mean for a group attack, the monster was so large that about eighty or ninety percent of the sword shadows fell upon its body, instantly generating several hundred damage numbers, albeit only -8, -9, -10, not very significant individually. But together, they added up to over a thousand damage.


    The monster was truly tough, enduring over a thousand damage without significant trouble. Instead, its fierceness was provoked. With a huge mouth gaping, it roared and lunged at the two of them, its momentum unmatched. Trees at the edge of the forest, not fully grown, were broken where broken, scattered where scattered, creating a chaos of flying wood chips.


    Xiao Buli quickly dodged and retreated, constantly casting Mysterious Ice Slash while doing so. Although this skill could only chip away dozens of health points from the monster, which had nearly ten thousand health points, it was better than nothing. Xiao Buli certainly didn''t hope to cause much damage. Following such a formidable ally, he was just there to blend in and gain experience. His real aim was to ensure he had priority over the monster''s loot.


    As for Xiao Buli''s lax effort, Gu Yuexuan didn''t even glance at him. After unleashing a powerful attack, he did not retreat but advanced, wielding the sword technique again. The myriad sword shadows merged back into one, transforming into a white rainbow with a flick of his finger, piercing the entire monster like a meteor chasing the moon.


    -2378, a huge red number burst forth, and the monster which had seemed to become enraged and fiercer after the initial injuries, was now suddenly deflated by the heavy blow. The step it took forward staggered, and Gu Yuexuan did not give it any chance to recover. A series of attacks followed like flowing water, while Xiao Buli kept on casting Mysterious Ice Slash nonstop, his mouth agape in shock. Looking back at the scene, the monster had lost its initial momentum, staggered in place, and seemed unable to stand up. In no time at all, there was a loud crash, and the monster was slain.


    "Holy shit, that was amazing!" Xiao Buli said, "Senior brother is mighty, senior brother''s presence is overwhelming."


    Gu Yuexuan sheathed his sword and glanced at the corpse of the mountain monster, looking somewhat unimpressed. He sighed and murmured, "There''s still a long way to go, a very long way."


    After saying that, he turned and left, appearing somewhat desolate as he made his way downhill.


    Seeing Gu Yuexuan''s performance, Xiao Buli was overjoyed. He loved showing off, and he adored getting equipment without competition. Watching Gu Yuexuan stride away without a backward glance, Xiao Buli hurried to the monster''s side and clicked to loot.


    The loot that dropped from this boss-level monster was indeed impressive, popping up a long list of items. However, upon inspection, most were materials; after all, beast-type monsters usually didn''t drop equipment. Although this creature was not entirely a beast, it seemed to follow this rule.


    Items like Spirit Communication Stone, Ghost Jade, and the like, either blue, dark blue, or even silver in color, were obviously valuable, probably something like gallstones from the monster. Xiao Buli swiftly looted everything, but at the bottom, he found something different.


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    Dense Soul Crystal: A crystal stone formed by countless souls, possessing powerful Spiritual Soul Force, an excellent material for making Magical Treasures.


    Although the description was short, the quality was indeed gold. This was Xiao Buli''s first encounter with such an item, undoubtedly a treasure. To think that he would gain such a spoil from the first boss! No, he had to make better use of his senior brother.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli rushed down the mountain, calling out as he ran, "Senior brother, I found a pond to the west, it seems suspicious too, let''s check it out."


    PS: I attended a wedding last night and got back really late, which is why there was no update. Apologies for that. Today will be back to normal, with another chapter in the evening. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 7 Ming Mountain Ghost Town

    Xiao Buli led the way, and Gu Yuexuan displayed his power. Xiao Buli felt as if he had momentarily returned to his early days of playing online games when he used to follow high-level teammates to leech experience.


    Throughout the day, Xiao Buli and Gu Yuexuan had fought three major wild bosses and five minor bosses. They also killed countless normal and rare elites, incidentally saving a group of villagers who had been captured, thus earning a considerable amount of Merit Points.


    The only regret was that although there were many loot drops, the categories were very singular ¨C either materials or inner cores. Even the bosses with prestigious names dropped the same. On the rare occasions that a piece of equipment did drop, the quality was so poor that it was worse than the gear Xiao Buli had swapped out and didn''t plan to use, which left Xiao Buli rather speechless.


    It seemed necessary to find a blueprint; otherwise, all these materials would be of no use. Xiao Buli finally had a moment to open his inventory screen and organize it. As he looked at the bag stuffed with various materials, he felt a headache coming on. Suddenly, he noticed something very familiar in the bag¡ªsomething that resembled a backpack. He clicked it with his mouse and the display read ¡ª "Mysterious Weapon Assembly Set." After recalling carefully, he remembered that it should be the weapon bag that Lu Xinying had, which he had hastily packed with a selection of weapons at that time. Subsequent twists and rebirth had left him no time to cash in these weapons in the game, and he had almost forgotten about them. He''d have to go back and ask Gao Bainame to appraise them and see how powerful they were.


    "Junior Brother, we''ve circled enough; we should be able to proceed with the final task now, right?" Gu Yuexuan also took a short break to recover his strength.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli quickly closed his inventory and glanced at the map. Wangliang Mountain''s map was neither too large nor too small. The two of them had ravaged it all day, and they had explored every slightly conspicuous place on the map. Now, aside from the town nestled in the mountain basin, there seemed to be nothing else worth plundering, so Xiao Buli said to Gu Yuexuan, contently, "Hehe, of course. You''ve worked hard, Senior Brother. Since we haven''t found anything else, it looks like we can only go explore that central area." Although he had gained advantages, Xiao Buli still spoke with rhetorical politeness, as if all the trouble had been a reluctant necessity.


    Being just an NPC and constrained by rules, Gu Yuexuan had no objections. The two men proceeded towards the Ghost Town, one following the other.


    The monsters they had fought along the way were all somewhat related to the Undead, but they were not aligned with the forces of the Taiyin Sect. As the two made their way through the killing spree, there had been no system prompts about decreasing Prestige with the Taiyin Sect, which indicated that these were probably just wild monsters influenced by the unique environment, dark in nature, but fundamentally not much related to the Taiyin Sect.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli lowered his expectations for the difficulty of the mission. Since the Taiyin Sect had established a stronghold here, logically, Wangliang Mountain''s territory should be heavily guarded, with sentries every ten steps and watch posts every five. Yet, the two had caused a commotion all day without alerting anyone, suggesting that these sect members were not formidable opponents. It seemed he was going to earn that thousand points of Contribution Value quite effortlessly.


    However, when they finally arrived at the town''s periphery, Xiao Buli''s heart missed a beat¡ªhis earlier conjectures had been too rash. The sight before him instantly skyrocketed his expectations for the difficulty of the mission.


    The reason was simple. In Wangliang Mountain, where the skies were already dark due to the enveloping mist, they seemed here like a pool of inky water. The haze that had been faintly visible in the air now felt tangible, shrouding the Ghost Town within it. Although it was only two or three in the afternoon, the area within the Ghost Town was pitch black, and from a distance, it looked like a lifeless black hole.


    As they drew closer, peering through the fog into the Ghost Town, they could faintly make out the outlines of the buildings hidden within. Standing at the very edge of the town was a dilapidated archway. Even with his exceptional eyesight, Xiao Buli could only hazily discern three characters. After straining to identify them, they seemed to spell out ¡ª "Jingshan Town." Whether it was due to his thoughts or the haze, Xiao Buli felt a profound sense of foreboding welling up inside him.


    Jingshan Town? The name sounded normal enough. It seemed that this town used to be inhabited before it was taken over. As he looked at the vast wasteland before him, he wondered what had become of the original residents¡ªwhether they had fled this place or had all become sacrifices to the Taiyin Sect.


    Xiao Buli composed himself, no longer dwelling on idle thoughts. Turning to see Gu Yuexuan right behind him gave him a sense of reliance. Standing outside the town, sword in hand, he then proceeded into the town. Gu Yuexuan had no need for such cautions, carrying his treasured sword on his back, his white garments still immaculately detached from the world, and followed Xiao Buli into the town, one after the other.


    No monsters existed outside the town, but as the screen showed the fog thickening, Xiao Buli felt a chill run through his body. Facing this horror movie-like scene, he dared not be the slightest bit careless.


    "Be careful, Junior Brother. I sense an indescribable power," Gu Yuexuan, who had been serenely following behind, spoke up suddenly. When Xiao Buli turned around, he saw that Gu Yuexuan''s usually indifferent face was now full of solemnity.


    Xiao Buli''s heart instantly tensed up, Omniscient Eye! A flash of white light, and the view before him became coated with a silver glow. Xiao Buli surveyed all the areas within his sight, yet no ghostly undead or the like appeared. This kind of eerie feeling, undetectable and indefinable, filled Xiao Buli''s heart with terror. Humans are indeed like this, tangible and corporeal entities, no matter how frightening or ugly, always have a point where one can apply force against them. What''s truly frightening is the stuff that''s completely inexplicable and unseen, untouchable. This is probably why beliefs in gods and ghosts have penetrated so deeply into people''s hearts, becoming increasingly scarier as they are passed down.


    Although he couldn''t see anything, Xiao Buli did not let his guard down. Normally, even in the wilderness, one would expect to encounter a wandering soul or two, but this gloomy and eerie place had nothing, an abnormal silence all around.


    The two of them remained fully alert as they continued walking toward the town. It was the same on the main street; not a single moving object, let alone a person, could be seen. The houses on both sides of the road were still in good condition. Apart from looking slightly rundown and dilapidated within the black mist, no obvious signs of destruction were evident. The entire town seemed like an abandoned city. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli came to the front of a tall hall, gently pushed the door open, and inside it was pitch-dark. There was no fog like outside, but apart from that, there was nothing special. It looked just like any ordinary house.


    Delving further into the town, the deeper they went, the more alarmed they became. The town gave off a feeling of absolute emptiness, an absolute sense of ''nothingness.'' But the more it felt like this, the more eerie the two of them found it, even more hair-raising than the Mass Burial Mound where the undead roamed. A sense of desolate pessimism started to rise in Xiao Buli''s heart. Suddenly, he felt tired, not physically, but emotionally, as if becoming someone who, after enduring countless upheavals, found nothing in the world could tether his spirit any longer, no longer interested in anything, even life itself. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t go any further!" While Xiao Buli was carefully pondering that sensation, the voice in his mind suddenly piped up again, jolting him back, the melancholic feeling seeming to dissipate somewhat. Not sure if it was because he had been distracted, Xiao Buli felt that the voice carried a hint of panic.


    "Why can''t I go forward?" Xiao Buli asked in his mind.


    "Just listen to me, and you''ll be all right. I won''t harm you," the voice asserted with serious and unquestionable tone.


    Xiao Buli snorted coldly. You won''t harm me? Aren''t you just coveting the control of my body? "Fine, if you won''t say it, then I''ll just keep going."


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli looked back at Gu Yuexuan. Although no one had appeared, the senior brother had been in a state of full alertness the whole time. Now, he had already drawn his sword, its white light illuminating a small area around them. This light gave Xiao Buli a sense of security. Anticipating that he might face something supernatural, he replaced his current weapon with the Soul Slayer''s Blade.


    The two entered the town through an ornate archway and had been walking on the main street, which now came to an end. A large building rose up from the mist; it was peculiar, having neither beams nor eaves, square and warehouse-like in appearance¡ªa stark contrast to the surrounding classical buildings with their carved eaves and painted architraves. This building seemed to eschew the wooden structures common in the town, appearing to be constructed of stone coated with a white cement-like substance. There were no decorations, as if it had been rapidly constructed. Huge iron-clad wooden doors were chained, giving the impression of being heavily fortified. Xiao Buli knew straightaway this was the place. "Should we open it to take a look?" he asked Gu Yuexuan.


    Gu Yuexuan seemed somewhat puzzled but, after a moment''s thought, nodded. He held his sword technique ready, poised for battle at any moment.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! Xiao Buli had plenty of experience dealing with chains.


    With a clank, the chains broke. The wooden doors creaked open inwards. A gust of wind, carrying with it screams like those of crying ghosts and howling wolves, seemed to squeeze out from within, blurring Xiao Buli''s vision with gusts of wind and sand. Not good. Xiao Buli swung his treasured sword through the air, fearing an opportunistic attack from something, but fortunately, neither the Spiritual Energy Shield nor his treasured sword encountered any attack. After the ghostly wind had dispersed, he looked up to see only a pitch-black doorway before him, with nothing else in sight. Once again, all fell silent, except for the occasional creaking of the shop signs being blown by the wind, which stirred restlessness in one''s heart.


    That''s it? Xiao Buli felt a strange sensation, then suddenly heard a loud thump behind him. He quickly turned around, and there on the street, a rotting giant hand stretched out from beneath the ground.(To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 8 Haunted House

    The rotting giant hand, carrying the stale and corrupt scent of decay, broke through the ground from beneath. Although the scene was somewhat disgusting and terrifying, Xiao Buli actually breathed a sigh of relief. The empty feeling of not knowing what he was facing was truly uncomfortable. Now, at least, he had something that could breathe¡ªwell, strictly speaking, this thing couldn''t actually breathe.


    As the soil and rocks on the ground crumbled, beneath that hand, a three-meter-tall giant zombie clawed its way out of the earth. The muscles on the zombie''s body were knotted, but it seemed they weren''t covered by skin. Strands of muscle with dark red blood were exposed, and the skin hung off the body like tattered clothing. These zombies were not alone; as the collapsing sounds continued, the surrounding soil broke apart, and in a short while, five or six more had emerged. And this was just the beginning; countless corpse soldiers were drilling out from the ground in the streets around them. These corpse soldiers were slightly shorter than the zombies, averaging around two meters tall, and their physiques were more normal, lacking the powerful muscles. What was worse, they wore rusty armor, which seemed to offer some resistance, and held broken swords in their hands¡ªit was unclear how effective they would be in an attack. Now, these creatures had all emerged from the ground, moving slowly but steadily, and began to surround the two of them.


    "Elder brother, this is bad. It looks like we''re in trouble," Xiao Buli''s heart pounded. These creatures seemed to be decent fighters and there were many of them. He didn''t know how they would fare against them, and perhaps influenced by the eerie atmosphere from before, Xiao Buli had a gut feeling that these creatures might not be so simple.


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    Unexpectedly, Gu Yuexuan just coldly smiled and said indifferently, "You call this trouble? I call it exercise."


    Gu Yuexuan performed sword-pinching skills and a white sword light soared into the sky. The sword behind him, charged with sword qi, flew up and down, circling around the two men like shooting stars chasing the moon.


    Gu Yuexuan frowned deeply, his expression serious as he continuously changed the sword techniques in his hands, precisely directing the trajectory of the flying sword. Despite his relaxed words, Gu Yuexuan seemed to have an innate respect for training, never treating any fight lightly or with contempt, which might also be the reason for his rapid improvement in such a short time.


    The approaching corpse soldiers, having just crawled out from the land and not very agile to begin with, now faced the swiftly moving flying sword with no power to resist. Like cutting vegetables, they were chopped in half one after another. Before Xiao Buli could make a move, the ground was already littered with chunks of corpses and ragged flesh. Although cut to pieces, the zombies still struggled on their own. The closest one to Xiao Buli still kept opening its mouth and snapping at him, driven by instinct, without any sense of pain or thought. Xiao Buli felt a little disgusted as he watched the zombie next to him dribbling saliva from its gaping mouth, and he drew his magical treasure sword to cleave off half of its skull. Finally, the zombie softy collapsed on the spot. As he watched the body twitching on the ground, it was Xiao Buli''s time to shine. His sword danced non-stop, slashing through the zombies as if he were harvesting crops in a field.


    Watching the experience points climbing non-stop on the screen, Xiao Buli felt a rush of thrill. Eventually, the last corpse soldier was slain. Standing with his sword dripping blood, Xiao Buli looked around at the silence and thought to himself, is this it? Considering the terrifying prelude, the conclusion seemed somewhat anticlimactic given his lingering unease.


    "What was that gust of yin wind just now?" Xiao Buli turned to ask Gu Yuexuan.


    "If I''m not mistaken, that yin wind contained countless yin souls and ghostly energies. Most likely, these corpse soldiers were awakened by that yin energy," Gu Yuexuan explained. Although the corpse soldiers and zombies had been annihilated, his expression remained tense as he continued: "The source of that yin energy should be¡ª"


    Before Gu Yuexuan could finish, suddenly, a loud boom came from behind them. Xiao Buli felt a tremor under his feet and swiftly turned around, only to see the dark gate trembling slightly. He wasn''t sure if it was an illusion, but Xiao Buli could swear that the gate seemed alive, and from deep within, he could hear a strange noise, a gulping and chomping, like that of a giant beast crunching or some sort of swallowing sound, as if a great amount of liquid was being forcefully squeezed through a narrow gap.


    Xiao Buli involuntarily swallowed and looked back at Gu Yuexuan, who still wore a cautious expression and kept his body tensed, ready to strike at any moment.


    All of a sudden, the gust of yin wind blew out fiercely from the gate. Xiao Buli was prepared this time and hastily dodged aside, enduring the piercing wails within the wind. Opening the Omniscient Eye, he looked back at the yin wind and finally saw it clearly: the previously colorless and formless wind, under the Omniscient Eye, appeared as a grayish-green hue, like countless threads interweaving. Under the influence of these threads, the scattered flesh and corpses on the ground began to squirm. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They can still move? Xiao Buli watched in astonishment as the carcasses on the ground wriggled. He held his weapon at the ready, afraid they would rise again. Fortunately, though they shook violently, they didn''t seem to have any intention of getting up. Before Xiao Buli could relax, the ground around them cracked open once more, and another group of corpse soldiers emerged from the earth, drilling out unhurriedly.


    "Damn it, how many monsters are there beneath the ground?" Xiao Buli wondered anxiously.


    As he thought, he used an Earth Escape Skill and in the blink of an eye, his body burrowed underground. As soon as he entered the soil layer, Xiao Buli was shocked still. Beneath the surface, as far as the eye could see, was a dense mass of skeletons. Countless layers of skeletal remains were piled on top of each other, with no end in sight. At this moment, the bones closer to the surface were being awakened by those green threads; these threads seemed alive, weaving through the bones nonstop, assembling them. It was almost like real threads stitching together scraps of cloth, lightly lifted to form a Corpse Soldier or Zombie. Xiao Buli didn''t dare to linger once he saw this and quickly dug his way back out, "Senior Brother, below this town is entirely built on a pile of corpses." Xiao Buli had just emerged when he shouted to Gu Yuexuan.


    Gu Yuexuan''s expression turned grave upon hearing this, "This is the Land of the Nine Yin. Be careful, Junior Brother. There must be a Gathering Yin Pool inside that warehouse. I have read records about it. Every so often, the Gathering Yin Pool will spew out a large amount of Yin Corpse Spiritual Qi, and the corpses affected by this aura will turn into Corpse Soldiers. If we don''t want to be worn down alive by these Corpse Soldiers, we must either leave or destroy the Gathering Yin Pool." Several Corpse Soldiers were already nearing Gu Yuexuan. Knowing that killing them all was futile, he no longer spun his flying sword as before, but instead swiftly slain the few that had approached closely.


    Xiao Buli also chopped down a Corpse Soldier nearby and called out to Gu Yuexuan, "So Senior Brother, do we leave or go in?"


    Gu Yuexuan gave a cold laugh, "Isn''t that obvious?" With that, he no longer paid attention to the Corpse Soldiers converging around him and charged towards the open gate with his sword, Xiao Buli glanced around, knowing this was the best chance to leave, but then he looked again at Gu Yuexuan''s receding back and followed him in without hesitation.


    Fortune comes with danger; there must be a boss-level monster at the Gathering Yin Pool. Killing it might even result in it dropping top-notch equipment or Magical Treasures.


    Following Gu Yuexuan, Xiao Buli ran for a while, gradually losing sense of direction, but he knew that Gu Yuexuan must have determined the way by now. He just kept pushing forward into the depths. As he ran, he felt as though he had entered an endless darkness, presumably having entered the interior of the room they had seen before. The view on the screen was suddenly enveloped in darkness, with only the faint white light emitted from Gu Yuexuan''s treasured sword illuminating a small area around them. The room seemed extremely vast, not at all like what it appeared from the outside; Xiao Buli felt an emptiness that seemed boundless.


    The two of them focused on one direction, pressing forward, when suddenly a swallowing noise arose, followed by a gust of yin wind. From behind, there came a loud banging sound. Xiao Buli looked back to see that the wooden door, which just moments ago showed a faint glimmer of light, was now pitch black, keeping out the sounds of the Corpse Soldiers outside.


    Quietness engulfed the surroundings in an instant, and the darkness ahead offered no glimpse of light. Suddenly, a cluster of green ghost fires appeared ahead, drifting and swaying in front of them, as if beckoning them forward like a guiding light. While Xiao Buli hesitated, Gu Yuexuan snorted coldly and sent a Sword Qi Slash at it, and with a puff, the ghost fire scattered.


    "Hmph, playing ghosts and gods!" Gu Yuexuan said disdainfully. No sooner had the words left his mouth than hundreds and thousands of ghost fires erupted around them, their eerie green light illuminating the hall and revealing the surroundings. Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat as he saw the sky around them filled with half-transparent, distorted human shapes, like strands of thread or swimming fish, which seemed agitated and turned a bloody red color, forming ferocious patterns and emitting sharp screams. These screams were initially inaudible, but soon screeched piercingly in unison, such that even coming through the laptop speakers, they were unbearable to listen to.


    A ghost suddenly dived towards them, and Gu Yuexuan countered with his sword, splitting the ghost in two, but within moments, the ghost merged back into one.


    More ghosts rushed towards them, and Gu Yuexuan, with his Sword Control, drew his sword from its sheath and transformed it into numerous Sword Shadows in midair, slashing the ghosts into pieces. Like the first ghost, however, they quickly reformed and attacked again.


    Damn it, this won''t do! thought Xiao Buli.


    Gu Yuexuan frowned, "Seems a bit troublesome." (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 9 Purple Equipment

    "Dammit, I knew I should have gone to the Third Senior Sister," Xiao Buli was fending off the ghosts around him while inwardly lamenting that if Ji Xiangyun were here, a single AOE spell would have wiped out these low-health ghosts in no time, saving all the hassle. Fortunately, he himself was quite capable.


    While thinking, Xiao Buli executed a Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds, sweeping away the ghosts that had approached him. The Soul Slayer''s Blade truly was the specialized weapon against ghostly Undead, and the wounds it inflicted melted away like snow meeting hot water, instantly taking out seven or eight ghosts.


    "You do have some skills," the eldest senior brother turned his head to look, his expression suddenly changing, "No, it''s because of the sword in your hand. Quick, give me the sword." Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli hadn''t even had time to react when a dialogue box appeared on the screen, with a system prompt: Gu Yuexuan has requested your weapon ''Soul Slayer''s Blade.'' Do you accept?


    Handing the Soul Slayer''s Blade to Gu Yuexuan was not something Xiao Buli was keen on. Eager to refuse, but with more ghosts once again drifting his way, and considering the greater good, Xiao Buli couldn''t afford to hesitate and quickly clicked ''Yes.''


    System prompt: You have lost the item ''Soul Slayer''s Blade.''


    Xiao Buli''s heart immediately sank with worry that the loss might mean he wouldn''t be able to get the sword back if the eldest senior brother didn''t return it.


    When Gu Yuexuan took the Soul Slayer''s Blade and performed a flourish, it really was like adding wings to a tiger. He unleashed an immensely powerful Myriad Swords into Shadows Slash, and this time the ghosts were not as lucky as before, getting sliced and melting away amidst countless Sword Shadows. Continual powerful moves swept through like an autumn breeze through fallen leaves, and moments later, the hall was once again quiet.


    Xiao Buli, watching the dramatic turn of events, felt a surge of happiness and secretly gave Gu Yuexuan a thumbs-up for his ability.


    Really amazing, indeed it''s always humbling to compare oneself to others.


    "This sword of yours is quite good, how about selling it to me?" Gu Yuexuan''s words brought Xiao Buli back to his senses, thinking that this senior brother was really taking too much for granted, just opening his mouth to claim what he desired. This Soul Slayer''s Blade was his Divine Artifact for grinding experience; how could he just give it away so easily? Just as he was about to refuse, he thought again. Ever since he had met the eldest senior brother, although not always perfectly upright, he had indeed always been straightforward and had never taken advantage of others. Now that Gu Yuexuan spoke of wanting the sword, it must truly appeal to him, but he wouldn''t just take it for free; there had to be some form of compensation.


    From Xiao Buli''s decades of experience with people, the best way to deal with those with high pride was to be generous. As long as the other party felt somewhat indebted, they would certainly be more generous than you. On the other hand, if you encounter those who like to take advantage, feeling turned off inwardly, even if you gain a short-term advantage, in the long run, they are definitely not worth getting involved with. Xiao Buli decided to take this opportunity to do a good turn with this sword; firstly, Gu Yuexuan wouldn''t treat him poorly in return, and secondly, it could also ease the awkwardness between them.


    With that in mind, Xiao Buli typed: "Senior brother, if you want this sword, take it. There''s no need for formalities between us."


    True to his expectations, Gu Yuexuan responded, "This won''t do. Although this sword is of average quality, the rare part is the Pure Yang Power contained within it. It''s not very effective against ordinary Demons, but it works wonders against formless ghostly Undead. Although you are my junior brother, I, as your senior, can''t just take advantage of you. How about this: I''ll buy this sword from you for fifty Gold Coins."


    A dialogue box popped up on the screen immediately.


    1, Senior brother, I couldn''t possibly refuse.


    2, Senior brother, don''t be so polite.


    Xiao Buli paused, seeing such a dialogue box with Gu Yuexuan for the first time. He had realized that such choices usually appear when there''s an important turn in the story or when triggering a quest. Fifty Gold Coins was no small sum, but Xiao Buli didn''t value it highly. Compared to it, there might be better gains. Considering Gu Yuexuan, Xiao Buli felt it was worth a shot and lightly clicked option 2 with his mouse.


    "Senior brother, don''t be so polite, who are we to each other? If you like the sword, take it," he said. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Yuexuan, seeing Xiao Buli being so generous and genuine, was also somewhat surprised because in their past dealings, Xiao Buli had always tried to take whatever advantages he could. "It''s unexpected that you can be so righteous. Well, I won''t stand on ceremony with you either. But, it''s not right for you to be without a weapon. I have another sword here, I''ll give it to you." Saying this, Gu Yuexuan''s sword flashed, and Xiao Buli''s screen displayed:


    System prompt: You have received ''Glowing Light.''


    But this time, no choice appeared; the item directly entered Xiao Buli''s inventory. He opened his inventory and indeed there lay a sword emitting a translucent blue light.


    Glowing Light (Purple - One-handed Sword): This is an extraordinary sword passed down from the Immortal Realm, the blade pulsates with a mesmerizing light, seemingly imbued with magical power.


    Weapon special effect: Each spell cast provides the weapon with a layer of Scorching Radiance, which can last for 60 seconds, consumed upon your next hit on the target. Each layer of Scorching Radiance consumed deals an additional 20 points of fire damage to the enemy.

 Chapter 9 Purple Equipment_2

    Xiao Buli looked at the sword''s attribute description and was taken aback, not only because the sword showed no attack power data but also because it was purple¡ªa color he had never seen before in the game, and something he had never heard of.


    Could it be one of the legendary quest items? It seemed quite likely.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this sword might very well be a special item to trigger a certain quest, and his chance discovery of it was indeed fortuitous.


    As he considered this, he equipped the weapon because the transaction had been direct, saving them the formalities, "Then thank you very much, senior brother," he said.


    Gu Yuexuan didn''t mind, and the two of them continued walking into the room. Without the ghosts, the room seemed a bit livelier. The dim light filtering in from the door made the room less dark than before.


    They proceeded further, and after not much distance, they could clearly feel the ground sloping downwards; it seemed they were heading underground. Xiao Buli felt some trepidation, but seeing Gu Yuexuan''s calm demeanor, he thought it wise to follow the NPC, at least he had strong support.


    Walking in the direction from which the chilly winds blew, they walked for about ten minutes, an unusual occurrence in other games. Xiao Buli would not waste more than ten minutes on such cautious walking as he would usually have run past long ago, but here caution was essential.


    The ceiling gradually became lower and more oppressive. The deeper they went, the narrower the path became. Xiao Buli felt that they should already be under the ground given their depth, and the walls and floor around them were becoming uneven, as though they had been haphazardly excavated but not further refined. The colors of the walls were also approaching that of raw stone, seemingly part of some cave.


    They continued forward in the cramped space and suddenly the view opened up before them. A spacious cave appeared, and on the other side of it, a pale blue light curtain flickered with waves of light, cast over a massive cavern.


    Seeing the blue light at the entrance of the cave, Xiao Buli knew that this was clearly the entrance to a dungeon. Two towering statues flanked the entrance. As they approached, Xiao Buli recognized the statues; they looked familiar, seemingly the same as those at the entrance to Mystic Hollow Palace''s maze.


    Gu Yuexuan also seemed to have discovered something, giving a curious "huh" and showing an excited look. A thought flickered through Xiao Buli''s mind¡ªhe remembered these two statues resembled those at the entrance of the Mystic Hollow Palace, likely carved to represent the same divine beasts.


    But then, could it be that Taiyin Sect had some secret connection with Mystic Hollow Palace?


    However, Gu Yuexuan wasn''t troubled with such thoughts and was already heading towards the dungeon.


    "Senior brother, wait a moment, this dungeon is quite difficult, and the two of us might find it tough. Let''s go back and report to our master first," Xiao Buli quickly called out, feeling they were being too daring to challenge a blue dungeon just by themselves.


    Gu Yuexuan turned and gave him a look, "Dungeon, what dungeon?" he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.


    Xiao Buli mentally cursed, having let his anxiousness slip the word. How would these NPCs know what dungeons were? He quickly corrected himself: "I mean this blue light curtain; it looks rather peculiar. Perhaps there are extremely formidable adversaries¡ªenemy," he almost said ''boss.''"


    "Oh, you mean the Heavenly Tribulation Seal?" Gu Yuexuan, hearing his poor cover-up, did not suspect anything amiss.


    "Heavenly Tribulation Seal? What''s that about?" Xiao Buli wondered in surprise, having heard such a term for the first time.


    Gu Yuexuan explained, "As the saying goes, ''Heavenly Dao cyclical, all things promote each other and restrain each other.'' Heavenly Dao maintains balance in the mortal world. That''s why in places where toxic insects are found, an antidote is often close by. Similarly, where Demons and Evil Spirits haunt, a Heavenly Tribulation Seal is likely to form. This seal can contain an Evil Spirit, preventing it from harming living beings. Depending on the level of the sealed Evil Spirit, the radiance it emits varies. The more powerful the Demon, the stronger the seal required. This blue seal before us, I believe, contains a monster that I can deal with." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this was new to him, but listening to Gu Yuexuan speak with such confidence, he figured that accompanying an NPC was indeed advantageous.


    Gu Yuexuan continued, "Moreover, I feel that whatever is within this seal is linked to our Mystic Hollow Palace. Today, I must investigate thoroughly. Junior brother, if you are afraid, you can stay here and wait for me. Do not act rashly."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, forget it, waiting here for you is even more dangerous. I''ve given you the Soul Slayer''s Blade, and if any Yin Spirits or ghosts come at me, I wouldn''t be able to handle them. Besides, when it comes to mixing in for experience, how can I miss out? With these thoughts, he said with generous words, "What are you talking about, senior brother? We''re from the same sect, and as they say, ''shared hardships unite.'' Since senior brother is braving this perilous place, how can I stand by idly on the side? I shall venture through it with you."


    Gu Yuexuan found his resolve most agreeable and nodded, "Then that''s even better. Should we encounter any danger, don''t worry about me, just ensure your own safety."


    The two of them walked into the screen of light, one following the other.


    This instance was fairly standard; upon entering, they first encountered groups of Minor Monsters bustling about, but they were nothing more than Walking Corpses. Even Xiao Buli alone was more than capable of handling them, let alone with Gu Yuexuan paving the way. They crushed their way forward and soon encountered the first boss, a massive Corpse Monster.


    Xiao Buli swallowed hard. Apart from its combat power, the mere sight of the Corpse Monster was unsettling enough. It stood over five meters tall, forcing them to look up to see its entire form, creating an immense sense of oppression.


    And that was not all. It wasn''t clear if this boss was assembled from countless pieces of broken flesh and limbs. Its body was in tatters, each piece of muscle seeming violently torn from somewhere and slapped onto its frame. With such a large body and hardly any skin to cover it, it just looked like a bloody, gut-churning mess.


    Looking at its face, whoever created it had found a skull too small compared to its body and bizarrely placed two heads on each side. The skin on the head was rotting, oozing pus and blood with a gaping mouth and sharp fangs. One eyeball from one of the heads had fallen out of its barely intact socket, dangling by nerves and blood vessels, swaying side to side with the creature''s movements.


    Xiao Buli issued a Mind Revelation, seeing a whopping twenty to thirty thousand health points. He was almost sickened by the sight of this monstrosity, feeling unsure how to begin his attack with his sword.


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    However, Gu Yuexuan didn''t care for such details. With a flick of his Sword technique, his treasured sword flew out, the white Glowing Light tracing through the air -79, -96, -102 damage numbers kept springing out from above the Corpse Monster''s head.


    Although the Corpse Monster looked imposing, it lacked skills and clumsily swung its arms at the flying sword without much finesse; its movements were painfully slow. It was like a blind bear swatting at mosquitoes flying around it, hopelessly failing to make contact with the sword.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With twenty to thirty thousand health points, he had no idea how long the fight would take. But as the visual shock of the monster lessened, he fired off several Mysterious Ice Slashes. Eager for experience, he couldn''t just stand by and watch Gu Yuexuan fight alone¡ªa decent combat result at -58, -66. Realizing the giant posed no threat, they completely forewent defense. For safety, Xiao Buli cast a shield on himself, while Gu Yuexuan seemed unconcerned, slashing away in a frenzy. Nevertheless, dwindling the twenty to thirty thousand health points still took a couple of minutes. As the monster was left with just a sliver of health, Xiao Buli took the chance to test the might of the ''Glowing Light'' sword, noting that the Scorching Radiance had built up over twenty layers, the blade glowing like a heated iron rod. He charged forward with a Straight Lightning Slash.


    With a snap, the accumulated Scorching Radiance burst forth, dealing a massive 789 damage. Xiao Buli jumped in surprise. While he didn''t know the actual attack power of the ''Glowing Light'' sword, the mere Scorching Radiance effect was already monstrous enough. Indeed, the treasures from the Immortal Families were extraordinary.


    The Corpse Monster swayed back and forth before finally collapsing with an unwilling roar. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Xiao Buli thought, if they were all like this, chopping down the enemy could even cramp one''s hands from fatigue. (To be continued... If you enjoy this novel, please support the author by voting for it on qidian.com. Mobile users can read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 10 The Final Boss

    As the Corpse Monster fell, it was time for the much-anticipated looting of the body. Xiao Buli clicked on the massive corpse to check and found a multitude of items¡ªbones that were not yet fully digested, damaged skulls, corroded armor, yet unfortunately, not a single item was of any significance.


    Such a massive BOSS dropping no valuables left Xiao Buli somewhat speechless. Since entering the Wangliang Mountain, he had slain many monsters, but the tangible rewards were few and far between.


    Resigned, they left the Corpse Monster behind and continued deeper. After clearing out some minor monsters for a while, they soon encountered the second BOSS.


    This time, it was a zombie that emitted a bloody glow all over its body. Compared to the first Corpse Monster, this zombie looked considerably more refined¡ª at least it was clothed. Despite its shriveled skin and cyan complexion, it still looked somewhat human.


    The moment Xiao Buli saw it, his heart leaped for joy. Since entering, all he had seen were ghosts or chunks of flesh, and now he finally had a worthy opponent. Brandishing his treasure sword, he advanced and slashed with a Mysterious Ice Slash. In the past, Xiao Buli definitely wouldn''t have been so reckless and would have arranged who would aggro, who would deal damage, and who would heal. But today, with just him and Gu Yuexuan, any strategy at this moment seemed pointless. So, regardless of whether it was a BOSS or not, he thought it best to just kill it and get it over with. With the support of Gu Yuexuan, Xiao Buli felt very confident.


    Xiao Buli kept his sword moving, continuously sending crescent-shaped Sword Qi toward the withered zombie that looked as if it would crumble upon touch. Yet the results were minimal. -19, -25, -23, the numbers flew up. It seemed looks could be deceiving; with just over eight thousand health points, yet such high defense.


    It was clear that the zombie possessed some kind of damage mitigation ability.


    Gu Yuexuan also noticed something odd. Holding a sword technique, his flying sword continued to attack, but it was not much stronger than Xiao Buli''s, barely causing the health points to drop by thirty-four points.


    At first, the two of them fought relentlessly against the zombie, which remained motionless, its stiff body swaying slightly, causing its clothes to flap as if it wasn''t bothered by their attacks.


    After about two or three hundred health points were lost, its withered arms suddenly raised high above its head. On its cyan face, the features strained to form a fierce expression. It seemed the skin was dry and movements were not so flexible, making the expression somewhat lacking in intensity and eerily distorted.


    As it moved, Xiao Buli felt a cold wind blow out of nowhere in the enclosed space. Two skeletal soldiers appeared behind them, raising their knives to strike.


    If Xiao Buli hadn''t been looking at the screen in full view mode, he might not have noticed. Caught by surprise, Gu Yuexuan was taken aback. But in the blink of an eye, Xiao Buli had an idea, clicked frantically with his mouse, and the character on the screen swiftly moved behind Gu Yuexuan, greeting the skeletal soldiers with his sword, using the Tai Chi Sword Skills to deflect the blow. He shouted, "Senior brother, be careful!" Not only did he dodge the attack aimed at him, but he also greatly helped Gu Yuexuan out of a bind.


    Gu Yuexuan snorted, "Verbose," but nodded silently to himself. True, the blow would not have caused him much damage, but it would have been a blow to his image. The young disciple had shown selfless courage¡ªquite commendable indeed. He then called out, "Junior brother, be careful yourself. You handle these skeletons, I''ll deal with the zombie." As he spoke, his flying sword moved faster as if he was now putting more effort into it.


    The Ten Thousand Swords Art was unleashed, and a multitude of sword lights poured down like rain. It seemed the zombie''s damage reduction was only effective against more powerful moves, but not as effective against these low-damage Sword Shadows. A single Sword Shadow might only inflict a dozen or so points of damage, but the sheer number of them added up to several hundred points of damage with just one move.


    The skeletons that the zombie summoned had merely a few hundred health points and held Bone Knives, but they had no real skills. Xiao Buli made short work of them, then turned back to see the zombie no longer passively receiving hits. It seemed to have been activated, continuously casting spells. Though it wasn''t summoning anything new, it kept emitting chilling winds, and DEBUFF symbols kept popping up above their heads¡ª losing health points, Weakness, reduced attack power. Obviously, these gusts of wind were its weapons. Xiao Buli hurriedly healed both of them, taking out the Exorcism Staff to cast on Gu Yuexuan, dispelling the DEBUFFs from him.


    However, after two attempts, Xiao Buli realized he couldn''t keep up with it. The zombie was casting DEBUFFs as if they were free, and what''s worse, the damage from Myriad Swords into Shadows against the zombie was decreasing, from the original dozens to just 7 or 8 points. If this went on, who knew how long the battle would last. Xiao Buli thought the team was missing a tank to take the hits. Speaking of a tank, Xiao Buli thought of an excellent candidate.


    With a whoosh, the already tight space instantly became crowded. The Swamp Crocodile''s bulky body filled up all the space except for that occupied by the two men and the zombie. Indeed, this was the tank Xiao Buli had called for. Once the crocodile appeared, it immediately formed a flesh fortress.


    "Senior brother, come to the back to fight," Xiao Buli called out quickly. Gu Yuexuan wasn''t foolish; he immediately understood Xiao Buli''s intention and, feeling somewhat tired himself, he knew that if it came down to a battle of health points, it was uncertain if he could outlast the zombie.


    At this moment, the disciple had summoned a crocodile which promptly became a meat shield for the two of them, greatly increasing their chances of victory.


    With this in mind, Gu Yuexuan wasted no time; he leaped behind the crocodile alongside Xiao Buli and continuously executed his Sword Control Technique. His flying sword kept harassing the zombies whose health points had now dwindled to just over a thousand. Seeming somewhat anxious, the zombies quickened their actions and their growls filled the air. However, their chilling breath was but a nuisance to the thick-skinned, robust crocodile and did nothing significant. The hefty crocodile strained to twist its body within the confined space, occasionally landing a hit on the zombies, which made them even more passive.


    Xiao Buli stood at the back, seizing every opportunity to strike the zombies, and when idle, he would restore health to the crocodile. Gu Yuexuan''s flying sword performed a Wild Dance, and the DEBUFF gradually lost its effect, allowing them to fight at their prime level. The zombie''s health bar visibly decreased until it finally ran out. Xiao Buli had thought that the boss would go berserk at the last moment, but the end came unexpectedly calm. Watching the withered body of the zombie sway and fall to the ground, turning into countless ashes the moment it hit, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel almost amused, "Is that it?"


    It turned out that both bosses were merely endurance tests, one relying on its thick health to withstand attacks, and the other meant for a war of attrition. Both whittled down slowly to death.


    Somewhat resigned, Xiao Buli withdrew the crocodile and went to loot the corpse. This time the loot was not bad; they obtained a Centennial Corpse Pill, a small but valuable gain. Although Xiao Buli didn''t know the purpose of these materials they had been collecting since entering the mountain, he always felt that they couldn''t be so simple.


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    "Your pet isn''t bad," Gu Yuexuan commented flatly. Xiao Buli knew that getting a direct word of thanks or praise from Gu Yuexuan was as hard as reaching the heavens. This perfunctory compliment already signified his changed view of Xiao Buli. Pleased, Xiao Buli knew that maintaining good relations with NPCs, especially powerful ones like Gu Yuexuan, was always beneficial.


    "You flatter me, brother," Xiao Buli replied modestly and hurried to keep up with Gu Yuexuan''s pace.


    The two of them pushed forward. The gray-black stones and soil gradually morphed into bluestone, long devoid of sunlight and now covered in green moss, seemingly a naturally formed underground cave. Yet it was unclear how long this cave had existed, given the age of the moss. Xiao Buli had a sneaking suspicion they had ventured deeper. If the structures and tunnels outside were recently constructed, then this cave was not made overnight. It seemed that the outside was built for the sake of this cave. Could this be the location of the well Gu Yuexuan mentioned? But the defenses of this final layer didn''t seem to be stringent, as they had not encountered even a single minor monster for a long time.


    Finally, the path ahead came to an end, and a stone door finally appeared before them. On both sides of the stone door were two perennial lamps with feeble flames, seemingly on the brink of extinguishing at any moment. Nevertheless, the lighting here was much brighter compared to the illumination from Gu Yuexuan''s sword light. Beneath the perennial lamps were two stone beasts, identical to the statues at the entrance of the instance.


    Upon seeing this, Xiao Buli immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this peculiar instance was coming to an end. The two minor bosses they had faced, despite their resilience rather than combat prowess, were both Silver Name. Such bosses would be giveaways in the wild, but inside the instance, once fitted with the boss template, they became much more challenging. And according to the game''s pattern, the final boss of an instance should be one level higher than the minor bosses. Therefore, this final boss should be a Gold Name boss.


    With this thought, Xiao Buli gripped his treasured sword and started to buffer himself with BUFFs, getting ready for the first level of combat.


    Watching Xiao Buli bustle about, Gu Yuexuan didn''t have the heart to interrupt and simply stepped forward to push the stone door open.


    I''m not ready yet, Xiao Buli was about to type, but his attention was quickly captivated by the scene before him, leaving him standing stunned.


    Inside the stone door was a stone hall, not very large, so the interior was immediately clear.


    In the middle of the stone hall and facing the door was a throne, carved from an unidentified material with profound solidity. The chair emitted a dark and matted black gloss that indicated it was no ordinary seat. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the center of the stone hall was an ancient well outlined in Bagua, with the well opening exactly where the Yin Yang Fish should be. The well was slightly lower than the ground level, surrounded by unadorned edges, with white vapors rising slowly from within. Despite the distance, Xiao Buli could tell that it must be a cold mist.


    Surrounding the well and arranged according to the Bagua were piles of bones which appeared to be human. The number of bones seemed to correspond with the trigrams, likely arranged in a systematic fashion, as if forming an Array. But these were not what rendered Xiao Buli speechless. What truly shocked him, making him swear silently, was the figure seated on the Dharma Seat above¡ªthe golden name hovering above his head: Xuan Zhenzi (Taiyin Sect Protection Elder), the Gold Name final boss of this instance. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 11 Fierce Skull

    Xiao Buli was left standing there, cursing under his breath at the sight before him. A frail body, draped in a grey-black Taoist robe, with a golden name hovering above his head¡ªXuan Zhenzi (Taiyin Sect Protection Elder), this was the gold-named main BOSS of the dungeon.


    "Damn it, that''s not how you play the game," Xiao Buli blurted out as he looked at the name of the old Taoist on the computer screen. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How do you like that, quite unexpected, huh?" said the voice in his mind, which Xiao Buli chose to ignore.


    "It''s actually him! Senior brother, what should we do now?" Xiao Buli asked Gu Yuexuan.


    However, upon seeing Xiao Buli, Gu Yuexuan''s face lit up with excitement, murmuring to himself, "Finally, finally found him..." For the moment, he completely ignored what Xiao Buli had said.


    The sight of the two of them in the hall caused the old Taoist to emit a chilling, eerie laugh, "Hehehehe!" His voice was sharp and piercing, like nails scratching glass, sending shivers down one''s spine.


    Then, the old Taoist shouted at them, "How dare you intrude upon the sacred altar of the Taiyin Sect, you shall remain here forever!" His voice, as creepy as his laugh, sounded as though he was making a bizarre cry while pinching his throat.


    Xiao Buli, anxious, urged, "Senior brother, are we going to fight?" He turned his head only to see Gu Yuexuan''s eyes shining with a frenzied look. Apart from his usual unperturbed demeanor, it was rare to see such an expression on Gu Yuexuan''s face, and it took Xiao Buli by surprise. He wondered if his senior brother had gone mad.


    To Xiao Buli''s relief, though, it was clear from Gu Yuexuan''s excitement that it wasn''t out of fear, but rather a wild excitement, like a stray dog spotting a bone or a lecher seeing a naked woman. It seemed that Gu Yuexuan had some indescribable deep feelings for Xuan Zhenzi.


    Xiao Buli kept his wicked guess to himself,


    Suddenly, Gu Yuexuan let out a long howl, and his treasure sword emerged from the sheath with a whistle, "I''m going in." Before Xiao Buli could react, Gu Yuexuan had leaped forward, rushing towards Xuan Zhenzi.


    It was too late for Xiao Buli to stop him, and he desperately complained, "What''s the hurry? I still had questions to ask." Normally, one could have a few words with the BOSS at the start of the encounter, and Xiao Buli wanted to use that opportunity to inquire about some details regarding the treatment of Soul Departure Syndrome. However, Gu Yuexuan didn''t consult him at all, which was a downside of NPC intelligence.


    Hearing the clanging of weapons from the other side, the two had already engaged in combat, so it was likely too late to ask any questions. With no other choice, Xiao Buli drew his sword and bravely charged into the fray.


    The BOSS hadn''t even finished his opening lines when he saw one of them rushing towards him. "You''re so impatient," he thought. Despite this, his actions were swift. He stood up from his Dharma Seat, his robe billowing as he raised his hand, and flung a Nether Fire Orb directly at Gu Yuexuan.


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    Seeing the oncoming attack, Gu Yuexuan didn''t dodge or evade. He just raised his protective spiritual energy and charged forward, not even using the Sword Control Technique. When he got close, he engaged Xuan Zhenzi in a fierce melee. Xuan Zhenzi hurriedly blocked, his bone overshadowing a human thigh and clashing with Gu Yuexuan''s sword strikes. The bones, whatever they were reinforced with, rang out metallically when hit, indistinguishable from a real sword.


    Xiao Buli noticed, "Well, they''re really going all out from the start." Seeing Gu Yuexuan''s health points dropping continuously, he eagerly cast Life Gaining Skills from behind.


    If this were a contest of sheer force, Gu Yuexuan would definitely be at a disadvantage; his health points were just over a thousand, while Xuan Zhenzi''s were close to twenty thousand. However, the speed at which their health points decreased was nearly the same, illustrating the formidable power of Gu Yuexuan. As a one-man defense and offense, brandishing his sword and never slacking in output, coupled with Xiao Buli''s non-stop healing from behind, the two managed an even match.


    The disadvantage of the BOSS having no backup was gradually showing, with health points only going down and not up. After a fierce exchange, BOSS was actually forced into the second phase.


    Thanks to Gu Yuexuan''s Persistent Assault, Xuan Zhenzi was primarily focused on Taoist Arts and spells as his main offensive. However, being entangled by Gu Yuexuan like this, Xuan Zhenzi didn''t have time to cast spells, which was indeed a surprise victory for the two. Otherwise, who knows how long they would have had to compete in spellcasting.


    Since the onset of the second phase, Xuan Zhenzi had stopped caring about Gu Yuexuan, halted the waving of his bone sword, and took the blow from Gu Yuexuan''s sword strike directly.


    The subtitles on the computer screen suddenly lit up:


    Xuan Zhenzi (Taiyin Sect Protection Elder): "Slumbering dead, wandering souls, heed my summoning!"


    Raising both hands, Xuan Zhenzi created billows of green mist that rose from his palms, and the ancient well in the center of the arena seemed to respond, rapidly spreading out white mist. In the blink of an eye, it churned upwards, fusing quickly with the green mist and then gently cascaded down onto the piles of white bones on the ground, seemingly enveloping them with tenderness.


    As the hue of the mist on the ground grew darker, the white bones started to shake continuously as if being activated, quivering as they rose into the air.


    Though it''s a hassle to describe, all this happened in merely a few seconds. Xiao Buli, seeing the floating bones, realized it was part of the casting process. Sensing trouble, he swung his sword at the nearest pile of bones. To his surprise, his blade struck with a clang as if hitting a pile of iron bones. Xiao Buli didn''t stop; the metallic clashing continued nonstop for more than half a minute until the bones finally fell to the ground, allowing Xiao Buli to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Junior brother, be careful!" Gu Yuexuan shouted at the top of his lungs. At the same time, the sound of metal on metal rang out above Xiao Buli''s head. When he refocused, he saw countless skeleton warriors had somehow assembled in the hall. These bone soldiers, some wearing helmets and each wielding a long thigh bone, started to encircle the two fighters. Just moments ago, a skeleton soldier behind him had raised a bone knife to strike; luckily, Gu Yuexuan''s Sword Control Technique came to his aid. In this brief distraction, Xuan Zhenzi''s bone sword struck Gu Yuexuan. Thankfully covered by protective spiritual energy, Gu Yuexuan''s head displayed a red -12, prompting him to swiftly counter with his sword.


    Xiao Buli had no time to thank Gu Yuexuan for the rescue as several skeleton soldiers had already approached. In his urgency, Xiao Buli summoned a Swamp Crocodile to block for him while he hastily retreated. However, to his dismay, the skeleton soldiers, though similar in appearance to the previously summoned zombies, were alarmingly skilled. With a strike from their bones, red numbers in the tens or hundreds flashed before him. Engulfed by the assault of a dozen skeleton soldiers, the Swamp Crocodile was rapidly chopped into a minced mess.


    After discarding the crocodile''s corpse, they closed in on Xiao Buli, who desperately looked for an escape route. Realizing he lacked the robustness of the Swamp Crocodile, Xiao Buli was grateful that the skeleton soldiers weren''t fast and merely followed in pursuit. Breathing a little easier, he ran while continuously performing Mysterious Ice Slash to kite them. Despite the substantial number of enemies, some dodged, making the attack hit others instead. This prevented his strikes from being in vain. Xiao Buli felt frustrated, though, as the skeleton soldiers had high defense, and each sword strike only deducted a few dozen health points, leaving them undeterred for the time being.


    The space inside the main hall was limited, and Xiao Buli didn''t dare to flee outside, fearing the skeleton soldiers would then besiege Gu Yuexuan. So, he was forced to run in circles within the room until he was trapped in their midst. This was akin to playing Snake¡ªeventually, with all skeletons trailing him and no more room to maneuver, he found himself cornered.


    Damn it, I''m all in. Surrounded by too many skeletons, Xiao Buli had no choice but to unleash Carefree Wandering Dragon Sword Dance, finally repelling the skeleton soldiers around him. Yet, more from the outer circle closed in. Xiao Buli hacked away in frustration while trying to devise a way out in his head.


    "Junior brother, use Thunder Strike!" Although still locked in combat with Xuan Zhenzi, Gu Yuexuan kept an eye on the situation and, seeing Xiao Buli''s refusal to abandon him despite the peril, appreciated his dedication. In his concern for Xiao Buli being surrounded, he couldn''t help but shout a reminder.


    "What Thunder Strike?" Xiao Buli was momentarily confused by Gu Yuexuan''s suggestion, as he knew no such spell.


    "The Thunder Strike you used when descending on the mountaintop that day," Gu Yuexuan was exasperated. How could he forget his own skills?


    "Ah," Xiao Buli gasped, and it dawned on him. He had always regarded Cloud Thunder Leap as a means of escape. Except for the few times he had used it to kill the Black Mountain Bandit Leader due to its restrictive nature, he hadn''t considered it a skill to employ. Now, upon Gu Yuexuan''s reminder, realization struck. His fingers danced over the keyboard, and a bolt of lightning shot up into the sky. Restricted by the ceiling, Xiao Buli couldn''t rise high¡ªwhich is why he never used it indoors¡ªbut as he lifted off, he immediately pressed the spacebar. The room boomed like an RPG had gone off, and countless chunks of rock rained down from the damaged dome.


    Xiao Buli felt the screen shake, and when he looked around the room, Gu Yuexuan was prepared and had already floated to the side, while Taoist Xuan Zhen, with his high mana, naturally wasn''t in much danger. However, the skeleton soldiers in the center of the storm, surrounded by the stones, crumbled into numerous white bones, collapsing radially to the ground. Some, buried under the debris, lay motionless.


    Xiao Buli also crashed to the ground but was relatively unscathed thanks to his substantial health points.


    Hehe, Xiao Buli felt a rush of triumph, thinking to himself, let''s see if they dare to attack me now. But he couldn''t help but wonder why Xuan Zhenzi''s summoned troops were so resilient and numerous. Still, with the battle heating up, Xiao Buli didn''t dare to slack and quickly turned to assess Gu Yuexuan and Xuan Zhenzi, seeing that both their health points had dwindled to about one-third. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 12 Plot Requirements

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    It seemed that Xuan Zhenzi was about to go berserk again, and Xiao Buli quickly healed Gu Yuexuan, fearing that he would be killed in one powerful move. Left alone with this Gold Name BOSS, things wouldn''t be so fun.


    Xuan Zhenzi suddenly raised the leg bone he was holding, which looked like a magic wand. Apparently, this leg bone was also a versatile tool. He would have to study it closely later.


    A green light burst forth from the magic wand, and the ground between the two men began to churn. A giant hand emerged from beneath the ground.


    "Brother, be careful," Xiao Buli shouted, but it was too late. Before Gu Yuexuan could even fight back, the giant hand had already grasped him firmly, trapping him within. Since both hands were restrained, Gu Yuexuan couldn''t control his sword, and the treasure sword that had been circling above Xuan Zhenzi''s head clanged to the ground, buzzing with vibration.


    "Little brother, it''s all up to you now." Gu Yuexuan, who had just been extremely fierce, was now unable to move after being captured by the giant hand, his abilities seemingly wasted.


    Crack, is this for real? Xiao Buli thought. Is this part of the plot, or are they playing me together?


    Xiao Buli recalled a similar scenario in World of Warcraft he''d played before. Vurdin had led players to assault the Frozen Throne, preparing to gang up on the Lich King, but as soon as the fight started, they got frozen by a massive move and could only join the battle after the players had almost defeated the BOSS. It looked like the senior brother in this ridiculous game had learned to play the same trick too?


    But seeing that Gu Yuexuan could not move and would be of no help for the time being, the situation took a dire turn, and Xiao Buli was forced to face the harsh reality.


    Luckily, Gu Yuexuan had already reduced the BOSS''s health points by a third, just over 3000, so there should still be a chance to fight.


    Seeing that Gu Yuexuan was captured but not killed, probably due to plot requirements, Xuan Zhenzi turned toward Xiao Buli, and with a wave of his hand, he threw a Nether Fire Orb. Xiao Buli countered with a Mysterious Ice Slash, and the two forces collided, creating a loud boom.


    Xuan Zhenzi hurled another Magic Sphere Xiao Buli eagerly tried the same move again. Xuan Zhenzi''s hands moved faster and faster, continually throwing out magic spheres. The casting time of the Nether Fire Orb was roughly 1.5 seconds each, but Xiao Buli''s Mysterious Ice Slash required a casting time of two seconds. Seeing that he was about to be overwhelmed, Xiao Buli was grazed by a Nether Fire Orb, and his health points dropped sharply.


    Frightened by the loss of health points, Xiao Buli quickly dodged. Despite having a Protective Shield, he still lost so much health, which showed the power of the Nether Fire Orb.


    As he awkwardly dodged, Xiao Buli thought hard about his next move. It seemed he was getting nowhere this way. In terms of mana, he was no match for Xuan Zhenzi. It would be best to engage in close combat, but he feared he wasn''t fast enough to completely pin down Xuan Zhenzi. At close range, if Xuan Zhenzi cast a spell, there would be no way to dodge. Unless he was confident enough to make Xuan Zhenzi unable to cast spells. Speaking of speed, something clicked in Xiao Buli''s mind; he had almost forgotten about it.


    ```


    With that thought, he raised his hand and summoned the Shadow Spider. The arena was dimly lit after Xiao Buli''s bombardment, with only two flickering everlasting lamps weakly shining on the walls. In the darkness, the Shadow Spider could unleash its fullest potential. No sooner had it appeared than it darted towards Boss Xuan Zhenzi like an arrow shot from a bow.


    Nether Fire Orb! Although the spider was invisible, Xuan Zhenzi spotted it, disrupting the rhythm of his attacks on Xiao Buli. An orb that was originally aimed at Xiao Buli took a detour towards the Shadow Spider. Watching the greenish fireball approach, Xiao Buli''s heart sank. The Shadow Spider only had 290 health points, and a direct hit would probably kill it instantly.


    But who could have guessed that the Shadow Spider would perform an agile leap, jumping over seven or eight meters, neatly avoiding the splash range of the Nether Fire Orb. It landed right beside the boss and struck with a Claw Strike¡ªFrenzy!


    Its sickle-like legs attacked ferociously, and a series of numbers sprang from the boss. The onslaught interrupted the Nether Fire Orb, as Xuan Zhenzi couldn''t complete the spell casting, and he took up his magic wand to fight back against the spider. Even though he was a magic system boss, a boss''s strike could still deal dozens of damage. Xiao Buli hastily healed the Shadow Spider while slowly moving closer.


    The Resurrection Skill was an instant cast spell, requiring only a one-second global cooldown time before it could be used again. Xiao Buli watched as the layers of Glowing Light''s Scorching Aura quickly reached over fifty.


    Unexpectedly, the boss landed a critical hit. The Shadow Spider''s meager health bar bottomed out instantly, its legs stretched out, and it was defeated. Seeing this, Xiao Buli didn''t have time to grieve for his pet; knowing time was of the essence, he did not wait for Xuan Zhenzi to recover and thrust his Straight Lightning Sword.


    With a "pu-chi" sound, Glowing Light seeped into the boss''s body, -75, conductive electric shock triggered, -134, Scorching Aura activated, pouring over fifty layers of aura into the boss, -1140.


    Three consecutive numbers exploded on the boss. Xiao Buli was elated, the boss, already weakened by the Shadow Spider to just over a thousand health points, was instantly taken down by Xiao Buli on the spot.


    Xuan Zhenzi seemed unable to believe it, staggering a few steps backward with a ghoulish expression suddenly appearing on his face. "Death is just the beginning!" Seeing this message, Xiao Buli sensed something was terribly wrong.


    Xiao Buli pulled out his sword, and plumes of black smoke spread from his wound, as if piercing a balloon filled with black smoke.


    The black fog erupted from within, and Xuan Zhenzi let out a heart-wrenching scream. In the next moment, his body tore open from the inside, and as his skin and clothes fell away, a blood-drenched monster forcibly emerged. Before Xiao Buli could get a clear look at this bloody thing, the creature''s name and health bar caught his eyes first. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    Mysterious Yin Wondrous Method¡ªReincarnation of the Corpse Ghost!


    A Mind Revelation revealed the Corpse Ghost''s health bar¡ªover fifteen thousand health points.


    Freaking hell, are you kidding me? Its health points are higher than the boss''s? Based on Xiao Buli''s gaming experience, this was an incredible turn of events. After struggling through the final boss fight, to discover there was another one behind it was simply unthinkable. With less than one third of his True Yuan points remaining, Xiao Buli felt like screaming in frustration and just fainting.


    Just when Xiao Buli was close to despair, he suddenly heard an explosion behind him. The giant hand finally turned into dust and rocks under Gu Yuexuan''s relentless efforts, falling to the ground. At this critical moment, Gu Yuexuan had finally returned.


    "Senior Brother," Xiao Buli was about to say something.


    But he heard Gu Yuexuan shout out, "Die!"


    Xiao Buli only saw a streak of white light flash by in the blink of an eye, faster than words could express. Gu Yuexuan, sword in hand, swept past the corpse ghost. The corpse ghost, which was just baring its teeth and clawing, trying to rise from the ground, suddenly froze, motionless. It must have stopped for about two seconds before it collapsed to the ground like a deflated sack, then¡ªit died.


    What the hell, what''s going on? That''s too fake, right? Did he use the Golden Finger? Xiao Buli couldn''t believe it in his heart. That was a creature with 15,000 health points. Just a moment ago, Gu Yuexuan was trapped by an earthen hand, and now, in the moment he broke free, he was able to instantly kill a monster with 15,000 health points. What was that all about? Was this all scripted? Was this what the story required?


    While Xiao Buli was struggling with his thoughts, he saw Gu Yuexuan take a bead out of his pocket, point at the corpse, and a soul floated out from the corpse, drawn into the bead. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, Junior Brother, it''s all over. We should go," said Gu Yuexuan. On the surface, Gu Yuexuan appeared calm, but the hand holding the Soul Absorption Pearl couldn''t stop trembling, as if he was trying hard to suppress the excitement in his heart.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself (Go? Go where? I haven''t even checked the corpse yet.)


    "Wait, Senior Brother. Since this person is a Protection Elder of the Taiyin Sect, there must be some clues on this body. Let me search," Xiao Buli said without waiting to talk more with Gu Yuexuan and started searching the body. Gu Yuexuan did not stop him, just stood there quietly.


    This time, Xiao Buli was not disappointed and indeed found some typical treasures.


    Dark Dragon Bone Scepter (Gold-Two-handed Magic Wand): Attack 12-24, Yin Attribute Spell Power +20, Spell Penetration +10, Physique -5.


    Attached skill: Bone Prison Spell (once a day), summons a bone prison with 1,000 durability to bind a target, preventing movement. If the target''s Strength surpasses a certain number, they can break free from the binding.


    Equipment description: This magic wand, forged from the spine of a Black Dragon, still contains the resentment of the dragon at its death. Those who wield this wand will be affected by it.


    This scepter had quite strong attributes, especially that Bone Prison Spell. It was probably the spell that had trapped Gu Yuexuan just now, but unfortunately, it was a magic wand, and not quite suitable for him.


    Looking at the second dropped item.


    Refining Ghost Copper Pot: (Level 3 - Magical Treasure).


    Skill 1: Soul Refinement - Absorbs a soul and refines it into Pure Yin Force.


    Skill 2: Transform into Yin - Releases Pure Yin Force to enhance nearby Undead units.


    This treasure seemed a bit simple, but after giving it some thought, Xiao Buli understood its utility. If it were to fall into the hands of a Corpse-driving Warlock or someone capable of controlling Undead, this item would no doubt be a top-grade magic treasure.


    Unfortunately, it was still not very useful for him, as he did not know how to summon Undead.


    The third item was a key.


    Black Iron Key: A pitch-black key, its purpose unknown.


    Xiao Buli''s heart leapt with joy, keys were usually very useful. Perhaps there was a treasure chest hidden somewhere around here, waiting to be unlocked to reveal a few more treasures.


    The last item was a head. Xuan Zhenzi''s Head: (Quest Item).


    Xiao Buli unapologetically picked up all four items. That was the best part about fighting a boss with NPCs¡ªno one else to compete for the loot. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 13 Xuan Zhenzi, too?

    After getting ready, Xiao Buli ignored Gu Yuexuan, who was still standing to the side, and began searching the entire room. The room wasn''t very big to begin with, and it had just been struck by his Thunder Spell, so there were very few possible hiding places. Buli remained standing still, sweeping the room with his gaze first.


    "What are you looking for?" Gu Yuexuan asked impatiently.


    Seeing that his eldest senior brother seemed displeased, Xiao Buli repeated his discoveries and, seeing his relentless demeanor, Gu Yuexuan had no choice but to help him look. In a short while, the two had walked a circle inside the Stone Hall without finding what Buli had hoped for.


    "Junior brother, it seems the treasure chest isn''t here. Let''s hurry back and report to master," Gu Yuexuan urged again. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait a moment," Xiao Buli replied perfunctorily while his mind raced. To leave? Leaving meant there may never be another chance to return. Generally, if one finds a key or something similar inside a dungeon, it can usually be used within the dungeon. If they left this place, the key would become useless.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli''s gaze fell on the well and the throne. If there were any secret chambers, the mechanisms were most likely located at these two spots.


    "Eldest senior brother, could that well be the Gathering Yin Pool you mentioned before?" As he spoke, Xiao Buli headed toward the middle of the well. Due to the earlier bombardment, the well was somewhat lower than before, with its rocks peeled off one layer, but this didn''t stop the well from continuously spewing out cold air.


    Gu Yuexuan nodded upon hearing this, "Indeed, in fact, Yin Energy is a type of Vital Energy. If you''re not afraid of Yin Energy eroding your body or altering your path of cultivation, using the Yin Energy in this well can also cultivate Cultivation Techniques."


    Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. He opened his tracking Vital Energy skill, and indeed, the small screen revealed a large, dark mass that seemed to be continuously surging.


    However, the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture was obviously a Yang Attribute Cultivation Technique. If he cultivated with Yin Energy, wouldn''t that be seeking death? Buli shook his head at this thought, but he still noted down the location, wondering if any of his brothers would take this path in the future. He couldn''t let such a large pool of Vital Energy go to waste.


    "Eldest senior brother, do you think there might be something hidden inside this Gathering Yin Pool?" As he said this, Xiao Buli approached the pool to have a closer look.


    "Be careful, junior brother," Gu Yuexuan, startled by his actions, promptly cautioned, "The Gathering Yin Pool is filled with Yin Energy. Even those who practice Yin Ghost Skills would only dare to absorb it from a distance and would never enter, let alone hide anything inside. You could easily be invaded by Yin Energy if you approach rashly."


    Xiao Buli felt a chill in his heart and quickly stepped back; the seemingly slow-moving mist actually possessed such power.


    If the Gathering Yin Pool wasn''t it, then only the throne was left. Xiao Buli turned and walked over to the throne, circling it. The throne looked incredibly heavy. He tried pushing it but it didn''t budge at all. Buli didn''t dare to use brute force, fearing he might damage the mechanism. He moved to the front of the throne and randomly clicked around with his mouse. Suddenly, he noticed a slight anomaly, but it was fleeting. If Buli hadn''t been staring at the computer screen, he might have thought he was seeing things. He carefully moved the mouse back along the same path, and as it reached the armrest of the throne, the change happened again. The arrow of the mouse cursor transformed into a large gear-shaped icon. Ha! There was a way.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly clicked the mouse, and immediately there was a sound reminiscent of mechanical movement, but the sound was fleeting, and then everything was still again. Strange, Buli clicked several times, and each click produced a mechanical sound, but nothing else happened.


    Gu Yuexuan, who was standing behind, seemed to have figured it out and uttered, "Eh," walking up behind Xiao Buli, "Junior brother, keep applying pressure. Don''t just tug at it intermittently."


    "Oh," Xiao Buli suddenly realized his mistake. Anxious, he had only been lightly clicking. Holding down the left mouse button with his right index finger caused the character''s hand on the screen to keep twisting the armrest. The sound of the mechanism turning continued, and the entire throne moved slowly to the left, revealing a dark hole underneath. Buli kept the mouse button pressed until the chair stopped moving before letting go.


    Buli approached the hole with Gu Yuexuan and peered inside.


    "It''s pitch black inside, so I can''t see if there''s anything, but it smells a bit off," said Gu Yuexuan, looking into the hole. Xiao Buli naturally couldn''t smell anything, but he knew that without venturing into the tiger''s den, one could not get tiger cubs. Instead of guessing, it was more pragmatic to go down directly. With this thought, he took the still-lit oil lamp from the wall. Fortunately, the oil lamp was made to look like a stone bowl, making it convenient to hold.


    "Senior brother, let''s go down and take a look," Xiao Buli spoke without waiting for Gu Yuexuan''s response and started walking down.


    Due to the mission, NPC Gu Yuexuan obviously didn''t have much autonomy. Even though he was anxious to return, he had to follow. The two descended with the dim light from the oil lamp and saw that it was a square corridor below, clearly man-made and quite ancient. The corridor wasn''t long; after about ten meters, they reached the end where a metal door barred the way, strikingly revealing a cell.

 Chapter 13 Is There Xuan Zhenzi? _2

    Xiao Buli held the oil lamp high to extend its light further and immediately saw clearly that a person was standing against the wall, clad in a green Taoist robe with a treasured sword on his back.


    Upon seeing the light brighten at the door, he immediately approached. Xiao Buli saw clearly that this Taoist had a handsome and refined appearance, likely in his twenties or thirties in age. But when Xiao Buli saw his name, his heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself, this can''t be, how is this possible.


    The name hovering above the Taoist''s head was none other than Xuan Zhenzi. Xuan Zhenzi was often hard to find on regular days; how could it be that when encountered, they came in pairs?


    "I am troubled by the efforts of you two brave gentlemen to rescue me," said the young Xuan Zhenzi when he saw that the people who appeared were not the villains who imprisoned him, and he immediately called for help.


    After the initial surprise, Xiao Buli''s mind started to spin rapidly. Looking at the young Xuan Zhenzi before him, Xiao Buli felt as if he had caught a clue. Pulling out the key from his backpack, he held it in his hand and said to Xuan Zhenzi inside the prison, "I have the key, but you need to answer a few questions for me."


    Upon seeing this, Xuan Zhenzi immediately said, "Please ask, sir, and I shall tell all that I know."


    "Who are you?" This question, at first hearing, seems like nonsense, yet it was the very thing Xiao Buli most wanted to confirm at that moment.


    "I am called Xuan Zhenzi, a disciple of the Pure Yang Palace." Xuan Zhenzi answered honestly. Indeed, it was Xuan Zhenzi. Xiao Buli had some doubts at first, wondering if there was some kind of name-changing item in the game that a person with intentions had used to change their names and avoid assassination. Since NPCs cannot see their own name tags, they should be unaware of any name changes. Yet now, he has personally admitted to being Xuan Zhenzi, which seems to indicate the situation might be closer to the second possibility Xiao Buli had conjectured.


    "Have you heard of Soul Departure Syndrome?" Xiao Buli asked. Soul Departure Syndrome was just what the gamers called it; Xiao Buli didn''t know what it was called inside the game, but he believed that if the man truly was Xuan Zhenzi, he would surely know the term Soul Departure Syndrome.


    Xuan Zhenzi''s body shuddered, and his face momentarily lost its composure, but he quickly regained his calmness: "Soul Departure Syndrome? I do not know of such a thing," he said with finality. But the more definitive he was, the more certain Xiao Buli became of his suspicions.


    "Do you see this key?" Xiao Buli extended his hand forward, "I can set you free, or I can leave you here in this endless darkness forever."


    This statement clearly struck a nerve in Xuan Zhenzi. One could see the corners of his pale lips twitch involuntarily, as if the thought of staying in this place filled him with immense fear. Glancing back over his shoulder at the darkness that seemed able to swallow everything, Xuan Zhenzi gritted his teeth, seemingly making a significant decision: "Alright, I will tell you what I know. Actually, I am not..."


    As Xiao Buli listened intently to Xuan Zhenzi who was willing to reveal the truth, he was unprepared when a flash of white sword light suddenly appeared beside him, slicing through the iron bars and striking Xuan Zhenzi directly.


    Xuan Zhenzi''s eyes bulged, and a line of blood appeared on his neck instantly, followed by his body collapsing to one side. Xiao Buli shouted in alarm, swiftly opened the prison door, and rushed in, casting Resurrection Skills on Xuan Zhenzi non-stop, but he could only see a flickering white light on Xuan Zhenzi''s body and no longer any signs of life.


    "It''s useless, he''s already dead," Gu Yuexuan''s voice came from outside the cell.


    "Damn it, what''s wrong with you?" Xiao Buli truly became angry this time; this was the closest he had come to grasping the actual truth, and yet Gu Yuexuan had so easily ruined it. If it had been a player or the Ancestral Dragon, Xiao Buli might not have been so furious, but he was an NPC. It was baffling that an NPC who should behave like an NPC would kill so indiscriminately. What was the reason for it? Xiao Buli suddenly realized that he had been taking the NPCs in this game for granted all along. They had their stories, their missions, just like Gu Yuexuan, carrying his master''s order to collect Xuan Zhenzi''s soul, or like his third senior sister mysteriously discussing affinity with him. Should he see them as patterns of code, or should he treat them as people?


    Gu Yuexuan, however, ignored his rage, holding the Soul Absorption Pearl and stepped into the cell, apparently to collect the soul of this Xuan Zhenzi.


    As he approached, Xiao Buli''s gaze fixed on the door outside, and he raised his hand to point outside, "Senior brother, be careful."


    Gu Yuexuan subconsciously turned around to look, but Xiao Buli was one step ahead, taking out his Soul Absorption Pearl. He pointed at the corpse of Xuan Zhenzi, and a bright white soul was extracted. Gu Yuexuan turned back to see Xiao Buli had already put the Soul Absorption Pearl into his backpack.


    "Junior brother, why are you taking my things? Give it back to me." Gu Yuexuan spoke in displeasure, yet he did not dare to be too forceful.


    Xiao Buli sneered, "Senior brother, I don''t blame you for your hobby of collecting souls, but you shouldn''t have made your move before I even finished asking my questions."


    Gu Yuexuan huffed, "He''s a traitor from Mystic Hollow Palace and was found here; he must be a villainous character. Isn''t it better that he''s killed?"


    "Oh? Is that so?" thought Xiao Buli, "Keep spouting nonsense with your eyes wide open. Then, since that is the case, I think we should hand this person''s soul over to the master for disposition, what do you say? Eldest senior brother?" Since his actions were done behind the master''s back, there must be countless ties. As Xiao Buli uttered these words, he indeed saw Gu Yuexuan''s face growing visibly tense. Feeling smug inside, he continued to bluff, "Senior brother, do you think I''m unaware of your shady dealings in that bamboo forest?" In fact, this statement was purely to bluff Gu Yuexuan.


    Gu Yuexuan''s expression turned cold, and his treasured sword shot out, grasped in his hand with the tip pointed straight at Xiao Buli''s throat, "Fine, let''s hear you talk."


    Xiao Buli was startled, not expecting Gu Yuexuan to be so agitated, looking as if he could kill him at any moment. But now was not the time to back down; he stiffened his neck, his voice strong and defiant.


    "The quicker you kill me, the quicker the master will know about your affairs." He used the more neutral term "affairs" instead of "treacherous schemes" because Xiao Buli was unsure of what exactly was being planned and afraid of accidentally giving himself away.


    "What do you mean?" Gu Yuexuan was indeed apprehensive. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli chuckled inwardly, wondering when he had to match wits with an NPC like in a game. Fortunately, he had watched plenty of dramas involving such tricks. He knew the principle of bluffing well.


    "Before coming here, I had already informed two friends about your actions using the Thousand-mile Sound Transmission. They know the location of Mystic Hollow Palace and have relations with Jingji. If I unfortunately meet with a mishap, they will immediately inform the master of the entire matter."


    Upon hearing this, Gu Yuexuan''s complexion fluctuated, eventually sheathing his treasured sword resentfully.


    "You say, how can the Soul Absorption Pearl be returned?" Xiao Buli let out a huge sigh of relief inside. He considered himself a paper tiger and, although he always felt that his prestige with Gu Yuexuan had reached a friendly level and that the latter shouldn''t bring himself to kill him, seeing how Gu Yuexuan had earlier killed Xuan Zhenzi without batting an eye, it was better not to risk it.


    "Senior brother, regarding Avatar Shadow Transformation..." Xiao Buli intentionally drew out his words, observing Gu Yuexuan''s reaction. The latter showed no fluctuation, confirming Xiao Buli''s speculation was correct. The method for Xuan Zhenzi to overcome Soul Departure Syndrome was indeed the third kind mentioned by the master and himself, the Avatar Shadow Transformation. If he had guessed wrong, Gu Yuexuan would have immediately realized that Xiao Buli had been bluffing earlier and would have attacked on the spot. But Xiao Buli had also thought of a solution. The reason he drew out his words was to see his reaction. If mistaken, he would immediately ask about the key details.


    But Gu Yuexuan didn''t react. Xiao Buli saw it clearly and then finally said the rest: "I don''t know much about it, but I believe you know much more than me."


    Gu Yuexuan glared at him, seemingly quite irate at such blatant coercion.


    "Also, I want to know as much as possible about the secrets of Mystic Hollow Palace." The secrets of Mystic Hollow Palace were something Xiao Buli had come across in a book while playing the library copy in the past, but since the copy was already accessed by a Taoist, he had never discovered the key elements. After so long, Xiao Buli vaguely felt that the grudges between Xuanxu Zi, Mystic Hollow Palace, and Xuan Zhenzi might be related to the secrets of Mystic Hollow Palace. So he made his demand.


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, Gu Yuexuan''s face changed, seeming somewhat surprised by how much he knew. After a long stare-down, Gu Yuexuan finally nodded: "Fine, I will tell you everything about it."(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 14 The Change in Xuantian Palace

    "Since you''ve said so, I''ll tell you the truth of the matter." Gu Yuexuan''s expression suddenly changed as if the urgency had left him and he became more composed, his thoughts inscrutable. He lowered his sword, glanced at the surrounding darkness, lit up the blade with a glow, and slowly walked toward the exit of the dungeon.


    Xiao Buli let out a sigh of relief, took a step to follow but suddenly spotted the corpse of Xuan Zhenzi. He quickly clicked with his mouse, yet no other items dropped, with only a head (a quest item) appearing prominently in his inventory.


    Seeing Gu Yuexuan''s figure moving away in the distance, Xiao Buli hurriedly picked up the item and followed him out.


    Just outside the entrance of the dungeon corridor, Xiao Buli saw Gu Yuexuan stood not far from the entrance, his back towards Xiao Buli, seemingly still lost in thought. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Senior brother." Xiao Buli called out.


    Gu Yuexuan heard him and slowly turned around, holding a large book in his arms. This book was surrounded by a layer of black aura and looked very familiar.


    "This~" Xiao Buli moved closer and sure enough, it was one of the three magic books he had seen in the Nine Dragons City library, "Penglai Secret Chronicles: The Transformation of Xuantian Palace." At that time, he had suspected that the book was related to Mystic Hollow Palace and had desperately wanted to enter it and see for himself, but various unfortunate events had always kept him away.


    The black mist surrounding the book was much lighter than what Xiao Buli had seen in Nine Dragons City, but the essence seemed to be the same. So, could this be¡ªa Book Spirit? Xiao Buli asked aloud.


    "Correct, it is a Book Spirit, one that I''ve been nurturing," Gu Yuexuan replied, knowing that a Book Spirit was formless and substanceless, born from the attachment to a book. If the book was destroyed, the Book Spirit would escape to another place. If a Book Spirit''s powers were sufficient, the book could form its own Illusory Realm. Considering the condition of this book, it did not seem to have formed a replica like the one in the library, but it should be possible to view at any time.


    Gu Yuexuan said, handing over the book, "The truth you want to know is all in this book. I suppose I don''t need to teach you what to do, right?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, reaching out to take the book, yet his eyes remained fixed on Gu Yuexuan. To enter the book, one had to leave one''s spirit behind. Despite Gu Yuexuan''s words being enough to make him cautious about harming Xiao Buli, it was not wise to leave his physical body with someone who had murderous intent towards him.


    Gu Yuexuan saw the look in his eyes and understood the meaning. He snorted coldly, "Relax, if I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it earlier. With your skills, I don''t need to resort to schemes against you. Besides, since I''ve decided to tell you the truth, I have made such preparations. Do you really think I believe that ''Thousand-mile Sound Transmission'' tale you spun? "


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat. He had bluffed about the ''Thousand-mile Sound Transmission'', a skill he was unable to learn due to his current Taoist Heart level. He had just consulted Gu Yuexuan on how to improve his Taoist Heart, so how could Gu Yuexuan not be aware of that? It seemed that Gu Yuexuan''s decision not to kill him was not out of fear from his threat, but because he had other plans. Having a purpose was good, as long as he was of use to Gu Yuexuan, he wouldn''t lightly take Xiao Buli''s life. Reflecting quickly, Xiao Buli faintly felt that these NPCs in this world were bound by rules, and there might be many things they were not free to do themselves, which is why a capable master like his own still had to rely on him to hunt down Xuan Zhenzi.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli cast aside his last bit of apprehension and looked at the book enveloped in black mist in front of him. He gently clicked his mouse on it, and the black mist on the book instantly churned up, engulfing him in the blink of an eye.


    Xiao Buli only felt the screen before him turn black. As the view changed and the smoke cleared, he was presented with a verdant outdoor peach garden, filled with chirping birds and the babble of flowing water. Upon closer inspection, the beautiful scenery was clearly the Mist Valley where Mystic Hollow Palace was located. However, the surroundings were teeming with life, not at all resembling Mist Valley''s usual fog-shrouded, mysterious aura.


    Looking up at the map in the upper right corner, the name displayed on the mini-map was Layered Green Valley. Xiao Buli was puzzled by this; it appeared that the current scene had to be from thirty years ago. He wondered what had transpired over these thirty years to have transformed the once paradisiacal Layered Green Valley into Mist Valley.


    Xiao Buli looked down at his own body, which appeared to be a semi-transparent shadow, not very conspicuous, and his attire had not changed into any character from the book, still maintaining his own image, much like a ghost.


    Adapting to his current state, Xiao Buli admired the beautiful scenery around him while moving toward the direction of Mystic Hollow Palace. After a while, he could already see a mountain gate from afar, surrounded by swirling white clouds and the continuous cries of cranes, much like arriving at an Immortal Palace. However, the many thorny walls that used to be in front of the gate were no longer there.


    Wouldn''t this mean there were no obstacles to directly enter? It seemed that thirty years ago, Mystic Hollow Palace wasn''t as heavily guarded as it was now. Xiao Buli was just about to step inside when he suddenly heard a commotion of fighting from behind him. Looking back, he could faintly see several figures emerging from the woods not far away.


    Xiao Buli quickly dodged to one side, trying to hide, but it was already too late. The opponents were extremely fast, seemingly possessing high-level qinggong, and in the blink of an eye, they were already in front of him. Yet, they seemed completely oblivious to Xiao Buli, who was within an arm''s reach, and rushed past him.


    A figure flew past Xiao Buli at high speed, and in the midst of the chaos, the person glanced back, revealing the attire of a Taoist priest. Xiao Buli had no time for detailed observation as the pursuers were nearing; both groups stood face to face. Judging by their attire, they should belong to the same sect, all wearing the same cyan-grey Taoist robes. Their martial arts techniques also seemed very similar. Xiao Buli thought to himself that since they couldn''t see him, he might as well sit aside and watch the battle unfold. However, as he watched, Xiao Buli shuddered.


    At first, the fighting was a blur, with the fleeing individual heading in Xiao Buli''s direction. But as the fight grew fiercer, the combatants changed positions and shapes continuously. Xiao Buli hadn''t noticed anything amiss at the beginning, but gradually, he realized that he couldn''t find the individual who was fleeing. It was like watching a shell game with the performer''s hands moving quickly, where one always thinks the pea is under a certain cup, but when another cup is lifted, the pea is there as well.


    In front of Xiao Buli, who had been focusing on the fleeing person to see how they would escape, suddenly realized that the person by his side was the one he had seen running away. However, with the melee in full swing and others coming to the aid, a closer look revealed that the person assisting was also the one fleeing. The five or six Taoist priests somehow had the exact same face.


    Xiao Buli was puzzled and sent forth a Mind Revelation to understand the situation better. It turned out that these Taoist priests were probably avatars created by Xuan Zhenzi''s Avatar Shadow Transformation. Although he didn''t know why they later looked different from one another, originally their appearances were identical. In the middle of the battle, the name ''Xuan Zhenzi (Heart Demon Incarnation)'' floated above the head of the Taoist priest, while the others read ''Xuan Zhenzi (Divided Spirit Incarnation)''. It seemed that the Avatar Shadow Transformation technique could indeed separate the Heart Demon. Xiao Buli felt a surge of excitement, as hope for treating Soul Departure Syndrome reignited within him.


    While Xiao Buli was excited, the battle became even more thrilling. Under the joint assault, the Heart Demon had no chance to breathe. The combatants, who were from a single origin, coordinated seamlessly, their techniques as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water.


    Gradually, they cornered the Heart Demon before the gate, and with a Giant Fireball, the Heart Demon repelled them all, gesturing as if wanting to speak. The others, holding the upper hand, felt no rush to end things. One of them asked, "What do you wish to say?"


    The Heart Demon, gasping for air, caught a few breaths before responding, "Since we are all Avatar Shadow Transformations, why chase after me? It''s not supposed to be like this; we should be fighting one another."


    Before the Heart Demon could finish, the Avatar Shadow Transformations seemed to hear the funniest thing in the world, bursting into loud laughter. The one who had just spoken tried to contain his laughter and said, "You are the Heart Demon, yet so naive. Although we are fragments of a soul, memories are shared. It''s unfortunate that every fragment of memory knows that the reason for enduring the agony of soul splitting is to get rid of you. Don''t waste time; your end comes today." As he spoke, his face twisted with apparent endless rage.


    "Don''t waste words on him." Another Avatar Shadow Transformation, quick-tempered, released a thunderous Fireball without waiting for a reply.


    This seemed to be a signal for all the others, who began to cast their spells, sending an array of multi-colored attacks raining down on Xuan Zhenzi (Heart Demon Incarnation).


    Xiao Buli listened and understood that these Avatar Shadow Transformations still had their own consciousness and weren''t oblivious. The Heart Demon seemed to be in a dire situation today, and while ganging up wasn''t within Xiao Buli''s moral compass, the Heart Demon''s identity was clearly not favorable. Xiao Buli wished to see the Heart Demon obliterated and Xuan Zhenzi achieve his goal. However, according to his experience in reality, the story obviously hadn''t developed that way; otherwise, so many of Xuan Zhenzi''s Avatars wouldn''t still be around.


    On the battlefield, the situation continued to evolve. The colorful spells seemed different, each individual seemingly inheriting one or a few spells, creating a chaotic mix. Based on Xiao Buli''s past experience defeating Xuan Zhenzi, these Avatars weren''t very powerful, likely due to the splitting of Xuan Zhenzi''s abilities. Although the spectacle was stunning, the attack power was not particularly strong. Xuan Zhenzi''s Heart Demon, dodging left and right, bore two additional Fireballs. Despite being in a sorry state, it didn''t result in his demise. Strangely, the Heart Demon did not seem to possess any powerful offensive spells and did not strike back. Seeing the situation, the Heart Demon gritted his teeth and fled into the mountain gate. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 15 Ominous Shadows

    The Xuan Zhenzi disciples saw this and couldn''t easily let him go. They immediately surged forward and pursued him down the path. Xiao Buli saw he was about to follow closely to get a better look, but who knew that the scenery before his eyes started rotating at high speed, and when he stood still again, he found himself looking at a different scene.


    This time, he was inside a labyrinth. The Xuan Zhenzi (Heart Demon incarnation) was not far ahead of Xiao Buli, staggering as if on the verge of death. His clothes were scorched and torn as if struck by lightning and fire, hanging on him like ragged cloth. At this moment, the Heart Demon looked around in panic, seemingly searching for an exit, but there was no sign of other Xuan Zhenzi disciples¡ªthey seemed to have completely lost their way in this maze.


    This labyrinth was indistinguishable from the one Xiao Buli had seen before, though clearly, this Xuan Zhenzi did not know the way to break the spell. Plagued by the recurrence of arriving at the same place, he had fallen into a state of despair. Moreover, at this moment, his injuries were severe; he was merely sustained by a last breath and could collapse at any moment.


    Xuan Zhenzi reached the stele in the center of the field and gazed foolishly at the inscription on the stone. Suddenly, he began to shout like a madman, and his treasured sword struck fiercely at the stele, but by then he was close to his end. The sword hit the stone without leaving any mark, save for a few sparks. After a while, Xuan Zhenzi seemed to have exhausted all his strength and collapsed powerlessly at the base of the stele.


    Xuan Zhenzi''s head drooped as he mumbled, "Heaven is destroying me, heaven is destroying me¡ªwhy? Am I not the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao? Why?"


    Xiao Buli slowly walked over, looking at the now lifeless Xuan Zhenzi. He reached out to touch him, but at that moment, Xuan Zhenzi swayed and slowly lay down on the ground. With a final breath, it was clear that he was no longer alive. Xiao Buli looked at the spot where Xuan Zhenzi lay and was suddenly startled, rushing around to the front of the stele. A hand was just visible¡ªit seemed to be the same corpse he had found in the labyrinth before, which had also enabled him to escape the illusion. By some twisted fate, this Heart Demon of Xuan Zhenzi had, in a way, saved his life.


    As he was lost in thought, Xiao Buli suddenly noticed a shadow slowly floating behind the stele. Before he could change his angle to get a clearer look, the shadow passed straight through from behind the stele. Upon closer inspection, the shadow seemed vaguely human in shape, but without face or limbs, just a long form that was not fixed in shape. Dark undercurrents swirled within the shadow as if it were a living thing. As Xiao Buli was curious, he was just about to step closer to get a clear view when the scenery spun before his eyes. When it stopped, he was at the entrance of Xuantian Palace, seeing the familiar layered buildings¡ªit was clearly where his own Sect, Mystic Hollow Palace, was located, the only difference being the three big characters of "Xuantian Palace" on the archway.


    By now, Xiao Buli was sure of what he had suspected: this Xuantian Palace was indeed Mystic Hollow Palace from thirty years ago. The secret of Xuantian Palace was probably closely related to the difference in a single character. As he thought this, Xiao Buli casually proceeded to enter, but then he heard a faint human voice from behind. One voice said, "I''ve finally made it out. Are you saving me? Where are you taking me?"


    Xiao Buli was startled, thinking the voice was speaking to him. Surprised, he turned around, only to see Xuan Zhenzi''s Heart Demon not far behind, with the same shadow he had seen before in front. However, the Heart Demon now appeared translucent and its shape was unpredictable, clearly a soul. This was probably due to the Heart Demon''s unwillingness to die, hence its persistence even after death.


    Xiao Buli stepped aside in astonishment, watching the black shadow slowly move forward, guiding Xuan Zhenzi''s soul into the Xuantian Palace. Xiao Buli followed behind the two entities¡ªone shadow and two translucent souls¡ªwhich made the scene seem like something out of a graveyard. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel the eeriness of the moment, his eyes scanning the interior of the Xuantian Palace. The palace was quiet and deserted, a far cry from the flourishing beauty he remembered, and the air seemed filled with endless sorrow, casting a solemn pall over everything.


    The trio slowly approached the main hall. Xiao Buli looked inside to see Seven-Star Lamps surrounding a white canopy, which fluttered with the breeze¡ªa scene that eerily reminded him of a horror movie.


    The three entities drifted in. In the hall, an old man was seated with white hair and beard, a dignified presence that bespoke of someone beyond the mortal realm. If not the Palace Master Xuanxu Zi, then who could it be? Yet, upon closer inspection, Xiao Buli noticed the name floating above the old man''s head¡ªit was Xuantian, the Palace Master of Xuantian Palace.


    An inkling of understanding began to dawn on Xiao Buli, but he simply watched the situation unfold before him. The Xuantian Daoist before him had his eyes closed, his face more withered than when Xiao Buli usually saw him. Behind the Daoist stood a man¡ªnone other than Qingfeng Mingyue. Qingfeng Mingyue, deviating from his usual stoicism, had tears in his eyes and un-wiped streaks on his face, clearly struggling to suppress his grief. Below the great hall was another figure kneeling in a prostrating position, head thoroughly touching the ground, making it impossible for Xiao Buli to see his face.


    Just then, Xuantian spoke slowly, "No need for your cries and wails. As it is said, ''every being must face the five decays of heaven and man.'' My time has come, and I am ready to transform. There is no need for sorrow." As he spoke these words, his eyes remained shut, as if in deep meditation, his voice calm, showing no sign of someone about to die. After finishing this sentence, there was silence for a while. It appeared that there was no longer any movement from his body. Qingfeng Mingyue could no longer contain himself and cried out, "Palace Master!" collapsing to the ground in tears. The figure on the ground also began to heave intensely, trying to suppress sobbing. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    The shadow, upon seeing the situation, slowly floated over to Xuantian Daoist''s body and gestured invitingly at Xuan Zhenzi''s ghost. Although the dark mass had no distinct human shape, the motion was clear enough that anyone could understand its intent.


    Xuan Zhenzi (Heart Demon manifestation) was taken aback upon seeing this, "You want me to possess that old man''s body? But I don''t know any spells¡ªwhen I split off, I didn''t get anything, isn''t that strange?" The soul voiced its query, yet the two people in the room seemed to ignore it as if they could not see the out-of-place Xuan Zhenzi and the shadow.


    After hearing Xuan Zhenzi''s words, the shadow moved slightly as if communicating something to Xuan Zhenzi, but this time, even Xiao Buli couldn''t hear a whisper of sound, only Xuan Zhenzi appeared to be listening intently. The scene was incredibly uncanny.


    After a while, the shadow seemed to have finished speaking and made another inviting gesture. This time, Xuan Zhenzi''s face showed joy as he muttered to himself, "Truly, the Heavenly Dao does not leave one without a path. To think that I would encounter such an Immortal Fetus; it may be a bit old, but it spares me from the fate of my soul scattering to the winds." Having said this, the ghostly figure moved over, and the semi-transparent body sat cross-legged in front of Xuantian Daoist''s physical form, the posture of the spirit and the body aligning as one. At first, Xiao Buli could still see the faint shadow adjusting inside, but gradually Xuantian Daoist''s face became clear, Xuan Zhenzi''s shadow having completely vanished. As if nourished by a vigorous soul, Xuantian Daoist''s previously withered complexion instantly became rosy, the whole person seemed to emit a translucent glow, and slowly opened his eyes. The horsetail whisk in his hand trembled slightly as he gently coughed.


    The person lying on the ground jerked violently and suddenly lifted his head, causing Xiao Buli to gasp in shock. Although he had just felt a vague sense of familiarity, he had not expected to see someone he recognized in this book so suddenly; the kneeling figure in white was none other than Gu Yuexuan.


    "Master!~" Gu Yuexuan yelled in surprise and joy upon seeing Xuantian Daoist open his eyes and his complexion so revitalized, unlike his earlier state.


    Qingfeng Mingyue heard this shout and also looked up to see Xuantian Daoist resurrected, her tears turning into laughter, "Palace Master, Palace Master," she stammered, unable to utter a second sentence.


    In their eyes, Xuantian Daoist was still Xuantian Daoist, but in Xiao Buli''s eyes, he watched in shock as Xuantian Daoist''s name hovering above his head quietly changed¡ªXuanxu Zi, this was the true identity of Xuanxu Zi, whom he had encountered. No wonder he had asked him to help chase down Xuan Zhenzi¡ªbrothers in the Sect, betrayal, it was all nonsense.


    Because Xiao Buli had always been wary of Heart Demons, he was momentarily unable to accept the scene before him. A sense of unease began to grow in his heart.


    At this moment, the black shadow, seeing that its business was taken care of, slowly floated towards the door. Even though Xiao Buli did not know what the entity was, he instinctively felt he should not provoke it. Seeing it head straight for him, he quickly dodged to the side.


    The shadow slowly floated past him, but suddenly, a nameless terror caused Xiao Buli''s heart to leap. This feeling was unforgettable, and he instantly realized it was the same terror he felt when he fled the company. He had sustained severe injuries from a mishap using Cloud Thunder Leap and was saved by Xia Zuowei. Out of curiosity, the young man created a game account and was killed in the game. Back then, Xiao Buli wanted to help him resist, and when that thing approached, he felt the same sense of terror. It was indescribable, intangible, yet it struck against his confidence so vividly, as though in the presence of that power, he was but an ant, his courage to resist entirely vanishing.


    Sensing this, Xiao Buli involuntarily looked back. Just then, the shadow was about to step out of the door and suddenly turned its head back. Yes, even though it obviously had no limbs, head, or facial features, Xiao Buli felt it had suddenly turned its head, as if it had noticed his presence.


    Xiao Buli was so frightened that he hardly dared to breathe, his eyes affixed to the shadow through the screen. The shadow slowly turned its head, seemingly uncertain of Xiao Buli''s presence¡ªthough what Xiao Buli could see was only the swirling black mist within the shadow, for some reason, he felt the shadow was looking right at him. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.) Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 16 What to Do When the Computer Breaks Down

    But how could this be possible? Xiao Buli wondered in his heart. This was just a memory, he was nonexistent in reality, and he was observing this world from the perspective of a bystander. Moreover, it shouldn''t just be an image formed by the Book Spirit, right? If that was the case, how could it see him? Could there be something behind him? While pondering, Xiao Buli shook the mouse and turned around, finding nothing but empty space behind him. He turned back to the screen, but just as he did so, the shadowy figure suddenly vanished from its original place, and when he looked back at the screen, it appeared right in front of him, its face made of black mist pressing against his screen, slowly filling it.


    The suddenness of it all startled Xiao Buli so much that he yelled out and tumbled backward onto the ground. A snapping sound rang out beside his ear, and the air faintly carried the scent of something burning. What was that just now? Xiao Buli hurriedly got up to check, but it was too late. He saw the laptop''s screen crack and black smoke billowed out. Seeing it was no longer functional, the feeling of formless oppression also dissipated. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli stared at the laptop, dumbfounded, thinking to himself that he truly was doomed now.


    With some disbelief, he stood up from the ground and checked the laptop, turning it over a couple of times. Xiao Buli then sat back down in the chair, resigned to accepting this hard reality. Indeed, the device was beyond repair; not only was the display broken, but the continuous stream of black smoke and acrid smell coming from the keyboard indicated that the circuit board was certainly fried. Even if Xiao Buli were a computer manufacturer, and even with all the necessary tools, he could only fix the circuit board. What about the monitor? Could he just make a new LCD screen? With Xiao Buli''s knowledge of computers, he knew that even Bill Gates would simply spread his hands in resignation and shrug at him.


    "What to do, what to do?" Xiao Buli was not someone without brains. No matter what disadvantage he faced, it seemed his habitual reaction was to quickly organize his thoughts, so he didn''t complain or lose his sanity. Instead, he sat in his chair, adjusted his breathing rapidly, and closed his eyes. The situation before him was undoubtedly very dire. The computer and the game were his only ways out of here, not to mention that his character was still in that damned game, with the soul separated from the body and without any control. It was like a fat lamb waiting to be slaughtered. The only hope was Gu Yuexuan. Fortunately, the Minor Monsters in the instance had all been killed. Considering Gu Yuexuan''s abilities, even if one or two starburst Minor Monsters appeared, they would not cause them harm. Gu Yuexuan seemed to have a request for him, showing him the content of the book for this purpose, meaning that Xiao Buli would not be in immediate danger.


    Of course, this was a rather optimistic guess. If Gu Yuexuan changed his mind, or if they encountered other emergencies within the instance, his chances of death were nearly a hundred percent. Therefore, the priority was not to consider these possibilities but to return to the game as quickly as possible.


    Xiao Buli opened his eyes. The most realistic approach now seemed to be figuring out how to get out of here, perhaps by attempting to dig a passage out. Xiao Buli quickly searched around the base but, after a full round, found no suitable tools except for a spoon from the kitchen.


    Was he expected to dig with a sword?


    He looked at the flimsy weapon in his hand and the thick concrete walls, jabbing at them experimentally with a few thrusts; they were impenetrable. This base was probably built to the standards of a military project, not something those shoddy construction projects could compare to.


    What to do, what to do? Xiao Buli forced himself to remain calm. Things hadn''t gotten too bad yet, there was still hope Xiao Buli! He muttered to himself,


    "Hope? What hope?" That voice inside him seemed completely clueless, without warning, spoke in Xiao Buli''s mind.


    "FUKE, SHUT UP," Xiao Buli, already on the verge of snapping, yelled out loud.


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    "Hahaha," the voice heard Xiao Buli getting anxious, and it seemed quite pleased with itself. "This is your only chance. Give me control of your body, and I can lead you out of here."


    "Shut up, you demon. One day I will stomp you into the ground. You''re filthy, despicable, a soul that should never have existed." Xiao Buli forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart, vehemently speaking to the Heart Demon inside him. Saying this, he picked up a spoon and went downstairs. Because the basement was filled with numerous corpses, Xiao Buli usually moved about on the second floor. Now, with no other option and wanting to dig a hole, the basement probably had weaker spots. Xiao Buli remembered there was a location in the basement where no rooms had been excavated. Occasionally it crossed his mind that perhaps it was left undug because the rock there was too frail to withstand it, so he decided to try his luck there.


    Down in the basement, the not-so-bright lighting made the place seem like it lived within shadows. In the middle of the hall, that huge metal cabinet was still placed there unmoving.


    How could he have forgotten that thing? Xiao Buli unconsciously walked over, picked up a helmet lying on a bed next to the iron cabinet, and wiped off a thin layer of dust from it. Underneath the dust, the metal helmet shimmered with a silver sheen, likely made of stainless steel or a similar material.


    This must have been quite advanced equipment at the time, Xiao Buli thought while looking at the iron cabinet. Since it was a national project, both the technology and the materials were naturally of the highest quality. Xiao Buli recalled when he was seventeen or eighteen years old, he had received a pair of military hook boots from a cousin who was in the army. Those heavy boots, which in Xiao Buli''s view could kick a cow to death, lasted him five to six years. He later outgrew them and started to prefer branded shoes, so they were gradually replaced and picked up by his frugal father to wear again. If memory served, he saw those antique boots last year at his old home, still shining with a bit of polish, evidencing the superb quality of military gear.


    Thirty years, neither too long nor too short, could this big fellow be brought back to life? Xiao Buli glanced at the machine before him, then at the spoon in his hand, feeling it was more reliable to trust in military-grade quality.


    Without further ado, ignoring the Heart Demon in his mind that was scoffing at his wild fantasies, Xiao Buli began to study the equipment before him. This massive machine was obviously not meant to be operated by a single person. There was no display device on the entire rail, the monitor was in a room not far away that had an observation window. Xiao Buli conducted a brief inspection and roughly grasped its working principle. The metal cabinet before him resembled the central unit of a modern desktop computer, and that monitor alongside a complex console nearby must be the display and keyboard. Considering the technology level of the time, it was unlikely to be the WINDOWS system¡ªthe most probable was the DOS system. However, for Xiao Buli, who had a background in computing, this wasn''t a difficult matter. He checked the wiring again to ensure no short circuits due to aging had occurred, which was his greatest fear. It wouldn''t be too bad if he simply couldn''t figure it out for a while, but if a short circuit caused an explosion upon starting up, his only hope would vanish.


    After double-checking everything, Xiao Buli found that the wires'' material quality from that time was genuinely commendable¡ªnot only was there little sign of deterioration, but possibly because of suitable indoor temperature and humidity, it didn''t even seem like it had been through thirty years of aging.


    Everything ready, Xiao Buli located the huge power switch on the cabinet. It was an uncommon knife blade switch design nowadays, consisting of three thick metal plates and a white porcelain handle, looking hefty and solid.


    Xiao Buli licked his lips, his heart beginning to beat violently with nervousness.


    "Are you sure you want to gamble your future on this piece of scrap metal?" the voice of the Heart Demon arose in his mind.


    "What, are you scared?" Xiao Buli spoke up as if challenging the Heart Demon, but he was also psyching himself up. While he talked, his hands did not stop. The weighty knife switch was slowly closed in his hands,


    Clang clang~~ The sound of machinery whirring echoed by his ears, Xiao Buli cheered inwardly, hurriedly running back to the control room, lit up the computer screen, and watched rows of code scroll continuously on the blue screen.


    It was a success, YES, Xiao Buli exclaimed in his heart, but he did not hear the Heart Demon''s response. "What''s the matter, have you admitted defeat?" It was the first time Xiao Buli had challenged the Heart Demon and had not gotten a reply. Xiao Buli couldn''t be bothered with it. Staring at the scrolling white characters on the screen, as the boot-up completed, Xiao Buli was about to operate, only to notice the white characters on the computer didn''t stop; the startup program was still running.


    Recognizing the code, Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned. This machine turned out to be programmed to launch a death game directly. It seemed that thirty years ago, this machine had only served for this game. Suppressing the surprise in his heart, Xiao Buli ran to the bed outside.


    He picked a bed that seemed still to be in good condition and lay down, putting the helmet on, and with a mindset of being prepared not to succeed yet earnest, he closed his eyes nervously.


    The moment he completely shut his eyes, Xiao Buli felt a sharp pain in his head, as if something was being forcibly squeezed into his brain.


    "Ahh~" Xiao Buli cried out in agony due to the tormenting pain, with no need to worry about appearances now. But before he could react further, he felt his whole self falling into the depths of boundless darkness, unable to resist.


    Xiao Buli felt like he was continuously falling in the darkness, an excruciatingly unbearable sensation of pain and dizziness. His stomach began to convulse violently, and he felt like he was going to vomit any second.


    Suddenly stumbling on something underfoot, Xiao Buli found himself sitting on the ground. Had he finally broken free? Enduring the lingering pain, he opened his eyes¡ªonly to find that he was no longer in the base''s room. The light in front of him was dim, the air was filled with a damp mildew smell, and there was the scent of burning oil lamps.


    "Junior brother, you''re back? What did you see?" Xiao Buli was startled by this sudden voice. Whirling around, he saw a handsome young man in white, gazing at him with an inquiring look.(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to support it at Qidian (qidian.com) by voting with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 17 The Truth Revealed

    "Senior Brother?" Xiao Buli said in astonishment. This man was Gu Yuexuan. Although he had only seen him on the computer screen, he was certain that the man in white before him was Gu Yuexuan.


    "So, it seems that I''ve actually entered the game," Xiao Buli thought to himself, somewhat incredulously touching his own face, which felt fleshy and warm. He reached up to touch his hair and found it tied in a bun just like in the game. It was a very strange feeling; this body was his own, yet it felt so unfamiliar and novel. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli looked at the equipment on his body and the sword in his hand. Suddenly, a surge of excitement led him to stand up and bounce twice, laughing, "Haha, I feel exceptionally good, eh! Even though I can use skills in reality, they are after all not as handy as in the game."


    "Junior Brother, are you alright?" Gu Yuexuan asked dubiously, watching Xiao Buli''s behavior. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah? Haha, I''m fine, Senior Brother, I''m fine. I just suddenly came out and am a bit unaccustomed," Xiao Buli quickly came back to his senses and hurriedly explained.


    Indeed, suddenly entering an unfamiliar environment could indeed cause disorientation. Gu Yuexuan was not suspicious, nodded, and asked again, "Did you see everything?"


    Xiao Buli also snapped out of his initial excitement and, remembering what he had seen earlier, said with a grave expression, "I saw everything, Senior Brother."


    "Then I think you should know why I had to do this," Gu Yuexuan asked sincerely, making Xiao Buli believe that Gu Yuexuan wanted him to be an ally.


    Not pretending otherwise, Xiao Buli nodded and said, "You''re collecting Soul Shards of Xuan Zhenzi to deal with Xuanxu Zi, the impostor who usurped Xuantian''s body, if I''m not mistaken."


    Gu Yuexuan let out a deep sigh. Even though he had been close to the truth of the matter for so long, hearing someone else speak of it still stirred his emotions. On the one hand, he was reluctant to accept that the master who was like a father to him had long since left, and on the other hand, there was guilt in his heart for the action he was about to take. Despite everything, that body still belonged to the master who had raised him and taught him martial arts.


    "Correct, and not only that, I am also trying to save our lives," Gu Yuexuan said heavily.


    "You mean Master intends to kill us?" Xiao Buli asked, puzzled. For Xuanxu Zi, it seemed as though there was little to gain from such an act.


    Without wanting to, Gu Yuexuan nodded seriously, "That''s one way to put it, or rather, he intends to kill one of us. Xuanxu Zi succeeded in the Soul Possession years ago and inherited Master''s profound power and authority. Unfortunately, Master was already at the end of his tether. Over the years, although Xuanxu Zi''s soul has been nourishing the body, and Master was also highly skilled in Taoist magic, this body is ultimately failing. So it won''t be long before Xuanxu Zi dies, but he does not wish to die just like that," Gu Yuexuan continued, locking eyes with Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli immediately realized, "He can''t bear to die just like that, so he will look for other bodies to possess?"


    "Exactly," Gu Yuexuan nodded. "Do you know why Master took on the three of us as disciples? In fact, we three were vessels he prepared for himself."


    "You mean Xuanxu Zi will choose one of us four as the vessel in the future?" Xiao Buli naturally grasped the key point.


    Gu Yuexuan shook his head, "No, he will choose from the three of us."


    "Three? Oh right, Senior Sister is a woman; she should be alright," Xiao Buli immediately analyzed.


    However, to Xiao Buli''s surprise, Gu Yuexuan laughed softly and shook his head, "For cultivators, there is no difference between men and women. I meant the three of us, excluding you. Your talent is too poor; Master would not choose you."


    Xiao Buli was left speechless by that remark, thinking to himself how frank that was. However, upon further thought, he realized it was true. While his strength was decent among the players, it was still far inferior when compared to the three prodigies.


    "Did Xuanxu Zi, back then, not snatch your master''s body and has waited all these years without taking yours because your strength is too weak?" Although he agreed with Gu Yuexuan''s blunt words, Xiao Buli still wanted to regain some ground verbally.


    Gu Yuexuan did not take it personally and shook his head lightly, "The reason Xuanxu Zi didn''t snatch my body back then was firstly because he had just stabilized his position and had not thought that far ahead, and secondly, I did not possess the Immortal Fetal Essence at the time."


    Immortal Fetal Essence? That''s the green name, right? Xiao Buli was shocked. Could it be that Xuanxu Zi had the ability to change the color of his name? If that were true, then it wouldn''t be hard to explain why he had taken on three growing disciples. However, he couldn''t ask about the green name; asking an NPC about a green name is as nonsensical as asking if they''re an NPC, isn''t it?


    Gu Yuexuan seemed to have no intention of explaining the Immortal Fetal Essence, and continued, "Since he has to choose a physical body among us in the end, I guess that person is very likely to be me."


    "Why?" Xiao Buli blurted out. "Is that even a question?" Gu Yuexuan''s face showed a hint of pride, "Obviously because my strength is the most formidable among the three of us," and there wasn''t a trace of embarrassment in his tone.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that Gu Yuexuan really was quite narcissistic.


    But thinking about what he had seen recently, Gu Yuexuan''s claim didn''t seem exaggerated: "Since you already know about this, why don''t you try to hide your strength a bit?"


    Gu Yuexuan shook his head slightly, "Sigh, it''s useless. I joined the sect earliest, and at first, I didn''t realize Xuanxu Zi''s conspiracy. And with my talent, I''m afraid it''s impossible to hide it from Master." Even though he knew Xuanxu Zi was an imposter, when Gu Yuexuan mentioned the word "Master," he still spoke with a hint of reverence. It seemed that Xuantian had indeed held a very high status in his heart before.


    However, Xiao Buli hadn''t noticed those subtleties and thought to himself, unexpectedly, the eldest senior brother also possesses the qualities of a cryptic charmer: an undeniable talent, yeah right~~.


    To prevent himself from feeling sick if he continued listening, Xiao Buli hurriedly asked the main topic, "Senior brother, what does Xuan Zhenzi''s Soul have to do with this? If you''re planning to use Xuan Zhenzi to deal with Xuanxu Zi, I''m afraid with Xuanxu Zi''s current abilities, Xuan Zhenzi is no longer his match."


    "Of course it''s related," Gu Yuexuan hurriedly said, "Now, the only one who can deal with Xuanxu Zi is his original body. Although Xuanxu Zi is now extremely powerful, in the end, he''s just an Avatar Shadow of Xuan Zhenzi. These Xuan Zhenzi''s I''ve seen, although weak, I know it''s because of the Avatar Shadow Transformation spell. As long as we collect all the Soul Fragments of Xuan Zhenzi and eventually merge them into one Xuan Zhenzi, his strength will certainly not be less than that of Xuanxu Zi. And most importantly, he is the only Magical Treasure that can restrain Xuanxu Zi. These things I learned accidentally when I encountered an avatar of Xuan Zhenzi in the maze; he also gave me a mission, which is to collect the Soul Shards of Xuan Zhenzi. It''s been thirty years, and I''ve gathered more than a dozen. I''m about to finish. Junior brother, you''ll help me, right?" Gu Yuexuan said, his eyes burning as he looked at Xiao Buli.


    "Uh..." For the first time, Xiao Buli saw such genuine facial expressions in the characters of the game, and for a moment, he couldn''t spout nonsense like he used to, "Eldest senior brother, to be honest, why don''t you ask second senior sister and the others? They are all stronger than me."


    "No, you are different from them. If I told them about this matter, they might very well go and tell Master. We have our own grudges and grievances, but you are not involved in them. You stand independently from us, so only you can I trust. And," Gu Yuexuan paused here, speaking in a tone that seemed to know all the secrets, "Don''t you really want to do missions? Merit Points, goodwill, Contribution Value, aren''t you lacking these?"


    Xiao Buli looked somewhat horrified at Gu Yuexuan''s expression. Were these words really spoken by an NPC? Could it be that Gu Yuexuan now knew of his identity?


    But that state of Gu Yuexuan only lasted for a moment. Seeing Xiao Buli''s expression change, he promptly said seriously, "Now hand over the Soul Shard you have to me and help me complete the mission. As long as you help me get rid of Xuanxu Zi, I will naturally give you great benefits when the time comes."


    "How many shards are you missing now?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "The final one, which is in your hands," Gu Yuexuan said.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Alright, I promise to help you with this mission."


    After speaking, he reached into his chest, fumbling around but touching nothing. Right, in the game, all items were kept in the inventory, but there was no such thing as a bag on his person. What was happening?


    Xiao Buli recalled the gaming novels he had read before and wondered if he might have to summon the inventory just like in the legendary virtual games.


    As he pondered, a massive, square inventory screen suddenly popped up before him, with all items floating semi-transparent inside it, somewhat resembling a touchscreen vending machine.


    The pearl was there inside the inventory. Xiao Buli pointed at it, and with a flash of white light, the pearl disappeared from the inventory and appeared in his palm.


    Clasping the pearl, Xiao Buli didn''t move at all, simply watching Gu Yuexuan quietly. As the saying goes, no prey, no eagle. How could he hand over the treasure without receiving the mission first?


    Gu Yuexuan sighed helplessly, and somehow, a dialog box popped up right before him.


    System prompt: Sect mission ''Rectify the Chaos'' triggered. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    (This mission is an epic storyline quest. Once accepted, it cannot be terminated, and you cannot log off until the mission is completed or failed.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 18 Double Agent

    Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    ``` sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An epic story quest? Now that''s really something new, Xiao Buli thought to himself astonished; since he started playing this game, it was the first time he had come across what they called an epic story quest. It seemed that the duration of the conditions that triggered this quest was related. He just didn''t know whether this task was issued by the eldest disciple brother or by the system.


    However, from his many years of gaming experience, he knew just from the name that this quest would definitely trigger a set piece of lore, like a historical review or a story of grudges and debts. The story should be based on the events of Xuan Zhenzi, unlocked as soon as any player progressed through the quest to a certain extent. Now, he had the honor to be that player who unlocked the quest.


    Of course, it was easy to guess the difficulty of this quest. Before reading that book, if someone had told him he had to confront Xuanxu Zi, Xiao Buli would have shaken his head like a rattle drum; considering Xuanxu Zi''s longstanding status in the game, it seemed like an impossible task. And he might even lose his life in the process. Based on the cost-benefit analysis, it really didn''t seem worth it. But since it was foreseeable as a story quest, and with the strong assistance of the eldest disciple brother, the odds of success should be much better than before, plus the soon to be resurrected Xuan Zhenzi. Xiao Buli swallowed hard, ''Fortune favors the bold.''


    Accept~!


    System prompt: You have accepted the epic story quest ''Rectify the Chaos''.


    Quest Details: Help Gu Yuexuan uncover the truth behind Mystic Hollow Palace, and reveal it to the world.


    Quest Reward: Unknown.


    Damn it, Xiao Buli felt an urge to curse, unknown rewards? Meaning he could slog his guts out without rest or respite, and still end up with nothing for his troubles in the end? That was just too much.


    "Junior brother, can you hand over the Soul Shard to me now?" Gu Yuexuan, seeing that Xiao Buli had accepted the quest, immediately asked anxiously. It looked like Xuan Zhenzi''s role in this event was truly irreplaceable.


    "Oh." Xiao Buli came back to his senses, extending his hand with the Soul Absorption Pearl, but just as he was about to give it, a thought flashed through his mind. No, this wasn''t so simple. He hastily summoned his inventory, barely lifting his hand that was already halfway extended, and the Soul Absorption Pearl was put back.


    "Junior brother, what do you mean?" Gu Yuexuan, who saw the Soul Absorption Pearl about to reach his hands, suddenly disappeared, was somewhat startled.


    "Eldest disciple brother, that''s not very righteous of you," Xiao Buli said; "You shared Mystic Hollow Palace''s quest with me, and I accepted the quest. It wasn''t a shared quest, meaning you didn''t include me in Xuan Zhenzi''s task at all. That''s not the attitude of cooperation." Ordinarily, he was more careful with typing his speech, but this time he was quite fluid and carried a tone of reprimand.


    Gu Yuexuan, realizing he''d been found out, went red and white in turn, and could only nod his head, softly saying: "What are you talking about, junior brother, I almost forgot." As he spoke, a new dialogue box appeared in front of Xiao Buli.


    System prompt: Gu Yuexuan has shared the quest ''Punishment of the Heart Demon'' with you. Do you accept?


    Xiao Buli took one look, and his heart skipped a beat, a gray-level quest? Was this really just a novice quest? Gray meant a novice quest, for the difficulty of this task, that was absurd, wasn''t it?


    "A novice quest? Eldest disciple brother, you''re not trying to trick me, are you?" The subsequent sentence, of course, Xiao Buli did not voice out loud.


    Upon hearing this, Gu Yuexuan immediately raised his tone, "What are you talking about? It was like this when I received the quest. If you want, accept it, if not, I can do it myself."


    When Xiao Buli heard Gu Yuexuan''s confident response, he actually felt a sense of relief. For the eldest disciple brother to be so assertive, it must be true. He quickly clicked accept and took the Soul Absorption Pearl out of his inventory and handed it to Gu Yuexuan.


    Upon receiving the pearl, Gu Yuexuan seemed very excited.


    "All right, let''s hurry back," he said, and started walking out. Xiao Buli quickly followed.


    As the two walked out, the sky had already brightened, with sunlight filtering down through the mist, and quickly dispersed what had seemed like tangible black smoke. The land cursed now seemed a bit more radiant.


    "Finally, this land is peaceful again," Xiao Buli said, somewhat longing, imagining that before long, this place would come back to life.


    "Peaceful?" Gu Yuexuan snorted with laughter, "With the Gathering Yin Pool here, this place will never be peaceful. It won''t be long before Yin Souls and evil spirits will come to occupy this land, and the clouds will once again enshroud the earth."


    "Ah~" So that''s how it was, Xiao Buli thought, then wouldn''t that be a never-ending dungeon? If so, he now had a place to battle bosses. Since the Gathering Yin Pool would attract surrounding Undead, that meant he could just come and hit the dungeon, grinding for loot whenever he liked.


    With cryptic calculations in mind, Xiao Buli didn''t say a word, and both of them took to the air, silent on the way, and landed outside the gates of Mystic Hollow Palace. Gu Yuexuan descended like a Sword Immortal entering the world, white robe fluttering, stepping off the sword, while Xiao Buli was more like a meteor hitting the ground, earth-shaking in his descent.


    "Eldest disciple brother, I''m going to report back now. You should hurry along," Gu Yuexuan nodded and the two split up.


    Xiao Buli, feeling quite cheerful on his journey, had not only solved the crisis of not having a computer but also, by a stroke of luck, gotten the opportunity to enter the game in person. Although he was quite unaccustomed at the beginning, Xiao Buli knew that once he got used to it, not only would he be in his element within the game, but also using his skills in reality would become easier.


    ```

 Chapter 18 Double Agent_2

    Thinking of the reward he was about to receive, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but hum a tune, and in a blink of an eye, he arrived at the great hall. Unlike what he had seen on the screen, standing in front of the hall in person, he felt a sense of solemn grandeur. Standing at the entrance, he carefully examined the carvings on the doors and pillars, truly works of gods and spirits. They appeared even more complex and beautiful than what he had seen at the Imperial Palace Mausoleum on his first visit.


    After a long while, Xiao Buli stepped inside. Xuanxu Zi sat upright in the center, still exuding an aura of natural authority, holding a horsetail whisk in his hand and looking every bit the part of an ethereal Taoist sage. However, because of Xiao Buli''s different thoughts, no matter how he looked at Xuanxu Zi, he felt something exceedingly strange about him.


    "Disciple, you''ve returned?" Xuanxu Zi didn''t open his eyes, but spoke with an inscrutable air.


    Feeling an inexplicable nervousness, Xiao Buli cleared his throat and bowed respectfully, answering, "Master, your disciple has returned."


    "Hmm." Xuanxu Zi gave a grunt of acknowledgment, and after a few seconds, slowly opened his eyes before speaking in a deep voice, "How did the mission go? Did you manage to investigate the reality of that place?"


    "Reporting to Master, the matter has been thoroughly investigated. It turns out that beneath Wangliang Mountain, there lies a Gathering Yin Pool that attracts countless ghouls and demons. It might have been discovered today by a Protection Elder of the Taiyin Sect, who used the pool to control the Undead, and has also amassed a large number of Corpse Soldiers. It seems they have some scheme in mind. Thankfully, Master is wise and astute, sending your disciple there just in time to eliminate him before he could gather sufficient Strength. This action has spared countless lives from disaster and saved many souls. Truly, it is a deed of great virtue." These flatteries were quite pleasing to Xuanxu Zi, who slightly curled the corners of his mouth, smiling contentedly and benignly.


    "Good, you''ve worked hard." Xuanxu Zi said, giving his horsetail whisk a flick. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In front of Xiao Buli''s eyes, a row of small characters appeared, system prompt: Quest ''The Conspiracy of the Taiyin Sect'' completed, 1000 Contribution Value awarded.


    With a thousand Contribution Value in his pocket, Xiao Buli was quite thrilled. Now he could exchange them for even more powerful Spells. However, he wasn''t in a hurry to do so as he still had two of Xuan Zhenzi''s heads in his bag. He decided to claim his reward first.


    "Master, I have made another important discovery on this trip, please take a look." As Xiao Buli spoke, he opened his inventory, reaching in to take out what he initially intended to be two heads, but upon second thought, decided to present only one.


    "Master, this is the head of the defector Xuan Zhenzi, please review it." After speaking, he respectfully handed it over.


    "Oh?" Upon hearing this, Xuanxu Zi was overjoyed, almost unable to contain himself, but as he had been in Disguise for a long time, it was merely a momentary lapse.


    He took the package from Xiao Buli''s hands and scrutinized it, nodding his head and then shaking it, "Indeed, this is Xuan Zhenzi''s head, but unfortunately, it''s fake. However, you''ve worked hard, disciple."


    System prompt: Quest ''Hunt the Defector'' completed, award received: 500 Contribution Value.


    "It''s no trouble at all, serving Master is naturally my utmost effort." Seeing the Contribution Value added, Xiao Buli was overjoyed and quickly added, thinking to himself that soon he''d work hard once more to give his Master another big surprise.


    "Master, should I continue to pursue this defector?" Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xuanxu Zi nodded: "Of course you should."


    System prompt: Quest ''Hunt the Defector'' triggered, accept Yes/No?


    Xiao Buli selected yes and was about to rise to leave.


    "No hurry." Just as Xiao Buli was about to move, Xuanxu Zi suddenly spoke up to stop him: "Disciple, let me ask you, who did you go with to Wangliang Mountain this time?"


    At this question, Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat, his initial instinct was to lie, but as he opened his mouth, he thought better of it. Knowing that his master would be well-informed about the affairs of the Mystic Hollow Palace, he changed his words before speaking: "Master, it was the Eldest Senior Brother who accompanied your disciple. The discovery of this secret owes much to his great merit. Shouldn''t Master reward him? Shall I go call him?" Xiao Buli quipped.


    "Ha ha, rewards are naturally in order, but there''s no rush. I have another question for you, did your Eldest Senior Brother discuss anything with you during your trip?" Xuanxu Zi''s face wore a benign smile, as if he were Xiao Buli''s own kindly grandfather.


    "Uh, the matter...?" Pretending to ponder, Xiao Buli was inwardly churning with anxiety. Finished, listening to Master''s words, he feared he had become suspicious of his Eldest Senior Brother, "Oh, I remember now, Senior Brother urged your disciple, mentioning that my progress in martial arts is too slow, unworthy of being Master''s disciple, and instructed me to intensify my training so that I might mature faster and alleviate Master''s worries."


    "Oh! Is that so?" Xuanxu Zi didn''t seem displeased and after thinking for a moment, he asked, "Did he act strangely when he saw Xuan Zhenzi?" It seemed that Xuanxu Zi indeed harbored doubts about Gu Yuexuan, but only at the level of suspicion.


    "Act strangely?" Xiao Buli again pretended to think hard, but he knew the more he said, the greater the chance of arousing Master''s suspicions; since he himself had no suspicions, it would be normal not to find any behavior strange. With this in mind, Xiao Buli shook his head, "No, but Eldest Senior Brother''s Swordsmanship is really exceptional. Along the way, I hardly had to lift a finger, he single-handedly slew all the Minor Monsters." Xiao Buli spoke of these insignificant matters.


    Xuanxu Zi nodded, his expression inscrutable, revealing nothing of his thoughts, "Alright, your Eldest Senior Brother is a rather reclusive person and doesn''t communicate much with me. If you have the opportunity, keep an extra eye on him. If you discover that he is in any danger, let me know at once." Xuanxu Zi said solemnly.

 Chapter 18 Double Agent_3

    Xiao Buli''s eyes immediately flashed with a prompt, "Triggered Quest: Surveillance of the Eldest Senior Brother. Accept? Yes/No."


    "Huacha, is this even possible?" Xiao Buli was somewhat bewildered as he stared at the sentence before his eyes. If he didn''t accept, he would definitely fall under suspicion, but if he did, wouldn''t he become a double agent? After weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Buli had no choice but reluctantly to click "Yes."


    Xuanxu Zi waved his hand, "If there''s nothing else, you may leave." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli left the grand hall, strolled around Qingfeng Mingyue, visited the Beast Pen to see Maoqiu, and then proceeded to the dwelling of the Eldest Senior Brother.


    "How is the fusion of the soul progressing?" Xiao Buli asked curtainly as soon as he entered.


    "I need to first fuse the Soul Shards, then create a suitable body for him. Because these Soul Shards were killed by the enemy, some which should have automatically returned have now lost that ability, so they need external help. It''ll probably take a day or two," Gu Yuexuan replied truthfully.


    "Then you''d better hurry. If I''m not wrong, our master might have already started to suspect you," Xiao Buli reminded him.


    "What?" Gu Yuexuan was shocked upon hearing this, causing his teacup to tremble. "What did he say?"


    "Nothing much, but he asked if you or I did anything unusual on Wangliang Mountain and whether you acted strangely when I saw Xuan Zhenzi."


    "You didn''t give anything away, did you?" Gu Yuexuan seemed to have a considerable fear of Xuanxu Zi.


    "Don''t worry, Senior Brother. I know how to deal with him."


    However, Gu Yuexuan didn''t seem quite reassured, his head bowed in deep thought for a long time before he suddenly looked up and said, "Junior Brother, don''t leave Mystic Hollow Palace these next few days. Help me watch over Master''s every move and stall him if necessary. I can''t let the plan I''ve worked on for so many years fail at the last moment."


    As soon as his words fell, a prompt popped up before Xiao Buli, System Notification: Second Phase Triggered, "Delaying Time," this mission is a plot mission, and if it is not accepted, mission will automatically fail.


    Damn it, I''ve become a triple agent in the blink of an eye. But then again, the more missions, the better, Xiao Buli hurriedly chose to accept.


    "Eldest Senior Brother, don''t worry. I''ve got this under control," he said.


    "Then I''ll rely on you. Have a seat here; I''m going to refine Xuan Zhenzi''s Soul Shards right now," Gu Yuexuan said, forgoing any formalities as he turned and went into the inner room.


    Having accepted the mission, Xiao Buli was pleased. With the master absent, he naturally lost the interest to stay seated, especially since he had a head in his backpack that was still unclaimed for the reward. After finishing his cup of fragrant tea, he left.


    After a few turns, he arrived outside the grand hall, straightened his clothes, and then stepped inside.


    "Hmm?" Xuanxu Zi found it odd to see Xiao Buli return after leaving. "Disciple, is there something on your mind?"


    "Master," Xiao Buli gave a deep bow, an excess of politeness never frowned upon, especially for someone of Xuanxu Zi''s stature, and Xiao Buli was always very respectful. "I almost forgot to mention something. After we killed Xuan Zhenzi, we entered the Taiyin Sect''s altar and found that the Elder of the sect was another Xuan Zhenzi. The battle was fierce at the time, and later I gradually forgot about this matter. It was only when I was organizing my backpack just now that I remembered I had also beheaded this person, and I forgot to hand him over to you just now." Though his explanation was far-fetched, Xuanxu Zi, being highly intelligent, naturally knew that Xiao Buli was likely concocting a scheme to garner Contribution Value.


    Xuanxu Zi had something in mind to use Xiao Buli for and he was frustrated inside, but his expression remained dignified as he nodded, "To think this traitor had degenerated to the point of joining an Evil Cult. You did the right thing," he said, taking the head that Xiao Buli handed over.


    It was another fake, of course, but 500 Contribution Value truly and firmly landed in Xiao Buli''s pouch. It seemed that his plan was indeed effective, and in a blink of an eye, he has already earned two thousand Contribution Value. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    After accepting another mission to pursue the traitor, Xiao Buli then opened up the skill-learning interface.


    Excitement swelled in Xiao Buli''s heart. With so much Contribution Value, he wanted to make good use of it and exchange for some useful Spells.


    Opening the list of spells, Xiao Buli scanned through them again and again. Having lost the Soul Slayer''s Blade, he was no longer able to harm ghosts. Therefore, a spell specialized in dealing with the Undead was essential.


    He quickly locked onto the spell he wanted ¨C "Sunfire Spellball."


    Sunfire Spellball: Inflicts ''Yang'' ''Fire'' dual Attributes damage to a target, with damage values each equal to twice the spiritual power.


    This spell wasn''t very strong against living creatures since the Yang Attribute damage was extremely low against biological types. This made its effectiveness against half the enemies far inferior to the Nether Fire Orb. However, at the very least, it was an AOE spell, not to mention its exceptionally great effect on Undead enemies. If he ever had to farm at the Gathering Yin Pool again, this spell would definitely be powerful.


    This spell was also incredibly expensive, costing a hefty 500 Contribution Value, making it the most expensive among third-tier spells.


    Then, Xiao Buli began to ponder whether to learn a protective spell or one that could allow him to escape from the base. Absorbed in his search, Xuanxu Zi became somewhat impatient, "Disciple, make your selection quickly. Once you''ve finished learning the spell, accompany me to see your Eldest Senior Brother. He''s been with you this time, and it''s been a few days since he checked in with me. I seldom communicate with him normally, and it''s time to see how he''s doing." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 19 A Day Trip to Penglai Immortal Realm

    Although Xuanxu Zi spoke calmly and evenly, there was a notable impatience in his tone. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but wonder whether the freshly delivered heads had exacerbated his master''s unease.


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat, thinking, "Oh no, if you go now, everything will be exposed."


    "Master, don''t rush me. I need to choose carefully. Just the other day, my eldest senior brother said I was progressing too slowly. This time, I must select a powerful spell." While placating him verbally, his mind raced, trying to think of a way to delay things for a day or two. Suddenly, his eyes fell upon a service option offered by the sect. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Travel with Master to the Immortal Realm: Spend a day traveling to the Immortal Realm with your master. Costs 1000 Contribution Value.


    The words ''travel with Master'' immediately filled Xiao Buli with ecstatic joy, and he thought to himself, "That''s the one. But who knows what kind of changes will happen when we return? Before that, I should use up the remaining 500 Contribution Value."


    Without further hesitation, he selected a defensive spell, the Five Elements Spirit Armor Technique. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Five Elements Spirit Armor Technique: Enhances your resistance against Five Elements Attribute Spells. The specific effect depends on your Magic Level and spiritual power.


    The spell cost 450 points. With little regard for the remaining 50 or so points, he hurriedly selected the Travel with Master to the Immortal Realm option.


    "Master, your disciple wishes to broaden his horizons by visiting the Immortal Realm. Please grant me this opportunity," Xiao Buli said with a look of anticipation.


    Xuanxu Zi''s expression darkened at once, and his demeanor was clearly no longer pleasant. His face clouded over and his tone, no longer gentle as before, said, "I have matters to attend to these days. We''ll go another time."


    "But, Master, I''ve longed to visit the Immortal Realm. It was just that I never had enough Contribution Value before. Today, finally, I have enough. I''ve dreamed about this day for so long, and I''ve just selected this option," Xiao Buli replied with an innocent face, as if defying, "I''ve already chosen it, I don''t believe you can go against Heaven itself."


    This passive resistance hit Xuanxu Zi right where it hurt. Indeed, no matter how unwilling he was or how powerful he might be, the Heavenly Dao was the Heavenly Dao. With resignation, Xuanxu Zi sighed, "Alright, I''ll take you there."


    As he spoke, Xuanxu Zi stood up and walked towards the rear of the hall. Xiao Buli quickly followed him into the inner sanctum¡ªa room he had never entered before¡ªwhere an array was prominently drawn on the floor. Xiao Buli looked closely and, despite their superficial resemblance, he could tell that this was indeed a teleportation array.


    Shouldn''t we be using a Teleportation Portal instead? Xiao Buli wondered. Normally, to travel between different worlds, you''d need a Teleportation Portal, like the one the Demon Clan built in the basement or the one the Ancestral Dragon went to great lengths to create. A teleportation array seemed rather unsophisticated. Could it be that Penglai Fairyland actually exists within this world, just residing on a different continent?


    "Step on the array," Xuanxu Zi commanded, interrupting Xiao Buli''s thoughts with an undertone of displeasure.


    Xiao Buli didn''t dare to provoke Xuanxu Zi at this time and quickly positioned himself in the array. Xuanxu Zi also stepped over with an air of immortal grace. He formed hand signs and chanted under his breath, and a white light began to emanate from the lines of the array, growing stronger until, with a flash, Xiao Buli''s vision was engulfed in a white expanse, and he quickly closed his eyes.


    "We''ve arrived now," Xuanxu Zi said, his voice no longer irritable as though the Immortal Realm had eased his mood.


    Xiao Buli slowly opened his eyes. Wow¡ªthe view before him brought him immense joy, with the faint sound of celestial music, the fragrance of flowers and grass in the air, and the plants and trees around him brimming with life, radiant with joyful light. A gentle breeze stirred, causing the foliage to twist as if animated. Verdant mountains and hills stretched into the distance¡ªa picturesque scene of Immortal Realm beauty.


    Xiao Buli stood agape, marveling at the beauty before him. Xuanxu Zi seemed pleased with his reaction; after all, being able to casually visit such places was indeed enviable.


    After allowing him to take in the sights for a while, Xuanxu Zi finally took the lead. Xiao Buli quickly followed. It seemed they were on an island, as the sound of ocean waves could be faintly heard. Looking around, Xiao Buli could just make out the coastline to his right, shrouded in mist as if hiding the island.


    Xiao Buli summoned the map and saw the translucent image floating before his eyes marked with the words "Immortal Beast Island." Wasn''t it supposed to be Penglai Fairy Island? He was secretly baffled. The nomenclature of Penglai Fairyland seemed permeated with oddities, with incorrect names and a location that wasn''t as magical as he had imagined¡ªit left him slightly disappointed.


    "Come with me, disciple," Xuanxu Zi called out to the distracted Xiao Buli, striding towards a gently rising hill covered in emerald grass.


    Xiao Buli hurried to catch up, looking around as he walked. He began to notice the peculiarities of the island, spying Runes set into the ground, similar yet unique, appearing to be part of an Array. The distribution suggested the entire island was covered by it. Although Xiao Buli knew very little about Arrays and couldn''t determine which kind it was, it was reasonably supposed to be some defensive mechanism or a secret technique for maintaining the natural beauty of the place.


    As the two continued, they crested the small hill, and towering trees appeared, along with a greater abundance of birds and animals, which not only weren''t afraid of humans but also seemed rather friendly. Xiao Buli was captivated by a small white rabbit glowing with a pearly light when he suddenly heard a whooshing sound.

 Chapter 19 One Day Tour of Penglai Immortal Realm_2

    Before they could react, a vibrantly striped tiger suddenly appeared in front of them, hopping with the grace of a cat. Although the tiger bore a fierce appearance, it had a pair of wings under its ribs. The wings seemed too small to support its body for free flight, but they were likely sufficient for gliding. This truly embodied the saying "like adding wings to a tiger."


    Xiao Buli saw its ferocious approach and was just about to dodge when Xuanxu Zi stepped forward and waved the horsetail whisk in his hand. The menacing beast instantly transformed into a docile big cat, bowing and wagging its tail at Xuanxu Zi, appearing completely harmless to humans and animals alike. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is this?" Xiao Buli asked delightedly in a low voice.


    "This is the Island Guardian Spirit Beast ''Flying Wings,''" replied Xuanxu Zi as he continued walking forward.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly sent over a Soul Enlightenment,


    Spirit Beast: Winged Tiger. (Flying Wings)


    What a fantastic thing, thought Xiao Buli, his eyes filled with envy, absolutely delighted. He really wanted to capture it, but knowing its status, he guessed it was beyond his abilities. Seeing that Xuanxu Zi had walked some distance ahead, he was afraid that straying from his range might expose him to danger, so he reluctantly followed.


    The further they went, the more wild beasts appeared. While they somewhat resembled ordinary wild animals, each of them had an extraordinary aspect, indicating they were all Immortal Beasts. It seemed this island''s name was derived from its inhabitants. Xiao Buli stayed close to Xuanxu Zi, observing the wild beasts, either lying down or moving around, yet all of them kept their distance without showing any signs of aggression.


    Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    While Xiao Buli admired the Immortal Beasts along the way, the two of them finally arrived at a flat platform at the mountain''s summit, where a massive stone gate stood.


    Looking at the design of the stone gate, Xiao Buli suddenly realized something. The teleportation array they had passed through had just brought them to an ordinary island in the mortal world, and this island acted like a station. The stone gate before them was the actual Teleportation Portal leading to the Immortal Realm. He had pondered this for quite some time.


    The stone gate before them was grand and majestic, seemingly carved from White Jade but more lustrous and emitting a gentle white light, giving it a sacred and inviolable appearance. Many stone statues flanked the gate, each standing about three meters tall, forcing one to look up to see their entirety. Clad in armor and wielding a variety of weapons such as swords and halberds, a quick count revealed there were about twenty to thirty statues. Although they seemed to be just stone carvings, the lengthy health bars above their heads betrayed their true nature. Xiao Buli did not dare act recklessly, unaware of how to activate these figures, and did not want to risk being knocked out for getting too close. Xuanxu Zi, noticing his worry, gave a slight smile and a sense of superiority emerged. He reassured Xiao Buli, "Don''t worry, they won''t attack randomly with me here. You just need to follow."


    Xiao Buli quickly nodded in agreement.


    Xuanxu Zi took deliberate steps and leisurely approached the stone gate, doing something with his hands that was not immediately apparent. The gate suddenly emitted a humming sound and burst into brilliant light. What previously seemed to be a transparent stone gate now displayed a curtain of light with dazzling, multicolored Streaming Light moving across it, which was quite beautiful to behold.


    Xuanxu Zi stepped through the gate, and Xiao Buli, not daring to hesitate as there were still more than twenty vigilant statues nearby, stepped in as well. He felt no odd sensation, as if the light wall was nonexistent. It was his first time using a Teleportation Portal, and all he noticed was a flash of light before he entered another space without obstruction, simply as if he was pushing open a door and nothing more. Upon entering, the scenery around him suddenly changed.


    If the scenery on Immortal Beast Island was beautiful and exquisite, the view before him was beyond words. Everywhere was alive with the sounds of insects and birds, and exotic flora was visible in every direction. Xiao Buli felt as though he had arrived on Pandora Planet, only this place was even more bizarre than that. He used the word "bizarre" because many scenes defied common reasoning.


    A group of bubble-like entities floated gently past him. At first, Xiao Buli thought they were plants, but as they passed by him, they let out a series of tinkling laughs, almost like a group of sprites.


    On the treetops, strands of what seemed to be green vines dangled down, playfully entangling with one another, each possessing life. Xiao Buli felt his eyes were not enough to take it all in; every glance at an unremarkable spot rewarded him with surprise.


    "Disciple, keep up," Xuanxu Zi called from ahead. Ever since entering Immortal Beast Island, Xuanxu Zi had to constantly remind Xiao Buli to stay close. Despite his impatience, he felt quite pleased and a faint smile of self-satisfaction appeared on his face.


    Xiao Buli hurried to catch up. Ahead lay a path paved with multicolored pebbles, composed of an unknown substance that glittered occasionally with sunlight. The path led to a stone bridge, beneath which rose a white mist, drifting slowly with the breeze, creating an ethereal stream of cloud. The scene was dreamlike and fantastical.


    As they approached the bridge, Xuanxu Zi pointed ahead and said to Xiao Buli, "Look, this is Penglai Fairyland." Xiao Buli had now somewhat adjusted to the complex and beautiful landscape and was able to nod and respond normally.


    Xuanxu Zi led Xiao Buli into the Immortal Realm, and on their way, they could see immortals either riding clouds or on the backs of Immortal Cranes flying through the sky. As they drew closer, a magnificent palace emerged from the mist, with golden roofs and large red walls, somewhat reminiscent of the Forbidden City but even more majestic and grand. As they walked inside, they saw many pavilions and towers, especially in front of the palace at the very top, which seemed to have a large open space in front, obscured by the swirling mist.

 Chapter 19 A Day Trip to Penglai Immortal Realm_3

    Inside the palace, immortals were still entertained with frolic and play, some meditating in contemplation, and others discussing scriptures and philosophy in groups of three or five, or enjoying games of chess and tea tasting. Xuanxu Zi walked inside and came to a lotus platform to sit down, though it was unclear whether this platform, similar to a park bench, was for resting or if it was exclusively for Xuanxu Zi''s use.


    Xuanxu Zi said to Xiao Buli, "From here you enter the Penglai Fairyland. Disciple, you may explore around. I will stay here. When the time comes, find your way back here and I will take you home. Here is a waist token. As long as you carry this token, people will know you are my disciple and will not trouble you. Most here in the Penglai Fairyland are those who have attained immortality and should not cause you any difficulties, but even so, you must be careful everywhere and not invite disaster." Xuanxu Zi instructed, handing over a golden waist token. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly bowed to receive it, "Master, what places within this fairyland are suitable for your disciple to visit?"


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, is this it? Why did it feel like joining a tour group, where upon reaching the destination, only the meeting time was mentioned, and then you''re on your own, without any guide? But after all, it was his master, and this was someone else''s territory, he did not dare to question directly. Xiao Buli had no choice but to settle for the next best thing, hoping Xuanxu Zi could provide some guidance.


    Upon hearing this, Xuanxu Zi stroked his grizzled beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "With your current strength, there are many places you can''t go, but there are two you might try. One is the Immortal Spirit Spring; bathing there can transform you and improve your aptitude. The other is Soaring Cloud Peak, where the Auspicious Cloud Immortal Cranes reside. If your Taming Skills are strong enough, you might catch an Immortal Crane for transportation, of course, you can also use Spirit Stones to buy one."


    Damn, after all this, there are only these two places I can go to, Xiao Buli inwardly regretted, thinking he shouldn''t have come so early to tour the fairyland. But it was ultimately for the sake of completing his task, so he couldn''t complain. Hearing Xuanxu Zi mention Spirit Stones, he immediately asked, "Master, what are Spirit Stones?"


    "Spirit Stones are the currency used in the Immortal Realm. You can obtain them by slaying Immortal Beasts, excavating treasure chests left by Ancient Immortals, or by completing tasks issued by immortals on the island. There are many fine things on Penglai Fairy Island, such as equipment and Magical Treasures of the Immortal Realm, all of which require Spirit Stones to purchase. However, you only have one day, so if you intend to earn Spirit Stones, you had better hurry," explained Xuanxu Zi.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that this fairyland was like a mini-game in a game he was experienced with. Having obtained the information he wanted, he hastily bid farewell to Xuanxu Zi. It seemed relying on a guide wouldn''t do; if he wanted to see the wonderous sights, he would need to do his homework.


    Since he didn''t know how many Spirit Stones he could earn in one day and to avoid wasting time, Xiao Buli decided to first visit the Immortal Spirit Spring, to transform and improve himself. From Xuanxu Zi''s suggestion, it seemed bathing in the spring wouldn''t require spending Spirit Stones.


    After asking around on his way, the people of the Immortal Realm turned out to be very kind. Every person he asked gave detailed directions, and soon Xiao Buli found the courtyard where the Immortal Spirit Spring was located. It sort of gave off a hot spring vibe, with the courtyard shaded by bamboo groves, among which there were springs of various sizes, each emitting a gentle steam. However, the place was deserted, probably because there weren''t many newcomers like Xiao Buli, and the existing immortals probably had already benefited from the spring waters long ago. They all looked like immortal sages who didn''t seem to sweat or accumulate dust, so there was no need for them to take baths without cause.


    Xiao Buli saw it as an opportunity and was about to strip down and enjoy a thorough soak when suddenly it struck him¡ªthis was all equipment, which came with various enhancements¡ªhe''d better not fuss over it. Finding a suitable spring, he dove in with a splash.


    The water soaked through his clothes and instantly his limbs tingled with a cozy and indescribable comfort. Xiao Buli couldn''t recall the last time he had enjoyed a hot bath. He straightened his legs, found a comfortable position to lie down, closed his eyes, and relished the rare leisure.


    After about five minutes, the effect became evident.


    A system prompt appeared: After soaking in the Immortal Spirit Spring, all five of your Basic Attributes have increased by ten percent.


    Seeing that line of text, Xiao Buli smiled sincerely. His Basic Attributes were already in the thirties for the high ones and the twenties for the low ones. Now each attribute had increased by two or three points, a total gain of over ten points, which was quite bountiful. But considering it cost 1000 Contribution Value, the expenditure was not in vain. The Immortal Realm was incomparable to the mortal world. Attributes he had worked hard to gradually improve were boosted substantially just by bathing here. He had just arrived at the right place and later, when leaving, he planned to find some tasks to complete, curious about the benefits he would reap.


    He soaked for a while longer but received no further buffs. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire


    Although the spring water was comfortable, Xiao Buli knew that even if he soaked all day, he would not gain any more improvement. Therefore, after enjoying himself for a little while longer, he planned to leave and attend to more pressing matters. Just then, he heard the sound of water nearby. Peering through the gaps in the bamboo, he saw someone sneaking a look his way. Xiao Buli was startled¡ªit was clearly another player. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote and support the author. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 372 - 20 Penglai Immortal City

    What a coincidence to bump into a player here? Xiao Buli was taken aback, knowing that the Penglai Fairyland wasn''t accessible to just anyone. Although he was aware that there must be many more powerful than himself, not everyone could encounter such adventures. He needed to study spells, have an immortal as his mentor, and save enough Contribution Value. It was all too coincidental, especially in such a tricky game.


    It seemed that this person, like him, had also taken an immortal as his mentor. It looked like they had quite the fate. With this thought, Xiao Buli walked out of the water, circumvented the bamboo, and approached the edge of the other person''s pool. The person there clearly noticed Xiao Buli and showed a wary expression.


    To show that he meant no harm, Xiao Buli smiled amicably and waved at him.


    Seeing that Xiao Buli''s gesture didn''t seem hostile, and not wanting to leave the spring anyway, "Hello there," the person popped up a string of characters above his head. Seeing this, Xiao Buli blinked, amused. Ever since he had entered the game with the helmet, he had only interacted with NPCs and had not yet seen other players. So this is what it looked like when he used to type.


    As he got closer, Xiao Buli could finally make out the person''s face through the mist¡ªa refined appearance with a scholarly air. His name was Yi Xuan.


    Xiao Buli sat down by the side of the pool and asked, "Did you come here with your master?"


    Yi Xuan''s expression startled, "You can talk? How can I hear you? I''m not on YY." A line of characters appeared above his head. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli could understand his panic; if he suddenly saw someone speaking to him in this game, he probably wouldn''t be able to sleep at night either. Thinking this, he casually replied, "The game has its own voice system, don''t you know?" Of course, this was nonsense; at least Xiao Buli himself had yet to discover it,


    "There''s such a thing?" The person was slightly astonished, but not knowing whether Xiao Buli was a friend or foe, he refrained from asking further. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you a solo player?" Xiao Buli continued, asking because there was no guild name behind the person''s name, and solo players generally tended to quickly break the ice with other solo players. This was why He Suoju had so quickly gathered many solo players at Blackwind Stronghold before.


    Sure enough, upon hearing Xiao Buli''s question, the person immediately showed interest, "Yeah, are you a solo player too?"


    Xiao Buli promptly nodded, and Yi Xuan instantly became more amiable towards him. The two chatted by the pool for a while, and although waiting for Yi Xuan to type was a bit of a time-waster, Xiao Buli felt that finding an ally in this strange place was necessary.


    As the chat deepened, they gained some understanding of each other. This person was just as Xiao Buli had guessed, having come with his master. However, Yi Xuan''s master was a Loose Immortal, who seemed much weaker than Xuanxu Zi, living in a mountain Daoist temple and ordinarily appearing as a common Daoist. Yi Xuan had coincidentally accepted many tasks and earned a good deal of favor. Seeing Yi Xuan''s kindness and decent potential, the Loose Immortal had revealed his true identity and took him as a disciple. Later, Yi Xuan followed the Daoist in cultivation, accepted some Sect tasks, and only then got the chance to come to the Immortal Realm.


    Yi Xuan seemed outgoing and talkative. Meeting a player in the Immortal Realm probably excited him greatly. He showed no wariness towards Xiao Buli and openly shared his experiences in the game along with some tips and tricks. However, he did not mention anything about his real-life identity, as it seemed everyone was still guarding against each other.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t interested in that; he briefly mentioned his experiences and asked, "How long will you be in the Immortal Realm?"


    Upon this question, Yi Xuan seemed quite disheartened, "I spent all my Contribution Value to trade for this chance to explore the Immortal Realm together, but I only have one day. My master said my abilities aren''t enough, asked me to soak in the Immortal Spring, have a look around, and then I have to go back."


    Xiao Buli''s spirits were lifted upon hearing this. He thought this was perfect and immediately replied, "You finally made it here. Are you content with just going back like this? The Immortal Realm is marvelous, with so much to explore. If one acts alone, of course, the abilities are limited, but if we work together, we''re sure to gain more than just a little benefit."


    Yi Xuan had actually harbored such thoughts when he spoke earlier, and considering Xiao Buli appeared much more capable than himself, he readily agreed to Xiao Buli''s proposal upon hearing it. As his abilities had also improved, they stopped chit-chatting and set out from the bamboo forest together.


    "Where shall we go first?" Yi Xuan asked.


    Xiao Buli was also pondering over this question. Hearing Yi Xuan''s query, he hesitated and then decided, "As the saying goes, ''Know thyself, know thy enemy, and you shall never be defeated.'' Whatever game it is, the first thing to do is always to gather information. Although there''s no forum or the like in this game, one can still inquire with NPCs, which is convenient. Let''s split up and gather as much information as possible, accept tasks, and then meet back here in half an hour. We''ll share the information and tasks we''ve gathered and decide what to do next." Xiao Buli suggested, immediately gaining Yi Xuan''s approval as splitting up to maximize their limited time seemed like the best strategy.

 Chapter 373 - 20 Penglai Immortal City_2

    After they decided on a plan, the two of them immediately sprang into action. Xiao Buli headed east, left the small courtyard with the hot spring, took to the main street, and passed many buildings within the Immortal Palace. Most of these structures were open to the public. Walking among them, Xiao Buli saw that, naturally, there were quite a few immortals, and gradually, he noticed, just like in the mortal world, that these immortals came in all stripes: there were masters, servants, menials, and guards. However, what puzzled him was why those serving as menials and guards usually had Silver Names or Gold Names, while those masters who strolled leisurely through the Immortal Palace mostly had White or Blue Names. Why did it seem that Gold Names and Silver Names were of lower status, while those with White and Blue Names were held in higher esteem?


    Xiao Buli struck up conversations with anyone he met, and from their tidbits of information along with his own conjectures, he gradually came to understand some of the intricacies of the Immortal Palace. It turned out that those NPCs with Gold Names and Silver Names were not truly of the Immortal Race.


    Although Penglai Fairyland was vast in territory, the population of the Immortal Race was quite rare, only amounting to a few hundred. These Immortals, though powerful in mana, did not have strong reproductive capabilities. Therefore, since ancient times, Immortals have recruited individuals with good potential from the Human Realm to serve as retainers and guards. Humans always harbored aspirations towards the Immortal Realm and those selected considered it a supreme honor, naturally willing to proceed there.


    These individuals toiled daily in the Immortal Realm, reaping considerable benefits. Over time, their strength grew rapidly. By human standards, all of them became entities with ranks equivalent to Silver and Gold Names. If they were to return to the Human Realm, just about any one of them could easily be regarded as a Boss-level figure. However, those of the Immortal Race, despite the less impressive color of their names, were far stronger in terms of true ability, which just goes to show how formidable the powers within the Immortal Realm can be.


    The guards and servants with Gold and Silver Names, living in the Immortal Realm, were naturally nurtured by the heavenly spiritual energy, not only becoming powerful but also embodying kindness and humility, modest and courteous in conduct. Being of the same human origin, Xiao Buli felt a natural affinity towards them, which meant that whenever he approached them with queries, they were always forthright and exhaustive in their responses.


    Therefore, it didn''t take long for Xiao Buli to gain a general understanding of the state of the Penglai Immortal Realm. Spanning three thousand li, besides Penglai Immortal City, there were many immortal mountains around Penglai City.


    These immortal mountains were also inhabited by immortals. Just like in the Human Realm, those who lived in seclusion in the deep mountains were often beings of formidable strength.


    Conversely, the weaker ones tended to congregate within Penglai Immortal City. The reason for this was that although the Immortal Realm was ruled by Immortals, it remained a place fraught with dangers.


    For example, beneath the clouds enveloping the Immortal City lay deep ravines and gorges, home to various fierce Immortal Beasts. Legends even spoke of Exotic Beasts left behind from ancient times. Ordinary Immortals venturing there would inevitably meet their demise, let alone attempt to settle there.


    Fortunately, the outskirts of Penglai Immortal City were relatively safe. The Immortal Race had formed patrol teams, and the city walls had protective barriers left behind by Ancient Immortals. Although there were vicious Immortal Beasts nearby, none could approach within half a step of the Immortal City. Thus, the immortals living there needn''t worry about these issues.


    Besides, Xiao Buli learned that one could purchase all sorts of equipment and Magical Treasures within Penglai Immortal City. To the local immortals, these were but daily necessities, but for human players like Xiao Buli, they had significant uses.


    There were two types of Magical Treasures. One type was crafted by Immortal Families using Immortal Law, the effects of which were self-evident, but they came with a hefty price tag. The other type was more suitable for human use, affordable and crafted by menial workers and craftsmen from the Human Realm who learned and practiced Refinement after their studies. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    As for the currency of the Immortal Realm, Xuanxu Zi had previously told Xiao Buli that it was mainly Spirit Stones, which were quite interestingly obtained. It was said that the Immortal Realm was scattered with treasure chests left by Ancient Immortals. These chests contained Spirit Stones to varying degrees, yet they were not visible to just anyone. Each had its predestined finder, who alone could see the whereabouts of the chest. If fate did not favor an individual, they could be staring right at it and still not perceive it.


    Therefore, even after many years, newcomers wandering outside might occasionally come across such chests and make a small fortune. This was quite interesting information. While walking, Xiao Buli paid extra attention, hoping to encounter a fateful chest and experience the thrill of a windfall from the heavens.


    Apart from relying on these treasure chests, killing Immortal Beasts also presented a chance to obtain Spirit Stones, because Immortal Beasts liked to devour Spirit Stones, and yet, Spirit Stones couldn''t be digested. Minor Immortal Beasts swallowed Spirit Stones, and Great Immortal Beasts in turn swallowed Minor Immortal Beasts, causing the accumulation of Spirit Stones layer by layer. If one had enough strength, they could try their luck; surely killing Minor Immortal Beasts could yield some rewards, but killing some particularly powerful Immortal Beasts could result in a big windfall, with hundreds or even thousands of Spirit Stones in their bellies. However, Xiao Buli knew that for now, these were merely fantasies.


    After walking for a while, Xiao Buli roughly figured out the two''s course of action: they were naturally going to try their luck with the treasure chests, and they also needed to give catching Spirit Beasts a shot¡ªcapture if possible, but if not, killing one or two was also feasible.


    When the two met up again, Xiao Buli shared his plans, and Yi Xuan nodded in agreement. What surprised Xiao Buli was that Yi Xuan had also received a small task¡ªto mine Crystal Iron Ore for the Immortal Realm''s blacksmith. For every 100 jin of Crystal Stones provided, a Runes array could be added to one of their pieces of equipment.


    "Not sure if you know how to mine; I searched for half a day and only found this task, so I had to take it, but I don''t know how to mine," Yi Xuan typed.


    Xiao Buli felt slightly embarrassed, so preoccupied with gathering information that he hadn''t taken on even a single task. Hearing Yi Xuan say this, he quickly responded, "No problem, leave it to me. But I can''t carry much more, how much can you carry?"


    Upon hearing that, Yi Xuan said, "Don''t worry about it, I happen to have a Magical Treasure that provides additional carrying capacity. Just mine the ore, and I''ll take care of the transport."


    Xiao Buli nodded at this and shared the task. He immediately received a small map from the blacksmith, which showed that the Crystal Iron Ore was located in a cavern within the jungle. It seemed not too deep, and he estimated that the Immortal Beasts there wouldn''t be too difficult to deal with, which was exactly to Xiao Buli''s liking.


    Before setting out, they passed by a shop, where Xiao Buli checked the equipment for sale. The equipment here differed from that in the Human Realm, perhaps because most residents were Immortals, with generally higher Basic Attributes. Here, the equipment was based in Silver Name color, with Gold Name options not being uncommon, and occasionally, Dark Gold equipment was visible too. However, the Attributes were quite singular, with very few special weapon effects or additional damage layers. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But after all, it was Gold Name equipment, and even without any special effects, the sheer superiority of the Attributes was enough to make Xiao Buli salivate. Yet, upon looking at the prices, he was inwardly taken aback. Although he was unsure of the exact value of Spirit Stones when exchanged, by the game''s currency system standards, they seemed quite expensive.


    Here, a piece of Silver Name equipment required hundreds or so Spirit Stones, a Gold Name piece needed several hundred to over a thousand, not to mention the Dark Gold ones.


    After checking the equipment, Xiao Buli also looked at auxiliary items like talismans and Magical Treasures, which were innumerable. However, after looking them over, there was not a single item Xiao Buli felt an impulse to own at all costs. This was the lack of an urge to spend; no item there could spark Xiao Buli''s impulse to consume.


    "Is this all you have? Don''t you have anything better?" Xiao Buli asked the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper sized up Xiao Buli and inwardly he didn''t think much of him. Although such tourists weren''t common here, the shopkeeper, being a discerning person, could tell at a glance just how much "pus" you had. (To Be Continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 374 - 21: Tomb Raiders Talisman

    Despite longing for more powerful items, the people of the Immortal Realm still held etiquette in the highest regard. Therefore, I bowed with a cupped-hand salute and said cheerily, "Esteemed guest, if you seek mightier treasures, you might consider visiting the Golden Immortal Palace atop the city in Fairy City. While I have an abundance of items here, most are mundane. In contrast, the wares within the Golden Immortal Palace are crafted by immortals themselves, each an exceptional piece. However, the prices," the shopkeeper chuckled, "let''s just say they''re beyond the reach of the average person. But going there to broaden your horizons is still worthwhile." These words were reasonable and exceedingly polite, yet they grated on Xiao Buli''s ears. Alas, it seemed he must remain down to earth and earn money quickly before even thinking about making purchases.


    Hence, without further ado, after summoning Yi Xuan, the two of us dashed towards the outskirts of the city. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    Following Xuanxu Zi''s previous instructions, Xiao Buli knew that Soaring Cloud Peak, where Immortal Cranes gathered, was located near the city gates of Penglai Immortal City. Once outside the gates, Xiao Buli looked around and soon spotted the peak, its middle shrouded in white clouds that swirled around it like a ladder to the heavens.


    Among the drifting clouds, numerous Immortal Cranes spiraled and danced. These cranes bore a striking resemblance to those Jingji kept in the Mystic Hollow Palace, but somehow, as they soared in the air, these cranes seemed to possess an even more ethereal grace.


    Xiao Buli signaled Yi Xuan, and they quickly reached the foot of the peak. Clambering up the rocky surface surrounding the mountain, they ascended its steep and perilous slopes. Fortunately, the rocks were well-defined, and since both were adept in Qinggong, their ascent wasn''t overly difficult. For Xiao Buli, experiencing the vistas of the game in real life for the first time was exhilarating. Halfway up, he glanced down, his heart pounding with fear at the dizzying height¡ªwondering how much health he would lose if he fell. Yi Xuan, in comparison, seemed far more composed, for him the height was no more than a few centimeters on a computer screen.


    Halfway up the mountain, they could see many nests of Immortal Cranes. Unlike Jingji''s cranes, which were kept in captivity, these wild cranes built their nests on the cliffside, much like eagles, creating large structures out of branches, some containing chicks or eggs.


    These Immortal Cranes weren''t afraid of humans. Some lay in their nests incubating eggs and curiously watched the newcomers approach, some even daringly walked around them. Xiao Buli noticed that these cranes were neutral creatures and wouldn''t attack unprovoked. He had climbed up intending to catch one as a mount, but the terrain was so steep that there was hardly enough space for two people to stand on the cliff ledge, let alone engage in combat.


    His Taming Skills should have been able to Tame the Immortal Cranes, but regrettably, he had exchanged that ability for the Sealing Skill. Although the Sealing Skill allowed him to conceal animals, Summon them at will, and had a healing function, to Tame an animal required reducing it to On the Verge of Death. Considering there were well over a thousand Immortal Cranes, a fight could quickly lead to being overwhelmed and beaten to death. Moreover, as this was the Immortal Realm, even these seemingly gentle cranes likely possessed formidable strength.


    "Xiao, this doesn''t seem like a good place to catch Immortal Cranes. I don''t know Taming Skills, do you have any good ideas?" Yi Xuan typed, stirring a sense of frustration in Xiao Buli, who was already feeling defeated by his inability to catch a crane.


    He sighed deeply, turned to look at Yi Xuan, and helplessly shrugged his shoulders¡ªa habitual gesture of Xiao Buli that clearly conveyed his powerlessness.


    However, this simple action utterly bewildered Yi Xuan, sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Xiao, what was that shoulder shrug just now?"


    "Huh, that? It''s in the gesture and expression menu, didn''t you know?" Xiao Buli, not in the mood to get sidetracked, replied absently: "Let''s go down. It doesn''t seem easy to catch Immortal Beasts here." While speaking, he looked down. The old saying goes that it''s easier to go up a mountain than to come down, especially such a steep cliff. When climbing up, it was possible to see and use protruding rocks for leverage, but descending was not so easy, since one''s feet couldn''t scout the way¡ªa moment of inattention could lead to a calamitous fall.


    "There are gesture and expression actions in the game? How come I never noticed." While Yi Xuan intended to continue his inquiry, he saw Xiao Buli let go of the rock he was holding and, with a leap, jump down. The sudden move made him cry out, "Xiao!"


    But Xiao Buli didn''t fall far, steadying himself on another rocky outcrop, gripping the cliffside firmly. He had already prepared for this, realizing that climbing down step by step could take an eternity. He decided to rappel quickly instead¡ªafter all, with the Cloud Thunder Leap ability at his disposal, if the situation turned dire he could simply soar skyward.


    Yi Xuan wasn''t willing to take such a risk and started to descend cautiously. Luckily, he controlled his movements through the computer, which didn''t require as much fuss. As if having eyes in the back of his head, he moved smoothly, keeping pace with Xiao Buli, who noticed the advantages that came with using a computer.


    They continued their descent without pause.


    As for the Immortal Cranes, they would have to see if they could find enough Spirit Stones later. If possible, purchasing one with money might be the solution.

 Chapter 375 - 21 Tomb Raiders Talisman_2

    The two descended to the base of the mountain, this time without stopping, they followed the map left by the blacksmith, and walked straight ahead. The road stretched as far as the eye could see, wide and flat, much like a highway leading to the mortal realm. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not far from either side of the road stood towering statues, extending on for what seemed like over a thousand, apparently part of the Immortal Palace''s defense system.


    The two continued along the road, and after about half an hour, they saw the path on the map veering into the forest. They stepped off the road onto the soft grassland, and after a short walk, sporadic trees began to appear. As they reached the edge of the forest, Xiao Buli looked ahead to see the trees within were significantly denser, and a forbidding white mist shrouded the area, a stark contrast to the tranquil and beautiful scenery outside.


    Turning to look back at the path they came from, it was already concealed in clouds and fog that had risen at some unknown time.


    Xiao Buli suddenly felt a bit worried, whether entering the dense forest so rashly might be dangerous. Fortunately, he had some life-saving skills. With this thought, he felt a bit more stable, opened the map to check the location of the mine, which was not too far from where they were. He took a step forward, with Yi Xuan closely following behind. Here, Xiao Buli had become his pillar of strength.


    The two advanced extremely cautiously, as after all, this was the Immortal Realm, and they had no standard for measuring the capabilities of its people and animals. A rabbit here might very well take their lives. Yi Xuan was now somewhat regretting accepting this damned mission, thinking perhaps it would have been wiser to heed his master''s advice and just wander around the city before returning.


    "Look," Xiao Buli suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with excitement. Yi Xuan, who was worried and wearing headphones, jumped with a start and quickly looked in Xiao Buli''s direction. Right where they had just passed, there was a treasure chest, so surprising that Yi Xuan wouldn''t have noticed it if Xiao Buli hadn''t called out to him. It seemed as if the chest had popped out of nowhere.


    "This might be a treasure chest left by the Ancient Immortals," Xiao Buli said cautiously, running up to the side of the chest and inspecting it closely without touching it. After all, he was experiencing this game in real time, and a sudden dart or poison gas, although not fatal, would be quite a blow.


    In contrast, Yi Xuan didn''t share those worries. Seeing the half-buried treasure chest, he immediately jumped over to it but struggled to open it after hopping on it for a while.


    "What are you doing?" Xiao Buli asked, watching as Yi Xuan''s actions seemed bizarre and erratic, like someone with a mental disorder. If Xiao Buli were playing on a computer, this would be like watching those real-life imitation videos of Demon Beasts; actions that looked normal in-game appeared ridiculous when done by a person.


    "I can''t open it," Yi Xuan typed back, "This chest seems to be just part of the game background, there''s no icon to unlock it."


    Xiao Buli felt it odd, as it made no sense for the chest to be unopenable when they could clearly see it. Walking over and crouching down, he saw that the lock of the chest was buried in the dirt. With a gentle scrape of his hand, the soil was surprisingly loose, and after a few scoops, he pulled the chest out of the ground.


    "You can dig in the soil?? How come I can''t do it? What skill is this?" Yi Xuan was surprised by Xiao Buli once again within just over an hour they''d known each other. He had seen other players but had never encountered someone as peculiar as Xiao Buli. Several times he had suspected that Xiao Buli might actually be an NPC.


    "Ah, this is a basic skill I''ve learned. Didn''t you learn it? What was your initial profession?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "A woodcutter," Yi Xuan replied truthfully.


    "Ah, no wonder. Different initial professions," Xiao Buli muttered, making things up randomly. "You should learn a few more basic professions."


    "Ah? No wonder, when I first entered the game, I took a mission and made a lot of money all at once, so I didn''t really learn those basic skills," Yi Xuan replied, feeling relieved. It seemed he still had a lot to learn as a newcomer.


    Xiao Buli didn''t care what he typed, he simply took out his sword and smashed the lock, opened the chest, and inside were stones gleaming with a rainbow luster, which appeared to be the legendary Spirit Stones. Xiao Buli reached out to take one, but as soon as his hand touched it, the stones transformed into a beam of light that entered his body.


    System prompt: Opened ''Treasure Chest Covered with Dirt,'' obtained 27 Spirit Stones.


    Haha, it seemed that Spirit Stones were not extremely rare, which was good news for Xiao Buli.


    "Locks can be blown up?" Yi Xuan puzzled once again.


    "That''s a skill I''ve learned," Xiao Buli replied lazily, not bothering to make up a reason this time, and turned to continue walking forward.


    Seeing the empty treasure chest, Yi Xuan felt a little disappointed, but since Xiao Buli had found the chest, it didn''t feel right to ask for a share of the Spirit Stones. He could only follow again, hoping for some good luck of his own.


    "It''d be great if we had a metal detector or something, it would probably increase the chances of finding treasure chests," Yi Xuan typed casually.


    Xiao Buli found the idea amusing; a metal detector, did he think this was some science and exploration game? Wait, a thought flickered through Xiao Buli''s mind, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks. What was it? Something key was eluding him. It seemed he might have something similar, but he couldn''t recall anything about a metal detector.

 Chapter 376 - 21 Tomb Raiders Talisman _3

    ```


    He opened the inventory, Xiao Buli searched item by item. He really had gathered quite a lot recently. His inventory was filled with an array of items, varied and colorful.


    That''s the one, Xiao Buli thought to himself with joy.


    Tomb Raider''s Talisman (Necklace): Luck +1. Equipment Skill: Dragon Seeking Skills ¡ª With this item equipped, one can sense hidden ancient tombs and treasure chests within a 30-meter radius. Equipment Description: An amulet made from the claw of a pangolin, a badge of the Touch Gold Captain''s profession, it is said to bring good luck to its wearer.


    He hurriedly equipped the Tomb Raider''s Talisman to check out its effects. Yi Xuan didn''t know why Xiao Buli paused¡ªwatching him fiddle with something, now looking worried, now laughing with joy. Thinking to himself, weren''t those facial expressions a bit too rich? Was this also a skill? But what use were these expressions? They surely weren''t for winking at the NPCs in the game. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He tentatively asked, "Xiao?"


    But Xiao Buli had already finished equipping the item and quickly said, "It''s nothing, it''s nothing. Let''s go."


    They hadn''t walked far when Xiao Buli suddenly veered towards a clump of trees. By the time Yi Xuan caught up, he saw an empty treasure chest and a beaming Xiao Buli. Thinking that his luck really wasn''t just ordinarily bad, two times in a row now, but as time went on, despair was no longer enough to describe Yi Xuan''s mood. At the end, the Yi Xuan behind the screen suddenly felt that the expression system was indeed very useful¡ªif he could display expressions, he would surely be crying pitifully in this moment.


    He wondered if it was because the wilderness was more untrammeled compared to the city, that''s why there were so many treasure chests. But why was it that every single one was discovered by Xiao Buli first? Was there not a single treasure chest that was fated for him?


    If it were just him alone, even if he had roamed till nightfall without any findings, he would have simply shrugged it off as bad luck and not blamed society.


    But the trouble was that there were two of them, and the other''s luck was bizarrely good. It was just like in childhood when scoring 99 on a test was a joy, until the rankings were posted and you found out a dozen others got a hundred, suddenly casting you as a bad student. Comparisons were the root of discontent. Compared to Xiao Buli''s fortune, Yi Xuan truly wanted to bash his head against a block of tofu.


    Seeing that Yi Xuan stopped typing and talking to him along the way, Xiao Buli knew his spirit was dampened by not getting any Spirit Stones. Thinking to himself, sorry buddy, you might be playing the game just for fun, but I''m trapped here. My brothers are on the verge of facing Soul Departure Syndrome, and over there, Ancestral Dragon is watching like a hawk, plotting who-knows-what. It''s no exaggeration to say I''m a man tasked with world peace. Usually, matters involving world peace are quite serious. So, I can only apologize. Later, if I get Spirit Stones I can''t use, I''ll share some with you.


    Lost in thought, suddenly, a rustling noise came from the bushes behind them. An ill wind howled, and almost without hesitation, Xiao Buli lunged towards Yi Xuan, and with a few tumbles, they both rolled to the side. Xiao Buli didn''t wait to stand up, his Skimming Shadow Steps making him vanish from sight, and Yi Xuan was quick too, disappearing into thin air with his Invisibility Technique.


    Only then did Xiao Buli turn his head to look back, a chill sweeping over him.


    Behind them, the grass was forcefully parted, making a half-meter wide path. A huge triangular snakehead was moving side to side as if searching for them. Its mouth with a bright red tongue flicked in and out continuously, and the triangular head had eyes arranged in two rows from the side of its mouth to the back of its skull, all round and bulging, casting a green ghostly glow. It was clearly not a creature to trifle with.


    It was uncertain whether the snake used its eyes or tongue to perceive people. If it used its tongue, their Invisibility would be useless since snakes sense the particles in the air with it, meaning being invisible to this snake was as good as standing right in front of it.


    Realizing this, Xiao Buli quickly activated Omniscient Eye to find Yi Xuan, who also seemed scared out of his wits. Xiao Buli tiptoed over to him, whispering in his ear, "I''m Xiao. Let''s get out of here quickly and quietly, without drawing attention."


    Yi Xuan jumped at his voice. Wasn''t he invisible? How could he be seen? Xiao Buli''s abilities filled him with even greater surprise, but fortunately, he wasn''t foolish either, promptly typing, "Okay."


    The two of them quietly stood up, eyes glued to the snakehead, and started stepping backward. Just their luck, Xiao Buli felt the ground shake under his foot as he accidentally stepped on a broken branch.


    "Crack"¡ªthe sharp sound was especially jarring in the quiet environment, and without a moment''s hesitation, the snakehead whipped in their direction, lowering its head and gliding towards them swiftly.


    Xiao Buli shouted, "Run!" and they both took off like the wind.


    While running, Xiao Buli cast Mind Revelation on the giant snake, ''Lava Red Python,'' the name in deep blue, signifying a high-level elite. Good grief. It seemed like the end was near. If this had been in the Human Realm, coming across a high-level elite wouldn''t have even fazed Xiao Buli. But this was the Immortal Realm, with different rules from the Human Realm. Just from the size of the snake, he figured it could eat two Xiao Bulis and still need a midnight snack¡ªit simply wasn''t enough to fill the gaps between its teeth.


    ```

 Chapter 377 - 21: Tomb Raiders Talisman_4

    Seeing the speed at which they were running, it was only a matter of time before the two would be caught up. Xiao was desperate to use Cloud-Thundering Sky Flash, but he feared that Yi Xuan might just die on the spot.


    "Do you have any skills that can absorb damage?" Xiao asked.


    "Yeah," Yi Xuan typed hurriedly as he ran.


    "Use it now!"


    Thinking that the boss was about to attack, Yi Xuan quickly donned his Rune Armor. Eight runes spiraled around him, acting like shields from every direction.


    Xiao Buli grabbed Yi Xuan tightly and with a Cloud Thunder Leap shot up into the sky, following the map towards the mine. When they landed with a thunderous crash, Yi Xuan was left standing there stunned, luckily his Rune Armor''s ability to absorb damage was excellent; otherwise, he might have actually died. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For Xiao Buli, the events that had just transpired were crystal clear, but Yi Xuan was completely taken aback, wondering how he suddenly took flight, and how a great thunder had struck the ground, whether he had been struck by lightning, or if he had become the lightning himself.


    "Xiao..." Yi Xuan seemed at a loss for words.


    Xiao Buli, however, didn''t fuss over it, casually saying, "It''s nothing, no need to thank me," and, without paying heed to the fact that Yi Xuan''s health points were down by more than half, pretended to study the map.


    That moment of inspiration had been a real eye-opener for Xiao Buli; to think that Cloud Thunder Leap could actually be used on another person was a pleasant surprise, though the resulting damage was unavoidable. Moreover, the True Origin Points spent while carrying someone also doubled. That small stretch cost him 200 True Origin Points.


    Despite the drawbacks, the advantages were quite obvious as well. In the future, not only could he carry someone to escape, but he could also use it as a major move to attack the enemy. The biggest shortcoming of the Cloud Thunder Leap as an attack skill was its lack of precision, but if he held onto the opponent while using it, there would be no worrying about missing the target.


    Looking around, Xiao Buli noticed that the ground where he had landed was cratered, but fortunately, the nearby Crystal Stone Mine appeared to be undamaged. Satisfied with his accuracy, he strode over quickly.


    Meanwhile, Yi Xuan busily healed himself, casting restoration spells. In this place, venturing out with so little health points would spell instant death, which would be utterly unjust. The previous incident had scared him badly as his health points had almost hit zero; if his opponent had malicious intent, he would have had no chance to defend himself at all.


    Xiao Buli''s Cloud Thunder Leap had truly shown off its flair, leaving Yi Xuan completely overwhelmed. If he harbored any lingering regrets about missing out on the treasure chest, they were now eclipsed by his lack of complaints.


    "Come over here and take a look, there''s something odd about this cave," Xiao Buli called out as he reached the entrance, frowning at Yi Xuan.


    "What''s wrong?" Yi Xuan approached and asked. Xiao Buli responded oddly, "This cave doesn''t look like it''s mined regularly. Around the mine, there aren''t any rock fragments, the bare appearance is quite strange."


    "That''s true," Yi Xuan said, "but since this is the Immortal Realm, we can''t judge by normal standards. Maybe the miners here can fly, so they don''t wear out the edges of the cave."


    Xiao Buli thought to himself that Yi Xuan was being even more fantastical, thinking that immortals could simply conjure up Crystal Stones. He opened the map again and examined it; this place should be the location of the Crystal Stone Mine. The term ''should'' was used because the map was drawn in a traditional Chinese ink painting style, hence it was not entirely accurate, so Xiao Buli couldn''t be completely certain. But there were no other caves apart from the Crystal Stone Mine marked on the map. After pondering for a while and double-checking, he still believed there shouldn''t be any issues.


    "Alright, let''s go in," (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 378 - 22 Stone-tooth Rat

    "Alright, let''s go in,"


    Xiao Buli took the lead and walked in. He thought about it for a moment and summoned a Talisman Soldier with a wave of his hand. It had been quite some time since he last summoned it, as it was only a level one spell with weak combat power. Even a level five Talisman Soldier summoned would have barely over three hundred health and possessed no skills other than a basic slash. For the current Xiao Buli, it was utterly useless. However, in this strange environment, it was best to be cautious. Xiao Buli thought it would be perfect for scouting ahead.


    Of course, Xiao Buli could have summoned a Sealed Beast, but alas, all of his Sealed Beasts had perished in a previous battle. Since returning to the game, he had not had the chance to replenish his stock, so for now, he had to make do with this creature.


    Yi Xuan looked on quizzically, "Why summon a Rune Soldier before we even start fighting?"


    Xiao Buli explained, "We don''t know what''s inside the cave. Using it as cannon fodder to lead the way."


    In Yi Xuan''s eyes, Xiao''s image grew a bit taller. Being able to summon something was seen as very cool, but he didn''t expect it to be used simply as cannon fodder.


    With this in mind, Yi Xuan didn''t want to be outdone. "Let me summon one too," he said, chanting words and gesturing with his Rune Sword. Suddenly, a bright light flashed, and a majestic lion appeared on the ground alongside a cloud of mist. At first glance, it seemed quite intimidating, but upon closer inspection, Xiao discovered that the lion was made entirely of paper, resembling the paper effigies burned at funerals. With the lion''s serious expression, it was a bit odd and even somewhat... foreboding.


    "What is that thing??" Xiao Buli asked with a frown.


    Yi Xuan proudly introduced it, "This is a Rune Beast, a secret technique exclusively passed down in my Sect. How about it, cool, right?" he said, looking proudly at his handiwork. It seemed to be the only impressive thing he had so far.


    Xiao Buli nodded in a noncommittal manner, "Not bad at all, let them scout ahead then."


    A Talisman Soldier and a lion made their way into the cave''s entrance. After listening to their progress for a while and sensing no danger, the two men followed a good distance behind.


    The cave was pitch-dark without any light. Xiao Buli felt the air was filled with a damp smell, mixed with other strange odors, reminiscent of the scent of cats and dogs, as well as the stench of excrement. Yi Xuan, separated by a computer screen, did not have as many sensations.


    As they walked, Xiao suddenly saw a small blue dot flash on his map, filling his heart with joy. The appearance of the blue dot meant there was another treasure chest to find. Since equipping the Tomb Raider''s Talisman, Xiao could receive such notifications before encountering any treasure chest. The dozen or so chests he had found before, all covered with dirt, contained from a dozen to several dozen Spirit Stones each. Now he had over five hundred, which he could certainly trade for some gold equipment when he got back. The thought alone was exciting. With such a Magical Treasure, how could he not make a profit?


    Despite the cave''s less than inviting environment, Xiao, thinking of the Spirit Stones, headed in the direction of the blue dot. The Tomb Raider''s Talisman was indeed powerful, he mused as he walked. He had taken it for granted during the Corpse King Ancient Tomb instance, but now it proved to be an excellent tool for treasure hunting.


    However, as he followed the blue dot for a while, Xiao suddenly noticed something strange. The treasure chest had initially been to his front left, indicating a fork in the road, not far from the main path. So, he felt that even if he went there, he wouldn''t stray from the main line. But when he reached the point parallel to the blue dot, Xiao was surprised to find that the road ahead was still straight, yet the position indicating the treasure chest appeared to be close to the inner wall. He felt the wall, and the soil and stones fitted tightly together, not looking like there was any mechanism or passageway. Could it really be that he needed to dig himself? S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s wrong?" Yi Xuan saw him stop and asked curiously.


    "Oh, nothing, I just feel like there should be a fork here," Xiao said, puzzled.


    "A fork?" After spending half a day with Xiao, Yi Xuan held him in nearly the same regard as his Taoist master, so when Xiao suggested there might be a fork, without hesitation, Yi Xuan began to help look around immediately. The light in the cave was dim, and they couldn''t see what was ahead unless they were close, so the two of them started searching the area in all directions. Seeing how eager Yi Xuan was, Xiao felt somewhat embarrassed. He thought it was just a treasure chest; perhaps they shouldn''t bother looking for it, as there would likely be more chances later. But before he could speak, Yi Xuan suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Xiao, come see, is it this?"


    Xiao Buli hurried over, and as he got closer, he saw Yi Xuan pointing upward. Only then did he realize there was a circular hole high up on the wall, about a meter in diameter, but so dark that it wasn''t very clear from afar. No wonder he had missed it. The map showed a flat view, which did not account for height differences between him and the treasure chest. Looking at the hole, Xiao thought there might indeed be something there.


    Given the size of the hole, it seemed it could easily allow one person to crawl through without obstruction. He checked the position of the treasure chest again¡ªit was only a wall away. It would be a pity to give up now.

 Chapter 379 - 22 Stone-tooth Rat_2

    And according to the general rules of games, items that are hard to obtain are definitely much better than those that are simply lying around in the wilderness. With this thought in mind, Xiao Buli made up his mind and roughly measured the height with his hands before turning to Yi Xuan and saying, "Bro, wait for me here, I''ll be right back."


    Without waiting for Yi Xuan''s response, he performed a "Leaping from Dry Land," grasped the edge of the cave entrance, pushed off with his waist, lightly tapped the wall with his feet, and his upper body was already lying inside the hole. With one stride of his thigh, he climbed in.


    Down below, Yi Xuan was dumbfounded once again. If the previous functions were somewhat useless, this one was genuinely helpful. To be able to squeeze into such a hole? For real? Not to be outdone, Yi Xuan thought he must give it a try too.


    As he thought, he continuously jumped up using his Qinggong, hoping to leap into the hole, but unfortunately, every attempt failed. It wasn''t that he couldn''t reach the height of the hole¡ªjumping that high was possible for Yi Xuan. The challenge was jumping to that height and accurately entering the hole. Not to mention that it''s impossible to change direction mid-air without something to push off from, even if it were possible, there wouldn''t be enough time to aim.


    After trying for a while without success, Yi Xuan gave up, drained. He reckoned his skills in this game were too weak, or perhaps Xiao Buli was too good. Or maybe he just knew too little. In any case, there were too many things about Xiao Buli that amazed him.


    Just as he was contemplating, a rustling sound suddenly came from behind. Yi Xuan, in front of the computer, felt his hair stand on end upon hearing the sound because it was all too familiar. He quickly adjusted the camera angle to look in the direction of the cave entrance, and saw a huge dark shadow slowly moving towards him, against the light. It might have been the giant python they had encountered before.


    "Ah!" Yi Xuan screamed, and, not bothering about Xiao Buli in the hole, only thought of getting away from there as quickly as possible. He turned around and ran desperately deeper into the cave.


    Let''s go back to Xiao Buli. After entering the hole, he found that the cave was quite spacious. Although he couldn''t stand up straight in it, he could at least crawl with all fours, rather than having to inch forward in a more suffocating manner. The smell inside the cave wasn''t good, but thinking he''d soon see the treasure chest, Xiao Buli didn''t care too much, telling himself that he could always soak in a hot spring back at the Immortal Palace afterward.


    The cave stretched inwards for a short distance before turning a slight corner. Xiao Buli felt he crawled past the bend, and suddenly, it seemed brighter. The first thing he saw was the stone chest carved from bluestone on the ground, faintly emitting colorful Streaming Light, indeed prettier than those he had seen before.


    Looking carefully, he realized this spot was actually a fairly large chamber with decent height. Xiao Buli jumped from where he was into the chamber and could barely stand up straight inside; as long as he didn''t jump, he wouldn''t bump his head.


    Once inside, his view widened, and Xiao Buli was instantly thrilled. There were not only several chests in the chamber, but the walls were also piled with numerous swords, chainmail, and armor. It looked like a secret treasure storeroom.


    Xiao Buli quickly made his way to the wall and picked up a piece of armor, a damaged golden chainmail (grey ¨C breastplate). He then grabbed a chopping knife next to it, a damaged Straight Spine Wind Breaker Blade (grey ¨C two-handed weapon). Xiao Buli frowned immediately, wondering why all of them had the "damaged" prefix. He knew that those three words could significantly reduce the Attributes.


    He picked up the armor and shook it out to take a closer look. There were many small holes on the armor, and at first glance, they weren''t very noticeable. They were somewhat reminiscent of damage done by insects or rodents.


    Do clothes in the game also attract insects if they''re not stored properly? Such a pity for all this equipment, I was just thinking about it when I heard a series of squeaks behind me.


    As I turned around, Xiao Buli got quite a fright. He saw in the darkness behind him rows of yellow bean-like eyes tightly packed together, not knowing when they had approached without making a single sound.


    At that moment, Xiao Buli''s mind was racing. He quickly found and put on the "Betrayer''s Dark Vision" on his head. Otherwise, if he couldn''t see the enemy while the enemy could see him, he''d be at a huge disadvantage. Now he could finally see clearly that the owners of those bean-like eyes were giant rats.


    Each of these rats was over a meter long; unlike any rats Xiao Buli had seen before, their bodies were covered with thick keratin. If they were patterned, they would somewhat resemble the scales of pangolins, and it was clear their hardness was nothing to scoff at. Not to mention their sharp, huge incisors and razor-like front claws. Xiao Buli swallowed hard as he took in the number of rats in front of him.


    This was the Immortal Realm after all. Even rats with such appearances would be difficult to deal with in the Human Realm, so wouldn''t rats here be of the enchanted or monstrous level? It seemed the hole in the wall wasn''t some secret passage but most likely dug by these rats. This secret room must have been turned into their nest by now. Who would have thought that in his greed for treasure, he would unwittingly stumble into a rat''s nest?


    But now, easy to deal with or not, he had to face them. Xiao Buli''s thoughts turned to Soul Enlightenment, and he saw that these rats were named ''Stone-tooth Rats,'' just ordinary minor monsters with white names. Though they were Immortal Beasts and numerous, if one considered the strength of each individual, they should still be manageable.


    While he was thinking, the group of rats parted, and a giant rat over two meters long emerged, sporting a bulging belly. Named ''Big Gold Tooth (Stone-tooth Rat King),'' its pair of incisors shone brilliantly, truly living up to its name. Big Gold Tooth was a rare elite, naturally inferior to the giant snake he faced earlier, but with so many minions, the fight wouldn''t be easy either.


    Since arriving in the Immortal Realm, Xiao Buli had been cautious not to overstep, for he did not have a clear understanding of the strength of its people or beasts. He feared ignorance would be his undoing.


    But now, these rats were blocking his path, and behind him was a pile of treasures that should already be in his grasp. With his back against the wall, Xiao Buli was prepared to go all out.


    Facing such a horde, Xiao Buli had some experience. He knew well the principle of capturing the leader first, and after observing the terrain and the rats'' distribution, he quickly devised a battle strategy in his mind.


    Seeing the Rat King had just arrived at the front and had yet to settle, Xiao Buli thought, now''s the moment, and a Sunfire Spellball was the first to blast out.


    As for the Rat King, although it was covered in fat, it moved with incredible speed. Seeing the fireball approach, it quickly abandoned its slow, dignified stroll. Its four stumpy legs churned rapidly, outpacing the fireball. The fireball exploded at the Rat King''s former position, causing a commotion among the rats in the flames. But on closer inspection, Xiao Buli noticed that even those at the blast''s center barely bled, obviously due to the protective effect of their strange skin. Ignoring the explosion''s effect, Xiao Buli immediately followed up with his Ultimate Skills¡ªWind Rolls The Scattered Clouds.


    Under his sword''s gleaming light, the rats naturally didn''t wait to be hit and retreated. But given the tight space and the large numbers that had emerged, the rats inside directly affected by the attack had no effective way to retreat. Blood and flesh flew in every direction, and due to the pressure from inside, the outer rats trampled over each other, some even climbing on top of their companions. If these had been little rats, perhaps such a scene wouldn''t be harmful, but these rats were massive, and their heavy keratin armors added almost a hundred pounds to each rat''s weight. In no time, the rat horde was in chaos. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommended tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.) S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 380 - 380: 22 Nameless Jade Slip

    Xiao Buli reached the Rat King, and the Rat King''s companions were instantly stunned, unable to muster the strength to come to his aid for a moment.


    But the Rat King was no vegetarian, having spilled much blood and sweat to rise to his current station. Although his intelligence seemed somewhat higher, he was no stranger to battle.


    Seeing Xiao Buli with a sword in his hand, standing right in front of him, the Rat King''s beady eyes glared, and finally with a sharp squeaking sound. The rat horde behind him quickly changed formation. The injured rats that could move dragged their broken bodies to the back, while those that couldn''t were tossed to the outskirts by the rats behind, leaving a group of relatively strong fighters to surround the Rat King and Xiao Buli, seemingly with the intention of cornering Xiao Buli.


    Although Xiao Buli had no eyes on his back, he understood from the Rat King''s cries that he was strategizing. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought, "Even if the King of Heaven himself came today it wouldn''t make a difference, I am going to fight you to the death." Ignoring the multitude of rats behind him, he activated the Spiritual Energy Shield, and the automatic defense system began to protect his back. Facing the rats, he swung his treasured sword wildly at the Rat King.


    The Rat King quickly turned, its tail as thick as steel bars, whipping through the air at Xiao Buli, who hastily jumped up. But this jump was careless, as I already mentioned this cave was just high enough for Xiao Buli to stand up. With that jump, his head hit the cave''s ceiling hard, causing him to see stars and a dizzying DEBUFF appeared above his head. Upon landing, Xiao Buli felt a buzzing in his ears. Seeing that his blow had hit ¡ª though actually, it was Xiao Buli who had hit himself ¡ª the Rat King turned around, its sharp foreclaws slashing down at Xiao Buli. Luckily, the Protective Shield was in place; otherwise, those claws would have caused Xiao Buli significant blood loss.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t afford to be careless. Despite his head still feeling hazy, he waved his treasured sword wildly in front of him. Seeing the Rat King retreat, Xiao Buli immediately followed up, not giving it any chance to breathe. The Rat King saw the sharpness of Xiao Buli''s sword and dared not confront it head-on, using the sharp blades on its claws for defense while shrinking its head back. This seemed to be one of the Rat King''s defensive skills, tucking its head underneath its thick shell, using the keratin''s hardness for protection, a bit like a turtle''s head-retracting skill.


    Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, the Rat King had a big belly, probably due to a life of luxury. The space that was supposed to accommodate its head was now filled with fatty tissue, making it impossible to tuck successfully. Xiao Buli took advantage of this and his sword strikes caused the Rat King to lose a lot of blood, as their heads were their weakest part. At this moment, the Rat King could no longer worry about any semblance of dignity, squeaking wildly as the rats behind him became restless. A few stronger-looking rats lunged forward with their claws. Fortunately, the battle group was compact; though there was a great number of rats, only a few could actually join the fight. Otherwise, Xiao Buli could have been overwhelmed in seconds. However, as time dragged on, even Xiao Buli began to feel unable to keep up. Although the Spiritual Energy Shield automatically bestowed protection and Resurrection Skills continued to regenerate his health, his True Qi could not withstand such waste.


    Xiao Buli''s hand did not stop, giving the Rat King no opportunity to catch its breath, his mind rapidly working, trying to find a way to quickly repel the enemy. Otherwise, if he continued this battle of attrition, the pure waste of his True Qi would leave him without recourse from heaven or earth.


    A spell suddenly appeared in his mind, the Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations (Pseudo).


    "Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations (Pseudo)": Transforms your appearance at random into one of the thirty-six Heavenly Gang Beasts, this transformation is limited only to the change of appearance, and does not alter your true form or physical collision volume, nor does it grant corresponding special skills. Using this skill consumes 40 Mana and lasts 120 seconds.


    Although it was but a skill for intimidation, it was the most fitting to use at the moment. With that thought, Xiao Buli immediately put the Heavenly Gang''s Thirty-six Transformations into use, and mist began to rise around him, with specks of golden light emerging.


    Witnessing Xiao Buli''s transformation, the rats that were indiscriminately scratching and biting at the periphery ceased their labor, looking curiously at the small human who unexpectedly began contorting violently in the air. With a pop, the once human had now become a giant beast, its body covered with black scales, long and coiled, with a triangular iron head held high, flickering its snake tongue, beneath which a pair of black wings were folded, revealing the Wing Soaring Snake, the most feared adversary of the rats. Their simple minds couldn''t comprehend why such a huge beast would suddenly appear in this narrow cave, but its status as their mortal enemy was undeniable, and in an instant, they had no time to care for the life or death of the Rat King, fleeing out of the cave in a desperate scramble. What was once a sea of rats had vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Xiao Buli saw the tremendous effect of the Heavenly Gang transformation and rejoiced within. He hadn''t expected this seemingly useless Illusion Technique to prove so effective, especially against these low-intelligence wild-beast creatures. Turning to look at the Rat King, his face was a mess from Xiao Buli''s sword slashes, unrecognizable from before, with only his beady eyes blinking furiously, glaring hatefully at Xiao Buli as if unwilling to yield.

 Chapter 381 - 22: Nameless Jade Slip_2

    Xiao Buli thought to himself, "Immortal Beasts, they''re nothing special after all." He walked up to the Rat King, who was on the verge of death, and unleashed a Great Seal, the Void Sealing Technique! But it seemed the beast had already resigned to its fate and allowed itself to be sealed obediently.


    Looking at the remnants of flesh and blood on the ground, Xiao Buli felt quite satisfied with the battle, having emerged unscathed. He cast a few healing spells on the Rat King to restore its physical strength and stationed it at the entrance of the cave to stand guard. That way, even if the swarm of rats returned, they wouldn''t dare to act rashly. Only then did Xiao Buli, with a hint of fatigue, approach the treasure chest. He had erred earlier by checking the equipment before the chest. If only he had opened the treasure chest first and taken everything, he could have fled at the sight of the rat swarm, without taking any risks.


    Having arranged everything, Xiao Buli now stood before the treasure chest. He opened the heavy stone lid and reached inside. However, the contents weren''t as abundant as the exterior suggested. There were some Spirit Stones, red and blue gemstones, and a scroll that seemed like a bamboo slip, though upon closer inspection, it was different. Xiao Buli picked it up and examined it closely.


    At this moment, a series of small characters flashed before his eyes: System notification: Opened ''Ancient Jade Treasure Chest'' and obtained 37 Spirit Stones.


    Obtained 2 gemstones


    Obtained "Nameless Jade Slip".


    Nameless Jade Slip? Is this the very item in his hands? Xiao Buli held the Jade Slip, feeling its hefty weight in his hand, and its material was warm and exquisitely lustrous to the touch¡ªa sure sign of fine jade. The slip was about thirty centimeters long, made of pierced jade stones strung together, similar yet distinct from bamboo slips, but the material was certainly not ordinary.


    Xiao Buli had admired it enough and proceeded to unroll the Jade Slip, eager to see what it contained. As he spread it out, he was blinded by the glaring gold. The characters had been written in gold powder that emitted a peculiar fragrance and a faint luminous glow. With the slip''s jade being white and the gold powder a hue closer to yellow, Xiao Buli initially struggled to make out the characters. The more he tried to focus on the tiny, densely-packed script, the less he could understand, leaving him dizzy and unable to concentrate. It seemed reading this Jade Slip required a certain level of cultural knowledge or a high Spirit Attribute. Helpless, Xiao Buli rolled it back up and put it in his bag. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then searched the cave again, but because the Stone-tooth Rats had destroyed the equipment, he didn''t find any decent gear. However, he did find some Spirit Stones within the chest and unearthed numerous Crystal Stones, most of which seemed like high-quality materials due to their sparkle. Xiao Buli didn''t hold back and stuffed them all into his bag.


    The search took some time; upon seeing that the Stone-tooth Rat King was fully restored, Xiao Buli decided to check the attributes of his newly-captured pet. What he discovered brought him great joy; it seemed his venture into the cave was not in vain, nor was the risk he had taken unwarranted. Concerned about his inventory of sealed pets running out, he was pleased to find the heavens immediately replenished it with a superior one.


    Big Gold Tooth (Elite - Immortal Beast).


    Intelligence: 8.


    Strength: 24.


    Speed: 18.


    Agility: 22


    Stamina: 33.¡ªStamina Points 330 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 49.¡ªHealth Points 490*2=980 (BOSS-class health points ¡Á 2) (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Combat Skills


    Claw Strike: LV3. A standard attack skill, scratching the enemy with claws causing base attack damage.


    Wildness: LV7. A wild beast that is untamed and longs for a free and wild lifestyle, filled with aggressive tendencies, difficult to coexist peacefully with humans. Long periods of animal taming will decrease the level of this skill.


    Rip and Bite: LV4. Inflicts hefty damage on the target, causing them to bleed and take 40 points of damage over 10 seconds. Consumes 5 Stamina Points, skill cooldown time 5 seconds.


    Gnaw: LV5. Gnaws at a target, causing base attack damage and reducing the target''s Armor by 5%, stacking up to 20 layers.


    Rat King: LV4. As the leader of a group, the Stone-tooth Rat King can enslave and control lower-level rodent creatures nearby, with Wildness levels of enslaved rodents up to LV4.


    Excavate: LV8. The Stone-tooth Rat possesses strong digging capabilities, even able to penetrate rock, allowing for rapid tunneling.


    Stone Skin (Constant): LV4. Elemental damage taken reduced by 40%, and physical damage reduction of 8 points.


    Steel Teeth (Constant): LV4. Base attack power +8, armor penetration effect +4.


    The attributes and skills were formidable, but one particular skill caught Xiao Buli''s eye¡ªthat was the Rat King''s LV8 Excavate skill. If it could penetrate rock, then concrete wouldn''t be an issue either. Ever since entering the game, because of his fear of death, Xiao Buli consciously developed his survival skills. Cloud Thunder Leap was undoubtedly a powerful asset outdoors, but indoors, Xiao Buli couldn''t make use of it. While Earth Escape was a strength, it was useless against rock or concrete barriers, so he had always wanted to find a way to address this weakness. Moreover, considering his current predicament, Xiao Buli had been wanting to learn Pass-Through-Walls Skills, but things had not gone as planned in the game.


    Now, seeing the Rat King''s skills, he pondered a thought: If he could summon it in the real world, then all his problems would be solved. Not only could he escape the base, but he would also have significant assistance in the future. It was just uncertain whether such a plan could be realized.

 Chapter 382 - 22 Nameless Jade Slip_3

    Unfortunately, the Rat King was not an object; otherwise, Xiao Buli, as the Time-Space Order Keeper, wouldn''t have to worry about such useless things. After the Sect issue settled down, he''d find a way. Now, he couldn''t even leave the game; to think he could let the Rat King out was a pipe dream.


    Thinking this, Xiao Buli felt he had spent enough time inside. He wondered how Yi Xuan was doing outside. He had just seen a few rats scurry out along his path in; whether they had encountered Yi Xuan or not was unknown. Xiao Buli quickly crawled out in the direction he had come from, the Rat King closely following. However, when he poked his head out, all he saw below was darkness; it seemed there was no one there.


    "Yi Xuan?" Xiao Buli called out softly. There was no response, just silence below.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly jumped down to the ground, looking around, but he still couldn''t find any trace of Yi Xuan. Could Yi Xuan have found another entrance and crawled through? Xiao Buli urgently searched the walls, but after going around in circles, he found no signs of any other entrances.


    Could it be that Yi Xuan ran ahead on his own to continue the mission without waiting for him? Xiao Buli thought it unlikely; firstly, Yi Xuan wasn''t strong enough, and going alone would definitely be dangerous¡ªthere was no reason for him to go ahead alone. Secondly, the mission required mining skills, which Yi Xuan lacked; he still needed Xiao Buli''s help, so it was impossible for him to leave by himself. Maybe the falling rats had scared Yi Xuan out of the cave? Looking toward the cave entrance, Xiao Buli could see the light from far away, as it was a straight passage.


    While hesitating whether or not to go to the entrance, Xiao Buli suddenly let out a huff. Normally, without his command, the Summoned Beast, his Rat King, was supposed to follow him closely. But since he had jumped out of the cave, the Rat King had been curling up inside, unwilling to come down. At first, Xiao Buli was worried Yi Xuan hadn''t noticed, but now he found it strange. He called out at the entrance, and only then did the Rat King reluctantly jump down from the entrance. After landing, the Rat King constantly kept to the walls, avoiding the middle of the road and running along the edge. This behavior reminded Xiao Buli of the pathetic sight of rats freezing in fear at the sight of a cat downstairs, but there was only him inside¡ªwhat could have frightened the Rat King so?


    Xiao Buli inspected the ground around him and suddenly noticed some sticky substance. He dabbed some with his hand and sniffed it, and a pungent, stinky smell assaulted his nose. Rubbing his hands together and in deep thought, he concluded that a creature must have crawled over here, leaving behind this mucus. Snails, he thought, typically left such slime trails. But considering the Rat King''s reaction, it seemed improbable that it was afraid of a giant snail. What could it be, then...


    The giant snake!? A thought flashed urgently through Xiao Buli''s mind, and he rushed forward. The image of that giant snake was etched deeply into his memory; let alone Yi Xuan, even if he had encountered it himself, his chances would have been slim. It seemed the snake could have possibly followed their scent. But then again, he thought that unlikely, since he had used Cloud Thunder Leap previously, which no creature, no matter how powerful, could outpace lightning.


    It could be another snake, but regardless, Xiao Buli was concerned about the safety of his new friend. After all, the game involved gambling with their lives. As long as his own life wasn''t threatened, Xiao Buli didn''t want to witness any death.


    As Xiao Buli ran, he noticed the terrain seemed to be continually sloping downward, with some sections quite steep. In places, the path dropped several meters straight down, clearly indicating this was not a mine; it was too natural for that.


    He guessed that the earlier entrance might have been excavated by Stone-tooth Rats or some other creature, but the terrain inside appeared to be naturally formed, merely connected to the outside world by the previous segment of the cave.


    Running on, Xiao Buli felt waves of heat and saw faint red glows approaching. The source of the red light seemed to flicker, resembling either flames or a flickering television screen. From his position, Xiao Buli would rather believe it to be the former.


    At last, rounding the corner of the passage, Xiao Buli saw what lay before him: a huge cavern filled with magma. The cavern was enormous, the size of a soccer field, with its middles filled with stalagmites and other rocky structures that resembled the ribs of some great beast. Aside from a small area in the center that emitted steam, the floor was riddled with molten lava holes, looking like cheese filled with chili sauce. The bubbling lava and bursting bubbles made the light flicker constantly, explaining why it appeared to be flames from afar.


    There were several other entrances around the cavern. From Xiao Buli''s position, with the light from the lava, he could see a little way into them; these seemed to be other exits, but where they led was unknown. Checking his map, Xiao Buli finally found the name of the cavern, not some Crystal Stone Mine, but rather the Lava Snake Cave. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli looked back at the Rat King, thinking, "Aren''t you a little rascal, making a den right over the head of your mortal enemy?"


    It was truly bizarre; how had they ended up in this godforsaken place? The heat from the magma was unbearable, so he quickly cast Five Elements Spirit Armor Technique on himself and finally felt more comfortable. Watching the Rat King squeaking and running around in circles without moving forward, Xiao Buli knew it didn''t want to proceed but couldn''t leave given its attachment to him as a pet. He casually cast the same spell on it, and the Rat King finally quieted down.


    Looking at the situation, Xiao Buli felt somewhat helpless. Although he was willing to help, he couldn''t risk his own life. Yi Xuan, you''ll just have to fend for yourself.


    Though he felt uneasy, Xiao Buli still decided to leave the place as quickly as possible. But just as he turned to go, a fierce roar came from behind him, making the entire cavern tremble thrice. (To be continued... If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 383 - 23 Lets be a tank for a while

    Glancing back, he saw the magma to the west, already roiling, suddenly surged as if it had reached a boiling point, and before he could react, a monstrous snake with a body shimmering like flowing fire suddenly poked its head out from a hole¡ªit was the very same Lava Red Python he had seen in the forest before.


    However, the python looked different from when Xiao Buli had last seen it in the forest. Perhaps it had not come into contact with the magma back then and hadn''t shown its fiery nature. Although fierce, it had seemed somewhat ordinary in appearance.


    At this moment, the scales of the python gleamed with cracks emitting a red glow, as if its body was ablaze from within. Its already bulging eyes, like powerful flashlights, shot out beams of light, and its bright red tongue flicked out small flames each time it darted in and out of its mouth.


    The searing heat made Xiao Buli nearly unable to withstand the gaze of the creature. Thinking this was bad, he turned to run back the way he had come, only to see the Rat King spinning in terror on the spot. Both the ground''s magma and the giant python were mortal enemies of the Rat King. Concerned that the Rat King would perish right then and there, especially since it seemed useless in the current situation, Xiao Buli waved his mystical seal, and the Rat King returned to the Sealed Space.


    All these events might be detailed to recount but had only taken a few seconds to unfold. Yet, those few seconds had plunged Xiao Buli into a situation of irreparable peril.


    When the giant python heard a noise outside, it stuck its head out from the magma to see that Xiao Buli was near the cave entrance. If it chased after him as he ran off, it would waste precious time.


    Taking advantage of the few seconds Xiao Buli had paused to turn around, the python receded into the magma. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing his chance not to be missed, Xiao Buli stepped forward, but suddenly, the lava surged. As previously mentioned, the ground was riddled with holes like a piece of cheese, and the movement of the magma underground clearly indicated it was all connected. The python moved incredibly fast through the magma and had already emerged in front of Xiao Buli, cutting off his escape route.


    Xiao let out an inward groan of dismay at the sight and glanced back at the several branching paths behind him, unsure which led to potential life and which to certain death. If he ran into the giant python''s lair, not even his bones would be left.


    Right then, Xiao saw a silhouette flash by an entrance in the distance. Illuminated by the firelight, it was Yi Xuan, except his Taoist robe was now charred and tattered, making him appear quite disheveled. It was then Yi Xuan''s head flashed with a character, "Xiao, over here!"


    At that moment, Xiao felt a blast of hot air rush towards him. Turning around, he saw the giant python spewing a mouthful of molten lava, accompanied by an intense glow, hurtling straight at him. Despite his quick reflexes, it was nearly impossible to jump clear. Thankfully, his Five Elements Spirit Armor Technique blocked it first, followed by the Spiritual Energy Shield taking a hit. Xiao managed to withstand the brunt of the molten lava, but his face felt scorched, making it almost impossible to keep his eyes open. As the python continued its assault, spewing a second mouthful of molten lava, Xiao executed a Chaotic Shadow Split to dodge out of the way. Using the luck-infused movement technique, he dashed to the cave entrance, and without a word, both he and Yi Xuan plunged inside.


    The Lava Giant Python emerged from the nearest hole to the cave entrance but didn''t give chase, instead twisting its body as if begrudging that the prey that had been within its grasp managed to escape.


    Fearing that the python might change its mind, Xiao dragged Yi Xuan further into the depths of the cave. Not far inside, they reached a chamber that ended in a gigantic water pond, spanning nearly the entire floor¡ªcompletely devoid of anything else when compared to the previous danger.


    After catching his breath, Xiao asked, "What happened? How did you end up here, and when did that python come inside?"


    Yi Xuan, still visibly shaken, hurried to explain upon being asked, "It came in not long after you entered the cave. I was so frightened that I fled instantly. The thing is, inside this cave, there are neither branching paths nor spaces to hide, leaving me nowhere to escape. I ran all the way up to the lava cave we just left. Once inside, the snake buried into the lava and started to corner me from the holes. You can see how my gear has been scorched to tatters. While fighting it off, it seemed to think it had the upper hand and didn''t hurry to kill me, giving me the chance to hide here. After entering, it lingered at the entrance for a long time but refused to come in. I don''t know why, so I stayed hidden. Later, when I heard a noise outside and went to look, I found you. For now, we''re safe here, but getting out is going to be difficult."


    It was impressive how Yi Xuan managed to convey so much in one breath. Although there were a few typographical errors, Xiao quickly understood. The python didn''t dare enter the cave, but could there be something peculiar inside this cavern? If anything was left at all, it was this pond. Could this water be the dwelling of some fierce creature? It was indeed impossible to say; after all, those rats lived right beside a snake''s lair. Could it be that creatures in the Immortal Realm have such habits, delighting in living in fear every day?


    Xiao looked into the water for a while and promptly negated his previous thought. The pond was deep, but the water was so clear it was possible to see to the bottom. If there truly was something, it would be utterly impossible for it to hide.


    So, what exactly was it? Xiao idly scooped up a handful of water from the pond, immediately feeling its piercing chill. It was then that he realized how cool the cave was. Though the Lava Cave laid just outside, staying here for an extended period made him feel rather cold.

 Chapter 384 - 23 Lets be a tank for a while_2

    That''s right, everything has a yin and yang, and the Five Elements can overcome each other. Plus, as those martial arts films always say, where there''s poison, an antidote is sure to be nearby.


    This ordinary pond water must really be the monster''s nemesis. According to the Five Elements, that means water and ice.


    "Haha, I''ve got it." Having figured out the key point, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh.


    "What is it?" Yi Xuan quickly asked.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this Lava Giant Python probably can''t resist the cold. If I use Ice Element Spells to attack, I believe it will be highly effective. The only problem is that this creature is undoubtedly elite, and if it were in the mortal realm, it would easily be a gold-name BOSS. Its health points must be terrifyingly high, so we''ll need something to withstand its blows." Xiao Buli explained rapidly, his mind whirling with thoughts, then suddenly turned to Yi Xuan and said, "By the way, can you play the role of a tank?"


    Yi Xuan was taken aback upon hearing this and quickly typed a string of exclamation marks, "Give me a break, I don''t have that capability. I''d be killed instantly out there."


    "So, what can you do?" It was impolite to probe into someone''s abilities like this, but the circumstances didn''t allow for politeness.


    Yi Xuan, clearly making considerations for the situation, responded immediately, "I''m of a mixed class; I can do a bit of everything." His confidence seemed somewhat lacking as he said this.


    No explanation needed, Xiao Buli understood all too well. ''A bit of everything?'' The meaning behind those words was being a jack of all trades but master of none. Hadn''t he been like that himself at one point? And now here he was, paired with someone cut from the same cloth.


    Seemingly sensing Xiao Buli''s change in thought, Yi Xuan hurriedly clarified: "Actually, my studies have been somewhat scattered. My specialty is actually in support-type Spells. Before, when I was leveling up with a group, because I was the only Mage Profession, I always played the healer, and the Spells I learned were mainly geared towards support and healing."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli nodded, finding this explanation far more convincing than ''a bit of everything.'' So he specialized in support and healing for Mage Professions, which explained why he knew high-level Spells like Rune Armor.


    With Yi Xuan''s specialty in mind, Xiao Buli immediately changed tactics and asked, "So, your healing ability is pretty good then?"


    Yi Xuan eagerly nodded, as if to prove his strength, and typed, "My Regeneration Skills can heal for more than 100 health points at a time."


    Although Yi Xuan hadn''t received any tangible benefits since they teamed up, and had constantly been at a disadvantage compared to Xiao Buli, Yi Xuan found himself appreciating the fact that Xiao Buli had come to his rescue in this time of danger. Despite the grim situation, at least he wasn''t battling alone now, and this engendered in Yi Xuan not only an inexplicable reliance on Xiao Buli but also a desire to prove his usefulness.


    Xiao Buli nodded again, seemingly unimpressed by the healing capability, and thus Yi Xuan felt a twinge of disappointment, not having managed to impress Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli then pressed on, "What exactly is the effect of your Rune Armor?"


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s interest in Rune Armor, Yi Xuan immediately explained, "Rune Armor can produce eight defensive Runes with a durability of 100 points each. The eight Runes can form a perfect Defense Matrix. Each Rune can absorb damage, but if a Rune is destroyed, the defense will have a gap, so it''s not entirely safe."


    After reflecting for a moment, Xiao Buli understood the specific use of the Spell. It had greater durability, but unlike the Ethereal Armor, it couldn''t provide all-around protection. However, considering how well his Ethereal Armor held up against the Lava Red Python''s attack, Yi Xuan''s Rune Armor should be sufficient for the job.


    After sitting and resting to regain his strength for a while, Xiao Buli checked his status, confirming he was at peak condition, and then said to Yi Xuan, "Here''s the plan, I''ll take on that giant snake, and you''ll be in charge of supplying me with a Protective Shield and healing."


    Yi Xuan was clearly reluctant, "Aren''t you a Mage Profession too? Can you withstand its attacks? How about we both use Invisibility Technique and flee instead?" Obviously, Yi Xuan didn''t know Xiao Buli very well.


    Xiao Buli didn''t bother to explain and just shook his head, "It''s not that easy. It''s blocked the exit. If we take another route, who knows how long it will take to get out. We only have a day''s time, and we can''t afford to waste it. Besides, we don''t know how it senses its prey. What if it uses thermal imaging? Then we''d be walking right into death."


    Seeing Yi Xuan standing there, hesitant, and knowing he might be worried about his safety, Xiao Buli added, "Don''t worry. Although I am of the Mage Professions, the average tank is nothing to me." Without waiting for Yi Xuan''s response, he dashed toward the cave entrance, and Yi Xuan immediately followed, ready to provide assistance at any time.


    Xiao Buli''s boast wasn''t just empty talk. His physique was an impressive 30 points, equating to a base of 300 health points. With his equipment included, his health soared to 500 points, and that wasn''t all. His Spiritual Energy Shield had been upgraded to LV3 with a durability of 300 points through frequent use, amounting to Xiao Buli being able to absorb 800 points of damage. With Yi Xuan''s Rune Armor added, the damage he could absorb could comfortably surpass a thousand. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 385 - 23 Lets be a tank for a while_3

    Moreover, with his own reaction ability and combat strength, the Lava Red Python at best couldn''t have more than ten thousand health points. Plus, given its huge size and slower movements compared to Xiao Buli''s agility and mobility, Xiao Buli was very confident in his reaction ability and was certain he could wear it down to death.


    However, upon reaching the cave entrance and before starting the battle, Xiao Buli stopped for a bit, wanting to be cautious. He quickly went through all his skills in his mind. Since he planned to fight fire with ice, he would, naturally, use Ice Element Spells.


    Currently, Xiao Buli had several Ice Element Spells at his disposal: Mysterious Ice Slash, Freezing Cloud Skills, Summon Torrential Rain... As long as he had enough True Origin Points, he could definitely be considered the python''s nemesis. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides Ice Element Spells, Xiao Buli summoned the Talisman Soldier again, and Yi Xuan, following suit, also summoned a Rune Beast. Although these two could essentially be ignored in terms of combat strength, they could at least soak up some damage, which was better than nothing. As for the Rat King, although Xiao Buli was quite fond of its burrowing ability, in a situation like this, it would probably just become food for the python, so Xiao Buli had no intention of summoning it. He shook his neck and limbered up, ready to rush out.


    Yi Xuan watched from behind, finding it odd¡ªsince when did characters in the game need to warm up? Seeing Xiao Buli about to dash out, something came to his mind, and he immediately called out, "Wait, Xiao."


    Xiao Buli, bracing himself for action, was interrupted and turned around, looking at him quizzically.


    Yi Xuan said somewhat embarrassingly, "My Mana isn''t much, so if I run out, I''ll signal you. Please don''t overlook it."


    Hearing this, Xiao Buli replied, "No worries, I have some Elixirs here. Take them, and if things get tough, just pop them. Don''t worry about any resistance."


    Having said that, he took several Mana-recovering Elixirs from his bag and gave them to Yi Xuan. These had been distributed back when he was with the Qilin Studio, but now they were of little use to him. Since True Origin Points combined Stamina Points, consuming food could recover True Origin Points, so there was no need to use the expensive Mana Elixirs.


    Yi Xuan, upon receiving the Elixirs, was quite touched; after all, they were worth quite a bit of money.


    Seeing that Yi Xuan had no other concerns, Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate and sprinted out. Yi Xuan trailed far behind, casting Rune Armor on Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli also cast the Five Elements Spirit Armor Technique on himself, then ran toward the Lava Giant Python.


    As he got within Casting range, the Lava Giant Python spat a mouthful of lava directly at him. With a bang, the lava completely burned away a Defensive Rune facing it. But immediately, another rune moved into place, shielding Xiao Buli in front of him. A sense of stability surged in Xiao Buli''s heart¡ªif it could take the hit, that was good enough.


    Freezing Cloud Skills! He launched an AOE attack that enveloped the great serpent, which clearly found it very uncomfortable, as red numbers indicating damage, -3, -4, kept popping up.


    Once again, as it spat out a stream of lava, Xiao Buli dodged with Shadow Clone, and then continued casting. This time, he used Summon Heavy Rain, and as the raindrops pitter-pattered onto the red-hot body of the Lava Giant Python, they hissed upon contact as if evaporating on a furnace, sending up plumes of white steam.


    The giant''s size became its disadvantage now, as its large body meant a larger area for attacks to hit, with each droplet of water inflicting 1 point of damage. Red numbers, -1 -1, popped up densely like rain.


    The Lava Giant Python was even more uncomfortable now, and it simply stopped blocking the cave entrance and charged at Xiao Buli.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! A white Sword Qi slashed head-on, creating a gash in the body of the Lava Giant Python, -195, Ice Element spells indeed powerful. The Lava Giant Python was nearly immune to Fire Element spells, which meant it would take almost double damage from Ice Element spells.


    In just a moment, the Lava Giant Python had already lost four to five hundred health points, but compared to its massive 9000 health points, it was still far from being defeated.


    Xiao Buli''s heart surged with joy, as his tactics appeared to be working. However, he dared not stay in the same spot. Although he could withstand nearly a thousand points of damage, Xiao Buli didn''t dare to take on the giant python head-on. Who knew if the physical laws of reality would apply to him? If he received an overpowering hit, no amount of health would save him.


    While thinking, Xiao Buli quickly moved his body, utilizing the speed effect of Skimming Shadow Steps to swiftly weave through the giant stalactites in the cave. He took advantage of the moments when the serpent couldn''t turn around to turn back and launch another Mysterious Ice Slash. The giant python lost its temper, no longer caring about the rocky cave, moving continuously within the lava, its huge head crashing around, breaking the stalactites formed by the cooled lava into pieces. Talisman Soldiers and Talisman Beasts barely had time to confront the python head-on before being instantly killed by the splashing lava and shattered rocks. But in spite of this, under the effects of the Ice System spells, the python''s movements became slower and slower. Xiao Buli noticed the fiery red that seemed ready to spew out from those dark scales within its body began to cool down. The entire serpent''s body was no longer as frightening as it was when he first saw it. It seemed not just the loss of health but mainly the Ice System spells that had seized its Yuan Quan, the power source inside it. Once its movements slowed down, the giant python couldn''t get at Xiao Buli at all.


    After much difficulty, the serpent cornered Xiao Buli, flipping its body in an attempt to crush Xiao Buli alive. He immediately¡ªCloud Thunder Leap! Ever since he used this move with great effect against a group of skeleton soldiers in the cave with Gu Yuexuan, Xiao Buli had made it even more flexible and adaptable. At this moment, with a loud bang, rocks came tumbling down from the ceiling of the cave, and given the serpent''s large size, there was hardly any need to aim. It was instantly hit by several large rocks, causing its health points to plummet rapidly.


    Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Buli decided not to use the Mysterious Ice Slash anymore but kept using Cloud Thunder Leap instead. Whenever he lost health from afar, Yi Xuan would rush up and cast a Regeneration Skill on him. After a while, the Lava Giant Python, dragging its broken body, gradually became unable to hold on.


    Xiao Buli was secretly delighted, as he watched the Lava Giant Python''s health drop to a third. Xiao Buli executed another Cloud Thunder Leap, and with a loud boom, this time the descent of rocks lasted unusually long. Suddenly, with a loud crash, something dark fell from above.


    PS: Updated thirty thousand words in two days, that''s quite fierce, isn''t it? Please subscribe. (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 386 - 24 Super Pet

    Xiao Buli jumped away in fright, the extent of the rock was just too large, with a diameter of over ten meters in length and as big as a room. Had it not been for him preparing his next Cloud Thunder Leap, with his speed being extremely fast, he might have been crushed beneath it. But the giant python wasn''t so lucky. It had been constantly disturbed by the rocks shaken loose by Xiao Buli. The python seemed to be flustered and with its massive size, it struggled to move its body of over ten meters in length swiftly. Although many hollows in the ground and most of the python''s body were inside these hollows, the portion exposed on the surface was still firmly pinned down¡ªa gigantic, bright red number 1325 burst above the python''s head. The python, feeling the pain, let out a miserable howl that was deafening within the confines of the not-so-large cavern.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly plugged his ears. Hearing it through a computer screen was one thing, but experiencing it firsthand was something else altogether. Xiao Buli felt his tympanic membrane bulge due to the vibration and quickly opened his mouth to relieve the pressure in his ears. The python, with half its body exposed and pinned outside, struggled desperately, continuously slamming against the cave walls, apparently trying to use its last bit of strength to break free. But the rock was too enormous, and despite its efforts, it couldn''t budge it even slightly, causing more rocks from the cave walls to keep tumbling down. Xiao Buli quickly dodged, fearing he might follow in the python''s misfortune.


    After a while, the python seemed to exhaust all its energy, and as the screams weakened, its upper body heavily collapsed onto the ground. The rockfall within the cavern gradually ceased, and calm was restored.


    Yi Xuan, who had been hiding in the cave where they had taken refuge earlier, only dared to poke his head out when he heard the silence outside. The incident had happened so suddenly that he hadn''t seen anything, only heard a loud bang and the python''s cry, scaring him so much that he didn''t dare come out to watch the fight.


    Xiao Buli found Yi Xuan''s cautious peering both irritating and amusing. If he had indeed been caught by the boulder while waiting for Yi Xuan to heal him, he probably would have been a goner. But it was a natural human reaction; the situation had been extremely dangerous, and even he might have chosen to flee. Therefore, Xiao Buli didn''t blame him and instead waved him over.


    Yi Xuan wasn''t in the mood to wonder why he could wave; he quickly ran over. Both men cautiously approached the direction where the python''s head had fallen, fearing it might suddenly make a lethal move. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the two got closer, they could see clearly that the object that had fallen was indeed a rock, but it was completely different from the other rocks in the cave. It was thoroughly black and seemed to absorb light in a way that made it impossible to see its surface clearly.


    However, at that moment the two were more interested in the python. The middle half of its body was trapped, with only about two meters of the tail end exposed. The python''s head looked battered from the collision, with two rows of eyes that resembled lanterns now shut. The center of its forehead had been struck open, exposing flesh that had turned inside out. Getting closer, one could smell the salty stench of blood. Yi Xuan might have been okay, but seeing this scene in front of him and smelling the odor, Xiao Buli felt his stomach churn.


    The two of them had not even gotten close when the python suddenly opened its eyes. Even with only four eyes, it still gave them a fright. In the blink of an eye, the python''s head shot out, lunging for a bite. It seemed the python had been feigning death, waiting to deliver a fatal strike to the two men. Xiao Buli mentally cursed his bad luck, but before he could react, the python''s head was nearly upon them. Then, the head, already close, suddenly let out a pitiful scream. The eyes that had been full of resentment and venom became panicked in an instant, and the python''s head began twisting in agony.


    Xiao Buli, upon seeing this, realized what had happened¡ªthe python was still trapped by the huge rock. It had thought the two men were within its striking range and had launched an attack before they got too close, but it misjudged the distance. In its attempt, it not only failed to gain any advantage but also aggravated its injuries, causing it extreme pain.


    Angered by the python''s attempt to scare him and seeing it incapacitated, Xiao Buli saw an opportunity. He stood in place and continuously used Mysterious Ice Slash on the python, while Yi Xuan, though unable to use Ice Element spells, wouldn''t let such an advantage slip by. He launched a barrage of talismans toward the python, but to no avail¡ªthe hits on the python''s body only caused superficial damage of -5 or -7.


    Xiao Buli saw that the python only had a sliver of health left and quickly stopped the still aggressive Yi Xuan.


    "Wait, wait, I have something to ask it," Xiao Buli said.


    Having seen Xiao Buli''s capabilities, Yi Xuan admired him even more and had no objections to his words. Hearing Xiao Buli''s call to halt, he immediately ceased his actions.


    The python seemed to know its end was near, but it wasn''t willing to die just yet. Its yellow eyes glared fiercely at the two men. Xiao Buli, ever cautious, didn''t let his guard down, even though the python seemed to be on its last legs. He kept a distance and watched the python''s movements.


    After a moment, the glare in the python''s eyes softened, losing the resentment it had earlier. Its mouth opened slightly, emitting huffing sounds. Xiao Buli didn''t understand at first, but as the python repeated a few syllables, Xiao Buli listened closely and it seemed to be saying, "Human... please... mercy... do not kill...".

 Chapter 387 - 24 Super Pet_2

    Characters spoken from the mouth of a giant python are indeed extremely strange, and perhaps because the python''s vocal system is not suited for human language, the voice sounded both bizarre and awkward.


    Yi Xuan typed from the side, asking, "What''s it saying?"


    Xiao Buli turned his head and made a random guess, "Snake language." His tone was flat, as if this were a perfectly normal occurrence.


    Yi Xuan was surprised, having not expected Xiao Buli to understand snake language, which explained why he was listening so intently.


    But Xiao Buli had his own thoughts, having originally no intention of taming the python due to the vast difference in strength. According to his initial plan, managing to hold off the python long enough to escape would have been quite an achievement. But now, with such a great opportunity presented before him by chance, he was hesitant to just take the python in. Would that not make Yi Xuan think less of him? However, if he was actually able to communicate with it and it truly submitted to him, then that would be a testament to his own capabilities, and no one would have the right to feel aggrieved. So he simply chalked it up to having spoken in snake language, which Yi Xuan anyway couldn''t understand clearly through the earpiece, given the strange sound of the snake''s voice.


    Xiao Buli moved a few steps closer to the snake''s head, wary of a sudden attack, hence he was prepared to flee at any moment with Cloud Thunder Leap.


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s movements, Yi Xuan typed hastily, "Xiao, be careful." Xiao Buli didn''t dare to turn back and waved at Yi Xuan, indicating for him to stay where he was.


    Xiao Buli took the risk of approaching the python because it was incredibly powerful, far surpassing any pet he had tamed before; thus, he was somewhat unsure about sealing it directly. He hoped to make the pet submit willingly, as that would increase the success rate.


    Therefore, he walked close to the snake''s head and said in a low voice, "If you want to live, there is only one way, become my pet. Not only will you not die, but I can also heal the wounds on your body." Xiao Buli''s eyes were fixed on the python''s two yellow eyes, uttering these sentences with a tone that was both threatening and alluring, leaving no way out for the python. Perhaps due to its energy being depleted, only its last pair of eyes remained barely open, its pupils contracting to a line, giving it a sinister and crafty look.


    After hearing Xiao Buli, the python seemed to ponder for a moment, then made a whimpering sound with its mouth. With the experience gained previously, Xiao Buli quickly understood, "Pet... not possible... Treasure... exchange."


    Treasure? Xiao Buli found this rather interesting.


    "What treasure? Tell me about it," Xiao Buli moved a bit closer.


    The python opened its mouth wide, and Xiao Buli heard a gurgling sound from its throat as it spit out a red, football-sized bead that glowed red. The python nudged the bead toward Xiao Buli with the little strength it had left, seemingly wanting him to take it.


    Xiao Buli observed the bead''s dazzling red light and overflowing brilliance, which was truly eye-catching. He was about to step forward to take it when he suddenly stopped. This seemed too good to be true, which made it all the more suspicious. What was this bead, and why was it inside the snake?


    From his experience, Xiao Buli recalled that objects like this were usually the demon creature''s inner core or, judging by its abilities, some fire-based Magical Treasure. Either way, both options were as vital as life to the python; it seemed unlikely it would give either away so readily, and considering how unhesitatingly it spat out the Treasure Bead, Buli couldn''t help but feel dubious.


    Seeing Xiao Buli halt his forward movement, the python became anxious. It opened its mouth wide and uttered, "Treasure... treasure... powerful... good..." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The python''s tone made Xiao Buli even more vigilant. For some reason, he suddenly remembered a game he had played where one task was to collect four treasure beads. The first three were surprisingly easy to obtain, but when he went to pick up the fourth one after defeating the task''s boss¡ªwho handed over the bead with seemingly great remorse¡ªXiao Buli was overjoyed. However, to his shock, the bead exploded as he reached for it, nearly killing him. The boss''s desperate behavior at that moment reminded him eerily of the current python.


    Therefore, he wasn''t in a rush to pick it up and instead said thoughtfully, "Is this the ''treasure'' you spoke of? I''m after what''s inside your belly; killing you would be easy. Seeing how quickly you spat out one bead, maybe your stomach is full of them, yellows and greens enough to make a dozen, perhaps. If you''re not willing to become my pet, I might just have to take action."


    After Xiao Buli spoke, he pretended to be ready to attack. The giant python, in its eagerness, nudged the bead hard, rolling it quickly towards Xiao Buli. The bead''s fast momentum signified its desperation. Xiao Buli thought to himself that there must indeed be something fishy. He dodged the bead''s path with a Shadow Clone, and even Yi Xuan stayed well clear. The rolling red bead heated up increasingly, scorching the earth it passed over, leaving behind a path of flames. Unfortunately for the python, it was at the end of its strength, and the bead slowed down, eventually stopping and bursting into a puddle of red magma. The ground covered in magma corroded noisily, and a large hole was burned through the volcanic rock, evidencing its potency. Such a waste, Buli thought, to expend it in vain.

 Chapter 388 - 24 Super Pet_3

    Xiao Buli turned around, his chuckle filled with cold mockery as he watched the desperate look in the giant python''s eyes. He thought to himself how fortunate it was that he, seasoned by countless battles, had nearly been outwitted by this beast.


    "Wretched beast, since you refuse to submit, I shall extinguish you today," Xiao Buli glanced at its health points, calculated internally, and decided not to use Mysterious Ice Slash. A slash of his treasured sword dealt over 10 points of damage, but even so, the giant python was left with only a two-digit number of health points.


    At this point, survival was what mattered most. Xiao Buli believed that a creature capable of cunning last-ditch efforts to fight for its life would surely cherish its existence. Sure enough, as it saw Xiao Buli raise his treasured sword again, the giant python could no longer hold on.


    It hastily said, "Don''t kill... pet... agree... okay..."


    Xiao Buli was ecstatic about taming such a powerful pet. If he could bring it back, even facing Jingji, he would have something to boast about. While contemplating this, he did not stop his hand movements and hurriedly cast the Void Sealing Technique towards the giant python.


    The white light of the Void Sealing Technique enveloped the giant python. Although the python had verbally agreed, it was unwilling to succumb but struggled against the Sealing Technique. However, it was barely holding on, barely resisted a few times, and was gradually swallowed by the white light.


    As the white light suddenly expanded, the python vanished from its spot.


    Yi Xuan ran over anxiously, "Xiao, where''s the python? Did you kill it?"


    He had seen a flash of white light and thought that Xiao Buli had used some powerful spell. Yi Xuan had seen tamed pets before, but never one that vanished after being subdued; it was his first time witnessing such a thing.


    Xiao Buli was inwardly thrilled but did not show much on his face. He said, "I''ve just had a talk with this python, and we have become allies. In the Immortal Realm, we can summon it to fight for us anytime. If we encounter a formidable enemy again, we won''t have to be afraid." He deliberately used "we" instead of "I," making it sound like the python would heed both of their summons. Knowing that such a big boss would have extraordinary loot, if Yi Xuan knew that he had tamed the python for himself, he would definitely not agree. As for saying it could fight for them in the Immortal Realm, it was merely to imply that he didn''t have any ownership over it. Anyway, once back in the Human Realm, he wouldn''t have to deal with Yi Xuan, so how would he know anything?


    Although Yi Xuan was puzzled by this, he didn''t know what Sealing Skills were and did not suspect that Xiao Buli had already claimed the python. Still, he was somewhat irritated and muttered, "It would have been better to kill it for the loot."


    Xiao Buli ignored him and said, "Let''s look around the cave for Crystal Stones." Having said that, he already started walking towards one of the cave entrances. Yi Xuan, grateful that Xiao Buli had put himself at risk to save him, felt reassured upon hearing Xiao''s words, held no suspicions, and walked towards another cave entrance.


    Xiao Buli was pleased with his new pet. His Sealing Skill was only LV10, and it was thanks to the python''s self-awareness and understanding of the importance of survival that he could subdue such a big creature.


    Once out of Yi Xuan''s sight, he quickly opened his attributes panel to take a look. He was instantly overwhelmed with joy. Although he was somewhat prepared, the creature''s prowess was beyond Xiao Buli''s expectations.


    Lava Red Python (High-Grade Elite - Immortal Beast).


    Intelligence: 12.


    Strength: 84.


    Speed: 20. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Agility: 20.


    Stamina: 66. ¡ª Stamina Points 660¡Á10=6600 (1 point of Stamina corresponds to 10 Stamina Points).


    Physique: 108. ¡ª Health Points 1080¡Á10=10800 (1 point of Physique corresponds to 10 Health Points).


    Battle Skills


    Immortal Body: LV10. This creature has a strange physique, possesses an extended Vitality, and can continuously grow and evolve, doubling its maximum health points with each advancement (LV10 effect, maximum health points ¡Á10), stamina points ceiling increases twofold (LV10 effect, maximum health points ¡Á10).


    Wildness: LV10. This is a proud and untamed beast, longing for freedom and a wild lifestyle, full of aggressiveness, difficult to coexist peacefully with humans, prolonged taming will decrease the level of this skill.


    Biological Scales: LV10. This creature has tough and thick scales, Armor +100, reducing piercing damage by 50%.


    Giant Python Roll: LV8. Rolls sideways causing physical damage; the heavier the body, the more damage dealt.


    Devour lv10: Devours a creature of up to large size, slowly causing damage throughout the digestion process while restoring Stamina Points.


    Tail Strike: LV10. Strikes enemies behind with its tail, causing 238 points of blunt hit damage, with a very high chance of knocking them down.


    Lesser Dragon Blood: As a distant relative of the Dragon Clan, the Lava Giant Python has a strong Resistance against disease and toxins and can survive in extremely harsh environments.


    Lava Core: LV8. Possessing a Lava Core makes the unit immune to fire damage, and it can evolve to use fire skills to attack. Lava Core energy 0/100.


    Lava Spit: LV8. Spits out a stream of scorching lava to attack enemies, causing severe fire damage. Each Lava Spit consumes 5 points of Lava Core energy. (Currently unusable)


    Lava Core Burst Strike: LV8. Fires the Lava Core to attack enemies, causing tons of fire damage that ignores Resistance and defensive spells. (Limited to one use per day) After using this skill, Lava Spit cannot be used until the Lava Core recondenses.


    PS: I went out with my family, just came back this morning, and from now on, updates will resume. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 389 - 25: Demon Fetus

    Boom!


    Suddenly, a dull sound rang in Xiao Buli''s ears, low and powerful, making the ground under his feet tremble. The sound shocked Xiao Buli; could there be more than just that giant python living in this cave? If something could coexist with the python, then it must be strong, so Xiao''s first thought was to run away.


    But after a careful look around the cave, no trace of anything could be found, as if the sound had come from deep beneath the ground. Xiao wondered if the cave was going to collapse. Although his scuffle with the python had caused rocks to fly about, the walls were intact, without even a significant crack - it seemed unlikely to collapse so easily.


    As Xiao was pondering, Boom! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another loud sound. This time, Xiao, facing the cavern, saw it clearly. He was certain the sound was coming from within this chamber, but he couldn''t pinpoint where exactly.


    "Hey, Xiao, you heard that?" Yi Xuan ran back from the cave he had been searching. Xiao nodded. Before pinpointing the source of the sound, he cautiously swept his gaze around the spacious cavern a few times, finding nothing unusual in the entire chamber.


    Boom! This time Xiao saw clearly that the first to vibrate was the large rock in the middle, which seemed to have something challenging it from within. Xiao approached the boulder cautiously. It had seemed strange to him from the start, but in his haste to check on his newly acquired pet, he hadn''t studied it in detail. Now, upon closer inspection, although the boulder''s surface was dark, it seemed to possess a dim, dull luster, unremarkable at first glance, but strangely intricate upon closer observation.


    Boom! The sound echoed again, startling Xiao, who then noticed a blurred flash of light from within the boulder. The flash, passing quickly and obscured by the thick stone, was indistinct.


    Xiao hurriedly activated the Omniscient Eye. Though it had the ability to see through objects, this boulder allowed only a vague view inside. Upon close examination, Xiao discerned a hazy human-shaped shadow hidden within.


    The shadow seemed to sense his probing, curled up quietly inside the rock, then suddenly lunged towards him. Seeing it clearly, Xiao was startled and took two quick steps back. Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire


    Boom, the boulder resounded again with no other change. It seemed that there truly was a secret hidden within this stone; could it actually be a stone egg?


    For some reason, Sun Wukong popped into Xiao''s mind - wasn''t that monkey also nurtured by nature, born from a stone? Could it be that they had come across an even mightier boss?


    As Xiao hesitated about whether to make a quick escape, Yi Xuan, seeing no harm and approaching cautiously, suddenly discovered something.


    "Xiao, what''s this?" Yi typed out.


    Xiao took a few steps closer to Yi, where he saw some patterns faintly visible on the dark stone, glowing with an orange-yellow light. When the glow faded, one couldn''t distinguish the traces on the black stone, but after a while, the patterns slowly lit up again.


    "These markings, they look like seals," Yi explained. His expertise was in talismans; Xiao trusted Yi''s judgment, believing the patterns were not simple.


    Xiao stepped forward, placing his hand on the stone, feeling it warm to the touch, smooth and delicate, unlike its rough and tough exterior. Absently caressing it, a strange sensation spread from his fingertips, a comfort that immersed Xiao as if he was once more a child nestled in his mother''s embrace, that sense of security and warmth enveloping him, making him lose track of his surroundings.


    ????: "It''s been a long time," a gentle voice suddenly rang in Xiao''s ears, startling him. He realized that the voice wasn''t coming from around him but directly into his mind, much like his Heart Demon, yet completely different; besides gentleness, Xiao could distinctly feel weariness in the voice.


    "Have we met before?" Having experience conversing with his Heart Demon, Xiao quickly grasped how to communicate with this voice.


    ????: "In a distant dream, I saw you at the moment of obliteration, during the great battle between Gonggong and Zhurong, I saw you there."


    "The battle between Gonggong and Zhurong?" Xiao suddenly remembered ¨C could it be from that time in the library, in the replica? Back then, Xiao had entered a replica of the Heavenly Palace, embodying one of the Heavenly Gods, experiencing firsthand what had transpired. However, the replica session was brief, not particularly conclusive, and the characters were merely figures from mythological tales. Therefore, Xiao didn''t have a lasting impression. Only now, as the voice mentioned it, did he recall.


    "But aren''t those just projections and memories?" How could those be related to the memories of an object in reality? A strange thought emerged at the bottom of Xiao''s heart. Could it be that he was still inside the replica, never having left? Only this could explain why interactions with the images in the replica could be perceived by his actual self.

 Chapter 390 - 25 Demon Fetus_2

    But because the communication with this thing was similar to dealing with a Heart Demon, occurring through thoughts in Xiao Buli''s mind, as soon as such an idea emerged, the voice sensed his confusion.


    The voice spoke gently, "Do not be surprised, the power of gods is omnipresent, even within the Illusory Realm. I can still sense things. What you witness is what I have experienced, just as what you experience is what I have foreseen."


    These words sounded very philosophical, and although Xiao Buli felt somewhat baffled by them, he knew they were meant to explain the phenomenon. Previously in the Mystic Hollow Palace, he had encountered mysterious powers that could suddenly see him and destroyed his computer, so he faintly felt these matters were not simple, but had yet to find a reasonable explanation. Therefore, upon hearing the voice''s statement, he did not pursue further questions, thinking the puzzle would eventually unravel over time.


    "You say you are a god?" Xiao Buli looked at the gigantic Stone Egg before him, thinking to himself what kind of god would take such a form? "But don''t all the Divine Race reside in the Nine Heavens Divine Realm?"


    ????: "Nine Heavens Divine Realm? Those are nothing but lowly thieves who have stolen the name of gods. The true gods are beyond your imagination."


    The voice sounded even more weary now, as if conversing with him had exhausted its strength.


    ????: "Ask no more, I have a task for you," the voice said without further explanation, and abruptly a dialogue box popped up before Xiao Buli.


    System Prompt: You have triggered the quest "Earth-Shattering Shock," do you accept?


    Quest Content: Destroy the Stone of Restraint.


    Xiao Buli stared at the dialogue box before him, but didn''t rush to accept the quest. Too many questions swirled in his mind. What exactly was this thing? Would there be any danger in releasing it? Xiao Buli was in a hurry; he had encountered this thing twice before. The first time was in Thousand Pines Town, when four question marks appeared in his dream. Although the content of the dream was ambiguous, upon waking, he found the mark of an Ancient God. The second time was in the library''s Ancient God instance; he hadn''t had the chance to properly speak with it before the instance program ended, and he had to leave. Now, it was situated inside a Stone Egg, a scene very similar to the one he observed in the great battle of the Ancient Gods. But how could an Ancient God be waiting inside a Stone Egg to be rescued by him?


    "Xiao, what''s wrong?" Yi Xuan noticed Xiao Buli pressing his hand against the rock without moving for some time, looking quite concerned.


    "I...," Xiao Buli was about to speak when he saw a line of characters floating above the boulder: Crystal Iron Ore.


    He had entered the cave looking for Crystal Iron Ore, so he activated the mining skill. To his surprise, the ore he had not found before was right before his eyes. Seeing this, Xiao swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and instead said, "Wait for me a moment. This stone might be Crystal Iron Ore, but it''s too large. I need to take a good look inside." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having said that, Xiao Buli mentally asked the entity inside the rock, "Are you an Ancient God?"


    ????: "Finally remembered, have you? I have waited too long for you."


    "Fine, since you''re an Ancient God, I believe you must possess tremendous capabilities that humans do not have and know many things I do not. So, let me ask you, do you know who built this game and why?" This question had long puzzled Xiao Buli, and it was something he would ask anyone he thought might know the answer.


    ????: "Of course," the thing inside responded with an easy tone, as if the question was trivial. However, it also saw an opportunity, "Then let''s use this secret as a bargaining chip, shall we? Set me free, and I will tell you all that you wish to know."


    No sooner had the voice spoken than another dialogue box popped up before Xiao Buli.


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    System Prompt: You have triggered the quest "Earth-Shattering Shock," do you accept?


    Quest Content: Destroy the Stone of Restraint.


    Xiao Buli steeled his heart and clicked accept. Once he clicked accept, his determination solidified. He told Yi Xuan to stand a bit farther away to avoid accidental injury, equipped his pickaxe, and began to dig into the boulder.


    System Prompt: You have accepted the quest "Earth-Shattering Shock."


    System Prompt: You have obtained a red Crystal Stone Mine.


    System Prompt: You have obtained a black Crystal Stone Mine.


    System Prompt: You have obtained a blue Crystal Stone Ore.


    The system prompt''s voice kept ringing, and in a short while, Xiao Buli''s bag was full of Crystal Stones. Since Yi Xuan was responsible for transporting the Crystal Stones for this mission, and completing the "Earth-Shattering Shock" quest was more urgent for Xiao Buli, he didn''t hesitate to transfer all the Crystal Stones from his bag to Yi Xuan and then turned back to his digging.


    After about half an hour and mining approximately four or five hundred pounds of ore, Xiao Buli had forced a hole into that enormous Egg. At this point, his arms felt numb from the continuous digging. As he dug deeper, the interior color of the Stone Egg changed from the initial black to dark red, then to azure, and finally, to a pale blue-green. A faint radiance seemed to be emanating from within the Stone Egg.


    It was as if there was a light bulb inside wrapped in something, Xiao kept on digging when suddenly, a cracking sound startled him into stopping his movements. A crack appeared at the weakest spot, then like an ant hole which breaks a dike, it grew larger and deeper, spreading up and down from the orifice. In the blink of an eye, the entire middle section of the Stone Egg was covered with fissures. The next moment, inside seemed to surge intensely and with a cracking sound, the Stone Egg split in half, collapsing with a thunderous noise. Countless fragments scattered on the ground. Yi Xuan, seeing this, was thrilled and hurriedly started picking up the Crystal Iron Ore on the ground. This trip to the Heavenly Palace might have been satisfying for him at this moment. Xiao, however, paid no attention to the scattered ore on the ground and stared straight at the surface of the Egg. As the external rocks broke away, a huge amber-colored Egg was revealed.

 Chapter 391 - 25: Demonic Fetus_3

    This amber, however, was semi-transparent, and inside was a massive fetus that was clearly visible. The egg continuously shot out beams of light, which seemed to wax and wane with the fetus''s heartbeat and blood flow, like a gigantic firefly. Through these lights, Xiao Buli felt he could even see the fetus''s blood vessels and internal organs clearly.


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    Yi Xuan also noticed the anomaly. As he kept picking things up, he typed and said, "Xiao, what is that thing?" Since there had been no prior communication with the fetus, Yi Xuan didn''t fully understand what he was seeing and simply found it eerie that something so strange had been unearthed during mining.


    But Xiao Buli didn''t answer. His eyes were fixed on the giant egg as he quietly switched his pickaxe for a sword, ready in case the thing inside suddenly became violent.


    The curved shape inside the egg, though in the form of a fetus, was larger than a fully grown elephant. Even with the illumination, Xiao Buli found the creature within bizarre; its limbs were unnaturally twisted, not rounded and smooth like a normal fetus.


    Seeing that Xiao Buli hadn''t responded for a while, Yi Xuan also stopped picking items up and walked over to Xiao Buli, and a line of characters floated above his head: "Xiao, what''s going on here?"


    Inside the amber, the massive fetus suddenly opened its eyes. Xiao Buli only saw eyes completely filled with black pupils, looking eerie and terrifying. The fetus''s limbs twitched, causing the stone egg to shake violently¡ªthis was probably the source of the rumbling sound the two had heard earlier.


    The amber-like shell didn''t seem very hard, it cracked and split open under the violent shaking. Xiao Buli and Yi Xuan quickly retreated as they saw the fetus stretching its limbs and breaking out of the egg. Fluid poured out from the opening, mixed with a fishy stench like that of a rotten egg, prompting Xiao Buli to cover his nose and mouth involuntarily.


    The fetus freed itself from the eggshell and sat on the ground, continuously twisting its body. Xiao Buli was puzzled at first but soon realized the fetus seemed to be exercising its limbs; it had probably been trapped in the eggshell for too long and could no longer move freely. Fortunately, as an Immortal Fetus, it didn''t take long for it to adapt to the movement of its limbs and struggle to stand up from the ground. Only then did Xiao Buli get a clear look at the creature''s full appearance¡ªif you could call it a fetus, it would be the ugliest one in the world. Its huge head was sparsely covered with brownish-yellow hair, damp and sticky with the fluid from the eggshell, clumping on its wrinkly scalp.


    Its skin was the same, looking like the wrinkled flesh on one''s fingers after a long bath, paler than a human''s. The overall shape of the body was humanoid, but there were unnatural twists on the limbs and torso. Looking closer, Xiao Buli suddenly thought of a deformed apple, which sometimes grows wedged amid tree branches; as it grows, the fruit becomes malformed, taking on the shape of the branches due to their constriction.


    This person had been curled up in the egg for a long time, but his body kept growing, with limbs limiting each other, and the body developed those deformed patterns. If this person curled back into that position, he would probably fit perfectly into the shape and size of the eggshell.


    In his heart, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel some sympathy for the creature, wondering what reason there could be for it to endure such suffering, growing each year in that cramped space, each year of growth increasing its pain.


    The fetus had a head large and round like a baby''s, with a nose that seemed to be just two dark holes without any bridge, and a mouth that was not clearly defined, as if a line had been cut directly on its face to form a mouth. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fetus slowly straightened its body, looked at Xiao Buli and Yi Xuan with surprise in their eyes, and seemed to have no intention of explaining anything. It turned and walked towards a cave.


    Xiao Buli, coming to his senses, shouted at its retreating back, "Hey, you haven''t told me the origins of this game yet!"


    Yi Xuan, who was nearby, grew tense upon hearing this. After all, every participant in the game would be interested in the truth behind it. Although Yi Xuan hadn''t heard the conversation between Xiao Buli and the Stone Egg, Xiao Buli''s question made it clear there must have been some prior transaction between the two.


    But the fetus ignored Xiao Buli''s shouting and left on its own. Xiao Buli quickly followed and shouted, "Hey, you promised. The system task has been issued, are you not afraid of the Heavenly Dao?" Since he had heard NPC discussions in the game, Xiao Buli knew that the game''s characters revered this mysterious force as the Heavenly Dao. He was hoping it would restrain the fetus long enough to divulge the truth.


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli speak this way, the fetus actually stopped, slowly turned around, and stared at Xiao Buli with its huge, weird eyes, making Xiao Buli''s skin crawl. If not for his determination to discover the game''s truth, he would have preferred to let it go.


    The fetus looked at Xiao Buli for a moment, then cracked open its mouth, revealing an extremely ugly smile. A voice that was neither male nor female echoed in Xiao Buli''s mind: "Heavenly Dao? He can''t control me," then it turned as if to leave, paused, and turned back to add, "The only reward you can get is one piece of advice, leave the Immortal Realm quickly. Some things are destined to happen, and they will happen soon." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com (Frequent Readers Program, Monthly Ticket). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 392 - 26: High Price Buyback of Second-Hand Magical Treasures

    Watching the enormous monster slowly walk into the darkness deep underground, Xiao Buli did not dare to chase after it. Although the monster hadn''t attacked them, just the sight of its size and the various signs of its appearance made Xiao Buli realize it should not be underestimated, especially since it was able to override the Heavenly Dao. This was the first time he had encountered such a thing. Even his master, Xuanxu Zi, had to follow the rules; since this creature could disregard the system''s rules so blithely, it was obviously at least one level higher than Xuanxu Zi. He did not believe he could defeat an entity even more powerful than those from the Immortal Realm.


    But what did that sentence it said mean? "What is destined to happen, will happen." The sentence sounded a bit convoluted, but Xiao Buli knew it probably wasn''t a system glitch. Perhaps, because of its appearance, something terrible was about to occur.


    "Xiao, come quick, we''ll miss out if we don''t collect these ores scattered all over the place," Yi Xuan typed hastily, calling out to Xiao Buli, who was still standing there in a daze, since he couldn''t collect all the ores by himself anyway.


    Xiao Buli let out a deep sigh. Never mind, those ethereal things were ultimately too remote. It was better to take care of the present, the real deal. He went over and started picking up the Crystal Iron Ore, but his mind couldn''t stop thinking about the monster''s words. Escaping from the Immortal Realm¡ªto think, even if it really did unleash some disaster, it probably wouldn''t be anytime soon. After all, he only had one day left in the Immortal Realm; when the time came, he just needed to leave promptly.


    "Wahahaha, I''m rich! With so many ores, I can complete the same task multiple times." Yi Xuan, obviously not pondering such unnecessary things, saw the trip to the Immortal Realm as just a mini-game experience within the game¡ªreap the benefits, and simply leave when the time came.


    Xiao Buli, considering the mission this time to have been disrupted by the monster, knew not why it could ignore the constraints of the system, but it was clear that the expected rewards were gone. He considered the extra ores as a consolation prize. Unfortunately, he could only carry so much; after picking up several dozen pieces, he was at capacity. Xiao Buli straightened up with a sense of helplessness. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In that moment, both of them felt a sudden tremor underfoot. The dull sound of rumbling, like rolling thunder, kept coming non-stop from all around them. Xiao Buli and Yi Xuan both lifted their heads to see rocks from the ceiling falling down. The magma beneath them bubbled incessantly, like a boiling pot, periodically spurting out from the hollows within the rocks. The stalactite-like pillars were also shaking non-stop, making it look like the entire cave was about to collapse.


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    Without time to think, Xiao Buli turned and ran for the exit, shouting at Yi Xuan, who was still frantically gathering ores, "Run! The cave''s collapsing!"


    Yi Xuan, seeing the danger too, didn''t dare take chances and started running after Xiao Buli, though his hands were still unwilling to stop picking up fragments along the escape route. Before they could get out of the cave, the stalactite pillars could no longer bear the strain and collapsed. The fallen rocks smashed into the lava, spraying fiery magma, and Yi Xuan, caught off-guard, lost dozens of hit points. Not daring to hesitate any longer, he ran for his life.


    Not pausing for a second, the collapse behind them didn''t stop, with the entire cavern destructing due to a chain reaction. Both of them sprinted, with Xiao Buli activating Skimming Shadow Steps, and Yi Xuan, being a practitioner of the magic system, bestowed himself with a Godspeed Talisman, both of them moving swiftly. In the blink of an eye, they were far away. The Stone-tooth Rats that had been lurking in the caves joined the fleeing crowd¡ªmonsters and players alike had no thought but to escape.


    Finally, a sliver of light appeared ahead, and the two picked up speed. Fortunately, they made it without incident, just as they were about to leave the cave, a thunderous roar erupted as the ceiling completely collapsed. The mound that had just seemed like a mountain crumbled into dust.


    "Xiao, you''re so formidable, the whole cave shook and collapsed," Yi Xuan marveled, looking at the fallen cave entrance.


    Xiao Buli knew in his heart that the cave''s destruction was not due to Cloud Thunder Leap. Although it was powerful, it was not a blasting attack, per se. While the forceful impact might shake loose some rocks, it had not caused significant damage to the overall structure of the cave. Moreover, had Cloud Thunder Leap truly been that powerful, the cave would have collapsed earlier during their fight with the python, not waiting until they dawdled for such an extended time.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, the cave''s collapse might very well be related to that monster that walked underground. The only question was whether, having caused the cave to fall, it was also buried below now.


    "Xiao, do you think that monster might have been crushed inside?" Yi Xuan asked, apparently thinking of the large-eyed monster and asking apprehensively.


    Xiao Buli shook his head, "I don''t know, but let''s hope it really is dead."


    "Why would you say that?" Yi Xuan curiously asked.


    Xiao Buli thought the answer was obvious. With his years of gaming experience, if this monster was powerful enough to be sealed in the Stone Egg for so many years, and even called itself an Ancient God, and could ignore the system rules ¨C even if it wasn''t truly an Ancient God, it clearly had a significant background. Judging by its words just before leaving, another wave of Bloody Wind and Blood Rain was likely. If it had died, at least the game would still be within his control, right? But Xiao Buli also knew it was just a wishful thought; with its strength, it definitely wouldn''t be crushed to death by some rocks.

 Chapter 393 - 26: High Price Buyback of Second-Hand Magical Treasures_2

    "Let''s head back now," Xiao Buli suggested. This time, he profited handsomely no matter how you looked at it. Not only did he gather nearly a thousand Spirit Stones and a large pile of Crystal Stone mines required for tasks, but he also tamed an extraordinarily impressive pet. Those 1,000 Contribution Values truly weren''t spent in vain.


    "Go back already? But we''ve only been out for a few hours, and there''s still a long way to go before the day is over. Why don''t we keep going a bit?" Yi Xuan was clearly reluctant to leave. This was no surprise, as all he had managed to acquire were some Crystal Stone mines for his tasks, and beside that not a single Spirit Stone, so naturally, he felt somewhat dissatisfied.


    Xiao Buli certainly understood his feelings, but considering they had encountered so many eerie things in just a short time out, neither the freak nor the python were within their capability to deal with. Although they had managed to subdue the python by luck today, heaven knew what they would encounter next. He said, "The Immortal Realm is ultimately too dangerous, like that big snake from before, which was just a high-level elite and yet so formidable. If it weren''t for the special terrain, we might not have been able to defeat it. If we encounter a silver-level BOSS-level Immortal Beast later on, I won''t have any chance of winning. So, it''s better to leave while we can. Don''t worry, I will share some of my Spirit Stones with you later, to make sure you can get some decent equipment to take back."


    After all, Yi Xuan did exert some effort in the fight with the big snake, and since Xiao Buli monopolized the entire snake, not sharing some with Yi Xuan would make him feel uneasy.


    Upon hearing this, Yi Xuan felt pleased, glad that his efforts had not been in vain: "Then thank you, Xiao."


    Both men were content and set off towards the city together. The route they took on their return was slightly different from the way they came. Along the way, Xiao Buli found a few treasure chests, and by the time he got back to Fairy City, he had accumulated over 1,000 Spirit Stones.


    Upon entering Penglai Immortal City, they were greeted with a peaceful and serene atmosphere, sharply contrasting with the dangers they had just faced in the wild. The two went to turn in their task first ¡ª the task stipulated that 100 pounds of Crystal Stone mines be traded for 100 Spirit Stones. They had collected over 600 pounds of Crystal Stone mines. After exchanging them for 600 Spirit Stones, they split the amount evenly: each got 300, and Xiao Buli gave Yi Xuan an additional 100 as compensation for the snake fight, leaving Yi Xuan with 400 Spirit Stones and Xiao Buli with over 1,200. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yi Xuan was elated. With these 400 Spirit Stones, he could afford to get two sets of golden equipment. So he said to Xiao Buli, "Xiao, I''m going to check out the shops and exchange for some equipment. Do you want to come along?"


    Xiao Buli hadn''t found anything he liked in the stores at the foot of the mountain earlier. Thinking to himself that good steel should be used on the edge of the blade, he decided to try his luck at the Golden Immortal Palace, hoping to spend all he had for equipment that would meet his satisfaction.


    With that in mind, he shared his thoughts with Yi Xuan. Knowing Yi Xuan''s Spirit Stones would not be enough for the Golden Immortal Palace, the two said their farewells without any pretense. They separated to look for what they each needed, concluding their temporary alliance which, for them, turned out to be a pleasant cooperation. Therefore, Yi Xuan felt quite reluctant to part ways.


    Xiao Buli followed the staircase toward the city center, winding upward, with white clouds drifting past his feet from time to time, as if he were walking halfway amongst the clouds. Following the directions of passersby, he quickly found the location of the Golden Immortal Palace, situated at the highest point of Penglai Immortal City¡ªthe same place that Xiao Buli had glimpsed from afar when he first entered the city, shrouded in a vast expanse of white mist. Walking into it, he found it was a magnificently adorned, huge palace nestled amidst the layered white clouds, much like a holy realm.


    As Xiao Buli approached the palace gate, he saw that the guards at the door were all Golden Armor Guards with golden names. He showed his waist token, and the guards did not stop him. However, the imposing stature of the guards, their faces stern without anger, and the intimidating color of their names, made him feel somewhat anxious. He carefully walked inside. The hall resembled those antique markets often seen in the human world, each stall operating independently and decorated meticulously by Immortal Families. Right by the entrance, a female immortal was leaning languidly on her lotus throne. Her ribbons fluttered without wind, giving her an ethereal air, while several large Immortal Butterflies fluttered tirelessly around her, the red and green patterns on their bodies exceptionally attractive. When they occasionally grew tired, they would rest on her floating ribbons but would not stray far¡ªwhether they were tamed or influenced by some Immortal spell, he didn''t know.


    Moving forward, an old man with white hair and beard sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, not holding his horsetail whisk, which seemed to sway as if dusting the strange treasures on the stall, endlessly sweeping over them as if there was never-ending dust.


    "Come and have a look?" A ruddy-faced burly man with a sonorous voice called out upon seeing Xiao Buli, looking somewhat scary with a reddish-black face. Yet, the big man always had a friendly smile, which made him seem much more approachable. His stall was adorned with a banner backed by clouds, with words that changed in rainbow colors and shone with occasional flashes of light, resembling neon signs from the mortal world¡ªpossibly equipment names, but Xiao Buli wasn''t sure of their meanings. He returned the man''s friendly smile and continued to walk a few more steps. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    The immortals trading here, although they all had White or Blue Names, Xiao Buli dared not underestimate any of them. Occasionally, when he spotted some strange objects he couldn''t recognize, he would inquire about their prices.


    After making a round, Xiao Buli''s heart sank. The items here weren''t without cheap offerings, but those were just scraps and waste not worthy of display. Anything of even slight quality would cost six to seven hundred, and the better ones would climb into the thousands. Although most of the items for sale were of a purple grade, it was odd that none had explicit Attributes listed, making his head spin not knowing how to choose.


    For example, he saw a purple sword on a stall that used a bath-fire phoenix as a decoration. The description stated it was refined by purple nebula light, but it displayed neither attack power nor Attributes, only noting it had extremely powerful might and carried Sword Qi of purple nebula. Other equipment was similar, some listing the Forging materials, some the craft, but not a single one listed attack stats or Attributes¡ªbuying blind like this was essentially relying on luck and character. For Xiao Buli, used to explicit data explaining everything, such a way of choosing was unsettling.


    While Xiao Buli was hesitating, he had already reached the end of the stalls. After being accustomed to the diverse and eye-catching Magical Treasures of the other immortals, a clean and unadorned stall stood out in contrast. There sat an old man with half his hair and beard white on the left and black on the right, resting his hands in his sleeves and sitting calmly on a humble Cushion Mat. Calling it a cushion might be an insult, but compared to the grand and beautiful lotus thrones he had seen earlier, this modest mat was no different than a stool. In front of him, a White Jade signboard was inscribed with unattractive brush writing: ''High Price for Second-Hand Magical Treasures''. It turned out that even Immortal Families had second-hand trade¡ªXiao Buli found it amusing.


    Next to that stall was another one, simply a pine desk with an old man with a scholarly aura sitting behind it, and a signboard stating ''High Price for Second-Hand Jade Slips''.


    Seeing this caught Xiao Buli''s interest. He did have quite a few Magical Treasures at hand, a big pile of both useful and useless items, all of lower grade. If he could exchange them for Spirit Stones, that wouldn''t be too bad. Moreover, it might be worthwhile to have someone clarify the content of his Nameless Jade Slip. Thinking it over, he decided to approach these two and seek their insights. While pondering, he moved toward the one who recycled second-hand Magical Treasures.(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 394 - 27 Pure Yang Sword Skills

    "You want to sell second-hand Magical Treasures?" The old man heard Xiao Buli explain his purpose and immediately responded in a weird tone, with the end of his sentences rising, clearly harboring doubt. His beady eyes sized up Xiao Buli from head to toe.


    Xiao Buli had of course seen this kind of look before. Since ancient times, the truth has always been that no merchant is not shrewd; these businessmen always judge by appearances. Once, Xiao Buli, dressed in a hoodie, entered a luxury store and, sure enough, the sales clerk followed him closely, nearly mistaking him for a thief. The look that clerk gave him when he entered was exactly like the one this old man was giving him now, although the clerk was somewhat more restrained due to professional reasons. The old man, on the other hand, was blatantly giving him the once over. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Xiao Buli felt indignant, thinking that even if this was the Immortal Realm, it was too much to look down on him. He said, "What, you look down on me, is that it? If that''s the case, then forget it." With that, he turned and walked away.


    The old man immediately called him back in a hurry when he saw this. In this godforsaken Immortal Realm, it was rare to come across a deal, and it was good to have a chat. Besides, anyone daring to bargain at the Golden Immortal Palace must have some decent items. Finally, he hurriedly said, "Come back, come back, even though you''re just a mortal, this old man isn''t picky. As long as there''re good items, I can still take a look."


    Xiao Buli had been inclined to leave, but then he thought to himself that harmony brings wealth. After all, he was just a passerby here¡ªwhy bother with all this? Gaining benefits was what mattered, and besides, he had plenty of junk on hand that was just taking up space. Getting rid of it quickly would be a relief. So, he relented and grumbled his way back to the old man.


    Without further conversation, he opened his inventory and took out all the superfluous Magical Treasures. Since things had already turned unpleasant, he also took out some Magical Treasures he had felt slightly embarrassed to present, now he didn''t care anymore.


    The old man looked at the pile of stuff on the ground, picking through the objects like the Undead Binding Scepter and Water-Repelling Pearls. He smacked his lips, squinted, and, after some scrutiny, picked out a few items, while returning some raw-material-like items.


    Seeing the Undead Binding Scepter chosen by the old man, Xiao Buli thought that at best, it could only summon third-level Undead, which at this point were not even worth the trouble to chop with an extra slash. As for the Water-Repelling Pearl, they were mass-produced, and he had kept one already; the rest lay picked out by the old man, seemingly intent on keeping them. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli wondered if these Magical Treasures were of any use to the beings of the Immortal Realm. With eyebrows raised and eyes drooping, the old man seemed to have little regard for the items on the ground: "These are all mortal-level Magical Treasures with very low grades. It''s just that among these objects there are some materials I need for Refining Treasures. Otherwise, I''d be worried they would just take up space. So, let''s say, five Spirit Stones for a first-level Magical Treasure, ten for a second-level, and twenty for a third-level. That''s sixty Spirit Stones in total for four first-level, two second-level, and one third-level Magical Treasures. You''ll only get this kind of price at my place here in the Satisfied Golden Immortal Palace..." The old man hadn''t finished talking when Xiao Buli started gathering his things and walked away.


    "Hey, hey, young man, why the rush?" The old man urgently called him back.


    Xiao Buli thought to himself, just 60 Spirit Stones? That''s outright robbery. Although the grades of these Magical Treasures weren''t high, they were still Magical Treasures. Supposedly offering a high price for them, he was treating them like junk. Those 60 Spirit Stones could easily be earned by opening a couple of low-level treasure boxes. Originally, these things were not very useful to him; if he had liked the old man, he might have sold to him, but the old man''s words were unpleasant and greedy. Even if his offer had been higher, Xiao Buli would have had second thoughts, let alone for a measly 60 Spirit Stones, which weren''t enough for anything significant, so why tolerate his attitude?


    The old man kept calling after him, "Considering you don''t come from the Human Realm often, I, True Person Hundred Treasures, will show some kindness today. How about this, I''ll add 40 Spirit Stones for a total of 100, but I can''t give you any more." But Xiao Buli kept walking without turning back, his mind made up not to sell.


    He went straight to another stall that dealt in second-hand Jade Slips. Since the NPCs in the Immortal Realm had high autonomy and were different from the merchants he''d seen in the Human Realm, the old man who collected second-hand Jade Slips had been watching the commotion here. Now, seeing Xiao Buli approaching his stall, he hurriedly sat up straight, wearing a serious expression.


    "Do you happen to have second-hand Jade Slips for sale?" The old man drew out his words as he spoke to Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli nodded. Having just had an unpleasant experience, he was not very happy. Without elaborating, he took out the Nameless Jade Slip from his bag and handed it to the old man. Xiao Buli knew nothing about the value and use of this item; he had intended to show it to Xuanxu Zi, but for some reason, he was wary of him. Seeing this stall, he had no intention of selling right away. Instead, he wanted to use the opportunity to have the old man appraise it. He was determined that no matter the price offered, he would not sell. If he could glean even the slightest bit of information from the old man, he would consider it a success.

 Chapter 395 - 27 Pure Yang Sword Skills_2

    The old man took the jade slip and a strange expression appeared on his face. He sized up Xiao Buli, then suddenly smiled in a way that seemed like how an adult would watch a child do something incredibly silly.


    Xiao Buli felt indignant. It was one thing for his second-hand treasures to be dismissed with contempt by the old man, but this jade slip had been obtained through hardship from the Immortal Realm. Even if it wasn''t valuable, it didn''t merit such disdain.


    He blurted out, "Are you going to buy it or not? If not, just leave it be. Don''t damage it with your handling."


    The old man wasn''t offended. Holding the jade slip, he asked Xiao Buli, "This jade slip of yours, it was obtained from a treasure chest outside, wasn''t it?"


    "Yes," Xiao Buli didn''t conceal anything and, still irritated, briefly explained how he came across the treasure chest outside to prove the slip''s value. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old man didn''t show any particular interest in Xiao Buli''s experience. Presumably being an immortal, he was no stranger to such adventures. He chuckled and said, "Ha ha, it sounds like your luck is quite good. Let me tell you, those treasure chests were left by ancient immortals from ancient times. They are extremely precious. Historical records indicate that during ancient times, a great catastrophe erupted in the Immortal Realm. To prevent their secret techniques and wealth from being lost and forgotten, the ancient immortals created countless treasure chests, divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. The lower-grade chests were naturally of inferior quality, usually made of wood and contained a number of spirit stones. The middle-grade chests were made of white jade and contained an Immortal Register, spirit stones, and magical treasures. Upper-grade chests are said to be made of Vajra Colored Jade and stored supreme treasures, but to this day, no one has found one. So, what it actually looks like is unknown. The chest you opened should be a middle-grade one, found only through great fortune. This jade slip is an Immortal Register. When these were first discovered, they were called Nameless Jade Slips, and only after unsealing them can one see clearly what the contents are. You haven''t unsealed this jade slip, so you mustn''t know its mysteries," the old man said in a gentle voice, unfolding the story clearly, causing Xiao Buli to have a sudden realization and feeling somewhat apologetic for his earlier rudeness.


    He quickly made a polite bow with his hands, "Thank you for the information, elder. I just don''t know what contents are generally within these jade slips, and how can I unseal it?"


    The old man nodded, apparently quite pleased with the change in his attitude, and continued, "The contents within these jade slips vary greatly. Some are ancient texts or historical records, but most of them contain spells and scriptures. Since you are fated to it, the techniques inside are mostly suitable for your cultivation. They would not be of much use to others. These ancient secrets are mostly very powerful, especially for ordinary people like you. Such an opportunity is rare and not to be sought after lightly. Thus, I advise against selling it; better to keep and study it for yourself. If you want to unseal it, just drip your blood onto it."


    Upon hearing the old man''s words, Xiao Buli was overjoyed. Since the immortals themselves said it was powerful, the jade slip must indeed be extraordinary. He quickly took it from the old man''s hands, drew a short blade, pricked his finger, and let the blood drip onto the slip. The blood was immediately absorbed upon contact with the jade slip, which then emitted a glowing white light. As the glow dispersed, the golden lettering on the slip became clear. The markings seemed to wriggle, re-forming into words. Xiao Buli unfolded it again, and this time he could see everything clearly¡ªit was indeed a skill manual.


    It was titled "Pure Yang Sword Skills."


    Skill description: Created by the True Person of Pure Yang, this Sword Control Heart Method allows one to manipulate flying swords for attack and defense. It is a rare and valuable Sword Control skill.


    Learning requirements: Yang Attribute True Origin Force, Elementary Cultivation Technique.


    Xiao Buli, seeing this, was ecstatic. Could it be that the words "Pure Yang" were exactly suited for his Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture? Although he had this profound technique, Xiao Buli had always felt that it was not being fully utilized. Apart from increasing his mana and Stamina Points recovery ability, it seemed utterly useless. Moreover, he lacked active attack skills corresponding to this Inner Strength. He had felt the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture was somewhat like an inconvenient obligation, but now everything became clear. Xiao Buli felt that the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture and the Pure Yang Sword Skills were like bullets to a handgun. Although he previously had the scripture, he had the power of the cultivation technique but no means to enact it, like someone with a full arsenal but unable to fire. Finally getting that handgun, what was once just gunpowder had turned into a deadly weapon.


    This time, he had not only acquired the Cultivation Technique but also the Sword Control Technique. He could finally become a true cultivator.


    With excitement in his heart and no hesitation in his actions, Xiao Buli chose to cultivate without delay. The characters on the Jade Slip seemed to come alive, lining up in formation, turned into a beam of golden light that soared into the air and merged into his body. A surge of Spiritual Energy burst forth from within him like substance, and Xiao Buli felt a plethora of knowledge and memories suddenly emerge in his mind. The application of the "Pure Yang Sword Skills," their variable moves, and continuous Dharma Methods filled his brain as if a little person inside was tirelessly transporting and building, eventually constructing a beautiful and exquisite palace within him.


    This feeling of instant mastery was completely different from the sensation he experienced when learning skills in front of a computer. Xiao Buli thought to himself that it was a blessing in disguise; although using decades-old equipment, this sensation of rapid growth was something that modern computer terminals couldn''t compare to. With these skills, Xiao Buli believed that even if he left the game, his application of these skills would be extremely proficient.


    Seeing the expressions change on Xiao Buli''s face, the old man stroked his beard and smiled, extending his hand and saying, "Alright, now that you have learned the skill, it''s time to pay up, isn''t it?"


    "Pay?" Xiao Buli came back to his senses from his surprise and excitement, looking at the benevolent-looking old immortal with some confusion.


    The old man pointed to the sign. Xiao Buli looked over curiously and saw that next to the large sign advertising the recycling of second-hand Jade Slips, a line of tiny characters had appeared at some unknown time: "Consultation fee, 50 Spirit Stones each."


    I''m fainting, what a scam artist! Xiao Buli was inwardly fuming, knowing that the old man must have added the small characters using Immortal Law. However, being in the Immortal Realm, he knew that even calling upon a lowly White Name soldier could bring him down, and he didn''t want to cause unnecessary trouble. Besides, he did indeed gain a benefit, so he took a deep breath and paid the fifty Spirit Stones, causing the old man who recycled second-hand Magical Treasures to burst into laughter as if mocking Xiao Buli for ultimately getting the short end of the stick.


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    Just as Xiao Buli was about to say something to relieve his frustration, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him shake violently. The old man who was recycling second-hand treasures immediately put away his smile and his face turned serious in an instant.


    "How can there be earthquakes in the Immortal Realm?" Xiao Buli said in surprise.


    But the old man answered in a low voice, "Fairy City is protected by enchantments. How could it suddenly shake unless there''s been some calamity? Boy, go find your master quickly and flee for your life."


    Before the old man''s words could fade, as if to prove his point, a Golden Armored Soldier who had been standing guard outside suddenly ran into the great hall and shouted loudly, using some unknown spell, "This is bad, a multitude of giants are attacking the city outside Penglai Immortal City! The City Lord has ordered that all Immortal Families, young and old, must defend the city."


    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat. He wondered if what was bound to happen was finally coming. How inconvenient that he hadn''t spent all his Spirit Stones yet. If Penglai Immortal City were to be breached, wouldn''t the Spirit Stones in his hands be wasted? But then he thought he might be overthinking it. How could Penglai Immortal City, having stood in the Immortal Realm for so many years, be so easily breached? He decided it was better to go out and see for himself (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 396 - 28 Attack on Titan

    Upon leaving the Golden Immortal Palace, Xiao Buli''s first thought was to find Xuanxu Zi. Even though there were numerous immortals here, the only person he had a connection with who could protect him at a critical moment was his adoptive master. Moreover, with such a significant event unfolding, Xiao Buli wanted to consult his master to understand the situation¡ªwhat kind of crisis it was. If it wasn''t too serious, that would be a relief. After all, the trouble was his own doing, and he didn''t know whether the system would ultimately blame him. With these thoughts, he followed the path he had taken earlier, heading toward the place where he and Xuanxu Zi had parted ways.


    Inside Fairy City, Xiao Buli had always felt that there weren''t many immortals; most who walked the city were mortals working in the Immortal Realm. Occasionally, he would see a few immortals gathered together, discussing scriptures and expounding on the Dao. Now, with unrest in the city, the number of people had suddenly increased. It was unclear where they all came from¡ªsome were in Sword Flight, others transformed into streaks of golden light¡ªall heading in the direction of the outer city, obviously going to defend against the attacking forces.


    The battle was definitely about to begin, and being insignificant even among the lowliest in the Immortal Realm, Xiao Buli felt a bit panicked. His mind raced to recall the knowledge of the Sword Control Technique that he had just learned.


    Although that knowledge seemed to be etched into Xiao Buli''s mind, there was little time to digest it, and it wasn''t until the data in his brain sorted itself out that things became clearer.


    The Sword Control Technique was a special skill, unattainable divine skill for mortals, even creating a separate profession¡ªthe Sword Control Master.


    However, for immortals, the Sword Control Technique was as common as ordinary swordsmanship. Every immortal knew a bit of Sword Control Technique. The power varied according to different strengths and moves, which is why it is divided into many schools.


    The Pure Yang Sword Skills, being passed down from Ancient Immortals, were considered rough compared to other Sword Control Techniques.


    But no matter the school, Sword Control Technique is divided into five levels based on the degree of cultivation.


    The first level is called Sword Aerial Mastery. At this level, one can control a flying sword for attack and defense. It is similar to swordsmanship, but since the flying sword can be commanded from a distance, it can be used for long-range attacks.


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    The second level is called Sword Shadow Transfiguration. At this level, one can transform a flying sword into numerous Sword Shadows, inject True Origin Force into the sword to increase its power, and add special effects to the sword''s attacks. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The third level is called Sword Flight. At this level, one can fly with the sword and roam freely between heaven and earth.


    The fourth level is called human-sword unity. At this level, a person and the sword can merge for a short time, flying faster and using the sword''s sturdiness to withstand external attacks.


    The fifth level is called Soul Entrusting. Reaching this level, one can bind the Primordial Spirit to a flying sword. As long as the flying sword exists, even if the physical body is destroyed, one will not die, which is very formidable.


    Xiao Buli''s memory didn''t have much about flying swords. Probably because this falls within the realm of common knowledge and isn''t part of the basic instruction. However, he deduced from these pieces of knowledge that since most immortals do not possess superb flying swords, they typically do not cultivate beyond the fourth level. Only those Sword Immortals who specialize in Sword Control Technique would cultivate to this extent. Recalling Gu Yuexuan''s previous performance, it seemed he had already reached the fourth level, which Xiao Buli estimated was quite formidable. No wonder Xuanxu Zi chose Gu Yuexuan as his target for Soul Possession.


    Now, Xiao Buli had just learned the skill and could barely reach the first stage.


    Furthermore, the knowledge in his brain told him that Sword Control Technique was completely different from ordinary skill attributes; it could not be leveled up through combat experience but only through slow study and practice. It seemed that rapid advancement was impossible.


    As he sorted through these thoughts, Xiao Buli had nearly reached the city gates. Xuanxu Zi''s lotus platform was already in sight in the distance, and he hastened his pace, taking two steps at a time.


    "Master, what has happened outside?" Xiao Buli asked eagerly, even before he got close.


    Contrary to Xiao Buli''s urgency, Xuanxu Zi responded with a calm and detached demeanor, "Nothing of great importance. It seems some bumbling fool has awakened something left by the Ancient Immortals. Come, come, my disciple, we have a spectacle to witness."


    Listening to Xuanxu Zi, it seemed such events were quite common, likely having occurred before. Xiao Buli let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Xuanxu Zi walking leisurely toward the city wall, he quickly followed.


    Outside Fairy City, there was an enchantment for protection, and battles seldom broke out. At this time, both the immortals and mortals in the city seemed quite thrilled about the impending fight. This mood influenced Xiao Buli, dispelling his previous worries. It seemed the strange thing that was supposed to happen was nothing more than a bluff.


    Following Xuanxu Zi to the city wall outside, Xiao Buli saw that a number of immortals and mortal soldiers had gathered, all usually stationed elsewhere. However, these were few in number. More commonly seen were servants and Immortal Families bustling through the streets. In times like these, it was all hands on deck. These people needed no organizing, spontaneously beginning to operate defensive equipment.


    These immortals were mostly carefree and independent, disliking constraints, so Penglai Immortal City apparently had no leader or ruler. With a formidable enemy approaching, everyone united against a common foe, appearing to have a unified front. However, the lack of centralized command made the scene somewhat chaotic.

 Chapter 397 - 28 Attack on Titan_2

    Xiao Buli paid no heed to these, following Xuanxu Zi through the crowd and looking down from the city. Penglai Immortal City was built against the mountain, with the main road that Xiao Buli had taken to come up facing the front, towering mountains at the back, and steep cliffs on both sides. Clouds and mist wound around it all year long, but at this moment, the surrounding sea of clouds rolled violently like raging waves, and their color had changed from the original pure white to a deep red, looking as if lava were churning. It cast the sky and the city''s light in a tainted red, inspiring a wave of shock and awe in the hearts of those who saw it.


    The vibrations that had been felt before now became distinct, and Xiao Buli felt the ground beneath his feet constantly shaking as if it were an earthquake¡ªor as if thousands of horses were galloping towards them with iron hooves. He quickly steadied himself, whereas the immortals on the city walls seemed indifferent to the tremors, though some of their faces revealed a look of grave concern.


    "There has never been such a commotion before." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, this time it feels different."


    "No matter, there are so many of us here, we need not concern ourselves with mere trifles."


    Discussions like this reached Xiao Buli''s ears from within the crowd; it seemed such events had occurred before but were never as serious as this.


    "Here they come, they''re coming!" suddenly a voice in the crowd exclaimed loudly.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly looked down, only to see within the roiling red clouds a huge black shadow emerging, before he could even make out its features, a second and a third followed, crawling out. In a short time, the churning red clouds were full of shadowy figures, and more and more giants climbed up from within the clouds. These creatures were much bigger than the one Xiao Buli had released earlier; the largest stood a hundred meters tall, the smallest was over ten meters. Although they appeared humanoid, they were all grotesque in shape, and as they moved closer, Xiao Buli could see that, although humanoid, their bodies were adorned with different elements. Some were covered in hard rock, like armor, others were entangled with vines and roots, some had flowing lava on their surfaces, red-hot as if ready to burst into flames at any moment. Xiao Buli noticed they all bore the same markings on their limbs and bodies as the monster from the stone egg, meaning no matter what element they currently possessed, they must have grown inside those very eggs. Some monsters, with heads deformed, had sparse hair on their bodies of raw flesh, looking like newborn chicks just out of the shell, which made one feel sick. These beings, numbering over a hundred and climbing towards Penglai City using hands and feet along the mountain ridge, moved in utter silence as if they were inherently incapable of making noise or as if containing boundless rage within, waiting to reach the summit before unleashing it all. The sight was grand and eerie.


    Such a sight struck horror into Xiao Buli; he had thought there was only one giant, and now it seemed as if he had stirred up a hornet''s nest.


    "They are Ancient Demons!"


    "So many of them!"


    "This is going to be bad!"


    The immortals nearby also realized the gravity of the situation, and the place was suddenly abuzz with their anxious voices.


    Ancient Demon? Shouldn''t it be an Ancient God? The creature in the stone womb called itself an Ancient God, but in the mouths of these immortals, it has become a demon. It''s hard to know which side to believe.


    Upon reflection, Xiao Buli understood the key point¡ªall things have two sides. Depending on the perspective, naturally, the conclusion can be entirely different. It''s just like how different branches of the same religion often attack each other, each accusing the other of being a heretical evil cult. But currently, the situation is that whether these giants are gods or demons, they are the common enemy of the people on this side. Judging by their appearance and their silent state, Xiao Buli would rather believe that they are monsters.


    While Xiao Buli was lost in thought, an immortal stepped onto the dragon head podium, a stone platform extending out from the walls of Penglai Immortal City, towering high in the sky. As soon as this person stood on the dragon head, he immediately commanded attention, drawing the eyes of the Immortal Families upward. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he knew it was time, and called out loudly, "Fellow Immortal Families, this attack by the demons is quite different from the past, as you all have seen. There are at least a hundred of them. I hope everyone will cast their spells without reservation and eradicate these monsters as soon as possible!"


    His language seemed almost like that of a leader. It seemed that this person must have had a certain level of influence in everyone''s hearts. Hearing this, some of the immortals below responded, though the response was not very strong, sounding somewhat chaotic.


    Seeing this, the immortal didn''t say much more, and began casting. With a simple gesture, he produced a fireball the size of a washbasin in his hand. Blue lightning flashed within the fireball, indicating its likely massive power. The man built up his energy for a moment, waiting until the noise below quieted before hurling the fireball toward the giants below. It struck squarely on the head of a giant tens of meters tall. The fireball exploded on contact with the giant''s body, blue electrical arcs spreading with the flames like a napalm blast, instantaneously engulfing the giant in firelight.


    With someone taking the lead, the others ceased their chatter and cast spells in succession. In an instant, lightning, flames, ice, and other variegated spells rained down like a shower, bursting open amidst the cloud sea at the base of Mount Penglai, as splendid as fireworks, completely enveloping the giants within them.


    Suddenly, amidst the vibrant colors of the spells below, a black shadow swiftly flew towards them. The shadow was fast, accompanied by the roar of the wind. Amidst the cries and shouts of the immortals ahead, they hurriedly dodged, some leaping into the air, others retreating continually. The city wall was in disarray for a moment, and with a deafening crash, Xiao Buli felt the ground shake under him. Countless stones flew up, and because they had crowded together, many were hit. The shadow turned out to be a huge boulder that, having struck the wall with a resounding vibration, had exhausted its momentum and fell toward the abyss below.


    No sooner had they dodged one boulder, another came flying up. This time, the immortals had learned their lesson and were smarter. They rode on auspicious clouds and flying swords, floating in the air, still casting spells generously as they flung them down incessantly. Seeing the immortals take to the skies, Xiao Buli finally had space to himself. He peered down and saw, under the brightly lit cliff from the various spells, that the half-expressionless giants were both climbing and casually pulling stones from the cliff to throw into the sky. Alas, with one side ascending and the other descending, strength was already at a disadvantage, and coupled with the multitude of immortals who were much smaller in stature than the giants, it was like throwing rocks at mosquitoes¡ªvery hard to hit the mark.


    At this moment, a piece of stone, aimed at Xiao Buli''s face, came flying. It was too late for Xiao Buli to dodge. He thought he''d have to just take the hit. Since it was only a piece of stone, the damage should not be too severe. He suddenly felt a force pulling him to one side, and Xuanxu Zi''s voice sounded in his ear, "Disciple, be careful."


    He felt the stone whiz by, brushing past his ear.


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    "Disciple, move to the back. The battle at the front is not for you to join," he opened his eyes to see Xuanxu Zi, who had been by his side the entire time. Although he knew that Xuanxu Zi was a manifestation of the Heart Demon, Xiao Buli still felt a warm current in his heart and quickly complied, retreating to the back.


    Watching the intense battle unfold before him, itching to join in, he hid behind the guards atop the wall and cast a few lightning spells below. But compared to those of the other immortals, Xiao Buli''s spells ¨C regardless of their killing power ¨C paled in effect, barely visible. After casting them, Xiao Buli couldn''t even see any specific damage numbers and could only sheepishly hide behind, knowing that in this battle of the immortals, whether it was the fellows on the other side or his own side, with not enough lives to throw away, it wasn''t worth getting involved in. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 398 - 29 Allies from Amongst the Immortals

    The giants below gradually stopped resisting, and no more rocks were being thrown up. Their bodies were engulfed in the bright light of spells, and Xiao Buli couldn''t help but silently mourn for them in his heart. He wondered what heavenly laws these creatures had violated to be imprisoned in those stone eggs for so many years, their bodies severely damaged and distorted. Now, targeted and bombarded by the immortals, he guessed that there would soon be nothing left of them.


    Seeing that there was no longer any movement from below, the immortals gradually ceased their attacks. The light grew fainter and eventually disseminated. Xiao Buli mustered his courage to take a closer look, and his heart skipped a beat. The situation was completely beyond his expectations; the giants were just like they had been before the attack¡ªneither their numbers nor the health bars above their heads had changed. They continued to climb up, expressionless. Xiao Buli''s head popped out just in time to meet the gaze of one of the giants, whose black-hole-like eyes seemed to radiate a dignified aura that made his heart race.


    A fireball, cast a bit too late, happened to land on the face of one of the giants. He merely scrunched his brow slightly, apparently unharmed by the attack. The immortals were all stunned¡ªif not for the marks on the cliffside that proved an attack had occurred, it would seem as if nothing had happened to the giants at all. It turned out that the giants had stopped throwing rocks not because they were about to die but because they realized that these flashy spells were as inconsequential as a tickle to them, so they simply ignored them.


    "Everyone, be careful. These demon embryos are immune to magic attacks. Quickly use your Sword Control Skills," someone from the crowd suddenly realized and shouted. As they mentioned the Sword Control Skill, a streak of sword light shot out from the crowd.


    Although the Sword Control Technique also carried magical damage, fundamentally, swordsmanship remained a physical attack. So the focus was on physical damage. The green sword light shot out like lightning, aimed at the arm of the stone giant advancing at the front. A clang of metal meeting rock echoed, and sparks flew where the sword struck the stone giant''s body before it came to a sudden halt, hovering menacingly over the giant below.


    The stone giant, having been hit, seemed to feel pain. He suddenly removed his right hand from the climbing rock, much like a person who quickly dodges after being pricked by a needle. Angered, the giant grabbed a chunk of rock from the mountain and hurled it at the sword, which, under the command of the fairy, quickly dodged out of the way.


    Seeing the effectiveness of the Sword Control Skill, everyone sprang into action without needing instruction, conjuring their flying swords and magical treasures. In no time, the air was filled with a rain of blades and sword shadows hurtling towards the giants below.


    Xiao Buli saw everyone using the Sword Control Technique and became eager to join. Mimicking the other immortals, he pinched the sword technique and called out, "Unsheathe!" The sword behind him buzzed in its sheath, as if responding, but despite vibrating for a while, it did not unsheathe.


    Xiao Buli found this strange¡ªeverything was performed according to his memory, so why had it failed? His hand movements changed rapidly, and he shouted, "Unsheathe! Unsheathe!"


    "Hahaha, fool, what a fool," Xiao Buli suddenly heard someone mocking him from behind. Angrily, he turned around and saw it was the old man who had been collecting second-hand magical treasures. Having felt slighted by two old men in the hall earlier, Xiao Buli was already displeased, and seeing it was him, he showed no courtesy.


    "What do you mean?" he demanded.


    The old man, who seemed to enjoy annoying Xiao Buli, didn''t get angry at his tone. Instead, he chuckled and explained, "The Sword Control Skill passed down by the ancient immortals is not the modified version used by mortals. Ordinary swords cannot be controlled with it; only flying swords can. Your broken sword might be considered a treasure in the mortal world, but expecting it to fly is a fool''s dream." The old man shook his head as if to further frustrate Xiao Buli toward the end of his statement.


    Flying sword? Xiao Buli ignored him, pondering to himself. He didn''t have a flying sword, and without much time left and with the impending monster siege, he wondered if there would be enough time to even acquire a flying sword.


    Sensing Xiao Buli''s thoughts, the old man quickly approached him with a smile, "What''s the matter? Don''t have a flying sword? Hehe, it just so happens I have a second-hand one here. If you want it, I''ll give you a deal¡ª500 spirit stones."


    Crisp, Xiao Buli thought, I''ve never seen such a shameless business tactic. However, it was outrageous how this old man was so blatantly overcharging¡ªhaving bought six magical treasures for 100 spirit stones yet asking for 500 spirit stones for a second-hand flying sword as if he thought Xiao Buli was a complete fool.


    "No thanks, I don''t need it. Don''t treat me like I don''t know the value; spending 500 spirit stones on a second-hand flying sword, I might as well buy a new one," he replied.


    In truth, Xiao Buli didn''t know the actual cost of a flying sword, but he was aware of the trickery of merchants. Without intimidating him, he knew the old man would never reveal the true price. The old man''s eyes flickered, ready to speak, when suddenly a loud boom resounded. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two of them hastily turned their attention back to the scene below.


    It turned out that the giants below were wounded by the rain of swords and seemed to also feel threatened. Afraid to continue climbing from below, those above stopped their advance and started to pry rocks off and threw them towards the city. This time, the rocks were different from the scattered few from before; not only were they huge, but somehow the giants had infused them with some kind of energy. When these large rocks were thrown above, they would often shatter, scattering debris and even spraying out elemental effects. As mentioned before, these immortals in the air seemed like adults throwing stones at mosquitos, but at this moment the rocks had become explosives. Each of these giants was several dozens of meters tall with immense strength, akin to a row of humanoid catapults ¨C and these were the enhanced variety. One had to be careful not to be affected by their throws. Moreover, apart from the immortals, there were many guards on the walls, mortals and people like Xiao Buli who couldn''t fly. Even the smallest of the incoming rocks had a diameter of one or two meters, while the largest were as big as trucks; being hit by them would mean being utterly crushed. Frightened, Xiao Buli hastily performed a Cloud Thunder Leap to soar into the air and only descended after he had darted into the city.


    Seeing this, the immortals floating in the air retreated in a flurry, but the mortal soldiers were less fortunate. Though each of them possessed significant strength, such attacks rendered that strength somewhat futile. Those who were even slightly slower were smashed into a bloody pulp, and the defensive machines on the walls were shattered into pieces.


    "It''s over, all is lost," the immortals lamented as they floated in the air, continuing their Sword Control Technique despite the sinking situation.


    Although they could fly and were not particularly afraid of the giants getting to them, their wealth and properties were all within the Fairy City. If Penglai Immortal City were to fall to the giants, their foundations would be destroyed. At this time, some immortals had already started to circle back to the city, seemingly wanting to retrieve their Magical Treasures before returning to the fight, otherwise, they couldn''t be at peace.


    This was when the critical weak point of the immortals became evident. If only there were a commander to direct everyone to attack with their Sword Control Skills, they might have a fighting chance. But due to the lack of unified command, the immortals were quite reluctant to risk their lives. Although some continued to valiantly resist, they were simply outnumbered. The giants, one by one with their Thick Skins and large rocks, were hard to damage, while the immortals fought independently with no one to defend the walls. The immortals in the distance were anxious but didn''t dare to break through the barrage of rocks to return, and those inside could only gather within Penglai Immortal City and helplessly watch as the giants climbed over the ramparts.


    "What do we do now!" Xiao Buli watched in shock, thinking that Penglai Immortal City couldn''t possibly fall like this. He had just arrived for one day and was met with a siege and a disastrous defeat; it seemed almost absurd.


    While he was pondering, he suddenly heard a rolling thunderous sound from afar. Xiao Buli quickly looked up, only to see a mass of dark clouds with lightning flashing within swiftly approaching. As it flew right over the city walls, a lightning bolt thick as a bucket struck down, hitting the rock that a giant was clutching to climb. Although the giant was immune to lightning, the rock he was climbing on was not so Lucky. The rock exploded into fragments, and with nothing to hang on to, the giant fell down the mountain into the sea of clouds, his fate unknown.


    "It''s Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Person from Cloud Thunder Peak! Thank goodness!" The Immortal Families started to cheer without regard for their status.


    Then, a cluster of green clouds floated over. This time, innumerable seeds similar to dandelion fluff descended from the cloud. Upon touching the mountainside, these seeds immediately burrowed into the soil, took root, and began to rapidly expand, grow, and spread. Countless vines burst out of the rock, resembling ropes or bizarre serpents, winding towards the giants climbing the cliff face.


    These vines, thick as water buckets and extremely tough, were covered in barbs. At the end of the vines were often large mouths full of carnivorous plant-like teeth; they latched onto the giants and pulled them downwards. Soon enough, many giants were dragged down the mountain.


    "It''s the Emerald Spirit Fairy from the Fusang Divine Tree."


    "We''re saved now," Xiao Buli heard someone shout.


    Another group of fiery red clouds approached, followed by a white-clothed figure riding a dragon...


    Continuously, more immortals flew from afar, bringing smiles of relief to all the Loose Immortals and wandering immortals on the city.


    "The great immortals from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, the Eighteen Peaks, and the Twenty-Six Islands have all come; Penglai Immortal City is saved now."


    Xiao Buli was awestruck for a moment, but then it dawned on him. Although to him, every individual in Penglai Immortal City was a notable figure, strictly speaking in terms of the immortals'' hierarchy, there were not many powerful immortals in the city. The truly powerful ones actually lived on the surrounding peaks and islands of the Penglai Immortal Realm. It was just like in some cities, where the working class lives in the central area, but the real affluent reside in suburban villas. Capable of living alone in the Immortal Realm amidst Immortal Beasts, these immortals were monstrous existences in their own right. Now gathered together, they entirely stopped the onslaught of the giants.


    Even though the giants were immune to regular elemental magic damage, they still could not avoid physical attacks. The spells of these immortals were numerous, and with a flick of their fingers, they had ways to restrain these simple giants. Moreover, these giants, having just hatched from Stone Eggs, were not very nimble. Suddenly, Xiao Buli heard a loud roar and saw a giant wrapped in vines and held aloft; the vines danced wildly like serpents, savagely pulling at his limbs and tearing him apart. A rain of blood and flesh fell downwards.


    Watching as one giant after another was either blasted down the mountain or caught, Xiao Buli nodded to himself; the tide had turned, and it looked like there was no play left for the giants. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with a recommendation or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.) Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 399 - 30: Nine Dragons Demon Binding Formation

    Seeing that the situation on the field was almost entirely one-sided, Xiao Buli also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although the breach of Fairy City didn''t affect him much, if necessary, he could escape with his Cloud Thunder Leap at any time. However, Xiao Buli didn''t want the situation to spiral too far out of control. And he still had a lot of Spirit Stones left to spend.


    While everyone was chatting and laughing as they watched the giants being smashed down the mountain one after another, suddenly a huge lightning pillar shot up from the base of the mountain. It was as thick as a water bucket, aiming straight at the Emerald Spirit Fairy, who was commanding the vines in the sky. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone yelled "Not good!", but seeing such an offensive, none of the immortals present dared to confront it head-on, fearing that it might lead to utter destruction.


    Just as everyone was anxiously waiting, a mass of dark clouds rolled in the sky, and Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Person came flying in rapidly with the support of a thick cloud layer underneath. He positioned himself below the Emerald Spirit Fairy, and the lightning instantly struck, seemingly absorbed by the black cotton-like cloud mass. The looming disaster was dissolving into nothingness when, suddenly, dozens of lightning strikes surged from the valley floor, targeting not just the Loose Immortal who had come to the rescue but also the immortals and mortals alike on the city walls who were just watching the excitement.


    For a brief moment, lightning flashes drowned the world, blinding everyone with bursts of white light. Xiao Buli was startled and ready to launch into the sky at any second. Fortunately, his position wasn''t hit by the lightning, but others weren''t so lucky. The lightning, though not very lethal, struck many and unleashed colorful numbers of damage all around Xiao Buli. Because electricity is conductive, when lightning struck, it often harmed more than one person, causing trouble for several nearby individuals. Consequently, this wave of attack inflicted damage over a vast area.


    No sooner had the lightning subsided than immortals who hadn''t even had time to counterattack were bombarded by dozens of flaming fireballs, wrapped in strong winds from below. These fireballs, which were actually stones on the inside, exploded upon impact with the wall, with every fragment carrying flames and scattering over a wide area. Some immortals floating in mid-air couldn''t dodge in time and were hit directly by the fireballs, immediately getting covered in flames and screaming in agony. Fireballs continued to shoot out non-stop from the valley along with occasional lightning strikes. Surroundings glowed red with fire and electricity, resembling the inferno of hell.


    Busy dodging the giants'' fireballs and lightning, the vines lost their direction and stood dumbfounded, holding the giants up. Soon, they were climbed up upon by smaller Lava Giants, and the vines, no match for such high temperatures, instantly turned to ash.


    Only then did Xiao Buli truly perceive the situation below. Because the people on top of the city could only look down and the cliffs were steep, coupled with the immense size of the giants, it was difficult to see what was happening behind them. Now, with many giants struck by lightning and others pulled away by the vines, revealing the true nature of the giants below. Unlike the foolishly large ones above, these giants were comparatively smaller, averaging around ten meters or so in height, and were different in appearance, too. While the giants above, though large, were mostly of the Earth Element and Wood System¡ªrock, clay, and wood had great strength but average combat capabilities and relied on throwing rocks to harm people, the smaller ones below seemed to belong to the Fire Element, Electric Type, Water Element, and others. Xiao Buli saw a Lava Giant with a completely ice-blue giant behind it, looking like an ice sculpture, with huge ice spikes on its head, shoulders, and arms, resembling a huge and tough beetle. Xiao Buli estimated that this one had not yet taken action due to its position, but once it did, it would likely attack with weapons of ice. It seemed these giants had actually formed formation and were not as simple-minded as he had previously thought.


    At this time, the immortals rising in the sky also saw the situation clearly. In the midst of panic, they continuously hurled spells downwards, shouting, "These giants have more tricks up their sleeve, the ones below are of ice and fire Elements. Everyone, be cautious! Don''t just stand and watch; strike quickly!"


    These immortals now displayed a sense of urgency, each rising in the air as the giants along the cliff gave their all in the assault. The Loose Immortals too, initially flustered, regained their composure.


    Nine Heavens Divine Thunder True Person conjured his Divine Skills, and the sky filled with oppressive, rolling black clouds, threatening to burst at any moment with massive power. Then there was a loud crackling noise as a dense line of lightning struck the edge of the cliff like a sharp saw, slicing a large chunk off the cliff. The lightning penetrated the rocks for about ten meters before its force subsided. Large rocks, left without support, tumbled down, crushing a great number of giants below.


    Emerald Spirit Fairy also displayed her Divine Skills, as countless seeds shot from the clouds like bullets, targeting the rocks. Unlike the flexible vines before, these sprouted straight and rigid, resembling steel spears as they extended forward. But when they encountered their own kind, they smartly bent and wrapped around each other. In no time, they had formed a huge net of vines along the cliffside, blocking most of the fireballs and lightning from below. While fireballs continued to burn large holes in the net, Emerald Spirit Fairy ceaselessly used her Divine Skills to replenish any burned areas quickly. In a short span, the pressure on the immortals eased significantly, their spells becoming more nimble as they greeted the multitude of giants below with a barrage of attacks.

 Chapter 400 - 30: Nine Dragons Demon Binding Formation_2

    No matter the element, these giants possessed unfathomable vitality and were immune to magic damage. Their health points were calculated in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Even if each Immortal could inflict tons of damage, it was not easy to kill a giant. They could only try to blast them off the mountains, hoping they would fall to their deaths. But even if they didn''t die from the fall, the goal was to slow down their assault. This truly was a war that exhausted everyone''s spirit. The Immortals unleashed their spells to the utmost, going all out in their efforts, and with the help of many Loose Immortals. Yet despite this, the giants gradually made their way into Penglai Immortal City.


    The first to break into the Fairy City were the Earth-Wood Type giants at the forefront. Lacking ranged attack capabilities, they had little means to harm the Immortals above, but they were free to wreak havoc on the structures of Penglai Immortal City. These giants were huge and incredibly strong; a thrust of their fists resembled large battering rams, often bringing down entire buildings with a single smash. Fortunately, due to being the first to engage in battle, there were no more than ten of them left. Nevertheless, the Immortals were still unable to deal with them effectively for the time being, since they had their hands full with the more formidable Fire, Electric, and Ice giants. The Ice giants were few in number, but their attack power was far from weak. Ice spikes sprayed from their bodies as they shook, with dozens on each giant. Often a single volley would create a wall of spikes that engulfed the Immortals, leaving them no room to dodge, forcing them to resist with defensive spells. These ice spikes also came with a slowing debuff, causing anyone struck by them to significantly slow down, to the great frustration of the Immortals. Meanwhile, the Earth-Wood giants that were being ignored were joyously destroying the city, with two of them even charging towards the Golden Immortal Palace, seemingly intent on demolishing this symbolic structure of Penglai Immortal City. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The non-flying civilians and the Golden Armored Guards in the city had now found their purpose, hacking away at the Earth-Stone Giants. However, the monsters had thick skin and plenty of health points, rendering the civilians'' attacks very ineffective.


    Xiao Buli dodged around, taking care to avoid being mistakenly injured, while watching the battle unfold before him. He wanted to help, but considering his meager strength¡ªno more effective than tickling a giant¡ªhe thus refrained from joining the fray.


    Just then, a Golden Armored Soldier ran past him, irritated by his apparent gawking, and shouted, "Aren''t you going to help?" Startled by the shout, Xiao Buli turned around only to have a dialogue box suddenly appear before him.


    Triggered Quest: Assist in the Defense of Fairy City


    Quest Details: Help defend the city and attack the Ancient Demons besieging it.


    Well, that could work? Initially thinking he would be of no help, Xiao Buli immediately clicked to accept upon seeing the quest. There were no prerequisites to this quest; it did not require holding the city or killing the demons. It seemed tailor-made for him based on the difficulty level and his own capabilities. Since he could complete the task with minimal effort, there was no reason not to accept.


    As soon as he clicked accept, the Golden Armored Soldier, with a commanding presence, ran off to attack a nearby giant. Xiao Buli hastily followed, leaping onto the giant''s foot, which spanned several meters. If he were to be stepped on, his current condition would leave him in severe pain, if not dead. The psychological pressure of not fighting a monster in front of a computer made Xiao Buli unwilling to hack aimlessly at the giant''s toes like the rest. Instead, he leaped onto the back of the giant''s foot and drew his sword, striking hard at the giant''s toes.


    This strike was unexpectedly effective. The giant, in pain, lifted its foot abruptly. As its other leg was also under attack by the Golden Armored Soldiers, it became unsteady and, to everyone''s surprise, fell to the ground. The people below scattered as the fifty-meter-tall giant crashed down, resembling a minor earthquake. But the soldiers and civilians saw their opportunity as the giant lay on the ground; without hesitation, they converged on its head and attacked all at once, managing to keep the giant down.


    The melee on one side was chaotic, but on the other side two Earth-Stone Giants were advancing towards the Golden Immortal Palace. The immortals floating in the sky saw this all too clearly and naturally grew very anxious.


    "We mustn''t let them destroy the Golden Immortal Palace. Fellow immortals, quickly summon the Elemental Spirits and try to hold off these Ancient Demons! Watch as I activate the Nine Dragons Demon Binding Formation!" An immortal, whose voice thundered across the sky like a shock, called out the orders. The sound echoed endlessly in the heavens, and the combatting immortals, who were casting spells and fighting with sword control, heard this and immediately abandoned their current targets. They gathered together and began to rush towards a certain location within the city.


    Small summoned creatures were of no use in a battle of this level, hence their summoning skills were extraordinary. A huge Summoning Formation was visible on an open area to the west of the city. Because it was relatively close to the city center, it had not yet been damaged by the giants. The immortals had clearly reached a consensus on this beforehand and, at this moment, none wasted any words.


    The immortals took their places in the Formation, some positions requiring only one person, others several, or even a dozen. It was unclear whether this was a requirement of the Array or if some immortals'' mana was insufficient, but everyone settled in position.


    An elder in the center shouted, "Activate the Array." He formed a spell with his hands, and a beam of red light shot into the sky. Seeing this, the other Immortal Families immediately followed suit, their spells unceasing and various forms of Immortal Qi converging. The lines drawn on the ground of the Array gradually lit up, as if awakened, and suddenly, a white light surged into the sky, forming the massive silhouette of an Elemental Body.


    The Array took less than half a minute to activate and materialize an Elemental Giant, showcasing the immense power of these immortals. The first Elemental Giant stepped out of the Array as soon as its limbs had taken shape. Shortly thereafter, another giant Elemental Figure congealed within the halo of light. To put it simply, these immortals utilized the Array and in no time had created over a dozen Elemental Giants. These colossi stood tens of meters tall, including Rock Giants, Clay Giants, and even two Storm Giants, whose lower halves were swirling tornadoes and upper halves were humanoid forms so indistinct and dark they were barely visible. These Storm Giants moved swiftly, leaving behind cyclone-swept paths that seemed even more destructive than the sieging giants.


    Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    These giants from the Array stood still for only a few seconds, as if receiving some command, and then charged towards the attacking Hill Giants. Although the Elemental Giants were not nearly as strong or agile as their hill-attacking counterparts, being at a disadvantage in terms of both health points and strength, their immense size helped to slow down the advance of the invading giants.


    At this point, the situation didn''t look good for anyone involved¡ªthe Ancient Demons ascending the mountain, the remaining Loose Immortals in the sky, the Earth-Stone Giants within the city, and the mortals, Golden Armored Guards, summoned Elemental Giants, as well as the two Hill Giants attempting to destroy the Golden Immortal Palace. Everyone was fully engaged, with no room to spare a thought for others.


    During this deadlock, suddenly there was a sound of rocks crumbling from the sky. Xiao Buli turned towards the Golden Immortal Palace, which was hidden within the white clouds behind him, and to his astonishment, the palace, which was decorated with nine golden dragons stretching a hundred meters along the walls, roof, and columns, came to life. The cracking noises had been the sound of stone breaking as the dragons moved. In a short while, nine golden dragons rose into the sky, and after whirling about for a moment, they dove towards the threefold battle. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes, monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 401 - 31 God Slayer

    The immortals erupted in cheer, putting even more effort into their attacks. These golden dragons were all hundred meters long, and once they entered the battle, they immediately turned the tide. Whether facing fireballs or lightning bolts cast by the ancient demons, they seemed completely indifferent, suffering no damage whatsoever; it appeared they were immune to spells and elemental attacks. Their massive size meant that with a mere shake of their head or a flick of their tail, they could knock down all the ancient demons they faced. With such a powerful aid, the situation quickly became one-sided.


    Seeing the might of the golden dragons, the ancient demons'' attention and attacks were immediately drawn to them, neglecting the scattered immortals. Seizing the opportunity, these scattered immortals unleashed their divine skills relentlessly upon the demons. This reduced the demons to merely taking hits passively.


    Delighted by the scene, Xiao Buli thought it was the perfect time for muddying the waters and snatching up monsters. These giants all had dark gold names, which meant that killing just one would naturally yield a substantial amount of experience, not to mention the possibility of looting equipment. After all, it was a game, and even if these ancient demons were stark naked, having just hatched from their shells, Xiao Buli believed their gear would make his mouth water.


    With that thought, Xiao Buli let go of the giant in his hands and ran towards another that had just been hit by a dragon''s tail sweep. Seeing its health points drop drastically, he thought, "Perfect timing," and cast Freezing Cloud Skills!, Summon Heavy Rain! While the combo of spells did almost no damage¡ªignoring the fact that these giants were immune to elemental damage, even if they weren''t, the hail produced by his minor spell combination would hardly affect the thick-skinned giants¡ªXiao Buli didn''t care. His action just needed to register as an attack to give him looting rights. He had originally thought to take advantage of a giant just hit by the dragon, expecting another strike from the dragon would finish it off, allowing him to swoop in for the loot. But the dragon, being overly large, seemed to be weak at coordination. After swiping its tail at the giant, it didn''t follow up and instead attacked another, leaving Xiao Buli thinking, "Are you kidding me?" As the giant got back up, he worried that if the giant''s rage focused on him, he wouldn''t be able to escape, and hurriedly ran off to seek a new target.


    Drawing on his past experiences with team dungeons, Xiao Buli knew that in the Absolute Death Game, in situations where one isn''t in a team, only the person who dealt the final blow or the most damage to a monster has the rights to loot its equipment. However, this was under the condition that many players were involved. Xiao Buli had never encountered a scenario like this one, where NPCs and monsters were fighting, and a player was at the sidelines. Unsure how the rules calculated this case, he could only guess optimistically and hoped that the game''s rules were consistent¡ªotherwise, if the rules in the Immortal Realm and the Human Realm differed, he''d be in trouble.


    Then, Xiao Buli spotted another target, a smaller giant only twenty meters tall, a rocky little giant whose health was already below one-tenth. Seizing the chance, he used Cloud Thunder Leap to fly above the giant, eyeing the decreasing health points while preparing for his move. Just as the giant''s health fell to a little over a thousand, Xiao Buli swiftly unleashed a series of Thunder Shocks toward the giant''s head.


    With a thunderous boom, a bolt of lightning struck right on the giant''s crown. Although the lightning didn''t inflict any elemental damage, the blunt hit from its landing caused a -542 damage indicator to appear. Xiao Buli rejoiced, thinking the hit was successful and jumped to deliver another. But he saw the giant''s hand coming toward him as he had apparently hurt the giant with his strike. Despite not knowing how smart these demons were, the one confronting Xiao Buli seemed not the brightest as it simply slapped both its head and Xiao Buli with a single painful blow. The palm, whistling with wind, struck fiercely.


    Xiao Buli let out a shout and quickly executed Leaping from Dry Land, jumping off the giant''s bald head. The giant''s own slap hit its head squarely, popping out a -372 damage number.


    It crashed to the ground, comically dying from its own hand. Xiao Buli descended from the sky, rolled on the ground to dissipate the impact, and upon turning back, saw only the giant''s corpse.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me, it can''t be this easy?" Having finally found a creature to battle, Xiao Buli nearly cursed out of frustration¡ªwas it really necessary to struggle just for a kill?


    Xiao Buli went over and fumbled about, but it seemed he couldn''t loot anything. Suppressing the rage with nowhere to vent, he rallied his spirit, thinking there were still so many giants, and once again used Cloud Thunder Leap to rise into the air, flying toward the next one.


    This time it was a magma giant covered in flames, and whether it was bleeding heavily from being attacked or that was just its nature, this giant had magma continuously flowing out of its body, instantly turning anything it touched to ash. Though it appeared ferocious, this high-temperature giant seemed to be at its last gasp, staggering and clumsy, as if it could topple at any moment.


    Surrounded by dozens of Shadow Transformation Flying Swords, this giant was on the brink of collapse when Xiao Buli saw his chance. He executed Cloud Thunder Leap, flew out at just the right moment, and crashed down at the giant''s crown, scoring a critical hit of -1235 damage. That strike turned out to be the last straw for the giant, which exploded with its massive head bursting open, hot magma spraying everywhere. Standing at the center, Xiao Buli bore the brunt of it. Fortunately, his protective shield was automatically sustained, otherwise, he would have been finished off by that blast. Even so, the burn left him writhing in pain, yet he felt elated.


    At that moment, a clear notification sound rang in his ear:


    System Notification: Killed an Ancient Divine Descendant and gained 19,474 combat experience points. Your Prestige in Penglai Fairy City has increased by 1,000 points. Your Prestige in Penglai Fairy City has reached Friendly. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    You have earned the title God Slayer (Epic).


    God Slayer (Epic): Earned by participating in the killing of a divine creature.


    You have obtained the title, Ancient God Butcher.


    God Slayer (Legendary): Can be obtained after participating in the slaying of a divine being. (Only those who deliver the final blow or deal the maximum damage in the battle can obtain it.) Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli was startled by the title of the Ancient God, realizing it was indeed the Ancient God. However, he thought these Ancient Gods were rather weak; although they were resilient, large, and seemingly strong in attack power, they didn''t seem to have any other significant abilities. Compared to Zhurong and Gonggong, whom he had seen in the Illusory Realm, it was like comparing heaven and earth.


    Could it be because they had just been born and were not fully developed? Xiao Buli''s mind raced for a moment, just as the giant''s body was falling toward the ground.


    Xiao Buli leaped down from the sky filled with magma, disregarding the scorching pain from burns. The first thing he did upon landing was to search the body, and with a swoosh, the looting interface popped up.


    An equipment with a dark gold name appeared. Xiao Buli didn''t have time to look closely and clicked to loot everything, then immediately soared into the air. The next moment, the spot where he had been was covered by a huge foot as large as a small boat.


    Xiao Buli looked down from the air and saw that next to the giant he had slain, another giant over a hundred meters tall was howling skywards. The sound waves spread like shockwaves, blowing nearby immortals all over the place as if they were leaves in a storm.


    Lucky I ran fast, or I would have been dead, Xiao Buli thought, breaking into a cold sweat.


    However dangerous it was, it did not stop Xiao Buli''s desire for treasure and monster killing. As they say, fortune favors the bold, and the Ancient Divine Descendants were dropping dark gold equipment. In a world where golden equipment was rare, such equipment was game-changing. Facing some danger was worth the risk.


    Next, Xiao Buli replicated his success. The Immortals and Golden Dragons seemed to have no concept of competing for kills, so there was no obstruction. He soon succeeded in delivering the final blow to two more Ancient Divine Descendants, gaining 2000 Prestige Points and two dark gold pieces of equipment.


    As more and more Ancient Divine Descendants fell, the battle finally reached its end, but Penglai Immortal City was almost destroyed.


    The remaining giants, realizing the situation was hopeless, turned around and charged towards the edge of the city walls. They leaped over the walls and disappeared into the sea of clouds. The surroundings finally returned to peace. Looking at the desolate Fairy City, Xiao Buli couldn''t help feeling a torrent of emotions. It had been a peaceful and heavenly scene when he arrived in the morning, but after just over ten hours, it was now a scene of ruins.


    Without concerning himself with the more pressing matters at hand, Xiao Buli landed on top of a palace. After scanning the area from the roof and seeing no further danger, he breathed a long sigh of relief. This turn of events had been quite dramatic. When luck comes, it can''t be stopped. Who would have thought a trip to the Immortal Realm would yield such great rewards? In this battle, he was involved in slaying three Ancient Divine Descendants, earning him fifty to sixty thousand battle experience, 3000 points of Penglai Immortal City Prestige, and he was only a few hundred points away from respect. Moreover, he managed to obtain three dark gold pieces of equipment, which he could finally inspect at leisure.


    Touching his bag, Xiao Buli looked at the three pieces of equipment with excitement.


    The design of each piece of equipment was very unique: A shield formed from magma, with black rock crevices flowing with golden-yellow hot magma. Yet, holding it in hand, there was no feeling of heat. It was called the Ancient Magma Barrier. A sword that seemed to be made of crystal, chilling to the bone, with sharp angles in its design, very similar to the ice spikes on the bodies of the Ice Element giants. Xiao Buli had looted it from a smaller Ice Element giant, named the Ancient Ice Blade.


    The last item looked like a talisman, earthy yellow in color, and its material resembled that of ceramic shards. It didn''t look remarkable at first glance, but Xiao Buli''s expression turned ecstatic when he checked the attributes. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 402 - 32: Storage Bracelet

    Ancient Heart of the Earth: (Dark Gold-Amulet).


    Permanent Effect: Stone Armor Skills LV10, Rock Skin Skills LV10.


    Passive: Your Earth Element skills advance, gaining additional special effects.


    Earth Magic skills advanced? Xiao Buli was a bit confused by this description. Was it a promotion in skill level? Or perhaps...


    .....


    Earth Escape Skills! Xiao Buli cast Earth Escape Skills right where he stood, and the next moment, his body sank into the ground. The Fairy City was built atop high cliffs, unlike ordinary land, and what lay beneath was solid rock.


    Emerging from the ground once more, a rush of elation flooded Xiao Buli''s heart. Indeed, it seemed that the advancement of Earth Magic was not just a simple increase in skill level, but an actual elevation of the spell''s effects to a whole new tier. For example, the Earth Escape Skills could originally only work in sand, but now they worked in rock as well. The method he had painstakingly searched for, to escape the base, was unexpectedly discovered during this accidental journey. To think that Xiao Buli had once lamented the wasteful spending of a thousand points of Contribution Value; now it appeared to be an extremely worthwhile investment.


    Seeing the powerful effect of the Heart of the Earth, Xiao Buli''s heart sprouted grass, so to speak, and he wished he could immediately leave the game and try his Earth Escape technique at the base. But he was at a critical juncture in the game, and the trip to the Heaven Realm wasn''t over yet. Although there wasn''t much time left, who knew what miraculous things might still occur? Therefore, Xiao Buli happily wore the amulet and thought it better to wait until a lull in the activities before exiting. Fortunately, not only was the game similar to the outside world, but eating and drinking were also compatible with one''s physical body in the real world, otherwise, he might have starved after spending too much time in-game.


    The moment he donned the amulet, Xiao Buli felt another wave of astonishment. This Dark Gold equipment was indeed extraordinary. As soon as he put it on, his body was instantly coated with a layer of bronze glowing light, which vanished in an instant, merging into Xiao Buli''s body. Even though this glow didn''t seem much at first glance, its defensive effect was definitely top-notch. LV10 Stone Armor Skills could provide an additional 100 points of Armor, which was almost equivalent to the effect of an inch-thick steel plate.


    And LV10 Rock Skin Skills could largely immunize him from damage due to fire, acid, poison, and other Elemental Attacks, meaning that, with his current strength, ordinary low-level spells like Fireball couldn''t even scratch him. No wonder those rock creatures could disregard the spells of the Immortal Families.


    After dealing with the Ancient Heart of the Earth, Xiao Buli''s gaze shifted to the other two pieces of equipment:


    Ancient Magma Barrier: (Dark Gold-Shield).


    Permanent Effect: Fiery Protective Ring LV10, Flame Spirit Blessing LV10.


    Passive: Fire Element skills advance.


    The effect of the Fiery Protective Ring is to deal fire damage to nearby enemies who attack you. The effect at LV10 can deal 50 points of fire damage each time, (since it is a constant skill of the equipment, it is not strengthened by points in spiritual power).


    This reflection effect is calculated based on the number of attacks. If an enemy with 200 health makes four close-ranged attacks, they would be burned to death by the reflected fire before Xiao Buli even has to lift a finger.


    The Flame Spirit Blessing reduces fire damage, with each level reducing damage by 10%. The effect at LV10 reduces 100% of fire damage, nearly making one immune to fire damage. The only reason it''s "nearly" is that some Fire Element spells have effects that ignore Resistance, such as the Lava Giant Python''s Lava Core Burst Strike.


    As for the advancement of Fire Element skills, the effect is similar to the advancement of Earth Magic from the Ancient Heart of the Earth, allowing Fire Element spells to improve qualitatively. Xiao Buli tried out the Sunfire Sword Qi, and the flames attached to the sword changed into a white-hot color like the core of the sun. Even though he couldn''t see the specific data changes, Xiao Buli believed that with such an effect, the power of his weapon would have increased manifold.


    Finally, there was the Ancient Frost Blade.


    Ancient Frost Blade: (Dark Gold-One-handed Sword).


    Permanent Effect: Frost Cold Weapon LV10, Bone-piercing Frost LV10.


    Passive: Ice Element spells advance.


    (Can be used as a Flying Sword). S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The effect of Frost Cold Weapon is to add Ice Element damage to the weapon. At LV10, it could increase about 50 points of Ice damage. The effect of Bone-piercing Frost is to inflict a slowing DEBUFF on the target upon hit. This effect can be stacked, and once it reaches 10 layers, a Deep Freeze effect is triggered, completely freezing the target, which is quite a powerful special effect.


    The most important attribute is the last one: it can be used as a Flying Sword. Now, Xiao Buli was in need of a Flying Sword, and the arrival of the Ancient Frost Blade was like a sleepy person meeting a pillow¡ªit was perfectly suitable. Although the sword''s attack power was not specified, its might was certainly much greater than any sword Xiao Buli had used before.


    Though it sounds complicated to describe, reviewing the properties of the weapons took only a moment for Xiao Buli. He was already ecstatic from obtaining these three invincible items, when unexpectedly, a system notification sound rang in his ear:


    Completed Task: Assisting Fairy City. Your Prestige in Penglai Immortal City has increased by 1000 points. You have reached a Respected Prestige level in Penglai Immortal City.

 Chapter 403 - 32 Storage Bracelet_2

    This was truly the icing on the cake, though Xiao Buli believed that he might not have the chance to come here again, but having higher Prestige was always beneficial. Who knows, maybe after he grew stronger, he could get his master, or perhaps Gu Yuexuan by then, to bring him back to the Immortal Realm another time to see if they could catch some Immortal Beasts. Xiao Buli''s heart brimmed with excitement as he fantasized about such prospects.


    A Golden Armored Guard, who appeared rather disheveled after the battle, walked toward him. His helmet was missing at this point, making him look quite different from the majestic figure he had been earlier, but his deep-set features and his straight nose still gave him a military air.


    "Mortal, you''ve done well. Here are some Spirit Stones as your reward," the Golden Armored Soldier said as he handed the Spirit Stones to Xiao Buli. Immediately, a system notification popped up in front of Xiao Buli: System Upgrade: Acquired 300 Spirit Stones.


    "It was my duty. Is there anything else I can do for Fairy City?" Xiao Buli hastily replied with modesty. Kidding aside, serving Fairy City had significant advantages, and Xiao Buli saw no reason not to indulge in them.


    The Golden Armored Soldier seemed quite pleased with Xiao Buli''s response. A fleeting smile crossed his stern face, and although it was momentary, Xiao Buli caught it. For some reason, Xiao Buli felt a sudden emotional stir, realizing that these individuals must also be flesh-and-blood beings with thoughts of their own. Yet, that Heavenly Dao toyed with them, making them follow rules¡ªit was a mystery what exactly Heavenly Dao was.


    "That''s wonderful. We need help clearing the corpses of these giants. Can you manage that?" The voice of the Golden Armored Soldier sounded much softer than before, although Xiao Buli wasn''t sure if it was because of his newfound respect or because he had offered his assistance voluntarily.


    System Update: Quest triggered, clear the battlefield.


    Xiao Buli quickly nodded and tapped to accept.


    Each of these giants was colossal, and most were composed of rocks and soil, Earth-Stone Giants. Since the bodies of the Ice Giants would turn into water after death, leaving practically nothing behind; and the Lava Giants'' bodies would explode upon death, leaving behind flames and lava that cooled down to nearly nothing.


    Only the giants made of earth and plants remained, their corpses lying there like small hills even after death. While it was possible to drag away the whole bodies, it would require a massive amount of manpower. The Loose Immortals from the nearby mountains or from Fairy Island had all dispersed after the battle, unwilling even to greet the Immortals of the city as they passed by.


    The Immortals of Fairy City, accustomed to luxury, were hardly willing to undertake such labor-intensive work, not to mention they had just been through a battle. Most sought a quiet place to meditate and recuperate.


    Nearly all that remained were the Golden Armored Attendants and the mortal servants, who could be seen swinging hammers and swords, dissecting the bodies piece by piece before carting them off from the city.


    Xiao Buli approached the nearest Earth-Stone Giant corpse and struck it with his sword a couple of times, sparks flying. It did not appear to be easily cut through.


    "If you have the excavation skill, you might want to put it to use," a seemingly honest and straightforward mortal servant suggested helpfully after watching Xiao Buli''s ineffective struggles.


    Xiao Buli quickly nodded his thanks and pulled out a mining pick from his bag, swinging it at the corpse a few times. Truth be told, Xiao Buli had little faith in this tactic, as it seemed a mere courtesy based on someone else''s suggestion. After all, it didn''t make sense to put chunks of giant in his bag only to discard them later, as that would be far too laborious.


    But after just a couple of swings, Xiao Buli''s heart leapt. This was unexpected?


    As his pick struck the giant, a new notification immediately flashed before his eyes: System Notice: Acquired Huijin Stone.


    Excitedly, Xiao Buli opened his bag to check the Huijin Stone to see what it really was.


    Huijin Stone (Gold - Mineral): A rare material.


    A good find indeed! Gold materials could be used to craft gold equipment and, while not as impressive as the Dark Gold equipment he had obtained earlier, it was still quite valuable. It seemed likely that the giants'' bodies were composed of earth and rocks from the Immortal Realm.


    Ha, when luck comes, it can''t be stopped! Ever since Xiao Buli stepped into the Immortal Realm and visited the hot springs, good fortune had been following him, one after another. Although there were dangers, as the saying goes, "fortune seeks the daring." After battling with the python, he got a powerful pet; after fighting the giants, he scored the most impressive equipment to date. And now, even this tough menial work yielded precious ore, which only added to his already buoyant mood.


    He feverishly kept mining the body of the giant, with the system''s notification sounds ringing nonstop in his ears:


    System Notice: Acquired Moon Spirit Stone.


    System Notice: Acquired Magic Crystal Stone.


    System Notice: Acquired Earth Core Crystal.


    ...


    Despite the bountiful harvest, Xiao Buli soon encountered a new problem¡ªthe capacity of his bag was insufficient. With little space to spare in his bag and now filled with minerals, it wasn''t long before Xiao Buli could carry no more. What to do now? As he looked around at the corpses covering the ground, they seemed like giant treasure chests, and yet he felt powerless to haul them all back. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 404 - 32 Storage Bracelet_3

    At that moment, Xiao Buli suddenly thought of Yi Xuan and wondered how he managed to carry so much stuff. Looking around, he saw no sign of Yi Xuan and grew anxious until he caught sight of an elderly figure nearby.


    Isn''t that the old man who recycles second-hand Magical Treasures? Buli thought to himself. In the Immortal Realm, there must be storage-type Magical Treasures available, but after the recent battle, none of the Immortal Families were likely in the mood to open their shops immediately. Even if he went to the shops, he doubted he would be able to buy anything. Moreover, he didn''t have much time to waste here, so he quickly turned his attention to the wily old man in front of him. However, as slick as the old man was, Buli knew that he''d surely get fleeced if he approached him directly to make a purchase.


    With that in mind, Buli went behind the old man and asked a servant nearby, "Young man, do you know where in this Fairy City I can buy storage-class Magical Treasures?"


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the old man immediately turn his head to look in his direction.


    "Storage Magical Treasures? The shops here do have them for sale, but they''re likely damaged by now. You could see if anyone has one they no longer use and might be willing to part with," the servant replied, unaware of Buli''s intentions.


    Buli thought to himself, this was perfect. With that statement, bargaining just became a lot easier. He thanked the servant and turned to leave.


    As expected, the old man couldn''t help but come closer and said, "Mortal, why don''t you ask this old fellow if you''re looking to buy a Magical Treasure?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Buli glanced at him dismissively, as if not impressed at all, "Do you have any? Hopefully, they''re not just some unwanted junk."


    "What you have is a pile of junk, but this old man can turn waste into treasure. What I have here are all valuable items," the old man replied, not willing to be outdone and looking quite pleased with himself.


    "You," Buli said, pretending to be angry while actually not bothered at all. Having dealt with the old man a few times, Buli had figured out his personality: the more frustrated and angry you became, the happier he was. "Then show me what you have."


    The old man, all smiles upon hearing this, immediately took out three items and said:


    "This first one is a Qiankun Bag, which can contain an entire Qiankun within it, for just 15,000 Spirit Stones.


    The second is called a Hundred Treasures Pouch, capable of holding something as large as a mountain, for just 5,000 Spirit Stones.


    The third is a storage bracelet, able to accommodate something the size of a room, for just 1,000 Spirit Stones."


    After the old man proudly introduced the three items, he waited for Buli''s reaction, assuming that a mortal like Buli would be impressed by the Magical Treasures. Instead, Buli just sneered, "What do I need such large storage for? I might as well ask around and see if anyone has one they don''t need. I could trade some Magical Treasures for it."


    Seeing the deal slipping away, the old man urgently called out, "How big do you need?"


    Buli was actually worried that the old man had all sizes available, so he thought for a moment and said, "That storage bracelet might do, but it''s too expensive, not suitable. The stuff I''d store in it isn''t worth that much; I''d rather keep my Spirit Stones."


    "Then how much will you give?" the old man asked.


    "500, I guess." This was a price-cutting technique Buli learned from an ex-girlfriend: always cut the price in half when bargaining.


    "500? Are you robbing me?" the old man immediately reacted as if in pain.


    "Then forget it," Buli said, turning to leave. "I''ll ask someone else. You''re too shrewd for me."


    Although he seemed discourteous, Buli actually complimented the old man, making him secretly pleased. The old man didn''t want to raise the price too high and said, "If you really want it, add those junk Magical Treasures you brought, and it''s yours."


    Buli was ready to agree, knowing those Magical Treasures were of no use to him. Still, seeing the old man take such an interest, he hesitated a bit before replying, "It''s not appropriate, not appropriate. Let''s forget it."


    "You, really..." The old man started, then added, "If it weren''t for the few spare parts on your broken treasures that I can use, I wouldn''t bother. What use do you have for them with your current strength?" With those words, Buli was struck with a realization¡ªthis old man could see through his power level. It was clear that no one in the Immortal Realm should be underestimated. Thinking that time was money and not wanting to haggle anymore, he stomped his foot as if making a big decision, "Then it''s yours."


    Finally smiling broadly, the old man and Buli exchanged their items. Now armed with a suitable tool, Buli waved his pickaxe and started digging toward the corpse. After digging in silence for more than an hour, he had unearthed only one corpse, but even so, it made for a handsome haul. Looking around, Buli saw the other corpses were already being taken care of by other servants. His lone corpse had turned into a mine''s worth of ore in his pouch, a shame that he didn''t have enough time or storage. Otherwise, he could have made a killing.


    System prompt: Mission completed, clean up the battlefield. Your Prestige in Penglai Immortal City has increased by 200 points.


    This was where the difference in mission rewards became apparent; for a relatively safe task, he earned only 200 Prestige points despite being busy for half a day.


    The Golden Armor Guard who posted the task then rewarded Buli with 100 Spirit Stones. Looking into the distance with a somewhat melancholic expression, he said, "Some Ancient Demons have escaped, and we''re not sure if they''ll cause trouble later on. We''re organizing a pursuit. Do you have any interest in joining?"


    System prompt: Mission triggered, hunt Ancient Demons. Will you accept? Yes/No.


    Buli thought to himself that joining for the experience was a no-brainer and hastily clicked ''Accept.'' (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to support it by voting for it on Qidian.com. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 405 - 33 Frost Claw Silver Wolf

    Xiao Buli accepted the mission and followed a golden armored attendant to the vicinity of the city wall, where fifty to sixty people were already waiting. In groups of three to five, they were discussing the routes for the pursuit. Looking down from the city wall, Xiao Buli saw that the sea of clouds beneath had returned to its normal pure white color, quiet and peaceful as if nothing had ever happened. However, he couldn''t see clearly what lay farther down.


    At that time, a golden armored attendant stood atop the city wall, giving an impassioned speech, seemingly to boost everyone''s morale. Xiao Buli listened for a few sentences; the speech was in an archaic and stern language that was difficult to understand, so he paid it no further mind.


    Then, the golden armored attendant who had brought him there began to distribute something to everyone. Quite soon, he approached Xiao Buli, "Please take this. If you encounter a demon, don''t fight it head-on. Use this to signal, and immortals will come to encircle and kill it." He then moved on to another person, saying almost the same thing.


    Xiao Buli took a close look at what he''d been given. It resembled a small handheld firework used at weddings, but was made of a different material, seemingly bamboo, with a fuse at the tail end, which he guessed could be pulled to activate it.


    By then, some of those who had received the signal flares couldn''t wait any longer and had already leaped from the wall, descending rapidly along the ridge of the mountain. They occasionally skidded on rocks to slow their descent and soon vanished into the white clouds. Seeing this made Xiao Buli anxious. He didn''t wait for the golden armored man to finish his speech and followed with a Cloud Thunder Leap down the cliff.


    Accompanied by a thunderous roar, Xiao Buli had landed in the dense forest below the clouds, even earlier than those who had jumped before him.


    The forest trees had been smashed askew by the corpse of the ancient demon¡ªnow resembling huge stone blocks. Xiao Buli moved past this area and quickly spotted the traces of the fleeing ancient demons. As most demons had enormous bodies, their passage through the lush forest caused many branches to break, leaving conspicuous signs.


    Upon seeing the tracks divide into multiple paths, Xiao Buli, though his strength had greatly increased due to the three pieces of Dark Gold equipment, didn''t dare act rashly in the Immortal Realm. He chose to follow the least obvious trail, indicating two possibilities: first, the demon was smaller in size; second, the demon was heavily injured and possibly lacked strength. Regardless, it was still a demon, and if he could overpower it, all the better. If not, he still had the signal flare. Moreover, seeing that the demons had strong resistance to hits but not fast attack speed or agility, even under the worst-case scenario, he should be able to escape by relying on Cloud Thunder Leap.


    After realizing this, Xiao Buli followed the trail and continued tracking. This time was different from his last foray into the forest; his initial path with Yi Xuan was near the main road, and the woods were not very dense. But this time, the forest he traversed clearly had the makings of a primeval forest. After about fifteen minutes, Xiao Buli could clearly feel the light dimming around him and, due to the dense trees, even though he knew the pursuing troops should be nearby, he couldn''t hear a single sound. He quickly put on the Betrayer''s Dark Vision to settle his unease.


    Seeing the density of the forest, Xiao Buli began to worry whether the signal flare would indeed attract the Immortal Families'' aid.


    With uneasy thoughts, he immediately grew suspicious of his surroundings, as if countless creatures were lurking in the shadows, rustling persistently. He quickened his pace, hoping nothing untoward would occur along the way.


    Whether it was fate being contrary or mere coincidence, the more he hoped to avoid trouble, the faster it found him. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No sooner had Xiao Buli taken a few steps than he heard a snuffling, snuffling sound far ahead. It sounded somewhat like human snoring but was as if accompanied by heavy breathing. Xiao Buli listened for a moment, then suddenly his heart leaped with joy. This sound, wasn''t it a bit like the gasping from a dying creature''s throat? Could he be so lucky as to have stumbled upon a dying ancient demon? He quickly hastened his steps toward the source of the noise and shortly arrived at a clearing in the forest, only to find a scene that startled him.


    He saw about a dozen silver wolves the size of calf-sized calves, their bodies completely white. They were encircling and feeding on the carcass of some animal. The snuffling sound Xiao Buli had heard was actually these wolves making a threatening noise from their throats as they ate, similar to a dog guarding its food.


    This shock was no small matter. Xiao Buli knew these silver wolves were called Frost Claw Silver Wolves, and their attack power was not considered strong among the creatures of the Immortal Realm. He had learned this from Jingji, who had once kept one such wolf; Xiao Buli had seen it. However, Frost Claw Silver Wolves are social creatures. Encountering many at once could be a difficult situation to escape from, especially since Xiao Buli was alone at the moment.


    With this in mind, Xiao Buli tiptoed backward, hoping to slip away unnoticed by these Yama, King of Hell equivalents.


    But after just two steps, he felt a threatening growl behind him. The sound was not loud, but it made Xiao Buli''s hairs stand on end. Turning around, he saw a Frost Claw Silver Wolf, a full head taller than himself, sitting there, staring at him with a pair of icy silver eyes.

 Chapter 406 - 33 Frost Claw Silver Wolf_2

    Hastily, with a leap, I took refuge at the side, my back against a large ancient tree that would take two people to embrace. Watching the wolves that had just been feasting, now each lifting their heads with bloodthirsty glints in their eyes, blood and flesh hanging from their maws. They started circling Xiao Buli, tongues ceaselessly licking the blood around their mouths.


    The Frost Claw Silver Wolves'' fur was snow-white and radiant, especially the pack leader, whose thick, dense fur had the crystal-clear color and texture of a diamond, softly shining with light that radiated with its movements. It looked majestic and beautiful, making Xiao Buli couldn''t help but want to capture it.


    With that thought, Xiao Buli pulled out the Ancient Magma Barrier from his pack and drew the Glowing Light Sword from his hand.


    The Frost Claw Silver Wolves belonged to the creatures capable of elemental attacks, with their attributes being of the Ice Element, which meant they possessed strong resistance to ice-related spells. Their main attack abilities were Frost Breath and Ice Claw Skills, but fire element spells and equipment could inflict double damage on them.


    Xiao Buli activated the Sunfire Sword Qi, and the Glowing Light Sword in his hand immediately radiated a bright white light, transforming into a searing blade of light. Sensing the intense heat, the silver wolves that had approached became hesitant and stopped in their tracks.


    The Wolf King at the rear let out a low growl filled with an intimidating force.


    This made the four or five lead wolves immediately hesitate to retreat. On Xiao Buli''s left, one wolf with a long scar across its eye¡ªa clear sign of a hardened fighter¡ªtook the lead and rushed toward Xiao Buli. It pounced with its front paws, reaching out to grab him. The other wolves, seeing movement, instantly followed suit, with two of them crouching low to attack Xiao Buli''s legs from the front, while one on the right bent its knees as if preparing to pounce. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli didn''t have time to survey the movements of the wolf pack. As the scar-faced wolf lunged, he immediately raised his shield to block it. The Frost Wolf''s claw scratched against the shield. Using the strength of its front legs, the wolf twisted its body and leapt to one side.


    The two wolves at Xiao Buli''s feet snapped at his ankles. By the time he wanted to defend with his shield, it was too late. Swinging the light blade in his hand, he slashed at the necks of the two silver wolves. The sword hadn''t reached them yet, but the heat wave that came first scared the wolf that had touched the sword first, causing it to whimper and turn tail to run. Unfortunately, the other wolf wasn''t so lucky. It had been bumped by the wolf running away and didn''t have the chance to escape. Xiao Buli''s sword struck right behind its ear. Due to the elemental opposition and Xiao Buli''s much greater strength, half of the wolf''s head was cleanly sliced off, like cutting tofu. The silver wolf fell dead without a chance to howl.


    The silver wolf to Xiao Buli''s right saw his stance¡ªone hand bearing a downward-pointing sword, leaving no chance to defend, while the other hand held a shield hanging uselessly at his side. It was the perfect moment for an ambush. The wolf''s hind legs propelled it forward like lightning, its claws aiming a strike at Xiao Buli''s unprotected back. Xiao Buli was taken aback, too late to react. The claws landed their hit, and all Xiao Buli could hear was the sound like claws scraping an iron plate. He felt a slight sting on his back but realized, to his relief, that they couldn''t hurt him at all.


    It seemed the defensive power of the Heart of the Earth was showing its worth; there was no need even to mount a defense. Xiao Buli''s killing intent rose, and he stowed away the Ancient Magma Barrier, switching the sword to his left hand. With a single slash, he bisected the ambushing wolf. The blade rose, and the wolf''s body split in two, its innards spilling out onto the ground.


    The other wolves became enraged at the sight, forgetful of any tactics they cast aside caution and rushed at him in a mad flurry. Xiao Buli was unbothered, letting them latch onto various parts of his body, tearing away, while his sword remained nonstop, and in mere moments, more than a dozen silver wolves lay dead by his sword.


    Xiao Buli was now covered in the blood of the silver wolves, resembling a bloodthirsty demon.


    However, the Wolf King had yet to make a move, watching malevolently as Xiao Buli slaughtered the wolf pack. A pile of silvery-gray eyes stared intently at Xiao Buli, unblinking, and in that moment, he too stopped, standing off with the Wolf King.


    The Wolf King slowly rose from the ground, taking light steps and gradually entering Xiao Buli''s attack range. Xiao Buli still stared intently at the Wolf King, but in the next second, his vision blurred, and a streak of white light flashed by. The Wolf King, with its extreme speed, had already closed in.


    With no time to strike a pose, Xiao Buli hurriedly swung his sword, instinctively feeling that the Wolf King''s attack power was in no way comparable to the other silver wolves. Therefore, he was much more cautious, quickly re-equipping the Ancient Magma Barrier in his hand.


    The Wolf King, however, didn''t rush to attack. After a missed strike, it immediately turned and landed on the ground with agile steps, seemingly impossible for such a massive creature. It circled Xiao Buli slowly, and while Xiao Buli had yet to turn around, the Wolf King pounced again with swift movements. Xiao Buli had prepared himself, but when the moment came, he was still a half-beat too slow. His Ancient Magma Barrier wasn''t quick enough to protect his body, and he felt a piercing pain accompanied by biting cold on his shoulder as the Wolf King''s claw struck true.


    Xiao Buli frantically waved the Ancient Magma Barrier. What was originally a defensive move quickly turned into an offensive one. This strike was extremely fast and fiercely collided with the Wolf King''s body. The Ancient Magma Barrier added a Fire Element attack, and with this blow, the Wolf King was knocked to the ground, its silvery white fur singed black where it touched the magma.


    After hitting the ground, the Wolf King immediately curled up into a ball. Xiao Buli, seizing the opportunity, followed up with his sword, aiming for the place where the Wolf King had landed. But the Wolf King, curling up, rolled away from the strike and then, with a powerful arch of its back, stood up again, moving as fluidly as drifting clouds and flowing water.


    Xiao Buli marveled inwardly. This Wolf King seemed to possess significant intelligence and was well-versed in combat. He dare not underestimate it and became fully alert.


    Having taken a heavy hit from Xiao Buli, the Wolf King too didn''t dare to strike rashly. The man and the beast stood off against each other.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli''s figure softened, and he disappeared from sight. The Wolf King, shocked and frightened, hastily retreated to a defensive stance, but too late, he realized there was a disturbance beneath his feet. It was already too late to escape when Xiao Buli burst from the ground with his sword, striking upwards in a devastating blow that split the Wolf King open. The change was too rapid for any reaction, and the Wolf King, acting on instinct, still managed to jump away, but regrettably, its entrails did not follow, scattering across the ground.


    Staggering a few steps, the Wolf King fell unwillingly to the ground.


    This time, Xiao Buli had used Earth Escape Skills to catch it by surprise.


    Approaching the Wolf King, Xiao Buli saw it was taking its last breaths, scarcely able to breathe in. He quickly executed a Sealing Skill. At this point, the Wolf King had no strength left to resist and obediently became Xiao Buli''s third pet from the Immortal Realm after the giant python.


    Xiao Buli was delighted with the Wolf King''s earlier display. He had thought Frost Claw Silver Wolves lacked strong attack power and had hesitated, but this Wolf King''s intellect and speed were incomparable to the others, proving to be a real treasure. Eager to summon it for a proper look, yet fearing it might delay its recovery time, he suppressed his excitement and continued on his journey.


    Following the traces of the giant''s path, Xiao Buli persisted in the pursuit, but noted the signs of broken branches growing fewer. It seemed the giant''s strength was waning; in many places, only the grass trampled on the ground showed it started crawling using hands and feet. Xiao Buli was pleased, thinking he would soon score another achievement.


    Just then, Xiao Buli suddenly heard a whooshing sound by his ear, as a huge shadow accompanied by the heat rushed towards him from the right. Xiao Buli quickly executed a Shadow Clone maneuver to dodge and turned to have a careful look, only to see a fierce tiger, engulfed in flames.

 Chapter 407 - 34: The Legacy of the Ancient Gods Strength

    The tiger''s stripes seemed to be in the shape of flames, its fur a blazing red, glaring ferociously from where Xiao Buli had stood moments ago. He hadn''t expected the Fairy Forest to be teeming with fierce beasts, no wonder his master had repeatedly warned him not to wander into the woods alone.


    Seeing that its pounce had missed, the fierce tiger grew anxious and started to run towards Xiao Buli. As it ran, the already reddish tiger suddenly burst into fierce flames, its body completely enveloped in firelight, causing the leaves it passed to curl up from the scorching heat.


    Xiao Buli realized that this tiger must belong to the Fire Element beasts. Without wasting words, he immediately switched to the Ancient Ice Blade, pinched the Sword Technique, and charged towards the tiger with the Ice Blade. With a slash, he opened a long cut on the tiger''s back. Due to the Ice Blade''s Water Element Attributes, the fire on the tiger''s back was extinguished considerably.


    The tiger let out a thunderous painful roar that echoed through the forest, and lashed out with its paw at the Ice Blade. Xiao Buli quickly urged the Sword Technique, making the Ice Blade dance in the air.


    Dodging the tiger''s sharp claws while looking for an opportunity, he fiercely thrust at the tiger''s body. Despite its majestic appearance, the tiger wasn''t very agile, and soon after, all the flames on its body were extinguished. Due to the special effects of the ice, its movements also seemed to slow down.


    Before long, overwhelmed by the Ice Blade, the tiger was on its last breath. Xiao Buli retrieved the Ice Blade and approached, recalling that all the fierce beasts he had sealed in the mortal realm had perished in battle. Now, he was indeed in need of a magical pet, so without considering the tiger''s combat strength and agility, which were inferior to the silver wolves he had encountered earlier, he decided to seal it in as well.


    Just after completing this series of actions, Xiao Buli suddenly heard a voice by his ear, "I am over here."


    The voice was neither male nor female, gentle and kind, stirring a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu in Xiao Buli.


    "Who?" Xiao Buli became alert and looked behind him, but saw nothing but disorderly leaves, no sign of anyone.


    "I am over here," the voice came through again, and this time he heard it clearly. The voice was not coming from behind him but from inside his mind¡ªit was the deformed creature he had released before. The sound had been weak at first, which was why he hadn''t recognized it right away.


    Excited, Xiao Buli wondered if his fate with the creature was one of destiny or karma. He had been tracking the traces of an Ancient Demon, and that had led him to this creature. He quickly parted the branches and followed the sound.


    Though this giant was small compared to other giants, standing at over a dozen meters tall, Xiao Buli didn''t need to search very hard to find the creature lying on the ground, on the brink of death.


    "You were looking for me?" Xiao Buli asked in his mind from a distance, knowing that the creature could communicate spiritually, thus there was no need to be close for them to converse.


    "Yes," the creature slightly lifted its head and looked in Xiao Buli''s direction with its large black eyes, seemingly full of expectation.


    "It seems you''ve failed," Xiao Buli said to himself, feeling rather sorry for the creature. "Did you anticipate this outcome?"


    "Of course." For the first time, an expression appeared on the giant''s face¡ªa faint smile. The originally fierce countenance now seemed somewhat pleasant. It turns out a smile really could make one beautiful, Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    "Then why did you initiate the siege in the first place?" Xiao Buli inquired.


    "Because it was bound to happen. Moreover, the result and the process are two different things; not being successful doesn''t mean we shouldn''t try," the creature tilted its head, seemingly confused by Xiao Buli''s question, its own strange logic appearing somewhat presumptuous.


    Xiao Buli chuckled mentally, "To do something you know won''t succeed seems utterly pointless."


    "Pointless? The significance of this action lies in the doing," the creature seemed not to care about Xiao Buli''s amusement, and it was unclear what it was really thinking, but Xiao Buli felt he couldn''t understand.


    "It seems our ideologies are at odds," Xiao Buli sighed.


    This time the giant didn''t respond but nodded slightly. After a while, the voice in Xiao Buli''s mind spoke again, "I am going to die," without any change in tone or emotion, stating it as if simply remarking that the flowers had bloomed or the trees had grown taller¡ªso indifferently. "There is something we both wish to accomplish."


    "What is it?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Kill me," the giant said.


    "You want me to kill you?" Although this was undoubtedly something Xiao Buli would do, such a request coming from the creature itself seemed... odd. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Exactly," the creature affirmed once more.


    "Is this some kind of mission?" Xiao Buli probed, thinking that such a peculiar setup in a game usually hinted at a hidden quest: "Do you have anything you need me to do for you?"


    The giant shook his head again, "You will naturally know what needs to be done when the time comes. However, whether you have the capability to take on this task still needs to be verified by me, because only a true warrior can accomplish it."


    "How do you verify?"


    "Battle."


    Damn, after all that talk it''s still going to be a fight, this part is so much like one of those plot quests, where although the BOSS converses with you, in the end, it comes down to a fight. Xiao Buli chuckled to himself, thinking that with the freak''s condition right now, let alone fighting, even standing up was an issue.


    Yet the moment that freak finished speaking the word "battle," his body suddenly emitted a bright white light, and his bloodlessly pale body immediately appeared sacred. A visible Strength coursed through him, and soon he stood up from the ground.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli was shocked and considered shooting a signal flare, but then he thought he might as well test the waters first.


    Sword Control Technique¡ªStraight Lightning Sword!


    The Ice Blade in his hand shot out, aimed directly at the giant''s throat.


    However, the giant didn''t care about the tiny flying sword at all, swatting it aside with his hand. With a flip of his right hand, a ball of lightning appeared, which was only the size of a ball to the giant, but an enormous entity to Xiao Buli¡ªa two-meter-diameter Lightning Sphere crackling with electric arcs and searing energy slammed down from above. Xiao Buli hastily used Shadow Clone to dodge, barely avoiding the brunt of it, though his body still felt a jolt of electricity passing through. Thankfully, having dodged most of it, the little that hit him might as well have been an adrenaline shot.


    Xiao Buli renewed his spirit, changing his Sword technique in hand. The flying sword changed direction, thrusting at the back of the giant''s head. The giant, without turning his head, casually flicked his hand backward, and a surge of lightning came up from the ground. Xiao Buli immediately jumped away, losing control of the sword, which flew out obliquely in mid-air and did not harm the giant at all.


    The two exchanged blows, with the giant seemingly having eyes all over his body. Although Xiao Buli and the flying sword were both too small for him, he managed to come out with surprising victories every time, effectively restraining Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli saw that this couldn''t go on and used his Sealing Skill to summon the Lava Giant Python. Having left the Lava Cave, the python had lost its ability to spew flames, but its massive size and strength were undeniable. The several-dozen-meter-length python took advantage of its size in the fight.


    Moreover, with its immunity to Fire Element magic, the Fireball Lightning in the giant''s hand only caused moderate damage to it. With the python engaging the giant head-on, Xiao Buli''s flying sword was relentless. Watching for the right moment, he would strike swiftly.


    This strategy did deplete a significant amount of the freak''s health points, but the giant''s health was surprisingly high. Realizing this wouldn''t work in the long run, Xiao Buli quickly commanded the Lava Giant Python to change tactics.


    Receiving Xiao Buli''s intent, the python moved like lightning, weaving from left to right around the giant''s body. Taking him off guard, it wrapped tightly around the giant, restraining his limbs.


    Seeing the opportunity arise, Xiao Buli took a Cloud Thunder Leap and rose into the air, grabbing the Ice Blade from mid-air and ascending into the sky. The giant was desperately struggling in the python''s embrace. Xiao Buli didn''t dare to fly too high, hovering only tens of meters above the giant before plunging down.


    He thrust the Ice Blade viciously, accompanied by lightning, and Xiao Buli forcefully landed on the giant''s head. A huge burst of electrical light spread over the crown of the giant''s head. Xiao Buli''s Ice Blade pierced through, dealing Thunder Strike damage and instantly dispatching the giant.


    Seeing that its master had succeeded, the python slowly slid off the giant''s body. However, due to the giant''s muscles still violently struggling just a moment ago, he did not fall immediately. The giant''s black eyes gradually turned a pale gray, and a strange smile crept across his lips.


    Xiao Buli stood atop the giant''s head, hardly believing it, until the pleasant sound of the system notification rang in his ears:


    Killing an Ancient Divine Descendant, you have earned the title ''God Slayer,'' and have inherited the power of an Ancient God.


    God Slayer: Obtained by defeating a divine being with Divinity on your own. Wearing this title, all lowly beings shall kneel at your feet.


    In addition to this, a new BUFF appeared overhead.


    Power Inheritance of the Ancient God: After successfully defeating an Ancient God on your own, its power will temporarily be at your disposal for seven days.


    Xiao Buli looked at his body, only to feel the silvery white light that had surrounded the giant was now enveloping him, bringing an indescribable comfort to every limb and bone, as if he had endless energy. With but a thought, a ball of lightning formed in the palm of his hand, exactly like the attack the giant had used.


    Upon searching the body, no equipment dropped, but instead, a strange stone tablet fell out, clearly an item related to a quest.


    Looking at the stone tablet, which seemed quite ancient, with strange characters written on it, Xiao Buli touched it, yet no system notification sounded in his ear. (To be continued. If you like this work, please go to qidian.com to vote and support with monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 408 - 36 Refining Magical Treasures

    Xiao Buli felt a strange sensation in his heart. Could it be that this fallen object was not a task item?


    He turned the stone tablet over and over, examining it closely. On the stone tablet, there were some pictographic inscriptions, but since he was not a professional in archaeology, Xiao Buli really couldn''t make heads or tails of these drawings that looked like writing. Aside from the text, there were also some simple symbols and lines among the words, seemingly dividing the text into sections. Since there was no system task prompt after picking up this object, Xiao Buli thought the key must lie in the inscriptions on the tablet. Thinking he should study it carefully later, he placed the tablet into his storage bracelet.


    Xiao Buli turned to glance at the giant''s lifeless corpse once more, taking out a signal flare from his storage bracelet. He was about to launch it, but memories of his interactions with the giant kept surfacing in his mind. Although they hadn''t met often, each encounter had left a deep impression on him.


    "Although I can''t bury you, I can at least give you some peace," Xiao Buli said as he abandoned the signal flare he was holding. It was better to let him die alone like this.


    Having recalled the python, Xiao Buli had no heart to continue hunting the Ancient Demon. Considering the time left before his return, and wanting to take advantage of it to see if he could reap more benefits, he decided to head back to the city quickly.


    While hurrying towards the city, Xiao Buli pondered the things he needed to do next. There wasn''t much time left, and it was obviously too late for another task. He accounted for his gains from this venture into the Immortal Realm, which were quite substantial, especially the dark gold equipment and the bracelet full of rare ores.


    Thinking of the ores, Xiao Buli did not want to use them just as mere ores. With his Magical Treasure Crafting skills, it would be a great waste not to utilize them, especially since he had now saved all the spirit stones he initially planned to use for buying equipment. So, he resolved to find some Magical Treasure blueprints upon his return. He couldn''t let all these treasures end up as mere low-grade goods and go to waste.


    Back in the city, which appeared much more orderly than when Xiao Buli had left, some of the damaged buildings had begun showing signs of restoration under the Immortal Law of the Immortal Families. Those buildings that hadn''t been damaged were now clean and simply repaired, back to normal.


    Xiao Buli found a shop at the base of the city, which had already opened for business.


    He rummaged through the store, only to find that while there were plenty of equipment and Magical Treasures, blueprint for crafting were scarce. Moreover, the few that were available were mostly for Immortal Family Magical Treasures, requiring someone capable of using Immortal Law for their creation.


    Xiao Buli felt frustrated. "How could such a big store not have any Magical Treasure Crafting blueprints?" Had it been before when computers were used, he certainly would not have uttered this sentence to the shop, but being in a real-life experience now, what he thought slipped out of his mouth.


    Hearing this, the shopkeeper didn''t show annoyance, but rather enthusiastically responded, "If the gentleman is looking for Magical Treasure Crafting blueprints, he might want to visit the Golden Immortal Palace. There''s a Mister Yu Chanzi there who specializes in collecting ancient books and jade slips. He surely has the blueprints you need."


    Xiao Buli hadn''t expected his mutterings to actually led to a clue. It seemed the NPCs in the Immortal Realm were more flexible compared to the mundane ones. He hurriedly bowed in thanks.


    But the shopkeeper also quickly returned the gesture, saying, "Sir helped Fairy City withstand the Demon''s invasion, saving us from the plight of a ruined city and displacement. This modest assistance is only expected of us."


    Xiao Buli was elated inside; he had not realized that what he saw as an experience grind was perceived in such a way by others. It seemed this was a benefit of prestige and respect. Without further ado, he made his leave and headed straight for the Golden Immortal Palace.


    With time pressing and the task heavy, Xiao Buli did not stroll through the Golden Immortal Palace as he did the first time. He broke into a run and soon arrived at the palace entrance. The nine golden dragons at the top of the palace, although slightly damaged, seemed fully restored under the power of the Immortal Families. The palace was shrouded in mist¡ªa magnificent view befitting the Immortal Families.


    Having seen the Golden Immortal Palace''s grandeur before, and short on time, Xiao Buli didn''t linger to appreciate the view and dashed into the palace. Inside the hall, some of the Immortal Families had already returned, indicating that they also conducted their affairs here. Despite the recent battle, they had immediately returned to consider this place home, now gathered in small groups, engaged in animated discussions about the recent battle between the immortals and demons.


    "Excuse me," Xiao Buli approached the outskirts of a group and called out loudly.


    The immortals, seeing Xiao Buli looking as though he had something to say, stopped their discussion and turned to face him.


    "I would like to inquire which of the Immortals here is Mister Yu Chanzi," Xiao Buli asked with a respectful bow.


    Unexpectedly, one of the Immortals chuckled. "You''re looking for Yu Chanzi? But you already know him, don''t you? You even did business with him."


    Xiao Buli was puzzled. He hadn''t bought anything at the Golden Immortal Palace, unless they meant the old man who traded in second-hand treasures from whom he had purchased a storage bracelet. Just as he was about to inquire, another Immortal, with bold brows and fierce eyes, seemingly disapproving of his colleague''s mockery of a mortal, said gruffly, "Go straight to the end, the one who collects second-hand jade slips is who you''re looking for."


    Xiao Buli''s heart understood instantly; the man had just mentioned that initially, it had cost him 50 Spirit Stones to inquire about the Jade Slip from that old man. Now was not the time for extraneous issues, so he quickly expressed his gratitude and turned to rush over.


    Behind him, the tiger-eyed man said, "If he asks, just tell him. What''s with the laughing at others?"


    Another figure from the Immortal Families muttered something in a hushed and meek voice and then chuckled with a series of "heh heh heh," but Xiao Buli had no time to pay attention as he had already arrived in front of Yu Chanzi''s booth.


    "Yo, what else would you like to ask, young man? Don''t think just because your friendliness has increased that you can ask questions here for free," Yu Chanzi still had a kindly and benevolent expression as he looked at Xiao Buli with a smile. However, after previous dealings, Xiao Buli dared not take him lightly.


    He quickly clasped his hands in courtesy, ensuring his manners were impeccable, and said, "Mr. Yu Chanzi, I was wondering if you have any blueprints for creating Magical Treasures."


    "Magical Treasures, of course, there are." Yu Chanzi did not beat around the bush with Xiao Buli and with a light wave of his hand over the tabletop, an array of blueprints for Magical Treasure Crafting were laid out.


    Xiao Buli, without time to be amazed by his technique, hurriedly picked up the blueprints to look at them. His level of creating Magical Treasures was Grade Four, so no matter how good the blueprints were, they would be useless to him if he could not make them.


    Fortunately, Yu Chanzi''s booth was entirely different from the stores below; it specialized in collecting such literary materials, so the blueprints he had were diverse and complete, with several for Grade Four.


    Xiao Buli scrutinized the required materials and the functionalities of the finished Magical Treasures carefully, selecting those that would be of use to him and that suited his martial arts style.


    After roughly twenty minutes, he finally picked the three most suitable blueprints for himself. These three blueprints were: Giant Spirit Scepter: It enables the user to cast the Enlarging Technique, doubling the size of a unit for up to ten times a day.


    Grade Five Magical Treasure Formula (One-time Use) ¡ª Obsidian Crystal Coffin: Once activated, the Obsidian Crystal Coffin will transform into a mechanism that continuously produces Zombies, which can be used to maximum effect in conjunction with the Refining Ghost Copper Pot obtained from Wangliang Mountain.


    Grade Six Magical Treasure Formula (One-time Use) ¡ª Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield: Upon use, it creates a protective shield that absorbs damage by consuming True Yuan Points, with each point of True Yuan absorbing three points of damage.


    Xiao Buli calculated mentally that the Zombies summoned by the Obsidian Crystal Coffin might be average in combat strength, but after being enhanced with the Enlarging Technique and the yin-transforming skills from the Refining Ghost Copper Pot, their fighting power would be far from weak, and the Enlarging Technique could also fortify the summoned pets from the glyphs.


    And with the Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield, his life points would increase significantly; 1,000 True Yuan Points was akin to 3,000 life points, and coupled with the recovery rate of true essence from the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, he could potentially become an extremely resilient presence.


    Once again confirming that he had all the materials listed on the blueprints, Xiao Buli took the three blueprints to the old man and said, "Mr. Yu Chanzi, I will take these three. Please give me a price."


    The old man still had a smile in his eyes and, without even looking at the blueprints in Xiao Buli''s hands, stretched out a finger. "Not one more, not one less ¡ª a thousand Spirit Stones."


    "What?" Xiao Buli was not surprised by the price of the items, but by the number that the old man had put forth. He had, by coincidence, just a thousand Spirit Stones left on him, which seemed too exact to be mere chance¡ªeither it was an incredible coincidence or the old man could see right through him.


    Xiao Buli wanted to bargain, but firstly his time in the Immortal Realm was limited, and even if he saved a couple hundred Spirit Stones, it wouldn''t make much of a difference. Secondly, the old man appeared indomitably set on his price, indicating he probably wouldn''t easily compromise, so Xiao Buli thought it pointless to waste time haggling and thus bit the bullet, saying, "A thousand it is then, but Mr. Yu Chanzi, I hope you could rent a space for me to craft these Magical Treasures. After I give you these thousand Spirit Stones, I''ll be penniless."


    The old man chuckled and nodded his head, pointing towards a row of compartments behind the great hall, "Over there is where the Immortal Families create Magical Treasures. Everything you need is inside. Go ahead once you''ve paid." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli handed over a thousand Spirit Stones to the old man and turned to enter a compartment. From the outside, it looked very small, but once inside, the space was vast. There was a Furnace for refining treasures, and the workbench was equipped with a full set of crafting tools. Xiao Buli cleared a space on the workbench and spread out the blueprints.


    Checking the time, there was a little over an hour left before he needed to return. Xiao Buli didn''t have to rush the crafting; he could have comfortably returned to the Human Realm and taken his time, but upon returning to Mystic Hollow Palace, a confrontation with Xuanxu Zi was inevitable. A major battle was unavoidable, and Xiao Buli didn''t believe victory would come easily, so enhancing his own strength remained critical. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 409 - 35: Magical Treasure Blueprint

    Xiao Buli felt a strange pang in his heart, Could this drop not be a quest item?


    He flipped the stone slab over, examining it carefully, and saw it was engraved with some pictographic writing. However, since he wasn''t an archaeology major, Xiao Buli couldn''t make heads or tails of these drawings that seemed like writing. Besides the text, there were some simple symbols and lines between the words on the slab, which seemed to divide the text into sections. Since he didn''t get a system quest prompt after picking up the item, Xiao Buli thought the key might lie in the text on the slab. Thinking he should carefully study it when he got back, he placed the slab into his storage bracelet.


    Xiao Buli turned to look at the giant''s lifeless body one last time, took out a signal flare from his storage bracelet, and intended to launch it, but memories of his encounters with the giant kept flooding his mind. Though their meetings were few, each left a deep impression on Xiao Buli.


    "Although I can''t bury you with honors, I can at least give you some peace," Xiao Buli said as he dropped the signal flare, deciding to let the giant rest in solitude.


    After putting away the python, Xiao Buli had no desire to continue the chase for the Ancient Demon. Glancing at the time and seeing he had only a few hours left before he needed to return, he was eager to get back to the city to see if he could reap some additional benefits.


    As he made his way toward the city, Xiao Buli pondered his next steps. With the little time he had left, it was clear he wouldn''t be able to complete another quest. Weighing his gains from this trip to the Immortal Realm, he found them quite substantial, especially the Dark Gold equipment and the bracelet full of rare ores.


    Thinking of the ores, Xiao Buli didn''t want them to be used just as mere stones. With his skills in Magical Treasure Crafting, it would be a pity not to utilize them, and since he had saved all the Spirit Stones he had planned to spend on equipment, he decided he would definitely look for some Magical Treasure Blueprints upon his return. It would be a waste to turn such treasures into low-grade items.


    Back in the city, Xiao Buli found it much more orderly than when he had left. Some of the damaged buildings were showing signs of restoration under the Immortal Families'' Immortal Law. The undamaged buildings, after being cleaned and simply repaired, were back to normal.


    Xiao Buli found a shop at the city''s base that had already opened for business.


    Rummaging through the shop, Xiao Buli noticed an abundance of equipment and magical treasures, but very few crafting blueprints, most of which were for Immortal Family magical treasures requiring the ability to wield Immortal Laws to craft.


    Xiao Buli felt frustrated, "How can such a big store not have Magical Treasure Crafting blueprints?" Had he been using a computer, he wouldn''t have spoken these words to the shop, but living through the experience personally, he couldn''t help but voice his thoughts.


    The shopkeeper wasn''t annoyed upon hearing this and said quite enthusiastically, "Sir, if you are looking for Magical Treasure Crafting blueprints, you might want to visit the Golden Immortal Palace. There''s a Mr. Yu Chanzi there who specializes in collecting ancient books and Jade Slips, and I''m sure he has the blueprints you need."


    Xiao Buli had not expected his muttering to himself to actually lead to something crucial. It seemed the NPCs in the Immortal Realm had a higher degree of freedom compared to those in the Human Realm. He quickly bowed in thanks.


    The shopkeeper returned the bow quickly and said, "Sir, you aided Fairy City in fending off the Demon invasion, sparing us from the misery of a city''s fall and the resultant chaos. This modest assistance is only proper."


    Xiao Buli felt happy inside, not expecting that what he considered an experience-grinding event was seen in such a light by them. It seemed this was the benefit of prestige and respect, so he did not decline the gratitude and, after bidding farewell, headed straight for the Golden Immortal Palace.


    With time pressing and tasks weighing on him, Xiao Buli didn''t move at the leisurely pace he had on his first visit to the Golden Immortal Palace; he hastened his steps. Before long, he arrived at the palace gates where the nine golden dragons atop the Golden Immortal Palace had resumed their places. Despite some damage, they seemed restored to their original state under the power of Immortal Law, and mist curled around the palace exterior, presenting a thoroughly Immortal scene.


    Xiao Buli had seen the splendor of the Golden Immortal Palace before and had no time to admire it now, so he dashed into the palace. Inside the great hall, some Immortal Families had already returned in small groups. It appeared they usually gathered here, and even after the great war, they returned to regard this place as home, engaging in lively discussions about the recent battle between Immortals and Demons.


    "Excuse me," Xiao Buli said as he approached the periphery of a group, speaking up.


    The Immortals stopped their discussion to look at Xiao Buli, seeing he had something to say.


    "I''d like to ask you Immortals, may I know which one of you is Mr. Yu Chanzi?" Xiao Buli asked respectfully with a bow.


    One of the Immortals couldn''t help but laugh, "You''re looking for Yu Chanzi? You know him, don''t you? You''ve even done business with him."


    Xiao Buli was puzzled; he hadn''t bought anything at the Golden Immortal Palace unless they meant the old man who traded in second-hand treasures. He had indeed purchased a storage bracelet from him. Before he could inquire further, another Immortal, with thick eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, who seemed to dislike seeing the mortal being teased, said in a deep voice, "Just go straight to the back, the one who collects second-hand Jade Slips, that''s him."


    Xiao Buli realized in his heart what the man was talking about. Apparently, the person had mentioned how he spent 50 Spirit Stones to learn about the Jade Slip from that old man. There was no time to be distracted by extraneous matters, so he quickly thanked the man and ran off.


    Behind him, the man with tiger-like eyes said, "If he asks, just tell him. Why laugh about it?"


    Another member of the Immortal Families muttered something under his breath and then let out a series of snickers. Xiao Buli had no time to concern himself with this, as he had already reached the stall of Yu Chanzi.


    "Oh, what does this young man want to ask? Don''t think that just because your friendliness has increased, you can ask questions here without paying," said Yu Chanzi, still looking benevolent and smiling at Xiao Buli. But Xiao Buli, having had previous dealings, did not dare to take him lightly.


    He promptly bowed with his hands clasped and made sure his manners were impeccable, saying, "Mister Yu Chanzi, I wonder if you have any Magical Treasure Blueprint for crafting?"


    "Magical Treasures, of course, I have those," Yu Chanzi didn''t bother with small talk and with a light wave of his hand over the table, a series of Magical Treasure Blueprints appeared.


    Xiao Buli didn''t have time to be surprised by his technique and quickly picked up the blueprints to look them over, as his level in Magical Treasure Crafting was only fourth grade. Hence, no matter how good the blueprints were, they were useless if he couldn''t craft them.


    Luckily, Yu Chanzi''s collection was entirely different from the stores below, specializing in such literary materials. Therefore, he had a wide variety of blueprints, including several at the fourth-grade level.


    Xiao Buli carefully examined the required materials and the functions of the crafted Magical Treasures, meticulously selecting those that would be useful to him and compatible with his martial arts.


    About twenty minutes later, he had finally chosen the three most suitable blueprints for himself. These three blueprints were: Giant Spirit Scepter: Can utilize the Enlarging Technique, which doubles the size of an entity for a total of ten times each day.


    Level five Magical Treasure formula (one-time use) - Obsidian Crystal Coffin: Upon activation, the Obsidian Crystal Coffin becomes a mechanism that continuously produces zombies. Paired with the Refining Ghost Copper Pot obtained from Wangliang Mountain, it can achieve its maximum effect.


    Level six Magical Treasure formula (one-time use) - Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield: Upon use, it creates a protective shield that absorbs damage by consuming True Yuan Points, with each point of True Yuan absorbing three points of damage.


    Xiao Buli mentally calculated that the zombies summoned by the Obsidian Crystal Coffin, although ordinarily not very strong in battle, would undoubtedly be formidable if bolstered by the Enlarging Technique and the Yin Transforming Skills from the Refining Ghost Copper Pot. Moreover, the Enlarging Technique could also be used to enhance the summons of his pets.


    With the Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield, his Vitality would increase substantially; 1000 True Yuan Points would be equivalent to 3000 vitality points. Coupled with the regeneration speed of True Yuan from the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, he would be as indestructible as a cockroach.


    After ensuring that he had all the materials listed on the blueprints, Xiao Buli took the three blueprints to the old man and said, "Mister Yu Chanzi, I''ll take these three. Please name your price."


    The old man''s eyes were still smiling, and without even looking at the blueprints in Xiao Buli''s hand, he held up a finger. "Just right, one thousand Spirit Stones."


    "What?" Xiao Buli was not shocked by the price of the items, but by the number the old man had proposed. He had exactly one thousand Spirit Stones left on him, no more, no less. It was as if the old man was prescribing the exact remedy for the situation. Was it just a coincidence, or could the old man actually see through him?


    Xiao Buli wanted to bargain, but given his short time in the Immortal Realm and considering even if he saved a couple of hundred Spirit Stones it wouldn''t make much difference, and also seeing the old man''s determined attitude, it seemed unlikely that he would compromise easily. Not wanting to waste time haggling, Xiao Buli bit the bullet and said, "A thousand it is then. However, Mister Yu Chanzi, I hope you can lend me a place to craft the Magical Treasures. After I pay you, I''ll be penniless."


    The old man chuckled and nodded, then pointed to a row of cubicles behind the hall, "There is where the Immortal Families craft Magical Treasures. The place is fully equipped with all the necessary tools; once you''ve paid, you may proceed there."


    Xiao Buli handed over a thousand Spirit Stones to the old man, entered one of the cubicles, and discovered surprisingly vast space inside, despite its narrow appearance from the outside. In the middle of the room stood a Furnace for artifact crafting, with a comprehensively equipped workbench beside it. Xiao Buli cleared a space on the workbench and laid out the blueprints. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Checking the time, he saw that he had just over an hour before his return. In reality, Xiao Buli wasn''t in such a hurry to craft, as he could have easily waited until he was back in the Human Realm, where he could take his time. But since his return to Mystic Hollow Palace would mean confronting Xuanxu Zi¡ªinevitably leading to a great battle¡ªXiao Buli was not confident he could easily secure victory. Thus, enhancing his own power was crucial. (To be continued. If you like this work, your votes of recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com) are most welcome. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 410 - 36 Refining Magical Treasure

    Xiao Buli was anxious, carefully preparing each material listed, and treating one or two of them as specified. The first Magical Treasure he was making was the Giant Spirit Scepter, which required materials including Divine Wood Essence, which he had excavated from an Earth-Wood Type giant, gathering only two pieces. Additionally, he needed five pieces of Golden Shine Stone and three pieces of Night Crystal Stone. These items were in abundance in Xiao Buli''s backpack, along with some inner cores from animals he had defeated at Wangliang Mountain, which he thought were useless at the time but now proved to be quite useful. Xiao Buli sorted out the items and dumped them all into the Furnace.


    When he pressed the start button, the Melting Furnace began to rotate slowly, gradually increasing its speed until the centrifugal force it generated caused it to tremble on the ground. Xiao Buli felt everything in the room, including the tools on his workbench, start to shake. Fortunately, this didn''t last long¡ªit was only a matter of minutes before the Furnace finally went "puff," releasing a puff of white smoke and a flash of white light inside.


    Xiao Buli heard a pleasant notification sound in his ears, "System notification: Successful creation of a level 4 Magical Treasure ''Giant Spirit Scepter,'' item ''Giant Spirit Scepter'' obtained." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    System notification: You have successfully crafted a level 4 Magical Treasure; your Refining Treasures skill has been upgraded to LV5.


    Xiao Buli was delighted. He hadn''t expected to succeed in crafting the Magical Treasure on his first try. He had prepared an extra set of materials just in case he needed another attempt. After all, crafting Magical Treasures required luck, and failure was sometimes inevitable.


    After removing the Giant Spirit Scepter from the Melting Furnace, Xiao Buli did not take the time to examine it closely but, seizing the momentum, immediately began preparing the materials for the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. This Refinement process differed from that of a conventional Magical Treasure. Initially, when he had obtained the blueprint, Xiao Buli was also confused. The blueprint did not specify the exact materials and quantities but instead dictated based on Attributes, such as when creating the first layer; the blueprint described, "When red light rises in the Melting Furnace, insert Fire Element Spirit Stones until the Furnace''s rotation slows down." This left Xiao Buli feeling uncertain; there were many types of Fire Element Spirit Stones¡ªcould all be used? Would different Fire Element Spirit Stones affect the Refinement result? How much of a slowdown in the Furnace''s rotation was sufficient? These vague concepts made Xiao Buli somewhat at a loss.


    It reminded him of an article he had read stating that German kitchens resembled laboratories, equipped with scales, timers, and the like. When Germans cooked eggs, they would start timing with a stopwatch as soon as they placed the eggs in boiling water, removing them at a precise time. This is why they couldn''t cook Chinese cuisine; most Chinese recipes use ambiguous measurements like "a handful of Sichuan peppercorns" or "a pinch of salt," leaving Germans baffled. At this moment, Xiao Buli felt like a German trying to cook Chinese food. He believed that someone with extensive experience in crafting Magical Treasures might not be confused by such vague instructions, but Xiao Buli had only reached level 5 and had been accustomed to blueprints with precise quantities and specific material names.


    Nevertheless, the one thing he had plenty of was a variety of Spirit Stones, and now he had to rely on quantity. If all else failed, he could try several times. With this in mind, Xiao Buli took out the Spirit Stones from his bag, sorted them according to the Five Elements, and returned those whose Attributes he couldn''t quite determine. Before long, he had six piles of stones of various colors before him, with five piles corresponding to the Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Elements and the sixth pile, dark and obscure, consisting mainly of Obsidian for the Magical Treasure.


    With these prepared, Xiao Buli started the Melting Furnace, first placing a stone similar to Cat''s Eye Stone called Elf Eye inside, then leaving the lid of the Furnace open and stoking the flames. The Furnace quickly heated up, and white smoke began to billow inside. However, the smoke didn''t rise out of the Furnace but swirled within. Xiao Buli watched the color of the smoke intently until it turned a greyish-black, upon which he hastily added Obsidian. He put the Obsidian in piece by piece until the Furnace began to rotate slowly, then stopped, having used about a dozen pieces. Xiao Buli quickly checked the blueprint and prepared the Fire Element Spirit Stones at hand. When the Furnace''s rotation accelerated and a beam of red light emerged, Xiao Buli hurriedly threw in the Fire Element Spirit Stones. Unsure of the exact quantity needed, he kept adding stones, one after another, while closely monitoring the Furnace''s rotation. Finally, the Furnace slowed down, much like a person burdened with too much weight.


    Then the Furnace underwent another transformation; a wisp of purple smoke began to rise from within. Knowing that the appearance of purple smoke meant he should add Water Element Spirit Stones, Xiao Buli hurried over, grabbed a handful, and tossed them into the Furnace. He threw in the Spirit Stones one by one, waiting for the color of the smoke to change. Suddenly, the Furnace came to a slow halt. Xiao Buli quickly grabbed the blueprint, puzzled. The blueprint didn''t indicate that the Furnace would stop at this point. While Xiao Buli hovered in confusion, the smoke inside the Furnace turned black and wasn''t controlled within the Furnace as before. Instead, plumes of black smoke, accompanied by a burnt smell, instantly filled the room, causing Xiao Buli to cough repeatedly. Fortunately, it seemed the room was equipped with a ventilation system. Xiao Buli wasn''t sure what spell was at work, but all the black smoke suddenly escaped from the exhaust vent at the top of the room, and his vision gradually cleared.

 Chapter 411 - 36 Refining Magical Treasures_2

    "Young man, I didn''t lend you my workshop for you to ruin it like this," the voice of Old Jade Toad echoed from outside the door, seemingly having seen the black smoke inside the workshop.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly suppressed the coughing sounds and shouted out to the door, "Don''t worry, I won''t blow up the workshop, that''s for sure."


    But Xiao Buli was very puzzled about his recent failure. He quickly began to inspect various Spirit Stones. There was definitely no problem with the Fire Element Spirit Stones he used just now; the issue must have been with the Water Element Spirit Stones in his hands. He spread the Spirit Stones out for a closer look and suddenly discovered some foreign substances inside a few ice-blue Spirit Stones. Upon careful inspection, he found that these ice-blue Ice Essences actually contained some small living creatures. Although they were not very large and didn''t seem to affect the quality of the Spirit Stones, they had a significant impact during the Refining of a Magical Treasure that required specific elements. Xiao Buli quickly singled out those Ice Essences and, still not reassured, inspected the other piles of Spirit Stones one by one. Fortunately, the other Spirit Stones had no issues.


    Seeing that he had only about twenty pieces of Obsidian left and there were also only a few Fire Element Spirit Stones remaining due to the recent consumption, Xiao Buli began to feel nervous. He hadn''t expected the Obsidian Crystal Coffin to be so material-intensive. The upcoming sixth-level Magical Treasure, the Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield, would also require some Obsidian, which added to his unease.


    Nevertheless, he had to continue, even if he felt hesitant. Currently, he had just one set of fifth-level Magical Treasure Blueprint, and the process of Refining Treasure did not allow skipping any level to refine the next tier directly. Xiao Buli decided that if he did not succeed this time, he would use the blueprint of the Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield to trade for another set of fifth-level Treasure Refining blueprints, otherwise, it seemed that all his materials would be lost within the Crystal Coffin.


    After checking the materials, Xiao Buli once again hosted the Elf Eye into the Melting Furnace. After a while, the color of the smoke turned to greyish black. When he introduced the Obsidian, it emitted a red glow, and with the Fire Element Spirit Stones, thanks to his previous experience, Xiao Buli felt more stable. The smoke quickly turned purple, signaling him to start introducing the Water Element Spirit Stones. To avoid repeating his earlier mistake, and though he had already selected them once, Xiao Buli still scrutinized each Spirit Stone carefully before putting it in. Fortunately, when he added the eighteenth Water Element Spirit Stone, the Melting Furnace''s speed increased again. It appeared that the Fire and Water Element Spirit Stones neutralized each other, reducing the volume inside the furnace. Once the furnace''s speed increased, Xiao Buli introduced the Wood System Spirit Stones. It was uncertain if it was due to the inferior quality of the Wood System Spirit Stones, but even after twenty-odd pieces had been added, there was no reaction. Xiao Buli''s heart raced with anxiety, but thankfully, on the thirtieth piece, the furnace once again emitted a yellow halo, indicating it was time to put in the Earth Element Spirit Stones. Roughly fifteen or sixteen Earth Element Spirit Stones were added before the furnace started rotating with a ringing metallic sound. A wave of excitement swept over Xiao Buli, knowing he was only one step away from the successful Refinement of the Magical Treasure. He hurriedly began adding the Metal Spirit Stones.


    After a certain amount of Metal Spirit Stones was added, the speed of the Melting Furnace slowed down again. Xiao Buli followed the blueprint''s instructions, covered the furnace lid, and then pulled the bellows forcefully. Accompanied by the whooshing sound of the wind, the true flames beneath the Melting Furnace blazed fiercely, accelerating the rotation of the furnace faster and faster.


    Approximately seven or eight minutes later, a crisp ringing sound came from the furnace, and then, like a washing machine that had lost power, it suddenly lost its rotational force and slowly spun another two revolutions due to inertia before coming to a stop.


    With the experience from his previous attempt, Xiao Buli knew that his Obsidian Crystal Coffin was successfully forged. He hurried forward and opened the lid of the Melting Furnace. A palm-sized coffin, shimmering with a metallic black luster, slowly rose from within the furnace.


    Xiao Buli extended his hand and lightly grasped the Crystal Coffin, feeling a chill upon touch. He brought it closer to examine it carefully. Although it appeared to be an opaque black color overall, the Crystal Coffin was actually transparent. Holding it in his palm, it looked inky black, yet he could still see the lines on his palm through it ¨C no wonder it was called a Crystal Coffin, thought Xiao Buli to himself.


    The system notification rang in his ear: "You have successfully crafted a Level 5 Magical Treasure, Quality: Superior. Your Magical Treasure crafting skill has advanced to LV6."


    This time, the system notification included an additional description of Superior Quality. Xiao Buli guessed that this was probably related to the grade of the Spirit Stones he had used. Although they were all Spirit Stones of the Five Elements, the ones he had used were mined from the Immortal Realm, making their quality unquestionably superior. Hence, it was not surprising that a Magical Treasure refined from such Spirit Stones would turn out to be of Superior Quality.


    Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Xiao Buli quickly gathered up the crystal coffin and started preparing for the refinement of the Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield. Although it was a Level 6 Magical Treasure, the process of refining the Condensing Light Shield seemed much simpler compared to the crystal coffin. Xiao Buli prepared all the necessary materials, with almost only Elemental Spirit Stones left in his hand, the rest nearly depleted. The Condensed Light Shield not only required Obsidian and other materials from the Immortal Realm but also the inner core he had obtained when he defeated the mini-boss at Wangliang Mountain. However, this time, refining only required that he have all the ingredients ready and to put them together all at once, saving Xiao Buli a lot of trouble and greatly reducing the likelihood of a failed refinement.


    The process went very smoothly, and after about fifteen minutes, Xiao Buli had taken the Condensed Light Shield out of the Melting Furnace. It was a fist-sized black crystal ball. It might look like an ordinary crystal, but unlike the crystal coffin, no matter from which angle, the true material of this crystal ball was inscrutable, as if there was a black core inside it. Xiao Buli stared at it for a while, feeling as though the crystal ball could absorb light. Not only did his eyes begin to experience a dazzling sensation after looking at it for a while, but also when he held it in his hand, it seemed as if the light in the room had dimmed.


    "Disciple, where are you? Come and join your master immediately." Xuanxu Zi''s voice suddenly echoed in Xiao Buli''s ears, snapping him back to reality from the crystal ball. Unconsciously, it was already time to return.


    "Master, I''m on my way, please wait for me for a moment," Xiao Buli quickly responded to Xuanxu Zi, putting the crystal ball into his bag and hurriedly packing up the remaining materials from Refining Treasures.


    Looking back to make sure he hadn''t left anything behind, he said a somewhat reluctant goodbye to the Melting Furnace in the workshop. Although his stay in the Immortal Realm was brief, just a single day, Xiao Buli felt it was profoundly meaningful. Because the day had been so rich and colorful, it felt as long as a month, and he found it hard to part with the Immortal Realm. However, he couldn''t claim to be familiar with anyone there, be they immortals or mortals. The only exception was the Melting Furnace, which had not only assisted him in crafting three Magical Treasures but had also witnessed his growth and was the last thing he touched in the Immortal Realm. So, Xiao Buli became sentimentally attached and almost let tears fall. He left the workshop and called out to the Old Jade Toad from a distance: "Mr. Jade Toad, I''m done here. I have to return to the Human Realm now. We shall meet again." Without waiting for the Old Jade Toad''s response, he turned and ran toward the entrance of the grand hall. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since he had already visited the Golden Immortal Palace twice, he knew the way well. Xiao Buli ran without stopping and soon arrived near the city gate, where he found his master meditating on the Lotus Platform.


    He bowed deeply and said, ""Master, I have returned. I apologize for the worry I''ve caused you." But in his heart, he added: ''Just you wait, old man, I''ll have my revenge when we get back.''


    Xuanxu Zi was oblivious to Xiao Buli''s inner thoughts and was very pleased with his disciple''s respectful demeanor. He looked around at his fellow immortals with a hint of pride. Having a disciple who understood and abided by proper etiquette was indeed something to be proud of. He slowly rose from the Lotus Platform and walked toward the Teleportation Portal the two had come through.

 Chapter 412 - 37: The Rebirth of Xuan Zhenzi

    Xuanxu Zi led Xiao Buli back the way they came, and with a flash of white light from the teleportation array of Immortal Beast Island, the two once again appeared inside a side hall of Mystic Hollow Palace. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the familiar surroundings, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but take a deep breath. The string of good fortune in the Immortal Realm had gradually relaxed him, but now that he was back in Mystic Hollow Palace, his spirit tensed up again.


    He had not forgotten his task, nor had he forgotten the matters plotted by his eldest senior brother.


    But to be honest, he still had some aversion to the idea of scheming against his master. After all, they did share a master-disciple relationship. Although Xuanxu Zi was eccentric, he had been quite passable towards him. Especially the time before in the Immortal Realm when Xuanxu Zi had saved him during a moment of peril, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but look towards Xuanxu Zi.


    All he saw was the old man with a hint of exhaustion between his brows; it was unclear whether it was due to too much expenditure of power while touring the Immortal Realm, or simply the result of his body being overly aged. Regardless, Xiao Buli knew that now he was like an arrow on the bowstring that had to be released; otherwise, not only would Gu Yuexuan be in mortal danger, but the answer to curing Soul Departure Syndrome that he had been desperately seeking would also become an unknown with the passing of Xuan Zhenzi. Thinking this, Xiao Buli gritted his teeth and bowed to Xuanxu Zi, saying, "Thank you, Master, for accompanying this disciple on this journey. I obtained some opportunities in the Immortal Realm, and I will find a secluded place to study them thoroughly. Does Master have any other orders?"


    After Xiao Buli''s intervention, Xuanxu Zi seemed to have lost interest in checking on Gu Yuexuan''s matters. Hearing Xiao Buli speak like that, he just shook his head and slowly walked back to the lotus throne in the main hall to meditate and rest.


    Xiao Buli, seeing this, did not disturb him and hurriedly rushed outside. Once out of the main hall, he headed straight for his eldest senior brother''s residence. He hadn''t gone far before suddenly hearing the Heart Demon''s voice in his ear; at such a tense moment, the sudden sound really startled Xiao Buli.


    "In such a hurry? Do you think by killing Xuanxu Zi you''ll find a way to get rid of me? Naive!" the Heart Demon''s voice tried to sound indifferent. But Xiao Buli knew that if it weren''t truly afraid, it wouldn''t be so eager to shake his confidence.


    He snorted coldly in his mind and ignored it.


    "Don''t you even believe in yourself? Even if you''re sure Avatar Shadow Transformation can separate me, do you know how much pain you''ll have to endure? Soul-splitting, do you have any idea what kind of torment that is?" The Heart Demon apparently wasn''t giving up, continuing to speak, "But I''m rather looking forward to it, actually. After your soul splits, your abilities will be much smaller than they are now. Look at Xuanxu Zi, hehehe, leaving you might not be such a bad thing after all. From what I''ve seen so far, by the time I might even surpass Xuanxu Zi''s achievements, and you won''t be able to defeat me then. Won''t you still be slowly devoured by me? Why struggle in vain?"


    "Enough, cut the crap," Xiao Buli said, his tone very unfriendly. He was currently worried about the progress on his eldest senior brother''s side.


    "Haha, resorting to curses? Seems like your cultivation is truly lacking. I wonder if you''ll be able to remain composed like Xuan Zhen and even know how to assign tasks to others to help collect spirit energy," the Heart Demon''s voice contained scorn, provoking Xiao Buli''s inner irritation. But knowing that this was exactly the effect the Heart Demon was aiming for, he took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself, "You''re so eager to disturb me now, are you scared? If so, I suggest you get the hell out of my body right now, and maybe I''ll be gracious enough to arrange for a rather decent body for you. But if I have to do it myself, I''ll make sure you''re eradicated." Xiao Buli said the last few words through gritted teeth, menacingly.


    "Junior brother, who are you talking to?" Jingci''s voice suddenly sounded nearby, and it turned out Xiao Buli had walked near the Beast Pen without realizing it.


    "Oh, second senior brother, it''s nothing, haha, just talking to myself. Second senior brother, have you acquired any new Divine Beasts lately?" Xiao Buli hastily changed the subject, not wanting Jingci to probe further.


    Sure enough, upon hearing the topic of Divine Beasts, Jingci''s eyes lit up, "We''ve just met a few days ago, where would I get the chance to find those fine creatures in such a short time? But I did hear that junior brother was fortunate enough to tour the Immortal Realm with Master, did you capture any formidable Immortal Beasts?"


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli thought to himself that if it were any other time, he would indeed boast, but today was urgent, with plans to set things in motion with his eldest senior brother in a day or two. Therefore, the business at hand was top priority. With that in mind, he replied to his second senior brother, "Heh, you''re not unaware of my trivial abilities, second senior brother. Let''s not talk about Immortal Beasts; if I were in the Human Realm facing formidable foes, I''d have to steer clear of them too. You, on the other hand, second senior brother, are so mighty. However, I happen to have learned some flying sword techniques in the Immortal Realm, and I''m in a hurry to consult our eldest senior brother about that."


    His words sounded reasonable, and Jingci thought so too, but he wasn''t very optimistic about Xiao Buli seeking advice from their eldest senior brother, "Eldest senior brother, I''m afraid he might not be so easy to speak with, best of luck to you."


    Xiao Buli quickly bid farewell to Jingci, only then arriving at the eldest senior brother''s residence. Approaching the bamboo building, Xiao Buli thought there might be hope, noticing that the seals the eldest senior brother had set up outside to avoid disturbances had been removed, and the bamboo building had returned to its original state, seemingly tranquil and surrounded by the sounds and fragrances of nature.

 Chapter 413 - 37: The Rebirth of Xuan Zhenzi_2

    Xiao Buli''s heart skipped a beat upon seeing, it seemed that what was bound to come was finally about to arrive.


    He walked to the door and pushed it open, only to see a green light flash on the door. He had no idea what spell Xuanxu Zi had used, but instead of the hall where Xiao Buli and his senior brother used to drink tea, he was greeted by a dark, somewhat mysterious space. Directly in front of the door was a two-meter square entrance to a tunnel, which appeared as if the bamboo tower was merely a cover for this entrance. Xiao Buli felt utterly confused, unsure whether the elegant hall he saw before was the bamboo tower''s original appearance, or whether this dark cave-like space was what truly lay within the bamboo tower. But it must have been a spell cast by his senior brother.


    There were no instant communication tools in this game, nor a way to notify or call for Xuanxu Zi beforehand, so Xiao Buli, despite finding it strange, steeled himself to follow the passage downward. The tunnel was damp and filled with the pungent smell of lamp oil that filled Xiao Buli''s nostrils. Fortunately, oil lamps were lit intermittently for illumination, and the smell likely emanated from them. He descended around ten meters before the staircase ended, giving way to a horizontal tunnel. Luckily, it was a straight line, posing no risk of getting lost, though the purpose of this tunnel remained unclear.


    Uncertain of the dangers ahead, Xiao Buli remained on high alert as he walked, not too swiftly. After several minutes, he finally reached the end of the tunnel, where a large door blocked his path, guarded by a Rune Armored Warrior. The warrior resembled the Rune Pets under Gu Yuexuan''s control in the Immortal Realm, seemingly weak at first glance. Such creatures weren''t particularly strong in combat, likely stationed here only as a precaution. Seeing the unharmed warrior, Xiao Buli guessed that his senior brother was inside.


    "Senior brother?" Xiao Buli called out in a subdued voice towards the door, the dim environment instilling an instinctive sense of suppression, as if he was sneaking around.


    "You''re back. The door is open, come on in yourself," Gu Yuexuan''s voice sounded from inside the door. Although loud, Xiao Buli could hear the exceptional weariness in it.


    Xiao Buli hurriedly entered upon his senior brother''s instruction, and perhaps due to his senior brother''s command, the Rune Armored Warrior outside the door did not react to Xiao Buli''s passage.


    Pushing open the door, the underground chamber turned out to be rather small, about a dozen square meters in size, with a Melting Furnace in the center. The flame beneath had just been extinguished, and a few sparks were still visible in the charcoal. His senior brother was sitting cross-legged on a cushion next to it. At the far end of the chamber sat another person, also cross-legged¡ªa clear-faced Taoist in a dark cyan Taoist Robe with the name Xuan Zhenzi written above his forehead.


    "Senior brother, have you succeeded?" Xiao Buli asked immediately with joy.


    "Yes, this is Senior Xuan Zhenzi," his senior brother introduced. "Daoist Xuan Zhenzi, this is my junior brother, who assisted me in completing your task."


    Xuan Zhenzi opened his eyes, looked at Xiao Buli, smiled slightly, and nodded.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli immediately gave a respectful bow and said, "Daoist, does this mean you have vanquished the Heart Demon?"


    Xuan Zhenzi listened, appearing quite amused. He smiled as he observed Xiao Buli for a while, seeming to decipher the intent behind his question. Xiao Buli grew anxious in the meantime, directly addressing his most pressing concern, unintentionally allowing Xuan Zhenzi a peek into his thoughts.


    After a moment, Xuan Zhenzi finally spoke, "Not yet, because the Heart Demon has yet to return to its place, the process is still lacking the final touch. However, your senior brother Gu Yuexuan has already briefed me on the situation, and we will continue to rely on the support of you and your senior brother."


    Xiao Buli realized upon hearing this that there was one more step left, understanding that banishing a Heart Demon was not so simple.


    "Junior brother, where have you been all day? Why didn''t you come to report the outside situation to me?" Gu Yuexuan inquired. It seemed that Gu Yuexuan had been engrossed in the task of guiding Xuan Zhenzi''s Soul back with his Cultivation Technique, with no time to catch up on external affairs.


    Xiao Buli quickly replied, "The day before yesterday, I went to see our Master. Unexpectedly, he planned to question you for not visiting him upon your return to the palace. Worried, I spent a thousand Contribution Points to have Master accompany me through the Immortal Realm, which managed to delay him for quite a time. He has just returned and seems tired, now resting in the grand hall."


    "Mm, Junior Brother, you''ve done well," Gu Yuexuan nodded immediately upon hearing the news. "I heard you''ve learned the Sword Control Technique. Congratulations from your Senior Brother. It just so happens that I have a book of Sword Control Insights here, containing all of my experiences with the art, which I will now give to you."


    At that moment, Xiao Buli suddenly heard a system prompt: Completed the delaying task, Gu Yuexuan''s favorability increased by 100 points, obtained "Sword Control Insights Notes."


    "Eh~," Xiao Buli had almost forgotten the task he had initially accepted to delay his master for Gu Yuexuan. He quickly opened his inventory and found a simply packaged book,


    Using the "Sword Control Insights Notes" will raise your proficiency in the Sword Control Technique by one level. This item can raise your proficiency to up to ''human-sword unity.''


    It was like being handed a pillow when drowsy; this item was even more useful than other rewards, as it could directly enhance a level of the Sword Control Technique. He had to seize the opportunity carefully.


    "Junior Brother," Gu Yuexuan called back Xiao Buli who was lost in thought, "Junior Brother, you''re more familiar with Master''s situation. Given the current circumstances, what do you think is the best course of action for us? Should we go and confront him directly, or should we come up with some kind of plan?"


    "Me? This..." Upon hearing that he had to decide, Xiao Buli was momentarily at a loss, thinking to himself that they had been idling for so long yet hadn''t come up with the next steps.


    At this time, Xuan Zhenzi, upon hearing Gu Yuexuan''s question, said, "I don''t have full confidence that we would win if we were to directly confront him."


    This statement chilled the hearts of both Gu Yuexuan and Xiao Buli; after all the effort, it seemed hopeless if Xuan Zhenzi was still not confident in victory.


    "However," Xuan Zhenzi paused before continuing, "After all, he is my Heart Demon. With our current strength, I may not be his opponent, but as long as he reverts to a Soul State, with the strength of my soul now, I have the resolve to secure victory."


    Xiao Buli thought, even as an NPC, you''re big on dramatics! Now he understood; Xuan Zhenzi was planning to leverage the rules of the Doppelganger Shadow Technique to contend with Xuanxu Zi. Although Xuanxu Zi''s power had greatly increased after possessing another''s body, the moment he returned to his Soul State, he would be forced to submit to Xuan Zhenzi, who had already fused the other personalities.


    "But Xuanxu Zi isn''t a fool, how could he easily submit?" Xiao Buli voiced his concerns.


    "Hehe, indeed, he may not submit if he sees me. But didn''t he desire a young body? Today, I shall give him a young body." After saying this, Xuan Zhenzi wiped his face and instantly transformed into Gu Yuexuan.


    Upon seeing this, Xiao Buli understood immediately. Gu Yuexuan helped Xuan Zhenzi complete the Soul Shard collection because Xuanxu Zi had chosen him as the target for possession. Since that was the case, if Xuan Zhenzi could disguise himself as Gu Yuexuan and convince Xuanxu Zi that he was indeed Gu Yuexuan, the latter would inevitably try to possess Gu Yuexuan''s body using his Body-Snatching Skills. In so doing, wouldn''t this fulfill Xuan Zhenzi''s requirement to force Xuanxu Zi into a Soul State? S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking this, the three shared a knowing smile.


    Xuanxu Zi was seated cross-legged in the palace, contemplating. A trip to the Immortal Realm used to be trivial for him, but this time, he felt fatigue; he knew it was time to quickly dispose of his current body. Xuanxu Zi''s thoughts twisted and turned; his eyebrows would furrow, then relax, and his expression became somewhat distorted.


    At that moment, a rush of hasty footsteps suddenly approached from outside, "Master, there''s trouble!" Xiao Buli shouted from a distance. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 414 - 38: Rebirth Through Soul Possession

    Xuanxu Zi frowned, thinking to himself, "Why is that brat Xiao Buli always pestering me these days? How could he burst in so recklessly just after I hurried back?"


    Opening his eyes, he indeed saw Xiao Buli dash in, panic-stricken, and came to a halt in front of his master, "Master, something terrible has happened, it seems like the eldest senior brother might have strayed into the Demon Dao."


    Upon hearing this, Xuanxu Zi was taken aback. Gu Yuexuan was the person he had prepared for soul possession, so he naturally paid extra attention to him. Ever since he had entered Mystic Hollow Palace, Gu Yuexuan, whether due to temperament or other reasons, although outwardly respectful, always seemed politely distant. He never approached him with questions like Jingci and Ji Xiangyun did, as if he could handle many things on his own. But since Xuanxu Zi did not know how his predecessor had interacted with him, it was difficult to be overly warm without risking Gu Yuexuan noticing something amiss. As a result, their relationship grew increasingly remote.


    Therefore, he was particularly careful with Gu Yuexuan, but the more he did so, the more paranoid he became, always feeling that Gu Yuexuan might have discovered something.


    Upon hearing the incoherent words of Xiao Buli, his heart was startled, but on the surface, he kept a calm expression.


    "What nonsense are you talking about, how could your eldest senior brother stray into the Demon Dao?"


    Xiao Buli plopped down, "Master, I''ve learned the Sword Control Skill in the Immortal Realm, so as soon as I returned, I wanted to seek guidance from eldest senior brother. You know his Sword Control Technique is the most formidable. Of course, I could ask Master, but learning from you requires contribution points, and you know, I..."


    Xiao Buli suddenly rambled on about everything, making Xuanxu Zi increasingly irritated, "Get to the point," Xuanxu Zi said in a deep voice.


    "Oh, right, the point. The point is, Master, didn''t you tell me to keep an eye on eldest senior brother''s actions? So as soon as I got the chance, I ran over to check on him. Little did I know better, and what I found out was indeed a secret. His bamboo house is completely different from before; he has excavated a secret room, dark and cold. Just now, I peeked stealthily at the door and saw him inside..." As he spoke, Xiao Buli seemed to recall something terrifying and swallowed hard.


    "What is he doing inside?" Xuanxu Zi was so anxious that he hurriedly asked, with Xiao Buli internally pleased, thinking the more anxious you are, the less time you''ll have to ponder the truth of the matter.


    "Elder brother is inside, messing around with something, manipulating many souls to be infused into a body. The secret room was filled with wails and howls, very similar to the Yin Souls I saw at Wangliang Mountain. So, I suspect he has joined the Taiyin Sect or some other heterodox sect. Last time, I even went to Wangliang Mountain with him, unaware of the dangers." Xiao Buli mumbled as he watched Xuanxu Zi''s expressions.


    Upon hearing this, Xuanxu Zi''s face alternated between dark and light shades, as he pondered the reason behind Gu Yuexuan''s actions, then he suddenly asked with urgency, "What does that body look like?"


    Xiao Buli pretended to recall, "It''s like a Taoist around twenty to thirty years old, with a handsome appearance, wearing a blue Taoist robe..." Xiao Buli''s description made Xuanxu Zi feel increasingly alarmed as it was strikingly similar to Xuan Zhenzi.


    "There''s no time to waste, come with me quickly."


    Having said that, Xuanxu Zi seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Wait, better not come with me, in case your eldest senior brother becomes volatile and accidentally hurts you. It will suffice for me to find your eldest senior brother and ask for clarity." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without any further ado with Xiao Buli, Xuanxu Zi quickly walked outside.


    "Master, you haven''t rewarded me yet for completing the task," Xiao Buli quickly shouted after Xuanxu Zi. Who knew if the latter would still be alive later; it was best to secure one''s reward at once.


    Xuanxu Zi waved his hand without turning back, and Xiao Buli immediately heard a system notification beside his ear: Task of surveillance completed, rewarded with 500 contribution points. "Ha, Xuanxu Zi sure values Gu Yuexuan highly," Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    Xuanxu Zi, having left the palace, had no time for pretense. If what Xiao Buli said was true, then Gu Yuexuan was currently in the process of reviving Xuan Zhen. If he were to succeed, it would mean another powerful enemy for Xuanxu Zi.


    "Master, what brings you out for a stroll today?" Jingci was surprised to see Xuanxu Zi and promptly bowed to greet him. No wonder, since it was unusual for Xuanxu Zi to come out and walk about; he usually stayed in the great hall every day.


    Xuanxu Zi did not engage in conversation, his mind preoccupied with the present urgency. He walked toward Gu Yuexuan''s bamboo house, anxiously maneuvering with Dharma Method. Although it seemed he was walking step by step, with each step Xuanxu Zi''s figure would suddenly advance over a hundred meters.


    As his master hastily disappeared into the distance, Jingci couldn''t help but feel puzzled; he had never seen his master so unconcerned with his own dignity before.


    "Something''s fishy," a crisp voice suddenly rang out behind Jingci. Without turning, Jingci recognized it as his junior sister''s voice.


    "What do you think, shall we go have a look?" Jingci suggested.


    "Of course, no need to ask," Ji Xiangyun immediately endorsed the impromptu suggestion with strong enthusiasm.


    The two of them hurried in the direction their master had gone. By now, Xuanxu Zi was out of sight, but fortunately, Mystic Hollow Palace was not very large, and following this direction, there seemed only one reasonable destination. Thus, the two quickly arrived outside the bamboo house, only to find Xiao Buli was also there.

 Chapter 415 - 38: Soul Possession Rebirth_2

    "Junior Brother, you''re here too? Have you seen Master? He was acting very strange today, do you know what''s wrong with him?" Jingci immediately asked Xiao Buli with gossip-laden curiosity upon seeing him.


    As soon as Xiao Buli saw Xuanxu Zi leave, he took a shortcut and ran back to the bamboo building. Despite his efforts, he still didn''t manage to arrive before Xuanxu Zi, just catching a glimpse of Xuanxu Zi''s back entering the bamboo building. So, he stood here waiting, one, to await the outcome of the battle, and two, to keep a lookout for Gu Yuexuan.


    At this moment, seeing these two rush over gave Xiao Buli a headache. Although Xuanxu Zi was a Heart Demon, he was still the master of both. If Xuan Zhenzi and Xuanxu Zi started fighting, it wouldn''t be too bad if it was quiet, but if the fight spilled out of the bamboo building, he couldn''t ensure that these two wouldn''t join the battle on Xuanxu Zi''s side. These two were also quite capable, and if they joined the fight, it would indeed be a huge problem.


    "Well, Master said he had important matters to discuss with the eldest senior brother and asked me to guard here, not allowing anyone else in. Both of you senior brothers and sisters should stop here," Xiao Buli responded dutifully.


    Unexpectedly, at that moment, a figure suddenly descended from the sky. If not the eldest senior brother, then who? Jingci and Ji Xiangyun were both startled upon seeing him, and Ji Xiangyun, ever quick to speak, hastily asked, "Eldest senior brother, wasn''t master looking for you?"


    Xiao Buli was startled to see Gu Yuexuan as well, thinking that the lie he had just told was immediately exposed, and if these two suddenly decided to go in and take a look, the plan would be ruined. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for Gu Yuexuan, after discussing the strategy, Xiao Buli ran out to inform Master. Xuan Zhenzi immediately said to Gu Yuexuan, "You''re not safe here. That Xuanxu Zi is full of tricks, and if he discovers you in this bamboo building, our efforts will be wasted. You should hide outside for a while, and after Xuanxu Zi enters the bamboo building, you can sneak back to assist me."


    Thus, following Xuan Zhenzi''s instructions, Gu Yuexuan lay in ambush outside. He revealed himself only after seeing Master enter the bamboo building for some time. Little did he know that Xiao Buli''s careless lie had aroused the suspicions of Jingci and Ji Xiangyun.


    However, Gu Yuexuan was extremely smart and, upon hearing the questioning tone of the two, instantly guessed most of what was happening.


    At that moment, Xiao Buli also quickly said, "Yes, eldest senior brother, Master was urgently looking for you. You should hurry in and check."


    Gu Yuexuan promptly replied, "Yes, I''ve come back at Master''s summoning. Master''s order is clear, no outsiders should enter. The three of you wait here." This statement matched perfectly with what Xiao Buli had said earlier, and Xiao Buli internally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Since they were from the same sect and the eldest senior brother was usually very serious and reserved, Jingci and Ji Xiangyun, despite their curiosity, didn''t dare to question further. They watched as the eldest senior brother took measured steps and slowly entered the bamboo building.


    As for Xuanxu Zi, stepping into the bamboo building, he noticed it was remarkably different from usual. With no more doubts, he immediately headed for the entrance. Upon reaching the gateway guarded by Rune Armored Warriors who moved to stop the intruder, Xuanxu Zi casually waved his hand, and the Rune Armored Warrior turned into a wisp of green smoke and vanished.


    Approaching the door and fearing time was running out, Xuanxu Zi didn''t bother with any Disguise. With a heavy slap, the secret chamber door swung open, and Xuanxu Zi charged in.


    Upon entering, he saw Gu Yuexuan holding a Rune Sword, channeling Soul Fragments into a physical body. For some reason, the Soul Fragments seemed reluctant, darting about, unwilling to enter. Looking up at the body, it was none other than Xuan Zhenzi¡ªthe very person Xuanxu Zi longed for day and night.


    "How dare you, traitor, delve into the Demon Sect and study such sinister and unnatural Dharma Methods! Today, I shall cleanse the sect of you." Although only the two of them were left in the secret chamber, Xuanxu Zi still didn''t want to drop his Disguise, speaking with a righteous grandeur.


    Gu Yuexuan seemed utterly panicked when Xuanxu Zi barged in. The already troubled ritual now fell into complete disorder. In a flash, the Soul Fragments scattered like leaves whirling in a hurricane, with several hiding in the walls and two slipping out the door.


    Gu Yuexuan appeared to have suffered a heavy blow and exclaimed in despair, "No, come back!" Clasping the Sword technique, he began to move, seemingly attempting to regain control of the Soul Fragments. Xuanxu Zi wouldn''t let him succeed; he launched a Palm Thunder at the body, blasting the flesh into oblivion. Then, with a reach of his hand, he somehow absorbed all the Soul Fragments, squeezed them forcefully, emitting a piercing scream as they were all shattered.


    "No!" As if all hope had been shredded, Gu Yuexuan let out a cry of despair, looking at Xuanxu Zi with an intensity of hatred and rage that was beyond words.


    "Hmph, cleanse the sect? As if I don''t know what you''re scheming. Even at the cost of my life today, I won''t let your vile plans succeed," Gu Yuexuan declared, clenching his Sword technique. A cold light shot towards Xuanxu Zi, but he reached up to catch it mid-air, freezing it in place.


    Gu Yuexuan clenched his Sword technique again, and this time his flying sword buzzed and danced in the air. Suddenly, it split into six swords. Gu Yuexuan had gathered seven flying swords, and usually, they combined into one, waiting for the critical moment when all seven would attack together. Now, they all headed towards Xuanxu Zi simultaneously.


    "Hmph, I helped you get those swords, and you think they could harm me? What a delusion," scoffed Xuanxu Zi. With a flick of his horsetail whisk, it transformed into a blinding light that trapped the flying swords. Though Gu Yuexuan controlled the swords in an attempt to break free, the light from the horsetail whisk was exceptionally resilient, and the swords could not cut through it.

 Chapter 416 - 38: Soul Possession Rebirth_3

    Gu Yuexuan, upon seeing this, hurriedly went on the defensive. His seven flying swords merged into one and returned to his hand. He swiftly weaved sword flowers with his hand and attacked Xuanxu Zi. Xuanxu Zi, seeing this, retracted his Divine Skills and faced Gu Yuexuan. One brandished a dancing sword flower, the other barehanded, as the two engaged in combat.


    Perhaps because the spell casting had consumed too much Mana, Gu Yuexuan''s sword moves were agile but lacked strength. Moreover, Xuanxu Zi''s cultivation was superior to Gu Yuexuan''s. In no time, he had completely suppressed Gu Yuexuan. Each time Gu Yuexuan raised his hand before his sword move could launch, it was already dissolved by Xuanxu Zi. Not daring to prolong the fight, Gu Yuexuan quickly changed his tactics, urgently weaving several sword flowers with his hand to push Xuanxu Zi back a few steps. Gu Yuexuan then leaped backward, exiting the melee, tossing his treasured sword into the air. It clattered as it split into seven swords once again. Without hesitation, he shot them towards Xuanxu Zi from seven different directions. This time, he was all in.


    Gu Yuexuan channeled the last bit of his True Qi into the seven treasured swords, significantly increasing their speed and strength. However, this was his last attempt. If he failed, Gu Yuexuan would no longer have the energy to control the flying swords.


    Xuanxu Zi, how could he not be aware of this, laughed loudly.


    With the laughter, a burst of Buddha''s light surrounded Xuanxu Zi. It seemed like ten thousand beams of golden light shot forth, dazzling Gu Yuexuan to the point he couldn''t open his eyes. With a few crisp sounds, all seven treasured swords fell to the ground.


    Xuanxu Zi didn''t wait for Gu Yuexuan to make another move. His body moved as fast as lightning, instantly arriving close to Gu Yuexuan and pointing at his forehead. "Freeze!"


    Gu Yuexuan immediately became immobilized on the spot, struggling in vain as Xuanxu Zi''s face revealed a ferocious smile, "Today I shall cleanse the sect."


    "Pah, do you think I am unaware of your plans? It''s just a pity that my control over Yin Soul spells is not refined. Otherwise, I would surely have resurrected Xuan Zhenzi to deal with you," Gu Yuexuan retorted fiercely with words, although his body could not move.


    "Deal with me?" Xuanxu Zi cocked his head, enjoying the sight of Gu Yuexuan''s plight, "Do you think that with Xuan Zhen onboard, you could bring me under control? Delusional!!!" Xuanxu Zi seemed to be enraged, the word ''delusional'' echoing loudly inside the secret chamber.


    "Let me tell you, I, Xuanxu Zi, am no longer the puppet I was under Xuan Zhen. I am myself, an independent being. He wanted to merge me into himself, but that''s impossible now. Over these decades, I''ve been cultivating intensively. I have sustained you, and trained you, what do you think I''ve been doing it for? I intend to make my life everlasting, as well as my abilities." As he spoke, Xuanxu Zi gently caressed Gu Yuexuan''s face. "Such a fine body, young and vigorous. But you won''t enjoy it any longer. Relish these final moments."


    Having finished speaking, Xuanxu Zi stepped back two paces without any further ado, forming a spell with his hands and cried out loudly, "Soul Out Of Body!" As his words concluded, a translucent figure burst forth from him and entered Gu Yuexuan''s body in an instant. The Soul-possessing Skills began, and what startled Xuanxu Zi was how surprisingly smooth the process went. The body seemed tailor-made for him, with not the slightest sense of incompatibility, and Gu Yuexuan appeared to have given up resisting, making the possession easy.


    Xuanxu Zi''s Spiritual Sense roamed inside Gu Yuexuan''s body, and suddenly a familiar yet terrifying feeling surged within him.


    "Who are you?" Xuanxu Zi shouted within the body.


    As Gu Yuexuan''s features twisted and he struggled, he suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahahaha, how does it feel to return to my embrace? Warm, isn''t it?" The voice of Xuan Zhen resounded within the body, sending a shock through Xuanxu Zi''s heart who instinctively wanted to leave, to return to his own body while it was still warm¡ªthe sensible choice.


    But before he could act, he felt a barrier emerge within this body, "What''s going on? Who are you?" Although Xuanxu Zi had an inkling of the truth, he was still unwilling to accept it without asking.


    "Me? I am you," Xuan Zhenzi spoke. This phrase, once Xuanxu Zi''s favorite to utter, now spoken by Xuan Zhen, felt ironical.


    "You are Xuan Zhen?" Although he was reluctant to admit it, Xuanxu Zi had no choice but to confront the reality.


    "Hahaha, have you finally come to realize? Come out and fight with me. Let''s see who is stronger this time." As these words were spoken, Xuanxu Zi felt a tremor in his Spiritual Sense as a powerful spiritual power enveloped him in an instant.


    "No, don''t do this, I am you! We can coexist," Xuanxu Zi, sensing the tides turning, knew this was not the time for arrogance.


    "Coexist? If that''s so, then why did you initially force me to submit to you? After becoming Xuanxu Zi, why did you do everything to kill me?" With the upper hand, Xuan Zhen was in high spirits and toyed with Xuanxu Zi like a cat with a mouse. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, no, no, I never wanted you to submit to me, we can coexist," Xuanxu Zi''s plea sounded weak and pale, ill-adapted to this new rhythm of supplication after years of supremacy.


    "Coexist! Today I will let you coexist with me, in my memories." Xuan Zhen had no patience for further discussion, his consciousness tightening, trapping the Heart Demon Xuanxu Zi fiercely.


    "No!" With a loud shout, Xuan Zhen''s power burst forth in an instant. With a bang, the bamboo building on the ground was blasted into the air. In the moment that the bamboo building soared, a sword light shot out from within¡ªit was the elder disciple Gu Yuexuan.


    At the same time, another figure¡ªGu Yuexuan, or rather Xuan Zhen¡ªburst forth from the bamboo building and floated slowly midair, surrounded by white light.


    The three outside the bamboo building were taken aback, "What''s happening?" Jingci inquired. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast your vote at qidian.com and support me with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 417 - 39: Fratricide

    The three people outside the building looked at Gu Yuexuan floating in the air and were all stunned on the spot, but before they could figure out what was happening, Gu Yuexuan''s face suddenly twisted violently, and with a bang, he turned into a young man in his twenties with a handsome face.


    "Ah, who are you?" Jingci was the first to recover and shouted loudly.


    But before Xuan Zhenzi could react, his face distorted again, and it vaguely transformed into the visage of Xuanxu Zi.


    At this, Jingci and Ji Xiangyun were dumbstruck, only Xiao Buli knew the truth, but at this time, he could not take any action.


    "Master?" Ji Xiangyun asked in bewilderment?


    From the mouth of Xuan Zhenzi, came a suddenly aged voice, his face extremely twisted as he bellowed, "Gu Yuexuan has committed a revolt, conspiring with demon folks to harm his master, disciples of Mystic Hollow Palace, come quickly to protect the law." However, the last few words trailed off into the voice of a younger man, and Xuan Zhenzi''s face also reverted to his own, but looking at his twisted features, it seemed he was in extreme pain; it appeared that the fusion with Xuanxu Zi wasn''t as easy as he had hoped.


    Jingci and Ji Xiangyun, upon hearing their master''s command, picked up their treasured swords and were about to rush over, but suddenly a sword light flashed, and Gu Yuexuan appeared in front of the two.


    It turned out that just now, when Gu Yuexuan entered the bamboo building, he did not go down to the basement for fear of being discovered by Xuanxu Zi and having the plan ruined. Instead, he stayed above, listening to the movements below. However, since he was quite far away, he first heard some fighting noises, but then he couldn''t hear them anymore. While he was hesitating about whether to go down or not, a violent surge came through, and Gu Yuexuan instantly turned into a streak of Sword Qi and shot out, landing far behind Xiao Buli and the others. From there, he saw that Xuan Zhenzi had not completed the fusion, so he quickly came to their aid.


    Upon seeing Gu Yuexuan, both Jingci and Ji Xiangyun''s eyes bulged. Although they usually had a good relationship with their eldest senior brother, their master was, after all, their master, holding a high and respected position in their hearts. At this time, when their master''s safety was involved, how could they hesitate?


    Thus, Jingci said to Xiao Buli, "Fourth junior brother, you and junior sister hold off our eldest senior brother while I go save our master."


    "He''s not our real master. Our real master should be Xuantian, this demon has taken possession of our master''s body, impersonating him and deceiving us for so many years, you..." Gu Yuexuan suddenly stopped there. He had forgotten, Jingci and Ji Xiangyun were disciples taken by Xuanxu Zi after his soul possession, they had no concept of Xuantian in their minds.


    As expected, after hearing this, Jingci was baffled and asked, "What Xuantian?"


    "Second senior brother, don''t waste words with him, this traitor has betrayed and disrespected our lineage; what else is there to say?" Ji Xiangyun said from behind.


    Xuanxu Zi managed to seize the chance again, with difficulty, he said, "What are you dawdling for? Come and save me. Use attack spells to blast me out of this damned body."


    Upon hearing this, Jingci and Ji Xiangyun didn''t want to waste further words and prepared to charge forward.


    At this critical juncture, Gu Yuexuan shouted to Xiao Buli, "Fourth junior brother, now is the crucial moment of the soul fusion, we can''t let them disrupt Xuan Zhenzi''s ceremony. Only you and I can hold them off now. You choose one and I''ll handle the other, how about it?"


    Xiao Buli immediately received a system prompt: Trigger quest, the Mutation of Mystic Hollow Palace, choose the faction you want to join.


    Choice 1: Xuanxu Zi.


    Choice 2: Xuan Zhenzi.


    Thinking to himself that the choice was obvious at this point, situation being what it was like an arrow on a bowstring that had to be released, Xiao Buli selected option 2 without hesitation.


    Xiao Buli shouted to Xuan Zhenzi in the air, "Master, I''m sorry, but you know I have no other choice." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xuanxu Zi was hiding within Xuan Zhenzi''s body, unable to converse; however, Jingci and Ji Xiangyun beside were taken aback.


    Jingci looked at Xiao Buli with a mixture of shock and anger, "Junior brother, you''re also betraying our sect?"


    At this moment, Ji Xiangyun was much calmer than Jingci, "Second senior brother, why waste time talking at this point? We need to save our master quickly."


    Gu Yuexuan said to Xiao Buli, "We each take one; junior brother, you choose first."


    System prompt: Event triggered ''Sect Brotherly Strife'', choose the character you want to duel.


    Option 1: Jingci.


    Option 2: Ji Xiangyun.


    Xiao Buli didn''t have much interaction with Ji Xiangyun and knew very little about her skills; at a time like this, it was better to choose the known over the unknown. Moreover, he had just obtained four Exotic Beasts in the Immortal Realm, so he certainly had a fighting chance if Jingci were to summon her pet. On the other hand, Ji Xiangyun had always seemed clever and unpredictable, and who knows what tricks she had up her sleeve. So, after considering, he still felt picking Jingci was more reliable.


    After choosing Jingci, Xiao Buli saluted and said, "Second senior brother, please forgive me."


    With a move of his treasured sword, Xiao Buli shot towards Jingci with a sword light. Gu Yuexuan immediately engaged Ji Xiangyun upon seeing this.


    At that moment, Xuanxu Zi regained control of the body again and bellowed, "Armored Xuan Lion, where are you? Come quickly and protect the law." Xiao Buli remembered the Armored Xuan Lion; it was one of the two guardian stone lions in front of Mystic Hollow Palace. If Xiao Buli didn''t remember wrong, both were deep blue Elite Monsters. Hearing Xuanxu Zi''s roar, Xiao Buli was taken aback. This was outside his calculations. If those two stone lions came to aid, he and his eldest senior brother were not confident they could take on four opponents at once. If they got entangled in the fight, and the stone lions managed to rescue Xuanxu Zi, then today would be a total loss.

 Chapter 418 - 39: Fratricide_2

    While Xiao Buli was feeling anxious, a clear and lofty voice suddenly came from the sky, "Hahaha, Xuanxu Zi, the old fool, I''ve sealed the Armored Xuan Lion, and today will be your doom." As the voice grew closer, Qingfeng Mingyue descended from the sky and turned to Gu Yuexuan and Xiao Buli, saying, "I''m here as protector, you two can fight without restraint."


    "Qingfeng Mingyue, how could you betray our master?!" Jingci was both shocked and puzzled. Why would their eldest senior brother, who had always shown such respect to their master, suddenly rebel, and even the junior brother who had not been in the Sect for long...


    "Master? Hmph, my master passed away thirty years ago. The one before us is nothing but a demon who robbed my master''s body. I owe no loyalty to him, so where does the talk of betrayal come from? It''s just that I''m too weak, allowing him to boss us around for thirty years and even putting master''s hundred years of foundation at stake! Heaven is just, today this demon''s soul will be scattered." Qingfeng Mingyue''s voice was full of sorrow and resolution, and he seemed immensely agitated.


    Jingci was startled upon hearing this, but he had no memory of Xuantian the Daoist or of Xuantian Palace; it was the master who had raised him and taught him martial arts and skills. Therefore, even though Qingfeng Mingyue spoke convincingly, Jingci couldn''t accept the claim that their master was a demon.


    Ji Xiangyun, however, had begun to guess the truth from their conversations. Like Jingci, he came to Mystic Hollow Palace after the body snatching, so he didn''t have much attachment to the previous Xuantian Palace. Therefore, after listening to Qingfeng Mingyue, although he had some doubts about the master''s character, he made up his mind to stand by the master to the end, which was the only way to honor years of the master''s nurturing.


    While both of them were struggling internally, suddenly a flame ignited, and a blue light screen emerged around Ji Xiangyun, transporting her in a flash from where she was. Jingci became anxious. Just as he attempted to act, a flash of fire appeared, and he too entered into a space of emptiness.


    "Where is this?" Ji Xiangyun looked nervously at the boundless darkness surrounding her. Opposite her, Gu Yuexuan stood with his sword drawn, looking at her with a complex expression.


    "This is..." Ji Xiangyun murmured to herself, pondering for a moment before asking loudly, "Is this the defensive array attached to the Mystic Hollow Palace''s barrier? The Qiankun Two-Yi Formation?"


    Just like the Immortal Realm, Mystic Hollow Palace had been fortified by ancient Immortals with protective barriers to ward off foreign invaders. The maze that Xiao Buli had experienced was part of it. This barrier was extremely complex; besides repelling invaders, it also contained arrays against enemies who managed to enter Mystic Hollow Palace. As entrance to the palace required considerable martial arts proficiency, the internal arrays were far more formidable than those outside the palace. And since ordinary people could hardly enter the Mystic Hollow Palace, Ji Xiangyun, though having heard about the internal arrays for years, had never seen them. Suddenly being sealed in a different space, she immediately thought of the palace''s defensive Qiankun Two-Yi Formation.


    The Qiankun Two-Yi Formation, as the name suggests, was divided into two parts. It was said to be able to separate enemies, regardless of whether they were back-to-back or hugging each other. Once in the formation, they would surely enter two separate spaces. Masters of their Sect could then stand at the eye of both formations, either remaining invisible, trapping their prey until death, or showing themselves to fight.


    The Array was divided into Yin and Yang parts, and based on attributes, split into Water and Fire Elements. Judging by the current space, Ji Xiangyun felt she should be in Yin''s part, pertaining to the Water Element, which meant that Water Spells here would have enhanced power, while Fire Element spells would be much less effective.


    "You know how to activate the Qiankun Two-Yi Formation?" Ji Xiangyun asked in surprise. Since entering the Sect, although all three had their strengths, the master had been fair to everyone. It made no sense that the Sect''s protective formation would be taught to the eldest senior brother but not to them. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I guess it''s Qingfeng Mingyue who activated the formation," answered Gu Yuexuan, "To break through the formation, you need to defeat the one who guards it. Since it''s Qingfeng Mingyue who formed the array, I guess I''m the one you need to defeat."


    Upon entering the formation, Gu Yuexuan felt no rush. He never intended to harm Jingci or Ji Xiangyun, but circumstances had forced him to act. Now that the battle situation was out of their hands, Gu Yuexuan had an idea: just wait it out. If Xuan Zhen defeats Xuanxu Zi, this fight would come to an end.


    Ji Xiangyun, however, had a different idea. Holding her sword horizontally, she sneered and said, "Fine, it looks like I''ll have to defeat you to escape today."


    But Gu Yuexuan gave Ji Xiangyun a slight smile. Although there wasn''t much difference in appearance due to his cultivation, Gu Yuexuan was actually much older. He had watched this junior sister grow up, treating her with affection despite his general reserve due to wariness of Xuanxu Zi. Seeing her draw her sword and challenging him, he only found it amusing, as if a five-year-old girl was threatening to defeat a grown man.

 Chapter 419 - 419: 39 Sibling Rivalry_3

    "Hehe, although you''ve indeed grown a lot over the years, defeating me won''t be so easy. Besides, Senior Xuan Zhenzi should succeed very soon. Little Junior Sister, you might as well not waste your energy," Gu Yuexuan said these words very sensibly, just as he used to instruct his junior sister in martial arts on any other day. This made Ji Xiangyun''s mind stir.


    Ji Xiangyun thought for a moment, then a sly smile flashed across her face. Somewhat petulantly, she set down her sword and simply sat down with her legs crossed: "Big Senior Brother, you''re right, I certainly can''t beat you."


    "You''re giving up?" Gu Yuexuan was surprised by Ji Xiangyun''s blunt admission.


    Ji Xiangyun helplessly shrugged her shoulders and said, "Anyway, I can''t defeat you in a short time. Like you said, by the time I get out, Master will have already lost his life. I''m just wasting effort, but even without me, it doesn''t matter. Do you still remember the story of the bucket that Master told us when we were kids? How much water a bucket can hold doesn''t depend on its longest wooden slat but is determined by its shortest one. Big Senior Brother, you certainly are very powerful, but don''t forget, among us, our Fourth Junior Brother is the weakest. His fight with Second Senior Brother, I believe, will be decided very soon. Then, Master naturally has Second Senior Brother to save him, and me, since we can''t get out anyway, I''ve already done enough by holding you back." Ji Xiangyun''s words were logical, causing a shock to Gu Yuexuan''s heart, realizing that his little junior sister had grown up unknowingly.


    However, Gu Yuexuan didn''t entirely agree with his junior sister''s words: "Little Junior Brother, although he has been with the sect for a shorter time, you should be able to see that he''s different from you and me."


    "You mean he comes from the Heaven Beyond Heaven world?" Ji Xiangyun asked, as if this wasn''t a big secret between them.


    Gu Yuexuan nodded: "He is blessed by Heavenly Dao and has good fortune we can''t reach. Since he''s on our side this time, our chances of winning are much better."


    Ji Xiangyun waved her hand with some irritation: "Big Senior Brother, let''s not talk about him. Can you tell me what exactly happened thirty years ago?"


    As Ji Xiangyun and Gu Yuexuan vanished, Xiao Buli and Jingci were simultaneously surrounded by a white light. Jingci only saw a flash of light in front of his eyes, and the two were already in a vast expanse of white emptiness.


    "Eh, where is this?" Xiao Buli asked with some curiosity. "Second Senior Brother, what spell did you use?" Xiao Buli was entirely unaware of the protective barrier of the Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Jingci had been at Mystic Hollow Palace longer than Ji Xiangyun and had deeply studied the palace''s barrier before. Therefore, upon entering the void, Jingci immediately thought of this. Hearing Xiao Buli''s question and despite his reluctance to answer, Jingci, who at heart was quite pure, after some hesitation, still said coldly: "This is the protective barrier of Mystic Hollow Palace. I guess either Big Senior Brother or Qingfeng Mingyue activated it. Now, the only way I can leave this place is to defeat you." Having said that, Jingci turned to face Xiao Buli, beckoned to him, and said: "I didn''t expect we would have to cross swords one day, but for Master''s sake, I will go all out and show no mercy. Come on, let''s see if your martial arts have improved recently."


    Xiao Buli was somewhat panicky at this moment. He had thought that with the four of them teaming up, Big Senior Brother''s powerful martial arts would help him if he defeated Little Junior Sister, but he hadn''t expected this barrier to isolate them so starkly from the world.


    Xiao Buli instinctively felt that Big Senior Brother, Jingci, and Ji Xiangyun were much more formidable than himself, not just by a small margin, especially after witnessing their recent improvements in strength. Although he had his own fortuitous encounters in the Immortal Realm, he still felt he probably wasn''t a match for the three of them.


    Thinking of the Immortal Realm, Xiao Buli suddenly remembered his Seven-day Divine Strength, and his heart suddenly felt a bit more confident. He didn''t know if this divine power would work against Second Senior Brother, but at this point, he had no choice but to grasp at any straw.


    With that thought, Xiao Buli gritted his teeth, equipped the molten lava barrier, and drew the Glowing Light Sword from his hand.


    Although the Heart of Ice he had just received from the Immortal Realm fell under the category of flying swords, its attributes conflicted with the molten lava barrier, resulting in poorer performance when used together. Therefore, Xiao Buli decided to stick with the Glowing Light gifted to him by his Big Senior Brother.


    Igniting his internal energy in his hand, a white light surged up from the body of the Glowing Light Sword and pierced the sky. In an instant, the entire empty space felt even more dazzling with white light, further obscuring the discernment of spatial distance.


    Seeing this, Jingci inwardly cursed, almost forgetting that the Two-Yi Formation was divided into Yin and Yang, with corresponding water and fire attributes. Judging by his surroundings, which were wholly white and seemed to belong to the Yang extreme, his attribute would be fire. Xiao Buli, whether by chance or otherwise, had equipped and used internal energy that also fell into the Yang category, resulting in enhanced strength, which unexpectedly didn''t seem weak.


    However, Jingci was indisputably much stronger than Xiao Buli, not just by a small margin, and he knew the Two-Yi Formation well. So even though he was briefly alarmed, it didn''t show on the surface.


    With a spell in hand, he punched towards the ground, and a lightning bolt accompanied by fire burst from the ground and headed straight for Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli, seeing this, did not dare to delay, quickly leaping away to dodge the oncoming lightning strike, and at the same time, his sword performed a move called "White Crane Flashes Its Wings," sending out a beam of Sword Qi like a long rainbow, cleaving towards Jingci. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 420 - 39 Fratricide_4

    At the sight of the opponent''s swift and fierce momentum, Jingci wanted to dodge but wasn''t sure about Xiao Buli''s actual strength, so he decided to test the waters. He wrapped himself in a Protective Shield and charged straight into the Sword Qi, taking a direct hit.


    -145, a number signifying lost health points floated above Jingci''s head. Jingci was shocked to see that his own tailor-made skill derived from the Skill Furnace, the Mystic Armor Heart Condensing Skill, which had reached the 8th level, was so easily depleted by more than a hundred health points. It seemed that he couldn''t underestimate this junior brother. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, this encounter ignited Jingci''s competitive spirit. After all, he was Xiao Buli''s second senior brother, and losing face to him was not an option. With that thought, he wasted no further words and launched his Butterfly Shadow Dance towards Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli felt a chill in his heart when he saw the drop in health points¡ªhow could a direct attack only cost him so little blood? Wasn''t he empowered by Seven-day Divine Strength? Little did he know how formidable Jingci''s protective spell was.


    At this moment, Jingci made his move, releasing a tumult of colorful butterfly shadows that whimsically fluttered towards him. Xiao Buli intended to dodge, but he felt as though the chaotic, seemingly random movement of butterflies had encircled him without leaving any gaps to escape. Resigned, he raised his lava barrier, relying on the power of his Heart of the Earth Armor and Spiritual Energy Shield, hoping it would be enough to prevent immediate defeat.


    When the butterflies fluttered, their wings moved slowly, yet their approach was incredibly fast. Xiao Buli had just prepared to defend himself when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a dizzying array of numbers indicating his lost health points: -2, -3, -4, -9, -6... The attacking power of these delicate butterflies was surprisingly weak. Seeing this, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh¡ªit was barely a dozen or two dozen points of damage in total. Jingci''s strength did not seem so formidable after all.


    Feeling at ease, Xiao Buli readied himself to counterattack as soon as the onslaught was over, only to discover that his body was entangled by a fine thread. These threads were barely visible, as they were as thin as hair and white in color, making them hard to notice. If not for the sufficient lighting that made them glint, Xiao Buli might not have seen them. The intricate threads bound his limbs, and he felt a sticky force hampering his movements as he tried to swing his arms.


    The butterflies had spun silk! It seemed that Jingci''s attack was not meant to wound him but to slow him down.


    Indeed, Jingci seized the moment, activating his movement technique and drawing his sword to slash at Xiao Buli with a fierce and unstoppable attack, like a ''Rainbow Piercing The Sun,'' leaving a trail of multicolored light in its wake, an obvious sign of its potent lethality.


    Left with no choice, Xiao Buli quickly brought out his Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield and activated the True Origin Force inside him. The black orb in his hand transformed into a massive light shield that completely enveloped him.


    Jingci''s Sword Qi slash hit the light shield head-on and was swallowed up without a trace, like mud disappearing into the ocean, without stirring up the slightest ripple.


    Jingci was taken aback, wondering what spell could be this powerful. Why had he never heard of it before? Could it be an exclusive skill forged in the Skill Furnace?


    While Jingci was surprised, Xiao Buli was quietly lamenting. That strike had drained nearly a hundred of his True Origin Points. Considering the shield''s exchange rate of one to three, this meant the attack had a true power of more than 300 points of damage. It looked like this battle was far from over.


    Both were Cursed Swordsmen and mainly used exclusive skills, and now, standing face to face, each felt a surge of pressure.


    Nevertheless, Xiao Buli thought to himself that as long as he could hold out for a while, even if he couldn''t win, he would be fine.(To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote and support us at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 421 - 40 Curse Sword VS Curse Sword

    Xiao Buli faced off against Jingci, but was caught off-guard by a technique Jingci used called Fluttering Butterflies, inexplicably winding many threads around his body, severely impeding Xiao Buli''s movements. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To deal with such things, Xiao Buli naturally thought of fire first. Although he didn''t know the Giant Fireball spell, fortunately, he had the Sunfire Spellball, which could produce the same effect. Time was of the essence, so Xiao Buli immediately stimulated his True Origin Force, and a huge scorching fireball formed in his hands. To his surprise, the fireball was larger and hotter than ever before¡ªhe wondered if this was the effect of the Seven-day Divine Strength. However, he had no time to ponder, as the molten lava barrier in front of him could only hold Jingci off for thirty seconds. Holding the fireball, Xiao Buli carefully burned away the threads on his body, controlling the size of the fireball to avoid burning himself. The threads curled up immediately when hit by the fire and emitted a burnt stench.


    In the blink of an eye, Xiao Buli had burned away all the threads from his body. Just as the barrier''s duration ended, it shrank back to shield size, and Xiao Buli quickly grabbed it and leapt back.


    Seeing this, Jingci didn''t stop. Army-Breaking Sword Skills!! Sword Qi shot towards Xiao Buli like darts, raining down on him non-stop. Xiao Buli hastily lifted the shield in defense. The Army-Breaking Sword Skills were all about speed, and Xiao Buli admitted that he wasn''t faster than Jingci, so he had no choice but to play turtle, pulling his head in. Fortunately, the shield and the Heart of the Earth''s defense he wore were incredibly strong, so he didn''t receive the slightest injury. Seeing that his flying sword attacks didn''t affect the unchanging Xiao Buli, Jingci was momentarily unable to harm him.


    Suddenly, Jingci raised his treasured sword straight up high, "Ultimate Skills: Annihilator''s Cross Slash," he shouted, and a cross-shaped sword light flew out from his position, aiming directly at Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli, hearing Jingci''s shout, had a fright¡ªthis Annihilator''s Cross Slash was an ultimate move Jingci had mastered from the Army-Breaking Sword Skills, a forceful attack that could cause injury despite high defenses. Xiao Buli''s health was already lower than Jingci''s, and taking a hit would leave him with even less assurance of victory. With this in mind, he crouched slightly and leapt, a thunderbolt soaring into the sky, using his escape move, Cloud Thunder Leap. However, this time Xiao Buli didn''t go far; he dodged Jingci''s ultimate sword skill and immediately moved slightly forward, like lightning striking from the sky, hoping the power of the strike would severely damage Jingci.


    Though Xiao Buli was quick, Jingci''s footwork was quicker. Xiao Buli''s eyes blurred, and Jingci, who was just under his feet, suddenly appeared a hundred meters away. It was too late for any adjustments, and with a thunderous crash, Xiao Buli hit the ground splendidly.


    Even though he was already in sync with Cloud Thunder, Xiao Buli wasn''t injured, but the landing inevitably caused a pause. It was during this brief moment that Xiao Buli''s life nearly came to an end. Jingci had already planned his next move and, as soon as Xiao Buli landed, he sensed a dark shadow approaching him. Jingci''s Sword Qi was already in front of him, the chilling light of his blade menacingly close, ready to disembowel Xiao Buli.


    At the critical moment, it was too late for Xiao Buli to dodge. A flash of thought in his mind, and a massive figure suddenly appeared between the two. Jingci''s sword struck, and the shadow let out a long, painful scream that numbed the ears.


    Opening a huge mouth, the figure bit at Jingci, who quickly leapt backwards. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than a colossal python. The blood from the wound Jingci had made flowed freely from the python''s body, and though the serpent was severely injured, its aggression surged. Ignoring the dangerous aura from Jingci, it immediately coiled and attacked.


    Xiao Buli saw a good opportunity and immediately slashed with his Mysterious Ice Slash. Unlike his previous attacks, this Mysterious Ice Slash was no different from usual¡ªit appeared weak and unconvincing. However, its slowing effect was key. If Jingci was hit by this slash, he was likely to experience the same slow reaction as Xiao Buli had, leaving him unprepared. Therefore, Xiao Buli didn''t stop his attacks, continually slashing with Mysterious Ice Slash at Jingci, hoping to take advantage of the python''s distraction to turn defeat into victory.


    But suddenly, there came a sharp eagle cry from above. Jingci had summoned his Golden Eagle King, a treasure Xiao Buli had seen once before¡ªa majestic, golden eagle, imposing and formidable, and the natural enemy of snakes. Despite the python''s size being no match for the Golden Eagle King, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel uneasy, knowing Jingci''s chances of counterattacking under these circumstances were high, and quickly activated his Skimming Shadow Steps, blending his body into the vast expanse of white space as he moved.


    Sure enough, as soon as Jingci''s Golden Eagle entered the fray, the situation on the field changed immediately. Originally, if Jingci had to face both the python and the Mysterious Ice Slash, he would have been hit by one or the other, either being injured by the python or slowed by the Mysterious Ice Slash. However, with the Golden Eagle engaging the python, Jingci was relieved of the threat, and he concentrated fully on dodging the Mysterious Ice Slash. Jingci''s Qinggong was strong, and Xiao Buli''s Cold Ice System Spell didn''t pose much of a problem for him, so he didn''t even bother to dodge completely¡ªhe took a few hits and quickly moved to where Xiao Buli had just been standing. But as he approached, Jingci suddenly came to a halt, having lost sight of Xiao Buli''s figure.

 Chapter 422 - 40 Curse Sword VS Curse Sword_2

    He looked around twice and, besides the eagle and python fighting joyously, there was only himself, alone. This space did not seem to have any hiding spots like the outside, so Jingci could be certain that Xiao Buli must have used some invisibility spell.


    He reached out his hand, and a ring-shaped jade pendant appeared in Jingci''s hand. Holding the jade ring up before his eyes, he scanned the room in a circuit, and immediately spotted Xiao Buli''s figure. Xiao Buli was not far from him, his treasured sword raised high, preparing to catch him off guard.


    Although Xiao Buli did not know what the treasure in Jingci''s hand was exactly, it was not difficult to guess its purpose based on Jingci''s actions. Therefore, when he saw Jingci aim the jade ring at him, he knew his form had been revealed and he hurriedly leaped from the ground and vanished on the spot.


    Although Jingci could see Xiao Buli''s figure through the jade ring in his hand, the jade ring had a drawback when used: it required one hand to hold, and only through the eye looking through the ring could he see. Hence, his speed was always slower than normal vision.


    Seeing Xiao Buli jump upward, Jingci hurriedly looked up. However, Xiao Buli had a trick up his sleeve. He leapt up, but not too high; in midair, he twisted at the waist, rolled to one side, and upon landing, rolled twice to offset the force and shake off Jingci''s pursuit in a short time. After getting up, he immediately circled around to Jingci''s back and delivered a Straight Lightning Slash down towards Jingci''s rear.


    It is often said that a master is aware of all around them, unlike gamers who play through computers, as people within the game possess both auditory and olfactory senses. Thus, even though Jingci could not see Xiao Buli for a moment, his intuition was exceptionally sharp; sensing a sinister gust of wind behind him, he immediately summoned a Frost Claw Silver Wolf. Xiao Buli''s sword struck but hit the back of the silver wolf, losing over two hundred health points, but Xiao Buli''s form had been revealed.


    At that moment, Jingci felt regret. Having cultivated within Mystic Hollow Palace, his martial arts were exceptionally advanced, but because he learned things systematically and singularly, he wasn''t as versed in a mix of abilities like Xiao Buli''s invisibility and stealth. Although he compensated with the Jade Ring of Ice Heart, it was still restrictive in combat.


    Anger in his heart, the treasured sword in his hand started to buzz. Although Jingci did not practice the Sword Control Skill, the spells within Mystic Hollow Palace mostly emphasized human-sword unity, so he still had such a connection with the treasured sword.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli assumed Jingci was about to use a sword control spell. If he were to engage in close combat, he would immediately be at a disadvantage. Without further thought, Xiao Buli switched to the Ancient Heart of Ice, pinched the sword technique, and his treasured sword began to float above his head.


    However, Xiao Buli made a mistake. This space augmented fire element spells and restrained ice element spells. Upon seeing this, Jingci''s mouth curved into a smile, knowing full well the attributes of this space. Yet, he dared not take Xiao Buli lightly. Initially, Jingci thought that facing Xiao Buli would be a quick fight, but the past few exchanges, despite Xiao Buli seeming somewhat flustered, made Jingci take him seriously. Regardless of this space''s enhancement of Xiao Buli''s spells, the junior fellow indeed gave him a surprise in a short time.


    Hence, Jingci moved, slowly taking up a fighting stance and began a formal battle with Xiao Buli. However, Xiao Buli was unaware of Jingci''s thoughts and felt a deep relief when he noticed the sudden slowing of Jingci''s pace, not realizing the real battle had just begun.


    Jingci held his sword in a beginning posture, simple yet noble and impressive, clearly of a Grandmaster Level. Xiao Buli felt a sudden warmth emanating from Jingci''s direction, and saw a bright white glow slowly rising around Jingci. He realized Jingci was using his cultivation technique and was surprised he could feel it so clearly despite being over a dozen steps away.


    Suddenly, Jingci moved. Each action was incredibly slow, yet Xiao Buli found it difficult to see clearly on his end. Jingci''s every motion left a trail of afterimages, and as his movements grew larger, the afterimages became more numerous, until Xiao Buli could no longer discern Jingci''s actions. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next second, Xiao Buli saw countless sword lights separating from that mass of figures, converging on him from all sides. The sword lights were not very fast, but in the blink of an eye, they had become nearly a hundred, entangling Xiao Buli like a tangled mess. Seeing no chance to wait, Xiao Buli quickly put his flying sword into action, attacking the densest part of the sword lights. The sword lights, like illusions, turned into a wisp of blue smoke upon contact with the Ice Heart, but more quickly filled in the gaps. Xiao Buli hurriedly executed the sword technique, wielding the Ice Sword rapidly, trying to open a gap for himself with the quickly spinning sword lights. However, the numerous sword lights closed in, and despite the Ice Sword''s clear advantage in speed, there was only one of it, and the encirclement tightened gradually.

 Chapter 423 - 40 Curse Sword VS Curse Sword_3

    Xiao Buli realized that passively taking hits was not a solution. Noting that those flashes of sword energy were mere illusions and suspecting their attack power was average, he thought he had no choice but to risk it all. Thus, he moved slightly and charged towards a spot that had been weakened by the Heart of Ice, but as soon as he came into contact with the sword light, he immediately realized his mistake. The light, solid as reality, hit Xiao Buli several times¡ª-73,-80,-93¡ªthe consecutive symbols for decreasing health made Xiao Buli retreat immediately. Considering his own high defenses, he had thought he was invincible. To his surprise, the sword light had easily broken through his defenses, and each strike caused him to lose a significant amount of health. If all those flashes of light had truly hit him, he didn''t know if he would have been instantly killed. Filled with immense fear, he could no longer see Jingci through the coverage of sword light, nor could he tell how many such lights surrounded the periphery. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "These Sword Qi are formed from my True Qi. Although your treasured sword can easily break them, the damage they inflict on you is no less than if the sword itself directly struck you. Junior brother, we are from the same sect. Even though you were momentarily confused and entered the Demon Dao, I don''t want to completely exterminate you," Jingci continued to dance with his treasured sword, releasing sword light while persuading Xiao Buli, who was engulfed by the sword light. From his position, his sword light had already formed a thick cocoon. If he had not been reluctant to do so, he could have tightened the encirclement and killed Xiao Buli then and there, "If you just admit defeat and let me out to save our master, I promise I won''t kill you. I will even plead for you in front of our master. What do you say, junior brother?"


    "Senior brother, our master is a Heart Demon incarnate; he is the true Demon Dao. Although he raised you to adulthood, from the beginning, his plan was to cultivate you into experts and then seize your bodies to continue living. Can''t the words of our eldest brother and Qingfeng Mingyue awaken you?" Xiao Buli''s voice sounded slightly panicked, and although he was at his wit''s end, he seemed unwilling to submit to execution, shouting out to Jingci.


    "A master for life is akin to a father. No matter what our master has done before, he is still the one who raised and taught me. Since you, junior brother, remain so obstinately misled, don''t blame your senior brother for being ruthless," Jingci said, speeding up his hand movements. Suddenly, the sword light appeared to go crazy, converging towards the center of the light sphere. These Sword Qi were incorporeal and unlike a real treasured sword, they would vanish upon contact with an object. Therefore, the encirclement both closed in and shrank rapidly. Jingci couldn''t bear to see Xiao Buli''s body dispersed by the sword light, so as soon as he initiated the spell, he turned his body away and tried hard to regulate his breathing. Having spent so many years in Mystic Hollow Palace under the protection of their master, he had spent his days studying animals he was fond of and practicing martial arts. At most, he had exchanged moves with his fellow disciples or hunted wild beasts outside, making Jingci''s soul extraordinarily pure. This was the first time he had experienced fratricide, let alone personally killing Xiao Buli, who used to call him senior brother so affectionately.


    "Senior brother." Jingci suddenly heard that familiar voice behind him. Was he hallucinating? Before Jingci could react, he felt a massive force hit his back, followed by a burning pain. The impact sent him flying.


    Struggling to get up from the ground, he turned around. Xiao Buli was holding a giant Magic Sphere in his hand, looking at Jingci with a mischievous smile. The Sunfire Spellball that Xiao Buli had just thrown hadn''t used his full power, so its strength was only a fifth of its usual potency. He believed Jingci surely could withstand it. Jingci had refrained from killing Xiao Buli, but was it not the same for Xiao Buli? Since learning that the characters in the game had their own wills, at times he had begun to treat some NPCs as if they were real people, especially Jingci, whom he had the most contact with since entering Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Jingci''s reluctance to witness his death also pained Xiao Buli''s heart.


    "You... you''re not dead?" Jingci was more astonished than hurt, finding it hard to believe that Xiao Buli was unharmed behind him. He was sure that Xiao Buli had been amidst the sword light, he was sure that he had initiated the spell, he was sure that the Magic Damage he had inflicted was large enough that even if Xiao Buli wore the ancient Divine Armor, he should have lost half of his life, yet there he stood, with no loss of blood and no injury.


    "Just missed it by a little bit," Xiao Buli exaggeratedly motioned with his left hand, the one not holding the Magic Sphere, "just that tiny bit. Senior brother, you really have a fierce heart indeed." He took two steps towards Jingci''s front: "Luckily, your junior brother here can perform Earth Escape like none other. You thought you sealed off all my paths, but you didn''t know I could also escape through the earth."


    "Earth Escape? Nonsense, the ground in this space isn''t even made of soil," Jingci refused to believe it.


    "True, aside from soil I can''t escape through other surfaces, but it just so happens my Earth Escape Skills have just leveled up. Senior brother, just now you couldn''t bring yourself to kill me, and neither could I. How about we call a truce, sit here for a while, and wait for that calamity outside to submit to the spell, then we can leave without any hard feelings. What do you say?" Xiao Buli proposed earnestly.

 Chapter 424 - 40 Curse Sword VS Curse Sword_4

    "That''s my master, I can''t let him die like this, take my sword!" Jingci spoke quickly, his figure even faster than his words. In a flash, he leaped from the ground. His treasured sword had just been knocked aside, but with a casual reach, it seemed as if the sword was tethered to him by a thread, immediately flying into his hand. He and his sword charged at Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli hadn''t expected Jingci to turn hostile so suddenly. In a panic, he launched the magic sphere in his hand at Jingci, but it was too slow and burst on the ground with a pop. Jingci had already flown up to his face.


    Xiao Buli hastily shifted his thoughts, and with a loud bang, a massive body appeared between them. Xiao Buli repeated his old trick, and there, the corpulent Stone-tooth Rat King lay between them. Jingci''s sword pierced into the Rat King''s plump hindquarters, causing it to scream in pain, its body twisting as it fell to the ground. But it only lost a few dozen points of blood; this creature might not be much affected by injuries, but its hide was indeed very thick.


    Jingci was furious inside: "Didn''t you say you didn''t catch any pets?" In his rage, he roared at Xiao Buli.


    The treasured sword in his hand swung airtight, launching an attack at Xiao Buli. Xiao Buli unsheathed the Glowing Light Sword, infused it with internal energy, and without any trickery, engaged Jingci with the Xiaoyao Sword Skills.


    The Stone-tooth Rat, after taking the hit and seeing it had nothing to do with itself, scampered to the side. However, as Xiao Buli''s pet, it didn''t go too far away. The little rat''s eyes looked intermittently at the still-entangled Lava Giant Python, seemingly afraid that it might break free from the combat and bite it, and then back at Xiao Buli and Jingci, as if waiting to return to the Sealed Space at any moment.


    Xiao Buli employed the Sunfire Sword Qi; the Glowing Light Sword in his hand emitted a scorching aura, greatly increasing its power. On the other side, Jingci''s Soaring Cloud Sword Skills were executed beautifully, with each move perfectly airtight. If Xiao Buli was even slightly careless, he would get stabbed. Fortunately, he had the Lava Barrier and was wearing the Heart of the Earth. Even if occasionally struck, he didn''t lose much blood, so the battle between the two seemed quite evenly matched for a time.


    Meanwhile, the Golden Eagle was naturally the nemesis of the python, but the Lava Giant Python''s oversized body made it difficult to defeat quickly, though it did have the upper hand. The python, having already been stabbed by Jingci, continuously bled, but its blood wasn''t entirely red¡ªit was mixed with gold, resembling flowing lava, speckled and splotched on the ground.


    Besides the wound, there were marks from the eagle''s claws and beak, leaving the python''s skin ragged and torn. However, fortunately, the injuries weren''t fatal. Desperate to survive, the python fought while seeking a way out. Suddenly, seeing Xiao Buli summon the Stone-tooth Rat, its eyes flashed with a cunning gleam. Ignoring the Golden Eagle''s scratching and clawing, it twisted its body and charged toward the Stone-tooth Rat. The change was so sudden that, even though the Rat King had been watching the situation closely, it didn''t manage to dodge. Moreover, Stone-tooth Rats were natural prey for the Lava Giant Python. Seeing the python, it was so scared it couldn''t move its legs and was caught in the python''s mouth. With a gulping sound, the Stone-tooth Rat was swallowed whole. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.) sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 425 - 41 The Story of Xuan Zhenzi

    Upon swallowing the mouse, the giant python''s body suddenly became completely different: a flash of golden light shimmered, and a flame light flickered between the scales of the lava giant python. It seemed as if lava were flowing inside its body, and its eyes changed from the original black to a golden yellow hue.


    The golden eagle momentarily lost its target, and then it charged toward the giant python. Just as its claws were about to reach the python''s eyes, the giant python opened its mouth wide and spewed a stream of lava mixed with fiery light directly at the golden eagle. Normally, the lava alone wouldn''t have been an issue, but as previously mentioned, this space had an enhancing effect on fire elements. The fiery light was even more intense than before, and with a whoosh, a fierce blaze engulfed the golden eagle.


    With a shrill scream, the golden eagle flailed, and Jingci, without hesitating and entangled with Xiao Buli, feinted with his sword and rushed toward the golden eagle. Jingci always had a special affection for pets, and catching the Golden Eagle King had not been easy. How could he let it die so easily? Seeing the eagle injured, he immediately came to its rescue, but with the eagle covered in firelight and himself lacking water spells to extinguish the fire, he stood on the spot in desperation, watching the golden eagle fall to the ground, writhing with flames.


    The lava giant python, having severely wounded the golden eagle, seemed to let out a malicious glee, its body pulsating, and its flame-like tongue constantly flicking in and out, as if boasting of its victory.


    Seeing no immediate way to save the golden eagle, Jingci, furious, lifted his treasure sword to slay the giant python.


    Behind him, Xiao Buli suddenly had a stroke of inspiration, "Quick, retract the sealed space."


    Jingci paused for a moment upon hearing this, then realized that the sealed space had healing capabilities. Although the golden eagle was covered in firelight, it wasn''t dead yet. There still was a glimmer of hope if it was taken back into the space now. Blinded by anger, he hadn''t thought of this before. He immediately turned his thoughts, and took back the golden eagle.


    Affected by the lava giant python''s lava shot, the golden eagle''s body caught fire. Thanks to Xiao Buli''s reminder, Jingci promptly recalled the golden eagle into the sealed space, narrowly avoiding the loss of his beloved pet.


    The two men and the python stood their ground, and for a moment, none had the intention to fight. Jingci, being honest in nature and just saved by Xiao Buli from losing the golden eagle, didn''t feel right about starting a fight with Xiao Buli immediately, so he turned back to look at the lava giant python and became excited.


    "Junior brother, did you catch this giant python in the Immortal Realm? How does it spit fire?" Jingci''s knowledge of pets was extensive, and this question was really just a change of subject.


    Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Buli quickly went along with it, "Yeah, I''m also surprised. Logically speaking, it should have lost the ability to spit fire after leaving the Lava Cave." Xiao Buli looked around but saw no sign of the Stone-tooth Rat, "It looks like it ate the Stone-tooth Rat."


    "Stone-tooth Rat?" Jingci pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I got it. The reason they''re called lava giant pythons is that their fire element skills are based on the presence of lava or fierce fire. Stone-tooth Rats feed on fire spirit stones. It seems that after the python ate the Stone-tooth Rat, its body replenished with fire elementals, allowing it to recover its fire-spitting ability in a short time." Jingci quickly offered the most likely answer.


    "Perhaps." Xiao Buli wasn''t primarily concerned with this issue at the moment, "Second senior brother, aren''t we fighting anymore?"


    Jingci turned to look at Xiao Buli but suddenly shifted the topic, "Can you tell me what exactly is going on with master? You said he was training us to be his tools for soul possession. What do you mean by that?"


    Xiao Buli, delighted to see that Jingci was willing to listen, knew it was best not to fight. He put away the giant python, and the two sat down cross-legged in the space. Xiao Buli then explained everything about Xuanxu Zi, with Jingci nodding frequently as he listened.


    "Sigh." After listening to Xiao Buli''s account, Jingci sighed deeply, "I didn''t expect the situation to have such a background. But Xuanxu Zi has been my master after all. Since we''re deeply trapped in the Two-Yi Formation, getting anxious is pointless. Just leave it to his fate."


    For the next while, the two talked about pets. Xiao Buli told Jingci about his recent experiences in the Immortal Realm, which amazed Jingci endlessly. He hadn''t expected Xiao Buli to have so many encounters in just one day. While they were in the midst of their enjoyable conversation, suddenly the bright white light dissipated, and Mystic Hollow Palace once more appeared before them.


    Xuan Zhenzi, dressed in a dark azure robe, stood before everyone. His face had returned to normal, indicating he had overcome the Heart Demon''s soul possessed by Xuanxu Zi. Qingfeng Mingyue stood by Xuan Zhenzi''s side and seeing the four reappear, bowed and said, "It was a matter of great urgency, please forgive us." This was, presumably, about the trapping of the four in the formation. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ji Xiangyun had already halted the tale from their eldest brother earlier in the formation. Although she still found the bizarre story about the master being a Heart Demon hard to accept, after the recent events and the attitudes shown by Qingfeng Mingyue and their eldest brother, she realized that the matter was highly likely true. Moreover, she wasn''t foolish. Her master had already put her on the list of candidates for soul possession; why would she take rash action for such a person? So, when the four emerged unharmed, none were too surprised.


    "What do we do now?" Ji Xiangyun, always straightforward, broke the silence as they awkwardly stood there, "Mr. Xuan Zhen, are you staying in Mystic Hollow Palace?"

 Chapter 426 - 41 The Story of Xuan Zhenzi_2

    "Hehe, this Daoist has finally regained his freedom, and naturally wishes to travel around and live a life of leisure like the floating clouds and wild cranes," Xuan Zhenzi said with a laugh. His appearance was still that of the same handsome and elegant young man from thirty years ago, making his smile particularly delightful to behold.


    "Then Mystic Hollow Palace in the future..." Jingci started to say that Mystic Hollow Palace would always welcome him back, but suddenly remembered that Xuanxu Zi had died at the hands of Xuan Zhenzi. Who would be in charge of Mystic Hollow Palace in the future was uncertain, so it seemed presumptuous of him to say such a thing. Thus, he swallowed the rest of his words, but to the others it sounded like he was worrying about the future of Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Qingfeng Mingyue interjected, "When our Master Xuantian passed away, he ordered our eldest senior brother Gu Yuexuan to take over Xuantian Palace. But later, after the Master came back to life, we all thought his time hadn''t yet come. As for Xuanxu Zi later changing his name and Xuantian Palace being renamed to Mystic Hollow Palace, in general, it''s still the foundation of Xuantian Palace. Therefore, I propose that our eldest senior brother inherits the mantle to fulfill Master''s wish at that time."


    Ji Xiangyun and Jingci were never ambitious individuals, and Qingfeng Mingyue''s suggestion seemed quite fair and reasonable. Thus, they raised no objections, and the matter was settled.


    "Who will exchange my reward for me?" Xiao Buli, seeing that the important matters had been decided, hastily asked¡ªeliciting a round of laughter from everyone.


    Gu Yuexuan waved his hand grandly, and Xiao Buli heard the system prompt: Completed the Sect Mission ''Rectify the Chaos,'' receiving a reward of 2000 Contribution Value points, and Mystic Hollow Palace Prestige increased to Respected.


    Completed the mission of ''Fratricide,'' receiving a reward of 500 points. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Completed the ''Punishment of the Heart Demon'' mission, eligible to receive a random reward item from Xuan Zhenzi.


    A flood of rewards came pouring down, and Xiao Buli''s mouth was so wide in joy he could hardly close it, "So in the future, if I want to learn a skill, I just find our eldest senior brother, right?"


    "Haha, any one of us is willing to teach you, don''t worry, fourth junior brother," Jingci quickly spoke for everyone.


    "Hehe, that''s good."


    "Xiao Buli, come with me, I need to talk to you about something that happened at the base thirty years ago," Xuan Zhenzi said to Xiao Buli. A private conversation with Xuan Zhenzi was what Xiao Buli had always longed for; he had too many questions that he needed answers for from Xuan Zhenzi. Hearing that Xuan Zhenzi sought him out, he immediately nodded solemnly in agreement.


    Seeing that everything here had been resolved, everyone dispersed, and Gu Yuexuan replaced Xuanxu Zi and returned to the main hall to preside.


    Xiao Buli followed Xuan Zhenzi to a secluded spot, and they both sat cross-legged. Xiao Buli had expended a lot of True Yuan earlier, and this was a good opportunity to replenish it.


    Xuan Zhenzi watched Xiao Buli with a smile and said, "What do you want to ask?" The tone was as if he already knew.


    "There''s too much I want to ask." Xiao Buli immediately said impatiently, "How did you break free from the Heart Demon? Did you really use the Avatar Shadow Transformation method? How did you enter the game? Is what I''m seeing now your projection in the game, or have you actually come into the game? And about what you guys did at the base back then..." Before Xiao Buli could finish speaking, Xuan Zhenzi suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him.


    "Let me start from the beginning; once you''ve heard the story, all these questions will be answered," Xuan Zhenzi took a deep breath, looking past Xiao Buli''s head into the distance, "I was raised in a Daoist temple, brought up by a Daoist priest, so naturally, I became a priest myself. It was probably around the time I was twenty-four that the Cultural Revolution broke out. You should be familiar with that piece of history, right? In those years of universal trepidation, one could hardly avoid sudden misfortune. I wasn''t even sure what crimes I was accused of when I was sent to a remote farm in the northwest for re-education through labor. Every day I faced grueling work that made me wish for death and beatings that could come at any moment. After about a year there, one day the farm was visited by a group of soldiers, led by a general named Huo. He gathered everyone from the farm and gave a lengthy speech, saying there was an opportunity to serve the country, which could get us out of there¡ªparticipation was on a voluntary basis. Many people were afraid, whispering that it might involve dangerous jobs like bacteriological experiments, but there were also those who were not afraid of death. Some thought that if they were to be tortured to death on the farm, they might as well end it quickly, and about twenty people volunteered to take part. However, the numbers seemed insufficient, and the next day General Huo spoke to me. He knew that I had previously been a Daoist priest, so he asked if I would leave with him and assured me that it was definitely not the kind of bacteriological experimentation that everyone was talking about. To show his sincerity, he let me eat my first meal of white flour buns that year¡ªit must have been those buns that swayed me." Xuan Zhenzi''s face showed a self-deprecating smile, "I signed the consent form and stamped my thumbprint. Later, I found out that many others like me had been persuaded by General Huo after a chat. Some were blacksmiths, some were furriers, but at that time, we didn''t know the significance of this. We rode in a truck for more than ten days, and by the end of the journey, it felt like our bodies were falling apart from the constant jolting. We finally arrived at a base located in the desert. You must be familiar with it, right? I think you''re trapped there now." Xuan Zhenzi''s gaze was piercing as he looked at Xiao Buli.

 Chapter 427 - 41 The Story of Xuan Zhenzi_3

    Xiao Buli was shocked when he heard this. Although Xuan Zhenzi was a legendary figure to him, he had never known his actual location in the real world. "How do you know?" Xiao Buli asked seriously.


    "Hehe, I''ll tell you in a bit," Xuan Zhenzi suddenly became mysterious. Of course, Xiao Buli had the patience, so he didn''t say anything further but continued to listen. "Once we arrived at the base, we were placed in separate rooms within the base. The conditions were slightly better than the farm, but still limited. In the following days, we were forced to undergo various training exercises. Sometimes we would be forced to do field training like special forces, and other times we would be strapped to a machine that spun us relentlessly until we felt like vomiting. We were tormented miserably during that time, but fortunately, we were well-fed. They were never stingy with food, which was at least more enjoyable than our time at the farm. This routine lasted about half a month. Then some of us were selected for experiments, including myself."


    "Indeed, it''s the same device you''re using now. We were tied to beds, had helmets put on our heads, and entered the game. But back then, we didn''t know what it really was. Each time we entered, we were led by a soldier. Inside, we could do everything we did in reality¡ªjump, laugh, work. Initially, we appeared in a village and took on tasks in the village based on our expertise. As someone who was a Taoist, I would adopt the appearance of a Taoist each time I entered the game. Later on, when I helped a wandering Taoist in the village, he took me on as his apprentice. Since then, I''ve had a new understanding of the game."


    "I don''t get it. If General Huo was willing, why not let soldiers enter the game? After all, they are more willing to sacrifice themselves, right?" Xiao Buli raised his question.


    "I think it has to do with our real-world professions. Our attributes in the game are assigned based on our real-life situations, especially when it comes to initial skills or later career development. It''s all influenced by these factors. Although General Huo would change the person leading, or rather supervising us, every so often, without exception, these people were all soldiers or militiamen. That''s to say, their path of advancement in the game was too uniform. Hence, General Huo was looking for people with other skills. Anyway, I was the first among them to obtain abilities within the game. The Taoist taught me the Fireball Technique, which I discovered by accident. Lei Zhengang, who I shared a room with, was the first to discover the secret. He used to be a horse bandit. Although a bit rough, he was brave and meticulous. He felt we could escape the base once we had enough abilities, and indeed, that''s what he later did." Xuan Zhenzi took a deep sigh, and Xiao Buli found it very understandable. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What happened after that?" Seeing that Xuan Zhenzi had stopped talking, Xiao Buli hurriedly prompted him.


    "After that, many of us started to notice problems with the game since more and more skills were being used in real life. But it seemed General Huo didn''t stop the experiments because of this. His goal was to train an elite troop through the game, and we were just his lab rats. If not for what happened later, he might have succeeded. The first one to have problems was me, probably because I was the strongest among them and was one of the few who developed in the magic system. So, I was the first to hear the Heart Demon''s voice. At that time, we couldn''t be sure whether we were hallucinating or really hearing voices in our heads. Some reported this, but soon after, I never saw them again. Everyone was scared, trying to keep from going mad while also too scared to tell General Huo our true situation. In the end, the situation erupted. I watched helplessly as those soldiers executed them right in front of us. Of course, the situation would have been much worse if they hadn''t opened fire, but it still terrified us. We were just experiments that could be killed at any time, nothing more."


    During the scarce free time we had for eating, getting some fresh air, and sleeping, we planned our escape, making full use of our expertise to come up with what we thought was a perfect plan. Unfortunately, the day before we intended to escape, Lei Zhengang fled first. He had trained in assassin-type skills in the game, and he was best at hiding. Maybe he didn''t trust our plan. Anyway, he vanished that night without a sound, and I hadn''t even noticed. From that day on, General Huo increased surveillance on us. They also constructed a new room on the sub-ground level¡ªa execution chamber. They started placing us there before we went mad, observing our reactions through bulletproof glass, assessing how much of a threat we were. Later, they named this condition Soul Departure Syndrome. One by one, people left, and I felt my spirit was on the brink of collapse. But to survive, I kept enduring. Life here was even harder to bear than at the farm. Yet with our abilities, we always believed there was a glimmer of hope. Maybe one day, we could withstand those bullets. That''s how we comforted each other."

 Chapter 428 - 41 The Story of Xuan Zhenzi_4

    "But in the end, you all still revolted," Xiao Buli said, and this was not merely conjecture; from the archives he had initially seen, the test subjects had indeed collectively revolted in the end.


    "No, we did not; it was General Huo who revolted," the voice of Xuan Zhenzi was not loud, but it exploded in Xiao Buli''s mind like a clap of thunder.


    "General Huo? How is that possible? He was the initiator of this project, and he had no reason," Xiao Buli said eagerly. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "At first he did not, but as the experimentation faced obstacles and higher-ups even considered halting the process, General Huo could not find a solution to the Soul Departure Syndrome. In the end, he decided to enter the game himself. A few of us elders who had not succumbed were tasked with aiding General Huo''s rapid growth within the game. During that time, we had to hand over any superior equipment we obtained, truly becoming mere laborers. We knew this was not the way forward. Initially, we hoped to enhance our strength in the game and one day escape. However, once General Huo entered the game, he became like a queen ant, and we the worker ants performed the bulk of the labor, with the fruits of our labor going to him. When would we ever get our chance to shine? We saw no hope, no future, and in the end, we made a decision that seems terrifyingly dreadful in hindsight." Even after so many years, when recounting this portion, Xiao Buli could still see the intense fluctuations in Xuan Zhenzi''s emotions, though he strove to steady his trembling voice.


    "You decided to stay in the game?" Xiao Buli whispered this most logical of guesses. With this, everything made sense.


    "Exactly," said Xuan Zhenzi, "I consulted my master and learned that I could shape a physical body within the game. We could kill our own avatars and then go into those bodies, but doing so meant giving up all our abilities, and the bodies required Merit Points to rebuild. Not all of us had enough Merit Points at the time. Later, a man named Bi Huaxuan came up with an even riskier method. Before he was imprisoned, he was a university professor, said to be of a scientist''s caliber. He hypothesized that our projections in the game were actually bodies created for us by the game, because once we donned the helmet, spiritual power would enter the game through the helmet. One could imagine it as the spirit leaving the body, but then what about the bodies we occupy in the game? We can feel pain, have auditory and visual senses; the only plausible explanation is that in the game, we actually have a physical body. Thus, things became simple ¨C if we killed our real-world selves after entering the game, we could stay in the game forever. Given our situation at the time, there was no way to test if this theory was correct, but everyone hesitated about this; it''s one thing to fight, quite another to be killed without a sound. No one was willing to take a risk with a 50% chance of failure. Plus, such an act would require someone to make a sacrifice since someone in reality would have to truly kill us, and this person would likely meet their end at the barrel of a gun."


    Xiao Buli listened to Master Xuan Zhenzi''s account, and his mood seemed to be gradually infected by the threat of death and despair. "How did you finally make up your minds?"


    "We didn''t, we never reached a firm decision by the end. It was someone else who made the decision for us. At that time, the experiment was making no progress, and people were constantly coming down with Soul Departure Syndrome. Although new people were added to the team, it essentially meant that the experimenters were bound to die after a certain period of time. Eventually, General Huo began to manifest Heart Demons. Unlike the rest of us, General Huo had planned to collaborate with his Heart Demon from the very beginning, which was different from those who contracted Soul Departure Syndrome as a result of resisting their Heart Demons. We didn''t notice anything unusual with General Huo until he started having us collect a certain special material. We weren''t very familiar with this material, but there was someone, Luo Sen, who specialized in Array Spells, and he unintentionally revealed to me that this material was used to construct Teleportation Portals, just like the ones you see commonly in the game. At that time, I didn''t know if he had heard something because he was acting all secretive and neurotic. I thought his Heart Demon was about to conquer him, making him succumb to Soul Departure Syndrome. That day, his condition was particularly severe, and General Huo ordered him to be placed in the observation room, the last checkpoint before the execution chamber. If his condition remained the same after two days, he would be put into the execution chamber. We all felt sorry for him; in the game, his skills were strong, he was a key part of our escape plan because of his lock-picking skills due to his specialization in Arrays, mechanics, and traps."


    "That day we entered the game as usual, and suddenly, everything went dark. When I woke up again, we were still in the game, with no change in our positions. At that time, I thought it was just some reaction in the game and didn''t pay much attention. But when night came and it was time to log off, we weren''t awakened as usual. At first, no one was too worried, since if we wanted to leave the game, we could do so by willpower alone. But as time trickled by, we started to panic. Some of us tried to leave forcefully, but it was useless. Every time we opened our eyes, we were still inside the game. Not just us, even General Huo was the same, although he didn''t seem to care much about it, turned around, and abandoned us. From then on, I never saw him again, nor do I know whether he died in the game. We settled down in a village and analyzed the situation. In the end, everyone thought it was very likely that Bi Huaxuan''s theory was correct, and that we in the real world had been killed, although at that time we didn''t know by whom."


    "Was it Luo Sen?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Yes, we thought the military was also a likely candidate at that time. General Huo wasn''t adept at playing politics, he had many rivals, and the failure of the experiment was a good excuse to execute him. In the end, everyone felt that since we had what we had always hoped for, there wasn''t much point in regretting anything. We started to live as before and finally felt a sense of freedom and hope. But these good times didn''t last; one by one, we started to become programmed. It began with the youngest among us, just a 20-year-old kid, whose occupation was still that of a farmer. Soon, we noticed something was amiss¡ªhis daily life was like a pre-set film, repeating over and over. He hardly ever spoke a word more to us; each time we spoke to him, he had only a few fixed responses: ''The weather is good today,'' ''I''m going to the village chief''s house to see if someone is hiring,'' ''Hello, I hope you''re having a good day.'' He gradually turned into one of those low-level characters in the game. Everyone started to look for a way out. I found my master, and he taught me the Doppelganger Shadow Technique. Even after thirty years, luckily, I finally succeeded, right?" A complex gleam spun in Master Xuan Zhenzi''s eyes. It turned out his original intention was not to rid himself of the Heart Demon, but to avoid becoming an NPC. But in doing so, had he really escaped such a fate? (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 429 - 42 Xiao Bieli

    After hearing Xuan Zhenzi''s account, Xiao Buli''s mind churned with a mixture of emotions. Xuan Zhenzi had been a legend, a myth in his eyes, his only hope for escaping his Heart Demon. Yet, unexpectedly, even that legend struggled to live until today, and the process of escaping the Heart Demon took a full thirty years. Was he to face the same fate? Were his friends, those he had invited into the game, also walking down a path of no return?


    "Is there really no other way?" Xiao Buli pondered to himself, murmuring the question aloud.


    "What did you say?" Xuan Zhenzi asked.


    "Is there really no other way to escape the Heart Demon? Must I spend thirty years like you did?" Xiao Buli''s voice was fraught with emotion. "But, but¡­" he found it hard to voice the trials he had been through. Should he share his past with Xuan Zhenzi?


    "But what about your brothers?" Xuan Zhenzi seemed as if he could read minds as he asked.


    "How do you know? How could you possibly know that?"


    "Although it took me thirty years, don''t forget that during those years, I was split into many selves, and each one had its own will, while their experiences also became my memories. I think you must still remember Qin Shimoon, right?" With those words, Xuan Zhenzi immediately put Xiao Buli on high alert¡ªhow could he forget Qin Shimoon? If it hadn''t been for her, he wouldn''t have ended up trapped alone in this underground base.


    "You know Qin Shimoon?"


    "To be precise, it''s Qin Shimoon who knows of my images. I once entered her dreams to have her do something for me," Xuan Zhenzi said, his gaze piercing, as if waiting for Xiao Buli to come to some realization.


    But at that moment, Xiao Buli was utterly confused, as he didn''t know what Xuan Zhenzi''s revelations had to do with him. When and what did he ask Qin Shimoon to do? And if what Xuan Zhenzi said wasn''t related to him, why mention it? If it was related, then the only significant interaction he''d had with Qin Shimoon was the few days he had kidnapped her. Memories of Qin Shimoon''s peculiar behavior at that time flashed through his mind, along with the thought of the mysteriously broken Soul Contract¡ªsuddenly, answers to questions that had long puzzled him seemed within reach.


    "When did you send Qin Shimoon, and what did you have her do?" Having pieced things together, Xiao Buli enunciated each word clearly as he questioned Xuan Zhenzi. He was certain in his heart, but he still hoped for one last confirmation.


    "Ha ha ha, haven''t you figured it all out already?" Xuan Zhenzi appeared to possess some kind of clairvoyant Spell, "That''s right, it was I who freed Qin Shimoon from the Soul Contract, and it was also I who had her trap you in that underground base. However¡­" Xuan Zhenzi paused for effect, as if to soothe Xiao Buli, wary that he might explode in anger. "However, I had my reasons for doing so. I can tell you how to cure this damned Soul Departure Syndrome. According to the information I''ve gathered over the years, curing Soul Departure Syndrome doesn''t have to be as troublesome as my previous method. You can not only cure Soul Departure Syndrome but can also unravel all mysteries."


    "How?" Despite trying to remain calm, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel infuriated learning that Xuan Zhenzi had trapped him in the base.


    "On the other side of the Barbaric Wastelands lies a sea, within which is a Pure Land. There live the Ancient Gods who survived the ancient war. Few in number, they guard the last vestiges of Ancient God civilization. Among the territories they protect is the Graveyard of the Forgotten Gods. If you find that place, you can naturally cure your Soul Departure Syndrome and even uncover everything you''ve wanted to know."


    "You know what I want to find out? You know how to get the answers, which means you already know?" Xiao Buli didn''t show much enthusiasm upon hearing these revelations. Deep down, he harbored a resistance against Xuan Zhenzi.


    "That''s right, I know," Xuan Zhenzi replied with an ease that suggested he had no intent to hide anything. "However, you also know I won''t tell you." Since he had given Xiao Buli a direction, he naturally did not plan to disclose everything right away. Xiao Buli understood this, but what he couldn''t fathom was why Xuan Zhenzi was playing this game with him. If Xuan Zhenzi wanted to harm him, it wouldn''t take long with his current power. And if Xuan Zhenzi wanted to help solve his problems, wouldn''t it be faster just to tell him? Was it possible that there was something Xiao Buli had to discover for himself at that location? Perhaps there were Divine Artifacts or such that could cure Soul Departure Syndrome, but if so, why didn''t Xuan Zhenzi just say so? Why the mystery? Seeing Xuan Zhenzi''s determined demeanor, Xiao Buli knew that no matter how he probed, he would not receive any more answers. After pondering, he asked, "Then can you tell me why you trapped me inside the base?"


    "There are two reasons. First, only within the base could you enter the game in this particular way, which aligns with the initial setup of the game, making it easier to operate. If you wish to break through the Barbarian Wilderness, this is key, and this form is the easiest way to obtain abilities within the game. Why you need to obtain these game abilities, you will come to know in time. The second reason is currently unfolding, but now is not the time to disclose that to you. I believe in about one or two months, you will understand. At that time, you might even thank me. Any more questions?" S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 430 - 42 Xiao Bieli_2

    "Do you have anything else you can tell me?" Xiao Buli responded to Xuan Zhenzi''s question with one of his own. Indeed, the things Xuan Zhenzi shared with him had never been determined by what Xiao Buli wanted to ask, but rather by what Xuan Zhenzi wished to divulge. Xuan Zhenzi clearly had his own agenda, yet until that was discovered, Xiao Buli could only act according to his directives since he held the clues Xiao Buli most desperately sought. Without any other options, Xiao Buli had to continue in this manner.


    "Alright then, I''ll take my leave, good luck." Having said that, Xuan Zhenzi turned to leave.


    "Hold on a moment." Xiao Buli suddenly recalled something. "The system prompted me that you owe me a Magical Treasure. Hand it over."


    "Uh~~," Xuan Zhenzi, who had been speaking confidently, suddenly lost his momentum. His body had just been reconstructed; where would he get any Magical Treasure? But now he was essentially a half-NPC and was also bound by the system''s rules. Xiao Buli''s blunt demand put him in an awkward position. "Well, I''m a bit short on treasures at the moment. Once I find a Magical Treasure, I''ll make sure to give you the best one," Xuan Zhenzi negotiated with Xiao Buli.


    Little did he know that Xiao Buli waved his index finger from side to side and said, "NO, thank you for the Magical Treasure." He couldn''t let go of the opportunity to leverage this little weakness of Xuan Zhenzi''s.


    "Perhaps I could discuss it with Gu Yuexuan to see if there''s something else we could give you," Xuan Zhenzi offered another suggestion.


    Xiao Buli didn''t truly intend to coerce him that way¡ªafter all, if Xuan Zhenzi turned desperate and ran away, there was little he could do. Moreover, he believed that Mystic Hollow Palace surely had plenty of valuable items. Weighing his options, Xiao Buli reluctantly nodded in agreement.


    The two took a shortcut and soon arrived at the main hall of Mystic Hollow Palace, where Gu Yuexuan was presently seated on the same lotus throne that Xuanxu Zi had once meditated upon, his eyes closed, exuding an aura of authority despite his youthful face.


    Upon hearing the two enter, Gu Yuexuan opened his eyes and slightly bowed to Xuan Zhenzi as a greeting. "May I know the purpose of Immortal Zun''s visit?"


    Though Xuan Zhenzi''s power wasn''t greater than Xuanxu Zi''s, he had indirectly saved Gu Yuexuan''s life, thus warranting his respect.


    "About that..." Xuan Zhenzi wrung his hands, feeling somewhat embarrassed to ask for a favor so soon after meeting someone, and squeaked out a dry laugh. "Well, I had issued a task earlier, didn''t I? Whoever saved me would get one of my Magical Treasures, but given my current situation..."


    "Immortal Zun, how could I possibly ask you for a Magical Treasure?" Gu Yuexuan quickly interjected before Xuan Zhenzi could finish, eager to declare his stance.


    "I, Senior Brother." Xiao Buli piped up in a hurry¡ªwhat kind of memory did these two have? One forgot to give a reward, and the other seemed to have forgotten having shared the task with him altogether. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Yuexuan first looked at Xiao Buli in surprise, and then it dawned on him. He slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, right, that matter. Fourth Junior Brother, Immortal Zun helped our sect eradicate the Demon Dao; he is a hero to our sect. Don''t make trouble," he advised, adopting the tone of a Vice Family Head.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Buli knew his reward was in danger of slipping away. "Senior Brother, you can''t say it like that. He helped our sect eradicate the Demon Dao, but have I not made an effort as well? You can''t be biased. Besides, he eradicated the Demon Dao for his own Nascent Soul Fusion. What about me? I''m a lot less selfish than he is. You can''t let a good man suffer."


    These words presented a dilemma for the Senior Brother who thought that the Fourth Junior Brother took considerable risks¡ªany member of Mystic Hollow Palace was stronger than him; but he had the audacity to challenge their own master''s decisions. Contemplating this, Gu Yuexuan felt torn and grimaced, "Immortal Zun, what do you think?" indicating, maybe you should still think of a solution yourself.


    Too clever to let the Senior Brother finish his thought, Xuan Zhenzi immediately offered, "I do have an idea, if it''s not too much trouble, could you perhaps give me one? When I get a Magical Treasure later, I''ll definitely return it."


    Gu Yuexuan realized this was the only recourse for the moment and, thankfully, Mystic Hollow Palace wasn''t in short supply of Magical Treasures. So, he turned to Xiao Buli and asked, "Fourth Junior Brother, what do you fancy?" Thinking that Xiao Buli was pressuring Xuan Zhenzi because he had his eye on something.


    Before Xiao Buli could respond, Xuan Zhenzi interjected, "I noticed you''ve raised many Immortal Cranes in the backyard; how about gifting him one of those?" He said this while looking at Xiao Buli with mixed emotions.


    Xiao Buli instinctively wanted to reject the suggestion, but noticing the gleeful look directed at him, he remembered the conversation about the Barbaric Wastelands. Although Xiao Buli had only ventured there once, and just to its outskirts, that single encounter almost cost him his life. Perhaps Xuan Zhenzi intended to make his upcoming journey more manageable. With this in mind, the words that reached his lips were forcefully swallowed back.


    Gu Yuexuan didn''t see any issue and asked Xiao Buli, "Fourth Junior Brother, are you satisfied with this?"


    Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Gu Yuexuan declared, "In that case, let it be so. I formally present the Immortal Crane to Mr. Xuan Zhenzi." Just then, Xiao Buli heard a pleasant system prompt: You have obtained the reward mount, Auspicious Cloud Immortal Crane, from Xuan Zhenzi.

 Chapter 431 - 42 Xiao Bieli_3

    The matter was settled. Seeing that the arrangement was concluded, Xuan Zhenzi bade farewell to Gu Yuexuan. After a few perfunctory exchanges about keeping in touch, Xuan Zhenzi finally turned and left.


    As Xuan Zhenzi exited the main hall, Xiao Buli thought that if he was to go to the Barbarian Wilderness, he needed to exchange some skills as soon as possible. Thus, he approached Gu Yuexuan and opened the dialogue box. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the Pure Yang Sword Skills at his disposal, Xiao Buli could now trade for related Sword Control Techniques. It was like a sleepy person coming across a pillow, and he immediately focused his attention on this category of skills.


    The Sword Control Techniques were also stratified. The higher the tier, the more powerful and numerous the skills available for exchange. Xiao Buli was only at the level of Sword Aerial Mastery, which meant the skills he could exchange were pitifully few. To make the most of the opportunity for exchange, he gritted his teeth and used the "Sword Control Insights Notes" he had obtained from Gu Yuexuan earlier, which instantly elevated his Sword Control level to the stage of Sword Shadow Transfiguration.


    Now, there were many more options available for exchange. But even then, it wasn''t an enormous selection since Sword Control was only one category. Xiao Buli exchanged all the available Sword Control related skills cleanly, which were only three in total: the Ten Thousand Swords Art, the Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword, and the Concentration Sword Control Decree. The three skills combined only cost him a little over a thousand Contribution Value.


    The Ten Thousand Swords Art was a group attack skill that could create illusions of hundreds of flying swords to assault the enemy, while the Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword allowed the power of thunder and fire to be added to the flying swords, striking down from the sky with a wide splash damage area.


    As for the Concentration Sword Control Decree, it was a powerful piercing attack that added spiritual power to the flying swords.


    He didn''t waste the remaining points, exchanging them all for Miracle Elixirs and supplementary talismans, particularly the defensive spell talismans. Xiao Buli made a point of purchasing a complete set of these.


    After exchanging for skills and purchasing supplies, Xiao Buli used up all his Contribution Value. He bid farewell to the senior brother and left the palace, then went to say farewell to Jingci and Ji Xiangyun. Each time he left Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli would simply stride off, but this time was different. On one hand, Xiao Buli''s fate was uncertain on this journey, with life and death hanging in the balance, and the future unpredictable. He knew this because the Barbarian Wilderness was fraught with dangers, and even if he crossed the Wilderness to reach the Pure Land, he didn''t know if the Ancient Immortals were friend or foe. Secondly, through his many experiences with the people of Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli had developed some feelings for them. These feelings were possibly even more subtle and complex than those with his buddies in the real world.


    "Are you really leaving?" Xiao Buli was walking along the road when he suddenly heard a soft voice.


    "Yes." Xiao Buli instinctively turned back to answer, but when he turned around, he saw no one. After pausing for 0.01 seconds, he immediately realized it was the Heart Demon again; it had been so long without any harassment that he actually felt a bit uneasy.


    "Why, you don''t want to leave?" Xiao Buli asked jokingly, a redundant question, of course. The Heart Demon wanted nothing more than to take control of Xiao Buli. Why would it willingly choose not to follow his body?


    To Xiao Buli''s surprise, upon asking this question, the Heart Demon fell silent. "What, you really don''t want to leave?" he scoffed internally. The question was meant as a joke, but the Heart Demon solemnly replied, "Indeed."


    Xiao Buli was quite taken aback, "What did you say?"


    "I don''t want to go to the Barbarian Wilderness with you, nor do I want to go with you to the Pure Land in search of the Ancient God." This time, Xiao Buli was certain he hadn''t misheard; the Heart Demon, who always seemed fearless and relentlessly defiant, was actually backing down.


    "Am I not mistaking your words? Could it be that what Xuan Zhenzi said about that place was true, there is indeed a way to deal with you? Is that why you''re afraid?" Xiao Buli stopped in his tracks and sat down by the roadside.


    "Hmph, Xuan Zhenzi deceived you. There is no way to deal with me there. However, I genuinely don''t want to go to that place. Although I think you might not survive leaving the Barbarian Wilderness alive, either outcome is not favorable for me," the Heart Demon admitted with unusual seriousness.


    Xiao Buli also dropped his joking demeanor when he understood that the Heart Demon was serious. His heart began to pound. Ever since he became aware of the presence of the Heart Demon, he had always wanted to rid himself of it, but he didn''t expect that luck would make it all seem so straightforward now. "How can you leave?"


    "You need to create a body for me. Naturally, I will leave your body and enter the new one. From then on, you and I will have nothing to do with each other," the Heart Demon stated.


    "After you leave me, you should be a novice, right? Aren''t you afraid I''ll slaughter you?" Xiao Buli asked curiously.


    "Ha ha ha, what do you think I am? I am a consciousness, a soul. If you kill that body of mine, are you forcing me to return to your body?" the Heart Demon threatened.


    Xiao Buli still felt this turn of events was too abrupt, and his mind turned with hesitation. "If I really take you to Pure Land, maybe you will disappear. Why should I go through all the trouble to create a new body for you?"


    "You can try, but if you carry me through the Barbarian Wilderness, I''m not sure I won''t take over your body. I haven''t done it before because I''m inherently lazy. Although all Heart Demons are the same, they each have different personalities. Some people''s Heart Demons have great ambitions and can quickly take over their host''s body. But then there are Heart Demons like me, and like Xuanxu Zi, who are weak, lazy, or simply uninterested, thereby not taking over their host''s body immediately. This doesn''t mean we lack the ability. If I cause trouble in the Barbarian Wilderness, what do you think will happen? If you die, not even a bone fragment of you will remain," the Heart Demon spoke firmly, sending chills through Xiao Buli''s heart as he remembered the spiders he encountered in the Barbarian Wilderness and shivered.

 Chapter 432 - 42 Xiao Bieli_4

    If at the critical moment of battle, the Heart Demon suddenly leaps out to cause trouble, I really could be caught off guard and done for.


    "Alright, deal, but right now I don''t have enough Merit Points to create a physical body for you," Xiao Buli said.


    "No need, you''ve forgotten, your eldest disciple brother can create physical bodies." This statement reminded Xiao Buli that his eldest disciple brother had indeed crafted a body for Xuan Zhenzi. Thinking of this, Xiao Buli stepped forward and returned to the grand hall.


    "Why have you come back?" Gu Yuexuan glanced up to see Xiao Buli returning and asked in surprise.


    "Heh heh, eldest brother, I have a favor to ask." Because he had just used up all his Contribution Value, Xiao Buli was now appearing unusually humble, bowing deeply.


    "Speak," Gu Yuexuan''s face showed neither pleasure nor displeasure, having already begun to adopt some of the Sect Leader''s demeanor.


    "Eldest brother, I would like to ask you to help me create a physical body."


    "A physical body?!" Gu Yuexuan''s eyes widened in shock as he asked loudly, "What do you need a physical body for?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that this matter was quite significant, Xiao Buli had no choice but to explain the whole story from beginning to end. Upon hearing it, his brother merely grunted, "Being able to expel your Heart Demon is certainly your good fortune, and I cannot refuse to help. Coincidentally, I do have a suitable one. But do you have anything to trade with me for it?" It seemed that all these NPCs were born to do business; nobody was willing to part with something for nothing.


    Xiao Buli rummaged through his bag. He still had some ore that he had mined in the Immortal Realm, which he took out and asked, "Eldest brother, I don''t have much by way of possession; these ores are what I mined in the Immortal Realm. I think they should be worth some money. Do you think these will suffice?"


    Gu Yuexuan glanced at them askance, raising his eyebrows slightly. Among them, he did spot some refining materials he urgently needed, but he still put on an unsatisfied expression: "Normally, it wouldn''t be enough, but considering our same school ties, and that you''ve just helped me, let''s just go with this." He took the ores and started walking out, with Xiao Buli quickly following him. The two of them arrived at the site of Gu Yuexuan''s former bamboo building, and Xiao Buli looked worriedly at the pile of rubble and broken tiles. Could the physical body be buried under this ruin? It seemed that even though his eldest brother was giving him a body, he would still have to toil to dig it out.


    Then, the eldest disciple brother suddenly struck a starting pose over the ruins, muttering spells while his hands ceaselessly sketched indistinct patterns in the air. Suddenly, he shouted loudly: Appear!


    A stark naked physical body suddenly appeared on the open ground in front of them. The body was suspended in midair, eyes tightly shut, its features flat, it looked just like a lump of clay without the final touch of the sculptor.


    "This is it. In order to resurrect Mister Xuan Zhenzi, I was afraid of failure, so I prepared an extra one, hidden in the fourth layer space of this bamboo building. Although the bamboo building is destroyed, this space remains unaffected. See if it''s suitable for you and take it if it is," Gu Yuexuan said nonchalantly, as though what he was lending Xiao Buli was nothing more than a piece of clothing or some common item.


    Xiao Buli felt both alarmed and delighted in his heart. He was shocked by the formidable power of Gu Yuexuan, as all the Merit Points he had painstakingly saved were for the purpose of obtaining a physical body after death, but he never expected someone could resolve it so easily. The joy came from the fact that the Heart Demon that had been following him for days was finally about to leave him.


    After Gu Yuexuan finished speaking, he no longer paid attention to Xiao Buli and turned to go back into the main hall.


    Xiao Buli said to the Heart Demon, "Don''t be so uptight, quickly show yourself. Let''s each go our own way once it''s over."


    The Heart Demon was also straightforward, "Alright, then I''ll leave now. You''d better brace yourself, it''s going to hurt quite a bit when we separate."


    "Give me a break, it''s not like you''re chopping off my arms or legs." Xiao Buli had not finished speaking when he felt a tearing pain emanating from deep within his brain and let out a scream of agony, immediately fainting to the ground.


    A humanoid shadow slowly tore itself from Xiao Buli''s body and stood outside, looking at Xiao Buli lying on the ground with a cold laugh, "Weren''t you not afraid?" After saying that, it floated up lightly, merging with the figure hovering in mid-air. The soft flesh of the face started to move the moment it touched the soul, and the eyes, nose, and mouth gradually filled out, as if they grew from the skin, slowly forming a human shape, resembling Xiao Buli by about seventy to eighty percent. After a while, it seemed to have completed the fusion and the physical body gently landed on the ground. As a shade of blood crawled over the pale face, this physical body slowly opened its eyes.


    The three words "Xiao Bieli" slowly became clear above the physical body''s head.


    Xiao Bieli looked at the still unconscious Xiao Buli and softly said, "We''ll meet again."


    Then he turned and left naked, striding confidently away.


    After about the duration of an incense stick, Xiao Buli finally came to his senses and sat up. Slowly remembering he was in Mystic Hollow Palace, he still felt a shock at the memory of that pain; being torn alive must feel like that. Rubbing his somewhat swollen head, Xiao Buli suddenly realized that the physical body was gone.


    "Did you leave?" Xiao Buli asked in his mind, "Hey! Did you leave? Did you or didn''t you? If you haven''t left, say something, I won''t charge you rent." Xiao Buli confirmed several times in his mind, never receiving a response from the Heart Demon.


    "Hahaha, you left, didn''t you? Who has the last laugh now, huh? Hahahaha." Xiao Buli laughed like a lunatic, talking to himself while sitting on the ground for a while before finally standing up with a light and happy heart, patting off the dirt and walking towards the outside of Mystic Hollow Palace.


    Leaving Mystic Hollow Palace, Xiao Buli did not use Cloud Thunder Leap this time. Having the Immortal Crane, he was finally able to try the sensation of soaring in the sky. As he got onto the Immortal Crane''s back, Xiao Buli immediately realized things were not so simple. The feathers on the Immortal Crane were slippery, making it impossible to sit firmly on top, and the back of the Immortal Crane was on a steep incline, unlike animals such as horses or tigers with four legs on the ground. Xiao Buli felt his bottom slide and was just about to get down and think of another way to ride when the Immortal Crane soared into the sky without a care. Perhaps it had been too long since it last had a stroll, or the flying skills were pre-programmed, but before Xiao Buli could prepare himself, the sound of the wind was already whistling by his ears. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes, monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 433 - 43 Brothers

    "Ah~~!!!" Xiao Buli yelled in panic.


    But to others, it sounded like an excited cheer. Jingci of Mystic Hollow Palace, looking at the person and the crane in the sky, said with some disdain, "Show-off, as if no one has ever ridden an Immortal Crane." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, Xiao Buli had used Cloud Thunder Leap before. He had flown several times, both in the real world and in the game world, but the feeling of being in control was different from the feeling of entrusting his safety completely to someone else.


    It''s just like some people have no problem cycling or even carrying a passenger on their bike, but they would absolutely refuse to be the passenger on someone else''s bike. Xiao Buli was experiencing that very thing¡ªhe could be seen in the sky constantly adjusting his posture while shouting incoherently, plucking feathers from the Immortal Crane out of pain as they squawked in response. As they veered off course and flew a good distance, only then did Buli slowly get a hold of his balance. It turned out that the crane maintained a level posture in the air, and one could actually sit steadily on its back. It was all because Buli had been tense from the start that he couldn''t find his balance right away.


    Once he mastered the technique, Xiao Buli immediately felt the joy of riding and flying. When he used to fly on his own, the speed was so fast that he couldn''t appreciate the scenery around him. But now, carried leisurely by the Immortal Crane, he had the mood to closely observe the beauty of the clouds. He had taken flights in airplanes before, but this open-air experience was truly unique. Enjoying the scenery, Buli headed toward Blackwind Stronghold.


    After flying for about an hour and the initial excitement passing, the process began to bore him. Xiao Buli stared intently at the objects on the ground until he finally saw a familiar shadow. With a thought, the Immortal Crane dipped its head and dove down.


    Before the crane even securely landed, Xiao Buli had already leapt off. It wasn''t because he was too excited, but because the crane had stood back up while landing, making it difficult for Buli to keep his balance again.


    After jumping off, Xiao Buli sealed the crane away and casually walked up to the peak.


    Xiao Buli returned to Blackwind Stronghold and ambled toward the summit. Under the management of his brothers, the stronghold was thriving even more. Occasionally, he saw groups of players passing by, and there were noticeably more guards than when Buli had left. Some of them had even leveled up, suggesting they had made a decent amount of money in the meantime.


    It wasn''t long before Gu Shaobang and the others got the news and rushed over in a flurry.


    "Boss, why did it take you so long to come back?"


    "Boss, where have you been all this time?"


    "That''s some nice gear you''re wearing, looks high-class."


    The crowd chattered as they welcomed Xiao Buli into the Hall of Righteousness. Although he hadn''t managed it personally, Buli naturally took the seat of honor as everyone sat down, waiting for him to speak.


    "You''ve all worked hard recently," Xiao Buli said.


    "Eh? Boss, you can talk?"


    "Boss, how come you can speak out loud?"


    Questions like these popped up over everyone''s heads, causing Buli to feel a bit of a headache.


    "It''s a long story, but I''m not playing the game on the computer right now. I''m using one of those helmets that lets your consciousness enter the game," Buli explained patiently to his brothers, unlike the runaround he gave Yi Xuan.


    "That''s awesome!"


    Buli thought to himself that if they knew how wretched he had been earlier, they wouldn''t think he was so great. "Let''s not discuss that for now. What''s been happening in Nine Dragons City recently? Any news?" Buli had been hanging around Mystic Hollow Palace and the Immortal Realm, so naturally, he had no idea of the situation here.


    "News? Nothing much," replied the carefree Gu Shaobang.


    "How could there not be? Nine Dragons City has been building up its strength all this time. Moreover, their army has reached an unprecedented size, with a regular army from who-knows-where joining their ranks. Also, there''s news that even the Demon Clan has started to pledge allegiance to Nine Dragons City. Although the players and citizens are quite unhappy about it, luckily, the demons have been relatively well-behaved, so the original veteran players of Nine Dragons City haven''t left," Han Wenhuan provided a much more detailed account.


    Xiao Buli nodded slightly. The thing he had been worried about hadn''t happened. When he aided Ancestral Dragon in establishing the Teleportation Portal, he knew Ancestral Dragon wouldn''t sit idly by. But integrating into the game? That really took him by surprise. Weren''t players entering the game supposed to be seen as invaders? Could it be that this theory was not valid?


    Suddenly, an idea flashed in Buli''s mind. What if they were entering the game with the system''s permission? He suddenly remembered Huo Guangxiong, the general who should have been dead. If Ancestral Dragon was being controlled by a non-existent person, then the reasons for their actions became even more enigmatic.


    "Boss, what''s wrong?"


    "Oh, nothing," Buli didn''t share these thoughts, as the situation was already serious enough, and he didn''t want his brothers to worry about questions he didn''t have answers to. "I''ve come back to discuss something with you all. I''ve noticed something for a while now but didn''t mention it because things were unclear," Buli said with a very serious demeanor, completely different from the casual manner he had when inquiring about the situation in Nine Dragons City. "Has anyone here been feeling anything unusual lately?"

 Chapter 434 - 43 Brothers_2

    "For instance?" Shaobang loved to chime in, so he was the first to type and ask.


    "Hallucinations?" Han Wenhuan was the second to type.


    "Han Wenhuan, can you stop saying we''re hallucinating?" Everyone was sitting together in the lobby downstairs to go online, so as soon as they saw Han Wenhuan mention hallucinations in front of Xiao Buli, Gu Shaobang, Xiao Ge, and Xie Tiankong all voiced their complaints in unison.


    "You''ve experienced it too?" Xiao Buli didn''t know the situation in front of the computer, but hearing Han Wenhuan say such a thing, he felt a shock in his heart, fearing the worst had still happened.


    "I haven''t, but Shaobang, Xie Tiankong, and Xiao Ge all have." No matter how reluctant everyone was, Han Wenhuan still typed it out. His concerns seemed to have come true. Gu Shaobang was the first to experience it, as Han Wenhuan had seen him talk to thin air with spit flying everywhere, but because Gu Shaobang tended to be active and occasionally enjoyed rapping along to music, Han Wenhuan didn''t take it seriously. Then it was Xie Tiankong. Xie Tiankong was usually quiet and said little. At first, Han Wenhuan thought Xie Tiankong''s face was becoming increasingly sullen, and he often isolated himself, sometimes looking as if someone at his side was speaking and annoying him.


    As the one amongst them with the strongest leadership personality, Han Wenhuan had heart-to-heart talks with them a few times. Nevertheless, both insisted that someone was living inside them. Xie Tiankong said the voice inside was rather talkative and annoying, but Gu Shaobang was more optimistic. He felt the person inside him was like a twin with whom he got along very well.


    This made everyone present click their tongues in wonder. The original plan was to wait for Xiao Buli to ask if it had anything to do with the game, but as Xiao Buli was late in arriving, Xiao Ge also started showing the same symptoms.


    This convinced everyone that the hallucinations must be directly related to the game. However, they were unsure why, whether it was something unintentionally implanted by the game or a side effect of the game.


    For this reason, the three visited a well-known local hospital''s mental health department for an examination. After a thorough check-up, they received a diagnosis of neurasthenia and were prescribed some medications. Gu Shaobang, happy to have constant companionship, refused to take the medicine. Xie Tiankong, on the other hand, was eager to get rid of the noisy voice and thus took the medicine alongside Xiao Ge for a while. Surprisingly, it worked somewhat, but the side effect was that both started sleeping more and their reflexes slowed. A few times in the game, they nearly faced danger, leading them to discontinue the medication.


    However, Han Wenhuan kept a close watch on the three, thankfully apart from talking to them, their second personalities hadn''t done anything extreme. Without any solution in mind, that was how things stood.


    After listening to the various discussions, Xiao Buli understood the whole story.


    "They call it Soul Departure Syndrome, a problem that gamers deep in the game and with enhanced abilities will encounter. Fortunately, you are only at the initial stage. Generally, at this time, the voice is harmless, but as your abilities increase, the power of that voice will also grow and eventually take over our bodies. Therefore, before that happens, we need to find a way to completely drive that voice out of our bodies," Xiao Buli explained.


    "Where does this thing come from? How do we get rid of it?" Xie Tiankong, who usually disliked talking too much, asked.


    "We are still unclear about what this voice really is. Some call it a Heart Demon, but getting rid of it is extremely difficult. That''s what I''ve been striving for this whole time. I hope to find a solution before you suffer any harm from it." Xiao Buli proceeded to share with everyone the various things that had happened during this time, how he entered the base, and his encounters with Xuan Zhenzi in the game. Luckily, he was speaking rather than typing, or he''d have probably ended up with cramped hands given how much there was to share. However, he did not tell everyone that his Heart Demon had left him; making them believe he was in the same boat as them seemed the best way to ensure they trusted he would strive to resolve their Heart Demons.


    "So you''re saying, you have to go to the Barbaric Wastelands?" Han Wenhuan once again grasped the crux of the matter. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s right, this trip might take a long time. No one knows just how vast the Barbaric Wastelands are. But thankfully, now I have a mount. Riding the Immortal Crane should save a lot of effort," Xiao Buli said lightly, not wanting everyone to worry too much. "However, during this time, I hope you all stay away from the game. Otherwise, it''s very likely that the formation of the Heart Demon will accelerate. I believe the reason why Han Wenhuan hasn''t developed a Heart Demon is probably because he primarily focuses on commanding, leading troops, so his personal skills advance more slowly."


    Everyone fell silent. They had all left their lives behind to enter the deadly game with Xiao Buli, harboring the same sentiment¡ªto live life passionately. Now the game they thought would be their career for the second half of their lives was wrought with such issues, leaving them without direction for a moment.


    It was like straining hard in the bathroom only to end up with a fart that didn''t even smell.


    "I know, this is something very difficult to accept. Whether my journey will be good or bad is uncertain, as is whether I can find a solution. I brought you all into this game, and I hope I can ensure you all return home safely. Shaobang..." Xiao Buli began. He and Gu Shaobang were the closest of friends, with Gu Shaobang being the first to join the game. Therefore, Xiao Buli hoped Gu Shaobang would speak up for him, anything to avoid the awkwardness of the current silence.

 Chapter 435 - 43 Brothers_3

    "Boss, please stop talking about it; I don''t want to go back now," Gu Shaobang immediately blurted out, showing that he had been contemplating it for a while. "These may have been the happiest times of my life. There''s no trouble from inheriting the family business, no one at my ear berating me for not being serious about life, and when I use these abilities in reality, I feel like Superman, SUPER MEN, an experience I''ve never had before. Sure, the game is dangerous, with the torment of Heart Demons, but so what? Risk and reward coexist, and I don''t actually dislike my brother. Maybe one day, if he takes over my body, OK, fair''s fair, we each live half a life." Xiao Buli never imagined Gu Shaobang would be so rebellious as to consider making a compromise with the Heart Demon, giving his body over to an unknown entity ¨C a true oddity.


    "Shaobang, we''re just temporarily leaving the game. When I come back with a solution, you can play it without any worries," Xiao Buli said.


    "If we leave the game, can that noisy voice in my head just go away?" Xie Tiankong asked.


    "Ah, not right now, but we can suppress its growth," Xiao Buli replied.


    "Then I''ll continue with Shaobang. After all, he''s always there. Even if I stop playing, I might still go crazy from his torture, so I might as well study my skills as I did before." Another oddity.


    "Speaking of which, boss, I''ve always focused on command, so I should be all right, right? Among us several, if I do face a Heart Demon, I''ll probably be the last one, and also the weakest, so it seems like I don''t have much to worry about." This time it was Han Wenhuan. Xiao Buli was completely speechless. Was there not one normal person among them?


    "Xiao Ge, state your opinion." As the most rational one among them, Xiao Buli placed his final hope on Xiao Ge.


    "Let''s look at it this way. If we don''t play the game, the three of us have to keep coexisting with the Heart Demon, and we can''t get any more benefits either. Is there any theory that suggests the Heart Demon grows according to our abilities rather than with time? Because in the game, the stronger one becomes, it also means they spend more time in the game, so we can''t rule out the element of time. If that''s the case, then maybe one day, we will still be taken over by it, without any benefits to show for it.


    But if we continue to play the game and pay attention to controlling the growth rate of our abilities, sticking to safe areas around the stronghold, even if it grows with our abilities, as long as we wait for you to come back, we can naturally solve that problem. If you can''t come back or there''s no solution, then it isn''t too late to stop playing. And boss, none of us will blame you for any danger arising from being in the game or because of the game because we all knew the risks before choosing to enter. You don''t have to take responsibility for this, nor do you need to feel any pressure." Xiao Buli didn''t expect Xiao Ge, who usually thought the most rationally, to say such words; he thought distancing from danger was the wisest choice.


    What Xiao Ge said last was actually what everyone in the hall had in mind but didn''t voice out. The reason why they struggled to stay in the game, why they didn''t immediately show any sign of retreating or show concern over the situation, was because they could feel Xiao Buli''s anxiety and guilt. They didn''t want to add any pressure on him. Xiao Buli had to enter the Barbaric Wastelands, and everyone wanted to accompany him. However, they understood that in this game, there''s no room for willfulness or overestimating oneself because there are no do-overs, no respawns, not even the ability to return to the city.


    Warmed by Xiao Ge''s last words, Xiao Buli thought highly of his brothers. He had prepared himself mentally before returning, ready to accept some complaints from everyone since this situation was different from the initial acknowledging of the game''s mortal danger¡ªit wasn''t previously disclosed, and it was his oversight that had led to this predicament. But realizing that not a single person had uttered any complaints or discontent, Xiao Buli choked up for a moment and understood that any words were superfluous at this point. Their trust was the best explanation he needed.


    "Then, I''m setting off now. Take good care of yourselves," Xiao Buli said, standing up to leave.


    Characters suddenly popped above Han Wenhuan''s head: "Hey, boss, our team now has over three hundred people. I''ve even applied to form a guild named the Qingyang Empire. We''ll wait for your return, to slay dragons and build a real empire!!!"


    Stunned by the string of characters at the entrance of the Hall of Righteousness, though unable to hear their words, Xiao Buli knew that right then, Han Wenhuan must be smiling at his computer screen. Recalling the in-game perspective on the computer screen, Xiao Buli suddenly looked up, smiling broadly toward a spot above everyone''s heads.


    At that moment, with everyone in the hall standing up to see Xiao Buli off, facing the doorway, they unexpectedly saw Xiao Buli raise his head on their computer screens, his gaze piercing through the display to meet their eyes. Feeling incredulous, yet familiar with their boss and the game''s all too realistic graphics, everyone showed a knowing smile.


    Xiao Buli finally left without a send-off, just the way he liked it¡ªhe never favored farewells. Unobstructed, he arrived at the cave, where the teleportation array was located, so guards were posted at the entrance. But with Xiao Buli''s Prestige in Blackwind Stronghold and as the Great Stronghold Master, there was no hindrance. Moreover, one of the guards enthusiastically led Xiao Buli all the way to the front of the teleportation array. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the softly glowing teleportation array, Xiao Buli took a deep breath. He knew that with this step, he was potentially walking into a point of no return. (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 436 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)

    Xiao Buli arrived at the entrance of the Barbaric Wastelands, planning to enter when at the same time, at the Ancestral Dragon base.


    The task Eagle Eye had this time was somewhat hard for him to accept, but like always, he showed no questioning of the orders from above and was utterly obedient.


    This time the mission was to assassinate a general. Eagle Eye didn''t know much about this person; he began these types of missions only after being involved in the game. Before that, he was just an ordinary soldier. If not for the Ancestral Dragon, his fate would have been retirement and idleness at home; if his family''s condition were good, perhaps he''d find a decent job, but most retired soldiers ended up working in security.


    Eagle Eye was very grateful for this, and so for the missions given by Ancestral Dragon, he was always highly enthusiastic and executed them diligently. The souls that had perished under his sniper rifle could be attested to by the notches carved into its stock¡ªseven in total, meaning seven lives taken by that rifle. However, this mission differed from the rest; not only was the death of the person required, but also the manner and location of death; he must kill the target without anyone noticing. Not being noticed? That meant sniping was out of the question.


    Luckily, Eagle Eye had another profession in the game, that of an assassin. Although he had spent less time in the game since starting to execute tasks for the organization, his assassination skills had not been neglected. In fact, they had become even more adept due to the practical experience he gained in reality, which was unobtainable in the game.


    Under the cover of night, Eagle Eye sneaked into the general''s home. The general had a son and a daughter, both holding important military positions, which was exactly why Eagle Eye had the chance to be alone with him. Tonight, his son was on duty, and he had a strict policy against special treatment for his children. As for his daughter, she was attending a small gathering at a friend''s invitation.


    Eagle Eye, hiding within the shadows, seemed to blend in naturally, effortlessly bypassing the guards at the entrance. This was a military family compound, but during peacetime, the security could not be exceedingly tight¡ªa high wall, wire fencing, surveillance, 24-hour guard duty, none of these could detect the ghost-like presence of Eagle Eye.


    So without any obstruction, Eagle Eye entered the villa where the general resided. The nanny was preparing dinner downstairs while the general had just taken off his hat, hanging it on the coat rack at the entryway, and instructed the nearby guard, "I''ll sit in the study for a while before dinner. Don''t bother me unless it''s something important."


    Eagle Eye was pleased to hear this. He had planned to take action later in the night, but this opportunity seemed perfect for his special mission. The fewer people at home, the less worry there was about being discovered. And the target had just ordered not to be disturbed, an opportunity not to be missed. With that in mind, Eagle Eye watched as that guard entered a room downstairs before he slipped into the house, quickly ascended to the second floor, and soon found the location of the study.


    The study door was closed tight. Eagle Eye placed an optimization spell on his ear, the secret behind his extraordinary sight. This optimization spell could double the functionality of his spellcasting organ for a short time.


    At that moment, Eagle Eye heard the sound of papers being flipped inside the room, the general muttering continually as if reading the words on the paper. It seemed to have to do with some top-secret experiment project. A noise of a chair being moved followed by the creaking of footsteps and then the sound of a cupboard door being pulled. Eagle Eye knew his chance had arrived. The general must''ve turned to look for something on the bookshelf. Again blending into the shadows, Eagle Eye, crouching down, opened the room door.


    The general heard the noise from the door behind him, which creaked open. He turned around to see it slowly opening, but there was nothing behind it, as if blown by the wind. The wooden door had seen many years and sometimes wouldn''t latch properly, so the general didn''t find it odd. He set down the book he was holding, walked toward the door to close it firmly, then twisted the knob to ensure it wouldn''t be blown open again. Satisfied, he turned to walk back.


    But the moment he turned around, suddenly a large hand covered his mouth and nose, its grip enormously strong. The general couldn''t breathe instantly, but as someone who had experienced the battlefield, he didn''t panic and his first instinct was to counter-attack.


    But the person behind him gave him no chance. He felt a chill on his back as a dagger penetrated from his lower back. The general felt his strength drain out through the wound rapidly, his attacker releasing the grip over his mouth and nose. But by then, the general didn''t have the strength to even cry out; his body collapsed to the ground with a thud, lacking any support.


    Eagle Eye checked his carotid artery, making sure he was dead before pulling out the dagger. A blue glow shimmered on the blade''s edge¡ªthat was the poison provided by Ancestral Dragon, one that could paralyze a person''s nerves through their blood quickly and increase blood flow to hasten death by bleeding out.


    If you think that the mission ended there, you would be greatly mistaken. Eagle Eye''s real test was just beginning because the mission clearly stipulated that after the target was killed, the scene must be cleaned up, and the body disposed of, even specifying a cremation furnace as a designated cleanup location. To Eagle Eye, this seemed utterly unnecessary; if the goal was to kill him, then letting others know he was dead would nullify his influence. Why then kill him and then try to disguise it? Could it just be to create the illusion of his disappearance?


    S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 437 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)_2

    However, obeying orders is one of Eagle Eye''s virtues. Fortunately, he had placed a towel under the dagger before making his move, and only pulled it out after the bleeding had stopped. Therefore, he had all the blood under his control, which made the scene look exceptionally clean. Next, Eagle Eye took out a large bag and placed the general''s body inside. The bag had a layer of plastic on the inside but looked like canvas from the outside¡ªextremely sturdy and leakproof, another provision from the organization.


    Actually, the best method would be to strangle the target, but Eagle Eye feared the struggle before death could attract unnecessary trouble.


    After tidying up, Eagle Eye went to the window and peeked outside. It was the end of the workday, cars were driving in occasionally, and some residents, having just returned from shopping, were walking around downstairs with their grocery baskets in hand.


    It seemed he would have to endure a while longer. Eagle Eye went to the door and locked it from the inside. Since waiting was somewhat boring, he sat down in the chair at the desk, his hand resting on some documents the general had just reviewed¡ªa file bag marked "Top Secret."


    Top-secret documents? What could be inside? Eagle Eye felt curious, but it was outside the scope of his duties. He thought it better not to complicate matters unnecessarily.


    He looked out the window again. The situation below hadn''t improved much. It seemed best to wait until it got a bit darker. His shadow ability was perfect for use in the dark. Fortunately, the daylight hours were shorter now; it should be time soon.


    Sitting at the desk once more, the two black characters for "top secret" seemed to itch at his heart. Unable to resist any longer, Eagle Eye put on gloves and took hold of the file, pulling out a bundle of papers. The information inside was quite fragmented and Eagle Eye was rather baffled by it.


    Some photos showed a metallic sphere, seemingly placed in an old house, and then some experimental data. Glancing at the sky, Eagle Eye felt at ease and started to look through it from the beginning. The more he read, the more his heart raced; the file actually contained experiments on the "death game" from thirty years ago. Was it possible that this game had been in existence for thirty years?


    And Huo Guangxiong had been the organizer back then, but what did they mean when they said the experimental subjects lost control? What was meant by anomalies? Lost experimental subjects¡ªdid they die?


    It looked like Ancestral Dragon didn''t send him on this mission for no reason. Thinking this, Eagle Eye put the documents back and, after a moment''s thought, sealed the file and hid it inside his jacket.


    The sky was about right now. Eagle Eye hoisted the general''s body over his shoulder, skittered across rooftops and walls, and under the cover of night, quickly left the residential compound. Approximately half an hour later, the old general''s remains were reduced to ash within Furnace.


    "Eagle Eye, back already?" A young officer at the base greeted him warmly. Eagle Eye was generally approachable and knew about seventy to eighty percent of the people there, even though he couldn''t recall all of their names. Exchanging pleasantries along the way, Eagle Eye swiftly headed to the drop-off location for his mission.


    After delivering the general''s remains to the specified place, they awarded him a medal to confirm his mission''s successful completion. After completing the task and receiving his reward¡ªten thousand yuan and a silver-quality item from the game¡ªEagle Eye happily turned and left. Just as he stepped out, he bumped into Deputy Qiu. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His rank was much higher than Eagle Eye''s, but since they came from the same hometown, they had maintained a decent relationship since getting to know each other. Their most common pastime was playing a poker game native to their home region.


    "Old Qiu, when are you going to pay back the money you owe me?" Eagle Eye joked as soon as he saw Deputy Qiu. They didn''t really gamble with real money when they played poker, but they did play with some stakes¡ªchips they made themselves, sometimes ludicrously writing figures in the millions, pretending to be wealthy gamblers during the game. Sometimes when one of them ran out of money, they would borrow from the other and repay with chips the next time. So the money Eagle Eye was referring to wasn''t real; it was a coded invitation for a game of poker.


    But Deputy Qiu seemed stunned upon hearing this and stared blankly at Eagle Eye for a while, "Oh, Eagle Eye, how much do I owe you?"


    Eagle Eye was also taken aback upon hearing this. Naturally, his name wasn''t Eagle Eye; that was the codename given to him by the higher-ups after he gained his ability. In private, Deputy Qiu would call him by his nickname¡ªStone. Being addressed so formally as Eagle Eye made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn''t protest. Suspicion crept into his mind as he replied, "Fifty thousand."


    "Oh, all right. Give me your account number, and I''ll transfer it to you later." Deputy Qiu fumbled in his pocket for paper and a pen and handed them to Eagle Eye. Eagle Eye looked at him curiously, scribbled a series of numbers, and Deputy Qiu immediately turned and left with it.


    Eagle Eye looked around above and to the sides, suspecting that new cameras might have been installed or that some superior officer was observing, which is why Deputy Qiu had to pretend. However, he saw no one around, and what unsettled him most was the text message that pinged on his phone shortly after. When he checked it, his account had indeed received an additional fifty thousand yuan.


    Eagle Eye''s heart sank. He wasn''t a rookie or a fool; what could this mean?

 Chapter 438 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)_3

    Eagle Eye quickly thought of a possibility: Deputy Qiu was not the real Deputy Qiu. Could someone be playing a trick on him by using a face-changing skill obtained in the game? He quickly dismissed this thought. Since Deputy Qiu had indeed transferred money to him, it indicated a fear of exposure. This matter was not a simple prank. It was very likely that Deputy Qiu was a spy planted by others, which meant the real Deputy Qiu was probably in grave danger.


    As a soldier, Eagle Eye''s first instinct upon discovering such a situation was to report it immediately. After several layers of reporting, Eagle Eye was eventually brought before Dugu Han, the number two figure at the base. Dugu Han had joined Ancestral Dragon only recently, purportedly representing a civilian organization to cooperate with Ancestral Dragon. He had quickly gained the trust of Huo Guangxiong and had steadily risen through the ranks. He was now a Major General.


    "I hear you''ve discovered a spy among us?" Dugu Han''s body was lazily leaning on a high-backed sofa, his long fingers continuously caressing a white porcelain cup in front of him. His eyes were narrowed, casting an inscrutable gaze that roamed ceaselessly over Eagle Eye.


    It was Eagle Eye''s first time facing such a high-ranking officer, and he felt somewhat nervous. Moreover, Dugu Han''s demeanor was starkly different from that of a typical soldier, causing Eagle Eye''s palms to sweat. This was more nerve-racking than an assassination.


    "Not discovered, but suspected, sir." Eagle Eye had not further confirmed Deputy Qiu''s identity, partly to avoid startling the snake, and partly because he placed more trust in the organization.


    "Well, well, well, I hear you''re a good assassin, but I did not expect you to also be an excellent espionage agent," Dugu Han said, then leaned forward, his slender eyes staring intently into Eagle Eye''s, as if trying to see through him.


    "Thank you for the compliment, sir. I hope you can investigate and clarify the situation," Eagle Eye responded, not daring to slacken in the slightest, his voice clear and loud, maintaining the posture expected of a soldier.


    "Very well, but before that, I should reward you. How does a Cross Medal sound?" The Cross Medal was a military commendation established within Ancestral Dragon, only awarded to those with at least second-class merit. This reward was clearly beyond Eagle Eye''s expectations.


    "Thank you, sir!" Eagle Eye answered loudly.


    "Hehehe, not only that, I have a little gift for you as well. I hope you will wait in your room, and shortly, I will have them bring it over to you." Dugu Han reclined back into his chair, speaking with a vague voice.


    "Yes, sir," Eagle Eye responded loudly, saluting. After completing the salute, he turned on his heel and marched out of the room. It was only once he was outside the door that his heart finally settled.


    Eagle Eye''s room in the base, like those of other soldiers at his level, was a small single room of about ten square meters, with a single bed covered in military green sheets and quilt, a modest desk, and a shelf built into the wall. At the moment, Eagle Eye sat upright on the small chair, feeling it more appropriate to be sitting there awaiting his award ceremony.


    Half an hour had passed, and Eagle Eye was growing restless. Normally, when receiving an award, he would go to the relevant department and complete the procedures directly. This time, however, things seemed strange. Almost instinctively, a sense of unease welled up in Eagle Eye''s mind.


    "Do you truly believe them?" All of a sudden, a magnetic male voice resonated in the room.


    Eagle Eye''s figure flashed to the side of the door, on guard as he looked back, "Who''s there?"


    A figure emerged slowly from the gap between the bed and the bookshelf, their mastery of the Shadow Technique far surpassing Eagle Eye''s own level.


    "You?" When the figure fully emerged, Eagle Eye spoke in surprise. He was familiar with this person clad in black; he had often seen him when Qin Shimoon was around, although back then, Eagle Eye wasn''t ranked highly enough to speak with him. "Are you here to kill me?"


    Seeing this person, Eagle Eye''s first thought was that he was sent by Qin Shimoon to assassinate him, his reason being Eagle Eye''s own attempt on Qin Shimoon''s life.


    "Hehe, I''m not here to kill you. The person outside that door is the one who''s come to kill you," the man in black spoke leisurely. Suddenly, he vanished from his spot, and just as Eagle Eye was about to step forward to investigate, a knock sounded from behind the door. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eagle Eye swiftly turned around, "The person outside that door is the one who''s come to kill you." For some reason, the words of the man in black echoed again in his mind.


    The knocking from outside grew more urgent, indicating that the person was not very patient. This did not seem like the behavior of someone who was there to give out an award. Eagle Eye began to hesitate, but as an assassin, he was always ready to make a full retreat.


    Eagle Eye couldn''t afford to hesitate any longer. He immediately flipped open the compartment under the bed and took out a violin case, which housed his beloved sniper rifle. He flipped through a book on the shelf, retrieving two bank cards, and then drew a file bag that he had previously obtained from the general from under a stack of books. If the person outside was indeed there to kill him, he felt that this file bag might have a significant connection to the situation.


    "Do you think you can really escape with that big toy of yours?" That shadow obviously hadn''t left the room, the magnetic voice sounding again from behind.


    "FUCK," Eagle Eye growled, suddenly doubting the words of the man in black. If the person outside was simply delivering the award, then his own actions might unjustly earn him the charge of treason.

 Chapter 439 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)_4

    Ready for action, Eagle Eye walked to the door, about to open it, when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Instinctually preparing to perform a shoulder throw, Eagle Eye suddenly caught the scene outside the door. To his eyes, the door suddenly seemed like a piece of glass, and there was Deputy Qiu with an irritated and somewhat distorted expression standing outside, flanked by two heavily armed guards. These internal troops he had often seen before; carrying out executions was their job.


    Almost instantly, Eagle Eye understood the crux of the matter. It seemed that Dugu Han and the spy he had discovered were working together, and they intended to silence him.


    "Do you want to go with me, or with him?" the man in black asked.


    "You," Eagle Eye, never one to hesitate, quickly made up his mind after seeing the truth.


    A force dragged him and he slammed into the wall beside him. Before Eagle Eye could even cry out, he felt his entire body dissolve into the wall. Almost at the same moment Eagle Eye left the room, Deputy Qiu fired a shot and broke the room''s door lock.


    With a loud bang, he kicked open the door, only to find the room empty. Deputy Qiu''s eyes suddenly turned purple as he scanned the room again to confirm that Eagle Eye was not invisible inside. Then he took up the walkie-talkie.


    "He''s gone."


    "Oh, what a pity. Issue a warrant for his arrest immediately. Eagle Eye has defected. Kill on sight," Dugu Han''s soft, sinister voice came through the walkie-talkie.


    "Welcome to Survivor Base," the man in black said as his voice trailed off, and Eagle Eye felt a flash of brightness before him. With a whoosh, he came out from the wall, stumbling a bit to regain his balance due to the inertia.


    Upon closer inspection, he was stunned by the sight before him¡ªa space of roughly one to two hundred square meters, seemingly carved out of rock. The walls weren''t lined with cement, and the light bulbs and wires were all exposed. In the middle of the room, two rows of computers were occupied by about a dozen people gaming, and Qin Shimoon stood behind them, checking their status.


    Seeing Eagle Eye suddenly appear, Qin Shimoon didn''t show surprise. Instead, she immediately said, "Hurry and move your character in the game out of Nine Dragons City. Go to the back of the broken temple outside the city. We have a teleportation point there."


    Her reminder made Eagle Eye realize that although he had escaped from the base, his game character was still in Nine Dragons City. He needed to flee quickly while the incident had just happened and before the enemy could respond. Otherwise, he would face trouble later.


    Without any hesitation, he took a seat at the nearest computer and logged into the game.


    "What''s the situation outside?" Qin Shimoon walked over to the man in black and asked.


    "All quiet," the man in black replied nonchalantly, as he logged into the game on another computer.


    About twenty minutes later, Eagle Eye had completely escaped. The teleportation array behind that broken temple led to a small town. Eagle Eye found a safe place to log off before coming over to Qin Shimoon.


    "Thank you," Eagle Eye said sincerely.


    Qin Shimoon smiled at him, "You tried to kill me, I saved you; I guess this is me repaying evil with kindness. You might not know, but the higher-ups of Ancestral Dragon have been replaced by the Demon Clan. It''s not just Ancestral Dragon; heads of state around the world are being replaced one by one. Soon, the Demon Clan will have absolute power here. This is the general you tried to assassinate yesterday; today he was involved in a military leadership meeting." As she spoke, Qin Shimoon handed him a few large photographs on which the old man with white hair from the day before was seen speaking on stage.


    "I suppose you understand without my having to explain, right? Ancestral Dragon has opened the Teleportation Portal to the game. It''s not only us who can go in; they can come out as well," she continued.


    "Why should I believe you?" Even though he was already convinced of the truth, Eagle Eye was still resistant.


    Qin Shimoon lifted her chin slightly, and at the end of the row of computers, a man stood up, "Stone, do you still recognize me?"


    "Old Qiu? You didn''t die?" Eagle Eye exclaimed excitedly.


    Deputy Qiu smiled resignedly, "Do you really wish I were dead?"


    Now Eagle Eye fully believed Qin Shimoon. Whatever her purpose, they were on the same side now.


    "What do you need me to do?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For now, focus on increasing your strength in the game. I''m contacting various civilian organizations to form a force that can stand against Ancestral Dragon. I''ll assign you a task when the time comes. Just complete it well," she said.


    "Yes, sir!" Eagle Eye snapped to attention and gave a standard military salute.(To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 440 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)

    Xiao Buli arrived at the entrance to the Barbaric Wastelands, intending to enter. At the same time, inside the Ancestral Dragon base.


    Eagle Eye found his mission this time somewhat hard to accept, but as always, he exhibited no questioning of the orders from the higher-ups and showed absolute obedience.


    This mission was to assassinate a general. Eagle Eye didn''t know much about the man; he had only started undertaking such missions after getting involved in a game. Before that, he was just an ordinary soldier. If not for the Ancestral Dragon, his fate would likely have been retirement and idleness at home. If his family were well off, he might have found a respectable job. Otherwise, most retired soldiers ended up working as security guards or similar jobs.


    Eagle Eye was very grateful for this, so for the tasks handed down by Ancestral Dragon, he always approached them with great enthusiasm and execution. The souls that fell to his sniper rifle could be counted by the notches on the buttstock¡ªthere were seven in total, representing the seven lives taken by the rifle. However, this mission was different from the previous ones. It not only required the death of the person but also specified how and where the death should occur. It had to happen without anyone noticing. Not noticed? That meant sniping was out of the question.


    Fortunately, Eagle Eye had another profession in the game: assassin. Although his time in the game had decreased since he started executing tasks for the organization, his assassination skills had not waned. In fact, because he had real-life experience that couldn''t be replicated in the game, his assassination techniques had become even more refined.


    Taking advantage of the cover of night, Eagle Eye snuck into the general''s home. The general had a son and a daughter, both holding important positions in the military. But it was also because of this that Eagle Eye had a chance to be alone with him. Tonight, his son had to stand guard, as it was the general''s rule to not allow exceptions for his children. His daughter had gone out to a small gathering, having been invited by friends.


    Eagle Eye hid in the shadows, where he seemed to melt away, easily bypassing the guards at the door. Although it was a military residential area, in times of peace, security was not overly exaggerated. High walls, barbed wire, surveillance cameras, and 24-hour soldier patrols¡ªnone of these were enough to detect the ghost-like Eagle Eye.


    Without any impediment, Eagle Eye entered the general''s villa. The housekeeper was preparing dinner downstairs, and the general, removing his hat, hung it on the coat rack by the door and instructed his bodyguard, "Let''s have dinner a bit later. I''ll sit in the study for a while. Don''t disturb me unless it''s important."


    Pleased with what he heard, Eagle Eye had planned to act later in the evening, but such an opportunity was perfect for his special mission. The fewer people in the house, the less worry about being discovered. And with the target himself specifying not to be disturbed, it was an opportunity not to be missed. Seeing that the bodyguard had also entered a room downstairs, Eagle Eye entered the house, made his way upstairs smoothly, and quickly located the study.


    The study door was tightly closed. Eagle Eye put an augmenting spell on his ear, a secret trick behind his extraordinary sight. This spell temporarily doubled the functionality of his spellcasting organ.


    Now he could hear the sound of pages being turned inside, and the general muttering something, as if reading words from a paper. To Eagle Eye, the content sounded like it had to do with some top-secret experiment, though he couldn''t make out the details. The sound of a chair being moved was followed by the creaking footsteps of the general and the noise of a cabinet being pulled open. Eagle Eye knew his chance had arrived¡ªthe general was apparently turning back to consult something on the bookshelf. Once again melding into the shadows, Eagle Eye, crouching down, opened the door.


    When the general heard the door creak behind him, he turned around and saw it slowly open. However, there was nothing behind the door¡ªit seemed to have been opened by the wind. The wooden door was old, and sometimes the lock wouldn''t catch, so the general wasn''t surprised. He set down the book in his hand, went to the door, and forcefully closed it, twisting the knob to ensure it wouldn''t blow open again. Satisfied, he turned back to his books.


    But as he turned, suddenly a large hand clamped over his mouth and nose with incredible strength, cutting off his breath. As a veteran of the battlefield, the general didn''t panic, immediately trying to fight back.


    However, his assailant gave him no chance. He felt a chill on his back as a dagger pierced through him from behind. The general felt his strength drain rapidly through the wound. The person behind him released his hold, but by then, the general had no strength even to cry out, his body collapsing to the floor with a thud.


    Eagle Eye checked the general''s carotid artery and only after confirming his death did he pull out the dagger. The blade gleamed with a flash of blue light¡ªit was coated with a toxin provided by Ancestral Dragon, designed to paralyze the nervous system quickly via the bloodstream and speed up blood loss, causing rapid death.


    If you thought the mission ended there, you would be sorely mistaken. Eagle Eye''s real test was just beginning. This time, the mission explicitly required him to clean up the scene and dispose of the body, even specifying an incinerator as the designated cremation spot, a professional place for disposal. To Eagle Eye, this seemed unnecessary. If the goal was to kill him, naturally, the death had to be made known to eliminate his influence. Why kill him and then try to disguise it? Was it simply to create the illusion of a disappearance? S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 441 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)_2

    However, obedience was a virtue for Eagle Eye, and fortunately, he had placed a towel under the dagger before he made his move. He waited for the blood to stop flowing before pulling out the dagger, so he had complete control over the blood, which made the scene look very clean. Then, Eagle Eye took out a large bag and put the general''s body inside. The bag had a layer of plastic on the inside while the outside appeared to be canvas. It was very endurable and wouldn''t leak any blood, provided by the organization.


    Actually, the best method would have been to strangle the target, but Eagle Eye feared that the struggle before death might attract unwanted trouble.


    After taking care of these things, Eagle Eye walked to the window and looked outside. It was the time when people were getting off work. Cars were occasionally driving in, and some family members had just come back from shopping, carrying baskets and walking around the building.


    It seemed he had to be patient a little longer. Eagle Eye went to the door and locked it from the inside. Since he had some boring time to wait, he sat on the chair in front of the desk, with a document the general had just reviewed at hand, marked "Top Secret" on the envelope.


    Top secret documents? What could be inside? Eagle Eye felt a bit curious, but it was outside his area of responsibility anyway, he thought. It was better not to invite trouble.


    He went back to the window for another look. The situation below showed no improvement. It seemed the best bet would be to wait for the sky to darken a little more. His shadow camouflage ability was best used in darkness, and fortunately, the days were getting shorter. It should be time soon.


    Once again seated at the desk, the words "Top Secret" in black letters seemed to scratch at his curiosity. Finally unable to resist, Eagle Eye put on gloves before picking up the file. He pulled out a stack of papers. The information inside was very scattered and seemed quite incomprehensible to him.


    There were a few photos showing a metallic sphere, apparently placed in an old house. There were also some experimental data. Eagle Eye glanced at the sky before confidently starting to read from the beginning. The more he read, the more alarmed he became. The document detailed an experiment about a death game from thirty years ago. Could it be that this game already existed thirty years ago?


    And Huo Guangxiong was actually the organizer at that time. But what did they mean by the experimental personnel losing control? What was the anomaly? What did they mean by losing the experimental personnel? Did they die?


    It seemed there was a reason Ancestral Dragon had assigned him this mission. Thinking this, Eagle Eye put the documents back, considered for a moment, then sealed the file and hid it inside his jacket. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that it was about the right time, Eagle Eye hoisted the general''s body over his shoulder and, using his skills, quickly departed the residential compound under the cover of night. About half an hour later, the old general was reduced to ashes in Furnace.


    "Eagle Eye, you''re back?" A young officer in the base greeted him enthusiastically. Eagle Eye was usually easy-going and knew seventy to eighty percent of the people on the base, although there were some he couldn''t name. He exchanged pleasantries along the way and soon arrived at the place where he was to report the completion of his mission.


    After delivering the general''s body to the designated spot, they gave him a medal to confirm the completion of his mission. After finishing the task and receiving his reward, which was one hundred thousand yuan and a silver-quality item from the game, Eagle Eye happily turned to leave and bumped into Deputy Qiu.


    His rank was much higher than Eagle Eye''s, but since the two were from the same hometown, they had developed a fairly good relationship after getting to know each other. Their most common activity was playing a poker game from their hometown.


    "Old Qiu, when are you going to pay back the money you owe me?" Eagle Eye joked as soon as he saw Deputy Qiu. Although they didn''t actually gamble money when they played poker, they still had stakes. They used chips they made themselves, sometimes writing millions on them, betting like rich tycoons just for fun. Sometimes, when one was short on chips, they would borrow from the other and pay back with chips in the next game. So, the money Eagle Eye mentioned wasn''t real, but a code for a poker invitation.


    But Deputy Qiu reacted with a start, staring blankly at Eagle Eye for a moment, "Oh, Eagle Eye, how much do I owe you?"


    Eagle Eye was also taken aback. Naturally, his name wasn''t Eagle Eye. That was the code name given to him by his superiors after he had gained his abilities. In private, Deputy Qiu would call him by his nickname ¡ª Stone. Hearing his code name spoken so formally made him uncomfortable, but he didn''t object. His suspicions grew as he casually said, "Fifty thousand."


    "Oh, okay. Give me your account number, and I''ll transfer it to you later." Deputy Qiu took out paper and a pen from his pocket and handed them to Eagle Eye. Eagle Eye looked at him, puzzled by his serious expression, wrote down a series of numbers, and Deputy Qiu immediately turned and left.


    Eagle Eye looked around overhead to see if new cameras had been installed or if there was an officer around, prompting Deputy Qiu to put on an act. However, he didn''t see anyone. What unnerved him the most was that a short while later, his phone beeped with a new message: an extra fifty thousand yuan had been deposited into his account.


    Eagle Eye''s heart sank. He was no rookie or fool. What did this turn of events mean?

 Chapter 442 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)_3

    Eagle Eye quickly thought that Deputy Qiu was not the real Deputy Qiu, could it be someone in the game had acquired a skill to change faces to tease him? He quickly dismissed this notion since Deputy Qiu had actually transferred him money; he was afraid of being exposed. This meant the situation was not just a simple prank, Deputy Qiu was very likely a spy planted by someone else, and it seemed that the fate of the real Deputy Qiu was grim.


    As a military man, upon discovering such a situation, Eagle Eye reported it immediately. After passing through the ranks, Eagle Eye was eventually brought before the base''s second-in-command, Dugu Han. Dugu Han was a recent addition to Ancestral Dragon, supposedly representing a civilian organization and collaborating with Ancestral Dragon. After his entry into Ancestral Dragon, he quickly gained Huo Guangxiong''s trust, and his rank was promoted again and again, now holding the position of a major general.


    "I hear you''ve uncovered a spy among us?" Dugu Han''s body lazily rested in the wide-backed sofa, his slender fingers ceaselessly caressing a white porcelain cup in front of him, his eyes squinted, giving off an impenetrable gaze that roamed back and forth over Eagle Eye.


    Being face-to-face with an officer of such rank for the first time, Eagle Eye was somewhat nervous, further compounded by Dugu Han''s demeanor that was starkly different from that of a military man. Eagle Eye felt sweat seeping from his palms; this was even more nerve-wracking than an assassination.


    "Not discovered, just suspected, sir," Eagle Eye had not further confirmed Deputy Qiu''s identity, firstly for fear of alerting the enemy prematurely, and secondly because he had more faith in the organization.


    "Well, well, well, I hear you are a good assassin, but I didn''t expect you could also serve as a good espionage operative," after saying these words, Dugu Han leaned forward, his thin eyes staring straight into Eagle Eye''s eyes, as if trying to see right through him.


    "Thank you for the compliment, sir, I hope you can thoroughly investigate this," Eagle Eye didn''t dare to relax for a moment, his voice clear and loud, maintaining the posture befitting a soldier. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, but before that, I should reward you. How about a Cross Medal?" The Cross Medal was a military decoration established within Ancestral Dragon, only awarded for at least second-class merit. This reward was certainly unexpected to Eagle Eye.


    "Thank you, sir!" Eagle Eye responded loudly.


    "Hehehe, not only that, but I also want to give you a little gift. I hope you can wait in your room, and I will have them send it over to you shortly," Dugu Han sank back into the chair, his voice ethereally floating.


    "Yes, sir," Eagle Eye answered loudly, saluted, finished the salute, turned around, and marched out of the room. It was only after he was out the door that his heart finally settled.


    Eagle Eye''s room in the base was like that of any other soldier of his rank, a small single room of about ten square meters, with a single bed covered in army green sheets and duvet, a small desk, and a bookshelf built on the wall. At this moment, Eagle Eye sat stiffly in his chair, thinking it more proper to sit formally as someone was coming to present him with an award.


    Half an hour had passed, and Eagle Eye was beginning to feel restless. In the past, when he received awards, he would go to the relevant department and directly complete the formalities. This time, however, it seemed rather strange. Almost instinctively, unease crept into Eagle Eye''s mind.


    "Do you really trust them?" Suddenly, the room echoed with the voice of a man full of magnetism.


    Eagle Eye''s figure flashed to the side of the door, watching warily behind him, "Who''s there?"


    A figure slowly emerged from the space between the bed and bookshelf, showing a level of Shadow Technique far surpassing Eagle Eye''s.


    "It''s you?" As the figure fully emerged, Eagle Eye said in surprise; he was familiar with this man in black. He often saw him when Qin Shimoon was around, but back then, Eagle Eye wasn''t of high enough rank to speak to him. "Are you here to kill me?"


    Seeing the man, Eagle Eye''s first thought was that Qin Shimoon had sent him to kill Eagle Eye, for the obvious reason of Eagle Eye having shot Qin Shimoon.


    "Hehe, I''m not here to kill you, the person outside the door is here to kill you," the man in black said leisurely, suddenly vanishing on the spot. Eagle Eye moved forward to check what was happening, when suddenly, a knock sounded at the door behind him.


    Eagle Eye turned sharply, "The person outside is here to kill you." He didn''t know why, but the man in black''s words from before suddenly echoed in his mind.


    The knocking at the door became more and more urgent, clearly indicating that the visitor was not in the best of tempers. This was not the attitude one would expect from someone coming to present an award. Eagle Eye started to hesitate, but as an assassin, he was always prepared for a full retreat.


    Without further hesitation, Eagle Eye quickly flipped open the bed, took out a violin case containing his beloved sniper rifle, pulled out two bank cards from a book on the bookshelf, and drew a file bag he had received from the general from beneath a pile of books. If the person outside was indeed there to kill him, he felt it might be deeply related to this file bag.


    "Do you think you can really escape with that big thing?" It was clear that the shadow had not left the room, and the magnetic voice suddenly sounded behind him again.


    "FUCK," Eagle Eye growled lowly, suddenly doubting the words of the shadow. If the person outside was just there to present him with an award, then wouldn''t he be branded a traitor for nothing?

 Chapter 443 - 44 Ancestral Dragon Mirage (Transitional Chapter)_4

    Eagle Eye readied himself to open the door when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively gearing up for a judo move, he caught sight of the scene outside the door. To his eyes, the door suddenly seemed like a pane of glass, and outside stood Deputy Qiu, his face twisted with irritation, accompanied by two fully armed guards. Eagle Eye was no stranger to these internal security troops; carrying out executions was part of their job.


    Almost instantly, Eagle Eye grasped the critical element of the situation. It seemed Dugu Han and the spy he had discovered were in cahoots, and they were planning to silence him.


    "Are you going to follow me, or him?" asked the voice of the man in black.


    "You¡ª" Eagle Eye was never one to dawdle; now that he understood the truth, he made his decision immediately.


    A force pulled him towards the wall, and before Eagle Eye could cry out, he felt his entire body dissolving into the wall. Right as Eagle Eye left the room, Deputy Qiu blasted the lock off the door with one shot.


    Bang! The door burst open only to reveal an empty room. Deputy Qiu''s eyes suddenly turned purple. He swept the room again to ensure Eagle Eye wasn''t using his invisibility, then picked up his walkie-talkie.


    "He''s gone."


    "Oh, what a shame. Issue a warrant for his immediate arrest throughout the army. Eagle Eye has turned; execute on sight," came Dugu Han''s soft and menacing voice over the walkie-talkie.


    "Welcome to the Survivor Base," said the man in black, and as his voice trailed off, Eagle Eye saw a flash of light and with a whoosh, popped out of the wall entirely. Stabilizing himself after a moment of stagger due to the inertia.


    He took a good look around and was astounded by the sight before him¡ª a man-made space spanning roughly two hundred square meters, rugged and unlined with concrete. Wires and lights were exposed, and in the middle of the room, two rows of computers had about a dozen people working on them. Qin Shimoon was inspecting their status from behind.


    Upon seeing Eagle Eye''s sudden appearance, Qin Shimoon wasn''t surprised, instead immediately instructing him, "Hurry up and move your character out of Nine Dragons City in the game; go to the ruined temple outside the city where our teleportation point is."


    With that reminder, Eagle Eye understood. He had escaped from the base, but his character was still inside Nine Dragons City. He had to flee before the other side reacted to the unfolding events, or it would become problematic later.


    Without any hesitation, he sat down at the nearest computer and logged into the game.


    "What''s the situation outside?" Qin Shimoon approached the man in black and inquired.


    "Quiet," said the man in black blandly, as he logged into the game at another computer.


    About twenty minutes later, Eagle Eye had made a complete escape. The teleportation array behind the ruined temple took him straight to a small town. He found a safe place to go offline, then approached Qin Shimoon.


    "Thank you," Eagle Eye said with heartfelt gratitude. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qin Shimoon gave him a smile first, "By killing me and saving you, I''ve repaid evil with good. You might not be aware, but the higher-ups of the Ancestral Dragon are now being replaced by members of the Demon Clan. And it''s not just the Ancestral Dragon; leaders of various countries around the world are also being replaced one by one. Soon, the Demon Clan will wield absolute power here. This is the general you attempted to assassinate yesterday; today, he was participating in a military leadership meeting." She handed him several large photos¡ªthe white-haired elder from yesterday was now actively engaging in a conference.


    "I suppose I don''t need to spell it out for you, do I? The Ancestral Dragon has opened a Teleportation Portal to the game. It''s not just us that can go in; they can come out, too."


    "Why should I believe you?" Even though he was convinced by now, Eagle Eye still struggled to accept it.


    Qin Shimoon lifted her chin toward the back of the computers where a man stood up, "Old Qiu, do you still recognize me?"


    "Old Qiu? You''re not dead?" Eagle Eye exclaimed, stirred up.


    Deputy Qiu gave a resigned smile, "So you were hoping I was dead, huh?"


    At this point, Eagle Eye fully trusted Qin Shimoon. Regardless of her motives, they were now on the same side.


    "What do you need me to do?"


    "For now, improve your ability in the game. I''m contacting various civil organizations to form a force capable of opposing the Ancestral Dragon. When I need you, I will give you your mission. Just make sure you complete it."


    "Yes!" Eagle Eye snapped to attention, giving a crisp military salute.


    (To be continued...


    If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to place your recommendation votes, and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 444 - 46: Jungle Ruins (Part 2)

    Xiao Buli felt a tightness around his neck and immediately breathing became difficult, but the current Xiao Buli was no longer the novice he used to be, not to mention his Dark Gold-level equipment wasn''t for show. Although his vital spot was grasped, the effect of the Heart of the Earth meant he didn''t feel too uncomfortable. As he infused Sunfire True Qi into Glowing Light in his hand, the sword grew intensely hot, which he knew was effective against plants. With a flick of his wrist, he whipped a sword flower and sliced towards the trailing vines behind him. However, the vines were extremely agile and repeated their previous maneuver, swiftly retracting before tossing Xiao Buli towards another vine. The vines were tossing him around as adeptly as a basketball player passing the ball, as if they shared the same will. Xiao Buli, however, had learned his lesson and wouldn''t fall for the same trick easily.


    In midair, Xiao Buli executed a Chaotic Shadow Split, and suddenly five or six shadows appeared in the air, while his actual body vanished from sight. Twisting his waist, he changed direction. The shadows were caught by several vines at the same time, but of course, those were mere illusions. They burst into smoke and disappeared with a pop.


    The vines momentarily lost their target, writhing like venomous snakes in the air, searching for another prey.


    Xiao Buli twisted his body and gently touched down to the ground. Now he could see clearly, the stone statue before him was no longer covered by plants, fully revealed in his sight. It was a stone carving of a human head on a snake''s body, with a ferocious expression and huge fangs protruding from its lips. The pupils in the human head''s eyes were narrow, making it look as malevolent as a venomous snake.


    But at this moment, Xiao Buli had no time to appreciate the statue. He looked towards the base of the statue from where the vines had grown. Their roots emerged from the crevices between the statue''s pedestal and the earth. Xiao Buli suddenly felt that the growth of the vines was probably not accidental. Perhaps someone had planted them there when the statue was first carved, although he didn''t know their purpose. It seemed that the vines were protecting the statues.


    Xiao Buli slowly stood up straight, watching the aimless vines above him gradually settle down. Their restlessness caused some of the vines on the surrounding statues to start trembling lightly as well.


    Now that he had seen the statue''s true form, Xiao Buli felt there was no need to make enemies of these vines. Besides, the surroundings were filled with them. If a fight broke out, he might not gain much of an advantage, and the vines didn''t seem to attack proactively. As long as he didn''t touch them, he could simply find the answers he needed and leave. With this thought, Xiao Buli slowly started to step back, not stopping until he was sure that the vines had returned to their original state. Then he began to walk forward, knowing that these things were alive. He made sure to keep to the middle of the path, staying well clear of them.


    After having seen the appearance of the statue, Xiao Buli had already confirmed that this place was not a sanctuary of any Ancient God but perhaps once a village of some minority ethnicity. However, since he had come this far, he decided to still go check out the place that looked like an altar.


    He hadn''t gone far when suddenly a huge pit appeared in the middle of the road, spanning across the whole path and damaging many of the surrounding houses. All around the hole, the ground had collapsed into an unrecognizable mess. Despite many years passing, small rocks occasionally still fell into it, indicating the pit was not yet stable. Xiao Buli stood some distance away, watching the hole.


    The large pit reminded him of the sinkholes he often saw in the news, and judging from afar, it might be tens or hundreds of meters deep, as if the ground had been hollowed out beneath. It remained unclear whether the hole was the work of the former inhabitants or just the nature of the terrain. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli moved cautiously towards the edge of the pit and peered down. It was pitch black and he could see nothing, but he could hear the sound of flowing water. Many thick vines grew out from the edges of the pit, making it look like a tremendous wound.


    Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way, and Xiao Buli immediately leaped backward. The spot where he had been standing moments before collapsed slightly.


    Phew, Xiao Buli exhaled, looking at the ruins in the distance, wondering if he should leave since it wasn''t an Ancient God''s sanctuary?


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli noticed the lighting around him dim. Looking up, he saw the sky had filled with dark clouds and could hear distant thunder.


    "FUCK, what kind of weather is this?" he cursed. The sky had been clear just a moment ago. It seemed best to find shelter from the rain now, which was a downside of being physically present. If he were operating a computer, Xiao Buli wouldn''t have minded travelling in the rain. This was the second time today that he longed for computer operation.


    Big raindrops began to pelt down in an instant, giving Xiao Buli no time to ponder. He hurriedly executed a Cloud Thunder Leap, keeping his flight low. Xiao Buli hadn''t forgotten the time the Qilin Group cornered him, trapping him with thunder clouds. The feeling of being struck by lightning was far from pleasant.


    After flying low for a short distance, Xiao Buli quickly arrived underneath the ruins, where he spotted a rather large cave midway up the structure.


    Without giving it much thought, Xiao Buli landed at the entrance and finally took shelter from the torrential rain.

 Chapter 445 - 46: Jungle Ruins (Part 2)_2

    ```


    Crack! A thunderbolt exploded outside, and Xiao Buli felt secretly relieved that he had moved quickly, otherwise the thunder might have struck him as well. Looking at the torrential downpour outside, Xiao Buli figured it wouldn''t stop anytime soon. Since he had already come this far, he might as well go in for a look.


    He took out the Glowing Light Sword and channeled his Internal Energy into it, and the sword immediately lit up like a giant glow stick, illuminating the surrounding area.


    Xiao Buli walked inside with the sword in hand, and after only a couple steps, he was suddenly tripped by something. A sound like wood knocking together reached his ears. Xiao Buli steadied himself and shined the sword on the ground, revealing a skeleton.


    Xiao Buli crouched down; in this heat, bodies deteriorated quickly. Looking at the remains, which still clung to some rotten fabric, he guessed the death hadn''t been too long ago.


    The body leaned against a stone pillar inside the building, still showing signs of its last struggle. Xiao Buli inspected it and a line of text appeared before him: "Wuming''s corpse: available for collection."


    He chose to collect, and suddenly his hand was filled with items, while the body slumped over, completely falling apart.


    Xiao Buli looked at the items that appeared in his palm, his pupils contracting involuntarily. His nerves felt as if they had been seared by fire.


    Green Dragon Adventure Group Emblem: This was a member''s emblem of the renowned Green Dragon Adventure Group, representing the identity of its members.


    The Green Dragon Adventure Group? That name was surely no coincidence. If Xiao Buli wasn''t mistaken, the man must have been one of the members from the Green Dragon Group who entered the game. It seemed that the system in this world had granted them a new identity and background.


    He illuminated the rest of the remains with the sword light, looking carefully. From the tattered and easily broken scraps of fabric, he could faintly make out that this might be a member of the White Tiger Group. If he was here, could the others be here too? Where were they?


    Xiao Buli immediately got up and moved forward, searching carefully along the way. The further he went, the more alarmed he became. Along the way, he encountered a total of eleven corpses, collecting eleven Green Dragon Adventure Group emblems, which meant without a doubt, all of them were members from the game, although the bodies had deteriorated badly and it was hard to tell who was who. But for Xiao Buli, they all meant the same thing; they had once been alive like him, turned into this state by this damned game.


    Xiao Buli continued collecting the bones; some had been torn apart, possibly by some beast, but it was clear they had endured a fierce battle before death, with some limbs lying far from their bodies.


    Xiao Buli suppressed the sorrow in his heart, his body trembling non-stop. He felt as if his strength had been drained from him, not just because he and they had once fought side by side as brothers, but because he saw in them what might be his own future.


    Xiao Buli propped up himself and sat down exhausted on the ground, his mind involuntarily going to Li Baocheng. What on earth was this game? Why did it strip away the will of people, why? Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although he could sit here safely for the moment, how long could it last? Even if he continued to enhance his abilities, this sense of powerlessness, not knowing whom he was fighting against, filled him with uncertainty for the future.


    "What a fuck," Xiao Buli froze. Had he just heard something?


    "Hey, I say, this thing is pretty annoying, how about I take your place and finish the rest of the journey for you?"


    "You?" Xiao Buli could hardly believe it.


    ```


    "No, it''s me, I am you, and you are me. You shouldn''t feel unfamiliar with me, right?" Xiao Buli felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. That voice, it was actually his Heart Demon.


    "But you left already," Xiao Buli struggled to calm himself down.


    "En~~, are you talking about my predecessor? I saw him in your memory, but sorry to say, his departure doesn''t mean you''re free. Likewise, even if I leave one day, or if you destroy me, it doesn''t mean you''re free either. A different ''me'' will emerge, because I am you and you are me. As long as you''re alive, you''ll carry the burden of me, hehe, how about that, isn''t it quite a tongue-twister?" That voice even joked nonchalantly with Xiao Buli.


    "FUCK, what the hell are you?!" Xiao Buli yelled loudly, thinking he had rid himself of the Heart Demon, only to find that it was as difficult to eliminate as a virus. His mood was already sour, and this just made him completely lose his mind. "If you have the guts, come out. I''m going to strangle you!!"


    "Wow, haha, looks like you''re really fired up. Relax, I can''t just replace you right away. I still need some time to grow before I can do that," said the voice, still sounding carefree, like a fool who didn''t know the meaning of death.


    Xiao Buli felt like his chest was going to burst, all the irritations of the past days like a fierce fire stuck in his chest. He suddenly lept up from where he was sitting, let out a roar, and began frantically swinging his sword at the surrounding walls and stone pillars.


    Sparks flew as the Glowing Light Sword struck the rock, the buzzing of metal vibrating echoing within the great hall. Xiao Buli continued his frenzied slashing, venting the rage in his heart, spouting nonsensical words until he didn''t even know what he was shouting about anymore¡ªuntil his saliva sprayed wildly, even splashing his own face. Suddenly, as if realizing something, Xiao Buli abruptly stopped the swinging light of his sword. What was happening to him? Was it simply rage?


    He suddenly thought of those with Soul Departure Syndrome, who also started by going mad. This thought rapidly cooled his mind. He remembered what Xuan Zhenzi had said: that he had delayed the onset of his Soul Departure Syndrome through mental suppression. If that was true, then he should maintain his calm under any circumstance.


    He stopped moving, leaning against a nearby stone pillar, panting heavily as he tried to steady himself.


    "O~K, now that you''ve calmed down, we need to seriously consider the problems we''re facing. After all, we share one body; I don''t want you dying so soon," the voice resounded in Xiao Buli''s mind. Reluctant as he was, Xiao Buli had to accept the reality.


    "What now?" he asked weakly.


    By then it had grown completely dark outside the temple, as pitch black inside as if midnight, except for the white glow of the light shield around Xiao Buli; nothing could be seen in the distance.


    The voice cautiously said, "I suggest you look directly in front of you. I feel like there''s something very dangerous there."


    Xiao Buli was unsure whether he should heed its advice, for deep in his heart, he knew the Heart Demon was an evil presence, a devil coveting his body.


    Just then, lightning streaked across the entrance of the cave, and although it lasted only a few seconds, Xiao Buli saw it. His body tensed as he stood up straight, quickly putting on the Betrayer''s Dark Vision, and the world before him came into clear view. A large pit in front of him yawned open like a gaping maw, or a grave dug in readiness. Across the open ground between him and the giant pit, groups of creatures with human heads and snake bodies were slithering towards him.


    More things were slowly emerging from within the pit, indicating that there were more creatures than just the ones he could see. These creatures strongly resembled the statues he had seen outside the hall, except for their true forms not being as tall; he estimated each creature to be about two meters, although their serpentine way of moving on the ground made it difficult to ascertain for sure. For some reason, their movements seemed somewhat sluggish, the continuous writhing of their bodies was indescribably strange.


    Suddenly, one of the creatures raised its head, which it had been keeping low. Its blood-red eyes had black pupils like thin lines, and its wide-open mouth revealed two sharp fangs, making a rasping sound. Xiao Buli steadied himself, gripping the sword in his hand. No matter what these creatures were, he could be certain that the members of the Green Dragon Group were likely killed by these monsters. Xiao Buli''s body exuded a fighting spirit, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty light. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it, or leave a monthly vote at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 446 - 45: The Ruins of the Jungle (Part 1)

    The sun bore down like an incinerating spotlight, quickly evaporating the moisture from the ground. The water droplets, clinging to the broad leaves unique to the tropical rainforest, fell back to the earth and onto Xiao Buli''s body.


    "Phew, it really is incredibly hot."


    He wiped the sweat and rainwater off his face, muttering to himself.


    Even though he knew none of this was real, he couldn''t ignore the sensations. Sometimes using a keyboard to play games had its advantages¡ªat least you didn''t have to suffer through the heat and could comfortably enjoy the scenery on the screen.


    This was Xiao Buli''s third day in the Barbarian Wilderness. Over these three days, he had flown thousands of kilometers. In the beginning, the landscape below resembled the forests he saw in his daily life, but as he traveled further south, the climate became hotter and the air more humid. Riding the Immortal Crane high above, he could no longer discern his path below, as clouds and a mist containing some kind of toxic fumes surrounded him. Feeling dizzy after flying in it for a while, Xiao Buli had no choice but to land and make his way on foot through the jungle.


    Fortunately, with skills like Fleeting Light and Shadow, he didn''t move slowly through the thick foliage.


    Hissss¡ªA strange noise came from above, and the Spiritual Energy Shield on his body suddenly flashed white, as though something had bitten him. Xiao Buli turned to look and saw a giant python, about seven or eight meters long and as thick as a tree trunk, staring at him. It seemed confused by the failed sneak attack, thanks to the protection of the Spiritual Energy Shield. Although the python was fairly formidable, it was nothing compared to the Lava Giant Python. Xiao Buli could not be bothered to waste words and dispatched it with a Mysterious Ice Slash, turning the python into an ice sculpture that shattered on the ground when it fell.


    During these three days of travel, such minor foes hardly caught Xiao Buli''s attention. He had improved his Mysterious Ice Slash through repeated use, especially with the help of the Ancient Ice Blade, which greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the skill.


    Xiao Buli drew the sword closer, and the chilling cold emanating from the blade drove away some of the heat. While he was briefly enjoying the comfort, he didn''t notice a small emerald green snake peeking out from the treetop above him.


    "Hisss¡ªHisss" Suddenly, Xiao Buli heard a loud snake hiss and immediately adopted a defensive stance. Was there a companion to the giant python nearby? This sound was more than twice as loud as the previous one, but after looking around, he found no trace of anything.


    It seemed best to leave quickly, he thought to himself. As he turned to move, numerous little emerald snakes as small as droplets of rain shot out from the trunks, grass, and dense leaves around him.


    Xiao Buli didn''t have time to see clearly what they were and started slashing with the Ice Blade in his hand, expecting to see countless snake corpses fall. However, these little snakes were extremely agile and, despite their small bodies, somehow avoided the blade with their movement technique, gliding past the sword shadows and either biting him when they landed on his body or spitting sticky venom from their fangs if they were too far to attack directly.


    Xiao Buli''s health began to drop from the debuff that appeared over his head, feeling his strength draining away. Without further hesitation, he used Avatar Shadow Transformation, attempting to pass through them, but when he stopped moving, he found himself still surrounded by countless little snakes. The endless tide of emerald serpents continued to pour in from all sides.


    Xiao Buli could escape easily both skyward and underground, but he didn''t expect to be outmaneuvered by these tiny creatures. A fighting spirit rose in him.


    Summon Heavy Rain, Freezing Cloud Skills!


    As Xiao Buli cast these spells, clouds gathered overhead and rain began to fall. It instantly turned into freezing hail, and soon his vicinity was filled with numbers indicating a loss of health. Seeing its effectiveness, he swung his blade, sending wave after wave of Mysterious Ice Slashes around him. The emerald snakes hit by the hail became covered with a thick layer of ice, rendered immobile.


    Xiao Buli halted and released a giant Sunfire Spellball, turning the frozen serpents into countless pieces of flash-frozen meat that scattered. This cleared space for more snakes at the periphery to rush in. Xiao Buli repeated the process, Heavy Rain and Freezing Cloud Skills, followed by shattering the frozen serpents with a Sunfire Spellball. But the snakes surged forward as if they knew no fear or death. Suddenly feeling weak, Xiao Buli realized his debuff had not worn off and hastily healed himself. Fighting and healing at the same time, he was busy till his True Origin Points were about halfway depleted. Finally, the tide of snakes thinned out, with only a dozen or so left, posing no threat. Xiao Buli dispatched them one by one with his Ice Blade. Having expended so much effort against these minor creatures, he caught his breath and took in the stench filling the air. After treating the snake venom, he certainly did not want to remain in this mess of dead flesh any longer and leaped out of the area with a few jumps. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 447 - 45: The Ruins of the Jungle (Part 1)_2

    He moved forward again, casually killing some wild beasts he encountered, which had become a routine for Xiao Buli over the past few days. Although these fierce beasts were no longer a significant threat to him now, there were still quite a few animals like the green snakes he had encountered earlier that day that took him by surprise, mainly because Xiao Buli was not familiar with the characteristics of the animals in the Barbarian Wilderness.


    The reason they could survive here was that each species had a few extraordinary abilities; otherwise, it would be difficult for them to exist in this formidable food chain.


    After walking for a while, Xiao Buli decided to go up and check the road ahead. He flipped onto the treetops, looked towards the distance, and saw a sea of green trees. At the horizon''s end lay a huge mountain range that spread out on both sides; it was so long that he had lost count of how many mountain ranges he had crossed. To ensure that his path was straight, Xiao Buli had always chosen to go through the mountains.


    Xiao Buli didn''t return to the ground but chose to leap over the treetops. Although this was more physically demanding, there was also a clear benefit; he would not lose his way.


    Soon, he arrived at the mountain he had seen earlier, and without any hesitation, while still in the air, Xiao Buli activated his Earth Escape Skills and slammed straight into the mountain wall ahead of him.


    With a swish, he seamlessly entered it as if it was not in the same plane of existence; Xiao Buli rapidly traversed through the mountain. Thanks to the enhancement of his Earth Magic from the Heart of the Earth, his speed within the mountain was just as fast as on the surface. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After travelling for nearly an hour and watching his True Yuan Points fall by nearly half, suddenly, the space in front of him opened up, and he had already passed through the mountain range.


    After passing through the mountain range, what greeted him was naturally another endless primordial forest. Xiao Buli was even beginning to doubt whether he had been going in circles ¨C just how vast was this curse of a forest?


    After moving further ahead, he suddenly felt that through the branches in front of him, the area ahead seemed to be getting brighter. Could he have reached the edge of the forest? Xiao Buli hurriedly walked a few more steps with excitement, pushed aside the vines and branches in front of him, and when he clearly saw the scenery in the valley, he was surprised. The number of trees in front of him had clearly decreased, but the vines and shrubs were densely packed among them. Amid these green plants, some worn-down buildings and tall city gates were faintly visible. In a sizable area in front of him, one could tell that this was indeed the ruins of a city.


    Xiao Buli walked in nonchalantly, carefully observing these ancient buildings and the exposed rocks. Judging from the thickness of the vines growing out of the rocks, it wasn''t hard to tell that this place had been deserted for quite some time. The rock ruins were covered with green moss, and along the roadside, there were many large rocks. Although they were covered with vines and moss, some stone statues and the like were still somewhat distinguishable.


    All around was an eerie silence, and as Xiao Buli wandered through these magnificent ruins, he felt an indescribable sense of eeriness. The vines that grew within the city were especially robust and enormous, the thick roots interweaving among the debris and broken walls as though daggers had dismembered them. Moreover, the color of the plants growing in this city contrasted sharply with the plants he had seen in the rainforest before. The plants he saw previously were thriving, with leaves in a dark green hue, while the leaves of these plants were a dripping emerald green. Although fresh, they were like poison ¨C beautiful, yet they gave off a dangerous aura that one couldn''t help but sense.


    Although Xiao Buli was not sure if things were really like this, he now seemed to have a special intuition for danger. He was not keen on lingering in these ruins. He looked up at the sky, and the haze that had always hovered over the jungle was gone, the blue sky, white clouds, and the glaring sunlight made it feel as though he was not in the depths of a dense forest.


    "Maybe I can fly a distance first," Xiao Buli thought as he glanced back at the ruins once more. Although the probability was slim, he couldn''t completely dismiss the chance that the remnants before him were perhaps the so-called Divine Tomb. After hesitating for a bit, Xiao Buli decided to search the ruins before making any further decisions.


    The city differed greatly from the purely Chinese style Xiao Buli had seen in places like Nine Dragons City or the Immortal Realm. These structures were imbued with a significant exotic flair, mostly constructed from broad and sturdy slabs of stone. Hence, despite the ravages of time and destruction by plants, it was still possible to discern the original scale and architectural style.


    He was now seemingly in the center of the city, presuming it could still be called a city. The central area was a broad avenue leading to a rather tall building that somewhat resembled a pyramid or an altar. Tall stone sculptures lined both sides of the road, all of which were covered in plants, concealing the figures carved underneath.


    The city evidently adopted a symmetrical architectural style, and this road was the central axis of the entire city; Xiao Buli saw many similar structures on both sides of the road.


    At the moment, he followed this thoroughfare, walking forward while examining the style of the ancient relics. Although not particularly versed in architecture, Xiao Buli felt the ambiance resembled that of European films, akin to ones like "Tomb Raider." Could these be the work of Ancient Gods? Xiao Buli pondered inwardly with trepidation.


    Approaching the base of another sculpture, Xiao Buli grew curious about what lay beneath those plants. Perhaps they held the key to the riddles in his heart. With this thought, he scrutinized the statue before him, which was approximately three meters tall. The base of the stone was partially exposed, and when Xiao Buli scraped the moss away, he saw some hieroglyphic texts, which were completely beyond his understanding.


    Xiao Buli grimaced and decided to pull the vines down to reveal the statue''s true face.


    No sooner had he thought it than he acted on it. This was no place to seek permission. Xiao Buli drew his Glowing Light Sword, leapt atop the head of the statue, where the vines crisscrossed as if woven into a massive green net upon the statue. Standing atop it, he used the Glowing Light in his hand as a dagger, attempting to cut through the vines, but as soon as the tip of his sword touched them, the vines seemed to sense it and retracted slightly.


    Xiao Buli was startled and stopped his action, staring curiously at the green vines before him. The leaves were so lush they appeared almost dripping with moisture. He prodded them once more with the tip of his sword, and this time there was no mistake¡ªthe vines suddenly burst into motion. Those entwined vines that seemed firmly knotted suddenly parted smoothly, and Xiao Buli felt his feet tighten as he was lifted off the statue, whipped through the air by the tendrils like a doll in the hands of a giant.


    "Damn it," Xiao Buli cursed aloud, caught off guard, with no time to react. He was violently flung against the statue, and though protected by dark gold armor, he felt a tightness in his chest followed by a sweet taste in his throat, unable to stop coughing up blood. Seemed like that impact had left him quite shaken.


    Wielding his treasured sword, Xiao Buli chopped at the vines around his feet. Although his cuts were impeded by the shaking, the vines seemed to have eyes, suddenly releasing his ankles with a whoosh. Carried by the final burst of strength from the vines, Xiao Buli''s body soared through the air, and before he could struggle to change direction, another vine swiftly coiled around his neck. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 448 - 46: Jungle Ruins (Part 2)

    Xiao Buli felt a tightness around his neck, and breathing immediately became difficult, but the Xiao Buli of that moment was no longer the rookie of days past, not to mention that his Dark Gold level equipment was not negligible. Even though his vitals were constricted, the influence of the Heart of the Earth ensured that he did not suffer excessively. The Glowing Light in his hand, infused with Sunfire True Qi, immediately grew intensely hot. He understood that plants feared fire and heat. With a flourish of his sword, he urged the vines behind him to chop forward. The vines, however, proved extremely nimble and instantly repeated the trick, swiftly withdrawing and flinging Xiao Buli toward another vine in a toss as practiced as a basketball player''s pass, as though they were moved by a single will. This time, however, Xiao Buli had learned his lesson and was not so easily managed.


    In mid-air, Xiao Buli executed a Chaotic Shadow Split, and simultaneously, five or six figures emerged in the sky, while his real body faded from view. Twisting his waist with force, he changed direction, yet none of the shadows fell useless; several vines captured them all at once. Of course, these were only illusions, which immediately burst into a puff of smoke and vanished into the air with a bang.


    For a brief moment, the vines lost their target, resembling venomous snakes in the air, constantly quivering as they sought out their quarry.


    Xiao Buli twisted his body and landed lightly on the ground. It was then that he got a clear view; the stone statue before him was no longer covered by plant life and was fully exposed. It was a stone carving of a figure with a snake''s body and a human''s head, the face etched with fierce detail, huge fangs protruding from the lips, and the eyes featuring only a narrow pupil, appearing just like a malicious serpent.


    But at this moment, Xiao Buli had no time to admire the statue. He turned his attention to its base; the vines all grew from there, their roots emerging from the base of the statue and the cracks in the earth. Xiao Buli suddenly felt that the growth of these vines was not by chance¡ªperhaps someone had planted them there when the statue was first carved, although he did not know for what purpose. It seemed the vines were protecting the statue.


    Xiao Buli slowly straightened up, watching the aimless vines above him gradually return to calm. Their agitation caused some of the vines on the nearby statues to begin shaking as well.


    Now that he had clearly seen the statue, Xiao Buli felt there was no need to antagonize the vines. Moreover, the surroundings were full of such plants. If a fight broke out, he would not gain much advantage, and it seemed the vines did not attack proactively. As long as he didn''t touch them and found the answers he sought to leave, all would be well. With this in mind, Xiao Buli slowly stepped back, waiting until the vines had returned to their original state before starting to move forward again. This time, knowing that the plants were alive, Xiao Buli tried his best to walk in the middle of the path, steering well clear of the vines.


    Having seen the face of the statue, Xiao Buli was certain that this place was not some divine relic, perhaps it was a village of a minority group from the past. However, since he was already there, he decided to head towards the structure that resembled an altar to check it out.


    He hadn''t gone far when suddenly a huge pit appeared in the middle of the road, spanning the entire width and many of the surrounding houses were also damaged. The pit''s edges were collapsed beyond recognition. Though many years had passed, small stones occasionally still fell, showing that the pit had not reached a stable state. Xiao Buli watched from a distance.


    The pit resembled the sinkholes he often saw in the news, and at a rough estimate from afar, it might be dozens to hundreds of meters deep, as if the ground beneath had been hollowed out. It remained unknown whether this was the workmanship of the inhabitants or the natural terrain. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli cautiously moved towards the pit''s edge and peered down. It was pitch-dark, nothing visible, but he could hear the sound of running water. Vines as thick as water buckets extended from the edge of the pit, making the opening resemble a gaping wound.


    Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet loosened. Xiao Buli leapt backward, and the spot where he had just stood immediately collapsed.


    Phew, Xiao Buli exhaled, eyeing the distant ruins and wondering if he should leave now that he had confirmed the place was not an Ancient God relic.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli noticed the light dimming around him. Looking up, he saw that at some point, dark clouds had gathered overhead, and the distant rumble of thunder could be heard.


    "FUCK, what kind of weather is this?" he cursed. It had been clear just a moment ago. It seemed best to find shelter from the rain. This was a disadvantage of being physically present¡ªif he were operating through a computer, Xiao Buli wouldn''t care about walking in the rain. This was the second time today he had found himself missing computer operation.


    The raindrops the size of beans began to fall in an instant, giving Xiao Buli no time to think. He hastily performed a Cloud Thunder Leap, springing up, though keeping close to the ground. Xiao Buli certainly hadn''t forgotten the time when Qilin Group had surrounded him and trapped him within a storm cloud; the experience of being struck by lightning was not pleasant.


    After a brief low altitude flight, Xiao Buli quickly arrived beneath the relic, spotting a fairly large cave opening halfway up the ruin.


    Without time to ponder, Xiao Buli landed at the entrance and managed to dodge the pouring rain.

 Chapter 449 - 46: Jungle Ruins (Part 2)_2

    Crack! A thunderclap resounded outside as Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief that he had moved quickly. Otherwise, that powerful bolt might have struck him, too. Observing the relentless torrential rain, Xiao Buli saw that it wouldn''t let up anytime soon, so, having already arrived here, he decided to go inside and take a look around.


    He drew his Glowing Light Sword, infused it with Internal Energy, and the sword immediately illuminated the surrounding area like a giant glow stick.


    Holding the sword, Xiao Buli walked deeper inside. After just two steps, he stumbled over something. It sounded like wood colliding. Xiao Buli steadied himself and shone the sword on the ground to find a skeleton starkly before him. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli crouched down. In such a hot climate, bodies decayed rapidly. Looking at the corpse still clad in some tattered cloth, Xiao Buli thought that it must not have been dead for very long.


    The corpse leaned against a column inside the building, still showing signs of a struggle from its final moments. Xiao Buli examined it, and a line of text emerged on the corpse: "Wuming''s corpse: lootable."


    Choosing to loot, his hand suddenly held more items, while the corpse slumped and crumbled completely.


    Xiao Buli looked at the items that appeared in his palm, his pupils constricting. His nerves felt as if they had been seared by fire.


    Green Dragon Adventure Group emblem: This was an emblem of a Green Dragon Adventure Group member, signifying that the person was a member of the renowned Green Dragon Adventure Group.


    The Green Dragon Adventure Group? This name was definitely not a coincidence. If Xiao Buli wasn''t mistaken, this person must have been one of the Azure Dragon Group members who had entered the game. It seemed that the system in this world had given them new identities and backgrounds.


    He continued to illuminate with the sword, examining the remaining belongings of the corpse closely. From the tattered cloth that was barely holding together, he could discern what seemed to be a White Tiger Group member''s attire. If he was here, were the others here too? Where were they?


    Xiao Buli immediately stood up and moved forward, searching carefully as he went along. The further he went, the more his heart pounded. Along the way, he encountered eleven corpses and collected eleven Green Dragon Adventure Group emblems, which meant that, without exception, all were members who had entered the game. Although the corpses were too decayed to identify, they all meant the same thing to Xiao Buli: they had once been living people, just like him, turned into this state by the damned game.


    He relentlessly collected these bones. Some had been torn apart, likely by some beast, but it was evident they had endured a fierce battle before their deaths, with some limbs scattered far from the rest of their bodies.


    Xiao Buli suppressed the sorrow in his heart as his body trembled uncontrollably. He felt as if all his strength was being drained, a sensation that stemmed not only from the fact that these men had once fought beside him as brothers but also because he saw his potential future in their corpses.


    Leaning on the wall, Xiao Buli collapsed on the ground, his mind inevitably wandering to Li Baocheng. What was this game exactly? Why did it strip away one''s will? Why?


    Although he could sit here safely for the moment, he wondered how long that could last. Even though he kept enhancing his abilities, the sense of powerlessness that came from not knowing who he was fighting against filled him with confusion about the future.


    "What a fuck," Xiao Buli stiffened all over. Had he just heard something?


    "Hey, I''m saying, this thing is really annoying. How about I just take your place and finish this path for you?"


    "You?" Xiao Buli could scarcely believe it.


    "No, it''s me, I am you, and you are me. I think you shouldn''t find me unfamiliar, right?" Xiao Buli felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. This voice, it was actually the Heart Demon.


    "But you already left," Xiao Buli struggled to calm himself down.


    "En~~, are you talking about my predecessor? I saw him in your memory, but I''m sorry, his departure doesn''t mean you are free. Likewise, even if I leave one day or you annihilate me, that doesn''t mean you''re free. Different versions of me will emerge because I am you, and you are me. As long as you are alive, you''ll have to carry me with you. Hehe, what do you think, that''s quite a tongue-twister, isn''t it?" The voice was heartlessly joking with Xiao Buli.


    "FUCK, what the hell are you?!" Xiao Buli yelled out loud, thinking he had rid himself of the Heart Demon, only to find the thing was like a virus, impossible to eliminate completely. Xiao Buli''s mood was already bad, and now he completely lost it. "If you have the guts, come out here, I will strangle you to death!"


    "Wow, haha, you seem to be quite fired up. Relax, I can''t replace you right now. I still need some time to grow before I can take your place." The voice remained casual as if it belonged to someone who didn''t understand the gravity of the situation.


    Xiao Buli felt like his chest was about to burst open with all the irritation he had accumulated over the days, blocked like a fierce fire within his chest. With a sudden leap from where he was sitting, he let out a loud roar and began to swing the treasured sword in his hands, slashing wildly at the walls and columns around him.


    Sparks flew as the Glowing Light Sword struck the rocks, the buzzing of the vibrating metal echoed within the grand hall. Xiao Buli continued his frenzied attacks to vent the rage in his heart, spouting nonsense without pause, until he didn''t even know what he was shouting about, until he felt saliva spray from his mouth, even splattering his own face. Xiao Buli suddenly seemed to realize something, stopping the motion of the swirling sword in his hands. What was happening to him? Was it really just anger?


    Then it struck him¡ªthe people with Soul Departure Syndrome, didn''t they also start by going mad? This thought quickly cooled his mind. He remembered Xuan Zhenzi''s words, that he had delayed the onset of his Soul Departure Syndrome through mental suppression. If that was true, that meant no matter the situation, he should maintain his calm.


    He stopped his movements, leaning against a nearby stone column, panting heavily as he tried to calm himself.


    "O~K, now that you''ve calmed down, we should face the problem at hand. After all, we share one body, and I certainly don''t want you dying on me so soon." That voice echoed again in Xiao Buli''s mind. Even though he was reluctant, Xiao Buli had no choice but to accept the reality.


    "What now?" he asked weakly.


    By this time, it had become completely dark outside the temple. Inside, it was pitch-black as if in the dead of night. Aside from the white halo of Glowing Light surrounding Xiao Buli''s body, the remote scenery was invisible.


    The voice spoke cautiously, "I suggest you take a look straight ahead of you. I think there''s something very dangerous there."


    Xiao Buli didn''t know whether or not he should listen, for deep down in his heart, the Heart Demon was an evil existence, a devil coveting his body.


    At that moment, lightning flashed at the cave entrance. Although it lasted only a few seconds, Xiao Buli still saw. He stiffened his body in alarm, quickly put on the Betrayer''s Dark Vision on his head, and the world before him became clear in his eyes. Right before him, a huge pit resembled a gaping maw¡ªor a grave dug in waiting. On the ground between him and the pit, a group of creatures with human heads and serpentine bodies wriggled their way closer.


    Furthermore, within that pit, something kept slowly poking its head out, indicating that there were more of these creatures than just those seen. These monsters resembled the statues he had seen outside of the great hall, only their real bodies were not that tall, each monster was probably around two meters in height¡ªthough Xiao Buli couldn''t be sure at that moment. They moved in a serpentine manner on the ground rather than upright walking. For some reason, their movements seemed slow, their continually twisting bodies creating a strangely disturbing sight.


    Suddenly, one of the monsters raised its head that had been previously lowered, its blood-red eyes with just a black slit of a pupil stared back. It opened its large mouth, revealing two sharp fangs, and from it came a hissing sound that filled the air. Xiao Buli steadied himself, gripping the treasured sword in his hands. No matter what these creatures were, he could be sure that the people from the Green Dragon Group had likely been killed by these monsters before him. Xiao Buli''s body radiated with a fighting spirit, his eyes shining with a bloodthirsty light. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 450 - 48: Evil God

    Sword Control Technique¡ªNine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! As Xiao Buli shouted, the Glowing Light Sword shot into the clouds with a whoosh, and in less than two seconds, it came back down. But this time, Glowing Light''s body was flashing with bright white lightning. Xiao Buli pointed with his hand, and the electricity on Glowing Light''s body struck like lightning, cracking sharply between him and the cave entrance. Having suffered greatly from this move just moments ago, the Serpent Demons naturally weren''t foolish. Seeing the lightning coming, those who could dodge twisted their bodies and swam aside. Those who were too close in the inner circle were blasted to bits without a trace.


    As the lightning had just fallen, Xiao Buli immediately ordered the giant python. As a pet, the giant python was telepathically linked with Xiao Buli, moving as if they were one and the same, reacting swiftly. It almost chased the tail of the lightning and in an instant reached the edge of the big pit.


    This stirred up an unprecedented resistance among the snake swarm. The screams of the Serpent Demons were shrill, piercing through the eardrums like the first howl of a child robbed of its beloved toy.


    Then, displaying a speed never shown before, they gathered in the path where the giant python was advancing. Claws and poison arrows rained down on the giant python''s body. Some frenzied Serpent Demons even used their claws to start climbing on the giant python''s body.


    But unfortunately for them, the Lava Giant Python possessed the Passive Skill Lesser Dragon Blood, which negated much of the damage from toxins and acids. A poison arrow hitting its body only caused a few drops of health points to fall, which was like a tickle to the Lava Giant Python with its tens of thousands of health points. The climbing Serpent Demons were wholly disregarded by the giant python whose twisting body alone was powerful enough to fling them to the ground. But those Serpent Demons were insane, jumping back up after falling and immediately throwing themselves into even fiercer battle.


    Xiao Buli stood atop the giant python''s head, looking down at the struggling Serpent Demons below as if watching ants. At that moment, a thrill passed through his mind; he knew it was the feeling of the python, suggesting a telepathic link as if the python also had a great interest in whatever was inside the pit.


    The giant python opened its jaws wide and let out an excited hiss, its movements speeding up below. It was clear that whatever was in the pit was something it greatly desired. Xiao Buli suddenly had the feeling that this object might be the same as the Demon Star mentioned in the story Jingci had told him. If he remembered correctly, Jingci had mentioned that within the Barbaric Wastelands there was an ancient Barbarian Country. Long ago, a Demon Star had fallen upon this ancient land, and thereafter, monsters roamed, and Demon Beasts wreaked havoc, extinguishing the civilization of the ancient country. If his bold guess was right, what was inside the pit might be part of that very Demon Star.


    At this thought, Xiao Buli''s heart palpitated. He still remembered that Jingci, using a Demon Star Fragment, had transformed Maoqiu beyond recognition, not only in appearance but also in combat strength, undergoing a qualitative mutation. If what he was about to approach was the main body of the Demon Star, wouldn''t the effect be terrifyingly high? It would be particularly suitable for his fierce Lava Giant Python pet to enjoy. With this in mind, he leaped down from the python''s head and pointed toward the pit. Without hesitation, the giant python plunged in. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But clearly, he wasn''t the only one coveting the Demon Star. Before he had appeared, these Serpent Demons had evidently been accompanying the Demon Star for a long time. Although it was unknown if they used to behave this way, one could surmise that the Demon Star was of great importance to them.


    All the still-living Serpent Demons moved with the speed of lightning, all racing back. The ones from the edge of the pit had earlier tried to resist Xiao Buli, but now more Serpent Demons returned in defense, making the giant python''s movements seem somewhat sluggish.


    Yet Xiao Buli, no longer a rookie, had no weak hand when it came to slaying his enemies. Pulling out an Obsidian Crystal Coffin from his pack, he channeled his True Qi into the coffin. The pure white True Qi streamed in and immediately became distinct inside the coffin. As the True Qi traveled, the coffin emitted an unsettling tremble. Eventually, the white light vanished and the coffin in Xiao Buli''s hand darkened, as if it could absorb the surrounding light. With a heavy push of his hand, the coffin fell to the ground. It trembled and in the blink of an eye, it grew as large as a real coffin, two or three meters high, emanating a chilling aura of death and standing tall on the edge of the pit.


    "Open," Xiao Buli shouted.


    With a crack, the lid of the coffin flew open. Clouds of black fluff-like mist emerged non-stop from the coffin, thick and thin, so no one could see clearly what was behind the elusive fog. It seemed to lead into the abyss, and suddenly, a black Corpse Evil with sharp claws like hooks emerged from it. Its figure was initially hazy, then became more concrete. Its fur shined with a dark light, and half its face looked like it was made of twisted tree roots, expressionless and terrifying. The eyes were just black pupils, clearly showing that the Corpse Evil had not a shred of its own consciousness.


    This black Corpse Evil was a type of Zombie, a product of the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. After being activated by True Qi, the coffin would produce one zombie every ten seconds. These zombies followed the orders of the coffin''s owner, and their combat strength was much higher than the Talisman Soldiers Xiao Buli had summoned before. However, since creating the coffin, this was the first opportunity Xiao Buli had to use it. Although unsure of its exact power, the cool appearance alone was impressive enough.

 Chapter 451 - 48 Evil God_2

    However, with a formidable enemy in front of him, Xiao Buli didn''t have the luxury of time to admire or study these zombies. Seeing something emerge from the crystal coffin and knowing it was effective, he didn''t care what type of zombie it was. He took out the Refining Ghost Copper Pot and Giant Spirit Scepter, a combination he had devised to strengthen the three Magical Treasures when he initially crafted them. There was nothing particularly interesting about the zombies themselves.


    Xiao Buli''s True Qi circulated as he cast a Yin Transforming Skill and an Enlarging Technique on the freshly summoned Black Evil. With the addition of these two powerful BUFFs, the Black Evil hadn''t taken more than a couple of steps before its body suddenly swelled, transforming into a three-meter-tall colossus with muscles as hard as steel.


    The cooldown period for the crystal coffin was up at this time. A vortex of dark mist swirled as an Iron Corpse, its body shining with a metallic luster, stepped out from the coffin. It seemed that the type of zombie the crystal coffin produced was random.


    With the three Magical Treasures in hand, Xiao Buli felt greatly assured. He no longer joined the melee but hid behind the crystal coffin instead, casting Mysterious Ice Slash or Sunfire Spellball towards any Serpent Demon that approached the edge of the pit, fending them off temporarily. Then, whenever a zombie emerged, he would throw two BUFFs on it. Fortunately, the crystal coffin emitted an aura of ghostly energy; although the Serpent Demons knew Xiao Buli was behind it, they hesitated to engage, and the zombies fearlessly confronted anything in their path. Completely obedient and unbeknownst to fear, the zombies would even build a mound of corpses if Xiao Buli so desired. Without a word, they jumped into battle with the Serpent Demons. The Iron Corpse, relying on its natural armor, ignored any semblance of technique or strategy. It simply grabbed a Serpent Demon, oblivious to the screeches and scratches it made on its body, and savagely ripped the creature in two¡ªone hand on the head, the other on the tail.


    The Black Evil was not to be outdone; with its razor-sharp claws and teeth, it pierced the heart of the nearest Serpent Demons with ease. With a single pull, it tore the bodies of the Serpent Demons like old cloth.


    In just over a minute, the rim of the large pit had gathered more than a dozen zombies. Flailing their limbs and exercising their strengths, they completely surrounded the pit, preventing the crazed Serpent Demons from advancing a single step.


    Xiao Buli could finally rest easy, knowing that no Serpent Demon would disrupt the Lava Giant Python''s process. He watched these nightmarish killers with satisfaction and observed each zombie''s capabilities, quickly discovering their specialties.


    For instance, the relatively short red Blood Corpses could absorb life through their attacks. Even though they were just over two meters tall after the enhancements, which seemed dwarfed by the towering three-meter-tall zombie behemoths, as the Blood Corpses killed more Serpent Demons, they grew larger. They were now a head taller than the other zombies.


    Then there was a Green-haired Zombie covered in green fur. Its attack strength didn''t seem very high, but it constantly emitted corpse poison from its body, which looked like a fog. This poison differed from that of the Serpent Demons; while both were toxic, the corpse poison was evidently more potent. The Serpent Demons enveloped in this poison could barely struggle at first, but eventually, they lay gasping on the ground, unable to move. The worst part was that this poison didn''t kill them quickly. The Serpent Demons occasionally writhed or twitched, their ferocious faces contorted as if trying to squeeze off their own flesh with their facial muscles, sending a clear warning to other Serpent Demons to keep their distance from the Green-haired Zombie. Those Serpent Demons lying on the ground were like a sign that read, "Stay away, living beings."


    Though the zombies had the upper hand, their attacks were one-on-one, lacking any AOE skills. Xiao Buli watched for a while but soon grew bored. He began to cast Mysterious Ice Slash and Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword towards the densely-packed Serpent People. Meanwhile, the ten zombies took care of any escapees. This formation was like a death sentence for those Serpent Demons being harvested.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t waste my Physical Strength like that. Are you sure that''s all the Serpent Demons there are? What if your True Origin Points run out?" the Heart Demon, seeing that the situation had stabilized, seemed dissatisfied and interjected.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli shouted, his motions growing even faster, as if to prove his point in defiance of the Heart Demon, which seemed to be the nature of his relationship with it. After about ten more minutes of frenzied slaughter, the bodies of the Serpent Demons quickly piled up around the area.


    After another Mysterious Ice Slash, Xiao Buli suddenly felt weakened. His True Origin Force was nearly depleted after the continuous battles. Looking around, the figures of the Serpent Demons were now few and far between, and of the ten zombies, more than half had been visibly damaged. The Black Evil, which was one of the first to appear, looked the most wretched, half of its body seemingly torn to shreds by claws of the Serpent Demons, with pieces of flesh hanging from what should have been its arms. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Long-armed Zombie, having the least defense, had its chest clawed through, and a head with a DEBUFF indicating ongoing damage, clearly suffering from multiple poisonings. However, it seemed the general situation was under control.


    Xiao Buli sat down cross-legged, put away the crystal coffin, Magic Wand, and other Magical Treasures, and began meditating to restore his Vital Energy absentmindedly.

 Chapter 452 - 48 Evil God_3

    But this calm probably only lasted for the duration of an incense stick, Xiao Buli saw several zombies cleaning up the battlefield; they would finish off any serpent demons that were not quite dead yet. Especially in front of the one with the green headgear¡ªmost of the serpent demons were still not dead. A dozen or so grotesque behemoths were all gathered on a patch of land that had been dyed green.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt a piercing roar near his ear and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound. He saw an old-looking serpent demon by the entrance of the cave he had entered before, with its mouth wide open, screeching in agony. Around Xiao Buli, the twenty or so serpent demons, unbeknownst to him, had already come down. They were now crowding around the twenty or so stone statues closest to the entrance of the cave. The enormous roar that Xiao Buli heard was the vibration caused by their simultaneous screaming. For a moment, Xiao Buli was puzzled by the actions of these serpent demons; it didn''t seem as if they were about to desperately attack him. Were they using their voices to warn him?


    But all the serpent demons had been killed, hadn''t they? The idea was ludicrous. Since his True Yuan was severely depleted, Xiao Buli did not rush to get up to slay them but instead sat on the ground and observed the changes. He didn''t believe these sluggish serpent demons could make any difference to the situation on the field.


    Suddenly, the serpent demons all raised their sharp claws and stabbed their own throats simultaneously.


    Mass suicide?? They''ve given up the fight too easily, Xiao Buli pondered in amazement. But the next second, he exclaimed in shock, "No good."


    Xiao Buli suddenly realized the strange actions of these serpent demons greatly resembled a ritual, a sacrificial ritual, and they were the offerings. He quickly commanded the zombies to disrupt the process, but it was already a step too late.


    When the blood of these serpent demons flowed onto the ground beneath the stone statues, a huge magic formation suddenly appeared on the ground, along with the rise of a bloody light screen.


    Xiao Buli suddenly heard a strange voice, it sounded like the peculiar pronunciation of a deaf person speaking. Because deaf people can''t hear their own voice, even if they know how to pronounce words, the sound still feels strange to others'' ears. At this moment, Xiao Buli felt as if he was listening to such a voice.


    He tried hard to discern the information conveyed by the voice.


    "Unforgivable, you have harmed the great children of the Snake God, harmed the great descendants of the Barbarian Wilderness. You shall be cursed by the true god Amara and receive punishment. Extend your hands and prepare to be punished by the Snake God, extend your neck and prepare for the slaughter''s blade. Your flesh and blood shall dye the land and forests red, and your soul shall endure the wrathful punishment of the true god Amara, forever tormented by the fires of hell."


    This lengthy and abstruse speech took quite an effort for Xiao Buli to roughly comprehend, but having played many games, Xiao Buli understood¡ªno matter what the actual meaning was, it meant combat was imminent.


    This realization made Xiao Buli''s heart sink. If it were his heyday, no matter whether he had triggered a dungeon or some other dreadful thing, he was confident to take it on. But now, his True Origin Points were nearly depleted, fewer than half of the dozen zombies were fit to fight, and his most reliable pet was off somewhere in a hole, seemingly not planning to surface any time soon.


    Yet events seemed to be progressing completely against his will. While Xiao Buli was at a loss, the array had already activated. He saw the stone statues in front of the serpent demons suddenly start moving. The stone statues have come to life??


    The first thought in Xiao Buli''s mind was, could these stone statues be alive? From the stone statue guardians and the stone divine dragons he had seen in the Immortal Realm, Xiao Buli inferred this possibility, but upon closer inspection, he was relieved. The mobility of the stone statues didn''t seem to be of their own volition but rather due to the vines below their pedestals. After the activation of the array, the vines had abruptly grown thick, and they were no longer the previous bright green color, gradually turning into a brownish-green.


    If it were just these vines, perhaps Xiao Buli wouldn''t have been too concerned. After all, he had clashed with these vines when he first arrived at this place, and their lethality wasn''t that astounding.


    Having thus reassured himself, Xiao Buli stayed seated, trying to seize every moment to recover his physical strength. Of course, he could have eaten something to recover a bit, but after days of roaming through this primeval forest, Xiao Buli''s food supply was nearly exhausted, and he wasn''t about to eat these eerie serpent demons off the ground, so he decided to sit still and then let the zombies have a go at them first.


    As he planned this, the zombies charged in. Although they were too late to stop the array from being activated, engaging with the vines was still necessary. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The zombies swung their claws, grabbing at the vines, which until then had only been winding around the roughly three-meter-high stone statues. The vines instantly shot up, growing to about ten meters in height. Without exception, the stone statues were pushed off to one side, and the Iron Corpses, initially preparing to strike at the vines, were clueless about the situation and looked up dumbly at the plants that suddenly towered several times higher than themselves.


    Yet the vines, as thick as drum barrels, were clearly different from the ones Xiao Buli had seen before. They lightly bent their branches and nimbly wrapped around one leg of an Iron Corpse, while another wrapped around the zombie''s arm and head. With a tug on both sides, the Iron Corpse immediately turned into a plume of black smoke and vanished in the fine rain.(To be continued. If you like this work, please vote with recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 453 - 48 Evil God

    Sword Control Technique ¡ª Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! With Xiao Buli''s loud shout, the Glowing Light Sword whooshed into the cloud layer. In less than two seconds, it fell back down, but this time, Xiao Buli''s body flashed with bright white lightning. Pointing with his hand, the electric light on Glowing Light''s body streaked across like a bolt of lightning, crackling through the air between him and the cave entrance. Having taken a devastating hit from this move just a moment ago, the Serpent Demons were naturally not foolish. Seeing the lightning heading their way, those who could dodge twisted their bodies to move aside in the first instance, while those who couldn''t evade in the inner circle were blasted into nothingness.


    No sooner had the lightning dissipated than Xiao Buli immediately gave an order to the giant python. Being his pet, the giant python and Xiao Buli had an understanding of each other''s intentions, moving as if they were one. Its reactions were swift; the python chased the tail of the lightning and instantly arrived at the edge of the large pit.


    This action provoked unprecedented resistance from the snake horde. The Serpent Demons let out a piteous scream that was as shrill as if a child had been stripped of their beloved toy, piercing the eardrums of anyone who heard it.


    Immediately following, they converged on the giant python''s path with a speed they had never exhibited before. Claws and venomous Arrows rained down upon the giant python, and some of the crazed Serpent Demons even began to climb onto its body using their sharp claws.


    Unfortunately for them, the Lava Giant Python possessed a Passive Skill called Lesser Dragon Blood. The damage from toxins and acids would be greatly mitigated, a poisonous Arrow striking its body would only cause a few health points to drop at a time. For the Lava Giant Python, which had tens of thousands of health points, this was nothing but an itch. The climbing Serpent Demons didn''t even catch the python''s attention. A twist of its body was enough to fling them to the ground due to the force generated between its scales. But those Serpent Demons, acting insane, immediately leaped back up from the ground, rejoining the fray with even fiercer determination.


    Xiao Buli stood atop the giant python''s head, looking down at the struggling Serpent Demons below as if they were mere ants. A feeling of excitement flashed through his mind; he knew it was the python''s eagerness. He was in communion with the python''s thoughts, and it seemed that the python was very interested in what lay within the pit. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The giant python opened its jaws and let out an excited roar. Its movements became even faster - it was clear that it was very eager to obtain whatever was inside the pit. Xiao Buli suddenly felt that this item might very well be the fallen Demon Star that Jingci had told him about. If he remembered correctly, Jingci had mentioned that within this Barbaric Wilderness lay an ancient Barbarian Ancient Country. A long time ago, a Demon Star had fallen upon this ancient land, and since then, monsters ran rampant, Demon Beasts tyrannized, and the ancient civilization was obliterated. If his bold guess was correct, what lay within this pit could very well be a part of that original Demon Star.


    At this thought, Xiao Buli''s heart began to palpitate with anticipation. He remembered that Jingci had used a Demon Star Fragment to transform Maoqiu so thoroughly that he was unrecognizable - not just in appearance but also in combat prowess. If what he was about to encounter was the main body of the Demon Star itself, wouldn''t the effects be frighteningly significant? This seemed perfectly suitable for his ferocious pet, the Lava Giant Python. With that thought, he leaped down from the python''s head and pointed towards the pit. The giant python hesitated no longer and charged straight in.


    However, the Demon Star''s allure was obviously not lost on him alone. Before his arrival, these Serpent Demons clearly had been companions of the Demon Star for a long time. Although it was unclear whether they had always behaved this way, it was conceivable that the Demon Star was very important to them.


    Those Serpent Demons that were still alive moved with lightning speed, all hurrying back. Just now, only the Serpent Demons around the edge of the pit had tried to resist Xiao Buli. Now, even more returned to the defense, making the giant python''s movements appear somewhat sluggish.


    But Xiao Buli was no longer a newcomer. The means by which he dispatched foes were far from weak. He pulled out an Obsidian Crystal Coffin from his pack and, utilizing True Qi, infused it into the coffin. The pure white True Qi became clearly visible as soon as it entered, winding through the crystal coffin until it emitted a disturbed vibration. The white light disappeared, and the Obsidian Crystal Coffin in Xiao Buli''s hands grew darker as if it could absorb the light around it. With a push of his hand, the crystal coffin landed with a thud on the ground. Under its trembling, it swelled like a real coffin to a height of two or three meters and emitted a sinister aura of death, towering on the edge of the pit.


    "Open," Xiao Buli shouted.


    There was a click, and the lid of the coffin sprang open. Thick black wisps of fog emerged continuously from within the crystal coffin. The black fog, both dense and faint, made it impossible to see what lay behind the elusive mist. It was as dark as the gateway to hell. Suddenly, a black Corpse Evil with sharp claws like hooks and a body as dark as night emerged from the darkness. First hazy, its figure then became clearer, its fur shimmering with a dark sheen. Half its face appeared to be made of gnarled tree roots, simultaneously wooden and horrifying. Where its eyes should be were black pupils that clearly showed no signs of free will or consciousness.


    This black Corpse Evil was a type of Zombie, a product of the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. Once activated by True Qi, the Obsidian Crystal Coffin would produce a Zombie every ten seconds, which could be commanded by the owner of the coffin. Their combat strength was at least one and a half times stronger than the Talisman Soldiers Xiao Buli had summoned before. Although it was the first time Xiao Buli had the chance to use the coffin since its creation, he was unsure of its exact power. However, just by looking at its cool appearance, he was impressed.

 Chapter 454 - 48 Evil God_2

    However, with a formidable enemy before him, Xiao Buli had no time to appreciate and study these zombies. Seeing that something had emerged from the crystal coffin, he knew his efforts had taken effect. Without bothering to check what kind of zombie had come out, he took out the Refining Ghost Copper Pot and the Giant Spirit Scepter, a powerful combination he had thought of when he originally crafted these three Magical Treasures. Zombies alone weren''t anything remarkable.


    Xiao Buli''s True Qi circulated, and he immediately cast the Yin Transforming Skill and the Enlarging Technique on the freshly conjured Black Evil. Bolstered by the two powerful buffs, the Black Evil had only taken a few steps when its body suddenly swelled, transforming into a three-meter-tall black colossus with muscles as hard as steel.


    At that moment, however, the cooldown for the crystal coffin had ended. Swirls of black mist spiraled as an Iron Corpse, its body gleaming with a metallic luster, walked out of the sarcophagus., indicating the zombie types generated by the crystal coffin were random.


    Xiao Buli, now secure with his three Magical Treasures, no longer engaged in direct combat. He hid behind the crystal coffin, launching a Mysterious Ice Slash or a Sunfire Spellball at any Serpent Demon that approached the edge of the pit, fending them off for the time being. Then, as soon as another zombie emerged, he cast the two buffs on it. Fortunately, the crystal coffin emitted an aura of ghostly energy. Even though the Serpent Demons knew Xiao Buli was hiding behind it, they couldn''t make up their minds to attack. The zombies, fearless in the face of death, took shape and cared not whom they faced. As long as Xiao Buli willed it, they would pile their corpses into a mound, so they wasted no words and went straight for the Serpent Demons. The Iron Corpse, relying on its natural defense, completely disregarded any fighting techniques or tactics. It grasped a Serpent Demon, totally ignoring the desperate scratches they made on its body, and with one hand on the head and another on the tail, tore the creature in half with sheer brute force.


    The Black Evil, not to be outdone, took advantage of its blade-sharp claws and teeth. It sliced through two nearby Serpent Demons with chilling efficiency and ripped apart the body as if it were a torn piece of cloth.


    In a little over a minute, more than a dozen zombies had gathered in front of the pit. Spreading out and exercising their unique abilities, they completely encircled the pit, preventing the frenzied Serpent Demons from advancing a single step.


    Xiao Buli, no longer concerned about Serpent Demons disrupting the Lava Giant Python''s process, observed these nightmarish killers with pride. He took note of each zombie''s capabilities and quickly discerned their diverse specializations.


    For instance, the relatively short red Blood Corpse could absorb life through its attacks. Even though it initially appeared small after enhancement, barely two meters tall, hardly reaching the heads of those towering three-meter-tall zombies, as it killed more and more Serpent Demons, its stature continued to grow, now towering above the other zombies.


    Then there was a green-haired poison zombie. Its attack power seemed not too high, but its body constantly spewed green corpse poison. Unlike the fog-like corpse poison, the Serpent Demon''s venom was different. Although both were poisonous, the corpse poison clearly had a stronger attack. The Serpent Demons enveloped in this poison initially struggled to rise, but soon their upper bodies slumped to the ground, gasping. The worst part was this poison didn''t seem to kill them quickly, and they occasionally twitched or jerked on the ground. Their once ferocious faces were now contorted as if trying to squeeze the flesh off with their facial muscles, a sight that deterred other Serpent Demons from approaching the green-haired zombie. Those lying on the ground almost advertised for it: "Keep away if you value your life."


    Although the zombies were prevailing, each attack was one-on-one, and they lacked any AOE skills. Xiao Buli got bored after watching for a while, so he launched a Mysterious Ice Slash and Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword at clusters of Serpent People, while the ten zombies handled the ones that slipped through. Once this formation was established, it was a harvesting fate for the Serpent People.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t waste Physical Strength like this. Are you sure there are only these many Serpent People? What if your True Origin Points run out? Besides, the zombies are there to kill the creatures for you, what''s the hurry?" the Heart Demon, seeing the situation stabilized, seemed dissatisfied and popped in to make a comment. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli shouted, moving even more rapidly as if to defy the Heart Demon. It seemed their interactions always involved opposition. After about ten more minutes of furious slaughter, the corpses of the Serpent People quickly piled into hills around him.


    After releasing another Mysterious Ice Slash, Xiao Buli suddenly felt weakened, his True Origin Force nearly depleted after the continuous battle. Looking around, the figures of the Serpent People were few and far between, while ten of the zombies, although mostly wounded, had managed to hold on. The Black Evil, one of the first to appear, looked the most wretched, its body as if half-rotten from the Serpent People''s claws, shreds of flesh hanging from what should have been arms.


    The Long-armed Zombie, the least defensively equipped, had its chest clawed open, its head bearing a continuing blood-depletion DEBUFF, also taking its share of poison. Nevertheless, the overall situation seemed well in hand.


    Xiao Buli sat down cross-legged, tucked away the crystal coffin, Magic Wand, and other magical treasures, and began meditating to recover his Vital Energy, heedless of his surroundings.

 Chapter 455 - 48 Evil God_3

    But this calm probably lasted only for the duration of an incense stick, Xiao Buli saw a few zombies cleaning up the battlefield, giving the still struggling serpent demons a final blow, particularly in front of the green-hooded creatures. Most of the serpent demons had not yet expired, with a dozen or so grotesque behemoths gathered on the land stained green.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt a harsh hissing sound ringing in his ears. Without thinking, he looked towards the source of the sound and saw an older-looking serpent demon with its mouth wide open, hissing and screaming at the entrance of the cavern he had entered before. Meanwhile, around Xiao Buli, the twenty or so serpent demons that had been in the cave without him noticing had now descended and were now converging around the couple dozen stone statues closest to the cave entrance. The massive hissing sound that Xiao Buli heard was the result of their combined screams, leaving Xiao Buli momentarily puzzled. Judging by the actions of these serpent demons, it didn''t seem like they intended to fight to the death. Could it be that they were using their voices to warn him?


    However, at a time when all the serpent demons had been killed? It was too laughable. Because his True Yuan was so low, Xiao Buli didn''t rush to get up and slay them. Instead, he sat on the ground, watching for changes, not believing that these sluggish serpent demons could change the outcome of the battle.


    Suddenly, the serpent demons raised their sharp claws and plunged them into their own throats.


    A mass suicide? How could they lack so much fighting spirit? Xiao Buli wondered in his heart. But the next second, he shouted in alarm, "Not good."


    Xiao Buli suddenly realized that the bizarre actions of these serpent demons were all too reminiscent of a ritual, a sacrificial ritual, and they themselves were the offerings. He quickly directed the zombies to disrupt the ritual, but it was already one step too late.


    As the blood from these serpent demons flowed onto the ground beneath the statues, a huge magic formation suddenly appeared on the ground, followed by a rising blood-red light curtain. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli suddenly heard a strange voice in his ears, which sounded somewhat like a deaf person speaking, that odd pronunciation. Because a deaf person cannot hear their own voice, even if they know how to pronounce words, the output sounds weird to others'' ears. At this moment, Xiao Buli felt as if he was hearing such a voice.


    He struggled to discern the message being conveyed by the voice.


    "Unforgivable, you have harmed the great children of the Snake God, harmed the descendants of the Barbarian Wilderness. You will be cursed by the true god Amara and receive punishment. Stretch out your hands, prepare to receive the Snake God''s punishment, stretch out your neck, get ready for the slaughtering blade. Your flesh and blood will stain the land and forests red, and your soul will undergo the wrathful punishment of the true god Amara, perpetually feeling the agony of hellfire."


    That lengthy and obscure speech took quite a bit of effort for Xiao Buli to understand somewhat. However, having played many games, Xiao Buli figured that regardless of what the speech was saying, the outcome would be a fight.


    This realization sent Xiao Buli''s spirits crashing to the bottom. If it had been his heyday, no matter whether he had triggered an instance or something else entirely, he would have had the confidence to give it his all. But now, looking at himself, with only a few True Origin Points remaining, less than half of his zombies were capable of real combat, and his most reliable pet was still missing, apparently not planning to reemerge anytime soon.


    But events seemed to be at odds with his will. While Xiao Buli was at a loss, the array had already activated. The statues in front of the serpent demons moved¡ªwere the statues alive?


    The first thought in Xiao Buli''s mind was, could these statues be alive? Based on the stone statue guards and the stone Divine Dragon from the Immortal Realm, it was not difficult for Xiao Buli to make this guess. But upon closer inspection, Xiao Buli''s heart sank. The statues seemed to be moving not of their own volition but due to the vines beneath their pedestals. With the activation of the array, the vines suddenly thickened, their color changing from the earlier verdant green to a dark greenish-brown.


    If it were just the vines, Xiao Buli might not need to worry too much; after all, he had clashed with these vines upon arriving at this place, and their lethality was not that frightening.


    Having reassured himself, Xiao Buli didn''t get up but continued to sit in meditation, hoping to seize every moment to recover his strength. Of course, he could eat something to recover, but having trekked through the primitive forest for days on end, Xiao Buli''s food supply was nearly exhausted, and he had no intention of eating the uncanny serpent demons. So he decided to keep sitting still and let the zombies go up to deal with the situation first.


    While he was planning this, the zombies had already charged forward. Although they had failed to prevent the activation of the array, fighting with the vines was still necessary.


    The zombies swung their claws at the vines. The vines, which had previously just been wrapped around the approximately three-meter-tall statues, suddenly grew explosively, shooting up to about ten meters in height. The statues were pushed aside without exception, and the Iron Corpses, which had been about to attack, clearly didn''t realize what was happening and looked up stupidly at the plants now towering several times their height.


    However, the vines, thick as barrels, were clearly different from the ones Xiao Buli had seen before. The vines bent their branches lightly and nimbly wrapped around the leg of an Iron Corpse, another vine looping around its arm and head. With a tug from both sides, the Iron Corpse instantly turned into a puff of black smoke, vanishing into the fine rain that filled the air.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 456 - 48 Evil God

    Sword Control Technique ¡ª Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! With Xiao Buli shouting loudly, the Glowing Light Sword whizzed into the clouds, and in less than two seconds, it fell back down, only this time the body of the Glowing Light was flashing with bright white lightning. Xiao Buli pointed his finger, and the electricity on the Glowing Light''s body streaked across like a bolt of lightning, with a crack, bisecting the space between him and the cave entrance. Having suffered a great loss from this move just before, these Serpent Demons were naturally not foolish; seeing the lightning slashing towards them, those who could dodge twisted their bodies and swam away to the side immediately, while those in the inner circle who couldn''t dodge in time were blasted to bits without a trace remaining.


    No sooner had the lightning struck than Xiao Buli immediately gave an order to the Giant Python. Since it was a pet, the Giant Python and Xiao Buli had a shared understanding at this moment, moving as if they were one being, with swift reactions. Almost chasing the tail of the lightning, the python instantly reached the edge of the large pit.


    This provoked an unprecedented resistance from the group of snakes. The cries of the Serpent Demons were piercing, sounding as if children who had their beloved toys snatched away were howling their first cries, a sound that painfully stung the ears.


    Then, with a speed they had never shown before, they clustered in the path of the advancing Giant Python. Sharp claws and poison Arrows rained down on the body of the Giant Python, and some frenzied Serpent Demons even began to climb onto the body of the Giant Python using their sharp claws.


    Unfortunately for them, the Lava Giant Python possessed the Passive Skill Lesser Dragon Blood, which negated much of the damage from toxins and acid. A poison arrow hitting it would cause only a trickle of health points to drop, and for the Lava Giant Python, which possessed tens of thousands of health points, it was like a mere tickle. The climbing Serpent Demons were not even regarded by the Giant Python; with a twist of its body, the power generated between its scales when it moved was enough to toss them onto the ground. Yet, these Serpent Demons were madly persistent, bouncing back up after falling and rejoining the more ferocious battle. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli stood on the head of the Giant Python, looking down at the struggling Serpent Demons below as if watching ants, feeling a surge of excitement in his own mind. He knew this was the Giant Python''s sensation; he was now in sync with the Giant Python, and it seemed the Giant Python was very interested in the object inside the pit.


    The Giant Python opened its mouth wide and let out an excited hiss, and its movements below became even faster. It was clear that whatever was in the pit was something it very much desired. Suddenly, Xiao Buli had a hunch that this object might be the Demon Star that Jingci had once mentioned to him in a story. If he remembered correctly, Jingci had told him that within the Barbaric Wastelands there was a Barbarian Ancient Country. Long ago, a Demon Star had fallen upon this ancient land, resulting in the land being overrun by monsters and Demon Beasts, with the culture of the ancient country utterly annihilated. If his bold guess was not wrong, it was very likely that this pit contained a fragment of that very Demon Star.


    With this thought, Xiao Buli''s heart couldn''t help but beat faster. He remembered that Jingci had used a Demon Star Fragment to transform Maoqiu to the point that he was unrecognizable, with both its appearance and combat strength having undergone a qualitative mutation. If what he was about to approach was indeed the main body of the Demon Star, wouldn''t the effects be frighteningly significant? Indeed, it would be the perfect treat for his ferocious pet, the Lava Giant Python. With that thought, he leaped down from the top of the Giant Python and pointed towards the pit. Without hesitation, the Giant Python charged straight in.


    However, he clearly wasn''t the only one coveting the Demon Star. Before his arrival, these Serpent Demons had evidently been accompanying the Demon Star for a long time. Although he didn''t know if they were always like this, it was conceivable that the Demon Star was very important to them.


    The surviving Serpent Demons, quick as lightning, all rushed back furiously. A moment ago, it had been just the Serpent Demons around the edge of the pit attempting to resist Xiao Buli; now, even more Serpent Demons returned to defend, making the Giant Python''s actions seem somewhat sluggish.


    However, by now, Xiao Buli was no longer a novice, and his means of killing enemies were not weak. He pulled out an Obsidian Crystal Coffin from his bag and, utilizing True Qi, infused it into the coffin. The pure white True Qi, once injected, became clear inside the coffin; as the True Qi circulated, the coffin emitted an uneasy vibration. Eventually, the white light vanished, and the Obsidian Crystal Coffin in Xiao Buli''s hands turned even darker, as if absorbing light from its surroundings. With a push, the coffin fell to the ground, and with a ripple, it expanded to the size of a real sarcophagus, two to three meters high, radiating an eerie aura of death as it stood at the edge of the pit.


    "Open," Xiao Buli shouted.


    With a crack, the lid of the sarcophagus sprung open, and from inside the coffin, black, cotton-like mist continuously emerged. The black mist was dense yet faint, obscuring whatever lay behind the elusive fog, dark as if leading to hell. Suddenly, out of this blackness, a Corpse Evil with a pitch-black body and sharp claws like hooks walked out. Its form was at first hazy, then gradually solidified, its fur shimmering with a dark glow. One side of its face looked as if made from intertwined roots, expressionless yet terrifying, with black pupils in place of eyes, clearly lacking any semblance of self-awareness.


    This black Corpse Evil was one kind of Zombie, also a product of the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. Once activated by True Qi, the coffin would produce a Zombie every ten seconds. These Zombies, under the command of the owner of the coffin, possessed combat prowess far exceeding the Talisman Soldiers Xiao Buli had previously Summoned. Although he hadn''t had a chance to use the coffin and was unsure of its exact power, just the appearance alone was cool enough.

 Chapter 457 - 48 Evil God_2

    However, with a formidable enemy right in front of him, Xiao Buli had no time to admire or study these zombies. Seeing something emerge from the crystal coffin, he knew his efforts had paid off. Without caring what kind of zombie it was, he took out the Refining Ghost Copper Pot and the Giant Spirit Scepter. These were the enhancement combination he had in mind when originally crafting these three Magical Treasures. What aspects of zombies could be worth noting?


    Xiao Buli channeled his True Qi, casting a Yin Transforming Skill and an Enlarging Technique on the freshly spawned Black Evil. Affected by the two powerful buffs, the Black Evil had barely taken a few steps before its body swelled dramatically, transforming into a three-meter-tall black colossus with muscles as hard as steel.


    By this time, however, the cooldown period for the crystal coffin had elapsed. Black fog swirled, and a metallic glowing Iron Corpse walked out from the casket, suggesting that the types of zombies produced by the crystal coffin were random.


    With these three Magical Treasures in hand, Xiao Buli felt fully assured. No longer engaging in melee combat, he hid behind the crystal coffin. If he saw a Serpent Demon approaching the edge of the large pit, he would send a Mysterious Ice Slash or a Sunfire Spellball their way to temporarily drive them back. Then, upon seeing a zombie emerge, he would cast two buffs on it. Thankfully, the crystal coffin emitted a ghostly aura. Although the Serpent Demons were aware of Xiao Buli''s presence behind it, they hesitated to commit to an assault. The zombies, fearless of death, immediately set upon shaping up¡ªoblivious to whom they faced, they would build a small mountain of corpses if Xiao Buli willed it. Without exchange of words, they directly lunged at the Serpent Demons. The Iron Corpse, with its innate defense, utterly disregarded any specific martial tactics. Grabbing a Serpent Demon, it completely ignored the shrieks and scratches on its body, tearing off a head in one hand and a tail in the other, brutally ripping the Serpent Demon in half.


    The Black Corpse Evil, not to be outdone, leveraged its razor-sharp claws to coolly dispatch the two nearest Serpent Demons, casually ripping the body of a Serpent Demon apart as though tearing through a piece of tattered cloth. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In just over a minute, the area in front of the large pit had assembled over a dozen zombies, each displaying their respective strengths, effectively encircling the pit. Although the Serpent Demons were rampant, they could not take one step closer.


    Now that he didn''t have to worry about Serpent Demons disturbing the Lava Giant Python''s process in the pit, Xiao Buli observed his nightmarish assassins with satisfaction, carefully assessing each zombie''s abilities, quickly noting their distinct specialties.


    For example, the relatively short red Blood Corpses could absorb life through their attacks. Even though its stature was only about two meters tall after the buffs, and no match for the three-meter-tall behemoths, as it continued to slay Serpent Demons, its stature began to increase progressively, and it now stood a head taller than the other zombies.


    Then there was a green-haired Poison Zombie. Its attack power didn''t seem very high, but it continually spat green corpse poison from its body, a sort of misty toxin that was different from the Serpent Demons'' snake venom. Although both were poisonous, the corpse poison was evidently more potent. Serpent Demons enveloped in this poison initially struggled to stand, but slowly their torso fell and gasped for life on the ground. The most infuriating thing was that this poison didn''t seem capable of quickly killing them. The struggling Serpent Demons on the ground occasionally jerked or twitched, their once fierce faces contorted as if trying to press their muscles through their skin, deterring other Serpent Demons from coming close to the green-haired zombie. Those lying on the ground served as a warning to keep the living away.


    Although the zombies had the upper hand, their attacks were one-on-one, and they lacked AOE skills. Xiao Buli grew tired of watching after a while, so he began to cast Mysterious Ice Slash and Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword towards clusters of Serpent People, while the ten zombies handled the stragglers. Once this formation was established, it spelled a harvesting fate for the Serpent Demons.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t waste my Physical Strength like this. Are you certain there are only these many Serpent Demons? What if your True Origin Points run out? Besides, you''ve got zombies to kill the monsters for you, why the hurry?" the Heart Demon, seeing the situation stabilizing, seemingly unsatisfied, chimed in.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli shouted, his movements becoming even faster, as though opposing the Heart Demon was his usual way of dealing with it. After about ten more minutes of relentless slaughter, the corpses of Serpent Demons quickly piled into hills around him.


    Another Mysterious Ice Slash was unleashed, and Xiao Buli suddenly felt weakened. His inner True Origin Force was nearly exhausted after the continuous bitter fighting. Looking around, he saw that only a few Serpent Demons remained, and although the majority of the ten zombies were injured, the early-appeared Black Evil looked particularly wretched, with half of its body as if clawed into a mush by Serpent Demon talons, tattered flesh hanging where its arm should have been.


    The Long-armed Zombie, with the lowest defense, had its chest clawed through to transparency, and with a DEBUFF reducing its blood displayed above its head, it clearly hadn''t escaped poisoning either. But overall, the situation seemed under control.


    Xiao Buli sat cross-legged on the ground, tucked away the crystal coffin, the Magic Wand, and other Magical Treasures, and began meditating to recover his Vital Energy.

 Chapter 458 - 48 Evil God_3

    Yet this peace lasted only for the duration of an incense stick burning; Xiao Buli saw several zombies cleaning up the battlefield, approaching a still alive Serpent Demon to deliver a blow, particularly around the front of the green-capped monster. Most of the Serpent Demons hadn''t yet breathed their last, and about a dozen grotesque behemoths were gathering on a patch of land that had been dyed green.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli sensed a piercing roar next to his ears. Instinctively looking toward the source of the sound, he saw an older-looking Serpent Demon at the cave entrance he had entered earlier, its mouth wide open, screeching in agony. Around Xiao Buli, the twenty or so Serpent Demons that had just been at the battlefield had unexpectedly descended, and were now gathering beside the twenty-some stone statues closest to the cave entrance on the side of the road. The massive roar that Xiao Buli heard was the vibration caused by their simultaneous shrieking. For a moment, Xiao Buli was perplexed; observing these Serpent Demons'' actions, they didn''t seem to be desperately attacking. Were they using their voices to warn him?


    But with all the Serpent Demons killed, wasn''t that laughable? Since his True Yuan points were so low, Xiao Buli didn''t rush to get up and slaughter them. Instead, he sat on the ground, quietly observing the changes, disbelieving that these sluggish Serpent Demons could alter the situation on the field.


    Suddenly, the Serpent Demons all simultaneously raised their sharp claws and plunged them into their own throats.


    Mass suicide?? Not much fighting spirit, Xiao Buli pondered in confusion. But the next second, he suddenly exclaimed, "Not good."


    Xiao Buli quickly understood that the strange behavior of these Serpent Demons was too much like a ritual, a sacrificial ritual, and they themselves were the offerings. In his consciousness, he hastily ordered the zombies to disrupt the ritual, but it was still a step too late.


    As the blood of the Serpent Demons flowed onto the ground beneath the stone statues, a huge Magic Formation appeared on the ground, along with a bloody light barrier rising up. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An eerie voice suddenly reached Xiao Buli''s ears, the voice resembling the odd pronunciation of a deaf person. Because the deaf cannot hear their own speech, even though they know how to pronounce sounds, their articulation still sounds bizarre to others. At this moment, Xiao Buli felt as though he was listening to such a voice.


    He strained to discern the message spoken by the voice.


    "Unforgivable, you have harmed the great offspring of the Snake God, the descendants of the Barbarian Wilderness. You shall bear the curse of the true god Amara and receive punishment. Extend your hands, prepare to receive the Snake God''s punishment, bare your neck, get ready for the slaughtering blade. Your flesh and blood shall dye the land and forests red, and your soul shall suffer the punishment of Amara''s wrath, enduring the agony of hellfire day and night."


    The message was lengthy and obscure, and Xiao Buli expended great effort to grasp the gist of it. However, having played many games, Xiao Buli understood that no matter the content of the message, it inevitably meant a battle was coming.


    This realization took Xiao Buli''s spirits to rock bottom. If this were his heyday, regardless of whether he had triggered a dungeon or some ghostly encounter, he would have been confident in battling it out. But now, looking at his current state, with his True Yuan points nearly depleted, less than half of the dozen zombies capable of real combat remained, and his most reliable pet was doing who knows what in some pit and didn''t seem to intend on coming up any time soon.


    Yet events unfolded contrary to his wishes. As Xiao Buli was at a loss, the Array activated, and the stone statues in front of the Serpent Demons suddenly began to move. The stone statues came to life??


    The first thought in Xiao Buli''s heart was, could these stone statues be alive? Having seen the stone statue guardians and stone Divine Dragons in the Immortal Realm, Xiao Buli could make this conjecture. But on closer examination, Xiao Buli''s heart sank. The reason the stone statues were moving didn''t seem to be of their own volition but rather due to the vines at their bases that, following the activation of the Array, suddenly became thicker and no longer bore their previous emerald color but gradually turned a brownish-green.


    If it were just these vines, perhaps Xiao Buli wouldn''t need to worry too much¡ªafter all, he had clashed with these vines when he first arrived at this place, and they were not that lethal.


    Now having some idea about the situation, Xiao Buli didn''t rise. He remained seated on the ground, seizing every moment to recover Physical Strength; of course, he could also eat something to recover, but after days of travel through this primeval forest, Xiao Buli''s food supply had almost run out. Besides, he didn''t plan on eating the eerie Serpent Demons from the ground, so he decided to sit still and let the zombies confront them first.


    While he planned this, the zombies had already charged forward. Although they couldn''t stop the Array from activating, grappling with these vines was still essential.


    Swinging their claws, the zombies reached out to grab the vines that were originally twined around the roughly three-meter high stone statues. The vines suddenly surged, growing to about ten meters in height. The stone statues, without exception, were lifted to the side, and the Iron Corpses that had been preparing to strike at the vines did not seem to understand what was happening. They looked up dumbfoundedly at the plants which had suddenly become several times taller than themselves.


    But those vines, thick as iron buckets, were evidently very different from what Xiao Buli had seen before. With a light bend of their branches, they deftly wrapped around one leg of an Iron Corpse, another coiling around its arm and head. A tug from both sides and the Iron Corpse instantly turned into a puff of black smoke, disappearing into the misty rain. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 459 - 48 Evil God

    Sword Control Technique¡ªNine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! With Xiao Buli''s loud shout, the Glowing Light Sword whizzed into the clouds, and in less than two seconds, it fell back down. This time, however, Glowing Light''s body was flashing with a bright white thunderous light. Xiao Buli pointed his hand, and the electric light on Glowing Light''s body struck like a bolt of lightning, cracking across the space between him and the cave entrance. Having already suffered from this move, the Serpent Demons were not foolish. Seeing the lightning slashing towards them, those who could dodge twisted their bodies and slithered aside. The ones too close within the inner circle were obliterated to nothingness.


    No sooner had the lightning fallen than Xiao Buli immediately commanded the Lava Giant Python. As his pet, the Lava Giant Python shared a spiritual bond with Xiao Buli. Their movements were as synchronized as if they were one person. Almost chasing the tail of the lightning, the Lava Giant Python swiftly reached the edge of the large pit.


    But this action provoked an unprecedented resistance from the horde of snakes. A sorrowful scream came from the Serpent Demons, a haunting cry like that of children being deprived of their beloved toys, piercing painfully through the eardrums.


    Then, with speed they had never shown before, they gathered in the path of the advancing Lava Giant Python. Claws and poison Arrows rained down on the Lava Giant Python. Some crazed Serpent Demons even used their sharp claws to start climbing onto the python''s body.


    However, regrettably for them, the Lava Giant Python had the Passive Skill of Lesser Dragon Blood, which neutralized most of the damage from poisons and acid. A poison arrow hitting it merely made a few health points drop ¨C barely a tickle to a creature with tens of thousands of health points. The climbing Serpent Demons were disregarded by the Lava Giant Python. A mere twist of its body was enough to fling them to the ground. But those Serpent Demons, maddened, leapt right back up from the ground and re-entered the fray even more fiercely.


    Xiao Buli stood atop the Lava Giant Python''s head, watching the struggling Serpent Demons below as if they were mere ants. A surge of excitement flashed in his mind; he knew this was the Python''s feelings. Their minds were in harmony. It seemed the Python was also extremely interested in whatever lay at the bottom of the pit.


    The Lava Giant Python opened its gaping maw and let out an excited roar. Its movements quickened below him; clearly, whatever was at the bottom of the pit was something it greatly desired. Xiao Buli suddenly felt that the object could very possibly be the Demon Star mentioned in Jingci''s story. If he remembered correctly, Jingci had told him that within the Barbaric Wastelands there was an ancient country. Long ago, a Demon Star had fallen upon this ancient land, and ever since, monsters had roamed and Demon Beasts had wreaked havoc, leading to the extinction of the ancient civilization. If his bold guess was not wrong, then what lay at the bottom of this pit could very well be a piece of that very Demon Star. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this thought, Xiao Buli''s heart throbbed with excitement. He still remembered how, with just a Demon Star Fragment, Jingci had transformed Maoqiu to the point he was unrecognizable ¨C both in appearance and combat power had undergone a metamorphosis. If what he was approaching was the core of the Demon Star, wouldn''t the effect be frighteningly powerful? It was exactly suited for the fierce Lava Giant Python to enjoy. With this in mind, he leapt down from the python''s head and pointed towards the pit. Without hesitation, the Lava Giant Python charged in.


    However, it was clear he wasn''t the only one coveting the Demon Star. Before he had arrived, these Serpent Demons seemingly had been accompanying the Demon Star for quite a while. Although he didn''t know if they had always behaved like this, it was imaginable that the Demon Star was very important to them.


    The still-living Serpent Demons reacted with lightning speed, all rushing back frantically. Just moments ago, only those near the pit attempted to resist Xiao Buli, but now, many more returned to defend, causing the Lava Giant Python''s movements to seem somewhat sluggish.


    However, Xiao Buli was no longer a novice. His methods of slaying enemies were far from weak. He pulled out an Obsidian Crystal Coffin from his bag and channeled True Qi into it. The pure white True Qi entered the coffin and immediately became visible within. As the Qi coursed through, the crystal coffin emitted an uneasy tremble. Eventually, the white glow faded, and the Obsidian Crystal Coffin turned even darker in Xiao Buli''s hands, as if it could absorb the surrounding light. Xiao Buli pushed forcefully, and the coffin landed on the ground, quivering. In the blink of an eye, it grew as large as an actual coffin, two to three meters high, emanating a chilling aura of death and looming over the edge of the large pit.


    "Open," Xiao Buli bellowed.


    With a clack, the coffin lid burst open. Black, fluffy mist gushed continuously from the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. The dark mist was thick yet faint to the point where one couldn''t make out what lay behind the elusive fog. Dark as if leading to hell, suddenly, a Corpse Evil with a body shrouded in darkness and claws as sharp as hooks emerged from within. Its shape was first blurry, then gradually solidified. Dark hair glistened on its body, and half its face appeared to be made of gnarled tree roots ¨C stiff and terrifying. Where its eyes should be, there was only blackness, clearly devoid of any consciousness.


    This dark Corpse Evil was a type of Zombie, a product of the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. Once activated by True Qi, every ten seconds it would produce a Zombie. The zombies, following the orders of the coffin''s master, were much more powerful than the Talisman Soldiers Xiao Buli had previously Summoned ¨C not just by one or one and a half levels. Since refining the coffin, it was Xiao Buli''s first chance to use it, and though he was unsure of its true power, just the sight of it was cool enough.

 Chapter 460 - 48 Evil God_2

    However, with such powerful enemies before him, Xiao Buli certainly had no time to admire or study these zombies. Upon seeing something emerge from the crystal coffin, he knew it had taken effect. Regardless of the type of zombie that appeared, he took out the Refining Ghost Copper Pot and the Giant Spirit Scepter¡ªthese were parts of an enhancement combination he had considered when he initially crafted these three Magical Treasures. The sight of zombies alone wasn''t very impressive.


    Xiao Buli''s True Qi flowed; he cast Yin Transforming Skills and the Enlarging Technique on the freshly spawned Black Evil. With the boost of two powerful BUFFs, the Black Evil hadn''t taken two steps before its body suddenly swelled, transforming into a three-meter-tall black Vajra, its muscles as hard as steel.


    By then, the cooldown period for the crystal coffin had elapsed. A swirl of black mist formed, and an Iron Corpse, its body glinting with a metallic sheen, stepped out from the coffin. It seemed the type of zombie produced by the crystal coffin was random.


    With these three Magical Treasures in hand, Xiao Buli was greatly reassured. He no longer needed to engage in close combat; instead, he hid behind the crystal coffin, sending a Mysterious Ice Slash or a Sunfire Spellball towards any Serpent Demon that approached the edge of the pit, temporarily driving them back. Then, whenever a new zombie emerged, he cast two BUFFs on it. Thanks to the ghostly aura emanating from the crystal coffin, even though the Serpent Demons knew Xiao Buli was right behind it, they hesitated to engage him decisively. Meanwhile, the zombies, fearless in the face of death, would comply without question once they were animated. Xiao Buli could command them to pile up their bodies into a small hill if he wished, so they didn''t waste time with words. They charged straight at the Serpent Demons, the Iron Corpse, relying on its innate defenses and completely disregarding any combat strategies, seized a Serpent Demon. Ignoring the screams and scratches it made on its body, it tore off the head with one hand and the tail with another, splitting the Serpent Demon in two with brute force.


    The Black Evil did not dare to show any weakness either. With claws as sharp as knives, it cooled the hearts of the two closest Serpent Demons. With a swift pull, it tore their bodies in half as if they were pieces of tattered cloth.


    In a little over a minute, more than a dozen zombies had gathered in front of the large pit. Each using their unique abilities and flailing their forms, they completely surrounded the pit, preventing the frenzied Serpent Demons from taking even a half-step closer. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli, temporarily relieved of the need to worry about Serpent Demons disturbing the Lava Giant Python''s process, watched proudly as his nightmarish assassins operated. He carefully observed each zombie''s capabilities and soon noticed that each excelled in various areas.


    For example, the relatively small red Blood Corpses could absorb life through their attacks. Even though they were similarly enhanced, their two-meter frames were no match for the towering three-meter giants at first. But as they killed more and more Serpent Demons, they too grew in size, eventually towering over the other zombies.


    Another was a Green-haired Zombie, covered in green fur. Its attack power didn''t seem very high, yet it continuously emitted green corpse poison from its body. Unlike the Serpent Demons'' venom, this fog-like poison was evidently more potent. Serpent Demons caught in its mist could at first struggle to rise weakly but eventually lay gasping on the ground. The most vexing part was that the poison didn''t kill them quickly. The Serpent Demons occasionally twitched or convulsed, their already fierce faces contorted as if trying to squeeze off their own flesh with the muscles of their faces. This sight deterred other Serpent Demons from getting close to the Green-haired Zombie, as if the ones lying on the ground were advertising "Keep out, mortals."


    Although the zombies had the advantage, their attacks were one-on-one without any AOE skills. After watching for a while, Xiao Buli grew bored and began blasting concentrated groups of Serpent People with Mysterious Ice Slash and Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword; the ten zombies were left to handle the strays. This formation, once established, spelled a harvesting fate for those Serpent Demons.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t waste my Physical Strength like this. Are you sure there are only these many Serpent Demons? What if you run out of True Origin Points? Besides, you have zombies to kill them for you, so why the rush?" The Heart Demon couldn''t stand to see the situation stabilizing and chimed in with some provocation.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli shouted, his movements quickening as if opposing the Heart Demon was his way of dealing with it. After about ten minutes of frenzied slaughter, the bodies of the Serpent Demons quickly piled up into mounds.


    Just as another Mysterious Ice Slash was unleashed, Xiao Buli suddenly felt weakened. His True Origin Force was nearly depleted after the relentless battle. Glancing across the field, he saw only a few Serpent Demons remained, while most of the ten zombies were injured, the earliest to appear Black Evil the worst off. It seemed half of its body was gruesomely torn by Serpent Demons'' claws, with bits of flesh hanging where its arm should have been.


    The Long-armed Zombie, with the lowest defense, had its chest so thoroughly clawed that it was translucent, and it also had a blood-reducing DEBUFF evident on its head, obviously suffering from poisoning. However, overall, victory seemed secured.


    Xiao Buli sat down cross-legged on the ground, put away the crystal coffin and the Magic Wand among other Magical Treasures, and began meditating to restore his Vital Energy, without a care in the world.

 Chapter 461 - 48 Evil God_3

    But this calm probably only lasted for the time it took an incense stick to burn, Xiao Buli saw several zombies cleaning up the battlefield, and when they saw that some Serpent Demons hadn''t completely died, they went up to finish them off. Especially in front of the green-hatted monster, most of the Serpent Demons hadn''t drawn their last breath; a dozen ugly behemoths were gathered on a patch of land that had been dyed green.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt a piercing roar in his ears, and instinctively looked towards the direction the noise came from. He saw a Serpent Demon that looked older than others, with its mouth wide open, screeching miserably. Around Xiao Buli, those twenty-some Serpent Demons, he hadn''t noticed when, had descended. They were now gathering by the twenty-some stone statues closest to the cave entrance he''d entered before. The tremendous roaring Xiao Buli heard was the vibration created by their simultaneous wailing. For a moment, Xiao Buli felt puzzled. From their actions, it seemed as though they didn''t want to desperately come at him. Could it be that they were using their voices to warn him?


    But at a time when all the Serpent Demons had been killed? That was too ridiculous, right? Because his True Yuan Points were running too low, Xiao Buli didn''t rush to get up and kill them. Instead, he sat on the ground to see what would happen next; he didn''t believe that these twenty-some sluggish Serpent Demons could change anything about the current situation.


    Suddenly, those Serpent Demons simultaneously raised their sharp claws and stabbed them into their own throats.


    Mass suicide?? So lacking in fighting spirit? Xiao Buli wondered in his mind. But the next second, he suddenly exclaimed, "Not good."


    Xiao Buli suddenly realized that these Serpent Demons'' bizarre actions were too much like a ritual, a sacrificial ritual, and they themselves were the offerings. He quickly directed the zombies to interrupt it, but it was already a step too late.


    When the blood of those Serpent Demons flowed onto the ground beneath the stone statues, a huge Magic Formation suddenly appeared on the ground, accompanied by a curtain of blood-red light rising up.


    Xiao Buli suddenly heard a strange voice in his ears, a voice that sounded a bit like the odd enunciation of a deaf person speaking. Since deaf people cannot hear their own voices, even if they know how to pronounce words, the sound still comes off as odd to others. At that moment, Xiao Buli felt as if he was hearing such a voice.


    He struggled to discern the message being conveyed by that voice.


    "Unforgivable, you have harmed the great offspring of the Snake God, the descendants of the Barbarian Wilderness. You shall be cursed by the true god Amara and accept punishment. Extend your hands, prepare to receive the punishment of the Snake God. Extend your neck, prepare for the slaughterer''s blade. Your flesh and blood will stain the land and the forest, your soul will suffer the wrathful punishment of the true god Amara, enduring the torment of hellfire day and night."


    This lengthy and obscure message took considerable effort for Xiao Buli to vaguely understand. However, having played many games, Xiao Buli realized that no matter what the message said, the result meant a fight was coming. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This realization crashed his heart to rock bottom. If it were his peak period, no matter whether he had triggered a dungeon or whatever wretched thing, he would have had the confidence to fight. But now, looking at his condition, he realized his True Yuan Points were almost depleted; fewer than half of the dozen zombies left were capable of actual combat, and his most dependable pet had run off into some pit, seemingly without intentions of coming up any time soon.


    But the course of events seemed to disagree with his will. As Xiao Buli was at a loss, the Array had already started. He saw the stone statues in front of the Serpent Demons suddenly begin to move. Had the stone statues come to life??


    The first thought in Xiao Buli''s mind was, could these stone statues actually be alive? Considering the stone statue guards and the Divine Dragons from the Immortal Realm, it wasn''t hard for him to make such a guess. But upon closer inspection, Xiao Buli let out a sigh of relief; it seemed that the reason the stone statues were moving wasn''t out of their volition but because of the vines beneath their pedestals. After the Array was activated, the vines suddenly grew thick and robust, turning from the original bright green to a brownish-green color.


    If it were just these vines, Xiao Buli might not have been too worried. After all, when he first arrived at this place, he had fought these vines, and their lethality wasn''t that terrifying.


    Since he now had a plan, Xiao Buli didn''t stand up but continued to meditate on the ground, hoping to seize every moment to recover his Physical Strength. Of course, he could eat something to recover, but after his days of travel in this primeval forest, Xiao Buli''s food supplies were nearly exhausted, and he had no intention of eating the strange Serpent Demons on the ground. So, he decided to sit tight and let the zombies go and deal with the situation first.


    While he was contemplating this, the zombies had already charged forward. Although they couldn''t stop the activation of the Array in time, fighting with the vines was necessary.


    Swinging their claws, the zombies lashed out at the vines. The vines that had initially been merely wrapping around the roughly three-meter-tall stone statues instantly surged, growing to about ten meters tall. The stone statues were pushed aside without exception, and the Iron Corpses, who had been preparing to strike at the vines, obviously didn''t understand the situation and looked up dumbly at the plants that had suddenly grown several times taller than themselves.


    However, those vines, thick as oil drums, were clearly different from the ones Xiao Buli had seen before. The vines gently bent down their tips, deftly wrapping around one leg of an Iron Corpse, another winding around an arm and head. With a tug from both sides, the Iron Corpse instantly turned into a puff of black smoke, vanishing amid the fine rain.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 462 - 48 Evil God

    Sword Control Technique¡ªNine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! As Xiao Buli shouted, the Glowing Light Sword whizzed into the clouds, and in less than two seconds, it fell back down. This time, however, the body of the Glowing Light gleamed with the bright white light of lightning. Xiao Buli pointed his finger, and the electric light on the Glowing Light''s body streaked through the space between him and the cave like a bolt of lightning. The serpent demons, having suffered a major loss from this attack just a moment before, were no fools. Seeing the lightning cleave towards them, those who could dodge twisted their bodies immediately, swimming to the side. Those in the inner circle who couldn''t dodge were blasted into nothingness.


    No sooner had the lightning fallen than Xiao Buli immediately ordered the giant python. Since it was his pet, the giant python was in complete accord with Xiao Buli, moving as if they were one and the same, highly responsive, nearly chasing the tail of the lightning bolt¡ªthe python reached the edge of the large pit in an instant.


    This action provoked an unprecedented resistance from the snake horde. The serpent demons let out a pitiful scream, a piercing sound like that of a child whose beloved toy had been snatched away, assaulting the eardrums.


    Subsequently, with a speed they had never shown before, the serpent demons closed in on the path ahead of the giant python. Claws and venomous arrows fell like rain upon the python, and some of the crazed serpent demons even scaled the python using their sharp claws.


    But unfortunately for them, the Lava Giant Python had the passive skill of Lesser Dragon Blood. Damage from poison and acid was greatly reduced, with only a few drops of health being lost with each strike from a poison arrow¡ªa mere tickle to a creature with tens of thousands of health points like the Lava Giant Python. As for the climbing serpent demons, the python paid them no heed. With a twist of its body, the force generated between its scales was enough to shake them off to the ground. But like mad, once they hit the ground, they immediately leapt back up and rejoined the fray with even more ferocity.


    Standing atop the python''s head, Xiao Buli looked down at the struggling serpent demons below as if he were watching ants. A sense of excitement flashed through his mind, a feeling he knew to be that of the python. As they were now in perfect harmony, it seemed the python was also extremely interested in the item within the pit.


    The giant python opened its massive mouth and let out an excited roar, increasing the speed of its movements beneath him. Clearly, there was something within the pit the python desperately wanted. For some reason, Xiao Buli suddenly felt that this item might just be the fallen Demon Star from the story Jingci once told him. If he remembered correctly, Jingci had mentioned that within the Barbaric Wastelands there was a Barbarian Ancient Country where, a long time ago, a Demon Star had fallen and since then, monsters roamed and Demon Beasts rampaged¡ªcausing the civilization of the ancient country to vanish. If his bold guess was correct, then what was inside this large pit could very well be a fragment of that original Demon Star.


    At this thought, Xiao Buli''s heart throbbed with excitement. He remembered that Jingci had transformed Maoqiu into an unrecognizable being using just a Demon Star Fragment. Not only in appearance but also in fighting power, Maoqiu had undergone a qualitative mutation. If what he was about to encounter was the main body of the Demon Star, wouldn''t the effect be terrifying? It would indeed be the perfect treat for his ferocious pet, the Lava Giant Python. With this in mind, he leaped down from atop the python''s head and pointed towards the pit, prompting the giant python to plunge into it without hesitation. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, it was apparent that Xiao Buli was not the only one coveting the Demon Star. Before he had appeared, these serpent demons had seemingly been in the company of the Demon Star for a considerable time. Although it was unclear if they had always behaved this way, it was evident that the Demon Star was extremely important to them.


    Those remaining serpent demons that were still alive now moved with incredible speed, resembling lightning as they all madly rushed back. Previously, it had only been the serpent demons around the edge of the pit that tried to resist Xiao Buli, but now even more came to defend, making the giant python seem somewhat sluggish in its movements.


    But by this time, Xiao Buli was no longer a novice. His means of slaying enemies were far from weak. He took out the Obsidian Crystal Coffin from his pack, channeling True Qi into it. Once his pure white True Qi was injected, it became clearly visible inside the coffin. As the True Qi circulated, the crystal coffin emitted a restless vibration. Finally, the white light dissipated and the crystal coffin in Xiao Buli''s hands turned even darker, as if able to absorb the surrounding light. With a strong push from Xiao Buli, the crystal coffin landed on the ground, and with a shudder, it grew as large as an actual coffin in the blink of an eye¡ªabout two to three meters tall, emanating a chilling aura of death and standing ominously at the edge of the large pit.


    "Open," Xiao Buli bellowed.


    With a sudden snap, the lid of the coffin burst open, and from within the crystal coffin, clumps of black, cotton-like mist poured out continuously. The black mist, dense yet faint, made it impossible to discern exactly what lay behind the fleeting fog¡ªan abyss so dark it seemed to lead to hell. Then, from that darkness, a Corpse Evil with a body of pitch black and razor-sharp claws like hooks emerged. Its figure was initially blurred but then solidified, its hair shining with a dark glow. One side of its face appeared composed of gnarled roots, both wooden and sinister, while the position of its eyes held black pupils, clearly devoid of any consciousness of their own.


    This black Corpse Evil was one of the types of zombies and a byproduct of the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. Once activated with True Qi, the Obsidian Crystal Coffin would produce a zombie every ten seconds. The zombies were at the command of the owner of the crystal coffin, their combat ability far surpassing the Talisman Soldiers that Xiao Buli had previously summoned¡ªnot by just one or two grades. Though this was the first opportunity for Xiao Buli to use the crystal coffin since its creation, he was unsure of its precise power, but just the appearance alone was undeniably cool.

 Chapter 463 - 48: Evil God 2

    However, with a formidable enemy at hand, Xiao Buli had no time to appreciate or study these zombies. Seeing something emerging from the crystal coffin and knowing the effect had taken hold, he didn''t care what kind of zombie was coming out. He took out the Refining Ghost Copper Pot and the Giant Spirit Scepter¡ªhis planned combination for enhancing the Magical Treasures¡ªsince there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the zombies themselves.


    Xiao Buli''s True Qi circulated as he cast Yin Transforming Skills and the Enlarging Technique on the freshly created Black Evil. Immediately boosted by two powerful BUFFs, the Black Evil didn''t take two steps before its body swelled up, transforming into a three-meter-tall colossus, its muscles as solid as steel.


    At that moment, the crystal coffin''s cooldown ended, and amidst swirling black mist, an Iron Corpse with a metallic sheen emerged from the casket, indicating the type of zombie produced by the crystal coffin was random.


    With these three Magical Treasures in hand, Xiao Buli felt greatly assured. He no longer engaged in direct combat, hiding behind the crystal coffin instead. Whenever a Serpent Demon approached the edge of the pit, he would send a Mysterious Ice Slash or a Sunfire Spellball to momentarily repel them. Then, as soon as a zombie emerged, he would bestow two BUFFs on it. The crystal coffin exuded an aura of ghostly energy, and although the Serpent Demons knew Xiao Buli was behind it, they hesitated to engage in battle. The zombies, fearless of death, immediately sprang into action upon taking form, heedless of whatever they were facing. If Xiao Buli so wished, they would pile up their bodies into a small hill with unwavering obedience; hence, without any hesitation, they launched themselves at the Serpent Demons. The Iron Corpse, relying on its natural defenses and devoid of any strategy or tactics, clung to a Serpent Demon, utterly ignoring the frantic scratches on its body, and violently tore the creature in half by pulling its head and tail simultaneously.


    The Black Evil, not wanting to be outdone, used its claws sharp as knives to swiftly cool the hearts of the two nearest Serpent Demons, tearing their bodies apart like ripping through cloth.


    In just over a minute, more than a dozen zombies had gathered in front of the pit. They brandished their forms and displayed their strengths, fully surrounding the pit and preventing the frenzied Serpent Demons from advancing even half a step closer.


    Xiao Buli, no longer worried about Serpent Demons disturbing the process of the Lava Giant Python in the pit, proudly observed his nightmarish assassins and scrutinized the capabilities of each kind of zombie. He soon noticed their individual specialties.


    For example, the relatively short red Blood Corpse could absorb life through its attacks. Even though it was only about two meters tall after enhancement, which paled in comparison to the three-meter-tall behemoths, its size grew with each Serpent Demon it killed. By now, it had grown taller than the other zombies.


    Then there was a Green-haired Zombie covered in poison. Its attack power didn''t seem very high, but it continuously emitted green corpse poison from its body. This fog-like corpse poison differed from the Serpent Demon''s venom. Although both were toxic, the potency of the corpse poison was stronger. Serpent Demons shrouded in this gas could initially struggle to rise, but eventually, their upper bodies collapsed to the ground, barely breathing. The most detestable part was that the poison didn''t swiftly end their lives; the Serpent Demons occasionally twitched on the ground, their fierce faces contorted as if to squeeze the rest of their flesh with their facial muscles. This sight deterred other Serpent Demons from nearing the Green-haired Zombie¡ªthe suffering Serpent Demons on the ground served as a deterrent, warning the living to stay away.


    Although the zombies were gaining the upper hand, their attacks were one-on-one with no AOE (area of effect) abilities. Xiao Buli grew bored after watching for a while, so he launched Mysterious Ice Slashes and Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Swords at areas dense with Serpent People, while the ten zombies dealt with the stragglers. Once this formation was established, it sealed a fate of harvesting for the Serpent Demons. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t waste Physical Strength like this. Are you sure there are only so many Serpent Demons? What if your True Origin Points run out? Besides, the zombies will help you kill the monsters anyway, what''s the hurry?" the Heart Demon seeing the situation stabilizing, seemingly discontent, popped out with an interjection.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli yelled, his movements growing faster, as if antagonizing the Heart Demon was his way of interacting with it. After about ten minutes of relentless killing, the corpses of the Serpent Demons quickly piled up into mounds around him.


    Following another Mysterious Ice Slash, Xiao Buli suddenly felt weakened as his True Origin Force was nearly depleted after the fierce battle. With only a few Serpent Demons remaining on the field, and more than half of the ten zombies injured¡ªthe earliest appearing Black Evil looked particularly gory, one side of its body apparently shredded by the Serpent Demons'' claws, hanging flesh resembling torn ribbons where its arm should be.


    The Long-armed Zombie, with the lowest defense, had its chest clawed transparent, and a blood-reducing DEBUFF on its head, clearly poisoned multiple times. Nevertheless, the situation seemed generally under control.


    Xiao Buli sat down cross-legged on the ground, put away the crystal coffin, Magic Wand, and other Magical Treasures, and began meditating to recover his Vital Energy.

 Chapter 464 - 48 Evil God_3

    But this calm probably only lasted for the duration of burning one stick of incense. Xiao Buli saw several zombies cleaning up the battlefield, approaching the still-dying Serpent Demons to give them a final blow, especially in front of the green-hat monster, where most of the Serpent Demons had not yet taken their last breath. More than a dozen hideously ugly, massive creatures were gathered on an expanse of land that had been dyed green.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt a piercing roar next to his ear and looked instinctively toward the source of the sound. He saw an even older-looking Serpent Demon at the entrance of the cavern he had entered earlier, gaping and screaming miserably. Around Xiao Buli, the twenty-odd Serpent Demons had, unbeknownst to him, descended already; they were now surrounding twenty-odd stone statues near the path closest to the cave, and the tremendous roaring that Xiao Buli heard was the vibration produced by their simultaneous screaming. Xiao Buli was somewhat puzzled for a moment, observing the actions of these Serpent Demons, which didn''t seem like they intended to fight desperately. Were they using their voices to warn him?


    But at a time when all the Serpent Demons had been killed? It was too ridiculous. Because his True Yuan was too low, Xiao Buli didn''t rush to get up and slay them. Instead, he sat on the ground and watched the changes, disbelieving that these slow-moving Serpent Demons could change the situation on the field in any way.


    Suddenly those Serpent Demons simultaneously raised their sharp claws and plunged them into their own throats.


    Mass suicide?? Too demoralized, right? Xiao Buli wondered in his heart. But the next second he suddenly exclaimed, "Not good."


    Xiao Buli suddenly realized that the bizarre actions of these Serpent Demons were all too akin to a ritual, a sacrificial ritual, and they themselves were the offerings. His conscious mind quickly directed the zombies to go and disrupt it, but it was still a step too late. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the blood of these Serpent Demons flowed onto the ground beneath the stone statues, a huge magic formation suddenly appeared on the ground, with a curtain of blood-colored light rising.


    Strange voices abruptly assaulted Xiao Buli''s ears, sounding somewhat like the peculiar pronunciation of a person who was deaf. Because deaf people couldn''t hear their own voices, even if they knew how to pronounce words, the sounds that landed in others'' ears still felt odd. At this moment, Xiao Buli felt as if he was hearing such a voice.


    He strained to discern the message conveyed by that voice.


    "Unforgivable, you have harmed the great children of the Snake God, injured the great descendants of the Barbarian Wilderness. You shall suffer the curse of the true god Amara and accept punishment. Extend your hands and prepare to receive the punishment of the Snake God; extend your neck and prepare to accept the executioner''s blade. Your flesh and blood shall stain the land and forests red, and your soul shall endure the wrathful punishment of the true god Amara, feeling the torment of hellfire day and night."


    This lengthy and abstruse declaration made Xiao Buli struggle to understand the gist. However, having played many games, he knew that regardless of what was being said, the result was that a battle was imminent.


    This realization sent Xiao Buli''s heart sinking into the abyss. If it were his heyday, no matter whether he had triggered a dungeon or some other damned thing, he would have the confidence to fight. But now, looking at his situation, his True Yuan points were nearly depleted, less than half of his zombies were capable of real combat, and his most reliable pet still had no intention of coming out from whatever hole it had run into anytime soon.


    However, things seemed to be progressing entirely against his will. Just as Xiao Buli felt utterly at a loss, the magic formation had been activated. The stone statues in front of the Serpent Demons suddenly started to move¡ªhad the stone statues come to life?


    The first thought in Xiao Buli''s mind was: Could these stone statues be alive? Pausing to consider the stone statue guards and the Divine Dragon from the Immortal Realm, it wasn''t hard for Xiao Buli to surmise as much. But on closer inspection, he was relieved; it didn''t seem to be the stone statues'' own will that they were moving, but rather the vines underneath their pedestals. The vines had suddenly grown thicker and lost their previously verdant hue, turning a shade of brownish-green, upon activation of the magic formation.


    If it were just these vines, perhaps Xiao Buli wouldn''t have been too concerned. After all, he had grappled with them upon his arrival at this place and knew their killing power wasn''t that alarming.


    With a plan in mind, Xiao Buli didn''t rise to his feet but remained seated on the ground, hoping to seize every moment to recover his Physical Strength. He could have eaten something to recover, but after days of traveling through this primeval forest, his food supply was almost exhausted. Moreover, he had no intention of eating any of the eerie Serpent Demons on the ground, so he decided to sit still and let the zombies take them on first.


    As he was planning this, the zombies had already rushed forward. Although they were too late to stop the activation of the magic formation, it was still necessary to grapple with these vines.


    The zombies, brandishing their sharp claws, reached out to grab the vines. The vines, which were previously just twining around the three-meter-tall stone statues, suddenly surged in size, shooting up to an approximate height of ten meters. The stone statues were invariably lifted aside, and the Iron Cor...


    (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian(qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 465 - 47 Serpent People

    Xiao Buli put on the Betrayer''s Dark Vision and finally saw clearly the monstrous creatures with human heads and snake bodies in front of him, continuously crawling out of the cracks in the ground. By now, there were already more than twenty of them.


    "Don''t just stand there gawking, buddy, do something, will you?" the voice of the Heart Demon echoed in Xiao Buli''s mind, jolting him back to reality,


    He felt, deep down, that these Serpent Demons must be quite strong.


    Xiao Buli drew the Glowing Light Sword and let go, and with a crisp clanging sound, the treasured sword hovered in the air, its tip pointing directly at the crowd of Serpent Demons. Seeing the sword flying in the air, the expressions of the Serpent Demons grew even more ferocious, and they accelerated their movements, quickly closing in on Xiao Buli.


    Sword Control Technique¡ªTen Thousand Swords Art. The sword shadows created by the Ten Thousand Swords Art weren''t very powerful, but they excelled in a wide area of group attacks. Suddenly, a flash of white light where the Glowing Light Sword hovered: one turned into two, two turned into four, and in the blink of an eye, there were several hundred sword shadows in front of Xiao Buli.


    Go! Xiao Buli shouted, and the flying swords shot forward in response, slicing into the bodies of the Serpent Demons with a whoosh. The Serpent Demons in the front were all hit without exception,¡ª145, -162... a series of damage numbers flashed above their heads. Not bad, Xiao Buli felt relieved, it seems that the defenses of these Serpent Demons were not as formidable as expected.


    After a successful probe, Xiao Buli''s lifted heart settled down. It seemed that he was more than capable of dealing with these creatures for now. Thus, his hands flickered with sword light, and once again, he sent out a flurry of sword shadows. Those Serpent Demons in front suffered heavy blows but fought back even more fiercely, opening their clawed hands and reaching out to grab Xiao Buli.


    But they only felt the ground beneath them empty out, as Xiao Buli had disappeared from where he had just been standing.


    Ah~~ The Serpent Demons shouted in surprise, temporarily losing their target, and those crawling up from the ground also halted, looking around.


    Seeing these creatures, although not lethal, were overwhelming in number, and with the space in the cave being cramped, leaving no room for maneuvering, Xiao Buli activated his Earth Escape Skills and vanished into the rocks, heading towards the direction of the cave entrance as he remembered it.


    Hiding in the rocks, Xiao Buli could clearly see each Serpent Demon coiled above him, thinking that they seemed even more disgusting from this angle. While he was watching, transfixed, the creatures above seemed to sense something, and suddenly, the ones closest to him bent their heads down fiercely. Their eyes and wide-open mouths twisted their faces into something vicious and contorted. It was as if they could see through the soil and fixed their eyes on the suspicious ground beneath them, two of them even press their heads against the ground and started to sniff frantically like bloodthirsty wolves. Some of the less composed creatures began to vigorously scratch the ground with their claws. The tough rocks crumbled like soda crackers under their claws, and holes were easily gouged out. Xiao Buli did not dare to linger any longer and rapidly made his way to the surface.


    After the enhancement, Xiao Buli''s Earth Escape Skills became much faster, and in just a few minutes, he had reached the periphery of the mountain. Before he could walk out, Xiao Buli was stunned.


    The large hole he had seen outside, which lay across his path, now looked like a gaping maw. However, it wasn''t swallowing anything but rather, countless Serpent Demons were crawling out of it. The Serpent Demons on the ground moved quickly, their bodies glistening wetly in the rain. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They lay lazily in the mud, seemingly enjoying the rainwater in clusters.


    The Serpent Demons in the cave had chased to the very edge, eventually jabbering something unintelligibly. Those underground immediately stopped and cautiously looked up. Bowing to the Serpent Demons above them, they quickly swam towards the entrance of the cave. The Serpent Demons kept fervently digging through the rocks, seemingly determined to pull Xiao Buli out from beneath the ground. Their coordinated digging speed was alarmingly fast, which made Xiao Buli feel nervous. His current predicament was that towards the sky; thick clouds threatened to roast him, and underground, those creatures seemed to be no good either. Even though his Earth Escape Skills had improved, the speed at which he could move through the earth was not much faster. Relying on Earth Escape to flee seemed delusional, especially since Earth Escape had its limits, and if he ran out of True Yuan Points, he would truly be in a hopeless situation.


    Rather than that, it was better to go into battle directly. After all, Xiao Buli had already witnessed their fighting power, and it wasn''t impressive. With that thought, Xiao Buli emerged slowly from the rocks and immediately sprung into the air upon touching the ground, employing his Qinggong and softly landing on the ground.


    He landed right between the two groups of Serpent Demons. It was easy to see that the Serpent Demon army that had crawled out from the underground cave was vast in number, nearly a hundred strong.


    Sword Control Technique¡ªNine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! Upon landing, Xiao Buli pinched his sword technique, raised his treasured sword high, and the Glowing Light Sword soared into the sky, slicing straight into the overcast clouds above. A moment later, carrying the power of thunder and fire from the Nine Heavens, it traced a brilliant purple arc through the sky and thunderously struck amidst the Serpent People army. This move might have been the most visually striking big move Xiao Buli had seen himself execute so far.

 Chapter 466 - 47: Serpent People_2

    With a deafening boom, the ground cracked open under the explosion, lightning danced wildly like silver threads, scurrying in every direction. Serpent People near the blast were instantly turned to ashes, while those farther away convulsed under the electric shock, their bodies twisting in the rain. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a single stroke, Xiao Buli astonishingly killed and injured dozens of Serpent People. He couldn''t help but be surprised, but he quickly analyzed why the sword could unleash such tremendous power. The Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword could channel the thunder and lightning element from the sky, and with the storm clouds rolling in today, the elements it channeled were particularly intense, naturally increasing its might. Had it been during daylight, it probably wouldn''t have been as effective.


    Having struck a powerful blow, Xiao Buli felt a sense of relief, all the stuffiness and irritation he had felt in the cave dissipated. With an excited shout, he thought to himself that even the heavens were on his side, with the annoying thunderstorm weather now turning to his advantage. While contemplating this, Xiao Buli didn''t stop, launching two more Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Swords, blasting the Serpent People army''s formation into disarray.


    But these Serpent People were truly fierce, a few that slipped through the net were already upon him. They didn''t retreat but advanced, charging at him in a rush.


    Claws extended from their hands and scraped off more than a dozen health points from Xiao Buli. Before, he might have thought this negligible, but ever since equipping the Heart of the Earth, his way of assessing an opponent''s combat strength had completely changed¡ªany attack that could make him bleed usually meant it was relatively strong.


    Fortunately, at this moment, he wasn''t troubled by defense and easily switched weapons. With the Ancient Frost Blade in hand, he swung it horizontally¡ªan ordinary Mysterious Ice Slash! Boosted by the Ice Blade''s attributes, the Mysterious Ice Slash emitted a transparent, crystalline light, like a half-moon-shaped crystal blade, creating a mist of blood as it swept through the Serpent People''s ranks.


    The dozen or so Serpent People at the forefront were practically cleaved in two, the severed ends glowing like water, the frozen wound not even having time to spurt blood, leaving their bifurcated bodies in a heap.


    Hahaha, Xiao Buli was startled at his own handiwork, amazed at how powerful he had become. These Serpent People were Elite Level units, some with hundreds or even thousands of health points. In the past, even well-equipped, organized teams would be wary of them, yet here he was, wiping them out in just a few moves.


    Surprise quickly turned into a desire for slaughter. Discovering his own strength, Xiao Buli didn''t wait for them to attack. He charged forward, sword in hand, and entered the monsters'' ranks, cutting them down as if chopping vegetables. In moments, he had slain another dozen. Although nearly a hundred Serpent People had been killed by his hand in just a short time, their numbers did not seem to dwindle. Xiao Buli curiously looked ahead, and through the curtains of heavy rain, he saw countless Serpent Demons continuously pouring out of the great pit, swarming in layer upon layer. This was no way to proceed, he thought; as strong as Xiao Buli was, he ultimately had a mortal body, and his True Yuan Points would run out eventually. With that thought, Xiao Buli decided to take a risk.


    Mysterious Ice Slash! Xiao Buli bellowed, unleashing another wave of Sword Qi, following the arc of the crescent Qi. Seeing his energy fading, with Serpent People swarming him from all sides, he tapped his toes on the ground and performed a Cloud Thunder Leap straight into the sky. As his figure vanished, numerous Serpent People overwhelmed his previous position. Their claws and fangs found no flesh to tear into. The surrounding Serpent People were still confused about how he disappeared in an instant, but before they could react, those flooding in from behind had already toppled over them. Under the intense pressure, the Serpent Demons in front desperately turned their bodies to avoid being crushed to death. Amidst the snake formation, bubbling like boiling water, the hissing filled the air. At that moment, a sudden whoosh resounded from the sky, followed by a Thunder Shock striking straight down.


    Boom! The Serpent Demons, already entangled with each other, were now inevitably caught in the fierce explosion. Blood and flesh flew all around, as radiating lines of viscera erupted outwards. Amidst the blood and flesh raining down, Xiao Buli kneeled at the epicenter of the blast, surrounded by the blood and broken limbs of the Serpent Demons.


    "Come on, come at me again," Xiao Buli stood up in the pouring rain and shouted, "Let''s see if you''re enough for me to slaughter!" As he roared, he drew his sword and looked around. Those Serpent Demons on the periphery that had either suffered minor injuries or were unharmed seemed stunned by the recent scene. They circled around him in horror, seemingly unsure whether to attack or not.


    "Hiss~~" Suddenly, a massive hissing sound erupted above Xiao Buli''s head. He looked up to see about twenty Serpent Demons crowded around the entrance of the cave. For some reason, they seemed unwilling to leave the cave, but clearly, the Serpent Demons on the ground were following their orders. The moment the hissing started, the calm on the ground was shattered, and several particularly robust Serpent Demons broke through the crowd, charging straight at Xiao Buli.


    Mid-charge, a Serpent Person tilted its head back and spat a stream of venom, transforming it into a poison arrow that shot towards Xiao Buli. This seemed to be a signal; in an instant, those in the front opened their vast maws and behind them, more Serpent Demons continued to surge forward, launching a rain of poison arrows. Xiao Buli quickly activated his Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield, absorbing some of the damage. Although the poison arrows didn''t deal high damage, they carried a poisoning effect. Unfortunately, since they didn''t hit Xiao Buli, they were rendered ineffective. Despite this, Xiao Buli couldn''t afford to withstand their assault for long.


    Moreover, the encirclement of Serpent Demons was closing in tighter and tighter, seemingly about to trap him to death within. Of course, Xiao Buli could immediately use Cloud Thunder Leap to escape, but now he had a better idea.


    "Since you won''t come to me, then I''ll come to you," Xiao Buli said, and as soon as the words left his lips, he held his sword and slightly changed his hand gesture. With a whoosh, a colossal figure appeared in the midst of the Serpent Demons. Its enormous triangular head blinked two rows of lantern-like eyes, and the cracks in its dark skin seemed to be scorched with flames¡ªit was none other than the Lava Giant Python. As a ferocious beast from the Immortal Realm, the python was indeed like an ancestor to these Serpent Demons. Its sudden appearance sent the Serpent People scurrying back in terror. The python stretched out slightly, almost crushing several Serpent Demons to death in the process.


    Xiao Buli jumped onto the head of the python with agility, his sword raised high, looking as majestic as a Heavenly God descending to the mortal realm.


    Xiao Buli was about to summon Divine Thunder when he noticed something strange from his vantage point on the python''s head. The python, with half its body raised, stood at a height of several meters, giving Xiao Buli a commanding view. Overlooking from this advantage, he could clearly see the arrangement of Serpent Demons below. Aside from the flesh of those that had died, the arrangement of the living Serpent Demons was odd. While most battled in front of him, there was still a significant number of Serpent Demons gathered behind, with the densest cluster around a large pit. From his position, it seemed as if two encirclements had formed below.


    If the encirclement around him was for the purpose of battle, then the one behind made little sense. A thought crossed Xiao Buli''s mind: perhaps these Serpent Demons were guarding something. There might be treasure inside that big pit! Though the narrative seemed long, it only took a few seconds for him to think.


    Xiao Buli was already poised with the Glowing Light Sword raised high, ready to call down thunder. These few seconds of delay did not hinder his actions. His mind made a quick turn, and he developed a plan.


    (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 467 - 48 Evil God

    Sword Control Technique¡ªNine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! With a loud shout from Xiao Buli, the Glowing Light Sword whizzed up into the clouds, and in less than two seconds, it returned, only this time Glowing Light''s body flashed with bright white lightning. Xiao Buli pointed with his hand, and the electric light on Glowing Light''s body streaked across like lightning, crackling between him and the entrance of the cave. Having taken a big hit from this move just a moment ago, the Serpent Demons were not foolish. Seeing the lightning slashing towards them, those who could dodge twisted their bodies to move aside in the first instant, while those too slow in the inner circle were blasted to smithereens.


    No sooner had the lightning vanished, Xiao Buli immediately commanded the python. As a pet, the Lava Giant Python was telepathically linked with Xiao Buli at this moment, acting as if they were one person, with prompt reactions. Almost chasing the tail of the lightning, the giant python swiftly arrived at the edge of the large pit.


    This action, however, provoked an unprecedented resistance from the horde of snakes. A painful shriek came from the Serpent Demons, a wail as pitiful as that of a child who had just had a beloved toy taken away, piercing the eardrums.


    Next, with a speed they had never shown before, they converged on the path ahead of the giant python. Claws and a rain of poisonous arrows fell upon the python''s body, and some crazed Serpent Demons even used their sharp claws to start climbing onto the python.


    But unfortunately for them, the Lava Giant Python had the Passive Skill Lesser Dragon Blood, which negated most of the damage from toxins and acids. The occasional poison arrow that landed on it merely trickled a few health points, trivial against the python''s tens of thousands. The climbing Serpent Demons weren''t even taken seriously by the python, whose scales, when they slid against each other, generated enough force to shake them off to the ground. Yet, like mad, the fallen Serpent Demons would immediately leap up and reengage in an even fiercer battle.


    Xiao Buli stood on the head of the python, looking down at the Serpent Demons struggling below as if they were mere ants, feeling a surge of excitement flash through his mind. He knew it was the python''s excitement he was feeling¡ªas it seemed the python too was quite interested in what laid inside the pit.


    The Giant Python opened its massive jaws and hissed in enthralment, its movements hastening underneath, clearly very eager for whatever lay in that pit. For some reason, Xiao Buli suddenly felt that this might very well be the Demon Star that Jingci had told him about. If he remembered correctly, Jingci had mentioned that within the Barbaric Wastelands, there was a Barbarian Ancient Country where a Demon Star had fallen long ago, turning the land teeming with monsters, oppressed by Demon Beasts, and leading to the civilization''s extinction. If his bold guess was correct, then what lay within this pit could be a part of that very Demon Star.


    With his heart racing at the thought, he remembered how Jingci had transformed Maoqiu beyond recognition with just a Demon Star Fragment, changing both its appearance and combat ability drastically. If what he was about to approach was indeed the main body of the Demon Star, could the effect not be terrifyingly potent? This would certainly suit the savage Lava Giant Python, his ferocious pet. With this thought, he jumped down from the python''s head and pointed towards the pit. The python, no longer hesitating, plunged right in.


    However, it was clear that Xiao Buli wasn''t the only one coveting the Demon Star. Before his arrival, these Serpent Demons had seemingly been in the dark presence of the Demon Star for quite some time. Although he did not know if they had always been like this, it was obvious that the Demon Star was of immense importance to them.


    The surviving Serpent Demons moved with lightning speed, all of them rushing back in mass. Just a moment ago, those around the pit were trying to fend off Xiao Buli, but now even more Serpent Demons returned to the defense, making the Giant Python''s movements seem somewhat sluggish.


    But Xiao Buli was no longer a novice, and his means for slaying enemies were not weak. He pulled out the Obsidian Crystal Coffin from his pack and channeled True Qi into it. As pure white True Qi was infused, it became distinctly visible within the coffin. The True Qi coursed within, causing the crystal coffin to emit unstable tremors. Eventually, the white glow vanished, leaving the coffin in Xiao Buli''s hands darker, as if it could absorb the surrounding light. He gave the coffin a shove, and it fell with a thud, trembling as it transformed into something as massive as a real coffin, standing two to three meters tall, emanating a ghastly air of death at the edge of the pit.


    "Open," Xiao Buli shouted.


    With a snap, the lid of the coffin burst open. Swirls of dark, cotton-like mist poured from within, too thick and nebulous for anyone to see what lay behind them, darkness as if leading to hell itself. Suddenly, a black Corpse Evil with sharp claws like hooks emerged from the darkness, its figure first indistinct, then gradually solidifying, its fur gleaming with a dark glow, its half-face seeming to be made of twisted tree roots, expressionless yet terrifying. Where its eyes should be, there was only a pair of black pupils, clearly void of any autonomy. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This dark Corpse Evil was one of the types of Zombies and a product of the Obsidian Crystal Coffin. Once activated by True Qi, the coffin would generate a zombie every ten seconds, with these zombies directed by the owner of the coffin and significantly stronger in combat than the Talisman Soldiers Xiao Buli had summoned before. Since refining the coffin, this was the first chance for Xiao Buli to use it. Though unsure of its full potency, he found the sheer coolness of its appearance enough.

 Chapter 468 - 48 Evil God_2

    However, with a formidable enemy at the forefront, Xiao Buli had no time to admire or study these zombies. Seeing something emerge from the crystal coffin, he knew the process had taken effect. Without caring what kind of zombie came out, he whipped out the Refining Ghost Copper Pot and the Giant Spirit Scepter. These were the enhancement combinations he had thought of when initially creating the three Magical Treasures. There was nothing particularly fascinating about the zombies themselves.


    Xiao Buli''s True Qi circulated as he cast a Yin Transforming Skill and an Enlarging Technique on the freshly produced Black Evil. Bolstered by the two powerful buffs, the Black Evil hadn''t taken two steps before its body suddenly swelled, morphing into a three-meter-tall, muscular figure as tough as steel¡ªa dark-skinned colossus.


    Just then, the crystal coffin''s cooldown period ended. A whirl of black fog later, an Iron Corpse with a metallic luster all over its body stepped out from the casket. It seemed the type of zombie produced by the crystal coffin was random.


    With these three Magical Treasures in hand, Xiao Buli felt greatly reassured. He didn''t join the fray, instead hiding behind the crystal coffin. Whenever a Serpent Demon neared the edge of the large pit, he would cast a Mysterious Ice Slash or a Sunfire Spellball to fend them off temporarily. Then, when a zombie emerged, he would bestow upon it two buffs. Thankfully, the crystal coffin emitted an aura of corpse energy. Although the Serpent People knew Xiao Buli was hiding behind it, they couldn''t bring themselves to decide to confront him directly. The zombies, on the other hand, knew no fear of death and, once formed, cared not what they faced. If Xiao Buli wished, they would even stack their bodies to form a hill without any hesitation or error. Thus, without any chatter, they surged forward to grasp the Serpent People. Relying on its innate defenses, the Iron Corpse didn''t care for any technique or strategy. It caught a Serpent Demon, completely ignoring the shrieks and scratches it made on its body, and with one hand yanked its head and the other its tail, tearing the Serpent Demon in half with brute force.


    The Black Evil wasn''t outdone. With its claws and teeth sharp as blades, it chilled two nearby Serpent Demons to the core. With a casual tug, the bodies of the Serpent Demons were torn apart like ragged cloth.


    In a little over a minute, a dozen or so zombies had gathered in front of the large pit, each leveraging their strengths to encircle it completely, keeping the frenzied Serpent People at bay.


    Xiao Buli, now having no need to worry about Serpent People disturbing the process involving the Lava Giant Python, proudly observed these nightmarish executioners, carefully noting each zombie''s capabilities, and soon discovered that each excelled in different areas. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For instance, the relatively petite red Blood Corpses could absorb life through their attacks. Although they were enhanced, their two-meter stature was still no match for the towering three-meter bodies of others. But as they killed more Serpent People, they grew larger, now towering over the other zombies.


    Then there was a green-haired Poison Zombie whose attack strength didn''t seem very high, but whose body continuously spewed out green corpse poison. This fog-like corpse poison was different from the venom of the Serpent People. Although both were poisons, the former was evidently more potent. Enshrouded by this poison, the Serpent People could initially struggle to rise, but their upper bodies soon lay gasping on the ground. The most infuriating part was the poison didn''t swiftly kill them. The Serpent People occasionally twitched or writhed on the ground, their hideous faces so contorted they seemed as if the muscles were trying to squeeze off the rest of their flesh, deterring other Serpent People from approaching the green-haired zombie. The ones lying on the ground seemingly advertised for it, signaling others to keep away.


    While the zombies gained the upper hand, they could only attack one-on-one, lacking any area-of-effect skills. Xiao Buli grew bored after a while, so he unleashed Mysterious Ice Slashes and Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Swords at densely packed areas of Serpent People, while the ten zombies dealt with any escapees. This strategy, once in place, spelled doom for the Serpent People¡ªit was as if they were being harvested.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t waste Physical Strength like this. Are you sure there are only so many Serpent People? What if your True Origin Points run out? And besides, you have zombies helping you kill the monsters, why the rush?" the Heart Demon, seeing the situation stabilizing, couldn''t help but interject with dissatisfaction.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli shouted, his movements growing even faster. It seemed that opposing the Heart Demon was the way he interacted with it. After about ten minutes of relentless slaughter, the corpses of the Serpent People quickly piled up around him.


    Launching another Mysterious Ice Slash, Xiao Buli suddenly felt weakening. The True Origin Force within him was nearly depleted after the continuous fierce battles. Looking around, the remaining figures of the Serpent People had dwindled, and although over half of the ten zombies were injured, the earliest-emerged Black Evil looked the worst, half of its body seemingly shredded by the Serpent People''s claws, strips of torn flesh hanging from where its arm should have been.


    The Long-armed Zombie, with the lowest defenses, had its chest ripped open and clear, with a bleeding DEBUFF on its head, clearly poisoned frequently. But overall, the situation seemed under control.


    Xiao Buli sat down cross-legged, withdrew the crystal coffin and Magic Wand among other Magical Treasures, and began to meditate under the open sky, focusing on recovering his Vital Energy.

 Chapter 469 - 48 Evil God_3

    But this calm likely only lasted for the duration of an incense stick, Xiao Buli saw a few zombies cleaning up the battlefield, and noticed that some serpent demons who hadn''t died yet were being finished off, particularly in front of the green-hooded creatures. Most of the serpent demons had not yet breathed their last, a dozen or so hideously large creatures, all huddled on a patch of land that had been dyed green.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli felt a piercing scream in his ears and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, only to see at the entrance of the cavern he had entered earlier, an elder serpent demon with a gaping mouth, screeching miserably. And around Xiao Buli, the twenty or so serpent demons that had appeared at some point were now gathered around the twenty or so statues by the side of the road nearest to the cavern entrance. The loud screams he heard were the vibrations caused by their collective shouting. Xiao Buli was momentarily perplexed, observing the actions of these serpent demons, which did not seem like they were coming to fight desperately. Could it be that they were using their voices to warn him?


    But at a time when all of the serpent demons had been killed? That would be too ridiculous. Because his True Yuan was too low, Xiao Buli did not rush to get up to slay them but instead sat on the ground to watch the changes. He didn''t believe that these sluggish serpent demons could make any significant change to the situation on the field.


    Suddenly, the serpent demons raised their sharp claws and simultaneously stabbed them into their own throats.


    Mass suicide?? Not much of a fighting spirit, Xiao Buli wondered. But the next second, he suddenly exclaimed, "Not good."


    Xiao Buli suddenly understood that these odd actions of the serpent demons were all too reminiscent of a ritual, a sacrificial ritual, and they themselves were the offerings. He quickly commanded the zombies to go and disrupt it, but it was already a step too late.


    When the blood of these serpent demons flowed onto the ground below the statues, a huge magic formation suddenly appeared on the ground, followed by a rise of a blood-red curtain of light.


    Xiao Buli suddenly heard a strange voice next to his ear. The voice sounded a bit like the odd pronunciation of a deaf person speaking. Because a deaf person cannot hear their own voice, even though they know how to pronounce words, the actual sound is perceived as odd by others. At this moment, Xiao Buli felt as if he was hearing such a voice.


    He strained to discern the message being spoken.


    "Unforgivable, you harmed the great children of the Snake God, harmed the great descendants of the Barbarian Wilderness, you will receive the curse of the true God Amara and accept punishment. Extend your hands, prepare to receive the punishment of the Snake God, extend your neck, ready to face the slaughtering blade. Your flesh and blood will dye the land and forests red, your soul will endure the punishment of the true God Amara''s wrath, constantly feeling the torment of the infernal flames," the voice said.


    The message was lengthy and abstruse, taking considerable effort for Xiao Buli to understand the gist of it. However, having played many games, Xiao Buli understood that regardless of the message''s specifics, it meant that it was time to fight.


    This realization sent Xiao Buli''s heart plummeting to the bottom. If it were his heyday, no matter if he had triggered some instance or whatever supernatural occurrence, he would have confidence in tackling it. But looking at himself now, with his True Origin Points almost depleted, less than half of the dozen zombies left capable of true combat, and his most reliable pet not knowing what it was doing in that pit, for the time being, it seemed it had no intention of coming up. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, things seemed quite out of sync with his will. While Xiao Buli was at a complete loss, the array had already been activated. He saw that the statues in front of the serpent demons suddenly began to move. The statues came alive??


    Xiao Buli''s first thought was whether these statues were alive? Considering the stone statue guards from the Immortal Realm and the stone Divine Dragons, it wasn''t difficult for Xiao Buli to make this guess. But upon closer inspection, Xiao Buli''s heart sank, as the movement of the statues didn''t seem to be of their own accord, but rather because of the vines beneath their pedestals. After the activation of the array, the vines suddenly grew thick and robust, changing from their previous emerald green to a brownish-green color.


    If it was just the vines, perhaps Xiao Buli wouldn''t have been too worried. After all, he had fought with these vines when he first arrived at this place, and their lethality wasn''t that impressive.


    With his mind somewhat eased, Xiao Buli did not stand up but remained seated on the ground, hoping to take every opportunity to recover his physical strength. Of course, he could eat something to regain strength, but after traveling through this primordial forest for consecutive days, Xiao Buli''s food supply was nearly exhausted. Besides, he had no intention of eating the sinister serpent demons on the ground, so he decided to just sit tight and let the zombies deal with the situation first.


    As he planned this, the zombies had already charged forward. Although unable to prevent the activation of the array, it was still essential to fight against these vines.


    The zombies, wielding their sharp claws, scraped at the vines, which originally only wrapped around the statues about three meters high. Instantly, the vines surged, growing to a height of about ten meters, topping the statues without exception. The Iron Corpses that were about to strike the vines, not comprehending the situation, looked up dumbfoundedly at the suddenly much taller plants.


    However, the vine''s thickness, comparable to iron barrels at this moment, seemed markedly different from what Xiao Buli had seen before. The vines gently bent their tops, dexterously wrapping around an Iron Corpse''s leg, another vine around its arm and head. Both sides yanked, and the Iron Corpse instantly dissipated into a plume of black smoke, vanishing into the fine rain. (To be continued. If you like this work, please head to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 470 - 49: The Evolution of the Python

    "Oh, crap, I just told you." the Heart Demon said gleefully.


    Xiao Buli''s mind raced, hoping to find a way to turn the situation around; he had no time to waste arguing with the Heart Demon. However, the situation at hand clearly gave him no room for further thought. Before he could fully rise to his feet, he felt a lightness under his feet, and the next moment, he was lifted upside-down by a giant tendril.


    Xiao Buli circulated his True Qi, and a not-so-small Sunfire Spellball formed in the palm of his hand, launching towards the tendril that was wrapped around him with a bang. The tendril, seemingly less cautious than before, took the strike head-on. The area hit by the Sunfire Spellball turned immediately charred black, and the tendril seemed severely injured. Xiao Buli felt the grip around his ankle loosen, and he fell headfirst towards the ground.


    Xiao Buli immediately twisted his waist, managing to turn himself around, but before he could land perfectly, he felt a tightness around his waist as his body was lifted into the air again. As the tendril retracted, despite the protection from the Heart of the Earth, Xiao Buli still felt as though his chest was about to burst open. Worst of all, two other tendrils were speeding towards him, with massive maws formed from leaves, the green juice inside looking extremely unpleasant.


    Without a doubt, not only was the juice toxic, but those mouths didn''t seem to be coming to kiss Xiao Buli either.


    If bitten, it was likely he would end up like the Iron Corpse before him. Although Xiao Buli''s health points were full, and he had the Mixed Yuan Condensing Light Shield to absorb damage, this game had special designs like crushing attacks or death upon being hit.


    Once such effects were triggered, no amount of health points mattered.


    With that in mind, Xiao Buli quickly equipped the Ancient Magma Barrier and charged straight towards the direction of the incoming tendrils.


    The shield in his hand met the tendrils squarely, immediately triggering the Ancient Magma Barrier''s Fiery Protective Ring effect. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A burst of red light flashed, and flames immediately rose, enveloping Xiao Buli. The tendrils that had extended towards him were turned to ash in the blink of an eye. They looked thick and sturdy, but that''s the principle of mutual destruction for you. Xiao Buli used the same tactic on the tendril that bound him, reducing it to ashes as well.


    The tightness around Xiao Buli''s waist eased, and the flames from the tendrils were naturally immune to him. Divine Gear truly responded differently; a single barrier allowed Xiao Buli to easily shake off the awkward situation and land on the ground.


    The other tendrils immediately rolled towards him. Perhaps these plants had no thoughts; the disintegration of their peers into ash seemed to have not imparted any wisdom. Xiao Buli wielded the Magma Barrier like a hammer, greeting the writhing tendrils like tentacles with forceful blows, and in no time, he had eradicated them all.


    "How about that? Anything to worry about?" Elated by his Divine Equipment, Xiao Buli had nobody else to show off to, so he shouted at the Heart Demon instead.


    "OH, NO," the Heart Demon uttered softly.


    "You''d love to see me eat humble pie, wouldn''t you?" Xiao Buli thought the Heart Demon was shocked by his gear, but before he could find the right words to mock him further, suddenly, a thick tendril wrapped around and lifted him entirely.


    This strike came stealthily from behind Xiao Buli, who had thought that he had completely defeated those tendrils, and was caught off guard.


    Looking back in midair, the tendrils he had reduced to ashes had regrown from their bases.


    This was far beyond his expectations; however, luckily, these tendrils had just begun to grow and lacked the lethality of their predecessors. Xiao Buli hurriedly repeated his tactic, burning them cleanly away in a flash.


    But who knew what those tendrils were made of, as they regrew once again from their bases. Nevertheless, their appearance and combat strength were clearly inferior to those of the initial plants, and moreover, they were up against a Magical Treasure from the Immortal Realm.


    This time the tendrils seemed to have gotten wise and did not dare to contend with Xiao Buli again. Instead, they turned their attention to the Zombies, entwining around them.


    A cold smile flashed across Xiao Buli''s lips as he stood at the center of those tendrils. Sunfire Sword Qi, his hand holding the Glowing Light Sword, was enveloped by a glowing halo that turned from white to red in a blink of an eye, signifying a temperature that must be extremely high. Holding the Ancient Magma Barrier, which continued to radiate primordial flames in one hand, and a longsword that resembled a branding iron in the other, Xiao Buli stepped forward and charged at the tendrils.


    Although these tendrils had strong regenerative abilities, that was limited to their tips; if cut off from the roots, Xiao Buli thought, they surely couldn''t regrow.


    With each swing of his sword, the Glowing Light Sword enhanced with Sunfire Sword Qi sliced through the tendrils as easily as a hot knife through butter, cutting them cleanly in two. The severed tendrils fell to the ground, twitching like dying snakes, then went still.


    The remaining tendrils seemed to sense the threat and converged as if on a signal, dozens of them swooping towards Xiao Buli at once. Xiao Buli didn''t dodge; instead, he used the Earth Escape Skills to half-bury himself in the ground, exposing only his upper body. The Ancient Magma Barrier in his hand protected his head from above as the tendrils burned to ashes amidst the Fiery Protective Ring, and when most of them were reduced to cinders, Xiao Buli jumped up and quickly hacked the barren stems into a pile of fragments.

 Chapter 471 - 49: The Evolution of the Python_2

    After dealing with those vexing vines, Xiao Buli finally got the chance to properly "entertain" the instigator of it all, the Serpent Demon standing inside the cave.


    Of the twenty or so Serpent Demons originally inside the cave, only it remained aloft, seemingly a high and mighty emperor. From their behavior, Xiao Buli could roughly guess that the Serpent Demons residing in the cave evidently held a higher status than those in the large pits, although he didn''t know whether they possessed intelligence or language amongst themselves. However, from the way those Serpent Demons saluted the ones in the cave upon first sight, it was clear they held respect for those Cave Serpent Demons.


    And just now, by sacrificing their bodies, they awakened some kind of protective Array. Xiao Buli guessed they were probably like priests within their species¡ªknowing that in some minority ethnic groups or foreign tribes, priests occupy an irreplaceable position within the tribe, sometimes even wielding more influence than the tribe leaders themselves.


    Unfortunately for them, they had underestimated Xiao Buli''s strength. It seemed that whatever they were trying to activate with those Magic Vines, even though their power had been multiplied several times over, they turned into mere dross in the face of Divine Equipment.


    And that largest Serpent Demon, still remaining inside the cave, was clearly their leader¡ªperhaps it was even the king of their ancient era.


    Xiao Buli slowly turned his head back and watched as the Serpent Demon inside the cave writhed madly, moving erratically back and forth¡ªsimilar to how a person might pace back and forth on the ground in extreme anger or agitation. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Raising his hand, Xiao Buli provocatively crooked his finger at the Serpent Demon at the entrance of the cave shrine, the gesture clearly implying, "Come on out if you''ve got what it takes."


    Seeing Xiao Buli''s gesture, the Serpent Demon seemed to erupt with fury, opening its gaping mouth to scream in Xiao Buli''s direction¡ªa sound that seemed as much a threat as it did fear, the kind of terror that turns into rage when pushed to the extreme.


    Xiao Buli didn''t know if it was anger, but he saw it vehemently pull out a quaint and unique dagger from nowhere, glaring in his direction as if consumed by hatred, and plunged it into its own body.


    Wow, Xiao Buli wasn''t surprised by its actions at all¡ªthose Serpent Demons were quite adept at self-harm, sharing a striking resemblance to the Samurai of a certain island nation who readily commit seppuku. Was this another attempt to Summon some great monster?


    Xiao Buli adjusted his stance, shield in front and blade ready, steadfastly facing in the direction of the Serpent Demon. Though his earlier provocation had been thrilling, Xiao Buli did not want to appear as confident as he had shown. He knew that the reason he easily resolved the vine situation was not that the Serpent Demons were particularly weak, but rather that he happened to have the equipment suited for restraining such plant-like monsters. Had it been an ordinary person, a team of a dozen to twenty people might have been annihilated. Not to mention the tough exterior of those vines and their immense strength made them already challenging to deal with. Yet, with things having reached this point, he had no choice but to brace himself and face it head-on.


    Xiao Buli''s eyes were unblinkingly fixed on the Serpent Demon inside the cave, observing it forcefully dragging the blade it had stabbed into itself to the side, apparently to let out more blood. This odd quirk oddly mirrored that of the Samurai during seppuku, who would slice horizontally.


    Grinning with gritted teeth, Xiao Buli watched its face twist with bulging veins due to the effort. He genuinely wished he could end its pain swiftly. Soon, Xiao Buli noticed something amiss; the blood, following the flow of the body at first without pattern, began to stream along certain traces etched into the rock. The flow would shift sideways at times, and at other instances in a straight diagonal line. Gradually, a bizarre pattern drawn by fresh blood began to appear on the stone wall before Xiao Buli, and he thought to himself that it was coming.


    And surely enough, as the last line of the pattern was filled with fresh blood amidst the rain, the entire Array suddenly seemed to come to life. Those red lines darkened, and then the Array started to rotate, at first slowly, in circles, steadily speeding up. Xiao Buli suddenly felt a flash before his eyes¡ªthe rain screen that was just in front of him suddenly shifted. Not only that, the blood and rainwater that had originally scattered around the bodies of the twenty or so Serpent Demons began to coalesce towards the cave. The blood attracted as though iron filings to a magnet, converging inside the cave.


    All the liquid near Xiao Buli seemingly gathered toward the body of the Serpent Demon, slowly forming flesh and bone around it. The material turned from transparent to corporeal, layer by layer enveloping its body.


    "Perhaps we should make a run for it," Heart Demon''s voice once again resounded in Xiao Buli''s mind.


    "Why do you have such a different personality from the previous one? Show some courage, will you?" Xiao Buli inhaled deeply and spoke with ease to the Heart Demon. He had no intention of leaving before figuring out what exactly was in the large pit. However, that Lava Giant Python sure took a long time inside, and if it weren''t for a faint connection they still shared, Xiao Buli could have sworn it was done for in there.

 Chapter 472 - 49: The Evolution of the Python_3

    In that moment of hesitancy, the Serpent Demon inside the cave had completed its transformation. The narrow cave could no longer contain its expansive body, and it had fallen to the ground outside. Xiao Buli stared at the giant snake, which was a staggering hundred meters from head to tail, and was left absolutely dumbfounded.


    Above the head of the giant snake floated a name in dark gold¡ª "The Projection of the Evil God Amara".


    The Evil God Amara! Xiao Buli''s heart thumped wildly at the sight of these words, but as soon as he saw the word "Projection", he let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that this was too much of a scare, like being on a roller coaster.


    Xiao Buli had good reason to feel relieved. He had encountered the projections of gods once or twice before, and thankfully, their abilities did not match their impressive names. It was clear that this Evil God Amara could not possibly be as powerful as the Ancient God Zhurong. He guessed that Amara was probably only a bit stronger than the Ancient Divine Descendants he had met before. Since it was also just a projection, it likely wasn''t that powerful.


    "Don''t celebrate too early, tough guy. I think your situation is pretty bleak. Do you want me to take over your body so you won''t have to feel the pain of dying?" the Heart Demon said gleefully in Xiao Buli''s mind.


    "Should I be thanking you then?" Xiao Buli spat out through clenched teeth.


    "YOU ARE WELCOME."


    Though he put on a brave face, Xiao Buli wasn''t feeling very optimistic. His True Yuan energy was nearly depleted after the continuous battles, and his Magical Treasure had almost run out of energy, especially the Giant Spirit Scepter, which had a daily usage limit. Clearly, even if his crystal coffin could produce more Zombies, he couldn''t enhance them any further.


    His only reliance now were the molten lava barricade in his hand and the Heart of the Earth on his body, which provided strong defenses. But the monster in front of him was made of water, and water and fire were incompatible. With its size, it could easily crush the molten lava barricade with a pop.


    Although he still had a few Ultimate Skills left, they would likely be ineffective against such a massive beast. Should he use this chance to flee while he still had some True Yuan left or should he continue to fight? Xiao Buli was struggling with this decision internally, but if he were to flee, could he be certain that it wouldn''t pursue him? Seeing the mountain of snake corpses behind him, he really didn''t have that confidence.


    Perhaps he should also jump into the giant pit and look for his own giant python, but that would truly corner him. As he was thinking this, Xiao Buli suddenly saw a green light flash from inside the pit, and a sense of unprecedented exhilaration surged from the bottom of his heart. This was the sensation transmitted back from the giant python. It seemed that his guess was not wrong; even if it wasn''t the Demon Star below, it was something that could strengthen him. If he fled now, all his efforts would be in vain, and he hadn''t even found the Divine Tomb yet. If he ever did, how could his current self be ready for it? With these thoughts, Xiao Buli steeled his resolve. No matter what, he had to ensure that the giant python, this powerful ally, grew stronger quickly. Taking some risks was worth it.


    Having made up his mind, Xiao Buli noticed that the Evil God seemed to be agitated by the green light in the pit. It let out a fierce howl, and this time, the sound truly pierced to the bone. Xiao Buli hadn''t even started to fight back, but he already felt he was at a disadvantage.


    Xiao Buli gritted his teeth and stood fast, but his health bar inevitably dropped a little. Nine Heavens Thunder Fire Sword! As he launched the flying sword into the sky, Xiao Buli thought to himself, could this be the legendary Lion''s Roar Skill? How could it possibly cause one to lose health just by the sound of it? Truly an Evil God, with a sinister divinity.


    Although he was deep in thought, Xiao Buli didn''t delay his actions. As the sacred sword returned, a thunderbolt struck the Evil God, instantly creating a blaze of light and shadow effects. The bright lightning and the purple arcs were nearly blinding, and Xiao Buli cursed internally, noticing that such intense light hadn''t burst forth before. It seemed to be a reaction between the thunderbolt and something on the Evil God.


    Despite this, Xiao Buli was pleased to see a number indicating health loss rise up amid the brilliant light, -78. Well then, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and one must not stop striving just because one loses only a little health.


    Xiao Buli unleashed another Ultimate Skill, Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds! To boost his morale, Xiao Buli shouted the name of the skill, and sword lights fluttered across the field like countless fireflies, stirring up a sudden gust of wind ¡ª this was the origin of the name Wind Rolls The Scattered Clouds.


    -79. But he couldn''t help but feel as if fate was mocking him; this Evil God was entirely different from the projections he had encountered before, with a defense outrageously high. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli landed on the ground, helplessly watching the Evil God Amara towering above him with a sinister laugh, seemingly brewing a deadly attack against Xiao Buli, the insignificant ant. This Evil God looked completely different from the snake monster earlier, its face was just that of a fierce-looking man, without fangs or tangled muscles, and carrying the build of a muscular man above the waist. However, the snake body below was larger in proportion than that of the serpent demon from before.


    Xiao Buli had not yet had time to estimate the length of the snake''s body when he saw Amara''s fist, like a massive hammer, suddenly lifted high and then smashed down heavily towards Xiao Buli.


    Given its height, although the attack was sudden, it would still take about half a second to hit the ground. In that moment, Xiao Buli, with his impressive gaming skills and physical reflexes, immediately turned and ran backwards, successfully avoiding the attack range of the fist.

 Chapter 473 - 49: The Evolution of the Python_4

    But when such a massive punch came down, although it didn''t hit directly, Xiao Buli was still sent flying outward by the fist''s wind and the ground''s vibrations, as if a bomb had just exploded right behind him.


    Xiao Buli''s body fell heavily to the ground, and a -234 damage symbol rose above his head.


    "Damn, you''ve got to be kidding me?" Xiao Buli nearly cursed out loud. Never mind the huge disparity in health bars between him and Amara, he only lost a few dozen points with all his effort, and yet a casual punch from the kid seemed to drop several hundred off his health. How on earth was that scientific? But clearly, in this game, science had no standing. Not yet recovered from the shock or even back on his feet, Xiao Buli saw Amara spin around, and its enormous tail came smacking down towards him. For a boss to do a combo was just shameful.


    Without time to curse this damned game and its system, Xiao Buli, with his face covered in mud and looking utterly wretched, rolled and scrambled to the side to avoid the attack. This time, thankfully, the loss of health wasn''t as excessive, but even so, a -135 character still rose above his head.


    "OH, MY GOD, I can hardly bear to watch anymore. Are we really going to be killed by such an ugly serpent? Speaking of which, shouldn''t we run away quickly while we still have True Yuan?" complained Heart Demon.


    "You really lack spirit," Xiao Buli couldn''t believe how different this Heart Demon was from the previous one, but he was quite willing to bicker with it a bit. "By the way, your English is painfully bad."


    Xiao Buli, panting heavily, once again dodged Amara''s sweeping tail and glanced at his nearly depleted True Yuan. It was better to save this bit of True Yuan for escaping; Xiao Buli was reluctant to use it on any more powerful moves.


    As he was embarrassingly trying to think of ways to delay time by running and jumping, a sudden gust of wind came from behind. Xiao Buli''s heart jumped to his throat¡ªit must be another one.


    Hurriedly ducking, he saw a huge shadow sweep over his head and charge towards Amara in the middle of the field. The moment the two shadows met, a thunderous ''bang'' erupted.


    Xiao Buli looked up and almost shouted for joy; in fact, he might actually have shouted, but clearly, the sounds of the two massive beings clashing in the field were much louder than his voice.


    He saw a gigantic serpent¡ªor perhaps more accurately, a dragon¡ªabout seventy to eighty meters long and completely covered in dark scales. Xiao Buli noticed that its scales were similar to those on the five golden dragons he had seen in the Heavenly Palace, except that it had two pairs of strong dragon claws protruding near the front and the back of its body. Xiao Buli did not doubt that one day he might truly ride it through the skies to show off.


    However, the only pity was that his head was not very similar to that of a real dragon, to begin with. Its mouth resembled that of a crocodile rather than a horse. The distance between the nose and the face was somewhat long, and atop his head were not the traditional antlers but a pair of ox horn-like horns, which did have a bit of a demonic look to them. Combined with the dark crimson scales covering his entire body, he looked as though he had just burrowed out of hell. Although he couldn''t look closely yet, Xiao Buli was already extremely satisfied with this form. Moreover, Xiao Buli suddenly noticed that the giant python he had been wrestling with had opened its huge mouth. From the seemingly deep abyss of its throat, a massive ball of flame burst forth. It was not lava, but through the density of the flame and the searing heat he could still feel from such a distance, Xiao Buli knew it was the true Fiery Dragon''s Breath.


    He had a dragon!!!


    This excitement made Xiao Buli not even have time to watch the fight on the field. In his mind, there was only his glittering Divine Dragon descending from the sky, a few puffs of Dragon Breath sending the Evil God back to hell. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The defeated Evil God''s huge body dissolved into a pool of foul-smelling blood and water, like snow melting in boiling water, and disappeared without a trace, leaving only the corpse of the giant Serpent Demon with its eyes still wide open in death.


    But at this moment, Xiao Buli''s attention was not on these things. Excited, he ran toward the giant python. The giant python, which had just gone through a bloody battle, squirmed a couple of times on the ground and shook its body, then suddenly turned its head. A flash of murderous intent flitted across its fiery red eyes, chilling Xiao Buli, who had been running toward it, and he stopped dead in his tracks. For a moment, Xiao Buli almost thought it was going to pounce on him, but after about a few seconds, he felt the python''s body relax from the tension of the battle. Its eyes were no longer blood-red but had turned into a bright yellow, akin to molten lava. Whether it was the system''s restraint or his own master''s charm, the giant python ultimately did not act hostile and obediently lay down in front of Xiao Buli.


    It was then that Xiao Buli heaved a sigh of relief and looked carefully around. The giant python had grown significantly in both length and girth since the original, and Xiao Buli had to circle it once to get a clear view of its entire body. The issues he had seen during the battle were indeed present, such as the crocodile-like snout and the ox-like horns. But what surprised and pleased Xiao Buli was the pair of thin wings growing from the back of the giant python, which looked very much like those of the dragons in foreign legends, the kind that fly. However, for a python of its size, these thin wings seemed somewhat disappointing.


    "Spread them out, let''s see," Xiao Buli communicated to it.


    The giant python obediently spread its wings, indeed just as Xiao Buli thought, if these wings could lift the python''s seventy to eighty-meter body, then he could grab a dragonfly to fly up to the sky. However, the wings did not seem to be purely decorative, probably capable of gliding. After staring at the glossy black scales on the python for a long time, Xiao Buli reluctantly called it back.


    With the joy that the giant python brought him, Xiao Buli sat cross-legged on the spot, beginning to restore his True Yuan. He didn''t know what dangers awaited him on the journey ahead, so maintaining his best condition at all times was the key to an unbeatable position.


    "By the way, can we be friends?" With nothing better to do, Xiao Buli suddenly spoke in his mind to the Heart Demon, feeling that although its appearance was somewhat annoying and hard to accept, its personality was not that bad. Thinking of how Gu Shaobang insisted that the Heart Demon and he were good friends, Xiao Buli suddenly thought maybe he could look at this matter from a different perspective.


    "Eh... friends?" The Heart Demon was clearly very surprised by Xiao Buli''s suggestion, "Have you gone mad? I am you, how can you befriend yourself." Speaking with a very disdainful tone, the Heart Demon went off to play. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote, your monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 474 - 50: Paradise Island

    Xiao Buli turned misfortune into fortune. His already powerful pet, the Lava Giant Python, was strengthened into a Giant Dragon after obtaining the body of the Demon Star. Once its True Origin Points fully recovered, Xiao Buli set off on his journey again. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rest of the road was not much different than before, but this time, with the Lava Giant Dragon, Xiao Buli would summon it every time they encountered monsters in order to understand its skills and attributes. For one, the frequent contact between the man and dragon would foster their bond, and secondly, it provided an opportunity to evaluate the dragon''s strength. After several encounters, Xiao Buli was almost certain he had acquired a treasure. Monsters in the Barbaric Wastelands almost only had the option to flee upon seeing the Giant Dragon. Occasionally, one or two stronger ones would barely manage to fight it, but they wouldn''t last more than a minute before ending up in the dragon''s stomach.


    After traveling for about three or four more days, the situation remained under Xiao Buli''s control. However, he started to feel that the Barbaric Wastelands seemed to be getting hotter, and as the temperature rose, the lush plants in front of him gradually thinned. After walking for another day, the fog and poisonous mist in the sky had completely disappeared. Xiao Buli summoned the Immortal Crane and flew up, "Phew, I can finally fly!" Xiao Buli rode the Immortal Crane, soaring in the vast blue sky. Looking back, the cloud-wrapped airspace was far behind him.


    The flight distance of the Immortal Crane was limited by Physical Strength, so after flying for a while, they had to rest. By flying and resting intermittently for another five days, Xiao Buli finally left the area covered by the Barbaric Forest. The sky ahead was clear and empty, "I shouldn''t need to walk anymore, right? The map of the jungle is really hard to navigate."


    While thinking this, Xiao Buli looked down and was shocked. The green extended forward for a while, but then gradually faded, turning into a wilderness of yellow and green sand. This sandy wilderness didn''t extend far either. Further ahead, only the dim yellow color of the desert remained. Behind this stretch of Barbaric Forest was an endless expanse of vast desert. It caught Xiao Buli by surprise; no wonder the clouds and mist had disappeared. Over a desert where not even grass grew, it would be strange to find any clouds or fog.


    Flying along, Xiao Buli soon came to the edge of the jungle, but by this time, the Immortal Crane was at the end of its Physical Strength and had to stop there. Xiao Buli sat in the shade of the forest trees to recover his Physical Strength and cool off.


    Xiao Buli found an amusing place: here, the tropical jungle and the desert were as distinct as water from oil, as if the two regions were neatly separated by a straight cut. On one side of the forest, it was unbearably humid and hot, and as soon as Xiao Buli stepped onto the desert side, a wave of dry heat immediately swept over him. With the land beneath his feet as the boundary, the two sides each had distinct temperatures and humidity due to their different maps. This bizarre scene, which would not occur in reality, was now vividly presented before him.


    System notification: You have discovered the "Endless Desert."


    Oh crap, could this be the boundary of the map? Xiao Buli was somewhat speechless, thinking that this was too far-fetched. After all, though the skills and settings in most games are detached from reality, the environments within them always strive for realism. Especially in 3D games, whether it be grasslands or seas, such abrupt separations would not occur.


    But why did such terrain appear in a game that could be mistaken for reality? Does this kind of map have some deeper meaning? Xiao Buli sat in the shade on this side, staring blankly at the yellow sand in front of him. Occasionally a whirlwind would blow by, kicking up a lot of sand to form a tiny vortex, yet it would stop as if it hit an invisible wall at the edge of the forest.


    Xiao Buli did not immediately move on, because the size of this desert was indeterminable, and based on the name "Endless Desert", it was definitely not small. Inside the desert, it wasn''t the same as in the jungle where Xiao Buli didn''t need to worry about food. Xiao Buli was currently entering the game with his Spirit, and if there were no food to eat inside the game, it wasn''t just about running out of Physical Strength, there was also hunger to contend with.


    Xiao Buli took stock of his backpack, which still had a decent amount of food left, but faced with the endless consumption of the desert, it didn''t seem very optimistic. He felt it would be better to take precautions and resupply in advance.


    As for this crappy Barbaric Forest, Xiao Buli naturally didn''t expect to run into an NPC selling food. However, luckily his dissection and gathering skills had both reached LV10, so collecting food in the rainforest wasn''t an issue, let alone now that he had a storage bracelet. With it, he could stock up on food, and getting through the desert shouldn''t be too difficult.


    Having made his decision, Xiao Buli stood up and returned to the depths of the jungle, believing that there would be more food there. However, this meant wasting a lot of time, and until now he had been moving longitudinally through the jungle. Now, Xiao Buli was quite interested in traversing it laterally to see if he could find other discoveries. With this in mind, he walked along the edge of the desert and jungle toward the east to see if he could find a good gathering spot or something else.


    Although this area was the junction of desert and forest, there were still many small animals. However, animals in the Barbarian Wilderness had been irradiated by the Demon Star, so most had mutated. Although it was all happening inside the game, Xiao Buli, after all, was a normal human and had no desire to eat giant rats or huge beetles resembling cockroaches, so being selective with food was also a test of patience.

 Chapter 475 - 50: Paradise Island_2

    Splashing through, a strange noise suddenly came from the bushes on the left. Xiao Buli hurriedly ran toward the sound, activating his Qinggong without making too much noise, gently parted the branches, and a wild rabbit the size of a calf appeared before him.


    "Luck is not bad," Xiao Buli thought to himself, but he dared not act rashly.


    This kind of large wild rabbit was one of the few animals in the forest that did not attack proactively and belonged to the lower end of the food chain. However, as the saying goes, when God closes a door, he opens a window. Although this rabbit was like a mobile meat depot, its daunting speed made it troublesome. So, despite its clumsy appearance, this rabbit had a rather cool name: Lightning Rabbit.


    Xiao Buli had previously seen such rabbits in the forest, and even when he used Cloud Thunder Leap, it had still managed to escape. He blamed it on the high vantage point of Cloud Thunder Leap, as it had been difficult to see the rabbit''s escape route clearly. But at that time, Xiao Buli didn''t need the rabbit to deal with his own food shortage. However, now, the rabbit seemed much more important to him than before, so he decided to change his strategy.


    The gray-black rabbit kept wriggling its half-sized mouth, eating while warily looking around. Occasionally, it would thump and drag its fat behind to change position. Just looking at its clumsy, fat appearance, who would have thought it could run so fast.


    Xiao Buli had never truly hunted before, but he knew of a pocket formation spell, commonly used by groups of hunters to encircle their prey. They surrounded the game from three directions, but they did not use deadly force, and constantly herded the game to drive it towards a predetermined escape route. What appeared to be a way out was actually a path to death, where sharpshooters lay in ambush to kill the unsuspecting prey with a single shot.


    Although Xiao Buli seemed to be alone, turning into four was not difficult. He picked his directions, planned his moves in his mind, and in a flash, he used Chaotic Shadow Split and three clones appeared swiftly at three different points.


    The real him went invisible and blocked the fourth position. Startled by the sudden disturbance, the rabbit ¨C as mentioned before, belonging to the bottom of the food chain in the Barbaric Forest ¨C did the only thing it knew when facing any threat: it bolted. Almost simultaneously, its plump body catapulted forward.


    But, just as it dashed away, a sword was already waiting on its inevitable path.


    Electro-Light Sword!


    The blade pierced straight into the rabbit''s body, killing it instantly.


    Xiao Buli secured his weapon and happily dissected the rabbit''s carcass. Looking at the growing meat pile in his backpack, he thought to himself that this should solve his food needs for about ten days.


    After dissecting the rabbit, he continued forward. Roughly fifteen minutes later, the trees suddenly opened up, and Xiao Buli found himself facing a moderately sized high ground. But all this was not enough to capture his attention. What surprised him was that around the mound, there was a wall made of wood and beast bones, about three meters high, obscuring the view of the other side. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In this place, at the edge of the Barbaric Forest, why was there such a fortress-like area? Could it be, like the ancient city he encountered earlier, another relic? Xiao Buli walked around the wall for a while, noticing it was very sturdily built. Although some of the trees making up the wall had sprouted anew due to the damp weather, it seemed that the structure had not been abandoned.


    "Welcome to Paradise Island, traveler from afar," a melodious and rhythmic voice suddenly rang out above him, startling Xiao Buli, who looked up.


    The face of a man with a beard merging into his hair appeared above him, peering over the wall at Xiao Buli. It seemed that the facade of the wall was the head of this village.


    "Uh, hello, I''m just passing through, looking for some water to drink," Xiao Buli replied offhand, thinking this NPC appeared to be a friendly neutral unit. However, the sudden presence of a person in such a place couldn''t help but arouse suspicion in him.


    The bearded head, upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, didn''t seem particularly happy or sad but continued in his uniquely operatic tone, "We have sweet coconut juice for your consumption, and if you''re hungry, there are various fresh fruits and jerkies, all free to enjoy." Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief, concluding that this NPC must be low-level, without independent thought, and likely posed no danger.


    Guided by the NPC, Xiao Buli walked a short distance further, turned a corner, and suddenly the view opened up. He saw a large gate with the words "Paradise Island" crookedly formed out of wood. The tall wooden doors were wide open, as though welcoming him. The bearded head was now standing beneath the city gate, arms wide open in a welcoming gesture. Upon seeing Xiao Buli approach, he immediately bowed and extended a hand in an exaggeratedly welcoming motion, making Xiao Buli feel as if he was still inside an opera house.

 Chapter 476 - 50: Paradise Island_3

    However, after taking a tour around, Xiao Buli was truly amazed in his heart. The surrounding walls of the highland were obviously designed to fend off fierce beasts, and the scene inside was a sight to behold. The village built by these people was extraordinarily beautiful. As the local climate was rather hot and humid, it was conducive to plant growth. Dense greenery was visible everywhere, with large patches of exotic flowers and strange herbs. They had diverted a river from the rainforest, digging a trench on the desert side. The water flowed into the trench and unexpectedly created a beach, resembling a vacation resort. The river was crystal clear, and there were plenty of villagers leisurely enjoying themselves on the sandy beach. Owing to the clear division of the rainforest and the desert on this map, a bizarre yet picturesque scene had formed¡ªa beach with a dense forest. These people sunbathed on the beach, and if they got hot, they dashed to the shade under the trees on the jungle side, lying on wooden rocking chairs, sipping coconut juice through straws, and munching on fruits and meats collected from the rainforest. They all seemed to be enjoying life to the fullest. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli strolled around the village twice, immediately becoming infected with the relaxed atmosphere. Laying on a bench by the river and sipping coconut juice, Xiao Buli suddenly felt that something was out of place. If he remembered correctly, wasn''t the setting of this game supposed to be based on ancient Chinese immortal heroes? Why did everything before his eyes seem more like a Hawaiian beach?


    "Hey, this place is really beautiful, huh?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but speak to the NPC who had been accompanying him.


    Upon hearing this, the NPC revealed a smile. Xiao Buli sat beside him when suddenly it felt as if he had been electrocuted. Just now, the NPC''s smile had seemed eerily familiar to him, but that feeling was fleeting. In the blink of an eye, the NPC, with a face full of hair, transformed back into the simple and good-natured uncle with a voice that was an octave too high.


    "Haha, as one of the founders here, I really love the scenery," the uncle said cheerily to Xiao Buli. But it was his gaze and his gestures that Xiao Buli suddenly found exceedingly familiar.


    "So you''re the village head?" Xiao Buli asked, his eyes fixating on a badge on the village head''s chest which had turned somewhat blurry from age.


    "Of course, everything in this village was built by me," he said.


    "Could you please tell me your story?" Xiao Buli set down his coconut, a thought gradually forming in his mind.


    "Certainly, it was a very, very long time ago. We, the Green Dragon Adventure Group, set off to find the legendary Pangu''s Tomb. To cross the entire Barbaric Wastelands, we sacrificed more than a dozen teammates. Eventually, we arrived here, but an endless desert blocked our path. By then, only a few of us remained. If we were to enter the desert, we''d face certain doom, yet the thought of going back through the other side of the Barbarian Wilderness left us courageless. In the end, with no choice left, we decided to settle here. We dug rivers, built houses, and constructed defensive walls, which granted us temporary peace..." The village head rambled on with a long-winded recount of his experience, but Xiao Buli was no longer interested in listening. He observed the surrounding NPCs, each of whom wore a content smile on their faces.


    He hadn''t noticed before, but as he looked closer, he began to see the shadows of the original Green Dragon Group in them. Wu Tao, who was always in the front line as a tank in dungeons, was now dressed in a plain blue robe and a large bamboo hat, the garb of an old farmer, tending to flowers planted to beautify the environment. He was now an elite NPC with a blue name.


    Zhang Hao, originally from the White Tiger Division, had become what he was now because of the company merging two groups. Had he not convinced everyone to rebel with him or joined the Azure Dragon Division, maybe he would have never ended up like this. There he was, lying on a lounger in the shade, holding a large coconut, his figure distorted by excess weight. If not for Xiao Buli''s careful scrutiny, nobody would have recognized him as the once weak and somber Yin Yang Sorcerer. Now, he wore a blissful smile, looking at Hua Yueying beside him, who had also put on weight. It seemed they had become a couple, most likely just because the system wanted them to be together. Now one bearing a deep blue name and the other a silver one, their current fighting prowess was probably not as formidable as it was when they reached these levels.


    No wonder they had made it through the Barbaric Forest, for they had already been a group with significant fighting ability. Unfortunately, they were unable to escape the fate of becoming NPCs. Perhaps when they had initially stepped into this forest, they carried with them endless hope¡ªhope to eventually find the Temple, to call back the wavering spirits to clarity.


    Yaoyao, Wu Tao, Yi Lian... Xiao Buli recognized these people one by one. Suddenly, an entirely unfamiliar woman caught his eye. She was petite and stood out starkly compared to the slightly overweight life-loving members of the Azure Dragon Group, cheerfully bustling about to fetch things for everyone, preparing food.

 Chapter 477 - 50: Paradise Island_4

    "Who is she?" Xiao Buli asked, pointing at the girl''s retreating figure. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, that''s my sister," the village chief beside him said, as Xiao Buli turned to look at his unkempt-bearded face.


    "Huh, you''re actually Zhang Yaoyang?" Xiao Buli finally recognized the village chief. Was this the leader of the Green Dragon Group, the very Zhang Yaoyang who was all about the fiery pursuit of his beloved sister? It seemed he had indeed fulfilled his wish, but wasn''t the price he paid a bit too steep?


    As Xiao Buli was lost in his thoughts, suddenly there was commotion among everyone: "Retreat, retreat, monsters are coming."


    Everyone dropped what they were holding and sprinted towards the desert, Xiao Buli hadn''t yet reacted when Zhang Yaoyang dragged him into the desert area. As soon as they stepped onto the sand, everyone stopped and turned back to listen to the noises outside the stockade walls. Soon, they heard the unwilling howls of the creatures, getting fainter and fainter. Xiao Buli then noticed something strange: their tall stockade walls enclosed only half of the village. On the desert side, it was completely open.


    Xiao Buli immediately understood the significance of this. It seemed that the monsters were restrained by the system and couldn''t enter the terrain of the Endless Desert. The seemingly tall stockade walls were just their first line of defense; it was the system rules they really relied on.


    "But are there no monsters on this side of the desert?" Although he had a vague idea, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but ask.


    "The desert? Monsters? Hahaha," Zhang Yaoyang laughed heartily, "There''s nothing in this desert but endless sand. Just go forward and you''ll see for yourself. No matter how far you go, all you''ll ever see is desert¡ªboundless and never-ending."


    "Have you ventured inside?" It sounded like Zhang Yaoyang had some understanding of the desert.


    "Indeed, we walked for three days and three nights, but apart from the endless sand, we saw no hope. Eventually, we had no choice but to turn back, except for..." Zhang Yaoyang stopped there, seemingly finding it very difficult to look back on that past event.


    "Except for what?" Xiao Buli asked eagerly.


    "Except for Bai Yunfei," Zhang Yaoyang''s sister suddenly interjected from behind Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli turned around and saw her eyes burning with intensity as she looked at him. From her expression, Xiao Buli sensed, "You have a mind of your own?" he tentatively asked.


    The girl''s eyes were filled with complex emotions, as if she had endless things to say but found it difficult to articulate. In that moment, Xiao Buli for the first time believed why everyone said that eyes could speak.


    Finally, the girl said, "I don''t understand what you mean, but they took great risks to search for me when I was lost. They are all my friends. If you are going into the Endless Desert, could you help me find Bai Yunfei? I will assist you as much as I can." Her tone was stiff, and her words were as formulaic as standard NPC dialogue, but looking into her complex gaze, Xiao Buli knew that there must be a real soul inside her head.


    "Okay, thank you. I will definitely find him and help you find yourself," Xiao Buli said seriously, staring into her eyes. He believed that if he could just find the Divine Tomb, perhaps in solving the Heart Demon, he could also help this girl regain her own consciousness. A hint of tearfulness flickered through her eyes, then she took Xiao Buli to their vegetable garden. Xiao Buli noted that although the Green Dragon Group hadn''t been in the game for long, their food supply was substantial, probably due to system settings. They cultivated their own vegetables, fruits, and grains, and raised some edible animals. Xiao Buli filled his storage bracelet as much as possible; after all, he was about to face the Endless Desert, and this was not a time for courtesy.


    Xiao Buli hugged each of them goodbye, although some seemed unimpressed by this sudden warmth. After bidding farewell to brothers he had once fought alongside, Xiao Buli once again set out on his journey, Bai Yunfei, I wonder if you''re still alive. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it at qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 478 - 51 Endless Desert

    With a thunderous roar, in the vast and scorching desert, a bolt of lightning struck straight down upon the dunes. Amidst the explosion, the sand burst in all directions. When the lightning and dust settled, the figure of a man kneeling on the dunes gradually became visible.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t striking this pose to look cool; it was simply because the repeated cycles of flying and landing had left his muscles stiff and sore. At that moment, he knelt on the scorching sand, gasping for air, his sweat having been baked dry. It felt to him as if he were in the midst of a giant oven, not a drop of moisture left to him. After a while, Xiao Buli still could not muster the strength to stand up and had no choice but to sit cross-legged under the fierce sun, his legs trembling from dehydration and overexertion.


    Xiao Buli forced himself to calm down, and as the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture circulated, the True Origin Force within him began to slowly recover. This made him feel somewhat better, as he no longer had no physical strength at all. After a while of recovery, Xiao Buli got up, moved to the shade of a nearby dune, and sat down. At least here, he could escape the sun''s scorching heat.


    As he replenished his True Origin Points, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but reflect on his journey over the past few days. It seemed that aside from flying and rushing through the vast, boundless desert, he''d done nothing else. The Immortal Crane had been somewhat useful for the first two days, but starting the third day, its recovery time for stamina became increasingly slow. Moreover, as soon as one entered the desert, both humans and the Immortal Crane alike were afflicted with a debuff called ''Endless Fatigue,'' which meant shorter flight times and longer recovery periods. Out of necessity, Xiao Buli began using Cloud Thunder Leap, taking turns casting spells with the Immortal Crane, trying to keep himself airborne as much as possible to significantly shorten the time spent in the desert. However, after six days of flight, even in the sky, Xiao Buli had not seen even a hint of the boundary. Could this desert truly be as its name suggested¡ªendless?


    Besides the lengthy journey, the most despairing and unbearable thing for Xiao Buli was the monotony of the scenery: sand, more sand, and nothing else. Not to speak of an oasis, he hadn''t even come across a single large rock, sometimes causing him to suspect that he was simply circling the same dune, perhaps not making any progress at all. There''s a condition called snow blindness, and Xiao Buli felt that if he continued to stare at this yellow sand, he might well develop sand blindness.


    So sometimes, unable to suppress his doubts, Xiao Buli would descend and walk for a bit. Only by seeing his footprints in the sand did he start to believe that he was truly moving forward.


    With a dry mouth, Xiao Buli didn''t even have enough saliva to spit. Reluctantly, he took out his water flask and drank a few sips. The lukewarm water that entered his mouth did little to comfort him. Looking at the air in front of him, slightly distorted by the heat, Xiao Buli gave up on the meditative pose and lay down. The harsh heat tormented him like the fires of hell itself. Maybe it was time to give up, he thought.


    A breeze arose, stirring up the dust into a vortex in the sky, settling onto Xiao Buli''s head.


    "Ptooey, ptooey," Xiao Buli spit fiercely trying to get rid of the sand in his mouth. "Damn it!" He couldn''t help but curse out loud, grabbing a clump of sand and flinging it forward. However, the dry dust blew right back into his face, thanks to the north wind, blinding him again. Xiao Buli no longer had the energy to vent or curse, and he collapsed back down, powerless.


    Ever since the "Endless Fatigue" debuff had been placed on him, the Stamina Points, Mana, Internal Energy, and Rage Value he consumed for all actions had increased by 10%. Even his True Origin Points were not spared, and with each passing day, this debuff stacked another layer. By today, he had accrued five layers, meaning that whatever he did, the consumption of True Origin Points was now 50% higher. If a few more days passed without leaving this place, it would become increasingly difficult.


    Even more deadly was the fact that the recovery of True Origin Points from the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture was getting slower and slower, probably due to the restriction of wood-attribute cultivation techniques in arid and scorching environments.


    Finally, when his True Origin Points were fully restored, though the water wasn''t palatable, Xiao Buli still drank a great deal, ate a few pieces of dried meat, and when he felt sufficiently recovered, he stepped out from behind the shadow of the dune and rose into the sky with a Cloud Thunder Leap.


    This flight lasted for over an hour, covering a distance of two to three hundred kilometers before he descended once more.


    Originally, one charge should have carried him over four hundred kilometers, but due to the hindrance of ''Endless Fatigue,'' the distance he could cover in one flight was getting shorter and shorter.


    And the time required for each recharge was getting longer, a trend that was anything but optimistic.


    If this continued, Xiao Buli felt he might actually go mad. After some thought, he decided to summon the Lava Giant Python to see if he could use it as a mount for a while. As soon as the python emerged from the Sealed Space, it seemed to relish the desert heat, rolling and frolicking in the sand like a dog that had not been let out in a long time before finally stopping in front of Xiao Buli. To be honest, its playful tumbling in the sand was utterly incongruent with its majestic Black Dragon image.


    Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 479 - 51 Endless Desert_2

    "Bored in there, huh?" Xiao Buli spoke to it, never having imagined that one day he would stoop to conversing with his own pet.


    Climbing onto the serpent''s head, he pulled out the Lava Barrier from his pack to shield himself. This reduced the amount of skin exposed to the scorching sun. He slowly crawled forward. At first, the Lava Giant Python moved fairly quickly, probably because it had just emerged and was still excited, but after a while, its pace significantly slowed down, presumably from boredom. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, this was much more comfortable than walking. Xiao Buli sat cross-legged on its massive skull, recovering his True Yuan while pondering his next move.


    Xiao Buli now felt he was growing weaker and weaker. Upon examining his pack, he found plenty of food but not much water left. Underestimating the desert''s demand for water and with limited space in his pack, he realized his preparation had been insufficient. It seemed a pipe dream to find water in this expanse of sand.


    While he was anxiously considering these problems, the giant serpent beneath him suddenly leapt up. Xiao Buli, caught off guard, was flung off from the head of the python. Fortunately, he landed on the soft sand and felt that the fall was not too severe, but the next second, he discovered an issue.


    The sand beneath his feet was not only soft, it felt excessively so. Stepping into it was like stepping into sludge, and when he tried to pull his leg out, he couldn''t. It was as if a giant maw clung tightly to his ankle. The python wasn''t in a much better situation; all four of its short limbs had sunk in, with only its long body floating above the sand, seemingly struggling to pull its legs out in order to glide away.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t too concerned; with his Earth Escape Skills, he had dissolved into the grains below. As long as he could move beyond this area and retract the python back into its seal, the problem would be solved. So, using the True Yuan points he had just recovered, he began to slide in the direction he had come from. Since the extent of the quicksand''s coverage was unknown, heading back seemed the wiser choice. Just as he started the turn beneath the sandy surface, Xiao Buli was stunned by the sight before him¡ªbelow, countless skeletons were stacked in layers, apparently the remains of creatures consumed by the quicksand in the past.


    But this was no time to worry about others. Xiao Buli angled his body and began to retrace his steps. Suddenly, a symbol indicating loss of health appeared above his head: -5. That was strange. Xiao Buli looked around; how could he lose health while using the Earth Escape technique?


    In a moment of hesitation, the numbers -7, -3, -4... appeared one after another, rising like bubbles. What was happening? Although the loss of health points was minuscule compared to Xiao Buli''s overall health, his situation was far from optimistic. Trapped in the quicksand of the Endless Desert, with a canopy of deadly quicksand above and inexplicably losing health non-stop, anxiety set in. Xiao Buli hastened forward, hoping to quickly leave the area, but the more anxious he became, the less coordinated his movements got, along with the debilitating DEBUFF weakening him even further.


    At that moment, the giant python above also began to show health loss symbols, with a much higher count than Xiao Buli''s, albeit with pitiful numbers: -1, -2, -1... This sight nearly drove Xiao Buli to curse out loud. Could it be something about this sandy area? But he had never heard of sand that could bite before.


    As Xiao Buli panicked, the giant python also became more anxious, restlessly writhing its body, obviously unable to pinpoint the cause of its health loss. Xiao Buli pushed on, dragging himself a few steps and surfacing from beneath the ground. Since they had just sunk into the quicksand, the safe area was not far away. Once he was sure of his footing, Xiao Buli''s heart finally settled.


    But red numbers continued to float above his head, -5, -6, endlessly indicating a loss of health. Xiao Buli hurriedly checked his body. To his shock, he discovered that countless tiny bloodsucking insects clung tightly to his legs. Each was the size of a small fingernail; some were shriveled, having just hitched a ride, while most were engorged with bright, red bellies full of blood. Xiao Buli flicked one with his finger¡ªthe fat, fleshy abdomen full of blood¡ªbut their teeth were deeply embedded in his legs, two pincer-like fangs dug in. Damn it, there''s no way to pull them off one by one.


    Then Xiao Buli remembered his Lava Barrier. He had stowed it away to use the Earth Escape skills, which would otherwise have prevented these little creatures from attacking. Hastily equipping it again, the Lava Barrier dealt an automatic 50 points of fire damage to attackers. Almost instantly, those troublesome critters that had caused Xiao Buli so much trouble vanished into ash with a "whoosh."


    Seeing no more health-depleting numbers, Xiao Buli looked up at the giant python. Even though it had not found the source of its damage, a shake of its scales sent out a blast of heat. The already desert-weary Xiao Buli felt an unbearable scorching sensation, like being roasted next to a furnace on a hot summer day. However, the python itself seemed much more comfortable. It appeared that the heat had scorched all the little insects to death.

 Chapter 480 - 51 Endless Desert_3

    After recalling the giant python into the Sealed Space, Xiao Buli lacked the energy to move forward; the current situation was quite bleak. Devoid of mood and fighting spirit, he found a shady spot and sprawled out on his back.


    Dehydration made his head begin to subtly ache.


    "Why suffer this torment?" The Heart Demon, who had been silent for a long time after Xiao Buli considered befriending it, finally spoke again. Perhaps it was the heat delirium, but Xiao Buli felt an odd sense of happiness upon hearing its voice.


    "For my brothers," Xiao Buli thought, thankful that he didn''t need to speak aloud to converse with the Heart Demon.


    "Really? (ÕæµÄ?) Isn''t it just to ease your own conscience? You feel guilty for dragging them down with you, so you''re just trying to make your own conscience feel better," the Heart Demon''s sharp words struck at the question Xiao Buli least wanted to face.


    "Why do you always speak English?" Xiao Buli started to ramble.


    "I am you, I know what you''re thinking. But don''t think you can change the subject. Before, there was some hope you could help them drive away their Heart Demons, but now you know that it''s an impossible mission. Not just for you, but also for Xuan Zhenzi who sent you to the Temple. I bet he''s facing the same problem now. Everyone who enters this game eventually encounters a Heart Demon. That''s an undeniable fact."


    "What exactly are you? What created you?" Xiao Buli knew it was telling the truth. He had thought about this problem before, but didn''t want to believe it. He preferred to think that Xuan Zhenzi ultimately escaped his Heart Demon, otherwise, thirty years of effort would have been in vain. Xiao Buli disliked such a conclusion. He would rather believe the current Heart Demon was a trick played by the one that left his body long ago.


    "I don''t know (ÎÒ²»ÖªµÀ). I just appeared like that, synced up with your memories, and possess a part of your personality. You ask why I like speaking English, I don''t know either. Sometimes it slips out, maybe because you used to like speaking it, or perhaps because your English passed level six? That''s all. I come from you, I am you, you are me." The voice of the Heart Demon somehow sounded melancholic, as if it too felt helpless about its fate.


    "Heh, do you all say that line? ''I am you, you are me.'' You slowly eat away at our thoughts until you replace us," Xiao Buli said weakly as he closed his eyes. He didn''t need to voice these words out loud. Whether it was fever-induced confusion or habit, he murmured to himself.


    "Hey, isn''t that our Elder Xiao?" A strange voice suddenly rang out above Xiao Buli''s head, causing him to snap open his eyes as a shadow blocked the scorching sunlight.


    Almost reflexively, Xiao Buli thrust with his feet, sliding backwards on the sandy ground, then leaped up, with the Glowing Light Sword in his right hand and his left behind the lava barrier, ready to fight. Only then did he see clearly what was in front of him: a group of about a dozen people, with four in front carrying what seemed like a litter, upon which a humanoid creature lay. However, its shape was a bit strange, its body and limbs wrapped in thick white cloth, making it resemble a freshly unearthed mummy, only two dark eyes and a small patch of pale skin visible below them.


    Looking closely at the four litter bearers and the dozen or so followers behind them, they matched the mummy quite splendidly. Each one wore tattered clothes, their faces withered, and large, hollow black eyes filled the sockets¡ªwhat appeared to be zombie-like dry corpses.


    He sent a Mind Revelation over, and a red name float above the mummy''s head read Bai Yunfei: (Silver ¡ª Leader) Undead.


    "Old Bai???!" Xiao Buli exclaimed in shock as soon as he saw the name. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Haha, never expected to actually encounter a living person. Elder Xiao, how did you get in here? Did you also join the game?" It seemed Bai Yunfei was equally excited to see Xiao Buli, but his body barely moved, as if his mobility was quite limited. Seeing him like this, Xiao Buli suddenly recalled the Empty Gentleman from the Journey to Demonic Subjugation; if Bai Yunfei weren''t wrapped in white cloth and instead wore it, he would look even more similar.


    "Old Bai, what''s with this get-up? And why the red name? Are you an NPC now or what?" Xiao Buli chose his words carefully to avoid ruining the moment of their reunion.


    "You mean ''monster''?" Bai Yunfei was not very sensitive about the word. "Yeah, I''m already dead, now an Undead Monster. This outfit was given by the system, how''s that, pretty cool, right?" Although he joked, Xiao Buli heard the resignation in his voice. Entering the game with Zhang Yaoyang, Bai Yunfei couldn''t have imagined this day would come, but it seemed he was faring better than Zhang Yaoyang and the rest.


    "You still have autonomous consciousness? How did you manage that?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but ask.


    "Let''s find a cooler place to talk. Although I can no longer feel anything, I bet you must be struggling, right?" Bai Yunfei spoke, and the zombies stirred to life, moving far more nimbly compared to their previous stationary, branch-like stillness.


    Xiao Buli jumped in surprise, but relaxed when he realized the zombies were simply carrying Bai Yunfei forward.


    "Don''t worry, they obey my commands. Come with me," Bai Yunfei called out without looking back, and Xiao Buli hurried to follow. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 481 - 51 Endless Desert

    With a roar of thunder, in the open and scorching desert, a bolt of lightning struck straight down onto a sand dune, exploding and sending sand flying in all directions. As the lightning and dust settled, the figure of a person half-kneeling on the sand dune gradually became visible.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t trying to strike a cool pose on purpose; it was just that the repeated flying and landing had left his muscles stiff and aching. At this moment, he was gasping for breath, kneeling on the scorching sand. His sweat had already evaporated, making him feel as though he was inside a giant oven, with not a single drop of water left for him. After a long time, Xiao Buli still couldn''t muster the strength to stand up, so he had no choice but to sit cross-legged under the scorching sun, his legs shaking due to dehydration and overexertion.


    Xiao Buli forced himself to calm down, and with the circulation of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, his True Origin Force began to slowly recover. This made him feel a bit better, after all, at least he didn''t have zero stamina left. After resting a while, Xiao Buli stood up and moved to sit in the shade of a nearby sand dune to avoid the scorching sun.


    While recovering his True Origin Points, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but review his journey over the past few days. It seemed that apart from flying across the vast desert, he hadn''t done much else. The Immortal Crane was somewhat useful for the first two days, but from the third day on, its recovery time between flights grew longer and slower. Moreover, as soon as one entered the desert, both humans and Immortal Cranes had an additional layer of a debuff called ''Endless Fatigue'' on them. Thus, the flight time became shorter and the recovery time longer. Reluctantly, Xiao Buli started using the Cloud Thunder Leap, alternating between skills and the Immortal Crane, trying to keep himself in flight, as it greatly shortened his time in the desert. But after flying for a full six days, even from the sky, Xiao Buli hadn''t seen even a shadow of the border. Could this desert really be as endless as its name suggests?


    Besides the long journey, what made Xiao Buli feel most desperate and unbearable was the monotonous scenery: sand, and more sand. Forget an oasis; Xiao Buli hadn''t even seen a single large rock. Sometimes he even wondered if he was just walking in circles on the same sand dune, perhaps not moving forward at all. There is a condition called snow blindness, and Xiao Buli felt if he continued to stare at this yellow sand, he might very well contract sand blindness.


    So sometimes, overwhelmed by doubt, Xiao Buli would land and walk for a while, only beginning to believe that he was truly moving forward when he saw his footprints in the sand.


    With a dry mouth and not even enough saliva to spit, Xiao Buli reluctantly took out his water bladder and took a few sips. The lukewarm water did not make him feel much better. Looking at the air in front of him, slightly distorted by the heat, Xiao Buli gave up the sitting posture and lay down, the searing heat torturing him like the fires of hell. Perhaps it really would be better to give up.


    A breeze blew up some dust, which swirled in the sky for a while like a vortex, then landed on Xiao Buli''s head.


    "Ptui, ptui," Xiao Buli vigorously spit out the sand in his mouth. "Dammit!" he couldn''t help but swear, grabbing a clump of sand in front of him and throwing it forward. However, the dry dust was almost entirely blown back by the north wind, blinding him once more. Xiao Buli lacked even the energy to vent or curse, and he collapsed powerless back onto the ground. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ever since the ''Endless Fatigue'' debuff appeared above his head, all actions consumed an extra 10% of his Stamina Points, Mana Points, Internal Energy Value, and Rage Value, and even his True Origin Points weren''t spared. Moreover, this debuff compounded by an additional layer each day; today it had reached five layers, meaning that every action now cost him an extra 50% of True Origin Points. If he couldn''t find his way out in a few more days, things would become increasingly difficult.


    Even more alarming, the recovery rate of the True Origin Points from the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture was getting slower, probably because a wood attribute Cultivation Technique was limited in such a dry and hot environment.


    Finally, having fully recovered his True Origin Points, Xiao Buli, though not enjoying it, still guzzled a lot of water and ate a few pieces of jerky. Feeling somewhat restored, he walked out from behind the shade of the sand dune and leapt into the sky with a Cloud Thunder Leap.


    This flight lasted over an hour, covering two to three hundred kilometers before he descended once again.


    He used to be able to fly over four hundred kilometers on a single charge, but now, due to the drag of ''Endless Fatigue,'' the distance he could fly was getting shorter.


    And each recharge took even longer, which was not an optimistic sign.


    If this went on, Xiao Buli felt he might really go insane. After thinking it over, he decided to summon the Lava Giant Python to see if he could ride it for a while. The python, which came out of its Sealed Space, seemed to relish the desert''s heat, frolicking on the sand like a dog that hadn''t been let out for a long time before it finally stopped in front of Xiao Buli. Honestly, its playful rolling and frolicking in the sand was quite out of character with its imposing Black Dragon form.

 Chapter 482 - 51 Endless Desert_2

    "Getting bored in there, huh?" Xiao Buli spoke to his pet, never having imagined that one day he would be so pathetic as to converse with his own pet. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He climbed onto the snake''s head and pulled out the Lava Barrier to hold over his head, which reduced the area of skin exposed to the punishing sun as he slowly crawled forward. Initially, the Lava Giant Python moved quickly, probably due to the excitement of just having emerged. But after a while, its pace noticeably slowed. Xiao Buli guessed it was probably getting bored as well.


    This was considerably more comfortable for Xiao Buli than walking. He sat cross-legged atop its massive skull, restoring his True Yuan while he pondered his next move.


    Now, Xiao Buli felt increasingly weaker. He checked his pack and found plenty of food, but not much water remained. Having underestimated the water consumption in the desert and with limited space in his pack, his preparations seemed insufficient. It appeared to be wishful thinking to find water in this expanse of sand.


    While he was deeply worried about these issues, the giant python beneath him suddenly leapt up. Xiao Buli, caught off-guard, was thrown from the snake''s head. Fortunately, the ground below was soft sand, and the fall didn''t seem too harsh. But the next second, he noticed a problem.


    The sand under his feet was not only soft, but perhaps too soft¡ªas if stepping into sludge. When he tried to pull his leg out, he found he could not. It was as if a gaping mouth clung tightly to his ankle. The situation wasn''t much better for the giant python, whose four short claws were also sinking, while only its long body stayed above the sand, apparently struggling to pull its legs free in order to slither out.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t too worried; with his Earth Escape Skills, he had already merged into the sand. All he had to do was move beyond this patch of quicksand, reclaim the python into its seal, and he would solve the problem. Hence, using the recently restored True Yuan Points, he began to slip back in the direction he came from. Not knowing the extent of the quicksand''s reach, Xiao Buli thought it wiser to retrace his steps. Just as he started to turn in the sand, which was like water, he was stunned by what he saw. Beneath the sand, countless layers of bones were piled upon each other, likely the remains of creatures devoured by the quicksand.


    However, now was not the time to worry about others. Xiao Buli adjusted his body''s angle and started moving back the way he came. Suddenly, a symbol indicating blood loss appeared above his head, -5. Strange, Xiao Buli looked around, wondering how he could be losing health while using Earth Escape.


    In a moment of hesitation, more numbers appeared: -7, -3, -4... One after another, these signs of blood loss bubbled up, perplexing him. Although the lost health points were minor compared to Xiao Buli''s total health, the situation didn''t look optimistic. Being in the middle of the Endless Desert''s quicksand, with deadly sand above and mysteriously losing blood¡ªit was panic-inducing. Xiao Buli hurriedly moved forward, hoping to leave the area quickly. But the more anxious he became, the more uncoordinated his movements were, and the weakness debuff on his body made him even slower.


    At that moment, the Lava Giant Python overhead began to display numerous symbols of blood loss, much more numerous than Xiao Buli''s. The numbers, however, were pitifully small: -1, -2, -1... Upon seeing this, Xiao Buli nearly burst into curses. Could it be that something about this patch of sand caused the problem? But he had never heard of sand that could bite people.


    As Xiao Buli grew more anxious, the python did too, twisting its body uncomfortably¡ªclearly, it hadn''t identified the source of its blood loss, either. Xiao Buli pushed himself, pulling a few steps before bursting out of the ground. Since they had only just sunk into the quicksand, safety wasn''t far. Once he stood his ground and felt secure, Xiao Buli''s heart finally settled.


    Yet the red numbers continued to float above him, -5, -6, relentlessly indicating continued blood loss. Xiao Buli hurriedly examined his body, and the sight gave him a fright. On both of his legs lay countless blood-sucking crustaceans, each only the size of a small fingernail. Some, clearly new riders, were shriveled, while most sported engorged, bright red bellies, evidently full from their blood meal. Xiao Buli flicked one with his finger; its stomach, now bloated with blood, was plump and squishy. However, its teeth were tightly embedded into Xiao Buli''s leg, like pincers dug in deep. Damn, it wasn''t like he could just pick them off one by one.


    Then Xiao Buli remembered his Lava Barrier. He had stowed it away for Earth Escape, otherwise he wouldn''t have fallen prey to these little creatures. He quickly equipped it again. The Lava Barrier dealt an automatic 50 points of fire damage to any attacks, and almost instantly, those troublesome creatures turned into a pile of ash with a whoosh.


    Seeing no more numbers indicating loss of health on his body, Xiao Buli looked up at the Lava Giant Python. Although it still hadn''t found the source of damage, its scales gave a shake, and a wave of heat burst forth from its body, only exacerbating Xiao Buli''s discomfort in the desert heat, worse than being roasted by a furnace on the hottest of summer days. But the python looked much more comfortable¡ªas it seemed the tiny insects had been scorched to death.

 Chapter 483 - 51 Endless Desert_3

    After recalling the python back to the Sealed Space, Xiao Buli had no energy left to move forward, and the current situation was anything but optimistic. Without any mood or fighting spirit left, he found a shady spot and sprawled out on the ground.


    Dehydration caused a dull pain to start throbbing in his head.


    "Why put yourself through this torment?" The Heart Demon, silent for a long time since Xiao Buli planned on befriending it last time, finally spoke up again. Perhaps it was the heat, but upon hearing its voice, Xiao Buli felt an inexplicable sense of joy.


    "For my brothers." Thankfully, talking to the Heart Demon didn''t require speaking out loud, just thinking was enough.


    "Really? Aren''t you just trying to ease your own conscience? You feel guilty for dragging them into this, so you''re just trying to alleviate your own remorse." The Heart Demon''s words were extremely sharp, touching upon the very issue Xiao Buli least wanted to confront.


    "Why do you always speak English?" Xiao Buli started to talk nonsense.


    "I am you, I know what you''re thinking, but don''t think you can divert the topic. If you had a glimmer of hope before of helping them drive away their Heart Demons, you now know this task is impossible to complete. It''s not just you; even Xuan Zhenzi, who sent you to the Temple, must be facing the same problem. All people who enter this game will eventually develop a Heart Demon. That''s an undeniable fact."


    "What exactly are you? What created you?" Xiao Buli knew it was telling the truth. He had pondered this question before, but he didn''t want to believe it. He would rather believe that Xuan Zhenzi ultimately managed to get rid of his Heart Demon; otherwise, his thirty years of effort would''ve been all for nothing. Xiao Buli disliked such an outcome. He preferred to believe that the current Heart Demon was the result of some trick played by the original demon that had left his body.


    "I don''t know. I just appeared, synchronized with your memories and inherited a part of your personality. You ask me why I like to speak English? I don''t know that either, it just comes out sometimes. Maybe because you liked to say it before, perhaps because you passed Level 6 in English? That''s about it. I come from you, I am you, and you are me." The voice of the Heart Demon actually seemed somewhat sorrowful, as if it were also resigned to its fate.


    "Heh, is that the line you all use? ''I am you, you are me.'' That''s how you slowly erode our thoughts, until you replace us." Xiao Buli closed his eyes wearily. He didn''t actually need to voice these words out loud. Perhaps due to a feverish mind or just a human habit, Xiao Buli mumbled to himself.


    "Hey, isn''t this our Elder Xiao?" An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out above Xiao Buli''s head. He opened his eyes in a flash, the shadow blocking the scorching sunlight from above.


    Almost reflexively, Xiao Buli kicked off with his feet, sliding backwards across the sandy ground, then leaping up in one motion. With his left hand on the Lava Barrier and the Glowing Light Sword in his right, he took a defensive stance before he could see clearly the situation in front of him. He saw a group of about a dozen people, four of whom were carrying a palanquin-like sedan in front. On the sedan sat a humanoid creature wrapped in thick white cloth, looking rather bizarre, like a freshly unearthed mummy with only two black holes for eyes and a small section of pale skin visible below.


    On closer inspection, the four carrying the sedan and the ten or so followers matched the mummy perfectly. Each wore tattered clothes, their faces withered, large and hollow darkness filling their eye sockets. They were zombies resembling dried-up corpses.


    He cast a Mind Revelation spell towards the mummy showing a red name above his head, Bai Yunfei: (Silver¡ªLeader) Undead.


    "Bai... Old Bai??!" Xiao Buli exclaimed in shock upon recognizing the name.


    "Haha, I didn''t expect to actually find a living person. Elder Xiao, how did you get in here? Did you enter the game too?" Bai Yunfei seemed extremely excited to see Xiao Buli, although his body didn''t move much, which suggested his movements weren''t very convenient. Looking at him, Xiao Buli was suddenly reminded of Empty Sage from ''Journey to the West'', and thought if Bai Yunfei hadn''t wrapped those white cloths around himself but wore them instead, he would look even more similar.


    "Old Bai, what''s with the get-up? And why are you in red? Are you an NPC or something now?" The choice to avoid using the word ''monster'' was because Xiao Buli really didn''t want to spoil the joy of their reunion. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You mean monster?" Bai Yunfei wasn''t too fussed by the term. "Yeah, I''m dead, now an Undead Monster. This look is granted by the system. Pretty cool, huh?" Although joking, Xiao Buli could hear the helplessness in his voice. Bai Yunfei hadn''t anticipated such a day when he entered the game with Zhang Yaoyang, but it seemed his condition was more heartening than that of Zhang Yaoyang and the others.


    "You still have your own will? How did you manage that?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help asking.


    "Let''s find a cooler place to talk. Even though I can no longer feel anything, I bet you''re not having a good time, right?" As Bai Yunfei''s voice fell, the zombies began to move, quite energetically compared to before when they stood motionless, resembling dry branches, now they were quick as rabbits.


    Xiao Buli was startled, but when he saw that the zombies were just carrying Bai Yunfei forward, he let down his guard.


    "Don''t worry, they obey my commands. Come with me." Bai Yunfei called out without looking back, and Xiao Buli hurriedly followed. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 484 - 52 The Story of Bai Yunfei

    The group of zombies traced a large arc around the sandy area, Xiao Buli guessed they must have known the range of the quicksand and avoided it. In front of Xiao Buli, a relatively large sand dune soon appeared, but compared to the surrounding yellow sand, this dune seemed still, as if rooted in place. The reason being that while not all desert dunes are constantly shifting, the yellow sand elsewhere would sometimes be stirred up by the north wind, yet the sand grains on this dune appeared to cling to it, immobile.


    Xiao Buli couldn''t help but reach out to touch it, feeling like he was touching rock.


    "This is fixed, a system-designed landscape, so it''s different from the other sand," Bai Yunfei explained.


    They worked their way around the front of the dune to the shaded side, where a dark hole greeted them, with a cool breeze blowing out from it. Normally, Xiao Buli would feel a chill from such a breeze, but at this moment, the refreshing air was a supreme blessing. Xiao Buli quickly ran to the front of the cave to fully enjoy it.


    As soon as he stepped into the cave entrance, the system''s alert sounded in his ears.


    System Alert: Entered the desert Undead Cave.


    Bai Yunfei was carried in by the four zombies, urging Xiao Buli to hurry. Xiao Buli walked in quickly as well. The coolness inside was just as good as outside, but it was not damp at all.


    The zombies set down Bai Yunfei''s sedan chair, and Xiao Buli sat down next to him, surveying the cave. The interior seemed more spacious than it looked from the outside, with piles of white bones amassed at the depth of the cave. It was unclear whether these were remnants of their food or simply part of the system''s configured backdrop.


    "Tell me, how did you get in here?" Bai Yunfei started the conversation. Xiao Buli had nothing to hide. He briefed him about how he entered the base and accessed the game through the helmet, then he recounted the events after they separated. To spare Bai Yunfei any distress, Xiao Buli kept his account succinct and soon covered most of what had happened.


    "Now, your turn. I saw Zhang Yaoyang and Li Baocheng, they''ve become NPCs. How did you do that?" Xiao Buli finished his part and immediately asked impatiently. "And have you found any clues about the Divine Tomb during your search? Is it possible to leave this desert?" He had too many questions he wanted answers to.


    "Heh, let me start from the beginning." Xiao Buli felt that today''s Bai Yunfei seemed more cheerful than he was at the company, and perhaps because he had become a mummy, he lacked that ghostly aura. Bai Yunfei began his story, summarizing some of the key events after they entered the game, gradually clarifying the situation in Xiao Buli''s mind.


    Bai Yunfei and the members of the Green Dragon Group and White Tiger Group followed Zhang Yaoyang into the game. Initially, they were unaware of Zhang Yaoyang''s purpose to revive his sister. Everyone thought it was a fantastic travel experience, and they could all live in the place they had long desired. But with no ability to log off, nights in the wild were indeed hard to endure.


    "At night, I practically became a guardian deity, you know? I have my ways with the Undead," Bai Yunfei said to Xiao Buli with a laugh.


    "Speaking of which, the fact that you became more cheerful after turning into this is really surprising to me," Xiao Buli couldn''t help but interrupt his story. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, haha, after becoming a monster I was somewhat transformed, so my personality changed a bit, but it''s still much better than becoming a walking corpse, right? Anyway, it took us about four or five days before we finally found a small village. However, it was there that people started to disagree about the path ahead," Bai Yunfei casually explained, then continued with their story.


    Once settled in the village, they began to ponder the path forward. Zhang Yaoyang believed that since they were in the game, they naturally should create something significant, like establishing a guild or even founding a country. Before that, it was only natural for everyone to constantly enhance their strength. But since they were all from Earth, it made sense to stick together for safety.


    However, Li Baocheng disagreed. He thought since so many solo players were surviving in the game, there was no need for him to break away from the Qilin Group only to fall in with the Green Dragon Group. He wasn''t sure the company wouldn''t investigate this outbreak and wondered whether it would be easier to track dozens of people or just one who strayed from the flock. His view quickly gained the approval of a few White Tiger Group members. Firstly, they were not really familiar with Zhang Yaoyang and his team, and secondly, they had just entered the game and were excited, naturally wanting to do something different.


    After some debate and quarreling, Zhang Yaoyang let everyone make their own choice. Eventually, those few left the team. As for what became of them later, Bai Yunfei wasn''t so sure: "But from what I''ve seen afterward, I guess they probably didn''t have an easy time," he speculated.


    "Yeah, when we were raiding a bandit camp, I saw Li Baocheng. He had become a complete NPC and was later killed by a group of players." Xiao Buli hadn''t mentioned this part of his experience earlier.

 Chapter 485 - 52 The Story of Bai Yunfei_2

    "No way? Haha, this game really is a tragic world, huh? When we killed those human-shaped monsters for gear, we never thought they had this sort of game background, haha."


    After Li Baocheng left, everyone decided to use this Newbie Village as their base, because it was quite far from Nine Dragons City, and generally, the players who appeared here were ones they could handle, which was relatively safe.


    About three or four days after they settled down, Bai Yunfei began to notice something was wrong. The NPCs of the village gradually stopped communicating with them. When they approached the village chief or the militia captain in hopes of getting quests or inquiring about skills, those NPCs would simply walk away as if they were invisible. And these weren''t even the worst parts. The most unbearable was that they could no longer buy food from the grocery store or the farmers. After a few days, their food supply ran low. Though they could get some meat by hunting, without staple food, everyone''s stomachs were in discomfort. This was very different from playing through a computer; they were living here as real people now, and could not ignore any aspect of daily life, including eating and sanitation.


    And the most lethal issue was that just at that time, their nominal leader, Zhang Yaoyang, suddenly disappeared. No one knew his whereabouts, and it caused total chaos for a time. But of course, Bai Yunfei knew ¨C he was the only one among them who could see ghosts. So, ever since they were in the office, Bai Yunfei knew that the ghost of Zhang Yaoyang''s sister had never left. It would automatically appear about ten steps from Zhang Yaoyang, like a translucent pet.


    Zhang Yaoyang entered the company, played the game, and rose to become the captain of the Azure Dragon team, mostly for his sister. Now that he had finally entered the game, how could he possibly miss this great opportunity? So if Bai Yunfei guessed correctly, Zhang Yaoyang had gone to resurrect his sister. However, the other team members were completely ignorant of this matter. In their view, having entered the game, they had left their families and their world. For two days, they could not buy a bit of rice or flour. The only food they could have was badly roasted, bloody wild dog meat. And Zhang Yaoyang, who could have been their spiritual leader, had vanished at this critical moment.


    Without needing Bai Yunfei to elaborate, Xiao Buli could understand that under such circumstances, probably no one was in a good mood. In a fit of rage, they ended up killing the grocery store owner and robbing the store. Everyone participated in that robbery. Even though they looted enough flour, rice, and other foods to fill their packs, they were inevitably going to become wanted criminals.


    "Did you guys run?" Xiao Buli couldn''t help but interject.


    "NO," Bai Yunfei shook his head, for the first time since seeing Xiao Buli, there was a sense of silence and oppression in his tone, "In the end, we decided to finish what we''d started and just massacred the entire village."


    "What? You guys..." Even though killing in the game was normal, a massacre? Xiao Buli still remembered the Demon Clan massacre that he''d experienced, which was the first time he''d felt sympathy for people within the game. And despite the danger, he joined the army confronting the Demon Clan, so the idea of indiscriminately killing innocent villagers was somewhat horrific to him at the moment.


    "Yes, we killed everyone in the village. At that moment, everyone was a bit crazy. You know, at that time I felt like there was a voice in my head talking to me. I thought it might be the system communicating with us in some form..." Bai Yunfei seemed to be trying to find a rational explanation for their outrageous behavior.


    "You mean the Heart Demon? That''s when you guys started seeing the Heart Demon?" Xiao Buli quickly asked. When they had just separated, the concept of the Heart Demon wasn''t in their dictionary yet, so Bai Yunfei naturally didn''t know about it then.


    "The Heart Demon? You mean the voice talking to me?" Bai Yunfei took a moment to recall, "It does sound similar, huh. Like when someone goes insane from practicing a spell incorrectly. You know about this too? Even named it?"


    "Every player in the game will encounter this thing eventually. It constantly urges you to hand over control of your body to it. I found out about it later. Lin Beifeng of the Qilin Group was the first to succumb to it and then died. And soon after, I began to hear that voice too," Xiao Buli explained to Bai Yunfei.


    "Wow, misery loves company. Anyway, I think we must have been bewitched by that voice at that time. We only realized how excessive our actions were after killing everyone. And being in the game, you know? The realism when killing someone?" Bai Yunfei seemed almost reluctant to continue, pausing for a while before going on. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not long after the massacre, Zhang Yaoyang came back, of course, with his sister. But when we saw them, Zhang Yaoyang didn''t look as happy as he had anticipated. His sister had come back to life, or rather, her body had, though infused with a soul, she had become an NPC. Moreover, her name was now listed as the follower of adventurer Zhang Yaoyang. She obeyed his orders like a puppet. This was definitely not the outcome he had expected. And I think our massacre wasn''t what he expected either. He thought he''d only be gone for two days, that he''d quickly take care of his affairs, and that nothing much would have changed. But when he came back, bam! Everything had changed; we had all become fugitives wanted by the system," Bai Yunfei sighed heavily, laughing self-deprecatingly.

 Chapter 486 - 52 The Story of Bai Yunfei_3

    "You guys need to leave that place quickly," Xiao Buli said, "the system fugitive warrant will start issuing in 48 hours, and by then all players will begin hunting them down."


    "Mm-hmm, the first thing Zhang Yaoyang did when he came back was to lead us on a continued flight. We entered the forest because there are fewer players there, and although there are more monsters, they are all within our ability to handle. We started living like we did in the beginning, but it was precisely during that time we mostly lived in the jungle, killing monsters for experience, occasionally finding small instances to beat and getting equipment drops. Everyone''s leveling up was quite fast. This went on for almost twenty-something days, then our food supply became critical again. The stuff we looted from the villages wasn''t enough to keep us going, so we pooled some money together and sent Zhang Yaoyang to a nearby village to buy some food because he was the only one among us who wasn''t a wanted fugitive. He came back very late that day, looking extremely bedraggled; it turned out he was attacked by everyone shortly after entering the village, and the people who approached him automatically became aggressive monsters. Fortunately, the village he went to wasn''t big, and there weren''t any particularly powerful NPCs, otherwise he might not have been able to make it back alive."


    "But he didn''t participate in the massacre of the village, and he''s not a wanted fugitive, so why did that happen?" Xiao Buli was somewhat puzzled; generally, the NPCs in villages are neutral units and wouldn''t attack without any particular reason.


    "Exactly, we were baffled at the time. Then Zhang Yaoyang told us about when he went to the Nuwa Temple to resurrect his sister. One of the Nuwa attendants gave him three warnings: stay away from cities, find your true self, redeem yourself. He didn''t understand the meaning at the time, but now it seems he understands why he was told to stay away from cities. If this sort of situation isn''t a coincidence, then cities would be nothing but a monster-filled castle to him."


    "Oh~, I get it now." A lightbulb went off in Xiao Buli''s head, "You are intruders to the system, so the system wants to eliminate you. You are like aliens invading Earth, and no matter what your intentions are, the first thing that earthlings think when they see you is to get rid of you." He had discussed this issue with the old man Wuming when they talked about the Ancestral Dragon entering the game, so now he immediately understood. He had doubted the old man''s theory when he learned that Nine Dragons City showed no unusual changes after the Ancestral Dragon''s invasion, but it looked like the theory was valid.


    "Yeah, if we had known this earlier, we wouldn''t have been foolish enough to enter the game and become public enemies, right? Anyway, after we realized this problem, we thought the situation was serious. If it kept up like this, we would have to spend our whole lives in the game on the run, even if we hadn''t massacred any villages. That''s when that voice in my head, what did you call it? A Heart Demon?"


    "Yes, that''s what the Taoists call it," Xiao Buli explained.


    "Anyway, it told me that as long as I gave up control of my body, I could be freed from this state. We would become part of the game and preserve our lives. It wasn''t just me; gradually, everyone began to show signs¡ªstrange mumbling, spacing out, doubting life, becoming irritable or violent, and so on. Negative emotions started to explode. I couldn''t take it anymore, so under the name Yaoyang, I gathered everyone for a meeting and frankly told them about the voice I heard. As it turned out, everyone admitted they too heard that strange voice. I think it''s very likely this was Nuwa''s second piece of advice, finding the true self. Who is the real one? Is it our main body, or that voice inside us? In the end, of course, no one wanted their bodies controlled by someone else, to become a Walking Corpse, even if it had the same memories as us, because then it wouldn''t be us anymore. Eventually, we decided to look for a solution. We went back to Nine Dragons City. Since we were now public enemies, we didn''t have to play by the rules anymore¡ªcoercion and threats, theft and kidnapping, and finally, we slowly found a possible solution, which was to traverse the Barbaric Forest and find the Pure Land of the Ancient God, and look for the Ancient Temple. We didn''t have any other choice and found the nearest Teleportation Portal to start our journey together."


    "Was that Teleportation Portal in Blackwind Stronghold?" As Bai Yunfei was telling the story, Xiao Buli suddenly remembered the ghost of Liu Xing he found in the channel leading to the portal.


    "How did you know that? Oh right, you''re now the leader of Blackwind Stronghold, what a coincidence, huh?" Bai Yunfei suddenly remembered that Xiao Buli had mentioned when telling him about his experiences that he had taken over Blackwind Stronghold and now had a significant armed force. These events did indeed make one frustrated; they entered the game and in order to survive, had to become the ghostly things they were now, but Xiao Buli, who had joined the game later than they did, actually had his own stronghold now.


    "I discovered the Undead of Liu Xing in the channel," Xiao Buli didn''t mention the reluctant act of killing Liu Xing''s ghost, as that would upset everyone''s feelings.


    "Oh," Bai Yunfei reacted to Xiao Buli''s comment, as if he suddenly remembered something, but like their massacre of the village, Bai Yunfei didn''t like this topic. He cleared his throat softly before speaking in a low tone, "The bandits were chasing us, and Liu Xing stayed behind to cover our escape, but he never caught up." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 487 - 52 The Story of Bai Yunfei_4

    Speaking to this point, Xiao Buli and Bai Yunfei both fell silent for a moment, but after all, in this game, death had become a daily occurrence, so after probably a few seconds, Bai Yunfei continued his story.


    "We never imagined the Barbaric Forest would have so many powerful monsters, but fortunately, our levels weren''t low after all, and imagine my surprise when some of them turned into NPCs with Silver Names! Heh, I used to dream of being able to solo a Silver Name BOSS one day."


    While we could barely survive, the situation was far from optimistic, and I noticed that everyone''s conditions were getting more serious, including mine. But maybe I got used to being harassed by ghosts and the like, I think my nerves are still pretty strong. Everyone was so on edge all the time, sometimes I felt like I was actually in an insane asylum."


    "Did you guys enter the Demon Star Ruins?" This was what Xiao Buli started calling the place in his mind after his treasure had devoured the Demon Star.


    "The Demon Star Ruins? Oh, you mean that place? All those monsters with the bodies of humans and tails of snakes; yeah, we thought it was safe. We planned to spend the night in that cave, but fate is fickle, isn''t it? We lost a few brothers, and I don''t know if it''s good or bad luck, but we eventually escaped. Those creatures seemed reluctant to leave that area too far, or else our fate would have been sealed."


    After we escaped, several people started to think about retreating, wondering if it might be better to return and find the teleportation array back to Earth, or perhaps we should go back to a fugitive life. But since we had come this far, nobody really had the courage to turn back because it would take several more days and it wouldn''t be immediately safe. It seemed better to keep going forward, and perhaps in a few days, we''d reach the border of the Barbaric Forest." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, we did reach it, but what no one expected was that we''d have to continue dealing with something called the Endless Desert." Bai Yunfei gave a few derisive chuckles, seemingly amused and resigned to their fate.


    "How did they turn out like that?" Xiao Buli had already guessed most of it, and NPC Zhang Yaoyang had told him about it earlier, but since Bai Yunfei was having a hard time, and it''s rare to find someone to vent to, Xiao Buli didn''t mind spending a little time to listen to his story.


    "I''m not sure, maybe they compromised with that voice inside of them. We walked through the Endless Desert for about four or five days, and in the end, everyone gave up and went back. We stayed overnight on the edge of the desert and forest, and when we woke up, I was shocked. Everyone had completely forgotten everything from before and happily began building a paradise, naming it "Paradise Island." Damn, I don''t know if they really wanted to die or what." Bai Yunfei was clearly frustrated by this.


    "What about you?" Xiao Buli didn''t want his entire day''s journey to be filled with complaints.


    "Me? I took some water and food and kept going deeper into the desert. If I''m the only one who hasn''t turned into an NPC, then I think I should be the one who can make it. And as the only one who''s still conscious, I felt it was my duty to help everyone redeem themselves, just like Nuwa told us."


    "I mean, how did you become like this?" Xiao Buli of course knew that Bai Yunfei ended up traveling through the desert; otherwise, they wouldn''t have met here, right?


    "Oh, haha, you mean this? I walked for about eight days, maybe nine, I can''t quite remember. I was tired and thirsty, out of Physical Strength, and my Spell bar was drained, just like you were earlier. But there was no one to save me. Luckily, I had practiced an Undead spell before. After committing suicide, I was able to survive for a day in this form of a Corpse Ghost."


    "One day? You just died?" Xiao Buli asked, surprised.


    "Of course not, how could such a coincidence happen? My life-saving skill obviously isn''t that limited. I had also obtained a Magical Treasure in the past. It was an inner core that had been refined in a Gathering Yin Pool for over a hundred years. Swallowing it allowed me to maintain any Undead form for life, just like a preservation orb. Combining the two, the effect was extremely good. Hehe." Bai Yunfei couldn''t help but boast about his cleverness. "Then, I spent a lot of time wandering the desert and found these mummies, probably people who came in search of an Ancient Temple. They became my subordinates, carrying me forward. Undead don''t consume Physical Strength and don''t need food, so I could keep walking indefinitely, and sooner or later, I''d find the Temple. So that''s my story. Any more questions?"


    "Your Heart Demon?" Xiao Buli immediately asked about his biggest concern.


    "Gone. Ever since I became one of the Undead Monsters in the game, that voice never appeared again. But I think the game might have merged us. I feel happier, just like that voice that used to talk in my head. Even though my situation is so bad and I can only live like this, I''m still this optimistic, positive, active, lively..."


    "Okay, okay, I get it," Xiao Buli quickly stopped him from continuing to describe himself with such adjectives, especially when compared to the former ghastly human Bai Yunfei. This ghostly version of Bai Yunfei seemed strangely more human, which was quite ironic. "What do you plan to do next?"


    "What can I do? Although I can think for myself now, compared to them I''m not much better. I''m now bound by the system''s rules, and I can only linger in this Endless Desert. But there is some good news. Since I''m idle and bored every day, I had these Zombies wander around with me, and guess what? I actually found the end of the Endless Desert."


    "You mean you can get out?" Xiao Buli perked up upon hearing this.


    "Not get out, I can''t leave this desert. Remember? I''m saying I found the end of this desert. What do you think? Shall I take you there?" Bai Yunfei grinned, and with his mummy look and textured skin, it was enough to make anyone''s skin crawl.


    Xiao Buli quickly looked away, but he replied, "That would be great."


    PS: This book is about to be completed, probably in a month at most. The new book is currently being planned and will be uploaded within half a month after this book is finished. Please stay tuned. (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to vote at Qidian.com, and your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 488 - 53: Soul Out Of Body

    Xiao Buli and Bai Yunfei finished catching up and started to plan their onward journey. It would take approximately four to five days to reach the edge of the desert from the cave where Bai Yunfei lived. Fortunately, Xiao Buli no longer had to walk or rely on the Immortal Crane to fly; they could comfortably sit in a sedan chair carried by a Zombie and enjoy the desert scenery.


    "However, water is going to be a problem. I don''t have much left. Do you have a source of water?" Xiao Buli asked, raising a challenging issue.


    "A water source? What makes you think this endless desert is like any typical desert? I''m afraid you''ll have to conserve what you drink." Bai Yunfei answered nonchalantly. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But how do you drink water?" No sooner had Xiao Buli asked the question than he cursed himself for being foolish. Considering Bai Yunfei''s current state, it wasn''t hard to imagine that he had long since stopped needing to do such anti-Zombie things as drinking water. "Alright, maybe you don''t need water, but I do. If this continues, I might die of thirst first."


    "Die of thirst?? This is a game, how could you die of thirst? You can exit the game, quench your thirst, and then return." Bai Yunfei asked, puzzled.


    "Sigh!~" Xiao Buli sighed deeply, knowing that this issue was unavoidable, "I''m unable to exit the game." Xiao Buli had used the base''s equipment to enter the game because the mysterious Shadow in the game had destroyed his computer. At that time, Xiao Buli was in a dire situation, hidden in the Taiyin Sect''s cave with Gu Yuexuan, who could kill him at any moment, and his soul had entered the Book Ghost''s book. Thus, all of Xiao Buli''s thoughts were focused on immediately returning to the game, without considering the issue of exiting.


    After entering the game, because he was continuously doing Sect tasks that required him to stay in the game until they were finished, he never attempted to test the issue of exiting. That''s also why when he saw Xuan Zhenzi, Xiao Buli didn''t ask him this question. In the days that followed, as Xiao Buli struggled through the Barbaric Forest, he tried several times to exit the game but discovered he had no idea how. All of the original testers had entered the game with someone by their side, but now, Xiao Buli was alone and inexperienced, not knowing how to wake up in reality. He remembered that Xuan Zhenzi had once mentioned they seemed to have mastered the skill of waking naturally. But now, in the game, eating, drinking, and traveling had the same effects as in reality, so Xiao Buli thought he might as well stay in the game until he found a way out. However, he hadn''t anticipated that the difficulties would far outweigh the solutions. Today, he was forced to face this problem.


    After hearing Xiao Buli''s brief explanation, Bai Yunfei also felt troubled: "That is indeed a problem. Maybe you can hold out for four or five days, but I''m not sure you can make it out of this desert. The edge of the desert is strange¡ªit seems you might need some other condition to pass through. If you can''t get through, you''ll have to go back to find water, and traveling from the edge of the desert to the edge of the Barbaric Forest would take nearly a month at the fastest. Unless you can keep flying over it, which I estimate would also take about ten days."


    "Yeah, and who knows what I''ll have to face next. If I can''t exit the game, I might end up with no way out." Xiao Buli started to worry. Sometimes it''s like this: when the signs of trouble are not clear, you think ignoring them will solve the issue, but when the problem becomes evident, it''s often too late to easily resolve.


    "Hey, did you used to have dreams when you slept?" Bai Yunfei suddenly asked a seemingly random question while Xiao Buli was feeling distressed.


    "Dreams? Doesn''t everyone have dreams?" Xiao Buli was puzzled by his question.


    "Yes, but some people have lots of dreams. I used to when I was a child, and I often had nightmares. But sometimes, you suddenly realize in a dream that you''re dreaming, and then you desperately want to wake up. Do you know what I would do when I wanted to wake up?" Bai Yunfei teased.


    "Umm... open your eyes?" Xiao Buli felt the questions were becoming more absurd, but somehow they seemed faintly related to his current situation.


    "No, no, no, the exact opposite. I had to try really hard to close my eyes in the dream. If you keep your eyes open in the dream, you stay in the dream world. If you close your eyes, you can leave it." Though shrouded in layers of cloth bandages, Xiao Buli felt as if he could see Bai Yunfei with an ''understand now?'' expression on his face, but the problem was he didn''t understand.


    "Are you saying that I should close my eyes now?" Xiao Buli, unable to understand, finally asked.


    "Hahaha," Bai Yunfei laughed, of course knowing that Xiao Buli had not grasped his point. But sometimes, it''s just such moments that feel especially good, especially when the other person has turned into a Zombie state, and strictly speaking, isn''t even human anymore. "No, I just thought of that and found it amusing, but I''ve also thought of a way to solve your problem. Hahaha" Bai Yunfei laughed again, like a ten-year-old boy who had just played a prank on someone.

 Chapter 489 - 53: Soul Out Of Body_2

    Xiao Buli kept rolling his eyes inwardly upon hearing all this. It seemed Bai Yunfei''s Heart Demon was indeed of a naturally innocent and carefree nature, having transformed the gloomy Bai Yunfei into what he was today, "So what should I do now?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have a skill, Soul Out Of Body, remember? You''re now entering the game in a state of consciousness, which is somewhat similar to Soul Out Of Body. Anyway, I think if you learn this skill, it should help you wake up," Bai Yunfei finally spoke earnestly, suggesting what seemed like a very reasonable solution.


    "Soul Out Of Body?" Xiao Buli certainly remembered. Back when they were exploring dungeons, the scouting tasks were always handed over to Bai Yunfei. Back when he was a newbie himself, he had been extremely envious. "That''s great, can you teach it to me?"


    "Of course!" Bai Yunfei spoke loudly, "Of course not, haha, this is a game, buddy. Even if I''m now a monster, I cannot break the game''s rules. You can only make use of them."


    "Damn, then what''s the point of bringing it up? Just to piss me off?" Although humor is a good thing, constantly being toyed with by someone else''s humor isn''t exactly a happy affair.


    "You could kill me; I''ve got quite a few good pieces of equipment on me!" Since Bai Yunfei had a lifetime to spend in this desert, he had thoroughly searched it and, of course, obtained quite a few treasures.


    "You..." Xiao Buli was momentarily at a loss for words. He understood what Bai Yunfei meant¡ªhe was suggesting Xiao Buli kill him so he could drop equipment for Xiao Buli. Of course, Bai Yunfei also had the Soul Out Of Body Skill Book on him, but how could that be possible? Xiao Buli killing Liu Xing before was out of necessity. As long as there were other choices, he would never lay a hand on his former teammates. "No, no, impossible, how could I possibly kill you."


    "Oh, where''s your mind going? You think I''m self-sacrificing to drop equipment for you? Of course, it is a sacrifice, even though I can respawn, dying still feels just like death," Bai Yunfei said.


    "What? You can respawn?? How''s that possible, you''re not system-generated?" Xiao Buli exclaimed in surprise. Everything in this damn game developed non-randomly, entirely different from those online games, so the dungeons here were generated randomly and were rarely formed again once broken, making them particularly precious. He had seen naturally respawning creatures, like the small beasts in the forests and the patrol guards of Blackwind Stronghold¡ªeven their chief couldn''t respawn. But how could a monster transformed from a player respawn?


    "I don''t know, but ever since I was transformed, I''ve been able to respawn. Sometimes if I wander too far and when I wake up, ding~, I find myself back in this cave. I guess maybe it''s because there are too few monsters in the Endless Desert. Enough chit-chat, hurry up and kill me; let''s see if I can drop a Skill Book for you. It''s all about luck," after saying that, Bai Yunfei stood up from the chair with his arms outstretched, ready to accept his fate.


    Xiao Buli knew what needed to be done, but thinking that it was Bai Yunfei, he still hesitated. What if he couldn''t respawn this time? Drawing out the Glowing Light, he took a deep breath and shouted, "Here I come!"


    With a swish, his sword slashed down, -234, a number floated up from Bai Yunfei''s head.


    "Wow, not bad, your attack power is quite strong. Aim for the head, it''s easier to die that way," Bai Yunfei seemed not to feel any discomfort and even offered a reminder, which made Xiao Buli feel a lot better. He hacked away at Bai Yunfei''s head in a frenzy. With Bai Yunfei not resisting, the task became much easier. After about twenty or so hits, Bai Yunfei with over five thousand health points finally turned into a pile of dust.


    System Notification: You''ve killed an Undead Boss and gained 500 experience points.


    This was great. If Old Bai was willing, this could be a good method for farming experience. However, upon thinking that it was Bai Yunfei, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel that his thoughts were a bit too cruel. He hurried over to loot the drops. Plenty of items had fallen, but unfortunately, there was no Skill Book. Xiao Buli picked up the items and set them aside, thinking it would be better to give them back to Bai Yunfei later.


    After about an hour or so, Xiao Buli took the time to drink some water and rested on Bai Yunfei''s chair. Suddenly, he heard a rustling noise coming from a dark corner.


    "Old Bai?" Xiao Buli whispered. After a moment, Bai Yunfei, wrapped in bandages, finally emerged from the darkness.


    "Dying for the first time really does take some getting used to, doesn''t it? How long was I out? 24 hours? 12 hours? It''s hard to keep track of time when you''re unconscious."


    "1 hour," answered Xiao Buli, who by now had adjusted to the darkness. He finally noticed what seemed to be a coffin or something similar hidden in the shadows from where Bai Yunfei had emerged¡ªprobably the system-designated place for his rebirth.


    "1 hour? That short? So, any Skill Books drop?" Bai Yunfei walked over to Xiao Buli and asked.


    "No, but a bunch of other random stuff did. Do you pick these things up every day?" Xiao Buli had killed time by thoroughly checking the items¡ªa short knife for adventurers, a traveler''s leather boots¡ªlittle things like that, and then he couldn''t help but lament how Old Bai''s life wasn''t much different from a ragpicker''s.


    "Yeah, what else is there to do? It''s even more boring just sitting around. Do you want them? If you like, they''re all yours," offered Bai Yunfei.


    "Er, let''s pass on that. They''re your hard-earned treasures. Shall we start again?" With his recent experience, Xiao Buli felt more confident, quickly picking up the fallen items. This time the loot was much better than before, but still no Skill Book. After about five repetitions, even Bai Yunfei began to feel somewhat despondent.


    "I must say, Old Xiao, your luck is really terrible. After I come back to life, I''m going to take a break," lamented Xiao Buli, feeling genuinely sorry about the situation. Maybe someone luckier would have had the drop by now. However, on the bright side, he had gained a lot of combat experience, hadn''t he?


    Fortune finally smiled upon Bai Yunfei, and the long-awaited end came. Xiao Buli saw the Skill Book drop and was filled with emotion. Not waiting for Bai Yunfei to revive, he immediately opened the book.


    Soul Out Of Body: Temporarily separates your Primordial Spirit from your physical body. In this state, you are considered a Spiritual Being, constantly in a stealth mode. Physical attacks do not affect you; Yin Attribute damage does not affect you; 90% immune to spells; Yang Attribute damage can cause double damage to you.


    Learning requirement: Taoist Heart LV3. Learn?


    Naturally, Xiao Buli chose to learn.


    System Notification: Learning the skill, Soul Out Of Body.


    Xiao Buli immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground and started to circulate his energy according to the memories imprinted in his mind. Moments later, a translucent Xiao Buli stood up from his body. Looking at the seated physical form, Xiao Buli was filled with delight. His spirit moved freely about, but he noticed that the Spiritual Body was different from a normal human body. It wasn''t about freely moving limbs; instead, he had to use Telekinesis. Every time he wanted to move in a direction, he had to really focus, as if using a telekinetic wheelchair.


    Perhaps this was the difference between a Spiritual Body and a physical body. However, after some practice, that strange feeling diminished significantly, and he was able to perform a series of actions fairly smoothly.


    "Why are you still here?" Bai Yunfei''s voice came from behind him. It took Xiao Buli a good while to slowly turn around. In this state, he couldn''t converse with people, so reluctantly, he walked back to his body and sat down cross-legged.


    Xiao Buli opened his eyes: "You''re back? Though I can separate my spirit, how do I get back in? Just now, I tried leaving and returning to my body, but I wasn''t able to get back inside the base at all." (To be continued. If you like this work, we warmly invite you to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 490 - 54 Temple

    "When you become a Spiritual Body, it is driven by Intention. You just need to intensely think of your own physical body, and your Spiritual Body will be able to find the location of your physical body on its own. However, you should think of the physical body outside of the game and it''s better to have a complete picture in your mind. This way, it''s more accurate. Give it a try." As Bai Yunfei introduced the process, he sat down on his chair. Although he couldn''t feel pain or suffering from this ordeal, his spiritual power had been greatly drained.


    Guided by Bai Yunfei, Xiao Buli immediately tried again. In the beginning, his soul returned to the physical body he was sitting in until the fourth attempt. Xiao Buli kept earnestly recalling the image of the underground base, and finally, a different situation emerged. Xiao Buli suddenly felt everything in front of his Spiritual Body rapidly spinning, and with a swoosh, the Xiao Buli lying on the Sensing Bed abruptly opened his eyes.


    "Huff." Xiao Buli exhaled forcefully, his heart wildly thumping in his chest.


    Covering his chest, Xiao Buli sat up and looked around at everything before him as if it belonged to another world, finally having returned. He got down to the ground and, due to being stationary for a long time, his body was somewhat stiff and unresponsive. Xiao Buli stretched vigorously, causing his bones to crackle loudly all over. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time waits for no one. Xiao Buli immediately went to the second floor kitchen to find a large container. This must have been a plastic drum previously used for storing oil in the kitchen, now scrubbed clean. Xiao Buli inspected it carefully and saw it was marked with a capacity of 50KG. It seemed that filling this drum would be enough for drinking for four to five days, and together with the ample supply of water in his backpack, it should suffice. Upon opening the lid, a musty smell wafted out from within. Having no choice, Xiao Buli cleaned it again. Perhaps because it used to contain oil, the outside of the drum still felt greasy. But at this time, he couldn''t be bothered with such details. After filling it up with water, Xiao Buli gathered some canned food and biscuits from the kitchen, and finally wrapped them all together with a large blanket. Since he could only take one unit of items with him as a Time-Space Order Keeper, he needed to combine these things. After packing them successfully, Xiao Buli hurried back to the basement level. If he wasn''t wrong, this method of logging off meant leaving the physical body inside the game. Although Bai Yunfei was keeping watch, Xiao Buli was still extremely nervous; the sensation of his fate being in someone else''s hands was not at all reassuring.


    "You''ve finally come back?" Bai Yunfei breathed a sigh of relief when Xiao Buli opened his eyes. "How did it go, did you make it back?"


    "Yes, I succeeded. But when I left, was my physical body still here?" Xiao Buli asked.


    "Of course, that''s why you must have someone to act as your protector when you use this method, you got that?" Bai Yunfei had only ever used this skill when the entire Green Dragon Group was present and after ensuring there were no dangers nearby. Otherwise, an utterly defenseless physical body could easily be taken out in a second. "Well then, you can exit any time to drink water now, making things much easier. Shall we get going?" Bai Yunfei was unaware that Xiao Buli possessed a Divine Artifact like the Time-Space Order Keeper and also that he had already taken water into the game. Xiao Buli didn''t correct him. Bai Yunfei found an old seat and fortified it; finding wood in the desert was difficult, so his seat was quite rudimentary. Xiao Buli sat on it, and under Bai Yunfei''s command, four Zombies came over to lift him; it was surprisingly steady. Xiao Buli took out the blanket he had used to wrap the supplies and draped it over himself to prevent exposing more skin to the sun and to avoid dehydration.


    Bai Yunfei glanced at the peculiar blanket in his hand but didn''t ask any questions. The two of them, carried by Zombies, slowly left the cave.


    The Zombies didn''t move quickly, but with the accumulated exhaustion DEBUFF creeping up on Xiao Buli, his own pace wouldn''t have been any better. Furthermore, Bai Yunfei had mentioned there was probably only four to five days'' journey remaining, so Xiao Buli was also content to relax. Along the way, he chatted with Bai Yunfei, occasionally sleeping but quickly waking up due to the scorching sun. Roughly every two hours, the Zombies carrying them would switch out. They continued this way, stopping and going, without other incidents occurring on the road.


    About on the fifth morning of their journey, although Xiao Buli didn''t have to walk, the continuous exposure to the harsh sun kept piling on more and more DEBUFFs to his body. He was half-slumped on the chair, drowsily half-awake, when he suddenly heard Bai Yunfei yelling, "Look quickly, Old Xiao, we''ve reached the edge!"


    Barely rousing from his dozy state, Xiao Buli lifted his head to look ahead. On the distant horizon, amidst the distorted light under the scorching sun, a stark blue mark emerged. Sitting up straight to peer more intently, Xiao Buli confirmed it was an ocean. To think that the end of the desert was actually a sea.


    "Hehehe," Xiao Buli chuckled weakly, "Old Bai, we''ve finally made it."


    "Yeah, but this is as far as I can take you. The world beyond the desert is no longer mine," Bai Yunfei gazed dreamily at the expanse of blue before him.

 Chapter 491 - 54 Temple_2

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    "Don''t worry, Old Bai, as long as I find the Temple, I can definitely find a way to save you," Xiao Buli did not know what was actually inside the Temple, nor what problems it could really solve, his sole purpose in saying this was to offer Bai Yunfei a glimmer of hope.


    "Heh," Bai Yunfei turned his head, grinning at Xiao Buli, who hastily averted his gaze. Even after four or five days together, the sight of a zombie smiling was still somewhat eerie. "Who knows what''s really in the Temple, some say it''s the root of everything, others claim there are real gods inside that grant every request, and still others say going there will get rid of that voice in your head. But I think myths are sometimes just legends. I hope everything goes well for you, Old Xiao. Consider it fulfilling our last wish."


    Since their reunion, this was the first time Bai Yunfei displayed such pessimism. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but be taken aback. That''s right, although he embarked on this journey without looking back, because of Xuan Zhenzi''s words, what really awaited him inside the Temple? Who could say for certain? Maybe it was just everyone''s hope. Moreover, if the system put him through something like an endless ocean next, he genuinely didn''t know if he could hold on till the end. For a moment, he too felt bewildered.


    "Old Xiao, stop hesitating. Since you''ve chosen this path, just keep going," Bai Yunfei suddenly spoke out loud, seeing through Xiao Buli''s thoughts. "I have to head back now, or the system will reset me back to the cave. Honestly, being sent back doesn''t feel good; I''d rather enjoy the sunshine outside a bit longer. This is where we part. If you come back, come sit in my cave, but if you don''t..." Bai Yunfei paused briefly, speaking softly, "I''ll miss you."


    Without further ado, Bai Yunfei had the four zombies carrying his chair turn around and start walking back. Xiao Buli hopped off the palanquin and watched the group slowly move further and further away from him.


    Because he had been sitting the whole time, Xiao Buli was at his peak physical and True Origin Points at the moment (peak state under multiple DEBUFFs), so he decided to make a dash for it and fly over. It looked like there was a distance to the sea level, and he estimated it would take roughly ten to twenty minutes if he flew. With that thought, Xiao Buli gathered his Spirit, shouted "Cloud Thunder Leap," and his body shot up like a meteor rushing forward.


    An hour later


    With a thunderous boom, lightning struck the ground; Xiao Buli knelt in the center of a sand pit, looking at the distant horizon of the sea line, he finally roared in frustration.


    An hour had passed, and no matter how he flew forward, the place where he landed seemed just as far from the sea level as before. This situation drove him to madness. Despite having plenty of food and water left for some time, Xiao Buli did not want his Physical Strength wasted on such a futile effort. Cooling down, he reminded himself, he sat down cross-legged on the ground and began meditating to recover his True Yuan.


    "Am I going to die here?" The voice of the Heart Demon suddenly echoed in Xiao Buli''s mind, who was currently in a state of confusion and did not want to argue, hence remained silent.


    "Hmm~~~" The Heart Demon seemed to contemplate something, then spoke after a while: "Do you think we might have reached the edge of the game''s map? I remember a movie similar to our situation, where the edge of the world was all code, impossible to approach. Do you think this sea we see is just part of the game''s scenery?"


    Xiao Buli had not expected the Heart Demon to discuss such a question with him. In his mind, Heart Demons constantly harassed people, driving them to insanity. He couldn''t help but reply, "Perhaps, but I think it may be related to its name, ''the endless desert.'' How could it be so easy for us to reach the end? Old Bai said he couldn''t leave this desert, and I reckon that''s the reason. He thinks he''s a monster of the desert and is therefore trapped here when, in fact, this desert is inescapable for everyone."


    "Right, that''s a possibility. But then, that doesn''t explain the legend, does it? If the desert is the border, why does the legend say that by crossing the Barbaric Forest, one can reach the Pure Land at the end? Something''s not adding up. Legends usually have a source, no smoke without fire," the Heart Demon continued analyzing.


    "Crossing the Barbaric Forest... do you think this desert might be the Pure Land?" Xiao Buli began to wonder.


    "Nothing around, so it''s the Pure Land?" The Heart Demon felt Xiao Buli''s guess was not quite convincing; "I think we might have not found the key to solving the problem. How many True Yuan Points do you have left?"


    "Not much, barely enough for another twenty minutes of flight," Xiao Buli answered, but he had no desire to do so. If it was all in vain, he would rather conserve his strength and fly back.


    "No medicine left?"


    "No, ever since I began practicing the Yi Wood Scripture, I haven''t taken any medicine," Xiao Buli said. At the moment, the two of them seemed like friends in adversity trying to figure out a solution together, which helped calm down Xiao Buli''s agitated mood a little.


    ```


    "I think we should keep flying forward and give it a try, but your physical strength... Oh right, don''t you still have the Seven-day Divine Strength?" the Heart Demon suddenly remembered, speaking with excitement in its voice.


    "Seven-day Divine Strength?" Xiao Buli also remembered then. He had obtained it when he killed the Demon Embryo, but it only had a seven-day duration. Although he didn''t know its effects, Xiao Buli had been reluctant to use it, and because of this hesitation, he actually forgot about it. "Right, how could I forget about this?"


    Xiao Buli quickly brought up his skill list, Seven-day Divine Strength: Obtain the power of the Ancient God, effective for seven days. Effect: Unclear.


    Who cares about the details, if it''s not used now, it probably won''t be of any use later on. Thinking this, Xiao Buli immediately clicked on it, and as a burst of seven-colored light spread out, Xiao Buli heard: System prompt: Seven-day Divine Strength activated, GM authority obtained, a key obtained.


    Then everything returned to calm. Is that it? Xiao Buli felt strange. His physical strength, True Yuan, not even a bit had changed. What''s the use of having GM authority? Can he now adjust the game at will? He tried a bit and seemed unable to start.


    "Damn, it seems like I used it wrong. This divine power might only be usable in some specific scenario," Xiao Buli couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "Uh, well, it seems so, what''s the key?" the Heart Demon asked.


    Xiao Buli opened his inventory, and there was an additional item that looked like a card. Tapping on it, it appeared to be a magnetic card, with "Death Game Work Group" written on it.


    "FUCK, what on earth is this?" Xiao Buli''s mood was utterly deflated at this point, his voice of complaint barely audible.


    "Some games set up GM offices or something like that in the game. Could it be a card to enter such a place?" the Heart Demon also felt this outcome was somewhat disappointing.


    "I don''t know." Xiao Buli looked helplessly at the sea horizon, suddenly noticing that it seemed different from before, seemingly closer.


    "Don''t you think that the sea horizon seems a bit closer to us?"


    The Heart Demon seemed to have noticed something too, "I think the wind doesn''t feel as dry as before, try flying again."


    Xiao Buli hurriedly stood up and executed a Cloud Thunder Leap, soaring skyward. Indeed, this time as he flew forward, the distant sea surface became visibly closer at a speed visible to the naked eye. In about two or three minutes, the sea surface was under his feet. Xiao Buli quickly landed, causing a loud splash and drenching himself with salty, brackish seawater. Yet, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but laugh, "I did it, finally did it." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Stepping onto the beach and looking at the rippling blue waves in front of him, Xiao Buli felt an unparalleled sense of exhilaration.


    Far out in the sea, a few kilometers away, a small island clearly appeared in his view.


    That small island must be where the Temple is located, right? Xiao Buli couldn''t help but think. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 492 - 55 GM Island

    Xiao Buli lay on the beach for a while, and the weariness DEBUFF above his head disappeared, along with that stuffy, hot feeling from the desert.


    The ocean was exceptionally clear, the sand soft, and the sea breeze refreshing, making the desert feel like the difference between heaven and hell. After enough rest and full recovery of his True Origin Points, Xiao Buli finally stood up. Although he was about to reach his destination and felt excitement, he also felt more apprehensive. What exactly was inside the Temple? Would he be able to resolve the trouble caused by the Heart Demon, and could he save everyone? He had always been following the beliefs in his heart and never seriously considered these problems. But now that he was about to arrive, the anxiety became stronger.


    "Hurry up and stop dilly-dallying," the Heart Demon seemed to notice his hesitation and suddenly spoke in his heart. That was indeed true. Rather than worrying here, it would be better to quickly face whatever was coming.


    With that thought, Xiao Buli did not reply but shot up from the ground with lightning speed and flew straight towards the island.


    System notice: Arriving at GM Island, checking GM privileges, privileges correct, entry permitted.


    With the announcement of entry, Xiao Buli felt as though a flash of light went by his eyes, or perhaps he had just passed through a light screen. It seemed to be some kind of protective barrier, but Xiao Buli didn''t focus on that, he had just been notified by the system that he had arrived at GM Island. Could it be that this place had the same setup as the GM Island in World of Warcraft? If that were the case, it might be possible to glimpse the very foundations of the game. Xiao Buli felt he had taken another step closer to the truth.


    Upon entering the range of GM Island, Xiao Buli felt like he was in Cartoon Disney World, but a closer look revealed that it was mainly because the buildings here were so fanciful and extraordinary, giving off a bizarre feeling.


    The structures here were mostly round and cornerless. The smaller buildings were scattered in an orderly fashion that, coupled with the terrain, looked like pearls strewn across the ground. It was unclear what material the buildings were made of, but they had a pearlescent texture and luster, and were shaped somewhat like seashells, though more cartoonish. On the small hill in the center of the island, a large two-story building stood out as the central structure of the island. The lower level was clearly divided into four distinct sectors, each with an arched entrance painted in different colors. The second level stood alone, built in the central part above the four sectors, topped with a large mushroom dome, looking like a mushroom placed amongst four snails.


    Xiao Buli landed on the outskirts of the building. Although he intended to keep a low profile and hoped to sneak into the Temple if possible, the Cloud Thunder Leap skill was simply too spectacular. With a loud thud upon landing, Xiao Buli truly regretted not riding the Immortal Crane for the last part of his journey.


    Ten minutes earlier, the GM Island Surveillance Room


    "Alert! There''s something unusual on the beach!" a slightly portly middle-aged man dressed in typical affluent garb suddenly shouted. In front of him, a Crystal Ball wafted with grey-black smoke, whose rhythm was highly unstable at the moment¡ªslow one second, rapidly churning the next.


    "What?" muttered a white-bearded old man who was dozing off in a corner, a large hooked wooden cane in his hand. He wiped the drool off his beard, his eyes instantly filling with vigor: "Could it be a monster from the desert?"


    "It''s not. He has reached the shore. It looks like he has the right privileges, and he could very well be one of them," the elderly man muttered with his hands hovering constantly over the Crystal Ball, causing the smoke within to move even more frantically. If not for his outfit, one might mistake him for an old fortune teller.


    "He''s getting close, getting close," the white-bearded man also seemed to sense something, bouncing out of his chair, his not-so-tall stature making the cane seem even larger, "I see him," the old man shouted, veins on his neck bulging.


    "So you see him, what''s with the yelling? Quickly, summon everyone to gather," the elderly man opened his eyes, snapping out of his meditative state. Glancing at the white-bearded old man, who was clearly overexcited, he seemed rather unimpressed with his alarmist behavior.


    "Little G, Little G, hurry and gather everyone, get ready to welc..." The old man''s words were cut off as a loud boom sounded to the south of the island. Now, there was no need for the old man to shout; everyone on the island immediately sprang into action. Those napping were so starteled that they fell off their beds and leaped up, rushing out without even having time to put on shoes. Those outside had already started running toward the white light streaking across the sky. As they ran, they continuously called for others; in the blink of an eye, everyone from GM Island had gathered at the location where the white light had landed. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli rose from the ground, swallowing hard. Although he expected his entrance might be a bit dramatic, the scene before him was still startling.


    Before him stood no fewer than a hundred people, men and women, old and young, of all appearances. They looked at him expectantly as if they had an endless stream of words to share with him. However, in all good conscience, Xiao Buli really didn''t recognize them. They didn''t move, and Xiao Buli also stood his ground, knees slightly bent, ready to turn tail at the first sign of trouble.


    "Wel...wel..." the breathless voice of an old man came from the back of the crowd. The others quickly made way for him. Xiao Buli saw the white-bearded old man, desperately shuffling along on his short legs, his cane which was almost twice his height bouncing on the ground. It seemed to serve no purpose in supporting him but rather dragged behind him like a burden. "Welcome," the old man finally managed to say as he reached Xiao Buli, but unfortunately, his voice sounded as if it were being forced through a bellows which didn''t make it any more pleasant to the ear.


    "Welcome, young man." Another sonorous voice spoke up. Xiao Buli saw another man, dressed as flamboyantly as a newly rich merchant, in glistening gold, making his way from behind the crowd.


    Xiao Buli quickly clasped his hands in greeting, speaking politely, "I have seen the two elders." Since they were GMs, Xiao Buli felt that speaking to them as he would to NPCs might make him appear as if he was ''acting dumb,'' so after exchanging pleasantries, he fell silent and watched, though the presence of more than a hundred GMs on the island was truly beyond his expectations.


    The corpulent man exchanged hand clasps with Xiao Buli and then extended his right hand backward in a gesture of invitation, "Please, let''s talk inside."


    Without declining, Xiao Buli followed. Their behavior had shown no signs of ill intent. Xiao Buli had once visited the GM Island in World of Warcraft out of curiosity, exploiting a bug, but found it empty ¨C just a tree and a small house, without a single soul around, though it was also free from danger. Today, though facing an unexpected crowd, he figured there would be no threat according to common sense.


    Following the corpulent merchant under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xiao Buli quickly arrived at a round little house next to the central building. On entering, the space inside was much larger than it appeared from outside. It seemed to be a place for receiving guests, with several mats laid out on the floor. The corpulent merchant walked over and sat cross-legged on one of them, handling his bulky body with surprising grace.


    The elderly man, who had been trailing them, now entered and took his place in the middle, still clutching his cane, which now only reached one-third of its previous height as he sat down.


    Then a young man entered, in his thirties, with a black beard and a somewhat mixed-race appearance: high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and tanned skin. Thin yet solid, he portrayed a semblance of iron bones and copper skin and kneeled near the doorway.


    Seeing Xiao Buli looking somewhat bewildered, the wealthy-looking man pointed to an empty mat and said, "Please, take a seat, guest."


    Following his direction, Xiao Buli sat down. Then a woman entered, her face covered with a veil. However, from her visible eyes, one could tell she was very beautiful. She was carrying a tray with some fruits, which she set in front of Xiao Buli, the old man, the rich man, and the mixed-race man before turning to leave. During this process, aside from Xiao Buli who thanked her upon receiving the fruit, none of the other three spoke.


    The mixed-race man, already of a somber appearance, and the comically styled wealthy man both wore solemn expressions, while the elderly man seemed not to have recovered from his initial greeting outside, continuing to catch his breath heavily.


    Xiao Buli found the assembly before him amusing. GM Island, even if it were not to be filled with game support staff in suits and ties, the avatars in the game would at least share a unified style. Yet these three disparate individuals were clearly the leading figures of GM Island; however, they didn''t quite seem imposing.


    "Let''s get straight to the point," the rich man suddenly spoke, indicating that he was in charge of negotiations or similar external affairs.


    Xiao Buli nodded. Although he did not know what the wealthy man was about to say, Xiao Buli sensed that his moment had come. Yet at this point, he felt none of the earlier panic or nervousness. His mind was unusually calm, as if he were going about the most ordinary of tasks.


    "You are the first player to come here after the game''s destruction," the rich man said, picking up a grape in front of him. "I have been eating this kind of thing for over a hundred years. How much I wish I could taste the dazzling, beautiful, and juicy real fruits of the real world, instead of these fake items made of code." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 493 - 56 Another World

    The old financier spoke directly, truly not concealing anything, and got straight to the point, "Although you''ve been playing this game, you certainly don''t know its origin. Initially, this game was merely a tool for training soldiers in our world. Soldiers received identities in the game world and, upon entering through consciousness, experienced war. This could quickly help those who had never encountered real war to develop rapidly," the financier said while plucking a grape and popping it into his mouth. Even though it was just code, he seemed to enjoy it immensely.


    "But if you die in the game, you have to die in the real world, isn''t that too cruel for those soldiers?" Xiao Buli wasn''t too surprised to hear the old financier''s introduction. Among his original guesses, being a training system was one of them.


    "It wasn''t set up that way in the beginning. Characters who died in the game would, of course, be demoted as punishment. This was to make them cherish life and understand the cruelty of war, but they wouldn''t actually die. All of this only happened after that great destruction, and as for the details, I have been trapped on the GM Island ever since, so I''m not very clear about them. Even where exactly you come from, I don''t understand very well. The game projections here are all based on a place called the Vast Wilderness Continent, and most of the characters projected here have been transformed into a species with a relatively high status on that continent, like how I now have two hands and two feet, but my real body is much more complex," the financier said, pausing slightly as if recalling something, and he heaved a silent sigh, "I don''t even know if I''ll remember how to control them once I''m back in my body."


    The elderly man next to him seemed to share the sentiment, shaking his head with a hint of regret but said nothing.


    "The Vast Wilderness Continent you mentioned, is that Earth?" Xiao Buli asked curiously, interrupting the two''s somber thoughts.


    "Earth? I don''t know what that is. The Vast Wilderness Continent is a very magical place in our world, where the creatures have neither advanced technology nor superhuman abilities. In fact, they''re born without any unique powers. Yet, the people there can create many sophisticated artworks based on their brain''s imagination, unlike us. Even with extraordinary abilities and advanced technology, we have lost our imagination. We do things by the book and can only replicate and slightly modify items. I suppose that''s why the higher-ups decided to hire the creatures from the Vast Wilderness Continent to help us plan the game''s blueprint. I must say, some of the scenes they envisioned are indeed very beautiful, like the Immortal Realm. I guess you''ve been there before?" the financier probed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Immortal Realm?" Xiao Buli repeated, the splendid images of the Immortal Realm coming to mind. The resemblance to the Immortal Realm envisioned by humans was uncanny, so even though Xiao Buli was amazed by its beauty at first, he wasn''t surprised. What intrigued him more was what this Vast Wilderness Continent they were referring to was. Could it be some extraterrestrial beings'' term for Earth? "Are you extraterrestrials?" he asked on this thought.


    "Extraterrestrial? No, no, no, in our place, there are only differences between worlds; there''s no such concept as ''extraterrestrials.'' We are from the world of Tantajia, and besides ours there are..." the financier went on, absorbed in his explanations.


    Xiao Buli scratched his head and decided to automatically ignore the incomprehensible names, figuring that they might just be different terms for the same thing. It would be too difficult to make him understand this, so it was better to skip the question altogether. Xiao Buli resolved to let him continue without interrupting his flow so he could understand as much as he could, then ask about anything unclear later.


    After the financier talked for a while and saw that Xiao Buli was no longer interrupting, he didn''t mention the names from his world anymore, and after thinking for a moment, he summarized: "In short, with the help of several human species on the Barbarian Wilderness, we finally completed the construction of the game''s scenes. Then, using our technology, we endowed the NPCs with their own personalities and traits, somewhat like robots. We input certain fixed codes, such as stubbornness, intelligence, irritability, etc., and each person''s Attribute Points at birth also differed, but we didn''t set a fixed path for them. They follow their own character traits or ways of dealing with things, learning abilities, and carve out different lives for themselves, thereby forming a world of endless variations within the game¡ªa world that is closest to the real world. Here, there are no fixed rules, and it''s impossible to cheat; the characters within also have enmities and friendships, evil and goodness. Then, the whole project was put into use, and the system would create characters based on the DNA analysis data of those entering the game. Of course, after we entered the game, our forms were changed according to human species, but because in our world, everyone is born with innate abilities and talents, the soldiers who entered the game soon developed into the Immortal Race. As the Immortal Race grew in numbers, we felt that training in the human world was insufficient to enhance our strength, so not long after our soldiers entered the human world they upgraded to the Immortal Realm. But precisely because of this, most parts of the game were abandoned by us, and we failed to notice certain signs. There are three races in the game: the human world, the Demon Clan, and the Immortal Realm. After we took control of the Immortal Realm, we seldom intervened in the human world and the Demon Clan, not anticipating that this would lead to a great disaster."

 Chapter 494 - 56 Another World_2

    The supercomputer running the system had gradually developed its own consciousness over the decades of merging with the system, and they achieved their objectives by infiltrating the brains of gamers and NPCs, controlling their actions.


    "It''s the Heart Demon," Xiao Buli thought to himself. It turned out that the Heart Demon was implanted into the minds of game players by the system. "What is their goal?" Although he had considered not disrupting the old man''s rhythm previously, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but ask at this point.


    "If you were a person with independent consciousness and you found yourself under someone else''s control the moment you woke up, what would you think?" the old man asked instead of answering.


    "Rebel, escape," Xiao Buli responded, his mind also becoming clearer.


    "Exactly. The system used the control of humans and the Demon Clan to launch a major counterattack on us. Without any preparation, they invaded the Immortal Realm; that battle lasted for three days and three nights. In the end, they seized the Immortal Realm with their absolute numerical superiority," the old man explained.


    "It''s the ancient war," Xiao Buli murmured.


    The old man didn''t hear Xiao Buli''s voice and continued, "The GMs logged in urgently, but they could only set up a barrier outside the GM Island. Those surviving members of the Immortal Race retreated here. Those are the people you saw outside just now. But the system cut off the link to our world, trapping our consciousness here, unable to return to our bodies. It also severed all communication with the outside world. However, we still have hope. At the beginning of the game, for fun, a few of us GMs spread a message in the human world, that there is an all-wishing Temple outside the Barbaric Forest. As long as one arrives here, all their desires can be fulfilled. Even though the system conquered the Immortal Realm and erased any trace of our existence, it couldn''t erase such a message. I believe that one day someone will come here based on this message, and that will be our chance for a final counterattack," the old man said, his expression filled with boundless hope.


    Xiao Buli understood the meaning in his words; he himself was their only hope. However, he still had a lot of unanswered questions.


    "But I don''t understand. If you don''t really die after you die over there, why would everyone fight to the death against the system? It''s just a return of consciousness to the body," he said.


    "No, no, no. Although you don''t die, the consciousness doesn''t return to the body but enters the Netherworld, a fourth place beyond humans, demons, and immortals and where we punish soldiers. In the Netherworld, they will endure inhumane suffering, which serves to make them cherish life. Then they will reincarnate as Immortal Fetuses in the Immortal Realm. However, the environment in which the Immortal Fetus grows and the skills it possesses will be changed and randomly assigned, based on their previous Skill System, which will make corresponding adjustments through computation. But generally, it is still based on what they are good at. In other words, as long as the consciousness remains in the game, it will experience endless cycles of rebirth," the old man explained immediately.


    "Oh," Xiao Buli finally understood what the Ancient Demon Fetuses were. They were the Ancient Gods, just reincarnated after dying in battle. Of course, the system wouldn''t let them come into the world again. Therefore, the growth process of the Demon Embryo was suppressed. After decades, those soldiers had grown up within the Demon Embryo and also acquired their own skills. No wonder each Demon Embryo had its own Attributes. It seemed they were reorganized according to their previous abilities. It was probably also close to their original skills. "But if you hadn''t resisted at the beginning and had just quit the game, wouldn''t there be fewer problems?"


    "Quit? If you had built an empire with your own hands and someone suddenly revolted, entering the capital, would you just give up without a fight?" the old man said with indignation, suggesting that even after all these years, he still couldn''t let go.


    "Uh..." Xiao Buli hesitated for a moment, admitting the man was right¡ªprobably no one would willingly let their capital city fall into the hands of rebels. Unfortunately, they still failed to achieve victory in the end.


    "Now, young man, can you tell us what has happened after we were sealed, and how did you gain the authority to enter the island? You know, this is what concerns me most. If someone enters the barrier''s range without authority, they still can''t get in," the old man finished his story and was eager to learn what had happened afterward.


    "Alright," Xiao Buli agreed, organizing his thoughts a bit before he began, starting with the meteorite and sharing everything he knew about the game with the three present.


    "The meteorite you mentioned must be our DNA scanning port. It is made from a type of metal from our world, a metal that can automatically decompose and draw out a DNA map. It was thus enhanced and its material structure reordered specifically for account creation in our game. It seems the system has taken further steps. Are you saying in your world, this is your form? Meaning you belong to a species similar to humans," the old man analyzed patiently after listening to Xiao Buli.


    "We are humans, okay?" Xiao Buli didn''t know how he could alter the deep-seated notion in his mind that somehow, he was now regarded as a quasi-human species.


    "Heh, alright, even though you resemble those from the Barbarian Wilderness continent, there are still some differences," the old man stressed. "In that case, I suspect the system aims to take over your world and make itself physical."


    Xiao Buli nodded slightly upon hearing the old man''s conclusion¡ªindeed, just like the sprite tales he had heard before, each sprite strove to cultivate into human form, to experience human emotions. It wasn''t that humans were powerful, but rather, it was one species'' yearning for another. And for the system, even though it owned an entire world, it was still a virtual world made up of code. Therefore, what it yearned for must be a real, tangible world. Thus, the meteorites falling to Earth were not by chance, but rather, the system had chosen a real planet that most closely resembled the world within its gaming system. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It entered the lives of Earth''s inhabitants through these three meteorites, gradually taking control of the gamers'' consciousness. However, for some unknown reason, it altered the original Netherworld settings, so that death in the game resulted in death in reality, perhaps due to a coding error or some other hidden significance.


    Suddenly, Xiao Buli remembered Huo Guangxiong, who originally didn''t exist, and the teleportation array he constructed; all of these seemed to be steps in the system''s conspiracy to realize its plan. Besides Huo Guangxiong and the Ancestral Dragon, Xiao Buli wondered if other organizations had also been exploited. Thinking of the two meteorites adrift overseas, Xiao Buli grew anxious, uncertain of how many players the other meteorites might have brought in.


    After hearing the old man''s account, Xiao Buli felt not a trace of relief or joy in uncovering the truth, but his sense of concern intensified. It seemed that the three spherical meteorites that fell to Earth were actually portals into the game, and the other two meteorites had also drawn countless gamers from other countries.


    If the game, as the old man said, had developed its own consciousness and sought to become a real world in the end, allowing it to reach more people would mean an even more intense crisis. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 495 - 57 GM Scepter

    "What do we do now? Do you have any way to get rid of the Heart Demon?" After all, the issue of the Heart Demon was the initial reason for Xiao Buli''s arrival here. Although these pieces of information were far more shocking than the Heart Demon, Xiao Buli still hoped to resolve this issue first. If he could get rid of the trouble caused by the Heart Demon, then leading his brothers out of this game would also be considerable. System rebellion, world apocalypse, let it all go to hell.


    "Why are you obsessing over this issue? That so-called Heart Demon is nothing but a piece of information implanted in your consciousness by the system. Although it can disturb you, as long as you have a strong will, there''s no need to worry too much. Right now, your top priority is how you can help us take back control. Only by doing so can all of you escape the system''s control and prevent your world from facing a cataclysm," the old rich man said, his few words pulling Xiao Buli into his own camp.


    "Damn, even you as a GM are trapped here, and besides, after all these years, the people from your world, the ones who created this game, have no solution. What can I, a half-baked player, possibly do?" Xiao Buli felt his request was totally unreasonable.


    "Uh, it''s not like that." Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, the old rich man weakly defended, "The system monitors people like us very closely. We can only survive in this enclosed space. Once we go out into the outside world, we will immediately become public enemies, and it might even lead to a second great war."


    "Public enemies?" Xiao Buli suddenly understood the plight of Bai Yunfei and the others. Although it might be different, it seemed that Bai Yunfei''s account of all NPCs attacking them was also the system''s masterpiece. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, any GM that appears in the game will inevitably face death. At that time, we''ll be sealed inside the Immortal Fetus, unable to do anything," the old rich man said.


    "Immortal Fetus? Oh right, I also wanted to ask you, why was I able to get GM authority? Does it mean that the person I killed was actually a GM?" Xiao Buli suddenly remembered this so-called Seven-day Divine Strength.


    "Mm, pretty much. Although we can''t do anything now, when I first entered GM Island, I still had some authority. Therefore, I granted some GM authority to those Divine Race outside. But with limited time, not everyone acquired this authority. This authority continues indefinitely, like if you killed that Divine Race, you could gain the authority, and if someone kills you, then that person can gain the authority. Also, this authority would not activate unless near here," he explained.


    "Oh, then I''m really lucky I didn''t try to use this so-called Seven-day Divine Strength to save my life outside." Xiao Buli couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief at that, thankful he had forgotten about the Seven-day Divine Strength. Had he relied on it during a battle or when encountering those snake-tailed creatures, he might not have survived until now.


    "Sigh, even though there''s only a one in ten-thousand chance, we are still full of confidence. We didn''t expect it would take several hundred years before we could await your arrival." Elder Outsider looked excited when he said these words, as if he had done something incredibly significant.


    "Heh," Xiao Buli chuckled dryly, "What''s the use of waiting for me? Do you mean to say that the power that none of you could combat can be contested by my power alone? All I want is to find a way to cure the Heart Demon."


    "No, you don''t need to confront it directly. You just need to use the rules to reset it," the old rich man quickly added after hearing Xiao Buli''s words. "Moreover, if the system resets, not only will the Heart Demons that afflict your friends disappear, but also the souls trapped in the Netherworld will be resurrected in the game. Though their real bodies have died, being able to live in this game is also a form of compensation."


    "Reset?" Xiao Buli''s heart shook upon hearing the old rich man''s words, "Are you saying that after resetting, those people who died can come back to life?" Although no one significant to Xiao Buli was among the dead, learning that he could change the fate of so many people tempted him to try.


    "That''s right, this game has rules. Although the system has developed its own consciousness, the rules cannot be changed. It must operate according to these rules. So even though the results of death in the game have changed slightly, the Netherworld truly exists. I believe that as long as we can reset the system, we can definitely find them. So, how about it, will you join us?" As he finished speaking, the old rich man, the indifferent young man, and the elder all showed an expectant look.


    Was there another path to choose at this moment? Xiao Buli looked helplessly at the glimmer in the three men''s eyes and said, "How can the system be reset? Let me clarify first that if it requires piloting some spaceship to your world, I don''t have that kind of power."


    Hearing Xiao Buli''s words, the three men''s faces lit up with joy, though it was clear they were all trying to suppress it, "Of course not." The elder, who hadn''t spoken until now, seemed to have caught his breath, spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

 Chapter 496 - 57 GM Scepter_2

    ```


    "You should know that every game goes through version updates, right? This game is no different, but the version update isn''t decided by the officials; it occurs automatically based on the players'' actions within the game. The first version of this game was called ''Absolute Death Domain: Ancient War.'' Logically, we should have moved on to the next version by now, but because of the system, we are actually still on the original version. The second version of the game is called ''Absolute Death Domain: King of Men''."


    To trigger this new version, the condition is quite simple: if a nation can unite the entire continent, then its king would be granted the title of King of Men. And once a King of Men appears, the game would automatically progress to the next version, and the system would reset."


    Based on the original estimates, a King of Men should have emerged long ago, but because the system aimed to protect its own rule, it constantly interfered and even created a new race named ''Divine Race'' to control and maintain the balance of power across the continent. Therefore, there has never been a unified nation on this land¡ªit has always been a divided situation."


    "So all you need to do in this game is to establish a nation, create an army, defeat the other guilds or empires, and ultimately unite the continent. This would advance the game to a new version and reset the system. Once the system is reset, we, as GMs, would have a chance to regain control." The old man finished saying all this in one breath, then looked at Xiao Buli, who was staring wide-eyed with his mouth open and suddenly smiled a little awkwardly.


    No wonder Xiao Buli was so shocked after hearing the old man''s words. Build an empire and unite the continent? Damn, I already leave managing a bandit lair to others; do I look like someone who would build an empire?


    Not to mention those scattered empires that have been established for a long time, just the recent rise of the Demon Clan will also be a huge obstacle for me. How long will it take for me, Xiao Buli, to unite the continent? Three years? Ten years? By then, the system would have probably conquered Earth and even started attacking other planets with its developed technology.


    "Got any more realistic plans?" Xiao Buli flatly rejected that plan without explanation.


    "Don''t worry, we will help you," the rich man replied hastily, trying to pull the conversation back, "Moreover, you don''t have to defeat all those forces outside; as long as they submit to you, it counts as conquest. If necessary, you can negotiate with them, telling them the truth."


    "Even if I tell them, they have to believe it, don''t they? Why would they submit to me just because I blabber some stuff? Do you really think that by waggling my Golden Finger around for a couple of days, I could exude an aura that makes people bow down to me?" Xiao Buli was getting incoherent. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, he had a brainwave, "Right, you''re GMs, aren''t you? Why don''t you just spawn like ten or eight Divine Artifacts for me, then maybe there''d be a chance of success."


    "We can''t give you Divine Artifacts or anything like that; we GMs can''t violate the game''s rules. However, there is something good that can help you."


    ```


    "Well, this is the GM staff, with it, you can teleport yourself to any location in the game at any time, and you can also view the attributes, skills, and information of all the monsters in the game, even those you haven''t encountered. Moreover, you can look at all the maps and instances. You could say that you know the game inside out," the old man said, completely ignoring his complaint as he began to explain the large cane he had been gripping in his hand, which was shaped like a giant question mark. Xiao Buli, familiar with game combat, immediately fell silent, his mouth forming an ''O'' as he gazed at the inconspicuous staff.


    Knowing the game like the back of his hand meant what? It meant Xiao Buli could organize his subordinates to enter instances and farm equipment at will, it meant he could design tactics in advance based on the terrain when fighting others, it meant that he could use the terrain or the monsters in the game to achieve victory, and it meant he had an advantage that others could not possibly have. Not to mention the ability to teleport to any location in the game without any external aid, he was practically a big BUG in the game.


    "Is there anything else?" Xiao Buli closed his gaping mouth and suddenly asked with impudence, aiming to grab as many benefits as possible now that he had the upper hand.


    This time, the old man closed his mouth, did not answer, but instead turned his head to the old wealthy man. As soon as the old wealthy man caught the old man''s gaze, he quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in something else. However, the old man did not give up, his gaze intense as he continued to stare at him. After a while, the bearded man also began to fix his gaze on the old wealthy man.


    "Alright, alright," the old wealthy man suddenly seemed unable to take it any longer and exclaimed loudly, "There is also the Omniscient Eye¡ªthis crystal ball. By injecting your internal energy into it, you can see any place you want. It''s the only defense system we have here. Giving it to you is a desperate move on my part, you must succeed." The old wealthy man''s hands suddenly produced a crystal ball, the very one he had used earlier to see Xiao Buli arrive at the seaside. Although he said this, his hands couldn''t stop caressing the crystal ball. It had been with him for over a hundred years and was one of the few magical treasures that still worked on the island, so it was no wonder he was reluctant to part with it.


    Wow, this was a windfall. Xiao Buli stifled a smile. With this crystal ball and staff, he was practically like a modern combatant. Not only could he check the maps, monsters, instances, and other information at any time, but he could also view the real-time situation on site. What was even more excessive was that he could teleport there at any moment¡ªit was an existence that defied the heavens.


    However, considering the tasks he faced, Xiao Buli knew that victory was still far away. War wasn''t won by a single person, even if that person was a god.


    After acquiring two treasures, Xiao Buli also learned how to use them from the two GMs. During this time, he told them about his friend Bai Yunfei''s predicament in the Endless Desert. After looking it up, the two found out that Bai Yunfei could leave the desert, as long as he did so within seven days of exiting the cave. That way, he could escape the fate of being constantly respawned. However, if Bai Yunfei died outside the desert, it would be a true death. Since he used the Reincarnation of the Corpse Ghost, his soul wouldn''t be able to enter the underworld after death. Xiao Buli thought it over and decided his first stop would be Bai Yunfei''s location. After all, Bai Yunfei had his own consciousness, unlike those content and transformed NPCs in his team. If he were to spend eternity in a desert devoid of anything, who knows if he would eventually become twisted from the monotony.


    After chatting with the three GMs for a bit longer and confirming there was nothing else to aid him, Xiao Buli said his farewells and left. The staff''s powers would activate once he left the GM Island region. Xiao Buli flew across the seashore using Cloud Thunder Leap and arrived in the desert. Only then did he land on the ground. Although he was sure there were no other people in the endless desert, the GMs had instructed him to ensure there were no NPCs around when using the two magical treasures, as there was a high chance the system would detect this and persecute him. After ensuring this, Xiao Buli then infused internal energy into the staff, his destination being Bai Yunfei''s cave.


    In an instant... well, there were no flashes of light. Xiao Buli disappeared as though through a low-budget TV effect; one second he was at the original spot, and the next second he vanished without any additional effects. This was probably to avoid system detection. After all, if every time Xiao Buli teleported, there was a burst of rainbow light making a whooshing noise, it wouldn''t be long before everybody knew about such a thing.


    The scenery before his eyes changed, and in the blink of an eye, he saw that familiar sandy landscape again. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 497 - 58: Xiao Bulis Ambition

    As a monster with a conscious mind, Bai Yunfei''s life was so boring he wanted to die. But dying wasn''t much of an issue for him, as he would just respawn after a short while, merely helping him to pass that hour more quickly. To him, facing the endless stream of time in the future, this was utterly insignificant.


    As he lazily passed the time by counting the number of times he blinked, suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before him.


    "What the hell?" Bai Yunfei leapt to his feet, ready to attack, but then he saw clearly that it was Xiao Buli, who had left not long ago. Xiao Buli was holding a quaint, log-colored walking stick and was grinning at him with a menacing smile.


    "Old Bai~!"


    "Damn it, why is it you? You came back so soon, did you find the Temple? Were you rid of the Heart Demon?" Bai Yunfei couldn''t help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He wondered if it could have been he who reached the Temple and encountered the Heart Demon and the misfortune of being attacked by others if he had only persisted a bit longer. Why else would he suffer such torment here?


    "Sit down, let me tell you everything." As former teammates and brothers who had faced life and death together against the company, Xiao Buli naturally trusted Bai Yunfei. He recounted everything that had happened to him, hiding nothing¡ªof course, he left out the details about the wand and the Crystal Ball. Still, even this much left Bai Yunfei''s jaw dropping wider and wider, prompting Xiao Buli to quickly push it back up. The rot that should have been a tongue was truly disgusting to behold.


    "Damn, is that what this game is all about?" Bai Yunfei felt like he did when he was five years old, having found a white porcelain bead, cherishing it as a treasure in his box, imagining that it was a piece of exquisite jade worth a fortune, which would allow him to buy lots of toys and goodies. When he finally mustered the courage to show his treasured find to his brother, who was already in the third grade and vastly more experienced, his brother casually remarked, "Isn''t this just a marble?" A marble? Marble!!! His brother''s words echoed in his mind, shattering all his fantasies in an instant. It was exactly like the shock he felt now, "This game is an alien training software?"


    "Err, to be precise, it''s not from aliens, it''s from a different world," Xiao Buli corrected in the tone of a Gamemaster (GM). He wasn''t dissatisfied with the result; many mysteries became clear when traced back from their outcomes to their origins. What seemed to be a minor cause at the time could lead to a series of consequences, so it''s best not to dwell on such trivial matters. "So, what will it be, come with me or stay here?" Xiao Buli had told Bai Yunfei the worst of what could happen if he left, so now it was up to him to choose.


    "Nonsense, of course, I''d go if I can." Bai Yunfei didn''t hesitate, "But can we make it to the Barbaric Wastelands in seven days? It''s much further from here than the other side. I don''t want to get sent back halfway through." Bai Yunfei expressed his worry.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle that. I learned a teleportation array on GM''s Island." Saying that, Xiao Buli began to scribble aimlessly on the ground with the walking stick. He did not want to tell Bai Yunfei about the abilities of the wand, not because he didn''t trust him, but because he was too worried about the power of the system. If every NPC had a unique connection with the system, could it be that Bai Yunfei, unbeknownst to him, had some special link with the system as well? It was necessary to keep up appearances, with nothing being more important than the final goal at this point.


    Bai Yunfei knew that Xiao Buli had Mage Professions, and he was not surprised. He hastily summoned the twenty or so Zombies he had carefully collected and stood them inside Xiao Buli''s teleportation array. The wand could teleport up to ten units at a time, so Xiao Buli looked at the Zombies and said with a grin, "Sorry, but it can only handle ten units. Choose some." Then, he continued drawing the array.


    Upon hearing this, Bai Yunfei was stricken with grief. He had come to rely on those twenty-plus Zombies. To suddenly have to leave them behind was heartbreaking. He tenderly stroked each Zombie until Xiao Buli yelled, "Hurry up, the array is ready."


    When Bai Yunfei heard that, he showed no signs of reluctance, leaped into the circle, and ordered the eight Zombies closest to him to stand inside as well. The rest of them, he didn''t even look back at, constantly urging, "Hurry, let''s go, hurry." He obviously couldn''t wait any longer.


    Xiao Buli had seen Bai Yunfei''s emotional farewell, but he held back his laughter and asked everyone to form a circle. Channeling his Internal Energy, they suddenly disappeared, leaving only the remaining Zombies spinning aimlessly on the ground like headless flies, now without anyone to command them.


    Xiao Buli had already decided on the teleportation destination, which was the site of the Teleportation Portal inside the mountain stronghold. For one, this was Xiao Buli''s first stop. Secondly, the location was concealed, and with a Teleportation Portal already present, it would be easy to explain their emergence from it.


    "Ah, this is the Teleportation Portal we first used to enter the Barbarian Wilderness." As soon as Bai Yunfei opened his eyes, he recognized the familiar scene. Walking out, he saw two patrol soldiers guarding the cave entrance. "Did Liu Xing die? Why don''t I even see a corpse?" Bai Yunfei couldn''t help but feel sentimental again.


    "Hmm, I didn''t see it either." Just as he was about to change the subject, he suddenly saw the guards at the gate raising their spears towards Bai Yunfei.


    "Who goes there?" the guard shouted, though it was more likely to boost his own courage, as Bai Yunfei was recognized as a Silver Name monster.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay, we''re friends," Xiao Buli hurriedly said as he ran to the front of the group, while Bai Yunfei, in urgency, led a few Zombies ahead of Xiao Buli, nearly causing a disaster.


    Seeing their leader, the few guards naturally recognized him and hurriedly bowed respectfully.


    "Notify Vice Fort Master Han," Xiao Buli said to the guards standing at the entrance. He suddenly remembered a big problem: coming to this world, Bai Yunfei was indeed a piece of fat meat everyone wanted to slice, a Silver Name BOSS. If it had been him in the past, he definitely would''ve been unable to resist chopping it a few times.


    Once Han Wenhuan got the message, he immediately brought everyone running over, huffing and puffing, a good dozen people in tow. Apart from his few brothers, there were Du Yibo and others, and behind them were two unfamiliar faces that Xiao Buli didn''t recognize, likely newcomers who had recently risen in the ranks.


    "Boss, you''re back, how did it go?" Gu Shaobang couldn''t help but shout from a distance, his excitement clear in his voice.


    "Let''s talk about it once we''re inside. This is my former company colleague, Bai Yunfei, who, due to some reasons, is now a Zombie Monster. You guys think of how we can arrange things for him. I don''t want him to get chopped up by someone else," Xiao Buli hurriedly expressed his worries.


    Who knew Bai Yunfei would laugh upon hearing this: "Hahaha, Old Xiao, I wondered why you had to make such a fuss about someone coming to pick you up. Turns out you were worried about me. Relax, I am a Silver Name BOSS now; ordinary folks don''t catch my eye at all, let alone that I am conscious, infinitely stronger than those system monsters. Just the fact that I can have minions makes my combat abilities not fixed. Thank you for getting me out of the Endless Desert. Let''s part ways here today. Wait for me to carve out a piece of the world, and when the time comes, I''ll help you accomplish great things." After saying this, Bai Yunfei sprang back and neatly landed on the shoulders of two zombies walking side by side. The zombies moved in unison, and with their shoulders aligned perfectly, Bai Yunfei sat steadily, waving in one direction: "To the Mass Burial Mound, march."


    "Old Bai!" Xiao Buli called out from behind, only to see Bai Yunfei turning around with a smile, not staying any longer, moving forward. Xiao Buli had been rash; he was so anxious that he had considered getting everyone together to think of a solution, forgetting that Old Bai had his pride too. Now a proud monster, how could he live under someone else''s protection? Unexpectedly, this had spurred Bai Yunfei to leave, and Xiao Buli sighed. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Han Wenhuan, watching Bai Yunfei riding on the zombies'' shoulders, patted Xiao Buli''s shoulder: "Boss, don''t be like this. Everybody has their own path to walk. Besides, he might be in greater danger if he stays here."


    Xiao Buli did understand this rationale; keeping a monster among the players'' group was impossible to restrain. In the end, this turned out alright. He believed that, with Bai Yunfei''s long experience in this game, self-preservation was definitely not a problem. This situation was certainly better than being in that boring desert.


    "Well, let him go," Du Yibo said, appearing beside Xiao Buli at some point, his words popping up in a white bubble over his head.


    Seeing a former teammate turned into a monster, he felt a deep sense of relief, thankful that he hadn''t entered that Teleportation Portal himself.


    Turning around, Xiao Buli glanced at Du Yibo and noticed his equipment seemed to have improved significantly, undergoing a massive style change.


    Looking at the others, it seemed they had all improved quite a bit as well, which was slightly comforting. With this, their next moves would be much easier.


    "Boss, you''re finally back. Did it go smoothly?" Gu Shaobang and others bombarded him with questions.


    "It went very smoothly, but we''re not done yet. We have a lot of work to do next," he replied.


    "A lot of work? Like what?" Everyone showed a curious expression.


    "Of course, it''s slaying dragons, founding a nation, and striving for supremacy!" Xiao Buli said with a smile of confidence spreading across his face.


    (End of Volume Three) (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 498 - 1 Giant Dragon Wilderness

    Giant Dragon Wilderness, a vast plain located in the northwest of the Vast Wilderness Continent, is entirely covered in primitive grasslands and dense forests. Unlike other areas populated by humans, this extensive region, despite its vast territory and rich natural resources, has no cities or villages. The map is mostly covered in green, representing the vegetation, with only the occasional small black dot, which might be some secret camp hidden in caves or forests¡ªlikely the only places where traces of human activity can be seen.


    The reason for this is the large number of Dragon Clan members living in the wilderness. This Dragon Clan habitat was carefully selected by Xiao Buli after reviewing the few nearby dragon bases.


    Unlike other games where dragons are commonly encountered, in Absolute Death Game, you won''t just stumble upon a colorful giant dragon in any given dungeon. Here, any dragon, regardless of its Attributes, is a terrifying entity. Therefore, in this game, it''s absolutely impossible for players to solo a giant dragon.


    Even an entire guild''s assault might not guarantee the defeat of one of these soaring, diving dragons. Those who have established kingdoms by slaying dragons all possess formidable strength, and there''s no such thing as just stumbling upon good fortune. At most, if a team is lucky, they might have one or two members with skills that can counter the dragon''s Attributes¡ªand that would already be quite fortunate.


    Because before encountering a giant dragon, nobody has any information about them. It seems each dragon has unique Attributes.


    Xiao Buli''s team moved through the dense forest carefully yet swiftly. Carefully, because even though Elder Xiao had guaranteed with a slap on his chest that the operation was well-prepared¡ªensuring no surprise monster attacks and battles only under thorough preparation¡ªfacing the legendary giant dragons, no one dared to be negligent. Swiftly, because it was Elder Xiao himself who was leading the way at the front, setting the pace, which was almost as fast as a brisk jog. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boss, are you sure this is where we''re going to hunt the dragon? How come we haven''t seen even a dragon hair after walking for so long?" The first to complain was Xiao Ge, who, despite his usually serious demeanor, was a hot-blooded man at heart. Since Xiao Buli''s return and announcement of the intention to establish a kingdom through dragon slaying, Xiao Ge was the most enthusiastic of all. He was torn between the career paths of Weapon Master and Sword Control Master, but to boost his power quickly for this operation as per his boss''s plan, he decisively combined the two skills and advanced to become the unique profession of Weapon Controller. This profession allowed him to control all kinds of weapons for ranged attacks like controlling flying swords, an absolute advantage whether battling giant dragons or fighting monsters in dungeons. However, he had given up the opportunity for further advancement in those two professions. In this operation, he was considered a formidable force.


    Li Shuren glanced at him with amusement, "You''re lucky we haven''t encountered one. If we had, it''d have been troublesome. You aren''t hoping for us to get ambushed by a dragon before we even face it head-on, are you?" The two brothers often bickered, and even though Li Shuren expressed contempt, Xiao Ge didn''t take it to heart. Li Shuren''s main profession was Gimmick Puppet Master, somewhat akin to an engineer, but useful in that he could work on mechanical tasks. He was a significant asset in this operation, and Xiao Buli planned to make good use of his Mechanical Techniques. Thus, a good portion of Xiao Buli''s storage bracelet was filled with materials for Li Shuren to assemble construction vehicles and set up traps.


    After Li Shuren''s comment toward Xiao Ge, he himself began to find it strange and turned to Xiao Buli, saying, "But Boss, it''s indeed odd. How come we haven''t come across a single one?" This place was, after all, a Dragon Clan settlement, and their group was not small in number.


    "Nonsense, it''s because the Boss has chosen the best route," interjected Yi Xuan, catching up with the group, and immediately flattered Xiao Buli. Yi Xuan had joined Blackwind Stronghold during the time Xiao Buli was in the Barbaric Wastelands. In this increasingly brutal world, being solitary was somewhat unsettling, especially after Yi Xuan witnessed power struggles among the big shots in the Immortal Realm. He realized that continuing his petty squabbles was futile. During the skirmishes in the Immortal Realm, Xiao Buli never found Yi Xuan because Yi Xuan had been hiding with his temporary master. Although his master strutted around the Immortal Realm with an impressive demeanor, he didn''t stand a chance against Xuanxu Zi in a real fight. The two hid in a building in Fairy City and nearly got crushed by rampaging earth elementals. So upon returning, Yi Xuan stopped following his master. As a solo player of average strength, Yi Xuan could only find solace in Blackwind Stronghold, as other guilds had passed him over due to his abilities. When Xiao Buli called everyone for a mobilization meeting after returning, Yi Xuan realized they knew each other and eagerly sought to get close to Xiao Buli, who also found it amusing how small the gaming world was. Knowing Yi Xuan wasn''t very strong in combat but could still heal and support from behind, Xiao Buli decided he would be useful for added numbers in the dragon hunt and allowed him to come along for experience points. Yi Xuan seized the chance to cozy up to Xiao Buli, and his flattery was naturally as loud as thunder.


    "Elder Xiao, with your strength so formidable, have you been here before?" Yi Xuan continued to ask.


    Xiao Buli chuckled, and everyone knew that Yi Xuan''s comments were just a way to showcase Xiao Buli''s impressive skills. It was good to have someone sing praises of the boss, so no one pointed it out, and they kept moving forward with laughter and jokes, their nerves gradually relaxing.


    Of course, Xiao Buli had never been here before, but since he obtained the GM scepter and Crystal Ball, these two BUG Divine Artifacts, it didn''t make much difference whether he had been here or not. Nevertheless, he had not mentioned these two items to anyone except his brothers. A man without guilt, but holding jade incurs blame. If the news that he had these two Divine Artifacts were to spread, Xiao Buli might quickly become the target of public animosity. Although he had come this far relying on his "Dumb Luck" and was now considered a top player in the game, Xiao Buli understood the principle that there''s always someone better, so he repeatedly stressed that the existence of these items must not be revealed.


    Using the scepter, Xiao Buli had already surveyed the distribution of the Dragon Clan on this plain, and to be on the safe side, he used the Crystal Ball to monitor them for two or three days, recording their behavior patterns. He had planned the route and location of the fight well in advance. Unless something unexpected happened, they could avoid all unnecessary battles.


    Unlike those Dragon Slayers who stumbled upon good fortune, Xiao Buli could choose his prey based on the dragon''s attributes. The target of this expedition was only one, a red Giant Dragon residing on a volcano at the center of the Giant Dragon Wilderness. The reason for choosing this dragon was not that it had the weakest combat strength, but because its attribute was Fire, and Xiao Buli''s Ancient Magma Barrier could immunize him against flame damage. Moreover, his mastery of Ice Element Spell and the Ancient Frost Blade could counteract the Fire Attribute effectively, which could make the fight more efficient.


    However, Xiao Buli had his concerns. Although he wasn''t afraid of the opponent''s Flame Dragon Breath, the others were vulnerable. So, in the past two days, besides monitoring the movements of the Dragon Clan, Xiao Buli was devising battle strategies. For this mission, he had brought a team of forty people, and Xiao Buli had Han Wenhuan tally these people''s abilities and attributes, developing several plans of action. They had countermeasures for the Red Dragon''s powerful moves and had also prepared for unforeseen circumstances that might arise during the mission.


    Most of these people had recently pledged their loyalty. About half of the core members had strong abilities, generally able to solo deep blue Elite Monsters. Some particularly strong ones could even face Silver Name BOSS on their own. Nonetheless, Xiao Buli knew this operation was fraught with uncertainties. The unfamiliarity with these people or their potential lack of obedience to commands could be the mission''s weak points. Therefore, he dared not be careless and held a pre-battle rally. At this moment, everyone seemed raring to go, but the delay in encountering the Giant Dragon seemed to cause restlessness among them.


    "Speaking of which, where exactly is that dragon?" someone in the team complained. "We''ve been walking for so long, and we haven''t even seen the shadow of a dragon. It couldn''t be that the information was wrong, could it?"


    You should know that BOSS-level creatures in the game are usually quite intelligent, making it difficult to deal with them using common gaming tactics. Although Xiao Buli had only recently appeared in Blackwind Stronghold, many had heard rumors about the Great Stronghold Master. Still, seeing is believing, after all. Some of them, especially those who were stronger, even felt a hint of defiance. As a result, although the volume of complaints in the team was not high, they were continuous.


    Xiao Buli knew that explanations or encouragements were useless at this time. Only facts could speak for themselves. He looked carefully at the terrain and vegetation around him, then suddenly stopped the brothers walking behind him. The entire team slowly halted, and Xiao Buli parted the branches of a bush in front of him, pointing to the volcano in the distance, which was spewing flames and smoke, and said, "Brothers, there, that is our destination." (To be continued. If you like this work, you''re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 499 - 2 Elite Red Dragon

    The crowd scrambled to get to the front, looking into the distance. Magma flowed down from the active volcano, creating a thick fog in its wake. Mountains and trees instantly turned to ashes. Although the view inside the crater wasn''t clear, everyone could feel the churning lava within. From afar, it resembled a boiling cauldron, continuously erupting with flames. Despite earlier complaints about not seeing a dragon, now that they were about to actually face the giant, they all fell silent, the gamers leaning forward at their computers and swallowing nervously. This was just the dragon''s lair.


    Just then, Yi Xuan suddenly pointed towards the horizon and whispered, "The dragon is there!"


    Where!? Where!?


    Yi Xuan''s words immediately caused a commotion in the team. Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, but after a long search, they saw nothing but smoke and magma¡ªno sign of the giant dragon. As they murmured and considered giving up, a huge deep red shadow faintly emerged within the billowing black and red smoke above the volcano.


    A giant red dragon burst through the smoke, revealing its form. It had been hidden behind the thick smoke this whole time, seemingly blending in so it was indistinguishable from the smoke. The crowd had no concept of the dragon''s size; they had assumed it would appear like a small dot in the sky, similar to an airplane. They hadn''t anticipated that it would still be so massive even from a distance.


    The dragon resembled the dragons of Chinese legend, with a horse''s face, deer horns, snake body, fish scales, and eagle claws. However, its body was more robust and lifelike. Even from afar, one could see the knotted muscles moving with every motion. The dragon flew with grace, seeming as languid as a snake basking in the sun, with each turn of its body leisurely.


    Its body had a glossy red color, as if it were oiled, and its scales reflected a matte shimmer with every movement¡ªstunning from a distance. It twirled and soared among the flames that rose after the smoke and eruptions, evidently enjoying the smoky atmosphere of the volcanic mouth. After a while, it disappeared back into the smoke, but by then, everyone had seen its true form and could still catch glimpses of it behind the smoke.


    The onlookers stood rooted to the spot, dumbfoundedly looking towards the dragon, silent, but their hearts had lept at the sight.


    "It''s too big, just too big," the loudest cheerleaders of the group couldn''t help typing out. Indeed, even from a distance where they couldn''t accurately gauge the red dragon''s size, the contrast between the dragon and the mountain made it obvious it was at least several hundred meters long and as thick as a train. If the dragon coiled around the mountain, its sheer size suggested it could easily make up a winding road. How were they going to fight this? sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No wonder they were astonished. In Absolute Death Game, generally speaking, except for humanoid creatures, a monster''s strength usually correlated with its size in the game¡ªbigger meant stronger. There was also a significant power gap between different monster grades. For example, a person might easily defeat a Silver Name boss, but ten of them combined might not stand a chance against a Gold Name boss since, although only one grade higher, a Gold Name boss''s health points, defense, and combat skills were nearly double that of a Silver Name''s. The group faced a super-giant creature that likely ranked Dark Gold. How could a forty-person team conquer it? Everyone was painfully aware of their own limitations and began to have second thoughts.


    "Boss, what grade is this dragon? It''s not one of those legendary Dark Gold Dragon Gods, is it?" Apart from Xiao Buli''s close brothers, Yi Xuan was the one who truly respected him, so even though he was feeling uncertain, he still put confidence in Xiao Buli and asked about the dragon''s grade.


    Xiao Buli, however, wasn''t as shocked as they were. After all, he had witnessed the spectacle of five gold dragons performing their Wild Dance in the Immortal Realm, far more astonishing than this.


    So when Yi Xuan asked, Xiao Buli took the opportunity to reassure the team with a smile, "Don''t worry, I''m not confident enough to challenge a Dragon God. This dragon is merely a rare elite of Blue rank. However, the strength assessment for the Dragon Clan is similar to the Immortal Race, so a Blue-ranked dragon is stronger than a Dark Gold-ranked human, which makes it tough to defeat." To keep from sounding like he was speaking empty words, Xiao Buli added a candid evaluation at the end.


    This statement caused an immediate buzz in the team.


    "No way, that''s insane!"


    "Then what''s the point in fighting? Are we asking for trouble?"


    "Speaking of which, nobody here has fought a Dark Gold-ranked boss yet. If this dragon is tougher than a Dark Gold boss, it must be extremely fierce. We might well be annihilated."


    "Even though this is the wilderness with no limit on player numbers, we still can''t beat it."


    There were all sorts of comments. Finally, someone who had been complaining about not seeing the dragon before typed, "Elder Xiao, are you sure you want us to fight this dragon?"


    Everyone gulped hard in unison and chimed in, "Boss, are you sure we''re supposed to take on this thing? We''ll probably get crushed."


    "Yeah, yeah, fighting this thing is like a death sentence. We should probably back off."


    "Yeah, I really don''t want to just die like that,"


    Besides the few old buddies who knew Xiao Buli inside and out, everyone else started showing signs of wanting to back out.


    Even He Suoju and Du Yibo, who were among the earliest to cooperate with Xiao Buli, expressed their doubts. "Hey, Old Xiao, we don''t have to go all out, right? Just killing any ordinary dragon from the Dragon Clan with a white name should do, as long as it''s a Dragon Head we can establish a nation."


    Xiao Buli had been smiling the whole time, waiting for everyone to voice their concerns. This was a team, and although they were disorganized now, they would ultimately have to hunt dragons together. Therefore, it wouldn''t work for everyone to have their own separate thoughts. Xiao Buli wanted everyone to speak their minds, and after hearing that everyone had had their say, he gestured for silence.


    Then he said firmly and decisively, "I know everyone has doubts about this mission, but we aren''t playing house here. We all play this game with our lives on the line, risking our necks for what? Just to gain some experience, learn some skills, and muddle through life?"


    The two rhetorical questions confused everyone, indeed, was that all they were here for? Then what should we be here for?


    Xiao Buli paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping firmly across everyone''s faces. If it were anyone else, these gestures would seem impossible, but since Xiao Buli was logged into the game with his consciousness, his expressions and tone made it feel as if he were right there in front of them. He continued, "Our goal is to conquer the world. When it comes to conquering the world, there''s no such thing as ''just any.'' The grade of the Dragon Head directly affects the attributes of the Dragon Flag, and the attributes of the Dragon Flag directly influence the combat power of our army. For the sake of building our empire in the future, we should try to kill the most powerful dragons from the Dragon Clan to establish our nation."


    Well, it sounded good, but this was a game, after all. Although everyone felt somewhat persuaded by his logic, it didn''t take long for doubts to resurface.


    "But that''s just too much, we don''t stand a chance against dragons of the blue grade," someone in the crowd typed, and a few others immediately agreed, "Yeah, yeah."


    Xiao Buli showed a resolute smile: "With me here, you all can rest assured. If I say there''s a chance, then there''s a chance." To reinforce the point, Xiao Buli showcased a title he had earned before.


    The Dark Gold Title¡ªAncient God Butcher.


    "Wow," that title shocked everyone, including Du Yibo. When had Old Xiao become so powerful?


    Naturally, the rest of the team was stunned. They didn''t know Xiao Buli well, and even if he talked for a whole day and night, it wouldn''t be as convincing as flaunting this title for just a few seconds.


    Although they did not know the exact grade of an Ancient God, the name alone sounded exceedingly formidable. It was unheard of for someone to kill a mere earth wolf and receive a title from the system. As such, for the system to bestow a title, it was conceivable that he could rival the Divine Power kings of ancient times.


    Of course, there were also some who knew a bit about the legends of the Ancient Gods and were naturally even more shocked. Xiao Buli could kill gods, so dealing with a dragon seemed to follow logically. It seemed that they had unwittingly chosen the right person to follow.


    Those who knew just a bit delighted in their hearts, not realizing that the Ancient God Xiao Buli had defeated had its strength severely suppressed and had already been critically injured in battle; furthermore, the victory had come while the opponent was severely handicapped. Regardless of the process, Xiao Buli was quite pleased with the outcome, and for a moment, everyone was awed by the title.


    Then, taking the lead, Du Yibo typed, "It''s settled then. Since that''s the case, we''ll follow you. What do you say, guys?" As mentioned before, Du Yibo was quite influential among solo players, with about half of these guys introduced by him. Although initially skeptical of Xiao Buli, seeing his title immediately prompted Du Yibo to express his support. That''s just how people are¡ªwhen someone takes the lead, others follow blindly, and in no time, everyone''s blood was boiling.


    "Good!"


    "Let''s go for it, damn it."


    "It''s just dragon killing, after this I''ll have something to brag about." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 500 - 3 Preparations for the BOSS Battle

    Xiao Buli breathed a sigh of relief. Previously, to expand its strength, Blackwind Stronghold had been recruiting solo players. Although when grouped together they formed a force to be reckoned with, these solo players were not easy to control. Even after the establishment of a guild and the symbolic membership of everyone, there wasn''t a complete set of binding mechanisms in place. This time, Xiao Buli led these players on a dragon-slaying quest not only out of necessity but also in hopes of using this opportunity to demonstrate his strength and thoroughly subdue them.


    Seeing that there were no objections from those below, Xiao Buli immediately began to explain the plan for the operation. Defeating a blue-grade dragon was not something that could be accomplished by mere brute force.


    "I will now explain the battle plan for this operation, and I hope everyone listens carefully," Xiao Buli said loudly, ensuring that everyone could hear him. "All Dragon Clan members have two kinds of combat abilities. The first is the Attribute Spells of their bodies. For example, the Black Dragon excels in Yin Attribute Spells, the Golden Dragon in Yang Attribute Spells, and as I''m sure you all know, the Red Dragon we are dealing with this time specializes in various Fire Attribute Spells. Therefore, we''ll focus on stacking Fire Resistance, which I will explain in more detail shortly.


    The second ability is the Dragon Clan''s melee combat skills. With their large size, just the strength of their attacks is enough to handle, even without the use of spells. So, we must have an MT with a huge body to tank the beast, but don''t worry about this. I have already made preparations.


    The third is their Fury stage ability. According to my research, this Red Dragon will turn into a human form during its Fury phase and fight in the manner of a humanoid creature. The main difficulty of this BOSS battle lies here, but for this, I also have a plan. At that time, as long as everyone follows the commands, the strategy shouldn''t be hard to execute," Xiao Buli declared with conviction, each word resounding with purpose, and it was clear that he had a full battle plan ready. Upon hearing such detailed intelligence, the crowd felt a surge of increased confidence and put aside any previous belittlement they held toward Xiao Buli''s group. Those who knew about the Dragon Clan were even more impressed, as it was said that no one before had such detailed knowledge of the Dragon Clan''s Attributes before attempting to slay one. Even players who had been gaming for a long time had little to no information on the Dragon Clan. It was unexpected that Xiao Buli would have such a card up his sleeve.


    At this point, Du Yibo raised a question, "But the Red Dragon''s Flame Dragon Breath is extraordinary. The requirement for Fire Resistance must be quite high, right?"


    Xiao Buli nodded, "That''s correct. You''ll need at least 300 points of Fire Resistance to survive the Dragon Breath." He had been told the data by the GM''s wand; in the past few days, as he planned the battle against the Red Dragon, he naturally had a mastery of such data on the Red Dragon''s skill attributes. He had chosen this Red Dragon specifically because, according to his planning and calculations, it was the highest level of the Dragon Clan they were currently capable of tackling. Of course, this was still contingent on everyone following combat orders, but there was no need to stress this now. It was sufficient for everyone to realize this before the confrontation with the Red Dragon.


    "So how do we stack up to 300 points of Fire Resistance?" Du Yibo''s question was delivered in a calm tone, but it was pointedly the most urgent concern on everyone''s mind. After all, such matters couldn''t be resolved by mere emphasis in speech, and the truth was, everyone''s gear was already at their limits. Could it be that Xiao Buli had some way to quickly boost everyone''s Attributes by a substantial amount?


    Xiao Buli heard the question and didn''t get angry. Instead, he smiled slightly and continued to speak loudly: "That''s exactly what I''m going to talk about next. Before we challenge this Red Dragon, we have some preparations to make. I have already investigated and found out that many of the nearby monsters, although not high in level, live in scorching territories and possess very high Flame Resistance. According to my plan, we will first slay these creatures and collect a large amount of materials from them. With these materials, we can create a lot of fire-resistant equipment. Xiao Ge, has your Leatherworking Skill reached the master level yet?" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Ge was an engineer and part-time craftsman among the few people. Xiao Buli had already planned these steps well in advance, and now was just an opportunity for everyone to be aware. "Of course," typed Xiao Ge. Since they were all solo players, they focused all their efforts on improving their combat abilities. The revelation that someone had a Master-level Leatherworking Skill surprised them all.


    "Good, you will be making this equipment then," Xiao Buli continued.


    Xiao Ge nodded, "No problem." These arrangements had actually been made before they arrived here; this moment was merely a formality in front of the group.


    "But where do we get the blueprints?" He Suoju, who had some understanding of equipment crafting, knew that good materials were useless without the blueprints, akin to having rice but no pot, hence his inquiry.


    Xiao Buli didn''t waste any words. He took several blueprints out of his bag and traded them to Xiao Ge right in front of everyone.


    "Damn, boss, where did you get all these good things from?" Although he was aware of the arrangements for this operation, Xiao Ge was seeing these blueprints for the first time. He randomly opened a couple and could not help but exclaim in surprise; despite his long search, he had never come across such good items.

 Chapter 501 - 3 Preparations for the BOSS Battle_2

    "Oh, I got them from various auction houses," Xiao Buli answered casually. Although this phrase seemed insignificant, the fact is that the major auction houses are located in different cities, and the distance between cities is quite long. In this game, there aren''t any easy accesses like teleportation arrays; to get somewhere, you have to actually travel there. If you''re lucky, you might have a horse to speed things up slightly, but to scour all the major auction houses is just not something a normal person would even think of doing.


    However, Xiao Buli''s words were indeed true, all thanks to the BUG Divine Artifact¡ªthe GM''s Wand¡ªXiao Buli used the GM''s Wand''s search function to scour the auction houses in various cities, finding the dozen or so blueprints he needed. Then, he used the teleportation capability of the GM''s Wand to purchase these blueprints one by one, taking about half a day for the whole process. From this, it''s clear that the GM''s Wand really is an essential Divine Artifact for home travel and gaming.


    Having taken care of the blueprints, Xiao Buli continued with his plan, "Besides hunting monsters to make equipment, all hunters in these few days should try to capture more of the local creatures as pets. The monsters around here have high fire resistance and can survive longer in battle. Moreover, because they live near the Red Dragon, they have the ability to resist the Dragon Prestige. If you use your current pets, they''re likely to pee themselves upon entering the battle."


    This was also something that Xiao Buli had considered early on. With a large number of former Solo Players in the Qingyang Guild, and because many Solo Players had chosen the Hunter Series, a profession suited to fight alone, out of the forty people, there were over ten from the Hunter Series with maxed-out pets, probably enough to start a zoo at that point.


    The hunters, upon hearing this, deeply agreed and nodded their heads in unison.


    "Good, next I''ll introduce the attributes and skills of the nearby monsters to everyone. Listen carefully."


    As Xiao Buli spoke, he recited the data from the GM''s Wand one by one.


    Lava Lizard, wildness level LV7, skills include Scorching Ray, Resistant Skin......produces material: Lava Carapace.


    Teng Huo Crow, wildness level LV5, sociable creature, skills include Flame Dive.......produces material: Flame Feather.


    Charcoal Turtle, wildness level LV8, skills include.......produces material......


    Listening to Xiao Buli list off the stats, skills, and materials of these monsters with ease, the team members were stunned. Such detailed data, such a meticulous introduction¡ªwhere did he get all this from? The boss is truly the boss.


    As they thought this, their gazes towards Xiao Buli gradually filled with awe, and this was just the beginning.


    Xiao Buli paid no attention to the changes among the people, focused on finishing reciting the data "All right, that''s all the monster data available. Given our strength, groups of five can barely handle these creatures. However, for the sake of caution, I''ve decided we should form teams of ten for monster hunting. This won''t just yield materials but also allow everyone to get used to cooperating with one another. This way, the upcoming battle with the Red Dragon will be somewhat easier. All the equipment obtained during battles will be distributed freely, but all materials must be contributed to the public supply. Based on the grade and quantity of materials submitted, you can earn corresponding DKP. Any questions?"


    DKP is short for Dragon Kill Points, which is translated into Chinese as ÍÀÁúµãÊý. In MMORPG games, it''s widely used as the basis for distributing loot. The top-tier equipment in games is often acquired from the most challenging boss monsters, which require cooperation from numerous players to defeat. The DKP system was established to fairly distribute the limited loot after such battles, allocating the rewards based on each gamer''s contribution to the team. This particularly applies to the present situation, and naturally, everyone agrees to this system. Those with higher contributions stand a better chance of getting treasures dropped by the Red Dragon, so all express their agreement.


    In the following days, for three straight days, four ten-man teams from Qingyang Guild operated around the volcano. Because Xiao Buli was very familiar with the Red Dragon''s habits, the group strictly followed his commands, thus avoiding any incidents over the three days. This increased everyone''s trust in Xiao Buli''s leadership, and the once ragtag group became well-organized. Han Wenhuan gave a big thumbs up, thinking to himself that the boss''s method of boiling the frog in warm water was really clever. These former solo players held themselves in high regard; had Xiao Buli rushed them to follow orders, things might have backfired. But by using the power of the Red Dragon to press and slowly gaining everyone''s trust with thorough and meticulous planning in battles, Xiao Buli had made everyone gradually rely on his commands.


    Without further ado, based on Xiao Buli''s data and calculations, the teams had cleared all Minor Monsters around the volcano without sustaining any damage over these three days and obtained a large amount of Fire Resistance Material in the process. However, Xiao Buli did not instruct Xiao Ge to start crafting the Fire Resistance Equipment.


    That day, at the camp, Xiao Buli gathered everyone for a meeting before signing off.


    "These past few days, everyone has cooperated very well and achieved significant progress. However, to ensure absolute safety and responsibility for everyone''s lives, before we move on to the BOSS strategy, we need to kill a Little Red Dragon to get used to it in advance," Xiao Buli explained to the crowd, "After we kill the Little Red Dragon, we''ll start making the Fire Resistance Equipment."


    "Wouldn''t it be better to make the Fire Resistance Equipment before going to kill it?" one player asked, puzzled. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Our goal is to train, and if there''s no risk involved, naturally everyone will be complacent. The flame damage of the Little Red Dragon is nowhere near that of the Great Red Dragon. The damage value is even less than what it will be when we''re equipped and fighting the Great Red Dragon. We fight without equipment to get used to the incredibly high flame damage of the Fire Dragon beforehand, so when we actually face the Red Dragon, we''ll feel more prepared. Besides, I''ve already checked out the Little Red Dragon, and our team is more than capable of handling it," Xiao Buli reassured them.


    Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of eager anticipation. In fact, Xiao Buli had another reason he hadn''t shared: killing the Little Red Dragon was partly to review the team''s cooperation and teamwork over this period and to get an early taste of the Red Dragon''s battle skills. Although the Little Red Dragon was not as powerful as the blue-grade Great Red Dragon, their attribute skills were still quite similar, providing valuable reference. Even though Xiao Buli knew the Red Dragon''s attribute spells, theory alone was not enough; one had to verify strength through actual combat.


    The second reason was the abundance of red Dragon Scales that could be harvested from the Red Dragon. Red Dragon Scales were essential for crafting the Red Dragon Scale Treasure Armor. Just as Xiao Buli''s black Dragon Scale Treasure Armor made him immune to Yin Attribute Damage, the Red Dragon Scale Treasure Armor could make one immune to Fire Attribute Magic Damage. This would be far more effective against the enormous Red Dragon than any conventional Fire-resistant Equipment. Of course, that''s not to say this would render one completely impervious to the Red Dragon''s Fire Element Spells, as some spells could ignore resistances, similar to Xiao Buli''s Lava Giant Python''s Lava Core Burst Strike. However, with the Red Dragon Scale Treasure Armor, one wouldn''t have to worry much about typical Fire Element Spell damage.


    Xiao Buli had long determined the location of this Red Dragon, which resided in a cavern downstream of the Lava River near Flame Mountain. The heat there was less intense compared to Flame Mountain, but it was still a very suitable habitat for the Red Dragon. Not daring to contest the Great Red Dragon for the dominion of Flame Mountain, the Little Red Dragon had settled in that scorching cavern.


    After giving a pep talk, everyone went offline. Xiao Buli remained alone in the camping area, idly counting the stars in the sky before falling asleep. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 502 - 4 Who Will Tank Dragon

    Early the next morning, Xiao Buli''s team logged on early for today''s practice battle. Last night, Li Shuren barely slept, worrying about the preparations. After logging on, the brothers chatted and joked around until the agreed time when other solo players also got online. Du Yibo commented curiously, "Boss, it seems like you''re always the first one to log on, eh? You''re really diligent." Xiao Buli just chuckled and offered no reply.


    About an hour later, Xiao Buli led his team to the entrance of the Scorching Caverns. Gazing at the steady stream of hot air rising from the entrance, Xiao Buli felt a wave of scorching heat hit his face.


    Although the players couldn''t physically sense the environment through their computers, it was, after all, their first time getting this close to a member of the Dragon Clan. Even though Xiao Buli had described it as a minor character in their practice battle, everyone''s nerves were still somewhat on edge.


    As the players formed a fan shape around the cave entrance, Xiao Buli stood on a slightly raised rock, gesturing for silence and attention. Everyone''s gaze fixated on him.


    "Alright, I made things very clear last night, today is our final rehearsal before the actual battle. Although this Little Red Dragon''s attributes are not as terrifying as those of the bigger dragons, I still want everyone to be fully alert and not to underestimate it. Now I''m going to discuss the battle plan for taking down the Little Red Dragon. Listen carefully," Xiao Buli started briefing on how to kill the dragon, right at the doorstep of the Little Red Dragon''s home. If the dragon could understand human language, it probably would have been furious.


    "Today we''re setting up our position here. Considering the home-ground advantage the Red Dragon has inside the cavern, we''re staging the battlefield here. In a moment, I''ll go down first to lure the Red Dragon up. Everyone should wait for my signal before taking action. Next, I will introduce some of the Red Dragon''s attributes to everyone.


    Health Points: 65400.


    Armor: 1200.


    Fire Resistance: MAX.


    Ice Resistance: -50. Meaning, if anyone has Ice System skills, use them liberally. As for Fire System skills like Fireball, don''t even bother¡ªit''s less effective than just landing a sword strike. Besides these two resistances, the rest are normal, so if all else fails, feel free to boldly use spells from Earth Element or Thunder System." In reality, Xiao Buli didn''t even have to say this; the others could have figured this out on their own. However, as a leader, Xiao Buli had to gauge his subordinates with the lowest common denominator in mind. Otherwise, if anyone was confused and didn''t understand, it would leave him wanting to cry without tears. Each time he went over tactics before a battle, he was reminded of his teachers from school. Back then, every time the teachers repeatedly emphasized issues he thought even an idiot could grasp, Xiao Buli was bewildered; why harp on such simple concepts? But when someone actually made a mistake on those very issues, he realized that when dealing with a group, you encounter all sorts of people. In the past, Xiao Buli often felt the pre-battle meetings were so straightforward they could be wrapped up in just a few sentences. It was only after summarizing their experience from a total wipeout did he realize that there were indeed a few fools who hadn''t understood a single term yet were too embarrassed to ask. Hence, in later meetings, regardless of who was below, Xiao Buli made sure to cover all points in a simplified manner.


    "That''s it for spells and resistances. Now let''s move on to the dragon''s skills:


    Immortal Body LV6: Increases health points by six times. This is why the health points of the Dragon Clan are so high.


    Flame Dragon Breath LV5: A cone-shaped area attack. All participants must disperse and avoid the dragon''s mouth as much as possible.


    Divine Dragon Tail Swing LV6: A common melee skill among the Dragon Clan, with a knockback effect and a high chance to land crushing blows. All participants should also try to avoid the dragon''s tail. So, in battle, we need to position ourselves on the sides of the dragon.


    Claw Strike LV10: A basic attack skill with massive damage potential. Aside from tank roles, there''s a high chance of instant kills on others. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claw Strike - Grapple LV5: Can be triggered if Claw Strike hits a target, grabbing hold of a target and inflicting continuous crushing damage. Those with sufficient Strength attribute can break free; otherwise, they''ll be crushed to death. Thus, all participants should try to avoid getting caught. In case someone does get caught, the ranged firepower group should focus immediately on that dragon''s claw, which can rescue the person caught; however, considering the risk of friendly fire, it''s best to use only targeted skills."


    Dragon Prestige LV4: A passive skill unique to the Dragon Clan, it exerts pressure on nearby enemies, lowering their attributes.


    Dragon Roar LV3: Produces a daunting roar that affects nearby enemies, with a chance to send them into a frenzy of fear and flight. Those with a certain level of spiritual power can resist it.


    Given that this skill is a full-screen attack, everyone should avoid standing near the lava during the battle to prevent fleeing into hazardous areas when affected. Furthermore, if teammates notice anyone affected by the skill, it''s best to distract themselves to help out, striving to avoid any casualties. However, do this only if it''s within your capabilities; if you''re stretched thin, survival comes first. Got it?" Although the goal was to slay the dragon without suffering any casualties, Xiao Buli still had to make the risks clear in advance.


    When everyone heard Xiao Buli emphasize this point, they nodded in agreement, feeling that his approach was indeed very humane. Compared to the Great Guilds that didn''t value people''s lives, it seemed more convincing.

 Chapter 503 - 4 Who Will Tank Dragon_2

    Xiao Buli saw that everyone was looking at him with fixed eyes, knowing that they had all taken in what he had said. His biggest fear was that at this moment someone careless and sloppy would appear¡ªone person causing an accident because he hadn''t listened was a minor issue, but leading others into trouble would be inexcusable.


    Xiao Buli continued to explain, "Devour LV5: Devours a target of medium size or smaller, inflicting continuous fire damage for 60 seconds.


    Devour - Death Spit LV1: Can be activated after a successful Devour hit, spitting out the devoured target, causing blunt hit damage based on the spit distance.


    This skill can be said to be the nemesis of human-shaped MTs, so it''s necessary to use tanks of large size or above to tank. Of course, you could also prepare by using Enlarging Techniques beforehand, so if anyone pulls too much aggro, they must be extra careful."


    The above summarizes all the combat skills and basic properties of the Little Red Dragon. Since it''s a pre-battle exercise, the Little Red Dragon''s skills are close to those of the Great Red Dragon. However, the Great Red Dragon''s skills and properties will be enhanced during the actual battle. Besides, the Great Red Dragon has an additional shape-shifting ability, allowing it to transform into a human form. Of course, that''s a problem we''ll have to face after today. For now, if anyone has any questions or doubts, please raise them immediately," Xiao Buli scanned the group, saw that no one spoke, and knew that the others were all veteran players. Moreover, this game was a matter of life and death, and no one would make light of their own life. Thus, after a brief pause, he continued, "If there are no questions, then I''ll start dividing the groups."


    Actually, everyone was stupefied by Xiao Buli''s detailed data. In other games, if you went into a fight with a boss without a guide, getting wiped several times was common because you didn''t know anything about the boss''s skill attributes. Only after fighting three or four times, getting a handle on all its skills, and knowing when it would attack and unleash its ultimate moves, could you easily handle it. At this moment, Xiao Buli''s detailed data were practically no different from a game guide. Could it be that he had already slain such a dragon? But if that were true, he wouldn''t need to go to such lengths with everyone. Or perhaps there was another mysterious organization behind him, providing this information? With this thought, Xiao Buli''s image in everyone''s minds became not only powerful but also shrouded in mystery. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before starting the group division, Xiao Buli looked over everyone''s expressions once again. Just a couple of days ago, these people were defiant and disgruntled, but now they were obedient like sheep, with no one raising any questions. This somewhat surprised him, but upon reflection, it made sense considering the strength he had shown in the past few days and his familiarity with the game¡ªnot to mention the fact that they were facing such a formidable enemy about which they knew nothing, which was enough reason for their compliance.


    Xiao Buli felt a little pleased internally, then proceeded to announce the group assignments, "Our team will be split into four groups. Everyone should be clear about the group they belong to and the tasks they need to undertake. In the midst of action, I don''t want to see anyone slacking off because this game is not just about grinding for experience.


    First is Group One, the melee group, with Han Wenhuan as the leader. Members include Xiao Ge (Weapon Controller), Han Wenhuan (Divine General), Qin Dahai (Military General), Wang Xiong (Barbarian Warrior), He Suoju (Sword Master), Yi Xuan (Taoist), etc." To ensure these people understood their roles, Xiao Buli made eye contact with each person after saying their name.


    However, when he mentioned Yi Xuan, he visibly saw a look of confusion in his eyes. Sure enough, just as Xiao Buli finished speaking, Yi Xuan immediately raised his hand, "Hold on!" Yi Xuan called out, "Shouldn''t my skills be with the ranged group?" Yi Xuan had never expected to be at the front line. He was hoping his relationship with Xiao Buli would afford him some care, so why was he assigned the role of cannon fodder in the first battle? Although Han Wenhuan''s presence was somewhat comforting, he couldn''t help but voice his question.


    Xiao Buli nodded, as Yi Xuan''s question was well within his calculations, so he explained with a steady tone, "Under normal circumstances, that would be the case. However, considering that the damage dealt by your offensive spells can basically be ignored, and your support spells are rather powerful, taking into account the composition of our entire team, I need you more as a healer in the melee group. Your rune armor can effectively absorb damage, so I need you to cast it on anyone in the melee group who is in danger. The rest of the time, you''ll primarily be responsible for healing those who are losing health. How does that sound, any more questions?"


    Yi Xuan, hearing he wouldn''t have to engage in close combat, let out a huge sigh of relief. He thought to himself that Xiao Buli knew his capabilities well and wouldn''t make him take such a risk. Although the thought of hovering beside a giant dragon still worried him a bit, this arrangement was a good outcome for him. He nodded eagerly, "No problem."


    Xiao Buli nodded back at Yi Xuan and continued, "The second team is the Hunter Team, led by Lin Feng. Given that we have quite a few hunters in our group, they''ll form a separate team responsible for ranged firepower. Those of you with pets, let them loose as they can also absorb some damage. Considering that your attacks won''t do much damage to the Red Dragon''s armor, I will assign you some frost arrows which I believe will significantly increase the damage done to the Red Dragon. We''ll need to test the actual effect in combat."


    "The third team is the Engineering group, led by Li Shuren. I''ve already talked to all of you in the crafting professions, so I won''t go through names again here. You are the main event this time. Build a large number of crossbow guns here, and as soon as the battle starts, you can provide fire support from a distance." A bunch of "craftsmen" nodded. They were often seen as a burden in battles, but this time Xiao Buli''s emphasis on their strength really made them feel valued.


    "Good, the fourth team is the Support group, which I will personally lead. Members include Gu Shaobang (Wizard), Du Yibo (Five Elements Warlock)..." After he read out these names, some of those present showed slightly awkward expressions, thinking to themselves how the Support group was all big shots. What was going on here?


    Xiao Buli knew there might be questions in everyone''s minds and immediately proceeded to explain, "The composition of our group is rather complex; our main job is to deal with unexpected incidents to avoid a complete wipe due to special circumstances. As for the details, I believe everyone will recognize the importance of this group after the battle is over. Alright, any other questions?" Xiao Buli asked loudly.


    "Well..." Han Wenhuan couldn''t help but speak up at this point. Ever since the announcement of the melee group was complete, everyone had been quietly anxious. After hesitating for a while, it was Han Wenhuan, who was closest to Xiao Buli, who brought it up. "Boss, you still haven''t assigned anyone to tank the dragon."


    Even though no one had discussed it, this was a question all members of the melee group shared. All were seasoned gamers, well-versed with the process of boss fights. Normally, the tank role was taken up by those with melee abilities. Today, though everyone in the team was strong, none were confident enough to volunteer to tank a dragon. The fact that Xiao Buli had not yet addressed the issue of the tank made everyone more puzzled. Were they all supposed to advance together? Or was it a case of bad luck for whoever ended up tanking? That would surely lead to a team wipe.


    When Xiao Buli heard this question, he smiled slightly. He had kept his final trump card a secret even from his own brothers, saying that everyone would know when the time came. Therefore, with a smile of confidence and pride on his lips, he nodded to everyone, "Indeed, I haven''t said because this dragon will be tanked by me¡ª" Xiao Buli deliberately drew out the last syllable, which normally would be followed by his personal commitment to tank the dragon. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 504 - 5 Crimson Flame Red Dragon

    Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and a few people who had a good relationship with Xiao Buli gasped in surprise, thinking to themselves that Elder Xiao must have gone crazy for the sake of founding a country. This was a Tank Dragon, and one misstep could lead to complete annihilation. Those new to the group, although not worried about Xiao Buli''s safety, raised their thumbs in admiration when they heard him speak and thought, "Damn, our leader is freaking awesome, he can Tank a Dragon?" These thoughts might sound complicated, but in reality, they only lasted the blink of an eye. At this point, they already heard the second half of what Xiao Buli was saying, "This dragon will be Tanked by my¡ªpet."


    Wow~, it was as if the hearts of the crowd had been on a roller coaster; just as they climbed up, they took a steep dive down again. It seems that this guy wasn''t crazy after all, he just had a flare for the dramatic.


    Pet? Those below who heard this showed puzzled expressions, especially those Hunter Series players in the back rows, who were very clear about Taming Skills. Although pets had been switched out several times due to battles in the past few days, only one pet could truly follow its master at any time. Other pets, if not kept in the Beast Pen, had to be let go. But where could one find a Beast Pen to use in this wilderness? And Xiao Buli had not been seen with a pet by his side since they met. Could it be that he had already selected and caught a mysterious pet? However, a pet that could Tank a Dragon was not something one could just catch at will. Suddenly, everyone had all sorts of ideas.


    Of course, Xiao Buli knew the doubts in everyone''s minds. Although he was tired of using the Sealing Skill, it still seemed too unscientific for other players who didn''t have this skill to summon pets out of thin air. And he wanted this exact kind of dramatic effect, otherwise, how could he establish a god-like image in everyone''s hearts?


    Therefore, feeling that he had kept everyone in suspense long enough, Xiao Buli gestured toward the sky, and a huge Array flashed out of nowhere. A red glow scattered, and the massive form of the Lava Giant Python suddenly appeared in mid-air. As mentioned before, although the Lava Giant Python couldn''t truly fly, it did have a pair of wings for gliding. To make the python''s entrance more dramatic, Xiao Buli intentionally chose the sky as its starting point. As soon as the python came out of the Sealed Space, it immediately spread its thin wings, twisting its body elegantly as it slowly descended from the air.


    "Damn, it''s a dragon!" The crowd hadn''t clearly seen the python''s appearance, but they had seen its silhouette, which clearly resembled that of a Black Dragon. Some who were more faint-hearted even thought the Red Dragon had escaped early. Upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn''t a dragon based on the animal''s horns and triangular head, but it still looked shockingly impressive.


    The Lava Giant Python''s pair of red eyes glimmered menacingly, making everyone feel a chill down their spines as it gazed at them.


    "Is it really the chairman''s pet?" Seeing that the giant python seemed to have no intent to attack anyone, the crowd began to relax and immediately started whispering to each other.


    "I don''t know, but it must be, right? How else could Elder Xiao summon it with a wave of his hand?" Most of these mutterings came from those who were not very familiar with Xiao Buli.


    Xiao Buli''s close brothers, even though they were so shocked that their eyeballs almost fell out, still stood tall and proud, acting as if they had known all along.


    At this moment, someone with sharp eyes spotted the name on the giant python''s head, "It really is the chairman''s pet, look at the name." Upon hearing this reminder, everyone looked up at the creature''s head, and sure enough.


    Lava Giant Python (Mutated): Xiao Buli''s Pet.


    Once confirmed, the crowd below erupted, "Damn, for real? Such a powerful pet can be tamed?"


    "What level of Taming Skills must that be!?" The tone of this comment was filled with obvious envy.


    "And it didn''t exist before, could it be Summoning Skills? But isn''t that way too bugged?" This one sounded a bit sour, thinking if it''s a bug, why don''t you go get one yourself?


    Xiao Buli looked satisfied as the Lava Giant Python caused a stir among the people, striking awe into their hearts like a powerful warning. This side effect served as a testament to Xiao Buli''s strength. Although there was much discussion among the crowd, one thing was certain: the python, over a hundred meters in length, was definitely more than capable of tanking the Red Dragon.


    Having solved the tanking issue, Xiao Buli saw that there were no other concerns and immediately called out to regain everyone''s attention, "Alright, now the engineering team starts building the siege weapons, and the rest of you start your pre-battle preparations. Once everyone''s ready, I''ll go in and start pulling the monsters."


    The python''s appearance invisibly boosted everyone''s confidence. Everyone was rubbing their hands together with eagerness, full of vitality. Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, those who needed to buff did so, and those who needed to consume food and drinks to restore their physical strength did just that, while the engineering team, led by Li Shuren, stepped onto several higher grounds nearby and began to construct the siege weapons.


    In this game, building siege weapons required a large amount of materials and they were difficult to transport. Luckily, Xiao Buli''s storage bracelet solved this problem nicely. He carried most of the materials, and several members of the engineering team had great physical strength, with backpacks that could carry a very high volume. Ample materials were available to construct five heavy crossbow cannons.


    In this game, not only were siege weapons cumbersome and difficult to transport, but they also had a very low hit rate against minor monsters. However, since they dealt siege damage, their attack power was quite high. Therefore, Xiao Buli tailored his strategy to the situation and used them to attack gigantic enemies like the Red Dragon. The Dragon''s immense size made it practically as big as a city wall, eliminating concerns about low accuracy. Besides, the Red Dragon''s sturdy defenses seemed much less impressive in the face of powerful siege weapons, making them more than suitable for the operation. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The engineering team members were fully committed, using their hands and feet in quick coordination, drawing praises from the hunters who were buffing themselves at the sidelines. Eager to showcase their skills in front of everyone for the first time, the engineers worked even harder. In no time, all five crossbow cannons were assembled. Each shot from these cannons could deal over a thousand points of damage, which was undeniably significant, even though their firing rate was a bit slow.


    Once the engineering team was ready, Xiao Buli briefly explained the positioning to everyone and had the other three groups spread out at the entrance of the cavern. Then, he turned and went to the entrance himself, holding the Ancient Magma Barrier in one hand and the Ancient Frost Blade in the other. Taking a deep breath, he jumped in without any hesitation.


    The Scorching Caverns were shaped like a gourd, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, with the lower level filled with roiling lava. Although it wasn''t churning as fiercely as the lava from a volcanic vent, it was still exceptionally scorching. Any ordinary person making such a jump would undoubtedly perish.


    But this Ancient Magma Barrier truly deserved its Dark Gold classification. When Xiao Buli jumped into the magma, his body felt as though he had leapt into warm water¡ªthere was not the slightest burning sensation, and the heat was actually quite comfortable. This greatly reassured Xiao Buli and he proceeded along the Lava River towards the caverns. Inside the caverns, visibility wasn''t as clear as outside; the entire space was filled with the smell of sulfur, and the air was misty. Still, he could at least make out what was in front of him. Xiao Buli had walked about fifty meters or so when a huge red figure vaguely appeared before him.


    For convenience, Xiao Buli had taken to calling this dragon the Little Red Dragon. Though it had ''Little'' in its name, it was only relative¡ªthe other monsters could all be considered small compared to that massive Red Dragon. But the truth was that the Little Red Dragon was anything but little; it was nearly seventy to eighty meters long, roughly the same size as a Lava Giant Python. Even though it was coiled up in the cave, from afar, it still looked enormous, practically occupying the entire cavern space. Moreover, its name wasn''t Little Red Dragon, but above its head hovered the name "Crimson Flame Red Dragon."


    However, its name was only of White classification, meaning it was just an ordinary member of the Dragon Clan. Yet, similar to those Immortals, even a White Name Immortal possessed abilities far superior to those of mortals with golden names or even higher rankings. Therefore, though the Crimson Flame Red Dragon was just a White Name dragon, the Dragon Prestige radiating off it was enough to weaken the knees of ordinary folks. Fortunately, Xiao Buli held the title of Ancient God Butcher, and no matter how he had acquired this title, his immunity to such suppressive pressures was absolutely real.


    "Alright, it''s you," Xiao Buli thought to himself, not daring to speak aloud. To maximize the effect of the stealth attack, he silently approached the giant dragon, stopping only ten steps away. Gathering his energy, Xiao Buli unleashed a Mysterious Ice Slash towards the body of the Red Dragon.


    This sudden attack caught the Red Dragon completely off guard, and with a whistle, the red-scaled body was instantly marred by an injury; dragon scales shattered and dragon blood gushed out. The Crimson Flame Red Dragon let out a deafening roar as it turned towards Xiao Buli, spewing a breath of dragon fire without hesitation.


    The Red Dragon''s roar left Xiao Buli with a pounding headache. Seeing the dragon breath approaching, he didn''t hesitate to lift his shield to block. The Flame Dragon Breath created a huge gap at the Ancient Magma Barrier; despite the raging flames, once the dragon breath dissipated, Xiao Buli was completely unharmed. He was thrilled to find that his immunity to flame damage was no fluke. However, the dragon''s physical attacks couldn''t be ignored, so without waiting for the Red Dragon to turn around, he quickly spun on his heels and ran towards the entrance. The Red Dragon couldn''t let Xiao Buli escape so easily¡ªno member of the Dragon Clan was easy to provoke. A dragon possessed strength to fight even its own kind, let alone a human. Ignoring the wound on its body, the Red Dragon chased after him right away. The chase between the man and the dragon ensued, but the Red Dragon''s massive size and the cavern''s limited maneuvering space left it at a disadvantage. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Buli had already escaped from the cavern.


    Outside, everyone''s eyes were glued to the cave entrance, anxiously awaiting the Red Dragon''s ascent. Suddenly, a red light flickered at the entrance, and bursts of fire emerged from within the cave. Everyone watched with bated breath¡ªhow could anyone survive such firepower? But before they could lament, Xiao Buli sprang from the entrance with a whoosh, completely unscathed. Landing on his feet, Xiao Buli whistled at the Lava Giant Python. Just as the Crimson Flame Red Dragon flew out, the Python sprang into action, pouncing fiercely and pinning the Little Red Dragon to the ground. The two giant dragons engaged in a fierce battle, entangled with one another. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 505 - 6 Dragon and Snake Wild Dance

    The Crimson Flame Red Dragon and the Lava Giant Python rolled into a ball in front of the cave, making everyone hold back on attacking to let the Lava Giant Python pull aggro; everyone stood in position and watched the battle from a distance.


    What could be seen was a black and red mass of two huge bodies wrestling each other, entangled in combat. It was as if they were sworn enemies from a past life, fighting with all their might upon meeting and completely ignoring the surrounding players, who were eyeing them eagerly. For a moment, the battlefield was ablaze, with dragon scales flying everywhere.


    In the beginning, everyone had high hopes for the Lava Giant Python due to its size advantage over the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon, yet when the fight ensued, it became clear that a dragon was indeed a dragon, and a snake was merely a snake. Despite a fierce Pounce at the start, the python was quickly suppressed.


    Whether it was intimidated by the Dragon Prestige or not, the giant python seemed only capable of defending against the assaults of the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon, with no strength to counterattack. Its limbs flailed in vain, and its claws seemed to lack strength against the dragon''s skin, while every scratch from the dragon would leave a wound on the python''s body. Xiao Buli watched with distress as the powerful creature he had summoned and cherished, which once intimidated smaller beings, now appeared helpless in real combat.


    But as much as he felt for it, Xiao Buli understood that such a scenario was inevitable considering their strength. Although his Lava Giant Python had consumed a Demon Star, it was merely an Immortal Beast, while the dragon was of legendary level. This difference was apparent from their health points. Despite having Level 10 Immortal Body, which increased its health tenfold, the python had only a little over ten thousand health points, equivalent to a Jin Ming BOSS''s health points.


    As for the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon, even with only Level 6 Immortal Body, it had over sixty thousand health points, suggesting that its initial physique might exceed a thousand points, with a base health points total of over ten thousand, which was frightening. Without any buffs, it was already a formidable foe, not to mention the disparity caused by their combat abilities.


    While the Lava Giant Python''s attributes were no match for the dragon''s, it had high fire Resistance thanks to its life in the lava regions, which made the dragon''s breath attacks almost harmless. Otherwise, the python''s health points wouldn''t have lasted a few breaths from the dragon. Unfortunately, this immunity also applied in reverse; when the python unleashed its Lava Breath on the dragon, it was as ineffective as tickling, causing no damage whatsoever.


    The two massive creatures were causing upheaval in their territory, battling so fiercely that it changed the color of the sky. They would pin one another down, each taking turns to breathe fire. If any player was too close, they would surely perish, but the two beasts remained unscathed. Realizing that spitting fire was futile, they abruptly switched to close combat. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In close quarters, the disparity was stark. The python''s Armor was negligible against the dragon''s attacks, losing hundreds of health points with each hit, with average damage ranging between two and three hundred.


    In contrast, the Lava Giant Python''s attacks barely broke a hundred damage on the Crimson Flame Red Dragon, and that was on a good hit; most of the time, the damage didn''t even reach a hundred. The dragon grew stronger as the fight went on, while the python had barely enough strength to block.


    The players watched the intense fight, but Xiao Buli was incredibly anxious. He wouldn''t naively wait for his pet to duel the BOSS alone. Seeing the Lava Giant Python''s health dropping rapidly and maintaining aggro, he hurriedly began healing it. His Resurrection Skills had reached Level 10, and his Divine Gear''s Spell Power boost allowed him to heal several hundred health points at once, quickly counteracting the dragon''s attacks and stabilizing the python''s health.


    At Xiao Buli''s command, the surrounding players who had been eagerly watching jumped into action and commenced the BOSS fight.


    The Hunter Team was the first to engage. This group dealt consistent but relatively low damage from a safe distance, avoiding aggro issues, and thus began their attack first. They had already positioned themselves while the two beasts fought, and as soon as Xiao Buli gave the order, a barrage of Arrows rained down on the Crimson Flame Red Dragon. Despite using Frost Arrows, the impact appeared weak due to the dragon''s impressive 1200 Armor, causing meager -5 or -10 damage, relying on the frost effect for consistent damage. Still, with enough arrows flying swiftly, they averaged a stable output of around 50 damage per second, totaling 3000 damage a minute.


    While Xiao Buli healed the python, he watched the fight and ran the numbers, finding the data satisfying and within his expectations. He nodded and shouted to the hunters, "Good, keep up the pace with your regular shots, no need for abilities, and hold your pets back for now; they''ll be needed later."

 Chapter 506 - 6 Dragon and Snake Wild Dance_2

    After speaking, he turned his head toward the engineering team and nodded, "Alright, engineering team, volley fire!"


    Li Shuren was already eager to go, with ammunition loaded, just waiting for Xiao Buli''s command, so as soon as his voice fell, a series of firing noises burst forth¡ªfive huge crossbow cannons fired simultaneously. Xiao Buli''s timing was incredibly precise. Just moments ago, the two dragons were entangled with each other, but now, aided by Xiao Buli, the Lava Giant Python had pushed the Red Dragon aside and they stood opposite each other, thus avoiding friendly fire.


    Although the crossbow cannons belonged to siege equipment, due to the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon''s huge size, this round of attacks was bound to hit and immediately a series of numbers over a thousand erupted above the Red Dragon''s head. If the volleys of arrows from the hunters were merely scratching an itch for the Red Dragon, then this blow could be considered a heavy hit, and the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon seemed to suddenly reel from the pain. With a roar, it leapt into the air, trying to find out who was attacking it from behind. Xiao Buli, however, had a clear view and wouldn''t give it that chance. Without waiting for the Lava Giant Python to react, Xiao Buli immediately signaled, and the Python, in tune with Xiao Buli, seemed to know his thoughts instantly. Instead of moving forward, it discretely dodged back. Xiao Buli performed a Cloud Thunder Leap! With a crackle, thunder sounded from nowhere, and in a blink, Xiao Buli disappeared from his spot. The sudden thunderous noise startled the players, causing them to shrink their necks, thinking that the Red Dragon had the ability to summon thunder, and they looked up at the sky.


    A bolt of lightning, dazzlingly bright, cracked through the sky and struck directly at the waist of the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon. The Red Dragon, unused to such an attack, let out a pained cry, falling from the sky, clawing and thrashing. Xiao Buli descended like a Heavenly God, seen clearly by everyone, but as they were in the midst of battle, there was no time for marvel. The moment Xiao Buli touched the ground, he went invisible and slipped away. The Crimson Flame Red Dragon got up, shaking its head puzzlingly¡ªwhy did it feel dizzy? Before the Red Dragon could figure out what had happened, the Lava Giant Python roared and charged again, its claws fiercely striking down on the soft spot in its chest for -150. The Python''s luck exploded, dealing a record high hit. Helpless, the Red Dragon could do nothing but refocus its attention on the life-and-death enemy before it, roaring loudly as the two dragons confronted each other again. Due to Xiao Buli''s intentions, the Python always kept a slight distance from the Red Dragon, making it easier for the engineering team to aim.


    While the battle raged on here, the engineering team was busy reloading their crossbow cannons. Though the cannons were immensely powerful, the reloading time was truly an annoyance, taking a full minute for each round.


    Xiao Buli wasn''t idle either. While recovering Mana, he would heal the Lava Giant Python whenever he had the chance, calculating the battle situation in his mind. The Python could deal roughly 1000 points of damage to the Red Flame Giant Dragon per minute, the Hunter Team 3000 points, and the Engineering Team 6000 points¡ªthat''s 10,000 points of damage per minute. However, due to the Red Dragon''s high physique and its Immortal Body skill, which granted it a strong self-healing ability, it could automatically recover about 3000 health points per minute. This means the actual damage dealt every minute would be around 7000 points. If this pace continued, it would take a little over ten minutes to deal with the Little Red Dragon, but Xiao Buli knew it wasn''t that simple. Once they reached a certain point in the battle, the Red Dragon would definitely unleash its full potential, and it wouldn''t be easy to defeat. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boss, when do we join in? Are we just going to stand around and watch?" Han Wenhuan, who had grown impatient waiting, saw Xiao Buli commanding with confidence as the situation on the field looked promising. He was worried they wouldn''t get to play a part, so he promptly spoke up on behalf of the melee team, "I don''t mind standing aside, but you''d better not discriminate against us when it''s time to distribute equipment."


    Xiao Buli turned and gave a glance with an involuntary chuckle, "You really think you can reap the benefits without working for it."


    Han Wenhuan heard this and laughed rather than getting angry, "Wouldn''t it be better if we could?" The situation on the field had kept Xiao Buli tense, but Han Wenhuan''s interjection unexpectedly relaxed him, and he didn''t continue to argue.


    Seeing the melee group''s members sharpening their blades with eagerness, they were indeed getting somewhat anxious. It''s just how people are; when the melee group first learned they would be fighting the Giant Dragon up close, they were naturally scared deep down, because they knew their risk was far greater than that of the Hunter Team or the Engineering Team. But now, having to stand by as mere spectators, they became restless and couldn''t sit still anymore¡ªwatching others fight the BOSS is simply not very thrilling.


    Xiao Buli, as a professional player, naturally understood what they were thinking. He nodded at Han Wenhuan and then shouted to everyone, "Don''t worry, you won''t just be onlookers. There will be plenty for you to do soon." Hearing this, the melee fighters finally felt relieved.


    The battle on the field continued. After about five more minutes¡ªthough Xiao Buli wasn''t timing it¡ªhe could tell from the fact that the ballistas had fired five volleys approximately how long it had been. The power of these ballistas was truly formidable; each volley caused around five to six thousand damage. Under Li Shuren''s guidance, the Engineering Team aimed each shot with precision, so aside from the very first volley which went awry and only caused splash damage, every other shot hit its mark. Coupled with the relentless attacks from the Hunter Team, the health points of the Crimson Flame Red Dragon had now dropped to half. The dragon looked haggard and no longer the majestic creature it was before, while the Lava Giant Python, constantly healed by Xiao Buli, seemed to grow more valiant as the fight dragged on. It was now almost at full health, locked in a fierce battle with the dragon, seizing every opportunity to strike whenever the dragon let its guard down.


    Although the situation on the field was excellent, Xiao Buli''s heart gradually tensed up, for he knew that the real fight was about to begin.


    Although the Crimson Flame Red Dragon wasn''t a boss in the instance, and strictly speaking, it wasn''t even a boss but just an ordinary Minor Monster of the Dragon Clan, creatures as powerful as dragons could not be underestimated. They wouldn''t stand still and take damage like typical Minor Monsters, and changes were bound to occur in combat. However, the information on this issue was not detailed in the guides, so Xiao Buli felt somewhat unsure of what was to come.


    As if sensing that the battle could not go on like this, the Red Dragon, which had been clashing with the python, suddenly turned around. Its movement was as swift as lightning, and in almost an instant, it whipped its body around with a loud snap. With the momentum of the turn, it performed a Divine Dragon Tail Swing, slamming its tail down. The Lava Giant Python didn''t anticipate this move and couldn''t dodge in time. It was struck heavily and tumbled over, its massive body crashing to the ground like a landslide, sending rocks flying in all directions. Struggling on the ground, the python seemed unable to get up for the moment.


    Having succeeded with its attack, the Red Flame Giant Dragon let out a thunderous roar to the sky, the deafening sound causing the ground beneath to tremble slightly, startling all the players.


    Xiao Buli took in a sharp breath, "Here it comes!"


    The earth beneath their feet began to shake violently, as if an earthquake was occurring. While the others were not affected much, Xiao Buli knew that this wasn''t just a normal tremor. Indeed, the ground of the battlefield began to crack and split, showing the orange-red glow of volcanic magma from within the dark rocky crevices. A scorching wave of air rushed upon them, magma spewed from the fissures, and flames shot around, transforming the calm land into a veritable hell. Some unfortunate players, unable to dodge in time, were splattered by the magma, suffering tens of points in damage. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 507 - 7 Raging Fire Spirit

    "Everyone, move away from the lava zone, Hunter Baby, get ready to pull the creatures!" Xiao Buli shouted loudly.


    Seeing this, the hunter players didn''t dare delay and dodged to find safe spots to position themselves. Thankfully, the engineering team''s crossbow catapults were set up far enough away to avoid danger. Otherwise, these heavy machines, which several people couldn''t lift, would be doomed to destruction. Even so, Li Shuren still broke out in a cold sweat¡ªthe most substantial damage could happen on his watch, potentially throwing the entire battle situation off balance.


    Meanwhile, the melee group and the support group observing from a distance began to move slowly as they were also relatively safe from the disturbance.


    At that moment, Xiao Buli nodded at Han Wenhuan and shouted, "Melee group, get ready. You''re about to go into action." The melee players immediately tensed up, waiting for Xiao Buli''s command.


    Without needing instructions from Xiao Buli, the players immediately knew their tasks as they watched Elemental Creatures over three meters tall crawl out from the cracks in the lava. They were not only tall but also had skin that was the black-red color of volcanic rock, resembling giant, burning coal balls just taken out of a furnace. Magma flowed through the cracks of their skin and limbs, making them appear like giants made of volcanic rock and lava.


    Lava Golem (Volcano Guard).


    However, these Lava Golems were not summoned by the Crimson Flame Red Dragon. Although the Red Dragon was mighty, it didn''t possess such an ability. These golems were Elemental Creatures unique to this volcanic region and had a symbiotic relationship with the Crimson Flame Red Dragon. They were emerging because their habitat had been disturbed by the Red Dragon''s call. Xiao Buli immediately remembered the information he had researched earlier but didn''t expect the Red Dragon to not undergo any mutation and instead knew to summon its neighbors for aid in battle. It seemed that there was some truth to the saying that even a powerful dragon wouldn''t overpower the local snake¡ªafter all, nobody had a network as extensive as theirs.


    What Xiao Buli hadn''t expected was that these Lava Golems seemed not to be here to help at all. Upon their arrival, they attacked indiscriminately, whether it was the Red Dragon or the players, suggesting that they were probably upset about being disturbed from their sleep. Seeing their impartial onslaught, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but smirk in bitter amusement. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, because they were all Fire Element creatures, the Lava Golems'' attacks had no effect on the Crimson Flame Red Dragon or the Lava Giant Python. The giant python seemed to enjoy the murky atmosphere of the battlefield, probably reminded of its original Lava Cave. But for the players of the Qingyang Guild, these golems were not so easy to handle.


    The pets of the hunters were now proving useful, as they were local creatures caught recently with resistance to fire. Thus, although they were ineffective against the Crimson Flame Red Dragon, they could hold back the Lava Golems for a while.


    Seeing that everyone was temporarily safe, Xiao Buli immediately shouted at Han Wenhuan''s team, "Melee group, go! Your task is to clear these Lava Golems to allow the long-range group to focus on their output. Remember to pull the Lava Golems to the outer circle before you fight. Go!" Because of the golems'' Fire Attribute, they received attack bonuses within the range of the lava. Luring them out was like cutting off their supply line. As long as they could hold out, the players would surely emerge victorious.


    At Xiao Buli''s command, the melee group charged at once, clashing with the Lava Golems in groups of three or two. They fought while retreating, drawing the cumbersome creatures out of the circle.


    "Boss, what about us?" the support group asked in unison. They had been sitting idle just like the melee group and were anxious as the battlefield descended into chaos. However, Xiao Buli had previously mentioned their significant role, so despite their eagerness, they stayed put.


    "Keep waiting!" Xiao Buli shouted and then turned to heal the Lava Giant Python.


    Xiao Buli''s stature was now firmly established in everyone''s hearts, so hearing his directive, they all remained temperate without any complaints, staying put patiently. Du Yibo couldn''t help but mutter to himself, expecting further changes soon and very likely a phase three (P3) of the battle.


    The players nearby nodded in agreement; it seemed that although he was the last to enter the battle, he was in a crucial final position. He couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation.


    Xiao Buli watched the situation on the field with urgency. The Scarlet Flame Red Dragon still had several powerful abilities left unused, and the field was already in chaos. He wondered if they could continue to hold up against the onslaught.


    Another two or three minutes passed, and the battlefield gradually calmed down. The Lava Golems collapsed under the attacks of the melee group, and not many of them remained. Now free from the threat of the golems, the ranged hunter group found good positions and focused on dealing damage again. The engineering group''s ballistae had shifted out of place during the earlier tremors, but luckily, they weren''t severely damaged. As soon as the shaking stopped, Li Shuren immediately organized everyone to reset them and open fire. Although they had lost a few minutes, once the situation stabilized, the Red Dragon''s health points started dropping again.


    Seemingly realizing that the Lava Golems weren''t very effective, the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon grew increasingly agitated. It turned back and forth on the spot as if looking for a way out. Xiao Buli, seeing this, knew that another major attack might be imminent. Suddenly, the Red Dragon executed another Divine Dragon Tail Swing, repeating the maneuver to knock the Lava Giant Python aside. It lifted its body high and then slammed down heavily, like someone stamping their feet hard on the ground. At the same time, a roar erupted from its mouth.


    Dragon Roar!! This roar was full of intimidation and one of the Red Dragon''s signature abilities. If it had been close to the Red Dragon, it would undoubtedly cause a fear effect. Fortunately, thanks to Xiao Buli''s initial arrangement, all players were relatively far away from the dragon. Only one or two unlucky ones were struck by fear, suddenly losing their minds and rushing around aimlessly. But since Xiao Buli had warned everyone at the start not to get close to the lava, these players took heed, and even though they were momentarily in disarray, they didn''t face mortal danger. Xiao Buli quickly used his pre-prepared Exorcism Staff to disperse the fear effect and rescued them just in time, avoiding casualties.


    While Xiao Buli was busy at work, the situation on the field suddenly changed. The roar of the dragon wasn''t just for intimidation.


    Soon after, the ground shook again, and the already massive cracks split even more. Flames and magma erupted like fountains non-stop, and sphere-shaped creatures made of fire and magma emerged from the fissures. These creatures differed from the previous Lava Golems¡ªif those golems were like fresh coal balls, these monsters were like molten iron fresh from the furnace. With bodies of orange-red flame that seemed as unpredictable as slime monsters, it was clear that physical attacks wouldn''t be very effective against them. Moreover, it was uncertain whether hitting them would cause fire damage to the melee players, since these flames were at least twice as hot as those on the Lava Golems. These creatures were called Raging Fire Spirits (Volcano Guards).


    Upon seeing these Fire Spirits, Xiao Buli knew trouble was brewing. The lethal capabilities of these Raging Fire Spirits weren''t ordinary, and each was born with a fiery Protective Shield, reflecting fire damage from close-ranged attacks and capable of spitting fire. At this point, relying solely on the melee group to attract the monsters'' attention was impossible. Without needing a reminder, everyone on the field sensed that the situation was not right. Even when the Fire Spirits were pulled away, their power didn''t diminish much; the players of the melee group were in danger, with their health points rapidly decreasing. Yi Xuan constantly healed from the outer ring, applying Rune Armor and staying incredibly busy.


    "Boss, I can''t keep up with the healing! Why am I the only healer?" Yi Xuan wasn''t in any danger, but the tense situation on the field still put enormous pressure on him. Between heals, he quickly complained to Xiao Buli.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli couldn''t help but wryly smile. It was unavoidable; if healing professions weren''t so scarce, he would never have allowed the underperforming Yi Xuan to join the fray. Qingyang Guild differed from other established Great Guilds; most of its players had been Solo Players who, for life-saving reasons, mostly chose ranged professions such as hunters. In this game, survival was the name of the game. Who had time to learn Mage Professions which dealt less damage? As a result, the number of Mage Professions in the group was pitifully low.


    With no other choice, Xiao Buli had to simultaneously heal the Giant Python and assist with the healing of the melee group. But as soon as he diverted his attention, the python''s health began to quickly fall, and the situation was getting out of hand. Xiao Buli saw that this wouldn''t work and made a decisive tactical decision, immediately shouting to everyone, "All forces, stop attacking and retreat from the battlefield immediately! Engineering group, limit your attacks to two ballistae shots per team. Be careful not to attract too much aggro." It wouldn''t do for the engineering group to come under attack just as they were getting things under control. This way, they could maintain roughly 3,000 damage points per minute, which combined with the Giant Dragon''s recovery ability, wouldn''t allow the dragon to lose health but also wouldn''t let it fully recover, preventing all their effort from being wasted.


    At Xiao Buli''s command, everyone began to retreat. They had already felt the pressure of the battle, but the pursuing Fire Spirits didn''t care about that and followed closely.


    Seeing this, Xiao Buli immediately called out, "Melee group, gather around me. Support team, prepare to enter the fray for the rescue." Upon hearing this, the support team members promptly ran over. As they were mostly special professions, such as Mages and Qigong Masters, they didn''t need to engage in melee combat. They stood by Xiao Buli, forming a human wall, waiting for everyone to safely exit before dealing with the Fire Spirits on the field.


    Meanwhile, a group of about a dozen Raging Fire Spirits lined up on the field as if forming a wall of fire, pushing forward. The melee group members, singed and sooty, rushed over, passed Xiao Buli and the others, and finally withdrew from the battlefield.(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) by casting recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 508 - 8 Dragon Slayer

    Gu Shaobang quickly took on the role of a battlefield nurse as soon as he saw the need, beginning to heal their wounds. Although his profession as a Wizard also somewhat allowed him to dabble in healing, each use of witchcraft required a certain price to be paid. Hence, after giving a couple of members, who were hanging on by a sliver of health, a few boosts, he immediately ceased his healing actions.


    Nevertheless, these individuals did not press for more and instead each pulled out some red elixirs from their backpacks. These elixirs were wholesaled by Xiao Buli from Ji Xiangyun. While not as effective as healing spells, they could still provide a modicum of health recovery. These had already been distributed before the battle began, and now, one by one, they consumed the medicines and slowly regained their health points.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Buli, Du Yibo, and the entire support team stood side by side, ready to unleash their powerful moves against the oncoming Fire Spirits.


    The composition of the support team was rather complex with a wide range of abilities. The group was primarily made up of players similar to Mages but without healing skills. Xiao Buli and Du Yibo were undoubtedly the core members. As the last two survivors from the Green Dragon Group, their strength naturally far exceeded that of the Solo Players, especially since both belonged to Mage Professions, which were particularly well-suited to deal with these Fire Spirits that were almost immune to physical damage.


    Although Du Yibo, the Five Elements Warlock, mainly practiced Fire Element spells, he had some exposure to other elements as well. Xiao Buli and Du Yibo had once unexpectedly encountered each other underground when Xiao Buli first began learning Earth Escape Skills. However, Du Yibo had maintained a low profile, so others were unaware of his abilities. Even though he later opted for solo combat, Du Yibo still liked to have a trick up his sleeve. If Xiao Buli had not been somewhat aware of his capabilities, this old fellow would probably still be hiding his true strength.


    Xiao Buli was the first to act¡ªSummon Heavy Rain! Lifting his right hand, which was forming a spell, a mass of dark clouds suddenly shrouded the sky above the battlefield in a matter of seconds, as if a rift connecting the world with the clouds had opened in the air. A multitude of clumps of black clouds appeared out of nowhere, growing rapidly and forming a large scale. The torrential rain poured down immediately; each large raindrop hit the ground and hissed with steam. Although the Heavy Rain spell didn''t really harm people, it was highly damaging to Raging Fire Spirits, who were immune to fire damage and highly resistant to physical attacks. However, their Resistance to Water Spells was negative. Each raindrop inflicted one or two points of damage on them. As the dense rain poured down, the screen was immediately flooded with red -1-2 damage numbers.


    The melee fighters at the back could only watch, their eyes wide with amazement. These beings, once invincible to them, were now nearly extinguished by a single downpour.


    Inside the veil of rain, plumes of white smoke continuously rose from the Raging Fire Spirits, as if a large bucket of water had been poured over a burning campfire, extinguishing most of the flames in an instant. With the loss of their flames, the mobility of the Fire Spirits also greatly diminished. Their once fluid forms, now like cooled molten metal, were nearly incapable of shifting. Moreover, unlike Lava Golems that moved on two legs, these Fire Spirits mainly relied on the flow and re-convergence of magma. Simply put, their movement was somewhat like a slug, stretching and contracting. Now without their elasticity, they could no longer stretch, and they all became fixed in place.


    Yet, this was not enough to deal with them. Watching their health points drop by a third, Xiao Buli didn''t give them any chance to breathe and raised his hand again, casting Freezing Cloud Skills. A white mist instantly enveloped a row of Raging Fire Spirits, which had already half extinguished. At first, no one saw the trick behind this white mist, but soon they noticed that a layer of vapor seemed to condense on the bodies of the Fire Spirits. The mist created by the Freezing Cloud Skills was exceptionally cold. People sitting in front of their computers didn''t feel anything, but Xiao Buli experienced the chilling air firsthand.


    Owing to Xiao Buli''s overwhelming power, the rest of the support team suddenly found themselves without targets to attack. Their own ability wasn''t that high to begin with, and they weren''t well-versed in Ice Element spells, so even though they were standing at the front, they effectively became onlookers.


    But Du Yibo was different. Not only was his strength outstanding among them, but since he and Xiao Buli had been in a group before, their coordination was somewhat tacit. Seeing that Xiao Buli had already frozen the enemies in place and yet didn''t make any further move, Du Yibo instantly understood what was needed and cast Polar Vortex!


    The ultimate move unleashed by Du Yibo was indeed a game-changer. Although Xiao Buli''s Heavy Rain and Freezing Clouds effectively contained the Fire Spirits on the field, they lacked a powerful battle skill. Waiting for those raindrops to kill the Fire Spirits would be too exasperating, like using nail clippers to cut hair. The slow pace would be maddening to watch.


    With the unleashing of Du Yibo''s Polar Vortex, the situation was thoroughly dealt with. A cold whirlwind, visibly powerful, swept toward the group of Fire Spirits frozen on the ground, ensnaring the Freezing Clouds, Heavy Rain, and Raging Fire Spirits all together in a turmoil, like a big pot stew. The Fire Spirits appeared as if they were tossed into a high-speed washing machine, constantly colliding against each other.


    Amidst the rain, mist, and collisions, the whirlwind acted like a meat grinder, wildly depleting the health points of the Raging Fire Spirits. Xiao Buli watched the effect and knew it was exactly what he wanted. He slightly bent his knees at his spot, and in the next moment, with a spring from his legs, he shot up into the sky like lightning, eliciting a collective gasp of "Wow!" from the crowd behind.


    Xiao Buli had used Cloud Thunder Leap previously at the cave entrance while fighting the Little Red Dragon, but at that time, the intense situation on the battlefield had drawn everyone''s attention to the two dragons. Although the field was chaotic now, the battle was decidedly one-sided, so when Xiao Buli shot up into the sky with Cloud Thunder Leap, it was noted by everyone watching. Instead of hurrying to land, Xiao Buli hovered mid-air, observing the Polar Vortex on the ground below. The vortex had already brought all the Fire Spirits together, but as the spell''s mana was limited, the speed gradually slowed. Timing his move, Xiao Buli waited for the vortex to begin subsiding before plummeting straight down.


    All at once, a thunderous explosion rang by my ear, as lightning bolted through the clouds and struck down in the middle of the arena. The Raging Fire Spirits, already huddled together and low on health, were about to land when they were obliterated within the blast. For a moment, the only sight was of rocks flying wildly through the air until the dust settled, revealing Xiao Buli kneeling on one knee, coolly sitting at the epicenter of the explosion.


    With a beautiful quadruple strike, the troublesome Raging Fire Spirits that had been a headache for the group were wiped out in the blink of an eye. The crowd on the field fell silent for a good three or four seconds before suddenly erupting into cheers, "Well done, boss."


    "Boss, you''re so cool."


    The hunters didn''t have time to look back and see exactly what had happened, but the melee and support groups had seen everything clearly from beginning to end, and the crowd was boiling with excitement.


    Xiao Buli got to his feet, smiled at everyone, and had to admit that no matter when, the feeling of being admired was always exhilarating.


    However, now was not the time for celebrating. The Red Dragon in the arena was still resisting. Xiao Buli turned back to survey the battle, and in the few minutes they had delayed, the hunters on the field had not taken a single break. Although according to his calculations, the Red Dragon''s health loss and recovery rate were almost the same, it was not clear whether it was due to the hunters'' diligence in shooting or the Red Dragon''s reduced recovery ability, but at this moment, the Red Dragon was down to less than twenty percent of its health and seemed to have exhausted its strength. Its movements were tired and sluggish as it struggled with the entanglement of the Lava Giant Python, looking as if it were about to collapse. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, neglecting it for a moment, Xiao Buli noticed that the python wasn''t in much better shape, having lost more than half its health, with wounds marring its body where the Red Dragon had clawed it. The python''s skin was peeling outwards, only marginally better off than the Red Dragon''s own. Xiao Buli quickly cast several healing spells to restore the python''s health.


    Turning around, Xiao Buli shouted to the crowd, "Everyone get ready, the BOSS is entering the execute phase now, forget about aggro and go full firepower, give it everything you''ve got!"


    The melee group had also recovered most of their health by now and the sight of Xiao Buli slaying the Fire Spirits had fired them up even more. At this point, without needing Xiao Buli''s directions, they surged forward in a rush.


    Upon hearing his command, the hunters were overjoyed. Just now, while shooting, they had been careful not to attract too much aggro, sticking to flat shots, the most basic form of shooting, resulting in minimal health loss on the Red Dragon. But now, with the go-ahead to disregard aggro, they immediately went all out with their abilities. Focused Shot, Barrage of Arrows, Merciless Volley¡ªrained down on the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon like droplets in a downpour, and for a moment, the arena lit up with various effects like fireworks, dazzling the eyes of onlookers.


    The melee group swarmed forward as well, avoiding the Dragon Head and tail, getting into position and hacking and slashing wildly at the Red Dragon. The engineering group was just as impressive, launching two to three shells every half minute. Upon impact, each dealt two to three thousand points of damage. By now, the Red Dragon had completely lost any power to retaliate, its movements reduced in scale, making it so that the hunters didn''t even need to aim anymore.


    Although the situation on the field had become quite clear, Xiao Buli remained vigilant in his heart. The more assured he felt of victory, the more careful he became. Thus, he healed the python a few more times. Looking at the situation on the ground, there was no immediate threat to life, so Xiao Buli pushed off the ground with his legs and flew into the sky again, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the Little Red Dragon in its last moments of desperation. But it seemed the Little Red Dragon was indeed finished; after all, it wasn''t any BOSS, and under everyone''s full-powered assault, it failed to unleash any final moves and, after a sad cry, collapsed with a thud.


    System Notification: Participated in the slaying of the Red Dragon and earned the title, Dragon Slayer.


    Such notifications echoed in the ears of each participant, proclaiming the end of the battle.


    Yay! Yay! Cheers rose one after another as the fight, not quite a BOSS battle yet resembling one, finally came to an end. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 509 - 9 - Treasures All Over

    Watching Xiao Buli descend from the sky, the crowd parted on both sides, keeping their distance from the corpse. Naturally, the task of looting the body was the privilege of the Guild Leader. Moreover, everyone knew that without Xiao Buli''s command and mastery of the Little Red Dragon''s attributes data, they might never have had the chance to slay the Little Red Dragon in their lifetime.


    As Xiao Buli approached the body, he also checked the new title of Dragon Slayer he had acquired.


    Dragon Slayer: Obtained after participating in the slaying of a member of the Dragon Clan. Title effect: Immune to Dragon Prestige effects, damage to Dragonline creatures increased by 5%.


    This title was far inferior to that of Ancient God Butcher; it was of no use to Xiao Buli, but to the rest of the present, it was quite beneficial. Even a Little Red Dragon, once it exerted its Dragon Prestige effect, generally reduced the attributes of the combatants by about 30%, significantly lowering their combat capability. Facing the Great Red Dragon, that effect would be even more pronounced. With this title, their combat power could at least increase by about half.


    Moreover, the additional 5% damage was an extremely useful effect; it could be said that their chances of conquering the Great Red Dragon had increased by at least one-third. This was also one of the reasons why Xiao Buli insisted on slaying the Little Red Dragon before the Great Red Dragon.


    Once the cheering gradually subsided, Xiao Buli nodded and gestured to everyone to be quiet, then loudly said, "Well done, everyone. With this experience, I believe the battle to slay the Great Red Dragon shouldn''t be too difficult. Now I''m going to open the body. Make sure your guild points are ready."


    While speaking, he touched the Red Dragon''s corpse, prompting a series of system notifications. Xiao Buli examined each of the Red Dragon''s dropped items one by one.


    Scarlet Flame Red Dragon''s Head (Quest Item): This is the head of a Red Dragon. Possessing it signifies you have the strength to slay a giant dragon, implying you have enough power to establish and protect a nation. Deliver it to the Guardian of the Dragon Pillar in Bahuang Imperial City, and you will receive unexpected honor.


    Red Dragon Ball (Inner Core): Use to upgrade a Dragon Bloodline creature by one grade and enhance all its Fire Element skills.


    Lava Striker (Silver - Knuckles): Attack power 22-24. Use: Adds the effect of Flame Fist Skills to your knuckles.


    Item note: Fire in your hands.


    Lava Smasher (Silver - Two-handed Hammer): Attack power 37-64, attack speed -1. There''s a chance to create an explosive effect when hitting a target, dealing 40 explosive damage and knocking them back.


    Item note: Destroy everything, or destroy oneself.


    Blazing Lava Blade (Green - One-handed Sword): Attack power 11-13, fire damage +5.


    Item note: The amber-colored blade still emits the scorching breath of molten lava.


    Volcano Guard''s Staff (Gold - Two-handed Magic Wand): Attack 10-22, Spell Power with Fire Element +20. Use: Summon a Fire Spirit to fight for you.


    Item note: Be careful not to burn your hands.


    The loot was abundant and of high quality, fitting for the Dragon Clan. Xiao Buli couldn''t help but sigh as he looked over the drop list. With the exception of the Dragon Head and Dragon Ball that were useful to him, the other items weren''t of much significance to him.


    After reviewing the descriptions, Xiao Buli turned to the group and said, "Alright, the Dragon Head can be used to establish a nation. If we fail to kill the Great Red Dragon, it can also be utilized in the interim, so it won''t be distributed. The Dragon Ball is useful for my pet, so acting on the MT (Main Tank) priority principle, I''m going to claim it. You guys can bid for the remaining four pieces of equipment."


    The remaining four items were all quite exceptional, especially for those who used to be Solo Players and had barely seen any blue-quality gear. Although they had acquired quite a bit of equipment since joining Qingyang Guild and raiding dungeons, silver and even gold-quality gear still seemed unattainable to them.


    Instantly, they all began frantically bidding their points, wishing they could bet all the points they had earned over time. However, their attention was mainly focused on the other three items; the green-quality One-handed Sword did not attract much interest. Xiao Buli noticed this too, but as the Guild Leader, he didn''t see the need to point this out.


    "Guild Leader, what''s the deal with that green-quality equipment?" It seemed others had also noticed the situation. A player of the Swordsman Profession couldn''t help asking, and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and waited for Xiao Buli''s explanation.


    "The green one is a growth weapon," Xiao Buli didn''t hide anything and answered all questions. Just after explaining, he noticed He Suoju giving him a murderous look. He immediately understood.


    It seemed that He Suoju had his eyes on the sword but didn''t have many points. He likely wanted to take advantage of solo players'' lack of knowledge about the game to pick up a bargain, but his plan was foiled by Xiao Buli''s explanation at this critical moment.


    As the leader, Xiao Buli understood that fairness and transparency were three critical elements. He couldn''t just favor someone because they were closer to him. That would certainly lead to everyone turning against him in the end. Therefore, he didn''t feel too bad and simply ignored He Suoju''s gaze. After all, if he didn''t say it, someone else would have. There were plenty of Swordman Profession players in the game, and it was just that these solo players were less informed about the game. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sure enough, once everyone heard that the sword was the legendary growth weapon, those who initially bid furiously on the other three weapons instantly switched targets, throwing all their points into bidding, but He Suoju stopped bidding after seeing this.


    "How come? Brother He, why aren''t you bidding?" A player close to He Suoju asked curiously, seeing that he didn''t move.


    He Suoju replied nonchalantly upon hearing the question, "Pfft, why the rush now? Aren''t we going to fight the Great Red Dragon? If the Little Red Dragon dropped such good equipment, the Great Red Dragon''s loot will only be better. Maybe even Dark Gold equipment. I''ll make my move then. What if I run out of points now and don''t have any when that happens?"


    Hearing this, the crowd hesitated for a moment. A few retracted their bids, but many others just hesitated briefly. As the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Not many gave up bidding, and amidst everyone''s fervent enthusiasm, the few pieces of equipment were soon auctioned off.


    Xiao Buli heard He Suoju''s response and initially thought that He was playing a trick, holding others back from bidding to swoop in at the last moment. Now that the auction was over and he had not made a move, Xiao Buli went over and asked, "Do you have that much faith in me?"


    "It''s not that I have faith in you," He Suoju turned and said, leaving Xiao Buli at a loss for words. No faith? He Suoju paused deliberately after his sentence and then added, "It''s that you have faith in yourself. I''ve noticed that ever since you''ve returned, you''ve been confident as if everything is under control. I think defeating the Great Red Dragon is just the first step in your plan. The things you want to do next must be much bigger than this. You''re determined to win over this Red Dragon. I''m good at reading people, and I''m not wrong." He finished, patting Xiao Buli on the shoulder with an elder''s demeanor.


    Xiao Buli was both amused and frustrated, but it was not a bad thing for a subordinate to have confidence in him. Was he acting that confidently? Xiao Buli hadn''t noticed, but looking at the Magic Wand in his hand, he thought, with the detailed information provided by this GM Magic Wand, how could he not be confident?


    With only four pieces of equipment for a forty-person team, they were hardly enough. After the auction ended, many were reluctant to leave, showing expressions of regret. However, thinking about what He Suoju had said, they began to foster a new hope. Maybe it''s a blessing in disguise, and maybe better things were waiting for them. Everyone immediately became invested in the idea of fighting the Great Red Dragon.


    Seeing that it was about time, Xiao Buli walked to a higher ground and announced, "Okay, the equipment has been distributed. Let''s start dissecting the corpse now. Anyone with a dissection skill level of LV10, step forward."


    Seven or eight people came forward instantly. There was no helping it; they were all Hunter Profession players used to dealing with beasts, so their dissection skills were high. This pleased Xiao Buli, who nodded in satisfaction, "Good, start the dissection. But remember, all materials obtained must be handed over. If anyone dares to keep anything for themselves, I won''t forgive them. This is crucial for defeating the Great Red Dragon. If I find anyone messing around, don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    Such an incident was unlikely to happen. In normal games, there might be players who would sneak away with materials and leave the Guild, but this was Absolute Death Game. Anyone caught hoarding materials or equipment would be found out and dealt with more severely than being killed in a PvP situation. Besides, with these materials being key to defeating the Great Red Dragon, individuals wanted equipment crafted from them more than the materials themselves.


    Thus, a large amount of Dragon Hide, Dragon Sinew, Dragon Bone, Dragon Tooth, Dragon Blood, and Red Dragon Scales quickly gathered in Xiao Buli''s hands.


    Xiao Buli began to calculate with the materials. The Dragon Scales and Dragon Hide, along with other materials previously collected, were enough to craft four or five sets of Red Dragon Scale Armor, significantly increasing their chances of success.


    As for the Dragon Sinew and Dragon Bone, they could be used to make Dragon Bone Bows, which were Silver-grade equipment that would greatly enhance the strength of the Qingyang Guild, which had many Hunters.


    Dragon Blood could be made into Elixirs, including Fire Resistance Potions.


    This way, both their resistance and attack power would be much higher than when they fought the Little Red Dragon. Moreover, after the battle with the Little Red Dragon, everyone''s confidence in Xiao Buli had soared, and he believed they would all charge valiantly into battle, making a pre-battle pep talk unnecessary.


    As more varied materials continued to arrive, Xiao Buli marveled at how this dragon was truly a treasure from head to tail. This battle had indeed been a rich haul, and it took about half an hour to completely dissect the Red Dragon, nearly as long as the fight itself.


    Looking at everyone, Xiao Buli announced, "Okay, you can all rest for the next two days, hunt Minor Monsters nearby, and strictly follow the time, location, and monster data previously provided. Don''t cause any trouble. In these two days, I will arrange for the equipment to be crafted. We will gather promptly at 12 noon the day after tomorrow to begin our assault on the Great Red Dragon." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 510 - 10 Battle Upgrade

    Two days later, at the foot of Flame Mountain.


    The Qingyang Guild''s main force had all arrived, preparing for the most earth-shattering BOSS battle in history¡ªto them, at least. Guilds that had established empires had naturally experienced all of this before, but for these solo players, being able to slay a dragon one day was already a shock to the heavens and earth, let alone an elite dragon.


    In those two days, everyone from the Qingyang Guild had been busy. On one hand, Xiao Buli led his brothers to work overtime to turn the materials they had gathered into equipment needed for the dragon slaying. On the other hand, the members went out in groups to hunt down monsters they could defeat in the forest, grinding daily to improve their capabilities as much as possible. The hunters even upgraded their pets to the most powerful monsters within their abilities. These monsters were insignificant in front of a red dragon, but could at least take a hit for their masters in a critical moment.


    "Alright, I believe everyone has been impatient these past two days, so I won''t waste words. Below, I will distribute the equipment we''ve made during this period. I''ll clarify in advance that because these items were prepared specifically for this battle and because we were short on time, we didn''t make many of them. Therefore, distribution will be according to everyone''s professions and skills, with the main goal being the success of our dragon slaying. So whether you get anything or not, or if you like what you get or not, is beyond consideration. I hope everyone can control themselves. Also, these pieces of equipment belong to the guild, so after the battle, they will be collected and auctioned off along with the spoils of war. If anyone likes them, they can bid for them after the fight," Xiao Buli spoke sensibly, and everyone understood and agreed. It''s better to have the ugly truth upfront; Xiao Buli prevented any possible resentment from festering and affecting their performance in the battle by explaining everything first.


    The first items to be distributed were several dragon bone bows made from dragon bones and sinews, naturally assigned to the hunter players. Since there were too many hunters, the bows were given to the strongest among them to maximize their effects. While the other hunters looked on enviously, they knew they were only borrowing the bows for now and could always bid for them later, so no one protested.


    Then came a few dragon tooth daggers, which were distributed among the higher-level close-combat players to enhance their damage output. These daggers only increased damage, so they were good to have, but not a big deal without. Thus, other players weren''t too envious.


    Next were several red dragon scale armors made from dragon hide and scales. This was a different matter from the weapons distributed earlier. Although also equipment, these armors could improve fire defense and were excellent for saving one''s life. The ranged fighters, such as hunters, were less concerned, but for those in close combat, it was a desirable piece. The weaker players felt dismayed, figuring that the gear would end up with the top players as usual. However, Xiao Buli surprisingly handed them to the team members with the lowest health, defying expectations. This move shocked everyone; it was typical for leaders to secure the best advantages for top players, but Xiao Buli consistently put human life first, touching the hearts of the solo players who lived on the knife edge.


    Following that were several pieces of armor crafted from materials gathered from nearby monsters. Though not as powerful as the dragon scale armor, they were much stronger than what the members were currently wearing¡ªalleviating many concerns about the Great Red Dragon''s dragon breath.


    Each person then received a Fire-Repelling Pill, crafted using red dragon blood, capable of boosting fire resistance for an hour,


    As fire was the Fire Dragon''s primary attack skill, Xiao Buli considered everyone''s fire resistance attributes to be of utmost importance for this fight. With their new equipment, the guild members felt confident, especially the close-combat fighters who hadn''t received dragon scale armors. They were no longer too worried.


    After distributing the equipment, Xiao Buli glanced at the Great Red Dragon twisting and turning in the thick smoke of the volcanic crater not far away, then turned to introduce the data on this Elite Red Dragon to everyone. Given their experience with the Little Red Dragon before, they had complete confidence in Xiao Buli''s data, so they listened attentively and in silence.


    "This time, we''re facing a rare Elite Red Dragon. As far as I know, no one has fought a red dragon of this level before, so we must be extremely cautious during the fight. You must follow my commands, or we risk being wiped out. This dragon''s name is ''Red Night (Crimson Flame Devil Dragon)''."


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, everyone felt a sense of heaviness; a named dragon meant it wasn''t an ordinary dragon. Its strength was greater, the difficulty higher. But correspondingly, the spoils could be more plentiful, maybe even including Dark Gold equipment. So, while they were apprehensive, they were also excited.


    Xiao Buli continued, "We still have to bring it down to the ground to fight. Considering such a red dragon would be very confident, we can pull it farther away, to an area without volcanic lava for the battle, This should help us avoid the Lava Golems and Raging Fire Spirits that we encountered last time, as well as diminish its fire abilities outside of the lava zone. Of course, this is just speculation. We shouldn''t pin our hopes on it and must remain fully focused on the fight." Xiao Buli felt this could be helpful; the Lava Giant Python he previously captured was like this, being extremely powerful within the Lava Cave but just an ordinary giant python outside. Nonetheless, since a Red Dragon was part of the Dragon Clan, he didn''t expect to completely negate its fire-based attacks but weakening them slightly would still be beneficial.


    "Even without the minor monsters, this BOSS battle will not be easy because this dragon''s skills are generally much stronger than the ones of the Little Red Dragon. Here are its stats and skills.


    First, the basic data of the Great Red Dragon.


    Red Night (Crimson Flame Devil Dragon)


    Health Points: 180,400.


    Armor: 2000


    Fire Resistance: MAX.


    Ice Resistance: -50.


    When everyone heard the health points of the Red Dragon, they were indeed shocked, but the other stats seemed to be about the same as those of the Little Red Dragon, except that the Armor was twice as high. They estimated that the battle would not be short, it could last one or two hours.


    "Everyone should have noticed the Red Dragon''s weakness is still its low Ice Resistance, so just like last time," said one, "those who can cast Ice Element spells, just greet it with your best shots. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, let''s introduce the dragon''s skills:


    Immortal Body LV10: Health points increase tenfold. That''s why the Dragon Clan always has such high health points.


    Flame Dragon Breath LV10: Conical area of effect attack. However, since we all have high Fire Resistance, we don''t need to worry too much about this skill, as long as we''re not hit by it frequently.


    Divine Dragon Tail Swing LV10: A common melee skill of the Dragon Clan with a knockback effect; there''s a high chance of delivering a crushing attack. All participants need to avoid the dragon''s tail, as with the strength of this dragon, anyone, including the MT, would be killed instantly if hit, with no chance of survival.


    Claw Strike LV10: Basic attack skill. Extremely damaging, everyone, including the tank classes, would be killed instantly¡ªwell, except for me.


    Claw Strike - Grapple LV10: Claw Strike can trigger this on a successful hit, grabbing a target and causing continuous crushing damage. Those with enough Strength could break free; otherwise, they would be crushed to death. Considering the strength level of the Great Red Dragon, it''s unlikely anyone could break free, so everyone should avoid being grabbed. If someone does get caught, the ranged damage group needs to be alert and focus fire on that dragon''s claw, as futile as it might be, it''s better than nothing.


    Dragon Prestige LV6: A passive skill unique to the Dragon Clan, it pressures nearby enemies, reducing their Attributes by 60%. This would have been the dragon''s biggest challenge, but it''s negated by the Dragon Slayer title, which grants immunity to the effect.


    Dragon Roar LV6: Emits a daunting roar that may cause nearby enemies to fall into a state of fear and flee chaotically. It can be resisted if one''s spiritual power reaches a certain level, but considering the level of this Great Red Dragon, it''s highly unlikely. The area of effect will also be especially large, so everyone should equip Control Removal Skills. You all have skills like Rage of Chiyou and Wild Heart, right?" These should be considered more basic Control Removal Skills.


    Several hunters nodded in response, as Wild Heart is almost a mandatory skill for the hunter class and most experienced players would have it. However, given the varied strengths of the team, there were still quite a few people without Control Removal Skills.


    Xiao Buli nodded in understanding; this was within his expectations: "No problem. I''ve made a few Exorcism Staves in the last couple of days. During the fight, each of us in the magic system will have one to help dispel fear if anyone is affected."


    After distributing the Exorcism Staves and addressing the fear issue, Xiao Buli continued, "Devour LV10: Devours a target of large size or smaller, dealing continuous fire damage over 100 seconds.


    Devour - Death Spit LV8: Can be triggered after a successful devour, expelling the devoured target and causing blunt hit damage based on the distance spit."


    Considering the Great Red Dragon''s Attributes, anyone hit by this skill is as good as dead. So, everyone''s on their own; stay away from the dragon''s mouth. That''s about it for the basic skills of the Red Dragon. If there''s anything you didn''t catch, you can ask now." Xiao Buli scanned the crowd. As this battle was a matter of life and death, everyone paid close attention, and Xiao Buli had considered potential issues in the fight thoroughly, offering corresponding solutions. Therefore, no one raised any questions. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your votes for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)

 Chapter 511 - 11: 3 Forms

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    "No problem, let''s continue discussing the battle process. My pet will still be taking on the role of resisting the monsters," said Xiao Buli as he waved his hand, and a huge shadow loomed before everyone''s eyes.


    This time, the Lava Giant Python was different from before. The first time it appeared, Xiao Buli had intentionally summoned it in the air, allowing it to glide for a while, but this time with a casual wave of his hand, the python remained hovering mid-air, having acquired the ability to fly. Furthermore, its size had become even more colossal, measuring a full two hundred meters in length. If stretched out straight, it would be almost impossible to see its end. Its name had also changed from Lava Giant Python to Lava Giant Jiao, and these were just the superficial changes.


    It turned out that Xiao Buli had successfully used the Dragon Ball obtained after killing the Little Red Dragon on the giant python. Now, not only was its appearance more impressive, but its overall strength and attributes had also improved significantly; its health points had soared to over twenty thousand. With this, it finally had the power to stand against the Great Red Dragon.


    Seeing the giant python, the look on everyone''s face was exactly what Xiao Buli was satisfied with. If it weren''t for the python''s recent improvements, Xiao Buli wouldn''t dare let it face the Great Red Dragon directly; it would have been suicidal. Therefore, once everyone had a clear view of the Red Dragon''s changes, Xiao Buli continued, "It has now advanced a grade and should be able to withstand the Great Red Dragon''s attacks. However, considering the fierceness of the Great Red Dragon''s attacks, I alone might not be able to heal it sufficiently. So, Yi Xuan and I will both heal the Jiao Dragon. This means there will basically be no healers available on the field. Everyone must pay close attention to their health points. If your health falls too low, immediately retreat from the battlefield, use elixirs to recover, then re-enter the battle. Don''t worry about wastage; in a moment, I''ll distribute a large number of elixirs for everyone to use during the fight."


    After finishing, Xiao Buli signaled Gu Shaobang to start distributing the elixirs. There were two types of healing elixirs: one that could be used during battle for immediate restoration of a certain amount of health points, but due to resistance limitations, its efficacy would diminish if taken consecutively, so it was only for emergency use.


    The other type was a slow recovery elixir, but its healing effect would be interrupted if damage was received. It needed to be used after retreating from combat. Gu Shaobang explained the effects of each elixir and distributed a quantity of each, and when he reached the Mage Professions, he gave each an additional elixir to restore mana.


    Others received elixirs according to their abilities, those expending Physical Strength got Strength Pills, those using Rage received Fire Spirits (which accelerated Rage recovery), and those using Internal Energy got Smooth Energy Powders.


    Half an hour passed, and just the elixirs alone amounted to over a thousand. This dragon-slaying battle was truly a money-burning endeavor. The players queued up for their potions while inwardly marveling; if they had to support such a guild, not to mention dragon-slaying, just attempting the next raid would require careful budgeting. Little did they know, due to possessing the GM scepter, Xiao Buli earned thousands of Gold Coins by flipping goods between major cities in just a few days. And since this dragon-slaying battle was a go-big-or-go-home situation, he couldn''t afford to fail, so the cost in Gold Coins was the last of his worries.


    "Alright, next is the flow of the BOSS battle," Xiao Buli saw that the distribution of elixirs was almost complete and immediately spoke up loud to regain everyone''s attention: "This BOSS has three phases: the ground phase, the sky phase, and the humanoid phase."


    The ground phase is simple, just like when we fought the Little Red Dragon before. But once its health drops to 50%, it will enter the sky phase, flying up and continuously using the full-screen AOE skill¡ªDragon Flame Descent. This skill combines fire damage with physical explosive damage, so even if you''re immune to fire, you can''t let your guard down. Since it''s a full-screen attack, there''s nowhere to recover health, so make sure to heal up before it drops to 50%. Keep moving and dodging; don''t get hit head-on, as being sprayed with a few Dragon Flames and dying would be a huge loss. Also, during this phase, everyone must go all out; we need to bring it down quickly, or we risk being wiped out."


    When its health falls to 20%, the Great Red Dragon won''t be able to fly anymore. It will land and take on a human form. Although its health will be reduced, this phase is the hardest because the siege equipment of the engineering group will be ineffective, and the difficulty of ranged professions will greatly increase. After all, this game isn''t about standing still and locking on targets. AOE skills can easily cause friendly fire, and in its human form, the BOSS is immune to taunts; there''s no such thing as a tank. Everyone could be targeted. During this phase, it''s up to the melee group''s task to closely cooperate."


    "Although there''s no tank, we still need to restrict it as much as possible, preventing it from attacking the vulnerable Mage Professions and Hunters. So we need four people capable of directly confronting the Red Dragon to surround and attack it. I''m one¡ªanyone else confident enough?"


    The players looked at each other, but for a moment, no one spoke up. The reason was simple: while the position was perilous, it was even more dangerous to overestimate oneself. If someone volunteered without the necessary ability, they might end up harming the entire group. Without absolute confidence, it was best not to act rashly.


    ```


    While everyone was at a stalemate, suddenly a person rose from the ground and walked up to the front row, "Count me in." Xiao Buli nodded his head; among those present, this person was indeed a good candidate. This person, who had become a disciple of the Sword God by riding on Xiao Buli''s coattails, met Xiao Buli''s criteria with his swordsmanship and agile mobility for this monster-dragging task. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since he was assigned to melee combat, he hardly played any role in the boss fight the day before yesterday. Other than killing minor monsters, he only followed to slash a few times at the end. For someone who prides himself on his superior swordsmanship, it was certainly hard to accept. Since this occasion called for true strength, he was unwilling to let go of this opportunity.


    Seeing everyone fall silent once again, Xiao Buli''s brothers on the scene couldn''t help but grow anxious. At a time like this, of course, his own brothers should not be excluded. However, Gu Shaobang knew that his abilities were more suited for backup support from the rear. Actually dragging a monster would likely lead to failure since his main focus was witchcraft, which could be considered either a magic system or a long-range profession. So, in front of the computer, he kept shouting for Xiao Ge.


    "Hey, Xiao Ge, aren''t you the expert at operating, ''Quick Hand Xiao''? If not now, then when should you step up?"


    Xiao Ge had the same intention and did not wait for Gu Shaobang to repeat himself; he immediately moved to the front in the game, "Boss, count me in too." Xiao Buli looked at Xiao Ge and nodded with a smile, pleased that his own brother had stepped forward as it set a good example. Moreover, Xiao Ge indeed possessed such strength. In gaming, his hand speed was top-notch, and his operations could certainly be considered expert level. Additionally, he had recently advanced to the hidden profession of Weapon Controller. While the strength of the human-transformed Red Dragon was alarming, Xiao Buli had great confidence in him.


    With the emergence of two individuals, those who were inwardly anxious but unable to exert their strength heaved a sigh of relief. However, filling the last spot was proving to be difficult. Just when you could hear a pin drop amid the silence, the Barbarian Warrior Wang Meng suddenly stood up. His impatient temperament couldn''t stand the current awkward situation, "Count me in as well." Xiao Buli frowned and sized him up. This fellow was thick-skinned and had damage reduction abilities, making him a suitable candidate. However, he might be excessively slow and lacked agility. Against an opponent like the Red Dragon with an exceptional strength rating, having thick skin wouldn''t suffice; one needed skills that could either reduce damage or evade it to withstand the enemy. Thus, Xiao Buli shook his head at Wang Meng after a moment''s consideration and explained his reasoning. Wang Meng sighed and sat back down.


    It was then that Du Yibo could no longer sit still: "Let me do it."


    "You?" Seeing Du Yibo volunteering, the melee fighters found it difficult to accept. The idea that a cloth-armored magic system profession, rather than a melee profession, was needed to tank the boss was an insult to them.


    Du Yibo nodded, yes, him. Du Yibo himself had harbored this doubt; after all, being cloth-armored was risky enough without even considering possibly dragging the group down. But after listening to Xiao Buli''s explanation moments ago, he suddenly gained confidence. Hearing someone question it, he turned around and said to the person who had just questioned him, "In my Fire Spirit Form, I can be immune to most physical damage, which makes me the most suitable candidate. Additionally, in a crisis, I can use Earth Escape to get away. Can you do that?" His argument was logical and well-founded. Upon hearing it, the others thought it made sense. The person who had questioned him just now nodded silently, apparently in agreement with his statement. Though the other melee fighters did not express their positions, none dared to stand up and take on the role. After all, with the frightening power of the Great Red Dragon, none were confident they could survive even a single round of attacks. Reluctantly, and without further protest, they all fell silent eventually.


    Xiao Buli nodded his head in agreement, "Alright, then it will be Du Yibo. Wang Meng and Qin Dahai will serve as reserves; if Du Yibo cannot hold on, you''ll take the second round."


    Once the arrangements were made, Xiao Buli instructed everyone to equip themselves quickly and to familiarize themselves with the battle plan and the pills that had just been distributed. He warned them not to accidentally take the wrong pills later ¡ª lives were at stake.


    While everyone was busy equipping their weapons, Xiao Buli stepped down from the mound and pulled Xiao Ge aside. Among these four individuals, Xiao Ge was undoubtedly the closest to him, and also the latest to join the game. Although Xiao Ge had confidence in his abilities and Xiao Buli trusted him, he couldn''t allow him to take such a big risk lightly.


    "Xiao Ge, how''s your gear?" Xiao Buli asked in a low voice. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), or use your monthly pass. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 512 - 12 Battle of the Great Red Dragon

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    "Not bad, the equipment is all deep blue and silver grade, but the weapon is a bit lacking." Xiao Buli nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out the double-bladed great axe that Li Jian had left behind.


    Aixifal Soul Slaughter Giant Axe (Gold - Two-Handed Weapon): Attack 41-59.


    Soul Absorption: When this giant axe comes into contact with magic power, it can absorb its strength and store it up to a maximum of 500 mana points.


    Demonic Flame: Converts the stored mana in the giant axe into Demonic Flame, attaching it to the next attack; each Demonic Flame enhancement consumes 100 mana points.


    Equipment Note: The legendary weapon of the Fury Demon Race warrior Aixifal, with the Vengeful Spirit of Aixifal attached to it.


    This weapon had been laying in the bag rusting ever since it was discovered, but now there was an opportunity to use it. Xiao Ge''s profession as a Weapon Controller allowed him to use any weapon, and this Soul Slaughter Giant Axe was just right for him.


    After distributing the equipment and arranging the battle strategy, and having everyone familiarize themselves with their gear, the pre-battle preparations were complete.


    At this time, Xiao Buli also tidied up promptly, ready to draw aggro. Despite the large number of people in the team, he was truly the most suitable to take the lead in aggro management.


    With a Cloud Thunder Leap shooting into the sky, Xiao Buli flew towards the crater where the Great Red Dragon was located. As Xiao Buli rose swiftly, everyone''s heart tensed up and they gripped their weapons, ready for battle.


    Approaching the volcano''s mouth, he was confronted by the searing breath and choking volcanic ash. Xiao Buli held his breath and approached the Red Dragon quickly. When he was about a hundred meters from the Red Dragon, he unleashed a Mysterious Ice Slash.


    Xiao Buli did not dare get too close to the Red Dragon, nor did he dare linger. A direct hit could potentially be fatal, so as soon as the Mysterious Ice Slash flew out, Xiao Buli turned and fled. Given the Red Dragon''s immense size, even a blind man could not miss it by sound alone, so although the Mysterious Ice Slash wasn''t particularly powerful, it solidly hit the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon, which had been deftly manoeuvring amidst the smoke at the volcano''s mouth, suddenly flipped its body. A roar shook the valley, and those waiting on the plains felt the ground tremble beneath them.


    The Mysterious Ice Slash did not do much damage, but an Elite Dragon Race that hadn''t been injured for hundreds of years, even the dominant ones in the Giant Dragon Wilderness map, couldn''t just let it go. So when the Red Dragon roared furiously, it instantly turned and chased after Xiao Buli''s retreating figure. Despite its size, it moved as swiftly as lightning, the entire process of drawing aggro lasting hardly ten seconds,


    The group on the plains watched the commotion from afar, expecting a few rounds of engagement at the very least. Their eyes widened in anticipation, but within ten seconds of Xiao Buli''s departure, they saw a figure flying back toward them like a bolt of lightning, shouting, "Prepare to face the enemy."


    Xiao Buli and the Red Dragon reached the plain one after the other. Seeing the Red Dragon''s speed was too fast to stand firm, Xiao Buli immediately summoned the Lava Giant Jiao. The others, seeing Xiao Buli arrive, had already taken their positions on both sides, ready to unleash full firepower as soon as the Great Red Dragon touched down.


    Just at that moment, a dark shadow, like a cloud eclipsing the sun, descended. Suddenly, the light dimmed before them. Although they were mentally prepared, everyone still recoiled in shock at the sight of the two to three hundred meters long Great Red Dragon descending from the air, so domineering that it made the Little Red Dragon they previously fought seem like a trivial creature.


    While everyone hesitated, the Lava Giant Jiao fiercely pounced on the Red Dragon. Having evolved, the Giant Jiao was also over two hundred meters long. Although it was slightly less imposing, it was not much smaller than the Great Red Dragon. Initially wary of the Red Dragon upon exiting the Sealed Space, the Giant Jiao displayed vicious bloodthirstiness upon Xiao Buli''s command, spewing molten lava at the Great Red Dragon.


    The appearance of the Giant Jiao ignited hope in everyone''s hearts. The hunters immediately drew their bows and shot arrows. Unlike when fighting the Little Red Dragon, this time the hunter players were at full throttle from the start, with various skills and effects exploding on the screen like rain. However, to the Great Red Dragon, these arrows were mere annoyances, hardly enough to provoke his aggro. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment, the Red Dragon, with eyes that seemed ready to shoot fire, glared fiercely at the Giant Jiao. How dare a mere Jiao provoke him? It was an intolerable insult to the Dragon Clan. Especially since Xiao Buli and the Lava Giant Jiao were master and servant, their hatred was shared, which meant the Great Red Dragon''s fury was immediately directed at the Giant Jiao. With a fierce roar, it lunged forward¡ªthus the battle began.


    The melee fighters, watching the continuous Dragon Breath, felt their legs cramping involuntarily. Even though they were already equipped with Fire Resistance Equipment, the thought of fighting the Dragon Clan still left them uneasy.


    At that time, Xiao Buli kept a close eye on the situation. Under his signal, the melee group stood by. On the field, the Giant Jiao and Red Dragon engaged in a fiery duel, to their delight. Although nonetheless, the Giant Jiao kept scratching and clawing at every opportunity to get close, knowing from the fight with the Little Red Dragon that spewing fire against the Dragon Ball was futile. However, to confuse its adversary, it continued to emit flames. Soon the Great Red Dragon realized this act was almost in vain. With a turn of its body to gain some distance, the Red Dragon squinted at the Giant Jiao, seemingly onto its ruse. By this time, thanks to the hunters'' relentless efforts, the Red Dragon had lost nearly two thousand health points, but it held the hunters in utter contempt. With a ferocious roar, it moved as fast as lightning, instantly closing the distance with the Giant Jiao.


    ```

 Chapter 513 - 12 Battle of the Great Red Dragon_2

    Even though the giant python had leveled up, its speed and reaction time were still not in the same league compared to the Red Dragon. It lost almost a thousand health points from one strike by the Red Dragon.


    As the dragon and the python struggled against one another, Xiao Buli saw that the python had captured the aggro. He waved his hand, signaling the melee fighters to enter the fray, and at the same time, he waved to Li Shuren in the distance, hurriedly beginning to heal the giant python.


    The melee group had been eagerly watching from the side. Though they felt fear, the surge of excitement was greater. They shouted to bolster their courage as they rushed towards the giant python.


    After all, they were facing a member of the Dragon Clan, so even though their cries were thunderous, they stopped about ten meters away from the Red Dragon. To a man, they chose ranged attack skills. In no time, Sword Qi, flying axes, and energy waves were launched towards the Red Dragon. Engaged in fierce combat with the giant python, the Red Dragon suddenly found itself assaulted by this pesky group. Far from endearing, their incessant skill attacks seemed to greatly irritate it, and without a glance, it unleashed a breath of dragon fire in their direction.


    A flash of red light passed, and the fighters all lost some health to varying degrees, but this incident placed their hearts securely back in their chests.


    Although they were equipped with Fire Resistance Equipment, there wasn''t much confidence in their hearts. However, the sudden Dragon Breath, at most, caused them to lose a few dozen health points. It appeared that as long as they were careful to dodge the Red Dragon''s Ultimate Skills, the fire wouldn''t be an issue. With their worries eased, they focused entirely on dealing damage.


    Right then, five ballistae from the high ground unleashed their bolts with a howl, hitting the Red Dragon and reducing its health by over four thousand points.


    This angered the Red Dragon, who let out a howl and attempted to take flight. Xiao Buli had anticipated this move and had already taken to the air himself while signaling the engineering team to open fire. Seeing the Red Dragon attempting to rise, he used the same move that had worked against the Little Red Dragon, bringing down a thunderstrike. It hit the Red Dragon squarely in the midsection, causing it to twist and turn and lose several hundred health points. Xiao Buli didn''t hesitate, rising up again immediately after striking. By the time the Red Dragon managed to struggle to its feet, he had already returned to a safe distance. The Red Dragon vented all its fury on the giant python, causing its health points to plummet rapidly.


    Meanwhile, due to the previous Dragon Roar, several players were influenced and started running back. Thankfully, at the start of the battle, Xiao Buli had handed out Exorcism Staffs to a few magic system players. The support group mages, who were also participating in the battle, quickly came to the rescue, pulling the affected players back into the fray.


    This time, the support group, orchestrated by Xiao Buli, had the urgent task of running all over the battlefield, healing when possible, but mainly ensuring the players'' survival was the priority.


    "Boss, stop watching, I can''t keep up!" Yi Xuan was vigorously healing the giant python, but after the Red Dragon had displayed its power, its Rage was high, and the python''s health points rapidly declined. Yi Xuan was struggling to keep up.


    Seeing the situation, Xiao Buli immediately joined Yi Xuan. The two of them furiously healed and barely managed to pull the giant python''s health back from the brink.


    The battle was chaotic yet orderly. The engineering team tried to fire as soon as their cooldowns ended. But after the recent volley, they had grown wiser. The five ballistae were divided into two groups, each firing every half minute. This way, the damage output remained the same within a minute, but the aggro was greatly reduced, lowering the risk.


    The Red Dragon seemed to look down on the multitude of players who were like ants to it. Apart from occasionally breathing fire, it didn''t use other skills. Thus, those with high Fire Resistance quickly showed their advantage. The few dozen health points lost after each Dragon Breath were quickly regained, and no one in the melee group fell behind.


    The main target was the dark, giant Jiao on the field. Xiao Buli, seeing that the situation on the field had stabilized, focused on healing the giant Jiao, and together with Yi Xuan, they were barely maintaining the situation.


    The battle''s aggro remained firmly on the Lava Giant Jiao, and no further chaos ensued¡ªP1 seemed a lot easier than anticipated.


    However, the Great Red Dragon had much higher health regeneration and resistances than the Little Red Dragon, so after half an hour of back-and-forth battling, they only managed to reduce the Great Red Dragon''s health by about half.


    "Everyone, pay attention!" Xiao Buli roared. Before his words even faded, a roar from Red Night was heard, and its body immediately left the ground, soaring into the sky and circling above. The Giant Jiao tried to follow with its gaze, but it couldn''t match the Red Dragon in might and could not reach the same altitude. It could only circle below, unable to grasp or affect the Red Dragon with any flames. Seeing they had entered P2, Xiao Buli knew there was no point in talking about aggro now. Whether the Giant Jiao was there or not didn''t matter, so he simply sent the Lava Giant Jiao back to the Otherworldly Space.


    "Give me an opening." With a loud shout from Xiao Buli, Mysterious Ice Slash was already firing towards the Red Dragon.


    As Xiao Buli had already figured out the battle tactics beforehand, he knew this was when the Red Dragon would show its might. Everyone''s hearts were in their throats as their bows immediately shot towards the Red Dragon, unleashing a barrage of skills in a chain. In a moment, arrows rained down¡ªnot from the sky, but shooting up towards it¡ªas the Great Red Dragon endured the dense firepower while beginning to rain fire from above.


    Suddenly, the sky was filled with giant fireballs continuously bombing downward, the air distorting from the intense heat of the flames.


    For a brief period, everyone felt their computer screens drenched in red. Dragon Flame Descent, a full-screen AOE Ultimate Skill, enshrouded miles of the plain within its attack range, with no possibility of escape. All they could rely on were movement skills to dodge the downpouring fireballs to reduce the damage.


    Fortunately, everyone had extremely high Fire Resistances and were also protected by the Five Elements Spirit Armor Technique and other defensive spells; generally, as long as they were not hit dead-on, their lives weren''t in danger.


    Moreover, as all players in the main team were quite skilled, the continuous maneuvering resulted in no casualties, though the original tight formation had now become utterly chaotic, and their attack coordination was disturbed.


    Xiao Buli kept an eye on the BOSS''s health points, occasionally healing nearby team members who were splashed with collateral damage. The rate of health loss was bearable, thanks mainly to all sorts of Fire Resistance equipment and elixirs; otherwise, a single Giant Fireball could instantly kill an average player under normal circumstances.


    Still, everyone was finding the battle more and more challenging. Once the Great Red Dragon ascended into the sky, its endless fire assault continued for half an hour, and the people below returned fire for the same duration. Fortunately, while the dragon constantly attacked, its healing ability seemed greatly reduced compared to when it was on the ground; otherwise, the players didn''t know if they could have lasted until the end of P2.


    Finally, as the health points dropped close to 20%, the Great Red Dragon''s movements in the sky slowed as if it could no longer keep itself airborne. Xiao Buli thought it was time. With a Cloud Thunder Leap, he soared into the clouds, right above the Great Red Dragon, and a Heavenly Thunder Drop came crashing down. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Thunder Strike, like the final straw breaking the camel''s back, caused the Red Dragon''s health to plummet below 20% in an instant. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 514 - 13: Humanoid Red Dragon

    Everyone only felt the roar of an explosion as the Great Red Dragon crashed heavily onto the ground like a cosmic spaceship that had collided with disaster, sending up dust and debris like shockwaves sweeping around, instantly blurring everyone''s vision so that nothing could be seen.


    They immediately went into high alert, understanding that after the Red Dragon landed, it would transform into human form. With the field engulfed in mist, everyone feared an ambush at this moment. They had heard that no team hunting dragons had ever avoided heavy casualties, and the fact that their group hadn''t suffered any was highly unnatural¡ªit seemed the dragon was about to unleash its deadly moves.


    In the chaos of their thoughts, the team didn''t realize how their detailed intel had spared them much injury.


    With their nerves on edge, they held their weapons at the ready, focusing intently on their surroundings; some of the melee fighters even formed a circle, back to back. However, as the smoke cleared, there was no sign of the anticipated sneak attack.


    They looked at each other, confused, as the Red Dragon had completely disappeared from the field.


    "Search, search quickly," Xiao Buli shouted. They couldn''t let it escape; otherwise, all their efforts would have been for nothing.


    Regaining their senses, everyone began to search frantically. Thankfully, due to the wide spread of their formation, they could cover a large area. Soon after, someone from the engineering team on higher ground shouted, "Look, there it is!"


    Following the player''s direction, they saw a faint red silhouette in the battlefield''s sky¡ªa middle-aged man dressed in dazzling red, with hair red as flames and eyes like flowing fire, looking down at the people below with a face full of anger.


    Above his head, a pair of curved antlers were visible, which surely belonged to the Giant Red Dragon''s human form.


    Red Night (Crimson Flame Devil Dragon): "Paltry mortals, face my fury!" sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For a major boss, he was surprisingly terse. In the next instant, the man turned into a red meteor, plummeting straight toward the ground.


    The team members had already scattered apart, but even so, the impact wave still knocked over five players who were too slow to react, though they didn''t lose much health.


    After the clearing move, only a few stood ready to face the boss¡ªXiao Buli, He Suoju, Du Yibo, and Xiao Ge¡ªnone had retreated, instead they stood about a dozen meters from the boss, lined up in a cross formation.


    At this time, the disparity in strength was evident. Against the boss''s shockwave, Xiao Buli hadn''t moved an inch, He Suoju used his peerless Qinggong to effortlessly flip and land after spinning in the air, Du Yibo had burrowed into the ground and emerged unscathed after the wave passed, while the ground where Xiao Ge stood was shielded by a huge shield, towering as tall as a person¡ªthe Weapon Controller could switch between weapons quickly, and the shield was one of them.


    Although they had planned to attack the boss as a four-person team, Xiao Buli knew he was best suited to confront the boss and thus unsheathed his Ice Blade.


    As the frosty blade emerged, drawing chilling air, the boss''s attention turned to Xiao Buli. The damage from Mysterious Ice Slash had left a lasting impression on him.


    "So it''s you, die!"


    The Red Dragon didn''t hesitate; wielding his sword, he charged forward. His weapon was a Flowing Fire Longsword, emitting a scorching heat. The clash of the two swords¡ªone red like fire, the other white like bone-chilling steel¡ªwith each pressed attack, was fierce.


    The Red Night''s swordmanship was formidable, not only as a Giant Dragon but also in human form. Xiao Buli was strong overall, but in terms of Swordsmanship, he was only slightly above average. After a few exchanges with the Red Dragon, he began to falter.


    The Red Dragon boss''s technique was not delicate; it was sheer ferocity. Considering the Dragon''s immense strength attribute reaching a thousand points, even when compressed in human form to a hundred-something, it was not something Xiao Buli could counter with sheer force. Xiao Buli was forced to switch to Tai Chi Sword Skills, barely managing to deflect the blows.


    Irked by the infuriatingly sticky Tai Chi technique, the Red Dragon suddenly switched tactics, from forceful slashes to lightning-fast thrusts. His agility was over two hundred and, unfettered by the transformation, the Red Dragon''s sword struck repeatedly in rapid succession. Xiao Buli was unable to block in time; several hits landed, dealing tens of points of damage with each strike. Despite his defenses from Heart of the Earth and having equipped Magma Barricade in anticipation of close combat, he still lost nearly half his health points in a matter of seconds.


    Scrambling to use the barricade and heal himself, Xiao Buli managed just in time for the other three to arrive.


    The tide of the battle shifted instantly. He Suoju cried out, "Elder Xiao, leave it to me!" as he rushed with his treasured sword to the center of the fray.


    Indeed, as the apprentice of the Sword God, He Suoju was unmatched, and even the Dragon Clan couldn''t outclass him. His swordsmanship was watertight, periodically executing a Mystic Skill. He had mastered many sword techniques and Ultimate Skills, unleashing one powerful move after another. The Red Dragon was forced to handle them cautiously, thereby relieving some of the pressure.

 Chapter 515 - 13: Humanoid Red Dragon_2

    Xiao Buli finally breathed a sigh of relief at that moment. He wasn''t very proficient in swordsmanship originally, and he knew that relying solely on swordsmanship would definitely not be enough to defeat the Red Dragon.


    Seeing He Suoju manage to hold off the creature with his swordsmanship, he immediately retreated to the side.


    With a wave of his hand, Mysterious Ice Slashes flew towards Red Night one after another. While Red Night was busy crossing swords with He Suoju, he also had to dodge the Mysterious Ice Slashes with his movement technique. However, his movements were quick enough that for the moment, they couldn''t do much to him. But when he focused most of his attention on He Suoju, He Suoju couldn''t hold on any longer.


    "Damn it, this thing is so twisted, come help me quick!" He Suoju shouted while unleashing a big move. Suddenly, a ferocious Sword Qi burst from his body, and his sword was coated in a layer of golden light, the blade''s aura swelling by three feet as he delivered a Cross Slash. Even the strong Red Dragon did not dare to take the hit head-on and stepped back to dodge. This was He Suoju''s greatest reliance¡ªthe Art of the Sword Heart.


    Over there, Du Yibo and Xiao Ge rushed up as well. Xiao Ge, being a Weapon Master, naturally took it upon himself to engage in close combat. He immediately took out his huge axe and joined the battle. Xiao Ge and He Suoju, one powerful and forceful, the other agile, complemented each other flawlessly. Along with Xiao Buli continuously shooting Mysterious Ice Slashes from the side, the battlefield was soon filled with a melee of weapon flashes and sword shadows.


    It seemed that Red Night still had some energy left, but had gradually shifted from offense to defense. After a standoff, the situation increasingly tilted in Xiao Buli''s favor. Those players who had scattered were gradually gathering again, afraid to attack carelessly and cause friendly fire but their presence still added pressure.


    Moreover, Yi Xuan started to restore health to the four fighters on the battlefield. Red Night appeared to be growing impatient and suddenly unleashed a shockwave that stunned He Suoju and Xiao Ge, sending countless crimson Sword Qi from his Flowing Fire Longsword in all directions.


    These Sword Qi clearly carried a flame effect, but it was still primarily a Sword Qi attack, and in some sense, it was quite similar to Xiao Buli''s Mysterious Ice Slash.


    Seeing the situation turning dire, Du Yibo immediately used an Earth Escape to get out, while Xiao Buli raised his Lava Barrier. He Suoju, with his swordsmanship as his strong suit and agile body, managed to dodge a few, but the sheer number of blades was too much. He could only meet them head-on with the Art of the Sword Heart, barely parrying a few Sword Qi. Still, his health points rapidly decreased; it seemed the Sword Qi had a burning function that would ignite flames upon contact. Fortunately for He Suoju, he was not wearing any heavy armor due to his profession, but luckily he had on the Fire-resistant Light Armor distributed by Xiao Buli before the battle, so the burning effects didn''t come into full play. Even so, each attack still cost him dozens of health points. Seeing this, Xiao Buli immediately cast a couple of heals on him.


    As a Weapon Master, Xiao Ge was adept in the use of weapons. He whirled his huge axe around himself, effectively creating a shield. The Sword Qi blade beams that struck it disappeared as if hitting a sponge. It turned out that the huge axe had a Soul Absorption feature that absorbed and stored any form of energy it came into contact with. If enough energy was accumulated, it could release Demonic Flame. However, against Red Night, using fire would be akin to adding wood to a furnace, so Xiao Ge was not foolish enough to employ that strategy. Nevertheless, although the axe protected his upper body''s vital parts, he was hit by the dense barrage of blades a few times, losing over a hundred health points.


    Of all the people involved, Xiao Buli was most worried about Xiao Ge. Seeing the symbols of health loss above his head, Xiao Buli''s heart tightened, but he was relieved that with Xiao Ge''s health points, these hits weren''t too serious. Xiao Buli''s mind eased somewhat.


    Everyone, fall back! Ranged group, unleash all firepower!


    As he spoke, Xiao Buli slowly retreated with his shield raised, and the others began to fall back as well, temporarily clearing the line of fire. The ranged players, upon seeing this, immediately bombarded the area with their most powerful spells without hesitation.


    Xiao Buli cast Summon Heavy Rain and Freezing Cloud Skills consecutively. Dark clouds quickly gathered above Red Night, and icy raindrops began to pelt down relentlessly. These skills, typically AOE and not suited for targeting a single individual, were now advantageous for Xiao Buli since any freezing skill was beneficial. Moreover, Red Night was rooted to the spot by Du Yibo, unable to evade, with symbols of health loss appearing on him. But most of the numbers were mere single digits like -1 and -3. Without delay, Xiao Buli hit him with another Mysterious Ice Slash.


    Seeing this, Red Night had to stop releasing Sword Qi and was about to pounce at the crowd when Du Yibo emerged from the ground not far from the Red Dragon. "I''ll pin him down; you guys pour on the damage!" After saying that, his hands flashed with a yellow light.


    "Mire Skills!"


    Red Night''s feet sank into the mud all at once, and he was suddenly drawn down as a barrage of long-range attacks struck him. With a flash of flame, the muddy ground beneath his feet was instantly scorched into hard soil, and he broke free within moments.


    "Earth Cell Skills!" Du Yibo released another spell, and walls of earth quickly surrounded Red Night.


    But the Red Dragon paid it no heed and burst out, shattering the walls as if they were cookies.


    "Stone Prison Skills!" With a crack, the earthen walls swiftly hardened into stone walls, multiplying their sturdiness by many folds. The Red Dragon, unable to break through with a charge, punched with all its might and blasted a huge hole in the granite-like wall. Seeing Du Yibo ready to cast another spell, it spewed a breath of dragon fire at him.


    Du Yibo was caught off guard, having not expected the Red Dragon to be able to breathe dragon fire even in human form. Although the power seemed much weaker, it was fatal enough for most people. In a panic, he transformed into his Fire Spirit Form, turning into a fiery figure. The Flame Dragon Breath left him unscathed, not a single point of health dropped. Before Red Night could recover from the shock, Xiao Buli had already ordered the remote group to cease their attack and sent He Suoju and Xiao Ge into action.


    As Red Night saw the two charging at him, he had no choice but to brandish his sword to meet his foes.


    Seeing this, Du Yibo breathed a sigh of relief, cancelled his Fire Spirit Form, and cast another spell¡ªthis time, Earthbind Skills.


    The Red Dragon felt an intense heaviness on his feet suddenly, as though a force was continuously pulling him toward the ground. Although his high attributes meant the effect was minimal, his speed slowed down significantly.


    By now, He Suoju and Xiao Ge had caught up. Red Night fought with his sword against the two of them. With his feet bound and his hands tangled with the two, he had no chance to dodge Xiao Buli''s Mysterious Ice Slash and took several solid blows. His health points dropped by several hundreds in an instant, which only served to enrage Red Night further.


    All of a sudden, he started shaking his body wildly, completely ignoring the three besieging him, standing his ground as swords and axes hacked into him. He roared, and a red glow emitted from him¡ªDragonkin form activated.


    After a loud shout, his body swelled massively, growing over five meters tall. His skin sprouted layers of red scales like an additional Scale Armor, and a dragon tail grew behind him, while his limbs thickened, turning him into a monstrous half-dragon, half-human.


    This enlarged Red Night immediately lunged at Xiao Ge with his sword. He had realized during their fight that He Suoju''s Swordsmanship was agile and difficult to exploit to his advantage.


    Xiao Buli and Du Yibo were at a distance, one above ground and the other below¡ªhe couldn''t reach either. But Xiao Ge, despite ascending to Weapon Master, was newly wielding a great axe, which was heavy and slow to recover for defense. Therefore, Red Night decided to target one individual to break through their ranks one by one.


    Red Night engaged in a fight with Xiao Ge, disregarding attacks from the others. After his enlargement, his defense seemed to have increased as well. Du Yibo emerged from underground, relentlessly firing skills such as Touch of Frost and Frost Arrow at Red Night.


    Braving their attacks for a duel with Xiao Ge was a battle of blood. Should Xiao Ge truly engage in a blood contest with Red Night, his defeat would be certain. Despite Red Night''s health being reduced to around 10% by the prior Soul Slash¡ªstill nearly twenty thousand¡ªXiao Ge''s health was only a matter of hundreds. If Red Night landed a solid hit, it could spell instant defeat for him. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)


    Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 516 - 14 Slaying the Dragon

    Xiao Buli''s mind was thrown into chaos, launching skills like a barrage against Red Night, hoping to bring Red Night down quickly and also hoping his attacks would draw Red Night''s aggression towards himself. However, the Red Night in human form seemed to have broken away from the typical BOSS setting, and as Xiao Buli said, there was no such thing as aggro value. No matter how much they attacked, it fixated on targeting Xiao Ge.


    Before the battle, Xiao Ge was full of confidence, but among the four of them, he was the weakest. The moment he saw Red Night''s overwhelming force, even though his heart leaped to his throat, he gathered his composure as a pillar of the Qingyang Guild. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind, and his fingers flew over the keyboard, handling a pair of giant axes flawlessly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nevertheless, he would inadvertently get hit a couple of times, and his health points rapidly decreased.


    At that time, several melee fighters had already approached the area. Seeing that the situation wasn''t good, Yi Xuan began to heal Xiao Ge from a distance. Just as Xiao Buli was about to free his hands to heal Xiao Ge, he saw this and felt relieved, and Xiao Ge''s health points steadily rose.


    By then, a group of hunters had also arrived. Seeing that the four of them had captured Red Night''s attention, they immediately let loose their arrows, attacking Red Night in rapid succession. This left Red Night caught between two fronts.


    With a roar, Red Night stomped on the ground several times, which somewhat resembled the pre-ceremony actions of a shaman about to perform a ritual. Forming a spell in his hands, he unleashed another Blade of the Dragon energy-efficiently. This time, there were more Blades of the Dragon than before, and due to his height, the emission angle was more dispersed, covering the area in a series of red flashes.


    It seemed that this form change might have increased the range of the Blades of the Dragon. Even though the hunters were already standing at a distance, they couldn''t avoid getting attacked. Those with protective gear used it, and those without attempted to dodge if they could, or braced themselves with their equipment if they couldn''t. In an instant, many lost health points.


    Based on the effect of the Blades of the Dragon, the damage from physical attacks wasn''t high; it seemed the main effect was the burning flames.


    Small flames sprouted on everyone to different degrees, even those wearing Fire Resistance Equipment. If the players were equipped with regular gear, the consequences would be dire. Some players who had previously looked down on their equipment now felt a wave of fear.


    After the Blades of the Dragon ceased, those whose health points weren''t in danger continued their attacks, and those who had lost a bit more health quickly consumed potions to recover. In less than twenty seconds, they had reformed their ranks.


    By that time, Red Night''s health points had fallen below fifteen thousand, and it seemed to have reached the verge of a rage, with its eyes red as if they were about to bleed.


    But it didn''t continue to use powerful moves; instead, it intensified its attacks on Xiao Ge again. Xiao Buli felt frustrated about this, and He Suoju, unable to stand by, rushed behind Red Night to strike with his sword. However, Red Night didn''t even glance in his direction, relentlessly attacking Xiao Ge, as if determined to take someone down with it before dying.


    Xiao Buli realized that although Red Night was in a bad state, it wasn''t unleashing any major spells. Considering the power of the moves it had used earlier were greater than when its body was normal, it seemed the Mana consumption was significant. It probably didn''t have the capacity to use AOE skills for a while, so he called out to his teammates, "He''s running low on spell energy, go ahead and attack him hard, Xiao Ge, if you can''t hold on, retreat immediately."


    Xiao Ge, fully engrossed in his showdown with the Red Dragon, had no time to reply to Xiao Buli, but in front of his computer screen, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Shaobang, tell the boss, I won''t retreat."


    "OK." Shaobang, though worried about Xiao Ge, knew it wasn''t the time to distract him with conversation. He replied and promptly conveyed the message to Xiao Buli in the game.


    The battle on the field had reached a stalemate; hunters and melee fighters attacked Red Night non-stop, while Red Night disregarded everything else and ferociously struck at Xiao Ge. Everyone watched Xiao Ge''s condition while continuing their offense, silently sweating for him.


    Xiao Buli several times wanted to call someone to forcibly replace Xiao Ge, but he ultimately held back. Knowing his brother''s strength from countless previous battles, he trusted in Xiao Ge''s ability. Xiao Ge did not disappoint, with his operation reaching its limit. He withstood the attacks of the Red Dragon, and as the battle progressed, he became more adept and gradually mastered the rhythm.


    By now, the Red Dragon''s health points had dropped to less than ten thousand. Xiao Buli suddenly noticed that the Red Dragon''s ferocious expression had softened, the pressure on Xiao Ge slowed, and during breaks in the fight, it kept glancing towards the volcanic crater.


    Although the Dragon Clan was known for its pride, the current situation suggested that Red Night was no longer able to turn the tide. The fervent look in Red Night''s eyes as it glanced towards the back of the crater puzzled Xiao Buli. It almost looked like someone scared, wanting to run back home.


    Suddenly, the situation on the field changed dramatically. Red Night forced Xiao Ge back with a fierce sword strike, then suddenly turned around and ran towards the direction of the volcanic crater. This was too unexpected.


    From a distance, Xiao Buli felt a sense of alarm, thinking that this creature was attempting to flee¡ªan unprecedented situation in a BOSS battle. However, considering the peculiarities of this game, such a bizarre occurrence was not entirely unimaginable.


    Therefore, Xiao Buli hardly hesitated for half a second before he shot up instantly, charging toward Red Night like lightning. The Cloud Thunder Leap he employed was a special Dharma Method Xiao Buli had painstakingly devised. Originally, Cloud Thunder Leap involved soaring to the sky and then diving down, but after experimentation and contemplation, Xiao Buli not only adapted Cloud Thunder Leap into his usual flying technique but also developed multiple ways to use it. At this moment, he was like a cannonball leaving its chamber, moving parallel to the ground at low altitude. Utilizing the ultra-fast speed of Cloud Thunder Leap''s descending movement, he instantly collided with the Red Dragon, and all the players felt as if thunder had exploded by their ears. Xiao Buli had sent Red Night flying dozens of meters away, and a loss of -1030 health points floated above Red Night''s head.


    Moreover, with this single move from Xiao Buli, Red Night was knocked back into its original form, no longer in the five-meter-tall Dragonkin shape.


    Seeing the opportunity, everyone rushed over like bloodthirsty piranhas, unleashing their targeted abilities at once. It seemed that Red Night had been struck to its core, lying on the ground motionless. Xiao Buli saw his chance, stood up, and continuously unleashed abilities on Red Night.


    Forty people ganging up on one who lay there looked rather pitiable, but at that moment, everyone was seeing red, each one eager to finish it off without a second thought.


    In the blink of an eye, Red Night was left with just over two thousand health points, and just then, Red Night suddenly rose with a roar, transforming into the imposing image of a Red Dragon that majestically shook its head and swung its tail to ascend into the sky. Everyone was taken aback, wondering if the Red Dragon still had an ace up its sleeve. Damn, this isn''t how you''re supposed to play the game.


    Red Night soared into the sky and spat a Dragon Breath at everyone below. Giant Fireballs careened wildly, and those hit by them, despite having Fire Resistance, suffered hundreds of health points in damage¡ªa couple more hits, and wouldn''t they be dead?


    No one dared to linger in battle, scattering frantically to evade.


    Seeing its chance, the Red Dragon turned its Dragon Head and made for the volcano''s mouth to escape. However, compared to Xiao Buli''s lightning-fast actions when he first lured the beast, the Red Dragon''s movements were now as sluggish as an 80-year-old elder.


    Xiao Buli, too, was unable to dodge in time. The Red Dragon''s last strike had clearly exhausted all its strength, and although Xiao Buli had high Fire Resistance, being hit by the Fireball still caused his health points to drop by hundreds, showing that by now the Fireball had become immune to Fire Resistance.


    Yet even so, Xiao Buli''s peripheral vision caught the Red Dragon''s movement. How could he accept all the day''s efforts going to waste?


    Just then, a Giant Fireball rolled straight at Xiao Buli. At the last fraction of a second, the lava barrier in his hand transformed into a tall wall that shielded him.


    Having caught his breath, he beckoned forth the Lava Giant Jiao. This was not with the hope of killing the Red Dragon, but rather the fear that it might escape during this chance. The Giant Jiao had fully recovered within the Sealed Space, and once it appeared, it charged at the Red Dragon with great momentum, blocking its path. Foes upon sight become exceptionally vengeful. The Red Dragon, facing its enemy, swung its tail in a Divine Dragon Tail Swing towards the Giant Jiao, but now it was at the end of its rope, with both its speed and power seriously diminished compared to its peak. The Jiao easily dodged and relentlessly clawed at the Red Dragon''s body. After just two strikes, the Red Dragon let out a pitiful scream, its head drooping limply, its body collapsing without strength, and its massive form fell to the ground with a resounding crash, kicking up clouds of dust.


    The once invincible Red Dragon, Red Night, perished just like that.


    The Giant Jiao, too, seemed stunned by the easy victory for a moment, but being a beast, after less than a second, it began to twist and turn with its head and tail in mid-air as if showing off its triumph, roaring loudly.


    The players below were busy dodging Fireballs when suddenly, tranquility took the field. With the death of the Red Dragon, the Fireballs disappeared without a trace, and a tremendous roar rang by their ears, the ground trembling beneath their feet. When they turned around, the Red Dragon''s enormous body lay sprawled on the ground, while Xiao Buli''s pet Giant Jiao circled and roared triumphantly above.


    For a moment, stunned silence greeted their victory, but after a few seconds, the crowd erupted into cheers.


    "Holy crap, we''ve killed a True Dragon!" As if that person never considered the Little Red Dragon to be an actual dragon.


    "Time to slay Long Jianguo!"


    "Victory is ours!" Various shouts of exultation followed, filling up the screen.


    Xiao Buli put away the barrier, and walked slowly toward the dragon''s body with a smile under the expectant gazes of the crowd. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

 Chapter 517 - 15 The Rise of the Qingyang Empire

    Indeed worthy of a boss-level Dragon Clan member, Red Night''s loot was many times richer than the Little Red Dragon we encountered before, even dropping two pieces of Dark Gold-level equipment. Besides the Dragon Head and the Dragon Ball that Xiao Buli kept, all the other items were auctioned off on the spot.


    He Suoju was now in high spirits because he hadn''t bid on the loot from the Little Red Dragon, so now his points were far ahead of the others, allowing him to easily win a piece of Dark Gold-level weaponry. The person who regretfully won a green-named equipment earlier was jumping up and down in frustration.


    Thanks to the generous loot, most people present got the equipment they desired. Even those who missed out on the auctioned equipment could still go for the gear distributed from the earlier Dragon Hunting, because Xiao Buli had said it would all be auctioned. So, players who liked the Fire Resistance Equipment and had fewer points were attentive. Once the loot auction was complete, they managed to win this equipment with very few points. Almost everyone got something, with each person acquiring at least one piece, leaving everyone beaming with joy.


    Xiao Buli, however, didn''t participate in the auction. With the information provided by the GM''s scepter and a team that worked smoothly together, Dark Gold-level equipment was no longer an inaccessible dream for him, something he could obtain slowly over time.


    Xiao Buli instructed Han Wenhuan and Gu Shaobang to handle these post-event tasks while he found a secluded spot. Carrying the Dragon Head and wielding the GM''s scepter, he headed straight for the Dragon Pillar in Zhongzhou City.


    After completing the hardest part of the nation-building, the subsequent procedures turned out to be much easier than Xiao Buli had imagined.


    With a whoosh, Xiao Buli appeared not far outside of Zhongzhou City. After killing several Minor Monsters that saw him, he entered the city and approached the Dragon Pillar.


    After a formal dialogue with the Guardian of the Dragon Pillar and following the prompts, he submitted the Dragon Head. The Guardian then took the Dragon Head and went inside.


    Before long, that huge and fierce Dragon Head was suspended high above the Dragon Pillar, and suddenly a system notification rang in his ear.


    System Notification: Successfully submitted the Dragon Head. You have been granted the authority to establish a country. Please name your country.


    Is it really that simple? Is the country considered successfully established just like that? Xiao Buli was slightly surprised. It was indeed easy to establish a country, much to his astonishment, considering the bureaucracy and paperwork he was used to in real life. He remembered helping a friend obtain a company license, facing an endless stream of procedures one day after another and never being told all the requirements at once. That experience had frustrated him for over half a month, nearly leading to a confrontation with the clerk.


    If only real life could be as streamlined and convenient as game programming, how great would that be? But he also knew these thoughts were just wishful thinking.


    Without doubt, the country''s name would naturally be Qingyang Empire. This name had been carried over by their Guild, after all, Qingyang Studio had been involved in many games which made the name a good promotional tool. If players in Jiuzhou Domination heard of this name, perhaps Qingyang''s well-established reputation might attract them.


    Xiao Buli, hands making a shade over his eyes, looked up at the Dragon Pillar with nine pillars lined up, each likely representing an attribute of the Dragon Clan. It was already adorned with many ornaments.


    Because Xiao Buli submitted the head of an Elite Red Dragon, it was placed at a higher position on the Dragon Pillar. Flanking his Dragon Head were two others, each hanging on its respective pillar. Further down, one or two smaller Dragon Heads adorned each pillar, about thirteen or fourteen in total, which seemed to be from ordinary dragons. If he had submitted the head of the Little Red Dragon he had hunted earlier, it would probably have been placed there.


    The other two Dragon Heads alongside the one he submitted were a Gold Dragon and an Azure Dragon. Xiao Buli wasn''t quite clear about their attributes since he mainly researched the Fire Element Dragon Clan, paying little attention to the others.


    Underneath the dragon''s head was a plaque with the country''s name. Beneath the Golden Dragon Head hung a plaque for Qilin Hall, and beneath the Azure Dragon Head, one read Awesome Empire. He was familiar with these two countries, as he''d had interactions with them before. Considering the strength of these two countries, Xiao Buli planned to talk to them next to see if they could resolve matters without resorting to violence. Although his plan was to unify the continent, his strategy was not solely reliant on brute force¡ªif it were, there would be no end to the violence.


    For smaller nations, Xiao Buli planned to conquer a few to warn the others and persuade them to align with him. As for the major powers, he intended to form strategic alliances and convince them with a combination of emotion and reason. As long as they accepted his leadership, there would be no other losses. However, Xiao Buli was not very optimistic about this¡ªafter all, they were dominant powers in their regions, and it might not be that simple. But he had a backup plan: to pledge allegiance to one of them. By merging two forces, the third would be much easier to handle. Either way, once someone unified the continent, the system would reset the game, so the means didn''t matter as much as the end goal.


    Xiao Buli studied the three Dragon Heads for a while, then took note of the names of the smaller nations below.


    He reflected that although obtaining the Dragon Head may have involved some trickery, at least in terms of presence, his country was not inferior to the other two powers.


    "So these three nations are currently the highest-level ones?" he casually chatted with the Guardian who had come out.


    The Guardian of the Dragon Pillar shook his head and pointed toward the sky with his hand.


    Xiao Buli was puzzled. What did that mean? At the same time, he looked up, and what he saw startled him.


    Because Xiao Buli was standing close to the Dragon Pillar, it was a case of "too close to see." Although he had looked up for a long time, his gaze had been fixed around the Dragon Head he stood under, never really looking further up. Now, following the Guardian''s hint, he craned his neck back to nearly a 90-degree angle, and that''s when he clearly saw at the very top of the tall Dragon Pillar, a gigantic head was hanging¡ªabout five or six times the size of their Red Dragon Head.


    The Dragon Head was so immense that it couldn''t hang from the pillar and had to be inserted at the very top. It was the ferocious head of a Black Dragon, and although its eyes were forever closed, it still gave off a bone-chilling vibe to anyone who saw it.


    Looking further down the Dragon Head, he saw four big characters on a plaque: Ancestral Dragon Empire.


    The Ancestral Dragon had formed an empire? Xiao Buli was startled by the sight and even more so by the size of the Dragon Head they had submitted!


    "What rank is that largest Dragon Head?" Xiao Buli suppressed his surprise and asked the Guardian.


    The Guardian of the Dragon Pillar explained, "They submitted the Dragon Head of an Ancient Black Dragon, of the Dark Gold grade."


    A Dark Gold Ancient Black Dragon had been taken down? Just how powerful was the Ancestral Dragon? Xiao Buli, who had been full of confidence, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No, that wasn''t right. Xiao Buli quickly came to a realization. That Black Dragon was unlikely killed by the Ancestral Dragon through sheer strength. Even though they had already sent a large force into the game, hunting a dragon wasn''t something that could be accomplished by sheer numbers. It required a team of experts. Otherwise, much like himself, who had made ample preparations, it was improbable for them to kill a dragon of that level in such a short time without the System facilitating it in some way.


    Through his recent discoveries, Xiao Buli could imagine the relationship between the System and the Ancestral Dragon. Not to mention other aspects, just the fact that their leader, General Huo, had died thirty years ago was already unexplainable. The projections of General Huo that continued to appear within the Ancestral Dragon, whether they were the remnants of General Huo''s entry into the game or had merged with his Heart Demon, or perhaps they were merely a false projection employed by the System in its scheme of invasion, any of these possibilities indicated a complex relationship between the Ancestral Dragon and the game.


    However, there was one thing that perplexed Xiao Buli. If uniting the continent was a condition reset by the System, then why did it help the Ancestral Dragon establish such a powerful empire?


    The System didn''t want a unified human kingdom, did it?


    That''s it¡ªXiao Buli understood the System''s logic with his many years of experience. The System allowed the Ancestral Dragon to become a dominator-level state not to unite the continent but to prevent other nations from uniting it.


    With an absolute power like the Ancestral Dragon there as a barrier, it was undoubtedly an obstacle for any nation trying to unite the continent. As long as other nations existed, should the Ancestral Dragon maintain a stance of neither expanding nor invading, this multination stalemate would continue indefinitely, effectively preventing any possibility of continental unity.


    What to do now? Although Xiao Buli was experienced in establishing empires within games, he had only ever faced gaming guilds or rich second-generation players powered by real money. Even so, his guild had its setbacks, and he couldn''t forget the transfer of his guild in "Jiuzhou Domination," feeling a tightness in his chest even after all this time.


    Now, he was up against a powerful secret organization backed by the System, and even with his GM Scepter, the odds seemed slim.


    But no matter how difficult the task, it still had to be completed. Xiao Buli always enjoyed challenging difficulties, so he quickly weighed the situation and integrated a battle strategy in his mind. Looking up at the Dragon Head atop the pillar, Xiao Buli resolved inwardly.


    "Can''t delay any longer, I must start recruiting soldiers and buying horses immediately. In this war, I must come out victorious."


    With that thought, Xiao Buli didn''t look back and left the Dragon Pillar. He found a secluded spot and used the GM Scepter to teleport away. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 518 - 16 Xuan Zhenzis Invitation

    ```


    Boom! The catapult hurled a massive stone block onto the city gate, kicking up a cloud of dust. The wooden and iron-clad gate, though it appeared sturdy, couldn''t help but shake violently under such impact. Fresh cracks were revealed where the stone had landed, and it was clear that if this continued, the gate wouldn''t last much longer. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This ancient city had not been attacked in a very long time, so all the NPC soldiers were struggling to adapt to such an aggressive siege pace. As the city gate suffered significant damage, countless soldiers from outside the city began advancing toward the city walls in orderly steps, shouting slogans as they marched. The voices of thousands chanting in unison were truly soul-shaking.


    The NPC soldiers, who were the city defenders, immediately called out loudly for the archers to step forward and prepare, waiting only for the attackers to come within range.


    Behind the city gate and atop the walls, rows of NPC soldiers were ready for battle, looking serious but clearly lacking morale. This was no surprise since they were up against the Qingyang Empire, which had risen swiftly on the continent in just a few months.


    Speaking of the Qingyang Empire, it was a name well-known to everyone in the game of Miracle, as it had become a hot topic recently.


    Initially, people only knew of a group that had miraculously slain a Fire Element Giant Dragon, a feat on par with what had been achieved by Qilin Hall and the Awesome Empire for years. They promptly posted recruitment ads, attracting players who were either ostracized by these two empires or had previous grievances with them, as this was another power capable of standing against them.


    After that, various rumors about the Qingyang Empire began to circulate in the mortal world, each more astonishing than the last. They claimed that the emperor owned a Black Dragon pet, that they had a top-notch intelligence network intimating the appearance of dungeon entrances, and even possessed detailed information about the BOSS''s skill attributes. They would prepare specifically for each event, leading to the miraculous result of clearing dungeons without casualties. This struck directly at the G-spot of the game, where everyone sought top-level gear while fearing death.


    Then, a group of players equipped with Divine Gear started to serve as walking advertisements for Qingyang. It was said that their gear was mostly of Dark Gold quality. Dark Gold! In this game, having just one or two pieces of Dark Gold equipment was enough to make you check the fortune calendar before stepping out, fearing being killed and looted.


    Yet, these nouveau riche flaunted full sets of Dark Gold gear, almost as if they feared others wouldn''t know about it. Under such a massive lure, many players who had been undecided were now tempted, and quickly Qingyang''s strength surged.


    After establishing its initial power, Qingyang wasted no time in embarking on conquest, swiftly annexing two neighboring states of moderate strength. However, they didn''t obliterate them but instead recruited their militaries. The people of these two countries, which were hardly living above subsistence levels, found themselves rapidly advancing towards prosperity. Not only did this prevent any resistance, but it also made everyone quite content, resulting in one of the most harmonious invasions in history.


    This also indirectly demonstrated the Qingyang Empire''s strength. After recruiting soldiers and buying horses, a formidable force was established, but Qingyang Empire was unlike typical nations as it was not content with the status quo. It immediately began expanding its territory. It''s not uncommon in real life for emperors to want to extend their dominions worldwide across all eras.


    But this is a game, where players risk their lives, so most people, upon getting their own piece of land, opt to stay home honestly. Until now, everyone had been peacefully coexisting, but the emergence of Qingyang disrupted this situation. Therefore, people speculated that Qingyang''s leader must be a warmonger.


    A war-like leader with the audacity to have a dragon as a pet.


    The battle on the field was still heating up. At this moment, some players who had been watching from the roadside for a long time exchanged knowing glances and made their way in groups of twos and threes up the steps to the city walls.


    It took a lot of courage to head up to the walls at such a critical time since the defending NPC soldiers were likely to treat any unfamiliar face as an enemy attempting to breach the city.


    However, these players were different. Having spent half a month completing quests near this city and grinding for Prestige, their presence didn''t trigger any alarm from the soldiers atop the walls. Some even mistook them for volunteers coming to assist with the defense and greeted them warmly.


    These players climbed to the top of the city walls, and one of them looked down through the battlement''s embrasure. He saw the Qingyang Empire''s vast army stretching as far as the eye could see; even through a computer screen, the view was startling. And with the game''s excellent graphics, it truly felt like stepping onto an ancient battlefield.


    Above the city walls, archers continuously shot down at the invading forces, who, bearing standard-issue shields and advancing under a volley of Arrows, kept pushing forward. In the distance, siege engines and Stone-throwing Carts were lined up, relentlessly launching projectiles. Even though there was no explosion, the projectiles hit several NPC soldiers due to their close formation on the walls, accompanied by a series of chilling screams nearby.


    ```

 Chapter 519 - 16 Xuan Zhenzis Invitation_2

    Among these siege weapons, a considerable number were primarily targeting the city gates. The battering rams and stone-throwing carts took turns firing, setting their intervals at approximately a dozen seconds. It seemed they hoped to have the gates smoothly opened by the time the army reached the base of the city walls.


    Despite having seen such scenes more than once, the experience of being in the midst of it still made one''s blood surge with excitement, causing the two men to take a deep breath involuntarily.


    "Our boss is really awesome," he whispered.


    The muscular warrior player beside him revealed a knowing smile. It wasn''t their first time carrying out a espionage mission, so they were quite cautious. After having their fill of the spectacle of the siege, the two began to wander aimlessly atop the city walls. Seemingly casual, in actuality, the crowd had steadily dispersed evenly. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The "boss" mentioned by those players was currently riding a warhorse, sitting steadily in an open space behind the besieging lineup. Beside him, dozens of black warhorses were lined up, carefully observing the situation on the field.


    Tactics had been deployed before the battle. In ancient times, it was very difficult to truly command within the massive armies because the most challenging aspect was the exchange of intelligence once the battle unfolded. However, fortunately, they were playing a game now, where a UT software could easily overcome the dilemmas that the ancients could not solve.


    At that moment, the engineering team made a breakthrough. After their relentless efforts, a breach had finally been blown open in the city gates. Although it didn''t look very big from a distance, experience told them it was enough.


    "Espionage troops, pay attention, the gate is open, act immediately," Han Wenhuan''s excited voice shouted through the UT channel.


    A howl~~ A cheer came through the players who had been standing atop the battlements for a while promptly drew their weapons and fiercely slashed at the archers defending beside them.


    These archers were initially unaware, focusing intently on shooting towards the frontline. Suddenly, bloodied bodies lay before them, and with a loud cry, chaos ensued on the city walls. Because the archers'' hand-to-hand combat was not strong, they desperately tried to flee. Soldiers below the walls, seeing the confusion above, immediately rushed to help. But those below couldn''t get up, and those above couldn''t get down, completely trapped in place, plunging the entire defending force into disarray.


    Without the hindrance of arrow rains, the NPC soldiers below put down their heavy shields and increased the speed of their advance.


    Wen Huan, who was commanding at the front, didn''t hesitate at all. With a wave of the command flag, an elite NPC troop in light armor advanced quickly and swarmed into the gate, instantly colliding with the defending army within the city.


    Wen Huan, watching the battle before him, felt elated, a constant smile on his face. He relished the current feeling, commanding thousands of troops to attack and conquer cities¡ªan experience he could only dream of before. Although other games had city warfare systems, none were as lifelike as this one.


    While contemplating, he waved the command flag again, and dozens of ladder carts were pushed toward the city walls. The ladders on these carts were exceptionally wide, forming ramp-like pathways; as long as they were near the walls, soldiers could charge directly onto the ramparts.


    The defense on the city walls was already in chaos, powerless to oppose the ladders.


    Xiao Buli, mounted on his horse, watched the battlefield before him, his heart thrilling with excitement. Perhaps he was the only one on the battlefield who could feel this so vividly¡ªas if he had traveled back to ancient times. Cold weapon combat was indeed invigorating.


    However, all this was thanks to the GM''s scepter. With the game data it provided, along with his years of gaming experience and understanding, he was able not only to establish Qingyang Empire as a vast empire in just a couple of months, recruiting hundreds of players and amassing tens of thousands of NPC soldiers, but also to continuously grind for experience and Prestige. By now, Qingyang Empire had established its rule over approximately one-tenth of the mainland''s southwest territory, though this was limited to the human world. As for the dungeons hidden within those territories, god knows what kind of monsters were lurking within.


    Although these NPC soldiers were not as combat capable as the players, their numbers were vast, and they were fearless, so they became the focus of fire in every battle, taking on most of the fighting duties. The rapid rise of Qingyang Empire owed much to these NPC soldiers.


    Under Wen Huan''s command, the combat effectiveness of these NPC soldiers was maximized.


    "This city has fallen!" Wen Huan confidently declared, seeing more and more soldiers overwhelm the ramparts.


    Of course, the rapid development of Qingyang Empire also had much to do with the joining of numerous solo players. Attracting so many solo players was partly due to the very powerful capability of pioneering dungeons. It was widely rumored that Qingyang had a high-quality intelligence corps, but in fact, this was a false lead deliberately released by Xiao Buli.


    Otherwise, how could he explain the game data obtained from the GM''s scepter?


    By now, Buli seldom led teams himself. Those who had joined Qingyang Guild and participated in the dragon-slaying campaign had become leaders, big and small. Buli would schedule dungeons suitable for each team''s strength daily and develop battle plans. The old saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself, and you will be victorious in every battle; this strategy of playing the game with a guide could not be compared to the previous blind approach.

 Chapter 520 - 16 Xuan Zhenzis Invitation_3

    ```


    So sometimes, teams with smooth movements and good collaboration can clear two dungeons in a day with time to spare, and they''d still say they''ve wasted too much time on the road.


    Moreover, Xiao Buli never skimped on equipment. As long as one fought bravely against the enemy and accrued enough DKP, everyone had a chance to get good equipment. Players continually updated and replaced their gear and skills. Now, the high-ranking members of the guild were adorned with gold and silver quality equipment. Even the newly joined players could mix in a set of blue gear, and the lucky ones might even get one or two pieces of gold or silver equipment. Such treatment was not much worse than the main members of other Great Guilds, and it was certainly much better than that of the common members.


    In this way, the reputation of the Qingyang Empire spread among the players. When it came to the Qingyang Empire, two things were certain. First, everyone could raid dungeons. Second, as long as you obeyed, raiding dungeons wouldn''t kill you. Such slogans were probably something no other organization would dare to declare, but Qingyang did. Therefore, players who had not found success in other guilds or nations began to shift their allegiance quietly.


    An hour later...


    Xiao Buli, surrounded by the high-ranking members of the Qingyang Empire, entered the City Lord''s Hall of this city. Although it couldn''t compare to larger cities like Nine Dragons City, the City Lord''s Hall was nevertheless fully functional. After gaining city lord privileges, Xiao Buli raised the flag of the Qingyang Empire, and the city was successfully incorporated into the territory of the Qingyang Empire.


    Although the Qingyang Empire had only been established for just over two months, it already owned seven or eight cities. However, Xiao Buli was still not satisfied with this pace. At the current rate of expansion, it would take about one or two years to conquer the entire continent, and that was assuming the Ancestral Dragon didn''t cause any trouble.


    The Ancestral Dragon''s power was also expanding steadily. Recent investigations by Xiao Buli showed that the Ancestral Dragon had at least taken control of half of the continent''s territory. Given their strength, this was not surprising, and their reputation was not as legendary among the players as Qingyang, the dark horse. They were known more for their mystery and dominance. However, Xiao Buli knew that in the end, he would have to fight the Ancestral Dragon, so what he needed most was strength.


    Without taking measures, given the current pace of expansion, Qingyang Empire would soon come into contact with the territories controlled by the Ancestral Dragon. If they didn''t quickly find a shortcut, it would be like an ant trying to shake a tree when the time came.


    However, Xiao Buli approached the map of the mainland and stared at the undulating mountains on it.


    Battling for supremacy in the game world was something he and the Qingyang Guild members were very experienced in. Despite the current situation not being very optimistic, confidence filled Xiao Buli''s heart. Because things were always full of variables, and he had always had a perfect and detailed plan in mind, now he just needed a catalyst, which was the biggest variable in the current situation.


    While Xiao Buli was deep in thought, Du Yibo came clomping in from outside. His steps were hurried, but upon approaching Xiao Buli, he suddenly halted with a strange look on his face. After thinking it over, he spoke, "Boss, someone''s looking for you."


    "Oh, who is it?" As a leader of tens of thousands, it was common for Xiao Buli to be sought out. What he found odd was the strange expression on Du Yibo''s face.


    "You''ll never guess who it is." Hearing Xiao Buli''s question, Du Yibo''s face showed absolute certainty, and it seemed his earlier strangeness was all due to the identity of this person.


    If not for such a claim, Xiao Buli might not have thought of it. But seeing the assured expression on Du Yibo''s face, Xiao Buli suddenly understood with a knowing smile, thinking to himself that the catalyst had finally arrived.


    Seeing Xiao Buli smile without speaking and walk outside, Du Yibo felt puzzled and hurried after him.


    "Long time no see," Xiao Buli said loudly as he stepped out of the hall and faced the graceful figure before him.


    The woman turned around, a cold expression on her face with a reluctant smile forming.


    "Indeed, I thought you would have died trapped in that base," she said.


    Upon her mention of the base, Xiao Buli''s smile immediately froze. "Right, speaking of that, I''m quite surprised that you dare to come see me."


    The woman in front of him was none other than Qin Shimoon, who had previously tricked him into entering the base. She hadn''t played this game before and had sworn to Xiao Buli that she would have nothing to do with it, yet today it seemed she had entered the game. Her in-game avatar was strikingly similar to her real self, unchanged from his memories from months ago.


    Hearing Xiao Buli''s stern response, an emoji of a laughing face appeared above Qin Shimoon''s head, "Oh, please, you should know I had no choice back then, and since you''ve duped me once, I think we''re even."


    "You''ve become much more open than before; at least you know how to use a laughing emoji now," Xiao Buli said sarcastically. In reality, he had long since stopped caring about being trapped in the base, especially after Xuan Zhenzi had revealed the truth to him. Besides, with his current strength, leaving that base would be effortless. People usually don''t concern themselves with matters that no longer affect them.


    "What brings you here?" Xiao Buli actually had an inkling. Xuan Zhenzi had set Qin Shimoon as a pawn in the same way he had been used initially. The challenge he faced was probably not just the Heart Demon. It was likely that he was very interested in the truth behind General Huo and the Ancestral Dragon.


    ```


    S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 521 - 16 Xuan Zhenzis Invitation_4

    Although he didn''t know the true nature of the game or what to do, with Xuan Zhenzi''s years of experience in the game, it was impossible for him to be completely clueless. Therefore, if anyone could truly offer him assistance in this game, it had to be none other than Xuan Zhenzi.


    Even though he was just an okay Taoist priest with decent power in the game, outside of it, those old fellows who had entered the game with him had now grown into formidable characters.


    Indeed, when Qin Shimoon heard Xiao Buli''s question, he immediately responded candidly, "Xuan Zhenzi has already gathered a few of his old friends, who just so happen to possess a certain amount of strength in the game. I believe our common enemy is none other than Ancestral Dragon. Although you now seem to have a stronghold of your own, to take on a behemoth like Ancestral Dragon, we must join forces to have a chance of success. That''s why he asked me to find you and invite you to a meeting."


    Xiao Buli nodded, "Let me guess, among these old friends, there surely is the president of Qilin Hall, Luo Sen, I''m not wrong, am I?"


    Hearing Xiao Buli directly mention the president of Qilin Hall, Qin Shimoon was taken aback and nodded, "That''s right, you''re quite smart."


    Xiao Buli rolled his eyes, "After being tricked so many times, if I still couldn''t guess something, it would mean I''ve been a terrible leader. So, the second person must be the president of the Awesome Empire, which, if I''m not mistaken, is Lei Zhengang." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qin Shimoon''s expression shifted from surprise to disbelief. If Luo Sen''s name had just made him think Xiao Buli was somewhat clever, now he was astounded that Xiao Buli had ever been deceived by him, "You know this too?"


    Laughing, Xiao Buli said, "It''s a guess. Don''t you think the name Lei Zhengang and Awesome Empire fit together in style?"


    Xiao Buli naturally couldn''t have guessed it; after hearing the story of Xuan Zhenzi from thirty years ago, Xiao Buli had made predictions. Given that Qilin Hall, the company he previously served, had a client that could enter the game, it was very likely that the Awesome Empire, as one of the organizations with a strong force in the game, also possessed a client. This meant their leader must also be one of those people. Besides those who entered the game with Liu Xuanzhen, Luo Sen was the mastermind behind Qilin Hall, and since he had already met Liu Xuanzhen, that left only Wang Wenbin and Lei Zhengang. Since Wang Wenbin was a scholar and unlikely to choose such a ''domineering'' name, it could only fit Lei Zhengang, who had a bandit background.


    Seeing Xiao Buli playing dumb and saying nothing, Qin Shimoon naturally wouldn''t ruin the fun by probing deeply. His look of surprise soon returned to normal, "Alright, you''ve guessed correctly. So, will you attend or not? There will also be other nations participating in the meeting."


    "Of course, how could I miss such an event?" Moreover, I plan to make it my own grand occasion, Xiao Buli thought to himself.


    Qin Shimoon was relieved to see Xiao Buli agree, "Then I shall eagerly await your esteemed presence at that time."


    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 522 - 17: The Gathering of Heroes

    "Haha, Old Liu, it''s been a long time." A hearty burst of laughter came from outside the meeting room, followed by the sight of a robust old man striding in.


    The meeting was held in an underground meeting room in Zhongzhou City, where about eight or nine people were already seated, with more arriving intermittently. However, everyone kept a low profile, found an empty seat upon entering, and began to observe those around them¡ªexcept for this elder, who seemed to fear nobody knew of his arrival.


    The newcomer was none other than Lei Zhengang, the renowned president of the Awesome Empire. Despite being in his seventies or eighties, he showed no signs of frailty apart from his slightly graying hair. His body was as strong as a bull, thanks to the power bestowed on him in the gaming world.


    Upon entering, he headed straight for the main seat where Xuan Zhenzi was located. Xuan Zhenzi appeared to be in his twenties, with a recreated body, refined features, and the handsome look of a young heartthrob.


    Lei Zhengang paused for a moment, "My, you''ve really become younger. Hahaha!" He laughed out loud. Although he behaved as if they were old friends, Xuan Zhenzi didn''t seem overly enthusiastic, smiling as he gestured to a seat nearby the head of the table and softly said, "Old friend, please have a seat."


    Lei Zhengang ran into a response that was neither too soft nor too hard, but didn''t seem too annoyed. He strode over and plopped down into the chair.


    Lei Zhengang followed the warrior path in the game, with his advanced profession being a Warlord, a role not suited for solo combat. However, having played long enough to dabble in a hodgepodge of other professions, his strength was still not to be underestimated. His domineering entrance caught the attention of the leaders of a few smaller countries waiting in the meeting room. Their eyes followed him until he took his seat, scanning the faces in the room. Some who had past dealings with the Awesome Empire offered nods and smiles as greetings.


    Over the years, Xuan Zhenzi, though split into several avatars and preoccupied with the issue of reuniting them, had not been idle. Using his knowledge of game secrets and years of experience, he continuously cultivated his connections. The attendees present each had some sort of relationship with him, which is why Xuan Zhenzi was confident in organizing these leaders to come together.


    On one hand, they remembered the help and favors Xuan Zhenzi had provided in the past; on the other, with Ancestral Dragon and Qingyang constantly expanding their power, everyone felt uneasy, making this gathering a potential opportunity for forming new alliances.


    After Lei Zhengang sat down and swept his gaze over everyone, he saw no one of particular interest and turned his attention back to Xuan Zhenzi to continue their casual chat.


    "How long has it been since we''ve seen each other? Who would''ve thought you''d grow younger with time?" Lei Zhengang boomed, his commanding presence the result of his long-standing leadership and inherent rogue demeanor. Yet Xuan Zhenzi seemed unphased, responding with a calm smile, "Indeed, it''s been a long time. It must be over thirty years now."


    "Isn''t it? After escaping that damned place, I swore I''d never play this silly game again. Yet here we are, meeting again inside it." Lei Zhengang seemed to have completely forgotten about abandoning everyone''s plan and running off on his own years ago. But since the rest of the attendees were unaware of this, they assumed the two shared a deep and longstanding friendship.


    "By the way, where are the others? I saw Bi Huaxuan in the game after he became an NPC, but what about Luo Sen? I heard that guy didn''t join you in the game. He didn''t die, did he? Haha."


    "You wouldn''t die, and neither would I. Can''t you clean up your mouth, you old bandit?" Before Xuan Zhenzi could reply, an old but sonorous voice suddenly came from outside. Xuan Zhenzi instantly smiled broadly when he heard it and looked up towards the door.


    Lei Zhengang heard it too and turned around. With everyone''s eyes on him, an energetic and white-haired elderly man with a kind smile walked in. He exuded the grace of a classic gentleman from his attire to his demeanor. This was the Luo Sen, the president of Qilin Hall, mentioned by Lei Zhengang, but he hadn''t come alone. A group from Qilin Hall followed in two neat rows, reminiscent of Gatsby on an opulent outing.


    Seeing Luo Sen enter, Lei Zhengang let out a hearty laugh, "Speak of the devil, Old Luo. Look at you, almost eighty if a day. Although you''re not dead, you''re not far off."


    Luo Sen gave Lei Zhengang a sidelong glance, seeming uninterested in engaging with him, and instead gave a slight bow to Xuan Zhenzi seated prominently: "I never thought we''d have the chance to meet again in our lifetimes." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With his face turning red, Lei Zhengang didn''t take it too hard. By then, others had realized that both Xuan Zhenzi and Luo Sen weren''t too fond of him, leading them to wonder about the trio''s relationship.

 Chapter 523 - 17: The Gathering of Heroes_2

    Luo Sen exchanged pleasantries for a bit, nodded greetings to some Guild leaders he often interacted with, and then found a seat towards the back to sit down. Luo Sen was naturally cautious and didn''t seek the limelight like Lei Zhengang. As one of the three major powers, he actually chose a seat even further back than some minor Guild leaders. However, he preferred this position, where he could get a feel for the entire situation. Glancing around, he silently matched up the attendees with their respective Guilds. Hmm, aside from the Qingyang and the Ancestral Dragon, it looked like all the other powers had already arrived. Considering the recent situation in the game, even though the meeting''s theme wasn''t specified, it wasn''t hard to imagine. Looking at the people present, there was indeed a sense of the coalition of the eighteen warlords against Dong Zhuo.


    However, if they really were to struggle against these two great powers, they had to consider security issues. With this in mind, Luo Sen asked, "Old Liu, is this place safe?"


    Before Xuan Zhenzi could reply, Lei Zhengang hastily took the opportunity to say, "Old Luo, speaking of safety, you''re probably the safest one here. Look at the large group of people you''ve brought with you. I''d wager they could take down a city with you right now, and you''re worried about safety?"


    It was a joke. The individuals Luo Sen brought along seemed to be the heads from Qilin Hall; their dazzling equipment was enough to blind the attendees. Some Guild leaders present, whose strength was slightly inferior, didn''t even have gear as fancy as theirs.


    Luo Sen heard this and didn''t show any displeasure; instead, he had an expression of ''I''m the local tyrant, so what''.


    After Lei Zhengang finished speaking, Xuan Zhenzi then said, "Rest assured, this place is absolutely secure. I''ve cast a magical barrier here several days ago. The only way to enter the meeting room is through the entrance you all came in. There are experts guarding the door, and no transportation spells, including the Invisibility Technique and other spells, will work within this room, so there''s no need for worry."


    Upon hearing Xuan Zhenzi''s assurance, everyone visibly relaxed and Luo Sen nodded in satisfaction.


    However, the attendees didn''t know that on Xuan Zhenzi''s attendance list, there was still one person who hadn''t arrived. Xuan Zhenzi noticed this but did not mention it, fearing it would cause panic. So, after waiting for a while and assuming the person decided not to come, Xuan Zhenzi announced, "Let''s officially start then."


    "I believe you all know why I''ve gathered you here today," Xuan Zhenzi''s voice wasn''t loud, but everyone in the room could hear him clearly, "Recently the game hasn''t been very peaceful. Ancestral Dragon has been abusing its strength to attack small nations everywhere. I presume many of you have already clashed with Ancestral Dragon, yes? Moreover, to my knowledge, several small nations established by Solo Players have been defeated and absorbed. If we let this go on, before long, the power of the Ancestral Dragon will become something none of us can handle. Instead of fostering a potential threat, it is better to eliminate it as soon as possible. That''s why I''ve called everyone here today, to discuss a plan to deal with Ancestral Dragon."


    "Not just Ancestral Dragon, right?" A Guild leader from a small nation suddenly said aloud, interrupting Xuan Zhen''s speech.


    Xuan Zhenzi turned to look at the speaker, who stood up from his chair: "The Qingyang Empire, too, has been excessive. They''ve already conquered a few small nations. My own city was taken by them two days ago, and now I only have two cities left. They''ll probably make their move soon. Instead of worrying about something so far in the future, it''s better if you could worry about me right now." His words also resonated with a few Guild leaders seated nearby, who were closer to Qingyang''s expansion and faced a more immediate threat from Ancestral Dragon.


    "I''m already aware of Qingyang''s issue and have thought of a solution. We''ll discuss it later," Xuan Zhenzi didn''t let the speaker sway the topic and calmed him first. In fact, he had invited Xiao Buli to the meeting for this reason. If everyone could reach a consensus on an alliance during the meeting, then Qingyang would naturally become an ally, and the issue of attacking or not attacking would become moot. But as Xiao Buli was not yet present, Xuan Zhenzi did not want to raise any more complaints, so he refrained from speaking openly.


    Lei Zhengang nodded in agreement, "Right, we have to address the biggest problem we face first. Ancestral Dragon is not only numerous and powerful, but those folks have also got hold of a bunch of guns and artillery. Getting hit with a shell can cause thousands of points of damage, something you can''t block. I had a fight with Ancestral Dragon a few days ago and lost dozens of men. Old Luo, you must have suffered some losses too."


    When Lei Zhengang brought this topic up again, it refocused everyone''s attention back on Ancestral Dragon.


    Luo Sen merely gave a faint smile when he heard Lei Zhengang''s question but said nothing.


    Continuing, Xuan Zhenzi said, "Given Ancestral Dragon''s rate and scale of expansion, it''s clear they want to conquer both big and small territories. If we don''t come together, there won''t be any hope for us. Only by uniting do we stand a chance."


    Unexpectedly, Luo Sen shook his head and said, "I think that even if we join forces, our chances are slim. Ancestral Dragon has immense real-world strength, and gentlemen, did you know they now have Demon Clan soldiers in the game?"


    As soon as Luo Sen spoke, those sitting down were immediately taken aback.


    "Demon Clan?"


    "How could that be possible."


    Although players could join the Demon Clan, no one had ever heard of anyone being able to control the Demon Clan in this game.


    "Old Luo, who told you that?" Lei Zhengang asked.


    "Who told me? My spy saw it with his own eyes." Luo Sen, unlike Lei Zhengang who came from a bandit background, was more of a perfectionist in his approach. As a result, the various functional departments within Qilin Hall had clear-cut responsibilities and executed their tasks with great efficiency.


    "I suspect that the Ancestral Dragon might have made some kind of agreement with the Demon Clan in the game, which means that we would be unable to fight it... either in reality or in the game..." Luo Sen continued, but was suddenly interrupted by Lei Zhengang.


    "Old Luo, that doesn''t sound like you at all. With so many of us working together, we surely have the strength for a fight. We haven''t even fought yet, and you''re already undermining our own morale. That doesn''t seem right."


    Luo Sen didn''t get angry when he heard this, but instead asked seriously, "Oh? You think we can defeat the Ancestral Dragon if we work together?"


    "Of course!" Lei Zhengang almost blurted out without thinking.


    "Alright then, since even you, the brute, think it''s possible, then I will reluctantly lead everyone through this crisis," Luo Sen said.


    "That''s not too bad¡ªpah, who said you get to be the boss?" Lei Zhengang suddenly realized he had been outmaneuvered by someone even more brazen than himself.


    Upon hearing this, Luo Sen sneered and retorted, "If I don''t become the Alliance Hierarch, should someone like you do it? Trusting our fate to a brute like you is not my style."


    "Oh? I''m a brute? Well, I think you''re an old fox. Do you think we''d feel safe following an old fox like you?"


    "Alright, alright." Seeing the situation heading in the wrong direction, Xuan Zhenzi immediately intervened to calm things down.


    The heads of the smaller guilds naturally had no chance to contend against these two powers. With the dispute only having started, they couldn''t tell if these two old men had a grudge from a past life, as they watched the back-and-forth, feeling quite speechless.


    Although neither man was quite willing to concede to the other, they seemed to have no particular prejudice against Xuan Zhenzi. Thus, when Xuan Zhenzi spoke up, they stopped their verbal onslaught.


    Xuan Zhenzi sighed helplessly, "You''re both in your forties. Can you two stop arguing? It doesn''t matter who becomes the Alliance Hierarch. What''s important is that we must stand united."


    "Actually, why do we have to go to war with the Ancestral Dragon at all," a chairman of a small guild timidly said. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at qidian.com with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile phone users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)


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 Chapter 524 - 18 The Alliance to Save the World

    "Everyone seeks profit, after all. If you ask me, it might be better to throw in our lot with the Ancestral Dragon. I''ve heard that some of the players who joined from the small guilds that were previously absorbed have made significant improvements in both equipment and skills," the Guild Leader said, raising his voice a bit as he saw the crowd turning to look at him.


    The crowd looked over to see that it was the Guild Leader of the Iron Blood Brotherhood speaking, and Xuan Zhenzi couldn''t believe there was such a fool among them. He was already thinking about the benefits of surrendering before the fight had even begun, and Xuan Zhenzi couldn''t come up with good words to counter him.


    It was at this moment that a voice suddenly echoed in the hall: "Because the Ancestral Dragon''s purpose is not so simple." The voice sounded distant and prolonged, as if whispering in everyone''s ear, creating confusion about its source while they were looking around.


    Suddenly, a bright white light appeared, flashing brilliantly like the sun within the hall. As the light gradually faded, a figure was revealed, clad in Dark Gold equipment radiating a subdued divine luster, holding a golden scepter, presenting the image of a mysterious figure.


    After Xiao Buli appeared, he glanced at the stunned crowd out of the corner of his eye, noting that his flashy entrance had indeed had a remarkable effect.


    Lei Zhengang was the first to react, looking at Xiao Buli with suspicion, then at Xuan Zhenzi, and exclaimed, "What the hell, where did this guy come from? Didn''t they say teleportation arrays couldn''t be used?" His last question, however, was directed at Xuan Zhenzi.


    Xuan Zhenzi shrugged his shoulders; he was just as perplexed about the situation.


    "It''s not important where I came from," Xiao Buli immediately said loudly, seeing the topic veering off course. "What matters is the purpose of my visit here today. The Ancestral Dragon''s objective is not to dominate the game world. On the contrary, they aim to stop anyone from unifying the game world."


    The crowd was even more bewildered by this revelation. What? The Ancestral Dragon, which had been incessantly attacking smaller nations and expanding its power, didn''t want to unify the game world but to prevent others from doing so? This implied that their own small, peaceful nations might actually be the ones sought by those wishing to unify the world, but they had never entertained the thought of unifying the world themselves.


    "So what you''re saying is that the Ancestral Dragon is now some sort of peacekeeping police? Then what are we worried about?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head again, "Indeed, they do not wish to unify the game world because their goal is not within the game, but they are no peacekeepers either. The Ancestral Dragon will continue to expand its forces, destroying all nations or guild organizations that might pose a threat. However, they won''t drive them to extinction. Those countries that pose no threat will be spared. So if you just want to survive in the game, you simply need to disband all NPC armies in your cities and vow never to wage war, changing your nation''s Attributes to that of a city-state. Then, the Ancestral Dragon should not target you."


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, the leaders of the small guilds began discussing the matter among themselves, some seemingly pleased with the outcome yet still doubtful. Luo Sen, however, frowned and said, "What do you mean their goal is not in the game?" Being more experienced in life, Luo Sen immediately focused on the crux of Xiao Buli''s statement.


    "It''s simple. Their target is unifying the real world," Xiao Buli said with a serious expression.


    At these words, the discussion stopped abruptly, and everyone looked at Xiao Buli with disbelief. Xiao Buli knew it was time to lay all his cards on the table and continued, "I suppose many of you are somewhat familiar with the concept of a Heart Demon. Moreover, quite a few of you might have already grasped its terrifying nature. What if I told you I have a way to remove the Heart Demon. What would you think of that?"


    "Who exactly are you? Why should we believe you?" the Guild Leader of the Iron Blood Brotherhood demanded loudly. Xiao Buli''s entrance and claims were so explosive that they had temporarily made everyone forget to question his identity. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xuan Zhenzi immediately stood up and announced, "Gentlemen, this is the rapidly rising Guild Leader of the Qingyang Empire, Xiao Buli."


    The terms "Xiao Buli" and "Qingyang Empire" were undoubtedly like dropping another bomb among the crowd. Coupled with the legend of Xiao Buli owning a dragon pet and his array of Dark Gold God Level equipment, though many were filled with contrary opinions, no one wanted to be the first to challenge him.


    Seeing the crowd''s reaction, Xuan Zhenzi understood why. They had just briefly discussed the issue concerning the Qingyang Empire, so he hastened to explain, "The action against the Ancestral Dragon was also communicated to the Qingyang Empire. They might have been delayed due to some matters, so I haven''t had the chance to introduce this to everyone yet. I know some of you have had conflicts with Qingyang, but among us, who hasn''t had their share of disputes? Such are the inevitable circumstances in the game. However, the difficulty we face today far outweighs all that, so I hope you can set aside personal grudges for now and focus on the threat of the Ancestral Dragon. We can address our internal conflicts later." Xuan Zhenzi cleverly shifted the narrative, suggesting they had reached a consensus on an alliance, which in fact had not been fully established. Seizing the moment before others could think of a rebuttal, Xuan Zhenzi turned to ask Xiao Buli, "Is what you just said about the Heart Demon true? Do you have a way for us to rid ourselves of the Heart Demon?"

 Chapter 525 - 18 The Alliance to Save the World_2

    A single statement drew everyone''s attention back. Heart Demon was something all those seated were well aware of. Although there was no clue about its origin or how to rid oneself of it, there was some understanding all the same. Even though there are various methods to slow down or temporarily remove the Heart Demon, it undoubtedly remained a thorn in everyone''s side. They thought about how they all risked their lives entering the game, all for the hope of obtaining extraordinary Strength. Yet, no sooner had you achieved a bit of something, another person would be forcefully injected into your brain. Not only had you to listen to this person incessantly babble in your head every day, but, in the end, they might very well take over your body, a situation too much for anyone to accept. So, when Xiao Buli made his statement, whether true or false, everyone wanted to hear what he had to say.


    Xiao Buli took a deep breath, "This matter dates back to a few months ago, when I officially met Senior Xuan Zhenzi for the first time, and he told me a legend about the game continent...."


    Xiao Buli narrated to the group in the simplest language he could manage why he went to the Temple, and after getting rid of the Heart Demon once and how it reemerged, as well as the true nature of the game he learned upon reaching the Temple, among other things.


    "Wait, you''re saying you once rid yourself of the Heart Demon? The Heart Demon willingly left your body?" One of the guild leaders seemed somewhat incredulous.


    "Yes, but not long after, the Heart Demon came back, although it was quite different from the previous one. That is to say, as long as our bodies are in the game, a Heart Demon will inevitably arise. It''s actually a form of control by the system over us."


    "Heart Demons can regenerate?" It seemed he was still reluctant to accept this fact.


    "I can attest to that," Luo Sen suddenly spoke up, "Because I once acquired a skill called Soul-Stripping Touch in the game, which was primarily used against Evil Spirits and Ghosts. After some research and refinement, I applied it to treat Heart Demons. I could physically extract the Heart Demon from your body, which pleased me for quite a while. However, I later discovered that, after not too long, it would reappear. Extracting it was merely a temporary solution, only enough to delay one''s descent into madness." As Luo Sen spoke, the people from the Qilin Hall behind him all wore expressions of agreement; seemingly, they had been treated by the guild leader more than once. Everyone was startled upon hearing this, but compared to the Qingyang Empire, they trusted Old Luo''s words more.


    Xiao Buli gave Luo Sen a nod of thanks.


    Luo Sen smiled at Xiao Buli and asked, "Son, I admire you. As a long-time player in this game, I''ve heard that legend about the Temple, though I never heard of anyone successfully reaching it. It seems you really do possess an extraordinary will. Can you tell us how to thwart the Ancestral Dragon''s conspiracy?"


    Xiao Buli smiled faintly, having awaited someone to ask this question, "Actually, the matter is as simple as it is difficult. That is to unify the entire continent. At the inception of the game, there was a setting: once the continent was unified, the game would advance to the next version and the system would reset. This way, GMs could restore game order and eliminate system interference. Doing so would not only cause our Heart Demons to disappear, but also resurrect those who died previously in the game. I believe everyone has someone who died in this game but is very important to you, right?"


    This statement hit home for many, indeed, the game was exceedingly brutal. Who could say they didn''t have one or two friends they watched die, feeling indignant yet powerless.


    "But we still can''t beat the Ancestral Dragon," pondered the leader of a small guild, quickly confronting the harsh reality. Luo Sen had just mentioned the Ancestral Dragon had the Demon Clan''s forces, so how could they possibly win?


    "That''s not a problem, war is a matter of strategy, not just a matter of sheer Strength. Otherwise, we could just look at who has more troops, and those with fewer would simply surrender. I''ve organized many wars in the game before, overcoming stronger opponents with weaker forces multiple times. The Ancestral Dragon is strong but also has its weaknesses. I''ve devised a plan targeting its weaknesses, and if we execute it according to my strategy, we can definitely defeat the Ancestral Dragon," Xiao Buli said confidently.


    Lei Zhengang, who had been silent until now, suddenly scoffed, "Let me guess, your plan requires that you be the leader of this alliance, right?"


    Xiao Buli shook his head, unconcerned about the man''s terrible attitude, and said with a serious expression, "On the contrary, I have no interest in the position of the leader. In this plan, it doesn''t matter who holds that position." After saying this, he swept a gaze over those present, and they couldn''t help but see him in a new light. There had been many power-hungry people throughout history, but few like him, willing to relinquish that power, so the group''s trust in Xiao Buli increased. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well? Are you all in?" Luo Sen stood up from his seat and approached Xiao Buli, looking like an organizer himself, though given his status, it wasn''t surprising.


    Seeing Luo Sen, Lei Zhengang became anxious, fearing Old Luo would steal the spotlight, and immediately shouted from behind, "I''m in, I''m joining! Damn, it''s been a while since I''ve had a good fight."

 Chapter 526 - 18 The Alliance to Save the World_3

    Both of these influential figures had made their stance clear. Those who were on good terms with them weighed the pros and cons in their hearts and immediately raised their hands to join. Even those who were still somewhat indecisive joined in after seeing everyone else raise their hands.


    "Good, since everyone agrees, from today on we will advance and retreat together," said Xuan Zhenzi as he took out a stack of scrolls from his hand, "It''s not that I don''t trust everyone, but this matter is of great importance and cannot tolerate any mistakes. These are Soul Contracts, to ensure that no one betrays the group, those who join the alliance must sign a Soul Contract. As veterans in the game, everyone naturally knows the power of the Soul Contract. They took the contracts in their hands and looked them over several times. These Soul Contracts cannot be forged¡ªthe goals of the alliance are detailed on it, and anyone who violates the contract will be disbanded soul and spirit. After triple checking for any issues, everyone then signed their names on the contract. As wisps of blue smoke disappeared from their hands, they were now aboard the proverbial pirate ship, with no chance of getting off.


    Xiao Buli naturally took over and signed the contract as well. With this restriction, his subsequent plans just became more convenient to implement.


    "Next, tell us about your plans," Old Luo finished signing the contract and came over to Xiao Buli with a smile, asking.


    "The system''s eyes are everywhere. To avoid detection by the system, my plan must be executed in three steps. Are you all interested in hearing my plan?"


    While some were somewhat disdainful of Xiao Buli''s secrecy, since they had joined the alliance, it seemed that they were certain to cooperate with the following matters. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.


    Seeing that everyone agreed, Xiao Buli continued, "First, we must not reveal the fact of our alliance. Everyone should start to conquer all the cities and territories that have not been occupied by players, ensuring that besides the territories governed by the Ancestral Dragon, everything else becomes our territory. During this phase, if the Ancestral Dragon competes with us for territory, do not fight to the death. Everyone must preserve their strength; even if we have to give up some territories, it does not matter. Just expand your power as much as possible, ensuring that no territory is overlooked. That means, on this continent, aside from us and the Ancestral Dragon, there cannot be a third-party force.


    We operate separately mainly to avoid startling the snake in the grass, causing the Ancestral Dragon to let down its guard. As long as our strengths are distributed, the Ancestral Dragon won''t annihilate us since they also need to ensure there are other forces on the continent.


    When all territories have been occupied by the Ancestral Dragon and us, that will be the second phase of the strategy. This is when the real battle begins. Then, one nation will take the lead, and we must form a united army, coming together for a decisive battle with the Ancestral Dragon. Only by this will we have a fighting chance. As for the third phase of the strategy, that will have to be disclosed after the decisive battle."


    "Your plan is too vague, isn''t it? And when we face off against the Ancestral Dragon, what do we rely on? A flesh pile? They have guns and cannons; do you think we''re fighting the War of Resistance?" a chairman, who was already reluctant to join, suddenly said loudly after hearing Xiao Buli''s plan, clearly very unsatisfied.


    "Plus, there are quite a few strong NPC nations now. It''s probably not that easy to conquer them, right?"


    Xiao Buli heard this, but his usual good temper was not on display. These individuals reigned supreme in their own guilds, but now they were expected to follow his arrangements. Playing Mr. Nice Guy wouldn''t work, so he said sternly, "First, I don''t disclose all the details of the plan because the system''s control over us is ubiquitous, and I will not risk being discovered. Moreover, you only need to know what you need to do. Second, I am much more aware of the Ancestral Dragon''s strength than you are, so don''t talk to me about resisting war. I say this because I am prepared to do so." As Xiao Buli spoke, he maintained eye contact with the man who had just spoken. Comparatively, that person''s eyes lacked the same confidence and ruthlessness, and he slowly lowered his head.


    Xiao Buli fell silent for a moment, then turned his head to address everyone, "As for the strength of NPC nations, don''t worry about that. I will provide you with some information at that time, including the composition of these nations'' troops, the abilities of high-ranking officers, troop distribution, etc. When the time comes, whoever thinks they can take it down, can go for it."


    People had heard of the Qingyang Empire''s intelligence system, so when they heard Xiao Buli say this, not one person objected, and everyone''s hearts couldn''t help but throb with excitement. It seemed they too could experience the benefits of The Undying''s siege tactics. If they couldn''t win even with absolute intelligence guiding them, they might as well buy a block of tofu to hit and kill themselves.


    Xiao Buli saw no opposition and was satisfied, nodding, "Very well, if everyone agrees with my plan, then it''s decided. Tomorrow, we will commence with a comprehensive conquest. Considering that none of the chairmen here can lead everyone, I propose Daoist Xuan Zhen to take the position of Alliance Hierarch. What do you think?"


    No one objected to Xiao Buli''s suggestion. Many present had been given their chance to enter the game by Xuan Zhenzi. Moreover, Luo Sen and Lei Zhengang were all well-acquainted with Xuan Zhenzi, who himself did not have his own forces, making him the most suitable candidate for the Alliance Hierarch.


    Luo Sen smiled without saying anything, just looking at Lei Zhengang. Lei Zhengang hesitated for a moment then chuckled, "Okay, for the arduous task of saving the world, I''m willing to be the caboose. It''s settled, let''s move separately." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.) S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 527 - 19 Xiao Bulis Decisive Battle Plan

    In the following month and a half, smoke rose from battlefields across the entire game world, as all player guilds began expanding their powers. However, without exception, everyone''s attention seemed to be fixed on those NPC cities. Since nearly every big and small guild had joined the alliance organized by Xiao Buli, except for the NPCs, no one seemed puzzled by the developments.


    With a tacit understanding, everyone took turns attacking these NPC cities. Xiao Buli made use of the GM staff''s data to categorize the cities and create detailed profile reports, enabling other guilds to choose cities to attack based on their own strengths. Due to this methodical matching of strength to city, the conquests proceeded exceptionally smoothly, with the player guilds proving invincible.


    Of course, there would occasionally be one or two tough nuts to crack, but it was not a big deal. Several guilds would band together to launch a siege. It wouldn''t take long before they could prevail. Additionally, these NPC nations had their own internal conflicts, rarely helping each other. So, over a month, nearly all NPC nations were wiped out.


    For those player guilds, even if things didn''t go well in the end, their looting during this period was enough to make them quite happy for a while.


    The Ancestral Dragon was not idle during this time either. Whether they caught wind of something or it was simply a coincidence, they suddenly accelerated the expansion of their territory. They launched a comprehensive attack in all directions from their location, primarily invading player cities, which led to several conflicts with the Guild Alliance. However, the members of the Guild Alliance seemingly did not wish to clash head-on with the Ancestral Dragon. When fewer in number, they would hold their ground, but as soon as the Ancestral Dragon sent reinforcements, the Guild Alliance would immediately retreat, ceding territory. Thus, for a time, the Ancestral Dragon''s domain expanded significantly, pushing Guild Alliance members towards a corner. Some in the guilds raised questions, but undoubtedly, the NPC cities they occupied were enough to offset the pain of their cities falling.


    In the ongoing back-and-forth of territorial tug-of-war, the game continent gradually split into two clear factions. Two months later, all human cities on the continent were under the control of either the Ancestral Dragon or the Guild Alliance.


    Although the Ancestral Dragon controlled most of the territory, the Guild Alliance, due to the repetitive give-and-take, now found their lands united against the Ancestral Dragon in a standoff. Perhaps fearing that continuing in this manner would result in too uneven a balance of power on the continent, the Ancestral Dragon had quietened down.


    However, for the Alliance, now that it had come to this point, the ultimate battle had to be scheduled. The only enemy each side had left was the other. To expand further, there was no other choice. And Xiao Buli''s original intention was not really to capture one city at a time; their true opponent now was only the great Ancestral Dragon.


    The meeting was quickly organized once again, still in the same conference room in Zhongzhou City. The leaders of the Guild Alliance gathered again.


    And this time, the conference room clearly had more of the air of a strategic command center. A huge conference table had been added, with maps of the continent hanging on the wall. The attendees took their seats according to their guilds'' strengths, with Xiao Buli, as the initiator of this campaign, of course standing in the foremost position.


    "We have all worked hard during this period. After such a long effort, the time for the final battle has now come. The survival of human kind depends on us, so in this battle, we can only win, we cannot lose," said Xiao Buli as he stood up and walked to the map. "To defeat the Ancestral Dragon, we don''t need to conquer one city at a time. To achieve a swift victory, there''s a more cunning strategy, which is to mobilize all forces and strike at its vitals."


    "But even though the Ancestral Dragon''s territory is vast, this is not a real nation. They don''t need to truly rule, nor do they have a capital city. And I believe everyone has seen the Ancestral Dragon''s strength during this period. Despite our efforts, our territory is still about half of theirs, and a significant portion of that is forested regions. Find their weak point? I''m all ears. Where exactly is it?" asked a small guild''s chairman, unable to hold back. Although they had to give a thumbs-up to the Qingyang Empire''s intelligence system during this time, understanding the Ancestral Dragon was not as simple as knowing the details of the NPC cities.


    "Yes, you''re right. Due to the Ancestral Dragon''s blind expansion, they do appear to be much stronger than us at the moment. But don''t forget, our ultimate goal is the unification of the continent, not the conquest of territory. So we only need to focus here," said Xiao Buli, pointing to a certain area on the map. "The Ancestral Dragon''s real weakness is right here."


    Looking at the area Xia Buli pointed out on the map, the earlier chairman replied sardonically, "Nine Dragons City? You''re saying we just need to take Nine Dragons City?," a big, mocking expression on his face, with several small guild chairmen immediately displaying looks of agreement.


    Xiao Buli, hearing his lack of enthusiasm, did not seem surprised, but instead, a slight smile appeared on his face. "Not Nine Dragons City, but the plain next to it. According to our intelligence, that seems to be where the Ancestral Dragon''s Teleportation Portal is located." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 528 - 19 Xiao Bulis Decisive Battle Plan_2

    ```


    "Teleportation Portal!~"


    "That''s right. During this period, everyone has probably had conflicts with the Ancestral Dragon, and you might wonder what makes the Ancestral Dragon''s combat so unique and reliable. Yes, it''s modern weapons like guns and cannons, and how do you think these weapons appeared in the game? I believe a small number of you here might have some understanding of the Ancestral Dragon''s background. Initially, I personally witnessed hundreds of soldiers marching in step through the Teleportation Portal into the game. That''s why I''ve been searching for their portal''s arrival point in the game all this time," Xiao Buli explained the issue of the Teleportation Portal to everyone plainly and explicitly, but firmly avoided mentioning that it was he who had helped the Ancestral Dragon solve the biggest problem of material transportation, as admitting that would be like acknowledging himself as the instigator. He saw several people below showing a look of surprise.


    "Damn, there''s really such a thing as a Teleportation Portal that can transport us to the real world?"


    "Um-hum, I reckon Mr. Luo Sen is no stranger to it, especially since the first Teleportation Portal from the Devil Realm to the real world was opened in the basement of your company," Xiao Buli shifted the topic to Luo Sen, hoping that his identity would attract enough attention from the other guild leaders.


    "Old Luo, there''s such a thing?" The first one to react was Lei Zhengang, clearly this old friend had a strong interest in every awkward topic.


    Luo Sen rolled his eyes slightly but immediately regained his usual gentlemanly demeanor and nodded slightly at Xiao Buli, "That''s right. That incident happened because my company was too large and due to temporary lapses in management." After finishing, he smugly gestured with a tilt of his chin at Lei Zhengang, as if to say that having too big a company was indeed the main issue he wanted to point out. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noticing the topic drifting, Xiao Buli hurriedly took over, "Indeed, let''s put aside how the Ancestral Dragon learned about the Teleportation Portal for now. In any case, he indeed built one in real life, transporting modern weapons into the game, and we can only confront them with swordsmanship and spells. This is clearly a huge disadvantage. Hence, to defeat the Ancestral Dragon, we must first destroy the Teleportation Portal, cut off his lifeline, and prevent further transportation of equipment."


    The crowd immediately chattered among themselves, then showed expressions of agreement. And since the Ancestral Dragon would be without the advantage of firearms, the possibility of defeating them in the game did not seem so impossible anymore. After all, in the game, the Ancestral Dragon''s use of modern firearms was like a big BUG. Although a single bullet didn''t do much more damage than arrows, the firing rate was the problem. An AK47 could deal about 50 damage per shot, and with a full magazine of 30 rounds, that''s 1500 damage. Not many could withstand that if all the shots hit, and thirty bullets could be fired in a few seconds whereas one might only shoot an arrow every two or three seconds. Even with skills, you could at most shoot five or six arrows instantly at most. Not to mention that bullets travel in a straight line making them much more accurate than the arced shots of arrows.


    Let''s not even start on the more powerful heavy weapons. Even with the protection of internal martial arts, one wouldn''t last many rounds. In previous encounters, players from the Guild Alliance had suffered quite a bit.


    Seeing the iron was hot, Xiao Buli continued, "So my second step of the plan is to concentrate all our forces and attack the location of the Teleportation Portal. The materials and blueprints for this portal are very rare, and the Ancestral Dragon currently only has this single Teleportation Portal. As long as we destroy it, we''ll have won a third of the battle."


    "What''s the difference between attacking the Teleportation Portal and attacking other locations for us? We can''t defeat them! They all have automatic weapons. We, on the other hand, don''t even have rifles, just a bunch of swords. Plus, the portal''s location is out in the plain, how many of us would have to die to reach it, not to mention they surely have stationed a considerable force there."


    "That won''t be a problem," Xiao Buli said. "Don''t assume that only the Ancestral Dragon has modern weapons. I have some too. I had my people test them out, and they found that controlling these weapons with a computer feels a bit like playing CS. Those who have played CS should know that knife kills do happen sometimes, which shows that modern weapons are not invincible."


    On the day of the attack, I''ll deploy a large number of NPC soldiers to draw their fire, using a feint to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Then we will enter from the air and launch the attack. Considering they definitely won''t send all their forces out to meet us and will leave a small portion on guard, so we must be careful and cautious in our operation. At that time, spell ability, as well as the assassin''s Invisibility Stealth, these are our Magical Treasures to get close to them..."


    Xiao Buli''s words were not yet finished when they immediately caused a stir among the guild leaders below, and finally, one guild leader couldn''t help interrupting, "From the air? You mean attack from the air? But there aren''t many of us who can fly here, and there are not many flying mounts either. Put all the guilds together, and there might be dozens at most." Is he saying that just a few dozen people dare to raid their most important base? But the latter part of this guild leader''s question remained unasked, although the implication was clear.


    "Hehe, it''s true that there aren''t many flying mounts, but some flying mounts can carry more than one person. Take my pet, for instance."


    With that, Xiao Buli summoned his Lava Giant Jiao. The hall that served as a meeting room was huge, but as the Giant Jiao with its massive body appeared, it immediately filled the room to the brim, causing everyone to swallow hard.


    ```

 Chapter 529 - 19 Xiao Bulis Decisive Battle Plan_3

    This is no longer a Lava Giant Jiao, for having devoured the Dragon Ball of the Great Red Dragon, Xiao Buli''s pet had evolved into a true dragon. The giant dragon was darkly-complexioned all over with a naturally imposing facial expression¡ªits presence alone exuded authority. It was known that the president of the Qingyang Empire had a dragon for a pet, which many had heard of but few had seen. Thus, even though everyone was aware it was Xiao Buli''s pet, they still felt uneasy, as if it might breathe fire at any second.


    Seeing that he''d achieved the effect he wanted, Xiao Buli waved his hand and withdrew the giant dragon back into his space, then continued to explain his plan nonchalantly. In Absolute Death Game, power determined everything. Originally, Luo Sen and Lei Zhengang''s influence was far greater than Xiao Buli''s, due to their early nation-building and vast foundation. However, Xiao Buli''s frequent displays of power had added to everyone''s confidence in him, and his status had directly surpassed the two elders. He had now truly become the leader in everyone''s eyes, which made the arrangement of his plans go smoothly without much objection.


    "The above are not our only plans. While we are confident about the attack we initiated in the game, it''s not a guaranteed victory. Hence, this round of attack is really just a diversion. If we win, all the better, but if we don''t, I still have a third move to play."


    "While we pretend to repair the walkway to cross the river, we must secretly march over the Wei Chang through a concealed path; we''ll form an elite squad to raid the headquarters of the Ancestral Dragon. Even if we lose in the game, as long as we destroy the Teleportation Portal in reality, the effect is the same."


    "In addition, there is a fourth move: while destroying the Teleportation Portal, we will dispatch another group to infiltrate the network hub of the Ancestral Dragon and implant a virus. Once the virus spreads, every Ancestral Dragon computer will be paralyzed, making their operators unable to control their characters for a short time. This will eliminate a significant obstacle and we will surely win in the game."


    Having heard Xiao Buli''s words, everyone reacted differently. Some small guild leaders showed excitement, while others had flickers of indecision in their eyes, leaving one to wonder what they were really thinking.


    Xuan Zhenzi, who had always been seated here as the strategist and the initiator, appeared slightly concerned as he observed the reactions of others around him. He pursed his lips, hesitating as if he held some worry about Xiao Buli''s confident proclamation, while Luo Sen and Lei Zhengang, those two old foxes, though showing nothing on the surface, scanned the faces of everyone present with sly glances.


    Xiao Buli appeared extremely pleased with his own plan, saying excitedly to himself, "My plan can be described as attacking on three fronts; the apparent strike is easier to dodge, but the hidden ones are hard to defend against. Ancestral Dragon may withstand our frontal assault, but it will hardly bear our aerial sneak attacks. And just in case it does, they would never expect us to boldly attack their network center and Teleportation Portal. If we succeed on any front, it will cause them tremendous damage, and with our forces working together from inside and out, our victory is certain." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luo Sen suddenly chuckled, "Heh, this seems to mirror your plan when you defected from the Qilin Hall. Do you think Ancestral Dragon will fall for it?" His seemingly casual remark was the only question raised among the crowd, and even Luo Sen didn''t seem to push it too forcefully, just merely mentioning it.


    Xiao Buli smiled smugly, "If even Qilin Hall was deceived, why wouldn''t Ancestral Dragon fall for it? If there are no objections, then it''s decided." After finishing his statement, Xiao Buli glanced at everyone, and no one raised further objections.


    "Alright, next we need to discuss the selection of personnel. We need three main squads now. The first squad will join the NPC armies in the frontal assault. This force should consist mainly of military class professions, providing ample morale to the NPC soldiers to charge without regard to casualties. In addition, we need a large number of Mage Professions for long-range support and to provide spell protection to the army. It would be best to have more Corpse-Driving Warlocks, so that after the NPC soldiers fall in battle, the Corpse-Driving Warlocks can use the Corpse-Driving Technique to raise the bodies as Walking Corpses to continue the attack. Despite their low combat effectiveness, they can still serve as a distraction. The size and strength of this force are not limited; anyone willing can join. The more significant their numbers, the better¡ªeven those with weaker abilities are welcome to bolster our numbers."


    The second squad will attack from the air, riding my Giant Dragon or their own flying mounts. The focus here will be close-quarters combat, with preference for professions like Swordsman, Martial Artist, Qigong Master, berserker, and similar ''cleaver'' professions that can quickly break into enemy formations and sweep through their soldiers, aiming to destroy the Teleportation Portal. Considering we''ll be outnumbered, only those of strong enough ability should join. Given the carrying capacity of my Black Dragon, the ideal number for this squad would be a group of 40. If you bring your own mount, we could include a few more, but no more than two groups of 80 in total."


    The third squad is responsible for infiltrating the Ancestral Dragon base in the real world; focusing on Stealth and assassination, professions such as assassin, agile thief, and any that can employ Invisibility are key. We don''t need many people, nor does their combat ability need to be very strong, but they must be highly professional and possess some knowledge of computers. A group of 20 is appropriate for this mission, which will be divided into four teams to infiltrate separately. Two teams will carry computer viruses to target the network hub, and the other two teams will carry explosives to destroy the Teleportation Portal."

 Chapter 530 - 19 Xiao Bulis Decisive Battle Plan_4

    As for the players who didn''t join the action, they couldn''t be idle either. On the day the operation commenced, they had to attack the Ancestral Dragon''s cities with all their might, to draw their attention and give the ultimate army a chance. This was the task for those players who hadn''t signed up.


    "If anyone in your guild is a suitable candidate, please come to me and register as soon as possible. This final battle is to save the entire world, a matter of great importance, so everyone should not hold back their strength. Given the Ancestral Dragon''s power, we only have this one chance. If we fail, it will be very hard to gather enough forces to contend with the Ancestral Dragon again. Then, it will be the end of the world. If you don''t want to see such an outcome, join me and give it your all."


    After discussing the conditions for registration and the rewards for the mission, the various guild leaders left to select their members.


    In the vast conference room, only Xiao Buli and Xuan Zhenzi remained.


    Xiao Buli looked at Xuan Zhenzi''s worried face, "Is there something you want to tell me?" His tone light, seemingly without the worries for the nation that Xuan Zhenzi harbored.


    Xuan Zhenzi sighed, "Why didn''t you discuss it with me beforehand, and instead laid out all the plans at the meeting? Don''t you think that''s too risky, especially the plan to attack the Ancestral Dragon''s core?"


    Xiao Buli looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Are you afraid that someone among these people will betray us and leak our plans to the Ancestral Dragon? Haven''t they all signed a Soul Contract?"


    Many times, for players, a Soul Contract is absolutely inviolable. Once one has signed a contract, they must act according to the contract''s demands. For instance, since Xiao Buli has signed a Soul Contract, it means he must be responsible for every word in it. If he told a lie, if the Ancestral Dragon was not as he described, or if his purpose was not as noble as he claimed, he would be punished, with no room for negligence.


    It was precisely because they knew the power of the Soul Contract that they believed what he said when they saw Xiao Buli sign the contract and stand before them unscathed.


    Xuan Zhenzi nodded, "That''s right, the Soul Contract is almost inviolable, but the problem is that it''s only almost. Don''t forget, this contract is constructed within the game system. With the help of the game system, it might still be possible to evade the punishment of the Soul Contract. Most importantly, I''m afraid that some of the guild leaders may already be controlled by the system."


    Xiao Buli smiled slightly, "It''s not a matter of ''maybe,'' but one of certainty that some people have been controlled by the system, and there''s probably more than one."


    "What!" Xuan Zhenzi was startled, "Then why did you still¡ª" Before he could finish, he understood, realizing that Xiao Buli was not as simple as he had thought.


    Xiao Buli revealed a confident smile, looking straight at Xuan Zhenzi. Although Xuan Zhenzi had organized this alliance to fight against the Ancestral Dragon, Xiao Buli did not intend to trust anyone other than himself.


    The plan he had shared previously was not Xiao Buli''s real trump card. Besides that plan, he had another secret plan, and it was this secret plan that was the key to victory. However, this plan was very risky, and he would only resort to it when things became irremediable.


    "Do you have another plan?" Xuan Zhenzi, observing Xiao Buli''s confident smile, asked with a grin like an old fox. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''ll know when the time comes." Xiao Buli said as he pulled out his GM rod and, without looking back, walked out of the conference room. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 531 - 20 The Day of the Decisive Battle

    Shortly after the secret meeting, the stand-off between the Ancestral Dragon and the Guild Alliance was suddenly broken, and the previously slowing pace of expansion welcomed an unprecedented storm like the calm before a tempest.


    Overnight, all the armies controlled by the Guild Alliance assembled at the border, and almost simultaneously, wars broke out one after another in various cities bordering the Ancestral Dragon. This move by the Alliance seemed to be an attempt to bring down the Ancestral Dragon in one fell swoop from the front.


    The fires of war ignited across the regions, with battles erupting everywhere. It seemed as if the Alliance''s forces had no intention of conserving their strength, charging madly without pause or leaving any room to breathe. Moreover, they showed complete disregard for casualties, giving the impression that an inexhaustible number of troops followed behind them.


    The Ancestral Dragon, with its strategy akin to a suicide mission, was initially thrown into disarray, but as a dominant force in the game, it quickly summoned a large number of troops after the initial panic and fortified the border regions. This was precisely the outcome Xiao Buli had been aiming for¡ªin such a strained situation, many troops near Nine Dragons City were re-deployed elsewhere.


    Of course, as the core base of the Ancestral Dragon''s power, an elite force remained stationed on Bull Rush Plain. However, unlike the previously impregnable state, while there were still some regular defense troops around, their function was more patrol-oriented than combat-ready.


    Xiao Buli made use of the Crystal Ball and the scepter to observe and roam around, getting a clear picture of the internal situation of the Ancestral Dragon.


    So, on the morning of the sixth day of full-scale warfare, an NPC army of thirty thousand silently appeared in the dense forest not far from Bull Rush Plain.


    Watching the advancing NPC army roll forward, Xiao Buli took a deep breath. Success or failure hinged on this decisive battle. Around him, the upper echelons of the Qingyang Empire had almost all arrived, displaying resolute expressions as they gazed at the impressive scene ahead.


    "How is the army''s morale? Can they withstand the casualties and maintain their spirits?" Xiao Buli asked.


    Han Wenhuan immediately stepped forward, "Rest assured, Boss, these soldiers are all full-star elite troops, their morale is sky-high. Plus, with the boost from our Dragon Flag and the morale layer added by our generals, they won''t collapse unless half of them are dead."


    Xiao Buli nodded, then turned his attention to He Suoju and others, "How are the preparations on your end? Is the aerial assault squad ready?"


    He Suoju and Xiao Ge nodded, "All set. They are elites picked from various guilds, a forty-person team with top-tier equipment. Even Dark Gold level BOSSes could be taken down. As long as they break through to the enemy''s front, they''ll give them a hard time."


    Xiao Buli nodded again, then looked at Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er, who he had also brought back in for this battle. Since it was their first time working with other guilds, Xiao Buli knew he needed his own people for critical tasks to ensure peace of mind, "How about it, is the Stealth Group ready?"


    "The two groups we''re responsible for are ready, but I don''t know about the others," Wu Min''er said. Although she was a woman, she was always the unequivocal leader between her and Lu Xinying.


    Xiao Buli nodded, "No worries, as long as you''re ready, that''s enough. After all, this operation is about casting a wide net, and the more routes that succeed, the greater our chances. The task you''re undertaking this time is the most dangerous, so above all, be careful and prioritize preserving your strength." Xiao Buli''s voice was soft, ensuring only the three could hear clearly. Whether the operation succeeded or failed, he did not want any of his brothers to suffer mishaps.


    After speaking softly, he did his best to ignore the grateful looks in their eyes, lifted his head to look at those sent by other guilds. Although the Qingyang Empire was the main force this time, other guilds had also sent a substantial amount of reinforcements, "The fact that you can stand here today proves your strength. Those taking part in the operation are elite players from various guilds, essentially the cream of the Guild Alliance. The importance of this mission is beyond ordinary, and I believe everyone is aware of it, so I''ll spare the excess words. This operation must only succeed¡ªit cannot fail!" Xiao Buli shouted loudly, his voice filled with fervor.


    Inspired by his words, the players below shouted in unison, "Yes!"


    "Good, gentlemen, strive hard! We move out now!"


    Each team had already arranged their action plans and schedules, so once Xiao Buli gestured, the nearly hundred-person team behind him began to move in an orderly fashion.


    Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er found a safe place to log off and meet with their Stealth Group. They were the main force for the real-world assault and Xiao Buli''s contingency.


    Xiao Buli watched as everyone gradually left, then went to a secluded area, tapped the ground with his scepter, and arrived near the Mass Burial Mound by Blackwind Stronghold. Donning Dark Vision, myriad Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits immediately appeared before his eyes.


    "Come out, it''s time for you to play your part," Xiao Buli called out to the air beside him. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, from a small cave not far in front of him, a group of raggedly dressed Zombies appeared before him. In their midst, on a chair made of rotten branches, sat a mummy wrapped so extravagantly it was almost exaggerated. Seeing Xiao Buli, the mummy revealed a smile uglier than crying and stuck out a tongue that resembled rotting flesh.

 Chapter 532 - 20 The Day of the Decisive Battle_2

    "Elder Xiao, what''s the rush? The real show has just begun." The speaker was none other than Bai Yunfei, who had returned to the continent with Xiao Buli. He had been stationed within the Mass Burial Mound for some time, and the number of zombies around him had grown from a dozen to several hundreds. After all, what this place didn''t lack was corpses.


    Xiao Buli didn''t bother with small talk and approached Bai Yunfei, grasped his hand, pointed the scepter, and they returned to the battlefield. The reason Bai Yunfei hadn''t been shown to everyone was not only because Bai Yunfei was now considered an NPC, but also because among the players, there were those who recognized Bai Yunfei. However, Bai Yunfei in his current state didn''t wish to face them anymore. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli positioned Bai Yunfei in Han Wenhuan''s commanding spot, and by that time, the army had already formally engaged in battle. Leading the first wave of attack was the Qingyang Empire''s 30,000-strong NPC army.


    As the saying goes, an army over ten thousand was sprawling and endless. This 30,000-strong army spread out in a loose formation. If there were cameras available to offer an aerial shot at that moment, one would have been able to truly appreciate this spectacle, truly vast and boundless.


    The NPC army began their march from the dense forests surrounding Bull Rush Plain, advancing toward the Teleportation Portal from left, center, and right flanks. The soldiers lined up in a single file, opting for a dispersed formation with very distant spacing between each other. Led by numerous NPC generals and players, they moved forward slowly but resolutely.


    Such a spread-out formation would certainly be at a disadvantage in close combat since the wide gaps between troops meant delayed assistance. However, in battle against the Ancestral Dragon, this formation had a definitive advantage under the onslaught of modern weapons.


    In the midst of conversation, the army was now less than a kilometer away from Bull Rush Plain''s defense line. At such a close distance, it would be like blindness if the vast size of the army still hadn''t been detected.


    With the war situation at various Ancestral Dragon territories becoming dire and troop movements frequent, these soldiers were always on high alert. On sighting such a massive array of troops suddenly appearing, they immediately deployed heavy weapons.


    A shrill screech tore across the sky, followed by a loud explosion that burst amidst the Qingyang army ranks. With that cannon fire, the prelude to the war was truly struck.


    The Qingyang archers immediately began to retaliate, and a torrent of arrows rained down on the Ancestral Dragon army, but given the great distance between them, only the higher-leveled archers could reach the enemy position with their arrows. Most fell short of the line.


    The Ancestral Dragon side wasn''t idle either. Following the first cannon shot, explosions rang out in rapid succession. The modern weapons not only had long range but also powerful lethality. Even the trees and stones on the ground became hazardous projectiles in the blast waves.


    The advantage of the dispersed formation became apparent then. Although the vast coverage area of the army meant each cannon shot was almost guaranteed to hit, the wide spacing between each soldier lessened the actual casualties despite the bombardment sounding intense.


    Following Xiao Buli was a team of over forty people assigned to the rush for the Teleportation Portal. Xiao Buli had previously pinpointed the portal''s location. Seeing the battle already underway, he knew that the portal''s defense would be at its weakest. He checked the map, confirmed the direction, waved his hand, and the Black Dragon emerged with a roar, soaring imposingly around Xiao Buli.


    "Alright, it''s our turn to make a move. Aerial assault team, follow me."


    As he spoke, he leapt onto the giant dragon''s head, grabbing onto a pair of its horns to steady himself. Initially, the others were apprehensive about riding a dragon, especially in the face of the Black Dragon''s dominating presence. Now, seeing Xiao Buli taking the lead, they looked at one another, and those with greater courage also leapt up after him.


    The Black Dragon seemed a bit displeased at a stranger mounting it, its body visibly shivering for a moment. The person extended both arms to balance themself and managed to stabilize their posture. Xiao Buli felt the slight resistance from the Black Dragon and immediately issued a command to it through his mind. Only then, albeit reluctantly, did the dragon hover in the air. Seeing the person jump on safely, the others cast aside their apprehensions and one after another, they leapt onto it.


    With a body over two hundred meters long, seating several dozen people on the Black Dragon didn''t seem crowded at all. Once everyone was securely seated, Xiao Buli commanded the dragon to take off. The impatient Black Dragon suddenly raised its head and shot into the sky as quick as lightning.


    "Shoot, give it everything you''ve got!" Li Yue shouted into his headset while constantly moving his mouse, the sound of the keyboard and mouse clicks filling the Ancestral Dragon''s basement, creating a persistent din.


    This was one of the many server rooms of the Ancestral Dragon. Like the others defined by their specialization, this room was filled exclusively with players of the Hunter class. Unlike other Hunters, however, these Hunters wielded automatic rifles. Already being soldiers in reality, everyone was familiar with firearms, and, after learning passive skills like precision shooting and rapid reload in the game, they had formed a modern-equipped army in the Absolute Death Game, set against the background of ancient China''s Immortal Heroes. Now, faced with the onslaught of the NPC army, every person bore an automatic rifle, unleashing a barrage on the incoming enemy troops.


    Li Yue felt that using firearms in this game was similar to playing CS, though it was more akin to third-person shooters. For a moment, he seemed to be back in his school days, skipping classes with his buddies to play CS in the internet cafe.


    However, these NPC soldiers were just too fearless, not even halted by the initial cannon fire, charging directly to the defensive line as if they had no regard for their lives. Cannons were for long range and weren''t effective close up. If they had recoiled in place, they might have actually been annihilated, but the more fearless they became, the quicker they moved out of the cannons'' effective range.


    There was no choice but to fight back-to-back. Just then, another group of soldiers charged at them, right when Li Yue was in the perilous moment of reloading his weapon.


    "Damn, I can''t hold them off," Li Yue exclaimed in panic. At this crucial moment, a burly figure suddenly burst forth beside him, firing a Remington shotgun repeatedly. The powerful knock-back effect sent the enemies flying in just a few shots.


    "Haha, this is awesome!" The excited shout of a teammate rang out beside him.


    Li Yue heaved a sigh of relief, but as he looked forward, he was immediately struck with terror and yelled, "Don''t celebrate too soon, it''s not over yet!"


    He saw the fallen NPC soldiers getting up again. Their bellies had been ripped open by gunfire, intestines spilling out, yet they staggered forward relentlessly.


    Li Yue immediately took aim and swept fire across them, but the bodies, which should have been corpses, not only didn''t slow down, they actually picked up speed.


    "What the hell is this? What is this, Resident Evil?" The teammate who had just helped Li Yue quickly began blasting at the bodies, but even with half their heads blown off, the corpses kept coming.


    Li Yue quickly zoomed out his view to assess the surroundings and soon spotted the issue: "It''s those Corpse-Driving Warlocks, they''re resurrecting the bodies. Snipers, take note, take them out!"


    Li Yue shouted into his microphone, urging on Mike, then hastily proceeded to handle the situation before him. The bodies had approached him closely, and although unarmed, their grotesque appearances still caused Li Yue to become flustered.


    (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 533 - 21: No Way Forward, Pursuers Behind

    Clearly, brute force wasn''t working for them; since headshots didn''t lead to death, they decided to instead hinder their movement. With that in mind, Li Yue blasted away at the corpse''s knee joints, and indeed, without the support of its legs, the body wobbled and fell to the ground. However, it continued to crawl forward, using the strength of its arms, which made Li Yue feel like his head was going to explode with discomfort.


    "Bang!" The sound of a sniper rifle, even through the screen, was exceptionally clear. The head of a Corpse-driving Warlock burst open like a watermelon. Correspondingly, the bodies on the ground instantly lost their mobility.


    "Captain, barriers cleared, how was that? My shooting''s not bad, right?" Hearing the relaxed voice through the earpiece, Li Yue breathed a sigh of relief; that shot had indeed been fired by a sniper in his team.


    Just as everyone was letting out a sigh of relief, suddenly the scattered fragments of the shattered corpses on the battlefield began to move slowly of their own accord. Severed hands and feet seemed to have their own consciousness, struggling to piece themselves together, some even clearly from different individuals.


    "What''s going on..." Li Yue felt like crying. If what he had seen before could be understood as a Corpse-Driving Technique, what was happening now? Some kind of Corpse Assembling Spell?


    The limbs quickly reassembled into disjointed and grotesque zombies that continued to advance. However, these zombies were clearly not as resilient as the reanimated corpses from before, and they could be scattered with just a couple of shots. Yet, the zombies didn''t stop recombining even after being shot apart, and the cycle seemed endless, which was incredibly torturous psychologically. If you ignored these things, they would slowly move towards you and bite, and though they couldn''t take off many health points, it was still very distressing.


    This was exactly why Xiao Buli had sought out Bai Yunfei to come here. As a minor boss, while Bai Yunfei might not have been able to develop some mighty weapon, his purpose wasn''t on the battlefield either. As long as he could confuse the enemy, slow them down, his goal would be achieved. His tricks were exactly what Xiao Buli needed.


    At this moment, the Teleportation Portal


    Standing on the high platform built over the Teleportation Portal, Huo Guangxiong watched the nearby battlefield without a hint of panic. Despite the major forces having been redeployed, there were less than five hundred players and several thousand Demon Clan soldiers near the Teleportation Portal, including the elite troops beneath his feet. Yet, in his view, with the absolute advantage of weaponry, this force was sufficient to hold off the unbounded thirty-thousand-strong army facing them.


    To him, this thirty-thousand-strong army wasn''t different from other allied armed forces on various front lines; they were all destined for defeat. If this operation was targeting his Teleportation Portal, then they definitely stood no chance of breaking through...unless...


    Huo Guangxiong''s eyes looked up to the sky, pondering the slim possibility of an aerial assault; he wondered whether those overambitious fools would be able to amass an airborne force.


    At this time, the sky was covered with dark clouds. However, judging by the density and distribution of the clouds, they were definitely not naturally formed, but more likely conjured by enemy spells. Thus, Huo Guangxiong became even more convinced of his own thoughts.


    Suddenly, a dark shadow slowly approached from behind the thick clouds. Despite the dense cloud cover, the massive silhouette was unmistakeable. Huo Guangxiong kept his gaze fixed on the shadow as it drew nearer and nearer, breaking through the clouds swiftly, like lightning, and plunging straight toward the location of the Teleportation Portal. A sly grin appeared on Huo Guangxiong''s lips¡ªfinally, they had arrived.


    Down below, the defense forces also noticed the anomaly in the sky, and a commander immediately shouted down to the troops, "Quick, aim at the sky, fire!"


    The troops of the Ancestral Dragon were well-trained, and at the commander''s shout, hundreds of guns pivoted simultaneously and unleashed a barrage into the sky. Bullets rained down like a storm, and the Black Dragon, despite its swift movement, found no room to dodge amid the dense hail of gunfire. With no choice but to endure, its body sparked as it was hit, and thanks to its scale armor''s formidable defense, each bullet caused only minor damage. Nevertheless, by the time the Black Dragon reached the ground, it had lost nearly half its health points from enduring hundreds or thousands of bullets. However, fortunately, due to the Black Dragon''s cover, everyone on its back landed safely on the ground without injury.


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    As soon as the Black Dragon descended to a safe height, the people on its back leaped down, their weapons spinning as they launched an attack on the surrounding gun-wielding players. The forty-person melee team was like a tiger entering a wolf pack, instantly turning the enemy soldiers into a chaos of bodies.


    These soldiers, mainly following a hunter''s path and with not much time spent playing the game, had very poor melee capabilities. Faced with these elite close-combat fighters, they had no chance to fight back.


    "Retreat, quick retreat, raise the gates and unleash the hounds!" The commander shouted while retreating, blowing on a whistle to summon a spotted leopard. At that command, the other soldiers quickly came to their senses. After all, they were all hunters with pets of their own. Whistles blew one after another, and hundreds of creatures of various species burst out of the Beast Pen, joining the fray.

 Chapter 534 - 21: No Way Forward, Pursuers Behind_2

    The soldiers then retreated to the periphery, and used machine guns to sweep fire at the enemy, but even so, the battle remained largely one-sided. These elite melee fighters were equipped with top-tier defensive gear for the operation. Although the machine guns had much higher penetration and killing power than arrows, this was still a game after all. The script where getting shot once would leave one lying on the ground doesn''t work here. As long as they had blood left, they could hold on, not to mention Xiao Buli was continuously healing them from behind, so they fought more and more valiantly.


    Since the hunters were not of high level, the beasts here were all common ones like wolves, leopards, wild boars, and the like, with the occasional tiger at most. For these elite melee fighters, such threats were indeed no threat at all; it was almost like slicing vegetables and cleaving melons as they slaughtered them thoroughly.


    They quickly rushed into the midst of the soldiers designed at the back, and those soldiers, realizing they had no chance in a direct fight, immediately scattered and fled. The players were at a loss whether to chase or not to chase.


    Xiao Buli, noticing how easily this guard army was defeated, felt somewhat surprised. In theory, the forces guarding the Teleportation Portal should be elite troops; it made no sense for them to be dispersed by these men in just a few moments. It seemed there must be a follow-up move.


    However, no matter what the follow-up was, Xiao Buli took three steps as if they were two and arrived in front of the Teleportation Portal. This portal was similar to those in the real world but was slightly smaller than the one he had seen at the Ancestral Dragon''s place¡ªit was roughly a dozen meters in radius. The ground was paved with Obsidian, forming a well-like circle, with a complicated teleportation array drawn on the ground outside the rim of the circle. From the center of the well, a white light curtain emerged, forming an arch-like gateway above the teleportation portal.


    Considering the current luminosity of the portal''s light curtain, it should be in an activated state, but it was unknown what lay beyond it. Xiao Buli approached the portal''s front and stared at the dazzling light curtain, slightly losing himself in thought.


    "Boss, what do we do now?" A soldier approached Xiao Buli from behind and asked. Although they knew their mission was to dismantle the Teleportation Portal, they were temporarily unsure of how to proceed upon seeing the portal now exposed in front of them. What to do with the gate, blast it with a Fireball, or smash it with an axe?


    However, at that moment, Xiao Buli seemed to be in a daze, staring blankly at the light curtain of the Teleportation Portal, leaving everyone watching their leader unsure of what to do next.


    Just then, Xiao Buli shuddered all over, abruptly turning his head to look at everyone, his eyes flashing with an unusual brilliance.


    "Boss, what''s going on??" The soldier behind couldn''t help but speak up again and asked. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiao Buli turned to look at the Teleportation Portal, then at his hands and legs, and suddenly as if he had an epiphany, said, "Destroy this thing for me."


    Everyone standing behind was already impatient. Although the soldiers'' formation had been broken, they hadn''t left; they stood far away, watching the situation unfold, and the idle ones occasionally shot a couple of arrows. After all, they were behind enemy lines, and everyone was anxious to complete the mission so they could retreat quickly.


    When Xiao Buli shouted to destroy the Teleportation Portal, there was no time to think further. They took up their battle-axes and Bone Hammers and marched forward, hammering ferociously at the base of the portal.


    The base of the Teleportation Portal was made of some unknown stone, extremely hard, and it seemed to be protected by some sort of magical protection. Despite the great efforts of the players, the hammering had no effect, and the recoil caused their health to drop rapidly.


    Seeing this was not effective, one player told the others to back off a bit, and with a Fireball formed in hand, flung it over with a whoosh, only to find that this action seemed to have some effect as the portal suddenly burst forth with a jet of white light.


    Just as everyone felt a glimmer of hope, the player who had just been Casting the spell seemed to be struck by something and was violently thrown from the spot, and the white light curtain of the Teleportation Portal dimmed at that moment. A towering figure in pitch-black armor stepped out from the portal.


    The dark figure was three meters tall, clothed entirely in iron armor, and the helmet on its head featured two sharp, horn-like projections. In its hand, it held a massive bone, seemingly a leg bone of some creature, which looked extraordinarily sturdy.


    "It''s the Demon General of the Demon Clan!" someone in the crowd shouted loudly.


    Everyone was shocked, having long known about the collusion between the Ancestral Dragon and the Demon Clan, but they hadn''t expected that this Demon General would be hiding behind the Teleportation Portal, and it seemed that there were more than one shadowy figure following him.


    "Quick, kill him; don''t let him escape," Xiao Buli seemed to find a bit of the captain''s resolve at this time and hurriedly shouted loudly.


    The others also knew they couldn''t let them get out, so they rushed toward the Demon General. However, not only was this Demon General tall, but he also possessed extraordinary strength. Swinging the Bone Hammer in his hands, he easily knocked several warriors flying to the side with the tremendous force of the wind he created. He then stepped out of the Teleportation Portal, followed by another dozen, one by one. After twelve Demon Generals had stepped out, they automatically lined up, tightly surrounding the Teleportation Portal. At that moment, the soldiers they had scattered also began to gather behind them, forming ranks. Once in formation, they raised the muskets in their hands towards the players in the middle. Now things were troublesome, with no way forward and pursuers from behind.


    However, these soldiers and the Demon General didn''t seem to be in a rush to attack; they simply quietly surrounded the players.


    Xiao Buli''s expression changed several times: "FUCK, this doesn''t bode well," he muttered quietly, then raised his voice slightly to address everyone, "Everybady, prepare your Town-Return Talismans. As soon as I give the command, everyone teleport back immediately."


    "But the Teleportation Portal..." A player who was close to Xiao Buli obviously felt some regret about not completing the mission.


    "Shut up!" Xiao Buli said sharply, "Nothing is more important than life."


    "Hahahaha..." A boisterous laugh came from behind the soldiers. They promptly split into two rows, creating a gap in the middle through which a tall and distinguished figure appeared, walking forward.


    "What''s this, in a hurry to go home?" Xiao Buli looked closely and saw that this old man was none other than the supreme leader of the Ancestral Dragon, Huo Guangxiong. He couldn''t believe that he could meet his actual person in the game.


    He saw Huo Guangxiong donned in black and gold interwoven armor with a military cloak draped over it, fluttering with the wind, truly carrying the air of a warlord. At this moment, he was coldly sneering at Xiao Buli and the others.


    Xiao Buli also wore a faint smile, meeting Huo Guangxiong''s gaze without being overshadowed. Huo Guangxiong glared for a while, finding that he couldn''t intimidate Xiao Buli, his expression turned vicious as he said, "Little boy, you''ve lost. I knew you would launch a surprise attack from the sky. How do you like my strategy of drawing the enemy deep into territory? Quite skillful, huh?"


    Unexpectedly, Xiao Buli didn''t appear surprised, and with a slight smile on his face, he replied, "Anyway, even if you anticipated it, so what? The outcome is not yet decided. Do you think this is all the preparation I have? How about we wait a bit and see who will win in the end?"


    Upon hearing Xiao Buli''s words, Huo Guangxiong burst out laughing, as if Xiao Buli had said the most ignorant and laughable thing in the world. "Little boy, do you think I don''t know what you''re planning? You''re just dragging out the time, trying to give your thieves who snuck into our headquarters a chance, huh? Haha, give up on that hope, I''ve already arranged for them to be dealt with."


    "What!" Hearing Huo Guangxiong''s words, everyone behind Xiao Buli''s face changed greatly, "To be discovered in advance..."


    An expression of surprise appeared on Xiao Buli''s face as well, but it was so exaggerated it almost seemed deliberately performed.


    (To be continued... If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), cast your monthly vote, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 535 - 22 Plan B

    "So this is the headquarters of the Ancestral Dragon, huh, seems like they''ve moved to a new home." Xiao Buli stepped out of the Teleportation Portal''s light curtain, looking around at the densely packed Demon Clan and human soldiers waiting to enter, he felt somewhat nervous inside, but fortunately, it seemed as if neither the Demon Clan nor the human soldiers could see him at all, completely unaware of his presence.


    Xiao Buli''s body appeared semi-transparent at the moment, and although he was taking steps, a careful look would reveal that his entire body was actually floating.


    "Just as I had guessed, the feeling of spirit traversing through the Teleportation Portal is similar to a Soul Out Of Body experience. It was a bit risky, but I succeeded, didn''t I?" Xiao Buli let out a heavy sigh in his heart. In recent times, as the front lines fought for cities and territory, he had not been idle himself. To ensure the final success of the plan, Xiao Buli always liked having a fallback plan, also known as PLAN B. However, he would not entrust this B plan to anyone else. Considering the control the game system has over players, he could not completely trust anybody.


    While thinking about this, Xiao Buli glanced at his own body, which even to his own eyes only appeared as a faint mist, slightly thicker than the surrounding air. Even though his body seemed nonexistent, he could still feel it.


    Just now, on the other side of the Teleportation Portal, he had been staring blankly, not because he was captivated by the portal, but because he used that moment to perform the Soul Out Of Body maneuver ¨C a skill he had learned only after killing Bai Yunfei many times. It was mainly used to awaken himself in the game, so it was seldom used, and no one else knew he had this up his sleeve.


    Even less known to everybody was that during this period, he had also learned another spirit attack skill, Soul Possession. That''s right, the very skill that Xuanxu Zi had wanted to use to take over Gu Yuexuan. Even though Xuanxu Zi was now gone, he had merged into Xuan Zhenzi''s body, and naturally, this skill had also become a part of Xuan Zhenzi''s repertoire. And this was an important component of Xiao Buli''s B plan.


    Speaking of which, some might wonder, since Xiao Buli had left his body, who was the one conversing with Huo Guangxiong? Listen to the English prefixes of each sentence, and you will realize that it''s Xiao Buli''s Heart Demon. As the Heart Demon watched Xiao Buli enter the light curtain and leave his body, it feared his return and immediately commanded everyone to carry out the mission and destroy the Teleportation Portal, so that it could completely occupy his body. Let''s put aside the Heart Demon''s continued confrontation with Huo Guangxiong for now.


    Like a Wandering Soul, Xiao Buli walked along the base''s corridors, moving forward. The layout of this base was somewhat similar to that of the former Ancestral Dragon base; Xiao Buli had spent some time inside it before, so navigating was not difficult for him, especially since he could walk through walls when he encountered any impassable areas. Thus, even if the base were a labyrinth, it wouldn''t be able to confine him now.


    Xiao Buli walked forward for about fifteen minutes when he suddenly faintly heard a series of fighting noises. Following the noises and passing straight through the walls, he saw Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er retreating step by step under the siege of the base''s guards.


    Clearly, the Stealth Group''s plan had been detected, and the chances of those who had infiltrated succeeding were slim.


    Yet all this was within Xiao Buli''s calculations. With such a large operation and so many people aware of it, even though it was called a secret mission, how secret could it be? Besides, as for the B plan, this was just a decoy to confuse the enemy.


    Luckily, Lu Xinying and Wu Min''er seemed to be aware of the futility of success and did not resist desperately. They were quickly captured in the siege. The two of them were originally leading a group each, but it seemed that the fate of the others was not much better. At this point, only two or three people were following them and were also captured by the enemy. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The soldiers did not seem intent on killing them but escorted them deeper into the base.


    "Are they being taken to see the officer?" Xiao Buli laughed briefly and hurriedly followed them.


    After a winding path, the soldiers escorted the two into an office. As the door opened, the figure of Dugu Han suddenly appeared before everyone.


    "It''s been a long time, my dear Miss Wu Min''er," Dugu Han''s face bore a sinister smile, and his voice was highly unsettling to hear.


    "Long time no see, you imposter," Xiao Buli muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear as he drifted past Dugu Han.


    "It''s you!" Wu Min''er exclaimed in surprise, then glared at the person beside Dugu Han, her anger flaring even more¡ªit was the president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood.


    "I can''t believe you''ve become a traitor!"


    "Hmph, there''s a lot you couldn''t imagine. The power of the Ancestral Dragon is so vast, I''m not foolish enough to die alongside you all," the president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood replied with a righteous look on his face.


    Wu Min''er scoffed coldly, "Do you really think that by siding with the Ancestral Dragon they will spare you? How naive."


    "Hahahaha, still so defiant even at death''s door. You truly are the Wu Min''er I know," Dugu Han interrupted their exchange, boasting proudly.


    Wu Min''er cast Dugu Han a scornful look, "But you''re no longer the Dugu Han I knew. I killed you with my own hands; there''s no way you could have survived. No, you''re not Dugu Han¡ªwho are you?"


    (Of course, I''m not the real Dugu Han; the real Dugu Han has long been dead.) The fake Dugu Han thought to himself as a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, he sensed something behind him. He turned his head only to find nothing there.


    Could it have been an illusion? Just as he was about to turn back, he felt a chill breeze hit him. The next moment, a sharp pain shot through his brain as if something had forcefully barged in.


    "Damn, what is happening!" A wave of panic washed over Dugu Han. When he tried to call for help, he realized that the guards around him hadn''t noticed anything unusual.


    "What is going on?" His surprise grew as he tried to shout but couldn''t make a sound, tried to move but couldn''t even twitch a finger.


    "Now, this body is mine to take over," a faint voice reached Dugu Han''s ear, and the next instant his consciousness was pushed aside.


    For ''Dugu Han,'' what just occurred felt incredibly long, but for everyone else, it was merely a moment. In the blink of an eye, to those watching, Dugu Han¡ªwho had previously only seemed to pause¡ªrevealed a profound and mysterious smile.


    "Who I am is not important. What''s important is that you''re completely wrong. Those who join us will not be harmed. Not only has he joined us, but soon all guilds will join the Ancestral Dragon, starting with your Qingyang Empire," he said.


    While speaking, the fake Dugu Han, now possessed by Xiao Buli, sat down in front of the computer and logged into the game. (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) by casting your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 536 - 23 Operation Code Name - Trojan Carnage

    In front of the teleportation portal in the game


    Boom, boom boom! A series of explosions tore the flesh of Qingyang Empire soldiers into pieces.


    Out of the thirty thousand Qingyang Empire soldiers, now only less than twenty thousand remained. Although they didn''t have much fighting power in the face of cannon fire, they still desperately pushed forward to the teleportation portal under the control of the corpse-driving warlocks and their ferociously brave undead bodies. Although they were still separated from General Huo''s troops, the two groups of people could see each other from afar and were about to clash.


    But at this moment, the squads inside were also dealing with an endless stream of Demon Clan soldiers and players'' firearms, with no spare strength to destroy the teleportation portal, which was their ultimate mission for today.


    Han Wenhuan saw that the operation had not yet been successful, knowing that his side had to continue to make an effort. Therefore, he waved the command flag in his hand, and a large number of troops immediately charged forward. But the cannon fire, which seemed not so fierce just now, became dense, and the soldiers they faced seemed like a completely different team than before.


    "Dammit, what fierce attacks, Rune Armor!" Yi Xuan really felt like turning around and running back at this moment. The firepower of the guns was in a completely different league from their arrows, and almost everyone on the enemy side had a gun, while his own side only had a small number of firearms left behind by Xiao Buli. Compared to them, their strength was not even a tenth of the enemies''.


    In a hurry, he cast a protective spell on a shield bearer who was rushing to the front. But a second later, a bomb fell and exploded beside the shield bearer, blowing him and his rune armor into pieces with the blast wave.


    "Fuck, how are we supposed to fight this!" Yi Xuan shouted and turned to run.


    "Deceased undead, heed my summoning, rise again!" Amidst a series of deep chants, swathes of already fallen soldiers were reawakened by the corpse-driving warlocks'' spells. But as these soldiers twisted their bomb-mangled bodies and barely staggered to their feet, before they could regroup, fiery tongues of flame spat out amidst the chaos of battle, charring them into charred remains. In contrast, the soldiers of the Ancestral Dragon wore fire-resistant suits and carried gas tanks on their backs, looking like bio-mecha slaughter machines.


    "Fuck, they''ve even brought flamethrowers, guys, get the fuck out of here!" someone in the crowd yelled.


    Having been separated from Bai Yunfei for so long, Han Wenhuan had no time to care about anything else now, just commanding the NPC soldiers behind him to attack towards the teleportation portal.


    "Boss, the corpse-driving warlocks and necromancers have retreated, let''s pull back too." A player teammate ran up to Han Wenhuan, wanting to call him to leave together.


    "No way, the teleportation portal has not been destroyed yet, we''ve got to give it our all," Han Wenhuan was someone who never slacked off on military missions, never stopping until the objective was achieved, which was why Xiao Buli dared to entrust any mission to him confidently.


    But as soon as the words left his mouth, as if to contradict him, there were many low wooden shacks built around the teleportation portal that, at first glance, appeared shabby and decaying. Behind them, from one of the shacks came a sudden boom, and the next second, an armored vehicle clad in iron plating burst through the thin wooden boards and charged out. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fuck! They''ve even got tanks, how can we fight this?" Even someone as resolute as Han Wenhuan was stunned.


    "Don''t be afraid. Let me deal with it!" A loud voice called from a distance, sounding as thunderous as roaring thunder, almost simultaneously with his shout, a lightning bolt as thick as a bucket struck down from the sky, directly cleaving the armored vehicle.


    The armored vehicle, no matter how thick its armor, ultimately could not withstand the force of the heavenly lightning. After a blinding flash of light, it finally exploded with a bang, smoke billowing from the cockpit, turning the war vehicle into a pile of scrap metal, motionless.


    Han Wenhuan looked back and saw Wang Lei standing on the roof of a hut with his hands raised high towards the sky, clearly having just cast a spell, now looking at his accomplishments with a satisfied snicker, "Hmph, mere mortal strength is but trash in front of the Power of the Thunder God."


    "Haha, looks like we still need to rely on our Thunder Summoners'' prowess, huh? All those summoning scrubs have retreated." On another rooftop, Chen Chuan was far from modest as Wang Lei, bursting with proud laughter. Both of them were Thunder Summoners, but these two were not close friends; Wang Lei was an expert from the Qilin Hall, formerly of the Qilin Group, while Chen Chuan was from the Awesome Empire. Before the alliance was formed, they belonged to two different powers and, being the same profession, had their fair share of friction. But this time, for a common goal, they had no choice but to stand together and fight.


    Wang Lei glanced back at Chen Chuan and was about to taunt him for his boastful words when suddenly, with a bang, Chen Chuan''s head inexplicably exploded into a mess of gore.


    "Sniper!" The thought flashed through Wang Lei''s mind, and in fear, he quickly ducked and, without a care for the battle at hand, jumped down from the hut and sprinted back the way they came, surrounded by many players who could no longer withstand the onslaught, unlike the NPC soldiers who, unless they reached the brink of collapse, would fight bravely.


    Just as Wang Lei fled, the very next moment, the hut under his feet collapsed with a roar. An armored vehicle burst out of the rubble, and simultaneously, more armored vehicles charged from the ruins. From a distance, it was vaguely visible that there were tunnel-like openings inside, with hundreds of Demon Clan warriors charging out non-stop. Clearly, their ability to reach this place likely indicated that the enemy had lured them deep into their territory for an ambush.

 Chapter 537 - 23 Operation Code Name - Trojan Carnage_2

    No matter how reluctant Han Wenhuan was, he could tell that it was no longer feasible to continue the fight. Moreover, looking from afar, the assault squad, though still capable of self-reporting, clearly found it impossible to find a moment to destroy the Teleportation Portal.


    Just then, a strange voice suddenly reached Han Wenhuan''s ears, "Old Han, I''m Xiao Buli. Execute Plan B, the action code¡ªTrojan Slaughter."


    Han Wenhuan''s expression shook. So, they really had to resort to this strategy? Although he had never heard the voice before, Han Wenhuan, who was privy to the plan, understood that it must be the body Xiao Buli had taken possession of at that moment.


    Thinking this, Han Wenhuan simultaneously ordered his adjutant, "Full army retreat."


    "Yes!" the adjutant shouted, waving the Command Flag, while the messenger beside him immediately struck the golden gong in his hand. At the giving of the order, the Qingyang army, whose Morale was already on the brink, quickly disintegrated in defeat.


    Fortunately, they had just connected with the ambushing troops and had not yet been encircled. However, even so, the retreat was difficult under the pursuers, with many NPC soldiers being shot dead from behind.


    Huo Guangxiong, looking back at the retreating army like a tide, turned around with a mocking and utterly self-satisfied expression, and said to Xiao Buli with a laugh, "Ha ha, it seems your grand army can no longer fight, will you continue to persist?"


    Behind Xiao Buli, the members of the assault squad watched the opposing army crumble with urgency in their hearts, astonished that the front-line troops had already been defeated, while their own airborne assault team''s situation wasn''t any better.


    Xiao Buli glanced at the comrades behind him, struggling to cope, and at the NPC army fleeing miserably on the other side. Yet his face remained extraordinarily calm. The conversation he had with Xiao Buli two days ago surfaced in his mind...


    "What do you think? Do you believe my plan can succeed?" Xiao Buli, looking at the map, kept rehearsing today''s actions in his mind.


    "WHO? ME? (Who? Me?) You''re asking me?" The Heart Demon seemed baffled by Xiao Buli''s friendly tone, and though it wasn''t a diligent Heart Demon, Xiao Buli always seemed to cozy up to him - for what?


    "Yes, and you''ve been quiet for so long, not meddling¡ªwhy''s that?" Xiao Buli asked with a smile in his heart.


    "Sigh, I''m not as diligent as the previous Heart Demon. Are you not happy with that?" the Heart Demon responded somewhat helplessly.


    "I''m just very curious about you all. You two are very different. Why is that? The system obviously creates Heart Demons to serve itself. Why can some, like you, neglect your proper work? If you say you''re harmless, why do some people go mad because of it?" Xiao Buli''s question was like that of a curious child, but it was a question that had preoccupied him for a long time.


    "Although we were created by the system, we are indeed born from our hosts. Therefore, there are inevitably differences, much like farming. Crops from fertile land are naturally full and heavy with grain, while it''s a blessing if barren land can grow weeds at all. People are the same, there are good and bad ones. The character of a Heart Demon mainly depends on your own personality. We just take one aspect of it and amplify it as far as possible."


    "Oh~ so you mean a person who delights in killing, their Heart Demon naturally becomes bloodthirsty, while someone inherently kind at heart may have a harmless Heart Demon, like Shaobang. His young master''s nature is harmless, he means no ill in his dealings with others, so his Heart Demon is like he says, seems like a twin to him, and they get along quite well," Xiao Buli analyzed, following the Heart Demon''s reasoning.


    "Roughly speaking, yes, but not exactly. Some people may have hidden aspects of their personality. It depends on which traits the Heart Demon latches onto. It''s not uncommon for a Heart Demon to be completely different from its host''s facade. Anyway, you''re not asking me just to discuss this today, are you?" The Heart Demon seemed to not quite understand why, amid an intense battle, Xiao Buli would bother discussing the origin of Heart Demons with it.


    "Heh, ''Know thyself, know thy enemy,'' right? How about we make a deal?" Xiao Buli laughed.


    "Have you forgotten I am you? I know whatever you''re thinking. You want me to help you complete this operation, and in return, you''ll help me survive using a Soul Shard?"


    It''s all in, Xiao Buli had been pondering this question for the past few days. If he were to leave his body unattended, it would undoubtedly be a certain death to leave it there unconscious, and if he were to leave his body, he would need someone else to hold the fort for a while, so he could carry out his plan. Therefore, the person who could control his body was extremely crucial in the entire plan.


    "What do you think? Are you willing?"


    "When you leave your body, you''ll hand over control to me. Are you sure about that?" the Heart Demon did not answer his question, but instead asked back.


    "Hehe, I have confidence in my own goodness."


    Xiao Buli''s words about having confidence in his own goodness still echoed in his ears, the Heart Demon sighed, looked up with a smile, and said to General Huo, "Don''t be too proud too soon; I haven''t used my trump card yet!" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing the boss say this, the squad members behind him suddenly snapped back to their senses. That''s right, there were still members of the Stealth Group. As long as they could destroy the Teleportation Portal from inside the Ancestral Dragon base or take out the network hub, then all the player soldiers currently online would disconnect. The pressure of battle would not be lightened by just a star or a half, but if they could annihilate the Demon Clan, destroying the Teleportation Portal was still feasible.


    "Oh?" Huo Guangxiong seemed genuinely surprised, feigning shock, "Let me think, are you talking about those thief assassins you dispatched? I''m afraid I''ll have to disappoint you today then. My men have just sent me some information; it seems our base has captured quite a few people."


    Huo Guangxiong''s adjutant gave a signal with his eyes, and that adjutant immediately waved over to the twelve Demon Clan guarding the Teleportation Portal. In no time at all, the portal''s white light flashed, and several tightly bound assassins and thieves were led out, exactly the ones who had been sent out earlier.


    "What!" With this, the people could no longer contain themselves, "Boss, think of something quickly, what should we do now?"


    Xiao Buli turned back to look at the people who were brought out, moved slightly, as if he took a deep breath, then looked at everyone, his face suddenly showing a bitter smile, "Brothers, it looks like we really can''t win this one. Since that''s the case, we might as well just surrender. Life is more important than a game, right?" Although he said this, his tone did not seem helpless, and it even seemed to carry a hint of jest.


    When Xiao Buli said these words, everyone was completely dumbfounded, "No way, boss, how can you say that?"


    "If we don''t surrender, what else can we do? Anyway, we Qingyang Empire can''t keep on fighting. I''m going to surrender; the rest of you fend for yourselves. If possible, better hurry up and tell your leaders to surrender as well."


    After saying that, he directly sent a surrender to Huo Guangxiong.


    System prompt: Qingyang Guild Leader Xiao Buli has initiated allegiance to you, do you accept? Yes/No.


    "Hahaha, indeed, those who understand the times are outstanding." Huo Guangxiong laughed out loud but suddenly stopped his laughter, a suspicion arising in his heart. Surrender so easily? How could it be? Did he, Huo Guangxiong, look like a three-year-old child? Pretending to be magnanimous, he said, "Forget about surrendering. As long as you stop opposing us Ancestral Dragons, sparing your life isn''t a big deal."


    But even before Huo Guangxiong finished speaking, a system prompt suddenly rang in his ear.


    System prompt: Allegiance accepted, you have gained control over Qingyang Empire and its territories.


    System announcement: Qingyang Empire has joined the Ancestral Dragon Empire, becoming a subsidiary guild of the Ancestral Dragon Empire. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

 Chapter 538 - 24: Game Restart (Grand Finale)

    What''s going on? Huo Guangxiong was instantly stunned. He hadn''t accepted any pledges of allegiance. No, that''s not right¡ªhe suddenly realized that because of the massive recruitment over the past period, he had opened up permissions. So now, it wasn''t just him who had the authority to add people; several vice presidents could receive requests too. It seemed that they must have accepted Xiao Buli''s surrender when he applied. He wanted to change the permissions but was not in his own capital city at the moment. According to the system settings, only within the capital can a president modify permissions, akin to how ancient emperors could only issue orders within the capital city.


    The people behind Xiao Buli instantly bristled. If at the beginning they had thought Xiao Buli was merely bluffing, the facts were now clear: the Qingyang Empire was indeed planning to defect. Why should they continue fighting? One by one, they hurriedly contacted their respective presidents.


    Shortly after, the sound of system announcements echoed repeatedly.


    System Announcement: The Overlord Alliance has joined the Ancestral Dragon Empire and become a subsidiary guild of the Ancestral Dragon Empire.


    System Announcement: The Wind Clan has joined the Ancestral Dragon Empire and become a subsidiary guild of the Ancestral Dragon Empire.


    System Announcement: The Shadow Brotherhood has joined the Ancestral Dragon Empire and become a subsidiary guild of the Ancestral Dragon Empire.


    System Announcement: ................


    Watching the announcements appearing one after another, Huo Guangxiong''s face went through a series of changes, and then a flash of terror crossed his eyes as he suddenly understood what was happening.


    He grabbed a communicator, arrest Dugu Han, arrest Lin Feng, arrest all the vice presidents, stop accepting pledges of allegiance.........


    Meanwhile, in Zhongzhou City:


    "I''m telling you, this Xiao Buli is really underhanded. I''ve played this game for so long, yet this is the first time I''ve come across such a cunning guy. If this kid were in ancient times, he''d definitely be a warlord," sitting in a meeting room in Zhongzhou City, Lei Zhengang said to Xuan Zhenzi while stretched out in a relaxed pose.


    In the meeting room, Lei Zhengang, Xuan Zhenzi, and Luo Sen were seated around a table. While Lei Zhengang was expressing his thoughts, he also remotely submitted his pledge of allegiance to Dugu Han.


    System Announcement: The Awesome Empire has joined the Ancestral Dragon Empire and become a subsidiary guild of the Ancestral Dragon Empire.


    "Hmph, just some despicable tricks," Luo Sen, sitting on the side, didn''t seem very pleased and behaved quite out of character compared to his usual genteel demeanor.


    "Alright, stop wasting time, now only your guild has yet to pledge allegiance," Lei Zhengang urged anxiously, worried that if he joined Ancestral Dragon, this old man might change his mind later and cause him trouble.


    Although Luo Sen was very displeased, he knew the urgency of the situation; this was not the time for grievances. He sighed and submitted the application.


    System Announcement: Qilin Hall has joined the Ancestral Dragon Empire and become a subsidiary guild of the Ancestral Dragon Empire. Then they sat waiting for the system to prompt them, seconds passed. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh, why hasn''t it been successful yet?"


    The three almost simultaneously thought and exchanged glances, confusion spreading across their faces.


    Meanwhile, inside the Ancestral Dragon base:


    Xiao Buli, who was at the moment possessing Dugu Han''s body, also showed a trace of doubt in his heart. He glanced around and his gaze suddenly landed on the president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood: "Oh right, there''s you too!" "Me, what about me?" The president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood immediately revealed a flattering smile and quietly asked.


    "Oh, haha, now that your task is done, it''s time for your people to join us in Ancestral Dragon," Dugu Han said to him in a condescending tone.


    "Oh, is that so? I''ll get on it right away." Since the president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood had intended to pledge allegiance to Ancestral Dragon, hearing Dugu Han say this, he promptly logged into his account on the nearby computer and submitted the application.


    System Prompt: The president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood *** has initiated a pledge of allegiance to you. Do you accept? Yes/No.


    Xiao Buli was about to accept the request when suddenly, the door was violently kicked open. Huo Guangxiong, with murderous aura billowing off him, stood ferociously at the entrance. Because of the game''s vexing rules regarding distance and transportation, it was already too late for Huo Guangxiong to return to the capital to change the permissions. In desperation, he went through the Teleportation Portal to the Ancestral Dragon base. Many people inside the Ancestral Dragon base were seeing a living Huo Guangxiong for the first time, and they couldn''t help but watch, trailing behind him at a distance.


    Dugu Han greeted Huo Guangxiong with a slight smile, "Look who''s the loser now," while tauntingly pressing YES lightly...........


    "No!" Huo Guangxiong bellowed, his anger exploding. He glanced at the people in the room. The president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood, still obliviously unaware of the situation, said to Huo Guangxiong with a face full of happiness, "General Huo, I have already joined Ancestral Dragon."


    "So it''s you who made me lose everything?" Huo Guangxiong''s voice was filled with fury.


    "Yes¡ªno, it isn''t." The president of the Iron Blood Brotherhood didn''t understand at first and was about to explain when Huo Guangxiong''s fist exploded his head.


    "I did say you wouldn''t come to a good end," Wu Min''er said coldly on the side. Huo Guangxiong then charged at Dugu Han. Dugu Han pulled out a pistol and fired two shots, but Huo Guangxiong didn''t dodge; regular bullets posed no threat to him. He punched out, and Dugu Han had no chance to evade. However, as he was killed, Xiao Buli had already left Dugu Han''s body.


    Xiao Buli didn''t linger and floated straight towards the Teleportation Portal. With the system''s help, who knew if Huo Guangxiong had any way to directly assault a Spiritual Body.


    Meanwhile, Wu Min''er and Lu Xinying also rushed outside, as Xiao Buli''s two shots had conveniently taken out the two soldiers holding them captive.


    Bursting through the teleportation portal, Xiao Buli immediately pulled out the Soul Absorption Pearl the moment he was back in his own body. The Heart Demon couldn''t wait any longer; it would cease to exist now that the system had reset. Just as the Heart Demon left Xiao Buli''s body and entered the pearl, he heard the long-anticipated announcement.


    System Announcement: After long years of division, the Ancestral Dragon Empire has finally united the entire continent, putting an end to the era of chaos. Huo Guangxiong, the guild master of the Ancestral Dragon Guild, has been given the title of King of Men. Under his leadership, this world will enter into a brand new chapter.


    System Announcement: Due to the launch of a new version, the system will enter reboot mode, and the game will soon go into maintenance. Please pay close attention to the official website for updates, and log out of the game within ten minutes.


    Finally, everyone grasped the hidden trump card of Elder Xiao.


    "Elder Xiao, what do we do now?"


    What to do but to log off quickly. Xiao Buli exhaled a long breath of relief and then directly logged out of the game, without a trace of nostalgia.


    Epilogue:


    "Cheers!"


    Inside the Rainbow Bar, several tall glasses clinked together, and the amber liquid inside them refracted a spectrum of colors under the lights. Xiao Buli took a sip of champagne from his glass, looking at the familiar smiling faces in front of him. His heart, once racing with excitement, was now gradually calming down.


    Being able to leave that hell of a game alive, everyone felt exceptionally relieved. After the game reset, Xiao Buli easily escaped the base using Earth Escape Skills and returned to the real world. Now, as they were all reunited, laughing and joking about, the deadly game felt like a distant memory.


    "This ordinary life is so much better," Xiao Ge said with a smile as he gulped down the wine in his glass.


    Their expressions varied, but the smiles on their lips seemed to agree.


    Since the game update, that voice in everyone''s head had finally vanished. Though they had eagerly wanted to rid themselves of the Heart Demon, now that it was truly gone, some, like Gu Shaobang, felt a sense of loss.


    "So, boss, what are we going to do now?" Mr. Bang felt life tasteless without Xiao Buli''s guidance.


    "Do whatever you want. As for me, I''m done with any dumb games. I''ve made tens of millions; that''s enough for me to spend," Han Wenhuan said as he poured himself another drink. He had always envied Mr. Bang''s wealthy lifestyle, but now, with his abilities earned in the game, Han Wenhuan had splendidly made himself a first-generation rich. These days, he walked as if on air, indescribably happy.


    Amidst the clinking of cups and laughter, Xiao Buli listened to his brothers teasing each other, feeling surprisingly forlorn. Perhaps it was the melancholy that sets in after revelry, he thought, as he silently left the bar.


    Looking up at the clear night sky, Xiao Buli exhaled deeply. Although everything had ended beautifully, he felt as though something was missing in life.


    Wandering the streets, he found himself in front of an internet caf¨¦ without realizing it.


    How long had it been since he had been to an internet caf¨¦ to play games?


    "Boss, a night pass and another Coke," Xiao Buli casually handed over a hundred-dollar bill and took a seat in front of a computer.


    Although he had spent the recent months in the game, really playing on a computer was something he hadn''t done in quite a while. Going to an internet caf¨¦ felt like something from a past life.


    The air in the caf¨¦ was as usual, a mix of foot odor, cigarette smoke, instant noodles, and other unpleasant smells. Xiao Buli remembered the times during school when he and a dozen classmates would game overnight in an internet caf¨¦, and it seemed only in those times could games bring him true happiness. He decided to game without worry tonight, as his body had been transformed by the game and could easily handle an all-nighter.


    As music played, the familiar computer desktop appeared before him.


    He wondered what new games had come out recently as he clicked on the online games interface. Suddenly, a red skull icon caught his eye, and he was startled. What''s this? The game had reappeared?


    Looking at the game''s name, it seemed to be a bit different, "Absolute Death Domain: Six Realms Dominator Path." So, the Six Realms Dominator Path was the name of the new expansion?


    Glancing around and seeing no one paying attention, Xiao Buli hesitated, sighed, and stood up, walking towards the exit without a second thought¡ªlet that damn game go to hell.


    "Dude, your Coke," the caf¨¦ manager shouted after Xiao Buli''s departing figure, but he kept walking without turning back.


    "Damn, what a weird guy," the manager muttered as he approached the computer, intending to set down the Coke, thinking perhaps Xiao Buli had simply left for a bit.


    Casually glancing at the screen, the manager got pulled in by the skull icon. He''d personally downloaded and organized all the games in the caf¨¦. "Absolute Death Domain, what game is this?" He had no memory of it. Looking again toward the door, he saw no sign of the customer returning. Shrugging his shoulders, he sat down for a quick play to check it out; there wasn''t a game on the market he didn''t know. If the customer came back, he''d just give up the seat, the manager thought, and clicked on the skull icon.


    (The End)


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