Chapter 136
Chapter 136
The terrifying thing had finally happened!
A massive crater burned by flames now scarred the lush green Breezewind Plains. No one knew how many people had perished within it.
From a distance, the ground was charred black and trailing dark smoke. The sight was horrifying.
It was absurd beyond belief!
Submit and Perish stared at the scene, a riot of emotions crossing his face.
His class was Dragon Soul Mage, allowing him to convert every skill that was not already a forbidden spell into one. Yet all those techniques combined could not rival Zhouyou Shijie’s true forbidden spell.
That was something players should only have had a chance to obtain in the late game!
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Meanwhile, Zhou Ming’s Level climbed rapidly as he continued dealing devastating damage.
Mainstream players were currently around Level 50 to 60, while top players had reached Level 70 to 80. When he cast Forbidden · Flames of Eternal Calamity, it was equivalent to farming enormous groups of high-level monsters far above his own Level in a single attack. The rewards were naturally extraordinary.
In the end, Zhou Ming’s Level settled at Level 58 with 65% EXP.
“That was fast!” Zhou Ming reveled inwardly. “They helped me gain nearly thirty Levels in just one hour!”
Forbidden · Flames of Eternal Calamity!
This was an unquestionably powerful killing move!
Its effect dealt 5,000% damage based on 200% of his Attack. The outrageous part was not merely the 5,000% damage multiplier, but the fact that it first calculated the damage from 200% of his Attack.
That Attack value was not a simple +100% Attack bonus. It doubled the final Attack value displayed on his Panel before applying the skill’s damage multiplier.
That was precisely why it deserved to be called a forbidden spell.
Zhou Ming did not insist on hunting down the players fleeing in every direction. The small fry who remained would provide little EXP, and the Crime Value gains would be negligible as well.
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, three streaks of light crossed the sky. Ye Zhibei, Renee, and Yun Wuyou landed a moment later.
“Good heavens!”
Renee froze at the sight of blood flowing like rivers. “You really slaughtered them by the thousands!”
A rough estimate put the casualties before them at more than ten thousand!
“Everyone Zhouyou Shijie killed deserved to die!” Qianying explained on his behalf, then returned to the matter at hand. “Did you find Cangxuan while you were out?”
“Yes!” Ye Zhibei nodded. “I’ve made contact with him over the past few days!”
“How did it go?” Zhou Ming immediately perked up, anticipation entering his eyes. “Is he willing to talk to me?”
Abyssal Sword Demon · Cangxuan!
As the Sword Saint of the previous generation, he had betrayed the Light Faction and become the second Demon God. He, too, had his own story.
Zhou Ming naturally wanted to recruit such a powerful figure.
Of course, it was not merely out of respect and recognition for Cangxuan’s strength. More importantly, Cangxuan conducted himself honorably and possessed an upright character. He was nothing like the other Demon Gods, who were vile and willing to use any means necessary.
That was what Zhou Ming valued most!
“I told him my strength had improved recently and that I wanted a duel with both of us at our peaks. He agreed immediately!” Ye Zhibei reported honestly. “As for you, I didn’t dare mention you. I was afraid he wouldn’t come if I did…”
“He wouldn’t come?” Zhou Ming did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Am I some kind of monster?”
“Yes!”
Everyone nodded in unison.
Zhou Ming: “…”
“In any case, we’ll go to the appointed site together. You two can fight first, then I’ll reveal myself and persuade him with reason,” Zhou Ming said after some thought.
“All right!” Ye Zhibei nodded. “The duel is tonight!”
Then a strange look crossed his face. “Brother Zhou, forgive me for asking, but are you really confident you can recruit Cangxuan?”
He knew Zhou Ming had a silver tongue, but Cangxuan was clearly far more stubborn than Ye Zhibei. How could he possibly submit so easily?
“Somewhat.”
Zhou Ming nodded. “My chances might not have been great before. But after the battle with Flame Giant King, I think an opportunity has finally appeared.”
“…I see.”
Ye Zhibei naturally trusted his faction leader’s judgment without reservation. “Then I’ll enjoy my fight with him. I’ll leave everything afterward to you.”
“No problem!”
…
Since it was still early, the others accompanied Zhou Ming to a new map to continue leveling.
“Ding!”
[System Notification: You have entered the map [Evil Insect Cavern]!]
A leveling spot selected by god-tier powerhouses naturally came with a guarantee of quality.
The Evil Insect Cavern was filled with dense swarms of black flying insects. Each was the size of a fist, with sharp mouthparts and buzzing wings.
[Evil Flying Insect] (Elite Monster, 4 Stars)
Level: 100
HP: 1,000,000
Attack: 16,700-18,200
Defense: 10,100-11,300
Skill: [Vicious Bite]
Description: Evil Flying Insects thrive in places saturated with demonic energy and reproduce in tremendous numbers. If you provoke them, be prepared for the entire swarm to attack.
…
Four-star elite monsters at Level 100!
These insects possessed exceptional stats. Their method of attack might have been simple, but they were numerous and densely concentrated. Even the strongest adventurers of the present day would probably not dare provoke them.
Zhou Ming activated Baptism by Fire, illuminating the darkness. The Evil Flying Insects around him immediately swarmed in for the kill.
With Soul Plunder and Demonic Flame Armor active, Zhou Ming answered them with skill after skill and held nothing back.
“I lost every piece of equipment during the battle with Flame Giant King, but none of it bothered me except the Longquan Sword. Losing that one truly hurt,” Zhou Ming said regretfully.
If he still had the Longquan Sword, his leveling efficiency might have increased rather than fallen once he met its equipment requirement.
“When the old goes, the new can come!” Qianying comforted him. “We can leave for the Dragon Domain tomorrow and have the Dwarves forge you a true Peerless Divine Weapon!”
The Longquan Sword was certainly excellent, but it could never compare with a divine weapon forged from extraordinarily rare God-Tier ores such as the Stone of Divine Condemnation and Flame Essence.
“Will they really be willing to forge a weapon for me?” Zhou Ming doubted it would be so simple. “The Dragon Domain still belongs to the Light Faction, after all. They probably see us as mortal enemies.”
The Dragon Domain was temporarily beyond players’ reach, making it equivalent to an area that had yet to open.
However, the map showed that it had long since joined the Light Faction.
“Then we’ll fight them!” Renee exclaimed enthusiastically. “If we can recruit Cangxuan, you’ll have five god-tier powerhouses helping you. I feel like we could conquer the entire Dragon Domain!”
She was brimming with confidence in the Hope Faction’s future.
The Divine Ember Queen and the Sword Saints of two successive generations were all top powerhouses. With Renee and Yun Wuyou added to their ranks, they were strong enough to challenge any national region.
“That would be unwise!” Ye Zhibei shook his head. “The Dragon Domain Guardian and the Dragon God are both top-tier powerhouses. Add several Demigod-Tier Elemental Dragon Kings and support from the Dwarves, and the Dragon Domain would still be a regional hegemon even if it stood alone. Fighting them head-on is definitely not our best option!”
“Whoa, they’re that strong?” Renee scratched her head, realizing she had not thought it through.
Zhou Ming laughed. “Of course, we’re strong too. Brother Ye means that we want the Dwarves to forge a divine weapon for us. Burning every bridge would be unwise.”
“Exactly!” Ye Zhibei nodded. “Brother Zhou has said it perfectly!”
“…”
For a time, none of them knew what to do.
On careful thought, they belonged to opposing factions. Commissioning the Dwarves to forge a weapon would clearly not be easy.
Just when they were at a loss, Qianying spoke at the perfect moment. “Actually, I have a good idea!”
“What idea?” Zhou Ming’s eyes lit up.
He had noticed that the quiet Qianying always managed to bring him unexpected surprises at critical moments.
Qianying stated her plan plainly. “We can…”
…