Liu Xuan really hadn’t been boasting. If not for this so-called Promotion Defense Battle, he probably would have already bulldozed his way straight to the royal city.
With his current damage output, it shouldn’t be difficult at all.
And as long as he stopped to farm a few high-level monsters along the way, the experience bonus of over 120 times would let him acquire several more passive abilities in no time.
In other words: he could win this fight effortlessly!
After his brief shock, Russo seemed to believe him—or perhaps not. Either way, his attitude suddenly changed, and he made a request:
“How about this? I’ll give you a chance. If you can break through my defenses within three strikes, I’ll lead everyone out of here and go with you to Orenburg.”
As he spoke, he turned to his adjutant. “Tobin! Bring me my shield!”
Tobin froze for a moment, then became visibly excited. He glanced at Liu Xuan and immediately began cheering for him right in front of Russo.
“Brother, it’s all up to you! Come on, take down the general!”
With that, he jogged into the stone cave. Before long, he came back carrying a large silver shield.
Tobin tied the shield to Russo’s right shoulder with a rope, then stepped aside.
Russo, meanwhile, moved his right foot forward and drove the prosthetic leg on his left into the ground. He turned his right shoulder sideways, using the shield to protect himself.
Then he called out to Liu Xuan, “Come on, warrior! Let me see what you’re made of. All you have to do is knock me down!”
The moment he finished speaking, three shields suddenly appeared around his body. According to the buff description, each shield could block one attack.
In other words, Russo was clearly going easy on him.
Liu Xuan’s earlier words had moved him.
If they really could fight their way back to the royal city and completely drive out those destroyers, perhaps the nightmare that had haunted him all these years would finally disappear.
The shields weren’t particularly strong, but they weren’t weak either. They were probably an ability that came with the shield itself.
In a real battle, being able to block three attacks would be extremely powerful if used properly.
But this was only a sparring match. Russo had activated the shields outright, meaning Liu Xuan could break them simply by attacking three times.
Russo was practically hoping Liu Xuan would win.
And yet…
The corner of Liu Xuan’s mouth twitched.
“…”
Wait, how did this turn into me having to knock you down? I don’t even have the ability to do that.
And within three strikes? Even three hundred wouldn’t be enough!
Are you trying to make things impossible for Fat Tiger here?
The Heavenly Thunder didn’t trigger either. Was that a system setting to prevent him from accidentally killing an NPC?
Liu Xuan could only negotiate. “How about we switch? You attack me instead. I’ll just stand here and let you hit me. Don’t say three times—even three hundred times is fine.”
Russo lowered his head and looked at his empty sleeves. He immediately flew into a rage.
“You’re insulting me?!”
I can barely walk properly, and you think I look like someone who can attack?
Three hundred times? I couldn’t even hit you three times!
You’re insulting me!
Liu Xuan: Oh, right. This guy doesn’t have any hands. He’s not much different from me in that regard.
He had no choice but to clasp his hands behind his back and assume an expression of absolute determination not to attack.
“I’m not insulting you. It’s just that I have a principle: I never attack my own people.”
Russo’s eyelid twitched.
I’ve already built you a way out. Couldn’t you just take the step down and let us both save face?
Why are you so determined to cling to this ridiculous principle?
Fortunately, the adjutant was a quick thinker. Seeing the situation, he hurried over to smooth things over—though the main reason was that they all wanted desperately to leave this miserable place.
“Oh, what a coincidence! Our general doesn’t like fighting either. I think the two of you simply recognize a kindred hero in each other. Why don’t we call off the fight and make peace? How does that sound?”
Russo glanced again at his empty sleeves.
Make peace by shaking hands, is that it?
But he could see the expectant looks in the soldiers’ eyes. Every one of them wanted him to agree.
In that case, he might as well take the offered way out.
Russo looked at Liu Xuan and cleared his throat.
“So it turns out that you and I are alike. No wonder I felt an instant connection the moment I saw you. Since that’s the case, there’s no need for us to continue this contest. We’ll pack up and return to Orenburg!”
“Yay!”
A cheer erupted from the surrounding soldiers.
Even Liu Xuan hadn’t expected things to be resolved so easily. A few words, and the matter was settled.
But after thinking about it carefully, he couldn’t really call it easy. Ultimately, it was because he had already conquered Dawn City and Moonlight City in advance. That was why Russo had agreed so readily.
Russo did make one additional request, however. When they went north and reclaimed a place called Crescent City, he hoped Liu Xuan would bring them along.
Crescent City was the city they had originally been stationed in.
After asking Russo about it, Liu Xuan learned that Crescent City was located near Moonlight City, which was also where it had gotten its name. He immediately said that they could set out for Crescent City in a couple of days.
After all, once this Promotion Defense Battle was over, they would have to send people to Moonlight City. Crescent City was on the way, so they could conveniently take it back as well.
Everyone was satisfied with the arrangement.
…
Russo and the others didn’t need Liu Xuan to personally escort them to Orenburg, so Liu Xuan headed straight for the next task on the list.
It was called a task, but in reality, it was only a lead.
It had begun when someone discovered that the area beneath a certain low mountain was filled with an unusually high density of monsters. At first, they thought they had found an ideal place to farm monsters. But after the monsters there were killed, they never respawned.
Only after clearing out every last monster did they discover a solitary wooden cabin atop the hill. An old man who was deathly ill lived inside.
Naturally, the people who found him wanted to bring him back to Orenburg. But no matter what they said, the old man refused to leave.
Whenever anyone spoke to him, he would only repeat, “I have to find my son.”
When asked what his son was called or where he was, he couldn’t answer either question.
Of course, if he were just an ordinary old man, Zhang Meng wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of adding him to the list and asking Liu Xuan to help.
According to the people who had found the old man, although he looked frail and spent most of his time lying down, his strength was terrifying.
When they had first arrived, they had seen several monsters occasionally charging up the hill. The old man had killed each one with a single stroke of his sword.
His identity was clearly far from ordinary.
As luck would have it, the wilderness where Russo and the others were staying wasn’t far from the hill. After resolving matters there, Liu Xuan immediately headed over.
It was a dirt mound only a few dozen meters high. From the foot of the hill, he could already see the small wooden cabin at the top.
As Liu Xuan made his way up, he discovered bloodstains everywhere. In many places, the soil had been soaked red.
When he arrived in front of the cabin, he saw a thin old man in plain clothes sitting by the doorway. His hair was white, and his beard hung all the way down to his chest. He was staring blankly at the foot of the hill.
Beside him lay an old sword stained with blood.
Liu Xuan glanced at the old man’s attributes.
[Master Swordsman Heg]
Level: 45
Attack: 12,000
Health: 50,000
Armor: 10
Magic Resistance: 10
Tenacity: 90%
Skills: None
Even Liu Xuan was startled by these attributes. An attack power of 12,000 was the highest he had seen so far.
No wonder the people who had witnessed him kill monsters with a single stroke of his sword had been so shocked. Even without any skills, this old man was absurdly powerful.
The level-45-plus bosses Liu Xuan had encountered in Dawn City had possessed far lower attack power. Even Redwing, the strongest among them, had only 8,000 attack.
But Heg’s HP and both resistances were pitifully low. Liu Xuan noticed two debuffs hanging over his status bar: [Critically Ill and Dying] and [Confused].
Maybe that was why.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
