Chapter 28: The Boss Battle

(Page 1 of 3)

In the largest clearing at the center of Yun Village, Aunt Wang had returned home to take Huwang to safety. A few players crouched on the ground, whispering.

"Its head is too high for us to reach. Why don't we just make it fall?" Xia Wulei suggested, drawing a circle on the dirt with her finger.

"We’ll set an ambush here. Once it comes over and falls, we’ll seize the chance to smash its head! Zhuchen and I have weapons, so we’ll be the main force, and you all will provide support."

After hearing Xia Wulei’s plan, Zhuchen looked concerned. "Sis, will this really work?"

Xia Wulei nodded. "Ninety percent sure."

Hong Qi asked, "Then there’s only one problem left: how do we lure the Jiuying over?"

"I’ll do it," Chu Wei volunteered.

Yu Huaiyu took a deep breath. "No, I will. Their target is mostly me; I’m the best candidate. Sister Chu Wei, stay here and help them."

Chu Wei hesitated, then quickly made up her mind. "Alright."

Finally, Xia Wulei gave the signal. "Then it’s decided. Let’s move."

...

Before the Mountain God, the village chief knelt on the ground, his eyes staring blankly at the scene before him.

Black fire filled the sky, the village was in ruins, and villagers lay on the ground, their fate unknown. It was like a living hell.

In front of him lay the village chief’s wife, bleeding out and breathless. When the Jiuying first appeared, she had tried to reach out to embrace her child as she always did, only to become the first soul claimed by the creature’s claws.

The villagers were terrified, fleeing in all directions, only to be ignited by the black flames spat by the Jiuying or slaughtered directly under its claws.

The Jiuying slowly turned its head to look at the village chief.

The chief’s eyes widened in terror, and he shook his head repeatedly. "You can’t kill me! I gave you so many offerings; I—I am your father..."

A heavy black claw slammed down, burying all sound.

Wisps of black mist rose from the corpses, flowing into the giant golden eye embedded in the center of the Jiuying’s body.

All nine heads rose in unison, straightening their long, snake-like necks, and let out a resounding roar.

"ROAR—"

"Hey—you motherless freak!"

Jiuying: ?

I suspect you’re insulting me, but I have no evidence.

(Page 2 of 3)

The Jiuying roared in annoyance and raised its claws, crawling toward Yu Huaiyu.

Yu Huaiyu quickly turned and ran toward the designated spot. Fortunately, the Jiuying’s massive size hindered its movement as it smashed through several houses while in pursuit.

Finally reaching the clearing, Yu Huaiyu ran along the edge of a house and dove into a mud hut.

As the Jiuying stepped onto the clearing, its body suddenly tilted, and the massive beast involuntarily collapsed.

Hiss, so cold!

Thick layers of ice had been laid across the entire clearing, and water had been splashed on top, making the frozen surface incredibly slippery.

"Zhuchen, now!"

Xia Wulei and Zhuchen lunged from the sides, aiming for the outermost beast head, and swung their weapons—a sword and a hoe—with all their might!

Black, foul-smelling blood sprayed out. The Jiuying shrieked, struggling in vain to stand back up.

"It worked!"

Hong Qi’s face flushed with excitement. He and Chu Wei held ropes tied to a tree, pinning down the Jiuying’s slender necks to prevent it from rising.

It was thanks to Hong Qi’s ability that this ice rink could be created.

Hong Qi had originally worried about the time, but unexpectedly, Xia Wulei had pulled out a large bag of salt.

"What are you looking at? Never taken a science class? Salt lowers the freezing point of water, you know? Saltwater makes ice melt faster, and in cold environments, it also makes water freeze into ice more quickly."

Hong Qi nodded repeatedly, taking the salt to scatter it on the ground.

"That salt cost me quite a few points; it better work!" Xia Wulei said, looking pained.

As it turned out, the thickness of the ice layer was highly satisfactory, achieving exactly the effect they had envisioned.

Two pitch-black beast heads rolled onto the ground—they didn't look like any known creature, only horrific. The headless necks thrashed about, splashing vast amounts of black blood across the ice, which pooled in winding patterns.

Seven heads left!

Zhuchen gathered his strength, putting everything he had into a fierce slash of sword energy!

The move was miraculously effective, a clean arc of energy slicing through the air and lopping off three more heads!

Xia Wulei followed up with a swing of her hoe, severing another.

Morale soared!

The Jiuying, however, was in unbearable pain. The flimsy ropes couldn't hold it back; with a violent thrash of its necks, it sent Hong Qi and Chu Wei flying.

The two landed not far away, but fortunately, they hit some trees, sustaining only minor external injuries.

The Jiuying let out an angry roar that made Xia Wulei’s ears ring, but something even more unexpected happened.

(Page 3 of 3)

As the Jiuying’s roars grew more intense, figures began to crawl out from the black blood on the ground, slithering toward Zhuchen and Xia Wulei.

These shadows were stained with black blood, varying in size, appearing like blurred human silhouettes.

"It’s the women and children the Jiuying killed earlier!"

Hong Qi was horrified. As he and Chu Wei helped each other back to the clearing, they witnessed the scene.

Zhuchen frantically swung his sword at the ghostly hands reaching for him, only to find the sharp blade passing right through the shadows—he was hitting nothing.

"Damn it, Sis, there's no way to fight these things!"

Yu Huaiyu poked his head out from the hut, eyes wide. "How does it have a move like this? The book didn't say anything about this!"

Xia Wulei dodged clumsily. Unlike Zhuchen, who had practiced martial arts since childhood and had a solid physical foundation, these intangible, untouchable ghost shadows were incredibly annoying. She didn't know what kind of damage would be inflicted upon contact, and she didn't dare take the risk.

Fortunately, Zhuchen had cut off the most heads, drawing the majority of the Jiuying’s aggro, so most of the ghosts were pestering him. Yu Huaiyu and the others stood by, anxious, trying various methods to help drive the ghosts away.

There were five ghosts circling Xia Wulei alone. Heaven knows how many people this village had sacrificed; judging by the dense swarm of shadows, it was definitely more than one per year.

Xia Wulei vaguely noticed that the shadows blocking her seemed to be intentionally herding her in one direction. By the time she realized it, it was too late.

Xia Wulei whipped her head around to see a golden eye opening behind her. The vertical pupil glittered with intense malice, staring greedily at her.

Hong Qi spotted the danger and shouted urgently, "No! The Jiuying wants to kill Wulei first!"

The Jiuying, now with only three heads left, roared at Xia Wulei, its gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth as it lunged down to bite her!

"Wulei!"

"Sis!"

Xia Wulei seemed frozen with terror, staring blankly as the Jiuying’s mouth drew closer, standing completely still.

Zhuchen panicked. Ignoring the wounds from the ghost shadows, he forcibly broke through the line to rush toward her.

His skin was clawed by the ghosts, the flesh sizzling as if being corroded. Zhuchen screamed in pain, but he didn't stop, his eyes locked on Xia Wulei.

Wait, what is Xia Wulei trying to do?

Just as the Jiuying was about to snap its jaws around her, she suddenly raised her hoe and charged headlong toward the beast.

"Is she looking for death!?"

Chu Wei was also frantic, pulling a prop from her pocket to intervene, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Xia Wulei had vanished.