"No!" The speaker smiled wanly. "There was one more person inside."
"Red Dust?"
Solitary Perpetual Joy's breathing froze, and he said the name of a person he had never forgotten in his heart.
"That's right, it was him!"
"I knew it. They had decided to form a party together."
At that moment, Situ Luoyu felt that the pressure on his shoulders had increased greatly. But when he considered it from another angle, he felt that there was something off.
"That's not right. Even with Red Dust joined them, he was injured. It'd be impossible for the three of them to hold back Dead She-wolf by themselves. How did you die?"
"It was Red Dust," the two answered at the same time and smiled in anguish.
"Even now, we aren't too certain of the details, but something was really off when we entered. It looked like they had some method to see Dead She-wolf, and her abilities had clearly been reduced compared to before. The other two from Happy's party could easily hold her back, so once Red Dust worked together with All-powerful Medicinal Stone, we simply couldn't win against them. By the way, Red Dust seemed to have recovered from his injuries. Once we died, the others should have run away."
Even Situ Luoyu's confidence in killing Happy had begun to waver.
Red Dust had formed a party with Happy, and once his hands were freed, he would definitely pose a great threat to the people outside!
Even though Situ Luoyu did not want to admit defeat and face the truth, it now seemed truly impossible to kill Happy.
So many of their own had died. Yet not only had they not managed to kill Red Dust and Happy, they had even made those two troublesome people form a party.
The progression of events had gone out of his control!
"What should we do now?"
Solitary Perpetual Joy looked at Situ Luoyu, feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Even if they headed to Immortal Fox Cave again, they would not be able to reach the depths. More than half an hour was required to move from the first level to the end of the second level, and they also had to take some time to deal with the large number of players outside Fox Cave who were filled with righteous indignation. Those players would definitely block them, and they would have to waste time to handle them.
"What else can we do?"
Situ Luoyu's face was filled with resignation and powerlessness. Right then, their men were still fighting, and they could not receive any messenger pigeons. The sect masters could not give any orders to change anything.
He had a feeling that Happy already harbored a great dislike toward them. If they just let him become stronger, there was a high possibility that even their Hall Master Dream Clouds, who had now moved to the top of Phoenix Rank, would find it hard to suppress him!
*****
Just when Situ Luoyu and Solitary Perpetual Joy thought about how they should deal with the problems that would surely arise after the disaster, the battle outside the chamber in Fox Cave progressed to a stalemate from its initial intensity.
The people from the two sects had begun to figure Happy's attacks.
Stormy Shadowless Kick had an astonishing momentum, but its damage was not great, and while Happy's saber technique was domineering, its speed was average. If it were not for the fact that his body fortification technique was extraordinary, they might have killed him long ago.
"Team 1, retreat! Team 2, attack!"
Ji Feng had been watching from the side for a long time and taken up the position of commander for the two sects. He stood outside the battlefield and calmly commanded the people to attack and defend with loud shouts.
Under Ji Feng's orders, the players who surrounded Happy gradually became used to the rhythm of the battle. They formed orderly teams and would attack and defend in an orderly fashion. By doing so, they managed to ensure that no more people died.
Every single time a team attacked, there were at least four people whose attacks would land full force on the golden light. Every single time it trembled violently, it became dimmer.
"Ji Feng?"
Among the boundless sea of unfamiliar faces, that familiar face stunned Happy for a moment.
Boom!
A number of attacks struck Happy at the same time. His Golden Bell Cocoon became dim, trembled, and shattered completely. The remaining force of the attacks sent Happy flying out of the crowd and into the wall.
Chapter 208 - Provoke
The cave outside Dead She-wolf's chamber in the second level of Fox Cave was silent!
Happy's sudden injury had happened without preamble. He had been able to kill more than twenty top-tier fighters with his own strength, and his momentum had been above the two sects. During the fight, not only had he shown no trace of fear, he had even suppressed his enemy so much that they could only rely on continuously fighting against him in shifts to protect themselves. Hence, Happy's mistake just then caught everyone by surprise, and they were all puzzled. None of them could react to the situation in time.
That included Ji Feng, who was also a little baffled by what happened at that moment.
Based on Happy's previous movements and positioning, he should have been able to negate more than half of their attacks, and he should have been able to last a few more rounds. It was a little too sudden for him to lose like that.
It was only when they saw Happy's body slam into the wall, a few shattered pieces of rock roll to the ground, and him cough up a huge mouthful of blood that everyone became besides themselves with joy!
'He's injured! Happy's injured!'
"Attack!"
However, while they were raring to go, the excitement on their faces did not last for long.
Happy leaned against the wall and stood up again. No hint of alarm saying that he was now in trouble could be seen on his face. The only thing that could be detected was a hint of mockery and a strange look of realization under his pain.
"So, it's you…"
The words Happy said in the silent cave were incredibly calm and clear, but they left everyone baffled.
'What did that mean?'
Ji Feng frowned, but he did not hesitate. He spoke in a calm voice once more.
"Team 2 and 3, left wing. Team 1 and 4, right wing. Defend and counterattack! Be careful of him trying to break out of the encirclement with his saber technique!"
He could already tell that Happy must have let his mind wander for a moment because of someone, which was why he was injured. Even though he did not know who that person was, he could not let such a rare good chance go!
"Very well."
Happy cast a glance at Ji Feng, who remained behind the crowd. He did not show any hints of anger, instead, the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even greater and brighter than before.
In a barely audible voice, he mumbled to himself, "So, it's you. I heard about you in my previous life, Woolen-robed Swordsman Ji Feng. You don't have great fighting prowess, but you have an extraordinary mind. Your ability to mobilize soldiers and set up formations is so great that no one can surpass you. Today, I'm lucky to be able to meet you."
Right when the people in front of him moved, Happy brought out two Dew Pills and tossed them into his mouth.
The Dew Pills melted the moment they entered his mouth!
Boom!
His Golden Bell Cocoon had used up most of his qi in his Dantian region, but a wave of new energy was instantly injected into it. Full once more, it swelled up again. Most of his injuries were also cured.
Dew Pills were a consumable that could not be missing during battle in his previous life.
Happy had more than one hundred Dew Pills in his hands. He did not have to be afraid of anyone.
Buzz!
With a thought, a faint layer of golden light surged out of Happy's body. Under the two sects' shocked gazes, that light instantly covered his entire body. The shattered Golden Bell Cocoon was activated once again!
Ji Feng was rendered speechless. Victory was originally in his hands,
but now, he stared at the arm Happy had used to bring out his medicinal pills. He scowled, but his eyes sparkled, and no one knew what he was thinking about.
"Again!"
Happy did not wait for his enemies to attack him. With a roar, he took the initiative to charge into the crowd.
This time, he did not hold back anymore.
He formed the shape of a claw with his hand and subdued his enemy with Dragon Capture!
With the force of a thunderbolt, he grabbed one person, and with the additional Arm Strength and Affinity granted by Thousand Year Corpse King's Right Arm, he easily swung him in an arc and flung him at the crowd charging at him with their weapons flashing.
The front people could not stop their charge in time. The attacks they wanted to deal on Happy all landed on the unlucky soul. None of them missed.
"AAAHHH!"
A scream of pain rose into the air, but Happy's expression did not change.
He grabbed the unlucky soul who was now drenched in blood while holding his Hundred-battle Saber in his other hand. His robes fluttered, and he moved decisively to stand in front of the incoming players. He smiled faintly at them and Ji Feng, who was behind them. His Hundred-battle Saber flashed and sank deep into the body of his meat shield!
His actions were swift and clean, and he killed without hesitation!
Happy's calm and might were brought out to their fullest once more.
Whoosh!
The corpse was flung into the crowd with great force.
"Careful!"
"He's here!"
All sorts of enraged warnings rose, but no one noticed that Ji Feng had swiftly put on a solemn look on his face. It was full of surprise, and it showed up when Happy smiled at him.
Even though it was a sideways glance that had only lasted for an instant, Ji Feng had understood the meaning behind Happy's smile.
His glance was full of provocation.
Even though he did not understand how Happy had managed to notice him while he had so carefully hidden himself, Ji Feng had felt a strong sense of danger that made him feel as if he had been captured the moment he saw the smile. He felt as if Happy had captured him as easily and confidently as he had captured his men.
Happy already knew how important Ji Feng was to the other players. With that being the case, he should begin to employ tactics that would target Ji Feng.
But Ji Feng did not know that it was not what Happy thought!
From the moment he noticed Ji Feng's existence, Happy could already guess that Ji Feng's wisdom had been employed during the short fight just then. Ji Feng had to have analyzed his skills and understood the subtleties of Stormy Shadowless Kick and Flowering Knights' Song.
Based on them, he could create a series of defensive battle tactics that could allow them to counterattack while they stalled for time and made him use up his Golden Bell Cocoon and qi. If he fought with the standard battle tactics, they would end up in a stalemate, and he would use up his Dew Pills one by one.
Even though that would buy time for the people inside, Happy did not want to spend all of the Dew Pills he got from Pomelo just like that!
Besides, even though he knew that killing the Woolen-robed Swordsman Ji Feng would make the strength of the alliance of the two sects fall down or even crumble fully, Happy did not want to end the game so soon.
He had a habit of challenging all sorts of powerful players in his previous life. To him, the Woolen-robed Swordsman's advantage came from his strategies and his mind. It would be meaningless if he used brute force to directly defeat him. It would only make Woolen-robed Swordsman want to turn the tables around in the area he prided himself with even more eagerly than before. But if he defeated the Woolen-robed Swordsman in the area he was good at, the man would…
'Heh.'
When he remembered the bold words the Woolen-robed Swordsman had once posted on the forum when he became famous, a hint of a smile appeared on Happy's lips.
He would use his own strengths to defeat the Woolen-robed Swordsman in the area he was skilled at!
With a tap on the ground, he jumped into the air and followed behind the corpse like a shadow. While the people dodged the corpse in alarm, the dark blue light of his saber grew in brightness, and he formed a dazzling arc in the air!
Slick!
The corpse was divided into two.
The people before it instantly panicked. They raised their arms to block the blood which would gush out into their faces, but it did not appear.
It was a limit and protection that the system set as part of the content of the game.
No one had experienced it before except for Happy.
The corpse looked as if it had been torn apart by a strong force. It pulled the two parts in different directions, and a golden figure shot through the gap. With a face full of confidence, a dazzling dark blue saber glare, and a powerful, roaring gust, Happy flew at the four people before him in a swift, sharp, and steady manner.
"Urk!"
"Ah!"
Blood appeared on four's c.h.e.s.ts. Then, they were all sent flying horizontally into the people behind them.
Happy did not show any intention to stop. His dark blue saber glare moved like flowing water and chased after them into the crowd!
Ji Feng's expression changed nonstop. He wondered whether he should continue having the people engage Happy when he suddenly noticed a few people stagger out of Dead She-wolf's chamber. They looked incredibly miserable, and when Ji Feng looked at them closely, his expression changed drastically.
"Retreat!"
Red Dust's appearance made Ji Feng lose his confidence in being able to kill Happy.
The people from the two sects left the corpses all over the ground and retreated in a continuous stream. Not a single one of them stayed behind.
Chapter 209 - Dead She-wolf’s Relics
Whoosh!
When Red Dust rushed out of Dead She-wolf's chamber, he saw Happy having his movements restricted by the two great sects. Red Dust moved toward him without any hesitation and stood in front of him.
"Are you okay?"
"Hehe, I'm fine now. How's the situation inside?"
Happy heard Ji Feng's order of retreat and knew that Ji Feng had already understood that he could not win the fight. While smiling in a relaxed manner, Happy pointed his Hundred-battle Saber to the ground and simply allowed the people from the two sects to leave.
At first, Red Dust was slightly puzzled as to why the sects chose to leave, but when he saw the corpses lying all over the ground, he found that there were more than thirty people scattered all over the floor. The surprise in his eyes grew stronger, and he stared at Happy with incredulity.
"Did you do this by yourself?"
All those people were elites and great players who knew high-tier martial arts. They were not the sect members of normal sects who differed in quality between members. Even Red Dust himself would find it impossible to take down so many elites within a short period of time.
At that moment, unduly modesty would just make him look like a hypocrite!
Happy could not find the energy to make explanations and try to defend himself either. He put away his Hundred-battle Saber and cast a glance at the people from the two sects who had fully retreated to the cave beside them.
"Fallen Feathers Sect and Perpetual Joy Sect are nothing in the end," he said after snorting softly.
Once he said those words, he turned around and left.
Red Dust stood stunned to the ground for some time before once again sweeping his gaze over the corpses littering the ground. After a long while, he let out a remark that came from the bottom of his heart.
"He's an elite!"
All-powerful Medicinal Stone walked over with a strange expression, and once he heard those words, he rolled his eyes and started cursing Happy. "Elite, my foot! He's just a brat!"
Red Dust was shocked speechless.
All-powerful Medicinal Stone glared at him.
"
Why are you looking at me? That elite you said asked me to come over here to clean up the battlefield. That brat… He's young, but he sure knows how to order people around. I'm the first generation successor of Marvelous-handed Sect, and I actually have to use my skills on the dead?! That brat, he left after he killed these people and asked me to clear up the mess he left behind.
"He said he forgot and found it embarrassing to come back and pick up the loot. What a horrible excuse! ARGH! He's such a brat!"
Once he finished speaking, All-powerful Medicinal Ston did not forget to spit on the ground in the manner of a moral person who had just said something very reasonable, all so that he could show the disdain in his heart.
Red Dust stood by the side, speechless.
If it were not for the fact that he was wary that the people from the two sects would return, he really did not want to stay and watch All-powerful Medicinal Stone behave in all his sleazy glory.
Red Dust redirected his gaze and looked in the direction of the chamber with a complicated expression.
"Medicinal Stone, I have a question."
"I'm not free to talk to you right now. You can save your questions."
All-powerful Medicinal Stone narrowed his small eyes while he scrutinized a small golden object he had brought out from the Universe Bag of a corpse. His words were said without even turning his head as he looked completely unconcerned.
Red Dust said nothing at first. He rolled his eyes, frowned, then asked anyway, "Say, how did Happy reach that level of skill?"
In truth, he had become even more curious than before. They were both players, but how did Happy manage to do what other people could not? Every single move he took brought endless surprises to others!
"That's a good question." While he spoke, All-powerful Medicinal Stone tossed the small gold ingot into his bosom, looked up, and began searching through another corpse. "Once you find the answer, please send a messenger pigeon to me. I can reimburse you for the travel expenses of the message bird."
Red Dust was completely speechless. "Aren't you friends?"
Sword Among Us c1-1268 Page 109
