Chapter 68: Deliberate Friendship

At the mouth of the Tuo River, green waves stretched far into the distance.

Ye Rong logged into the game early, well before the agreed time, having his own thoughts on the matter.

Among the six, he was the only one who wasn’t a Closed Beta player. Changkong Wuhen had at least participated in the Closed Beta, though he was just an ordinary member.

Sometimes, Closed Beta experience didn’t mean any real advantage—it was more about a sense of identity, especially in Ye Rong’s current situation. But as more rising stars appeared, the Closed Beta players’ lead would soon fade.

At six or seven in the morning, the water surface was covered in thick fog, and the dense mist greatly limited visibility.

The chilly morning wind carried heavy fog, and when it brushed against him, he could feel a hint of cold.

Since he had joined the cooperative team to explore the Water Mansion, his focus in the coming days would definitely be around the Dujiangyan Waters. Without any water-repelling Magic Treasure, if he couldn’t use Sword Flight to enter the water, it would be very inconvenient.

Reaching the twentieth layer of a Sword Art Form was a key threshold, as many Sword Art Forms had their maximum layer capped at twenty.

Only at the twentieth layer could one use Sword Flight to enter water or carry others on a Flying Sword—this was when a fundamental change occurred. Most Sword Art Forms ended here, requiring either switching to a new Sword Art Form to start over or finding a way to obtain an advanced version.

For example, beyond the Qingcheng Sword Art, there were advanced options like the Pine Wind Sword Art and the Wuzhen Sword Art to choose from.

The Pine Wind Sword Art and Wuzhen Sword Art were at the same level, each with different strengths and focuses. Which one to practice depended on the Player’s preference and which suited them better.

Ye Rong had already placed the Qingcheng Sword Art in his Dao Scrolls cultivation slot and changed his Experience Distribution to a 40:60 ratio.

This wasn’t solely for the Water Mansion matter; being unable to use Sword Flight to enter water was just too inconvenient. The Far Shore had many rivers and lakes, and near Qingcheng, there was the vast Dujiangyan Waters. Reaching the twentieth layer of his Sword Art Form earlier would definitely give him many advantages.

There were scattered monsters along both banks of the Tuo River, many of them amphibious. If they found they couldn’t win, they would flip over and roll into the Tuo River, leaving Ye Rong helpless.

After encountering this situation twice in a row, Ye Rong learned his lesson. He would immediately unleash his fiercest attacks, enveloping the monsters in Sword Light and giving them no chance to escape, keeping them tightly engaged.

While waiting for Ethereal Green Robe and the others to arrive, Ye Rong focused on grinding monsters. Among the six, the highest-Level Pudu Taoist was already Level 32.

Although Far Shore wasn’t a game where strength was solely determined by Level, when the Level gap was too large, it wasn’t easy to bridge the difference. At the very least, lower-Level Players couldn’t equip high-tier Flying Swords or Magic Treasures, and their Qi Value was very limited, so they would run out of steam if a fight dragged on.

“Hmm, here?”

After grinding monsters alone for over an hour, a message came in. Glancing at it, he saw it was from Changkong Wuhen. He replied and continued grinding. Although the monsters along the Tuo River were sparse, they weren’t very strong, and their Experience Points hadn’t decreased.

“You’re here quite early. There’s still almost half an hour until the agreed time.”

A Sword Light flew in from the south, and Changkong Wuhen jumped down, greeting Ye Rong.

“Yeah, just grinding for a bit on my own.”

He casually sent a party invite. Changkong Wuhen had been the friendliest toward him during yesterday’s gathering, perhaps because he was also just a Registered Disciple of Qingcheng. Merely being an ordinary Closed Beta player wasn’t enough to give him a sense of superiority over Ye Rong.

“Yijian, hehe, I seem to recall an old book where a monk was also called Kurong?”

“That’s from ‘Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.’ You’ve read it?”

Ye Rong glanced at Changkong Wuhen with slight surprise. That ancient martial arts novel was quite old, and few young people nowadays still read it.

“I read it when I was young and still have some impressions.” Changkong Wuhen laughed. “Then I’ll call you Master Kurong from now on. You can just call me Changkong.”

“Kurong, you’re the Qingcheng Sect Leader’s disciple. Getting into the Inner Hall is practically guaranteed. You’ll have to look out for me in the Sect.”

As they teamed up against a Double-Snouted Iron Crocodile, Changkong Wuhen intentionally struck up conversations with Ye Rong, seeming to want to build a closer relationship.

“Becoming an Inner Hall Disciple is still uncertain. It’s not something you can just walk into.”

Changkong Wuhen was taken aback. He had expected Ye Rong to ask what an Inner Hall Disciple was, giving him a chance to do a favor. He didn’t realize Ye Rong wasn’t an ordinary newbie and already knew about the various ranks of Qingcheng Disciples, so there was no need for him to explain.

In his moment of distraction, Changkong Wuhen’s Sword Light slowed, allowing the Double-Snouted Iron Crocodile to find an opening. Its iron tail snapped hard against the ground, and its mouth stretched to an extreme angle as it tried to bite him in half.

Thud!

The foul breath from the Double-Snouted Iron Crocodile’s long snout already hit Changkong Wuhen’s face. The stench made him step back repeatedly, but then he saw the crocodile’s front half suddenly bend and drop to the ground.

“Dead? So fast?”

The Double-Snouted Iron Crocodile was a Level 30 monster. Although it couldn’t use any spells and was considered low-tier, it had tough skin, high defense, and strong attack power, making it not easy to deal with. Changkong Wuhen had thought he would either die or be seriously injured, but Yijian Kurong’s quick reaction had saved him.

He then remembered that before he arrived, Yijian Kurong seemed to have been grinding here alone for a long time, and it looked quite effortless.

Changkong Wuhen fell back a step, giving him a clear view of Ye Rong’s attacks. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but after a few more looks, he noticed the subtlety—

Over a dozen strikes in a row, not a single one missed. Each hit landed where the Double-Snouted Iron Crocodile was trapped between advancing and retreating, leaving it no chance to escape into the Tuo River. Moreover, Changkong Wuhen was shocked to realize that Ye Rong’s Sword Moves weren’t the Qingcheng Sect’s System Sword Moves. They looked somewhat familiar but were mostly improvised and unrestrained.

“Free Control Style! This newbie is actually a true Free Control Style expert! We all misjudged him!”

Changkong Wuhen exclaimed under his breath, his heart racing. He understood that everyone, including figures like Ethereal Green Robe, had completely misjudged Yijian Kurong. If they continued to treat him like a newbie in the upcoming mission, they would surely pay the price.