An SS-rank mission, required to be completed within 12 hours, with a maximum of three participants. These conditions gave Lin Zhao a headache. He had to proceed with caution, as losing out on an SS-rank mission would be a significant blow. He hesitated, unable to make a decision alone, and immediately created a small group chat for allies, consisting only of himself, Shen Xingchen, and Chen Xue. He then shared the mission codex in the chat.
"Help me figure this out," he said.
"How should we tackle this mission," Lin Zhao smiled gently.
"SS-rank..."
Chen Xue's lips parted slightly, truly astonished. The highest-ranked mission she had ever encountered was S-rank; she had never seen an SS-rank main quest before.
Shen Xingchen furrowed her brow and asked, "Does 'Star River realm sword cultivator' mean they are exceptionally powerful?"
"Yes, incredibly powerful."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath and said, "To put it simply, in my past life, Lin Zhao of Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, my ultimate achievement was an eight-realm martial artist and a four-realm sword cultivator. Excluding the factors of the Dragon Slaying Sword and Sister Bai, facing a Star River realm sword cultivator was a near-death experience. Let alone defeating them, I'd be lucky to escape alive."
"That strong..."
Shen Xingchen pursed her red lips. "Then we really must plan this carefully. If the SS-rank mission falls through, the loss would indeed be substantial. If this mission is completed, it should at least bring you closer to level 72, right? For heavy armor classes whose leveling is difficult, rank is crucial. We must take this seriously. Lin Zhao, have you fought bosses of this high a realm in your previous missions?"
"I've fought a few times."
Lin Zhao recalled his past experiences. "But those were always completed with the assistance of NPC factions. My role was largely supportive, responsible for crowd control and hindering the boss's movements. The main damage output came from the Cloud Top Prefecture army. This time is different; we have to defeat it ourselves."
"The selection of the three participants is very important."
Chen Xue opened her red lips slightly. "My profession and yours overlap somewhat, so I won't participate. What professions do you think are needed to slay a Star River realm sword cultivator?"
"Mhm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Shen Xingchen, if you have the time, will you join me to complete the mission? I've already witnessed your talented evasion, and sword cultivators are purely physical damage dealers. Your talent is a significant counter, and this mission indeed requires your output."
"I'm free."
Shen Xingchen smiled faintly. "As long as it's a main quest, I'm free, especially an SS-rank one."
"Alright, you're in."
Lin Zhao paused. "The other participant should ideally be a Nomad. When facing a Star River realm ghost cultivator, I'll need an immense amount of healing. We must have a Nomad locked onto healing continuously, otherwise, we won't be able to withstand it. And it must be the most top-tier Nomad."
"Mhm."
Chen Xue smiled. "Currently, there are very few top-tier Nomads in Cloud Top Prefecture. One is our Scarlet Moon Knight Order's beautiful member, Qing Ning. Her level and equipment are among the top in Cloud Top Prefecture. Another is Mo Chenxue of Prosperous Peony. Previously, Ghost King invested a large amount of funds in Mo Chenxue, aiming to make her the Nomad with the highest healing output in Yunzhou. Therefore, Mo Chenxue's equipment might be slightly superior to Qing Ning's, and her healing output is considerable. Besides them, there's that beautiful Nomad from the Azure Knight Order; I heard she's being kept by Li Canghai, so she's not an option."
Shen Xingchen said, "Qing Ning can be called upon now. As for Mo Chenxue... she's still part of Prosperous Peony, but our relationship is quite good. Lin Zhao, you saved her again secretly last time, so inviting Mo Chenxue to complete this mission together is feasible."
"No need."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Someone like Ghost King, arrogant and suspicious, would put Mo Chenxue in great danger if he discovered her contact with us. After all, Ghost King at most just wanted Mo Chenxue before. If he finds out she's been in contact with us, it might provoke Ghost King's vengeful nature."
"Mhm!"
Chen Xue nodded heavily. "This point must be considered. If that's the case, there's nothing more to say. Lin Zhao will be the MT, responsible for drawing the boss's aggro. Xingchen will be the main damage dealer, responsible for slowing and crowd control. Qing Ning will be the main healer. All of them are top-tier players. Our chances of taking down this SS-rank mission boss are very high."
"So be it."
Lin Zhao smiled. "I'll inform Qing Ning. After dinner, we'll log in and complete this mission. We have to finish it within 12 hours, which is quite tight."
"Mhm."
Shen Xingchen smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Soon after, they logged off to eat, preparing for the SS-rank mission raid that evening.
...
Suzhou City, affluent district.
Late autumn, maple leaves drifted in the courtyard, presenting an exceptionally beautiful scene. In an elegant pavilion, Ghost King Jiang Chong, clad in a white shirt and Zhongshan suit, his hair smoothly slicked back, appeared handsome and dashing. He sat at a table, savoring his daily portion of lamb. A bottle of Japanese sake sat beside him. He frowned; the last time he ate like this was with Li Canghai. Unfortunately, Li Canghai was a powerful figure who held no regard for favors. That meal of lamb was as good as feeding it to dogs.
"Manager Jiang."
A bodyguard in a black suit stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The person has arrived."
"Let them in."
"Yes!"
Shortly after, a ruffian-like man walked in. He had two knife scars on his face and an air of banditry. His eyes held a malevolent glint. As he entered the pavilion, his expression shifted to a smile. "Greetings, Manager Jiang."
"Sit down."
Ghost King pushed a pair of chopsticks and a bowl towards the man and said with a smile, "Have a seat and have a drink?"
"That would be too much trouble!"
"Haha, we're all friends, no need to be so polite?"
The man was named Chen Kai. He was born in the slums of Suzhou. Ambitious from a young age, fighting and being fought were commonplace. He didn't mellow much as he grew up, mingling in various casinos and bars, extorting protection money, and acting as a bouncer. Due to his sinister and ruthless nature, his followers grew in number, eventually making him an underground leader beneath the glamorous facade of Suzhou's District D. He ran casinos, dealt drugs, and committed murder and robbery – there was nothing Chen Kai wouldn't dare to do.
"Come, come, Manager Jiang."
Chen Kai, having been in the underworld for over twenty years, was a seasoned schemer. After sitting down, he first poured wine for Ghost King before filling his own glass. He said with a smile, "Your subordinate, Chen Kai, is late. I'll toast you first, Manager Jiang."
"You're too kind, too kind."
The two toasted each other back and forth, and soon they were a bit drunk.
"Manager Jiang, what did you call me for this time?" Chen Kai asked cautiously.
"Help me take care of someone, a woman."
"Oh?"
Chen Kai was taken aback and couldn't help but chuckle. "Manager Jiang, with your vast fortune, are there any women you can't handle? How do you want me to handle her? Just tie her up and throw her onto your bed?"
"Don't be so crude; there's an art to romance."
Ghost King chuckled. "After all, there are few women who truly capture my heart, and she is one of them. I only need you to scare her a little, to let her know fear. Then, I will personally step in to resolve the situation."
"Oh, I understand."
Chen Kai laughed heartily. "Hero saving the beauty, right?"
Ghost King blushed and smiled. "It's something like that. When it comes to women, I, Jiang Chong, have always pursued both their bodies and their hearts. What's the point of having her person but not her heart? In short, if we cooperate well, she'll come to me willingly. I naturally won't treat you unfairly."
"Not at all, not at all. We're all friends. If Manager Jiang says the word, your subordinate must go all out!"
"Hahahahaha, come, let's drink!"
...
Nighttime, Cloud Top Prefecture.
Lin Zhao, accompanied by Shen Xingchen and Qing Ning, two beautiful women, left the city. Since Shen Xingchen and Qing Ning were cloth armor players and couldn't ride horses, Lin Zhao didn't lead any horses either. He only led his Snow Rock Warhorse, walking with the two amidst the chirping birds and fragrant flowers.
The mission sharing was successful, and Qing Ning's face lit up with happiness.
"This is my first time doing an SS-rank mission, thank you, Alliance Leader!" Qing Ning smiled with dimples.
"We're all family, no need to be polite."
Lin Zhao rubbed his nose and said with a smile, "This mission requires a powerful healer, so I sought you out. I should be thanking you. Of our entire Scarlet Moon Knight Order, only Qing Ning's healing ability can likely handle a grand scene like an SS-rank mission."
Shen Xingchen shot him a look, calling him a flatterer.
Lin Zhao saw Shen Xingchen's gaze, understood it, and couldn't help but laugh heartily, feeling a little awkward.
The three traversed half of Cloud Top Prefecture's territory, reaching the northwestern border of the prefecture city after half an hour. It was still the Dead Bone Forest. Deep within the forest, bloody dark clouds churned, and the world was filled with a grim aura of death, as if the ghost cultivator Huang Liang was performing some ritual.
"Ding!"
Combat notification: Please note, the ghost cultivator Huang Liang is about to undergo tribulation. If the tribulation is successful, he will break through to the Upper Five Realms and become a True Origin realm sword cultivator!
...
"Damn it!"
Lin Zhao suddenly mounted his horse, drew his Qinglu Sword, and said, "This is bad!"
"He's about to break through?"
Shen Xingchen's expression also changed drastically. "Upper Five Realms sword cultivator, won't we have absolutely no chance then?"
"More than no chance!"
Lin Zhao frowned. "With our current strength, facing the Upper Five Realms... ten small teams like ours combined wouldn't even be enough to fill the teeth of an eleventh-realm ghost race sword immortal. Shen Xingchen, Qing Ning, I'm going ahead. We need to interrupt the boss's tribulation first, otherwise it'll be too difficult!"
"Mhm!"
As Lin Zhao sped away like a bolt of lightning, Shen Xingchen and Qing Ning also ran forward with their staves, approaching the valley as quickly as possible.
In the sky, thunder rumbled incessantly, and an endless aura of death churned. Deep within the valley, a strand of sword intent surged, on the verge of breaking through the limits of the Star River realm. Once it broke through the limit, it would likely soar to the heavens and enter the legendary Upper Five Realms!
...
Shanhai Pass.
"Hmm?"
Dian Shuai Han Yetang, dressed in a maiden's long skirt, was having dinner, pouring her own wine with leisurely contentment. At a certain moment, she suddenly turned to look in the southwest direction. A powerful strand of sword intent was rising, seeking to question the heavens. This aura was all too familiar. When she herself broke through to the Star River realm and became an eleventh-realm sword immortal, there was a similar phenomenon.
Moreover, this sword intent was infused with a strong deathly aura. It was definitely not a human race sword cultivator undergoing tribulation!
"This is bad!"
Han Yetang threw away the chicken leg in her hand and said, "A Star River realm ghost race sword cultivator is breaking through!"
"Ah?!"
Beside her, several generals of Shanhai Pass were horrified.