Don't mess with that necromancer; his summoned creatures level up on their own!

Outside the instance.

Yu Xiaogang scrolled through his contacts and dialed a number.

The receiver emitted a busy tone, "beep...beep..."

The call connected, and a middle-aged man's voice came through.

He carried a sense of superiority due to his high position and impatience with being bogged down in official duties.

"Feed? Who?"

Yu Xiaogang spoke in a calm tone.

"I am Yu Xiaogang."

There was a noticeable pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a three-second silence, and then the sound of chair legs moving rapidly on the floor.

It was as if someone who was slumped in a chair suddenly sat up straight, their knees hitting the edge of the table.

The man's tone instantly shifted from arrogant to obsequious.

"Oh! It's Elder Yu! I wonder... what business do you have with this lowly mayor of Tianbei City? Please, please tell me, I'm listening."

Yu Xiaogang got straight to the point, his voice neither too loud nor too soft.

"Mayor Liu, I am currently in the desolate wasteland and have witnessed firsthand the Mad Shark Guild illegally seizing land, engaging in forced buying and selling, and even committing murder in public."

"They fenced off the coordinates for unlocking the dungeon in the public area, put up a sign to collect tolls, and beat people up if they didn't pay."

"I just witnessed several young people being beaten to the ground and unable to get up. I want an explanation from you."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Mayor Liu's voice carried a hint of excitement and a deliberate increase in volume in an attempt to curry favor:

"What? Is that so? Elder Yu, isn't there... some kind of misunderstanding?"

"The Mad Shark Guild is an important civilian force in Tianbei City's fight against the beast tide."

"President Zhao is usually very enthusiastic about charity. He delivers rice and oil to elderly people living alone during holidays and is very law-abiding..."

"I think it might be that some of the temporary workers were a bit careless and didn't know the rules, which tarnished Chairman Zhao's reputation. Don't worry!"

"I will definitely give Chairman Zhao a stern talking-to when I get back, and make him thoroughly rectify internal discipline! I will not tolerate those bad apples!"

Yu Xiaogang spoke calmly.

"I'm not going to talk to you about that. I demand that you immediately organize a team to blockade the Mad Shark Guild and take control of all its core members. Don't wait, don't delay, go now."

Mayor Liu's voice began to become thick and sticky.

"Elder Yu, this... is possible. But the Mad Shark Guild has several hundred members and is deeply rooted in the local area, having operated for over a decade, with a complex web of relationships."

"If we rashly arrest people, it could easily trigger a mass incident. If things get out of hand, it will be difficult for me, the mayor, to handle the situation..."

"Alright, give me a week, and I'll give you a full explanation! I'll investigate thoroughly! Those who should be arrested will be arrested, and those who should be sentenced will be sentenced!"

Yu Xiaogang's tone suddenly turned cold.

"Mayor Liu, it seems you're trying to stall for time with me? A week?"

"You're giving them a week so they can destroy all the evidence and move everyone out, right? If that's the case, then there's no need."

He paused, his voice growing even colder.

"It seems that Mayor Liu has played a significant role in enabling the Mad Shark Guild to act so arrogantly in Tianbei City."

Mayor Liu was so frightened that his voice trembled.

"Elder Yu, I have absolutely no connection with the Mad Shark Guild! I'll arrest them right now, I'll lead the team myself! Give me half an hour, half an hour—"

Yu Xiaogang said calmly.

"No need. I gave you the chance, but you were incompetent. I'll handle it myself."

He didn't give the other party any further chances and hung up the phone immediately.

He put away his phone, looked at the gray sky in the distance, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.

In this era overrun by monsters, they haven't yet wiped out humanity.

It's unbelievable that there are still such parasites who condone criminal gangs for their own selfish interests.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and muttered to himself.

"Since I've run into this, I might as well take the opportunity to turn the sky over and give Taipei a good wash."

My phone hadn't even been fully put back in my pocket when it vibrated again.

He looked down at the screen.

Caller ID: Lu Dapao.

Yu Xiaogang's previously cold face instantly broke into a smile as he swiped to answer the call.

"Hey, Lao Lu, what's up?"

Lu Zaoxie's loud laughter burst out from the receiver.

"Hahaha! Old Yu, I'm on my way to Tianbei City. I heard you and my son are grinding games there?"

"You little brat, you secretly took him to run the Temple dungeon without even telling me!"

Yu Xiaogang was taken aback, shook his head helplessly, and spoke into the receiver.

"Old Lu, what's wrong? You don't trust me with me here? You have to come and keep an eye on things yourself, don't you?"

"I'm a lecturer at Kyoto University, after all. Leading students through a dungeon shouldn't be a problem."

Lu Zaoxie's confident voice came through the receiver.

"Nonsense! That's my own son! How could I feel at ease if I didn't keep an eye on him?"

He continued, speaking a little faster.

"Besides, you, Lao Yu, can't even get into the instance; you can only guard it from the outside."

"What if someone barges into the dungeon? That kid's strong, but he can't withstand dirty tricks."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head.

"You mean random rolls? The government has been cracking down on and destroying those things, and you basically can't find genuine ones on the market anymore."

"Besides, the dungeon's level requirement is 20 to 25. Your son can even one-shot level 30 elite monsters. If someone were to randomly enter, wouldn't that be suicide?"

"I've personally witnessed the explosive power of your son's dual wind and lightning attacks; players below level 25 simply can't withstand his combo."

As Lu Zaoxie listened on the other end, a sense of pride welled up inside him.

My son is really amazing, he really makes me proud.

His voice grew louder.

"Alright, that's all for now. Send me the exact coordinates, and wait for me. Bye."

Yu Xiaogang looked at the phone screen where the call had been disconnected; Lu Zaoxie's caller ID was still displayed.

A smile played at the corners of his lips.

What a precious son!

He put his phone back in his pocket and leaned back against the rock.

About one kilometer away from Yu Xiaogang's location, there is an extremely secluded pass.

The entrance to the pass was completely obscured by towering piles of boulders all around.

Looking from any direction, all you can see is a pile of grayish-brown rocks; you can't tell at all that someone is hiding inside.

However, from a bird's-eye view, hundreds of people are lurking densely in the depression at the mouth of the valley.

The Mad Shark Guild mobilized its entire force.

Some people squatted behind rocks, some knelt in the grass, and some sat with their backs against the rock wall. Everyone was in a low, silent voice.

Zhao Tianling personally took charge in the very center of the crowd.

He sat in a folding chair that had been moved from the guild office.

There was a folding table in front of him, with several maps and bottles of medicine spread out on it.

Standing beside him was Kenichi Yamamoto from Japan, still dressed in his usual suit and tie.

A young man beside him, who was in charge of operating the reel, stared at the reel in his hand that was emitting an eerie purplish-black light.

"Guild Master... the light on the scroll has dimmed! The first team has been completely wiped out, the dungeon space has reopened, the second team can enter now..."

Zhao Tianling suddenly stood up from his chair.

The light from the scroll went out, meaning that the group of people who had been sent in by the scroll were all dead.

The first elite team sent out has been completely wiped out.

He frowned, unable to understand.

"So fast? Scarface and his team are the most elite level 25 squad in the guild. Every single one of them is a veteran who has fought his way up from real combat."

"With perfect teamwork, excellent equipment, and full sets of wind and thunder resistance gear, even if they just stood there and let that kid attack them, they couldn't possibly have been wiped out this quickly, right? How long has it been? Half an hour?"

Kenichi Yamamoto stood to the side, his composed smile having faded considerably.

His tone was much lower than before.

"It seems we underestimated the value of this top spot in the Azure Dragon Class."

"The person who ranks first in the Azure Dragon Class is indeed more than just someone with both Wind and Thunder elemental abilities. He must have methods we don't know about."

Zhao Tianling looked at the second assassination squad, which was already fully prepared and ready to go, not far away.

The four people stood ramrod straight, all wearing the same Wind and Thunder Divine Armor, their weapons already drawn and held in their hands.

He gritted his teeth and gave the order.

"Second team, prepare!"

Kenichi Yamamoto suddenly reached out and blocked Zhao Tianling's way.

"Wait a minute. Chairman Zhao, your second team is not as strong as the first team. Scarface's team consists of veterans who have fought their way through blood and fire."

"They've already been wiped out, so even if the second team is also equipped with wind and thunder resistance gear, the result will be the same."

"You can't send them to their deaths."

Zhao Tianling paced back and forth anxiously.

"Hmm? Then what do you suggest we do? Time is of the essence. If we drag this out any longer, once Lu Zhixing and the others clear the dungeon, we'll have absolutely no chance."

"When Yu Xiaogang is free, we won't be able to escape even if we want to."

Kenichi Yamamoto spoke calmly, his gaze falling on the row of medicine bottles in front of Zhao Tianling.

"President Zhao, do you have any high-level elemental resistance potions? Not the physical resistance potions from set equipment, but potions specifically targeting elemental attributes."

Zhao Tianling was taken aback, then nodded.

"Yes. I have high-level elemental resistance potions for lightning, wind, blood, water, ice, and even light and dark."

"I acquired a batch in the underground warehouse, but I haven't been able to bear using it. After consumption, it increases the corresponding elemental resistance by 70% within an hour. It's the top-tier stuff on the black market."

Kenichi Yamamoto analyzed that his speaking speed was not fast, but his logic was clear.

"Give each member of the second team a bottle. It's a pity that elemental resistance potions cannot be reused. If a second bottle is used, the new effects will overwrite the effects of the first bottle."

"That means each person can only choose one attribute to resist, so we have to make a choice. Chairman Zhao, which one do you think we should eat?"

Zhao Tianling looked at the row of colorful medicine bottles on the table, his gaze shifting back and forth between the elemental symbols marked on the bottles.

This is a choice that determines success or failure. If the wrong resistance is chosen, the second team will be rendered useless.

His mind raced, and his eyelids blinked incessantly.

"Lightning and wind elements are definitely useless now; that set of equipment has real resistance."

"An 80% reduction is enough to make Lu Zhixing's Wind and Thunder output just a tickle."

"First, rule out blood ties."

"Although Lu Zhixing also has bloodline talent, I have read the data on bloodline summons, and they are all defensive summons with very few offensive skills."

"Furthermore, I didn't see him use any blood-based attack skills in the video. If he did, he would have used them already."

"A person's energy is limited. Since he has cultivated the wind and thunder elements to their extreme, the blood element must only be a means of survival."

"Song Xiaohe is a Light-type Knight, that girl with the shield, her Light-type damage output isn't too high... Su Youran is an Ice-type..."

He paused, as if he had grasped some key logical link.

"If I could only choose one, I'd go with ice. After all, they're students from the Azure Dragon Class; they're definitely not simple."

"Scarface and his gang probably fell victim to that ice-type girl. She might have some high-burst ice-type skill that we didn't anticipate."

Kenichi Yamamoto listened quietly to Zhao Tianling's deductions, then nodded slightly.

"Excellent deduction, Chairman Zhao. Let's arrange it that way then."

Zhao Tianling waved to the second team.

"One bottle of ice resistance potion for everyone. Drink it and then we'll set off."

The captain of the second team stepped forward, took the bottle of light blue medicine, unscrewed the cap, and tilted his head back to drink it down.

His Adam's apple bobbed twice as he swallowed the last bite.

The other three also came forward one by one, each took a bottle, and drank the medicine in turn.

The captain, who was leading the group, felt the icy blue energy spreading through his meridians.

"Walk."

The four walked toward the light from the scroll, their figures disappearing one by one into the dark crack.

Zhao Tianling stood at the edge of the valley, watching the dissipating void gate, without saying a word.

Kenichi Yamamoto stood behind him, a cryptic smile on his face.