C113 Peak Grand Battle Master
"Just look at the number of Plague Dragon Rats skulking around the perimeter. I bet there are higher-tier Third Rank and elite Third Rank ones lurking inside, not to mention a Boss level Plague Dragon Rat. That's a hefty sum of Dragon Slaying Coins waiting to be claimed," Ning Qi mused to himself. Hefting his Dragon Slaying Blade, he ventured deeper into the cave.
After trekking for roughly ten miles, the cave expanded, becoming more spacious and damp. The ground was slick with slimy, foul-smelling water. Soon, dozens of red eyes glinted in the darkness.
"Red eyes?"
Ning Qi peered closer, and the system revealed their stats: "Third Rank high-level Plague Dragon Rat, HP 2600."
The Plague Dragon Rats sized Ning Qi up for a moment before initiating a tentative assault. A few of them converged on him from three different directions. As they drew near, Ning Qi noticed these were no ordinary rats. These Third Rank high-level Plague Dragon Rats were twice the size of the earlier ones, with fangs that had grown longer, and at the tips of their membranous wings, claw-like appendages had sprouted—almost a perfect mimicry of the Dragon Clan's wings.
Three swift slashes, and they were cleaved in two!
"Congratulations, you have successfully slain a Third Rank high-level Demonic Beast 'Plague Dragon Rat' and earned 1000 experience points!"
"Congratulations, you've earned 2 Dragon Slaying Coins!"
Ning Qi's spirits soared. The reward had doubled from the initial single Dragon Slaying Coin to two. "Imagine if seventy to eighty thousand Plague Dragon Rats swarmed me—I'd rack up enough Dragon Slaying Coins for the Moonlight Blade in no time!"
With a grin, Ning Qi dispatched each Plague Dragon Rat that dared approach with unwavering precision.
"Ding!"
Following the absorption of a soul, his Dragon Devourer Hellfire underwent a transformation, and the system chimed in with an update.
"Congratulations, your Dragon Devourer Hellfire has successfully evolved. You are now ranked 97th on the Alien Flame List!"
This was indeed a stroke of fortune. Since the last time the Dragon Devourer Hellfire had leveled up after consuming the essence of a Phantom Wind Dragon, it had remained stagnant. Now, with another level gained, it had made the most of the Dragon Clan lineage within the Plague Dragon Rats.
The enhanced Dragon Devourer Hellfire had grown significantly more potent, allowing Ning Qi to incinerate the Plague Dragon Rats with even greater finesse.
His routine was relentless: consume medicinal pills, slay, rest, slay, consume medicinal pills, slay again.
Ning Qi cycled through these actions tirelessly, never finding them monotonous. The sight of his Dragon Slaying Coin tally climbing evoked the thrill of earning his first fortune back on Earth—a sensation he found utterly intoxicating.
Deep within the cavern lay an expansive chamber, home to hundreds of Third Rank elite Plague Dragon Rats, either squatting or sprawled across the floor. They all congregated around an enormous creature at the center, one that could hardly be called a Plague Dragon Rat anymore. It boasted a towering stature of thirty meters, massive wings, and formidable claws gleaming with a metallic sheen. Its sharp fangs and two-foot-long horns only added to its imposing presence.
This was a half-dragon—a half-dragon with a diluted lineage.
Upon closer inspection, traces of its Plague Dragon Rat origins were evident, indicating its remarkable evolution to this formidable state.
Next to the Plague Dragon Rat King lay a skeletal corpse stretching thirty meters in length. Even in death, it exuded a faint aura of its former might. A Battle Emperor would have no trouble identifying it: a Seventh Rank Giant Dragon.
Indeed, this skeleton was all that remained of a Seventh Rank Giant Dragon, its flesh likely devoured by the Plague Rats, explaining the faint trace of dragon blood within their veins.
Suddenly, a Third Rank high-level Plague Dragon Rat burst into the chamber, shrieking frantically.
The Plague Dragon Rat King, deep in slumber, paid it no heed. An elite Third Rank Plague Dragon Rat approached and called out, seemingly engaging in some form of communication. Shortly thereafter, a group of about twenty elite Third Rank Plague Dragon Rats emerged, following the high-level Dragon Rat out of the cave.
Kill! Kill! Kill!
Ning Qi furiously cut down Plague Dragon Rats, each swing of his blade taking out at least three at a time. Yet, the onslaught was relentless, leaving him with no room to dodge.
His experience points and Dragon Slaying Coins steadily climbed.
Suddenly, the Plague Dragon Rats by his side began to retreat. Ning Qi paused in surprise, only to see a group of elite-level Dragon Rats—twice the size of the high-grade ones—charging at him.
They emitted a piercing shriek and exhaled a misty breath of pale green fog that rolled towards Ning Qi.
Caught off guard by the elite Plague Dragon Rats' special attack, Ning Qi held his breath and unleashed the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, scattering the toxic cloud.
Meanwhile, the elite Plague Dragon Rats lunged at him as they released the fog, their razor-sharp fangs targeting Ning Qi's vital points.
"Five Tiger Broken Door Blade!"
"Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms!"
"Dragon Devourer Hellfire!"
"Congratulations, you have successfully slain a Third Rank elite-level Plague Dragon Rat, earning 1,200 experience points."
"Congratulations, you have earned 2.5 Dragon Slaying Coins!"
In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the Third Rank elite-level Plague Dragon Rats that had come to reinforce were reduced to corpses strewn about the cave. The Third Rank high-level Dragon Rats resumed their frenzied assault on Ning Qi.
The battle dragged on. Every now and then, an elite Plague Dragon Rat would join the fray, only to meet a grim end beneath Ning Qi's blade.
In the pitch darkness of the cave, Ning Qi could only sense the relentless motion of his Dragon Slaying Blade as he fought off the Plague Dragon Rats, losing all track of time.
It could have been ten days, a month, or even three to four months for all he knew.
Ning Qi was aware of only one thing: the dwindling numbers of Plague Dragon Rats. What started as a teeming horde had thinned to just a dozen or so beasts attacking him at once. Had it not been for his Dragon Devourer Hellfire, the toxic miasma from the decaying bodies would have surely been his undoing.
After slaying an elite Plague Dragon Rat, his experience points finally maxed out, reaching the threshold for a Peak Grand Battle Master to ascend to Battle Spirit.
"Congratulations on achieving Peak Grand Battle Master status. To advance to Battle Spirit, please click on the mission details to view the advancement mission!"
At that moment, Ning Qi's attributes experienced a significant transformation.
Host: Ning Qi
Rank: Peak Grand Battle Master
Experience: 500,000 / 500,000
Cultivation Technique: Dragon-shape Prajna Arts, Third Level, 402 / 10,000
Martial Skill: Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Fourth Level, 18,900 / 100,000; Profound Rank Supreme Five Tiger Broken Door Blade, Third Level, 7,820 / 10,000.
HP: 12,700.
Alchemy: Third Rank Alchemist, Proficiency 82,000 / 100,000
Dragon Slaying Coins: 58,000
The proficiency of the Five Tiger Broken Door Blade skyrocketed first, leaping from zero to a Third Level score of 7,820. Then came the windfall of Dragon Slaying Coins—42,000! That was an absolute fortune.
