141: Chapter 141 Siege Frenzy, That Invincible Beginner Wooden Sword

The sunset's afterglow filtered through the gaps in the tent, dappling the floating golden leaf. Its golden veins pulsed as if alive, and the reflected light shone into Qin Ji's purple-gold pupils, like flames of greed and ambition intertwined, burning fiercely in the darkness.

"Is this the legendary power?"

Qin Ji reached out. The moment his fingertip touched the golden leaf, a stream of information, gentle as jade yet vast as the sea, surged into his mind. There was no specific skill prompt, only a profound realization, as if he could draw some ancient wisdom from this leaf whenever he wanted.

He flipped his hand and put this [Knowledge Divine Leaf] into his backpack, his movements fluid and without hesitation.

"Since you have shown such sincerity, our deal is officially established."

Qin Ji raised his head, his gaze fixed calmly on the Black Robe Leader in front of him.

Hearing Qin Ji's words, especially seeing him put away the treasure as if it were a matter of course, the Black Robe Leader's face, hidden beneath his hood, twitched slightly. That was something even the Holy Land regarded as a treasure; this guy put it away as casually as if he were picking up a stone by the roadside.

"Snow Emperor, you truly have a great Opportunity."

The Black Robe Leader's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of probing, "The Vast Infinite Palace... that is a behemoth behind the Empire; even many high-level NPCs may not know its name. You, an Adventurer, actually know of its existence."

In the worldview of ragnarok, above the Empire, there is still the Holy Land.

The Holy Land is a powerful, mysterious, and transcendent existence. Everyone who walks out of the Holy Land is a terrifying entity capable of destroying the world. And the Vast Infinite Palace is the True God behind the Vast Empire.

A meaningful arc curled at the corner of Qin Ji's mouth, and he did not answer directly, "I know far more than you imagine. For example... this leaf of yours probably wasn't obtained through regular channels either, right?"

The Black Robe Leader shuddered, the ghostly green light in his eyes flickering violently, and then he shook his head, avoiding the topic, "There is no need for you to know that. You only need to know that this Knowledge Divine Leaf is real, and that is enough."

"Fine."

Qin Ji did not pursue the matter, his fingers tapping gently on the table, "In that case, change the mission scroll. Add the item about killing King Abra. Of course, in the reward column, remember to write this leaf in."

"No problem."

As the contract text on the scroll changed, a stream of black light entered the center of Qin Ji's brow.

The System's notification sounded in his ear, but Qin Ji couldn't spare the time to look at it now. He felt he was about to get rich.

He was currently carrying multiple missions with huge rewards, and the ultimate goal of all these missions was the man sitting on the throne—King Abra. As long as he completed this ultimate closed loop, the benefits he could obtain would be astronomical, even enough to allow him to directly cross his current combat power Bottleneck and touch the realm of the "God".

"This is the Disguise Robe."

The Black Robe Leader took off his ink-black cloak and handed it to Qin Ji, "Wear it, and unless someone possesses True God-level detection methods, no one will be able to see through your ID and face."

Qin Ji took the robe; it felt cold to the touch, the material as smooth as silk, yet possessing a certain metallic texture. He draped it over himself, and his entire body was instantly enveloped by a black mist. His originally sharp Aura vanished without a trace, as if he had merged into the surrounding shadows.

"When are we making our move?" Qin Ji's voice came through the black mist, becoming somewhat ethereal.

"Now."

Murderous intent was revealed in the Black Robe Leader's eyes.

Qin Ji nodded; he didn't want to waste time, so naturally, the sooner the better.

As he walked out of the tent, he opened his friend list and sent a message to the Heavenly Dragon of Putuo.

"Get ready, I'm taking people to attack Black Wind City."

Less than a second after the message was sent, the Heavenly Dragon of Putuo's reply popped up. It was only one word, yet it carried an irrepressible excitement: "Good."

After sending the message to the Heavenly Dragon of Putuo, Qin Ji sent messages to Fatty Zhou and Monkey.

"You guys get ready, the National War between the Star Kingdom and the Demon Cave might be about to start. Monkey, this is your chance to rise; don't mess it up."

Qin Ji had previously mentioned to Fatty Zhou and Monkey that this National War was a once-in-a-lifetime leveling Holy Land for Monkey, who possessed a special talent.

After doing all this, Qin Ji flickered, gliding into the night sky like a giant black bat.

...

Black Wind City, this military fortress standing on the border, was currently shrouded in a grim atmosphere.

On the city walls, torches blazed, staining the night sky a blood-red. Countless City Guards in heavy armor held spears, watching the rolling darkness outside the city with nervous expressions.

During this period, the Demon Cave army had been harassing Black Wind City. Although they hadn't launched a full-scale attack, the feeling of being watched made every defender's nerves tense.

Just then, that darkness moved.

"Rumble—"

The earth began to tremble, as if countless giant beasts were galloping underground. Immediately after, countless scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness, dense and numerous, like the stars of Hell.

"Enemy attack!! Enemy attack!!"

The shrill alarm instantly tore through the silence of the night.

Qin Ji hovered above the Demon Cave army, his black Disguise Robe flapping in the wind. He looked down at the brightly lit city below, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

"Attack."

Following his order, the Demon Cave army behind him surged toward Black Wind City like a broken dam, carrying an Aura that could destroy everything.

The gates of Black Wind City opened with a roar, and a large number of City Guards in silver armor poured out, attempting to build a defense line outside the moat.

"Now is the time."

Qin Ji's gaze narrowed, and the jiu he long bow in his hand was instantly drawn to its limit.

Twang—!

The sound of the bowstring vibrating was like a thunderclap.

Five feathered arrows turned into five streams of light the moment they left the string, and then split in mid-air, one becoming ten, ten becoming a hundred!

A hundred arrows per second!

This was not just an adjective, but a real visual disaster.

The sky full of arrow rain was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, carrying a shrill whistle, instantly covering the City Guard phalanx charging in the front.

"Pfft pfft pfft pfft—"

The sound of Sharp Weapons entering flesh merged together, making one's teeth ache.

Those elite City Guards, wearing heavy armor and possessing astonishing defense, were as brittle as paper in front of Qin Ji's arrows. Each arrow precisely pierced their throats or glabella, the immense kinetic energy carrying their bodies flying backward, smashing their companions behind them and breaking their bones.

Even more terrifying was the lightning special effect attached to the arrows.

Zzzzt—!

Blue-purple electric arcs jumped wildly in the crowd, each jump taking away several lives. The once orderly phalanx was instantly torn apart, leaving a huge gap, and the smell of burnt flesh mixed with the smell of blood permeated the air.

"Ahhh!!"

"What kind of attack is this? How can it be so terrifying!"

"Who is that black-robed person? Even scarier than the Snow Emperor who attacked the city before!!"

Terrified screams rose one after another on the battlefield.

Just then, a crimson trajectory suddenly streaked across the sky.

[Heavenly Fire Meteor]!

A huge meteorite dragging a long tail flame slammed into the dense formation of the City Guards like divine punishment.

Boom!!!

The earth shook violently, and the terrifying shockwave, mixed with high-temperature heat waves, instantly vaporized all living creatures within a hundred meters. The hard stone ground was smashed into a bottomless crater, and the rocks melted into crimson magma under the high temperature, flowing slowly.

This blow completely shattered the courage of the City Guards.

"City Lord, help!! We can't fight this!!"

The remaining soldiers threw away their helmets and armor, crying and wailing as they fled into the city.

Qin Ji hid under the black robe, watching all this indifferently. No one could see his identity, but judging from such iconic attack methods and that desperate damage value, some had already guessed it.

On the city wall.

Black Wind City's City Lord, City Lord, gripped the battlements tightly, his knuckles turning white from excessive force, and several finger marks were forcibly dug into the hard bluestone bricks.

"Damn it, Snow Emperor is too hateful!!"

City Lord gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, "Actually helping those bastards from the Demon Cave to attack the city, what does he want to do? Overthrow the Star Kingdom?!"

If it were said that when Qin Ji attacked the city before, the high-level officials of the Star Kingdom still felt that this was just an Adventurer's personal behavior, and even had their own thoughts about wanting to recruit him.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

But now...

With the Demon Den besieging the city, the nature of the situation had completely changed.

The Demon Den was the mortal enemy of humanity, a terrifying existence capable of truly annihilating the Star Kingdom. Snow Emperor's actions were no different from betraying his race!

"City Lord Boot, do not worry. I have arrived."

Just as City Lord Boot was as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle, a deep and confident voice rang out from behind him.

City Lord Boot whipped his head around to see a majestic general clad in golden battle armor marching toward him. With every step he took, his armor let out a heavy clanking sound, making him look like a mobile steel fortress.

Upon seeing the newcomer, City Lord Boot's eyes lit up, and his previously despairing face was instantly flooded with wild joy.

"So it is Great General Jinfulin!!"

He hurried forward to greet him, his tone filled with respect and reliance. "Our Black Wind City must rely on Great General Jinfulin!"

Jinfulin gave a sinister laugh and removed his helmet, revealing a rugged face covered in scars. He glanced at the rampaging rain of arrows outside the city, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"I am a peak Second Advancement Golden Great General. Dealing with those pieces of trash outside won't be a problem."

In the settings of the Star Kingdom, the level cap had a strict locking mechanism. Most NPCs stayed at the First Advancement, while a small portion of elites reached the Second Advancement. The requirement for the Second Advancement was Level 50; after completing the class change, one could continue to level up, but without undergoing the Third Advancement, one would remain in the novice plane of the Star Kingdom.

And Jinfulin was exactly that kind of special existence stuck at the edge of the rules.

Peak Second Advancement, Level 100!

He already met all the conditions for the Third Advancement, and his strength far exceeded that of ordinary Second Advancement NPCs, even allowing him to crush average Level 50 players. This was the source of his confidence in standing up at this time.

"Great General Jinfulin, that black-robed Archer outside is incredibly powerful and should not be underestimated."

Although City Lord Boot saw his savior, he couldn't help but remind him, "His arrow damage is extremely high, and his range is ridiculously long. Even the previous defensive formation was shot through by him."

"Heh, powerful?"

Jinfulin gave a cold laugh and flipped his right hand. No Divine Artifact or Sharp Weapon appeared in his hand; instead, there was an... unremarkable wooden sword.

The wooden sword was crudely made, with several wood grains visible on the blade. It looked like a toy children would use for playing house at the village entrance.

"This is..."

City Lord Boot was stunned, looking at Jinfulin in bewilderment. "The novice wooden sword Village Chief Wang gives to newcomers?"

He didn't know why Jinfulin would pull out a piece of novice equipment at such a life-or-death moment. Had he been scared witless?

"You don't understand, do you?"

Jinfulin seemed to enjoy City Lord Boot's unrefined expression. He swung the wooden sword, creating a slight whistling sound, and smiled. "Although novice equipment provides very low attributes and could even be called trash, it has a very important characteristic that no Divine Artifact possesses."

"Un-droppable?" City Lord Boot asked tentatively.

"Wrong, it's indestructible!"

A cunning light flickered in Jinfulin's eyes. "This is a protection mechanism the rules grant to novices. It's baseline equipment for those Adventurers, ensuring they never run out of weapons no matter how many times they die. This is an absolute attribute at the rule level!"

"We didn't have the qualifications to use this equipment before, but that doesn't mean we can't use it now."

City Lord Boot was no fool. Upon hearing the word 'indestructible,' a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind, and he immediately understood.

"You mean..."

"Exactly!"

Jinfulin laughed triumphantly. "That black-robed Archer's attack power is indeed terrifying. Ordinary shields, armor, and even epic rank weapons would shatter before his arrows due to their durability being depleted. But this wooden sword won't!"

"I can use this wooden sword to knock away his arrows indefinitely without worrying about the arrows destroying the sword. As long as his arrows don't hit me, what use is his high attack power?"

Parrying arrows with a weapon was a basic combat maneuver.

However, most weapons had durability. Using a weapon to forcefully block high-damage attacks would cause durability to plummet until it shattered.

But the novice wooden sword, this seemingly most useless piece of equipment, had become a peerless Divine Artifact to counter high-attack Archers because of its 'indestructible' trait!

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"

City Lord Boot couldn't help but give a thumbs up, his worries swept away. "In that case, this novice wooden sword is comparable to a Divine Artifact! In Great General Jinfulin's hands, it will surely be invincible. That black-robed Archer has met his match this time!"

"Naturally."

Great General Jinfulin laughed loudly, put his helmet back on, and his body erupted with golden light. "Enough talk. Let me go meet that black-robed Archer and see what he's made of, daring to run wild on the territory of my Star Kingdom!"

Boom!

Jinfulin bent his legs slightly and exerted sudden force, launching himself from the city wall like a cannonball and landing directly in the middle of the battlefield below.

At this moment...

Qin Ji was slaughtering the City Guard. These City Guard soldiers couldn't even get within five hundred meters of him before being picked off by his outrageously precise arrows.

With a human turret like him assisting, the Demon Den warriors' morale soared. They howled as they crossed the moat and soon reached the city gates.

Just as Qin Ji was thinking that the National War should fully break out after Black Wind City was breached...

A golden figure carrying a violent air current crashed into the center of the battlefield with a bang.

As the dust settled, a Great General holding a wooden sword and wearing golden battle armor stood proudly.

"What lowly rat dares to invade my Black Wind City!!"

Jinfulin let out a roar, the sound waves rolling out and actually causing the eardrums of the surrounding Demon Den warriors to bleed as they retreated repeatedly.

"Jinfulin!"

Qin Ji saw the blood-red name above the Great General's head and the conspicuous 'LV.100,' but he didn't care much. Just level one hundred; it wasn't like he hadn't killed one before.

However...

When his gaze fell upon the weapon in Jinfulin's hand, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

He possessed the Eye of Spotlessness and had incredible vision; he noticed the wooden sword that was completely out of place with Jinfulin's divine gear at a glance.

"novice wooden sword?"

Qin Ji's eyebrows rose slightly.

As a person of Rebirth and a veteran player who understood game mechanics to the bone, he guessed what Jinfulin wanted to do in a split second.

"Interesting."

The corner of Qin Ji's mouth curled into a playful smile. "Using the indestructible property of the novice wooden sword to counter my arrows? This NPC's AI has evolved quite fast, actually knowing how to exploit a bug."

The idea was good, and the logic was sound.

If it were an ordinary Archer facing a Level 100 warrior holding an 'absolute defense' weapon, they might truly be helpless. After all, as long as the arrow was parried, the damage wouldn't take effect.

"However, today you've met me..."

Qin Ji didn't waste any words and raised his hand to fire an arrow.

Whoosh!

The arrow tore through the air, heading straight for Jinfulin's face.

"Good timing!!"

Jinfulin shouted and advanced instead of retreating. He gripped the ridiculous wooden sword with both hands, his eyes flashing with confidence. He seemed to already see the scene of this arrow being swatted away by him, followed by him rushing forward to decapitate the black-robed man with a single strike.

"Break for me!!"

The wooden sword in Jinfulin's hand turned into an afterimage, precisely striking the incoming arrow.

However...

At the very moment the wooden sword was about to touch the arrow, a hint of mockery flashed in Qin Ji's eyes.

At this moment, time on the battlefield seemed to stretch.

The setting sun sank completely below the horizon, and the last trace of light in the world vanished. In that endless darkness, Jinfulin maintained his hacking posture, his sinister smile not yet frozen, while that arrow did not get swatted away as he expected. Instead, carrying a world-destroying wind pressure, the space around the arrowhead actually distorted strangely a microsecond before contacting the wooden sword.

That was a spatial tremor caused by power pushed to the absolute limit.

Jinfulin's pupils, which were originally full of confidence, contracted violently in this instant, reflecting a purple-gold light that caused even his Soul to freeze.