Yun Qingzhou subconsciously glanced at Qingyu, only to see Qingyu standing there in a daze, as if he had been completely flustered by this sudden move.
How could an expert hack through an A-rank monster just like chopping vegetables?
I surely must not be seeing things.
Looked at this way, the expert might even be more powerful than their captain.
Yun Qingzhou pressed his lips together, helplessly rubbed his forehead, eased up the force in his hands, and engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt corpse before him.
Now, in Qingyu’s eyes, it was no longer a one-sided slaughter of the corrupt corpse by Yun Qingzhou, but rather two equally matched opponents unable to tell who was winning for the time being.
The current situation made much more sense. How could an expert possibly be more powerful than their captain?
Heh, the corrupt corpse must have just let its guard down a moment ago!
Meanwhile, on a hillside not far from the small town, grass grew and orioles flew, while mist and rosy clouds scattered their brilliance. Over a dozen men and women sat gathered under a tall Chinese parasol tree.
“Has Qingyu been found?”
The man who spoke was extremely handsome, wearing a black tank top with a light gray zip-up jacket tied around his waist, and a neat crop of short black hair that gave him an exceptionally refreshing look.
The woman the man questioned had a tall figure, her form-fitting clothes outlining charming curves.
At this, the woman parted her red lips slightly, shook her head with a hint of disappointment, and replied:
“No. But Captain, perhaps we should check out what caused that sudden flash of black-and-red clouds just now. As for Qingyu for the time being…”
Before the woman could finish her sentence, the small town down the mountain suddenly let out a fierce and terrifying monster roar that echoed across the entire region.
The dozen or so people who had been somewhat lazy instantly tensed up, standing up briskly and fixing worried, vigilant gazes on the source of the sound.
The man called Captain cast a cold glare at the woman, causing her to lower her head in shame as the man said in a deep voice:
“Not a single person in this team can be abandoned. If anyone speaks like this again, get yourself out of Winner!”
The group shivered and respectfully answered in the affirmative, then heard the man say:
“There is a situation in the town at the bottom of the mountain. A few of you come with me to check it out, and the rest stay here.”
“Someone might be fighting a monster. Judging by that roar, the monster should be no lower than B-plus rank.”
With that, the man took the lead and sprinted down the mountain, followed closely by several others.
“That is Qingyu!” A plain-looking young man pointed at Qingyu’s back in shock.
The lead man nodded and quickly walked up to Qingyu.
Qingyu had been so engrossed in watching the expert fight the monster that he hadn’t noticed the extra group of people approaching from not far behind. Suddenly, a figure popped up beside him and startled him out of his wits.
Once he recognized who was beside him, Qingyu let out a long sigh of relief, practically weeping tears of joy:
“Captain, I finally found you guys!”
“Wuwuwu, I’ve had it so rough!”
Qingyu excitedly wanted to run up and hug the man beside him in a great cry, but the man sidestepped and dodged him, leaving Qingyu too awkward to continue his grievances.
At this point, everyone’s attention shifted back to the battle unfolding before them.
“This person… Qingyu, do you know him? He feels so powerful, not a bit inferior to the Captain.”
“Indeed, this person is remarkably strong. That is an A-rank monster right in front of him, yet he is not at a disadvantage at all, and even seems to hold a faint upper hand.”
The companions beside Qingyu exclaimed in wonder and admiration.
Hearing this, the expression on Qingyu’s face instantly turned proud, his rising tone sounding like he was showing off:
“This is an expert I met along the way, awesome right?”
“If not for the expert, I would have been torn to shreds by the monster.”
Not far away, the young man clad in a wide white robe was completely shielded from view by his garments. The longsword dancing in his hand alternated between fierce and gentle, looking so refined and elegant that it felt like a visual feast.
Seeing this, Li Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing intently on the battle ahead.
Why did that person in white feel somewhat familiar?
Realizing the battle was dragging on, Qingyu urged anxiously:
“Right! Captain, hurry up and help the expert! This A-rank monster is not easy to deal with!”
At this, Li Lin merely stood unmoving in place, shook his head with a trace of admiration, and said:
“He doesn’t need my help. The reason it has dragged on without a winner for so long is simply because he hasn’t unleashed his full strength at all.”
He could see it clearly; that person had been toying with the corrupt corpse using the most basic sword techniques. If he used his full strength, even he himself would find it hard to gain any advantage.
Hearing these words, everyone present widened their eyes in disbelief.
“Captain, you mean to say this person can solo an A-rank monster all by himself, and do it with ease?!”
“How is that even possible?! I’ve never heard of such a person on the powerhouse rankings!”
Li Lin remained quite calm, raising an eyebrow and speaking indifferently: “Nothing is impossible. Among solo players, there are also formidable figures who prefer to keep a low profile.”
Meanwhile, Yun Qingzhou, who was battling the corrupt corpse, sensed the arrival of the newcomers and knew he should wrap up the fight soon.
The youth tapped his toes lightly, hovering briefly in mid-air as he chanted a spell under his breath. The sword in his hand drove straight through the monster’s heart, and following a miserable shriek, the corrupt corpse dissolved into flying ash and drifted away with the wind.
The jaws of the onlookers not far away nearly dropped to their chests, though this did nothing to stop Yun Qingzhou from calmly walking right up to them.
They had expected the expert to at least sustain some injuries, but now it appeared the expert was not only uninjured, but didn’t even show any exhaustion from the prolonged battle.
Could the gap between people really be this massive?
Seeing Yun Qingzhou approach, Li Lin offered a smile and extended a hand: “Hello, my name is Li Lin.”
Seeing Li Lin, Yun Qingzhou felt a momentary daze and involuntarily glanced into those deeply impressive eyes.
Beautiful, profound, resembling a bottomless abyss, yet at that moment making no effort to hide their appreciation for him.
Yun Qingzhou quickly looked away, after which a fair, slender hand, sculpted like jade and carved by the gods, reached out from his long sleeve.
He grasped Li Lin’s outstretched hand, his voice as cold as ten-thousand-foot frost: “Zhou Qing.”