Chapter 741: The True Meaning of Growing Strong
When Ling Zhan and his group reached the edge of the black basin, they immediately sensed several malicious, murderous gazes cast their way.
Ling Zhan calmly turned his head, his expression unchanged.
There, members of Dragon Demon Palace and the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance had gathered, including Yamashita Masahiko, Zhang Mingruo, and Ding Haoji.
The killing intent directed toward Ling Zhan's group didn't only come from these two organizations—it also came from the Holy Sword Guild.
Although Zhan Zicheng held no hostility toward Avril, his gaze toward Ling Zhan was icy and filled with murderous intent.
Clearly.
He had already learned that Mendy and the others had died at Ling Zhan's hands.
Meanwhile, other team members from different organizations watched the scene unfold, enjoying the show.
Especially Liu Zheng from the Radiant Guild.
Even in this secret realm, Liu Zheng was accompanied by two scantily-clad, curvaceous young women.
He didn't mind the surrounding stares and boldly slipped his hands into the women's clothing, caressing their bodies.
The two women, just as shameless, didn't resist his advances. Instead, they leaned into him, letting out soft, suggestive moans.
Hmm...
This scene drew scornful and disdainful glances from many female class-changers present.
Members of the Shadowmoon Pavilion stood silently nearby, their sharp eyes showing that the assassins were biding their time.
Both Liu Zheng and Qiao Duo from Shadowmoon Pavilion hoped that the current confrontation would escalate into a bloodbath, allowing them to reap the rewards effortlessly.
Facing the cold and hostile gazes from Yamashita Masahiko, Zhang Mingruo, Ding Haoji, and Zhan Zicheng, Ling Zhan remained calm, as if these people were mere air to him.
"This kid's name is Ling Zhan? Say what you want, but his guts are top-tier."
"I just don't get how this kid managed to offend so many people. Even Zhan Zicheng wants him dead…"
"It's not hard to guess. Look closely—doesn't the Holy Sword Guild seem to be missing someone?"
"Missing who?"
"Mendy! That guy was Zhan Zicheng's right-hand man. They were childhood friends, and now Mendy's nowhere to be seen. That means something happened to him. Add that to Zhan Zicheng's sudden hatred toward this non-specialist weirdo, and it's pretty obvious that Ling Zhan killed Mendy."
"Hiss… Seriously? This non-specialist killed Mendy? Isn't he only level 105?"
"You can't judge strength by level alone. High levels mean high stats, but that doesn't always translate to total combat power. This isn't a cultivation-world setting—it's a game setting!"
"True. I've seen players with top-tier gear and high stats get crushed by skilled players using low-level characters in games."
"Looks like we'd better keep an eye on this non-specialist…"
"…"
As the confrontation unfolded, whispers and discussions spread among the spectators.
Many people were now wary of Ling Zhan.
Buzz!!
Just as the murmurs continued, a profound wave of energy suddenly rippled across the area.
Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention toward the center of the black basin.
There, a massive black vortex of space had appeared.
"Roar!!"
In the next instant, a deafening dragon roar echoed throughout the area, accompanied by the overwhelming presence of dragon might!
"So this is the dragon might of the level 160 Radiant Dragon King?"
Ling Zhan watched as the class-changers around him suddenly found it difficult to breathe, silently observing the pressure in his mind.
Thanks to the activation of the Demon Lord's bloodline, Ling Zhan felt no discomfort under the crushing dragon aura.
However, something surprising happened…
[Ding!!]
[Detected that a level 160 Radiant Dragon King is about to emerge. A new challenge mission has been issued!]
[Mission Name: Dragon Slayer!]
[Mission Objective: Kill the Radiant Dragon King and obtain its dragon pearl!]
[Mission Reward: Determined by the host's final performance!]
[Failure Penalty: None!]
[Host, please do your best to complete the mission!]
...…
Hmm!!
Ling Zhan's previously calm expression shifted as his brow furrowed, and a hint of joy flashed through his eyes.
He hadn't expected the system to issue a new mission at this moment!
Just perfect…
One of his goals here was to seize the treasures, but the other was to test the Radiant Dragon King's strength.
Honestly, if all he had to do was quietly collect treasures, Ling Zhan wouldn't have felt much excitement.
But now, knowing he would face a Radiant Dragon King 55 levels higher than him in battle, his heart surged with battle fervor!
In the eyes of others, growing stronger simply meant leveling up and increasing their stats.
Higher stats equaled greater power.
But to Ling Zhan, the true meaning of growing stronger wasn't just about leveling up or improving stats!
A truly extraordinary warrior never aimed to challenge opponents on the same level.
Instead, they sought to challenge opponents far stronger than themselves!
Only by drawing their blades against greater foes could they maximize their growth!
With this thought in mind,
Ling Zhan, who had always suppressed his desires and emotions to their limit, experienced a rare surge of excitement!
This excitement arose because he knew he was about to face a worthy opponent!
Hmm...
If the people here knew that Ling Zhan intended to duel the Radiant Dragon King, they'd probably think he was insane!
The Radiant Dragon Vault had appeared many times throughout history.
But there had only been two successful attempts at killing the Radiant Dragon King.
Both times, all the class-changers who entered the vault had to unite and cooperate to defeat it.
Now, with everyone's selfish desires pulling them apart, cooperation was a pipe dream. They'd be lucky if no one backstabbed them.
Zhang Mingruo, with the dragon egg in hand, was determined to claim the great treasure vault's rewards.
Boom!!
At that moment.
The black vortex shattered.
The dispersed black light reassembled, forming a towering black gate, at least ten thousand meters high!
The appearance of this gate caused everyone to breathe heavily.
On the door's surface was a massive carving of a dragon's head!
Rumble…
Under the crowd's excited and eager gazes, the colossal black gate began to creak open!
The Radiant Dragon King was coming!
And behind this gate was undoubtedly the passage to the legendary Radiant Treasure Vault!