Ghost Potion, a deceased S-level talent. (6200)

As soon as Cao Xing entered, the atmosphere in the room seemed to turn somewhat silent. Even after a few seconds had passed, no one spoke.

Cao Xing asked, somewhat puzzled: "What's going on? Aren't we here to discuss business?"

"Why did you all stop talking the moment I arrived?"

The group reacted at this moment, quickly composing their expressions.

Wei Jianyi was the first to put on a smile and said: "Great Lord Cao Xing, you certainly are punctual."

"Please, take a seat!"

He pointed to the side, where there was an empty stool, clearly left for him.

Upon hearing this, Cao Xing walked over calmly and sat down on the stool.

Immediately, he felt a wave of intense cold air, emanating from the white-haired woman sitting opposite him.

This cold air would be unbearable for some Tier 3 or Tier 4 Survivors.

It was obvious that this was a test from the woman before him.

However, Cao Xing was not only a Frost Mage but had also received the power of a dragon.

To him, it felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against his face.

Cao Xing said with a calm expression.

"Everyone, since this is our first meeting, let's introduce ourselves."

This was their first time meeting, and everyone felt quite uneasy.

Towards this legendary figure, they felt more awe than curiosity.

At the same time, the white-haired woman said indifferently:

"I am Bai Zhi; you should know who I am."

The middle-aged man beside her still wore a kind smile and said: "I am Cheng Lu. Great Lord Cao Xing, I have long admired your name!"

Cao Xing nodded: "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

After everyone had introduced themselves, the atmosphere eased up a bit.

The middle-aged man named Cheng Lu spoke first: "You truly deserve to be the number one person in the four major regions, the one who reached the top among tens of millions of Survivors in the Battle of the Oracle!"

"The aura you exude gives me the feeling of a rabbit encountering a flood dragon; it is terrifyingly fierce!"

The others felt the same way.

As a level 70 max-level Archmage who had also acquired a hidden class, Cao Xing was far more powerful than the average level 70 boss-level creature!

Even without deliberately revealing it, his aura gave people an extremely formidable feeling!

Cao Xing smiled faintly.

Beside him, Bai Zhi also watched Cao Xing with a complex expression.

Only at her level could one truly appreciate how powerful the man before her was.

A moment later, Cao Xing got straight to the point: "Wei Jianyi, tell us about our specific plan of action."

Beside him, Wei Jianyi gathered his thoughts, cleared his throat, and said.

"It's like this. I believe you have all heard the rumors that I obtained the inheritance of a Sword Saint."

"And that is indeed the case."

"Within that inheritance, I not only gained many Wandering Swordsman units but also became a hidden class: Wandering Swordsman."

Most people already knew this information.

So Wei Jianyi just stated it directly.

The people present were not particularly surprised.

Wei Jianyi continued: "This inheritance can be considered a result of my good luck."

"When I first descended into this world, my territory was right near this inheritance, so not long after my beginner protection period ended, I entered it to start exploring."

"Inside, I gained quite a few benefits. For a time, relying on these things, I took the number one spot on the level leaderboard and the Ice Nest points leaderboard."

Upon hearing this, everyone focused their gaze on Wei Jianyi, while marveling at his good luck.

The man continued.

"However, as powerful as the things I obtained may seem, in reality, I haven't even touched the core area of this inheritance."

"The true inheritance is still deeper within, inside the actual inner sanctum."

"However, to enter this place of inheritance, one must first pass through a gate."

"And this gate is blocked by two powerful guardians."

"Only by killing these two guardians can we enter the true interior of the inheritance."

"So this time, I invited Bai Zhi and Cheng Lu to explore this inheritance together."

After listening to Wei Jianyi's account, Cao Xing understood the ins and outs of the situation.

So he continued to ask: "What is the strength of the guardians you mentioned?"

He thought for a moment and replied: "I don't know—my current level has already reached 50, which is the max level for Tier 5."

"However, even after I went in and used the system's interface functions, I still couldn't see their information."

"Conservatively estimated, these guardians have at least level 70 strength or higher."

Cao Xing was slightly taken aback, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Level 70 or higher, that's Tier 8 Hero-level."

"With your current Tier 5 combat power, you dare to go up against such powerful enemies?"

Cao Xing really wanted to say that they were courting death, but in the end, he didn't say it out loud.

After all, as top-tier Survivors of the entire server, it was possible they had some kind of opportunity.

The three of them exchanged glances.

The fleshy-faced middle-aged man, Cheng Lu, said: "It is indeed as Great Lord Cao Xing says; our current strength is not enough to deal with such powerful enemies."

"From the beginning, we didn't plan on killing these guardians."

"Instead, we changed our strategy: Bai Zhi and I would go over together and use our methods to stall the two guardians outside."

"Then we would let Wei Jianyi go in to unlock the inheritance inside."

"However, because we don't know exactly how strong these guardians are, we aren't sure if we can hold them off."

"But now, if Great Lord Cao Xing can participate, we would have a much better chance of success."

Cao Xing asked with a skeptical tone: "Are you sure there are no other monsters inside, besides the two guardians at the entrance?"

Hearing this, the three of them were stunned for a moment.

Seeing their reaction, a speechless expression appeared on Cao Xing's face.

"So you haven't even thought about that."

"If Wei Jianyi goes in and encounters other enemies, wouldn't he just be throwing his life away for nothing?"

The group fell into silence.

Wei Jianyi hesitated for a moment, then said: "There shouldn't—be that many monsters, right?"

Cao Xing shrugged: "Suit yourself, it's not my life being risked anyway."

Hearing this, he also seemed to feel a bit guilty.

"Then, what is Great Lord Cao Xing's suggestion?"

Cao Xing said: "My suggestion is, of course, that we all work together to kill the enemies outside first, and then explore the inheritance together."

The room was slightly stunned.

"But—those are Tier 8 creatures. According to what you said, they are unimaginably strong. Can we handle them?"

In reality, the people Cao Xing brought with him this time were enough to easily deal with two Tier 8 creatures that had commander potential.

However, he didn't speak too definitively.

Instead, he said: "I have a certain degree of confidence in dealing with such powerful beings."

A look of shock appeared in everyone's eyes once again!

After all, those were Hero-level creatures.

The three of them had only been thinking about how to stall the enemies until now.

They never even considered killing the guardians outside before going in.

And now, Cao Xing was talking about directly killing them.

Although they were somewhat skeptical, they felt relieved when they thought of this person's terrifying strength.

Wei Jianyi immediately replied: "If that's the case, then Great Lord Cao Xing's proposal is indeed the safest plan."

"I agree!"

Beside him, Bai Zhi nodded indifferently: "I have no objections either."

Cheng Lu also nodded and replied: "Then we will go back now and act together in a few days!"

The group quickly finalized the plan.

At this moment, Cao Xing said:

"Wait a moment. Although I have agreed to explore the inheritance together and try to deal with the Hero-level enemies inside."

"But before that, I need to confirm: what will we get if we go in?"

Hearing this, the others in the room didn't speak but looked at Wei Jianyi.

After all, this inheritance belonged to him.

This man said: "Because I have never been inside, I don't know what is in there."

"If we can really unlock the inheritance, how about we divide the rewards based on what's inside at that time?"

Wei Jianyi knew clearly that relying on his current strength to swallow this inheritance alone was an extremely distant prospect.

He didn't know when he would be able to deal with Hero-level enemies.

As a man who had taken the number one spot on the leaderboards several times in a row, he also attached great importance to the system's prompts.

The difficulty of the new expansion pack was immense, and he had to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

Therefore, it was no big deal to share some of the things from the inheritance.

There were many opportunities in this world; once he had stronger abilities, he could go and explore other places containing opportunities.

Thereby improving his strength again and achieving a virtuous cycle.

This was what all the top powerhouses in the major regions did.

Cao Xing looked at the other two.

Bai Zhi and Cheng Lu seemed quite easy to talk to.

The two replied: "I have no objections."

Cao Xing nodded: "Fine, then I agree."

At this moment, smiles appeared on the faces of the people in the room.

This operation, belonging to the top powerhouses of their four major regions, was quickly finalized!

Cao Xing said: "Since everyone has agreed, I will head back first."

"Just give me a call when you are ready to set off."

After saying this, he stood up directly from the chair, preparing to leave.

Everyone watched him leave.

Just as he was about to open the door, Cao Xing seemed to remember something and turned his head to ask:

"By the way, do you know the location of the Tannak District?"

Hearing this, the group exchanged glances.

Bai Zhi, who was sitting opposite Cao Xing, spoke up:

"I know it. I will send you the coordinates."

After saying that, she sent the location via the private chat window.

Cao Xing nodded, then pulled open the door.

Wei Jianyi said from behind: "Great Lord Cao Xing, we will wait for you to act together in three days."

"Alright."

Cao Xing closed the door.

After he left, the people in the room all breathed a sigh of relief.

Just now, although Cao Xing was communicating with them normally, that sense of oppression was too intense, making them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

A moment later, Wei Jianyi lowered his voice and said: "What do you think?"

The middle-aged man Cheng Lu still had an honest smile on his face as he exclaimed:

"Very strong!"

"He is worthy of being the number one in the entire server; his aura is truly terrifying!"

"I estimate that Cao Xing has definitely broken through to the Master realm, and not just an ordinary Master at that!"

Hearing this, a complicated expression appeared in the hearts of Wei Jianyi, Bai Zhi, and the others. Although the three of them were already top-tier existences among the Survivors, their levels were only around 50.

This was only because, during the last Battle of the Oracle, they had used 100,000 points to exchange for an Expert-level Heart of Strength to raise their levels.

As for the Master level, who knows how long that would take.

There was no helping it; the Master-level Heart of Power was too difficult to obtain.

Without the help of the System Store, they could only obtain it by killing those wild Master-level creatures.

And it had to be of Elite rank or higher.

However, any creature of this level was a huge challenge for them.

That was why they were all stuck at level 50 and unable to break through.

And now, Cao Xing had clearly left them far behind!

Cao Xing had already returned to his room at this time.

After obtaining the specific location of that district, he did not act immediately.

Instead, he called for Sarah and had her scout it out first.

After all, this Tian Jing only said he was locked in a basement, but exactly where was still unknown.

Moreover, the Tannake district was vast; searching bit by bit would consume a massive amount of time, and it might even alert that perverted noble.

If he was alerted and moved Tian Jing, that would be a big problem.

So what needed to be done now was to first confirm Tian Jing's location, then act with the fastest speed.

After receiving the order, Sarah quickly vanished from the spot.

As a Tier 7 Sovereign-level assassin, if she wanted to hide herself, even Hero-level creatures might not necessarily be able to detect her existence.

Therefore, sending her out for this kind of mission was the most appropriate choice.

Next, it was just a matter of waiting silently.

Several hours passed, and there was still no news from Sarah.

Cao Xing waited until past ten o'clock at night.

A shadow suddenly appeared in the room.

When that shadow revealed its form, a woman wrapped in thick leather armor that outlined her graceful figure appeared.

It was Sarah!

At this moment, the Dark Elf bowed slightly and saluted, "My Lord, I did not find the Otherworld Lord you mentioned."

"However, I found a rather special area in a corner of that district."

'That area has been subjected to some kind of shielding magic, and there is a large door blocking my entry.'

"In the entire district, this is the only suspicious place."

Cao Xing's eyes suddenly lit up.

Clearly, based on these clues from Sarah.

This place was highly likely where Tian Jing was being held.

"Very good. You wait here in the room with me for a while, then take me over there."

"Understood!"

He did not act immediately.

Instead, he waited until around eleven o'clock late at night, when the entire Eternal Frost Main City had quieted down.

Cao Xing then said, "Let's go, Sarah, we're setting off."

As he spoke, a shadow opened the door first.

Then, without anyone noticing, two figures quietly left the tavern.

The two of them, cloaked, walked through the streets.

The Eternal Frost Main City in the dead of night appeared very desolate; not a single pedestrian could be seen.

Of course, in this kind of cold world, not many people went out during the day, let alone at night.

At this moment, Sarah walked in front silently, like an elegant cheetah.

Cao Xing followed her all the way forward.

The two of them avoided all guard patrols.

Then, after taking several turns, they arrived at a district on the outskirts of the city.

This street looked like the slums of the Eternal Frost Main City.

The houses were very old, and the ground was extremely dirty and messy, as if it hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

Walking along the way, a strange, foul stench could be smelled in the air.

Cao Xing even saw quite a few frozen corpses in the corners.

He thought to himself, "As expected, do even the most glamorous-looking places have dark corners?"

"Even in the Eternal Frost Main City, it is the same."

Without thinking too much, he continued to follow Sarah forward.

Soon, they turned into a secluded alley.

Reaching the end.

Sarah stopped beside a small house outside and said, "My Lord, the area subjected to the shielding magic is right here."

"There is a small wooden door below that connects to a basement."

"After entering inside, there will be a hidden door; that is where I finally stopped in front of that hidden door."

Cao Xing scanned the surroundings and indeed saw a small wooden door in the corner.

It was like a basement window, barely large enough for one person to crawl through.

"Good, let's go down and take a look."

As he spoke, Sarah pushed open the wooden door, and a narrow staircase passage appeared in front of them.

The two of them followed this passage all the way down.

"Tap… tap…"

The sound of hollow footsteps echoed in their ears.

The further down they went, the dimmer the light became.

Soon, they reached the end and arrived in a narrow room.

It looked ordinary, with various miscellaneous items piled inside.

The air was filled with the smell of dust and decay.

Even if those vagrants accidentally broke in here, they would quickly leave, because there really wasn't anything here.

Just then, Sarah came to a wall and said.

"My Lord, this is it."

"There is a hidden door here; passing through this hidden door should lead to a hidden area."

Cao Xing scanned it with his gaze.

[Hidden Secret Door]

[Armor: 800]

[Durability: 50000 / 50000]

[Attached Effect: Explosion Rune (Once the secret door's durability reaches zero, it will trigger a violent explosion.)]

A stone door with only 50,000 durability could be destroyed by any random spell.

However, the troublesome part was the explosion rune behind it.

This was clearly an early warning device left by some existence; once someone destroyed the stone door, it would trigger an explosion.

Then, after they detected it, they would rush over at the fastest speed.

Sarah asked, "My Lord, do you need me to destroy the stone door?"

Cao Xing thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "No need. I will pass through it myself first, then check the situation inside."

Sarah was stunned for a moment, seemingly not understanding what Cao Xing meant.

The next moment, she saw him take out a bottle of potion glowing with green fluorescent light from his backpack.

Then he poured it directly into his mouth.

"Gulp."

Under Sarah's gaze, Cao Xing's body began to become transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It was as if he had lost his physical body, and a strange green light radiated from his body—

[You have successfully consumed [Ghost Potion]. For the next 5 minutes, you can ignore walls and other structures and move freely, and you are immune to 30% of physical attacks. During this period, you cannot launch attacks. Influenced by the talent [Eternal Power], this effect has become permanent—]

(Note: Under the permanent state, you can exit and enter this state at any time.)

Seeing the prompt, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's pale green face.

That's right, this bottle of potion was bought at the black market in Merlind City last time, and it had come in handy at this moment.

Then, he rushed directly towards the direction of the wall.

At the moment of contact with the stone door, Cao Xing's body merged into the interior.

Then he entered inside without any obstruction.

The next moment, the view in front of Cao Xing suddenly opened up.

Compared to the small room outside, this was a relatively large underground hall.

And beside the hall, there were individual small rooms.

These rooms looked like prison cells, where some creatures had once been imprisoned; they looked quite eerie.

Cao Xing floated his body, moving forward continuously, looking exactly like a perfect ghost.

"This ghost form is quite convenient."

"I can go wherever I want."

Moving along this hall all the way forward.

Cao Xing also passed by a pitch-black passage, but he did not enter.

The primary task now was still to find Tian Jing first.

Thus, he soon arrived at the end area of the hall.

In front of him, another heavy iron door appeared.

Out of so many rooms in the entire underground space, only this one was locked, which seemed very suspicious.

Cao Xing pondered, "Inside here, this should be the place where Tian Jing is being held, right?"

Thinking of this, he passed directly through the iron door.

In ghost form, he again entered a narrow, enclosed, and dark room—

A stench of rot immediately wafted from inside.

The air was also filled with a thick smell of blood.

All around were many jars and bottles, filled with large amounts of internal organs.

And in the very center of this small room, there was a small wooden bed, on which lay a person bound by iron chains.

His stomach had been sliced open, and the internal organs inside had been hollowed out; he looked quite miserable.

It looked like he was as dead as he could be.

Scanning with his gaze, an attribute panel immediately appeared: [Survivor: Tian Jing (Deceased)]

[Level: 4]

[Race: Corpse]

[Class: None]

[Attributes: None]

[Skills: None]

[Talent: Undead (S-Rank)]

"It really is him!"

Cao Xing's gaze narrowed slightly.

However, this Tian Jing seemed to be in a death state at this moment.

But before this, he had also heard that no matter how severe the injuries Tian Jing sustained, he would be fully revived the next day.

However, the situation before him made Cao Xing have to doubt it.

"This guy… can he still revive in this current condition?"

With a slightly puzzled expression, Cao Xing also didn't quite know how to deal with this guy.

Should he just carry his corpse away, or wait for him to wake up?

And just as Cao Xing was thinking, the time reached exactly 00:00 midnight.

At the same time.

Cao Xing saw an astonishing scene!

This Tian Jing, who had originally been dead, suddenly moved.

Those exaggerated wounds on his body began to heal at an astonishing speed!

Even his hollowed-out stomach swelled up rapidly as if being filled with water!

The cracks on his skin recovered to their original state in a short time.

A trace of black aura also seemed to emerge on his pale face.

A moment later, the person's eyelids opened.

A pair of pitch-black eyes stared at the ceiling above.

"Good grief, he really did revive!" Cao Xing exclaimed in his heart.

And at this moment, the moment Tian Jing opened his eyes, he sensed that there was another creature in the room.

His gaze instantly landed on Cao Xing!