"Let's go over there and make a mark first, then set off when it's light tomorrow."
Zhang Shi made a decision: it was too dark now, and it would be inconvenient to act if there was any danger. It would be better to wait until tomorrow to gather the main force and explore together.
The following morning, sunlight shone through the sparse clouds onto the mysterious island. Zhang Shi had gathered some elite soldiers and key personnel early on, leaving only Zhang Dazhuang to guard the shelter, in preparation for exploring the "entrance to the instance" discovered the previous night.
They carefully traversed the dense jungle along the route they had taken the previous night. Every few steps, Zhang Shi would open the panoramic map to check their direction and ensure the team remained on track. As they drew closer to their destination, a faint, indescribable ancient aura filled the air, inspiring a sense of awe. Zhang Shi stared at the scenery, so incongruous with the island's surroundings, and felt an increasing sense of mystery about this small island.
Finally, in a clearing surrounded by tall trees, they found the stone tablet. The tablet was about three zhang tall and a little over a chi wide, its surface covered with intricate runes, emitting a faint, eerie glow that contrasted sharply with the surrounding natural environment. Beside the tablet, the swirling vortex, like ripples, became even clearer, as if it could suck one into another world at any moment.
Ge Dalong stepped forward and carefully studied the runes on the stone tablet, his brows furrowed.
"It seems to be related to magic, with faint magical fluctuations, but I can't understand what's written on it."
He turned to look at Zhang Shi, his eyes filled with both excitement and worry.
Zhang Shi nodded, signaling everyone to remain vigilant, and then slowly approached the vortex. He understood that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it could also harbor certain risks. He took a deep breath and decided to personally attempt to enter the vortex and explore that unknown world.
"I'll go in first. If everything is normal, you can follow me," Zhang Shi said to the group. He then took out Old Duan to ensure that he could launch a counterattack immediately even in the unknown world.
Wu Qing applied a bunch of buffs to Zhang Shi, and Ge Dalong also cast an Ice Armor spell as usual. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhang Shi stepped into the vortex.
Instantly, he felt the space around him begin to distort, his vision blurred, and his body seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, passing through layers of spatial barriers. When everything returned to calm, he found himself standing in a completely new environment.
This was a world full of fantasy, with white clouds floating in the sky, strange plants growing on the ground, and majestic mountains and flowing rivers faintly visible in the distance. Zhang Shi looked around and felt a mysterious sense of familiarity rise in his heart.
Upon learning that Zhang Shi was safe and sound, Ge Dalong and the others also stepped into the vortex and joined the exploration of this mysterious world.
As soon as Zhao Feng stepped into this mysterious world, he immediately shouted.
"Hey, isn't this that secret realm full of monkeys?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi immediately realized where that strange sense of familiarity came from.
Three days ago, they had just fought a fierce battle with the mandrill boss in a secret realm near the transit station. After that, they encountered the Eagle Gang. The two sides fought fiercely, and the environment and climate of that secret realm were already familiar to everyone.
"What a coincidence! I just stumbled upon a portal that leads to this secret realm. It seems this place is quite high-level."
Even Wu Qing was somewhat moved, never expecting that after drifting so far at sea, they would still be able to return to this secret realm.
"Hey hey hey, timing is everything! I heard from the Eagle Clan that this boss only respawns every three days, and it's been exactly three days since we last killed it. This is just fate!"
Zhao Feng swaggered ahead, carrying his axe and clearing the way. In his mind, killing the king of the mountain demons was a piece of cake, and another wave of rewards was about to rain down on him.
Just as Zhao Feng confidently led the way, preparing to challenge the King of the Mountain Demons once again, a series of dull, powerful footsteps broke the silence of the forest. The group immediately became alert, gripping their weapons tightly and scanning their surroundings with keen eyes.
"Look over there!" Ge Dalong, with his sharp eyes, pointed to an open area not far away. There, a group of huge, muscular bulls were slowly approaching, their eyes gleaming with a wild light, clearly regarding these uninvited guests as a threat.
"It's a herd of bulls!" Zhang Shi quickly judged. "Everyone be careful. Although these guys are not strong individually, there are many of them. Once they form an encirclement, it will be very troublesome."
Wu Qing quickly cast several auxiliary spells to enhance the team's defense and agility, while Ge Dalong set up traps to prepare for the cattle's charge. Zhang Shi, wielding Lao Duan, stood at the forefront of the team alongside Zhao Feng. Behind them, fifty soldiers, armed with muskets inscribed with array patterns, had already aimed their guns at the cattle, awaiting Zhang Shi's order to engage in the impending battle.
With a deep roar, the bull herd began its charge, their heavy bodies thundering across the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. At Zhang Shi's command, the musketeers unleashed a six-round volley, a barrage of bullets raining down on the bulls. Many at the front were reduced to mincemeat by the powerful projectiles, but this did little to deter the frenzied bulls. Instead, the deaths of their comrades fueled their ferocity, driving them to charge even more furiously towards the ranks.
Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng took the lead, relying on their excellent combat skills and tacit cooperation to charge against the bulls, charging left and right through the herd and becoming invincible.
In this fierce battle, four exceptionally strong bulls stood out. Their muscles were as hard as steel, and their skin shimmered with a faint metallic sheen. These were the so-called "Exquisite Elite Monsters [Mad Bulls]".
These four mad bulls were not only incredibly strong, but also extremely fast. They seemed to be able to anticipate the enemy's movements, narrowly avoiding fatal attacks several times. Their eyes glowed red as they charged towards Zhang Shi.
"Perfect timing!"
These four mad bulls are exquisite-level monsters. Based on the previous experience, killing them can yield a token to summon a boss. Zhang Shi reminded Zhao Feng, then teleported behind one of the mad bulls and sent it to meet its grandmother with a single strike.
Zhao Feng also spotted the Mad Bull. He went against the flow of the herd, enduring the onslaught head-on without flinching. Instead, he overturned the massive bull to the ground and charged straight at it, severing its head with a single sweeping motion.
"We're having beef tonight!"
...
With everyone's combined efforts, the four exquisite-grade mad bulls were finally defeated one by one, falling into pools of blood. Zhang Shi collected the four tokens they dropped and summoned the boss.
The ground suddenly trembled, and a huge figure slowly rose from the carcasses of the cattle. It was the true target of everyone's journey - the boss [Bull-Headed Commander].
Zhang Shi examined it and confirmed it was indeed a rare-level boss. However, their group was no longer what they used to be; their strength had all improved to varying degrees, so dealing with this boss should be a piece of cake.
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