In the blink of an instant, just as Lin Zhao was about to imbue himself with the Level 1 Flame Demon Wolf, a series of buffs flashed across his interface—
Attack Power +25-37.5
Defense +30
Max HP +250
Damage Reduction +0%
Crit Rate +0%
Lifesteal +0%
Magic Resist +0%
Crit Resist +0%
…
He finally understood. So this was how everyone played. After imbuing with a phantom beast, 25% of the beast's attributes would be directly added to the owner's stats. This was equivalent to granting the owner a buff that enhanced both offense and defense. And when the phantom beast reached a sufficiently high level, it could even bestow attributes like increased damage, critical hit rate, magic resistance, and critical hit resistance!
Therefore, a good phantom beast could completely change its owner's combat power.
He took a deep breath. Good, good. The next step was simple: descend the mountain and hunt monsters. He needed to level up the Flame Demon Wolf first. Even at Level 1, it provided so many attributes; at higher levels, the buffs would be considerable, perhaps even transforming his combat capabilities!
For a moment, his heart was filled with ambition. The stronger his attributes, the more he could withstand the suppression of the great demons of the Upper Five Realms. Coupled with his cultivation as an Eighth Realm Golden Core Sword Cultivator, he believed that when he encountered great demons of the Star River Realm or the True Origin Realm again, he would no longer be so powerless!
Across the entire server, when other players became stronger, they thought about not being bullied by certain players or guilds anymore. Lin Zhao, however, upon gaining strength, only thought about hunting demons. His mind was solely focused on hunting demons in the Northern Territory. The factional strife among players in the South, he didn't particularly care to get involved in; it was all just pointless internal conflict. However, other players had different perceptions and thoughts than him. Their joy might come from PvP, and there was nothing to say about that; it was perfectly acceptable.
He dispersed the imbued form. Each phantom beast had 100 points of Spirit Energy, and the imbued form consumed Spirit Energy, so there was no need to remain in that state constantly; it would be a waste.
The next moment, he summoned his flying sword, Red Leaf, and leaped onto its blade. The Flame Demon Wolf wagged its tail, climbed up Lin Zhao's arm, and squatted on his shoulder, like a docile little dog. This is how it followed Lin Zhao down the mountain.
“Brother Lin Zhao!”
On the mountain path of the Villa on the Peak, Chen Ben was practicing his fist stances, climbing the mountain step by step. He looked up at Lin Zhao, his eyes filled with undisguised envy. “Brother Lin Zhao has truly become a Sword Immortal, you can already fly on your sword…”
“Hahahaha~~~”
Lin Zhao said shamelessly, “You know it. You little fellow, cultivate well! Keep up with my pace!”
“Okay, I will!”
Chen Ben smiled and nodded, continuing his fist practice as he ascended.
Not far away, Chu Yu, who was practicing martial arts with Wang Yue on a flat blue rock, couldn’t help but chuckle. This guy was too shameless. How could an Eighth Realm Sword Cultivator have the nerve to tell a Tenth Realm Martial Artist to catch up to him? However… for him to ascend so rapidly, from a Sword Cultivator of the Lower Five Realms to an Eighth Realm Sword Cultivator, his foundation was indeed astonishing.
He continued to fly down the mountain.
On the stone bridge of the small town, the disheveled man Tang Guangjun held a Jianbing Guozi bought from the town and stood at the bridgehead. He looked up at Lin Zhao with a shocked expression. “The Mountain Master has already reached the Golden Core Sword Cultivator realm? Such potent sword intent. Tang offers his respects!”
Lin Zhao continued without stopping, too lazy to bother with him.
Within the clouds, a Tenth Realm Cloud Master, leaning on the cloud, was looking down after taking a drink from his gourd of inferior wine. He then looked down and smiled. “Ah… Third Shopkeeper is remarkable. He couldn’t fly on his sword in his previous life, but he finally achieved it in this life, and he’s an Eighth Realm Sword Cultivator! Remarkable, truly remarkable. If he draws that sword in this life, he could probably cleave the demon ancestor in half with a single strike.”
Lin Zhao laughed heartily and stopped Red Leaf at the same altitude as the clouds. He clasped his fist and smiled, “Old Sword Immortal Han, you must be surprised to see an old Sword Immortal here!”
“Amazing, amazing!”
Han Buyu smiled. “Are you heading down North Mountain to hunt demons?”
“Mm!”
“Go, go, don’t disturb my cultivation of sword intent.”
“Alright.”
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded, driving Red Leaf to dive down, leaving a diagonal streak of sword qi in the air. Indeed, after players could fly on their swords, their entire demeanor changed. Lin Zhao especially loved the feeling of flying with his hands behind his back, the cool breeze brushing his face, his eyes narrowed, looking incredibly dashing even if he were to crash into a mountain.
However, there still seemed to be quite a distance to go before becoming a true Sword Immortal!
After all, on the mountains of the Human Realm, the universally recognized Sword Immortals were those in the Upper Five Realms. Take the Eleventh Realm, for instance. Eleventh Realm Sword Cultivators were generally considered Sword Immortals. However, in some places where Sword Immortals were abundant, the Eleventh Realm was barely sufficient. Like in the ancestral lands of the Military Scholars, or places with many Sword Cultivators like the Great Wall of Fusu, people usually only dared to nod when called Sword Immortals at the Twelfth Realm, otherwise, they felt quite self-conscious.
Qin Yu, born with a sword seed, was one of those who felt self-conscious. His talent for the sword was otherworldly in his childhood, but as he grew older, he accumulated more worries, and his progress slowed. Although he could faintly see the threshold of the Twelfth Realm, he was still far from truly breaking through. In contrast, his cousin Lin Wanhua could achieve the Ascension Realm at any time if she wished.
Therefore, Qin Yu disliked being called a Sword Immortal, and even more so, he didn’t want to mention being born with a sword seed anymore, feeling completely unworthy.
Lin Zhao felt the same. Even if he reached the Eleventh Realm, he didn’t believe he had truly become a Sword Immortal. One had to be like Xiao Jiu’er or Miss Lin, reaching the Twelfth Realm, to be a genuine Sword Immortal of the human world!
…
At the foot of North Mountain, stray demons spawned in large numbers, but many players also descended North Mountain to hunt monsters. Players from various guilds were everywhere, with the Crimson Moon Knights, Seeking Immortals, Star River, and Azure Dragon guilds being commonly seen. Rumor had it that over 100,000 players were leveling up outside North Mountain, though it was uncertain if it was true.
Lin Zhao sought a more distant leveling spot, directly choosing Nine Zhang Plain. Being targeted by great demons didn't matter; firstly, Chu Zhi could provide assistance with her sword, and secondly, he could simply use his invincibility to return to town. The invincibility skill was there to be used, and using it early meant a shorter cooldown, a concept he understood.
The next moment, Lin Zhao began hunting monsters, luring a group of Level 120-130 Flowing Gold grade monsters. He stepped on Red Leaf and flew close to the ground, continuously casting various skills into the monster horde. His two flying swords were also active, flying out from the Cloud Embracing Sword Lake to assist in killing monsters. In particular, the “Moonfall” divine ability of the flying sword Ming Yue was a godsend for clearing monsters, greatly increasing Lin Zhao’s output. His solo monster hunting efficiency was no less than that of a Mage of the same tier.
Shortly thereafter, streams of golden light rained down from the sky. The Flame Demon Wolf, sitting on Lin Zhao’s shoulder, continued to level up, and its body grew larger and larger. The small space on his shoulder was almost insufficient. But this cub leveled up too quickly. Before it could react, it whined with its milky voice, kicking its legs and climbing onto Lin Zhao’s shoulder. Soon, it was like a giant fiery red husky squatting on Lin Zhao’s shoulder, its front half overlooking the ground, its hindquarters and tail sticking high up.
“That’s enough!”
Lin Zhao was somewhat speechless. He pulled it off his shoulder and threw it to the front of Red Leaf, letting it absorb experience points by lying down. About two hours later, this Flame Demon Wolf had rapidly advanced to Level 62, its leveling speed was incredibly fast, and its attributes had undergone a metamorphic change. It was truly remarkable—
[Flame Demon Wolf] (Earth Grade Boss)
Level: 62
Attack: 6200-9300
Defense: 7440
HP: 62000
Skills: [Bite] [Combo] [Imbue] [Blazing Whirlwind]
Growth Value: 1.275
…
“Good heavens…”
He looked at the Flame Demon Wolf’s attributes and couldn’t help but frown. After imbuing, 25% of these attributes would be added to himself. What kind of concept was that? An additional 1550-2325 base attack, 1860 base defense, and 15500 base HP. And this was just for a Level 62 Flame Demon Wolf. Most top-tier players already had phantom beasts leveled to over 100!
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a chill. Fortunately, he hadn't become arrogant and engaged in PvP with other players recently, otherwise, with them imbuing their beasts, he might not have had the advantage!
He frowned. He really should think of a way to compensate Luo Man and Mo Chenxue, especially Luo Man. He had always been harsh with her, but she repaid his harshness with kindness; her magnanimity was truly impressive. After some thought, he decided against it. He would treat them to a meal later, just the two of them, to show sincerity.
Thus, he calmed himself down and, in an extremely low-key manner, hid in a mountain hollow on Nine Zhang Plain, quietly leveling his pet.
…
Villa on the Peak.
Groups of players clustered outside the main entrance of the Villa on the Peak. This map appeared deep blue in their eyes, a forbidden zone for players, and currently, no player could enter. However, many wished to join the Villa on the Peak and become disciples of Chu Zhi, Mu Gua, Chu Yu, and others, hoping to inherit their legacies.
Unfortunately, a disheveled man guarded the entrance to the Villa on the Peak, carrying a sword on his shoulder. He smiled. “Scram, get out, everyone! The people of the Villa on the Peak don’t take disciples. Mind your manners!”
Yet, many players remained unwilling to give up.
Until a female Sword Immortal descended the mountain. It was Chu Zhi. She looked at the crowd of players outside with surprise, then frowned.
“Sword Immortal Chu Zhi!”
A Level 105 Swordmaster cupped his fist and said, “I wish to become a disciple of Sword Immortal Chu Zhi. I implore the Sword Immortal’s permission!”
Chu Zhi calmly walked past them, her voice serene. “I do not take disciples. No one from the Villa on the Peak takes disciples. Please return, everyone.”
The crowd dispersed, somewhat dejected.
…
Qingliang Mountain, in front of the Qingliang Sect’s mountain gate.
The mountain gate, which had been shattered by Chu Zhi, had been rebuilt. A larger, more luxurious giant rock now bore the inscription: “Heavenly Qingliang Mountain, Northern Territory’s Premier Sect.” At this moment, a group of players was ascending the mountain, each wearing the same guild emblem. Leading them was a player riding a fiery red warhorse and clad in top-tier armor. It was Li Canghai, leading the Azure Knights.
“I am Li Canghai!”
He dismounted and knelt on one knee before the mountain gate, saying in a deep voice, “I wish to lead my brothers to join the Qingliang Sect. We hope the Immortal Masters of the Qingliang Sect will grant us passage.”
“On what grounds?”
A guard of the Qingliang Sect, an Eighth Realm cultivator, frowned.
“On what grounds?”
Li Canghai looked up, a smile in his eyes. “On the grounds that I bring a generous gift and seek an audience with the Ancestor of the Qingliang Sect!”