Lin Moyu refrained from attacking the monsters immediately.
Dungeon upgrades depended on various triggers, and defeating monsters quickly was just one method.
For instance, the Fire Godâs Hall and Water Godâs Courtyard dungeons upgraded by focusing on rapid monster clearing. However, the Whirlwind Plains dungeon required an exhaustive approachâevery single monster, even those hidden in the most obscure corners, had to be eliminated.
The light elemental dungeon was an anomaly, lacking an upgrade mechanism altogether. Success there required simply enduring its relentless light element bombardments.
As for the current lightning elemental dungeon, Lin Moyu was unsure where to begin. It was teeming with lightning-type spren monsters.
"Iâll give it a shot." Lin Moyu decided, "Although the royal family tried clearing large numbers of monsters rapidly, but they couldnât match my speed."
This nightmare rank dungeon allowed only six entrants at a time. Even the fastest party couldnât rival Lin Moyuâs undead army, which boasted thousands of units.
With a command, his undead legions materialized, launching a synchronized offensive.
Twenty undead legions emerged, each comprising 600 skeletons: 200 Skeletal Berserk Warriors, 200 Skeletal Great Mages, and 200 Skeletal Marksmenâa total of 12,000 skeletons.
The dungeonâs terrain was a narrow valley, spanning no more than five kilometers. As soon as the undead legions appeared, they surged forward, swiftly annihilating lightning elemental monsters.
Lin Moyu kept a close eye on the time. It took only 10 minutes to clear the monsters at the dungeon entrance.
Lin Moyu kept a close eye on the time. Clearing the monsters at the valley entrance had taken him under 10 minutes.
Lightning elemental monsters left no corpses, rendering Corpse Explosion unusable. This was the best speed he could achieve.
By Lin Moyu's estimation, a six-member party would take at least three to four hours to clear the same area. He was dozens of times faster.
"If this doesnât trigger a dungeon upgrade, then the Lightning Valley dungeon wasnât designed to upgrade based on monster-clearing speed. Itâs not about speed, nor about clearing every single monster... Itâs also different from the Whirlwind Plains.â Lin Moyu concluded.
He had already eradicated all monsters outside the valleyâsomething the royal family had attempted as wellâyet it yielded no results.
Lin Moyu turned his gaze toward the valley entrance, where thunder rumbled ominously.
This time, it wasnât the work of dungeon monstersâit was genuine thunder.
"According to Dongfang Yaoâs intel, once inside the valley, youâll encounter branching paths. Regardless of the path you choose, itâll eventually lead to the valleyâs exit. However, once you enter a path, lightning begins to strike. The attacks are so powerful that parties have no choice but to keep moving forward; retreat is impossible." Lin Moyu recalled.
This information came from the Dongfang Family, who had explored every path and tried countless methods over the years, all to no avail.
Lin Moyu soon reached the branching paths: six in total.
Ahead, lightning illuminated the sky, accompanied by deafening thunder. Behind him, a dense array of lightning surged closer, cutting off any chance of escape.
The advancing lightning left little time for deliberation. In just a few minutes, it would be upon him.
Lin Moyuâs eyes narrowed as a realization struck him.
"Could it be...?" He murmured. "Six paths. Six class users. Each class user must traverse a path alone. But what about the support and Healer? They lack combat powerâhow would they manage?"
He pondered further, "Maybe combat isnât the key. Perhaps they just need to reach the end of the path. With control skills, even the support and Healer could manage. Itâs risky, but itâs not impossible."
Lin Moyu felt increasingly confident in his theory.
"Letâs do it." He decided to put his hypothesis to the test.
Six teams of Skeletal Great Mages charged into the six branching paths.
Although Lin Moyu was alone, his undead army allowed him to traverse all six paths simultaneously.
Lightning elemental monsters were immune to both lightning and physical attacks, rendering the Skeletal Berserk Warriors useless. The Skeletal Marksmen had limited effectiveness in this environment. Only the Skeletal Great Mages thrived, their attacks proving lethal against the monsters.
The teams of Skeletal Great Mages methodically cleared the monsters along the paths, progressing steadily toward the valleyâs exit.
While Lin Moyu suspected it wasnât necessary to eliminate every monster along the way, he chose to do so regardless. The task didnât take much time, and thoroughness ensured nothing was overlooked.
Behind him, the rumbling lightning pressed forward relentlessly. Ordinary parties wouldnât dare to turn back, as the encroaching thunderstorm would swallow them whole.
The path was long and winding, but Lin Moyu pushed forward at a steady pace.
Finally, as he emerged from the valley, a deafening roar echoed behind him. The valley collapsed with a thunderous rumble, transforming into a sea of lightning. The ground shook violently, and the entire dungeon quaked as the thunder roared incessantly.
"Success!" Lin Moyuâs eyes lit up with joy.
The dungeon was upgrading at last.
âŠ
Meanwhile, outside the dungeon, the royal familyâs elders were still engrossed in discussions about training the younger generation.
Suddenly, bursts of lightning erupted from the dungeon, illuminating the surrounding area. A stray lightning bolt struck someone, crackling loudly and drawing everyoneâs attention.
Dongfang Yao shouted in excitement, "Itâs upgraded! Itâs really upgraded!"
The lightning elemental dungeonâs upgrade meant they could now acquire Lightning Elemental Crystals.
The royal family possessed extensive knowledge, including information about the Elemental Crystals and their significance. It was precisely why they had spent so much effort trying to upgrade this dungeon.
The dungeonâs upgrade aura spread far and wide, reaching nearly half the royal palace and startling many within its walls.
Moments later, Dongfang Yi appeared outside the dungeon. Seeing the gathering of royal family members, he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
âWhatâs going on here?â He asked.
Among those present were many of Dongfang Yiâs elders. While they werenât equal to him in status or strength, their seniority allowed them to address him as equals.
âFather, hereâs what happened...â Dongfang Yao quickly recounted the events, including the altercation with Dongfang Shun.
Dongfang Yiâs expression remained calm, betraying no reaction to the mention of Dongfang Shunâs beating.
That kind of fool deserved a lesson. As long as he didnât die, it wasnât worth concerning yourself with.
âSo, Godly General Lin is in the dungeon, and no one else has entered?â Dongfang Yi confirmed.
âYes, no one else.â Dongfang Yao replied.
Dongfang Yi nodded in approval, âGood. If youâve given your word, you must honor it. The dungeon isnât going anywhere. You can raid it as many times as you like in the future. For now, let Godly General Lin enjoy himself.â
Dongfang Yao agreed wholeheartedly.
At that moment, several of Dongfang Yiâs uncles pulled him aside to discuss a proposal: sending the younger generation of the royal family to the military for training.
While the royal family had its own cultivation methods, these were little more than structured level-grinding routines. Military service, on the other hand, offered real battlefield experience.
Most of the people present, including Dongfang Yi himself, had served in the military, fought in countless battles, and slayed Demons. Dongfang Yi strongly supported the idea.
The decision was made on the spot. Dongfang Yao observed a brief moment of silence for her royal siblings, knowing their comfortable days were numbered.
Once in the military, there was no guarantee theyâd even return alive.
âBlame Dongfang Shun.â She thought, âThis is all his fault.â
âŠ
Back at the dungeon, the upgrade process had finished, and calm returned.
However, the sea of lightning left behind after the valleyâs collapse grew even more ferocious, its power magnified several times over.
Lin Moyu gazed at the electrified expanse, his sharp eyes catching a glint of something within.
A bead floated amidst the sea of lightning, bobbing up and down, easily overlooked. Even if noticed, it was beyond the reach of ordinary class users.
With lightning strikes of this intensity, even a Knight using Extreme Defense wouldnât survive for more than five seconds.
Lin Moyu activated Bone Armor, encasing himself in its protective glow. Without hesitation, he walked leisurely into the roaring sea of lightning.