Chapter 21 - 19: Jiang Xiaohua’s Failed Attempt at Showing Off

Landmark Stele.This is one of the most common Spirit Realm steles.

Its main function is to mark and convey the area’s name and summary.

The trees in the area ahead have been massively felled, with dried vines and stumps in rows, resembling strange tombstones. The surrounding vegetation is sparse, with some crows roosting on dead wood, making ominous cawing sounds.

At first glance.

There are many exposed white bones on the ground.

It looks like a chaotic graveyard, exuding a chilling atmosphere.

"Is this a cemetery?" Xiaoqiang was a little scared, "This place seems unlucky!"

"Cemetery, my foot. Don’t you get it, Spirit Realm creatures don’t need cemeteries. Are they going to worship themselves? This is just a scavenger area!" Hang Yu said, lowering his voice, "But the creatures here are quite dangerous, so everyone be careful."

Xiaoqiang shivered in fright: "I’ve been afraid of ghosts since I was young."

Zhao Ming fell into deep thought.

Hang Yu’s guidance had a clear purpose.

He clearly knew about this place from the start.

It’s strange, what exactly is his innate skill?

No matter what they were thinking in their hearts, the three of them entered with full alertness.

Having gone through experience, they were no longer rookies just entering the Spirit Realm. Although they feared the unknown, with Hang Yu by their side, they dared to venture in.

Jiang Nan held her crossbow and looked around while walking.

Although the eerie atmosphere was unsettling, she kept telling herself not to be as timid as Xiaoqiang. She wanted to leave a good impression on the Great God, otherwise, what if he didn’t take her along in the future?

She didn’t have the courage to hunt terrible monsters alone!

"Hmph, Xiaoqiang, what’s a big guy like you afraid of? I don’t think it’s scary at all."

Jiang Nan deliberately puffed out her chest, striking a brave pose, "The view here is much more open than in the forest, so you don’t have to worry about being ambushed suddenly. As for these broken bones on the ground, just pretend they don’t exist; they can’t bite, right?!"

As she said this.

Jiang Nan lifted her slender, long leg.

And kicked a skull in front of her.

As a girl, being able to do this was truly brave.

Jiang Nan just wanted to show off in front of the Great God.

But something she never expected happened!

The skull she kicked suddenly had pale green flames flicker in its empty eye sockets, and like a spring-loaded toy, it bounced up and bit her fair and lovely ankle.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Jiang Nan was so scared her hair nearly stood on end, "Help! I’m being bitten!"

A certain campus beauty failed to show off!

Her screams startled Zhao Ming, Xiaoqiang, and even Hang Yu!

Almost simultaneously, the scattered bones on the ground began to shake, as if drawn by some force, quickly gathering to form a headless skeleton.

The skull that bit Jiang Nan’s ankle, after tearing off a piece of flesh, flew backward and landed on the skeleton’s neck, forming a complete skeletal monster.

Jiang Nan fell to the ground in pain.

Xiaoqiang was terrified and at a loss.

This time, even Zhao Ming didn’t react.

The skeletal monster resembled a human skeleton but was only about one and a half meters tall. It had already drawn a sharp rib bone and was stabbing it toward Jiang Nan.

Clang!

In that critical moment.

Hang Yu swung his blade to block the skeleton’s bone blade.

Who would have thought that the seemingly frail skeletal monster was very fierce? It immediately changed its attack target and swiftly stabbed at Hang Yu several times.

Hang Yu dangerously dodged the attacks and quickly struck the skeleton’s right shoulder with his blade, instantly severing its weapon-wielding arm. Then he swiftly turned and slashed at its left leg bone, causing it to lose balance and fall.

Finally, he leaped up and delivered a powerful downward slash to the head.

Despite being white equipment, the Forest Long Saber was not to be underestimated.

The skeleton’s sturdy skull was cut open, the blade slicing the head in two, finally getting stuck in the neck region. The skeletal monster convulsed violently before losing its strength and collapsing again.

Jiang Nan, still in shock, turned pale with fear, "What...what is this monster?"

Hang Yu absorbed a strand of spiritual energy released by the skeleton and picked up a piece of gray crystal stone that the monster dropped, "A level 2 Goblin Skeleton Soldier, stronger than the normal goblins we’ve encountered, but with our equipment and skills, we can handle it."

By this time, Jiang Nan’s leg wound had started to heal.

Once she recovered, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

How infuriating, not only did she fail to show off, but she also embarrassed herself completely!

"Goblin Skeleton Soldiers attack very fast, and they usually lie indistinguishable on the ground prior to any disturbance, so you must be careful not to get ambushed." Hang Yu didn’t blame the others for their slow reaction. It was inevitable to react like that upon first encountering such a monster. He took out a scroll from his backpack, "Alright, we’ll sign the team contract and officially start hunting."

The Goblin Burial Ground is not very large.

But it covers about fifteen square meters, and it would take a normal person about five hours to walk around. The monsters here range from level 2 to 4, and the higher the monster’s level, the more spiritual energy can be harvested.

Of course.

If it was merely for spiritual energy.

Hang Yu wouldn’t have needed to bring them here. He knew of places not far away that were relatively safer and offered more spiritual energy; he could even farm alone without them.

So why did he bring them here?

Because numerous elite monsters can be encountered here, and these elite monsters drop very good items. Currently, it’s too difficult for one person to kill an elite, and Hang Yu doesn’t dare take the risk, so he has to team up with the three of them again.

With the team contract.

The four of them can equally share the acquired spiritual energy.

Under Hang Yu’s guidance, they began hunting around the edge of the Burial Ground. Goblin Skeleton Soldiers have very fast attack speeds and reasonably high attack power, but they are fragile with thin health. As long as they don’t attract too many at once, they pose no significant threat to the four-man team.

"Boss, President Zhao, I...I’ve leveled up!"

When the fourth Goblin Skeleton Soldier was hunted down, Xiaoqiang suddenly shouted excitedly. He was the second person in the team to level up, not only boosting the life spirit attribute but also significantly enhancing the skills’ power.

Hang Yu nodded, "Keep going, as long as nothing unexpected happens today, Old Zhao and Jiang Nan can also reach level 2."

Zhao Ming and Jiang Nan were very excited.

As the four of them carefully distinguished the skeletons on the ground.

Suddenly, they heard a growl like a wild beast. As they looked in the direction of the sound, they saw a tall, green-black goblin approaching them. Though it was called tall, it was only about one meter six.

All three were startled by its half-decayed body and fierce appearance.

Hang Yu quickly said, "This is a level 3 monster, a Goblin Zombie, much stronger than a skeleton soldier. Old Zhao, go hold it off."

Level 3 monsters are considerably stronger than level 2 monsters.

Given the team’s current condition, killing a level 3 monster poses some danger.

But fortunately, Zhao Ming had high defense, with Jiang Nan providing healing and support, and though the Goblin Zombie had high defense and lots of health, its speed and attack power ranked only as average to low among level 3 monsters.

Xiaoqiang’s fireball took away more than half of the Goblin Zombie’s health.

Zhao Ming held a shield to block several attacks, and finally, under Hang Yu and Jiang Nan’s assaults, the Goblin Zombie fell.

Jiang Nan checked the status and exclaimed, "The spiritual energy from this zombie is a lot!"

"That’s normal, the quality of spiritual energy from a level 3 monster is very high for those of you at level 1, so it definitely provides an extra boost."

Hang Yu didn’t want to waste even a minute.

The four of them operated around the Burial Ground’s periphery, primarily hunting Goblin Skeleton Soldiers, occasionally taking down a Goblin Zombie, but they didn’t dare venture deeper.

Zhao Ming, however, noticed.

Hang Yu seemed to be looking for something all along.

He brought them here for a reason.