"Thank you, City Lord Hei Feng, for clearing that up!"
Lin Bei came back to his senses and cupped his hands in gratitude toward Hei Feng.
"Heh, it's nothing! But kid, you're really something—actually gathering so many elemental crystalss!"
"If you ask me, one word from you and the lords of all Thirty-Six Main Cities would probably follow your lead!"
"A hundred years ago, someone did pull that off."
"If I remember right, that person was a Survivor, just like you. What was the name…? Hmm, I've forgotten—I was still a spry young thing back then!"
Hei Feng laughed heartily.
Bai Jie spoke up: "That woman… I still remember her. Never knew her name, but she had long pink hair—very beautiful."
"Pink hair?"
Lin Bei was taken aback.
Aleria's face flashed through his mind.
Could it be her?
Lin Bei shook his head and stopped overthinking.
Whoever it was didn't matter.
What mattered was that he had to slay the World BOSS—fast!
With less than two hours left on his Super Lucky State, he had to kill the World BOSS within that window to maximize his gains.
Without wasting words, he asked for the boss's location and the exact challenge procedure.
"You're not seriously planning to challenge the World BOSS—alone?"
"Yes, please tell me the process."
"Well…"
Hei Feng hesitated, on the verge of speaking yet holding back.
The elegantly dressed Bai Jie beside him patted Hei Feng's shoulder in disdain. "After all these years, can't you act your age?"
Then he turned to Lin Bei. "To challenge the World BOSS you need two prerequisites."
First, claim the top spot on any main city's honor ranking to obtain a World Boss Challenge Token.
Second, possess one regional specialty elemental crystals from each main city.
Once those are met, you may head daily to the Abyss Sea outside Tian Gang City to challenge the World BOSS.
Each appearance is randomly generated, so strength varies widely.
Records show that the strongest World BOSS in centuries had a Combat Power of ten billion."
Even the weakest still exceeds one billion Combat Power."
So if you insist on challenging it, prepare thoroughly."
By the world's rules, dying to a World BOSS—Survivor or not—means total annihilation, no revival."
Arrange life-saving measures in advance, just in case."
Bai Jie spoke with earnest gravity.
Lin Bei nodded slightly.
Ten billion Combat Power max? Not a problem for him.
But a practical question soon struck him.
He quickly asked, "By the way, one more thing."
"Go ahead."
"Do you know the World BOSS respawn timer?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Bai Jie and Hei Feng were bewildered.
They couldn't grasp what he was driving at.
"Uh… how should I put this."
Lin Bei scratched his head. "Say I kill one World BOSS; is there a cooldown before I can kill a second?"
Or if I chain-kill several, will bosses stop spawning?"
I just want the exact numbers on respawn time and spawn limits."
Any idea?"
Bai Jie: "…"
Hei Feng: "…"
Both stared blankly, speechless.
After a long pause they exchanged glances, eyes brimming with disbelief.
They looked at Lin Bei, words caught in their throats.
"Is something… hard to say?"
Seeing their constipated expressions, Lin Bei frowned curiously.
"Sigh… you freak!"
Hei Feng exhaled and fell silent.
Finally Bai Jie said helplessly, "Sorry, we can't answer that—we simply don't know."
Honestly, we've been city lords for nearly a century and never heard such a question."
No one has ever thought along those lines."
Your idea…"
It's downright mind-blowing."
Lin Bei's mouth twitched.
He'd asked casually, yet the two lords now looked at him as though he were a patient in a hospital.
He was thoroughly helpless.
In the end he took his leave and set off alone for Tian Gang City.
Before departing, he left Bai Jie and Hei Feng in charge of setting up his shop, giving them specialty crystals from other cities to grease the wheels.
They guaranteed everything would be settled within a week.
Then Bailing could simply handle the handover.
With "Beiming's" fame, once the shop opened, customers would swarm in.
By then star stones and every other material would pile up like mountains.
He could easily restore 10% of the lucky pendant's durability and reap even richer rewards.
Inside Tiansha City's lord manor.
Bai Jie and Hei Feng stared at each other for ages.
At length Hei Feng broke the silence: "Big brother, d'you think that kid's got a screw loose?"
He tapped his own skull. "If Bailing follows him… will she suffer?"
"Ahem… hard to say."
Bai Jie coughed and rubbed his brow. "He was perfectly normal—until he started talking about World Bosses."
"But those later remarks of his… scare me."
"I worry about Bailing's happiness for the rest of her life."
Hei Feng looked utterly gloomy.
"Indeed, it's a problem."
Bai Jie sighed. "I'll consult my doctor friend and see if his condition is treatable. If not… we'll have to drop it."
"We're Bailing's first and second uncles; we can't shove her into a pit of fire!"
"Exactly! Our third brother and his wife died young, entrusting Bailing to us. We can't let her live in misery!"
Hei Feng declared resolutely—"Ah-choo!
At the Teleportation Array, Lin Bei suddenly sneezed.
"Strange. With a hundred-billion HP, how am I still sneezing?"
"Some jerk must be cursing me behind my back again."
"Hmph, forget the trash. Priority one: kill the World BOSS and test the respawn mechanics."
With a cold snort he spent a kings medal and stepped into the array bound for Tian Gang City… Outside Tian Gang City, the Abyss Sea.
In an unknown space, a huge blood-red pupil quivered, flickering with doubt.
"Odd… why do I sense impending doom?"
An ancient, weathered voice drifted through the darkness: "Interesting. Has some formidable challenger appeared this time?"
"Heh, it's been a century since I last stretched my limbs."
"This king shall see just what mettle the new challenger possesses!"
"The curse of immortality… is truly dull."