22: 4-star monster, Gall Willow!

"Understood!"

The Imperial Guards' promise echoed and amplified through the narrow Plague Rat Path, reaching far into the distance.

The Azure Phoenix Squad, already immersed in the panic of the unknown, was startled by the roar.

The team members looked at Yang Luqiong uneasily.

Yang Luqiong's breathing also quickened.

The monsters in the Secret Realm disappearing in an instant was already bizarre enough!

Now, a roar from a group of men had come from the distance.

In the middle of the night, how could so many people have entered the Plague Rat Path?

Yang Luqiong couldn't help but speculate that a group of highly skilled Professionals had appeared in the Plague Rat Path. It was likely they who had made the monsters in the Secret Realm vanish, and their goal was probably to clear the obstacles and head straight for the challenge space!

Yang Luqiong suddenly looked up and said urgently, "Someone has come in, we need to hurry!"

For Professionals without a background, a challenge space is an Opportunity that is hard to come by!

If seized, it could very well be a turning point in life!

"Understood! Sister Luqiong!"

Although the other members were uneasy, they didn't want to give up on the challenge space.

They immediately took a deep breath and followed Yang Luqiong into the portal.

...

[Silver treasure chest opened! You have obtained...]

[Weapon]: Plague Staff (Green Quality).

[Equipment]: Pus-oozing Rat Skin Cloak (Green Quality).

[Materials]: Source of Plague.

[Potion]: Pathogenic Toxin * 5, Rotting Toxin * 5.

"Not bad luck! A silver treasure chest dropped two finished pieces of equipment?"

After opening the chest, Qin Yang's eyes lit up.

He then looked at the attributes...

"Pfft! What kind of trash is this?"

No wonder no one comes to the Plague Rat Path.

It turns out that not only is the Secret Realm disgusting, but the drops are disgusting too!

The pus-oozing rat skin cloak...

Who would dare to wear this thing?

Qin Yang wished he could just throw these things away.

He felt that just keeping them in his inventory was a form of pollution.

As for that Plague Staff, it only added 45 points of Spirit, which was about the same as his starter longsword. The affix even increased toxin damage, making it completely useless for him.

"A pile of trash, I'm speechless."

Qin Yang closed his personal interface, not bothering to look at it again.

If others saw this behavior of his, they would probably break down.

Equipment is divided into nine qualities: White, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, Red, Black, Gold, and Color.

These two Level 15 Green quality pieces of equipment would be enough to sell for 500,000 on the market.

And Qin Yang's starter longsword was a custom, level-less piece of equipment; the cost to forge it was enough to buy 10 Plague Staffs.

Just when Qin Yang was feeling a bit annoyed.

A notification appeared before him.

[Imperial Guard report: Target has been discovered.]

Qin Yang's eyes lit up, and he immediately closed his eyes.

The Imperial Guards had a very strong ability: vision sharing!

No matter where the Imperial Guards went, Qin Yang could control them throughout, and view their vision from a third-person god's-eye perspective.

This feature was incredibly useful.

The Imperial Guards dispersed into the maze-like rat path, and Qin Yang could check their vision one by one, constructing a map of the Secret Realm in his mind.

The scale of the Plague Rat Path was not small; 18 Imperial Guards had explored for half an hour without covering every corner.

Fortunately, the challenge space was not far from Qin Yang.

Under a carpet-like search, it was eventually discovered.

Qin Yang directly ordered all Imperial Guards remotely to gather at the entrance of the challenge space, while he himself took the Imperial Guard and headed toward it.

Soon.

He arrived beside a dried-up reservoir.

The portal to the challenge space was in the middle of the reservoir.

[Challenge Space]: Willow Yin Tomb.

[Rank]: Level 15.

[Secret Realm Status]: Open, closes after killing the Boss.

[Restriction]: No Ice-type Spells allowed, maximum 5-person team.

"Only Level 15? Wouldn't this just be a breeze?"

Qin Yang frowned.

He hesitated whether to enter the challenge space.

The members of the Azure Phoenix Squad were all Level 20.

Clearing this challenge space should be no big problem for them.

Perhaps they were almost done fighting it by now.

Going in at this time, he probably wouldn't even get a sip of the soup.

"Since I'm already here, I might as well go in and take a look," Qin Yang thought to himself.

In fact, Qin Yang had only guessed half of the situation regarding the challenge space.

The group from the Azure Phoenix Squad.

Had indeed entered the Boss room.

But they were not as successful as Qin Yang had imagined.

In fact, they had already been completely wiped out.

"Ahhh! Ahhh!"

The eerie sound of a baby crying echoed through the dim room.

In the tomb, which was less than a hundred square meters, there was a pool of blood.

Standing in the pool of blood was a willow tree.

The willow's bark was not real bark.

Instead, it was human skin full of wrinkles.

Upon it, blue-black veins crawled all over, wriggling slowly.

The willow branches, covered in granulation tissue, moved without wind, scattering red and black willow catkins all over the sky.

A closer look revealed.

That was not any kind of willow catkin.

It was clumps of bloody hair.

[Name]: Gall Willow.

[Race]: Gu Insect Clan.

[Rank]: 18.

[Strength]: 760.

[Agility]: 668.

[Physique]: 452.

[Spirit]: 960.

"It is actually... 4-star potential!"

Yang Luqiong's legs were broken, and she collapsed to the ground.

She gripped her staff tightly with both hands, supporting her body while releasing a Holy Light shield.

Inside the Holy Light shield, 4 team members lay scattered on the ground, their lives hanging in the balance.

Yang Luqiong still couldn't believe it even now.

This monster actually had a second phase!

Just a moment ago, they had entered the Boss room.

Before the battle started, Yang Luqiong had specifically checked the monster's attributes.

At that time, it was just a normal willow spirit.

Its attributes were only 1370, and its race was displayed as Demonic Plant.

To subjugate a monster of this Rank, Yang Luqiong plus 4 teammates was completely sufficient.

After a tacit cooperation among the 5 of them, they quickly took down the willow spirit.

Just when everyone thought the challenge was complete.

The Boss had entered a second phase, evolving from a willow spirit into a Gall Willow!

Not only did its appearance become eerie and terrifying, but its panel had also changed!

Its race changed from Demonic Plant to Gu Insect Clan.

Its attributes soared from 1370 to 2740!

Yang Luqiong immediately realized the problem!

Monsters possessed a hidden attribute called "Potential."

Professionals had summarized certain rules based on experience.

They divided potential into 1 to 6 stars.

The initial is 1 star, and for every 500% increase in attributes, one star is added.

Level 18 with 1370 total attribute points was already 5 times that of an ordinary monster, belonging to 2-star potential.

Doubling again, that would be 3 stars!

As a Level 31 Professional, Yang Luqiong's base attributes were not low.

But in front of this 4-star Boss, it was simply not enough!

As for the other 4 teammates, they were just over Level 20; the sum of the 4 people's attributes was not even as much as hers alone.

Within 10 seconds of the Boss entering the second phase, the five members of the Azure Phoenix Squad had almost made no effective resistance.

Yang Luqiong only saw willow catkins drifting and willow branches dancing wildly, while the sound of bones breaking echoed in her ears.

By the time she regained her senses, her teammates were all lying on the ground, and her own legs had been snapped by the granulation-covered willow branches.

At this moment, she could only try her best to maintain the Holy Light shield, making a meaningless resistance.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The granulation-covered willow branches kept whipping against the Holy Light shield.

Yang Luqiong felt as if someone was wielding a hammer, pounding against her chest with every strike.

Blood kept spilling from the corners of her mouth, flowing down her neck and staining the white robe on her chest red.

Bang!

With a fierce strike, the Holy Light shield finally shattered.

Yang Luqiong was sent flying backward, slamming heavily onto the ground.

At the same time, the Gall Willow shook frantically, emitting a laugh that sounded like crying.

The granulation-covered willow branches also slithered over like venomous snakes, wrapping around her four teammates and dragging them toward the Gall Willow.

"No! Don't! Please, I beg you!"

Dragging her broken legs, Yang Luqiong crawled frantically toward her teammates, wanting to snatch them back from the hands of the Gall Willow, but she couldn't grab anything.

She could only watch helplessly as her teammates, whom she regarded as sisters, were dragged into the pool of blood beneath the Gall Willow by the granulation-covered willow branches.

"It's my fault! I was the one who brought them in! Take me instead!"

Yang Luqiong broke down in tears, crawling madly toward the Gall Willow, as if wanting to trade her life to get her teammates back.

However, the Gall Willow seemed to disdain Yang Luqiong's status as a Holy Light Priest and did not drag her into the pool of blood, instead waving its willow branches to whip her fiercely.

Just at this moment, a sharp shout came from behind.

"Wild Goose Feather, fire!"