Chapter 78: The Miko’s Intervention and the Return of the Great Tengu

“Hmph, don’t think you’ll succeed, Black Seimei. You probably never dreamed that Bikuni would be on my side, did you!” Seimei’s voice, brimming with righteous indignation, resonated. Even as everyone grew anxious, wondering if he would merely speak without acting, the situation abruptly shifted.

“Miko’s Prayer: Exorcism!” A clear, sophisticated female voice (TL Note: ‘Yujie yin’ refers to a voice typically associated with an older, mature, and sophisticated woman.) rang out. Immediately afterward, everyone witnessed a dazzling peacock-feather display bloom over the Main Camp Barrier, followed by a spiritual incantation that pierced into its core.

“150/11700.” The Main Camp Barrier’s long-awaited health regeneration reappeared, finally allowing the heavy stone weighing on everyone’s hearts to settle.

The barrier’s recovery of health signified at least two things: firstly, the sword of Damocles that had hung over their heads was finally gone, alleviating their fear that the Main Camp Barrier would automatically deplete its health until the end; secondly, this dramatic turn of events, which had made the situation complex and urgent, was likely a plot requirement, rather than an indication that they had made a mistake in their gameplay.

“Damn it! Yaobikuni, why?!” Black Seimei’s voice was utterly wretched. It was perplexing why Black Seimei, despite everyone else having been on the verge of life and death, would cry out with such abject misery.

“Stop gaping! Clear the mobs!” Kaguya, seeing Ara and Enenra still lost in a daze, replaying the recent dramatic developments, immediately shouted a reminder. “While the main camp is still regenerating health, quickly clear out the enemy soldiers, or this little bit of health won’t withstand the large demon soldiers of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons!”

Indeed, this was true. Although the large demon soldiers of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons couldn’t match the Super Reinforcements in health, six of them would appear at once. Their movement speed and damage to structures were also incredibly high, making it all too easy for them to “steal a chicken” (TL Note: A Chinese slang term meaning to achieve a surprise victory or to gain an advantage unexpectedly) if one wasn’t careful, which would be an utterly unjust defeat!

Wang Tianming, controlling Zhen, swiftly mowed down the large demon soldiers. Having acquired the “Resounding Gale” equipment, Zhen’s basic attacks now split into three, capable of striking three enemies simultaneously, which allowed her to clear the mobs with even greater efficiency.

Without the curse of the Main Camp Barrier’s health-draining debuff, the large demon soldiers from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons alone were insufficient to threaten anyone. Soon enough, everyone smoothly cleared all three waves of large demon soldiers from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

Indeed, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons consisted of only three waves of enemy soldiers; once cleared, they would not reappear. This mirrored the game’s mechanics, and the system had made no further modifications. It seemed even the system recognized that it would be impossible to topple the Main Camp Barrier solely with the large demon soldiers of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, even if they were to appear endlessly.

“Phew, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!” As the sky cleared once more, Enenra wiped away nonexistent sweat from her brow. Having played the game before, she naturally knew that the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons had concluded. “It’s almost over, isn’t it?”

“The plot. I remember the system initially hinted that we needed to overcome the final stage, and a grand finale plot should be awaiting us,” Zhen, who was Wang Tianming, calmly analyzed. “We can’t let our guard down yet!”

“What final stage? What’s that? I don’t remember…” Ara said, her face a mask of confusion.

“Wasn’t that last bit the final stage? The main camp almost exploded!” Enenra said, disbelief coloring her voice. “Didn’t it end once we reached level eighteen?”

“I don’t know, don’t ask me. I’m not some ‘Sima Planner’ (TL Note: A derogatory term referring to a game planner or developer who creates tricky or unfair game mechanics).” Zhen shook her head, her voice utterly devoid of warmth. It wasn’t that Wang Tianming was particularly aloof; rather, the character of Zhen was simply a natural ice queen.

“Why overthink it? Haven’t we already endured three waves of ultimate attacks? What difference would another grand finale make?” Kaguya said impatiently. “Just stay vigilant. The plot is set by the system, not by us, so who knows what strange things might appear?”

“It should end once we reach level eighteen, right? Zhen, you’re the first to level up; how much longer until you hit eighteen?” Hyounga, who had remained silent due to everyone’s disdain, finally spoke up. This time, he posed a normal question, which somewhat improved Zhen’s impression of him.

“Soon, probably just two or three more enemy soldiers until I level up!” Since Hyounga had spoken politely, Wang Tianming saw no reason to retort. He glanced at his experience bar and replied, “I’ll hit level eighteen once this wave of soldiers is cleared!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a white light enveloped Zhen, for the five of them were clearing enemy soldiers with astonishing speed, even against the Super Reinforcements. This was precisely why the system seemingly no longer wished to end the game solely through the pressure of enemy waves; it was simply too unrealistic.

“Wind Sweeps the Clouds!” A furious tempest surged forth, and no one, not in their wildest dreams, could have anticipated such an event.

Yes, Great Tengu had returned!