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As dawn broke, Xiao Yun led the Ideal Kingdom team to the location of the amethyst mine.

Having just dismounted from the insect boss, and approaching the amethyst mine, I came into view of several figures.

"Who goes there!"

A weasel-faced professional raised his crossbow, looking wary.

Behind him, a group of professionals dressed in various styles slowly walked out.

There were about thirty people, but none of them were eighth-sequence professionals. Their clothing was varied, and their weapons and equipment were also of different quality.

But they all had arrogant eyes, puffed out their chests and held their heads high, as if they wanted to shove the badges of the Land of No Worries on their chests into Xiao Yun and the others' faces.

"This direction should be from Jincheng Community. Judging from the looks of it, it should have become an affiliated guild of Wuyou Township, just like Xingfuli before."

Xiao Yun seemed to understand, and smiled:

"Don't be nervous, we're from the Ideal Kingdom, let's conquer the King-level monsters together."

As he spoke, Xiao Yun even raised his hand and pressed down on the fully drawn bow in Wang Tianyuan's hand, showing his sincerity.

But the other side didn't seem to appreciate it.

The weasel-faced professional sneered:

"Ideal Country? That shabby guild from some backwater? It dares to cooperate with my Worry-Free Country?"

"Go away, go away, don't come here to join the fun of conquering the King-level monsters in Wuyou Township."

Xiao Yun frowned slightly, while Wang Tianyuan and the others' faces instantly darkened.

Just as a conflict was about to erupt, a middle-aged man with gray hair suddenly stepped forward and slapped the man who had spoken on the head.

"Shut up, you blockhead!"

As he spoke, the man turned to look at Xiao Yun, bowing and scraping, grinning widely to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth:

"Haha, you must be Chairman Xiao. I've heard our chairman say that you are an exceptional person, a peerless talent, who has managed Happiness Lane, suppressed the Tiger Army, and fought against the Seventh Sequence. There are only a handful of people in the world who can compare to you. Meeting you today, you are indeed extraordinary."

He wiped his hands on his clothes, then grabbed Xiao Yun's raised hand:

"My name is Zhou Hongzhi, the guild leader of the Blue Wolf Guild, and I am in the seventh rank. Guild Leader Xiao, you can just call me Old Zhou."

After saying that, Zhou Hongzhi grabbed the person who had just spoken and slapped him hard across the face.

"You brainless, stinking monkey! It's one thing to be insolent normally, but to dare to offend Chairman Xiao like this? Apologize to Chairman Xiao right now!"

The man called "Monkey" covered his face and quickly bowed to Xiao Yun and the people of Ideal Country to apologize.

Xiao Yun used his magic to support the monkey, looked at Zhou Hongzhi, and a complex look flashed in his eyes:

"He's a seasoned veteran. No wonder he's so old and still managed to become the president, with his strength at the seventh rank. He must have gotten preferential treatment in resources from the Land of No Worries through his ability to navigate social relationships..."

A flurry of complex thoughts flashed through Xiao Yun's mind. He looked at Zhou Hongzhi and smiled.

"Haha, Chairman Zhou, you're too kind. It's just his personality. Besides, this brother didn't mean it, so it's nothing."

As he spoke, Xiao Yun took out a bottle of spiritual spring water and tossed it to the monkey:

"Little thing, take this to heal your wounds."

"Oh dear, how can this be done!"

Zhou Hongzhi quickly waved his hand, but couldn't refuse, so he had to accept it.

Then, he raised his hand and slapped the monkey again:

"Hurry up and thank Chairman Xiao!"

"Thank you, Chairman Xiao."

Xiao Yun waved his hand and turned to talk to Zhou Hongzhi about the amethyst mine.

"Hehe, don't laugh at me, Chairman Xiao, we've been tinkering around here for ages, and all we've seen is a quick glance from the doorway..."

"However, the main organization should have detailed information. You can talk to Minister Ye and the others when they arrive."

Zhou Hongzhi chuckled and sighed softly:

"Sigh, our Blue Wolf Guild is only C+ level, which means we are a small guild with weak strength. In large-scale operations like hunting king-level monsters, we can only run errands for the main guild and you, and get a little soup."

"President Zhou is being modest."

Xiao Yun gave him a half-smile.

Wang Tianyuan chuckled softly and leaned closer to whisper in his ear:

"Brother Yun, this old guy seems to be showing weakness, but he's actually subtly hinting at something to us..."

Zhou Hongzhi's subtext was nothing more than: My Qinglang Guild is also a C+ level, and we even have the Seventh Sequence in charge, but we're just getting a taste of the soup. What makes your Ideal Kingdom so special?

"Never mind that, hunting down the Azure Pool Amethyst Scorpion is the most important thing."

Xiao Yun was too lazy to play mind games with him, so he just gave a casual reply and secretly opened the system panel.

On the way, he specifically searched for detailed information about the Jade Pool Amethyst Scorpion.

[Preview Information - Amethyst Mine (Special Resource Point): A cave naturally formed by an amethyst vein, containing extremely rich magical energy. It is the habitat of the King-level wild monster, the Azure Pool Amethyst Scorpion.]

【Characteristic 1 - Crystallization Disease: Due to the excessive concentration of mana in the ore vein, those who enter will gradually crystallize, losing 1% of their maximum health and mana every five minutes. Once the crystallization exceeds 80%, they will be unable to move and will become crystal nuclei】

【Trait 2 - Amethyst Resonance: The Amethyst Scorpion clan can gain enhancements through resonance. Each time an Amethyst Scorpion dies, resonance is triggered, increasing all attributes of another nearby Amethyst Scorpion by 10%】

【Trait 3 - Purple Blood Jade Pool: After each Amethyst Scorpion dies, its blood will coagulate into a puddle. The blood of every ten Amethyst Scorpions will coagulate into a small jade pool, doubling the effect of Crystallization Disease. Targets that step into the small jade pool will have their crystallization level increased by 10%】

【Trait 4 - Crystal Core Sacrifice: When the King-level monster 'Azure Pool Amethyst Scorpion' has less than 30% health, it will devour the crystal cores of all nearby Amethyst Scorpions. For each crystal core devoured, it will restore 10% of its maximum health and gain one stack of 'Crystal Armor' (10% damage reduction), which can stack up to 10 times】

【Trait 5 - Frenzied Crystal Spikes: After the Azure Crystal Scorpion's HP drops below 10%, it enters the Azure Pool, during which its HP recovery is increased by 500%, and it releases an area-of-effect crystal spike attack every 30 seconds. Each crystal spike explodes and leaves behind a medium-sized Azure Pool, doubling the effect of Crystallization Disease. Targets entering the Azure Pool have their crystallization level increased by 30%】

Around Xiao Yun, the members of Ideal Country sat in a circle, discussing their plan.

Soon, the people from the headquarters of Wuyou Township also arrived.

Ye Cheng and Jing Feiwan led more than thirty members of the Eighth Sequence and arrived as scheduled.

Before Xiao Yun could even greet him, Zhou Hongzhi, who was standing next to him, went to meet him.

"Oh my, it's actually the two ministers who have come in person! This old man is truly flattered!"

Zhou Zhihong's old face beamed with joy, and he eagerly held onto Ye Cheng's hand, refusing to let go.

"Haha, with two ministers overseeing this operation, it's sure to be a success. We'll just follow along, learn from their experience, and lend a hand. This will save Chairman Xiao some effort."

As he spoke, he looked at Xiao Yun, straightened the joystick a bit, and smiled meaningfully.

"That old man, he treats people differently depending on who they're dealing with..."

Seeing his expression, Xiao Yun was also a little annoyed, but he didn't show it.

Xiao Yun did not reply, but looked at Ye Cheng and Jing Feiwan:

"Now that everyone's here, let's get started. Otherwise, it'll be much more difficult once the Jade Pool Amethyst Scorpion is fully awake."

Ye Cheng and Jing Fei nodded. The latter even strode over to Xiao Yun's side and flirted with him, sending him flirtatious glances.

Behind them, Zhou Zhihong, feeling neglected, flashed a cold glint in his eyes:

"Hmph, this brat, he really doesn't know what's good for him!"

"No matter how much potential you have, if you don't understand social etiquette, you'll always suffer the consequences."

Zhou Zhihong sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he remained calm and followed silently behind the group.

A few minutes later, the group stopped at the entrance of the amethyst mine.

Purple crystal clusters shimmered eerily in the darkness, accompanied by a rustling sound as countless hands scratched at the ground, sending chills down one's spine.

The intense magical energy inside the mine created a pressure difference with the outside world, which turned into a wave of heat that rushed towards us.

Standing in the wind, Xiao Yun actually felt a sense of suffocation:

"The magical power is quite concentrated, but the efficiency of absorbing and utilizing it has decreased, and the flow of magical power is also hindered. Is this crystallization disease?"

Ye Cheng's expression also became somewhat solemn.

"My attack method is mainly based on skills, and my combat power will be weakened under the influence of the Crystallization Disease."

"The danger here... seems to be even higher than the chairman said."

Zhou Hongzhi leaned closer:

"Minister Ye, how shall we explore this? (Exploring the infinite possibilities of science fiction, all at p>)"

Ye Cheng pondered for a moment, then glanced at Xiao Yun without making a sound.

Before leaving, the chairman specifically instructed that this operation should be carried out under Xiao Yun's command, and that most of the final profits should be given to Ideal Country.

He euphemistically called it—"As an older brother who shares the same path, I'm offering some help to the up-and-coming talents."

"Forget about helping or not helping. This is not the world we used to live in. Even if it's for a grander goal, we still have to follow the law of the jungle. If you don't have the strength, you don't deserve so many resources."

Ye Cheng was very unwilling, but the chairman had given him a strict order, and he dared not disobey.

Ye Cheng sighed softly, and was just about to ask Xiao Yun for his opinion when he heard Zhou Zhihong send a telepathic message:

"Minister Ye, if I, Old Zhou, may be blunt, this mine is closer to us, and we've contributed the most manpower and resources. With your strength, you're capable of slaying a king-level monster, so why drag these guys into it!"

Ye Cheng gave him an approving look, then responded helplessly:

"There's no way around it; it's the chairman's plan."

Zhou Hongzhi was taken aback, then sighed:

"Sigh, the president is... so confused!"

"Minister Ye, it's not that I, Lao Zhou, disagree with the chairman's decision, but this is clearly unreasonable! We're not only not taking resources that are right on our doorstep, but we're also expected to contribute manpower and effort, only to benefit others!"

Ye Cheng didn't reply, but flames flickered in his eyes.

Seeing that he was persuaded, a smug glint flashed in Zhou Hongzhi's eyes, and he pressed his advantage:

"Minister Ye, we're all family here, so I'll be frank. We can easily take them all out, so let's not let those people from Ideal Country in. After we've finished exploring, we'll say that the King-level monster self-destructed and there wasn't much good stuff left. We'll just share a little with them as a token."

Ye Cheng was somewhat tempted, but also hesitant:

"Will it work? Besides, this is an ally personally recognized by our guild leader. What if the guild leader finds out..."

"That's fine! With so many of us, as long as Xiao Yun isn't stupid, he'll have to swallow this bitter pill. Otherwise... Hmph, the mine is so dangerous, even we can't guarantee they'll be safe."

"Besides, we're doing this for the development of our Worry-Free Village. Even if the president finds out, he can't say anything..."

As Zhou Hongzhi continued to persuade him, a resolute look flashed in Ye Cheng's eyes, and he no longer hesitated.

He looked at Xiao Yun and said:

"President Xiao, it's too dangerous inside. Here's what we'll do: Wuyou Township will take care of this operation. You can rest peacefully under Minister Jing's protection and wait for the final distribution of spoils."

Finally, he added:

"Don't worry, the promise that Ideal Country will take the lion's share will definitely stand."

Before he could finish speaking, Ji Mingyu frowned.

It sounds nice, but in the end, how many resources the ideal nation can get is entirely up to Ye Cheng.

Even if they raise questions, the people of Worry-Free Country, being numerous, can use the excuse that Ideal Country didn't contribute to withhold resources, and Ideal Country, having been fed, has no face to say anything more.

Even if they really fall out, the three seventh-sequences on the other side—Ye Cheng, Jing Feiwan, and Zhou Hongzhi—would still make Ideal Country swallow its pride and accept this loss in silence.

Not only Ji Mingyu, but almost all the members of Ideal Country saw the trap in Ye Cheng's words.

Wang Tianyuan sneered, pointed his little finger, and was about to start criticizing.

Xiao Yun raised his hand to stop him.

Wang Tianyuan frowned:

"Brother Yun!"

"Don't rush, listen to me."

Xiao Yun smiled faintly and looked at Ye Cheng:

"Thank you for your kind offer, Minister Ye. We will leave it to you. We await good news from you."

"A wise move."

Ye Cheng nodded and smiled, leading the people of Wuyou Township into the mine first.

Behind him, Zhou Hongzhi turned and smiled at Xiao Yun, saying:

"Minister Ye speaks frankly, but he means well. Chairman Xiao, please don't mind him."

"President Xiao is of noble birth and will be shouldering the responsibilities of the world in the future. How can he venture into dangerous territory? This kind of work is better left to us roughnecks."

Xiao Yun smiled and said:

"Yes, thank you."

Zhou Zhihong cupped his hands in greeting, leaving Monkey and the others to guard the gate, and led his elite troops to follow Ye Cheng.

Xiao Yun watched Zhou Hongzhi's retreating figure, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"I overestimated that old bastard's moral standards, but it's good that they're gone, it will make my next move easier."

Just now, Xiao Yun tried searching for solutions to crystallization disease.

Surprisingly, I actually found it.

[700 meters to the north, there is a swamp inhabited by a creature called the "short-legged termite." Burning the short-legged termites to ashes and combining them with the spiritual spring can alleviate the effects of crystallization disease.]

"The antidote is sure to be found within three steps; the ancients were right!"

But now, the only problem is...

Xiao Yun turned his head slightly and met Jing Feiwan's eyes, which were full of affection.

"Ahem, President Jing, I have a girlfriend. Please have some self-respect."

"It's okay, I have a husband too, so we're even."

Jing Feiwan smiled and, taking advantage of Xiao Yun's momentary daze, grabbed Xiao Yun's arm and pressed her whole body against him.

A warm, enveloping sensation instantly enveloped his left arm, causing Xiao Yun's face to flush red and nearly snapping to attention.

Jing Feiwan looked at him, her eyes filled with seductive charm:

"How is it? Is it comfortable?"

"No matter how comfortable it is, it's not acceptable. I have my bottom line."

Xiao Yun shook his head and withdrew his arm.

After exhaling, he looked at Jing Feiwan and said seriously:

"Alright, enough joking around, Minister Jing. Your whole group has left, what are you still doing here?"

"Oh dear, you just played with your sister's body, and now you're going to abandon her? You're such a bad little brother..."

Jing Feiwan bit her lip, looking resentful.

Beside him, the people from Ideal Country watched with amusement. Ji Mingyu secretly took out a recording stone and turned on the recording mode.

Xiao Yun's lips twitched wildly as he shattered the recording stone in Ji Mingyu's hand with a single sword strike, then coldly looked at Jing Feiwan.

"Minister Jing, I don't like joking at times like this."

Jing Feiwan wrinkled her nose, sighed softly, and reached out to pinch Xiao Yun's cheek hard.

"She's so easily amused, never mind."

She stopped smiling and explained:

"Before leaving, the chairman said that this time he would follow your command. Ye Cheng is a fool who doesn't listen to orders and is eager to be used as a pawn. I'm not that stupid."

"Moreover, I've heard Hua Wuye say that Chairman Xiao is a master strategist who never suffers a loss."

As she spoke, Jing Feiwan again took Xiao Yun's arm and said softly:

"So, I'm completely entrusting myself to Chairman Xiao. Please make good use of me, Chairman Xiao. Don't let my sincerity go to waste..."

Xiao Yun sighed helplessly and tried to pull his arm away.

"Ouch~ President Xiao is so strong, you've hurt me."

Jing Feiwan's face flushed, but she pressed herself even closer.

She was in the seventh sequence, and Xiao Yun couldn't get rid of her for a while unless he was at full power.

"You! Sigh... never mind."

Xiao Yun sighed helplessly.

Then, he looked at Ji Mingyu and the others, and with a single sword strike, shattered more than ten recording stones.

"Stop causing trouble. Let's go north and find a cure for crystallization disease."

"A cure for crystallization disease!"

Everyone suddenly realized why Xiao Yun wasn't in a hurry.

"There is a cure for crystallization disease!"

Beside Xiao Yun, Jing Feiwan's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"None of the information the president provided mentioned a cure for the crystallization disease, yet he knew it!"

"As expected, this Chairman Xiao also has secrets..."

"Ugh, what should I do? I really want to cut it open and see what's inside. What caused this unusual change? It's so tempting..."

Jing Feiwan licked her lips, her gaze towards Xiao Yun growing increasingly intense, as if she wished she could swallow him whole.