“Ah, I almost forgot, Yuanshi Tianzun is amazing at攻略副本, with him, we can relax a lot." Hongjige let out a hearty laugh.
The others agreed with this Fire Master.
Like a tree has its shadow, Yuanshi Tianzun has an extraordinary talent in 攻略副本, and has achieved the position of Saint because of it, which is an obvious fact.
Moreover, Yin Ji asked that question just now, indicating that she also wanted to hear Yuanshi Tianzun's opinion.
"I have read the information about the Sea of Yashan. The six Saints who died there that year were all Level 4, which means it was originally a Level 4 S-level 副本." Zhang Yuanqing spoke eloquently:
"But our current situation is that the team has Levels 4, 5, and 6, and the main missions are also different. This means that the difficulty of the 副本 changed after the six Saints died in the Sea of Yashan."
"And the reason for the change in difficulty is mostly due to the props they left behind."
"It is also possible that a hidden mission was triggered, causing the crisis that wiped out the team back then to replace the ghost ship and become the boss of the 副本."
Of course, he couldn't reveal this information because he couldn't explain its source.
This statement was reasonable and well-founded, and his companions nodded slightly in agreement.
The slightly chubby Free Eagle said excitedly in a foreign language:
"This is really a treasure-level 副本. In addition to the 副本 rewards, there are also the props left by the previous team. If I can clear the 副本, I will make a fortune."
She might be able to take this opportunity to go one step further and become a Level 2 Golden Executive.
At this time, Yin Ji continued:
"S-level 副本s are extremely difficult, so we can't take it lightly. It is too dangerous for us to carry out the mission rashly without a strategy. I suggest that everyone analyze the 副本 and sort out their thoughts."
Unconsciously, she took over the team's right to speak, but she didn't make people feel disgusted or abrupt. Instead, they felt it was natural and right.
On the one hand, she was the highest level and the strongest. On the other hand, her tone was gentle, and the way she asked questions was also very skillful. She kept asking everyone's opinions instead of issuing orders as a captain. Zhang Yuanqing, who was good at socializing, had a keen "sense" and knew that she was a high-level player.
As expected, the woman who could make the Demon Lord infatuated was not just gentle.
Seeing that no one objected, Yin Ji asked, "What do you know about the Battle of Yamen?"
Hongjige was the first to speak, "I know, I know. After Yashan, there was no China, and after the Ming Dynasty fell, there was no Huaxia. Oh, and the little emperor jumped into the sea with his ministers on their backs. Countless loyal ministers and righteous men followed him to their deaths. It's so moving and admirable."
"After the Southern Song Dynasty was destroyed, the Mongolians established the Yuan Dynasty. This was the first real regime change in the history of the Han people, and they were ruled by foreigners." Xia Shuzhi Lian added:
"It is said that the Southern Song Dynasty's soldiers and civilians totaled 200,000. After the defeat, more than 100,000 people jumped into the sea and died for their country. The blood dyed the ocean red, and the floating corpses did not disperse for dozens of days. It is indeed regrettable and sigh-worthy that thousands of Han men were so miserably defeated here."
"These are all very superficial historical common sense. I don't think it's useful at all." Zhang Yuanqing was thinking and was about to speak when he heard Xiahou Aotian sneer:
"Stupid, superficial, and uncultured!"
He first commented on his companions' speeches, then raised his chin and said:
"The Southern Song Dynasty was politically corrupt and harmed the country and the people. Its demise was the general trend and the choice of the people of the world. There is nothing to regret or sigh about. The harm of a corrupt regime to the people is unimaginable. It is better to be ruled by foreigners."
"Don't be unconvinced. Use your stupid brains to think about it. The Mongolians conquered the world on horseback. What kind of navy did they have? Who fought against the remnants of the Southern Song Dynasty in the Battle of Yashan? The Han Chinese navy that surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty accounted for more than half, and the main general Zhang Hongfan was also Han Chinese. To put it bluntly, the Southern Song Dynasty was corrupt, weak, and unable to protect its homeland and people. A weak and declining dynasty that couldn't even defend its territory was destroyed. What is there to regret?"
"History books only record the loyalty and bravery of civil and military officials, praising their moving and admirable deeds and attributing everything to fate, but never reflecting on the reasons."
"A popular regime can never be destroyed. And no matter how much any dynasty that is destroyed is embellished, it cannot conceal the fact that it is extremely corrupt. Read more books."
"Just because you are a scholar doesn't mean you're so great," the others muttered in their hearts.
Xiahou Aotian continued:
"If the Battle of Yashan is a complete 副本, then I estimate that the danger comes from two aspects. One is the sea in front of us, and the other is Yashan Island across the sea."
"Before the Battle of Yashan began, the remaining forces of the Southern Song Dynasty once established a temporary palace on Yashan Island and lingered for a while. There are still many people there. I think there will definitely be some plot in there."
"In addition, according to the Lingjing's introduction, I think the enemies are those Song Dynasty heroic spirits sealed in the Yashan Sea area by the Dragon Locking Formation, and perhaps the dead souls of the Yuan Dynasty who died in battle."
"In my experience, for this kind of 副本 where the main objective is survival, we need to actively explore. If we always stay on the shore and don't understand, perhaps an irresistible crisis will suddenly appear when the 副本 is about to end, leading to the team's destruction."
"So I suggest crossing this sea and going to Yashan Island."
After speaking, Xiahou Aotian glanced at Yuanshi Tianzun with a half-provocative and half-arrogant look.
"What good supplements do you, this genius, have for this protagonist's speech?"
"What protagonist? Your style is typical of a villain." Zhang Yuanqing twitched his lips.
Yin Ji, Yunmeng, and others looked at Yuanshi Tianzun. They welcomed this kind of conflict that was beneficial to clearing the 副本.
Past experience told them that in team survival 副本s, there would always be someone who would hide things for themselves, and there would always be someone who couldn't help but use their teammates as stepping stones and cannon fodder.
Xiahou Aotian, this "straightforward" guy, was a good catalyst.
In addition, they also wanted to see Yuanshi Tianzun's level. Although they had never looked down on him.
"As expected of a Saint, the qualities are indeed not comparable to those of an Extraordinary. Even this seemingly brainless Chuunibyou is actually very smart. These guys probably have high S-level hidden points." Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.
When facing Extraordinary level Practitioners, he would feel a strong sense of superiority and could clearly feel that there was a huge gap between Extraordinary level Practitioners and himself. Only a small number of elites were worth taking seriously.
But now, just entering the Saint level 副本, he felt "pressure" from several of his companions.
"No supplements." Zhang Yuanqing said.
Just when everyone was disappointed, he said:
"But there are a few questions that Protagonist Xiahou needs to think about."
"One: What kind of enemy could kill six Saints with powerful props here?"
"Two: There must have been Lingjing Practitioners participating in the Battle of Yashan that year. Is the Dragon Locking Formation in the Lingjing's introduction really to cut off the possibility of the Southern Song Dynasty's resurgence, or is it to seal something?"
"Three: The main missions of Levels 4 and 5/6 are different. If we follow you two, will we encounter that monster? Is it better to separate? Or is this different main mission precisely the Lingjing's conspiracy to分散 us and defeat us one by one?"
"Four: This point is the most important. If we want to cross the sea, we need a boat."
These questions silenced the Saints present, and Xiahou Aotian also frowned.
The first three questions directly pointed to the ceiling of the 副本's difficulty, whether there were hidden missions, and the possibility of the team breaking up after encountering setbacks in the mission.
It was indeed deeper than Xiahou Aotian had thought.
At this time, Hongjige shrugged and said:
"It's useless to say so much. We still have to go. If we finish the 副本 early, we can go home and have morning tea. My soup is still simmering. The chicken I just bought and killed is very fresh."
It seemed that in his eyes, the importance of the S-level 副本 was completely incomparable to his fresh chicken.
"But we don't have a boat. Are we going to swim over?" Qinghe clan girl Yunmeng asked.
As she was speaking, Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji turned their heads to look at the sea at the same time. They saw a large ship floating on the dark and lightless sea at some point.
This warship was about eight zhang long and two zhang wide. The ship's sides were covered with iron armor. There were no masts or sails. The power used was the wheels on both sides of the ship, six wheels on each side and eight paddles on each wheel.
The warship as a whole was extremely old, covered with moss and barnacles. The color was dark and dull, and the iron armor on the ship's sides still had traces of smoke, fire, knives, and axes.
It appeared silently, docked on the shore under the cover of night, and was silent, full of weirdness and gloom.
After the ship docked, Hongjige said, "Is this here to pick us up?"
Zhang Yuanqing opened his star eyes and looked at everyone's faces. Each of them was covered with dark clouds and contained bloody light, indicating that everyone might die here.
And this ship was the tool that would take them to hell.
"It looks like it." Zhang Yuanqing said.
Although he said that, no one moved, including the Fire Master Hongjige, who was known for his recklessness.
The male Yin Shi in black robes beside Yin Ji suddenly came out, strode towards the sea, and then leaped up, flying over a distance of more than ten meters and landing heavily on the deck.
A dozen seconds later, Yin Ji said:
"There is no danger on the ship."
After saying that, her skirt fluttered and she flew into the air, floating towards the sea like a fairy.
Only Zhang Yuanqing saw a blurry Yinling attached to her back, carrying her to fly.
"A Yinling that can fly? Tsk, the foundation of a senior Star Official is indeed profound." Zhang Yuanqing looked at it with envy.
So far, his Spirit Servants were only Xiao Doubi and the Ghost Bride, and his Yin Shi was only Blood Rose. In contrast, Yin Ji, who was also a Star Official, had two powerful Yin Shi, and these were just the Spirit Servants on the surface. There must be many more.
In the final analysis, he leveled up too quickly. It had only been more than three months since he became a Lingjing Practitioner, and he simply didn't have time to settle down.
And refining Yin Shi and Spirit Servants required training and collecting. It was all about accumulation.
With Yin Ji taking the lead, everyone showed their special skills. Hongjige leaped up, and flames spewed out from the soles of his feet, like a rocket booster, pushing him into the sky and smashing towards the warship.
Yunmeng spread her arms and quickly transformed into a colorful bird, flapping her wings and flying. Seeing this, Xia Shuzhi Lian ran two steps quickly, jumped up, and grabbed Yunmeng's ankle.
The two of them swayed and flew towards the warship, successfully reaching the deck.
Behind them, streams of water shot into the sky, and Free Eagle leaped between the streams of water, successfully getting on the ship.
Xiahou Aotian slowly took out a jetpack and boarded the warship in a burst of harsh roaring sounds.
"Such high-tech props? Speaking of which, do Scholars rely entirely on equipment in the later stages? This and us poor people who rely on mutation are simply two different styles." Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, and his body turned into a dreamy starlight.
Fortunately, Star Officials have teleportation skills, otherwise it would be embarrassing.
The crowd gathered on the deck and looked around. The deck was damp and moldy, covered with wormholes, and creaked when stepped on.
But it was still sturdy, because Hongjige stomped his feet hard, and no hole appeared in the deck.
But the problem came one after another - who would drive the ship?
Everyone's eyes turned to Xiahou Aotian.
"Don't even mention driving a ship, I have no problem flying a plane." Xiahou Aotian raised his chin and said proudly, then changed the subject: "But I need an assistant."
Yin Ji said softly, "Can a Spirit Servant do?"
"Alright." Xiahou Aotian reluctantly agreed.
Immediately, Yin Ji spat out a cold Yin Qi, turning it into Spirit Servants to cooperate with Xiahou Aotian in driving the warship.
The wheels rolled, and the warship split the black sea water and sailed towards the ocean.
The others stayed on the deck, looking out at the sea and concentrating on guard.
Free Eagle was not very gregarious and seemed to disdain mixing with this group of compatriots, silently standing guard on the other side of the deck.
Yin Ji stood at the bow of the ship, her beautiful hair and skirt fluttering. She was an extremely beautiful woman. Although her face was covered with black gauze, her melancholic and hidden eyes were better than those of most women.
Her plump and tall figure and detached temperament made her stand out even among the beautiful women.
Mentor of Life said that third-rate beauties are judged by their faces, which are the least valuable. Second-rate beauties are judged by their figures on top of their faces, and they are all top-notch and sought-after.
First-rate beauties have both faces, figures, and temperaments.
The so-called temperament is the spiritual core of a beauty, and it needs to be cultivated over time. It is not something that ordinary women can have.
Super-first-rate beauties have faces, figures, temperaments, and unique personalities at the same time.
For example, being crazy, scheming, green tea, proud and arrogant, or well-behaved, or like Guan Ya, who loves to drive. In short, when you encounter a super-first-rate beauty, just take action and don't hesitate."
"Hesitation will make her someone else's."
After hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately criticized: "You are objectifying women and are politically incorrect."
Then he silently memorized it.
He didn't know Yin Ji's personality deeply and was not clear for the time being. At this stage, she was a first-rate beauty with a face, figure, and temperament.
"It's a pity that such a top-notch big sister likes a scumbag like Demon Lord." Zhang Yuanqing was definitely not jealous of Demon Lord.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Yin Ji turned her head and nodded slightly.
It could be seen that she was a difficult person to approach and had a clear sense of alienation.
She did not treat him differently because of Yuanshi Tianzun's fame.
"Is your Qinghe branch in the Ten Thousand Mountains?" Hongjige approached Yunmeng and asked expectantly.
"Yes!" Yunmeng nodded.
Hongjige rubbed his hands and said with a smile, "Let's exchange contact information."
Zhang Yuanqing was slightly surprised and thought to himself that this was the first time he had seen a Fire Master so proactive in picking up girls.
Then he heard Hongjige say: "After we get out of the 副本, please send me some fresh game. I can use it to make soup."
Yunmeng said embarrassedly:
"It's very troublesome to send快递 from our place."
"Then I'll go to your Qinghe branch?"
"Our ancestors don't allow us to interact with Lingjing Practitioners from the outside world."
"What era is it? National integration is the right way. Your ancestors are too rigid." Hongjige said dissatisfiedly, and then tentatively asked:
"If I go to the Qinghe branch, will I be beaten with a stick?"
"Seriously, this is an S-level 副本. We're not here for a vacation or sightseeing. Can you be more serious?" Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself.
Yin Ji, who was looking into the distance and concentrating on guard, turned her head and softly warned:
"You'd better not go to the Qinghe branch. The ancestors of the Qinghe clan are extremely exclusive. Although the Qinghe branch belongs to the Five Elements Alliance, it is not a superior-subordinate relationship, but rather an alliance."
"Special treatment for ethnic minorities?" Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but interject.
Yin Ji shook her head slightly: "This is not special treatment for ethnic minorities. The ancestors of the Qinghe clan are very terrifying. He is known as the sixth leader in the official high-level circle. Back then, in order to subdue the Qinghe branch, the Lord of the Central Plains personally went to the Ten Thousand Mountains."
"The sixth leader? A Demigod?" Zhang Yuanqing was shocked.
Yin Ji didn't explain much and turned her gaze to the sea to continue her guard.
There was a moment of silence. The warship was sailing towards Yashan Island in the distance, not too fast and not too slow. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly looked at Xia Shuzhi Lian, who had been silent and performing her duties, and said: "Xia Shu, what's the follow-up on the Chuyang Sect Master's matter?"
Since he was under house arrest, the information from the outside world had been cut off.
Xia Shuzhi Lian turned her head and said:
"Elder Gaofeng is following up on this case, but as you know, a Chuyang Sect Master who is not bound by moral values is harder to find than an evil profession. The Taiyi Sect's star gazing technique and the Scholar's divination have failed to lock him."
"The Chuyang Sect Master seems to have anti-divination methods."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded slowly: "Then it's difficult. If the Chuyang Sect Master doesn't die, he will leave endless troubles. He is more troublesome than any evil profession."
"Not bound by moral values?" Yunmeng and Hongjige were confused. Free Eagle, on the other hand, seemed to have smelled important information and stared at Zhang Yuanqing with eager eyes full of thirst for knowledge.
At this time, the steadily sailing ship stopped. Then, there was a "thump, thump" of footsteps, and Xiahou Aotian came over.
He took out a black, technologically advanced helmet and put it on, and then grabbed a diving robot from his item bar.
"What are you going to do?" Hongjige asked the question on everyone's minds.
"(Doesn't the Lingjing introduction say that there is a Dragon Locking Formation underwater? I'll have the robot go underwater to investigate. Xiahou Aotian mocked:
""S-level 副本s can't rely on force alone. You have to use your brain.""
Ah, the way you talk is so annoying. Do you believe I'll boil you into soup?" Although Hongjige was only 1.7 meters tall, his aura was 2.7 meters tall.
It's not necessary, it's not necessary. He's not from Fujian." Zhang Yuanqing stopped the conflict. Since the Alchemist was proficient in formations, Xiahou's approach was fine.
Splash!
The half-meter-high diving robot jumped into the sea, and a searchlight lit up on its chest.
Xiahou Aotian stood on the spot, concentrating on operating the robot.
Zhang Yuanqing and the others waited patiently.
Suddenly, Xiahou Aotian screamed and frantically took off his helmet. His face was extremely horrified, as if he had been frightened by something. His neck and the back of his hands were covered in goosebumps.