Lin Zhao glanced at his armor, the Azure Scale Armor, which he had previously obtained from an unknown passerby. He couldn't help but feel a touch of shame. In terms of equipment, he had become increasingly laid-back. Unlike Leng Yan or Shen Xingchen, he rarely frequented the auction house to shop for gear. Although he didn't really need it, such an attitude towards the game was not ideal; the pursuit of perfection was still essential.
With a "clink," the Kun Peng Armor replaced the Azure Scale Chestplate. Instantly, his armor appeared more iridescent and exuded a sense of "high-class." Even after being enhanced by "Bai Yi's" colorful fruit skin, it still looked more premium than the previous Azure Scale Chestplate. The moment he donned the Kun Peng Armor, his entire aura felt more grounded, a testament to the significant increase in defense and survivability. As for personal attributes and overall combat power, they had also reached a new height.
[Bai Yi] (Grand Swordsman)
Level: 177
Attack: 21620-25120 (+676%)
Defense: 27450 (+687%)
HP: 271620 (+20%)
Crit: 32%
Lifesteal: 70% (Max)
Damage Reduction: 58%
Damage Increase: 622%
Comprehension: 99
Charm: 132
Reputation: 326780
Combat Power: 88520
Realm 1: Star River Realm
Realm 2: Savage Realm
Currently, Lin Zhao's attributes were both robust and formidable. His true attack power reached over 190,000, and his true defense was around 210,000. With a 32% critical hit rate and an overwhelming amount of armor penetration, this build ensured that any opponent he faced would suffer greatly. It was precisely the support of this 190,000+ attack power that made Lin Zhao's flying sword attacks so terrifying, to the point where ordinary players could barely withstand them.
He took a deep breath, collected the 25 unbound gold coins, and said with a smile in the guild chat, "It's down. Xingchen, you can release the news. Everyone can enter the eighth level now."
"Mhm!"
Shortly after, the news was released on the national server forum: the Peng Emperor of the eighth level had been dealt with by Lin Zhao, and everyone could now enter the map.
The monsters on the eighth level were incredibly dense, characterized by a very small collision box. They were called Flame Raccoons, and they were particularly fierce. Upon seeing players, they would let out loud screeches, their bodies engulfed in flames. Lin Zhao searched for five minutes but couldn't find the entrance to the ninth level. Not in a hurry, he decided to grind Flame Raccoons on the eighth level for a while, stacking his Godslayer Bloodlust attributes, just in case they were needed on the ninth level.
An hour later.
A message arrived from Shen Xingchen: "Lin Zhao, people from Xinghe have entered the ninth level and are actively searching for the whereabouts of the ninth level Boss. Cang Long and Xun Xian also entered the ninth level together. It seems these three guilds have secretly joined forces, aiming to claim the ninth level Boss for themselves."
"Normal."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Our Scarlet Moon Knights have already obtained quite a few Bosses. These guilds must be feeling the pressure. It's not like the Scarlet Moon Knights can take all the benefits. It's fine; if they want the ninth level Boss, let them have it."
"I won't!"
Shen Xingchen exclaimed indignantly, "Why should they have it? I'm leading people to the ninth level right now. If our people find it first, it belongs to the Scarlet Moon Knights. You follow my orders at all times; come when I tell you to!"
"Alright."
Lin Zhao chuckled. This feisty temper was truly endearing.
...
Not long after, the Boss of the ninth level map was discovered by members of the Xinghe, Cang Long, and Xun Xian guilds. The ninth level Boss was the Shadow of the Chaos Dragon Emperor, a level 189 Saint-tier Boss. It was likely the second-ranked Boss in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tree map. However, the sheer numbers of the three guilds, exceeding 1,000 people, were enough to overwhelm this Saint-tier Boss through a human wave tactic. After all, no rookies were present; they were all Golden Core stage players. Those who reached the Golden Core stage were never novices; they were generally among the top-ranked players in the national server.
"What are you doing?" Shen Xingchen asked.
"Grinding monsters."
Lin Zhao replied, "Stacking Godslayer Bloodlust attributes to prepare for Dragon Chen."
"Stop preparing."
Shen Xingchen said speechlessly, "I forgot to tell you, there's a restriction on the ninth level map. Once players enter the ninth level, they cannot re-enter for 24 hours after death. Furthermore, all player buffs within the ninth level map refresh every 10 minutes, so your Godslayer Bloodlust will be quickly depleted once you enter the ninth level."
"Huh?"
Lin Zhao looked helpless. "I'm being targeted..."
"Yes, you are."
Shen Xingchen said, "When you defeated the Human Emperor Wang Chong last time, you must have attracted the attention of the official developers. They won't allow you to use Godslayer Bloodlust to grind the final Boss of the version map anymore."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Didn't they say this game was about full freedom of growth, evolving through the main AI's chaotic inference? Does such direct intervention by the developers count as a violation of the regulations set by the United Government when they launched this game?"
"No."
Shen Xingchen chuckled. "When they released the regulations, there were many supplementary agreements, so many that players wouldn't even read them. But there must have been supplementary agreements regarding such corrections. So, don't think about complaining to them."
Lin Zhao scratched his head. "I never thought about complaining to the developers. I'm just worried they'll complain about me..."
"..."
Shen Xingchen's expression went blank. "Alright, stop grinding. Come to the ninth level and meet us. Xinghe, Cang Long, and Xun Xian have already started fighting the ninth level Boss. After they finish, we'll all gather the Star Stones and then start grinding the final Boss."
"Mhm!"
...
A few minutes later, Lin Zhao stepped into the ninth level.
The Scarlet Moon Knights were fighting monsters in a barren woodland. As Lin Zhao flew overhead, he saw dragon shadows rising above the distant jungle, followed by the roars of divine dragons. Streams of light flowed, indicating that the battle there had already stirred the heavens and earth, raging fiercely.
Lin Zhao descended gracefully, standing between Chen Xue and Shen Xingchen. "A human wave tactic?"
"What else?"
Chen Xue smiled. "Want to go watch?"
"No, it's not interesting..."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Let's wait until they finish."
"Mhm."
The human wave tactic employed by the three guilds was brutal. It took about 30 minutes to finally conclude. Afterward, the leaders of the various guilds gathered in this woodland. From a distance, Su Xinghe, Yi Shi Cang Liang, and Xian Bai's eyes were red. The losses were too heavy. Over 1,300 people participated in hunting the Shadow of the Chaos Dragon Emperor, and only over 700 survived. The price paid was indeed tragic.
"Did anything good drop?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.
Yi Shi Cang Liang replied, "If something good had dropped, would we have this expression?"
"That's true..."
Su Xinghe smiled casually. "Alright, everyone contribute your Star Stones, then summon the final Boss. After we finish, we can go to bed early."
"Mhm."
Everyone took out their respective Star Stones, with Lin Zhao having the most. Soon, nine Star Stones were laid out on the grass, shimmering brightly, their energies connected and flowing.
"And then?" Su Xinghe asked.
"I'm good at this!"
Yi Shi Cang Liang, a man who remained youthful at heart until death, stepped forward, raised his hands to the sky, and shouted, "Come forth—Overlord Dragon Chen!"
"Swish!"
The nine Star Stones simultaneously erupted with towering brilliance. Then, the sky of the ninth level instantly dimmed. The condensed light from the nine Star Stones shot up into the sky. Amidst the blinding light, a handsome man clad in exquisite and majestic armor, bare-handed, emerged from the void. Around him, starlight manifestations flickered, radiating a kingly aura. This was indeed the Nine-Star Overlord, Dragon Chen.
"Hmph..."
Dragon Chen's gaze was condescending, and he let out a cold laugh. "Does a mortal dare to summon me?"
"..."
Yi Shi Cang Liang frowned. The other party's arrogant demeanor was truly annoying. Was he a god, and was I just an ant? Thinking this, Yi Shi Cang Liang drew his sword, preparing to attack.
"Alliance Leader, forget it, forget it..."
A group of people pulled him back, telling their leader not to act impulsively, to avoid being the first to die and embarrassing them.
Lin Zhao looked up. His Water Moon Observatory technique's detection ability far surpassed that of most players. Therefore, he was the only player who could see Dragon Chen's introduction. He directly spent 5,000 universal coins to share Dragon Chen's entry in the bestiary with all players on the server.
[Dragon Chen] (Immortal-tier Boss)
Level: 200
Attack: ???
Defense: ???
HP: ???
Skills: [Great Brahma Scripture] [Seven Imperfect Xuan Yang Technique] [Star River Firmament Art] [Blazing Heavenly Prison] [Raging Thunder Battle Soul Spear]
Description: Nine-Star Overlord Dragon Chen, a martial arts prodigy of unparalleled talent. Wielding the Nine-Star Hegemony Body Technique, he roamed the world, finding few equals. Now, a projection of Dragon Chen has descended upon the mortal realm. Whether it is an opportunity or a calamity depends on the means of the mortal warriors.
...
"Damn, an Immortal-tier Boss?"
Xian Bai frowned. "Are players qualified to encounter an Immortal-tier Boss at this stage?"
"Absolutely not."
Su Xinghe furrowed his brow. "In fact, this map should have been designed for players to grind slowly, perhaps for a few months until their levels are high enough before challenging the final Boss."
"So, are we fighting or not?"
Jian Huang asked, "If we fight, we all go together. If not, we disperse."
"If we fight, the odds are slim."
Shu Mei Jian Qing Feng, the alliance leader of the Wu Wang Guild, frowned. "But if we don't fight, we can't quite accept it. The first Immortal-tier Boss in the entire server is right before us, and all the top experts in the national server are here. If we back down, the other three regions will definitely mock our Huaxia region for having no true men. How embarrassing..."
"Indeed, indeed."
Yi Shi Cang Liang, a bloodthirsty fighter, rubbed his hands and smiled. "Anyway, I support fighting."
Su Xinghe looked at Lin Zhao, Shen Xingchen, and the others. "Lin Zhao, what do you think?"
"Fight."
Lin Zhao did not hesitate. "At worst, we'll all be wiped out and go to sleep. Peacefully."
"Alright, let's fight!"
Everyone laughed heartily.
This battle would still employ the human wave tactic from the national server, but this time, it would be all guilds combined, tens of thousands of people围剿 Dragon Chen.
...
"Charge!"
After applying a suite of buffs, Lin Zhao took the lead, his body rising into the air. The foundation of a Five Realms Martial Warrior was exceptionally solid. He smashed a powerful fist towards Dragon Chen's jaw, sending him flying upwards like a spring onion from the ground. Immediately after, streams of flying swords arrived in a dense barrage, unleashing a flurry of damage numbers. However... the damage didn't seem particularly high. Dragon Chen didn't feel any significant pain.
The top players of the national server rushed forward one after another, charging towards Dragon Chen from all directions, creating a spectacular scene.