This smoke bomb was really well used, it really saved quite a lot of effort.
Xia Yun did not directly return to the base, but instead rode her flying sword around in a circle, and finally came to the forest to meet up with Mu Anqi and the others. "That was really dangerous, this round we got the treasure chest again. I wonder what kind of tricks the next chest will pull."
"There aren't that many variations. Its difficulty increases, it's hard for us, but even harder for the other players." Mu Anqi comforted her. No matter how "biased" this game is, it still has to maintain some "fairness." As long as they are stronger than the other teams, it will be fine. Besides, if the changes were too outrageous, making it obvious that the red team was being bullied… then General Ji wouldn't just stand by and watch.
Thinking of this, Mu Anqi actually began to look forward to how the next treasure chest would be changed. They didn't stay long. Xia Yun flew her sword at low altitude and traveled forward together with them, slowly heading back toward the base. At this time, Mu Anqi's survival points had risen to 12, while her teammates had all surpassed 10 as well. As for that so-called "map," naturally it had also been activated. As for the so-called exit…
It was just a drawing of the area of the Eternal Night Forest. The requirement to clear the level was for them to leave the Eternal Night Forest, so it really seemed that they had to obediently walk out of its boundaries.
However, when they happily returned to the base, they found it on fire, and Sheng Wujie was nowhere to be seen.
The iron pot had been overturned to the side, the wooden barrels and other items painstakingly made were burned to ashes, the uneaten sweet potatoes were all cooked, and the water in the pot was gone. The large iron chest was still there, but someone had punched a big hole in it.
Mu Anqi looked at the scene of chaos and didn't know what to say. The small iron pot was gone, and the large iron pot hadn't been punched through—probably because it was an item and couldn't be broken. Was this done by a ghost? Damn it!
"Sheng… Wujie." Fang Yunjiu stared at the blazing flames, her whole face red with anger. Mu Anqi turned to look at her and was shocked to see that this chuunibyou girl actually had flames appearing above her head, like in an anime.
"Dark power sleeping in the bloodline, awaken!" Fang Yunjiu was so angry that she was literally steaming. She raised her hand and pointed into the void, and ominous black mist spread from her body. "I am the supreme evil god. Doom, obey my command! Submit, tremble!"
Using the skill [Embodiment of Doom], Fang Yunjiu directly cursed Sheng Wujie.
Xia Yun put down the treasure chest, grabbed her large iron pot, and was about to rush to the lakeside. Mu Anqi wanted to put out the fire, but a large ingot fell down—whether the fire was out or not, she didn't know; in any case, their home was definitely gone.
Who could have predicted such a turn of events? Even if there had been quarrels at first, wouldn't cooperating until the end be better… and clear the level safely? Or was staying alive not good enough? Mu Anqi gritted her teeth. That fool probably got the map and thought they were about to clear the level, so he deliberately pulled this stunt to annoy them, right?
Mu Anqi and the others struggled to put out the fire with sand, while Xia Yun carried full pots of lake water back and forth, tirelessly trying to extinguish the flames.
By the time the fire was completely out, all their efforts for the day had been wasted.
Sheng Wujie—Mu Anqi silently wrote this name in her little notebook. She hoped never to encounter this player again. Otherwise… huh. A recruited player? She didn't even know which ghost had recruited him. To do such a thing while being on the same team… she also wondered if General Ji could get revenge for her.
…
Because Mu Anqi and the others had taken the treasure chest, the public screen for the shattered-mirror elites displayed the Red Team's image. The footage followed Mu Anqi and the others, naturally capturing the entire blaze.
"Ha! Well done, splendidly done! These little rascals need to be taught a lesson!" the Black Bear Demon laughed and happily patted his belly.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, a vine whip "cracked" across his face. The usually gentle Green Vine Demon sisters glared at him angrily. "Bear, come out and fight!"
"…?" The Black Bear Demon laughed with irritation. "Hey, two plants turned spirits dare to challenge me? Do they really think there's anything I can't bully?"
"And what exactly are you?" On the Shadow Moon side, a doll-faced female ghost sitting in the corner looked over with a dark expression. "When I wielded my sword, you probably hadn't even taken form yet, right?"
Speaking of which, the appearance of this Black Mirror Vortex wasn't just fueled by resentment, but also obsession. This doll-faced female ghost entered the vortex relying solely on her obsession. She had devoted her entire life to the way of the sword, tirelessly pursuing the Great Way for a thousand years, yet she could never step onto the path of immortality. A single sword capable of severing mountains and rivers was no challenge for her. In her past ascension, she broke through heavenly thunder with her sword, but somehow angered the thunder itself. It struck down in a frenzy, increasing the difficulty more than tenfold, ultimately destroying her body and annihilating her path. As her soul scattered, she vaguely heard a voice from the horizon: "Isn't the ladder to immortality in this lower world already closed? How is someone still reaching this level?"
"Don't bother with this small world. Just close the gates of the immortal sect. Those still undergoing tribulations, strike them all down. Their cultivation will nourish the world, from which we can still draw a little."
Infuriated, the proud sword cultivator lost control on the spot. Her obsession and hatred intertwined, and she was directly sucked into the Black Mirror Vortex. Unfortunately, she had lost all her cultivation and had to start over in the Shattered Mirror Continent. The original Black Mirror Vortex she created was considered harmless. However, whether players or demons entered, they all had to go through sword techniques with her, practicing swordsmanship for a month before they could clear it.
Later, after she left the Black Mirror Vortex, she lived very low-key on the Shattered Mirror Continent. As a sword cultivator, all she cared about was her sword; poverty or wealth didn't matter. As long as she had a sword heart, nothing else was important. Because of this, she wasn't particularly close with the other strong figures on the Shattered Mirror Continent. A proud sword fanatic, she was naturally reserved and had few friends she could really talk to. If someone offended her, she would simply draw her sword and settle it—she wouldn't get angry. Her breakthrough relied on obsession; she firmly believed that as long as she refined her swordsmanship, one day, if she had the chance to return to that world, she could use one sword to cut open the immortal gates and a second sword to slay those hypocritical "immortals." Any inner demons would vanish, and she would naturally achieve the supreme sword path.
Such a sword-obsessed female ghost was naturally not someone the strong figures of the Shattered Mirror Continent would provoke. Who would have thought, however, that she would end up facing the Black Bear Demon.
The Black Bear Demon's expression changed. He suddenly remembered the player wielding the flying sword on the screen. Could it be… that this sword lunatic had recruited that player? Judging by the looks of it, this wasn't merely a player being recruited; it seemed more like a disciple being taught.
The Black Bear Demon was dragged out by the Green Vine sisters, with the sword-wielding female ghost following behind, her face dark and grim.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Green Vine sisters returned, holding hands and laughing cheerfully, showering the sword cultivator ghost with praises of "Elder Sister" and "Younger Sister," very affectionate. As for the Black Bear Demon…
Hmm, he was no longer recognizable as the Black Bear Demon. His entire bear fur had been cleaned off by the sword cultivator, even the fur on his bear head… the hair on top of his head was gone. He fought back tears and stubbornly refused to reveal his true form, wrapping his bear body in his outer robe, trembling in his seat in the Underworld, refusing to speak recklessly again.
The Black Bear Demon looked at the small screen in his hands, glaring resentfully at Sheng Wujie, who walked cheerfully on the screen with a proud expression. What kind of misdeed had he committed to recruit such a player? At first, he had thought this player's temperament suited him, but he hadn't expected…
The Black Bear Demon really wished he could go back to that moment and give that clumsy version of himself two hard slaps!
…
After putting out the fire, Mu Anqi looked at the scene of devastation and sighed. Luckily, everyone had divided the supplies, and they still had water and compressed biscuits. She helped the exhausted and heavily drained Xia Yun sit down, then looked at Fang Xunjiu and Fang Yunjiu. "Figure out a way—let's kill Sheng Wujie." Mu Anqi seethed with hatred, thinking that if she had known Sheng Wujie would do something like this, she wouldn't have restrained herself the first time they met—she would have just shot him on the spot.
Damn it, he even drank her water and ate her fish! The angrier Mu Anqi got, the more furious she became. She opened the map and carefully studied the Red Team's position and the nearest Eternal Night Forest exit from the base. Sheng Wujie could only carry so much; even if he had a pot of water and sweet potatoes, he would eventually finish them. He wouldn't stay long in the Eternal Night Forest, so he would surely look for a shortcut…
Mu Anqi touched her brooch, activated its glowing function, and looked toward the dark forest. "Anyone here?"
The Fang siblings were also furious. Even Fang's younger sister, who rarely let go of her awkwardness, directly used her ability to curse Sheng Wujie. But when they saw Mu Anqi like this, they were still taken aback. "Miss Mu, Miss Mu calm down, calm down, calm down! It's not worth going crazy over someone like this!" Fang Xunjiu hurriedly said. He pulled out a "Good Person Card"—if Mu Anqi was provoked into doing something reckless, he would definitely use his skill to make her calm down.
Exhausted Xia Yun was also startled. She quickly stepped up to Mu Anqi. "Don't do anything rash. He's a player recruited by a ghost, he won't get away. At worst… after we leave, we can settle it with him. I'll make him kowtow and apologize! Really, my master is very powerful!"
"I'm not doing anything rash… this is my skill," Mu Anqi said helplessly. Looking around, her anger had actually dissipated quite a bit. One rotten apple aside, she had found three good teammates—so it was still a gain. Mu Anqi waved her hand; no ghost responded, but she wasn't angry. Focusing her mind, she took out a red envelope worth one thousand guansi from her Guansi Card, gently tapped it in her hand, and said, "The first ghost to appear gets this one thousand guansi."
Sigh, she clearly hadn't intended to use guansi to pressure the ghosts. She hadn't used this skill for a long time anyway—after all, Mu Anqi would rather contribute all her little money to General Ji.
The howling wind instantly stopped, and the next second, countless ghostly figures began fighting over each other, scrambling desperately toward Mu Anqi: extra income! Free earnings!
"I! I'm the first!—" One ghost kicked a companion away, stood properly in front of Mu Anqi, extremely obedient. "Within the rules of the game, I am happy to serve you~"
Mu Anqi handed him the red envelope worth one thousand guansi, then took out another one thousand guansi envelope. "Which player can get everything without paying anything, betray teammates, and still win? Let Sheng Wujie run into a few ghost walls, harass him to earn some emotion points, and trap him for three days."
"Don't worry, clearing the level isn't easy. The closer to the forest edge, the more ghosts, the more dangerous it gets." The ghost smiled, taking the envelope, eyes sparkling. "We'll definitely keep a close eye on him!"