My career has infinite upgrades.

Chapter 74 Solo Hunt, Lich!

Gu Qing and the other three hid behind the rocks, and none of them made a sound.

At the edge of the abandoned mine, six elves emerged from the black mist.

The leader was a male elf carrying a longbow, whose level had reached twenty-eight.

The other people were all at level 26 or above.

Pointed ears, longbow, close-fitting leather armor.

It is indeed an elf.

Gu Qing never expected that her first time entering the Black Mist Forest would lead her to encounter such a rare alien race.

Before coming, he had researched the Black Mist Forest. It was true that elves lived there, but their numbers had dwindled considerably.

Elves are exceptionally beautiful, have long lifespans, and possess elemental affinity far exceeding that of ordinary humans. In the black market, a living elf can often fetch tens of millions of energy crystals.

Such high prices naturally spurred the emergence of numerous poaching teams.

Even though the Dragon Kingdom has explicitly prohibited the sale of intelligent alien races, some people still take the risk.

The elves of the Black Mist Forest have been hunted many times and now rarely appear before human professionals.

Even if they meet, it will be difficult for them to get along peacefully.

Liu Hong, hiding in the shadows, made a gesture to Yang Mingyuan.

Six people, with a maximum level of twenty-eight.

Yang Mingyuan gently shook his head, signaling everyone not to move.

They came here to explore the abandoned mines; there was no need to provoke these elves.

Once the two sides start fighting, regardless of the outcome, neither side will gain anything.

Gu Qing leaned against the rock, concealing his breathing.

With his Desert Undead Dragon, he was naturally unafraid of these elves.

However, once the Desert Undead Dragon appears, the commotion will be considerable, and he has no interest in inviting other dangers for a battle that yields no benefit.

At the edge of the mining area, several elves stopped.

The leading male elf crouched down and picked up the slag on the ground with his fingers.

He looked around and then spoke a few words in Elvish to the elf beside him.

The remaining elves split up and began exploring the surrounding area to collect some minerals.

A female elf was on guard around the perimeter when her gaze suddenly fell in the direction where Gu Qing and the others were.

Her ears twitched, as if she had heard something.

Liu Hong gripped his dagger tightly, his body blending into the shadows of the rocks, ready to strike at any moment.

Seeing this, Gu Qing was also ready to fight at any moment.

However, the other party did not notice them. They twitched their ears and then went to the other side to keep watch.

Twenty minutes later, the elves regrouped, exchanged a few more words, and then quickly disappeared into the black mist.

After waiting a few more minutes, Liu Hong finally emerged from the shadows.

They've already gone far away.

Yang Mingyuan loosened the knife handle.

"You're lucky to have encountered an elf here."

Wang Liyu glanced in the direction the elf had left.

"Unfortunately, this luck won't be of much use. If a conflict breaks out, we won't be able to complete this mission."

"It's good that they didn't lay a hand on him."

Yang Mingyuan lowered his voice, "Elves are inherently hostile to humans, and once they discover us, it will be difficult to explain."

Liu Hong looked at the footprints left on the ground.

"They're probably here looking for ore too."

Wang Liyu nodded.

"Elves also need ores to forge weapons. What those people took just now was probably blue vein ore."

Gu Qing glanced at the mine tunnel.

"Find something first."

Without further delay, the four entered the abandoned mining area.

The mining area has been abandoned for many years, the ground is piled with rubble, several transport tracks have rusted shut, and most of the mine cars are stuck in the mud, with only the rotten truck beds exposed.

Liu Hong was in charge of checking the surrounding traces, while Yang Mingyuan used a long knife to clear away the rubble from the collapsed area.

Wang Liyu then released a swirling blue wind, slowly pushing away the black mist inside the mine tunnel.

Gu Qing activated his rune perception to observe the residual energy fluctuations between the rock walls.

The Netherworld Star Marrow is born from the intersection of death energy and the power of stars. If such a material truly exists here, there must be residual undead power nearby.

The four men searched three mine tunnels in succession.

Liu Hong found more than a dozen bone-eating insect eggs in a rock crevice and put them into his storage ring along with the surrounding rotten wood.

Wang Liyu unearthed two pieces of blue-patterned ore imbued with wind energy, while Yang Mingyuan found several Soul-Guiding Grasses under the collapsed minecart, which were exactly the materials he needed this time.

Gu Qing, however, gained nothing.

They continued deeper into the mining area.

The innermost mine tunnel had completely collapsed. Wang Liyu used a wind blade to cut through the rubble, while Yang Mingyuan stepped forward to move the broken wooden beams and clear a narrow gap that was barely passable.

Behind the crevice was an abandoned mine pit.

Large patches of grayish-white crystals are distributed on the rock face, and there are also many abandoned tools scattered below.

Gu Qing stepped inside, his rune perception sweeping over every inch of the rock wall.

There is no power of stars.

There were some remnants of necromantic power, but they were very faint and far from reaching the level of condensing Netherworld Star Essence.

Gu Qing took out the Crown of the Dead.

The crown lay quietly in my hand, showing no reaction.

The result is already clear.

There is no Netherworld Star Essence here.

Half an hour later, the four of them finished inspecting the mine. Yang Mingyuan and the other two found the materials they needed. The harvest wasn't much, but it wasn't a wasted trip.

Yang Mingyuan walked to Gu Qing's side.

"Still haven't found it?"

Gu Qing put away the Necromancer's Crown and nodded.

"no."

"I only wrote in the post that it might exist." Yang Mingyuan brushed the mineral dust off his hands. "Netherworld Star Marrow is too rare. If it were that easy to find, no one would offer 30 million to buy it."

"I was mentally prepared."

Gu Qing was not disappointed.

If one could find the Netherworld Star Marrow in a single trip, it's impossible that even the Jinling Academy's treasury wouldn't have a stock of such a material.

The mining area has been searched; there's no point in leaving it there any longer.

The four men left the mine tunnel along the same route.

After leaving the abandoned mining area, Yang Mingyuan took out a map and prepared to plan the next hunting route.

"There's a patch of magic vines to the southeast, where most of the monsters are around level sixteen. Let's go there first to clear it out and complete the bounty, then return to school from Supply Station No. 3."

Gu Qing didn't follow, but said, "Senior Yang, I won't go back with you."

Yang Mingyuan put away the map and looked over.

"Are you still going to stay in the Black Mist Jungle?"

"I've taken on more than a dozen jobs and plan to stay here for a few more days."

Gu Qing's target was not the abandoned mining area.

It would be best if we could find the Netherworld Star Marrow, but if we couldn't, it wouldn't affect the original plan.

He needs to reach level 20 before the freshman competition, and the level 10-15 monsters on the outskirts are perfect for hunting.

Yang Mingyuan frowned.

Are you alone?

"Um."

Liu Hong walked over from the side.

"The Black Mist Forest is not a secret realm of the school. In addition to monsters, there are other professionals here. Although you have a level 30 Desert Undead Dragon, it is inevitable that there will be places you cannot take care of when you are alone in the wild."

Wang Liyu also chimed in, "If you really want to level up, you can join us. We're all students at Jinling Academy, so we can discuss how to divide the mission rewards."

0

Gu Qing shook her head.

"The tasks I've taken on are too varied and different from your routes. If we continue to form a team, it will only waste your time."

Yang Mingyuan looked at him for a few seconds.

Gu Qinglian could defeat Zhao Tian, ​​who ranked sixth among the new students, head-on, and she also had a level 30 Desert Undead Dragon. In terms of combat strength alone, she was no weaker than their three-person team.

The necessary reminders have already been given; any further advice would be superfluous.

"Alright, let's part ways here."

Yang Mingyuan looked at Gu Qing and reminded him, "The signal is unstable in the Black Mist Forest. If you encounter trouble, use your hunting license to call for help. Don't try to tough it out."

Liu Hong pointed into the depths of the black fog.

"The further north you go, the higher the monster level becomes. If you want to level up, it's best not to cross the red line on the map."

Wang Liyu added a sentence.

"Try to find secluded terrain to rest at night, and avoid camping near water sources."

"clear."

Gu Qing took note of the three people's reminders.

After confirming their directions, both parties left.

Yang Mingyuan and his two companions headed southeast and soon disappeared into the dense forest.

Gu Qing then turned towards the depths of the black mist forest, disappearing alone into the gray-black fog.

Far away, on a mountain peak.

A figure stood on the edge of the cliff, his gaze passing over the dense forest and landing in the direction where the group had parted.

He took out a communication talisman and infused it with his spiritual power.

"The target has separated from the team."

"Prepare to move the target to the designated area."

The mountain wind swept across the peak, fluttering the man's black coat.

The hem of her robe was lifted, revealing the silver armor underneath.

There was a moment of silence in the transmission talisman before a hesitant voice came through.

"The target is, after all, a student from Jinling Academy. If we lead him there, and the academy investigates afterwards, we're afraid—"

The figure on the cliff frowned, his tone becoming more impatient.

"I only asked you to herd him to the designated area, not for you to do it yourselves."

"Just lure a few groups of monsters and force him to the southeast, right? You need me to teach you something so simple? You're a bunch of idiots."

The person on the other end of the communication talisman responded immediately.

"Understood, we'll get on it right away."

After a brief pause, the other person added another sentence.

"Don't forget the reward you promised us."

"If things are done well, you'll get your share."

The figure closed its five fingers, and the communication talisman in its palm ignited with silver-white flames, turning to ashes in the blink of an eye.

He glanced in the direction Gu Qing had left and snorted coldly.

"So what if you're the top scorer in the country?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the figure turned and leaped off the cliff, disappearing into the black mist in a few bounds.

the other side.

Gu Qing ventured alone into the Black Mist Forest.

After parting ways with Yang Mingyuan and the other two, he summoned Melissand from the contract space.

The purple sound waves spread silently, and the terrain and monster distribution within a two-hundred-meter radius were quickly transmitted into Gu Qing's mind.

"Master, there are four demons 160 meters to the left front."

"Level around sixteen."

Gu Qing raised his hand and summoned ten undead guards.

The pale skeleton stepped into the black mist, and the flames of the soul in its eye sockets lit up one after another.

"Clear it."

The ten undead guards immediately dispersed.

Not long after, the sound of trees breaking came from ahead.

The four black-horned boars, which were foraging among the bushes, had just raised their heads when the undead guards surrounded them from both sides.

One of the wild boars lowered its head and charged forward, its two long, black horns protruding from its head.

boom!

The undead guard at the forefront raised his bone shield, his feet leaving two furrows in the mud, but he did not fall.

The remaining undead guards swung their bone knives down from the side.

Several wounds burst open on the back of the Black Horned Boar, and fresh blood dripped down its bristles.

Just as the other three wild boars were about to charge forward, Gu Qing had already raised his hand.

Three white bone spears coalesced one after another.

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

The bone spear pierced the boar's eye socket, pinning the three-headed monster to the tree trunk behind it.

The remaining boar was still struggling against the bone shield when the undead guard's bone blade fell, quickly killing it.

Gu Qing stepped forward and scanned the four corpses with his hunting license.

The taskbar then lights up.

[Collect Black Horned Boar Tusks: 4/10]

Hunting points have also increased by forty points.

"I can earn points on the side, so it's not a bad deal."

Gu Qing removed the fangs and stored the monster's corpse in his spatial ring.

These corpses can be sold or kept to unleash the Underworld Lord's Corpse Explosion, so they shouldn't be wasted.

For the next two hours, Gu Qing continued to advance along the route explored by Melissand.

If you encounter a lone monster, have the undead guards surround and kill it.

When faced with hordes of monsters, Cecilia took action to suppress them, while Gu Qing used his bone spear to clear the area.

Ordinary monsters at level ten or so couldn't stop them at all.

The venom sac of a level 16 Bone Rot Spider.

The hardest section of bone spur on the back of the Blackthorn Hound.

Soul-guiding grass that grows beneath rotten wood.

There's also the Gray Mist Vine required for the mission.

The task record on Gu Qing's student card keeps changing, and six tasks have already been completed.

This jungle is dangerous for ordinary freshmen, but for Gu Qing, it is a ready-made resource.

Complete tasks to accumulate hunting points and level up.

Doing three things at once saved a lot of time.

After another group of monsters fell, Gu Qing put away his hunting license and glanced at his experience progress.

We're not far from level 15.

"At this rate, we should be able to upgrade before dark."

Cecilia shook off the bloodstains on her whip and walked to Gu Qing's side.

"Master, shall we continue deeper into the area?"

Gu Qing took out a map to confirm the location.

They were still far from the red line Liu Hong had warned them about, and most of the monsters nearby were between level 15 and 17, which was perfect for him to hunt now.

"continue."

After walking a short distance, the group suddenly heard a series of slapping sounds overhead.

Raindrops pierced through the branches and leaves and fell to the ground.

At first, there were only a few scattered drops, but they quickly merged into a large patch.

The black mist churned along the puddles, and the already dim light around them quickly sank further.

Gu Qing looked up at the sky and frowned.

Unexpectedly, it started raining. It was already getting dark, and with the rain, the visibility around us decreased instantly.

After thinking it over, Gu Qing decided to find a place to spend the night and continue hunting the next day.

With Melissant's abilities, Gu Qing quickly found a cave under a rock wall and headed towards it.

However, after taking only a few steps, the ground beneath their feet began to shake.

A large commotion appeared ahead.

Melissant's expression changed, and she looked at Gu Qing, saying, "Master, a large number of demons are approaching this way."

Gu Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. A large number of demonic creatures?

Could it be due to the migration of rainwater?

Just then, a dozen or so black hunting dogs rushed out from the front.

Following behind were Blackhorn Boars, Bone-Rotting Spiders, and Grayback Dire Wolves...

Gu Qing frowned.

There's more than one kind of monster; this doesn't seem like a migration, it's more like they're running for their lives.

"Avoid them, head northwest."

Whatever the reason, let's get away from these monsters first.

However, there were too many monsters, and after Gu Qing and his group had traveled for a while, a large area around them was blocked by the scattered beast hordes.

Monsters are swarming in from the north and east.

The west side was the direction he had just walked in.

Gu Qing quickly assessed the route and determined that the only option was to turn southeast.

Rain continued to fall, and a dense cacophony of animal roars echoed behind them.

He dodged several waves of monsters, using his Swift Step to create distance, and retreated in the southeast direction.

at the same time.

To the southeast, deep in a mountain ravine.

The narrow cave was covered by weeds and vines, and rainwater flowed down the rock walls, but not a drop fell into the cave.

Deep inside the cave, a strange six-pointed star array was emitting a dark red light.

A figure in black robes stood silently in the center of the formation.

He raised his withered hand, took out a demon corpse from his spatial ring, and casually tossed it onto the array.

The moment the body hit the ground, the six-pointed star array lit up.

A dark red light spread across the monster's entire body.

In just a few breaths, the flesh, bones, and residual magic were devoured by the formation, leaving only a little black ash on the ground.

The figure in black robes did not stop.

The second one.

The third one.

One after another, the corpses of demons fell into the formation.

The light on the six-pointed star array grew brighter and brighter, and a deep hum echoed from inside the cave.

The figure in black robes stood in the center of the formation, watching all the corpses being devoured, without uttering a sound.

Outside the mountain stream, the evening wind carried rainwater into the cave entrance.

The wide black robe was lifted by the wind.

Beneath the black robe, there was no flesh or blood, only a withered and decaying body.

Deep within his eye sockets, two pale green soul flames flickered slowly.

This is a lich!