135: Chapter 135 Clues to Godslaying! The Protective Flying Sword from the Scholar

"Young man, some doors, once opened, can never be closed again."

Hanba's Clone's voice was like eternal ice, every word carrying a pressure sufficient to freeze the Soul. Within the Void Realm rift behind her, countless scenes of destruction were reflected—cities collapsing, divine blood staining the sky; it was the catastrophe the Ancient Eastern Kingdom had once suffered and might face again in the future.

Qin Ji stood at the intersection of the wind-blown snow and the rift, his clothes flapping wildly in the chaotic airflow. Facing the warning of this ancient demon god, he didn't show the slightest fear or retreat; instead, he slowly raised his head, a nearly obsessive calmness flickering in his eyes.

"Senior, you are wrong."

Qin Ji's voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly through the howling wind and snow.

Hanba's Clone slightly raised an eyebrow, her eyes burning with golden flames locking onto Qin Ji as if trying to see through his Soul. "Oh? I'm wrong?"

"You say that revival means destruction. Are you referring to the invasion of outer-realm civilizations, or the suppression by the Western Gods?" Qin Ji took a step forward, the ice beneath his feet emitting a faint cracking sound as it failed to withstand his Aura.

A flash of surprise crossed Hanba's eyes. She clearly hadn't expected this Adventurer, who was only level several dozen, to know so much. "You certainly know quite a bit. Since you know, you still dare?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Qin Ji's mouth as he looked directly into those purple-gold pupils. "Does Senior think that as long as the Ancient Eastern Kingdom remains in a deep sleep, those wolves and tigers will let go of this piece of fat? That as long as we play dead, they won't act against the Ancient Eastern Kingdom?"

Hanba fell silent. For a moment, the wind and snow seemed to stagnate.

Qin Ji continued, his tone resonant: "The great catastrophe is approaching. We shouldn't bury our heads in the sand like ostriches and pray for others' mercy; that is the behavior of the weak. What we should do is bring out all our strength. Even if we die, we must knock out two of their teeth!"

"No matter the outcome, at least... no regrets!"

"No regrets..."

Hanba murmured to herself, repeating those two words. The flaming phantom behind her fluctuated violently, as if her heart was undergoing some intense struggle. After a long time, a stiff smile—exceedingly rare—was forced onto her cold and beautiful face.

"A fine 'no regrets'."

She looked at Qin Ji, the killing intent in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex sense of appreciation. "You are merely doing this for your own benefit; there's no need to sound so high-minded. Don't think I can't see that the ambition in your eyes is even greater than this sky full of snow."

"Benefit? I suppose so."

Qin Ji admitted frankly, without any embarrassment at being seen through. "Because I know that in this digitized world, only by doing one's utmost to become stronger can one survive. Only when power is held in one's own hands does one have a voice. Otherwise, even a god can only hide in this dungeon and linger on like you, can't they?"

This statement was bold, even offensive.

But Hanba didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled slightly, and the bone-chilling cold around them instantly receded like a tide. "Snow Emperor, your personality suits my taste. Since that's the case, I'll take the liberty of asking: do you know what the Ancient Eastern Kingdom will face first if it revives?"

"The Star Kingdom?" Qin Ji asked tentatively.

Hanba nodded, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. "I suppose. However, the Star Kingdom is but a tiny place that can be destroyed at will. The real trouble is the Western forces it represents behind the scenes."

"The Western Gods have cultivated this world for many years and have long regarded it as their private property. They will never allow the Ancient Eastern Kingdom to revive and take away their faith and authority."

"So what?" Murderous intent was laid bare in Qin Ji's eyes, and the longbow in his hand vibrated slightly. "Since there will eventually be a battle, then let there be battle! If I were afraid, I wouldn't be here; I'd have found a low-level dungeon to keep farming health points and live like a thousand-year-old turtle."

"Hahahaha!"

Hanba suddenly burst into laughter, her voice causing the surrounding ice and snow illusion to crack piece by piece. "Good! A fine 'let there be battle'! If you truly were the type to fear death, you certainly wouldn't have your current strength."

She gave Qin Ji a deep look, her figure beginning to gradually become transparent. "Snow Emperor, I admire you. However, my past experiences prevent me from easily trusting anyone again. Therefore, you won't obtain any Legacy from me that directly increases your strength."

Hearing this, although Qin Ji felt some regret, he didn't show it.

Being able to clear this hidden dungeon was already a huge gain; he never expected to get fat in one bite.

"I don't need your Legacy. However..." Qin Ji's tone shifted, his eyes sparkling. "I want to slay gods. Does Senior have any leads on where there are other deities in a state similar to the Goddess of Ice and Snow?"

Whether it was for the higher-level Seals he'd need to undo later or for that enticing God Slayer Mark, slaying gods was a path he had to take.

"Slaying gods?"

Hanba's figure noticeably paused, and a look of shock appeared on her face. "You little fellow, you certainly have a large appetite. However... there is indeed another god lingering on like that bitch Ice and Snow."

"Who? Where?" Qin Ji's eyes lit up.

"The God of Slaughter."

Hanba slowly uttered a name, her tone carrying a bit of wariness. "He sought the ultimate Dao through slaughter, once killing nine deities in a row, before finally being heavily wounded and sealed by several God Kings working together. That fellow is a true madman."

"Where is he?" Qin Ji pressed.

"The Moon Wheel Empire, the Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood."

As the last word fell, Hanba's figure completely dissipated into the air.

"Moon Wheel Empire..."

Qin Ji murmured to himself, his brow furrowing slightly.

He naturally knew of the Moon Wheel Empire. After players completed their Second Class Advancement, the National War world map would open, marking the start of the Empire Era. The Moon Wheel, Vast, and Xitu Empires stood in a tripartite balance. Not just the Dragon Country server, but all players worldwide would converge there.

That was a true meat grinder and a paradise for the strong.

In his past life's National Wars, more than ten million players participated in large-scale battles; corpses covered the fields, and blood flowed like rivers. Back then, he was just cannon fodder, not even knowing how he died in the chaotic army.

"In my past life, I wasn't strong and could only drift with the tide. But in this life..."

Qin Ji clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Moon Wheel Empire, God of Slaughter, I've remembered them."

Just then, the System's notification sounds rang in his ears like a carpet bombing.

"Ding! Congratulations to your team for clearing the hidden dungeon [Hanba's Former Residence]. A server-wide announcement is about to be made. Do you wish to hide your name?"

"No."

Qin Ji naturally wouldn't let slip such a good opportunity to make a name for himself and strike at his opponents' morale.

"[Server Announcement]: Congratulations to players Snow Emperor and Fierce Snow Drifter for completing the first clear of [Hanba's Former Residence]! As the first players to clear a Divine-Grade hidden dungeon, this announcement is made to encourage all players to keep up the good work!"

"[Server Announcement]: Congratulations to player Snow Emperor..."

The server announcement, repeated three times, instantly ignited the entire ragnarok. The world channel once again fell into a state of paralyzed spamming, and the higher-ups of major guilds held emergency meetings overnight.

But Qin Ji had no time to worry about that; his gaze was fixed intently on the drop list in front of him.

"Ding, you have obtained Equipment +99."

"Ding, you have obtained Skill Books +62."

"Ding, you have obtained 100 free attribute points."

"Ding, you have obtained a Special Item: [Legendary Space Lockdown Scroll] *1."

...

Qin Ji took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

Most of the equipment and skill books would be used to fill the guild warehouse; those 100 free attribute points were the real, solid improvement. But what surprised him the most was that final scroll.

With a thought, an ancient scroll emitting silver spatial fluctuations appeared in his hand.

[Legendary Space Lockdown Scroll]

[Quality: Legendary]

[Effect: Upon use, forcibly locks down all spatial fluctuations within a one-kilometer radius. Lasts for 120 minutes. During this period, teleportation formations are disabled, teleportation scrolls are disabled, and all blink/teleportation type skills cannot be used.]

[Description: An essential remedy for trapping a dog and beating it.]

"Good stuff!"

Qin Ji's eyes flashed with brilliant light. In terms of strategic significance, this thing was practically at the level of a nuclear weapon. Imagine if he were to attack a certain guild's stronghold in the future or surround and kill a Divine-Grade BOSS with escape methods—once this scroll was opened, the opponent would be a turtle in a jar!

"I've made a huge profit from this dungeon."

After putting away the spoils, Qin Ji didn't leave immediately. He looked around; the originally dilapidated temple had completely disappeared, replaced by the glow of a teleportation formation.

"Senior, I shall take my leave now."

Cupping his hands toward the Void Realm, Qin Ji stepped into the teleportation formation.

Light and shadows shifted.

When his vision cleared again, the bustling voices of people and the warm sunlight enveloped him once more.

Sunset Town, in front of the tea stall.

That Young Scholar was still sitting there, steam rising from the teacup in his hand, as if he hadn't moved an inch. Seeing Qin Ji appear out of thin air, a heartfelt smile finally appeared on his always calm face.

"Snow Emperor, not bad."

The scholar put down his teacup and looked Qin Ji up and down, his eyes full of admiration. "That crazy woman Hanba actually let you clear it. I thought you'd come back dead and dejected."

Qin Ji was startled, then gave a bitter smile.

He had guessed before that the true difficulty of this dungeon wasn't those Red-haired Fire Corpses, but Hanba herself. If Hanba wasn't willing to appear or if she killed him the moment they met, it would have been impossible for him to clear it.

This was a massive gamble, betting on Hanba's obsession with reviving the Ancient Eastern Kingdom.

"Senior overpraises me; it was just luck." Qin Ji walked to the table and sat down, not being polite as he poured himself a cup of tea and downed it in one go. "I wonder what reward I can get for passing the trial this time?"

Since it was a quest, there had to be a reward. Qin Ji had always been the type who wouldn't release the hawk until he saw the hare.

The Young Scholar raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a half-smile. "You're quite direct, kid. Fine, since you did it, I won't go back on my word."

With that, he flipped his palm.

A crisp sword chime suddenly rang out in the air.

A small sword, only as long as an index finger and crystal clear throughout, hovered in his palm. Though small, the sword emitted a heart-palpitating sharp Qi, and the surrounding air seemed to be sliced open by invisible Sword Qi.

"Catch."

The scholar tossed it casually, and the small sword turned into a streak of light flying toward Qin Ji.

Qin Ji reached out and caught it; it felt as warm as jade, not cold as he had imagined.

[Protective Flying Sword (Special Equipment)]

[Quality: Gold (Growth-type)]

[Equip Requirement: Level 50, all classes (Does not occupy a main weapon slot, equipped in an accessory slot)]

[Effect: Automatically protects the master. Once activated, the Flying Sword will transform into a sword shield, automatically blocking attacks from the surroundings. Duration: 1 hour, Cooldown: 2 hours.]

[Current Durability: 100/100]

[Special Attribute: This Flying Sword contains a trace of Noble Spirit, increasing defensive effectiveness against evil creatures by 50%.]

Qin Ji's pupils constricted sharply.

It doesn't occupy a main weapon slot!

This meant he could go all out with his longbow while a Flying Sword automatically helped him parry damage!

In ragnarok, this kind of "mounted" equipment was extremely rare, each one fetching an astronomical price. Not to mention, this was a growth-type Gold-tier item!

"Is this similar to Senior's nine-sword defensive technique?" Qin Ji asked tentatively. He remembered when the scholar acted before, it was nine swords flying together, combining offense and defense.

"Good eyes."

The scholar nodded, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. "This is just a replica, but it's enough for you to use until your Second Class Advancement. Remember, external objects are just external objects; your own strength is the foundation."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

Qin Ji solemnly equipped the Flying Sword at his waist. With this item, combined with his insane life-steal and health points, his survivability would increase by another level.

"Alright, the tea is drunk, the business is done, and it's time for you to go."

The scholar waved his hand, dismissing him. "The peaceful days of Sunset Town are numbered, and you must prepare early. Those Western brats have very sharp noses."

Qin Ji's heart tightened as he caught the underlying meaning in the scholar's words.

"Junior understands."

He stood up, took one last look at this mysterious town, and turned to leave.

The moment he stepped out of Sunset Town, the setting sun happened to sink below the horizon.

The setting sun was like blood, casting Qin Ji's long shadow onto the desolate earth. He reached out to touch the Flying Sword at his waist, then glanced at the [Space Lockdown Scroll] lying quietly in his backpack, a cold arc slowly curling at the corner of his mouth.

Moon Wheel Empire, the God of Slaughter, and those Western Gods hiding in the shadows...

The stage was set, and the actors were in place.

Qin Ji pulled the longbow from his back and casually shot a wild wolf that had just spawned by the roadside. The golden damage numbers were particularly eye-catching in the twilight. Without looking back, he strode toward the distant wasteland that was about to be swallowed by the night, just like a tyrant about to ascend a throne, walking toward the battlefield that belonged to him.