On the seventh layer of the ancient Dragon Marsh, Lin Zhao, clad in the Golden Armor Immortal Robe, used the Monster-Slaying Mirror to control the demon dragon Qing Zhong's movements. Twenty flying swords from his Spiritual Nexus and thirty-six Ephemeral Flying Swords from his orange gourd rained down, continuously attacking the demon dragon Qing Zhong's body. Coupled with the formidable attack power of his sword Zhan Lu, he hacked at the once thirteen-realm great demon, tearing its scales and flesh, causing blood and gore to splatter everywhere. The ranged attacks from Shen Xingchen, Mo Chenxue, and Lu Li also contributed. Though the number of participants was small, the demon dragon Qing Zhong's health bar steadily declined.
Chen Xue, with Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, Luo Man, and other ranged players, stood guard nearby, shouldering the important responsibility of battlefield protection. When players from guilds like Xing He and Cang Long approached to specter, Chen Xue courteously persuaded them to leave with a smile. They left willingly; it was impossible not to, as the Crimson Moon Knights, led by Lin Zhao, had a style of operation in the national server that commanded respect. Moreover, their combat power was overwhelmingly strong. There was nothing else to say; basically, any guild on the human faction would give them some face.
The demon dragon Qing Zhong unleashed various dragon-type spells, but the defensive effect of the Golden Armor Immortal Robe was too formidable. Combined with the suppression from techniques like "Sword Slaying Immortal" and the Monster-Slaying Mirror, the demon dragon Qing Zhong could barely utilize five percent of its peak combat power. It was pinned down in this area by Lin Zhao and the others.
According to Chen Xue, the ancient Dragon Marsh's ultimate boss, Qing Zhong, refreshed once a month. They would have to wait until next month to see him again. Furthermore, the artifact Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower was unique; there was only one of its kind in the entire server. When the demon dragon Qing Zhong refreshed next time, it would certainly not carry it.
Besides, new maps like this also had a "first time" bonus. The first time players successfully cleared it, the drop rate, experience points, and other benefits would be at their highest. In other words, if Lin Zhao were to re-enter the fifth layer of the ancient Dragon Marsh to farm the Flame Thorns Birds, the gains would be nowhere comparable to today. Let alone over 240 Heaven-grade items, he might not even get 100. There was no need to be overly optimistic.
...
Due to the small number of people, the raid took about forty minutes. Lin Zhao consumed seven bound Golden Cicada Coins from the Mountain Summit Villa to replenish the spiritual energy of his Golden Armor Immortal Robe, which pained him immensely. If this demon dragon Qing Zhong didn't drop some good treasures, it would truly be an insult to those seven Golden Cicada Coins. Thus, with a final barrage from the Ephemeral Flying Swords, the demon dragon Qing Zhong let out a miserable howl and fell, awarding Lin Zhao and his team the third kill reward:
"Ding!"
System Announcement: Congratulations to player [Bai Yi] and their team for successfully defeating [Demon Dragon · Qing Zhong] (Saint-grade Boss), obtaining the third kill reward for a Saint-grade Boss! Congratulations to player [Bai Yi] for ranking first in team contribution, receiving rewards: Level +3, Charm +5, Reputation +5000, Gold Coins +20000, Golden Cicada Coins +6. Congratulations to player [Bu Jian Xing Kong] for ranking second in team contribution, receiving rewards: Level +2, Charm +3, Reputation +3500, Gold Coins +15000, Golden Cicada Coins +4. Congratulations to player [Lu Li] for ranking third in team contribution, receiving rewards: Level +2, Charm +3, Reputation +3000, Gold Coins +10000, Golden Cicada Coins +3, and an additional reward: [Demon Dragon Robe] (Heaven-grade). The remaining players in the top ten contributions are: Mo Chenxue, Ren Jian Xiao Kugua, Yu Jin, Bu Su Liren, Shao Nian Luo Fan Chen, Lin Feng, Chen Feng. All participating players will also receive rewards of varying amounts!
...
The first kill was obtained by the Crimson Moon Knights, the second kill by the Xing He, Xun Xian, and Han Cheng guilds. As for this third kill, the spoils were not as plentiful. Even Lin Zhao and Shen Xingchen, who ranked first and second, did not receive any additional rewards. However, Lu Li, who ranked third, obtained a Heaven-grade Demon Dragon Robe, which was quite meager.
Fortunately, the rewards for level and Golden Cicada Coins remained considerable.
Golden rain descended, and Lin Zhao officially reached level 170, re-entering the top ten of the national server's level rankings!
He glanced at the time. It was already the morning of New Year's Eve in game time. If he delayed any longer, he might miss the New Year's celebration at the Mountain Summit Villa. He immediately stepped forward to examine the loot dropped by the demon dragon Qing Zhong. First was a dazzling, flame-wreathed treasure pagoda artifact, the legendary Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower. Reaching out, he conjured the artifact's properties for everyone to see:
[Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower] (Immortal Grade, Superior)
Strength: +1000
Stamina: +1000
Agility: +1000
Spiritual Power: +1000
Special Effect: When held, significantly increases the user's attack damage.
Special Effect: Can be used to suppress opponents, causing massive damage.
Attribute: Only usable by magic-using professions for refinement.
...
It was indeed a great treasure, but unfortunately, Lin Zhao could not use it. Physical classes could not refine it; only magic classes could. Among the group present, Shen Xingchen, Mo Chenxue, and Lu Li were all suitable. Lin Zhao frowned, looked at everyone, and smiled, "The Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower is of the same grade as my Golden Armor Immortal Robe, certainly a supreme treasure. My personal wish... is for Xingchen. She is the vice-leader of our Crimson Moon Knights and our foremost mage. She has put so much effort into various matters for our Crimson Moon Knights that giving the Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower to Xingchen would be justifiable."
"Mm," Chen Xue said. "The AI of this demon dragon Qing Zhong is very high. Su Xinghe, Jian Huang, and the others were all instantly killed by it before. You discovered the boss, you resolved the crisis, and you contributed more than half of the effort in the fight. The Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower rightfully belongs to you. You can give it to whomever you wish."
"Alright." Lin Zhao, without a second thought, tossed the Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower to Shen Xingchen and continued to examine the equipment.
Shen Xingchen held the exquisite treasure in her arms, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She was a Golden Core cultivator and could now refine the Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower into her innate artifact. In both the national and international servers, who wouldn't want an Immortal Grade, Superior artifact as their innate artifact? Moreover, this Qiankun Xuanhuo Tower was definitely a primary artifact for mages. Once refined, Shen Xingchen's output would be elevated to a new level.
Lin Zhao continued to display the equipment attributes in the team channel, showing everyone the Earth-grade and Heaven-grade items one by one. Suddenly, he touched a pair of battle boots, and his eyes lit up. He laughed, "A Saint-grade armor-type artifact has indeed dropped!"
"Quick, let's see!" Ding Chi and the others' eyes also lit up. Lin Zhao waved his hand, and the boots' attributes were shared with everyone. They were indeed remarkable—
[Sacred Dragon Boots] (Saint Artifact)
Defense: 5500
Strength: +222
Stamina: +220
Agility: +218
Spiritual Power: +216
Special Effect: Damage Reduction +10%
Special Effect: Physical Evasion +18%
Special Effect: Increased Damage, user's attack damage +100%
Special Effect: Wind Walk, user's movement speed +180%
Special Effect: Tenacity, increases user's HP by 40,000
Special Skill: [Dragon Walk Technique]. Upon activation, immune to all slowing effects and increases user's attack power by 35%, lasting for 12 seconds with a 30-minute cooldown.
Additional: Increases user's attack power by 95%.
Additional: Increases user's defense by 93%.
Required Strength: 4500
Required Level: 170
...
Looking at the attributes of the Sacred Dragon Boots, everyone was somewhat stunned. Lin Zhao, without hesitation, equipped them directly. He had been wearing Earth-grade boots before, which were simply too shabby. Now, with the Sacred Dragon Boots on, it was more than just an upgrade; his heart was filled with joy. He didn't care about the remaining items and distributed them to everyone.
"Let's go." He was considering the matters at the Mountain Summit Villa.
"Ah?" Shen Xingchen asked with a smile, "Aren't we farming anymore?"
"Not anymore." Lin Zhao scratched his head. "Xingchen, I can't abandon the outside world just for an ancient Dragon Marsh map. I still need to oversee things at the Mountain Summit Villa. You all stay in the ancient Dragon Marsh for now and maximize the benefits of this map."
"Mm, understood. Go ahead and get busy."
"Okay." The next moment, Lin Zhao took out a town portal scroll and returned to Baidi City, then teleported to Snow Region Heavenly Pool. He rode his sword directly up the mountain. It was currently the morning of New Year's Eve. Tong Yu, Zhang Luobai, and Zhuang Yirong were playing hopscotch on the open ground in front of Tian Ran Ju. Upon seeing Lin Zhao return, Zhang Luobai immediately stood at attention: "Disciple welcomes Master's return!"
"Alright, alright." Lin Zhao waved his hand and smiled, "Go on with your game!"
"Yes, Master!" Tong Yu smilingly called Lin Zhao "brother," while Zhuang Yirong smilingly called him "Mountain Lord." They had all changed into new clothes for the New Year, likely made by Dong Cang.
"Young Master." Liu Liying, dressed in a red gown that best matched the festive atmosphere, smiled and said, "You're back?"
"Mm, Liying..." Lin Zhao looked at her a little longer and smiled, "You seem to have become even more beautiful. The water and soil of our Snow Region Heavenly Pool really nurture people."
Liu Liying's delicate face flushed slightly. "Wh-where is that!"
Lin Zhao, though already very tired in reality, still sat down heavily in the living room and said, "Shu Zhi, have all our New Year's gifts been sent out? Let me see the gift list."
"They were sent out yesterday." Shu Zhi handed the gift list to Lin Zhao.
After scanning it, Lin Zhao frowned. "Do we still have any stock? I want to send a gift to one more person, Miss Shi Hanyin from Tianji City in Yun Prefecture. I owe her a favor. Let's prepare another New Year's gift for her."
"Lin Zhao brother!" Xiao Jiu'er floated down from upstairs, perched on Lin Zhao's shoulder, and smiled, "Who is Shi Hanyin? Could she be a confidante Lin Zhao brother has recently met in the martial world?"
"Xiao Jiu'er is back?" Lin Zhao raised his hand to stroke her head and smiled, "What confidante? Just a friend met by chance. By the way, Shu Zhi, buy a few catties of tea biscuits from the town and send them to Miss Shi. She's used to luxury and has tasted everything. Doesn't that shop in town make particularly delicious tea biscuits? Ah, I remember the person who fried them was called Zhang Huazhong. His tea biscuit frying skills are excellent, and he even named his tea biscuits 'Huazhong Tea Biscuits'. Go buy a few catties for Miss Shi and send them over. Once prepared, you can personally fly to Yun Prefecture and deliver them."
"Yes, My Lord." Shu Zhi nodded with a smile.
Lin Zhao finally felt relieved. He made it, he made it in time to celebrate the New Year with everyone.
...
In the afternoon, he personally carried a large pile of New Year's goods, taking Xiao Jiu'er, Shu Zhi, Tong Yu, and others to the Lotus Wind Academy to visit Gu Lingyu. He also brought out a stack of blank couplets, asking Gu Lingyu to write them for the Mountain Summit Villa. After all, Gu Lingyu was the most learned scholar in the entire Snow Region Heavenly Pool and wrote beautiful calligraphy; it would be a waste not to use it.
Seeing the large stack of couplets, Gu Lingyu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. However, it was at the request of his junior uncle, and they had brought so many New Year's gifts that his own New Year would definitely be extremely abundant. Thus, Gu Lingyu straightened his clothes and, as a Confucian disciple, began to write couplets for his junior uncle. It was an honor for Gu Lingyu to write couplets for his junior uncle, and he was more than happy to do so!