Chapter Seventy-Nine: A Deceitful Quest and Deceitful People

The skeletal guards descended in an instant after Li Ren unleashed a skill that cleared all the surrounding players. A hundred skeletal guards clustered around him, each appearing much the same, allowing Li Ren to quietly slip in among them.

Kill!

Li Ren issued a command in his heart, directing the entire skeletal guard unit to charge south toward Yuxiao City, the very direction where the Guardian of Yuxiao resided. The players, confronted by the formidable skeleton army, found themselves powerless to resist—after all, they were at the rear lines! The action at the front was invisible from here, and the crowd was so dense that even Li Ren’s sudden appearance amidst the players went unnoticed by those standing further back.

The difference in levels was vast, and the players had not organized any formation. Against someone of Li Ren’s strength, they were helpless, slaughtered like vegetables—no explanation needed. If he were to face an organized mass of players head-on, he might actually lose. Especially under the city’s aura, each mage could launch a magic orb; if all landed, it would cost him considerable health, and he had no skills to immunize himself against magic.

Given this, Li Ren instantly assessed the situation and found the players’ weakness, then executed a swift and forceful breakthrough. If he could scatter the players before him, preventing them from forming any effective formation, the battle would be effortless.

Yet, who could guarantee the players would simply stand by, foolishly waiting? As Li Ren pushed through, the players at the rear finally stirred. Led by a group of female players, the front ranks began to retreat to the sides, while a line of well-equipped shield warriors stood firm against the skeleton army. Behind the shield warriors, swordsmen and thieves formed a melee formation, while mages, priests, and hunters remained protected, ready to unleash their full power.

“Shield warriors, attention! Raise shields! Activate your skills, prepare for a strong assault!” commanded a crisp and resolute female voice. As the skeleton army drew near, those at the front raised their massive shields, their blood surging, rooted like giant trees.

At the very front stood a woman, tall and striking, clad in the impressive armor of a shield warrior. Her heroic gaze could easily captivate the hearts of any young admirer. Hidden among the skeletons, Li Ren was usually the spearhead, breaking through with his formidable attack power before the players could react.

But seeing this woman, Li Ren pressed his hand to his forehead in pain. How could he have overlooked these people? Wasn’t that shield warrior Cang Yue? Why hadn’t he warned them not to join the fray? His head throbbed—before coming, they had been busy with the Tower of the Realm, then distracted by the arrival of the Eastern Clan Leader and other good news. He had entirely forgotten that this group might also be defending Yuxiao City.

No, not “might”—they certainly would! As the third major faction among the players, how could they not participate?

Now Li Ren faced a dilemma: on one side, Luoyue and her companions; on the other, his own mission. Well, after a moment’s struggle, he finally made up his mind.

Equipment is precious! Girls are priceless! For the sake of life, best not to abandon either... Damn it! Whoever stands in my way gets struck down! If you die, I’ll retrieve your equipment and help you recover your lost experience later—but if I die here, it’s true tragedy!

With that thought, Li Ren threw caution to the wind, charging forward—but not toward Cang Yue’s position. Instead, he chose a defensive area at the flank.

Better yet, there were no girls there!

The sheer number of shield warriors was thanks to the massive strength their guild now wielded. Besides their original guild, they had established branches, and these players were the new recruits.

Li Ren fixed his sights on their direction, unleashing a five-star combo and a crescent slash. With seven points of true attribute bonus, how could these players possibly withstand him? Not even shield warriors could!

With his immense strength, he crashed through like a tank, shattering their formation with brute force.

“Hold the line at the back! Don’t let that guy break through to the rear! All mages, focus fire!” Hearing this, Li Ren nearly cried. Luoyue, couldn’t you ease up a little? Why fight so fiercely?

Though he thought this, Li Ren would never let such circumstances stop him. With a blink, he returned to the skeleton army and commanded his minions to keep advancing. The skeleton that took his place was instantly annihilated by the furious mages in the rear, with Rou Shui contributing as well.

Li Ren pressed on, exploiting the gap, ordering the skeletons to storm through ruthlessly. Like locusts sweeping the land, the skeletons felled every player in their path within two strikes. Li Ren followed his minions, and as the twenty-five-second cooldown passed, he seized the moment, accelerating to the front. He unleashed a crescent slash and five-star combo into the mage cluster, instantly equipping the golden mask that boosted his attack speed. With 100% attack speed activated, the mages fell without a chance to react. Li Ren ignored the rest, charging onward, intending to smash through Luoyue’s defenses. As for the skeleton minions behind him?

With enough souls at hand, he hardly cared. He could summon more anytime—it hardly mattered.

The mage-priest cluster he blitzed through was left in shambles. Against Li Ren’s near-invincible assault, no one could mount a proper counterattack, unless another group fully obeyed orders appeared outside—but such a scenario was impossible.

So, invincible, he continued, slaughtering his way toward the mission objective!

PS: Thanks to everyone for your support—truly, thank you!