148 - I’m Really Not an NPC

"What the hell, the Twin Fiends of Width and Narrowness? They're a force even more formidable than the Five Demons of the Ten-Direction Realm! They were responsible for the incident at Fragmented Leaf City back then!" "Look, what are they up to?" Tang Hao and Wu Xi soared into the sky, positioning themselves in front of Huang Tu zhi Zhu, and bellowed angrily at Yue Ling, "A mere human girl still wet behind the ears, thinking she could challenge the patriarch? Let we, the Twin Fiends of Width and Narrowness, meet you first!" In an instant, two spirals of azure light, thick and thin, intertwined like two braided cords, shot towards the First Snow Sword. "Is this... the combined attack of Width and Narrowness? It's said that a level 60 human NPC met his end under this very skill." "Then who will win?" "Yue Ling, I'd say. After all, she's reputed as a swordsmanship confidante by the demon sovereign of the Ten-Direction." "I'm not so sure. The Twin Fiends of Width and Narrowness striking together are not much weaker than the Ten-Direction, and isn't Yue Ling rumored to be in a weakened state?" As the discussion went on, the imposing First Snow Sword plunged down with great might. With a soft "pop," the spiral beam shattered like tofu, sliced apart right down the middle by the First Snow Sword. Tang Hao and Wu Xi let out a pained cry, plummeting back into the valley like kites with broken strings, and fell silent thereafter. "What!" The assembled demons were shocked and horrified. Yue Ling had used only thirty percent of her strength to instantly annihilate the renowned Twin Fiends of Width and Narrowness. If she were to unleash her full power, how terrifying would that be? Could it be that they wouldn't need to act today, and Huang Tu zhi Zhu would perish at her hands? If so, wouldn't they lose out on the mission rewards? The players felt a twinge of regret, wishing they had arrived earlier. With Huang Tu zhi Zhu in a weakened state, defeating him should not have been too challenging, right? Yue Ling smirked coldly and raised her sword for another strike, mirroring the previous blow that felled the twin fiends. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, Huang Tu zhi Zhu stood there with a derisive smile, motionless, allowing the overwhelming sword light to descend upon him. A faint mustard yellow gleam shimmered over him, and the fierce sword light completely dissipated, as if it had never been there. With mocking disdain, he said, "Is this all you've got?" The demons bulged their eyes in disbelief. "Did Huang Tu zhi Zhu just easily block Yue Ling's sword?" "How is this possible? Isn't he supposed to be weakened? That strike took down the Twin Fiends in one blow!" "Hmm?" Yue Ling's expression stiffened, her gaze became serious. "Seems I need to go all out." With those words, the First Snow Sword erupted with a thousand-foot-long glow, its sword light piercing the heavens, churning the clouds above. In an instant, all turned to a blinding white, rendering everything indistinct. The faces of all the demons changed. "Such sword power!" "Even the mere aura is so overwhelming. Has Yue Ling fully recovered?" Among the Five Demons, Tai Zhen's face turned grave. "Ge Yuan, can you withstand this strike?" Ge Yuan clenched his fist slightly and slowly nodded, "I can, but with great difficulty!" Su Yue's face was pale, having once thought that with his youthful level 17 prowess, he was among the elite of the demons. Hearing that the top ten of the Shifang Ranking all fell to Yue Ling, he had inwardly mocked them for failing against a mere 16-year-old human girl. But now, he despairingly realized that Yue Ling's astounding strike would be insurmountable, even if he were ten times stronger. He felt a twinge of relief, thankful she wasn't a player, thankful she couldn't stir up turmoil in the Xuan World! As the sword that seemed poised to cleave the valley descended slowly, what everyone saw was the enormous form of Huang Tu zhi Zhu, like a demon lord incarnate. Amidst the blinding white sword glow, he leisurely extended his right hand and, to everyone's shock and horror, gently pinched the heavens-cleaving First Snow Sword. He pinched it? With a chuckle, he said, "Is this your all-out strike?" Yue Ling's face was filled with astonishment, incredulously exclaiming, "You! You weren't injured at all!" Huang Tu zhi Zhu laughed maniacally, "Haha, you realized too late!" In an instant, a giant hand, blotting out the sun, reached for her. Yue Ling withdrew her sword and turned, moving like the wind, pressing her agility to its utmost. She weaved and danced through the terrifying giant hand, forcibly carving out a path to escape without a backward glance. "Huang Tu zhi Zhu actually blocked Yue Ling's full-force strike?" "As terrifying as Yue Ling is, even she was forced to flee?" "If even Yue Ling can't win, why are we even here?" "This is bad, Huang Tu zhi Zhu noticed us!" The demons, terrified to their cores, cried out, "Run!" Merely catching Huang Tu zhi Zhu's fierce gaze felt like being stared at by an infernal god. Thoughts of completing the slaughter mission were quickly abandoned, and they scattered in utter panic. The once-aggressive demons had now entirely abandoned any notion of challenging Huang Tu zhi Zhu. Too terrifying! Yet within the confines of Huang Shi Valley, an air of amusement lingered. Tang Hao, with his gray-and-dirty appearance, clambered to his feet. Though he looked bedraggled, his face was steeped with blissful appreciation as he said, "Huang Tu Patriarch, you are indeed wise beyond measure!" Witnessing Tang Hao’s genuine reverence, Liu Meng's adorable face was filled with inner conflict, her words tangled in her throat. Gathering her thoughts, unsure of what to say, she recalled how she ended up displeasing both Yue Ling and Huang Tu Lao Zu. Her heart thudded wildly, eyes closing, she shouted loudly, "Huang Tu Patriarch, you are truly crafty! Miss Yue Ling, you are as beautiful as a celestial!" Under Yue Ling's bewildered gaze, Huang Tu zhi Zhu basked in satisfaction, praising, "Hmm, astute observation!" Seeing Yue Ling's disdainful gaze, Huang Tu zhi Zhu laughed heartily, "Yue Ling, I must say, you, the ice-cold beauty, aren't suited for acting; your expression is too fake." With a stoic expression, Yue Ling scoffed, "Such a cliché plot, only you could think of that." Huang Tu zhi Zhu was taken aback, puzzlingly asking, "Dragon Ao Tian, what does that mean?" Before Yue Ling could answer him, a system notification sounded in her ear. [Beep~ Indifference Value -5, Current Indifference Value: -5] [Warning! You have triggered Calamity: Character Collapse (Current Indifference Value reduced to -50). Note: During Calamity State, Indifference Value cannot be gained normally. Random Indifference Tasks will appear, completion of which will grant a specific amount of Indifference Value.] Yue Ling was stunned, then truly regretted it. Indeed, she shouldn’t have agreed to do this ridiculous thing just for a mere Essence Elixir! Never again would she greedily accept another Essence Elixir! "When I reclaim the Demon Realm as its lord, I’ll ensure all the Essence Elixirs in our demon treasury are yours." "..." Are you the devil? [Beep~ After the calamity ends, you will gain the boss talent: Celestial Flight (You will exude an overwhelming intimidation towards enemies, with the suppression being greater the weaker the enemy).] Yue Ling was taken aback, first feeling joy, then a much deeper confusion setting in. Why did it feel as though she was being pushed further away from the player faction? A vague sense that the system was steadily steering her towards the NPC faction crept into her mind. Perhaps it was merely her imagination? "When will you..." Yue Ling started to ask, then suddenly paused in confusion, inquiring, "Where is Bi Shui zhi Zhu?" "Hmm?" A smiling Huang Tu zhi Zhu was caught off guard, quickly asking, "Have you seen her?" Yue Ling's heart sank, asking, "She hasn't reached out to you?" Huang Tu zhi Zhu, looking bewildered, replied, "No, I've been searching for her everywhere." Yue Ling's expression shifted subtly, and she quickly recounted the story about Bai Ye Gate. "What!" Huang Tu zhi Zhu was shocked, exclaiming, "Why haven't I heard any news about her?" "Patriarch!" Suddenly, Tang Hao ingratiatedly approached, as if offering credit, "I know where Bi Shui zhi Zhu is." Huang Tu zhi Zhu's eyes widened, "Speak!" Tang Hao took a second to muster his emotions before dramatically recounting, "Not long ago, Bi Shui zhi Zhu traveled across great distances to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to find you, Patriarch, truly a deep and moving affection! Yet that despicable old thief, Hong Yi Lao Zu, used her kindness and urgency as leverage, luring her into trouble with news about you—truly despicable beyond measure..." Seeing Huang Tu zhi Zhu's eyes turning blood red, as if on the verge of exploding, Tang Hao dared not embellish further and quickly concluded, "Bi Shui zhi Zhu is trapped at Resentment Sky Cliff!" "Boom!" Rocks shattered, the ground quaked lightly. Huang Tu zhi Zhu roared in rage, "Hong Yi Lao Zu! I'll slice you up!" With that, he charged murderously out of the valley. His ferocious demeanor left everyone silent, too afraid to utter a word. However, after only a few steps, he halted, turning back, shouting angrily at Yue Ling, "Why didn't you stop me!"