Pan Ironpaw's words struck Lin Qingyue like a thunderbolt, hitting her heart directly.
Searching far and wide with iron-shod shoes, yet finding it without effort!
This was practically a questline delivered right to her doorstep!
"I'm in!"
Lin Qingyue agreed readily, without the slightest hesitation.
"Excellent!"
Pan Ironpaw slapped her thigh in excitement. "With you on the job, Master Lin, the championship is yours!"
She then scratched her head sheepishly.
"However... the reason I came to the seaside this time was actually to find a legendary top-tier ingredient for the Feast of a Hundred Flavors."
"It's called the Jade-Sea Dragon-Ambergris Snail. It only grows in the most dangerous Howling Wind Reef to the east."
"The currents there are swift, and ferocious sea monsters guard it. I've never succeeded on my own."
Lin Qingyue glanced at her teammates.
Lin Xiyue had already gripped her sword hilt, Su Wan's fingertips were wrapped in a frosty chill, and Xia Lian had also drawn her shortbow.
"Master Pan, lead the way."
Lin Qingyue stood up, dusted the sand off herself, and wore a confident smile.
"We've got your ingredient covered."
The Howling Wind Reef lived up to its name.
Even on a day as fair and sunny as this, when the squad followed Pan Ironpaw to this stretch of sea, the air still echoed with the howling of fierce winds.
Black reefs rose and fell in a staggered pattern, piercing sharply from beneath the sea surface and tearing the ocean currents into tatters.
The swift ocean currents converged and collided here, churning up massive whirlpools.
White waves crashed violently against the reefs, producing a deafening roar.
The air was filled with a thick, salty stench and a faint sense of danger.
"This is the place."
Pan Ironpaw pointed to the center of the reef cluster, where a deep, dark sea cave was surrounded by several massive rocks.
"The Jade-Sea Dragon-Ambergris Snail dwells in the depths of that cave. But guarding it is a bad-tempered Reef-Rock Crab General."
She added with a grave expression.
"That guy's shell is harder than steel, and its massive claws can easily snap through reef rock."
"The worst part is, it can manipulate the water currents. In this area of the sea, its strength is amplified several times over."
"Going head-on against it isn't an option. My wok... uh, my shield, couldn't hold out against it for more than a few hits."
Pan Ironpaw patted the Great Black Wok on her back, her tone laced with a hint of insecurity.
"Leave it to us."
Lin Xiyue rotated her wrist and steadied the [ Blackstone's Protection ] shield in front of her.
She looked at Lin Qingyue, awaiting instructions.
"Xiyue, you're the Main Tank. Draw its attention head-on."
Lin Qingyue laid out the tactics in a few concise words.
"Su Wan, your task is to control the water currents and limit its movement. Whenever you get the chance, use Ice Element spells to attack its joints."
"Xia Lian, you'll use the reefs to stay mobile. Find the weak spots in its shell, especially its eyes."
"Master Pan, you're large and a big target. You'll provide outer support and focus on protecting Xia Lian's and Su Wan's flanks."
"What about you, Sis?"
"Me?" Lin Qingyue chuckled softly.
She tapped her [ Beloved ] staff lightly, the base of it striking the hard reef with a crisp clack.
"I'll be responsible for keeping your spirits up, and seeing who needs some 'love' for healing."
The plan was simple and clear; the four of them had long since grown accustomed to this kind of unspoken coordination.
Seeing them finalize the tactics in just a few words, Pan Ironpaw's assessment of the team's strength rose even higher.
"I'll lure it out!"
Lin Xiyue took a deep breath, the Power of Holy Light surging within her.
She abruptly raised her shield and slammed it hard against the reef in front of her!
Boom!
A dull, drumlike roar echoed as a golden ripple of Holy Light spread outward, piercing the water's surface and reaching deep into the cave.
This was the most direct provocation.
"ROAR!!!"
Almost simultaneously, a roar of utter fury erupted from the watery cave, causing the entire sea surface to boil in an instant!
A colossal black shadow burst from the water, kicking up a monstrous wave.
It was a giant crab, the size of a heavy truck.
Its entire body was covered in a thick, dark green-black carapace, studded with jagged bony spines and dried moss.
Eight powerful jointed legs supported its massive body, and its pair of pincers were exaggeratedly large.
As they snapped open and shut, they let out a bone-chilling crunch.
Most striking were its two eyes, each the size of a lantern.
A cruel, crimson glow flickered within them.
"Frozen Path!"
Su Wan, already poised, tapped her staff forward, and a bone-chilling frost swept out.
The churning seawater rapidly solidified before her, forming a wide icy path that stretched from the reef at their feet directly to the Reef-Rock Crab General.
The Reef-Rock Crab General clearly hadn't expected its home-field advantage to be countered so easily.
It angrily swung a massive pincer, firing a high-pressure jet of water at Lin Xiyue in the front.
Lin Xiyue didn't flinch or dodge. She lowered her stance slightly, her Ancient Martial Arts Stance Training making her as rooted to the ground as if she had grown roots.
With a low shout, she activated the runes on her shield, which flashed with light as she swung it, tracing a golden arc.
"Golden Parry!"
The moment the shield met the water jet, a brilliant golden light erupted! The jet, powerful enough to pierce steel plates, was deflected by the shield at an awkward angle and sent hurtling back toward the Reef-Rock Crab General!
The Reef-Rock Crab General had clearly not expected this. It roared in fury and hastily raised one of its massive pincers, capable of crushing reef rocks, to block its own reflected attack.
Boom!
The water jet exploded against the pincer. Though it failed to break through its defense, the immense impact still caused the Reef-Rock Crab General's massive body to stumble.
Seizing the opening created by the Crab General's attack, Xia Lian's figure blurred into motion.
Her Elven Leather Boots allowed her to move across the slippery ice as if on solid ground. With a few swift dashes, she flanked the giant crab.
Clutching her shortbow, Dark Night Starwhisper, she nocked three arrows on the string.
Whish, whish, whish!
Three nearly invisible streaks of light flashed by. Leaving no trail and making no sound, they struck the gaps where the Reef-Rock Crab General's side carapace plates joined.
Clang, clang, clang!
Sparks flew as the arrows were deflected by the hard shell, but they had successfully enraged the colossus.
It abandoned Lin Xiyue, suddenly turning toward Xia Lian. A massive pincer, whistling as it tore through the air, swept toward her in a vicious arc!
"Look out!"
Pan Ironpaw roared, her Great Black Wok somehow already in her hand.
She lunged forward, blocking the crab's attack with the wok in front of Xia Lian.
Clang!
With a crash like a great bell, Pan Ironpaw and her wok were sent flying backward, sliding over ten meters across the ice.
But Xia Lian remained completely unharmed.
"That wok is so tough!" Lin Xiyue couldn't help but comment in admiration.
"Focus!"
Lin Qingyue's voice rang in everyone's ears, "Now!"
By attacking Pan Ironpaw, the Reef-Rock Crab General had exposed a massive opening.
A sharp glint flashed in Su Wan's eyes as she instantly cast the spell she had already prepared.
"Karula's Greatsword!"
A massive sword, over two meters long and formed from pure ice, materialized in the air.
Wreathed in a frigid aura, it sliced down viciously at the joint of the Crab General's extended pincer!
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed.
The icy blade slashed a deep fissure into the hard joint, sending dark green blood spraying out.
The blood was instantly frozen by the extreme cold.
The agonizing pain sent the Reef-Rock Crab General into a complete frenzy. It opened its maw wide, a rapidly spinning ball of water forming in its mouth.
"It's charging up its ultimate skill!"
Pan Ironpaw scrambled to her feet and shouted urgently.
"Too late."
Lin Qingyue's voice was calm and devoid of emotion.
She had appeared at the very front of the party without anyone noticing, her right arm drawn back in a javelin thrower's stance.
The Power of Holy Light within her body compressed rapidly, and the light gathered in her palm instantly took shape.
A wisp of Spear Intent quietly emanated from it.
"Sunlight Spear."
A perfect throwing motion.
There was no earth-shattering spectacle, only a single, concentrated stream of golden light shooting from her hand.
The light spear, though thrown last, struck first.
The instant the water ball formed in the Reef-Rock Crab General's maw, it plunged accurately into its mouth.
For a moment, all sound died away.
Then, a blinding golden light erupted!
"BOOM!!!"
A terrifying explosion tore through the Reef-Rock Crab General from the inside. Radiant Holy Light, mixed with shattered shell, sprayed from its seven orificies.
Its massive body froze in place as the tyrannical red glow in its lantern-like eyes quickly faded.
In its place was a deathly silence.
[ Your party has defeated the level 40 Elite Lord: Reef-Rock Crab General. You have gained a large amount of EXP. ]
The battle was over.
Pan Ironpaw looked at the massive corpse still emitting holy white smoke, then at Lin Qingyue, who held her staff with an air of serene indifference, so stunned she couldn't speak for a long time.
She had originally thought Lin Qingyue was merely a support staff member whose cooking skills were godly, but who would have thought... her combat power was actually the most unfathomable in this party!
Lin Xiyue stepped forward and tapped the crab shell with her shield, producing a crisp clinking sound.
"Finished, Sis. Can we eat this thing? It's so big, it must have plenty of crab roe."
"Of course we can eat it. This is a top-tier ingredient."
Lin Qingyue smiled and began to nimbly process the loot.
Under Pan Ironpaw's guidance, they successfully found a washbasin-sized, all-emerald sea snail that radiated a soft aura deep inside the cave.
That was the legendary ingredient: Jade-Sea Dragon-Ambergris Snail.
All preparations were complete.
Pan Ironpaw led the way in front, guiding the four heavily laden members as they walked toward the deep interior of the island.
"After crossing the ridge ahead, it's our Valley of the Four Winds."
Pan Ironpaw's tone was filled with pride and yearning,
"It is a serene and peaceful place, where everyone strives to pursue the ultimate in culinary arts."
The four followed her and climbed to the highest point of the ridge.
When they crossed the ridge and looked out at the other side, they were all deeply stunned by the scene before them.
What a magnificent scroll it was.
Clouds and mist, like milky-white ribbons, entwined between the verdant valleys.
Several silver waterfalls cascaded down from the soaring, cloud-touching cliffs, like the Heavenly River pouring forth.
The sound of gurgling water could be heard clearly.
Ancient-style pavilions and terraces were built nestled against the mountains.
They were dotted among green trees and red flowers, with flying eaves, interlocking brackets, and carved beams and painted rafters, full of a rich Oriental fantasy style.
This was the Valley of the Four Winds.
A true, hidden paradise.