C25 Killing the Bandit Leader a Timelimited Mission!

Luo Chen's instincts kicked in. He swiftly released the sword he was holding and, with a misstep, reappeared behind Lei Laosan. Raising his foot, he delivered a sharp kick to the back of Lei Laosan's knee.

Lei Laosan, caught off guard by Luo Chen's kick, nearly collapsed to his knees. He spun around in haste, his long blade sweeping through the air.

But Luo Chen had already retreated beyond his reach. He snatched up a long sword from a fallen bandit nearby and struck Lei Laosan with a pair of intersecting sword glows.

Caught off-guard, Lei Laosan was unable to evade the twin beams of light and was struck squarely. Another mouthful of blood escaped his lips, and his demeanor visibly wilted.

"Looks like your Body Cultivation Technique isn't as formidable as I imagined," Luo Chen taunted with a sneer, vanishing from sight.

Lei Laosan's face twisted in frustration. Despite his superior cultivation, he was no match for Luo Chen's ghostly agility and was left floundering.

Gripping his long blade tightly, Lei Laosan scanned his surroundings warily, dreading that Xiao Tian might launch an unexpected attack.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound erupted to Lei Laosan's left. His expression hardened, and he swung his blade in that direction with urgency.

The blade cleaved through the air, striking a stone and shattering it to pieces.

Lei Laosan's complexion turned ashen. Before he could react, Luo Chen's taunting voice came from his right: "Who are you trying to hit, you fool? I'm on your right!"

Accompanying Luo Chen's voice was a piercing whistle of air being split.

A long sword sliced through the atmosphere, impaling Lei Laosan's throat.

Blood spurted wildly, yet Luo Chen had already withdrawn, the spray of blood not even grazing him.

"You..." Lei Laosan clutched his throat, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Luo Chen, who stood at a distance. His lips quivered, and then he toppled over.

Blood poured out, quickly pooling beneath Lei Laosan's lifeless body.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating the Third Chief of the Mad Wolf Stronghold, Lei Laosan. You have been awarded 1000 points of spiritual energy and 300 points of proficiency in Crane Shadow Fascination Tracing!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for activating the time-limited mission [Eradicate Mad Wolf Stronghold]!

You've slain the Third Chief of Mad Wolf Stronghold, Lei Laosan. Though you've kept it under wraps, to nip any future threats in the bud, please wipe out the bandits of Mad Wolf Stronghold within three months!

Mission reward: 50,000 points of spiritual energy and one lottery draw!

Failure penalty: None!"

Luo Chen's face broke into a smile at the sound of the System Prompt.

After dispatching the remaining wounded bandits, Luo Chen extracted the black crystal from the heart of the Shadow Devil Wolf. Then, he vanished swiftly into the thick woods.

Shortly after Luo Chen's departure, Bai Yupan and his mercenary squad arrived at the scene. The sight of Lei Laosan's group and the Shadow Devil Wolf's carcass etched a deep shock on his face.

"Lei Laosan is actually dead!" The mercenary known as fourth brother, previously chastised by Bai Yupan, stared at Lei Laosan's body amidst the blood. A shiver ran through him as he spoke with a quiver in his voice, "Could it have been that young man earlier?"

Recalling how he had foolishly reprimanded Luo Chen, fourth brother's back was suddenly slick with cold sweat, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"In such a brief time, it's unlikely anyone else passed through. The one who killed Lei Laosan and his crew could only be that man from before."

Bai Yupan surveyed the surrounding dead with a heavy sigh, his voice carrying a tremor of its own.