The Mastermind

Before Finn, everyone looked at him with unwavering resolve. They said nothing, but their expressions made their decision clear.

Seeing this, Finn nodded and looked toward Riveria.

Riveria raised her staff, and a green Magic Circle appeared beneath her feet.

"Spring Breeze Green Veil."

Threads of green magic rose from beneath Ais and the others, wrapping around them before vanishing.

"I've given you Defense Magic. It'll last for a while, but don't rely on it too much."

Finn then spoke up.

"We'll break through the 51st Floor in one push. Don't worry about the weaker monsters—we probably won't need to deal with them anyway. Our main goal is to meet up with Qiming, then push straight through to the 59th Floor. And watch out for those New Species Monsters that just appeared!"

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

At the front of the party, Bete and Tiona crouched down, gathering their strength.

"Let's go, Bete, Tiona!"

"Right!"

As soon as Finn finished speaking, Bete and Tiona turned into streaks of shadow and charged into the next floor. The others hurried after them.

The Dungeon's 51st Floor.

Now, the roars of countless monsters rang out without pause. The Green Caterpillar Monsters and rhinoceros monsters, which had been fighting each other, all charged in the same direction. In the place toward which they roared and surged, terrifying crimson pillars of light flashed again and again.

"Hahaha, good, good! That's how it should be. Keep entertaining me!"

Amid the monster horde, Lu Qiming casually cleaved a Green Caterpillar Monster in two. Then he hurled the Divine Judgment in his hand straight at the charging rhinoceros monsters and stamped hard against the ground to launch himself away.

The instant he left, a crimson pillar of light pierced through the ground and shot skyward.

"Hahaha, not good enough... too slow!"

Amid his crazed laughter, Lu Qiming caught up with the Divine Judgment he had thrown and gripped its hilt. The two forty-meter-long blades swung at tremendous speed.

Gale Dance!

Countless streaks of Sword Light flared. The moment they appeared, scarlet blood sprayed from the rhinoceros monsters around him, and they were reduced to scattered chunks of flesh. The black ground turned blood-red, with Magic Stones lying quietly among the gore.

Sky-Flash Step!

In midair, after sweeping away the monsters around him, Lu Qiming stamped hard against the air. His body turned into a bolt of lightning and shot toward another group of monsters gathering in the distance. The instant he left, dozens of crimson pillars of light burst from the ground, piercing up from the 58th Floor and passing close by him.

"Just wait a little longer, my darlings. Soon, you'll all become one with me!"

Lu Qiming looked down at the holes left behind after the crimson pillars of light vanished. At the far end of each, crimson Great Dragons raised their heads, red light gathering in their mouths.

Suddenly, while Lu Qiming was distracted, countless white strands of webbing shot down at him from above.

"Ha! You little pieces of trash finally stopped hiding!"

Lu Qiming swung his left hand at the pitch-black ceiling overhead. The lightning crackling along his blade lit it up, revealing countless spider monsters clinging to it, their blood-red eyes fixed on him.

Whoosh!

Sword Light swept through, and the spider monsters were sliced into pieces. The lightning charred them, filling the air with a burnt stench, before they crumbled into black ash. Magic Stones fell like raindrops.

"Hahaha, this is fun, this is fun! Dance! Wail!"

Amid the rain of Magic Stones, Lu Qiming stamped against the air once more and shot away at even greater speed.

Boom!

A thunderous roar rang out, and the entire 51st Floor shook again. Lu Qiming landed on the head of a Green Caterpillar Monster, crushing it with terrifying force. The instant he touched down, deep cracks spread outward from beneath his feet.

The enormous shock wave sent every nearby monster flying into the air.

Arc Chain Flash!

The Divine Judgment carved out a crescent-shaped arc. Silver-and-gold Sword Light shot from the blade, sweeping through the airborne monsters before leaving a terrifyingly huge gash in the ceiling.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding."

Magic Stones kept falling and striking the ground, ringing out like pleasant chimes.

"Hahaha, I'm screwed! I've been ambushed!"

Lu Qiming had only just started laughing when he suddenly looked down. The ground shook across a radius of a thousand meters, and crimson light shone from the cracks, illuminating the surroundings. He hadn't expected the Great Dragons on the 58th Floor to gather together and cover the entire thousand-meter area around him with their attack range.

"Qiming! Spring Breeze Green Veil!"

Suddenly, Riveria's voice rang out in the distance. A green Magic Circle appeared beneath Lu Qiming, instantly forming a magical shield around him.

"Awaken, Tempest!"

Ais's voice rang out right after. A gust of emerald-green wind curled around Lu Qiming.

"Thanks, Riveria! Ais!"

Lu Qiming looked up and called his thanks toward them in the distance, then leaped high into the air. He twisted around midair and gripped the Divine Judgment tightly. Golden thunder roared even more violently around him.

On the ground, crimson pillars of light burst through the surface and shot toward Lu Qiming in midair.

Death-Strike Slash!

Lu Qiming roared and brought the Divine Judgment in his hand down hard against the pillars of light. The enormous blade collided with the crimson beams.

Boom!

The moment they clashed, an enormous explosion and a thunderous roar rang out. Then the golden blade raced down the center of the light, splitting the pillar into four.

"Ha!"

As he neared the ground, Lu Qiming stamped both feet against the air and brought his twin blades down hard. Terrifying Sword Light surged through the crimson pillar like a battering ram, following the holes already blasted through the ground and leaving two enormous gashes behind.

"Roar!"

A dying roar emerged from the holes a few seconds later, and the enormous crimson pillars of light vanished at once.

"Hmph!"

Lu Qiming snorted. After checking the newly added quest progress and experience on the Panel and confirming the monsters that had ambushed him below were dead, he stamped against the air and flew toward Ais and the others.

"You're here."

He landed slowly in front of Finn and flicked his wrist. The forty-meter golden blade of the Divine Judgment vanished, returning to its normal form.

"Yeah. How are things?"

Finn gave Lu Qiming a careful look and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was unharmed.

"Most of the monsters on the 51st Floor have been cleared out. But I think those New Species Monsters have someone controlling them from behind the scenes."

Thinking about how he'd nearly been ambushed, Lu Qiming realized that if Ais and Riveria hadn't arrived in time, he would have been badly injured, if not killed. Even his body, strengthened by Musou, could barely withstand an attack that terrifying.

"Someone controlling them from behind the scenes? Qiming, do you know who it is?"

Finn's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the place where Lu Qiming had just been attacked. He had seen monsters in the Dungeon cooperate in battle before, but never anything like that—attacking together like an army, combining their attacks to greatly increase their power.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling they're somewhere not far below us."

Lu Qiming took out a Top-tier Stamina Recovery Potion and a Mana Recovery Potion and drank them, then looked down at the place where he had just been. He knew it was the work of the Corrupted Spirit, but as far as Finn and the others knew, this was his first time entering the depths of the Dungeon.

So he didn't tell them outright that the Corrupted Spirit was behind it. Besides, it wouldn't be long now—soon he'd get to meet that thing!

It had dared to ambush him. He'd make sure to teach it a good lesson!

At the thought, blood-red killing intent surged from Lu Qiming, and the Divine Judgment in his hand began to tremble.

Thanks to zyangi for the monthly ticket, and thanks to Tianwai Bailong Shanshan for the monthly ticket and 2D tea for the monthly ticket.

Also, Tianwai Bailong Shan, finish eating the Starburst Stream! Asuna, save me!