Ding!
Detected current situation of the Host. Task selection initiated:
A. Kill 100 abyssal creatures.Reward: Revolver ×1, Revolver Bullets ×1000.
B. Kill 1000 abyssal creatures.Reward: Revolver ×1, Revolver Bullets ×1000, Low-Grade Enslavement Talismans ×3.
C. Kill 10,000 abyssal creatures.Reward: Revolver ×1, Revolver Bullets ×1000, Low-Grade Enslavement Talismans ×3, Mid-Grade Enslavement Talisman ×1.
"I choose C." Gu Chen made his decision without hesitation.
Gu Chen and the group continued moving toward the center of the Nameless Mountain Range. Along the way, they encountered frequent harassment from many Four-Clawed Bats.
But before Gu Chen or Gu Yuena even needed to lift a finger, Hua Buluo and the others easily dispatched the creatures.
Buzz~
Suddenly, a strange sound rang out not far ahead.
Gu Chen and the group peeked out—and damn! There were over a hundred Abyssal Bomb Bees gathered there!
"Move!" Gu Chen quickly ordered a retreat when the Bomb Bees noticed them and charged in their direction.
Even though Gu Chen was fast enough to escape, Luo Chen and the others weren't. The bees would catch them for sure!
Barrier Shield!
Seeing no way out, Xuan Mo stepped forward. His third soul ring lit up, and with his martial soul enhanced by the Jade Mud Crystal, he summoned a massive energy shield.
The Bomb Bees launched suicide attacks on the shield, each one detonating on impact, carving chunks out of it. After exploding, each bee turned into a wisp of gray mist that fled toward a spatial rift.
Fourth Soul Skill — Forced Repair!
Xuan Mo rushed forward, casting his fourth skill to repair the shield.
But despite his high soul power, he couldn't outlast the swarm. The energy shield finally shattered under the relentless assault.
Gu Chen's expression darkened. He summoned his Golden Dragon Spear and began skewering the bees. Gu Yuena brought out her Silver Dragon Spear and joined in.
But every bee that got close exploded violently, leaving both Gu Chen and Gu Yuena in a sorry state.
Meanwhile, Hua Buluo and Luo Chen were caught in a chain of explosions, leaving them bloodied and unconscious.
Fortunately, with Gu Chen's Golden Dragon Earthquake, the remaining bees dropped like flies and were swiftly eliminated.
"Brother Chen, Luo Chen and Hua Buluo are seriously injured! If they don't get immediate treatment in this lifeless place, they'll die!" Feng Xiaoyu cried, kneeling beside them in panic.
"I'll handle it." Ling Xiaojiu stepped forward.
"Nine-Leaf Spring Revival Grass!" she chanted. Her Nine-Leaf Sword Grass grew wildly, stretching toward Luo Chen and Hua Buluo's bodies.
But just then, several dark shadows flashed nearby—uninvited guests had arrived!
"Heh. We saw you getting wrecked by those Bomb Bees. Hand over your score bracelets, or die here!" the masked leader sneered. He looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a black mask with a cunning smile.
Behind him stood nine men and one woman—ten in total. The one thing they all had in common was the black mask on their faces.
"You're not fighting abyssal creatures, but robbing fellow students? What's the meaning of this?!" Gu Chen's expression grew cold.
"Brother Chen, you have to stop them. I need time to finish the treatment!" Ling Xiaojiu said anxiously.
The masked man smirked and summoned five soul rings. His followers also summoned theirs—none of them were below Soul Ancestor level, and three others besides the leader were also Soul Kings!
"From over 1,300 participants, we're already down to around 800. In less than a day, 500 students have died in the Endless Mountains. We're not students anymore—we're survivors," the masked man sneered. "We're just trying to live—just in a different way than you. Hand over your bracelets, or we won't show mercy!"
"Xuan Mo, Jin Zi, protect Ling Xiaojiu! The rest, with me!" Gu Chen shouted as the Golden Dragon Spear reappeared in his hands.
The masked leader radiated killing intent as a katana appeared in his hands—clearly his martial soul.
His third soul ring lit up, and he dashed at Gu Chen with astonishing speed, attempting a throat-slash.
Gu Chen countered with a sweep of his Golden Dragon Spear, knocking aside the katana. Without giving the masked man time to react, the five-foot-long spear beam stabbed straight at his throat.
Then the masked woman moved. She flickered like a phantom, appearing behind Gu Chen with her dagger martial soul aiming directly at his heart.
Had Gu Chen insisted on killing the leader, the woman's dagger would've pierced his heart!
Of course, she didn't know that her strength wasn't even enough to pierce his defenses.
Feng Xiaoyu sprang into action. Her first, third, and fourth soul rings lit up simultaneously. Wind Barrier enhanced Gu Chen's defense, and Gale Thrust shot toward the masked woman.
From her angle, Feng Xiaoyu could've killed the masked woman outright. But a hint of compassion flashed in her eyes, and she chose instead to gravely injure her.
But if Feng Xiaoyu wouldn't finish her, Gu Yuena would. With a spatial teleport, Gu Yuena appeared above the woman and drove her Silver Dragon Spear straight through her throat.
The masked woman died with her eyes wide open.
Meanwhile, Gu Chen's Golden Dragon Spear had pierced the masked leader's throat as well.
Just like that, two of the eleven black-masked attackers were down.
"Boss!" one of them shouted in anguish. The man with a hooked nose trembled with rage. "Kill them! Avenge the boss!"
Another attacker with thick glasses summoned his dual sword martial soul and charged Gu Chen without a word.
The remaining six all activated their martial souls and rushed to attack.
"Mercy toward your enemies on the battlefield is cruelty to yourself," Gu Yuena said quietly, glancing at Feng Xiaoyu. Her voice was soft, but even the just-awakened Luo Chen and Hua Buluo heard it clearly.
Timed Sakura Bomb!
A cherry blossom drifted over to one of the masked attackers. The timer was set—for one second.
Boom!
The explosion was deafening. That attacker was instantly vaporized, and another nearby lost an arm, blood gushing from the wound.
Luo Chen stood up and tossed a Fragrant Fried Rice to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen swallowed it in one bite and lunged with his Golden Dragon Spear at the bespectacled attacker.
The attacker's fourth soul ring lit up. He began flickering across the battlefield, creating a clone, swapping places repeatedly, making it hard to tell who was who.
"The one on the right is the real body," Gu Yuena said suddenly.
Gu Chen trusted her completely. He activated his fourth soul skill—Golden Dragon Claw Thrust. The fierce dragon claw pierced the true attacker's chest and burst out his back.
(End of Chapter)