Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 13

Within Apple Paradise, the canopy was filled with vast expanses of green trees. A gentle, constant light bathed the entire palace. Flowers as white as snow scattered across the horizon, and the lake gleamed with a blue as deep as the world’s rarest sapphires…

Against this backdrop, Zhou Qian hovered in midair, suspended by a single rope, and gazed distantly at Qi Liuxing.

His eyes and words possessed a powerful, bewitching force.

Qi Liuxing felt as if he had no choice but to follow Zhou Qian’s plans.

Even if what lay ahead was a treacherous path or an irretrievable hell.

Echoing in Qi Liuxing’s ears were the words Zhou Qian spoke not long ago.

“I lied to you before, and now I want to apologize.”

“Are you hesitating about using the Tick Tock Clock? If you use it to save me, it’s out of affection, not duty. Don’t feel pressured.”

“You have an innocent heart. It’s invaluable.”

“Only when you become a hero to everyone can you truly bear the title ‘Sword God’.”

……

18 was an age where one was most willing to risk it all and face all challenges head-on.

Qi Liuxing gripped his sword tighter; his gaze towards Zhou Qian became more resolute.

Zhou Qian spoke again. “Qi Liuxing, I won’t leave you alone in danger. If you chose to stay, please do your best to hang on. The young couple will come to help you.”

“Why would they help me? Can you foresee the future?”

“Yes,” Zhou Qian replied with a mysterious smile. “I can predict the future. They will come back.”

Qi Liuxing didn’t understand and wanted to ask further, but there was no time.

Across the lake, two more believers had completed their transformation.

Their pupils turned white, red light radiated from their bodies, and wings sprouted from their backs. After scanning their surroundings briefly, they both set their sights on Zhou Qian and flew towards him.

Zhou Qian, at Rank F, had a max HP of 300. Engaged with Believer No .1, he now only had 150 HP left.

These two transformed believers were both at a higher Rank C, with 4,000 HP. With their attack power, even a breath on Zhou Qian might have killed him.

There were three crystal bridges in total. The left one was already destroyed, and the middle one was where Qi Liuxing had set up a barrier. The barrier would automatically detect and block aggressive NPCs for three minutes but had no effect on players.

Thus, Qi Liuxing had taken the middle bridge.

Just as Qi Liuxing had stepped onto the bridge, the two winged believers almost reached Zhou Qian.

With a swift unsheathing of his sword, Qi Liuxing unleashed the [Divine Sword Stance]. Multiple sword qi immediately split and rushed towards the two.

Perhaps they had learned from the believer who died earlier by the lakeside when his wings broke; these two had skillfully dodged the sword qi, not even losing a single feather.

However, Qi Liuxing’s objective hadn’t really been to hit them.

He acted to draw their attention.

And he undoubtedly achieved his goal.

Initially, the two believers targeted Zhou Qian since he was closest. But after the attack, their hostility was drawn towards Qi Liuxing, and they both charged at him.

Using his rapid speed, Qi Liuxing turned and sprinted off the crystal bridge. The two winged believers couldn’t catch up to him immediately—the barrier had successfully stopped them. Whether they flew or burrowed, they couldn’t cross the bridge for three minutes.

With the immediate threat behind him gone, Qi Liuxing took a breath and relaxed a bit. He had looked back and seen Zhou Qian swing with the rope, landing on the opposite shore.

Hidden achievements were hard to obtain, but there was still a 10% chance.

Zhou Qian’s prediction was accurate. While the 19 believers ate the apples almost simultaneously, they hadn’t all transformed at the same time. Otherwise, being surrounded would mean no chance of survival for the players.

Now that four believers had consecutively transformed, with the fifth yet to come, as long as they continued at this pace and did not all transform at once, Qi Liuxing was confident. He could draw their hostility towards him while they attacked Zhou Qian one after another.

But Qi Liuxing knew in his heart that going on like this wasn’t the solution.

The barrier’s duration was about to expire, and the two winged believers would soon fly over. If Zhou Qian couldn’t find a buff in time, more and more believers would attack him.

Moreover, although the speed of those believers wasn’t particularly fast at the moment, their evolutionary capabilities would eventually make them astoundingly fast, at which point he wouldn’t be able to escape.

The best strategy was to lure them into the lake.

Especially those two believers about to breach the barrier.

But how?

Every second passed, and as the barrier’s time decreased, Qi Liuxing almost lost grip on his sword hilt, for his palm was slick with sweat.

Suddenly, a system prompt came from his wristwatch.

[Player Zhou Qian has initiated a trade request]

[Zhou Qian, as the seller, wishes to sell you the [Universe Teleportation Mirror]]

[Zhou Qian’s price: 0 gold coins]

[Universe Teleportation Mirror’s function: Set a teleportation point through the mirror to achieve instant teleportation]

[Teleportation range: Within 500 meters]

[Duration: 5 minutes]

Zhou Qian’s zero-price offer was clearly a gesture to give the item to Qi Liuxing. This mirror, a valuable escape tool, was known to cost as much as 3,000 gold coins.

Qi Liuxing couldn’t afford such an item at the moment.

The reason Zhou Qian could afford it was because he had collected a substantial amount of gold coins during the scoring minigame. Even so, this item probably drained nearly all his savings.

What remained of Zhou Qian’s money wouldn’t be enough to buy another mirror like this.

Thus, even though Zhou Qian had deceived everyone during the minigame, he was now not only risking it all alone but also gifting Qi Liuxing his only escape tool. Was it as he had previously said—he didn’t genuinely want to swindle everyone, but rather control the situation without wasting time on communication?

Moved by this gesture, Qi Liuxing quickly accepted the trade request.

In the trade interface, along with the item came a voice message from Zhou Qian.

“Here’s a strategy: use this mirror to deceive the believers into the lake.”

“The mirror can only be used for 5 minutes. Don’t waste it on just one or two believers. First, kite them. When a sufficient number of believers chase you, lure them all into the mirror at once.”

“Of course, if you become afraid or regretful and no longer wish to cover for me, you can use the mirror to escape to the treehouse. But—”

“I know you’re not that type of person. You’re the brave and fearless Sword God.”

……

On the other side of the phone screen.

Yu Xian remarked, “Seems like the Sword God is deeply moved? His eyes are red! But it’s understandable given Qian Ge’s gift after his earlier deceit.”

Zhu Qiang interjected, “Wake up, Lao Yu. And you too, Sword God on the screen. Think about when Qian Ge gave the mirror. It was after the winged creatures went to attack him, and only after the Sword God really helped distract them!”

Yu Xian was taken aback. “Ah, Qiang Ge, are you suggesting…”

Zhu Qiang: “If Qi Liuxing didn’t help, Qian Ge could completely abandon the hidden achievement and use the mirror to escape to the treehouse! You think this move isn’t cunning? The idea of ‘placing oneself in a deadly situation to then come out alive’? He had already calculated his way out and wouldn’t truly put himself in danger!”

“Qian Ge has never truly trusted Qi Liuxing!”

“If Qi Liuxing really ran away, given Qian Ge being Rank F, he would stand no chance. He could only use the mirror to escape! Abandoning the hidden achievement is still better than losing his life!

“But if Qi Liuxing stays to help divert those two monsters, it means he’s indeed decent and must’ve been convinced by Qian Ge’s previous words. In that case, Qian Ge would further entice Qi Liuxing by offering the mirror, making him willingly stay.”

“Think about it, why didn’t he offer the mirror earlier or later, but precisely at this moment? Would he really risk being attacked by two deified monsters just to swing? He’s taking a risk, but he’s also taking the opportunity to observe Qi Liuxing!”

Looking back at the phone screen, Zhu Qiang said earnestly to Qi Liuxing, “Thinking of not saving him is just a natural response, and you have a naive heart? Talk of saving the world is even more laughable…”

“Just take Qian Ge’s words with a grain of salt; don’t take them seriously! He didn’t dare trust you easily! I don’t think he really wanted to save the world either!”

Yu Xian came to his senses. “Damn! Qian Ge is incredible! Every word he says is like making a move in a chess game…”

Zhu Qiang: “Isn’t it? Qian Ge went to the other side of the lake for clues, letting Brother Sword God provide cover, diverting attention… and now even letting Brother Sword God kite around while luring the enemies into the lake… Qian Ge is ruthless.”

Yu Xian muttered, “He’s ruthless to others, but also to himself. There are so many monsters ‘deifying’ on the other side of the lake… He only has 150 HP; if he’s not careful, he’s really done for.”

“What’s with that look on your face?”

“I think you’re not entirely accurate. I wouldn’t say Qian Ge is using Qi Liuxing. He truly wants everyone to get the hidden achievement. It’s just that his methods are too extreme and too much of a gamble.”

“I think you’ve been brainwashed by him too!”

“By the way, wait… what did Qian Ge mean by ‘the couple will definitely come back’? Did we miss something? When did he set this up?”

“I don’t know. In any case, Qian Ge is just incredible. Let’s keep watching.”

Inside the game.

Two deified followers with wings were temporarily stopped by the barricade for three minutes; the other believer hadn’t completed their deification yet.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Qi Liuxing took out a mirror from his bag. After understanding how to use it with the system panel, he quickly adjusted the coordinates, setting the mirror’s teleportation point above the lake surface.

After preparing everything, he temporarily returned the mirror to his bag and looked toward the other side of the lake.

Epoh was by the trunk of the giant tree, surrounded by apple-filled tree crowns. Underneath the apples stood clusters of followers who had eaten the apples.

Zhou Qian was walking towards Epoh, step by step, entering the encirclement of the followers.

This scene made Qi Liuxing’s eyelids twitch.

Then, about 30 meters away from Zhou Qian, a red light suddenly appeared.

The fifth deified believer was born!

The believer radiated a red glow, and his body hunched down with all four limbs on the ground. It was covered with shiny black fur. He opened his mouth and let out a “roar”, seemingly transformed into a cat.

Pacing back and forth on all fours, he narrowed his eyes menacingly, eventually setting them on Zhou Qian.

With pale pupils locked onto Zhou Qian, murderous intent filled the eyes of the deified believer. In a flash, before he pounced on Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing quickly acted.

An arrow shot towards the other shore, aiming directly at the cat-like believer.

[Item: Precision Shot*]

*(百步穿杨) Idiom referring to superb archery skills and, by extension, someone who’s very strong. It comes from a story in ancient China of a famous archer who could consistently hit a willow leaf from a distance of a hundred steps.

[Function: Select target to shoot; range 1,000 meters; 90% accuracy]

With a crisp sound, it was the noise of a blade piercing an eyeball.

After letting out a very mournful cry, the deified believer immediately turned to look at Qi Liuxing and charged towards him.

Once again successfully drawing Zhou Qian’s aggro, Qi Liuxing’s palm gripping the sword was sweating again.

He didn’t use his skill just now, of course, because he only had 60% MP left.

He could only try to attract aggro using items.

He succeeded, but he had no moves left after that.

Qi Liuxing had no items left in his bag that could attract aggro, and his MP bar was only enough for one major move, or three regular Sword God stances.

But the giant cat was rushing over from another crystal bridge without barriers.

And with the three-minute timer counting down, those two winged men behind the barrier were already staring at him, seemingly ready to pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

The situation was dire. Qi Liuxing realized he could only buy Zhou Qian another two minutes at most.

From the moment the first believer began to ascend, Qi Liuxing had been calculating in his heart.

The time gap between each believer’s ascension was about two minutes.

After the birth of the believer who turned into a cat, there was less than two minutes until the next believer’s ascension, and then they would attack Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian must find the so-called buff within these two minutes. Otherwise, everyone would be done for.

What Qi Liuxing had to do was hold off these three deified believers for these two minutes and prevent them from returning to the other side of the lake to attack Zhou Qian.

Compared to the leisurely pace of the first believer crossing the bridge, the giant cat moved incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it reached Qi Liuxing and immediately swung its paw.

The space in front of him seemed to be torn apart by five lightning-like claw marks.

Almost instinctively, Qi Liuxing dove to the ground.

He barely avoided the lethal blow. Though he wasn’t hit directly, his HP had sharply decreased by 1,000, dropping directly to 50%.

Probably due to the skill cooldown, the giant cat didn’t immediately launch a second attack on Qi Liuxing. It just stared at him with murderous white pupils.

Those eyes clearly conveyed, “You’re already dead.”

To make matters worse, the three-minute barrier restriction was up, and the two winged monsters fluttered their wings, suddenly coming up to Qi Liuxing.

At that moment, the giant cat glared fiercely at Qi Liuxing, raising its paw, clearly preparing for a second round of attacks.

Surrounded by three such high-level monsters, Qi Liuxing was in grave danger and had to use his ultimate move.

With the [Divine Sword Second Stance], his long sword soared into the air, autonomously drawing a circle in mid-air.

Countless sword shadows immediately emerged from the ring of light, almost illuminating the palace dome before swiftly attacking in all directions.

It was clearly an AOE* skill, and the swords moved like a rainbow, seemingly able to annihilate everyone in an instant.

*Area of effect. An attack or defense, such as a spell or skill, that affects all characters within a specified range of the target place or character.

Even the Yu Zhu duo watching from the phone screen were shaken by the sword’s brilliance.

The two were following Zhou Qian’s perspective on their phone screens, but across the lake, they still witnessed the astounding scene.

“Damn, that’s so powerful! Truly a Sword God! Killing someone every ten steps, never leaving a trail for a thousand miles!!!”

“Indeed powerful! No wonder it consumes half of his MP.”

However, 10 seconds later.

[Believer No. 9 HP has decreased by 3%]

[Believer No. 6 HP has decreased by 3%]

[Believer No. 15 HP has decreased by 3%]

Qi Liuxing: “……”

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: “……”

Such fierce moves, yet the score was 0-5.

Those gua sha* masters’ reputations were truly deserved.

*Traditional Chinese medicine in which a tool is used to scrape people’s skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matters form blood statis within sore, tired, stiff, or inured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flows to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery. || In this context, it’s basically making a joke of Qi Liuxing’s moves only to barely make a dent on the monsters (like gua sha doesn’t really hurt you even though it looks severely bad).

These NPCs were simply ridiculously strong.

Even Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but curse.

Then he faced the most dangerous moment since entering the game—all three believers were about to unleash their ultimate skills on him.

His pupils uncontrollably dilated, and Qi Liuxing looked enraged.

He quickly pulled out an item from his bag—a mirror.

Should he… Should he use it now?

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The author has something to say:

Can you guess what the real buff is?

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