The Advantage Is Still Mine!

The inn where Yang Shan was staying had been sealed off by Yue Mei.

Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter!

But the Dou Wang is an exception.

At this point, Dou Wang who could come here must have been notified in advance by Yang Shan.

Su Yitang stood gracefully at the doorway, sunlight filling the gaps in the door frame, looking breathtakingly beautiful.

Yang Shan laughed and said, "Wow! My secretary is getting more and more beautiful!"

"Really?"

Su Yitang immediately crossed her legs and made a peace sign with her right hand next to her eyes.

Even elementary school students know how to pose for photos, but Su Yitang's poses are truly flawless.

Yang Shan stood up with an air of importance. "Wait a minute, I'll find a good angle to take a picture of you."

No, no!

Su Yitang immediately blushed, ran to sit down in front of Yang Shan, and wiped non-existent sweat from her forehead:

"Boss, I came all the way from the Black-Corner Region, you know. What good stuff is here that would make our company's four top experts go out of their way to fight? Could it be that they're aiming for the first kill of a sixth-tier Thousand Beast King?"

Yang Shan: "Who told you that a sixth-tier Thousand Beast King could get the first kill?"

Su Yitang stared blankly. "Huh? Not the Thousand Beast King? The King of Beasts?"

Yang Shan: "Of course it's the King of Beasts, otherwise I would have taken the three of you to destroy the Amethyst Winged Lion King long ago."

Su Yitang became somewhat expectant:

"So what exactly happened?"

At this point, there was no need to hide anything, Yang Shan said:

"A large secret realm has been found."

Su Yitang's eyes immediately sparkled:

"Wow! A massive dungeon! We can make a killing there!"

In Su Yitang's memory, the number of times a large-scale dungeon has appeared across the entire server can be counted on one hand.

The most intense incident occurred during version 1.1, a large-scale event that started simultaneously in all cities across the server at the end of the version.

Ye Suifeng established himself as a top expert by relying on the Mystic Rank Advanced Skill found in the "Wind Spirit King Tomb"! As the two were talking, a deafening roar suddenly erupted:

"The contract is for two and a half years, and the only loyal employee Chao Bafang, reporting to the boss!"

Yang Shan looked at Chao Bafang, who had jumped in through the door, and joked:

"You look energetic and spirited. Why the change in address?"

Chao Bafang smiled broadly and honestly.

"Too many people call me that, so I changed the way I address him to make it seem like I have a special relationship with the boss!"

Yang Shan: "Where's Lao Zhu? Didn't you two both start from Gama Holy City?"

"It makes me so angry just thinking about it!"

Chao Bafang seemed to be a bunch of employees snitching to their boss. "Lao Zhu met a Snake-People woman from the Profound Moon Tribe. She said she was an old acquaintance and wanted to show off her 300-pound charm."

As he spoke, he cursed to himself in Chao Bafang:

"His 300 pounds can only be attractive to dogs."

Su Yitang: "Huh? Why?"

Chao Bafang: "The dog drools when it sees him."

Su Yitang burst out laughing, "Oh my, Ba Fang, when did you learn to use memes?"

Chao Bafang scratched his head somewhat shyly:

"It's all thanks to the eldest brother's excellent teaching."

After witnessing the terrifyingly affectionate womanizing skills of the Soul Hall’s First Player, Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng cried and begged Yang Shan for advice.

Yang Shan also taught the two a few moves according to their individual abilities.

Chao Bafang and Yao Ye's favorability is now approaching 70 points! Zhu Tianpeng and Yao Yue's favorability has also exceeded 60 points! It's worth mentioning that the game's real-world time ratio is 5:1, so Yao Yue's current age is just over eighteen!

She has grown from a petite "junior high school student" into a "freshman" radiating youthful energy!

Yang Shan stood up:

"Let's go find Lao Zhu!"

At this very moment, Lao Zhu was standing in front of the City Lord's Mansion's Mansion on the next street.

He leaned against the stone lion, a defiant smile on his face, "Cai Hua, you looked down on me back then, but fortunes change. Now that we've met again, I wonder if our fate can be rekindled. I'd like to compose a poem for you. My heart belongs only to you, not to her. You must believe my feelings are genuine."

The beautiful Snake-People named "Cai Hua" had her snake tail scales popping out. She pulled out a dagger, ready to teach this lecherous man a lesson!

But before the dagger could reach Zhu Tianpeng, it was enveloped by a stream of water and could not advance an inch.

Zhu Tianpeng exaggeratedly said:

"Cai Hua, we haven't seen each other for so long, why are we facing each other with swords? Although you didn't stab me, my heart has already been pierced and wounded all over."

Just as Cai Hua was about to fight Zhu Tianpeng, she saw Yang Shan walking towards her from behind, accompanied by two strangers.

As one of Yue Mei's personal guards, Cai Hua didn't know who Yang Shan was, but she knew very well that even their tribe's leader had to be extremely respectful in front of Yang Shan.

Cai Hua quickly bowed its head:

"Greetings, Young Master!"

Zhu Tianpeng was furious. "What? How dare you lower yourself to call someone 'Young Master '? Let me see who this 'elder' or 'boss' is!"

Yang Shan said helplessly, "Why are you calling me 'boss' now?"

"Jin Shankao also the boss, and everyone under him calls him that, so I discussed it with Ba Fang and we decided that it would be better to call you that from now on!"

Yang Shan feigned anger. "What a load of rubbish! You're making me look like some bandit leader from a mountain stronghold. Change it back! Gold Elder may have some special fetish, but I don't!"

"Um, okay then!"

Zhu Tianpeng swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Brother Yang, was Cai Hua calling you just now?"

Yang Shan said:

"Of course, otherwise would they be calling you?"

Zhu Tianpeng clutched his chest and took three steps back, then suddenly covered his head and cried out, "No!"

Su Yitang felt that the scene needed a suitable background music, so she began to sing. "Snowflakes flutter, the north wind howls."

"Don't give me that crap. I've only seen this Cai Hua two or three times. What's my status, position, or power? Isn't it perfectly normal for you to call me 'Young Master'?"

Yang Shan retorted, "I haven't even asked you yet! Why do you try to pick up every pretty girl you see?"

Zhu Tianpeng answered very honestly:

"Cast a wide net! You're bound to catch a few!"

Su Yitang's gaze towards Yang Shan changed:

"My God, boss, is this all you teach them?"

Yang Shan gritted his teeth:

"Don't slander me, I never taught that!"

Zhu Tianpeng said smugly, "Not bad, I figured this out myself! I now have at least thirty beautiful female NPCs on my favorability list. Although the favorability ratings aren't high, I can slowly grind them down, hehe!"

Su Yitang: "Hey you! You scumbag, I despise you!"

Just then, Yue Mei appeared at the entrance of the City Lord's Mansion, twisting her snake tail.

Upon seeing Yang Shan, she was startled. "Greetings, Young Master!"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Holy crap!"

Anger Chao Bafang:

"Can you keep your voice down? Why are you making such a fuss? If I had a heart condition, I would have been kicked offline by now!"

Zhu Tianpeng was also present when Yang Shan met Yue Mei!

Even at that time, Zhu Tianpeng made inappropriate and lewd jokes to Yue Mei.

If it weren't for the appearance of Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, who forced Yue Mei to retreat, Zhu Tianpeng would have been hacked to pieces by Yue Mei long ago.

Now, seeing Yue Mei again Zhu Tianpeng swallowed hard:

"Brother Yang, could it be that you've already won over Yue Mei, Cai Hua has become your dowry maid?"

Yang Shan didn't even bother to explain.

Zhu Tianpeng truly wore the words "lecherous old man" on his face.

However, Yang Shan could understand.

Zhu Tianpeng is the kind of person who doesn't care whether he can get a girlfriend or not, but he feels uncomfortable if he doesn't go up and strike up a conversation.

Yue Mei had actually noticed Zhu Tianpeng.

If Yang Shan hadn't been there, Yue Mei would have taken out her Serpent Sword and killed Zhu Tianpeng on the spot!

Judging from this, Zhu Tianpeng and Yang Shan's relationship is clearly not ordinary.

Therefore, Yue Mei could only choose to ignore it, her gaze remaining fixed on Yang Shan from beginning to end. "We have found three of the things that Young Master wanted."

As she spoke, Yue Mei took out a sword and two knives from her Storage Ring.

They were all covered in rust, making it look like even killing a chicken would be difficult.

Yang Shan took the sword and checked the panel description.

Mystic Refinement Rusted Sword: It seems to be a useless piece of scrap iron, but it seems to be related to the strange phenomena in this place.

The descriptions of knives and swords are basically the same.

Yang Shan nodded. "Yes, that's it. Keep looking, the more the better! If you do a good job, I'll give you a Dou Ling Pill."

Yue Mei: "This servant will certainly do her best to handle this matter properly for you, Young Master!"

Yang Shan waved his hand. "Go ahead and get busy."

"This servant takes her leave."

Looking at Yue Mei's swaying, serpentine waist, Su Yitang suddenly felt a little jealous. "Oh, boss, you truly deserve to be called the Soul Hall’s First Player! You can win over a girl wherever you go."

Yang Shan immediately sent Su Yitang a screenshot.

Seeing Yue Mei's -15 points of favorability, Su Yitang couldn't stop smiling and quickly replied with a message: "Boss, how did you do that? How could you make her so respectful with such a negative favorability rating?"

Yang Shan: "They beat him into submission."

Su Yitang: "Go for a 6!"

In reality, Yang Shan's group of four only needed four rusty weapons.

But Yang Shan, that Old Schemer, wasn't satisfied with just that! There were about thirty rusty weapons in total.

The more weapons he has, the fewer people there are who can quickly find treasures in the secret realm! If they can find all the rusty weapons before the secret realm opens, wouldn't they be unstoppable?

Therefore, using a Dou Ling Pill to motivate Yue Mei to work hard is definitely a profitable deal! But just as Yang Shan was about to take his three loyal employees to a place to eat and chat, a golden ray of light appeared on the horizon, making Yang Shan's face freeze on the spot! The Shamo region is arid all year round, and the sky is usually azure blue.

Moreover, the golden light streaked across the sky like shooting stars.

This is clearly not normal! This is an anomaly at the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins! According to Yang Shan's original plan.

The strange phenomena that occurred at the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins should occur within a fixed timeframe.

That is, about a month of game time in version 2.0.

Yang Shan planned to find the entrance before the strange phenomena at the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins appeared, after collecting enough rusty weapons. (Yang Shan did not participate in his previous life and did not know about the entrance.)

By then, even if the anomaly is triggered, they will have already entered it.

The transmission of messages takes time!

Everyone else, whether players or NPCs, needs a certain amount of time to get to Shimo City.

By then, they will have explored at least a third of the secret realm! And now, strange phenomena have appeared at the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins!

The current Shimo City has tens of thousands of players from the Profound Moon Tribe Serpent-People tribe!

Can this news still be kept secret?

Yang Shan was very puzzled:

How could this happen?

Just then, Yue Mei, who had just left, rushed back, carrying a rusty spear in her hand:

"Young Master, something's not right. The moment this spear was unearthed, a golden meteor appeared in the sky!"

Yue Mei's expression was somewhat solemn:

"Could you tell me, what is the purpose of these rusty weapons?"

Are the unusual phenomena ahead of schedule related to rusty weapons?

Yang Shan thought it was highly likely!

This involves the automatic correction of the game operation by the AI Nüwa.

After all, the premature emergence of the rusty weapon had already disrupted the original system plan.

But now is not the time to dwell on this issue.

Plans can't keep up with changes; Yang Shan has encountered this countless times.

The most important thing now is to find the entrance to the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins as soon as possible! Yang Shan took the rusty spear from Yue Mei's hand.

Yue Mei felt a thousand and one unwilling things to do.

Previously, Yue Mei had never understood what Yang Shan's purpose was.

But now there is such a strange phenomenon.

It's highly likely that some kind of treasure is about to be unearthed!

Yang Shan didn't explain further:

"You can make your own arrangements, but you need to keep your promise to me, otherwise..."

By saying this, Yang Shan was essentially giving Yue Mei Yue Mei a chance to participate as well!

In fact, Yang Shan had no choice but to give them a chance! There were not only players in Shimo City, but also a large number of Snake-People.

Yang Shan did not have the ability to kill all the Snake-People in Shimo City in a short period of time.

Since that's the case, we might as well continue to cooperate with Yue Mei and try to collect more rusty weapons before the secret realm opens! Yue Mei had actually been on high alert just now.

If Yang Shan were to suddenly make a move, Yue Mei would not be surprised at all.

But Yang Shan surprisingly agreed to let her make the arrangements herself. Yue Mei said seriously, "Thank you for your Young Master, young master. If other forces come, Yue Mei hopes to cooperate with Young Master again!"

"We'll talk about it later. Right now, send people to search outwards from the four city gates, one step at a time. If they find any unusual fluctuations, report to me immediately!"

Yang Shan's expression turned serious. "Don't act on your own initiative. I don't want our cooperative relationship to turn into an adversarial one!"

The threat was quite direct, and Yue Mei couldn't help but feel a little afraid:

"Young Master, please rest assured, I am not a fool. Cooperation benefits both sides, while separation harms both. However, I'm afraid this strange phenomenon cannot be concealed for long!"

Yang Shan: "So we need to hurry!"

Yue Mei didn't dare to delay at all and immediately issued an order to send out all the Snake-People under her command!

Yang Shan, Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng searched outwards from the four directions of east, west, south, and north, along the city gates.

Although tens of thousands of Snake-People have already helped.

However, the detection capabilities of Dou Wang expert are definitely superior to those of these Dou Ling or even Da Dou Shi level Snake-People.

As for the players of the Profound Moon Tribe, no one at the Dou Wang level was found.

So there's no need to worry too much, just let them be!

Ten minutes later, Yang Shan had already searched a kilometer outside the city.

They truly spared no inch of land.

But still, nothing was gained.

Just then, all players on the server received a message: [Global Announcement: An anomaly has appeared in Shimo City, on the border between the Jia Ma Empire and the Serpent-People tribe Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins Realm will appear in 30 minutes (game time)!]

[Attention all players: The Mystic Refinement Sect was a first-rate power in the Northwest Continent a thousand years ago, with Dou Zong Master of Battle) level leader at its helm. The recent discovery of the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins will attract the attention of various NPC forces in the surrounding area. Players participating in the secret realm competition are highly likely to encounter attacks from NPCs. Please be careful!]

Yang Shan had a headache.

This Global Announcement doesn't match up with the one from my previous life! In my previous life, strange phenomena appeared for several days, and many forces dispatched top experts to lead teams before the Global Announcement appeared, officially opening the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins Secret Realm.

Now, the system announcement directly states the start time.

Fortunately, Yang Shan's efforts over the years were not in vain.

The AI Nüwa is constantly correcting the normal operation of the game.

However, the AI Nüwa must also respect the hard work of every player.

Therefore, the time given in the Global Announcement is half an hour later! Putting everything else aside, in just half an hour, even if Yun Shan of the Misty Cloud Sect used all his strength, it would be absolutely impossible for him to reach Shimo City!

Medusa Queen is currently focused on advancing her bloodline and is very likely not to join in the fun.

The four elders, all at the Dou Huang Peak, are the Serpent-People tribe's last trump card. They are all nearing their end, and each time they make a move, there is a high chance that their time will be brought forward.

They would never take action unless it was a matter of life and death, threatening the extermination of their clan.

Therefore, the Serpent-People tribe will at most send a few commanders.

Then there are the Luoyan Empire and the Black-Corner Region, which are relatively close to Shimo City. "Half an hour later, the advantage is still in my hands!"

Yang Shan did not return to Shimo City, but waited for half an hour.

The system announcement contained a key description: Displayed!

Some secret realms require special conditions to unlock.

Some secret realms are always open, but they are not "displayed," so they are not easy to find.

Yang Shan immediately said in the group chat:

"Keep searching! If we can find the exact location before the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins reveal themselves, our advantage will be even greater!"

Su Yitang: "Wow, boss, you're amazing! You can cause Global Announcement with just a little bit of trouble!"

Yang Shan: "I don't need this Global Announcement, damn it! All the clues I painstakingly triggered end up contributing to the entire server!"

It doesn't matter what Yang Shan other players don't know.

However, the three employees still need to explain.

"Triggering clues" is a common occurrence in games and is very suitable for explaining his abnormal behavior. (Game companies cannot access players' actual gameplay information, as this is considered personal privacy, as mentioned earlier. Therefore, Yang Shan is not worried about being exposed.) Zhu Tianpeng: "Damn it, it's just sand, nothing but sand. How am I supposed to find anything?"

Chao Bafang: "I don't care, I'll just bombard it with my Dou Qi! If I hit the secret realm, there's a high chance it will create an invisible wall, or my Dou Qi will be swallowed up!"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Hey! That's a great idea!"

The idea of Chao Bafang really caught Yang Shan's eye.

This seems like a really good idea! It's true that three cobblers can outwit one Zhuge Liang.

What Yang Shan never expected was actually thought up by Chao Bafang, the most reckless of the four!

Yang Shan immediately conjured a Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning.

Under Yang Shan's control, the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning transformed into a net, darting wildly ahead at the touch of Yang Shan finger.

The speed of the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning needs no further explanation.

Using it to indiscriminately sweep through is much faster than Yang Shan searching for it himself.

About ten minutes later, when Yang Shan activated the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning for the fourth time, he finally achieved something! This place was about two kilometers east of Shimo City, and the net woven by the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning, just twenty feet in front of Yang Shan, seemed to have hit an impenetrable wall and suddenly scattered! Yang Shan immediately went to the sky above where the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning had dispersed.

With a flick of his finger, a crimson Finger Strength shot towards the area where Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning.

Just like before, the Finger Strength suddenly dissipated at a height of about five zhang above the ground!

Because they were so close, Yang Shan got a clear view this time.

The instant the Finger Strength dissipated, ripples clearly spread outwards! "An energy shield?"

Yang Shan activated the three Finger Strength again, confirming that this place was indeed protected by an energy shield.

Yang Shan immediately said in the group chat:

"[Coordinates sharing], come quick! Hurry!"

Su Yitang is Wind Attribute, and she is the fastest, arriving first.

Yang Shan pointed to the spot where the Finger Strength had disappeared. "There's an energy shield here! Secretary, it's up to you now!"

Su Yitang gave Yang Shan a shy, glaring look. "You're calling her secretary now, boss, you should give her a raise."

Yang Shan smiled and said:

"Hurry up and stop being so sarcastic."

To break through the energy shield, Su Yitang is definitely the best at it.

After all, "Wind Zenith Sound" is all about this! Su Yitang took out her guqin and began to play.

Yang Shan recognized the prelude; it sounded somewhat familiar.

All that could be heard was Su Yitang singing in her melodious voice:

"What I Want the moon in the sky, and the frost on the ground! I want a study with light shining through, and the wildness of youth! You said you loved me, but you didn't do anything to show your love~ I took your sweet words as proof that you still remember me, but you're not waiting anymore, what the Happiness We Promised? I was wrong, my tears have dried, I let go and I regret it, but the music box of memories is still spinning, how can it stop?" ("What I Want" + "Green" + "The Happiness We Promised") When Su Yitang sang this, Zhu Tianpeng flew in from the south and heard it clearly.

"Wipe!"

Su Yitang's absurdly off-key singing caused Zhu Tianpeng to break down on the spot. He couldn't even use his Dou Qi Transformation Wings properly and fell headfirst to the ground.

This scene was witnessed by Chao Bafang, who arrived later.

"Holy crap? Lao Zhu, you've gotten so heavy that even your Dou Qi Transformation Wings can't carry you? I told you to lose weight, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've made a fool of yourself!"

Zhu Tianpeng retorted:

"I'm laughing at you, grandpa! If you had been there just now, you would have fallen to the ground too!"

Su Yitang blushed so much her face turned as red as a persimmon!

I must find a better Dou Technique as soon as possible and replace "Wind Zenith Sound" with it.

Even when singing in front of familiar people, Su Yitang's social anxiety would flare up.

However, they did manage to use "Wind Zenith Sound".

The sound waves rippled outwards, and with a crack, a fissure appeared on the previously completely transparent and invisible energy shield.

Yang Shan's eyes lit up.

"Cloud Piercing Flicking Finger"—five shots per second! The technique of breaking through a single point also applies to the game.

Yang Shan's five Finger Strength were extremely accurate, each one hitting the very center of the crack.

The space in front of them distorted, and a solemn ancient building appeared before them!

Chao Bafang: "Holy crap! We actually found it?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Can it really break the Global Announcement rule? That's quite a bit ahead of schedule!"

Su Yitang put her hands on her hips. "Hmph! You guys don't even trust the boss, unlike me, I believe whatever the boss says!"

[Ding! Player, please note that you are currently at the entrance to the "Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins". Upon entering, you will be teleported to a related secret realm. This realm is extremely dangerous; please act with caution.]

From the initial search for rusty weapons, to the emergence of strange phenomena, and finally to the Global Announcement.

The plan was cleverly designed, but unexpected events occurred one after another.

But Yang Shan did not slack off at all and continued to take targeted measures.

Their proactive and correct actions caused the entrance to the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins to appear ten minutes earlier than planned! These precious ten minutes were enough for the four of them to discover quite a lot within the ruins!

Yang Shan: "Let's go, let's go in immediately, this place can't be kept secret for long!"