Chapter 199
Chapter 199
[Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon] (Zhouyou Shijie’s mount)
Grade: Divine
Stage: Growth Stage
Movement Speed: +200%
Attack: +60%
HP: +100%
Effect: Tenacity +50%
Special Skill: [Sacred Dragon’s Might] (Passive)
Special Skill: [Crimson Flame] (Passive)
Special Skill: [Dragon Breath]
Special Skill: [Skyroam]
Required Level: 80
Description: Possessing the highest-grade bloodline among dragons, it is a natural-born ruler of its kind. After being enhanced by the Invincible Lucky Star, its bloodline was further purified, giving it the potential to return to its ancestral roots.
—
[Skyroam] (Passive) (SS-rank): The skill’s owner can fly and gains an additional 100% movement speed while airborne.
…
The bonuses were ridiculously high!
The Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon had only just entered the Growth Stage, yet the mount bonuses it provided already surpassed those of the Zhaoye Jade Lion. Once it reached maturity, those numbers would likely skyrocket.
More importantly…
Dragons were born to fly!
Zhou Ming’s heart surged with excitement. He walked over to the Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon and swung himself onto its back. It did not resist, instead turning its head to nuzzle him.
“Come to think of it, I still haven’t named you!” Remembering the oversight, Zhou Ming pondered for a moment before suggesting, “Since the Xuanniao is called Xiaoyou, how about I call you Xiaochi?”
Xiaoyou and Xiaochi!
The names even matched their main colors.
“Chirp?”
The Xuanniao poked its head out of the pet space, clearly taking delight in its new companion’s misfortune.
The Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon tilted its head in thought, then nodded in agreement.
Ding!
[System Notification: You have successfully named your mount [Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon] as [Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon · Xiaochi]. Mount Loyalty +5!]
“All right, then!”
Zhou Ming took a deep breath and gave the order. “Xiaochi, take off!”
Whoosh!
The Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon beat its wings and sprang into the air. It hovered steadily, then climbed to a height of more than ten meters.
Ding!
[System Notification: Your mount [Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon · Xiaochi] has only just entered the Growth Stage and possesses limited strength. While mounted, its current maximum flight altitude is 100 meters!]
Zhou Ming was not surprised.
Even eagles needed training before they could rule the skies. The fact that Xiaochi could already carry him through the air immediately after growing was impressive enough.
Whoosh…
Xiaochi snapped its wings and sped forward, swiftly carrying Zhou Ming to another Wraith Swordsman spawn point.
With the advantage of altitude, Zhou Ming activated Heavenbinder.
The blazing core it formed sent rings of fire rolling outward, causing every Wraith Swordsman’s HP to plunge.
Faced with the attack, the Wraith Swordsmen could only retaliate from range with sword qi, but the extraordinarily fast Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon dodged each strike with ease.
MISS!
MISS!
Flight offered an undeniable advantage. Against landbound creatures, it put him in an inherently unbeatable position.
Ding!
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have successfully slain [Wraith Swordsman] (Domain-grade ★★★★★). EXP at current level +85.1%!]
Ding!
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have successfully slain [Wraith Swordsman] (Domain-grade ★★★★★). EXP at current level +84.7%!]
…
Swoosh!
Golden light surged around him.
The deaths of two Wraith Swordsmen raised Zhou Ming’s level again, bringing him to Level 135.
“Keep going!”
Zhou Ming was in full swing. Unbothered by the howling wind, he happily farmed monsters and leveled up atop the Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon while helping it grow further.
Once it reached maturity, it would surely become an indispensable force in battle.
…
Time passed slowly.
Over the next few days, Zhou Ming tirelessly and quietly leveled in the Snow Domain.
Before his combat power erupted, he had to remain hidden. Only once he was strong enough would he settle accounts with the gods.
Of course, he did not find the process dull. Qianying was there beside him.
Meanwhile, the changes on the level rankings left players more stunned than ever.
Zhouyou Shijie had finally stopped even pretending to hide it!
In every game, leveling became harder the higher one climbed. No one had ever heard of someone leveling faster and faster like Zhouyou Shijie.
On the fourth day.
Slash!
Zhou Ming unleashed Divine Abyss Sword Qi and killed yet another Wraith Swordsman, finally reaching the terrifying height of Level 150.
Beep, beep!
Suddenly, a message arrived through his friends list. It was from Tingfeng Xiyu.
“Brother Zhou, I picked up a high-difficulty subjugation quest. It looks like we’ll have to fight a Celestial Spirit-grade boss. Want to give it a shot?” Tingfeng Xiyu got straight to the point and sent him a screenshot.
The screenshot showed a giant octopus in the ocean.
Countless suckers covered its tentacles. Wielding them like whips, it smashed them viciously against a cargo ship, sending goods and native inhabitants tumbling into the sea.
Zhou Ming’s eyes lit up. “Sure. I’ll be right there!”
A Celestial Spirit-grade boss!
That was exactly what he needed right now.
The only reason he had not gone looking for one earlier was that searching the entire map for a boss no player had ever encountered would have been an enormous hassle.
Even the Fate Compass could not help him find one without a specific name.
“I’m already at the quest location. Coordinates: (1567, 8995, 5669)!”
“OK!”
Zhou Ming immediately prepared to fly there on the Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon.
Just as he was about to leave, however, an utterly unexpected system chime rang in his ears.
Ding!
[System Notification: Attention! A living being is about to reach the seventh stage of the Talent Trial. As someone who has cleared the trial, would you like to serve as the stage guardian through a projection?]
(Note 1: You have 30 seconds to decide. If you accept, you must do everything in your power to stop the challenger and may not hold back.)
(Note 2: Whether or not you successfully defend the stage, you will receive a guardian reward.)
Zhou Ming: “…”
The stage guardian?
Was this something like his first encounter with Ning Wushen?
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Zhou Ming opened his friends list and replied to Tingfeng Xiyu, “Something unexpected came up. I’ll need you to wait for me a little while, brother.”
“How long will it take?”
“It shouldn’t take too long…”
“All right. I’ll wait here.”
“Thanks!”
…
After explaining the situation to Tingfeng Xiyu, Zhou Ming accepted. “Yes!”
Swoosh!
The next second, he felt his consciousness separate and drift away with the system’s assistance.
After a brief moment of disorientation, he arrived inside the familiar Talent Trial grounds.
Zhou Ming was in high spirits.
The seventh stage was not going to be easy for this challenger!
…
At the same time.
Inside the Talent Trial.
A handsome, refined-looking man regarded the guardian of the sixth stage with faint contempt. “The Talent Trial isn’t so impressive after all!”
The difficulty had risen rapidly from the first stage to the sixth, yet he had still felt little pressure.
It was not entirely the guardians’ fault. His own foundation was simply far too deep.
“Ye’er, don’t get careless. The seventh stage is where the true difficulty begins!”
“Only a handful of people in the entire world have ever cleared it. If you succeed, Grandfather will reward you handsomely!”
“With Ye’er’s talent and all the care we have put into cultivating him, he should have few rivals at this stage!”
…
The challenger’s status seemed exceptionally prestigious.
Many powerful figures outside the Talent Trial cheered him on and could even communicate with him through special means.
“I’ve built up more than enough strength by now!” Mu Ye declared proudly as he thrust out his spear and defeated the sixth stage guardian’s projection. “It would not be an exaggeration to call me invincible among those at my level!”
“Invincible?”
Suddenly, a man’s projection appeared inside the Talent Trial. He was the guardian of the seventh stage. With keen interest, he said, “Then I’ll have to see that for myself!”
…