Chao Bafang's Chrysanthemum

Chao Bafang said, "Oh, right, I have a quest that requires Man Bull Root."

"Looks like these Man Bulls are really in demand."

Yang Shan casually asked:

"What quest did you take? Logically speaking, there shouldn't be many Fighter-level quests that require fighting Second-Order Magical Beasts."

Chao Bafang said, "Uh, well... maybe my quest is a special one."

Chao Bafang was a little embarrassed, and his answer was vague.

Yang Shan said, "Forget it if you don't want to say. This Man Bull Root is also a quest item for me. Maybe we took the same quest, and whoever finishes first gets the reward."

Chao Bafang immediately blurted out, "That's impossible! I took this quest from the Mercenary Guild. It should be a unique quest."

"Oh? You got that lucky?"

Yang Shan smiled. "Purple?"

Chao Bafang said, "How did you know?"

Yang Shan said, "Oh, I took a purple quest too, and I've already completed it."

As he spoke, Yang Shan casually played with his Refined Frost Blade.

Fine-quality equipment looked distinctly different from standard-issue gear, and the icy gleam along the blade gave it an imposing air.

Chao Bafang nearly drooled.

"As expected of the Great God who got two Global Announcements in a row. I was chased around by a Man Bull like a rat, while Great God has already completed a purple quest and is making waves."

Yang Shan secretly laughed.

In my previous life, this guy Chao Bafang was ridiculously domineering. He always walked around with his head held high. Who would've thought that in the early stages of the game, he'd really be like a little Newbie?

Although Yang Shan had been a first-rate player in his previous life.

There had still been top players above him, and above those top players were the Three Sects and Twelve Emperors.

So Yang Shan had, at most, been called an "expert."

In the game world, the one with the biggest fist was king!

So in his previous life, Yang Shan had called Chao Bafang "Brother Chao"! Yet now, Chao Bafang was calling him "Great God."

His status had shot up several levels in an instant! One word:

Awesome! In an excellent mood, Yang Shan patted Chao Bafang on the shoulder.

"Since our quests don't conflict, I'll give you a hand. After all, I find you fairly pleasing to the eye."

"Hehe, thank you, Great God! Thank you, Great God!"

At the thought of completing his quest soon and obtaining equipment as powerful as Yang Shan's, Chao Bafang grinned so hard his mouth nearly split open.

Yang Shan said, "But I should warn you: the drop rate for Man Bull Root is very low, around 2%. If you're not afraid of wasting time, then wait."

Chao Bafang said, "No way, right? Didn't one drop from the Man Bull you killed just now?"

Yang Shan said, "That's because I have good luck!"

It could not entirely be called good luck. After receiving two Global Announcements in a row, Yang Shan's Good Fortune attribute had accumulated to 3 points.

The Good Fortune attribute could affect drops.

Chao Bafang said, "It's fine. Just farm them, Great God. I'll stay nearby and definitely won't get in your way. If you need someone to tank the monster, I, Chao Bafang, will absolutely step up! Even if I die, it doesn't matter."

Chao Bafang spoke as if he were marching bravely to his death.

Yang Shan smiled. "Forget it. I'm afraid you won't last three seconds before dying. Just watch from the side."

Running into Chao Bafang had truly been an accident.

Yang Shan had no intention of changing his development plan.

Although he had already obtained Man Bull Root, Man Bulls, as Tier 2 Elite Magical Beasts, gave considerable experience.

Yang Shan planned to grind levels here.

To prepare for the opportunity, "Alchemist Qin Wu," that would be triggered later.

Chao Bafang obediently followed behind Yang Shan.

Honestly, Chao Bafang was rather nervous.

After all, Yang Shan was currently acknowledged as the strongest among the players.

There were quite a few Man Bulls on this grassland.

However, because Man Bulls were herbivorous magical beasts with relatively mild temperaments, it was possible to pull them one at a time as long as the commotion was not too great.

For example, there was currently a herd of Man Bulls grazing twenty meters directly ahead of Yang Shan and Chao Bafang.

Chao Bafang swallowed.

"Great God, isn't that a bit too many? Let's find one that's alone instead."

Yang Shan said calmly, "A-Fang, pulling monsters is an art. Watch and learn."

Chao Bafang's mouth twitched violently. "Great God, how about you call me Old Chao? Little Chao works too. A-Fang sounds like a woman's name."

Yang Shan said, "Alright, A-Fang."

Chao Bafang said, "..."

Chao Bafang had already introduced his ID earlier, so Yang Shan deliberately came up with a nickname for him.

Damn it, I called him Brother Chao who knew how many times in my previous life. Now it's time for a total reversal! But because of this topic, Chao Bafang gradually became less nervous when speaking with Yang Shan.

Relationships between men were not as complicated as those between women.

As long as absolute hierarchies and pure interests were excluded, they became very easy to handle.

Men with similar personalities could get along.

Men with wildly different personalities could also get along.

Especially in games.

At the end of the day, men remained boys until they died.

Friendships between boys were easy to forge and relatively pure.

Giving each other nicknames, even calling each other "son"—those were things only men could do.

Women had best friends; men had friends who roasted each other! A seemingly insulting nickname with no real malice could easily bring people closer.

Yang Shan picked up a small stone from the ground and muttered:

"Watch closely. I'll only teach you once how to pull a herbivorous magical beast like a Man Bull!"

Chao Bafang's eyes widened, terrified of missing any detail.

Yang Shan took a deep breath, flicked his wrist, and threw the small stone. It accurately struck the backside of a Man Bull in the distance.

The Man Bull raised its head and turned back in confusion, just in time to see Yang Shan stand up, raise his left hand, and extend the middle finger.

"You little bastard! Your root fell off!"

Chao Bafang burst out on the spot.

"That actually works?"

Of course it worked!

As long as the Man Bull's attention was drawn, no matter what the player said, it would attack the player.

The other Man Bulls that had not been disturbed would naturally ignore the player.

Mild-tempered magical beasts had to be provoked.

Violent magical beasts, whether provoked or not, would howl and charge in for a bloody fight as soon as they saw a player.

Seeing the Man Bull rush over, Yang Shan said two words: "Run!"

The moment he finished speaking, Yang Shan had already run more than ten meters away!

Chao Bafang alone stood there in a daze. "Great God, why are you running? Kill it!"

Yang Shan said:

"Kill my ass. If we fight here, do you think those other Man Bulls are blind?"

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Damn it, don't come over—aaah!"

The Man Bull's target was Yang Shan.

But Chao Bafang was blocking its path.

So Chao Bafang got to have an intimate encounter with its horns.

He needed to understand that although Big Bull was livestock.

Once it got angry, it would ram anyone in its way without hesitation!

Chao Bafang clutched his chrysanthemum, his whole body twitching.

"Great God, warn me earlier next time!"

His chrysanthemum suffered every time. Who could endure that?

Yang Shan had no time to respond to Chao Bafang.

The Man Bull was, after all, a Tier 2 Elite Magical Beast, and its attack power exceeded one hundred.

Yang Shan's defense was currently below thirty.

It could be said that if the Man Bull's horns struck any part of Yang Shan's body, they could easily break his bones.

If they hit vital areas such as his heart or throat.

They could even kill him instantly.

So even Yang Shan only dared pull one at a time right now.

If he pulled a whole herd, he would not even know how he died!

He was still only at the Fighter stage, after all, and his defensive measures were extremely limited.

Once he reached the Dou Master level, he could project his Dou Qi outward and form Dou Qi Gauze.

At that point, attacking weaknesses would no longer be so easy. One would first have to break through the opponent's Dou Qi protection.

Yang Shan took out a large red cloth from the Azure Wood Ring.

He held his blade in his right hand and waved the cloth with his left.

The Man Bull's eyes turned blood-red as it bellowed and charged straight at the red cloth.

Yang Shan seized the chance to slash the Man Bull's abdomen.

The pain caused the Man Bull to arch its body instinctively.

Yang Shan's steps were swift, and during that brief interruption, he decisively circled behind the Man Bull.

The Refined Frost Blade thrust forward fiercely! Half the blade sank in!

Chao Bafang's chrysanthemum clenched at the sight.

In Battle Through the Heavens, both NPCs and magical beasts had their own logic.

The system had set a range for the Man Bull's attack methods.

However, its choice of attack method and target were both random.

So even Yang Shan did not know where the Man Bull would attack.

Reading attack trajectories was naturally an excellent way to deal with it.

As a first-rate expert in his previous life, Yang Shan's eyesight had been honed to perfection over three years of gaming.

But reading attack trajectories was actually very mentally taxing.

He had to focus completely and catch every possible detail.

With the large red cloth in hand, however, Yang Shan could use an easier method.

He could use the red cloth to draw the Man Bull's attention, shifting its target from himself to the cloth.

The focus of the Man Bull's attack trajectory became the red cloth! There was no need to deliberately observe and analyze the Man Bull's attacks.

He could naturally wound the Man Bull with ease.

Most Second-Order Magical Beasts were not very intelligent, so a few simple strategies could greatly increase one's killing efficiency.

With its abdomen wounded and its chrysanthemum stabbed, the Man Bull lost a large chunk of health at once, and its ferocity was aroused.

It wanted to tear that red cloth to shreds!

Then Yang Shan hacked it to shreds, turning it into a streak of white light and sending it off to reincarnate.

Ding! You have killed a Man Bull (Tier 2 Elite). Level-Surpassing Bonus applied. Player gained 200 experience points!

At the Fighter stage, each star required 1,000 experience points to advance.

Killing an ordinary First-Order Magical Beast gave around 10 experience points.

A First-Order Elite gave only 20.

The Man Bull's base experience was 100 points.

The Level-Surpassing Bonus doubled that experience to 200.

By killing five Man Bulls, Yang Shan could rise one star.

This time, the Man Bull did not drop Man Bull Root.

Instead, it dropped a Tier 2 Earth Attribute Magic Core! "Good lord! Good lord!"

Chao Bafang wildly scratched his head.

"I remember the Player Handbook saying that Elite Magical Beasts only have a 1% chance to drop a Magic Core! Great God, did you step in dog—"

Yang Shan shot him a glare, and Chao Bafang shut his mouth.

Many shops in Cloud Frost City sold Magic Cores.

But they only sold ordinary-grade Magic Cores.

Elite-grade Magic Cores were only bought back.

A Tier 2 Elite Magic Core could be sold to a shop for 200 Spirit Stones!

If it were the Magic Core of the King of Beasts, its value would rise several times over, selling for at least 1,000 Spirit Stones!

Yang Shan had not expected his luck to be this good.

Three points of Good Fortune should not have made drops this outrageous.

Next, Yang Shan repeated the process and pulled three more Man Bulls one after another.

His experience bar filled, and Yang Shan successfully broke through to Five-Star Fighter! Chao Bafang wept tears of despair.

They were both players, but the gap between them was simply too great.

However, Chao Bafang did not lose heart.

Yang Shan's cultivation technique and weapon were anything but ordinary.

But as long as Chao Bafang turned in the quest, he was bound to improve tremendously!

"Then I'll be able to kill monsters above my level just like Great God!"

Chao Bafang waited patiently.

But that wait lasted two whole hours! Since he had to lure the monsters over, Yang Shan could only kill a Man Bull about once every ten minutes.

His level had skyrocketed all the way to Seven-Star Fighter!

The Man Bull Root Chao Bafang had been longing for finally dropped again! Along with it came a second-tier magic core.

Chao Bafang was completely numb from watching.

Chao Bafang: "Great God."

Yang Shan: "Speak!"

Chao Bafang: "Is your account some kind of internal benefit account from Tian Yao Company?"

Yang Shan said blandly, "What internal benefit account? Maybe it's because I helped an old lady cross the street a few days ago."

Chao Bafang's eyes lit up. "Oh? Building up good karma by doing good deeds?"

Yang Shan: "No, she scammed me out of three thousand. As the old saying goes, fortune and misfortune depend on each other. After bad luck, good luck is bound to come."

Chao Bafang gave him a thumbs-up.

"Awesome!"

Yang Shan tossed the Man Bull Root straight to Chao Bafang. "Take it and turn in the quest."

Chao Bafang solemnly put away the Man Bull Root, then clasped his fists and bowed to Yang Shan like an ancient man. "Great God, no words can express my gratitude. I'll head back to Cloud Frost City to turn in the quest first. When I return in glory, I'll grind monsters with you!"

Yang Shan laughed and cursed.

"You've really got some thick skin. You get the quest item, and you still want to mooch off my grinding spot!"

Chao Bafang grinned. "Hehe, there are so many magical beasts here anyway. Great God, you can't kill them all. I'll come lend you a hand!"

Chao Bafang proactively sent a friend request.

"Great God, give me your account number. Eight hundred RMB will arrive immediately!"

Yang Shan accepted the friend request and casually said, "No need to transfer anything. I just think you're pretty likable, so I helped out while I was at it."

"Damn, Great God, you're that generous? You don't even want money?"

As Chao Bafang said this, his expression suddenly changed. He instinctively covered his ass.

"No, that's not right! Only a bastard turns down money. Who doesn't like money? Just because you think I'm likable doesn't mean I swing that way!"

Shing! "What the fuck—"

Yang Shan drew the Refined Frost Blade.

"Come on! Come on! Just see if I chop you up!"

His good intentions had been taken for ill will. Today, he was going to chop this bastard into pieces! Sensing the killing intent, Chao Bafang repeatedly begged for mercy.

"Hey! Great God, misunderstanding! I misunderstood! Mainly because I really didn't expect you to be such a straightforward guy."

Yang Shan: "Hurry up and turn in the quest. Remember, you owe me a favor. You'll have to repay it someday!"

Chao Bafang said solemnly:

"Don't worry, Great God. I know all about repaying kindness and social etiquette. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word. I won't charge you!"

Yang Shan gave a wicked grin. "Oh? You won't charge me? Then take off your pants and let me have a look."

"Motherfucker!"

Clutching his ass, Chao Bafang fled like mad.

After messing with Chao Bafang a little, Yang Shan was in especially high spirits.

With the Refined Frost Blade in hand, Yang Shan turned and continued looking for trouble with the Man Bulls.

"I wonder if there are enough Man Bulls here for me to level up to Dou Master."