Chapter 1997 – Ancient Stone Box

Shi Feng headed south after leaving Glory Town.

“Is this guy insane? He’s running out in the fields without a care!”

“What’s going on? Why haven’t the monsters noticed him?”

The players grinding in the fields were astonished as they watched Shi Feng brazenly charge through the wilderness. They were stunned further when they realized that the high-level monsters nearby completely ignored the Swordsman, while some actively avoided him.

After a short moment, Shi Feng vanished.

The players here have already gotten used to killing higher-leveled monsters? As Shi Feng rode through the wilderness on his Mount, he noticed many parties fighting in the wild. Seeing these elite players’ performance, he realized that they were slightly stronger than Star-Moon Kingdom’s elites.

The monsters these elite players faced were clearly Level 70 or higher. Not only did the monsters have an advantage in levels, but their Basic Attributes were also much higher. However, these elite players handled the monsters adeptly. They never tried to take the monsters head-on, sending the party’s MT to distract the target while evading the monsters’ attacks instead. Meanwhile, the party’s ranged players bombarded the monsters, slowly but surely whittling down the higher- leveled opponents.

While this combat method might seem simple, it was not easy to implement since the monsters in the area had considerably high combat standards. Including the Attribute differences, distracting these monsters without taking a hit would be very difficult for current MTs, much less doing so for a long period. Players’ combat standards would be tested here.

However, despite their excellent performances, the best these players could manage was grinding in Glory Town’s nearby maps. The farther they were from Glory Town, the stronger the monsters would be. Players would encounter more than just Special Elites and Chieftains; they’d also run into Lords and High Lords.

Even Level 60, Tier 2 experts would have to flee from Level 70-plus Lords and High Lords, not to mention Tier 1 players. Not only were these monsters’ combat standards superior to Special Elites and Chieftains, but they also had an arsenal of Skills.

If Tier 2 experts were not careful, they could die in the blink of an eye.

Of course, these monsters were no trouble for Shi Feng. He had already reached Level 70 and could easily move through these Level 70-plus Lords and High Lords.

After over two hours of travel, Shi Feng finally arrived in an open gravel plain. An ancient altar, surrounded by stone pillars that formed a maze, stood in the center of the plain. Meanwhile, Level 75 and higher Elemental Creatures roamed the maze, the majority of which were Lord ranked monsters.

This was the Elemental Altar, the most famous location in Glory Town’s map during Shi Feng’s previous life.

Sure enough, no one has come this far yet. As Shi Feng arrived before the Elemental Altar and gazed upon the ancient, stone box upon it, he couldn’t help but smile.

Any player that had wanted to travel to Thunder Axe City had almost always done so through Glory Town in the past, but by the time he had made it to the town, players had long since explored the area. Meanwhile, among the various locations found, players had talked about the Elemental Altar more than any other.

The altar had become such a hot topic due to the stone box enshrined on it. While the stone box might look ordinary, it contained an amazing treasure.

The Sealing Stone!

Although the Sealing Stone was a one-time use tool, it had astounding power. When used, it could seal the strength of one monster, reducing its rank by one for three hours.

While this effect might not seem impressive, the Sealing Stone was even effective against Mythic monsters. The tool would reduce ordinary Mythic monsters to Grand Lord rank, and Mythic ranked Archaic Species would become as weak as ordinary Mythic monsters.

The player that had opened Thunder Axe City’s entrance in the past had only succeeded due to this Sealing Stone. The Guardian Boss that protected the entrance would’ve been unbeatable for individual players at that time otherwise. As proof, many superpowers’ apex experts had failed to unlock the neutral city.

Now that Shi Feng wanted to open Thunder Axe City, he had to get a Sealing Stone of his own.

However, opening the stone box was easier than said due to the Thunder Beast that guarded it.

[Thunder Beast] (Elemental Creature, Grand Lord) Level 77

HP 85,000,000/85,000,000

This Thunder Beast would be a challenge, and as more players gathered, it would become stronger. Unlike other Field Bosses, it would grow stronger once more than one hostile lifeform was within range. If more than six lifeforms were nearby, the Thunder Beast would grow into a Grand Lord ranked Archaic Species, and it would become as strong as Mythic monster

if more than 20 lifeforms were within range. Although it wouldn’t grow past Mythic rank, its combat standards would skyrocket. The Thunder Beast would become impossible to defeat if more than 100 lifeforms were nearby.

Meanwhile, the lifeforms in question included summoned creatures and players’ Personal Guards.

To make matters worse, the Thunder Beast would obtain more and higher quality Skills as more lifeforms entered its range of influence...

Because of this, the Thunder Beast had remained undefeated even after many Guild experts had reached Level 70 in the past The Sealing Stone had only been discovered after a Level 75 peak expert had visited the Elemental Altar and defeated the Boss with special tools in hand.

Although Shi Feng had yet to reach Level 75, he had incredibly powerful outside help.

Following which, Shi Feng took out the Bible of Darkness and summoned a Level 85, Tier 3 Lava Demon. When the Lava Demon emerged, the surrounding temperature rose sharply due to the molten lava that covered its body, creating a natural domain. The Lava Demon was fond of melee combat, and while it might not be able to contend with a Grand Lord of the same level, it shouldn’t have any issues against a Grand Lord eight levels lower with the Bible of Darkness’s strengthening effects.

“Go!” Shi Feng commanded, gesturing at the Thunder Beast that slumbered beside the Elemental Altar.

The Lava Demon released a warcry before charging at the Thunder Beast, appearing before the Grand Lord in an instant and activating the Tier 3 Taboo Skill, Lava Claw. By the time the Thunder Beast woke from its slumber, the Lava Demon’s claw had struck the monster’s lightning-formed body.

Roar!

The Thunder Beast cried out in agony, instantly losing more than 2,000,000 HP. Due to Lava Claw’s weakening effect, the Thunder Beast’s Basic Attributes dropped by 10%, as well.

However, not one to be outdone, the Thunder Beast responded with a swipe of its tail, sending a whip of lightning at the Lava Demon.

Tier 3 Skill, Lightning Annihilation!

With just one swing of its tail, the Thunder Beast launched a lightning attack in a 100-yard cone. Even a Tier 2 MT of the same level with an active Lifesaving Skill would barely survive the attack if they were on the receiving end. Any other class would die.

Fortunately, the Skill was nothing to the Lava Demon. The summoned Demon only lost a little over l,5〇〇,〇〇〇 of its 24,000,000 HP.

Shi Feng finally made his move after the Lava Demon and Thunder Beast struggled against each other for some time. Activating Instant Strike, he appeared beside the Thunder Beast and bombarded the Grand Lord with his attacks.

Shadow Blade!

Purgatory Pentaslash!

Flame Burst!

Phantom Kill!

Shi Feng used one Skill after another, each hit dealing tens of thousands of damage, with some even dealing over -100,000. The Thunder Beast’s HP began to plummet.

%... 70%... 50%...

Since the Thunder Beast only had two opponents, Shi Feng and his Lava Demon, it could only use two of its Skills: the AOE Tier 3 Skill, Lighting Annihilation and the single-target Tier 3 Skill, Lightning Claw.

Against Shi Feng, a player with the Strength to rival a Great Lord of the same level, the Thunder Beast could only watch, helpless, as it continued to lose HP.

In the end, Shi Feng activated Divine Providence and landed the killing blow when the Thunder Beast’s HP fell below 1%. The Grand Lord’s body then dispersed as countless arcs of lightning, vanishing from the Elemental Altar...