Chapter 54 - 49: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Preparing for the Foggy Void Realm

Chapter 54: Chapter 49: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Preparing for the Foggy Void Realm

Shen Xing studied the photo Xia Wanyin had sent and gave it a thorough critique.

In-game avatars were 100% synchronized with reality.

So, however you looked in the game was basically how you looked in real life.

But right now, in this outfit—white dress, white socks, white shoes—she seemed... even more captivating than in the game?

’Was she doing this on purpose, or was it an accident?’

’It has to be an accident. After all, she can’t see, so she probably had no idea what the photo looked like when she sent it.’

Shen Xing replied nonchalantly, then switched apps and silently opened another program.

And no, it wasn’t what you’re thinking. It was the Hua Country Pioneer Forum.

He clicked on the local city section, and a striking post immediately appeared.

>

’Are you writing for some clickbait site?’

But he had to admit, the author had succeeded.

It had hooked Shen Xing, who clicked on the post.

The post was about a player named Gu Feng, detailing what a genius he was, having trained an Elite Level soldier type in just three days.

It also mentioned his outstanding combat Talent, citing a brilliant victory where he defeated an Elite Three-Star soldier type with his own Elite Two-Star.

Recently, he had even trained a Tier Two Extraordinary Level soldier type, causing his power to skyrocket.

Rumor had it he was also planning to participate in the ’Foggy Void Realm’ and had vowed to defeat all the experts to take first place.

Based on this information alone, this Gu Feng certainly had the makings of a genius.

However, a note below the post mentioned that his father was Gu Xizhou, a Tier Three Expert Level Lord.

Shen Xing couldn’t help but curse inwardly. ’Damn it, so he’s a Second Generation Lord.’

’Seriously? You already have such an amazing father, yet you’re still going to the Foggy Void Realm to fight us for resources and rankings? Isn’t that going too far?!’

Of course, Shen Xing also knew it was because the resources in the Foggy Void Realm were genuinely good.

Besides, for these Second Generation Lords, the most important thing was the ranking. It wasn’t just about the rewards; it was a matter of honor.

Likewise, many people in the comments below weren’t convinced.

Floor 2: "Isn’t it too early to jump to conclusions? Gu Feng is strong, sure, but you can’t summon Tier Two Extraordinary soldier types in a One-Star Secret Realm. It won’t be that easy for him to take first place."

Floor 3: "Yeah, and there are a lot of powerhouses in the Void Realm this time. I heard even ’The Jaguar’ Yu Feifei is participating. She’s a beast who can take on soldier types one-on-one!"

Floor 4: "Don’t forget Du Feiyu, the prodigy sponsored by the United Group. He’s already stacked up two Elite Three-Star soldier types, plus a pile of equipment and Scrolls from his corporation. How are you supposed to compete with that?"

Floor 5: "And don’t forget Xiang Dong. That guy is a multi-time Free Fighting champion. He joined the World Group not long ago and got a ton of resources. Who knows how strong he is now."

Floor 6: "..."

The names of one powerhouse after another were mentioned, along with posts detailing their achievements and strength.

Shen Xing was secretly astonished as he read. "Someone who can solo soldier types, a pay-to-win monster, a fighting champion..."

"I never expected this little Jiang City to be full of hidden masters."

"But... it seems the strongest among them only have Elite Three-Star soldier types. I haven’t heard of anyone training a Boss Level soldier type."

The jump from Elite to Boss was a huge hurdle that stumped countless players.

Especially in the novice stage, a player who could train a Boss Level soldier type was an extremely rare sight, not just in Jiang City but in the entire Hua Country.

’Looks like I’m not out of the running, then.’

After all, in a few more days, he was 100% confident he could get Hellish Roar to advance to Boss Level.

’If I summon a Boss Level Hellish Roar in the Secret Realm, plus a whole squad of Elite Three-Stars, I should be able to steamroll everyone, right?’

He thought cheerfully and continued to browse the forum for a while.

At two in the morning, Grand Lord Shen went to bed early for once.

But not long after he fell asleep, his phone suddenly buzzed.

Loves Playing with Coriander: "Shen Xing, what do you think the meaning of life is?"

Shen Xing: "Piss off."

He turned off his phone, set it to Do Not Disturb, and went back to sleep.

「The next day.」

The morning sun peeked through the gap in the curtains, shining on his face.

Shen Xing’s eyes fluttered open blearily. He propped himself up and stretched lazily.

"Today is another day full of hope."

He deftly got out of bed and moved into his wheelchair.

After a quick wash-up, he went downstairs for breakfast.

Returning to his room, he placed a glass of water on the table and put on the black glasses again.

VMMMM~

The scene before him shifted, and a wave of warmth washed over him.

[Your territory building: Campfire has been upgraded to Level 4. Territory range has been increased!]

[Your territory building: Lighthouse has been constructed!]

[Your...]

...

The moment he entered the game, a series of notifications flashed before his eyes.

Shen Xing opened his eyes and looked around.

The Campfire at the center of his territory had undergone a significant change. Its black base had widened by two full circles and grown about a meter taller.

The area illuminated by its light had also surged from a diameter of 80 meters to 150 meters.

A large swath of black earth was now visible, which meant he had more room to operate and more territory.

At the four cardinal directions of the territory—north, south, east, and west—four white lighthouses stood tall, their beams of light piercing the Fog and sweeping back and forth.

Shen Xing gazed at the scene before him with satisfaction.

Compared to the dilapidated village he had when he first started the game, the change was night and day.

After admiring his territory for a moment, he wheeled himself over to the Beastman and asked, "Hellish Roar, what Level are you?"

Hellish Roar replied respectfully, "Lord, I’ve reached Level 7. I should be able to reach Level 8 tonight!"

"Excellent. Keep up the good work and try to reach Level 9 as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

Hellish Roar nodded solemnly, then sat down cross-legged again and silently began absorbing a Soul Stone.

Next, Shen Xing used [Sacrificial Evolution] as usual, upgrading yesterday’s Skeleton Shooter to Elite★★.

He then went to the west side of the village to check on the well that was built yesterday.

After settling for a day and a night, the well water had gradually become clear.

The Beastmen had even placed a wooden bucket next to it, with a rope tied to the end, to serve as a temporary tool for drawing water.

On the other side of the territory, the sacred Moon Well still emanated a soft, gentle glow.

After a full night of production, a shallow layer of spring water had collected at the bottom, radiating a holy light.

Shen Xing took out a few simple waterskins made from wolf pelts and filled them with about two liters of ’Moon Spring Water’.

This way, if he was unlucky enough to get injured while exploring, he could treat himself promptly.

He turned his head and looked at the empty Soul Stones and the dozens of soldier types staring at him eagerly. Shen Xing sighed.

’Time to go exploring again. Otherwise, I won’t be able to support such a large territory.’

Before he could even form an exploration party, a voice message arrived from Xia Wanyin.

"Shen Xing, when are you coming? I’m already here, at the usual spot."

’This woman is a monster-grinding maniac, too,’ Shen Xing thought. ’She’s already waiting there this early.’

"Got it, I’ll be there in a bit."

He replied to the message, then set out from his territory with his two great generals, Blood Roar and Dahou, plus ten Beastman Infantry.

Hellish Roar was left behind to focus on absorbing Soul Stones and raising his Level, while also serving as the territory’s defender.

As for where he got the Soul Stones... that was, of course, because Shen Xing had held some back, giving him special treatment.

After all, Hellish Roar was his "favorite son," and Shen Xing wanted him to break through to Boss Level as soon as possible. It was only natural to be a little biased.

However, before heading to the Black Water River, Shen Xing first made a trip to the Lumberyard and the quarry to distribute Food to the Slave Laborers.

"Thank you, our generous and merciful Lord!"

The limping Black Stone led the other laborers in kneeling on the ground, their faces filled with devotion.

Shen Xing nodded slightly, his voice authoritative. "As long as you work hard, you will receive ample Food every day."

"In the future, when the territory develops, houses will be built to shelter you from the elements. Those who perform well may even be granted Extraordinary Power."

Hearing this final promise, the laborers’ eyes filled with intense longing. They kowtowed excitedly in worship.

"Yes, Great Lord! We will definitely work hard!"

[Due to your generous promise, all laborers’ work efficiency has increased by 20% for 48 hours.]

Shen Xing was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected a few casual words to trigger a buff.

’That’s not bad. And now these laborers won’t think about escaping, either.’

After leaving the quarry, he planted several [Eyes of Truth] around the perimeter of his territory.

These eyes were magical. Once planted in the ground, they quickly blended into the air as if they didn’t exist.

Coupled with the dense, churning Fog, discovering these eyes was practically impossible.

Once everything was set up, Shen Xing led his team to the banks of the Black Water River.

Xia Wanyin was already waiting at the usual spot.

Dressed in a simple, elegant long dress, she stood gracefully, like a fairy who had accidentally stumbled into the mortal realm, completely out of place in the dim, oppressive surroundings.

Shen Xing glanced over and noticed her army of Light Elves seemed to have grown quite a bit.

Their Levels had generally increased by one, and she had two more Elite creatures.

"Good morning, Shen Xing," Xia Wanyin said, her eyes closed as she greeted the darkness in front of her.

Shen Xing responded with a grunt and said, "Let’s begin."

As usual, they placed the bait on the riverbank and then led their soldier types to hide behind a pile of large rocks.

A few minutes later, there was a splashing sound.

A group of Dark Naga slithered through the water, rapidly approaching the bank.

"Go!"

Shen Xing gave the order.

The two violent brutes, Blood Roar and Dahou, immediately charged toward the enemy like beasts unleashed from a cage.

Red lightning crackled between the gray Giant Wolf’s hooves as it carried Blood Roar into the enemy ranks. A long-handled axe swung repeatedly, like a life-reaping scythe, sending swathes of Dark Naga flying.

Meanwhile, the Dual Axe Berserker, Dahou, carved a path through the enemy forces. His two brawny arms were like tree stumps, and every swing of his axes carried unparalleled force, felling large numbers of enemies.

With Xia Wanyin’s Light Elf archers continuously firing volleys of arrows from the rear, the battle was basically effortless.

They finished the fight, lured more monsters, cleared the battlefield, and repeated the process.

In the blink of an eye, five hours had passed.

Because the oil in the [Horse Lantern] was about to run out, the two had no choice but to end their monster-grinding trip for the day.

Next came the most exciting part: dividing the spoils.

[Obtained: Soul Stone x341]

[Obtained: Vinar Silver Coins x374]

[Obtained: Broken Ordinary Soul x115]

[Obtained: Shattered Elite Soul x13]

...

’Awesome!’

He had harvested even more Soul Stones today than yesterday.

If they kept this up for a few more days, he wouldn’t have to worry about Soul Stones for his territory for a long time.

Shen Xing was almost reluctant to complete the quest. The returns were simply too high.

"Alright, let’s head back for now. We’ll come back tomorrow," Shen Xing said to the girl in the white dress beside him.

"Mhm!" Xia Wanyin nodded earnestly, looking very eager.

Shen Xing then ordered the Beastmen to continue cleaning the battlefield, tossing the corpses of the Dark Naga into the Black Water River one by one.

SPLASH... SPLASH...

A series of splashes echoed as the bodies quickly sank to the riverbed.

The two parties headed off in different directions and soon disappeared into the dense Fog.

Not long after they left, a pair of eerie, green, vertical pupils lit up in the pitch-black river water.

...

...