Li Rui allocated the two new attribute points to physical strength and spirit. The former made his body more robust, while the latter not only enhanced the power of the Big Slap but also reduced the strain of using skills on his body, effectively increasing the number of times he could use them in a short period.
For instance, having dealt with eight snake-head demon monks, he felt a slight tightness in his scalp, a precursor to exhausting his spiritual power. However, after adding a point to his spirit attribute, this situation was greatly alleviated.
He didn't hold back and took out a spirit recovery potion from his inventory, downing it in one go. Instantly, he felt his body return to its peak state, ready to dish out several more Big Slaps.
After all, the Demon Wind Temple is a ten-star dungeon. Although Li Rui's stats are over the top, being stingy isn't an option. Compared to the rewards from clearing the dungeon, a blue potion is practically nothing.
A few minutes later, a familiar premonition struck his heart. He quickly dashed out of the temple hall, only to hear a loud crash. The temple pavilion, where he had just fought, seemed to be under some invisible pressure, collapsing in an instant. The ground caved in, revealing a massive pit.
Glancing back, Li Rui saw bleached bones in the pit, unsure how many people had been buried there.
"What exactly is this temple for?"
"Wait a minute, temple?"
He suddenly recalled a video he had watched, explaining the difference between temples and monasteries. In short, monasteries are for monastic life, while temples are for worshipping deities or ancestors.
Facing the piles of bones beneath the temple hall, he suddenly felt the dungeon name was apt. Although it looked like a large monastic complex, it was indeed worshipping something.
At this moment, he stood in another courtyard behind the temple hall, the killing intent revealing itself again.
Thud, thud, thud.
A monk wearing a bamboo hat descended from the sky, landing in the courtyard. Compared to the snake-head demon monks, he had a complete human face, but his figure was even more twisted.
"Hunchback, spinal curvature, bow legs."
Li Rui scratched his chin, "Must be a calcium deficiency."
The bamboo hat monk, however, didn't respond, instead pulling out a Black Iron Zen Staff from behind him.
Bam.
The staff's end hit the ground, the aging tiles among the weeds cracking apart.
"Yah——"
The bamboo hat monk let out a strange cry from his dry mouth and started sprinting with the Zen Staff.
Li Rui could feel that compared to the snake-head demon monks, this monk possessed greater strength and speed, but his stealth was relatively poor, making their overall combat ability equivalent.
With his previous battle experiences, Li Rui chose to forgo using the Big Slap, relying instead on his killing intent sense and seven points of physical strength to confront the opponent head-on.
Soon, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of intense flesh collisions, the staff hitting the ground, and walls shattering.
"Ugh——"
Amidst a series of groans, the demon monk fell to the ground.
Li Rui immediately rushed over to pick up the Zen Staff.
Following the previous routine, a random event should be triggered next.
As expected, just as he grabbed the Zen Staff, before he could inspect it, several strange figures appeared on the courtyard wall.
A large group of bamboo hat monks arrived simultaneously.
[Random event triggered, Ambush on All Sides.]
[Event Objective: Kill all Twisted Bone Evil Monks and survive.]
[Reward: Experience +250, Free Attribute Points +2, Random Quality Item.]
Checking the Zen Staff in his hand, Li Rui found that, unlike the administrator's jacket, it didn't have an attribute panel, indicating it wasn't a piece of Secret Realm certified equipment. But regardless, it was better than being empty-handed.
Wielding the staff in his right hand didn't hinder his ability to dish out Big Slaps with his left.
He glanced at the courtyard's three exits with his peripheral vision, noticing no blue light seal, indicating he could move elsewhere.
But the problem was, doing so carried higher risks as other random events could occur in different courtyards and halls. Running around aimlessly could lead to more trouble, potentially causing a series of unfortunate events.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The several dozen-pound Zen Staff spun in Li Rui's hand. With seven points of physical strength enhancing him, he could easily wield it.
He looked at the Twisted Bone Evil Monks leaping down from the wall.
A fierce battle was about to commence, yet Li Rui couldn't help but think about leveling up after defeating these guys. He had only been in the dungeon for a little over ten minutes, and he couldn't even imagine what level he could reach once he cleared it all.
.....
"The second black star!"
Wen Yan clasped her hands together tightly in front of her chest, anxiously saying to Wang Ba, "Hurry up and think of something, Old Wang."
"What can I do?"
Wang Ba scratched his thinning hair, "We can only hope for this kid's luck. Seriously, triggering two black stars so quickly, what are we going to do next?"
Due to the differing time flow between inside and outside the Secret Realm, outside is generally much quicker. To the anxious few waiting, less than a minute had passed since the previous black star appeared.
Just then, Wang Ba's phone rang. He straightened up, cleared his throat, and answered the call, "Hello, Chairman Wu."
"What's the situation with that Li Rui now?"
Wu Mengying's voice came from the other end.
Wang Ba was a bit surprised that the chairman still remembered when Li Rui entered the Demon Wind Temple.
"Not great; it has only been over two minutes, and it's already the second black star. There are too few samples of this Secret Realm, and we don't know the rate of time flow. Based on past experience, the time inside is usually not more than half an hour."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"I understand. Keep observing and report at any moment, wait...."
"Chairman!"
Wang Ba didn't wait for her to finish, suddenly yelling, "It's over, already three black stars!!"
.....
Inside the dungeon, Li Rui panted heavily, facing the last remaining Twisted Bone Evil Monk. To conserve spiritual power, he intentionally limited the use of the Big Slap. After a brutal fight, only the last enemy remained.
Bam.
Their figures crossed, and the Evil Monk fell, unable to get up.
The Secret Realm likely hadn't anticipated that a level 1 Secret Realm agent could power through two levels purely by strength, and even resolved a hidden event.
[All targets eliminated, random event completed, Ambush on All Sides instant settlement.]
[Experience +250.]
[You have new attribute points.]
[You've obtained a bottle of ordinary Golden Wound Medicine.]
[Level Up!]
[You have new attribute points.]
A series of notifications flashed for several seconds before ending. Li Rui felt his whole body renewed, indicating that leveling up restored his state automatically.
Before he could check his spoils, a thunderous crash resounded from the sky.
Blood-red lightning descended from the heavens, striking the giant pit of bones beneath the collapsed temple hall. Then, a low wailing sound rose from the pit, shadows slowly rising from the dust, and soon, a humanoid figure began to take shape in the gray haze.
It stood several meters deep in the pit, yet from the waist up, it was level with the ground.
As the dust cleared somewhat, its true form was revealed. The bones at the bottom of the pit had assembled into a Bone Giant. From here, the danger was intense and relentless, giving no breathing space.
However, just as the monster made its appearance, Li Rui suddenly dashed forward, heading straight for the giant's massive head.
"Still striking a pose? Take my Big Slap!"