Chapter 520: Ambush

Some noise came from a distance. Nie Yan and Xie Yao quickly put on their equipment. A Flame Giant was approaching.

Nie Yan glanced at Xie Yao. At this moment, her eyes were alluring and seductive beyond words.

Thinking about the romantic scene just now, Nie Yan couldn’t help but feel a surge of passion. After what had happened earlier, their relationship seemed to have grown closer, creating a completely different feeling between them.

After a while, Nie Yan continued to draw the Flame Giant’s attention. Just like before, the two resumed grinding the Flame Giant for experience points.

Minute by minute passed.

As Nie Yan and Xie Yao were grinding the Flame Giant, about twenty minutes away at the Reso Canyon, a team of three hundred players was heading deep into the canyon. They were preparing to clear out the Thunder Beast, a level 90 boss, which had been dwelling there.

This group of three hundred was led by Cui Can Dao Guang, Shui Se Yantou, and others from the Niuren Tribe.

At this moment, they were the only team in the entire Reso Canyon because no other team could handle the Thunderbeast at this time.

Inside the canyon lay a vast, flat plain. A Thunder Beast with a massive body appeared before their eyes. This Thunder Beast resembled a gigantic gorilla, covered in brown fur, with continuous flashes of lightning coursing through its hair. These were powerful creatures capable of manipulating lightning at will.

Upon detecting Cui Can, Dao Guang, and others intruding into its territory, the thunderous roar of the beast shook the entire valley in fury.

The well-trained Niuren Tribe warriors swiftly dispersed in an orderly manner. Cui Candao Guang, brandishing a level 100 great shield inlaid with requirement-reducing gems, charged straight toward the Thunder Beast.

Shield Bash!

Cui Candao Guang delivered a powerful shield bash against the Thunder Beast, creating a resounding thud.

The thunder roared in agony, lifting its massive arm and slashing down toward Cui Can Dao Guang, its strike laced with crackling bolts of lightning.

Cui Candao Guang raised his shield to block the Thunder Beast’s attack. The tremendous force sent him staggering backward a few steps, but he roared and charged forward again.

The equipment of Cui Can Dao Guang, all specially crafted by Nie Yan to lower the requirements, consisted of high-tier Dark Gold gear above level 100, boasting astonishingly high defense and other attributes. The Thunder Beast’s attacks only dealt a little over a thousand points of damage to Cui Can Dao Guang, who currently had six thousand hit points. He could easily withstand the Thunder Beast’s assault. If an ordinary tank warrior of the same level, even with six thousand hit points, faced the Thunder Beast, they likely wouldn’t survive a single blow.

Behind him, a priest cast a healing spell on Cui Can Dao Guang, restoring his health. Since the damage Cui Can Dao Guang received was relatively low, the pressure on the healers wasn’t too great.

While Cui Candao Guang was holding back the Thunder Beast, other tank warriors swiftly moved in to restrain it, preventing it from moving freely.

The paladins and berserkers were already in position. Seeing that Cui Can Dao Guang had drawn the Thunder Beast’s aggro, the spellcasters began their assault. Nearly one hundred and seventy spellcasters simultaneously unleashed their magic, each spell tracing arcs across the sky before crashing onto the Thunder Beast and exploding violently.

Lightning, ice shards, sparks, and debris scattered in all directions.

Among all the spellcasters, Tang Yao stood out the most. Clad in crimson robes, even a simple arcane fireball could unleash the highest magical damage in the entire group. Due to his overwhelming spell power, he had to pause briefly after each cast to manage the aggro he generated.

The thunder raged furiously, unleashing relentless counterattacks against Cui Can Dao Guang. Yet no matter how fiercely it struck, the damage inflicted upon Cui Can Dao Guang remained negligible. Cui Can Dao Guang consistently maintained more than half of his health.

“Brother Dao Guang’s defense is so strong,” a priest behind them remarked. Cui Can Dao Guang’s defense was outrageously high. Two healers, Dai Tou Da Ge Qi Qi and Shi Li Hua Sha, were sufficient to keep him healed. The rest of the healers seemed to have little to do besides casting buffs on the other team members.

“Brother Dao Guang’s gear was all provided by Brother Nie Yan. I heard his defense has reached over eight thousand.”

“Over eight thousand…”

This number caused everyone nearby to gasp in awe. It was a figure that no ordinary player could hope to reach at this stage. Rumor had it that the MTs of Mage Union and Divine Guardians only had around five thousand defense, nowhere near Cui Can Dao Guang’s level.

While Cui Candao Guang and his team were concentrating on fighting the Thunder Beast, a group of approximately thirty thieves from the Mage Union and Divine Guardians quietly infiltrated the Thunder Rope Canyon, trailing behind them.

These thieves were the top-tier players from Mage Union and Divine Guardians, representing the highest level of skill among their respective factions.

They lay in ambush at various locations, watching the Niuren Tribe players attacking the Thunder Beast from a distance.

Leading this group of thieves was a rogue named Sui Gu Zhi Dao, the number one thief in Mage Union. His skill level was unquestionably top-tier, only slightly inferior to Sun and Wang Zhe Tian Xia from the Niuren Tribe.

The group of thieves was hiding in the jungle about several hundred yards away from Cui Can Dao Guang, closely observing every move the team made.

“Damn, that tank’s defense is way too high. He can actually withstand a level 90 boss and looks pretty relaxed doing it,” one thief whispered beside Sui Gu Zhi Dao.

“The real terrifying factor isn’t even these guys, it’s Kuai Zei Nie Yan. I’m wondering how Kuai Zei Nie Yan managed to gather such a group of people together,” Sui Gu Zhi Dao mused. Players like Cui Can Dao Guang, Shui Se Yantou, and Dai Tou Da Ge Qi Qi were exceptionally talented individuals, rare to find among tens of thousands of people. For Kuai Zei Nie Yan to have gathered such a group together, he must have had incredible vision!

Upon hearing Sui Gu Zhi Dao’s words, the thief beside him remained silent.

Inside the Leisuo Canyon, the atmosphere was serene, with a faint mist lingering in the air. Occasionally, bird calls echoed from the distant jungle, bringing a sense of relaxation. Aside from the ongoing battle, the Leisuo Canyon was remarkably tranquil.

Cui Can Dao Guang was still holding off the Thunder Beast. As they watched the Thunder Beast’s health drop to 20%, it was clear that it would fall in about three or four minutes.

Just as Cui Can Dao Guang was preparing to ask the spellcasters to increase their output, his communicator buzzed.

Cui Can Dao Guang furrowed his brow. Who would be contacting him at a time like this? He had set restrictions on who could reach him during this period, allowing only a few people like Guo Huai and Nie Yan to contact him.

Cui Can Dao Guang glanced down and saw it was a message from Guo Huai.

Before heading here to battle the Thunderbeast, they had already reported their plans to Guo Huai. If Guo Huai was reaching out to him now, it must be something urgent. He answered the call immediately.

“Dao Guang, take everyone and retreat immediately!” Guo Huai urgently shouted through the communicator.

“But the Thunderberated still has 20% health! We can finish it in three or four minutes!” Hearing Guo Huai’s words, Cui Candao Guang immediately sensed danger, yet abandoning the Thunderberated with only 20% health left was hard to accept.

“Fall back now! Forget the Thunder Beast! Otherwise, it’ll be too late!” Guo Huai urged anxiously.

Upon hearing Guo Huai’s words, Cui Can Dao Guang’s face darkened. He immediately issued an order in the team chat: “All team members, follow my command. Retreat immediately!”

“Why, Brother Dao Guang?”

“Yeah, the Thunderbird still has 20% health left. We can take it down in three or four minutes!”

(Note: “雷berated” appears to be a typo/misspelling. Based on gaming context, it’s likely referring to “Thunderbird” – a common boss/monster name in games. If it’s meant to be a specific term, please provide clarification.)

“Could it be Mage Union is making a move? We confirmed before coming that Mage Union was busy fighting an 80-level boss. Even if they came, we wouldn’t have to be this afraid, right?”

“Stop arguing! Cease attacks and retreat!” Cui Can Dao Guang didn’t understand the situation either, but he was certain that Guo Huai must have received some critical information.

“Follow Brother Dao Guang’s orders. Retreat immediately!” Shui Se Yantou shouted in the team chat.

Under the commands of both leaders, no one dared to hesitate. The players of the Niuren Tribe had to halt their assault and began an orderly retreat. Cui Can and Dao Guang swiftly moved to the side, diverting the thunder in another direction to create favorable conditions for the team’s withdrawal.

Sui Gu Zhi Dao and others were watching the Niuren Tribe players closely when they suddenly noticed the strange behavior of the opposing team.

“Brother Sui, they’re retreating!”

Sui Gu Zhi Dao quickly sent a voice message to Kuang Fa, who was currently organizing players at Hilton Fortress. Kuang Fa’s eyes darkened. The Niuren Tribe was retreating so quickly, meaning their side must have had a leak of information. If they waited any longer, the Niuren Tribe players would escape entirely!

Kuang Fa issued an order in the regional chat: “Everyone, attack now!”

Upon receiving Kuang Fa’s command, the Mage Union players immediately sprang into action. Alongside them, Divine Guardians also dispatched a large number of players to assist. Player after player from Mage Union and Divine Guardians vanished into thin air, transported away by arcane teleportation spells.

Cui Candao Guang glanced at the guild message, and his expression changed drastically. Out of their more than three thousand members, divided into several teams, nearly all had simultaneously suffered attacks from the Mage Union, Divine Guardians, and Xue Sha, resulting in over eight hundred casualties. These players were the elite forces of the Niuren Tribe, Sacred Roman Empire, and other guilds! Losing even one of them—let alone having them drop a level—would be a severe blow.

The Mage Union and Divine Guardians had meticulously planned their assault. Guo Huai’s intelligence arrived a step too late. Their most devastating strategy involved deploying a large group of thieves who relentlessly hurled entangling vines and Swamp Magic scrolls, catching the Niuren Tribe players off guard and inflicting heavy casualties.

“Use recall scrolls in batches!” Cui Can Dao Guang realized the situation was serious. Mage Union and Divine Guardians must have also targeted them, as their group was the true elite of the Niuren Tribe. If they didn’t evacuate quickly, they would surely encounter trouble.

“It’s the Mage Union thieves!” Dai Tou Da Ge Qi Qi stated grimly. With a single illumination spell, he revealed three hidden thieves nearby.

They arrived too quickly! Cui Can Dao Guang’s heart sank.