Across the web, immortals and true beings, their thoughts and energy creating the heavens.

Chapter 149 Heroes Gather, Demons' Nest

There is a famous mountain in the Feixiapu area called Luanmei, named for the many varieties of plum blossoms that bloom in all four seasons. Legend has it that this mountain was once the nest of a fox spirit, and tourists who got lost in the mountain were often guided out of their predicament by the fox spirit. The legend is both true and false, but the local people spontaneously built the Baixian Temple and made offerings to it all year round, with incense burning continuously.

Now this mountain has been occupied by demons. The plum blossoms have withered and all the trees have decayed. Thick mist covers the mountaintop, making it appear as a white expanse. Upon closer inspection, the canopies of the trees are covered with spider silk, like layers upon layers of curtains. If one walks in the mountain, one's head is covered with an impenetrable spider web. Under the trees, the mist floats, and strange insects dart about. Demons patrol, and evil spirits linger. It is truly a dangerous place. Mortals who enter will surely die, and even ordinary cultivators will find it difficult to escape.

The moon is full and the frost is clear, the river tide is booming. Ten miles outside of Luanmei Mountain, on the surging riverbank, rainbows suddenly break through the sky and land one after another.

"Where are those idiots from the Sang Cult? Have they all chickened out?" "Probably hiding in their lair waiting for us to poke them. Those sly bastards."

"Hey, it's been a long time, Old Sha."

"My nickname is Sha Jingqiu, but my surname isn't Sha. So please say it completely." "Understood, Lao Sha, I'll listen to you."

"How many of us signed up for the group fight? Are they all here?" "Only about half are here so far. We said there are about a hundred people here in total." "Everyone, please state your profession, rank, and areas of expertise. Those with secondary professions, please also state them."

"Let's scout out the situation first. Who wants to come with me to scout ahead?" "I'll go. My little brat can sneak in."

These online players were clearly skilled in teamwork. With clear division of labor and each performing their duties, three teams quickly made their way towards Luanmei Mountain.

One team burrowed underground to explore the earth's veins, another team flew in the air to observe from above, and the last team disguised themselves as demons and monsters and infiltrated the mountains.

On the riverbank, the righteous players gradually gathered and engaged in a war of words with the demonic faction on the public chat. But no matter how harsh the words were, the villains of the Sang Cult refused to come down the mountain to fight.

Lin Zhuo and his group arrived late. By then, the quick-witted players from the online game had already set up temporary camps on the riverbank. On the rocky beach, banners fluttered in the wind, and the whistling runes and magic enveloped the area, forming a protective barrier to prevent enemy infiltration.

"Hey, what's going on between you two? State your allegiances."

As Lin Zhuo and Shu Yuliu approached the great formation, they were stopped by a young man in feathered robes. This man held a jade tablet and a vermilion pen in his hand, and was responsible for registration, reception, and screening of suspicious persons.

"We're newbies who just entered the instance today. We were tasked with eliminating the boss monster in Feixiapu. We're also here to support the righteous heroes and have a showdown with the demonic players." Lin Zhuo clasped his hands in a salute.

"Oh, quite brave, not bad at all. Report your profession, level, and online nickname, and if you have any titles, please do so as well." The young man in feathered robes nodded approvingly, but upon hearing that Lin Zhuo, his companion, and the cat were all only level five, he frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Alright, from now on, you two just stay with the team. If there's a fight, stay in the back and use your skills. Your own safety is the most important thing, understand?"

Lin Zhuo was unwilling to argue or show off, so he smiled, cupped his hands, and agreed.

The young man in feathered robes used a vermilion brush to draw a mark on the back of their hands, thus protecting them from the powerful array's attacks.

Free access.

As they entered the formation, many players greeted them, seeing that they were unfamiliar with the group. When they learned that Lin Zhuo and his group were clearly level 5 newbies who had come to participate in the battle, not one of them mocked or ridiculed them. Instead, they offered gentle advice or praised them with smiles, telling them to be careful and to treat this trip as an opportunity to broaden their horizons. They assured them that if anything happened, the taller ones would take care of them.

As midnight approached, a sudden clap of thunder erupted from Luanmei Mountain. All three scouting teams had encountered trouble and were engaged in battle with the enemy. The heroes from the riverside rushed to their aid and rescued them from the encirclement.

Knowing that his lightness skill was poor and he was slow, Lin Zhuo did not join the fun. Instead, he stayed in the camp to develop his martial arts skills and try to make up for his shortcomings.

In fact, the direction that Shi Zhizhen should have taken was defensive techniques. The perfected Shi Shentong Jizhen Gong provides a full 100 times the power of the [protective] true qi. Even if he uses the white-quality "Wulou You Shen Gang Qi", the effect is no worse than some blue-quality hard techniques.

In recent days, whenever Lin Zhuo had free time, he pondered the art of martial arts and gradually formed some ideas.

His inspiration was still focused on protective techniques, and he wanted to create a more powerful "罡气" (罡气 is a type of internal energy cultivation method).

Logically speaking, the true essence of stone is not suited to this kind of qi circulation approach that uses minimal effort to achieve maximum effect; it is more suited to the rigid techniques that turn the whole person into a stone statue. But Lin Zhuo insisted on doing the opposite, and he did indeed have the ability to do so.

"Junior sister, little cat, I need to cultivate for a while. If a fight breaks out later, wake me up."

"Yes, Superman of the Universe." Shu Yuliu raised his hand in salute, his face hidden behind a Nuo opera mask, making his expression unreadable.

The eyes inside the double mask's holes were curved like crescent moons.

"Even cats need to cultivate themselves; bad women, remember to call me."

"oh."

"Don't be so perfunctory! Hiss!"

Shu Yuliu and Jin Xiaohu joked around for a while, then Shu Yuliu stood guard to the side, observing the movements in the camp. Every player was preparing for battle, eager to fight, and the air seemed to grow increasingly hot and scorching. Everyone was so busy that no one paid any attention to the three newbies.

The tabby cat held a piece of iron ingot, muttering incantations. The cold metal seemed to flow like liquid, lifting its body and suspending it in the air.

Lin Zhuo sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and the belt of his transformed clothing began to move like a living snake, swirling and swaying behind him.

Shu Yuliu was getting bored waiting when three scouting teams returned. Although they had lost several players, they had figured out the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. Everyone gathered together to listen to their explanation of the enemy's defenses at Luanmei Mountain, and Shu Yuliu listened intently.

It is said that the mountain was home to all sorts of demons and monsters, large and small, from hundreds of miles around. The leader was a spider demon, skilled in illusion magic. The miasma in the mountain was poisonous and bewitching. Combined with the demon's magic, people would see Luanmei Mountain as a heavenly paradise with countless beautiful sights. The demons in the mountain would transform into beautiful men and women, and rotten mud and bones would transform into delicacies. Once people became obsessed with it, they would be bound by spider silk and have their vital essence drained.

If it were just a bunch of wild demons causing trouble, it would be manageable; they're ultimately just unskilled and crude creatures, easily wiped out. But there are about a hundred Sang Sect players in the back mountains, and they're the real problem. They've already thoroughly controlled Luanmei Mountain.

It was like a barrel, with formations everywhere, making it a place fraught with danger.

The righteous heroes discussed countermeasures and devised tactical plans. After pooling their wisdom, they made up their minds.

This time, the leader gathered everyone together, gave a brief speech to boost morale and liven up the atmosphere, then raised his long spear and shouted fiercely, "Kill those Sang Cult idiots!"

"oh!!

Shu Yuliu originally thought that this leader was so eloquent that he would surely deliver an inspiring slogan, so she listened attentively. But all he said was this, which made her laugh in exasperation.

"Senior brother, kitty, wake up! The moon's shining brightly, time for a group fight!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhuo opened his eyes, looked at the new skill that appeared on the panel, nodded slightly, and then suddenly stood up.

Jin Xiaohu was almost done with his work, so he jumped onto Lin Zhuo's shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

"So it is, and so it is—"

"Okay, I understand. Go ahead and do it."

Shu Yuliu suspiciously leaned closer, wanting to eavesdrop, but the tabby cat quickly shut up and turned its head to glare at the wicked woman.

"Tch, fine, don't tell me then. Senior brother, you'll tell people eventually, won't you?"

"It's time to go. Cat and I have both created a martial art; you'll find out soon enough."

The tide on the riverbank grew ever stronger, the waves sweeping up the dry bones piled up on the riverbed and crashing onto the beach. One after another, broken and scattered corpses raised their arms, and Ya Ya and Quan Quan were like a clump of white grass.

The righteous heroes resolutely broke camp and set off, marching confidently towards Luanmei Mountain. Their raised battle flags fluttered in the abundant magical power, and their profound Dharma power was like a spreading torch on the cold, frosty earth tonight.