God of Pets

No one paid attention to Bu Changning anymore. Chen Guan and the other two went to eat at the dining hall and then headed to the Beimang Mountain Secret Realm.

"Originally, we had ten people. We could have charged as a battle array and broken through the encirclement of the Shadow Soldier Corps summoned by the Ghost-Slaying Emperor. Now there are only three of us left. Breaking through the encirclement of the Shadow Soldier Corps and then going to fight the Ghost-Slaying Emperor might be difficult. Should I go talk to the other teammates again? They should understand that if the task isn't completed, they won't be able to keep going either," said the squad leader.

"No need. Everyone has their own ambitions. It's only natural they don't dare to offend the Xiu Family," said Chen Guan.

"But that's not right. Why should we do all the dirty and exhausting work, risk our lives to complete the task, and they get to enjoy the success as well? Especially that traitor Bu Changning. If we finish the task now, as the vice leader, he would get many more points than Menteam and I," An Yiqi grumbled.

"Who said we have to complete the task?" Chen Guan's indifferent remark left Menteam and An Yiqi stunned.

"If we don't complete the task, your position as the team leader won't be secure, and our points will be deducted into negative numbers. Isn't that bad?" An Yiqi looked at Chen Guan with confusion.

"Aren't we going to kill the Ghost-Slaying Emperor?" Menteam also looked at Chen Guan with confusion, but he understood that Chen Guan must have his reasons for saying such things.

Chen Guan smiled and said, "Of course, we still need to kill the Ghost-Slaying Emperor. Not only the Ghost-Slaying Emperor, but also the Emperor Vein Ghost-Eyed Python and the Underworld Blood Phoenix. But who says that killing those World-Defying Secret Spirits has to result in completing the task?"

"If we kill the World-Defying Secret Spirits but don't complete the task, what are we after... Ah... You want to keep the task items..." An Yiqi suddenly understood Chen Guan's meaning.

"Four gold tasks. The task item for the Millennium Ghost-Slaying Emperor is the sword in his hand and the robe on his body. For the Emperor Vein Ghost-Eyed Python, it's the scales of its entire body. For the Underworld Blood Phoenix, it's its feathers. For the Holy Horned White Deer, it's the antlers on its head. The intrinsic value of these items is extremely high."

Chen Guan continued calmly, "The points rewards we get from submitting the task are about equal to the value of these items. However, these items are rare resources, while the elixirs we exchange for points are mass-produced and circulated items. If I keep these task items and exchange them directly for elixirs, the loss isn't much, and we might even get more and better elixirs."

"Isn't that calculated wrong? If we don't submit the task, not only do we not get points, but our points are deducted too, which is not worthwhile, and your position as team leader can't be retained. Isn't that more troublesome?" An Yiqi counted on his fingers.

"I don't care about the little team leader position, and as for point deductions, let them deduct them. Anyway, we already exchanged our points for elixirs when we submitted tasks before. What difference does it make if they deduct them into negative numbers? There's no rule that requires reserve team members to pay money for negative points, or a rule that one must submit tasks, right?"

"That's true, but if our points turn negative, we won't be able to exchange them for elixirs anymore."

"What's the matter with that? We'll just keep taking tasks without submitting them. The Secret Spirits in the random tasks are good stuff. The benefits we get from killing them surely surpass those points, don't they?"

"Can we really do that?" An Yiqi and Menteam stared wide-eyed, never having considered such a strategy.

"If we do that, our points will keep going further negative. By then, won't we be kicked out?" Menteam worriedly asked.

"Relax. No one can kick me out. If there's any issue, I'll take the hit." Chen Guan was not worried at all. Kicking him out wouldn't get the agreement of Ji Nanhong or Xiu Yingmei from the Xiu Family.

The two most powerful forces within the Celestial Court Army disagree, so who can kick him out?

"This plan could work, but can the three of us really kill the Ghost-Slaying Emperor?" An Yiqi thought worrying about those things was premature; the real question is whether they can actually kill the Ghost-Slaying Emperor.

"Didn't your teacher teach you in school? A triangle is the most stable structure. As long as the three of us work together and form an iron triangle, killing the Ghost-Slaying Emperor isn't difficult." Chen Guan's words left the two looking at each other in disbelief.

An Yiqi silently thought to himself, "Is that sentence used this way?"

"Therefore, we need to have a clear understanding of each other's skills. My talent is quick energy recovery, and my target specializes in body technique and palm technique. I think I can handle the Ghost-Slaying Emperor one-on-one. How about you?" Chen Guan asked.

An Yiqi and Menteam were dumbfounded and momentarily forgot to respond to Chen Guan.

The skills that the Celestial Court Army is supposed to excel at, he wasn't good at at all. Body technique has no use for cavalrymen, and palm technique was very limited in use, with too short a range for combat on horseback.

The comment about having no problem soloing the Ghost-Slaying Emperor was even more remarkable; even elite warriors like Jiang Tianqing hadn't succeeded against the Millennium Ghost-Slaying Emperor, yet he spoke so lightly.

Menteam was the first to respond, smiling at Chen Guan as he said, "My Lifebound Talent is the Unrivaled Knight, which provides certain enhancements for riding skills and combat on horseback. I'm skilled in spear technique, sword skill, and bow and arrow, which might be somewhat helpful."

"More than just helpful, immensely useful. You can break through the encirclement of the Shadow Soldier Corps and deliver us right to the Ghost-Slaying Emperor," Chen Guan said.

Menteam forced a smile, saying nothing. Though he felt it would be challenging for him alone to carve a path through the thousands of Shadow Soldier Corps, it wasn't the right moment to counter Chen Guan.

Seeing the two look at him, An Yiqi hastily said, "My Lifebound Talent is Dual Wielding Skill, allowing me to use two different weapons and skills simultaneously with both hands. It doesn't have much use for cavalry, and I haven't had much opportunity to demonstrate it. In terms of skill, I might be proficient in sword skill or swordsmanship. I can dual wield the Steel-cutting Saber, but its range isn't as broad as the long spear."

Chen Guan was slightly surprised, "Your Dual Wielding Skill is impressive. If your hands can simultaneously wield different weapons and techniques, that would greatly enhance combat power."

"It's not that simple. Dual wielding can be stronger than average, but using two different Secret Skills simultaneously causes a severe consumption of Primordial Energy. My energy can't keep up. What's the use of dual wielding then?" An Yiqi smiled wryly.

"Primordial Energy is indeed an issue, but if you possess incredibly strong Divine Weapons capable of countering enemy Secret Skills using only weaponry, then this Dual Wielding Skill would be invincible," Chen Guan pondered and said.

"That's difficult. Even with great weapons, without the aid of Secret Skills, it lacks enhancements in speed, power, and explosiveness. Using ordinary Fighting Skills to defeat someone using Secret Skills isn't easy," An Yiqi sighed wryly. "I got recruited into the reserve team because my instructor shared your views, but in practice, Dual Wielding Skill hasn't proven as strong. It's also possible my combat talent is lacking, making it hard to fully utilize the Dual Wielding Skill."

"I don't know how you were before, but now you must step up and support us with your Dual Wielding Skill. A stool with just two legs is bound to be unstable; we need you to stand up and hold the position," Chen Guan said earnestly.

"I'll try my best. Don't get your hopes too high with me," An Yiqi said, pulling a long face.

"It's not about trying; it's about succeeding," Chen Guan stated and then nudged his horse forward without waiting for An Yiqi to refuse.

The three entered the Beimang Mountain Secret Realm, hurrying to the ancient tomb area where the Millennium Ghost-Slaying Emperor resided, guarded by the Celestial Court Army members with Second Awakening. Chen Guan produced the task pass, allowing them to enter.

Before approaching the Imperial Mausoleum where the Millennium Ghost-Slaying Emperor was, Chen Guan and the others revised their plan.

"When we cut through the Shadow Soldier Corps, we must maintain our triangular formation. If we get dispersed, reaching the Ghost-Slaying Emperor becomes impossible and we risk being surrounded and killed," Menteam explained the plan as they discussed it.

"It's better to have a Plan B in case we get scattered, so we know how to handle it," An Yiqi wasn't very certain he could hold on.

"There's no Plan B. We believe you can do it. The fact that you're here, standing with us to complete the task, is already proof that you have the capability to fight alongside us. Don't squander your Dual Wielding Skill," Chen Guan finished speaking and mounted his horse, heading towards the Imperial Mausoleum.