"I've set all of you as my targets, which is why I've temporarily acquired everyone's talents. Since none of you are as strong as me, I can share your talents for the next 24 hours."
"But what really boosts my strength in no time is Deep Blue!"
Omnipresent Duplication was just too astonishing, so Chen Guo spun a benevolent lie, telling everyone that his ability was what you might call 'cycle sharing.'
The talent Chen Guo concocted truly deserved the title of Heaven Level—it was formidable, yet without the shock factor of Omnipresent Duplication.
Upon hearing Chen Guo's explanation, everyone had an 'aha' moment. Lin Dong, relieved, said, "I was worried you might be stealing others' talents. Turns out, you share them. That's a talent made for teamwork. Why do you prefer going solo?"
Chen Guo gave a nonchalant shrug. "The Beginner Village I came from had no real experts. I advanced too quickly; they just couldn't keep up. But when necessary, I'd band together with them. Like the time we took on the novel challenge."
Lei Kun chimed in, "You seem pretty confident about taking on the Demon War God Arieti. But with our help, you'd be unstoppable. How about we join forces?"
No one was taken aback by Chen Guo's Heaven Level talent—after all, it was pretty much the norm in the group.
Even Avril, with the least impressive talent at Earth Level, had combat strength on par with the best of Heaven Level.
Chen Guo shook his head, "I'm someone who honors their promises—my word is as good as gold. I won't break it. Besides, who knows what kind of tricks Demon War God Arieti might pull if I did?"
"My combat strength now surpasses Demon War God Arieti's by ninety thousand. Plus, I possess all of your talents, and I'm sharing others' as well."
"That's why I'm confident I can take down Demon War God Arieti in a direct confrontation!"
"Here's to your triumph!"
"Absolutely, now's the prime time for Boss Guangcheng to step in and save the day!"
"Go for it, Boss Guangcheng. Our escape from this wretched place hinges on you."
Everyone rallied behind Chen Guo with enthusiastic support.
Chen Guo nodded decisively and charged ahead, positioning himself opposite Arieti.
"My warm-up's done. Time for you to bite the dust!" Chen Guo taunted, curling his finger in a come-hither gesture. "When I say I'll turn you into a dog, that's exactly what's going to happen—no going back on my word."
"Insolent! You truly are a sly mortal, to have gained so much strength in such a short time!" Arieti scoffed with a cold laugh. "But you have no idea of my true power. Prepare to experience it firsthand! The descent of a god!"
With a thunderous roar, Arieti's frame expanded, towering over the scene. His body radiated a crimson glow, and his eyes blazed red with a surge of immense power.
This was the Warrior class's ultimate move, 'Descending from the Heavens,' which could significantly boost one's strength momentarily. Known as the Demon War God, Arieti was a master of every Warrior technique.
"Charge!"
"Flame Strike!"
Like a ferocious tiger, Arieti barreled forward, kicking up clouds of dust and flame, his battle blade descending upon Chen Guo with overwhelming force.
"Golden Light Shield!"
"Ten Thousand Swords Spell!"
Chen Guo stood his ground, conjuring the Golden Light Shield before unleashing the Shu Mountain Sword Technique with his Cosmos Sword, clashing with Arieti in a fierce melee.
At this point in the game, all classes could be categorized as either close-quarters or ranged combatants, and further as either physical or magical professions.
Warriors and martial artists epitomized the physical professions, using their formidable physiques and raw power combined with skillful techniques to decimate foes.
Conversely, professions like priests, mages, and qi-trainers fell under the magical category, harnessing spells or Qi to deliver devastating attacks.
Whether a class specialized in physical or magical skills, they could engage in both close-quarters and ranged combat.
Warriors and martial artists represented the close-quarters branch of physical professions, necessitating proximity to their opponents for effective combat. This explained Arieti's relentless pursuit of Chen Guo and his allies.
Without closing the distance, Arieti's strikes would be futile. Although he possessed ranged capabilities, they were hardly as impactful.
Classes such as Sharpshooters, Archers, Hunters, and Tang Sect martial artists, on the other hand, exemplified the ranged side of physical professions.
To maximize their capabilities, they needed to keep a certain distance from the enemy. This was true for firearms, cannons, Tang Sect hidden weapons, or arrows—all requiring long-range proficiency.
Take the Qi Gong Master, a close-combat magic class that uses Qi circulation to enhance various fighting techniques, blending Qi with their combat skills to grapple with foes up close.
Mages and Taoist Priests, on the other hand, epitomize long-range magic classes. They must keep their distance to cast spells with composure, as their spells are seldom instant and typically require incantations.
This resembles the battles in "Journey to the West," where Sun Wukong needed superior martial arts to fend off attacks and find moments to chant spells. Without a protective deity or casting from a safe distance, he couldn't withstand direct melee attacks while casting.
In contrast, the Sword Immortal appears to amalgamate the traits of all these classes, adept at both close and long-range combat.
The Sword Immortal's foundation is in swordsmanship, with mastery over Mount Shu's advanced sword techniques equating to expertise in hand-to-hand sword combat. Most techniques from the Mount Shu Sword Sect work at any distance, without specific range requirements.
Thus, the Sword Immortal excels in both melee and ranged combat.
Moreover, the Sword Immortal straddles the line between magic and physical classes. Its skillset includes numerous casting abilities, like the Immortal Wind Cloud Body Technique and Heavenly Astral Battle Qi. Its sword techniques can be cast quickly, almost instantaneously.
Yet, the Sword Immortal's final strikes remain physical in nature. Even its sword qi, akin to battle qi, retains a physical aspect.
Therefore, Chen Guo decided to engage the Demon War God Arieti in close-quarters combat using the Mountain Shu Sword Arts. He was curious to see if, with his combat strength surpassing his opponent's by 90,000, he could withstand a direct confrontation.
Clang!
Chen Guo's Cosmos Sword clashed with Arieti's battle blade.
Locked in close combat, the two warriors cycled through innumerable techniques in the blink of an eye, each move neutralizing the other's, boiling down to a raw test of power.