Chapter Seventy-Two: Preparing the Army for Departure

Little Ox Village.

This place, where Li Ren had once visited, remained as tranquil and peaceful as ever. Despite the fact that many unfortunate players continued to be randomly assigned by the system to this remote region, any hope of riding a teleportation array was surely out of the question. Along the way, Li Ren saw many players sprinting toward the outskirts of the village, eager to reach the world that awaited them.

Li Ren was among those rushing forward, but unlike the others, he was heading toward the direction of the Illusionary Mountains. Once he found himself in a deserted spot, he removed the Ring of Deceit he wore—a necessity for using the teleportation array. However, compared to the journey from Little Ox Village to Skull Mountain, this route was far shorter, and with the ability to teleport instantly, it would take hardly any time at all.

This time, as soon as he stepped into the bounds of the Illusionary Mountains, Li Ren sensed something was amiss. There was an unmistakable aura permeating the entire range; every blade of grass and leaf was shrouded in a vague shadow, and particles of fear drifted through the air, invading every corner. It was a complex, chaotic energy, unlike the single-minded aura shared among monsters of the same territory.

Li Ren gazed in that direction, yet noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he understood that this was likely the place he needed to lead the Skeleton Guard Corps—a gathering point for the main force preparing to assault Yuxiao City.

Sure enough, when he arrived at Skull Mountain, his original quest description changed. Now, his task was to lead his subordinates westward toward Cloud Summit Mountain, where he would receive further instructions.

Li Ren summoned several Skeleton Guards to his side, and with a hundred followers in tow, he marched grandly toward Cloud Summit Mountain. The journey was uneventful and quiet, but as they drew nearer, the variety of monsters increased. From the initial level 60 Wolf Hunters to the later level 80 Three-faced Beasts, every type could be found.

Fortunately, due to the current mission, all these monsters were friendly toward Li Ren—meaning there was no possibility of mutual attack. They watched as he and his hundred formidable skeletons passed by, letting out wild and irregular howls, a true spectacle of chaos.

At last, the long-awaited quest prompt appeared. Li Ren checked his position; he was now at the base of Cloud Summit Mountain. Any higher would be the domain of elite monsters—he could already see, not far ahead, a Lava Beast Leader of at least level 100.

“It seems the stronger ones are always stationed closer to the center,” Li Ren mused, settling himself down in a random spot. It was just as well; everyone knew that greater power meant greater responsibility. The high-ranking monsters would surely be sent to face the well-equipped defenders of Yuxiao City. Being assigned to this location was satisfying enough for him—he would certainly receive related quests, but they shouldn’t be too difficult.

By rights, his own level should have placed him further outward, but with a hundred elite skeletons behind him—each above level 120—he represented the power of Skull Mountain. Even if he himself was weaker, he had been forcibly stationed here.

Sitting there, watching the surrounding monsters, Li Ren’s thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Shadow from a few days ago.

“Master, have you noticed your attribute points have dropped dramatically, leaving only a handful?” Shadow had asked.

Li Ren calmly regarded him. This fellow seemed to know everything—clearly, the issue with his attributes would have to be resolved through him.

“That’s right. My strength attribute is just seven points now, and the others aren’t much higher.”

“But you haven’t noticed any decline in strength—in fact, it’s even increased, hasn’t it?” Shadow prompted.

“Hmm... Yes, that’s true.” Li Ren pondered a moment, recalling the powerful sword strike he delivered upon returning to Falling Cloud City. He agreed with Shadow’s assessment.

“But how can that be? Now, with just seven points of strength, I’m actually stronger than when I had 8,000 points.” Li Ren shrugged and clenched his fists.

“In fact, that makes perfect sense. These attributes are your true attributes at this stage,” Shadow sighed.

“True attributes? What do you mean?”

“True attributes refer to your current state. Take strength, for example: previously you had nearly 8,000 points. Some were absorbed, but most came from the attributes of your two Skeleton Guards. Strictly speaking, they weren’t truly yours.”

“Oh? So now these are mine?”

“Yes, but that’s not all.” Shadow nodded and continued.

“Remember the Heavenly Fire? During that event, you used the endless flames to finally forge your true attributes. Your points had already begun to decrease, and the lost points were fused into your body under the fire’s pressure.”

Li Ren recalled that, indeed, during the Heavenly Fire, his attribute points steadily decreased, though he hadn’t understood why. If not for the periodic chill brought by the falling points, he doubted he’d have lasted through the ordeal.

“To put it simply: now, one attribute point is equivalent to a thousand points before. With true attributes, your inherent abilities are perfectly integrated, unleashing greater power. That’s why your current strength feels far superior—even though the numerical points haven’t changed.”

Li Ren nodded. After being tempered by the Heavenly Fire, his body had progressed dramatically. He now moved far more fluidly and gracefully than ordinary skeletons, with remarkable coordination.

“So, absorbing attribute points still matters. Now I just need to take in a thousand points to increase my own by one, correct?” Li Ren asked.

“Yes, if you want to explain it that way, you’re right. And since you now possess the Heavenly Fire within, there’s no need for further refinement—just absorb the points freely, and the fire will handle the rest.”

“That’s good, less trouble for me.” Li Ren nodded, satisfied. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like when his attributes reached seven thousand again.