There are many things in faith that cannot be traced back to their origins. Nie Yan remembered that in his previous life when he died, there were still more than twenty quest items of various kinds in his warehouse, yet he couldn’t find any clues related to the quests. Therefore, he didn’t hold much hope for any quests related to these divine entities. If he could obtain them, it would be his fortune; if not, it would be his fate.
Nie Yan wasn’t sure what kind of map this Temple of the Goddess of Life was.
“What’s your name?” Nie Yan casually asked, without directly using Super Insight to check the rogue’s name.
Startled by Nie Yan’s question, the rogue hesitated for a moment, then showed a surprised expression and nervously replied, “My name is Bo Mu Weiliang (Thin Dusk Cool).”
“Bo Mu Weiliang? I’ll remember that. Well done. When you return to Bull Man Tribe, go to the Executive Guild Leader to collect ten thousand honor points. I’ll have him prepare a decent level 130 rogue set for you.” Nie Yan could see that this rogue had some talent and decided to give him a boost, hoping he might bring some surprises. As for the equipment and honor points, they were nothing to Nie Yan.
“Ah, that’s really not necessary,” Bo Mu Weiliang replied, flustered.
Immediately, several nearby rogues nudged Bo Mu Weiliang, saying, “You fool, quickly thank Boss Nie Yan.”
Within the Bull Man Tribe, Nie Yan’s word was law. His subordinates were well aware of his character and had long gotten used to it. Upon hearing Bo Mu Weiliang’s words, they rolled their eyes, thinking this fool was actually declining Nie Yan’s offer after Nie had already spoken.
“Thank you, Boss Nie Yan,” Bo Mu Weiliang sincerely said. Receiving such a generous gift suddenly made him feel like he had been hit by a falling pie from the sky. He was filled with gratitude towards Nie Yan, who had clearly acknowledged his abilities.
The other team members envied Bo Mu Weiliang, though they had to admit that their ability to observe details wasn’t as good as his. For a rogue, this was very important, as a highly observant rogue was much more valued than an ordinary one.
“I’m off first. If you find any new clues, send me a message,” Nie Yan said. After bidding farewell to everyone, he entered stealth mode and headed toward the temple.
To Nie Yan, this was just a minor incident, but for Bo Mu Weiliang, it was a completely different matter.
Watching Nie Yan disappear into the distance, Bo Mu Weiliang silently resolved not to disappoint Nie Yan’s expectations.
After moving forward for a few hundred yards, Nie Yan saw the entire outline of the Temple of the Goddess of Life clearly. The ruins stretched endlessly, with some structures still towering high, faintly displaying the temple’s former grandeur. However, now it was like an old man in his twilight years, frail and withered.
Scanning the ruins, Nie Yan noticed some figures moving about. They were likely the bandits active in the Temple of the Goddess of Life ruins, as Bo Mu Weiliang had mentioned. These bandits were said to be mutated bosses. Such a powerful group gathered here made this place an off-limits area for ordinary players. Accidentally entering could lead to being killed, just like Bo Mu Weiliang and his group had experienced.
Looking further ahead, sixteen massive stone pillars stood in the center of the ruins. Below the white pillars were some scattered buildings, which should be the heart of the Temple of the Goddess of Life. Nie Yan wondered what was going on there.
After approaching the Temple of the Goddess of Life, the Holy Light Stone in Nie Yan’s backpack began to emit a soft white glow, giving off a warm feeling. His heart quickened. The remaining piece of the Abak Set—the Focus Leggings—was right here in this temple!
Upon confirming this, Nie Yan’s heart raced with excitement that he couldn’t suppress.
Obtaining the Focus Leggings meant Nie Yan would complete the entire Abak Set, a legendary set of gear at level 180. For ordinary players, this was unimaginable, an ultimate set of equipment that everyone could only dream of possessing. Even Nie Yan himself found it hard to believe. When he first obtained the Shadow of Darkness, he thought it was impossible to collect the entire Abak Set. But as time passed and nearly two years went by, piece by piece, he was finally about to complete the set.
Once Nie Yan wore the complete Abak Set, even someone like Angelic Wings and others would probably not dare to challenge him.
No matter the cost, even if he had to destroy the entire Temple of the Goddess of Life, Nie Yan was determined to get the Focus Leggings. He decided to start exploring the temple. If he couldn’t handle it alone, he would bring in the elite team from Bull Man Tribe to clear out the temple. If the elite team couldn’t do it, he would mobilize the entire guild to wipe out all the bandits, searching every inch of the ground. Nie Yan was confident he would find the Focus Leggings!
With just one piece left to complete the legendary set, Nie Yan definitely had the determination to do this!
Nie Yan checked the time and realized it was almost time to log off. He decided to enter the Temple of the Goddess of Life the next day and logged out of the game.
As usual, Nie Yan went to the First Military Academy with Xie Yao. The classes weren’t too many, and during his free time, Nie Yan went to the gym to work out. Personal strength was very important and couldn’t be neglected.
Around noon, Nie Yan received a call from General Mo Yuntian.
“General Mo, how are Wang Duo and Lin Yi? Have they already taken the 012 Special Forces exam?” Nie Yan asked. Wang Duo and the others had been gone for a while without any news. Nie Yan had heard that the 012 Special Forces exam had been moved up, which was why General Mo had urgently recalled them. After so long, the exam should have been completed by now.
“The exam ended about two months ago. The results were kept confidential for a while and not released publicly. The 012 Special Forces only recruits twelve people, and eleven of Wang Duo’s group were selected. This result shocked all the military regions. These brats have really made me proud,” General Mo chuckled, and Nie Yan could sense that Mo was in a good mood.
Hearing that the mission was successfully completed, Nie Yan felt relieved. With this matter resolved, if anything happened with the Tianxia Group in the future, General Mo would likely owe him a favor.
“I don’t know how you trained them, but when Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others fight, they’re like young bulls bellowing with rage. Besides Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the eleven selected, the others have also been given special arrangements due to their outstanding performances. They all say they want to come see you and have already started making their way over,” General Mo laughed.
Nie Yan chatted with General Mo for a while and suddenly remembered something. He mentioned his encounter with Liu Tianshi and asked Mo to look into it. However, Nie Yan couldn’t directly transfer his past-life knowledge into this life, so his description was vague.
“Liu Tianshi? From the First Military Academy?” General Mo furrowed his brow in thought, his expression slightly serious. “I do recall someone by that name. You’d better not provoke him, or there could be some serious problems that I might not be able to resolve. As for his exact identity, it’s better you don’t ask. Just keep a safe distance from him!”
General Mo’s evasive manner made Nie Yan realize that this Liu Tianshi was no ordinary person. No wonder in his previous life, despite committing such a grave offense, Liu had remained unscathed and at large. Such was the current situation. Though Nie Yan felt indignant, he couldn’t change the facts. He just wanted to ensure the safety of those around him.
If Liu Tianshi and he could avoid interfering with each other, there wouldn’t be any issues. But if Liu pushed too hard, Nie Yan would have to consider taking some special measures—perhaps having Cidao silently eliminate Liu Tianshi. However, that would carry certain risks, as the forces behind Liu Tianshi would certainly not let it go unpunished. Nie Yan would only consider this as a last resort.
After repeatedly warning Nie Yan not to conflict with Liu Tianshi, General Mo ended the call.
Thinking back to the words Liu Tianshi had spoken that day, Nie Yan felt a vague sense of unease. He was sure that Liu would definitely stir up some trouble. He needed to be well-prepared!
Nie Yan spent the day at school and later called Cidao to inform him of Wang Duo and Lin Yi’s return. Cidao merely responded with a brief acknowledgment. Nie Yan guessed that Cidao was probably quite pleased inside, though he wouldn’t show it.
The news that Wang Duo and Lin Yi had joined the 012 Special Forces was a pleasant surprise for Nie Yan, putting him in a good mood for the entire day.
As evening approached, Nie Yan logged back into the game. He reappeared outside the Temple of the Goddess of Life and quietly observed the surroundings before activating his stealth skill and entering the temple ruins, cautiously inching forward.
This was still the outer area of the temple. Everywhere was broken walls and ruins. Along the narrow paths in between, figures were wandering about—elves, humans, orcs, and even some towering giants over three yards tall. They were of various classes: mages, rogues, warriors, dressed differently, but all sharing one common feature: a white skull emblem embroidered on their right shoulder. This was the symbol of the bandit gang.
The Death’s Kiss Bandit Gang!
Seeing this symbol, Nie Yan recalled something. He had heard of the Death’s Kiss Rogue Group before. It was a notorious bandit gang composed of desperadoes from various empires. Their strength was formidable, numbering in the tens of thousands, spread across various empires. The armies of both the Grelan Empire and the Saturn Empire had repeatedly tried to suppress the Death’s Kiss, killing many of them, but failing to eradicate them completely. It was said that the Death’s Kiss Bandit Gang was founded by a human legendary mage, making this gang full of legendary tales.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage