The gap in attributes was overwhelmingâespecially past level 60, where even supportsâ buffs couldnât bridge the difference.
The Abyssal Blade Demon charged in with a wicked grin. The Knight he had just knocked back rushed forward again, her body glowing as she activated Extreme Defense.
In this state, she could hold her groundâbut not for long.
The Abyssal Blade Demonâs arms blurred as he unleashed a storm of brutal strikes, accompanied by savage roars, "Die, die!"
Suddenly, Mu Xianxian darted into the fray, throwing herself into the Abyssal Blade Demonâs slashing blades.
With a fierce cry, she swung her maul, and the Abyssal Blade Demon froze abruptly.
Thanks to her Combat Instinct and Surestrike talents and her Daze skill, even the level 65 Abyssal Blade Demon staggered.
âHit it with everything youâve got!â She shouted.
The party didnât need to be told twice. Their coordination was flawlessâspells and attacks rained down in perfect sync.
Hovering midair, the Abyssal Sword Demon let out a guttural cry and slashed wildly. Dozens of streaks of sword energy cascaded downward.
âWatch out!â Xianxian yelled.
Mages cast Shield. Knights activated Group Defense.
A deafening roar erupted as the Abyssal Blade Demon broke free from the stunâjust 2 seconds later.
Mu Xianxianâs skill had a cooldown of 5 seconds. There were still three more seconds before she could use the skill again.
She hadnât expected the Abyssal Blade Demon to recover so quickly.
That was the cruel reality of the level gapâalmost impossible to overcome.
If Mu Xianxian were level 65 too, she couldâve kept him stunned for at least 4 seconds.
The Abyssal Blade Demon locked eyes with her, seething, âIâll kill you!â
Suddenly, a surge of blade rays exploded forth, nearly engulfing Mu Xianxian.
The clash rang out sharplyâshe was sent flying, clearly wounded.
âXianxian! Heal herâquickly!â Jialan Yeyu shouted, panic in her voice.
The Healers sprang into action, casting their skills without hesitation.
Lin Moyu took it all in, eyes calm.
Mu Xianxian was strong. As a legendary rank class userâthough not a combat-type classâher attributes were impressive.
Paired with her talents, she was the type who could dominate with a single move.
Among her peers, she was easily on par with ordinary combat-type classes.
But this was different.
She was up against the Abyssal Blade Demonâa powerful species among Demons.
His attributes were off the charts, likely surpassing even most legendary rank class users.
With the level gap factored in, Mu Xianxian stood no chance.
Worse, the Abyssal Blade Demon had taken a hit earlier, and now he was furious. His combat power surged with rage.
Even if a Knight had taken Mu Xianxian's place, they wouldnât have lasted more than a few seconds.
Above them, streaks of sword energy continued to rain down from the Abyssal Sword Demon. Under this pressure, the party had no room to retaliateâonly to defend.
Their strongest Knight, Jialan Yeyu, was locked in a deadlock with the boss and couldnât break free.
Defeatâand deathâwas only a matter of time.
At this time, Mu Xianxian shouted, âSister Yeyu! Iâll hold them offâyou guys run!â
Having been healed, she immediately cast Group Collection.
A burst of fireworks exploded around her, ripping the bossâs attention from Jialan Yeyu.
After level 60, the skillâs range had increased dramatically. Even the Abyssal Sword Demon in the sky was pulled into its effect.
In an instant, both Demons glared at her, pure hatred burning in their eyes.
That was how terrifying her skillâs aggro-pull was.
âNo!â Jialan Yeyu cried out, voice shaking.
But Mu Xianxian didnât listenâshe sprinted away without hesitation.
As she ran, she shouted back, âSister Yeyu! Take the girls and go! Donât worry about me!â
Jialan Yeyu instinctively moved to chase after herâbut the words froze her in place.
She looked back at the others.
If she ran after Xianxian, theyâd all dieânothing more than food for the Demons.
It would be pointless.
Finally, tears streaming down her face, Jialan Yeyu gritted her teeth, âLetâs go!â
She turned, leading the party in the opposite direction.
No one argued. But everyone had tears in their eyes. They knewâMu Xianxianâs chances of survival were almost zero.
High above, Lin Moyu watched everything unfold.
From a tactical perspective, both Mu Xianxian and Jialan Yeyu made the right calls. But from where he stood, something about Jialan Yeyuâs decision didnât sit right with him.
Mu Xianxian ran at full speed.
But the boss wasnât slowâthe Abyssal Blade Demon was even faster, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Just as he was about to strike, Mu Xianxian spun around and activated Daze.
The Abyssal Blade Demon froze mid-charge, stunned.
Mu Xianxian seized the chance and bolted.
The Abyssal Sword Demon unleashed streaks of sword energy from above, but Mu Xianxian evaded them all.
Her Combat Instinct surged to its peak, granting her an uncanny intuition that allowed her to dodge the Abyssal Sword Demon's attacks repeatedly.
Again and again, she used Daze, keeping the Abyssal Blade Demon at bay.
The Abyssal Blade Demon roared in frustration, his body glowing with a sinister dark light. Abyssal Fire ignited on his arms.
Each time the flames grazed her, they inflicted considerable damage.
Meanwhile, the streaks of sword energy wove into a deadly net, making it harder and harder to evade.
Mu Xianxian took out a potion and downed it in one gulp. She had only one thought:
Hold on. Just a little longer.
She had to buy more time for Jialan Yeyu and the others to escape.
As she ran, she drew the attention of numerous monsters from the core area, making her escape even harder.
Minutes passed. She was running on fumes, her stamina depleted.
And thenâa streak of sword energy slashed down from above.
Behind her, the Abyssal Blade Demonâs blades closed in.
Even with Combat Instinct, she couldnât dodge anymore.
Mu Xianxian smiled bitterly, âLooks like I might really die this time.â
Oddly enough, it wasnât Jialan Yeyu or the others who came to mindâit was Lin Moyu.
She didnât wonder if she had bought enough time or lured the enemy far enough away.
In that moment, her thoughts instinctively turned to Lin Moyu.
Mu Xianxian closed her eyes, her face showing no fear.
Seconds ticked away, but the pain never came.
Mu Xianxian opened her eyesâonly to be met with a radiant white light.
âBone Armor!â Surprise flickered in her eyes.
That skill could only mean one thing: Lin Moyu had arrived.
She looked upâand there he was, floating above.
Lin Moyu was here. That meantâshe didnât have to die.
Mu Xianxian ignored the Abyssal Blade Demon in front of her, the streaks of sword energy raining down, and the approaching boss.
She just raised her hand and waved at Lin Moyu, a smile spreading across her face.
The Bone Armor around Mu Xianxian shimmered with dazzling light.
Amplified by Lin Moyuâs talent, the defense if provided was equivalent to 300,000 physique.
Even if the level 65 Abyssal Blade Demon and Abyssal Sword Demon unleashed their full might, they wouldnât break through it in a short period.
The Abyssal Blade Demon was startled by the sudden appearance of the Bone Armorâthen he spotted Lin Moyu floating in the air.
âA level 50 weakling⊠with a flight skill?â The Abyssal Blade Demon sneered, âTsk. A feast served on a platter. Man and woman togetherâmakes for a richer flavor.â
The Abyssal Sword Demon also noticed Lin Moyu, but his attention was still locked on Mu Xianxian, thanks to her Group Collection skill.
That kind of aggro-pull rivaled the best of Knight skills.
In the next moment, Mu Xianxian received a party invitation. Lin Moyu had sent it.
Without hesitation, she left Jialan Yeyuâs party and joined his.
And thenâa flash of red light surged.
Skill: Deterioration Curse!
As the curse took effect, the Abyssal Blade Demon, the Abyssal Sword Demon, the boss, and the other monsters were suddenly frozen in place, completely immobilized.
The Abyssal Sword Demon plummeted from the sky like a stone.
Skill: Bone Prison!
Time itself seemed to stop. All enemies were bound in placeâhelpless.
The next moment, undead troops emerged and surged forth.
Meanwhile, far awayâŠ
Jialan Yeyu and the others had already fled over a hundred kilometers.
Suddenly, sorrow flickered across their facesâMu Xianxian had left the party.
She had died.
Tears slid down everyoneâs faces.
Jialan Yeyu clenched her fists and shouted, eyes filled with tears, âStop crying! Keep running!â
âWeâll find a good place to erect a tombstone for Xianxian. Then weâll go back, resurrect her, and one day, bring her back to see it herself.â