Chapter 131: Meeting Senior Sister Fang Xi Again

The group skirted around a corner of the Plague Fortress, only to find another team in the distance encircling a pack of undead. Several tank-class members with shields stood in a line, with numerous melee fighters filling the gaps, while ranged and spellcasting units unleashed a barrage of attacks from behind.

Because they were so close to the Plague Fortress, the team dared not use high-powered spells, yet the combined firepower of eleven mages and over twenty ranged attackers was fierce enough that the wandering undead stood no chance. Chu Cheng and his companions stood to the side, watching with keen interest.

After a while, a familiar, tall, and curvaceous figure caught Chu Cheng’s eye. He froze, rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and then broke into a smile.

"Fang Xi!"

He had discovered his senior, Fang Xi, among the spellcasting team at the back of the group. Beside her, he saw her teammate, the leader of her spellcasting unit. To his surprise, Fang Xi was a spellcasting class—something he hadn't noticed before. Dressed in a tailored, ornate robe, she summoned powerful spells with every gesture, adding to her charm. He rested his chin on his hand, eyes fixed on her beautiful silhouette, choosing not to send a message to disturb her for now, opting instead to watch silently as they cleared the remaining undead.

Ten minutes later, the last ghost was blasted down by a fireball, and the team stopped to rest. Seven men and one woman gathered to chat before walking toward them; among them was Fang Xi’s captain, Xu Mingli. Lei Ming and Zhang Chaosheng, representing their own party, stepped forward to meet them.

Chu Cheng had no interest in the specifics of their conversation. He sent a message to Fang Xi: "Hello, Senior."

In the distance, a look of confusion crossed Fang Xi’s delicate face. A second later, she realized, scanned her surroundings, and her gaze landed on them. Her eyes lit up, and a bright smile spread across her face. After exchanging a few words with her companions, she stood up, waved at him, and walked over.

Chu Cheng stood up and waved back. Yao Ning, sitting beside him, followed his gaze and asked in surprise, "Oh? You know Fang Xi?"

Chu Cheng was equally surprised. "You know Senior Fang Xi too?"

Feng Lingxing, sitting on the other side, had overheard them and smiled. "She’s a famous beauty in our faction; of course we’ve seen her."

"Our faction?" Chu Cheng asked curiously. "Are you from the Tower of Void as well?"

Both Feng Lingxing and Yao Ning burst out laughing. "What kind of question is that? Which one of us isn't from the Tower of Void?"

"Don't you know that the Plague Lands dungeon is the default training ground for members of the Tower of Void?"

"There's such a thing?"

"Of course. Why else do you think we’d recruit a rookie like you so easily? Besides, the unspoken rules within the dungeon only apply to those of the same faction. If you run into teams from other factions in other dungeons, you won't be so lucky. The polite ones might avoid you if there’s nothing of value to be gained, but if they aren't, it’s every man for himself."

"What do you mean by 'every man for himself'?"

"A fight, obviously. Each team sends three people, best of three, and the winner takes the boss."

"However, be careful. This isn't always foolproof. Those with integrity will concede, but if they're shameless, or if the profit at stake is too great, they might not accept defeat. Watch out for them conceding on the surface only to ambush you while you're dealing with the boss."

"I see." Chu Cheng bowed seriously. "Thanks for the heads-up!"

"Don't mention it." Yao Ning patted him on the shoulder. "Enough talk, your beautiful senior is here."

Chu Cheng stood up to meet her. As they stopped at a distance, she asked in surprise, "How did you end up here, traveling so far with them? As a rookie, you should stay near the Crusader Fortress to clear wandering undead and farm essence. It earns you an income and helps you get used to the dungeon."

He smiled brightly. "I figured it’s better to join a team than to survive alone; there's more safety in numbers. I happened to see Captain Lei Ming recruiting, so I joined. One thing led to another, and I ended up here."

Fang Xi touched her forehead, looking both amused and exasperated. "You're a rookie, and you just wander off with any group..."

"You’re lucky that the Thunder Team has a good reputation. If you’d run into a group with a bad name, or encountered teams from other factions in a public dungeon, it would have been dangerous."

Fang Xi calmed down and thought for a moment. "The Thunder Team has a good reputation, so you're fine with them. I'll have a word with Captain Lei Ming and ask him to look after you."

"Thank you, Senior."

She waved it off. "I brought you in, so I have a responsibility to guide you during your rookie phase. Once that's over, you're on your own." She lowered her voice. "By the way, your team is going to join ours to storm the Plague Fortress. Be careful. Stay in the back and provide support; don't try to be a hero as the main tank, and definitely don't pull the boss."

She whispered, "There is a transcendent-tier boss inside. Its ultimate skill is extremely powerful—there will definitely be casualties."

Chu Cheng nodded obediently. "I understand."

"By the way, if it's so dangerous, why not gather more people to increase your chances of success?"

"Greed, mostly. People have too much confidence in themselves and gamble that they won't be the ones to die."

"Anyway, he's coming."

Chu Cheng looked up and saw Fang Xi’s captain, Xu Mingli, striding toward them, exuding an imposing aura. Xu Mingli approached them, scanned both of them, and finally fixed his gaze on Chu Cheng, forcing a smile. "I didn't expect to see you here again. It’s fate. To save Fang Xi from worrying, why don't you join our team? We'll take you under our wing."

Chu Cheng shook his head. "No, thank you. I’ve already joined Captain Lei Ming’s team."

Xu Mingli didn't push it. He nodded with a smile, "Captain Lei Ming has a great reputation; you'll be fine there. If you need anything, feel free to find me."

"Thank you, Senior."

Xu Mingli nodded and glanced back at Fang Xi. Her eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, but she said nothing. A moment later, Chu Cheng received a message from her: "Be careful of my teammates. Don't trust a word they say."

"Uh..." He was silent for a moment before asking, "What is the relationship between you?"

"We are just teammates."

Chu Cheng returned to his group, where Feng Lingxing leaned in, grinning. "Finished chatting with your beautiful senior?"

Chu Cheng ignored the teasing. "Brother Feng, let me ask you something. How well do you know Xu Mingli? What’s his strength and character like?"

Feng Lingxing blinked, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Why do you ask?"

He gasped, "Wait! Don't tell me you're trying to pursue that beautiful senior of yours?"