Chapter 236: As Long as You Say It

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

As the NPC cast the spell, semi-transparent chains tightened once more, and talismans were yanked out again—but some players noticed a critical issue—

There are only nine lanterns!

"So that means we can only pull out nine talismans?"

Clearly, not just one player realized this, but in their minds, they didn't see it as a design flaw.

After all, if the boss were just solved by the NPC, what would players even be playing for?

"All online players prepare! This city is lost—abandon it. Everyone, summon the world boss now! If ten talismans at full power can't beat it, one talisman plus NPC support should be more than enough!"

Fast-reacting players immediately broadcasted a massive announcement across all channels; players who had already prepared to retreat to the rear fortress for the second siege rushed back via teleportation.

Though far away, thanks to the recording devices' zoom and focus functions, players could clearly see that with each talisman pulled, the NPC's face grew paler—clearly, this sealing technique came at a cost.

As the curses were extracted, the dragon boss's body twisted and warped again, swollen bone spurs piercing through his robe, two tails uncontrollably extending; though his appearance became even more grotesque than before, his aura clearly lost the oppressive weight that had once made breathing difficult merely by standing (in truth, a weakened version of sleep paralysis).

"Heh, how long can you hold on? I am a noble dragon, an immortal demon—I have endless chances to restart, but how long can you live?"

As the seventh talisman was pulled, the dragon boss suddenly stopped struggling; the fury of being outmaneuvered was suppressed once more—but this rational voice didn't affect the NPC's casting. He stomped hard, and the eighth talisman shot out violently; the backlash sent a gush of blood from his mouth, and the last drone—I mean, the lantern—hung directly above the boss's head!

"Ready!"

Though the commander had barely opened his mouth, some players had already charged forward—after all, in games, some enjoy following smart leaders for a better experience, but there are always those who think only they are the smart ones.

Feng Xue had long anticipated this—indeed, precisely because he expected players to act impulsively, he had deliberately slowed the sealing rhythm.

Flying swords, fireballs, rapid-fire arrows—all manner of ranged attacks slammed into the dragon boss, suspended by a "noose." Even one overconfident player swung a great mountain-splitting axe and leapt straight down with a cleaving strike.

But this surge of energy disturbed the seal's structure—the NPC at the altar spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed outright; the chains binding the dragon boss snapped instantly.

"Rise!" The collapsed NPC raised one hand, and the lanterns carrying the talismans shot skyward. Seeing this, the dragon boss, now regaining mobility, roared and lunged toward the floating talismans.

"Hah! Eat my Nine Heavens Thunder Dual-Slash!" Though the leaping player knew he'd probably messed up, players are players—his mind hesitated for only an instant before he swung the axe with full force at the dragon boss.

But unexpectedly—his axe struck!

"The boss is weaker!" The berserker player exulted, immediately preparing a whirlwind strike—yet before his body could spin, the axe blade was seized by a scaled hand—

"You should have cut my head!"

A dual-toned voice, thick with rage and fury, echoed in his mind; the boss's tail whipped out, the wound on his chest healing instantly, and the berserker was split clean in two.

"Damn you, die!"

As the words ended, the dragon boss was already beside the NPC—but in that instant, a figure shot between them: Guan Er!

As he activated a guard skill, the shield wall spell was already complete—ninety percent damage reduction absorbed the boss's furious strike—but…

"Quick! This boss really is weaker—this punch only took off less than a tenth of my HP!"

Guan Er didn't bother typing in the player channel—he shouted loudly while slamming both hands down, activating both the Toughness and Thorns auras.

The boss, whose stats had always crushed players even in five-man dungeons, inexplicably staggered back two steps from the impact. Seeing this, how could the players not charge?

All ranged and melee players surged forward en masse. Realizing the timing was wrong, the dragon boss roared—a command that sent the rampaging demons in the city scrambling back to defend him. Players immediately clashed with the demons, while the dragon boss transformed into a lightning-charged tornado and shot toward Wang Cheng, leaving only his furious, resentful roar echoing in the air—

"Don't think you've won! I will reclaim my talismans!"

…

"Cough! Cough!"

"Bro, are you okay?"

"What bro? Call me Senior!"

With the boss gone, outer-area players immediately engaged the hostile demons, while Guan Er and several players who had just arrived clustered near the NPC, exchanging words in hopes of triggering the next quest step.

Feng Xue feigned another cough and spat blood, then gestured—eight talismans returned to his hand. The research-obsessed mad scientist scanned them at a glance and immediately noticed something wrong: "Senior, these talismans… they're different from before?"

"Cough! Cough!" Feng Xue first let out a weak cough, then nodded gently: "I intended to use this moment—the demon hasn't fully regained his power—to disrupt and extract his authority again. But I'm no match for the seniors of old—I left him the 【Wood】 representing life. Still, all 【Four Elements】 have been stripped—he should lose all spellcasting ability, retaining only his innate control over Wind and Thunder. Defeating him isn't impossible… but my body…" Cough! Cough!"

He spat two more mouthfuls of blood, gasping heavily. The mad scientist caught the crucial point: "Senior, this failure is partly our fault—we're willing to help you defeat the dragon boss!"

"You?" Feng Xue's pale face twisted into a sneer, then he shook his head: "You who can't even master the Foundation Skill…"

Mid-sentence, he glanced at the talismans in his hand, his expression softening. He sighed: "Fate! Fate indeed! Fine—I'll leave my legacy in the Northern Hermit Village. If you're truly determined, come find me!"

Without waiting for the mad scientist to speak further, Feng Xue's body dissolved into a blade of light, carrying the eight talismans away, leaving only an overturned altar and a chaotic mix of players and monsters…

"You people?" A disdainful expression appeared on Feng Xue's deathly pale face, but he immediately shook his head again:

"You people can't even master the Foundation Skill…"

Halfway through speaking, Feng Xue suddenly glanced at the Talisman and Spell in his hand, his expression softening as he sighed:

"Heaven's will! Heaven's will indeed! Enough—I shall leave my legacy at Hidden Hermit Village in the north. If you are truly resolved, come find me!"

Having said that, without waiting for the Research Maniac to respond, Feng Xue's body transformed into a streak of sword-light, vanishing on the spot along with the eight Talismans and Spells, leaving behind only an overturned altar table and a chaotic mess of players and wild monsters…

(End of Chapter)