Chapter 160 - 33 River God Appears, Treasure Emerges

Chapter 160: Chapter 33 River God Appears, Treasure EmergesSuch a cool big move? Indeed, befitting of a Boss-level Boss. Xiao Jie felt a sense of awe in his heart. "Retreat, retreat, retreat!" While saying this, he signaled the group to quickly pull back, but the giant wave was relentlessly following them. "To the rooftops!" Xiao Jie leaped into the air and landed on a pile of debris, then with another jump, he was on the rooftop. I Want to Be Immortal performed a "sudden increase" and jumped up too, Mr. Ramen easily leaped onto the rooftop, and Granny Li even carried Li Bao up to the rooftop; Xiong Da hugged a big tree nearby and quickly climbed up, then followed the trunk onto the rooftop. The moment everyone was on the roof, the tide swept in. Ji Xian’er was persistent, continuing to manipulate her Treasure Bead, directing the giant wave toward the thatched cottage, which began to emit the sounds of collapse under the onslaught. Watching the giant wave accompanied by a swarm of merfolk charging their way, Xiao Jie said in a deep voice. "Don’t be afraid, hold steady, we still have a chance!" Mr. Ramen looked at the approaching monsters, his scalp tingling; he had never seen such a large-scale scene before. "Li, look at how pretty that young lady is, why don’t you just take her? It’s not easy to find a wife these days, she doesn’t even want a house or a dowry. And with your physique and looks, you’re definitely top-grade. Let me tell you, brother, as someone who’s been through it, with that body in bed, it’s definitely exhilarating—you won’t be losing out on this deal. Think about it, why don’t you?" Li Bao’s face flushed red at Mr. Ramen’s words, "A true man born between heaven and earth..." "Crap, ’true man your sister’—sorry Feng, this is too much for me to handle, bro, I’m taking off first." After speaking, he backflipped towards the water behind him. Swallow Three Points Water! Three consecutive leaps with a "pa pa pa" sound, he flew out of the magic’s range of effect in one breath, decisively running away. "Damn, what a coward." I Want to Be Immortal cursed at Mr. Ramen’s fleeing figure, then turned to look at Xiao Jie. "Feng, should we pull out too? Honesty is the foundation of being a person, and to be honest, I really don’t want to die." Upon hearing this, Granny Li immediately glared at I Want to Be Immortal. However, Xiao Jie calmly said, "No, Cheng Xian, today we must hold our ground. A true man, born of this world, must do what’s right and refrain from what’s not. Entrusted by others, loyal to the task. Today, we will not retreat! We must hold out until the very last moment." While delivering his inspiring speech, he sent a private message to I Want to Be Immortal. Hidden Moon Following Wind: Eat some merfolk jerky, when I say run, you run immediately! I Want to Be Immortal: Got it, Feng. Xiao Jie wasn’t foolishly stubborn, but he felt there had to be a turnaround; the game wouldn’t leave players with no way out. Based on his deductions, it was very likely that the River God would intervene in the end. Of course, if the Boss were to get close without any reversal, then running would be necessary. After all, the target was Li Bao. If he ran, the enemy probably wouldn’t stop him. But he also knew that if they fled, they could probably kiss the quest rewards goodbye, so they couldn’t retreat until the very last second. [System Notice: Granny Li’s favorability towards you has increased by 20 points, reaching 100%, and you’ve gained the bond "Life and Death Friend".] Uh... Xiao Jie felt somewhat embarrassed—had he overacted a bit? But guilt aside, if it really came to it, he still had to run. Ten meters, eight meters, seven meters... As Xiao Jie watched the wave bring a group of merfolk crashing toward the cottage, his heart raced as well. "Cheng Xian—" he shouted, and just as Xiao Jie was about to reluctantly call for them to run, boom, there was a sudden change in the lake, a huge whirlpool appeared in the center, pulling the water rushing to shore back into the lake with immense force. No matter how Ji Xian’er spurred on her magic, the tide swiftly receded. (Damn, thankfully I didn’t shout those last two words). Xiao Jie thought, as he heaved a long sigh of relief. Looking towards the lake, they saw a white mist spreading unknowingly over its surface, and a chilling voice came from within the mist, "Ji Xian’er, you’ve lost the bet, it’s time for you to leave." At the calm spot on the water, a figure of a woman dressed in a black robe appeared, ethereal and dreamlike through the fog—it was the beautiful River God, Jiao Yuehua. Ji Xian’er immediately waved her Treasure Bead, gathering the merfolk around her, and faced off with the River God. "Jiao Yuehua, I haven’t finished what I came here to do!" The River God snorted coldly, "I gave you this chance out of respect for an old acquaintance. Now that Li Bao knows the truth and made his choice, what else do you have to say? If you don’t leave now, then you might as well stay forever." After saying this, the whirlpool in the lake suddenly spun violently, tossing Ji Xian’er and the surrounding merfolk, causing them to lose their balance. The whirlpool’s rotation became faster and more furious, the water’s killing intent thickening. "Wait—River God, we’ll leave right away." The whirlpool finally slowed down. Ji Xian’er, reluctantly, glanced toward the shore one last time before she led the merfolk into the water, vanishing from sight. Once the lake surface had finally calmed, everyone jumped down from the thatched roof. Approaching the lake, they gazed across the water at the woman. "You’re Yu Niang!?" Granny Li looked at the River God, disbelief written all over her face. Li Bao was incredibly shocked, "Mother?" "Yes—and no." Jiao Yuehua smiled mysteriously, "I am not Yu Niang, but merely borrowing her body. However, after someone has granted me this favor of a shell, I owe it to make some return. The intervention just now was simply going with the flow. "You two Returning Villagers have done well, truly worthy of the ones I chose. "Hidden Moon Following Wind, you’ve put in a great effort this time..." she said, stretching out her hand, and a wisp of mist wrapped around the Treasure Bead beneath Li Bao’s neck and pulled it towards her. Granny Li cried out in surprise, but upon seeing her grandson remain unchanged, she finally relaxed. "Li Bao has made his choice, to become human, and this Phantom Spirit Pearl is of no use to him anymore. This item is a treasure of the merfolk, capable of changing forms with boundless marvelous uses. Since Granny Li agreed to give it as a reward, it is now yours." With a wave of her hand, the treasure bead fell into Xiao Jie’s hands. Xiao Jie looked closely and saw that it was a purple necklace. [Phantom Spirit Pearl (Epic/Necklace)] Equipment Effect 1: Transform into Human. Allows you to randomly take on a human appearance and harmonize with your surroundings. (Cooldown 10 minutes, the effect will continue until canceled and cannot be dispelled). Equipment Effect 2: Spiritual Charm. Increases your Spiritual attribute by +5. Item Introduction: A treasure crafted by the merfolk artisans, said to be produced by a mystical creature called Mirage, with the power to transform its form and enhance the wearer’s spiritual nature.] What a fantastic item! Xiao Jie’s eyes lit up. Without another word, he used it right away. Transform into Human! In an instant, his appearance changed completely, resembling a fisherman, with a bamboo hat on his head, a short shirt, dark skin, barefoot, which matched well with the surrounding rundown fishing village. However, after glancing at the name above his head, Xiao Jie was immediately disappointed. Although his appearance had changed, his name had not, which was a bit lacking. If even the name could change, that would have been truly invincible. As it is, this form-changing effect probably won’t be very effective against other players. But it should be quite useful for tricking NPCs. Plus, there’s the bonus of 5 Spiritual attribute points; all things considered, it’s quite powerful. "Thank you, River God Sister." The River God turned her gaze towards I Want to Be Immortal. "I Want to Be Immortal, you’ve also done your utmost this time. Your honesty has made you my choice, so I have a reward for you too." With a gesture, a giant axe flew out from the whirlpool, carried by a surge, and floated in front of I Want to Be Immortal. It appeared to be the very same giant axe that he had lost earlier, but it seemed somehow different. The once dull giant axe now shimmered with ripples of light, and faint sounds of the tide could be heard emanating from the axe. "Is this my axe?" I Want to Be Immortal hesitantly asked, mainly because the previous golden axe and silver axe had caused him some decision paralysis, and he wanted it but feared it might be another test. "It is—and it isn’t. It is indeed that same giant axe of yours, but I have just modified it a bit, sealing the power of the tidal force summoned by Ji Xian’er within it, making use of waste. Take it. This time it’s really for you. If you still don’t want it, then it’ll be gone." "Want it, definitely want it, thank you, River God Sister." I Want to Be Immortal’s cursor couldn’t wait to click on it, and instantly the axe fell into his backpack. Upon checking the axe’s attribute, I Want to Be Immortal was overjoyed. [Furious Sea Tide (Epic/Giant Axe)] Attack Power: 48 Slash. Equipment Requirement: Level 10, Strength 50. Weapon Effect 1: Angry Wave! After charging for three seconds, unleash a shockwave that deals 80 siege damage to enemies in a straight line within a 5×30 meter range, and knocks them down. Cooldown 10 minutes. (When you are in the water, the skill’s cooldown speed increases by 300%). Weapon Effect 2: Tide Dance. When you move in the water, you won’t suffer speed penalties. Weapon Introduction: A humongous battle axe, resembling a hunk of iron, that requires tremendous strength to wield—the power of the sea tide is sealed within it, always trying to break free.] What a great item, dual effects plus an extremely high attack power. Although the Angry Slash’s damage is average, the knockdown effect is superb, acting like a group control. I Want to Be Immortal was visibly delighted. Now, equipped with an epic weapon and epic armor, his alt character was an invincible presence. "Now that this matter is resolved, I should take my leave." "Mother!" Li Bao called out reluctantly, but Jiao Yuehua simply shook her head, her expression gradually turning cold. "I’ve said it, I am not Yu Niang; I simply borrowed her physical form to help you as a repayment of a favor. Yu Niang has passed away, and you have come of age. It is time for you to leave. Those merfolk may not let this go so easily; when they come again, I won’t get involved. Look after yourself." After finishing, her figure gradually faded into the mist and disappeared. Seeing the fog over the lake dissipate and everything return to calm, Li Bao also showed a look of forlorn loss. Granny Li sighed upon seeing this scene, "Bao’er, since you wish to venture into the worldly society and vanquish demons, you can’t be without skills. You are only fifteen now, so follow me and learn martial arts for three years. Once you have the ability, it won’t be late to set out, and during these three years I can also take you around and teach you some worldly experiences. Let’s go. You are no longer bound by that curse and needn’t be trapped in this small fishing village anymore." "But..." "Listen to your grandma, not heeding the elder’s advice leads to immediate losses," Xiao Jie also persuaded from the side. Li Bao then reluctantly agreed. Seeing Li Bao being obedient, Granny Li’s face broke into a beaming smile, "Gentlemen, I must thank you for today. Not only did you help me, but you also shook me out of my stubbornness. It was wrong of me to keep Bao’er in the dark, allowing me to dictate his life. A real man should take on his responsibilities. If a man doesn’t have the appearance of one, what’s the point of passing on the lineage? I am ashamed that I have roamed the worldly society for so many years yet lacked your sense of duty and courage." "Ha ha, Granny, don’t blame us for taking the initiative then," said Hidden Moon Following Wind with a chuckle. "No blame at all, not just no blame, but I also have something for you. Hidden Moon Following Wind, this is the ultimate skill I was most proud of when I roamed the worldly society. I see you have a connection with it, so I will pass it on to you today." [System prompt: ’Flying Yaksa’ Granny Li gifted you an item [Flying Cloud Chasing Moon (Lightweight Secret Book)].]