Chapter 201
Chapter 201
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: Congratulations on successfully defending the stage! You have received the following rewards: Fame +500, Level +2, Free Attribute Points +100, and the S-Rank skill [Flame Spirit Aegis]!]
The system duly handed out the appropriate rewards for a successful defense.
Knowing how easily he had earned them made the rewards feel even more valuable.
“System, buddy, if another chance comes up, let me defend a stage more often!” Zhou Ming said cheerfully.
System: “…”
Elsewhere…
Many god-tier experts had turned their gazes toward the Talent Trial. None of them were surprised by Zhouyou Shijie’s victory, but they were deeply displeased all the same.
“Having Ning Wushen defend a stage was already enough to make people despair. Now Zhouyou Shijie has joined him? Are future challengers supposed to have any chance at all?”
“This may be for the best. That young junior has extraordinary potential and even has protectors accompanying him. Zhouyou Shijie was forced to attack by the rules, but he has inevitably made an enemy of them!”
“It’s only been a few days, yet his leveling speed is astonishing. By now, I’m afraid…”
…
The gods and demons each brooded over Zhou Ming’s actions.
He was growing stronger and stronger, his momentum seemingly impossible to stop. That was the last thing they wanted to see.
…
The scene shifted. Zhou Ming withdrew his projection, and his view returned to the Snow Domain.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two rays of golden light descended, raising him to Level 152.
The gains from these short four days had been considerable, sending his level soaring.
“At this rate, it shouldn’t be long before I can undergo my final advancement.” Zhou Ming had long since planned his next objective as he rode the Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon toward the coordinates Tingfeng Xiyu had sent him.
Qianying had already explained the details of class advancement to him.
Level 180 marked the final advancement!
After that, how strong someone could become and how much they could accomplish would depend entirely on their own ability. There would be no more obvious, predictable path to power.
Whoosh!
The dragon’s wings beat through the air, stirring layer upon layer of turbulent wind.
They flew with lightning speed. Zhou Ming activated Shadowless Step for another burst of acceleration, and their speed climbed sharply. During the journey, he suddenly remembered that he still had another speed-enhancing technique he had yet to learn. He immediately opened his inventory and checked its details after enhancing it with Invincible Lucky Star.
[Traceless Step] (Rare SSS-Rank)
Description: The wind crosses water without leaving a trace; the passing goose leaves its distant cry.
Passive Effect: Base Speed Growth Rating +2 stars, Movement Speed +100%
Active Effect: While moving, the user creates a trail of afterimages to confuse opponents, greatly increasing the chance of evading skills that are not guaranteed to hit.
Duration: 3 minutes
Cooldown: 5 minutes
…
As a top-tier speed skill, Traceless Step’s power lay primarily in its increase to Base Speed Growth and its unique evasion effect.
This was Base Speed Growth, after all. With the bonuses from his several class advancements, the actual increase amounted to a staggering sixteen stars.
In other words, he gained 1.6% Movement Speed per level. At Level 152, his actual Attack Speed and Movement Speed bonus reached an outrageous 243.2%.
There was nothing to think about. Learn it!
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have successfully learned the Rare SSS-Rank skill [Traceless Step]!]
Besides that, Zhou Ming put all his Free Attribute Points into Attack, then turned his attention to the skill rewarded for defending the stage.
[Flame Spirit Aegis] (Passive) (Rare S-Rank)
Description: Constant protection is the foundation that keeps the strong from falling to a sneak attack.
Skill Effect: Defense +50%, Damage Reduction +10%
…
The more skills, the better!
Flame Spirit Aegis had an impressive effect as well, significantly improving Zhou Ming’s survivability.
Unfortunately, Invincible Lucky Star could only be used once per day. He would have to set the skill aside and wait until tomorrow.
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: You have entered the map [Boundless Sea]!]
After traveling for a little over ten minutes, Zhou Ming reached the coordinates. An endless expanse of azure ocean filled his vision.
Under the sunlight, tides rolled in and out along the shore. Many adventurers were enjoying themselves, the salty sea breeze blowing pleasantly against their faces.
With so many people around, Qianying voluntarily withdrew into the God-Demon Orb.
She did not particularly like noisy, crowded places.
“Holy shit, a Dragon Knight?!”
“Is that an NPC?”
“No, wait. I think that’s… that’s Zhouyou Shijie!”
…
The players on the beach noticed the newcomer, and shock spread across their faces.
“Over here!”
The moment he saw Zhou Ming, Tingfeng Xiyu raised a hand and waved.
It would have been difficult not to notice Zhou Ming’s arrival!
After all…
Riding a dragon was just too damn cool!
Especially when that dragon was a Sacred Dragon, crimson from head to tail like the blazing sun!
Zhou Ming canceled his mounted state and went over to Tingfeng Xiyu. When the nearby players began crowding around them, he immediately took Tingfeng Xiyu and slipped away.
“Idol, don’t go! I’ve been your fan for ten years!” an overenthusiastic fan shouted.
“Zhouyou Shijie, I’ve got a gaming endorsement worth eight figures! All you have to do is put on some armor and yell, ‘Brothers, join me for the siege at eight!’ Want to think it over?”
…
Zhou Ming did not waste time tangling with them. “Come on. Let’s talk somewhere else!”
“All right!”
Tingfeng Xiyu understood that Zhouyou Shijie had always kept a low profile in the gaming community. He almost never accepted commercial endorsements or made public appearances.
Once they reached a deserted area, Zhou Ming smiled. “Feels like it’s been a while since we last met. How have you been?”
“Not bad!”
Tingfeng Xiyu grinned and could not resist making a joke. “My situation’s kind of complicated. I’m not good enough to stand at the top, but I’m still better than most.”
In terms of raw strength alone, he could rank among the best in the entire Eastern Region. The only three who could confidently claim to suppress him were Zhouyou Shijie, Wuwei Erzhi, and Shunwo Zhewang.
The problem was that even among the four of them, their actual combat power was far from equal.
“Who knows what the future holds? Maybe one day, your strength will suddenly skyrocket,” Zhou Ming said meaningfully.
“Skyrocket?”
Tingfeng Xiyu scratched his head. “That seems pretty unlikely, doesn’t it?”
“It’ll happen,” Zhou Ming said with certainty.
He had given Yun Wuyou the S-Rank hidden-class transfer certificate, so Yun Wuyou ought to gain a substantial reward from it. As his disciple, Tingfeng Xiyu was bound to benefit as well.
“I sure hope that day really comes!” Tingfeng Xiyu nodded, then got down to business. “The quest I accepted is a team quest. I’ll share it with you!”
“All right!”
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: Windrider · Tingfeng Xiyu has invited you to join the team quest [Cross-Sea Trade]. Accept?]
“Yes!”
Zhou Ming accepted.
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: You have received the team quest [Cross-Sea Trade] (Difficulty: A-S)!]
[Cross-Sea Trade] (Difficulty: A-S)
Description: Cross the Boundless Sea and deliver cargo to a small nation. The risks are considerable, but so are the profits.
Quest Requirement: Protect the cargo ship from attacks by sea creatures.
Failure Penalty: Level -5, All Attributes -100
…
“What the hell!”
Tingfeng Xiyu gave a helpless laugh. “The upper limit was still SS-Rank before. The moment you joined, the difficulty dropped by an entire tier!”
As everyone knew, quest difficulty in Destiny was never fixed.
It changed according to all sorts of factors.
“Could we run into a Celestial Spirit-Tier Boss on the way across the sea?” Zhou Ming asked curiously.
“That’s right!”
Tingfeng Xiyu nodded. “I asked around about this quest before. The screenshot I sent you came from a player whose attempt failed. They couldn’t even view that octopus’s status panel, so it has to be vicious.”
“Got it!”
Zhou Ming nodded. “When are we setting out?”
“The player who first accepted the quest said we’re leaving at two this afternoon.”
“All right. I’ll log off and get something to eat first.”
…