"I know this as well, that's why I don't need it immediately, but I really hope that once you kill Stone King, you will tell me immediately, I will buy Stone King's Heart from you at a suitable price."
"There's no problem with that."
Once she got Happy's promise, Red Coral finally released a breath of relief.
Red Coral would not feel at ease to rely on anyone else in the game at that moment for that task except for Happy, who had safely escaped from Ninja King in the royal mausoleum.
"Okay." Happy looked around.
He noticed that there were already around thirty miners from the four sects in the second level, but there was still a lot of empty spaces. "What a waste. If you have nothing to do, you can go and mine the walls a little. You might be able to get supreme grade crystal ores. If you don't do that, it'll be too much of a waste for you to have come here."
Red Coral and Black Rose were instantly rendered speechless.
He actually asked two beauties to pick up pickaxes and mine a cave. Perhaps only Happy would be able to say such words.
But Happy was indeed telling the truth.
The second level of the crystal mine could be said to be filled with gold at every corner. Before the absolute powers took complete control of all the resource points, countless bloody slaughters happened practically every day.
It was especially so during the blowout period for echelon weapons and armor. Sects of various sizes, some of the powerful guilds, and many powerful players who acted alone would personally join the excavation. They would go mad for a chance to be able to dig out crystals and metal ores safely for a day or even half a day.
The stones affected countless people's lives.
In truth, when Happy stood in this crystal mine that had not been filled up, he actually had the urge to fill it up with people!
But that was not practical.
The people from Jade Fox Palace, Chivalry Sect, Righteous Sect, and Blood River Sect were going to quickly fill up the place with their people once they calculated the disparity in benefits. There was no need to destroy the good atmosphere and the stability of the alliance for a momentary benefit.
When he thought of this, Happy suddenly turned his gaze toward Stone King, who was not too far away.
'Speaking of which, I didn't come here to personally mine crystals.'
Under Red Coral, Black Rose, Thunderous Battle, and the others' stunned gazes, he brought out a sparkling silver armor from his Universe Bag and put it over his blue robes. Then, he brought out a pair of gauntlets and greaves.
A brand new silver equipment was pieced together, and it looked incredibly mighty. It made Happy look like a general with silver armor! And it soon attracted the attention of all the people in the cave.
Happy did not say anything. He cast a glance at the Blood River Sect member who ran over while leading Stone King around. His pupils shrank, and he grabbed his Noble Sword before he shot over like an arrow.
"You can hand it to me now."
The Blood River Sect member had guessed that it would happen from the moment Happy changed his equipment. He grazed past Happy in an incredibly agile manner, and Stone King's attention shifted to Happy.
Right under the others' shocked gazes, Happy quickly activated his Golden Bell Cocoon and crashed violently into Stone King, who was huge and had a fierce disposition.
Chapter 344 - Secret of Golden Bell, Loyalty
Not everyone could accept Happy's actions.
Stone King might not be nimble when it turned around, but its speed and attack was still very astonishing. After all, it was an NPC at Moksha Realm, and its combat abilities were extraordinary. After taking a single punch, the person who was attacked would either die or be heavily injured.
When everyone saw Happy taking the initiative to go up against Stone King, they felt their hearts let out a loud thump against their c.h.e.s.ts, and they did not dare look at the fight for fear of Stone King sending him flying.
Red Coral and Black Rose suddenly felt a little regretful.
It had to be Happy's first time coming into contact with Stone King, and he had no idea just how great it was, especially since he just saw a normal Mystical Realm player lead Stone King around in circles. The girls' focused their gazes, and their bodies tensed up. They quickly prepared themselves to save Happy and attract Stone King's attention.
However, they did not notice that Thunderous Battle was standing by the side with his arms folded over his c.h.e.s.t. He did not seem to be worried at all. Not only did he not look nervous, he seemed to be sizing up the dazzling silver armor on Happy's body.
It was the first time he saw Happy wear that armor.
Even when he fought against Lu Mingyue, Happy only wore a normal blue robe. Right then, with how serious he treated the matter, Happy had to have prepared to go against Stone King.
Clang!
A dull thud traveled into people's ears. It instantly drowned out all the noises formed by the digging in the second level of the crystal mine.
At the moment Happy collided with Stone King, sword light gushed out from his sword, and it crashed against the wind stirred up by Stone King's forceful and huge fist. It rammed into Happy's body with a might that could sweep away everything with ease.
However, Happy was not sent flying as everyone had expected!
His Golden Bell Cocoon simply became much dimmer. It let out a loud buzz, and the light that signified Happy's body fortification trembled and swayed violently. Part of Stone King's attack had been negated.
Happy looked as if he had been hit by a giant hammer. He took three loud steps backwards before he stopped.
The crowd was dumbfounded and struck speechless.
Before they realized what had happened, an aura that signified Mystical Realm surged out around Happy!
Boom!
Golden Bell Cocoon shone gloriously, and golden light sparkled. It returned to its peak, and the golden bell took shape once more.
Happy stood where he was with a level-headed gaze. His expression could not be seen clearly.
Stone King delivered his second punch fiercely!
Golden Bell Cocoon shuddered again.
Happy did not even bother to dodge. He took two steps back again.
Clang! Clang! CLANG!
Stone King's fists moved like the wind once it no longer had any obstructions in its away. It threw punch after punch at Happy, but Golden Bell Cocoon's golden light shone madly. In the blink of an eye, however, it became dim and l.u.s.treless from its previous brilliance.
The onlookers had already forgotten about mining ores. They stared at Happy as he received dozens of blows from Stone King, but still did not fall. They looked as if they were seeing some sort of human-shaped monster.
Red Coral and Black Rose s.u.c.k.e.d in sharp breaths. They finally understood that Happy was not being reckless, but had made full preparations to go up against Stone King. The silver armor had to be helping him absorb quite a lot of Stone King's damage.
But that was not what Thunderous Battle thought.
Fist techniques were slightly inferior compared to sword and saber techniques in damage, but their speed was much faster!
However, the Golden Bell Cocoon Happy possessed was much better in defending pure attacks compared to the Mystical Realm body fortification technique—Illusory Spirit Body. Golden Bell Cocoon could absorb and negate damage. It also had a defense attribute that was almost at 1,000. When the silver armor was added to that, a fist technique at Moksha Realm would indeed have a hard time dealing a lot of damage to Happy.
Right then, the only thing that puzzled Thunderous Battle was that Happy seemed to be a little too wasteful if he spent his Dew Pills like that. Aside from parrying the attack with his sword earlier to cancel some of Stone King's damage, Happy simply allowed Stone King to attack him and did not bother to defend himself or counterattack. It was as if he was just a sitting duck.
*****
As expected of
a boss at Moksha Realm. Even if Happy's Silver Aquatic Dragon Set could negate almost an entire qi realm's worth of damage, Stone King's fierce and swift attacks still managed to weaken Golden Bell Cocoon to the point that it would shatter very soon. The sparkling golden bell almost instantly turned thin and l.u.s.terless. It shook and looked as if it was about to break if it withstood another hit.
Phantasm Body Movement Skill!
During the critical moment, Happy activated his lightness skill. He moved left, dodged Stone King's fist and the wind that came along with it, moved past his left side, and shifted behind it.
Clang!
Sword light flashed. It touched Stone King briefly before it moved away. Happy shifted thirty-two feet away without any intention to continue with the fight. He handed Stone King back to the Blood River Sect member and let him continue luring him around the area.
Red Coral and Black Rose thought that the battle had ended and waited for Happy to come back to ask him about the details, but they did not expect that he would sit down cross-legged in the middle of the crystal mine and circulate his qi so that he could heal his wounds.
Constellation Breathing Technique!
A rarely seen sight appeared around Happy. A profound darkness rose around him, and gradually, a constellation chart formed by shining starlight lit up.
"Whew…"
Three minutes passed.
Happy opened his eyes again and stared at Stone King while it chased after the Blood River Sect member with huge strides. A rare smile rose on his lips.
Since he was being hunted by Embroidered Uniform Guards, he couldn't practice his martial arts at ease. That was why he came to unique places where Embroidered Uniform Guards could not enter. Happy's main goal was to push his Seven Stars Sword Styles and Golden Bell Cocoon to Grandmaster Realm.
And reality proved that he had set a pretty achievable goal for himself.
Improving his martial arts by practicing them with a Moksha Realm boss was much faster than practicing with normal Life and Death NPCs.
Usually, his Golden Bell Cocoon would not increase by 0.01 points even after he withstood more than one hundred hits from Life and Death NPCs. However, when he fought against Stone King and was unaffected by his damage, two punches were enough for him to see a 0.01 points increase. He might have taken three Dew Pills just then, but it helped him withstand around a dozen hits from Stone King, and his Golden Bell Cocoon had increased by 0.01 points every couple hits. With such speed, he could reach Level 99.99 very soon.
The difference between Golden Bell Cocoon at the tenth realm and the eleventh realm, which was Grandmaster Realm, was like night and day!
Happy had chosen Golden Bell Cocoon in the broken temple of Mount Song instead of the eye-catching Shaolin Temple ultimate techniques because Golden Bell Cocoon was listed as one of the Seventy-two Ultimate Techniques in Shaolin Temple, not because the other ultimate techniques from Shaolin Temple had not caught his eye. It was because once Golden Bell Cocoon reached completion, the effect it released would be something normal people could not imagine. It was something that was only gradually revealed in the later stages of the game in Happy's previous life.
At that time, Golden Bell Cocoon was still an unknown technique.
However, who would have thought that Golden Bell Cocoon would have the meaning of being loyal to the country and protecting it?
Being indestructible was a sign of loyalty!
Happy opened his eyes slightly and cast a glance at his Golden Bell Cocoon's level. Due to his fight against Lu Mingyue and Silver Wolf, he was only 0.70 points away from reaching great completion. As long as he fought for another ten rounds, he could push his Golden Bell Cocoon to great completion.
When he thought of that, Happy s.u.c.k.e.d in a light breath and rose from the ground.
Boom!
Right under everyone's astonished gazes, a layer of golden light quickly rose around the sparkling silver armor. Happy activated his qi realm fully and rushed again at Stone King with a determined and indomitable spirit.
Chapter 345 - Grandmaster!
Everyone was initially stunned, then they went numb. The miners in the second level of the crystal mine grew used to Happy's actions and could vaguely guess that he was grinding for his Golden Bell Cocoon's level.
The only thing that they could not understand was why Happy even gave up on putting on a stance to negate some of the damage or counterattack. Right then, there were still very few people who paid attention to how much a high-tier body fortification could absorb EXP when the user faced different NPCs at different realms, much less those normal miners.
Only Red Coral and Black Rose got a hint of understanding from Happy as he received attack after attack. They watched him with increasing attentiveness, especially during the later stages.
The golden bell around Happy's body seemed to be showing further signs of manifestation. Its outline became clearer, and the light gathered together instead of spreading outwards. It was no longer sparkling, but gave off a luxurious and elegant feeling.
"HA!"
As Happy released a loud and clear shout with boundless enthusiasm. A layer of flowing golden light suddenly appeared around his golden bell!
Ding!
The sound was similar to a bell chime that came from an old temple in the distance. It was full and harmonious, luxurious and elegant, and it gave off the feeling that it was holy, long-lasting, and not to be corrupted.
Stone King was not bewitched by it, however. The leader of stones had no intelligence and only had the mindset of completely defeating the enemy before it.
Thud!
A yellow gust of wind stirred by its fist went crashing at the golden bell at a speed that normal people would find hard to withstand.
Ding!
The bell chime rose again.
This time, Red Coral, Black Rose, Thunderous Battle, and the others held their breaths. They stared at Happy with incredulous gazes while he withstood Stone King's heavy blow without moving.
Happy had actually managed to not take a step back under Stone King's attack.
Most of Stone King's attack seemed to have been negated by Golden Bell Cocoon, and the rebound seemed to have made Stone King's next attack face some degree of resistance. It could no longer execute its attacks in a chain, and it was not as fierce as before.
They could not believe their eyes!
A Mystical Realm player had actually managed to not even take a step back while facing a Moksha Realm NPC's attacks. Golden Bell Cocoon had only become slightly dimmer.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Stone King changed its battle tactic with decisiveness. It decided to use the wind generated by its fist to injure Happy and threw three consecutive punches at a speed that could tear through the air. Its blows landed repeatedly on Golden Bell Cocoon.
Three faint pits appeared on the round golden bell, then a highly destructive wind struck the golden bell, which caused ripples to show up on it.
It was surreal. The damage that was supposed to strike Happy was being evenly spread out over the golden bell.
The golden bell became a little dimmer.
Happy remained standing in front of Stone King as steadily as a mountain, but a pleasant looking curve had appeared on his lips. He lowered his head and cast a glance at the Silver Aquatic Dragon Set on his body. His gaze was full of excitement.
'700 defense is really extraordinary. Not only did this Silver Aquatic Dragon Set help me withstand some of the more crucial damage, the defense given to me by the entire set allows me to remain steady. I wouldn't have been able to remain so steady, otherwise.
'And now, my Golden Bell Cocoon has finally reached great completion!'
Golden Bell Cocoon at Grandmaster Realm increased defense by 1,200 points, absorbed 20% qi damage, negated 20% of effective attacks, and could help the user retain their posture! The user could also use the Profound Technique of Loyalty.
Under Stone King's fierce and
brutal attacks, Happy sensed a powerful heat wave changing his body, arm strength, and affinity.
Once Golden Bell Cocoon reached max level, it was the same as the user going through a metamorphosis in which their marrows and tendons changed.
Their physical body would be strengthened to the max, their affinity would naturally increase by a large margin, and it was the same case for their arm strength.
The system's notification came late.
"Ding! Congratulations, your Golden Bell Cocoon has reached Grandmaster Realm!
"You received an addition 2 Comprehension points, an additional 10 Affinity points, an addition 10 Arm Strength points, and an additional 10 qi points!"
The higher the Affinity, the more remarkable an effective defense would be, and the higher the Arm Strength, the stronger effective attacks would be. A player's attributes were still very important.
"Perfect timing!"
He had been holding back on attacking for half an hour, and finally, he unleashed his attacks in the wildest fashion on Stone King to his heart's content.
Seven Stars Sword Style!
His Golden Bell Cocoon had reached great completion, and it was his fourth high-tier martial art that had reached max level (his Phantasm Body Movement Skill had reached max level while he was running away from the Embroidered Uniform Guards). It was thus time for his Seven Stars Sword Styles to reach max level as well.
His Golden Bell Cocoon had an additional 200 defense points added to it. With its protection at great completion and Silver Aquatic Dragon Set, Happy had the power to go up against Stone King face to face. His Seven Stars Sword Styles also had the effect of reducing Stone King's attack power, and because of it, Stone King lost the ability to suppress Happy.
That was the truth.
Boom, boom, boom!
The miners in the second level of the crystal mine turned their heads around in disbelief and watched the battle in the hall.
At some point in time, all of them had imagined that someone would one day obtain the strength to fight against Stone King and kill the boss guarding the second level of the crystal mine, because they wanted to see whether it would drop the highest grade crystal ores.
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