《Full-Star Player Returns as a Godslayer》
Chapter 1 - Log in to your previous life account, the strong return!
"I heard that in our city''s Jiangbei District, a security guard at the Tingyue Community registered a three-star Sky Abyss game account yesterday and was immediately recruited by the Dream Chasing Team with a high salary of fifty thousand a month! Is that true?"
"Damn it! Don''t even mention it! My house is right there! That kid dropped out of high school and became a security guard in our community. Just two months in, he hit the jackpot and quit to join Dream Chasing. Everyone in our community is green with envy!"
"What can you do? That''s how the world is. I had a friend who was a total simp, always bumming cigarettes off me. On his 18th birthday, he miraculously registered a four-star account. Now he''s driving a Ferrari with one hand and changing model-level girlfriends every day!"
"Ugh, when will we one-star account holders ever see hope?"
"I''m thinking of going to a factory to screw bolts. The money isn''t as good as in Sky Abyss, but at least I won''t be dancing with death every day!"
...
As evening fell.
At a small eatery downstairs in the community.
Lu Ming was quietly eating his stir-fried pork with green peppers over rice, listening to the conversation of a few young men at the next table.
After finishing his meal, Lu Ming headed straight to a nearby internet caf¨¦, Ant Caf¨¦, and booted up a computer.
He went directly to a corner seat, silently turned on the machine, and opened a game app called [Sky Abyss].
[Please enter your game account]
Staring at the prompt on the computer screen, Lu Ming swiped his ID card, and the ID number automatically appeared in the account input field.
Just as he was about to click login, Lu Ming seemed to suddenly remember something.
He hesitated for a moment, pressed enter to cancel the account, and then manually entered a new ID number that didn''t match the one on his ID card.
Tentatively, he clicked login.
Unexpectedly, the next second.
Whoosh!
A black vortex appeared on the computer screen, sucking Lu Ming right in!
In the blink of an eye, Lu Ming found himself in a tranquil town.
[Ding~ Esteemed Ten-Star account player, Nether, welcome back to the world of Sky Abyss!]
With the system''s voice ringing in his ears, Lu Ming was stunned.
"I can actually log into my past life''s account!!!"
That''s right, Lu Ming was a reborn individual! As memories in his mind began to rewind...
A hundred years ago, a game called [Sky Abyss] appeared out of nowhere and became a global sensation overnight.
Everyone over the age of 18 had a lifetime opportunity to register an account, and logging in allowed them to enter this game.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Initially, people thought it was just a game. Until a player was killed by a monster in Sky Abyss, resulting in brain death in the real world.
Moreover, more and more monsters began crossing dimensions, gradually invading the real world from Sky Abyss, slaughtering humans and destroying cities.
Only then did humanity realize: disaster had struck!
To protect their loved ones, friends, and the sanctity of humanity, people bravely registered accounts to enter Sky Abyss, fighting against powerful monsters to prevent them from invading the real world.
Thus, humanity entered an era of universal gaming.
Sky Abyss game accounts were graded from One-Star to Ten-Star. In his past life, Lu Ming had bad luck, registering only a one-star account, the lowest grade. Yet, he was extremely fortunate to be the 99,999,999,999th registered player globally, receiving a unique special reward task from Sky Abyss:
If Lu Ming could level up his character to 200 within five years, he would complete the task and receive the only reward that could upgrade any account to the highest ten-star grade¡ªthe Scroll of Deification!
So, Lu Ming embarked on a frenzied leveling journey.
However, for someone with no money, no power, no influence, and only a one-star account, the task was unimaginably difficult.
To get this reward, Lu Ming became a gaming fanatic, staying online for over 18 hours a day! He tirelessly completed tasks, farmed monsters, and leveled up, even humbling himself to be a simp, countless times begging high-level players to take him through dungeons. After 1,809 days, just last night, Lu Ming finally reached level 200 and successfully obtained the [Scroll of Deification] reward!
But unexpectedly, at that moment, he was stabbed through the heart from behind by his beloved girlfriend of three years, Ye Ling''er! That scene was forever etched in Lu Ming''s memory.
Ye Ling''er cried as she spoke, "I''m sorry, Lu Ming, I''m sorry... I really had no choice. He promised me that only if I killed you and got the Scroll of Deification for him, he would release my parents and my brother.
We can''t fight him. His power is overwhelming, killing us would be as easy as squashing a few ants...
That''s my only brother, and my parents raised me with such difficulty. I can''t just watch them die..."
Lu Ming didn''t know who this "he" Ye Ling''er referred to was. He only knew: he had been with Ye Ling''er for three years. During those three years. Though poor, he treated Ye Ling''er with utmost care.
"Remember that night when you messaged me saying your stomach hurt from your period? Without a second thought, I abandoned a task I had been working on for three days and nights, braved a torrential downpour to buy brown sugar, and rode my electric scooter to your house to make brown sugar water for you, staying by your side to take care of you!
And another time, when your father fell ill and owed tens of thousands in debt. I worked overtime, extending my Sky Abyss online time from 18 to 20 hours a day, grinding for two whole months! Finally, I managed to gather enough money by selling equipment and materials to help your family pay off the debt!
"You said you didn''t like takeout, so I logged off at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day to ride to your house and cook for you, then rode back home to log back into Sky Abyss, rain or shine for three years!"
Recalling all these memories, Lu Ming''s eyes filled with bloodshot rage. All along, Lu Ming had treated Ye Ling''er like a precious gem, wholeheartedly devoted to her. But in the end, he got in return: "I know you''re good to me, but besides being good to me, you''re just a useless loser..."
Lu Ming clenched his fists, his heart burning with anger.
"I was always planning our future with all my might, And you, you betrayed me so easily! Whether you were forced or not, Ye Ling''er, I will make you pay!"
As for the current situation.
The good news: After being backstabbed by Ye Ling''er, at the moment of his death, Lu Ming used the Scroll of Deification, preventing "him" from succeeding, and first obtained the power of the Scroll of Deification himself, upgrading his account from one-star to a full ten-star!
The bad news: Lu Ming didn''t even get to enjoy that ten-star account before he died.
Another piece of good news: Fate didn''t abandon Lu Ming. After his death, he was unexpectedly reborn into the same timeline, in the body of someone with the same name!
Another piece of bad news: The original owner of this body was a penniless, powerless, orphan who had just turned 18 today and registered a common one-star Sky Abyss account.
Alone, living in a small third-tier city in Great Xia, unable to even pay next month''s rent. Unable to see hope for the future and unable to bear the pressure, he overdosed on sleeping pills to commit suicide.
As a result, when Lu Ming''s soul crossed over, his stomach churned violently, and he clung to the toilet, vomiting for half an hour. After emptying his stomach, the first thing he did was run downstairs to eat, leading to the scene at the beginning.
The originally disastrous start was completely reversed the moment Lu Ming successfully logged into his past life''s account!
Could it be that the Sky Abyss account is directly bound to the player''s soul, meaning the soul is the only login password for the account?
Lu Ming eagerly opened the account interface to check.
[Account: 330200***97]
[Account Qualification: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï (Full)]
[Talent ¢Ù: Soul Slash Lv1 (Each time the player kills an enemy, they can refine its corpse to gain corresponding soul power. Consuming soul power can summon an Undead Warrior, who will protect the master to the death, never betraying. The maximum number of refinements is player level * 10)]
[Talent ¢Ú: Comprehensive Amplification Lv1 (All player skills'' effects are increased tenfold)]
[Talent ¢Û: Rebirth from Ashes Lv1 (When the player dies, sacrifice the weakest Undead Warrior to resurrect the player)]
Looking at the ten-star account before him and its three top-tier talents, Lu Ming''s heart raced, his body trembling with excitement.
You must know: In the hundred years since Sky Abyss descended, the highest player account qualification worldwide was only six-star!
Moreover, in the Sky Abyss world, even a summoner class at level 100 could only summon ten creatures at most.
Yet, the first talent, Soul Slash, allows summoning ten at level 1! At level 100, it can summon a thousand!
The second talent, Comprehensive Amplification, with a Lv1 effect of tenfold skill strength, is unimaginable at higher levels!
The third talent, Rebirth from Ashes, is even more outrageous.
Sky Abyss seems like a game, but in reality, if a player dies in it, they experience real brain death in the real world.
Combining Rebirth from Ashes with Soul Slash, imagine: in the later stages, when Lu Ming commands an army of tens of thousands of Undead Warriors, it''s almost as if he possesses an immortal body!
Suddenly, Lu Ming burst into uncontrollable laughter. So much so that passersby and players around him thought Lu Ming had gone mad.
"Five years! Do you know how I survived these five years?"
I''M FINALLY GOING TO RISE!!!
Chapter 2 - Three Major Ten Star Talents, Super God Trickster!
Lu Ming snapped back to reality.
When he realized that his login location was at the Sky Abyss world¡¯s newbie village number 1947, Moonfall Town, he instantly sensed something was off.
Opening the status panel, he indeed found the issue...
[Player: Nether]
[Account Qualification: Ten-Star]
[Class: None]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 3] (Strength affects physical attack, i.e., 1 Strength = 1 Physical Attack)
[Agility: 1] (1 Agility = 1 Speed)
[Endurance: 1] (1 Endurance = 1 Armor + 1 Magic Resistance)
[Spirit: 1] (1 Spirit = 10 Mana Points + 0.1 Mana Recovery per second)
[Constitution: 1] (1 Constitution = 10 Health Points + 1 Health Recovery per second)
[Physical Attack: 3]
[Armor: 1]
[Magic Resistance: 1]
[Speed: 1]
[Mana Points: 20] (Base + Spirit Bonus)
[Health Points: 60] (Base + Constitution Bonus)
[Skill: Reconnaissance (F-grade, consumes 1 Mana Point, can view monster data up to 3 levels higher than the player, no cooldown)]
[Experience Points: 0/100]
[Description: A new recruit in Sky Abyss, remember the laws of this world: survival of the fittest...]
"Why am I back to level 1?!" Lu Ming frowned slightly. Could it be that during rebirth, only his mind was brought over, leaving his body behind?
Of course, it wasn''t unacceptable. After all, compared to the body, the account was the most important. Starting anew could actually make up for many permanent enhancements missed in the previous life due to lack of strength, thus raising the ceiling!
And with this ten-star account in hand. In the last life, it took five years to reach level 200, but Lu Ming was confident he could achieve it within a year this time, maybe even sooner!
Just then, the system''s voice sounded.
[Ding~ Based on your account''s talent characteristics, the system recommends the Mage class for you!]
Lu Ming couldn''t help but shake his head. Playing a Mage with such overpowered talents? That would be like feeding a Tibetan mastiff with garbage!
Thus, Lu Ming decisively made his choice among the eight major classes: Mage, Summoner, Priest, Trickster, Archer, Assassin, Knight, and Warrior¡ª Trickster!The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The Trickster''s specialty is creating formations to enhance allies within the area or weaken enemies.
Indeed, it''s a class with no output, no tankiness, extremely reliant on teammates, with a historical employment rate of only 0.71%, commonly known as a class that "not even a dog would play."
If he only had the [Comprehensive Amplification] talent that enhances skill effects tenfold, Lu Ming''s T1 choice would undoubtedly be Mage.
But! The [Soul Slash] talent instantly elevated the Trickster class from the gutter to TOP level! What kind of scene would it be to apply a tenfold amplified enhancement skill to an army of Undead Warriors?
Unimaginable!
After choosing the Trickster class, Lu Ming opened the Sky Abyss trading house. Because he realized: even with the world''s number one ten-star qualification account, the early stages without equipment or skills would be extremely tough!
After some searching, his eyes finally locked onto an F-grade [Trickster Skill Scroll]. Priced at 1999, it was already the cheapest skill scroll in the trading house.
And Lu Ming''s WeChat account had 2112.8 yuan left. This was the salary the original owner earned from working at a caf¨¦ last month. It was originally intended to pay the rent that had been overdue for three months.
But now, there was no choice. Lu Ming bought the skill scroll and then spent 100 yuan on a level 1 Trickster weapon.
After placing the order with the delivery account, Lu Ming soon received two emails. Extracting the emails, he obtained the skill scroll and equipment.
[War Tread] (Trickster ¡¤ F-grade Skill Scroll)
[Description: After use, you can learn the skill War Tread Lv1 (releases a circular war formation with a 50-yard radius, granting all allied targets within the formation a (Trickster 10% Attack Power + 3) attack power bonus, lasting 15 seconds)]
[Mana Consumption: 3 Mana Points to activate, 1 Mana Point per second thereafter]
[Cooldown: 50 seconds]
[Note: Effects of the same type of formation cannot stack]
Lu Ming immediately crushed the scroll and learned the skill.
Under the tenfold enhancement of the [Comprehensive Amplification] talent, the effective range of War Tread expanded from a 50-yard radius to a 500-yard radius! The attack bonus for allies within the range increased from Trickster 10% Attack Power + 3 to 100% Attack Power + 30!
The duration extended from 15 seconds to 150 seconds, perfectly covering the 50-second skill cooldown! Which means, as long as he had enough Mana, Lu Ming could keep War Tread active permanently!
Next, Lu Ming looked at the weapon he bought for 100 yuan.
[Rusty Iron Sword] (Whiteboard)
[Physical Attack: +3]
[Class Requirement: Trickster, Warrior]
[Level Requirement: 1]
[Durability: 7/10]
[Description: Although it looks shabby, it can still add some damage for you...]
If not for the worn durability, according to Sky Abyss''s prices, 100 yuan wouldn''t be enough to buy a weapon, even a level 1 whiteboard weapon!
Equipping the iron sword immediately increased his attack from 3 to 6.
Looking at the remaining 13.8 yuan in his WeChat balance, Lu Ming couldn''t help but be thankful: "At least it''s enough for a bowl of roast duck noodles!"
As the saying goes, you can''t catch wolves without sacrificing the child.
Though the Sky Abyss world is fraught with danger, it''s also filled with opportunities. With this ten-star qualification account, money would no longer be a distant dream but something Lu Ming could easily obtain!
In his previous life, Lu Ming had been poor for half his life and was truly afraid of poverty. He no longer wanted to sleep in a 300-yuan-a-month rental room the size of a bathroom! He no longer wanted to live on two plain steamed buns for breakfast, bread for lunch, and instant noodles for dinner without even adding a sausage!
He wanted to make money!
He wanted to live well!
Of course, having lived another life, Lu Ming knew even better: in the Sky Abyss world, strength is more important than money!
In his previous life, Lu Ming was schemed against by Ye Ling''er because he had neither money nor strength, and at that moment, he had no power to resist, only helplessly howling.
In this life.
"Power, money, status, I want them all!"
Lu Ming knew that with his current level and strength, he couldn''t possibly compete with Ye Ling''er, who was already over level 180. Not to mention the person behind Ye Ling''er, who threatened her to betray Lu Ming and tried to seize the Scroll of Deification from him.
According to Ye Ling''er, this person must be extremely powerful, with a high status and position in Great Xia. So to seek revenge, Lu Ming must first become stronger! And it was also a chance to bide his time and investigate who was manipulating everything and causing his death!
Thus, after a round in Moonfall Town, Lu Ming accepted a quest from Dick, the bar''s security guard.
[Who Stole the Ring?] (Normal Quest)
[Difficulty Index: 10]
[Description: Damn spider stole the ring Dick had saved up for half a year to buy, intending to propose to his girlfriend. Dick is depressed because of this; please go to the Shadow Forest, hunt Jungle Spiders (0/10), and retrieve the ring for Dick (0/1)]
[Quest Time: 9 hours 59 minutes]
[Quest Reward: Experience Points +50, Copper Coins +5, very small chance of Whiteboard Equipment +1]
***
Following the map''s guidance, he headed to the 1-5 level wild area, Shadow Forest, located north of Moonfall Town.
Passing through the town''s north gate, he saw a large crowd of players, young and old, gathered there. Among them were newly registered level 1 newcomers and veterans already in their teens. Various shouts and calls echoed continuously.
"Ten-year veteran, City Ninth Battle Team [Heavenly Palace] recruiting newcomers! One-star qualification members enjoy a starting salary of five thousand plus commission, five insurances and one fund, four days off a month, easily earning over ten thousand a month!"
"Anyone need power leveling? Full set of Black Iron Equipment, level 10 Second Transition Warrior online power leveling! Newcomer discount only 50 yuan per hour, guaranteed to reach level 4 in a day! Referrals and girls get a 10% discount!"
"Any newcomers want to team up for the level 2 Scorpion quest? Need one more frontliner, starting soon!"
"8-10 level dungeon [Scarlet Zone] team looking for members! Level 8 Archer seeking team, has Black Iron weapon!"
...
Because this is a world of real death, so those veteran players target newcomers without fixed teams, exploiting their fear of venturing out alone, and try to lure them in.
As soon as Lu Ming arrived at the gate, several veteran players surrounded him, eagerly promoting themselves. It almost made Lu Ming feel like he was back at a bus station, facing a group of seasoned drivers.
Of course, while newcomers are easy to fool, Lu Ming, a veteran who had spent five years in the Sky Abyss world, was not so easily swayed!
Emerging from the bustling Moonfall Town, Lu Ming ventured into the wilderness, alone.
Chapter 3 - Undead Warrior, I am the Lord of the Undead!
Outside Moonfall Town.
As far as the eye could see, the city lay in ruins, smoke rising everywhere, a scene of utter devastation, like a hell on earth. Strange-looking mutated creatures roamed the ruins with impunity, eyeing the passing players nearby with predatory intent.
The sky was filled with rolling black clouds, lightning flashing and thunder roaring. The scent of death permeated the air.
Navigating through the ruins, Lu Ming headed straight for the level 1-5 wild zone: Shadow Forest.
Within the vast forest, many level 1-3 players had accepted the "Who Stole the Ring" quest, forming small groups to hunt the forest monsters: Jungle Spiders.
Being novices, they could only inflict minimal damage of 3 or 4 points, making it difficult to take down the Jungle Spiders even with several people attacking together.
Lu Ming bypassed them and headed to the other end of the Shadow Forest. He stopped only when there was no player in sight.
Roar...
With a low growl, a giant spider, as large as an adult bull and covered in black hair, appeared in his line of sight.
Lu Ming cast a Reconnaissance:
[Jungle Spider] (Physical Type ¡¤ Common Monster)
[Level: 1]
[Physical Attack: 4]
[Armor: 1]
[Magic Resistance: 0]
[Speed: 1]
[Health Points: 50]
[Skill: Venom (Grade F)]
[Description: A spider corrupted by dark forces, highly aggressive. Beware! Its venom can corrode your skin at any moment...]
Sizzle¡ª
A green acidic liquid dripped from its gaping maw, quickly corroding the ground and sending up wisps of smoke.
Generally, new players entering Sky Abyss for the first time would need an adaptation period of at least three to seven days when facing such terrifying monsters.
But having died once already, Lu Ming was fearless. He drew his sword and stepped forward with a calm expression. With a deft maneuver, he dodged the Jungle Spider''s long-range venom attack and, as he closed in, swung his sword.
Slash!
Green blood splattered instantly. A blood-red damage number appeared above the Jungle Spider''s head¡ª
-5!
Before activating the Soul Slash talent to summon the Undead Warrior, it was a bit challenging.
Lu Ming was mentally prepared for this. After all, as a Trickster, he was primarily a support role and didn''t expect to deal much damage.
At this moment, the Jungle Spider shook its head and launched a counterattack. It opened its maw wide, lunging at Lu Ming.
He stepped back to dodge the attack and swung his sword again with a "swish."
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
-5!
Swish!
Swish!
-5!
-5!
Even with five years of experience in his past life, Lu Ming still had to exert considerable effort to take down the Jungle Spider.
Roar~ With a wail, the Jungle Spider collapsed, twitching a couple of times before going still.
[Ding~ You have killed a level 1 Jungle Spider, Experience Points +1]
At this moment, a silver glow appeared over the Jungle Spider''s corpse. Simultaneously, a prompt panel appeared before Lu Ming.
[Ding~ Do you wish to refine the Jungle Spider?]
Lu Ming felt a surge of joy. He immediately chose to refine it.
In the next moment, the Jungle Spider''s body evaporated into starlight, drifting into Lu Ming''s hand and disappearing.
[Ding~ You have gained 1 Soul Power!]
At the same time, a summoning panel appeared before Lu Ming, which displayed: You can currently consume 1 Soul Power to summon a tier 1 Undead Warrior!
So, Lu Ming clicked to summon. The next second.
Whoosh!
A three-meter-high shadow vortex tore through space before Lu Ming, materializing. Following that, a dark warrior clad in heavy metal armor, wielding an iron sword, stepped out of the vortex!
Beneath the fully enclosed helmet, its eyes glowed with a blue light. Its entire body exuded an aura of death, like a messenger from the netherworld. Under its gaze, Lu Ming even felt as if he was facing death itself! The Undead Warrior''s presence was overwhelmingly powerful.
In the next moment, the Undead Warrior knelt on one knee before Lu Ming, demonstrating absolute obedience to its master!
[Undead Warrior] (Tier 1)
[Master: Nether]
[Level: 1] (Synchronized with master''s level)
[Strength: 3]
[Agility: 1]
[Intelligence: 1]
[Constitution: 1]
[Endurance: 1]
[Physical Attack: 3]
[Armor: 1]
[Magic Resistance: 1]
[Speed: 1]
[Mana Points: 20]
[Health Points: 60]
[Skills: None]
...
Since it was only tier 1 and level 1 for now, and mass-produced, the initial stats of the Undead Warrior seemed quite ordinary. However, once the quantity and quality increased, the Undead Legion under Lu Ming, a ten-star Trickster, would be invincible and unstoppable!
Most importantly: having an Undead Warrior meant Lu Ming''s spring was about to arrive!
"Let''s test the strength of this ten-star talent!"
[War Tread]
Whoosh!
Lu Ming planted his sword into the ground, and a red aura radiated from beneath his feet, spreading outward. Under the tenfold enhancement of Comprehensive Amplification, a massive formation with a radius of 500 yards instantly enveloped the entire Shadow Forest, turning the ground blood-red!
To avoid drawing too much attention, Lu Ming immediately set the skill effect display range to normal. The original 500-yard super aura shrank back to 50 yards. But the effective range of the skill remained 500 yards.
Despite this, the brief moment of skill effect coverage still caught the attention of players leveling up in the Shadow Forest.
"What just flashed on the ground?"
"Holy crap! Who the hell cast a forbidden spell??"
...
Meanwhile.
Lu Ming commanded the Undead Warrior: "Go kill monsters."
The Undead Warrior gripped its iron sword and quickly charged at a nearby level 1 Jungle Spider.
Swish!
With a swift strike, it slashed the Jungle Spider.
-38!
The tenfold amplified War Tread provided an attack boost of (100% Trickster''s attack power + 30) points to allies. Combining Lu Ming''s 6 attack points, it granted the Undead Warrior an additional 36 attack points! This increased the Undead Warrior''s attack power from 3 to 39 points!
The strike on the Jungle Spider, which had only 1 armor point, instantly wiped out most of its health bar! Before the Jungle Spider could react, the Undead Warrior swung its sword again.
-38!
Thus, the Jungle Spider that took Lu Ming quite some time to whittle down was instantly killed by the Undead Warrior in just two strikes! This power was already comparable to a fully armed level 5 player!
The kill benefits from the Undead Warrior were directly attributed to the master.
[Ding~ You have killed a level 1 Jungle Spider, Experience Points +1!]
Lu Ming repeated the process, refining the Jungle Spider''s corpse and using the gained 1 Soul Power to summon a second Undead Warrior! Under Lu Ming''s command, the two Undead Warriors automatically hunted for prey.
The outskirts of the Shadow Forest were mostly level 1 Jungle Spiders. With the War Tread boost, the Undead Warriors could easily kill a Jungle Spider with just two strikes. Thus, the Undead Warriors roamed and hunted, while Lu Ming refined the corpses.
[Ding~ You have killed a level 1 Jungle Spider, Experience Points +1!]
[Ding~ Refinement successful, Soul Power +1!]
[Ding~ You have killed a level 1 Jungle Spider, Experience Points +1!]
[Ding~ Refinement successful, Soul Power +1!]
[Ding~ You have summoned a tier 1 Undead Warrior!]
[Ding~ You have summoned a tier 1 Undead Warrior!]
...
Before long, Lu Ming had summoned ten Undead Warriors, reaching the maximum summon limit for level 1. Meanwhile, the number of Jungle Spiders killed reached ten. Lu Ming also successfully retrieved the quest ring, marking the current quest as completed.
However, Lu Ming didn''t rush to submit the quest. Because most ordinary quests in Sky Abyss had a tiered mode. Generally divided into ten tiers. For example, the quest Lu Ming accepted required killing 10 Jungle Spiders for the first tier. The second tier required killing 30; the third tier required killing 50... The higher the tier, the richer the rewards. Each quest in Sky Abyss can only be completed once per player in their lifetime, so naturally, those with the means aim to complete the highest tier possible.
Thus, under Lu Ming''s command, the ten Undead Warriors advanced in a fan formation, unstoppable and invincible within the War Tread domain with their high attack power! Throughout the process, Lu Ming didn''t need to lift a finger, simply reaping the benefits.
Even though the number of summoned Undead Warriors had reached the maximum, he could still continue refining Soul Power for future upgrades to unlock more summon slots, storing it in advance.
The only downside at the moment was the rapid mana consumption. Lu Ming''s mere 20 mana points couldn''t sustain the War Tread''s continuous 1 point per second consumption. So, whenever his mana was depleted, Lu Ming had to take a break, waiting for the 0.1 mana recovery per second granted by his 1 intelligence, slowly restoring his mana before continuing to kill monsters.
There was no other way, except for those with money, who could buy large amounts of Copper Coins, Silver Coins, or even Gold Coins at the trading market anytime, anywhere.
Otherwise, players with average economic conditions could only endure this in the early stages. After all, not everyone could afford the 3 Copper Coin cost of a level 1 mana/health potion.
When he had killed thirty Jungle Spiders, a pleasant notification sounded.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the second tier of the "Who Stole the Ring" quest, rewards upgraded: Experience Points +100, Copper Coins +10, small chance of whiteboard equipment +1!]
[Ding~ Continue killing Jungle Spiders to reach 50 for the third tier reward upgrade!]
Under the Undead Warriors'' onslaught, Lu Ming successively killed 50 and 70 Jungle Spiders, completing the quest to the fourth tier! Rewards upgraded to 250 Experience Points, 30 Copper Coins, and a high chance of obtaining a piece of whiteboard equipment.
Meanwhile.
Whoosh! A beam of golden light descended on Lu Ming''s head.
[Ding~ Congratulations on reaching level 2, five attributes +1, Mana Points +10, Health Points +20, free attribute points +3; next level requires 250 Experience Points!]
Chapter 4 - Level up rapidly, prepare for the Scarlet Zone!
In less than half an hour, Lu Ming had already reached level 2.
It''s worth noting that over 90% of new players with average aptitude take at least half a day or even a full day to level up from 1 to 2 without assistance!
In comparison, Lu Ming''s leveling speed was like he had an accelerator.
To address the early game mana shortage, Lu Ming allocated all 3 attribute points from leveling up to his Spirit.
As a result, with the automatic increase of 10 mana and 1 Spirit point from leveling up, Lu Ming''s mana jumped from 20 to 70! Moreover, with a total of 5 Spirit points, Lu Ming could now regenerate 0.5 mana per second, offsetting half of the War Tread''s per-second consumption!
At the same time, as Lu Ming leveled up, the War Tread skill automatically upgraded to Lv2.
The attack boost effect for allies within range increased from (Trickster 10% attack +3) to 10% attack +5.
On the surface, it seemed like only a 2 point attack increase. But for Lu Ming, who had a tenfold skill amplification, it was actually a 20 point attack boost!
Additionally, the Undead Warrior''s level also rose to 2 along with Lu Ming.
Like player growth, the Undead Warrior gained mana +10, health +20, all attributes +1, and 3 free attribute points upon leveling up.
War Tread had already greatly ensured the Undead Warrior''s output capability. Thus, Lu Ming set the Undead Warrior''s attribute allocation to 2 agility and 1 strength to enhance its maneuverability.
After completing the allocation, he opened the panel to take a look.
[Undead Warrior] (Tier 1)
[Level: 2]
[Master: Nether]
[Physical Attack: 61] (including 57 points from War Tread bonus)
[Speed: 4]
[Armor: 2]
[Magic Resistance: 2]
[Mana: 40]
[Health: 90]
[Skills: None]
...
As Lu Ming reached level 2, the maximum number of Undead Warriors he could summon increased to 20.
So, he opened the summoning panel and used the accumulated 90 soul points to summon.
Whoosh-! Whoosh-! Whoosh-!
...
Dozens of shadow vortices blossomed around Lu Ming, and ten fully armored Undead Warriors emerged from the darkness, responding to the call.
Immediately, under Lu Ming''s command, all twenty Undead Warriors, bearing the War Tread aura, spread out in the Shadow Forest, commencing their slaughter.
With the additional attack boost from War Tread increasing from 36 to 57 points, an Undead Warrior needed only a single basic attack to instantly kill a level 1 Jungle Spider with just 50 health!
Lu Ming began to mentally control the undead legion to delve deeper into the Shadow Forest, hunting more advanced level 2-3 Jungle Spiders.
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Even the level 2 Jungle Spiders with 90 health or the level 3 ones with 150 health couldn''t withstand 2-3 hits from the Undead Warriors. Moreover, with 2 points added to agility, the Undead Warriors, with 4 speed, completely outmatched the level 1-3 Jungle Spiders. So, in terms of both damage and speed, the Undead Warriors were dominant.
Within the War Tread domain, it was practically a slaughterhouse for the Undead Warriors!
The twenty Undead Warriors advanced unstoppably, slaying every level 1, 2, and 3 Jungle Spider in their path!
During the process of remotely controlling the Undead Warriors with his mind, Lu Ming discovered that he could share the vision of all the Undead Warriors! Wherever the Undead Warriors passed, a map gradually formed in Lu Ming''s mind!
However, once they were more than 500 yards away from Lu Ming, the Undead Warriors would stop moving as if they had lost power.
"It seems the maximum control range for the Undead Warriors is 500 yards, which coincidentally matches the effective range of the War Tread skill."
Additionally, under the strict order to obey all commands from their master, the Undead Warriors possessed a small amount of autonomous awareness, knowing to collect loot for their master after battles. All loot collected by the Undead Warriors would be directly transferred to Lu Ming''s backpack.
Everything was fully automated! There was no more comfortable way to level up than this!
Unfortunately, the drop rate in Sky Abyss was too low. So far, after killing hundreds of Jungle Spiders, Lu Ming had only collected 15 Copper Coins, with no equipment drops at all!
Although Lu Ming knew that making money wasn''t the most important thing early on, leveling up and increasing strength were. Once he had the strength, money would be easy to come by.
However, at the moment, Lu Ming urgently needed money to cover the rent he had spent on buying skill scrolls and equipment. Otherwise, he would be kicked out by the landlord!
Just as Lu Ming was thinking about this, battle notifications flooded in.
[Ding~ Killed a level 1 Jungle Spider, experience points +1!]
[Ding~ Killed a level 3 Jungle Spider, experience points +4!]
[Ding~ Killed a level 2 Jungle Spider, experience points +2!]
...
In less than an hour.
Whoosh-!
Another golden light descended.
[Ding~ Congratulations on reaching level 3, all attributes +1, mana +10, health +20, free attribute points +3; next level requires 500 experience points!]
Lu Ming repeated the process, allocating all 3 free attribute points to spirit, raising it to 9 points, and his mana to 120!
After War Tread upgraded to Lv3, the attack boost effect for allies within range increased to (Trickster 10% attack +8).
Aside from the mana cost to activate the skill increasing from 3 to 4 points, the subsequent per-second mana cost remained at 1 point.
And with the 0.9 mana regeneration per second from Lu Ming''s 9 spirit points, he could finally keep up with the continuous consumption of War Tread without having to stop frequently to recover!
With the maximum number of Undead Warriors he could summon increasing from 20 to 30, Lu Ming''s monster-killing speed was maximized!
By nine in the evening and again at eleven-thirty, he leveled up once more¡ª
[Player ID: Nether] (Lv5, Trickster)
[Account Aptitude: Ten-Star]
[Strength: 7]
[Agility: 5]
[Spirit: 17]
[Endurance: 5]
[Constitution: 5]
[Physical Attack: 10]
[Armor: 5]
[Magic Resistance: 5]
[Speed: 5]
[Mana: 220]
[Health: 180]
[Money: 0 Gold 0 Silver 83 Copper]
[Experience: 13/1200]
[Skills: Reconnaissance (F-grade), War Tread (F-grade)]
In one night, he leveled up four times, reaching level 5 from level 1, achieving in a single night what would take ordinary people three to five days.
The strength of this Ten-Star account, was simply outrageous!
It was worth the five years of humiliation and endurance in his past life, crawling under others'' feet to reach level 200 and obtain the Scroll of Deification!
And it proved that giving up the system-recommended mage class and choosing the Trickster profession was an extremely wise decision. Otherwise, even if he could summon more Undead Warriors, they would just be a bunch of cannon fodder.
But now, each Undead Warrior, enhanced by Lu Ming the Trickster, was like a demon god from hell!
Upon reaching level 5, Lu Ming could summon up to 50 Undead Warriors! War Tread Lv5''s attack boost effect for allies within range reached (Trickster 10% attack +15). Combined with Lu Ming''s 10 physical attack, after receiving the tenfold [Comprehensive Amplification], it meant a massive 160 attack boost for the Undead Warriors! Plus the Undead Warriors'' own 11 attack points. Making the Undead Warriors, even at just level 5, have a terrifying 171 attack power!
Lu Ming couldn''t help but click his tongue, "A level 10 Second Transition warrior with full strength allocation and complete equipment might struggle to break three-digit attack power."
The thought of such terrifyingly powerful Undead Warriors obeying his commands, and being able to control fifty of them at once, filled Lu Ming with excitement!
In such a violent state, even the highest level 5 Jungle Spiders in the Shadow Forest couldn''t withstand two basic attacks from the Undead Warriors!
"According to Sky Abyss''s settings, players who kill monsters lower in level than themselves only gain 1 point of forced experience, and the drop rate significantly decreases."
"This place doesn''t have much value for improvement anymore."
Having lived another life, Lu Ming now had a clear goal.
As he knew, each major novice village area had an 8-10 level dungeon called the [Scarlet Zone].
This dungeon was far more famous than others, known worldwide for a century!
Because it had a special difficulty division: Normal, Elite, Epic, Legendary, Nightmare, and Hell, with each level''s difficulty increasing exponentially.
And each player only had one lifetime opportunity to enter the dungeon.
The Scarlet Zone was independently divided by the national server.
According to historical records, in the hundred years since Sky Abyss descended, the highest clearance record in the Great Xia server reached Nightmare difficulty.
Although it was already far ahead compared to other countries, it was still one step away from Hell difficulty clearance.
Reportedly, last year, the United States simultaneously produced a top player with a six-star aptitude and two with five-star aptitude accounts. With strong national support, they joined forces to finally clear the Hell difficulty of the Scarlet Zone in the United States server, earning the reward: a skill scroll with unlimited growth potential!
It''s known that all skills in the Sky Abyss world cannot be upgraded in quality later on; whatever quality they start with is permanent.
Unless a higher-quality skill of the same type is used to overwrite the lower-quality one.
In his previous life, after five years in the Sky Abyss world, Lu Ming''s highest skill was only D-grade. And unlimited growth meant that this skill could reach the highest level: SSS-grade! So the market valuation of that skill scroll was reportedly over a billion dollars!
Thus, Lu Ming''s first goal was to achieve the first Hell difficulty clearance reward in the Great Xia server''s Scarlet Zone dungeon!
Therefore, Lu Ming''s current goal was to quickly reach level 8 to meet the entry requirements for the Scarlet Zone dungeon!
He checked his current status, found that under the Undead Warriors'' slaughter, the [Who Stole the Ring] quest had reached the highest tenth tier: a cumulative kill of 300 Jungle Spiders!
At this point, it was already half-past eleven at night, and Lu Ming was feeling a bit hungry.
"I''ll head back to the novice village to turn in the quest, log off for a late-night snack, and then come back to level up in a higher-level area." With this in mind.
Just as Lu Ming was about to mentally recall all the Undead Warriors and head back, he suddenly noticed through the shared vision of one of the Undead Warriors scattered throughout the Shadow Forest that several figures were rapidly approaching!
Chapter 5 - Level 5 vs Level 10? Instant kill!
Late at night.
Darkness enveloped the land, and all was silent.
On the outskirts of the Shadow Forest, two figures hurriedly approached the woods.
"Vivi, RUN! Once we get through this forest and reach the safe zone in Moonfall Town, we''ll be safe!"
A young man in his early twenties, clad in silver armor, tightly held the hand of a girl in a green mage robe, occasionally glancing back with a worried expression.
Just as the siblings were about to dash into the Shadow Forest, they suddenly noticed a pair of eyes staring intently at them from within the woods ahead!
The figure was clad in pitch-black armor, exuding an endless chill. Beneath a fully enclosed metal helmet, eyes glowed with a ghostly blue light. A murderous aura emanated from the figure, like a messenger from hell!
The sudden appearance of the Undead Warrior made the siblings feel threatened.
But it seemed something even more terrifying was pursuing them from behind, so after a brief hesitation, they resolutely charged into the Shadow Forest.
Once inside, they were shocked. The forest, which should have been the domain of Jungle Spiders, was filled with Undead Warriors! Fortunately, these Undead Warriors only stared at them without any intention to attack.
However, as soon as they entered the forest, the young warrior was forced to stop, holding his sister back. Because in front of them stood a person.
That person was Lu Ming!
Due to his nervousness, the young warrior''s first reaction was to assume Lu Ming was an accomplice of their pursuers. His instinctive move to draw his sword caught the attention of the Undead Warriors.
Clang¡ª!
Sensing a potential threat to their master, all the nearby Undead Warriors instantly gripped their iron swords, standing guard around Lu Ming, their eyes fixed on the young warrior as if he were already dead.
Since they hadn''t received any attack orders from Lu Ming, the Undead Warriors didn''t act rashly. But their stance made it clear: if the young warrior or his sister dared to make a move, the Undead Warriors would immediately swarm them, shredding them before they could pose any threat to Lu Ming!
At that moment, the young warrior realized that all these Undead Warriors were summoned creatures of the Trickster player before him!
He instantly understood that Lu Ming was not an enemy and quickly lowered his sword to avoid making an enemy of him.
Judging by the aura of the surrounding Undead Warriors, it was clear that their master was no ordinary person!
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps from behind alerted the young warrior that their pursuers were closing in, leaving him and his sister with no escape.
In desperation, he pinned his last hope on Lu Ming.
The young warrior looked at Lu Ming, anxious and desperate: "Brother, can you please help us? Save my sister! I don''t care if I die, but please save my sister! If Vivi falls into their hands, she''s doomed..."
His gaze shifted from the young warrior to the girl beside him, the one called "Vivi."
The girl wore a snow-white magical robe.
Her eyes were cold, her oval face sharp and small.
Her expression was icy, her eyes like stars.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Her low ponytail and stray hairs framed her face, making her skin appear even paler.
She was a beauty.
But having just experienced Ye Ling''er''s betrayal, Lu Ming had no interest in women, even feeling repulsed.
Yet, for some reason, seeing this girl gave Lu Ming a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu!
As Lu Ming studied the girl, trying to recall where he had seen her before, a shadow suddenly flashed in the darkness.
Swish-!
A sharp dagger slashed across the neck of the young warrior in silver armor. In an instant, blood splattered.
Before the young warrior could react, a black-clad assassin, who had been in stealth mode, appeared before him, stabbing the young man''s abdomen multiple times with the dagger.
-162!
-95!
-95!
The young warrior, who had just reached level 9 and had only 300+ health points, saw his health bar instantly drained.
He stared in disbelief at the black-clad assassin before him. The next second, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
In his final moments, the young warrior still looked pleadingly at Lu Ming:
"Please... please..."
Before he could finish, he fell to the ground.
The mage girl accompanying him was stunned by the sight of the young warrior lying in a pool of blood.
It took her a long time to recover, and she knelt on the ground, crying out in disbelief over the young warrior''s body: "Brother!!!"
Lu Ming watched this scene without any emotion.
Because in this world, he had seen it countless times before. In the Sky Abyss world, the only measure of life was strength, not law!
This was a lawless land.
Without the shackles of law, human nature was magnified infinitely.
Besides the assassin who had just killed the young warrior in one strike, a black-armored knight and a red-robed mage appeared from behind. The three were clearly in cahoots, and they were well-equipped, evidently not weak.
Using his enhanced reconnaissance skill, Lu Ming quickly assessed them and found that all three were level 10!
The black-armored knight looked at the corpse in the pool of blood and the crying girl beside it, speaking indifferently: "If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"
The red-robed mage noticed Lu Ming standing to the side and immediately showed some hostility toward him, "Kid, I advise you not to meddle."
Lu Ming had no intention of meddling.
He got up to leave.
"Smart move," the black-clad assassin murmured as he watched Lu Ming''s back.
At that moment, he heard the three killers talking behind him.
"This girl is really pretty, no wonder Brother Ye didn''t fancy anyone else but her!"
"Tomorrow is Boss Ye Chen''s eighteenth birthday. Let''s take her back as a birthday gift for him. If he''s happy, we''ll definitely get some benefits!"
Hearing the name "Ye Chen," Lu Ming suddenly froze, stopping in his tracks.
He turned back to the three killers and asked, "The Ye Chen you''re talking about, does he have a sister named Ye Ling''er?"
The assassin, wiping blood from his dagger, glanced coldly at Lu Ming: "What''s it to you?"
Lu Ming, expressionless, repeated, "Just answer yes or no."
"What if yes, what if no?"
The black-armored knight, impatient, said, "Ever since Brother Ye''s sister''s simp finally died last night, without that obstacle, Brother Ye''s status has skyrocketed overnight. He''s now the number one celebrity in Linhai City. Who are you to talk about him?"
The red-robed mage sneered, "What, do you want to cozy up to Brother Ye too? Too bad we''re all brothers who have fought alongside him. You? Unless your account is two-star or higher, Brother Ye won''t even look at you. Give up."
Their words dripped with disdain for Lu Ming.
Little did they know, Lu Ming had already clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot, as a strong hatred consumed him.
At that moment, Lu Ming finally understood that the Ye Ling''er he had loved for three years, who ultimately betrayed him, her brother Ye Chen, and even her parents, were never threatened as Ye Ling''er claimed!
It was all a conspiracy orchestrated by Ye Ling''er, not something she was forced into!
Ye Chen knew full well that Ye Ling''er was secretly plotting against Lu Ming, yet he never told Lu Ming. Instead, he chose to collude with his sister, deceiving Lu Ming together!
Despite Lu Ming treating Ye Chen like his own brother for years, giving him whatever he wanted, be it phones or computers!
Recalling all this, a strong killing intent erupted within Lu Ming!
At that moment, the three killers suddenly sensed the murderous aura emanating from Lu Ming.
"Damn! That kid''s got a rebellious streak!"
As the black-clad assassin spoke, the red-robed mage dismissed it: "So what? He''s just a level 5 rookie in a sewer class. What can he do against us?"
The black-armored knight''s eyes turned cold: "Kill him, to avoid future trouble and prevent any issues for Brother Ye."
As he spoke, the black-armored knight raised a valuable-looking flaming spear, advancing toward Lu Ming.
"I told you to leave, but you didn''t. Don''t blame me for not giving you a chance!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Whoosh!
Flames ignited at the tip of the spear.
The next second, the black-armored knight thrust the spear toward Lu Ming!
This was the knight''s signature skill for quickly closing in on enemies ¡ª Flame Thrust!
Facing the oncoming enemy, Lu Ming didn''t dodge.
A flash of killing intent crossed his eyes.
Clang!
With his longsword planted in the ground, he released a blood-red formation around him¡ª
War Tread!!!
Whoosh¡ª!
As the massive formation with a 500-yard radius instantly covered the entire Shadow Forest, the black-clad assassin and red-robed mage were dumbfounded.
"This kid... what skill is that? Such a large range!" Before they could react. Just as the black-armored knight''s flaming spear was about to pierce Lu Ming''s chest.
Clang!
An Undead Warrior suddenly stepped in front of Lu Ming, using its iron sword to block the black-armored knight''s Flame Thrust.
However, without a professional warrior''s [Block] skill, it was an ineffective block.
The Undead Warrior''s health bar instantly displayed a high red damage number¡ª
-171!
With only 180 health points, the Undead Warrior''s health bar was nearly depleted, almost killed in one strike!
Seeing this, the black-armored knight sneered, thinking: ''As expected of a mere level 5 trash summon, truly weak!''
Meanwhile, the mage girl Vivi, witnessing this, thought Lu Ming was trying to save her.
Not wanting Lu Ming to die for her, she cried out to the three killers: "Don''t hurt him! I''ll go with you!"
The black-armored knight glanced at the girl, snorting coldly: "If it were before, I might have considered it. But now, it''s too late!"
Just as the black-armored knight raised his spear to finish off the obstructive Undead Warrior and then kill Lu Ming.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Four more Undead Warriors suddenly charged from both sides, leaping up and swinging their iron swords heavily at the black-armored knight.
-128!
-128!
-128!
-128!
As his health bar was emptied in the blink of an eye, the black-armored knight, caught off guard, collapsed heavily to the ground with a thud.
Chapter 6 - Black Iron Equipment, Moon Demon Set!
Thud!
The black-armored knight fell heavily to his knees, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Lu Ming standing calmly in front of him.
"How... is this possible..."
After all, this was a world where death was real, and without absolute certainty, the black-armored knight would not have acted rashly.
Before making a move against Lu Ming, he had clearly used Reconnaissance to check the opponent''s information.
Clearly, he was just a level 5 Trickster, even if he had summoned so many Undead Warriors through some summoning talent.
But these Undead Warriors were also only level 5, and summoned creatures couldn''t wear equipment.
In front of him, a knight who had reached level 10, completed the Second Transition, and was fully equipped with Black Iron Equipment, they should have been nothing more than cannon fodder!
He never imagined that these seemingly weak low-level Undead Warriors could inflict such terrifying damage!
With endless reluctance, the black-armored knight fell into a pool of blood.
The air suddenly grew silent.
The black-clad assassin and the red-robed mage behind him were stunned by the scene.
The red-robed mage was the first to realize the problem: "His formation is different!"
"Retreat!"
The two turned to flee.
But under Lu Ming''s mental control, the fifty Undead Warriors scattered in the Shadow Forest had already gathered towards them.
They had barely taken two steps when they were surrounded by a large group of Undead Warriors!
Back to back, the two felt an unprecedented fear.
After all, these Undead Warriors, though only level 5, could easily slay even the toughest level 10 knight among the eight major professions in Sky Abyss.
Not to mention, they were just two fragile level 10 mage and assassin!
Kill.
With a thought from Lu Ming, the eyes of the Undead Warriors glowed eerily as they launched their attack.
Even knowing the odds were against them, the black-clad assassin and red-robed mage had no choice but to fight back with all their might.
Boom!
Boom!
The red-robed mage swung his staff, casting two skills in succession.
Fireball!
Ice Spike!
-213!
-204!
A level 10 Second Transition mage with full Black Iron Equipment, his damage was extremely high. Two Undead Warriors fell dead on the spot from the attack.
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With the War Tread''s enhancement, the Undead Warriors'' damage had reached the level of elite players above level 10! However, their vitality and defense remained at level 5. After all, War Tread''s bonus effect for allies was only on attack power.
In the early stages, players had a limited number of skills they could master. As a mage relying on skills, once the red-robed mage used up his only two offensive skills, it meant... death was imminent!
Swish, swish, swish!
Three Undead Warriors charged forward with iron swords, decapitating the red-robed mage.
The black-clad assassin beside him struggled for a full 3 seconds before finally dying alongside his good friend, the red-robed mage.
Seeing Lu Ming effortlessly command his summoned creatures to kill the three level 10 assassins, even the mage girl nearby widened her eyes in disbelief at Lu Ming.
Clearly, she hadn''t expected this level 5 Trickster to possess such terrifying power!
Looking at the three corpses on the ground, Lu Ming''s gaze was as calm as that of a seasoned killer. But in truth, in his previous life, Lu Ming had never dared to kill anyone, nor had he ever killed anyone. He wouldn''t retaliate when hit, nor would he argue when insulted. When bullied, he would silently endure and still greet his bullies with a smile.
Yes, in his previous life, Lu Ming was such a timid and weak person! He thought that if he was kind enough, the world would treat him kindly in return. Until Ye Ling''er taught him a lesson and woke him up harshly.
Kindness? What kindness!
"In this life, whoever makes me unhappy, I''ll kill them!"
Lu Ming opened the summoning panel, consumed 3 points of soul power, and summoned three Undead Warriors to fill the spots left by the ones just killed.
Then, he scavenged the bodies of the three assassins.
To his surprise, they were quite valuable! From them, Lu Ming found four pieces of Black Iron Equipment and over 200 Copper Coins!
[Moon Demon Ring] (Level 8 Black Iron Equipment, Physical Class): +35 Physical Attack, +8 Strength.
[Moon Demon Blade] (Level 8 Black Iron Equipment, Assassin): +42 Physical Attack, +10 Agility.
[Moon Demon Cloak] (Level 8 Black Iron Equipment, Assassin, Trickster): +120 Health Points, +8 Endurance.
[Moon Demon Boots] (Level 8 Black Iron Equipment, Magic Class): +24 Speed, +8 Constitution.
Lu Ming checked the value of these items on the Sky Abyss marketplace.
He was shocked!
"Goodness! A regular level 8 Black Iron Equipment with full durability starts at at least eight hundred bucks, is it really this valuable?"
The items in Lu Ming''s hands had over 90% durability, almost new, with little price difference. And they were part of a set, making them several times more valuable!
"The 6-8 level dungeon [Moon Demon Sanctuary] is said to be the most time-consuming yet most valuable dungeon in the novice village area." Lu Ming examined the equipment and muttered, "This dungeon is known for producing Black Iron level Moon Demon set equipment, but the drop rate is extremely low. With some luck, you might get one piece every three to five days."
Many professional gold-farming players would deliberately keep their level between 6-8, farming the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon daily.
After all, just one piece of Moon Demon equipment could sell for two to three thousand bucks. Getting four or five pieces a month could easily earn them over ten thousand! For gold-farming players with average skills, this income was quite satisfying.
Lu Ming had been contemplating whether to farm the Moon Demon Sanctuary after reaching level 6 to get some Moon Demon set equipment before tackling the 8-10 level dungeon, the Scarlet Zone.
Because the Moon Demon set''s skill [Mana Recovery] (automatically restores mana per second) was crucial for Lu Ming as a Trickster!
As Lu Ming was now level 5, the Lv5 War Tread''s mana consumption had already reached 2 points per second. Even if Lu Ming allocated all his level-up points to spirit, his current 17 spirit points only provided 1.7 mana recovery per second.
The mana consumption of just one War Tread was already hard to keep up with, let alone the other skills Lu Ming would need to learn later. All Trickster formations had continuous consumption. Stacking several formations together, just imagining the scene and the consumption was enough to drive Lu Ming crazy!
Originally, considering that farming this dungeon was too time-consuming and would affect his leveling plan.
Now, it was perfect; these people had delivered themselves to Lu Ming!
What good people!
Lu Ming was deeply moved.
Apart from the Moon Demon Blade and Moon Demon Boots, which he couldn''t use, the other two items, the Moon Demon Ring and Moon Demon Cloak, were usable by Lu Ming.
And the set skill didn''t require a full set to activate; equipping two or more pieces would activate it. The more complete the set, the better the skill effect.
For Lu Ming, the two-piece set''s [Mana Recovery], restoring 1 mana point per second, combined with [Comprehensive Amplification]''s tenfold enhancement, meant 10 mana recovery per second, which was more than enough for the early stages!
So, Lu Ming listed the Moon Demon Blade and Moon Demon Boots on the marketplace for 2800 and 2500 respectively.
He put the other two items in his backpack. Now, he just had to wait until level 8 to equip them!
Killing is the fastest way to acquire resources in the Sky Abyss world! This saying was indeed true.
Setting aside these pieces of equipment, Lu Ming also looted 245 Copper Coins from their bodies!
To know, Lu Ming had worked hard all night and only earned 83 Copper Coins! Killing a few people had already equaled several nights of grinding!
After dealing with the items, Lu Ming suddenly turned his gaze to the mage girl nearby.
It was then that he finally remembered where he had seen this girl before!
In his previous life, she was the girl Ye Chen, Ye Ling''er''s brother, and Lu Ming''s brother-in-law, was pursuing! No wonder Lu Ming found her familiar at first glance. He had seen this girl in the photos Ye Chen had posted!
Her name was Lin Youwei.
If Lu Ming remembered correctly, Ye Chen had been chasing this girl for over a year, but Lin Youwei had always clearly rejected him.
Ye Ling''er''s family was just an ordinary family in Linhai City. Ye Chen loved Lin Youwei but couldn''t do anything about it.
But Lu Ming remembered Ye Chen once said in frustration after being rejected by Lin Youwei: "If it weren''t for you being a stumbling block, Vivi would have been mine already!"
At that time, Lu Ming didn''t understand what Ye Chen meant.
Now, thinking back, Lu Ming finally understood.
It turned out that Ye Ling''er''s family had long been in cahoots with the person who framed Lu Ming!
The reason they hadn''t exposed it was to wait for Lu Ming to reach level 200 and seize his Scroll of Deification!
So Ye Chen''s words implied that to avoid Lu Ming discovering any flaws, their family had to continue pretending to live as ordinary people.
Without Lu Ming, Ye Chen could have used his authority to get everything he wanted, including Lin Youwei!
That is why, after Ye Ling''er killed Lu Ming last night, their family no longer needed to pretend and rose to power overnight.
Lu Ming had only told Ye Ling''er about the Scroll of Deification. Which meant Ye Ling''er had already betrayed Lu Ming, secretly involved with another man, yet still stringing Lu Ming along for the Scroll of Deification!
Thinking of all this, Lu Ming''s eyes grew increasingly murderous.
At the same time, a clear and complete plan for revenge gradually formed in his mind...
Ye Ling''er, Ye Chen, your whole family deserves to die!
And you! The one hiding in the shadows, no matter who you are, no matter how powerful you are, I will make you pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold!
After calming his mind. Lu Ming used his talent [Soul Slash] to refine the three assassins'' corpses into 3 points of soul power, squeezing out their last bit of value.
As he gathered the Undead Warriors and prepared to leave, Lin Youwei''s voice came from behind.
"Can you... help me get revenge?
I''ll pay you! I''ll give you all my money!"
Chapter 7 - Brother-in-law Ye Chen, the revenge begins!
In Lin Youwei''s timid and weak voice, there was an overwhelming sense of pain and despair.
Lu Ming paused but did not turn back.
Lin Youwei thought Lu Ming had stopped because he was willing to help her. She cried, "My brother never harmed anyone. He was always a good person. Why, why did they have to kill him...
Ye Chen! They were all sent by Ye Chen. It was Ye Chen who killed my brother... I want to avenge him!
If you help me kill Ye Chen, I''ll give you all the money I have!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down Lin Youwei''s pale cheeks.
Through the recent battle, she could see that Lu Ming was very powerful, so she placed all her hopes for revenge on him.
She opened the WeChat page linked to her game account, showing a balance of 13,584.2. This was all the money Lin Youwei had earned through part-time work and study before entering the Sky Abyss.
Her parents had passed away in the Sky Abyss when she was young, leaving her and her brother to rely on each other. Not wanting her brother to have to both take care of their lives and earn her tuition, she chose not to continue her studies after high school and instead ventured into the Sky Abyss with her brother.
But just as Lin Youwei was about to ask for Lu Ming''s WeChat ID to transfer the money to him, Lu Ming walked away without a word.
Watching Lu Ming''s indifferent back as he left, Lin Youwei''s eyes filled with helplessness and grief.
Lu Ming left the Shadow Forest, with Lin Youwei''s heart-wrenching cries echoing behind him.
In his previous life, Lu Ming might have sympathized with this poor girl. But now, he prioritized his own interests above all else and wouldn''t empathize with anyone else.
Ye Chen, Lu Ming was determined to find him. But not for Lin Youwei, rather to avenge himself!
***
Lu Ming returned to Moonfall Town. It was already midnight. The town was still bustling with people.
Ever since the Sky Abyss descended a hundred years ago, the world had been divided into two.
According to big data analysis: excluding the 31.82% of the global population under 18, 35.97% chose to remain ordinary people in the real world. Yet, 32.21% chose to enter the Sky Abyss as professional players! Sky Abyss, had become humanity''s second world for survival, and its popularity would only increase.
Back in town, Lu Ming went straight to the bar, found the security guard Dick, and submitted the task.
Receiving the ring from Lu Ming, Dick''s face lit up with joy.
"Great! My ring is finally back!
Thank you, young hero, here''s a little reward for you!"
As Dick finished speaking, the system''s pleasant notification followed.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the task "Who Stole the Ring?" at the tenth level, reward: Experience Points +1000, Silver Coin +1, and equipment Hero''s Sword (Black Iron Equipment) +1!]
Lu Ming''s experience bar instantly surged by 83%! He opened his backpack and took out a pitch-black iron sword lying quietly inside.
[Hero''s Sword] (Black Iron Equipment)Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
[Level: 5]
[Physical Attack: +28]
[Bonus: Strength +6]
[Durability: 15/15]
[Profession: Trickster, Warrior]
[Description: A sword only worthy of a hero, the bearer symbolizes the people''s hero of Moonfall Town...]
Lu Ming immediately replaced his level 1 whiteboard iron sword, which only added 3 attack points, with the Hero''s Sword. He checked his status bar and saw his attack power jump from 10 to 41!
Lu Ming gained a 31-point increase in attack power, equivalent to the War Tread''s attack bonus against the Undead Warrior, an equal 31-point increase.
Not bad at all!
As for the whiteboard iron sword he replaced. Lu Ming noticed that after a night''s use, its durability had dropped from 7 to 6.
"I bought it for a hundred, selling it for 80 after losing 1 point of durability isn''t unreasonable, right?"
With this thought, Lu Ming listed the iron sword on the trading market for 80 bucks.
Reflecting on it, the first level reward for this task was only 50 experience + 5 copper coins, and the equipment was just a small chance of whiteboard quality.
In contrast, the tenth-level reward was truly enticing!
No wonder professional boosters outside charge at least a thousand bucks for a full ten-level task run for anything under level 10!
After all, within the ten-hour task time, going from killing 10 monsters at level one to 300 monsters at level ten is something ordinary players simply can''t achieve. According to big data, the single-player limit is only up to the sixth level!
Feeling his growling stomach. Lu Ming opened the [Logout] interface and exited the game.
Whoosh!
A white light fell, and Lu Ming returned to the Ant Internet Cafe where he had logged into the game.
In the early morning, there were only a few people on the street, most of whom were staying up late playing Sky Abyss.
Lu Ming went to a roast duck noodle shop across the street and used the last 13 yuan in his WeChat to order a bowl of roast duck noodles.
As Lu Ming ate and pondered how to deal with Ye Ling''er and Ye Chen, he overheard a conversation from a group of young men and women at the next table.
"Who is this [Chen Emperor]? My goodness, ten thousand people online in the live stream! It shows the streamer is 13 km away from me... Do we have such a big internet celebrity in Linhai City?"
As soon as a bespectacled young man finished speaking, the twin-tailed girl sitting opposite him proudly said, "You don''t know? I''ve been following this streamer for a while!"
"I''ve been following him for months, and although his popularity wasn''t great before, I always thought he had potential! Turns out I was right, he''s finally famous!"
Hearing the name "Chen Emperor," Lu Ming''s heart skipped a beat.
As if realizing something, he picked up his phone, opened TikTok, searched for Chen Emperor, and entered a live stream.
The live stream showed a young boy with a delicate and youthful appearance. And this boy was Ye Ling''er''s brother, Lu Ming''s brother-in-law from his previous life, Ye Chen!
Ye Chen had been streaming for two years, which Lu Ming knew. He was on the looks-based streamer path.
After all, it must be said that both he and his sister Ye Ling''er had some charm, otherwise, Lu Ming from the previous life wouldn''t have fallen for Ye Ling''er''s allure.
However, in Lu Ming''s impression, Ye Chen had always been a small-time streamer with little traffic or fame.
But now, the live stream had over 100,000 viewers online!
The popularity was so high that the screen was almost entirely covered by high-end gifts like supercars, yachts, and rockets.
The chat was flooded with countless messages scrolling crazily, with hundreds of comments in the blink of an eye!
Lu Ming glanced at it and unexpectedly found himself caught in the gossip!
[Chen Emperor''s Little Fan Girl]: "Chen Emperor, I heard your sister''s boyfriend died in Sky Abyss last night? Is it true?"
[Seeking a Rich Woman to Support Me]: "His sister already confirmed it in the live stream last night, so it can''t be fake, right? She looked sad, seems like a devoted person!"
[If I''m Unhappy, I''ll Rant]: "To be honest, I only noticed you because your sister accidentally appeared in your live stream once. With her looks, her ex-boyfriend didn''t deserve her at all! He deserved to die, your sister deserves better!"
Seeing these comments, Lu Ming thought Ye Chen would pretend to be a good person and say something insincere.
But to his surprise, Ye Chen didn''t even bother pretending and directly ranted in front of over 100,000 viewers!
"You''re right! So many people pursued my sister, but she rejected them all because she had a boyfriend! Although my sister was willing to endure hardships with him, she couldn''t suffer with him for a lifetime!"
Ye Chen sighed, pretending to be disappointed, and said, "Honestly, my sister''s ex-boyfriend had no money or power, and my sister never minded. But the key is, he was unambitious, idle all day, and expected my sister to support him.
Sigh, if only my sister wasn''t so devoted..."
Ye Chen''s lament instantly resonated with countless fans in the live stream. For a moment, the chat was filled with curses!
"Truly a flower stuck in cow dung!"
"I used to sympathize with your sister''s boyfriend, but now it seems he deserved to die!"
"Exactly! If it were me, I''d have kicked such a freeloader away long ago!"
...
Seeing Ye Chen''s hypocritical behavior, Lu Ming was amused by his own anger.
"I''m unambitious? I''m idle?"
Although Lu Ming''s aptitude wasn''t great in his previous life, he could confidently say that no one was more hardworking or eager to improve than him!
Enough. Lu Ming couldn''t be bothered to think about these things now. He had more important matters to attend to.
Just then, Lu Ming received a text message.
[Your item "Moon Demon Blade" listed in the Sky Abyss trading market has been successfully sold, with a 5% handling fee deducted; your account ending in 649 has received 2,660.00 yuan, balance 2,660.00 yuan!]
Seeing this message, Lu Ming was delighted, "This transaction is really a timely help!"
So, Lu Ming immediately switched to a TikTok alt account, changed the nickname to [My Heart], set the gender to female, and changed the profile picture to a cute girl type that seemed easy to manipulate.
He entered Ye Chen''s live stream. Choosing a time when there weren''t many people sending gifts, he gritted his teeth and sent a [True Love Forever] gift worth 899!
Then, he shamelessly sent a comment: "Streamer, I''m your new fan, can I ask if you''re a Sky Abyss player?"
Sure enough, Lu Ming''s gift made him stand out from the tens of thousands of viewers.
He successfully caught Ye Chen''s attention and made him notice his message.
Ye Chen first thanked the young lady named My Heart for the gift, then gently and patiently answered the question:
"I wasn''t before, but I will be soon.
Early this morning, I just registered a two-star Sky Abyss account and plan to officially enter the Sky Abyss world at 8 AM today!"
With that, Ye Chen took the opportunity to confidently announce to all the viewers in the live stream, "To all my fans in Linhai City, let''s meet in the Sky Abyss world at 8 AM!"
"I declare here that any fans I encounter online will receive a gift worth 1-10 silver coins! If you want it, type 1!"
As soon as he said this, the chat was instantly flooded with countless 1s...
Having achieved his goal, Lu Ming quietly exited the live stream.
A revenge plan had fully formed in his mind.
Chapter 8 - Moon Demon Sanctuary!
Perhaps it was destiny that brought Lu Ming back to life in Linhai City.
Coincidentally, Ye Ling''er''s hometown is also Linhai City!
In the Sky Abyss world, the novice areas are divided according to real-world cities.
The area corresponding to Linhai City is the 1947th novice area, Moonfall Town!
All players who log in for the first time in Linhai City will automatically be placed in Moonfall Town.
This means that Ye Ling''er''s brother, Ye Chen, will log into the same novice area as Lu Ming, Moonfall Town, at 8 AM today!
So Lu Ming''s plan for revenge is to wait for Ye Chen in Moonfall Town and ambush him when he logs in!
Ye Chen just turned 18 today and has just registered his Sky Abyss account.
While he''s still a novice with no strength to speak of, it''s the perfect time for revenge!
***
After finishing his late-night snack, Lu Ming returned to the internet cafe.
He checked the time: it was already 1 AM.
Whether it was the excitement from the power of his ten-star account or the intense desire for revenge against Ye Chen, Lu Ming felt no sleepiness.
He booted up a computer and logged back in.
[Ding~ Welcome back to the Sky Abyss world, esteemed ten-star account player, Nether!]
Every time he heard this system prompt, it made him feel invigorated!
It proved that as long as you are strong enough, even the system will treat you with respect!
Lu Ming remembered that in his previous life, his one-star account had no prompts when logging into Sky Abyss.
He glanced at his current status: Level 5, 83.5%.
Doing another ordinary task, even reaching the tenth tier, seemed meaningless and time-consuming.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Compared to that, the highest reward from a tenth-tier task, a piece of ordinary Black Iron Equipment, was far less interesting to Lu Ming than the Moon Demon set equipment.
"Might as well go straight to the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon. If I''m lucky, I might get a piece of Moon Demon set equipment, completing a three-piece set, which would give me a better chance at the Level 8 Scarlet Zone dungeon.
Plus, the chance of getting a skill scroll from the dungeon is much higher than in the wild. If I can''t get equipment, a skill scroll would be nice too."
With this in mind, before leaving Moonfall Town, Lu Ming visited the town''s pharmacy.
While other novice players had only a few copper coins scattered in their pockets, Lu Ming already had a fortune of 4 silver coins and 28 copper coins!
So, he bought 10 sets, 100 bottles, of the Level 1 Ordinary Mana Potion, which cost 3 copper coins per bottle (restores 30 mana instantly and 2 mana per second for 15 seconds, with a 60-second cooldown).
He spent 3 silver coins in one go.
Though a bit reluctant, Lu Ming understood the principle of investing to gain higher returns.
These mana potions would allow Lu Ming to fight without needing to rest and recover mana, saving a lot of time and speeding up dungeon runs.
Once ready, Lu Ming left Moonfall Town through the south gate, following the map to the Level 6-8 dungeon, Moon Demon Sanctuary.
The roadside monsters were sparse, so there was no need for a big fuss.
Lu Ming summoned ten Undead Warriors to clear the roadside monsters.
***
Twenty minutes later, as he reached his destination, a beam of golden light shone down on him.
[Ding~ Congratulations on reaching Level 6! All five attributes +1, Mana +10, Health Points +20, Free Attribute Points +3! Next level requires 1800 Experience Points!]
He met the entry level requirement for the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon.
As planned.
He allocated all 3 free attribute points to Spirit, bringing it to 21 points.
Meanwhile, with War Tread upgraded to Lv6, the ally attack boost effect increased to (Trickster 10% attack +20).
The skill''s continuous consumption also increased from 2 points per second to 3 points!
The 2.1 mana recovery per second from 21 Spirit couldn''t cover the skill consumption.
Luckily, Lu Ming had prepared ten sets of mana potions!
Of course, potions were just a temporary fix; to solve this issue, he needed to reach Level 8 and equip the Moon Demon set.
Looking ahead.
A massive purple light curtain, seven or eight meters high, shone in a ruined site.
This was the only entrance to the Level 6-8 dungeon, Moon Demon Sanctuary!
On either side of the entrance stood two fully armed Level 20 NPC soldiers.
At this moment, many players were milling around outside the dungeon.
Although their levels were all between 6 and 8, it was easy to tell who were the newcomers and who were the veterans who had been around for one or two years or more, deliberately keeping their level at 8.
Newcomers were clueless, their eyes filled with naive stupidity.
Like fresh college graduates entering society, eager for a master to lead them through the dungeon.
Veterans, on the other hand, had sharp, predatory eyes, looking at newcomers like a pack of hungry wolves on the hunt!
"Hey there, need a ride? Our professional team offers great prices!"
"Hey~ Feeling hot, little sister? Want big brother to take you through the dungeon?"
Newcomers had nowhere to hide from their gaze.
But no one approached Lu Ming.
Because Lu Ming''s eyes were even sharper than theirs...
Thus, Lu Ming smoothly reached the two guards at the dungeon entrance.
Only to find out: solo entry into the dungeon was not allowed!
"Almost forgot, most dungeons in Sky Abyss require a five-person team..."
Just as Lu Ming''s gaze swept over the crowd, looking for suitable teammates.
He saw an 8th-level, bearded middle-aged warrior with the ID [AAA Moon Demon No.2], carrying a large sword on his shoulder, whistling at three girls walking by: "Hey girls, want uncle to take you through the dungeon? 1249 stable seventh-tier clears of Moon Demon Sanctuary, checkable records!
Normally 300 per person, how about 250 each for you three?"
The three girls hesitated.
After a while, one of them, a quiet-looking girl with a low ponytail and glasses, timidly asked the warrior uncle, "H-how about 240?"
Moon Demon No.2 pretended to think for a moment before replying, "Alright, alright, I''ll make a bit less this time, just to make friends! Let''s add each other as friends, and next time you come to me, I''ll give you the biggest discount!"
The girls thought they got a bargain and were overjoyed.
"Thank you, uncle!"
Just as they were about to add each other as friends and transfer money.
A voice suddenly rang out: "I''ll take you through the dungeon, and it''ll only cost you 100 each."
The girls looked towards the source of the voice and saw that it was Lu Ming who had spoken.
Chapter 9 - Exterminate evil, slay the Moon Demon!
At this moment, the warrior known as Moon Demon No.2 also noticed Lu Ming.
He quickly assessed Lu Ming, confirming that he was alone without any backup and was just a level 6 support class Trickster. Without any hesitation, he shouted angrily at Lu Ming, "Damn it, are you looking for trouble, kid? How dare you steal my business!"
Lu Ming ignored Moon Demon No.2 and directly asked the three girls, "Want to join?"
Before the girls could respond, Moon Demon No.2 warned them, "Don''t listen to him. He''s a newbie just like you, and only level 6 without any equipment. How can he lead you through a dungeon?"
Lu Ming calmly replied, "Pay after we finish. If we don''t make it, you won''t owe me anything."
Lu Ming didn''t care about the money. He just wanted to gather a group of five to enter the dungeon.
Hearing Lu Ming''s offer, the girls exchanged glances and eventually walked over to him.
Lu Ming created a party and sent invitations to the three girls.
[Ding~ Player Strawberry Bear Lover (Level 6 Mage) has joined the party!]
[Ding~ Player Milky White Pudding (Level 6 Priest) has joined the party!]
[Ding~ Player Cuddly Lazy Cat (Level 6 Archer) has joined the party!]
They were still one person short.
Just as Lu Ming was pondering where to find another person to fill the spot, he received a message.
[Ding~ Player Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng (Level 7 Knight) requests to join the party!]
Oh!
He''s here himself?
Lu Ming turned to see a middle-aged knight, about thirty years old, striding towards them.
The ID above his head, [Lv7 Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng], confirmed that he was the one who had requested to join the party!
The man was clad in fiery armor. Judging by his age, he didn''t seem like a newbie, but his level suggested he wasn''t a veteran either. His deep eyes gave off an aura of steadiness.
Eager to fill the party, Lu Ming didn''t overthink and accepted Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng''s request.
With the party of five assembled, they received the dungeon quest from the dungeon guard and stepped through the light curtain, entering the dungeon.
Moon Demon No.2 was left fuming.
"Damn it, I''ve seen fools, but never this foolish!"
"Getting tricked by a kid like that! You might as well give up on the dungeon!"
At this moment, an assassin with the ID [AAA Moon Demon No.3] said menacingly, "We can''t let this kid break the rules. We need to teach him a lesson."
As he spoke, several other players with IDs prefixed by "Moon Demon," all level 8, gathered around.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
They quickly formed a five-man team and followed Lu Ming''s group into the dungeon with a menacing aura...
[Ding~ Welcome to the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon. This round is timed for five hours. Complete the tasks within the time limit to clear the dungeon and earn rewards!]
With the system prompt, Lu Ming and his party found themselves outside a massive, grand sanctuary!
Under the blood moon hanging overhead, the vast sanctuary emitted an eerie blood-red glow.
The city walls were lined with dried human heads.
The scene resembled the underworld, causing the girls to grip their weapons tightly, their eyes filled with tension and fear.
Lu Ming calmly opened the quest interface.
[Exorcism Path] (Moon Demon Sanctuary exclusive dungeon quest)
[Difficulty Index: 75]
[Description: Once a place of human prosperity, it was attacked by the Moon Demon Legion one night. Under the command of Blood Demon Krus, they massacred the entire city, brutally killing all humans and taking over the place. Players are tasked with entering the Moon Demon Sanctuary and killing Moon Demons (0/10)!]
[Quest Time: 5 hours 59 minutes]
[Quest Reward: Experience Points +100, Copper Coins +8, a very low chance of obtaining Black Iron grade Moon Demon set equipment +1]
Like most ordinary quests, this dungeon quest follows a tiered progression model.
According to historical records, every player, upon first clearing the tenth tier of the dungeon as a party leader, is guaranteed to receive a piece of Moon Demon set equipment as a reward!
"Clear the tenth tier, get one piece guaranteed, and if lucky, another might drop along the way, making it a double gain."
As Lu Ming was thinking this, suddenly, a blood-red barrier appeared on the ground ahead.
In the next moment, a humanoid monster, covered in blood and looking as if it had been scalded in boiling oil, emerged from the barrier!
"Cluck cluck..."
With a creepy laugh, the monster dragged a blood-stained blade as it approached.
Lu Ming casually cast a Reconnaissance skill.
[Moon Demon] (Lv6, Physical type ¡¤ Normal monster)
[Physical Attack: 55]
[Armor: 20]
[Magic Resistance: 14]
[Speed: 12]
[Health Points: 320]
[Skill: Blood Kill (F-grade)]
[Description: As one of Blood Demon Krus''s elite warriors, the Moon Demon''s mission is to kill all humans who enter the Moon Demon Sanctuary, clearing all obstacles for its master...]
As a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes, just as Lu Ming was about to draw his sword to act, suddenly, the middle-aged knight Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng in the party, holding a heavy metal shield in his left hand and a fiery lance in his right, silently walked past Lu Ming.
Screech...
The sharp edge of the lance scraped against the ground, sparking and emitting a piercing sound.
Facing the charging Moon Demon, Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng remained unfazed, his heart as calm as still water.
At the moment the Moon Demon reached him, bang!
He raised his shield abruptly, using [Shield Bash] to slam the Moon Demon heavily to the ground.
Before the Moon Demon could get up, in the next second, he thrust his lance with a "pfft," using [Gravity Thrust] to pierce through the Moon Demon''s head.
-159!
-166!
The Moon Demon fell to the ground, dead on the spot.
[Ding~ Your teammate Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng has killed a level 6 Moon Demon. You receive a 30% participation reward, Experience Points +6!]
[Ding~ Quest kill progress +1!]
Seeing this, Lu Ming was slightly surprised.
Although he had sensed something unusual about this person when he joined the party, he hadn''t expected that, as a tank class knight, he could deal such high damage!
A level 7 first-transition knight dealing damage even higher than some level 10 second-transition assassins Lu Ming had encountered before!
With Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng effortlessly taking down a monster, the three girls behind him looked at him with admiration.
"Wow! So amazing!"
"That uncle''s damage is so high!"
Meanwhile, behind them, Moon Demon No.2 and his group, who had just entered the dungeon following Lu Ming''s party, were shocked to see Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng kill a dungeon monster in two moves.
"Whoa! What''s with that knight''s damage?"
"That guy seems to have some skills. What should we do? Should we proceed?"
"He''s just a bit skilled. Are we, five level 8s, afraid of one level 7 and a few level 6 newbies? Besides, only that level 7 guy is capable; the rest are just useless!"
"Let''s go, take down that Trickster!"
Ahead, as Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng had just slain a Moon Demon, suddenly, three blood-red barriers appeared around him!
Following that, three Moon Demons emerged simultaneously, dragging their blood-stained blades as they surrounded Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng!
Not only was his damage impressive, but as a knight, Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng''s defense was also strong.
Even while enduring the attacks of three level 6 Moon Demons, he remained unfazed.
However, under the continuous assault of the Moon Demons, being outnumbered, he eventually began to struggle.
After all, the essence of team dungeons lies not in individual prowess unless one''s strength is exceptionally outstanding.
Clearly, although Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng had some skills, he hadn''t reached the level of soloing a dungeon.
Seeing Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng struggling against the three monsters, the girls in the party quickly took action.
Boom!
The mage girl, Strawberry Bear Lover, waved a cheap wooden staff and cast an F-grade Fireball, hitting one of the Moon Demons for a measly 33 damage, barely making a dent.
At the same time, the archer girl, Cuddly Lazy Cat, fired several arrows with a "biubiubiu."
Not to mention the damage, she missed two out of three arrows!
One arrow even hit Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng on the head.
The priest girl, Milky White Pudding, hurriedly cast a healing spell.
Whoosh!
Green light fell, healing Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng for +44, like a drop in the bucket.
The small amount of health restored was quickly depleted by the three Moon Demons.
The five players approaching from behind couldn''t help but mock them.
"See that? With such poor skills, they think they can tackle a dungeon without us? They''re overestimating themselves!"
"I thought that knight was impressive, but he''s just putting on a show!"
"Isn''t the funniest part that Trickster kid? Before entering the dungeon, he boasted about not charging if they couldn''t clear it, but now he doesn''t even dare to move? Pretending to be something he''s not, it''s hilarious!"
As they spoke, up ahead...
Swoosh!
The Black Iron Hero''s Sword was unsheathed.
Lu Ming made his move.
Chapter 10 - Soloing the dungeon, impressive strength!
"Our equipment is too poor, we can''t even draw the monsters'' aggro with our damage!"
"What should we do now?"
As the three girls behind stomped their feet anxiously, and Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng in front was being besieged by three Moon Demons, the situation was becoming increasingly dire.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
From all directions, dozens of three-meter-high shadow vortices suddenly blossomed!
The sudden scene made several approaching players halt in panic.
Assassin Moon Demon No.3 was shocked: "What the heck! What''s going on, how did so many monsters spawn at once?"
Warrior Moon Demon No.2''s expression was intense: "No, the monsters are spawning from the ground, this isn''t a typical monster spawn!"
"Then what is it?"
As they were filled with surprise and doubt.
From within those shadow vortices, emerged Undead Warriors clad in full heavy metal dark armor, their eyes glowing with a blue light, exuding an aura like messengers from hell!
Lu Ming summoned all sixty Undead Warriors.
At the same time, he planted his longsword into the ground.
Whoosh!
A super formation with a radius of 500 yards, dark red in color, spread out from beneath Lu Ming''s feet, instantly covering the entire area, turning the ground a dark red.
The effect of War Tread enveloped all the Undead Warriors.
Lu Ming quietly stared at the few Moon Demons ahead.
"Kill."
With a thought.
In the next second, dozens of Undead Warriors surged forward like a tide, instantly engulfing the three Moon Demons.
-235!
-235!
-235!
-235!
In an instant, the three Moon Demons were hacked to death by the chaotic swords.
The scene fell into silence.
The three girls were dumbfounded.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
As they stared in shock at the group of explosively powerful Undead Warriors on the field, not knowing where these Undead Warriors came from.
The team notification sounded.
[Ding~ Your teammate Nether has killed a level 6 Moon Demon, you receive a 30% participation reward, Experience Points +6!]
[Ding~ Your teammate Nether has killed a level 6 Moon Demon, you receive a 30% participation reward, Experience Points +6!]
[Ding~ Your teammate Nether has killed a level 6 Moon Demon, you receive a 30% participation reward, Experience Points +6!]
At this moment, they suddenly realized.
They all turned their incredulous gazes towards Lu Ming.
Meanwhile, the few players who were planning to ambush from behind were also so shocked by the scene that they began to question their life choices.
"Wow! How did he manage to have so many summons at level 6?"
"Why is his summon damage so high? It''s higher than my graveyard grass!"
"What the hell? This is terrifying!"
In their shock, cold sweat dripped from their foreheads, and their hands trembled!
They were immensely grateful they hadn''t made a move!
Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
"Run!"
"Run quickly!"
"Hurry up and run!"
Terrified of lingering even a moment longer, fearing Lu Ming''s Undead Warriors would rush over and cut them down.
The few who had just entered the dungeon quickly opened the exit portal and scrambled out of the dungeon.
On Lu Ming''s side.
According to Sky Abyss''s team mechanism, in a five-person team, when a monster is killed, only the one who lands the final blow receives 100% of the full reward, while the other four team members receive a minimum of 30% of the reward.
Thus, Lu Ming received the full reward, totaling 60 experience points!
At this moment, the rest of the team members were breathing heavily.
The Undead Warrior army, which had almost instantly taken over the entire battlefield, exuded a powerful aura that commanded respect.
"Those Undead Warriors... were all summoned by that Trickster guy?"
"But isn''t his class Trickster? How can he use summoning?"
"It must be the effect of his account talent, right? I''ve seen a lot of summoning talents like this online!"
"Oh my god! Did you see the damage those Undead Warriors dealt just now? It''s terrifying!"
"This Trickster is amazing!"
The girls whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with admiration for Lu Ming.
Only Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng in the front seemed to have anticipated Lu Ming''s strength, looking relatively calm as he observed the powerful Undead Warriors around him.
Level 6 monsters were slightly more valuable.
The Undead Warriors collected a total of 7 copper coins for Lu Ming from the corpses of the three Moon Demons.
While refining the Moon Demons'' corpses, Lu Ming commanded the Undead Warriors to continue killing monsters.
In no time at all.
The Moon Demons harvested by the Undead Warriors had accumulated to 10!
The three girls in the team all gaped in disbelief.
"Nether brother''s summons are too strong!"
With common knowledge, it was naturally difficult to understand.
Players familiar with the details of Sky Abyss at most knew that a level 6 Trickster''s output-enhancing formations could at most provide a damage boost of twenty to thirty points to allies within range.
But they couldn''t imagine: under the tenfold enhancement of the [Comprehensive Amplification] talent, Lu Ming''s Lv6 War Tread''s ally attack boost effect had already reached a staggering 100% of his own attack power +200, which was 242 points!
What kind of concept is this?
Normally, a level 10 player who has undergone a second transition, with the boost from full Black Iron Equipment, would barely reach an attack power of 100+.
Yet the Undead Warriors'' attack power had reached an astonishing 255 points!
With only 20 armor points, how could the Moon Demons withstand the Undead Warriors'' attacks?
Thus, when the number of Moon Demons killed reached 10, the dungeon task completed its first stage and directly upgraded to the second stage, requiring a total of 30 Moon Demons to be killed!
And the second stage reward increased from 100 experience points, 8 copper coins, and a minuscule chance of Black Iron Moon Demon set equipment +1; to 200 experience points, 15 copper coins!
The probability of obtaining equipment remained minuscule.
At this time, after Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng recovered his health with a life potion, he rejoined the battle with the three girls from the rear.
And at this moment, they were surprised to find: the War Tread boost effect from Lu Ming was extraordinarily high!
Biubiu!
Archer girl Cuddly Lazy Cat locked onto a Moon Demon refreshing on the right, shooting two arrows in succession, dealing two unbelievable damage numbers¡ª
-251!
-251!
"Oh my god!"
Cuddly Lazy Cat''s eyes widened, her mouth forming an "O" shape: "Why is my damage so high!"
Beside her, mage girl Strawberry Bear Lover quickly found a Moon Demon to test, and indeed discovered: her fireball spell dealt a whopping 339 damage, instantly one-shotting the full-health level 6 Moon Demon!
Priest girl Milky White Pudding''s healing spell, even more astonishingly, could heal over 400 health, fully restoring a person!
"Wow! My panel attack power is 281 points!"
"I also have over 270 attack points, oh my god!!"
At this moment, they finally realized: the truly formidable one wasn''t Lu Ming''s summoned Undead Warriors.
It was Lu Ming, the Trickster himself!
The formations he released had absurdly powerful enhancement effects!
At this moment, the girls were also grateful they had teamed up with this expert!
"With such a powerful guy leading us, this dungeon is in the bag!"
Thus, under Lu Ming''s mental command, the sixty Undead Warriors with 255 attack power swept through everything, quickly dealing with all the Moon Demons refreshed outside the Moon Demon Sanctuary!
Immediately after, they followed the city gate and charged into the sanctuary.
Upon entering the sanctuary, they began encountering more advanced level 7-8 Moon Demons.
Although their strength had increased, they still couldn''t withstand the Undead Warriors'' damage.
Not a single Moon Demon could withstand two strikes from the Undead Warriors.
If there was, then three strikes!
Chapter 11 - Black Iron Level BOSS, Blood Demon Krus!
```
[Ding~ Killed Level 7 Moon Demon, Experience Points +25!]
[Ding~ Killed Level 8 Moon Demon, Experience Points +32!]
[Ding~ Killed Level 8 Moon Demon, Experience Points +32!]
...
[Ding~ Congratulations! Your team has killed a total of 50 Moon Demons, completing the third tier of the dungeon quest ''Path of Exorcism''. Rewards have been upgraded!]
...
The attack of the Undead Warriors was like a tornado destroying a parking lot.
The Moon Demons in the Moon Demon Sanctuary were utterly defenseless, being swept away effortlessly.
When Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng and three girl players followed Lu Ming into the sanctuary, they were greeted by the sight of Moon Demon corpses strewn all over the ground.
Lu Ming refined these corpses one by one.
He kept an eye on the summoning panel, ready to summon new Undead Warriors to fill any gaps as soon as one fell.
At the moment, Lu Ming had only learned one skill: War Tread.
This skill significantly boosted the attack power of his Undead Warriors, but did not enhance any other attributes.
Unless they could kill instantly, any chance for the Moon Demons to retaliate with their 70-80 attack points could severely damage the lightly armored Undead Warriors!
Thus, casualties among the Undead Warriors were inevitable.
However, with an ample supply of soul power, Lu Ming suffered no real losses.
Before he knew it, in less than two hours, the task progress had reached the ninth tier!
At this point, Lu Ming had reached Level 7.
Meanwhile, the three girls who had been tagging along with Lu Ming were ecstatic.
"I just checked online. Those 4-carry-1 teams, with four Level 8 pros carrying a Level 6 newbie, take at least 4 hours and 12 minutes to clear the tenth tier of the Moon Demon Sanctuary!"
"And we¡¯ve only been at it for 1 hour and 48 minutes..."
"Oh my god, this is our first time doing this dungeon, and we''re already at the tenth tier!"
"Don''t celebrate too soon. I heard we still need to kill a dungeon boss to complete the tenth tier!"
"The boss is supposedly Black Iron level and really tough! Many players have died to this boss, not even having time to escape!"
Just as they were speaking.
Boom¡ª
As the total number of Moon Demons killed reached 300, the ground suddenly shook violently.
Ahead in the depths of the Moon Demon Sanctuary, a massive blood-red barrier tore through space and materialized!
Following that, a super Moon Demon, three meters tall, wearing a blood crown, draped in a red cape, and wielding a mighty sword, stepped out from the barrier!
A scarlet aura spread in all directions.
The powerful presence and overwhelming intimidation made the three girls, except for Lu Ming and Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng, involuntarily step back several paces.
At this moment, the team channel displayed the data panel of the large Moon Demon shared by Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng.
Stolen novel; please report.
[Blood Demon Krus] (Physical Type ¡¤ Black Iron Level BOSS)
[Level: 8]
[Physical Attack: 144]
[Armor: 55]
[Magic Resistance: 46]
[Speed: 42]
[Health Points: 4980]
[Skills: Blood Slash (E-level), Blood Demon Shield (E-level), Blood Demon Roar (E-level)...]
[Description: A demon resurrected from hell, Blood Demon Krus''s mission is to obey the darkness and kill all humans who intrude into the Sky Abyss world...]
"Such high attack and health!"
"I doubt I can withstand even one attack from the boss..."
"Plus, there are two elite guards next to the boss! How do we fight this?"
The girls were all awed by the boss''s formidable attributes, their mouths agape.
On either side of Blood Demon Krus stood a Blood Demon Guard, stronger than ordinary monsters but weaker than the boss: Level 8 elite monsters.
Elite Blood Demon Guards had an attack power of 110, armor of 45, and health points of 1800.
For most teams, dealing with two elite monsters plus a Black Iron level boss was a daunting task.
This was why over 90% of teams that struggled to reach the tenth tier of the dungeon failed at this final hurdle!
At this moment, Blood Demon Krus let out a chilling laugh.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Insignificant humans, how dare you trespass into the sacred land of the Moon Demon clan!"
"You shall find your rest in this forbidden zone!"
With the boss gripping its giant sword, it charged forward with its two guards.
In the team, the usually composed middle-aged knight, Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng, became even more cautious.
He fixed his gaze on the boss, analyzing the strategy carefully: "This boss has high defense, and its passive skill, Blood Demon Shield, makes it stronger as it fights. We must end the battle quickly."
"Moreover, its AOE skill, Blood Demon Roar, is very powerful, but it has a 2.7-second casting delay. Once you see the delay, retreat immediately; you can''t withstand it!"
"Additionally..."
Just as Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng was analyzing intently.
"Attack."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Seventy Undead Warriors surged forward, engulfing the Blood Demon and its guards like a tidal wave.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
-266!
-266!
-266!
-256!
-256!
...
Under the onslaught of the Undead Warriors, the two Blood Demon Guards barely had a chance to react before being slain!
Blood Demon Krus managed to kill three Undead Warriors with its sword before being overwhelmed by the damage and killed.
"Damn it! How could I... fall to mere mortals..."
With endless resentment and anger, Blood Demon Krus''s massive body crashed to the ground.
[Ding~ Your teammate Nether killed Level 8 Elite Monster ¡¤ Blood Demon Guard, you received 30% participation reward, Experience Points +150!]
[Ding~ Your teammate Nether killed Level 8 Elite Monster ¡¤ Blood Demon Guard, you received 30% participation reward, Experience Points +150!]
[Ding~ Your teammate Nether killed Level 8 Black Iron Level BOSS ¡¤ Blood Demon Krus, you received 30% participation reward, Experience Points +600!]
At this moment, the air fell silent.
The three girl players behind widened their eyes.
Even Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng, who had always been calm, was momentarily stunned, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes!
A Level 8 Black Iron Level BOSS... instantly killed!
And two Level 8 elite monsters on top of that!
Is this something a normal Level 7 player can do?
Lu Ming remained calm, as if this outcome was within his expectations.
Because his Lv7 War Tread, with its comprehensive amplification, had already increased his attack power by 100% +250.
With the War Tread boost, the Undead Warriors'' attack power reached 311 points!
Facing the elite Blood Demon Guards with only 45 armor and the Black Iron Level BOSS Blood Demon with 55 armor was like slicing through butter.
Lu Ming quickly had the Undead Warriors handle the loot.
As expected of a BOSS and elite monsters, the drop rate was impressive!
From Blood Demon Krus and the two Blood Demon Guards, they collected a total of 7 Silver Coins + 45 Copper Coins.
And an F-level Warrior Skill Scroll ¡¤ Execute.
Three pieces of equipment, two of which were ordinary Level 8 white items.
The other was a Level 8 Black Iron Equipment, though not part of the Moon Demon set.
After all, this BOSS had been farmed by players countless times, so getting a Black Iron Equipment was already a blessing.
By rule, all dungeon rewards should be shared among the team.
But since Lu Ming contributed 99.9% of the effort in the dungeon, the other freeloaders were naturally too embarrassed to claim a share.
For them, just completing the dungeon and receiving the tenth tier quest reward by following Lu Ming was already more than satisfying.
After handling the loot, Lu Ming opened the dungeon exit portal and left the dungeon.
Back at the entrance of the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon, he submitted the quest to the NPC guard.
[Ding~ Congratulations on clearing the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon, with the highest quest completion progress at the tenth tier, you received: Experience Points +3000, Silver Coins +2!]
[Ding~ As the first time clearing the dungeon as a leader at the tenth tier, you triggered the condition to 100% obtain a piece of Moon Demon set equipment, congratulations on obtaining Moon Demon Legguards +1!]
Wow!
Golden light showered down on Lu Ming''s head.
The system''s pleasant voice rang out again.
[Ding~ Congratulations on reaching Level 8... Next level requires 5000 Experience Points!]
Finally, Level 8!
"I can now tackle the Level 8-10 dungeon [Scarlet Zone] to get that ten-billion-dollar infinite upgrade skill scroll!"
Thinking of ten billion dollars, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel a bit excited.
But there''s no rush for now.
It''s already 3 AM.
At 8 AM, he has something important to do, which is to get back at Ye Chen!
So Lu Ming decided not to push it, planning to log off and get some sleep, then deal with Ye Chen at 8 AM before heading to the dungeon.
After all, no one has cleared the Hell difficulty of the Scarlet Zone in a hundred years.
What''s meant to be his will be his, it won''t escape.
Lu Ming wasn''t worried about anyone beating him to it.
Just then, Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng and the other three girls exited the dungeon.
The girls didn''t rush to submit their quests but instead ran to Lu Ming.
"Hey handsome, can we add each other on WeChat? I''ll transfer the money for carrying me through the dungeon!"
"Nether brother, do you... have a girlfriend?"
Lu Ming saw through their little schemes.
They just wanted to stick around because he was strong, hoping he could carry them in Sky Abyss in the future.
That''s how the world works.
In the Sky Abyss world, strength is everything.
The stronger you are, the more respect and admiration you receive.
Even if you look like a toad, as long as you''re skilled in Sky Abyss, you''ll never lack money, nor young and beautiful women by your side.
Having lived through his past life, Lu Ming understood it all too well.
Women can only become stumbling blocks on his path to success!
So, Lu Ming opened his WeChat payment code and smiled at the three girls: "I''ll take the money, but we don''t need to be friends."
Lu Ming didn''t overcharge them.
Even though the market price for a tenth-tier Moon Demon Sanctuary team ride was a thousand, Lu Ming only charged them a hundred each, as agreed before entering the dungeon.
Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng also went over to scan and pay Lu Ming a hundred.
Watching Lu Ming turn and leave, the girls felt a sense of unwillingness.
They wondered: Are they not young and pretty enough?
Why wouldn''t Lu Ming even spare them a glance?
Meanwhile, Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng, standing quietly to the side, watched Lu Ming''s departing figure, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
He opened his WeChat and sent a message to a contact named [Tianxuan¡¤Eternal]: "Captain, you were right, the Trickster with the ID Nether is indeed extraordinarily strong!"
"He can solo the tenth tier of the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon! I estimate his account strength is at least five-star!"
Soon, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal replied: "No matter what, make sure to recruit him into our Tianxuan Team."
Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng: "Understood!"
Chapter 12 - Set Skill, Restore Mana!
In the Sky Abyss world, players can only log out in safe zones.
On his way back to Moonfall Town, Lu Ming took out the equipment he had just received as a dungeon reward from his backpack and examined it.
[Moon Demon Legguards] (Lv8)
[Quality: Black Iron Equipment]
[Armor: 35]
[Magic Resistance: 28]
[Additional Attribute: Stamina +8]
[Durability: 15/15]
[Class Requirement: Assassin, Trickster]
[Note: This equipment is part of the Moon Demon set]
[Description: Forged by the Moon Demon clan, infused with the essence of the Blood Moon, these powerful weapons are designed to enhance the combat capabilities of their warriors. Humans should use with caution...]
At the same time, Lu Ming also took out the Moon Demon Ring and Moon Demon Cloak he had previously confiscated from the three assassins.
He equipped all three pieces of gear.
Opening his status panel, he saw his attack power had increased from 44 to 87, nearly doubling!
His health points rose from 270 to 390!
Armor skyrocketed from 8 to 59!
Magic resistance surged from 8 to 52!
It''s hard to imagine an 8th-level Trickster having such attributes.
After all, for players below level 10, not everyone has Black Iron Equipment.
Let alone a set of Black Iron Equipment!
Many ordinary players still wear whiteboard equipment even at level 20.
As he donned these three pieces of equipment, a system notification sounded.
[Ding~ The exclusive skill of the Moon Demon set, "Mana Recovery" (three-piece set), has been activated!]
[Mana Recovery] (3/7): Passive, the wearer automatically recovers 2 mana points per second.
With the tenfold enhancement from the Comprehensive Amplification talent, combined with the recovery from 29 points of spirit, a "+22.9" blue recovery value popped up above Lu Ming''s head every second!
His mana bar instantly filled up.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Currently, the mana consumption of Lv8 War Tread is already 4 points per second.
Lu Ming murmured, "With this set skill, at least until level 20, I won''t have to worry about running out of mana!"
By the time Lu Ming reaches level 20, these pieces of equipment will likely be obsolete.
Even if not due to low level, their 15-point durability ensures they won''t last long.
Once the durability of equipment hits zero, it becomes unusable.
And low-level equipment isn''t worth the cost of using expensive [Repair Stones] to restore durability.
Lu Ming also listed two whiteboard pieces and one Black Iron Equipment dropped by the boss on the trading market.
The whiteboard items weren''t worth much, so he listed them at an average price of 200.
The level 8 Black Iron Equipment was worth a bit more, so Lu Ming set a price of 900.
As for the Warrior F-grade Skill Scroll: Execute, that''s a valuable item!
Lu Ming listed it on the trading market for 2500.
With the influx of new players in Sky Abyss every day, skill scrolls, even the lowest F-grade ones, are in high demand in a small third-tier city like Linhai City.
Calculating, he made about four thousand yuan from a night''s dungeon run!
Lu Ming couldn''t help but sigh, "A ten-star account is much easier to earn money with than a one-star account!"
In his previous life, when luck wasn''t on his side and he couldn''t get good equipment, it took him a month to earn as much as he did tonight.
Plus, he had to pay others to help him with dungeons and quests, and the cost of potions added up. Sometimes, at the end of the month, he found he hadn''t made any money and even lost some!
After returning to Moonfall Town, Lu Ming logged off.
He checked his messages and found that the [Moon Demon Boots] and [Iron Sword] he listed on the trading market last night had sold!
After deducting a 5% transaction fee, he earned 2451 yuan!
Now, Lu Ming''s bank account had over 4200 yuan!
If he included the items he just listed on the trading market, he''d have nearly eight thousand!
The tough days were finally over.
"Good days are finally coming my way!"
So, Lu Ming immediately opened WeChat and transferred 2400 yuan to his landlord, paying off three months of overdue rent.
Next, he planned to earn a bit more money and buy a computer.
After all, running to the internet caf¨¦ every day wasn''t ideal.
It would be much more comfortable to play Sky Abyss at home!
In the dead of winter, he wouldn''t have to go out and could order takeout.
If he craved something, he could go downstairs for a hot pot meal.
"Perfect!"
After logging off, Lu Ming returned home from the internet caf¨¦.
The 800-yuan-a-month shared apartment was cheap but uncomfortable in every other way.
One of his roommates was a musician, and the other was a young couple.
According to the original owner''s memories, every night, he was either immersed in the sounds of "Love Until Death" or "Ah, ah" noises, feeling like he was in heaven.
"Once I earn more money, I''ll move to a better place!"
With that in mind, Lu Ming took a shower.
He set a 7:30 alarm and fell asleep.
Morning.
Woken by the alarm, Lu Ming dressed and washed up quickly, bought two meat buns and a cup of soy milk from the bun shop downstairs for breakfast.
He headed to the Ant Caf¨¦ across the street, started a computer, and logged in.
[Ding~ Welcome back to Sky Abyss, esteemed ten-star player, Nether!]
In the morning, Moonfall Town was bustling with people.
Especially today, the town was unusually crowded with players.
Even those who usually logged in once every ten days or half a month were online early today!
Lu Ming knew what these people were thinking.
After all, he logged in at this time for the same reason!
"That influencer, Chen Emperor, said he''d be online at eight, right?"
"Yes! I heard him say it himself in his live stream last night!"
"He said he''d give gifts worth 1-10 Silver Coins to every fan he meets online! The average market price for 1 Silver Coin is 200, damn, I''m excited!"
Lu Ming blended into the crowd, staying low-key.
Soon, the crowd became restless!
Then, a shout rang out, "Chen Emperor is online!!"
"Brothers, go get the gifts!"
As soon as the words were spoken, players surged forward.
Lu Ming didn''t even need to walk; he was pushed along by the crowd!
The scene was as lively as a supermarket giving away free eggs, limited to 100 pieces, first come, first served.
Lu Ming was effortlessly pushed to the front row by the enthusiastic crowd.
Surrounded by dozens of bodyguards, a charismatic and imposing young player smiled and waved to the surrounding crowd.
Such a scene.
Those unaware might think a celebrity had arrived!
And that young man, Lu Ming recognized at a glance, was Ye Chen!
The last time he faced Ye Chen was three days ago.
At that time, Lu Ming, already at level 199, planned to rush to level 200 for a mission, fearing he wouldn''t have time to celebrate his brother-in-law''s birthday.
So he and Ye Ling''er came from the capital to Linhai City to celebrate Ye Chen''s birthday.
Ye Chen had once said that on his 18th birthday, no matter what star-level account he registered, he was determined to become a professional Sky Abyss player, and he planned to play as an Assassin.
So, Lu Ming prepared an 18th birthday gift for Ye Chen: a level 1 Assassin Black Iron Equipment weapon, the Watcher''s Blade, crafted with three months of savings and connections to buy materials.
At this moment, Lu Ming saw that Ye Chen indeed chose the Assassin class and named his game ID [Chen Emperor].
And the dagger hanging at his waist was the Black Iron Equipment Watcher''s Blade Lu Ming had given him!
Once upon a time, Lu Ming genuinely considered Ye Ling''er his future wife, treating her family as his own, wholeheartedly caring for them.
But now, seeing Ye Chen again, Lu Ming''s eyes were filled with burning anger and endless killing intent!
If it weren''t for the fact that this was a safe zone and there were many eyes around, Lu Ming would have already made his move!
Lu Ming held back for now.
He planned to strike once Ye Chen left Moonfall Town.
Chapter 13 - A monthly salary of 100,000, an invitation from the Tianxuan Team!
It was clear that after using Ye Ling''er to get rid of Lu Ming, the mastermind behind it had given the Ye family too many benefits.
Ye Chen, who used to rely on Lu Ming to pay for his high school tuition, had now entered Sky Abyss and was surrounded by dozens of bodyguards for protection.
And overnight, his fame had skyrocketed!
However, when Lu Ming took a closer look, he found that the bodyguards around Ye Chen were only level 10.
With the strength of Lu Ming''s Undead Warriors, once Ye Chen stepped out of Moonfall Town, they could easily be cut down without any effort!
At this moment, Ye Chen was greeting his fans while having two female assistants distribute gifts.
Lu Ming wasn''t interested, but because he was in the front row, he was forcefully handed a delicate red envelope pouch!
Opening the red envelope, he found three silver coins inside!
In the trading market, the value of one silver coin was two hundred yuan.
That''s six hundred yuan, and it was just for Lu Ming alone!
"What a generous move," Lu Ming thought, looking at Ye Chen, who used to need Lu Ming to transfer money via WeChat just to go out for hot pot with classmates, and his hatred grew even stronger.
Ye Chen''s goal was to win people over.
He wanted all the players in Moonfall Town to become his fans.
Because he had been an unnoticed streamer for two years.
He longed for attention and to become a prominent figure.
Additionally, he wanted to ensure that in the novice village area, he could call for help anytime, anywhere if needed.
After distributing the gifts, Ye Chen accepted a task in the town.
Then, he headed north out of Moonfall Town.
Seeing this, Lu Ming immediately followed.
Watching as Ye Chen finally stepped out of the safe zone.
Lu Ming was planning to follow him to a secluded place and then eliminate them all without anyone knowing.
But at that moment, dozens of fully armed high-level players appeared outside the town!
They seemed to have been waiting for a long time, and as soon as Ye Chen went out, they immediately surrounded him!
Lu Ming used his tenfold-enhanced F-level Reconnaissance to take a casual look and was shocked to find that those players were all level 30!
And they had all completed their fourth class advancement!
"This level clearly isn''t for novice area players."
"They must have come down from the second layer, the main city area," Lu Ming thought, frowning slightly.
He hadn''t expected Ye Chen to have such comprehensive protective measures.
Lu Ming then realized: the dozens of level 10 players initially following him weren''t bodyguards but were there to help him level up!
According to Sky Abyss''s team mechanism: players with a level difference of no more than 10 levels can team up.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Higher-level players can weaken the monsters, but even if Ye Chen lands the final blow, he won''t gain any benefits.
So these level 30 fourth-class players were Ye Chen''s real bodyguards!
This was going to be tricky.
Because under Lu Ming''s comprehensive amplification and formation enhancement, his Undead Warriors, even at level 8, could match players up to around level 15.
But they definitely couldn''t handle level 30 players!
Of course, Lu Ming could wait until he reached level 20 to kill him.
By then, the Undead Warriors would certainly have the strength to crush level 30 players.
But as soon as players reach level 10, they can leave the novice area and enter the second layer through Sky Abyss.
Even if Lu Ming leveled up quickly, with so many level 10 players power-leveling Ye Chen, his leveling speed wouldn''t be slow.
By the time Lu Ming reached level 20, Ye Chen would likely have already reached level 10 and entered the second layer.
By then, high-level players in the second layer, level 40 or 50, would be as common as dirt, and Ye Chen could arrange even more high-level bodyguards, making it even harder for Lu Ming to kill him!
So, Lu Ming had to deal with Ye Chen in the novice area!
"The strength of level 30 fourth-class players is too strong. My Undead Warriors are all melee, and they might not even get a chance to get close to Ye Chen before being killed instantly."
"And if I act rashly, unless I can kill him in one blow, it would only alert him; I need to find a way to lure those level 30s away!"
Once Ye Chen was alone, he would be easy to kill.
But how could he make that happen?
As he hesitated, a figure suddenly flashed in Lu Ming''s mind!
Lin Youwei!
Lu Ming knew that Ye Chen truly liked Lin Youwei and was willing to stay in the third-tier Linhai City for her, giving up the opportunity to go to the big city of Beijing with his sister Ye Ling''er.
In fact, a major reason Ye Chen wanted to become famous was for Lin Youwei!
He remembered Ye Ling''er once telling Lu Ming, "Why don''t you support Chen Chen''s live stream? Give him some gifts."
"Chen Chen said that once he becomes a big internet celebrity, he can pursue Lin Youwei. My brother only likes this one girl, and I want to help him!"
At the time, Lu Ming was saving money to buy a house and marry Ye Ling''er.
Ye Ling''er said, "The house can wait, but my brother''s matter can''t. If Lin Youwei is snatched by someone else, my brother will regret it for the rest of his life!"
"After all, he''s my brother and your brother too, and my mom said we won''t need a dowry when we get married!"
Back then, Lu Ming foolishly believed Ye Ling''er and spent tens of thousands of yuan in seven days on gifts for Ye Chen''s live stream!
Even though it was all for nothing.
After all, Lin Youwei rejected Ye Chen simply because she didn''t like him, not because she looked down on his lack of fame.
Recalling last night, when the three assassins sent by Ye Chen killed Lin Youwei''s brother and attempted to assault Lin Youwei.
It was clear that Ye Chen''s wolfish ambition was still focused on Lin Youwei!
"Using Lin Youwei to get close to Ye Chen could make him lower his guard, and finding an opportunity to isolate Ye Chen would be much easier!"
But then another problem arose.
There was once a sincere opportunity in front of Lu Ming, and he didn''t cherish it. It was only after losing it that he regretted it.
If heaven could give him another chance...
"I should have agreed to help Lin Youwei get revenge last night!"
But where could he find Lin Youwei now?
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this, a voice suddenly came to his ear: "Want to kill him? I''ll help you!"
Lu Ming''s heart trembled.
He turned to see five players approaching!
The leader was a young archer dressed in silver chainmail.
Though he looked young, around eighteen, the sharpness in his eyes was like that of a seasoned veteran.
His white ID, not hidden, was clearly visible: Lv9 First-Class Archer¡ªTianxuan¡¤Eternal!
As Lu Ming pondered where he had seen a similar ID before.
He noticed a familiar face standing next to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal.
It was a knight in fiery armor, about thirty years old, whom Lu Ming immediately recognized as Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng, the man who had accompanied him in the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon last night!
Besides him, the other three also had IDs with the "Tianxuan" prefix.
Since Sky Abyss descended and gradually dominated the human world.
Major player guilds, teams, and families had risen to prominence.
This Tianxuan was clearly a team organization.
Feigning ignorance, Lu Ming asked Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, "Are you talking to me?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal stopped in front of Lu Ming and said, "Join my team, and I''ll help you kill that Chen Emperor, how about it?"
Lu Ming''s heart trembled again, surprised at how the other knew what he was thinking.
But he feigned ignorance: "What are you talking about?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal smiled faintly, "Don''t pretend. The look of someone wanting to kill is unmistakable. I''ve been watching you for a while."
Before Lu Ming could speak, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal continued, "He has so many level 30 bodyguards around him, killing him is like climbing to the sky."
"Our Tianxuan Team has countless strong players over level 100. Killing them is as easy as stepping on ants."
"The premise is that you join us. Of course, I won''t shortchange you. Besides helping you kill that person, I''ll also offer you a starting monthly salary of 100,000 yuan. How about it?"
A hundred thousand a month!
To be honest, Lu Ming''s first reaction was indeed tempting.
But, having lived a life of dependence and humiliation in his past life, he didn''t want to be under anyone''s control again.
And he had to kill Ye Chen himself to feel the thrill of revenge!
Moreover, the origins of these people were unknown, and their true intentions were unclear.
To be cautious, Lu Ming politely declined, "Thanks, but no thanks."
"Besides, I just don''t like him, it''s not to the point of wanting to kill him, don''t misunderstand."
With that, Lu Ming turned and left.
Watching Lu Ming''s figure gradually recede.
At this moment, an 8th-level Assassin named Tianxuan¡¤Shadow rolled up his sleeves and said fiercely, "This kid doesn''t know what''s good for him. Captain, let me teach him a lesson!"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal reached out to stop him, "We''re civilized people, let''s not be so reckless."
"Besides, you''re not his match."
Hearing this, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow scoffed, "Tch, that kid may be the same level as me, but he''s just a Trickster, a class with no damage and no tankiness. I could take him out in one combo without giving him a chance to react!"
Before he finished speaking.
The knight Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng glanced at the spirited Tianxuan¡¤Shadow and said, "He could kill you as easily as squashing a chick."
Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was obviously unconvinced, "I don''t believe it!"
As he spoke, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow rolled up his sleeves, "Unless you let me go teach him a lesson!"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal looked at Tianxuan¡¤Shadow, "I told you, we''re civilized people, let''s not be so reckless."
"This person, Tianxuan has set his sights on!"
"Go keep an eye on him, and if anyone dares to compete with us for him..."
Before he finished speaking, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow rolled up his sleeves, "Then we''ll teach them a lesson!"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal looked at Tianxuan¡¤Shadow with disdain and said, "Why are you so reckless?"
"I''ll say it again, we''re civilized people!"
After a pause, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal said calmly, "If anyone dares to compete with us for him, we''ll take them down!"
"Understood!!!"
Chapter 14 - Meeting Lin Youwei again, the layout begins!
Lu Ming left Moonfall Town, unsure of what to do next.
His original plan was to deal with Ye Chen and then tackle the Scarlet Zone dungeon.
However, with Ye Chen now surrounded by too many level 30 bodyguards, Lu Ming''s plan was disrupted, leaving him uninterested in dungeons for the moment.
The only way to break this stalemate was to find Lin Youwei!
But...
"Moonfall Town includes over fifty thousand players below level 10 from the entire Linhai City. Finding someone here is like finding a needle in a haystack..."
Just as Lu Ming was worrying about where to find Lin Youwei, he noticed a large crowd of players gathered around some ruins ahead, seemingly involved in something.
As Lu Ming passed by, he overheard the crowd discussing:
"This young girl looks so frail, how did she get into this mess?"
"They say she owes someone money, but it''s unclear. Such a delicate girl falling into the hands of unreasonable creditors is bound for trouble!"
A young girl?
Frail?
Delicate?
"Could it be Lin Youwei?"
Lu Ming muttered to himself.
He squeezed through the crowd for a look.
Sure enough, it was Lin Youwei!
Lin Youwei was on the ground, surrounded by several burly, fierce-looking men!
She looked completely different from the image Lu Ming had of her last night.
The first time he saw Lin Youwei, she was clinging tightly to her brother''s hand. Even when being chased, as long as her brother was by her side, she felt safe.
Back then, she wore a Black Iron Equipment frost robe, not luxurious, but not ordinary either.
Now, she was clad in cheap, low-level whiteboard gear, simple and clean, but it tugged at the heartstrings.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
She exuded a pure aura, her tousled hair clinging to her fair face, pure yet alluring.
Without her brother''s protection, her eyes were filled with helplessness and fear.
It was this aura and her pitiful face that made many bystanders sympathize with her.
"What kind of men bully a young girl?"
"Yeah! Aren''t they ashamed?"
At this moment, one of the burly men, at least 250 pounds, waved his fist and shouted at the crowd, "Paying debts is a matter of course! If any of you have a problem, why don''t you pay the money her brother owes us?"
With that, the crowd fell silent.
Their so-called justice was clearly based on not harming their own interests.
Seeing the crowd quiet down, the burly man leered at Lin Youwei, saying lecherously, "If you really can''t pay, you can use your body to repay the debt."
"How about a thousand per time?"
Lin Youwei was so frightened she hugged her legs and curled up, her frail body trembling slightly.
Just as the burly man was about to reach out to her, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Lin Youwei!
"How much does she owe you?"
Seeing Lu Ming suddenly appear, the burly man lost interest and said impatiently, "Her brother owes us twenty thousand; she''s paid fifteen thousand, so there''s five thousand left!"
Lu Ming thought for a moment.
The three pieces of equipment and the F-grade skill scroll he put in the trading house had all sold, and he had over 5600 in his account.
So, he directly transferred five thousand to the burly man on the spot.
The four burly men present, though appearing large and intimidating, were actually just a few level 8-9 small fries.
If Lu Ming activated the Undead Warrior, he could send them to meet their ancestors in an instant.
But with so many onlookers around, it wasn''t worth becoming a target for a few thousand bucks.
Having received the money, the burly man had nothing more to say and made way, allowing Lu Ming to take Lin Youwei away.
Seeing there was no more excitement to watch, the crowd dispersed.
However, the burly men stared intently at the backs of Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, eyes filled with resentment and desire.
"Does that guy have a lot of money?"
"Why don''t we follow them, take him for a bit more, and find a secluded place to have our way with that girl?"
"Heh, sounds good to me!"
As they spoke, with lecherous smiles, they prepared to follow Lu Ming.
At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind: "You dare touch someone from Tianxuan?"
The burly men turned towards the voice, seeing a cold black-clad assassin standing behind them.
Hearing the mention of "Tianxuan" from the assassin''s mouth and seeing the ID [Tianxuan¡¤Shadow] above the assassin''s head, the burly men were immediately terrified.
"The... the eighth-ranked Tianxuan of the Great Xia team?"
Instantly, they were scared out of their wits, kneeling and begging for mercy from Tianxuan¡¤Shadow: "Brother, we didn''t know those two were from Tianxuan! Please forgive us this time! We won''t dare again!!!"
"Brother, I''ll return the money that guy and the girl gave me to you!"
The leading burly man quickly got up and transferred twenty thousand to Tianxuan¡¤Shadow.
Taking the money, a cold glint flashed in Tianxuan¡¤Shadow''s eyes: "I''ll let it go this time, but be careful in your next life."
The burly men thanked him profusely.
But the next second, they seemed to realize something.
"Wha... what? Next life?"
As soon as the words fell.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A barrage of arrows rained down, engulfing the burly men.
A series of over 500 damage numbers popped up, instantly killing them!
The next second, several level 20 archer players with the [Tianxuan] ID silently retreated from the nearby ruins...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Lin Youwei, being led by the wrist, kept her head down.
When she looked up and saw that the person who helped her was the same one who saved her last night, a hint of surprise flashed in her clear eyes.
At this moment, Lu Ming let go of her hand and turned to look at Lin Youwei.
He finally understood that Lin Youwei had become so plain because she had sold her valuable equipment to pay off her brother''s debt.
Lin Youwei knew she owed Lu Ming too much but was unable to repay him at the moment.
She nodded slightly, avoiding eye contact with Lu Ming, and said softly, "Thank you. I''ll definitely repay the money once I save enough..."
Looking at the petite Lin Youwei, who seemed like she could be blown away by a gust of wind, Lu Ming asked, "Do you want to avenge your brother?"
Lin Youwei''s eyes were dim, and she lowered her head, "I''m too useless; I can''t avenge him..."
Lu Ming said, "I can help you get revenge."
"But I''ll need your cooperation."
Lin Youwei had witnessed Lu Ming''s impressive strength last night when he easily took down three level 10 assassins while being only level 6. She knew he was formidable.
Since Lu Ming had refused her request for revenge last night, Lin Youwei thought he wouldn''t help her again.
Hearing his words now, she looked up sharply, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
A glimmer of hope appeared in her otherwise bleak heart.
"Really? How can I help you?"
Chapter 15 - The prey is hooked, start the trap!
Moonfall Town, North.
Level 1-5 Wild Zone, Shadow Forest.
Swish!
With a swift motion, Ye Chen struck down a Level 5 Jungle Spider that his teammates had weakened to just 1 HP.
A beam of golden light descended upon him.
In just over ten minutes, he had reached Level 2!
Wiping the green blood off his Watcher''s Blade, Ye Chen smirked, "Seems like this Sky Abyss isn''t as tough as people say. It''s quite easy!"
The dozens of Level 10 hired players around him listened to Ye Chen''s boasting but dared not speak, continuing to weaken monsters for Ye Chen to finish off.
After all, the Ye family had paid each of them ten thousand for this job, so even if Ye Chen farted, it was fragrant to them!
As he killed monsters, Ye Chen lamented, "If I had known, Lu Ming, that useless fool, should have died sooner. Then I could have taken this high-status position earlier and enjoyed such imperial treatment long ago!"
"Tsk, it would be even better if Youwei were here with me!"
"But no matter, with my current status, Lin Youwei, you''ll be mine sooner or later!"
At this moment, Ye Chen''s mind was already fantasizing about the wonderful moments with Lin Youwei, imagining her graceful and soft body, and he couldn''t help but show a wild smile.
Just then, a Level 30 bodyguard stationed at the edge of the Shadow Forest came to report, "Young Master Ye, there''s a girl outside the forest who looks very much like Lin Youwei, the one you asked us to watch for!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen couldn''t help but get excited, "So eager to throw herself into my arms?"
Speaking, Ye Chen headed outside the forest.
Sure enough, in the distance, on a patch of grass, a girl was being pushed around by another male player with the Trickster profession.
Having pursued Lin Youwei for two years, Ye Chen could recognize from afar that the girl was indeed Lin Youwei!
Seeing Lin Youwei being bullied, Ye Chen immediately charged over with a fierce demeanor.
"Let her go!"
Ye Chen shouted angrily at the Trickster youth.
Little did he know, this Trickster was his former brother-in-law, Lu Ming!The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Only with a different appearance, Ye Chen naturally couldn''t recognize Lu Ming.
So, Lu Ming held Lin Youwei''s wrist, pretending not to know Ye Chen, and asked, "Who are you?"
"I''m Lin Youwei''s boyfriend!" Ye Chen walked over, pulling Lin Youwei to his side, shielding her behind him.
Seeing his prey had taken the bait, Lu Ming began to set the trap: "Alright! Since you''re her boyfriend, it''s the same to find you."
Lu Ming feigned seriousness, pointing at Lin Youwei, and said to Ye Chen, "Her brother took my money, promising to take me through the Scarlet Zone dungeon. But when I reached Level 8 and came to find him, he was nowhere to be found!"
"Since I can''t find her brother, I can only find her!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen showed disdain, "So you''re just a beggar."
"Vivi, don''t be afraid, I''m here." Ye Chen comforted Lin Youwei.
While deliberately flaunting his wealth in front of Lin Youwei, Ye Chen said to Lu Ming, "Is a hundred thousand enough?"
"Show me your payment code, take the money, and get lost!"
Not wanting to lose face in front of Lin Youwei, Ye Chen appeared generous on the surface, but in his heart, he had already planned: give the money first, then find someone to deal with Lu Ming and take the money back!
A win-win situation!
However, unexpectedly, the other party didn''t want money at all: "It''s not about the money, it''s about integrity. Since her brother promised to take me through the normal difficulty of the Scarlet Zone, it must be done!"
Ye Chen realized the other party might be after Lin Youwei, and a flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes.
But he didn''t act rashly.
Because there were quite a few onlookers around, many of whom were Ye Chen''s fans.
To maintain his image, Ye Chen had to agree with Lu Ming on the surface: "Alright, when I reach Level 8, I''ll personally take you through the dungeon."
"I''ll even up the stakes and take you through the epic difficulty of the Scarlet Zone, how about that?"
Waiting for this very sentence, Lu Ming immediately agreed, "Alright! It''s a deal, no going back on your word!"
"A gentleman''s word is his bond."
After adding Lu Ming as a WeChat friend.
Watching Lu Ming''s figure gradually disappear, a hint of murderous intent flickered in Ye Chen''s eyes.
At this moment, a Level 30 bodyguard leaned over to Ye Chen''s ear.
"Young Master Ye, should I follow him and take care of that guy?"
"No need." Ye Chen deliberately spoke loudly for the crowd to hear, "Am I, Ye Chen, someone who goes back on his word?"
"I will definitely fulfill what I''ve promised!"
These words indeed drew praise from the onlookers:
"No wonder I''ve liked this internet celebrity for a whole year, Chen Emperor is so cool!"
"Exactly, compared to some washed-up stars who only leech off their family, Chen Emperor logs in and gives silver coins to fans, and he''s so righteous, it''s amazing!"
Ye Chen appeared modest on the surface, but inside, he was smug.
Staring at the departing Lu Ming, he thought, "Just wait until we''re in the dungeon, and see how I deal with you!"
As the crowd dispersed.
Ye Chen turned and gently placed his hands on Lin Youwei''s shoulders, softly reassuring her, "Vivi, don''t be afraid, from now on, I''ll protect you."
Lin Youwei quickly stepped back to free herself from Ye Chen, whispering, "Thank you..."
Ye Chen understood that to win Lin Youwei''s heart, he couldn''t rush.
As long as she stayed by his side, winning Lin Youwei was just a matter of time.
So, Ye Chen smiled and said, "No need to be polite with me."
"Come on, Vivi, I''ll help you level up!"
Clearly, Ye Chen didn''t know that his plot to harm Lin Youwei''s brother had already been exposed.
At this moment, Lin Youwei looked at the enemy who killed her brother right in front of her. Despite her deep hatred, she could only bury the pain in her heart.
Because she couldn''t fight Ye Chen on her own.
To seek revenge, she had to follow Lu Ming''s plan!
And Lu Ming''s plan was to use the Scarlet Zone dungeon to take down Ye Chen!
Even though Lu Ming had the chance to kill Ye Chen earlier, with those Level 30 bodyguards around, even if Lu Ming killed Ye Chen, he wouldn''t escape death himself.
And the Scarlet Zone dungeon restriction only allowed Level 8-10 players to enter.
Those Level 30s couldn''t get in.
So once inside the Scarlet Zone with Ye Chen, it would be Lu Ming''s perfect opportunity for revenge!
Next, it was just a matter of waiting for Ye Chen to reach Level 8 and send the message.
Before that, Lu Ming thought he could push to Level 10!
"As long as I don''t exceed Level 10, I can enter the dungeon."
"And this is also a turning point in the early game. Reaching Level 10 allows for the Second Transition, greatly boosting attributes. Additionally, my three ten-star talent levels automatically increase by 1 every 10 levels."
"Reaching Level 10 before going to the Scarlet Zone will also increase the chances of clearing the Hell difficulty!"
With this in mind, Lu Ming planned to return to Moonfall Town to take on a high-level quest and level up.
At this moment, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow, who had been watching Lu Ming from the shadows, immediately reported everything he had witnessed to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal.
On the other side, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, who was grinding in the wild zone, showed a look of appreciation upon seeing the message.
"Looks like this Nether not only has strength but also brains."
"Interesting, I''m starting to get more interested in you!"
At this moment, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow sent another WeChat message: "Captain, that guy called Chen Emperor seems to look down on Nether. Should I go teach him a lesson?"
"Don''t mess around!" Tianxuan¡¤Eternal said, "Just keep an eye on Nether for me, don''t alert them, I''ll handle the rest."
"Oh, okay!"
Chapter 16 - Top-tier team, the fare is ten thousand!
Moonfall Town.
Lu Ming, following the strategies carved out by countless predecessors over the past century, accepted a quest from Mayor Alofs, reputed to be the most challenging in the novice area.
According to records, over 99% of quests in the novice area have a difficulty index that generally doesn''t exceed 100.
However, the quest Lu Ming accepted is the only one with a three-digit difficulty index, ranking first on the Moonfall Town quest board in the 1947 novice area, and more than twice as difficult as the second-ranked quest. It''s known as the "Devil''s" quest¡ª
[Slayer] (Ordinary Quest)
[Difficulty Index: 200]
[Description: Eight years ago, Moonfall Town''s elite squad, the Slayers, was annihilated by a powerful force while on a campaign against the Dark Tribe''s forbidden zone. Not a single one of the hundred warriors survived, and since then, that forbidden zone has been known as the Buried Bone Land. Players are tasked to go to the Buried Bone Land, slay the Dark Skeletons (0/50), inherit the will of the Slayer squad, and quell the disaster of the Buried Bone Land...]
[Quest Time: 10 hours]
[Quest Rewards: Experience Points +1000, Copper Coins +80, Whiteboard Equipment +1, Very Low Chance of F-grade Skill Scroll +1]
[Note: Each player can only receive the quest reward once in their lifetime, and failure to complete the quest within the time limit will result in a death penalty.]
The rewards are far higher than those of other quests in the novice area. The first-tier rewards alone are almost equivalent to the tenth-tier rewards of many other quests!
Yet, due to the nature of that note, countless players shy away from this highly valuable quest.
Most players dare to complete only the first or second tier before quickly withdrawing.
The market price for a proxy to complete this quest starts at 500 for the first tier!
Lu Ming thought: Since I have to grind this quest anyway, why not seize the opportunity to make a fortune?
Having just paid off a 5,000 debt for Lin Youwei, Lu Ming now only had a few hundred left.
He urgently needed money!
So, he first checked the market situation.
He found that professional teams specializing in the Slayer quest charged about 500 per person for the first tier; 800 for the second; 1,200 for the third; 1,600 for the fourth; 2,500 for the fifth... and so on, with the tenth tier reaching 15,000 per person!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Thus, Lu Ming posted on the exclusive forum for the 1947 novice area of Moonfall Town, spending 300 to pin his post for ten minutes.
The content read:
[Slayer Quest Tenth Tier Guaranteed Team Recruiting, 10,000 per person, four spots available, first come first served!]
The pinned post instantly stirred up a storm.
Soon, a flood of comments appeared.
Buddy Just Browsing: "Only 10,000 for the tenth tier? Is this ride reliable, or is it a scam?"
Man''s Mouth, Deceitful Ghost: "Do you have the skills? Show us your character panel, OP!"
Nickname Kun Bro: "Something''s fishy! Why would others charge 15,000, but he''s only asking for 10,000? Plus, others barely make it with four carrying one, and he wants to carry four through the tenth tier??"
Seeing the rising interest, Lu Ming promptly replied as the original poster: "Pay after completing the quest, no charge if we don''t pass the tenth tier."
As expected, this statement led to many private messages from people wanting to join.
After all, they could pay at the end of the journey.
They could hop on, and if things seemed off, they could jump ship midway without losing anything!
If they did pass the tenth tier, saving 5,000 would be a sweet deal!
So, Lu Ming selected four people from those who messaged him, based on the order they contacted him, and sent them the meeting location.
Before they arrived, Lu Ming bought a mask from the shop.
In the Sky Abyss world, many players wore masks to conceal their identities.
While ordinary masks didn''t provide any attribute bonuses, stylish and handsome masks could enhance a player''s aura, making it a trend.
Lu Ming needed to earn money but couldn''t afford to draw too much attention to himself.
Not to mention, if he inadvertently aroused Ye Chen''s suspicion, it would definitely affect Lu Ming''s upcoming revenge plans!
About ten minutes later, four players arrived as agreed.
Among them were three men and one woman.
The men included an Assassin, an Archer, and a Priest.
The woman was a Mage.
All four were level 8, and judging by their clear eyes, they seemed to be new players from well-off families.
Without a word, Lu Ming immediately created a team.
Just as he was about to invite the four to join, he was suddenly questioned by the young Assassin, Wu Liuqi: "Buddy, can an 8th-level Trickster like you really carry us through the tenth tier of the Slayer quest??"
The Archer, Sky Piercer, also scrutinized Lu Ming with disbelief: "Honestly, before coming here, I had many guesses about your identity. I thought you might be a pro player from a major team, or a high-level, well-equipped, talented lone wolf, but you..."
Seeing the ordinary-looking Lu Ming, who wasn''t even fully equipped, the chubby Priest, Big-Boobs Dad, also doubted: "Are you a scammer?"
Before Lu Ming could speak, the team''s only Mage girl, Qing Yan, unexpectedly said to Lu Ming, "I believe in you!"
As she spoke, Qing Yan accepted the Slayer quest from Mayor Alofs and then applied to join the team.
At this moment, Lu Ming couldn''t help but pay a little more attention to this unique girl.
Although she wore a raccoon mask, obscuring her face, her elegant aura, accentuated by a white mage robe and waist-length smooth hair, was undeniable, like a princess from an ancient kingdom stepping out of a painting.
It was hard not to imagine: beneath the mask must be a stunningly beautiful face!
And when Lu Ming saw Qing Yan''s eyes, he felt a strange familiarity!
This familiarity wasn''t like recognizing an acquaintance from memory.
It was more like having seen these eyes among people he had recently encountered!
Just as Lu Ming was recalling where he had seen those eyes, Qing Yan smiled at him and said, "Shall we begin?"
Lu Ming nodded, "Alright."
At this point, although the other three were skeptical, they eventually accepted the quest and applied to join the team.
After all, appearances can be deceiving.
Who knows, this Trickster might actually have some skills!
Beneath an ordinary exterior, there could be an extraordinary four-star or five-star top-tier account!
Thus, the five-person team set out from Moonfall Town.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the quest location: the level 9-10 wild area, Buried Bone Land.
Looking ahead, a massive cemetery resembling a mass grave came into view.
The ground was littered with human bones and severed limbs.
Before even entering, a strong stench of decaying corpses assaulted their senses.
A dense aura of death permeated the surroundings.
Under the overcast sky, it appeared extremely eerie and terrifying.
At this moment, they could see several five-person teams pioneering in the Buried Bone Land.
Most were four carrying one, or three carrying two teams.
Each team typically had three to four high-level players around level 15 or 16, accompanied by one or two low-level players around level 8 or 9.
Without high-level players leading, new players at level 8 or 9 couldn''t complete this quest on their own.
At this moment, Lu Ming was the first to step into the Buried Bone Land.
While the three young men hesitated, the Mage girl, Qing Yan, followed without hesitation.
Swoosh!
As soon as they entered, a skeletal hand burst from the ground in front of them.
Following that, a skeleton with no flesh or blood emerged from the earth!
Target locked.
Clang!
Lu Ming drew his sword.
Chapter 17 - Buried Bone Land, Slayer!
Buried Bone Land.
A four-plus-one team.
Crack!
With a swift motion, a level 17 warrior in the team struck down a skeleton warrior, leaving it barely standing, and then handed it over to the team''s only level 9 archer to finish off.
A few people looked up at Lu Ming and his group in the distance.
"Wow, those level 8 newbies dare to team up and grind in Buried Bone Land? That''s pretty gutsy!"
"I just saw a post on the forum about a team offering a ten-level carry for ten thousand. Could the Trickster leading them be the one who posted it?"
"An 8th-level Trickster carrying four through the tenth level? Are you kidding me??"
"This is hilarious! What''s even more shocking is those four behind him, willing to risk their lives to save money!"
"Disturbing the market deserves punishment, just watch, I bet that kid won''t even pass the first level!"
While they were waiting to see Lu Ming''s group make a fool of themselves.
Qing Yan, from the team, used Reconnaissance and shared the skeleton monster''s information in the team channel.
[Skeleton Warrior] (Physical Type ¡¤ Normal Monster)
[Level: 9]
[Physical Attack: 92]
[Armor: 42]
[Magic Resistance: 35]
[Speed: 35]
[Health Points: 610]
[Skill: Charge Slash (F-grade)]
[Description: Undead sleeping underground, resurrected by the call of Skeleton King Nock, they swear loyalty to the darkness...]
At this moment, Wu Liuqi, Sky Piercer, and Big-Boobs Dad looked at the monster''s stats and then at themselves.
Instantly, it was as if they wore masks of pain.
"Fuck... My attack is only 55, and this damn monster has 42 armor. Even if it stands still, how many hits would it take to kill one skeleton warrior? What the hell!"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Can''t beat high-level monsters without help, and grinding low-level ones gives only 1 point of experience. Sky Abyss really gives us newbies no chance!"
"When I reach level 10, I''ll also start carrying level 1 newbies to make money!"
"The problem now is... even I, a warrior with full strength points, only have 55 attack power. Can that Trickster, an auxiliary class, even damage the skeleton warrior?"
"Is he just going to set up formations for us to fight? Fuck, what was I thinking getting on this black-market ride!!!"
Just as they were regretting their choices.
Up front.
Crack, crack!
With the sound of bones clattering, a skeleton warrior wielding a large machete charged at Lu Ming with the Charge Slash skill!
Lu Ming stood his ground, calm and composed.
He planted his longsword into the ground, releasing War Tread.
Seeing this, the high-level players watching from a distance nearly burst out laughing.
"What is that idiot doing? His teammates are all behind him, and he''s standing in front setting up formations to die?"
"Hilarious, doesn''t he know that a Trickster''s formations only boost teammates, not himself?"
"Even if it boosts himself, so what? Can an 8th-level Trickster solo a 9th-level skeleton warrior with just one formation?"
Swish!
Just as the skeleton warrior swung its blade at Lu Ming, everyone thought he was about to be shredded.
Swish, swish!
Suddenly, two Undead Warriors charged from the sides, swinging their iron swords with incredible speed, cutting down the skeleton warrior before it could touch Lu Ming.
-362!
-362!
Two massive blood-red damage numbers instantly emptied the skeleton warrior''s 610 health points.
[Ding~ Killed level 9 Skeleton Warrior, Experience Points +40!]
Suddenly, the smiles on the faces of those players waiting to see a joke froze.
The three young men at the back of the team were equally stunned.
"Instant... instant kill?"
"What are those things, where did they come from??"
Everyone''s eyes focused on the Undead Warriors.
The two Undead Warriors stood like guardians beside Lu Ming.
Clad in pitch-black, chilling armor, their eyes glowed with a ghostly blue light, exuding an intimidating aura.
Seeing Lu Ming reach out to refine the skeleton warrior''s corpse.
The distant players exclaimed in shock, "Are those two Undead Warriors his summons?"
"How can an 8th-level summon have such high damage!?"
Meanwhile, the three young men at the back of the team instantly changed their expressions.
"I knew the boss had something up his sleeve to dare post that!"
"So the boss has a summoning talent, and his summons are this powerful!"
"Only level 8 and he already has two summons? Professional Summoners only unlock a second summon slot at level 10, right? Damn! The boss is amazing!"
Just as they were getting excited.
The next moment, something even more unbelievable happened.
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
From all directions, countless three-meter-high dark vortexes tore through space, blooming open.
One by one, Undead Warriors stepped through the vortex gates!
Eighty Undead Warriors instantly filled the area!
"Go kill the monsters."
Under Lu Ming''s command, all the Undead Warriors activated auto-kill mode.
The poor skeleton warriors, just emerging from the ground, didn''t even have time to take a breath of fresh air before being chopped to pieces by the Undead Warriors!
With the tenfold enhancement of Lu Ming''s Lv8 War Tread, the Undead Warriors received a massive 387 attack power boost, bringing their total attack power to an astonishing 404!
Facing the level 9 skeleton warriors with only 42 armor and 610 health points, they could easily kill them with just two normal attacks!
Thus, under the overwhelming push of eighty Undead Warriors.
In less than a few minutes, the team''s progress message rang out¡ª
[Ding~ Congratulations, your team has killed a total of 50 skeletons, the first level of the task is complete! Continue killing to reach 100 skeletons, and the task reward will be upgraded to the second level!]
At this moment, the people in the team were beyond shocked.
The mage girl Qing Yan looked at Lu Ming, revealing a smile with an indescribable meaning...
The nearby high-level teams, seeing this, quickly retreated to the outskirts, not daring to provoke Lu Ming''s Undead Warriors, hurriedly making way.
Just like that, the Undead Warriors rampaged through the vast Buried Bone Land, unstoppable!
The team notifications continued to ring.
[Ding~ Congratulations, your team has killed a total of 100 skeletons, the second level of the task is complete...]
[Ding~ Congratulations, your team has killed a total of 200 skeletons, the third level of the task is complete...]
...
[Ding~ Congratulations, your team has killed a total of 1000 skeletons, the precondition for the tenth level of the task is complete. With your rampant slaughter, the Black Iron level BOSS Skeleton King Nock is about to appear. Kill Skeleton King Nock to complete the tenth level of the task!]
As the system notification ended.
Boom, boom, boom!
Buried Bone Land was shaken by a violent tremor.
"Who dares to disturb my slumber!"
"Do you wish to die?"
Accompanied by a sky-shattering roar.
A super skeleton warrior, standing six or seven meters tall, burst out from the center of the Buried Bone Land map.
Chapter 18 - Ten seconds to solo a Black Iron level BOSS!
Boom!
Accompanied by a tremor that shook the earth and mountains.
In that instant, dozens of player teams scattered across the Buried Bone Land were all shaken!
"What the hell is that noise?"
"Damn! Could it be that the Skeleton King in Buried Bone Land has respawned?"
"The strategy guide says the Skeleton King only respawns when a player completes the tenth tier of the Slayer quest. Is there a team doing the tenth tier today?"
Some envious players immediately hatched a plan: "Let''s go check out the strength of that team. If they''re not too strong, maybe we can snatch a few of the BOSS''s drops and make a fortune!"
As they spoke, several groups of players on the outskirts of Buried Bone Land rushed toward the BOSS''s respawn location.
However, when they reached the central area of Buried Bone Land, they were met with a shocking scene.
There, the massive body of the Skeleton King Nock was kneeling on the ground, motionless.
Surrounding it stood a group of Undead Warriors clad in iron armor and wielding iron swords, exuding an imposing aura!
A powerful undead aura enveloped the entire area!
"Is the BOSS dead?"
"Didn''t the Skeleton King just respawn? It was taken down in seconds? How is this possible! It''s a level 10 Black Iron level BOSS!"
"Could it have been taken down by these Undead Warriors?"
"These Undead Warriors... they''re only level 10, yet they give off such a strong vibe?"
Some players who came with the intention of snatching BOSS loot now dared not take a step closer under the intimidation of the Undead Warriors.
Meanwhile, within the circle of Undead Warriors.
Lu Ming walked straight to the corpse of the Skeleton King Nock.
Picking up the BOSS''s loot by hand always felt more rewarding!
[Ding~ You have picked up Black Iron Equipment: Skeleton King Boots!]
[Ding~ You have picked up 5 Silver and 25 Copper Coins!]
[Ding~ You have picked up Whiteboard Equipment: Ruined Longsword!]
"Another piece of Black Iron Equipment? Not bad luck!"The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Lu Ming was pleasantly surprised.
After all, according to market prices, just this piece of Black Iron Equipment was worth around 800!
5 Silver Coins are a thousand, and the whiteboard is two hundred.
And in the process of slaughtering a thousand Skeleton Warriors, Lu Ming also acquired four pieces of whiteboard equipment and a total of over 1600 Copper Coins, totaling another four thousand!
Clearing a map and killing a BOSS, earning six thousand was so easy!
At this moment, the few bosses Lu Ming had carried were still in shock.
If the initial slaughter of a thousand skeletons, where they didn''t even have a chance to strike and relied entirely on Lu Ming''s Undead Warriors to bulldoze through, was enough to shock them.
Then what made them question reality even more was that the Skeleton King Nock was taken down in less than ten seconds after respawning!
"This is a level 10 Black Iron level BOSS!"
"Even if a group of level 15-20 players pushed together, it would take at least several minutes to take it down! And he soloed it in seconds..."
"Holy crap! That''s terrifying!!"
Wu Liuqi, Big-Boobs Dad, and Sky Piercer were utterly stunned!
Lu Ming temporarily put the BOSS loot into his backpack without examining it and approached the group.
With a slight smile, he said, "Gentlemen, how was the experience?"
The young assassin Wu Liuqi, with both thumbs up, stammered excitedly, "You''re the most badass big bro I''ve ever seen! Oops! The most badass big bro!"
Big-Boobs Dad: "Master! I bow to you!"
Sky Piercer: "Big bro, add me as a friend. I have a cousin who wants to meet you!"
Lu Ming chuckled and showed his WeChat payment code: "Sure thing!"
Without another word, the group scanned the code.
Soon, three delightful notifications rang out for Lu Ming: "WeChat received 10,000 yuan!"
"Is this the sound of money? It''s so pleasant!"
At this moment, the mage girl Qing Yan also came over to scan the code.
However, Lu Ming heard a different notification: "WeChat received 100,000 yuan!"
Lu Ming looked at Qing Yan, who wore a raccoon mask and exuded playfulness, and said, "You added an extra zero."
Qing Yan smiled warmly: "Let''s add each other as friends! I''ll come to you if I need help next time, and the extra money is a prepayment."
"Let''s talk about it next time." With that, Lu Ming returned 90,000.
Then he disbanded the team and turned to leave.
Watching Lu Ming''s gradually receding figure, Qing Yan murmured, "He''s quite unique!"
"Nether? Hmm~ I''ll remember you!"
As she spoke, Qing Yan opened WeChat and sent a message to a pinned contact named "ATM": "Guess who I ran into?"
Soon, ATM replied: "An ex-boyfriend?"
Qing Yan: "Get lost! You know I''ve never dated anyone, so how could I have an ex-boyfriend!"
ATM: "Then who did you meet? Hurry up, I''m busy."
Qing Yan: "An incredibly powerful Trickster! Do you know how amazing he is? He soloed the tenth tier of the Slayer quest, taking down a level 10 Black Iron BOSS in ten seconds! And he''s only level 10!!!"
ATM: "Is his ID Nether?"
Seeing the reply, Qing Yan was surprised: "No way! How do you know???"
"......"
ATM: "Because I''ve already reserved him."
Qing Yan pouted: "I don''t care, you didn''t tell me, so I''m the one who introduced him to you! Hurry up, give me some money!"
"......"
"Didn''t I just give you fifty last week? How did you spend it so fast?"
"I don''t care, I want it!" With that, Qing Yan launched a barrage of emoji attacks!
Until she heard the sound "Alipay received one million yuan," she stopped the attack.
And with a voice message, she switched to a sweet tone: "Love you, big brother! Mwah!"
...
On the way back to Moonfall Town, Lu Ming checked his status.
The massive experience rewards from killing Skeleton Warriors and the final Skeleton King BOSS had raised his level from 8 to 10!
He had reached the standard for the Second Transition.
Once he completed the transition quest, he could break through to the Second Transition.
At this moment, his three ten-star account talents, Soul Slash, Comprehensive Amplification, and Rebirth from Ashes, were all ready to upgrade.
Once Lu Ming completed the Second Transition, the three talents would automatically upgrade to Lv2!
"Even with all three talents at just Lv1, my strength has already reached such a terrifying level,"
"I wonder how strong Lv2 will be?"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel a tinge of anticipation.
Following that, Lu Ming opened his backpack and took a look at the Black Iron Equipment dropped by the Skeleton King.
[Skeleton King Boots] (Black Iron Equipment)
[Speed:?]
[Additional Attributes:?]
[Durability:?]
[Class: Trickster, Warrior]
[Level: 10]
[Unidentified...]
He initially planned to sell it, but upon discovering it was usable by a Trickster and that his shoe slot was empty, he decided not to sell it.
In the Sky Abyss world, equipment dropped by monsters needed to be identified at a professional appraisal center before it could be used.
So, Lu Ming temporarily put the Skeleton King Boots back into his backpack.
Checking the time, it was already 2:30 PM.
From 9:30 AM until now, he had been doing quests and even forgot to eat lunch.
But completing the tenth tier of the Slayer quest perfectly in just five hours, almost entirely solo, had already broken the historical solo record for this quest!
Especially while doing the quest, he also made an extra forty thousand!
In his previous life, it would have taken Lu Ming several months to earn that much!
"Time to treat myself, that new frog restaurant downstairs seems nice, I''ll go have a feast after logging off!"
Thinking about returning to Moonfall Town later to submit the Slayer quest and receive a generous reward.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but quicken his pace.
Chapter 19 - Bronze Equipment, Slayer Belt!
Returning to Moonfall Town, Lu Ming immediately sought out Mayor Alofs to submit his quest.
Upon learning that Lu Ming had slaughtered a thousand dark skeletons and killed Skeleton King Nock, the old mayor was moved to tears. "Thank you, young warrior. If the members of the Slayer Squad who sacrificed themselves in the Buried Bone Land eight years ago knew of your deeds, they would surely feel comforted in the afterlife!"
"Warrior, please accept the reward you deserve!"
As soon as the mayor finished speaking, a pleasant system notification sounded in Lu Ming''s ear.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the quest: Slayer Tier 10. You have received the following rewards: Experience Points +20000, Silver Coins +10, Bronze Equipment: Slayer Belt +1, F-grade Skill Scroll: Life Barrier +1!]
Bronze Equipment!?
Lu Ming was overjoyed. He immediately opened his backpack and indeed found a finely crafted belt with a bronze frame, engraved with silver patterns, exuding an aura of high quality.
The reason the fare for the "Slayer" quest was so high in the market was precisely because of the Tier 10 rewards. Besides the guaranteed Level 10 Black Iron Equipment and an F-grade Skill Scroll, there was a very small chance of receiving Bronze Equipment or an E-grade Skill Scroll as a reward!
It is known that within the same level domain, the value of a piece of Bronze Equipment is ten times that of Black Iron Equipment! Moreover, an E-grade Skill Scroll on the market is priced as high as 20,000 to 30,000, and is in high demand but short supply!
Therefore, most players who paid a high price for a team to help them complete the quest were not only after the massive experience points and silver coin rewards but were also gambling on their luck. If they managed to get Bronze Equipment or an E-grade Skill Scroll, they would hit the jackpot!
"According to some expert analysis, the extremely low probability in the Sky Abyss world is about 10%, so it seems my luck is really good!" Lu Ming thought smugly.
Eagerly, Lu Ming checked the attributes of the equipment.
[Slayer Belt] (Lv10 Bronze Equipment)
[Health Points: 420]
[Additional Attributes: Constitution +20, Endurance +20]
[Additional Skill: Slayer (Passive, Trickster''s formation provides an additional 2% of maximum health damage bonus to allies / non-stackable)]
[Durability: 55/55]
[Class Requirement: Trickster]
[Description: The belt used by the former captain of the Slayer Squad in Moonfall Town, symbolizing the warrior who defends the peace of Moonfall Town...]
Compared to the Level 8 Black Iron Moon Demon Cloak on Lu Ming, which only added 120 Health Points and 8 Endurance, the attribute bonuses of this Bronze Equipment were astonishingly high!Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Especially the additional skill Slayer, which, when applied to Lu Ming with his Comprehensive Amplification talent, provided a 20% maximum health damage bonus!
He immediately equipped the Slayer Belt and checked his status bar, seeing his Health Points soar from 450 to 1070 instantly!
Having four-digit Health Points at Level 10, comparable to a Level 15 Second Transition Knight!
This meant the damage increase effect of the Slayer skill could reach 214 points!
Combined with the Lv10 War Tread, which provided a Trickster attack power bonus of 100% + 500, it amounted to a 589 attack power increase.
The damage of the Undead Warrior was about to explode!
Following this, Lu Ming turned his attention to the skill scroll rewarded by the quest.
[Life Barrier] (Trickster¡¤F-grade)
[Skill Description: Release a circular formation with a 50-yard radius, granting all allies within the formation a shield of (Trickster 1% maximum health +5) points per second, lasting 15 seconds / Maximum shield value cannot exceed 30% of Trickster''s maximum health]
[Skill Cost: 3 Mana Points to activate, 1 Mana Point per second thereafter]
[Cooldown Time: 50 seconds]
"The Undead Warrior''s output is sufficient, but the lack of defense and vitality in the early stages leads to significant casualties in battle."
"This skill perfectly addresses that issue!"
With this thought, Lu Ming immediately crushed the scroll and learned the skill.
The skill level rose from Lv1 to Lv10 along with Lu Ming''s level.
The shield bonus per second increased to Trickster 1% maximum health +38!
Next, Lu Ming visited the appraisal center, spending 50 Copper Coins to appraise the Level 10 Black Iron Skeleton King Boots dropped by the Skeleton King.
Skeleton King Boots: Speed +30, Agility +9.
After equipping, Lu Ming''s speed reached 49 points!
After listing the five whiteboard equipment obtained during the dungeon run on the trading market, Lu Ming logged off.
Leaving the internet cafe, he went to the newly opened Frog Fragrance Restaurant in the neighborhood, ordered a large pot of spicy frog, and got a bottle of beer.
Eating meat and drinking beer in big gulps!
"Awesome!"
Recalling his past life, where he never spent a penny on himself to save money to marry Ye Ling''er and give her a better life, Lu Ming realized he had endured too many hardships, thinking life was just like that.
At this moment, he realized life could be so wonderful!
Just then, Lin Youwei suddenly sent a WeChat message!
"Ye Chen is already Level 7 now."
In just a few hours, he had leveled up from Level 1 to Level 7?
This leveling speed was almost on par with Lu Ming''s ten-star account!
It seems the saying "Sky Abyss is a playground for the wealthy" is indeed true!
Lu Ming pondered, "At his speed, it should take one or two more hours to reach Level 8. Before that, I can complete the class transition quest."
So, Lu Ming replied to Lin Youwei, "Let me know when he''s close to Level 8."
Lin Youwei: "Okay!"
After finishing his meal and drink, just as Lu Ming was about to get up and leave to go back to the internet cafe to log in for his class transition, he overheard a conversation from a couple at the table behind him.
"Wow, baby, check out that TikTok I forwarded to you. There''s a Level 10 Trickster who soloed a Black Iron level BOSS in ten seconds! And this person is from our Linhai!"
"Really? Let me see!"
"Holy crap! Awesome! Where did this ancient god come from!!"
Hearing this, Lu Ming frowned slightly.
He didn''t rush to leave but took out his phone to open TikTok, searching for the keyword "Trickster solo BOSS." Sure enough, he found a video of himself earlier at the Buried Bone Land fighting the Skeleton King!
The video was only a few seconds long but fully captured Lu Ming commanding the Undead Warriors to besiege the full-health Skeleton King and take down the BOSS in one go!
From the shooter''s perspective, it was a bystander.
The video was posted 35 minutes ago.
At this moment, the likes, comments, and shares had astonishingly reached 1.598 million, 327,000, and 1.245 million, respectively!
He casually opened the comments section, and it was filled with shock.
"Wow, a ten-second solo Black Iron BOSS god! Who is this terrifying person?"
"This video must be edited, right? It''s too fake! Who can solo a BOSS in ten seconds?"
"The author said there''s no editing or Photoshop. I can confirm it was recorded live because I was the Skeleton King getting beaten!"
"Too bad he''s wearing a mask, so we can''t see his face. But judging by his build, he must be a handsome guy!"
"Does anyone know this Trickster''s TikTok ID? Help push it to me; a friend wants to meet him!"
Indeed, fame brings trouble.
Lu Ming was glad he wore a mask.
He got up and left the Frog Fragrance Restaurant, heading straight to the internet cafe.
Unbeknownst to him, Ye Chen also noticed this video...
In the southern part of Moonfall Town, in the Level 7-8 wilderness area of Tianhuang City.
Ye Chen, who was rapidly leveling up under the guidance of power-levelers, was organizing some materials to post on TikTok.
He inadvertently noticed the video titled "Nameless Trickster Solo Black Iron BOSS"!
Initially, Ye Chen was deeply shocked by the scene of the Undead Warriors overwhelming the BOSS, but then he noticed the Trickster commanding the Undead Warriors!
Despite the mask and hidden ID, the figure still made Ye Chen feel...
"Why does this person look somewhat familiar?"
As he spoke, Ye Chen seemed to realize something and turned to look meaningfully at Lin Youwei beside him...
Chapter 20 - Second Transition Task Express!
Moonfall Town.
After logging in, Lu Ming headed straight for the Profession Hall.
He received the Second Transition quest from the Trickster mentor, Xie E.
Just as he was about to leave the hall, a familiar figure suddenly approached.
The person wore a raccoon mask, a pristine white magic robe, and had long hair reaching her waist. Her elegant demeanor immediately marked her as a young lady from a wealthy family.
This mage girl was none other than Qing Yan, who had previously teamed up with Lu Ming for the Slayer quest!
Her ID was not hidden, showing her level as 10. Clearly, she was also here to receive her transition quest.
Lu Ming planned to pretend not to know her and walk past, but Qing Yan jumped in front of him, crossed her arms, tilted her head, and smiled, "Hi! What a coincidence, meeting you again!"
"Can you help me with the transition quest? I''ll pay you!"
All Second Transition quests were the same: kill 100 level 10 monsters within 6 hours.
This task wasn''t easy for most new players, and many needed help to complete it.
But for Qing Yan, who was fully equipped with Black Iron Equipment, it was a breeze.
Lu Ming said, "If you can do it yourself, why ask me?"
Qing Yan didn''t argue, simply saying, "I checked, the market price for Second Transition assistance is 600 per person. Help me out!"
"Six hundred bucks, do you want it or not?"
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment, "I do."
After all, he had to fight anyway, might as well make some money.
Only a fool would refuse easy money!
Of course, Lu Ming wouldn''t take money of unknown origin, like the 90,000 Qing Yan inexplicably transferred before.
Only money he rightfully earned gave him peace of mind!
So, Qing Yan immediately transferred 600 to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming created a team and added Qing Yan.
At this moment, Qing Yan looked at Lu Ming curiously, thinking to herself, "He refused 90,000 before, but treasures this 600. What a strange person!"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
As they spoke, Lu Ming was already striding away.
Qing Yan quickly followed with light steps.
Watching the two leave Moonfall Town.
In the shadows, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow, who had been watching Lu Ming, immediately opened WeChat and sent a message to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal: "Captain, someone''s trying to steal our recruit, should I teach her a lesson?"
Soon, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal replied: "What''s her name, which team is she from?"
"Not sure which team, her ID is Qing Yan!"
"I can''t wait any longer, if we delay, Nether will be taken by her. I''m going to teach her a lesson now!"
Just as Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was about to draw his sword with a fierce look, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal suddenly sent a voice message!
As soon as Tianxuan¡¤Shadow answered, a voice at least 100 decibels loud came through: "If you touch my sister, you''re dead!!!"
"What the hell?" Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was dumbfounded: "That Qing Yan, is Miss Yan Yan???"
"Oops..."
...
On the way, Qing Yan kept asking Lu Ming questions: "What''s your name, big brother?"
"What''s the star rating of your account?"
"Which district in Linhai are you from?"
Lu Ming stopped, glanced at Qing Yan, and said coldly, "I''ll refund your money, leave the team, I''m not taking you."
"No, please! I won''t talk anymore!" Qing Yan immediately shut her mouth, looking at Lu Ming with a pitiful expression.
Soon, they arrived at the nearest level 10 area: Wolf Magic Forest.
Because it was the closest level 10 area to Moonfall Town, many players were here completing their Second Transition quests, forming teams to hunt enchanted wolves.
In those teams, there were usually one or two high-level players, between level 15 and 20, helping level 10 players with their quests.
Outside the forest, many veteran players were waiting, watching for "prey."
So, when a team of only a level 10 Trickster and a level 10 Mage, who looked like newbies, entered the forest.
Unsurprisingly, they caught the attention of those "hunters."
Two middle-aged Assassin men, both level 17, approached.
One of them looked at Lu Ming and Qing Yan, smiling, "Here for the transition quest? Want us to help you with it?"
The other Assassin chimed in, "We offer affordable prices, 600 for one person, how about 1100 for both of you? Guaranteed to pass in one go!"
Before Lu Ming could respond, Qing Yan spoke up, "No need, I''ve already found someone to help!"
"Found someone? Where?"
The two Assassins looked around.
Qing Yan pointed at Lu Ming, "Him, he''s helping me!"
Following Qing Yan''s finger to Lu Ming, the two Assassins looked at him again and couldn''t help but laugh.
"Young lady, are you serious? He''s a newbie like you, a useless Trickster who can''t even take care of himself, how can he help you?"
Qing Yan didn''t bother explaining.
She just thought to herself, "Hmph~ You''ll see soon enough!"
Ignoring the two Assassins, they stepped into the forest.
The Assassins snorted, waiting for the show: "Hah, I''ve seen plenty of arrogant youngsters like you! You''ll come begging us soon enough!"
At this point, Lu Ming reached a relatively open area.
Seeing the level 10 monsters, Enchanted Wild Wolves, all around.
He immediately summoned a hundred Undead Warriors through his thoughts!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
As over a hundred shadow vortices appeared around Lu Ming, many players'' attention was drawn to him.
As the hundred imposing Undead Warriors stepped out of the vortices, Lu Ming drew the Hero''s Sword and planted his longsword into the ground.
War Tread!
Life Barrier!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A red and a yellow formation spread from beneath Lu Ming''s feet, expanding outward.
With the 589 attack boost from War Tread, and the Bronze Equipment Slayer Belt''s skill effect, all Undead Warriors received an additional 214 damage boost.
Under the enhancement of Life Barrier, they automatically accumulated 487 shield points per second.
Instantly, the Undead Warriors, with only 330 Health Points, had their green health bars completely covered by white shield bars!
The F-grade Life Barrier''s shield value was originally only 30% of the Trickster''s maximum Health Points.
But with Lu Ming''s Comprehensive Amplification talent, it was strengthened tenfold to 300%!
This meant the Undead Warriors could accumulate up to 3210 shield points!
Their shields continued to stack.
With the dual tenfold enhancement, the hundred Undead Warriors seemed invincible.
Under Lu Ming''s command, they swiftly spread out, automatically seeking out enchanted wolves to attack!
With only 50 armor and 700+ Health Points, the level 10 Enchanted Wild Wolves couldn''t withstand the Undead Warriors'' 610 attack power and 214 additional damage.
The Undead Warriors needed only one strike to deal 774 damage, instantly killing the Enchanted Wild Wolves!
It was like a tornado destroying a parking lot.
[Ding~ Killed level 10 Enchanted Wild Wolf, Experience Points +50!]
[Ding~ Killed level 10 Enchanted Wild Wolf, Experience Points +50!]
[Ding...]
In no time, under the assault of the hundred Undead Warriors, they had slain a hundred Enchanted Wild Wolves!
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the Second Transition quest: Prove Your Strength!]
At this moment, other players hunting enchanted wolves around were left dumbfounded...
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Chapter 21 - Three major talents upgraded, Lv2!
As the Undead Warriors swept through the Wolf Magic Forest in an instant, the players in the forest were all stirred up.
"Whoa! How did that Trickster summon so many creatures?"
"Wait! That Undead Warrior looks familiar... Isn''t that Trickster the main character from that TikTok video where he took down a Black Iron level boss in ten seconds?"
"Hold on, let me open TikTok and check... Damn, it''s really him!"
"The TikTok legend with three million likes is standing right in front of me! I''m so excited I could spin in circles!"
After completing the task, Lu Ming disbanded the team.
He gathered the Undead Warriors and left the Wolf Magic Forest.
The two older assassins standing outside the forest quickly straightened up to make way for Lu Ming, their eyes wide open, not daring to breathe as the army of Undead Warriors roared past.
Riding on Lu Ming''s coattails, Qing Yan also walked past the two older men with her head held high.
Once out of the public eye, Qing Yan quickened her pace to catch up with Lu Ming.
"Hey there, let''s add each other as friends! I can show you ways to make money!"
Lu Ming didn''t even turn his head, responding coldly, "No need."
After being betrayed by Ye Ling''er, Lu Ming wouldn''t easily trust anyone again, especially not women.
Qing Yan stood there, pouting, "Hmph! What a blockhead!"
Just as he returned to Moonfall Town, Lu Ming received a message from Lin Youwei.
"Ye Chen is about to reach level 8!"
Faster than Lu Ming had anticipated.
So, Lu Ming quickly headed to the Profession Hall to submit his task.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a beam of seven-colored light descended from the sky, enveloping Lu Ming.
Immediately after, a series of pleasant notifications rang in his ears.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing your Second Transition. Your level cap has increased to 20, attribute growth has been enhanced, and you''ve gained an additional skill slot!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, your account talent Soul Slash has upgraded to Lv2!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, your account talent Comprehensive Amplification has upgraded to Lv2!]The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
[Ding~ Congratulations, your account talent Rebirth from Ashes has upgraded to Lv2!]
In Sky Abyss, the attribute growth for the eight major professions is the same during the first transition.
For example, 1 Strength = 1 Physical Attack; 1 Agility = 1 Speed; 1 Spirit = 10 Mana + 0.1 Mana Recovery per second...
After the Second Transition, growth will vary based on the characteristics of each profession.
For instance, Lu Ming''s current profession, Trickster, after the Second Transition, has growth enhancements as follows:
1 Strength = 1.3 Physical Attack.
1 Agility = 1.1 Speed.
1 Spirit = 15 Mana + 0.15 Mana Recovery per second.
1 Endurance = 1.2 Armor + 1.1 Magic Resistance.
1 Constitution = 13 Health Points + 1.3 Health Recovery per second.
In addition, the attribute boost per level up has increased from 10 Mana + 20 Health Points to 15 Mana + 25 Health Points!
Unlocked Trickster profession trait: Every 5 Spirit points convert to 1 Physical Attack point!
After completing the Second Transition, Lu Ming opened his status panel for a look.
[Player ID: Nether] (Lv10, Second Transition Trickster)
[Account Aptitude: Ten-Star]
[Strength: 26]
[Agility: 19]
[Spirit: 37]
[Endurance: 46]
[Constitution: 30]
[Physical Attack: 104]
[Armor: 90]
[Magic Resistance: 79]
[Speed: 50.9]
[Mana: 655]
[Health Points: 1160]
[Money: 0 Gold 35 Silver 32 Copper]
[Experience Points: 25245/30000]
[Skills: Reconnaissance (F-grade), War Tread (F-grade), Life Barrier (F-grade)]
...
For Lu Ming, the greatest improvement is in the three major account talents!
The first talent, Soul Slash, at Lv1 allowed him to kill enemies and refine soul power, summoning a 1st-tier Undead Warrior for each point of soul power consumed, with a maximum summon quantity of his level * 10.
Now at Lv2, he can consume 10 points of soul power to summon a 2nd-tier Undead Warlord, with a maximum summon quantity of his level * 20!
The second talent, Comprehensive Amplification, at Lv1 increased all player skill effects by 10 times; now at Lv2, all player skill effects are increased by 20 times!
The third talent, Rebirth from Ashes, at Lv1 allowed the player to sacrifice the weakest Undead Warrior to resurrect upon death; now at Lv2, the player gains 1 second of invincibility upon resurrection!
Lu Ming couldn''t help but take a deep breath.
Even when these three talents were just at Lv1, they were already overpowered.
Now with this strength... how is anyone else supposed to play?
Feeling invigorated, Lu Ming opened the summoning panel.
He discovered that through constant monster killing and refining, he had accumulated a soul power of 2009 points!
So, Lu Ming decided to test the waters by consuming 10 points of soul power to summon a 2nd-tier Undead Warlord.
Whoosh!
A three-meter-tall silver vortex materialized before Lu Ming.
Whoa!
"Even the space gate has become more advanced!"
The next second, an Undead Warrior emerged from the vortex.
The 1st-tier Undead Warrior was clad in black armor, wielding an iron sword. Though imposing, it always had a somewhat cheap appearance after a while.
But now, the 2nd-tier Undead Warlord that emerged was not only in dazzling silver armor but also wielded a silver blade!
The visible aura had doubled, exuding the presence of a true general!
At this moment, Lu Ming''s undead had truly evolved from "warrior" to "warlord"!
Awesome!
This is simply too awesome!
Looking at the 2nd-tier Undead Warlord''s panel, it was much stronger than the 1st-tier Undead Warrior and even had an active skill!
[Undead Warlord] (2nd-tier, Lv10)
[Master: Nether]
[Strength: 21] (Growth 1.5)
[Agility: 28] (Growth 1.3)
[Spirit: 10] (Growth 11)
[Constitution: 10] (Growth 18)
[Endurance: 10] (Growth 1.4, 1.2)
[Physical Attack: 32]
[Armor: 14]
[Magic Resistance: 12]
[Speed: 36.4]
[Mana: 210]
[Health Points: 410]
[Skill: Soul Shatter (F-grade, Lv10, selects an enemy within 50 yards, marks with a soul imprint, and can execute a 120% attack power + 72 damage instant kill attack within 3 seconds; 9-second cooldown, consumes 17)]
...
Since summoned creatures cannot wear equipment, even after advancing to a 2nd-tier Undead Warlord, their attributes are still mediocre.
But under Lu Ming''s 20x amplification formation enhancement, they become invincible war gods!
With Lv2 Soul Slash, the maximum summon quantity is now level * 20, which means 200 undead.
So, Lu Ming consumed 990 points of soul power to summon 99 2nd-tier Undead Warlords in one go!
Additionally, Lu Ming discovered that the original 1st-tier Undead Warriors could also be upgraded to 2nd-tier Undead Warlords by consuming 9 points of soul power!
Thus, Lu Ming consumed another 900 points of soul power to upgrade all one hundred 1st-tier Undead Warriors!
On the field, a total of two hundred Undead Warlords knelt on one knee, pledging allegiance to Lu Ming.
For the first time, Lu Ming experienced the feeling of being high and mighty.
He recalled all the Undead Warlords back to the summoning space.
Just then, Ye Chen sent Lu Ming a WeChat message: "I''m level 8, come to the entrance of the Scarlet Zone, I''ll take you to the dungeon."
"Finally, the moment I''ve been waiting for!"
Reading Ye Chen''s message, the anger and hatred buried deep in Lu Ming''s heart surged forth, eager to explode.
"Ye Chen, I''m coming for your life!"
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Chapter 22 - March forward, Scarlet Zone!
Moonfall Town, South.
Entrance to the Level 8-10 Dungeon, Scarlet Zone.
Ye Chen stood quietly.
Having just reached Level 8, he was already fully equipped with the complete Level 8 Black Iron Equipment, the Moon Demon set.
Compared to the nearby players preparing for the dungeon, wearing tattered whiteboard gear, or even missing equipment, he stood out like a crane among chickens!
Meanwhile, Lin Youwei stood beside Ye Chen, looking somewhat anxious.
She was clearly worried about the revenge plan they had with Lu Ming, wondering if it would succeed.
Ye Chen glanced at Lin Youwei, whose face was flushed, and gave a knowing smile.
Feigning ignorance, he reassured Lin Youwei, "Don''t worry, Youwei. With me here, that loser won''t dare harm you."
Lin Youwei nodded, not daring to speak.
Before long, a young Trickster with simple, somewhat shabby equipment arrived.
This young Trickster was Lu Ming!
Lu Ming noticed the group of Level 30 bodyguards still around, so he didn''t act rashly.
He walked straight up to Ye Chen and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Swish!
Without a word, Ye Chen suddenly drew his dagger, pressing the sharp blade against Lu Ming''s neck!
His eyes gleamed sharply as he coldly ordered Lu Ming, "Show me your account panel and attribute panel!"
This sudden turn of events shocked Lin Youwei.
She thought, "It''s over! Ye Chen suspects Brother Nether!"
"If Ye Chen sees that Brother Nether''s attributes are strong, he''ll know Brother Nether was pretending to be weak!"
"What should we do!"
Just as Lin Youwei thought their plan with Lu Ming was about to be exposed.
Lu Ming calmly complied with Ye Chen''s demand, opening his account and attribute panels.
Ye Chen looked and saw the account panel showed a one-star aptitude, with the sole talent being [Cooldown Reduction], which reduced all skill cooldowns by 10%!
Looking at the attribute panel, a Level 10 Trickster¡¤Dawn, apart from the slightly higher level, all attributes were quite average!Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Overall, a complete weakling!
Ye Chen was momentarily stunned, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
He thought to himself, "This guy looks just like the Trickster in that TikTok video who could summon Undead Warriors and wore a mask, but they''re not the same person... Was I overthinking?"
Regaining his composure, Ye Chen sheathed his dagger, patted Lu Ming on the shoulder, and laughed, "My mistake, brother, I got the wrong person!"
Lu Ming smiled, "Can we enter the dungeon now? You promised to help me clear the epic difficulty."
Ye Chen put away his dagger, "Of course!"
Though unsure of what just happened, Lin Youwei couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, not far away, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow and Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, mixed in with the crowd, were utterly confused.
"What''s going on? This shouldn''t be happening!"
Tianxuan¡¤Shadow crossed his arms, full of suspicion, "Based on my observations today, wasn''t this guy''s plan to pretend to be weak with that female mage, trick the Chen Emperor into taking him into the dungeon, and then kill him unnoticed?"
"How did just changing his equipment dispel the Chen Emperor''s suspicions? Is his account really only one-star?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal pondered, "Impossible, with his strength, his account''s aptitude can''t be less than five stars."
"Then where did it go wrong?" Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was increasingly baffled, "And why did he change his ID, does he have two accounts?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal wasn''t too concerned, "Forget about that for now, the priority is figuring out how to recruit him into Tianxuan."
As Tianxuan¡¤Eternal was worrying about this.
A pair of fair hands suddenly rested on the shoulders of both Tianxuan¡¤Shadow and Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, "I have an idea!"
"Whoa!" Tianxuan¡¤Shadow, focused intently, jumped three meters high like a startled mantis.
Looking closely, it was Qing Yan!
"Geez! Miss Yan, you scared me to death, my heart''s pounding!" Tianxuan¡¤Shadow couldn''t help but pat his chest, looking aggrieved.
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal turned to glance at Qing Yan, frowning slightly, "What are you doing here?"
Qing Yan stood behind Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, her slender hands massaging his shoulders, her gaze fixed on Lu Ming in the distance, smiling, "Brother, want me to help bring Nether into Tianxuan?"
"Don''t joke around." Tianxuan¡¤Eternal dismissed it casually, "If you can really do that, I''ll add two hundred to your allowance this month."
"Alright, you said it!"
As she spoke, Qing Yan seemed prepared, pulling a set of whiteboard equipment from her backpack, replacing the Black Iron Equipment she wore.
Then, she headed straight for the dungeon entrance, the two behind her unable to stop her!
Meanwhile, Ye Chen had already formed a team.
Besides himself, an 8th-level Assassin, there was the 9th-level Mage Lin Youwei, and the 10th-level Trickster Lu Ming.
The team also included a Priestess named Luo and a Knight named Sunset.
Both were Level 10 Second Transition, fully equipped with the Black Iron Equipment, the Moon Demon set, visibly possessing Transcendent strength!
Ye Chen introduced them to Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, "These two are top-tier experts with three-star account aptitudes, specially found by my brother-in-law from Beijing! Including myself, a two-star expert, even if your aptitudes are lacking, clearing the epic difficulty is no problem!"
Brother-in-law?
Ha,
How affectionate!
In his past life, Lu Ming dated Ye Ling''er for three years, giving his all to their family, yet Ye Chen never once called him brother-in-law, always addressing him by name.
He had only been dead a few days, and Ye Chen was already calling someone else brother-in-law so naturally?
Recalling the scene of Lu Ming pestering Lin Youwei earlier, a hint of killing intent flashed in Ye Chen''s eyes, "You dare to touch my woman, Ye Chen? Once we''re in the dungeon, I''ll make you pay!"
As the five prepared to enter the dungeon.
Suddenly, someone ran up from behind, grabbing Lu Ming, "How dare you, we paid together, and you''re sneaking off to the Scarlet Zone dungeon without me!"
Lu Ming looked at the unexpected Qing Yan, frowning.
Ye Chen asked, "And who might you be?"
Qing Yan crossed her arms, speaking boldly, "I''m a good friend of Dawn''s. We both paid Lin Youwei''s brother to take us through this dungeon!"
Hearing this, Lu Ming was momentarily stunned.
Great!
Someone even better at acting than me!
"I don''t care, you have to take me with you!" Qing Yan''s tantrum seemed genuine.
Ye Chen sized up Qing Yan.
Noticing her level was already 10, and though her equipment was whiteboard, it was complete, suggesting decent strength.
"If Youwei is a burden, replacing her with someone stronger might even allow us to attempt the legendary difficulty, increasing dungeon rewards! After clearing, I''ll kill both of them!"
With this thought, Ye Chen said to Lin Youwei, "Youwei, how about I find another team for you? I''ll first help solve your brother''s issue and take them through the dungeon."
Lin Youwei, unsure of what to do, nodded, "Okay."
Thus, Ye Chen kicked Lin Youwei out of the team and added Qing Yan.
Worried about exposure, Lu Ming said nothing.
Soon after, the five officially entered the Scarlet Zone dungeon.
Not far away, witnessing this, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was shocked, "Damn! Your sister went in! Isn''t this like a lamb entering a tiger''s den?"
As Qing Yan''s brother, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal was less worried, "With Nether there, it should be fine."
On the other side.
Swish!
Passing through the light curtain, Lu Ming, Ye Chen, Qing Yan, Luo, and Sunset appeared in an old district.
Dilapidated, crumbling buildings;
Animal and human corpse remnants scattered everywhere;
Blood-stained ground, crimson sky;
Everywhere exuded an apocalyptic aura of death!
At this moment, the system''s prompt descended from above¡ª
[Ding~ Welcome to the Scarlet Zone dungeon, current difficulty is Normal. Players must find the forbidden item within sixty minutes, failure to obtain it in time will result in a failed challenge with no rewards!]
[Ding~ Challenge officially begins!]
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Chapter 23 - Large size, small size, freely switch!
¡¾Scarlet Zone¡¿ (Beginner Area Level 8-10 Dungeon)
[Background Introduction: An ancient city district, ravaged by vampires, leaving tens of thousands dead in one night, turning a once happy city into a living hell. Until the human Archmage Wula sacrificed his life to cast a forbidden spell, sealing the city and trapping all vampires within this forbidden zone. Recently, however, the seal has begun to weaken, and the vampires are stirring once more...]
[Current Difficulty: Normal]
[Current Clearance Condition: Players must find an item left by the human Archmage Wula within the Scarlet Zone within 60 minutes. You may choose to use the item to reinforce the seal of the old city to clear the dungeon, or consume the item to activate the next difficulty level.]
[Current Difficulty Clearance Reward: ?]
Ye Chen''s cold gaze swept over Lu Ming and Qing Yan as he closed the dungeon introduction panel.
"One is a trashy, low-quality combatant, and the other might have slightly better potential, but with a full set of whiteboard gear, a third-rate mage like that won''t make any waves."
"Killing you two is as easy as squashing ants!"
"For now, I''ll spare your lives until just before we clear the dungeon, then I''ll kill you!"
Ye Chen believed everything was under his control.
Little did he know, from the moment he stepped into the dungeon, he had already become Lu Ming''s prey.
Although Lu Ming could kill Ye Chen now, he knew it wasn''t the right time yet.
"According to the activation conditions for each difficulty level of the Scarlet Zone dungeon, transitioning from Normal to Elite requires one forbidden item, Elite to Epic requires two, Epic to Legendary three, and so on. To activate the highest Hell difficulty, five items are needed."
"And a single player can carry only one item, meaning the entire team of five must survive to have a chance at activating the highest difficulty!"
Thus, Lu Ming had to suppress his urge to kill for now.
After using Ye Chen and the others to activate the Hell difficulty, it wouldn''t be too late to kill them!
As the countdown began.
Swish!
Level 10 Knight [Sunset] raised his spear, glanced back at Lu Ming, and sneered, "Kid, watch yourself, don''t hold us back!"
The priestess [Luo] beside him also looked down on Lu Ming, saying, "I don''t know why we brought this useless guy into the team. Even if we swapped him for any other class, it would be more useful!"
"Trickster? Hmph, I''ve heard their formation range is small, and each formation lasts only 15 seconds with a 50-second cooldown! In a 60-minute dungeon, they''re doing nothing for 40 minutes, what can they do?"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Ye Chen didn''t hold back either, "He''s just here to do nothing, ignore him."
"This time, we''ll rely entirely on you two seniors!"
Qing Yan crossed her arms, looked at them, and scoffed, "Let''s see just how strong you really are!"
At this moment, in front of them, the blood on the ground quickly converged to a point.
Swish!
In an instant, a ferocious blue-faced vampire materialized!
Level 10 Monster Vampire.
115 Attack, 52 Armor, 45 Magic Resistance, 40 Speed, 740 Health Points, Unique Skill: Bloodsuck.
At this moment, Sunset''s body suddenly trembled.
The next moment.
Swish!
A blood-red protective shield appeared around him!
Seeing this, Qing Yan was slightly shocked, "This is... the three-star talent Blood Demon Shield! Sacrifices 10% of maximum health to convert into a shield worth 50% of maximum health, with only a 10-second cooldown!"
Without a word, Sunset charged at the vampire with his spear and shield, protected by the Blood Demon Shield.
Shield Bash!
Flame Thrust!
Bang!
Swish!
Two initial skills heavily knocked back the vampire.
-197!
-214!
Qing Yan was once again shocked by the damage Sunset dealt.
For a tank Knight class to deal such high damage!
"It seems this guy with a full set of level 8 Black Iron Moon Demon gear really has something!"
Meanwhile, as an Assassin, Ye Chen wielded the Black Iron Moon Demon Blade, his figure like the wind, swiftly approaching the vampire.
Shadow Strike!
Double Stab!
-172!
-88! -176 Critical!
Ye Chen''s damage was slightly lower, as he was only level 8, first transition.
However, compared to other players of the same level who could only deal fifty or sixty points of damage, Ye Chen''s strength was outstanding.
Satisfied with his damage, Ye Chen smirked, "This two-star talent Berserk (increases critical rate by 20%) is a perfect match for my Assassin class!"
Together, the two dealt over 800 damage, easily taking down the vampire.
Picking up the 2 Copper Coins dropped by the vampire''s corpse, Sunset said in a deep voice, "Forbidden items may drop from monsters, be hidden, or require triggering special conditions within the dungeon map. We need to speed up."
As he spoke, Sunset suddenly slammed his shield into the ground.
Swish!
A silver-gray aura spread from under Sunset''s feet, radiating outward.
Taunt!
Nearby, five or six vampires, affected by the taunt skill, swarmed toward Sunset.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
Facing the assault of five or six vampires, Sunset''s head showed damage numbers of only 40-50 points each.
This demonstrated Sunset''s high defense.
Meanwhile, the priestess Luo waved her staff, casting a healing spell that restored 393 health points to Sunset, easily recovering his lost health!
The three-star talent [Healing Enhancement] (increases healing effect by 50%) made Luo''s healing power terrifyingly strong!
With his solid tankiness and Luo''s powerful healing, Sunset stood amidst the monster horde with almost no threat.
He looked at Lu Ming and Qing Yan, who were unmoved in the back, and couldn''t help but shout, "You two, at least do something useful!"
Qing Yan responded with an "Oh."
Raising her staff, she said, "Don''t blink, watch my moves!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen, Luo, and Sunset couldn''t help but look at Qing Yan.
Watching Qing Yan''s graceful movements, yet full of momentum.
Ye Chen couldn''t help but think to himself, "Could she really be a hidden expert?"
As soon as he finished thinking, Qing Yan completed her spell.
Boom! Boom!
Fireball!
Ice Spike!
-95!
-92!
The two damage numbers made the three on the field drop their jaws.
Luo looked at Qing Yan in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? You''re a level 10 second transition mage, and that''s all the damage you can do?"
Qing Yan didn''t hold back, retorting, "If I were strong, would I pay someone to carry me? Use your brain!"
Ye Chen shook his head, "What a couple of useless people! If it weren''t for needing you two to try for Nightmare difficulty, I''d kill you both right now!"
With that, Ye Chen took his dagger and went to kill monsters.
Lu Ming could tell at a glance that Qing Yan had deliberately swapped her gear for trashy whiteboards before entering the dungeon to hide her strength.
If she showed too much strength, it would definitely arouse Ye Chen''s suspicion.
Although he didn''t know why Qing Yan entered the dungeon with them, for now, she hadn''t exposed Lu Ming in front of Ye Chen and the others, so she posed no threat to him.
If Qing Yan''s presence affected his upcoming revenge plan, he would not hesitate to kill her along with them!
Thus, Ye Chen, Luo, Sunset, and Qing Yan were all going all out to kill monsters.
Lu Ming just stood idly at the back, doing nothing, looking like a real slacker.
But in reality, what Ye Chen and the others didn''t know was that the entire Scarlet Zone was about to become Lu Ming''s personal stage!
Lu Ming leisurely opened his account panel and clicked the switch button behind his account.
The next second.
[Ding~ Welcome back to the Sky Abyss world, esteemed ten-star qualified player, Nether!]
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Chapter 24 - The Undead Warrior has gone insane!
Since Lu Ming discovered he could freely switch between his past life''s account and his current account, he began to strategize.
Before meeting up with Ye Chen in the Scarlet Zone, Lu Ming deliberately used his original ID number to log into Sky Abyss.
As expected, before entering the dungeon, Ye Chen insisted on checking all of Lu Ming''s data!
Although the accounts and characters were different, since both were controlled by Lu Ming, the levels of the two characters were shared.
Thus, the Level 10 Second Transition Trickster¡¤Dawn and the one-star account Ye Chen saw were actually Lu Ming''s alternate account!
Now, Lu Ming was still the same Lu Ming, no different from before, except his account had switched to his main: Nether!
While Ye Chen and the others were fighting monsters with all their might, Lu Ming, under the guise of doing nothing, quietly began to activate his thoughts from the rear.
"As long as it''s within a 500-yard range, I can summon the Undead Warriors at any position."
With this in mind, Lu Ming closed his eyes and, through his thoughts, locked onto his maximum range and summoned the Undead Warriors.
In an instant, countless vortices shimmering with silver light appeared on the dungeon map, 400-500 yards away from Ye Chen and the others.
One by one, the silver-armored Tier 2 Undead Warriors tore through space and stepped out of the vortices.
Through shared vision, Lu Ming''s mind was filled with real-time images of every position and corner of the Scarlet Zone.
At the same time, Lu Ming opened the settings panel and selected "No Effects" for skill effects.
The next moment, he cast [War Tread] and [Life Barrier] on the spot.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two invisible formations bloomed under Lu Ming''s feet, covering a massive 1000-yard radius.
"Within a 300-500 yard range from me, freely kill monsters and search for forbidden items."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
The two hundred Undead Warriors scattered in the dungeon immediately sprang into action!
Through shared vision, Lu Ming saw a vampire refresh within a 50-yard range in front of one of the Undead Warriors.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
The Undead Warrior immediately gripped its silver sword and launched the skill [Soul Shatter] at the vampire.
Buzz!
A flashing blood-red soul mark appeared on the vampire''s chest!
Seemingly aware of something, the vampire looked down at the mark on its chest, bewildered.
Swoosh!
The Undead Warrior suddenly executed an instant strike, flashing from over 40 yards away to the marked vampire.
With a swift motion, the sword pierced through the vampire''s body.
-1962!
The explosive blood-red damage instantly emptied the vampire''s full health bar.
The poor vampire, refreshed for less than a second, didn''t even have time to react before turning into a pool of blood.
Seeing the damage dealt by the Undead Warrior, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel exhilarated!
"After upgrading the Comprehensive Amplification talent to Lv2, my skill effects have increased from the original 10 times to 20 times."
"This means the attack power bonus from War Tread for the Undead Warriors has increased from the basic 10% attack power +50 to 200% attack power +1000 points!"
In addition, the skill [Slay] from the Slayer Belt also increased the extra damage bonus for the Undead Warriors from the Trickster''s 2% maximum health to a whopping 40% maximum health!
With an attack power as high as 1240 points, combined with a 464-point damage bonus, the Undead Warriors'' lethality had reached an astonishing level!
After advancing from Tier 1 Undead Warrior to Tier 2 Undead Warrior, the skill [Soul Shatter] not only looked impressive but also allowed the Undead Warriors to quickly kill enemies from a distance.
This made their monster-killing efficiency even higher!
In such an extreme state, the two hundred Undead Warriors rampaged through the vampire territory, unmatched and unstoppable!
In the vast old city, apart from the small area where Ye Chen and the others were located.
Over 90% of the outer area had already been completely occupied by the Undead Warriors.
In the only area not yet occupied by the Undead Warriors.
Ye Chen, along with Sunset and a few others, had just dealt with a batch of vampires.
While using potions to recover mana, Ye Chen glanced back at Lu Ming, who was standing and dozing off, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Just like my sister''s useless ex-boyfriend Lu Ming, a complete waste."
What Ye Chen didn''t expect was:
Even as Lu Ming dozed off, his experience bar was skyrocketing!
[Ding~ Killed Level 10 Vampire, Experience Points +50!]
[Ding~ Killed Level 10 Vampire, Experience Points +50!]
[Ding~ Killed Level 10 Vampire, Experience Points +50!]
...
Since Lu Ming''s alternate account [Dawn] was in a team with Ye Chen and the others, switching to his main account put him in solo mode.
All the kill rewards from the Undead Warriors went solely to Lu Ming, leaving Ye Chen and the others with nothing.
Lu Ming had also set his leveling to manual, so he didn''t worry about leveling up and exposing himself.
When a player''s experience points are full, they automatically level up.
If set to manual, even when the experience points are full, they can continue to accumulate, up to three times the experience needed for the current level.
This is a common tactic used by many teams and veteran players to cap their level.
The Undead Warriors killed monsters, collected loot, and searched for forbidden items all automatically.
They could even refine vampire corpses on his behalf!
Lu Ming didn''t need to worry at all.
Thus.
The Undead Warriors were going wild on the outskirts.
While Ye Chen and the others were slowly dealing with one or two vampires at a time.
Not that they wanted to be so slow.
But because this was their limit!
Lu Ming was doing nothing, Qing Yan was half-hearted.
Sunset was a Priest with no damage, and Sunset was a Knight mainly responsible for tanking and taking damage.
Almost only Ye Chen was dealing damage!
In such an environment, the monster-killing efficiency was naturally low.
After more than ten minutes, they hadn''t killed many monsters, and the dungeon mission showed no progress, leaving Ye Chen on the verge of collapse!
"Can''t you two be of some use?"
Facing Ye Chen''s questioning, Qing Yan smiled and sarcastically said, "You''re useful, you''re powerful, isn''t that enough? Weren''t you the one who promised to lead us through the epic level?"
"You wouldn''t... be incapable, would you?"
Ye Chen''s face turned red, "Who... who said I''m incapable!"
"If it weren''t for you two being useless, we would''ve found the forbidden item by now!"
As he spoke, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"Strange, why aren''t there any monsters around here?"
Looking around, indeed, earlier, they would encounter a few vampires every few steps.
But here, the streets and alleys were silent, not a single vampire in sight!
It was as if someone had already cleared this area before they arrived!
At the same time, Sunset made a shocking discovery.
He walked to a utility pole and pulled down a scroll tied to it.
Looking at the scroll, his eyes suddenly lit up, "Forbidden Item¡¤Blood Curse!"
"Found it!!"
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Chapter 25 - Purgatory-level difficulty activated, Ye Chens true form revealed!
¡¾Blood Curse¡¿ (One of the Forbidden Items exclusive to the Scarlet Zone Dungeon)
[Description: A seal containing the power of bloodlust, which can absorb the blood within the city to reinforce the seal of the Scarlet Zone...]
Holding the scroll in his hand, Sunset laughed heartily, "It''s true what they say, you find what you''re looking for when you least expect it!"
The Priest, Luo, was equally excited, "Yeah, who would''ve thought we''d be so lucky to find a Forbidden Item in such an obvious place!"
Ye Chen smiled calmly, pretending to be relaxed, "Luck is also a kind of strength!"
Only Qing Yan seemed to have sensed something.
She didn''t say anything, just silently glanced back at Lu Ming.
At this moment, there were two choices.
Either use the Blood Curse to reinforce the seal of the Scarlet Zone, end the dungeon, and receive the normal difficulty completion reward.
Or consume the Blood Curse to increase the dungeon difficulty to elite level.
"The rewards for each difficulty level in the Scarlet Zone Dungeon increase exponentially, but raising the difficulty comes with risks."
"If we fail the next difficulty, we''ll lose even the rewards from the previous level."
Before making a decision, Luo analyzed the pros and cons.
Ye Chen, full of confidence, said, "The earlier difficulties were pretty easy, and with our strength, plus our good luck in the first stage, I think our luck will hold!"
"In my opinion, we can push for legendary, or even nightmare difficulty, without a problem!"
Thus, with unanimous agreement, Sunset chose to consume the Blood Curse.
As the scroll in his hand turned to ashes and floated into the air.
The system notification followed.
[Ding~ The dungeon difficulty has been increased to elite level! Dungeon time has been reset! Dungeon monsters have been reset and strengthened!]
At this moment, the task panel showed that the elite difficulty requirement had changed to finding two Forbidden Items within an hour.
And the task reward changed from "?" to "??".
Although the specific rewards were unknown, it was clear that their value had doubled.
With the dungeon reset, vampires began to respawn from all directions!
The elite-level vampires were still level 10, but all attributes had increased by a full 30%!
"Come on! Today, let''s make a killing!"
The leading knight, Sunset, slammed his shield into the ground, releasing a taunt to draw the monsters.
Ye Chen grabbed his dagger and charged from the side, starting a new round of monster slaying!
At the same time, Lu Ming followed suit.
On the surface, he continued to do nothing, but secretly he was controlling the undead army to slaughter on the outskirts.
Even though the vampires'' strength had increased by 30%, they were still nothing but fodder for the Undead Warriors, who could cut them down with a single sword strike.
Two hundred Undead Warriors rampaged in all directions!
In the Scarlet Zone Dungeon, the drop rate for Forbidden Items from killing monsters was extremely low.
But under the ruthless slaughter by the Undead Warriors, they still managed to collect two Forbidden Items: the Holy Sword and the Blood Seal, in just ten minutes.
As before, Lu Ming had the Undead Warriors place these two Forbidden Items in conspicuous spots on the path Ye Chen and Sunset were bound to take.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Thus, under Lu Ming''s arrangement, Ye Chen and Sunset, thinking their luck was off the charts, found the Holy Sword and Blood Seal in an uncovered manhole and a toppled trash can, respectively!
Consuming these two Forbidden Items successfully activated the epic difficulty of the Scarlet Zone Dungeon!
With the dungeon reset, the vampire strength increased by 60%, and the requirement was to find three Forbidden Items within an hour.
Initially, Ye Chen was a bit hesitant, thinking it might be wise to stop early to avoid being too greedy and ending up with nothing.
But the ease of finding Forbidden Items in the later difficulties almost made Ye Chen feel like he was the chosen one!
15 minutes to clear normal difficulty!
22 minutes to clear elite difficulty!
28 minutes to clear epic difficulty!
33 minutes to clear legendary difficulty!
Now, in just forty minutes, they found all five Forbidden Items and cleared the nightmare difficulty.
Ye Chen was floating with pride, "The so-called strongest dungeon in Sky Abyss in a hundred years, is this it?"
"The highest difficulty dungeon in Great Xia''s history over the past century, is this it??"
At this point, Sunset, a bit apprehensive, said, "Maybe we should quit while we''re ahead; the nightmare difficulty rewards are already quite good."
Ye Chen, however, was dismissive, "What are the rewards for mere nightmare difficulty worth? The rewards for purgatory difficulty are the most priceless!"
"That''s the infinite growth skill scroll that the Americans offered ten billion dollars for!"
"Ten billion dollars! Do you know what that means?!"
Ye Chen''s eyes were filled with endless desire.
To persuade Luo, Sunset, Lu Ming, and Qing Yan to reach a consensus with him, Ye Chen said excitedly, "Money is the most beautiful thing in this world! With money, you can have everything!"
"To be honest, a few days ago, I was just a poor guy looked down upon by everyone!"
"Sick and unable to afford treatment, unable to buy the food I wanted to eat or the clothes I wanted to wear,"
"My high school roommates would never invite me to their gatherings because they knew I couldn''t afford to split the bill with them,"
"I liked a girl for two years, but I couldn''t even afford to take her to a movie!"
Ye Chen sneered, "Growing up, because I had no money, I was self-conscious and endured cold stares!"
"Here''s the funniest part! Three years ago, my sister dated a guy who was really good to her, to me, and even took care of my parents! But I didn''t like him, I thought he wasn''t good enough for my sister! Yet he gave me money, bought me a phone, a computer, clothes, and shoes, and because of him, I finally regained a bit of dignity..."
At this moment, Lu Ming almost thought Ye Chen had finally come to his senses and felt remorse.
But the next second, he realized he was completely wrong.
"But he was just poor! That''s why I didn''t like him, no matter how good he was to my sister or us, he was just a useless waste!"
Hearing this, Lu Ming laughed.
In his past life, it wasn''t that he had no money.
It was because all the money he earned was spent on the Ye family!
In five years in Sky Abyss, he had earned at least seven or eight hundred thousand, if not a million.
But his savings never exceeded fifty thousand!
"No one ever cared about my sacrifices; you all just kept demanding, and after draining me dry, you turned around and called me useless?"
"How ridiculous..."
At this moment, Ye Chen continued, "Moreover, we cleared the earlier stages so easily, we''re so strong! So lucky! With ten billion dollars within reach, don''t you want it?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen lowered his voice, speaking to Sunset behind Lu Ming and Qing Yan, "Once we activate purgatory difficulty, let''s kill those two and split the ten billion among the three of us, three billion each, don''t you want that?"
With Ye Chen''s words, Sunset and Luo exchanged a glance.
Clearly, they were tempted too.
They were just ordinary people who got lucky with a three-star account registration.
To put it bluntly, they were just rich people''s dogs.
Didn''t they also want to live a life of luxury and wealth?
So, Sunset said with determination, "Alright, let''s take a gamble!"
Activating purgatory difficulty required all five people together.
Fearing that Lu Ming and Qing Yan might change their minds and not dare to continue the challenge, Ye Chen said to them, "Once we clear purgatory difficulty and get that ten billion dollar skill scroll, we''ll sell it and give you two billion each!"
Lu Ming couldn''t have asked for more.
He pretended to be excited, "Sure, sure!"
Qing Yan also chimed in, "I have no objections."
Ye Chen sneered inwardly, thinking, "What fools."
So, each of the five held a Forbidden Item, activating the purgatory difficulty of the dungeon.
[Ding~ The dungeon difficulty has been increased to purgatory level! Dungeon time has been reset! Dungeon monsters have been reset and strengthened!]
Just as the system notification sounded.
A flash of murderous intent passed through Ye Chen''s eyes.
Suddenly.
Swish!
He swung the sharp dagger in his hand, launching a surprise attack on Lu Ming!
However, to Ye Chen''s surprise, Lu Ming seemed to have anticipated it, effortlessly dodging the attack with a backward step!
Ye Chen didn''t take it to heart, only slightly surprised, "Quick reflexes, huh?"
"Too bad, you can''t escape."
As soon as he finished speaking, the knight Sunset and the priest Luo both showed fierce expressions, drawing their weapons against Lu Ming and Qing Yan.
Ye Chen coldly watched Lu Ming and Qing Yan, sneering, "Did you really think you could walk out of here alive?"
At this moment, Qing Yan''s eyes showed no trace of panic; instead, there was a hint of schadenfreude.
"Didn''t you notice something?"
"The earlier stages of this dungeon were too easy, weren''t they?"
"Of course, it''s because the three of us are strong!" Ye Chen clearly hadn''t grasped the meaning behind Qing Yan''s words, still arrogant, "Or do you think it''s because of you two losers?"
"Kill them, lest we regret it later!"
As he spoke, the knight Sunset lunged with his spear at Lu Ming and Qing Yan.
At this moment, Qing Yan suddenly launched an attack.
Boom!
Raising her staff, she unexpectedly hit Sunset with a fireball spell.
-371!
The massive damage instantly knocked a chunk off the health bar of Sunset, a level 10 second transition knight!
The impact sent him stumbling back several steps.
Seeing this, Ye Chen was taken aback.
In his shock, he finally noticed that at some point, Qing Yan''s whiteboard equipment had been replaced with a full set of Black Iron Equipment!
At this moment, Ye Chen finally realized something.
"Damn! She was hiding her strength?"
Even Lu Ming was slightly surprised.
He knew Qing Yan was hiding her strength, but he hadn''t expected her true power to reach this level!
During the Buried Bone Land grind, the Slayer quest, and helping Qing Yan with the second transition task, Lu Ming had never realized she had such potential.
"With just Black Iron Equipment, she couldn''t deal this kind of damage."
"Most likely, her account aptitude is three-star, maybe even four-star!"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but reevaluate Qing Yan.
Meanwhile, on the field, the knight Sunset, who had been knocked back by the fireball, was unfazed.
He snorted, filled with disdain, "So what if you hid your strength? I still see you as an ant!"
"Did your PE teacher teach you math?" Qing Yan smiled playfully, "I''m not alone, you know!"
As Qing Yan finished speaking, Sunset''s gaze shifted to Lu Ming beside her.
With contempt, he said, "What, are you saying he hid his strength too?"
"A mere sewer profession, and a Trickster with only one-star aptitude, needs to hide?"
"Then show me your full strength!"
As he spoke, Sunset activated his three-star talent [Blood Demon Shield], lunging at Lu Ming with his spear!
Lu Ming stood still, unmoved.
With a gaze as if looking at a dead man, he quietly watched Sunset.
In his eyes, a flash of killing intent appeared.
The next second.
Buzz!
A blood-red soul mark suddenly appeared on Sunset''s chest!
Just as Sunset looked down at the mark, wondering where it came from.
Swish!
An Undead Warrior clad in silver armor, with glowing eyes, suddenly appeared in front of Sunset.
In a flash of blades and swords, Sunset was decapitated.
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Chapter 26 - Kill Ye Chen with my own hands, secretly slay the gods!
-1798!
A massive four-digit damage instantly shattered the Blood Demon''s shield on Sunset and drained his health bar.
Thud!
Sunset''s head was sliced off, and his headless body knelt to the ground.
Seeing her husband decapitated, the nearby Priestess Luo cried out in disbelief, "No!"
"Husband!" Luo ran to Sunset''s corpse, cradling his body, and burst into tears, overwhelmed with grief.
On the other side, Ye Chen''s smile vanished in an instant.
He saw the Undead Warrior appear beside Lu Ming.
A surge of shock, panic, and fear flooded his heart!
Because Ye Chen recognized it at a glance¡ªthis was the Undead Warrior that had appeared in a viral TikTok video, defeating a Black Iron level boss in just ten seconds!
So that means...
"You... you''re the Trickster from the video!?"
Ye Chen''s face was filled with disbelief, "How is this possible! Impossible!"
Although Ye Chen had initially suspected this.
But...
"Before entering the dungeon, I clearly checked his data panel!"
"He only had a one-star talent, his attribute panel was average, and he didn''t have any summoning skills. How could he possibly be that Trickster!?"
Just as Ye Chen was in utter shock.
Lu Ming casually said, "Thanks for accompanying me this far, helping me activate the Hell difficulty."
Ye Chen''s pupils dilated, "What do you mean?"
As he spoke, countless Undead Warriors surrounded them from all directions!
In that instant, Ye Chen suddenly realized.
He exclaimed in shock, "Could it be that the Forbidden Items from the previous levels were all found by you and deliberately placed in obvious spots for us to discover?"
As soon as Ye Chen finished speaking, before Lu Ming could respond.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Qing Yan, standing beside Lu Ming, couldn''t help but shake her head and sigh, "What else? Did you really think you guys were that strong and just incredibly lucky?"
"Do you think that in the past hundred years, our Great Xia''s highest dungeon clearance record only reached Nightmare difficulty, and only the United States managed to clear Hell difficulty, earning the title of the strongest beginner dungeon in Sky Abyss?"
It turned out Qing Yan understood everything.
Before this, she had just been playing along with Lu Ming''s act!
At this moment, the grieving Priestess Luo suddenly grabbed her staff and charged at Lu Ming!
"You killed my husband, I''ll fight you to the death!"
Sensing their master in danger, several Undead Warriors guarding Lu Ming moved with a flash of ghostly light in their eyes.
Swish, swish, swish!
Before Luo could even get close to Lu Ming, she was instantly torn apart by several charging Undead Warriors!
Seeing this scene, Ye Chen stumbled backward a few steps, unable to stand firm.
These two were from Beijing, both possessing three-star qualifications as powerful fighters!
Even they had no resistance against these Undead Warriors.
His own fate was predictable!
And at this point, it was too late to exit the dungeon.
Because once the new difficulty of the Scarlet Zone dungeon was activated, there was no way to exit midway except by clearing it or failing when time ran out!
Coming to his senses, Ye Chen hurriedly explained to save himself, "Brother, I was wrong! I was just anxious, after all, if it were you, and your beloved girl was bullied, you wouldn''t let the bully off, right?"
Initially, Lu Ming wasn''t too moved.
But Ye Chen''s words instantly triggered Lu Ming''s deep-seated hatred and anger towards Ye Ling''er.
Sensing their master''s overwhelming fury, dozens of Undead Warriors brandished their blades and advanced towards Ye Chen.
Ye Chen didn''t even know which of his words had provoked Lu Ming, causing such an outburst of anger.
Watching the Undead Warriors closing in, Ye Chen swallowed hard and quickly continued to plead with Lu Ming, "Once we clear the dungeon and get the skill scroll, I''ll give you ninety percent of the profits, I only want ten percent!"
Before he could finish speaking.
Under Lu Ming''s mental command, an Undead Warrior from behind kicked Ye Chen''s rear, sending him stumbling towards Lu Ming, who caught him by the throat.
Ye Chen only dared to struggle, not resist.
Because he knew that if he resisted, he would surely die!
Lu Ming coldly stared at Ye Chen and asked, "Who is the person with Ye Ling''er?"
Ye Chen was surprised, "You... you know my sister?"
Lu Ming tightened his grip, his eyes filled with murderous intent, "I''ll ask you again, who instructed Ye Ling''er to obtain the Scroll of Deification?"
Scroll of Deification!
Hearing these words, Ye Chen instantly realized that the person before him was likely Lu Ming''s good brother, here to avenge him!
In this life-or-death moment, Ye Chen dared not be vague.
"I... I don''t know who he is, I''ve only seen him a few times, and... and every time, he wore a mask..."
"But I know... the Godslayer Squad... he''s... he''s from the Godslayer Squad!"
"Spare me, please! We were forced, my sister has always loved her brother-in-law Lu Ming... I... I can help you avenge Lu Ming!"
Lu Ming stared intently at Ye Chen.
At this moment, his anger had reached its peak.
"Do you want to know who I am?" Lu Ming suddenly asked.
When Ye Chen looked at Lu Ming in shock and confusion.
Lu Ming displayed his attribute panel to Ye Chen.
When Ye Chen saw the ID on the panel, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Nether!!!"
"You... you are..."
Before Ye Chen could finish speaking.
Lu Ming swiftly slit his throat with a sword, killing the already weakened Ye Chen.
Thud!
Ye Chen fell heavily to his knees in front of Lu Ming, his eyes wide open, staring at Lu Ming with fear, shock, and regret.
The satisfaction of dealing with the brother-in-law who had once lived off him and despised him filled Lu Ming with joy.
But Lu Ming knew this was just a small step on his path of revenge.
"Godslayer."
Muttering this name, Lu Ming''s eyes were filled with murderous intent.
At this moment, Qing Yan from the back asked, "Why was he so shocked when he learned your ID?"
"What exactly is your relationship with him?"
Lu Ming glanced sideways at Qing Yan behind him.
"Knowing too much won''t do you any good."
Qing Yan stuck out her tongue and smiled, "Alright~"
Lu Ming quickly dealt with the loot from the three of them.
They were all equipped with the Black Iron Moon Demon gear, so the few pieces of equipment they dropped were also valuable items from the Moon Demon set!
The urgent task was to clear the Hell difficulty dungeon and obtain the infinitely growing skill scroll.
So, without examining these items closely, Lu Ming tossed them all into his backpack.
The Hell difficulty dungeon mission escalated rapidly!
He needed to find ten Forbidden Items within an hour!
Having wasted three minutes on Ye Chen and the others, Lu Ming had only fifty-seven minutes left.
"Go kill monsters and find the Forbidden Items."
With a thought, the two hundred Undead Warriors around him quickly dispersed and began their mission!
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Chapter 27 - Pass through the Scarlet Zone, and the scroll is in hand!
The difficulty has risen to the highest level: Hell Mode.
The vampires in the dungeon are still level 10, but their overall attribute amplification has reached 200%!
This means they have triple the attributes, and it''s no exaggeration to say their overall strength is comparable to level 15 monsters!
Sending a group of level 10 players to fight level 15 monsters, and they have to find ten Forbidden Items in the process.
No wonder that for a hundred years, aside from the United States, no other country has been able to clear the Hell Mode of the Scarlet Zone dungeon!
With triple attribute amplification, the vampires now have an attack power of over 300, armor of over 150, speed of over 120, and health points of over 2000!
Even the Undead Warrior''s "Soul Shatter" skill can''t take down a vampire in one hit anymore!
Of course, even if it can''t, it''s not a big deal.
It''s just a matter of one more normal attack.
After all, the Undead Warrior''s attack power of 1240, combined with a damage bonus of 464, is nothing to scoff at.
Thus, under the sweeping assault of the Undead Warrior, it took less than three minutes to obtain the first Forbidden Item.
The item picked up by the Undead Warrior was directly transferred to Lu Ming''s backpack.
Lu Ming opened his backpack and took out the Forbidden Item: Forbidden Fruit.
He chose to use it.
The next moment, the Forbidden Fruit in his hand, resembling a snake fruit, transformed into a golden glow, drifting upward.
[Ding~ Mission progress 1/10!]
Under the skill enhancement effect of Lv2 Comprehensive Amplification multiplied by 20 times.
The effective range of Lu Ming''s War Tread and Life Barrier skills extended from an already impressive radius of 500 yards to an unbelievable 1000 yards!
A circle with a radius of 1000 yards and a diameter of 2000 yards¡ªwhat does that mean?
It''s equivalent to the size of over 400 school playgrounds combined!
The War Tread with a 200% + 1000 attack power bonus grants the Undead Warrior an indomitable and brave fighting spirit.
The Life Barrier with a 20% health + 760 shield bonus grants the Undead Warrior an unyielding, rock-solid immortality.
Facing the Undead Warrior, whose shield value increases by 992 points per second, the vampire''s bite dealing over 300 points of damage is like an ant biting an elephant.
Insignificant.
And these two skills, at Lv10, consume 5 mana points per second each.
But the combined 10 mana points per second consumption is negligible compared to the 60 mana recovery per second brought by the Moon Demon set skill "Mana Recovery," after being enhanced 20 times!This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Therefore, even in this Scarlet Zone dungeon, where the difficulty has reached the highest Hell Mode, Lu Ming''s undead army remains invincible!
Two hundred Undead Warriors spread throughout the old town, killing any vampire they see.
The vast old town has become a slaughterhouse for the undead army!
Through methods like killing vampires for drops, searching hidden places, and completing special conditions like "kill a vampire in 1 second, kill 100 vampires in 10 minutes," Lu Ming found all ten Forbidden Items in just forty minutes!
He used up these Forbidden Items one by one.
At this moment.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Endless golden light descended from the sky, enveloping the entire old town.
Bathed in this golden rain, a pleasant system notification reached Qing Yan''s ears.
[Ding~ Congratulations on clearing the Hell Mode of the Scarlet Zone dungeon with players Dawn, Chen Emperor, Luo, and Sunset!]
[Ding~ Since your teammates Chen Emperor, Luo, and Sunset have died, and teammate Dawn is offline, you, as the team leader, have received the unique first-clear reward for the Hell Mode of the Scarlet Zone dungeon: Infinite Growth Skill Scroll +1!]
At the moment when he had completed the dungeon task but received no system reward notification, Lu Ming realized: something was wrong!
And just as Lu Ming looked at Qing Yan with murderous intent.
He suddenly saw Qing Yan offering the skill scroll with both hands, presenting it to him.
"Here, take it, take it. Please don''t kill me!"
If Qing Yan dared to keep the skill scroll that Lu Ming had worked so hard to obtain, Lu Ming would never let her leave the dungeon alive.
"Smart choice." Lu Ming reached out and took the skill scroll.
At this moment, Qing Yan tentatively asked, "But, can I trigger the server-wide announcement as the team leader?"
Lu Ming didn''t want to be too high-profile; his goal was just the scroll.
So he was more than happy to agree to Qing Yan''s request.
He casually said, "Sure."
Qing Yan was delighted, "Thank you, thank you!"
The next second, three loud system announcements echoed throughout the Great Xia server of the Sky Abyss world¡ª
[System Announcement] (Great Xia Server): "Ding~ Congratulations to player [Qing Yan] from Moonfall Town in the 1947 novice area for clearing the Hell Mode 8-10 level dungeon Scarlet Zone!"
[System Announcement] (Great Xia Server): "Ding~ Congratulations to player [Qing Yan] from Moonfall Town in the 1947 novice area for clearing the Hell Mode 8-10 level dungeon Scarlet Zone!"
[System Announcement] (Great Xia Server): "Ding~ Congratulations to player [Qing Yan] from Moonfall Town in the 1947 novice area for clearing the Hell Mode 8-10 level dungeon Scarlet Zone!"
Undoubtedly, this announcement instantly shocked the entire nation!
All players in the Sky Abyss world were stunned.
"Holy crap! Was that announcement real? Did someone from Great Xia clear the Hell Mode of the Scarlet Zone?"
"That''s a dungeon no one from Great Xia has cleared in over a hundred years!"
"Oh my god! Who is this Qing Yan?!"
"1947 novice area, Moonfall Town? Damn! The expert is right here in our small Linhai City!!"
The world was in an uproar.
This commotion was no less than when Sky Abyss first descended upon the world a hundred years ago.
Seeing Qing Yan''s smug expression, Lu Ming couldn''t help but think, "Still too young. Soon you''ll realize how much trouble excessive fame can bring when you''re not strong enough."
Lu Ming didn''t want to bother with her too much.
Having obtained the scroll, he was ready to leave the dungeon through the portal that had opened before him.
Just then, Qing Yan suddenly called out to him, "Wait!"
"Do you want to join our Tianxuan Team?"
Tianxuan?
Lu Ming turned around at the sound.
As he met Qing Yan''s eyes, which had always seemed familiar to him, he suddenly remembered something!
Wait!
"What''s your relationship with Tianxuan¡¤Eternal?" Lu Ming asked.
Qing Yan answered without hesitation, "He''s my brother! My twin brother! He was born eight seconds before me!"
Got it!
Mystery solved!
No wonder Lu Ming felt her eyes were familiar when he first met Qing Yan.
It turns out this person is Tianxuan¡¤Eternal!
At that moment, Lu Ming understood.
From the beginning, Qing Yan approached him with a purpose!
She wanted to recruit him into Tianxuan.
Her brother, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, had the same idea.
"You really are siblings."
Lu Ming said indifferently, "No need, I like my freedom."
Just as Lu Ming turned to leave, Qing Yan''s voice reached his ears again.
"The Chen Emperor you just killed, he''s from the Godslayer Squad! If the Godslayer Squad finds out, they will stop at nothing to retaliate against you!"
A flash of killing intent crossed Lu Ming''s eyes.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Absolutely not!" Qing Yan hurriedly said, "I just wanted to remind you, Godslayer is ranked seventh on our Great Xia national team leaderboard! Although your strength is top-notch, you''re only level 10. If they send a few high-level players to assassinate you before you grow stronger, how will you handle it?"
"Join our Tianxuan, and our people can protect you!"
Taking advantage of Lu Ming''s moment of hesitation, Qing Yan continued, "Of course, it''s not just for you. Our Tianxuan has a long-standing feud with Godslayer. We''ve been fighting for decades; my parents were killed by Godslayer."
At this point, Qing Yan''s eyes visibly welled up.
"We are determined to fight Godslayer to the end!"
"So... would you consider joining us? I promise we won''t interfere with your freedom! Join Tianxuan, and you''ll still be the same as before. No matter what you want to do or where you want to go, we won''t interfere!"
"We just hope that when someone asks, you can say you''re with Tianxuan. Is that okay?"
Lu Ming knew Tianxuan wanted him to join to bolster their ranks.
Or they were worried that Lu Ming might be recruited by Godslayer or other top teams.
After all, in the Sky Abyss world, a highly talented player like Lu Ming was highly sought after by major teams.
Lu Ming pondered for a moment.
"She''s right. I''m at a low level now. If high-level players target me, even with a ten-star account, I''d still be in danger."
"I could use Tianxuan as a shelter for now, ensuring a stable early development. Once my level is higher, I can leave Tianxuan."
With this in mind, Lu Ming turned back.
He said to Qing Yan, "Alright, I''ll join you."
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Chapter 28 - Array Trick Unique Skill: Draw Sword!
South of Moonfall Town.
The entrance to the Scarlet Zone dungeon was teeming with people.
Countless players gathered there.
They had all come specifically to see the legendary player who had just cleared the Hell-level difficulty, after hearing the system announcement.
With hearts full of excitement and anticipation, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lu Ming and Qing Yan stepped out from the light screen.
In an instant, the crowd surged towards Qing Yan as if they were seeing a top celebrity.
Because Qing Yan''s ID was not hidden above her head, confirming she was the one who cleared the dungeon!
Although everyone knew it was a team effort, most people only remembered the person publicly acknowledged by the system.
So Lu Ming was pushed aside like he was invisible.
Of course, this was actually the result Lu Ming most desired.
His identity was quite special, and it was best not to draw too much attention.
At this moment, countless players began interviewing Qing Yan on the spot:
"Master! How did you clear the Hell-level difficulty of the Scarlet Zone dungeon? Share some tips with us!"
"Wow! I didn''t expect the master to be such a young and charming girl!"
Facing the players'' interviews.
Qing Yan, still wearing her playful raccoon mask, smiled and said, "No special tips, just a bit of luck!"
After saying just this, Qing Yan immediately changed the topic, "By the way, I''m ranked eighth in the Great Xia team rankings, from the Tianxuan Team! If anyone''s interested, you can join our team!"
"Our Tianxuan offers great benefits and generous treatment! No matter your star rating, as long as you have ambition, you''re welcome!"
Lu Ming instantly understood!
No wonder Qing Yan wanted to use her name to trigger the system-wide announcement.
It turns out she wanted to take this opportunity to promote their Tianxuan Team!
Sure enough, everyone attracted by the announcement knew that the Tianxuan Team had obtained a skill scroll worth a billion dollars and had such a young and beautiful girl in their ranks, so they eagerly wanted to join Tianxuan.
Just as people were drawn away by Qing Yan, Lu Ming planned to quietly slip away.
At this moment, a large group of level 30 players suddenly rushed out from the surroundings, surrounding Lu Ming!
Lu Ming recognized them at a glance; they were Ye Chen''s bodyguards!
A level 30 archer at the front questioned Lu Ming, "Where''s Young Master Chen? He went in with you, why hasn''t he come out?"
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Before Lu Ming could speak.
Qing Yan squeezed through the crowd at some point.
She stood in front of Lu Ming and explained to the players with feigned sadness and regret, "Brother Chen Emperor and the other two seniors, unfortunately... sacrificed themselves to protect us in the final stage of the dungeon!"
"He was a good person, and I''ll remember him for a lifetime!"
As she spoke, tears involuntarily slid down Qing Yan''s cheeks.
Seeing this, Lu Ming couldn''t help but secretly admire, "With such acting skills, it''s a pity she''s not an actress!"
However, these seasoned players weren''t so easily fooled.
Upon hearing the news of Ye Chen''s death, they felt as if the sky had fallen.
Because they were tasked with protecting Ye Chen, and now that Ye Chen was dead, they couldn''t escape responsibility!
At the very least, they needed to understand the exact cause of Ye Chen''s death to give an account.
Thus, the leading archer sternly said, "Young Master Chen and the others are dead, so why are you two still alive?"
"If you don''t explain clearly, neither of you is leaving today!"
As he spoke, the surrounding level 30 bodyguards all drew their weapons, pointing them at Lu Ming and Qing Yan.
At this moment, a voice rang out¡ª
"I''d like to see who dares touch my sister!"
As soon as the words fell, a large group of high-level players, all level 50, swarmed in from all directions, instantly surrounding the group of level 30 players!
At the same time, a young archer, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, dressed in silver chainmail and wearing a silver crown, along with the level 10 assassin Tianxuan¡¤Shadow and the knight Tianxuan¡¤Zongheng, strode up to Lu Ming and Qing Yan.
"Isn''t the explanation clear enough? Your young master died in the dungeon, and you''re blaming my sister, what do you mean by that?"
"But let me make it clear today, if you want trouble, Tianxuan will accompany you to the end!"
Though Tianxuan¡¤Eternal was only level 10, his presence was as strong as a level 100 boss!
Coupled with the intimidation of the surrounding level 50 Tianxuan players.
The group of level 30 bodyguards dared not cause any more trouble and slunk away.
At this moment, Qing Yan, acting as if nothing had happened, ran to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal''s side, hooked his arm, tilted her head towards Lu Ming, and smiled, "Brother, let me formally introduce our new member of Tianxuan, Nether!"
Following Qing Yan''s gaze towards Lu Ming, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal''s eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.
It wasn''t until Lu Ming spoke, "Please take care of me."
That Tianxuan¡¤Eternal dared to believe that Lu Ming was really planning to join Tianxuan!
No one knew his sister''s capabilities better than Tianxuan¡¤Eternal.
So he understood: clearing the Hell-level difficulty of the Scarlet Zone was all thanks to Lu Ming!
Originally intrigued by Lu Ming, after this dungeon run, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal became even more aware of the weight of this Trickster!
Therefore, at this moment, he was incredibly excited that Lu Ming was willing to join Tianxuan!
But just as Tianxuan¡¤Eternal was about to speak further with Lu Ming, Lu Ming suddenly turned around... and left!
The air fell silent.
At this moment, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow rolled up his sleeves and said, "Captain, this guy is so arrogant, let me teach him a lesson!"
Qing Yan hurriedly stopped him, explaining, "Oh, he finally agreed to join us, and I promised him that we would never interfere with his freedom! He doesn''t need to obey us!"
Hearing this, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was incredulous, "Then what''s the difference from not joining us?"
"No, there''s a big difference!" Tianxuan¡¤Eternal said excitedly, "Now that he''s joined us, everything else can be worked out!"
"We can slowly show him through our actions that joining Tianxuan is definitely a wise choice!"
Saying this, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal immediately ordered the people around him, "Assign someone to protect Nether at all times, and no one is allowed to leak the information that the skill scroll is with Nether, just say it''s with us Tianxuan!"
"Understood!"
At this moment, Qing Yan suddenly extended her hand to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal.
"You promised me, if I brought Nether into the team, you''d add two hundred to my allowance this month!"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal took a deep breath.
Helplessly said, "Save some money, if you keep spending like this, you''ll never find a husband."
Qing Yan snorted.
"Then tell me, does getting closer to Nether and making him trust Tianxuan require money?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal looked at Qing Yan with newfound respect.
After a while...
"I''ve transferred three million to your Alipay, let me know if it''s not enough."
Qing Yan giggled, made a heart gesture to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, "Thanks, brother! Love you!"
...
On the other side, Lu Ming was on his way back to Moonfall Town.
Earlier, there were too many people around, making it inconvenient.
Taking advantage of the moment when there was no one around, he finally couldn''t wait to open his backpack and take out the skill scroll worth a billion dollars!
[Infinite Growth Skill Scroll]
[Description: After use, you will randomly obtain a unique growth skill...]
"So this is what a billion dollars, or over seven billion RMB, feels like?"
Weighing the scroll in his hand, it indeed felt quite heavy!
Currently, the online community was buzzing.
Since the announcement of the Hell-level difficulty clearance of the Scarlet Zone, it was well known: the world''s second Infinite Growth Skill Scroll had emerged!
The forums were already in an uproar.
A big boss from Beijing had already offered 300 million!
Although it was still far from a billion dollars, if Lu Ming really wanted to sell, the price wouldn''t be an issue.
If he sold it, it would ensure Lu Ming''s prosperity and comfort for ten lifetimes.
But Lu Ming deeply understood a principle of the Sky Abyss world.
"Having enough strength can get me everything I want beyond my imagination, including money, identity, and status."
"And money can only bring limited improvements within my understanding."
Just like today, it was because Lu Ming had enough strength that he could break through the Hell-level difficulty of the Scarlet Zone, which even the wealthiest and most powerful people couldn''t clear, and obtain this skill scroll worth a billion!
Therefore, Lu Ming didn''t plan to sell this unique skill scroll in the entire Great Xia.
A Second Transition player can master up to three skills.
Just right, besides War Tread and Life Barrier, there was one empty skill slot.
So, Lu Ming decisively crushed the scroll.
[Ding~ Congratulations on mastering the Trickster''s unique skill: Draw Sword!]
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Chapter 29 - Being rich is really awesome!
[Draw Sword] (Unique Skill, Lv10)
[Grade: F-grade] (Upgradeable)
[Skill Effect: When drawing the sword, release a sword shadow, dealing (100% attack power + 85) true damage to a single enemy within attack range, ignoring defense.]
[Cooldown: 60 seconds]
[Skill Cost: 34]
[Proficiency: 0/100] (Each use of the Draw Sword skill automatically grants 1 proficiency point. Once full, it can be upgraded to E-grade.)
Looking at the skill effect, Lu Ming murmured, "With comprehensive amplification, it means I can unleash true damage with 20 times the attack power!"
No wonder it''s a unique skill!
With this Draw Sword skill, Lu Ming was destined to no longer be the Trickster that people mocked, who could only strengthen teammates but had no offensive power himself, and became useless once separated from them!
He would show the world that a Trickster can also deal damage and kill invisibly!
Besides this skill, Lu Ming also gained other significant rewards from this dungeon.
However, since he entered the dungeon with his alternate account [Dawn], all the dungeon rewards were sent to that account.
So, Lu Ming opened the account panel and switched accounts.
In an instant, Lu Ming was still Lu Ming, but [Nether] became [Dawn]!
As soon as he logged into the [Dawn] account, the system''s pleasant notification sounded in his ear.
[Ding~ Congratulations on clearing the Scarlet Zone dungeon at Purgatory difficulty, rewards: Experience Points +100,000, Gold +10, Lv10 Bronze Equipment Box +5, E-grade Skill Scroll +3!]
"Purgatory difficulty, such generous rewards?"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised.
Because just 10 gold coins were already worth 200,000 RMB at market price!
Five pieces of level 10 Bronze Equipment, with a total market value of about 50,000!
Three E-grade Skill Scrolls, valued at 70,000-80,000!
This dungeon alone brought Lu Ming a total profit of over 300,000 RMB!!!
Just one dungeon earned him more money than Lu Ming had made in two or three years in his previous life!
At this moment, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel grateful, "Ye Ling''er, I really have to thank you. If it weren''t for you, how could I have had the chance to return to level 10, enter this dungeon, and get these things!"
A mere level 8-10 novice dungeon could bring Lu Ming such terrifying returns.
One can only imagine how much money he could make when he levels up and tackles higher-level dungeons in the future!
In this life, with this ten-star account in hand, Lu Ming was filled with hope and anticipation for the future.
"The future is indeed promising!"
Lu Ming began to handle these items.
He sent everything through mail to his main account.
Then switched to his main account, Nether, to receive the mail.
"Level 10 Bronze Equipment is good, but with my current leveling speed, it will be obsolete in at most two days."
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"Moreover, the main output of the Undead Legion now comes from my formation bonuses, so the demand for equipment isn''t high. Selling these five boxes is more cost-effective."
On the market, a piece of level 10 Bronze Equipment is priced at 8,000-10,000.
But if it''s an unopened Bronze Equipment Box, the price can increase by about 20%!
Because the equipment box can provide equipment corresponding to the opener''s profession.
Compared to equipment with fixed professions, it has a broader audience.
So, at a unit price of 12,000, Lu Ming listed all five equipment boxes on the trading market.
He also listed a few pieces of Black Iron Moon Demon gear dropped by Ye Chen and others, at a unit price of 2,000-3,000.
Because they were useless for a Trickster.
As for the gold coins, Lu Ming only listed 5, with a total price of 100,000.
The remaining 5 gold coins needed to be kept.
Because soon he would enter the second layer of Sky Abyss, where there was a black market, and the gold coins would be useful there.
Finally, Lu Ming opened all three E-grade Skill Scrolls.
These items, which perfectly matched his comprehensive amplification talent and could maximize his own strength, would not be sold no matter how valuable they were.
He acquired Trickster skills: E-grade Ground Lock, E-grade War Tread, E-grade Revival of All Things.
The effect of Ground Lock is to weaken the armor of all enemies within range.
Revival of All Things increases the health recovery effect of all allies within range.
Both skills are good, but for now, Lu Ming has no extra skill slots.
He could only temporarily store these two skills in his backpack.
He replaced the original F-grade War Tread with the E-grade one.
This increased the base amplification effect of War Tread from 10% attack power + 50 to 20% attack power + 50!
For Lu Ming, who had a Lv2 comprehensive amplification talent that increased all skills by 20 times, this meant an increase of 400% attack power + 1000!
"Within the formation range of my War Tread, even an ant could kill an elephant!"
Meanwhile, the experience points of both accounts were shared.
As the alternate account gained experience, the main account also received the dungeon reward of 100,000 experience points.
At this moment, Lu Ming''s experience had already exceeded three times the amount needed for the current level-up, reaching the maximum experience accumulation limit.
There was no need to suppress his level anymore.
So, Lu Ming manually clicked to level up twice.
Wow!
Wow!
Two beams of golden light fell in succession.
[Ding~ Congratulations on leveling up to level 11...]
[Ding~ Congratulations on leveling up to level 12, five-dimensional attributes +1, Mana Points +15, Health Points +25, free attribute points +3, next level requires 100,000 experience points!]
"As long as a player''s level exceeds 10, they can leave the first layer and enter the second layer."
Lu Ming checked the time and found it was already 9 PM.
"Has it only been a day..."
In just one day, he had reached level 12.
He remembered that in his previous life, Lu Ming had been online for 18 hours a day, grinding desperately for almost half a month to barely reach this level.
It proved that no matter how hard you work, it''s not as useful as having strong talent.
The leveling speed was already fast enough, there was no need to grind as hard as in the previous life.
"Log off, have a late-night snack, grab some skewers, take a bath, and sleep comfortably. I''ll enter the second layer tomorrow!"
With that thought, Lu Ming walked to the entrance of Moonfall Town and suddenly turned around to see someone following him!
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Lin Youwei!
He didn''t know how long she had been following him.
She just followed silently, without saying a word.
When Lu Ming stopped, she stopped too.
Her hands fiddled with the hem of her clothes, looking a bit helpless.
Lu Ming said, "Ye Chen is dead."
"Don''t follow me anymore, and you don''t need to repay the 5,000 yuan."
At this moment, Lin Youwei seemed to muster the courage to catch up.
She lowered her head, not daring to meet Lu Ming''s gaze, visibly nervous.
She whispered, "Can you... can you take me with you?"
Lu Ming glanced at Lin Youwei.
For a moment, he seemed to see the shadow of Ye Ling''er in Lin Youwei!
He remembered when he first met Ye Ling''er, her family was impoverished, and as a weak girl, Ye Ling''er didn''t have outstanding gaming skills and was bullied everywhere in the Sky Abyss world.
Until Lu Ming stepped forward and saved her from the dire situation.
Lu Ming saw through it all; Lin Youwei was just approaching him because she saw how powerful he was.
He said indifferently, "I''ve seen many women like you."
Lin Youwei felt a bit wronged, "My brother is dead, I have no family left, and I''ve been kicked out by the landlord. I don''t have a penny on me, I... I have nowhere to go..."
Lu Ming replied coldly, "What does that have to do with me?"
A girl''s sense of shame made Lin Youwei''s face turn bright red.
But she had no choice. To be accepted by Lu Ming, she could only bite her lip and continue to sell herself to him, "I can do laundry, cook, clean! I can do anything!"
"Not needed."
Lu Ming casually replied and logged off at Moonfall Town.
Lin Youwei stood there, stunned, her small hands almost tearing the hem of her clothes.
At that moment, she felt wronged, confused, and utterly helpless.
Thinking back to the only person in this world who had been good to her, her brother, who was now gone, she couldn''t help but squat down and cry her heart out...
Lu Ming had just logged off when he received a notification of a transaction.
Only then did he realize that the Bronze Equipment Boxes and gold coins he had just listed for sale a few dozen minutes ago had all been sold!
"It seems that level 10 Bronze Equipment is indeed in high demand!"
After deducting a 5% platform fee, he earned 152,000 yuan!
Adding the 40,000 he earned from the Slayer dungeon before.
At this moment, Lu Ming''s bank account already had nearly 200,000 yuan!
In his previous life, Lu Ming had never seen so much money!
So, he allowed himself to be excited and thrilled at this moment!
"This immense wealth has finally come to me!"
So, Lu Ming left the internet cafe and went to a nearby large shopping mall overnight. He made a big purchase at the Apple store, buying a laptop worth over 30,000 yuan!
No bargaining!
He entered the store, swiped his card, and completed the process in half a minute!
Even the young lady at the store couldn''t wait to add Lu Ming on WeChat.
This feeling could only be described with one word.
"Awesome!"
"Having money is awesome!"
After returning home, Lu Ming immediately installed the [Sky Abyss] game.
This way, he would no longer have to go to the internet cafe every day; he could play Sky Abyss at home!
Then he went to the night market food street downstairs.
In the past, Lu Ming never went out to spend money at night.
Not because he didn''t want to, but because he knew that a casual meal would cost several hundred yuan, which was too wasteful!
He had to save money to buy a house and marry Ye Ling''er.
Even if he did eat, he would only order a couple of small skewers, one for him and one for Ye Ling''er.
But now.
Beef skewers, lamb skewers, crayfish, bring them all!
And a few bottles of Wusu beer.
Awesome!
So, while eating barbecue, Lu Ming started planning his next steps.
Ye Chen was just a minor character.
Lu Ming''s real enemies were Ye Ling''er and the person behind her!
But he did manage to extract some useful information from Ye Chen.
Lu Ming picked up his phone and searched on Baidu for information about the [God Slayer] team.
What he saw was shocking!
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Chapter 30 - Second layer, revive!
God Slayer, with a history of fifty years, is currently ranked seventh on the Great Xia national squad leaderboard.
It has a total of 5.321 million members, with the main force stationed in the capital city of Great Xia, Beijing.
Its influence spans across thirty-four provinces of Great Xia, covering a total of two hundred seventy-five cities!
This includes Jiang Province, Linhai City, where Lu Ming is currently located.
Looking at the information found on the webpage.
At this moment, Lu Ming finally understood the meaning behind Ye Ling''er''s words, "His power is overwhelming, killing us is as easy as squashing two ants."
If this person is a high-ranking member of God Slayer, then he indeed wields immense power.
But!
"No matter how powerful you are, I will make you pay for what you''ve done!"
Murderous intent surged in Lu Ming''s eyes.
His target would be the entire God Slayer Squad!
Meanwhile.
In the capital city of Great Xia, Beijing.
At the Star Delight Sea Restaurant.
In a private room exuding opulence and luxury.
A girl in an elegant white dress, with a stunning face, sat at the dining table, as if on pins and needles.
She said anxiously, "I want to go back to Linhai!"
At the same time, a man sitting across the table, wearing a half-face mask, was leisurely cutting his steak, and said calmly, "No rush, Ling''er, let''s talk after dinner."
"But he''s my younger brother!" Ye Ling''er clenched her dress tightly, her eyes flickering, "He died so inexplicably..."
The man across from her remained calm, "I know, after all, he was my brother-in-law too."
Tears fell from Ye Ling''er''s beautiful eyes as she cried, "I don''t believe my brother died in an accident!"
"But the two I sent to him were both three-star qualified experts, and your brother himself wasn''t weak, with a two-star qualified account and a full set of Black Iron Equipment."
"And as far as I know, the two who went in with them, one was a one-star Trickster without full equipment, and the other was a plain Mage. Even if they had the motive, they didn''t have the strength to match your brother."
The man across the table stopped cutting his steak and reached out to hold Ye Ling''er''s fair hand.
"Ling''er, don''t worry. I just got off the phone with the high-ups in Ancient Egypt. They said they''ve detected the aura of a god in the sixth layer they just invaded! If we can find the god rumored to be sleeping in the Sky Abyss world, we might be able to use the power of Osiris, the God of Resurrection, to bring back those who died in the Sky Abyss world!"
Hearing this, Ye Ling''er was overjoyed, "Really?"
The man kissed Ye Ling''er''s fair and slender fingers and said, "Rest assured, once there''s news of the God of Resurrection, I''ll spare no expense to have the people of Ancient Egypt revive your brother immediately."
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"Also, I''ve notified our God Slayer division in Linhai. Regardless of whether it was an accident, I''ll make those two pay with their lives for your brother''s death!"
"Thank you, honey!" Ye Ling''er said with both joy and guilt, "I''m sorry, you trusted me so much, but in the end, I couldn''t get the Scroll of Deification from Lu Ming..."
The man was indifferent.
"It''s okay."
"With my current status and power, the Scroll of Deification is just the icing on the cake. Even without it, it doesn''t affect me much."
"It''s just a pity for you, Ling''er, wasting three years of your youth and time on that loser for the Scroll of Deification. Don''t worry, Ling''er, I''ll treat you even better in the future!"
Ye Ling''er smiled happily, "Mm!"
...
As night turned to day.
Before eight in the morning, Lu Ming was awakened by the sounds of "uh uh ah ah" from next door.
"Fing hell, I can''t believe this!"
"Don''t you have anything else to do all day? Are you two glued to the bed?"
Just as he finished speaking.
The sound of instruments came from another room.
"Love even in death! Without indulgence, it''s not satisfying..."
Caught between the two, Lu Ming couldn''t take it anymore.
Damn it.
Time to move!
Once he earned enough money, he''d move out immediately!
Although Linhai City wasn''t a first-tier city, housing prices weren''t cheap.
A mediocre place started at a million, and a good one could be two to three million.
Lu Ming checked his pockets and realized.
He still needed to make money!
So, after washing up, he had some steamed dumplings at the breakfast shop downstairs and went back home to log in.
[Ding~ Welcome back to the Sky Abyss world, esteemed ten-star qualified account player, Nether!]
With this system prompt, which he never got tired of hearing, Lu Ming appeared in Moonfall Town.
Clearing the novice village in just one day was unprecedented.
Lu Ming went to the teleportation array in Moonfall Town and spent 1 silver coin to activate the teleportation.
Whoosh!
With a flash of white light, Lu Ming disappeared from the teleportation array.
[Ding~ Welcome to the second layer, Revival. You are currently in the main city, Starlight City!]
In an instant, Lu Ming appeared in a magnificent city.
As everyone knows, the layout of Sky Abyss is divided by layers.
For example, the novice area Moonfall Town, where Lu Ming was before, belongs to the first layer, Calamity.
Players who reach level 10 and above can enter the second layer, Revival.
And Starlight City corresponds to the three major novice areas of 1946, 1947, and 1948. Players from these novice areas, upon entering the second layer, will gather in Starlight City.
Correspondingly, these are Jiang Province''s Hanghai City, Linhai City, and Yunzou City.
"Unfortunately, God Slayer Squad''s information confidentiality is too good. There''s no way to find their specific influence and layout in Starlight City online."
Just as Lu Ming was troubled by this.
He suddenly received a WeChat message!
Opening it, he found it was from Qing Yan, whom he had added as a friend in the Scarlet Zone dungeon.
"You should have reached the second layer by now, right?"
"By the way, a heads-up: God Slayer Squad''s division in Starlight City has about twenty thousand members. Their division leader''s ID is God Slayer, Moon, and their real-world location is in Hanghai City!"
"Not a high level, a level 19 Assassin, but the account qualification is one in a million, four-star! And it''s said that he was specially sent from Beijing by God Slayer''s headquarters, someone close to the boss of God Slayer Squad, not an ordinary identity. Be careful if you encounter him!"
Hungry for steamed buns, sleepy for pillows?
"Seems like joining Tianxuan has some benefits, after all."
Thinking this, Lu Ming replied, "Thanks for the heads-up."
"By the way, I''ll add you to a group!" Qing Yan continued, "It''s our Tianxuan''s squad group in Starlight City. If you run into any trouble and need help, just call for people in the group!"
The next second, Lu Ming was invited by Qing Yan to join a chat group named [Tianxuan] (Jiang Province Group ¢Ù).
Wow!
Seeing over 17,000 members!
As soon as Lu Ming entered the group, the messages on the screen were like a Gatling gun!
[Tianxuan¡¤Rogue] (Level 15 Assassin): "Yo, a newbie''s here! Are you a bro or a sis?"
[Tianxuan¡¤Rich Lady] (Level 18 Archer): "Judging by the profile picture, it''s a little brother! What level are you, little brother? Show a photo, and I''ll help you level up (let me see)."
[Tianxuan¡¤Defy Heaven] (Level 11 Priest): "Rich Lady, please help me level up too! I''m also a newbie little brother (small dilemma)."
...
The atmosphere in Tianxuan seemed nice.
But it didn''t stop Lu Ming from turning on message do-not-disturb.
He glanced back at Qing Yan''s message.
God Slayer, Moon?
A confidant of the God Slayer Squad''s boss?
If the person who orchestrated Ye Ling''er''s betrayal of Lu Ming was the boss of the God Slayer Squad.
Then, this God Slayer, Moon must be...
"Let''s start with you!"
"Let him taste the pain of losing a loved one first!"
"Follow the clues, let me see what kind of dirty rat hiding in the shadows this is, and how capable they really are!"
Improving himself and seeking revenge, both at once!
This situation, where the enemy is in the open and he is in the dark, is very advantageous for Lu Ming!
"The immediate priority is to reach level 20 and visit the black market."
The unique [Black Market] of the second layer in the Sky Abyss world.
It''s said that as long as you have enough gold coins, players can buy rare items in the black market that can''t be obtained through any other means!
And the entry requirement for the black market is for players to reach level 20 or above.
So, Lu Ming headed out of the south gate of Starlight City.
Unlike the usual task grinding and dungeon grinding for leveling up.
In Starlight City, there''s a place more suitable for leveling up called the [Eternal Magic Tower].
And Lu Ming''s destination this time was this Eternal Magic Tower!
Just as he left the city, Lu Ming received a WeChat message.
Opening it, he found a transfer message from Lin Youwei!
Amount: 300.
Lu Ming asked, "Didn''t you say you were out of money?"
After a while, Lin Youwei replied, "Someone just asked me to help them take down a level 12 Elite Monster, and they''d give me 300 bucks for helping."
"Don''t worry, Nether brother, I''ll definitely pay back the five thousand bucks as soon as possible!"
Lu Ming casually closed WeChat, ignoring Lin Youwei.
At this moment, a few male players around levels 11-12 happened to walk by.
Some sleazy words inadvertently reached Lu Ming''s ears.
"Old Chen said he hooked a young and pretty girl for just three hundred bucks, let''s hurry over and check it out!"
"Girls these days are so cheap! And so easy to fool, tsk tsk."
"I just love these innocent young girls! Hahaha!"
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Chapter 31 - Account banned, the wrath of the gods!
Watching the backs of the sleazy men as they walked away, Lu Ming hesitated for a moment before opening WeChat to send a message to Lin Youwei: "Don''t be fooled."
With that, Lu Ming returned the 300 yuan and continued on his way to the [Nether Ghost Tower].
Before long, as he passed through a forest, he suddenly saw a familiar figure battling a level 12 elite demonized rabbit in the woods.
Boom!
Boom!
Despite Lin Youwei''s frail appearance, as if a gust of wind could knock her over, she struggled to even swing her staff.
Magic orbs struck the demonized rabbit, dealing a mere 30-40 points of damage each time, barely scratching the creature.
Meanwhile, not far behind Lin Youwei, four male players were watching and mocking her:
"Little girl, if you can''t do it, just give up! It''s fine, we''ll just follow the rules. If you don''t complete the power-leveling task, you''ll have to refund us ten times the amount, just pay us back three thousand yuan."
"Or if you don''t have the money, there are other ways to repay us~"
Their lecherous eyes roamed over Lin Youwei.
How could a level 10 mage like Lin Youwei possibly solo a level 12 elite monster?
In no time, she was nearly defeated by the elite demonized rabbit.
As the rabbit closed in on Lin Youwei, the situation grew dire.
From the side, a figure walked over slowly.
"Nether brother..."
Seeing Lu Ming, Lin Youwei''s face, once filled with despair, suddenly lit up with hope, as if she had seen a ray of light in a dark abyss.
At the same time, the players behind her began to mock Lu Ming.
"Oh, kid, trying to play the hero?"
"Sure, if you can kill that elite rabbit for the girl."
"Don''t underestimate him, maybe he really can do it?"
One of the archer men looked Lu Ming up and down, laughing, "A level 12 support class Trickster, if he can solo a level 12 elite monster, then pigs can fly..."
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Swish!
Before the archer could finish his sentence, Lu Ming entered the attack range. In an instant, he reached behind his back, drew his sword, and a lightning-fast sword light pierced through the demonized rabbit from 50 yards away.
The next second, a blood-red damage number appeared above the rabbit''s head¡ª
-4088!
The elite demonized rabbit''s 3400 health points were instantly wiped out.
[Ding~ Killed level 12 elite monster demonized rabbit, experience points +900!]
[Ding~ Sword Drawing skill proficiency +1!]
At that moment, the air suddenly fell silent.
The few who had been mocking just a second ago were now gaping in shock.
The damage dealt by Lu Ming, a level 12 Trickster, left them speechless.
Realizing they had provoked the woman of such a powerful player, their first reaction was one of sheer terror, fearing the player might get angry and kill them all!
"S-sorry for the disturbance!"
"Let''s get out of here!!"
Taking advantage of the fact that Lu Ming hadn''t lost his temper, they quickly scurried away.
The Hero''s Sword, which had only been briefly unsheathed, was returned to its scabbard.
Lu Ming glanced at Lin Youwei and said, "You''re not suited for Sky Abyss. Go back to the real world and find a job."
With that, he turned to leave.
But just as he was about to go, Lin Youwei suddenly said something that made Lu Ming''s heart skip a beat: "But if I can''t reach level 200 within five years, even if I return to the real world, I''ll still face the death penalty..."
Reaching level 200 within five years... wasn''t that the same Scroll of Deification quest Lu Ming had in his previous life?!
So, Lu Ming said to Lin Youwei, "Open your account panel and let me see."
Lin Youwei nodded and opened a panel¡ª
[Account: 340822***]
[Account Qualification: ¡ï]
[Account Talent: Drop Rate Increase (Increases monster drop rate by 10%)]
[Account Ban ¡¤ Wrath of the Gods: As the price for angering the gods, you will be suppressed by their wrath; you must raise your character level to 200 before the ban time expires, or you will face account banning and character death penalties.]
[Account Ban Time: 1792 days]
Seeing this panel information, Lu Ming was shocked again!
In his previous life, his account had a similar ban effect¡ª
Account Ban ¡¤ Ill-Fated: As the price for encountering the God of Fortune, you will lose all your luck; you must raise your character level to 200 before the ban time expires, or you will face account banning and character death penalties...
Initially, it was just to survive.
But later, Lu Ming discovered that lifting the account ban not only ensured survival but also granted the Scroll of Deification as a reward!
At that time, Lu Ming learned that he was the 99,999,999,999th player to register a Sky Abyss account, which triggered this opportunity.
Lu Ming asked Lin Youwei, "What did you do before entering Sky Abyss?"
Lin Youwei shook her head, confused, "I don''t know, I didn''t do anything..."
Never mind.
How the Wrath of the Gods was triggered was no longer important.
The most important thing was: since Lu Ming lifted his account ban and ultimately received the Scroll of Deification as a reward.
Then once Lin Youwei''s ban is lifted, she will surely receive the Scroll of Deification as well!
That is something that can evolve any account qualification to ten-star level!
At this moment, Lu Ming''s heart was filled with excitement.
Because in just one day, he had deeply realized how overwhelmingly powerful a ten-star qualification account was!
The Scroll of Deification was truly a priceless treasure!
Thus, looking at Lin Youwei, who had just lost her only brother, was evicted by her landlord, was penniless, and almost got scammed, Lu Ming''s mind immediately came up with a nurturing plan...
Lin Youwei seemed to understand that in Lu Ming''s eyes, she was just a useless burden, so this time, she didn''t cling to him.
"I... I''ll find a way to gather the money and pay you back!"
With that, Lin Youwei prepared to leave.
Lu Ming called her back: "Follow me."
"I''ll help you level up."
Hearing this, Lin Youwei was stunned.
She turned around, looking at Lu Ming in disbelief.
Unaware of the true value of her [Wrath of the Gods], she only thought of it as a disaster, and her mind was filled with thoughts.
"Nether brother... he agreed to help me level up?"
"He must pity me, feel sorry for me..."
"No matter what, Lin Youwei, you have to do your best, you can''t let Nether brother think you''re a burden!"
So, Lin Youwei gratefully said to Lu Ming, "Thank you, Nether brother!"
At that moment, Lu Ming suddenly seemed to understand Ye Ling''er a bit...
Ye Ling''er approached Lu Ming for the Scroll of Deification.
Lu Ming approached Lin Youwei for the Scroll of Deification.
The scene was eerily similar!
The difference was, Lu Ming always relied on his own efforts to level up, while Ye Ling''er enjoyed the fruits of his labor, pushing him into the abyss just as he was about to succeed, trying to take all his achievements.
And Lin Youwei, without Lu Ming''s help to level up, could never reach level 200 in five years on her own, facing only death.
Using her life as an exchange, Lu Ming felt no guilt.
So next, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei headed to the Nether Ghost Tower together.
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Chapter 32 - Nether Ghost Tower, Arena PK!
All the way, Lin Youwei silently followed behind Lu Ming.
Following the map''s guidance, just about a mile away from the Nether Ghost Tower, a towering dark tower that seemed to pierce the clouds suddenly came into view!
The Nether Ghost Tower is the most prominent landmark map on the second layer of Sky Abyss.
It''s suitable for both adults and children, and everyone who has been there speaks highly of it!
In fact, as long as you''re strong enough, players can level up from 10 to 50 within the Nether Ghost Tower, clearing the entire second layer!
Lu Ming couldn''t help but quicken his pace.
As he arrived outside the tower, he saw a large group of players gathered there, not sure what they were doing, but the scene was bustling with excitement.
Lu Ming didn''t want to join the commotion, but the entrance to the Nether Ghost Tower was blocked.
Squeezing through the crowd, he discovered countless players forming a large circle, in the midst of which a PK tournament was taking place!
Inside the circle, the participants were going all out in a peak duel.
Outside the circle, people were shouting and cheering.
The atmosphere was boiling with excitement, truly lively!
As Lu Ming arrived, a PK match had just concluded.
[Ding~ In this PK match, player "God Slayer, Night" (Level 25, third-turn warrior) won two rounds, and "Tianxuan, Dagger" (Level 25, third-turn assassin) won one round; the final result was "God Slayer, Night" winning 2:1!]
As the system announced the PK results, some people cheered in delight, while others sighed in disappointment.
"Damn! What happened to Dagger? He won the first round so easily, I thought he had it in the bag, but he lost the next two rounds!"
"Didn''t you see after the first round, God Slayer, Night deliberately changed equipment to counter Dagger''s speed? As long as Dagger hit him, he''d slow down, completely countered, definitely due to equipment effects!"
"Damn! Can''t get into the tower today again!"
Only then did Lu Ming realize: the PK opponents were from the God Slayer and Tianxuan teams!
With the victory of this best-of-three PK match, the Level 25 blue-armored warrior "God Slayer, Night" didn''t hurry to step down from the virtual stage but instead stood on it, raising his middle finger to taunt the surrounding Tianxuan players:
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"If you ask me, you might as well quit Tianxuan early and join us at God Slayer!"
Below the stage, although the Tianxuan players were furious, they couldn''t do anything against God Slayer, Night.
Because both sides had adhered to the "winner takes all" jungle rule for decades, it couldn''t be easily broken at any time.
A win is a win, a loss is a loss, it must be acknowledged!
This wasn''t just about the Nether Ghost Tower.
The competition between the two families spanned the entire Sky Abyss world, across various fields.
They had been using this relatively "peaceful" method to suppress each other for decades.
Thus, after this PK match ended, the God Slayer players swaggered into the Nether Ghost Tower, while the Tianxuan players could only watch from outside.
At this moment, seeing some freelance players who didn''t belong to either God Slayer or Tianxuan freely entering the Nether Ghost Tower, Lu Ming, somewhat puzzled, was about to enter when he was stopped by two God Slayer players.
"Are you with Tianxuan?"
Facing the questioning of a Level 20-something knight, "God Slayer, Wu," Lu Ming replied, "Yes."
God Slayer, Wu''s expression turned cold immediately, and he rudely said, "Then you have to follow the rules! Who let you in?"
Lu Ming calmly asked, "So how can I get in?"
God Slayer, Wu scanned Lu Ming with reconnaissance, seeing that Lu Ming was only a Level 12 Trickster, he immediately realized he was probably a new recruit to Tianxuan, easy to fool.
So he deliberately provoked Lu Ming, "New here? It''s okay if you don''t know the rules, I''ll explain it to you."
"The Nether Ghost Tower is divided into eight tiers: 10-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40, 41-45, and 46-50."
"As long as we each send one person within the corresponding level range for a best-of-three PK match, the winner gets 24 hours of attack rights for that tier of the Nether Ghost Tower, and the loser can''t enter for 24 hours!"
"If you want to enter the tower, you have to beat one of our 10-15 level opponents! How about it, do you dare to take the challenge?"
Joining Tianxuan was a fact.
Being used when needed and discarded when not was not something Lu Ming could tolerate.
"Then let''s follow the rules."
Without a second thought, Lu Ming blurted out, "Alright, I accept the challenge."
"Great!" God Slayer, Wu, seeing Lu Ming agree, feared that if he delayed, the other side might change their representative, so he quickly turned to arrange a player and set up the stage.
The virtual stage is a unique PK method in the Sky Abyss world.
Players from both sides can apply for a virtual stage, where they defeat the enemy on stage, deciding only victory or defeat, not life or death.
With a swish, a massive 50x50 square stage materialized in the open space in the center of the crowd, and God Slayer quickly sent a Level 15 assassin onto the stage.
Seeing this, the surrounding Tianxuan players, unaware of the situation, were surprised.
"Who opened the stage?"
"Did someone from our side accept the challenge?"
As soon as the words fell, Lu Ming slowly stepped onto the stage.
Seeing Lu Ming representing Tianxuan, the crowd below gasped in shock.
"Damn! Who is this guy? Is he from Tianxuan?"
"Why did he accept the challenge without saying a word? And why is a Trickster taking on a challenge?"
"Geez! Isn''t he screwing us over? We''ve already lost four out of the eight tier PKs today! This is the last 10-15 tier match, and now it''s a free loss!"
"Yeah, the captain just said in the group chat that he''s on his way, and we could have secured a win for the first tier! This guy ruined it!"
"No choice now, it is what it is, let''s leave it to fate..."
[Ding~ Player "God Slayer, Blood" (Level 15 Assassin) versus player "Nether" (Level 12 Trickster), this PK match will be a best-of-three, the match is about to begin!]
As the system prompt sounded, the God Slayer players around the stage couldn''t help but laugh at the opponent on stage.
"Seriously, is Tianxuan out of people? Why send a Trickster?"
"And a Level 12 Trickster! This support class dares to PK? Damn! So bold! Respect!"
"Hilarious, they''re just giving us points!"
Below the stage, God Slayer, Wu, who had just tricked Lu Ming onto the stage, was feeling smug.
Thinking: New recruits are indeed easy to fool!
So, before the PK even began, God Slayer, Wu confidently called to his fellow God Slayer players, "Brothers in the 10-15 tier, get ready, we''ll be entering the tower soon!"
The Tianxuan players didn''t even dare to watch.
They could already imagine how badly their representative, the Level 12 Trickster "Nether," would be beaten by the opponent''s Level 15 Assassin "God Slayer, Blood."
Under everyone''s watchful eyes, as the countdown reached zero.
[Ding~ The PK match officially begins, countdown 60 seconds!]
The system prompt had just ended.
The young assassin, God Slayer, Blood, didn''t rush to attack. Instead, he stood leisurely, looking at Lu Ming, and said disdainfully, "I''m three levels higher than you, so I''ll let you have three moves first, to avoid people saying I''m bullying the weak."
"Alright."
Lu Ming responded, decisively drawing his sword.
Swish!
At the moment the blade was unsheathed, a sword shadow as fast as lightning pierced through God Slayer, Blood''s body from 50 yards away.
Sword Draw¡ª
-4088!
On and off the stage, no one had time to react.
Only the system prompt was heard¡ª
[Ding~ Round one, player "Nether" wins!]
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Chapter 33 - First dimension, hunt the undead!
The arena fell silent both on and off the stage.
On the platform, God Slayer, Blood had no idea what had just happened.
The sudden system notification left him utterly baffled.
"What the hell?"
"What''s going on??"
"Fing hell, why am I out???"
Just as God Slayer, Blood was still in disbelief, the second round of the PK had already begun.
In arena PK, at the start of each round, players'' skills are immediately reset.
Therefore, the skill [Sword Draw] with a 60-second cooldown was instantly ready again.
Thus, the second PK match began and ended in an instant.
Slash!
Sword Draw¡ª
-4088!
Perfectly replicating the scene from the previous match, God Slayer, Blood didn''t even have the chance to draw his sword before Lu Ming killed him from 50 yards away!
[Ding~ In this PK match, player "Nether" (Level 12 Second Transition Trickster) won two rounds, "God Slayer, Blood" (Level 15 Second Transition Assassin) won zero rounds; final result: "Nether" wins 2:0!]
As the system notification concluded.
Below the stage, Lin Youwei cheered with joy, "Yay! Nether brother won!"
Meanwhile, everyone else was left utterly dumbfounded.
This match completely overturned their understanding of the Trickster class, which was widely regarded as a weak class in the Sky Abyss world!
"What the hell... What kind of damage is this? A level 12 Trickster dealing over 4000 damage? Are you kidding me!"
"Isn''t Trickster supposed to be a support class? How did he manage to kill from a distance?"
The players of God Slayer were left questioning their reality.
The God Slayer, Wu, who had previously tried to deceive Lu Ming, was also left speechless.
He had thought he had easily tricked a clueless newbie, securing the first position in the Nether Ghost Tower for the day.
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Little did he know, the person he tried to deceive was actually a hidden master!
Meanwhile, the Tianxuan players, who hadn''t thought much of Lu Ming just moments ago, now looked at him with admiration and respect.
"Wow! This guy was hiding his strength all along! He''s incredible!"
"Where did our Tianxuan find such a powerhouse? Judging by that damage, his account must be at least four-star quality, right?"
"That''s too conservative! At least five-star quality!"
"Haha! Thanks to Nether brother, players between levels 10-15 can enter the tower now!"
Amidst the chatter of the crowd.
After stepping down from the stage, Lu Ming faced God Slayer, Wu, and asked, "Can I go in now?"
God Slayer, Wu''s face was extremely grim as he silently stepped aside to let Lu Ming pass.
Thus, Lu Ming, accompanied by Lin Youwei, entered the Nether Ghost Tower.
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes in the nearby crowd was watching him.
Dressed in a tight black combat suit, the girl''s slender waist and graceful figure were accentuated perfectly.
Her short, neat hair and deep, cold eyes reflected her boldness and confidence.
The 19-level Assassin, God Slayer, Moon, quietly observed Lu Ming in the crowd, a slight smile forming at the corner of her mouth.
She immediately instructed the person beside her, "Get me all the information on this Nether within ten minutes!"
"Yes, Miss Qin!"
On the other side.
Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, having passed through the entrance, had stepped into the Nether Ghost Tower.
The tower is divided into eight planes based on levels.
With their current levels, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei could only enter the first plane: the Night Watchman Camp.
Whoosh!
White light fell, and the two appeared simultaneously in a vast, boundless camp.
The sky above the camp was dark, as if it were night during the day.
The air was filled with the scent of death.
Countless green ghostly lights floated in the air, staring intently at the players below.
Looking around, numerous player teams were hunting the undead monsters in this massive camp.
Lu Ming immediately joined the hunt.
Currently, Lu Ming was at level 12, capable of summoning up to 240 Undead Warriors!
Thus, within a 500-yard radius, Lu Ming summoned all his Undead Warriors through his mind.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As silver-glowing vortices bloomed in every corner of the camp, fully armored Undead Warriors with extraordinary auras stepped out.
Players nearby were startled, thinking a BOSS had spawned!
After all, the Undead Warriors'' appearance and aura were somewhat similar to the undead warriors in the Night Watchman Camp.
However, the Undead Warriors'' presence was much stronger than the undead warriors, so the misunderstanding was understandable.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming activated two formations on the spot.
War Tread!
Life Barrier!
Two invisible barriers spread from beneath Lu Ming''s feet, instantly covering a massive 1000-yard radius.
With the twentyfold enhancement of the Lv12 E-grade War Tread (Trickster 400% attack power +1200), the Undead Warriors'' attack power skyrocketed from 38 to 1672!
Simultaneously, each Undead Warrior gained a shield of 1107 points per second, stacking continuously.
Within seconds, the shield had stacked to three times Lu Ming''s health limit: 3708 points!
Combined with his own 496 health points, the Undead Warriors'' health exceeded 4000, comparable to an elite monster of the same level!
"Auto-attack," Lu Ming commanded all the Undead Warriors through his mind.
In the next moment, through Shared Vision, Lu Ming saw the Undead Warriors begin their slaughter.
Soul Shatter!
Slash!
-2483!
A freshly spawned level 12 undead warrior, barely taking a breath of fresh air, was instantly shattered by the Undead Warriors!
The same scene played out in every corner of the Night Watchman Camp.
As soon as the Undead Legion was summoned, a barrage of battle notifications rang in Lu Ming''s ears.
[Ding~ Killed level 12 undead warrior, experience points +60!]
[Ding~ Killed level 12 undead assassin, experience points +60!]
[Ding~ Killed level 13 undead archer, experience points +68!]
...
Meanwhile, on Lu Ming''s side.
In the position directly ahead, a green ghostly light fell to the ground, transforming into an undead clad in a black robe, holding a skull staff, and emanating ghostly light¡ª
[Undead Mage] (Magic Type ¡¤ Common Monster)
[Level: 13]
[Magic Attack: 172]
[Armor: 82]
[Magic Resistance: 98]
[Speed: 67]
[Health Points: 1130]
[Skills: Soul Capture (F-grade), Breath of the Undead (F-grade)]
[Description: Slaughtered by the Death Lord, Gaea, and forced to guard the Nether Ghost Tower, this undead hunts the living who venture into the tower, offering human souls as sacrifices to the Death Lord...]
At this moment, the Undead Mage set its sights on Lu Ming.
Just as it was about to raise its staff to attack Lu Ming.
Lu Ming preemptively drew his sword.
Slash!
In the darkness, a sword shadow flashed and disappeared.
-4088!
The next second, the Undead Mage turned into ashes and scattered into the air.
[Ding~ Killed level 13 Undead Mage, experience points +68!]
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill proficiency +1!]
Thud¡ª
A green gem dropped where the Undead Mage had vanished.
Seeing the gem, Lu Ming''s eyes lit up.
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Chapter 34 - Triple drop rate, crazy farming for Soul Stones!
Lu Ming walked over and picked up the gem that had fallen to the ground, along with the 7 Copper Coins dropped by the Undead Mage.
He glanced at the gem.
[Soul Stone] (Special Item)
[Purity: 13%]
[Description: A stone formed by the fusion of souls, possessing powerful spiritual energy. It is said that the blacksmiths in Starlight City are buying these in large quantities...]
The Soul Stone is the most valuable item in the Nether Ghost Tower map!
Players can submit Soul Stones to the blacksmiths in Starlight City to receive rewards.
Moreover, as long as there are enough Soul Stones, players can repeatedly submit tasks and claim rewards!
This is the core reason why the Nether Ghost Tower map is so popular among players in the second layer!
Wealthy players, who can''t be bothered to farm themselves, simply buy Soul Stones from other players and repeatedly claim rewards from the blacksmiths to level up quickly.
In addition to generous experience and a large amount of Copper Coin rewards, there is also a chance to receive Bronze-level [Soul Set] equipment as a reward!
The higher the purity of the Soul Stone submitted to the merchant, the more generous the reward, and the higher the chance of obtaining Soul Set equipment.
Therefore, Soul Stones are valued based on their purity; the higher the purity, the more valuable they are.
Currently, on the market, a Soul Stone like the one in Lu Ming''s hand, with a purity between 0%-40%, is considered fifth-grade, valued at about 20 bucks each!
Purity between 41%-70% is fourth-grade, priced at about 50 bucks each.
Purity between 71%-90% is third-grade, priced at 100 each!
Purity between 91%-99% is second-grade, priced at 300 each!
If you manage to get a perfect Soul Stone with 100% purity, you''re in for a fortune.
Because on the market, a perfect Soul Stone is priced as high as a thousand bucks each!
Due to the purchases by these wealthy players, Soul Stones are in short supply on the market, so many players make a living by farming Soul Stones in the Nether Ghost Tower to support their families.
Someone calculated.
If you have enough money, spending about a billion on Soul Stones can effortlessly level you from 10 to 50 in just one day!A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
For someone like Lu Ming, who bends over backward for a living.
"Better to keep my feet on the ground!"
The drop rate of Soul Stones is extremely low, only about 10%.
And the lower the plane, the lower the probability of high-purity Soul Stones appearing.
In the first plane of the Nether Ghost Tower where Lu Ming is currently located, the undead between levels 11-15 mostly drop the lowest-grade fifth-grade items.
However, Lu Ming wins by quantity.
He has an Undead Legion, killing monsters at speeds dozens or even hundreds of times faster than other players of the same level!
At this moment, 240 second-tier Undead Warriors, under the dual formation of [War Tread] and [Life Barrier], are rampaging through the vast camp, engaging in a massive slaughter.
It''s no exaggeration to say that the Undead Warriors, with an attack power as high as 1672, even surpass the health points of the undead monsters in the camp!
So cutting them down is as easy as slicing vegetables!
The battle notifications kept ringing in Lu Ming''s ears.
[Ding~ Killed level 14 Undead Knight, Experience Points +78!]
[Ding~ Killed level 13 Undead Knight, Experience Points +68!]
[Ding...]
In a two-person team, each person gets 80% experience.
The final blow does not affect this, so Lu Ming still gets 100% of the full kill rewards.
This means that even with Lin Youwei, it''s as if he''s solo farming, with no impact on his own benefits!
Meanwhile, the Soul Stones in Lu Ming''s backpack are increasing at a visible rate.
In no time, he already has dozens!
Lu Ming took a look.
Although most are low-purity fifth-grade items, with only one fourth-grade item in every ten, the sheer quantity outweighs the quality!
It''s worth noting that even those who have been farming in the Nether Ghost Tower for over a decade, on a good day, can only gather 10-20 Soul Stones!
"Something''s not right!"
Just as Lu Ming was browsing online for information about Soul Stone drops, he suddenly noticed a problem.
"The drop rate of Soul Stones is only about 10%, meaning you have to kill ten undead to possibly get one."
"Why does it feel like my drop rate is higher than that?"
According to the kill records, the Undead Warriors have slaughtered nearly a hundred undead so far.
Yet the number of Soul Stones in his bag has already exceeded thirty!
And it seems like the Copper Coins dropped by these undead are also unusual!
Normally, a monster between levels 11-15 should drop 2-3 Copper Coins.
But each undead killed by Lu Ming''s Undead Warriors yields almost 7-8 Copper Coins!
"What''s going on?"
In his surprise, Lu Ming suddenly remembered: when Lin Youwei showed him her account panel, her talent seemed to be a drop rate boost!
Thinking of this, Lu Ming opened the skill panel and indeed found a temporary team-shared skill: Drop Rate Boost (Increases monster drop rate by 10%)!
What surprised Lu Ming even more was that this skill, shared by Lin Youwei''s talent, could be enhanced by his own talent [Comprehensive Amplification]!
This means the original 10% drop rate boost was enhanced to 200%!
It was this 200% drop rate boost that tripled Lu Ming''s monster drop rate!
Thus, the Soul Stone, which normally had only a 10% drop rate, now had a 30% drop rate in Lu Ming''s hands!
And the Copper Coin drop rate was also tripled!
Mystery solved!
Lu Ming glanced back at Lin Youwei, who was unaware of all this, feeling a burst of joy inside.
"Bringing her along was indeed a wise choice!"
This is no burden!
This is practically a lucky charm!
Of course, it also requires being with someone like Lu Ming, who has a ten-star talent for Comprehensive Amplification, to make it work.
Otherwise, her talent shared with others would still be lackluster.
Thus, with the triple drop rate boost and the slaughter by the Undead Legion, the Soul Stones in Lu Ming''s backpack accumulated rapidly at a visible pace.
The number of Copper Coins also skyrocketed!
"At the market rate of 2 bucks per Copper Coin, it''s like earning fifteen or sixteen bucks for every monster killed, enough for a bowl of beef noodles!"
Lu Ming never imagined that one day, making money would be as easy as picking it up!
Meanwhile.
The terrifyingly powerful Undead Warriors scattered throughout the camp naturally attracted the attention of many nearby players.
Players cast looks of shock and awe at the Undead Warriors.
"Damn! Whose summon is this? So badass! Cutting down level 13 and 14 monsters like they''re nothing!"
"Why does it look familiar? Could it be that Trickster who went viral on TikTok yesterday for taking down a Black Iron level BOSS in ten seconds?"
"Holy crap! Where''s that Trickster? Let''s go and team up!"
...
Over here, Lin Youwei, who didn''t have to do anything but watch her experience bar soar, was stunned by the speed of the increase.
And Lu Ming wasn''t idle either.
Although he didn''t need to kill monsters himself, every minute he would draw his sword and casually kill a monster to increase the proficiency of his [Sword Draw] skill.
After more than an hour.
After drawing his sword a hundred times, the proficiency finally reached 100 points.
[Ding~ Congratulations, your [Sword Draw] skill has upgraded to E-level!]
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Chapter 35 - E-level Sword Draw!
**[Sword Draw] (Unique Skill, Lv12)**
**[Grade: E-grade] (Upgradeable)**
**[Skill Effect: When drawing the sword, release a sword shadow that deals (150% attack power + 99) true damage, ignoring defense, to a single enemy within attack range; also increases own attack power by 10% for 10 seconds]**
**[Cooldown: 60 seconds]**
**[Skill Cost: 51]**
**[Proficiency: 0/1000] (Gain 1 proficiency point each time the Sword Draw skill is used; max proficiency allows upgrade to D-grade)**
The skill itself doesn''t improve much.
But for Lu Ming, who possesses the Comprehensive Amplification talent, it''s a game-changer!
"After twentyfold enhancement, the skill damage increases from 20 times attack power to 30 times."
"Moreover, the new effect of increasing attack power by 10% can be enhanced to 200%, lasting 200 seconds, perfectly covering the 60-second skill cooldown. This means as long as I use Sword Draw once every 200 seconds, I can continuously benefit from this attack boost!"
Looking at the Sword Draw upgraded from F-grade to E-grade, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel excited.
A ten-star talent combined with a unique skill is simply earth-shattering!
However, the difficulty of upgrading the skill next time has increased tenfold compared to before!
Of course, such a high upgrade difficulty matches the prestige of such an extraordinary skill.
Very reasonable.
Thus, with the upgrade of the [Sword Draw] skill, Lu Ming''s damage skyrocketed.
Swish!
Sword Draw¡ª
-6222!
With damage exceeding half of what it was before, he instantly killed a level 15 undead knight in front of him.
Triggered the Sword Draw skill effect.
**[Ding~ Attack power increased by 200%, lasting 200 seconds!]**
As Lu Ming''s attack power surged from 108 to 324 points.
The Undead Legion''s destructive power became even more terrifying!
Because War Tread mainly enhances the undead warriors based on Lu Ming''s attack power.
At this moment, the attack power of all undead warriors instantly surged from 1672 to 2501 points!A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Even when facing the highest-level level 15 undead monsters at the Night Watchman Camp in the first plane of the Nether Ghost Tower, they could easily be killed in one hit!
Under such extreme damage, the Undead Legion left no grass where it passed!
Two hundred and forty undead warriors swept the entire map!
And as the Sword Draw skill upgraded from F-grade to E-grade, a beam of golden light fell on Lu Ming, leveling him up to 13!
With the number of undead warriors expanding from 240 to 260.
By consuming 200 soul power, he summoned twenty more tier-2 undead warriors.
Under Lu Ming''s mental control, the slaughter continued!
Meanwhile, every time the Sword Draw skill cooled down, Lu Ming would use it again.
Though he didn''t need to kill monsters, he needed to farm proficiency for Sword Draw.
"Too bad the subsequent attack power boost effect of Sword Draw can''t stack, or it would be even more insane."
Unknowingly, it was already noon.
At this moment, Lu Ming''s level had reached 13, 91%, just a step away from level 14.
And Lin Youwei, following behind Lu Ming, even though she could only gain 80% of the monster-killing experience, had astonishingly leveled up from 10 to 12 in just one morning!
In the Sky Abyss world, leveling up isn''t easy for players.
For ordinary players, after level 10, with the massive increase in experience needed for each level, leveling up once every two to three days is the norm.
As the saying goes, "Man is iron, rice is steel, one meal missed makes you hungry."
With hunger pangs coming from his stomach, Lu Ming checked the time; it was already noon.
Lu Ming decided to return to the city first, log off for lunch, and continue farming in the afternoon.
So, he mentally recalled the more than two hundred undead warriors scattered around the camp back to the summoning space.
Glancing at Lin Youwei, he said, "Return to the city."
Seeing Lu Ming open the exit portal of the Nether Ghost Tower, Lin Youwei responded with an "Oh" and quickly followed him through the portal.
Exiting the Nether Ghost Tower.
On the way back to Starlight City, Lu Ming took stock of his loot.
Although the Nether Ghost Tower is rich in valuable Soul Stones, it has a downside: the monsters inside don''t drop equipment.
Players wanting to farm equipment need to go to other maps.
Therefore, Lu Ming''s bag only contained Soul Stones.
He counted them.
Wow!
That''s quite a number!
In total, there were 625 Soul Stones in his bag.
Among them, 578 were fifth-grade Soul Stones with 1%-40% purity;
47 were fourth-grade Soul Stones with 41%-70% purity!
Additionally, he had farmed over 4300 copper coins, which, at a 100:1 exchange rate, equaled 43 silver coins!
Having lived frugally for five years in his previous life, Lu Ming habitually calculated.
"At market prices, a fifth-grade Soul Stone is worth 20, and a fourth-grade is 50."
"Plus, with a silver coin priced at 200, this morning alone, I''ve earned over twenty thousand!"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but marvel at how easy it was to make money!
"At this rate, buying a house is just around the corner!"
Soon, they returned to Starlight City.
Lu Ming said to Lin Youwei, "Let''s log off for lunch first, meet back before one."
After speaking, Lu Ming was about to log off when he noticed Lin Youwei standing still, not intending to log off.
"Aren''t you going to eat?" Lu Ming asked.
Lin Youwei shook her head and said, "I''m not hungry."
Just as she finished speaking, her stomach betrayed her with a growl.
Lin Youwei immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
Only then did Lu Ming realize she might not even have money for food.
Without hesitation, Lu Ming opened WeChat and transferred two thousand yuan to Lin Youwei.
Lu Ming didn''t feel any reluctance.
Because he knew very well that two-thirds of this morning''s earnings were thanks to Lin Youwei.
Without her talent [Drop Rate Increase], combined with his Comprehensive Amplification, which brought a 200% drop rate boost.
Lu Ming''s earnings this morning would have been reduced to 33%!
Moreover, with her as a lucky charm by his side, Lu Ming could already foresee his future wealth and prosperity!
Lin Youwei was taken aback and quickly said, "Nether brother, I''m already grateful you''re helping me level up, I can''t take your money!"
As she spoke, Lin Youwei was about to return the transfer.
But Lu Ming said, "Consider it a loan, you can repay it later."
Of course, this was just a pretext; Lu Ming didn''t actually intend for Lin Youwei to repay him.
Lu Ming wouldn''t tell Lin Youwei that once her account ban is lifted, she would obtain a priceless treasure: the Scroll of Deification;
He also wouldn''t tell Lin Youwei how much her seemingly useless one-star talent, Drop Rate Increase, benefited him;
Nor would he tell Lin Youwei how much more money he made with her help.
Because the undead warriors had been silently killing monsters and automatically collecting loot for Lu Ming.
So from Lin Youwei''s perspective, she thought that the entire morning, Lu Ming hadn''t gained any loot, and this situation of spending money to farm monsters while helping her level up already made Lin Youwei feel guilty.
To make Lin Youwei constantly feel indebted, she would be loyal to Lu Ming, never deceiving or betraying him.
This was a lesson Lu Ming learned at the cost of his life from Ye Ling''er.
Hearing the word "loan," Lin Youwei finally accepted the transfer, but then she transferred 1950 back!
"You gave too much, 50 is enough!"
"Don''t worry, Nether brother, I''ll definitely repay this money and the five thousand you helped me with before!"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but think: Are there really such naive and innocent (silly) girls in this world!
Lu Ming didn''t say much more and logged off immediately.
At the same time, Lin Youwei also logged off.
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Chapter 36 - God Slayer, Moon!
Too lazy to go downstairs for a meal.
So, when Lu Ming came out of the Nether Ghost Tower, he had already ordered takeout in advance.
By the time he returned to the city and logged off, the delivery had arrived at his door.
"I''ll just have a quick bite for lunch, and go out for something nice in the evening!"
Saying this, Lu Ming opened the takeout box and took out a serving of grilled fish, charcoal-grilled chicken, and spicy bullfrog; along with some snacks like burgers, meat rolls, fried chicken, fries, grilled wings, and cola...
He ate and drank to his heart''s content.
At 12:55 PM, Lu Ming logged back online.
It was almost time for the scheduled meeting, but there was no sign of Lin Youwei.
After 1 PM, Lu Ming sent Lin Youwei a WeChat message: "Are you ready yet?"
However, there was no reply from her.
After waiting another ten minutes and still not seeing Lin Youwei online, Lu Ming sent her another message: "When you log on, come directly to the Nether Ghost Tower to find me."
With that, Lu Ming decided not to wait for Lin Youwei any longer and headed to the Nether Ghost Tower on his own.
After all, time is money.
Right now, Lu Ming''s most pressing desire was to buy a comfortable big house in the city center and live a better life than he currently had!
The days of his past life were just too bitter!
In this life, Lu Ming didn''t want to shortchange himself at all.
Little did he know, just as he left Starlight City, several pairs of eyes immediately fixed on him.
"Follow him!"
"Yes!"
...
Lu Ming was heading towards the Nether Ghost Tower.
Meanwhile, ten Undead Warriors were spread out several hundred yards ahead, sharing their vision with Lu Ming, who constantly monitored his surroundings to prevent any sudden danger.
The premise of living a good life is knowing how to protect yourself at all times!
But Lu Ming never expected that the crisis would quietly approach from behind.
He hadn''t gone far from Starlight City when a group of players suddenly rushed over and surrounded him!
Lu Ming looked around and found that they were all players from the God Slayer Squad, and their levels were all between 30 and 35!
A dozen or so people eyed Lu Ming like hungry wolves.
"Is it him?"
"Can''t see his face with the mask on! And the ID is hidden too."
"Judging by the level, build, and class, it should be him!"
Lu Ming had no idea what they were talking about.
At this moment, a 34-level Fourth Transition Summoner named God Slayer, Dragon pointed at Lu Ming and questioned, "Are you Dawn?"
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Dawn?
Isn''t that his alt ID?
At this moment, Lu Ming seemed to suddenly understand the intentions of the opposing players.
If nothing unexpected, they were probably here to avenge Ye Chen!
Because Ye Chen was a member of the God Slayer Squad.
And at that time, Lu Ming had entered the Scarlet Zone dungeon with Ye Chen using the alt ID "Dawn."
As a result, Ye Chen died in the dungeon, and as a companion, Lu Ming would surely face their retaliation.
Lu Ming wasn''t worried at all.
He said to the surrounding God Slayer players, "You''re looking for Dawn, what does that have to do with me, Nether?"
As he spoke, Lu Ming revealed the hidden ID above his head.
When the words "Lv13 Second Transition Trickster¡¤Nether" appeared before them, the God Slayer players were all stunned.
"Damn it, we''ve been watching the wrong guy!"
"What now? Do we retreat?"
"Retreat my ass! We''ve only got one day from the top to find Dawn. If we let him go, where are we going to find Dawn?"
"He''s so similar, even if he''s not Dawn, he has to be! We''ll kill him, record a video, edit his ID to Dawn, destroy the evidence, and submit the video. Problem solved!"
Hearing their discussion, Lu Ming couldn''t help but think, "Alright, alright, if that''s how you want to play it?"
Lu Ming decided not to pretend anymore.
He immediately summoned all his Undead Warriors within a hundred yards of the hidden area.
Although he wasn''t confident he could kill these God Slayer players.
After all, the level difference was too great!
Lu Ming was only a 13-level Second Transition, while their levels were all above 30 Fourth Transition!
However, Lu Ming''s third talent, Rebirth from Ashes, allowed him to randomly sacrifice the weakest Undead Warrior to resurrect Lu Ming upon his death.
Lu Ming had 260 Undead Warriors, which meant he could resurrect 260 times!
Even if he couldn''t win.
It wouldn''t be easy for them to kill Lu Ming either.
So, the surrounding God Slayer players all picked up their weapons, looking fierce.
Just as the tension was about to erupt into a fight.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the periphery.
"Stop right there!"
Following the voice, a female Assassin walked over.
In her black tight-fitting battle suit, the girl''s slender waist and graceful figure were perfectly highlighted.
Her short, neat hair and those deep, cold eyes reflected her confidence and boldness.
When Lu Ming saw the ID above her head, he was taken aback.
"God Slayer, Moon?!"
Wasn''t this the confidant Qing Yan had mentioned, sent by the God Slayer Squad''s boss, and the highest manager of the God Slayer branch in Starlight City, who was also Lu Ming''s current prime target for revenge?
Lu Ming was slightly surprised to find that God Slayer, Moon was a girl!
Seeing God Slayer, Moon, the surrounding God Slayer players all showed her utmost respect.
"Miss Qin, we''re executing the boss''s order to kill Dawn!"
God Slayer, Moon crossed her arms, emphasizing the curves of her chest, and said with an imposing aura, "Since my brother wants you to kill Dawn, what do you mean by targeting this Nether?"
"This..."
God Slayer, Moon''s words left them speechless.
"Miss Qin, the boss instructed that we must give an explanation for his brother-in-law Ye Chen''s death today. The boss said as long as we provide a flawless kill video... Miss, please don''t make it difficult for us..."
Hearing their conversation, Lu Ming suddenly received a lot of information.
Brother?!
God Slayer, Moon''s identity was actually the sister of the God Slayer boss?
Brother-in-law Ye Chen... doesn''t this prove that the God Slayer Squad''s boss was the one behind Ye Ling''er betraying Lu Ming!?
So, this God Slayer, Moon in front of him was the sister of the person who caused Lu Ming''s death?!
At this moment, a murderous intent surged in Lu Ming''s heart.
But he didn''t act rashly.
Because at that time in the Scarlet Zone, it was Ye Chen who was killed under the identity of "Dawn," and with the dungeon''s cover, outsiders didn''t know the truth, so it was still plausible and wouldn''t implicate Lu Ming.
And right now, although this 19-level God Slayer, Moon was easy to kill, if Lu Ming killed her openly as his main account Nether, it would definitely trigger a full-server hunt by the entire God Slayer Squad!
By then, there would be no place for Lu Ming in the Sky Abyss world.
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
God Slayer, Moon suddenly said to Lu Ming, "I know you''re from Tianxuan."
"But it''s okay, come to my God Slayer Squad, I''ll offer you ten times what Tianxuan gives you! A monthly salary of one million, how about it?"
As soon as she said this, the surrounding high-level God Slayer players were stunned.
They clearly didn''t understand how a mere 13-level Trickster could be valued so highly by God Slayer, Moon.
A monthly salary of one million!
That sounded really tempting.
Unfortunately, with Lu Ming''s current capabilities, he could earn more than a million a month on his own, so why be at someone else''s beck and call?
Once he joined God Slayer and took their million salary, he wouldn''t be as free as he was now.
Unlike now, where he was nominally part of Tianxuan but wasn''t bound by them, still living freely as he pleased.
Moreover, this was God Slayer!
The squad led by the person who took Ye Ling''er from Lu Ming and instructed her to harm him!
So, Lu Ming decisively refused, "No need."
"If there''s nothing else, I''ll be on my way."
With that, Lu Ming turned and left.
The God Slayer Squad members who were waiting to report back prepared to intercept, but God Slayer, Moon shouted, "Anyone who dares to touch him, I''ll have them permanently banned in the Sky Abyss world!"
With those words, the dozen or so 30-level God Slayer players were too frightened to make a move.
Finally, the Summoner God Slayer, Dragon couldn''t help but ask, "Miss Qin, I know if you value him, he must have extraordinary qualities, but why do you still..."
Watching Lu Ming''s gradually departing figure, a hint of admiration appeared in God Slayer, Moon''s cold eyes, "If he had agreed to join us without any resistance just now, I would have thought I overestimated him."
"But now, it seems he''s worth far more than a million."
"This Trickster, I must have him!"
God Slayer, Moon''s eyes shone with confidence.
Meanwhile, in the shadows.
Seeing that the God Slayer people didn''t trouble Lu Ming, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow immediately signaled the dozen or so 40-level Tianxuan players to halt their actions.
And sent a private message to Tianxuan¡¤Eternal: "Just now, God Slayer, Moon tried to poach Nether from us at Tianxuan, offering a million monthly salary, but was rejected by Nether."
As he spoke, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow rolled up his sleeves, "Captain, should I go teach that God Slayer, Moon woman a lesson? Daring to poach our Tianxuan people in broad daylight!"
"Hold off for now, even if we break the jungle law, it has to be them who do it. The infamy of breaking the rules and betraying trust should be borne by them, God Slayer."
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal replied, "Continue to protect Nether in secret, and also keep an eye on God Slayer, Moon. Her usual style is to stop at nothing to achieve her goals, she will surely make further moves against Nether later."
"Understood!"
On the other side.
For Lu Ming, although he missed this opportunity.
At least he had locked onto his target!
He already knew that the God Slayer Squad''s boss was the one behind his death!
God Slayer, Moon being his sister was undoubtedly good news.
"Can''t kill you for now, then killing your sister first should hurt you quite a bit, right?"
In Lu Ming''s mind, he began to plan his next revenge scheme.
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Chapter 37 - Make money to buy a house!
Soon, Lu Ming arrived at the Nether Ghost Tower.
Entering the Night Watchman Camp on the first plane, he summoned all the Undead Warriors and mentally commanded them to start slaying monsters.
With the combined support of War Tread and Life Barrier, the Undead Legion remained as invincible as ever, unstoppable in their path.
Lu Ming''s experience bar rose rapidly, visibly increasing.
The only downside was that without Lin Youwei''s drop rate boost, the Undead Legion''s monster drop rate had significantly decreased!
Previously, they could reliably obtain a Soul Stone for every 3-4 undead killed, but now it took about ten kills to earn one Soul Stone.
The drop rate for Copper Coins had also plummeted, averaging only 2-3 coins per kill!
The triple drop rate from the morning was truly exhilarating, making Lu Ming feel unsatisfied with the current situation.
In this low-spirited state, he soloed for about an hour before Lin Youwei finally arrived!
"Sorry, Nether brother, I''m late..."
Hearing the familiar voice from behind, Lu Ming turned to see Lin Youwei hurrying over.
It was clear she had run all the way, her face flushed and breathing heavily.
"Why did it take so long?" Lu Ming asked impatiently.
Lin Youwei clutched the hem of her magical skirt, her face full of embarrassment. "I... I went to find an old friend, hoping to stay with her for a while..."
Hearing this, Lu Ming suddenly remembered that Lin Youwei had mentioned being kicked out by her landlord.
So, without money for a hotel, she had been running around trying to find a place to stay for the night.
Judging by her embarrassed look, it seemed her friend hadn''t agreed to let her stay.
One could imagine how this frail girl, dragging her luggage alone, had no place to call home in this vast city...
At this moment, Lu Ming understood why Lin Youwei had thickened her skin to beg him to take her along.
She was at the end of her rope.
With no way out.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Where are you now?" Lu Ming asked again.
Lin Youwei''s voice grew even softer. "At an internet cafe."
She was almost too embarrassed to speak.
She wasn''t trying to gain Lu Ming''s sympathy; she was just afraid that if she didn''t tell the truth, Lu Ming might not want to help her level up anymore, leaving her with no other option.
Lu Ming said nothing, simply creating a party and inviting Lin Youwei in.
With Lin Youwei''s Drop Rate Increase talent shared with the party, and Lu Ming''s Comprehensive Amplification boosting it twentyfold, the Undead Warriors'' monster drop rate surged once more!
Seeing Lu Ming turn back to slay monsters, Lin Youwei''s face turned even redder.
"Nether brother must think I''m useless..."
"He''s right, I can''t help him with anything. I''m just a burden, and he must be so annoyed with me..."
Lin Youwei''s fingers nearly tore the corner of her clothes.
Just as Lin Youwei was spiraling into self-doubt and disappointment.
Suddenly.
Ding ding~
A WeChat message notification sounded.
Lin Youwei opened WeChat to find a location sent by Lu Ming!
At the same time, she heard Lu Ming say, "After logging off tonight, take a cab to this location. I''ll arrange a place for you to stay."
Lin Youwei couldn''t hold back, her eyes welling up with tears.
He paid off her debts!
Helped her level up!
Arranged a place for her to stay!
"Besides my brother, no one in this world has ever been so kind to me..."
Lin Youwei nodded, trying hard not to let Lu Ming see her tears.
Of course, for Lu Ming, it was simply because the value Lin Youwei could create for him made it worth doing.
He had to ensure Lin Youwei''s safety to continue having her generate value for him.
If anything happened in the real world, causing Lu Ming to lose this "golden goose," the loss would be too great!
As for the location he sent Lin Youwei, it was a spot he had his eye on, not his current residence.
To escape the torment of his two "good neighbors," Lu Ming had been house-hunting on his phone whenever he had free time and finally found one he liked.
Located in Jiangbei District, Linhai City, in the Jiangshan Wanli community.
With a Wanda Plaza in front and a Wuyue Plaza behind; nearby was a university town, and next to it, a pedestrian street.
It was the most prosperous area in Jiangbei District, and the dream home of Lu Ming''s past life!
But it wasn''t cheap, priced at 38,000 per square meter.
The four-bedroom, two-living room unit Lu Ming was interested in had a total price of over 6.3 million!
Lu Ming didn''t want any hassle; this place was not only fully furnished and ready to move in, but the decor also perfectly matched his taste!
Originally, Lu Ming planned to wait, not in a rush, and save more money over the next few days.
But now, he couldn''t afford to wait.
So, he messaged the agent he had been communicating with: "What''s the minimum down payment for the Jiangshan Wanli unit you showed me on video at noon?"
"Minimum 20%, brother! I''ve calculated it for you. Including fees, the total down payment is 1.4 million. If you decide, I can handle all the paperwork for you this afternoon, no hassle at all. Pay up, and you can move in tonight!"
Reading the agent''s reply, Lu Ming said, "Give me some time, I''ll get back to you before 6 PM."
"Alright!"
Then, Lu Ming focused entirely on monster slaying.
He spent the entire afternoon grinding.
The undead in the Night Watchman Camp were almost all slaughtered by the Undead Warriors.
This led to constant complaints in the regional chat channel from players:
"Who summoned the Undead Warriors? Can you spare some monsters for us? I haven''t managed to kill ten all afternoon, I''m starving!"
"Damn! It feels like a level 100 pro is fishing in a level 10 area! Please, pro, go fish somewhere else, give us newbies a chance to survive! I''m begging you..."
...
At 5 PM.
Whoosh!
Golden light descended.
Lu Ming''s level reached 15.
At this time, the agent sent a reminder: "Brother, any thoughts on the house? Several others have come to see it this afternoon, and they seem quite interested. Since you were the first to view it, you have priority..."
Whether it was a sales tactic or not, Lu Ming had set his sights on the house.
"Hold on."
Temporarily stalling the agent, Lu Ming exited the Nether Ghost Tower with Lin Youwei.
As they headed towards Starlight City, Lu Ming took stock of his inventory.
"Morning + afternoon, a total of 1,485 Soul Stones dropped."
"Among them, 1,344 are fifth-grade Soul Stones, worth 26,880; 142 are fourth-grade Soul Stones, worth 7,100."
"99 Silver Coins, worth 19,800."
"All sold for over 50,000, plus 160,000 in the card, totaling just over 200,000. Even if I sell the 5 Gold Coins I kept, it''s still far from enough..."
Facing the 1.4 million down payment, Lu Ming couldn''t help but worry.
Just as Lu Ming was fretting over this.
Suddenly, a voice came from ahead: "High price for Soul Stones, buying unlimited amounts!"
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Chapter 38 - This is life!
Lu Ming looked up and was surprised to see that the person shouting to buy Soul Stones at a high price was none other than God Slayer, Moon!
At this moment, God Slayer, Moon''s gaze was fixed solely on Lu Ming, as if her words were directed at him!
Seeing the group of level 30+ God Slayer players guarding around God Slayer, Moon, Lu Ming initially didn''t want to pay attention to them.
However, as he walked past God Slayer, Moon, he heard her say, "I''ll buy them at ten times the market price, interested?"
Lu Ming paused.
He looked at God Slayer, Moon, and asked, "How many do you want to buy?"
God Slayer, Moon crossed her arms, seemingly intending to show off her impressive figure in front of Lu Ming.
Her eyes radiated confidence.
"I''ll take as many as you have."
Lu Ming opened his backpack and said bluntly, "I have 1,344 fifth-grade Soul Stones. Since you said you''d buy them at ten times the price, that''s 200 each, totaling 268,800."
"142 fourth-grade Soul Stones, 500 each, totaling 71,000."
"I''ll give you a discount if you take them all, let''s say 340,000."
As soon as Lu Ming finished speaking, the Summoner God Slayer, Dragon, beside God Slayer, Moon, fiddled with his fingers and incredulously asked, "Are you sure you gave a discount?"
Lu Ming coldly glanced at God Slayer, Dragon, who had previously tried to kill him, "Is there a problem?"
For some reason, despite the fact that the other party''s level was dozens lower than his, God Slayer, Dragon felt a hint of fear from Lu Ming''s gaze!
For a moment, he even regretted almost getting into a fight with this Trickster!
God Slayer, Moon, however, was unusually straightforward, confidently saying to Lu Ming, "Send me your card number."
Without hesitation, Lu Ming reported his bank account number to God Slayer, Moon.
In no time, he received a notification of a 400,000 deposit!
"Consider the extra as a tip for your hard work today."
God Slayer, Moon''s tone was casual, her words exuding her boldness and generosity.
But at the same time, it also subtly indicated that she had been secretly watching Lu Ming all day!
Lu Ming handed all the Soul Stones to God Slayer, Moon without a word and left with Lin Youwei.
Lu Ming''s attitude only further annoyed God Slayer, Dragon: "Damn brat, he''s way too arrogant! Doesn''t even show a bit of gratitude, as if it''s owed to him!"
God Slayer, Moon was unfazed, her cold eyes revealing an even stronger interest and desire for Lu Ming.
"Guess why, with his skills, he doesn''t go to other high-level maps to level up and insists on staying in this Nether Ghost Tower?"
"Why?" God Slayer, Dragon asked.
"Because he needs money!"
God Slayer, Dragon scratched his head, puzzled, "But if he needs money, why did he refuse when you offered him a million salary to join us, God Slayer?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
God Slayer, Moon replied nonchalantly, "That means Tianxuan offered him more than I did."
"I thought he was a principled person, but I overestimated him. Turns out he''s just another money-grubbing commoner."
Watching Lu Ming''s figure fade into the distance, God Slayer, Moon snorted coldly, "I''m only afraid he doesn''t want money! Since he wants money, things will be much easier."
At this moment, some nearby players saw God Slayer, Moon buying Soul Stones at a high price and gathered around.
"Sis, I have dozens of Soul Stones here, can I sell them to you too? Really ten times the price?"
God Slayer, Moon looked disdainfully at these money-hungry players and said impatiently, "No!"
On the other side.
After walking a distance, Lin Youwei couldn''t help but express her joy, "Wow, Nether brother, you just made a lot of money!"
Seeing Lu Ming silent, seemingly not happy about the money he just made, Lin Youwei awkwardly closed her mouth and stopped talking.
Little did she know, Lu Ming was not satisfied at all; in fact, he felt it was far from enough!
He knew God Slayer''s intention was to use money to recruit him to work for them.
If it were any other team, Lu Ming wouldn''t be tempted by the offer.
But since it was God Slayer''s people, Lu Ming saw no need to be polite with them and even wished to exploit them more!
After all, compared to the life he lost in his previous life, this compensation was nothing but a drop in the ocean.
"What you made me lose, I will make you repay a thousandfold!"
Lu Ming recalculated.
With the 400,000 added to his existing balance, his total assets were over 500,000, but he was still more than 800,000 short of the down payment!
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment but eventually decided to message Qing Yan: "Can I apply to borrow some money from the team?"
"No problem! How much do you need?" Qing Yan replied almost instantly.
Lu Ming continued, "One million."
"I promise to pay it back within a month."
As Lu Ming was editing a message to prove his ability to repay, he received a reply from Qing Yan before he finished: "Send me your card number."
Lu Ming deleted the unfinished message and sent his card number.
Meanwhile, in the real world.
A girl, wearing rabbit pajamas, sitting cross-legged on a sofa with her phone, entered 2,000,000 on the transfer page.
Recalling the time she transferred 100,000 to Lu Ming and had 90,000 returned, she changed the 2,000,000 to 1,000,000.
Soon, Lu Ming received a text message.
[Your account ending in 649 has received a transfer of 1,000,000 yuan, current balance 1,561,258.3 yuan...]
Lu Ming let out a long sigh of relief.
He sent a two-word message: "Thank you."
At this moment, Lu Ming once again felt the authority that strength brought him!
He remembered in his previous life when Ye Ling''er''s father was sick, and he struggled to gather the remaining 20,000 for medical expenses, begging everywhere for a loan, but no one was willing to lend him even a mere 20,000!
It was because Lu Ming at that time was just an ordinary person with only one-star potential.
Now, Lu Ming finally had enough for the 20% down payment.
He immediately messaged the real estate agent: "The money is ready, let''s finalize it."
For a house worth over 6 million, the commission was substantial.
The agent''s voice message was filled with excitement and respect for Lu Ming, the golden client: "Alright, alright, bro! I''ll prepare the contract right away and send someone to pick you up to come to our office to sign the contract!"
After logging off, Lu Ming immediately took a cab to the real estate agency, finalized the contract, and paid the 20% down payment of 1.28 million, plus some taxes and fees, totaling 1.42 million.
Having money indeed makes things easier.
In less than an hour, Lu Ming smoothly moved into his new home!
The real estate agency even helped move his luggage, making it a hassle-free process for Lu Ming!
Standing in front of the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, he could see Wanda Plaza right across the street.
The bustling traffic on the road was silent.
The sunset made the scenery incredibly beautiful!
Sitting on the hanging chair, sipping the Starbucks just delivered by the agency.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but sigh, "This is life!"
Just then, Lin Youwei sent a WeChat message: "Nether brother, I''m at the location you sent me, where should I find you now?"
Seeing the time, it was already past six, and it was dinner time.
So, Lu Ming told Lin Youwei, "Wait for me inside Wanda."
"Okay, okay!"
Lu Ming went downstairs and headed to Wanda Plaza across the street.
As soon as he entered, he saw a familiar figure.
The girl was wearing a white dress with a low ponytail.
Stray hair clung to her fair cheeks.
Her simplicity exuded a pure allure.
Attracting the attention of passersby.
Indeed, Lin Youwei had a certain charm!
Not the kind of stunning beauty that captivates at first sight, but a very pleasant and enduring type.
At this moment, Lin Youwei was holding a pink suitcase, looking around nervously in the unfamiliar place.
Until she saw Lu Ming, her face lit up with a smile.
"Nether brother!"
Lu Ming walked over and took the suitcase from Lin Youwei.
"What do you want to eat?"
"Anything, whatever Nether brother eats, I''ll eat!" Lin Youwei didn''t dare to decide.
"Then let''s have hot pot."
Coincidentally, Lu Ming was craving it too, so he took Lin Youwei to the Hai Di Lao on the fourth floor.
Beside Lu Ming, Lin Youwei was always very cautious.
When asked to order, she chose only the cheapest vegetables.
Her drink was a three-yuan bottle of cola.
She didn''t use the napkins on the table, opting for her own.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but think, "Looks like this little one is easy to take care of."
After dinner, Lin Youwei followed Lu Ming to the high-end residential area Jiangshan Wanli across the street.
As she stepped into the spacious four-bedroom apartment, Lin Youwei''s mouth dropped open: "Nether brother, is this... your home?"
"Yes, my home." Lu Ming pointed to the second bedroom on the left as they entered and said to Lin Youwei, "You can choose any of the other three."
Lin Youwei was genuinely surprised that Lu Ming had arranged for her to stay in his own home!
And such a luxurious home at that!
For Lin Youwei, who had lived in various rental houses all her life, this was a dream come true.
Lin Youwei chose the first room on the right.
Lu Ming said, "Go ahead and settle in, I''ll log in and wait for you. Tonight, we''ll clear the first level of the Nether Ghost Tower again."
Lin Youwei nodded, "Okay!"
Life was comfortable, but Lu Ming knew he needed to work even harder to earn money!
Because, aside from the one million borrowed from Qing Yan, Lu Ming still had over 5 million in mortgage debt!
With a monthly payment of over 25,000!
"Keep it up, working man!"
Lu Ming returned to his room, turned on his computer, and logged into Sky Abyss.
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Chapter 39 - As the saying goes, when you accept favors, you cant refuse requests
[Ding~ Welcome back to the Sky Abyss, esteemed ten-star qualified player, Nether!]
At 8:30 PM, Starlight City was bustling with crowds.
While waiting for Lin Youwei to log in, Lu Ming checked his current status.
Currently at level 15 with 1.3% experience. To reach level 16, he needed a whopping 500,000 experience points!
For an average player, it would take at least 3-4 days to level up at this stage.
However, Lu Ming''s goal was to reach level 16 with Lin Youwei tonight!
This way, they could enter the second plane of the Nether Ghost Tower tomorrow, hunt higher-level undead monsters, increase the drop rate of high-purity Soul Stones, and maximize their gains!
Soon, Lin Youwei logged in.
The two teamed up and headed to the Nether Ghost Tower.
At night, there were noticeably more players in the Nether Ghost Tower than during the day.
Many people who weren''t full-time players had to work during the day and could only find time to enter Sky Abyss for some extra income at night.
The Night Watchman Camp on the first plane was already overcrowded.
However, this didn''t affect Lu Ming''s slaying spree.
He summoned three hundred Undead Warriors within a 1000-yard radius and commanded them to freely slay level 15 undead.
At the same time, Lu Ming cast the War Tread and Life Barrier dual formation to enhance all the Undead Warriors.
In fact, the Life Barrier was unnecessary.
The damage from the Undead Warriors was already enough to instantly kill any monster on the first plane without taking damage.
Moreover, with the Moon Demon set skill [Mana Recovery], Lu Ming automatically regained 60 mana points per second, so he didn''t need to worry about the 8 mana points per second consumption of the Life Barrier.
Free skills were there to be used.
As the Undead Warriors harvested, a series of battle notifications rang in Lu Ming''s ears.
[Ding~ Killed level 15 undead assassin, experience points +90!]This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[Ding~ Killed level 15 undead assassin, experience points +90!]
[Ding...]
With the rapid increase in experience points and the triple drop rate, the number of Soul Stones and Copper Coins in Lu Ming''s backpack also increased quickly!
At this moment, Lin Youwei cautiously asked Lu Ming, "Nether brother, can I... go kill some monsters?"
She didn''t want to just follow Lu Ming and do nothing, but she was worried that her lack of strength would hinder him.
So, she hadn''t killed any monsters before. She didn''t know why she suddenly felt the urge to try now.
Lu Ming didn''t stop her and casually said, "Sure, go ahead, but don''t wander too far."
"Okay!"
Lin Youwei nodded, picked up a basic magic staff, and approached a newly spawned undead warrior nearby.
Before she got close, two level 15 male players approached!
One was a Knight, the other an Archer.
Seeing Lin Youwei alone, they thought she was by herself.
The Knight grinned and said, "Little girl, it''s dangerous to be alone. Want me to help you kill some monsters?"
Lin Youwei tightly gripped her staff, glanced back at Lu Ming, and then said to them, "Thanks, but no need, I have a teammate."
"Your teammate isn''t that formation guy, is it?" The Archer followed Lin Youwei''s gaze to Lu Ming and sneered, "You expect a formation guy to help you level up?"
Lu Ming stood there, watching them perform without stepping in to help or stop them.
Seeing Lu Ming unmoved, the two thought he was too scared to come over, so they became even more brazen.
"See? Your friend doesn''t even dare to help you. How can he help you level up?"
"Watch this, I''m really good!"
The Archer confidently smiled at Lin Youwei, then turned to face the undead warrior, drawing his bow.
Whoosh¡ª
An arrow flew, piercing through the air.
It hit the undead warrior''s chest.
-276!
The undead warrior''s health dropped by a sixth.
The Archer turned back to Lin Youwei, eager to show off, "See? That''s my pow¡ª"
Boom!
Before he could finish, Lin Youwei gripped her staff with both hands and cast a fireball spell at the undead warrior.
The scorching fireball hit the undead warrior.
-3138!
With its health bar instantly depleted, the undead warrior died on the spot.
The Archer and Knight widened their eyes in shock.
The next second, they quickly ran away, not daring to bother Lin Youwei anymore.
Having always feared she wasn''t strong enough, Lin Youwei was overjoyed to see her fireball spell instantly kill an undead warrior.
"My damage is so high!"
"Nether brother''s formation boost is amazing!"
She picked up the 6 Copper Coins dropped by the undead warrior and looked back at Lu Ming, cautiously asking, "Nether brother, can I keep these Copper Coins?"
Lu Ming finally understood that Lin Youwei wanted to kill monsters to earn money!
"Of course," Lu Ming replied, "You earned them yourself, so keep them."
"Thank you, Nether brother!" Lin Youwei attributed all her success to Lu Ming, knowing she couldn''t have killed a level 15 monster without his formation boost.
With renewed energy, Lin Youwei stayed close to Lu Ming, killing monsters.
Every time she picked up a Copper Coin, she was overjoyed.
Whenever she found a Soul Stone, she jumped with joy and treasured it.
Lu Ming realized Lin Youwei was a little money-grubber!
Of course, anyone who works hard to earn their wealth deserves respect.
Lu Ming dispatched two Undead Warriors to guard Lin Youwei, ensuring her safety.
Meanwhile, he continued using [Sword Draw] to harvest undead and improve his proficiency.
Unknowingly, it was already midnight.
By then, Lu Ming''s experience bar was full.
However, he deliberately held back his level because once he reached level 16, he would have to leave the Night Watchman Camp, which only allowed players from levels 11-15.
Before advancing to the second plane of the Nether Ghost Tower, he needed to ensure Lin Youwei also reached level 16 so they could proceed together.
Currently, Lin Youwei had just reached level 15.
"At this rate, it''ll take at least four to five more hours for her to reach level 16."
"Forget it, it''s late. No rush, we''ll continue tomorrow."
Lu Ming was about to tell Lin Youwei to return to the city and log off when he received a WeChat message.
Qing Yan: "Are you online? Do you have time to help me with something?"
Great!
Lu Ming had expected that borrowing a million from Qing Yan wouldn''t be so simple.
He had been free before, but now that he borrowed money, a request came immediately!
As the saying goes, when you accept favors, you can''t refuse requests.
At this point, Lu Ming couldn''t say no.
So, he replied, "Where are you?"
Soon, Qing Yan sent a location: Lv19 Death Cave.
Lu Ming instructed Lin Youwei, "You head back first, I have something to take care of."
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Chapter 40 - Commission task, two major teams competing!
Starlight City East, Level 19 Wild Zone, Death Cave.
Outside a massive, pitch-black cave that looked like a giant bloodthirsty mouth, a group of players had gathered.
These players were roughly divided into two factions.
On the left, IDs were prefixed with [God Slayer];
On the right, IDs were prefixed with [Tianxuan]!
Each side had over a dozen players, led respectively by the Level 19 Assassin [God Slayer, Moon] and the Level 13 Mage [Qing Yan].
The players on both sides were at each other''s throats, the tension in the air was palpable.
Caught between these two groups was a lavishly dressed, wealthy-looking fat man, ID [Niu Dehua], a Level 16 Priest.
The scene was at a stalemate.
Niu Dehua, stuck in the middle, was impatient: "Come on, say something, can you fight or not! Give me a solution!"
"Did I pay you to come here for a cockfight?"
As soon as Niu Dehua finished speaking.
God Slayer, Moon and Qing Yan both glanced at Niu Dehua and said in unison, "Shut up!"
After that, the two continued to glare at each other, their eyes filled with a desire to tear each other apart.
Niu Dehua didn''t dare to say another word, fearing that one more sentence would get him killed by the fiery looks from the two women.
At this moment, God Slayer, Moon finally couldn''t hold back and broke the deadlock.
Crossing her arms, she taunted Qing Yan, "If you Tianxuan can''t handle it, just back off early! Don''t waste time here, let us God Slayer handle it."
Qing Yan put her hands on her hips and snorted, "It''s not even been an hour, what''s the rush?"
"Fine," God Slayer, Moon checked the time and smiled calmly, "Then let''s wait and see what tricks you can pull!"
As they spoke.
A figure approached from the darkness.
Upon seeing Lu Ming, both God Slayer, Moon and Qing Yan couldn''t help but feel a wave of joy.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Lu Ming glanced at God Slayer, Moon, then walked over to Tianxuan''s side and asked Qing Yan, "What''s the situation?"
Qing Yan explained, "We took a task to help him kill a BOSS, but the map where the BOSS is hiding has restrictions. Players over Level 19 can''t enter, and in a team, only five people can enter."
Qing Yan lowered her voice, a bit embarrassed, "We''ve tried twice and failed, mainly because my level is too low... I had no choice but to trouble you..."
"The key is that the God Slayer people are here too, so we have to succeed in this task! Otherwise, if God Slayer catches us this time, they''ll definitely exaggerate and post online saying we''re useless, tarnishing Tianxuan''s reputation."
Lu Ming knew that a team was essentially equivalent to a large-scale studio.
Their purpose was to help other solo players with high-difficulty tasks, kill monsters they couldn''t handle, take them through dungeons, and earn commissions from it.
So, Lu Ming immediately said to the employer [Niu Dehua], "Form a team, take me in."
Niu Dehua looked Lu Ming up and down, full of doubt: "You''re a Level 15 Trickster, a sewer class at that, and you''re even lower level than me..."
"Inside is a Bronze-level BOSS, how can you, a support, help me kill it?"
As soon as Niu Dehua finished speaking.
Before Lu Ming could respond, Qing Yan immediately stood up, fully confident in Lu Ming, and guaranteed to Niu Dehua, "If he can''t help you defeat the BOSS, Tianxuan will refund your commission tenfold!"
This statement drew ridicule from the God Slayer players on the opposing side.
"After waiting so long, I thought they''d bring in some big shot, but it''s just this?"
"Where do they get the confidence that a Level 15 Trickster can kill a Level 19 Bronze BOSS?"
"Looks like Tianxuan really can''t cut it anymore."
As the God Slayer players, who were clearly seeing Lu Ming for the first time, sneered, God Slayer, Moon suddenly turned and swept them with a cold glance.
"Shut up, all of you!"
The God Slayer players instantly fell silent.
Then, God Slayer, Moon said to Lu Ming, "Nether, let''s make a deal."
"As long as you don''t interfere tonight, whether Tianxuan can solve this or not, I''ll give you a million!"
The God Slayer players were stunned.
"Why does the lady trust that Trickster so much?"
"Yeah! Spending a million to stop him from acting? Damn! Can that guy really kill a Level 19 Bronze BOSS?"
God Slayer, Moon crossed her arms, her fingers tapping her shoulder, watching Lu Ming intently, her cold eyes showing absolute confidence.
It seemed she was certain Lu Ming couldn''t refuse her offer.
Meanwhile, the Tianxuan players were shocked.
"That crazy woman must be insane!"
"A million? Damn, the commission for this task is only fifty thousand! What''s she trying to do?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, standing beside Qing Yan, stared at God Slayer, Moon with burning eyes.
He understood that the other side was trying to poach.
"Do you think only you God Slayer have money?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal was about to step forward, planning to outbid God Slayer, Moon by offering Lu Ming two million!
After all, he knew how strong Lu Ming''s potential was.
Any top player with a five-star rating would be offered a salary of at least a million a month by major teams.
And once such potential players were exposed, they''d be immediately poached by the top three domestic teams, leaving other teams with no chance.
So, as long as they could keep Lu Ming in Tianxuan, two million was nothing, and Tianxuan¡¤Eternal wouldn''t hesitate for a second!
However, at this moment, he was stopped by his sister Qing Yan.
Just as he was puzzled why his sister stopped him.
He saw Lu Ming had already applied to join Niu Dehua''s team and then followed him into the Death Cave.
Niu Dehua certainly didn''t truly believe Lu Ming could help him kill the BOSS.
Someone who could spend fifty thousand to hire someone to kill a BOSS wouldn''t be short on money.
But what Niu Dehua thought was: later, when he gets the tenfold compensation of fifty thousand, he could easily take ten thousand and hire someone from a top-three domestic team to help him kill the BOSS.
This way, not only would he get a free BOSS, but he''d also make a profit of forty thousand!
Why not?
Meanwhile, God Slayer, Moon, who was directly ignored by Lu Ming, had her previously confident expression turn sour.
She didn''t understand.
"I offered him ten times the price for his Soul Stone before, and he seemed so money-hungry! How could he not be interested in this easy million?"
"Why is that?"
As God Slayer, Moon pondered where the problem lay.
Qing Yan smiled at her and said, "Do you think everyone is as shameless as you?"
"Don''t get too happy yet!" God Slayer, Moon said angrily, "That''s a Bronze-level BOSS, Nether might not be able to kill it alone!"
As soon as God Slayer, Moon finished speaking.
Boom boom boom~
Accompanied by a tremor, a wail echoed from the Death Cave.
The next moment, a map announcement sounded.
[Ding~ Death Cave map BOSS Death Ruler ¡¤ Vilia has been slain!]
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Chapter 41 - Death Ruler Vilia!
Lu Ming stepped into the Death Cave.
In the midst of the dark land, a general clad in golden armor, with a king''s cape draped over his back and an emperor''s crown on his head, sat silently on a throne.
"Who dares to disturb my peace!"
[Death Ruler Vilia] descended from the high throne, wielding a heavy sword, and approached Lu Ming and Niu Dehua menacingly.
The powerful aura from the level 19 bronze-tier BOSS forced Niu Dehua to retreat far to the back.
He didn''t care about Lu Ming''s fate; if things went south, he''d run without hesitation.
Lu Ming was left alone, facing the BOSS.
[Death Ruler Vilia] (Physical Type ¡¤ Bronze-tier BOSS)
[Level: 19]
[Physical Attack: 620]
[Armor: 315]
[Magic Resistance: 260]
[Speed: 222]
[Health Points: 65280/81000]
[Skills: Death Stomp (E), Deadly Pressure (E), Death Execute (E)...]
[Description: The ruler of death, Vilia will lead you to your demise. Are you ready to face death...]
Even players from Tianxuan, ranked eighth in the national team rankings, tried twice and only managed to chip away a fifth of the BOSS''s health.
Clearly, this bronze-tier BOSS was far beyond the current level of ordinary players!
"Prepare to die, mortal. I will lead you into the ranks of the death legion!"
With that, the BOSS charged at Lu Ming with the heavy sword.
Lu Ming stood his ground, calm in the face of danger.
Swish!
Sword Draw¡ª
-5989!
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill effect triggered, attack power +200%, lasts for 200 seconds!]
In the next moment, under Lu Ming''s command, dozens of Undead Warriors tore through space, appearing around the BOSS.
War Tread¡ª
"Attack."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Dozens of Undead Warriors simultaneously launched [Soul Shatter] at the BOSS.
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Swish, swish, swish, swish!
-3794!
-3794!
-3794!
...
In an instant, the BOSS''s health bar, over 70% full, was depleted.
[Ding~ Killed level 19 bronze BOSS Death Ruler Vilia, experience points +50000!]
Lu Ming was aware of the team rules: help the employer complete the kill task, and regardless of whether the loot is gold or scrap, all spoils belong to the employer, with the team only charging a commission.
Moreover, this BOSS, which had been pushed countless times by previous players, was already worthless without Lin Youwei''s drop rate bonus, yielding nothing valuable.
So, without a hint of attachment, Lu Ming instantly killed the BOSS, recalled the Undead Warriors, and turned to leave nonchalantly.
Watching the BOSS''s body fall in a second, and then seeing Lu Ming walk past him casually, Niu Dehua''s mouth hung open wide enough to fit a durian.
Meanwhile, outside the Death Cave.
Players from both God Slayer and Tianxuan were silent, watching Lu Ming emerge unscathed from the cave.
Even though they had anticipated this outcome, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal and his team were still deeply shocked.
At this moment, Qing Yan smiled at Lu Ming and said, "The commission from the employer this time is fifty thousand. According to the team''s rules, the member responsible for completing the task gets a 50% commission cut. Twenty-five thousand has been credited to your salary account for this month!"
"Okay," Lu Ming replied, "Is there anything else?"
"No, that''s all," Qing Yan said. "It''s late, you should head back and rest!"
With that, Lu Ming left directly.
This left God Slayer, Moon completely baffled by Lu Ming.
"Why is this happening?"
Watching Lu Ming''s departing figure, God Slayer, Moon''s eyes were filled with confusion. "Why would he rather take Tianxuan''s twenty thousand than accept the million I offered?"
"Does he want money or not?"
While God Slayer, Moon''s confidence was shaken, and she found Lu Ming increasingly unfathomable.
Across from her, Qing Yan waved and smiled, "We''re leaving now, see you next time, bye-bye!"
Seeing Qing Yan''s gloating expression, God Slayer, Moon stomped her feet in frustration.
On the other side.
On the way back to Starlight City, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal asked Qing Yan, "How did you know Nether wouldn''t accept her offer before?"
Qing Yan smiled and said, "He needs money, but he''s not someone who would easily bow down for it!"
"So, you can''t just give him money like charity; it''s an insult to him. What he needs is money earned through his own skills!"
This simple statement enlightened Tianxuan¡¤Eternal.
It also made him look at his usually unreliable sister with newfound respect: "Wow, Yan Yan, I didn''t expect you to be so perceptive!"
"Uh-huh~ Now you know how awesome your sister is!"
"Yeah, you''re amazing!"
...
On the way back to Starlight City, Lu Ming felt a bit down.
Every time he saw God Slayer, Moon, it was as if he saw the shadow of the person who had caused his death.
He was eager to take revenge on every enemy immediately.
Yet he missed the chance again and again.
"God Slayer, Moon is too well-protected. How can I find a way to get her alone?"
If it were just God Slayer, Moon, Lu Ming wouldn''t have such a strong desire for revenge, as it was her brother who had caused his death, not her.
Lu Ming''s real goal was to use God Slayer, Moon as a hostage to lure out her brother, achieving two goals with one move!
Otherwise, Lu Ming would have to wait until his level reached at least 150 to have the strength to take revenge on her brother and Ye Ling''er, that bitch couple.
But just imagining the scene of that couple drinking and reveling night after night made Lu Ming want to kill them immediately!
So, Lu Ming couldn''t wait that long.
And God Slayer, Moon was the perfect entry point for Lu Ming''s plan to take revenge early!
"I must find a way to seize this opportunity!"
Lu Ming returned to Starlight City, logging off at one in the morning.
Through the window, he could see the night market street outside the community was still bustling.
Lu Ming planned to go downstairs for a late-night snack, have a drink, and wash away the irritation caused by Ye Ling''er.
Thinking it over, Lu Ming decided to invite Lin Youwei along.
After all, they had just moved into a new home today, and overall, they had made quite a bit of money in Sky Abyss, so it was a good reason to celebrate and reward themselves!
So, Lu Ming went to Lin Youwei''s room and knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time.
Lu Ming picked up his phone and opened WeChat to send Lin Youwei a message.
But he found several unread messages from Lin Youwei sent over twenty minutes ago.
One of them was a transfer message, amounting to 287.25 yuan.
Below, Lin Youwei said: "Nether brother, thank you for not minding me and helping me level up. I will work hard to earn money and pay you back! And I''ll also pay you the rent!"
Lu Ming was taken aback.
He had thought Lin Youwei was a little money-grubber, but he didn''t expect that tonight she had been killing monsters and collecting copper coins and Soul Stones to sell for money to repay him!
And this transfer could have been 287 or 280.
But it was precisely 287.25!
This meant she had transferred all the money from her wallet to Lu Ming, leaving nothing for herself!
Lu Ming couldn''t help but sigh, "It''s a good thing you met me. If it were someone else, they''d sell you, and you''d still be counting money for them..."
Lu Ming accepted Lin Youwei''s transfer.
He had only heard before that: when men have money, they become bad.
But later, Ye Ling''er made him understand: when women have money, they also become bad.
So, he couldn''t let Lin Youwei have too much money.
He needed to let Lin Youwei see hope, but also keep her constantly aware of one thing: without Lu Ming, she couldn''t survive on her own!
Lu Ming sent Lin Youwei a message: "Going downstairs for a late-night snack, wanna join?"
Lin Youwei didn''t reply, and there was no movement from her room.
Lu Ming knocked on the door again, but there was still no response.
He pushed the door open, and it swung open easily.
Turning on the light, he found the room empty!
Strange.
"Didn''t she return to the city before I went to the Death Cave?"
"Logically, she should have logged off by now..."
At the very least, WeChat and player accounts are interconnected, so even if Lin Youwei was online, she should have received his message.
But after a long time, the chat box still showed the message as unread!
At that moment, Lu Ming suddenly realized something was wrong.
He immediately returned to his room and logged into Sky Abyss.
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Chapter 42 - Lin Youwei is in danger, Lu Ming steps up!
Swish!
A white light descended, and Lu Ming appeared in Starlight City.
By some twist of fate, as soon as he logged in, he ran into the last person he wanted to see: God Slayer, Moon!
Since the login location was random, God Slayer, Moon had her back to Lu Ming and hadn''t noticed him behind her.
At this moment, God Slayer, Moon was alone, without any high-level players protecting her.
However, since this was a safe zone, Lu Ming couldn''t make a move against her.
So, Lu Ming pretended not to see her. His priority was to leave the city and find Lin Youwei.
Just then, he overheard God Slayer, Moon seemingly on a voice call with someone.
Her voice inadvertently reached Lu Ming''s ears:
"Are you sure? It''s the female mage with the ID [Rose] who is with Nether?"
"Alright, don''t act rashly for now. Give me the location, and I''ll be right there."
As God Slayer, Moon ended the call¡ª
Swish!
A cold blade suddenly pressed against her fair neck!
"Where is Lin Youwei?"
God Slayer, Moon didn''t turn around. From the voice, she already knew who the owner of the sword was.
She said leisurely, "Is this how you ask for a favor?"
"I''m not asking you," Lu Ming demanded harshly. "I''ll ask you one last time, where is Lin Youwei?"
God Slayer, Moon wasn''t flustered at all. She slowly pushed the blade away from her neck.
Turning around, she crossed her arms and looked at Lu Ming with a teasing gaze, smiling slyly, "I''ve never noticed up close before, but your eyes are really beautiful!"
"Take off your mask and let me have a look. If I find it pleasing, I''ll tell you where she is. How about that?"
Lu Ming stepped closer to God Slayer, Moon, his eyes filled with endless killing intent.
As their eyes met, with Lu Ming getting closer, God Slayer, Moon suddenly felt a bit panicked for some reason. Her expression began to waver, and she dared not meet Lu Ming''s gaze.
She awkwardly lowered her hands and turned her face away.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Don''t look at me like that, as if I owe you something!"
Lu Ming stared coldly at God Slayer, Moon. "For a team ranked seventh in the Great Xia team rankings, are all your God Slayer tactics so despicable?"
"You want me to join God Slayer, and when I refuse, you resort to using hostages to threaten me?"
"Heh, well, I''ve heard your brother harmed someone just to steal their girlfriend. What kind of person would a sister be, coming from such a family?"
"Shut up!" God Slayer, Moon glared at Lu Ming, her eyes slightly reddening.
After a long pause, she finally said to Lu Ming, "Follow me."
With that, God Slayer, Moon turned and walked away.
Lu Ming followed closely without hesitation.
He gripped the Hero''s Sword tightly, maintaining a mere two-step distance from God Slayer, Moon.
This way, if God Slayer had an ambush planned, Lu Ming could immediately take God Slayer, Moon hostage!
Who wouldn''t know how to take a hostage?
Following God Slayer, Moon, they exited the city through the east gate of Starlight City and headed straight to an abandoned city in the outskirts.
In the city, several figures were moving.
Seven or eight young men and women around level 30 surrounded a lone, weak girl.
In the dead of night, their laughter was particularly jarring.
"Just asking you to play with me for a bit, is that too much to ask?"
"A girl wandering around at night, aren''t you just out here looking for customers? Stop pretending to be so proper. It''s not like we''re not paying you."
"You bitch! Don''t you dare act like you''re too good for this. It''s your lucky day that Brother Jie fancies you!"
At this moment, God Slayer, Moon glanced at a few high-level God Slayer players lurking outside the abandoned city and said to Lu Ming, "My people happened to pass by and saw this scene. They recognized that girl as someone from your side and informed me."
When Lu Ming saw that the girl being bullied by those players was indeed Lin Youwei, his eyes filled with killing intent as he approached them.
But God Slayer, Moon stopped him: "Let me remind you, those guys are from the Dragon Soul team, ranked sixth in the Great Xia team rankings."
Ignoring God Slayer, Moon''s warning, Lu Ming resolutely stepped into the abandoned city.
At this moment, several level 30-plus God Slayer players lurking outside the city quickly approached God Slayer, Moon.
"Miss, since you care so much about this Nether, should we negotiate with the Dragon Soul people to let the girl go and do Nether a favor?"
God Slayer, Moon crossed her arms, looking as if she had seen through them long ago. "You want to reason with those Dragon Soul scumbags? They won''t give us any face."
"But even if Nether is strong, he''s only level 15. Those Dragon Soul guys are all level 30. If they fight, it might not end well for Nether!"
God Slayer, Moon watched Lu Ming''s back, pondering for a moment before saying, "Let''s see how it goes. If things get out of hand, we''ll step in."
Meanwhile.
As Lu Ming stepped into the abandoned city, the group of level 30-plus young men and women from the Dragon Soul team noticed him.
They looked Lu Ming up and down, their eyes filled with curiosity or disdain.
"This kid looks familiar. I think I saw him with that Rose girl before. He seems pretty strong, not like a typical Trickster."
As soon as the level 31 female Assassin, Dragon Soul Little Demon, finished speaking.
The level 32 Archer, Dragon Soul Explosion, scoffed, "So, Little Demon, are you saying we should be worried about this level 15 Trickster kid?"
At this, everyone present couldn''t help but laugh.
"Come on, he''s just a level 15 Trickster. No need to be so tense, right? If word gets out, where would that leave our Dragon Soul''s reputation?"
At this point, Dragon Soul Explosion addressed Lu Ming, "Oi, kid, our Brother Jie fancies your girlfriend. Let him have her for a few days, and we''ll give her back when we''re done."
Facing the lewd expressions of the group and seeing Lin Youwei being bullied, helplessly crouching and sobbing, Lu Ming''s mind involuntarily flashed back to scenes from his past life, where he was often trampled and bullied by the strong due to his weakness.
His eyes flared with even more intense killing intent.
"Do the weak deserve to be bullied by you?"
"Do you really think that just because you have some strength, you can do whatever you want?"
The group of youths looked at each other, bewildered.
"What''s this kid babbling about?"
"Is he trying to show off in front of us Dragon Soul?"
"Doesn''t this brat know his place? Baldy, teach him a lesson, show him what Dragon Soul is made of."
As they spoke, the level 30 fourth-tier bald warrior, Dragon Soul World Breaker, picked up a gleaming greatsword and charged aggressively at Lu Ming.
Facing a fourth-tier warrior 15 levels higher than himself, Lu Ming showed no fear.
He stood quietly, his gaze cold as if looking at a dead man.
Seeing that this level 15 Trickster didn''t intend to back down, the Dragon Soul players couldn''t help but shake their heads and sigh.
"This kid is a pure-hearted warrior!"
"If you don''t have the strength, don''t date such a pretty girl. Doesn''t he understand the law of the jungle? What''s he doing in Sky Abyss trying to impress girls?"
"Such a fool, remember not to be so stupid in your next life."
As they were already mourning for Lu Ming, he silently reached for the hilt of his sword on his back.
He waited patiently for Dragon Soul World Breaker to step into his attack range.
Swish!
In the instant the sword was drawn, a lightning-fast sword shadow pierced through Dragon Soul World Breaker''s body.
The next second, a shocking blood-red damage number appeared above Dragon Soul World Breaker''s head¡ª
-5989!
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Chapter 43 - Dragon Soul Squad
Based on the Sword Draw skill''s ability to ignore enemy defenses and deal true damage directly.
No matter the level of the opponent, it doesn''t affect the damage dealt by Lu Ming.
However, nearly 6000 points of massive damage couldn''t instantly kill Dragon Soul World Breaker, only reducing half of his Health Points!
Clearly, a level 30 warrior who has completed four advancements and is fully equipped with level 30 Bronze Equipment is no ordinary opponent.
For Dragon Soul World Breaker, it was a devastating blow!
He was shocked and quickly took out a bottle of advanced health potion from his bag.
But before he could drink it.
With Lu Ming''s killing intent activated.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Several overlapping blood-red marks suddenly appeared on Dragon Soul World Breaker''s chest!
The next second.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Four Undead Warriors charged out from both sides, launching [Soul Shatter], and in a flash, they reached Dragon Soul World Breaker, swords raised.
-2635!
-2635!
-2635!
-2635!
Facing a level 30 opponent, the damage from the Undead Warriors was clearly reduced by a third.
But Dragon Soul World Breaker''s remaining half health couldn''t withstand such damage, and his health bar was instantly emptied.
With a thud, he fell heavily to the ground, the potion he hadn''t used dropping to the floor.
At that moment, the smiles on the faces of the other Dragon Soul players behind him were instantly replaced by shock.
It took them a while to recover.
"A level 15 Trickster killing a level 30 warrior? What kind of damage is this bastard dealing?"
"How does a Trickster have summoning skills?"
"Damn it! How dare you kill our Dragon Soul members! You''re asking for death!"
Just as the Dragon Soul players were enraged, they were stunned to see: from all directions in the darkness, countless Undead Warriors clad in silver armor, wielding heavy swords, and with eyes glowing with a blue light, were closing in on them!
The group immediately backed up against each other, forming a circle.
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Their anger was instantly replaced by shock and fear.
When doing something, either don''t do it or do it thoroughly!
Lu Ming had already killed one Dragon Soul member, and to avoid retaliation from Dragon Soul, there was only one way.
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming, hundreds of Undead Warriors charged at the Dragon Soul players, under the dual formation of War Tread and Life Barrier.
The Dragon Soul players were forced to resist.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
The Archers activated [Accelerate], arrows raining down, instantly taking out two Undead Warriors with damage exceeding 2000+.
A male and female mage quickly cast spells, chanting incantations, and powerful magical brilliance enveloped the ground, severely wounding a large area of Undead Warriors.
With the protection of Knights and Warriors, the team''s only female Assassin, Dragon Soul Little Demon, joined the fray to finish off the wounded Undead Warriors one by one!
Clearly, this group of over level 30 Dragon Soul players was very strong!
Of course, the most important issue was still the huge level gap between the two sides!
The first wave of the Undead Warriors'' attack was easily neutralized by them, with dozens of casualties.
But before they could catch their breath, more Undead Warriors had already arrived!
Soul Shatter!
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
One of the female mages was instantly killed by the Soul Shatter of four Undead Warriors, dying on the spot.
"Xiao Yu!"
The Archer Dragon Soul Explosion watched his girlfriend die in front of him, filled with grief and anger.
The next second, he was also torn apart by dozens of Undead Warriors.
On the other side, the Knight couldn''t withstand the tide-like offensive of the Undead Warriors, and as his Life Shield was broken, he was executed on the spot.
In the blink of an eye, five of the seven Dragon Soul players were dead, leaving only the level 31 female Assassin Dragon Soul Little Demon and the level 33 Warrior Dragon Soul Jerry.
At this moment, the two were extremely panicked, completely shattered by the terrifying power of a mere level 15 Trickster.
"Capture the leader first, kill the Trickster, and this formation can be broken!"
Dragon Soul Jerry looked fiercely at Lu Ming through the few Undead Warriors in front of him.
The next second, he charged at Lu Ming!
As the leader of this seven-member team, Dragon Soul Jerry had some skills.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Several Undead Warriors couldn''t stop Dragon Soul Jerry, being slashed aside by his sword.
In an instant, Dragon Soul Jerry reached Lu Ming.
"Die!"
Swish!
With a swing of his sword, he struck Lu Ming''s shoulder.
A damage of 2468 points emptied Lu Ming''s health bar, which only had 1350 points.
Seeing Lu Ming so easily defeated, Dragon Soul Jerry thought he had successfully broken the formation and was secretly pleased.
Unexpectedly, in the next second, Lu Ming, who had clearly fallen to the ground dead, stood up again, fully revived on the spot!
At the same time, one of the Undead Warriors in the Undead Legion sacrificed itself to replace its master, silently disappearing from the scene.
Lu Ming''s cold gaze fixed on the shocked Dragon Soul Jerry in front of him.
"You think you can kill me?"
As he spoke, dozens of Undead Warriors swarmed in, hacking Dragon Soul Jerry to pieces.
The only remaining female Assassin, Dragon Soul Little Demon, was terrified.
Facing Lu Ming, she begged for mercy: "Spare me! As long as you spare my life, I''ll do whatever you want!"
Lu Ming feigned interest and asked, "Really, anything I want you to do?"
Dragon Soul Little Demon thought Lu Ming was interested, relying on her looks, she began to seduce him, her expression alluring: "Yes, brother~ Do you want to experience dancing with me in bed?"
"No," Lu Ming replied bluntly, "then you can die."
As soon as he finished speaking, several Undead Warriors rushed forward and killed Dragon Soul Little Demon.
Ordinary people, after killing someone, would need to deal with the bodies to avoid being discovered, to destroy the evidence.
Lu Ming didn''t have to worry about this at all.
He directly used refinement on the bodies of the Dragon Soul players, and in an instant, all seven bodies were transformed into soul power and absorbed by Lu Ming, leaving no trace at the scene.
Picking up the equipment, potions, and Silver Coins they dropped, Lu Ming left the desolate city with Lin Youwei.
Watching Lu Ming''s departing figure.
Several God Slayer players outside the desolate city felt a chill down their spines.
"Damn! A level 15 killing level 30... If I hadn''t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn''t believe it..."
"No doubt, this is truly abnormal! No wonder Miss values him so much!"
God Slayer, Moon crossed her arms, her cold eyes filled with growing interest in Lu Ming.
"As a Trickster, he can summon, and even use summons for death resurrection... It''s getting more and more interesting!"
On the other side.
Lin Youwei followed behind Lu Ming, knowing she had caused trouble for him, feeling extremely guilty and remorseful.
"I''m sorry, Nether brother, I didn''t mean to..."
Lu Ming simply replied, "It''s okay."
In hindsight, Lu Ming knew he had been careless.
When he left the Nether Ghost Tower, he shouldn''t have let Lin Youwei return alone.
At this point, what caught Lu Ming''s attention even more was: he didn''t expect God Slayer, Moon to actually help him!
Initially, Lu Ming had mistakenly thought she had kidnapped Lin Youwei.
Thinking back now, it seemed Lu Ming had been narrow-minded...
Of course, even after this incident, Lu Ming wouldn''t feel grateful to God Slayer, Moon, nor would it change his attitude towards God Slayer.
He understood: the reason God Slayer, Moon did this was simply to recruit him, to make him work for God Slayer.
At this moment, Lu Ming glanced at Lin Youwei.
"This naive girl is quite popular."
"Looks like I need to strengthen your protection!"
Lu Ming still counted on Lin Youwei to work for him to pay off the mortgage. If she were gone, his earning ability would be greatly reduced.
Returning to Starlight City, the two logged off.
After taking a shower, lying in a six-million-dollar bed, it felt truly comfortable!
The next morning, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei went downstairs for breakfast, then logged back in.
Today was another day of work!
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Chapter 44 - Ant nest, collect formic acid
At Lu Ming''s current level, he could manually upgrade to level 16 anytime he wanted and head straight to the second floor of the Nether Ghost Tower.
However, before that, he needed to ensure that Lin Youwei also reached level 16 to meet the entry requirements for the second dimension.
Grinding the Nether Ghost Tower was primarily for farming Soul Stones to make money.
If the primary goal shifted from making money to leveling up, then clearly the Nether Ghost Tower was no longer the most suitable place to conquer.
After all, the highest level monsters on the first floor of the Nether Ghost Tower were only level 15.
With Lu Ming''s current strength, he could easily slay monsters over level 20, thus gaining higher experience points.
Therefore, Lu Ming took Lin Youwei directly to the level 24-25 wild area north of Starlight City: the Cannibal Ant Nest!
Upon arriving at the Cannibal Ant Nest, they saw an endless expanse of a massive dark nest filled with giant black ants the size of cows, with only a few players scattered around.
The Cannibal Ant Nest was reputed to be the place with the highest density of monsters around Starlight City.
Moreover, according to guides, the monsters inside, the Cannibal Ants, could drop a special item called [Ant Acid]. Collecting Ant Acid and submitting it to the biologist Lilith in Starlight City could earn task rewards!
It''s similar in nature to the Soul Stones in the Nether Ghost Tower.
The difference is that Ant Acid is non-tradable and can only be used by oneself.
And the corresponding task can only be submitted once per person, with no repeat submissions.
Thus, unless players were there for the task, they would rather go to the third floor of the Nether Ghost Tower to farm undead, instead of coming here to farm Cannibal Ants.
After all, at the same level, the Soul Stones dropped by the undead in the Nether Ghost Tower could be sold for money, whereas the Ant Acid dropped by the Cannibal Ants had no such value.
"Few people, lots of monsters¡ªit''s a paradise for the Undead Legion."
So, Lu Ming immediately formed a team and brought Lin Youwei in.
They stepped into the dark, damp nest.
As expected, two players at only level 15 entering a level 24-25 map immediately drew the attention and suspicion of nearby players.
"What are those two level 15s doing here?"
"Grinding monsters 10 levels higher? That''s bold! Even if someone carried me, I wouldn''t dare, afraid the monsters would one-shot me! You should at least weigh your own strength before carrying someone!"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
However, the next second, those players mocking Lu Ming were slapped in the face.
Lu Ming chose a spot.
He summoned three hundred Undead Warriors through his thoughts.
At the same time, he planted his longsword into the ground, releasing formations.
War Tread¡ª
Life Barrier¡ª
Two super formations with a radius of a thousand yards instantly enveloped the entire Cannibal Ant Nest.
Following Lu Ming''s command, the Undead Warriors began slaying monsters.
Monsters at the level 24-25 stage were still quite strong.
Reconnaissance showed that level 25 Cannibal Ants had over 1000 attack power, 600+ armor, 400+ speed, and 13000+ health points!
Judging by the attributes alone, they were over ten times stronger than the current second-tier Undead Warriors at level 15!
But it didn''t affect the Undead Warriors slaying them like chickens.
Although the Undead Warriors themselves only had 47 attack power, with the War Tread buff, their attack power soared to 2979!
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
Within the Shared Vision, four [Soul Shatter] attacks dealt 3462 damage each.
A full-health Cannibal Ant was instantly dismembered by four Undead Warriors!
[Ding~ Killed level 25 Cannibal Ant, experience points +330!]
Compared to the 90 experience points provided by the level 15 undead in the Nether Ghost Tower, it had to be said:
"The experience from these level 25 monsters is really sweet!"
High rewards come with high risks.
Unless it was like just now, where four Undead Warriors simultaneously used Soul Shatter to instantly kill the Cannibal Ant before it noticed.
But in reality, the Cannibal Ants, with speed attributes seven or eight times that of the Undead Warriors, weren''t so clumsy as to wait for the Undead Warriors to attack them.
Based on the Shared Vision, Lu Ming could see that more often, nearby Cannibal Ants would suddenly catch the Undead Warriors off guard!
And with their 1000+ attack power, they could easily deal massive four-digit damage to the Undead Warriors!
At this point, Lu Ming''s Life Barrier formation played a crucial protective role.
A shield of 1310 points per second granted the Undead Warriors the ability to continuously and effectively withstand the Cannibal Ants'' damage.
Otherwise, with the Undead Warriors'' own 625 health points, let alone killing Cannibal Ants, they might have already been wiped out!
The slaying speed wasn''t as fast as when killing lower-level monsters.
But under the onslaught of three hundred Undead Warriors, the battle notifications in Lu Ming''s ears continued without pause.
[Ding~ Killed level 25 Cannibal Ant, experience points +330!]
[Ding~ Killed level 25 Cannibal Ant, experience points +330!]
[Ding...]
Lin Youwei also wanted to kill monsters, but Lu Ming stopped her: "You go pick up the items, stay away from the monsters."
Because even the Undead Warriors, if caught off guard and surrounded by several Cannibal Ants, could easily be one-shot, with no time to stack shields.
Let alone Lin Youwei.
The Undead Warriors could be resummoned if killed.
Lu Ming could be resurrected if killed.
Lin Youwei only had one life!
Fortunately, Lin Youwei was very obedient to Lu Ming. She quickly put away her staff and obediently went to pick up the Ant Acid dropped by the Cannibal Ants.
Grinding higher-level monsters indeed sped up leveling significantly.
According to Lu Ming''s original calculations, if they continued grinding on the first floor of the Nether Ghost Tower, it would take Lin Youwei at least four to five hours to reach level 16.
But in the Cannibal Ant Nest, in just under three hours, Lin Youwei leveled up to 16, bathed in golden light!
This didn''t even include the Ant Acid collected along the way, which could be submitted back in the city for additional experience rewards.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming''s level also reached 16, at 68%!
Leveling up was fast.
But the earnings were too poor.
Even with Lin Youwei''s triple drop rate bonus, they only collected 28 Silver Coins, equivalent to just over five thousand yuan.
Even adding the twenty-plus whiteboard equipment dropped, the total was only over six thousand yuan.
The higher the level of whiteboard equipment, the less valuable it became.
Level 24-25 whiteboard equipment was only worth a few dozen per piece on the market.
This overall profit was far less than the twenty thousand they made in half a day at the Nether Ghost Tower yesterday!
The triple drop rate merely increased the Ant Acid yield significantly.
Others could only get one Ant Acid per Cannibal Ant killed.
Lu Ming could get three per kill!
Thus, even needing to collect for two people, in just three hours, he and Lin Youwei each gathered the maximum amount a single person could collect: one thousand Ant Acids!
They could have collected more, but one thousand was already the maximum requirement for the tenth tier of this task!
At eleven in the morning, the two headed back.
In Starlight City, they found the biologist Lilith, and Lu Ming submitted one thousand Ant Acids, receiving the task reward.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the task "Great Biological Contribution" tenth tier, reward: experience points +300000, Silver Coins +8, Bronze Equipment: Cannibal Ant Hat +1!]
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Chapter 45 - Thriller Paradise, Drop Rate Increase!
Lu Ming opened his backpack and found a hat that looked like an ant''s head lying quietly inside.
Though it looked a bit ugly, it was a top-tier item!
[Man-Eating Ant Hat] (Lv16 Bronze Equipment)
[Armor: 110]
[Magic Resistance: 95]
[Additional Attributes: Stamina +20, Stamina +20]
[Additional Skill: Strong Acid Rebound (Passive, releases powerful ant acid when the wearer is attacked, dealing 8% of the received damage back to the attacker / when forming an array, teammates benefiting from the array can share this skill)]
[Durability: 55/55]
[Class: Trickster]
[Description: A hat refined from the acid of man-eating ants, containing strong acid that makes enemies fear and avoid you...]
Equipment of the same quality becomes less valuable as the level increases.
This was originally a level 24-25 task, and players in their 20s could at most get a piece of level 20 bronze equipment after completing the tenth tier.
However, Lu Ming completed the task at level 16, so the level 16 bronze equipment he received was more valuable than the higher-level bronze equipment others got!
Just right, Lu Ming had an empty spot on his head.
He immediately equipped the hat.
The main reason was the skill [Strong Acid Rebound] attached to this equipment, which also had a bonus effect against Undead Warriors.
Otherwise, with Lu Ming''s nature, he would have sold it for money!
After all, defense wasn''t much use to Lu Ming, who currently had no defensive arrays.
With the bonus from this bronze armor, Lu Ming''s armor increased from 96 to 255 points; magic resistance from 84 to 224 points!
At this moment, Lin Youwei suddenly said happily, "Nether brother, I got 8 silver coins and a piece of bronze equipment as a reward!"
"The value of 8 silver coins is... two sixes are twelve, two sevens are fourteen, two eights... sixteen hundred! The value of a level 15 bronze equipment is... over seven thousand! Oh my god! So much money!!"
Lin Youwei was so happy she was out of breath.
After all, she used to work in the real world, earning only two or three thousand a month.
And now, just one morning, she earned so much money from a task.
If she didn''t react this way, it would be abnormal!
Seeing Lin Youwei calm down, looking at the bronze staff she just got, her eyes were a bit dazed.
Lu Ming immediately guessed that she was reluctant to part with this top-tier equipment but also wanted to sell it for money.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Once Lin Youwei paid off her debt, she might not rely on him as much.
Thinking of this, Lu Ming started to persuade Lin Youwei, "We''re about to advance to the second plane of the Nether Ghost Tower. The monsters there are stronger, and my array bonuses alone won''t be enough. You need to improve your own strength, or you won''t be able to solo monsters, earn copper coins, and you''ll hold me back."
Hearing Lu Ming''s words, Lin Youwei immediately dismissed the idea of selling the staff, nervously saying to Lu Ming, "I won''t, Nether brother, I definitely won''t hold you back!"
With that, Lin Youwei quickly equipped the staff.
Lu Ming appeared skeptical on the surface, but inside he was secretly laughing: This naive girl is so easy to fool!
Checking the time, it was already 11:30.
Lu Ming said to Lin Youwei, "Let''s log off for lunch first, and in the afternoon, we''ll go to the second plane of the Nether Ghost Tower."
"Okay!"
With that, the two logged off simultaneously.
They forgot to order takeout today, mainly because they just moved and Lu Ming hadn''t memorized their new address.
So, they went downstairs to the community to eat braised chicken rice.
During lunch, Lu Ming checked the messages in the Tianxuan Team group.
He unexpectedly discovered some bad news...
"Guys, why did we lose the PK in the second plane again today? We''ve lost three days in a row!"
"I haven''t been able to enter the Nether Ghost Tower for three days, feels like I''ve lost a billion..."
"We''ve already sent out the best in each level field, but it seems like God Slayer''s solo strength is indeed stronger than ours, nothing we can do about it~"
The second plane was occupied by God Slayer today, which meant Lu Ming couldn''t enter?
Although that was the current situation.
After logging back in, Lu Ming still headed straight for the Nether Ghost Tower.
To see if there was a chance.
When Lu Ming and Lin Youwei arrived at the Nether Ghost Tower, they indeed saw that both God Slayer and Tianxuan had sent people to guard the map entrance!
God Slayer won the PK today in planes 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, so they guarded these five planes, preventing Tianxuan players of the corresponding levels from entering.
Tianxuan guarded the other three planes, preventing God Slayer players from entering.
Neither side gave way to the other.
However, as Lu Ming approached the Nether Ghost Tower.
The God Slayer Squad player responsible for guarding prepared to ask Lu Ming''s identity.
The leading black-armored warrior [God Slayer, Courage] used reconnaissance to check Lu Ming''s ID and immediately ordered, "The lady has ordered, at no time should Nether be obstructed from entering the Nether Ghost Tower!"
"Let him pass!"
With God Slayer, Courage''s order, the God Slayer players made way for Lu Ming.
The lady?
God Slayer, Moon?
It seems this woman has put in a lot of effort to get Lu Ming to join the God Slayer Squad!
Lu Ming said nothing and directly led Lin Youwei into the tower.
This scene left the Tianxuan players outside dumbfounded.
"What''s going on? Isn''t this Nether one of our Tianxuan people?"
"Yeah, what''s his relationship with God Slayer?"
"Damn! Is this the charm of a strong person? Gold shines no matter where it is, I wish one day I could be fought over by two sides too!"
"Fought over for what? To be kicked around like a ball?"
"Get lost, get lost!"
...
[Ding~ You have entered the second plane of the Nether Ghost Tower "Thriller Paradise"!]
With the system prompt, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei appeared in a huge amusement park.
An automatically swinging pirate ship; a creaking Ferris wheel; dolls emitting eerie laughter.
The vast amusement park was lifeless, exuding a terrifying atmosphere everywhere.
The park was still filled with undead monsters.
However, the level increased from the 10-15 in the first plane Night Watchman Camp to 16-20.
Without a word, they started fighting!
Lu Ming immediately summoned all three hundred and twenty Undead Warriors, releasing War Tread and Life Barrier, and issued a command to kill monsters.
For the Undead Warriors who could easily cut down level 24-25 man-eating ants in the Cannibal Ant Nest, dealing with these level 16-20 undead monsters was naturally a breeze.
As the Undead Legion went on a rampage in the amusement park, Lu Ming''s ears were filled with kill reward notifications.
Meanwhile, the number of Soul Stones and copper coins in his backpack rapidly increased.
To pay off her debt to Lu Ming as soon as possible, Lin Youwei, holding the bronze weapon she just received as a task reward, also joined the battle.
Using her own abilities, she killed undead, earning copper coins and Soul Stones.
The afternoon passed in a flash.
At six in the evening, it was time for dinner.
Lu Ming recalled all the Undead Warriors and called out to Lin Youwei, who was still busy killing undead, to exit the Nether Ghost Tower.
On the way back to the city, he tallied up the gains.
Lu Ming found that the drop rate of high-purity Soul Stones had indeed increased significantly!
Yesterday, in the first plane Night Watchman Camp, over 90% of the Soul Stones dropped were fifth-grade with 0%-40% purity, with less than 10% being fourth-grade with 41%-70% purity.
But now, in an afternoon at the second plane Thriller Paradise, they collected a total of 625 Soul Stones.
Of these, 472 were fifth-grade purity; 140 were fourth-grade purity; 13 were third-grade purity!
According to market prices, it added up to over 17,000 dollars!
And that didn''t even count the copper coin earnings.
"I wonder if I can meet God Slayer, Moon again. If I sell to her at ten times the price again, that would be tens of thousands of dollars!"
For a moment, Lu Ming actually looked forward to meeting God Slayer, Moon, to extort her again!
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
Suddenly, a group of players rushed by.
"I heard God Slayer and Dragon Soul are fighting up ahead!"
"Really? Aren''t these two top teams ranked in the top ten of the Great Xia Team leaderboard? And they don''t seem to have any connection, why are they fighting?"
"Don''t know, let''s go check it out!"
Dragon Soul?
Lu Ming suddenly remembered the seven players from the Dragon Soul Squad he killed last night in the desolate city, who had kidnapped Lin Youwei.
Could it be that Dragon Soul was confronting God Slayer because of that incident?
Thinking this, Lu Ming followed the crowd to see if God Slayer, Moon was involved.
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Chapter 76 - Goblin Avani, the secret of the Scroll of Deification!
In the hundred years since Sky Abyss descended, the black market within the second layer has remained ever-popular.
Its immense allure isn''t just because rare items, hard to obtain in the outside world, occasionally refresh here.
More importantly: even if the items are common outside, their prices here are incredibly affordable!
Take the item currently up for auction: the Bloodthirsty Blade.
The starting bid is only 30 copper coins, and even if the final price is ten times that, it would only be 3 silver coins, equivalent to six hundred bucks.
On the market, any piece of level 28 Black Iron Equipment would cost no less than a thousand!
Thus, as soon as the auction began, the crowd was buzzing with excitement.
"35 copper!"
"40 copper!"
"50 copper coins!"
...
Everyone wanted to snag the item at the lowest price, so the bids weren''t very high.
Besides, they had to weigh another factor:
Every item in the black market is presented in a sealed state.
After a player wins an item, they must complete a task to unseal it before they can use it.
If the task fails, the item is destroyed, and the money is non-refundable.
In the end, the Bloodthirsty Blade was won by a level 25 chubby assassin for 1 silver and 90 copper.
Players then waited patiently for the next round of items to refresh in ten minutes.
The chubby assassin wasn''t in a hurry to leave either.
He put the newly won dagger into his backpack and continued to sit in the audience, hoping to win a few more items.
Lu Ming wasn''t very interested in the beginner''s black market.
The probability of rare items appearing here was just too low!
Moreover, compared to the items in the black market, Lu Ming was more focused on finding the goblin Avani, who carried the Scroll of Deification!
Other players hadn''t seen it, which was understandable.
But the ten-star account Lu Ming currently had was obtained through the Scroll of Deification.
So, he was eighty percent sure that the golden scroll Avani was carrying was the Scroll of Deification!The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
This would also explain why, in the decades the goblin had appeared in the black market, no player had ever managed to obtain the scroll by any means!
The Scroll of Deification is not something easily acquired.
In his past life, Lu Ming had paid with his life to get it!
"If nothing goes wrong, completing the task on that goblin should get me the scroll!"
Thinking about the Scroll of Deification''s ability to upgrade any account''s potential to a full ten stars, Lu Ming couldn''t wait to find the goblin and get the scroll!
Although helping Lin Youwei reach level 200 could also earn him a Scroll of Deification.
But that goal was still too far off.
This one was much quicker to obtain.
Coincidentally, Lu Ming had a secondary account named Dawn.
When the time came, having two ten-star accounts would mean he could switch between them at will, doubling the fun!
According to what Lu Ming knew, the goblin only appeared in the black market between six and seven in the evening.
Looking at the time, it was not yet five in the afternoon.
"There''s still over an hour, just enough time to browse the black market!"
With that thought, Lu Ming left Lin Youwei in the intermediate black market after passing through the beginner''s black market.
He left her with 3 gold coins.
He then headed straight to the advanced black market.
Since the refresh times for items in the four black markets were the same, Lu Ming could only focus on one at a time.
So, bringing Lin Youwei into the black market was to control two different realms simultaneously, increasing the efficiency of finding treasures!
After taking a seat, Lu Ming looked around at the crowded surroundings.
These people were no ordinary folk.
Being able to enter the advanced black market meant they had more than 10 gold coins on them, indicating they were wealthy individuals with at least 200,000 in liquid assets!
After waiting a few minutes, the items finally refreshed.
"Thank you for waiting! This round''s item is a D-level Knight Skill Scroll [Desperate Charge], starting bid at 1 gold coin, with each increment no less than 5 silver coins!"
"The auction officially begins!"
As the NPC hostess finished speaking, Lu Ming couldn''t help but be impressed.
No wonder it''s the advanced black market!
A random refresh yields a D-level skill scroll!
This thing''s market price is at least a hundred thousand a piece.
And they''re always in demand.
"Too bad it''s for the Knight class,"
Lu Ming lamented.
If it were a D-level scroll for a Trickster, he would definitely bid!
Meanwhile, the bidders below started a fierce auction.
At this moment, Lin Youwei sent Lu Ming a message: "Nether brother, do you want this?"
Lu Ming opened the link Lin Youwei sent.
[Claim as Your Own] (Tier 1 Magic Scroll)
[Description: After use, you can freely extract an additional skill from any equipment not higher than your level for your own use, limited to three days]
[Starting bid: 10 silver coins]
Magic scrolls are extremely precious and rare in the Sky Abyss world.
Though they can provide players with various significant boosts.
Because of their high value and one-time use.
They are commonly referred to as "toys for the rich."
But the [Claim as Your Own] that Lin Youwei sent was exactly what Lu Ming needed!
"Ever since the [Moon Demon set] was replaced by the [Soul Set], the lack of the [Mana Recovery] skill has made it difficult to keep up with mana consumption, leading to a significant increase in mana potion usage."
"If I can use this Claim as Your Own scroll to extract the Mana Recovery skill from the Moon Demon set, I can save a lot on potion expenses!"
With this in mind, Lu Ming told Lin Youwei, "Yes, bid on it! Always bid 1 silver coin higher than anyone else."
"If it exceeds 50 silver coins, then forget it."
"Okay, got it!"
Two minutes later, Lin Youwei sent a message: "Nether brother, I won it for 41 silver coins!"
41 silver coins, converted to market value, is 8,200 bucks.
That''s acceptable.
Completely within Lu Ming''s budget!
Because he had already calculated.
Just this afternoon, while grinding in the eighth realm of the Nether Ghost Tower, he used up mana potions worth no less than five thousand bucks in just a few hours!
Based on this consumption, if he grinded all day, Lu Ming''s daily potion expenses would not be less than twenty thousand bucks!
No exaggeration!
Because as a Trickster, with the triple formation continuously active, his mana consumption per second was terrifyingly high!
"A scroll costing only eight thousand bucks can save me a total of sixty thousand in potion expenses over three days, a guaranteed profit!"
So, Lu Ming instructed Lin Youwei, "That''s great, it''s exactly what I need."
"Keep an eye on the next round of items, let me know if something good comes up."
"Okay!"
Lu Ming didn''t know how happy Lin Youwei was at this moment, having received his approval.
For Lin Youwei, she felt she could finally do something for Lu Ming, which naturally made her very happy.
Next, Lu Ming focused on the advanced black market, while Lin Youwei kept an eye on the intermediate black market.
Every ten minutes, a new auction round began.
To Lu Ming''s dismay: nothing good ever came up on his side.
Instead, almost every round on Lin Youwei''s side had great items.
In less than an hour, Lin Youwei had already won three items!
And for Lu Ming, they were all essential!
Checking the time, he realized it was almost six o''clock.
"The goblin should be arriving soon, let''s leave it at that for now, I''ll get the task from the goblin first and come back to shop later,"
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this, preparing to head back to the beginner''s black market where the goblin Avani often appeared.
Suddenly, the NPC hostess''s voice caught Lu Ming''s attention.
"Next, the item in my hand will surely be the star of the day!"
"It is... the Tier 3 Magic Scroll [Strategize]!"
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Chapter 46 - Massacre Dragon Soul, save God Slayer, Moon
Following the crowd of onlookers, Lu Ming arrived at a wooded area where a large group of spectators had already gathered.
Through the crowd, he could see two groups of players locked in a standoff in the forest ahead.
They were none other than the Godslayer Squad and the Dragon Soul Squad!
Dragon Soul had the absolute advantage in numbers, with forty to fifty members present, all above level 30!
In contrast, Godslayer had only a dozen or so members, all around level 20.
It was clear that a battle had already erupted between the two sides.
The dozen or so Godslayer players had been defeated, completely suppressed by Dragon Soul''s high-level players, their lives hanging by a thread.
At the forefront, the level 19 Assassin, God Slayer, Moon, was forced to kneel on one knee, clutching her bleeding right shoulder with her left hand.
Clearly, the situation was extremely unfavorable for Godslayer.
At this moment, a level 35 Ice Knight from Dragon Soul, known as Dragon Soul Tian Ni, stood before God Slayer, Moon, pressing a sharp spear against her pale face.
"Someone saw with their own eyes last night in the Fallen Lands, your Godslayer people killed seven of my Dragon Soul''s high-level members! Do you still want to deny it?"
Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s words caused Lu Ming, who was among the onlookers, to tremble slightly.
He hadn''t expected last night''s events to be exposed.
However, from the current situation, it seemed Dragon Soul didn''t know it was Lu Ming who killed their people; they only knew Godslayer was present in the Fallen Lands last night and assumed Godslayer was responsible.
What surprised Lu Ming even more was:
Faced with Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s questioning, God Slayer, Moon, even with her life in danger, didn''t choose to betray Lu Ming. Instead, she confidently said, "I told you it wasn''t us Godslayer who killed them, so it wasn''t us. I don''t need to explain to you."
God Slayer, Moon, raised her head, her cold eyes fixed on Dragon Soul Tian Ni, and said sternly, "Do you know who I am? My brother is the captain of the Godslayer Squad. If you dare touch me, my brother will tear you to pieces!"
Dragon Soul Tian Ni was not so easily intimidated.
Unfazed by God Slayer, Moon''s threat, he sneered disdainfully, "I don''t care who you are. It was your Godslayer who killed my Dragon Soul people first. An eye for an eye, it''s only fair!"
"Even if your people investigate, we have reason and evidence!"
"What a pity, such a beautiful face, about to disappear from this world."
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Just as Dragon Soul Tian Ni raised his spear, ready to strike God Slayer, Moon, a voice suddenly rang out from behind him, "I was the one who killed them, it has nothing to do with her."
Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s attention was successfully drawn.
But when he turned to see Lu Ming, the speaker, a sneer appeared on his face.
"Do you know what you''re saying?"
"Do you think you, of all people, could kill my Dragon Soul Squad''s level 30 elites?"
It was no wonder Dragon Soul Tian Ni looked down on Lu Ming, as Lu Ming''s level was only 17.
Even the onlookers cast mocking glances at Lu Ming.
"Trying to play the hero to save the beauty, wanting to climb the social ladder, I get it, but at least measure your own abilities first! These days, anyone dares to play the hero?"
"A mere level 17 Trickster claiming to have killed seven level 30+ elites of Dragon Soul Squad? Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn''t say such brainless things!"
"A dead pig isn''t afraid of boiling water, now there''s going to be a good show!"
Meanwhile.
Even when being suppressed by Dragon Soul and almost killed by Dragon Soul Tian Ni, God Slayer, Moon, wasn''t moved.
But at the moment Lu Ming stepped forward, her heart trembled.
Yet, only a second of being touched, God Slayer, Moon, was amused with anger, "What a fool! Wasted my efforts..."
At this point, Dragon Soul Tian Ni looked Lu Ming up and down.
He couldn''t help but shake his head.
"It''s not that I look down on you."
"But honestly, I''ve tried my best to imagine what special skills you might have, but I really can''t see how a level 17 Trickster could kill seven level 30+ players."
"Can you demonstrate it for me?"
After Dragon Soul Tian Ni finished speaking, Lu Ming calmly replied, "Sure."
As soon as he spoke, he silently placed his hand on the sword sheath on his back.
Sword Draw¡ª
Swish!
The moment the sharp blade was unsheathed, a lightning-fast sword shadow pierced through Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s body.
The next second, a massive damage of 6113 points instantly wiped out a third of Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s health bar, who was a level 35 Fourth Transition Knight!
In that instant, before Dragon Soul Tian Ni could react.
Buzz!
Several overlapping blood-red marks appeared on his chest.
The next moment.
Swish, swish, swish, swish...
Six Undead Warriors appeared out of nowhere, instantly surrounding Dragon Soul Tian Ni, wielding their swords under the War Tread aura released by Lu Ming.
Six Soul Shatters simultaneously unleashed six 2200+ damage strikes, instantly depleting the remaining two-thirds of Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s health bar.
At this moment, the entire scene fell silent.
With only 1 Health Point remaining, Dragon Soul Tian Ni stared in disbelief at Lu Ming ahead.
Meanwhile, as the rest of the Dragon Soul Squad prepared to act.
Suddenly, countless Undead Warriors tore through space, surrounding them!
Immediately, everyone was on edge.
Even though they clearly saw that these Undead Warriors were only level 17, the powerful aura they emitted still struck fear into the level 30+ Dragon Soul Squad players present.
No one dared to act rashly!
After all, just a second ago, they had witnessed a few Undead Warriors easily defeat their leader, Dragon Soul Tian Ni.
And now, with so many Undead Warriors around, if they all attacked at once, they might be wiped out here!
Without Lu Ming''s command, all the Undead Warriors refrained from taking any action, only using their aura to exert pressure on the Dragon Soul players.
At this moment, Lu Ming looked at Dragon Soul Tian Ni and casually said, "Now do you believe I was the one who killed them?"
Dragon Soul Tian Ni swallowed hard.
Unbelievably, as a level 35 Fourth Transition Knight, he was nearly killed by a level 17 Second Transition Trickster!
But Dragon Soul Tian Ni knew: if the opponent hadn''t deliberately activated PK mode (in PK mode, attacking any player won''t cause lethal damage, leaving them with 1 Health Point), he would already be a corpse.
Even though he was still alive, the six Undead Warriors with glowing eyes of death beneath their metal armor could easily end his life in an instant.
Under such terrifying intimidation, Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s back was drenched in cold sweat, not daring to move an inch!
Lu Ming continued, "Let me recount the events of last night for you."
"Last night, your Dragon Soul people kidnapped my friend. Godslayer saw it and informed me. I went to demand their release, but your people tried to kill me to silence me. I acted in self-defense and killed them."
"That''s it, understand?"
After speaking, Lu Ming sheathed the Hero''s Sword and left with Lin Youwei.
Simultaneously, all three hundred and forty Undead Warriors followed their master away.
Only then did the Dragon Soul players finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"So, Dragon Soul kidnapped his girlfriend, and he killed them in a fit of rage? They deserved it!"
"I''ve heard Dragon Soul has a lot of rotten people, and it turns out to be true! The sixth-ranked squad in Great Xia, doing such shameless things¡ª"
Amidst the whispers and discussions of the surrounding onlookers.
Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s face turned red with embarrassment, and he ordered his men, "Investigate this matter thoroughly. If it''s true as that Trickster said, we won''t tolerate the seven who died last night! Immediately withdraw all compensation for their families!"
In front of the crowd, he said this openly.
But privately, Dragon Soul Tian Ni glared at the gradually departing Lu Ming with murderous intent.
He secretly instructed his subordinates, "By any means necessary, make sure God Slayer, Moon, and that Trickster don''t survive the next 24 hours."
"Understood!"
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Chapter 77 - 3rd-level magic scroll, Strategize!
Tier 3 Magic Scroll!
Upon hearing the grade of this item, not only Lu Ming but all the players present were thrown into a frenzy!
"Holy crap! Tier 3!"
"I don''t really get it, but I heard that the strength and value of magic scrolls in the Sky Abyss world increase tenfold with each tier? If a Tier 1 magic scroll is worth ten thousand, then a Tier 2 would be a hundred thousand, and a Tier 3... starts at a million?!"
"That''s right! And you can''t even find these on the market; they''re hard to buy even if you have the money!"
"Who would''ve thought the high-end black market would have such a heaven-defying item!"
As the players buzzed with excitement, the young auctioneer shouted, "The starting bid for this item is 5 gold coins, with each bid increment no less than 10 silver coins. The auction begins now!"
No sooner had she finished speaking, and before anyone could even see the specific effect of the magic scroll, the crowd began bidding frantically.
"5.1 gold!"
"5.4 gold!"
"5.5!"
"7 gold!!!"
...
As expected of a Tier 3 magic scroll.
In less than a minute, the bidding price had already reached 20 gold coins!
Although Lu Ming couldn''t afford it, he joined in the excitement.
When he saw the effect of the item, he was immediately tempted.
[Strategize] (Tier 3 Magic Scroll)
[Description: Upon use, immediately unlocks an additional skill slot]
[Note: A single player can use up to three of these magic scrolls in a lifetime]
In the Sky Abyss world, players unlock a skill slot each time they change classes.
This scroll allows the user to be ahead of other players of the same level by one class change, equivalent to a 10-level lead!
For ordinary players, it might not seem like much.
But for top-tier experts who find it hard to improve in other ways, it can significantly raise their limits!
"Truly a rare treasure!"
"And definitely a rich man''s toy."
Lu Ming murmured, "This scroll would be perfect for me."
"If only I had the money, I''d definitely get it!"
Unfortunately, without the funds, he could only watch.
By now, the soaring price had already eliminated over 90% of the bidders.
The remaining 10% continued to compete.
"30 gold coins!"
A loud voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
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A single bid increase of 10 gold coins instantly drew the attention of countless players around.
Following the voice, Lu Ming discovered that the one who shouted the price was a Level 37 archer player with the ID [Blaze Soul].
"Blaze?"
"Why does this ID seem familiar..."
As Lu Ming pondered this, another voice rang out¡ª
"35 gold coins!"
The crowd gasped in surprise.
When Lu Ming saw who had bid, a cold glint involuntarily flashed in his eyes.
Level 50 Knight: Dragon Soul Zhang Fei!
Dragon Soul team!
And the ID is from the same series as Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
Lu Ming instinctively scanned around Dragon Soul Zhang Fei but was disappointed to find no sign of Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
However, there was a Level 50 Trickster: Dragon Soul Liu Bei!
With names like "Liu, Guan, Zhang," their relationship must be extraordinary.
"Since Dragon Soul Zhang Fei and Dragon Soul Liu Bei are here at the black market, it means Dragon Soul Guan Yu must still be in Starlight City!"
Lu Ming immediately realized that while he was figuring out how to deal with Dragon Soul Guan Yu, the latter was also lurking somewhere in Starlight City, waiting for a chance to retaliate!
If he didn''t eliminate Dragon Soul Guan Yu soon, it would pose a significant threat to him!
With this in mind, Lu Ming kept his eyes on Dragon Soul Zhang Fei and Dragon Soul Liu Bei.
"You two might be a good entry point..."
Since this was the black market, Lu Ming refrained from acting rashly.
As Dragon Soul Zhang Fei bid 35 gold coins, Blaze Soul continued to raise the bid: "40 gold!"
Unexpectedly, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei relentlessly pursued: "45!"
At this point, Blaze Soul''s warrior friend [Blaze Like Song] advised, "Forget it, Soul Bro, don''t bid anymore. We can''t afford it if you go higher!"
Blaze Soul, however, was determined: "Even if I have to take a loan, I must get this magic scroll!"
"Buy it for a million, sell it for 1.2 million to those rich fools, it''s a sure profit!"
"I''ll bid one more time, and if it goes higher, I''ll give up!"
With that, Blaze Soul raised his paddle again: "50 gold!"
Amidst the heated atmosphere, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei was about to raise his paddle when Dragon Soul Liu Bei stopped him with a glance.
Following Dragon Soul Liu Bei''s gaze, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei looked at the Level 37 archer Blaze Soul on the other side.
Understanding the signal, he put down his paddle.
"50 gold, going once!"
"50 gold, going twice!"
"50 gold, sold!"
In the end, Blaze Soul successfully won the Tier 3 magic scroll [Strategize].
He eagerly rushed out.
Because the auctioned items were in a sealed state, he had to complete an unsealing task to truly obtain the magic scroll [Strategize], and then he could sell it for profit.
Meanwhile, from Lu Ming''s perspective, as soon as Blaze Soul and Blaze Like Song left, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei and Dragon Soul Liu Bei stealthily followed them!
Their intent was obvious.
They intended to rob Blaze Soul of the million-worth Tier 3 magic scroll without spending a dime!
"Following them might lead me to Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s whereabouts. If there aren''t many of them, I could seize this opportunity to eliminate them and remove future threats!"
Thus, Lu Ming nonchalantly left the high-end black market.
Once outside, Blaze Soul immediately gathered a group of brothers to accompany him on the scroll unsealing task.
At the same time, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei and Dragon Soul Liu Bei quietly followed.
As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Who would have known that Lu Ming was trailing behind them?
While following Dragon Soul Zhang Fei and his group, Lu Ming summoned Death Lords through his mind to conduct a domain search using shared vision, checking for any Dragon Soul team ambushes nearby.
"Brothers, I''ve checked, this magic scroll is incredibly valuable! Many top-tier mages who rely on skills have already offered high bounties online! I bet we could easily sell it for 1.5 million!"
On the way, Blaze Soul excitedly said, "Once we make this money, I''ll treat everyone to hot pot tonight, and after that, a foot massage! At the end of the month, I''ll give each brother an extra thousand as a bonus!"
Upon hearing this, the dozens of [Blaze] players cheered in unison.
"Thank you, boss!!"
As the group moved into a desolate area, suddenly, a large group of players approached from all directions!
Sensing hostility, Blaze Soul immediately became alert, instinctively drawing his bow and arrow, and stared intensely at the group of players.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The surrounding players all had their ID information hidden and wore masks.
Though there were only a dozen of them, their levels were all at Level 50, six class changes!
Far surpassing the average Level 36-37 Blaze Squad players!
At this moment, the leading knight stared at Blaze Soul and said, "Hand over the Tier 3 magic scroll, or none of you will leave here alive today!"
Blaze Soul didn''t realize that the speaker was Dragon Soul Zhang Fei, who had bid against him for the magic scroll at the black market!
His brow furrowed.
"So they''re after the scroll!"
"I spent a million on this scroll, how could I just let you take it?"
But he dared not provoke these Level 50 six-class change elites.
So he said, "Fine, 1.5 million, take it!"
No sooner had he spoken¡ª
Boom!
A blazing fireball descended from the sky, striking Blaze Like Song beside Blaze Soul.
The E-level fireball spell from a Level 50 six-class change Dragon Soul mage dealt massive damage, instantly killing the Level 37 warrior Blaze Like Song!
With a muffled groan, Blaze Like Song fell to the ground.
Seeing his good brother killed, Blaze Soul''s eyes widened in grief.
"Like Song!!"
At this moment, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei stared at Blaze Soul and continued, "I''m not negotiating."
"Either hand over the scroll or die. You have ten seconds to decide."
At this moment, the remaining Blaze Squad players were filled with rage.
But faced with the overwhelming strength of the Dragon Soul players, they dared not act.
As Dragon Soul Zhang Fei began the countdown, the dozens of Dragon Soul team players around them drew their weapons, ready to pounce like tigers.
Blaze Soul gritted his teeth.
To protect the brothers who followed him, he had no choice but to compromise.
"Fine, I''ll give it to you!"
As he spoke, Blaze Soul reluctantly handed the sealed Tier 3 magic scroll [Strategize] to Dragon Soul Zhang Fei.
"Now that I''ve given it to you, can we leave?"
Dragon Soul Zhang Fei weighed the scroll in his hand.
Under his mask, a smile formed.
Turning his back, he ordered, "Make it clean, leave no one."
As soon as he spoke, the dozens of Level 50 six-class change Dragon Soul players raised their weapons and attacked the Blaze Squad players!
"Bastards! You go back on your word!"
"Damn it! You''ll pay for this!!"
Dragon Soul Zhang Fei was indifferent.
Just as he was gloating over the million-worth scroll he got for free¡ª
Swish!
Suddenly, a sword shadow flashed through his body.
-182988!
The massive damage instantly emptied Dragon Soul Zhang Fei''s full health bar.
Before he could even react, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei collapsed to the ground with a thud.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked up.
He saw, standing before him, a Trickster in black, exuding an aura of coldness.
In the next moment, Dragon Soul Zhang Fei fell to the ground.
The million-worth magic scroll in his hand also dropped to the ground.
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Chapter 47 - Cast a long line to catch a big fish!
Lu Ming had just walked a short distance when God Slayer, Moon caught up with him.
"Hey, you really surprised me! I originally thought you were someone with no principles, only caring about money, and narrow-minded."
"Who would''ve thought you''d be so righteous?"
God Slayer, Moon ran ahead of Lu Ming, walking backward with arms crossed, giving him a sly smile.
Lu Ming looked at God Slayer, Moon expressionlessly and asked, "Why didn''t you rat me out just now?"
"I have my brother backing me up, what do you have? Do you really think the people from Tianxuan would stand up for you against the Dragon Soul of the Great Xia''s Sixth Team?"
God Slayer, Moon suddenly stopped, blocking Lu Ming''s path.
She accused Lu Ming, "You''re such an idiot! Do you know what kind of scum Dragon Soul is? How dare you provoke them?"
"You think just because you let those people go and pointed out their mistakes last night, they''d be grateful to you?"
"If the Dragon Soul people had that kind of awareness, last night''s incident wouldn''t have happened, and they wouldn''t be known as the worst team in Great Xia!"
"They won''t attack you openly, but they''ll definitely retaliate in secret!"
Lu Ming wasn''t that naive.
In fact, he had already weighed the situation. If a fight had broken out earlier, he wasn''t sure he would have won.
Even though his Undead Warriors, enhanced twentyfold, could match players over level 30, it wasn''t stable yet.
Just like last night, to kill those seven Dragon Soul players, Lu Ming''s Undead Warriors lost more than a dozen!
And earlier, Dragon Soul had over forty people, each averaging level 30 with four advancements.
So, as long as they didn''t dare to make a move on Lu Ming, he wouldn''t provoke them either.
Lu Ming didn''t bother explaining this to God Slayer, Moon. He just glanced at her and said calmly:
"You helped me find Lin Youwei last night, today I saved your life, we''re even."
God Slayer, Moon suddenly changed the topic and introduced herself to Lu Ming, "I''m Qin Churan, what''s your name?"
"Nether," Lu Ming said as he walked past Qin Churan.
"Hey!" Qin Churan turned to watch Lu Ming''s back, a bit worried, and said, "The Dragon Soul people won''t let you off, come join us at God Slayer, I''ll protect you!"
Lu Ming ignored her and walked away.
Feeling ignored, Qin Churan stomped her foot in frustration.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
"Such an idiot! You underestimate Dragon Soul''s methods!"
Despite her anger, Qin Churan immediately instructed her people, "Deploy a team of level 50 players from God Slayer to secretly protect Nether, I don''t want anything to happen to him!"
After saying that, Qin Churan left in a huff.
The players from God Slayer whispered among themselves.
"What''s up with Miss? We''ve followed her for so long, and we''ve never seen her both angry and concerned about a guy!"
"I can''t understand this Nether. Our Miss is the younger sister of the boss of Great Xia''s Seventh Team, God Slayer. She''s wealthy, powerful, and famous as a cold beauty in Beijing. Suitors line up from Beijing to Shanghai! Yet that guy keeps rejecting her invitations!"
...
On the other side, as for why Lu Ming saved Qin Churan tonight.
It was because he thought of a better way to get back at Qin Churan''s brother.
And that was: getting close to Qin Churan!
In the Sky Abyss world, nothing commands more respect than strength.
It seems Qin Churan values Lu Ming''s strength.
With the powerful strength of his ten-star account, Lu Ming is confident he can make Qin Churan fall for him step by step!
In his past life, Qin Churan''s brother colluded with Lu Ming''s most beloved, betrayed, and framed him.
"This time, I''ll make you taste the betrayal from your most beloved and trusted sister!"
Hatred flared in Lu Ming''s eyes.
As for Qin Churan, he must approach her with moderation, not too obviously revealing his intentions.
That''s why after saving Qin Churan, Lu Ming intentionally refused her when she showed goodwill.
As the saying goes, cast a long line to catch a big fish!
After returning to the city, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei logged off.
"Nether brother, what do you want to eat? I''ll bring it up for you!"
Lu Ming received a WeChat message from Lin Youwei.
Coincidentally, Lu Ming had something to handle, so he replied, "I''ll have noodles."
Saying that, Lu Ming transferred a hundred yuan to Lin Youwei.
But Lin Youwei returned the money.
"I just sold some silver coins, I have money now! You treated me to hot pot yesterday, this meal is on me!"
Lin Youwei seemed gentle and weak, but she was quite independent.
Lu Ming didn''t say much.
He heard the sound of the door opening and closing outside.
Lin Youwei had gone out.
He began to plan his own affairs during this break.
After grinding high-level monsters at the Cannibal Ant Nest in the morning, returning to grind low-level undead at the Nether Ghost Tower''s second plane in the afternoon felt dull to Lu Ming.
The experience difference was double!
The key issue is...
"With my current strength, I can even skip the third plane and go directly to the fourth plane to grind level 26-30 monsters. This would not only increase experience gain but also maximize the drop rate of high-purity Soul Stones."
"But the level restriction is a problem..."
"The all-powerful team chat should solve this problem!"
Joining Tianxuan was, of course, for his convenience.
So, Lu Ming opened WeChat and sent a message in the bustling Tianxuan Team chat: "Sorry to interrupt, does anyone know how to bypass the level restriction for entering different planes of the Nether Ghost Tower?"
It turns out: a big shot is a big shot, no matter when or where.
Lu Ming''s message was like a bright light in the dark, attracting everyone''s attention.
[Tianxuan¡¤Xuantian] (Level 23 Assassin): "Whoa! Nether? Is that the Trickster Nether who can summon an Undead Legion and take down a Black Iron BOSS in ten seconds?"
[Tianxuan¡¤Li Bai] (Level 29 Summoner): "First time seeing the big shot speak up! Quick! Brothers, hold him down, don''t let him escape!"
[Tianxuan¡¤Glutton] (Level 31 Mage): "@Nether, the Soul Set can bypass level barriers."
Finally, someone got to the point!
"Soul Set?"
"That seems to be equipment with a very low chance of being obtained by submitting Soul Stones."
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
Qing Yan sent him a private message: "This Soul Set is very rare, it''s usually hard to buy a complete set on the market, but if you need it, I can find a way to get you a set!"
Lu Ming tried searching the trading market and found that not only was there no complete set, but even individual pieces were out of stock!
I have to say, Qing Yan really knows how to do favors!
Most importantly: Lu Ming couldn''t refuse.
Because with Qing Yan''s status, connections, and influence, getting this Soul Set would definitely be easier for him than for Lu Ming!
So, Lu Ming said, "Alright, then I''ll trouble you, I need two sets, let me know the cost later."
Qing Yan: "No problem, wait for my news!"
Lu Ming thought: Once he gets the Soul Set, he can go directly to the fourth plane of the Nether Ghost Tower.
It''s unimaginable, while other players have to consider forming a team to fight monsters 2-3 levels higher than themselves.
Lu Ming can already easily kill monsters over ten levels higher!
Moreover, once he reaches level 20, completes the third advancement, and upgrades his three major talents to Lv3, he''ll experience another huge boost, allowing him to skip to the sixth and seventh planes, fighting level 40-50 monsters!
After a day of grinding.
Lu Ming lay in bed, watching TikTok videos to relax.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In the Sky Abyss world, Starlight City.
Qin Churan, who had just returned to the city, suddenly received a message.
"Miss, according to our undercover in Tianxuan, Nether just inquired about the Soul Set in the Tianxuan chat."
"Soul Set?" Qin Churan immediately understood Lu Ming''s intention and said thoughtfully, "It seems he wants to level up quickly."
Qin Churan seemed to have an idea suddenly.
Her smile carried a hint of cunning.
"Have someone monitor the trading house 24/7, and as soon as any Soul Set equipment appears, buy it immediately, no matter the price!"
"Yes, Miss!"
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Chapter 48 - Black market, gold BOSS goblin!
After dinner, Lu Ming logged back online to continue grinding the Nether Ghost Tower.
Lu Ming himself didn''t mind, but he was concerned about Lin Youwei, a girl who stayed up late every night, fearing it might take a toll on her health.
If something happened to this cash cow, it would be like cutting off his own source of income, which Lu Ming couldn''t afford!
Moreover, grinding low-level monsters between levels 16-20 didn''t motivate Lu Ming much. Once he got the Soul Set and headed to the higher planes, he could earn in one day what he currently made in two or three!
So, he decided to call it a night at ten.
After logging off, taking a shower, and lying in bed, driven by the increasing desire to obtain the Soul Set, Lu Ming picked up his phone and checked the auction house on a whim.
To his surprise, he found a piece of Soul Set equipment that had been listed for less than a minute, and it was precisely for the Trickster class!
[Soul Ring] (Level 20 Bronze Equipment, part of the Trickster Soul Set): Price 49,999!
The price made Lu Ming hesitate.
"A regular piece of level 20 Bronze Equipment only costs around seven or eight thousand, so this is six or seven times more expensive."
Of course, Lu Ming knew that the Soul Set was in a completely different league compared to ordinary Bronze Equipment.
Because, as everyone knows, the drop rate of Soul Stones from monsters in the Nether Ghost Tower is not affected by the killer''s level, unlike other monsters.
Imagine how easy it would be for a level 50 player wearing a full Soul Set to farm Soul Stones by killing level 10-15 undead in the first plane!
So, for high-level professional gold farming players, the Soul Set is their path to wealth!
And for Lu Ming.
The sooner he got the Soul Set, the sooner he could go to higher planes, and his earnings would multiply. The money invested in buying the Soul Set now could be earned back in just a few days!
"I wonder when Qing Yan will be able to get the Soul Set. If she can''t, I''ll have to buy it myself."
"I''ll buy it first, and if Qing Yan manages to get it for me, I can always sell it."
With this thought, Lu Ming, who still had over a hundred thousand in savings, was about to place an order.
But suddenly, he saw: [Soul Ring] had already been purchased!
"Damn!"
"Who was so quick?"
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Lu Ming was shocked.
This was for the Trickster class!
Even equipment for this underdog class was snatched up?
"Bad luck!"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but blame himself for hesitating those few seconds. Otherwise, the equipment would have been his!
Thinking of this, Lu Ming tossed and turned in bed all night.
The next morning, Lu Ming woke up and checked his phone, finding an unread WeChat message from Qing Yan!
Lu Ming''s heart leaped with joy, thinking Qing Yan had gotten the Soul Set for him.
But when he opened the message, it said: "I''ve asked around a lot, and it''s currently very difficult to get the Soul Set outside."
"However, I''ve heard that if you''re lucky, you can buy the Soul Set with gold coins at the black market. You can check it out."
The black market in the second layer of Sky Abyss, accessible only to players between levels 20-30.
Lu Ming had planned to visit this place once he reached level 20.
Besides the rare treasures frequently found there, he now had another goal: to see if he could get the Soul Set.
In fact, Lu Ming had an even more important reason, to fulfill a regret from his past life!
"I wonder if that goblin is still in the black market..."
Thinking of this, Lu Ming brushed his teeth with his right hand and browsed the Sky Abyss forum with his left, searching for the keyword "black market goblin."
He found that it was still a hot topic!
Forum users had a love-hate relationship with this goblin.
"Whoever can get the scroll from that goblin, I''ll give them a million! Even if it turns out to be a worthless piece of paper, I''ll still pay! This post is my proof!"
"Something that no one has been able to get for ten years can''t be worthless, right? It''s probably like the infinitely growing skill scroll from the Purgatory-level difficulty of the Scarlet Zone dungeon, another priceless treasure!"
"Anyone interested in forming a team to take down that goblin? We can split the money from selling the scroll fifty-fifty!"
"You''re a genius! Do you think you''re the only one who thought of that? Do you know the goblin''s status? A level 50 Golden BOSS! The black market only allows players up to level 30, what are you going to use to fight a level 50 Golden BOSS?"
This post was active just a few minutes ago, indicating that the goblin was definitely still there!
Ten years ago, a goblin named [Avani], a level 50 Golden BOSS, suddenly appeared in the black market.
No one knew where he came from, but everyone knew that the goblin carried a golden scroll that was obviously worth a fortune!
For ten years, countless players tried to obtain the golden scroll from the goblin Avani, but all failed.
Because Avani ignored everyone.
But strangely, when Lu Ming approached the goblin, he was given a quest!
Lu Ming didn''t know why the goblin ignored everyone else but gave him a quest.
However, unfortunately, the Lu Ming of his past life was too weak. He tried dozens of times but couldn''t complete the quest given by the goblin. Plus, he was eager to level up and couldn''t waste too much time in the black market, so the matter was left unresolved.
By the time he leveled up enough, he could no longer enter the black market, missing the opportunity forever.
So this time, entering the black market, he wanted to see if he could find the goblin again.
If he could still receive the quest from his past life, with his current strength, he was sure he could complete it!
What secret was hidden on that goblin?
What exactly was the golden scroll on him, similar to the [Scroll of Deification] that Lu Ming had used to obtain his current ten-star account?
Lu Ming was very curious.
"Let''s level up to 20 first and check out the black market!"
Lu Ming was already level 17, not far from 20.
So, after having steamed dumplings with Lin Youwei downstairs for breakfast, they each returned to their rooms and logged back online.
The progress in the Nether Ghost Tower would be paused for now, to be continued after acquiring the Soul Set from the black market.
For now, Lu Ming planned to take Lin Youwei to a high-level map around level 30 to focus on leveling up!
Just as Lu Ming opened the map to scout for a leveling spot, a voice suddenly came from beside him: "Hey, bro, want to take on a quest?"
Looking over, he saw three male players approaching Lu Ming.
Lu Ming noticed that they were all level 30, but their equipment was all low-quality, white-label gear.
Moreover, all three were Assassins.
Lu Ming asked, "What quest?"
The leading Assassin, [Wind Light Cloud], said, "The quest to kill the poisonous scorpions from Captain Caro of the Starlight City patrol team, help us clear it ten times, three thousand per ticket, deal?"
Lu Ming replied without hesitation, "Deal, but you have to pay first."
The three men exchanged smiles.
"Alright, no problem."
With that, Wind Light Cloud promptly scanned Lu Ming''s code and transferred nine thousand.
Lu Ming immediately formed a party and invited the three in.
Just as Lin Youwei thought Lu Ming had forgotten her and tried to join the party, she was rejected by Lu Ming!
"Can you cook? I don''t want to eat out for lunch today, so go to the market early and buy some ingredients. I feel like having shrimp."
Hearing Lu Ming''s instructions, Lin Youwei was stunned.
She didn''t understand why Lu Ming suddenly asked her to do this, but she didn''t think much of it.
After all, she was living and eating at Lu Ming''s place, so cooking a meal for him was only fair, and Lin Youwei was quite confident in her cooking skills.
So, Lin Youwei nodded obediently, "Okay, I''ll go buy the ingredients now!"
With that, Lin Youwei logged off.
Lu Ming then led the three players to the north of the city, accepted the quest from Captain Caro of the patrol team, and headed out of the city.
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Chapter 49 - Soul Set
In Caro''s possession, Lu Ming received a level 29-30 quest: Hunt the Poison Scorpion.
It was the perfect target for Lu Ming''s current leveling.
Plus, he could earn nine thousand bucks along the way, so why not?
Thus, after exiting through the north gate of Starlight City, he followed the map''s guidance straight to the Lv29-Lv30 Wasteland.
The journey was silent.
Lu Ming walked ahead, seemingly intentionally leaving his most vulnerable back to the three players in the group.
As the four of them reached a secluded forest path, the three behind him suddenly showed malicious intent.
They exchanged glances, as if reaching some consensus.
Quietly, they swapped their shabby whiteboard gear for higher-end Black Iron Equipment.
The next second.
Swish, swish, swish!
Sharp daggers gleamed simultaneously, unexpectedly thrusting towards Lu Ming!
However, just when the three thought they were about to succeed.
Whoosh!
Two Undead Warriors suddenly rushed out from the sides, standing behind Lu Ming, and swung their swords to block the attack for their master.
The three assassins were shocked.
"Wha... what?"
"When did this guy summon these Undead Warriors?"
At this moment, Lu Ming turned around silently.
Through the two Undead Warriors guarding him, he looked at the three opponents, his eyes showing no surprise, as if their actions were already within his expectations.
"Who sent you?"
Seeing Lu Ming so calm and composed, the leading assassin, Wind Light Cloud, suddenly realized: "Could it be... you knew we were after you all along?"
Lu Ming replied nonchalantly, "You three, at level 30, came to find a level 17 Trickster to help you with a level 30 quest. How did you know I could lead you through a level 30 quest?"
"Moreover, being level 30 and still wearing whiteboard gear, yet able to afford three thousand bucks for a power-leveling service, didn''t you think about whether it made sense before hiding your strength?"
From the moment the three approached Lu Ming, he had already guessed their motives.
That''s why he let them buy tickets first.
And now, they bought the tickets, only to be kicked off halfway by Lu Ming, all without delaying Lu Ming from getting nine thousand bucks for free!
After leaving the city, Lu Ming had already summoned the Undead Warriors, lurking nearby, waiting for the three to make their move!
The three clearly knew what kind of strength Lu Ming possessed.
They came with the intention of ambushing him, knowing they couldn''t confront him head-on.
Seeing their plan exposed, the three dared not face Lu Ming directly and immediately turned to flee!
"Since you''re here, don''t leave."
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A hint of killing intent flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
"Kill."
With a thought, a large group of Undead Warriors suddenly charged out from all around.
Under the War Tread aura released by Lu Ming, they simultaneously activated [Soul Shatter].
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
-2865!
-2865!
-2865!
...
In an instant, two of the assassins were executed on the spot, without any chance to resist!
After all, even level 30+ Dragon Soul elite players with full Bronze Equipment had no chance against the Undead Warriors.
Let alone these Black Iron Equipment assassins.
The last remaining one, in a panic, hurriedly activated Swift Step and Stealth.
He fled while constantly checking if the enemy was pursuing him.
When he realized that although the Undead Warriors were terrifyingly powerful, they were not fast enough to catch up with him, a level 30 assassin, he couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Yet, just as he turned his head.
Whoosh!
A sharp dagger slashed across his neck.
Blood splattered instantly.
The assassin clutched his neck in horror, staring at the cold and beautiful female assassin who had appeared before him.
The next second, he fell into a pool of blood.
"So weak! You can''t even beat me, and you want to kill Nether? What are you thinking!"
Qin Churan stepped over the assassin''s body and walked towards Lu Ming.
After confirming through the shared vision of the Undead Warriors that there were no other dangers around, Lu Ming lowered his guard.
He then refined the bodies of the three assassins and picked up the equipment and silver coins they dropped.
At this moment, Qin Churan crossed her arms and said proudly to Lu Ming, "I told you, the Dragon Soul people won''t let you go, and they won''t retaliate openly. They''ll only make moves in secret!"
Lu Ming could guess that these were assassins hired by the Dragon Soul team.
After all, besides Dragon Soul, Lu Ming hadn''t provoked anyone else.
After dealing with the spoils, Lu Ming glanced at Qin Churan and asked, "Why are you here?"
"To give you something."
As she spoke, Qin Churan approached Lu Ming, opened her backpack, and took out a set of equipment, handing it to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming took a look and was surprised to find: it was a complete level 20 Trickster''s [Soul Set]!
Seeing Lu Ming''s shocked expression, Qin Churan was a bit smug: "How about it, you still have to rely on me at critical moments, right?"
Lu Ming, however, was suspicious: "How did you know I needed a Soul Set?"
"Ahem..." Qin Churan casually brushed it off: "Don''t worry about that, just tell me if you want it or not!"
Lu Ming saw through Qin Churan''s intentions: "What are the conditions? Speak."
Qin Churan''s cold and beautiful eyes sized up Lu Ming, and she smiled slyly: "What if I asked you to marry me?"
Lu Ming immediately withdrew his outstretched hand.
"Then forget it, I don''t want it."
Qin Churan''s beautiful eyes widened: "Hmph! Even if you threw yourself at me, I wouldn''t want you!"
"Then consider it a favor you owe me."
Only then did Lu Ming accept the Soul Set.
Thinking about how Qing Yan said she couldn''t get the Soul Set before, Lu Ming asked Qin Churan: "Where did you get it?"
Qin Churan pretended to be relaxed: "With my status, it''s naturally at my fingertips!"
"We, God Slayer, are much stronger than Tianxuan!"
Though she said that, when Lu Ming noticed Qin Churan''s level had suddenly reached 33, he understood.
Obviously, Qin Churan had been buying a large number of Soul Stones and repeatedly submitting them in Starlight City to collect this set of equipment!
Because when he saw Qin Churan yesterday, she was only level 19.
From level 19 to 33, relying solely on submitting Soul Stone rewards, the cost of buying Soul Stones would be at least two billion!
Unexpectedly, to get Lu Ming a Soul Set, Qin Churan went to such great lengths!
Of course, it''s also possible that Qin Churan wanted to quickly level up and strengthen herself to take revenge on those who beat her yesterday.
No wonder Qin Churan killed that level 30 assassin so easily.
Lu Ming accepted the Soul Set.
He said to Qin Churan, "Thanks."
"So you do know how to say thank you? I thought you were too dumb to say those words!"
Before Qin Churan could relish her little joy.
Lu Ming asked, "By the way, can you get me a Mage''s Soul Set too?"
"You want it for Lin Youwei, right?"
Qin Churan''s face changed instantly, from joy to anger: "Spending my money to support another girl? Dream on!"
"Figure it out yourself!"
With that, Qin Churan stormed off.
Oh.
She''s a jealous one!
But since Qin Churan had already done so much for him.
Lu Ming felt he should respond in some way.
So, he called out to Qin Churan''s back: "Let''s add each other as friends. I''ll pay you market price for this set."
Qin Churan stopped, turned around to look at Lu Ming, and put on a proud face.
"Alright, I''ll reluctantly add you!"
On the surface, she acted indifferent, but inside, Qin Churan''s heart was racing.
She thought, "Finally, I''ve touched your heartstrings. All my efforts weren''t in vain!"
After adding each other as friends, Qin Churan deliberately said to Lu Ming, "By the way, I have a lot of brothers looking for me usually. If you need to find me, remember to send me a pop-up message, or I might not notice!"
"Sis is leaving now, bye!"
With that, Qin Churan turned and left.
Once she was out of Lu Ming''s sight, she immediately pinned Lu Ming''s WeChat to the top...
Meanwhile, thinking about the person who arranged for assassins to kill Lu Ming, who must be Dragon Soul Tian Ni, who almost killed her yesterday, a hint of killing intent flashed in Qin Churan''s cold eyes.
"About yesterday, I''ll let it slide, I''m too lazy to bother with you."
"But you dare to touch my people? Then I''ll make you regret it!"
With that, Qin Churan opened a five-person WeChat group named [Ran Ran Little Princess] and sent a message: "Brothers, what should I do if someone bullies me?"
Soon, the four people lurking in the group all erupted.
[Orient Loong God]: "Who dares to bully our Ran Ran? Unbelievable!"
[Basalt]: "Ran Ran, tell me, who bullied you? I''ll sit on him to death!"
[White Tiger]: "Ran Ran, where are you now?"
[Rosefinch]: "Give me your location, I''ll be right over."
Seeing the messages from the "Four Guardians" in the group, Qin Churan said: "It''s someone from Dragon Soul, called Dragon Soul Tian Ni, a level 35 Knight. I''m in Jiang Province, Hanghai City, second layer, Starlight City."
[Basalt]: "Ah! I just reached level 51... but it''s okay, I have a quest here that deducts experience if I fail. I''ll keep doing it until I drop back to level 50, then I can return to the second layer!"
[White Tiger]: "Haha! Silly Basalt, can''t you learn from me? Knowing Ran Ran was going to enter Sky Abyss, I didn''t level up! I could have reached level 53, but I deliberately kept my level at 50! This way, I can jump between the second and third layers whenever needed!"
[Orient Loong God]: "No worries, Basalt, you don''t need to come back. I''m in the second layer, and a mere fourth-turn Knight, I''ll kill him with one strike!"
[Basalt]: "Damn! Can you guys slow down? Can you let me handle him this time? I haven''t killed anyone in a long time!"
[White Tiger]: "Let''s see who''s faster, I''m already on my way to Jiang Province."
"Oh!" Qin Churan added, "Dragon Soul Tian Ni doesn''t dare to act himself, he hires people. Don''t be too obvious, don''t let Dragon Soul know it''s us God Slayer doing it, or it''ll get too complicated!"
[White Tiger]: "Okay, I''ll make sure he doesn''t even know how he died!"
[Basalt]: "1"
[Rosefinch]: "1"
[Orient Loong God]: "."
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Chapter 50 - Level 13, extreme over-level monster hunting!
Although Lu Ming had already obtained a Soul Set from Qin Churan, he still needed to reach level 20 to equip it.
Moreover, he had to visit the black market to get a Soul Set for Lin Youwei as well. Only by taking Lin Youwei to farm the Nether Ghost Tower together could they maximize their gains!
Therefore, the most urgent task was to level up to 20.
So, Lu Ming sent a message to Lin Youwei on WeChat: "Once you''ve bought the groceries, head to Caro, the soldier captain in the north of the city, to pick up the quest, then make your way towards the Wasteland."
Worried about a repeat of last night''s kidnapping incident, Lu Ming waited near Starlight City for Lin Youwei instead of going ahead alone.
At this moment, Lin Youwei replied on WeChat:
"Nether brother, I bought shrimp and two pounds of pork."
"And eggs, tomatoes, celery, and bean sprouts! Aunt Ding from the second floor of the market even gave me some green onions!"
"I''ll make shrimp, celery stir-fried pork, stir-fried bean sprouts, and tomato egg drop soup for lunch! Is there anything else you''d like to eat, Nether brother?"
Originally, Lu Ming had just used this as an excuse to send Lin Youwei away to prevent her from being accidentally hurt by those three assassins.
Unexpectedly, she really took the grocery shopping seriously!
In his past life, Lu Ming would buy groceries and cook for Ye Ling''er every day, rain or shine, often forgetting to ask the vegetable vendor for green onions, and would have to go back to buy them separately.
Lin Youwei, on the other hand, seemed to be someone who knew how to manage life!
Lu Ming casually replied, "That''s enough, just these."
"Okay, I''ll log in right away when I get back!"
About ten minutes later, Lin Youwei logged in and met up with Lu Ming halfway.
On their way to the Wasteland.
Lin Youwei looked around and asked curiously, "Nether brother, what happened to those three people you were supposed to help with their quests?"
"They probably thought I couldn''t carry them, so they left," Lu Ming replied casually.
Lin Youwei believed Lu Ming''s words without a doubt and even felt a bit indignant for him: "They don''t know how powerful you are, Nether brother! They will definitely regret not believing in your strength!"
"Yeah, they probably already regret it."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the Wasteland.
True to its name.
It was a desolate and barren mountainous area, full of desolation.
The vast wasteland was populated with gigantic brown poisonous scorpions.
Compared to the level 25 man-eating ants they challenged last time, Lu Ming''s target this time had increased by a full 5 levels!Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
To be cautious, before the battle began, Lu Ming used a Reconnaissance skill to check the attributes of the poisonous scorpions¡ª
[Venomous Scorpion] (Physical Type ¡¤ Normal Monster)
[Level: 30]
[Physical Attack: 1580]
[Armor: 920]
[Magic Resistance: 810]
[Speed: 665]
[Health Points: 21600]
[Skills: Deadly Sting (F-grade), Venom Penetration (F-grade)]
[Description: A mutated scorpion containing a large amount of toxin. Once bitten, the venom will slowly devour your life...]
"Such high attack power! And the armor isn''t low either..."
Lu Ming felt a bit anxious, worried that the Undead Warriors might not be able to handle these level 30 scorpions.
"Let''s give it a try first."
With that, Lu Ming locked his gaze on a Venomous Scorpion ahead.
Sword Draw¡ª
Swish!
The shadow of the sword flashed, and a blood-red damage number appeared above the Venomous Scorpion''s head:
-6113!
Even with the twentyfold enhancement of the E-grade Sword Draw, it barely took away less than a third of the Venomous Scorpion''s health!
The strength of these level 30 monsters was indeed no joke.
[Ding~ Sword Draw effect triggered, Attack Power +200%, Duration 200 seconds!]
As the battle notification fell.
The attacked Venomous Scorpion charged towards Lu Ming.
Lu Ming first attempted to summon ten Undead Warriors.
At the same time, he planted his longsword into the ground, releasing War Tread and Life Barrier in a dual formation.
"Attack."
With a thought from Lu Ming, the ten Undead Warriors simultaneously launched [Soul Shatter].
Slash, slash, slash...
-2831!
-2831!
-2831!
...
[Ding~ Killed level 30 Venomous Scorpion, Experience Points +680!]
Killing was still possible.
But essentially, at Lu Ming''s current level, killing level 30 monsters, which were 13 levels higher, was already the limit.
The ideal state would undoubtedly be for the Undead Warriors to easily solo the monsters.
If it took several, or even ten, Undead Warriors to kill a single monster, it would undoubtedly greatly reduce the efficiency of killing monsters.
But no matter what, the experience from these level 30 monsters was indeed much higher than the 100+ experience from the 20-level undead in the second dimension of the Nether Ghost Tower!
Seeing that the Undead Warriors could still manage to kill the Venomous Scorpions, Lu Ming summoned all of his Undead Warriors.
He commanded them to form teams of five, dividing the 340 Undead Warriors into 68 teams, spreading out across the Wasteland to hunt.
Five Soul Shatters were not enough to instantly kill the Venomous Scorpions, giving them a chance to counterattack.
Splat!
A Deadly Sting hit an Undead Warrior, dealing over 2400 damage, while the Venomous Scorpion itself suffered nearly 4000 points of massive counterattack damage!
Every attack from the Venomous Scorpions triggered even higher counter damage to themselves.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but exclaim, "This Strong Acid Rebound effect is really amazing!"
The Bronze Equipment [Man-Eating Ant Hat]''s additional skill Strong Acid Rebound: Reflects 8% damage when the wearer is attacked, and the Trickster can share this skill with teammates when forming a formation.
Combined with the twentyfold enhancement of Comprehensive Amplification, it could increase the counterattack damage to 160%!
This counter damage effect was even higher than the Undead Warriors'' own attack damage!
However, overall, the Undead Warriors seemed to struggle a bit against these level 30 Venomous Scorpions.
Once upon a time, Lu Ming had always thought that with the support of three ten-star talents, the strength of the Undead Legion was too overwhelming.
Until now.
"It seems it''s still not strong enough!"
Lu Ming murmured, "Based on the growth from Lv1 to Lv2, when I reach level 20 and upgrade the three major talents to Lv3, I should be able to summon third-tier Undead Warriors."
"Additionally, the enhancement multiplier of Comprehensive Amplification should be able to increase to thirtyfold! By then, killing monsters over ten levels higher should be much easier."
Little did he know, while Lu Ming was feeling dissatisfied with his current strength.
His actions of leading a level 17 Undead Legion to rampage through a level 30 map had already left other players in the vicinity, who were in teams farming Venomous Scorpions at levels 28-30, questioning their own gaming skills...
While Lu Ming was leading the Undead Legion in a massive monster hunt, Lin Youwei was not idle either.
Taking advantage of Lu Ming''s formation bonus, she grabbed her Bronze Equipment staff and continued her business of farming Copper Coins!
Meanwhile.
On the other side.
South of Starlight City.
In the 36-37 level wild area, the Barbarian Tribe.
Splat!
With a swift strike, the level 35 Ice Knight Dragon Soul Tian Ni pierced through a level 36 barbarian, ending the current battle.
Thud, thud~
He received a WeChat message.
"Tian Ni boss, the assassination attempt failed. The three people we hired were counter-killed by Nether!"
Seeing this message, Dragon Soul Tian Ni was instantly furious: "Useless! A few level 30s couldn''t even handle a low-level Trickster!"
Just then.
A friend with the note "Brother Guan" called him on WeChat voice.
As Dragon Soul Tian Ni answered the call, a powerful and steady middle-aged man''s voice came through: "I heard that our Dragon Soul lost seven people the night before last, and when you went to settle the score, you got taught a lesson instead? What''s going on?"
"Brother Guan!" Dragon Soul Tian Ni was evidently very respectful towards this "Brother Guan," afraid of being blamed, and quickly promised: "Don''t worry, Brother Guan! I will definitely seek justice for the seven brothers who died, and I won''t let those responsible get away!"
At this moment, Brother Guan said, "Do you need me to come down and help?"
"No need, Brother Guan!" Dragon Soul Tian Ni confidently replied, "Rest assured, I can handle this!"
Just as he finished speaking.
"Ah!!"
A sudden scream came from behind.
Dragon Soul Tian Ni turned around at the sound, only to see a shadow as fast as lightning flash by.
In the next second, his mage teammate [Dragon Soul Taboo] fell to the ground.
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Chapter 51 - Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird!
Seeing his teammates being inexplicably attacked and instantly killed, Dragon Soul Tian Ni was shocked. He immediately tightened his grip on his spear, his eyes warily scanning the surroundings.
At that moment¡ª
Whoosh!
A mysterious shadow darted past the rear at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye.
After the level 33 mage [Dragon Soul Taboo], the level 33 priest [Dragon Soul Miracle Hand] was also wiped out!
The remaining trickster [Dragon Soul Overlord] and assassin [Dragon Soul Shadow] were panic-stricken.
"Who! Who is it!"
Just as the words left his mouth¡ª
Slash!
The trickster Dragon Soul Overlord was instantly killed.
In the blink of an eye, three people had been killed.
And without exception, all were effortlessly one-shot.
Dragon Soul Tian Ni immediately realized that the opponent''s level and strength must far exceed theirs, absolutely not something he could handle at his current level.
Even now, he couldn''t see where the opponent was.
Under an unprecedented fear, Dragon Soul Tian Ni frantically shouted to the surroundings, "May I ask which great master is here! Is there some misunderstanding? If I''ve offended you in any way, please enlighten me face-to-face!"
As soon as he said this, the opponent finally revealed themselves.
But as the price for appearing, Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s last teammate, the assassin Dragon Soul Shadow, was executed!
Slash!
A hand rose and fell, blood splattering on the spot.
A young assassin, about twenty-five or six years old, with a delicate appearance, stood with one foot on Dragon Soul Shadow''s corpse.
While wiping the blood off his dagger, he looked at Dragon Soul Tian Ni with a playful gaze and gave a wicked smile, saying, "You have indeed offended someone."
Looking at the unfamiliar face in front of him, Dragon Soul Tian Ni racked his brains but couldn''t figure out when he had offended this level 50, sixth-transition assassin!Stolen novel; please report.
"We don''t know each other, right?"
The young assassin said leisurely, "We don''t know each other, but it doesn''t matter."
"You know God Slayer, Moon, right?"
Hearing this name, Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s heart suddenly trembled.
His thoughts flashed back to yesterday afternoon, to the scene where he almost killed God Slayer, Moon.
He immediately understood: the person in front of him was here to avenge God Slayer, Moon!
Knowing that as a mere level 35 fourth-transition knight, he was absolutely no match for this level 50 sixth-transition assassin.
To save his life, Dragon Soul Tian Ni hurriedly explained, "It''s a misunderstanding, buddy! At the time, I mistakenly thought she was the one who killed my seven Dragon Soul brothers, so..."
"But... but I didn''t kill her afterward!"
In an instant, the young assassin flashed from dozens of yards away to right in front of Dragon Soul Tian Ni with astonishing speed.
A hand rose and fell, knocking Dragon Soul Tian Ni to the ground, and then a foot stomped directly on his face.
The overwhelming pressure from a sixth-transition powerhouse left Dragon Soul Tian Ni with no strength to resist.
"Who gave you the courage to bully my Ranran?"
"I''m sorry! I was wrong! I... I was really wrong!" Dragon Soul Tian Ni desperately pleaded for mercy, "Great master, spare me, I won''t dare again!"
"You wanted to know who I am, right?" The young assassin looked down at Dragon Soul Tian Ni under his foot and said coldly, "Remember, your daddy''s ID is White Tiger! Ranked 98th on the Sky Abyss Assassin Leaderboard in the Great Xia server!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came from behind, "Little Tiger, don''t reveal your identity so easily."
Turning around, he saw three people had appeared behind him at some point.
They all looked about the same age as the assassin [White Tiger], but each had a distinct aura.
One of them was wearing green armor, looking mature and steady, a level 50 sixth-transition warrior: Orient Loong God!
The one who had just spoken was him.
To the left of Orient Loong God was a gentle-looking red-robed mage, also level 50 sixth-transition: Rosefinch!
To the right of Orient Loong God was an honest and simple chubby knight, level 50 sixth-transition: Basalt!
"Damn! You''re always so fast!" Looking at the four Dragon Soul players'' corpses lying around, the chubby Basalt couldn''t help but pout, "You didn''t leave any for us! Too much!"
The mage Rosefinch hugged his staff and said, "Ranran said we can''t let them know who we are. Your identity is already exposed, so this person can''t be left alive."
White Tiger impatiently waved his hand, "I know, I never planned to let him live."
Ignoring Dragon Soul Tian Ni''s pleas for mercy, White Tiger directly slashed his throat with a "slash."
"Done!"
"These few weaklings dared to bully Ranran? They really don''t know their place!"
"Let''s go find Ranran! It''s been a while since we''ve seen her, and since we''re in Jiang Province, we must treat her to a feast today!"
After scouting the surroundings and finding nothing unusual, the four of them left the area.
The desolate tribe returned to silence.
Only the voice chat between Dragon Soul Tian Ni and "Brother Guan," which had never been disconnected, continued to beep...
Lv29-Lv30 Wasteland.
Killing monsters 13 levels higher really does increase experience quickly!
After a morning of hunting Venomous Scorpions, Lu Ming successfully leveled up to 18!
And the kill count had reached a thousand, completing the tenth tier of the [Hunt Venomous Scorpions] quest!
"Now at level 18 with 12% experience, I''ll go back to claim the quest rewards, do another quest in the afternoon, work a bit overtime in the evening, and I should reach level 20 today."
Returning to Starlight City, Lu Ming submitted the quest to Caro, the soldier captain in the north of the city.
"Brave adventurer, wonderful! You''ve really solved my urgent problem!"
"This way, those scorpions won''t pose a threat to Starlight City for a while!"
As Caro finished speaking, the system''s pleasant notification descended from the sky.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the quest "Hunt Venomous Scorpions," receiving the tenth tier reward: Experience Points +420,000, Silver Coin +8, and Trickster E-level Skill Scroll: Life Barrier +1!]
As expected of a level 30 quest''s tenth tier reward!
The 420,000 experience reward instantly boosted Lu Ming''s experience bar from 18 level 12% to 18 level 54%!
Of course, what surprised Lu Ming even more was...
"An E-level scroll actually dropped?"
According to what Lu Ming knew, an E-level scroll valued at 20,000 RMB each had a very low drop rate, even for completing the tenth tier of a quest, at least for players below level 50!
And Lu Ming had just completed a level 30 quest and received an E-level scroll!
If Lu Ming was the only one to receive an E-level scroll reward, it might not be worth mentioning, just pure luck.
But, right after Lin Youwei also submitted her quest...
"Nether brother, I got an equipment reward, is this... a silver item?"
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Chapter 52 - Silverware, power of starlight!
Silver Equipment?!
Lin Youwei''s words sent a jolt through Lu Ming''s heart.
In the Sky Abyss world, equipment quality is divided into categories such as Whiteboard, Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gilded, Dark Gold, and so on.
Generally speaking, Silver Equipment for levels 40-50 is quite common on the market.
Silver Equipment in the 30-40 level range is considered rare.
Silver Equipment for levels 20-30 is extremely rare!
And Lin Youwei is only level 17, which means she obtained... a level 17 Silver Equipment from this quest!?
At this moment, Lin Youwei took out a finely crafted, crystal-clear silver necklace from her backpack¡ª
[Starlight Power] (Lv17 Silver Equipment, Necklace)
[Mana Points: +1020]
[Additional Attributes: Spirit +50, Spirit +50, Intelligence +50]
[Additional Skill: Starshine (Passive, each time the wearer kills an enemy, they absorb starlight power from the enemy, restoring 3% of their maximum mana +120 mana points)]
[Durability: 92/92]
[Class: Universal for Magic Classes]
[Description: A necklace forged by gathering the power of starlight, representing the hope of Starlight City...]
Seeing the attributes of this necklace, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel shocked.
With a mana attribute reaching four digits, double 50-point spirit bonuses, and a passive skill that restores mana upon killing, it perfectly solves the early-stage mana shortage problem faced by magic classes, eliminating the need for mana potions!
For any player below level 50, this is an absolute treasure, a rare gem that is priceless!
Unfortunately, Lu Ming''s class couldn''t use it.
And having this Silver Equipment on Lin Youwei was a waste.
Because following Lu Ming to kill monsters, her mana needs weren''t high.
"However, the market value of a level 17 Silver Equipment shouldn''t be low..."
With this thought, Lu Ming once again used his persuasion skills on Lin Youwei.
"Listen to me, you can''t handle this necklace."
"Trust me, give it to me, let me take care of it!"
Lin Youwei didn''t hesitate: "Alright!"
With that, she handed the Starlight Power to Lu Ming.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Clearly, she had a clear mind.
Without Lu Ming''s help, how could she have completed this level 30 quest at level 17? She wouldn''t have gotten this Silver Equipment necklace.
So, with the 8 silver coins as quest rewards, Lin Youwei was already very satisfied and didn''t expect to own the necklace.
Holding the Starlight Power, Lu Ming checked the trading market.
He discovered that in the shared trading market of Jiang Province''s three cities¡ªMaritime, Linhai, and Cloud State¡ªthere were only three pieces of Silver Equipment for levels 20-30!
The best among them was a level 27 warrior/knight equipment [Muddy Legguards], listed for auction with a starting bid of 100,000 RMB.
So far, 421 people had participated in the bidding, and the price had reached 257,000!
"A pair of level 27 legguards can fetch over 200,000, so this level 17 necklace could easily sell for 500,000, right?"
Lu Ming was instantly filled with anticipation for the future!
Because he knew, if a level 30 player completed the tenth tier of this level 30 quest, they might at most get a level 30 Bronze Equipment reward.
Unless they were extremely lucky, getting a level 30 Silver Equipment would be as rare as winning a 100,000 lottery with a two-dollar ticket!
Lu Ming realized: "As long as I keep doing higher-level quests, I can greatly increase the drop rate and obtain rare equipment and skill scrolls that others can''t!"
In other words, if Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, at their current levels, could complete a level 30 quest to get E-grade skill scrolls and Silver Equipment rewards.
If they continued to challenge higher-level quests of 40-50, wouldn''t they be able to get D-grade, C-grade skill scrolls, or even Gold, Gilded Equipment rewards?
Other players have lower limits as they level up, so they struggle more with higher-level quests and monsters.
But Lu Ming''s account has three major talents that upgrade every 10 levels, greatly increasing his upper limit.
This means the higher Lu Ming''s level, the greater his power amplification, allowing him to defeat higher-level monsters!
"By level 20, with three talents at Lv3, I should be able to attempt level 40-50 quests!"
Lu Ming''s attention returned to the Silver Equipment necklace in his hand.
Selling it would indeed make a fortune.
But Lu Ming had a better idea!
So, he opened Qin Churan''s WeChat chat, sent the [Starlight Power] equipment image, and asked, "Interested?"
Even though Qin Churan wanted to maintain her high profile in front of Lu Ming, she couldn''t resist the allure of this Silver Equipment.
She almost immediately replied to Lu Ming''s WeChat: "Level 17 Silver Equipment? How did you get it?"
Lu Ming didn''t answer Qin Churan''s question but asked, "Do you want it? If you do, I''ll sell it to you."
"I want it!"
Qin Churan was indeed tempted.
After all, she was the sister of the Godslayer Squad''s captain, practically half the leader of Godslayer. Even if she couldn''t use it herself, she would definitely consider it for the talented players the squad recruited at great expense.
Qin Churan quickly asked, "How much?"
Lu Ming smiled as if a fish had taken the bait.
"The Soul Set you gave me is worth about 500,000, so let''s just offset it with the Soul Set."
"Deal! No problem! Send me the equipment by mail!"
Without hesitation, Lu Ming sent the [Starlight Power] to Qin Churan via mail.
Selling it to Qin Churan not only earned him money but also did her a favor, killing two birds with one stone!
Next, Lu Ming looked at the reward he received.
E-grade Skill Scroll: Life Barrier.
Although its value was far less compared to the 500,000-worth Silver Equipment Lin Youwei got.
However, it was exactly what Lu Ming needed at the moment!
Because his skill list already included this skill at F-grade, providing a shield of (Trickster 1% maximum Health Points + 65) per second to allies within range, with a maximum shield value of (Trickster 30% maximum Health Points).
Lu Ming directly used the E-grade Life Barrier, replacing the F-grade.
This enhanced the skill to provide a shield of (Trickster 2% maximum Health Points + 65) per second to allies within range, with a maximum shield value of (Trickster 50% maximum Health Points)!
Combined with the twentyfold enhancement from Lv2 Comprehensive Amplification, it significantly improved the survival ability of the Undead Legion!
The morning''s gains were quite fruitful.
So, Lu Ming said to Lin Youwei, "Let''s go, I''ll treat you to a meal."
Lin Youwei replied, "But... didn''t you say you wanted to eat shrimp for lunch?"
"Alright, then we''ll eat at home for lunch and go out for dinner."
After logging off.
Lin Youwei started chopping vegetables in the kitchen, preparing lunch.
Her skills were adept and meticulous, clearly a cooking expert.
Lu Ming, on the other hand, was considering where to go for quests in the afternoon.
Before long, the aroma filled the air.
Braised shrimp, stir-fried celery with pork, stir-fried bean sprouts, and tomato egg soup.
Three dishes and one soup, with a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste, making them very appetizing!
Lu Ming tasted them and found that while each dish wasn''t perfect, they had a distinct home-cooked flavor, different from restaurant food!
In his past life, Lu Ming had always prepared three meals a day for Ye Ling''er with care.
This was the first time he tasted a meal cooked by someone else, and he could tell if the person put their heart into it.
"Your cooking is really good."
Receiving Lu Ming''s approval, Lin Youwei was obviously very happy: "If Nether brother likes it, I''ll cook for you every day!"
"Let''s eat first. After lunch, we''ll rest for a bit, and then we''ll do a quest in the afternoon."
"Okay!"
At 2 PM.
After logging in, Lu Ming took Lin Youwei to receive a level 30 quest [Collect Tiger Skins] from the tailor [Alai] in Starlight City.
Following the map''s guidance, they left the city through the west gate.
Just as Lu Ming left Starlight City.
In the corner, a few pairs of eyes were watching him.
"Is this the guy Ranran is interested in?"
"Level 18 Trickster Nether, isn''t that him?"
"I thought he was some kind of expert, at least a rich kid from a well-matched family! But look at him... a weak and poor-looking guy, how did our Ranran take a liking to him?"
"Let''s go, let''s meet this guy, we have to check him out for Ranran!"
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Chapter 53 - Test of the Four Great Protectors
Afternoon.
The number of players online was relatively sparse compared to other times, but still considerable.
Following the map''s guidance, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei were on their way to the Lv30-Lv31 [Western Farm].
As they passed through a ruin, a sudden cry for help echoed nearby.
"Help! Is anyone there to save us?"
Looking towards the source of the sound, they saw three female players around level 15-16 being attacked by two mutated octopods of level 20, trapped in a crisis.
Seeing this, Lin Youwei anxiously said to Lu Ming, "Nether brother, those sisters over there seem to be in danger. Should we help them?"
Lu Ming kept his eyes straight ahead, not slowing his pace, "No need to bother."
Though worried, Lin Youwei followed Lu Ming''s lead.
Meanwhile, in a concealed spot nearby, the warrior Orient Loong God, knight Basalt, assassin White Tiger, and mage Rosefinch silently observed the scene.
At this moment, [White Tiger] nodded, showing appreciation, "Not bad, this guy isn''t overly sentimental, not a saint, and not easily swayed by beauty!"
"His character checks out, okay, he passes my test!"
Just as White Tiger finished speaking.
One of the distressed girls shouted, "Is anyone there to save us? Whoever saves me, I''ll give them ten thousand yuan!"
Hearing this, Lu Ming, who hadn''t gone far, stopped abruptly as if he had stepped on a landmine!
He turned to look at the three girls.
At that moment, an octopod leaped into the air, lunging towards the girls.
Within a 50-yard attack range, in the blink of an eye.
Swish!
As Lu Ming drew his sword, a shadow of the blade pierced through the octopod.
-6113!
The massive damage instantly emptied the octopod''s health bar, which had just over 5000 Health Points.
Instant kill.
Seeing Lu Ming take action, Lin Youwei, who had been eager to help the girls, immediately raised her staff.
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Boom!
A fireball spell slammed into the other octopod.
The next second, a weak damage number floated above the octopod''s head: -398!
The brilliance that Lu Ming had always shown made Lin Youwei forget her own potential.
A hint of embarrassment flashed in Lin Youwei''s eyes.
At that moment, she realized deeply: without Lu Ming''s formation boost, she was just a small fry...
However, the octopod was smart.
Although Lin Youwei hadn''t inflicted much damage, seeing its companion get instantly killed by Lu Ming, it fled in fear.
Meanwhile, the three rescued girls hurried over.
The leading girl, a level 16 archer named [Qinqin], was full of gratitude towards Lu Ming, "Thank you, handsome, thank you for saving us!"
The other two girls, equally attractive, looked at Lu Ming with admiration, "Do you have a girlfriend, little brother? Can we add you on WeChat?"
Without saying much, Lu Ming simply showed a QR code.
The three girls excitedly scanned it, only to be disappointed...
Fing hell, it was a payment code!
The lead archer girl Qinqin reluctantly transferred ten thousand yuan to Lu Ming.
Receiving the money, Lu Ming didn''t spare the three girls a glance and immediately left with Lin Youwei.
Seeing this, the four hidden observers, Orient Loong God, Basalt, White Tiger, and Rosefinch, fell silent.
Just then, White Tiger received a WeChat message from "Darling Qinqin": "Honey, I lost ten thousand yuan, it hurts so much!"
Without hesitation, White Tiger transferred 13,140 + 5,200 yuan back to her.
And sent a voice message, "No worries, darling, I''ll cover it for you, it''s on me! Love you, muah!"
Despite his words, White Tiger felt his heart bleeding, "Fing hell! Testing this guy cost me half a month''s salary!"
The three companions were dumbfounded.
"Wait, Tiger, this Qinqin... is your girl? You used your own girl to bait another man?"
"Whoa, Tiger bro! You''ve got some nerve!"
White Tiger chuckled, "Isn''t this just the perfect way to test her loyalty? She doesn''t know I''m in Jiang Province; she thinks I''m still in Shanghai! From what I saw, it seems Qinqin is still very loyal to me!"
"At least this guy isn''t overly sentimental! Who doesn''t love money? Being faithful in a relationship is what matters most, okay, he passes my test! Now it''s your turn!"
Meanwhile.
Just as Lu Ming had walked a short distance, a group of players suddenly approached!
Their levels ranged from 25 to 30, with IDs all prefixed with [Invincible].
They charged aggressively towards Lu Ming!
In the shadows, White Tiger was surprised, "Did any of you arrange this? Such seamless transition! Starting the second round of testing so soon?"
Orient Loong God frowned, "I did arrange for some players to test his strength, but they haven''t arrived yet, these aren''t my people."
"Is this an extra event?" Mage Rosefinch observed the [Invincible] players thoughtfully, "Invincible seems to be one of the top five city-level teams in Linhai City, Jiang Province. And these guys average level 25-30, isn''t it too challenging to test Nether with them?"
"No worries, let''s watch and see. If things go south, we''ll step in to ensure his safety! If we accidentally get him killed, with Ranran''s temper, we''ll be in big trouble!"
On the field, dozens of [Invincible] players charged aggressively.
The leading level 28 third-tier archer, [Invincible Loneliness], glanced at [Qinqin] behind him, then glared at Lu Ming, cursing, "Fing hell! You dared to ask my woman for money? Who the hell are you?"
The sudden turn of events left the four hidden observers speechless.
"Tiger bro, did you just... get cuckolded?"
Even White Tiger was a bit suspicious when [Darling Qinqin] sent another WeChat message: "Honey, a guy who''s been pestering me just showed up, should I continue testing Nether?"
Seeing this, White Tiger was reassured, "No worries, just a random guy, it shows my darling is quite popular!"
So, White Tiger replied without hesitation, "Test!"
The next moment, on the field, Qinqin pointed at the Invincible team players and said to Lu Ming, "Handsome, help me drive them away, and I''ll give you another ten thousand!"
Upon hearing this, Invincible Loneliness was confused, "Qinqin, what do you mean? I just thought this guy asked you for money, and I wanted to stand up for you!"
Qinqin confidently replied, "He saved me, it''s my rightful reward to give him, why do you care, you random guy?"
"I already told you I don''t like you, I have a boyfriend! He''s the only one in my heart! Stop pestering me!"
Qinqin''s words brought immense comfort to White Tiger, who had just lost tens of thousands.
White Tiger''s heart was bleeding, yet he was deeply moved, "Qinqin, I''ll marry no one but you in this life!"
However, Invincible Loneliness was relentless.
"Stop using that excuse to fool me, if you have a boyfriend, why have I never seen him with you?"
"Or is your boyfriend just a useless nobody? Can he compare to me, an elite of the city-level fifth Invincible team?"
Hearing this, White Tiger in the shadows instantly lost his cool, "What the hell! Calling me, the national server''s 98th assassin, a nobody? I''ll show you who''s the nobody!"
"Fing hell, where''s my knife?"
"Let''s focus on the test first, see how that guy''s strength is before acting!"
If not for Orient Loong God''s persuasion, White Tiger would have already charged out.
On the field.
Hearing there was another ten thousand yuan to earn, Lu Ming naturally reached behind to draw his sword.
After all, easy money shouldn''t be left unclaimed!
Seeing this, Invincible Loneliness''s face turned fierce.
"Like to meddle, do you?"
"Then let me show you the consequences of meddling!"
"Get him! Kill him!"
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Chapter 54 - City-level fifth, Invincible Team!
"Kill!"
With Invincible Loneliness''s command, dozens of players from the Invincible Squad picked up their weapons and charged at Lu Ming!
In the past, opponents either looked down on Lu Ming''s low level or dismissed his "sewer" class. But this time, the enemy didn''t doubt Lu Ming''s strength and launched a full-scale attack!
Being taken so seriously for the first time left Lu Ming a bit unaccustomed.
Facing an 18-level Trickster who seemed weak and easy to bully, Invincible Loneliness''s fierce gaze carried a hint of smugness.
He thought to himself, "Watch closely, Qinqin. Soon you''ll understand that in this world, authority and status are what truly matter!"
"Rejecting me will be the decision you regret the most!"
Meanwhile, in the confrontation.
Facing dozens of third-tier players nearly 10 levels higher than himself charging forward, Lu Ming stood his ground, calm and composed.
His gaze pierced through the crowd, locking onto Invincible Loneliness at the back.
Before the enemy players could get close.
Swish!
In the instant of drawing his sword, a shadow of the blade flashed and disappeared.
The players of the Invincible Squad at the front were momentarily stunned by the aura suddenly emanating from Lu Ming, halting their charge.
But when they looked around and saw that neither they nor their teammates were harmed, they assumed Lu Ming was just bluffing.
Thud!
With a commotion from the back, everyone turned to see their leader, Invincible Loneliness, kneeling heavily on the ground, eyes wide open.
His health bar above his head had been emptied without anyone noticing.
In the next second, he collapsed straight to the ground.
At that moment, the air suddenly fell silent.
The dozen or so players from the Invincible Squad were all dumbfounded.
They didn''t even know how Invincible Loneliness died.
The incident with Dragon Soul Tian Ni taught Lu Ming: never hold back against an enemy.
What you think is leaving room for yourself is actually letting the tiger return to the mountain.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Thus, with killing intent undiminished, Lu Ming first dealt with Invincible Loneliness and then turned his gaze to the remaining players of the Invincible Squad.
When the Invincible Squad players turned back, they all looked at Lu Ming in terror, none daring to approach him, instead retreating backward!
After all, they dared to attack Lu Ming only because they saw him as just an 18-level Trickster.
But this mere 18-level support Trickster effortlessly killed their leader, a 28-level third-tier Archer!
Such terrifying strength naturally made them realize his formidable power, instilling fear in their hearts.
"Run! Retreat quickly!"
With a shout of alarm, the crowd turned and fled.
But as soon as they turned around, they were met by a group of Undead Warriors surrounding them from nowhere!
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming, dozens of Undead Warriors, under the dual formation of War Tread and Life Barrier, launched an attack on the Invincible Squad players!
Given the current strength of the Undead Warriors, dealing with players below level 30 was no pressure at all.
Amidst a series of screams, dozens of players were instantly executed!
Seeing this scene, the four lurking in the shadows¡ªOrient Loong God, Basalt, White Tiger, and Rosefinch¡ªwere all shocked.
"What the hell! This kid... is this still the Trickster, the ''sewer'' class among the eight major professions in the Sky Abyss world, as I know it?"
"An 18-level beating a 28-level? Damn! This guy is strong! No wonder Ranran fancies him..."
At this moment, Orient Loong God, with an appreciative look, said, "No problem with his strength, he passes my test."
As soon as he finished speaking, White Tiger, who was in the middle of transferring money to Qinqin for the second time, looked bewildered: "What do you mean? You test, why do I have to pay??"
Orient Loong God glanced at White Tiger: "I didn''t ask you to pay."
Basalt laughed heartily: "Alright, alright, at worst, let A-Long treat you to some crayfish tonight!"
"Damn! It''s three thousand! My whole month''s salary is gone..." White Tiger was on the verge of tears.
On the field.
After Lu Ming dealt with the dozen Invincible Squad players and ended the battle.
He hadn''t even had time to ask Qinqin for money.
Suddenly, through the shared vision of a few sentry Undead Warriors on the outermost perimeter, he saw a group of high-level players rapidly approaching!
In just an instant, the vision was forcibly cut off.
[Ding~ Your Undead Warrior has fallen!]
[Ding~ Your Undead Warrior has fallen!]
[Ding...]
Suffering heavy losses, several Undead Warriors stationed afar were obliterated.
Lu Ming immediately frowned, instinctively shielding Lin Youwei behind him.
The next moment, a large group of players broke through the ruins and charged out!
They also bore the [Invincible] squad ID above their heads, but this time, the players were level 30-40, clearly much stronger than the previous group of level 25-30!
When this group of Invincible players arrived at the scene and saw the bodies of their comrades lying around, their fury soared.
The leading 39-level fourth-tier warrior [Invincible Destiny] looked at Lu Ming with a sinister gaze: "Did you kill them?"
Lu Ming realized that with his current strength, this group of nearly 40-level players would be hard to deal with.
He immediately whispered to Lin Youwei, "Run towards the main city, don''t look back."
Lin Youwei, usually obedient, chose to "defy" Lu Ming this time: "No! I''m not leaving! I want to fight alongside Nether brother!"
As they spoke, Invincible Destiny coldly said, "Dare to mess with my Invincible Squad, none of you will leave alive today!"
"Kill them!"
With an order, over thirty players of the Invincible Squad, levels 35-40, charged at Lu Ming with overwhelming force!
The scene was eerily similar to the one Invincible Loneliness had orchestrated earlier.
But Lu Ming knew: although the formation was identical, the strength between the two was incomparable.
In this situation, Lu Ming could only grit his teeth and command the Undead Warriors to defend.
True to their reputation as a city-level squad, the Invincible players'' awareness and coordination were far superior to ordinary solo players.
Clang clang clang clang!
The frontline Knights quickly formed a formation, using shields to block the Undead Warriors'' attacks, preventing the Soul Shatter skill from reaching the rear, forcing it to hit them instead.
Meanwhile, the rear Archers and Mages, under the cover of the frontline Knights, launched long-range attacks.
Boom boom boom!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Countless spells and arrows flew over the heads of the frontline Knights, raining down on the Undead Legion.
A massive wave of 3000-5000 points of high damage instantly wiped out over a dozen Undead Warriors!
With such low defense, relying solely on the paper-thin shield provided by the twentyfold enhanced E-level Life Barrier was clearly insufficient against such intense attacks.
After all, the nearly 20-level gap between the two sides was simply too vast!
Seeing the Undead Warriors powerless against these nearly 40-level fourth-tier players, Lu Ming quickly told Lin Youwei, "Go!"
But as soon as he turned around, he was stunned to find that a group of Invincible players had somehow circled behind them, blocking their escape route!
"What, trying to run?"
"Did I say you could escape?"
"Kill!"
With an order, dozens of Invincible players charged from behind!
The dozens of 18-level Undead Warriors attempting to block were instantly overwhelmed.
The next moment, dozens of Invincible players, like ravenous wolves, pounced on Lu Ming and Lin Youwei...
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Chapter 55 - Level 50 national standard, terrifying indeed!
Faced with the attacks from players ranging from level 35 to 40, Lu Ming knew he couldn''t withstand them.
But he had no way to retreat.
At this critical moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, massive golden shields descended from the sky, enveloping Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, forming a huge protective barrier around them.
In the next moment, the Invincible players charged fiercely, their attacks crashing against the shield. Not only did they fail to break it, but they were all bounced back and sent flying!
"A Knight''s C-level skill, Celestial Shield?!"
"Damn! How did someone from the second layer get a C-level skill?"
Just as the Invincible players were stunned by the rebound.
Crash!
A massive fiery red circular barrier materialized around them, trapping them inside.
Before they could recover.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless fireballs rained down from the sky, covering the entire barrier.
-23258!
-24369!
-23589!
-24112!
...
Under the devastating onslaught of the fiery rain, accompanied by screams, the dozen or so Invincible Squad players within the barrier were instantly wiped out, without a single survivor!
On the other side, Invincible Destiny was jolted awake by the sudden turn of events.
However, there was no time to react before a shadow, swift as lightning and moving at an imperceptible speed, darted through the crowd around him.
He had no idea what was happening.
All he heard were screams rising and falling around him.
Then, he saw his teammates falling one after another!
Invincible Destiny''s breathing became rapid, and he looked around in panic, unable to see even a shadow of the enemy!
Realizing that a formidable enemy had appeared, Invincible Destiny no longer cared about his teammates'' fate and immediately turned to flee alone!
He had barely taken two steps when a warrior in azure armor, wielding a Qinggang longsword, stood firmly in his path, blocking his way.
When Invincible Destiny saw the ID above the warrior''s head, he was terrified¡ª
[Orient Loong God] (Lv50 Six-turn Warrior, Ranked 71st on the National Server Warrior Leaderboard)!This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
At this moment, Invincible Destiny''s face was trembling with fear!
His heart rate soared to 280!
Because he knew: at level 50, being ranked 71st on the national server was hundreds of times more terrifying than being in the top ten at over level 200!!!
In other words.
At this level and ranking, the opponent could easily take his life with just a slight move!
Invincible Destiny knew he had provoked a top-tier powerhouse he couldn''t afford to offend, even with ten lives.
In a panic, he knelt before Orient Loong God, trembling as he pleaded, "Great master, spare me!"
Orient Loong God looked at Invincible Destiny calmly.
"Do you know who that Trickster is?"
"The brother-in-law of the captain of the Godslayer Squad, ranked seventh on the Great Xia team leaderboard, and you dared to mess with him?"
Invincible Destiny glanced at Lu Ming, then turned to Orient Loong God, his face growing even more terrified, "I... I didn''t recognize greatness when I saw it! Please spare me, great master! I''ll never do it again!!!"
Invincible Destiny was filled with regret.
If he had known that this Trickster was associated with the seventh-ranked Godslayer Squad of the Great Xia team, he wouldn''t have dared to offend them, even with a thousand guts!
But now, it was too late for regrets.
"Be more careful in your next life."
As soon as the words fell, Orient Loong God drew his Qinggang sword.
Swish!
A sharp blade of light descended from the sky, piercing through Invincible Destiny''s body.
With a massive critical hit of 67,982 points, Invincible Destiny was instantly killed.
Meanwhile, the remaining dozens of Invincible Squad players were also wiped out under the onslaught of Basalt, White Tiger, and Rosefinch.
"So weak! Killing this trash really dirties my blade!" White Tiger stepped on the corpse of an Invincible player, wiping the blood off his dagger with the player''s robe.
The seemingly honest and simple fat knight, Basalt, looked unhappy, "You always say you''ll leave some for me, but you always kill them all! You guys are really something!"
The mage Rosefinch smiled slightly, "Next time, for sure!"
Watching them effortlessly slaughter so many people and still joke around, Lin Youwei, who had never seen such a scene, hid behind Lu Ming in fear.
Lu Ming himself didn''t know where these people came from or why they saved him.
Until he inadvertently saw the silver shimmering ring on Rosefinch''s right hand, he suddenly realized... they were Qin Churan''s people!
Because that ring was the level 17 silver item [Starlight Power] that Lu Ming had sold to Qin Churan not long ago!
"A ring worth 500,000, just given away like that? It seems these people have an unusual relationship with Qin Churan!"
Indeed, they were extraordinary.
Because each of them had a dazzling national server title above their heads¡ª
Level 50 Assassin White Tiger, ranked 98th on the National Server Assassin Leaderboard!
Level 50 Mage Rosefinch, ranked 66th on the National Server Mage Leaderboard!
Level 50 Knight Basalt, ranked 83rd on the National Server Knight Leaderboard!
Level 50 Warrior Orient Loong God, ranked 71st on the National Server Warrior Leaderboard!
In the Sky Abyss world, once players reached level 30, they could earn points through daily duels to compete in professional rankings.
For 99% of players worldwide, even a small village marker was an unattainable existence.
Moreover, even those with markers were mostly players over level 100 who had accumulated high points over time.
In his previous life, Lu Ming had lived for five years and had never seen a national marker over level 100.
Let alone these four level 50 national markers!
"Godslayer actually has experts of this caliber, no wonder they rank seventh on the national server team leaderboard..."
At the same time, Lu Ming knew that if it weren''t for these people intervening, he would have had a hard time escaping the Invincible Squad players unscathed.
So, he humbly thanked them, "Thank you, seniors, for your help!"
At this moment, Orient Loong God suddenly said to Lu Ming, "Congratulations, you''ve passed our test."
"Test?"
"What test?"
Facing Lu Ming''s puzzled expression.
Assassin White Tiger appeared beside Lu Ming like a ghost, patting his shoulder and grinning, "Don''t pretend, aren''t you pursuing Ranran? We''ve agreed to it!"
Rosefinch scrutinized Lu Ming with sharp eyes, saying, "But let me make it clear, we''ve watched Ranran grow up. Though we''re not related by blood, we''re like family to her."
"If you dare to bully Ranran, treat her poorly, or let her suffer even a little, I''ll make sure you have no place to be buried. I mean it!"
The chubby Basalt sat on the ground, crying like a child, "Ranran, why did you leave like this? I can''t bear to part with you, Ranran!"
White Tiger flashed in front of Basalt and kicked him over, "Go cry somewhere else! Don''t act like Ranran died!"
Lu Ming understood.
They thought he was Qin Churan''s boyfriend!
Lu Ming''s goal was to get close to Qin Churan and use her to advance his revenge plan.
So he didn''t bother to correct their misunderstanding.
For Lu Ming, this was actually a good opportunity to get closer to Qin Churan!
And just at this moment, a voice suddenly rang out, "Oh, you guys! Planning to sell me off while I''m not here?"
Following the voice, they saw Qin Churan approaching!
Clearly, she had heard what Orient Loong God and the others said to Lu Ming earlier, and her originally fair face had turned red to the ears!
She quickly explained to Lu Ming, "A bunch of lunatics! Talking nonsense! Don''t take it seriously!"
As she spoke, Qin Churan glared at White Tiger and the others, angrily saying, "You guys, come with me, stop embarrassing yourselves here!"
"You''re so embarrassing!"
With that, Qin Churan pinched Basalt''s ear with her left hand and Rosefinch''s ear with her right, dragging them away like two little chicks.
"Ouch! It hurts, young lady, be gentle..."
Watching these two national server top 100 experts, they dared not resist Qin Churan at all.
Qinqin and the other two girls were dumbfounded.
Of course, anyone with eyes could see that they weren''t truly afraid of Qin Churan.
It was just the unconditional pampering and indulgence of big brothers towards their little sister.
"Let''s have a meal offline sometime," Orient Loong God said to Lu Ming before quietly following Qin Churan and the others.
White Tiger went off to cozy up with his girlfriend Qinqin, whom he hadn''t seen in three months.
"Ah Hu? When did you come to Cloud State? Why didn''t you tell me?"
"Hehe, I wanted to give you a surprise! It''s been a while, Qinqin, did you miss me?"
"Miss you! Of course, I did!"
"Let''s go, I''ll take you to eat something delicious offline!"
"Okay!"
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Chapter 56 - Sword Draw, level up again, D rank!
After Qin Churan and the Orient Loong God and White Tiger left, Lu Ming, along with Lin Youwei, continued heading towards their mission location: the Western Farm.
On the way, reflecting on the recent events, Lu Ming realized a problem.
"Currently, opponents over level 30 are the upper limit for the Undead Legion. Once we encounter those at level 40 or 50, it becomes increasingly difficult."
According to the settings of the Sky Abyss world, only players below level 50 can enter the second layer.
This means that level 50 is the highest-level opponent Lu Ming can encounter in the second layer!
As long as he possesses the ability to match a level 50 player, he will face no threats throughout the entire second layer!
"It seems I must reach level 20 as soon as possible! Once my talent upgrades to Lv3, I can ensure that there will be no threats within the second layer."
With this in mind, Lu Ming quickened his pace.
Soon, he and Lin Youwei arrived at the Western Farm.
While Lin Youwei was cooking lunch, Lu Ming seriously studied the strategy guide.
The reason for choosing this farm as their leveling ground for the afternoon, besides the [Collect Tiger Skin] quest, was another important reason.
"According to the guide, players can obtain summoning scroll fragments by killing Saber-toothed Tigers on this farm. With a complete summoning scroll, they can summon elite or even BOSS-level Saber-toothed Tigers."
Before reaching level 20 and entering the black market, he planned to slay a few more elite monsters and BOSSes to accumulate more gold coins.
With this thought, upon entering the farm, Lu Ming summoned all his Undead Warriors and instructed them to freely hunt monsters.
By consuming soul power, he filled the positions of previously fallen Undead Warriors.
A total of 360 second-tier Undead Warriors spread across the vast farm, hunting the ubiquitous level 30-31 [Savage Saber-toothed Tigers].
Previously, in the Wasteland, he had already slain level 30 Venomous Scorpions.
Now, with his Life Barrier upgraded from F-grade to E-grade, the survival ability of the Undead Warriors was significantly enhanced.
Thus, facing these level 30-31 Saber-toothed Tigers, which were 12-13 levels higher, posed no difficulty for the Undead Warriors.
[Ding~ Killed level 30 Savage Saber-toothed Tiger, Experience Points +660!]Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
[Ding~ Killed level 31 Savage Saber-toothed Tiger, Experience Points +710!]
[Ding...]
As the battle notifications flashed rapidly.
Through the looting by the Undead Warriors, with each Saber-toothed Tiger killed, Lu Ming could collect 12-15 Copper Coins and three tiger skins!
In addition, there was this item¡ª
[Summoning Scroll Fragment] (Special Item)
[Description: A mysterious scroll sealed with immense savage power. Collect 100 fragments to synthesize an Elite Saber-toothed Tiger Summoning Scroll; collect 500 fragments to synthesize a Bronze BOSS-level Saber-toothed Tiger Summoning Scroll; collect 1000 fragments to synthesize a Silver BOSS-level Saber-toothed Tiger Summoning Scroll.]
[Note: Fragments cannot be dropped or traded, but synthesized complete scrolls can be dropped and traded. Each player can only synthesize one scroll in their lifetime.]
The Sky Abyss world is indeed a land of gold, as the saying goes.
Items like these are toys for the wealthy and treasures in the eyes of ordinary players.
Ordinary players collecting these scroll fragments, even if they summon elite or BOSS Saber-toothed Tigers, often lack the strength to kill them and risk having them stolen, essentially serving them to others for free.
Therefore, they would rather sell the synthesized scroll directly!
Lu Ming checked and found that on the market, an elite-level summoning scroll was worth about three thousand.
A Bronze BOSS-level summoning scroll could sell for thirty thousand!
A Silver BOSS-level summoning scroll was valued at a staggering one hundred thousand!
While Lu Ming was reviewing this information, he realized that in just a short while, he had accumulated dozens of scroll fragments in his bag!
Having Lin Youwei''s 200% drop rate bonus was indeed delightful!
Other players might have to kill 3-4 Saber-toothed Tigers to drop one fragment.
Lu Ming could basically drop one with each kill!
Before long, the fragments in his bag were enough to synthesize an Elite Saber-toothed Tiger Summoning Scroll!
Recalling his past life, where he worked tirelessly, grinding for 18 hours a day, sometimes only earning a few thousand a month.
Yet now, this three thousand came so easily!
This made Lu Ming deeply realize: hard work is worthless in the face of talent!
Lin Youwei, as usual, was off killing monsters with her staff to earn Copper Coins and fill her little treasury.
With the Undead Legion around, Lu Ming couldn''t help but do nothing.
The only thing he could do was draw his sword once a minute.
Swish!
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill proficiency +1!]
Swish!
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill proficiency +1!]
With each draw and sheath.
Finally... it felt great!
[Ding~ Congratulations, your Sword Draw skill proficiency has reached 1000, and the skill quality has automatically upgraded to D-grade!]
Lu Ming eagerly opened the skill list.
[Sword Draw] (Unique Skill, Lv18)
[Grade: D-grade] (Upgradeable)
[Skill Effect: Upon drawing the sword, release a sword shadow, dealing (220% attack power +138) true damage that ignores defense to a single enemy within attack range; also increases own attack power by 20% for 10 seconds.]
[Cooldown: 60 seconds]
[Skill Cost: 98]
[Proficiency: 0/10000] (Each use of the Sword Draw skill automatically gains 1 point of proficiency, reaching full proficiency upgrades to C-grade)
The damage coefficient increased from 150% to 220%, combined with the twenty-fold enhancement from Comprehensive Amplification, effectively raising it from 30 times attack power true damage to 44 times!
What a terrifying amplification!
Of course, for Lu Ming, the auxiliary Trickster, the most important aspect wasn''t the skill''s damage increase itself.
It was the subsequent attack power boost effect!
From originally increasing attack power by 10% to 20%; for Lu Ming, it meant that after drawing the sword, he would gain a 400% attack power boost!
Targeting a freshly spawned Saber-toothed Tiger ahead, Lu Ming eagerly tested the D-grade Sword Draw effect.
Swish!
The still-impressive special effect, with a sword shadow as fast as lightning, pierced through the Saber-toothed Tiger.
-17808!
The Saber-toothed Tiger, with over 22000 total Health Points, saw its health bar plummet by 80% instantly!
Lin Youwei, who had just killed a Saber-toothed Tiger nearby, witnessed this scene and couldn''t help but gape.
"Oh my, Nether brother, your damage has increased so much again!"
In fact, this wasn''t even Lu Ming''s peak damage.
Because just before drawing the sword, his attack power was still based on the previous round''s E-grade Sword Draw 200% attack power boost.
Now, after using the D-grade Sword Draw, his attack power had increased from 342 to 570!
This meant that the next time Lu Ming used Sword Draw, it would be his peak damage level at this stage!
Thus, after waiting for the one-minute skill cooldown.
Lu Ming locked onto another Saber-toothed Tiger.
Swish!
D-grade Sword Draw¡ª
-27840!
[Ding~ Killed level 31 Savage Saber-toothed Tiger, Experience Points +710!]
Instant kill!
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Chapter 57 - Silver Boss Summoning Scroll!
Original text:
```
18th-level Trickster, a skill that instantly kills a 31st-level full-health monster.
Lu Ming''s Sword Draw dealt an astonishing 27,000+ damage, leaving the nearby 30th-level players, who were teaming up to hunt saber-toothed tigers, questioning their life choices!
At the same time, as the quality of the Sword Draw skill improved, the attack damage of the Undead Legion, including Lin Youwei, also increased significantly.
Boom!
With a single Fireball spell from Lin Youwei, she dealt 4,535 damage to a saber-toothed tiger ahead.
Her small mouth opened wide again, her eyes filled with surprise.
"Oh my god! How did my damage increase so much?"
If it were a 30th-level mage dealing such damage to a monster of the same level, it might not be surprising. But Lin Youwei was only a 17th-level little mage!
This left the surrounding 30th-level men, who could only deal one or two thousand damage to the saber-toothed tigers, utterly embarrassed...
"Fing hell! What kind of damage are those two dealing? Is this the damage a teenager can do? Must be fully equipped with gold gear, right?!"
"Fuck! Report! I want to report someone for cheating!!"
...
The War Tread with a twenty-fold increase could provide teammates with a 400%+ fixed 1,840 attack power boost.
As Lu Ming''s attack power increased from 342 to 570, the attack power boost for the Undead Warriors increased from 3,208 to 4,120!
Such a massive attack boost made the Undead Warriors'' slaying even more bloodthirsty and brutal!
At this moment, the prefixes should be switched:
Brutal Undead Warriors vs. Weak Saber-toothed Tigers!
"This infinite growth skill is really strong!"
Lu Ming was glad he didn''t sell this skill back then.
He couldn''t imagine that at just level 18, he already had a D-level skill!
In his previous life, even at level 200, all his skills were only D-level!
So next, Lu Ming continued to engage in battle.
With Lin Youwei''s 200% drop rate boost, by around five in the afternoon, they had already collected two thousand tiger pelts!
Lu Ming and Lin Youwei each had a thousand pelts, enough to complete the tenth tier of the [Collect Tiger Pelts] quest.
The only downside was that the collection progress of the Summoning Scroll Fragments was only around 700 pieces.
Although it was enough to synthesize a Bronze BOSS-level Summoning Scroll, Lu Ming''s goal wasn''t bronze, but silver!
A Bronze-level BOSS could at most drop Bronze Equipment.
But a Silver-level BOSS, with a bit of luck, had a chance to drop Silver Equipment!
Yes, that''s right, Lu Ming wanted to collect fragments to synthesize a Silver BOSS Summoning Scroll not to sell it, but to use it himself!
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The reason Summoning Scrolls were so valuable was that the elite monsters or BOSS summoned by these scrolls were considered "first kills" by the system, unlike naturally respawning wild monsters.
As everyone knows, the first kill of a BOSS has the highest drop rate and is the most valuable, with subsequent kills decreasing in value.
"With Lin Youwei''s 200% drop rate boost, taking down a Silver-level BOSS first kill should make dropping a Silver Equipment not too difficult."
Lu Ming analyzed, "Any random Silver Equipment drop would be worth more than selling the scroll for a hundred thousand."
Therefore, Lu Ming didn''t plan to leave the Western Farm just yet.
Instead, he continued to farm saber-toothed tigers with Lin Youwei to collect Summoning Scroll Fragments.
By seven in the evening, they finally gathered a thousand pieces!
Lu Ming gathered all the fragments.
[Ding~ Congratulations on obtaining a Silver BOSS-level Summoning Scroll!]
The scroll, worth a hundred thousand, felt heavy in his hand.
[Silver BOSS-level Summoning Scroll] (Special Item)
[Description: Upon use, summons a level 30 Silver BOSS-level Saber-toothed Tiger King for ten minutes.]
Lu Ming didn''t use the scroll immediately.
Because the BOSS''s existence time was only ten minutes.
With the current strength of the Undead Legion, they might not be able to handle a level 30 Silver BOSS, and if things went wrong, it would be an irreparable loss!
So, to be safe, Lu Ming planned to wait until he reached level 20 and upgraded all three talents to Lv3 before using the scroll.
Just as Lu Ming was thinking about this, Lin Youwei said, "Nether brother, it''s almost seven, should I go back and cook?"
"Let''s not cook tonight," Lu Ming said. "Let''s go back together, I''ll take you out to eat."
Lin Youwei thought Lu Ming was impatient because it was late and said, "It''s okay, Nether brother, I can quickly stir-fry a couple of dishes and buy some ready-made food from the market, and we can have dinner soon!"
"Always eating out is too wasteful..."
Lu Ming was indeed impatient.
But not because he was hungry, but because there was a task to do after dinner.
According to the settings, a single player could only synthesize one Summoning Scroll in their lifetime.
Lu Ming planned to have Lin Youwei synthesize one as well when the time came.
Two Silver-level BOSSes, double the value!
So, Lu Ming planned to go online immediately after dinner and continue farming scroll fragments with Lin Youwei.
Seeing Lin Youwei worrying about money, Lu Ming said, "It''s fine, I''ll treat you."
The two returned to Starlight City.
Before logging off, they found the tailor shop owner Alai to submit the quest.
The previous level 30 quest rewarded Lu Ming with an E-level skill scroll worth twenty thousand, and Lin Youwei even got an ultra-rare Silver Equipment reward!
Therefore, Lu Ming had some expectations this time as well.
After submitting a thousand tiger pelts to Alai, the system''s pleasant notification sounded in his ear.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the quest "Collect Tiger Pelts," receiving the tenth tier quest reward: Experience Points +450,000, Silver Coins +9, Bronze Equipment Tiger Pelt Coat +1! Trickster E-level Skill Scroll Gale Speed +1!]
Lu Ming was slightly disappointed.
He didn''t get the Silver Equipment he was hoping for.
However, getting another E-level skill scroll was still quite nice!
Lu Ming checked and found that Gale Speed''s effect was to form an array that increased the attack speed and movement speed of all allies within the area.
"Currently, the biggest weakness of the Undead Warriors is their slow speed, making them too sluggish against higher-level opponents. This skill can perfectly compensate for that weakness!"
However, to learn this skill, Lu Ming needed to reach level 20 and unlock the fourth skill slot.
So, he temporarily put the skill scroll in his bag.
As for the level 18 Bronze Equipment Tiger Pelt Coat, although it was much stronger than the level 8 Black Iron Equipment Moon Demon Cloak he was wearing, replacing the Moon Demon Cloak would disrupt the Moon Demon set skill [Mana Recovery].
Moreover, he was about to reach level 20 and switch to the [Soul Set].
So, Lu Ming decisively listed the Tiger Pelt Coat in the auction house for eight thousand.
Since he couldn''t use it, it was better to convert it into money and keep it in his pocket for peace of mind!
Meanwhile, the accumulated experience points from killing saber-toothed tigers, plus the 450,000 experience points from the quest reward, leveled up Lu Ming!
[Ding~ Congratulations on leveling up... Current level 19, next level requires 2 million experience points!]
Just one step away from level 20!
As for Lin Youwei.
Her luck wasn''t as good this time as it was last time.
Like Lu Ming, she only got a Bronze Equipment and an E-level skill scroll.
She was still so innocent, keeping only the Silver Coins and handing over the equipment and skill scroll to Lu Ming immediately.
Lu Ming accepted everything.
Because in his eyes, Lin Youwei''s purpose was to bring in wealth.
She didn''t need to be too strong.
And the resources on her shouldn''t be too abundant.
After completing the quest, the two logged off.
As soon as Lin Youwei logged off, she went downstairs to buy groceries.
Lu Ming transferred a thousand yuan to her on WeChat.
"Why is Nether brother transferring money to me? I have money!" Lin Youwei asked in surprise.
Lu Ming replied, "For buying groceries."
Although he needed to control Lin Youwei''s little treasury, he wouldn''t skimp on her meal money!
Otherwise, he would be nothing but a gigolo!
Lu Ming knew Lin Youwei was a little miser.
She didn''t refuse and accepted the transfer.
"Thank you, Nether brother!"
Then she sent another message asking, "By the way, Nether brother, do you drink? Should I bring you a bottle of beer?"
Since he didn''t need to personally handle the maps at night with the Undead Legion, Lu Ming said, "Sure, bring me a bottle of Wusu."
"Okay!"
Lu Ming lay on the bed to rest for a while.
Unknowingly, he dozed off...
When he was awakened by a knock on the door, Lin Youwei had already prepared dinner.
In the living room, the table was set with cold dishes, roast duck, fried peanuts, and smashed cucumbers.
All perfect for drinking.
Lu Ming sat down and started drinking and eating.
After dinner, Lin Youwei quietly cleaned up, without needing Lu Ming to lift a finger.
In his previous life, 365 days a year, even when sick, Lu Ming would rush to cook for and take care of Ye Ling''er.
Lu Ming experienced for the first time: being taken care of felt so wonderful!
At eight in the evening, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei each returned to their rooms and logged back in.
In Starlight City, the level 30 tasks were only [Hunt Scorpions] and [Collect Tiger Pelts].
Higher-level tasks, around level 35-40, were a bit too challenging for Lu Ming at the moment and not suitable to tackle now.
So, this was perfect for focusing on farming saber-toothed tigers and collecting Summoning Scroll Fragments before reaching level 20.
Just as Lu Ming was about to head to the Western Farm with Lin Youwei, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight...
"Isn''t that White Tiger''s girlfriend, Qinqin?"
Lu Ming saw a hot-bodied 16th-level archer girl in a corner of the city, hugging and kissing a male player.
And that male player wasn''t White Tiger.
```
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Chapter 58 - Qin Churan, a three-year agreement!
"Hubby, there are so many people here! It''s so embarrassing!"
"What are you afraid of? Come on, let me kiss you again!"
"Oh no, Ah Hu is about to come looking for me. It wouldn''t be good if he saw us. Hubby, you should leave quickly!"
"What an annoying guy. When is he going to leave?"
"I don''t know. He should be heading back to Shanghai in a few days!"
"Alright, I''ll wait a bit longer."
As they spoke, the man gave Qinqin a hard kiss on the neck before reluctantly leaving.
Not long after, White Tiger came over from another direction.
Qinqin naturally linked arms with White Tiger, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened, and they headed out of the city together.
White Tiger was completely unaware that the woman by his side had already made him a cuckold. He didn''t even know that the man flirting with Qinqin was standing in a nearby shadow, watching them while savoring the lingering taste on his lips...
Lu Ming originally didn''t want to get involved.
But Ye Ling''er''s betrayal made Lu Ming despise all those who were unfaithful in love.
So, Lu Ming sent a brief WeChat message to Qin Churan: "Remind White Tiger to keep an eye on his girlfriend."
After that, Lu Ming didn''t bother with the matter anymore.
He continued on with Lin Youwei, heading towards the Western Farm.
Upon arriving at the farm, he summoned all the Undead Warriors and gave them the order to hunt monsters.
To level up to 20 as soon as possible and synthesize a second summoning scroll, they had to work overtime tonight.
Previously, they would log off around ten every night.
Tonight, they grinded until midnight!
Finally, Lin Youwei managed to collect 1,000 Summoning Scroll Fragments, synthesizing a complete Silver BOSS-level Summoning Scroll!
Lin Youwei handed the scroll to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming checked his level: 19, 63%.
"Still a bit short... Oh well, let''s continue tomorrow."
With that in mind, Lu Ming recalled all the Undead Warriors and left the Western Farm with Lin Youwei.
As they approached Starlight City, they passed through a forest.
From within the forest, a faint cry for help could be heard.
"Please spare me, bro! I won''t dare do it again!"
"Help! Help..."
When Lu Ming followed the sound, he saw under the cover of darkness, in the woods, a black-clad assassin raised his knife and swiftly slit the throat of a man in front of him.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
As the slashed man fell to the ground, the black-clad assassin turned his head under the moonlight.
As Lu Ming locked eyes with him, he realized that the assassin was none other than White Tiger!
At this moment, White Tiger wore a slightly weary and bittersweet smile as he said to Lu Ming, "Thanks for the heads-up."
Only then did Lu Ming realize that the man White Tiger had killed was the same one he had seen earlier in Starlight City, flirting with Qinqin!
White Tiger walked up to Lu Ming, looked at him, and said somewhat weakly, "Can we talk?"
Lu Ming looked at Lin Youwei, "You go ahead."
Lin Youwei glanced at White Tiger, then at Lu Ming, and nodded, "Alright!"
Once Lin Youwei left, escorted by ten Undead Warriors, Lu Ming thought White Tiger would talk about his situation with Qinqin.
But unexpectedly, White Tiger didn''t seem to care about that at all.
Instead, he led Lu Ming to a nearby graveyard.
Following White Tiger''s gaze, Lu Ming saw a solitary figure moving among a group of level 35 corpses in the dark, lifeless cemetery.
Lu Ming realized that the figure was Qin Churan!
Swipe, swipe, swipe!
Amidst the flashes of blades and shadows, the level 33 fourth-tier assassin Qin Churan swiftly executed several zombies around her.
Without any rest, she took a potion to recover and immediately engaged in the next battle.
"In the eyes of outsiders, Ranran, as the younger sister of the captain of the seventh-ranked God Slayer team in Great Xia, and a daughter of the prestigious Qin family in Beijing, is someone many admire."
"But in reality, she is just a facade of glamour. Behind the scenes, she is the most pitiful and unfortunate person in this world."
Gazing at the solitary figure in the cemetery, White Tiger''s eyes were filled with stories.
"Ranran was abandoned by the Qin family since childhood. In the orphanage, she was ostracized and bullied because of her introverted nature. Only I, A Long, Xiao Wu, and Lao Zhu didn''t despise her and always protected and accompanied her."
"When she finally grew up, she was taken back by the Qin family to be used as a tool for a family marriage."
Hearing this, Lu Ming felt a slight tremor in his heart.
He never expected Qin Churan to have such a tumultuous past.
White Tiger continued, "Three years!"
"If within three years, Ranran doesn''t lead a team to break through and enter the top 100 of the Great Xia rankings, she will have to marry that fool Wang Long from the Wang family in Beijing."
"Do you know how foolish that guy is? He once climbed onto someone''s car on the street, took off his pants, and did a 360-degree spin while defecating, then smeared it on people''s faces..."
As White Tiger finished speaking, Lu Ming''s body suddenly tensed, and his expression turned extremely unpleasant.
In his memory, in his past life, he had finally managed to make something of himself and planned to take Ye Ling''er to Beijing to develop their future.
Unexpectedly, on the very first day in Beijing, while walking down the street, he was inexplicably smeared with feces!
"Damn it!"
"So it was him!"
"Fuck!"
Seeing Lu Ming''s furious expression, White Tiger assumed Lu Ming was empathizing and couldn''t help but say, "You think it''s bizarre too, right?"
Thinking of that scene, White Tiger couldn''t help but hold his forehead.
"If Ranran marries such a fool, her life will be ruined!"
"There are still two and a half years left. I''ve already decided that if Ranran doesn''t achieve her goal by then, I''ll risk my life to take down that fool from the Wang family! I won''t let Ranran marry him!"
White Tiger''s eyes were filled with determination.
At this moment, Lu Ming finally understood why Qin Churan was so eager to recruit him.
Creating a team that ranks in the top 100 of the Great Xia rankings is no easy task.
Especially within just three years, it''s almost like reaching for the stars!
But in Lu Ming''s view... this might actually be a great opportunity!
"It seems my previous worry that you might not betray your brother for me, given your close sibling relationship, was unnecessary."
No wonder last time when Lu Ming exposed her brother''s shortcomings in front of Qin Churan, she reacted so strongly.
Lu Ming thought she was defending her brother, but it turned out she simply didn''t want to hear others mention him!
Perhaps one day, if Lu Ming had Qin Churan kill her brother with her own hands, she might even feel relieved!
"That scene would definitely be spectacular, wouldn''t it?" Lu Ming even began to look forward to it.
"Ranran works harder than anyone else, but relying solely on her own efforts is far from enough."
Saying this, White Tiger looked at Lu Ming and said, "Brat, we all have high hopes for you. You must help Ranran! It''s also for the both of you. After all, only by dealing with that fool from the Wang family can you two have a future!"
"After Ranran was taken back by the Qin family, she never forgot us four brothers. Without Ranran, we wouldn''t be where we are now."
"So, I''m putting it out there. During this process, if there''s anything you need us brothers to do, just say the word! We''ll go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Buy one, get four?
And four free top-tier fighters?
Lu Ming was delighted.
This deal was too good to pass up!
So, Lu Ming confidently said, "Don''t worry, leave it to me."
White Tiger nodded, "With your promise, that''s enough!"
At this point, Lu Ming changed the topic.
He asked, "What are your plans with your girlfriend?"
White Tiger smiled and said, "What plans? Marry her, of course!"
Lu Ming was incredulous.
Even a ninja turtle wouldn''t be this tolerant!
"You don''t understand."
White Tiger said earnestly, "Back in my hometown in Cloud State, there''s an old lady with mobility issues. I can''t take care of her, so Qinqin has always been there, tirelessly taking care of her for me."
"Everyone makes mistakes, right? It''s partly my fault too. Over the years, when Qinqin was sick, caught a cold, had a fever, or was bullied, I was never there for her when she needed me the most, which gave others an opportunity."
"And just now, Qinqin already apologized to me, crying and begging me not to leave her. No matter what, Qinqin is the woman I must marry in this lifetime!"
Lu Ming suddenly understood that White Tiger''s feelings for Qinqin might not be love, but gratitude.
After parting ways with White Tiger, Lu Ming returned to Starlight City and logged off.
The next morning.
Whoosh!
Lu Ming drew back the curtains, basking in the morning sunlight.
He woke up the still-sleeping Lin Youwei and took her downstairs for breakfast.
"Today''s goal is to reach level 20 and make our way to the black market."
Just as Lu Ming was planning this.
Knock, knock!
Qin Churan suddenly sent a WeChat message.
"Do you know where Ah Hu went?"
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Chapter 59 - Qinqins betrayal, the White Tiger falls into the trap!
Lu Ming suddenly realized that when he was "spying" on Qin Churan at the mass grave last night, she must have noticed him with White Tiger.
Lu Ming replied, "After we parted last night, I logged off."
"What, he''s missing?"
"Yes," Qin Churan was very anxious. "He went silent last night, and this morning he''s nowhere to be found. He doesn''t reply to messages either. I don''t know where he went."
From last night''s conversation with White Tiger, Lu Ming understood how much Qinglong, Xuanwu, White Tiger, and Rosefinch meant to Qin Churan.
So right now, this was a chance to show himself and win Qin Churan''s favor!
Thus, Lu Ming asked in the [Tianxuan] team group, "Brothers, has anyone seen a level 50 Assassin with the ID White Tiger near Starlight City?"
It was indeed a large group with nearly twenty thousand members.
Asking in the group was more effective than searching online.
Soon, several fans who loved chatting in the group all day responded.
"Is it the one with the big national emblem?"
"Wow, I saw him too! A level 50 national server rank 98 Assassin in our little Starlight City! Terrifying!"
"Not long ago, I just returned to the city after an all-nighter and saw this person heading south."
Lu Ming took a screenshot of this information and sent it to Qin Churan.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Qin Churan received the message, logged in, and angrily tagged White Tiger in the [Ran Ran Little Princess] group: "How dare you not reply to messages, you better have a good reason! Or you''re dead!"
Finally, White Tiger replied in the group, "Qinqin went missing last night. I''ve been looking for her all night. Just found out she was kidnapped. I have to rescue her."
[Rosefinch]: "Why didn''t you tell us earlier? Do you consider us brothers?"
[Xuanwu]: "Report your location, we''ll be there immediately!"
[White Tiger]: "No need, I can handle it alone."
[Orient Loong God]: "We just arrived in Jiang Province, and your girlfriend gets kidnapped. Don''t you think it''s too much of a coincidence?"
[Qin Churan]: "I also find this suspicious. Ah Hu, don''t act rashly on your own. Wait for us to join you!"
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[White Tiger]: "If I wait, Qinqin will be in danger. I said I can handle it, you don''t need to come."
After sending this message, White Tiger stopped speaking in the group.
When Qin Churan logged in, she found not only White Tiger missing but also Qinglong, Xuanwu, and Rosefinch had gone silent!
"Great! You all treat me like an outsider, huh!"
On the other side.
Qinglong, Xuanwu, and Rosefinch were heading south of Starlight City.
"According to what the bystanders saw, it should be this direction."
"Think about who we''ve offended recently. How could Ah Hu''s girl get kidnapped?"
"Could it be Dragon Soul?"
They recalled the time they killed Dragon Soul Tian Ni and the group of Dragon Soul players, and couldn''t help but feel a chill in their hearts.
Because they knew Dragon Soul was no ordinary team.
They were ranked sixth on the Great Xia team national leaderboard, a top-tier team far above Tianxuan and God Slayer in strength and status!
"We always knew the Dragon Soul gang was tough to deal with, but we made sure to leave no survivors. How could Dragon Soul know it was us who killed their people?"
"Let''s not worry about that now. If this is really a trap set by Dragon Soul, Ah Hu is in danger! We must find Ah Hu quickly!"
South of Starlight City.
In the wilderness, Lv50 Despair Fortress.
White Tiger arrived alone.
Entering the dark fortress, he saw a middle-aged warrior clad in gilded armor standing ahead.
The man had hidden his ID.
His skin was dark, eyes sharp, and face fierce.
At first glance, he looked like an escaped convict with dozens of lives on his hands.
The golden glow of his equipment made White Tiger''s expression change.
"Damn! Gilded gear..."
Even as the 98th ranked Assassin in the Great Xia server, White Tiger only had a full set of golden gear.
The person before him was clearly extraordinary!
At the same time, the man held a gilded Guan Dao, pressing it against the neck of an Archer girl.
When White Tiger saw that the Archer girl was Qinqin, his heart skipped a beat!
"Ah Hu! Save me, Ah Hu!"
Qinqin cried out to White Tiger.
"Don''t be afraid, Qinqin, I''m here!"
As soon as White Tiger finished speaking.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
From all directions, a large group of players with IDs prefixed by [Dragon Soul], all level 50 six-turn players, charged out!
"Take him down."
With the command from the warrior holding the Guan Dao, the surrounding Dragon Soul team players rushed at White Tiger!
Seeing Qinqin in danger, White Tiger''s eyes filled with killing intent.
"Touch my wife, and you''re dead!"
As he spoke, White Tiger brandished his golden dagger.
In the instant when the enemy Archer and Mage''s ranged attacks were about to land, he vanished like a phantom.
Dodging all attacks, he moved like lightning through the crowd.
-55864! Critical hit!
-56398! Critical hit!
-27713!
-55992! Critical hit!
...
Amidst a series of agonized screams.
In an instant, several Dragon Soul players fell to the ground.
They were the elite of the Dragon Soul team.
But in front of the 98th ranked Assassin in the national server, they were no match!
Just as White Tiger was slaughtering his way through.
In a brief pause, he suddenly sensed a powerful force approaching from behind.
White Tiger instinctively turned around, only to see a gleaming large blade coming at him with earth-shattering force!
Unable to dodge, White Tiger raised his dagger to block.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, as an Assassin, White Tiger clearly couldn''t withstand such a powerful attack, and he was knocked back several steps.
The blade struck the ground, sending a chilling light spreading from beneath White Tiger''s feet.
White Tiger felt his speed significantly reduced.
This strike, dealing over 50,000 damage, caused White Tiger''s health bar to drop drastically.
The hand holding the dagger trembled uncontrollably!
White Tiger looked up, staring intently at the warrior holding the Guan Dao.
Just one strike was enough for White Tiger to realize the vast difference in strength between himself and the opponent!
At first glance, White Tiger guessed the opponent was strong.
But he didn''t expect him to be this strong!
Yet, seeing Qinqin in grave danger behind him.
Even when facing an unbeatable enemy, White Tiger didn''t retreat an inch.
Clenching his teeth.
Whoosh!
His figure moved like a phantom, charging at the opponent.
Taking advantage of the opponent''s sidestep to dodge an attack, White Tiger suddenly brushed past him, moving towards Qinqin!
Qinqin was his real target.
Slash, slash!
Two strikes took down two Dragon Soul warriors guarding Qinqin, and White Tiger grabbed Qinqin''s wrist.
"Come with me!"
White Tiger was about to escape with Qinqin.
Qinqin suddenly broke free from his grasp.
Just as White Tiger turned around.
Thud!
An [Ice Arrow] shot from Qinqin''s hand, piercing through White Tiger''s chest.
A level 16 Archer''s damage wasn''t high, but the 0.7-second freeze control from the F-grade Ice Arrow was unavoidable.
Before White Tiger could break free from the freeze control, the surrounding Dragon Soul players swarmed in, cutting White Tiger down in an instant.
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Chapter 60 - National Server 39 Warrior, Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
"Qinqin, you..."
White Tiger, who had been knocked to the ground and held by two Dragon Soul warriors, lifted his head and stared incredulously at Qinqin standing before him.
Qinqin, shedding her previous pitiful demeanor, transformed in an instant into a regal princess.
Looking down at White Tiger, her eyes were filled with coldness and disdain.
"Zhang Hu, I''m telling you, I haven''t liked you for a long time!"
"I waited for you in Cloud State for two years, and when I was sick or bullied, where were you? I even had to take care of that old woman for you! I''m tired of it, I''ve had enough!"
"I''m so young and beautiful, with a great figure, while you''re ugly, poor, and pathetic. What makes you think you deserve me? Just because you''re a national standard Assassin? What can a national standard do? Can it give me the life I want?"
White Tiger''s eyes widened; he couldn''t believe these words were coming from Qinqin''s mouth.
"I admit, I haven''t cared for you enough over the years, and it''s thanks to you taking care of my grandma in Cloud State that I could focus on developing in Shanghai,"
"But in Shanghai, I''ve been constantly working hard to earn money, to give you a better life in the future!"
Qinqin snorted coldly, "But no matter how hard you try, what''s the use? Some things can''t be achieved just by effort in this lifetime!"
With that, Qinqin walked over to the warrior holding a Guan Yu blade, affectionately linking her arm with his.
She coquettishly asked him, "How was my performance just now?"
The man smiled faintly, "Beautiful."
"So, can I be your girlfriend now?"
"You can."
White Tiger''s face was filled with disbelief and despair, "So, this was all a setup..."
Just then, the man walked over.
He stepped on White Tiger''s face, leaned down, and stared at him, speaking in a deep voice, "Do you know who I am?"
As he spoke, he opened his status panel, revealing the hidden ID above his head¡ª
[Dragon Soul Guan Yu] (Lv50 Sixth-turn Warrior ¡¤ Great Xia National Server Warrior Leaderboard Rank 39)!
Rank 39 on the National Server Warrior Leaderboard!!!
Seeing this golden national standard, a look of shock flashed in White Tiger''s eyes.
No wonder the opponent''s earlier strike almost instantly killed him!
Level 50, Rank 39 on the national server, was far superior to his Rank 98!
Although both were on the national server, they were on completely different levels!
At this moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu stared at White Tiger, his piercing gaze filled with anger, "Do you know who the Dragon Soul Tian Ni you killed in the Barbarian Tribe the other day was?"
"A person so easily betrayed by the woman he loved most, living such a failed life, where did you find the courage to kill my brother Guan Yu?"Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"Today, this will be your burial ground!"
With that, Dragon Soul Guan Yu raised his Guan Yu blade.
Just as he was about to strike down and decapitate White Tiger.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Suddenly, an endless rain of fire descended from the sky, engulfing a large area of the Despair Fortress.
The Dragon Soul players within the area were severely wounded by the overwhelming damage!
Under the long-range firepower suppression of the mage Rosefinch.
The warrior Orient Loong God, together with the knight Basalt, charged into the Despair Fortress, cutting down the Dragon Soul players blocking their path with an unstoppable force!
"Ah Hu, don''t worry! We''re here!"
Seeing his three good brothers arrive, White Tiger didn''t know whether to cry or laugh.
"I told you not to come, I can handle this..."
"Handle my ass!" Basalt knocked down a low-health Dragon Soul warrior player with his shield and said to White Tiger, "You''re the one being handled!"
Swish!
Orient Loong God pointed his Qinggang Sword at the ground, "We agreed, the four of us brothers, live and die together!"
"Live and die together, huh!" Dragon Soul Guan Yu laughed coldly, his eyes chilling, "Since you''re all here, let''s send you all to the afterlife together!"
As Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s words fell.
Clang!
The rear gate of the Despair Fortress suddenly closed.
At the same time, countless Dragon Soul team players charged out from within the fortress!
Everyone was uniformly Level 50 Sixth-turn, fully equipped with Level 50 Bronze Equipment!
Seeing this, Rosefinch frowned, "It seems they''ve prepared thoroughly this time, just waiting for us to come!"
Whoosh!
With the Qinggang Sword in hand, Orient Loong God''s eyes burned with determination, "Then let''s fight them till the sky turns dark!"
Basalt planted his heavy shield on the ground, shouting, "If you don''t let me have a few kills this time, I''ll fight you all!"
"Kill them."
With Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s order.
Hundreds of Dragon Soul team Sixth-turn players charged at Orient Loong God and his group with overwhelming force...
Boom!
The clear sky suddenly rumbled with thunder, and rain began to pour.
Clatter!
The sky was instantly covered with dark clouds.
Rain poured down in torrents.
A slender figure ran through the storm.
Even when she fell, she quickly got up and continued forward.
Qin Churan''s heart was in turmoil.
She seemed to have foreseen something.
"Ah Long, Ah Hu, Xiao Wu, Lao Zhu, you must be safe!"
The intense unease quickened Qin Churan''s pace.
The rain poured down.
When Qin Churan arrived at the outskirts of the Despair Fortress, she saw the massive city shrouded in darkness, with flames soaring into the sky!
The sounds of fierce battle cries and screams echoed through the air.
But as Qin Churan rushed forward and pushed open the tightly closed city gate with all her might, everything fell silent.
The vast city was filled with corpses, rivers of blood flowing.
Thud!
As a sharp blade pierced through a body.
The last sliver of health above Basalt''s head was drained, and he fell heavily to the ground, collapsing into a pool of blood right before Qin Churan''s eyes.
At the same time, Rosefinch was also pierced by countless arrows, meeting the same fate.
"Xiao Wu!"
"Lao Zhu!"
Watching the scene unfold before her, Qin Churan let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Orient Loong God cut down a Dragon Soul player with his sword, looked towards Qin Churan, and shouted, "Run! Ranran! Run!"
"Run!"
The next second, with his health and mana nearly depleted, Orient Loong God, already at the end of his strength, was decapitated by Dragon Soul Guan Yu, his body falling to the ground.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu stepped over Orient Loong God''s corpse, his gaze icy, dragging his Guan Yu blade as he approached Qin Churan step by step.
The only one left, White Tiger, cried out in agony, "I''m sorry, brothers, I got you killed..."
"I''m sorry... let''s be brothers in the next life!"
With that, White Tiger released dozens of shadow clones, charging at Dragon Soul Guan Yu to buy Qin Churan time.
Slash!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu unleashed a sweeping strike, shattering all the clones in an instant.
With a single thrust, he pierced the heart of the real White Tiger, who had leaped up to attack.
"Ranran... run..."
With his heart pierced by the sharp blade, it stopped beating.
White Tiger''s life ended at that moment.
Qin Churan watched as these four people, who were not related by blood but were closer than family, who had protected, tolerated, and cared for her since childhood, died before her eyes, unable to hold back her heart-wrenching cries.
And after killing White Tiger, eliminating the last obstacle.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu had no intention of stopping.
Dragging his long blade, he continued to approach Qin Churan.
Qin Churan turned her grief and hatred into strength.
As she looked up at Dragon Soul Guan Yu, her cold eyes filled with endless killing intent.
Grabbing a dagger, she charged straight at Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
Clang!
Just as Qin Churan entered the attack range.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu planted his long blade on the ground, unleashing a shockwave of blade light around him.
Before Qin Churan could get close, she was blown away by the blade light.
She crashed to the ground, her full health bar instantly reduced to a sliver.
A Level 33 ordinary Assassin.
A Level 50 National Server Rank 39 Warrior.
The two were on completely different levels, their strength worlds apart.
Blood trickled from the corner of Qin Churan''s mouth.
But she did not yield; instead, her eyes burned with even more intense killing intent.
"I''ll fight you to the death!"
Facing her, Dragon Soul Guan Yu sneered, "Overestimating yourself."
Just as Qin Churan was about to go all out against Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
Buzz!
Several blood-red marks suddenly appeared on Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s chest.
As Dragon Soul Guan Yu looked down at the marks on his chest, unsure of their origin.
Four Undead Warriors suddenly charged from both sides, flashing in front of Dragon Soul Guan Yu in an instant.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
Four Soul Shatters simultaneously erupted on Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
Seeing that these fierce Undead Warriors only inflicted a few insignificant 1000-point damages on him, a look of disdain flashed in Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes.
"Courting death."
Slash!
With a swift move of Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s long blade, he instantly killed all four Undead Warriors!
However, after dealing with these Undead Warriors, when he looked ahead, Dragon Soul Guan Yu realized that the female Assassin Qin Churan had disappeared without a trace...
Dragon Soul Guan Yu squinted his eyes.
"Trying to escape?"
"Not so easy!"
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Chapter 61 - Trapped, venomous snake cave
Boom...
The sky was covered with dark clouds, lightning and thunder roaring.
Daytime seemed like night.
Amidst the storm, two figures quickly darted into a cave.
Qin Churan broke free from Lu Ming''s hand, crying as she questioned him, "Why did you save me?"
Lu Ming, not one to indulge Qin Churan, pointed to the cave entrance and said, "Fine, then go back, take a right when you exit."
Qin Churan suddenly burst into tears.
Lu Ming moved to the cave entrance, looking outside, a hint of worry in his eyes.
His level was low, and he was too slow. If he ran, he definitely couldn''t outrun those level 50 players from Dragon Soul.
So he had to hide for now.
Just as he was worried that Qin Churan''s unrestrained crying might attract the Dragon Soul players, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the cave!
Lu Ming quickly pulled back, covering Qin Churan''s mouth with lightning speed, pressing her against the stone wall.
Qin Churan''s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Lu Ming.
Before she could react, voices came from outside the cave:
"That God Slayer, Moon is only level 33, she can''t run fast, she must be nearby, search carefully!"
"We''ll go this way, you guys go that way, split up and search!"
"Yes!"
As the footsteps gradually faded away.
The close proximity made Lu Ming clearly feel Qin Churan''s accelerated heartbeat.
However, Lu Ming felt something strange.
"I was clearly covering her mouth, so why can I feel her heartbeat?"
"Huh? What''s this soft thing?"
Just as Lu Ming was puzzled, he realized his left hand was pressing on something soft, and it felt quite comfortable to squeeze, so he couldn''t help but squeeze it a couple more times.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
He instinctively looked down and was shocked to find his left hand was on Qin Churan''s chest...
Lu Ming quickly let go and stepped back.
Qin Churan turned her already flushed face away, awkwardly tidying her slightly disheveled clothes.
The air fell silent.
After a while, Qin Churan calmed down and said to Lu Ming, "I''m sorry, I was impulsive just now..."
"Thank you for saving me."
Lu Ming squatted at the cave entrance, observing the situation outside.
Qin Churan squatted down, burying her head and sobbing softly.
"When I was little, whenever someone bullied me, Xiao Wu would appear by my side to protect me,"
"When I was unhappy or sad, Xiao Hu would try everything to cheer me up,"
"Every time A Long went out, he would secretly bring me delicious food,"
"Old Zhu was a quiet one, but he gave all his tenderness to me..."
Qin Churan''s shoulders trembled slightly.
At this moment, she felt as if she had lost the whole world.
Lu Ming looked at Qin Churan and said, "Only by living can you have a chance for revenge."
Just as Qin Churan lifted her tear-streaked face to look at Lu Ming, ready to say something.
Suddenly, there was another commotion outside the cave!
"There''s a cave over there, let''s check inside, maybe they''re hiding in there!"
The two immediately tensed.
They looked towards the depths of the cave.
Inside, it was pitch black, like a gaping maw filled with endless danger.
Facing the threat closing in from behind, Lu Ming and Qin Churan hesitated for a moment, then resolutely ran deeper into the cave.
Meanwhile, outside the cave.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu personally led the chase.
Several Dragon Soul players casually checked inside the cave and, seeing no one, reported to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "Boss, there''s no one inside!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu entered the cave, looking at the damp ground, a large patch of footprints clearly visible, leading deeper into the cave.
He immediately understood.
"They''re in here."
Hearing this, his subordinates were about to rush in, but Dragon Soul Guan Yu stopped them, "No need to go in, we''ll just guard outside."
The surrounding underlings were puzzled, "What if they escape?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu leisurely checked the map.
"This place is called [Viper Cave], the terrain inside is complex, easy to defend and hard to attack, but this map has only one exit, right where we stand."
"If they want to come out, they must pass through this exit, unless they die inside or hide there forever."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu squinted, looking as if he had already secured Lu Ming and Qin Churan.
On the other side, Lu Ming and Qin Churan reached the depths of the cave.
In the dark, damp interior, they heard a rustling sound around them. Looking around, they found snakes everywhere¡ªon the ground, the stone walls, even above their heads!
In the darkness, countless pairs of glowing green eyes stared intently at them.
Lu Ming realized they had entered a level 42 map!
The level 42 vipers around them could very well take their lives at any moment!
Qin Churan''s face was pale.
It was clear she was afraid of snakes, yet she stubbornly held her silence.
Faced with the food delivered to their door, the vipers wouldn''t be polite.
In the darkness, several vipers flicked their tongues, making rustling sounds as they slithered towards Lu Ming and Qin Churan!
Swish!
Qin Churan drew her blade.
Lu Ming said, "Your level is too low, you can''t handle them."
Although Qin Churan was level 33, compared to these level 42 vipers, the gap was still significant.
Yet, even facing both psychological and physical pressure, Qin Churan didn''t back down in the slightest.
"Your level is even lower, you''ll die faster if you go."
Qin Churan, eyes blazing, stared at the approaching vipers and said to Lu Ming, "I don''t like owing people."
"You saved me just now, this time, let me save you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Churan charged forward with her blade!
Swish swish swish swish!
Utilizing the speed advantage of an Assassin, Qin Churan swiftly slashed at a viper, launching a series of rapid attacks.
But, the damage of a level 33 Assassin was ultimately limited.
After a full combo of her highest burst, she barely took away a quarter of the viper''s health!
Instead, she was bitten by the viper, her health bar dropping by half, and with the venom corroding her, her health continued to deplete every second!
Qin Churan frowned slightly.
Anxiety surged in her heart, "No, my attack power is too low, and the snake''s damage is too high, I can''t withstand its attacks..."
Just as Qin Churan was at a loss on how to deal with this formidable opponent.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, two continuous auras burst from behind, rapidly spreading around, instantly covering Qin Churan''s position.
At the same time, Qin Churan received three combat notifications¡ª
[Ding~ You have received the War Tread skill effect bonus from player "Nether": Attack Power +4440!]
[Ding~ You have received the Life Barrier skill effect bonus from player "Nether": Shield per second +2345!]
[Ding~ You have received the Slay equipment skill effect bonus from player "Nether": Extra Damage +595!]
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Chapter 62 - Summon Silver BOSS, Extreme Sprint Level 20!
Qin Churan didn''t have time to carefully consider the value of these buffs.
Right in front of her eyes, the Viper, still with eighty percent of its health bar remaining, attacked.
She quickly gripped her dagger, adopting a do-or-die attitude, and charged at the Viper.
"I''m going all out with you!"
Just as Qin Churan was ready to fight the Viper to the death, she unexpectedly discovered that her attack dealt at least double the damage compared to before!
Slash, slash, slash!
-7395!
-7724!
-7498!
...
A series of combo attacks left the Viper severely injured.
Facing the Viper''s second attack, Qin Churan failed to dodge, and based on her previous injury, she thought she was doomed.
To her surprise, the Viper''s attack didn''t harm her at all; all the damage was absorbed by a silver shield enveloping her!
Moreover, the shield''s value was regenerating at an astonishing rate every second!
In shock, Qin Churan regained her confidence.
With the powerful formation buff from Lu Ming, she easily crossed nine levels and killed the level 42 Viper without much effort!
Once she snapped back to reality, Qin Churan turned to Lu Ming with an incredulous look: "How is your formation buff so strong?"
"Is it a talent buff? But your account talent shouldn''t be summoning-based, right?"
Qin Churan was puzzled.
She couldn''t imagine that Lu Ming was different from normal players who only had one talent.
His account had three talents!
And each talent was at the highest strength: ten-star level!
Lu Ming didn''t answer Qin Churan''s question but instead changed the subject: "Killing these monsters is pointless. Our priority is to find a way to fight our way out."
Lu Ming intentionally summoned an Undead Warrior to guard near the cave entrance.
Through shared vision, he had already seen the Dragon Soul players stationed outside the cave entrance.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
So, to get out, the only way was to fight their way out!
Qin Churan realized they were trapped in this cave by Dragon Soul.
Suddenly, a thought struck her: "Right! I''ll call for reinforcements!"
"Do they think only Dragon Soul has level 50 players? Doesn''t God Slayer have any?"
Lu Ming shook his head and said, "What you can think of, don''t you think they can too?"
"Why are they just guarding the entrance and not coming in?"
"Because this map has limitations, messages can''t be sent out."
Upon hearing this, Qin Churan tried and found she really couldn''t send messages, unable to contact the outside world!
So, to get out, they could only rely on themselves!
Qin Churan furrowed her brows and said, "Unfortunately, even with your formation buff, I''m still no match for the Dragon Soul players."
Indeed.
With Lu Ming''s formation enhancement, Qin Churan could handle level 40 monsters with no intelligence or tactics.
But facing the level 50 Dragon Soul players outside, who had advanced awareness and skills, she definitely couldn''t win.
After all, Lu Ming himself was only level 19.
His formation could allow a level 30 teammate to kill a level 40 enemy, which was already his limit at this stage.
To raise this limit, he had to break through to level 20!
Lu Ming had a bold idea in mind.
Once he reached level 20, he could equip the Bronze Soul Set and upgrade all three talents to Lv3!
For Lu Ming, it would be a qualitative leap!
By then, with the Undead Legion, he could directly counterattack out of this Viper Cave!
So now, the question arose.
"How can I quickly break through to level 20?"
Looking at his level 19 with 63% experience, Lu Ming was troubled.
Mainly because he was trapped in this cave, the only way for Lu Ming to gain experience was from these level 42 Vipers around him.
"With my own strength, I can''t kill level 42 monsters."
Lu Ming glanced at Qin Churan and murmured, "The level gap between us exceeds 10 levels. According to the Sky Abyss world''s settings, even if she weakens the Viper and leaves the final blow for me, I still can''t gain even 1 point of experience..."
Qin Churan turned back with a curious look at Lu Ming: "What are you mumbling about?"
Lu Ming pondered deeply, and suddenly, something flashed in his mind!
He opened his backpack and focused on the two Silver BOSS-level summoning scrolls inside!
"How much experience does a level 30 Silver BOSS give?" Lu Ming suddenly asked.
Though Qin Churan didn''t know what Lu Ming intended, she answered seriously: "I just happened to kill a level 33 Silver BOSS yesterday. Let me check the battle record... 500,000 experience."
"Based on that, a level 30 Silver BOSS should give around 400,000 to 450,000 experience."
Lu Ming opened the status panel and found that from level 19 to 20 required a total of 2,000,000 experience points, and he currently had 1,260,000!
He needed 740,000 more experience to level up.
If what Qin Churan said was true, then the experience from these two Silver BOSSes would be just enough for Lu Ming to reach level 20!
Originally, he was worried about lacking strength and planned to reach level 20 before safely taking on these two BOSSes.
But now, Lu Ming had no other choice.
Without hesitation, he crushed one of the scrolls.
As the scroll disappeared from his hand.
The next second.
Whoosh!
On a patch of empty ground in front of him, a blood-red barrier materialized, and then a massive level 30 Silver Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King BOSS appeared within the barrier!
Seeing this, Qin Churan was puzzled: "What... are you trying to do?"
Lu Ming looked at Qin Churan with determination and said, "I need you to do something for me."
"Help me intercept those Vipers, don''t let them interfere with me, okay?"
Seeing the hopeful look in Lu Ming''s eyes, Qin Churan suddenly felt a surge of strength throughout her body.
She stared blankly into Lu Ming''s eyes.
"Alright!"
"No problem, leave it to me!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Churan gripped her dagger, her figure like a phantom, darting towards the nearby Vipers.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Using the Art of Clones, she released several clones to attract all the Vipers that could threaten Lu Ming, using her nimble movements and extreme positioning to hold them off.
Qin Churan''s strength was indeed impressive.
Seeing Qin Churan holding off the Vipers, Lu Ming focused entirely on the level 30 Silver BOSS [Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King] in front of him.
[Ding~ Please note: The Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King will disappear in ten minutes. Please kill the BOSS within the time limit!]
With the system prompt, Lu Ming cast a Reconnaissance on the BOSS.
[Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King] (Lv30 Silver BOSS¡¤Physical Type)
[Physical Attack: 3500]
[Armor: 2800]
[Magic Resistance: 2460]
[Speed: 1760]
[Health Points: 288,000]
[Skills: Berserk Roar (D-level), Deadly Charge (E-level), Deadly Tear (E-level)...]
[Description: As the leader of the Saber-toothed Tiger clan, the Tiger King possesses a powerful bite force capable of easily tearing your body apart. If you don''t have enough strength, don''t attempt to solo the Tiger King...]
No wonder it''s a Silver BOSS!
These attributes are indeed extraordinarily strong!
Even a group of players over level 30 would struggle to contend with the Saber-toothed Tiger King!
But today.
At this moment.
In front of the 19-level Trickster Lu Ming.
"You must die!"
As he spoke, Lu Ming summoned the Undead Legion while reaching behind him.
D-level Sword Draw¡ª
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Chapter 63 - Dragon Soul Strikes!
Swish!
In the instant Lu Ming drew his sword, a shadow of the blade pierced through the body of the Saber-toothed Tiger King.
-29280!
Roar!
With a fierce roar, the Saber-toothed Tiger King''s health bar suddenly dropped by 10%, enraging it instantly as it charged towards Lu Ming with its massive jaws wide open!
On either side, the Undead Warriors summoned by Lu Ming, fortified with War Tread and Life Barrier, rushed towards the Saber-toothed Tiger King.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
Dozens of Soul Shatter attacks simultaneously erupted within the Saber-toothed Tiger King.
-2236!
-2236!
-2236!
...
The Saber-toothed Tiger King''s 2800 armor points were simply too high.
Even with the 4440 attack power boost from Lu Ming''s War Tread, the damage dealt by the Undead Warriors was quite limited.
Dozens of Soul Shatters combined only managed to deplete a tenth of the Saber-toothed Tiger King''s health.
Meanwhile, the Saber-toothed Tiger King unleashed its skill¡ªD-level Berserk Roar!
Roar¡ª
Accompanied by a continuous fierce roar, powerful sound waves erupted from the Saber-toothed Tiger King''s mouth.
All around, the Undead Warriors, stunned by the sound waves, saw damage numbers as high as 6000+ pop up above their heads!
Even with the protection of Lu Ming''s twentyfold enhanced E-level Life Barrier and the 14880 shield from Lu Ming''s tenfold health limit, the Undead Warriors couldn''t withstand such sustained damage.
In an instant, dozens of Undead Warriors around were all slain by the Saber-toothed Tiger King!
This formidable strength made Lu Ming break out in a cold sweat.
But at the same time, the Man-Eating Ant Hat''s Strong Acid Rebound effect was triggered, causing the Saber-toothed Tiger King to suffer 160% damage reflection while dealing damage to the Undead Warriors.
Accumulating over 200,000 points of reflected damage, the Saber-toothed Tiger King was instantly killed!
Boom!
As the massive body of the Saber-toothed Tiger King crashed to the ground.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
A pleasant system notification sounded in Lu Ming''s ear.
[Ding~ Killed level 30 Silver BOSS Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King, Experience Points +420000!]
Lu Ming was stunned.
"You can actually play like this?"
Just a moment ago, Lu Ming felt a bit regretful about the sacrifice of those dozen Undead Warriors.
But looking at it now, they died for a worthy cause!
It was truly unexpected; even the Silver-level BOSS itself probably didn''t anticipate such a hasty demise!
On the other side, when Qin Churan turned around and saw that the Silver-level BOSS, which had just been summoned, had vanished in the blink of an eye, she couldn''t help but widen her eyes.
"What the hell?"
"A level 30 Silver BOSS, taken out instantly??"
"Is it really that exaggerated..."
On Lu Ming''s side, after claiming the BOSS reward of 420,000 experience points, his experience bar shot up from 63% to 84%!
"It seems that if I take down another BOSS, I can safely level up to 20!"
With this thought, Lu Ming quickly looted the drops from the Saber-toothed Tiger King.
There was no time to carefully check what had dropped; he just threw everything into his bag.
Then he immediately crushed another Silver BOSS summoning scroll.
Whoosh!
As the barrier opened, a second Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King appeared.
Meanwhile, outside the Viper Cave.
The Dragon Soul players stationed at the entrance seemed to sense something unusual.
"Did you hear any sounds from inside just now?"
"Such intense roaring, and a slight tremor¡ªcould it be that they''re fighting the vipers inside?"
"This is a level 42 map; how could a mere level 30-something Assassin possibly kill a level 42 viper?"
"They probably won''t need us to act; the vipers inside will take care of them."
As everyone chatted and laughed.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu seemed to realize something, his expression suddenly turning serious.
"No, that''s not the sound of a snake; something''s happening inside!"
"Send a team in to check it out!"
"Yes!"
Deep within the cave.
With the second Silver-level BOSS Saber-toothed Tiger King summoned, Lu Ming intended to use the same method, sacrificing a dozen Undead Warriors to use the equipment passive Strong Acid Rebound to counter-kill the BOSS.
But unexpectedly, each Saber-toothed Tiger King seemed to share some sort of consciousness.
This Saber-toothed Tiger King seemed to understand the reflective damage trait of the Undead Warriors and stubbornly refused to use the AOE skill Berserk Roar!
Instead, it switched from offense to defense.
No longer launching fierce attacks, it used various defensive skills to withstand the attacks from the Undead Warriors!
Clearly, it was stalling for time.
Because if Lu Ming couldn''t kill it in ten minutes, it would escape.
"Didn''t expect this beast to be quite clever!"
Unfortunately, being clever wasn''t enough; it couldn''t withstand the onslaught of the Undead Legion.
Even if the Undead Legion wasn''t used, relying solely on Lu Ming''s once-per-minute Sword Draw, he could unleash ten Sword Draws in ten minutes.
With each Sword Draw dealing 29,000 damage, ten Sword Draws would be enough to kill the Saber-toothed Tiger King with over 280,000 health points!
However, Lu Ming wanted a quick victory, so he summoned all the Undead Warriors, employing a swarm tactic.
The Saber-toothed Tiger King refused to attack the Undead Warriors.
The damage from the Undead Warriors alone wasn''t enough to pose a significant threat to the Saber-toothed Tiger King.
Time wasn''t a concern; as long as the BOSS could be killed within ten minutes, it would be fine.
But during this slow-moving battle.
Lu Ming suddenly saw through the Shared Vision of the Undead Warriors guarding the cave entrance that Dragon Soul players had broken in!
The Undead Warriors didn''t even have time to escape and were instantly slaughtered by the Dragon Soul players!
Lu Ming''s brow furrowed immediately.
"They''re in!"
"Damn it..."
With the battle halfway through and unable to relocate, Lu Ming could only speed up, trying to finish off the Saber-toothed Tiger King before the Dragon Soul players arrived.
But he was ultimately a step too slow.
Hearing the commotion behind him.
Lu Ming turned to see a group of level 50 Dragon Soul players easily breaking through the defensive line formed by the Undead Warriors and charging in!
Seeing Lu Ming commanding the Undead Legion to besiege the Saber-toothed Tiger King in the cave, the Dragon Soul players couldn''t help but feel amazed.
"Really taking it easy, huh? At a time like this, this guy still has the mind to hide here and kill a BOSS? Is he planning to enjoy one last BOSS kill before dying?"
"Wait! In the level 42 Viper Cave, where did a level 30 Saber-toothed Tiger BOSS come from?"
"It must be a BOSS summoning scroll collected from the Western Farm!"
"This BOSS is worth a hundred thousand on the market! Let''s kill that Trickster and God Slayer, Moon, then call a few level 30 brothers to take this BOSS, and we''ll make a fortune!"
"Brothers, let''s go! Kill them!"
With these words.
The Dragon Soul players excitedly charged towards Lu Ming and Qin Churan.
In the face of danger, Qin Churan looked at Lu Ming: "Can you tell me what your plan is?"
"I don''t mind dying, but I don''t want to die without knowing why!"
While using Sword Draw and the Undead Legion to deplete the BOSS''s health, Lu Ming glanced at the anxious Qin Churan and said, "Take down the BOSS, level up to 20, and I can handle Dragon Soul."
As soon as Lu Ming said this.
Qin Churan didn''t doubt the truth of Lu Ming''s words at all!
"Alright, I''ll hold them off!"
With that, Qin Churan slashed the last remaining viper in front of her.
As if suddenly making a decision.
She turned, gripped her dagger tightly, and resolutely charged towards the Dragon Soul players, who were a full 17 levels above her!
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Chapter 64 - Comprehensive upgrade, three major talents Lv3!
Due to limited space, Lu Ming didn''t need too many Undead Warriors to kill the BOSS.
Over three hundred Undead Warriors, and Lu Ming sent two-thirds to intercept the Dragon Soul!
Even though he knew these level 19 Undead Warriors were mere cannon fodder against the level 50 Dragon Soul players.
Because life and death hinged on this moment!
Lu Ming had to use the Undead Warriors to stall the Dragon Soul players as much as possible, giving himself enough time to take down the BOSS and have a chance to escape alive.
Otherwise, both he and Qin Churan would face certain death!
As expected.
Even under the dual formation of twenty times enhanced War Tread and Life Barrier, the Undead Warriors were still no match.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Boom boom!
The level 50 Dragon Soul Archers and Mages, equipped with full Bronze Equipment, launched a round of ranged attacks, effortlessly wiping out dozens of Undead Warriors in an area!
But the strength of the Undead Warriors lay in their numbers.
They charged forward one after another, quickly filling the gaps and continuing their assault.
At the same time, Qin Churan, with her superior awareness and extreme skill, mixed in with the Undead Legion, doing her utmost to hold back the Dragon Soul players.
Her attacks weren''t enough to threaten these level 50 Dragon Soul players.
Yet, with her excellent skills and unique attack moves, she effectively disrupted the enemy''s advance, buying precious time for Lu Ming in the rear.
However, just as the situation seemed to improve slightly.
Crash!
Suddenly, a powerful arc of blade light swept in from the front!
Qin Churan, quick on her feet, leaped up, narrowly avoiding the blade''s attack with her extreme maneuvering.
Dozens of Undead Warriors around her weren''t so lucky, caught in the sweep of the blade light, instantly obliterated by a massive 50,000+ damage!
The next second, Dragon Soul Guan Yu, a level 50 six-turn warrior, clad in golden equipment and bearing the golden Great Xia 39 warrior insignia, approached with a cold murderous intent, dragging a Guan Yu blade!
The level suppression of 31 levels rendered the counter-damage effect of the Strong Acid Rebound skill completely ineffective against Dragon Soul Guan Yu.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
"Slay."
With a thought, he commanded all the Undead Warriors to attack.
Lu Ming focused on the Saber-toothed Tiger King, now at 30% health, accelerating his assault.
Facing the swarming Undead Legion, a flash of murderous intent crossed Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes.
"Courting death."
With those words, Dragon Soul Guan Yu raised his long blade and charged into the fray!
Slash slash slash slash!
With each swing of his blade, he cut down Undead Warriors with explosive damage, creating a breach for dozens of Dragon Soul players to charge through, instantly crushing the entire Undead Legion!
Qin Churan glanced back at Lu Ming.
Knowing she couldn''t hold on any longer, she gritted her teeth and resisted desperately!
Crash!
Ultimately, she was struck down heavily by Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s frontal assault.
"I can tell you had a good relationship with the four I killed earlier."
"So I''ll do a good deed and send you to reunite with them."
With that, just as Dragon Soul Guan Yu was about to strike down at the fallen Qin Churan.
Boom!
With a loud crash.
Looking up, she saw the massive body of the Saber-toothed Tiger King collapse under the assault of dozens of Undead Warriors.
Seeing this scene, a weary Qin Churan managed a relieved smile: "I knew I wasn''t wrong about you..."
The Dragon Soul players, however, grew anxious.
"Damn, that kid took down the BOSS!"
"Shit! A hundred thousand BOSS gone just like that!"
"No, it''s better he killed it! At his level, taking down a level 30 BOSS is even more valuable! The BOSS''s loot is the real prize!"
"Kill that kid, don''t let him take the BOSS loot!"
With that, dozens of Dragon Soul players charged aggressively towards Lu Ming.
Meanwhile.
Having defeated the BOSS, a beam of golden light shone down on Lu Ming.
[Ding~ You have killed the level 30 Silver BOSS Savage Saber-toothed Tiger King, Experience Points +420,000!]
[Ding~ Congratulations on leveling up... Current level 20, please complete the third transition to continue leveling up!]
Bathed in the golden glow of leveling up, several pleasant notifications rang in his ears.
[Ding~ Congratulations, your talent Comprehensive Amplification has been upgraded to Lv3!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, your talent Soul Slash has been upgraded to Lv3!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, your talent Rebirth from Ashes has been upgraded to Lv3!]
"Finally, the moment has arrived!"
Lu Ming excitedly noted that with Comprehensive Amplification upgraded to Lv3, the skill enhancement effect increased from 20 times to 30 times!
Moreover, the former 2nd-tier Undead Warriors could now evolve into 3rd-tier Death Lords by consuming 40 Soul Points!
Or directly summon Death Lords by consuming 50 Soul Points!
The maximum number of Death Lords that could be summoned was Lu Ming''s level * 30, which meant six hundred!
At this moment, Lu Ming turned around.
Seeing the battlefield littered with the corpses of Undead Warriors, except for the dozen or so that had fought the BOSS with him, the remaining two hundred-plus Undead Warriors had all perished to protect their master.
Watching the Dragon Soul players trampling over the fallen Undead Warriors, advancing towards him.
A towering rage surged within Lu Ming.
"Courting death!"
With a furious shout, Lu Ming opened the Undead Legion summoning panel.
Consuming 480 Soul Points, he evolved the twelve remaining 2nd-tier Undead Warriors on the field.
The next moment.
Crack crack!
Behind Lu Ming, the twelve Undead Warriors, fully clad in silver armor, had their armor transform into a dark red hue, evolving with more defined and intricate blood-red patterns that flowed with blood.
A red royal cape billowed down their backs.
Underneath their heavy metal helmets, the blue ghostly light in their eyes was replaced by a blood-red glow filled with brutality, bloodlust, and slaughter.
Whoosh!
The long swords in their hands ignited with a crimson flame.
The aura of power they exuded forced the approaching Dragon Soul players to halt involuntarily.
They felt an unprecedented sense of intimidation!
"What¡¯s going on? How can his summons evolve??"
"Did he kill the BOSS just to reach level 20 and meet some requirement to evolve his summons?"
As everyone exchanged glances.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s voice came from the rear: "No matter how they evolve, they''re just a bunch of level 20 ants."
"A group of level 50 people, afraid of a bunch of level 20 ants?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s words snapped the Dragon Soul players out of their fear of the Death Lords.
"Damn! Almost forgot, his summons are only level 20! Just bluffing!"
"What¡¯s there to fear? Let him hit me, he can''t even scratch me!"
"Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
As they spoke, a level 50 Assassin, Dragon Soul Aoshi, stepped out from the crowd, looking at Lu Ming and the twelve Death Lords behind him with disdain, a wild smile on his lips.
"I can handle them all by myself."
With that, Dragon Soul Aoshi drew his dagger and charged at Lu Ming with incredible speed.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming stood his ground, calm and composed.
He opened his backpack, took out the level 20 Bronze Equipment Soul Set he had prepared, and equipped it with a single click.
As he raised his head.
A fierce killing intent flashed in his eyes.
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Chapter 65 - Level 3, Death Lords!
Whoosh!
Just as the level 50 six-turn Assassin, Dragon Soul Aoshi, emerged from the crowd, daggers in hand, charging at Lu Ming.
Behind him, the rest of the Dragon Soul team remained unmoved.
They had already witnessed Lu Ming''s strength earlier.
Perhaps this Trickster was indeed somewhat extraordinary, possessing so many summons and managing to overthrow a level 30 Silver BOSS at level 19. This showed he had some real power.
But, no matter what, he was only level 20!
In the eyes of the Dragon Soul players, a level 50 Assassin dealing with a newly promoted level 20 Trickster was like a knife cutting through butter!
So, the Dragon Soul players in the back watched Lu Ming with mocking eyes.
"Do you think this kid can withstand Aoshi''s strike?"
"Are you kidding? A mere level 20 Trickster, how could he withstand a level 50 Assassin?"
"He doesn''t even need to use a skill. If that kid can withstand Aoshi''s normal attack, I''ll eat dirt."
Just as the Dragon Soul players were imagining Lu Ming being sliced to pieces.
At the moment Dragon Soul Aoshi entered attack range.
A glint of killing intent flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
Swish!
Sword Draw¡ª
A sharp light flashed through Dragon Soul Aoshi''s body.
The next moment, a blood-red damage number appeared above his head¡ª
-181822!
Instantly, the entire scene fell silent.
The explosive damage instantly drained Dragon Soul Aoshi''s full health bar.
He hadn''t even realized what had happened.
It was as if his soul had been suddenly extracted, and all his strength vanished.
Involuntarily, he collapsed to his knees with a "thud."
Staring wide-eyed at Lu Ming until he fell face-first to the ground.
A level 50 six-turn Assassin, even with a full set of level 50 Bronze Equipment, would have just over 100,000 Health Points.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Lu Ming''s attack, dealing over 180,000 damage, was enough to instantly kill Dragon Soul Aoshi.
At the same time, the smiles on the faces of the dozens of Dragon Soul players in the back froze.
Even Dragon Soul Guan Yu couldn''t help but shiver!
Seeing the damage Lu Ming dealt, Qin Churan was stunned for a moment, then overwhelmed with joy.
She had imagined that when Lu Ming reached level 20, his strength would increase significantly; otherwise, he wouldn''t have said, "Once I''m level 20, I can deal with Dragon Soul."
But Qin Churan never expected...
"Just by leveling up once, his improvement is this massive!"
Through earlier cooperation, Qin Churan knew Lu Ming''s Sword Draw skill dealt high damage, but previously, it could only deal about 30,000 damage at most.
And now, he suddenly dealt 180,000, six times the previous damage!
"A Soul Set alone couldn''t possibly boost someone''s strength this much!"
Qin Churan clearly realized that Lu Ming''s strength increase wasn''t solely due to the Soul Set.
But she couldn''t imagine where else Lu Ming had gained such a tremendous boost!
As silence fell over the scene.
The dozens of Dragon Soul players exchanged glances.
As arrogant as they were a moment ago, they were just as timid the next.
In an instant, their fear of the level 20 Trickster before them reached its peak!
Crossing 30 levels.
A level 20 Trickster instantly killing a level 50 Assassin.
This scene unfolding before their eyes made them question reality!
As for Lu Ming.
Having instantly killed Dragon Soul Aoshi, who was 30 levels higher than him, he showed no emotion.
Because this outcome was within his expectations.
Upon reaching level 20, he gained not only the Soul Set but also a triple boost from three level 3 talents!
The full set of level 20 Bronze Soul Set increased Lu Ming''s attack power from 141 points to an extreme 381 points!
And this was just the base attack.
The thirtyfold enhanced Sword Draw allowed Lu Ming to gain a 600% attack power bonus for 300 seconds after using the skill.
This meant that before using Sword Draw on Dragon Soul Aoshi, Lu Ming''s attack power had already reached 2667 points!
And the thirtyfold enhanced D-grade Sword Draw could deal true damage at 66 times the attack power.
Under such circumstances, it would be surprising if Lu Ming''s damage wasn''t explosive!
At this moment, even Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt a bit intimidated.
Because this damage was something even he, the top warrior in the national server, couldn''t withstand!
In this world where everyone had only one life, he dared not recklessly risk his life.
But even if he retreated, Dragon Soul Guan Yu didn''t intend to let Qin Churan go.
After all, Qin Churan was right in front of him, and she had only a sliver of Health Points left.
Killing her would be a simple task.
"I''ll send you off first!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu raised his blade.
Just as he was about to strike Qin Churan.
Buzz!
A familiar blood-red mark appeared on his chest again!
The next second.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Four third-tier Death Lords simultaneously activated [Soul Shatter], instantly appearing before Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
The powerful slashing force pushed Dragon Soul Guan Yu back several steps.
What shocked Dragon Soul Guan Yu was that although the scene was identical to the one at Despair Fortress before.
Previously, the second-tier Undead Warriors could only deal 1000+ damage to him, but now, after evolving into third-tier Death Lords, their damage had suddenly surged to 15000+!
The attacks from the four level 20 Death Lords instantly took away a third of Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s Health Points!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was utterly shocked.
Swish!
He hurriedly swung his blade, releasing an arc of light to repel the Death Lords.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he quickly turned and fled toward the exit of Viper Cave!
Seeing Dragon Soul Guan Yu attempting to escape, Qin Churan''s eyes flashed with hatred. She grabbed her dagger and leaped forward without hesitation, pursuing him.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming''s gaze turned cold from behind.
"Trying to escape?"
"Did I say you could?"
Lu Ming wasn''t in a hurry to chase. Instead, he opened the summoning panel, consuming Soul Power to continuously summon a large number of Death Lords.
On the other side.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu ran toward the cave exit, glancing back.
When he realized that although these Death Lords dealt terrifying damage, they still maintained the normal speed of level 20 summons and couldn''t catch up to him, a level 50 warrior.
He felt smug for easily shaking them off: "Trying to kill me? Not that easy!"
Just as he finished speaking.
As Dragon Soul Guan Yu ran out of the cave.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Because outside the cave, over a hundred Death Lords were already stationed, seemingly waiting for him.
The smug smile on Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s face vanished.
His mind raced with thoughts.
What on earth is this Trickster?
How could he summon so many creatures?
And each one is so terrifying!?
At this moment, an unprecedented fear gripped him.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt as if the sky was falling.
Meanwhile, inside Viper Cave, Lu Ming was observing the situation at the cave entrance through the shared vision of the Death Lords.
"Kill."
With a remote thought from Lu Ming.
Outside the cave, over a hundred Death Lords wielded their blazing blades, closing in on Dragon Soul Guan Yu...
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Chapter 66 - I want you to be my girlfriend
Inside the Viper Cave.
Watching Lu Ming instantly kill the level 50 full-health Assassin, Dragon Soul Aoshi, the other players of the Dragon Soul team were left in shock, unable to regain their composure for a long time.
When they finally snapped out of it and looked around, they realized that Dragon Soul Guan Yu was nowhere to be seen.
¡°Damn! Where¡¯s Brother Guan?¡±
¡°Brother Guan ran away! We should get out of here too!¡±
With that, the Dragon Soul players all activated their escape mode.
Unfortunately, Lu Ming had no intention of letting any of them go!
¡°Since you¡¯re here, you might as well stay!¡±
As he spoke, Lu Ming¡¯s gaze turned cold.
All the Death Lords in the area followed their master¡¯s command and launched an attack on the Dragon Soul players in the cave!
Boom!
Boom!
War Tread and Life Barrier, the dual formations, continued to unfold.
With the bonus from [Sword Draw], Lu Ming¡¯s current attack power was 2667 points.
With a level 3 Comprehensive Amplification, the attack power bonus that War Tread could provide to allies within range had already reached (Trickster 600% attack power + 3390) points!
This meant that the attack power bonus from War Tread alone for the Undead Legion had reached 19392 points!
¡°Without the bonus from Sword Draw, my attack power with the full Bronze Soul Set is only 381 points¡¡±
Lu Ming understood that as a level 20 player, this was the normal attack power attribute he should have.
And even with this attribute, he had already surpassed more than 90% of level 20 players worldwide!
After all, not every player could wear a full set of Bronze Equipment at level 20!
At this moment, the Death Lords, also at level 20, already had nearly 20,000 attack power¡
Seeing this number, even Lu Ming couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath: ¡°This is terrifying!¡±
Normally, a level 50 player with a full set of Bronze Equipment would have armor attributes around 4000-5000 points.
Facing the Death Lords with nearly 20,000 attack power, the Dragon Soul players were utterly defenseless!
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Buzz!
Buzz!
Buzz!
As blood-red marks appeared on the fleeing Dragon Soul team players.
The Death Lords simultaneously activated Soul Shatter, appearing like messengers from hell, suddenly striking from dozens of yards away.
-19625!
-19976!
-19111!
...
Although it wasn¡¯t enough to directly deal fatal damage to these level 50 players with health points exceeding six figures, each strike made them suffer!
Lu Ming exhausted all his accumulated soul power to summon tier 3 Death Lords.
Thus, as the first wave of Soul Shatter passed, the Dragon Soul players barely had time to recover before the second wave hit!
Followed by the third wave!
The fourth wave!
The fifth wave...
Under the relentless assault of over a hundred Death Lords, more than twenty Dragon Soul players were slain one by one.
The cost was the sacrifice of 35 Death Lords.
Because Lu Ming didn¡¯t have skills to enhance ally armor or magic resistance, the Death Lords, despite having attack power on par with level 50 players, still had defense as fragile as glass.
However, for Lu Ming, who could always refine soul power from killing monsters to resummon Death Lords, such sacrifices were insignificant.
As the battle concluded.
Looking at the corpses of Dragon Soul players scattered on the ground, Lu Ming instructed the Death Lords to collect the loot and refine the bodies.
He then hurriedly headed out of the Viper Cave.
Through shared vision, he had learned of an unfavorable situation outside¡
When Lu Ming reached outside the cave, he saw the corpses of Death Lords lying all over the place.
And Dragon Soul Guan Yu was nowhere to be seen.
Recalling the scene he had just seen through the Death Lords¡¯ shared vision outside.
Boom!
Facing the siege of dozens of Death Lords, Dragon Soul Guan Yu suddenly emitted a burst of red light, as if in a berserk state.
In the next moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu seemed possessed by a god.
Even as dozens of Death Lords simultaneously activated Soul Shatter, they couldn¡¯t kill him instantly, only managing to cut his health in half!
With a single sweep of his blade, Dragon Soul Guan Yu instantly slaughtered the dozen or so Death Lords around him!
The damage caused transformed into a shield thicker than a health bar, protecting Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
Subsequently, Dragon Soul Guan Yu easily broke through the encirclement of the Undead Legion and fled into the distance.
In Lu Ming¡¯s past life, he seemed to have seen this talent skill.
¡°Without a doubt, this should be a five-star talent, Bloodthirsty Frenzy! It can greatly enhance all player attributes in a short time and convert damage dealt into a shield.¡±
A one-in-a-million five-star account!
¡°It seems this National Server 39 has some tricks up its sleeve.¡±
¡°But I¡¯ll remember you.¡±
Staring in the direction where Dragon Soul Guan Yu fled, Lu Ming¡¯s eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent.
At this moment, Qin Churan stood dazedly to the side.
As if she had lost her soul, her vacant gaze was fixed on the distance, lost in thought.
The deaths of Qinglong, Xuanwu, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird had hit her hard.
Especially when she opened WeChat and her eyes lingered on the group [Ran Ran Little Princess], Qin Churan couldn¡¯t hold back and burst into tears again.
After a long while, she finally stopped crying.
She found a contact in her address book named [Qin Feng], hesitated for a long time, and finally bit her lip, reluctantly sending a message: ¡°I was almost killed just now¡¡±
Qin Churan stared intently at the chat window.
After a long time.
The other party finally replied with a single word: ¡°Oh.¡±
Qin Churan bit her lip until it turned purple, tears of grievance streaming down her face once more.
Unwilling to give up, she sent another message: ¡°It was the Dragon Soul team, the guy¡¯s name is Dragon Soul Guan Yu.¡±
Even though she knew what the other party¡¯s reaction would be, at this moment, Qin Churan still felt a glimmer of hope, even expecting a bit of concern from the other side.
Even if it was just a message that made her feel the care of family.
But in the end, what she received was a bucket of cold water.
¡°If you agree to marry Wang Long, I will immediately make this person kneel before you, at your disposal.¡±
Qin Churan looked up at the sky, not letting her tears fall.
The rain cleared, the smoke dispersed.
Gentle sunlight broke through the clouds, falling on Qin Churan¡¯s fair cheeks.
Bathed in the warm sun, at this moment, she seemed to have let go.
She turned off WeChat.
Turning to Lu Ming, she said, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll remember what you did today.¡±
¡°I owe you my life.¡±
With that, Qin Churan turned to leave.
Just then, Lu Ming¡¯s voice came from behind: ¡°I¡¯ll help you get revenge.¡±
Qin Churan paused.
She turned around, looking at Lu Ming in disbelief.
¡°You can¡¯t kill Dragon Soul Guan Yu.¡±
Lu Ming said, ¡°I can help you kill him, and when the time comes, you deliver the final blow.¡±
Lu Ming¡¯s seemingly casual words struck directly at the depths of Qin Churan¡¯s soul!
Like a sharp blade, it shattered the heavy shackles in her heart.
Before Qin Churan could feel touched, she heard Lu Ming continue, ¡°But I have one condition.¡±
Unable to rely on the Godslayer Squad¡¯s power for revenge.
And with her own meager strength, avenging A Long and Xiao Wu seemed as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Lu Ming became Qin Churan¡¯s only hope.
Her eyes glimmered with a faint light: ¡°What condition?¡±
Lu Ming looked at Qin Churan and said, ¡°After I help you complete your revenge.¡±
¡°I want you to be my girlfriend.¡±
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Chapter 67 - In three days, I want him dead!
Qin Churan was stunned.
She thought Lu Ming would ask for money or some other kind of benefit.
But she never expected Lu Ming to propose such a condition!
However, Qin Churan didn''t hesitate for even a moment.
She immediately responded to Lu Ming, "Alright, I agree!"
"Don''t act rashly for now, wait for my news."
Leaving Qin Churan with these words, Lu Ming led the Death Lords away from her side.
Watching Lu Ming''s departing figure, Qin Churan''s eyes were filled with confusion.
She was a smart girl.
Just now, she clearly saw from Lu Ming''s eyes that he had no romantic feelings for her.
She didn''t know what Lu Ming''s purpose was in wanting her to be his girlfriend.
But...
"As long as I can avenge A-Long and Xiao Wu, as long as I can personally take down Dragon Soul Guan Yu,"
"I am willing to do anything!"
Because just before Lu Ming proposed to help her with revenge, she had even considered agreeing to her brother''s plan to marry Wang Long, the foolish son of the Wang family, after using the Godslayer Squad to exact her revenge!
Besides, she already had a good impression of this Nether.
Being Lu Ming''s girlfriend was certainly better than marrying that fool Wang Long!
On the other side.
Lu Ming''s request to Qin Churan was not because he was genuinely interested in her.
Even though Qin Churan did have a certain charm~
The main reason was that Lu Ming had already seen the WeChat conversation between Qin Churan and her brother through the shared vision of a nearby Death Lord!
"So, your name is Qin Feng!"
Not only did he learn the real name of the person behind the scenes.
In addition, Lu Ming also knew that Qin Churan was eager for revenge but was helpless.
So, this was a perfect opportunity for him to get close to Qin Churan!
Lu Ming didn''t want to wait any longer.
He wanted to take the initiative!
He wanted to use Qin Churan''s hand to take revenge on Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er!
Moreover, even if it wasn''t for helping Qin Churan, Lu Ming himself had to kill Dragon Soul Guan Yu!If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
"This person has already become a threat to me."
"Keeping him alive will definitely lead to endless troubles!"
"I must eliminate him as soon as possible!"
However, Lu Ming also realized a hidden danger.
"With my current strength, although I can handle players up to level 50 in the second layer, it''s still unstable."
"Just like earlier, although I killed dozens of Dragon Soul members, I also lost quite a few Death Lords, and Dragon Soul Guan Yu already knows my current strength."
"Today, we won because they were few in number. Next time, if Dragon Soul Guan Yu brings more level 50 Dragon Soul players to retaliate, I will definitely struggle to deal with them!"
Lu Ming murmured, "To deal with Dragon Soul Guan Yu and to firmly establish myself in the second layer without fearing any threats, I must increase the strength of the Death Lords to a level where they can easily handle any level 50 player!"
In the end, it boils down to three words:
Keep leveling up!
Although, as long as Lu Ming continues to level up to 30 and raises his three major talents to Lv4, even a hundred Dragon Soul Guan Yus would be nothing more than cannon fodder in front of him.
But Dragon Soul Guan Yu will definitely not let Lu Ming live until then!
Because he also knows that the higher Lu Ming''s level, the harder he will be to deal with, and he will stop at nothing to eliminate Lu Ming while his level is still low.
So, Lu Ming can''t wait until level 30.
"It seems I need to quickly bring Lin Youwei to level 20, make a trip to the black market, and see if there are any items that can quickly boost my strength in the short term."
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
Ding ding!
Lin Youwei suddenly sent a WeChat message.
"Nether brother, where did you go?"
"Are you okay?"
When he left, Lu Ming didn''t tell Lin Youwei what he was going to do, only asking her to wait for him in Starlight City.
Who would have thought that this wait would last almost the entire morning!
And Lin Youwei, instead of complaining, was constantly concerned about Lu Ming.
To prevent Lin Youwei from being targeted by Dragon Soul members, Lu Ming told her, "Wait for me in the city, I''m heading back now."
After waiting all morning, Lin Youwei finally received a message from Lu Ming and immediately replied, "Nether brother, should I log off first to make lunch? You can come back later, and we can eat before leveling up."
Lu Ming checked the time; it was almost noon.
So he said, "Alright."
Then, the following conversation ensued.
Lin Youwei: "What do you want for lunch?"
Lu Ming: "Anything."
Lin Youwei: "We still have some leftovers from last night. How about I make fried rice with eggs?"
Lu Ming: "Too dry."
Lin Youwei: "How about noodles then?"
Lu Ming: "Too plain."
Lin Youwei: "Then what do you want to eat, Nether brother?"
Lu Ming: "Anything."
Lin Youwei: "..."
Seeing Lin Youwei fall silent, Lu Ming couldn''t help but smile.
This silly girl was quite amusing to tease!
Closing the chat, Lu Ming headed towards Starlight City.
Little did he know, at that very moment, a pair of eyes was watching him intently from an inconspicuous patch of forest nearby...
As they say, the most dangerous place is the safest.
It turned out that after Dragon Soul Guan Yu broke through the encirclement, he hadn''t gone far but was lurking nearby!
He originally wanted to see if he could find an opportunity to bypass the Undead Legion and directly ambush and kill Lu Ming.
But now, seeing that Lu Ming was constantly protected by a group of Death Lords, he abandoned that idea.
Watching Lu Ming, who had killed dozens of his brothers, gradually walk away.
The hatred in Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s heart was building up to the point of explosion.
His eyes were filled with endless rage, and his back teeth were almost ground to dust.
Just then, he received a message from a WeChat friend with the note name [Boss Qin].
"How''s the task going?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu tried to calm his anger and replied, "The four national standards around Qin Churan have been eliminated."
He sent four photos along with the message.
Seeing these four photos documenting the deaths of Qinglong, Xuanwu, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird, the other party was clearly satisfied: "Very good."
At this point, Dragon Soul Guan Yu continued angrily, "But out of nowhere, a Trickster appeared, not only rescuing Qin Churan but also killing dozens of my brothers who fought alongside me!"
Boss Qin was silent for a moment, then said, "List all the people who sacrificed on your side, and I''ll compensate you."
"Also, didn''t I tell you not to touch Qin Churan? Just deal with the people around her. You can give her a lesson, but you mustn''t kill her!"
"This task will continue to be followed up by you. As for that Trickster you mentioned, no matter who he is, I want to see his corpse within three days. And anyone who has dealings with Qin Churan, kill them all, leave no one alive."
Despite being an elite member of the sixth-ranked Dragon Soul team and a gold medal warrior ranked 39th in the national server.
Having just lost dozens of good brothers and now being ordered and reprimanded like this, Dragon Soul Guan Yu was furious and was about to retort with "I''m done, find someone else if you want."
Before he could send the message, he received a text notification.
[Your account ending in 3195 has received a transfer of 32,000,000 yuan, balance 45,327,652.12 yuan... Great Xia Bank]
At the same time, Boss Qin sent a message: "This is the bounty balance for those four national standards. Give me the list of sacrificed personnel, and I''ll compensate 2 million per person, or you can name a price."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu wanted to get angry.
But this text notification made it impossible for him to be angry!
Because although this guy''s attitude was lacking, he was really generous with the money!
So, Dragon Soul Guan Yu deleted the unsent message and edited a new one to send: "No problem, within two days, I will take that Trickster''s head!"
Ending the conversation, Dragon Soul Guan Yu couldn''t help but let out a cold laugh.
"Even a tiger doesn''t eat its cubs, yet this guy can lay hands on his own sister. Truly a terrifying person."
"I was considering switching to your Godslayer Squad because of the much better pay, but now it seems working under someone like you might mean having money but not a life to spend it."
"Once this job is done, I''m leaving Dragon Soul too! With this money, I can live comfortably for the rest of my life!"
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Chapter 68 - Death Lords, Comprehensive Amplification!
On the way back to Starlight City, Lu Ming, filled with anticipation, organized his backpack.
He initially thought that the two Silver-level BOSS Savage Saber-toothed Tiger Kings would drop a lot of good items.
However, Lu Ming was disappointed to find that the five pieces of equipment dropped by the two BOSSes were all level 30 Bronze Equipment, with not a single Silver item!
Even when counting the 80 or so Silver Coins and an E-grade Skill Scroll, the total market value of all the drops was only about 60,000 to 70,000 yuan!
Imagine if some poor soul spent 200,000 yuan to buy these two BOSSes, only to get such loot¡ªthey''d lose their shirt!
At this moment, Lu Ming couldn''t help but miss Lin Youwei.
"If only the Lucky Cat had been there, with her extra double drop rate, getting one or two Silver items would have been a breeze!"
Of course, Lu Ming knew it was impossible to keep the two BOSSes waiting for Lin Youwei to join and farm them together, especially given the urgent situation at the time.
If it weren''t for these two Saber-toothed Tiger Kings, Lu Ming and Qin Churan would probably have died in that cave!
Fortunately, although the BOSSes didn''t drop anything good, the Dragon Soul players had a big drop!
Inside the cave, more than twenty Dragon Soul players were executed by the Death Lords.
Keep in mind, they were all level 50 players fully equipped with Bronze Equipment, so the drops were all level 40-50 Bronze Equipment!
On average, two pieces of equipment dropped per person, and Lu Ming''s bag was filled with a total of 49 pieces of Bronze Equipment!
According to the market, a piece of level 40-50 Bronze Equipment is worth about 5,000 yuan, so the value of these items reached over 200,000 yuan!
In addition, there were a total of over 300 Silver Coins and various high-level potions, totaling over 90,000 yuan.
This means that the Dragon Soul team players alone contributed over 300,000 yuan in revenue for Lu Ming!
"This is worth several times more than the BOSS!"
Lu Ming suddenly had a whimsical thought: "I wonder if the Lucky Cat''s drop rate increase talent could also apply to player kills?"
If the drop rate could be increased like that, it would be fantastic!
Next, Lu Ming turned his attention to himself.
For Lu Ming, every ten levels was a huge milestone.
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[Account Qualification: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï (Full)]
[Talent ¢Ù: Soul Slash Lv3 (Every time the player kills an enemy, they can refine its corpse to gain corresponding soul power. Consuming soul power can summon undead, who will swear to protect the master to the death, never betray, with a maximum refining quantity of player level * 30)]
[Talent ¢Ú: Comprehensive Amplification Lv3 (All player skills'' effects are increased by 30 times)]
[Talent ¢Û: Rebirth from Ashes Lv3 (When the player dies, sacrifice the weakest undead to resurrect the player, and after resurrection, the player gains 2 seconds of invincibility)]
Summoning Panel.
Consuming 1 point of soul power can summon a 1st-tier Undead Warrior!
Consuming 10 points of soul power can summon a 2nd-tier Undead Warrior!
Consuming 50 points of soul power can summon a 3rd-tier Death Lord!
In addition, Lu Ming discovered that the Lv3 summoning panel unlocked several new functions¡ª
[Strength Amplification]: Consumes 10 points of soul power to permanently increase all undead''s strength by 1 point (the increase cannot exceed 100% of the undead''s base strength)
[Agility Amplification]: Consumes 10 points of soul power to permanently increase all undead''s agility by 1 point (same increase limit as above)
There are also Endurance Amplification, Spirit Amplification, and Constitution Amplification!
In addition, skill upgrades and unlocking the second skill.
This is only effective for 3rd-tier Death Lords:
[Soul Shatter Skill Upgrade] (F-grade ¡ú E-grade): Consumes 3000 points of soul power.
[Soul Slash Skill Learning] (F-grade): Consumes 1000 points of soul power to learn.
The development of new functions can undoubtedly greatly increase the upper limit of the Undead Legion.
But at the same time, the consumption of soul power has also become greater!
After all, killing a monster only refines 1 point of soul power.
Even if Lu Ming used up all his soul power, he could only summon 422 Death Lords, with 178 slots still empty.
He couldn''t even fill the Undead Legion, let alone have extra soul power for other attribute amplifications and skill upgrades.
"Take it slow, as long as I kill monsters, I''ll get soul power, and it doesn''t cost money."
Putting all the equipment in his backpack, as well as unnecessary skill scrolls and potions, on the trading market.
Lu Ming returned to Starlight City and logged off.
He went to the living room, poured a glass of water, but didn''t see Lin Youwei.
Just as Lu Ming was wondering, Lin Youwei came back with groceries.
"Why did you go shopping at this time?" Lu Ming asked.
"Nether brother, didn''t you say you didn''t want to eat anything too dry or too plain? I bought beef vermicelli and some greens, and we have meat at home."
"I''ll make beef stew with vermicelli and green vegetable and shredded meat soup. Nether brother, you go rest in your room, I''ll have it ready soon!"
As she spoke, Lin Youwei changed into slippers and took the groceries to the kitchen.
Lu Ming was taken aback.
He didn''t expect that his casual remark to tease Lin Youwei would be taken so seriously, with her keeping his words in mind!
This moment suddenly made Lu Ming realize that when he was with Ye Ling''er in his previous life, he lived like a transparent person.
So, while Lin Youwei was cooking, Lu Ming sat on the panoramic balcony chair, leisurely basking in the sun, while searching online for Starlight City guides, thinking about where to take Lin Youwei for the fastest leveling in the afternoon.
"With the current strength of the Undead Legion, although dealing with level 50 players is still a bit challenging, it should be able to handle the second layer, all-level monsters."
This way, the range of choices was vast!
To help Lin Youwei quickly reach level 20, Lu Ming directly chose a task with a level as high as 48!
After farming high-level monsters and completing this high-level task with its generous rewards, Lin Youwei should be able to jump directly from level 18 to level 20.
Having determined the afternoon''s direction, with nothing else to do, Lu Ming browsed his social media feed.
He happened to come across a post from Qin Churan.
"Some people are alive, but they''re already dead; some people are dead, but they''re still alive..."
The post was updated a minute ago, still fresh.
Perhaps feeling it was too sentimental and pretentious, Lu Ming had just glanced at it when he saw Qin Churan immediately delete the post!
Lu Ming couldn''t help but think, "Could Qin Churan be having dark thoughts?"
"You can''t die!"
"If you die, how can I get revenge on Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er, that bitch couple?"
But what could give Qin Churan a reason to see hope in life?
While pondering this, Lu Ming suddenly thought of something.
He immediately sent a WeChat message to [Qing Yan]: "Can you do me a favor?"
...
After lunch, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei each returned to their rooms and logged back in.
Lu Ming first went to the Profession Hall and received the third-turn task from the Trickster mentor.
The task requirement: Kill 200 monsters of at least level 20 within six hours.
This task could be perfectly synchronized with the afternoon leveling task.
So, just as Lu Ming was about to take Lin Youwei to accept the pre-selected level 48 task.
Knock knock!
Qing Yan sent a message: "I found the person you asked me to find, I''ll send you the location [Gray Plains] (location)"
"Okay, thanks, I''ll be right there!"
After replying to Qing Yan, Lu Ming immediately forwarded the location sent by Qing Yan to Qin Churan.
"Come here."
"I have a big gift for you."
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Chapter 69 - Slut, Qinqin
Lu Ming planned to first make a trip to the [Gray Plains] before taking Lin Youwei to complete some quests.
According to the map, the Gray Plains were located exactly opposite to where Lu Ming needed to go in the afternoon, relative to Starlight City.
So, Lu Ming instructed Lin Youwei, "Wait for me in the city first. I have something to take care of. I''ll come back to take you out for leveling later."
Lin Youwei lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, her face full of embarrassment as she said, "Nether brother, am I... really useless?"
Lu Ming was about to say, "Why do you women have so many issues?" when he saw Lin Youwei looking so lacking in confidence. He suddenly realized that perhaps it was because he had left her alone in the city all morning and was about to leave her again in the afternoon.
This might have caused her to doubt herself intensely, thinking Lu Ming didn''t want her anymore.
In reality, Lu Ming was just concerned about her safety.
Lin Youwei and Qin Churan.
One was a Lucky Cat, the other a Hand of Vengeance.
Both were beneficial and very important to Lu Ming.
Therefore, Lu Ming had to take good care of these two ladies and ensure they were not in any danger!
So, Lu Ming hesitated for a moment and said to Lin Youwei, "Why don''t you come with me?"
Lin Youwei immediately nodded and followed Lu Ming.
Soon, the two arrived at the north of Starlight City, at the Lv26 Gray Plains.
There they saw the Lv18 Mage Qing Yan, the Lv18 Archer Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, and the Lv18 Assassin Tianxuan¡¤Shadow guarding outside the plains.
Seeing Lu Ming arrive, Qing Yan didn''t ask any questions and simply said to him, "The person you''re looking for is her, right?"
Following Qing Yan''s gaze, Lu Ming saw the vast gray prairie where many Lv24-25 players were hunting Lv26 wild wolves in groups.
Among them was a small team of five with uneven levels.
The only girl in the group, a curvaceous Lv16 Archer, was taking advantage of the moment when the team had just killed a wild wolf. She was seductively rubbing against a Lv25 Warrior named [Sword Draw] beside her.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
She coquettishly said, "Sword Draw brother, you''re amazing!"
The man grabbed the girl''s buttocks hard, pulling her into his arms, and looked at her with a wolfish gaze, laughing, "Brother is not only good at fighting monsters, but also in other ways! Little sister, do you want to see how amazing brother is tonight?"
"Oh, you''re so annoying~" The Archer girl lightly pounded the man''s chest, pouting playfully.
At that moment, Lu Ming recognized the Archer girl as Qinqin, who had betrayed White Tiger!
Apparently, even after selling out White Tiger to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, she didn''t gain Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s favor and was kicked aside once she was no longer useful.
Unexpectedly, she turned around and started cozying up to other wealthy and powerful high-level players!
By offering her body, she could get high-level players to help her level up for free. Clearly, this method worked well for Qinqin.
In Qinqin, Lu Ming seemed to see the shadow of Ye Ling''er.
He despised traitors!
Seeing Lu Ming''s furious gaze fixed on Qinqin, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow rolled up his sleeves and said, "Nether brother, if you can''t stand that bitch, I''ll go teach her a lesson!"
At some point, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow''s way of addressing Lu Ming had gradually changed.
"Wait." Lu Ming stopped Tianxuan¡¤Shadow.
While Qing Yan and the others were unsure of what Lu Ming intended to do, Tianxuan¡¤Shadow suddenly looked in a certain direction, his eyes lighting up with shock.
"Damn! Why is someone from God Slayer here?"
Following Tianxuan¡¤Shadow''s gaze, they saw Qin Churan approaching from behind!
Seeing Qin Churan, the three immediately became alert.
After all, Tianxuan and God Slayer had always been at odds.
Unexpectedly, Qin Churan didn''t even glance at them, her gaze fixed on Qinqin in the Gray Plains.
In her mind, she recalled the scene where Qinqin betrayed and sold out Zhang Hu, leading to the deaths of A-Long, Xiao Wu, Zhang Hu, and Old Zhu at the hands of Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
Qin Churan''s cold eyes turned blood-red in an instant.
Without a word, she gripped her dagger and moved towards Qinqin.
At this moment, Qinqin also inadvertently saw Qin Churan.
Recognizing Qin Churan as someone from her ex-boyfriend Zhang Hu''s side, she understood that Qin Churan must be here to take her life.
Feeling guilty, Qinqin clung tightly to [Sword Draw]''s arm, nervously saying, "Sword Draw brother, someone... someone wants to kill me!"
"Hmm?"
Sword Draw turned, following Qinqin''s fearful gaze, and saw Qin Churan approaching with murderous intent.
His gaze turned cold as he questioned, "What do you want?"
Qin Churan''s blood-red eyes remained fixed on Qinqin.
"It''s none of your business. You have three seconds to get out of my sight."
As soon as Qin Churan finished speaking, Sword Draw looked Qin Churan up and down, noticing her level was as high as 33, eight levels above his own.
But relying on the fact that she was alone and a fragile Assassin, Sword Draw was confident that his four Lv25 teammates could easily take her down.
So, he casually shielded Qinqin behind him, dismissively saying, "Don''t worry, babe. With me here, she won''t dare touch you."
As he spoke, Sword Draw, eager to show off in front of Qinqin, drew his sword with a "swish."
With a contemptuous look, he said to Qin Churan, "Want to touch my woman? Ask my sword first."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Sword Draw''s three Lv25 teammates also drew their swords, aligning themselves with him.
Their lewd and mocking gazes roamed unabashedly over Qin Churan.
"This chick looks pretty good, makes my heart race!"
"Please, let me have her, third brother! I really like this one!"
"Stop arguing! Whoever takes her down gets her!"
As they spoke, they approached Qin Churan like hungry wolves.
Meanwhile, hiding behind Sword Draw, Qinqin feigned innocence and vulnerability, but inside, she was smug.
She thought, "You think you can get revenge on me? No matter where I go, there are people to support me. What do you have?"
"Zhang Hu and the others are all dead. Now, who can protect you, the abandoned daughter of the Qin family?"
At this moment, eager to show off in front of Qinqin, Sword Draw stepped forward and said, "Brothers, leave her to me! Once I take her down, you can have her."
With that, Sword Draw raised his sword and charged at Qin Churan.
Qin Churan''s eyes burned with intensity. She had just raised her dagger, not yet ready to act.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a sword shadow flashed like lightning, piercing through Sword Draw''s body.
-181822!
With a burst of blood-red damage numbers, Sword Draw''s health bar was instantly emptied.
With a "thud," he knelt before Qin Churan, killed on the spot.
Immediately, Sword Draw''s teammates looked in terror at the Lv20 Trickster standing quietly not far behind Qin Churan, maintaining a sword-drawing stance¡ª
Nether.
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Chapter 70 - A terrifyingly strong backing!
Lu Ming habitually maintained the "Sword Draw" state at all times.
Because the Sword Draw, enhanced thirty times, provided Lu Ming with a continuous 300-second attack boost effect after using the skill, perfectly covering the skill''s 60-second cooldown.
So, as long as Lu Ming drew his sword once every five minutes, he could continuously receive a 600% attack boost from the Sword Draw.
As a level 25 warrior was instantly killed by Lu Ming, a level 20 Trickster, with a single strike.
In an instant, the remaining three were shocked.
They finally realized that Qin Churan was not alone; she had someone backing her up.
And the person behind her, although not high in level, was terrifyingly strong!
Completely out of their league!
Just that one strike, dealing damage a hundred times greater than theirs, reaching over 180,000, was enough to make them question their existence and not dare to act rashly.
Even Qing Yan, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, and Tianxuan¡¤Shadow were deeply shocked by the damage Lu Ming dealt.
"Holy crap! What kind of damage is this, Nether brother?"
"This guy is absurd, like absurdity itself opened the door to absurdity, absurd to the extreme..."
Qing Yan boasted, "How about it, bro? The person I recruited for our team is pretty good, right?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal couldn''t contain his inner shock: "Once this Nether grows, he will undoubtedly become a top powerhouse that shakes the entire Great Xia in the later stages!"
On the field.
"Run... quickly!"
Realizing they had provoked a big shot, the few hurriedly tried to escape.
Just as they turned around.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
All around, countless blood-red barriers shimmering with golden light materialized.
In the next moment, hundreds of Death Lords, clad in fully enclosed dark red blood armor, capes fluttering, eyes glowing with blood light, and wielding fiery blades, tore through space and stepped out from the barriers!
Instantly, the intimidating aura emanating from the Undead Legion enveloped the entire Gray Plains.
Under the intimidation of the Death Lords, the three huddled together back-to-back, staring in terror at the Death Lords who seemed ready to pounce and tear them apart at any moment.
Their hearts raced, and they didn''t dare make a sound.
Meanwhile, seeing the mountain she had just relied on collapse, Qinqin''s face turned pale with fright.
Noticing Lu Ming behind Qin Churan, she realized he was the Trickster Zhang Hu had asked her to test a couple of days ago!
Qinqin suddenly thought: Lu Ming and Qin Churan had only just met; they weren''t very familiar.
So, relying on her extensive experience with men, Qinqin judged this was a perfect opportunity!
Seizing the chance, she attempted to seduce Lu Ming.
"Nether brother, do you... have a girlfriend?"
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"What do you think of me? Can I be your girlfriend?"
Qinqin was very confident in her figure and looks.
After all, from childhood to adulthood, countless men had fallen for her charms.
Before this, no man had ever been able to resist her beauty.
She even thought that in terms of looks, she was not inferior to Qin Churan, so she was confident she could win over Lu Ming!
Unexpectedly, Lu Ming merely glanced at her disdainfully.
"Where do you get the confidence to think I''d be interested in someone like you?"
Qinqin''s face immediately turned extremely ugly.
Lu Ming didn''t move, and neither did the Undead Legion.
As long as the Undead Legion didn''t move, the three didn''t dare to move.
Qin Churan approached Qinqin step by step, her eyes red.
"Why betray Xiao Hu?"
"If you don''t love him, you could have left. Why did you have to get Xiao Hu killed?"
"Xiao Hu isn''t stupid; he just unconditionally tolerated you. He could have had better choices, but he was unwaveringly devoted to you."
Seeing Qin Churan approaching with a dagger, Qinqin stumbled and fell to the ground in panic.
Driven by a strong survival instinct, Qinqin cried and begged Qin Churan for mercy, "Ran... Ranran, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong!"
"For the sake of the time I spent with Zhang Hu, please forgive me this once, spare me..."
Overwhelmed with anger and grief, Qin Churan choked up and said, "Forgive you?"
"You don''t deserve it!"
As soon as she finished speaking.
Swish!
Qin Churan swiftly moved in front of Qinqin, her hand rising and falling with the knife.
Blood splattered instantly, and Qinqin clutched her bleeding neck, filled with endless regret and remorse, struggling as she fell into a pool of blood.
Moments later, she stopped moving.
As Qin Churan stood up, the other three players on the field immediately knelt before Lu Ming in fear, "Spare us, great one! Spare us! We just met Qinqin, we truly didn''t know what foolish things she had done before!"
Clearly, they realized that this hidden Trickster expert was backing Qin Churan!
Lu Ming stood calmly, unperturbed.
"Pleading with me is useless."
"Plead with her."
With one sentence, Lu Ming made the three men realize that their lives were in Qin Churan''s hands.
They quickly turned to kneel before Qin Churan.
"Scram."
With a cold shout from Qin Churan, the three hurriedly crawled away under the deathly gaze of countless Death Lords.
At this moment, Qin Churan breathed a sigh of relief.
Turning to Lu Ming, just as she was about to say something to him.
Qing Yan suddenly approached Lu Ming.
He said to Lu Ming, "Hey, the Soul Set you asked me to get for you last time, I got it!"
As he spoke, Qing Yan took out a set of equipment and handed it to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming took it and saw that it was indeed the full set of mage Soul Set he urgently needed to prepare for Lin Youwei!
Lu Ming was instantly delighted.
Because he had been worried that if he couldn''t get the Soul Set from the black market, it would be a headache.
After all, if Lin Youwei didn''t wear the Soul Set and entered the Nether Ghost Tower together, without her drop rate bonus, Lu Ming''s rate of farming Soul Stones would be significantly reduced!
Now, Qing Yan''s Soul Set was truly a timely help!
Recalling that being able to locate Qinqin and allowing Qin Churan to vent her inner hatred and anger smoothly was also thanks to Qing Yan''s help.
Lu Ming expressed his gratitude to Qing Yan, "Thanks, I''ll note the market price for this set and transfer the money to you as soon as possible."
Qing Yan smiled, "Sure!"
Seeing the scene of Lu Ming and Qing Yan chatting happily, Qin Churan felt a surge of jealousy.
She directly stood in front of Lu Ming, confronting Qing Yan.
"How much does he owe you? I''ll pay for him!"
Qing Yan sensed a hint of hostility.
Worried that Nether might be snatched away by their God Slayer, she didn''t back down, "Who are you to pay for him?"
Qin Churan crossed her arms, confidently, "I''m his girlfriend!"
Qing Yan was taken aback, looking at Lu Ming.
Unexpectedly, Lu Ming didn''t deny it, "She''s my girlfriend."
"But, you two..." Qing Yan found it a bit unbelievable, "When did this happen? You two just met, didn''t you..."
"That''s none of your business!"
At this, Qing Yan suddenly felt a bit awkward.
Thinking: The clown is actually me...
At this moment, Qin Churan continued, "Name your price, from today, Nether officially leaves your Tianxuan! No matter the penalty, I can accept it!"
Clearly, this wasn''t about money.
But Lu Ming''s value couldn''t be measured by money.
Just as Qing Yan was unsure how to keep Lu Ming.
Lu Ming suddenly spoke up, "I''m still part of Tianxuan, that won''t change."
"As long as it''s the same as before, you don''t restrict my freedom."
Hearing this, Qing Yan beamed with joy, "Great! No problem!"
"Then we won''t disturb you, contact us on WeChat if needed!"
With that, Qing Yan quickly dragged Tianxuan¡¤Eternal and the others away, fearing that if they delayed, Lu Ming might change his mind.
Once Qing Yan and the others left, Qin Churan asked Lu Ming, puzzled, "Why don''t you leave Tianxuan?"
Lu Ming wasn''t in a hurry to explain.
He just glanced at Qinqin''s corpse and said, "Without Tianxuan, could you have found her?"
Qin Churan was indeed smart.
She immediately understood that Lu Ming stayed in Tianxuan for his own convenience!
So, Qin Churan didn''t say much more.
"Then, how much do you owe Tianxuan? I''ll pay it for you first, and you can stay in Tianxuan as long as you want!"
"No need," Lu Ming said, "I''ll pay it myself."
Qin Churan hesitated.
She knew Lu Ming''s character.
Suddenly, Qin Churan fell silent for a long time.
Then she looked up, blushing, and said to Lu Ming, "Where are you? I''ll come to find you, let''s have dinner together tonight, and then... how about we watch a movie?"
Qin Churan had already made up her mind.
Since she promised Lu Ming that as long as he helped her get revenge, she would be his girlfriend.
This relationship couldn''t just be words.
So, even though she had never been in a relationship.
Qin Churan understood: since they had confirmed their relationship, they should do things that couples do.
"As long as it''s not an excessive request, I can agree to it."
Just as Qin Churan was thinking this.
Lu Ming suddenly said, "No need, you don''t have to come over for now."
"We just started, give yourself some space first."
Hearing this, Qin Churan couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She was eager to show her attitude, to let Lu Ming know that she, Qin Churan, meant what she said.
The conditions she promised Lu Ming were not just empty words.
Moreover, she felt things were progressing too fast.
So when she suggested meeting offline, she was actually very afraid that Lu Ming would agree.
Therefore, when Lu Ming said that, she felt relieved.
"I''ll let you know when I catch Dragon Soul Guan Yu."
After reminding Qin Churan, Lu Ming turned and left with Lin Youwei.
Watching Lu Ming''s figure gradually disappear.
Qin Churan couldn''t help but feel a warmth in her heart.
"You seem crafty, but I didn''t expect you to be a gentleman!"
"No matter your motives, thank you for letting me personally avenge Xiao Hu..."
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Chapter 71 - Instant kill, undead general!
The original plan was to take Lin Youwei on a high-level quest first, help her reach level 20, and then venture into the Nether Ghost Tower.
However, Lu Ming discovered that the Soul Set Qing Yan just gave him wasn''t for level 20, but for level 10!
The Soul Set is divided into five tiers: level 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.
Clearly, Qing Yan had thought it through, knowing that with Lin Youwei''s current level, she was only suited for the level 10 Soul Set!
With this, Lin Youwei could put on the Soul Set and immediately join Lu Ming in the Nether Ghost Tower, without having to wait until level 20!
So, Lu Ming immediately changed his plan.
He took Lin Youwei directly to the Nether Ghost Tower!
"The one million borrowed for buying a house hasn''t been repaid, and now I owe for a Soul Set."
"Based on the market price, a level 10 Bronze Soul Set costs about five hundred thousand..."
Lu Ming frowned slightly.
Unknowingly, he had accumulated so much debt!
And this was just the debt owed to Qing Yan.
Additionally, when he bought the house, it cost six million, with only a 20% down payment, leaving over five million in loans from the bank!
He sure could rack up debt...
In his previous life, such a massive debt would have been a death sentence for Lu Ming, something he''d never be able to repay even if he worked himself to the bone for a lifetime.
But now, Lu Ming had a plan.
"Within a week, I''ll pay off the debt to Qing Yan first!"
Soon, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei arrived at the Nether Ghost Tower.
According to today''s battle report, the Godslayer Squad had conquered the eighth plane of the Nether Ghost Tower.
However, thanks to Qin Churan''s orders, no one from the Godslayer Squad dared to stop Lu Ming, respectfully making way for him.
[Ding~ You have entered the eighth plane of the Nether Ghost Tower: Shadow Nest!]
Whoosh!
Two beams of white light descended as Lu Ming and Lin Youwei found themselves in a dark realm.
All around them, massive fortress-like nests were scattered across the land.
Countless armored undead emissaries, with eyes gleaming coldly, emerged from those nests.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Meanwhile, numerous player teams were hunting these undead monsters within the vast map.
As the highest plane of the Nether Ghost Tower, the undead monsters in the Shadow Nest ranged from level 46 to 50!
Therefore, players grinding here were also between levels 46 and 50.
When a level 20 Trickster and an 18-level Mage appeared in this domain, it undoubtedly drew the skepticism of onlookers.
"Holy crap! How did that level 20 Trickster get into the eighth plane? And there''s an 18-level Mage with him, what the hell?"
"Look, they have Soul Sets on. It''s the effect of the Soul Set, allowing them to ignore the level restrictions of the Nether Ghost Tower map and enter any plane at will!"
"Most people use Soul Sets to farm lower planes! But these two, wearing Soul Sets, are running to such a high plane. What are they doing in the eighth plane at level 20? They must have a death wish!"
"They probably entered the wrong plane, right? Shh, let''s not warn them. If they get wiped out by the monsters, maybe they''ll drop a couple of Soul Set items, each worth tens of thousands!"
So, some nearby players, hoping to pick up the spoils, even paused their monster hunting to keep an eye on Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, waiting for them to get wiped out.
After all, picking up even one piece of Soul Set equipment could equal their annual income!
Just then, in front of them.
From a massive, pockmarked nest that seemed to have countless eyes, a silver-armored undead general, exuding a regal aura, emerged, riding a skeletal warhorse!
"Holy crap! The first one they encountered is an Elite Monster?"
"Even a regular monster could easily crush them, and now an Elite Monster shows up? They''re really being overestimated!"
"It looks like this doomed couple is in for a rough time!"
As the crowd buzzed with chatter, they were ready to rush in and grab the loot at any moment.
Lu Ming, however, calmly cast a Reconnaissance skill on the undead general.
[Undead General] (Lv48 Physical Type ¡¤ Elite Monster)
[Physical Attack: 9800]
[Armor: 6600]
[Magic Resistance: 5800]
[Speed: 4980]
[Health Points: 558000]
[Skills: Charge (D-level), Ice Thrust (D-level)...]
[Description: As a major general under the command of the Death Lord, Gaea, the Undead General guards the Nether Ghost Tower under Gaea''s orders, swearing to lead the undead legion to crush all humans who dare to enter the Shadow Nest...]
Seeing the monster data automatically shared in the team channel, Lin Youwei, standing behind Lu Ming, couldn''t help but grip her staff tightly, her eyes filled with tension and fear.
Judging by the attributes alone, the strength of this Undead General exceeded hers by dozens of times!
Moreover, the highest-level monster she had faced before, following Lu Ming, was only a level 30 scorpion in the Wasteland.
Now, they were jumping 18 levels higher!
For Lin Youwei, who was only level 18, this was a leap of 30 levels!!
In contrast, Lu Ming remained calm and composed.
As if everything was under his control.
"Arrogant humans, how dare you step into the Nether Ghost Tower and disturb Lord Gaea''s peace!"
"Die!"
With a roar.
The Undead General charged at Lu Ming, riding his skeletal warhorse!
Lu Ming remained unhurried.
He waited for the Undead General to enter his attack range.
His right hand, already resting on the hilt of his sword, quietly drew the blade.
Swish!
A sharp sword shadow flashed through the Undead General''s body.
-181822!
The Undead General''s health bar instantly dropped by a third!
At the same time, under Lu Ming''s mental control, hundreds of tier-3 Death Lords tore through space, stepping out from the summoning barrier!
Lu Ming planted his longsword into the ground.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
War Tread¡ª
Life Barrier¡ª
With a thirtyfold enhancement, a massive formation with a radius of 1500 yards instantly spread from Lu Ming''s feet, covering the entire Shadow Nest!
Buzz!
Dozens of blood-red marks appeared on the Undead General''s chest simultaneously.
The next second.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of Death Lords simultaneously activated Soul Shatter, instantly closing in on the Undead General from dozens of yards away.
Their longswords, burning with fierce flames, slashed down.
-15498!
-15498!
-15498!
...
Under Lu Ming''s mental control, the first wave of Death Lords quickly withdrew from the attack range after executing Soul Shatter, making room for the second wave to unleash Soul Shatter.
Following the same pattern, after three consecutive rounds of Soul Shatter, the Undead General''s long health bar was instantly drained!
Boom!
With a loud crash, the heavily armored Undead General fell from his horse, crashing to the ground.
[Ding~ You have slain a level 48 Elite Monster, Undead General, Experience Points +300000!]
"The experience from a level 48 Elite Monster almost matches that of a level 30 Silver BOSS!"
Watching the experience bar rise by a visible 10%, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement.
Meanwhile, the surrounding players, who had been waiting for Lu Ming to be killed so they could loot, were left dumbfounded.
The entire process was seamless and fluid; they hadn''t even seen how the Undead General died.
All they knew was that this level 20 Trickster had single-handedly slain a level 48 Elite Monster, crossing a gap of 28 levels...
Such terrifying strength left the players in awe, and they quietly returned to their own tasks, not daring to harbor any thoughts of taking advantage of Lu Ming.
Lu Ming, full of anticipation, approached the Undead General''s corpse.
With Lu Ming''s Comprehensive Amplification talent upgraded to Lv3, Lin Youwei''s monster drop rate bonus effect had also increased from 200% to 300%!
"Let''s see how valuable a level 48 Elite Monster with a fourfold drop rate really is!"
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Chapter 72 - Eighth Dimension, Shadow Nest Massacre!
[Ding~ You have picked up 22 Silver and 48 Copper Coins!]
[Ding~ You have picked up 14 Soul Stones!]
The monsters in the Nether Ghost Tower don''t drop equipment or skill scrolls. The only and most valuable item they drop is the Soul Stone!
"Fourteen Soul Stones in one drop!"
Lu Ming was slightly surprised.
After all, in the Nether Ghost Tower, the drop rate for Soul Stones from regular monsters is only 10%.
Normally, an Elite Monster would drop at most 3-4 Soul Stones.
Thanks to Lin Youwei''s 300% drop rate increase, Lu Ming was able to collect so many Soul Stones from this Elite Undead General in one go!
Moreover, Lu Ming noticed that the purity of these Soul Stones was quite high!
As everyone knows, the value of Soul Stones in the Nether Ghost Tower is determined by their purity.
"According to the guide, monsters on the eighth plane are the only ones with a chance to drop first-grade Soul Stones with 100% purity, but the drop rate is only 1.34%. The drop rate for second-grade Soul Stones is 9.78%, and for third-grade it''s 28.76%..."
While flipping through the guide, Lu Ming weighed the Soul Stones in his hand.
Among the 14 Soul Stones, there was 1 first-grade Soul Stone with 100% purity!
There were also 4 second-grade Soul Stones with 91%-99% purity;
4 third-grade Soul Stones with 71%-90% purity;
3 fourth-grade Soul Stones with 41%-70% purity;
2 fifth-grade Soul Stones with 1%-40% purity!
This shows that Lin Youwei''s drop rate increase talent not only boosts the quantity of Soul Stones dropped but also their quality!
According to market value, a first-grade Soul Stone is priced at 1000 each; second-grade at 300; third-grade at 100; fourth-grade at 50; fifth-grade at 20.
The total value of these Soul Stones has already reached 2790!
Adding the 22 silver coins.
The total profit from just this one Elite Undead General for Lu Ming was over 7000!
Is this making money?
This is simply picking up money!
So next.
"Grab the sack and start picking up money!"
As he spoke, Lu Ming mentally commanded all the Death Lords: "Slay."
In the next second, under the dual formations of War Tread and Life Barrier, the Undead Legion spread out across the vast Shadow Nest, automatically slaying monsters.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The refresh rate for Elite Monsters isn''t that high.
The Shadow Nest is mostly filled with ordinary undead monsters ranging from level 46-50.
These monsters are much weaker than the Undead General just defeated.
Ordinary level 46-50 undead monsters have only about 8000 attack power, over 5000 armor, 4000 speed, and 120,000-150,000 health points.
With the thirtyfold enhancement from War Tread, the Death Lords, boasting 20,000 attack power, roamed through the monster groups in the Shadow Nest, launching a massive slaughter.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
-17985!
-15362!
-16421!
...
Although not enough to deal fatal damage to these undead monsters, it posed a significant threat.
Despite the monsters dealing over ten thousand damage per hit, the Death Lords remained unfazed.
Because the E-grade Life Barrier provides the greatest shield value to allies, at 50% of the Trickster''s health limit.
With a thirtyfold enhancement, it directly increased to 15 times the health limit!
Combined with Lu Ming''s 2488 health points, the maximum shield the Death Lords could obtain had already reached over 37,000!
The main point is, this shield isn''t one-time.
As long as it''s below the maximum value, a 4253-point shield will automatically generate every second!
Therefore, for the high-level undead in the Shadow Nest, this group of level 20 Death Lords seemed like unkillable cockroaches.
Unkillable.
Absolutely unkillable!
Thus, under the massacre of over four hundred Death Lords, Lu Ming once again sat back and enjoyed the spoils.
[Ding~ Killed level 49 Undead Mage, Experience Points +5250!]
[Ding~ Killed level 46 Undead Warrior, Experience Points +4880!]
[Ding~ Killed level 48 Undead Archer, Experience Points +5110!]
...
Players need a total of 3 million experience points to level up from 20 to 21.
This means that each small monster killed increases Lu Ming''s experience bar by about 0.15%!
And, he could steadily collect 20-25 copper coins!
On average, every 2-3 undead monsters would drop a Soul Stone!
Lu Ming had imagined that once he obtained the Soul Set, ignoring level restrictions to grind in the eighth plane of the Nether Ghost Tower would be exhilarating.
But he didn''t expect it to be this exhilarating!
Following Lu Ming, Lin Youwei''s experience bar also soared.
Wow!
After an hour, the first golden light fell.
Wow!
After two hours, the second golden light fell.
Without any quest rewards, purely by grinding.
By four in the afternoon, Lin Youwei smoothly reached level 20!
The speed was astonishing, making those players who take ten days to half a month to achieve this goal gape.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming had long completed the [Kill 200 level 20+ monsters] third transfer quest.
The Nether Ghost Tower could be farmed anytime.
The urgent task...
"First, head to the black market, claim the quest from that golden goblin BOSS, and see if I can boost my strength again!"
Lu Ming was well aware of his current capabilities.
If Dragon Soul Guan Yu came knocking again, with his current strength, it would be hard to handle.
So, Lu Ming took Lin Youwei and left the Nether Ghost Tower.
On the way back to Starlight City, he organized his backpack.
He found that in just one afternoon, the total market value of all the Soul Stones and silver coins he collected had already exceeded 80,000!
Lu Ming remembered that back on the first plane of the Nether Ghost Tower, he only earned 50,000 after a whole day of grinding!
"It seems that to make quick money, you have to be on the eighth plane!"
"It was worth the high cost to get two Soul Sets!"
So, Lu Ming immediately put all the Soul Stones up for sale in the auction house.
He kept the silver coins to use at the black market.
Just as Lu Ming finished handling these.
He inadvertently noticed Lin Youwei, who had been silent all along, suddenly glanced at him, hesitant to speak.
Since entering the Nether Ghost Tower, he noticed something was off with Lin Youwei.
From start to finish, she hadn''t said a word, not even saving up her little treasury.
She seemed downcast, as if something was on her mind.
So, Lu Ming asked, "What''s wrong with you?"
Lin Youwei didn''t dare look at Lu Ming, keeping her head down.
After finally gathering the courage, she asked softly, "Nether brother, are you really with that God Slayer, Moon?"
"Yes." Lu Ming answered without hesitation.
Lin Youwei''s face inexplicably turned red.
Her voice became even softer.
"Do you like her?"
When Lu Ming heard Lin Youwei ask this question, it was as if he suddenly realized something.
He looked at Lin Youwei, whose face was as red as a ripe tomato.
He suddenly asked Lin Youwei, "Have you ever been in love?"
Lin Youwei shook her head and said, "My brother doesn''t let me date early."
Lu Ming asked again, "Can you tell the difference between gratitude and liking?"
Lin Youwei shook her head again.
Like an elder brother, Lu Ming smiled at Lin Youwei and said, "You''re still young. When you grow up a bit more, you''ll understand."
"Come on, let''s head back. We still have somewhere to go later."
With that, Lu Ming continued forward.
Lin Youwei stood there, still pondering Lu Ming''s words.
"What is gratitude, what is liking..."
"Could it be that Nether brother is with God Slayer, Moon out of gratitude because she helped him get the Soul Set?"
"So, Nether brother isn''t with God Slayer, Moon because he likes her?"
Thinking this way, Lin Youwei''s mood brightened considerably.
She quickly caught up with Lu Ming.
After returning to the city, Lu Ming headed straight to the Profession Hall.
He submitted the third transfer quest to the Trickster mentor.
[Ding~ Congratulations on completing the third transfer. Level cap increased to 30, attribute growth enhanced, skill slot +1!]
With the system prompt.
Wow, wow!
Two beams of golden light fell from above.
With the level cap increased, all the experience points Lu Ming accumulated in the Nether Ghost Tower were released, raising his level to 22!
The third transfer not only enhanced the growth of the five main attributes: strength, spirit, endurance, agility, and constitution.
For Lu Ming, the most important thing was unlocking a new skill slot!
"Finally, the Undead Legion can welcome a new boost!"
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Chapter 73 - Third formation, draw the ground as a prison!
In Lu Ming''s backpack, there were three E-level Trickster skill scrolls stored¡ª
Prison of Earth: Reduces all enemy armor;
Revival of All Things: Increases all allies'' health regeneration;
Swift Wind: Increases all allies'' speed;
There was currently no skill to enhance allies'' defense, and the trading house was out of stock.
So, among these three options, Lu Ming chose the first one¡ª
[Ding~ Congratulations, you have mastered the E-level Trickster skill: Prison of Earth!]
[Prison of Earth] (Trickster Skill Lv22)
[Quality: E-level]
[Skill Description: Releases a circular formation with a 50-yard radius, reducing the armor of all enemies within the formation by (20% Trickster Armor + 138) points for 15 seconds]
[Skill Cost: Consumes 98 Mana Points to activate, and 11 Mana Points per second thereafter]
[Cooldown Time: 60 seconds]
"With my Comprehensive Amplification talent, which enhances thirtyfold, that''s a 600% armor + 4140 armor reduction."
Lu Ming opened the status panel and analyzed, "With my 265 armor, the total armor reduction effect equals 5730 points!"
This calculation result made Lu Ming very satisfied.
Because even the highest-level ordinary undead in the Shadow Nest, at level 50, only had over 5000 armor.
This meant that after the Prison of Earth reduction, their armor would be directly nullified, allowing the Death Lords to deal higher damage!
All the Trickster''s skill enhancement effects are closely related to their own attributes.
Therefore, to give the Undead Legion a greater boost, Lu Ming''s own strength must not fall behind!
It was still early for dinner, so Lu Ming and Lin Youwei left the city again.
Following the map''s guidance, they headed towards the direction of the [Black Market].
Currently, Lu Ming had accumulated a total of 10 gold coins in his bag!
"That should be enough to buy quite a few good things at the black market."
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
Ding ding!
A WeChat message notification sounded.
Lu Ming opened it to find a message from Qin Churan: "I recruited a new team and want them to join us. Can you come over and help me evaluate them?"
Lu Ming had just read the message.
The next second.
[The other party retracted a message]
Since Qin Churan retracted it, Lu Ming simply closed WeChat, pretending he hadn''t seen it.
After all, his relationship with Qin Churan was purely to use her to get back at Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er.
He wasn''t going to be Qin Churan''s ever-obliging simp.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
However, fate had other plans for Lu Ming.
Coincidentally, on the way to the black market, Lu Ming ran into Qin Churan!
In an open area, a virtual arena was in full bloom.
The audience below was a sea of people.
On stage, two teams of players were engaged in a 5v5 team PK match.
One side was the unremarkable miscellaneous team [Excellence], while the other was the renowned Great Xia''s seventh team [God Slayer]!
Leading the God Slayer team was the level 33 Assassin, Qin Churan.
The other four were also in their 30s with fourth-tier strength.
The opposing [Excellence] team had players of similar level configurations.
When Lu Ming arrived, a match was just beginning.
Whoosh!
As the battle commenced.
Qin Churan launched the first attack.
Her strategy was clear, her target precise, directly aiming for the most threatening level 34 Mage [Excellence Little Wolf].
With the cover of her teammates, she bypassed the opposing Warrior and Knight, feigning an attack on the Archer [Excellence Little Eagle].
Just as Excellence Little Eagle dodged the attack.
Qin Churan suddenly turned to attack the Mage Excellence Little Wolf!
Swish swish swish!
Qin Churan''s speed and sudden attack left Excellence Little Wolf with almost no time to react, unable to even cast a blink, and was easily taken down by Qin Churan''s feint!
A true heroine.
Qin Churan''s awareness and skill were so strong that even Lu Ming couldn''t underestimate her.
But, no matter how strong she was alone, it was useless.
After all, this was a team competition.
Just as Qin Churan took down the opposing Mage.
Her own Archer and Priest were ambushed by two Assassins from the opposing team, both falling!
The remaining two Warriors managed an extreme two-for-one, taking down one of the opposing Assassins.
In the blink of an eye, the 5v5 turned into a 1v3!
In the end, Qin Churan fought valiantly against three, taking down two, but narrowly lost to the level 35 Warrior [Excellence Little Tiger]!
[Ding~ In this best-of-five PK match, Excellence team wins, current score Excellence 2: God Slayer 1!]
At this moment, the audience was in shock.
"What the heck! What''s going on with God Slayer? The seventh top team in the Great Xia server can''t even beat a small miscellaneous studio? How embarrassing!"
"Yeah, they''ve lost two rounds already! Is this really the seventh in the server?"
"So weak! I could do better with my feet!"
Amidst the crowd, Lu Ming revealed a knowing smile.
To the untrained eye, it seemed like a hard-fought match.
But he could see at a glance that, aside from Qin Churan, the other four on the God Slayer side were clearly holding back!
They deliberately lost to Excellence.
At first, Lu Ming didn''t understand why they would do this.
Until during the intermission, the leader of the Excellence team, the Warrior youth [Excellence Little Tiger], mocked Qin Churan:
"Sis, lose one more, and you''ll be defeated! Remember the rules? If you lose, you have to join our Excellence team and work for me for a week!"
Qin Churan''s gaze was intense, her spirit unyielding: "It''s not over yet!"
Though she said this, Qin Churan was somewhat anxious inside.
"Alright." Excellence Little Tiger gently stroked his flaming longsword, his gaze on Qin Churan filled with possessiveness: "Let''s continue then!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
A voice suddenly came from below the stage: "God Slayer requests a substitution!"
Everyone turned towards the source of the voice: a young Trickster.
When Qin Churan saw Lu Ming, her heart was filled with joy.
It was as if she saw a ray of hope in the darkness.
"Nether!!"
"Why is he here? Did he see the message I sent him?"
"But I clearly retracted it, and I didn''t mention the location¡"
While Qin Churan was both happy and puzzled.
Excellence Little Tiger, upon hearing the request for a mid-match substitution, was naturally displeased.
After all, with the current situation, they were sure to win.
"According to the rules, substitutions require both parties'' consent! And the substitute must be of comparable level!"
Lu Ming stepped onto the stage, standing beside Qin Churan.
He addressed the five players of the opposing Excellence team: "My level should meet the requirements, right?"
Only then did the players of Excellence team take a closer look at Lu Ming.
When they saw that Lu Ming was only a level 22 Trickster, their attitudes did a complete 180!
Excellence Little Tiger suppressed his excitement and asked, "Are you sure about the substitution?"
"In the interest of fairness, I''ll give you another step."
Lu Ming calmly said, "I''ll take on four."
This statement left all the players on and off the stage in doubt.
"Wow! Where does this guy get his confidence? A level 22 Trickster taking on a level 30 arena, and a four-for-one??"
"Is he here to be funny?"
"What a show-off! But I''m actually looking forward to seeing how he gets humiliated!"
While the crowd below speculated.
Excellence Little Tiger didn''t care about fairness.
Since the substitution was requested by the other party, he had no objections.
Afraid that Lu Ming would regret it a second later, he immediately agreed: "Alright, we agree to the substitution!"
Thus, after Lu Ming joined the team, Qin Churan didn''t hesitate to kick out her original four teammates!
Others might not know Lu Ming or understand his strength.
But Qin Churan knew, and that was enough!
If possible, she would even kick herself out!
Because she knew, to Lu Ming, she was just a burden.
[Ding~ The match is about to begin, players on both sides, please prepare!]
As the system entered a 10-second countdown.
Qin Churan glanced back at Lu Ming, playfully sticking out her tongue and whispered, "Why do you always show up so timely? Like you''re my destined savior!"
Lu Ming kept his eyes straight ahead.
He said, "I won''t make a move, you go."
"Huh?"
Before Qin Churan could react.
The countdown had already reached zero.
The match began!
The players of Excellence team didn''t underestimate their opponents, even though they were down three players and the new addition was a level 22 support Trickster.
As soon as the match started, they launched a full-scale attack!
Clearly, the allure of having the sister of the God Slayer team''s captain join their no-name studio and work for Excellence was too great!
So they were determined to win the match by any means.
At this moment, Qin Churan looked back and found that Lu Ming really hadn''t moved!
"You''re not here to see me fail, are you?"
Thinking this, Qin Churan had no choice but to charge forward alone.
At this moment, Lu Ming deactivated the [Sword Draw] skill.
He lifted his sword.
Swish!
Planted his longsword into the ground.
War Tread¡ª
Life Barrier¡ª
Prison of Earth¡ª
Swish swish swish!
Three massive formations instantly covered the entire arena.
Under the formation''s enhancement, Qin Churan''s attack power increased significantly. Holding her dagger, she swiftly charged into the enemy ranks.
Swish swish swish swish!
With each strike.
Every enemy was hit.
-33652!
-32169!
-31999!
¡¡
[Ding~ In this best-of-five match, God Slayer team wins! Current score: Excellence 2: God Slayer 2!]
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Chapter 74 - Assist Qin Churan, slaughter on the arena!
The five players from the Excellence Squad hadn''t even reacted yet.
The sudden system notification left them dumbfounded.
It took them a while to realize that the battle, which seemed to have not even started for them, was already over!
"What... what the hell? It''s over?"
"Fing hell, how did I lose?"
"How did her damage suddenly get so high?"
"Damn! There''s a cheat!!!"
Mainly because they had already witnessed Qin Churan''s strength in the previous three PK matches.
The damage suddenly skyrocketed from 3000+ to 30000+, a tenfold increase, who could accept that?
"No, something''s wrong!"
"That Trickster is the problem!"
Finally, they realized where the issue lay.
All five of them turned their gaze to Lu Ming.
"His formation is the problem!"
"In the next match, focus fire on him first!"
As they spoke, the decisive fifth PK match began.
[Ding~ Countdown ended, match starts!]
With the system prompt, the five from the Excellence Squad quickly exchanged glances.
"Little Bear, hold them off with me!"
"Little Eagle, Little Wolf, Little Chicken, focus fire and take out that Trickster!"
"Understood!"
Just as they were about to act according to plan.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª
A slender figure darted through the five like lightning.
The next second.
[Ding~ In this best-of-five match, the Godslayer Squad wins! Current score: Excellence 2, Godslayer 3!]
[Ding~ Congratulations to the Godslayer Squad for winning this match!]
"What the hell... what just happened?"
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The members of the Excellence Squad looked at each other, bewildered.
Meanwhile, the spectators below the stage were equally shocked.
"That level 22 Trickster, does his formation boost that much?"
"I''m a Trickster too, three levels higher than him, and my War Tread only adds a bit over 100 attack power! Even if his gear is slightly better, he could at most add 200-300 attack power to his teammates!"
"200-300? You''re joking! He boosted it by 20-30 thousand attack power!"
"Damn! This Trickster is insanely powerful! I''ve never seen a Trickster single-handedly turn the tide of a battle!"
On the stage.
With Qin Churan securing the victory, backed by Lu Ming, she crossed her arms like a little princess.
She commanded the young warrior leader of the Excellence Squad, Excellence Little Tiger, "I won. According to our prior agreement, your Excellence Squad will follow my orders for a week starting now!"
"I refuse!" Excellence Little Tiger raised his right fist, defiant as he spoke to Qin Churan, "Do you dare to compete with me again?"
Qin Churan looked him up and down and said, "But you have nothing left to wager! All seventeen of you from Excellence are now under my command!"
Excellence Little Tiger gritted his teeth and said, "I have a brother who co-founded a studio with me, called Transcendence! It''s the same size as our Excellence, with over ten people!"
"If you can beat me again, I''ll introduce my brother''s studio to join you!"
"But I have one condition!"
With that, Excellence Little Tiger pointed directly at Lu Ming, "This time, I want to duel him! Best of three!"
Qin Churan looked at Excellence Little Tiger with an incredulous expression, "Are you... sure?"
Seeing Qin Churan''s skeptical attitude, Excellence Little Tiger was even more determined that he could defeat Lu Ming in a duel.
"Everyone knows a Trickster''s formation doesn''t boost themselves. No matter how high your formation boost is, without teammates, you''re useless!"
"If you dare to accept the challenge, I''ll knock your teeth out!"
Thinking this, Excellence Little Tiger feared Lu Ming wouldn''t accept, so he taunted him, "What''s wrong, are you only good at hiding behind a woman drawing symbols, afraid to stand up like a man and duel me?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Ming accepted without hesitation, "Alright, I accept your challenge."
Thus, the virtual arena was set.
[Ding~ Player "Excellence Little Tiger" (Level 35 Fourth-Stage Warrior) vs. "Nether" (Level 22 Third-Stage Trickster), match starting soon!]
As the system began the countdown.
The spectators below the stage buzzed with discussion.
"A Trickster is just a support class, no matter how strong the formation, it doesn''t boost themselves. This is the first time I''ve seen a Trickster duel!"
"Moreover, it''s a level 35 against a level 22, isn''t this just bullying by the Excellence Squad?"
"But since Nether dared to accept, he must have some confidence!"
"What confidence? The Trickster class doesn''t have any attack skills! Is he planning to use a sword for basic attacks? Can he even kill a chicken?"
Qin Churan wasn''t worried at all, watching with an amused expression as she quietly stepped aside.
On the stage.
Staring at the Trickster Lu Ming, who was a full 13 levels lower, Excellence Little Tiger was ecstatic.
"A little bluffing strategy and he took the bait! A Trickster daring to duel? What a fool!"
"Now''s the time to turn the tables from the earlier loss!"
"Watch me crush you!"
Just as Excellence Little Tiger thought this.
The system countdown hit zero.
The match began!
Under everyone''s watchful eyes, Excellence Little Tiger swiftly drew his sword.
Charge Slash¡ª
Instantly, Excellence Little Tiger charged at Lu Ming with incredible speed.
As he raised his sword, he saw Lu Ming standing still, his right hand resting on the sword hilt on his back, making no other moves.
Just when Excellence Little Tiger thought he had the victory in hand.
Lu Ming moved his right hand.
Swoosh¡ª
In the moment of drawing his sword, a sword shadow pierced through Excellence Little Tiger.
-182988!
A six-digit damage enough to kill Excellence Little Tiger ten times over instantly drained his health bar.
[Ding~ Player "Nether" wins this match! Current score: Nether 1, Excellence Little Tiger 0!]
At that moment, Excellence Little Tiger was dumbfounded.
"What the hell!"
"I refuse! Again!"
As the second match began.
Swoosh!
Sword Draw¡ª
-182988!
[Ding~ Player "Nether" wins...]
"Again!"
"Again!"
"Come on! If you have the guts, kill me!"
[Ding~ Player "Nether" wins...]
[Ding~ Player "Nether" wins...]
[Ding~ Player "Nether" wins...]
The original best-of-three turned into ten matches.
Excellence Little Tiger lost all ten.
He was beaten to tears.
Sitting in the center of the arena, he burst into tears.
"This is so unfair..."
"Waaah!"
Lu Ming calmly looked at Excellence Little Tiger and kindly asked, "Still want to fight?"
"No more, no more!"
"Do you concede?"
"I concede! I concede, concede, concede!"
Lu Ming smiled lightly, "Then, a bet is a bet."
Excellence Little Tiger stood up, dusted himself off.
Hesitantly, he opened WeChat, pondered for a long time, and finally mustered the courage to send a message to a friend marked as [Godson]: "Dad found you an ally, if we follow him, he can lead our two teams into the top 100 national squads!"
[Godson]: "Really?"
[Excellence Little Tiger]: "I swear it''s true! If not, I''m your grandson!"
[Godson]: "Great! Good brother! You didn''t forget me in this good deal! Send me the location, I''ll bring the team over right away!"
Before long.
A group of players with the [Transcendence] ID arrived.
Seeing the leading level 35 Assassin, [Transcendence Dream], Excellence Little Tiger was moved to tears.
"Grandpa!"
"You''re here!!"
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Chapter 75 - Black market auction
Excellence Little Tiger and Transcendence Dream looked like those hot-blooded youths with no money but a burning desire to start a business.
Transcendence Dream realized belatedly.
Only then did he realize that his good brother had sold him out!
His first reaction was, of course, the same as Excellence Little Tiger''s initial one, expressing his dissatisfaction.
"If you want us to join you, fine!"
"But you have to show us some skills that can convince us, right? Otherwise, why should we listen to your commands?"
Transcendence Dream gave Lu Ming a once-over, full of disdain: "Just because you''re a level 22 Trickster?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Excellence Little Tiger elbowed Transcendence Dream.
"Bro, he''s really strong! Trust me!"
Transcendence Dream: "I don''t believe you at all! You always trick me! Get lost!"
Excellence Little Tiger: "Alright!"
At this moment, Qin Churan spoke up: "Then let''s decide the outcome with a ring PK, how about it?"
Transcendence Dream shook his head and said, "A mere ring match, win or lose, means nothing."
"Being able to get things done is what proves strength!"
Transcendence Dream said to Qin Churan, "I have a friend named Ding Yue, who used to be part of my Transcendence Studio, but recently got poached by the [Blaze] Squad."
"If you can help me get Ding Yue back from the Blaze Squad, I''ll bring the entire studio to join you permanently, how about that?"
As soon as Transcendence Dream finished speaking.
Lu Ming suddenly said, "Ding Yue is your girlfriend, right?"
Transcendence Dream''s face immediately turned red.
"Never mind who she is, just say whether you dare to take this on or not!"
"Deal!" Qin Churan said without hesitation, "Arrange a meeting with them."
Transcendence Dream checked the time and said, "Not now, Ding Yue usually takes a nap around this time."
"Then tonight, I''ll let you know the exact location once it''s confirmed!"
Alright, alright!
Another simp confirmed without a doubt!
After exchanging WeChat contacts, Transcendence Dream and Excellence Little Tiger each left with their studio players.
Lu Ming knew that Qin Churan''s goal in recruiting people was to build a team ranked in the top 100 of the national server within three years, to fulfill her promise to her brother Qin Feng, thereby breaking off her engagement with the Wang family.
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But at the same time, Lu Ming was a bit puzzled.
"Your family is so rich, why not just use some money to recruit whoever you want?"
"My brother has frozen all my cards." Although it was a heavy matter, Qin Churan spoke with a sense of relief.
"You see, to stop me from building a national server team, he even arranged these actors around me!"
Following Qin Churan''s gaze, Lu Ming looked at the players from the Godslayer Squad who had just sparred with her.
Those people immediately felt so embarrassed they wished they could disappear...
It turned out, Qin Churan had seen through everything long ago.
Yet she was powerless and had no means to act.
At this moment, Qin Churan opened a search page, looking at the description of the [Blaze] Squad, and said, "Actually, the Blaze he just mentioned is also on my list for recruitment."
"Blaze was just established a year ago and currently has a scale of a hundred people. If we can recruit them, we can stabilize our foundation!"
Seeing the hopeful look in Qin Churan''s eyes.
Lu Ming said, "I''ll help you."
Qin Churan looked at Lu Ming, a touch of emotion in her eyes.
"Great! Don''t worry, I won''t treat you poorly!"
"When my team is established in the future, I''ll make you the vice-captain!"
Lu Ming smiled without saying a word.
In his mind, his revenge plan was becoming clearer.
"In today''s world, major families and squads stand in opposition."
"No matter how strong I am alone, I won''t be able to withstand the enemy''s massive forces in the later stages."
Relying solely on the Undead Legion is far from enough.
After all, at this growth rate, even if Lu Ming reaches level 100, he can only summon a few thousand undead.
Compared to those squads with tens or hundreds of thousands of people, it''s insignificant.
Therefore, from the moment he was reborn, Lu Ming had already thought of creating a force of his own!
However, Lu Ming had no power or influence, and starting from scratch with such a grassroots identity would inevitably attract suppression from other high-level forces, and the squad might be wiped out before it even formed.
So, for Lu Ming, this was an excellent opportunity!
"After all, Qin Churan is the sister of the captain of the seventh-ranked Godslayer Squad in the national server, and with that status, no one dares to touch her."
"Supporting Qin Churan, helping her establish and build a top 100 national server team, and forming a completely opposing stance with Qin Feng."
"Then, using Qin Churan''s hand to eliminate Qin Feng, completing the revenge plan, and if necessary, I can take control of this squad from Qin Churan at any time!"
Thus, killing two birds with one stone!
Therefore, he not only wanted to help Qin Churan build a team.
But also to make this team strong and formidable!
Thinking of this, a sharp glint appeared in Lu Ming''s eyes.
He then said to Qin Churan, "When Transcendence contacts you tonight, let me know."
Qin Churan nodded, "Okay."
After parting ways with Qin Churan, Lu Ming continued to lead Lin Youwei to the black market.
About twenty minutes later, the two entered an ancient forest.
Sunlight filtered through the towering trees, casting a serene glow in the forest.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, they saw a massive vortex-shaped white light screen, about seven or eight meters high, blooming in the forest.
On either side of the light screen, dozens of fully armed elite NPC soldiers, level 50, stood ready with long spears in hand!
This was the entrance to the black market!
At this moment, many players were arriving from all directions, entering the black market with the purpose of shopping.
According to the Sky Abyss world''s background setting.
The black market was established by the Human Alliance.
Its purpose was to gather treasures from all over, allowing human strongmen to acquire treasures according to their needs, enhancing their strength to better combat monsters.
Therefore, the so-called black market is essentially a large auction market.
Based on levels, the black market can be divided into four areas: primary black market, intermediate black market, advanced black market, and supreme VIP black market.
Before entering the black market, players must go through a capital verification stage.
Those holding less than 10 Silver Coins are only allowed to enter the primary black market;
Those holding more than 1 Gold Coin can enter the intermediate black market;
Those holding more than 10 Gold Coins can enter the advanced black market;
Those holding more than 100 Gold Coins can enter the supreme VIP black market!
These four different levels of the black market all follow the same rule: a new item is refreshed every ten minutes, available for players to bid on.
Whether or not the item is successfully auctioned, it will be replaced with the next item after ten minutes.
Each refreshed item is random.
However, the higher the level of the black market, the higher the chance of refreshing high-value items!
Lu Ming opened his backpack to check and found he currently had 11 Gold, 35 Silver, and 48 Copper.
"Just right, I can check out the advanced black market."
For Lu Ming, being able to enter the advanced black market was enough.
After all, the 100 Gold Coin entry requirement for the supreme VIP black market translates to two million RMB!
That''s a playground for the rich.
Not a place for someone like Lu Ming, who is in debt.
So, after passing the capital verification, Lu Ming received an [Advanced Black Market Pass] (with this pass, you can freely enter and exit the primary, intermediate, and advanced black markets and participate in the corresponding market''s item auctions).
He also gave Lin Youwei 1 Gold Coin, allowing her to receive an [Intermediate Black Market Pass].
Then, he led Lin Youwei through the white light screen leading to the black market.
With a swish!
Their vision shifted, and they found themselves in a vast market.
Around a massive auction stage, countless players filled the audience seats.
There were hardly any empty seats.
The scene was bustling with excitement!
[Ding~ Welcome to the Primary Black Market!]
At this moment, a new round of items was beginning to be auctioned.
On the auction stage, an NPC girl in a white dress, as fresh and ethereal as a fairy in a painting, was hosting with a microphone, calling out loudly:
"Let''s wait and see, what will today''s 102nd item be?"
"The answer is revealed! The next item is a level 28 Black Iron Equipment [Bloodthirsty Blade], starting bid at 30 Copper Coins! Each bid must not be less than 5 Copper Coins!"
"This round of bidding starts now!"
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Chapter 78 - Get a million for free!
The sudden appearance of Lu Ming caught Dragon Soul Zhang Fei completely off guard.
A D-level Sword Draw was more than enough to instantly kill a fully healthy level 50 sixth-turn Knight!
He died without a trace.
The others behind him hadn''t even noticed!
Lu Ming walked straight to Dragon Soul Zhang Fei''s corpse and picked up the scroll that had dropped.
He casually put it into his backpack.
"Don''t worry, I''m not taking it for free."
"Consider it a protection fee!"
As he spoke, Lu Ming summoned the Undead Legion through his thoughts.
The next second, just as the players from the Dragon Soul team were clashing with the players from the Blaze Squad.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
From all directions, countless blood-red barriers shimmering with golden light materialized.
In an instant, Death Lords clad in fully enclosed dark red blood armor, with capes on their backs, eyes glowing red, and wielding blazing swords, tore through space and stepped out from the barriers!
The people on the scene were immediately shocked.
"Damn! Where did these things come from?"
As elite players from the Sixth Team of the national server, the Dragon Soul players reacted quickly.
Seeing the sudden appearance of numerous Death Lords around them, they were immediately on high alert.
"Undead Legion... it''s Nether!"
"Hurry and notify Brother Guan, get him to bring reinforcements! The prey has appeared!"
Prey?
It seemed just as Lu Ming had expected, the high-level players of Dragon Soul stayed in Starlight City to ambush him!
But hearing what the Dragon Soul people called him, Lu Ming laughed.
"Sorry."
"You are the prey."
As he spoke, a hint of killing intent flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Hundreds of level 22 third-tier Death Lords, under the dual formations of Death Stomp and Life Barrier, charged at the Dragon Soul team players!
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At the same time, Lu Ming released a third formation.
Prison of Earth¡ª
The E-level Prison of Earth, enhanced thirty times, almost reduced the armor of all Dragon Soul team players to zero.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Hundreds of Soul Shatter marks bloomed on the chests of a dozen Dragon Soul players on the field.
The next second, all the Death Lords launched a blitz.
Slash, slash, slash!
-27352!
-28111!
-27796!
...
The level 50 Dragon Soul players, with average health points over 100,000, could withstand the single attack damage from the Death Lords.
But facing hundreds of Death Lords simultaneously, they had no chance to resist.
In an instant, eight players were killed on the spot!
The remaining few fought back desperately, managing to kill three Death Lords at the limit.
But the next second, they all paid with their lives!
As the battle ended, the scene fell into silence.
Looking at the thirteen Dragon Soul team players'' bodies lying scattered on the ground.
The players from the Blaze Squad were stunned.
Under the oppressive presence of the Death Lords, who seemed like messengers from hell, they were so tense they didn''t dare to make a sound.
Although they didn''t know where these "hell messengers" came from.
But in the eyes of Blaze Soul and his team.
Since these Death Lords could easily kill these high-level 50 sixth-turn Dragon Soul players without breaking a sweat.
Killing them, a group of over level 30 fourth-turn players, would be like slaughtering chickens.
Among the dozens of Blaze Squad players present, no one dared to act rashly.
Fortunately, the Undead Legion did not attack them.
And with a command from Lu Ming, they all retreated behind him.
At this moment, Blaze Soul realized: all these Death Lords were obeying the 22-level Trickster in front of them¡ªNether!
"Thank you, great master, for saving my life!"
As soon as Blaze Soul finished speaking, all the Blaze Squad players in the back shouted in unison, "Thank you, great master, for saving my life!"
Lu Ming didn''t say anything, but silently refined all thirteen Dragon Soul team players'' bodies on the field.
"This place isn''t safe for long, I suggest you leave quickly."
Leaving this sentence to the Blaze Squad players, Lu Ming led the Undead Legion and left directly.
Watching Lu Ming''s departing figure, Blaze Soul was filled with admiration and respect: "Damn, this Trickster is so damn cool! He''s so cool he hit me right in the heart! Besides my dad, this is the first time in my life I''ve seen a man cooler than me!"
"Brothers, find a way to get me all the information on this Trickster, I want to thank him in person!"
"I want to take him as my master!!!"
But soon, Blaze Soul discovered something he couldn''t accept.
"Fing Hell! Where''s the scroll?"
"Where did the scroll go? Didn''t it drop?"
"Quick, find it! Dig three feet into the ground to find the scroll! Damn it! I took a loan of a million to buy that!!!"
Dozens of Blaze players quickly conducted a carpet search nearby, but found nothing.
Blaze Soul was devastated: "Damn it! My million is gone just like that..."
No time to mourn.
In the distance, a rush of footsteps could be heard.
"Boss, someone is coming over there!"
"If it''s reinforcements for those guys just now, we''re done for! We need to get out of here fast!"
In comparison, their lives were ultimately more important.
Blaze Soul had no time to be sad and quickly led his underlings to flee.
Before long, hundreds of players crossed the wasteland, approaching aggressively.
All were level 50 sixth-turn, fully equipped with Bronze Equipment, their strength visibly formidable!
Seeing the empty scene before them, Dragon Soul Guan Yu gave a command: "Search!"
The Dragon Soul players quickly began searching the area.
But found nothing.
"Brother Guan, there''s no one! And no bodies!"
"Could it be the wrong location, not this place?"
At this moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu squatted down on a piece of empty ground, carefully observing the marks on the ground that seemed to have been burned by flames.
His expression immediately turned cold: "It''s him, Nether!"
"He has an ability to refine bodies, these are the traces left after his refinement."
After investigation, there were a total of fourteen similar traces on the scene.
Corresponding to their thirteen Dragon Soul players, all killed!
The extra one, no need to speculate.
After deducing this result, a surge of killing intent rose in Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes.
"Nether, if I don''t kill you, I swear I''m not human!"
On the other side.
Lu Ming returned to the black market.
Not only did he get a free third-tier magic scroll worth a million, but he also casually killed over a dozen people under Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
At this moment, Lu Ming was in a great mood!
Unfortunately, after wandering around outside, he wasted quite a bit of time.
When Lu Ming returned to the black market, it was just seven in the evening.
He had missed the time when the goblin Avani appeared every day from 6 to 7 PM!
"Forget it, I''ll wait until tomorrow."
Lu Ming wasn''t in a hurry.
After all, the mysterious quest on Avani had been there for decades, and besides Lu Ming in his previous life, no player had been able to take it.
In Lu Ming''s view, what''s his is his.
No one else can take it away.
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this, Qin Churan sent a WeChat message.
"Transcendence gave me the message, he arranged a meeting with the Blaze Squad, tonight at nine, Dawn Coast."
"Okay."
After replying to Qin Churan, Lu Ming sent a message to Lin Youwei: "I''m out, waiting for you at the entrance."
It was just seven o''clock.
Lu Ming thought, he could log off to have dinner first, there should be some time, and he could also complete the scroll task to cash in the items sealed in the scroll.
Then, he would give Blaze a surprise.
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Chapter 79 - Treasure, Ring of Source Power!
Lu Ming was relieved to have brought Lin Youwei to the black market.
Because on this trip to the black market, Lu Ming didn''t manage to get anything on his own.
Without this Tier 3 magic scroll, this trip would have been for nothing!
And yet, Lin Youwei managed to get four items for Lu Ming after spending just two hours in the intermediate black market!
"Nether brother, these three Tier 1 magic scrolls were all sold for between 40 to 50 silver coins each; and there was a 1-star treasure, which was a bit more expensive, costing 1 gold coin..."
"In total, I spent 2 gold coins and 42 silver coins, so there''s still 1 gold coin and 58 silver coins left from the 4 gold coins you gave me!"
On the way back to the city, Lin Youwei handed over the four items she had won at the black market auction, along with the remaining money, to Lu Ming, without keeping a single bit for herself.
Lu Ming left Lin Youwei with 3 silver coins.
"This is your hard-earned fee."
The little money-grubber clutched the 3 silver coins with a face full of joy, "Thank you, Nether brother!"
Don''t underestimate these 3 silver coins; on the market, they are worth 600 yuan.
Lin Youwei kept an eye on the black market for Lu Ming for two hours, which equates to an hourly wage of 300!
This far exceeded the hourly wage Lin Youwei had ever earned from any job!
So, Lin Youwei happily went off to tinker with her little treasury.
Lu Ming, on the other hand, weighed the four items she had won for him at the auction.
Among them were three Tier 1 magic scrolls: [Claim as Your Own], [Break Through Yourself], and [Fortune Beckons];
And a 1-star magical treasure: [Ring of Source Power]!
[Break Through Yourself] (Tier 1 Magic Scroll/Sealed): Upon use, allows you to break through your own limits, gaining the temporary skill Break Through Yourself (for 300 seconds, all skill cooldowns -10%, and skill consumption -10%).
Unseal Task: Slay 100 monsters of a level not lower than your own within an hour (time starts counting after activating the task).
[Fortune Beckons] (Tier 1 Magic Scroll/Sealed): Upon use, receive the blessing of the God of Wealth, gaining the temporary skill Fortune Beckons (for 300 seconds, the amount of coins dropped by monsters +100%).
Unseal Task: Slay 100 monsters of a level not lower than your own within an hour.
"These two scrolls provide temporary skill boosts. I wonder if they can be enhanced by the Comprehensive Amplification talent as temporary skills."
If they could be enhanced thirty times by Comprehensive Amplification, that would be fantastic!
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As for the magical treasure...
In the Sky Abyss world, magical treasures and magic scrolls have similar properties, both providing various enhancement effects to players.
The difference is:
Magic scrolls are one-time use, and their enhancement effects are temporary;
While the enhancement effects of magical treasures are permanent!
Moreover, such items are rarely seen on the market.
Even if they are available, ordinary players can''t even dream of obtaining them.
Basically, from the moment a magical treasure is born, it is marked with the exclusive label of "noble family."
Therefore, the value of a magical treasure far exceeds that of a magic scroll of the same tier.
[Ring of Source Power] (Magical Treasure/Sealed)
[Quality: ¡ï]
[Treasure Skill: Source of Magic (Increases the wearer''s maximum mana points by 10% and mana recovery by 1%)]
[Unseal Task: Slay an elite monster of a level not lower than your own within ten minutes]
For Lu Ming, who as a Trickster consumes more mana than a Mage, this magical treasure is practically tailor-made for him!
Treasure skills are also skills.
"This skill should also be able to receive the Comprehensive Amplification bonus, right?"
The higher the value of the item, the harder the unseal task.
Therefore, the unseal tasks for these Tier 1 magic scrolls and 1-star magical treasure are relatively simple.
Only the unseal task for the Tier 3 magic scroll Strategize requires players to slay 1000 monsters of a level not lower than their own within a day!
For ordinary players, this is quite challenging.
But for Lu Ming, it''s no big deal.
Returning to Starlight City, the two logged off.
To save time, Lu Ming took Lin Youwei to a restaurant downstairs in their community for a meal.
Watching Lin Youwei slowly savor her spicy and sour noodles, Lu Ming gradually found this little girl more pleasing to the eye.
Initially, he thought she was a burden, and if it weren''t for her having the [Account Ban¡¤Wrath of the Gods] on her, Lu Ming wouldn''t have wanted to bring her along.
But now, in daily battles, with Lin Youwei''s Drop Rate Increase talent, Lu Ming''s monster slaying yields have increased several times!
In addition, she can help with some minor tasks, like tonight''s black market.
Moreover, in real life, Lin Youwei can cook and loves cleanliness.
She takes care of the house chores, leaving Lu Ming with little to worry about.
Apart from being a bit greedy, there''s hardly anything to criticize!
She''s small, well-behaved, and pleasing to the eye when by his side!
Sure enough, while eating a bowl of spicy and sour noodles, a group of guys in the store kept glancing at Lin Youwei.
One even came up and asked, "Bro, does your girlfriend have a boyfriend?"
Lu Ming continued eating, "I''m not her boyfriend, don''t ask me."
The guy with glasses brightened up, smiling at Lin Youwei, "Young lady, can I add you on WeChat?"
Lin Youwei''s face turned red, shaking her head like a rattle.
The guy with glasses, however, was persistent, pestering Lin Youwei, and even shamelessly sitting next to her, "Let''s be friends, I''m a level 19 two-star Mage in Sky Abyss, I can carry you!"
Lin Youwei was at a loss, casting a pleading look at Lu Ming.
"Can''t you see she doesn''t want to?" Lu Ming''s calm tone was filled with sharpness.
For some reason, the guy with glasses felt a sense of awe from Lu Ming''s gaze!
He quickly backed off sensibly.
Only then did Lin Youwei breathe a sigh of relief, sneaking a glance at Lu Ming, who was still eating, feeling a warmth in her heart.
After dinner, on the way back to the community.
Lin Youwei said to Lu Ming, "Nether brother, thank you for helping me out earlier!"
"No problem, no matter who bullies you in the future, I''ll protect you."
Lu Ming''s casual words filled Lin Youwei''s heart with warmth.
Back home, the two went to their rooms and logged back online.
The time was fixed at 7:30 PM.
There was still an hour and a half before the agreed time with Qin Churan.
So, after Lin Youwei went to the Profession Hall to receive her third transition task, Lu Ming took her to the Nether Ghost Tower.
All his item unseal tasks involved slaying monsters.
Lin Youwei''s third transition task also involved slaying monsters.
Therefore, this was the best choice.
However, as soon as they arrived at the base of the tower, Lu Ming was stopped by players from the Godslayer Squad guarding outside the tower because of his affiliation with the Tianxuan Team!
"Do you need me to report to God Slayer, Moon?"
As soon as Lu Ming spoke, the level 50 warrior God Slayer, Wheel said expressionlessly, "Reporting to Miss Qin won''t help, our captain has already personally ordered that all of Miss Qin''s instructions are nullified from now on!"
First, they cut off all of Qin Churan''s cards, severing her financial resources.
Now they''ve stripped her of all authority.
"It seems he''s trying to push you to a dead end."
"For the sake of family interests, to be so ruthless to his own sister, truly stopping at nothing to achieve his goals!"
However, this situation actually benefits Lu Ming more.
Because with Qin Churan having no one to rely on, in this situation, the only person she can depend on to build a top 100 national team is Lu Ming.
This way, Lu Ming can more easily gain Qin Churan''s trust, laying a solid foundation for using her to take revenge on Qin Feng!
Of course, the current problem is not difficult for Lu Ming at all.
"I''m entering the second dimension."
With these words, the Godslayer players had no choice but to step aside.
Because the ownership of the Nether Ghost Tower''s second dimension, Thriller Paradise, belonged to the Tianxuan Team today!
Thus, Lu Ming took Lin Youwei into the second dimension, Thriller Paradise.
Then, through the Soul Set''s ability to ignore level restrictions, they directly teleported internally to the eighth dimension, Shadow Nest.
Next up.
It''s slaughter time!
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Chapter 80 - Ban Mission!
[Ding~ You have activated the Tier 1 magic scroll: Claim as Your Own sealing quest. Please slay 100 monsters above level 22 within 60 minutes!]
[Ding~ You have activated the Tier 1 magic scroll: Breakthrough sealing quest. Please slay 100 monsters above level 22 within 60 minutes!]
[Ding~ You have activated the Tier 1 magic scroll: Fortune Seeker sealing quest. Please slay 100 monsters above level 22 within 60 minutes!]
[Ding~ You have activated the Tier 3 magic scroll: Strategize sealing quest. Please slay 1000 monsters above level 22 within 24 hours!]
Lu Ming activated four sealing quests simultaneously.
As for the sealing quest for the 1-star artifact, the Ring of Source Power, he needed to encounter an Elite Monster to activate it.
Otherwise, if an Elite Monster didn''t spawn within ten minutes, it would be a waste!
In the next moment, Lu Ming summoned over five hundred Death Lords through his thoughts.
"Auto-slay."
As he issued the command, Lu Ming drew his sword and unleashed the triple formation of War Tread, Life Barrier, and Prison of Earth!
Despite the increase in level allowing Lu Ming to control more undead and expand his hunting range, the upgrade of his Comprehensive Amplification talent to Lv3 increased all his formation ranges by thirty times: a radius of 1500 yards!
Therefore, there was no need to worry about the Death Lords on the outer circle missing out on the formation bonuses.
The current Death Lords, though not yet strong enough to instantly kill level 50 monsters, could easily handle the undead between levels 46-50 in the eighth realm.
[Ding~ Slayed a level 49 Undead Mage, Experience Points +5250!]
[Ding~ Slayed a level 46 Undead Warrior, Experience Points +4880!]
[Ding~ Slayed a level 48 Undead Archer, Experience Points +5110!]
...
In no time, he had slain enough to complete the three Tier 1 magic scroll sealing quests and lifted their seals.
At this moment, despite Lu Ming''s high mana pool of 4145 points, the massive continuous consumption of 39 mana points per second from the triple E-grade formations had drained it completely.
This was only manageable because Lu Ming had consistently allocated 3 points to Spirit with each level-up.
Among his five attributes, Spirit was the highest, reaching 128 points!
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According to the Spirit growth of a third-turn Trickster: each point of Spirit = 20 mana points + 0.2 mana recovery per second.
This equated to a mana recovery of 25.6 per second!
In this peak state, Lu Ming could barely sustain for five to six minutes each time!
Other players could rest to recover when their mana was depleted.
But Lu Ming couldn''t.
If his formations stopped, the Undead Legion would face the risk of death!
So Lu Ming had to use potions to restore mana.
"A bottle of Tier 3 Mana Potion costs 50 Copper Coins, equivalent to a hundred bucks, it''s really painful!"
But now, things were looking up.
"The magic scrolls are unsealed, and the mana shortage problem is finally solved."
Saying this, Lu Ming took out the level 8 Black Iron Equipment, the Moon Demon set, from his bag and used the Tier 1 magic scroll: Claim as Your Own.
[Ding~ You have acquired the limited-time set skill "Mana Recovery" (3/8), remaining usable time 2 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds...]
With the Mana Recovery three-piece set skill effect, plus the thirtyfold enhancement from Comprehensive Amplification, Lu Ming''s mana recovery per second skyrocketed from 25.6 to 85.6!
Perfectly covering the 39 mana points per second consumption of the three formations!
Meanwhile, Lu Ming also used the other two Tier 1 magic scrolls: Fortune Seeker and Breakthrough.
[Ding~ You have acquired the limited-time skill: Breakthrough, Comprehensive Amplification talent activated: for 150 minutes, all skill cooldowns -300%, skill consumption -300%!]
[Ding~ You have acquired the limited-time skill: Fortune Seeker, Comprehensive Amplification talent activated: for 150 minutes, monster coin drop amount +3000%!]
Lu Ming exclaimed, "The enhanced effects from Comprehensive Amplification are terrifying!"
Using Tier 1 magic scrolls as if they were Tier 4-5!
Thus, Lu Ming wasted not a second.
While commanding the Undead Legion to continue slaying monsters, he also engaged in the slaughter himself.
With the Breakthrough bonus, all of Lu Ming''s skills entered a no-cooldown, no-consumption state.
Including Sword Draw!
Whoosh!
Just then, three level 48-49 Undead Mages and Undead Archers spawned nearby simultaneously.
Lu Ming targeted those undead.
Sword Draw!
Sword Draw!
Sword Draw!
Slash, slash, slash¡ª
-182988!
-182988!
-182988!
The three undead, each with only 110-120k health, were instantly slain!
At the same time, clatter!
Beside each undead''s corpse, a small pile of Copper Coins dropped!
Under normal circumstances, a monster around level 50 would steadily drop 5-6 Copper Coins.
Previously, with Lin Youwei''s 300% drop rate bonus, Lu Ming could drop 20-25 Copper Coins per kill of undead in the eighth realm, levels 46-50.
But now, each of these undead dropped a whopping 170-180 Copper Coins!
The little money-grubber Lin Youwei''s eyes widened: "Wow! So much money! Did the monster drop rate increase?"
Thinking this, Lin Youwei couldn''t wait to show her skills. Under the support of Lu Ming''s three formations, she gave it her all and managed to kill a level 46 undead with some effort.
She eagerly ran to the undead''s corpse, only to be disappointed to find that the drop rate was the same as before, with only 21 Copper Coins dropped!
Though not as much as Lu Ming''s, Lin Youwei was still quite satisfied.
As for Lu Ming.
Since the kill rewards from the Undead Legion were calculated as if he made the kills, they could also share the drop rate bonus.
The unit price of 1 Copper Coin was 2 bucks.
Killing a small monster could yield over three hundred bucks.
Who could have imagined?
Thus, the money farming task was handed over to the Undead Legion.
Lu Ming had another, more important task.
Whoosh!
As another undead spawned before him, Lu Ming didn''t rush to slay it with his sword.
Instead, he opened the status panel and activated PK Mode.
The next second.
Whoosh!
Sword Draw¡ª
182988!
The damage exceeded the health limit of the level 48 Undead Warrior, but it wasn''t slain, leaving it with 1 health point.
Without hesitation, Lu Ming drew his sword again.
Sword Draw!
Sword Draw!
Sword Draw!
In PK Mode, Lu Ming''s attacks couldn''t kill the enemy.
The Undead Warrior remained at 1 health point.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming''s ears echoed with system notifications.
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill proficiency +1!]
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill proficiency +1!]
[Ding~ Sword Draw skill proficiency +1!]
...
Lu Ming was thrilled.
Originally, Sword Draw could only be used once every 60 seconds, gaining 1 proficiency point each time.
But now, in a no-cooldown state, Lu Ming frantically drew his sword repeatedly!
Skill proficiency soared!
When his right hand got tired, he switched to his left.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
With Lu Ming''s rapid Sword Draw, repeatedly thrusting and withdrawing, sword shadows pierced through the Undead Warrior''s body continuously, leaving it in ecstasy...
Who knows how long it took.
[Ding~ Congratulations, your Sword Draw skill has been upgraded to C-grade!]
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Chapter 81 - C-level Sword Draw, special effect enhancement!
Lu Ming had never experienced such exhilaration.
A skill mode with no cooldown and no cost was simply too satisfying!
After maxing out his skill proficiency to 10,000 points, he finally upgraded the Sword Draw skill from D-level to C-level. Lu Ming then turned off PK Mode and dealt with the undead warrior.
He paused to check the skill effects.
C-level Sword Draw compared to D-level¡ª
Skill damage increased from 220% to 300%!
The attack amplification effect within 10 seconds after using the skill increased from 20% to 30%!
On the surface, it seemed like just an 80% skill damage increase and a 10% attack power boost, which was quite normal, not exaggerated.
But!
Under Lu Ming''s Lv3 Comprehensive Amplification, which enhanced by thirty times.
That meant an additional 24 times skill damage and a 300% attack power boost!
Moreover, Lu Ming discovered that after the quality was upgraded to C-level, the Sword Draw skill activated a new enhancement effect¡ª
After drawing the sword, all Trickster skills'' strength increased by 30%, lasting 10 seconds!
With the Comprehensive Amplification bonus, the overall skill effect became¡ª
[Sword Draw] (C-level): Releases a sword shadow to deal (90 times physical attack power + 5460) true damage to a single enemy; gains a 900% attack power boost and a 900% skill strength increase, lasting 300 seconds!
Another 9 times skill enhancement!
"With the 30 times enhancement from Comprehensive Amplification, doesn''t that mean my skill enhancement multiplier can reach 39 times?"
Strong!
Too strong!
Absolutely inhuman!
No wonder it''s a skill worth a billion dollars, the only one of its kind in the entire Sky Abyss world!!!
It seemed that every time this skill leveled up, Lu Ming had to sigh with relief: luckily, he didn''t sell this skill for money back then!
With the Comprehensive Amplification enhancement, every quality upgrade of the Sword Draw skill was a qualitative change.
Of course, only skills with sufficiently high inherent strength could have their upper limits raised under the Comprehensive Amplification bonus!
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Next, to upgrade Sword Draw from C-level to B-level quality, 100,000 points of proficiency were needed.
The difficulty of leveling up still increased tenfold!
So, while the Breakthrough effect was still active, Lu Ming set a new target, activated PK Mode again, and continued with Sword Draw.
Swish!
Sword Draw¡ª
-573261!
Seeing this damage, Lu Ming couldn''t help but be shocked.
After upgrading one quality level, the skill damage nearly tripled!
Such a terrifying increase justified the tenfold difficulty increment for each skill upgrade!
Thus, taking advantage of the skill''s no cooldown and no cost state, Lu Ming continued to crazily use Sword Draw, stacking proficiency.
Meanwhile, with the subsequent attack power amplification effect increasing from 600% to 1170% (including the 9 times skill damage amplification after Sword Draw).
After Sword Draw, Lu Ming''s attack power surged from 2667 points to 4839 points!
This caused the War Tread''s attack power bonus to skyrocket from 20142 points to 43126 points.
The Undead Legion''s lethality instantly doubled!
This also directly doubled their monster-killing efficiency.
Lu Ming''s combat gains increased by a full 100%!
A thousand monsters were quickly slain.
The sealing effect of the Tier 3 magic scroll Strategize was also lifted.
Lu Ming opened his backpack and took out the magic scroll worth a million RMB.
For anything that could enhance his own strength, no matter how valuable, Lu Ming would prioritize using it himself.
Just like the last time with the billion-dollar Sword Draw skill scroll.
Without hesitation, Lu Ming crushed the scroll.
[Ding~ You have used the Tier 3 magic scroll Strategize, skill slot +1!]
"Now, with War Tread combined with Prison of Earth, the Undead Legion''s damage is high enough; even without defense enhancement, Life Barrier can somewhat ensure their vitality."
"The only shortcoming now is the speed deficit, making the Undead Legion appear too sluggish when facing high-level opponents."
So, Lu Ming took out the E-level skill scroll Wind Rush from his bag and crushed it.
[Ding~ Congratulations on mastering the new Trickster E-level skill Wind Rush!]
[Wind Rush] (Lv22)
[Quality: E-level]
[Skill Effect: Releases a formation, granting all allies within the formation (Trickster 20% speed + 147) speed points, lasting 15 seconds]
[Skill Cost: Consumes 121 Mana Points upon activation, subsequently consumes 13 Mana Points per second]
[Cooldown Time: 60 seconds]
"Combining Comprehensive Amplification and the total 39 times enhancement of Sword Draw..."
"Let''s see how it works!"
As he spoke, Lu Ming planted his longsword into the ground.
Whoosh!
A green barrier spread out in all directions.
The next moment, with a total speed boost of 7184 points from Wind Rush, all the Death Lords'' speed attributes skyrocketed from less than 100 points to over 7200!
With a speed half higher than that of level 46-50 undead, the Undead Legion moved swiftly, their slaying becoming even more brutal!
At this moment, through shared vision, Lu Ming saw an elite undead refresh in front of a Death Lord!
He immediately activated the final item, the Ring of Source Power''s unsealing task.
In the next second, several nearby Death Lords swarmed in and instantly executed the elite undead.
Lu Ming successfully lifted the seal of the Ring of Source Power.
In his past life, as a nobody, Lu Ming had never worn a magic treasure in the Sky Abyss world, even after five years of struggling.
Even if he was incredibly lucky and obtained a magic treasure, he would sell it immediately for money.
In his subconscious, he had long formed the notion that someone like him was not worthy of using magic treasures.
In the Sky Abyss world, players could gain a magic treasure slot every 10 levels.
Currently, at level 22, Lu Ming had 2 magic treasure slots.
So, without hesitation, Lu Ming wore the Ring of Source Power, worth over 20,000 dollars, on his hand.
[Ding~ The magic treasure skill "Source of Magic" is now active: Mana Points cap +10%, Mana recovery effect +1%!]
With the 39 times skill enhancement from Comprehensive Amplification and Sword Draw, Lu Ming directly gained a 390% Mana Points cap and a 39% Mana recovery effect boost!
He glanced at the status bar.
His Mana Points attribute had surged from 4145 points to 20310 points!
Moreover, his Mana recovery effect, which was 85.6 per second, increased to 119 points per second!
Even after the magic scroll Breakthrough''s effect wore off, he could easily sustain the continuous consumption of four E-level formations!
At this moment, Lu Ming deeply realized the benefits that money and strength brought him.
Most importantly, it was strength, because money also stemmed from strength.
"As long as I have strength, in the Sky Abyss world, I can get everything I want!"
The goals in Lu Ming''s mind became increasingly clear.
He wanted to become stronger!
Next, Lu Ming continued to focus on practicing Sword Draw.
The Undead Legion went on a rampage, slaughtering monsters, collecting Copper Coins, and maximizing the effect of Fortune Seeker!
They kept grinding until nine in the evening.
Qin Churan sent a message: "The Transcendence team has sent word, do you have time to accompany me to the Dawn Coast now?"
Just as the magic scroll''s effect was about to end.
Lu Ming replied, "You go ahead and wait for me there."
Qin Churan: "Alright!"
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Chapter 82 - Reorganize the Third Brigade
Starlight City, Southern Region.
Level 38 Dawn Coast.
As night fell, the moonlight cast a yellow glow across the deep sea''s surface.
At this moment, a group of players, levels ranging from 36 to 37, were teaming up to hunt level 38 monsters, the [Nightmare Turtles].
Their IDs all began with the prefix [Blaze].
Leading them was a level 37 archer, [Blaze Soul], who, after just shooting down a turtle, rallied his teammates with grand promises: "Brothers, let''s work a bit harder tonight and pull an all-nighter!"
"When our squad rises to the top, I''ll make sure we live the good life! Wine and women!"
The words were indeed enticing.
However, what Blaze Soul was really thinking about was how to mobilize his team to quickly help him pay off the million-dollar loan he took out that afternoon at the black market to buy a tier-3 magic scroll!
Just as Blaze Soul was lost in thought.
A group of players suddenly rushed over from a distance.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be familiar faces from the [Transcendence] and [Excellence] studios!
Blaze Soul frowned.
"Damn it, these losers again!"
At this moment, level 35 warrior Excellence Little Tiger and level 35 assassin Transcendence Dream led a group of players over.
Transcendence Dream pointed at Blaze Soul, shouting angrily, "Give me back my Yue Yue!"
Blaze Soul deliberately pulled a level 34 priest girl, [Tea Color Yue Se], into his arms, impatiently saying to Transcendence Dream, "Are you done? Have some dignity."
"For the last time, Yue Yue is my girlfriend now! Stop pestering her!"
Held in Blaze Soul''s arms, Ding Yue also looked displeased as she said to Transcendence Dream, "You can''t give me the life I want, so you can''t stop me from choosing better."
"Li Xiang, we broke up peacefully, and I don''t like you anymore. I hope you stop bothering me!"
"No!" Transcendence Dream cried out in anguish, "This can''t be true!"
"Yue Yue, have you forgotten our vows?"
"It''s you!" Transcendence Dream pointed at Blaze Soul, furious, "You must have forced Yue Yue!"
At this moment, Excellence Little Tiger, while comforting his good brother, pointed at Blaze Soul''s nose and said, "Just wait! We''ve called for reinforcements, and when they arrive, I''ll beat the hell out of you for stealing my brother''s girlfriend!"
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Blaze Soul laughed heartily, "You, a small-time squad leader who can''t even support a dozen brothers, think you can call for reinforcements?"
"Go ahead, call someone over. I want to see which big shot you can bring!"
Excellence Little Tiger confidently replied, "Wait till my big brother arrives, and you''ll be the one crying!"
Blaze Soul sneered, "Oh, I''m so scared~"
"Whoever cries later is a loser!"
Just as Blaze Soul finished speaking.
Two figures approached from afar!
Seeing that it was Lu Ming and Qin Churan, Excellence Little Tiger quickly ran over to greet them.
"Nether brother! It''s those people!" Excellence Little Tiger pointed at the Blaze Squad players on the shore, angrily telling Lu Ming, "They''re the ones who stole my brother''s girlfriend!"
Clearly traumatized by Lu Ming''s earlier thrashing, Excellence Little Tiger was extremely polite to him.
Of course, the politeness was also because he understood how strong Lu Ming was, knowing that with Lu Ming around, they could definitely stand up to the Blaze Squad.
Having not witnessed Lu Ming''s strength firsthand, only hearing from Little Tiger about how formidable Lu Ming was, Transcendence Dream looked Lu Ming up and down with suspicion, half-believing, "Are you really capable?"
Lu Ming asked back, "Remember what you said before?"
Transcendence Dream replied without hesitation, "If you can help me teach the Blaze people a lesson and get Ding Yue back, I''ll immediately bring my brothers to join you! From now on, you''ll be my big brother!"
Beside him, Excellence Little Tiger muttered softly, "If he''s the big brother, then what am I?"
"You''re my grandson!"
Excellence Little Tiger: "..."
Lu Ming smiled faintly, "Remember what you said."
With that, Lu Ming walked towards the Blaze Squad players.
Under the cover of night, Blaze Soul hadn''t yet seen who was approaching, only vaguely seeing that the person was a Trickster, and his arrogance surged.
The surrounding Blaze Squad players couldn''t help but laugh.
"Hilarious, I thought they really found some expert! Turns out they just got a Trickster to back them up?"
"What good is a Trickster? Even if it''s a level 50 Trickster, if the teammates are weak, they''re still useless!"
Blaze Soul raised his longbow, a wild smile on his face, "Let me see how he makes me cry!"
As Lu Ming approached.
Under the moonlight, when Blaze Soul saw Lu Ming''s appearance and ID, the smile on his face froze instantly.
He was stunned on the spot.
Along with him, dozens of people who were with Blaze Soul that evening were also dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, another group of Blaze players who weren''t present that evening and hadn''t seen Lu Ming before burst into even more arrogant laughter upon seeing him.
"This is just a level 22 Trickster?"
"Holy crap! Really?"
"Are Transcendence and Excellence people crazy? Bringing a level 22 Trickster to back them up?"
"Boss, you don''t need to do it yourself, let me teach that kid a lesson!"
Just as a level 35 warrior underling, [Blaze Hero], finished speaking and was about to draw his sword and approach Lu Ming.
Blaze Soul suddenly kicked Blaze Hero to the ground, "Who dares touch my big brother!!"
With that, Blaze Soul ran up to Lu Ming, his face full of excitement and enthusiasm, "Big brother, what brings you here!"
Behind him, the Blaze Squad players were dumbfounded.
On the other side, the Excellence and Transcendence players were also wide-eyed.
"What''s going on?"
"Holy crap, could this Nether be in cahoots with the Blaze people?"
For a moment, the players from both teams looked at each other.
Feeling like they had walked into a trap.
Lu Ming looked at Blaze Soul, calmly asking, "Was it you who stole someone''s girlfriend?"
Blaze Soul then realized that Lu Ming was the person Excellence and Transcendence had called!
Recalling the scene from the evening where Lu Ming easily defeated over a dozen level 50 six-turn players.
Blaze Soul couldn''t help but shiver, not daring to offend Lu Ming in the slightest.
"It''s a misunderstanding, big brother! I didn''t steal her! Ding Yue came to me herself!"
To prove his sincerity, Blaze Soul immediately turned to Ding Yue and said without hesitation, "We''re breaking up! Right now!"
Ding Yue, also upset, pointed at Lu Ming and retorted to Blaze Soul, "He''s just a level 22 Trickster, what are you afraid of? You''re such a coward! I must have been blind to fall for you!!!"
At this point, Blaze Soul couldn''t care less about Ding Yue''s feelings.
He just wanted to hold onto Lu Ming''s leg tightly.
"Big brother, can I be your disciple?"
"Take me under your wing! I promise that wherever you need me in the future, I''ll go through fire and water for you!"
Seeing Blaze Soul''s eagerness, Lu Ming got straight to the point: "Alright, just join my ranks."
Blaze Soul was overjoyed, "Thank you, big brother!!"
Beside him, Ding Yue looked at Blaze Soul with disdain, "What a coward!"
Behind them, the Blaze Squad players who didn''t know what had happened earlier were also confused:
"What does this mean? Why do we have to listen to a level 22 Trickster?"
"Yeah, is that Trickster really that strong? I don''t see anything impressive about him!"
Meanwhile, Transcendence Dream was dumbfounded.
"No way! Is it settled just like that?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Excellence Little Tiger chuckled, "I told you, he''s super strong!"
Transcendence Dream was unimpressed, "I think it''s because they know each other! No wonder he was so confident."
"Tch, I really thought he had real skills, turns out it''s all about connections~"
However, Blaze Soul''s quick agreement left Lu Ming feeling unaccomplished.
"There''s no challenge, it''s boring."
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
A commotion erupted from behind.
Lu Ming turned to see a large group of shadows approaching menacingly from the darkness!
Lu Ming felt a surge of excitement.
"Time to up the difficulty?"
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Chapter 83 - Is this Trickster worth ten million?
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
In the darkness, a large group of players surged forward.
Without a word, they surrounded the players of the three major teams: Excellence, Transcendence, and Blaze, along the coastline!
They came with overwhelming momentum, seemingly numbering in the hundreds.
At the forefront of the three teams were Blaze Soul, Excellence Little Tiger, and Transcendence Dream, exchanging glances with each other.
"Damn! Who stirred up this mess?"
As soon as Blaze Soul finished speaking.
Excellence Little Tiger and Transcendence Dream immediately shook their heads in denial.
"Not me! I don''t even know them!"
"Not me either!"
Hearing this, Blaze Soul looked around again.
He saw that the levels of those players were uniformly between 35 and 40, with a variety of IDs above their heads, lacking any uniformity.
Like a group of freelancers.
The key point was these people...
"I don''t know them either, damn it!"
Blaze Soul couldn''t help but shout at the players of Excellence and Transcendence again, "Who the hell caused this mess? Be a man and own up! Don''t drag us Blaze down!"
As soon as Blaze Soul finished speaking.
A level 38 mage from the outer group of players, [June''s Fire], shouted, "Who is Nether? Get out here!"
With these words, everyone present silently looked at Lu Ming.
Blaze Soul''s face instantly turned as if he had eaten something unpleasant.
Following their gaze, the outer group of players quickly locked onto their target: Lu Ming!
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Instantly, everyone grabbed their weapons.
Their momentum was overwhelming, as if they could attack at any moment.
"Our target is only Nether, it has nothing to do with you! If you don''t want to die, get out of the way quickly!"
With a loud shout from June''s Fire.
Blaze Soul, who initially intended to stay out of it, immediately tightened his grip on his blood-soaked bronze bow upon hearing that they were after Lu Ming, and faced the numerous players without hesitation: "Let''s see who dares to touch my master!"
June''s Fire''s eyes flashed with a cold killing intent.
"Anyone who blocks me, dies!"
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"Brothers, kill them all!"
As he spoke, June''s Fire raised his staff, ready to cast a spell.
Whoosh!
In the darkness, a shadow like a ghost suddenly attacked.
With swift and decisive movements.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
-4932!
-9626! Critical hit!
-4888!
...
In a series of consecutive strikes.
June''s Fire didn''t even have a chance to react, and his health bar above his head was instantly drained.
With a muffled groan, he fell to the ground with a thud.
The next moment.
Qin Churan, holding a blood-stained blade, appeared in everyone''s sight like a ghostly figure.
A level 34 assassin, instantly taking down a level 38 mage!
Qin Churan''s formidable strength left June''s Fire''s teammates in shock.
At the same time, Transcendence Dream in the rear exclaimed in awe, "Such high damage! The real boss is this beautiful assassin sister!"
Ding Yue looked down on Lu Ming even more: "He even needs a woman to protect him! Hmph, what a useless man!"
With June''s Fire taken down.
The remaining players on the field cast fearful glances at Qin Churan.
At this moment, Qin Churan stood protectively in front of Lu Ming.
Her cold and stunning eyes revealed endless killing intent.
"You dare to touch someone under my protection?"
With these words, everyone exchanged glances.
"Qin... Qin Churan?"
"The sister of the captain of the God Slayer team, the seventh team of the Great Xia server!?"
"Damn! What''s she doing here... what should we do?"
Upon learning Qin Churan''s identity, the players were clearly frightened.
But under the temptation of huge profits, they resolutely chose to take the risk.
"As long as we kill Nether, we can get the ten million bounty! With that money, we can leave Jianghai directly!"
"There''s only one Qin Churan, the God Slayer team isn''t here, if we kill her, who can find us?"
With these words.
Over a dozen players from the Transcendence team, along with Ding Yue, showed incredulous expressions.
"How much? Ten million??"
"This level 22 Trickster''s bounty is worth ten million?"
"Must be in Vietnamese Dong!"
...
"Kill! Kill them all, leave no one alive!"
With a shout.
The unknown freelance players around them charged towards the players of the three major teams!
Swish, swish, swish!
Just as three level 37 assassin players, wielding sharp blades, charged at Qin Churan with extreme speed.
From the rear, Lu Ming''s eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent.
Whoosh!
At the moment of drawing his sword, a sharp sword shadow pierced through the body of the person at the forefront.
-573261!
An astronomical damage number that made one question reality instantly killed the assassin.
At that moment, all the players from the Excellence, Transcendence, and Blaze teams behind him were left with their mouths agape.
At the same time, blood-red marks erupted from the chests of the other two assassins.
Swish, swish!
Before they could react, they were instantly killed by two Death Lords who appeared out of nowhere, under the blazing long sword.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Under Lu Ming''s mental command.
Countless blood-red barriers shimmering with golden light materialized, and hundreds of Death Lords emerged, surrounding all the players present.
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Swish, swish, swish, swish¡ª
War Tread, Life Barrier, Prison of Earth, Wind Rush, four formations spread from under Lu Ming''s feet, radiating outward.
In the next moment, hundreds of tier 3 Death Lords charged at the surrounding freelance players with an overwhelming force!
Soul Shatter!
Soul Shatter!
Soul Shatter!
Buzz, buzz, buzz¡ª
-51868!
-51868!
-51868!
...
With the Comprehensive Amplification and Sword Draw, the total 39 times enhancement of War Tread''s boost.
The Death Lords'' attack power of 43124 points was something the 35-40 level players, whose armor had been reduced to zero by Prison of Earth, couldn''t withstand.
All players locked by [Soul Shatter] were without exception instantly killed!
The hundred freelance players present were crushed by the Undead Legion in an instant, without any resistance!
The only remaining level 36 Priest player [Xue''er] looked around at the bodies of her teammates in terror, her face pale and her whole body trembling.
At this moment, Lu Ming looked at Xue''er and asked slowly, "Who paid you to come here?"
Xue''er, pale-faced and filled with fear, said, "I... I don''t know the person, he wore a mask, hid his level and ID, I only know he''s a middle-aged man, and his profession is a warrior..."
Hearing this.
Qin Churan looked at Lu Ming and speculated, "It must be Dragon Soul Guan Yu!"
"Yes."
In fact, from the moment these players suddenly appeared and directly targeted him, Lu Ming had already guessed.
"But why didn''t he act himself and instead sent these people?" Qin Churan was puzzled, "He knew sending these small fries would just be sending them to their deaths."
Lu Ming''s words dispelled Qin Churan''s doubts, "If he acted himself, the one dead now would be him."
Qin Churan suddenly realized, "He''s... testing your strength!"
At this moment.
Xue''er pleaded with Lu Ming in panic, "I beg you to spare me! I have a three-year-old child at home, I took this job just to earn some extra money to buy better milk powder for my child..."
Lu Ming looked at Xue''er with cold eyes.
"Kill."
With a thought, the two Death Lords on either side executed Soul Shatter, instantly killing Xue''er!
Even if she had a three-year-old child at home.
Even if she were that three-year-old child, Lu Ming would still kill without hesitation!
After all, if Lu Ming didn''t have the strength, he would have died at this woman''s hands today.
Would the other side give up the ten million bounty because of Lu Ming''s plea?
Obviously not.
And at this moment.
After ending the battle on the field.
Lu Ming seemed to anticipate something.
He instinctively looked ahead, and in the darkness, several figures seemed to flicker and disappear!
"Trying to run?"
Lu Ming''s eyes turned cold.
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Dozens of Death Lords around him, relying on the extreme speed brought by [Wind Rush], chased into the darkness.
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Chapter 84 - You should die too
In the darkness, two level 50 sixth-turn Assassin players activated [Swift Movement] (temporarily increasing movement speed) and fled in the direction away from Dawn Coast.
However, it was only for a moment.
When the two turned back, they were shocked to see dozens of Death Lords rapidly closing in on them!
With the enhancement of the 39x strengthened E-level [Wind Rush], the speed attribute of the Death Lords had reached over 7000, far surpassing the 6000+ speed of the sixth-turn Assassins in their peak state!
Swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of Soul Shatters bloomed simultaneously, and the two level 50 Assassins didn''t even have a chance to resist before they were instantly killed!
Meanwhile.
Lu Ming, from the rear, confirmed the identity of the two Assassins through shared vision, and indeed, they were players from the Dragon Soul team!
"What a pity, just two small fry keeping watch."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was not present.
After numerous encounters, Dragon Soul Guan Yu had evidently become more cautious.
"It seems you''re even more cunning than I imagined."
With this thought, Lu Ming ordered the Undead Legion to refine the corpses and loot the battlefield.
Meanwhile.
At the back, players from the Excellence, Transcendence, and Blaze teams cast skeptical glances at Lu Ming...
Transcendence Dream''s mouth was agape, wide enough to fit a durian.
Even though his good friend Excellence Little Tiger repeatedly emphasized how formidable this Trickster was, he truly hadn''t expected him to be this ridiculously powerful!
"A single Sword Draw, over 500,000 damage?"
"Is this really a level 22 Trickster..."
The Death Lords around them, exuding an aura of endless majesty and kingly presence like emissaries from hell, made the players present break into a cold sweat.
Even Excellence Little Tiger and Blaze Soul, who thought they knew Lu Ming well, were deeply shocked once again by Lu Ming''s displayed strength!
Because clearly, this time Lu Ming was even stronger than the last time they had witnessed him!
"When I sparred with him before, I remember his Sword Draw only dealt 180,000 damage. How did it suddenly triple?"
Excellence Little Tiger was in shock.
Blaze Soul was equally excited and thrilled: "Damn! I''ve decided to follow this big brother!!!"
As they spoke, Excellence Little Tiger, Transcendence Dream, and Blaze Soul all ran towards Lu Ming.
"Nether God, on behalf of the 112 members of the Blaze Squad, I pledge allegiance to you!"
Excellence Little Tiger and Transcendence Dream also expressed their intentions: "We also wish to join under the Nether God''s command and follow your orders from now on!"
"Sure," Lu Ming replied with a calm smile, then looked at Qin Churan and said to them, "Just listen to her."
The three of them followed Lu Ming''s gaze to Qin Churan.
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"Although she''s from the Godslayer Squad, I''ve heard she doesn''t get along well with her brother, right? Didn''t her brother demand she establish a top 100 national team within three years..."
"Yeah, doesn''t that mean she''s already distanced herself from Godslayer? She has no authority there, and besides, she''s just a woman, this..."
Just as they were filled with doubt.
Lu Ming''s words dispelled all their concerns: "She''s my girlfriend."
"She represents me."
With these words, the three no longer harbored any doubts about Qin Churan.
Blaze Soul asked Qin Churan, "Boss, what''s our team called?"
"We haven''t decided yet," Qin Churan replied. "Once we do, I''ll let you know."
"I''ll create a group first, and you all can join."
As she spoke, Qin Churan added the three of them on WeChat and then created a group chat, adding them all in.
"For now, let''s keep it this way. I''ll notify you in the group if there''s anything."
After saying this, Qin Churan left with Lu Ming.
Watching the two gradually leave.
Excellence Little Tiger, Transcendence Dream, and Blaze Soul couldn''t calm their excitement for a long time.
"Damn! A level 20 fighting a level 50, that''s really fierce!"
"It''s the first time I''ve seen such a powerful Trickster in my life!"
"Following Nether, maybe we can really make it into the top 100 national teams in the future!"
"Then we three would be the first batch of founding members, right?"
At this point, they exchanged glances, each filled with a surge of excitement.
"It''s like a flood washing over the Dragon King''s temple, family not recognizing family!"
"Big brother! Second brother!"
"Second brother! Third brother!"
"Big brother! Third brother!"
"Good brothers!"
Blaze Soul hugged Transcendence Dream, excitedly saying, "Brother, it''s my fault, I shouldn''t have stolen your girlfriend!"
Transcendence Dream was also teary-eyed: "As long as big brother likes her, I''ll let you have her!"
Excellence Little Tiger said, "Big brother, second brother, in my opinion, if you both like her, why not all three of you be together!"
Ding Yue, standing nearby, shivered slightly.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
On the way back to the city.
Qin Churan glanced at Lu Ming beside her, a glimmer of light in her eyes.
"Thanks to you tonight, I''ll treat you to dinner offline tomorrow?"
Clearly, in Qin Churan''s view, she felt she needed to do something to repay Lu Ming.
Otherwise, it seemed like she was using Lu Ming under the guise of a romantic relationship.
Lu Ming, however, was indifferent: "It''s fine, you handle the team matters first, everything else can wait."
Qin Churan nodded, feeling a weight lifted off her heart.
Lu Ming''s measured approach made Qin Churan feel very relaxed with him, without any psychological burden or pressure!
"Then, I''ll head to the Scarlet Camp first. There''s an event there at ten tonight, and I''ve arranged to meet another studio."
Lu Ming said, "I''ll go with you."
"No need," Qin Churan clearly didn''t want to trouble Lu Ming further: "I''m okay, this studio''s average strength isn''t high, but they have good character."
"I''m confident I can win them over, and if not, I can call the Blaze people for help!"
Lu Ming insisted, "I don''t have anything else to do, let''s go together."
Qin Churan was just embarrassed to speak.
Because although she was confident, with Lu Ming there, it would be even more secure!
Seeing Lu Ming''s insistence, she didn''t refuse and happily said, "Alright, I''ll treat you to dinner later!"
For Lu Ming.
Following Qin Churan was firstly to ensure her safety.
After all, the revenge plan needed her to drive it forward.
Secondly, these recruits would also be part of Lu Ming''s forces in the future, so he needed to personally vet them, just like the Blaze, Excellence, and Transcendence teams tonight!
"In this way, they are ostensibly joining under Qin Churan, but the ones who submit are to me."
"When needed later, I can mobilize them at any time."
On the way to the Scarlet Camp with Qin Churan, Lu Ming considered his own strength status.
The Sword Draw skill had been upgraded from D-level to C-level, enhancing not just the strength of this skill.
It also included the overall strength of the Undead Legion!
With the current strength of the Undead Legion, they could easily contend with level 50 players.
Even facing the Dragon Soul team''s massive forces, they could hold their own!
"You''ve lived long enough, it''s time for you to die."
The image of Dragon Soul Guan Yu flashed in his mind, and a strong killing intent surged in Lu Ming''s eyes.
Next, he just needed to find a way to lure the snake out of its hole!
Little did he know, on the other side, this snake had been lurking in the hole, constantly watching Lu Ming.
In Jiang Province, Hanghai City.
At an offline gym.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was doing a 200-kilogram bench press.
At this moment, a phone call came in.
"Brother Guan, the assassination attempt on Nether failed. The two brothers we sent to keep watch were discovered and killed by Nether, and the video they recorded before dying has been sent to you!"
Since the result was already within Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s expectations, he wasn''t surprised by the news.
But when he opened the WeChat video, he was shocked by the content on the screen.
570,000 Sword Draw damage!
The Undead Legion easily crushed a hundred level 35-40 fourth-turn players in five seconds!
In the face of such astonishing speed, even his level 50 sixth-turn Assassins from the Dragon Soul team had nowhere to hide!
"In just one day, his strength has increased so dramatically!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was relieved he hadn''t rashly taken action tonight.
Yet he frowned deeply, the ferocity in his eyes growing more intense.
He realized: if he didn''t eliminate Lu Ming soon, this person would pose an increasing threat to him in the future!
Just then, another call came in.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu answered, hearing "Boss Qin" on the other end: "How''s it going? Is that Trickster dealt with?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was a bit impatient: "Don''t rush me, I''m on it."
"I have a new task for you," Boss Qin said. "Qin Churan is recruiting for a team recently. I want you to eliminate her recruits, kill every single one!"
"A million per head, I''ll give you a part of the deposit first."
As soon as the words were spoken, Dragon Soul Guan Yu received a text message:
[Your account ending in 3195 has received a transfer of 50,000,000 yuan, balance 165,327,652.12 yuan... Great Xia Bank]
The deposit of fifty million instantly calmed all of Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s restlessness.
At this moment, Boss Qin added another instruction: "I have only one condition, Qin Churan must not die, she still has a use for me."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu replied indifferently: "Leave it to me."
Hanging up the phone.
To be honest, he wasn''t interested in the new task given by Qin Feng.
His mind was entirely focused on how to kill Lu Ming.
"You''ve killed too many of my Dragon Soul brothers, Nether!"
At this moment, an idea suddenly struck Dragon Soul Guan Yu, a plan that could both execute Qin Feng''s task and simultaneously deal with Lu Ming!
"Nether, prepare to face my wrath!"
As he spoke, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes gleamed sharply, and he crushed the phone with his bare hands.
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Chapter 85 - The first million
To escape the fate of being used as a pawn for family alliances, Qin Churan worked tirelessly.
With Lu Ming''s support.
At 10 PM, midnight, and 2:30 AM, she successively met with three studios and teams, and with absolute strength, incorporated them.
Representatives.
Level 33 Mage [Mr. Wu], from Cloud State.
Originally a factory worker, he left the factory overnight with over a dozen coworkers due to low wages and no future prospects, and turned to Sky Abyss. The studio was established just six months ago, with a total of seventeen people.
Level 29 Archer [Heartbroken Senior], from Hanghai City, recently graduated from college, and with a passionate spirit, formed a team with thirteen college classmates and roommates.
Level 35 Warrior [Monkey King], from Linhai, whose family business was on the verge of bankruptcy. With the last bit of money, he led over fifty company employees to form a team, hoping to regain glory in the Sky Abyss world.
But things weren''t looking good, and the last bit of money was almost gone, with the team facing dissolution.
Clearly, Qin Churan''s selection of targets was not random.
She chose these groups because they were like scattered sand, desperately needing a leader to guide them to the peak.
Moreover, they all had a common need: money!
Therefore, Qin Churan offered everyone who joined her team a starting salary of eight thousand a month.
This salary far exceeded the market level of other teams.
"Didn''t your brother freeze all your cards? How are you going to pay over two hundred people?"
In response to Lu Ming''s inquiry, Qin Churan said, "A-Long and Xiao Hu left me some money, and I sold some things. I can hold out for six months, no problem."
"Once things stabilize, I''ll start leading them to develop business, take on tasks, and earn commissions."
That''s how all teams operate profitably.
No wonder it took Qin Churan half a year to start creating a team after the three-year agreement.
On the surface, it seemed like she wasted half a year, but in reality, she used this time to fully prepare by learning team operation models, identifying groups, and raising funds!
At 3 AM.
After finishing all the meetings.
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On the way back to Starlight City from the wilderness.
Qin Churan looked up at the starry sky, her face showing no signs of fatigue, but rather filled with anticipation and hope for the future.
She was in high spirits.
"I will definitely build one of the top hundred teams in the national server!"
"We will definitely succeed!"
"We will."
Lu Ming looked at Qin Churan''s beautiful profile and said, "With my help."
Qin Churan gazed deeply at Lu Ming and nodded.
Then she suddenly asked, "By the way, I still don''t know your name. Calling you Nether feels a bit strange..."
Lu Ming replied without hesitation, "My name is Zhang Yi."
Qin Churan believed Lu Ming''s answer without doubt, "Alright, I''ll remember it!"
After that, the two remained silent on their way.
Qin Churan seemed to be planning something, her face alternating between red and white.
Upon reaching Starlight City.
Qin Churan suddenly stood on tiptoe and, as if she had planned it for a long time, kissed Lu Ming on the cheek!
"Good night, see you tomorrow!"
Without giving Lu Ming a chance to react, Qin Churan quickly logged off.
Little did she know, Lu Ming appeared harmless on the surface.
But in his eyes, a sharp glint was emerging.
"It seems everything is developing as I expected."
Qin Churan was quite pitiful too.
On one side, she was used as a pawn by her brother Qin Feng, and on the other, she was being utilized by Lu Ming.
"Blame your brother."
With that, Lu Ming logged off as well.
The time was fixed at 3 AM.
Lu Ming went to the living room to get some water and found Lin Youwei, the silly girl, had fallen asleep at the table waiting for him to log off!
Her phone screen was still on, showing the Alipay balance interface, displaying her little savings: 7134.46!
It seemed she had saved quite a bit of money following Lu Ming these past few days.
Lin Youwei was small, weighing only a little over eighty pounds.
Lu Ming effortlessly carried her back to her room.
Returning to his own room, after showering, he lay on the bed and calculated.
He had spent the whole day farming in the eighth realm of the Nether Ghost Tower.
During the day, the total revenue from selling all the Soul Stones and Copper Coins reached 185,000, averaging about 20,000 per hour.
And at night, with the bonus from the Tier 1 magic scroll [Fortune Seeker], in less than two hours, the revenue was 97,000!
The magic scroll bought for eight thousand brought Lu Ming nearly 60,000 in extra income!
It was truly worth every penny!
If magic scrolls weren''t so rare, Lu Ming would have bought hundreds of them to keep the effect permanently on him!
Lu Ming sold all the Soul Stones, excess Copper Coins, equipment, and skill scrolls.
With the accumulation of transaction notifications, the bank account balance finally reached one million!
"Now, it''s only been five days since I was reborn."
"In just five days, I''ve reached my first million in this life!"
Looking at the account balance, Lu Ming felt a small sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Unfortunately, before he could even warm up to this money, Lu Ming transferred it to Qing Yan.
"This is the money I borrowed from you last time, returning it first. I''m saving up for the Soul Set."
Unexpectedly, Qing Yan was also a night owl.
At 3 AM, she was still awake, and upon receiving Lu Ming''s transfer, she was full of astonishment: "In just a few days, you''ve gathered a million... That''s terrifying!"
Qing Yan thought for a moment and replied to Lu Ming''s message, "If you need it, just use it first. No rush on my end."
Lu Ming replied, "I don''t need the money for now, thanks."
Watching the bank account balance drop from seven figures to three in an instant.
Lu Ming felt a wave of disappointment.
"Back to being broke."
"Make money! Keep making money!"
With dreams of earning big, Lu Ming fell asleep.
The next morning, Lu Ming was awakened by a voice call.
Answering the call, upon hearing Qin Churan''s voice on the other end, Lu Ming''s heart skipped a beat, and he instantly became alert.
Without even washing up, he immediately got up, turned on the computer, and logged into Sky Abyss.
Whoosh!
White light fell, and Lu Ming appeared in Starlight City.
At this moment, Qin Churan sent a location over.
Lu Ming hurriedly followed the location.
Ten minutes later.
When Lu Ming arrived at an abandoned city in the wilderness.
He saw countless solo players gathered outside the city, watching the scene and discussing animatedly.
"How tragic!"
"Yeah! It''s too tragic!"
"Who could have done this, being so cruel?"
Lu Ming squeezed through the crowd and stood at the city gate with Qin Churan, who had arrived earlier.
Looking ahead.
The vast abandoned city was filled with corpses, blood flowing like rivers!
Hundreds of player corpses were scattered in a crisscross pattern.
Their deaths were extremely gruesome.
Headless and dismembered, there was hardly a complete body at the scene.
Moreover, these deceased players were none other than members of Excellence, Transcendence, Blaze Squad, and the studios and teams led by Mr. Wu and Monkey King!
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Chapter 86 - Let you personally solve Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
Qin Churan stepped into the desolate city.
She walked on ground stained with fresh blood, weaving through the corpses of over two hundred players from the six factions: Excellence, Transcendence, Blaze, Qitian, Fragmented, and Dream Factory.
At this moment, it felt like she was dreaming.
Looking at everything around her, she couldn''t imagine what had happened here.
This scene seemed to pull her thoughts back to the time when Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird died tragically before her eyes.
Tears of grief and anger welled up in Qin Churan''s incredulous eyes.
Her expression gradually turned numb.
All her hopes and dreams for the future shattered in an instant!
Just then, a commotion suddenly came from the depths of the desolate city!
Qin Churan''s eyes turned cold as she grabbed a dagger and rushed towards the source of the sound without hesitation.
When she reached the depths of the city, she saw three players who looked like college students being surrounded by four high-level warriors.
The leader of the three players was a Level 29 Archer girl, known as [Heartbroken Senior], who had been recruited by Lu Ming and Qin Churan last night as a team leader!
The other two, a Level 27 Assassin youth [Heartbroken Junior] and a Level 27 Priest girl [Heartbroken Junior Sister], were also members of this team!
As Qin Churan arrived at the scene, she witnessed Heartbroken Junior and Heartbroken Junior Sister being mercilessly executed by the four warrior players despite their desperate pleas!
Blood splattered on the spot!
The moment she recognized the four warriors as Dragon Soul team players, a towering hatred erupted in Qin Churan''s eyes.
She charged at them recklessly.
At this moment, the four members of the Dragon Soul team also noticed Qin Churan approaching.
"Brother Guan has ordered, don''t touch God Slayer, Moon."
"Kill this Archer and retreat!"
As they spoke, the four pointed their swords at [Heartbroken Senior].
Heartbroken Senior hugged her head, crying uncontrollably.
"Don''t kill me! Don''t kill me!"
The four showed no mercy, and just as their blood-stained blades were about to fall¡ª
Buzz!
A blood-red mark suddenly appeared on their chests simultaneously.
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The next second.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of Death Lords appeared from all directions, swiftly decapitating the four Dragon Soul warriors with extreme speed.
-51868!
-51868!
-51868!
...
Without even a chance to struggle, these four Level 50, six-turn Dragon Soul warriors were slain on the spot by the Death Lords!
Under Lu Ming''s command, all six hundred and sixty Death Lords were summoned, conducting a thorough search across the entire desolate city!
Meanwhile, Qin Churan ran over, hugging the nearly terrified Heartbroken Senior, comforting her, "It''s okay, it''s okay..."
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Heartbroken Senior, tears streaming down her face and trembling all over, said, "We were pulled into a group chat, and they told us to bring all our team members here to gather..."
"When we arrived, there was already a large ambush waiting for us. Their levels were too high, too powerful, we couldn''t fight them..."
"They''re all dead! Everyone was killed by them!"
Heartbroken Senior''s emotions were on the verge of collapse.
Qin Churan asked, "Who pulled you into the group?"
Just then, Heartbroken Senior looked up and saw Lu Ming standing behind Qin Churan.
Immediately, she let out a scream!
"It''s him! Nether!!!"
Lu Ming frowned slightly.
He asked Heartbroken Senior to open WeChat, and indeed, there was someone in the seven-person chat group with an avatar and nickname identical to Lu Ming''s!
It was obvious.
"The Dragon Soul people impersonated you, using your name to lure them out."
As soon as Qin Churan finished speaking.
Lu Ming''s murderous intent reached its peak.
On the surface, it seemed that Dragon Soul Guan Yu was targeting Qin Churan.
In reality, it was a challenge to Lu Ming''s authority!
"Are you so eager to die?"
Lu Ming immediately ordered the Undead Legion to expand the search area.
But within a 1500-yard radius, there was no sign of other Dragon Soul team players.
Clearly, their main force had already retreated.
Lu Ming could only recall the Undead Legion.
For now, he and Qin Churan, along with the sole survivor Heartbroken Senior, withdrew from the area.
Meanwhile.
In a forest five miles away from the desolate city, dozens of Dragon Soul players were stationed.
At this moment, a Dragon Soul Assassin approached Dragon Soul Guan Yu to report: "Brother Guan, four brothers couldn''t retreat in time and were ambushed by Nether!"
Upon hearing this news, Dragon Soul Guan Yu showed no surprise, as if he had anticipated this outcome.
Instead, he casually asked, "Is everything clean over there?"
The Assassin underling replied, "According to your instructions, only that female Archer was left alive."
At this point, the Assassin underling asked somewhat puzzled, "Brother Guan, why leave that girl?"
A sharp glint flashed in Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes: "I have my uses for her."
Starlight City.
After returning to the city, Qin Churan logged off without a word.
Clearly, this incident had dealt her a heavy blow.
The previous wounds left by the deaths of Azure Dragon and the others had not yet healed.
Now, it was like pouring salt on her wounds!
Because in Qin Churan''s view, she was responsible for the deaths of Excellence Little Tiger, Blaze Soul, and the others.
If she hadn''t invited them to join her, they wouldn''t have suffered Dragon Soul''s retaliatory attack.
Therefore, Qin Churan found it difficult to accept for the time being.
And just after Qin Churan logged off.
As the sole survivor, Heartbroken Senior suddenly hugged Lu Ming tightly, crying in fear, "Will they come after me again? What should I do? What should I do?"
"I''m so scared!"
Lu Ming looked calmly at Heartbroken Senior.
Seeing her at such a tender age, pitiful and heart-wrenching.
Lu Ming didn''t push Heartbroken Senior away but gently comforted her, "Don''t be afraid, I''ll protect you."
"Since you''ve joined us, even if you''re the only one left, we''ll take full responsibility for you."
Heartbroken Senior nodded, hugging Lu Ming even tighter.
Just then, Lin Youwei, who had just logged on, saw this scene and was taken aback.
"Nether brother... how could this happen..."
"No, Nether brother isn''t like this!"
So, Lin Youwei mustered her courage and loudly said to Heartbroken Senior, "Who are you? Why are you hugging Nether brother?"
Heartbroken Senior, like a startled bird, quickly let go of Lu Ming, stammering, "I''m sorry, I... I was out of line..."
Lu Ming looked at Heartbroken Senior calmly, dismissively saying, "It''s okay."
Then, Lu Ming added, "For now, stay with us, so the Dragon Soul people won''t dare to bother you."
Heartbroken Senior seemed more than willing.
"Okay!" she nodded repeatedly, looking at Lu Ming with starry eyes, saying affectionately, "Nether brother, you''re so gentle! You''re such a good person!"
Beside them, Lin Youwei, with her big round eyes, glared at Heartbroken Senior, puffing her cheeks in anger.
"This is clearly my Nether brother! When did he become your Nether brother?"
But such words, Lin Youwei only dared to think in her heart, lacking the courage to say them out loud.
Lu Ming checked the time and said to Heartbroken Senior, "Let''s go, I''ll help you level up."
Heartbroken Senior happily replied, "Okay!"
"Thank you, Nether brother!"
With that, Heartbroken Senior followed Lu Ming out of the city.
Lin Youwei silently fumed as she followed along.
On the other side.
Qin Churan, who had just logged off, went to the seaside alone.
Repeated failures.
Along with the cold indifference of her brother and family, made her feel increasingly hopeless.
Memories of the happy moments with A-Long, Xiao Wu, Xiao Hu, and Old Zhu from her childhood flooded her mind.
Even the strong-willed Qin Churan couldn''t help but cry at this moment.
"I''m such a failure!"
"I''m sorry, A-Long, Xiao Wu, Xiao Hu, Old Zhu, I''m so useless, I can''t avenge you..."
Just as Qin Churan was in utter despair.
Ding!
She received a WeChat message from Lu Ming.
"Log on, and I''ll let you personally deal with Dragon Soul Guan Yu."
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Chapter 87 - Lu Mings counterattack!
"Nether brother, how are you so amazing? You can even kill a level 50 player from the Dragon Soul team so easily!"
"You know, Nether brother, just now over there, I really thought I was going to die! You''re my savior! Without you, I would have been doomed!"
"Nether brother, where are you from? Maritime, Cloud State, or Linhai? I''m in Maritime, just graduated from Maritime University not long ago. My name is Ling Wan''er, I''m 22 and still single! If you have time, I''ll come find you offline to hang out!"
On the way to the wilderness, Heartbroken Senior kept chatting with Lu Ming, sweetly calling him Nether brother.
She didn''t seem like someone who had just lost a group of good friends.
Strangely, Lu Ming responded to every word Ling Wan''er said without getting annoyed, and his tone was gentle and kind.
This gave Ling Wan''er the illusion that Lu Ming had a crush on her.
So, she boldly advanced her flirtation with Lu Ming: "Nether brother, can I come over to your place tonight to hang out? My family isn''t here, and I''m so lonely in Maritime!"
"You have to reimburse my travel expenses!"
Ultimately, women understand women better.
Lin Youwei, standing by, couldn''t take it anymore.
Puffing her cheeks, she angrily said to Ling Wan''er, "Nether brother already has a girlfriend! Stop bothering him!"
For the first time, Lin Youwei felt that Lu Ming having a girlfriend was a good thing.
Otherwise, she wouldn''t have a reason to speak against Ling Wan''er.
Unexpectedly, Ling Wan''er, emboldened by Lu Ming''s constant responses and concern, completely ignored Lin Youwei.
She turned the tables and snapped at Lin Youwei, "I''m talking to Nether brother, not you! Why are you interrupting grown-up conversations, kid?"
"You..."
Lin Youwei, lacking the courage and boldness, blushed deeply but didn''t dare to confront Ling Wan''er.
Just as Ling Wan''er was feeling smug.
Lu Ming suddenly looked at her and sternly said, "Try being mean to her again."
Lu Ming had always been gentle before.
The sudden rebuke made Ling Wan''er''s body tremble.
Meanwhile, Lin Youwei felt a strong sense of security!
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She hid behind Lu Ming, making a playful face at Ling Wan''er.
Ling Wan''er was so angry she gritted her teeth.
But under Lu Ming''s intimidation, she didn''t dare to speak again.
Lu Ming could tolerate Ling Wan''er annoying him.
But he would never allow anyone to cross his line!
Lu Ming himself never had the heart to be harsh with Lin Youwei, fearing this little Lucky Cat might get hurt.
How could he let others be mean to her?
The journey continued in silence.
After a long walk, Ling Wan''er couldn''t help but ask, "Nether brother, where are we going to level up?"
"We''re here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ming suddenly stopped.
At this moment, Ling Wan''er looked around and found themselves in a high-level area: Nightfall Cemetery!
Seeing the level 50 skeleton monsters wandering in the cemetery, Ling Wan''er excitedly said, "Nether brother, are we going to kill level 50 monsters directly?"
Lu Ming, with his back to Ling Wan''er, replied indifferently, "No."
Ling Wan''er asked in confusion, "Then what are we going to kill?"
Lu Ming suddenly turned around, staring at Ling Wan''er with a deathly cold gaze: "Kill you."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Swish!
Lu Ming suddenly drew his sword.
With a sharp sword shadow flashing through Ling Wan''er''s body, a massive damage of over 570,000 instantly reduced her full health bar to just 1 point!
Clearly, Lu Ming had activated PK Mode, otherwise Ling Wan''er would already be a corpse.
Ling Wan''er was instantly terrified, her face pale: "Nether brother! What... what are you doing?"
Lu Ming held the Soul Sword, continuing to stare coldly at Ling Wan''er.
"If you don''t want to die, do as I say."
At this moment, not to mention Ling Wan''er.
Even Lin Youwei, standing by, was quite frightened.
Although she didn''t like Ling Wan''er, she didn''t want her dead.
Lin Youwei thought Lu Ming was standing up for her.
She quickly said nervously to Lu Ming, "Nether brother, she didn''t mean to be mean to me just now, please don''t kill her..."
Lu Ming looked directly at Ling Wan''er and said coldly, "Send a message to Dragon Soul Guan Yu."
Ling Wan''er''s body trembled violently.
Her eyes darted around, full of panic and fear: "What... what are you talking about? Who is Dragon Soul Guan Yu?"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Sensing their master''s overwhelming killing intent.
Four Death Lords stepped out from the spatial rift.
Holding blazing swords, they exuded intense killing intent, pressing towards Ling Wan''er!
"I''ll say it one more time."
"If you don''t want to die, do as I say."
Under the intimidation of the Death Lords, Ling Wan''er looked at Lu Ming with trembling eyes, feeling an unprecedented fear...
Offline.
In a five-star hotel in Hanghai City.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu stood by the window, looking at the message on his phone showing over two hundred million in his account, a smile on his lips.
At that moment, he received a WeChat message.
[Heartbroken Senior]: "Brother Guan, Nether is dead..."
Seeing this message, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s heart jolted.
"If you''re playing me, you know the consequences."
Shortly after Dragon Soul Guan Yu sent the message back, the other party replied: "He''s really dead!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu immediately made a video call.
The next moment, the video connected, and the face that appeared was Ling Wan''er''s!
Ling Wan''er was in a cemetery.
As she adjusted the angle, the screen showed a corpse lying on the ground.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu immediately recognized the corpse as the Trickster he loathed, Nether!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu didn''t say much.
He just told Ling Wan''er, "Send me the location."
Ten minutes later.
A Dragon Soul Assassin player infiltrated the Lv50 Nightfall Cemetery.
He went straight to Lu Ming''s body, checked it carefully, and his eyes lit up.
He sent a WeChat message to Dragon Soul Guan Yu: "Brother Guan, this guy is really dead! Completely!"
About ten minutes later.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu personally led a large group of elite players from the Dragon Soul team to Nightfall Cemetery.
Seeing Lu Ming lying motionless in a pool of blood, his eyes were filled with both joy and regret.
At this moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu looked at Ling Wan''er and asked, "How did you kill him?"
Ling Wan''er pretended to be relaxed and said, "Was he that strong?"
"I just took the chance to sneak attack him from behind while he was controlling his summons to kill monsters, a fatal blow!"
"He''s just a level 22 Trickster, easy to kill!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu didn''t doubt Ling Wan''er''s words.
After all, at this moment, Lu Ming''s corpse was lying right in front of him, an undeniable fact!
Looking down at Lu Ming, Dragon Soul Guan Yu said coldly:
"Foolish idiot, how dare a mere level 22 Trickster challenge a gold medal warrior from our National Server 39?"
"It''s just a pity I couldn''t kill you with my own hands."
As Dragon Soul Guan Yu finished speaking.
Suddenly, a voice responded to him: "In that case, I''ll give you another chance to kill me with your own hands."
As soon as the words fell.
The next second.
The supposedly lifeless Lu Ming, lying in a pool of blood, slowly stood up in front of the hundreds of Dragon Soul team players present.
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Chapter 88 - Dragon Soul Guan Yu, Clown!
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Just as Lu Ming suddenly stood up from the pool of blood, fully revived in an instant.
Around him, all the Dragon Soul players drew their swords, retreating to keep their distance from Lu Ming, each staring at him with terrified eyes!
Even Dragon Soul Guan Yu was shocked!
"What?!"
"You... how is this possible?!"
Lu Ming looked at Dragon Soul Guan Yu, revealing a chilling, eerie smile: "Surprised? Excited?"
Clang!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu raised his gilded Guan Dao, his gaze burning as he stared at Lu Ming.
At this moment, facing a Trickster 28 levels lower than himself.
As a warrior of the Great Xia server 39, Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt an unprecedented fear!
Because he knew he had fallen into Nether''s trap, and there was no escape!
But he couldn''t understand: "You were clearly dead! How did you..."
"For someone with a simple mind and strong limbs like you, not understanding is normal."
Lu Ming looked at the shocked Dragon Soul Guan Yu and said nonchalantly, "Besides, for someone about to die, you don''t need to understand."
"You like hiding in the shadows like a worm, secretly assassinating my people, don''t you?"
"Today, I''ll let you kill to your heart''s content."
As he spoke, a fierce killing intent emanated from Lu Ming''s eyes.
The next moment.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
From all directions, countless blood-red barriers glowing with golden light materialized.
Countless Tier 3 Death Lords broke through space and appeared in Nightfall Cemetery.
In an instant, the hundred Dragon Soul team players trapped there stared in horror at the Death Lords around them, who exuded an aura of death like messengers from hell.
Swish, swish, swish, swish¡ª¡ª
Lu Ming planted his longsword into the ground, instantly covering the entire Nightfall Cemetery map with a super quadruple formation with a radius of 1900 yards!
Prison of Earth, reducing all enemy armor by 7449 points!
War Tread, boosting all allies'' attack power by 43126 points!
Wind Rush, increasing all allies'' speed by 7184 points!
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Life Barrier, granting all allies a shield of 5529 points per second!
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Around him, except for the Death Lord sacrificed in Lu Ming''s place.
The remaining six hundred and fifty-nine Death Lords raised their blazing swords and charged at the Dragon Soul team players on the field!
The Dragon Soul team players grabbed their weapons and fought back.
But they found that despite the 28-level difference, they were no match for these undead!
"Damn, these undead hit too hard!"
"Their damage is even higher than last time! And why are they so fast now? They were slow before!"
"Damn! How did my armor of over 6000 become 0? Is this some SSS-level Prison of Earth??"
"Damn it! I can''t hold on!!!"
Amidst a chorus of screams, the Dragon Soul team players present were executed one by one by the Death Lords'' fiery blades, falling into pools of blood.
Their armor was reduced to 0 by the 39 times enhanced Prison of Earth, making them unable to withstand the attacks of the Death Lords with over 43000 attack power.
Each strike from the Death Lords was lethal!
Plus, with Lu Ming''s Wind Rush, the speed of the Undead Legion was no less than that of the Dragon Soul players, erasing their last speed advantage.
Killing the Death Lords in return was not easy either.
In the chaotic battle, the hundred Dragon Soul players were annihilated in an instant!
Seeing the situation turn dire, Dragon Soul Guan Yu activated his five-star account talent: Bloodthirsty Frenzy!
In a short time, all attributes received a massive boost, and damage dealt was converted into a personal shield!
Clang!
In Bloodthirsty Frenzy mode, Dragon Soul Guan Yu swung his blade, using his explosive damage to execute two Death Lords blocking his way.
The next second, Dragon Soul Guan Yu charged straight at Lu Ming.
"Die!"
With an angry shout, Dragon Soul Guan Yu slashed at Lu Ming''s shoulder.
[Ding~ You have been attacked by player "Dragon Soul Guan Yu," losing 132534 Health Points, you are dead!]
Watching Lu Ming fall before him.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt a secret joy.
Thinking: This kid''s summoned Undead Legion may be invincible, but he himself is indeed fragile!
However, the next second...
[Ding~ Rebirth from Ashes talent has been triggered, choose whether to immediately sacrifice the weakest Death Lord for an on-the-spot revival (if not chosen, the system defaults to auto-revive in thirty minutes/provided there are surviving Death Lords)]
"Revive."
[Ding~ You have revived and gained 2 seconds of invincibility (immune to all damage and control effects during invincibility)!]
With the disappearance of a Death Lord on the field.
Lu Ming was exchanged for an on-the-spot revival.
Seeing Lu Ming stand up again, fully revived, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s face was filled with shock.
"Impossible!"
In disbelief, Dragon Soul Guan Yu swung his blade at Lu Ming again.
But this time, it didn''t cause even 1 point of damage to Lu Ming!
In contrast, Lu Ming looked at Dragon Soul Guan Yu with indifference.
"Clown."
As soon as the words fell.
Clang!
C-level Sword Draw¡ª¡ª
-573261!
Even in a frenzied state, with over 200,000 shield value from damage conversion, Dragon Soul Guan Yu couldn''t withstand Lu Ming''s strike.
In PK mode, his health bar instantly dropped to 1 point!
Lu Ming didn''t kill Dragon Soul Guan Yu directly.
Instead, he seemed to be deliberately waiting for something.
Just as he left Dragon Soul Guan Yu severely injured.
Four Death Lords surrounded him, placing their fiery blades against Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s neck.
The blazing flames on the blades scorched Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s face.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu struggled in pain, but dared not move.
Because in this state, any movement would mean instant death!
Meanwhile.
Ahead, Qin Churan approached slowly, holding a sharp blade and filled with killing intent.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt fear.
The more someone like Dragon Soul Guan Yu appeared brave and fearless on the surface, the more they feared death.
Especially since he had just earned a commission of 300 million!
How could he be willing to die here without enjoying the wealth and glory of his later years?
"Don''t kill me!"
"Do you want money, or something else? I can give you anything!"
Qin Churan''s eyes were bloodshot.
At this moment, her inner hatred and anger had reached their peak!
"I want your life!"
As soon as the words fell.
Swish!
Qin Churan''s figure moved like a phantom, instantly teleporting from dozens of yards away to Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
As the blade in her hand was about to fall, Dragon Soul Guan Yu suddenly shouted.
"Wait!"
"It wasn''t me! The one targeting you isn''t me! I''m just taking money to solve problems for others!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Churan''s dagger froze just 0.01 centimeters from Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s neck.
Her eyes, filled with killing intent, locked onto Dragon Soul Guan Yu, and she coldly asked, "Who?"
"Godslayer Squad Captain, Qin Feng!"
Hearing this answer, Qin Churan''s heart shook violently!
"Impossible!"
"You''re lying to me!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu hurriedly explained, "The four national servers guarding you were all targets Qin Feng paid me to kill, each head worth ten million!"
"And those who joined your squad this morning, they were all sent by Qin Feng for me to kill!"
"I have all the recent call and transaction records between me and Qin Feng. If you don''t believe me, I can show you!"
Buzz!
Qin Churan''s mind suddenly went blank.
Her already torn heart felt as if it had been stabbed dozens of times with a sharp blade, completely shattered.
Her eyes welled with tears, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Seizing the opportunity, Dragon Soul Guan Yu said, "Don''t kill me! Keeping me alive will be useful to you! I can help you get revenge on Qin Feng!"
"I..."
Clang!
Before Dragon Soul Guan Yu could finish speaking, Qin Churan swiftly slit his throat.
Instantly, a deep gash appeared on Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s neck.
Blood gushed from the wound on his neck.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu clutched his neck, eyes wide, staring at Qin Churan before him.
The next second.
With a thud, he knelt before Qin Churan.
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Chapter 89 - Mysterious Black Cloak
Although she personally killed Dragon Soul Guan Yu, Qin Churan felt no joy in her heart. Instead, her mood grew heavier. She had always thought that the people targeting her were only the Dragon Soul team. Even though she knew her brother didn''t like her, she never imagined that the one scheming against her so meticulously was her own brother, Qin Feng!
Abandoned by her family in an orphanage since childhood, only to be retrieved when grown up as a tool for family alliances, she could accept. But to be plotted against by her own brother like this was unbearable for anyone.
If not for Lu Ming noticing something was wrong with Qin Churan and supporting her in time, she might have collapsed from the sudden weakness.
"You should log off and rest for a bit, I''ll handle things here."
With tears in her eyes, Qin Churan looked at Lu Ming. At this moment, Lu Ming had become her only support. She didn''t speak, just nodded silently.
So, Lu Ming instructed Lin Youwei, "Take her back to the city first."
Although Lin Youwei didn''t have much affection for Qin Churan, she did feel pity for her. She hurried over to take over from Lu Ming, supporting Qin Churan, and under the escort of a hundred Death Lords, headed back to the city.
This left only Lu Ming and Ling Wan''er on the field. Ling Wan''er stood behind Lu Ming, full of fear. She finally asked the question buried in her heart, "How... how did you know..."
Lu Ming turned to look at Ling Wan''er. "First of all, only friends can pull others into a WeChat group. As the second person to join, it''s clear that the person impersonating me to add you is your friend."
"Secondly, everyone else died, but you survived too deliberately."
"Moreover, you exposed your intentions to approach me too eagerly."
"With so many flaws, don''t try to be clever in front of me."
Ling Wan''er was panic-stricken. She quickly cried and said to Lu Ming, "I''m sorry, Nether brother, I know I was wrong! It was Dragon Soul Guan Yu, he forced me!"
"He said if I didn''t do it, he''d kill me and my family!"
"I''ve already cooperated with you to lure him here, please spare me, I beg you... I''ll do anything you want if you let me go!"
"Do you know what kind of people I hate the most?" Lu Ming stared at Ling Wan''er, a sharp glint in his eyes, "I hate traitors the most."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Swish!
Sword Draw¡ª
-573261!
Ling Wan''er''s health bar was instantly emptied, and with a look of terror and endless regret, she fell into a pool of blood.
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Under Lu Ming''s mental command, the Undead Legion began to loot the spoils. Lu Ming approached Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s corpse and picked up the leg guards and long sword he dropped.
Seeing the quality of these two pieces of equipment, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel excited.
[Arrogant World ¡¤ Glimmer Leg Guards] (Level 50 Gilded Equipment)!
[Shattered World ¡¤ Demon Slayer Sword] (Level 50 Gilded Equipment)!
"I was hoping to get some money off Dragon Soul Guan Yu before he died."
"Unfortunately, Qin Churan acted too quickly."
"Luckily, these two pieces of Gilded Equipment are a nice compensation."
With that, Lu Ming immediately listed the Glimmer Leg Guards and Demon Slayer Sword on the trading market for 1.55 million and 1.7 million respectively.
The two pieces of equipment together were worth over three million RMB, no exaggeration. After all, these were Gilded Equipment, surpassing Silver and Gold Equipment in quality!
In the trading market, even Silver Equipment below level 50 is rare, let alone Gold Equipment, which is a national treasure!
Not to mention level 50 Gilded Equipment.
They are absolutely rare treasures!
Meanwhile, the Undead Legion finished clearing the battlefield. As the level 50 elites of the Dragon Soul team, their value was far less than Dragon Soul Guan Yu, but each at least had Bronze Equipment, and the better ones even had Silver Equipment!
Over a hundred Dragon Soul players brought Lu Ming a total of 135 pieces of Bronze Equipment and 7 pieces of Silver Equipment.
According to market prices, Lu Ming listed them all on the trading market!
Now, he just had to wait for the money to roll in!
Once all these items were sold, not only could he pay off the remaining 500,000 debt to Qing Yan, but he could also pay off more than half of the bank loan!
Looking at Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s corpse, Lu Ming couldn''t help but feel a bit regretful, "What a waste, if only you could stand up and let me farm you a few more times."
With that, Lu Ming refined all the corpses. Leading the Undead Legion, he withdrew from Nightfall Cemetery.
Little did he know, in the corner, a pair of eyes had been watching everything...
Shortly after Lu Ming left.
As Nightfall Cemetery fell into silence.
Swish!
Suddenly, a space-time rift shimmering with silver light tore through the space, appearing out of nowhere.
Following closely, a figure in a dark cloak stepped out of the rift.
They walked straight to where Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s body had been refined.
Taking out a scroll glowing with golden light, they crushed it.
Golden light sprinkled on the ground, and Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s body reappeared...
On the other side.
After leaving Nightfall Cemetery, Lu Ming headed towards the Nether Ghost Tower.
After all, life goes on, and the days must be lived.
The money just donated by the Dragon Soul team was enough to pay off 60% of the loan, but 40% remained!
In the second layer, there''s no place faster for making money than the Nether Ghost Tower!
While farming Soul Stones for money, he could also level up.
"By the time I pay off the loan, I should be close to reaching level 50, just in time to advance to the third layer!"
With Lu Ming''s current strength, staying in the second layer was beneath him.
Only by stepping into the higher third layer could he achieve better development.
Thinking this, Lu Ming sent a message to Lin Youwei, and the two met at the Nether Ghost Tower to advance to the eighth realm together.
By noon, they logged off for lunch.
In the afternoon, they returned online to continue farming.
With the Undead Legion''s efficient monster farming, Lu Ming''s experience bar skyrocketed.
And with Lin Youwei''s 390% drop rate bonus, the number of Soul Stones in his backpack increased rapidly!
By five in the evening.
Swish!
The third golden light of the day fell, and Lu Ming reached level 25!
Lu Ming listed all the Soul Stones on the trading market.
Checking the time, he said to Lin Youwei, who was still killing monsters, "Stop farming, log off for dinner, and we''ll continue tonight."
Lin Youwei used all her strength to kill an undead warrior.
Happily picking up the copper coin the undead warrior dropped, she responded to Lu Ming, "Okay! Coming!"
Just as they left the Nether Ghost Tower with Lin Youwei.
They suddenly saw a familiar figure lingering outside the tower.
It seemed like she had been waiting for Lu Ming for a long time.
But when Qin Churan saw Lu Ming coming out of the Nether Ghost Tower, she hesitated, lowered her head, and turned to leave quickly.
"Wait."
Lu Ming called out to Qin Churan, asking, "Do you have something to say?"
The constant flow of passersby made Qin Churan very embarrassed.
Knowing Qin Churan was shy.
Lu Ming approached her.
"What''s up?"
Qin Churan looked up at Lu Ming.
The next second, she awkwardly glanced to the side.
"Can I come over to your place?"
"Never mind..."
Before Lu Ming could respond, Qin Churan turned to leave.
At this moment, Lu Ming called out, "Sure."
"You can come over."
Qin Churan stopped, turned around.
Lu Ming continued, "Where are you in Maritime? I''ll book you a high-speed train ticket for tonight."
"Come to Linhai."
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Chapter 90 - Lin Youwei has been kidnapped, ransom of ten million!
No wonder Qin Churan was so anxious, wanting to speak but too embarrassed to do so.
When they had just confirmed their relationship, she had already mentioned once to Lu Ming that she wanted to visit him in Linhai, but Lu Ming had refused.
Being a reserved girl, unless absolutely necessary, Qin Churan would never bring up the topic with Lu Ming again.
She turned to him, looking somewhat surprised, and asked, "Aren''t you going to ask why I''m here to see you?"
Lu Ming casually replied, "You''re my girlfriend."
"Isn''t it normal for you to come see me?"
"I know, I should be the one going to see you, but I was worried that since we just got together, moving too fast might make you uncomfortable."
Lu Ming wasn''t oblivious.
In his past life, the only thing Ye Ling''er taught Lu Ming was how to win a girl''s heart.
And it turned out, Lu Ming''s relaxed attitude indeed made Qin Churan feel very at ease.
With Lu Ming''s words, all of Qin Churan''s anxieties, worries, and concerns vanished instantly.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
Not only did she no longer feel embarrassed, but she also openly said to Lu Ming, "My WeChat wallet, Alipay, and bank cards have all been frozen."
"I''m about to end up sleeping on the streets!"
Lu Ming couldn''t help but laugh, "Miss Qin, how did you end up in such a mess?"
Qin Churan frowned slightly, "Hmph! You''re laughing at me?"
"So, your brother is targeting you again?"
Qin Churan was already numb to it, "Yeah, who else could it be?"
"I''ve spent a lot of the Qin family''s money in the past six months since I returned, and Qin Feng sued me to pay it back~"
"I refused! So he found a way to forcibly freeze all my accounts~"
Qin Feng''s ruthlessness was gradually exceeding Lu Ming''s expectations.
At this moment, Lu Ming thoughtfully said to Qin Churan, "Did he tell you that the only solution is for you to marry into the Wang family?"
"Yes." Qin Churan suddenly had a mischievous idea and asked tentatively, "Do you want me to marry Wang Long?"
"If you want to marry him, go ahead. The decision is in your hands. Can I stop you?"
She was just trying to tease Lu Ming to see his reaction.
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But hearing Lu Ming''s response, Qin Churan felt a sudden pang of disappointment.
"You idiot!"
"Hmph! Then I''ll go marry Wang Long right now!"
Lu Ming grabbed Qin Churan''s wrist, "Do you want to marry him?"
"I don''t want to!" Qin Churan confessed to Lu Ming, "I don''t want to marry that fool!"
"Then don''t marry him," Lu Ming said, "As long as you don''t want to, no one can force you."
"I said so."
Qin Churan nodded.
Looking at Lu Ming, a glimmer of light flickered in Qin Churan''s eyes.
She suddenly tilted her head, looking at Lu Ming with a mix of affection and playfulness, and said, "Zhang Yi, you''re actually quite nice."
At that moment, the air suddenly fell silent.
Lu Ming was taken aback.
"Huh?"
Qin Churan felt a bit embarrassed.
"You''re such a fool!"
Little did she know, at that moment, what Lu Ming was actually thinking was...
"Damn! Who''s Zhang Yi?"
"Oh, right, that''s me..."
Lu Ming almost forgot that he had told Qin Churan that was his alias!
Regaining his composure.
Lu Ming said, "Let''s head back to the city. I''ll book you the next high-speed train ticket."
So, the three of them returned to Starlight City and logged off.
Using the location and ID information Qin Churan sent, Lu Ming booked her a high-speed train for 7:10 PM.
"From Hanghai South Station to Linhai East Station, arriving at nine in the evening. I''ll pick you up at the station."
Ding!
Qin Churan replied via WeChat, "No need, I''ll just take a taxi to your place when I arrive."
After sending the WeChat message, Qin Churan held her phone.
Thinking about the upcoming offline meeting with Lu Ming, for some reason, her heart started to flutter!
Meanwhile, Lu Ming was calculating the time.
"It''s five-thirty now. After dinner, I''ll log back in just in time for six o''clock when goblin Avani appears at the black market."
"I''ll take on the task from the goblin, then log off to pick up Qin Churan at the station."
With that in mind.
While eating the shredded pork and egg noodles cooked by Lin Youwei, Lu Ming instructed her, "We won''t be raiding the Nether Ghost Tower tonight. You don''t need to log in, and don''t wait for me. Get some rest early."
Lin Youwei didn''t say anything, just lowered her head and ate her noodles.
Because she knew Lu Ming was going to pick up Qin Churan that night.
Hiding her inner disappointment, Lin Youwei obediently nodded, "Okay."
After finishing his noodles, Lu Ming logged in alone.
Leaving Starlight City, he headed straight for the black market.
Twenty minutes later, just as Lu Ming was about to reach the black market.
Suddenly, he received a WeChat message from Qing Yan!
"Someone from our team spotted that little mage, Rose, who hangs around you, at the southern part of Starlight City in the Troll Plains."
"She was kidnapped by a group of people. Our team is negotiating with the kidnappers, but they clearly demand a ransom of ten million before they''ll release her. Should I have someone pay them first to ensure her safety?"
Seeing this message, Lu Ming''s brows furrowed.
"That girl, always causing trouble!"
Lu Ming replied to Qing Yan, "Don''t pay them yet. Have our team stall them for a bit. I''m on my way!"
After all, ten million wasn''t a small amount.
And Lu Ming wasn''t even clear about the situation over there.
After replying to Qing Yan, Lu Ming looked up at the nearby black market.
After a moment of hesitation, he ultimately decided to turn around and follow the map''s guidance to the Troll Plains.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of Starlight City, at the Lv25 Troll Plains.
A robbery and kidnapping was taking place.
The one kidnapped was none other than our Lin Youwei!
At this moment, a group of over a dozen fierce-looking players were holding Lin Youwei, who was left with only 1 Health Point, at knifepoint.
On the periphery, led by Qing Yan and Tianxuan¡¤Eternal, and Tianxuan¡¤Shadow, dozens of players from the Tianxuan Team were trying to negotiate with the kidnappers, stalling for time.
Before long, Lu Ming arrived.
Seeing the scene before him, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
At this moment, Tianxuan¡¤Eternal looked at the players who had kidnapped Lin Youwei and introduced them to Lu Ming, "They''re from the ''Grounded Gang,'' a notorious underground black force from Cloud State, specializing in robbery and kidnapping."
"I''ve heard of them too," Qing Yan said with a frown, "It''s said they''re ruthless and cruel, with countless hostages killed by them!"
As she spoke, Qing Yan looked at Lu Ming.
"We''ve been negotiating for a while, but they won''t budge. Should we just pay them first to ensure her safety?"
Before Lu Ming could take any action.
The group of ''Grounded Gang'' players immediately noticed Lu Ming.
The leader, a dark-skinned, one-eyed Level 50 Assassin known as ''Cyclops,'' pressed a sharp dagger against Lin Youwei''s fair neck and shouted menacingly at Lu Ming:
"Kid, you''d better not make any rash moves! Unless you want to see if your sword is faster than our knives!"
"I recognize you, Nether! I also know you have a Sword Draw skill that can kill from a distance and summon the Undead Legion. But no matter how fast you are, it only takes a slight move for me to kill this little girl!"
Lu Ming was slightly taken aback.
It seemed these people had done their homework.
They weren''t randomly robbing; they were specifically targeting him!
Who knows how long they''d been watching Lu Ming, waiting for a chance to catch Lin Youwei alone.
At this moment, Lin Youwei''s face was pale, and she cried out in fear.
"Nether brother, save me..."
Cyclops continued, "I know this little girl is important to you."
"Ten million! Once the money is in, we''ll release her immediately!"
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Chapter 91 - Mystical power, time confinement!
Faced with the kidnappers from the Grounded Gang, a glint of murderous intent flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
There were twelve of them, all at level 50 with six class advancements.
But if Lu Ming wanted to kill them, it would be as easy as crushing a group of ants.
Yet, he couldn''t make a move.
Because he wasn''t as fast as the Grounded Gang players!
But paying the ransom would cost a million!
Even if Lu Ming sold his house, he couldn''t come up with that much money!
Just as Lu Ming was weighing his options, a voice suddenly whispered in his ear, "Need my help?"
"Who?"
"Who''s speaking?!"
At these words, the surrounding Tianxuan players shuddered.
They looked around but couldn''t see the speaker!
It was as if the voice had appeared out of thin air!
At that moment, the voice sounded again in Lu Ming''s ear, "I can help you save her."
Lu Ming could clearly feel that the person was right in front of him!
Yet, he couldn''t see them!
At this moment, Lu Ming''s heart skipped a beat, and even his breathing became rapid.
Even an assassin''s stealth could be detected.
But now, Lu Ming only knew they were in front of him, yet he couldn''t sense a trace of their presence!
"I must ensure her safety."
As soon as Lu Ming finished speaking, the voice disappeared.
The next second.
Whoosh!
A silver-glowing rift in space appeared in front of the Tianxuan players.
Then, a mysterious figure in a black cloak emerged from the rift.
The sudden appearance of the black cloak clearly alerted the Grounded Gang players to the threat.
"Damn it! Do you really think I won''t kill the hostage?"
The leader, Cyclops, glared angrily, shouting as he prepared to slice the knife across Lin Youwei''s neck.
At that moment, with a thought from the black cloak.
[Time Freeze]¡ª
Crack!
Centered on the Grounded Gang players, a transparent energy shield with a 50-yard radius instantly unfolded.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still within the energy shield''s area.
All the Grounded Gang players froze, maintaining their positions without moving, not even blinking!
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Except for Lin Youwei.
She was the only one unaffected!
Lin Youwei, with her eyes tightly shut, thought she was doomed.
But suddenly, noticing the silence around her, she opened her eyes to find that those holding her couldn''t move!
She quickly took the opportunity to slip through the gap between the knives.
Her legs seemed to have motors attached as she dashed behind Lu Ming to hide.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
The energy shield contracted and disappeared.
Everything returned to normal.
The Grounded Gang players could move again, only to be shocked to find the hostage gone!
Turning around, they saw the hostage now standing behind Lu Ming.
For a moment, Cyclops and his players were dumbfounded.
"Damn it! What happened?"
"What just happened?!"
"When did she escape??"
As they were bewildered, they realized: disaster was imminent!
Looking up at Lu Ming, the Grounded Gang players showed panic.
"Retreat!"
"Run!"
Having done their homework, the Grounded Gang players knew very well the level of Lu Ming''s strength.
Without a hostage, they were just lambs to the slaughter before Lu Ming.
So, they turned to flee.
But it wasn''t going to be that easy.
After ensuring Lin Youwei''s safety.
The murderous intent hidden in Lu Ming''s eyes erupted instantly.
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Dozens of Death Lords were summoned from all directions, charging forward under the combined formations of War Tread and Wind Rush.
Amidst screams.
In an instant, the Grounded Gang players were effortlessly executed by the Death Lords!
At this moment, Lu Ming turned his attention back to the black cloak.
"Thanks, name your reward."
The black cloak turned to face Lu Ming, speaking in a deep voice, "No reward needed, but I have one condition.
"I need you to cooperate with me."
Before Lu Ming could respond.
The figure continued, "You don''t need to agree or refuse right away."
"Time will tell me your answer."
After speaking.
Whoosh!
A spatial rift appeared in front of the black cloak.
The next second, the figure stepped into the rift and vanished.
The Tianxuan players looked around, astonished.
"Whoa! Where did they go?"
"What kind of skill is this? Spatial teleportation?"
For a moment, the identity of the black cloak caught everyone''s attention.
"In the Sky Abyss world, even a return scroll has a mandatory 10-second casting time! This kind of instant teleportation defies logic,"
Qing Yan analyzed while researching online, "And the spatial confinement ability used earlier has no historical record of any related skills or talents!"
Tianxuan¡¤Shadow was also astonished, "I couldn''t detect any information with my reconnaissance! Is this guy a player or an NPC?"
Tianxuan¡¤Eternal''s eyes glimmered slightly.
Just like the first time seeing Lu Ming.
"This person is extraordinary, we must find a way to recruit them to our Tianxuan Team!"
Although Lu Ming found it surprising.
He didn''t dwell on it.
Because right now, he had something more important to do!
Checking the time, it was already half-past six.
"Only half an hour left before the goblin leaves the black market, I need to hurry!"
Thanks to the Tianxuan people, Lu Ming was informed.
After expressing his gratitude to Qing Yan and the others, Lu Ming hurriedly left with Lin Youwei.
On the way to the black market.
Lu Ming''s expression was grim.
Lin Youwei knew she had caused trouble, making Lu Ming upset.
"Nether brother..."
Lin Youwei was about to apologize.
Lu Ming suddenly turned to her, angrily shouting:
"Didn''t I tell you to stay offline? Why didn''t you listen?"
"Why did you have to go out alone?"
"If you want to die, don''t drag me down!"
Lin Youwei quickly explained:
"I... I just wanted to earn more copper coins, save more money..."
"I''m sorry, Nether brother, I was wrong, I won''t go out alone anymore, I''ll listen to you from now on! Please don''t be mad..."
"Money! You''d risk your life for money, is that it?" Lu Ming shouted at Lin Youwei, "If I had to spend a million to ransom you, could you earn that in a lifetime?"
Lin Youwei, who had never seen Lu Ming so angry, was terrified.
Her small hands clutched her clothes, tears falling uncontrollably.
Lu Ming wanted to continue scolding, but seeing Lin Youwei so aggrieved, as if another harsh word would break her heart.
He held back.
"Forget it..."
"Don''t run around next time, I can''t always be there to protect you when you''re in danger."
When Lin Youwei realized Lu Ming was only angry because he was worried about her safety.
She nodded vigorously, saying, "I... I won''t run around anymore!"
Lu Ming said no more, turning to continue to the black market.
Lin Youwei wiped her tears and silently followed Lu Ming.
When they arrived at the black market, it was exactly 6:50.
Only ten minutes left before goblin Avani left the black market.
Lu Ming quickly verified his assets and entered the black market.
Upon stepping into the primary black market, he immediately spotted the goblin with large ears, green skin, and only 1.2 meters tall!
A line of red ID above its head¡ª
[Goblin Avani] (Lv50¡¤Gold-level BOSS)!
Decades ago, when this goblin first brought a golden scroll to the black market, it was like a national treasure, surrounded by players every day.
Until players realized: no matter who spoke to him, he wouldn''t respond, and no one could obtain the golden scroll from him.
Gradually, players began to ignore the goblin.
At this moment, the surrounding players acted as if they couldn''t see the goblin, each busy with their own affairs.
Avani, as usual, wandered aimlessly in the black market, occasionally raising his head to use [Golden Divine Eye] to scrutinize passing players.
Lu Ming eagerly approached goblin Avani, crouching down.
The passing players couldn''t help but mock Lu Ming.
"Another newbie trying to get a scroll for free!"
"Don''t waste your time, buddy, this goblin won''t talk to you!"
Lu Ming was unfazed.
Because it was the same in his past life.
Avani ignored everyone, except when Lu Ming approached him, he responded and assigned Lu Ming a bounty quest!
So this time, Lu Ming was confident he could get goblin Avani to talk.
So, Lu Ming greeted, "Hello, little Ni."
Unexpectedly, after scrutinizing Lu Ming with [Golden Divine Eye], Avani ignored him and walked past!
Amidst the laughter around him, Lu Ming was momentarily petrified...
He tried several more times, but Avani still ignored him!
"That''s strange, what''s going on?"
"Could it be because I changed identities, and he doesn''t recognize me?"
Just as Lu Ming was puzzled.
Lin Youwei bent down, her big, watery eyes blinking as she softly greeted Avani, "Hello..."
Lu Ming glanced at the innocent Lin Youwei and shook his head.
The next second.
Avani scrutinized Lin Youwei with the Golden Divine Eye.
And spoke, "Hello, my destined girl!"
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Chapter 92 - Avengers, the Road to Nirvana!
What?!
Seeing that Goblin Avani actually responded to Lin Youwei.
Not only Lu Ming, but all the players around who noticed this scene were shocked!
"Damn! Who told me this goblin couldn''t talk? Isn''t it talking now?"
"Wow! I said I''d introduce my distant cousin to this goblin as a girlfriend, and it didn''t even care about me. Why is that?!"
Although Lu Ming didn''t understand the reason behind this, he noticed there were only a few minutes left before the goblin would leave the black market.
He quickly instructed Lin Youwei, "Keep talking to him, try to get a quest from him!"
Lin Youwei nodded.
The next second, she asked Avani, "Can you give me a quest?"
Good! Direct enough!
Lu Ming liked Lin Youwei''s straightforwardness.
However, Avani feigned ignorance and said, "What quest?"
"I don''t have any quests here."
Lin Youwei looked up at Lu Ming, relaying the message like a robot, "Nether brother, he said he doesn''t have any quests!"
"Yeah, I heard..."
Lu Ming was a bit surprised, "The trigger mechanism is exactly the same."
He remembered that in his previous life, when he faced this goblin Avani, the first thing he said was: Hello, Child of Destiny!
After a conversation, Lu Ming received a bounty quest from him.
Lu Ming still remembered the name of that bounty quest: [Avenger, Path of Nirvana]!
The quest was to help Avani complete a revenge plan for the extinction of his race!
Lu Ming went straight to the point and said to Avani, "I can help you avenge the extinction of your race!"
Unexpectedly, Avani completely ignored Lu Ming.
His focus was clearly only on Lin Youwei.
No matter how Lin Youwei tried, following Lu Ming''s instructions, she couldn''t get any quest from Avani!
"Could it be that the quest is already gone?"
Just as Lu Ming was puzzled, he noticed a detail:
The golden scroll Avani carried with him was emitting a noticeably dimmer golden glow!
At that moment, Lu Ming suddenly realized: the quest on Avani wasn''t gone, it had already been taken by someone else!
Because in his previous life, Lu Ming had attempted this quest dozens of times.
He clearly remembered: every time he took the quest, the golden glow on Avani''s scroll would dissipate!
Lu Ming took another careful look at the scroll on Avani.
It was indeed the Scroll of Deification!
No doubt about it!
Fortunately, as long as the scroll was still with Avani, it meant the person who took the quest hadn''t completed it yet!
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So, Lu Ming waited until seven o''clock when Avani disappeared from the black market, and he didn''t see the player return to submit the quest.
Lu Ming then left the black market with Lin Youwei.
"Why could Lin Youwei also trigger the opportunity on the goblin?"
"Who is the person who took the quest?"
Lu Ming''s mind was filled with questions.
But at the same time, he was firm in one thought.
"The Scroll of Deification must not fall into anyone else''s hands!"
Compared to the value that this scroll, which could upgrade a player''s account qualification to ten stars, could bring to himself.
Lu Ming was more concerned that:
If this scroll fell into the hands of someone with ill intentions, it could pose a threat to him and even the entire world in the future!
It''s well known.
The world has maintained its order for a hundred years since the descent of Sky Abyss because players'' ambitions are restrained by their strength.
Apart from Lu Ming, the strongest player account qualification in the world is only six stars, and such strong players are few and far between.
Players like Dragon Soul Guan Yu, with a five-star account and a gold medal professional in National Server 39, are indeed strong, able to easily defeat players at level seventy or eighty even at level fifty.
But in front of Lu Ming, who holds a ten-star account, he''s nothing!
Looking at the world, such people can''t stir up much trouble.
And because Lu Ming obtained the world''s first ten-star account, he deeply understood how overpowered a ten-star account was!
"Currently, it''s just that my level is low."
"With the strength of my account''s three major talents, when I reach level 200, I might be able to rival a nation alone!"
Imagine, if a player at level two or three hundred were to use the Scroll of Deification, the power they could gain would be enough to destroy the world!
Therefore, no matter what, Lu Ming must personally control the world''s second Scroll of Deification!
Lu Ming had already thought of a strategy.
"Based on my previous experience with this quest, if the quest fails midway, it will automatically refresh. Even if someone strong enough completes the quest, they have to return to the black market to submit it to the goblin;"
"Next, I just need to guard the black market every evening from 6-7 o''clock, waiting for the quest to refresh or for that person to appear, and then kill them to seize the quest,"
A cold glint flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
The experiences of Lu Ming''s previous life taught him a survival rule: if you don''t look out for yourself, heaven and earth will destroy you!
Just then, Qin Churan sent a message on WeChat: "Dummy, I''m on the high-speed train."
"Okay." Lu Ming replied, "Stay safe."
Qin Churan chuckled, "You''re such a dummy, how can I stay safe on a high-speed train?"
Lu Ming: "Hmm..."
Qin Churan: "What are you doing?"
Lu Ming: "Hanging around the black market. I''ll come to the station to pick you up before nine."
Qin Churan didn''t refuse this time: "Okay, see you later!"
Lu Ming had already calculated.
The community he was in wasn''t far from Linhai East Station, just over ten minutes by subway.
Seeing that there was still time, Lu Ming took Lin Youwei to the Nether Ghost Tower.
Not missing any opportunity to level up and earn money!
After all, soon, he would have two women to support...
At eight-thirty in the evening, Lu Ming and Lin Youwei returned to the city and logged off on time.
Leaving Lin Youwei at home, Lu Ming went out.
The house Lu Ming bought was in a prime location.
Right outside the east gate of the community was a subway station.
Perhaps due to it being a Friday, the subway was especially crowded tonight, with every carriage packed full.
Lu Ming was like a sandwich cookie, swaying as he was squeezed by the crowd.
At that moment, his desire to buy a car reached its peak...
He stood all the way to Linhai East Station.
After waiting for more than ten minutes.
At a little past nine, a large group of people from the same train poured into the waiting hall.
And among the crowd, Lu Ming immediately spotted Qin Churan!
She was pushing a large black suitcase.
Her shiny black short hair was clipped with a white clip, simple yet stylish.
Her eyebrows were cool, her face fair and clear.
Her round, snow-white legs exposed between a black coat and knee-high socks attracted many envious glances.
Such a fresh and refined beauty stood out in the crowd, making it hard not to notice her at first glance!
"Dummy!"
When Qin Churan greeted him with a smile and walked towards Lu Ming, many hearts broke, casting envious glances at Lu Ming.
Lu Ming took the suitcase from Qin Churan''s hand.
Looking at Qin Churan''s more delicate features, he asked thoughtfully, "Did you adjust your character''s appearance in the game?"
"Yeah, I thought if I made myself uglier, the Wang family wouldn''t be interested in me, and maybe they wouldn''t want to marry into my family." Qin Churan sighed, "Do you think I''m silly?"
Lu Ming was taken aback!
It''s well known: when players first enter Sky Abyss, they have a chance to adjust their appearance by up to 20% either way.
While others are eager to look better, Qin Churan actually adjusted to look uglier!
Even more absurd...
Even after a 20% downgrade, her appearance in Sky Abyss still overshadowed those female players who upgraded by 20%!
Nowadays, people don''t like carrying cash.
Remembering that Qin Churan''s WeChat and Alipay accounts were frozen, Lu Ming guessed she probably hadn''t had dinner yet.
After leaving the station, he looked around and said, "There are no restaurants nearby, let''s go home first, and then we''ll eat at the mall across the street."
As expected, Qin Churan didn''t refuse: "Okay."
So, Lu Ming took Qin Churan onto the subway.
Unexpectedly, the return train was even more crowded than when Lu Ming came!
Lu Ming propped his hands against the car panels, barely creating a small space for Qin Churan so she wouldn''t be squished.
At that moment, Lu Ming suddenly remembered something.
"Wait!"
"Why didn''t I take a taxi instead of squeezing into the subway?"
Having lived a frugal life in his previous life, Lu Ming almost forgot that he was now considered a wealthy person!
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
At the moment of a stop, Lu Ming, hit by a terrifying force from behind, lost his balance and fell directly onto Qin Churan!
Instantly, the softness of the girl''s body and a faint fragrance made Lu Ming''s face turn red.
He awkwardly tried to get up.
But realized: he couldn''t push back against the 300-pound woman behind him!
Even with Qin Churan''s help, they couldn''t push back!
Finally, they gave up.
At this moment, in the limited space, Lu Ming and Qin Churan were pressed closely together, able to feel each other''s breathing and heartbeat clearly.
Especially for Lu Ming, he could distinctly feel a softness against his chest...
Qin Churan''s fair face was visibly red.
At this moment, the air was filled with an ambiguous and awkward atmosphere.
To ease the awkwardness, Lu Ming said, "You''re so soft..."
It would have been better if he hadn''t spoken.
Once he spoke, it became even more awkward!
Finally, they got off at the station.
"This community looks quite upscale, the rent here must not be cheap, right?"
At the entrance of Jiangshan Wanli community, Qin Churan gazed at the bustling community and sighed.
Apparently, she assumed that Lu Ming couldn''t afford to buy a house here, so he must be renting.
Lu Ming didn''t explain, he just went along and said, "It is quite expensive."
At this moment, several young people entered the community in small groups.
When they passed through the facial recognition, the door access prompted: "Welcome."
But when Lu Ming scanned his face.
[Welcome home, esteemed owner!]
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Chapter 93 - Qin Churans tactics!
The high-class voice prompt made the girls walking ahead turn back to glance at Lu Ming.
Qin Churan was also surprised and asked, "Are you... the owner?"
Lu Ming smiled faintly and replied, "Yes, I bought the house, not rented it."
In Lu Ming''s eyes, this house was bought for 6.48 million.
At this moment, it had already shown its value of 6.47 million!
Qin Churan chuckled and said, "I didn''t expect it; you look so modest, but your conditions are quite good!"
Lu Ming smiled and said, "I have to thank you. This house includes the forty thousand you contributed."
Qin Churan was taken aback, then suddenly remembered that a few days ago, she spent ten times the price¡ªforty thousand yuan¡ªto buy a Soul Stone from Lu Ming that was only worth four thousand yuan!
"So you were in a hurry to make money back then to buy a house!" Qin Churan, realizing it late, said with some regret, "If I had known, I should have given you four hundred thousand, since it was Qin Feng''s money anyway!"
Lu Ming glanced at Qin Churan and said, "If you had acted a bit slower at Nightfall Cemetery this morning, we would have been billionaires by now."
Qin Churan stuck out her tongue and said with some guilt, "I was too angry when I saw Dragon Soul Guan Yu and didn''t consider that..."
"If only he could be resurrected! I''d first take his money and then kill him again!"
Qin Churan''s cold eyes glowed with light.
After going upstairs, Qin Churan chose the room next to Lu Ming''s.
Lin Youwei helped tidy up a bit.
Then, the three of them went to the fourth floor of Wanda Plaza across the street to eat at Hai Di Lao Hot Pot.
For Qin Churan, it was dinner.
For Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, it was a late-night snack.
As she took off her loose coat, the tight black tank top outlined Qin Churan''s perfect figure.
Unintentionally seeing Qin Churan''s prominent chest, Lin Youwei instinctively looked down at her own flat chest and immediately felt a sense of inferiority...
"What are your plans next?"
As soon as Lu Ming finished speaking.
Qin Churan''s eyes shone with confidence: "Anything that doesn''t defeat me will only make me stronger!"
"The more Qin Feng wants to see me fail, the more I want to prove him wrong!"
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Seeing Qin Churan''s attitude, Lu Ming felt reassured.
So, to stabilize Qin Churan''s mindset, Lu Ming painted a rosy picture for her: "I will always be your strongest support!"
At this moment, Qin Churan suddenly looked deeply at Lu Ming and asked a question that left Lu Ming at a loss for words: "Why are you so good to me?"
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "Of course, because you''re my girlfriend."
Qin Churan said nothing more, just smiled.
After dinner, they returned to the community.
They agreed to tackle the Nether Ghost Tower together the next morning, and the three of them went back to their respective rooms.
Late at night.
When Lu Ming finished his shower and lay down on the bed, ready to sleep.
He suddenly sensed a figure sneaking into the bedroom!
The next second, the hand he had just placed on the bedside lamp switch was stopped by a soft, smooth jade-like hand.
In the darkness, a fragrant, soft body straddled Lu Ming.
"Thank you for avenging A-Long and the others for me,"
"I give myself to you."
Hearing Qin Churan''s gentle words.
Lu Ming''s blood surged, and he turned over to press Qin Churan beneath him.
But he didn''t rush into action, as if testing Qin Churan.
In the darkness, Lu Ming quietly felt Qin Churan''s rapid breathing and slight trembling due to excessive nervousness and fear.
Despite this, Qin Churan showed no physical resistance.
In Lu Ming''s eyes, she seemed like a lamb to the slaughter.
Just as Qin Churan closed her eyes tightly, ready to give her first time to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming suddenly released Qin Churan, got up, and turned on the light.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he said to Qin Churan, "I''m your boyfriend, it''s only natural to do these things, you don''t have to make such a big sacrifice to thank me."
Qin Churan lay quietly on the bed, looking at Lu Ming with disbelief in her eyes.
"I can tell, you don''t really like me."
"But don''t all the books say that even if a man doesn''t like a woman, he''s willing to have a physical relationship with her?"
Qin Churan was indeed smart.
She knew that Lu Ming being with her might be because of a momentary novelty;
Maybe because he simply found her attractive;
Or perhaps because she was the eldest daughter of the Qin family, and conquering her felt like an achievement.
But it would never be because of love!
So in Qin Churan''s view, Lu Ming did all this just to get her body.
After all, the books say that men think with their lower halves.
Qin Churan thought Lu Ming hesitated because he was worried she would cling to him because of this.
So she said to Lu Ming, "Don''t worry, I don''t need you to be responsible for me."
She thought that by saying this, Lu Ming would have no worries.
Unexpectedly, Lu Ming still maintained his stance: "Let''s wait until you''re ready."
Qin Churan was stunned.
Could it be that she really misjudged him?
Lu Ming didn''t want to have a relationship with her just because he didn''t want to take advantage of her vulnerability?
Qin Churan found it increasingly difficult to understand Lu Ming.
She got up and tidied her slightly messy clothes.
"Sorry, I was presumptuous..."
With that, Qin Churan fled Lu Ming''s bedroom like a little rabbit that had stolen a bite.
As soon as Qin Churan left.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but let out a deep sigh of relief!
He was, after all, a normal man!
How could he not be interested in a beautiful woman''s body?
Especially someone as stunning as Qin Churan.
Just now, if Qin Churan had stayed a second longer, Lu Ming might not have been able to resist!
But Lu Ming knew very well that tonight was a trap set by Qin Churan!
If he had really taken Qin Churan, all the goodwill and trust he had built up with her over the past period would have been destroyed.
It would have confirmed Qin Churan''s suspicion: Lu Ming approached her just for her body!
In that case, Lu Ming might have enjoyed himself tonight.
But it would be nearly impossible to rebuild Qin Churan''s goodwill towards him later.
And what Lu Ming wanted was Qin Churan''s heart.
Because only by making her truly like him could he later use her to take revenge on Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er!
"It''s all a game!"
"It''s all Fing Hell a game!"
Lu Ming drank a large glass of water from the bedside table in one go, finally suppressing the turmoil inside.
Unexpectedly, at this moment.
Creak¡ª
The door opened.
Qin Churan came back!
But this time, she was wearing very conservative pajamas, completely lacking the sexy, ambiguous atmosphere from before.
She stood at the door, poking her head in, and asked Lu Ming cautiously, "Um... can I borrow your computer to log into Sky Abyss?"
"My computer accidentally broke on the way here..."
Seeing that it was already past eleven at night.
Lu Ming said, "It''s so late, get some rest today, leveling up can wait until tomorrow."
"It''s not for leveling up," Qin Churan said, "I got an investor who agreed to invest ten million in me!"
"He''s in Shanghai, but his son happens to be in Maritime, also in Starlight City. His son just messaged me to meet online to discuss the investment!"
It seemed that, just as Qin Churan said: anything that doesn''t defeat her only makes her stronger!
Even though Qin Feng had people kill her closest companions, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird!
Destroyed the team she had painstakingly built!
Stopped her credit card!
Frozen all her accounts!
Despite Qin Feng''s countless obstacles, Qin Churan remained unyielding!
Qin Churan''s indomitable spirit even earned Lu Ming''s heartfelt admiration!
So, Lu Ming asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Qin Churan seemed to be waiting for Lu Ming to say this.
She smiled sweetly, "Yes!"
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Chapter 94 - The investors demands, Qin Churan refused to create trouble!
Swish!
Swish!
Two beams of white light descended.
Lu Ming and Qin Churan appeared one after another in Starlight City.
Even at 11 PM, the city was bustling with crowds.
Lu Ming glanced at the energetic Qin Churan beside him and asked, "Do you stay up late every day?"
"Occasionally," Qin Churan replied. "There are one or two days a week when I don''t."
Oh!
So that''s what you call occasionally staying up late!
"Isn''t it more like you occasionally don''t stay up?"
"I have nothing left," Qin Churan said, her words originally heavy but now sounding relieved. "So, I have to try harder!"
"You''re not without anything," Lu Ming said, looking at Qin Churan. "You still have me."
It was clear that Mr. Lu was really trying hard to win Miss Qin''s heart.
Qin Churan smiled sweetly, "Yes, now I have you!"
At this moment, Lu Ming looked around and asked, "Where''s that person?"
"He said he''s leveling up in the wild and asked me to find him," Qin Churan seemed to notice the helplessness in Lu Ming''s eyes and said, "There''s no choice, he''s an investor!"
After a pause, Qin Churan continued, "Maybe you shouldn''t come with me. You should log off and rest early."
"His dad had dealings with A-Long and the others. I know him, and his dad is a good person. I can go alone, don''t worry."
"Oh, right! Send me your card number. Once I secure the investment, I''ll have him transfer the money directly to your account. My card is frozen."
Lu Ming teased Qin Churan, "A million, just like that, into my account? Aren''t you afraid I''ll run off with your money?"
Unexpectedly, Qin Churan wasn''t worried at all and playfully said, "You wouldn''t bear to run off with me, let alone my money."
Lu Ming nodded and said, "Alright, you go ahead then."
Qin Churan looked up at Lu Ming.
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With a hopeful look, she said, "You''re... really not coming?"
Lu Ming, with a carefree attitude, replied, "Didn''t you tell me not to?"
"Alright then, I''m leaving..."
After taking a few steps, she turned back to see Lu Ming logging off on the spot, and Qin Churan frowned.
"Hmph! What a fool!"
So, Qin Churan had no choice but to leave the city alone.
Following the map''s guidance, she arrived at the level 38 wild area map, Bone Tower, located in the eastern part of Starlight City, after about ten minutes.
Looking around, she saw a group of level 36 players teaming up to hunt the level 38 monsters, Bone Sentinels, scattered between the towers.
At this moment, the players also noticed Qin Churan.
"Master Hui, Miss Qin Churan is here!"
As soon as a level 35 blue-armored warrior, [Glorious Prosperity], finished speaking.
In the crowd, a young level 36 archer, [Glorious Era], who looked just over twenty and had a wild and unruly demeanor, shot down a nearly dead Bone Sentinel with an arrow.
Seeing Qin Churan, his heart surged with excitement and fervor.
Qin Churan approached and greeted Glorious Era with a smile, "Master Hui, long time no see!"
Glorious Era''s eyes, full of brilliance, eagerly scanned Qin Churan.
Then he smiled and said, "Long time no see, Ranran, you''re still as beautiful as ever!"
Qin Churan felt uncomfortable under Glorious Era''s gaze, but since he was an investor, she couldn''t say much and just smiled politely, "Master Hui, you''re too kind."
After looking Qin Churan up and down, Glorious Era got straight to the point, "Let''s not beat around the bush and be frank!"
"I''ll add another million on top of your base, giving you a two-million investment!"
Before Qin Churan could feel happy about it.
Glorious Era continued with a sly smile, "But I have one condition, and that''s for you to be my girlfriend!"
Qin Churan frowned slightly.
She straightforwardly told Glorious Era, "Sorry, Master Hui, I can''t agree to that because I already have a boyfriend!"
Glorious Era was unfazed.
He smiled lightly and said, "I heard, seems like a level 20-something Trickster?"
Glorious Era shook his head, full of disdain, "Miss Qin, even if your brother kicked you out, you don''t have to settle for such a third-rate guy, right? What can he offer you?"
"My dad is a well-known figure in Shanghai, and our Li family has assets worth over a billion. We match well with your Qin family! You won''t lose out by being with me!"
Qin Churan firmly stated her stance, "I can agree to anything but that condition."
Glorious Era snorted coldly, "Then there''s nothing to talk about!"
Though she desperately needed the money, Qin Churan would never betray Lu Ming.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Without another word, Qin Churan turned and left.
However, Qin Churan''s upright attitude infuriated Glorious Era.
"I''ve always gotten what I wanted since I was a kid!"
"Qin Churan, I''ve set my sights on you!"
With that, Glorious Era signaled to a lackey beside him.
The lackey understood immediately and opened the WeChat chat box to type...
On the other side.
As Qin Churan prepared to leave Bone Tower and pondered where to find another investor.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
A group of shadows suddenly emerged from the surrounding darkness!
"Hey beauty, all alone?"
"Want to play some games with us?"
The players'' wolf-like eyes roamed shamelessly over Qin Churan.
At this moment, Glorious Era''s mocking voice came from behind, "Miss Qin, if you need help, just say the word."
"Call me ''husband,'' and I''ll help you deal with them, how about that?"
Qin Churan''s eyes turned cold, and she surveyed the surrounding players, all between levels 35-40, who didn''t seem like good people.
Though they appeared unrelated to Glorious Era on the surface.
Qin Churan could tell at a glance that they were his people!
Ignoring Glorious Era, Qin Churan drew her sword silently, showing her stance and attitude.
Seeing this, Glorious Era''s face darkened.
"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
"Qin Churan, you''d better not cry and beg me later!"
As he spoke.
The surrounding players, with wild smiles, advanced toward Qin Churan.
Qin Churan gripped her dagger tightly, ready to fight.
At this moment, a figure appeared in her line of sight, walking slowly.
Seeing the person, Qin Churan''s frown relaxed, and she felt a surge of joy.
"This fool!"
"Didn''t he say he wouldn''t come?"
At this moment, the surrounding players noticed Qin Churan''s expression and seemed to realize something.
Following her gaze, they noticed Lu Ming approaching slowly.
When they discovered he was just a level 25 Trickster.
The players, averaging levels 37-38, looked even more amused.
Glorious Era also snorted disdainfully, "You rejected me for this kid? Qin Churan, I really don''t know what you''re thinking."
At the front.
A level 38 black-robed Summoner, [Deva], eyed Lu Ming and sneered, "Kid, let us borrow your girlfriend for a night. If you don''t want trouble, just..."
Swish!
Before Deva could finish, Lu Ming''s right hand, resting on the sword hilt on his back, quietly drew the sword.
A sharp sword shadow flashed through Deva''s body¡ª
-575698!
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Chapter 95 - Account Ban · Power of Revenge!
The Level 38 fourth-tier Summoner had a maximum of fifty to sixty thousand Health Points.
Lu Ming''s attack, which could kill Deva ten times over with its 570,000 damage, instantly took him down.
Thud!
As Deva fell lifeless to the ground, the smiles on the surrounding players'' faces froze, and they all looked at Lu Ming with terror.
"Damn... Damn it! This guy..."
"What kind of damage is that?!"
They had thought he was just a Level 25 support Trickster, someone anyone could easily bully.
Who would have thought they''d hit a wall instead?
Once they realized what was happening, the players scattered in all directions.
"Run!"
At this moment, a hint of killing intent flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
With Lu Ming''s summons, a full seven hundred and fifty third-tier Death Lords broke through space, appearing all around.
The entire Bone Tower map had become the territory of the Undead Legion!
Such a terrifying sight left the players from [Glorious] stunned.
Looking at the Death Lords around them, like messengers from hell, clad in blood armor and cloaks, eyes glowing red, exuding an aura of death, Master Hui and his dozens of lackeys turned pale, not daring to make a sound.
"What... what are these things?"
"Did that guy summon all these undead?"
...
"Kill."
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
The nearby Death Lords simultaneously activated Soul Shatter, instantly wiping out those dozens of scattered players!
Lu Ming''s killing intent did not cease.
Just as he was about to command the Undead Legion to deal with Master Hui and his group, Qin Churan suddenly intervened, "Could you do me a favor and let them go?"
Lu Ming replied coldly, "They wanted to hurt you, so I killed them."
Such a nonchalant statement gave Qin Churan a strong sense of security.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
But her thoughts were clear: "His father is a good man, he once helped A-Long and his friends, and to me, he''s a benefactor."
"Moreover, his father knows about the business discussions his son and I had tonight. If anything happens to his son, he''ll definitely suspect me, and the Li family is a prestigious family in Shanghai."
"Having one less enemy is better than having one more. We can take this opportunity to do him a favor."
As she spoke, Qin Churan walked towards Master Hui.
Crossing her arms, she asked him, "Is my boyfriend third-rate?"
"No, no, no! First-rate! Absolutely first-rate! I''m the third-rate one!" Master Hui was so frightened his face turned ashen, afraid that one wrong move would lead to the same fate as the others.
"So, about the investment?"
Qin Churan didn''t need to finish her sentence.
Master Hui, trembling, opened the operation panel and stammered, "Send me your bank account number, I''ll invest ten million in you right away! No, twenty million!"
Qin Churan smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Master Hui! Don''t worry, once we finalize the contract, you''ll get your principal back with 15% interest within two years."
With that, Qin Churan sent Lu Ming''s account number to Master Hui via WeChat.
She then turned and left the Bone Tower with Lu Ming.
Watching the Undead Legion follow Lu Ming and leave the Bone Tower, the players from [Glorious] couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Damn, that was close! Almost went to meet my great-grandmother!"
"What kind of Trickster is that? How terrifying!"
"I can''t believe Qin Churan, the sister of the captain of the seventh team of the God Slayer squad in the Great Xia server, is with such a shabby-looking guy! I really underestimated him..."
Master Hui watched Qin Churan''s departing figure, feeling unsatisfied.
"What does that guy have besides strength? Is he richer than me?"
"Qin Churan... why can''t you look at me?"
Just as Master Hui was feeling discontented, a voice suddenly came from behind him, "Do you want to have her?"
"Let me lend you a hand!"
Master Hui turned around to see a shadow standing quietly in the darkness.
He looked the figure up and down and asked, "Who are you?"
"How can you help me?"
The shadow said in a deep voice, "I can make her kneel before you, at your mercy."
Hearing this, Master Hui''s imagination ran wild, and he felt a surge of excitement and heat.
"Alright, if you can help me get Qin Churan, I''ll give you anything you want!"
The shadow continued, "Then, pay me a deposit first."
Master Hui, driven by his desires, didn''t question the figure at all and asked, "How much do you want?"
"I don''t want money."
"Then what do you want?" Master Hui asked.
"I want your hatred!"
As soon as the words fell.
Slash!
The shadow suddenly brandished a long blade, slashing it heavily against the ground.
In the next second, a powerful arc of blade light swept through the bodies of the [Glorious] players in front.
-52365!
-51369!
-50992!
...
In an instant.
Except for Master Hui, who was chosen as the protection target, all the other [Glorious] players were killed instantly!
The only survivor, Master Hui, fell to the ground in shock, staring at the shadow in horror.
"What... what do you want?!"
The shadow fixed his gaze on the terrified Master Hui and said in a sinister voice, "I told you, this is the deposit."
"Next, follow my instructions, and I can give you what you desire."
As he spoke, the shadow waved his hand to open a status panel.
The panel displayed¡ª
[Account: 329917***]
[Account Qualification: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï]
[Account Talent: Bloodthirsty Frenzy (Increases all attributes by 100% and converts 50% of damage dealt into a shield, lasting 10 seconds; cooldown 60 seconds)]
[Account Ban ¡¤ Power of Vengeance: As the price for being reborn with the power of the God of Vengeance, you will be suppressed by the hatred of the gods; you must eliminate all hatred points held by the character before the ban time expires, or face account ban and character death penalties]
[Current Character Hatred Points: 9953258 (Killing a monster not lower than your level reduces hatred by 1 point; killing any level Elite Monster multiplies by ten; killing a BOSS multiplies by a hundred; killing a player multiplies by a thousand)]
[Account Ban Time: 1824 days]
...
On the other side.
On the way back to the city, Lu Ming looked at Qin Churan with newfound respect and said, "You''ve learned to be smart this time, prioritizing the bigger picture and not acting impulsively."
Qin Churan felt a bit guilty, "I was blinded by hatred before and acted too quickly. Otherwise, if I had gotten the money from Dragon Soul Guan Yu, I could have directly invested in you!"
After a pause, Qin Churan continued confidently, "I''ve scouted a few studios, and once the money arrives, I''ll recruit them!"
Lu Ming reminded her, "Knowing your brother''s nature, even if the first Dragon Soul Guan Yu is dead, there will be a second, and a third."
"I know." Qin Churan wasn''t worried; instead, her eyes shone with confidence, "I won''t give up!"
After returning to the city, the two logged off.
Late at night.
Lin Youwei went to the living room to get some water.
When she heard the sound of a door opening, she turned around and saw Qin Churan coming out of Lu Ming''s room in her pajamas.
She was instantly stunned.
Qin Churan saw Lin Youwei and greeted her openly, "Sister Lin, still not asleep?"
In contrast, Lin Youwei seemed a bit flustered, "I... I was thirsty, just getting some water."
"Get some rest, goodnight!"
With that, Qin Churan went into her own room.
Lin Youwei stood by the table, staring at the floor, holding a cup with her left hand while her right hand unconsciously tapped the table edge.
Her mind was in turmoil.
For some reason, she felt an indescribable discomfort.
Feeling as if she had lost something, she returned to her room, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
She didn''t know when she finally drifted off...
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Chapter 96 - Gate of Hell, the Secret of the Goblin Kingdom!
The morning sunlight spilled into the living room.
Three people gathered around the dining table, drinking soy milk and eating buns.
Lu Ming asked Qin Churan, "What are your plans for today?"
"The investment from Li Hui hasn''t arrived yet, so my plans are on hold for now," Qin Churan replied, sipping her soy milk. She then asked Lu Ming, "What about you? I''ll follow your lead for now."
"Alright," Lu Ming said. "Let''s head to a place later."
Currently, Lu Ming''s main concern was finding the person who had taken the quest from the goblin Avani.
The previous plan was to wait for a chance at the black market until the person showed up.
But last night, while lying in bed, Lu Ming suddenly had a better idea!
Having completed this quest in his past life, Lu Ming knew the quest details and location.
"Going directly to the quest map to find him would be faster!"
With this thought in mind.
After finishing their buns, Qin Churan and Lu Ming returned to their rooms.
Seeing Qin Churan enter Lu Ming''s room, Lin Youwei was momentarily stunned.
After a while, she quietly returned to her own room.
In the room, Lu Ming sat at the computer desk and turned on the computer.
He turned to Qin Churan, who was sitting on the bed, and said, "I''ll buy you a new computer. It''ll be more convenient for logging into the game."
"No need, we''re short on money right now. Let''s save some. I can''t even afford to treat you to a meal," Qin Churan said, somewhat embarrassed. "My computer is already sent for repair. It should be fixed in a day or two."
Knowing Qin Churan''s strong-willed nature and her dislike of owing others, Lu Ming didn''t press further.
The two of them logged into Sky Abyss one after the other.
A moment later, the three of them met up in Starlight City.
Relying on his memory, they left the city and headed north of Starlight City.
"Where are we going?" Qin Churan asked curiously on the way.
"You''ll know when we get there," Lu Ming replied.
As he spoke, Lu Ming''s brows suddenly furrowed.
Sensing something, he quickly led Qin Churan and Lin Youwei into a thicket by the roadside!
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Just as the two women were puzzled.
A large group of players hurried past the front of the thicket.
To Qin Churan''s surprise, they were players from the Dragon Soul team!
There were about a hundred of them, all between levels 45-50.
Qin Churan immediately recognized, "Some of them used to follow Dragon Soul Guan Yu!"
Whenever Lu Ming went out into the wild, he had a habit of having a few Death Lords keeping watch around him.
Just now, he had used the shared vision of the Death Lords behind him to spot the approaching Dragon Soul players in advance.
Once the Dragon Soul team players hurried past.
Lu Ming and the others quietly followed.
Or rather, they weren''t really tracking them.
Since Dragon Soul Guan Yu was dead, as long as the Dragon Soul team didn''t cause trouble, Lu Ming had no reason to waste energy on them.
It was just that their direction happened to align with Lu Ming''s!
The Dragon Soul team players arrived at a valley.
In the depths of the tranquil valley, a swirling vortex appeared on the ground.
Seeing this scene from their hiding spot outside the valley, Qin Churan mused, "Isn''t this the ''Gate of Hell''?"
"The legendary gate to hell that exists in the second layer of Sky Abyss, near Starlight City?" Lin Youwei had obviously heard of it, hiding fearfully behind Lu Ming. "They say there are monsters inside that devour people whole..."
Qin Churan, however, was dismissive. "This Gate of Hell has been here for decades, and no player has ever entered. The stories about monsters are obviously nonsense."
"Some even say it hides countless treasures!"
As the two women discussed, Lu Ming remained silent, his gaze fixed intently ahead.
Because the place where the Dragon Soul players had arrived was precisely where Lu Ming intended to go!
"Could it be that someone from Dragon Soul accepted the quest?"
As Lu Ming pondered this, he saw that the Dragon Soul team players had clearly come prepared.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Several level 47-48 Dragon Soul mages launched a concentrated attack, killing a nearby level 50 monster, the "Spectral Wolf."
They then dragged the Spectral Wolf''s corpse onto the vortex.
Soon, the Spectral Wolf''s body slowly sank into the vortex!
At the same time.
Whoosh!
A black hole emerged from the vortex.
"Everyone, go in, quickly!"
The Dragon Soul team players jumped into the black hole one after another.
Once they all disappeared into the valley.
The black hole was covered by the swirling vortex again.
Everything returned to calm.
Witnessing this, Qin Churan was somewhat surprised. "They actually opened the Gate of Hell!"
Lu Ming appeared relatively calm.
As expected, it was indeed someone from Dragon Soul who had accepted the quest!
The corpse aura could temporarily corrode the Gate of Hell, opening a passage.
Only those who had accepted the quest would know this trait from goblin Avani!
With this group paving the way, Lu Ming wouldn''t have to explain to Qin Churan and Lin Youwei how he knew how to open the Gate of Hell.
So, Lu Ming followed suit.
He stepped into the valley.
Targeting a Spectral Wolf within his attack range.
Swish!
Sword Draw¡ª
-575698!
With a wail, the level 50 Spectral Wolf was instantly killed by Lu Ming, a level 25 Trickster, in a single strike, falling to the ground.
[Ding~ Killed level 50 Spectral Wolf, Experience Points +5450!]
Lu Ming summoned two Death Lords and ordered them to drag the Spectral Wolf''s corpse onto the vortex.
Just like before, the corpse sank into the vortex.
The black hole appeared.
Without hesitation, Lu Ming walked over and jumped into the black hole.
Qin Churan and Lin Youwei, curious and surprised, followed him in.
The next second.
The three of them descended into a land of darkness!
According to Lu Ming''s memory, this place was called the "Goblin Kingdom," a level 50 hidden map near Starlight City.
It was also the homeland of goblin Avani, who had fled to the black market decades ago from here.
Lu Ming vaguely remembered the quest''s original words:
The goblin family guarded the sleeping god for generations, repaying the god''s protection, until one day, the god''s aura attracted demons resurrected from hell;
To seize the god''s power, Avani witnessed the "Demon King Xinuo" leading a demon legion to massacre the entire Goblin Kingdom;
King Alaska sacrificed his life to cast a goblin curse, trapping all demons in the Goblin Kingdom, and sent Prince Avani away with a scroll sealed with the god''s power.
Avani, filled with hatred, vowed to find his destined one to avenge his race''s extinction!
Thus, the quest required players to kill all the demons in the Goblin Kingdom map!
The demons here weren''t particularly strong; aside from their high levels, they were just level 50 monsters, no different from the wild monsters outside.
Unfortunately, in his past life, due to a lack of funds to hire help and a desire to keep the opportunity secret, Lu Ming had tried dozens of times alone, all ending in failure.
Looking ahead, he could see that the Dragon Soul team players who had entered earlier were already spread out, systematically clearing the demons outside the Goblin Kingdom castle.
"It seems the person who accepted the quest is among them!"
"In that case, the next steps are straightforward."
As he spoke, a hint of killing intent flashed in Lu Ming''s eyes.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
At Lu Ming''s command, seven hundred and fifty tier-3 Death Lords swarmed out, instantly surrounding the hundred Dragon Soul players engaged in monster hunting!
"Attack."
Before the Dragon Soul players could react.
Lu Ming directly commanded the Undead Legion to launch an attack on them!
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Chapter 97 - Skill enhancement, Undead Legion strength increased!
According to Lu Ming''s original plan, he had to obtain the Scroll of Deification from the goblin Avani.
If an ordinary person had taken on this task, Lu Ming wouldn''t trouble them as long as they were willing to give it up. But since it''s the Dragon Soul team, there''s no need for hesitation.
Kill them all, refresh the task, without a second thought!
Looking at the field, the players of the Dragon Soul team were hunting demons. Faced with the sudden encirclement by the Undead Legion, everyone was instantly thrown into panic.
"Damn! The Undead Legion! Nether is nearby!"
"Don''t fight him, that guy''s Undead Legion is invincible within level 50. Use the return scroll, retreat!"
Clearly, having fought Lu Ming many times, they knew him well and understood that they couldn''t possibly contend with his unstoppable Undead Legion.
Without a word, everyone took out the return scrolls they had prepared in advance from their backpacks and crushed them!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
White light enveloped everyone, initiating a ten-second return guidance.
However, under Lu Ming''s mental control, the Undead Legion didn''t give them a chance to return.
War Tread¡ª
Life Barrier¡ª
Wind Rush¡ª
Prison of Earth¡ª
With the fourfold formation enhancement, the Undead Legion charged at them with an invincible stance.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
In an instant, blood-red marks appeared on everyone.
The next second, hundreds of Death Lords simultaneously unleashed Soul Shatter, swarming forward.
The Dragon Soul team players, under attack, had their return interrupted.
Without even a chance to resist, they perished amidst a chorus of screams under the massive damage of over 50,000!
Effortlessly, they annihilated a hundred players from the Dragon Soul team.
Following Lu Ming''s command, the Undead Legion quickly dispersed, searching the entire Goblin Kingdom.
Meanwhile, through shared vision, Lu Ming clearly scouted every position and corner of the map.
Finding no other players, he left with Qin Churan and Lin Youwei.
Compared to how the Dragon Soul team knew the method to open the Gate of Hell, Qin Churan was more puzzled: "This is a hidden map! Are we... just leaving like this?"
Lu Ming explained, "This place is under the Dragon Soul''s control. They''ll definitely send more people later. We''ll come back later."
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Lu Ming''s explanation seemed too forced.
Even Qin Churan knew that with Lu Ming''s current strength, he could dominate the entire second layer. Even if more Dragon Soul members came, it would just be sending heads from miles away.
But Qin Churan was smart. She knew Lu Ming must have a reason for doing this, so she didn''t say much.
The three left the valley.
In the shadows, a pair of eyes glared at the receding trio, burning with anger.
"Nether! Qin Churan!"
"I swear I won''t be human if I don''t kill you two!"
...
For Lu Ming, "Among those people just now, there must have been someone who took the task, and their death would force the task to refresh."
"The task on Avani must have refreshed. We''ll go to the black market at six tonight and let Lin Youwei trigger the task!"
So, before six o''clock in the evening, the focus was on leveling up and farming money.
Although the third layer, accessible after level 50, also held various opportunities, places like the Nether Ghost Tower, where you could level up and earn money, were rare treasures!
In this life, Lu Ming needed more than just strength.
He also needed money!
The thrill of crushing others with strength was always satisfying, but sometimes Lu Ming wanted to try something different, like Qin Feng, Li Hui, and previously Qin Churan and Qing Yan, experiencing the thrill of conquering others with wealth!
So, money, power, influence, he wanted them all!
The three headed straight to the Nether Ghost Tower.
Considering Qin Churan''s level was only 34, and she didn''t have a Soul Set, Lu Ming said, "Today we''ll farm the fifth realm."
"No need, just stick to your original plan. I can keep up!" Qin Churan knew Lu Ming was considering her level.
As she spoke, Qin Churan took out a Soul Set from her bag!
"You asked me to get a Soul Set for you before, so I got one for myself too," Qin Churan said, looking at Lu Ming. "It''s a pity I never got to use it."
"Luckily, Qin Feng froze all my accounts that could collect money, or I might have sold it already!"
With that, Qin Churan immediately equipped the Soul Set.
Under the effect of the Soul Set, the three ignored the level barrier of the Nether Ghost Tower and directly entered the eighth realm: Shadow Nest!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Summoning all the Death Lords, they were given automatic monster-killing orders.
With the 39-times enhanced fourfold E-grade formation, the level 25 Death Lords slaughtered level 46-50 undead monsters like slicing through butter.
Under the rampant harvesting of the Undead Legion, Lu Ming reaped the benefits.
The battle notifications rang incessantly in his ears.
[Ding~ Killed level 49 Undead Mage, Experience Points +5250!]
[Ding~ Killed level 46 Undead Warrior, Experience Points +4880!]
[Ding~ Killed level 48 Undead Archer, Experience Points +5110!]
...
The Soul Stones in the bag were accumulating like crazy.
Lu Ming was thrilled.
After all, this was all pure money!
Lin Youwei, as always, was building her little treasury.
Under Lu Ming''s formation enhancement, as a level 24 little mage, she had no pressure solo-killing level 46-50 undead.
Every time she killed a monster, she would excitedly run over to pick up copper coins one by one, happily storing them in her bag.
Lin Youwei''s pace was slow and leisurely.
In contrast, Qin Churan on the other side seemed to be moving at ten times the speed.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Her figure moved like a phantom, weaving through the monster horde at extreme speed.
The sharp dagger in her hand continuously sliced through the undead around her, leaving deep marks on their bodies.
-76835!
-75349!
-77431!
...
With her base attributes already high and her skill strength also considerable, Qin Churan''s damage output, after receiving Lu Ming''s formation enhancement, was evidently higher than the Death Lords!
What shocked Lu Ming was Qin Churan''s speed.
Her speed was almost beyond Lu Ming''s ability to visually track, truly astonishing!
"A level 34 Assassin, even with speed, should be around 2-3 thousand. Even with my Wind Rush''s 7000+ boost, it should be just over 10,000."
"Why does it feel like her speed is far beyond 10,000, even reaching 30-40,000?"
As Lu Ming pondered this, swish, swish, swish, swish!
Qin Churan''s hand rose and fell, sweeping away the remaining undead around her with terrifying strength.
Taking advantage of a brief pause after the battle, she looked over at Lu Ming, who was quietly watching her.
As if guessing what Lu Ming was thinking, she spoke, "My talent is four-star, Godspeed, increasing speed by 200%!"
So that''s it!
It seemed Lu Ming''s guess was correct; with the talent boost, Qin Churan''s speed indeed reached over 30,000!
After a brief recovery, Qin Churan charged back into the monster horde.
At this moment, the gap between a professional player and mechanical summons was vividly demonstrated.
Both receiving Lu Ming''s formation enhancement, Qin Churan''s combat power alone matched that of ten Death Lords!
"It seems you''re still too weak!"
As he spoke, Lu Ming opened the summon panel.
With the Death Lords'' recent continuous slaying and refining, the accumulated soul power on the panel had reached 5125 points!
"I can enhance you guys again."
With that, Lu Ming consumed 3000 soul power points, upgrading the Death Lords'' Soul Shatter skill from F-grade to E-grade.
He then consumed 1000 soul power points to learn a second skill: Soul Slash!
[Soul Shatter] (E-grade, Lv25): Selects an enemy within 50 yards, marks with a soul imprint, and can execute an instant kill attack dealing (180% attack power +242) damage within 3 seconds; cooldown 9 seconds, cost 152.
[Soul Slash] (F-grade, Lv25): Deals (130% attack power +255) damage to a close-range single enemy. If the enemy has a soul imprint, the attack damage increases by 50%; cooldown 8 seconds, cost 155.
"It seems these two skills can be combined into a combo."
"Let''s see how this skill combo works!"
Lu Ming looked ahead.
He saw a Death Lord attacking a freshly spawned level 49 Undead Warrior.
Soul Shatter!
Soul Slash!
Swish, swish!
The Death Lord quickly advanced, executing two consecutive slashing attacks, sword rising and falling.
-79685!
-88738!
[Ding~ Killed level 49 Undead Warrior, Experience Points +5250!]
Instant kill!
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Chapter 98 - The task has not been refreshed, is there another taker?
Before this, the strength of the Undead Legion was already enough to crush the highest-level level 50 undead monsters within the second layer.
But with an F-grade Soul Shatter, dealing over 50,000 damage only took down a third of the opponent''s health. It required several more regular attacks to finish the kill.
It was somewhat tedious.
Now, however, with an E-grade Soul Shatter combined with an F-grade Soul Slash, the two skills in a combo could easily kill a monster instantly!
The subsequent monster-killing efficiency was beyond Lu Ming''s expectations.
The refresh rate of battle notifications doubled compared to before!
Seeing this result, Lu Ming couldn''t help but exclaim, "It seems the 4,000 points of soul power invested were well worth it!"
And this wasn''t even the peak state of the Undead Legion.
Because there was still room for improvement on the summoning panel of the Undead Legion.
Upgrading the Soul Slash skill from F-grade to E-grade required 3,000 soul power!
The five-dimensional attributes could be enhanced by consuming soul power, and the current progress hadn''t even started!
Soon, Lu Ming would level up to 30!
Once the three major talents undergo another comprehensive upgrade, the upper limit of the Undead Legion will become even higher.
And all these improvements are inseparable from soul power!
"It seems I need to work harder and accumulate more soul power!"
With this in mind, Lu Ming joined the battle.
By drawing his sword once every minute, he increased his skill proficiency.
Except for the period from noon to one o''clock when he went offline to have lunch, he spent the rest of the time in the Shadow Nest.
Accompanied by the charming Lin Youwei and Qin Churan, under the envious gazes of other players, a day of grinding didn''t feel boring.
Lu Ming checked his own status.
Under the high-intensity monster grinding mode, crossing over 20 levels.
His level rose from 25 at 13% to 27 at 36%!
The total estimated value of copper coins and soul stones gained was around 310,000!
A new daily income record!
"Before reaching level 50, I should gather as much as I can in the Nether Ghost Tower. Paying off the mortgage shouldn''t be a problem."
Additionally, the soul power refined throughout the day reached 19,325 points!
So, Lu Ming opened the Undead Legion summoning panel and first consumed 3,000 soul power to upgrade the [Soul Slash] skill from F-grade to E-grade.
The skill''s base damage increased from 130% to 170%!
The base increase wasn''t very high, not even matching the 180% damage coefficient of the same-grade E-grade Soul Shatter.
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But if combined with [Soul Shatter], it could deal an additional 50% damage, equivalent to this skill dealing up to 255% attack power damage!
An E-grade skill already had the damage effect of a D-grade skill!
Currently, the two E-grade skills were already the upper limit for a tier 3 Death Lord. To continue improving skills, unlocking tier 4 undead was necessary.
So, Lu Ming allocated the remaining 16,000+ soul power to the five-dimensional attribute bonuses.
Consuming 10 soul power could permanently increase the strength, agility, endurance, constitution, or spirit of all undead by 1 point, with a maximum increase of 100% of the base value.
Currently, the five-dimensional attributes of the Death Lord were only around 100 points each.
Lu Ming consumed over 5,000 soul power in total to maximize the enhancements!
"The current improvement of the Undead Legion has reached its limit. To break through and continue improving, I need to level up to 30 and unlock the three major talents at Lv4!"
"Before that, I can gather another wave of soul power, and once I unlock tier 4 undead, the enhancement will be maxed out!"
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this, Qin Churan couldn''t help but exclaim to Lu Ming, "How did you level up so fast?"
"Dummy, your leveling speed is too exaggerated! How can ordinary people who take ten days to half a month to level up once survive?"
Lu Ming glanced at Qin Churan, who had leveled up from 34 to 35 in a day, and said, "You''re not bad either."
Qin Churan, knowing her own limits, stuck out her tongue and said, "Without you, I wouldn''t level up to 35 in a week by myself."
Watching Lu Ming and Qin Churan chatting and laughing, Lin Youwei, who couldn''t join the conversation, felt a bit self-conscious.
Lu Ming had already calculated the time.
Seeing it was 5:40 in the afternoon, he said, "Let''s head to the black market first."
At this moment, Lin Youwei humbly said, "You guys go ahead, I''ll log off to buy groceries and cook."
"Nether brother, Sister Churan, what would you like for dinner?"
"You have to go," Lu Ming said to Lin Youwei. "You''re the main character. If you don''t go, there''s no point in us going to the black market."
Because of Lu Ming''s words, Lin Youwei''s mood instantly turned around.
Her eyes lit up, "Really?"
So, the three of them set off for the black market.
When they arrived at the black market, it was exactly six o''clock!
They quickly passed the verification and entered the black market, encountering the goblin Avani who had just appeared there.
Just like last night, Lu Ming had Lin Youwei talk to Avani.
Avani responded to Lin Youwei.
But to Lu Ming''s surprise, Lin Youwei still couldn''t receive the quest from Avani!
Looking at the scroll Avani carried, it was still dim and dull.
This indicated that the quest hadn''t refreshed!
"What''s going on? Could it be that the person who received the quest wasn''t among the people I killed this morning?"
Lu Ming was puzzled.
He had Qin Churan and Lin Youwei return to the city first.
Lu Ming stayed alone in the black market until seven o''clock, but even after Avani disappeared, he didn''t see the person he was waiting for.
Lu Ming immediately went to the [Goblin Kingdom].
Finally, he discovered some clues!
Around the outskirts of the Goblin Kingdom''s castle, there were corpses of [demons] everywhere.
"According to the setting of the Sky Abyss world, monster corpses refresh after at most an hour. These demons couldn''t have died more than an hour ago."
So, Lu Ming summoned the Undead Legion and ordered them to search the entire Goblin Kingdom thoroughly!
But still, he couldn''t find a single person!
Clearly, the person had already fled before Lu Ming arrived.
At the same time, Lu Ming realized that killing those hundred Dragon Soul players here this morning had alerted the enemy!
It seemed this guy had a strong sense of counter-surveillance!
His cunning made Lu Ming involuntarily think of one person: Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
However, it wasn''t a big problem.
"If I remember correctly, this quest should have a seven-day limit. To complete the quest, all the demons in the Goblin Kingdom must be killed within seven days, or the quest will fail and refresh."
"As long as I keep guarding here, I don''t believe you won''t show up!"
So, Lu Ming temporarily left the Goblin Kingdom.
After all, he needed to eat to have the strength to fight a long battle with this guy!
Just as Lu Ming left, a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows of the valley stared intently at him.
"I wanted to let you live a few more days, but since you''re so eager to die, then die you shall!"
...
When Lu Ming logged off and came to the living room, he saw Lin Youwei and Qin Churan busy in the kitchen!
Lin Youwei was the main chef, and Qin Churan assisted her.
The two of them were chatting and laughing in the kitchen, enjoying themselves.
"This pickled fish smells amazing! It looks even better than what the chefs at the restaurant make! Lin, I didn''t know you were such a good cook!"
"No, no, it''s because Sister Churan, you prepared the ingredients so well..."
"Is this much bok choy enough?"
"It''s enough. I''ll make a bok choy meatball soup later, and then we can eat!"
"Okay, I''ll make the meatballs!"
"Let me do it later. Sister Churan, you should go rest..."
"It''s fine, I''m not tired. Besides, how can I let you cook alone, Lin? You''ve worked hard all day too!"
...
Such a warm scene surprised Lu Ming a bit.
Because Lu Ming had been a little worried.
Lin Youwei was ordinary and unremarkable, while Qin Churan was a lady from a prestigious family. With such different backgrounds and lifestyles, he thought they might not get along well.
But now it was clear: Lu Ming''s worries were completely unnecessary!
The two of them got along like best friends!
In fact, Lu Ming felt a bit like the odd one out!
When Qin Churan served the dishes and Lin Youwei placed the rice in front of Lu Ming, he washed his hands and sat down to eat.
He suddenly felt...
"Damn, I feel like a useless person..."
But to be fair.
Lu Ming tasted the pickled fish and praised Lin Youwei, "Weiwei, your cooking is really good."
Qin Churan also smiled, "Whoever marries Lin in the future will be very lucky!"
Lin Youwei blushed.
"Nether brother, Sister Churan, you''re too kind..."
Just as they were enjoying the delicious meal.
Ding dong!
Qin Churan''s phone suddenly chimed with a WeChat message.
She picked up her phone and, upon seeing the message, was delighted, "Li Hui said he''s ready to transfer the money!"
At the same time, Lu Ming also received a message from the trading house.
[You have an unread message from the trading house!]
Lu Ming opened the Sky Abyss trading app.
[Anonymous Buyer]: "Buddy, I want those two gilded items. Shall we trade face-to-face online?"
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Chapter 99 - Revived Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
The two gilded items, [Pride of the World: Luminous Greaves] and [World Shatterer: Demon Slayer Blade], looted from Dragon Soul Guan Yu, had been listed on the auction house by Lu Ming for a day now.
Although the number of interested buyers had exceeded a thousand, perhaps due to the steep price of over a million each, no one had made a purchase yet.
The daily display fee of over 3000 for the two items was making Lu Ming feel the pinch.
But finally, someone seemed ready to make a move!
Due to the auction house''s hefty 5% transaction fee, many players opted for face-to-face trades for high-value items, a common practice.
This way, despite the risks, the 5% fee saved could be split between both parties instead of being swallowed by the platform.
For Lu Ming, the total price for these two items was 3.25 million, translating to a fee of over 160,000. Even if split, they could save 80,000!
Why not go for it?
However, looking at the message from the anonymous buyer in the auction house, Lu Ming didn''t rush to reply.
Instead, he asked Qin Churan, "What''s your side saying?"
Qin Churan glanced at the WeChat message from Li Hui and said, "He wants to meet online to finalize the contract, still at last night''s place, the Bone Tower."
While speaking, Qin Churan asked Lu Ming, "What about you? Judging by your expression, do you have good news too?"
"The two gilded items from Dragon Soul Guan Yu, the buyer wants to trade face-to-face online."
Listening to the conversation between Lu Ming and Qin Churan, Lin Youwei quietly remarked, "What a coincidence, both of your matters are happening at the same time!"
Lin Youwei''s casual comment seemed to remind Lu Ming and Qin Churan.
The two exchanged a glance.
At this moment, Lu Ming replied to the anonymous buyer in the auction house, "Alright, give me the time and place for the trade."
Soon, the other party responded, "I''m currently doing a quest at the Mole Cave. If it''s convenient for you, bring the equipment here to trade with me!"
"Okay, no problem."
After dinner, Lin Youwei cleaned up the dishes while Lu Ming and Qin Churan went back to their rooms and logged in.
According to the map, the Lv38 Bone Tower and the Lv47 Mole Cave were located at opposite ends of Starlight City.
So, the two parted ways in the city.
Following the map''s guidance, ten minutes later, Lu Ming arrived at the Mole Cave map in the western part of Starlight City.
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In the vast wetland, groups of level 45-46 player teams were busy hunting level 47 monsters: carnivorous moles!
At this moment, a level 46 summoner youth [Grand Summoner] waved at Lu Ming, "Buddy, over here!"
Lu Ming walked over, glancing at the Grand Summoner and his three male and one female teammates.
They were all clad in shabby Black Iron Equipment, not looking like wealthy individuals.
Lu Ming didn''t dwell on these issues and got straight to the point, "Are you the buyer?"
"Yes!" The Grand Summoner nodded, excitedly asking Lu Ming, "Did you bring the two gilded items?"
Without a word, Lu Ming took out the Luminous Greaves and Demon Slayer Blade from his bag.
The appearance of the two gilded items immediately drew the attention of countless players around.
"Whoa! That shine! Could it be gilded items?!"
"Wow! Gilded items go for over a million each on the market! One piece is worth decades of my salary!"
Some players even harbored malicious intentions towards Lu Ming, contemplating killing him to loot the gilded items.
But seeing the ten Death Lords guarding behind Lu Ming, they dared not act rashly.
Lu Ming held the equipment and said to the Grand Summoner, "Pay first."
The Grand Summoner gave a sly smile, "Sure thing..."
Meanwhile, in the eastern part of Starlight City, at the Lv38 Bone Tower, the level 35 blue-armored warrior Li Hui was leading a group of Glorious players, casually killing Bone Sentinels while occasionally glancing towards Starlight City.
"Why isn''t she here yet?"
"It''s been half an hour, it should only take about ten minutes from Starlight City to here, right?"
Just as Li Hui was getting anxious, a graceful figure approached from afar.
Li Hui''s eyes lit up, "Finally here!"
Qin Churan stepped into the Bone Tower, walking straight to Li Hui.
After exchanging greetings, Qin Churan got straight to the point.
"I''ve drafted the contract according to our agreement. Take a look and let me know if there are any issues."
As she spoke, Qin Churan opened an electronic contract and sent it to Li Hui.
However, Li Hui didn''t even glance at the contract.
From start to finish, his eyes, filled with a gleam, roamed over Qin Churan.
"Ranran, you''re so beautiful, I really like you... Be my girlfriend!"
Qin Churan frowned slightly, "Master Hui, please have some respect!"
Li Hui sneered, revealing his true intentions, "Qin Churan, whether you like it or not, today I''ve got you!"
As he spoke, a large group of Glorious players surrounded Qin Churan, weapons drawn.
Qin Churan exclaimed, "You never intended to sincerely invest in me!"
Li Hui chuckled coldly, "I told you last night, as long as you become my woman, I''ll give you as much money as you want, but you refused."
"Last night, that Nether protected you, and I couldn''t do anything. But now, with Nether not around, how will you protect yourself?"
Qin Churan looked around at the group of level 35-36 Glorious players, her expression turning cold, "Do you think they can handle me?"
"You might have some skill," Li Hui said with a sly smile, "but can you take on the gold-standard warrior of National Server 39?"
As Li Hui finished speaking, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Seeing the figure clearly, disbelief filled Qin Churan''s eyes!
Because the person, except for the legs and weapon, was clad in equipment flowing with the golden glow symbolizing gilded quality.
Holding a long blade, with sharp eyes, exuding an aura of dominance!
[Dragon Soul Guan Yu] (Lv50 Six-turn Warrior ¡¤ National Server 39 Warrior)!
Qin Churan exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible?!"
"Weren''t you already dead?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes, as lifeless as a corpse, coldly stared at Qin Churan.
He said indifferently, "Did you really think you could kill me?"
He was a man who always avenged his grudges.
Looking at the person who had once killed him, the hatred and murderous intent in Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes had reached its peak!
He was eager to tear this woman before him to pieces!
At this moment, Li Hui eagerly said to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "Brother Guan, you promised that if I cooperated with you, you''d let me have Qin Churan to do as I please!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu opened the WeChat interface, looking at a message from a friend noted as [Grand Summoner]: "Brother Guan, Nether is here with me at the Mole Cave! I''m currently trading with him!"
Closing the chat, Dragon Soul Guan Yu said to Li Hui, "You have ten minutes to do whatever you want."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu looked at Qin Churan, a mocking glint in his eyes.
"Before killing you, a bit of humiliation isn''t bad either!"
With Dragon Soul Guan Yu backing him, Li Hui, wearing a lecherous smile, slowly approached Qin Churan.
However, the shock in Qin Churan''s eyes was fleeting.
At this moment, not only was she not panicked, but she was also calm and composed as she looked at Dragon Soul Guan Yu and said, "Aren''t you afraid I''ll kill you again?"
"Kill me?" Dragon Soul Guan Yu laughed heartily, "Do you really think you killed me last time because you''re strong?"
"Without Nether, what are you?"
"Nether is in the western part of Starlight City right now. Even at the fastest speed, it''ll take at least twenty minutes to get here."
"What makes you think you can kill me?"
As Dragon Soul Guan Yu finished speaking, a voice emerged from the darkness, "I can kill you."
Following the voice, they looked over.
From the darkness behind Qin Churan, a figure slowly walked out.
Seeing the figure clearly, the arrogant smile on Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s face froze.
He was instantly shocked.
"Nether!!!"
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Chapter 100 - The Secret of the Black Cloak
Qin Churan stood with Lu Ming emerging slowly from the shadows behind her.
His appearance was nothing short of a death sentence for everyone present, except Qin Churan!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was shocked, exclaiming, "Aren''t you supposed to be in the Mole Cave map?"
"How are you here!?"
In his shock, Dragon Soul Guan Yu opened WeChat and sent a message to the [Grand Summoner]: "How dare you trick me!"
Seeing no response from the Grand Summoner for a long time.
At this moment, Lu Ming spoke, "Are you looking for that Summoner?"
"Don''t bother, he''s here."
As he spoke, two Death Lords behind Lu Ming dragged over a Summoner player who was already half-dead.
And that Summoner player was the [Grand Summoner]!
Thud!
The Grand Summoner, beaten black and blue, was forced to kneel beside Lu Ming.
With a face full of pain, he pleaded to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "Brother Guan, save me..."
Seeing the Grand Summoner, Dragon Soul Guan Yu realized: he had long been under Lu Ming''s control!
And the WeChat messages sent earlier by the Grand Summoner were also deliberately orchestrated by Lu Ming.
The purpose was to make Dragon Soul Guan Yu believe that Lu Ming was at the Mole Cave, making it impossible for him to arrive here so quickly!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes widened in anger, shouting at the Grand Summoner, "How dare you betray me!"
"Betray?"
Before the Grand Summoner could speak, Lu Ming smiled faintly and said to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "Rest assured, I can guarantee he doesn''t have the guts."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was puzzled, "Then how did you know?"
"Next time you hire actors, find some professionals! Don''t insult my intelligence!"
Lu Ming glanced at the Grand Summoner, who was already level 46 but still clad in tattered Black Iron Equipment, and said, "Does this pauper look like he can afford millions worth of gilded equipment?"
Saying this, Lu Ming squatted beside the Grand Summoner and said calmly, "Also, when I went to the Mole Cave to find you, you recognized me immediately. How did you know I was the seller?"
Looking up at Dragon Soul Guan Yu, Lu Ming continued, "Since you''re so afraid of me, stop courting death by jumping around in front of me."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s face turned extremely ugly.
He was indeed afraid of Lu Ming.
Because Lu Ming''s strength was far superior, not even in the same league!
That''s why he schemed to arrange an online meeting with Lu Ming to trade equipment, while also having Li Hui meet with Qin Churan to separate them.
This way, he could take revenge on Qin Churan alone.
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Moreover, it was only after receiving confirmation from the Grand Summoner that Lu Ming was at the Mole Cave that Dragon Soul Guan Yu dared to show himself.
Who would have thought that despite his caution, he would still be targeted by Lu Ming!
Facing this formidable enemy he had repeatedly failed against, Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt a deep fear.
Having barely regained his life, he didn''t want to lose it again at Lu Ming''s hands!
"Capture Qin Churan!"
Clearly, Dragon Soul Guan Yu understood that his only chance to escape was to capture Qin Churan and use her as a hostage to threaten Lu Ming!
With Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s command.
Li Hui, in a panic, quickly regained his composure.
He hid behind Dragon Soul Guan Yu and shouted to his underlings, "Quick! Capture Qin Churan!!"
As soon as the words fell.
From all directions, dozens of [Glorious] players charged at Qin Churan with weapons in hand!
Lu Ming''s eyes turned cold.
"Kill."
With a thought.
Around him, dozens of Death Lords simultaneously unleashed Soul Shatter.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
-79685!
-79685!
-79685!
In an instant, those dozen or so Glorious players, only level 35-36, were annihilated without even getting close to Qin Churan!
Seeing the situation turn dire, Dragon Soul Guan Yu tried to flee.
But surrounding him, a total of 810 Death Lords had already formed layers of barriers, blocking all escape routes!
At this moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu faced no path to survival, only a road to death!
"I don''t care how you resurrected, nor how many times you can resurrect."
Lu Ming''s gaze was icy as he stared at Dragon Soul Guan Yu, speaking slowly, "As long as you appear before me once, I''ll kill you once!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt a chill run down his spine.
At this moment, his hatred and fear of Lu Ming reached their peak!
Just as Lu Ming locked onto Dragon Soul Guan Yu, preparing to use [Sword Draw].
Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice sounded in his ear, "Wait!"
As the words fell.
A rift in space, shimmering with silver light, materialized before Lu Ming.
In the next moment.
The mysterious black cloak, who had appeared before Lu Ming two days ago and wielded the power of Time Freeze, appeared once again before him!
"Spare his life for my sake."
With these words from the black cloak.
Lu Ming hesitated.
Because it had once saved Lin Youwei from the kidnappers of the [Grounded Gang].
This was a debt Lu Ming owed it.
However, letting Dragon Soul Guan Yu go would be like releasing a tiger back into the wild!
"With Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s nature, even if he can''t harm me, he will surely find ways to target Qin Churan or Lin Youwei, using every means possible to disgust me!"
Just as Lu Ming was thinking this.
The black cloak seemed to see through Lu Ming''s concerns.
It said, "If he poses any threat to you or those around you again, I''ll personally deliver him to you for disposal."
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment.
He said to the black cloak, "Answer three questions for me, and I''ll let him go."
The black cloak agreed without hesitation, "Alright."
"The first question." Lu Ming glanced at Dragon Soul Guan Yu and asked, "How did you resurrect him?"
Clearly, this black cloak possessed extraordinary powers like space teleportation and time freeze, making it anything but ordinary!
And with such protection over Dragon Soul Guan Yu, the only possibility was that Dragon Soul Guan Yu was resurrected because of it!
But, being able to resurrect someone who died in Sky Abyss defied the natural order and was unprecedented.
So Lu Ming was very curious.
Facing Lu Ming''s question, the black cloak answered bluntly, "Scroll of Deification."
With these words, Lu Ming''s heart shook violently!
His inner shock lingered, unable to calm for a long time.
It took a while before he could ask the second and third questions: "Who are you?"
"You mentioned before that you wanted to cooperate with me, what exactly is the cooperation?"
Facing these two questions, the black cloak seemed hesitant.
It suddenly looked up at the sky.
The moon hanging in the sky gradually became full.
"Tomorrow night is the full moon."
"Tomorrow at eleven in the evening, meet me in Starlight City, and I''ll take you somewhere."
"There, you''ll find all the answers you seek."
As it spoke, the black cloak turned to look at Dragon Soul Guan Yu on the other side, "You come too."
Since the answers would be revealed tomorrow night, Lu Ming wasn''t in a rush to ask further.
Instead, he suddenly walked past the black cloak, directly approaching Dragon Soul Guan Yu!
Seeing this, Dragon Soul Guan Yu exclaimed in shock, "You''ve already agreed to let me go, what, are you going back on your word?"
"Not your concern." Lu Ming stared at Li Hui, who was hiding behind Dragon Soul Guan Yu, and casually said to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "Scram."
Though Dragon Soul Guan Yu was displeased, he didn''t dare to act recklessly in front of Lu Ming.
He obediently stepped aside to make way for Lu Ming.
Facing the approaching Lu Ming, Li Hui trembled with fear.
"Brother Guan, save me!" He hurriedly ran over and clung to Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s arm like a lifeline, desperately pleading.
In times of crisis, everyone fends for themselves.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu waved his hand dismissively, "Get lost!"
Li Hui was stunned.
He then turned to Lu Ming, begging, "Big brother, spare me, big brother!"
"I''ll secure investments for your girlfriend!"
"Do it." Lu Ming looked at Li Hui and said, "Do it now."
Desperate to save his own skin.
Li Hui quickly opened WeChat and sent a message to his family''s finance department.
Before long, Lu Ming received a transfer notification.
[Your account ending in 649 has received a transfer of 20,000,000 yuan, current balance 20,331,258.3 yuan... Great Xia Bank!]
At this moment, Li Hui took the opportunity to say to Lu Ming, "Big... big brother, the money has been transferred, did you receive it?"
"I received it."
With Lu Ming''s confirmation, Li Hui couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He then asked, "Can you give me a chance and let me go?"
As he spoke, he maintained a facade of respect towards Lu Ming.
Yet in his heart, Li Hui held nothing but contempt for Lu Ming: "No matter how strong you are, in the end, you still bow to money!"
"Who are you kidding? I have money, so you have to obey me!"
Just as Li Hui was thinking this.
He suddenly saw a flash of killing intent in Lu Ming''s eyes!
"I remember, I already gave you a chance."
As soon as the words fell.
Lu Ming reached behind him and drew his sword.
Swish!
A sword shadow, swift as lightning, pierced through Li Hui''s body.
-575893!
Thud!
Li Hui fell to his knees, dead on the spot.
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Chapter 101 - Scroll of Deification, account banned!
Lu Ming''s decisive act of killing Li Hui, the eldest son of the Li family in Shanghai, instantly shocked the group of [Glorious] players who had been following Li Hui.
Facing the encirclement of the Undead Legion, with no way to escape, they all knelt before Lu Ming, begging for mercy.
"Great one, spare us! We''re just a group working for the Li family, it has nothing to do with us!"
"Yeah! It was all Li Hui''s idea! He was the one who wanted us to capture your girlfriend, we were just following orders..."
Lu Ming''s eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion.
Anyone who posed even the slightest threat to him had to pay the price!
"Kill."
With a mere thought from Lu Ming.
Hundreds of Death Lords surged forward, instantly tearing the dozen or so Glorious players to pieces!
Including the Grand Summoner.
He was with Dragon Soul Guan Yu, and deserved to die even more!
In an instant, only Dragon Soul Guan Yu was left on the field.
He understood: Lu Ming was making an example of him.
If not for the black cloak''s intervention, he would have been dead tonight!
The black cloak was also worried that Lu Ming might kill Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
So he said to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "Leave."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes were filled with fear and murderous intent towards Lu Ming.
He gradually retreated, disappearing into the darkness.
Lu Ming kept his promise and didn''t lay a hand on Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
Of course, it was just this once, that he didn''t act.
Once Dragon Soul Guan Yu was completely out of sight, the black cloak also opened a spatial rift and vanished from the scene.
"What is the Scroll of Deification?" Qin Churan pondered, "I checked, there''s no historical record of such a thing!"
"To possess the power to resurrect the dead, it''s simply unbelievable!"
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Lu Ming remained silent.
He was somewhat skeptical.
"If it truly is the same Scroll of Deification I obtained in my past life, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s account should have been elevated to ten-star level, and he should have, like me, three ten-star talents."
"But judging by his state just now, it seems he hasn''t gained any enhancement from the Scroll of Deification, his strength is still the same as before..."
"Could it be..."
Lu Ming seemed to have suddenly thought of something.
He decided not to dwell on these issues for now.
Instead, he ordered the Undead Legion to quickly clean up the battlefield.
All the corpses were completely refined.
Then, he and Qin Churan left the Bone Tower.
On the way back to the city, Lu Ming noticed that Qin Churan was silent and seemed downcast.
He understood: it had been difficult to kill Dragon Soul Guan Yu before, avenging Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird.
But now that Dragon Soul Guan Yu had been resurrected.
The hatred and sorrow Qin Churan had barely suppressed erupted once more.
"Let''s see what happens tomorrow night."
Lu Ming said to Qin Churan, "I''ll let you kill Dragon Soul Guan Yu with your own hands again."
"I promise."
Qin Churan looked up at Lu Ming, giving a somewhat weary smile, "Okay!"
She took a deep breath, calming her mind.
Qin Churan opened her WeChat and sent a video to a contact named [Uncle Li].
"Luckily, I had the foresight to start recording early. Li Hui tried to harm me, and my boyfriend accidentally killed him in self-defense while protecting me!"
"I believe Uncle Li is a reasonable person, he''ll understand!"
Lu Ming glanced at Qin Churan and said, "No matter how understanding he is, that''s still his son. Be careful for a while."
He knew that killing Li Hui would bring retaliation from the Li family.
But keeping someone like that alive would be an even greater threat!
Qin Churan was unfazed, smiling sweetly at Lu Ming, "I''m not afraid, because I have you to protect me!"
Lu Ming said, "Stay with me for now, don''t go off on your own."
"Okay, okay."
Qin Churan said, "Keep the twenty million for me for now, let''s not recruit anyone yet. We''ll talk when we reach the third heaven at level 50."
Clearly, Qin Churan realized that with Dragon Soul Guan Yu resurrected, if she continued to form alliances now, it would inevitably lead to the same events that happened to Excellence Little Tiger, Transcendence Dream, and Blaze Soul!
It was hard enough to secure a twenty million investment from the Li family, and it would have to be repaid eventually, so it couldn''t be squandered.
Therefore, Dragon Soul Guan Yu must be stabilized first!
It was still early, so they planned to pick up Lin Youwei and then the three of them would tackle the Nether Ghost Tower.
After returning to the city, Qin Churan went to the pharmacy for supplies.
Lu Ming logged off.
He saw the diligent little bee mopping the floor and cleaning the living room.
Lin Youwei was quite the homemaker, with her around, the house was always spotless!
Lu Ming said to Lin Youwei, "Vivi, come over here, I have something to tell you."
Lin Youwei, holding the mop, looked at Lu Ming with a puzzled expression.
In just a few seconds, she recalled all the bad things she had done in the past few days.
Suddenly, she walked nervously over to Lu Ming.
Anxiously, she asked, "Nether brother, what''s up?"
"The first time you entered the game, before your account was banned, did you get a golden scroll?"
Lin Youwei paused.
Recalling, she said, "Yes, but I used it..."
Lin Youwei''s words completely confirmed Lu Ming''s suspicions!
Because in his past life, as the 99999999999th player to enter Sky Abyss globally, Lu Ming also received a golden scroll from the system!
The account ban task he received, Ill-Fated, actually originated from that scroll!
"So, any Scroll of Deification, including the one on goblin Avani, initially appears in a banned state. Players receive a ban task upon using it, and only by completing the task can they truly unlock it and enhance their account with the Scroll of Deification!"
"This means Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s account should also be in a banned state!"
At the same time, Lu Ming suddenly realized something even more important!
"Only players with banned accounts can trigger the goblin''s task!"
This perfectly explained why Lu Ming in his past life, and Lin Youwei now, could trigger Avani''s task, but the current Lu Ming couldn''t!
Based on this characteristic, further speculation could be made.
"The one who took the goblin task is Dragon Soul Guan Yu!"
Reaching this conclusion, Lu Ming felt a sudden shock.
Recalling the mysterious black cloak, Lu Ming''s thoughts turned chilling:
"It seems, the purpose of resurrecting Dragon Soul Guan Yu was to use him to trigger the task on goblin Avani, and through Dragon Soul Guan Yu, obtain the Scroll of Deification from Avani!"
"But how did they know that only players with banned accounts could trigger this task?"
"Where did the Scroll of Deification used to resurrect Dragon Soul Guan Yu come from?"
"Who exactly is this person?"
Lu Ming''s curiosity about the identity of the black cloak grew deeper.
"Why choose tomorrow night..."
"Is something going to happen on the full moon night?"
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Chapter 102 - My daughter is kidnapped, threatened by the God Slayer!
The time was still early.
Lu Ming, along with Qin Churan and Lin Youwei, decided to make a trip to the Nether Ghost Tower.
As the saying goes, "a mixed-gender team makes the work less tiring."
With the company of the charming Lin Youwei and Qin Churan, Lu Ming felt an endless surge of energy!
For Qin Churan and Lin Youwei, having Lu Ming''s Death Lords capable of soloing level 50 monsters was a rare find. Hiring such a high-level player on the market would cost seven to eight hundred a day!
But now, not only was this high-level assistance free, there were over eight hundred of them!
Calculating it, following Lu Ming for a day could save them fifty to sixty thousand in fees!
So, with Lu Ming''s Undead Legion leading the way, Lin Youwei and Qin Churan were naturally full of motivation!
They lost track of time while grinding.
As Qin Churan swung her blade, taking down a few surrounding undead, she inadvertently checked the time and exclaimed, "How did it suddenly become past eleven?"
"But I''m so excited, not sleepy at all! Though my stomach seems a bit hungry..."
As she spoke, Qin Churan looked at Lu Ming and Lin Youwei, flashing a mischievous smile, "Are you two hungry? How about... we go out for a late-night snack?"
Lu Ming had the same thought and said, "Great minds think alike."
So, Qin Churan called out to Lin Youwei, who was still busy picking up Copper Coins, "Stop picking, Sister Lin! Let''s log off and go for a snack!"
"Oh, okay, coming!"
Lin Youwei quickly snatched a Copper Coin from under a fallen Undead Mage and hurried over.
The three of them exited the Nether Ghost Tower.
On the way back to the city, they sorted the Soul Stones they had collected and listed them on the trading market.
Lu Ming suddenly received two transaction notifications:
[The equipment you consigned, "Pride of the World: Luminous Greaves (Level 50 Gilded Item)," has been sold. After a 5% platform fee, 2,375,000 yuan has been deposited into your bank account!]
[The equipment you consigned, "World Shatterer: Demon Slayer Blade (Level 50 Gilded Item)," has been sold. After a 5% platform fee, 2,375,000 yuan has been deposited into your bank account!]
Seeing these notifications, Lu Ming''s lips curled into an amused smile.
"Knew you''d buy them."
Even though the trading market didn''t show buyer information, Lu Ming could guess that Dragon Soul Guan Yu had bought them!
After all, these items originally dropped from him, and he would want them back at any cost.
Knowing Dragon Soul Guan Yu had revived, Lu Ming deliberately relisted the items, originally priced at 1.55 million and 1.7 million, at 2.5 million.
Sure enough, even at a high cost, Dragon Soul Guan Yu bought back the items that were rightfully his!
Originally, the two items would have fetched over 3 million.
Now, they brought in over 4.7 million!
A profit of over a million for free!
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"Sweet!"
Looking at his bank balance, excluding the 20 million investment from the Li family to Qin Churan, he still had over 5.1 million.
Lu Ming pondered, "There''s still over 300,000 worth of goods in the trading market. Selling them all would bring in over 5.4 million."
"The bank loan is 5.18 million, more than enough to pay off all the loans!"
So, Lu Ming immediately sent a WeChat message to the agent, Xiao Zhang, asking him to arrange for an early loan repayment.
The next second, Xiao Zhang replied with a "?"
"Bro! You just took out the loan a few days ago... and you''re already paying it off?"
"You borrowed 5 million!"
The disbelief was evident in his words.
Lu Ming replied decisively, "Yes."
Xiao Zhang didn''t say much more, "Alright, bro, I''ll arrange it for you tomorrow!"
"Thanks, appreciate it."
Lu Ming wasn''t stingy and sent a 1,000 yuan red envelope.
On the other end, Xiao Zhang, who had just finished a busy day and was lying in bed after a shower, jumped up excitedly!
"Oh my god!"
"I''ve never seen such a generous client!!"
Excitedly, Xiao Zhang sent a voice message, "Thank you, bro! Don''t worry, I have connections at the bank. I''ll get you to the front of the line tomorrow! Just have the money ready, and leave the rest to me!"
At that moment, Lu Ming felt the superiority that money brings.
"Once the mortgage is paid off, every penny I earn will be mine."
"Let''s set a goal."
"In a year, let''s aim for a small target."
After logging off, the three of them strolled to a nearby night market in the neighborhood.
This was already the most bustling area of Linhai City.
Late at night, the night market was crowded.
Young men and women were enjoying skewers and drinks, making it lively.
The three of them casually picked a spot and sat down.
"Come on, order whatever you want, it''s on me tonight!" Qin Churan, who had secured a 20 million investment, was visibly happy.
Lu Ming picked up the menu, "Alright, I won''t hold back then."
...
Meanwhile, in the Sky Abyss world.
In the eastern part of Starlight City, on the level 37 wild map, Dark Night Camp.
Darkness covered the land.
The vast camp was littered with player corpses.
"No! Don''t kill me!"
"I''m begging you, bro! Spare me! I''ll give you money! However much you want!"
Amidst the fearful pleas.
Swish!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu swung his blade, decapitating the last level 36 young mage player in front of him.
Thud!
The headless body fell among the dozens of player corpses scattered across the camp.
[Ding~ Player killed, account hatred value -1000!]
Gazing at the gilded item "World Shatterer: Demon Slayer Blade" he had just repurchased for 2.5 million from the trading market, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes burned with endless hatred and sharpness.
"Nether, Qin Churan!"
"When I break free from the account ban and gain supreme power, it will be your end!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Ding ding!
The WeChat notification sounded.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu opened WeChat to see a message from his only pinned contact, marked as "Baby": "Dad, save me!"
Seeing this message, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s heart skipped a beat!
He rushed back to Starlight City, his mind restless.
He spent 10 Silver Coins to activate the teleportation array.
Level 50 was a checkpoint.
Players at this level could freely move between the second and third layers.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu returned to the third layer: Miracle!
Leaving the safe zone''s main city, he followed the location information on WeChat, quickly heading to the level 52 wild map: Doomsday Altar.
When Dragon Soul Guan Yu arrived at the Doomsday Altar alone, he was shocked to see a young level 50 mage girl tied to a gray altar!
And around her, dozens of level 60 players knelt, motionless.
Or rather, dozens of corpses!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu immediately recognized them as the high-level mercenaries he had hired at a high price from the Mercenary Alliance to protect this girl!
At this moment, the mage girl tied to the altar saw Dragon Soul Guan Yu and cried out, "Dad!"
"Save me, Dad!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu, panicked yet composed, tried to calm the girl, "Tong Tong, don''t be afraid! Dad''s here to save you!"
Saying this, he rushed towards the mage girl, Tong Tong.
Before he could get close.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, a rain of arrows shot down from the sky.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu quickly rolled to dodge the arrow attack.
Looking up, he saw several figures emerge from behind the altar, appearing beside Guan Xiaotong.
"If you don''t want your daughter to die horribly, don''t move!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu dared not act rashly.
Because Guan Xiaotong was his life!
What surprised Dragon Soul Guan Yu was that the six players who kidnapped Guan Xiaotong, all over level 70 and eight-turn players, were from the Godslayer Squad!
Leading them was a young man about 1.8 meters tall, holding a gilded bow. Despite his youthful appearance, his level and strength were clearly not low, a level 78 archer named "God Slayer, Tian Ci," who coldly said to Dragon Soul Guan Yu:
"I''m here to give you a reminder."
"You promised our captain that you''d deal with the Trickster beside Qin Churan within three days. You''ve taken the money, but how many days has it been now? Why is that Trickster still alive?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu realized they were sent by Qin Feng!
But faced with God Slayer, Tian Ci''s questioning, he had no words.
Because he indeed hadn''t completed the task!
"I''ll refund the money, just let my daughter go! Also, give me some more time, and I''ll fulfill my promise to kill Nether."
"Three days." God Slayer, Tian Ci held up three fingers and said to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, "I''ll give you three more days. If you still haven''t completed the task in three days, be prepared to collect your daughter''s body!"
"Also, as a long-term member of the Dragon Soul team, secretly collaborating with our Godslayer Squad for personal gain, if this gets out, according to your Dragon Soul team''s regulations, you''d be banned, right?"
Faced with God Slayer, Tian Ci''s threat, Dragon Soul Guan Yu clenched his fists, his eyes filled with killing intent.
God Slayer, Tian Ci gave Dragon Soul Guan Yu a playful smile and said, "Good luck!"
With that, God Slayer, Tian Ci and his five Godslayer players left with Guan Xiaotong.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu could only watch helplessly as his daughter''s cries echoed in his ears, unable to do anything as she was taken away.
At that moment, he suddenly received a text message.
[Your account ending in 3195 has received a transfer of 24,000,000 yuan, balance 275,327,652.12 yuan... Great Xia Bank]
Seeing the message, Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt no joy, only a trace of fear.
During the mission, each unfortunate death resulted in a fixed compensation of two million.
This was Qin Feng''s usual practice!
And this 24 million corresponded to the twelve mercenaries who died around Guan Xiaotong!
At this moment, a trace of fear surfaced in Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s heart.
"Madman! You''re truly a madman!"
He regretted taking on Qin Feng''s task, which led to his daughter''s capture and his own predicament!
But now, there was no other way.
He had to follow the demands and kill Nether within three days!
"Tong Tong, Dad will definitely save you!"
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Chapter 103 - On the night of the full moon, the demons in the abyss!
Last night, Lu Ming had a bit too much to drink with Qin Churan and Lin Youwei.
When he woke up, it was already past nine in the morning!
Fortunately, there were no special tasks today.
The only somewhat important thing was the meeting with the black cloak in the evening.
As for the task related to goblin Avani.
Since it was highly likely that the task was taken by Dragon Soul Guan Yu, and Lu Ming had promised the black cloak not to make a move against Dragon Soul Guan Yu for now.
So, even if he went to find Dragon Soul Guan Yu again, it would be meaningless.
Better to see how things unfold tonight.
So today, during the day, it was back to the usual tower grinding, leveling up, and collecting money!
Lu Ming thought he had woken up late enough.
It wasn''t until he passed by Qin Churan and Lin Youwei''s room and heard no sound inside that he realized: the two women hadn''t even woken up yet!
Recalling last night.
Lin Youwei couldn''t hold her liquor, and half a bottle of beer was enough for her.
Qin Churan, on the other hand, could drink as much as Lu Ming. Who knows how many bottles she had, but definitely not less than Lu Ming!
Thus, Lu Ming didn''t disturb their sweet dreams.
Just as he was about to go downstairs to buy breakfast.
Suddenly, he saw Qin Churan coming back with breakfast from outside!
"Awake?"
Qin Churan changed into slippers and entered the room, placing a variety of appetizing breakfasts like steamed dumplings, fried dough sticks, layered pancakes, and soy milk on the table.
Seeing Lu Ming''s surprised expression, she chuckled and said, "You can''t hold your liquor either, not as well as I can! If you''re ever out alone, drink less!"
A man''s pride, naturally, couldn''t be lost.
Lu Ming replied calmly, "I was just drinking casually last night. Next time, I''ll show you my true strength!"
"Really?" Qin Churan teased, "Do you even remember how you got back last night?"
Lu Ming: "?"
"If it weren''t for Lin and me supporting you, you''d have slept on the street last night!" Qin Churan couldn''t help but laugh with a goose-like honk.
Lu Ming''s face turned red.
He quickly changed the subject, "Let''s have breakfast. After we eat, we''ll log in and level up..."
"Lin hasn''t woken up yet! I''ll go call her!" Qin Churan laughed as she walked past the blushing Lu Ming.
After breakfast.
At nine-thirty in the morning, the three of them logged in.
They left Starlight City and headed straight to the eighth realm of the Nether Ghost Tower: Shadow Nest.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Lu Ming summoned the Undead Legion and formed a battle array.
Together with Qin Churan and Lin Youwei, they began the slaughter.
[Ding~ Killed level 49 Undead Mage, Experience Points +5250!]
[Ding~ Killed level 46 Undead Warrior, Experience Points +4880!]
[Ding~ Killed level 48 Undead Archer, Experience Points +5110!]
...
At first, it felt challenging.
But as time went on, Lu Ming gradually felt bored.
Because he knew well:
"With the current strength of the Undead Legion, they can already hunt monsters above level 50 for higher rewards, but in the second layer, level 50 monsters are the highest."
"The limit of the second layer is too low. I need to reach level 50 quickly and move to the third layer to raise the limit!"
So, another day was spent grinding in the Nether Ghost Tower.
Today''s harvest was plentiful.
Lu Ming''s level had reached 29, with 33% progress!
Just a step away from the fourth transformation at level 30 and the three major talents at Lv4!
Looking at the time, it was already past nine at night.
Having been grinding until now, he hadn''t even had dinner!
Lu Ming calculated the time.
"Return to the city at ten, log out to eat, and come back around eleven, just in time for the appointment."
With this in mind, Lu Ming said to Qin Churan and Lin Youwei, who were enthusiastically killing monsters ahead, "Stop grinding, let''s log out and go eat!"
At this moment, Lin Youwei had just killed an Undead Mage and picked up the dropped copper coin, putting it in her bag. She turned and said, "This time, let me treat!"
"Nether brother, Sister Churan, what do you want to eat?"
"Lin is treating?" Qin Churan said, "Then I won''t be polite!"
Lin Youwei looked at her WeChat balance with wide eyes. Although reluctant to part with her little savings, she seemed to have made up her mind.
She nodded and said, "Yes, you''ve always treated me before, this time I''ll treat you!"
"You don''t have to be polite!"
So, Qin Churan pretended to think and said, "Let''s have hot spicy soup! It''s been a while since I had it, and I''m craving it."
"Zhang Yi, what about you?"
Seeing Lu Ming not responding, Qin Churan asked again, "Zhang Yi, do you want hot spicy soup?"
"Who?" Lu Ming, who was dealing with the trading house, was momentarily confused about who Zhang Yi was: "Me?"
The next second, he responded, "Anything''s fine..."
Qin Churan gave Lu Ming a strange look.
"Then let''s have hot spicy soup!"
Lin Youwei had originally prepared to spend a few hundred yuan to treat Lu Ming and Qin Churan to a big meal.
Finding out they wanted hot spicy soup surprised her.
The naive Lin Youwei thought Qin Churan genuinely wanted hot spicy soup.
She didn''t realize that Qin Churan was considering her dignity, not refusing her treat, while also thoughtfully considering her financial situation.
So, the three of them returned to the city, logged out, and indeed went out to have hot spicy soup.
After dinner, on the way back to the community, Lu Ming said to the two women, "You two don''t log in tonight, get some rest."
Qin Churan knew Lu Ming was going to meet the black cloak, as she was present during their conversation last night.
She said to Lu Ming, "I''ll go with you!"
"No need," Lu Ming said, "I''ll go alone."
Although she knew Lu Ming was strong, and almost no one in the second layer could threaten him.
Qin Churan was still a bit worried, "That guy in the cloak seems strange, be careful of him!"
"Yeah, it''s fine, don''t worry."
Back home, Lu Ming logged in.
Whoosh!
A white light fell, and Lu Ming appeared in Starlight City.
The time was fixed at 10:50 PM, with ten minutes left until the appointed time.
At this moment, Starlight City was bustling with people.
Many passersby were looking up, admiring the beautiful moon.
"The moon is so round and big tonight! It looks so soft, I want to pinch it!"
"Is this moon normal? It looks kind of reddish."
"Really? Did you notice too? It seems like ever since a few years ago, the moon has been a bit red every full moon night!"
"Could it be a blood moon, signaling the end of the world?"
"You''ve read too many apocalypse novels! I recommend you read online game novels instead, not apocalypse ones! You''re getting delusional!"
...
As the passersby discussed.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but look up.
He saw the full moon hanging high in the sky, like a bright lamp, indeed being engulfed by a red mist!
This phenomenon started about five years ago, when Lu Ming first entered the Sky Abyss world in his previous life.
Until now, every full moon night, the red mist covering the full moon has become denser.
No one could explain why.
But as long as it didn''t affect this world, players wouldn''t pay much attention.
After a while, Dragon Soul Guan Yu arrived with a group of followers.
Enemies meeting face to face, their eyes were filled with hatred.
The two stood there, saying nothing, but the sharpness in their eyes was enough to kill each other!
"Are you afraid I''ll kill you? Is that why you brought people?"
With Lu Ming''s words breaking the silence between them.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu snorted coldly, "If you have the ability, you can bring people too."
"No need," Lu Ming said lightly, "Only the weak need protection."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s eyes widened in anger, but in front of Lu Ming, he didn''t dare to be too presumptuous.
Lu Ming''s indirect insult was something he could only listen to.
After a while.
Whoosh!
A spatial rift shimmering with silver light appeared in front of them.
The black cloak stepped through the rift.
Without saying much, he got straight to the point, "Let''s go, I''ll take you to that place now."
With that, the black cloak headed towards the southern part of Starlight City.
Lu Ming and Dragon Soul Guan Yu followed closely behind.
They walked for nearly an hour, almost reaching the edge of the Starlight City map, before the black cloak stopped.
Gazing ahead, at a bottomless, seemingly bloodthirsty dark abyss.
The black cloak looked up at the full moon being engulfed by the red mist.
He turned to Lu Ming and Dragon Soul Guan Yu and said.
"Are you ready?"
As the dozen or so Dragon Soul players present were puzzled, even Lu Ming looked confused.
The clock struck midnight.
The black cloak walked to the edge of the abyss, took out a dagger, and cut a slit on his left hand.
Blood dripped from his hand into the abyss.
The next moment.
Boom!
Accompanied by a sudden tremor.
A terrifying dark aura erupted from the abyss, as if something was about to emerge!
Then, a thick black mist shot into the sky!
Sensing an unknown danger, the dozen or so Dragon Soul players drew their swords, filled with inexplicable fear.
Under everyone''s gaze.
Suddenly!
Thud!
A ghostly hand, emitting black energy and as shriveled as a thousand-year-old corpse, reached out from the black mist, grabbing the edge of the abyss!
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Chapter 104 - Blade Ghost
"Clack, clack, clack..."
Accompanied by a spine-chilling, eerie sound.
From the abyss shrouded in black mist ahead, a creature with a blue face, fangs, bloodshot eyes, and a body exuding black aura crawled out on all fours!
Its gait resembled that of a gorilla.
But it wasn''t as burly as a gorilla, its entire body was emaciated.
Its limbs were extremely thin and long, like sharp blades!
Seeing this terrifying creature, the Dragon Soul team players present were stunned.
"What is this? I''ve been in the second layer for so long, how come I''ve never seen such a creature?"
"There''s no record of this creature in the guides! This isn''t a creature from Sky Abyss at all!"
"What... what the hell is this thing?!"
Just as the players were in shock.
In the blink of an eye, the creature suddenly vanished from sight!
"Where did it go?"
"Where''s that creature? Why is it gone?"
"It''s nearby! Everyone, be careful!"
Just as the words fell.
Whoosh!
A black shadow darted through the crowd like lightning.
Accompanied by a scream.
Warm, blood with a metallic scent splattered onto the surrounding Dragon Soul players.
When they regained their senses, they were shocked to see: a teammate in the middle had been dismembered!
Head, arms, and thighs all severed!
Internal organs and intestines scattered all over the place!
The scene was gruesome!
The people present were terrified!
"Ah!"
"Ahhh!"
Someone couldn''t help but scream.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s face changed dramatically.
He had already anticipated some danger tonight, so although he only brought ten people out this time, each one was a carefully selected elite, the best of the best!
All of them were level 50, sixth transition!
All accounts had three-star qualifications!
Moreover, Dragon Soul Guan Yu spent millions to specially order a full set of silver equipment for them!
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"With such strength, even if summoned by Nether, they should be able to fight the Undead! Yet they were instantly killed!"
Not to mention the one killed, Dragon Soul Fusheng, was the toughest knight among the eleven in the team!
Everyone had no time to react.
The black shadow moved like a ghost, darting around the field.
Accompanied by a series of screams.
Dragon Soul players were wiped out one by one!
And without exception, they were all dismembered like Dragon Soul Fusheng!
The death scenes were extremely gruesome!
Severed limbs and arms scattered everywhere, the strong scent of blood filled the air!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was shocked, immediately activating his five-star talent [Bloodthirsty Frenzy], looking around in terror.
At the same time, Lu Ming in the rear dared not slack off.
Because he observed: the damage values received by the Dragon Soul team players were all between 30,000 to 40,000!
And according to what Lu Ming knew:
"The eighth realm of the Nether Ghost Tower already represents the pinnacle of the second layer, level 50 undead, with an attack power of only 10,000, far from being able to deal such damage!"
"According to records, in the century since Sky Abyss descended, even the strongest monster that appeared in the second layer, the level 50 golden BOSS Earth Demon, only had a panel attack power of 30,000!"
"This creature''s normal attack damage is 30,000 to 40,000, deducting armor value, its attack power... is at least over 40,000!"
Coming to this conclusion, Lu Ming couldn''t help but be shocked.
What grade of creature is this?
Could it be a gilded BOSS!?
There was no time to think further.
Because the ten Dragon Soul fighters were already dead.
Next, it would target Dragon Soul Guan Yu and Lu Ming!
Lu Ming immediately summoned the Undead Legion.
His right hand rested on the sword hilt, eyes blazing as he watched the field, ready to draw his sword at any moment.
Finally, at that instant, Lu Ming caught sight of the creature!
It was holding a bloody severed arm, gnawing on the blood from the arm!
Making a "crunch, crunch" chewing sound.
This scene froze Dragon Soul Guan Yu in place, too scared to move!
Seizing this opportunity, Lu Ming finally used Reconnaissance to gather information on the creature¡ª
[Blade Ghost] (Physical Type ¡¤ Tier 1 Ghost Beast)
[Level: 50]
[Physical Attack: 43,200]
[Armor: 25,300]
[Magic Resistance: 22,800]
[Speed: 20,600]
[Health Points: 758,000]
[Skills: Tear (E-level), Rapid (E-level)]
[Description: Unknown...]
Seeing this data, Lu Ming was astonished.
"All attributes are more than four times that of a normal monster of the same level!"
"Attack power higher than a level 50 golden BOSS!"
Besides that.
What surprised Lu Ming even more was:
According to the Sky Abyss world setting, any monster is divided into three grades: normal monster, elite monster, BOSS!
This creature was classified by a special "tier"!
It had already broken the conventional setting of the Sky Abyss world!
Astonished, Lu Ming''s eyes turned cold.
No matter what kind of creature this is, let''s kill it first!
Target locked on the creature [Blade Ghost] that was eating flesh and drinking blood.
Lu Ming reached behind.
Whoosh!
At the moment Lu Ming drew his sword.
The Blade Ghost suddenly disappeared from its original spot!
The timing was just right.
It actually missed Lu Ming''s Sword Draw skill!
"What?"
Just as Lu Ming was shocked.
A chill came from behind.
Crunch!
Almost without a chance to react, Lu Ming felt a sharp pain all over his body.
His whole body was instantly shredded by a terrifying force!
[Ding~ You''ve been attacked by Blade Ghost, losing 42,145 Health Points, you are dead!]
[Ding~ Rebirth from Ashes talent triggered, you have been revived, and gained 2 seconds of invincibility!]
Crash!
As a nearby Death Lord disappeared.
Lu Ming, who was slain, revived on the spot.
In front, the Blade Ghost glared at Lu Ming with a ferocious face, claws bared, charging again at high speed!
Lu Ming stood his ground, using himself as bait.
Utilizing the 2-second invincibility effect of Rebirth from Ashes, he withstood the Blade Ghost''s lethal attack.
Seizing this opportunity.
"Kill!"
With a thought from Lu Ming.
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!
The four Death Lords within attack range simultaneously locked onto the Blade Ghost, launching a Soul Shatter + Soul Slash combo.
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
-47,258! -66,321!
-47,258! -66,321!
...
The Blade Ghost''s health bar plummeted by three-fifths!
Seeing this, Dragon Soul Guan Yu on the other side felt his scalp tingle!
Because he knew how terrifying the Death Lords summoned by Lu Ming were!
At level 20, they could easily solo level 50 players without pressure!
And now, under the 39x enhanced quadruple E-level formation, after four rounds of Soul Shatter + Soul Slash combo from four tier-3 Death Lords, they still couldn''t kill the Blade Ghost!
"What on earth... is this thing!!"
"Clack, clack, clack..."
Accompanied by a chilling scream, the Blade Ghost''s limbs turned into blades, slicing through the four Death Lords around it.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The shield brought by Life Barrier was shattered in one hit, and the four Death Lords were instantly shredded!
Lu Ming''s heart surged with killing intent.
"Kill!!"
A large group of Death Lords from the periphery swarmed in.
The Blade Ghost''s reaction and speed were so fast that even the Death Lords'' Soul Shatter skill couldn''t lock onto it!
It charged towards the periphery, rampaging through the Undead Legion, unstoppable!
Wherever it went, Death Lords were slashed one after another!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was so scared he didn''t dare to make a move.
An enemy even Nether couldn''t handle, if he went up, it would just add to the chaos!
Slash, slash, slash, slash!
With dozens of Soul Shatters simultaneously erupting on the Blade Ghost, at the cost of over twenty Death Lords, they finally slew the Blade Ghost!
Looking at the Blade Ghost lying on the ground, even though it had lost its life, its eyes were wide open in anger, its body still trembling.
And the severed limbs scattered all around, indistinguishable whether they belonged to Dragon Soul players or Death Lords.
At this moment, Lu Ming and Dragon Soul Guan Yu felt an unprecedented fear!
Lu Ming turned to the black cloak standing at the edge of the abyss, the one who released the Blade Ghost from the abyss.
He questioned it, "What is this thing?"
The black cloak gazed into the endless abyss ahead.
With its back to Lu Ming, it said in a deep voice, "A ghost."
"A ghost that, in two and a half years, will single-handedly destroy the entire Starlight City, causing 9.35 million players in Jiang Province to perish."
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Chapter 105 - God from the future!
The explanation from the black cloak left Lu Ming both astonished and skeptical.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu couldn''t help but ask, "How do you know about future events? Can you predict the future?"
"I cannot predict the future," the black cloak turned around to face Lu Ming and Dragon Soul Guan Yu, saying, "But I come from the future."
With these words, the two were once again taken aback.
"I know you might not believe me."
The black cloak spoke in a deep voice, "Two and a half years from now, the Blood Moon will descend, and the ghosts will fully awaken. In front of them, humans will have no power to resist. Only the gods can match them!"
"But the number of gods we humans have awakened is too few, and their power is too weak. As a result, within just six months of the ghosts'' awakening, the mere hundred gods were all wiped out, and the entire world fell under the control of the ghosts."
"And I am from three years later, the only human survivor in the world."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu snorted lightly.
Clearly somewhat disdainful, he said, "So according to you, three years from now is the end of the world?"
"Sky Abyss has been around for over a hundred years, and nothing has happened. Now you''re telling me humanity will perish in three years? Doesn''t that sound absurd?"
Lu Ming did not question like Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
After all, he had experienced even more absurd things like reincarnation.
His ability to accept things was far stronger than the average person.
Lu Ming only asked, "Then how did you come back from three years in the future to now?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu snorted coldly on the side, thinking, "One dares to say, the other dares to believe, damn, two lunatics!"
The black cloak did not immediately answer Lu Ming''s question but instead said, "Didn''t you ask me earlier who I am?"
Looking at Lu Ming, the black cloak lowered his voice and said, "I am a second-sequence god, codename 017: the Agent of the God of Time, Chronos!"
"Is there really a god in this world?"
Lu Ming was not overly surprised; instead, he was somewhat excited.
Because he had long suspected:
The Scroll of Deification that granted him a ten-star account was a gift from the ''God of Luck'';
And the account ban Ye Ling''er was facing, Wrath of the Gods, was also because she angered a god!
Moreover, in recent years, players from around the world have frequently reported discovering traces of gods in the Sky Abyss world.
Although no one has ever encountered a real god, many players believe that gods indeed exist in the Sky Abyss world!
And an Agent of the Gods, as the name suggests, is a human with the power of a god!
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After a pause, the black cloak continued:
"My divine ability is to control time."
"In the last battle between gods and ghosts, when humanity was on the brink of extinction, I exhausted all my divine power to reverse time and returned to the present."
Wait!
Lu Ming suddenly realized a problem!
If what the black cloak said is true, and he is the only survivor three years later, doesn''t that mean...
Even Lu Ming, with his three ten-star talents, couldn''t withstand the ghosts the black cloak mentioned and was wiped out?!
As Lu Ming pondered this terrifying thought.
The black cloak looked up at the round moon in the sky, which was being corroded by red mist, and said, "There are still two and a half years until the Blood Moon descends. Before then, all the ghosts lurking in the Sky Abyss world are still in a semi-sealed state, their power not fully restored, and they can only briefly appear on the night of a full moon."
"Just like that Blade Ghost earlier," the black cloak said, looking at the Blade Ghost''s corpse not far away, "It is just the lowest tier of ghost beasts, and it was sealed with about sixty percent of its power."
Hearing this.
Recalling the scene where over twenty Death Lords had to be sacrificed to barely kill the Blade Ghost.
Lu Ming couldn''t help but frown slightly.
"Even with only forty percent of its power, it''s this strong..."
After a pause, Lu Ming mused, "So your purpose in coming back now is to eliminate them before the ghosts fully recover and awaken, to rewrite the future where humanity perishes?"
"Yes, but not entirely," the black cloak said, "I came back mainly to find you."
"Find me?" Lu Ming was puzzled, "Why?"
The black cloak looked at Lu Ming and said something that shocked Dragon Soul Guan Yu, who was listening nearby: "Because you are the Agent of the God of Luck, Fortuna!"
"The first Agent of the Gods born in the human world!"
"The strongest in the Great Xia server!"
"The only first-sequence Agent of the Gods in the world!"
"God codename 008, Nether!"
As pride flickered in Lu Ming''s eyes.
The black cloak continued:
"According to historical records, you will die on June 15, 2037, cause of death unknown."
Damn...
It''s November 22, 2034, which means the corresponding death time is... two and a half years later?
Isn''t that when the ghosts just break through their seals and awaken?
At this moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu, who had been listening silently, couldn''t help but interject, "The ghosts just awaken, and he dies?"
"The value of being the strongest in the server is really overrated."
Lu Ming couldn''t be bothered to respond to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, whose mouth was the hardest part of him.
What he was thinking was:
"What does ''cause of death unknown'' mean?"
"Could it be that I didn''t die at the hands of the ghosts?"
Just as Lu Ming was puzzled.
The black cloak continued, "The ghosts are not the most terrifying."
"More terrifying than ghosts are humans!"
"Even before their awakening, the ghosts have been using various means to win over human hearts, making humans work for them. They have always been lurking in the shadows, gathering strength right under our noses, waiting to strike."
"After they fully awaken, their power is not that strong. It is precisely because of the assistance of human forces that have defected to them that they can wipe out all of humanity in just half a year."
"According to records, within our Great Xia alone, there are three squads that have defected to the ghosts."
"Traitors!" Dragon Soul Guan Yu, who had been skeptical a second ago, immediately put himself in the story, his eyes wide with anger, "I admit I''m no saint, but I would never betray humanity!"
At the same time, Lu Ming finally understood.
"So, when you said you wanted to cooperate with me earlier, you meant you wanted me to work with you to eliminate all ghosts and human traitors who have defected to the ghosts before they awaken?"
"Yes," the black cloak said bluntly, "This is the only way to save humanity."
At this point, the black cloak suddenly looked at Dragon Soul Guan Yu and said, "You can go now; there''s nothing else here for the time being."
"Try to lift the account ban as soon as possible; this world needs you too."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was eager to leave, afraid that another Blade Ghost might emerge from the abyss.
He was also afraid Lu Ming might attack him.
He quickly left the area.
After deliberately sending Dragon Soul Guan Yu away.
The black cloak once again extended an invitation to Lu Ming: "Only by working together can we save this world!"
Lu Ming hesitated for a moment and then asked a question, "You just said that in the future, there are three squads in Great Xia that betray humanity and defect to the ghosts. Which three squads?"
"The human minions who defected to the ghosts are deeply hidden. Based on the information we have, we can only confirm one of them, the Godslayer Squad."
The black cloak said, "We even suspected for a long time that your death was related to the Godslayer Squad because there was a long period when you didn''t get along with them, so we suspected they used the ghosts to get rid of you."
Godslayer!
Hearing these two words, the first thing that came to Lu Ming''s mind was Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er, and a strong killing intent surged in his heart!
Honestly, he wasn''t surprised by this outcome.
After all, Qin Feng had previously colluded with Ye Ling''er to betray Lu Ming to seize the Scroll of Deification; later, he would stop at nothing for family interests!
Such a person, what wouldn''t they do for profit?
What Lu Ming couldn''t accept was that in his previous life, he died at the hands of this bitch couple.
In this life, would he still end up being killed by them?
"How is that possible! I have three ten-star talents! How could you possibly kill me again!"
"I will never let that happen!"
"Qin Feng, Ye Ling''er, you bitch couple, I will make sure you die without a grave!"
Seeing the overwhelming hatred in Lu Ming''s eyes.
The black cloak, unaware of the truth, mistakenly thought it was because of Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
So he said to Lu Ming:
"He is the chosen agent of the God of Vengeance, Horus."
"Of course, you can still kill him if you have that thought; this time, I won''t stop you."
Of course, what the black cloak said was also within Lu Ming''s consideration.
"If I kill him, what will happen?"
Following Lu Ming''s gaze, looking at the receding Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
The black cloak said, "Then you will become the first god-slayer in human history."
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Chapter 106 - This time, I will not lose!
Late at night, Lu Ming lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
The amount of information his brain had received that night was simply overwhelming!
Gods, ghosts, and even time travelers from the future!
The most absurd part: he learned he only had two and a half years left to live!
And to make matters worse, it was Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er, that despicable couple, who were responsible for his death!
For a moment, Lu Ming found it hard to process.
He had to take this matter seriously!
There was no denying it; if the black cloak was truly the Agent of the God of Time, Chronos, and came from the future...
If everything he said was true, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for Lu Ming!
"With my talent and growth trajectory, in two and a half years, I would have reached the pinnacle of humanity. If I were ultimately killed by them, the only possibility... is that they too gained divine power!"
"Or perhaps they colluded with powerful ghosts to ambush me!"
"Or maybe I was alone, unable to fight against the massive Godslayer Squad..."
In the words of the black cloak: "You always prefer to act alone, and besides the cold, unfeeling Undead Legion, you have no trustworthy friends around you, giving your enemies an opportunity to strike..."
"You are the God of Great Xia. If you hadn''t died, perhaps humanity would still have hope and wouldn''t be defeated so thoroughly."
In the future, he had no Qin Churan, no Lin Youwei, not even a single teammate!
It was completely contrary to his expectations!
Lu Ming didn''t know the reason for this.
But no matter what, he had to reverse this outcome!
If Qin Feng and Ye Ling''er colluded with ghosts, then before the ghosts they colluded with could awaken, he would eliminate them all!
Prevent them from becoming Agents of the Gods!
Gather allies and form the strongest force in Great Xia!
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"This time, I will not lose!"
As for Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
Lu Ming never changed his mind about taking him down.
If someone like him were to complete the account ban and gain supreme divine power like Lu Ming, it would be a terrifying thing!
Therefore, even if it meant slaying gods, Lu Ming would eliminate Dragon Soul Guan Yu before he completed the account ban!
However, because he had promised Qin Churan to let her personally deal with Dragon Soul Guan Yu, Lu Ming hadn''t acted last night.
Additionally.
"Once the quest on the goblin is refreshed, it enters a 72-hour cooldown before it can be accepted again, which is too time-consuming. It''s better to complete the quest through Dragon Soul Guan Yu, obtain the Scroll of Deification, and then kill him!"
After all, the most valuable part of the quest is the Scroll of Deification.
The rest is not important.
So, Lu Ming stopped overthinking and went to sleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, he went online with Qin Churan and Lin Youwei.
As they left Starlight City and headed for the wilderness, Lu Ming recalled the words of the black cloak from the previous night.
He instinctively glanced at Qin Churan and Lin Youwei, who were chatting and laughing about girl topics, and felt a pang of sadness.
In the future, were they dead?
Or had they simply left his side?
"I hope it''s the latter," Lu Ming couldn''t help but say aloud, "You''re not dead."
At this moment, Qin Churan tilted her head and looked at Lu Ming curiously, "What are you talking about? What''s all this about death?"
"Don''t ever mention death again; it''s so unlucky! Don''t worry, I''ll always protect you and Lin!"
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Alright."
As they spoke, the three of them arrived at a familiar valley.
A swirling vortex appeared on the ground.
"The Gate of Hell?" Qin Churan, who hadn''t paid much attention to the road and just followed Lu Ming, asked suspiciously, "Why are we here?"
"To complete a quest."
With that, Lu Ming drew his sword with a swift motion, dealing a massive 570,000+ damage, instantly killing a level 50 Spectral Wolf nearby.
He ordered the Death Lords to drag the Spectral Wolf''s corpse onto the vortex, opening the Gate of Hell...
Meanwhile, inside the world of the Gate of Hell.
Hidden Map: Goblin Kingdom.
During this time, anyone who followed Dragon Soul Guan Yu ended up dead.
Everyone knew Dragon Soul Guan Yu had provoked a Trickster who roamed the second layer.
So many had died that no one from the Dragon Soul team dared to follow Dragon Soul Guan Yu anymore!
Outside the vast royal city, Dragon Soul Guan Yu was alone, fighting demons and completing the [Avenger, Path of Nirvana] quest.
With a swift motion, Dragon Soul Guan Yu slashed down two demons around him.
After using a potion to recover, he prepared to engage in the next battle.
Suddenly.
Golden, blood-colored barriers appeared from all directions!
Following this, Death Lords, who were all too familiar to Dragon Soul Guan Yu, tore through space and stepped out from the barriers!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu turned to see Lu Ming, who had somehow appeared in the Goblin Kingdom, and was shocked.
Clutching his demon-slaying blade, he warily watched the surrounding Death Lords and questioned Lu Ming, "You promised him you wouldn''t kill me!"
Lu Ming didn''t even regard Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
He commanded the Undead Legion, "Go kill the monsters."
With the order, the Death Lords wielding Blaze Blades attacked the nearby demons!
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was stunned.
It turned out Lu Ming''s target wasn''t him.
Meanwhile, Qin Churan asked, "Are we helping Dragon Soul Guan Yu?"
Seeing the incredulous look in Qin Churan''s eyes.
Lu Ming softly said, "Have you heard of the ''farming strategy''?"
Qin Churan suddenly understood and smiled, "I get it~"
Without another word, Qin Churan joined the battle.
Lin Youwei also picked up her little staff.
To prevent Dragon Soul Guan Yu from causing trouble, Lu Ming arranged a hundred Death Lords around Qin Churan and Lin Youwei to protect them!
This made the two women feel incredibly secure!
Seeing the rapid progress of his quest after Lu Ming''s Undead Legion joined the battle.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu couldn''t help but look at Lu Ming with a troubled expression.
"There''s only a three-day deadline. If I can''t kill him within three days, Xiaotong will be in danger."
"But if history unfolds as that guy said last night, with Nether dying two and a half years later at the beginning of the ghost revival; doesn''t that mean that no matter what I do now, I won''t be able to kill him in the end..."
Recalling the image of his daughter Guan Xiaotong, who had been his only companion, Dragon Soul Guan Yu became anxious.
He hadn''t slept a wink the entire night because of this.
His eyes fixed on Lu Ming.
After weighing his options, Dragon Soul Guan Yu''s gaze turned cold, and he finally made a decision.
He gripped his gilded demon-slaying blade and approached Lu Ming...
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Chapter 107 - Mystical object, Ghost Core!
Seeing Dragon Soul Guan Yu dragging his blade as he approached Lu Ming.
The dozens of Death Lords nearby sensed their master''s potential danger and quickly locked onto Dragon Soul Guan Yu, their eyes flashing with a blood-red light!
Even without Lu Ming''s command, they refrained from acting rashly for the moment.
But their stance was clear: if Dragon Soul Guan Yu posed any threat to Lu Ming, they would immediately rush forward and tear him to pieces!
Lu Ming also noticed Dragon Soul Guan Yu.
"So, you want to fight?"
As soon as Lu Ming finished speaking.
Dragon Soul Guan Yu suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Clang!
He planted his long blade into the ground, gritting his teeth, and unexpectedly fell to his knees with a thud!
This scene took everyone present by surprise.
Even Lu Ming was somewhat astonished, seeing someone as proud as Dragon Soul Guan Yu kneeling before him.
With his head bowed and eyes fixed on the ground, Dragon Soul Guan Yu pleaded with Lu Ming, "Nether, I beg you, help me save my daughter!"
"All along, my actions against you and Qin Churan were under the orders of the God Slayer squad captain, Qin Feng!"
"He had my daughter captured and demanded I take your head within three days, or else my daughter would die!"
At this moment, Dragon Soul Guan Yu chose not to hide anything.
Clearly, sincerity was his ultimate weapon!
"I know I have no one to blame but myself for being too greedy!"
"But my daughter is innocent; she''s only involved because of me. Nether, I beg you... you''re the only one who can save her. If you can save my daughter, I''ll give you my life!"
He thought that given everything he had done to Lu Ming before, there was no way Lu Ming would agree to help him.
He swallowed his pride, hoping to find a glimmer of hope for his daughter.
Just as Dragon Soul Guan Yu braced himself for Lu Ming''s harsh ridicule and humiliation.
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Lu Ming didn''t hesitate for a moment.
He blurted out, "Alright, I''ll help you."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu was shocked, yet overjoyed, "Thank you!"
Lu Ming said, "I understand what you mean. You just need to record a video of you killing me, right?"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu nodded repeatedly, "You have resurrection abilities, so it shouldn''t be a problem, right?"
"No problem," Lu Ming said. "But let''s not rush this. We''ll talk after we help you complete this task."
Dragon Soul Guan Yu immediately understood Lu Ming''s meaning and said, "Once the task is done and we get the Scroll of Deification from the goblins, I''ll give it to you!"
"You''re teachable!" Lu Ming waved him off, "Go play!"
Dragon Soul Guan Yu retreated with his orders.
Knowing his daughter could be saved, he felt even more motivated to slay monsters!
Slash!
He swung his long blade, cutting down several demons around him...
At this moment, Qin Churan approached Lu Ming.
Looking at Dragon Soul Guan Yu, she introduced him to Lu Ming, "Dragon Soul Guan Yu, real name Guan Yu, is from Longchuan; he wasn''t originally a Sky Abyss player but a simple fish seller. His wife left him and their daughter for a wealthy man."
"Left with just the father and daughter, when his daughter was eight, he accidentally killed someone while protecting her and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Not long after his release, he fell seriously ill and had no money for treatment."
"His daughter, Guan Xiaotong, dropped out of school to earn money to save her father and entered Sky Abyss. Later, Guan Yu recovered, and to protect his daughter from being bullied in Sky Abyss and to make a living, he became a professional Sky Abyss player."
"Father and daughter rely on each other, saving each other."
"Guan Xiaotong is his life!"
Hearing this, Lu Ming was a bit surprised, "You know so much?"
Qin Churan said, "At first, I didn''t expect you to help me. To get revenge on Guan Yu and avenge A-Long and the others, I specifically looked into his background, originally planning to target his daughter."
Lu Ming asked, "So, are you starting to sympathize with him?"
"No." Qin Churan''s cold eyes flashed with sharpness, "People like him don''t deserve sympathy! I must kill him to avenge A-Long and the others!"
As she spoke, Qin Churan looked at Lu Ming, "Dummy, after you save Guan Xiaotong, can you leave Guan Yu to me?"
"I never planned to save Guan Xiaotong."
As soon as Lu Ming finished speaking, Qin Churan was a bit surprised, "Then why did you agree to Guan Yu just now..."
Lu Ming looked at the previously spirited Dragon Soul Guan Yu and said, "Looks like my big promise was quite tempting!"
"I don''t need to help him to get the Scroll of Deification; you can kill him anytime you want. He has no value to make me help him."
Lu Ming said to Qin Churan, "Besides, you should know better than me what kind of person Qin Feng is."
"Even if I let Dragon Soul Guan Yu fake kill me and get the video, would Qin Feng really release Guan Xiaotong?"
"Guan Xiaotong is already doomed."
At this moment, Qin Churan didn''t feel sorry for Guan Yu, but she did feel a bit sorry for his daughter, Guan Xiaotong.
Then, they continued to fight.
The demons in the Goblin Kingdom, like the undead in the eighth realm of the Nether Ghost Tower, were all level 50 ordinary monsters.
So, the Undead Legion could easily crush them!
While the Undead Legion was slaying monsters, Lu Ming planned to organize his backpack to make room for the upcoming harvest.
Opening his backpack, he suddenly found a strange stone emitting an obsidian glow lying quietly inside!
"What is this?"
Lu Ming curiously picked up the stone and examined it.
The stone seemed like a heart, beating "thump thump" in Lu Ming''s hand!
[Ghost Core] (Tier 1)
[Description: The essence of a ghostly creature. Inject 10 points of divine power to unlock its secrets...]
Seeing this note, Lu Ming remembered.
"So it was dropped by that tier 1 ghost beast, Blade Ghost, last night!"
After killing Blade Ghost, the Death Lords automatically picked up the loot, and Lu Ming had forgotten to check it.
Last night, he heard the black cloak mention it.
"An Agent of the Gods must reach level 30 and undergo four transformations to awaken divinity and begin accessing the core attribute most important to gods: divine power!"
"Divine power can not only strengthen a god''s power but also unlock Ghost Cores, yielding extremely rich resources."
Lu Ming checked his own level: 29, 35%!
Just a step away from level 30 and the fourth transformation.
Weighing the Ghost Core in his hand, Lu Ming murmured, "Looks like I''ll soon unlock your secrets."
For Lu Ming.
Level 30 would be a significant breakthrough.
Because not only could he awaken divinity, but he could also upgrade his three major talents to Lv4!
Thus, with the goal of reaching level 30, the Undead Legion embarked on an even wilder slaughter.
By noon, a beam of golden light finally descended...
[Ding~ Congratulations on leveling up to level 30...]
[Ding~ Congratulations, your talents have been upgraded to Lv4!]
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