Chapter 94: New Choice: The Assassin Path

Meng Yuan Chu Altar.

After checking the progress of the spatial array, Qi Sheng's consciousness switched to the forum.

At this moment, a surge of powerful energy suddenly flooded his body, and the lost piece of the power puzzle merged into him.

The feedback information from the guidance also appeared in his mind.

【Jin Ren Yin (Second-Generation Meng Yuan Chu)】:

Meng Yuan Chu characteristic introduction: Inflict the Jin Ren Yin mark on the attacked target (stackable), detonate the Jin Ren Yin mark at any time to deal stacked damage, and cause the target to enter an elemental chaos state, weakening elemental perception (the duration of this state is affected by the Painful Painful Minghun level and the target's mental strength; the higher the Painful Painful Minghun level, the longer the duration; the higher the target's mental strength, the shorter the duration).

Shou Shou Jili produced: 50/hour.

Discovering that a new Meng Yuan Chu had been contained, Qi Sheng immediately switched his viewpoint.

The location where the Meng Yuan Chu was contained was in the direction of the Spirit Artifact Valley; 73 players remained participating in the containment, all members of the Divine Wing Guild.

They were currently cheering and celebrating.

After a brief observation, Qi Sheng withdrew his gaze.

Three hours later, a guide post on Star Pulse combinations ignited the enthusiasm of many players.

【Brothers, tears are welling up; the spring for us Yiliu Sect players has arrived. Praise Brother Beneath Di Zhao.】

Poster: Shadow Hunter

Content:

I have played games for 13 years; early on I always chose the Faxiliu Sect, but as I aged, I gradually fell in love with the Yiliu Sect.

It is precisely because the Yiliu Sect possesses an elegance and agility that other Qi Ta Wan Fa do not have.

This Taoliu Sect has a common characteristic in all games: that is, extreme damage and a lower margin for error.

Unlike warriors who need to consider defense, health, and other stats that improve survival capabilities, the Yiliu Sect only needs to consider one question: that is, extreme output, escaping quickly after killing with a single strike.

Every assassination is like a dance on the tip of a blade, elegant and lethal; either the enemy dies or I perish.

The difficulty of playing the Yiliu Sect well is higher than any other Renheliu Sect; it is like a hunter, requiring precise control over the timing of the strike, maximizing damage, the withdrawal route, and so on.

This is precisely why I love the Yiliu Sect; the process of challenging oneself is explosively satisfying.

I have been playing the game for half a month, and I have always regretted that there was no Star Pulse combination for the Yiliu Sect in the game.

As a result, the long-awaited surprise descended today; the Jin Ren Yin Painful Painful Minghun, I would call it the mandatory Painful Painful Minghun for Yiliu Sect players.

Here I first present the optimal Star Pulse combination scheme for the Yiliu Sect that I have tested; these are all Painful Painful Minghun that have already been contained.

Star Pulse Combination Slot One:

Black-Armored Snake (Fierce Poison): Any form of physical damage inflicts a poisoning effect, dealing continuous damage to the target.

Star Pulse Combination Slot Two:

Twilight Shadow (Shadow Form): Switch between virtual and physical forms; the mist form increases movement speed and exempts most physical damage, but elemental damage received is intensified.

Star Pulse Combination Slot Three:

Jin Ren Yin:...

Star Pulse Combination Slot Four:

Shattered: All physical form attacks inflict penetration and shattering effects.

Many can currently open four Star Pulse slots, but only a few have Body Tempering reaching level 4.

Therefore, this guide only considers a four-Painful Painful Minghun combination; once strength improves in the future, subsequent combination schemes will be optimized and updated.

Next, I will explain in detail the characteristics of this Painful Painful Minghun combination.

First, I must introduce the Black-Armored Snake Painful Painful Minghun, which many players use; its damage is physical form attacks inflicting a Fierce Poison effect, dealing continuous poisoning damage to the target.

Everyone is certainly familiar with this skill, but what I want to say is that the Fierce Poison effect of the Black-Armored Snake, when combined with the stacked damage effect of the Jin Ren Yin, will produce an effect greater than 1 plus 1 equals 10.

For example, when I strike an opponent once, the passive of the Jin Ren Yin will also stack during the duration of the Fierce Poison effect.

The duration of the Fierce Poison is affected by the target's physical strength.

In the test scenario, I struck a test monster (level 15) once, which could cause a Fierce Poison effect lasting 20 seconds; after embedding the Jin Ren Yin, the Jin Ren Yin mark could automatically stack 10 times within these 20 seconds, roughly once every 2 seconds.

That is to say, originally I should have struck 10 times to stack the mark 10 times, but with the help of the Fierce Poison, I only need one strike.

Here I directly release the demonstration video (video attachment).

After watching the video, you must understand how fierce my Star Pulse combination is.

After Twilight Shadow turns to mist and approaches the target, a single stab with the dagger allows for withdrawal; the attacked target will fall into continuous health loss from the Fierce Poison and be inflicted with continuously stacking Jin Ren Yin marks, and this strike also carries the armor-breaking effect of the Shattered characteristic, with shocking lethality.

Even if one strike does not kill, we can withdraw immediately.

Even if the Jin Ren Yin mark is not actively detonated, it will explode after several dozen seconds.

Therefore, this Xiliu Sect possesses both lethality at the moment of striking and continuous damage caused after a failed assassination.

I suggest players who like the Yiliu Sect must try it; the weapon appearance and strength of the Jin Ren Yin perfectly match the needs of assassins, making up for the last shortcoming in the game where there was no Yiliu Sect, and future optimizations can be made based on this combination.

At the end of the post, two words for the brothers who like the Yiliu Sect:

The Gargoyle is the shield of the weak; the Jin Ren Yin is the soul of the artist.

Treat every assassination as a carefully choreographed play; write the environmental situation, the target's strength, and all influencing factors into the script, then at the appropriate moment, enact a bloody feast and offer an artistic curtain call.

Comment section:

Night is Coming: Brother, you wrote really well; this Star Pulse combination is very feasible, but why step on the Gargoyle... I sense a wave of Gargoyle players are on their way; prepare to get roasted. I have liked and bookmarked the post; retreating (Explorer fleeing. jpg).

Killing Intent Stirred: The OP's combination looks very strong, but have you considered one question? That is, in the general environment, our opponents are the Insect Tide and the Dark Tide; their characteristics are that their numbers are extremely vast. Even if the Yiliu Sect is strong, it is only suitable for single-target assassinations; facing the Insect Tide and the Dark Tide, the lethality is truly limited, far less effective than the Gargoyle combined with other defensive Painful Painful Minghun, and is only suitable for lone wolf players.

This Game is Fun: Bookmarked; I will go test it later. I think this combination is very practical; although it has obvious shortcomings in combating the Insect Tide and the Dark Tide, it wins on high killing efficiency. Killing one with every strike is fine; as long as the killing efficiency is high, everything else is not a problem. But I don't understand why the OP steps on the Gargoyle; the strength of this Painful Painful Minghun is obvious to all; paired with Taunt, it is simply a guardian angel for teammates in the Insect Tide, filling one with a sense of security.

Hesitation means defeat: The OP is likely a solo player; in the eyes of team players, the Assassin playstyle truly has no place of existence. The mage's area-of-effect strikes are entirely sufficient; if not enough, just add another mage player. Assassins are simply unsuited for the newbie village map. Perhaps they can perform exceptionally well when confronting a single powerful target, but in team games, the Assassin playstyle player is destined to be the lowest in the ecological niche. The conclusion is: useful, but not very effective.

Shrimp Heart Pig Heart:

First, let me say, the OP's behavior of stepping on the gargoyle was wrong.

Then let me share my thoughts: I feel, how can the Assassin playstyle not be used in conjunction with a team?

Do you think our players' future opponents will only be the Insect Tide and the Black Tide?

In a confrontation between two camps, the Assassin playstyle player is responsible for decapitation strikes or handling the more thorny damage-dealing points within the opposing camp. For example, there is a type of insect in the Insect Tide that sprays liquid energy; it is extremely troublesome. Can the Gargoyle playstyle or the Artifact Spirit playstyle push through the Insect Tide to kill it? Obviously, they cannot. But with the addition of an Assassin playstyle player, it becomes different. They can infiltrate deep behind enemy lines through stealth, assassinate the damage-dealing points, and reduce the pressure on the front line. I believe the Assassin playstyle player is a style every team must have. This is the configuration a complete team should have, filling all the weaknesses.

Finally, let me ask: When will the Healer playstyle, capable of healing, make its appearance? Drinking potions every day costs so much Shou Shou Jili; it is truly unbearable.

The emergence of the Assassin playstyle Star Vein combination sparked heated discussion among players on the forum.

Especially regarding the importance of the Assassin playstyle for players, everyone expressed their own views, holding different opinions.

But there is no doubt that the Assassin playstyle is very suitable for lone players without a team, or wolf-type players.

Superb mobility combined with ultimate damage output means that both travel efficiency and monster-killing efficiency will see a substantial increase.

But this playstyle also has a fatal flaw.

Compared to melee Star Vein combinations like the Gargoyle, the Assassin playstyle has weak defense. Even if new Star Vein slots are opened in the future, the Painful Painful Minghun embedded will still be one capable of causing ultimate damage; defense and other attributes will not be considered.

This is also the greatest difference between the Assassin playstyle and other Star Vein playstyles.

Even mage players must consider embedding restorative Painful Painful Minghun like "Spirit Eater" in their Star Vein combinations to ensure sustainability.

Only the Assassin playstyle pursues the most ultimate damage output.

The debate on the forum also caused the popularity of this post to climb continuously, surging onto the forum's hot list.

After reading the guide content, quite a few players still felt the impulse to choose the Assassin playstyle.

Although there is significant controversy regarding its utility, the appearance of this guide post officially marked the debut of a brand new Star Vein playstyle: the Assassin playstyle.

Emperor's Tomb Mountain Range, Blood-Red Plain.

Under the leadership of Li Tie, the Veteran Corps members approached the Insect Tide devouring the earth not far away.

In the voice channel:

Old Dog: Did you guys see the new post on the forum's hot list?

Cleaver: What new post? I never look at the forum. Tell me the details.

Ash: I don't browse the forum either. Deputy Commander, did you find something?

Big Steel: I've never even clicked into the forum functions, so what exactly is going on?

Old Dog: (Forum Link)

Driven by curiosity, the members of the Veteran Corps clicked on the post one by one to view it.

Subsequently, they saw the Assassin Star Vein combination shared in the guide.

After exiting the forum, everyone turned their gaze in unison toward Ash in the squad.

Ash is 1.8 meters tall, with a clean and neat crew cut. As a Super Gene Warrior, his height is the lowest in the team.

In the Special Operations Corps led by Li Tie, Ash is responsible for reconnaissance missions.

Noticing everyone looking at him, Ash appeared somewhat stunned:

"Why are you all looking at me? I am responsible for intelligence gathering, target surveillance, and terrain reconnaissance missions. I have never been responsible for assassination or sabotage operations."

Old Dog grinned at this moment:

"Actually, many similarities can still be found. I feel this playstyle suits you very well. The requirements for an Assassin are stealth and speed; these are all areas you excel in. Plus your outstanding concealment and observation abilities, this playstyle is meant for no one but you. Switching to the Assassin Star Vein combination can also fill some of our team's operational weaknesses..."

After listening to Old Dog's explanation, Ash fell silent briefly before nodding:

"Although I quite like the Artifact Spirit playstyle, since the Deputy Commander says so, I'll switch."

Having spoken, Ash summoned the Star Vein panel and began to re-decompose and reconfigure the combination.

Not long after, Ash, having switched his Star Vein combination, even showed a noticeable change in his aura.

"Let's go, find some bugs to test the effect," Li Tie, walking at the very front, spoke up at this moment.

The team immediately quickened their pace, advancing toward the rampaging Insect Tide.

Half an hour later.

The appearance of a post once again pushed the discussion of the Assassin playstyle to the top of the hot list.

【Holy crap, this Assassin playstyle is too fierce! It left me dumbfounded. This kill efficiency feels no weaker than the mage's area-of-effect coverage strikes.】

OP: Dog Who Raises Cats.

Content: Here is the situation. My good brother and I were preparing to explore the area southeast of the Blood-Red Plain. On the way, we saw a group of players charging and killing within the Insect Tide. At the time, I didn't take it seriously and didn't look closely, so my good brother and I continued on our way.

But after we turned back, we discovered that almost the entire player squad had died, yet one player was still alive. His performance was nothing short of miraculous.

He must have chosen the Assassin Star Vein combination that just came out on the forum.

How should I describe his performance?... Forget it, I'm at a loss for words and don't know how to describe it. Let's just post the video directly.

I guarantee that after you finish watching, you will definitely exclaim: Awesome.

I won't show the footage of the previous player squad charging and killing in the Insect Tide; let's go straight to the highlight (Attachment: Video).

Opening the video, the Insect Tide at the end of the screen resembled a torrent of crystal stones, covering the earth. The chirping of insects rose and fell, releasing endless noise.

The video screen zoomed in rapidly.

A black figure could be seen moving swiftly through the Insect Tide.

The view continued to zoom in, revealing players weaving through the insect swarm who had embedded the "Twilight Shadow" Painful Painful Minghun; with every strike in battle, they landed precisely within the gaps of the swarm to coalesce into solid form, then switched back to mist-shadow form as the swarm surged, dodging the bloodthirsty pounces of the insect warriors.

In his hand was a blood-red dagger inscribed with runes; every strike pierced the weakest point of the insect warriors' defense—their throats—with unerring accuracy.

Solid form, thrust, mistification, withdrawal... every strike following a shift between void and solid within the swarm was like a dance upon the scythe of Death; one misstep and death would follow.

Yet this player seemed to have mastered the rhythm of the swarm, dancing on the edge of life and death, always completing the assassination and retreating with a heart-stopping angle.

It seemed every breath was a calculation.

Target distance, angle of attack, number of nearby insects, frequency of insect assaults, speed of insect movement... every factor was calculated with precision.

This scene made the players watching the livestream recall the final words left by the original poster in the previous assassin guide thread.

Assassination is an art performance of a script one composes oneself.

This statement was verified upon the player in the video.

Though the number of insects was vast, to this player they were like lambs awaiting slaughter, every movement of theirs exquisitely elegant.

Finding a brief opening to strike amidst countless possibilities of error, he killed the insects with a single blow; even if he could not kill them, the mark would explode after a few seconds, causing area damage.

In this region flooded by the insect swarm, this player, with flesh and blood alone, painted a canvas of death.

It could be called a slaughter art.

At the end of the footage, the player was clearly exhausted, unable to replenish stamina with potions amidst the swarm, and was ultimately engulfed by the swarm before dissolving into black mist.

The appearance of this thread shot to the top of the popularity chart in a short time, ranking four spots higher than the assassin guide thread.

Shrimp Heart: You've made me cry from how cool this is; the assassin build is the answer for this version. The kill efficiency is too high; basically every attack kills one insect, whereas a mage needs 3-5 fireballs to kill one insect and must also consider mana sustainability. In terms of attack frequency, the mage cannot compare to the assassin at all. With this kill efficiency, who dares say the assassin build is bad (eating dirt, slapping table. jpg).

Rejecting Mental Exhaustion: Oh my god, I watched the video three times in a row; I was stunned. This performance is truly awesome; the battle process can be described entirely as elegant. If not for running out of stamina, I feel he could have killed a pile more insects. The control over the timing of strikes is precise down to the second. Who knows which god-like person this is? I want to follow him.

Wang Daoliu Warrior (Way of Kings Warrior): Silently taking back the words I spat in the previous assassin guide thread. Seeing the title, I intended to come in and trash-talk a bit, thinking the assassin build looked unimpressive no matter how you saw it, and wondering how anyone had the courage to compare it with the Star Pulse combination paired with Stone Golems. But the assassin build player in the video left me dumbfounded. We are all playing the same game, yet he seems like he's using cheats; it's nothing short of a miracle. I've saved the video and will watch it repeatedly in the future.

Night is Coming: Too cool, but I still have to remind players who, after watching the video, feel the urge to play the assassin build.

You must understand that what makes this assassin build player in the video strong is not the Star Pulse build he uses, but his combat skills.

I can say with full responsibility that with the combat skills of the player in the video, he would be very strong playing any melee build.

Moreover, he would be several tiers stronger than players of the same level and same Star Pulse combination.

As for ordinary players, even if they choose the assassin build, once they enter the insect swarm, they are blind as bats, unable to find the precise timing to strike, and will switch to solid form only to be locked in a dark room of isolation within seconds.

But what can be confirmed is that the assassin build Star Pulse combination is very suitable for skill-based players.

Just like the player in the video, his combat skills and combat awareness can significantly improve the low error tolerance of the assassin build; it belongs to the category of raising the assassin build's shortcomings through sheer hard power, while simultaneously raising the upper limit.

In summary, only players with sufficient confidence in their own strength are recommended to choose the assassin build.

As for ordinary players, trust me, do not touch it.

I guarantee you will switch back to your original Star Pulse combination within 24 hours.

The performance of Ash, continuing to fight the endless insect swarm after all his veteran team members had fallen, was filmed and recorded by a passing player and posted on the forum.

Players who watched the video were all stunned by Ash's performance.

Extremely high kill efficiency, precise timing of strikes, ghostly movement and positioning, second-by-second control over the shift between void and solid... after Ash's video appeared, the criticism of the assassin build on the forum gradually vanished.

But as the forum player Night is Coming said.

This is a Star Pulse build that only skill-based players have the ability to master; for ordinary players, once they pick it up, there is only endless frustration, unable to move elegantly within the insect swarm like Ash in the video footage to achieve precise harvesting.

The appearance of this video made many players begin to realize the importance of skill.

With the same Star Pulse combination, skill-based players can significantly raise the capability upper limit and create more possibilities.

And this is precisely the development trend that Qi Sheng, hidden behind the scenes, wanted to see.

(End of Chapter)