Three thirty in the afternoon.
"Whoosh~~~"
The moment Lin Zhao felled a giant hornet, a golden rain of light bathed him, and he had already leveled up to 25. At the same time, as the giant hornet fell, it seemed to have dropped something with a "pat" sound, like a light gold skill book.
"Huh!?"
Lin Zhao was slightly startled, not expecting such a drop. His heart began to race. He picked up the skill book and brushed his hand over it. The attributes floated before his eyes, and he was stunned—
[Qian Kun Yi Zhi] (S-rank Skill Book): Condenses inner true qi to deliver a heavy strike to the target. The damage is related to the caster's maximum attack power. Requires Level: 25, Learning Profession: Swordman, Berserker, Paladin.
...
The giant hornet's Qian Kun Yi Zhi!
Lin Zhao was overjoyed. He had been hit so hard by Qian Kun Yi Zhi before, and he never expected to actually get the skill book. Moreover, this was a "hidden skill" that could not be learned from the general professional trainers. Such skills could only be obtained through monster drops. If one was unlucky, they might never learn it in their lifetime.
"Whoosh~~~"
The skill book vanished in Lin Zhao's palm. The next moment, a crimson sword pattern appeared in his skill bar, which was the skill icon for Qian Kun Yi Zhi. Lin Zhao looked at a buzzing giant hornet in the distance and immediately triggered Qian Kun Yi Zhi. With a "hiss," his true qi surged into his longsword. In the next second, his Fangtooth Blade turned crimson, and then, as the sword qi impact charge completed, Qian Kun Yi Zhi fiercely struck the giant hornet's body!
"711!"
The high damage number stunned Lin Zhao himself. If he remembered correctly, the damage of Cleave against the giant hornet was only a mere 400+ points. The damage from Qian Kun Yi Zhi was like the difference between heaven and earth! He pondered for a moment, then looked at the description of Qian Kun Yi Zhi. It could only be explained that Qian Kun Yi Zhi dealt damage at the upper limit of attack, while Cleave's damage was random. Thus, Qian Kun Yi Zhi was not only stable but also deadly. This was truly a divine skill, worthy of being an S-rank golden skill, far beyond what an insignificant skill like Cleave could compare to!
He happily continued to kill monsters with his sword, and while he was dealing with a giant hornet, he shared his coordinates in the team channel, saying, "You guys can come to the Fiery Bee Forest to level up once you're a bit higher level. There's a chance to drop the 'Qian Kun Yi Zhi' skill book. It's super powerful and can completely replace Cleave."
"What?!"
Ding Chi's eyes widened. "What does it look like? Show us?"
"Sure."
Lin Zhao recorded a few seconds of the Qian Kun Yi Zhi attack and sent it over. Ding Chi and Zhang Jun were immediately stunned by the 700+ damage.
"Damn, that strong?!"
Zhang Jun frowned. "Ding Chi and I are not far from level 24. Can we go over when we reach level 24?"
"About that."
Lin Zhao said, "But the two of you need to charge in waves. After two sword qi impacts, you should be able to one-shot level 30 giant hornets. These monsters have high attack and defense but low health, making them particularly suitable for a risky leveling strategy. You two just need to be careful not to agro extra monsters. If 2-3 giant hornets attack you together, you'll definitely be dead or severely injured."
"Mm-hmm!"
Ding Chi laughed. "As long as there's a skill book to drop, there's no problem. Skill books are permanent power increases, much more worthwhile than any equipment."
Lin Zhao smiled and continued grinding monsters.
...
Around four o'clock, Lin Zhao had already slain countless giant hornets. As he swung his sword and felled another one, there was a "pat" sound, and another drop appeared – a pair of glittering silver bracers fell to the ground. They looked like attribute equipment, so he immediately rushed forward to pick them up. Brushing his hand over them, he was not disappointed—
[Giant Hornet Bracers] (Silver Grade)
Type: Armor
Defense: 45
Strength: +20
Agility: +18
Required Level: 25
...
These bracers had excellent attributes, with high defense and bonus strength and agility! They were far better than the white bracers Lin Zhao had been wearing before. After equipping them, he felt his wrists filled with surging, powerful force, a feeling that was somewhat similar to when he broke through to become a six-realm martial artist back then, making Lin Zhao quite nostalgic.
Evening.
"Beep!"
A message arrived from a stranger. The sender's ID was Rong Xing, who said, "Bai Yi, you're the one ranked first on the Yunshang County level leaderboard, right?"
Lin Zhao frowned slightly. This Rong Xing also seemed a bit familiar; he seemed to be the Swordman ranked fourth on the Yunshang County level leaderboard. How did he know he was the number one on the level leaderboard? Clearly, he must have seen him in the map. So Lin Zhao cut down the giant hornet in front of him and turned around with a smile. "Friend, are you coming out?"
"Hahaha~~~"
A person emerged from the bushes. He was clad in armor, and judging by its luster, he had one silver-grade, two profound iron-grade, and two bronze-grade pieces. At this stage, this was definitely the level of a true expert. Rong Xing looked at Lin Zhao and said with a smile, "An expert is an expert. Your perception is so sharp. I thought I was being completely stealthy!"
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao smiled slightly. "My friend... is there something you need?"
"Mm."
Rong Xing said with a faint smile, "Don't be nervous. I'm not following you. The reason I came to this Fiery Bee Forest map is because I saw on the official forum of 'Tianxia' that an S-rank skill book called 'Qian Kun Yi Zhi' dropped in this map in another county. So I came to try my luck. I didn't expect to run into you. A level 25 Swordman, you must be the top rank."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Then... we'll just level separately?"
"Of course."
Rong Xing took a deep breath and said, "I'm not talking to you for any other reason than to remind you. Someone asked me earlier if I knew your coordinates, so I deduced that you must have offended someone."
"Huang Xiao Xie?"
"Yes! That group of people."
Rong Xing showed a deeply cautious expression and said with a smile, "These people... although they're not very skilled players, they have a lot of numbers and behave like petty scoundrels. As the saying goes, it's better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel. So you'd best stay away from this group in the future to avoid trouble."
"Oh..."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Thanks, but it's fine. If they don't provoke me, I won't provoke them. Everyone is leveling up in the early stages, all thinking about climbing higher. No one will waste their time on PK."
"Right."
Rong Xing said with appreciative laughter, "People like us who want to make a living from 'Tianxia' will think this way. But those who have no worries about food and clothing in reality might not. Coincidentally, the people you've offended are all like that. That Huang Xiao Xie is just a lackey. The person behind him is the truly terrifying one. Don't provoke them if you can avoid it."
"Who is it? Is it convenient to say?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Let me put it this way..."
Rong Xing took a deep breath and said, "Half of the top 20 on the Yunshang County level leaderboard are their people."
"Got it, thank you!"
"Take care!"
"Add me as a friend?"
"Sure."
After adding each other as friends, Rong Xing immediately headed towards the east side of the Fiery Bee Forest, not competing with Lin Zhao for leveling resources. Lin Zhao frowned. While the intention to harm others should not exist, the vigilance against them should. Rong Xing's words might be a well-intentioned reminder, but there was another possibility: perhaps Rong Xing was allied with that group, pretending to be a good person to get close to him and track his movements.
He continued leveling. If Huang Xiao Xie brought people to cause trouble within the next hour, it would mean Rong Xing was likely problematic. If not, then this Rong Xing was fine, and they could be friends.
...
He continued leveling until past five o'clock. Lin Zhao reached level 26, while Ding Chi and Zhang Jun were level 25. Both were already on the Yunshang County leaderboard. The second day of leveling was relatively smooth, and they weren't left behind. Lin Zhao felt quite relieved. What he worried about the most was that Ding Chi and Zhang Jun's strength would hold them back. Friends were friends, but if someone became a burden, it would be quite troublesome, creating a dilemma between rationality and sentiment.
"It's time for dinner."
Ding Chi said in the team channel, "Da Jun and I dropped two silver-grade items and three bronze-grade items in the last hour. We had a rich harvest. Shall we celebrate a little and go out for some street food and barbecue?"
"Sure."
"Let's go, log off!"
In the evening, in a small commercial area by the Taihu Lake, the three of them were eating at a roadside stall. A plate of spicy crayfish, a dish of barbecue, a serving of tinfoil brain, along with some peanuts and clams, all washed down with beer and steamed buns. The three of them ate like gods. This meal alone cost at least two hundred universal coins. To put it bluntly, ordinary families couldn't afford it; this was a week's worth of food expenses.
After eating, each of them drank a few bottles of beer and felt a bit tipsy. Facing the shimmering Taihu Lake, they made grand pronouncements.
"Ding Chi!"
Lin Zhao patted his chest and said, "Not long from now, I'll make the entire 'Tianxia' remember our Crimson Moon Knights!"
"That's a given!"
Ding Chi laughed heartily. "It won't take long either. We, the Grassland Three Musketeers, will shake Yunshang County!"
"That's right, that's right!"
Zhang Jun burped and said with a smile, "Damn... I haven't been this happy in a long time. If we could always be this happy for the rest of our lives, how wonderful would that be!"
...
At the same time, on the top floor of the Gate of Suzhou.
Two stunning women stood at the edge of the top floor, overlooking the land. The sunset view of half of Suzhou City was fully captured by their eyes.
Shen Xingchen's beautiful eyes sparkled. She put her arm around Leng Yan's shoulder and pointed to the distance. "Ayan, what do you see?"
"Huh?"
Leng Yan blinked in confusion. "I see Suzhou City under reconstruction, and then what?"
Shen Xingchen couldn't help but chuckle, playfully scolding, "Silly girl, that's not just Suzhou City. Now, you are in Shengtian, and I am in Xinghe. With the two of us joining forces, what changes will there be in the China region of 'Tianxia'? So, what you see before you is not just Suzhou City, but also half of the empire that I've prepared for you!"
Leng Yan glanced at her. "Xingchen, your chest is so big, don't speak so dominantly, okay? I'm afraid I might fall in love with you."
Shen Xingchen giggled.
Leng Yan also smiled. As she smiled, she glanced into the distance again. If this were truly half the empire that Shen Xingchen had prepared for her, would he be within this half of the empire?