The morning.
After a flash of white light dispersed, Lin Zhao appeared in front of the gourd rack at Tianran Ju. He looked down, realizing the young shoots grew too slowly to discern any progress by the naked eye. Still, treasures like this couldn't be rushed. However, a glance at his inventory brought a sigh of helplessness; he was truly impoverished. All his funds had been poured into the insatiable maw of Feiyue Transportation Group, leaving him with only enough for daily expenses.
Level: 149. He was just a bit shy of reaching level 150.
He took a deep breath. It was time to go out and level up.
On the grand map, north of Xueyu Tianchi, the territories of the demon, human, and魔 (demon) races intertwined, with countless leveling spots. Some even harbored "Mid-Fifth Realm Great Demons" in the eyes of players, though they were scarce. Lin Zhao didn't harbor such unrealistic hopes. With tens of millions of players from the national server roaming the Northern Region, what were the chances of stumbling upon a Mid-Fifth Realm Great Demon?
Ultimately, he shifted his gaze westward, towards the Ghost Realm!
That's right. Following the last expedition into the Ghost Realm, many top-tier and near-top-tier players had set their sights on this territory. They often formed groups, spent ten Feiyu coins to cross the celestial barrier, and ventured into the Ghost Realm. Firstly, the number of players in the Ghost Realm was low, and the barrier to entry was too high. Secondly, after the recent battle of the True Dragon Reincarnation, the Ghost Realm was in chaos. The Ghost Emperor Tan Xin was nowhere to be found, likely in seclusion to heal, having lost a soul and a spirit, which wouldn't be easily recovered. Thus, the Ghost Realm had once again become a battlefield for the Ghost Kings. Everywhere, in the mountains and rivers, great battles raged as various specters vied for territory. Players often found treasures amidst this chaos.
Just two days ago, it was rumored that a team from the Xianxun Guild had unearthed a supreme artifact-grade necklace in the Ghost Realm, which they sold for over 40 million universal coins. It was enough to make anyone envious.
...
After organizing his inventory and repairing his equipment, Lin Zhao took to the skies, his sword Hongye carrying him towards the Ghost Realm.
"Swish!"
After paying ten Feiyu coins, he transformed into a streak of light and shot into the Ghost Realm. The moment he stepped foot into the territory, Lin Zhao significantly increased his altitude. He hadn't flown far when he heard the roar of surging tides in the distance. A colossal figure stepped into the Lushui River with one leg, followed by the other, stirring up colossal waves.
The giant was clad in dark green armor, a cape billowing behind him. He wielded a pair of jade-green maces, and his eyes glinted with a faint golden hue.
A Thirteenth Realm Demon King, Liu Bai!
Lin Zhao quickly executed a somersault, his body disappearing into the clouds, narrowly evading Liu Bai's probing senses. Further in the distance, a ghost cultivator clad in blood-red armor, wielding a blood-red greatsword, struck a mountain peak with immense force, shattering the golden body of a divinely appointed mountain god, causing its demise.
This was an Eleventh Realm Ghost King, vying for the mountain's qi and luck with the mountain god!
"Get lost!"
Liu Bai slowly lowered himself into the river, raising a hand. With a snap of his fingers, the Eleventh Realm Ghost King, along with his sword, was sent tumbling outwards, crashing through over a dozen mountain ranges before falling. Upon landing, his cultivation had already plummeted to the Star River Realm. He was in a sorry state but uttered not a word. After all, with Liu Bai, a Thirteenth Realm Demon King, guarding the Lushui River, who dared to offend him? Unless the Ghost Emperor Tan Xin reappeared, then... it would likely be a grand battle between Tan Xin and Liu Bai.
Lin Zhao merely observed from afar. He was too lazy to involve himself in the disputes of the Ghost Realm, nor did he possess the strength to do so. His purpose in coming to the Ghost Realm was solely to hunt monsters and level up. If he could also obtain some top-tier equipment, he could sell it to supplement his meager funds. Earning more in-game money and transferring it out to feed the bottomless pit of Feiyue Transportation Group was his goal. Yet, this continuous investment was also a process filled with anticipation. After all, in Lin Zhao's eyes, Feiyue Transportation Group was more than just a transportation team; it was accompanied by an army. To assert his will and influence in this world required capital.
Soon after, he descended into a bamboo forest.
Within the bamboo forest, figures of ghosts drifted about, all Heaven-tier monsters of levels 158-162, perfect for Lin Zhao to level up. Drawing his sword, he charged in, instantly attracting a large group of monsters. He then maneuvered his nineteen flying swords amidst the horde, unleashing a furious assault. Flashes of white light, signifying experience points, erupted all around.
By noon.
After three hours of relentless combat, Lin Zhao had accumulated quite a few scattered pieces of equipment, and his gold earnings were decent. Lin Zhao's monster-hunting efficiency was undoubtedly unique among Sword Master players. Furthermore, with over 100 points in Charm, his drop rate was exceptionally high. The earnings from these three hours, converted into universal coins, should be around 3000-4000, which, though not substantial, was consistent.
In the afternoon, he continued his grind.
He persisted until past five o'clock, his experience bar stuck at 149 level 98%. It was becoming increasingly difficult to level up. Just as he was about to log off for dinner, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared before him. Within the bamboo forest, a female ghost dressed in a red wedding gown had spawned. A closer inspection of her attributes revealed her rarity; he had finally found an attribute-possessing Boss –
[Bridal Ghost] (Heaven-tier Boss)
Level: 158
Magic Attack: 32500-45000
Defense: 22000
Health: 10000000
Skills: [Wail of Despair], [Flaming Wedding Dress], [Fated Misfortune], [Peaches in Full Bloom]
Biography: Her name was Taohua. She hailed from Qili Town in the Ghost Realm. A young scholar once sought refuge from a sudden downpour under her family's eaves. Taohua, kind-hearted by nature, invited the scholar inside to warm himself. Her parents, honest folk, treated him with good wine and food. The scholar, well-versed in literature, captivated Taohua's heart. Against her parents' wishes, she eloped with the scholar to the capital. Alas, after the scholar achieved top honors in the imperial examinations, he frequented the pleasure quarters and associated with famous courtesans of the capital. Emulating the cultured literati, he decided to marry a courtesan. Taohua's pleas were in vain, and she was eventually expelled from his residence. Heartbroken, Taohua begged her way home. However, before she could reach her hometown, she was assaulted and killed by bandits in a peach grove along the road. Transformed into a vengeful spirit, she massacred all the bandits in the mountain. Afterward, she wandered melancholically in the peach grove, vowing to kill every man who passed through the bamboo forest.
...
Lin Zhao took a deep breath. What a long biography! This female ghost had truly lived a life! From a compassionate standpoint, he felt great sympathy for her, as the unfaithful one was the scholar. However, from a moral perspective, he couldn't entirely sympathize. Being abandoned by a man and then violated and murdered by bandits, to then hate all men in the world was rather unreasonable. While it was true that good men in this world were few and far between, they still existed.
Beneath this bamboo forest lay countless withered bones, all belonging to men. Were none of them innocent?
"Good!"
The vengeful ghost Taohua revealed a grim smile, looking at Lin Zhao. "A sword cultivator filled with the aura of a scholar, tsk tsk... Young man, you shouldn't have come here to court death."
"I've come even if I shouldn't have, and I've encountered you even if I didn't want to."
Lin Zhao slowly drew his sword Li Quan, its blade pointed directly at the vengeful ghost Taohua. "Taohua, I'll give you one chance. From now on, retreat into the mountains and cease your indiscriminate killings. I can spare you, and I'm willing to forgo the experience points and drops from this Heaven-tier Boss."
The vengeful ghost Taohua sneered. "Insolent fool. As a man, you are destined to die!"
"Oh dear..."
Lin Zhao covered one ear with his hand. "So, you're completely unreasonable then?"
"You want to reason?"
Taohua grinned sinisterly, her ghostly aura intensifying. She spread her long sleeves, and the forms of countless ghostly minions appeared behind her. "Then go underground and reason with those dog-men!"
"Understood."
Lin Zhao flipped his wrist and smiled. "Since you won't listen to reason, I'll have to transcend you first!"
"Die!"
Taohua trembled, her entire wedding dress igniting. Her attack and defense attributes surged, and she let out a piercing wail. Her hands transformed into bone claws, and she unleashed a deadly attack on Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao was no less formidable, his body radiating dense sword intent. The moment the opponent launched her killer move, he directly employed a technique he had recently created.
"One Sword Cuts Down Immortals!"
The light of heaven and earth instantly dimmed. Then, the sword qi of tens of miles surged into Lin Zhao's blade. With a single thrust, he exuded the aura of an unparalleled Sword Immortal. The sword light erupted within the bamboo forest, and the female ghost Taohua, struck by the sword, lost over 480,000 health points, staggering backward!
"Ah???"
Lin Zhao himself was dumbfounded. This damage absolutely did not adhere to the game's rules of attack-defense and level suppression. His actual attack power was only around 70,000+. The Boss's defense was over 20,000, and with the addition of the Boss's hidden attributes, its actual defense was at least 50,000+. This sword strike shouldn't have dealt over 480,000 damage. The only explanation was the effect of the "One Sword Cuts Down Immortals" skill: it dealt significant bonus damage when used against high-level NPCs!
This made things much easier!
Lin Zhao had originally expected to go to great lengths to defeat a Heaven-tier Boss. Now, with "One Sword Cuts Down Immortals," it had become much simpler!
A Heaven-tier Boss had a total health pool of only 10 million. At the rate of damage from "One Sword Cuts Down Immortals," it would take about twenty strikes to finish. The cooldown for "One Sword Cuts Down Immortals" was 25 seconds, which wasn't too long. In fact, it could significantly speed up Boss攻略 (strategy/completion). More importantly, with the damage reduction effect of "One Sword Cuts Down Immortals," defeating Bosses would be even more stable!
For a time, sword light danced wildly in the bamboo forest. The nineteen flying swords charged out in succession, causing the Bridal Ghost to howl incessantly. Her initial arrogance quickly vanished. By the time she regretted it, it was too late. This Confucian Sword Cultivator was determined to transcend her, leaving no room for negotiation.
...
Soon after, the Bridal Ghost Taohua's health bar was depleted. She smiled sadly. "You must kill me?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded. "When I was willing to reason with you, you refused. Now that I intend to kill you, you want to reason? It's too late. No matter what you say, your reasoning will no longer be pure."
A sweep of his sword, and the female ghost let out a mournful cry as her soul dissipated.
Eight chapters finished. Recommend votes!!!