Repayment

"Let go of me! Are you crazy?!" Hou Liang wouldn't listen to any more advice. Seeing a ferocious-looking fog monster rushing towards them, he abruptly shook off Wei Meng's hand and fled into the depths of the thick fog without looking back!

In the blink of an eye, the once lively venue was reduced to a mere dozen or so people.

Dongfang Yueming frowned as he watched the fearless, charging mist monsters. "We can't kill them, yet we can be killed by them? This doesn't make sense..."

Those who remained were mostly either quite strong or calm and collected. They exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of understanding in the other's eyes. "The initial illusion left us with the impression that 'monsters are unkillable'! But... that doesn't mean the monsters here are equally unkillable!"

"Roar!" Lang Xiaotian was already extremely annoyed by these indestructible monsters. He roared and a long spear exuding a sharp aura appeared out of thin air in his hand. He unleashed his Inner Force and fiercely thrust it at a mist monster that pounced on him!

Pfft!

Surprisingly, the mist monster let out a shrill roar as the spear pierced its chest, making its form noticeably more ethereal! Although it didn't immediately dissipate, it was clearly injured!

"You can injure them?!" Lang Xiaotian was stunned for a moment, then a ferocious smile appeared on his face! "Good! Very good! A bunch of pretentious charlatans! Watch me poke you all to pieces!"

At the same time, Dongfang Yueming also made his move, unleashing a palm strike imbued with the Crimson Flame Fist Intent, which slammed fiercely into the misty monster in front of him! The monster also let out a miserable scream, and its form dimmed!

More and more fog monsters emerged from the thick fog, seemingly endless!

"Don't panic, everyone!" Wei Meng shouted in a sweet voice, "These monsters aren't invincible! As long as we unite, we can definitely break through!"

Meanwhile, those martial artists who had fled in panic earlier were plunged into even deeper despair.

Behind them, the hideous mist monsters, like maggots clinging to bones, followed slowly and steadily, always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

"No... don't chase me!!" A martial artist, panting heavily, glanced back at the monster relentlessly pursuing him and was terrified. He pushed off with all his might, trying to shake off the monster.

However, no matter how fast he accelerated or how he changed direction, the monsters always followed him like shadows, as if toying with their prey, not in a hurry to kill him immediately.

Time passed slowly, and the martial artist, having run for a long time, gradually became exhausted and slowed down. He wanted to find a place to rest and catch his breath, but when he looked back, the monsters were still hanging behind him like ghosts, their eyes gleaming with mockery.

A chill that penetrated to the bone instantly enveloped his entire body! He dared not linger for even a moment, forcing himself to stay focused, gritting his teeth, and continuing to sprint forward!

He ran for an unknown amount of time, but his legs felt as heavy as lead, his chest burned with excruciating pain, and his internal energy was completely depleted. He could run no more, and with a stumble, he nearly fell to the ground.

"Fight! Fight these beasts!" In despair, a glint of madness flashed in his eyes. He turned around, gripped his weapon tightly, and prepared for a final gamble!

However, to his surprise, the monsters chasing him also stopped, simply surrounding him from a distance, silently watching him with their cold and mocking gazes, without immediately attacking him.

The warrior, panting heavily, confronted the monster, his mind racing with thoughts.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him like lightning! His eyes widened in shock, his face showing a mixture of sudden realization and utter despair!

"I... I understand!" he murmured hoarsely. "These monsters... they don't want to kill us right away! They... they're wearing us down! When we're exhausted and can no longer fight back... then they..."

The moment he realized it!

The mist monsters that had been silently watching him seemed to receive some kind of command, and simultaneously let out a low roar, lunging at him!

The warrior was filled with resentment and regret! He wanted to resist, to fight back! But he was already exhausted and didn't even have the strength to lift his weapon!

Pfft!

The cold, sharp claws easily tore his body apart...

The remaining dozen or so martial artists were engaged in fierce combat with monsters that kept emerging from the thick fog.

These mist monsters are not all of equal strength; they can be distinguished by the solidity of their bodies and the color of their mist. Those with slightly ethereal bodies and pale white mist are roughly equivalent to the Qi Refining Minor Achievement; those with solid, pure white mist are comparable to the Qi Refining Greater Success; and those with the densest mist, even faintly tinged with grayish-white, have clearly reached the Qi Refining Perfection!

Holding a short sword, Wei Meng moved nimbly, struggling to fend off the attacks of a pure white mist monster. She discovered that these monsters seemed to possess extremely strong regenerative abilities within the dense fog; even if injured, they could recover quickly, making them extremely troublesome!

"Most of the monsters that chased those fleeing people were just pale white..." Wei Meng's mind raced. "If we can unite and quickly deal with the enemies in front of us, we might still have a chance to counterattack! Those who fled should kill the monsters and return soon, right?"

On the other side, Lang Xiaotian was displaying his might! He was unleashing the Qi Refining Perfection realm, his spear transforming into streaks of cold light, subtly suppressing the pure white mist monster before him! It seemed he was about to completely defeat it!

However, at that moment, a grayish-white monster with an even stronger aura and a mist so dense it was almost tangible silently joined the battle! Lang Xiaotian was immediately under immense pressure, his previous advantage vanished, and he fought with extreme frustration!

Dongfang Yueming continued to calmly contend with the pale white mist monster before him, seemingly giving his all but actually handling it with ease, silently observing the overall situation of the battlefield. "These monsters... seem to possess considerable intelligence; they're not just recklessly charging forward. This second level is probably not as simple as just defeating monsters and clearing a level."

Pfft!

Another martial artist was unable to dodge in time and had his throat torn open by a mist monster. He let out a short scream and collapsed to the ground!

"This can't go on! We'll be worn down sooner or later!" A chill ran through everyone as fear and despair began to spread once more.

Wei Meng's situation became increasingly difficult. Her internal energy was being greatly depleted, and she was gradually unable to hold on any longer. Her pretty face was covered in sweat. "Everyone... everyone must unite! Fighting alone will only lead to death!" she cried out anxiously.

However, in such a life-or-death situation, how many people can truly work together? Dongfang Yueming remained indifferent and aloof, while the others were all pursuing their own selfish interests, seeking only to protect themselves.

Several other martial artists, who were also struggling to hold on, echoed the slogan of "unity against external forces," but their voices were weak and had no effect whatsoever.

Just then, another pure white mist monster, its scarlet eyes fixed on Wei Meng, who was already struggling to defend herself, suddenly pounced on her!

"Help me!" Wei Meng cried out in alarm, frantically pleading for help from those around her!

However, everyone else was struggling to take care of themselves, let alone have the resources to rescue her.

A flicker of despair and resentment flashed in Wei Meng's eyes. Her gaze swept across the entire scene, finally settling on the composed figure in black not far away! She gritted her teeth, as if making a firm decision, and cried out, "Dongfang Master Dongfang! Please lend a hand! This humble woman... this humble woman is willing to repay you with a Grandmaster -level martial art!"

These words shocked everyone present! Grandmaster -level martial arts technique?! That's a treasure that could drive any power mad!

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yueming's heart stirred slightly. "Grandmaster- level martial arts? I already possess the Major Accomplishment Crimson Flame Fist Technique at its peak and the Entry Heaven-Overwhelming Palm. My need for ordinary Grandmaster martial arts isn't so urgent."

Looking at Wei Meng's anxious and expectant eyes, he pondered for a moment and said, "Add another decent method for condensing Internal Force Realm."

"Okay! I promise you!" Wei Meng agreed without hesitation! At this moment, survival was the most important thing!