69: First encounter with the saintess, two 95+

"Oh, the Commander is a person!"

Lan Ling said with a strange expression, her crystal-clear eyes fluttering.

Tie Shengnan's face darkened at her words, and she flicked Lan Ling's forehead.

"You've got some nerve, making fun of me..."

"Ow!"

Lan Ling cried out in pain, rubbing her forehead, and looked at Tie Shengnan with a mournful expression.

Tie Shengnan was always stern, but only with Lan Ling would she often discipline her like an adult teaching a child.

Afterward, Lan Ling instructed several of her subordinates to dig out the person from the pit.

Soon, a man, charred black and limp, was pulled out of the hole.

At this moment, Huang Chen lay motionless on the ground, as if his entire body had fallen apart.

His health bar, which had turned red, rapidly rose under the effect of several nine revolutions soul returning pills, and the charred bits on his body flaked off.

With a thought, Huang Chen transferred a soul crystal and a physique pill from his backpack into his mouth.

A moment later, the fatigue in his body and mind receded like flowing water.

As soon as Huang Chen was dug out, Tie Shengnan cast a detection skill on him.

[Huang Chen Lv. 25]

Only level 25? A level 20 White Tiger Set!

A trace of sadness appeared on Tie Shengnan's face.

During this period, many Trial Takers, unable to find monsters to fight and unwilling to mine, would take risks by going to high-level lairs to try their luck.

However, whether alone or in small teams, many were killed by monsters before they even had a chance to escape.

This was the tragedy of the entire Huaxia Clan!

The former leader of Huaxia's Official Faction also held daily meetings to research how to break the deadlock.

Unfortunately, at present, apart from large teams like the Official Faction, relying on a hundred or so loosely organized Trial Takers to clear these maps was simply absurd.

Most of the Official Faction's teams were former military personnel, who obeyed orders strictly and feared no death.

However, once a Trial Taker team encountered a crisis during an expedition, the entire team would suffer a major collapse.

Therefore, currently, maps above level 40, even the lowest-grade Black Iron Lairs, were beyond the reach of ordinary Trial Takers.

Even powerful Official Faction teams suffered heavy casualties when clearing level 40 Black Iron Lairs.

After resting for a while, Huang Chen let out a heavy sigh.

That was close, he almost kicked the bucket.

Things had been too smooth recently, making him complacent about many things. In the future, he must be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious.

Seeing Huang Chen recover, Lan Ling walked up and said, "You really aren't afraid of death, coming to the Flood Dragons Lair alone at just level 25?"

"If you really can't find a team, go work at the mines first. Living by your own hands isn't shameful. Once the main forces level up, the low-level lairs will naturally open up."

Hearing the voice, Huang Chen casually replied, "Working is impossible, I'll never work in this life."

"Hmph! Overambitious!" Lan Ling spat, no longer paying attention to Huang Chen.

Indeed, good advice is wasted on those determined to self-destruct!

With two pills ingested, Huang Chen's body and spirit had almost fully recovered, and only then did he raise his head.

Before him, a Womens Army of a thousand stood in neat formation, all staring at him curiously.

Feeling the gaze of so many, and remembering his posture just now, he instantly felt utterly humiliated.

Just then, Tie Shengnan emerged from the army, glanced at Huang Chen, and seeing that he was unharmed, turned to her Special Forces regiment behind her and ordered: "Attention all, prepare to enter the lair!"

Huang Chen looked in the direction of the voice.

Holy crap!

What a magnificent Eight-Foot Lady!

Her stunning beauty combined with her towering figure.

The image of the Clan Saintess, a legend from his previous life, immediately materialized in his mind.

"system lord, get to work..."

[Ding!]

[Detected many beauties meeting the criteria. Do you want to view detailed information?]

"View those with 95 points or higher."

[Starting detailed information scan]

[Name: Lan Ling] <Bond not established>

[Age: 27]

[Appearance: 95 points]

[Figure: 96 points]

[Purity: 100 points]

[Overall Score: 97 points]

[Affinity: 0]

[Evaluation: Calm and clear-headed, extremely decisive, commands are resolute and clear, excellent attention to detail, never makes mistakes. She is the strongest support for a commander. Rewards for inclusion.]

So this was Lan Ling, one of the Iron Lady's souls in his previous life.

[Continuing detailed information scan]

[Name: Tie Shengnan] <Bond not established>

[Age: 26]

[Appearance: 98 points]

[Figure: 99 points]

[Purity: 100 points]

[Overall Score: 99 points]

[Affinity: 0]

[Evaluation: Master tactician, battlefield controller. Strict internally yet protective of her own, tough and domineering externally. A born commander. Rewards for inclusion.]

Indeed,

This was the Clan Saintess, Tie Shengnan.

In his previous life, as a low-level grunt, Huang Chen had only heard of such legendary figures but never seen them.

He never expected to meet her in such a comical way in this life.

However, that frost-like beauty indeed possessed the capital to rival the Vermilion Bird Clan's Empress.

After all, both were 99-point existences.

While Huang Chen was checking the system, Tie Shengnan had already arranged her formation, and they entered the Flood Dragons Lair in an orderly line.

Huang Chen stood up, patted the dust from his backside, smiled towards the Flood Dragons Lair, and strode to catch up.

The Flood Dragons Lair was a swamp, and Flood Dragons, being Water Element users, were more like control-type monsters.

As soon as Huang Chen entered the lair, he smelled the strong scent of decay and dampness in the air.

Tie Shengnan and Lan Ling stood at the front of the team, constantly directing their subordinates to lure, divide, and kill monsters. The entire process flowed precisely and orderly, like an assembly line.

Once a Flood Dragon was lured into the Iron Lady's formation, the Womens Army would form groups of 10 to deal with one Flood Dragon, splitting the dragon pack.

Their class composition was very rational: Wood Elementals were the main attackers, Water Element users provided support, Metal Element Users tanked damage, and Earth Element Users controlled.

At this stage, monster detoxification skills were extremely rare. In such circumstances, whether fighting bosses or over-leveling, poison types were absolutely the main force.

Only when monsters gained status-clearing skills, making it difficult to stack poison indefinitely, would Wood Elemental Trial Takers gradually withdraw from the main lineup and focus on the assassin path.

"As expected of Tie Shengnan!" Huang Chen exclaimed in his heart.

Currently, even his Violet Gold Legion would be in a frantic mess if ten people tried to deal with a level 35 Gold-Devouring Rat.

Yet, the Iron Lady, whose average level was probably less than 30, could deal with swarms of Flood Dragons with such ease.

Such a 指揮 artist, such a woman, it would be unforgivable not to conquer her.

Huang Chen walked until he was beside Tie Shengnan and Lan Ling.

"Why are you following again? Aren't you afraid of death?" Lan Ling glared at Huang Chen, her commanding gestures unaffected.

"I can't help it for survival!"

Huang Chen smiled and shook his head, saying, "Seeing as you two seem to be from the military, as the saying goes, 'the military and civilians are one family.' So I thought I'd come in and ask you to take me into your group so I can leech some experience."

"Tsk..." Lan Ling rolled her eyes.

Does that tone sound like someone asking for a favor?

"Our team doesn't recruit men!"

Tie Shengnan's tone was icy. She didn't even turn to look at Huang Chen as she spoke, her eyes still fixed on the monster horde.

After arriving at Star Abyss, too many people had tried to join them.

Of course, their Special Forces regiment also recruited externally.

But the first criterion for recruitment was women.

This was the same as Forbidden City's initial policy.

"Uh~"

Although he had expected it, Huang Chen was still choked up. "Then I can just watch from here, right?"

"Suit yourself!" Lan Ling snorted coldly, then ignored Huang Chen.

Although Tie Shengnan didn't speak further, a faint, almost imperceptible look of disgust flashed in the corner of her eye.

Her parents had a political marriage, and when she was very young, that man abandoned her and her mother to run away with his 'white moonlight'.

This gave her a natural aversion to men.

And as she grew up and became more beautiful, the men around her used every means to get close to her and curry favor, which only intensified her disgust for men.

Men are all no good!

Except for her grandfather.

Huang Chen had heard many stories about Tie Shengnan in his previous life, the most classic being her misandrist personality.

However, such a woman would be more interesting to conquer.

With this thought, Huang Chen bought a sofa from the shop and sat down beside the two of them, minding his own business.

Lan Ling glanced at him, thinking, 'This doesn't look like someone who's short on money.'

Huang Chen caught Lan Ling's gaze, gave a light cough, and chuckled, "Found it... found it."

Lan Ling snorted, ignored him, and turned to continue directing the battle.

After sitting idly for a while, Huang Chen took out a table and set out roasted chicken and a pot of sake.

Lan Ling's nose twitched... 'Damn it, are you here for a vacation?'

Their Special Forces regiment was frugal, wishing they could split one dollar into two, using all their gold coins to buy equipment from Trial Takers.

And you, a level 25 grunt, where do you get the confidence to be so extravagant?

"Want a bite?" Huang Chen tore off a chicken leg and looked at Lan Ling.

Lan Ling stared straight ahead, cursing Huang Chen's ancestors three generations back in her mind.

"If not, then don't!" Huang Chen sat on the sofa, eating roasted chicken and drinking sake by himself.

Meanwhile, Tie Shengnan's expression of disgust deepened.

This man clearly wasn't short on money; he could easily pay to join some powerful teams to level up.

Yet he orchestrated such a farce, clearly coming for her.

Men truly are all no good, each one full of devious schemes.

However, disgust aside, as a soldier, she really had no reason to drive him away.

Thus, about an hour passed.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm came from the Womens Army luring monsters in front: "Be careful, it's an elite monster!"

As soon as the words fell, a figure flew back from the front, knocked over.

The person was instantly frozen frost-white in mid-air, their health plummeting to rock bottom.

"Earth Element Users! Palm Thunder!"

Tie Shengnan shouted anxiously.

Those luring monsters were mostly Metal Element Users with high HP, usually reaching over ten thousand.

For this monster to cripple someone with one move, it was definitely an elite-level monster or higher.

Don't be fooled by the level 40 Silver Boss only dealing a few thousand damage to Huang Chen; Huang Chen's resistance was several thousand points, reducing damage by almost seventy percent.

Meanwhile, ordinary level 30 Trial Takers currently had only about 2600 potential points, and their resistance could reach a few hundred at best.

When attack power far exceeded resistance, damage would directly double and increase progressively.

As soon as Tie Shengnan finished speaking, dozens of Palm Thunders lit up among the crowd.

But the elite Flood Dragon's attack speed was incredibly fast. After knocking the woman back with an ice cone, it immediately stomped its front claw heavily on the ground.

Instantly, a pale blue ice circle spread out from its feet. Wherever it passed, everyone was covered in a layer of frost, and their movement speed and attack speed plummeted.

At the same time, a damage of around -4000 appeared above everyone's heads.

This was an area-of-effect slowing skill, and also an AoE attack. Although the damage wasn't particularly high, it was enough to kill the woman on the ground.

The woman looked at the spreading ice circle with despair.

She only had a few hundred HP left; she definitely couldn't withstand this area attack.

"Water Element users!!!"

Tie Shengnan roared, simultaneously charging towards the elite Flood Dragon with a Soul Severing Stab.

"Commander, no!!"

Lan Ling cried out anxiously upon seeing this. "Earth Element Users, Water Element users, follow up..."

Tie Shengnan was the commander; she leveled up and fought monsters with them, so her level was the same as theirs, and her HP wouldn't be much higher.

At most, she had high talent, high Movement Skill proficiency, and a higher success rate for dodging skills than them.

However, this was an elite Flood Dragon that could cripple someone with a single skill.

The last time they killed an elite Flood Dragon, they had meticulously planned for a long time, catching it by surprise, and it took a thousand people working together to achieve that result.

This time, it was clearly the elite Flood Dragon that caught them by surprise, making the danger incomparable.

The Water Element users in the distance had actually rushed over when the woman was knocked back.

But a distant solution cannot extinguish a nearby fire. The ice circle was about to reach the woman on the ground.

Tie Shengnan's eyes were bloodshot. She was a bit far from the woman and the elite Flood Dragon, and her Soul Severing Stab wouldn't be able to interrupt the Flood Dragon's skill in time.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside the woman... Tie Shengnan and Lan Ling's eyes were filled with shock. When did that man get there?

Is he suicidal?

As soon as Huang Chen appeared, he immediately cast Universal Salvation on the woman!

What was the effect of using a level one Universal Salvation with tens of thousands of internal energy?

The entire Tie Shengnan group watched with wide eyes as the red health bar of their teammate on the ground instantly refilled and turned green.

This man,

Was he also a healer??

A super healer, his healing output was even more than their four largest-breasted Water Element user teammates combined.

Huang Chen's teleportation and healing were actually completed in an instant.

After healing, he casually scooped up the woman from the ground, pushed off with his feet, and the two quickly retreated.

At the same time, he shouted at the people rushing towards them, "Why aren't you running?!"

Only then did everyone wake up from their daze and stop.

Seeing that her teammate was safe, Tie Shengnan immediately ordered all members to withdraw from the Flood Dragons Lair, with Earth Element Users providing alternating Palm Thunder cover.

At this moment, the Flood Dragon, seeing its prey rescued, stared intently at Huang Chen with its two lantern-like eyes.

Only then did Tie Shengnan have time to cast a detection skill.

[Dragon King Lv. 40 (Water Element) Grade: Black Iron Boss]

Tie Shengnan was stunned by the returned information.

It was actually a boss!

Aren't bosses always in the deepest part of the lair?

Suddenly, Tie Shengnan, realizing the situation, instantly changed color and shouted urgently: "Run, it's the boss!"

Lan Ling reacted even faster than Tie Shengnan. The moment she detected it was a boss, she tightly grabbed Tie Shengnan and ran outwards.

She was afraid that her commander would get a hot head and rush back to save someone again.

As for that teammate and that man, they could only pray for good fortune.

Perhaps because it was closest to the boss, or perhaps enraged by its prey being rescued, the Dragon King completely ignored the others who were retreating.

Instead, its two eyes stared intently at Huang Chen.

Suddenly, it opened its mouth, and countless ice arrows flew straight towards Huang Chen and the woman.

[This chapter is 4000+ characters. If I write quickly tomorrow, I might update an extra chapter! Please ask for more updates!]