Volume One, Chapter 13: Unearthing Bronze Gear, Ascending to Black Iron Mage!
Cheng Muqing rubbed her eyes as if that could dispel the illusion before her. But the person standing there was undoubtedly Lin Yi!
She recalled that mysterious figure she had seen in the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.
“I wasn’t mistaken—that really is Lin Yi!”
“But how is this possible? He only awakened two days ago!”
“Even for a covert profession, he shouldn’t be this strong!”
Cheng Muqing felt her understanding completely overturned and stamped her feet on the ground in frustration.
Noticing this, Lin Yi smiled faintly at her. “Cheng Muqing, stop zoning out.”
“Your bodyguard is about to collapse.”
Lei He’s heart was conflicted. He was fighting desperately on the front lines, yet the young lady was playing some kind of silent game with someone behind the scenes?
Snapping back to attention, Cheng Muqing’s staff shimmered with light. She murmured an incantation, and a healing spell blossomed over Lei He.
Its effect was comparable to a level eleven White Jia!
Lin Yi’s gaze briefly swept over Cheng Muqing, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. This holy priest was indeed somewhat capable.
White Jia didn’t slack either; her healing spells landed continuously, stabilizing Lei He’s condition significantly.
Seizing the moment, Lin Yi glanced ahead at the Skeleton Knight Captain.
[Skeleton Knight Captain]
[Level: LV15 Elite Monster]
[Health: 61,354]
[Skills: Undead Assault, Bone Spear Pierce…]
“Arc Discharge!”
Lin Yi whispered the spell, the tip of his staff glowing blue as he struck the remaining Skeleton Knights.
The surviving skeletons instantly turned to ash.
Now, only the Skeleton Knight Captain remained on the battlefield.
With the burden on Lei He’s shoulders eased, his courage doubled, even beginning to counterattack.
Lin Yi couldn’t help but smirk. A gray aura spilled from his hand, enveloping the mount beneath the Skeleton Knight.
The galloping skeletal horse’s speed suddenly slowed!
“Fireball!”
“Ice Arrow!”
The scorching fireball, wrapped in intense heat, slammed hard into the captain’s bones, blackening the white skeleton.
Then, a series of icy arrows struck one after another, freezing the bones and making its movements increasingly sluggish.
Damage numbers leapt.
-4571!
-4193!
Thanks to Cheng Muqing’s boost of ten spirit points, Lin Yi’s skills hit even harder!
The Skeleton Knight Captain let out a mournful wail, futilely mounting a last resistance.
But under Lin Yi’s delay spells, it was all in vain.
As a shield warrior, Lei He’s defense was formidable.
With two priests continuously healing from behind, they were almost impenetrable.
Lin Yi alternated delay spells and swamp fields, pinning the Skeleton Knight Captain firmly in place, unable to move.
---
As the last ice arrow sliced through the air, the Skeleton Knight Captain finally crumbled into scattered bones.
[Defeated LV15 Skeleton Knight Captain, gained 3,745 experience points!]
A flash of light, and the Skeleton Knight dropped bronze equipment!
The three exchanged glances, and Lin Yi naturally bent down to pick it up.
After all, it was a reward for his strength.
Even without Cheng Muqing and the others, Lin Yi could have handled these skeleton knights—it would’ve just taken more time.
Cheng Muqing didn’t dwell on the question of loot ownership.
[Skeleton Battle Armor]
[Grade: Bronze]
[Attributes: Stamina +40, Health +400]
The equipment info appeared in the shared party view. Lei He’s eyes gleamed with desire.
Lin Yi chuckled inwardly and had no intention of giving it up easily.
Just as he was about to put it in his bag, Cheng Muqing spoke up, “Lin Yi, can you sell me this armor?”
She wanted to use the bronze battle armor to strengthen Lei He.
Lin Yi didn’t refuse; after all, it was the same to him whoever got it, as long as the price was right.
“Make me an offer.”
“How about three million? I’ll transfer it to you once we leave the secret realm!”
Lin Yi nodded in agreement. This price was well above market value—Cheng Muqing was a savvy buyer.
Handing the skeleton armor to Lei He, Lin Yi continued checking the remaining equipment.
One robe's stats were inferior to his own Wolf King Robe, so he gave it to White Jia as a gift.
Now, there was a more important matter—the Black Iron Advancement Orb.
Once promoted to a Black Iron profession, Lin Yi’s strength would soar dramatically!
With that in mind, his gaze locked onto Cheng Muqing.
Her heart suddenly fluttered, a blush rising to her cheeks.
Lin Yi was not only handsome but incredibly strong.
Which enamored young girl wouldn’t secretly be moved?
Seeing this, Lin Yi rolled his eyes. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t think you can back out on that Black Iron Advancement Orb!”
Cheng Muqing’s forehead creased with frustration. This guy really didn’t understand romantic cues!
She then pulled the Black Iron Advancement Orb from her bag and handed it to Lin Yi.
“What a blockhead!” she muttered silently.
Then suddenly, realization dawned, and astonishment filled her heart.
“You’re going to use it to advance right now?”
Lin Yi arched an eyebrow and responded matter-of-factly, “What else?”
Cheng Muqing was both amazed and envious. She was still stuck at level two.
Lin Yi had already reached level ten and was about to enter the ranks of Black Iron professionals!
She couldn’t help but wonder silently: are we really contemporaries who awakened at the same time?
This was utterly extraordinary!
A faint bitterness spread across Cheng Muqing’s lips. As a prodigy of one of Jiangcheng’s four great families, she had never felt such a crushing sense of defeat.
She was curious: what exactly was Lin Yi’s profession?
How could an ordinary mage be so powerful?
Lin Yi smiled lightly but said nothing more.
---
The Black Iron Advancement Orb, about the size of an egg, emitted a deep black glow.
It contained a mysterious power capable of helping a professional break through bottlenecks and reach a new realm.
Without hesitation, Lin Yi guided his internal mana to absorb the orb’s energy.
In an instant, a dense white light burst forth from his entire body.
The white light then contracted, pouring entirely into Lin Yi, unleashing a powerful aura.
[Successfully advanced to Black Iron profession, level increased to LV12!]
Relying on previously accumulated experience, Lin Yi leveled up twice, reaching level twelve directly.
Advancing to Black Iron not only brought a leap in attributes but also unlocked a series of new skills.
[New skills unlocked: Firefall, Ice Spear, Light Shield!]
Talent effects activated automatically, instantly maxing all skills!
Lin Yi immediately checked his status panel.
[Level: LV12]
[Attributes: Strength 175, Spirit 350, Stamina 180, Agility 195]
[Health: 2050]
[Mana: 3700]
[…]
At level twelve, Lin Yi’s attributes were astonishing.
Even more exciting were the three newly unlocked Black Iron skills.
Compared to basic skills, Black Iron skills had a higher cap, reaching level twenty.
This allowed his talent to be utilized to the fullest!
Becoming a Black Iron professional marked the true beginning for an ordinary mage.
For Lin Yi, this was extraordinary!
Looking at the max-level skill descriptions, a slight smile tugged at his lips.
[Firefall: Summon flaming meteors within a 50-meter radius!]
[Ice Spear: Cast an ice spear at the target after incantation!]
[Light Shield: Form a shield of light to protect oneself!]
Firefall alone, as an area attack, could easily deal over ten thousand damage.
Ice Spear, at max level, could approach twenty thousand damage per hit!
If he faced that Skeleton Knight Captain again, three Ice Spears would reduce it to dust!
As for Light Shield, it could absorb more than thirty thousand damage.
Opponents at the Black Iron level would hardly break through this defense!
Feeling this qualitative leap in strength, Lin Yi was ecstatic.
His talent would become increasingly advantageous in the late game.
Higher-level skills had greater caps, and max-level power was astonishing.
From this moment on, this difficult-level dungeon would no longer be a challenge.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yi prepared to unleash his full power and sweep through.
Just as he was about to lead White Jia deeper into exploration, Cheng Muqing jumped anxiously and called out.
“Lin Yi, wait!”
Seeing no response, she gritted her teeth and resolved, “You take me along to clear the dungeon, and I’ll give you a storage bag—how about that?”