Chapter 230: Gains and Reflections

Carrying the Barrett sniper rifle, Gao Jing leaped down from the high cliff.

He landed steadily on the ground.

Looking at the bodies strewn messily ahead, he let out a long sigh.

Against evenly matched strength, gear reigns supreme!

Under normal circumstances, facing an elite adventurer team with two members clearly stronger than himself, Gao Jing stood zero chance of victory.

Just breaking out would have been a pipe dream!

Earlier, Gao Jing had thought of retreating to the Primary World, cultivating to Great Totem Warrior level, and returning later to settle things.

But in the end, he didn’t choose that somewhat escapist method. Instead, he fully utilized his advantage in equipment to confront them head-on.

Gao Jing had reasons for this confidence.

Besides the confidence inspired by modern weapons from the Primary World, the few Witch Artifacts he had equipped were no trivial matter either.

It proved that fully utilizing one’s weapons and equipment could still bring victory against a powerful enemy!

The victory in this battle was both thrilling and brilliant!

Looting the spoils naturally came next.

First, he collected the Tears of the Undead.

This was the mission item, exchangeable for points with the Yuancheng Alliance, more valuable than mere coins.

Then came searching the bodies.

The team led by Kui Yang was skilled, and the weapons and leather armor they carried were of excellent quality, likely acquired at great expense.

Gao Jing’s Storage Space was ample enough, so he took all their weapons, storing them for future use.

He also stripped off three sets of leather armor.

Though no appraiser, he could easily tell this armor was significantly better than his own.

Too bad the gear worn by Kui Yang and the swordsman had been wrecked by the Barrett.

Besides weapons and armor, Gao Jing only found a few potions on the adventurers.

Not a single Witch Artifact.

In the Underground World, Witch Artifacts were precious treasures; low to mid-level adventurers simply couldn’t afford them.

Unlike Gao Jing, who’d managed to bluff his way into several valuable, practical Witch Artifacts using Primary World goods.

This outcome was expected, leaving Gao Jing with little regret.

Actually, his haul today was quite substantial already.

Beyond the gains, however, Gao Jing reflected more deeply.

He had discovered his current shortcomings!

Firstly, he realized his spirit and willpower weren’t as strong as he’d imagined.

Earlier, facing the black specter’s mental assault, without aid from the Bronze Anchor, he’d have been overwhelmed instantly.

Even now, thinking back on that soul-level pressure and influence sent shivers down his spine.

It felt utterly terrifying.

What if he encountered something similar again in the future?

Gao Jing couldn’t rely on the Bronze Anchor forever. The only solution was to fortify his spirit and will, making it as solid as stone, impervious to defeat, unafraid of any ghostly hauntings!

Therefore, he needed to dedicate more time to practicing the Shan Yue Refining Spirit Art. The Double Mountain level was far from sufficient; Triple or even Quadruple Mountains were just the starting point.

Secondly, and most crucial of all.

Owning the Bronze Anchor granted Gao Jing the ability to return to the Primary World whenever he chose.

This provided an escape route in the face of any danger.

Stopping time couldn’t solve every problem, but it did resolve most quite effectively.

However, the very existence of this escape route robbed Gao Jing of the resolve to fight desperately, to risk his life for victory in battle.

Just earlier, he’d contemplated retreating several times.

Without pushing oneself to the brink, how could one’s potential be unleashed?

Lacking the conviction and willpower to prevail after being cornered, the growth he gained in combat had undoubtedly been stunted!

Of course, this didn’t mean Gao Jing had to be trapped in life-or-death situations every single time.

Playing too dangerously could mean dying – for real!

Balancing the act – stimulating potential without courting death – was undoubtedly a huge challenge.

Solving this problem would require Gao Jing to constantly learn and hone his judgment in future fights.

It was the only way for him to become stronger!

Haa! Haa!

Just as Gao Jing prepared to leave, the bodies of Kui Yang and the swordsman suddenly began to twitch.

Their skin turned bluish-black, countless death spots blooming on the surface. Their jaws unhinged, emitting low groans. Limbs twisted and stretched as they struggled to heave themselves up.

The scene was terrifying!

Turning into undead?

Gao Jing’s eyes flashed. Without hesitation, he manifested the Flaming Longblade and slashed.

He infused his Battle Qi with traces of Faith Flame, dyeing the blade’s fiery trails a radiant gold. The weapon cut effortlessly through Kui Yang’s head and torso like soft tofu, splitting him in two.

This time, Kui Yang’s corpse made no further trouble. The severed parts sizzled, emitting gray smoke, and quickly melted into oozing slime that seeped into the ground.

The swordsman’s corpse met the same end.

Gao Jing reckoned this happened due to the intense negative energy concentrated here. This energy caused the two corpses to transform into zombies. If ignored, they might have evolved into powerful undead beings someday.

Strangely, the remaining three adventurers, whose heads had been vaporized by the Desert Eagle, showed no signs of undead transformation.

Just to be safe, Gao Jing gave each one a finishing cut, slicing them into pieces.

By now, the pervasive fog around had completely lifted. Senluo Ruins City returned to the state it was in when Gao Jing first arrived.

But this grand Ruined City felt even more mysterious and unfathomable than before.

He briefly considered going in to explore but quickly dismissed the idea.

Gao Jing had no idea what caused the earlier chaos, nor how many adventurers had perished. At his current strength level, fighting weak undead outside was barely manageable. Venturing into the heart of the Ruined City was sheer suicide.

He decided to return the way he came.

Running along the edge of the cliff wall, he soon reached the entrance to the Underground Passageway.

For some reason, he encountered no wraiths or specters during the journey; it was as if the undead had vanished.

This eerie quiet made him uneasy. He didn’t linger at the entrance but quickly darted through the long passageway.

Soon, he reached the cavern outside the passage.

This enormous cavern connecting the Underground Passageway lacked the oppressive negative energy. Inside, dozens of adventurers faced off against heavily armed guards, negotiating agitatedly.

Gao Jing spotted several Yuancheng Alliance staff amongst the crowd.

“This is nowhere near a Tier Three mission! Tier Four! At least Tier Five!”

“Exactly! Your false intel doomed our team!”

“Compensate us! You must compensate!”

“Our losses… we lost everything…”

“What kind of operation is your Alliance running?”

Gao Jing quickly grasped the situation. These adventurers, like him, were task participants who’d escaped the chaos inside and were now demanding answers from representatives of Iron Furnace Abyssal City and the Yuancheng Alliance.

The recent events had drastically amplified the mission’s threat level far beyond the stated Tier Three. Their collective anger made perfect sense.

“Gao Jing?”

He had just arrived when an astonished exclamation sounded nearby. “You’re alive?”

Turning his head, he found Kui Bao staring at him, dumbfounded.

The guy had somehow survived too.