My own heart soared, for it seemed the difficult problem had been solved with unexpected ease. Here, the scattered mutated creatures consisted of Black Maggot Worms, Hopping Bees, and Centipedes. These four types formed a mixed population in fixed proportions. I estimated the Black Maggots accounted for about twenty percent of all the mutated beings. This meant my Gong Sha Sword Qi could be entirely dedicated to attacking them, without any worry of its residual power running dry, as I could freely control the Gong Sha Sword Qi with my very will, deploying it exclusively against any Black Maggot that appeared.
“Well, now that Xingchen has a method to maintain efficient monster grinding!” Long Xin continued, “we have the greatest assurance of completing our mission too!”
“En,” Long Qi nodded slowly. “To be honest, I was a little worried when you accepted so many quests yesterday in one go. This certainly isn’t the Skeleton Cave, after all!”
“Heh heh,” Long Zhan chuckled. “When has that fellow Xingchen ever let us down?”
“This way, we can complete training and the mission simultaneously,” Long Xin said with a hint of regret. “It’s a shame we didn’t bring more Dong Bao guards.”
“En,” Long Zhan replied. “Aren’t there plenty of Dong Bao waiting for hire at the Fragrant Grass Ranch? I figured we could go down tomorrow and hire a few.”
“Alright then,” Long Xin conceded. “That was the original plan anyway. Since we didn’t know what our killing efficiency would be, we couldn’t arrange the right number of Dong Bao. Let’s just use this afternoon to practice.”
“However! Looking at the scene here, it seems we won’t need to lure monsters for Xingchen like we did in the Skeleton Cave!” Long Zhan surveyed the dense swarm of mutated creatures in the center of the area. “The monster density here is far greater than even inside the Skeleton Cave.”
“Then let’s get started!” Long Xin proposed. “Let’s see the gap between the four of us and Xingchen.”
“Good idea,” Long Zhan said excitedly.
“Then let’s begin,” Long Qi echoed, clearly eager to try.
“Heh heh!” I boasted, quite pleased with myself. “Then you all had better step it up. Don’t let me pull too far ahead, okay?”
“Hmph,” Long Xin retorted, clearly unconvinced. “Stop being smug. Once we figure out a suitable method, we might not be far behind you.”
“Just wait and see,” Long Zhan added.
“.......................” Jin Hong remained speechless. It seemed he still hadn't quite acclimated to our usual dynamic.
“Jin Hong!” Long Qi grabbed the still-dazed Jin Hong. “Snap out of it! The four of us need to show that guy what we’re made of now.”
“Which means we absolutely must devise the most effective way to kill monsters!” Long Zhan’s expression grew serious. He clearly placed high value on this friendly competition. “While surpassing that guy is out of the question, if we fall too far behind, he’ll look down on us.” Long Zhan continued, “Does anyone have a good idea?”
“I’m just a Daoist Priest,” Jin Hong mumbled weakly. “My attack power can’t compare to Warriors or Mages.”
“I know that,” Long Qi mused after a moment of thought. “What level is your Skeleton Summon?”
“Ah!” Jin Hong was slightly taken aback. “It just hit Level Two recently.”
“Level two, huh?” Long Qi murmured to himself. “The level is indeed a bit low, but it should barely hold up, at least for now.”
“What is it?” Long Xin looked at Long Qi with curiosity. “Do you have an idea?”
“En,” Long Qi nodded. “Didn’t we see that group outside using the Triangle Killing Formation when we entered?”
“So what?” Long Zhan asked, failing to see the relevance.
“I think we can also attempt a Triangle Killing Formation,” Long Qi revealed his thoughts.
“Triangle Killing Formation?” The other three looked even more confused. “There’s only me, a Warrior—how can we form a Triangle Killing Formation?” Long Zhan said irritably. “You haven’t lost your mind, have you?”
“Hold on!” Long Xin interrupted. “Let’s hear what Long Qi has to say first.”
“Long Zhan is right!” Long Qi conceded. “With only one Warrior, forming a proper Triangle Killing Formation is impossible. However, if we include my Skeleton and Jin Hong’s Skeleton, we can still form a triangular killing arrangement. While its power certainly won't match the one we saw outside, it’s likely the fastest monster-killing method we can conceive of right now.”
“En,” Long Zhan pondered for a moment. “True. If we add two Skeletons, we can form a melee-focused Triangle Killing Formation. But!” Long Zhan’s expression turned slightly odd. “For me to form a Triangle Killing Formation with two Skeletons is really a bit…”
“Alright, stop complaining!” Long Xin chided him. “I think this method is the best we can use.”
“I didn’t say I disagreed,” Long Zhan whined.
“You talk too much,” Long Xin urged. “Let’s get started quickly then.” As she spoke, Long Xin pulled out her magic clock. “It’s twelve o’clock now. Set the automatic time announcement for eighteen o’clock. Let’s see what our training yields in six hours.”
En!
Following this, the four of them—Long Xin and the others—found a suitable spot and took their positions. Long Qi’s and Jin Hong’s Skeletons were summoned and stood with Long Zhan, forming an isosceles triangle formation. As for Long Xin, she naturally took up a position behind the Triangle Killing Formation.
“We are ready!” Long Xin announced.
“I can start anytime,” I said confidently, lightly swinging my Hundred Battles Blade.
“Begin!” Long Xin shouted, launching a bolt of lightning.
I, of course, did not delay, swinging the Hundred Battles Blade and charging into the nearest cluster of monsters.
Instantly, the previously noisy cave was filled with many discordant sounds. The whistling hiss of blades cutting the air, the thunderous boom of descending lightning, the crisp sound of blades piercing flesh, and the final shrieks of the mutated creatures dying—all mixed with the sight of spraying blood mist and flying limbs, composing a bizarre, terrifying scene of carnage. Honestly, I was a bit unsettled by the spectacle at first. Compared to the Skeleton Generals in the Skeleton Cave, these mutated creatures seemed far more visceral, meaning the visual and auditory shock of killing them was almost unbearable. Especially since I was dispatching them with extremely fast, sharp blade techniques, wiping out entire groups at once. However, this discomfort only lasted for about an hour. Afterward, I grew numb.
At this moment, my blade moved like the wind as I weaved through the dense mass of monsters, moving as if in an uninhabited realm. It was almost no different from my time in the Skeleton Cave. The only variation was that by keeping a slight watch on the movements of the Black Maggot Worms, I could unleash a Gong Sha Sword Qi precisely when one appeared. Furthermore, the monster density here was astonishingly high, leaving me no idle moments; my hands were locked onto the hilt, performing mechanical swings, with absolutely no time to observe the situation of Long Xin and the others.
On the other side, Long Xin and her group were also engaged in fierce combat. They had chosen a corner near a wall, and thanks to several jutting rocks, they had formed a small stronghold that was easy to defend and hard to attack. Long Zhan and the two small Skeletons were also relentlessly swinging their axes. All mutated creatures lured into their formation by Long Xin’s Lightning Spell or the Soul Fire Talismans from Long Qi and Jin Hong were swiftly annihilated. Before long, small mountains of mutated creature corpses were piled around them. Yet, when they glimpsed the vast expanses of animal carcasses left by Xingchen on the other side, they could only shake their heads in resignation.
“That guy is still showing off,” Long Zhan gritted his teeth, annoyed, but his axe swings subconsciously accelerated.
“.................” Jin Hong was utterly speechless. Only now did he realize what a terrifying figure that short guy named Xingchen was. In just one hour, around him were left the corpses of about ten thousand mutated creatures. Meanwhile, the assassination squad formed by the four of them had only managed about a thousand.
“Heavens, his solo monster-killing efficiency is ten times that of the four of us combined,” Jin Hong muttered to himself. “Is this guy even human?”
“.........” Long Xin, Long Qi, and Long Zhan were equally speechless, merely focusing intently on their respective tasks. They had long grown numb to that inhuman entity.
Inside the cave, the slaughter continued.
Five hours later!
Silence reigned because not a single active monster remained in the cavern.
“Finished already, so quickly!” Long Qi gazed at the dense field of corpses, clearly unsatisfied.
“That guy!” Long Zhan looked toward the other side, where Xingchen sat slumped on a rock, somewhat gloating. “Even he gets tired sometimes.”
“Heh heh!” Long Xin smiled with satisfaction. “We need to bring the hired Dong Bao over quickly. These are a full fifty thousand monster corpses. If we collect them all, that’s at least five thousand gold coins!” A chilling light flashed in Long Xin’s eyes. This girl hadn't been bothered at all by losing out to that monstrous Xingchen; instead, she was calculating how to convert the present corpses into gold as fast as possible.
“That fellow!” Long Zhan glared resentfully at Xingchen in the distance. “I’m utterly defeated by him.”
“The gap is just too vast,” Jin Hong stared in disbelief. Indeed, the efforts of the four of them had yielded impressive results. But in the entire area, the four of them fighting for five hours had only managed to clear one corner of the map. Compared to the massive graveyard of corpses covering almost the entire cave, the small patch in their corner looked conspicuously sparse. Yet, judging by the expressions on Long Xin’s face and the others, there seemed to be no sign of defeat.
My God, what group of freaks had he fallen in with? A guild leader obsessed with money, a cunning man full of malice—at least that’s how Jin Hong saw Long Qi—and an even more abnormal short guy. The only normal one seemed to be the big bald fellow. Jin Hong secretly worried about his own future; he wondered if he would become abnormal after spending too much time with these people.
It was already 17:30! In the cave, day or night was irrelevant, as the surrounding area was illuminated by dedicated magic lamps. We had to rely solely on the time displayed on the magic clock to regulate our schedule.
Finding a relatively clean spot, we began preparing dinner. To avoid wasting unnecessary time, we had no intention of leaving the Centipede Cave—at least not until our training was complete. Consequently, Long Xin’s spatial pouch was packed with all sorts of provisions and necessities for living. There was enough food to last us a month here. Tents for sleeping and tables for eating were, of course, essential items as well. What surprised us was that Jin Hong turned out to be quite the cook; even Long Xin, who prided herself on her culinary skills, admitted defeat.
Simple dried meat and vegetables were transformed by Jin Hong’s deft hands into dishes that were visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious, making us all exclaim in disbelief that we had stumbled upon such a rare treasure who had simply walked into their midst.
After dinner, feeling our energy fully restored, we proceeded deeper into the cave and quickly located another area teeming with monsters, where no one else was training, beginning the next round of practice.
I continued to forge ahead alone, traversing a thousand armies, single-handedly achieving fruitful results. Long Xin's four-person squad maintained their efficient, coordinated combat steps, harvesting the lives of the surrounding mutated creatures by securing a small corner of the field using a strategy of attrition. Although their combined harvest was hardly comparable to mine, it represented the maximum output achievable through their four-person cooperation.
On the field, while wielding the Hundred Battles Blade, I simultaneously reflected deeply on my combat skills and what areas still needed improvement. Frankly, the encounter with the Orc Commander in the Woma Forest had dealt me a huge blow. Facing the Orc Commander, whose brute strength was unparalleled, I had no recourse but escape. Although my speed was exceptional—even the Orc Commander couldn't surpass me in pace—my sword strikes couldn't even pierce its body due to its formidable Dou Qi armor. This was a devastating realization, and for days I had constantly contemplated what I should do if I faced such an opponent again. Last time, I was lucky enough to find an opening to flee, but I knew luck couldn't sustain me. Sooner or later, I would face an inescapable, brutal battle, and I had to find a way to deal with this type of foe.
In the end, I could only conclude one thing: my offensive power was insufficient. Yes, by in-game metrics, my attack speed was certainly not slow, but my lack of raw striking power meant I couldn't even breach the opponent's defenses. Although my attack power was astonishingly high against Warriors of the same level, against a Red Moon level Warrior whose Dou Qi protection was nearly monstrous, my meager power was simply inadequate.
How to elevate my attack power to a new zenith became the most urgent priority. It seemed necessary to adjust my attack methodology. After much thought, I decided to change my style from relying purely on evasion and positional maneuvering to avoid attacks, opting instead for a head-on confrontation similar to Long Zhan’s approach when dealing with dense monster swarms. I knew, whether I liked it or not, I had to adapt to combat decided by sheer strength. While in a real fight, I might not use this specific method, in training, I must adapt to these clashes of power, I must adapt to this high-intensity assault.
Having made up my mind, I consciously slowed my movement and footwork. After eliminating a nearby cluster of worms, centipedes, and hopping bees, the remaining few Black Maggots charged toward me like a gale.
Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!
Four successive Gong Sha Sword Qi blasts struck down the four leading Black Maggots instantly, causing them to explode. Only the last one remained. However, instead of unleashing another Gong Sha Sword Qi to finish it, I met its charge head-on, bringing my blade down savagely.
Clang! As anticipated, the powerful recoil nearly ripped the Hundred Battles Blade from my grip. But being prepared, I used the momentum of the blade’s rebound to swing in a wide arc and brought the blade down heavily again onto the hard shell of the Black Maggot.
Clang! It sounded similar to the first impact, but this time the Black Maggot was actually thrown back about three meters, while I, too, was forced back several steps by the violent shock of the collision.
Hah! Hah! My hands gripping the blade felt almost limp with soreness, and they were still trembling slightly. Truthfully, those two swings represented my strongest physical attacks, yet they still couldn't pierce the Black Maggot’s surface armor. This left me with a feeling of powerlessness and frustration.
Whoosh, the repelled Black Maggot rolled its dark, slimy body and hurtled towards me again. I had no intention of retreating; I immediately moved to meet it. My goal was simple: to kill the Black Maggot without resorting to Gong Sha Sword Qi. If my physical power could punch through its surface defense, my attack power would undoubtedly reach a new height. Moreover, by choosing to trade blows with the Black Maggot, I was also acclimating myself to its immense impact force. I figured no opponent was better suited for strength training than the Black Maggot, given its high defense, attack, and speed, combined with its continuous wave-like assaults—it was highly challenging.
In the ensuing battle, I locked horns with it. Time and again, my attacks met resistance and I was knocked back using this hard-hitting technique. Although I, too, was repeatedly jolted backward by the Black Maggot’s powerful momentum, leaving my hands numb, I gradually adapted to this feeling of fierce, direct engagement.
On the other side, Long Xin’s four-person combat unit maintained their highly coordinated operational tempo, harvesting the surrounding mutated creatures. However, Xingchen’s strange behavior did draw their attention.
“What is that fellow Xingchen doing?” Long Xin asked, bewildered. “Why isn’t he using Gong Sha Sword Qi?”
“Yeah!” Jin Hong agreed.
“........” Long Zhan looked at Xingchen’s somewhat erratic footwork and slightly trembling hands, and seemed to grasp something. “I think he’s trying to change his fighting style.”
“En,” Long Qi looked contemplative. “It seems Xingchen is trying to adapt himself to high-impact combat.”
“Strange,” Jin Hong muttered. “He could kill it with just one Gong Sha Sword Qi, why make it so much trouble, getting battered by the Black Maggot?”
“It looks like Xingchen is trying to make himself more well-rounded,” Long Zhan finally understood Xingchen’s intent after long consideration.
................
In the subsequent training, I subconsciously worked on strengthening my ability to withstand high-intensity frontal blows, while simultaneously attempting to kill Black Maggots without using Gong Sha Sword Qi. However, throughout eight full hours of fighting, I consistently failed to effectively dispatch the Black Maggots. Often, I needed several successive heavy strikes on the same spot of its body before the accumulated damage was sufficient to crack its hard outer shell and kill it. Consequently, by the time we rested, the number of mutated creatures I killed was significantly lower than originally anticipated. Even so, my total still exceeded the combined total of Long Xin’s four-person group by a factor of more than five times.
When we stopped, it was already deep into the night, around 2 AM. We set up tents in a relatively safe area. The magic clock was reset for four hours later.
The next morning, Long Xin left early to hire Dong Bao guards down the mountain. After we ate breakfast, we resumed our training.
Thus, the days seemed to revert to the three days we spent training in the Skeleton Cave. The difference was that we now ate and slept within the Centipede Cave itself. We allowed ourselves only six hours of rest daily, with the remaining time dedicated to non-stop training. The eight hired Dong Bao were responsible for collecting the corpses of the mutated creatures we killed.
These bodies mostly yielded items like Magic Ore Crystals. These things were incredibly useful; they not only contained the magical energy required for most Magic Aggregation Arrays but could also be used to craft numerous items, such as accessories, armor, and weapons. They were arguably the most heavily consumed energy source in the world of Fama, akin to modern electricity—always in high demand, with supply perpetually struggling to meet need.
Since the eight East Guards were all arranged by the management staff of the Ranger Guild, the leader among them was responsible for taking the magic ore crystals collected each day back to the Ranger Guild in Earth City to submit the quests. All we needed to do was remember the daily count, which made things much easier for everyone.
Of course, we weren't the only ones who hired East Guards. In fact, most of the Ranger teams cultivating in Centipede Cave employed varying numbers of East Guards to help them collect the corpses of the mutated creatures they killed, so they could acquire magic ore crystals, either for turning in quests or for selling. It could be said that nearly twenty percent of the people staying in Centipede Cave were professional East Guards. Consequently, the East Guard profession had long since evolved into a highly developed support industry for rangers. Furthermore, everyone engaged in this line of work was quick-witted and agile, achieving efficiency that was significantly faster than when we hired help in Skeleton Cave.
The arrival of the eight East Guards forced me to prioritize completing my tasks. As a result, I only had time to utilize the Black Evil Maggot to train my high-intensity frontal assault capabilities after killing a specific number of mutated creatures.