C22 A Dangerous Immortal Fate!

However, could these people ever consider dropping out?

The odds of being chosen were surprisingly decent!

The Nazi narrowed his eyes. "Excellent. Had anyone wished to withdraw, I would have promptly dispatched them to the afterlife."

The crowd present: …

"Nazi, you're far more brutal than I am," Wang Yipao quipped, unable to help himself.

Immortal Sword Shui Jing swiftly sent him flying with a kick.

You're the brutal one!

"So, who's up first?"

"Me!"

The group was eager not to fall behind, knowing that choosing earlier meant gaining the upper hand.

Yet, the Nazi pointed at Wang Yipao, declaring, "Let's begin with the one who just touched me."

Wang Yipao: …

Immortal Sword Shui Jing fixed Wang Yipao with a furious glare.

"Miss, may I inquire, exactly what did I touch?" Wang Yipao shamelessly asked.

The others could hardly stand to watch.

Mr. Pao was truly shedding all semblance of dignity.

You touched her, and now you're asking where?

Shouldn't you have some inkling of what you did?

Even if you're clueless, shouldn't your hands know better?

"Wu~ You happened to touch my tail, but I, as a generous artifact spirit, will let it slide."

"Huh?"

Wang Yipao was stunned.

You're telling me you have a tail?

But Wang Yipao didn't dare to ask, fearful that she might reveal her true form and overwhelm him.

Better to let this delightful misunderstanding stay buried deep within his heart.

Indeed!

That was the way to go.

Subsequently, Wang Yipao received several more kicks from an infuriated Immortal Sword Shui Jing.

Clearly, she was incensed by Wang Yipao's brazen question.

The artifact spirit's form was her form; how could Immortal Sword Shui Jing not be livid?

Just as Wang Yipao was about to speak, the scene before him shifted.

The indicator on the mini-map now read White Lunar Mansion.

A towering grey Wolf King loomed over Wang Yipao with a haughty gaze.

Guardian - Stone Wolf, Boss

Level: Qi Refining Perfection

Wang Yipao was left utterly speechless.

Where's the promised Immortal Fate? Why start me off with a boss battle, of all things?

I put my faith in your so-called Immortal Fate, but you artifact spirits are up to no good!

"Good thing it's not at the Foundation Stage; I might be able to take it on solo!"

Wang Yipao clashed with the Stone Wolf in several bouts.

He found that the battle was manageable, especially since he was well-stocked with pills.

Bosses at the Foundation Stage differed from those at the Qi Refining Stage. Wang Yipao had reviewed the data in Divine Wind and concluded that even if players reached the Foundation Stage, a team of five might still struggle to defeat a boss of equal level.

However, Qi Refining Stage bosses were a different story – much easier to defeat.

They had a lot of HP but inflicted minimal damage on players. Their attack patterns mostly dealt sustained damage, affording players ample time and opportunities to heal and counterattack.

After some initial testing, Wang Yipao buckled down and engaged in earnest combat.

One hour passed.

Then two.

"Hold on, isn't this HP a little too much?"

Wang Yipao's eyes bulged as he realized that after two hours of combat, the boss's HP was still at 42%. That seemed excessively high.

So, he fought on for another hour and a half, and the boss was on the verge of hitting critical condition.

Then, the Stone Wolf vanished.

Wang Yipao: ...

"My boss!"

Ding! Congratulations to player Jian Yipao for completing the Immortal Fate's secret challenge. You've earned a Foundation Building Pill and a quantity of spiritual energy.

In an instant, Wang Yipao's Three Sword Technique advanced to the third level.

Yet, no new cultivation techniques emerged.

"Is this for real? A second Foundation Building Pill?"

Wang Yipao was teleported out, staring at the Foundation Building Pill in his hand in bewilderment.

But hold on a second, my boss!

That was the boss I'd been battling for nearly four hours!

It was on the brink of defeat!

Why couldn't you let me finish it off before completing the challenge?

"Finally out."

The people waiting outside were clearly growing impatient.

Some had even logged off to grab a meal before returning.

Nazi, wearing a smile, said, "Impressive. To carve out your own Immortal Fate amidst peril is to earn a portion of my master's reward."

Wang Yipao's excitement surged. "There's more reward?"

"Haven't you received your reward already?"

"..."

Then why the heck are you talking!

You think a Foundation Building Pill is enough to dismiss me?

Am I a beggar to you?

You're the artifact spirit of a Golden Core Immortal Cave, can't you step it up a notch?

If the others around here, Immortal Sword included, got wind of this, they'd surely band together to take out this despicable old man first.

"So, who's next?" 'Nazi' scanned the remaining seventeen people.

"Me!"

"Big sister, me, me, me!"

"The most beautiful fairy sister in the world, pick me, please."

"Big sister, I want to cling to your coattails, choose me!"

Wang Yipao: "What happened to your dignity?"

Everyone: "Beat it! Try waiting four hours if you're so tough!"

Wang Yipao quietly pocketed the Foundation Building Pill, ready to 'bug off,' knowing his presence here was pointless.

But then he found he couldn't exit the Secret Realm.

"Big sister, how about you send me out?"

"No, you can only leave after everyone has had their turn. I gave you all a chance before, and you chose not to leave."

Wang Yipao felt like he was going to explode.

So the 'opportunity' you mentioned was a death sentence if we opted out.

Is that what you meant by 'being killed off'?

The other seventeen were quicker on the uptake than Wang Yipao.

Not everyone is like him, facing a boss at the peak of Qi Refining.

"How am I supposed to take down a third-grade Foundation Stage boss? Solo? I'm in tears here! My cultivation technique has dropped a level. The death penalty in here is just as harsh as outside!"

"A third-grade Foundation Stage boss is nothing. I ran into a Golden Core elite monster that completely overpowered me. Its stats were even higher than the Foundation Stage boss. How am I supposed to fight that?"

"What are you even saying! I walked in and a poison arrow hit me, killing me in five seconds flat. Didn't even get a chance to heal. And there was a treasure chest right there. Just one more second and I could have opened it!"

"I bet fifty cents that poison dart hit you right in the butt."

"Buzz off. How are you holding up?"

"I'm good. A first-grade Qi Refining boss is a piece of cake for me."

"Holy cow, what kind of loot did you score?"

"You won't believe it—a supreme grade Qi Refining treasure."

"What! That could put you on the leaderboard for magical treasures!"

"Keep it down, it's nothing special."

"Get outta here!"

"Hey, I think I saw Jian Yipao with a pill earlier. Don't tell me it was—"

"Oh man, that's gotta be something awesome!"

"What is it?"

"A Foundation Building Pill!"

"But he's an alchemist by trade. Maybe what he had wasn't a Foundation Building Pill, but some other pill he concocted?"

"That's a possibility. So, Mr. Pao, what did you get your hands on?"

Wang Yipao's character was frozen in shock.

Immortal Sword Shui Jing spoke up coolly, "He logged off an hour ago."

Everyone: ...

Seriously, brother-in-law!

Spill the beans on your reward already!

Keeping us in suspense, you're really pushing it!

Three minutes later, Wang Yipao logged back on: "How much longer until this wraps up? If it's going to be a while, I'll log off again. Folks from Immortal Sword, give me a ring on the network phone when it's time. I've got two Foundation Building Pills, and I'm willing to trade one. Think over your offer."

With that, Wang Yipao logged off once more.