Butterfly Forest, a gentle breeze blowing.
...
Xihe Daguo Kui, clad in imposing armor, his greaves particularly striking with the "Flowing Gold" artifact, the Soaring Goose Greaves, shining brilliantly. With the attribute boosts from the Soaring Goose Greaves, Xihe Daguo Kui's HP exceeded 15,000, and his defense and damage reduction also saw significant improvements. He was ready to activate his Sword Qi shield, confident it could withstand Bai Yi's strongest burst of skills.
"Brothers!"
Xihe Daguo Kui looked to his sides and sneered, "Keep an eye on these gathering players. Kill one every ten seconds until Bai Yi shows up."
He then turned to a group of elderly, weak, women, and children players from the gathering professions, his voice icy. "Don't even think about returning to the city or escaping. Can your two legs outrun the cavalry of our Fengzi Camp? Brothers, listen up! Anyone among them who dares to take out a town return scroll will be executed on the spot!"
"Understood, Commander Guo Kui!"
Everyone raised their weapons in unison, looking determined to win.
In the gentle breeze, a figure drifted into the waist-high grass beside Butterfly Forest. Lin Zhao, hunched over, moved slowly through the grass. The Fengzi Camp had clearly laid this trap with great care, expecting to have victory in hand. If he were to charge headfirst into a decisive battle, it would be suicide. So, there was no need to rush; he would slowly erode their fighting spirit.
He brought his left index and middle fingers together in a sword-finger gesture and lightly raised his hand. Instantly, the Qinglu Sword in its sheath behind him let out a resonant hum and slowly unsheathed, its blade pointing towards Xihe Daguo Kui and the others in the distance. Following his will, the flying sword Mingyue from the Sword Lake instantly flew out, hovering above his other shoulder. In the next second, after confirming the target, it was a level 57 Swordsman standing next to Xihe Daguo Kui!
"Hiss!"
The flying sword Mingyue, carrying the "Sharp Frost" divine ability, and the Qinglu Sword, empowered by the "Qi Controlling Sword" skill's damage, flew out almost simultaneously, instantly piercing the man's abdomen and erupting with two conspicuous damage numbers.
"6669!"
"13026!"
One was 300% of his attack damage, the other 600%, totaling 9 times the damage. In an instant, he dealt nearly 20,000 damage. The Swordsman, whose equipment and combat power were already top-tier, let out a whimper. He looked down at the two massive bloody holes in his abdomen, his eyes filled with terror and shock. His body went limp, and he fell from his horse, instantly killed!
"What!?"
Xihe Daguo Kui spun around abruptly, his face contorted with rage. "He's already here! Send a team into the grass to flush him out, the rest of you charge forward and gang up on him!"
"Yes, Boss!"
A level 57 Templar Knight raised his hand and led more than ten players rushing towards the area where the flying sword had returned.
Lin Zhao, meanwhile, moved rapidly through the grass, quickly diving into another patch. As he moved, he checked his skill cooldowns. Fortunately, Qi Controlling Sword had a 7-second cooldown, and the Sharp Frost divine ability of the flying sword Mingyue also had a 7-second cooldown. This meant his ranged assassination attacks could be performed every 7 seconds, allowing for endless harassment. The extreme range of Qi Controlling Sword was 60 yards, and the flying sword's attack range seemed to be similar. This ultra-long-range instant kill tactic was enough to give the Fengzi Camp a real headache!
In the next moment, a scream of agony, "Waaah!" erupted from the crowd. A level 56 Templar Knight fell to the ground, two massive bloody holes in his chest. The flying sword's attack had even crit, instantly depleting over 30,000 of his HP. He was undeniably dead.
"Damn it!"
Xihe Daguo Kui was growing increasingly agitated, roaring, "This son of a bitch really thinks he's hot stuff, truly believes he can walk all over Yun Shang County! Send a few more squads into the grass and flush him out for me!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Several more squads entered the grass.
Lin Zhao moved swiftly through the grass, reaching out and catching the returning Qinglu Sword with a "snap." He dashed forward instantly, appearing before the enemy's searching squads. Without a word, a "Draw Sword Slash" swept away nearly 25% of their HP. He then followed up with "Rising Dragon Slash," sending four people in front of him flying. The flying sword coordinated its attacks, and skills like "Destiny's Throw," "Sweep the Army," and "Heavy Slash" tore through the crowd. In a blink, eight bodies lay behind him, while he himself, almost unscathed, plunged into another patch of grass.
In close combat, he was even more proficient. Sending in a ten-man team was like sending them to their deaths!
Just after finishing, he gestured with his sword-finger, and Qi Controlling Sword combined with the flying sword launched again. Instantly, a level 56 Swordsman who had been pinning down an elder from the production professions let out a whimper. He stumbled back several steps, two large holes appearing in his throat, his entire head nearly detached from his neck. He slumped to the ground, another instant kill.
"Damn it..."
Xihe Daguo Kui's expression turned sinister. "Everyone who entered the grass, get out. There's no need to play cat and mouse with him anymore."
"Boss,"
A副团长 (deputy commander) frowned. "If we don't draw him out of the grass, we'll be continuously worn down. Bai Yi's flying sword and Qi Controlling Sword attacks are too high. He picks us off one by one, and whoever he targets dies. Besides you, Boss, he can kill almost anyone he wants. And Bai Yi's operation and awareness are truly terrifying. His main sword and flying sword arrive on the target almost simultaneously, leaving no room for drinking potions or healing."
"I don't care anymore!"
Xihe Daguo Kui raised his hand. "Everyone, activate your defensive skills and charge into the grass together! Flush him out for me!"
"Yes, Commander Guo Kui!"
...
Over a hundred heavily armored players, all with Sword Qi Shield, Templar Armor, and Berserk Barbarian Armor activated, charged into the grass. Lin Zhao, sensing the danger, immediately retreated. It was difficult to pick off targets now. Fortunately, he was fast. With a tug of the reins, his Snow Rock Warhorse quickly exited the grass. At the same time, he shouted towards the production players in the distance, "Why haven't you returned to the city?!"
Immediately, the production players who had escaped Fengzi Camp's control began returning to the city.
"Son of a bitch!"
Xihe Daguo Kui roared. "Are we going to come back empty-handed today?! We couldn't kill Bai Yi, and all the materials have returned to the city! This is infuriating!"
However, at this moment, the moment the shield skills on everyone's bodies disappeared, a crackling barrage of sword energy hailed down from the sky. Lin Zhao had unleashed his special skill on the most densely packed area around Xihe Daguo Kui. Countless icy sword energies descended from the sky, tossing everyone about. Simultaneously, a beam of sword energy enveloped Xihe Daguo Kui's head.
"Fuck..."
Xihe Daguo Kui gasped deeply. Only now did he truly feel how terrifying this player named Bai Yi was. He possessed immense patience, terrifying insight, and cunning to strategize, calculating their skill cooldowns perfectly and utilizing the surrounding grassy terrain to negate the advantage of their superior numbers.
"Boom!"
Xihe Daguo Kui grunted and was instantly stunned in place. After taking a volley of icy sword energy, Xihe Daguo Kui, who was already at half health, was then finished off by Lin Zhao with a "Destiny's Throw" + "Sweep the Army," depleting his HP and killing him once more!
...
"Shua!"
Resurrected upon returning to the city.
The moment he stood in the Eastern Gate Plaza, Xihe Daguo Kui's heart trembled. He immediately opened his personal equipment interface to check for any drops. The next second, his heart sank. In the position of his greaves, there was only emptiness. His newly acquired "Flowing Gold" artifact, the Soaring Goose Greaves, had vanished without a trace!
"Could it be... a mistake?"
He frantically opened his inventory and found the Soaring Goose Greaves were not there either. Xihe Daguo Kui's expression was one of horror. He quickly sent a message to his deputy commander: "Holy shit! Did I drop my Flowing Gold greaves? Did any of you pick them up!?"
The deputy commander replied with a helpless expression: "Bai Yi was too fast. The moment he killed you, he snatched the loot. I don't know if the Soaring Goose Greaves were among them. Maybe another brother picked them up, but it's unlikely..."
"Damn it!"
Xihe Daguo Kui roared. "All of you, go after him! Kill Bai Yi and make him drop the greaves! Hurry! Whoever drops these greaves, I'll treat them to a month of clubbing!"
"Understood, we'll try our best..."
The deputy commander said this verbally but was already turning to flee. However, after just a few steps, he trembled all over. A massive bloody hole appeared in his chest, pierced by a flying sword. It instantly dealt over 20,000 damage, killing him on the spot!
Inside Butterfly Forest, the Fengzi Camp players fought more and more scattered, the battle almost entirely one-sided. What angered them the most was the tactical retreats of that brat Bai Yi. He was too good, constantly creating distance and killing with his flying sword and Qi Controlling Sword. At the same time, if anyone got too close, they would be hit by his "Destiny's Throw" and "Sweep the Army," which were equally devastating.
In the end, the Fengzi Camp scattered, with dozens of survivors fleeing. Lin Zhao, once again turned into a notorious red name.
He rode his Snow Rock Warhorse, flying north for a thousand meters, then stopped. He took out a pair of shimmering golden greaves from his inventory and couldn't help but squint and smile. The attributes were indeed quite good.
[Soaring Goose Greaves] (Flowing Gold Artifact)
Type: Armor
Defense: 300
Strength: +86
Stamina: +82
Agility: +80
Special Effect: Damage Reduction +4
Special Effect: Physical Evasion +6%
Special Effect: Tenacity, increases user's HP cap by 2200
Special Effect: Determination, reduces all spell damage taken by 10%
Additional: Increases user's Attack Power by 17%
Additional: Increases user's Defense by 17%
Required Level: 58
...
A perfectly standard, top-tier item!
"Ah, I'm almost embarrassed..."
Lin Zhao quickly equipped the Soaring Goose Greaves, covering his face. Should he thank Xihe Daguo Kui the next time they met? After all, it was not easy for someone to go to such lengths and with such good intentions to deliver equipment.
...
Inside the city, Xihe Daguo Kui's face was ashen. Watching his brothers die and return to the city one after another, he was now enraged. "Damn it... two hundred people beaten back by one person. How embarrassing is this? Is he, Bai Yi, a god? He has the same nose and eyes as us. Where are we lacking?!"
"We must regain our honor today!" the deputy commander said with a frown.
"That's right!"
Xihe Daguo Kui gritted his teeth, a murderous intent rising within him. "Everyone, follow me to the West Gate. Kill the production players outside the city. No need for any reason, just kill them all! I want to recover all my losses from these production players!"
"Yes, Boss!"
A group of rogue hooligans from Fengzi Camp nodded, malicious grins on their faces, ready to follow Commander Guo Kui to the bitter end.