Chapter 172 : A Sweeping Victory, Bountiful Harvest, and the Miracle Doctor's Alchemy and Aspirations
Chapter 172: A Sweeping Victory, Bountiful Harvest, and the Miracle Doctor's Alchemy and Aspirations!
At this moment—
Before the Calamity Army—
Shadowstep lay coiled atop the stone wall. When its lantern-sized eyes opened, a violent gale surged, thunder crackled, and the sky rapidly darkened. Even the air seemed to freeze in place.
“BOSS fight incoming!”
“Quick, take a group photo before it starts!”
“You can always count on Twisted Three Kingdoms for top-tier BOSS design!”
“Wow, the modeling and the entrance are terrifying. But I bet this fight won’t be easy to clear in one go!”
“Don’t panic. Isn’t it just a Tier-Three Commander? I’d say this guy is about the same level as the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon King in Centipede Valley. With our current strength and numbers, we should be able to handle it carefully!”
“……”
The Calamity Army wasn’t made of cowards. These players were all battle-hardened and fearless in the face of death, so they weren’t intimidated by the overwhelming aura that Shadowstep exuded. At the command of several Legion Commanders and officers, they immediately dispersed and assumed formation.
Zhang Zhongjing didn’t remain idle either.
Having lived in the valley for so long—
He naturally knew the power and terror of Shadowstep.
He once again activated his exclusive alchemical secret art. Several unique pills formed in his hand, which he then injected into the bodies of a few leading players.
【You have received the effects of “Four-Spirit Body-Tempering Alchemy”: HP +300, Mana +300, Strength +80, Agility +80, Spirit +80, Will +80!】
The players were stunned.
“This stat boost is insane!”
“Miracle Doctor Zhang is OP! He’s got both group buffs and single-target enhancements!”
“Hahaha! We’re solid now! Even though Shadowstep’s got a new Flood Dragon skin and looks scary, with Miracle Doctor Zhang helping us, this battle’s a clean sweep!”
“Enough talking!”
“Strike first while it’s still waking up!”
“Get the jump on it!”
“……”
Zhang Zhongjing’s exclusive “Alchemical Secret Art” was indeed formidable!
With such a powerful support NPC in play—
The Calamity Army’s strength surged, even doubling in some cases. Their morale shot up, and Shadowstep no longer seemed like something to fear.
Lone Boat drew a high-grade Tier-Two green war bow and notched an arrow that was purple-red all over, coiled with ridges, and tipped with a green glow.
【Poison Arrow of the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon】, Tier-Two Green Grade...
This type of arrow was nicknamed “Centipede Arrow” by players!
It was crafted using refined legs of the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon as the main material, with the poison gland of the Thousand-Eyed Centipede and feathers from the Two-Headed Ghostflame Crow as supplementary components—resulting in an incredibly lethal projectile.
Not only was its destructive power immense—
It also carried a deadly toxin.
Even a Tier-Two player struck by it would die without question.
However, due to the rarity of its crafting materials, production costs were sky-high and its supply was extremely limited. Currently, the entire Calamity Army had only twenty such arrows.
Whoosh!
Lone Boat’s Centipede Arrow hit Shadowstep square in the abdomen, instantly dealing over 400 critical damage. The poison effect further caused its health to continually drop.
“Windburst Arrow!”
“Explosive Flame Blade!”
Little Bell, Chimera Wraith, and other warlocks unleashed their strongest spells.
Little Bell’s “Windburst Arrow” was a fusion skill combining Windflame Arrow and Explosive Flame Spell, while Chimera Wraith’s “Explosive Flame Blade” was born from fusing Flame Blade with Explosive Flame Spell.
The former boasted better accuracy and longer range—
The latter had greater destructive power and a wider area of effect.
Two Windburst Arrows struck its neck and back, like being hit by high-powered rockets, dealing a total of 300 damage. The Explosive Flame Blade sliced into Shadowstep’s body, igniting a burst of fire and explosion that inflicted 400 damage in one go!
Meanwhile—
Other arrows and spells rained down as well.
Shadowstep clearly wasn’t a defense-oriented monster, but as a Tier-Three Commander-class being, its defenses were no joke—likely not inferior to the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon King.
But the Calamity Army had grown quickly in strength.
Compared to their battle in Centipede Valley, they had significantly improved—
Especially with Zhang Zhongjing as an elite support, boosting the players’ combat capabilities even further!
The core forces of the Calamity Army jointly shaved over 2,000 HP off Shadowstep in no time. Although that was less than one-tenth of its total HP bar, it was proof that they could indeed threaten it.
“Roar!”
【You have been affected by “Evil Dragon’s Roar” and are now in a Stunned State. Duration: 10 seconds!】
Hundreds of players on the battlefield were stunned at once. Depending on their attributes and levels, the duration ranged from four to over ten seconds. Their ongoing attacks halted abruptly.
Taking the opportunity, Shadowstep soared from the cliff wall into the sky. In mere moments, it ascended high above, circling like a fish in water. From the ground, only a dark silhouette was visible dancing in the air.
“Crap!”
“This thing has AOE crowd control, high mobility, and strong flight!”
“……”
Though the Black-Scaled Dragon Horse could also fly, it could only momentarily step through the air—its flight time and altitude were extremely limited. In contrast, Shadowstep flew freely through the skies like a fish swimming in the sea.
This was a problem!
Such a monster was a nightmare to deal with.
Most player abilities and spells had limited range. If Shadowstep flew 400–500 meters away, their current attack methods would barely scratch it—hardly posing a threat.
Morning Dawn, Glorious Years, and other monks quickly summoned Thunderhorn Eagles for interception.
But the power difference was too vast.
They couldn’t even get close, and even if they did, they couldn’t pierce its defenses. At this stage, the most they could summon were weak, low-end elite units around level 14 or 15—completely outmatched by Shadowstep.
The Thunderhorn Eagles were shredded in seconds.
Shadowstep’s main attacks were composed of lightning, hurricanes, and black flames.
At the moment, while flying at high speed, it continuously released clouds and gales, quickly enveloping the battlefield in mist.
Zhang Zhongjing warned, “Everyone be careful. This beast has powerful spellcraft—especially skilled in lightning and wind manipulation.”
Salted Fish Thrust said, “The real issue is that it’s too fast and can fly. We can’t threaten it at all. Even if it’s losing the fight, it could flee with ease.”
Toasting the Moon added, “Our Calamity Army really lacks proper crowd control and field control abilities!”
As everyone pondered strategies—
Zhang Zhongjing said, “I possess a secret technique known as ‘Golden Needle Soul-Binding Art’ that may be able to seal it temporarily. However, this technique is slow to cast and easily dodged or blocked. We must first find a way to suppress it and strip away its resistance.”
The players were overjoyed!
Of course! Wasn’t there still this elite-tier NPC on their side? Perhaps Zhang Zhongjing was the true key to winning this battle!
Players began to discuss.
“What do you think?”
“Can we pull it off?”
“That Shadowstep moves like a flying mudfish—super slippery.”
“Just catching it is a pain, let alone disabling it.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”
“There has to be a method!”
“……”
But Shadowstep didn’t give the Calamity Army any more time to plan. Countless red lightning bolts burst from the void and converged between its forelegs. Its dragon claws clenched and conjured two massive red lightning spears.
Boom! Boom!
Two ten-zhang-long thunder spears descended from the heavens. Amidst thunderclaps and sonic booms, they crashed into the player ranks. The nearest few players were instantly reduced to ash, while a large surrounding group was paralyzed and immobilized.
The attack covered a vast area!
Its intensity was utterly absurd!
This single strike nearly crippled the Calamity Army!
Zhang Zhongjing quickly activated his alchemy technique Ten Thousand Qi Returning to Origin, healing the Calamity Army as a group. But before the players could recover from the previous wave, Shadowstep launched its next move.
Fast!
Too fast!
After releasing waves of cloud mist—
Its agile body began to circle the battlefield at such speed that the naked eye could barely follow it. Meanwhile, the surrounding mist grew denser and began churning into a vortex!
Sweeping the clouds with wind!
A fierce storm howled!
The players felt the light around them dimming. Trees and plants were uprooted by the hurricane, and countless dirt, stones, and gravel were sucked into the swirling storm.
All directions were now completely enshrouded by the rapidly rotating cloud mist.
Hundreds were trapped within a forming supermassive tornado, like a deadly cage tightening inward, producing a force of increasing suction and pull.
Shadowstep moved with incredible speed along the outer edge of the tornado. That majestic, oppressive dark silhouette was completely unaffected by the airflow, gliding freely like a fish in water—stable and unshakeable—as it circled repeatedly.
With each pass—
The storm grew stronger.
The tornado tightened further.
The pulling force the players felt intensified with every second.
“Not good!”
“Shoot it down quickly!”
“This thing wants to finish us all in one big move!”
As players recovered from their stunned state one by one, the battlefield had nearly spiraled out of control. At least dozens were sucked into the air by the terrifying wind and hurled outward into the storm.
A closer look revealed—
The storm was filled with countless wind blades.
Shadowstep continued to unleash its power, turning the vortex into a meat grinder. Any player sucked in would be shredded within moments—most wouldn’t even leave a body behind.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge, Lone Boat, Ye Li Meng, and other players immediately launched counterattacks.
But Shadowstep’s speed was overwhelming, and its wind wall acted as a barrier. Regular attacks couldn’t touch it, and getting close was near impossible.
Shadowstep then spat a wave of black flames onto the wind wall. Instead of being blown away by the gusts, the flames multiplied and spread rapidly, infusing the tornado with fire damage, making the storm even more ferocious and chaotic!
More players were lifted into the air—
More were scorched by fire.
“This is too OP!”
“There’s no way to fight this!”
“Isn’t this Shadowstep basically an air fryer come to life?!”
“Our current situation is like being shrimp locked inside an air fryer—we're about to get roasted!”
“Stop it.”
“I’m already medium rare!”
“Damn it, is there really no way out of this?!”
“……”
The players were hit with a wave of helplessness.
Shadowstep was supposedly on par with the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon King in terms of level. They’d assumed its strength would be similar too.
But now it was clear: though both were Commander-class BOSSes, even a mere two-level gap made Shadowstep far superior—especially in its terrifying spellcasting, which was overwhelming and unstoppable.
However—
The Calamity Army wasn’t the type to give up easily.
Even if they had to fight to the last soldier, players would grit their teeth and see it through to the end!
Zhang Zhongjing was astonished.
Even in such a dire situation—
This army’s morale remained unshaken.
Were they truly unafraid? What kind of leader could cultivate a force like this?!
Chimera Wraith locked onto Shadowstep’s position and activated her Crimson Ring skill, conjuring a blood-red spear and hurling it. But the spear shattered immediately upon piercing the wind wall, torn apart by the wind blades.
“Single attacks won’t cut it—mainly not strong or dense enough. But it looks like the wind blades inside the storm can be broken!” Toasting the Moon said. “Let’s try concentrating all attacks at one point!”
“Got it!”
“Everyone attack together!”
“Focus on the direction Chimera Wraith just targeted!”
The Calamity Army instantly responded. Warriors and rangers launched arrows, while warlocks and monks cast spells—concentrating their firepower on one area. Numerous wind blades shattered, and several arrows even made it through the storm, proving a breach had formed in the tornado.
“There’s hope!”
“Charge through together!”
“Everyone get ready!”
“……”
The Calamity Army managed to weaken the tornado’s lethality for the moment and was preparing to make a full-force breakthrough—when Shadowstep’s majestic, domineering figure suddenly dove down and blocked their path. Its dragon claws once again summoned thunder spears.
“Again?!”
“Not this time!”
Mad Blade Old Wang and Street Slayer, two high-level warriors, simultaneously unleashed Frenzied Tiger Roar Slash. Roaring tiger-shaped blade qi surged forward and collided with the twin lightning spears.
Boom!
The thunder spears shattered in Shadowstep’s claws!
But Shadowstep didn’t relent. It dove straight through the rain of arrows and spells, attempting to crush the players with brute force.
“Perfect chance!”
“Let me take this one!”
By now, Ye Li Meng had stacked every possible buff—from Lord’s Aura, Blood Sacrifice Talisman, Protection Talisman, to Yellow Turban Strongman Talisman, plus Zhang Zhongjing’s alchemical enhancements. His stats rivaled those of a top-tier, same-level Commander.
Army Breaker Charge!
Ye Li Meng activated a fusion skill combining Iron Armor Technique and Savage Charge. He forced his way through the storm and faced the powerful BOSS head-on!
He activated Fiery Tiger Battle Soul!
And began charging up the Thousand-Skull Demon Hammer!
Shadowstep naturally wasn’t going to let him succeed. Ye Li Meng’s charge-up was too slow. A giant claw lashed out, releasing multiple claw lights as sharp as Qi-Gathering Slash. Even if it didn’t kill him, it could easily swat him away.
But Black-Eyed Rui Ge was already prepared.
He used Swiftshadow Step to reach Ye Li Meng—
Unleashing invisible sword qi to deflect the dragon claw!
Before Shadowstep could react, Lone Boat launched a Dark Assault, blinking in from behind and slashing with the Bloodstained Sword, delivering a Qi-Gathering Slash that intercepted the blow.
“Die!”
By now, Ye Li Meng had finished charging. The Thousand-Skull Demon Hammer expanded tenfold and slammed down with a mighty Earthshock Wave, striking Shadowstep hard and shattering a large portion of its scales—inflicting 1,000 points of critical damage.
With that strike—
Shadowstep was stunned.
Though only briefly, it was enough of an opening. Zhang Zhongjing unleashed thirty-six golden needles all at once, embedding them into Shadowstep’s body.
Soul-Binding Golden Needles!
Thirty-six golden threads appeared in Zhang Zhongjing’s hand, each one connected to a needle embedded in Shadowstep. Though as fine as hairs, they exerted overwhelming restraining force.
For at least one or two minutes—
Shadowstep was completely unable to break free or fly.
Not only that—its skills were sealed, and the storm began to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye.
This was because Soul-Binding Golden Needles didn’t just restrain movement; they also suppressed spells and sealed normal abilities!
The players were ecstatic.
“What else can I even say? Miracle Doctor Zhang is 666!”
“Now’s our chance—everyone pile on and beat the hell out of this grounded dog!”
The Calamity Army unleashed a relentless assault on Shadowstep, and with no way to retaliate, it could only endure the blows. Before long, it was covered in wounds and its health was nearly depleted.
The situation wasn’t just looking good—
It was looking excellent!
Victory was already within reach!
But just as Shadowstep was about to enter a near-death state, it suddenly began to struggle violently. The thirty-six golden threads binding it could be seen snapping rapidly.
Shadowstep underwent a transformation.
Its massive body, thirty to forty zhang in length, rapidly shrank—
From a black dragon into a black dragon horse!
“Is this its second form?”
“Everyone be careful! Don’t let your guard down!”
“……”
After transforming from dragon form to horse form, Shadowstep’s size shrank considerably, but its flesh and scales became even tougher, making most players’ attacks unable to break through its defense.
So that was it!
In dragon form, it had formidable spellcasting abilities and high mobility, but its physical defense was somewhat weaker.
In horse form, while it lost its spellcasting, its body was compressed and strengthened to an extreme degree—so much so that it became virtually impervious to blades and weapons.
The golden threads were still snapping!
Zhang Zhongjing was rapidly losing control!
If Shadowstep escaped and managed to take flight again in its dragon form, this entire battle would have been in vain.
Clang!
Ox Thirteen activated his newly learned Shield Breaker Strike in an attempt to pierce its defense. But when his massive sword struck Shadowstep’s body, a huge chunk of the blade was chipped off, and his weapon’s durability instantly dropped by eight points.
Shadowstep only took a few dozen damage from that hit.
“Damn!”
“This is broken-level defense!”
“Can’t even scratch it!”
With a shrill cry, Shadowstep stomped its hooves, generating a powerful shockwave that blasted away several players who had tried to close in, just as the Soul-Binding Threads completely snapped.
“Not good! It’s trying to escape—stop it, now!”
“Whoever stops it, I’ll cover all your spa treatments this month!”
“For real? Leave it to me!”
“……”
Midnight Pig-Slaughterer let out a roar and charged forward. His rotund body began to transform as countless scales spread across his skin. Then, with a mighty Mountain Crash, he sat down on Shadowstep’s horse form.
His Drake-Lizard Transformation had already reached max level.
Once transformed, he stood over ten feet tall and possessed immense strength—just enough to temporarily suppress Shadowstep.
Other players rushed in, surrounding it from all directions with shields in an attempt to pin it down.
However—
The next moment—
Shadowstep activated Stormhoof, stomping both forelegs violently into the ground. A powerful shockwave blasted away the surrounding players once more. Even Midnight Pig-Slaughterer was barely hanging on and about to be flung off.
Just then—
Zhang Zhongjing made his move again.
This attack had been brewing ever since the moment Shadowstep was first restrained.
He released a colorless, formless aura, which floated in the air and condensed into a small gas cluster. It then collapsed inward and compressed further until it became a semi-transparent gaseous pill, seemingly light and unassuming.
Zhang Zhongjing directed this special alchemy technique, but this time, the target wasn’t an ally—it was the nearby Shadowstep.
The moment this pill entered Shadowstep’s body—
It let out a painful screech, spewing foul black blood from its eyes, nose, and ears. Even its wounds stopped healing and began to rot. It completely lost the ability to resist, and its health plummeted rapidly—until it hit zero.
Boom!
The horse exploded on the spot.
Only a foul puddle of black blood and thick fluid remained.
“What just happened?”
“How did it blow up all of a sudden?!”
The players were all stunned.
Zhang Zhongjing explained, “This technique is called Pill Devour. Many years ago, I was inspired by Patriarch Taiyin, Jia Xu, and accidentally created this offensive type of alchemy. It transforms qi into poison, devours vitality, and bypasses all conventional defenses. Though highly lethal, it is also extremely cruel and harmful to the natural order!”
Of course, this technique was extremely slow to cast and easy to evade or disrupt. If Shadowstep hadn’t already been near death and entangled by players, it wouldn’t have worked so smoothly.
But in the end, it worked.
Despite Shadowstep’s immense physical defense—
Zhang Zhongjing was its perfect counter. Pill Devour was essentially a unique poisoning technique that ignored typical defenses and resistances, dealing continuous poison-type damage.
“Incredible!”
“So that’s what it was.”
“Miracle Doctor Zhang not only heals, he even has terrifying killing techniques!”
Everyone looked at Zhang Zhongjing with newfound respect. They had assumed he was just a harmless healer, but his methods were frighteningly effective.
Zhang Zhongjing said, “A healer’s duty is to save lives. But if needed, they can also take lives. As the saying goes, a technique has no inherent morality—its morality lies in how it’s used.”
If healing techniques are used only to save the wicked and cruel, then they become evil.
If killing techniques are used to rid the world of scourges and threats to the people, then they are good.
The players were deeply shaken.
Indeed, when a healer turns dark, they’re not to be underestimated!
Luckily, Zhang Zhongjing was a Miracle Doctor with upright morals, whose goal was to Bring Medicine to the Masses, not to delve into sinister paths. If he had studied more poison techniques like Pill Devour, even Jia Xu—the master of poison—might not be able to compare in terms of ruthlessness.
Zhang Zhongjing might not research them…
But that didn’t mean the players couldn’t!
At that moment, many players were already very interested in the secrets of Pill Devour.
The Calamity Army would never lack players who used underhanded tricks!
If someone could master and evolve this technique, it might even give rise to a new, unique playstyle!
Though Zhang Zhongjing landed the killing blow on Shadowstep—
More than 90% of the damage had been dealt by players.
Thus, the kill was still credited to the Calamity Army, triggering a Heavenly Blessing.
【You have obtained loot: Vital Energy +310,000, Magic Crystals +2,500, Flesh of the Three-Headed Evil Dragon ×532, Bones of the Three-Headed Evil Dragon ×254, Blood of the Three-Headed Evil Dragon ×256, Evil Dragon Horn Fragment ×242, Gems of the Three-Headed Evil Dragon ×30, Shadowstep’s Soul ×1!】
At the same time—
Hang Yu received a prompt from the Will of the Stars:
【You have acquired a “Lesser Abyssal Dread Source Fragment”. Would you like to absorb it now? Yes / No】
“Absorb it!”
【Absorption complete. Tier-3 Talent Points +4!】
Hang Yu was quite pleased with the outcome. This battle not only yielded a wealth of materials but also granted him four Tier-3 Talent Points at once. From the last hunt of the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon King, he had only gained two, of which he had only used one.
Meaning—
He now had a total of five Tier-3 Talent Points!
Hang Yu could use them to upgrade lower-tier talents or save them to unlock a Tier-3 Talent. It hadn’t been long since he advanced to Tier-3, but the progress was satisfying.
Of course, in this battle—
The biggest surprise was Zhang Zhongjing’s performance!
Even though the Calamity Army’s strength had grown quickly, they still stood no chance against the corrupted Shadowstep.
If not for Zhang Zhongjing’s prior intelligence, healing boosts, and massive support during the fight—especially his Soul-Binding Golden Needles and Pill Devour—victory would have been impossible even with twice as many players.
Besides Jia Xu and Dian Wei—
Zhang Zhongjing had become the most valuable figure.
His importance was now on par with Jia Xu and might even surpass him in the long run. If the territory could recruit Zhang Zhongjing fully, it would be an immense blessing—far outweighing even the loot from this battle.
That said—
This battle's rewards were nothing to scoff at.
The loot was abundant. The materials dropped were equal or better than those from the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon King—and mostly mid-grade green quality.
Additionally, it dropped a Shadowstep Soul!
Hang Yu was especially interested in this item. He planned to recover it from the players. It was a perfect refining material, ideal for crafting items like the Ring of the Blazing Demon Steed.
If he could forge a corrupted dragon mount like Shadowstep, it would greatly boost his overall strength.
And riding something like Shadowstep?
Way flashier than a Blazing Steed!
By now, the battlefield had been cleared. The casualties were heavy, with only 300 players remaining—but with the BOSS down, things should go smoothly from here on.
Chimera Wraith curiously asked, “What exactly is the miraculous herb incubating here? Why are you so concerned, Doctor?”
Zhang Zhongjing didn’t hide it. He replied, “This herb’s value lies not just in its rarity, but in the fact that it may be able to cure the most stubborn affliction of the Abyss.”
Black-Eyed Rui Ge: “The Abyss’s most stubborn affliction?”
Zhang Zhongjing: “I have always believed that corruption is a unique disease. And if it is a disease, then it might be curable. I have spent the past century researching it—clinging to even the faintest hope.”
What?!
A cure for abyssal corruption?
The players were utterly shocked—
Even Hang Yu behind the scenes was stunned.
Zhang Zhongjing had been treating corruption as a disease?
That concept alone was mind-blowing—even by the standards of the Star Cluster.
After all, corruption didn’t just twist the body—it primarily warped the spirit and soul. These deeper-level changes had long been considered completely irreversible.