Chapter 37: The Fusion of the Mist Wraith Spirit Stone

The next moment, the Mist-Strange Spirit Stone merged into Lin Yi’s heart like a wisp of white fog.

"Ding! The Strange Stone has absorbed the Mist-Strange Spirit Stone and is currently undergoing a transformation..."

...

At noon, after tidying himself up, Liu Bo arrived at the apartment building where Lin Yi lived.

To figure out who had been tailing his brother Yi, Liu Bo identified himself at the security office and requested access to the apartment complex's surveillance footage.

In the footage, a young man wearing a black hoodie was seen sneaking into the apartment building about twenty minutes after Lin Yi had left. The man in black stayed in the room for only a few minutes, though it was unclear what he did, before quickly disappearing from the complex. Although several security cameras captured him, the man kept his head lowered, obscuring his face.

"Heh, do they think this is some foreign country where you can just pull a mask over your face and vanish?" Liu Bo sneered, then left with the surveillance video.

It was already two in the afternoon when Lin Yi received a message from Liu Bo.

"Brother Yi, I found the person who was tailing you this morning. He’s a player from the Apocalypse World, part of the Black Card Alliance."

"The Black Card Alliance? The organization that has ties to your father?"

"Right, that’s them. They’re likely targeting me. I just returned to Linhe City yesterday, and they must have noticed me dining with you last night."

"Xiao Bo, how do you plan to handle this? Do you need my help?"

"No need, Brother Yi. The people in the Black Card Alliance act without restraint, and since you don't have an official status, it’s not suitable for you to get involved. Leave this person to me; I guarantee he’ll be leaving Linhe City soon."

After their conversation, Lin Yi couldn't help but sigh. Death truly is the best whetstone for character. Just over half a month ago, Liu Bo was still a high school student who had just lost his father and could only come to him to weep. He never expected that after returning from his training, Liu Bo would undergo such a drastic change, handling matters with a composure that hardly seemed like that of a child.

...

Returning to his apartment, Lin Yi searched the room but found no surveillance devices. Everything was exactly as he had left it. If Liu Yuxi hadn't warned him, he truly would not have suspected that anyone had entered his room.

"Black Card Alliance... very well. I’ll remember you."

Shortly after, Lin Yi logged into the Apocalypse World.

Half an hour later, Lin Yi and Gu Chenghu appeared outside the core area of the Ancient Tomb Valley.

"Captain, we’ve been wandering for a while now, and there isn't even a single corpse monster in sight. Why don't we head into the core area to hunt?"

"That works." Gu Chenghu nodded.

Ever since they and the Fifth Militia Squad set up camp in the valley, the number of corpse monsters in the outer perimeter had decreased at a visible rate. Now, finding a lone monster was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Gu Chenghu cautioned, "Remember what I said: once we enter the core area, follow my lead. Don't act rashly. The monsters inside are not like the ones on the outside."

"Understood!"

Lin Yi had some confidence in his own strength. With him and Gu Chenghu working together, they could put up a fight even against a Level 10 corpse monster. Furthermore, having fused with the Mist-Strange Spirit Stone today, he had gained new abilities. He was eager to test them out in the valley to see how effective they were.

Compared to the outer perimeter, the vegetation in the core of the Ancient Tomb Valley was much denser. Ancient trees towered overhead, and the ground was littered with unknown bone fragments and withered yellow leaves. Because sunlight could not penetrate the canopy, a miasma hung heavy throughout the inner valley.

Just as Lin Yi stepped onto a pile of soft, decaying leaves, a black shadow lunged from beneath the ground.

[Ancient Tomb Valley Mutant Corpse Monster (Green)]
HP: 510
Status: Hungry
Level: 9
Skill: Diamond Art
Description: A corpse monster buried for many years. It emerges to hunt when it detects significant movement above ground.

"A Level 9 corpse monster, and it even has an external martial arts skill. Not bad at all."

Seeing the giant, two-meter-tall monster, Lin Yi wasn't afraid; instead, he felt a surge of excitement. Having hunted hundreds of corpse monsters, he had somewhat figured out the pattern for their skill drops. Generally, external martial arts skills only dropped from monsters Level 7 or higher, and the skill carried by the monster was usually one it had practiced while alive. Corpse monsters with such skills typically had a higher drop rate.

"Captain, let me handle this. It’s only level nine; I should be able to manage."

"Alright, I’ll keep watch on our surroundings."

Gu Chenghu nodded, sheathed his Dragon-Roar Blade, and stepped back a few meters.

As the monster roared and charged, Lin Yi flipped his wrist, and his Silver-Bloom Blade appeared in his hand.

*Clang!*

A golden light flashed, slamming heavily into the monster’s right shoulder.

"HP: -220!"

A single strike of the Blazing Sun Blade Technique had wiped out half of the Level 9 monster’s health. It had to be said, the 512% damage boost from the Level 8 Blazing Sun Blade Technique was terrifying. It was likely that no elite in the history of the Ancient Tan Village militia had ever leveled up the Blazing Sun Blade Technique to such a degree.

Although he could have finished off the monster in two strikes, Lin Yi refrained. The Level 9 monster was massive in both strength and size, making it perfect for grinding his blade proficiency.

Lin Yi stopped using the Blazing Sun Blade Technique and instead engaged the monster in a prolonged exchange of strikes. On his status panel, the proficiency for the Blazing Sun Blade Technique began to climb slowly.

A few minutes later, with a crisp crack, the Level 9 monster was decapitated by Lin Yi’s fierce blade.

Two items dropped: a green-quality Corpse Oil Chunk and a green-quality material, a Corpse Monster Sternum. Although he didn't get the external martial arts manual he had hoped for, two green-quality drops were decent.

Over the next two hours, Lin Yi and Gu Chenghu carefully wandered the core area, hunting for more monsters. While the monsters here were more spread out, any they encountered were at least Level 8. Furthermore, due to the lingering essence in the core area, these monsters had clearly mutated, appearing larger than their counterparts in the outer perimeter.

In those two hours, the pair found three Level 8 corpse monsters and two Level 9 ones. Aside from one Level 8 monster that had ambushed them, which Gu Chenghu helped finish off, Lin Yi had personally decapitated the other four. During this time, he not only gained a significant amount of experience but also increased his Blazing Sun Blade proficiency by several dozen points.

The only disappointment was that no external martial arts manuals had dropped, yielding only three or four green materials.

Lin Yi felt his luck was a bit poor. Out of all the monsters he had slain, only one common-quality *Swift Footwork* manual had ever dropped. He decided that once he had more talent slots, he would definitely solidify a talent that increased luck to boost his item drop rates.