Chapter 124: The Bedrock Sword and Shield

Extreme training is a process of inducing rapid and effective improvement in a cultivator by subjecting them to a constant, intense sense of crisis under immense pressure, allowing them to grasp the true allure of growth through battle.

Although Xu Wen possessed an extensive repertoire of gaming and combat experience, he had never undergone such an experience. Throughout his past cultivation and gaming history, he had never placed himself in such a perilous position—every battle had been calculated, with comprehensive contingency plans prepared in advance. His necromancy allowed him to avoid risking his own life; he would typically remain in a secure position during combat, using superior force and an endless stream of undead to continuously erode the enemy.

However, only today did he realize that the deep-rooted heritage of the Blood Alliance’s iron-blooded mercenaries was something no virtual game could replicate. Many things were beyond the reach of digital simulation, and far beyond his own imagination. The sensations of a life-or-death struggle had completely immersed him.

The speed at which his chaotic sea of consciousness operated, and the rate at which he absorbed elements to replenish his mental energy, were increasing. Although it was nowhere near a tenth of his mana consumption rate, it was a significant improvement compared to before. Xu Wen was so fully absorbed that he did not realize his speed of gathering magic and the frequency of his "Golden Snake Dance" were now on par with He Chen’s "Golden Flame Wheel." As for his mana endurance, it had surpassed He Chen’s and was subtly keeping pace with Lei E, even showing signs of exceeding him.

Only a few pairs of eyes witnessed this, their astonishment beyond words.

As the number of injuries mounted and the pressure grew, He Chen and the others exhausted their mana. Faced with the indefatigable "Earth Puppet Demon Insects," the continuous pressure, and the ever-increasing number of clay golems, they resorted to recovering on the spot, squeezing out every second. As soon as they had enough mental energy to cast a single spell, they would unleash it immediately.

Seven warriors, including Ailin, were all carrying varying degrees of minor injuries. A single priest could not keep up with the demand, so they had to rely on "Health Pills," "Painkillers," and "Hemostatic Ointment" for basic treatment. To hold back the clay golems, Xu Wen even summoned "Xiao Hei" and "Xiao Hu." The Silver Moon Pride Dragon, disregarding the pain of its precious "Wind Evil," also joined the fray. The Soul-Extinguishing Mercenary Group was pulling out all the stops to buy time, squeezing out every last drop of mana. Because not only Xu Wen, but every member of the group could feel the progress they were making in this so-called extreme training—and no one wanted to give up now.

"..."

In the distance, Lante narrowed his eyes tightly, his battle qi circulating slowly within him. All twenty-one little ones had entered their flow state; he could not afford the slightest bit of negligence or carelessness at a time like this!

Just then, three intense fluctuations of magical power erupted almost simultaneously. Lante’s brow furrowed, his grip tightening on his longsword. The weapon hummed to life, and wisps of pale battle qi, like ethereal mist, swirled down to coat the blade.

On the field, Xu Wen happened to capture those three powerful fluctuations as well. His expression shifted sharply. He slightly slowed his incantation, holding back the "Golden Snake Dance" he had prepared to strike the clay golems, his gaze locked on the clearing where the fluctuations had emerged.

He Chen and the others also changed color. "It’s the end!"

The four "Earth Puppet Demon Insects" were clearly impatient. They had summoned three Earth Dragons at once, evidently intending to conclude the battle. Given their current state, most of the mages had lost their combat ability, and the warriors were all injured. Only Lei E, Ailin, and the Frost Warrior Kong Yue still possessed any combat effectiveness. But three six-star magical beasts were no laughing matter. Even if Xu Wen could take down one, the other two would be enough to tear them all to shreds.

Just as He Chen turned back, ready to abandon the extreme training, the Black Wind Eagle let out a long cry and circled back above Xu Wen’s head. Its wings beat rapidly, whipping up sand and stone as a gale formed. *Whoosh!*

The sound of projectiles whizzing through the air was constant. Hundreds of golden snakes erupted from Xu Wen’s body, dense and explosive, forming a jagged, twisting pillar of golden light that struck at an empty patch of ground with startling momentum. The hundreds of snakes rushed into the gale, their speed further enhanced by the force of the wind.

The three Earth Dragons appeared at that very moment. One of them had not even had a chance to perceive the world before it was engulfed in rolling heat. Its skin scorched as the golden flames collided with it, and the scent of charred meat quickly filled a hundred-meter radius.

"To die before achieving one's goal—that is what this unlucky giant lizard represents." Some thought this to themselves, while marveling at the incredible precision of Xu Wen’s timing.

With the number of dragons reduced from three to two, the pressure dropped by a third, causing He Chen to subconsciously suppress the command to retreat that had been on his lips. He saw another figure rush recklessly toward the Earth Dragon on the left—it was Lei E.

The moment Xu Wen took down the first Earth Dragon, Lei E made his choice: never to retreat. However, Lei E was not as lucky as Xu Wen. The moment the clay golems were slightly delayed by the Black Wind Eagle, he had expended a portion of his remaining battle qi to knock them aside. By the time he reached the Earth Dragon, the beast’s eyes were filled with murderous intent. Having received an attack order from the "Earth Puppet Demon Insect," it barreled forward like a locomotive, charging toward the nearest enemy—Lei E—with devastating force.

"Haaa!"

With a roar, Lei E unleashed the last of his battle qi as danger descended, his longsword erupting with unprecedented light! The sword aura stacked and pushed forward, rapidly densifying into a solid sheet. The moment the massive Earth Dragon collided with him, it formed a complete, square-shaped sword shield.

The Earth Dragon did not hesitate. In its eyes, Lei E was nothing more than an insignificant bug that it could crush underfoot whenever it pleased. At the back of the group, several girls screamed and turned their heads away, unable to bear watching.

The sound of Lei E being sent flying, which they had anticipated, never came. Instead, there was a deafening boom, like a massive force striking solid rock!

*Bang!*

The air vibrated violently from the impact, sending ripples outward. As Lei E lifted his bleeding face, a wild, hysterical smile appeared on his pale, exhausted features—he had succeeded. The earthy-gray shield was the "Rock Sword Shield," a high-level five-star defensive battle skill! It had fulfilled its purpose, successfully blocking the Earth Dragon.

Unexpected events happened one after another. First, Xu Wen killed an Earth Dragon. Then, Lei E used the most blood-pumping method to clash head-on with a six-star entry-level magical beast, successfully blocking it with a defensive skill. Meanwhile, the third Earth Dragon on the right was met with a silent, invisible light at the exact moment Lei E unleashed his power.

The arrow was silent; it broke through the air without a whisper. Just as the massive commotion on the left drew everyone’s attention, the third Earth Dragon suddenly went mad, its ten-meter-long body rolling on the ground as blood sprayed from its tightly shut left eye.

"Bai Xi!"

Turning around, the group saw the archer, Bai Xi, lowering a small black bow. His face was pale and exhausted, but as a look of relief and the joy of success washed over him, he collapsed onto the ground.

The three of them had coordinated perfectly. The massive crisis brought upon the team by the Earth Dragons was largely neutralized in the blink of an eye. However, Lei E’s situation was dire. His battle qi had been pushed to the limit; once the Rock Sword Shield was shattered by the Earth Dragon, he would lose his source of strength. Without the protection of his battle qi, he would be like a grasshopper under the Earth Dragon’s foot, easily crushed.

Xu Wen, undistracted, fully focused on channeling the chaotic sea of consciousness and the small amount of mana recovered by the Amethyst Jade Pendant. Golden flames surged from his body again, covering him completely as a new round of "Golden Snake Dance" entered its final stage.

*Boom!*

The Rock Sword Shield suffered another heavy blow. The massive sound and the shockwave from the air made it clear to everyone that the power contained in each subsequent attack was gradually increasing. Lei E stood his ground, numbly maintaining the crumbling shield, his eyes bloodshot.

On the other side, the Earth Dragon that had suffered the eye injury had been calmed by the "Earth Puppet Demon Insects." Its eyes were blood-red as it stared at the group of soul-extinguishing mercenaries.

Lante had yet to appear!

He Chen could no longer hold back. He took a deep breath, quickly pulled a pill from his ring and swallowed it, then grabbed a half-gold, half-red magic scroll. He cast a swift glance at Lei E, who was clinging to life and likely to perish at any moment, then looked at the raging Earth Dragon charging toward them. He did not hesitate to snap the scroll open!

A powerful surge of magical energy instantly erupted from He Chen’s palm.

*Whoosh!*

The gold-and-red magic scroll shot out, accelerating in mid-air!

*Puff.*

The "Golden Flame Wheel" emerged from the vanishing scroll, spinning in place for a moment. Then, like a derailed high-speed circular chainsaw, it surged toward the rampaging Earth Dragon—the greatest threat to the group—with a high-frequency buzzing sound and spinning momentum. After casting the spell, He Chen collapsed from exhaustion! Everyone around him who knew his condition understood that, in his state, he shouldn't even have had the mana to activate a magic scroll.

*Whoosh!*

The golden pillar of light appeared once more! Golden Snake Dance!

The moment before the Rock Sword Shield was completely shattered, this spell appeared with even greater speed. Amidst frequent collisions, the Earth Dragon stumbled back repeatedly, its surface barrier rapidly collapsing as it let out frequent howls of pain.

"Screech!"

The Black Wind Eagle swooped down from the sky, grabbed the exhausted Lei E, and pulled him into the air, flying back to the group. The crisis was not yet resolved, but the desperate actions of these few had inspired the others!

"Take this one down first!"

Kong Yue, Ailin, and the others who could still move lunged out from the group. The Soul-Slaying Wind Ape and the Three-Eyed Flame Tiger used a blood-for-blood tactic to shove aside the troublesome clay golems. Kong Yue landed a heavy blow on the Earth Dragon’s forehead.

After three consecutive hits, the Earth Dragon, despite being heavily damaged by the Golden Snake Dance, was no easy target. Even though Kong Yue’s frost battle qi had taken effect, its movement speed had already dropped significantly, and it endured the pain to knock her away. However, it couldn't defend against Ailin, who followed closely behind. Her "Light Thunder Sword" and thunder-attribute battle qi had no effect on the clay golems, but the Earth Dragon was flesh and blood!

With its barrier broken, Ailin drove a sword filled with all her remaining thunder battle qi deep into the Earth Dragon’s body. As the dragon twitched and let out a wild shriek, several spells struck home, toppling it to the ground.

"...That’s enough. Let’s stop here for today."

Lante’s voice, carrying a hint of satisfaction, reached everyone’s ears. The exhausted group, no longer able to fight, looked toward the source of the voice. The Earth Dragon that hadn't been stopped by He Chen was now like an angry kitten, growling in frustration under Lante’s feet. It dug its claws into the ground, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't move an inch.