132 - I’m Really Not an NPC

Huo Yun forcefully shoved past those in front of him, delving deeper into the dense forest. However, the more he struggled, the more entangled he became in the ever-increasing vines. Even as he summoned all his spiritual strength to slash away, he found it increasingly difficult to fend them off. Seeing the dense vines about to completely shroud the mystical Ascension Pill, Huo Yun was struck with urgency. Casting caution to the wind, he hurled himself towards it. Exerting all his strength, he reached out with his left hand, desperate to grasp the pill glowing with celestial azure. Yet, his legs suddenly became tightly bound, leaving him unable to close the less than one-meter gap. A fierce determination flickered in Huo Yun's eyes. Raising his fiery dragon blade, he fiercely swung it down, mercilessly severing his own legs. Blood sprayed, exposing stark white bone. Enduring excruciating pain that nearly made him faint, Huo Yun desperately lunged forward, stretching his left hand through the tangled web of vines to finally seize the Ascension Pill. Elated, he immediately murmured, "Teleport!" "Whoosh!" In the blink of an eye, Huo Yun vanished from his spot. "Heh, as long as I have the Ascension Pill, any sacrifice is worthwhile." "Hmm? Where is my Ascension Pill?" "Where is my Ascension Pill?" "Ahhhh!" "Damn it! Who on earth stole my Ascension Pill!!" [Ding~ Due to excessive blood loss, you have died.] "……" Yue Ling stood serenely, watching the expanding illusory realm, her expression calm and composed. "Heh, you really are an exceptional human girl, not at all deceived?" [Warning! BOSS Lingquan (Level 35) has appeared!] In the pitch-black illusory realm, a faintly visible azure spring bubbled, emitting hazy mist. Yue Ling’s eyes narrowed; this must be Lingquan's true form. The Lingquan Valley Master was merely its avatar. "Adorable human girl, that electric shock you gave me felt surprisingly pleasant." "As thanks for your massage, I've decided to let you experience something even more delightful." Suddenly, countless wooden spikes shot up from the smooth grass like arrows. If they struck her, it would indeed be an intense sensation. Though the spikes were swift, Yue Ling's reflexes were quicker. She grabbed Qing Feng and Zhang Xiaofeng by their collars, flinging them skyward as their eyes widened in terror. Meanwhile, Yue Ling moved like a gentle breeze, weaving effortlessly through the gaps, advancing rapidly toward the illusory realm. The distance was sufficient! A cold light flashed in Yue Ling’s eyes. A mere Level 35 creature dared to be so arrogant before her? "Clouds Obscure the Moon: Instant Flash!" However, Yue Ling was startled to find a strong resistance in the space. "Spatial Lock?" A quick probe revealed the spatial lock enveloping the Lingquan Valley was not originating from this secret realm. Who could it be? A bad premonition creeped into Yue Ling's mind. "Qing You, return." "Huh? What's wrong, Master? Qing You isn't done playing yet!" "Rescue!" "Uh? Alright, alright! Hang in there, Master!" Seeing Yue Ling’s ever-calm demeanor finally shift slightly, Lingquan, initially somewhat panicked, suddenly grew confident and smirked, "What’s this? Fear at last?" Yue Ling frowned slightly, her voice lowering with seriousness, "If you wish to live, let us end this here." Lingquan couldn't help but laugh heartily, "Are you begging? How about calling me darling, and I might just agree." Yue Ling’s gaze turned icy as she spat, "Fool." In an instant, an overwhelming aura erupted from her, a surge of sword intent rushing towards Lingquan. The mist within the spring quivered violently and began dispersing as Lingquan shrieked in horror, "This, this can't be! You're only Level 16!!" As Zhang Xiaofeng remained airborne, his eyes widened. What did it just say? Level 16? Before he could ponder further, a streak of white light blossomed in the sky, transforming swiftly into a dazzling sword beam. Finally, aware of the oddities and sensing danger, Yue Ling ceased holding back. "Sword Force: Return to Ruins!" Vast waves of sword force surged, enveloping the entire illusory realm! There was no stopping it. Absolutely none! Lingquan screamed in terror, "No, no, I erred, spare my life!" The magnificent sword light cut through like a hot knife through butter. With a cracking sound, the illusory realm began collapsing violently, the space itself fracturing, sending the mist within Lingquan into frantic turbulence. "Save me, save me! I'll serve you forever!" As the spatial fragments crashed down upon Lingquan, Yue Ling coldly retorted, "No need." Such insensible servitude, would it only be a trap? Despite Lingquan's desperate efforts to salvage the situation, he could not prevent the total collapse of the illusory realm. Trapped within, Lingquan could not escape, eyes filled with regret and despair, lamenting not accepting her offer earlier. Ultimately, Lingquan was buried alive in the very illusion he created. [Ding~ You have destroyed Lingquan and completed the secret mission. Skill reward acquired: Lingquan (allows for double the character's max spiritual power).] Yue Ling paused, realizing this meant her original 20,000 spiritual power was now 40,000. [Ding~ Treasure map mission completed, you have gained Ascension Pill*1 (breaks through bottlenecks).] Staring at the gleaming Ascension Pill in her inventory, Yue Ling felt a touch of confusion. Breaking through bottlenecks, what does that imply? [Ding~ SSS-level talent detected, would you like to convert the Ascension Pill into one billion experience points? (No depreciation)] Yue Ling’s breath caught. One billion experience?! Swallowing hard, she maintained her composure. Such a colossal experience value suggested its original purpose was immensely significant. After contemplating, she stored the Ascension Pill, deciding to learn its true function before making a decision. Her gaze gradually shifted toward the direction outside the valley. Beyond Lingquan Valley, flags fluttered in the breeze, and a gathering of myriad beasts was present. Tens of thousands of beast race players stood clustered by species, forming a circular formation stretching kilometers long, encircling Lingquan Valley like an iron fortress. In contrast to the disciplined human race, the beast players appeared carefree and spontaneous, engaged in loud conversations, jovial chatter, or impromptu contests, creating an atmosphere of lively chaos. "Haha, Brother Cui, who would have thought the Azure Sheep tribe would also come?" "Click-click, for such a significant event, how could we not?" "Everyone look, it’s Big Shot Liu Li! And Sister Can Mei!" Suddenly, an excited shriek arose from the crowd, "Oh my goodness, look who’s here, Dou Luer, she actually showed up!!!" "Make way, front row's mine, Dou Luer, I sus you!" … At the very forefront of the valley stood eight beast race figures, with others maintaining a respectful distance of several dozen meters, gazing at them with admiration. Liu Li surveyed the beast gathering and couldn't help but chuckle, "Seems like the top 10 players of Shifang Realm have all gathered." Clad in red, Can Mei smiled at the remark, "What an event to behold, missing it would be a lifelong regret for this sister." "I wonder who this Yue Ling of the human race is, to warrant even the personal involvement of Archfiend Shifang." Lan Yue furrowed his brow, snorting coldly, "Regardless of who she is, with the elite of our beast race assembled, even if Shifang doesn’t act, she stands no chance!" "Indeed, no matter her identity, she is destined to fall within our Shifang Realm." "Hey~ Where’s Bai Hui? Wasn’t he supposed to livestream the humans' demise to boost beast prestige?" "Humph, that guy loves to make an entrance. He won’t show until the last moment." Someone proposed, "Why don’t we test if we can take down Yue Ling till he arrives?" Lan Yue was stunned, asking, "All together?" Liu Li spoke gravely, "Do you think she’s just anybody? For Archfiend Shifang to intervene personally, this Yue Ling is definitely out of the ordinary!"