"It's you..."
Seeing Chen Nian reappear, everyone stared in stunned silence.
"You cowardly bastard, you actually have the nerve to show your face! I can't fathom why Miss Ye chose someone like you! Even if I die here today, I'll drag you down with me!"
Chu Xiang was the first to erupt in curses.
But facing Chu Xiang, who had completely lost his composure, Chen Nian merely gave him a cold, dismissive glance.
"Shut your trap if you want to live, rookie."
"What did you—!"
Chu Xiang raised his blade, ready to fight Chen Nian to the death, but was pulled back by another companion behind him.
"Hold on... don't get carried away."
"Don't stop me! I'll cut him down first!"
"Don't you find it strange? Why did he show up now? Why... isn't he afraid at all?"
Hearing his teammate's words, Chu Xiang lowered the blazing blade he'd raised high.
It did make sense, didn't it?
If he were a coward, why show no fear even facing death?
And why step forward precisely at the most perilous moment? What was his purpose?
Chen Nian paid them no mind.
His rest was complete, and his extraordinary power had recovered to about seventy percent. It was time to act.
He raised his index finger slightly. Obscure syllables coalesced into a fierce wind, gathering at his fingertip.
Spell of Words—Wind Gathering Cannon.
"He... what is he trying to do...."
"This guy uses wind-type abilities. He's not a fire-type..... Then why did Miss Ye bring him here?"
"Wait..."
The group instantly realized a spine-chilling truth.
One person stammered, "He... he's not a fire-type class. How did he survive so long in the Flaming Abyss... and remain invisible the entire time!"
The crowd couldn't help but gasp.
Fire-type classes possess immense resistance to flames. How could any other class endure such a place for so long?
Just as the group stood in stunned disbelief, a deep purple-black glow erupted from the man's body, instantly enveloping him entirely.
"Catastrophe... Catastrophe Gem!!!"
Someone screamed out in shock.
His facial muscles trembled as he pointed at Chen Nian, staring as if at a monster.
"That's the glow of a Calamity Gem! He's killed a Calamity Beast before—he possesses a Calamity Gem!"
Another utterly staggering revelation.
Calamity Beasts—celestial scourges from beyond, sentient monstrosities, each terrifying beyond measure.
For ordinary people, attempting to confront them meant certain death!
And this man... he even possessed a Calamity Gem dropped by a Calamity Beast...
"Who exactly is he?!"
At this moment, Chu Xiang also realized this man was no ordinary person. He felt as if a thorn had lodged in his throat, unable to speak, only able to swallow repeatedly.
The Calamity Gem's "Defense-Offense Reversal" activated.
[Defense -696, Attack +696]
Boom!
A cannon blast erupted.
The intense blast wave sent Chen Nian's bangs flying wildly.
This single wind cannon obliterated a nearby Crimson Flame Lizard into countless fragments, its soul scattered to the winds...
Everyone: !!!
Intense shock and disbelief erupted in that instant.
Waves of astonishment surged a hundred feet high within their hearts!
"Instant... instant kill?"
During their earlier battles, eliminating a single monster required over a dozen exchanges, sometimes even requiring two people to team up.
Yet before this man, it took merely a single wind cannon blast?
Just how terrifying must his attack power be to one-shot a monster nearing level 70?!
Mouths gaped open, almost forgotten to close.
For what followed was a scene they would never forget.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The wind cannons fired relentlessly, as if ammunition were free.
Any monster daring to approach was instantly incinerated by a single blast—without exception!
The others stood idle, merely watching their experience points surge.
Genetic Energy +150
Genetic Energy +150
Genetic Energy +150...
In less than two minutes.
All the minor monsters had been wiped out by Chen Nian, not a single one left.
The stunned crowd finally realized, belatedly, who the true powerhouse of this expedition was.
"Too... too terrifying...."
"No wonder, no wonder Miss Ye values him so much... He's the strongest one after all!"
"He held back earlier just to strike now..."
"Holy crap, I even got a fire-type skill scroll..."
"I got gear too!"
"Haha, this is what they mean by reaping the benefits while lying down!"
The group harbored not a shred of resentment toward Chen Nian anymore. Yet, after the brief excitement, they couldn't escape the most pressing issue.
The most formidable boss remained.
The Level 95 Heavenly Flame Demon Wolf loomed like a colossal mountain, crushing the group under its weight...
Unless they defeated it, none would survive.
"You dare challenge the Flaming Abyss? How presumptuous!"
"ROAR!!!"
The Wolf Fang Club was raised high, turning the skies dark and shaking the earth.
Suddenly, the gloomy crimson sky split open, revealing a terrifying scarlet meteor slowly emerging from within...
"Celestial Meteor Strike... Fire Mage's rare skill, Celestial Meteor Strike!"
A Fire Mage stared skyward, his face ashen, lips pale, body trembling uncontrollably.
Every soul knew the terrifying power of this ultimate strike...
If it crashed down from above, it would obliterate everyone instantly—no exceptions!
"You ignorant humans... perish now."
The Heavenly Flame Demon Wolf swept its contemptuous gaze over the crowd, like a sovereign surveying a swarm of ants. In its eyes, they were already dead.
Meteorite Descent... Its most glorious feat was when a single meteorite wiped out thousands of players!
Though this meteorite wasn't quite that terrifying, annihilating the entire team present held no suspense.
The meteor plummeted from the heavens as the group cowered in terror.
They possessed no means to resist.
Yet they saw one figure still standing...
Chen Nian's pupils reflected the fiery glow of the colossal meteor. He lifted a finger slightly, a faint smile curling his lips.
"Wh-what is he doing?!"
The next instant, Chen Nian provided his answer.
It was still that seemingly ordinary Wind Gathering Cannon.
The invisible wind cannon sliced through the air, striking the massive meteorite that nearly obscured half the sky, then vanished without a trace.
Not a single ripple disturbed the surface.
"Using such a minor spell against a meteorite? What is he thinking?!"
"Madman... Absolute madman..."
At this moment of life-or-death crisis, no one felt like mocking Chen Nian. They were simply stunned by the absurdity.
This was the ultimate move unleashed by a Level 95 boss, and you counter it with a minor skill...
What gives?
—BOOM.
A deafening roar stripped everyone of their hearing.
Amidst stunned gazes, the meteor exploded. Shards and fiery sparks scattered across the sky, dazzling like fireworks.
Chen Nian stood amidst the blazing sky,
his back straight as an arrow, like the new king of a chaotic world.