Chapter Twenty-Five: A Great Surge of Experience Approaches

When the Sword and the Insect left the Spirit Fruit Beast’s cave, somehow the news of the Spirit Fruit Beast’s complete annihilation spread rapidly through Wind Spirit Valley.

“Hey, brother, I heard that two formidable bandits have come to Wind Spirit Valley. They specialize in raiding, and even took out the Spirit Fruit Beast in one fell swoop.”

“Is that true? Where did they come from?”

“I have no idea. And those annoying Spirit Beast Hunters’ lairs were all ransacked, too. Everyone suspects it’s their doing.”

“Oh my, that’s terrifying. What do they look like?”

“All I’ve heard is that it’s a black iron sword and a little bug.”

“Good heavens, can such a pair really be so fearsome?”

“Brother, better to believe it than not. We should be cautious. I don’t think Wind Spirit Valley will be peaceful again.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

For a while, the already sparsely populated Wind Spirit Valley became even more desolate.

At that moment, the Sword and the Insect squatted in a dense thicket, plotting their next big score.

“Boss, who do we hit next?”

“No target for now. This place is huge—there must be plenty of opportunities. Let’s take a look around and see if we spot any fat prey.”

“Alright, alright.”

Now the Sleepy Insect was completely obedient to Qin Chuan, following his every command like a loyal sidekick.

The Sword and the Insect made a circuit around the area but, surprisingly, didn’t encounter a single spirit creature.

“Little brother, do you sense anything strange?”

“Yeah, boss. Normally, we’d run into one or two spirit creatures at least, but it’s eerily quiet here!”

“Damn, don’t tell me our secret’s out again. That’s another few billion lost!”

Qin Chuan’s consciousness furrowed its brow; this situation was oddly reminiscent of their time in the Sunset Forest.

“Boss, if the spirit creatures won’t come out, it’s hard for us to find them. What now?”

“No rush. Let’s try a new trick.”

“A new trick? Alright, when boss makes a move, it’s always a windfall.”

“Heh, that’s a given.”

Moments later, the Sword and the Insect picked a wide-open spot with excellent visibility—any stir here would be noticed throughout Wind Spirit Valley.

Sleepy Insect was so anxious he was near tears. “Boss, do we really have to do this?”

“Trust me, little brother. In the end, it’ll still be yours.”

“But boss, it means a lot to me! Please don’t lose it.”

Hesitating for a long moment, Sleepy Insect finally, though reluctantly, handed the Spirit Iron Stone to Qin Chuan.

Confident but still wanting to reassure him, Qin Chuan said, “Relax. With me here, nobody can take it.”

“Alright.”

But Sleepy Insect couldn’t shake his worry, since the Spirit Iron Stone was simply too important to him.

In the silent Wind Spirit Valley, a sudden burst of dazzling light flashed, drawing attention from all sides.

“Huh? What’s that? Looks like a treasure!”

“Let’s go check it out!”

In an instant, the valley was abuzz. The emergence of treasure was a rare opportunity, and the spirit creatures quickly forgot about the two infamous bandits.

A Black-Scaled Snake, relying on its speed, was the first to arrive. When it saw the glittering Spirit Iron Stone, it was so ecstatic it almost soared.

“Aha! A Spirit Iron Stone! Am I lucky or what? This is a top-tier item of the second rank!”

The Black-Scaled Snake darted forward, ready to swallow it and refine it at leisure.

“Stupid snake, back off!”

A Poison-Tailed Scorpion lashed out with its tail, sweeping at the Black-Scaled Snake.

“The Spirit Iron Stone is mine—don’t even think about it!”

“Damn you, scorpion! Ruining my good fortune? You’re dead!”

Neither would yield, and without another word, they began to fight.

As they were locked in combat, an Agile Bug dashed over, seized the moment, and tried to snatch the Spirit Iron Stone.

“Damn bug, back off!”

The Black-Scaled Snake and the Poison-Tailed Scorpion stopped fighting each other and turned on the Agile Bug.

Frightened, the Agile Bug retreated and joined the fray.

With the back-and-forth, more and more spirit creatures arrived.

“Damn, it’s a Spirit Iron Stone! Don’t you dare take it—it’s mine!”

“Like hell it is! Who are you? I’m not letting you have it!”

“If you’re not convinced, I’ll kill you!”

Originally, there were already grudges among the spirit creatures in Wind Spirit Valley. Now, with the appearance of the Spirit Iron Stone, tensions instantly escalated beyond reconciliation.

As more spirit creatures joined the battle, the fierce fighting made them nearly forget what they were fighting for in the first place.

“Heh, let them fight—the more vicious, the better.”

“Ding! Detected: Second-rank superior variant Armored Thorn Beast Lord, superb quality, level 14.”

“Ding! Detected: Second-rank superior variant Purgatory Bull Lord, superb quality, level 14.”

“Ding! Detected: Second-rank superior variant Giant Demon Sword Lord, superb quality, level 14.”

“Ding! Detected: Second-rank superior variant Blood-Crazed Lion Lord, superb quality, level 14.”

“Ding! Detected: Second-rank superior variant Iron Demon Tree Lord, superb quality, level 14.”

A string of notifications made Qin Chuan’s heart race with excitement.

“Ha, finally! A banquet of bosses!”

Meanwhile, Qin Chuan was hiding in the grass, thoroughly enjoying himself, while the Spirit Iron Stone vanished in the chaos.

“Huh? Where’s the Spirit Iron Stone? Damn it, you must have swallowed it—spit it out!”

“Nonsense, you must have swallowed it—give it up!”

The scene devolved into even greater chaos, and the entry of the Lords threw things completely out of control.

“Whoever swallowed the Spirit Iron Stone, spit it out now or die!”

“Lord, I didn’t swallow it!”

“Nor did I!”

All the spirit creatures present denied it, making the five Lords feel their authority was gravely challenged.

“If you won’t admit it, then so be it—we’ll just start hunting early! Kill them all!”

At the command, the Lords’ followers surged into the battlefield.

The five Lords were of one mind: kill everyone, and the truth would emerge on its own. As for the final ownership of the Spirit Iron Stone, they would resolve that among themselves.

What began as a scramble for treasure devolved into a premature hunt orchestrated by the five Lords.

At this moment, Sleepy Insect twisted his sneaky little body and slipped back to Qin Chuan, clutching the Spirit Iron Stone in his mouth.

“Boss, your plan was genius, but I was scared to death!”

Sleepy Insect had stayed hidden underground, with the Spirit Iron Stone right above his head. When the chaos peaked, he loosened the soil, letting the stone sink unnoticed into the earth.

“Heh, I see a wave of experience points coming my way.”

Watching the bloodbath about to erupt, Qin Chuan felt a thrill.

“Brothers, fight your way out!”

“We mustn’t sit still and await our doom!”

The five Lords were out to slaughter every spirit creature who had come for the Spirit Iron Stone, but none of them intended to go down without a fight—they all rose up in defiance.

A terrible clamor of battle shook the valley as the massacre began.

Qin Chuan, hidden in the grass, began reaping experience.

“Chirp!”

“Ding! Killed level 13 Black-Scaled Snake, gained 600 experience.”

“Ding! Killed level 13 Poison-Tailed Scorpion, gained 600 experience.”

…