131 - I’m Really Not an NPC

[Ding~ You have recklessly entered the heart of Lingquan Valley, disturbing the slumber of the Lingquan Valley Master.] [Warning! The BOSS is about to appear.] [Note: If Yue Ling participates in the battle, no BOSS rewards can be obtained.] Upon hearing the system notification, everyone hesitated and instinctively turned to Huo Yun, asking, "Master, what should we do? Should Yue Ling join the battle?" Noticing that everyone was looking at him, Huo Yun smirked with satisfaction. As expected, at critical moments, they would subconsciously follow his lead. The authority of a sect master runs deep and is not something that can be easily undermined by someone like Qing Feng. He began to organize his thoughts to share his opinion, but before he could speak, Qing Feng unexpectedly said, "Give it up. This dungeon isn't something we can handle right now. We can't risk losing experience and dying just for rewards. Otherwise, wouldn't the Purple Cloud Green Cloud Order be wasted?" "Elder Qing Feng is right. We can't even handle the small monsters; how can we fight the BOSS?" "Exactly, exactly, let's abandon it." "I was hesitant and couldn't make up my mind, but since Elder Qing Feng said so, let's painfully give it up." Seeing Qing Feng steal the spotlight, Huo Yun's face turned dark. He wanted to refute Qing Feng to regain some authority, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. After all, he and Qing Feng held the same view: with their current levels, attempting a level 30 raid dungeon would lead to their oblivion. If they charged in recklessly, a total wipe-out would have irreversible consequences. Once everyone had made up their minds, someone suddenly remembered and quickly asked, "Oh right, Master, what do you think?" The others immediately realized and hurriedly asked, "Yes, yes, Master, what's your take on this?" Huo Yun forced a smile and said, "I also think we should give up." With no further objections, Qing Feng discreetly nudged Zhang Xiaofeng, signaling him to approach Yue Ling. Shaking his head vigorously, Zhang Xiaofeng noticed Yue Ling seemingly sensing him and looking over, prompting him to quickly hide behind Qing Feng. Seeing his cowardice, Qing Feng sighed in exasperation and approached Yue Ling himself, saying earnestly, "Valley Master, we entrust this task to Miss Yue Ling." "Alright," Yue Ling replied calmly. At this moment, her mind was clear and focused, daring not to show any carelessness. With the latest system update, NPC level rules had changed. Now she could roughly defeat level 60 NPCs, but anything stronger would force her to use all her cards. Against those over level 80, she might only be able to escape. Suddenly, the trees in the valley began to move violently without the wind, as if a tornado was uprooting them, swirling and gathering in the air. The myriad trees gradually coalesced into a towering giant tree, several hundred meters high and more than ten meters thick. Two of the thickest branches on the giant tree swung like arms in the air, and at the top, a pair of dark brown eyes slowly opened. [Warning! The Lingquan Valley Master has appeared!] "So tall, I can't see the top." "This is the tallest creature of the demon race I've ever seen." The Lingquan Valley Master gazed down at the group, his voice deep and authoritative, slowly said, "If you retreat now, this one will spare your lives!" Originally panicked, the members of the Lieyang Sect were stunned. Was the BOSS really that merciful now? Standing calmly at the forefront of the group, Yue Ling didn't move an inch, showing no intention of backing down. The Lingquan Valley Master, who had been staring at her since appearing, narrowed his eyes and sternly warned, "Fellow Daoist, do not bring calamity upon yourself!" With an indifferent look, Yue Ling remained silent but raised her black iron sword, its sharp stance aiming directly at the Lingquan Valley Master! The Lingquan Valley Master hammered his arms heavily on the ground, sending dust flying in all directions, and roared angrily, "Do not be too insolent!" Without further words, Yue Ling thrust her sword fiercely into the ground, crying out, "Universal Form: Snow Domain!" The lush grass was entirely frozen, rapidly expanding its reach. Startled, the Lingquan Valley Master urgently called out, "Forest Miasma!" In an instant, billowing green miasma swelled from his body, but it couldn't resist the advancing icy ring. Upon contact, it was instantly frozen into green ice blocks. The Lingquan Valley Master, being enormous, couldn't dodge and had no time to use a new skill, leaving him helplessly watching as his sturdy form was encased in ice. Attempting to move his body, he realized his base was frozen solid to the ground, leaving him completely immobile. At this moment, Yue Ling floated three inches off the ground, her left hand forming a seal, and her right hand reverse-gripping the black iron sword behind her. In the sky, dark clouds began to gather. The Lingquan Valley Master panicked, shouting, "No, no, no, please spare me, revered immortal!" "Immortal, beautiful lady, goddess, big sister!" Seeing that human girl not acknowledging him, he clamored, "I, I mean, I am willing to be your mount!" Well, being ridden by such a gorgeous lady didn't seem too bad. However, Yue Ling simply replied, "Sorry, you're too ugly." With that, countless bolts of lightning poured down, cutting through the thick mist in the valley, illuminating Lingquan Valley brightly. The vibrant giant tree, extremely vulnerable to lightning, seemed to be fatally attracted by the descending lightning strikes, each one landing precisely on the treetop of the Lingquan Valley Master. "Aaah~" The trembling Lingquan Valley Master had an odd expression. "It's, it's such a strange feeling..." Muttering to himself, the Lingquan Valley Master's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed with a crash, immediately breaking apart and scattering into a pile of branches and leaves. [Ding~ Yue Ling has successfully slain the Lingquan Valley Master.] "Is it... done?" Everyone found it hard to believe. However, with the sudden appearance of a light blue portal, everyone's eyes lit up. The reward space entrance! Huo Yun's eyes flashed with excitement. He quickly stepped forward, blocking Yue Ling who intended to walk inside, and earnestly said, "Miss Yue Ling, this portal appeared under suspicious circumstances and could be extremely dangerous. As players, we do not fear death, but as a noble individual, we couldn't possibly let you take the risk." All the Lieyang Sect disciples were stunned by Huo Yun's words, looking at him with reverence for daringly deceiving Yue Ling, feeling a surge of admiration. Huo Yun risked lying for the chance to maximize their allocation of the secret realm's rewards. Otherwise, if Yue Ling entered, who would dare not give her the largest share? Yue Ling paused. If she weren't a player who understood this portal led to the reward space, she might have truly appreciated his concern. She wasn't foolish; how could she possibly give up? Thus, she shook her head and replied, "No need to worry, this is my mission." "No, no, such a noble lady cannot be put in harm's way—that would be an unforgivable sin. Any misfortune would haunt us with regret for life!" Yue Ling was both amused and repulsed by his roundabout flattery and was ready to refuse again when she noticed the treasure map quest completion rate was at 50%. Looking thoughtfully at the fallen Lingquan Valley Master, a guess began to form in her mind.