"I found the key. Should we open the cages and let those righteous cultivators out to help us?"
Shi Xiyue had a bright idea at that moment.
But Jiang Luoyu rejected it, "No, those righteous cultivators have been tortured to the brink of death. Letting them out won't help us, and if they die, we'll fail the mission."
Everyone had no choice but to rely on their dwindling mana to deal with the enemies.
Just then, a mid-Golden Core Realm warden approached them. Instead of attacking, he turned his butcher's knife on the guards.
After killing one guard, the warden aimed his knife at another, completely ignoring Ren Lan as if she were invisible.
"What's going on?" Ren Lan was bewildered.
"Could it be that this warden NPC has a crush on you?" Liu Xiazi's imagination ran wild.
It wasn't just the warden. Soon, a head jailer also approached, similarly ignoring Ren Lan and her companions, but mercilessly attacking his own men.
The women were utterly confused.
"It seems... it's Lin Jichen's doing! Look ahead!"
Zhou Tiantian noticed something and shouted, pointing forward.
Everyone looked in the direction she indicated and saw Lin Jichen continuously fighting the guards. Whenever he killed an elite guard, he would make a strange hand gesture over the corpse.
He often failed several times, but soon, he seemed to succeed.
A recently killed warden's body suddenly sprang up and, following Lin Jichen's command, walked towards them.
It also didn't attack them but instead slaughtered the guards.
The women finally understood that this was all Lin Jichen's doing.
"Wow, is this... the Impure World Reincarnation Technique?"
"He can summon corpses? That's insane!"
"This reminds me of a necromancer."
"With this skill, he's invincible!"
"He's like a one-man army!"
Everyone was astonished by Lin Jichen's new technique. Jiang Luoyu smiled wryly, wondering where he had learned such an outrageous skill.
Lin Jichen certainly couldn't control hundreds or thousands of people like a true necromancer.
[Earth Grade Secret Technique · Soul Summoning]: When you kill an enemy, there is a 10% chance to summon their soul to fight for you for 30 minutes. The soul's combat power is 50% of the original.
Cooldown: 12 hours, Mana Cost: 1000 per soul.
One thousand mana points per soul.
With the passive effect of the Spirit Energy Rain, he could summon up to a hundred undead minions, given enough time.
In all this time, Lin Jichen had only managed to summon five undead helpers.
But with Lin Jichen's indirect help, everyone's pressure was greatly reduced, and their health and mana quickly recovered.
Rejoining the battle, they continued to clear the guards on the first floor.
At that moment, a shadow suddenly attacked like a ghost.
Ren Lan, unable to react in time, was slashed and sent flying, with over four thousand damage points floating above her head.
This damage was already very high for Ren Lan, a body cultivator with incredible defense.
Seeing this, Lin Jichen raised an eyebrow and flashed to the figure trying to pursue Ren Lan, delivering a powerful slash!
The opponent was sent flying by Lin Jichen, a clear scar on his chest, bleeding profusely.
Everyone then saw clearly that the attacker was a gaunt old man.
[Guard: Jiang Guimian]
[Strength: Early Gathering Spirit Realm]
[Health: 95000/95000]
[Heart Protection: 80]
[Skills: Ghost Fog Ambush, Phantom Assassination, Gale Dance, Thunder Blade Shadow, Fatal Instant Hell Kill,]
It turned out to be the fourth BOSS.
He looked like an assassin.
The old man climbed up from the ground, glaring venomously at Lin Jichen.
His aggro instantly locked onto Lin Jichen, and Jiang Guimian turned into a shadow, attacking Lin Jichen.
Lin Jichen smiled slightly; he feared one-on-one fights the least.
So this was the speed of a Gathering Spirit Realm assassin? It wasn't even as fast as him, a sword cultivator!
"I'll handle this guy. You take care of the others."
Lin Jichen also disappeared from his spot. In an instant, Jiang Guimian was sent flying from the shadows like a broken kite.
However, upon landing, Jiang Guimian vanished into thin air again.
The next second, a black shadow appeared behind Lin Jichen. Instead of immediately attacking, it released a cloud of black mist, covering the entire first floor of the prison.
Lin Jichen's vision was restricted, making it difficult to locate his opponent.
He stood alert, scanning his surroundings.
Suddenly, Jiang Guimian reappeared, descending from above, a dagger piercing Lin Jichen's skull!
Unfortunately, he thought he had succeeded, but the dagger only pierced Lin Jichen's afterimage.
Realizing his failure, Jiang Guimian tried to retreat into the black mist.
But he was struck by a Frost Moon Sword Qi, slowing him down and causing him to freeze rapidly.
[Frost Moon Slash! -3850! Triggered Slowed, Frozen!]
"You're really unlucky." Lin Jichen stepped out from the side, beginning to gather Dizzying Sword Qi, even having time to make a quip.
He had already killed Gathering Spirit Realm BOSSes back in the Hundred Thousand Mountains when he was in the Crystal Realm.
Now, as a Golden Core Realm cultivator, he wouldn't take an early Gathering Spirit Realm enemy seriously.
Of course, this didn't apply to Gathering Spirit Realm experts.
The gap within the same realm could be vast. He didn't fear ordinary Gathering Spirit Realm cultivators, but if it were an exotic beast or a genius cultivator of the same realm, that would be a different story.
After freezing Jiang Guimian, Lin Jichen unleashed a full combo, reducing the BOSS's health by a fifth.
Breaking free from the stun, Jiang Guimian disappeared into the ghostly mist again.
He seemed to realize Lin Jichen was difficult to deal with and turned his attention to Jiang Luoyu and the other fragile cultivators.
"Trying to harm my people in front of me? You must not know the meaning of death!"
Lin Jichen raised an eyebrow and instantly vanished.
Just as Jiang Guimian was about to strike Jiang Luoyu, Lin Jichen arrived in time.
"Wind Thunder Sword!"
Jiang Guimian let out a wail, flying backward.
Lin Jichen didn't give him a chance to breathe, his sword shadows pressing the BOSS relentlessly.
Jiang Luoyu, however, unexpectedly paused, her mind replaying Lin Jichen's earlier words, feeling a bit flustered.
Fortunately, only she heard those words; otherwise, there would be more misunderstandings.
"Phantom Assassination!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Jiang Guimian refocused on Lin Jichen.
His figure moved like a ghost, the surrounding black mist transforming into wolves, lunging at Lin Jichen.
"Heavenly Light Slash!"
Lin Jichen twisted his sword, slashing all the ghostly wolves to pieces!
But Jiang Guimian's assault didn't stop, and in an instant, he was close to Lin Jichen.
"Thunder Blade Shadow!"
From the black mist, a hand emerged, holding a dagger flashing with thunder, bright as daylight!
The dagger turned into a bolt of lightning, carrying immense power, stabbing towards Lin Jichen.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas