Four wilderness bosses

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In the valley outside the Novice Village, crowds of people surged. As the designated location for the “Herb Gathering” beginner quest, the valley was teeming with players. Some moved alone, others had already formed parties.

Yet this “Herb Gathering” quest was far from simple. Venomous creatures like snakes, centipedes, and scorpions guarded the clusters of herbs scattered throughout the valley. Only by defeating these poisonous guardians could one safely pick the precious plants.

Because of the sheer number of players, Tang Xuan refrained from competing for monsters and instead ventured deeper into the valley. The further in, the more abundant the herbs—and correspondingly, the greater the number of venomous beasts.

Most players dared not venture so far; at level one, with only the most basic martial arts skills, even teams hesitated to push forward. To be surrounded by monsters meant certain death, which would send the player back to the Novice Village, resulting in either a loss of level or resetting of experience.

As Tang Xuan pressed onward, two snakes leapt from the trees. He struck at each with a single palm.

-130
-130

Two crimson numbers flashed. The snakes fell dead at once.

[You have killed Level 1 Wild White-Headed Snake. Experience gained: 10 points.]
[You have killed Level 1 Wild White-Headed Snake. Experience gained: 10 points.]

Listening to the chime of earned experience, a subtle smile played at Tang Xuan’s lips.

After perfecting his Basic Internal Skill, his attack power had soared from the initial 10 points to a staggering 130. Other players, with only level one internal skills, would see their attack rise from 10 to just 20. Even using the basic fist or palm techniques, which provided a temporary 10% boost, their attack would only edge from 20 to 22!

Tang Xuan, without using any skill, wielded 130 attack power—the difference was incomparable. In a word: overpowered.

If he unleashed his perfected basic fist or palm technique, his attack would instantly surge by 120%.

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That would take his attack from 130 up to 286! Of course, casting basic skills consumed inner energy, which was not to be wasted needlessly.

His speed had also reached 130, far surpassing other players. If he expended inner energy to use his perfected basic movement skill, his speed would leap to 286 in an instant! The only stat lagging behind was defense, which remained at 130, as none of the basic martial arts provided a temporary boost in defense.

After slaying the two white-headed snakes, Tang Xuan looked up and spotted a star-leaf herb on the tree. With a light leap, he plucked the herb and stowed it in his inventory. Thanks to his level 10 basic internal skill and its 130 speed bonus, he could leap into the branches without activating his speed skill.

Tang Xuan continued deeper into the valley.

Soon, more snakes emerged, along with scorpions as large as basketballs and centipedes over half a meter long. These were the venomous beasts lurking in the depths of the valley.

But whether it was the level 1 white-headed snake, the level 2 blue-patterned viper, the level 3 pit viper, the level 4 iron-claw scorpion, or the level 5 black centipede, none could withstand Tang Xuan’s overwhelming attack power for long. Even the level 5 black centipede fell in two blows when he used his basic fist skill, boosting his attack by 120%.

Each use of the basic fist skill consumed 5 points of inner energy, but a brief meditation would restore him to peak strength. This was one of the unique features of “Grand Wuxia”—injuries or depletion, whether treated with medicine or through meditation, required real time to recover, offering 100% realism.

Even pain, weakness, and fatigue were simulated with full fidelity.

After a string of battles, Tang Xuan’s level had risen from 1 to 4! The “Herb Gathering” quest was complete; he had collected seven-leaf grass, star-leaf herbs, lingzhi, ginseng, and more—ten pounds in total.

Each time a player gained a level, all base stats except inner energy increased by 10 points. To raise inner energy further, one had to reach level 10, join a sect, and study advanced internal arts.

Tang Xuan’s current stats:

[Name: Half a Step to Heaven]
[Level: 4]
[HP: 400/400]
[Inner Energy: 120/120]

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[Attack: 160]
[Defense: 160]
[Speed: 160]
[Martial Skills: Basic Internal Skill (Perfection), Basic Movement Skill (Perfection), Basic Fist Skill (Perfection), Basic Sword Skill (Perfection), …]
[Inventory: Seven-Leaf Grass x26, Star-Leaf Herb x31, Lingzhi x21, Ginseng x18, …]

…

His attack, defense, and speed had all climbed from 130 to 160!

Having completed the “Herb Gathering” quest, Tang Xuan was preparing to return to the Novice Village and turn in the task.

Suddenly, a rush of foul wind and a powerful force swept toward him!

He instantly activated his movement skill, leaping forward in a flash.

His figure blurred and he dodged the attack. Turning, he saw a monstrous centipede over two meters long, sporting two heads and four gleaming eyes that glared at him menacingly.

Twin-Headed Black Centipede—a level 10 wild boss!

“A boss!”

Tang Xuan’s heart tightened.

Had he not already attained 160 speed, and could instantly boost it by 120% with his perfected movement skill—reaching 352—he would never have evaded that sneak attack from a level 10 wild boss!

Even with his 130 defense, a surprise attack from such a foe would have left him in bad shape.

Not to mention the 100% realistic pain simulation, and the deadly centipede venom!

One misstep here could mean losing a level or wiping out his hard-earned experience.