Wuji Mountain.
On the mountaintop, fierce winds howled, and the brilliance of various magical arts intertwined. Lu Xiuyuan, clad in a tattered azure robe, revealed a bloody, mangled body beneath. The two-headed parrot pháp tướng behind him, with its wings unfurled, began to fade. Though he desperately pushed the last vestiges of spiritual energy from his spiritual sea, he had reached his limit.
An eleventh-realm Great Demon, its foundation was thus. After consuming over 800 sheets of "Zhao Jian Fu" talismans, imbued with the sword qi of Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua, two peak twelfth-realm Sword Immortals, along with countless "Dingshen Fu," "Poshu Fu," "Zhenyao Fu," and other talismans, coupled with the players' ten minutes of sustained skill barrages, this peak eleventh-realm Great Demon finally faltered.
"Demon Ancestor…"
He suddenly turned his head, a ferocious expression contorting his face as he glared towards the direction of the Demon Ancestral Mountain, roaring, "To what extent have these human scum become so rampant? My death is of no consequence, Lu Xiuyuan. But the rules of our Demon Race's dominion are so trampled upon. Lu Xiuyuan dies with profound regret!"
In the next instant, under the synchronized assault of the flying swords "Mingyue" and "Haoran," Lu Xiuyuan let out a mournful cry as his last bit of vitality was drained. The moment he knelt, a cascade of loot exploded from him. Simultaneously, a bell sound echoed throughout the entire realm—
"Ding!"
System Announcement: Congratulations to player [Bai Yi] and their team for successfully slaying [Lu Xiuyuan] (Eleventh Realm), achieving the server's first kill of a Ghost God-tier Boss! Player [Bai Yi] ranked first in team combat contribution, receiving rewards: Level +3, Gold Coins +50000, Reputation +30000, Charm +5, and an additional reward: [Li Quan] (Ghost God Artifact). All other team members receive 65% of the allocated rewards. Congratulations to everyone, and may all brave adventurers have continued good fortune!
…
With the advent of the Ghost God-tier first kill rewards, Lin Zhao directly leveled up by three, reaching level 120. The other players almost all leveled up by two. It could be said that after this battle, most of the main players of the Scarlet Moon Knights had profited greatly in terms of levels. Even those who lost two levels had recouped their losses. The only significant resource consumed was Lin Zhao's talismans; the talismans he had accumulated for over half a month were almost entirely depleted in one go!
Aside from the level and charm rewards, there was also a Ghost God Artifact!
Lin Zhao couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. After all, at this current stage, no player on the server had even claimed a first kill on a Heavenly-tier Boss. The entire Huaxia region had not obtained a single Heavenly-tier equipment. Yet here he was, leaping a whole tier to acquire a Ghost God Artifact, an item a level above Heavenly-tier. He hurriedly opened his inventory and saw a verdant green longsword, complete with its scabbard, lying quietly in the corner. This Ghost God Artifact was actually a sword!
"Hoo…"
Lin Zhao quickly picked up the longsword named "Li Quan." Instantly, he felt a cool yet powerful force surge into his palm. With a wave of his hand, its attributes floated before his eyes, which were truly terrifying—
[Li Quan] (Ghost God Artifact)
Attack: 3750-4550
Strength: +188
Stamina: +185
Agility: +182
Special Effect: Lifesteal +24%
Special Effect: Sword Skill Damage Increased by 35%
Special Effect: Increased Damage, User's Attack Damage +60%
Special Effect: Armor Penetration, Ignores 55% of Target's Defense
Special Effect: Deals 65% splash damage to targets within 7 yards of the target
Special Effect: Li Quan, upon attacking a target, can continuously absorb the target's spiritual energy, converting it for one's own use.
Additional: Increases user's Attack Power by 65%
Additional: Increases user's Defense by 63%
Lore: A blade fallen from the upper realms. Its previous owner was a thirteenth-realm Great Sword Immortal who roamed the Sea of Myriad Heavens. During a period of turmoil, the Great Sword Immortal fell in battle, and this immortal sword named Li Quan was lost to the mortal world. It is said that those who obtain this Li Quan can perceive the profound mysteries of the universe and the heavens, and with the sword in hand, can deal no negligible damage to those in the upper five realms.
Required Strength: 2500
Required Level: 120
…
He frowned, almost unable to bear looking. With such a weapon in hand, how were other players supposed to play? His level was just right, so without a second thought, he equipped Li Quan, replacing the recently acquired Earth-tier "Canyang." Instantly, a robust and immense aura enveloped him, his base attack and overall combat power surging dramatically—
[Bai Yi] (Swordsman)
Level: 120
Attack: 8380-10150 (+356%)
Defense: 4400 (+364%)
Health: 67220 (+20%)
Critical Hit: 20%
Lifesteal: 64%
Damage Reduction: 37%
Damage Increase: 235%
Intellect: 99
Charm: 75
Reputation: 127780
Combat Power: 27520
Realm: Golden Core Stage
…
With these attributes, he could basically walk unimpeded in Baidi City. To put it bluntly, in his phantom armor form, Lin Zhao would have a more than fifty percent chance of defeating two Su Xinghe at this moment. There was no other way; player versus player combat was all about attributes. Lin Zhao's true attack power had now surpassed 40,000, and any blow would be unbearable.
Beside him, Shen Xingchen was sorting through a pile of Boss drops, looking slightly disappointed. "No Ghost God Artifact, but there are two Heavenly-tier, four Earth-tier items, and a few level 100 skill books. 'Po Jian Shi' also dropped one."
"Let's all roll for it," Lin Zhao said. "Everyone who participated can roll according to their needs. Let everyone test their luck."
Immediately, all present revealed expressions of joy. After all, there were precedents in other major guilds on the national server where guild leaders and deputy leaders would always find ways to keep peak equipment for themselves or their trusted confidantes. However, Lin Zhao's rule was different; it was a direct, simple, and brute-force roll for everyone.
Shortly after, the few pieces of equipment were allocated through rolls. The studio members received nothing, all of them having worked as laborers. However, the Youth Squad and Bai Yi Squad had two players who obtained Heavenly-tier items, filling them with elation. The Little Deer Squad obtained two Earth-tier items, and Luo Man grinned foolishly, looking as if he had shared in their glory.
Just then, a streak of fiery red clouds suddenly approached from the north!
"Hmm?"
Lin Zhao's golden core vibrated intensely, almost shattering under the powerful pressure. He hurriedly shouted, "Everyone return to the city! Quick! Those with invincibility, use it and return to the city immediately, don't hesitate, go!"
Everyone crushed their town scrolls.
Lin Zhao, Shen Xingchen, and a large group of people with invincibility skills returned to the city after activating their invulnerability. Two seconds later, a beam of sword light descended, engulfing the entire mountaintop of Wuji Mountain. It was a strike from Nan Qingfeng, a thirteenth-realm Great Demon of the Demon Race!
"Boom—"
As the blinding sword light swept across, the ordinary players who had returned to the city were annihilated one by one, many of them dropping equipment. Lin Zhao raised an eyebrow and shouted, "Don't hesitate, return to the city first!"
Instantly, only over 80 people, including Lin Zhao, Shen Xingchen, and Chen Xue, successfully returned to the city. The rest were killed once, and the mountaintop was filled with the glint of dropped equipment.
"Damn…"
Ding Chi stood on the east gate square of Baidi City, his expression grim. "Is this a post-Ghost God-tier first kill easter egg?"
"Not an easter egg, it's plot."
Lin Zhao frowned. "This game pursues extreme realism. Think about it, if Wuji Mountain was attacked and the eleventh-realm Lu Xiuyuan was killed, would the Demon Ancestral Mountain remain indifferent? Impossible. Nan Qingfeng's strike was expected. I was momentarily blinded by the Ghost God-tier first kill and overlooked this detail."
Saying this, he spoke in the team channel, "Those who died just now, revive on the spot, pick up your equipment, and then come back. Don't let most of our brothers suffer losses. Everyone who dropped equipment, take screenshots as proof. Later, Xingchen and Axue will compare them one by one and return the equipment. We in the Scarlet Moon Knights are all brothers and sisters, and we will fight side by side in the future. Let's not be too selfish."
"Mhm!"
A group of people in the guild nodded repeatedly, in full agreement.
Shen Xingchen's lips curved slightly. The character of a guild leader determines the character of the guild. Clearly, as long as Lin Zhao remained in the Scarlet Moon Knights, this character of the guild would not change.
"Let's go."
Lin Zhao turned and smiled slightly. "I'm heading back to guard the Snow Domain Celestial Pond. Everyone, keep up the good work!"
"Mhm!"
Ding Chi laughed. "Next time, remember to bring us to kill eleventh-realm bosses again. It's actually quite profitable. If we're well-informed, we can maintain a 500-person team to continue farming eleventh-realm bosses, using the eleventh-realm Great Demons as leveling tools."
"You're thinking too much."
Lin Zhao chuckled. "Do you know how much it cost me to kill Lu Xiuyuan?"
"How much?" Chen Xue and Shen Xingchen asked in unison.
Lin Zhao said sheepishly, "I saved up talismans for half a month, and then had Jiu'er and Wanhua imbue them with sword qi. In the last ten minutes, I used them all up in one go. So don't expect to level up by killing eleventh-realm bosses; that's a fool's dream."
"That's true."
Ding Chi scratched his head. "Alright, we won't trouble you."
"I'm leaving."
Lin Zhao secretly traded the Canyang sword to Ding Chi without anyone noticing, waved his hand, and stepped into the teleportation array.
…
Jiuzhang Plain.
In a steep canyon, Ding Chunqiu, leading the remaining forces of the All-Evil Guild, numbering over 50 people, evaded the pursuit of Xinghe, Canglong, and Wuwang. They wearily navigated through the forests. Just as the bell sound of the Ghost God-tier first kill announcement swept over them, their bodies trembled. The demon insignia above their heads dissolved like quicksand and vanished; their sect had ceased to exist.
Lu Xiuyuan had established his own faction on Wuji Mountain. First, Ding Chunqiu's sect was wiped out. Subsequently, the Demon Race cultivators under Lu Xiuyuan, such as those in the Xinghe realm and Nascent Soul realm, also became without sects. Therefore, their sects also disappeared. As a chain reaction, the sects of the All-Evil Guild members were all cleared.
Their IDs had turned white, blank, belonging neither to humans nor demons, becoming a group of neutral players. And these neutral players were the most terrifying. Their reputation was zero, they had no place to repair their equipment, no place to hide. There was almost no place left for these people in the world, be it above or below.
"Damn your Scarlet Moon Knights!"
Ding Chunqiu looked up at the dark sky, tears of unwillingness welling in his eyes, and roared, "As long as I, Ding Chunqiu, live for one more day, I swear to be an eternal enemy of your Scarlet Moon Knights!"
The others also knelt on the ground, completely dejected. This day was simply the doomsday for the All-Evil Guild.