As the words fell, a flash of resolve crossed Li Fan's eyes.
"Let's go! We'll follow them and take a look!"
"Maybe some senior expert is training here. If we can strike up a good relationship, it'll be an incredible opportunity!"
Hearing this, hope flared in the other two men's eyes as well, and they immediately nodded in agreement.
The three of them gritted their teeth through the pain.
They quietly trailed behind the Steel Skeletons, carefully keeping their distance.
The farther they followed, the more shocked they became.
The Steel Skeletons encountered all kinds of monsters along the way.
Whether it was a cunning Vicious Savage Wolf or a swarm of Giant Ants, nothing could slow them down in the slightest.
Their steel blades swung, flashing coldly. In their wake, nothing remained but scattered corpses.
"Th-that's... incredible!"
The level-ten shield warrior gaped in astonishment, his voice trembling.
"Every one of those Iron Skeletons is probably as strong as a level-twenty elite class holder! Whose summons are these?"
"They move in perfect unison and work together flawlessly. They're practically a well-trained army!"
Li Fan's expression was grave as he lowered his voice and speculated.
While the three of them hid behind a huge old tree, lost in wild conjecture,
the scouting Skeleton Squads converged from different directions.
At last, eight squads—eighty Steel Skeletons in all—
marched with heavy steps toward an open patch of woodland.
The three held their breath and peered out.
Then they saw a sight they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
"Pfft—"
The level-ten shield warrior couldn't catch his breath and nearly choked himself unconscious.
Li Fan felt as though his entire worldview had been shattered in an instant.
"D-did you see that?"
The swordsman stammered, his eyes wide as saucers.
"D-dozens of them! At least eighty of those Metal Skeletons!"
The shield warrior's voice trembled too.
Li Fan swallowed with difficulty, utterly shaken.
"W-who could this person be? A Necromancer? But what Necromancer could summon so many Steel Skeletons, and such powerful ones at that?!"
"To command such a powerful Undead Legion, their master must be at least a Third Advancement expert—maybe even a Fourth Advancement big shot from the dark classes!"
The other two drew sharp breaths at the thought.
A Fourth Advancement powerhouse!
Someone like that could command a fortress and turn the tide of a local war!
To the three of them, such a person belonged in the realm of legend.
The three continued secretly following the skeleton army.
Before long, they witnessed another scene that shattered their understanding of the world!
In the middle of a woodland clearing stood ten identical Steel Skeletons,
surrounding a handsome young man who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen.
The boy sat leisurely on a camping mat, holding a bottle of Happy Water, as relaxed as if he were picnicking in a park.
And the eighty Steel Skeletons that could strike terror into the heart of any class holder
were lined up, respectfully placing the equipment they had scavenged along the way in front of him, one piece at a time.
Was this damn kid the "Fourth Advancement big shot" they'd imagined?!
"Fan, pinch me!"
Li Fan took a deep breath and pointed at his own thigh, already purple from being pinched. He gave a bitter smile.
"Pinch you? No need! This is damn real!"
He paused, his expression turning resolute.
"What happened today stays between us. Heaven and earth know, and you and I know. Not a word of it gets out, understood?"
Li Fan gave them a stern warning.
"Understood!" The swordsman and shield warrior hurriedly nodded.
They knew that the secrets of someone this powerful weren't theirs to pry into or discuss.
"Come out."
Lin Mu suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached the three men's ears.
Li Fan and the others stiffened, realizing they'd been spotted all along.
They exchanged glances, then reluctantly stepped out from behind the tree.
Their expressions were complicated: awe, fear, and a touch of bewilderment.
Li Fan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.
"Senior... I'm Li Fan. Thank you for having your summons save us. We'll never forget your kindness!"
He truly couldn't think of
what else to call the mysterious, powerful young man in front of him besides "senior."
Hearing this, Lin Mu raised an eyebrow, finally understanding.
So the little skeleton squad had saved some people along the way.
"Saved your lives?"
Lin Mu's lips curved in amusement as his gaze swept over the three men.
His expression was perfectly calm, yet it sent a chill down their spines.
It felt as though they might be turned into skeletons at any moment!
"I only told them to clear away the trash. Saving you was just a side effect."
Lin Mu's voice was soft.
Trash?
Those had been more than a dozen Shadow Spirits that had driven them to the brink of death!
And this "senior" had called them trash?
Li Fan lowered his head even further, cold sweat trickling down his temples.
"Yes, yes, of course, Senior. We juniors just happened to get in the way of your summons. Please forgive us!"
All he wanted now was to stay alive.
Dignity, pride—none of it meant a thing in the face of absolute strength.
The two men behind him had already collapsed onto the ground.
They made strangled noises, unable to get a single word out.
"Take this."
Lin Mu casually picked up a blue short sword and tossed it to Li Fan.
"I don't like trouble."
"You saw nothing today, understood?"
Li Fan frantically caught the short sword.
Its cold touch made him shiver, bringing him instantly to his senses.
He understood what Lin Mu meant at once.
This was hush money—and a warning!
"Understood! This junior understands!"
Li Fan clutched the short sword to his chest as though it were his most precious treasure, bowing repeatedly to Lin Mu.
"I didn't see a thing today! We were just passing through and got lost! Thank you for showing us the way, Senior!"
He frantically shot the two men behind him a look.
They immediately caught on, scrambled to their feet, and bobbed their heads like pounding pestles, copying Li Fan.
"That's right! We didn't see anything!"
"We're blind! We're deaf!"
Lin Mu watched their ridiculous antics and waved them away without comment.
"Go."
"Yes! Yes! We'll leave right away!"
As if reprieved, Li Fan grabbed his two terrified companions.
They scrambled off into the depths of the forest.
They didn't dare stop for even a moment, as though some prehistoric beast were chasing them.
Only after they had run far enough that they could no longer feel that suffocating pressure
did the three collapse beneath a tree, gasping for breath.
"F-Fan, are... are we still alive?"
The shield warrior's voice was still trembling.
Li Fan lowered his head and stared at the blue-glowing short sword in his arms, his expression impossibly complicated.
He took a deep breath, his tone utterly grave.
"Remember: everything that happened today stays buried! If any one of us says a single word, none of us will survive!"
After taking care of those three minor interruptions, Lin Mu was in a good mood.
He sorted the equipment the skeletons had brought back and put it away, planning to deal with it all later.
Just then,
a notification sounded in his mind.
[Class holder Lin Mu has met the requirements for First Advancement!] [Please proceed as soon as possible to the "Holy Temple" in the nearest main city and accept your advancement quest at the "Altar."] [After completing the advancement quest, your class will undergo a qualitative leap!]
"It's finally here!"
Lin Mu's eyes gleamed with a brilliance he had never shown before.
He immediately recalled all the skeletons and dismissed them back into the void.
Then, after figuring out which way to go, he headed straight toward Xilin City.
Half an hour later,
at the Holy Temple in Xilin City.
It was a grand, strange white building.
It stood in the central plaza, symbolizing the supreme and sacred power of class holders.
Lin Mu passed through the Prayer Hall and entered a side hall dedicated to class advancements.
An elderly man in white priestly robes was in charge of receiving visitors.
His expression was solemn, his eyes as still as a deep well.
"Young man, are you here to advance your class?"
the old man asked slowly.
"Yes, Priest."
Lin Mu answered calmly.
"Place your hand on the Altar and wait for it to respond."
Before you continue