Chen Nian returned aboard a private jet.
To spend a little longer with Xiao Qi and still return to Linhai City on time, he had been forced to use "Buyu's" network of connections again.
But it was already getting late.
[World boss subjugation time remaining: 00:60]
One last hour. That should be enough.
"Open the cabin door."
"Yes, sir."
Another butler dressed in black answered aboard the plane.
Recklessly opening a plane's cabin door was extremely dangerous, but a transcendent's body was unlike an ordinary person's. It would pose no major problem.
The cabin door was opened in an emergency procedure, unleashing a powerful suction force. Yet Chen Nian wasn't blown out. Instead, he walked toward it step by step.
With a calm expression, he leaped out.
He wore no parachute and had taken no protective measures. He simply jumped straight out from several thousand meters in the air!
"Word Spirit, Void-Escaping Spirit Snake."
An invisible spirit snake appeared, coiling around Chen Nian's body and carrying him straight down.
Protected by the spirit snake, Chen Nian could cushion his descent at will without suffering any harm.
He passed through layer after layer of clouds, the ground growing clearer in his vision. But this still wasn't enough.
"Word Spirit, Eagle Eye!"
Chen Nian used a second Word Spirit at the same time.
His vision instantly became several times clearer, as though the entire world lay within his sight!
He also clearly saw the enormous black barrier below-the area where the world boss was located.
He had already learned about the world boss beforehand.
The barrier could only be entered through its entrance.
Wait...
There was someone else in the air?!
Chen Nian's pupils abruptly contracted, and his heart sank.
I'm screwed. It's her... Ye Hongling.
Ye Hongling's ID in Calamity was "Chiling."
Her talent was "Red Lotus Warlock," a top-tier rare talent for flame mages!
She was currently Tier 1, Level 95, even higher than the world boss's level... Few people anywhere in the world could match her leveling speed.
A true goddess-tier female player!
A mature beauty of unmatched elegance!
Her real-world identity was even more terrifying: she was the daughter of Dragon Country's grand general of national defense.
Strength, status, beauty, and wealth-a terrifying woman who had them all.
Although Xiao Qi was powerful too, to Chen Nian, she was still a sweet, naive girl who was relatively easy to fool. Ye Hongling was different. Her methods were far more terrifying.
A large part of the reason behind Chen Nian's series of preparations was his fear of her discovering his true identity...
At that very moment, Ye Hongling was in the air above the world boss's area.
She wore an eye-catching, fiery-red dress and sat on a broom blazing with flames, gently swinging her bare feet as she played with her wine-red hair.
"Buyu, are you in this city or not?"
Earlier, she had guessed that Buyu was in this city and had obtained the first piece of epic equipment by defeating a field boss.
But ultimately, it was only a guess. She was merely here to verify it.
"If even a monster like this can't be dealt with, I suppose I guessed wrong? How boring."
A little flame fox hovered above her shoulder. Its name was Fire Spirit.
Fire Spirit was puzzled. "Master, are all the players in this region this weak? If you stepped in, wouldn't a single spell finish it off?"
"Too bad I just helped another region deal with a world boss yesterday. My power hasn't recovered yet, so I can't help."
Ye Hongling had already visited several regions and defeated three world bosses in total. This was also the key to her rapidly soaring level.
"There isn't much time left. Let's watch a little longer. What if that guy insists on hiding until the very last moment?"
At that very moment, Chen Nian was in the air directly above Ye Hongling. For once, he was sweating.
Only by using Eagle Eye had he managed to spot Ye Hongling in time.
What do I do now?
If I make a move and finish off this world boss, she'll definitely come looking for me. Ahem...
Wait, I've got it!
An extraordinarily bold idea surfaced in Chen Nian's mind.
As long as he pulled it off, he could defeat the world boss and avoid exposing himself!
After killing the world boss, his level would definitely rise above Level 55. Then he would learn a new Word Spirit, "Hidden Shadow, Formless," which could make him disappear outright...
I have to one-shot the world boss with a single strike!
If I can't one-shot it, I won't level up, and I'll be in trouble when Ye Hongling catches up.
"Accelerate."
Chen Nian abruptly accelerated his descent while activating his third Word Spirit.
Word Spirit-Flame Explosion.
Flames erupted from his body, turning him into an enormous fireball!
Plummeting from the sky at high speed like a flaming meteor, he streaked right past Ye Hongling's eyes.
"...It's him... After him!"
Flames burst from the broom, and Ye Hongling also became a flaming meteor, pursuing him closely from behind.
The people below were dumbstruck by the sight.
"Look! Two meteorites!"
"Holy shit, seriously? Meteorites are crashing down!"
These people had no idea that the meteors were actually two people in a chase. They thought they were real meteorites.
The two drew closer and closer to the ground and were soon about to collide with the black, spherical barrier.
An enchanting smile curled Ye Hongling's lips. "You've already appeared right in front of me. Do you really think you can escape? You want to kill the boss right under my nose without revealing yourself? Buyu, aren't you dreaming a little too big?"
"Not even you can pull that off!"
"If you're going to kill this world boss today, then I'm definitely going to catch you."
At that moment, Chen Nian activated his fourth Word Spirit.
Sequence 121-Golden Sword of Judgment!
Ancient, obscure syllables burst from his mouth.
Golden light shone in Chen Nian's pupils. A golden sword hovered above his head, like an emperor descending upon the world!
With a single slash, it forcibly cleaved an opening in the black barrier!
"What?!"
Ye Hongling was shocked.
Even she had been given quite a fright.
This guy actually forced his way through the barrier protecting the world boss... Is he even human?!
But the more astonished she felt, the happier she became.
At least now she could be certain that this person was Buyu. He really was hiding in this city. Heh.
You won't get away.
A hole had been torn in the black barrier!
The enormous fireball came crashing down, leaving everyone on the ground dumbstruck.
What kind of freakish meteorite could even break through the barrier protecting the world boss?!
That was absurd...
But what they saw next was the most absurd sight of their lives.
The mountain on the giant turtle's back collapsed with a thunderous crash!
That mountain, which over a thousand people had attacked all day without managing to shatter;
That unyielding mountain, which had nearly crushed countless people's hopes, crumbled like tofu.
Shattered rocks shot across the sky like a massive firework.
At the mountain's base lay the giant turtle's "heart," an earthen-yellow energy crystal. That thing was even harder than its shell.
Yet as the Golden Sword of Judgment slashed down, it shattered into pieces!
The world boss had been one-shotted.