69: Chapter 69 Two slaps!

Yue Ying was still feeling touched.

A concise and ice-cold line of text appeared before her eyes.

[Arrow of the Moon: Return immediately.]

There were only two words, yet they carried an undeniable sense of command.

Yue Ying's delicate body trembled, and she subconsciously looked up toward the center of the storm of sword energy.

That figure remained as steady as a mountain, as if this sea of undead was merely insignificant spray at his feet.

He seemed to have stopped paying attention to her.

A strange sense of loss welled up in her heart, but it was quickly replaced by a stronger sense of awe.

Not daring to delay, Yue Ying took a deep look at that silhouette, as if wanting to permanently brand this image deep into her soul.

Then, she resolutely turned, transforming into a streak of white light without looking back, and vanished at the valley entrance.

"Hoo--"

At the center of the storm, Chen You let out a long sigh in his heart when he sensed that burning gaze finally disappear.

Finally, she left!

He was genuinely afraid that she would impulsively rush over; his indiscriminate "Chaotic Stars" sword formation might very well send her straight back to the city on the spot.

He had even considered forming a party just in case!

Shaking off the distracting thoughts, Chen You refocused his attention on the battle before him.

[Experience + 100]

[Experience + 100]

[Experience + 100]

...

The dense stream of experience notifications scrolled across his vision like a waterfall.

The corners of his mouth curved slightly upward.

This guild prerequisite quest was recommended for an elite squad of ten or more people to challenge.

Now, it seemed that was indeed the case.

Although these undead soldiers were not strong individually, their advantage lay in their vast numbers and the annoying 'Resurrection' talent.

An ordinary squad coming here would inevitably be drawn into a long war of attrition.

Tank aggro, Healer mana, DPS rhythm—any single failure in any link could lead to a total wipe.

But...

That was for 'ordinary' players.

For him, it was just experience delivered to his doorstep!

"That should be enough."

A few minutes later, when the last skeleton soldier turned to dust in the sword energy and failed to stand up again, the entire Echo Valley finally fell into a deathly silence.

In the air, only the spatial hum caused by the slowly dissipating "Chaotic Stars" sword formation remained.

As the skill proficiency increased, the range of the sword energy had even expanded by a circle!

Chen You strode to the very center of the battlefield.

There, a 'Jingguan' (a mound built from the skulls of the slain), constructed from countless bones and solidified resentment, stood shockingly, emitting an ominous black aura.

This was the core of the undead army.

Chen You showed no hesitation. He raised the ascension dao sword in his hand and brought it down with a simple, unadorned strike.

He did not use any sword technique.

It was merely an ordinary attack infused with the spiritual energy of Qi Refining Second Layer!

"Boom--!"

The Jingguan exploded in response!

Countless bone fragments shot outward in all directions, like a tragic rain of bones.

And at the core where the Jingguan exploded, a half-human-tall Guardian Stone, shimmering with a faint white light, stood quietly.

However, before Chen You could step forward...

"Roar--!!!!"

A roar filled with endless malice and anger erupted toward the sky from the pile of shattered bones!

The sky-filling black aura, as if finding an outlet, frantically converged in front of the Guardian Stone.

A tall figure, wielding a bone staff, draped in ragged black robes, with two wisps of ghostly purple soul fire burning in its eye sockets, slowly materialized.

It was surrounded by visible death energy, causing the temperature of the entire valley to plummet by more than ten degrees.

[Undead Mage - Angmar (Lord)]

[Level: LV15]

At the same time, a new notification popped up on Chen You's system panel.

[Quest Updated.]

[Phase Two: Eliminate the Undead Mage - Angmar.]

"Finally, someone decent has shown up."

Chen You muttered.

The 'Lord' marker already explained its identity.

This should be the final BOSS of this quest.

Out of basic respect for the final BOSS, and to fully implement Director Director Li Guoan's highest directive of 'Safety First,'

Chen You calmly took out a glittering golden talisman.

With a "Pa" sound, he slapped it directly onto his chest.

The substitute talisman!

Better safe than sorry; caution ensures a long journey.

What if this BOSS had some bizarre skill that attacked without warning?

After completing all this, Chen You leisurely looked at the Undead Mage Angmar that had just coalesced.

Angmar raised its bone staff high, its skeletal jaw constantly opening and closing, and it began chanting an ancient and obscure spell.

"*&%￥#@*&...*&%￥#@..."

Following its chanting, the scattered bones on the ground began to tremble violently again.

Wisps of black energy rose from the ground, seemingly about to reform into undead soldiers.

It was going to summon minions!

Standard BOSS fight procedure.

First, the BOSS appears, talks tough, then summons mobs to increase combat difficulty and complexity.

Too bad...

"Gibberish, what are you saying?"

Chen You had no interest in listening to it finish the spell, nor was he interested in waiting for it to summon all its minions.

He took one step, and his figure instantly vanished from its original spot.

The next second, he appeared ghost-like behind the Undead Mage Angmar.

Without any flashy moves.

He used the hilt of the ascension dao sword like a brick, carrying immense force, and delivered two solid hits to the back of the BOSS's head.

"Thump!"

[-2855! (Weak Point Attack! Critical Hit!)]

"Thump!"

[-2910! (Weak Point Attack! Critical Hit!)]

Two terrifying scarlet numbers floated above the Undead Mage's head.

As a mage, it was still in the casting pre-animation phase.

And its not-so-deep health bar was instantly cleared!

"*&%￥#@...Eh?"

Angmar's spell abruptly stopped.

The soul fire in its eye sockets flickered violently, seemingly filled with unbelievable shock.

It didn't even have time to turn around to see who was attacking it.

Its massive body collapsed, turning into a cloud of flying black mist, finally dissipating completely into the air.

[You have slain 'Undead Mage - Angmar', gaining 3000 experience points!]

[Quest Updated.]

[Phase Three: Activate the Guardian Stone.]

Chen You looked at the empty battlefield and blinked.

"That's... it?"

He hadn't even used the blade.

It was a bit... anticlimactic.

Shaking his head, Chen You walked to the half-human-tall Guardian Stone.

The stone was engraved with ancient runes, but it was currently dim and covered in cracks.

He reached out and slowly placed his hand on the Guardian Stone.

Buzz--!

A gentle energy surged from his palm.

The Guardian Stone absorbed Chen You's spiritual energy greedily, like parched earth welcoming rain.

Instantly, the entire stone shone brightly!

A soft white pillar of light shot into the sky, dispelling the last trace of gloom in the valley.

The cracks on the stone healed at a visible rate, and the dim runes lit up one by one, radiating a sacred and pure aura.

The entire Echo Valley seemed to have been thoroughly purified.

Just then, a slightly illusory figure slowly emerged beside the Guardian Stone.

[Guild Administrator - Rodney]

"Brave Adventurer, thank you."

Rodney bowed slightly to Chen You, performing a standard noble salute.

"You have reclaimed our lost territory and rescued it from the clutches of the undead. Zhao City will forever remember your merits."

[Quest 'Lost Territory' Completed!]

[Reward Obtained: Experience + 10000, Zhao City Reputation + 5000.]

That's it?

Chen You raised an eyebrow.

This unique quest only offered such meager rewards?

As if sensing Chen You's confusion, Rodney smiled slightly, his smile carrying a hint of mystery.

"Material rewards are merely a superficial praise for your courage."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"I imagine an existence as powerful as you might also long for a... territory that truly belongs to you, right?"

A territory that belongs to him?

Chen You's heart leaped, and he instantly thought of something!

Rodney's gaze seemed capable of seeing through people's minds.

He continued speaking: "This Echo Valley is an unclaimed territory under the jurisdiction of Zhao City."

"Now that you have personally reclaimed it, according to the ancient covenant, you possess the highest priority to establish a force here."

"Go, brave Adventurer. Take your token and seek out 'Territory Administrator - Burn'."

[You have obtained: [Proof of Territory] x 1]

Rodney's figure gradually became transparent.

In the final moment before disappearing, his voice clearly reached Chen You's ears.

"The Era... will be changed because of you."

As the words fell, Rodney completely vanished.

The entire valley was left with only Chen You, standing quietly beside the purified Guardian Stone.

He slowly opened his backpack.

Looking at the [Proof of Territory].

Chen You's breathing became somewhat rapid.

Finally, was it time for that step?!

The true main event!

His eyes were brighter than ever before.

"Cross-dimensional infrastructure... is about to begin!"