Deep into the Wilderness Area

Thunderclap Sword had six levels in total. Bu Xiangyang probably had not studied it for long and had only just mastered the first level.

Sword Skill: Bright Light, on the other hand, had only four levels, all of which Bu Xiangyang had fully mastered.

After sensing the fusion of the "lightning" trait of Thunderclap Sword with that of his own Thunderclap Sword, Lin Yan found that the power of his Thunderclap Sword had increased considerably.

Although traits could be used interchangeably, the traits of different sword skills still had certain differences.

For example, when the "lightning" trait was applied to Thunderclap Sword, it could unleash one hundred percent of its power, while the "sharpness" of All Things Severed could only unleash eighty percent.

Lin Yan looked at his system panel and pondered inwardly. He wondered whether there was a way to promote the skills he had not fully mastered.

Sword Skill: All Things Severed and Thunderclap Sword were both A-rank Sword Skills, each divided into six levels. Yet one had only reached the fourth level, while the other was merely at the first.

If there was a way to promote them, his combat strength could increase dramatically.

As his thoughts shifted, a "+" symbol appeared after both Sword Skill: All Things Severed and Thunderclap Sword.

Lin Yan tried it and discovered that they could indeed be promoted. However, the Soul Power required for promotion far exceeded what he had spent learning them through Skill Inheritance.

Still, as he looked at the monsters wandering everywhere in the Wilderness Area before him, Lin Yan could not help but feel his spirits soar.

And it was not just these two. Once he got started with the Po Jun Sword and it entered his skill list, he could raise it just as quickly. That was an SS-rank sword technique!

What kind of power would it possess? Lin Yan could not help yearning for it.

Bang!

Lin Yan coldly pulled the trigger.

A monster that had been locked in battle with Bu Wenxing was shot dead on the spot and collapsed to the ground.

Another shot.

Another Tiger Cat monster was killed.

Beside him, the silver-gray machine gun in Li Tao's hands spat blazing fire!

The monster horde ahead was riddled with bullets, blood spraying everywhere as they fell one after another!

"Let's go!"

They had not intended to use guns, but the monster horde here had surrounded them from every side. They could only shoot their way out!

Lin Yan put away his gun, and Li Tao snapped out of his earlier state. The group quickly passed through the opening, with Liu Mingxuan and Jia Yan covering the rear while Chu Wei led the way with the Blood Shadow Battle Saber in hand!

A flash of silver light streaked out, piercing straight through the body of a Yin Blood Bat!

Lin Yan stood to one side, gripping the Heavenly Gang Battle Sword tightly. His gaze was sharp as he swept his eyes across their surroundings.

Although Yin Blood Bats were G-rank monsters, they were extremely fast. Most Advanced Warriors could not react in time.

To prevent any of his teammates from being injured or lost, he had to spot potential dangers at the first possible moment!

His analysis of every scene before him had reached its limit. He had fully exploited the Data Hit skill, and he silently resolved that if he got another chance to promote a skill in the future, he would definitely draw out all of this skill's potential.

After a difficult half-hour of fleeing, they finally managed to shake off the monsters completely.

Lin Yan killed the Bloodthirsty Tank in front of him with a single slash, moved its corpse aside, and led the group into a nearby building.

Gathered together, everyone could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

The scale of this encounter had been truly enormous. Fortunately, Liu Mingxuan had made decisive calls and commanded them well, allowing everyone to escape safely.

"We're almost at City 032."

Chu Wei fiddled with the device in his hand as he spoke.

None of them had ever been to City 032. Only now did they understand why it was said to be the area around Tianjing Base City where monsters ran most rampant.

They were still only near the outskirts of City 032, yet monsters were already everywhere. Each time they fought, if they could not end the battle quickly, they would attract the attention of large groups of monsters.

This was their third day deep in the Wilderness Area. Things had been fine at first, but gradually, everyone's mood had grown somewhat heavy.

Most importantly, they did not know whether this journey had any meaning.

Zhang Wei had already spent six full days in City 032. Everyone present felt that his chances of survival were slim.

Everyone except Lin Yan.

Because the Save Private Ryan mission on his system panel had not yet been marked as failed.

"Still, Lin Yan, you really are a freak."

Lin Yan had lost track of how many times he had heard such a remark over the past few days, but the person saying it this time was no ordinary person.

Jia Yan.

After sharing life-and-death hardships over the past few days, this burly man had truly accepted Liu Mingxuan as the team leader and let go of their past grievances.

As for Lin Yan—

Just as Jia Yan had said, he was a freak.

He already possessed astonishing destructive power beyond his rank, along with outstanding combat talent.

And in these past few days of bloody battles against monsters, he had been like a sponge thrown into water, growing at a frantic pace and honing a terrifying combat instinct!

The Heavenly Gang Battle Sword had only been in his hands for three days, yet it had already been stained with the blood of countless monsters.

His use of firearms was equally astonishing.

The Advanced Warriors in the team were nearly demoralized by him.

Lin Yan smiled. "If I weren't a freak, how would I survive here?"

Liu Mingxuan lowered his eyes, his voice low. "Bringing you into the team was a lapse in my judgment."

He had not estimated the difficulty of this mission thoroughly enough. That was why he had believed a Beginner Warrior with a highly proficient Thunderclap Sword and excellent military abilities could join this mission.

He had thought he only needed to keep an eye on him.

Lin Yan did not mind. "It's fine."

Though there were risks, he was also growing stronger at a speed ordinary people could never imagine.

Everyone here had come at great risk. They were equals. There was no reason the risk had to belong to others while the safety had to belong to him.

Bu Wenxing smiled bitterly. "Captain, don't say that. If it hadn't been a lapse in judgment, I'd probably be dead by now."

He knew his own limits. Among everyone present, excluding Li Tao, his actual combat ability was probably the weakest.

Over the past two days, Lin Yan had saved him more than once. And that was only counting times he had saved his life; there had been even more times when he had pulled him out of a tight spot.

Whenever the M92 Sniper Rifle sounded, he felt much more at ease. Lin Yan could always fire a bullet through a monster's head at just the right moment!

Those eyes hidden behind the scope calmly observed the battlefield, always discovering danger before the people fighting in it did and snuffing it out.

He was someone truly reliable, someone you could entrust your back to.

"All right." Liu Mingxuan's mood improved somewhat. He then gestured to Chu Wei, who immediately operated the device in his hand and projected a map onto the wall.

Liu Mingxuan studied the map for a long while before deciding, "Since we've made it this far, we can't give up halfway. Even if it's a Dragon's Den, we have to venture in."

He pointed to the map. "This is our current location."

"This is the abandoned high-rise where the satellite photographed Zhang Wei painting the national flag. We need to avoid these areas. The total distance is roughly sixty kilometers."

"We'll rest for now and set out in ten minutes. We must reach this abandoned steel mill before six in the afternoon, rest here for the night, take turns keeping watch, and leave at seven tomorrow morning to head straight for the target location."

Liu Mingxuan looked at everyone, fire burning in his eyes. "I hope every one of us makes it home alive."

"Yes, Captain!"