In the plaza, Lin Xiyue executed a beautiful sliding drift, stopping right in front of her sister. She held a pose ready for a princess carry, her entire body frozen in place.
She stared at Lin Qingyue, who looked perfectly fine and was even stretching lazily. The reliable "Let me protect you!" expression on her face quickly morphed into utter bewilderment.
"Sis..."
Lin Xiyue's voice was faint, her beautiful eyes filled with grievance.
"What happened to being exhausted?"
"What happened to the script where you'd fall gracefully from the sky, and I'd catch you perfectly?"
"I even practiced this rescue pose specifically!"
Lin Qingyue flexed her wrists, feeling the abundant magic power still coursing through her body, along with the rapid recovery effects of the Adeptus Breathing Method and Moonlight's Embrace. She shrugged innocently.
"Uh, the situation was still manageable this time. It didn't get that bad."
Although Jingliu's ultimate skill was devastating, her physical constitution was far superior to what it once was, minimizing the aftereffects.
She walked over, patted her sister's stiff shoulder, and solemnly promised in a tone used to coax a child:
"Next time, I'll definitely look weak for you!"
Lin Xiyue: "..."
I feel like you're just humoring me, but I have no proof.
Just then, a series of crisp, pleasant system notifications chimed in the minds of all four girls.
[Your party has slain [Forest Treant Lord (Corrupted) Tina]! Experience points greatly increased!]
[Your party has slain [Moon-Howling Werewolf Chieftain (Corrupted) Modu]! Experience points greatly increased!]
[Ding! Your level has increased! Current Level: Lv. 33!]
Buzz—
Four distinct beams of leveling light simultaneously enveloped the four girls.
Lin Xiyue was bathed in a warm, heavy Holy Light, like soaking in a hot spring on a winter day. It instantly made her forget her earlier embarrassment, and she squinted her eyes in comfort.
Su Wan was surrounded by countless fine ice crystals that refracted a brilliant light. The cool aura instantly refreshed her spirit.
A gentle breeze swirled around Xia Lian, blowing away all her fatigue.
And what Lin Qingyue felt was the purest torrent of energy washing through her entire body.
The slight fatigue from the battle was completely swept away, and the auras of all four girls rose slightly.
"Wow, we leveled up!"
Lin Xiyue's eyes shone brightly as she excitedly clenched her fists.
"These two BOSSes are such philanthropists!"
Su Wan and Xia Lian couldn't hide their joy either.
After level 30, the experience required to level up increased exponentially. Leveling up directly from a single battle was as efficient as riding a rocket.
However, Lin Qingyue showed little sign of a smile.
She habitually allocated her newly acquired free attribute points to Constitution.
As the leveling light faded from her, her stunningly beautiful face had already turned serious again.
In her mind, the werewolf BOSS's final, hate-filled roar echoed relentlessly.
—"You lingering cultivation scum!"
—"You dare to set foot in My Lord's hunting ground?!"
"My Lord"... did that refer to the so-called "Mother of Rebirth," or an even higher-ranking existence?
And "cultivation scum"... what faction was that?
The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.
Troublesome.
Lin Qingyue's gaze turned cold as she swept it across the entire area.
She ignored the guards and Professionals still petrified, her eyes finally settling on a corner of the square.
Marcus, aged beyond recognition by the sacrifice, lay slumped there like a piece of rotten wood.
She strode forward with her long legs.
The crisp sound of her soles striking the frozen flagstones became the only rhythm in the deathly silent square.
Tap, tap, each sound hammered against the hearts of every survivor.
City Lord Punk and the guards behind him held their breath, lacking even the courage to shift their gaze.
The divine punishment-like torrent of sword qi had made it crystal clear who was in charge here.
In the face of such absolute power, political schemes and armies became a complete joke.
Zhou Yi's lips moved; he wanted to remind his junior sister to be wary of a cornered enemy, but he swallowed the words back down.
He simply clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on his unfathomable junior sister, ready to respond to any sudden change.
Facing the approaching Lin Qingyue, Marcus showed no fear. Instead, a crazed and twisted smile spread across his face.
In a voice like a cracked gong, he uttered a venomous curse:
"Mortals... you will never comprehend the greatness of the 'Mother of Rebirth'! Blackrock Stronghold... no, the entire world will become nourishment for Her new birth! Your struggles are meaningless!"
Before his words faded, the hand hidden in his sleeve violently crushed an obsidian ring!
His withered fingers instantly transformed into sharp claws, lunging toward several fox-women who had collapsed in terror behind him.
An evil suction force erupted abruptly!
Marcus intended to sacrifice his last remaining subordinates in a final, desperate counterattack before his death!
However, at that very moment!
A disheveled figure, face contorted with venomous hatred, burst from the shadows behind Marcus like a phantom!
Puchi!
A dark green dagger, coated in poison, plunged fast, accurate, and ruthless, piercing Marcus's heart from behind!
The ambusher was none other than Adela!
The Fox Race traveling merchant whose fox tail had been severed by Su Wan, and who had been "graced" with an ugly fleshy tail by Marcus
"You..."
Marcus turned back in disbelief, staring at his once most loyal subordinate.
On Adela's face was the savage joy of revenge and the coldness of a merchant.
Under the influence of the Dungeon's "Truth" rule, she shrieked her innermost calculations in a shrill, piercing voice:
"I sold my beauty and dignity to climb to a high position!"
"To enjoy wealth!"
"To be above others!"
"Not to die with a crazy cultist like you! And certainly not to drag around a skinned sausage everywhere I go!"
She shoved Marcus's rapidly cooling corpse aside, pointing at the repulsive, twitching fleshy tail behind her, and screamed hysterically:
"This deal went bankrupt the moment you attached this disgusting thing to me!"
"Losing my tail to that ice-faced woman was a fair fight! I was simply outmatched!"
"But you? I served you with all my heart, and what the hell did you give me in return?!"
After her scream, Adela whipped around to face Lin Qingyue without a moment's hesitation.
Thud!
Her knees buckled, and she slammed heavily to the ground!
She tossed the blood-dripping dagger aside, raised her hands high, and shouted with all her might:
"Don't kill me! I know everything about the 'Mother of Rebirth'! Marcus's plan, their strongholds in other cities, their sacrificial rituals! I'll trade all this information for my life!"
Lin Qingyue watched the merchant, who one moment was ready to die for Marcus and the next had decisively backstabbed him, her survival instinct cranked to the max. She was slightly surprised.
Tsk, a true merchant. So professional.
She gave Su Wan a meaningful look.
Su Wan understood instantly. With a slight twitch of her fingertips, the moisture in the air rapidly condensed into several translucent frost chains. Clang, clang! They bound Adela tightly without harming her in the slightest.
Lin Qingyue walked up to Adela, looking down at her with an indifferent voice.
"Very well."
"The deal is struck."
"Your life is yours, for now."
She leaned down slightly, her breath soft against Adela's ear, but her words carried an icy coldness that brooked no resistance.
"Now, start proving your worth."