The Fifth Floor's Key Belongs to the Old Schemer! (A Ten-Thousand-Word Mega Chapter; the Author Says It's Important)

In the land ravaged by Crimson Thunder, five puppets flew into the sky together.

Even in the sky, the five puppets were still arranged in a standard formation, protecting the Killing Array Main Puppet in the center.

Although the main puppet's eyes were replaced by Magic Core, they were devoid of any emotion.

But this time, the main puppet unusually spoke a complete sentence, "After a thousand years, an extraordinary descendant has appeared once again on the Northwest Continent!"

For a puppet to be able to form an array, the requirements for its soul must be even higher.

Compared to the puppets encountered before, the puppets that could form an array were even able to have their own thoughts and judgments.

"If you want the core treasure, then crush us!"

Although it was a puppet, its voice was exceptionally domineering. "Five Elements Killing Array - Slaughter Formation!"

Behind Yang Shan, fifteen phantom images of demonic beasts had already appeared.

With a snap of his fingers! Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls — Brain-Dead Strike! Even with version 2.0, Yang Shan's practical experience far surpasses that of other players.

Other players may be dealing with puppets for the first time, but Yang Shan has dismantled countless puppets in his previous life.

Apart from the Mulan Empire, players from other regions have basically not studied formations.

Yang Shan also already has a lot of relevant experience.

He even joined many other players in trying to fight against the Misty Cloud Sect's "Cloud and Mist Sun Covering Formation".

Generally speaking, formations are divided into offensive and defensive types.

If the formation cast by the puppets is not broken through first, it is not easy to attack the soul.

Because of their Dou Qi and physical body, they have a natural resistance to attacks on the soul.

After all, the soul and body are one, and Dou Qi is energy cultivated from the body.

Of course, this resistance will inevitably be relatively weak.

Although its underlying calculation formula is extremely complex and has never been made public, we can get a general idea: with Yang Shan's Soul Strength at the Spirit Realm Middle Stage, using "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls" can have an effective impact on an opponent at the Dou Emperor level whose Soul Strength has also reached the Spirit Realm Middle Stage.

However, if the opponent uses Dou Qi Armor, the impact of the soul impact will be further reduced, perhaps lasting only a few breaths.

The puppet's fatal weakness is indeed its soul, but even with the "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls" technique, the defensive stance of the "Five Elements Killing Array" cannot be effectively countered by five Dou Emperor puppets.

Unless the number of remnant spirits in "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls" reaches more than 40! Now that the defensive formation of "Five Elements Killing Array" has been broken, Yang Shan has no more scruples.

The roars of the fifteen demonic beast phantoms instantly caused the five Dou Emperor puppets to lose their flight and fall to the ground.

The panels of the five Dou Emperor puppets now have an additional negative attribute: Soul Severe Injury, Recovery Time - 5 minutes.

The two Nine Star Dou Huang puppets previously recovered in 3 minutes after being attacked by "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls".

It seems that these five Dou Emperor puppets also have array seals engraved to protect the soul.

However, the durability and defense of these five Dou Emperor puppets are far inferior to the previous two Nine Star Dou Huang puppets.

Five minutes is enough! Yang Shan mainly uses "Tyrant Blade" and "Cloud Piercing Flicking Finger" to stabilize his consumption.

Su Yitang took over the main position from Yang Shan, and various Wind Attribute Dou Technique appeared one after another.

In particular, "Layered Wind Break" has excellent penetrating power against armor.

Moreover, Su Yitang's speed is also an important factor.

As Wind Attribute cultivator, he also possesses a high-level Xuan-rank movement technique that can be applied to the Dou Qi Transformation Wings —the Wind Spirit Movement Technique.

Putting Yang Shan aside, Su Yitang's speed is definitely among the best in the player community! Perhaps only Ye Suifeng, who is also Wind Attribute, can rival Su Yitang in speed.

The five Dou Emperor puppets were completely manipulated by the two.

With the destruction of one of the killing array puppets, the Five Elements Formation also crumbled.

Yang Shan and Su Yitang's kill efficiency began to increase significantly.

Unfortunately, the experience points given by the puppet are less than one-tenth of those of Dou Emperor of the same level.

If he were a true Dou Emperor, Yang Shan would probably already be Nine-Star Dou Wang, and his experience bar would be full! Just then, Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng appeared on the fourth floor together.

They immediately saw Yang Shan and Su Yitang fighting against four puppets.

"Great God! We're here!"

"Hold on, Brother Yang! Watch me Gathering Sea Solidifying Shield!"

Su Yitang reminded him, "Tian Peng, don't waste your Dou Qi on defense. With our boss here, walking these iron lumps is as easy as walking a dog!"

Just as Yang Shan finished speaking, another system notification appeared: [Ding! Players located within the "Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins," please note: The Third Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, "Yun Du" (One Star Dou Huang), and the Fourth Elder, "Yun Cha" (One Star Dou Huang), have led six Dou Wang elders into the first level of the ruins!]

[Ding! Players located within the "Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins," please note that due to the increasing presence of NPC forces, the spawn rate of the "Four-Armed Puppet," which can drop keys, has significantly increased.]

Yang Shan: "We need to speed things up! At this rate, a lot of people will be arriving on the fourth floor very soon!"

Although Chao Bafang had only recently acquired the King Breaking Halberd, he had already become quite adept at wielding it.

He targeted a Four Star Dou Huang puppet, poured in a large amount of Dou Qi, and like a shooting star, crashed into it fiercely:

"Mountain Shattering Halberd!"

Changing weapons really makes a difference; Chao Bafang's close-range burst Dou Technique actually pierced a crack in the puppet's chest.

By using this crack as an attack point, you can trigger weakness damage!

Although Zhu Tianpeng lacked offensive capabilities, he was not only skilled in defense.

The method of restriction was also exceptional! Under Zhu Tianpeng's Beast Water restriction, the movements of the four Dou Emperor puppets were significantly slowed down, which greatly reduced the difficulty for others to hit their weak points.

Five minutes later, the four Dou Emperor puppets were smashed into pieces.

However, including the puppets that Yang Shan had dismantled earlier, none of the five puppets dropped anything! Looking around in Chao Bafang, he exclaimed, "No way! Where's the stuff?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Are we just unlucky? No way! It was Brother Yang who finished off the enemies! Over sixty points of Good Fortune, five puppets, and not a single item dropped? Brother Yang, Brother Yang?"

Yang Shan: "Don't say anything yet, I'm calling Tianyao customer service to complain! If this isn't a bug, I'll eat it live on stream."

Before Yang Shan could finish speaking, an explosion suddenly occurred in the open space where the five puppets had been.

Su Yitang plucked the strings with her fingers.

The strong winds dispersed the dust from the explosion.

A giant golden box, as big as an elephant, came into view.

"Wow! The Golden Legend!"

Su Yitang first gasped in surprise, then looked at Yang Shan:

"Boss, you just said it wasn't a bug, what would you like to eat?"

For Yang Shan, whose skin is as thick as a city wall, answering such a question is too simple, "Eat a grape!"

Yang Shan then took a grape from his Storage Ring.

Perhaps because Xiao Xun'er was gone, Yang Shan didn't even bother peeling the grapes before throwing them directly into his mouth.

"That box should contain the core treasure. Let's go!"

After the four landed, Zhu Tianpeng's fat face trembled uncontrollably. "Open the box! Open the box!"

Chao Bafang was also full of excitement. "Unboxing is always so exhilarating!"

Su Yitang, like a miser, stood firmly in front of the two, saying in a sweet voice, "Don't come any closer! The boss will open it!"

Zhu Tianpeng awkwardly extended his hand back:

"I... I just want to touch it."

Su Yitang stretched out her index finger and shook it:

"No way! It'll ruin the boss's luck!"

Yang Shan had already skillfully taken out the scroll with the words "AI Nüwa" written on it from his Storage Ring.

Use your Soul Strength to make it float.

Then they set up an incense burner and began to wash their hands.

Regardless of what happens in real life, in this game world, you can't go wrong by trusting "AI Nüwa"!

Anyway, it won't make a difference if it takes a minute or two.

The other three were extremely anxious.

Su Yitang habitually rubs her hands together:

"What could be inside such a big box?"

Chao Bafang: "Could it be a coffin?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "If you can't speak properly, then shut up! Has the game planner lost their mind? Giving players a coffin instead of an office building, huh?"

Chao Bafang: "Then what did you say it was?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Such a big box must contain a large item like Cauldron!"

Chao Bafang: "Wow! As expected of Brother Zhu, your analysis is so logical and well-founded! How could I not know it's a big item? You're making a Storage Ring and using such a big box, right?"

Yang Shan had already begun offering incense and chanting incantations:

"Believe in Nüwa, and you'll surely prosper!"

Three sticks of incense were lit, and Yang Shan placed one hand against the lid of the box:

"Open!"

The box lid was opened, and the four of them stretched out like turtles poking their heads out.

Inside the enormous box, which was definitely over three meters long, wide, and high, lay a hammer quietly.

The hammer isn't very big; it's about the size of a regular hammer that can be held in one hand.

[Mystic Forging Hammer] (Gold)

Category: Forging Hammer Quality: Mid-grade Spirit Weapon

Effect: When the forging similarity reaches 98%, it is automatically judged as 100%.

Restriction: This effect does not apply if the finished product grade of the forged item exceeds "Top Grade Spirit Artifact".

A message from the developers: Dear player, thank you for trusting our development team's design for secondary professions. Alchemist will undoubtedly be the most popular choice, but please persevere on your chosen path of blacksmithing; its rewards will certainly be no less than those of alchemy. Good luck!

He shouted in Chao Bafang: "Holy shit!"

Zhu Tianpeng yelled, "Holy crap!"

Su Yitang: "Are you guys really university graduates?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Su Meinu, you don't understand. The China language is profound and complex; two words can express hundreds of emotions!"

Yang Shan tossed the Mystic Forging Hammer into his Storage Ring and then said, "Hurry up and try to break another Five Elements Killing Array!"

After each of the four swallowed Qi Return Pill, they immediately found an open space.

With Chao Bafang and Zhu Tianpeng joining the fray, the kill efficiency will definitely be much faster than before!

Yang Shan's "Lightning Arc Absolute Barrier" still took the initiative.

With Su Yitang's cooperation, the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning was re-condensed, creating a continuous attack and forcibly breaking through the defensive stance of the Five Elements Killing Array.

Then came Yang Shan's "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls"! In mid-air, the four divided the work and worked together, focusing on taking care of one of the puppets first.

Once it is defeated, the Five Elements Killing Array will be unusable forever! Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in mid-air.

Who goes there?

Chao Bafang reacted swiftly, and after letting out a roar, he unleashed a two-zhang-long burst of qi from the King Breaking Halberd.

But the opponent was incredibly fast, reacting in an instant and narrowly avoiding the attack.

"General Chao! It's a misunderstanding! I am Yi Qingyang!"

Chao Bafang: "Hey! Bro, sorry, sorry, it was just a subconscious reaction."

"Understood, understood!"

Yi Qingyang from the situation of the four people, Yi Qingyang did not approach rashly. He called out:

"Gentlemen, I won't disturb you any longer. Oh, by the way, I have some information to tell you. Many key puppets have appeared on the third floor. Hao Yunqi should be on the fourth floor soon."

Zhu Tianpeng: "Hao Gouyun? He dares to come to the fourth level? I'll kill him first!"

Yi Qingyang: "But in the last few seconds before I teleported, I saw the Serpent-People tribe and the Scorpion Gate NPCs!"

Yang Shan: "Thank you!"

Yi Qingyang: "Of course, you guys keep it up, I'll try my luck elsewhere!"

Yi Qingyang left with a very carefree attitude.

Su Yitang couldn't help but ask curiously, "Boss, do you think Yi Qingyang can handle this situation, since he didn't choose to cooperate with us and went to break the formation all by himself?"

Yang Shan: "He can't handle it, but we can test the waters first. Once the other players from Shu Xian Lou arrive, it should be possible."

Su Yitang: "Does Shu Xian Lou have any other Dou Wang)? It doesn't seem like Yi Qingyang, does it?"

Yang Shan: "Yi Qingyang is quite famous now, and Shu Xian Lou should have recruited a lot of capable players. Don't underestimate others, just like Wang Tianhao. Who would have thought that Tian Hao Alliance could now suppress Hero King Manor?"

Chao Bafang: "That's true. Every time, we have to ask Lao Zhu and me to help. Hao Yunqi, Yang Ge, when Hao Yunqi comes, do you think we should take care of him first?"

Yang Shan: "Why bother with him?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Brother Yang, the Hero King Manor didn't come! Tian Hao Alliance is our most direct competitor!"

"What are you saying? What kind of talk is that?"

Yang Shan said with a righteous expression, "We're all players, isn't it better to prioritize harmony? What's this talk of competitors? If we crush the Tian Hao Alliance, who's going to help us fend off those hordes of powerful NPCs?"

Su Yitang was just about to say why Yang Shan had changed his personality today, unlike him.

The second half of the sentence almost made Su Yitang burst out laughing, "Sure enough, the boss is still the boss!"

Chao Bafang: "I don't really want to say that the Great God is Old Schemer, but I've never seen anyone more cunning than him!"

Zhu Tianpeng: "I was shocked by Brother Yang's methods back then. We always fought head-on in games. But he went and threw a millstone-sized Animal Trap at the Snake-People woman's butt!"

Su Yitang: "How can you talk about the boss like that? The boss's wisdom is something ordinary people don't have. I can't keep this up anymore, hahaha."

Yang Shan's face turned black:

"Alright, alright, so you three are rebelling now, are you? Hurry up and deal with this first, we still need to make time to recover our Dou Qi!"

After using "Lightning Arc Absolute Barrier" and "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls" twice in a row, even with the replenishment of Qi Return Pill, Yang Shan's Dou Qi Reserve were almost depleted.

Fortunately, he had three loyal employees; otherwise, Yang Shan alone would have been completely defeated in destroying the puppets of a Five Elements Killing Array.

Yi Qingyang originally planned to try to win over the puppet himself.

However, seeing that Yang Shan's side required four people to work together, he weighed his own combat strength and ultimately decided not to take action.

He took out his binoculars and carefully observed the specific situation of Yang Shan's puppets so that he could formulate a strategy. He would wait until the other members of Shu Xian Lou arrived at the fourth floor before making any plans.

The durability of the five puppets reached zero one after another, and Yang Shan and the others obtained another core treasure! The treasure chest that appeared this time was exactly the same as the previous one.

But based on the experience of opening the treasure chest last time, the size of the treasure chest and the size of the hidden contents inside are completely unrelated! The planning team at Tianyao still does an amazing job with the details.

Since the goal is for players to open chests, the suspense must be maximized! Judging the type of treasure from its size is simply impossible! Yang Shan will open it again.

Chao Bafang clenched his fists as if constipated, shouting, "Give me armor! Give me another suit of armor!"

Zhu Tianpeng, like a lecherous old man seeing a beautiful woman, shouted, "Bring me Dou Technique! Water Attribute Dou Technique!"

Su Yitang clasped her hands together and stomped her feet repeatedly, pleading, "Ahhh! Boss, please use your lucky red hand to open a machine that I can use, please!"

Yang Shan opened the treasure chest and was stunned by what he saw inside:

Wow! Such good luck?

Inside the golden chest, the size of an elephant, was only a single transparent crystal, the size of a fingernail, which reflected iridescent light in the sunlight.

[Naling] (Special Item; Rare):

The main material needed to make Storage Ring is called "Nashi," while Naling is a rare substance that can only be generated from high-grade Nashi.

Su Yitang, Chao Bafang, and Zhu Tianpeng all knew the purpose of the Naling Absorption Formation! Yang Shan hadn't expected that he would receive a third Naling Naling before he had even used his second one! Yang Shan grinned crookedly. "The three of you have all triggered Heaven and Earth Oddities, right?"

All three nodded vigorously.

Yang Shan had already explained the situation regarding Naling to the three of them.

As a core tool that is essential for subduing the Heaven and Earth Oddities, the origin of the Naling remains a mystery.

In any case, none of the three of them had ever heard those two words from an NPC! And now, a Naling was placed right in front of them.

Yang Shan: "Whoever gets to the stage of subjugation through their opportunity can buy this Naling from me. If someone gets Naling -Gathering Stone during their opportunity, then the next person in line will get one! If everyone gets Naling, then we'll discuss whether to keep it or sell it later!"

There is still no specific price to be set for how much this Naling can sell for.

But Yang Shan believes that in the next few versions, when more and more players get stuck at this stage of the "Heaven and Earth Oddities" event, they will offer to buy it on the forum!

Yang Shan alone accounted for 62% of the kill contribution rate just now!

Yang Shan carefully put away the Naling, and the four of them immediately found a place with relatively dense vegetation.

Yang Shan took out three bottles of Aura Concealing Pill: "These are grade six, so use them sparingly!"

This sixth-grade Aura Concealing Pill isn't necessarily very expensive, but the production of the medicinal materials is currently quite limited, and Yang Shan doesn't have much in stock.

But it won't be long before this fourth floor becomes lively.

As a competent Old Schemer.

At this crucial moment, it's essential to conceal your true abilities and then seize the opportunity to reap the rewards! The four immediately began meditating to accelerate the recovery of their Dou Qi qi.

Of course, meditation and AFK (away from keyboard) are actually similar. As long as players don't make any big movements, it won't interfere with the recovery speed.

Therefore, during this period, players can choose to log off or browse forums.

Yang Shan and the others naturally chose to chat.

Su Yitang: "That's a bit strange. The system notification said that the output of key puppets has increased significantly, but why haven't I seen a single one on the fourth floor?"

Chao Bafang continued his earnest analysis:

"There are only five floors in total, and it will definitely take a long time to get the key to the fourth floor."

This time, Zhu Tianpeng unusually refrained from refuting Chao Bafang's claims.

"Yes! The planners at Tian Yao Company can be inhuman sometimes. I'm guessing they'll only open it when there are enough people on the fourth floor!"

Su Yitang turned her head, gave Yang Shan a mischievous smile, and even winked her right eye:

"Boss, what do you think?"

Yang Shan: "I think we weren't very lucky."

Su Yitang: "Are we unlucky?"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Two low- Low-Grade Spirit Artifact with Golden Word Seal, plus a mid-grade spiritual artifact hammer, and even Naling- gathering device! This is already a huge profit."

Chao Bafang wholeheartedly agreed, "That's right, even if Hao Yunqi risked his life, he probably wouldn't be as lucky as us!"

Yang Shan: "Have you all thought about the background of the Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins properly?"

"Background."

Su Yitang asked in confusion, "Isn't it just a legacy left behind before they were destroyed?"

At this point, Su Yitang seemed to have realized the key. "Inheritance! There can't be only one key to the fifth level, right?"

Yang Shan nodded:

"If I'm guessing, one of those twelve empty spaces might contain the key to the fifth floor!"

Yang Shan was just guessing! Because he didn't know the specific situation here in his previous life either.

All I know is that the battles here were particularly fierce in my past life, and the best core treasure was a Top Grade Spirit Artifact -level piece of armor.

The one who actually inherited this Top Grade Spirit Artifact was Medusa Queen. In this life, Yang Shan brought forward the appearance of the ruins, which resulted in several NPC forces, as well as the Heaven Flame Alliance and the Hero King Manor, not coming here.

Even Medusa Queen has not yet appeared; only the Eight Great Leaders have arrived.

This is already the best-case scenario! [Ding! Players located within the "Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins," please note: The young sect master "Mo Ya" (Six Star Dou Emperor) from the Black Emperor Sect of the Black-Corner Region has entered the first level of the ruins, leading three Dou Emperor and eight Dou Wang!]

As this message arrived, a white light appeared on the horizon.

Hao Yunqi emerged from the white light somewhat disheveled.

"The Eight Great Leaders of the Serpent-People tribe, damn it! I'll remember you!"

Hao Yunqi popped a pill into his mouth and looked down from high above, but he didn't notice any obvious fluctuations.

But the scattered, crooked vegetation proves that a battle must have taken place here before!

"Where have Yang One-Blade and his three henchmen gone? Yi Qingyang is gone too! Could they have already gone to the fifth floor? Let's hide and see what's going on!"

Hao Yunqi is also preparing to transform into a "strongman of the Way of the Dead".

After all, the number of forces involved in this battle for the ruins is terrifying! And that system notification just now was like opening a Space Wormhole for the fourth level.

White light began to appear continuously on the horizon.

First, there are four of the Eight Great Leaders of the Serpent-People tribe! Among them is Yue Mei.

The other three are all "male snakes".

The other two, like Yue Mei, stood relatively far back.

The Snake-People at the very front is from the most powerful of the Eight Great Tribes Serpent-People tribe, the Ink Serpent Tribe.

Mo Bas! His strength is the highest among the Eight Great Leaders—

Peak Dou Wang!

Mo Bas looked around and naturally noticed the signs of a fight. "Looks like they're all well hidden. Black Poison, search for them!"

The male Snake-People, wearing a black mask, had black mist floating from his hands, which then cascaded down to the ground like a waterfall.

Not long after, the Snake-People Black Poison chuckled, "Hehe, it seems it's not just that one with the Mystic Yellow Flame!"

In the jungle below, Hao Yunqi Yi Qingyang appeared from different directions.

Mo Bas glanced at the two of them and sneered, "Let's just deal with them both at once!"

Yue Mei stopped them, saying, "No! There are other powerful forces in the ruins. Flame Thorn and the others haven't even reached the fourth level yet. Let's figure out the situation first and not make enemies rashly!"

Black Poison cautioned, "But we've already made enemies!"

Yue Mei looked at Yi Qingyang with a charming smile on her face:

"Young man, I find you quite handsome and I can't bear to touch you. You're not one of those people who use fire over there, are you?"

Yi Qingyang said politely:

"Thank you for your kind words, young lady. I am indeed not very familiar with that person."

Yue Mei: "Then we'll settle our personal grudges with him later. You won't interfere, will you? I'm afraid your flying sword might poke a few holes in me; it would hurt so much!"

Yi Qingyang even made a gesture of invitation:

"Do as you please."

Hao Yunqi's lips twitched upon seeing this:

"Grass!"

With the Xuanhuang Flame at his side, Hao Yunqi is indeed a formidable fighter. In a one-on-one fight, even Yue Mei would be no match for him!

However, if the four commanders joined forces, Hao Yunqi would be unable to withstand them.

The Snake-People Mo Bas, feeling the situation was clear, gave the order:

"Take care of this one first, using the Mystic Yellow Flame!"

As soon as the Snake-People Mo Bas finished speaking, white light appeared in the sky again.

It seems that the Snake-People Mo Bas was mistaken.

The situation was far more complicated than he had imagined!

Two beams of white light appeared in succession.

Two elderly men dressed in dark green robes appeared! Yue Mei's expression turned solemn:

"The Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate arrived really fast!"

These two are none other than the two One Star Dou Huang leading the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate: Fourth Elder Xie Yu.

Fifth Elder, Xie Chang.

The Fourth Elder Xie Yu, stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly disregarding the four leaders of the Serpent-People tribe.

"The Serpent-People tribe's Dou Wang is quick, but unfortunately, his strength is lacking. Even though we entered this ruin a bit late, the two of us can still catch up smoothly!"

The Snake-People Mo Bas said defiantly:

"What, Xie Yu, you old bastard, do you want to fight us to the death here?"

Yue Mei almost cursed the entire Mo Bas tribe in her mind.

Those who understand the times are wise!

Can't you just admit defeat?

Like her, who was previously abused by Yang Shan to the point of being unable to take care of herself, she decisively admitted defeat, but now she has become Yang Shan's collaborator! The Fourth Elder Xie Yu, burst out with killing intent. "It seems that Medusa Queen did not tell you that Dou Wang is ultimately just Dou Wang!"

Fifth Elder, Xie Chang, quickly advised, "Fourth Brother, the situation here is a bit strange. There are other forces involved! Let's observe the situation first and avoid any major conflict!"

The two sides were locked in a stalemate, each hesitant to act for fear of inadvertently causing a conflict, and thus a fight did not break out for the time being.

But Yang Shan, hiding in the shadows, was not in a hurry at all.

The layout of the fourth floor is not hard to guess.

Before long, they will turn their attention to the puppets.

After all, these puppets represent the core secrets of the Mystic Refinement Sect!

The four leaders of the Serpent-People tribe and the two elders of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate did not exchange any further words.

The two sides seemed to have reached a tacit understanding and flew off to the north and south respectively.

As he left, Mo Bas gave Hao Yunqi a resentful look.

Hao Yunqi a formidable fighter, and taking him down will not be a quick task. If we are ambushed by the two Dou Emperor from the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate during our fight with Hao Yunqi, we will truly suffer a major setback!

Mo Bas: "Boy, I advise you to get lost! Once the other powerful members of my Serpent-People tribe arrive, you won't have anywhere to go!"

Hao Yunqi spat and said, "What the hell are you talking about! If you're not happy, then come and fight me right now!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Black Poison unleashed a Palm Force at Hao Yunqi.

But Hao Yunqi immediately activated the Mystic Yellow Flame.

Before the Deadly Poison Palm Force could even reach Hao Yunqi, it was completely incinerated by the Mystic Yellow Flame.

Seeing an opportunity to show off, Hao Yunqi wasn't about to let it pass. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "That's it?"

Black Poison opened its mouth, revealing fangs and a snake's tongue. "Let me kill him!"

Yue Mei said coldly, "Go kill it yourself. If you can't beat them, we won't save you! Don't forget why we're here."

Seeing this, Black Poison had no choice but to turn away and pretend that nothing had happened.

The four forces, the Serpent-People tribe and the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate, were locked in a standoff, while Hao Yunqi Yi Qingyang were ignored by them.

Yang Shan and the others, who had been hiding in the shadows, were communicating via group chat.

Chao Bafang: "Wow! They came really fast!"

Zhu Tianpeng: "What do we do now?"

Su Yitang: "That's easy, just ask our boss! Don't forget, our boss is not only the number one player of Battle Through the Heavens, the most affectionate, but also the most Old Schemer!"

Yang Shan: "Old Schemer's first rule is to avoid revealing your strength if possible. Assuming there really is only one key to the fifth floor, then hiding until the end and conserving our strength is definitely the best option!"

Yang Shan then added:

"Right now, apart from Yi Qingyang, no one else probably knows we're still on the fourth floor. I'll talk to Yi Qingyang right away; we can use the favor he owed us back then!"

The conversation between Yang Shan and Yi Qingyang was very simple.

The point is to Yi Qingyang from revealing that they are still on the fourth floor.

Meanwhile, when they make their move, Yi Qingyang and Shu Xian Lou are not allowed to interfere! Yi Qingyang: "Brother Yang, I really want to agree, but I only promised to help you deal with people before, Shu Xian Lou is not included. Let's have a gentlemanly exchange. If there is something I really want, I will definitely fight for it!"

Yang Shan: "I understand. Just keep it a secret for me. We'll see who does what when the time comes!"

Yi Qingyang: "I never intended to use your hiding place information to benefit myself. I won't tell anyone about this. Besides, the favor I owe you is still owed to you, and you can still repay it! Unless absolutely necessary, I really don't want to be enemies with Brother Yang!"

While Yang Shan Yi Qingyang were chatting, quite a few more people arrived from the third floor! But this time, they weren't NPCs! They were players!

Moreover, these players are clearly not from the same group.

They started fighting as soon as they appeared! Hao Yunqi Yi Qingyang immediately flew over! Yi Qingyang: "Stop! Stop fighting for now!"

Hao Yunqi: "Stop! Brothers of the Tian Hao Alliance, get behind me!"

There were twenty-five players.

Sixteen of them were players from the Tian Hao Alliance.

On the Shu Xian Lou side, including Yi Qingyang, there were only nine people! Yi Qingyang bowed and said, "Brother Hao! Now is not the time for internal strife. I believe you have already seen that there are twelve open spaces on this fourth floor, each occupied by a puppet. Two of the puppets have already been destroyed. I really have no intention of fighting with Brother Hao. Why don't we each find our own space and take what we need?"

Hao Yunqi: "Okay, let's do it this way!"

A player next to Hao Yunqi hurriedly said, "Brother Hao, we outnumber them, why don't we fight?"

Hao Yunqi: "What's the rush? Can Shu Xian Lou be a match for our Tian Hao Alliance? We still have many brothers who haven't reached the fourth level yet. The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it will be for us! No rush!"

Just then, noticeable fluctuations of Dou Qi emanated from both the south and the north.

The four leaders of the Serpent-People tribe, along with the two Dou Emperor elders of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate, finally couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to seize the core treasure!

Hao Yunqi Yi Qingyang didn't dare to delay either, and each found an open space to start fighting the puppet.

Yang Shan immediately said in the group chat:

"Pay close attention to the puppets on Hao Yunqi's side!"

Su Yitang: "Ho ho! It's going to steal the monster!"

Chao Bafang: "No way, Great God, are you really that sure Hao Yunqi can get the key?"

Yang Shan: "I'm not sure, but Hao Yunqi has always been very lucky, so we should pay attention to him first! If other forces get the key, given Tian Yao Company's track record, no matter who gets the key, they definitely won't be able to teleport to the fifth floor immediately. They'll most likely have to set a time limit! If they're killed within that time limit, the key will definitely drop!"

Zhu Tianpeng: "Wow, this mode, isn't this the same mode as the big storyline that was coming to an end in version 1.1?"

Yang Shan stood up. "Let's go, let's go to Hao Yunqi's place first. Let's be discreet, we won't be discovered!"

A sixth-grade Aura Concealing Pill is no joke.

As long as they don't use their Dou Qi, even the two One Star Dou Huang, Xie Yu and Xie Chang, wouldn't have an easy time discovering them.

What's more, a group of Dou Wang? They approached the open space where Hao Yunqi was located.

At this moment, Hao Yunqi deliberately remained on the ground and did not take off into the air.

Since the puppets were designed to kill their opponents, they naturally remained on the ground.

In this way, the sixteen players from the Tian Hao Alliance who haven't yet reached the Dou Wang Hao Yunqi! "Mystic Fire Seal!"

"Scorching Palm!"

"Fire Blowing Palm!"

It has to be said that Hao Yunqi's incredible luck makes one wonder if he'll even live past fifty.

Leaving aside Earth-rank Dou Technique, these Profound-rank Dou Technique are like a menu, one after another! The key is that every Dou Technique, at the very least, has Purple Word Seal! There are even three types with Golden Word Seal! And players who can get the key from the third floor and arrive at the fourth floor so early, even if they are only at the Dou Ling level, are definitely not to be underestimated.

Each of them possesses a dazzling and powerful Dou Technique.

The combined efforts of the sixteen people could indeed provide significant assistance to Hao Yunqi.

But the Five Elements Five Elements Killing Array Dou Emperor puppets was no joke! A group of people fought for a long time, but still couldn't break the defensive stance of the Five Elements Killing Array.

Instead, four players were wiped out by the offensive qi of the Five Elements Killing Array!

Yang Shan had been observing what made the five puppets Hao Yunqi had chosen so different!

But no matter how you look at it, it's no different from the previous puppets.

The number of players Dou Ling on Hao Yunqi's side was decreasing one by one, and Hao Yunqi himself was covered in sweat.

"Damn it, why is he so difficult to deal with?"

Hao Yunqi also possesses a Xuan-level movement technique that allows him to dodge attacks at crucial moments, but the other Dou Ling players in the Tian Hao Alliance do not have this ability.

Fortunately, as time went on, more and more players reached the fourth floor.

Most of them were players from the Tian Hao Alliance! Hao Yunqi had already lost ten Nine Star Dou Ling, but more than one hundred high-star Dou Ling from the Tian Hao Alliance came to his aid!

It's not just Tian Hao Alliance.

More people from Shu Xian Lou, the Serpent-People tribe, and Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate have arrived at the fourth floor.

They all tacitly chose to put aside their previous disputes and go to their respective leaders.

The arrival of the Misty Cloud Sect's Third Elder Yun Du and Fourth Elder Yun Cha has made the competition for the core treasure even more intense!

Although everyone is fighting their own battles now.

However, it is foreseeable that once the various forces obtain the core treasure, the struggle between them will begin immediately! Hao Yunqi finally succeeded in exhausting the durability of the five puppets by relying on his luxurious equipment and Dou Technique, the "unparalleled" Mystic Yellow Flame, and the experience of nearly a hundred elite players from the Tian Hao Alliance.

A huge golden treasure chest appeared on the open ground.

Hao Yunqi couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Damn it, I'm awesome! Even the treasure chest is gold!"

Hao Yunqi couldn't wait to open the treasure chest.

The next moment, his face suddenly froze!

[Ding! Players in the "Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins" secret realm, please note: The only "key" to enter the fifth level has appeared on the fourth level. This key will automatically grant entry to the fifth level after being held by a single player or NPC for three minutes. If the player holding the key is killed during this time, the key will 100% drop! The current key holder is— Hao Yunqi!]

Not only did the system notification appear, but the key in Hao Yunqi's hand began to emit a dazzling golden light!

Hao Yunqi's luck is truly something else!

According to the system rules, Hao Yunqi cannot put the key into his Storage Ring at this time.

So he tried to cover the golden light with his clothes.

Then he turned into a "Little Jin man"! Before Hao Yunqi could even figure out what to do, a scarlet lightning bolt flashed! With just one strike, Hao Yunqi's Dou Qi Armor shattered.

"Holy crap! Yang One-Blade!"

Hao Yunqi was so frightened that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Seeing that Yang Shan was about to strike again, Hao Yunqi, in a moment of panic, actually flung the key out of his hand.

Yang Shan never expected Hao Yunqi to give up so decisively!

"Could it be that Hao Yunqi actually has this kind of vision? Tsk."

Of course, Yang Shan did not hesitate at all. He bypassed Hao Yunqi, caught up with him, and took the key in his hand.

[Ding! Attention players within the "Mystic Refinement Sect Ruins" secret realm: The current key holder for the fifth level is— Yang Shan!]

Hao Yunqi was panting heavily, uttering vulgarities. "You scared the hell out of me! Damn! How can Yang One-Blade be so fast? He's like a ghost!"

A player from the Tian Hao Alliance standing nearby asked in a low voice, "Brother Hao, you... you just gave him the key like that?"

Hao Yunqi said confidently:

"What do you know! If I don't give it to him, we'll all have to go back to the respawn point! And then we won't get anything!"

Hao Yunqi used this reason to cover up his true thoughts.

He can have the key, but he can't let Yang Shan kill him instantly!

Because he is "Second Under Heaven"! This book was released on February 24, 2024, and it has been 86 days since then, on May 19.

Sky has updated nearly 890,000 words, guaranteeing at least 10,000 words per day.

We've now reached the third month since the initial promise of "working hard for one month".

The sky must be exhausted.

The four-word description is "physically and mentally exhausted".

Staying up until 2 a. m. every day is commonplace, and it's not uncommon to stay up until 3 or 4 a. m.

The sky has been particularly gloomy these past few days, and my writing performance has also declined.

So, the sky also felt it was time.

If they persist, putting aside physical health, Sky is worried that he might lose control of the plot.

Content quality is definitely more important than the quantity of updates.

So starting tomorrow, Sky's updates will be reduced from 10,000 to 7,000 words.

We will announce further details regarding whether there will be any reductions in the future.

I'm sure many of you readers will also sigh and say, "It's finally come to this."

Thank you all for your continued support Battle Emperor Lord.

It is you who made the sky believe that this book is worth reading.

This is also the biggest reason why the sky has been able to hold on until now.

Although we've only just escaped the level of complete failure.

But at least there's a chance to keep writing, instead of being told directly by the editor, "Finish it quickly."

I'm sure all you Dou Di) also hope that this book can have a complete story.

There's much more to come! The clashes between major factions within the server, the "national wars" between different nation servers, and the Central Plains and the Ancient Eight Clans... Sky will continue to work hard to present these storylines well!

Bow!