Chapter 118: Strike!

The man in black…
was none other than Happy, who had prepared to play the role of the “benefiting opportunist” a month earlier.
…
The plot remained largely unchanged, unfolding just as it had in his past life. His presence did not alter the local dynamics of the martial world—although the rumpled man known for his exceptional lightness of foot seemed deeply troubled as he left.
Happy thought to himself.
Based on his memories from the past life, in the end, one of the three ornate boxes was stolen by the middle-aged, rumpled man he had met briefly in the pavilion; another was taken by “Black Heron,” the leader of the group that attacked the Thirteen Rod Monks; and the bandits who failed to catch up with the middle-aged man could only return to the Taihang Mountains with the last box.
After considering all his past-life memories, Happy decided to tackle the toughest opponent first—the bandit leader of Mysterious Realm.
Although that middle-aged man seemed weak and lacked combat prowess, his extraordinary lightness of foot made him a headache for strong figures like the “Second Empress” and the “Third King.” Provoking him would mean living in constant fear of losing something without reason.
As for Black Heron…
His superior defensive technique, the “Rotating Circular Shield,” allowed him to reflect part of the attack back, rendering him nearly invincible in the current martial world. Even if Happy managed to seize the box from him, he would still not escape the many eyes watching from beneath Mount Shaoshi, leading to even more trouble in the future.
Moreover, Happy had no intention of obtaining multiple boxes…
Getting just one was enough to handle the system’s manhunt and the pursuit by outlaws. Adding another would make things much more difficult, which was why he targeted the bandit leader of Mysterious Realm.
Standing carelessly in the pavilion, Happy’s blatant provocation immediately enraged the bandits.
“Looking for death!”
Seeing his men killed right before their eyes, the bandit leader of Mysterious Realm was furious! With a flash of anger on his face, he swiftly drew his massive silver bow!
Bang!
The bowstring snapped, and an arrow shot into the pavilion with a loud noise…
Having been active in the martial world for over three years, Happy wouldn’t have wasted all that time if he couldn’t even dodge an arrow.
Staring intently at the bandit leader of Mysterious Realm, he skillfully sidestepped the deadly arrow the moment the latter drew his bow, avoiding it effortlessly.
With a swift motion of his hands, two willow-leaf daggers hit their targets again…
“Scream!”
It wasn’t a human who cried out in pain—it was a horse!

The horse was cut, and in pain, it immediately let out a startled neigh, lifting its front hooves, catching the two bandits on its back off guard and throwing them off—the previous two cuts had succeeded because of the surprise and the noise of the horse’s hooves. Now that the bandits were prepared, it was no longer easy to succeed.

Happy’s second strike came almost simultaneously with an arrow shot by the bandit leader. “Thud!” As the two fell from their horses, the arrow pierced several inches into the stone table, its tail vibrating violently—showing just how formidable the bandit leader’s strength was.

However…

Although arrows were more deadly than flying knives, they were clearly inferior in terms of firing speed and agility. The moment the willow-leaf flying knives were shot, they quickly landed in Happy’s hands. Without stopping, he spun around, and the sharp blades pierced the chests of the two unbalanced bandits falling from their horses. “Bang, bang!” They both clutched their chests and collapsed, never to get up again!

In the blink of an eye, Happy eliminated four more bandits at the Creation Realm level, reducing the group of twenty-one to seventeen…

“Kill him!”

Seeing Happy’s agile skills, different from those of the Creation Realm players he had faced before, the bandit leader finally grew serious and shouted angrily. Everyone dismounted to surround him.

Happy smiled slightly. As he shot two knives to distract the enemies, his Battle-Tested Blade landed in his hand, leaving a blue glow as it sliced through the crowd of bandits.

Just as he had expected!

The bandit leader didn’t rush in right away…

Of course!

It wasn’t that the leader was acting; it was in their nature. These cunning bandits valued their lives and preferred to let their subordinates take the initial hit before engaging in battle. If Happy hadn’t known well enough about these bandits’ habits, he wouldn’t have dared to face a Mysterious Realm expert and over a dozen Creation Realm bandits alone.

Ordinary bandits at the Creation Realm level didn’t possess advanced martial arts. Their overall strength was even less than that of the chief of Black Wind Fort. Without secret techniques or good equipment, they relied solely on their internal energy-enhanced basic martial arts to bully others, looking mighty.

Entering the crowd of bandits alone, Happy showed no signs of nervousness or panic…

“Hiss!”

The bandit at the front hadn’t even had a chance to show bravery in front of their leader when he was effortlessly cut by Happy’s blade, causing his sword to fly from his hand. He was sent flying by the power of the blade, likely suffering a scar that would last a lifetime.

With quick steps, a Golden Dragon Claw appeared, skillfully gripping the nearest bandit’s arm. With a pull and tug, the latter lost his balance, his internal strength vanishing instantly. Driven by Joy, he stepped in front of the other bandits, making them hesitate to attack. Meanwhile, Joy swung his battle axe with one hand, its blade flashing as he pushed back two more bandits… Whoosh! Joy didn’t forget the most threatening bandit leader at the Mysterious Realm level. Seeing the slightest movement from him, he calmly sent one of the bandits ahead to take the arrows while activating “Flower Knight Slash.” He spun like a top, rising into the air, his dazzling blue blade extending several inches long as he moved forward like a meat grinder. “Hahaha!” The three bandits right in front had never seen such ferocious combat before. Caught off guard, they died on the spot, while those on the sides also suffered severe injuries and fell to the ground. As for the bandit used as a shield by Joy, he was shot by the leader and died instantly. But this action completely enraged the leader. Whoosh! With a furious gaze, he leaped off his horse, his massive silver bow nowhere to be seen. He raised a huge purplish-red axe and swung it down from the air. Truly a master of the Mysterious Realm, he rose into the air while keeping his body almost compact, most of it protected by the axe head. His speed was so great that Joy couldn’t even throw his flying knives in time. “Perfect timing!” With a low growl, Joy stepped back twice, allowing the leader’s devastating strike to miss. Thud, thud, thud… The leader moved like a nimble, furious Vajra, his killing intent evident as he rushed forward at lightning speed, his blade slicing through everything in its path. In just a few steps, he caught up to Joy. Joy’s expression remained unchanged as he kept retreating. As they chased and fled, leaves were blown away by the wind, and dust billowed everywhere! Soon, the two of them retreated to an open area far away from the bandits. A presence slightly weaker than the leader’s emerged from Joy—his Creation Realm had begun.