Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chao Bafang’s "Chrysanthemum"

“Ah right, I’ve got a quest—Bullroot is the target,” Chao Bafang said.

“Looks like these Feral Bulls are pretty sought-after,” Yang Shan replied.

He added offhandedly, "What quest did you pick up? There aren't many Tier-2 Demon Beast fights in Douluo-tier missions."

“Uh… mine’s probably special,” Chao Bafang mumbled, clearly uneasy.

Yang Shan shrugged. “Fine by me. Bullroot’s my quest item too. Maybe we’re after the same mission—first one to finish reaps the reward.”

Chao Bafang’s eyes widened. “Impossible! Mine’s from the Mercenary Guild. It’s supposed to be a unique assignment.”

“Wow, lucky you?” Yang Shan smirked, flipping his Frostbite Blade. The premium gear’s design stood out sharply from standard-issue equipment, its blade glinting with icy menace.

Chao Bafang practically drooled. “No wonder you’re the guy who snagged two Global Announcements. I’m still running scared from these bulls, while you’ve already crushed a purple-tier quest.”

Back in the old life, Yang Shan chuckled inwardly, Chao Bafang strutted around like a king. Now he’s a total newbie.

Though Yang Shan had been a top-tier player before, even he’d once ranked below the “Three Sects, Twelve Emperors” elite. At best, folks called him a “master.” In this world, though, power dictated hierarchy. Once, he’d called Chao Bafang “Senior Chao.” Now the tables had turned.

One word summarized it—

Glorious.

Yang Shan clapped Chao Bafang’s shoulder. “No conflict, so I’ll pitch in. You’re growing on me.”

“Heh, thanks, Senior! Thanks!” Chao Bafang’s grin stretched ear-to-ear, already fantasizing about gear as potent as Yang Shan’s.

“Just a heads-up,” Yang Shan warned. “Bullroot drops about 2%. Waste your time if you want.”

Chao Bafang blinked. “C’mon, you just got one!”

“Lucky streak,” Yang Shan said, though his Fortune Affinity stat—boosted to 3 from two Global Announcements—definitely helped.

“No worries,” Chao Bafang insisted. “I’ll tank for you! Let me draw aggro—”

“Doubt you’d last three seconds. Stay put.”

Meeting Chao Bafang was unexpected, but Yang Shan stuck to his plan. He needed the Feral Bulls’ XP. Soon, he’d trigger the “Alchemist Qin Wu” opportunity.

As Chao Bafang trailed behind, he swallowed nervously. Yang Shan—the current undisputed top player—was legendary.

The plains teemed with Feral Bulls, but as herbivores, they’d tolerate solo pulls if provoked quietly. Now, a herd grazed twenty meters ahead.

“Too many,” Chao Bafang muttered. “Let’s find a loner.”

“Watch closely,” Yang Shan said. “Aggro-pulling’s a skill. Learn it.”

Chao Bafang grimaced. “Call me Lao Chao or Xiao Chao. ‘Ah Fang’ sounds like a girl’s nickname.”

“Got it… Ah Fang.”

Chao Bafang groaned. Back then, I called him ‘Senior Yang’ countless times. Now the pendulum swings. Yet the banter eased his tension.

Men’s bonds, unlike women’s, thrived on simplicity. Strip away hierarchy or self-interest, and camaraderie blossomed naturally. Shared personalities or stark differences mattered less—games forged friendships easily.

Yang Shan scooped a pebble. “Observe. Herbivores like Feral Bulls? Only one lesson.”

Eyes locked on Yang Shan’s hands, Chao Bafang missed nothing.

Yang Shan hurled the pebble. It pinged off a Bull’s rump. The beast snorted, turning—only to meet Yang Shan’s raised middle finger.

“Hey, jackass! Lost your root!”

Chao Bafang snorted. “This works?!”

Of course. Any provocation aggroed the target. Yang Shan barked, “Run!” and vanished ten meters back, leaving Chao Bafang frozen.

“Why’d you bolt? Kill it!”

“Kill this? Stay put, and the others’ll ignore us. Move, and—”

Too late. The Bull charged, Chao Bafang blocking its path.

Crunch.

Chao Bafang clutched his “chrysanthemum,” wincing. “Warn me next time!”

Again? He glared at Yang Shan’s back. Why’s it always my butt?

Yang Shan ignored him. Feral Bulls dealt over 100 attack—his defense barely breached 30. One horn strike anywhere on his body meant shattered bones.

If the attack hits critical areas like the heart or throat,
it could result in an instant kill.
Even Yang Shan, skilled as he is, dares to provoke only one at a time.
If he lured a whole group, he’d die without understanding how!
Right now, they’re still at the Douluo Stage, with limited defenses.
Once they reach the Battle Master level, they can project Douqi externally to form a Douqi Armor.
At that point, targeting weak spots won’t be as easy as now—you’ll have to break through the opponent’s Douqi defenses first.

Yang Shan pulled a large crimson cloth from his Qingmu Storage Ring.
Holding his blade in his right hand and the cloth in his left, he waved it.
The Feral Bull’s bloodshot eyes locked onto the red cloth, and it charged forward with a deafening bellow.
Yang Shan seized the moment, slashing the Bull’s abdomen.
The Bull recoiled in pain, its body instinctively bending.
But Yang Shan darted forward swiftly, circling behind the Bull during its momentary hesitation.
Frostbite Blade stabbed forward in a frosty blur!

The blade sank halfway into the Bull’s body.
Watching from the sidelines, Chao Bafang felt his ass clench.

In Battle Through the Heavens, both Npcs and monsters follow programmed logic.
The Feral Bull’s attack range is set by the system,
but its choice of attack method and target is randomized.
Thus, Yang Shan couldn’t predict where the Bull would strike next.
Tracking attack trajectories is an effective countermeasure.
As a top-tier player from his past life, Yang Shan’s eyesight had sharpened over three years of gameplay.
Yet tracking movements in real-time drains immense mental energy.
He needs to stay fully focused, catching every detail.
But with the crimson cloth, Yang Shan could adopt a simpler tactic.
By using the cloth to divert the Bull’s attention, the Bull’s attacks would fixate on the cloth instead of him.
The Bull’s entire offensive focus would zero in on the red cloth!
No need to strain analyzing its movements—
making it far easier to land hits.
Most second-tier monsters have low intelligence, so simple strategies drastically improve efficiency.

The wounded Bull, its abdomen slashed and its ass pierced, lost a massive chunk of HP and flew into a rage.
It wanted to tear that crimson cloth to shreds!
But instead,
it got chopped into a glowing corpse, reincarnating with a blinding flash.

[Beep! Feral Bull (Tier 2 Elite) defeated! Level-up bonus activated. Player gains 200 XP!]
At the Douluo Stage, each star requires 1,000 XP.
Killing a regular Tier 1 monster grants about 10 XP.
Tier 1 Elites yield 20 XP.
Feral Bull’s base experience is 100.
With the tier-up bonus, it doubles to 200.
Five Feral Bulls would level Yang Shan up one star.
This time, the drop wasn’t Bullroot—
but a Tier 2 Earth-Attribute Spirit Core!

“Holy crap! Holy crap!”
Chao Bafang scratched his head wildly.
“I remember the player manual said elite Spirit Core drops are only 1%! Dude, are you walking on a luck streak or…”
Yang Shan shot him a glare, and Chao Bafang shut up.

In Yunshuang City, many shops sell basic Spirit Cores,
but elite-grade cores are only recycled.
A Tier 2 Elite Spirit Core fetches 200 Spirit Stones at shops.
If it were a Hundred Beast King’s Spirit Core, the price would skyrocket multiple times—easily selling for 1,000 Spirit Stones!
Yang Shan hadn’t expected such luck.
A mere 3 Fortune Affinity shouldn’t boost drops that absurdly.

Following the same method, Yang Shan lured and killed three more Feral Bulls.
His XP bar filled, and he advanced to Five-Star Douluo!
Chao Bafang sobbed silently.
They were both players, yet the gap felt insurmountable.
But he didn’t lose heart—
Yang Shan’s cultivation technique and weapon were extraordinary.
Once Chao Bafang completed his quest, he’d get a massive boost too!

“Then I’ll be like the big guy, smacking elites!” Chao Bafang thought, waiting patiently.
But he ended up waiting two hours!
Since Yang Shan needed to lure each Bull individually, he could only kill one every ten minutes.
Yang Shan’s level skyrocketed all the way to Seven-Star Douluo!
Finally, the Bullroot Chao Bafang longed for dropped again!
Alongside another Tier 2 Spirit Core.

Chao Bafang stared in numb disbelief.
“Big guy…”
“Spit it out!”
“Is your account some corporate welfare number from Sky Brilliance Co.?”

Yang Shan replied coolly,
“What welfare account? Maybe I just helped an old lady cross the street the other day.”
Chao Bafang’s eyes lit up.
“Oh? Good deeds boosting karma?”
Yang Shan shrugged.
“Nah, she scammed me for 3,000 coins. Old saying goes—misfortune and fortune go hand in hand. After bad luck comes good luck.”

Chao Bafang raised a thumb.
“Nice one!”
Yang Shan tossed him the Bullroot.
“Here, turn it in for your quest.”
Chao Bafang accepted it solemnly, then mimicked an ancient kowtow to Yang Shan.
“Big guy, words can’t repay this favor. I’ll return to Yunshuang City to complete my quest. Once I’m back as a Battle Master, we’ll grind mobs together!”

Yang Shan chuckled mockingly,
“You’ve got some nerve! You take the quest reward and still sponge off my grind spot!”
Chao Bafang grinned.
“Hehe, there’s enough monsters here for both of us. Let me tag along and cover your back!”

Chao Bafang sent a friend request.
“Big guy, send me your account number. 800 soft bills will be in your inbox right away!”
Yang Shan accepted the request casually.
“No need to transfer money. I just like your vibe—might as well help out.”
“Huh? Big guy, you’re really this generous? You don’t want the cash?”
Chao Bafang suddenly froze, instinctively covering his ass.
“Wait! You’re pulling my leg! No one refuses free money! You liking my vibe? I’m not into that!”

Swoosh!
“Are you kidding me?!”
Yang Shan drew Frostbite Blade.
“Come on! Let me see if I can’t carve you into mincemeat!”
Thinking kindness is weakness—today, he’d carve this guy into a bloody mess!

Sensing the killing intent, Chao Bafang begged for mercy.
“Wait! Big guy, misunderstanding! Total misunderstanding! I just didn’t expect you to be this straightforward!”
Yang Shan shot back,
“Then hurry up and finish your quest. Remember this favor—you’ll repay it someday.”
Chao Bafang nodded solemnly.
“Big guy, trust me, I know how this works. When you need me, just say the word—I’ll help for free!”
Yang Shan smirked.
“Oh? Free? Then drop your pants and prove it.”
“Goodness gracious!”
Chao Bafang clutched his ass and sprinted away.

After pranking Chao Bafang, Yang Shan felt unusually refreshed.
Swinging Frostbite Blade, he turned back to the Feral Bulls.
“Wonder how many of these Bulls it’ll take to reach Battle Master…”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end