Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Emerald bamboo swayed gently in the cool breeze.
When Zhou Ming emerged from the cottage, Tingfeng Xiyu asked curiously, “How did it go? What did my mentor want to talk to you about?”
“Nothing too important.” Zhou Ming smiled. “Your mentor is a good man. When he heard the gods kept hunting me down, he decided to lend me a hand.”
“Holy shit!”
Tingfeng Xiyu’s face went slack with shock. “Seriously? My mentor is famously cow… uh…”
Remembering that Yun Wuyou might hear them from inside the cottage, he hurriedly changed his tune. “What I mean is, my most esteemed mentor has always acted with great caution. It’s incredibly rare for him to stand up for Brother Zhou like this.”
“I mostly have you to thank. Without you, your mentor and I would be complete strangers. Why else would he choose to help me?” Zhou Ming explained. “I can tell he treats you very well.”
“He’s all right, I guess.”
Tingfeng Xiyu scratched his head in embarrassment. Then something occurred to him. “Recently, a lot of the game’s top experts have started taking disciples. They’re probably targeting you, so be careful.”
“Mm.”
Zhou Ming nodded.
In fact, he had received the related announcement when he logged in earlier.
Ding!
[Server Announcement: Pinnacle Showdown is now in full swing! The generous gods have turned their eyes toward worthy warriors. Any player of outstanding talent who completes a quest issued by the gods has a chance to receive a hidden-class reward! (Note: Players who already possess a hidden class may not participate.)]
Zhou Ming did not need to think hard to know the gods’ quests would target him.
This would prevent another incident like the defection of players before the gods attacked Juyan City. Worse, Pinnacle Showdown would turn the overwhelming majority of players in the Eastern Region against him.
“By the way, I have no use for this sword. See if it suits you.” Zhou Ming took the Flamecloud Sword from his inventory.
Daggers might be the most suitable weapon for rogues, but Destiny was very player-friendly. Equipment restrictions were generally limited to level and Fame.
Wielding a sword might prevent a rogue from using certain skills, but the Flamecloud Sword’s excellent stat bonuses would unquestionably outweigh the drawbacks.
“Hiss!”
The moment Tingfeng Xiyu saw the weapon’s attributes, he sucked in a sharp breath. Even his voice trembled. “W-War Soul equipment? How could I accept something like this?”
“Take it!”
Zhou Ming shoved the Flamecloud Sword into Tingfeng Xiyu’s arms. “Don’t get all bashful on me. Your mentor’s help is largely thanks to you.”
“But…”
“If he tells you to take it, then take it!” Yun Wuyou emerged from the bamboo cottage and cut off his disciple with a dark expression. “If you keep acting this clueless, you’re going to give your master a brain hemorrhage!”
“All right.”
Tingfeng Xiyu had no choice but to accept.
His mentor looked to be in a foul mood. Tingfeng Xiyu could more or less tell that Zhouyou Shijie had gained quite a lot from their conversation.
Rip!
As they spoke, a rift tore open in the void and overwhelming pressure surged through it.
The bamboo leaves began thrashing violently, rustling in a furious storm. Some could not withstand the unseen pressure and snapped from their branches.
“Good grief, does he really need to make such an entrance?”
Yun Wuyou abandoned every other concern. Before the Demon God could arrive, he grabbed Tingfeng Xiyu and fled. Within a few breaths, the two had vanished beyond the edge of sight. “Then it’s settled! We’ll meet again in one month!”
“All right!” Zhou Ming nodded. “Take care, Senior Yun!”
“…”
Yun Wuyou moved even faster.
Only a few breaths later, a giant wreathed in flame leaped from the rift. The instant its enormous body landed, raging fire swept through the Qingxuan Bamboo Grove.
Clang!
The Sword Saint drew his blade and braced for battle. “Divine Ember Queen, teleport Brother Zhou back to Juyan City, quickly!”
“Zhouyou Shijie!”
The Flame Giant King’s roar rolled like muffled thunder. “If you have any courage, fight me to the death!”
Whoosh!
He brought down his mountain-sized greatsword. Space twisted around the blade as flames roared in its wake.
At the same time, a terrifying force spread in every direction, sealing off the surrounding space.
“You’re a god-tier expert openly challenging a Radiant adventurer, and you aren’t even ashamed?” The Sword Saint sneered and effortlessly blocked the attack.
Qianying swiftly activated her marked teleportation, whisking Zhou Ming out of danger.
Ding!
[System: You have entered the map [Juyan City] (Primary Capital)!]
Ding!
[System: Due to the Flame Giant King’s destruction, [Qingxuan Bamboo Grove] has transformed into [Crimsonflame Basin]!]
…
Thanks to the gods’ and demons’ “hard work,” Juyan City now possessed ample construction resources and had already advanced into a grand, prosperous primary capital.
Everything was proceeding exactly as the Dark Faction had envisioned.
For that very reason, all they needed to do now was eliminate every possible variable.
Back in Juyan City, killing intent flickered in Zhou Ming’s eyes.
He had barely left the safe zone before another Demon God rushed over to stop him. They were determined to hound him relentlessly and prevent him from leveling quickly during the coming month.
“Unable to leave… the Sin of Sloth…”
A spark flashed through Zhou Ming’s mind as he caught hold of something important.
Before long, the others returned safely as well.
“That Flame Giant King seems to harbor an extraordinary grudge against you,” the Sword Saint said, bewildered. “Every time, he’s the first to charge forward and cross regions to find you!”
“It’s understandable.”
Renee joked, “No rivalry is bitterer than one between people in the same trade!”
They both used fire. Anyone who saw a freak like Zhou Ming, someone immune to all fire-element damage, would feel jealousy or even murderous intent.
After all, few people could calmly accept being innately countered by someone else, least of all a Demon God.
“Flame Giant King…”
Zhou Ming narrowed his eyes. “If he wants to die that badly, I ought to oblige him!”
“???”
Qianying, Renee, and Ye Zhibei exchanged glances, strange expressions appearing on all three faces.
It was no exaggeration to say that Zhouyou Shijie rarely met a worthy opponent at his own rank.
But that only applied to his own rank!
His actual realm was still Radiant. He would not reach War Soul until he completed his third class advancement at Level 80, and god tier remained a very long way beyond that.
For him to suddenly declare that he would slay a god was beyond outrageous.
“I was just talking big and blowing off steam!”
When no one said a word, Zhou Ming waved a hand and laughed. “You don’t have to take it seriously!”
“You scared me!” Renee sighed in relief. “I was honestly afraid you planned to go after the Flame Giant King. He’s the eighth-ranked Demon God, after all. Even without using fire-element power, he could shatter a mountain with one punch through sheer brute force.”
“…You have a point.”
Zhou Ming nodded in agreement.
Under normal circumstances, there was absolutely no way he could kill a god-tier expert. The gulf between them was too enormous. He did not have even the faintest chance.
Unless…
…