Chapter 49: The Green Jade Gourd

This level 25 Elite Monster had tens of thousands of Health Points. After being weakened by the Pink Mist’s poison, the players’ Flying Swords barely did any damage.

Both sides reached an awkward stalemate, seemingly unable to overcome each other.

However, the players could only carry a limited number of pills. After over ten minutes, their supplies were running low.

Revival white light flashed intermittently within the True Martial Formation, echoed by screams one after another. Within moments, nearly half of the hundred-player squad vanished.

The True Martial Formation itself gained a stronger boost with more people. Losing so many players made its attack power pathetically weak.

“Brother Luan, we truly require your aid now,” Young Master Wei said respectfully. Since joining Wudang, Young Master Wei had focused entirely on his Life Profession, seeing it as his path to advancement. His own strength hadn’t increased much. Fortunately, he had met Linglingzi, one of Wudang’s five elders, completing two tasks for him and gaining a significant amount of Favorability Level.

Otherwise, acquiring the True Martial Formation diagram wouldn’t have been possible.

Luan Yidao took a step forward, emerging from the shadows for the first time. He was a burly man with a fierce countenance, wearing coarse, wide clothes. A strange radiance flowed over the dull Blade in his hand.

He flicked his finger, producing a pleasant, musical chime from the Blade. The Swift Blade Strike Song activated. The Blade dissolved into a gray streak, shooting straight at the Pink-winged Butterfly King. Such a huge target needed no aiming – he simply attacked.

Ten strikes unleashed with a fifty percent attack speed increase. This spell was hard to use to its full potential against human players or humanoid monsters. An attack speed so fast made it impossible, even with exquisite swordsmanship, to ensure every strike landed exactly the same. Moreover, opponents weren’t dead things waiting passively.

Against an experienced, incredibly fast opponent, missing half of the ten strikes was not uncommon.

But here, it was perfect. The Pink-winged Butterfly King solidly took all ten blows. Its wings beat frantically, emitting a piercing shriek like two pieces of metal grating together.

Four gaping holes appeared on the massive wings. One entire wing hung limp, useless, crippling its ability to fly.

Ignoring its defense and piercing straight through would cause severe bleeding. Crippling its limbs, most effective against four-limbed monsters, drastically hindered its mobility.

Luan Yidao’s strike dealt hundreds of points of damage to the Pink-winged Butterfly King. Crucially, it robbed it of its flight.

This was key. It meant that even if the True Martial Formation players dwindled enough to lose the formation and trap, the monster couldn’t escape.

“Impressive technique! Such a fierce attack!”

Watching from the shore, Ye Rong praised sincerely. He wasn’t complimenting the player, but the Flying Sword in his hands. Though he lacked the knowledge to recognize this nondescript weapon as one of the Closed Beta’s Ten Great Flying Swords – the Blade – he could tell its attributes surpassed his Taixuan Ice Soul Sword. Not to mention the attached spell.

That swordsman clearly surrendered full control to the system during his attack, abandoning personal tactics. While safer, this method, in the eyes of skilled players, was riddled with openings and highly inefficient.

Only the Butterfly King’s massive size and being trapped by the True Martial Formation made it possible; against Ye Rong, he could have dodged at least seven of the ten strikes.

Still, even so, Ye Rong dared not claim victory. That weird old Blade was too destructive. Just three hits would be awful – provided he didn’t use the Lesser Yang Divine Thunder, of course.

The Swift Blade Strike Song activated again. One of the Pink-winged Butterfly’s wings broke off completely. Its entire body slumped weakly to the ground.

“Finish it quickly!” Young Master Wei cried out. He shot out his Flying Sword, but it wobbled, its Sword Light sluggish, at most a grade two Immortal Weapon level.

Anyone with eyes could see the Pink-winged Butterfly was at death’s door. Players desperately slashed down with their own Flying Swords.

Ye Rong held his Taixuan Ice Soul Sword ready, gathering power but not releasing it. He aimed to unleash its strongest attack at the crucial moment to deplete the Pink-winged Butterfly’s last sliver of Health Points.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Suddenly, a hundred thin silken threads shot out from the Pink-winged Butterfly. Players standing closer were instantly killed. Those further back were luckier, left with a sliver of Health Points, barely alive.

This was the moment!

A chilling light pierced the sky, aimed at the Butterfly. Simultaneously, from the other side, the Blade shot out as a gray streak. Both attacks struck the Butterfly’s body almost at the same instant. It was impossible to tell which one delivered the final blow. The creature collapsed with a thud, spilling several items.

Even as he attacked, Ye Rong surged forward, sprinting towards the Butterfly. Halfway there, he heard the pleasant System Notification chime, confirming the Verdant Spiral Sachet had successfully collected the pollen.

An Elite Monster at level 25 indeed held treasures far beyond ordinary monsters.

Closest to Ye Rong was a Green Jade Gourd no larger than a palm. Further away lay a Crimson Dao Scroll. In the other corner lay a pair of Dragon-Patterned Cloud Boots.

Players who had formed the formation were still shaken by the hundred poisonous threads, momentarily panicked. The fastest among them couldn’t outrun Ye Rong.

Only the swordsman who’d attacked simultaneously was also sprinting hard. He wasn’t far from the equipment either. Young Master Wei, from above, swooped down on Ye Rong via Sword Flight, yelling furiously for his men to attack and stop him from escaping.

Thwack!

It felt like a whip cracked harshly on his back. Pain shot through him. Thankfully, the Mystic Purple Qi Shield activated instantly, blocking the hit completely, not costing a single Health Point.

Three or four Sword Lights crackled onto Ye Rong, all deflected by the Mystic Purple Qi Shield. However, this depleted its durability to the bottom, causing the shield to shatter.

Ye Rong bent down, snatched the Green Jade Gourd, and rolled violently forward. Two Sword Lights struck where he’d just stood, gouging deep marks into the ground.

With a wave of his hand, Ye Rong recalled the Taixuan Ice Soul Sword. The swordsman had already secured the Crimson Dao Scroll and was now sprinting towards the Dragon-Patterned Cloud Boots. Ye Rong knew his chance to steal this treasure was gone. He abandoned the attempt instantly, leaping onto his Flying Sword to escape.

“Go after him! Kill him! We MUST recover that Green Jade Gourd!”

Young Master Wei stomped his feet angrily, furious. The Green Jade Gourd was his primary goal for this trip. If Ye Rong had taken either the Crimson Dao Scroll or the Dragon-Patterned Cloud Boots, it might have been bearable. But it had to be the Green Jade Gourd!

He cursed at his own Flying Sword’s inferior speed. Even chasing via Sword Flight, he had no hope of catching Ye Rong. His only chance lay with his subordinates.