Chapter 43: Brought Over (Supreme Leader, Sixth Update)

Damn you, Sun! With his face smeared in black mud, Commandant Yin Xun found the scent of incense suddenly repulsive, and directing the ghost soldiers no longer mattered. One thought consumed him: to destroy the one who had insulted him, shred their soul, fry it in oil, and devour it.

With a furious roar, Yin Xun's horse face exhaled a plume of white smoke.

Wang Liang sensed danger. He turned and commanded, "Defend!"

At his order, the NPC assigned to defense sprang into action. This NPC was a friend of a cultivator-type player, a boatman from the nearby canal, around level twenty-five. Whether he had achieved the Golden Core stage, Wang Liang wasn't sure—he didn't fully understand the world’s rules or the boatman's details.

But one thing was certain: the boatman possessed Golden Core-level strength. Wang Liang had chosen him precisely because of his position in the Boatmen’s Guild. Every canal vessel had such a figure, known as the "Bowman." Their sole duty was to stand at the prow and use their true energy to sustain a defensive shield, protecting the ship during collisions.

Thanks to this experience, the boatman might lack other abilities, but his defenses were unmatched.

At Wang Liang’s command, the boatman promptly conjured a shield of energy, enveloping all five of them within.

In the next instant, Wang Liang’s vision turned blue as torrents of spring water erupted from the ground, three streams surging toward them like dragons. This was Yin Xun’s skill: "Earth Spring Surge."

Wang Liang wasn’t surprised that Yin Xun unleashed his ultimate skill right away. Yin Xun was clearly a veteran; though provoked and reckless, he wouldn’t make common battlefield mistakes. Instead of charging in, he tested Wang Liang’s strength first.

Had Wang Liang not reacted swiftly and ordered the boatman to act, they might have been blown away by the Earth Spring Surge.

But it wasn’t over yet. Soon, they saw Yin Xun charging toward them, sword raised high.

Wang Liang understood—they had aggroed the boss. Without hesitation, he turned his horse toward another direction and shouted, “Let’s move!”

Despite holding a sword and command flag, Yin Xun was essentially fused with his mount. Besides his ultimate skills, his only real attack came from the horse’s front hooves strapped to his waist.

The sword and command flag were mere decoration.

After launching Earth Spring Surge and failing to break the boatman’s shield, Yin Xun rushed forward.

Wang Liang didn’t need to say more; the two players who had come along were already running faster than him. Each would sprint ahead, raise their shield, and wait for their teammate to lure Yin Xun closer. When their companion was nearly caught, they would activate their skills and draw Yin Xun toward themselves.

Wang Liang and the other NPC had one task: eliminate or repel the surrounding enemies, preventing them from closing in and blocking the path.

As Wang Liang acted, the other players were equally busy. They saw Wang Liang had pulled Yin Xun, so hurried to positions they’d chosen beforehand.

While few were specialized formation masters, everyone played as cultivators, and knew at least a few formations.

Before they had set out, they’d analyzed Yin Xun’s nature and prepared a formation specifically to counter ghost soldiers.

The "Pure Yang Stone Array."

This was a variant of the Five Elements formation, chosen to counter Yin Xun’s abilities. Without direct contact with the enemy, they relied on Wang Liang’s intel for their strategy.

Yin Xun’s skills included Earth Spring Surge, Ghost Soldier Formation, and battering ram techniques. From these, it was clear he was water-aligned and favored large-scale battles.

The Pure Yang Stone Array transformed the ground into stone, greatly diminishing Earth Spring Surge’s power.

Moreover, the array could elevate the stone into labyrinthine pillars, neutralizing the Ghost Soldier Formation by keeping Yin Xun’s minions outside, unable to enter or assist.

As for the battering rams, the maze would trap them—a classic player tactic.

So, as Wang Liang drew the boss, the others began setting up.

With seventy to eighty players, the chosen area was spacious, and they had ample supplies. By the time Wang Liang led Yin Xun over, the Pure Yang Stone Array was just completed.

The one leading the setup was Lifelong Friend. Although Wang Liang was reluctant to grant him authority, he couldn’t deny his competence. Lifelong Friend had spent years in Yanggu County, familiar with every secret, and personally acquired all necessary materials. Many locations were inaccessible to ordinary people, but his reputation opened doors.

Thus, most players followed his lead, and assigning him to manage the array was only natural.

As Wang Liang brought Yin Xun closer, Lifelong Friend quickly issued orders on the team channel: “You ghost cultivators, block the ghost soldiers trailing behind. The Pure Yang Stone Array weakens ghost cultivators; your power will be halved inside, so hold the enemy outside.”

The ghost cultivators understood and, led by Reckless Ghost, charged at the ghost soldiers.

Their attack intercepted Yin Xun’s minions, while nearby water-aligned ghost soldiers also aided Wang Liang, holding back the expendable foes.

Meanwhile, Wang Liang reached the center of the Pure Yang Stone Array.

Yin Xun, without hesitation, rushed into the formation.

At that moment, stone pillars rose everywhere, separating Yin Xun from Wang Liang’s group, leaving only one player attacking Yin Xun with a heavy object.

Yin Xun realized he’d walked into an ambush. He swung his command flag high, and behind him, ten spheres of energy formed, summoning ten ghostly soldiers like phantoms.